Commentary on the Gospels and Acts, Commentary 1 · Chapter 5 · Verse 16 – Verse 17
Verse 16. Let your light so shine before men.]
We use to … the picture of a dear friend in a conspicuous place, that it may appear we rejoyce in it, as an ornament to us: so should we the image of Christ and his graces. And as pearls (though formed and found in the water,) are like the heavens in clearnesse: so should all, but especially Ministers: Their faces should shine, as Moses when he came from the mount: their feet should be beautifull, Rom. 10. 15. their mouths (as heaven in the Revelation) should never open but some great matter should follow: their lives should be (as one speaketh of Iosephs life) caelum quoddam lucidissimis virtutum ….…, a very heaven sparkling with variety of vertues, as with so many bright starres. The High-Priest of the Law came forth to the people, in habit, more like a God then a man: And Alexander the great took him for no lesse, but fell atOs … Deo …. his feet, meeting him upon his way to Ierusalem. There are thatVirg. hold, that by his linens, he was taught purity; by his girdle, discretion;…. by his embroidered coat, heavenly conversation; by his golden bells, sound doctrine; by his pomegranates, fruitfullnesse in good works; by his shoulder-peeces, patience in bearing other mens infirmities; by his brest-plate, continuall care of theD. …. Church; by his mitre, a right intention; and by the golden plate upon it, a bold and wise profession of Holinesse to the Lord. The Apostle also is exact, in forming a minister of the Gospel: For he1 Tim. 3. 2, 3, 4. expounded. must be 1. Blamelesse, such as against whom no just exception canforeign. be laid. 2. Vigilant, pale and wan again with watching aud working. 3. Sober, or temperate, one that can contain his passions,foreign. master his own heart, and keep a mean. 4. Modest, neat andforeign. comely in his bodily attire, neither curious nor carelesse thereof, but venerable in all his behaviour; and one that keepeth a fit decorum in all things. 5. Hospitall and harberous. Quicquid habent foreign.Clerici, pauperum est, saith Hierome. 6. Able and apt to Hier. ad … PP.teach, as Bishop …, Dr Taylour, and Mr Bradford; whoforeign. preached every sunday and holyday ordinarily: and as …, Origen and some others, who preached every day in the week. 7. Not given to wine, no Ale-stake, as those drunkenforeign. Priests the two sonnes of Aaron, who died by the fire of God, for…. 10. …. foreign coming before him with strange fire. 8. No striker: neitherforeign. with hand nor tongue, to the just grief or disgrace of any. 9. Not greedy of filthy lucre, so as to get gain by evil arts; but honest, plain-dealing, and (as it follows in the text) patient, or aequanimous: easily parting … his right, for peace sake, and ever preferringforeign. equity before extremity of Law. 10. Not a brawler, or…. …. common barretter, a wrangler, as Ismael. 11. Not covetous: not…. 5 cap. 10. foreign. doating on his wealth, or trusting to his wedge. Not without money, but without the love of money. The Apostle here distinguisheth, greedy of filthy lucre, which is in getting, from … which consists in pinching, and saving. 12. … that ruleth well So 1 Cor. …. 10.in his own house, &c. For the childrens faults … upon the parents, and the servants sinne is the masters shame. Besides, every man is that in religion, that he is relatively; and so much true goodnesse he hath, as he sheweth at home. 13. Not a novice, a young scholar, rude and ungrounded: or a tender-young plant inforeign, Christianity (as the word signifieth) that may be bent any way: but a well-grown oak, stable and steddy. 14. Lastly, he must have ver. 7.a good report of them which are without; which he cannot but have, if qualified, as above-said. The same God which did at first put an awe of man in the fiercest creatures, hath stampt in the … hearts an awfull respect to his faithfull Ministers: so as even they that hate them, cannot … but honour them, as Saul did Samuel; Darius Daniel; Nebuchadnezzar the three Worthies. Naturall conscience cannot but stoop and do homage to Gods image fairly stampt upon the natures and works of his people. So that when men see in such that which is above the ordinary strain, and their own expectation, their hearts ake within them, many times; and they stand much amazed at the height of their spirits, and the majesty that shines in their faces. Either they are convinced, as Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, and Diocletian (who laid down the Empire, out of a … discontent and dispair of ever conquering the constancy of Christians by any bloudy persecution:) or (which is better) they are converted, and seeing such good works, they glorifie God our heavenly father, as Justine Martyr, whoforeign &c foreign …. 133. confesseth of himself, that by beholding the Christians piety in life, and patience in death, he gathered their doctrine to be the truth, and glorified God in the day of his visitation. For there is no Christian (saith Athanagoras in his Apology to the Heathens,) that isforeign Apolog. not good, unlesse … be an hypocrite, and a pretender only to religion. Verè magnus est Deus Christianorum, said one Calocerius a Heathen, beholding the sufferings of the Primitive Martyrs. And it is reported of one Cecilia a Virgin, that by her constancy and exhorations, before, and at her martyrdom, four hundred were converted. Chrysostom calls good works unanswerable syllogisines, invincible demonstrations to confute and convert Pagans. Julian the Apostate could not but confesse, quòd Christiana religio propter Christianorum erga omnes beneficentiam … est: Christian religion spread by the holinesse of those that professed it.
Verse 17. Thinke not that I am come to destroy the Law]
As the Pharisees slandered him, only to bring him into hatred with the people. And as, to this day, they maliciously traduce him in their writings. Rabbi Maimonides in his Misnah, hath a whole chapterLib. … …. de …. …. concerning the punishment of the false-Prophet, that teacheth that he came to destroy the Law: Calumniare audactèr: aliquid saltem adhaerebit, said Machiavel. A depraver (saith Plato) is … nominis, a devil, saith Paul. It is the property of defamitions,… Tim. 3. 3. to leave a kinde of lower estimation, many times, even where they are not beleeved.
I am not come to …]
Gr. To loose, dissolve, or unty the Law, as those Rebels, Psal. 2. 3. sought to do, but with ill successe.foreign For it tyeth and hampereth men, with an Aut …, aut patiendum, Gal. 3.either you must have the direction of the Law, or the correction: either do it, or die for it. Thus the Law is a schoolmaster, and such a one as that, that Livy and … speak of in Italy, that brought forth his scholars to …; who had he not been more mercifull then otherwise, they had all perished. The comfort is, that it is a schoolmaster to Christ, who became bond to the Law to redeem us, that were under the Law, from the rigour, bondage, irritation and condemnation thereof. So that the use that now we have of it, is only to be as Pauls sisters son, to shew us our danger, and to send us to the chief Captain of our salvation, who came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it.
But to fulfill it]
To complete and accomplish it, for he fulfilled foreignall righteousnesse, and finished the work that was given himJoh. 17. 4. to do. A new commandement also gave he unto us, that we love one another: which love is the complement of the Law, and the supplement of the Gospel. Besides, Christ is the end of the Law to Rom. 10. 4,every one that beleeveth: and commandeth us no more, then he…. …. 7. causeth us to do; yea, he doth all his works in us and for us, saith the Church, Isa 26. 12. Thus Christ still fulfills the Law in his people; into whose hearts he putteth a disposition answerable to the outward Law in all things: as in the wax is the same impression that was upon the seal. This is called the law of the minde, Rom. 7. and answereth the law of God without, as lead answers the mould, as tally answereth tally, as Indenture, Indenture. Heb. 8. 8 9, 10. with 2 Cor. 3. 2, 3. Rom. 6. 17.