Matthew 8

Matthew 8:4

And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

It is not yet seasonable for thee to divulge this cure, that I have wrought upon thee; and therefore I do, for the time, enjoin thee silence: but, in the mean time, neglect no duty that the law requireth of thee, though thy healing have been thus extraordinary; yet do not think that it exempteth thee from that charge, which God by Moses imposeth upon thee: go therefore, and shew thyself to the priest, that he may pass his allowance of thy full recovery: and offer thou the gift prescribed in the law, that, by this act of thine, my very enemies may be convinced of the truth and certainty of this miracle.

Matthew 8:9

For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

If I, that am a man under the authority of another, viz. the tribune of my band, have yet this power, that my word can be obeyed by those that are under my command; so as, if I say to my servant, Go, he goeth: if I bid him come, he cometh: how much more shall thy word alone, who art so powerful and absolute, be prevalent to effect that which thou commandest! Do thou therefore but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

Matthew 8:10

Verily, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

This Centurion, ye see, is a Gentile; yet hath he shewed, in this suit of his, such a marvellous strength of faith, that I have not found the like, even in Israel, which should have more reason to believe.

Matthew 8:11

And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

But thus it shall be, as in him, so in others also, that are yet strangers and aliens from the Church of God; for I say unto you, that beyond and out of the bounds of Judea, from all the remote regions of the world, there shall many be called into my Church; who, from the east and west, shall be admitted into the participation of the same glory, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the holy Patriarchs of my ancient Church, in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 8:12

But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into utter darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

But many of those, who, by their privilege and profession, are my selected people, even the Jews, to whom the Church of God seems now to be confined, shall be utterly disclaimed and rejected; and, in the end, shall be cast down into hell, where there is nothing but horror, and extremity of sorrow, and pain, and torment.

Matthew 8:17

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

That, even in this sense also, might be fulfilled that word of Isaias the prophet; viz. That, as he did in his own person undertake to bear our sorrows and infirmities; so also, by his divine power, he removed and took away the bodily complaints and sicknesses of men, as he did away their sins, which are the causes of their sufferings, so also their diseases and infirmities, which are the effects of their sin.

Matthew 8:20

And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.

And Jesus saith unto him, If, in the purpose of following me, thou hast any aim at thine own ease or honour in the world, thou shalt be much mistaken; for, though I be the true Son of God, yet now I have taken upon me the form and estate of a Servant; and, in this humbled condition of mine, I do not so much as provide a set house room for myself and my family, wherein I have willingly abased myself below the very fowls of the air and the meanest beasts upon earth: the foxes have holes, &c.

Matthew 8:22

But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

But Jesus said unto him, Those, that are truly called by me, must not delay their answerable obedience; no, not for a day; but must presently address themselves to my service: as for that excuse, which thou makest of burying the dead, it is a work needful indeed to be done; but there are enough besides fit for this business; even those, which lie still dead in their sins, and have not entertained any good purposes of betaking themselves to the seeking and following the means of salvation.

Matthew 8:29

And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

O thou Jesus, the Son of the Everliving God, it is our great misery, that we are fallen into thine hands: what wilt thou now do with us? dost thou mean now to accomplish our full torment before the day of final judgment?