Matthew 9

Matthew 9:2

And Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

And Jesus, seeing the faith both of the palsied man and of those that brought him, said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer: thou art come hither, in desire and confidence of cure; I will give thee more than thou askest: thou comest hither for the recovery of thy bodily health, I give thee, besides that, a happy restitution to a good estate of soul: thy palsy is healed; thy sins, the cause of this evil, are forgiven thee.

Matthew 9:6

But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

Ye know well, that no finite power can forgive sin, which is an offence of an Infinite Majesty; only therefore an infinite power can remit it: and now that ye may know the Son of Man hath this power in his hand, I will demonstrate it to you, by this miraculous effect; none but an infinite power can so far transcend nature, as by a mere command, instantly to restore legs and strength to this impotent man; you shall now see it done by me. Then saith he to the sick of the palsy; Arise, take up thy bed and go to thine house.

Matthew 9:9

Sitting at the receipt of custom.

Sitting in the toll-booth of the publicans, to gather up the rents and taxes that the Jews were to pay unto the Romans, their masters.

Matthew 9:10

Behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

Many publicans and persons that had been noted for infamous, and known offenders, as consorting together (being abandoned by their neighbours in a conceit of the unlawfulness of their conversation) came, and sat down with him, and his disciples.

Matthew 9:13

For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

I come not to call them, that are just and righteous in their own conceit; but those, that are convinced in themselves of their own sinfulness, those am I come to call home to me, by a true and hearty repentance: as for those other, how can they be capable of repentance and conversion, when they think they have done nothing worthy to be repented of?

Matthew 9:15

And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

There is a time for all things: there are times of feasting,

Matthew 9:23

He saw the minstrels and the people making a noise.

He saw the minstrels, that were wont to be hired for funeral lamentations, and the people also, with much noise expressing their sorrow.

Matthew 9:24

For the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.

The maid is not in such a state of death, as under which she shall continue; but she shall be so soon revived, as if she had only slept for a while, and were now to be awaked: and when ye shall see her presently to be raised up and move, ye will be ready to imagine it was no other, &c.

Matthew 9:37

The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.

Here is a great and plenteous harvest towards, of many souls, that are to be gathered into the barns and granaries of the Church and of Heaven; but the labourers and teachers, by whose painful ministry they are to be gathered in, are but few. X. 5, 6. Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. It is not yet time, to preach these glad tidings of Salvation to the Gentiles: they shall, in their season, be called: but onwards, do ye confine your pains and preaching, within the bounds of Judea; and do not so much as go aside into any of the cities of the Samaritans, who, though they challenge an affinity and interest both of blood and religion, yet, for those gross mixtures of heathenism and heresy and idolatry, which they have entertained, are not worthy to be so far respected by me, as to be privileged with this my first mission unto them: But go ye rather to those my peculiar and selected people of Israel, who are, as it were, lost in their own infidelity and disobedience, and labour to reclaim them. X. 9, 10. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. Make no provision of money, for the charge for your journey; as if ye should labour and travel upon your own cost: Neither carry with you provision of victuals: neither take with you change of suits; whether of coats for your backs, or of shoes for your feet, or of staves for your hand, but content yourselves with what you have then about you; and if any of these should fail you, in your way, they shall be supplied unto you, by those among whom ye bestow your pains: for the workman is worthy of his maintenance, whithersoever he goes.