Matthew 16

1. They lose the world, and that is a great loss to the wicked; they laid up their treasure upon earth; and to be turned out of all at once is a great loss. 2. They lose their souls (Matthew 16:26). The soul was at first a noble piece of coin, which God stamped his own image upo…

The soul is a diamond set in a ring of clay. Christ puts the soul in balance with the world, and it outweighs (Matthew 16:26). The soul is a glass, in which some rays of divine glory shine: it has in it some faint idea and resemblance of a deity: it is a celestial spark lighted…

The rules he prescribes are holy: why should the master be thought the worse of because some of his servants prove bad. (4.) Men are prejudiced at the ways of Christ; they expose them to sufferings (Matthew 16:24): Let him take up his cross and follow me; many stumble at the cro…

Often we hatch the devil's motions, thinking they come from our own hearts. When Peter dissuaded Christ from suffering, sure Peter thought it came from the good affection which he did bear to his Master (Matthew 16:22). Little did Peter think Satan had a hand in it.

Zach. 2:8, 9. For thus says the Lord of Hosts, after the glory has he sent me to the nations which spoiled you, and you shall know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me. Matt. 16:16. You are Christ the Son of the living God. Luke 1:35. The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, the power…

The disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, having made that great confession of him, in distinction and opposition to them who accounted him only as a Prophet, you are Christ the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:14, 15, 16), he does on the occasion thereof, give out to them that g…

2. The severity of the Law: It is an unchangeable rule of God's proceeding with the reasonable creature, it is that for obedience to which (and thereby to glorify God) man was made, and by which he must be judged at the last: Now this Law will have both obedience and satisfactio…

First, the one of knowledge (Luke 11:52). Secondly, the other of jurisdiction (Matthew 18:18), and both of them mentioned (Matthew 16:19). Where then a congregation enjoys a faithful ministry, opening an entrance into the kingdom of Heaven to penitent believers, and shutting it…

And whoever takes upon himself the exercise of any rule, or authority, or power in the Church, not granted to them by him, or not rightly derived from him, is an oppressor, a thief, and a robber; this necessarily follows upon the absolute investiture of all power in him alone (1…

Quest. 41. What is the discipline of the Church? Answ. It consists in the due exercise of that authority and power which the Lord Christ in and by his Word has granted to the Church, for its continuance, increase, and preservation, in purity, order, and holiness, according to hi…

This authority was before explained, in answer to the 28th question, as also was the way whereby they receive it. And it is that power of office whereby they are enabled for the discharge of their whole duty, in the teaching, and ruling of the Church; called the power of the key…

Eleventhly, in case the offender despise this admonition of the Church, and come not upon it to repentance, it is the will and appointment of our Lord Jesus Christ that he be cut off from all the privileges of the Church, and cast out from the society thereof, or be excommunicat…

Q. Do you mean then that a true believer can never totally nor finally fall away, but shall persevere in grace to the end? A. Yes, I mean so indeed; this perseverance of believers in the state of grace being plainly and plenteously taught in the holy Scriptures (1 Peter 1:5; Luk…

Q. What shall follow the pronouncing of the sentence? A. The sentence pronounced shall presently be put in execution, so that every man shall receive according to his works (Matthew 25:46; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 16:27). Q. What shall the wicked receive?

But the devil then appeared in a visible shape and so tempted him, for he would have had him fallen down to worship him. Another time we find him crept into one of his apostles to assault our Savior by him: 'Master, spare yourself,' says he (Matthew 16:23). When therefore Christ…

In like manner, their faith may be covered, as the Sun with a dusky cloud in a gloomy day: or as the trees are with snow sometimes in winter; but yet it continueth firmly fixed (though now and then eclipsed) in the sphere of the heart, and keepeth sap in the root. For the righte…

Reason 1. Matthew 16:18: Upon this rock will I build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Here three questions must be asked: what the rock is, what is meant by building on the rock, and what is that which is promised to those which are built upon it?

Fourthly, before the Paschal Lamb was eaten, all leaven must be removed out of their houses. This had a notable signification: which we need not to guess at, seeing the holy Ghost has set it down; namely, that we must remove all old leaven of corrupt doctrine (Matthew 16:12) out…

Surely, they did only acknowledge him to be the true Messiah, and were willing to be further instructed in his doctrine; which they testified, by going to hear him in their own persons. So likewise, Christ gives a notable testimony to the confession of the Apostles' faith (Matth…

And is it not a commandement of God, that all Churches should be gathered according to the Commission of King Jesus (Matthew 28:18, 19, 20; Mark 16:15, 16)? We onely condemne those Churches (that persecute Christ in his members, from city to city, (as Saul did (Acts 26:9, 10)) f…

Fourthly, if we join with them that deny Jesus the Christ (1 John 2:22), and will be partakers of their sins, we shall be partakers of their plagues (Revelation 18:4). And for our unbelief, in persisting to persecute them that contend for the faith of Jesus the Christ (Matthew 1…

First, to take a man's sanctification, for an evident cause or ground of his justification, is flat Popery. Secondly, to take a man's sanctification, for an evident cause or ground of that faith whereby he is justified, is utterly unsafe; for faith is built upon Jesus, the Chris…

To all loyall Covenanters, contending for the Faith of JESUS the CHRIST, once given to the Saints; (Matthew 16:16, 17). Curteous Reader, be not too censorious concerning him that is the Publisher of this little Treatise, stiled, The difference between the Christian and Antichris…

Peter answereth, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God: Jesus answereth, Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jona; for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you; but my Father in heaven. And you are Peter, and upon this Rock (Jesus the Christ, whom you have confessed) I will bu…

But in the latter sense they cannot be so. It is Christ himself, and he only, who is so the Foundation as to bear the weight, and to support the whole Building of the Church of God (Isaiah 28:16; Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 3:10, 11; Ephesians 1:20, 21, 22; 1 Peter 2:4, 5). He…

It was the Blood of Christ. Of Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:18), whereby God purchased his Church with his own Blood (Acts 20:28). The dignity of his Person gave efficacy to his office and offering.

To hate those things which once he delighted in, and which were to him as a right eye, or a right hand; yes, as his very self. Matthew 16:24: Let him deny himself. How impossible is this to every man, and how far is he from it, until a great work, and change be wrought in him?

He is the blessed and only potentate, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and he must reign: and let his Kingdom come. 2. We must submit to his government: he must rule us; dispense to us, dispose of us, and of all that does concern us, as he will: and he that will be his disci…

So where they translate by the same authority (Galatians 6:1), Instruct such an one in the spirit of lenitie: Claudius, following Saint Hierome, affirms that it is better in the Greek, Restore or Perfect him. And where they make Saint Peter say (Matthew 16:22), Lord, be it far f…

And we are to account the Apostles as ministers of Christ, and not as the foundation. The famous place, Matthew 16:18 (whereupon our Romanists lay the main foundation of the Papacy), Claudius expounds in this sort. Upon this rock will I build my Church, that is to say, upon the…

Now faith is said to be weak, when a man either fails in the knowledge of the Gospel; or else having knowledge, is weak in grace to apply to himself the sweet promises thereof. As for example, we know that the apostles had all true saving faith (except Judas) and when our Savior…

What is required in particular, that any of them may be meet to be joined to such a Church, we shall afterwards enquire. 7. It is generally said, that out of the Church there is no salvation; and the truth hereof is testified to in the Scriptures (Acts 2:47; 1 Peter 3:20, 21; Ma…

There is required to it a competent knowledge of doctrines and mystery of the Gospel, especially concerning the Person and Offices of Christ. The confession hereof was the ground whereon he granted the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, or all Church Power to Believers (Matthew 16:1…

1. There are express testimonies of the will of Christ, and his promise for its accomplishment, that the church and all its ordinances of worship should be continued always to the end of the world. So as to the church itself (Matthew 16:13; Revelation 21:3), the ministry (Matthe…

Why? Christ has born our sorrows and carryed our griefs (Isaiah 53:4), the very same griefs that we should have suffered, so far as his holy Person was capable of them: his desertion was equivalent to our loss, his agonies to our curse and punishment of sense; and all this very…

Thirdly he had the preeminence of principality among the twelve, because in regard of the measure of grace he excelled the rest. For when Christ asked his disciples whom they said he was, Peter as being of greatest ability and zeal answered for them all (Matthew 16:16). I use th…

'Why so nice and scrupulous? It is but to stretch conscience a little, and you may make your fortune — now is your opportunity.' The heart may be kept from falling into this dangerous snare by retorting the temptation thus: 'But what profit will it be if a man should gain the wh…

But that which is more principally here intended, is Christ's coming and appearing in a spiritual, but yet most powerful and glorious manner, to erect his kingdom, and to gather and govern his churches, by the ministry of his Apostles and other ministers, whom he sent forth afte…

1. God will have a Church upon earth. Mat. 16. 18. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Neither the Serpents subtilty, nor the Dragons fierceness shall overturn the Church.

We read (2 Chronicles 19:8) that with the Priests were joined some of the chief of the fathers of Israel, to judge ecclesiastical causes and controversies. And however many things among the Jews in the latter times, after the captivity, did wear to confusion and misorder, yet we…

The second, which requires concerning ourselves. This teaches, that first and chiefly, we must desire all things to God's glory, above our own salvation, and that the other must be asked to that end, as depending on it, and no further, than as it may serve to his glory, which is…

3. Consider the manner of his suffering, and we will see a further proof of his willingness. How little pains he takes to escape them; yes, when Peter labors to dissuade him (Matthew 16) from suffering, he disdains and rejects the suggestion with a severe rebuke: Get behind me,…

Third, for clearing and confirming of this truth, we may take the express confession of the saints in Scripture, on which there is much weight laid; and I shall name but five or six of their confessions, which to this purpose are expressly and fully recorded. The first is that o…

2. Sin is a dear and costly thing: in heaven, in the account-book of justice, it goes for no less than the blood of God, the shaming of the Lord of glory; justice, for the request of all the world, and the prayers of Christ, could not abate one farthing. A man's soul is a dear t…

2. To the sight Christ is a delightful thing; to behold God, in Christ, is a changing sight. 2 Corinthians 3:18. But we all with open face beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord (Ep…

We know no such distinct posts to heaven, nor such shifting from hand to hand; the saints have many bouts in their way to glory, but all the three jointly at the same season help at the lifting of the dead out of the graves (John 6:39, 44, 45; John 5:24, 25). All the three in on…

Now Christ has, both, the keys of death, the postern gate out of this world; and of hell, even of the broad gates of that eternal prison; so as none of his can be fetched out of this world by death, but Christ he must first open the door; much less, can any go to hell without hi…

This natural life is worth the giving and parting with for a spiritual. "What shall a man give in recompense for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26). You know what Christ said of Judas, and the same reason holds true in every man that lacks life in Christ (Matthew 26:24).

Many give various reasons. Peter had led the way to the rest in that notable confession of Christ (Matthew 16:16), and is conceived to have some primacy for the orderly beginning of actions in the College of the Apostles. James was the first apostle who shed his blood for Christ…

Moses saw the face of God, but he was in the bosom of God: Moses's face shone, but not as Christ's, for it could be hidden by a veil; Christ darts his glory through his garments: Moses's shining was terrible, Christ's was comfortable, the apostles were loath to lose the sight of…