Matthew 16
SIBMatthew 16:3
What amazing blindness and obstinacy hinders your discerning, from the ancient prophecies fulfilled in me, and from my numerous miracles, that the Messiah is now come to set up his kingdom among you, and that your ruin is hastening apace for rejecting him. 18, 19. Upon this my person, and the truth which you have confessed concerning it, will I establish my gospel church, in all its ordinances, and believing members, as upon a sure, immoveable, and everlasting foundation: and neither the policy nor force of devils or men, nor the power of death, can remove them from it, nor root my interest out of the world. And I will authorize you and your fellow disciples, and other faithful ministers, in my name to declare what practices are lawful and what not; and so to charge men with, or acquit them from, guilt in your preaching; and to inflict censures on the scandalous, and absolve the penitent. And, whatever is done agreeably to my laws, shall be ratified in heaven, and confirmed in the last judgment
Matthew 16:20
He prohibited them from declaring that he was the Messiah, lest his enemies should be too early provoked to destroy him; lest his carnal admirers should tumultuously attempt to make him a king; and lest the Jews should, beforehand, be prejudiced against the testimony of the disciples
Matthew 16:23
In this, actuated by Satan, and serving his interest, you act the part of an adversary to me, from a regard to carnal honour, ease, or pleasure, attempting to rob me and my Father of our intended honour in the salvation of sinners
Matthew 16:24-26
And, as I must be perfected by sufferings, every one that heartily resolves to be my disciple must deny his own carnal interests, wisdom, and will, and with faith and patience, and resignation to God’s will, readily submit to whatever losses and persecution he may meet with in following my example and obeying my commands; for he that attempts to preserve his temporal enjoyments, or life, by sinful compliances and apostasy, shall thereby plunge himself into endless destruction; and he that, on account of his faith in, or obedience to, me, readily parts with his temporal life, shall obtain everlasting life in heaven, as his gracious reward; for what could all the riches, honours, and pleasures, which this world affords, avail a man, if, through his inordinate affection to them, he should lose the welfare, peace, and happiness of his immortal soul! or by what could he redeem his soul from the damnation of hell! 27, 28. For I, who am now attended with all the mean circumstances and sinless infirmities of human nature, will, in the last day, gloriously appear, and adjudge men to eternal life or death, according as their works shall manifest them righteous or wicked: as an earnest of which, some of you present shall, before they die, see me appear gloriously transfigured, and powerfully erecting my gospel church in the abolition of ceremonial ordinances, and awfully destroying the city, temple, and nation of the Jews, for their obstinacy and unbelief
REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. XVI.—Wicked men of every sort heartily unite against Jesus, his interests, and people. And men, who condemn sufficient evidence of divine truth, generally insist upon more. The wisest, with respect to temporal concerns, are often quite blind and stupid with respect to what is plain, but spiritual. And it is just that Christ should quickly abandon men who remain obstinate in their unbelief. It is very absurd for the children of God to 114 125* indulge carnal fears about the necessaries of this life, when his remarkable former interpositions have outdone every expectation or wish. Alas, what diversified and ignorant conceptions of Christ prevail with many church members! But happy are they who are divinely enlightened, united to, and built on him, as their sure foundation. No plots, no attempts of hell or earth, can ruin them. All the powers, all the ordinances or officers, which he has granted to his church, concur to their establishment and happiness. His sufferings purchased it, and his glories secure it. God lifts up his people, and casts them down again. And never are they more ready to stumble than after they have been highly honoured by God. Left but a moment to themselves, they bend under the power of the devil. Maxims of carnal policy, and desires of temporal ease and honour, strongly tempt them to shun hardships in religion. But self-denial and obediential submission to crosses are principal articles in following of Christ. If we hope to live and reign with him in his kingdom and glory, we must be ready to endure tribulation and death for his sake. To ruin our soul in denying our Redeemer is infinitely criminal and foolish: nor can created enjoyments ever balance or retrieve our loss. Let me then never barter my soul for a few trifles! For, if it be once lost, it is lost—it is damned—for ever! And even the glories of a Saviour will but secure and aggravate my eternal misery