Expositions Upon Matthew 1-10, Introduction
The Authours Introduction to the enſuing Treatiſe.
TO the better underſtanding of this Goſpel, which, through the aſsiſtance of the good Spirit of the Lord, I now undertake, there muſt be certain things firſt to be conſidered, whereunto I ſhall propoſe theſe enſuing:
I. That by the Goſpel or foreign is meant The glad Tidings of Salvation, of foreign that ſignifies Well, and foreign, To tell, though ſometimes the word Goſpel is taken for the Reward of good Tidings, as Cicero to Atticus ſaith, O thy ſweet Epiſtles, to which I confeſs Evangelia, that is, the Reward of good Tidings is due. This word Goſpel is taken
1. Generally for the whole Scripture, which declares this Meſſage, for there were many ſprinklings of the Goſpel in the Old Teſtament, Gen. 3.15. Deut. 18.18.
2. Or particularly, 1. for the promiſe of forgiveneſs of ſins to them that believe and repent, Luke 24.47. Acts 10.42. 2. For the publication of this Goſpel; ſo Paul, Rom. 16 25. was ſeparate to the Goſpel of God, that is, to the preaching of it. See alſo Gal. 1.15, 16. 2 Tim. 2.8. Chriſt was raiſed from the dead according to my Goſpel, that is, the preaching of my Goſpel, Rom. 2.16. God ſhall judg all ſecrets according to my Goſpel, that is, according to my preaching.
II. In that it's ſaid according to Matthew, we may note that the prime Authour of this Goſpel was not Matthew, but the Spirit of God, Matthew onelyonly penn'd what the Spirit dictated.
III. This word [According] or according to Matthew, ſignifies that the Goſpel of Matthew was not another Goſpel from the Goſpel of Mark, Luke, and John, neither doth it bring another Hiſtory or Doctrine, but onelyonly that there was another Writer or Pen-man, and another manner of writing: the Goſpel is one, but it is written of four Evangeliſts in a fourfold manner, order and ſtyle.
IV. The different Relations of theſe four Evangeliſts is no way derogatory to the truth of that one Goſpel; for if all the words were alike and the ſame, the Enemies then of Holineſs and of the Goſpel might have thought there was a Conſpiracy among the Evangeliſts for to deceive, but when they write in a diverſe manner (though not in a contradictory manner) it appears that in the ſimplicity and ſincerity of their hearts they wrote as they were commanded, one being appointed by God to handle that which the other paſſes by: nor was there any need of four Pen men, had they writ for matter and manner one and the ſame thing.
V. Not onelyonly the 4. Evangeliſts but the Book of the Acts and the Epiſtles & Book of Revelations is called a Teſtament, in the Greek foreign ▪ which word ſignifies a Diſpoſing, Appointment or Declaring of a Will,Non morientium v…luntatem, ſed viventia p…cta. Ar…. Law or Promiſe, whether it proceed from one or more; this word foreign, when there is ſpeech of Chriſtian Doctrine, ſignifies a Covenant, yet doth it alſo ſignifie a Teſtament, Heb. 9.17. becauſe in it is contained the will of Chriſt confirmed by his death. This Teſtament is called the New Teſtament, 2 Cor. 3.6. in oppoſition to the Old, ſaying, Who hath made us able Miniſters of the New Teſtament: and verſ. 14. The Vail remains untaken away, in reading the Old Teſtament; beſides it is called New, alluding unto the words of Chriſt, Luke 22.20. This Cup is the New Teſtament in my Bloud, in that Chriſt eſtabliſhed his Doctrine, by his Death it's call'd by the name of New Teſtament: in a word, when mention is made of Bloud, then foreign ſignifies a Covenant; when it ſets forth the freeneſs of the Promiſe or Legacy, then the word Teſtament is uſed; alſo the word Teſtament is uſed rather than Law, to ſhew how gently God deals with his People in the times of the Goſpel; ſo that if the New Teſtament at any time he called by the name of Law, it's call'd the Law of Faith, Rom. 3.27. or Law of Liberty.
VI. Concerning the Pen-man Matthew, obſerve we, firſt, the time wherein he wrote, for which we can have nothing but humane teſtimony, which is, as Pareus mentions out of Theophilact and Euſebius, that Matthew in Judea firſt wrote the Goſpel in the third year of Caligula, which was the ninth year after Chriſt's Aſcenſion into Heaven; and it was the opinion of the Fathers, that the Goſpels were written in the ſame order we have them in the Bible, the Goſpel according to Matthew the ninth year after Chriſt's Aſcenſion, the Goſpel of Mark two years after, the Goſpel of Luke in the fifteenth year after Chriſt's Aſcenſion, and the Goſpel of John in the thirty ſecond year after Chriſt's Aſcenſion, as Theophilact noted. Secondly, concerning the Language wherein Matthew wrote, the learned generally declare, that he wrote it in the Hebrew Tongue, for he abode about eight years in the Countrey of Paleſtine after Chriſt's Aſcenſion, as it hath been held by the great conſent of Antiquity; therefore it's likely the Goſpel was written in the Language of that Countrey, ſo Papias, Irenaeus, and Origen, and Euſebius relates out of Pantenus, Euſeb. l. 5.that the Goſpel of Matthew written in Hebrew was delivered to the Indians by Bartholomew. Hierom remembers this Goſpel to be in Hebrew in his time in the Library at Caeſarea, and at Berea, and elſewhere. It may very well be thought that that Hebrew Copy which was kept by the Nazarites at Berea, and tranſlated by Hierom into other Languages, was tranſcribed out of the original Book writ by Matthew. Theſe Nazarites were the true offspring of them who firſt embraced the Faith in Judea, and as they were called Chriſtians, becauſe they embraced the Faith of Chriſt at Antioch; ſo were the Chriſtians of Berea called Nazarens of Jeſus of Nazareth, vide Grotium. And the Syriack Interpreter hath prefixt this Title, The Goſpel which Matthew declared in Hebrew in the Country of Paleſtine. Lapide cites Athanaſius in Synopſi, who ſaith, The Goſpel of Matthew was writ in the Hebrew dialect, and brought forth at Jeruſalem, and interpreted by James the Brother of the Lord.
VII. The occaſion that moved Matthew to write his Goſpel was a Perſecution that aroſe in Judea, ſo that the Saints were in danger to be ſcattered, that therefore they▪ wanting the Teachers of their Faith, might not want the Doctrine, they intreated Matthew that he would write them a Hiſtory of the works of Chriſt, that where ever they ſhould be they might have the ſtate of the whole Faith with them, Auctor. imperfect. in Matth. in Prooem. Moreover, as Maldonate well obſerves, it was neceſſary the Apoſtles ſhould commit to writing the Hiſtory and Doctrine of Chriſt, that their Hearers might not forget what the Apoſtles had ſpoken, nor might not underſtand it otherwiſe than it was ſpoken, and alſo that they might preach to others abſent, and to the generations following by the Scripture. However ſolicitations and neceſsities of Chriſtians moved, no doubt Matthew ſpake no otherwiſe than he was inſpired, for that which was written as a Rule of Faith was alſo inſpired, 2 Tim. 3.16. All Scripture was given by inſpiration of God. And the Doctrine of the Apoſtles is ſaid to be the Foundation of Believers, Epheſ. 2.20. Ye are built upon the Foundation of the Apoſtles and Prophets. The four Evangeliſts, the Acts and the Epiſtles of Paul, &c. were of undoubted authority among all Orthodox, as Aretius obſerves. To conclude, as Chryſ. in Matth, The four Evangeliſts wrote the Goſpel neither at one time, nor one place, neither helping one another, nor counſelling one another, that there might be foreign, the greateſt demonſtration of this Truth.