24 things of God, but the things of men. *Then faid Jefus to his difciples, If any man be willing to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross 25 and follow me. + For whofoever will fave his life, shall lose it, and whofoever will lose his life for my fake, 26 fhall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own foul? Or what 27 fhall a man give, in exchange for his foul? For the Son of Man fhall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then shall he render to every man accord28 ing to his work. Verily I fay to you, there are fome ftanding here, who fhall not tafte of death, 'till they fee the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. V. 24. If any man be willing to come after me---None is forced, but if any will be a chriftian, it must be on these terms. Let him deny himself and take up his cross-A rule that can never be too much obferved: let him in all things deny his own will, however pleasing, and do the will of God, however painful. Should we not confider all croffes, all things grievous to flesh and blood, as what they really are, as opportunities of embracing God's will, at the expence of our own? And confequently as so many steps, by which we may advance towards perfection? We fhould make a swift progress in the fpiritual life, if we were faithful in this practice. Croffes are fo frequent, that whoever makes advantage of them, will foon be a great gainer. Great croffes are occafions of great improvement: and the little ones, which come daily, and hourly, make up in number, what they want in weight. We may in thefe daily and hourly croffes, make effec tual oblations of our will to God; which oblations fo frequently repeated, will foon amount to, a great fum. Let us remember then (what can never be fufficiently inculcated) that God is the author of all events: that none is fo fmall or inconfiderable, as to escape his notice and direction. Every event therefore declares to us the will of God, to which thus declared, we should heartily fubmit. We should renounce our own to embrace it; we fhould approve and chufe what his choice warrants as best for us. Herein fhould we exercise ourselves continually; this should be our practice all the day long. We fhould in humility accept the little croffes that are difpenfed to us, as those that beft fuit our weakness. Let us bear these little things, at least for God's fake, and prefer his will to our own in matters of fo fmall importance. And his goodness will accept thefe mean oblations; for he defpifeth not the day of fmall things. V. 25. Whofoever wilt fave his life-At the expence of his confcience: whosoever in the very highest inftance, that of life itfelf, will not renounce himfelf, fhall be loft eternally. But can any man hope, he should be able thus to renounce himself, if he cannot do it in the fmalleft inftauces? And whofoever will lofe his life, shall find it—What he loses on earth, he shall find in heaven. V. 27. For the Son of Man fhall come-For there is no way to efcape the righteous judgment of God. V. 28. And as an emblem of this, there are some here who shall live to fee the Meffiah coming to fet up his mediatorial kingdom, with great power * C. x. 38. † C, x. 33. Mark viii. 35. Luke ix. 24, xvii. 33. John xii. 25. XVII. * And after fix days, Jefus taketh Peter and James and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a 2 high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them, and his face fhone as the fun, and his raiment became 3 white as the light. And behold there appeared to them 4 Mofes and Elijah talking with him. Then Peter answering faid to Jefus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tents, one for thee, 5 and one for Mofes, and one for Elijah. While he was yet fpeaking, behold a bright cloud overfhadowed them, and behold a voice out of the cloud, faying, This is my 6 beloved Son, in whom I delight: hear ye him. And the difciples hearing it, fell on their face and were fore afraid. And Jefus came and touched them, and said, 8 Arife and be not afraid. And lifting up their eyes, 9 they faw no man, but Jefus only. And as they came down from the mountain, Jefus charged them, faying, Tell the vifion to no man, till the fon of man be risen 10 again from the dead. And his disciples asked him, power and glory, by the increase of his church, and the destruction of the temple, city, and polity of the Jews. V. 1. A high mountain-Probably mount Tabor. V. 2. And was transfigured-Or transformed. The indwelling Deity darted out its rays through the veil of the flesh: and that with fuch tran fcendent fplendor, that he no longer bore the Form of a fervant. His face fhone with divine majefty, like the fun in its ftrength; and all his body was fo irradiated by it, that his cloaths could not conceal its glory, but became white and glittering as the very light, with which he covered himfelf as with a garment. V. 3. There appeared Mofes and Elijah-Here for the full confirmation of their faith in Jefus, Mofes the giver of the law, Elijah the most zealous of all the prophets, and God speaking from heaven, all bore witness to him. V. 4. Let us make three tents-The words of rapturous furprize. He fays three, not fix: because the apoftles defired to be with their Mafter. 5. Hear ye him-As fuperior even to Mofes and the prophets. See V. Deut. xviii. 17. V. 7. Be not afraid-And doubtlefs the fame moment he gave them courage and ftrength. V. 9. Tell the vifion to no man-Not to the reft of the difciples, left they fhould be grieved and difcouraged because they were not admitted to the fight; nor to any other perfons, left it should enrage fome the more, and his approaching fufferings fhall make others difbelieve it; 'till the Son of man be rifen again-Till the refurrection fhould make it credible, and confirm their teftimony about it. V. 10. Why then Say the Scribes, That Elijah must come first-Before the Meffah? If no man is to know of his coming? Should we not rather tell G& * Mark ix. 2. Luke ix. 28. every faying, Why then say the scribes, That Elijah must 11 come firft? And Jesus answering faid to them, Elijah 12 truly doth come first, and will regulate all things. But I fay to you, That Elijah is come already, and they acknowledged him not, but have done to him whatever 13 they lifted. So fhall alfo the fon of man fuffer from them. Then the difciples understood, that he spoke to them of John the Baptift. 14 * And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a man, kneeling down to him, and 15 faying, Lord, have mercy on my fon, for he is luna tic, and fuffereth grievoufly; for often he falleth into 16 the fire and often into the water. And I brought him 17 to thy difciples, but they could not cure him. Then Jefus anfwering faid, O unbelieving and perverse generation, how long fhall I be with you? How long 18 fhall I fuffer you? Bring him hither to me. And Jefus rebuked the devil, and he went out of him, 19 and the child was cured from that hour. Then the difciples coming to Jefus apart faid, Why could 20 not we caft him out? + And Jefus faid to them, Because of your unbelief. For verily I fay unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard-feed, ye shall say to every man, that he is come, and that we have seen him, witneffing to thee as the Meffiah? V. 11. Regulate all things-In order to the coming of Chrift. V. 12. Elijah is come already-And yet when the Jews asked John, Art thou Elijah? He faid, I am not. (John i.) His meaning was, I am not Elijah the Tifhbite, come again into the world. But he was the perfon of whom Malachi prophefied under that name. V. 15. He is lunatic-This word might with great propriety be used, though the cafe was moftly preternatural: as the evil fpirit would undoubtedly take advantage of the influence which the changes of the moon have on the brain and nerves. V. 17. O unbelieving and perverfe generation-Our Lord speaks principally this to his difciples. How long shall I be with you-Before you ftedfastly believe? V. 20. Because of your unbelief-Because in this particular they had not faith. If ye have faith as a grain of mustard-feed-That is, the least measure of it. But it is certain the faith which is here fpoken of, does not always imply faving faith. Many have had it who thereby caft out devils, and yet will at laft have their portion with them. It is only a fupernatural perfuafion given a man, that God will work thus by him at that hour. Now though I have all this faith, fo as to remove mountains, yet if I have not the faith which worketh by love, I am nothing. To remove mountains was a proverbial phrase among the Jews, and is ftill retained in their writings, to exprefs a thing which is very difficult, and to appearance impoffible. V. 21. This * Mark ix. 14. Luke xi. 37. + Ch. xxi. 21. Luke xvii. 6. this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it fhall remove, and nothing shall be impoffible to you. 21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out, but by prayer and fafting. 22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jefus faid to them, The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the 23 hands of men; And they will kill him, and the third day he will rife again: and they were exceedingly forry. 24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received the tribute-money came to Peter and faid, Doth 25 not your mafter pay the tribute? He faith, Yes. And when he came into the house, Jefus prevented him, faying, What thinkeft thou, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? Of their own fons, or of strangers? He faith to him, of 26 ftrangers. Jefus faith to him, Then are the fons free. 27 Yet that we may not offend them, go to the sea, and cast an hook, and take the fish that firft cometh up. And when thou haft opened his mouth, thou fhalt find a piece of money. That take and give them for me and thee. V. 21. This kind-of devil's-goeth not out but by prayer and faftingWhat a teftimony is here of the efficacy of fafting, when added to fervent prayer? Some kinds of devils the apostles had caft out before this, without fafting. V. 24. When they were come to Capernaum-Where our Lord now dwelt. This was the reason why they ftayed 'till he came thither, to ask him for the tribute. Doth not your mafter pay tribute-This was a tribute or payment of a peculiar kind, being half a fhekel (that is, about fifteen pence) which every mafter of a family ufed to pay yearly to the fervice of the temple, to buy falt, and little things not otherwise provided for. It feems to have been a voluntary thing, which custom rather than any law had established, V. 25. Jefus prevented him-Juft when St. Peter was going to ask. him for it. Of their own fons, or of frangers ?-That is, fuch as are not of their own family. V. 26. Then are the fons free-The fenfe is, this is paid, for the ufe of the houfe of God. But I am the fon of God. Therefore I am free. from any obligation of paying this to my own Father. able V. 27. Yet that we may not offend them-Even thofe unjuft, unreafon men, who claim what they have no manner of right to: do not conteft it with them, but rather yield to their demand, than violate peace or love. O what would not one of a loving fpirit do for peace? Any thing which is not exprefsly forbidden in the word of God," A piece of money-The original word is a ftater, which was in value two fhillings. and fixpence; just the fum that was wanted. Give for me and the G 8 Mark ix, 30. Luke ix. 44, -Peter XVIII. At that time came the difciples to Jefus, faying, 2 Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? *And Jefus calling to him a little child, fet him in the midst 3 of them, And faid, Verily I fay to you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye fhall in 4 no wife enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whofoever therefore fhall humble himself as this little child, 5 he is the greateft in the kingdom of heaven. + And whofo fhall receive one fuch little child in my naine, 6 receiveth me. || But whofo fhall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a mill-stone were hanged about his neck, and he 7 were drowned in the depth of the sea. Wo to the world because of offences: for it must needs be that offences come; but wo to that man by whom the of-Peter had a family of his own: the other apoftles were the family of Jefus. How illuftrious a degree of knowledge and power did our Lord here discover? Knowledge, penetrating, into this animal, though beneath the waters; and power, in directing this very fish to Peter's hook, tho' he himself was at a distance? How must this have encouraged both him and his brethren in a firm dependance on divine Providence ? V. 1. Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?—Which of us fhall be thy prime minifter? They ftill dreamed of a temporal kingdom. V. 2. And Jefus calling to him a little child―This is fupposed to have been the great Ignatius, whom Trajan, the wife, the good Emperor Trajan, condemned to be caft to the wild beafts at Rome! V. 3. Except ye be converted-The first step towards entering into the kingdom of grace, is to become as little children: lowly in heart, knowing yourselves utterly ignorant and helpless, and hanging wholly on your Father who is in heaven, for a fupply of all your wants. We may farther affert, (though it is doubtful, whether this text implies fo much) except ye be turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God: except ye be entirely, inwardly changed, renewed in the image of God, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of glory. Thus must every man be converted in this life, or he can never enter into life eternal. fhall in no wife enter-So far from being great in it. Ye V. 5, 6. And all who are in this fenfe little children, are unfpeakably dear to me. Therefore help them all you can, as if it were myself in perfon, and fee that ye offend them not: that is, that ye turn them not out of the right way, neither hinder them in it, V. 7. Wo to the world because of offences-That is, unfpeakable misery will be in the world through them: for it must needs be that offences come -Such is the nature of things, and fuch the weakness, folly, and wickednefs of mankind, that it cannot be but they will come : but wo to that man That is, miferable is that man, by whom the offence cometh. Offences are, all things whereby any one is turned out of, or hindered in the way of God. Mark ix. 36. Luke x. 47. V. 8, 9. If Ch. xix. 14. † Ch. x. 49. Luke i. 1. |