Bible Commentaries

Matthew 14:36 — mercy of Christ our Saviour! He condescends to their infirmity, and heals them promiscuously, not once questioning their deserts. He giveth to all men liberally, and hitteth no man in the teeth with his former failings or present infirmities, James 1:5 . Be we also, by his example, ready to distribute, willing to communicate. This was the philosophical friendship of the Pythagoreans, the legal of the Essenes (a sect among the Jews, that had their names of healing), a and should be most of all the

Matthew 15:31 — what God hath done for thee; go show thyself to the priest, and offer," … But we, instead of being temples of God’s praise, become many times graves of his benefits. This made good David so often to put the thorn to his breast, Psalms 103:1-3 ; and King Alphonsus not so much to wonder at his courtiers’ ingratitude to him, as at his own to God.

Matthew 17:16 — And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. And they could not cure him — The prayer of faith would have healed the sick,James 5:15; James 5:15 , as Luther’s prayer recovered a godly divine (that was far gone in a consumption, and given up for a dead man by the physicians) beyond all expectation. Iste vir potuit quod voluit, Such a man as that was able because he was willing,

Matthew 17:6 — And when the disciples heard it , they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. They fell on their faces — As amazed and amated with that stupendous voice that came from the excellent glory, as St Peter phraseth it, 2 Peter 1:17 . So Moses and Elias hid their faces when God spake unto them, as not able to bear his brightness; rottenness entered into their bones. The very angels cover their faces before him with two of their wings, as with a double scarf, or as one claps

Matthew 21:19 — presently the fig tree withered away. He came to it and found nothing — He thought then to have found something; there was some kind of ignorance, we see, in Christ as man (but not that that was sinful). His soul desired the first ripe fruits, Micah 7:1 ; yea, though they had not been ripe and ready, hard hunger would have made them sweet and savoury, as the shepherd’s bread and onions were to Hunniades, when he was put to flight by the Turks; so well can hunger season homely cares, saith the

Matthew 26:22 — — Not joyful (as some would have been) to find out other men’s faults, and to exagitate them. Not only those that make, but that love lies, yea, or unseasonable truths in this kind, are shut out of heaven among dogs and devils,Revelation 22:15; Revelation 22:15 . Lord, is it I? — He puts them all to a search, before the sacrament. Let "a man therefore examine himself," …, 1 Corinthians 11:28 ; who knows the error of his life? saith David, Psalms 19:12 . In our hearts

Mark 1:22 — Seest thou a preacher deliver the word with singular authority (as Paul, "We believe, therefore we speak"), esteem him very highly for the work’s sake. The Corinthians are checked, for that they were unruly, and would reign without Paul, 1 Corinthians 4:8 . Zedekiah is blamed, 2 Chronicles 36:12 , because he humbled not himself before Jeremiah, a poor prophet, speaking to him from the Lord. And not as the Scribes — Frigidly and jejunely (meagrely, insipidly). Didst thou believe

Mark 14:61 — within three days I will build another made without hands. 59 But neither so did their witness agree together. 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? The Son of the Blessed? — So God is called, because to be everlastingly blessed and praised of men and

Luke 1:5 — committed unto Pontius Pilate, then to Petronius, after him to Felix, Festus, Albinus, and Florus, whose cruelty provoked the Jews to rebellion and war, to their utter overthrow. Of the course of Abia — According to their weekly waitings at the altar, 1 Chronicles 24:7-18 . God would not have his ministers over wrought, though he require them to labour according to their strength, even to weariness. But how thankless is their labour that do wilfully overspend themselves!

John 1:26 — John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; I baptize with water — The Baptist here meaneth the same that St Paul doth, 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 . See Trapp on " Matthew 3:11 " Christ rains down righteousness upon all his baptized; to whom it is not only a sign, but also a seal, as circumcision is called, not only by St Paul, Romans 4:11 , but also by a Jewish doctor,

John 1:37 — followed Jesus. And they followed Jesus — So powerful is a word or two (many times) touching Christ and his cross to change the heart. Paul showeth that the very report of his bonds did a great deal of good in Caesar’s court, Philippians 1:13 . Bilney’s confession converted Latimer. Galeacius Caracciolus (that Italian marquis) was wrought upon by a similitude used by Peter Martyr, reading on the 1st Epist. to the Corinthians. So were Earl Martinengus and Hieronymus Zanchius (both

John 1:38 — Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? What seek ye — He saith still in effect as much as all this to all his suitors; and infinitely scorns that it should be said that any one seeketh him in vain, Isaiah 45:19 . He is found of them that sought him not, and saith, "Behold me" to every passenger, Isaiah 65:1 . Here he offers himself to these two disciples, and speaks first. He of his own accord (without any monitor) is wont to aid us. "His eyes

John 1:40 — first. Two poor men only follow Christ, who yet had the promise of the "heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession," Psalms 2:8 ; "Despise not therefore the day of small things,"Zechariah 4:10; Zechariah 4:10 . The cloud of a hand breadth may shortly muffle the whole heaven: the little stone cut out without hands may bring down the huge image, and break it to pieces, Daniel 2:45: the dry root of Jesse prove a tree so tall, that, like that

John 10:11 — shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. I am the good shepherd — So he is by an excellency, for he left his glory to seek out to himself a flock in the wilderness. "He feeds them among the lilies," Song of Solomon 2:16 ; gives them golden fleeces, and shepherds to keep them, after his own heart; watcheth over them night and day in his Migdal Eder , or tower of the flock, Genesis 35:21 ; seeks them up when lost, bears them in his bosom, and gently leads those that

John 10:23 — and which, together with the whole temple, was beautified by Herod the Great, to curry favour with the people, which yet would not be, for they hated him extremely. Partim ambitione ductus, partita Iudaeorum benevolentiam captans. (Bez. Annot. in John 1:20 )

John 18:36 — David. Among whom, meeting with some Christians also, that were allied to Christ, and understanding that they were poor harmless people, he dismissed them, and by proclamation forbade any more to be martyred. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, l. 3. c. 19,20. 1:237,239

John 18:38 — is in danger, and talk you of truth? Politicians think religion niceness. However it was, or with what mind soever, out he goes, and stays not an answer; as Saul bade the priest bring to him the ark, but, ere that could be done, draws forth his army, 1 Samuel 14:18-20 .

John 3:36 — He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. Hath eternal life — 1. In promisso. In promise. 2. In pretio. In reward, 3. In primitiis. In beginnings. He stands already on the battlements of heaven, he hath one foot in the porch of paradise. He that believeth not — There is a two-fold unbelief, one in the understanding,

Acts 1:25 — That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. Go to his own place — A place of his own providing; and that he had purchased with that wages of wickedness, Acts 1:18 . Bellarmine tells us of a desperate advocate in the court of Rome, who being exhorted on his death bed to make his peace with God, made this speech to him; Lord, I have a word to say to thee, not for myself, but for my wife and children, Ego enim

Acts 10:29 — υπηρετης and οργανον , saith Aristotle, the master’s instrument, and wholly his, ολως εκεινου , 1 Corinthians 4:5 . Peter’s pretended successor styleth himself the "servant of God’s servants;" but is nothing less. For what intent — This he desireth to know of them, that he might not shoot at rovers, run at uncertainty;