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Our blessed Saviour, leaving the Pharisees with some dislike, applies himself to the multitude, and instructs them in a very necessary and useful doctrine, touching the original cause of all spiritual pollution and uncleanness; namely, The filthiness and impurity of man's heart and nature. And that it is not the meat eaten with the mouth, but the wickedness of the heart, vented by the mouth, which pollutes a person in God's account. The heart and soul of man alone is capable of sinful defilement. Nothing can defile a person in God's account, but that which defileth the inward man.
Learn hence, 1. That the heart of man is the sink and seed-plot of all sin, the source and fountain of all pollution.
2. That all the impiety of the life proceeds from the impurity and filthiness of the heart. Men's lives would not be so bad if their hearts were not worse. The disciples desiring the interpretation of the foregoing parable, our Saviour gives it them; but withal expostulates with them for not understanding a matter so obvious and plain, Are ye yet without understanding? As if he had said, "Have ye sat thus long under my ministerial teaching, and enjoyed the benefit of my conversation, and yet are no farther proficients in knowledge?" Plainly intimating, that Christ expects a proficiency in knowledge from us proportionable to the opportunities, and means of knowledge enjoyed by us. Having given them this rebuke, he next acquaints them with the sense and meaning of the parable; namely, That it is out of a wicked and sinful heart, that all sin and wickedness doth proceed. Tho' the occasions of sin are from without, yet the source and original of it is from within. The heart of man is as a cage full of unclean birds: Hence proceeds evil thoughts, either against God or our neighbours. Adulteries, or all sins of the flesh. Murders; That is, all cruelty and hard dealing towards others. An evil eye; that is, an envious spirit, which frets and grieves at the happiness of others called an evil eye, because envy doth much shew and manifest itself in the outward countenance, and especially by the eyes.
From the whole, Note, That the best way to hinder the progress of sin in this life, is to mortify it in the heart, to crucify all inordinate motions, lusts, and corruptions, in their root; for the heart is the first seat and subject of sin, from whence it flows forth into the life and conversation.