Matthew 22

Matthew 22:9

Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

Since the Jews, my selected people, will not obey these gracious invitations, nor approve themselves worthy of this mercy, go ye to the despised Gentiles, and call them to this spiritual marriage feast.

Matthew 22:10

So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good.

So those, my Apostles and Evangelists, went to call those that are without; the contemptible heathen, that lay by the highways and hedge-rows of the world, as unworthy of the house room of my Church, and gathered them, &c. XXII. 11, 12, 13. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not haring a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into utter darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. But, though God vouchsafed to call even the Gentiles to the participation of the privileges of his Church, yet he will not abide that they should dishonour his holy vocation, by their known filthiness and pollution: the King of Glory, the God of his Church, takes notice of his guests, and marks how they come dressed and habited to his spiritual feast; and if he see a man, who, professing Christ, shall notwithstanding continue in the old rags and filth of his natural corruption, he cannot but be highly offended with this foul hypocrisy and presumption, and, after a sharp expostulation, shall adjudge that man to a just and heavy damnation.

Matthew 22:14

For many are called, but few are chosen.

For, think not that all, who are outwardly called by the sweet invitations of the Gospel, are made partakers of grace and salvation. God calleth all sorts of men, and men of all sorts, and they do outwardly answer this voice of God; but his inward and effectual calling, and the election of grace, is but of few.

Matthew 22:16

And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.

And they sent unto him their disciples, together with them which were of the faction and clientage of Herod; messengers divided both in opinion and affection; the one part standing for the liberty of the Jews, the other part for the impositions of Cæsar and Herod; saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and, without all respects to the persons of one side or other, teachest unpartially the way of God in sincerity and truth.

Matthew 22:17

Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not?

Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou of this point? Thou knowest that God hath imposed upon us a sacred tribute to be paid unto himself: now, our Roman usurpers require us to pay this very tribute unto their coffers, who do justly challenge to be God’s free people; now then, what sayest thou? Is it lawful for us thus to yield unto their exactions, and, abdicating our just privileges, to pay this tribute unto Cæsar or not? XXII. 18, 19, 20, 21. But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Cæsar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. And Jesus, who knew the very secret thoughts of their hearts, perceiving their wicked conspiracy against him, said, Why do ye thus seek to entrap me, under a colour of respect and reverence to me, O ye hypocrites? Ye think ye now have me in a snare: for if I say it is not lawful, ye Herodians are ready to accuse me as seditious; if I affirm it lawful, ye disciples of the Pharisees are ready to load me with the envy of the people: but ye shall well see how easily I can avoid this net ye have laid for me. Shew me the tribute money. And they brought him a Roman penny (to the value of seven pence halfpenny of the present coin:) and he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription, which is stamped upon this metal? They say to him, Cæsar’s. Then saith he

Matthew 22:29

Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

Ye Sadducees do err grossly and damnably in this your misconceit of the Resurrection; and the ground of your error is your ignorance, both of the Scriptures, which have clearly revealed the truth thereof, and of that omnipotent power of God, whereby only this, otherwise impossible, work shall be effected.

Matthew 22:30

For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

As for that absurdity, which ye suppose would follow upon the certainty of a Resurrection, compared with the Law of Moses; had ye any true insight into the state of heavenly things, ye would easily see, how it vanisheth of itself. For in the Resurrection and Life to Come, there is no such matter as marrying and giving in marriage; no more than there is now among the angels in heaven: for the condition of the Saints shall then be like unto that of the celestial Spirits, equally free from all these earthly relations and carnal respects.

Matthew 22:32

I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob: God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

He doth not say, I was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; or, I am the God of Abraham that once was: but, as implying his own eternal being, and the certain being of those holy Patriarchs, he saith, I am the God of Abraham, &c. Now God is not the God of those, that are not, and have no existence at all, but of those that have a being; so as, ye Sadducees are in this palpably disproved, while ye grossly hold, that the souls of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are utterly extinct, and have ceased to be: they are; and expect the full accomplishment of that happiness and glory, which God, by virtue of his covenant, hath assured unto them. XXII. 42, 43, 45. Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him, Lord, saying, &c. If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? I shall need no other proof of the Deity of the Mediator, than your own mouths, and your own attestation to this very Scripture. Ye grant, that the Christ is, and must be, the son of David, according to the flesh as I am: this is assurance enough of his Humanity; the truth of his Deity is sufficiently evicted by that title and compellation which David gives him, in calling him, by the direction of the unfailable Spirit of God, My Lord: how can he, being David’s son, be David’s Lord, if herein David meant not to acknowledge the Messiah for his God?