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Our Saviour having gone through the cities of Galilee, preaching the doctrine of repentance, and confirming his doctrine with miracles, and finding multitudes, after all his endeavours, remain in their impenitence, he proceeds to upbraid them severely for their contempt of gospel-grace: Then began he to upbraid their cities, &c.
Where observe, 1. The cities upbraided, Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum: in their pulpits he daily preached, and those places were the theatres upon which his miracles were wrought; other cities onlyheard these saw; but where he preached most, he prevailed least; like some fishermen, he catched least in his own pond.
Observe, 2. What he upbraids them for; not for disrespect to his person, but disobedience to his doctrine; because they repented not. The great design of Christ both in the doctrine which he preached, and in the miracles which he wrought was to bring men to repentance; that is, to forsake their sins, and live well.
Observe, 3. Whom he upbraids them with; Tyre and Sidon, Sodom and Gomorrah, nations rude and barbarous, out of the pale of the church, ignorant of a Saviour, and of the ways to salvation by him.
Learn, that the higher a people rise under the means, the lower they fall if they miscarry. They who have been nearest to conversion, and not yet converted, shall have the greatest condemnation when they are judged. Capernaum's sentence shall exceed Sodom's for severity, because she exceeded Sodom in the enjoyment of means and mercy. The case of those who are impenitent under the gospel, is of all others the most dangerous, and their damnation shall be heaviest and most severe. Sodom, the stain of mankind, a city soaked in the dregs of villainy: yet this hell upon earth shall have a milder hell at the last day of judgment, than unbelieving Capernaum, as the next verse informs us, Mat_11:23.