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<TITLE>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible [Matthew, Introduction].</TITLE>
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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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on the Whole Bible</h1>
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<h3><a href="http://www.biblesnet.com" target="_blank">Back to Biblesnet.com Home Page</a>
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1721)
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<!-- (Begin Body) -->
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<BR>
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<P><FONT SIZE=+3>Matthew</FONT></P>
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</TD>
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<TD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="15%">
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40001.HTM">Chapter 1</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40002.HTM">Chapter 2</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40003.HTM">Chapter 3</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40004.HTM">Chapter 4</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40005.HTM">Chapter 5</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40006.HTM">Chapter 6</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40007.HTM">Chapter 7</A>
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</TD>
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<TD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="15%">
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40008.HTM">Chapter 8</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40009.HTM">Chapter 9</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40010.HTM">Chapter 10</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40011.HTM">Chapter 11</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40012.HTM">Chapter 12</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40013.HTM">Chapter 13</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40014.HTM">Chapter 14</A>
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</TD>
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<TD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="15%">
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40015.HTM">Chapter 15</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40016.HTM">Chapter 16</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40017.HTM">Chapter 17</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40018.HTM">Chapter 18</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40019.HTM">Chapter 19</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40020.HTM">Chapter 20</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40021.HTM">Chapter 21</A>
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</TD>
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<TD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="15%">
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40022.HTM">Chapter 22</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40023.HTM">Chapter 23</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40024.HTM">Chapter 24</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40025.HTM">Chapter 25</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40026.HTM">Chapter 26</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40027.HTM">Chapter 27</A>
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<LI><A HREF="MHC40028.HTM">Chapter 28</A>
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</TD></TR>
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<A NAME="Page1"> </A>
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<CENTER>
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<P><B>AN</B></P>
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<P><FONT SIZE=+2>EXPOSITION,</FONT></P>
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<P><FONT SIZE=+1>W I T H P R A C T I C A L O B S E R V A T I O N S,</FONT></P>
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<P><FONT SIZE=-1>OF THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO</FONT></P>
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<P><FONT SIZE=+3><B>S T. M A T T H E W.</B></FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=150>
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</P></CENTER>
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<P>
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W<FONT SIZE=-1>E</FONT>
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have now before us,
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I. <I>The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ;</I> so
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this second part of the holy Bible is entitled: The <I>new
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covenant;</I> so it might as well be rendered; the word signifies both.
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But, when it is (as here) spoken of as Christ's act and deed, it is
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most properly rendered a <I>testament,</I> for he is the testator, and
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it becomes of force <I>by his death</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Heb+9:16,17">Heb. ix. 16, 17</A>);
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nor is there, as in covenants, a previous treaty between the parties,
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but what is granted, though an estate upon condition, is owing to the
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will, the free-will, the good-will, of the Testator. All the grace
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contained in this book is owing to Jesus Christ as our Lord and
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Saviour; and, unless we consent to him as our Lord, we cannot expect
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any benefit by him as our Saviour. This is called a <I>new</I>
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testament, to distinguish it from that which was given by Moses, and
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was not antiquated; and to signify that it should be always new, and
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should never wax old, and grow out of date. These books contain, not
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only a full discovery of that grace <I>which has appeared to all men,
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bringing salvation,</I> but a legal instrument by which it is conveyed
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to, and settled upon, all believers. How carefully do we preserve, and
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with what attention and pleasure do we read, the last will and
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testament of a friend, who has therein left us a fair estate, and, with
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it, high expressions of his love to us! How precious then should this
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testament of our blessed Saviour be to us, which secures to us all his
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unsearchable riches! It is <I>his</I> testament; for though, as is
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usual, it was written by others (we have nothing upon record that was
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of Christ's own writing), yet he dictated it; and the night before he
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died, in the institution of his supper, he signed, sealed, and
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published it, in the presence of twelve witnesses. For, though these
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books were not written for some years after, for the benefit of
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posterity, <I>in perpetuam rei memoriam--as a perpetual memorial,</I>
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yet the New Testament of our Lord Jesus was settled, confirmed, and
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declared, from the time of his death, as a nuncupative will, with which
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these records exactly agree. The things which St. Luke wrote were
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<I>things which were most surely believed,</I> and therefore well
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known, before he wrote them; but, when they were written, the oral
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tradition was superseded and set aside, and these writings were the
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repository of that New Testament. This is intimated by the title which
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is prefixed to many Greek Copies, <B><I>Tes kaines Diathekes
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Hapanta</I></B>--<I>The whole of the New Testament,</I> or <I>all the
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things of it.</I> In it is declared <I>the whole counsel of God</I>
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concerning our salvation,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ac+20:27">Acts xx. 27</A>.
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As <I>the law of the Lord is perfect,</I> so is the gospel of Christ,
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and nothing is to be added to it. We have it all, and are to look for
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no more.</P>
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<P>
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II. We have before us <I>The Four Gospels. Gospel</I> signifies <I>good
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news,</I> or <I>glad tidings;</I> and this history of Christ's coming
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<I>into the world to save sinners</I> is, without doubt, the best news
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that ever came from heaven to earth; the angel gave it this title
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Lu+2:10">Luke ii. 10</A>),
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<B><I>Euangelizomai hymin</I></B>--<I>I bring you good tidings; I bring
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the gospel to you.</I> And the prophet foretold it,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Isa+52:7,61:1">Isa. lii. 7; lxi. 1</A>.
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It is there foretold that in the days of the messiah <I>good
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tidings</I> should be preached. <I>Gospel</I> is an old Saxon word; it
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is <I>God's spell</I> or <I>word;</I> and God is so called because he
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is good, <I>Deus optimus--God most excellent,</I> and therefore it may
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be a good spell, or word. If we take <I>spell</I> in its more proper
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signification for a <I>charm (carmen</I>), and take that in a good
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sense, for what is moving and affecting, which is apt <I>lenire
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dolorem--to calm the spirits,</I> or to raise them in admiration or
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love, as that which is very amiable we call charming, it is applicable
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to the gospel; for in it the charmer <I>charmeth wisely,</I> though to
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<I>deaf adders,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+58:4,5">Ps. lviii. 4, 5</A>.
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Nor (one would think) can any charms be so powerful as those of the
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beauty and love of our Redeemer. The whole New Testament is the gospel.
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St. Paul calls it <I>his</I> gospel, because he was one of the
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preachers of it. Oh that we may each of us make it ours by our cordial
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acceptance of it and subjection to it! But the four books which contain
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the history of the Redeemer we commonly call <I>the four gospels,</I>
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and the inspired penmen of them <I>evangelists,</I> or
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<I>gospel-writers;</I> not, however, very properly, because that title
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belongs to a particular order of ministers, that were assistants to the
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apostles
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Eph+4:11">Eph. iv. 11</A>):
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<I>He gave some apostles, and some evangelists.</I> It was requisite
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that the doctrine of Christ should be interwoven with, and founded
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upon, the narrative of his birth, life, miracles, death, and
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resurrection; for then it appears in its clearest and strongest light.
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As in nature, so in grace, the most happy discoveries are those which
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take rise from the certain representations of matters of fact. Natural
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history is the best philosophy; and so is the sacred history, both of
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the Old and New Testament, the most proper and grateful vehicle of
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sacred truth. These four gospels were early and constantly received by
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the primitive church, and read in Christian assemblies, as appears by
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the writings of Justin Martyr and Irenæus, who lived little more
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than a hundred years after the ascension of Christ; they declared that
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neither more nor fewer than four were received by the church. A Harmony
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of these four evangelists was compiled by Tatian about that time, which
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he called, <B><I>To dia tessaron</I></B>--<I>The Gospel out of the
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four.</I> In the third and fourth centuries there were gospels forged
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by divers sects, and published, one under the name of St. Peter,
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another of St. Thomas, another of St. Philip, &c. But they were never
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owned by the church, nor was any credit given to them, as the learned
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Dr. Whitby shows. And he gives this good reason why we should adhere to
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these written records, because, whatever the pretences of tradition may
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be, it is not sufficient to preserve things with any certainty, as
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appears by experience. For, whereas Christ said and did many memorable
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things, which <I>were not written</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Joh+20:30,21:25">John xx. 30; xxi. 25</A>),
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tradition has not preserved any one of them to us, but all is lost
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except what was written; that therefore is what we must abide by; and
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blessed by God that we have it to abide by; it is the sure word of
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history.</P>
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<P>
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III. We have before us <I>the Gospel according to St. Matthew.</I> The
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penman was by birth a Jew, by calling a publican, till Christ commanded
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his attendance, and then he left <I>the receipt of custom,</I> to
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follow him, and was one of those that accompanied him <I>all the time
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that the Lord Jesus went in and out, beginning from the baptism of John
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unto the day that he was taken up,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ac+1:21,22">Acts i. 21, 22</A>.
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He was therefore a competent witness of what he has here recorded. He
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is said to have written this history about eight years after Christ's
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ascension. Many of the ancients say that he wrote it in the Hebrew or
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Syriac language; but the tradition is sufficiently disproved by Dr.
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Whitby. Doubtless, it was written in Greek, as the other parts of the
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New Testament were; not in that language which was peculiar to the
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Jews, whose church and state were near a period, but in that which was
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common to the world, and in which the knowledge of Christ would be most
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effectually transmitted to the nations of the earth; yet it is probable
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that there might be an edition of it in Hebrew, published by St.
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Matthew himself, at the same time that he wrote it in Greek; the former
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for the Jews, the latter for the Gentiles, when he left Judea, to
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preach among the Gentiles. Let us bless God that we have it, and have
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it in a language we understand.</P>
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1721)
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