Matthew 21

There are two sorts of infirmities: such as are sinful without pain, or such as are painful without sin. The first of these infirmities Christ did not take upon him, sinful infirmities, to be covetous or ambitious, Christ never took these upon him: but Christ took upon him painf…

Let him ask in faith. Matthew 21:22: Whatever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive. Invoco te Domine quanquam languida & imbecilla fide, tamen fide; Lord, said Cruciger, I pray, though with a weak faith, yet with faith.

(1.) God's curse, (Galatians 3:10). As when Christ cursed the fig-tree, it withered (Matthew 21:19). So when God curses any, he withers in his soul.

And hence we learn, that in time of peace, all those that are called to the office of the ministry, must (if it be possible) spend their labor publicly, so as they may do most good. Secondly whereas Christ says, he preached in their synagogues and temple, which at that time were…

It is reported of a nobleman of this nation, that the queen gave him a ring, and told him that when he was in any strait, let him send that ring to her, and she would relieve him. To this ring I compare prayer, when a child of God stands in need of anything, he sends this ring t…

If you love the nurse for the child's sake, then you love the child more. So the Jews killed the servants, the Prophets, they stoned them, and beat them, (Matthew 21:35) but they did more to Christ, Verse 39. They caught him, slew him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and took…

He submitted to baptism, but then owned by a voice from heaven to be God's Beloved Son. He was deceived in the fig tree, when hungry; which shows the infirmity of human ignorance; but suddenly blasted, this manifested the glory of a divine power (Matthew 21:19). Here, tempted by…

Fourthly, the manner how, in the spirit of meekness. For the first, the duty is set down in the word restore, which in the original signifies, to set a joint, or bone, that is broken; so as it may become as strong and sound, as ever it was: so the word is used (Matthew 21:16). B…

From there it is that these calumniations and false accusations are raised up against the faithful servants of God at this day: from there is it also that such doubtful and curious questions are propounded to them, even as nets and snares to put the innocent in hazard of their l…

And Solomon in dedicating the Temple said, When they shall come and pray in this house, then you will hear in heaven your dwelling place (1 Kings 8:33). Which is the cause why Christ reproaches the Jews for making his Father's house a den of thieves (Matthew 21:13), and thereunt…

As they have provoked me, says the Lord, to jealousy, with that which is no God, and have stirred me up to wrath by their vanities: so also will I move them to jealousy by that which is no God, and will provoke them by a foolish nation (Deuteronomy 32:21). In a word, the Prophet…

This agrees with the former similitude, in which he compares God to a stone. Christ alludes to it, comprehending both the members: Whoever falls upon this stone, shall be broken; and upon whoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder: Matthew 21:44. That which follows afte…

Matthew 21:1-9 1. And when they approached Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, to the mountain of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

Matthew 21:10-22 10. And when he entered into Jerusalem, the whole city was moved, saying, Who is this?

Matthew 21:23-27 23. And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and elders of the people came to him, saying By what authority doest thou these things?

Matthew 21:33-46 33. Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, who planted a vineyard, and surrounded it by a ditch, and dug a wine-press in it, and built a tower, and let it to husbandmen, and went abroad,

Here again he alleges a place out of Psalm 118 of the Prophet David: The same stone which the builders refused, is become the head stone of the corner, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Which place Christ himself also cites in Matthew 21: and is repeated in Acts 4: The stone whic…

Now, it is true, that conversion is the condition of pardon and justification: but if it be so, how absurd is it to say that conversion is one condition of justification, and faith another; as though they were two distributively distinct and parallel conditions? Conversion is th…

It is he that is terrible out of his holy places; who is mightier than the noise of many waters, yes, than the mighty waves of the sea; before whom a fire goes, and burns up his enemies round about; at whose presence the earth quakes, and the hills melt; who sits on the circle o…

In clearing the case here supposed, as incident to the Church, we are to consider, 1. What these vines are. 2. What be these foxes. 3. How they spoil the vines. For clearing the first; Consider, that the visible Church is often compared in Scripture to a Vineyard (Matthew 21:33)…

1. She is the Lord's, the Father, Son, and Spirit, his by eternal Election; This is the first right (John 17:6), Yours they were, to wit, by your eternal purpose: And from this flows the second, to wit, the Mediator's right, and you gave them to me. The Father is the owner and p…

This will more fully appear in the opening up of the Song: 3. What is the scope of these allegories, in other Scriptures, as that of Psalm 45, that of planting a vineyard (Matthew 21), that of marriage (Matthew 22), (which none can deny) is meant of espousing spiritually. (See t…

And God blessed a speech so well tempered, and so full of soft and melting oratory, with success. Indeed we find an instance of a disobedient son in the parable of our Savior (Matthew 21), who though he obeyed not the commands of his father, yet thought it too shameful a crime n…

O sirs, one pure act of a lively faith will bring you in more treasure, than many hours tugging and struggling in duties, and performances: nothing in the world does [ponere obicem] shoot a bar, and bolt the door between Christ and the heart, but unbelief: if you can believe all…

- 1. Careless loiterers. - 2. Vain-glorious boasters. - 3. Impious offenders. - 4. Unprofitable Christians. 1. Careless loiterers, that sleep out a fair summer's day of grace, and forget the day of their visitation; many poor ministers have cause to weep over their dear people,…

Surely this must be some great and extraordinary person indeed, and a great work indeed it must necessarily be that he is coming about. We read, Matthew 21:8, 9, 10, that when Christ was coming into Jerusalem, and the multitudes ran before him, and cut down branches of palm tree…

Through his poverty he doubtless was often pinched with hunger, and thirst, and cold. We read, Matthew 4:2 that he was an hungred; and so again in Matthew 21:18. His mother and natural relations were poor, and not able to help him: and he was maintained by the charity of some of…

They are called Silver-Dross, and Reprobate or refuse Silver (Ezekiel 22. 18. Jeremiah 4. 30.) which glistens and shows like true Silver, but has not its inward Worth. So they are compared to adulterated Wine, Isaiah 1, 22. and to Trees full of Leaves, bidding fair for Fruitfuln…

Isaiah 6: "Go make the heart of this people fat, their ears dull, etc." Christ executes by the Gospel that curse upon many souls, which he denounced against the fig tree (Matthew 21:19): "Let no fruit grow on you henceforth for ever, and immediately the fig tree withered away."…

Nor do any curse the rising sun but those that are scorched by it. Why were the Pharisees so exasperated against our Savior but because he spoke his parables against them (Matthew 21:45), and laid them open in their own colors? Why did the world hate him who so loved the world,…

My Mother, says Solomon to Bathsheba (1 Kings 2:20). I find also the title of Sir or Lord, used: a title of honor (1 Samuel 24:12; 2 Kings 5:13; Judges 18:19; 2 Kings 6:21; 1 Corinthians 4:15; 1 Timothy 5:1; Genesis 22:7; Genesis 27:18; Matthew 21:30; Genesis 31:35). 2. By using…

(1.) As externally administered in the ordinances and means of grace, as the word, and seals, and censures, and the like. In this sense it is said (Matthew 21:43): The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation, bringing forth the fruits thereof. The gospel, o…

And it is not giving good words. You know the parable of the two sons: One said, I will not, and did; the other, I go, Sir, and went not (Matthew 21:29-30). Where Christ prefers the open sinner before the hypocrite, that is talking of God's will, and seems at a distance to be li…

(Luke 11:1) One of his disciples said to him, Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples. And (Matthew 21:15) when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David, the…

We read that though Judah was guilty of incest himself, yet how forward he was to punish fornication in Tamar his daughter-in-law (Genesis 38). When our Saviour put the case to the Pharisees, what the Lord of the vineyard would do with the husbandmen that had abused and beaten h…

2. Repentance is, by God's interpretation, the undoing of all the evil you have committed, and the doing the good you have omitted. Indeed, he that repents of his sin tells all the world that if it were to do again he would not do it; and he that repents for not having done the…

They promise to fear God and keep his commandments, but they wanted a new heart to perform what an unsanctified heart had promised. It fares with men in this case, as it did with that son in the Gospel, that said he would go into the vineyard, but went not (Matthew 21:30). Now t…

1. This does obicem ponere, it hinders the true work, a man lies in a fairer capacity for conversion, that lies in open enmity and rebellion, than he that soothes up himself in the formalities of religion. This I gather from that parable of the two sons which our Lord Christ urg…

The wise merchant bought the field, and being possessed of that, the pearl that was hid therein was [illegible]; Christ is the heir of all, and if we have him we have all. They said it [illegible], this is the heir, come let us [illegible] [illegible] and the inheritance shall b…

But the power of it to be pressed and pursued they are not able to bear, but there is present mutiny in their thoughts and apprehensions, I say, not able to hear with quietness the truths which be of a discovering nature; when our Savior told them there must be more than an outw…

So the Lord professed of Nimrod and his company when they had set themselves upon the building of Babel, out of their pride and self confidence (Genesis 11:6): Now nothing will [illegible] restrained from them which they have imagined to do, let us go down and confound their lan…

First, the example of Jesus Christ. Matthew 21:5: Your King comes to you meek. Christ was the pattern and example of meekness.

Faith feathers the arrow of prayer and makes it pierce the throne of grace. Matthew 21:22: Whatever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive. Jerome said, 'I would not presume to pray unless I bring faith along with me.'

Make use of all your spiritual ammunition — meditation and prayer. Prayer is the great ordnance; discharge this cannon and be sure to put the bullet of faith in (Matthew 21:22; 1 Peter 5:9). If the devil takes the garrison by storm, it will be sad; it is easier letting Satan in…

But if the former sense is intended (as how can it be denied?) — namely, that the word of the covenant is preached to you and an offer of Christ is made in the preached gospel to you — then it cannot be denied that the promise is to all the reprobate in the visible church, wheth…

They have become the kingdoms of the Lord, not only because they are truly converted, but because they are the chosen of God in the office-house of Christ, and Christ reigns over them by the scepter of his Word whom he is to convert. And external covenanting with God is of itsel…

2. What motives or inducements led Simon Magus, and the generation of vipers, the multitude and all the people baptized (Luke 3:7, compared with Luke 3:2; Matthew 3:5-6; Mark 1:5) — for as many as went out to be baptized were baptized, but all Jerusalem, and all Judea went out (…

But also practically a man's heart may deceive his heart, and may persuade himself that he is godly and religious (James 1:26), and that his ways are right (Proverbs 14:12), and may say within his heart, and so think not only, I am holier than you, and yet not be so much as cere…

And yet that believing was not solitary, but conjoined with love, reverence, submission, 35. So (Luke 8:50), (Matthew 21:19). And (Acts 3:16): The faith that is by Christ has given this cripple perfect soundness.

Second, he speaks nothing of Covenant Commandments, nothing of Covenant duties directly, and nothing of the condition required of us. Third, he speaks not of the Covenant under the reduplication as Preached, or as a treaty offered to elect and reprobate, as in [reconstructed: Ma…