Matthew 5

Matthew 5:3

THe poore] an Hebrew phrase Proverbs 16:19; Proverbs 16:29; Proverbs 16:23 Isaiah 57:15. to signifie the humble and meeke hearted before God, who have confidence in themselves when they feele their miseries or Gods visitations opposie to prod, presumptuous and cruell men Kingdome,] they only are well prepared and qualified, to receave the Gospell, and to be members of the Church, which is Christs Kingdome in grace and in spirit, and that way to enter into the Kingdome of glory in Heaven, see Matth. 18. 3. and 19, 14.

Matthew 5:4

That mourne,] by a lively displeasure for their sinnes, and by a volutary mortification, Or by an humble patience in visitations and tryalls which God sendeth, Psalme 34. 18.

Matthew 5:5

For they,] They shall be re-established into the right which Adam had, namelie of being lawfull possessors of all Gods creatures as they are Gods children, the use of which shall be granted them by their heavenly Father, and shall afterwards bee raised up into the everlasting Kingdome above all other creatures. Whereas violent men, though they have, and possesse much, yet they are but usurpers, who shall be dispossessed of all by death, See Romans 4:13.

Matthew 5:6

Which doe hunger.] which fervently desire of God to obtaine the gift of the true Evangelicall righteousnesse which is in Christ and in the operation of his spirit, which is the food necessary for eternall life, Romans 3:22; Romans 3:26.

Matthew 5:8

The pure,] The holy, righteous and sincere, not spotted with the love of sinne, of some predominant vice of malice, and of hypocrisie Shall see,] shall be admitted to the fruition of Gods glory which will appeare at full in the Kingdome of heaven: opposite to the small and obscure participation which beleevers have in his grace in this world, by faith, 1 Corinthians 13:12. 2 Cor. 5. 7. 1 Iohn 3. 2.

Matthew 5:10

For righteousnesse sake,] For the love and defence of right, and chiefely for Gods cause his truth, glory, and pure service The Kingdome,] for a reward of their labours, and a Crowne of their fights, according to Gods free promise.

Matthew 5:13

Yee are,] Words directed to the Apostles and ministers of Christ. The meaning is, I have conferred my gifts upon you, and have placed you in the office of Pastors of my Church, that by your doctrine & example, the world might be cleansed & preserved from corruption, and seasoned with righteousnesse and holinesse: if that thorow your owne corruption, you lose this power over others, whence shall the amendment of your selves be expected? In such a case all dignities and titles are of no value.

Matthew 5:14

The light,] As by the preaching of the word, you are like unto lights in the worlds darkenesse: So by your life you should bee like Candle-stickes, to set that light up on high and shew it to all men A Citie,] the eminencie of your office shall cause all the good and evill that is in you to be manifest to all men either for example and edification in good things, or for scandall and subversion in badd.

Matthew 5:16

Glorifie,] By converting and submitting themselves to Gods truth, whose efficacy shall be penetrated into their hearts by your holy examples. See 1 Cor. 14 25.

Matthew 5:17

To destroy,] to derogate from their authoritie, to cause them to be thought false or unprofitable, to propound a doctrine contrary to them, To fulfill,] observing the Law in all points my selfe, and bringing to passe all that was foretold by the Prophets, and pulling in force the right and promise of the Law, to give life to them that fulfill it which is effected in me alone for all my Church. And finally causing, by my spirit of regeneration, which I have gotten, and doe communicate to all beleevers; the Law to be by them voluntarily receayed in its spirituall sence, though not in an absolute perfection in this life, Romans 8:3.

Matthew 5:18

Till heaven,] a proverbiall kinde of speech, as much as to say, never whilest the world lasts, as Iob 14. 12. Psal. 72. 5. till all,] till Gods will revealed in his word be perfectly fulfilled, Isay 40. 8 Romans 3:31.

Matthew 5:19

Whosoever therefore,] hereproveth the Pharisees false doctrine who made a difference of Gods Commandements, as if some were great, and some small; the transgressing of which should be of small moment, Matthew 22:36, and he sheweth that they have all the same character of divine authority: and that they all binde equally, though the degrees of the matter be diverse, shall be called,] though he retaine the good foundation: yet he shall lose much of Gods approbation, and of the good esteeme of true beleevers who shall judge spiritually by my Gospell in the renewed state of my Church; see 1 Corinthians 3:15 He opposeth this to the Scribes and Pharisees dignities which were grounded upon those arbitrary definitions of cases of conscience.

Matthew 5:20

The righteousnesse, which was all set upon vaine ceremonies, in arbitrary disciplines, and in false shewes, and in dead works without Gods spirit, enter,] you shall not be true members of my spirituall Kingdome which I have established in my Church, nor attaine to the Kingdome of glory.

Matthew 5:21

That it was said,] in the Text of the Law by Moses, and then afterwards in the glosse which hath beene added thereunto by the Doctors which came after according to their owne carnall meaning, whosoever,] in this glosse the Pharisees erred in two points, first in that they only comprehended the full exterior act in the Commandement, and not the inward motions, nor the lesser acts of the same kind. Secondly because they restrained mens consciences only in reverence of humane lawes, and feare of the punishment inflicted thereby, and did not direct them to God and his justice, and so they did set all the observation of the Law in an outside of externall and hypocriticall discipline, without any true pietie or uprightnesse of heart, the judgement,] namely the sentence and punishment of three and twentie Iudges who had the cognizance of all criminall caules amongst the ewes.

Matthew 5:22

But I] Christ doth not bring up a new meaning of the Law but only re-establisheth the internall and spirituall meaning which is eternall, and was forgotten and unknowne. See Romans 7:7. Whosoever, to shew that the very first motions of sinne are deadly in rigour of Law, though there be some diversity in the degrees of punishment, hee makes use of the diverse degrees of capitall judgments which were in use amongst the Iewes, and by judgment he meanes that of the three and twentie Iudges, which had the cognizance of ordinary crimes; by the consistory, that of the seventie one Iudges, who had the cognizance of crimes of a higher degree which concerned the publike, as of a false Prophet, a High-Priest, an apostasie or the like, and by hell fire or Gehenna he meanes that great Anathema, by which the Malefactor besides his corporall death was accursed, and appointed for the torments of hell, without a cause,] that may be approved in Gods judgement, Racha,] a Syriac word which signifieth voyd of understanding, witlesse,hell fire, the Italian, the Gehnna of fire, an Hebrew word which signifieth the valley of Hinnom, which was a place by Ierusalem where Idolaters did burne their children to Molech, whereupon by reason of the cruelty of this Idolatry, the same name was attributed to hell. See 2 Kings 2. 3. 10. Isay 30. 33.

Matthew 5:23

Ought,] any cause of offence for any injury he hath receaved.

Matthew 5:24

And go,] to shew that mens wrath and hatred are so displeasing to God, that he disalloweth of any service done him by any that are so disposed. See Job 42:8.

Matthew 5:25

Agree,] as one that hath offended another doth very well to make a friendly composition for the injury, giving some reasonable satisfaction before the judge gives his sentence, seeing that afterwards he should be forced to pay what he is amerced without any remission, so you men make your peace whilest you are in the world, before God doth give his irrevocable sentence against the obdurate offender.

Matthew 5:26

Till thou hast,] that is to say never: for man hath not wherewith to give satisfaction to Gods justice, Mat. 18 25.

Matthew 5:29

Offend thee,] do intice thee by thy lookes to offend God: pluck it out:] this must be understood by way of comparison thus, thou hadst better pluck it out, then to be thereby induced to offend God, and be in danger of losing thy soule; and theréfore seeing there is nothing more deere to thee then thine eyes, mortifie thine old man and renounce thy concupiscences that thou mayest save both body and soule, SeeMat. 19. 12. Romans 8:13. 1 Corinthians 9:27. Colossians 3:5.

Matthew 5:30

Thy right hand,] the hand properly doth not induce to sinne, but doth commit it, and therefore by this so necessary and deere a part, are meant and understood all manner of vehement affections and passionate motions, and each deere and inticing respect: all which things ought to be cut off rather then to sin.

Matthew 5:31

Let him give her,] this law doth not permit nor approve of divorces, made without a cause, but they being already in use amongst the people, God tollerating them or taking no notice of them, he hath in some manner set downe a rule therein to provide for the credit of the women which were put away by this writing which did cleere them from adultery, and did set them at liberty, that the husband breaking the bonds of marriage on his side, the poore woman might also on her side be free to marry againe: seeing that the returning to her first husband was utterly denied and forbidden her, Ier. 3. 1. which was a curbe to that temerity.

Matthew 5:32

To commit.] before God and in respect of their conscience, though not before men, and in the civill and externall judgement.

Matthew 5:33

Forsweare,] the Pharisees had falsified the meaning of this law two wayes. First, in restraining it to false oathes sworne to harme other men, without comprehending vaine and frivolous oathes, then by reputing such for indifferent, and as nothing, which were not conceaved in Gods owne name, but were sworne by creatures, see Matth. 23. 16. 18. unto the Lord,] either directly, in performing such things as thou hast vowed unto him, or indirectly, in all such things as thou hast promised thy neighbour in his name.

Matthew 5:34

Not at all,] seeing that an oath is an instrument of truth, and of proofe, and oftentimes very necessarie, we must restraine this Commandement of Christs to voluntarie oathes, not required by them who have authority, vaine, frivolous, vitious, and ill conceived, &c. Seeing those things which are set downe here have a relation to such oathes: By heaven,] by way of assertion, as in saying, so sure as there is a heaven, or as sure as there is light in heaven. Or by way of execration, as, let heaven blast me, the earth abisse me if it be not so For it is,] this reason doth shew two evils in such oathes, namely, the impiety of the former, making use of the creature in them instead of God alone, and the prophanenesse in the aime and intent, swearing in jest without truth or reverence. Against the first, the Lord saith, that these creatures are not God, but only instruments of his service and his glory. Against the second, that every one of them hath some speciall relation to God, wherefore the prophane abuse of them redoundeth to the offence of himselfe, who is also indirectly called upon in these oathes, for to punish the breakers thereof.

Matthew 5:36

By thy head,] affirming any thing and ingaging thy head upon it, which thou doest subject to a misfortune if thou liest, or by saying, as true as my head is deere to me Because thou,] thine head is not thine own for to engage it, or subject it by such oathes to such chances as thou pleasest.

Matthew 5:37

Let your,] let your sayings be averred, by a constant, plaine, and uniforme truth, and not by rash oathes, of evill, namely from the devill.

Matthew 5:38

Ye have heard,] Christ condemnes the Pharisees false expositions, who did extend the laws of equalizing and iustly proportioning publike punishments judicially inflicted, to the facts, to the suffering of private revenges.

Matthew 5:39

Rsist not evill,] namely offences which shall be proffered unto you thorow the evilnesse of other men others, resist not the wicked: The meaning is, do not requite evill for evill, overcome evill with doing good, and do not work your owne revenges.Tune to him,] rather then to transgresse against the law of charity and Christian patience, suffer a double injury.

Matthew 5:40

Sue thee in the law,] by violence, or by an unlawfull or fraudulent plea. The meaning is, do thou use no violence, nor interchangeable fraud.

Matthew 5:41

Shall compell thee,] according to the custome of those dayes: by which it was lawfull for one that went about publike affaires which required haste, to force any that he met upon the way to go along with him, to serve and aide him. See Matth. 27. 32.

Matthew 5:43

And hate] this was the false glosse of the Iewish doctors, who did restraine the word neighbour to kinsfolks, friends, and acquaintances only. See Luke 10 29. contrary to the true meaning of the law set downe, Exodus 23:5. Lev. 19. 17. 18. Job 31:29. Psal. 7. 4. Proverbs 24:17.

Matthew 5:45

Ye may be,] that ye may indeed be such, imitating Gods naturall goodnesse.

Matthew 5:46

If ye love,] that charity which imitates God, and is by him rewarded, is not that naturall inclination to love those that love us, because that Gods charity extends it selfe even to hs enemies. But the spirituall charity to love for the love of him, and as he loveth all those whom he hath commanded us to love, without any respect to our selves The Publican,] men which were infamous and execrable amongst the Iewes, not only for their avarice and greedinesse, but especially because they were the instruments of the Roman tyrannie upon the Iewes their brethren.

Matthew 5:47

More then others,] namely, more then the Publicans, and the wickedest men in the world.

Matthew 5:48

Be ye,] imitate God in his mercy, which in regard of us and of our salvation is the fulnesse of his vertues, and therein endeavour to attaine to perfection. Ephes. 4. 13. Plul. 3. 12.