Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Christ warns his disciples against giving offence.

53

SECT.
CXXV.

saw signs and wonders they would believe. The heart of man may be hardened against the most sensible and immediate miracle; but if that evidence were irresistible, it would ill become us to Ver dictate to God when and to whom it should be given. Let us 29 examine and acquiesce in such as he has seen fit to afford; and pass through our various scenes of life as those that have eternity in view, and are persuaded we must each of us, in a few years at farthest, be with Lazarus in Abraham's bosom, or with the rich man in that tormenting Aame.

SECT. CXXVI.

Christ repeats his exhortations to an inoffensive conduct and a forgiving temper; and warns his disciples not to arrogate any merit to themselves, Luke XVII. 1-11.

LUKE XVII. 1,

THEN said he unto

the disciples, It is

LUKE XVII. 1.

SECT.

OUR Lord also about this time repeated to the impossible but that of- numerous attendants who were then around cxxvi. fences will come: but him several things which he had formerly said woe unto him through in a more private way to the disciples; and parti- xvil.. whom they come.

9 It were better for

cularly addressed them in terms like these: Con-
sidering the general corruption of human nature,
the snares of the world, and the temptations of
Satan, it is impossible but one way or other
offences should come; many professing my reli-
gion will, no doubt, act unworthy of themselves,
and disgrace the holy name they bear: Never-
theless, woe [be to him] by whom they come; and
let me warn you therefore, as you love your
own souls, to guard against the guilt and danger
of being a stumbling-block to others. For I 2

him that a mill-stone
assure you, it were better for such a one, even
were hanged about his
neck, and he cast into for him that by an immoral life proves a re
the sea, than that he proach and scandal to my cause, that he should
should offend one of die by the hand of violence, and suffer the most

these little ones.

Take heed to your selves:

shocking execution; yea, that a huge mill-stone
should be hanged about his neck, and he should
be thrown into the sea, than that he should offend
and insnare one of these little ones that believe in
me, so as to draw the meanest of them into sin
and ruin. (See Mat. xviii. 6, 7. and the notes
there, sect. xciii. Vol. VI. p. 488, 489.)

Take heed to yourselves therefore, that you 3

a Take heed to yourselves.] This contains a strong and important intimation, how much sin, and scandal is occasioned, by a severe quarrelsome temper in the disciples of Christ; as it not only stirs up the cor

may

ruptions of those with whom they contend,
but leads others to think meanly of a pro-
fession, which has so little efficacy, to
soften, and sweeten the tempers, of those
who maintain it.

G2

b Increase

Luke

54

SECT.

We should be ready to forgive a repenting brother.

him; and if he

may govern all your passions aright, and par- selves: If thy brother cxxvi. ticularly your resentments by which otherwise trespass against thee, Luke much sin may be occasioned, both to yourselves repent, forgive him. XVII. 3. and others. And if thy brother trespass against

thee, do not lay up a secret grudge against him for it, but plainly and faithfully rebuke him, endeavouring to convince him of the evil he has committed; and if he appear to repent of his fault, forgive him immediately, without insist4 ing on any rigorous satisfaction. And if he trespass against thee again and again, even though he should repeat his fault, seven times in a day, (compare Psal. cxix. 161.) and seven day return to thee, seriously, saying, I repent of my folly, and am heartily sorry for the injury I have done thee; thou shalt forgive him even these repeated offences. (Compare Mat. xviii. 21, 22. Vol VI. p. 498.)

times in

a

5 Then the apostles said unto the Lord, Lord,
we are sensible, that in this instance, as well as
in several others, we have need to pray, thou
wouldst increase our faith: Oh quicken our
apprehension of the reality and importance of
the motives by which all thy commands are
enforced, and of the authority by which they
are dictated; that we may not scruple to submit
even to such precepts as these, how hard soever
they may bear upon flesh and blood.

6

And the Lord said, If you had ever so little faith, though it were but as a grain of mustard. seed, yet (as I formerly told you,) it would conquer the greatest difficulties; so that you might, it were, be able to say to this sycamore tree, Be thou rooted up, and planted in the sea, and it should presently obey you.

as

4 And if he trespass

against

thee

seven

times in a day, and seven times in a day

turn again to thee,

saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard-seed, sycamore-tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea, and it should

ye might say unto this

obey you.

7 Endeavour therefore to live in the exercise of 7 But which of you
this noble grace, and in a series of such services
as are the proper fruits of it: But in the midst
of all, be careful to maintain the deepest humi-
lity, as in the presence of God your heavenly
Master, on whom, as you are his servants, you
can have no claim of merit: For who is there
of you, that if he has a servant ploughing his
ground,

having a servant plowing, or feeding cattle, will

b Increase our faith.] Woltzogenius himself acknowledges, that their applying to Christ to strengthen their faith, shews that they believed he had a Divine influence over the spirits of men. See Whitby in loc. c You might say to this sycamore-tree, &c.] I do not apprehend this tert to be entirely parallel to Mat. xvii. 20. Vol. VI. p. 480.

In this connection the expression seems
proverbial, and to be as if he had said, As
the least degree of miraculous faith will
(as I said before) produce the greatest
effects, so the least degree of true sincere
piety will finally bear a man above all
opposition, and enable him to conquer the
world.
d Come

No merit must be arrogated to ourselves.

55

will say unto him by ground, or feeding his flock, will say unto him, SECT. and by, when he is as soon as he comes in from the field, Come ind, d, cxxvi. Go and sit down to and sit down at the table with me? Or will he Luke

come from the field,

meat?

not rather say to him, if it was a part of that XVII. 8.

8 And will not rather servant's business to do it, Make ready somewhat say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may for my supper, and when it is prepared gird up sup, and gird thyself, thy garments close about thee, and wait upon have eaten and drunk me, while I am eating and drinking; and afteren; and afterward thou wards thou shalt sit down to eat and drink shalt eat and drink? thyself? And suppose he should observe his 9

serve till I

9 Doth he thank orders with the greatest diligence, does he think that servant because himself obliged to thank that servant, because he he did the things that were commanded him? hath done what was commanded him? I appre

I trow not.

when ye shall have

hend he does not, because he has an authority over the servant, and may justly claim his obe10 So likewise ye, dience as matter of debt. Now to apply this to 10 done all those things your own services; so likewise ye, when you have which are commanded faithfully done all that was commanded you in you, say, We are un- the exactest manner, yet should still say, Surely profitable servants: we

have done that which

was our duty to do.

we are worthless and unprofitable servants, who
cannot pretend to have merited any thing from
the hand of our Master; for we have done no
more than what we were by virtue of our relation
to God, and dependance upon him, indispensa-
bly obliged to do, as much as any purchased
slave is obliged to serve his master. And assure
yourselves, that no services will be so pleasing
to God, as those performed with such an hum-
ble spirit.

These discourses, and those above mentioned, 11
happened in our Lord's journey to the feast of
the dedication; and as he went to Jerusalem
to attend ith, he passed through the midst of Sa-
maria and Galilee, taking those parts of Samaria
in his way, which lay next to Galilee.

11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of

Samaria and Galilee.

d Come in.] Raphelius proves, that the word παρέλθων has often this sense. Compare Luke xii. 37. and Acts xxiv. 7. See Raphel. Annot. ex. Herod. p. 263, and especially Annot. ex. Xen. p. 108.

Gird up thy garments close about thee.] Compare Luke xii. 37. Vol. VI. p. 581.That servants used to be girded while waiting on their masters, is well shown by Elsner, Observ. Vol. I. p. 258, 259. See note b on Luke xii. 35, Vol. VI. p. 581.

f Unprofitable servants.] The word αχρείοι sometimes signifies wicked; (Rom. iii. 12. Mat. xxv. 30.) but in this connection it cannot have that sense. I entirely agree with Heinsius, that here, and 2 Sam. vi. 22. Septuag. it signifies mean, or inconsiderable, as the best of men certainly arc.

IMPROVE

g In our Lord's journey to the feast of the dedication.] See note a on Luke xiii. 23, sect. cxviii. and note a on Luke xiv. 1, sect. exix.

h As he went to Jerusalem.] As Lake has related the two little histories contained in the next section at some distance from each other, it is very difficult (as the attentive reader will observe) to place them together without some tautology. I have therefore inserted the introduction to one of them at the end of this section; leaving out the word εγένελο, it came to pass, which is a mere expletive; or at most does only imply that what is mentioned in the context happened in this journey, or may refer to the discourses Christ had before delivered, as we have observed in the paraphrase.

a Near

56

The time when Jesus should be received up, draws near.

SECT. exxvi.

IMPROVEMENT.

LET us renew our guard against every thing in our conduct, which might give offence to the meanest and weakest; and against Ver. every thing, which might by a bad example mislead others, or fur1, 2 nish the enemies of religion with matter of reproach and accusa3, 4 tion against it. Let us imbibe the forgiving Spirit of the gospel,

and bearing in mind the numberless instances in which God has forgiven us, though we have sinned against him not only seven times, but seventy times seven ; let us arm ourselves in some degree with the same mind, and endeavour to forbear, and forgive one another, even as God for Christ's sake has freely forgiven us. (Eph. iv. 32 and Col. iii. 13.)

5 In a sense of the weakness of our faith, let us pray to Christ to increase it; and then those duties will be discharged with ease and 7-10 delight, which appeared most difficult in a distant prospect. Yet when faith and patience have had their most perfect work, when our Master's will has been borne with the most entire submission, and done with the most zealous dispatch, let us not pretend to place any merit in our own actions or sufferings; but let us think of ourselves as the servants of God, yea, as unprofitable servants, whose goodness extendeth not to our Great Master; And to the riches of his grace let us ascribe it, that our feeble powers are strengthened to the performance of our duty; and that our worthless services are accepted, and the numberless deficiencies of them mercifully excused.

SECT.

SECT. CXXVII.

Christ travelling through Samaria rebukes the intemperate zeal of James and John, against those who refused to grant him entertainment; and heals ten lepers. Luke IX. 51-56. XVII, 12-19.

[blocks in formation]

when the time

come

C. IT was observed in the close of the former Aeneas section, that our Lord was now on his jourLuke ney from Galilee, near the feast of the dedicaIX. 51. tion : and it came to pass, that as the days were

now

a Near the feast of the dedication.) Taking it for granted that the following word, αναληψεως, refers to Christ's ascension (the reasons for which I shall give below), I think this the only place where this little story can properly come in. Most

harmonizers place it just before the feast of tabernacles (of which we had an account in the seventh and eighth chapters of John, from sect. xcviii. to cv); and chiefly on their authority, without a critical examination, I had mentioned it in that connec

He knows his sheep, and will gather them into the fold.

12 But he that is an

shepherd, whose own

85

cxxxiii.

scripture under that character, (Isa. xl. 11. SECT.
Ezek. xxxiv. 23. xxxvii. 24. and Mic. v. 4.)
and I must fully answer it all in its branches ; John
especially in this, that as the good shepherd on x. 11.
occasion layeth down his very life for the de-
fence of his sheep, and will expose himself to
any danger for their safety, (compare 1 Sam.
xvii. 34, 35,) I not only expose, but sacrifice,
my life for the good of my people.

The hireling indeed, who is not the true shep-12
hire'ing, and not the herd, and whose own property the sheep are not
the sheep are not, sceth as soon as he is apprehensive of approaching dan-
the wolf coming, and ger, and sees the wolf, for instance, or some
leaveth the sheep, and other savage beast, coming, immediately regard-
catcheth them, and ing nothing but his own safety, is only careful

fleeth: and the wolf

scattereth the sheep.

13 The hireling A-eth, because he is an

hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

14 I am the good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and ain known of mine.

knoweth me, even so

to secure himself, and leaves the sheep and flees
away; and so the wolf, meeting with no resist-
ance, seizes on some of them, and disperses the
rest of the sheep. Now the hireling flees on 13
such an occasion, because he is a hireling, and
is not concerned about the safety of the sheep, but
takes the work upon him merely for his own
gain and the wages he is to receive: and thus
basely will those teachers act in a time of dan-
ger who undertake the office merely in regard
to their own secular advantage.

But I am the good Shepherd, who have a true 14 affection for my sheep, and am above the influence of all such mean and selfish views: and such is the relation that there is between us, and such the love we have to one another, that I know and acknowledge my [sheep], and take the kindest and most tender care of them; and I am also known, acknowledged and confided in, by 15 As the Father mine: So that we mutually are dear unto each 15 know I the father: other; and even as the Father knoweth me, and and I lay down my owns his affection and regard to me, by the sure tokens of his presence and approbation; and I also know, or acknowledge and honour, the Father, in the delight with which I do his will; so the affection is reciprocal between me and my sheep and as it is in love to them, as well as with an ultimate view to his appointment and his glory, that I lay down my life for the sheep he has given me, so also do my sheep acknowledge and confide in me, and so do I protect and patronize them.

Life for the sheep.

[blocks in formation]

And I would farther observe to you, as a point 16 of great importance, that I have other sheep which L 2

are

« AnteriorContinuar »