Matthew 18

Matthew 18:1-7

We have here, 1. Infractions concerning humility, vers. 1—6.

2. Concerning offences in general, vers. 7. particularly offences given, (1.) By us to ourselves, vers. 8, 9. (2.) By us to others, vers. 10—14. (3.) By others to say, which are of true facts, (1.) Sconceiving facts, that are to be reproved, vers. 15—20. (2.) Personal wrongs, that are to be forgiven, vers. 21—33. But how practical Christ’s preaching was: he could have revealed mysteries; but he pressed plain duties, especially those that are most displeasing to flesh and blood.

3. ‘AT the same time came the disciples unto Jefus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2. And Jefus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3. And said, ‘Evilly I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4. ‘Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5. And ‘whoso shall receive one such little child in my name, receive me. 6. But ‘whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

The disciples, deeply unturned with Jewish prejudices, entertained very false conceptions of the Messiah’s kingdom, and had, in the way to Capernaum, been disputing which of them should have the precedence in it. Jefus, who knew what had been the subject of their contention, now asked them concerning it. And, after some silence and shame at being discovered, see Mark ix. 33, 34. they,

1. Propose to him the question in dispute, which of them should be promoted to the first post of honour in his kingdom; for each had formed some presence to this distinguished place. And so ready are we all to be partial in our own favour, instead of being humbly content, in the views of our real deserts, to sit down with the lead and the lowest.

2. By an apostle emblem Christ seeks to rebuke their vanity, and teach them what spirit they should put on. He took a little child and set him in the midst of them, that they might look and learn whilst he commented on the case, assuring them, that such was the nature of his kingdom, that none could enter therein, or partake of his honours and privileges, unless their hearts were converted, and turned from the affectation of earthly grandeur and greatness, and, like little children, they became dead to the

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contentions of ambition, and the vain desires of outward wealth and eminence. Whilst the way to secure the most honourable place among his members upon earth, and the highest throne next his own in glory, was by linking lowest to their own apprehensions of themselves, and, instead of affecting magisterial dominion over others, becoming humble, teachable, and ready to sit down at the feet of the mesneft. Hard lessons these for human pride! Note, (1.) Besides our first general conversion from a state of nature to a state of grace, we need conversion daily from the errors and evils that still would be cleaving to us, and therefore must continually pray, Turn thou us, and to shall we be turned. (2.) The way to honour is humility. The lowliest fouls are dearest to the Lord; they most resemble him. Whilst pride made angels devils, defaced God’s image from the human soul, drove man from paradise, and bars the gate against his return.

2. Christ expresses his high regard and tender concern for those who in this childlike spirit are his disciples indeed. Whosoever shall shew them the least kindness for the fate of their relation to him, he will regard it as if the favour had been shewn to his own person. Whilst to offend one of these, to prefecate or oppress them, to take advantage of their simplicity or merkees to trample on them, or of their weakness to endeavour to deceive or discourage them, the most dreadful of judge merits will be the punishment of such an offender: and better were it for him to have come to the most fearful death by the hands of the public executioner, even to be thrown into the for with a millstone about his neck, than with such guilt to fall into the hands of an avenging God, under which wrath he must perish, both body and foul, in hell. Note, (1.) Christ has the tenderest care for his poor people; and a cup of cold water given to the menest in his name shall not lose its reward. (2.) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a jealous God. They who now oppress and oppose the most disciples of John little think against whom they offend, and the vengeance which awaits them.

3. ¶ Wo unto the world because of offences: for ‘it must needs be that offences come: but ¶ wo to that man by whom the offence cometh. 8. Wherefore ¶ if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or matred, rather than, having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire. 9. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell-fire. 10. ‘Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven ¶ their angels do always’ behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. 11. For ¶ the Son of man is come to face that which was lost. 12. How think ye? ¶ if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and ¶ fereath that which is gone astray? 13. And if to be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. 14. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Matthew 18:7-14

We have here the wo denounced against the world because of offences. Under which are comprehended whatever hath a tendency to seduce or affright the soul from the good ways of the Lord, or to discourage and grieve the hearts of the righteous.

1. That there will be offences is certain. Considering the craft, malice, and vigilance of Satan, the pervertisers of ungodly men and their sacred cemity to the gospel, and, above all, the deep and desperate native wickedness of every human heart, it is morally impossible offences should not come; and God, for wise ends, hath decreed to permit them: but this will in no wise extenuate the guilt of those by whom the offence cometh, nor abate the severity of their judgment. Note, (1.) We are travelling a dangerous road: this world is full of evil, of fear and stumbling-blocks; the multitude lieth in wickedness, and many who pretend to know the path of safety only lie in wait to deceive. We need be jealous of our going, cleave to God’s word alone, and neither be offended with the enmity of those that are without, nor the hypocrisy and falls of those that are professors within, remembering the foundation of God shouldn’t just. He humbly slept that are his, and will keep them, that nothing shall offend them, Pl. c. 165. (2.) Though the deceived and the deceive perish together, yet will they lie down under aggravated guilt who have been Satan’s instruments to lead others into error or sin. Their blood will be upon the heads of their reducers.

2. Wherever may be occasion of offence to outdoive or odious, however near and dear to us it may be, we must part with it. The body of sin must be crucified. And though it may be as painful to mortify particular corruptions as to suffer the ampu-

tation of a hand or a foot, unrelenting severity is needful, where our own fouls or others are in danger. And however acute the pain, or however sensibly felt the loss may be, it is better, infinitely better to endure the momentary pang of present self-denial, that we may escape eternal misery, and secure a life of never-ending glory, than for a transitory indulgence of appetite, and the sensual enjoyments of an hour, to be cast into devouring fire, and dwell in everlasting burnings. Note, (1.) In this state of corruption, not only the grosser pollutions that are in the world through lust must be abhorred, but every word, every action, be avoided, which may tend in the remnant way to inflame our own passions or enforate others. (2.) It is of absolute necessity that we should often in temptation look into the burning of hell, and gain from thence arguments to flare from the most pleasurable sins. (3.) They only who have begun the life of grace know experimentally what is meant by their divine operations of self-denial.

3. A particular caution is given to beware of despising the least of Christ’s little ones, the weakest of his disciples. We may not be indifferent about our carriage towards them, careless of what may offend them; must not treat them with contempt, as if regardless of their welfare, or fighting their weakness or infirmities; nor do ought to difter, discourage, enforate, or lead them into sin; but we should shew our tenderness towards them, and our jealousy for them, by every expression of kindness in word or deed, and by a careful avoiding whatever may grieve or hurt them.

4. He enforces his discourse by several cogent arguments:

(1.) Because the meanest heir of salvation is attended by angelic ministers. And if those glorious spirits, who in heaven behold the face of God, and stand around his throne, the ready servants of his will, do not disdain to wait upon these little ones, much less should we think them beneath our regard; and may justly dread, if we should treat them ill, these guardian spirits would be our accusers, and be employed as executioners of the divine displeasure against us.

(2.) Because it is the very purpose of Christ’s coming to seek and save lust fouls. And if, on this transcendently gracious design, he condescended to floop so low, the least of those for whom he became incarnate have hereby an unorthodox dignity and value conferred upon them, and therefore should neither be despised nor offended; for this he must highly resent. Note, (1.) Our fouls are lust, eternally lust, without Christ Jesus. (2.) Salvation is purely of grace. When we were without help or hope, he died for the ungodly. (3.) They who are purchased by the blood of Christ should be precious in our eyes. If he did so much to save them, surely we should be peculiarly careful to do nothing to offend them.

(3.) Because it is God’s will and pleasure that not one of these little ones perish. And we are bound to correspond with him herein, and according to our ability to help forward the purposes of his grace, and put no stumbling-blocks in their way. Our Lord illustrates this by a parable, and appeals to them as judges of the case. Suppose a man possessed of a hundred sheep, and one he frayed from the flocks, his follistude in greater in marching after it, and his joy more sensible on finding it, than he feels about all the rest which went not astray. And such concern hath God for the wandering children of his grace, recovering them and rejoicing over them: and, as he hath in his eternal counsels determined their salvation, he cannot but be highly displeased with all who attempt to obstruct it, or are careless about advancing it, and regards such conduct as an avowed opposition, or criminal disregard, of his holy will and pleasure. Note, (1.) God’s people are his flock; and though sometimes they wander from him in the wilderness of sin, he will not suffer them to perish, but graciously is pleased to pursue them with mercy, and bring them back to the fold again. (2.) Though none can frustrate the purposes of God’s love towards his redeemed, yet every obstruction laid in their way he will highly resent. (3.) Since all true believers, of whatever state or condition, have one common Father, they should love as brethren, honour and esteem each other as members of the same family, avoid every occasion of grieving one another, and study every means of advancing their mutual good.

15. ¶ Moreover, ¶ if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall bear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16. But if he will not bear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that ‘in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17. And if he shall neglect to bear them, tell it unto the church, but if he neglect to bear the church, let him be unto thee’ as an heathen man, and a publican. 18. Verily I say unto you, ‘Whatever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. 19. Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, ‘it shall be done for them of my Father

which is in heaven. 20. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Matthew 18:15-20

As we must be careful not to give offence, as careful should we be to shew all Christian tenderness and charity when we are justly offended. Since in this frail and corrupted state even good men are but men, and liable to fail, transgressing the precepts of prudence, justice, or charity, we are therefore here directed in such cases how to behave towards them.

1. If a brother, a professing member of our most holy faith, act unfurthless thereupon, and do us an injury, or give us cause of compulsion against him, we must first give him a prayer and kind admonition of his fault, and mildly argue the case, defining to bring him to repentance and amendment; more solicitous for his good, than the redress of our own wrongs. We may not in this case, through fear of offending on the one hand, be blunt, and suffer for upon our brother without rebuke; nor, on the other, give way to rash anger or revenge, and by a public reproof expose him to others, which, however true the charge, would serve not to recover, but exasperate him the more. In this way of mild and fierce admonition we may hope for herself; and if he express his sorrow, and defier reconciliation, then the rebuke will be esteemed a kindness, the friendship more strongly cemented, our brother recovered, and the offence forgiven and forgotten.

2. If this method of reproof prove abortive, and he is infirmate against conviction, and displeased instead of humbling himself; then take two or three faithful impartial Christian brethren, and in their presence let the matter be disturbed, that they may hear and judge, and add their weight to bring the party offending to our submission and reparation of the injury. Or if their sentiments be disregarded also, they will be evidences before the church of the steps which have been taken, and ready to confirm the truth of the just accusation of the injured person.

3. If every other method prove ineffectual, then the matter should be laid before the church, the Society of faithful people among whom such a one associates, that he may have a public admonition for his offence, and be called upon to repeat and amend of the evil he hath done.

4. If he still remains incorrigible, and persists in his iniquity, then he is to be excluded from the communion of the faithful, and no more connection and familiarity is to be maintained with him; for the charity which teaches us to forgive our enemies, forbids us not to be on our guard against those who have used us all, and refuse to repair the injury. From the whole we may learn, (1.) Under every injury received, in guard our own hearts against passion or revenge: this wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. (2.) Never to speak of another’s faults behind his back, till we have in love and the spirit of mackerel’s first admonished him to his face. (3.) To be ready under every provocation to forgive and forget, the moment real repentance appears in our brother. (4.) Not to endeavour to form a party in our favour, but in cases of offence, real or supposed, where the sentiments of brethren may differ about the facts, to let some common impartial friends hear and judge, before the matter be mentioned in public, or but whispered to others.

5. Christ delegates authority to his church thus to censure offenders, and ratifies the sentence that shall be pronounced in correspondence with this his revealed word: So that those who for their notorious evils are excluded from the society of the faithful now, shall be written among the reprobate, and for ever banished from the presence of God, unless they repent of their transgressions, and then they are again to be received into the bottom of the church, and all that is just to be entirely forgiven. The absolution pronounced on them by the ministers of God on earth shall be ratified in heaven, and the conviction having become effectual, the broken-hearted penitent is to be comforted, and refused to his former place, both in the church of God, and in our brotherly affection and regard.

6. For their encouragement in every religious concern, and especially with regard to the recovery of those who are fallen into sin, that they may be restored, our Lord declares the mighty efficacy of united prayer. Whatever, according to the divine will, two or three faithful souls shall meet together with joint supplications to beg at God’s hands, he will assuredly hear and grant their requests. For wherever the finalist number of real believers assemble in Christ’s name, depending on his promise, and defining above all things the advancement of his glory, there will be ever be quickening their prayers, strengthening their faith, enlivening their hopes, and comforting their hearts; and when he is one of the company, their supplications must be effectual, for him the Father heareth always; and what an encouragement is this to social prayer!

7. ¶ Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how old shall my brother do against me, and I forgive him: ’till seven times? 22. Jesus hath unto him; I say not unto thee, Until seven times: ‘but, until seventy times,

seven. 23. ¶ Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king which would take account of his servants. 24. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand + talents. 25. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26. The servant therefore fell down, and was shipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him to an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owed. 29. And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and brought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32. Then his lord, after that he had called him, laid unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou discredit me: 33. Shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? 34. And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the प्रयmations, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Matthew 18:21-35

As our Lord had just given directions concerning the charitable conduct to be observed towards offenders, Peter, desirous to know how far this forgiveness of personal injuries extended, proposed to his Master the question, Whether, if the offence was repeated from times, the forgiveness must be as often granted on the repentance of the offender? He concluded this a great stretch of charity; but our Lord’s answer shewed him how limited were his apprehensions: I joy not unto thee, Until seven times: but, until seventy times seven: intimating, that we must make no limitation to our forgiveness, but he always and in all cases ready to grant it, whenever the offender repents; imitating the divine compactions, which know no bounds, nor end. And to enforce and elucidate this, he introduces a parable, wherein this godlike charity appears most eminent, and the guilt and danger of the opposite conduct is drawn in striking colours.

The parable represents.

1. The noble clemency of a great lord, who looking into his affairs, and reviling his own accounts, (which it were well if every great man duly found, among other debtors, one who owed him an immense sum, the least part of which he was unable to discharge. In consequence whereof, in course of law, he gave orders that himself and family should be sold for slaves, and all he had disposed of for his use. But, therefore at the sentence, though just, the poor debtor interests a respect, with many fair promises of payment; when, moved with his duttes, the compassionate matter generously and freely forgave him all, and delivered him at once from his terrors and his debt. And this may be applied to the case between God and the sinner. (1.) We are deeply in arrear to him: every sin is a debt, and we are overwhelmed with it: we possess a sinful nature, and our thoughts, words, and deeds have been so pervade before God, so often and so greatly have we offended, that no computation can reach the number of our transgressions, nor can we conceive the greatest of our guilt or provocations. (2.) The misery of our case, and what renders it most deplorable, yea, desperate, is, that we have nothing to pay. Could we render by a perfect obedience the perfect debt of duty, this would make no compensation for past iniquity; but indeed, our nature being corrupt, we are so far from paying for the past offences, that we are daily, hourly increasing the immense arrears. (3.) God keeps an account of all: not a word in in our tongue, nor a thought in our hearts, but he knoweth it all together; so that we can no more conceal our transgressions from him, than we can cancel them. (4.) If the divine law takes its course, the consequence must be, that we should be sold to suffer for our iniquities, and in the place of currency, in body and soul continue satisfying the justice of God to eternity. (5.) The discovery of this dreadful situation made to the sinner’s soul by the preaching of the word to his conscience, or some awakening providence, fills him with terror, and lets him a crying for mercy. But usually at first the cries of the unaltered conscience are for a respite, with many promises of amendment, which the sinner forcibly thinks will be accepted in payment. And in due not for his own utter insolvency, but thinks, through

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the ignorance and self-righteousness of his heart, that he can make God some payment; till by and by the trial convinces him his best is bad, and self-deficit strips him naked at the feet of the cross of Christ. (8.) God’s infinite compassion cannot through the Redeemer to the most guilty and desperate. He freely and fully forgives all that is past: not that he doth it without a satisfaction made to his justice; this the Son of his love, incarnate, and dying under the guilt of our Son, hath paid; but the mercy of pardon, reconciliation, and deliverance from the bondage of guilt and corruption, is to us freely given, to the praise of the glory of his grace, without money and without price.

2. We are told the unsuitable conduct this much-obliged servant showed respecting a fellow-inventor of his, who owed him a trifling debt. He no sooner obtained his own pardon and liberty, than he went out, feared and throttled him, till he was almost choked, and with menaces and infidience demanded instant payment, or threatened him with a prison. In vain his poor brother begged a respite, and, in the very words himself had used, desired only time, and the debt should be paid; he was deaf to intrust, and thrift him into a jail: a piece of cruelty and oppression, that the other servants beheld with grief and indignation, and failed not to acquaint them; and with this inhuman behaviour. Note. (1.) Many professors, who presume upon God’s forgiveness, threw, by their covetousness and rigorous censures of others, the hypocrisy of their hearts, and the vanity of their hopes. (2.) Offences done to us, compared with those we have committed against God, are so trivial, that we should be ashamed to show rigour in exacting reparation. (3.) Pride and passion render men unmerciful: though they know a prison pays no debts, they take delight in thus gratifying their infidience or revenge. (4.) The debtor may not complain, though he be dealt with rigorously; humiliat intrust; becomes his condition, especially when he suffers only the trusts of his folly or extravagance. (5.) A compassionate heart feels for the distresses of others, and, if it can afford no other relief to them, carries the case of the oppressor and the oppressed to God in prayer, and his ears are open thereunto; he will answer in mercy and judgment. (6.) It is especially grievous to a gracious soul, to see in professors of religion a spirit of bitterness and unmercifulness, and he laments it before the Lord.

3. Just resentment fired the matter’s heart on hearing these tidings; and instantly citing this burdened wretch before him, he charges him with his wickedness, and upbraids him with his cruelty and ingratitude for all the mercies he had so lately received; crystallizing with him on the case, and leaving him without excuse. In wrath he bids him therefore instantly be seized, and delivered to the tormentors; to be confined in prison, and suffer the most rigorous punishment, till all the former debt should be paid.

Some have urged this circumstance as an argument, that God really pardons sin, and leaves us on our good behaviour for the future; but if we transgress, then he recives the guilt. But as God’s gifts and ceilings are without repentance, and we are assured that he remembers no more the iniquities he once forgave. (Heh. viii. 12.) we must understand the forgiveness here (if we suppose the parable is in every particular to be applied to the sinner’s case) to be the presumption the person entertained on the view of the gospel offers, that he was pardoned, when in fact he was not. Or if we suppose it a real act of forgiveness to a child of God, his being delivered to the tormentors for his after sin and ingratitude, may well refer to the temporal calamities that God is often pleased to inflict on his people for their offences, visiting their iniquities with the rod, and their sin with scourges, though his loving-kindness he doth not take from them, nor suffer his truth to fail. But, after all, I am much more inclined to think, that the scope of the parable is principally to be attended to, without a strict application of it in every particular to God’s dealings with sinners, and then we shall for nothing can be more suited to enforce mutual forgiveness, since without it we may not hope ourselves to be forgiven of God. And thus,

4. The general design of the parable is explained, v. 35. God will deal with us as we deal with our brethren; and if we show an implausible and unforgiving spirit, whatever hopes of pardon we may entertain, they are delusive; his wrath hangs over us, and in the great day of account we shall be delivered to the tormentors. Most bounden are we therefore to forgive every injury, nor ever harbour the least with or desire of revenge; for we expect greater mercy and forgiveness from God, than ever men can from us, and therefore a sense of his pardoning love should kindle ours.

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