Matthew 19

Comfort in regard of the Resurrection: This seems difficult to believe, that the bodies of men when eaten up by worms, devoured by beasts and fishes, or consumed to ashes, should be raised the same numerical bodies; but if we believe the power of God, it is no great wonder: Whic…

1. If we love our estate more than God, then we make it a God. The young man in the Gospel loved his gold better than his Savior; the world lay nearer his heart than Christ (Matthew 19:22). Fulgens hoc aurum praestringit oculos, Var.

The Apostles went away rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ (Acts 5:41), that they were graced so far as to be disgraced for the name of Christ: this is a hallowing of God's name when we are content to have our name eclipsed that God's n…

For the wedge of gold he will part with the pearl of price. The young man in the Gospel, when Christ said, Sell all, and come and follow me; [reconstructed: Abiit tristis], He went away sorrowful (Matthew 19:22). He would rather part with Christ, than with his earthly possession…

Either God makes our burden lighter, or our faith stronger. He will compensate and recompense our sufferings (Matthew 19:29): every one that has forsaken houses or lands for my name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit life everlasting. Here are encouragements to suf…

Thirdly, God calls some men to some private Personal duty, which he designs not to others, but to be done by them alone. Such a calling had he assigned him (Matthew 19:21) that would needs be perfect; Go sell all that you have, etc. Now the calling of Abraham in this place, is t…

Thirdly, God tempts his servants by giving unto them some strange and extraordinary commandment; As in the Gospel, when the young man came to our Savior Christ, and asked him, what good thing he might do to have eternal life? Matthew 19:16, Christ bids him go and sell all that h…

So in reforming of the particular Churches of the New Testament, whereof Jesus the Christ is head, King, and Prophet (if ever they be rightly brought out of their spiritual Babylonish captivity under Antichrist) we must reform all the innovations, as the Lord Jesus himself refor…

For as he shall visibly and gloriously appear in his human nature exalted in the supreme place of judicature, and invested with sovereign power and authority over all flesh (Daniel 7:13, Matthew 24:30, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Romans 14:10), so he shall act the power and omniscienc…

But if to oppose, obstruct, and undermine the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, be an Antichristian thing, let Scripture, reason, and experience speak, whether their tenets and ways be not highly Antichristian. Does not their cutting off so great a part of the subjects of Christ…

1. that a rich man remaining a rich man may be a servant of God, and also be saved: for riches are the good blessings of God, and in themselves do no whit hinder a man in coming to Christ. But some will say, Christ himself says, It is easier for a cable to go through the eye of…

By gain he means an advantage to procure the favor of God: self is wont to take up all their thoughts, and therefore moral strains suit more with them, than Gospel comforts, and doctrines that breed faith: the law is more natural to men than the Gospel; and therefore with those…

Objection 2. Matthew 19:12: Christ says, There are some who have made themselves chaste for the kingdom of heaven. Therefore (say they) the vow of single life is warrantable and is a work of special glory in heaven.

We embrace the saying of Theodoret on 1 Timothy chapter 4: He does not blame single life or continency, but he accuses those who by enacted law compel men to follow these. Men made themselves chaste for the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:12), not by vow but by a purpose of heart,…

1. To consider the dangerous ensnaring temptations attending a pleasant and prosperous condition. Few — indeed very few — of those that live in the pleasures and prosperity of this world escape everlasting perdition (Matthew 19:24). It is easier, said Christ, for a camel to pass…

The Lord has nowhere said in all the Scripture, that he that is a rich man, or a great man, shall go to heaven. Riches do not carry faith along with them, nor help to it; but often much hinder it (Matthew 19:23). The young man in the Gospel went away sorrowful, for he had great…

3. A performance of many duties both moral and evangelical, for the substance of them; and an abstinence, out of conscience, from many sins. So was it with the young man in the Gospel, who yet wanted what was necessary to free him from the Dominion of Sin (Matthew 19:20, 21, 22,…

The reason of which consequence is, because abuses and corruptions are to be reformed by bringing things back to the first institution. Thus Christ reforms the abuses of marriage, by bringing them to the first institution of that ordinance; From the beginning it was not so (Matt…

Proverbs 2:17. Which forsakes the guide of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God. Matthew 19:9. Therefore they are no more two, but one flesh: That therefore which God has joined together, let no man separate. Ephesians 5:21. Therefore shall man leave father and mother,…

For as much as Jesus Christ unto whom the children were offered, Matthew 19, to the intent he should lay his hands upon them and pray, with a favourable countenance receiving the same, declared that he came to be a savior also of such, because the very infants (as well as others…

It is most certain, and might be cleared, both from the word of God, and from experience, that many hundreds of professors dash, and perish on this stumbling block (Isaiah 48:1-2), where the Lord is speaking of a people, that made mention of his name, and swore by him, but not i…

And the frame and arrangement of the words shows that it is a judicial procedure; for they suppose a charge or libel, and a sentence, and the meritorious cause of the sentence of absolution is that Christ has died. Secondly, if we consider the nature of the two covenants, and co…

Rule 10. Nor is Christ made a loser, by losing his will for the Lord, but his will is fulfilled in that which he feared (Hebrews 5:7). Providence submitted to renders a hundredfold in this life (Matthew 19:29). God makes the income above hope (Genesis 48:11).

Now these same things befall the dying saints: 1. While the saints are here they are from home, and not at their Father's fireside, and this world their stepmother looks ever askance on them (John 16:33). And the cross gets a charge from God concerning a saint, wait on him, as h…

It is true, should a man offer his house full of treasure for Christ, it would be despised (Song of Solomon 8:7), and when Simon Magus offered to buy the gifts of the Holy Ghost for money, it was rejected with a curse (Acts 9:8-10), and if the gift of the Holy Ghost cannot be bo…

If men begin to apply themselves to a strict course, such as they have sworn to in Baptism, either it is so hard as not to be borne, as (John 6:60): This is a hard saying, who can bear it? Whereas (Matthew 19:29): Every one that has forsaken houses, or brethren, &c. for my name'…

For thus they teach: It is true (say they) that faith in Christ justifies, but withal we must needs keep the commandments of God. For it is written: If you will enter into life, keep the commandments (Matthew 19:17). Here even at the first dash Christ is denied and Faith abolish…

And generally whatever good thing a man does the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free (Ephesians 6:8). He that forsakes father and mother, etc., for Christ's sake, shall receive a 100 times more in this life, and in the world to come life everlasting (Ma…

Abraham was of an excellent faith, and constancy, of singular meekness, and holiness, yet had he not this gift. Christ himself testifies that it is not given to all, even then when his Apostles so highly commended single life (Matthew 19:6, 10, 11, 12), and Saint Paul says the l…

And thus the wife was set at liberty, and her innocence approved; and the fault was laid only upon the husband, to whose discontented mind the cause of this rent was imputed. Moses ordained this law (Deuteronomy 24:1) in regard of the people's hardness of heart, as witnesses our…

These expressions are worthy of remark; because Satan labors, with amazing contrivance, to lower the effect of doctrine, in order that the grace of the Spirit connected with it may be weakened. The outward preaching, I acknowledge, can do nothing separately or by itself; but as…

As if we asserted that true righteousness is not laid down in the law, or complained that its instruction is in fault for not justifying us, and not rather that it is weak through our flesh, (Romans 8:3.) In the commandments of God, as we have a hundred times acknowledged, life…

But as we shall, before long, meet with this sentence again in the Gospel by Matthew I now glance at it more slightly. 30. And, lo, they are last who shall be first The same words, as we shall elsewhere see, were frequently employed by Christ, but in a different sense, (Matthew…

Vain and deceitful, also, would have been that promise, “The man that does them shall live in them,” (Leviticus 18:5; Romans 10:5; Galatians 3:12.) That Christ, on the other hand, intended to make no correction in the precepts of the law, is very clear from other passages: for t…

Matthew 5:31. Whosoever shall put away his wife. As a more suitable occasion for discussing and explaining this doctrine at greater length will afterwards occur, (Matthew 19:9,) I shall now state briefly what Christ says in this passage. As the Jews falsely imagined that they di…

On the other hand, they who boast that they are satisfied with the secret inspiration, and on this ground disregard the outward preaching, shut themselves out from the heavenly life. What the Son of God hath joined let not men, with wicked rashness, put asunder, (Matthew 19:6.)…

Matthew 19:1-2 1. And it happened, when Jesus had finished these discourses, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan.

Matthew 19:13-15 13. Then were presented to him children, that he might lay hands on them and pray; but the disciples rebuked them.

Matthew 19:16-22 16. And, lo, one came and said to him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

Matthew 19:23-26 23. And Jesus said to his disciples, Verily I say to you, A rich man will with difficulty enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 19:27-30 27. Then Peter answering said to him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee: what therefore shall we have?

Matthew 19:3-9 3. And the Pharisees came to him, tempting him, and saying to him, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?

So Psalm 147:6. 'The Lord lifteth up the Meek: He casteth the Wicked down to the Ground.' It is doubtless very much on this Account, that Christ represents all his Disciples, all the Heirs of Heaven, as little Children, Matthew 19:14. 'Suffer little Children to come unto me, and…

Christ condescends to take notice of beggars (Luke 16:22), and of servants, and people of the most despised nations. He that is thus high, condescends to take a gracious notice of little children (Matthew 19:14): Suffer little children to come to me. Yes, which is much more, his…

First, there may be a freedom from gross sins proceeding from the power of education. So the young man in the Gospel (Matthew 19:18-20), when Christ told him what the law was — you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, you shal…

Now, O how should this beat off this temptation that you are too young to follow Christ, because Christ takes it so kindly at your hands, if you embrace this call in time? In fact, Christ does take it so kindly, that he does love bare morality and civility in young men; and ther…

The third practise of couetousnes here forbidden, is to put trust andconfidēce in worldly things treasured up: this is the Idolatry of the heart, for looke whereon a man sets his heart, that he makes his God, & therefore is couetousnesse called idolatrie, Colos. 3. 5. Hence it…

Ah! 1. How many cast we out that Christ receives in? (Romans 14:3; Luke 7:39). 2. We look to what men have not, and not to what they have, and consider not what God may give them (Matthew 19:30). 3. Some see no good in Christ, no good in John Baptist (Luke 15:1; Matthew 11:18, 1…

And where the love of God is spread abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost, which is given (Romans 5:5), and has a seat in the heart (John 21:15; John 14:15; Deuteronomy 10:12; Deuteronomy 6:4, 5, 6; Deuteronomy 30:6), as the habitual fear of God has also; what doubt is there but…

The Scripture gives more grace, that is, there is an omnipotent power which can heal all this. So (Matthew 19:26): With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. It is a place worthy of consideration.