shall be quenched: 46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if thine eye †offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 49 For every one shall be salted with fire, dand every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. 50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? 'Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another. † Or, cause thee to offend. d Lev. ii. 13; Ezek. xliii. 24. e Matt. v. 13; Luke xiv. 34. Eph. iv. 29; Col. iv. 6. Christ promiseth a reward to all those that are any way kind to his disciples (ver. 41),-“ Whobtsoever shall give you a cup of water, when you need it, and it will be a refreshment to you, because ye belong to Christ, and are of his family, he shall not lose his reward."-It is the honour and happiness of Christians, that they belong to Christ. They have joined themselves to him, and are owned by him; they wear his livery, as retainers to his family: nay, they are more nearly related -they are members of his body.-They who belong to Christ, may sometimes be reduced to such straits as to be glad of a cup of cold water. The relieving of Christ's poor in their distresses is a good deed, and will turn to a good account; he accepts it, and will reward it.-What kindness is done to Christ's poor, must be done them for his sake, and because they belong to him; for it is that which sanctifies the kindness, and puts a value upon it in the sight of God.-This is a reason why we must not discountenance and discourage those who are serving the interests of Christ's kingdom, though they are not in every thing of our mind and way. It comes in here as a reason why those must not be hindered that cast out devils in Christ's name, though they did not follow him. "It is not only the great, eminent performances which are done by you, my constant attendants and disciples, that are accepted by me; but every, the least degree of sincere faith and Christian performance, proportionable but to the expressing the least kindness, as giving a cup of water to a disciple of mine for being such, shall be accepted and rewarded." If Christ reckons kindnesses to us services to him, we ought to reckon services to him kindnesses to us, and to encourage them, though done by those that follow not with us. Christ threatens those that offend his little ones, that wilfully are the occasion of sin or trouble to them. Ver. 42. Whosoever shall grieve any true Christians, though they be of the weakest; shall oppose their entrance into the ways of God, or discourage and obstruct their progress in those ways; shall either restrain them from doing good, or draw them in to commit sin; it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. His punishment will very great, and the death and ruin of his soul more terrible than such a death and ruin of his body would be. See Matt. xviii. 6. be Christ warns all his followers to take heed of ruining their own souls. This charity must begin at home; if we must take heed of doing any thing to hinder others from good, and to occasion their sin, much more careful must we be to avoid every thing that will take us off from our duty, or lead us to sin; and that which doth so we must part with, though it be ever so dear to us. This we had twice in Matthew, chap. v. 29, 30, and chap. xviii. 8, 9. It is here urged somewhat more largely and pressingly. Certainly this requires our serious regard, which is so much insisted upon. Observe, 1. The case supposed-that our own hand, or eye, or foot, offends us; that the impure corruption we indulge is as dear to us as an eye or a hand; or, that that which is to us as an eye or a hand, is become an invisible temptation to sin, or occasion of it. Suppose the beloved is become a sin, For the sin a beloved; suppose we cannot keep that which is dear to us, but it will be a snare and a stumbling-block; suppose we must part with it, or part with Christ and a good conscience. 2. The duty prescribed in that case,-Pluck out the eye, cut off the hand and foot; mortify the darling lust-kill it, crucify it, starve it, make no provision for it. Let the idols that have been delectable things, be cast away as detestable things; keep at a distance from that which is a temptation, though ever so pleasing. It is necessary that the part which is gangrened should be taken off, for the preservation of the whole. "The part that is incurably wounded must be cut off, lest the parts that are sound be corrupted." We must put ourselves to pain, that we may not bring ourselves to ruin; self must be denied, that it may not be destroyed. 3. The necessity of doing this. The flesh must be mortified, that we may enter into life (vers. 43, 45), into the kingdom of God (ver. 47). Though, by abandoning sin, we may for the present feel ourselves as if we were halt and maimed (it may seem to be a force put upon ourselves, and may create us some uneasiness), yet it is for life; and all that men have they will give for their lives: it is for a kingdom, the kingdom of God, which we cannot otherwise obtain. These halts and maims will be the marks of the Lord Jesus, will be in that kingdom scars of honour. 4. The danger of not doing this. The matter is brought to this issue, that either sin must die, or we must die. If we will lay this Delilah in our bosom, it will betray us; if we are to be ruled by sin, we shall inevitably be ruined by it; if we must keep our two hands, and two eyes, and two feet, we must with them be cast into hell. Our Saviour often presses our duty upon us, from the consideration of the torments of hell, which we run ourselves into if we continue in sin. With what an emphasis of terror are those words repeated three times here, Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched! The words are quoted from Isa. lxvi. 24. The reflections and reproaches of the sinner's own conscience are the worm that dieth not; which will cleave to the damned soul as the worms do to the dead body, and prey upon it, and never leave it till it is quite devoured. "Son remember," will set this worm a gnawing; and how terribly will it bite with that word (Prov. v. 12, 23), "How have I hated instruction!" The soul that is food to this worm dies not; and the worm is bred in it, and one with it, and therefore neither doth that die. Damned sinners will be to eternity accusing, condemning, and upbraiding, themselves with their own follies; which how much soever they are now in love with them, will at the last bite like a serpent, and sting like an adder. The wrath of God fastening upon a guilty and polluted conscience is the fire that is net quenched; for it is the wrath of the living God, the eternal God, into whose hands it is a fearfu thing to fall. There are no operations of the Spirit of grace upon the souls of damned sinners, and therefore there is nothing to alter the nature of the fuel, which must remain for ever combustible; nor is there any application of the merit of Christ to them, and therefore there is nothing to appease or quench the violence of the fire. Dr Whitby shows that the eternity of the torments of hell was not only the constant faith of the Christian Church, but had been so of the Jewish Church. Jose phus says, The Pharisees held that the souls of the wicked were to be punished with perpetual punishment; and that there was appointed for them a perpetual prison. And Philo says, The punishment of the wicked is to live for ever dying, and to be for ever in pains and griefs tha never cease. The two last verses are somewhat difficult, and interpreters agree not in the sense of them. For every one in general, or rather every one of them that are cast into hell, shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt; therefore, have salt in yourselves. It was appointed by the law of Moses, that every sacrifice should be salted with salt; not to preserve it, for it was to be immediately consumed, but because it was the food of God's table, and no flesh is eaten without salt it was therefore particularly required in the meat-offerings. Lev. ii. 13.-The nature of man being corrupt, and as such being called flesh (Gen. vi. 3, Psal. lxxviii. 39), some way or other it must be salted, in order to its being a sacrifice to God. Our chief concern is, to present ourselves living sacrifices to the grace of God (Rom. xii. 1), and, in order to our acceptableness, we must be salted with salt; our corrupt affections must be subdued and mortified, and we must have in our souls a savour of grace. Thus the offering up or sacrificing of the Gentiles is said to be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, as the sacrifices were salted. Rom. xv. 16.-Those that have the sal of grace, must make it appear that they have it; that they have salt in themselves, a living principle of grace in their hearts, which works out all corrupt dispositions, and every thing in the soul that tends to putrefaction, and would offend our God or our own consciences, as unsavoury meat doth. Our speech must be always with grace, seasoned with this salt, that no corrupt communication may proceed out of our mouth, but we may loathe it as much as we would to put putrid meat into our mouths. As this gracious salt will keep our own consciences void of offence, so it will keep our conversation with others so, that we may not offend any of Christ's little ones, but may be at peace one with another.-We must not only have this salt of grace, but we must always retain the relish and savour of it; for if this salt lose its saltness, if a Christian revolt from his Christianity, if he lose the savour of it, and be no longer under the power and influence of it, what can recover him, or wherewith will ye season him? This was said Matt. v. 13.-Those that present not themselves living sacrifices to God's grace, shall be made for ever dying sacrifices to his justice; and since they would not give honour to him, he will get him honour upon them. They would not be salted with the salt of divine grace, would not admit that to subdue their corrupt affections, no, they would not submit to the operation, could not bear the corrosives that were necessary to eat out the proud flesh it was to them like cutting off a hand, or plucking out an eye; and therefore in hell they shall be salted with fire; coals of fire shall be scattered upon them (Ezek. x. 2), as salt upon the meat; and brimstone (Job xviii. 15), as fire and brimstone were rained on Sodom; the pleasures they have lived in shall eat their flesh as it were fire. James y. 8. The pain of mortifying the flesh now is n more to be compared with the punishment for not mortifying it, than salting with burning. And 1 since he had said, that the fire of hell shall not be quenched, but it might be objected that the fuel will not last always, he here intimates, that by the power of God it shall be made to last always; for those that are cast into hell, will find the fire to have not only the corroding quality of salt, but xits preserving quality; whence it is used to signify that which is lasting. A covenant of salt is a perpetual covenant; and Lot's wife being made into a pillar of salt, made her a remaining monument of divine vengeance. Now, since this will certainly be the doom of those that do not crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts, let us, knowing this terror of the Lord, be persuaded to do it. t CHAPTER X. 2 Christ disputeth with the Pharisees touching divorcement : 13 blesseth the children that are brought unto him: 17 resolveth a rich man how he may inherit life everlasting: 23 telleth his disciples of the danger of riches: 28 promiseth rewards to them that forsake any thing for the gospel: 32 foretelleth his death and resurrection : 35 biddeth the two ambitious suitors to think rather of suffering with him : 46 and restoreth to Bartimeus his sight. AND "he arose from thence, and || cometh into the coasts of Judea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again. 2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. 3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses com-. mand you? 4 And they said, "Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. 5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. 6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. 9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. 11 And he saith unto them, 'Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. 12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. á Matt. xix. 1; John x. 40, xi. 7. I A. D. 33. b Matt. xix. 3. c Deut. xxiv. 1; Matt. v. 31, xix. 7. d Gen. i. 27, v. 2. e Gen. ii. 24; 1 Cor. vi. 16; Eph. v. 31. f Matt. v. 32, xix. 9; Luke xvi. 18; Rom. vii. 3; 1 Cor. vii. 10, 11. Preaching was Christ's constant practice; it was what he was used to, and wherever he came he lid as he was wont. In Matthew it is said, He healed them; here it is said, He taught them. His ures were to confirm his doctrine, and to recommend it; and his doctrine was to explain his cures, nd illustrate them. His teaching was healing to poor souls. He taught them again.-Even those vhom Christ hath taught have need to be taught again. Such is the fulness of the Christian docrine, that there is still more to be learned; and such our forgetfulness, that we need to be reminded of what we do know. The Pharisees dispute with Christ. Ver. 2, &c. They envied the progress of his spiritual arms, and did all they could to obstruct and oppose it; to divert him, to perplex him, and to prejudice he people against him. Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? This was a good question, if it had been well put, and with a humble desire to know the mind of God in this matter; but they proposed it, tempting im, seeking an occasion against him, and an opportunity to expose him, which side soever he should ake of the question. Ministers must stand upon their guard, lest, under pretence of being advised vith, they be ensnared. Christ replied to them by putting the question, What did Moses command you? Ver. 3. This e asked them, to testify his respect to the law of Moses, and to show that he came not to destroy t; and to engage them to a universal, impartial respect for Moses' writings, and to compare one art of them with another. They gave a fair account of what they found in the law of Moses, expressly concerning divorce. Ver. 4. Christ asked, What did Moses command you? They own that Moses only suffered or permitted a man to write his wife a bill of divorce, and to put her away. Deut. xxiv. 1. If you will do it, you must do it in writing, delivered into her own hand, and so put her away, and never return to her again." The answer that Christ gave to their question, in which he abides by the doctrine he had formerly laid down in this case (Matt. v. 32), That whosoever puts away his wife, except for fornication, causeth her to commit adultery. And to clear this he here shows :— That the reason why Moses, in his law, permitted divorce, was such as that they ought not to make use of that permission; for it was only for the hardness of their hearts (ver. 5), lest, if they were not permitted to divorce their wives, they should murder them; so that none must put away their wives but such as are willing to own that their hearts were so hard as to need this permission. That the account which Moses, in this history, gives of the institution of marriage, affords such a reason against divorce as amounts to a prohibition of it. So that if the question be, What did Moses command? (ver. 3), it must be answered, "Though by a temporary proviso he allowed divorce to the Jews, yet by an eternal reason he forbade it to all the children of Adam and Eve; and it is that by which we must abide." Christ discourses with his disciples in private about this matter. Vers. 10-12. It was an advantage to them, that they had opportunity of personal converse with Christ, not only about gospel mysteries, but about moral duties, for their further satisfaction. No more is here related of this private conference than the law Christ laid down in this case-That it is adultery for a man to put away his wife, and marry another; it is adultery against the wife he puts away-it is a wrong to her, and a breach of his contract with her, Ver. 11. He adds, If a woman shall put away her husband, that is, elope from him, leave him by consent, and be married to another, she commits adultery (ver. 12), and it will be no excuse at all for her to say that it was with the consent of her husband. Wisdom and grace, holiness and love, reigning in the heart, will make those commands easy which to the carnal mind may be as a heavy yoke. 13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for "of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Verily I say unto you, 'Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. It is looked upon as the indication of a kind and tender disposition, to take notice of little children, and this was remarkable in our Lord Jesus; which is an encouragement not only to little children to apply themselves to Christ when they are very young, but to grown people, who are conscious to themselves of weakness and childishness, and of being, through manifold infirmities, helpless and useless, like little children. Here we have, Little children brought to Christ. Ver. 13. Their parents, or whoever they were that had the nursing of them, brought them to him, that he should touch them, in token of his commanding and conferring a blessing on them. It does not appear that they needed any bodily cure, nor were they capable of being taught; but it seems, they that had the care of them were mostly concerned about their souls, their better part, which ought to be the principal care of all parents for their children for that is the principle part, and it is well with them, if it be well with their souls. They believed that Christ's blessing would do their souls good; and therefore to him they brought them, that he might touch them, knowing that he could reach their hearts, when nothing their parents could say to them, or do for them, would reach them. We may present our children to Christ, now that he is in heaven, for from thence he can reach them with his blessing; and therein we may act faith upon the fulness and extent of his grace, the kind intimations he hath always given of favour to the seed of the faithful, the tenor of the covenant with Abraham, and the promise to us and to our children, especially that great promise of pouring his Spirit upon our seed, and his blessing upor our offspring. Isa. xliv. 3. The disciples discouraged the bringing of the children to Christ—They rebuked them that brought them; as if they had been sure that they knew their Master's mind in this matter, whereas he had lately cautioned them not to despise the little ones. Christ encouraged them. He took it very ill that his disciples should keep them off,- When he saw it, he was much displeased. Ver. 14. "What do you mean? Will you hinder me from doing good-from doing good to the rising generation, to the lambs of the flock?" Christ is very angry with his own disciples, if they discountenance any in coming to him themselves, or in bringing their children to him. He ordered that they should be brought to him, and nothing said or done to hinder them. Suffer little children, as soon as they are capable, to come to me, to offer up their supplications to me, and to receive instructions from me. Little children are welcome betimes to the throne of grace with their hosannas.-He owned them as members of his Church, as they had been of the Jewish Church. He came to set up the kingdom of God among men, and took this occasion to declare that that kingdom admitted little children to be the subjects of it, and gave them a title to the privileges of subjects. Nay, the kingdom of God is to be kept up by such: they must be taken in when they are little children, that they may be secured for hereafter, to bear up the name of Christ. That there must be something of the temper and disposition of little children found in all that Christ will own and bless. We must receive the kingdom of God as little children (ver. 15); that is, we must stand affected to Christ and his grace as little children do to their parents, nurses, and teachers. We must be inquisitive as children, must learn as children, and in learning must believe. The mind of a child is white paper-a mere blank; you may write upon it what you will. Such must our minds be to the pen of the blessed Spirit. Children are under government; so must we be. "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" We must receive the kingdom of God as the child Samuel did-" Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth." Little children depend upon their parents' wisdom and care, are carried in their arms, go where they send them, and take what they provide for them; and thus must we receive the kingdom of God, with an humble resignation of ourselves to Jesus Christ, and an easy dependence upon him, both for strength and righteousness for tuition, provision, and a portion. He received the children, and gave them what was desired (ver. 16),—He took them up in his arms, in token of his affectionate concern for them; put his hands upon them, as was desired, and blessed them. See how he out-did the desires of these parents; they begged he would touch them, but he did more, he took them in his arms. Now the Scripture was fulfilled (Isa. xl. 11), "He shall gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom." Time was, when Christ himself was taken up in old Simeon's arms (Luke ii. 28); and now he took up these children, not complaining of the burthen (as Moses did, when he was bid to carry Israel, that peevish child, in his bosom, as a nursing father bears the sucking child, Num. xi. 12), but pleased with it. If we in a right manner bring our children to Christ, he will take them up, not only in the arms of his power and providence, but in the arms of his pity and grace (as Ezek. xvi. 8); and underneath them are the everlasting arms. He put his hands upon them, denoting the bestowing his Spirit upon them (for that is the hand of the Lord), and his setting them apart for himself. He blessed them with the spiritual blessings he came to give. Our children are happy, if they have but the Mediator's blessing for their portion. It is true we do not read that he baptized these children; baptism was not fully settled as the door of admission into the Church till after Christ's resurrection; but he asserted their visible church-membership, and by another sign bestowed those blessings upon them, which are now appointed to be conveyed and conferred by baptism, the seal of the promise which is to us and to our children. 17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. 19 Thou knowest the commandments, 'Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. 20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. 21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have "treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. 22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. 23 And Jesus k Matt. xix. 16; Luke xviii. 18. Exod. xx. 14; Rom. xii. 9. m Matt. xvi. 19, 20, xix. 21; Luke xii. 33, xvi. 9. S S |