HE THAT IS JOINED UNTO THE LORD IS ONE SPIRIT.-1 Cor. vi. 17.

LUKE ix. 54-60.

54 was as-though-he-would-go ny topevoμevoy to Jerusalem. And when- his disciples James and John -saw this, they-said, Lord, wilt-thou that we-command fire to-come55 down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he-turned, and-rebuked 56 them, and said, Ye-know not what-manner-of spirit ye are-of. For the Son of man isnot-come to-destroy men's lives, but to-save them. And they-went to another village.

57

A certain man proposes to follow Jesus.-Ver. 57, .8.

And it-came-to-pass, that, as-they-went in the way, a-certain man said unto him, 58 Lord, I-will-follow thee whithersoever thou-goest aneoxy. And Jesus said unto-him, Foxes have holes, and birds of-the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to-lay his head.

59

Jesus calls one to follow him.-Ver. 59, 60. Samaria.

And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to-go and60 bury my father. Jesus said unto-him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou andpreach the kingdom of God.

SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS.

Lu. ix. 53. to Jerusalem-The subject of dispute between the Samaritans and the Jews, was whether God should be worshipped at Jerusalem, or on mount Gerizim, Jno. iv. 20, § 13, p. 93-Our Lord has taken away the pride of both, by allowing himself to be denied common hospitality in Samaria, and crucified in Jerusalem-Eph. ii. 16, That he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby :'

54. Jumes and John-Jesus had surnamed these two, Boanerges, the sons of thunder, Mk. iii. 17, § 27, p. 206-John had just before been reproved, on account of manifesting a spirit similar to that of the Samaritans, that of exclusiveness, Lu. ix. 49, 50, § 52, p. 75.

as Elias-when king Ahaziah sent once and again a captain with fifty men to take the prophet, fire at his request came down from heaven and consumed them, 2 Ki. i. 9-12.

55. he turned, and rebuked-see also in the case of Peter, Mt. xvi. 23, § 50, p. 41.

what manner of spirit, &c.- The same spirit as that of the Samaritans, against whom their wrath had been kindled-see on 51, supra.

56. destroy men's lives-see Jno. iii. 17, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.'

57. a certain man-Mt. viii. 19, § 34, p. 264. 'a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee,' &c.

whithersoever thou goest-see on Mt. viii. 19, ib.

58. Son of man hath not, &c.-see on Mt. viii. 20, § ib.-Jesus had been refused entertainment in a Samaritan village, ver. 53, supra-It is he who speaks in the song, Cant. v. 2, &c., Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.'

59. bury my father-see on Mt. viii. 21, § 34, p. 265. 60. Let the dead, &c.-see on Mt. viii. 22, ib. preach the kingdom of God-Antithetic to burying the dead-this being the means of bestowing spiritual life, preparatory to a blessed resurrection- The apostles Peter and John, 'preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead,' Ac. iv. 2-and unto the Athenians, Paul preached Jesus and the resurrection, xvii. 31-comp. Mt. xix. 28, § 75, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.'-Rev.

NOTES.

could not refuse lodgings to all travellers that went to Jerusalem, for the high road lay through their country. Such travellers only as went thither professedly to worship were the objects of their indignation, hence the above expression.

for his enemies, should never think of avenging themselves on their persecutors.

56. Not come to destroy, &c. Equivalent to The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.' 58. Foxes, &c. Jesus had said this once before, at Lu. ix. 54. James and John. See Mk. iii. § 27, p. 213, Capernaum, when about to pass over by ship into the ADDENDA, The twelve,' James and John.' country of the Gadarenes, Mt. viii. 19, 20, § 34, p. 264. Our Lord, who knew all hearts, seems to have given this reply to strike at once at the worldly motives which probably lurked in this man's heart, in proposing to follow Christ. He would have him understand he could gain by its advantage nothing temporal. PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS.

That we command fire. Vengeance belongs to the Lord. What we suffer for his sake should be left to himself to reprove or punish. The insult is offered to Him, not to us. The disciples of HIM who died

Lu. ix. 53. Let us beware of indulging in the uncharitableness of sectarian bigotry: it was the Samaritans who denied to themselves the honour of entertaining the LORD OF LIFE AND GLORY.

54 ver. Let us not be overcome of evil: when we

ask for power, let it be the power of doing good; not the power of injuring even the opposers of Christ and of the worship of God. The judgments which the righteous Judge has been pleased to minister through any of his servants, are not for our imitation, but for warning, Judgment belongs to the Lord, and vengeance is his strange work. Be ours an observance of his great law of LOVE.

strangers! What forbearance is required in the followers of the Lamb!

57 ver. Notwithstanding all the discouragements of the way, let us think of our Leader and the blessed determine, by the gracious aid of God's Holy Spirit, reception we are to meet with above; and let us to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.'

58 ver. Let us count the cost, and be willing to be actually are so. as Christ was in the world, nor despise those who The condition of the poor is less

a reproach to the poor themselves, than to some of the professed disciples of Him who, though he was 55 ver. Let us beware of esteeming our own proud rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that we through wrath a zeal for our Master's honour.

56 ver. Let us ever act in accordance with our Saviour's mission into the world.

What condescension in the Lord of all to submit to such a refusal in his own land from Samaritan

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his poverty might be rich.-See 2 Cor. viii. 9.

59 ver. Let those who are made spiritually alive feel it to be their first duty to busy themselves in the salvation of the living, rather than in the burying of the dead-to prepare all for a blessed resurrection.

LET NOT THE SUN GO DOWN UPON YOUR WRATH:-Ephes. iv. 26.

LUKE ix. 61, .2.

Another said, Lord, I will follow thee, &c.

61 And another also said, Lord, will-follow thee; but let me first go bid-them-farewell 62 алота аσbai, which are at home-at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No-man, having-put his hand to the-plough, and looking back, is fit eubeTos for the kingdom of God.

SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS.

NOTE.

Lu. ix. 62. Having put his hand to the plough, &c. | required peculiar attention to make them penetrate
This is a proverbial expression, and used by the the ground and work straight.
Greek writers. The ancient rude and simple ploughs

PRACTICAL REFLECTION.

Lu. ix. 61. Perhaps there may have been something I in the feeling with which the words, At home at my house,' were spoken by the man who proposed first to go bid his friends farewell, which called for the

O GOD, THOU HAST TAUGHT ME FROM MY YOUTH: AND HITHERTO HAVE 1 DECLARED THY WONDROUS WORKS.-Psalm lxxi. 17.

MY LIPS SHALL GREATLY REJOICE WHEN I SING UNTO THEE; AND MY SOUL, WHICH THOU HAST REDEEMED.-Psalm lxxi. 23.

ADDEND A.

COMPARISON OF THE CASES RECORDED BY MATTHEW AND LUKE, OF PERSONS WHO PROPOSED, OR WERE INVITED, TO BECOME FOLLOWERS OF JESUS.

I WILL BE SORRY FOR MY SIN.-Psalm xxxviii. 18.

IF I WASH MYSELF WITH SNOW WATER, AND MAKE MY HANDS NEVER SO CLEAN;

ON THE SUPPLEMENTARY RELATION OF LUKE ix. 51-xviii. 14, TO THE TWO FIRST GOSPELS. Greswell, Vol. II. Diss. xxxi. p. 517-.44.

'It is generally agreed that, so far as ch. ix. 50, the gospel of St. Luke accompanies the gospels of St. Matthew and of St. Mark; but from ch. ix. 51 xviii. 14, it proceeds, apparently, by itself. On the supposition, then, of the regularity of his gospel throughout, the intermediate matter, between these extremes, is peculiar to St. Luke; and, as the mere statement of the extremes themselves is sufficient to prove, it is no small portion of the whole.

The point of time at which St. Luke ceases to accompany St. Matthew and St. Mark, is the return. to Capernaum, prior to the last feast of tabernacles; and the point of time at which he rejoins them, is with the close of the last journey up to Jerusalem, when our Lord either had already passed, or was just on the eve of passing, out of Perea into Judæa, Mt. xix. 1, 13; Mk. x. 1, 13; Lu. xviii. 15 [§§ 71-4, PP. 209, .20]. On the same supposition, therefore, of St. Luke's regularity, as before, it follows that the whole intermediate matter, peculiar to his gospel, belongs to the interval of time between that return to Capernaum, and that passage from Perea into Judæa; an interval which could not comprise less than the last six months of our Saviour's ministry, and possibly comprised even more.

Throughout the whole of these details, which we suppose to be thus comprehended, there are numerous historical notices, some express, others implicit, which demonstrate that our Lord all the time. was travelling and teaching; and travelling and teaching upon his way to Jerusalem. There are evidences of a journey going on with the utmost publicity; expressly undertaken in order to arrive at Jerusalem; and wheresoever it might have begun, and whatsoever course it might take meanwhile, yet known and understood to be tending to that one point, and concluded by arriving there at last. There are, consequently, evidences of a circuit as such; and, if it is a circuit belonging to one and the same occasion, of a circuit begun and prosecuted on a very general scale, the fourth of the kind, of which the gospel history has yet supplied the proof.

All these indications are of manifest importance in fixing the period to which the whole of Lu. ix. 51xviii. 14, inclusively, is to be referred. During the last six months of our Saviour's ministry, there were three feasts, all which he attended personally in their Zorder: the third feast of tabernacles, the third feast of dedication, and the fourth passover; between which feasts, and these intimations of the direction, or the circumstances of his motions, preparatory to arriving at Jerusalem, there is this kind and degree of congruity, that all those intimations may most easily, most obviously, and most naturally, be understood of a journey preparatory to the last passover, but they can none of them, with any propriety, be understood of a journey preparatory to either of the other two feasts, which most immediately preceded it.....

The last journey to Jerusalem, and the attendance at the last passover, are the only journey to Jerusalem, and the only attendance at any feast, which the first three gospels have placed on record. Yet St. John's gospel proves that our Lord must have been up to Jerusalem five several times besides. Now all these indications in St. Luke may clearly be referred to that one journey; and it is a strong presumptive argument of the necessity of this reference, that no visit to Jerusalem, as such, is specified by him, but the last; nor consequently could any journey, preparatory to such a visit, be specified by him, but the last. It is a similar argument, that ch. xviii. 15, in St. Luke, a point of time which, as well as the rest, belongs to this journey, coincides with Mt. xix. 13, and Mk. x. 13 [§ 74, p. 220]; both points of time which indisputably belong to the last journey to Jerusalem, and to a period of the journey when it was not far from Jerusalem itself.....

'Now, such is the notice premised to this division (ch. ix. 51) 'Eykveto de, è touμnλnpovodai ràs huipas τῆς ἀναλήψεως αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐστήριξε τοῦ πορεύεσθαι εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ-that it could not have been premised to anything but the occasion of our Lord's last journey to Jerusalem. The words should

be rendered thus-Now it came to pass, as the days for his being taken up were beginning to be fulfilled, that he himself also stedfastly settled his counte nance, to go to Jerusalem. ... . The days of his being taken up; al huépa Tns avaλnews avrou; can bear no other construction than that of the period appointed for his reception into heaven. There are analagous phrases in hulpas ȧradeížews, the day when the Baptist should be manifested, Lu. i. 80; in xapo ává ves, the seasons when refreshments should come, Ac. iii. 19; in ὁ καιρὸς τῆς ἐμῆς ἀναλύσεως, the season for St. Paul's being released, 2 Ti. iv. 6: and the like. That this period was a definite one appears clearly other passages of scripture which might be quoted. from Jno. xiii. 1; xvi. 28, xvii. 1, 11, and from many That it coincided with the period of the Ascension is equally evident, both from the necessity of the case, and from the very expression employed to designate it. 'Aváλms, the act of taking up, or being taken up, is regularly derived from the verb dradaußára; ἀναβαίνω, ἀναφέρομαι, ἐπαίρομαι, is the verb invariably and this verb, or some synonymous one, such as employed, in speaking of our Lord's ascent into heaven, Mk. xvi. 19 (§ 98); Ac. i. 2, 11, 22; 1 Ti. iii. 16;' Jno. xx. 17 (§ 93); Ac. ii. 34; Rom. x. 6; Eph. iv. 8, 9; Lu. xxiv. 51; Ac. i. 9 (§ 98).....

There can be little question, then, that at Lu. ix. 51, the approach of the last passover, and the occasion of the last visit to Jerusalem, begin to be distinctly pointed out; and consequently that both the third feast of tabernacles, and the third feast of dedication, were already passed; that is, that two months at least out of the six which we have assigned to this period in general, had now elapsed. If so, the course of events, from this time forward to the close of our Saviour's ministry, cannot embrace more than four months; and may embrace even less.

'Now it is said that Jesus prepared to execute his intention of proceeding to Jerusalem, by sending messengers, in the first place, to a certain village of Samaria; whence it must be evident he had to pass through Samaria. Samaria extended across the western division of Palestine, between Judæa and Galilee; and if a person travelling towards Jerusalem had to pass through Samaria, one of the two following suppositions must necessarily be the case ;either he was in Galilee, and passing from thence directly into Judæa; or he was in Judæa, and passing from thence directly into Galilee; intending in each case that his journey should terminate at Jerusalem in the end. That the latter supposition was actually true of our Saviour's case at the time may be shewn by the help of St. Luke's narrative itself as follows.

"The mission of the Seventy, ch. x. 1, [§ 60, p. 141,] took place in the course of the journey now undertaken, and after the passage through Samaria. The mission of the Seventy, then, took place either in Galilee, or in Judæa. But the mission of the Seventy was preparatory to a circuit of our Lord himself: they were appointed and sent before his face into every city and place whither he himself was about to come. If the mission, then, took place in Galilee, the circuit which followed it began in Galilee; but if the former took place in Judæa, the latter also began in Judæa. Now no circuit of our Lord's ever began in Judæa; nor, unless Judæa, and not Galilee, had been the proper scene of his ministry from the first, could any of his circuits as such have begun in Judæa. Every circuit, whether general or partial, which had yet been undertaken, we have seen had all been undertaken in Galilee, and confined to Galilee. The notion of a circuit, begun in Judæa, to arrive at Jerusalem, unless the circuit had been confined to Judæa, and much more the idea of a passing on purpose from Galilee, through Samaria, preparatory to such a circuit in Judæa, is preposterous. Even after the mission and return of the Seventy, when our Lord had begun his progress in their track, it is certain that, for a part of the time at least, he was still within the dominions of the Te trarch of Galilee; and as to the circuit's being undertaken in Judæa, and much more its being confined to that country-at a time when it must be apparent the BY FAITH.-Rom. i. 17.

[VOL. II.

YET SHALT THOU PLUNGE ME IN THE DITCH, AND MINE OWN CLOTHES SHALL ABHOR ME.-Job ix. 30, .1.

HE THAT FOLLOWETH AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS AND MERCY FINDETH LIFE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND HONOUR.-Prov. xxi. 21.

progress was got into Judæa, there is no proof of its doing more than travel, with the necessary diligence and dispatch, along the high road from the passage of the Jordan to Jerusalem. The mission of the Seventy, then, took place in Galilee; and the passage through Samaria, before their mission, was consequently a passage from somewhere in Judæa to somewhere in Galilee. If so, our Saviour was previously in Judæa.

Now the last notices in the former evangelists, Mk. ix. 50, and Mt. xviii. 35, [§§ 52, .3,] clearly represented him to be in Galilee; but this was a little before the feast of tabernacles, and consequently two months at least before Lu. ix. 51: within which time it is manifestly possible that he might both have left Galilee, and returned thither again, prior to Mt. xix. 1, or to Mk. x. 1, [§ 71, p. 2097. The gospel of St. John, to a certain extent, confirms this possibility by the matter of the fact; for, after shewing that our Lord was thrice at Jerusalem within that time, it brought him, as we saw, to Ephraim; and there, for the present, it left him, ch. xi. 54, § 58, p. 133.

reconcileable to the idea that the course of the 'This description of things, however, is not less journey, in this passage through Samaria, was not merely designed to terminate there at last, than at the time in the actual direction of Jerusalem, but another, which occurs sometime after, ch. xvii. 11, Jerusalem, that he went through the midst of Sama[$ 70, p. 208]. It came to pass, as he was going to ria and Galilee. There is no authority for changing the order of these words, or putting Galilee before Samaria; in which case, whatever occasion was taking our Lord to Jerusalem, St. Luke must be understood to affirm that he went through Samaria first, and through Galilee last; in other words, that for one part of his journey, the direction in which he was proceeding was as much away from Jerusalem, as during the rest it might or it must have been comp. with Mt. xix. 13, Mk. x. 13, [§ 74,] proves that he towards it.-Directly after this notice in ch. xviii. 15, was either in Judæa, or on the point of passing into it. The truth is, all these occasional notices from ch. ix. 51-xvii. 11, belong to the course and continuance of one and the same journey, begun from The utility of this gospel, and its critical adapta- Ephraim, and terminated at Jerusalem, but visiting tion to the rest, must consequently now begin to be in the interim Galilee and Perea also; the particustrikingly exemplified; for if our Lord, according to lars of which even St. Luke does not relate in detail, the authority of St. Matthew and of St. Mark, in the but only here and there, with such admonitions incourse of the last circuit, passed directly into Judæa terspersed as may serve to keep the reader in mind out of Peræa, and directly into Peræa out of Galilee, what Jesus was doing, where he had been, or where he must have returned from Ephraim sometime after he was, and what end he had in view by the journey St. John left him there, and come again into Galilee all the time. sometime before St. Matthew and St. Mark take him thence. If he had not again left Ephraim, which 'As the feast of dedication expired upon the third was in Judæa, he could not have come into Judæa day of the tenth sacred month, and, as we have seen, out of Peræa; and if he had not returned into there could have been no great interval between the Galilee, he could not have passed into Peræa out of departure from Jerusalem, subsequent to the attenGalilee. Ephraim lay, indeed, in Judæa, but close dance at that feast, and the departure from Bethany, upon the verge of Samaria; and one who was de- subsequent to the raising of Lazarus, all which we sirous to return into Galilee from thence, it is should now be concerned with, would be the length morally certain would pass by the readiest route, of the stay at Ephraim. St. John's expression, and consequently through the country between. It Kaksi disтpiße [ch. xi. 54, § 58, p. 133], taken in any is such a return in the present instance, a return latitude we may please, cannot necessarily apply to from Ephraim through Samaria, which I suppose to more than one month's residence. In this case our be the return into Galilee, recorded by St. Luke, preLord would leave Ephraim to return into Galilee, paratory to the mission of the Seventy; and, while it two months at least before the recurrence of the is perfectly in unison with the accounts of each gospel passover, that is, about the end of January; and in particular, to perpetuate, connect, and fill up, comthere would still be sufficient time both for the mispletely and satisfactorily, the united accounts of all. sion and the return of the Seventy, and for his own It may be objected, however, and it is the only subsequent circuit, made as proposed in their route. material objection, that the motive assigned to the It can scarcely be doubted that, having despatched rejection of Jesus by the Samaritans, ch. ix. 53, bethe Seventy from some certain place, he must have cause his face is said to have been going to Jerusa- rejoined him have set out directly afterwards. And waited there until their return; but as soon as they lem; his face was as though he was going to Jeru- hence, with nothing interposed after the account of salem; is at variance with our supposition; and leads to the inference that the course of the journey lay their mission, except the mention of their return, we actually in the direction of Jerusalem. And had the find him immediately after on his way himself. evangelist been speaking of the direction of the journey, and not of the purpose of him who had un-specified, yet enough has been said to prove that it 'Now, though the place itself is not distinctly dertaken it, this inference might have been just. But from the word #póσwоv in this instance, distinctly in must have been somewhere in Galilee; and if it was allusion to the same term as used before, ch. ix. 51, it anywhere in Galilee, no place is so likely as Caperis manifest this is not the case. naum. This circuit was the last, and so far if not the Jesus settled his face, longest, yet the most important of all; and as every it was then said, to go unto Jerusalem; the Samaritans saw his face, it is now said, that it was going to former circuit had originally set out from CaperJerusalem; that it was as of one going to Jerusalem. cular would do so. naum, it is reasonable to suppose that this in partiIn both cases the meaning of the term is the same; place of abode; and if he had to wait for the return Capernaum was our Lord's and as it signifies in the first only a fixed purpose and determination, it can signify no more in the last. of the Seventy anywhere, he would most naturally wait for it in his usual home. His ministry in GaIt is sufficient to explain the words, and, on the lilee was begun by a circuit which set out from principle of the old religious and national animosity thence; and it was only consistent that it should be between the Jews and the Samaritans, to account also for the conduct of the latter, to suppose that, when closed also by a circuit, beginning from the same. The Twelve, as we have shewn was highly probable, Jesus departed from Ephraim, to pass through their were sent from Capernaum; and the same thing, country, it was known, or on probable grounds was collected, that he was repairing to Galilee, intending Seventy. Besides which, our Lord is expressly said a priori, was just as likely to be the case with the to commence a public tour to Jerusalem from thence. Even upon this occasion, he set out with to have set out thence, Mk. x. 1, [§ 71, p. 209,] before more state and solemnity than he had ever observed. he passed from Galilee into Peræa, and from Peraa into Judæa. And though no positive conclusion before; for he sent forward messengers to prepare for may be deducible from Lu. x. 15, a part of the charge his reception. These messengers must have been acquainted with his intention, and were probably those words were delivered in Capernaum, and on to the Seventy, preparatory to their departure, yet, if some two of the apostles, perhaps James and John, the spot, it must be acknowledged they would lose who resented the indignity done to their Master so nothing in point of force and propriety, but would be much more warmly than the rest..... wonderfully enhanced as to both."

SUGGESTIONS ON THE PROBABLE PLACE AND TIME OF Luke ix. 51-62. It is suggested that the determination of Jesus to the time of his being received up was nigh. Prego to Jerusalem, intimated Lu. ix. 51, refers not to vious to the feast, Jno. vii. 10, &c., § 55, p. 91, Jesus any SINGLE going up, but to the GENERAL change seems not to have made any public appearance in which took place in the conduct of our Lord, when Jerusalem, since the feast at which he healed the VOL. 11.] IN GOD I WILL PRAISE HIS WORD.-Psalm lvi. 4.

A WISE MAN SCALETH THE CITY OF THE MIGHTY, AND CASTETH DOWN THE STRENGTH OF THE CONFIDENCE THEREOF.-Prov. xxi. 22.

[139

impotent man at the pool of Bethesda. He then took occasion, see ch. v. 17-30, § 23, p. 176, explicitly to declare himself to be ONE with the Father in work, counsel, power, bestowment of life, and also in judgment. He then and there fully delivered his credentials as being the SENT of God, testified to by every kind of evidence.

Having thus declared himself, Jesus leaves the Jews for a while, giving them time for the calm consideration of the many weighty matters he had brought

before them.

In order to avoid giving any pretext for apprehending him, before he had made his public appearance at the feast, it was requisite that his journey to, and entrance into, the city should be private. Still, as being accompanied by the Twelve, it was necessary that some preparation should be made for their lodging and entertainment by the way. In order to this, he sends messengers into a village of the Samaritans, but they refuse to receive him: not it would seem on any personal account, but simply because of his having the common appearAnother passover occurs, as noticed Jno. vi. 4, ance of those who went up to Jerusalem to worship. § 40, p. 311, but still there is no favourable response Such an occurrence is likely to have taken place in from Jerusalem. Although disallowed on earth, a journey to Jerusalem; when the direction in which his claims are, however, fully allowed in heaven. the company were proceeding, at the time of a Jewish And on the mount of Transfiguration, as at Jesus' festival, would at once tell to the hostile Samaritans, entrance upon his public ministry, he is acknowledged by the Father as his Beloved Son, in whom he the object of the journey; which was less likely to be is well pleased; and the words, Hear ye him,' are revealed by his going in quite an opposite direction, some considerable time after a feast. added, fully authenticating to the chosen witnesses all that Jesus had said of himself and his mission. It is also worthy of remark, that the subject of folThe attention of his brethren had been drawn to lowing Jesus, so repeatedly suggested in the course of his repeated absence from Jerusalem at the festivals; this journey, see Lu. ix. 57, .9, 61, is very much the and they begin to taunt him on the subject: see subject of his discourse upon this very visit to JeruJno. vii. 2-9, § 54, p. 87, and comp. Jno. vii. 1, § 52, salem; as is also the spirit of self-sacrifice, accordp. 70. It is now, when longer continuing to absenting to the will of the Father, for the salvation of himself from Jerusalem would seem to be a relin- men; in which his disciples are more particularly quishing of his claims, that he resolves to brave called to become followers of Jesus.-See Jno. x. 1-18, § 55, p. 114. every danger and difficulty in testifying to the truth. Now he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.' Both the subject of discourse, and the manner in There, setting his face as a flint, and refusing to be which it is illustrated, are altogether consistent with ashamed, he stedfastly proceeded to fill up the testi- the idea that Lu. ix. 51-62, relates to the journey to mony, of which he had, at his last visit, given a sum- the feast of tabernacles referred to, Jno. vii. 10, § 55, mary.-See Jno. v. § 23. p. 91.

UPON QUESTIONS OF PRACTICE, A WELL CHOSEN CASE IN POINT DOES MORE TO ILLUSTRATE THE RULE OF DUTY, AND TO EXPLAIN

SECTION 60.-(G. 26, .7.)-[Lesson 57.]-FROM CAPERNAUM JESUS SENDS SEVENTY OF HIS DISCIPLES IN COMPANIES OF TWO AND TWO, WHERESOEVER HE HIMSELF INTENDS TO COME; AND WAITS AT CAPERNAUM FOR THEIR RETURN. JESUS ANSWERS THE INQUIRY, OF A CERTAIN LAWYER, CONCERNING ETERNAL LIFE; AND DELIVERS THE SECOND OF HIS MORAL PARABLES.-Luke x. 1—37.—[See Greswell, Vol. II. Diss. xxxi. pp. 525—.35.]

INTRODUCTION AND ANALYSIS.

THE LINE OF DUTY TO BE PURSUED UNDER THE NECESSARY CIRCUMSTANCES, THAN ANY GENERAL AND ABSTRACT STATEMENT.

2.

4.

5, 6. 7, 8.

before them. 9.

He bids them pray that the Lord would send forth labourers into his harvest. 3. Warns them that they are sent forth as lambs among wolves. The urgency of their message; they are not to delay, in order to make provision for the journey, neither to salute any man by the way. How to know where to lodge. To partake of such food as is set To employ themselves in promoting both the temporal and the spiritual good of the people among whom they are sent. 10-.2 Not to take even the dust of the streets of any city which refuses to receive them. The awful case of such city. 13-5. Woe pronounced upon Chorazin and Bethsaida; and Capernaum, exalted to heaven, is to be thrust down to hell. - 16. The importance of attending to the gospel message: Jesus reckons as done to himself that which is done to his messengers. 17. The seventy return, rejoicing that even the devils are subject to them through the 18-20. Jesus alludes to the fall of Satan; gives the Seventy power over all the power of the enemy; but he tells them not to rejoice in this, but

name of Jesus.

because their names are written in heaven.
Jesus rejoices in Spirit, and thanks
the Father for revealing to babes.

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21.

Lu. x. 22.

Tells them that all things are delivered to the Son by the Father; that only the Father knoweth who the Son is, and that only by the Son can the Father be truly revealed. 23, .4. Jesus' disciples are more highly favoured than many prophets and kings, on account of the things they are privileged to see and hear. 25, .6. A lawyer having asked, 'What shall I do to inherit eternal life?' Jesus refers him to the law, asking what is written therein. 27. The lawyer replies, by giving a summary of the law, in the two great commandments, Love to God, and love to our neighbour. Jesus acknowledges the correctness of the answer, but intimates that it remains for the

28.

29.

lawyer to bring his conduct into harmony with his
knowledge.
Probably conscious that he had
he would not like to be approached by others, and
come to Jesus in a spirit and with a design in which
which he may have excused in himself by supposing
that Jesus was unworthy the kindness due to a
neighbour, the lawyer asks, 'And who is my neigh
bour?

in

to

30-5. Jesus replies, by telling of a man who, in travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho, fell among thieves, and was left naked and half dead; which case he could not be recognised as a neighbour, by either a priest or a Levite, who happened to pass that way. At length a Samaritan came the place in the course of his journey, gave him all needful assistance, and expended on him whatever was necessary for his safety and recovery. 36. Jesus asks, which of the three was neighbour to him that fell among thieves. 37. The lawyer replies, 'He that shewed mercy. Jesus answers, Go, AND DO THOU LIKEWISE.' [VOL. II.

LET THE LORD BE MAGNIFIED,-Psalm xxxv. 27.