"VERS. 1 - 5.  O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky. - Signs of the times: - The proper observing of these signs."
"Another day is gone.  The day of the Lord is nearer.  Am I better prepared for it?"
"Discussion is frequently designed not to fix but to unsettle faith."
"They refused to recognize the force of the evidence already given them"
"They cry out for water & refuse to draw from the abundant wells of salvation around them."
"Too many signs of the times surround us on every side to make it either right, or wise, or safe, or happy to pass them by unnoticed."
"It is a Christian duty to discern the signs, to watch the moral aspect of the times in which we live."
"The agriculturist notes carefully the approaching alterations in the weather; the politician watches the current of popular feeling & the moods of men; the scientific inquirer devotes all his energies to the observation of facts that will enable him to wrest from nature her secrets; the speculator is constantly on the outlook for the first symptoms of an alteration in prices.  Yet how often do these very same men decline to take any interest in the highest of all subjects - the relationship of God to man - on the plea that it is too vague & too uncertain for practical consideration!"
"Vers. 6, 12.  Take heed & beware of the leaven of the Pharisees & of the Sadducees."
"PHARISEES.  They rejected the written Word of God as the only & sufficient standard of religious truth, & the guide of religious practice; & they observed the tradition of the elders, which often made this written law of none effect."
"Their righteousness, though strict in its kind, was merely external; consisting chiefly in a multitude of ceremonious practices."
"...SADDUCEES.  They denied the fallen & depraved state of mankind"
"They denied the existence of angels & spirits, the resurrection of the dead, & a future state of rewards & punishments.  (J. Bunting, D.D.)"
"How vain it is to discourse concerning Divine things to men whose minds are preoccupied with earthly cares!  Leaven makes them think of loaves.  (A. B. Bruce, D.D.)"
"Vers. 13, 17.  Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am?"
"How can we become stones in Christ's Church?  Not naturally.  Only by having Peter's faith."
"How may we get this faith?  God alone can give it - ask Him.  (E. Stock.)"
"The confession of Peter asserts the divinity as well as the humanity of our Lord."
"We must try & find out what is the public opinion to-day about Christ, & instruct, correct it, gently.  (W. Cuff.)"
"Many things in the gospel are hid from the eyes of natural men which are manifest to those who have a spiritual sense & taste, & to whom the beauty & glory of the gospel are revealed."
"...Peter  ...It was the direct act of the Father, by which he was enlightened."
"Ver. 18.  That thou art Peter & upon this rock I will build My Church."
"THE CHURCH EXERCISES ITS POWER THROUGH FAITH."
"...if you abhor your sins they will be forgiven; if not they are retained."
"BY FAITH THE CHURCH TRIUMPHS OVER ITS ENEMIES."
"The true Church is cared for by all the 3 Persons of the Holy Trinity."
"What is there in your character & conduct on which the Lord can build His Church?  (John Foster.)"
"THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, BEING THUS BUILDED UPON HIM, AS MESSIAH, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD, IS ASSURED OF SECURITY & PERPETUITY."
"Build a Church (1) not on creeds; (2) but on the Bible.  (J. C. Jones.)"
"Ver. 19.  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven."
"These keys we have authority to use...  keys of righteousness & charity, i.e., keys of kindness & good living, as well as keys of wisdom & knowledge."
"By our good words, & our good works, we are to constitute ourselves door-keepers in the House of the Lord, & to open the doors to all who would enter in."
"...God has given men the power to develop, not gold & silver that perish, but riches that never fade, that moth & rust never corrupt, & that thieves do not break through to steal - eternal treasures - the immortal spirits of men."
"...God sends every man that goes forth to carry the Spirit of God to his fellow-men."
"You are the key-keeper for your children.  You are the door-keeper for your own offspring.  Take heed, then, how you carry yourselves as parents in your own household - how you administer God's Word."
"Vers. 21, 23.  From that time forth began Jesus to show unto His diciples, how that He must go to Jerusalem, & suffer. - Christ foretelling His death"
"Jesus was not ignorant of the serious sufferings which were coming upon Him."
"We must be firm in the way of duty, having counted the cost."
"There is the 'must' of destiny - what is to be shall be; it is vain to fight against it."
"St. Peter was in reality desiring the worst thing possible; our redemption could not have been accomplished without the cross."
"Afflictions are unavoidable."
"How differently did our Lord think of them from his weak, still worldly-minded disciple, Peter!"
"'Satan:' - Good men often do the devil's work, though they know it not.  (R. Baxter.)"
"PETER'S CONDUCT.  Characterized by, 1. Arrogant presumption.  2. Ignorance of the end of Christ's sufferings.  3. Mistimed sympathy."
"CHRIST'S REBUKE.  Prompt, severe, instructive.  (W. H. Booth.​)"
"Ver. 24.  If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself. - Self-denial"
"...renouncing whatever comes in competition with the love & service of Christ, your turning from things lawful when they become occasions of spiritual injury either to ourselves or others."
"The cross is a trial which has something humiliating in it, & which is painful to the old nature.  We must follow Christ, for what is it worth to 'deny one's self,' or to take up a 'cross,' if it be not done with an express intention towards Christ?  (J. Vaughan, M. A.)"
"We must renounce our own wisdom, will, mind, pleasure, etc."
"The self we are to deny stands in opposition to God."
"Vainglory is as sordid a piece of self, & as much to be denied, as riches & worldly greatness."
"Consider, your happiness doth not lie within yourselves, nor in any other creature, but in God alone."
"SELF-DEPENDENCE...  We do God's work without His help."
"It hinders the action within us of the Holy Spirit."
"The duty & difficulty of self-denial: - To row against the tide of one's inclinations, to stem the rapid current of one's appetites & affections, to struggle against the violent motions of our will, & to wrestle with the opposition of our contending faculties; this is an employment that is laborious & uneasy, this is a performance that we pay dearly for; & the reward of such a warfare will certainly be proportionable to the hardships & difficulties with which we have encountered."
"What 'self' is to be denied? - Man has various appetites, passions, desires, resting on present gratification, & on outward object"
"...sensual appetites & anger"
"...love of power, love of honour, love of property, love of amusement"
"God will send you occasions enough for denying yourself.  There is wood enough in every man's forest to build all the crosses he will need to carry."
"Ver. 25.  For whosoever will save his life. - Losing the soul to save it"
"...the centre of man's capacities, passions, energies; the very seat of his personality."
"HOW IS THE SOUL TO BE SAVED?  By losing it."
"Whoever purchases ease by dishonesty, or comfort by neglect of duty, or popularity by concession of principle - preferring self where truth, honour, love, purity or reverence demands self-negation, self-abandonment - that man loses his soul, loses his life, by saving it."
"LOSS FOR CHRIST'S SAKE IS GAIN."
"If Christ be (as we believe) the very & eternal Word of God; the very expression of the Father's truth, righteousness, purity, love; then the sacrifice of self to any one of these things is a saving of the soul by losing it"
"Temporal gain eternal loss: - It hath cost many a man his life, when his house has been on fire, to attempt through covetousness to save some of his stuff; venturing among the flames to preserve this, he has perished himself.  Many more have lost their souls, by attempting to carry some of their own stuff - their own self-righteousness - with them to heaven.  O sirs!  come out; leave what is your own in the fire; flee to Christ naked!"
"Temporal loss eternal gain: - God can infinitely more than counterbalance all temporal losses by the larger & richer outpouring of His Spirit on the soul.  He may demand our worldly wealth; but if He increase our spiritual riches, are we not therein great gainers?  Can He not, by the consolations of His Spirit, raise us far above all temporal distresses; &, by opening up a prospect beyond the grave, make us to glory in all tribulations"
"Ver. 26.  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, & lose his own soul? - The great exchange"
"THE WORTH OF THE SOUL.  1. Refer to the great atonement as the most magnificent proof of the soul's worth.  2. To the triumphant joy awakened in heaven by the conversion of one sinner from the error of his ways.  (J. Morison, D. D.)"
"The foolish bargain: - The man who, for the sake of worldly happiness, shall lose his soul, makes a foolish bargain."
"The value of a thing is often best known when it is lost."
"The value & loss of the soul: - 1. Every man has a soul of his own.  2. It is possible for the soul to be lost; & there is danger of it.  3. If the soul is lost, it is the sinner's own losing; & his blood is on his own head.  4. One soul is worth more than all the world.  5. The winning of the world is often the losing of the soul.  6. The loss of the soul cannot be made up by the gain of the whole world.  7. If the soul be once lost, it is lost for ever; & the loss can never be repaired or retrieved.  (Matthew Henry.)"
"NOTHING CAN COMPENSATE FOR THE LOSS OF THE SOUL."
"The soul alone is capable of enjoying God."
"This word 'soul' is taken most properly & strictly for the form, constituent, & better part of man; that breath that is breathed into him from God, when man becomes a living soul (Gen. 2:7)."
"The soul of man is made for to bring glory to God.  The soul of man is made capable of enjoying God."
"The soul is - (1) Divine in its origin; (2) astonishing in its properties - vitality, rationality, accountability; (3) an immortal principle; (4) has fallen from its glory; (5) has been redeemed by Christ; (6) angels rejoice over its salvation."
"For the soul of a man all the world cannot be a just price"
"He who decides to live to himself, becomes the slave of sin, passion & lust.  He who chooses God, attains to freedom, etc."
"REASONS WHY WE SHOULD MAKE THE MOST OF LIFE & FILL IT WITH WORTH.  1. God gave it & upholds it.  2. God has redeemed it in order to give it worth.  3. God has a plan for each life, which, if followed, will lead from grace to glory, & from the utilities of time to the rewards & inheritance of eternity.  Unless we do so, most assuredly, in the light of our text, life will not be worth the living, & indeed it were far better never to have been born.  (L. O. Thompson.)"
"If the soul perish, it is, once more, an irreparable loss - a loss that cannot be retrieved."
"Vers. 27, 28.  For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father."
"The saints in judgment will be manifested as the doers of the will of God upon earth."
"...the Lord Jesus Christ shall return to this earth as a man in the glory of God with His angels."
"...all Christ's believing people shall appear with Him.  The Lord at His coming in His glory shall reward every man according to his works.  (H. McNeile.)"
The Biblical Illustrator​, Baker, pgs. 332 - 364.

"Ver. 1.  Why do Thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?"
"Scripture better than tradition."
"Tradition unreliable."
"Ver. 4.  Honour thy father & mother. - The duty of children to honour their parents"
"To act on all occasions so as not to make their parents ashamed of their conduct."
"Vers. 7 - 9.  This people draweth near to Me with their mouth. - Lip profession"
"Will not merely a feigned allegiance be disowned by Him?  Shall we not wish at last that we had been sincere & upright?  (Pulpit Studies.)"
"True sanctity is a reigning, constantly active, disposition & bent of the soul, manifesting itself in the several parts of our inward & outward conduct, & making us always willing & ready to do what, & nothing else but what, is agreeable to God, & correspondent to His will."
"...though the heart be far off, the Good Shepherd seeks it."
"Go to God & wait for the power of His grace.  Meditate on the greatness of Him before whom we are.  Mortify those lusts that are apt to withdraw our minds."
"Let every experimental wandering make you more humble & careful.  A constant heavenliness & holiness of heart."
"God asks for the heart in worship."
"Mere outward worship offensive to God."
"God is to be worshipped with the whole man, with our bodies & spirits which are His.  God is to be worshipped by the assistance of His spirit."
"God is to be worshipped with an eye to His glory, as our ultimate end.  God is to be worshipped in the name of Christ as our only Mediator."
"Ver. 13.  Every plant, which My heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up."
"Every doctrine; Every practice; Every person."
"Some plants God never planted."
"Plants that prove utterly barren, are rooted up or cut down."
"The plants which God Himself has planted shall stand & never be rooted up."
"Am I a plant of God's planting?"
"God's plants grow everywhere"
"Uprooted plants: - That system of philosophy which ignores Divine Truth, or contradicts the plain statements of God's Word, cannot endure."
"Consider some of the plants which the Father hath planted:  1. Every disciple of Christ.  2. The Church.  3. The Bible.  4. In the garden there are also many tender little plants which, though not conspicuous, are equally the object of the Father's solicitude.  5. God is pledged to establish the good & to eradicate the evil.  The rose will not always have its thorn.  (J. T. Lamont.)"
"Ver. 14.  They be blind leaders of the blind."
"...the matter of cleansing away your sins.  So long as you seek it from man, you seek it where it cannot be found.  (Bishop Ryle.)"
"Vers. 17 - 20.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts."
"Though evil thoughts may be involuntary at the first starting of them, being occasioned by what we could not avoid hearing & seeing, or coming upon us unawares, or proceeding from the temper & habit of our bodies, or the accidental impulses & motions of the animal spirits in our brains, which are the most immediate instruments the soul uses in her operations; though thus the first rise of evil thoughts may be involuntary, yet if we with pleasure entertain & cherish them, if our fancies are tickled by them, if they are delightful & grateful to us, this implies the consent of our wills.  They then become greatly sinful to us."
"Evil thoughts. - I. DEFINE THE CLASSES OF THOUGHT WHICH MAY BE REGARDED AS EVIL.  1. Vain thoughts...  3. Intensely selfish & worldly thoughts.  4. Thoughts of deliberate wickedness."
"So is it with man; he sins as naturally as the young lion seeks for blood, or the young serpent stores up venom."
"Vers. 21, 28.  Then Jesus went thence & departed into the coasts of Tyre & Sidon."
"...humility furnishes the roots by which faith holds on."
"She looked beyond appearances, & fixed her gaze on things unseen & eternal.  It is this which keeps men right, amid adverse surroundings."
"Prayer is a NECESSITY."
"It is also a spiritual power."
"Knowledge of our sinfulness drives us to God."
"1. We must seek Jesus.  No rest till we come to Him.  No other can help us, or rid us of our sin.  2. We must not let Jesus go.  If He goes away, follow Him; if He seems to be stern, become more urgent; if He hides His face, cry the louder; if He will not listen, assail His heart."
"It is true we deserve none of the things we pray for; but He has enough & to spare for all; & after the children are filled, He can afford to cast the crumbs to the dogs."
"He who thus sins God's heart, wins everything."
"Delays are not denials."
"...SINCERE SUPPLICANTS ARE ALWAYS PERSEVERING."
"...THE PRAYER OF FAITH MUST ULTIMATELY PREVAIL."
"The prayer of faith is always crowned with success.  (C. Bradley.)"
"The elements of prevailing prayer: - I. Sincerity.  II. Humility.  III. Importunity.  IV. Faith."
"She could not be defeated because she would not doubt.  She triumphs."
"The triumph of faith: - I.  FAITH'S APPROACH.  1. She came to the right person.  2. In a right spirit.  3. With a right plea."
"This gospel assures us where our help is."
"Great is the faith that prays without ceasing."
"Her faith was great because  - (1) it would stand trial.  (2) It was a wrestling faith.  She heard the repulse, yet is neither daunted nor disheartened.  She will not take His No."
"(3) It was victorious."
"'Christ's love is wise.  There is an art in His strange delays, which make us love-sick.'"
"He wishes to make our faith stronger, & His trials are for the triumph of our faith."
"Great thoughts of your sin alone will drive you to despair; but great thoughts of Christ will pilot you into the haven of peace.  (C. H. Spurgeon.)"
"This woman was most desperately resolved."
"The Lord Jesus was charmed with the fair jewel of this woman's faith."
"Faith strengthened by importunate prayer: - Wrestling addeth strength to arms & body; praying, & praying again, strengtheneth faith; customary running lengtheneth the breath."
"The woman would have no denial."
"She came to Him & worshipped Him, & said, 'Lord, help me.'"
"Vers. 32, 39. - And Jesus said unto them, How many loaves have ye?"
"THE LESSONS WHICH THIS MIRACLE ENFORCES.  1. Reliance.  2. Gratitude.  3. Charity.  4. Economy.  (Expository Outlines.)"
"The necessities of man & the all-sufficiency of Christ"
"Life-long dependence should teach life-long humility."
"Man needs pardon, purity, freedom, peace."
The Biblical Illustrator​, Baker, pgs. 312 - 332.

"Vers. 1 - 11.  Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus."
"True love, which seeks the good of others, & not its own interest, consents to be forgotten, sacrificed."
"Well, if to-day there is in the world a Christian Church, if there is a refuge accessible to all the sorrows of earth, an asylum where the soul escapes for ever from the oppressions of this world, a spiritual home where faith, hope, & love abide for ever; if we ourselves have been able to find there a place; it is certain that at its base there are acts of devotion without number, obscure deaths, unknown sufferings, silent sacrifices, which none can count."
"The state of the wicked is a very restless one."
"Herod, a man governed by fear: - I. HE IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW COWARDICE, SUPERSTITION, & CRUELTY NATURALLY GO TOGETHER."
"If men will be bold in sin, ministers must be bold to reprove.  (Gurnall.)"
"...IF WE FAITHFULLY DO OUR DUTY, WE MUST BE PREPARED TO SUFFER FOR IT."
"If we are really in earnest in serving God, Satan will be sure to stir up some opposition against us.  These hindrances are the tests of our faithfulness."
"GOD'S GRACE IS ALWAYS SUFFICIENT."
"...DEATH MAY BE VIEWED NOT WITH HORROR BUT WITH JOY."
"If only we are ready for death, can death come too soon?  It is the door of release from storm & cloud, sorrow & sin.  (S. W. Skeffington, M. A.)"
"Ver. 12.  And went & told Jesus."
"A complaining Christian once said to a cheerful, happy Christian, 'Things always seem to go smoothly with you; I never hear you make any complaints.'  To which he replied, 'I have found out an effectual way of guarding against that fault - telling Jesus all, & telling Him before I tell any one else; then, I find, I seldom need tell any one else, for in telling Him about my troubles, I often find the burden entirely removed.'  (A. Tucker.)"
"Vers. 13, 14.  When Jesus heard of it He departed thence by ship."
"Jesus hears of John's death, & thereupon seeks seclusion."
"He desired to be alone.  That He mighty pray."
"He will not relinquish His work because of instances that might have shocked Him with fatal distress."
"Vers. 15 - 21.  They need not depart; give ye them to eat. - Christ feeding the multitude"
"The all-sufficiency which He possessed in Himself."
"However little you have bring it to Jesus, & He will will make it more."
"The foolishness of preaching becomes the power of God."
"The more we feed on Christ, the more always is there of Christ to feed on; He increases to us.  (A. M. Stuart.)"
"Joy & hope are social; they ask for companionship; they spread by contact & mutual encouragement."
"Ver. 23.  He went up into a mountain apart to pray."
"...WE OUGHT TO SET APART SOME PORTIONS OF OUR TIME FOR PRIVATE AND SILENT...  conversation with God & our own hearts."
"If Jesus Christ found it needful & advantageous to engage in retired devotion, how much more so must it be for such weak & imperfect creatures as we are - not only ministers, but private Christians also."
"There are some particular seasons in which Christians should be much in private prayer; such as times of affliction, public calamity, prevailing departure from the knowledge, experience, & practice of true... (Christianity); seasons of suspense & embarrassment; seasons of ease & prosperity."
"Ver. 24.  For the wind was contary."
"THE WAY OF DUTY IS NOT ALWAYS EASY.  Even when constrained by love of Christ to undertake any particular work, we are often beset by difficulties & obstacles:  no plain sailing, always breakers ahead."
"The contrary wind may prepare us for higher service in the cause of Christ."
"No contrary wind can last for ever.  By & by Christ will come to us, & then there will be peace.  Yes, & after a time we shall reach the other shore; & when we touch that, we shall be done with difficulties."
"Vers. 22, 27.  And straightway Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship, & to go before Him unto the other side."
"He sometimes puts on the garments of trouble; & when we are calling upon Him as though He were yet in heaven, He is walking by our side"
"Ver. 26.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled."
"It is amazing what power the living voice, especially a long-known & much-loved voice, has to touch the heart, & to awaken confidence & peace, & emotions of all kinds, that may have been long dormant in the soul.  (A. L. R. Foote.)"
"Vers. 28, 33. - And Peter answered Him & said, Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water."
"...it is not the power or word of Christ that gives way, but only the faith of Peter in this power or word.  So long as he looks to Jesus this word supports him."
"Peter in his extremity cries aloud to Jesus."
"They who sit securely in their boats are not liable to sink."
"He looked to the danger, & not to the Saviour."
"He discovered his helplessness, & prayed for safety, 'Lord save me;'"
"Here we are taught not to be unmindful of our dangers, but to keep our thoughts fixed on the greatness & faithfulness of Christ when we are surrounded by them."
"Ver. 31.  Wherefore didst thou doubt. - Doubting Christians: - 1. It perverts all they do by directing them to a wrong end.  2. It withdraws the mind from Christ.  3. It sours the temper.  It breeds fears.  4. It gives Satan peculiar advantage against the soul.  5. The providence of God appears dark to such a soul.  6. It occasions false comfort.  7. It tarnishes the profession of such a person.  (J. Cooke.)"
"He who bought His people with His own Blood cannot lose his inheritance, & will not permit any enemy to wrest from His hand the satisfaction of His soul."
"...the portion of the Redeemer cannot be wrenched from His grasp.  'Ye are His.'  Christ is the safety of a Christian.  (W. Arnot.)"
"Ver. 36.  As many as touched were made perfectly whole."
The Biblical Illustrator​, Baker, pgs. 295 - 312.

CHAPTER 13
"The general teaching of these 7 parables: - No one should miss gathering from these parables some notion of the all-embracing character of the kingdom which Christ came to set up among men."
"...Christ derives a parable from an army, to teach soldiers; from legal principles, to instruct lawyers; from the field & sowing, to speak familiarly to the husbandman's capacity.  (T. Adams.)."
"Ver. 3.  And He spake many things unto them in parables. - Christ a moral painter"
"He often presented to His hearers a moral picture - flashed upon the mind's eye a whole scene of truth with such vividness & power that it could not be well perverted or forgotten."
"A truth felt is more than a truth stated."
"He knew how to talk with them in such a way as to make them feel that what He did not tell them was considerably more than what He did tell them.  (C. H. Parkhurst, D. D.)"
"Behold, a sower went forth to sow."
"Four kinds of soil:  1. The impenetrable.  2. The superficial.  3. The preoccupied.  4. The prepared."
"The seed is the same in every case:  the difference is in the kinds of soils."
"God does not predestinate men to fail."
"The parable of the sower: - 1. The careless hearer.  2. The temporary hearer.  3. The worldly-minded hearer.  4. The sincere hearers of the Word.  (1) They understand it; (2) They receive it; (3) They retain it; (4) They practise it.  (G. Burder.​)"
"III. THE SOIL.  1. The wayside hearer.  2. The stony-ground hearer.  The emotional hearer.  3. Among the thorns - the double-minded hearer.  4. Good soil - the man who hears aright.  (G. F. Pentecost.)"
"All Christian people are sowers.  By our words & actions we are sowing some kind of principle in the minds of others; we cannot help it."
"Ministers have no seed of their own; their doctrine & word belong to Christ."
"Until the seed is sown there will be no increase.  So the heart must take in the Word by faith."
"Vers. 4 & 19.  Some seeds fell by the wayside, & the fowls came & devoured them up. - Way seed devoured by birds"
"...a heart trodden down by the feet that have gone across it; & because trodden down, incapable of receiving the seed sown.  The seed falls upon, not in it."
​"The heart is trodden down by sin."
"Every transgression deprives us, in some degree, of power to receive the Divine word of God's truth, & making it our own."
"If the seed is good, & the ground well prepared, a very poor & awkward kind of sowing will suffice."
"...there may be much hearing, much reading, much attendance at public services, & very small result; & all because the Word was not the subject of thought, & was never embraced by the understanding.  What is not understood is like meat undigested, more likely to be injurious than nourishing.  (C.H. Spurgeon.)"
"Vers. 5, 20, 21. - Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth."
"Stony ground is cold"
"These persons are without spiritual warmth."
"Stony ground doth not drink in the rain that falls from heaven.  All the hearts of men are naturally hard."
"Stony ground by reason of the little earth that is found there, never brings forth fruit to perfection."
"Stony or hard hearted hearers may go a great way in the profession..."
"They believe for a while."
"They may become members of a visible church."
"They go no further because of their pride."
"This sin of withering is generally punished with other sins, (1) with blindness of mind; (2) with judicial hardness of heart; (3) with a seared conscience; (4) with final impenitence."
"'Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.'"
"Shallow soil like superficial character."
"The superficial servant's work is done:  but lazily, partially - not thoroughly."
"Do not keep Christ on the surface; let Him possess the centre, & thence direct all the circumference of your life."
"That which is hasty is not lasting.  Grace, in almost every case, is slow & progressive; for, in the human heart, it has much to contend against; & God treats us as free agents, putting no force on any man's will.  (J. Ford.)"
"Vers. 7, 22.  And some fell among thorns."
"Anxieties about work, clothes, etc. become the thorn plants, harmless in appearance at first, which in the end may choke the seed of grace in your heart.  Worldly cares nursed by indulgence into a dangerous strength are further like thorns growing in a corn field, in that they interpose a veil between the face of Jesus & the opening, trustful look of a longing soul."
"Wealth is deceitful in taking the place of legitimate enjoyments in life."
"'No man can serve 2 masters.'"  "'If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.'"
"Can'st thou set thy heart upon a thorn without piercing thyself through with many sorrows?  (Venning.)"
"Vers. 8, 23.  But other fell on good ground & brought forth fruit."
"Good ground: - 1. A good & honest heart is a perfect & sincere heart.  2. It is an obedient heart.  3. It is a faithful heart.  4. It is a jealous heart.  5. It is a fruitful heart.  (B. Keach.)"
"Vers. 11, 12.  Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. - The preparation necessary for understanding the mysteries of the gospel"
"There is a connection announced in Scripture between desire & its accomplishment.  The hungry are filled."
"We ought to have a habit of prayer conjoined with a habit of inquiry; & to this more will be given."
"It is for want of seeking if you do not find."
"For whosoever hath, to him shall be given"
"God heaps upon His faithful & elect people new graces & benefits day by day, so that they abound in virtue & holiness; but from the unbelieving, the ungrateful, & the unworthy, He gradually takes away His gifts, both of nature & of grace."
"We are to become rich in grace, but it is to be by heavenly trading."
"Ver. 13.  Because seeing they see not; & hearing they hear not. - Insensibility to the truth"
"WHAT ARE SOME OF THE STEPS BY WHICH THIS GROSS, INSENSITIVE STATE IS REACHED.  1. It is induced by all kinds of depravity.  It is one of the penalties of wrong-doing that the moral nature is made unresponsive to spiritual things.  2. It grows on a man through the mastery of worldly pursuits - of business, home, social, & political life.  3. The habit of cherishing doubt is another circumstance which tends to weaken spiritual vision & understanding."
"Worldliness causes insensibility"
"Sin causes insensibility"
"As a person may sit down before a piano, possessing a capital knowledge of the technicalities of music, & able to touch skillfully, & yet never enter into the spirit of the piece he is playing, so you may sit down before the Word of God, sweep your fingers over its glorious keys, & yet never bring forth one strain of its sweet Divine harmony."
"Our faith, to be strong & healthy, must rest on conviction."
"Neglected opportunities will aggravate future woe"
"Labour to know the mind of God 'Search the Scriptures.'"
"Look up to Christ as your 'all in all.'"
"They had eyes, though they saw not; not by the want, but abuse of these capacities.  The Jews rejected Christ in spite of clear evidence."
"Vers. 16, 17.  But blessed are your eyes, for they see."
"To be a righteous man is more desirable than to be a prophet.  Grace is a higher endowment than inspiration or genius."
"Vers. 34 - 30; 34 - 41.  But while men slept, his enemy came & sowed tares - The tares & the wheat; - This parable relates chiefly to the condition of the Church."
"It is likeness to wheat which makes tares specially mischievous."
"'An enemy hath done this.'  It is Satan's chief triumph to hinder Christ's work by false brethren"
"It is sad to retain in Church impostors, more sad to cast out faithful.  Better trust men too much than too little.  (E. Gray, M.A.)"
"The policy of the Master, though more perplexing, is far better.  It leaves things less satisfactory for the time, but accomplishes the greatest good in the end.  The policy of the Master will prevail, despite all the efforts to the contrary, even to the end of the age."
"...false disciples  ...they are useless & noxious."
"The good in their intercourse with the bad may reclaim them."
"It is one of the mysteries of the Divine government that God should allow an enemy in the field at all."
"Many a sinner might have been worse than he is, but for restraining contact with Christians."
"Men are to be known by their fruits, but the fruits of a man's life cannot be fairly judged until they are ripened & complete."
"The season - 'while men slept.'  It is said of the ungodly that 'they love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.'"
"Why are the saints compared to wheat? - 1. Wheat is the product of a rare & choice seed; they are the product of the Holy Ghost.  2. The seed of wheat must first be sown in men's hearts before they can bear God's image or bring forth fruits of holiness.  3. Wheat is a profitable sort of grain.  So the saints & people of God are a profitable people to the world (Prov. 10:21; 2 Cor. 6:19).  4. Wheat will abide & live in the sharpest winter, when some other grain will not.  So true believers do abide, endeavour & live in the times of sharpest trials, persecutions, tribulations, & temptations."
"Full ears of wheat hang down their heads, being full of corn.  So sincere believers are humble & lowly-minded."
"Labour to add to your faith virtue (2 Peter 1:5, 6, 7).  The way to ripen for heaven is to strive against all those things that hinder or obstruct your growth, as thorns & briars (Matt. 13:22)."
"DO AS WE WILL, WE SHALL NEVER GET EVIL ENTIRELY OUT OF THE CHURCH - the ideal Church is in heaven (Rev. 21:27)."
"AT THE LAST JUDGMENT THERE WILL BE AN ABSOLUTE SEPARATION BETWEEN THE GOOD & THE BAD."
"Peace in a church is essential to progress."
"Vers. 31, 32.  The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed."
"...the smallness of its beginning & the greatness of its increase."
"ITS PRESENT APPARENT INSIGNIFICANCE."
"ITS FUTURE GRANDEUR."
"To all disheartened in work; we must not measure work by size but by vitality.  Have we joined the Church because it is large or because it is living.  (M. Dods, D.D.)"
"Ver. 33.  The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven."
"It was not leavened in an instant, but by gradual infection; an emblem of the spread of the gospel in the soul."
"The gospel is the power of God at work for the salvation of souls."
"It is in the nature of leaven to make all the meal like itself; so it is in the nature of the gospel to Christianize those who receive it; i.e., Christ subjugates, penetrates, & assimilates the believer to Himself."
"...the life of His thoughts into his thinking"
"...the life of His love into his heart"
"...the life of His righteousness into his conscience"
"...the life of His obedience into his will"
"The PENETRATING power of Divine grace."
"The TRANSFORMING power of Divine grace.  The grace of God works slowly, successfully.  (J.T. Woodhouse.)"
"...Christianity is not a matter of places & days, rites & observances; it is a matter of having the leaven of God to work in us that we shall be gentle & pure, unselfish & sympathetic as God is."
"Leaven is of a diffusive quality.  So the Word of God, through the Spirit, is of a diffusive nature, but in respect to every soul that receiveth it, & also in respect of people to whom it comes"
"Leaven diffuses itself gradually."
"...the Word of God & the grace of God makes the whole soul like itself, or a whole family or nation where it is once in truth received, the very same people, both in doctrine & conversation."
"...so the Word of God must be hid in the heart, both in the understanding, will, & affection, if the person be spiritually leavened with it (Psa. 119:11)."
"...the Word of God makes the hard heart soft & tender."
"...men are most susceptible to the influence that flows from character."
"Ver. 38.  The field is the world."
"THE MEANS BY WHICH THIS MORAL REVOLUTION IS TO BE EFFECTED.  By the preaching of Jesus Christ & Him crucified.  (F. Wayland, D.D.)"
"Send the gospel to all.  Value souls."
​"Ver. 43.  Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun. - The glory of the righteous"
"...the germ of faith will ripen unto eternal glory."
"'Like the sun' - visible, pure, active, glorious."
"...at the day of the resurrection, the saints shall shine forth gloriously."
"The sun is so glorious, that mortals cannot behold it, but their eyes will dazzle.  So the glory of the saints will be too great for sinners to behold, it would even put out their eyes, or confound them.  (B. Keach.)"
"Ver. 44.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field."
"This treasure can only be discovered by careful search."
"Having discovered the excellency of Divine things, we should be ready to renounce such pleasures & habits as hinder their attainment."
"...the true convert will give up worldly vanities, unfair dealing, uncharitableness, insincerity, & will learn to 'crucify the flesh with its affections & lusts.'  (Essex Remembrancer.)"
"The pearl-seeker seeks with determination."
"THE EXCELLENCY OF THE GOSPEL IS NOT GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD BY MEN.  It is a hid treasure."
"The treasure is offered to all freely & fully."
"This spiritual treasure makes all that find it very rich (Rev. 3:18)."
"...believers, rich in faith, rich in promise, rich in experience, can do more good to others - they can give better counsel, more & better comfort (Prov. 10:21)."
"Ver. 45, 46.  Seeking goodly pearls."
"The soul, seeking good, wants a better until it finds Christ the best."
"Time does not rust a pearl."
"How must the pearl of great price be sought?  I. Diligently

CHAPTER 12
"VERS. 1-6.  Behold Thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day."
"Ver. 6.  That in this place is One greater than the temple. - Christ greater than the Church"
"Christ...  He liberates, elevates & purifies."
"The Church is nothing without its head.  Whatever it is, He has created it.  Whatever it does, He is its life!  It is righteous, but it is with His righteousness.  It is royal, its royalty comes from Him.  It is a priesthood, He conferred the priesthood.  Its love, its power, its faith, its hope, everything it is, everything it expects to do, find their explanation & root in its relations to Him."
"The Divine must be greater than any human workmanship"
"Every human authority must yield to His."
"Ver. 7.  I will have mercy, & not sacrifice."
"Morals before rituals."
"Ver. 10.  And behold there was a man which had his hand withered."
"Christ's power is displayed on our inability."
"The stretching forth of the hand was - 1. An act of faith.  2. An act of decision."
"THE RESULT OF THIS STRETCHING OUT OF THE MAN'S HAND IN OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMAND.  1. The healing was manifest.  2. It was immediate.  3. It was permanent.  (C. H. Spurgeon.)"
"Ver. 12.  How much then is a man better than a sheep!"
"The cross proves God's esteem for the sinner.  Man's worth explains redemption; not redemption man's worth.  (C. H. Parkhurst.)"
"MAN IS BETTER THAN THE ANIMAL."
"He ought to live better than an animal."
"BECAUSE WE ARE SO MUCH BETTER THAN SHEEP JESUS CHRIST CAME TO SEEK & SAVE US."
"BECAUSE WE ARE BETTER THAN SHEEP GOD & HIS ANGELS ARE GLAD OVER EVERY ONE THAT REPENTS OF SIN.  (W. Harris.)"
"Vers. 14-21.  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet."
"Our Lord did not wish His fame spread abroad."
"If Christ needed the Spirit of the Lord upon Him, how much more do we?"
"If Christ does not manifest ostentation, why should we?"
"Ver. 20.  A bruised reed shall He not break. - The tenderness of Christ"
"The love of Christ is the root of His tenderness."
"The metaphor of a 'bruised reed' conveys the idea of (1) a state of weakness."
"(2) A state of oppression."
"The metaphor of 'smoking flax' conveys the idea of grace, true & sincere, but languishing & just expiring."
"Go to the cross & there learn this love & compassion.  (President Davies.)"
"...nothing good in you ever escapes the notice of God."
"Whatever beautifies you glorifies Him."
"Whatever beautifies you glorifies Him."
"How is the world to be redeemed if you put a limit to God's love?"
"Of all things in the world flax is the most combustible.  The smallest spark will kindle it into a blaze."
"How great a consolation there is in this Divine tenderness of Christ."
"Grace never blown quite out: - Grace can never be so blown out, but there will be some smoke, some spark, whereby it may be rekindled.  The smoking snuff of Peter's grace was lighted again by a sudden look of his Master."
"Vers. 22, 29.  One possessed with a devil, blind & dumb."
"Adore the gracious power of Christ amongst the enemies of Christ.  (J. Fletcher.)"
"Ver. 30.  He that is not with Me is against Me. - Neutrality...  impossible"
"How inevitable is the destruction of the Saviour's enemies."
"In the battlefield of life, whose side have you chosen?  In the great harvest-field of the world, whose interests are you serving?  1. The battlefield is the world.  We are soldiers.  Are we fighting?  Are we clad in armour?  2. The harvest-field.  Are you gathering or wasting?"
"Neutrality here is opposition."
"...man's natural state is one of antagonism to God."
"The human heart cannot be in a state in which neither Christ nor the world has the supremacy."
"Christ requires the whole heart, life, etc."
"Neutrality is seen to be practical hostility to the kingdom of Christ"
"Ver. 31.  All manner of sin & blasphemy. - Sin against the Holy Ghost: - 1. This is not a sin which one can commit by accident, & without knowing it."
"Men are not likely to fall into it suddenly."
"Constant resistance of good impulses may lead to it.  (H. W. Beecher.)"
"...by this sin men resist their last remedy, & oppose the best & utmost means of their conviction."
"If the Spirit be scorned, it follows, pardon is impossible."
"We have in the Bible 4 separate sins against the Holy Ghost laid out in a certain order & progression - grieving, resisting, quenching - these have been forgiven.  But there is a 4th stage when the mind, through a long course of sin, proceeds to such a violent dislike of the Spirit of God, that infidel thoughts & horrid imaginations come into the mind.  They become habitual.  This sin against the Holy Ghost does not lie in any particular act or word; it is a general state of mind.  It is unpardonable because the mind of such a man cannot make one move towards God.  (J. Vaughan, M. A.)"
"Ver. 33.  Either make the tree good & his fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt."
"If the tree is permitted to grow up & grow old in evil, there is danger lest, by storm or fire, it should be destroyed, & so never be made good."
"Ver. 34. 35.  A good man out of the good treasure of the heart."
"1. A good heart contains good affections.  2. Good desires.  3. Good intentions.  4. Good volitions.  5. Good passions."
"THE EVIL MAN."
"He is evil because he possesses an evil heart, mixes with an evil world, is under the influence of an evil devil."
"...the train of thought in which we delight will betray itself in speech, as well as in our general course of action"
"Ver. 36.  That every idle word. - Idle words"
"Idle words...  1. Tattling.  2. Tale-bearing.  3. 'Slang' conversation.  4. Boasting.   5. Swearing.  (H. W. Beecher.)"
"By idle words we may understand such words as proceed from vanity or deceit."
"Idle words may imply such as are the product of a loose & idle mind, such as represent the impure conceptions of a mind polluted with lust."
"The tongue cannot speak better than the understanding can conceive."
"Language a heart reflector"
"Happy are the friends of those whose conversation 'ministers grace to the hearers.'"
"Ver. 38.  Master, we would see a sign from Thee."
"GOD NEVER GIVES ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGES WHEN THOSE POSSESSED ARE NOT USED."
"...The men of Ninevah shall rise in judgment"
"If the Ninevites gave heed to the prophet of wrath, how much more should the Jews to a messenger who would rejoice if repentance should turn away their woe."
"Ninevah was only threatened with destruction.  The Jews were urged to reform."
"Ver. 42.  The Queen of the South shall rise up in judgment."
"She went to hear the wisdom of a mortal"
"We are invited to hear One greater than Solomon."
"Solomon's speech was regal, but the Saviour's was Divine."
"Ver. 43, 45.  When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man. - Furnished, but vacant"
"A FEARFUL RELAPSE DESCRIBED.  1. When the evil spirit returned he found the house unoccupied."
"...if one comes out of these evils, & lapses back into them, the dangers are increased."
"The Divine flame cannot often go out & be re-kindled.  Once out, it is apt to stay out."
"Vers. 46-50.  The same is My brother, & sister, & mother. - Christians are Christ's Relations"
"The family of our Lord"
"'They do the will of His Father.'"
"The Christian makes the will of God the rule of his life."
"CHRISTIANS ARE THE RELATIVES OF CHRIST.  The ground of the relationship not natural, ecclesiastical, but spiritual - faith & obedience."
"The great principle of this relationship.  Obedience.  God's will is revealed to us.  Obedience must be evangelical, affectionate, full, constant."
The Biblical Illustrator​, Baker, pgs. 228 - 256.

CHAPTER 11
"VERS. 1-5.  Art Thou He that should come?  John's inquiry"
"Marks of convincing miracles: - I. They must be above the known powers of all natural causes.  II. They must be done publicly & in the face of the world, that there may be no room to suspect artifice & collusion.  III. The doctrines which they are brought to vouch must be every way worthy of God.  IV. They should carry marks of good-will & beneficence to men.  V. It is the more convincing if such miracles were foretold, & VI. If there be no appearances of self-interest & design in the worker of such miracles."
"Our Lord's miracles distinguished Him from John."
"Doubting - I. That there is NO SIN IN DOUBTING."
"II. BUT FAITH IS BETTER THAN DOUBT."
"III. There may exist honest doubt, NOTWITHSTANDING DILIGENT EFFORTS"
"Christ's work is always open to examination, & testifies to His Messiahship"
"Ver. 5.  And the poor have the gospel preached to them."
"The gospel is 'the tender mercy of our God.'"
"Bad government is a public source of poverty."
"Ignorance or undevelopedness of mind is a great cause of poverty."
"To preach the gospel to the poor is to awaken the mind of the poor.  It is a gospel of prosperity."
"...the gospel must be preached where the poor can come & hear it."
"It must be preached simply.  (C. H. Spurgeon.)"
"...it is by the influence of the gospel alone that the world can be reformed."
"...those only who believe the gospel can enjoy its blessings.  (H. E. Thomas.)"
"...'preached.'  1. Clearly.  2. Fully.  3. Affectionately.  4. Faithfully."
"The gospel is glad tidings to the poor."
"Ver. 6.  And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me.​"
"Some in His own day were offended with Him because of the humbleness of His appearance.  They said, 'He is the son of a carpenter.'  There are others who reject Him because of the fewness of His followers.  Some are offended with Christ because of the grandeur of His claims.  He claims to be God.  Some are offended with our Lord because of His atonement.  Some are offended because of the graciousness of the gospel.  They prefer works.  Some are offended because of the holiness of His precepts.  They like liberty to sin."
"I. WHO ARE THE PERSONS THAT ARE OFFENDED AT CHRIST?  1. Those who discredit the authenticity of His Word.  2. Who deny the Divinity of His Person.  3. Who reject the efficacy of His atonement.  4. Who despise the influences of His Spirit.  5. Who backslide from the profession of His name."
"Vers. 7-9.  What went ye out into the wilderness to see? - The attractiveness of John the Baptist"
"In every action we should reflect upon the principles & ends, the reasons that move us to any duty."
"...God bindeth Himself to be our God, & we bind ourselves to be His people."
"I. THOSE THAT ATTEND UPON THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD SHOULD PROPOSE UNTO THEMSELVES SOME END WHY THEY DO IT."
"Remove those hindrances which prevent any soul business.  Call yourself to account before & after hearing the Word of God."
"Ver. 10 - Which shall prepare Thy way before Thee. - Preparations for Christ's coming: - God does not seem, as a rule, to allow any great truth or blessing to burst upon the world without some sort of preparation."
"In what manner did he prepare the way of the Lord?  1. Not with any worldly pomp or splendour.  ...It was by preaching repentance & turning men from their sins.  (Matthew Hole.)"
"Ver. 11.  There hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist. - The least in the kingdom of heaven"
"The heavenly treasure is in earthen vessels."
"Yearn not to be eccentric but deep & real.  (J. Brierley, B. A.)"
"Real greatness is approximation to God.  The man who knows God best is greatest.  Who was ever brought into such near connection with God as John?  He was the friend of the Bridegroom."
"Ver. 12.  The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence."
"God's earnestness visible in nature."
"Earnestness visible in God's self-revelation."
"The only thing that can answer God is earnestness in us."
"Examine the reasons why indifference replaces earnestness."
"Man's strongest inclinations are on the side of meriting heaven by works; hence the need of violence to resist this."
"A life of faith is a life of self-denial."
"If the captive must use force when he would wrench off his chains, then must we use force, for the fetters of an evil nature bind us to the earth."
"God's kingdom can be really won by nothing but steady manly perseverance; it is a matter which demands a lifelong energy of prayer & watching, lest at any time we let it slip.  (Dean Lake.)"
"Earnest prayer: - Prayer pulls the rope below & the great bell rings above in the ears of God."
"...he who wins with heaven is the man who grasps the rope boldly & pulls continuously, with all his might.  (C. H. Spurgeon.)"
"Ver. 15.  He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."
"I. Take heed THAT ye hear.  1. This implies willingness to hear"
"2. It implies devout earnestness to hear.  II. Take heed HOW ye hear.  1. This means that we should seek to understand the gospel.  2. That we should endeavour to experience the gospel."
"III. Take heed WHAT ye hear.  1. You should desire to hear the Word of God.  2. The pure Word of God.  3. The plain Word of God.  4. The sure Word of God.  5. The living Word of God.  (J. C. Jones.)"
"What a man can do, that he ought to do.  If he can hear, let him hear; yes, & if he can see, let him see; if he can serve, let him serve; if he can pray, let him pray."
"Ver. 16.  But whereunto shall I liken this generation?  It is like unto children sitting in the markets. - Excuses of sinners"
"They were like sullen children resisting all efforts to interest them."
"Ver. 19.  The Son of man came eating. - Christ & common life"
"...not exempt from the necessities of our nature"
"Christ ate & drank WITH MEN."
"He who recognizes the body as God's gift will never dishonour its appetites."
"...a free life, guided by a holy wisdom, is the most sanctified life."
"A friend of publicans & sinners."
"But wisdom is justified of her children."
"Ver. 20-21.  Woe unto thee, Chorazin!  woe unto thee, Bethsaida!  The damnation under the gospel more intolerable than that of Sodom: - I. THERE SHALL BE A DAY OF JUDGMENT.  II. IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT SOME SINNERS SHALL FARE WORSE THAN OTHERS.  III. IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT THERE WILL BE A DISTRIBUTION OF SINNERS' PUNISHMENT ACCORDING TO THE EXACT RULES OF JUSTICE.  IV. IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT IT WILL BE MORE TOLERABLE FOR SODOM THAN CAPERNAUM."
"V. ...THE WORST OF THE HEATHEN WHO NEVER HAD CHRIST PREACHED TO THEM SHALL FARE BETTER IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT THAN THOSE THAT CONTINUE IMPENITENT UNDER THE GOSPEL."
"Let us consider the privileges we enjoy in this favoured land."
"Ver. 25.  Because thou hast hid these things from the wise & prudent. - Why God reveals to babes: - The babe is the representative of the receptive spirit - trusting, open to impression, free from prejudice."
"The prime requisites in the child-spirit are unconsciousness & humility."
"...by revealing to babes, God gives hope to universal humanity.  While few can be wise & learned, all may become babes."
"The humble heart knows more than the massive intellect."
"The feature of the babe is (1) helplessness, (2) ignorance. ...(3) Great teachability."
"WHERE, & IN WHAT SENSE ARE THESE THINGS HID?  1. They are hid in Christ (Col. 2:3)"
"They are hid in God's Word."
"God will not force His truth & mercy upon man."
"If men will presume to aim at the knowledge of God, without the knowledge of Christ, who is the Way, & the Door; if they have such a high opinion of their own wisdom & penetration as to suppose they can understand the Scriptures without the assistance of His Spirit; or if their worldly wisdom teaches them that these things are not worth their inquiry, what wonder is it that they should continue to be hid from their eyes?"
"Ver. 26.  Even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in Thy sight. - Submission to our Father's will"
"Ver. 27.  All things are delivered unto Me of My Father."
"All nations of the earth are delivered to Him.  All power in heaven & earth is given to Him.  All hearts are His.  The gifts & graces of the Spirit are His.  Principalities & powers are His."
"Ver. 28.  Come unto Me all ye that labour & are heavy laden. - The burdened directed to Christ"
"Heavenly rest for the people of God."
"It is rest from sin - its guilt, misery, power."
"WHO MAY OBTAIN THIS REST FROM HIM - 'All that labour.'"
"HOW THEY WHO DESIRE MAY OBTAIN IT - 'Come.'"
"We are said to come to God by...  putting our whole trust & affiance in Him, relying upon Him for salvation, & placing all our hopes & confidence in His merits & satisfaction."
"Rest not found in mere ceremonial observances."
"'Come,' saith Christ, '& I will give you rest.'  I will not show you rest, nor barely tell you of rest, but I will give you rest."
"Ver. 29.  Take my yoke upon you & learn of Me. - The school of Christ: - I. There must be docility, obedience, willingness to learn of that Teacher."
"I. Christ's FITNESS to be man's Teacher.  1. He understands man's nature.  2. He understands all those things which man has need to know.  3. He understands perfectly the art of imparting knowledge."
"If we are His disciples, let the humility of the Master correct the pride of His servants."
"'Yoke.'  1. Subjection to the mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5).  2. Resignation to the will of Christ.  Why called a yoke?  1. Because it opposes our corrupt nature.  2. Because it opposes the maxims of the world.  3. Because it is repugnant to the schemes of men."
"His is a yoke for two.  He would have us take the vacant place beside Him, & share with Him."
"Ver. 30.  For My yoke is easy & My burden is light."
"It is an EASY yoke.  1. In comparison with the yoke of Satan.  2. In comparison with the yoke which self-righteousness imposes on mankind."
"It is light compared with the burden of the unpardoned sin an another world."
"What is impossible to nature, is easy to grace."
"Easy, as it is an ASSISTED service; considering that we work not in our own strength, but in God's."
"Easy, as it is the most gainful service; having the assurances of an eternal weight of glory as the reward of our obedience."
The Biblical Illustrator​, Baker, pgs. 198 - 228.

CHAPTER 10
"VER. 1.  And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples."
"I. THEIR MISSION."
"II. THEIR CHARGE."
"III. THEIR RETURN.  ...Christ gives you power for every duty."
"Ver. 2.  Now the names of the twelve apostles."
"We may look on the men - I. OFFICIALLY.  1. They are selected, chosen, set apart by Christ as apostles."
"Men of no rank.  If the work had not been of God, it could not have been done."
"II. PERSONALLY."
​"Ver. 3.  Matthew the publican."
"I. THE POWER & GRACE OF THE DIVINE CALL."
"II. A SINNER'S CONVERSION IS A CAUSE OF JOY.  III. CONVERTED SOULS DESIRE TO PROMOTE THE CONVERSION OF OTHERS.  IV. MATTHEW'S CHIEF CHARACTERISTIC WAS HUMILITY.  (W. F. Bishop.)"
"Ver. 4.  Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him."
"I. EARLY OPPORTUNITY.  Called to be an apostle.  Sharing, too, in the prayers of Christ. (Luke 6:12, 13)."
"II. GROWTH OF EVIL (John 6:64-71; 12:1-6).  III. THE PRICE OF A SOUL (John 13; Matthew 26:14-16).  IV. THE END (John 18:2-5; Matthew 27:3-5; Acts 1, 18-25, with Matthew 27:5)."
"Ver. 5.  These twelve Jesus sent forth."
"HOW OFTEN FAITHFUL WORK IS UNRECORDED & FORGOTTEN.  FORGOTTEN WORK IS REMEMBERED, & UNRECORDED NAMES ARE RECORDED ABOVE."
"Ver. 7.  And as ye go, preach. - Preaching & going: - I. WHO are to preach?  II. WHAT are they to preach?  'The kingdom of heaven.'"
"III. WHEN are they to preach?  'As ye go.'  1. We are always on the go in this busy world."
"3. While you are walking.  4. As long as you live.  IV. WHERE are we to preach?"
"To kith & kin first.  V. WHY are we to preach?  'Freely ye have received.'  (T. Spurgeon.)"
"Ver. 8.  Heal the sick."
"Cleanse the lepers."
"For leprosy...  was looked upon as a type of sin, was in most cases incurable, & was one that necessitated separation"
"Freely ye have received, freely give."
"Have you received at all?  How have we received?  'Freely.'"
"II. THE CONSTRAINING OBLIGATION - 'Freely give.'  1. Think what you have to give, give your own selves, your substance, your prayers."
"I. Giving is an act of consecration.  II. It is an act of grace.  III. It is an act of communion.  IV. It is a privilege."
"Ver. 9.  Provide neither gold. - The enthusiasm of poverty"
"Ver. 10.  Neither 2 coats. - No need for 2 coats"
"Ver. 11.  And there abide."
"Vers. 12, 13.  And if the house be worthy."
"The peaceful salutation: - 1. The clergyman is to be a minister of peace."
"'If the house is worthy' - i.e., if there be fitness in the house to receive it.  What that peace means:  1. It is peace with God.  2. It is peace through the blood of Jesus Christ.  3. It is a peace within.  4. It is peace with the whole world.  (J. Vaughan, M.A.)"
"Ver. 14.  Shake off the dust of your feet."
"Ver. 16.  Behold I send you forth."
"Wise as serpents, & harmless as doves. - The union of simplicity & prudence"
"THEIR IMMINENT PERIL - 'As sheep in the midst of wolves.'"
"The bleating sheep finds no harmony in the howl of the wolf."
"Amongst those who would hinder their endeavours."
"'The Lamb shall overcome them.'"
"...Grace knows how to pick the good out of the evil, the jewel out of the oyster shell, the diamond from the dunghill, the sagacity from the serpent; & by a Divine chemistry it leaves the good which it takes out of the foul place as good as though it had never been there."
"We should be as doves: - 1. In respect of meekness.  2. In respect of innocency.  3. In respect of purity."
"In doves there are many things commendable: - 1. Beauty.  2. Chastity.  3. Fruitfulness.  4. Amity.  5. Unity.  They live in companies.  6. Their innocence.  (T. Adams.)"
"Ver. 20.  For it is not ye that speak.  - The Christian ministry a ministry of the Spirit"
"Ver. 22.  But he that endureth to the end shall be saved."
"We must not enter the work of the ministry without counting the cost.  I. PERSEVERANCE IS THE BADGE OF THE SAINT."
"II. PERSEVERANCE IS THEREFORE THE TARGET OF ALL OUR SPIRITUAL ENEMIES."
"III. PERSEVERANCE IS THE GLORY OF CHRIST.  IV. PERSEVERANCE SHOULD BE THE GREAT CARE OF EVERY CHRISTIAN.  (C. H. Spurgeon.)"
"Only he who reaches the goal may be accounted a Christian"
"A man has begun to build a house, & has erected one side of it - do you consider him a builder if he stops there, & fails to cover it in or to finish the other walls?  Do we give men praise for being warriors because they know how to make one desperate charge, but lose the campaign?"
"The causes which make endurance difficult: - 1. Persecution arising because of the Word.  2. False christs & false prophets"
"3. The spiritual weariness which steals over the soul with the lapse of time.  4. Trifling with conscience"
"To win perseverance, prayer must persevere."
"Perseverance is the only triumphing grace."
"Ver. 23.  But when they persecute you in this city."
"Ver. 24.  The disciple is not above his Master."
"Ver. 27.  What I tell you in darkness. - God's message & its proclamation:"
"1. It is the great privilege of Christians to realize that Christ is still living with & conversing with them; this consciousness fits for service.  2. Feeling the gospel spoken by Christ directly & distinctly to our own soul."
"If you get your message directly from Christ there will be a personality about it."
"If you go to Christ for all you preach you will preach with unction.  It will enable you to be certain about the truth."
"What Jesus had told them in darkness they are now speaking in light."
"Ver. 28.  Fear not them which kill the body. - It is prudent to give up the body in order to save the soul; it is like casting the cargo of the vessel into the sea to preserve the crew from destruction."
"God to be feared rather than man"
"Ver. 29.  And one of them shall not fall to the ground. - I. THE DOCTRINE OF PROVIDENCE."
"Recognize the hand of God in all the events of life.  No such thing as chance.  Submit to God amid all trials.  For comfort & confidence.  Let it guide your practice."
"The most tender mother never counted the hairs of her child, but God's providence extends to this."
"It is of unspeakable importance to keep the remembrance of God's providence fresh upon the mind"
"Ver. 30.  But the very hairs of your head. - Hairs of your head are all numbered"
"The difference between fate & providence: - Fate is blind; providence has eyes.  Fate is blind, a thing that must be; it is just an arrow shot from a bow, that must fly onward, but hath no target.  Not so, providence; providence is full of eyes.  There is a design in everything, & an end to be answered; all things are working together, & working together for good."
"Ver. 31.  Ye are of more value."
"Shall He not hold in exceeding value those for whom He has reserved mansions in His heavenly house, where they may abide for ever?"
"Ver. 32.  Shall confess Me before men."
"Zealously promoting the cause of Christian truth."
"We must confess Christ both before good men & bad men."
"Double confession: - I. MAN'S CONFESSION OF CHRIST.  ...II. CHRIST'S CONFESSION OF MAN."
"I. WHAT IS MEANT BY DENYING OF CHRIST before men?  It is (1) to deny His mission & Messiahship; (2) to disown Him for the Son of God & Saviour of the world; and (3) not to receive Him for the person annointed & appointed of God for the redemption of mankind."
"A man's folly will be spread before the angels."
"Ver. 34.  Think not that I am come to send peace."
"Ver. 35.  To set a man at variance against his Father. - The great separation."
"Ver. 37.  He that loveth father or mother more than Me. - The Saviour's claims on our supreme affections"
"...Christ is entitled to supreme affection."
"Compared with Christ's love man's is selfishness."
"Ver. 38.  He that taketh not his cross. - Cross-bearing"
"The consecrating all to Jesus.  The endurance of my heavenly Father's will."
"Welcome the cross of Christ, & bear it triumphantly"
"Christ's cross is the sweetest burden that ever I bore; it is such a burden as wings are to a bird, or sails to a ship, to carry me forward to my harbour.  (Samuel Rutherford.)"
"Ver. 39.  He that findeth his life. - The love of life"
"Ver. 41.  He that receiveth a prophet.  The reception of a prophet"
"...the 'seer,' men with burning eye to take in visions of the unseen."
"When God's rains are descending, & His gracious breezes blowing from off the everlasting hills, keep the soul open.  It is a grand opportunity on the receptive side."
"Ver. 42.  A cup of cold water."
"The cup of cold water comes under the Divine notice."
"The least desire to bless shall not lose its reward."
The Biblical Illustrator​, Baker, pgs. 172 - 198.

CHAPTER 9
"Vers. 1 - 8.  A man sick of the palsy."
"The faith of the centurion obtained a cure for his servant."
"CHRIST THE RESTORER OF HEALTH & THE FORGIVER OF SIN."
"On our way to cure we have no time for speculation, or curiosity; but to draw near with faith."
"Why does our Saviour begin with the pardon of sin?  1. To display His sovereignty.  2. To show that the soul is the principal care.  3. Perhaps the man suffered more from spiritual distress than from bodily pain."
"The worst kind of paralysis, but, God be thanked, far the rarest of all, is that of the heart & conscience."
"Ver. 6.  But that ye may know that the Son of Man. - Forgiveness"
"Forgiveness is reconciliation; the offence is no longer allowed to stand between the parties.  When God forgives He receives us back to His favour.  It is free, full & outruns our repentance.  But He does not destroy the consequences of sin; the punishment remains."
"...the paralysis, both moral & physical, was removed."
"Ver. 9.  He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom."
"Whom are we to follow & on what road, & to what place?  I. WE ARE TO FOLLOW CHRIST.  Do not the soldiers follow their captain?  Do not the redeemed follow their deliverer?  Do not the disciples follow the teacher?"
"II. WHAT IS THE WAY ALONG WHICH HE CALLS US TO FOLLOW?"
"...a new & living way."
"III. WHAT PLACE."
"Ver. 10.  As Jesus sat at meat in the house."
"Ver. 11.  Publicans & sinners."
"You cannot bring the best out of a man if you do not believe that the best is somewhere in him."
"Throw away your miserable, smouldering, fuming torch of conceit & hatred, lift up to them the light of love, and lo!  they will arise & shine; yea, flame & burn with an undreamt of glory.  (Canon Farrar.)"
"Ver. 12.  They that be whole need not a physician."
"I. WHO NEGLECT THE HEAVENLY PHYSICIAN?  1. Those who depend for salvation upon their own good lives.  2. Those who depend for salvation upon their religious duties.  3. Those who depend for salvation upon their correct notions.  II. THOSE WHO VALUE THE HEAVENLY PHYSICIAN - 'They that are sick.'"
"I. THERE IS A MORAL DISEASE IN THE HEART & CHARACTER OF MAN.  1. Depraved mental appetite.  2. The faculty of moral vision is impaired.  3. Moral stupor & weakness & want of activity."
"Jesus the Physician:  I. WE ARE ALL SICK.  Many are our ailments.  Sin is the great malady.  We need a Physician.  The world has no medicines.  He is adapted for it.  Understands all cases.  Neglects none."
"The main remedy is His own precious blood"
"IV. THOSE WHO KNOW THEIR TRUE CONDITION ARE VERY DESIROUS OF HIS HELP.  (G. Burder.)"
"Christ the Physician of souls: - I. SIN IS THE SICKNESS OF THE SOUL.  It is the disease of the soul that makes the sinner a sick man."
"Sickness takes away the beauty of the body.  Sin spoils the beauty of the soul."
"IS SIN THE SICKNESS OF YOUR SOUL?  1. Go quickly to the Physician for the cure of the disease of the soul which you labour under.  Delay no longer.  2. Time is flying.  No medicine will cure that wound, no argument will persuade it to return."
"3. Death is approaching.  ...4. Make frequent application to Christ."
"3 things concur to the cure of the soul.  I. THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.  II. THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST.  III. THE WORD OF CHRIST."
"Other physicians are enriched by their patients, but He enricheth His making them heirs of glory."
"Ver. 13.  I will have mercy & not sacrifice. - Mercy preferred to sacrifice"
"I came not to call the righteous - The main object of Christ's ministry, to call sinners to repentance."
"Ver. 15.  Can the children of the bride-chamber mourn?"
"The joy of spiritual freedom."
"Ver. 16.  A piece of new cloth unto an old garment."
"By an old garment I understand is meant a man's own righteousness."
"1. Because it is old as Adam.  2. Because it is worn out."
"Ver. 17.  New wine into old bottles."
"Ver. 20 - 22.  And touched the hem of His garment. - Touching Jesus"
"However deep-seated & desperate the condition of the soul's health, the Saviour can help us."
"Faith comes with a deep despair of all other help but Christ's."
"Faith comes with an implied trust in Christ."
"Faith feels a change from the touch of Christ.  (J. Ker. D. D.)"
"The sun can send some of its light & heat through very murky skies, & the Sun of Righteousness can do the same, & even more."
"All traces of the disease vanished.  Complete - perfect.  Faith goes to Christ: - Can you tell why the needle trembles to the pole?  The buds feel their way to the spring?  Flowers to sunlight?  They are made for it, & souls are so made for Christ."
"Vers. 23 - 25.  The maid is not dead, but sleepeth. - The healing of Jairus's daughter."
"Unbelief says it is useless to trouble the Master any more."
"Jesus is the Resurrection & the Life, & He restores out of death in all its stages."
"They were too wise in their own conceit to think of looking with the eye of faith."
"How much there is in which a devoutly-trained faith may discern truth & comfort & promise of good, where the mere human eye might discover nothing but perplexity or disappointment.  (J. Puckle, M. A.)"
"Ver. 29.  Then touched He their eyes."
"Faith is not merely an emotion; it is a conviction of the understanding."
"Faith is the bucket by means of which a man may draw water out of the wells of salvation, & drink to his heart's content."
"...faith is that little cup, which we hold up to the flowing stream of Christ's grace:  we fill it, & then we drink & are refreshed."
"Vers. 32, 33.  And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake. - The dumb made to speak"
"God does not want ability so much as availability.  The demon of selfishness must be cast out."
"The demon of wilfulness must be cast out."
"Ver. 35.  Healing every sickness. - Christ the Physician"
"Ver. 36.  But when He saw the multitudes. - Christ's look of sympathy"
"THE CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE.  1. Faint.  2. Scattered.  3. Shepherdless."
"Christ was moved with the sight of physical suffering; here it was spiritual disease."
"...compassion grows by what it feeds on, & is of the very nature of the love of God."
"Ver. 28.  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest."
"THE FIELD is the world."
"THE HARVEST LABOURERS.  1. All who try to win souls are in His eye as reapers gathering the wheat into the garner."
"Few in proportion to the world's need"
"Christ was deeply affected by the spiritual depression of the people - 'they fainted.'  Christ was deeply affected at the spiritual destitution of the people - 'were scattered abroad.'"
"Labourers are wanted."
"OUR LORD DIRECTION HIS DICIPLES HOW TO OBTAIN A SUPPLY.  1. Pray ye.  ...3. Pray to the Lord."
"THE LORD JESUS HEARD THEIR PRAYERS."
The Biblical Illustrator, Baker, pgs. 153 - 172.

CHAPTER 8
"Vers. 1 - 4.  And behold, there came a leper. - The leper's cure:  I. THE LEPER'S FAITH"
"...this disease is a type of moral corruption.  God's grace alone can effect a cure.  We see the power of prayer.  (W. Wight, M. A.)"
"THE LEPER'S PRAYER.  He was convinced of Christ's ability to heal him."
"THE LEPER'S CLEANSING.  Jesus is moved with compassion, touches & cleanses."
"Christ can heal the leprosy of pride."
"He can cleanse from the leprosy of fear."
"IMPURITY IS ANOTHER FORM OF LEPROSY."
"Our Lord desired to AVOID ALL IDLE & UNPROFITABLE EXCITEMENTS."
"He desired obedience rather than profession."
"Christ's humility in touching a leper."
"...are you willing to be made clean?  Before you can find pardon, you must see your sin & hate it."
"Vers. 5, 10.  There came unto Him a centurion, beseeching Him."
"The intimate connection between great faith & great humility.  (A. Peebles.)"
"THE STRONGEST FAITH FOUND IN A GENTILE SOLDIER.  The strength of his faith is connected with the depth of his humility; faith the root of every grace."
"The faith which justifies does not merely behold; it claims its object."
"'Your Majesty's word is sufficient.'"
"The most astonishing & acceptable faith may be exercised by the most unlikely persons."
"There is no sin too black for His blood to wash out the stain."
"The centurion believed - 1. That Christ had absolute power over disease.  2. That He could heal his servant at a distance.  3. By His word."
"'God is able to make you stand,' though your lot be cast in 'slippery places.'"
"Vers. 11, 12.  Many shall come from the east & west. - The extent of God's family"
"The happiness of heaven will not be solitary"
"Man does not enter heaven by virtue of his poverty or his riches, sufferings or rejoicings, morality or immorality, but by virtue of the atonement & the shedding of the precious blood of Christ."
"All, whatever their station or circumstances, find but one entrance into eternal glory, even through our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ - the only door, the one way, by which alone any can be saved."
"They were driven into the darkness of sorrow & affliction."
"...why this happened - their unbelief."
"Ver. 14.  Sick of a fever."
"Ver. 17.  Himself took our infirmities."
"Our Lord's union with our nature was actual & personal"
"Ver. 19 - 22.  Master, I will follow Thee.  Impetuous & hesitating discipleship"
"...he is sifted by Christ.  The tardy follower is hastened by Jesus."
"The last of the 3 followers is halting with a divided heart, & is reproved."
"'I will' must be will & not impulse only."
"...to follow Christ  ...1. The candid reception of His revelation.  2. It involves a surrender of ourselves to Christ as our Saviour & Governor."
"Some are prevented from an immediate compliance with their convictions, by the notion that their happiness is to be found in the world, which they would be required to abandon."
"If offering to follow Christ, count the cost."
"Vers. 23 - 27.  And when He was entered into a ship."
"Storms in the voyage - even when sailing according to the Master's orders."
"Faith is the true antidote against fear.  Much fear, little faith:  little faith, much fear."
"(1) Be prepared for storms.  (2) Amid all storms call on Christ.  (3) Adore & praise Him for the deliverance He affords."
"The man whose hope is in the Lord his God has no cause for alarm.  (J. Seger, M. A.).  The storm: - I. The way of obedience leads through many a scene of boisterous trouble."
"The calm is in answer to the earnest cry of the disciples.  We should pray in time of need.  The cry of the disciples brought deliverance to many around; we never pray for ourselves without benefitting others."
"THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST OVER ALL TURBULENT & SEEMINGLY UNCONTROLLABLE FORCES."
"Undertake no enterprize in which Christ does not accompany you."
"Ver. 28 - 33.  There met Him 2 possessed with devils."
"Ver. 34.  Besought Him that He would depart. - God coming near to us."
"...they besought Him to depart."
"How near salvation they were.  How they wronged the Saviour.  How they wronged themselves.  (H. Bonar, D. D.)"
"A drowning man throwing away the life-belt, a poisoned man pouring the antidote upon the floor, a wounded man tearing open his wounds, any one of these is a sad sight; but what shall we say of a soul putting from it the Redeemer & choosing its own destruction?  (C. H. Spurgeon.)"
The Biblical Illustrator, Baker, pgs. 137 - 153.

CHAPTER 7
"VER. 1. Judge not."
"Our Saviour directs us to reform our own conduct before we undertake to sit in judgment on that of others."
"God will punish those who have encroached upon His rights, & who have trampled down the rules of justice & charity.  (H. Kollack, D. D.)"
"Vers. 3-5.  The mote that is in thy brother's eye."
"...sin may exist in man to an enormous extent, & YET HE BE UNCONSCIOUS OF IT.  'the beam.'"
"It is only when we have wrestled with & overcome our own besetting sins, that we have the insight & tact to direct others how to overcome theirs."
"He that cleanses a blot with blurred fingers will make a greater blot."
"Ver. 6.  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs."
"...we know that sacred things are so liable to be abused by profane persons."
"Ver. 7.  Ask, & it shall be given you."
"Prayer is not an experiment."
"Prayer not a runaway knock: - Watch in prayer to see what cometh.  Foolish boys, that knock at a door in wantonness, will not stay till somebody cometh to open to them; but a man that hath business will knock, & knock again, till he gets his answer.  (J. Manton.)"
"Prayer is not chiefly a petition for something that we want & do not possess.  It is intercourse with God, often seeking no end.  If prayer is to be persevered in, it must be on the conviction that it heard by a living Person."
"Ver. 9.  A stone. - The bread of God's Word not to be petrified by preachers"
"To turn stones into bread was a temptation of our Master, but how many of His servants yield readily to the far worse temptation to turn bread into stone!"
"The inspired Word is to us spirit & life, & we cannot afford to have it hardened"
"...sublime, but cold; majestic, but lifeless;  (C. H. Spurgeon.)"
"Vers. 9-11.  How much more shall your Father."
"He feels the tenderest concern for us.  We have freedom of access to Him."
"God surpasses every earthly parent in His nearness & observation."
"The love of parents is far exceeded by the love of God."
"Ver. 12.  That men should do to you, do ye even so to them."
"Labour to understand truly every man's condition so far as you have opportunity."
"The golden rule"
"That we practise toward our neighbour in such a manner as our hearts & consciences would think it reasonable he should practise towards us in a like case."
"Vers. 13, 14.  Enter ye in at the strait gate. - The strait gate not a shut gate"
"God has told us the way is difficult."
"If you are in the narrow way be thankful.  (Dr. J. Matthews.)"
"The broad way is easiest."
"THE WAY OF DESTRUCTION.  1. The gate into it is wide.  2. The way itself is broad.  3. It is the way along which the great bulk of mankind are traveling."
"THE WAY OF LIFE.  1. The gate into is is strait.  2. The way itself is narrow.  3. It is a way little traveled."
"LET US JUDGE AS TO WHICH WAY WE ARE WALKING IN.  (E. Cooper.)"
"The way of sin easy: - You have nothing more to do than lie like a withered leaf upon the stream, & without a thought or an effort you are carried quickly down.  Sinners do not find it difficult to sin."
"Ver. 15.  Beware of false prophets. - The false & the true"
"A false prophet is one who assumes the office without a call from God, or who puts forward his own thoughts as if they had Divine sanction."
"Vers. 16-20.  Know them by their fruits."
"By their FRUITS ye shall know them."