58

He rebukes the intemperate zeal of James and John.

SECT. enemies, he resolutely set his face to go up to Jeexxvii. rusalem, though he knew it was the last journey he should take from Galilee thither, and that IX. 52. tortures and death awaited him there. And

Luke

52 And sent mes

and they went, and

as his way lay through Samaria, being a stran sengers before his face: ger there, he sent messengers before his face, who entered into a village in their progress entered into a village of the Sa- of the Samaritans to maritans to prepare entertainment for him; only make ready for him. desiring to take a lodging there, and to pay for

53 their accommodation. But the Samaritans had 53 And they did not receive him, because such a national grudge against the Jews, that his face was as though they would not receive him, nor grant him the he would go to Jerusa common rites of hospitality due to any stranger lem. because his face was directed towards Jerusalem; and they concluded, from the season of the year, that this visit was intended as a peculiar honour

54

to the temple there.

And when his disciples, James and John, who 54 And when his attended him, saw it, they said, Lord, wilt disciples, James and saw they thou that we speak for fire to come down from hea- said, Lord, wilt thou ven to destroy them, as Elijah did with regard that we command fire to his enemies (2 Kings i. 10, 12); for surely heaven, and consume one word in such a case will do it, and the ar- them, even as Elias tillery of heaven will be much more ready to did? avenge such an affront offered to thee, who art

so much superior to any of the prophets?

to come down from

rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are

55 But [Jesus] turning short upon them, rebuk- 55 But he turned,
ed them with a becoming severity, and said, Ye and
know not what kind of spirit ye are of; you nei-
ther consider the genius of the gospel, so much of.
more gentle than that of the law, nor do you
sufficiently know your own hearts; and if you
were more diligently to examine them, you
would soon find that there is a great deal of per-
sonal resentment and ostentation mingled with
all that zeal for me which you so warmly ex-
press on this occasion. But I reject your mo-

56 For the Son of

man

Ten lepers cleansed, of whom but one gives thanks.

59

man is not come to tion as absolutely unfit to be complied with; SECT. destroy men's lives, for the Son of man came not into the world to cxxvii.

but save them. And

they went to another erect his kingdom by military force, or by any Luke

village.

LUKE XVII. 12. And as he entered

other method to destroy men's lives, but to save IX. 56.
them; and therefore will exert his miraculous
power in works of mercy and benevolence, and
not of terror and vengeance. And they departed
from that place, and went on till they came to
another village.

And as he entered into a certain neighbouring XVII.12

into a certain village, village, there met him ten men who were lepers,
there met him ten and who on that account were shut out from the
men that were lepers, towns to which they belonged; and as in this
which stood afar off.
miserable state they could have no society with

any but themselves, both Jews and Samaritans
13 And they lifted conversed promiscuously together. And stand-13
up their voices and ing afar off, lest they should pollute passengers
said, Jesus, Master,
have mercy on us.

who might come too near them, they lifted up
their voice, and said with great earnestness, hav-
ing heard of the fame of Christ, Jesus, Master,
we beseech thee to have mercy upon us, as thou

hast already extended it to others in these de

14 And when he plorable circumstances. And, seeing them as 14 saw them, he said unto they stood crying to him, he said unto them, Go, them, Go shew selves unto the priests, shew yourselves to the priests; intimating that the And it came to pass, cure they desired should be performed by the that as they went they way. And it came to pass, that as they were going in obedience to his word, they were all miraculously cleansed by the power of Christ, the efficacy of which was such as to operate at a distance as well as near.

were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned

back, and with a loud voice glorified God;

And one of them, perceiving he was healed, was 15 so affected with it, that he immediately returned with an heart full of gratitude and joy, glorifying God with a loud voice, and made a free

and open acknowledgment of so signal a mercy. 16 And fell down And, presenting himself before Jesus, he fell down 16 on his face at his feet, giving the most affectionate thanks unto him as the immediate Author

on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

of his cure; and it is remarkable that he was a 17 And Jesus an- Samaritan. And Jesus observing it, answer-17 swering said, Were ed and said, Were there not ten lepers cleansed ed? but where are the

there not ten cleans

nine?

give glory to God, save

but where [are] the other nine, of whom it might
have been expected, as they were Jews, that they
should have expressed a greater sense of piety,

and have been more ready to thank God for their

18 There are not deliverance? How is it, that of all who were 18 found that returned to cleansed none are found who have returned to this stranger. give glory to God but this poor stranger to the 19 And he said commonwealth of Israel? And he said to him, 19 Arise,

unto

VOL. VII.

H

60

Reflections on the evil of a persecuting spirit.

SECT. Arise, go thy way; this thy faith in my power unto him, Arise, go cxxvii. has saved thee, and been happily made the thy way; thy faith

Luke means of thy cure; and from these grateful XVII.19 sentiments, with which thy heart is filled, thou mayest conclude the cure thou hast received is given thee in mercy.

hath made thee whole.

Luke ix. 53

IMPROVEMENT.

WHO would not have imagined that the blessed Jesus should have been most cordially welcome wherever he came, when there was grace in all his words, and benevolence in all his actions? Yet these Samaritans would not receive him because he was a Jew. And thus do unhappy prejudices, taken up on imaginary grounds, against men, and things in the general, sometimes injure the best of men, and prove much more hurtful to the persons themselves by whom they are entertained.

54 The rash disciples would have called for fire from heaven; and let us observe how Christ treated the proposal. He treated it like himself; like the kind compassionate Friend of human nature; and also like one who well knew what was in man, (John ii. 25), and how little human terrors and severities can do towards producing a real conversion. Yet fire from heaven might have carried along with it some rational ground of conviction, which penal laws and sanguinary executions can never produce. What then would Christ have said to these disciples if they had themselves proposed to smite with the sword, or to cast fire-brands

55 into the house of these inhospitable men? Little do they know their own spirit; little do they understand either the true genius or the true interest of the gospel, who have recourse to such vialent methods as these to extirpate heresy and to propagate truth. Let us bless God that neither the guilt nor the misery of such a conduct is ours.

:

Let us learn to search our own hearts, that we may form a thorough acquaintance with ourselves; which will greatly promote both the comfort and usefulness of life. Especially let us attend to our aims and intentions, and be greatly jealous over our own hearts, lest we indulge our irregular passions under religious pretences, and set up the standards of malice and pride in the name of the Lord.

From the story of the ten lepers let us learn importunately to xvii. seek the influences of Christ, to purge us from that far more odious and fatal disease which sin has spread over our whole nature; and, after the example of the Samaritan, let us own the mercy we have received. Have we not reason to fear that, of the multi

61

cxxvii.

The Pharisees inquire when the kingdom of God will come. tudes who are indebted to the Divine goodness, there is not one SECT. in ten who has a becoming sense of it? Let us labour to impress our hearts deeply with such a sense. Let us remember what it Luke is that God expects of us; and let us farther consider that, as the XVII. exercise of gratitude towards such a Benefactor is most reasonable, 17, 18 so also in proportion it is most delightful to the soul; it is indeed (as one well expresses it) like the incense of the Jewish priest, which, while it did an honour to God, did likewise regale with its own fragrancy the person by whom it was offered.

SECT. CXXVIII.

Our Lord cautions the Jews against expecting a pompous kingdom of the Messiah, and warns them of the approaching national destruction which would be the consequence of rejecting him. Luke XVII. 20, to the end.

AND when he was THUS our Lord went on in his journey, and SECT. demanded of the at length came to Jerusalem. And it was cxxviii,

Pharisees, when the

kingdom of God com

ton.

21

Luke

kingdom of God should about this time that, being asked by some of the come; he answered Pharisees when the kingdom of God, which he XVII.29 them, and said, The had so often mentioned as approaching, should eth not with observa- actually come; he answered them, and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with that external pomp and observation of inen which you expect. Neither shall they point to this or that remark-21 able place, and say, Behold [it is] here, or, behold [it is] there. For behold, and observe it attentively, the kingdom of God is already among you: though, because it is an inward and spiritual kingdom, erected in the hearts of men, and not attended with outward grandeur, you overlook it as unworthy your regards.

Neither shall they say, Lo here, or, the kingdom of God is within you.

lo there: for behold,

22 And he said unto the disciples, The

And he afterwards said to the disciples apart, 22 days will come when Though you do indeed undergo some present difye shall desire to see ficulties, in consequence of your adherence to me, one of the days of the yet you have so much greater extremities before Son of man, and ye shall not see it. you, that the time will come when you shall wish to see one of these days of the Son of man, and shall not see it; and the whole Jewish nation having rejected Me, the true Messiah, shall yet long for

the

62

Christ represents the manner of his coming,

SECT. the appearance of him whom they expect under cxxviii. that character, and eagerly listen to every one

Luke

or, see there: go not

that pretends to it. And accordingly they shall 23 And they shall XVII.23 say to you, Behold, [he is] here, or behold [he is] say to you, See here, there; [but] do not you go out on hearing such after them, nor follow reports to seek him, nor join to follow [them] in them.

out of the one part un

the Son of man be in

24 any of their vain delusive schemes. For he will 24 For as the light-
indeed come, but in a very different manner ning that lighteneth
from what they expect; even to execute upon der heaven, shinethun-
them a sudden and unavoidable destruction: for to the other part under
as the lightning which lightens from one [part] heaven; so shall also
under heaven, shines in a moment with the great- his day.
est swiftness to the other [part] under heaven; so
also in as swift and terrible a manner shall the
coming of the Son of man be in his day, when he
appears to plead the cause of that gospel which
has been so generally despised. (Compare Mat.
25 xxiv. 23, 27. sect. clxi.) Nevertheless, he must
first suffer many things, and be yet more oppro- and be rejected of this
briously and solemnly rejected by this generation generation.
of men, who shall by this public and national
act of impiety and rebellion fill up the measure
of their iniquities. (Compare Luke xxiii. 18-
21. John xix. 15. Acts iii. 13-15.)

25 But first must he suffer many things,

26 And as it was

in the days of Noe, so days of the Son of man.

shall it also in the

ried wives, they were

entered into the ark: destroyed them all.

and the flood cane and

26 Then shall impending vengeance fall upon
them at once: and as it was in the days of Noah
which preceded the flood, so also shall it be in the
days of the Son of man, or in those days when he
shall come in the manner I have now described
27 for the destruction of his enemies. For, not- 27 They did eat,
withstanding the express predictions of Divine they drank, they mar-
judgments approaching, they went on with their given in marriage, un-
usual course as if there were no danger; they did til the day that Noe
eat, they drank, they married wives, [and] their
daughters were given in marriage; and with a
confident security they persisted in the business,
entertainments and luxuries of life, till the very
day in which Noah entered into the ark; and then
the deluge came with irresistible fury, so that it
overbore and destroyed them all at once; (Gen. vi.
28 13. vii. 21.) Likewise also as it was at Sodom
28 Likewise also as
in the days
it was in the days of
of Lot, they did eat and drink, they Lot, they did eat, they
bought and sold, they planted vineyards, and built drank, they bought,
magnificent houses, and never thought them- they sold, they plant-
selves more secure, or their pleasant country more ed, they builded:

29 like to flourish; Thus did they carelessly go on, 29 But the same day
despising every admonition of their guilt and that Lot went out of
Sodom, it rained fire
danger: but on the very day when Lot went out and brimstone from
of Sodom, an horrible tempest of fire and brim- heaven and destroyed
stone was rained down by the Lord from heaven, them all,

and