Spurgeon - Commentary on Matthew

3

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

Few and simple should be the words which introduce this eagerly expected

book to the many friends who will welcome it.

The beloved author has gone to his eternal reward, he is ¡°the blessed of the

Lord for ever¡±; but he has left with us this last precious legacy, which

draws our hearts heavenward after him.

It stands alone in its sacred and sorrowful significance. It is the tired

worker¡¯s final labor of love for his Lord. It is the last sweet song from lips

that were ever sounding forth the praises of his king. It is the dying shout

of victory from the standard-bearer, who bore his captain¡¯s colors

unflinchingly through the thickest of the fight.

Reverently we lay it at the dear master¡¯s feet, with love, and tears, and

prayers. It needs no comment. It is beyond all criticism. But his

acceptance and approval will be its reward and glory.

During two previous winters in the south of France, a great part of dear

Mr. Spurgeon¡¯s leisure had been devoted to the production of this

commentary, and it bears much internal evidence of the brightness of the

sunny shore where it was written.

On the last visit to Mentone, after his terrible illness, his mental strength

was apparently quite restored, and this delightful service was eagerly

resumed; so eagerly, that we often feared his health would suffer from his

devotion to his happy task. But it was difficult to persuade him to relax

his efforts; with his master, he could say, ¡°my meat is to do the will of

him that sent me, and to finish his work;¡± and till within a few days of the

termination of his lovely and gracious life, he was incessantly occupied in

expounding this portion of God¡¯s word.

4

Much of the later portion of the work, therefore, was written on the very

border-land of heaven, amid the nearing glories of the unseen world, and

almost ¡°within sight of the golden gates.¡±

Such words acquire a solemnity and pathos with which nothing else could

invest them. We listen almost as to a voice ¡°from the excellent glory.¡±

Yet, in reading over the proof-sheets of my beloved¡¯s last work, I have

been as much struck by the profound simplicity as by the tender power of

the dear expositor¡¯s comments. Surely the secret of his great strength lay

in this, that he was willing to say what god put in his heart, and did not

seek to use ¡°enticing words of man¡¯s wisdom.¡±

Although the master¡¯s call to his faithful servant came before he could

complete the revision of his manuscripts, the concluding pages have been

compiled, with loving care, entirely from his own spoken and written

words, by the dear friend who was most closely associated with him in all

his work for god.

S. S.

WESTWOOD, BEULAH HILL,

UPPER NORWOOD, January, 1893.

5

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1:1-17

THE PEDIGREE OF THE KING

CHAPTER 1:18-25

THE BIRTH OF THE KING

CHAPTER 2

THE KING APPEARING AND THE KING

ASSAILED

CHAPTER 3:1-12

THE HERALD OF THE KING

CHAPTER 3:13-17

THE KING DESIGNATED AND ANOINTED

CHAPTER 4:1-11

THE KING BEGINS HIS REIGN BY A

COMBAT WITH THE PRINCE OF

DARKNESS

CHAPTER 4:12-25

THE KING SETTING UP

CHAPTER 5:1-12

THE KING PROMULGATES THE LAWS OF

HIS KINGDOM

CHAPTER 5:17-20

OUR KING HONORS HIS FATHER¡¯S LAW

CHAPTER 5:21-37

THE KING CORRECTS TRADITIONAL LAW

CHAPTER 6:1-18

THE KING CONTRASTS THE LAWS OF HIS

KINGDOM WITH THE CONDUCT OF

OUTWARD RELIGIONISTS IN THE

MATTERS OF ALMS AND PRAYER

CHAPTER 6:19-34

THE KING GIVES COMMANDS AS TO THE

CARES OF THIS LIFE

CHAPTER 7:1-12

THE KING CONTINUES TO REGULATE THE

BEHAVIOR OF HIS SUBJECTS

CHAPTER 7:13-23

THE KING TEACHES HIS SERVANTS TO

DISCERN AND TO DISTINGUISH

CHAPTER 7:24-29

THE KING SUMS UP HIS DISCOURSE

CHAPTER 8:1-18

THE KING, HAVING SPOKEN IN WISDOM,

WORKS WITH POWER

6

CHAPTER 8:19-22

OUR KING DISCERNING HIS TRUE

FOLLOWERS

CHAPTER 8:23-27

OUR KING RULING THE SEA

CHAPTER 8:28-34

THE KING DRIVING LEGIONS BEFORE HIM.

CHAPTER 9:1-8

THE KING CONTINUES TO DISPLAY HIS

ROYAL POWER

CHAPTER 9:9-13

THE GRACE OF THE KINGDOM

CHAPTER 9:14-17

THE JOY OF THE KINGDOM

CHAPTER 9:18-26

THE KING¡¯S DOMINION OVER DISEASE

AND DEATH

CHAPTER 9:27-31

THE KING¡¯S TOUCH HEALING THE BLIND

CHAPTER 9:32-35

THE KING AND THOSE POSSESSED WITH

DEVILS

CHAPTER 9:36-38

THE KING PITYING THE MULTITUDES

CHAPTER 10:1-15

THE KING COMMISSIONING HIS OFFICERS

CHAPTER 10:16-25 THE KING¡¯S MESSENGERS MAY EXPECT

TO BE MALTREATED

CHAPTER 10:26-42 THE KING CHEERING HIS CHAMPIONS

CHAPTER 11:1-19

THE KING SUPPORTS HIS MESSENGERS BY

HIS OWN APPEARING THE KING

VINDICATES AND CHEERS HIS HERALD

CHAPTER 11:20-30 THE KING¡¯S WARNINGS, REJOCINGS, AND

INVITATIONS

CHAPTER 12:1-13

OUR KING AS LORD OF THE SABBATH

CHAPTER 12:14-21 OUR KING IN THE MAJESTY OF HIS

PEACEFULNESS

CHAPTER 12:22-37 OUR KING AND THE POWERS OF

DARKNESS

CHAPTER 12:38-42 OUR KING CHALLENGED TO GIVE A SIGN

CHAPTER 12:43 45 OUR KING UNVEILING THE TACTICS OF

THE ARCH-ENEMY

7

CHAPTER 12:46-50 OUR KING AND HIS EARTHLY RELATIVES

CHAPTER 13:1-53

OUR KING SETS FORTH SEVEN PARABLES

OF HIS KINGDOM

CHAPTER 13:54-58 THE KING IN HIS OWN COUNTRY

CHAPTER 14:1-12

THE KING¡¯S HERALD SLAIN

CHAPTER 14:13-22 OUR KING GIVES A GREAT BANQUET

CHAPTER 14:23-26 THE KING RULING WINDS AND WAVES

CHAPTER 15:1-20

OUR KING COMBATING FORMALISTS

CHAPTER 15:21-28 OUR KING AND THE WOMAN OF CANAAN

CHAPTER 15:29-39 THE KING GIVES ANOTHER BANQUET

CHAPTER 16:1-4

THE KING AND HIS CHOSEN SIGN.

CHAPTER 16:5-12

THE KING MISUNDERSTOOD BY HIS OWN

CHAPTER 16:13-28 THE KING ALONE WITH HIS FRIENDS

CHAPTER 17:1-13

OUR KING TRANSFIGURED IN GLORY

CHAPTER 17:14-21 THE KING RETURNING TO THE FIELD OF

CONFLICT

CHAPTER 17:22, 23 AGAIN THE KING SPEAKS OF HIS DEATH

CHAPTER 17:24-27 OUR KING AND THE TRIBUTE MONEY

CHAPTER 18:1-5

THE KING ARRANGES RANK IN HIS

KINGDOM

CHAPTER 18:6-14

OUR KING¡¯S WARNING AGAINST

OFFENSES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHICH

INJURE THE LITTLE ONES

CHAPTER 18:15-35 THE KING¡¯S LAW CONCERNING OFFENSES

CHAPTER 19:1-12

THE KING AND THE MARRIAGE LAWS

CHAPTER 19:13-15 THE GREAT KING AMONG THE LITTLE

CHILDREN

CHAPTER 19:16-30 THE KING SETTLES THE ORDER OF

PRECEDENCE

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download