Matthew 12

3. Motion. After Christ is born in the heart, there is a violent motion; there is striving to enter in at the strait gate, and offering violence to the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 12:11). By this we may know Christ is formed in us.

The Devil fills men's heads with error, and their hearts with malice (Acts 5:3): Why has Satan filled your heart? A sinner's heart is the Devil's mansion-house (Matthew 12:44): I will return into my house. And sure that must needs be a house of bondage which is the Devil's mansi…

A wise man's words are like gold, weighty, and will sink into the hearts of others; but the words of many are light and feathery, and will make no impression. Matthew 12:36. Every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment. Words tha…

O be not like the serpent, that casts one coat and another comes. This is like him in the Gospel, that had one devil go out of him, and seven worse spirits came in the room (Matthew 12:45). 4. The serpent is a venomous creature, 'tis full of poison (Deuteronomy 32:24).

Satan commands the will; though he cannot force the will, he can by his subtle temptations draw it: The devil is said to take men captive at his will (2 Timothy 2:26), the Greek word [illegible] signifies to take them alive, as the fowler does the bird in the snare. The sinner's…

The sin-offering was greater than the trespass-offering. (2.) Because some sins are not capable of pardon as others are, therefore they must needs be more heinous, as the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost (Matthew 12:31). (3.) Because some sins have a greater degree of punishment…

And that the Godhead subsists in the person of the Holy Ghost appears thus: The Spirit, who gives diversity of gifts, is said to be the same Lord, and the same God (1 Corinthians 12:5-6). The black and unpardonable sin is said, in a special manner, to be committed against the Go…

Answer. Were you indeed to stand in your own strength you might fall away; that branch withers and dies which has no root to grow upon; you grow upon the root Christ, who will be daily sending forth vital influence to strengthen you; you are imbecile and weak in grace, yet fear…

Alexander called himself cousin to the gods; what honor is it to be akin to Christ. (Matthew 12:50) Whoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. Did King Solomon arise off his throne to meet his mother, and set her on…

It would be infinite to reckon up all the false reasonings that souls in distress have. Sometimes from a passage of Scripture misunderstood and misapplied: some who are annoyed with blasphemous thoughts against God and Christ and his Spirit — thoughts which are their greatest af…

Thus the Queen of Sheba went out of the inmost parts of Africa, to Jerusalem in Asia, to see and hear Solomon: 2 Kings 10. and for that cause, she is highly commended by Christ himself, Matthew 12:42. Thus may young men travel for learning or the tongues, especially such as inte…

So says Christ: The Ninevites, who believed at the preaching of Jonah, shall rise in Judgment against the Jews, and condemn them, because they repented not at Christ's preaching. And the Queen of Sheba, who came so far to hear Solomon, shall condemn them, who then would not hear…

How? By doing his will: and therefore when one told our Savior Christ that his mother and brothers stood without, desiring to speak with him, he said, Whoever shall do my father's will which is in heaven, the same is my father, my sister, and mother (Matthew 12:50): where we may…

Second, sinners that would be at him may on this ground be confident and cheerful; the steward of grace is a friend, he is a man, their brother, and claims kindred to them that honestly aim to do the will of his Father. Whoever shall do the will of my Father, says he (Matthew 12…

The king of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue has his name Apollyon (Revelation 9:11). He is the Arch-destroyer, and destroys all in relation to the man Christ and his Church; therefore is Christ raised up a Redeemer, a Savio…

4. The fourth sense is that grace and free-will does work so as grace is the principal, first inspiring and fountain cause: 1. It being a new supernatural disposition and habit in the soul (John 14:23; 1 John 2:27; 1 John 3:9; John 4:14; Isaiah 44:3-4; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Deuteron…

[The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, [because] he has anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor:] That is, for this end, or for this very purpose has he given me his Spirit, because I was designed, or anointed to this work, and by that Spirit also has he anointed, or qualified…

The Lord looked down from heaven, to see if any of them did good, but they are altogether become unprofitable, not one does good, no not one (Romans 3:12). And he speaks of all men in an estate of nature without Christ, not one does any good, no not one; all the thoughts and ima…

There will a time come, when he that is now a soldier will be a conqueror (Romans 16:20): The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. 6. Where Satan gets possession, after he seems to be cast out, he returns with the more violence and tyrannizes the more (Matthe…

His intent in this Epistle is to treat of the righteousness that comes by faith, and to defend the same: again, to overthrow the law, and the righteousness that comes by works. Of such cogitations he is full, and out of this wonderful and exceeding great abundance of the excelle…

Outward things do not commend us to God. And it is the spiritual kindred, by means of faith, and our new birth, that brings us into favor with God (Matthew 12:49). 20 Now the things which I write, I speak before God, I lie not.

Christ then is the worker of this liberty. He dissolves the works of the devil (John 8:36; 1 John 3:8), he binds the strong man and casts him out of his hold (Matthew 12:29). He procures this liberty by two means, by his merit, and by the efficacy of his spirit.

For the doing of that which God forbids, is a sin not beside, but against the law. But idle words, jesting, and gibing, and so forth (which the Popish Doctors account venial sins,) are expressly forbidden in the word; Matthew 12:36: Of every idle word that men shall speak, they…

Ans. I answer, that they still keep their order and dignity: but by these of the second, which Christ strictly requires, and upon which he also insists, the hypocrisy of hypocrites is chiefly discovered, so as a man may more plainly discern thereby whether the true fear of God b…

He asks by way of admiration, from where it comes that every one left his house, fleeing to the tops thereof to save their lives. Now the roofs of the Jews' houses were made otherwise than ours are: and from there it is that Jesus Christ says; What I tell you in the ear, that pr…

Because the things here mentioned, cannot be attributed to any other than himself: but if this reason will not suffice, the Evangelists shall end the controversy for us. See (Matthew 12:18-21). He calls Christ God's servant, by way of excellency: for although this name belongs t…

And this promise stands in force not only against tyrants, and visible enemies, but also against the tyranny of Satan, from which we are now delivered by the admirable power of God. I grant, Satan is a powerful adversary; but the Lord which is stronger than he, will bind him, an…

Isaiah pursues that which he has already begun to treat of, namely, that the Jews should prosper in all things, if they live in such equity, and so abstain from all wrong, that from there men may take notice of their piety and religion. For he pronounces that which is said by Ho…

With regard to the perfection of his life, Christ might justly have maintained that he came to fulfill the law: but here he treats of doctrine, not of life. As he afterwards exclaimed, that “the kingdom of God is come,” (Matthew 12:28,) and raised the minds of men with unusual e…

Matthew 12:1-8 1. At that time Jesus was passing through the cornfields on the Sabbath;

Matthew 12:14-21 14. Then the Pharisees went out, and took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.

Matthew 12:22-24 22. Then was brought to him one who was tormented by a devil, blind and dumb; and he cured him, so that the blind and dumb person both spoke and saw.

Matthew 12:25-32 25. But as Jesus knew their thoughts, he said to them, “Mais Iesus, cognoissant leurs pensees, leur dit;” — “but Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them.”

Matthew 12:38-42 38. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees asked him, saying, Master, we desire to see a sign from you.

Matthew 12:43-45 43. But when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest, and finds it not.

Matthew 12:46-50 46. And while he was still talking to the multitudes, lo, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak to him.

Matthew 12:9-13 9. And having departed thence, he came into their synagogue:

Matthew 16:4. A wicked and adulterous nation. This passage was explained under Matthew 12:38. The general meaning is, that the Jews are never satisfied with any signs, but are continually tickled by a wicked desire to tempt God.

So much the more ought we to admire the goodness of Christ, who rescued his disciple from such fatal ruin, and healed him. Now this passage shows, that when a man falling through weakness of the flesh, denies the truth though he knows it, this does not amount to “blasphemy again…

God commends him for what he had spoken well, but Job does not hear a word of what he had spoken ill: when the iniquity of his speeches was sought for, there was none, and his failings, they could not be found, for God had pardoned them, as the prophet speaks of Israel and Judah…

For they hear not what is said, indeed they reckon it not to be spoken to them, but to the wretched sinner, who has need of it, they need it not. John the Baptist does call them the generation of vipers (Matthew 3 and Luke 3), and even so does Christ also (Matthew 12 and 16). Th…

Suppose this Enumeration of sins does not reach the condition of the soul, because of some especial Aggravation of its sin, not expressed. Let such a one add that of our Saviours, Matthew 12:31. I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the…

Again, by mother here, is not understood his natural mother, but it must be taken in a spiritual sense for one of two, either, 1. For the Church Catholic, which being mother to Christ mystical, may be said to be mother to him, as (Revelation 12:5) the Church is said to bring for…

Now these are special qualifications, commendations and characters of a believer; showing, 1. That a believer, as a believer, is not dumb, but has renewed lips, whereby he can speak to God in praise of his honor, in prayers for his own good, and also to others for their edificat…

In this we have, 1. The mean applied and made use of. 2. The manner of application. (For that the worker is the Beloved himself, is clear) The mean in his hand, which in Scripture signifies three things, when attributed to God, 1. His Omnipotence, whereby he does what he pleases…

And not only are such works to be performed on the Lord's Day, but they were enjoined also on the Jewish Sabbath. And therefore says our Saviour (Matthew 12:5), Have you not read in the Law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the Temple profane the Sabbath, and yet be b…

Formerly they have seemed true penitents, and to be washed from their iniquities; but they have returned with the dog to the vomit, and with the sow that is washed to the wallowing in the mire (2 Peter 2, last verse). Formerly they have been swept a little within, and garnished…

Matthew 12:35. The former part of the verse. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart, brings forth good things. FINIS.

Tending to fill and furnish the head and heart of every Christian, with a soul-enriching treasure of truths, graces, experiences, and comforts, to help him in meditation, conference, religious performances, spiritual actions, enduring [reconstructed: afflictions], and to fit him…

Even hypocrites also have been famous for their reformations. The unclean spirit often goes out of the formal hypocrite, by an external reformation; and yet still retains his claim in them (Matthew 12:43-44). For that departure is indeed no more than a politic retreat.