My Study With Matthew Henry This Morning
Matthew 7:12-14 NKJV
12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. 13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Matthew Henry on this passage:
12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that
men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law
and the prophets. 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for
wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth
to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way,
which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Our Lord Jesus here presses upon us that
righteousness towards men which is an essential branch of true
religion, and that religion towards God which is an essential
branch of universal righteousness.
I. We must make righteousness our rule, and
be ruled by it, v.
12. Therefore, lay this down for your principle,
to do as you would be done by; therefore, that you may conform to
the foregoing precepts, which are particular, that you may not
judge and censure others, go by this rule in general; (you would
not be censured, therefore do not censure), Or that you may have
the benefit of the foregoing promises. Fitly is the law of justice
subjoined to the law of prayer, for unless we be honest in our
conversation, God will not hear our prayers, Isa. i. 15-17; lviii. 6, 9; Zech.
vii. 9, 13. We cannot expect to receive good
things from God, if we do not fair things, and that
which is honest, and lovely, and of good report among
men. We must not only be devout, but honest, else our devotion is
but hypocrisy. Now here we have,
1. The rule of justice laid down;
Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do you even so to
them. Christ came to teach us, not only what we are to know and
believe, but what we are to do; what we are to do, not only toward
God, but toward men; not only towards our fellow-disciples, those
of our party and persuasion, but towards men in general, all with
whom we have to do. The golden rule of equity is, to do to others
as we would they should do to us. Alexander Severus, a heathen
emperor, was a great admirer of this rule, had it written upon the
walls of his closet, often quoted it in giving judgment, honoured
Christ, and favoured Christians for the sake of it. Quod tibi,
hoc alteri—do to others as you would they should do to you.
Take it negatively (Quod tibi fieri non vis, ne alteri
feceris), or positively, it comes all to the same. We must not
do to others the evil they have done us, nor the evil which they
would do to us, if it were in their power; nor may we do that which
we think, if it were done to us, we could bear contentedly, but
what we desire should be done to us. This is grounded upon that
great commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
As we must bear the same affection to our neighbour that we would
have borne to ourselves, so we must do the same good offices. The
meaning of this rule lies in three things. (1.) We must do that to
our neighbour which we ourselves acknowledge to be fit and
reasonable: the appeal is made to our own judgment, and the
discovery of our judgment is referred to that which is our own will
and expectation, when it is our own case. (2.) We must put other
people upon the level with ourselves, and reckon we are as much
obliged to them, as they to us. We are as much bound to the duty of
justice as they, and they as much entitled to the benefit of it as
we. (3.) We must, in our dealings with men, suppose ourselves in
the same particular case and circumstances with those we have to do
with, and deal accordingly. If I were making such a one's bargain,
labouring under such a one's infirmity and affliction, how should I
desire and expect to be treated? And this is a just supposition,
because we know not how soon their case may really be ours: at
least we may fear, lest God by his judgments should do to us as we
have done to others, if we have not done as we would be done
by.
2. A reason given to enforce this rule;
This is the law and the prophets. It is the summary of that
second great commandment, which is one of the two, on which hang
all the law and the prophets, ch. xxii. 40. We have not this in so
many words, either in the law or the prophets, but it
is the concurring language of the whole. All that is there said
concerning our duty towards our neighbour (and that is no little)
may be reduced to this rule. Christ has here adopted it into this
law; so that both the Old Testament and the New agree in
prescribing this to us, to do as we would be done by. By this rule
the law of Christ is commended, but the lives of Christians are
condemned by comparing them with it. Aut hoc non evangelium,
authi non evangelici.—Either this is not the gospel, or these are
not Christians.
II. We must make religion our business, and
be intent upon it; we must be strict and circumspect in our
conversation, which is here represented to us as entering in at a
strait gate, and walking on in a narrow way,
v. 13, 14. Observe
here,
1. The account that is given of the bad way
of sin, and the good way of holiness. There are but two ways, right
and wrong, good and evil; the way to heaven, and the way to hell;
in the one of which we are all of us walking: no middle place
hereafter, no middle way now: the distinction of the children of
men into saints and sinners, godly and ungodly, will swallow up all
to eternity.
Here is, (1.) An account given us of the
way of sin and sinners; both what is the best, and what is the
worst of it.
[1.] That which allures multitudes into it,
and keeps them in it; the gate is wide, and the way broad,
and there are many travellers in that way. First, "You will
have abundance of liberty in that way; the gate is wide, and
stands wide open to tempt those that go right on their way. You may
go in at this gate with all your lusts about you; it gives no check
to your appetites, to your passions: you may walk in the way of
your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; that gives room
enough." It is a broad way, for there is nothing to hedge in
those that walk in it, but they wander endlessly; a broad
way, for there are many paths in it; there is choice of sinful
ways, contrary to each other, but all paths in this broad
way. Secondly, "You will have abundance of company in
that way: many there be that go in at this gate, and walk in
this way." If we follow the multitude, it will be to do
evil: if we go with the crowd, it will be the wrong way. It is
natural for us to incline to go down the stream, and do as the most
do; but it is too great a compliment, to be willing to be damned
for company, and to go to hell with them, because they will not go
to heaven with us: if many perish, we should be the more
cautious.
[2.] That which should affright us all from
it is, that it leads to destruction. Death, eternal death,
is at the end of it (and the way of sin tends to it),—everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord. Whether it be the
high way of open profaneness, or the back way of close hypocrisy,
if it be a way of sin, it will be our ruin, if we repent not.
(2.) Here is an account given us of the way
of holiness.
[1.] What there is in it that frightens
many from it; let us know the worst of it, that we may sit down and
count the cost. Christ deals faithfully with us, and tells us,
First, That the gate is
strait. Conversion and regeneration are the gate, by
which we enter into this way, in which we begin a life of faith and
serious godliness; out of a state of sin into a state of grace we
must pass, by the new birth, John
iii. 3, 5. This is a strait gate, hard to find,
and hard to get through; like a passage between two rocks,
1 Sam. xiv. 4. There must
be a new heart, and a new spirit, and old things must
pass away. The bent of the soul must be changed, corrupt habits
and customs broken off; what we have been doing all our days must
be undone again. We must swim against the stream; much opposition
must be struggled with, and broken through, from without, and from
within. It is easier to set a man against all the world than
against himself, and yet this must be in conversion. It is a
strait gate, for we must stoop, or we cannot go in at it; we
must become as little children; high thoughts must be brought down;
nay, we must strip, must deny ourselves, put off the world, put
off the old man; we must be willing to forsake all for our
interest in Christ. The gate is strait to all, but to some
straiter than others; as to the rich, to some that have been long
prejudiced against religion. The gate is strait; blessed be
God, it is not shut up, nor locked against us, nor kept with a
flaming sword, as it will be shortly, ch. xxv. 10.
Secondly, That the way is
narrow. We are not in heaven as soon as we have got through the
strait gate, nor in Canaan as soon as we have got through
the Red Sea; no, we must go through a wilderness, must travel a
narrow way, hedged in by the divine law, which is
exceedingly broad, and that makes the way narrow; self
must be denied, the body kept under, corruptions mortified, that
are as a right eye and a right hand; daily
temptations must be resisted; duties must be done that are against
our inclination. We must endure hardness, must wrestle and be in an
agony, must watch in all things, and walk with care and
circumspection. We must go through much tribulation. It is
hodos tethlimmene—an afflicted way, a way
hedged about with thorns; blessed be God, it is not hedged up. The
bodies we carry about with us, and the corruptions remaining in us,
make the way of our duty difficult; but, as the understanding and
will grow more and more sound, it will open and enlarge, and grow
more and more pleasant.
Thirdly, The gate being so strait
and the way so narrow, it is not strange that there are but
few that find it, and choose it. Many pass it by, through
carelessness; they will not be at the pains to find it; they are
well as they are, and see no need to change their way. Others look
upon it, but shun it; they like not to be so limited and
restrained. Those that are going to heaven are but few, compared to
those that are going to hell; a remnant, a little flock, like the
grape-gleanings of the vintage; as the eight that were saved in the
ark, 1 Pet. iii. 20. In
vitia alter alterum trudimus; Quomodo ad salutem revocari potest,
quum nullus retrahit, et populus impellit—In the ways of vice men
urge each other onward: how shall any one be restored to the path
of safety, when impelled forwards by the multitude, without any
counteracting influence? Seneca, Epist. 29. This
discourages many: they are loth to be singular, to be solitary; but
instead of stumbling at this, say rather, If so few are going to
heaven, there shall be one the more for me.
[2.] Let us see what there is in this way,
which, notwithstanding this, should invite us all to it; it
leads to life, to present comfort in the favour of God,
which is the life of the soul; to eternal bliss, the hope of which,
at the end of our way, should reconcile us to all the difficulties
and inconveniences of the road. Life and godliness are put together
(2 Pet. i. 3); The gate
is strait and the way narrow and up-hill, but one hour in
heaven will make amends for it.
2. The great concern and duty of every one
of us, in consideration of all this; Enter ye in at the strait
gate. The matter is fairly stated; life and death, good and
evil, are set before us; both the ways, and both the ends: now let
the matter be taken entire, and considered impartially, and then
choose you this day which you will walk in; nay, the matter
determines itself, and will not admit of a debate. No man, in his
wits, would choose to go to the gallows, because it is a smooth,
pleasant way to it, nor refuse the offer of a palace and a throne,
because it is a rough, dirty way to it; yet such absurdities as
these are men guilty of, in the concerns of their souls. Delay not,
therefore; deliberate not any longer, but enter ye in at the
strait gate; knock at it by sincere and constant prayers
and endeavors, and it shall be opened; nay, a wide door
shall be opened, and an effectual one. It is true, we can neither
go in, nor go on, without the assistance of divine grace; but it is
as true, that grace is freely offered, and shall not be wanting to
those that seek it, and submit to it. Conversion is hard work, but
it is needful, and, blessed be God, it is not impossible if we
strive, Luke xiii. 24.
Paul Washer on this:
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