2. That he might by his own baptism sanc-|| Learn hence, 1. That whatever the law tify the ordinance of baptism unto his required in order to perfect righteousness, church. 3. That thereby he might fulfil that Christ fulfilled in most absolute perthe righteousness of the ceremonial law, fection. 2. That as it became Christ to which required the washing of the priests fulfil the righteousness of the ceremonial in water, when they entered upon their law for himself, so it is our duty and inoffice, as appears from Exod. xxix. 4. terest to fulfil the righteousness of the Observe, 4. The great condescension of moral law for ourselves, as an evidence of Christ, in seeking and submitting to the our being righteous in God's sight, 1 John baptism of John: Christ cometh to John, iii. 7. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, not John to Christ. Behold! the Lord even as he is righteous. seeking to his servant; Christ will be baptized of his messenger! our Saviour's design hereby no doubt was, to put honour upon the ministry of John. O how dare the greatest upon earth despise the ministry of man, being appointed by God, which Christ honoured in his own person, and graced with his own presence? 14 But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And, lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Here we have the solemn inauguration of Christ into his prophetic office, accompanied with a threefold miracle. 1. The opening of the heavens. 2. The descent of the Holy Ghost upon him like as a dove descends. 3. God the Father's voice concerning the Son. The heavens were open Note here, 1. The modesty of John's refusal: John forbade him, and refused to admit him: but why? 1. In regard of Christ, because he knew he needed it not: such was his majesty and greatness, that he was above it; and such was his purity and holiness, that he could not want it.ed, to show that heaven, which was closed 2. In respect of himself, he knew his own uncleanness: I have need to be baptized of thee, &c. He thought it unsuitable that a sinner should baptize and wash him that was no sinner. 3. With respect to the people; lest they seeing Christ baptized, should apprehend him to be a sinner, and one that wanted the baptism of repentance as well as themselves. Observe, 2. As the modesty of John's refusal, so the reason he assigns for it; I have need to be baptized of thee: As if he had said, "Thou art purity, I am pollution; thou art spirit, I am flesh; thou art the Son of God, I am the son of Adam" such an humble apprehension has this holy man of himself. Learn, That the more holy a person is, the more sensible he is of his unholiness; where there is most grace, there is the greatest sense of the want of grace. and shut against us for our sins, is now opened to us, by Christ's undertaking for us. As the first Adam shuts us out of heaven, the second Adam lets us into it; he opened heaven to us by his meritorious passion, and he keeps it open by his prevailing intercession. Next, the Holy Ghost descends like a dove upon our Saviour: here we have an evidence of the blessed Trinity; the Father speaks from heaven, the Son comes out of the water, and the Holy Ghost appears upon him. Hence we gather, That the Holy Ghost is not a quality or an operation, but a person, and a person really distinct from the Father and the Son. But why did the Holy Spirit now descend upon Christ, seeing he was now truly and really God? Answ. The divinity of Christ was quiescent in him, till he entered upon his prophetic office at thirty years old, and after. And the Holy Ghost now descends, first, For the designation of his person, to show that Christ was the person set apart for the work and office of a mediator. Secondly, For the qualification of his person for the performance of his office. This was Christ's unction, Isa. lxi. 1. when he was anointed above his fellows, to be the king, priest, and prophet of his church. Last of all, We have the audible voice of God the Father pronouncing, 1. The nearness of Christ's relation to himself, This is my Son, not by adoption, but by eternal B 2 18 ST. MATTHEW. generation. 2. The endearedness of his person, This is my beloved Son. 3. The fruit and benefit of this near and dear relation unto us, In him I am well pleased. Note, 1. That there is no possibility for any person to please God out of Christ; both our persons and our performances find acceptance only for his sake. 2. That in and through Christ, God is well pleased with all believers: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, &c. Lord! what reviving news is this to thy church, to hear that her head and husband, her surety, mediator, and intercessor, is that only Son of God in whom his soul is delighted and ever well pleased! that Son who always pleased thee, and by and through whom thou art well pleased with, and reconciled to, thy offending creatures! CHAP. IV. The former part of this chapter acquaints us with THEN Observe, 1. The great humiliation of the Son of God, how exceedingly was he humbled by the horrid temptations wherewith he was assaulted, than which nothing could be more grievous to his holy heart. What could be more burdensome to him that was brought up from eternity with God the Father, than to be shut up in a wilderness with the devil, there to be baited by him so many days, having his ears filled, though not defiled, with horrid blasphemies spit upon the holy and reverend name of God! O deep abasement and wonderful humiliation of the Son of God! Observe, 2. The time when Christ entered the lists with Satan, implied in the word then! that is, first, immediately after his baptism; he is no sooner out of the water of baptism, but he is in the fire of temptation: secondly, im- persons that live in them have a tempter and he shall not assault any of his mem- 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. Observe here, How the divine power upheld the human nature of Christ without food. What Moses did at the giving of the law, Christ doth at the beginning of the gospel, namely, fast forty days and forty nights. Christ hereby intended our admiration, not our imitation; or, if our imitation, of the action only, not of the time. Christ teaches us by fasting and prayer to prepare ourselves for a conflict with our spiritual enemies; as he prepared himself by fasting to grapple with the tempter, so should we. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. Observe here, 1. The occasion of the temptation. 2. The temptation itself. The occasion was our Saviour's hunger and want of bread. Learn thence, That when God suffers any of his dear children to fall into want, and to be straitened for outward things, Satan takes a mighty advantage thereupon to tempt and assault them. But what doth he tempt our Saviour to? to the sin of distrust, to question his Sonship, If thou be the Son of God; and next, to distrust his Father's providence and care, Command that these stones be made bread. As if Satan had said, "How unlikely is it that thou shouldest be highly favoured, and yet de serted. What! the Son of God, and yet ready to starve! Certainly if thou canst not supply thy necessities, thou art nothing akin to God." Learn hence, 1. That Satan's grand design is, first to tempt the children of God to doubt of their adoption; and next, to distrust God's fatherly care over them, and provision for them; and last of all, to use unwarrantable means to help themselves. Thus Satan dealt with Christ, and thus he deals with christians: for to work a miracle at Satan's direction was not a lawful mean of providing food for himself. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Observe here, The weapons which our Saviour made use of to repel the temptation, and to vanquish the tempter; and that is, the word of God: It is written. Learn, That the scripture, or the written word of God, is the only sure weapon wherewith to vanquish Satan, and to beat back all his fiery temptations. Satan himself has not the impudence to oppose scripWhat monsters of impiety then are they who ridicule and deride it? They not only run counter to the practice of Christ, but outdo the devil himself in impudence. ture. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple. That is, Satan, by God's permission, took up his body and carried it in the air, and set it upon one of the battlements of the temple. Learn hence, 1. What a mighty power evil spirits have over our bodies, if God permits them to execute and exercise their power upon them. 2. That it is owing to the gracious care and watchful providence of God over us, that we are not hurried away bodily by Satan. Thanks be to God, though the devil's malice be infinite, yet his power is limited and bounded; and as he cannot do all the mischief he would to the bodies and souls of men, so he shall not do all he can. Quest. But why is the holy city, and holy temple, chosen by Satan to be the scene of this temptation? Answ. I cannot tell, unless he apprehended (as he might) that the holiness of the place would aggravate the sin. No place so sacred, no duty so holy, as to protect us from Satan's assaults. This enemy pursues us even to the horns of the altar. Lord! how ought we at all times and in all places to be upon our watch and guard, especially in thy presence, because then and there Satan is most active and busy, and most desirous to draw us into sin. 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Here we have observable, first, The sin which Satan tempts Christ unto: and next, the sin tempted to, is the sin of self-murThe argument which he tempts him from: der; Cast thyself down. Whence we learn, That self-murder is a sin which Christ himself was, and the best of saints may, by Satan, be tempted to the commission of. But forasmuch as Satan tempted Christ to murder himself, but had not power to do it himself, (do thou cast thyself down,) we learn, That though Satan may tempt, yet he cannot compel; he may entice, but cannot enforce any to sin, without their own consent. Observe, 2. The argument which Satan uses, it is a scripture argument; he quotes the promise of God, He shall give his angels charge over thee. What a marvel is here, to find Satan with a Bible under his arm, and a text of scripture in his mouth! Christ had alleged scripture before to Satan; here Satan retorts scripture back again to Christ: It is written, says Christ; It is written, says Satan. Learn thence, That it is no wonder to hear heretics and hypocrites quote scripture, when Satan himself durst recite it: he that had profanely touched the sacred body of Christ with his hand, sticks not presumptuously to handle the holy scripture of God with his tongue. Yet observe, How wretchedly the devil wrests, perverts, and misapplies, the scripture. When God promises his angels shall keep us, it is in viis, non in præcipitiis; 'tis in all God's ways, not in any of our own crooked paths. Note here, That although the children of God have the promise of the guardianship of holy angels, yet then only may they expect their protection, when they are walking in the way of their duty, and using the means for their own preservation. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Observe here, Though the devil had wrested and abused scripture, yet still Christ alleges scripture. The abuse of the holy scriptures by heretics and seducers is no argument against the use of them. We 20 ST. MATTHEW. must not throw away our Bibles because || dart of Satan's temptation, and that is, with 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. The next sin, which Satan tempts our Saviour to, is the sin of idolatry, even to worship the devil himself. O thou impudent and foul spirit! To desire thy Creator to adore thee, an apostate creature! Surely there can be no sin so black and foul, so gross and monstrous, but that the christian which Satan makes use of to allure our Sa- manner, and that in a moment of time; temptations unto sin. When Satan sets 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Observe here, 1. With what zeal and indignation of spirit our blessed Saviour repels and beats back this temptation of Satan: Get thee hence. Note thence, That the greater the sins are which the devil tempts us to, the greater our zeal and indignation ought to be in opposing and resisting the temptation to them. A great temptation must be withstood with great resolution. Obs. 2. The weapon with which he repels and beats back the fiery Learn 11 Then the devil leaveth him, Observe here, 1. The issue of this combat; Satan is conquered, and quits the field! Then the devil leaveth him: teaching us, That nothing like a vigorous came and ministered unto him; food to 12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee: 13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the seacoast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: 14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light: and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. Observe here, 1. Our Saviour, hearing of John's imprisonment, provides for his own safety, by departing into Galilee. As our holy Lord avoided persecution, so Christ had may we. Observe, 2. The place in Galilee he comes to, Capernaum. three cities which he called his own; Nazareth, where he was bred; Bethlehem, where he was born; and Capernaum, where he dwelt: this was a sea-coast town || Zebedee their father, mending their in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthali. nets: and he called them. 22 And Observe, 3. The special providence of God in this change of our Saviour's habitation; they immediately left the ship and for by that means the prophecy, Isa. ix. 1. their father, and followed him. was fulfilled, which declares, that in that dark part of the country, the Messiah, the true light, should shine forth. Learn hence, 1. That a people destitute of the saving knowledge of the gospel are in great darkness, how great soever the light of their outward comforts may be. This people had natural light enough, and civil light enough; they had an abundance of wealth and riches, peace and plenty; but they wanted the light of Christ and his gospel, and therefore are said to sit in darkness. 2. That wherever the gospel is preached amongst a people, it is a light springing up and shining forth among them; quickening and enlivening, reviving and cheering, the souls of those who entertain it, how great soever their outward darkness and distress may be. The people that sat in darkness saw great light, and to them that sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up, &c. 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Here our Saviour begins to enter upon his prophetic office, and by preaching to make known the will of God to mankind; and observe, the doctrine which he preach ed is the same that John the Baptist did preach, namely, the doctrine of repentance, Repent ye: and the argument is the same also, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand: that is, now is the so much expected time of the appearing of the promised Messiah. Learn hence, That the doctrine of Christ and his ambassadors is alike, and the same in substance: they both teach the doctrine of repentance to a lost world, as most suitable to the time and dispensation of the gospel. 18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. 21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Our blessed Saviour, as he was the great prophet of his church, had power and authority to appoint teachers under him; and accordingly here he begins to call his apostles to that great work; and in his call we have several particulars very observable: as, 1. The meanness of the persons whom he calls, illiterate fishermen; not a Paul, that had long studied at the feet of Gamaliel, is first called; but Peter, who was a stranger to eloquence and human learning. Hereby our Saviour took effectual care that his gospel should be known to be the power of God, and not the wisdom and device of man; and that the instrument should not carry away the glory of the work. Observe, 2. How our Saviour calls his apostles by couples, two and two, Peter and Andrew, James and John; to let us understand, that the work of the ministry requires the concurrence of all hands that are called to it; all the ministers of God should put their hands, join their hearts, and set their shoulders, as one man, to this great work; and all little enough to carry it on with advantage and success. Observe, 3. The work which they were called to, from being fishermen to being fishers of men. They catched fish before with the labour of their hands; they shall catch men now with the labour of their tongues. Observe, 4. Our Saviour's command i first to follow him, before they are sent out by him: Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. We must be Christ's disciples before we are his ministers; his followers before his ambassadors. We must learn Christ before we preach him; otherwise we may fish for a livelihood, for honour and applause, but not for souls; if we be not first inclosed ourselves in the net of the gospel, we can have but small hopes of bringing in others. Observe, 5. The promise which Christ gives the apostles for their encouragement: 1. To qualify them, I will make you fishers. 2. To succeed them, I will make you fishers of men. Faithfulness and care, diligence and endeavour, is our part: but the blessing and success is Christ's. "Our labour is only in the cast, Christ's power is wholly in the draught. Some fish cleave to the rocks, others play upon the sands, and labour all our days and catch nothing, if more wallow in the mud; and we shall Christ doth not bring our fish to the net, and inclose them in it, as well as assist us |