Matthew 19

—ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones.] At that solemn hour (the day of judgment) Jesus tells His Apostles that they shall also sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. This is an allusion to the custom of princes having their great men ranged around them as assessors and advisors when they sit in council or in judgment. Bp. Porteus. When I, says our Saviour, shall be exalted to everlasting dominion, and shall sit upon the throne of eternal glory, ye shall then be exalted also, and shall sit by Me in the next degree of glory and power. Dr. S. Clarke.

Chap. XX. ver. 1. For the kingdom of heaven &c.] This parable is intended to illustrate the expression which concluded the last chapter. For this saying, that the first shall be last, and the last first, may be confirmed to you by the following parable. Dr. Whitby.

Matthew 19:2

2.—a penny a day.] A Roman penny (about seven-pence halfpenny of our money) was probably the usual price of a day’s labour among the Jews, as Tacitus informs us it was among the Romans. Dr. Doddridge.

Matthew 19:3

3.—about the third hour.] That is, about nine o’clock in the morning. The Jews began their day about six o’clock in the morning, and reckoned twelve hours in it. Bp. Pearce. Thus the others were hired respectively at twelve at noon, and at three in the afternoon; and last of all, at five in the afternoon, answering to what the Jews call the eleventh hour.

From the instance of these labourers, who were not rewarded in proportion to their respective services, all we can conclude is this, that the length of their labours, or the time employed, was not the only thing to be considered; other circumstances were to be taken into the account, in order to a due and just proportion in the retribution. Perhaps those who wrought but a few hours, or but one hour, were as willing to work as others could be, but had not the good fortune to be hired so soon. Perhaps, after they were hired, they worked with far greater diligence and application than the others did. When an all-wise Master appoints the work, and distributes the wages, every minute circumstance must be exactly weighed and considered. It is not with the all-wise God as with an earthly master: He considers all circumstances; makes allowance for necessary hindrances, looks at the men as well as at the work; at their tempers, their dispositions, their heartiness, and forwardness in what they do; and upon the whole, balances the account with an unerring exactness. Dr. Waterland.

Anno DOMINI 33.

Matthew 19:21

21.—If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell &c.] Our Saviour means, Although God is graciously pleased to accept your obedience to the moral law, yet you must not flatter yourself that your obedience is perfect. To convince you how far you fall short of perfection, I will put your obedience to the test in a trying instance. You say that you have kept from your youth the moral law of Moses. Now one of those laws is, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, &c. If therefore you pretend to perfection, you must observe this law as well as all the rest, and consequently be ready to sacrifice to the command of God every thing that is most valuable to you in the world. I now therefore, as a Teacher sent from God, require you to sell all you have, and give to the poor, and follow Me, and you shall then have treasure in heaven. It should be well observed, that this command of our Saviour does not in its primary meaning relate to Christians of the present times, nor indeed to Christians at all, properly speaking; but to those who were at that time desirous of becoming so. Bp. Porteus.

Matthew 19:22

22.—he went away sorrowful.] The young man made no reply; indeed he could not. He saw all his pretensions to perfection, his hopes of an extraordinary reward, vanish at once: he was not disposed to purchase even treasures in heaven at the price of all he possessed on earth. He therefore went away silent and sorrowful, for he had large possessions. Bp. Porteus.

Matthew 19:23

23.—a rich man] It is expressed in St. Mark, (chap. x. 24,) a man “that trusteth in riches.”

—enter into the kingdom of heaven.] Here we must remember, that to “enter into the kingdom of heaven” means, to become a Christian, which they who had great possessions were unwilling to do, on account of the losses they might sustain by persecution. But the everlasting kingdom of glory hereafter is equally open to all true disciples of Christ, rich or poor; for it is not the condition we are placed in here, whether it be high or low, but the use we make of it, that will determine our condition in the life to come. Bp. Mann.

Matthew 19:24

24.—It is easier for a camel &c.] The camel being the largest animal with which the Jews were acquainted, its name became proverbial for denoting any thing re-

Matthew 19:26

26.—this is impossible.] Extremely difficult. —but with God &c.] But by the grace and assistance of God it is possible for such men to overcome all those temptations, to make a good use of their wealth, and to become worthy disciples of Christ. Dr. S. Clarke.

Matthew 19:28

28.—in the regeneration] Opinions have been extremely various respecting the meaning of this word here; but most of the ancient Fathers, and the best modern commentators, connect it with the words that follow, “In the regeneration when the Son of man” &c.; and thus understand it to mean the day of judgment and recompense, when all mankind shall be as it were

Anno DOMINI 33. The parable of the labourers Anno DOMINI 33.

Matthew 19:29

29.—every one that hath forsaken &c.] We must not confine this promise of our Saviour’s to His own immediate followers and disciples; it extends to all His faithful servants in every age and nation of the world, who part with anything which is dear and valuable to them for the sake of the Gospel. Whoever has passed any time in the world must have seen that every man who is sincere in the profession of his religion, who sets God always before his eyes, and who seeks above all things His favour and approbation, must sometimes make great and painful sacrifices to the commands of his Maker and Redeemer: and whoever does so, whoever gives up his pleasures, his interests, his fame, his favourite pursuits, his fondest wishes, and his strongest passions, for the sake of his duty, and in conformity to the will of his heavenly Father, may rest assured that he shall in no wise lose his reward. He will, in a degree proportioned to the self-denial he has exercised, and the sufferings he has undergone, experience the present comfort and support here promised to the Apostles; and will also, though not to the same extent, have an extraordinary recompense in the kingdom of heaven. Bp. Porteus.

—shall receive an hundredfold.] In the peace, comfort, and joy of his own mind, which are infinitely more valuable than all earthly goods: and he shall be moreover entitled to an eternal inheritance in heaven. Bp. Mann, Dr. Hammond.

Matthew 19:30

30. But many that are first &c.] That is, many of the