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Luke xxii. 17, 18).-From the salt, He takes occasion to acquaint them with the nature of their office, which was to season the minds of men, and keep them from the contagion of this world, as well as to give them a true taste and relish for the enjoyments of that kingdom; and at the same time reminds them of the absolute necessity for their duly executing this their office; otherwise, instead of being the best, the purest, and most useful, they would become the most worthless, and incurable, and contemptible among mankind, (Mark ix. 50; Luke xiv. 34.)-Those that were fishers, He teaches how to catch men, (Luke v. 10; Mark i. 17); and shews them how far this would resemble their former employment, in taking of all kinds, both bad and good; which were at first inseparable, but would at length be carefully distinguished from each other, (Matt, xiii. 47).—Seeing the moneychangers, He exhorts his disciples to lay out their several talents to the best advantage, (Matt xxv. 27; Luke xix. 23, 45).—Being among the sheepfolds He proves Himself to be the true Shepherd of souls, describing the particulars in which His cha

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racter exactly answered that of a good shepherd, (John x. 1—16).--Among vines, He discourses on the spiritual husbandman and vine dresser, and draws a parallel between His vineyard and the natural one, (Matt. xv. 13; John xv. 1).—Upon the appearance of summer in the trees before Him, He points out as evident signs of His approaching kingdom, (Luke xxi. 29; Matt. xxiv. 32).-At the season of fruits, He put the Jews in mind that the time was come when some fruit would be expected from them, in return for all the labour that had been bestowed upon them; and intimates the judgment that would shortly overtake all such among them as were found unprofitable, (Matt. xxi. 33; Luke xiii. 6). When the harvest comes on, He reminds them of the spiritual harvest, or the gathering of His church among men; admonishes them to labour diligently in that work, and add their prayers to heaven for success, (Matt. ix. 38; Luke x. 2; John iv. 35). From servants being made free on the sabbatical year, He takes occasion to proclaim a greater and more noble freedom from the slavery of sin, and bondage of corruption, (John viii. 32).

And from the Jewish ceremony of fetching water on the last day of the feast of tabernacles, in commemoration of the miracles wrought for their fathers in the thirsty wilderness, He introduces an offer of that true living water which should be unto them a well springing up unto everlasting life; the Gospel, immortal happiness and salvation, and the plentiful effusion of the Holy Spirit, which they that believed on Him were to receive, (John vii. 37, &c.) compare (John iv. 10).—Upon hearing of some that were killed by the fall of a tower, and others put to death by the Roman governor in the midst of their sacrifices, He guards them against all misconstruction and rash censure in such cases; exhorts them all to take due warning by these punishments, and foretells the general destruction of such as would not be persuaded to it; and which should be more distinguishable, as coming attended with the very same circumstances, (Luke xiii. 1.)—From the conspicuous eminence of a city standing on a mountain, He turns His discourse to the no less remarkable situation of His own disciples, (Matt. v. 14).- From the temple before Him, He points to that of His

body, which was most properly so called from the Divinity residing in Him, (John ii. 19).—From Herod's unadvisedly leading his army out to meet the king of Arabia, who came against him with superior forces and defeated him; a lesson is laid down to all who entered on the Christian warfare that they should first well weigh and carefully compute the difficulties that attend it, before they were engaged in a matter of such consequence, (Luke xiv. 31).—From the robberies which were more particularly frequent in that age, He forms a beautiful story of a certain traveller, who fell among thieves, who stripped, and wounded, and could find no relief from any of his own country or persuasion; but met with it in one of those from whom he had the least reason to expect it, as being so much used to despise and hate that people, and their way of worship from whence He forces His opponent to approve this amiable instance of humanity, even in the odious character of a Samaritan; and thereby shows him, incontestably, that the like good office would no less become a Jew in the like circumstances, (Luke x. 30).—And from what

often happened about that time, namely, that those who obtained the kingdom of Judea went to Rome to be confirmed in it; and, on their return, called such to account as had been wanting in their duty, and took ample vengeance on those who rebelled against them (which was the case particularly under Archelaus) He gives His followers to understand, that after He had ascended into heaven, and taken full possession of His spiritual kingdom, He would come again in power and great glory, and not only punish that rebellious nation of the Jews with exemplary judgments, but at length condemn all those who wilfully opposed His Gospel, as well as those who continued to neglect and disregard it, (Luke xix. 12).—Many more instances might be given, where Christ has formed His arguments and exhortations on such things as offered themselves to Him, applying each most amply to His present purpose: and, where this does not so immediately appear, we have reason to believe it is chiefly owing to the stances in the history. proved every thing into

omission of some circumBy these means He iman useful moral, made

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