108

Mat.

They that leave all for Christ shall be great gainers.

throne of his glory, ye

SECT. it were, be born anew from their graves; when man shall sit in the created nature shall put on its fairest forms to also shall sit upon receive them, and the Son of man presiding over twelve thrones, judging XIX, 28. that august assembly, shall sit on the throne of the twelve tribes of his glory, exalted above the highest angels of Israel. [MARK X. 29 LUKE XVIII. 29.-] God, you also, my faithful apostles, shall sit around me upon twelve radiant thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel; concurring joyfully with me in the sentence which shall then be passed, on the Jewish nation, and on all the professed members of my church, as they have been sincere, or faithless, in their profession, and in the observance of those laws, which you by authority from me, their exalted Sovereign, shall have given them.

Mark

MARK X.-29.

no

man, that hath left

And though some peculiar rewards are reX. 29. served for you, with regard to your apostolic [And] there is character; yet there is no man in any state or house, or brethren, or condition of life, whether in this or in any future sisters, or father, or age of the world, who hath left, or shall here- mother, or wife, or children, or lands, after leave, his house, or brethren, or sisters, or [LUKE, for the kingfather, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands; dom of God's sake, is, ] for my in one word, none who shall undergo the loss that [name's] sake, and of any temporal advantages, for the sake of the the gospel's, [MAT. kingdom of God, [that is] for my name's sake XIX. 29. LUKE 30 and the gospel's; But he shall receive manifold XVIII.-29.] more for it, in the inward satisfaction and Di- ceive [LUKE, manivine consolations attending real religion, [yea] fold more, yea] an even an hundred-fold, now in this present time, this [LUKE, present] more than all the comfort he could naturally time, houses, and brehave found in houses, and brethren, and sisters, thren, and sisters, and and mothers, and children, and lands; such mothers, and children, shall be the delights of a good conscience, and cutions, and in the the secret manifestations of Divine acceptance and favour, which shall mingle themselves with all the persecutions he shall here endure; and

where mentions as that in which he should
sit on the throne of his glory. Mat. xxv. 31,
32.-Mr. Pierce (on Heb. i. 5.) follows
Brennius in expounding the regeneration
of the time when Christ should be (as it
were) begotten again by his resurrection
from the dead; but the criticism seems very
unnatural, and the objection mentioned
above lies against it in its full force.-The
laboured argument which Dr. Thomas Bur-
net deduces from hence, to prove the re-
novation of the earth at the millennium, is
very precarious; since the words will so
fairly admit of another sense, referring
them to the general resurrection. See Bur-
net's Theory, Vol. II. p. 229, 230.

when

30 But he shall re

hundred-fold now in

and lands, with perse

world

k Shall sit upon twelve thrones.] Our Lord well knew that Judas would fall from his office and dignity; but as Matthias filled his place, and so stood intitled to the promise, he did not think it fit to enter into any particular distinction; but speaks to the whole body of the apostles in words which he knew would be accomplished to the far greater part of those to whom they were addressed.

Shall receive-an hundred-fold now in this present time-with persecutions.] Dr. Massey, in his Vernacula Sacra, p. 18, proposes a very different version of this period, viz. " Though he may not receive [car un han] an hundred-fold (or a sufficient recompence)

Reflections on the hopeful youth forsaking Christ.

109

CXxxvii.

world to come [shall when they are over, as they will quickly be, SECT. inherit] eternal life. in the world to come he shall inherit everlasting [MAT. XIX. LUKE XVIII. 30.]

29.

31 But many that

are first shall be last;

and the last shall

life, and be for ever enjoying that happiness, Mark
which God has prepared for all his children, X. 30.
especially for such heroic seuls as these, when
all earthly relations are ceased, and the world
itself is dissolved.

But such will be the issue and event of things 31
under the gospel, that many [who are] first in
be] first. [MAT. the advantages and privileges they enjoy, shall
XIX. 30.]
notwithstanding this fall short of others, and
be last in the great day of accounts; and those
who are the last, shall prove in this respect
to be the first: For some, from whom it might
be least expected, shall embrace the gospel,
and courageously endure the greatest hardships
for it; while others, with far greater advan-
tages, shall reject it, and under much stronger
engagements shall desert it.

IMPROVEMENT.

X. 17.

WHO can behold, without weeping eyes, and a bleeding heart, this lovely youth perishing in sin m! What could have appeared more promising, than this solicitous concern about eternal life, in a young man, rich in the possessions, and high in the honours of Mark the present world! To see him running with such eagerness to the feet of a Redeemer, kneeling down, with such humility before him, calling upon him by so honourable a title, and professing so sincere a desire of instruction, could not but lead us to conclude, Surely this man was not far from the kingdom of God; nor do we 21 wonder, that Jesus beholding him loved him. Who would not have looked on such an object with complacency! Who would not have expected, that this pleasant plant should have brought forth grapes; but behold, it brought forth wild grapes! (Isa. v. 2.) So have we seen, in the compass, perhaps, of our small observation and experience, many a fair blossom fall withering to the ground. So

compence) now in this time, houses, and
brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and chil-
dren, and lands; yet after persecution,
[sia Suppor] and in the world to come,
he shall receive eternal life." But I neither
think the authority of Theophylact suffi-
cient to warrant our substituting day
for diwwy; nor can I find any satisfactory
example of such an ellipsis as this version
supposes in the original, if that variation
were allowed; to which we may add, that
the parallel passages both in Mat. and Luke
lie strongly against the version proposed.

110

Reflections on the hopeful youth forsaking Christ.

SECT. have the hopes of ministers, and parents, and other religious cxxxvii. friends, been disappointed, with respect to many young persons, Mark adorned with a variety of amiable qualifications, yet lacking one X. 21. thing, and parting with Christ when put to the trial, after all the regard they have shewn to his name, and all the pleasing expectations they have given of a willingness to serve him. O my young Reader, whoever thou art, I earnestly pray, that thou mayest not be added to that number!

19, 20

This unhappy youth imagined himself in the certain way of salvation, because he was free from the stains of fraud and injustice, of adultery and theft, of perjury and murder, or any other gross and infamous sin. But behold, how awful a method Christ takes, to open to him that insincerity of heart, which he seems himself not to have known. Observe, how strange a command he 21 gives him, to sell all, and distribute to the poor. We cannot say, that the very same is directly required of us; yet by this order that was given to him, we are obliged to part with our all, when it cannot be preserved with a good conscience; and by the general rules of Christianity, and its fundamental precepts, we are in duty bound, conscientiously to use, not only a little part of our substance, but even the whole of it for God, as stewards who are another day to give up a strict account for all. And if we like not Christ and glory on these terms, our end will be no better than his. Of him we read, that after all his morality, and all his zeal, he went away from Christ, (though sorrowful,) because he had great 22 possessions. Oh dear-bought wealth, which was the price of his soul!

Let us look upon him, and receive instruction; let us learn to be upon our guard against this vain world, that specious harlot, who hath cast down many wounded; yea, many strong men have been slain by her; (Prov. vii. 26.) How universally are riches desired, how eagerly are they pursued, by persons in all stations and of all professions of life! Yet what do they generally prove but shining mischief and gilded ruin! If we believe the incarnate 23--25 wisdom of God, they make our salvation exceeding hazardous. Yet who does not wish for them? Who does not think that he has wisdom and grace enough to stand the danger? But God knows otherwise, and therefore he keeps, or makes, so many of his children poor.-Let them be contented with their safer state; and let those who are rich be importunate with God for those influences 27 of his grace which can effect those things that are impossible with men.

On the whole, let us not think much of any thing which Christ demands, knowing that whatever we may lose, or whatever we 29 may resign, we shall gain far more by his favour. The testimony

of

The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.

111

of a good conscience before him, a life of friendship with God, the SECT. consolations of his Spirit, and the hopes of his glory, will yield, even for the present, an hundred-fold more satisfaction than the Ver. possessions of the greatest riches, or the enjoyment of the most 30 tender and beloved relatives. How much more abundantly then will all be repaid in the heavenly state! And, if we cannot trust the promise of our Lord for it, we are no more real Christians than if we were publicly to worship mammon, or Plutus, with all the idolatrous rites of the ancient heathens.

SECT. CXXXVIII.

Christ, by the parable of the labourers in the vineyard, warns the Jews against envying the Gentiles those equal privileges to which they should be called in the Messiah's kingdom. Mat. XX. 1-16.

MAT. XX. 1.

FOR the kingdon of

heaven is like unto

a man that is an house

holder, which went out early in the morning

to hire labourers into his vineyard.

MAT. XX. 1.

cxxxviii.

Mat.

IN order to illustrate the observation which our SECT. Lord had just been making, "that many who were first should be last, and many last should be first," he added the following para- xx. 1. ble, and said, This will be found to be the case in many instances; for the kingdom of heaven, or the gospel-dispensation, is like, or may be fitly represented by the similitude of a manTM that was the master of a family, who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard, at the time when the vintage was to be gathered in. And having agreed with the 2 labourers for the usual price of a denarius, or Roman penny, a day, he sent them into his vineabout the third hour, yard, to be employed there in his service. And going out again about the third hours, 3

2 And when he had

agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his

vineyard.

3 And he went out

and

a Is like, or may be fily represented by the similitude of a man.] See note i on Luke vii. 22, Vol. VI. p. 307.-Those who are acquainted with the eastern manners know that this parable is exactly suited to them in a variety of circumstances, which many learned commentators have observed, but which it does not seem neCessary to enumerate here. See Petav. Dogmat. Theolog. Vol. 1. p. 305, & seq.

b A denarius, a Roman penny, a day.] It seems from hence that this (which was in value about seven-pence halfpenny of our money) was the usual price of a day's service among the Jews; as Tacitus tells us it was among the Romans. (Annal. i. 17.) It is therefore 'justly mentioned, Rev. vi. 6. as a proof of the great scarcity

(or

of provisions, when a measure or chanix of
wheat, which was the usual allowance to
one man for a day, and was about an
English quart, was sold at that price.

c About the third hour.] Dr. Whitby in
his Paraphrase explains the first call in the
morning, of the earliest days of Christ's
preaching; that of the third hour, as re-
ferring to the mission of the apostles when
they were first sent forth to preach among
the Jews; those of the sixth and ninth
hours, of their preaching the gospel, after
the descent of the Holy Ghost, to the Jews
in Judea, and then to the dispersed in other
parts; and that of the eleventh hour, of the
calling of the Gentiles: but this seems an
excessive nicety of distinction.-The Jews
were ready to look upon themselves with
complacency,

112

The labourers are hired at different hours.

idle in the market

4 And said

unto

SECT. (or at nine in the morning) he saw others stand- and saw others standing exxxviii. ing unemployed in the market, where it was cus- place, Mat. tomary for servants to stand, in order to their XX. 4. being hired. And he said to them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is the reasonable value of your labour", I will be sure to give you. And they went away to their work without any more particular agreement.

5

6

8

9

And again going out about the sixth and ninth hour (or at noon, and at three in the afternoon) he did the same, and sent others to work on the same general promise of giving them as much as they could reasonably expect.

them, Go ve also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, will give you. And they went their way.

I

5 Again he went out about the sixth

and ninth hour, and did likewise.

6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others

idle?

And once more about the eleventh hour, (or at five in the afternoon) going out of his house, he returned to the market, and found others standing idle, and saith standing unemployed: and he says to them, Why unto them, Why stand do ye stand here and do nothing? Do you choose ye here all the day thus to trifle away your time, and continue the whole day unemployed? They say unto him, 7 They say unto No; but we continue here, because no one has him, Because no man hired us to any kind of labour. Then he says to saith unto them, Go them, Go ye also into the vineyard, where you ye also into the vinemay be employed, and whatsoever is fit and yard, and whatsoever is right, that shall ye reasonable to be given for your labour, you receive. shall receive.

hath hired us. He

8 So when even was

come, the lord of the steward, Call the labourers, and give them from the last unto the their hire, beginning

vineyard saith unto his

Now when evening was come (or at six
o'clock), the time when workmen were paid off,
and sent home, the lord of the vineyard says to his
steward, Call the labourers who have been work-
ing in the vineyard, and pay them their wages,
beginning from those who were the last hired, first.
and so going on even to the first.

about the eleventh

And having thus been ordered to present them- 9 And when they selves, when they accordingly came foremost who came that were hired, [were hired] about the eleventh hour, and so had hour, they received entered last into the vineyard, they each of them every man a penny. received no less than a penny, the master having directed they should be thus generously rewarded.

complacency, as a people who had for
many ages adhered to the worship of the
true God, and in some periods had endured
great extremities out of a regard to it; and
it seems natural to interpret what is said,
(ver. 12.) of bearing the burden and heat of
the day, with a reference to this, rather
than to any peculiar hardship which the
earlier converts among the Jews might
have endured more than the believing

And

Gentiles, many of whom met with much the same treatment on their embracing Christianity. See 1 Thess. ii. 14.

d Whatsoever is reasonable.] So I think the word dino may be rendered, Phil. 1.7. Col. iv. 1. and 2 Pet. i. 13. and that it signifies not only what a person may legally claim, but what he might equitably expect from a person of honour and humanity,

e They