590

Reflections on the regard we should shew to the gospel.

SECT. to the rage, with which the enemy is endeavouring their destruc. tion. May we be animated in it by the example of the blessed

CXV.

Luke Jesus, who, with a view to this, even longed for those sufferings,

XII. 50. which

innocent

54, 56

aversion!

May we at all times be so wise as to discern the evidences, and to comply with the purposes, of the gospel, else our knowledge

to

the

most

in natural things, should it extend not only common, but the most curious appearances on the face of the earth or the heavens, will turn to no other account but to shame and con

demn us! 58 If we have any reason to fear that, through obstinate impeni tence, the blessed God is still an adversary to us, let us make it our first and greatest care, that, by an humble submission of soul

strict

scrutiny of

to him in the methods of his gospel grace, that his justice may be prevented, and that sentence of his wrath averted, which would otherwise plunge us into endless ruin and misery; for when could we pretend to have paid the last farthing of the debt of ten thousand talents, which we have been daily contracting, and which is charged to our account in the book of his remembrance.

deliver thee to the offi

Reflections on the regard we should shew to the gospel.

589

he hale thee to the on the way; lest he force thee before the judge, SECT. judze, and the judge and the judge, having found thee to be indeed

CXV.

cer,

and

officer

thee into prison.

shalt not depart thence

the cast accountable, deliver thee to of serjeant, and the serjeant throw thee into prison. XII. 58. 59 I tell thee, thou It will not then be in thy power to compound 59 till thou hast paid the the matter very last mite.

the

custody

the

Luke

upon gentler terms, or to get free from thy confinement; but I tell thee that, when

advantage,

thou

he has thee at such an shalt not be able to come out from thence till thou hast paid very last mite of the debt thou owest ".

the

the

proposals

And thus if you are regardless of of God's mercy while the day of life and grace is continued, nothing is to be expected from the

tribunal of his justice, but a severe sentence, which will end in everlasting confinement and

punishment.

IMPROVEMENT.

To what a lamentable degree is human nature corrupted, that Ver. so noble a remedy as the gospel, so well adapted to the cure of a 49 malevolent and contentious disposition, should in so many instances only irritate the disease! and that a scheme so full of love and goodness, and so well suited to promote peace and harmony in those, who cordially embrace it, should be opposed with all the violence of persecution, and be the means of introducing strife and division!

How monstrous is it, that any should hate their neighbours, 51, 53 yea, and their nearest relatives, for that disinterested piety, and regard to conscience, which might recommend strangers to their esteem and affection! Yet let not those, who meet with such injurious treatment, be discouraged; knowing they have a Father and a Saviour in heaven, whose love is ten thousand times more than all nor let others be offended, as if Christianity had been the occasion of more evil than good; for such is the nature of eternity, that the salvation of one immortal soul will be more than an equivalent for the greatest and most lasting temporal evils, which the greatest number of persons can suffer for conscience sake.

Let this awaken our zeal to save souls, however great and ter- 50 rible the sufferings are, to which it may expose us, in proportion

h The very last mite of the debt thou owest.] The mite [λenlov,] was the least valuable of their coins (see Mark xii. 42), containing no more than half of their least kind of farthing, or of their xodgaving, or quadrans; which was itself but the fourth

VOL. VI.

⚫ to

part of the as, or acσapsov, or of the larger farthing, mentioned Mat. x. 29. and Luke xii. 6; so that the mite was but little more than the third part of an English farthing, and a sparrow was reckoned worth four of them,

4 C

$83

They are inexcusable in not discerning him to be the Messiah. SECT. ly say, A heavy shower is coming; and it is so. straightway ye And when you find] the south-wind blowing from There cometh a show.

Cvil.

Luke

Arabia,

climates,

you

sa",

er; and so it is. And when ye see

55

the desert of and other hot XII. 55. say, There will be sultry heat; and so according the south wind blow, 56 ly it comes to pass. Ye hypocrites, that pretend ye say, There will be

for

heat; and it cometh to

you

were

pass. 56 Ye hypocrites,

to ask farther signs, as if sirous to know, whether I be or be not a Divine Teacher

these

; you know how by such remarks as ye can discern the face

of the sky, and of the

earth:

but

how

to is it the heavens, so as to foretell the changes in the that you do not discern weather before they come; but how is it that this time? you do not discern and judge of the much more evident signs of this time, which are

with such

manifest and unparalleled the Messiah's coming? (Compare Mat. xvi. 2, 3, 57 p. 456.) Yea, why is it you do not of yourselves judge what is fit and right, and

gather from such obvious premises, ought in reason and conscience to treat so extraordinary a Person as

I appear to be from

whole series of my doctrine and conduct, instead of disregarding all the proofs that shew me to be sent from God?

58 This, however you may thoughtlessly neglect it, is a matter of the utmost importance: I must

26.

of

judge ye

yourselves not what is

therefore enforce the exhortation I formerly gave thou art in the way, you (Mat. v. 25, p. 209), and you to endeavour, with the greatest diligence, that the controversy may immediately be up between God and your souls. For you count it a rule of human prudence, when you go to the magistrate with your adversary, who has a suit against you, to use your utmost endeavour to make up the affair with him while you are yet

e A heavy shower is coming.] Oμfços properly signifies a heavy shower; and usw, in the next verse, sultry or scorching heat.

оп

g Use your utmost endeavour to make up the affair with him.] Theophylact intimates, and Salmasius, and after him, La Cene, largely insist upon it, that Eyatay signifies "Pay the interest, as well as the principal of thy debt, in order to procure deliverance." But Luke make use

of another word [rx] for usury (Luke xix. 23), which I think a considerable ar gument for the common rendering, which is also more extensive.-Anhhandai signifies, not merely any kind of deliverance, but such an agreement as secures the defendant from any farther danger of prose; as Elsner accurately shews,

Why is it you do not even of yourselves, &c.] The phrase ap'salwr does not seem here to signify, "From the like principles of good sense which you use in common affairs, or in matters relating to yourselves;" but it seems an advance on that thought, as if our Lord had said, "Even though I had not so expressly drawn the consequence, yet, from the tenor of my doctrine and character, as well as from my miracles, you might have discerned, your selves, that it must be a very wrong and cution. very dangerous thing to reject and slight Observ. Vol. I. p. 237.-It is well known me."-Castalio and Grotius connect this that avidin properly signifies a prosecutor, verse with the two following, I think, with- or one who has a suit at law against anoQut any reason. ther, whether in a civil or criminal case

The