Mark 9

Sin brings the wrath of God, and what buckets or engines can quench that fire? Where the worm never dies, and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:44). Use 1. See how deadly an evil sin is; how strange is it that any one should love it (Psalm 4:3).

If when God's anger be kindled but a little, and a spark or two of it flies into a man's conscience here in this life, it be so terrible, what then will it be when God stirs up all his anger? In hell there is the worm and the fire (Mark 9:44). Hell is the very accent and emphasi…

1. Bonds and chains (2 Peter 2:4). 2. The worm (Mark 9:44), this is the worm of conscience, and the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15) — other fire is but painted to this. 2. This house of hell is haunted with devils (Matthew 25:41).

Men are fluent and discursive enough in other things, but in matters of religion their lips are sealed up. If we come into some people's company, we do not know what religion they are of, whether Jews or Mahometans, for they never speak of Christ; they are like the man in the Go…

He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost. 3. God will set men against themselves; 1. He will set conscience against them; and how terrible is this rod, when turned into a serpent: Melancthon calls it Erinnys Conscientiae, a hellish fury: It is call…

Such as have their hands full of blood, must undergo the wrath of God. Here is fire mingled with blood, and this fire is inextinguishable (Mark 9:44). Time will not finish it, tears will not quench it.

(2.) Faith lives in a broken heart. Mark 9:24. He cried out with tears, Lo! I believe. True faith is always in a heart bruised for sin: such therefore whose hearts were never touched for sin, have no faith.

When the sinner sees what he has lost, he has lost the beatific vision, he has lost the Kingdom of Heaven; now he will cry out in horror and despair, The Glory, the everlasting Glory is departed. 2. A second aggravation of the loss of this Kingdom will be, that sinners shall be…

"O," says the soul, "that ever I should offend so gracious a God." Repenting tears drop from the eye of faith (Mark 9:24): the father of the child cried out with tears, "Lord I believe." Faith set his eyes flowing with tears; therefore the Devil has most spite at faith, and by h…

First, how by the fire of their own kindling — their own righteousness without Christ, such as the Pharisees had and Paul had before conversion — this should be meant, we must consider that he, speaking here to the Jews, alludes to the types of the old law with which they were a…

On the contrary, let us behold — as all are here called to do — the best and most secure of unregenerate men encompassed about with all means and supports of confidence and comfort, whether of legal righteousness of their own (which these Jews made boast of), together with the a…

Therefore as when reason overruling, yet she had some sparks of faith: So, when her faith was predominant, there remained some relics of doubting: for, as reason cannot overthrow true faith; so the best faith in this world, cannot fully vanquish reason. This is the doctrine of G…

Further, when Moses had spoken words of comfort unto them, the unbelieving and fearful Israelites, do stir up their hearts to believe. So we accordingly must labour and strive against that inbred unbelief which is in us: for every man has innumerable sins in him that resist fait…

A natural man will sometimes, it may be, suspect his duties, but hardly will he be brought to suspect his faith — otherwise he could not have the peace that he has, such as it is. This may also be confirmed from that poor man's prayer to Christ (Mark 9): Lord, I believe, help my…

In the first respect, we do by faith trust to Christ's righteousness: in this last respect, we trust our faith to Him; and look to Him, not only for pardon, but we trust to Him for making faith, to keep its grip of Him. And as it was with that poor man spoken of in Mark 9, who,…

Whereas another that presumes, and has only an opinion, or conjecture in place of faith; as he is in his own opinion easily brought to Christ, so he finds it easy to exercise believing on Him; he will, it may be, grant, that he cannot sanctify the Sabbath day, and yet he can bel…

The Saints in this life are narrow vessels; and such old bottles could not contain the new wine that Christ drinks with his, in his Father's Kingdom (Matthew 17). When the Disciples see the glory of Christ in the Mount, Peter says (Verse 4), Lord, it is good for us to be here: b…

Now this faith of his had need to be increased in the sense and feeling of it, that he may plainly see the faith he has is no fancy, or presumption, or delusion, as he has very much suspected; but that he may see the faith he has is the faith of God's elect, he had need be built…

And in the glorious description of God in the Prophet Habakkuk, it is said (Habakkuk 3:2), And his brightness was as the light. For his garments, Luke says his raiment was white and glistening, Mark (Mark 9:3), white as the snow, so as no fuller on earth could whiten them, but M…

5. It was an error to imagine that tabernacles were necessary for Moses and Elijah, who now appeared in such heavenly glory in the mount, they needed not earthly houses, and tents, to dwell in, to defend them from the injuries of the weather, neither had they such present conven…

The palsied hand is able to receive a gift, though not so strongly as another. The man in the Gospel said, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24) — that is, help my faith which by reason of the smallness thereof may rather be called unbelief, than faith. This is the com…

Again I answer, that if the words be meant of baptism, they carry this sense. The kingdom of heaven does not signify life eternal, but the Church of the new testament, and that in its visible estate (Mark 9:1), and baptism makes men visible members of the Church, and regeneratio…

42. And whoever shall give to one of these little ones to drink a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward. Mark 9:41 41. For whoever shall give to you to drink a cup of water in my name, because you belong to Christ,…

"For Tophet is ordained of old; the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it," (Isaiah 30:33.) We must explain the fire in the same manner as the worm, (Mark 9:44, 46, 48.) and if it is universally agreed that the wor…

16. Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father who is in heaven. Mark 9:49-50 49. For every (man) shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

Luke 9:21-27 Mark 9:1 1. And he said to them, Verily, I say to you, There are some among those who stand here “Il y en d’aucuns de ceux qui sont ici presens;” — “there are some of those who are here present.” that will not taste death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come…

8. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man but Jesus only. Mark 9:2-8 2. And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them to a high mountain apart by themselves, and was transfigured before them.

18. And Jesus rebuked the devil, who went out of him; and from that instant the child was cured. Mark 9:14-27 14. And when he came to the disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and the scribes disputing with them.

21. But this kind "but this kind [of devils] goes not out" goes not out but by prayer and fasting. Mark 9:28-29 28. And when he had entered into the house, his disciples asked him apart, Why could not we cast it out?

5. And whoever shall receive such a little child in my name receives me. Mark 9:30-36 30. And departing thence, they passed through Galilee, and he was desirous that nobody should know it.

“Que c’estoit de Iean Baptiste qu’il leur avoit parle;” — “that it was of John the Baptist that he had spoken to them.” Mark 9:9-13 9. And when they were going down from the mountain, he charged them not to tell any man those things which they had seen, till the Son of man had r…

10. Beware of despising one of these little ones; for I say to you, That their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. Mark 9:42-48 42. And whosoever shall offend one of the little ones who believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hung aro…

2. And great multitudes followed him, and he cured them there. Mark 9:38-40 38. And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he follows not us; and we forbade him, because he follows him, because he follows not us.

And we see it to be so with all living Things, that while they are in a State of Imperfection, and in their growing State, their Nature tends to Growth; and so much the more, as they are more healthy and prosperous. Therefore the Cry of every true Grace, is like that Cry of true…

(1.) How near the Relation is betwixt you and your Children, and therefore how much you are concerned in their happiness or misery. Consider but the Scripture account of the dearness of such Relations, expressed (1.) By longings for them, as Genesis 15:2 Genesis 30:1 and (2.) By…

Let us not entangle our own Spirits by limiting his grace. The father of the Child possessed with a Devil being in a great Agony when he came to our savior, cryes out, If you canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us, Mark 9:22. He would fain be delivered, but the m…

The danger of this sinne, in beeing vnsauourie salt (that is vnfaithfull in the ministry) is very great, noted in these words; wherewith shall it be salted? Some referre this salting to the earth, as if Christ had said, wherewith shall the earth be salted? but it does more truel…

And, verse 28, "You have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you." Thus the apostles began to see the kingdom of heaven come with power, as he promised they should, Mark 9:1. (2) What is next to be observed is the success of the gospel among the Samaritans.

Besides that general Benevolence or Charity which the Saints have to Mankind, and which they exercise towards both the Evil and the Good in common, there is a peculiar and very distinguishing Kind of Affection, that every true Christian experiences towards those whom he looks up…

When this tree is cleav'd abroad, then itsi rotten, hollow inside appears, which was the cause of its barrenuess; it looked like a Fair and sound bodied tree, but now all may see how rotten it is at the heart: So will God in that day, when he shall di[••]ect the barren Professor…

We must own that of God that we see in them, though they do not every way come up to our mind; we prize a jewel in a toad's head — how much more should we love grace in brethren, whose blemish is only some petty dissent. Christ loved the young man for the moral good that was in…

It is the design of the Devil, that great deceiver and destroyer of souls, that is baffled, it is his attempt that is defeated, his assault that is repulsed by our meekness and quietness. Our Lord Jesus was more admired for his controlling and commanding the unclean spirits, tha…

But their hearts being upright with him, he did not cast them off, nor turn them out of his school, but made the best of them, rectified their mistakes, instructed them in their duty, and the doctrine they were to preach, by precept upon precept, and line upon line, and taught t…

Whiteness (if I may so say) is the complexion of glory; in that appearance of the most high, the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9), it is said, his garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head as pure wool. And of Christ in his transfiguration, when he had on him a mighty lust…

Angels are ready at God's beck; they are ministering spirits, even to the meanest saints; God has sent them abroad for the heirs of salvation; they are as guardians to them, to look after them in all their ways. The devils, what Christ bids them do, do it murmuringly; the unclea…

Silence in Religion is a loud sin. We read of one who was possessed with a Dumb Devil, Mark 9:12. How many are Spiritually possessed with a Dumb Devil!

It is certain that he came to save that which was lost. And again, (as it is said in another place) it is a sure and infallible saying, that our Lord Jesus Christ came to call again to salvation, the sinners that were in damnation (Luke 19:10; Mark 9:13; Luke 5:32; 1 Timothy 1:1…

A tree newly set, may be transplanted; but when long rooted, not so easily. The man that was possessed of a Devil from his childhood, how hardly is he cured? (Mark 9:29) 3. Justice is provoked the longer, and that will be a grief to you first or last.

4. There is further hope, when we can cast ourselves upon his faithfulness and omnipotency, in the face of all discouragements. Christ's question to the man long possessed was (Mark 9:23), If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. God's power is exercised,…

Great is the weakness of our faith, as appears by our fears, doubts, and distrusts, so that we need to be assured more and more. We need to say with tears, as he does in the Gospel (Mark 9:24), "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief," and to cry out with the apostles, "Lord, increas…