19 He shall not 19. He shall not set forth himself, or his regal strive, nor cry; power, as kings are wont to do, magnificently, with a neither shall any man hear his voice noise, or tumult, or proclamation before them in the in the streets. streets, calling all in question that do not presently 20 [d] A bruised acknowledge them, but shall come in an humble and reed shall he [e] not lowly manner. (And it were strange that he should break, and smoking be despised by us for that, it being merely for our quench, till he 3 send sakes that he hath put on this condition, this humble forth judgment unto guise is the fittest for the office which he means to victory. exercise, that being all mercy to the weak, &c.)

flax shall he not

21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

20. Those that have fallen, as long as there is any hope left in them, he will not deal with rigidly, but 22 ¶ Then was very mercifully, being desirous to plant the gospel, brought unto him that is, evangelical righteousness, completely in the one possessed with world.

a devil, blind, and

:

dumb and he heal- 21. And though the rulers and Pharisees do not, ed him, insomuch yet the Jews of the Gentile cities, Tyre and Sidon, that the blind and &c. shall lay hold on him. Thus they did, ver. 15. dumb both spake compared with Mark iii. 8, and this is by Esaiah 23 And all the peo- called waiting for his law, ch. xlii. 4, willingly receivple were amazed, and ing, and giving obedience to him.

and saw.

said, 7 Is not this k whom the devil had cast into a disease which de'the son of David? prived him of speech and sight, and—

24 But when the

Pharisees heard it,

1 the Messias that was so oft foretold and expected they said, This fel- to be born of the family of David, and so he that low doth not cast shall deliver us, and reign over us?

out devils, but by

[f] Beelzebub the

m the ruler of the devils, which consequently is able prince of the devils. to cast out devils that are his subjects, inferior to 25 And Jesus knew him.

their thoughts, and "If any king mean to uphold his kingdom, he will said unto them, not quarrel and fall out with his own subjects, and "Every kingdom di- cast them out which are a-doing him service; such vided against itself is brought to deso- divisions and civil dissensions as these will soon lation; and every destroy his kingdom, and therefore cannot probably city or house divided be affirmed of any prudent ruler or prince.

against itself shall

not stand:

26. And Satan's casting out devils which are 26 And if Satan about his business (possessing those whom he would cast out Satan, he is have possessed) would be such a civil dissension and divided against him- breach as this. This is an argument against you. self; how shall then But then, secondly,

his kingdom stand?

27 And if I by 27. Why may not I cast out devils by the power Beelzebub cast out and in the name of God, as well as your disciples and devils, by whom do countrymen, the Jews among you, (who being evil, [g] your children are therefore more obnoxious to suspicion of holding fore they shall be correspondence with Satan's kingdom,) do, at least your judges. pretend to do. When they in the name of God go

cast them out? there

bring forth, èxßáλn: see note [i] on ch. ix.

about to cast them out, you affirm it to be by the power of God, and so do I. Why should you not believe that of me which you affirm of your own? 28 But if I cast out 28. But if it be indeed by the power of God that devils by the Spirit I do all this, (called the finger of God, Luke xi. 20,) of God, then the then it is clear, that although you were not aware of kingdom of God is it, yet this is the time of the Messias, whose mission

come unto you.

29 Or else how can

God hath testified with these miracles, and would not have done so if he had been a false Christ. And then, thirdly,

his

29. My dispossessing Satan of his goods, turning one enter into a him out of those whom he possesses, is an argument strong man's house, that I have mastered him, and so that I do not use and spoil his goods, except he first bind power, but that mine is greater than his, and emthe strong man? and ployed most against his will, and to his damage. then he will spoil his 30. And it is proverbially known, that he that is not on one's side, that brings forces into the field, and 30 He that is not is not for a man's assistance, he is certainly for his with me is against me; and he that enemy, engages against him, doth him hurt; and congathereth not with sequently my casting out devils shews that I am me scattereth abroad. Satan's declared enemy.

house.

31 ¶ Wherefore I 31. For this speech of yours (that I work by Beelsay unto you, All zebub) let me tell you, Pharisees, ver. 24, that this manner of sin and malicious resisting and holding out against the visible blasphemy shall be work of God, and despising the miracles that I have forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy wrought by the Spirit and power of God, ver. 28, is but the blasphemy such a crime, of so deep a dye, that it shall to them against the Holy Ghost shall not be that continue in it be irremissible.

forgiven unto men.

32 And whosoever

32. Whosoever shall say this against the Son of [] speaketh a word man, that is, shall not receive me as I am the Son of against the Son of man, or before I am sufficiently manifested by the man, [] it shall be Spirit or finger of God to be the Messias, he may by forgiven him: but want of light or manifestation be excusable, and by whosoever speaketh a general repentance for all his sins of ignorance may Ghost, it [k] shall receive pardon. But he that shall resist the Spirit of not be forgiven him, God, manifestly shining in these miracles wrought by neither in this Christ, to the astonishment and conviction of all but world, neither in Pharisees, ver. 23, and shall impute those miracles to

against the Holy

the world to come.

the devil, which, by what hath been said, sufficiently appear to be the works of God's own power; if he repent not particularly of this, and come in, and acknowledge Christ, thus revealed and manifested to him, there is no pardon or mercy to be had for him, neither in this age nor at the coming of the Messias, (by him supposed yet future,) or, neither in this life, where he shall be punished with spiritual death, Supon you, ἐφ' ὑμᾶς. 9 plunder, or forcibly carry away his household stuff, тà σkeứn αὐτοῦ διαρπάσαι. age, nor in that to come.

10

9

make the tree cor

God's withdrawing of grace, nor in the other, where eternal death expects him.

33 Either make the 33. For indeed they that do this, that impute the tree good, and his miracles which by the power and finger and Spirit fruit good; or else of God are wrought by me unto the devil, must, acrupt, and his fruit cording to the old known rule of judging the tree by corrupt: for the tree the fruit, be understood to affirm the same ill of him is known by his fruit. (that is, the Holy Ghost) whose productions these miracles are, as they affirm of the miracles themselves; by pronouncing these to be diabolical, they do by implication pronounce the Holy Ghost to be an infernal spirit, and so God to be the devil, which is 34 O generation of the highest and the most irremissible blasphemy vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak imaginable.

good things? for out 34. Ye are indeed a wretched sort of people, your of the abundance of language speaks you what you are, viz., that your the heart the mouth viperous hearts will not permit you to speak any speaketh. 35 A good man out otherwise, (as how can you is used John v. 44, and of the good treasure of Christ, he could not do miracles, Mark vi. 5, that of the heart bringeth is, their unbelief was a let and impediment to him,) forth good things: for as your hearts are, even so by consequence will of the evil treasure your language be, and therefore from so viperous a bringeth forth evil brood no better can be expected.

and an evil man out

things.

35. Every man entertaineth his guests with such 36 But I say unto provisions as he hath, and just so, men's words are you, That every testifications of what is in their hearts.

[m] idle word that

words thou shalt be condemned.

men shall speak, they 36. But deceive not yourselves, as if words were shall give account too light to be accounted for; believe it, words, such thereof in the day of they may be, false, blasphemous words, such as yours judgment. are now, ver. 32, and such as flow out of the evil 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justitreasure of the heart, ver. 35, shall be most sadly fied, and by thy accounted for in the day of judgment. 37. For words as well as actions are accounted of by God in conferring either rewards or punishments 38 Then certain of the scribes and of upon us. the Pharisees answer- all that take upon them to be sent from God, and ed, saying, Master, expect to be received, bring some signs with them, we would see a sign miracles, or somewhat of that nature, to give them authority; we now desire some such from you. 39 But he answered and said unto It is the sign of a wicked infidel people to be them, P An evil and always unsatisfied, after so many miracles and maniadulterous genera- festations (sufficient to prove me the Messias) still tion seeketh after a to be requiring more, without ever being moved with sign; and there shall what you have already; for such as you there is but no sign be given to it, but the sign of the one sign or token or miracle behind, that of my prophet Jonas: resurrection from death, after ye have crucified me; whereby you shall have my office asserted, after I am

from thee.

11 vain, false.

40 For as Jonas gone, and find Jonas's drowning and wonderful rewas three days and storing from the whale's belly to have been a type of three nights in the whale's belly; me, and that a most significant one.

shall the Son of man 40. For as Jonas lay buried in the whale's belly be[n] three days and three days, so shall Christ continue in the grave part three nights in the of three natural days, or shall die in one day, and heart of the earth. rise again the third day after it.

41 The men of

Nineveh shall rise 41. And they that are not convinced and brought in judgment with to repentance by my resurrection, and the preaching this generation, and of my apostles, which shall be consequent to that, shall condemn it: their sin and condemnation shall be much greater because they repented at the preaching than that of the Ninevites was, for upon Jonas's reof Jonas; and, be- covery from the whale's belly, and coming to preach hold, a greater than to them, they repented, Jonah iii., whereas the resurJonas is here. rection of Christ, and mission of the Spirit, and 42 The queen of the south shall rise preaching of the apostles over all Judæa after that, up in the judgment is a far greater way of conviction than that recovery with this generation, and preaching of Jonas.

and shall condemn 9 for certainly here is that which is infinitely more it: for she came than all that wisdom of Solomon, manifestations of from the uttermost parts of the earth to God infinitely more discernible than ever Solomon's hear the wisdom of wisdom was, which yet was so talked of that it Solomon; and, be- brought in foreign princes from afar at the news hold, 13 a greater than of it.

13

Solomon is here.

43 When the un

and findeth none.

43-45. But to you that having received such clean spirit is gone means of converting and bringing you to repentout of a man, he ance, such miracles, and particularly casting out walketh through dry devils, ver. 22, (which occasioned all the discourse places, seeking rest, since, and to which this is annexed, Luke xi. 24,) have 44 Then he saith, not yet walked worthy of them, I shall now apply I will return into my this parable, ver. 43-45, the meaning of which is, house from whence That this nation (out of which I came to cast out the I came out; and when he is come, he power of Satan, and to bind the strong man, and take findeth it empty, from him his usurped possession and goods for their swept, and garnish- proper Master's use) doth appear so far to resist all my methods, as to blaspheme that holy Spirit by whom 45 Then goeth he, I work, ver. 24; and then what is to be looked for, and taketh with him- but that the devils ejected (either by your own spirits more wicked children, or) by me in my Father's name, either out than himself, and of any single person, or nation, finding no where else they enter in and in the heathen world such pleasant desirable habitadwell there: and the tions of rest and contentment as here among you, (as is worse than the a well watered seat is the most pleasant,) shall try first. Even so shall their utmost to re-enter here, and when they come to it be also unto this do so, finding that Christ hath not gotten any admiswicked generation. sion, they shall with many more worse than them

ed.

self seven other

last state of that man

12 somewhat more, πλeîov.

13 somewhat more, πλeîν.

selves, make entrance, and take a durable possession again, and so the state of this people is like to be 46 ¶ While he yet more desperately damnable than before I came talked to the people, among you it was, or than, if Satan had never been behold, his mother cast out, it would have been.

stood without, de

him.

and his brethren 46, 47. Whilst he was on this severe discourse so siring to speak with ungrateful to many of his auditors, it happened that his mother, the blessed virgin Mary, and some others 47 Then one said of his nearest kindred, were waiting without to speak unto him, Behold, with him, and upon this occasion one of his auditors, thy mother and thy either to try what he would say, or perhaps to interout, desiring to speak rupt him in his speech, told him that his mother and kindred waited for him.

brethren stand with

with thee.

48 But he answer- 48, 49. To which he presently replied (to signify ed and said unto him this office of his to declare the will of his Father that told him, Who to be dearer to him than all relations, and withal to is my mother? and who are my brethren? shew that obedience to God was the thing above all 49 And he stretch- others most welcome to him) in these words, Who ed forth his hand to- is my mother, &c., that is, Ye are deceived in me, ward his disciples, bare natural or secular respects sway not with me in mother and my bre-comparison to the gaining of proselytes to heaven. r becomes thereby the child of God, and conse50 For whosoever quently by that means the brother and sister of shall do the will of Christ, and besides, Christ is also formed in him, and my Father which is so he is the mother of Christ, answerable to the is my brother, and Virgin in whom Christ was conceived. And theresister, and mother. fore I do most justly set that valuation on him, and in that respect more tend the teaching of such, and conversing with them, than the paying a civility to those who are in carnal respects nearest to me.

thren!

in heaven, the same

SOW;

4 And when he

4. And as he sowed in the field, some of his seed

sowed, some seeds fell on the path, or the ground which was not pre