us So wants, and puniſhing him who forgrueth not his F:llow-Ser-
11 # [ hs »
T the ſame time * came the Diſciples unto oſus, ſaying, Who is the greateit in the kingdom of heaven ? 2b who relaterh alſo the ſame Hiſtory, Chap. 9. v. 33- more largely, fairh, that this Diſcourle was 1n the Houle ar Caper- 1:47, and chat our Saviour began with them, asking them, what #ty bed been diſcourſing of by the way 2 That they held their Peace, for 11 pct been in the way arguing one with another who ſhould be the great- +. racy might alſo at the ſame time alfo ask Chriſt the Queſti- on. Like in whom we find the ſame Hiſtory, ſpeakerh cf it only as a Queſtion thar had riſen among rhemtelves, C1). 9. 46. |: 5ad been the Matter of their Thoughts 1n the way, yea, and of ticic more Private Ditcourſe alto. Luxe laith, Feſrs knew the Thbts of their Hearts, We had nccd fer the Lord ar ail times vg b . . , 2-4 betore our Eyes, for we arc always in his Sight. Ae incompat- {erh all our Parhs (as the P/almift faith) in the way when we
tink we alſo cannor be overheard, he hearerth us, and will call |
nx ro 4ccount for our Travelling Thoughts and Ditcourſes. They were art firſt aſhamed to tell the Lord whar they had been chinkinz, and difcourſing upon, tor Mark faith, v. 34. they held thoir Peace. But by and by they propound the Queſtion ro Chriſt himſelf, (fo faich Matthew) What do they mean here by the Kinzdom of Heaven? Or what gave them occation to fuch aDiſconrſe? Ir is moſt probable, thar rhey did nor in this Que- (tim, inrend the Kingdom of Glory, Bur either the Church, cr G1/pel Dirperſation. Or (which indecd is moſt likely) that Earth- ly Kinzd- which the Jews thought the Meſſg2h ſhould exerciſe on the Earth. The General Errour of their Nation about a ſe- cular Ringdom, which the Seſſivs when he came, ſhould exer- cite upon the Earch, reſtoring the Kingdom to Ijrael, as they Phraſe it, 44s 1. 6. ſeemerh to have inteted them, fo as tho” in this they diifercd from the unbelteving Jews, that they owned Chriſt to be the promiſed Meſſiah, and the Chriſt rhe $5n of God, yer they look'd for a Temporal Kingdom which he ſhould Admini- {ter, Three times we find them in this Miſtake. Here, and Ch. 20, 24. and at our Saviour's Adminiſtration of the Supper, Luke 22,24. and by Ads 1. 6, it ſhould ſeem thar till Chriſt's Aſcen- ſm, they were not fully inſtructed in the Nature of Chriſt's Kingdom, but expeRed that after his Reſurredtion, this Kingdom of his ſhould have began, and cherefore they fay, Wilt. thou at this time reſtore the Kingdom to Iſrael ? Some think that thar which at this time raiſed cheir Jealouſie, and ſtirred up their Ambition, was our Saviour's promiſing Peter the Keys of the King- dim of Heaven, Chap. 16. and paying Tribute for him, Chap, 17. Bur neither of theſe could be; for had not the Keys been given equally, the Queſtion had bcen derermined; they needed have reatoned no more. He that had the Keys, was certainly -to be the greateſt; and for the paying of Tribute, it was roo Minute a thing to caufe fuch a jealouſic. Befides, this Diſcourſe of theirs was by the,way to Capernaum, where he now was; that, was after he came to the Houſe. Bur they doubtleſs fancied a Temporal Kingdom of the Meſh, in which Places would be beſtowed, and Chriſt by his Difcourte abour the Trivute had afferted himſelf a King's Sn; and rhey conceived thar after his Death and ReſurreFiom, (which Chriſt had - lately been ſpeaking of) this his Ki'gd9m would begin, which alſo a- greeth with what we have, Acts 1. 6. They rherctore thought ic now time to ſpeak for Places. They had been arguing the Point amongſt themſelves, and could not come to a Refo]urton, S2me of them were Chriſt's near Kinmen; (fuch was Fames, G4. 1. 19.) fome of them had more extraordinary Parts ; he named two of them on this Account, the Sons of Thunder; to others he had ſhewed a more particular Kindnefs, Zohn 1s called the beloved Diſciple, Peter, James a' i Form were taken up to the Mount to ſee his Transft:.ration. Theſe things might cauſe ſme Emulation and Suſpici;ns ; thei; therefore come to our Sa» viour to be reſolved. 1. How flowiy do we conceive, and how hardly do we come, to underſtand Spiritual Things? We are of the Earth, and we are Earthlv. 2. How prone are we to feek great things for our ſelves; negletting our higher Spiricual, and Erernal Concerns ? This Text Jers us ſee, that even the beſt of Men are ſubje& ro Earthly minaedneſs, Ambition, Emulation, and hardly brouslit truly ro underſtand, believe, and feck the things which arc above, Ler us now obſerve how our Saviour beha- ved himſcif rowards his Diſciples upon this Queſtion, and what Anfiver he makes to it.
2 And Jeſus called 2 little child unto him, and ſet
ky, him in the midit of them ;
2 And faid, Verily Iſay unto you, * Except ye be
E. 14, Cnverted. and become as little children, ye fhall
. . Mt enter into the kingdom of heaven.
' 4 Whoſvever therefore {hall humble himſelf as ts lite child, rhe ſame is greateſt in the kingdom Of re1ven,
w 4 kw
HWih ltich, Chap. 6. 35. And he ſate down, and called the Icive, and {ail unto them, 1f ay Man deſire t 1 be firſt, the ſame Wil be tit of all, and Servant of all, And he took a Child, and Jel ne ill | [32
Yol. Jt
M ATTMAEM
th the Ambitimm of his Diſciples, and exhorteth 'em to
Arms, he ſaid unto them, &c. Lube ſaith only, that he tor the Child, end ſet him by him, Chap. g. 47. and v. 48. and adds, (.t 1 lexit amongſt you all, the ſame ſhall te great. eatic 4 ting had it been tor our Saviour, had he intended any {uch Primacy 1a the Church, as the Papifts contend tor, to have ſaid Peter ſhall be the greatcstt, Here was ' him, 1f he had pleaſed, foro have
: _( faich 371b ) If any Man defire to be firſt, the ſame ſhall be laſt if a!l, and Servant of all. and (which Lake adds) He that is leaft anon; you all, the ſame
ted, and become as little Children, ye cannot enter int» the Kingdom
Saying. Converted here e237, doth not ſrgnifte tte Change or
5 And whoſo ſhall receive one fuch little child in my name, receiveth me.
6 But* whoſo ſhall offend one of theſe little ones which believe in me, it were better {or him that a milſtone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the ſea.