Mt 14:1
14:1 {1} At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of
     Jesus,

 (1) Here is
        in John, an example of an invincible courage, which
           all faithful ministers of God's word ought to follow:
        in Herod, an example of tyrannous vanity, pride, and
           cruelty, and in short, of a refined conscience, and of
           their miserable slavery, who have given themselves
           over to pleasure:
        in Herodias and her daughter, an example of whore-like
           licentious women, and womanly cruelty.

Mt 14:2
14:2 And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is
     risen from the dead; and therefore mighty {a} works do shew
     forth themselves in him.

     (a) By works he means that force and power by which works
         are performed, and not the works which are often seen
         before.

Mt 14:6
14:6 But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of
     Herodias danced before them, and pleased {b} Herod.

     (b) There were three Herods: the first of them was
         Antipater's son, who is also called Ascalonius, in
         whose reign Christ was born, and it was he that caused
         the children to be slain.  The second was called
         Antipas, Magnus his son, whose mother's name was
         Malthaca or Martaca, and he was called Tetrarch, because
         he enlarged his dominion, when Archelaus was banished
         to Vienna in France.  The third was Agrippa, Magnus his
         nephew by Aristobulus, and it was he that slew James.

Mt 14:14
14:14 {2} And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and
      was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their
      sick.

 (2) Christ feeds a great multitude with five loaves and two
     little fish, showing by it that they will lack nothing who
     lay all things aside and seek the kingdom of heaven.

Mt 14:24
14:24 {3} But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed
      with waves: for the wind was contrary.

 (3) We must sail even through mighty tempests, and Christ will
     never forsake us, so that we can go wherever he has
     commanded us to go.

Mt 14:25
14:25 And in the {c} fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto
      them, walking on the sea.

      (c) By the fourth watch is meant the time nearer to day
          break: for in ancient times they divided the night
          into four watches in which they posted watches.

Mt 14:26
14:26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they
      were troubled, saying, It is a {d} spirit; and they cried
      out for fear.

      (d) A spirit, as it is taken here, is that which a man
          imagines to himself vainly in his mind, persuading
          himself that he sees something when he sees nothing.

Mt 14:28
14:28 {4} And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou,
      bid me come unto thee on the water.

 (4) By faith we tread under our feet even the tempests
     themselves, but only by the power of Christ, which helps
     that faith, which he by his mercy has given.

Mt 14:34
14:34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of
      {e} Gennesaret.

      (e) This Gennesaret was a lake near Capernaum, which is
          also called the Sea of Galilee or Tiberias; so the
          country itself grew to be called Gennesaret.

Mt 14:35
14:35 {5} And when the men of that place had knowledge of him,
      they sent out into all that country round about, and
      brought unto him all that were diseased;

 (5) In that act where Christ heals the sick, we are shown that
     we must seek remedy for spiritual diseases at his hands:
     and that we ourselves are bound to not only run to him, but
     also to bring others unto him.