Henry on Religious Hypocrites Feigning
Reverence for Godly Men of Past Ages

Matthew Henry commenting — in regard to Matthew 23:29 — that it is a characteristic of religious hypocrites to feign reverence for godly men of past ages, who testified against infidelity, while they hate and persecute the godly men of their own day, who testify against their infidelity:

“They pretended a deal of kindness for the memory of the prophets that were dead and gone, while they hated and persecuted those that were present with them….Carnal people can easily honour the memories of faithful ministers that are dead and gone, because they do not reprove them, nor disturb them, in their sins. Dead prophets are “seers that see not,” and those they can bear well enough; they do not torment them, as the living witnesses do, that bear their testimony viva voce — with a living voice (Rev. 11:10). They can pay respect to the writings of the dead prophets, which tell them what they should be; but not the reproofs of the living prophets, which tell them what they are.”