to hardness of heart, and final impenitency. These hypocritical Pharisees shut their eyes against the most convictive evidence; and they are given up to their own obstinacy: our Saviour left them, and departed. 14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. 15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. 16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. 17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? 18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? 19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. 20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. 21 and he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand? Observe here, 1. How dull the disciples of Christ were under Christ's own teaching, and how apt to put a carnal sense upon his words. They apprehended he had spoken unto them of the leaven of bread, what he intended of the leaven of the Pharisees' doctrine. Observe, 2. the rebuke our Saviour gives his disciples for not understanding the sense and signification of what he spake. Christ is much offended with his own people, when he discerns blindness and ignorance in them, after more than ordinary means of knowledge enjoyed by them: How is it that ye do not yet understand? Observe, 3. The metaphor by which Christ sets forth the corrupt doctrines of the Pharisees and Herodians. He compares it to leaven. Partly for its sourness, and partly for its diffusiveness. Now the leaven of Herod, or the Herodians, is supposed to be this: that because Herod was made king of the Jews, and lived at the time when the Messiah was expected, there were those that maintained the opinion that he was the promised Messiah; which opinion Christ compares to leaven, because as that diffuses itself into the whole mass or lump of bread with which it is mixed, so false doctrine, was not only evil and corrupt in itself, but apt to spread its contagion farther and farther, to the infecting of others with it. Learn thence, That error is as damnable as vice; and persons erroneous in judgment to be avoided, as well as those that are wicked in conversation; and he that has a due care of his soul's salvation, will be as much afraid of erroneous principles as he is of debauched practices. Observe, 4. Our Saviour does not command his disciples to separate from communion with the Pharisees, and oblige them not to hear their doctrine; but only to beware of their errors, which they mix with their doctrine. We may and ought to hold communion with a church, though erroneous in judgment, if not fundamentally errojustifiable upon any other grounds than that neous. For separation from a church is not which makes a separation between God and that church, which is either apostasy into gross idolatry, or, in point of doctrine into damnable heresy. Observe, 5. The fault observed by our Saviour in his disciples, hardness of heart: Have ye your hearts yet hardened? There may be, and oft-times is, some degree of hardness of heart in sincere Christians; but this is not a total hardness; it is lamented, and humbled for, not indulged and delighted in. As Christ is grieved for the hardness of his people's hearts, so are they grieved also; it is both bitter and burdensome to them. 22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town: and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought? 24 And he looked up, and said, I see men, as trees, walking. 25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up; and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. 26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. Here we have recorded a special mira cle wrought by our Saviour at Bethsaida, in curing a blind man brought unto him. Where observe, 1. What evident proof the Pharisees had of Christ's divine pow er and Godhead: he had before caused the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak, and the in that he vouchsafed with his own hands These verses relate to us a conference lame to walk; now he makes the blind to || answered, John the Baptist: but some see: yet did the Pharisees obstinately say, Elias; and others, One of the resist all means of their conviction, and prophets. 29 And he saith unto them, continued in their opposition to truth, to their inevitable and unutterable condem- But whom say ye that I am? And nation. Observe, 2. The wonderful hu- Peter answered and saith unto him, mility, the great condescension, of Jesus Thou art the Christ. 30 And he Christ towards this blind man; He took charged them that they should tell no him by the hand; and led him, himself. man of him. 31 And he began to A great evidence of his condescending teach them, that the son of man must humility, and of his goodness and mercy: showing how ready and willing he was to suffer many things, and be rejected of help and heal him. See here a singular the elders, and of the chief priests, pattern of humility and condescending and scribes, and be killed; and after grace and mercy in our dear Redeemer, three days rise again. 32 And he to take and lead a poor blind man through spake that saying openly. And Peter the streets of Bethsaida, in the sight of took him, and began to rebuke him. all the people. Let us learn of him, who 33 But when he had turned about and was thus meek and lowly in heart. Observe, looked on his disciples, he rebuked 3. Our Lord helps the blind man out of Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, the town before he heals him; not in the Satan: for thou savourest not the town, where all the people might take notice of it. Thereby teaching us to avoid things that be of God, but the things all show of ambition, all appearance of that be of men. vain-glory, in what we do. Even as Christ sought not his own glory, but the glory of him that sent him. Observe, 4. The manner of the cure wrought upon this blind man: it was gradual, and by degrees; not instantaneous, and at once: he had first a dark, dim, and obscure sight, afterwards a clear and perfect sight. Christ thereby gave evidence of his abso-conference, for good discourse touching lute and omnipotent power, that he was spiritual things, when in the house, when not tied to any particular means, or man- in the field, when travelling in the way, ner, or order, of working; but wrought Mal. iii. 16. Then they that feared the his miracles variously, as he saw to be Lord spake often one to another. Observe, most fit for the glory of God, and the ben- 2. The conference itself: Whom do men efit of his people. Observe, lastly, The say that I am? That is, what do the comcharge given by our Saviour not to pub-mon people think and speak of me? Not lish this miracle in the town of Bethsaida; a place where Christ had so often preached, and wrought so many miracles; but the inhabitants had obstinately and contemptuously undervalued and despised both his doctrine and miracles: therefore we read, Matt. xi. 21. that our Saviour denounced a woe against Bethsaida, assuring her, that it would be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for her. The higher a people rise under the means, the lower they fall if they miscarry. Such a people as have been nearest to conversion, being not converted, shall have the greatest condemnation when they are judged. 27 And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Cesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? 28 And they which our Saviour had with his disciples touching their own and others' opinion of his person. Where observe, 1. The place where Christ and his disciples did confer: it was in the way as they walked together. Teaching us our duty to take all occasions and opportunities for holy as if Christ were ignorant what men said of him, or did vain-gloriously enquire after the opinion of the multitude concerning him; but with an intention more firmly to settle and establish his disciples in the belief of his being the true and promised Messias. The disciples tell him, that some said he was John the Baptist, others Elias, others one of the prophets. It is no new thing, it seems, to find diversity of judgments and opinions concerning Christ, and the affairs of his kingdom. When our Saviour was amongst men, who daily conversed with him, yet was there then a great diversity of opinions concerning him. Observe, 3. How St. Peter, as the mouth of all the apostles, and in their names, makes a full and open confession of Christ, acknowledging him to be the true and promised Messiah Peter said, Thou art the Christ. Whence note, That the vail of Christ's human 34And when he had called the people unto him, with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. nature did not keep the eye of his disci- || ples' faith from seeing him to be truly and really God. 2. That Jesus, the Son of the Virgin Mary, was the Christ, the true Messiah, or the person ordained by God to be the Mediator betwixt God and man; the Redeemer and Saviour of mankind: Thou art the Christ. Observe, 4. The charge and special injunction given by our Saviour to tell no man of him; that is, not commonly and openly to declare that he was the Son of God and the Observe here, 1. How our blessed Satrue Messiah: because he was now in a viour recommends his religion to every state of humiliation, and the glory of his one's election and choice, not attempting divinity was to be concealed till his resur- by force and violence to compel any per rection. Christ had his own fit times and son to the embracing of it: If any man proper seasons, in which he revealed the will come after me; that is, if any man great mysteries of his kingdom to the chooses and resolves to be a Christian. world. Observe, 5. The great wisdom of Observe, 2. Our Saviour's terms proour Saviour in acquainting his disciples pounded; namely, self-denial, gospel-sufwith the near approach of his death and fering, and gospel-service. 1. Self-denial: passion; thereby to prevent that scandal || Let him deny himself. By which we are and offence which otherwise they might not to understand, either the denying of have taken at his sufferings; the better to our senses in matters of faith, or the refit and prepare them to bear that great nouncing our reason in the matters of retrial; and to correct the error which they ligion; but a willingness to part with all had entertained concerning an earthly our earthly comforts and temporal enjoy. kingdom of Christ, that the Messiah was ments, for the sake of Christ, when called to be a temporal prince. Observe, 6. St. thereunto. 2. Gospel-suffering: He must Peter's carriage towards Christ upon this take up his cross. An allusion to the Rooccasion: He took him aside, and began man custom, that the malefactor who was to blame him for affirming that he must to be crucified took his cross upon his die. O how ready is flesh and blood to shoulder, and carried it to the place of exeoppose all that tends to suffering! What cution. Where note, That not the making need have we to be fortified against the of the cross, but the patient bearing of it, temptations of our friends, as well as of when God has made it, and laid it upon our enemies! Satan sometimes makes our shoulders, is the duty enjoined: Let use of good men as his instruments to do him take up his cross. 3. Gospel-service: his work by, when they little suspect it. Let him follow me, says Christ; that is, Little did Peter think that Satan now set obey my commands, and imitate my him on work to hinder the redemption of example. He must set my life and doc mankind, by dissuading Christ from dy- trine continually before him, and be daily ing. Observe, 7. With what indignation correcting and reforming of his life by Christ rejects Péter's admonition: Get that rule and pattern. Observe, 3. The thee behind me, Satan. Christ heard Satan reasons urged by our Saviour to induce speaking in Peter: it was Peter's tongue, men to a willingness to lay down their but Satan tuned it; therefore Christ calls lives for the sake of Christ and his holy Peter by Satan's name. They that will religion: He that will save his life, shall do the devil's work, shall have the devil's lose it; and he that is willing to lose his life name too. He that would hinder the re- for the gospel's sake, the same shall find it. demption of mankind is Satan, an adver- Intimating to us, 1. That the love of this sary to mankind. From our Saviour's temporal life is a great temptation to men smart reproof given to Peter, we learn, to deny Christ, and to renounce his holy That no respect to men's persons, or re- religion. And, that the surest way to at gard to their piety, must cause us to flat-tain eternal life, is cheerfully to lay down ter them in their sins, or move us to speak favourably of their sins. As well as our Saviour loved Peter, he rebukes him severely. O Lord! so intent was thy heart upon the great work of our redemption, that thou couldst not bear the least word that should obstruct thee in it, or divert " thee from it. our temporal life, when the glory of Christ, and the honour of religion, requires it at our hands. 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul! Our Saviour had shown in the former verses the great danger of seeking to save our temporal life, by exposing to hazard our eternal life. This he confirms in the words before us by a double argument: the first drawn from the excellency of eternal life, or the life of the soul; the se cond drawn from the irrecoverableness of this loss or the impossibility of redeeming the loss of the soul by any way or means whatsoever: What shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Learn, 1. That Almighty God has entrusted every one of us with a soul of inestimable worth and preciousness, capable of being saved or lost, and that to all eternity. 2. That the gain of the whole world is not comparable with the loss of one precious soul: the soul's loss is an inconceivable, irrecompensable, and irrecoverable loss. CHAP. IX. AND he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. There is a threefold sense and interpretation given of those words by expositors: 1. Some refer the words to the times of the gospel after Christ's resurrec tion and ascension, when the gospel was preached and propagated far and near, and the kingdom of God came with power. Learn hence, That where the gospel is ed, there Christ cometh most gloriously powerfully preached, and cheerfully obeyin his kingdom. 2. Others understand these words of Christ's coming, and exercising his kingly power in the destruction of Jerusalem; which some of the apostles then standing by lived to see. 3. Others (as most agreeable to the context) understand the words as relating to our Saviour's transfiguration. As if he had said, Some of you, meaning Peter, James, and John, shall shortly see me upon Mount Tabor, in such splendour and glory, as shall be a præludium, a shadow and representation, of that glory, which I shall appear in, when I come to judge the world at the great day. And whereas our Saviour says not, There be some standing here which shall not die, but, which shall not taste of death, this implies two things: 1. That after they had seen his transfiguration, they must taste of death as well as others. 2. That they should but taste of it, and no more. From whence learn, 1. That the faithful servants and disciples of Christ must at length, in God's appointed time, taste and have experience of death as well as others. 2. That although they must taste, yet they shall but taste of death; they shall not drink of the dregs of that bitter cup: though they fall by the hand of death, yet shall they not be overcome by it; but in the very fall get victory over it. 38 Whosoever, therefore, shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. That is, whosoever shall deny or disown me, either in my person, my gospel, or my members, for any fear or favour of man, he shall with shame be disowned, and eternally rejected, by me at the great day. There are two passions that make persons disown Christ and religion in the day of temptation; namely, fear and shame. Many good men have been overcome by the former, as St. Peter and others; but we find not any good man in scripture guilty of the latter; namely, that denied Christ out of shame. This argues a rotten, unsound, and corrupt heart. If any man thinks it beneath his honour and quality to own the opposed truths and despised members of Jesus Christ, he will think it much more beneath him, his honour and dignity, to own them at the great day. Learn hence, That it is not sufficient that we own Christ by believing in him, we must honour him by an outward profession of him also. Secondly, That such as are ashamed of Christ's doctrine or members, are ashamed of Christ himself. Thirdly, That such as either for fear dare not, or for shame will not, own the doc-mountain apart by themselves: and trine of Christ, or the members of Christ he was transfigured before them. now, shall find Christ ashamed to own and confess them at the great day. Whosoever is ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and wicked generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with his holy angels. 2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high Here we have the history of our Saviour's transfiguration, when he laid, as it were, the garments of our frail humanity aside for a little time, assuming to himself the robes of majesty and glory, to demonstrate and testify the truth of his divinity for this divine glory was an evidence of S his divine nature; and also an emblem of that glory which he and his disciples, all his faithful servants and followers, shall enjoy together in heaven. 3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. 3 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 6 For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid. 7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son; hear him. 8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any nore, save Jesus only with themselves. Observe here, That to confirm the disciples' faith in the truth of Christ's divine nature, he was pleased to suffer the rays of his divinity to dart forth before their eyes, so far as they were able to bear it. His face shined with a pleasing brightness, and his raiment with such a glorious lustre, as did at once both delight and dazzle the eyes of the disciples. Observe, 2. The choice which our Saviour makes of the witnesses of his glorious transfiguration; his three disciples, Peter, James, and John. But why disciples? why three disciples? why these three? 1. Why disciples? Because this transfiguration was a type and shadow of his glory in heaven: Christ vouchsafes therefore the earnest and firstfruits, of that glory only to saints, upon whom he intended to bestow the full harvest in due time. 2. Why three disciples? Because three were sufficient to witness the truth and reality of this miracle. Judas was unworthy of this favour; yet, lest he should murmur or be discontented, others are left out as well as he. But, 3. Why these three, rather than others? Probably, 1. Because these three were more eminent for grace, zeal, and love, towards Christ. Now the most eminent manifestations of glory are made to those that are most excelling in grace. 2. These three disciples were witnesses of Christ's agony and passion; to prepare them for which, they are here made witnesses of his transfiguration. This glorious vision upon mount Tabor fitted them to abide the terror of Mount Calvary. Observe, 3. The glorious attendants upon our Saviour at his transfiguration. They were two, two men, and those two men Moses and Elias. This being but a glimpse of Christ's glory, glorified saints attend at it. These two not a full manifestation of, only two of the attendants are not two angels, but two men; because men were more nearly concerned than angels in what was done. But why Moses and Elias rather than other men? 1. Because Moses was the giver of the law, and Elias was the chief of the prophets. Now both these attending upon Christ, did show the consent of the law and the prophets with Christ, and their accomplishment and fulfilling in him. 2. Because these two were the most laborious servants of Christ; both adven tured their lives in God's cause, and there. fore are highly honoured by him. For, those that honour him, he will honour. Observe, 4. The carriage and demeanor of the disciples upon this great occasion: Elias; they make no suit to them, but to 1. They supplicate Jesus, not Moses and Christ only: Master, it is good being here. O what a ravishing comfort and satisfac|| tion is the communion and fellowship of the saints! But the presence of Christ amongst them renders their joys transporting. 2. They proffer their service to farther the continuance of what they did enjoy: Let us make three tabernacles. Saints will stick at no pains or cost for the enjoyment of Christ's presence, and his people's company. Learn hence, That a glimpse of heaven's glory is suffiicient to wrap a soul into ecstacy, and to make it out of love with worldly company. 2. That we are too apt to desire more of heaven upon earth than God will allow. We would have the heavenly glory come down to us, but are unwilling by death to go up to that. Observe, 5. How a cloud was put before the disciples' eyes when the divine glory was manifested to them; partly to allay the lustre and resplendency of that glory which they were swallowed up with. The glory of heaven is insupportable in this sinful state; we cannot bear it unvailed: and partly to hinder their farther prying and looking into that glory. We must be content to behold God through a cloud darkly here, ere long we shall see him face to face. Observe, 6. The testimony given out of the cloud, by God the Father, concerning Jesus Christ his Son: This is my beloved Son; hear him. Where note, 1. The dignity of his person; he is my Son; for nature coessential, and for duration coeternal, with his Father. 2. The endearedness of his relation : he is my beloved Son: because of his conformity to me, |