cxvii. The parables of the grain of mustard-seed and of the leaven. 13 bound, lo these eigh whom Satan, by the Divine permission, has SECT. teen years, be loosed bound in this cruel manner, lo, for these eighteen years together, should be loosed from this bond even on the sabbath-day, especially when it XIII. 16 might be effected without any labour, by no more than a word and a touch. from this bond on the sabbath-day? 17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him. 18 Then said he, Unto what is the king dom of God like? and whereunto shall I re semble it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard-seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden, and it grew, and waxed a lowls of the air lodged in the branches of great tree: and the it. 20 And again he I liken the kingdom of God? Luke And when he had said these things, all his 17 Now on this occasion, for the farther encou-18 And again he said, To what else shall I liken 20 which a woman took and hid in three mea whole was leavened. 22 And he went through the cities and villages, measures of meal; and yet it insinuated and dif- And thus he went through all the principal ci- soever 14 cxvii. Reflections on the cure of the crooked woman. rusalem. SECT, soever he came, and travelling on toward Jeru- villages, teaching and Ver. sect. cxxxiv.) and to spend the little remainder IMPROVEMENT. AGAIN do we see, in a very instructive instance, the power 12 and goodness of Christ. It wrought on a poor despised creature ; 16 but our Lord considered her as a daughter of Abraham, and honoured, even in her, whatever traces of her father Abraham's faith and piety his penetrating eye might discern. Her zeal and willingness to attend on public worship brought her out, though 11 she could not stand upright, and had probably in that respect a much better excuse for staying at home than many could make, who now often absent themselves from the much nobler services of the Christian sanctuary. 10, 13 16 14 She met with Christ in the synagogue, and returned with a cure. And oh, how many, as the effect of such a pious zeal, though they have not been loosed from their infirmities, have at least been greatly strengthened to bear them. Our Lord says that Satan had bound her. That malignant enemy to our bodies and souls rejoices in any opportunity of hurt ing either. But it is pleasing to think, that his power is always under the controul of Christ; and therefore shall never be exercised on his people any farther than their gracious Redeemer sees it consistent with their good, and will take care to render it subservient to it. How gravely does this ruler of the synagogue instruct the people in a point of ceremony, while his heart was full of enmity to Christ, and hardened against every sentiment of human compas. 15 sion! Justly was his hypocrisy confounded and exposed. We should with pleasure see this Sun of Righteousness thus victoriously breaking through those clouds, which envy and malice had raised to obscure him, and diffusing his sacred light from one 18, 21 end of the heavens to the other. With pleasure should we view the accomplishment of these parables, which represent the success of his gospel as so great; and we should daily pray, with increasing earnestness, that all the remaining nations and kingdoms of this world may at length become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ and sincere converts flock to him from every side, even as doves to their windows! Rev. xi. 15. and Isa. lx. 8.) SECT. Heaven should be sought with great and early care. SECT. CXVIII. Christ warns his hearers of the difficulty and importance of entering into the kingdom of heaven: and is not intimidated by the fear of Herod from pursuing his work. Luke XIII. 23, to the end. LUKE XIII. 23. THEN said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, 24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the risen up, and hath LUKE XIII. 23. 15 cxviii. AND, as Jesus was proceeding in his journey SECT. And, howsoever they may now despise and 25 Master of the house is trifle with the means of grace, this will hereafshut ter be the case, even with the most stupid and negligent a Where he designed to be present at the feast of the dedication.] Mr. Whiston and some others place the following passages in a different order, and introduce them after this feast; but it does not appear that Christ was ever in Galilee before his resurrection, after this journey. He was indeed at Ephraim, or Ephrem. (John xi. 54. sect. cxli.) but, as that city lay on the confines of the tribe of Benjamin, at no great distance from Jerusalem (Lighfoot's Disquisit. Chorogr. in Joan. cap. vii. 61.) the argument which Mr. Whiston draws from thence in favour of his order must be very inconclusive. See Whiston's Harmony, p. 385 and 403. b Exert your utmost strength to enter in at the strait gate.] The original word aywne fully expresses this. It imports the act of c Many will seek to enter in.] The Prus- d The 16 Many at last shall cry in vain to be admitted. ye begin to stand with SECT negligent of mankind, as soon as ever the great shut to the door, and exviii. Lord and Master of the family shall, as it were, out, and to knock at have risen up from his scat, and with his own the door, saying, Lord, XIII. 25. authoritative hand shall have shut and barred the Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer Luke 26 door, and you among the rest, shall begin to and say unto you, I 26 Then shall ye eaten and drunk in streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence you are: depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. Some of you may perhaps then plead an intimate acquaintance and professed friendship, and begin to say, We have urge the privileges that you once enjoyed, and thy presence, and thou the conspicuous figure you made in his church: hast taught in our but if any of you can carry it so far as that you shall begin to say, Lord, we have eaten and drank in thy presence in a familiar manner, and thou hast thyself lived among us, and often taught in our streets and houses, so that thou canst not sure 27 have forgot us: Nevertheless, he will persist in disowning you, and say, I tell you again, I know you not, and, whatsoever you pretend to, I regard not whence you are; all the former relation to which you refer, is (as it were) blotted from my remembrance, since your hearts were still insincere, and your lives unsuitable to your fair professions; and therefore depart from me, all ye that habitually practice iniquity; for none of your character shall ever be admitted here. (Compare Mat. vii. 22, 23, Vol. VI. p. 238, 239.) 28 This awful word, how little soever you may 28 There shall be now regard it, shall wound you to the heart, of teeth, when ye shall and throw you into agonies of everlasting de- see Abraham, and Ispair and there shall be the bitterest weeping saac, and Jacob, and and gnashing of the teeth for madness and rage, when you shall see your holy ancestors, Abraham, a The master of a family, &c.] There is a majesty and pathos in this passage, as in many others, which no paraphrase can retain, in, which the very words of our Lord do not make a part. We have eaten and drank in thy presence.] Perhaps some of the nine thousand whom he had fed by miracle may at last be in this miserable number. (Compare John vi. 26.)-Brennius refers it to their hay and weeping and gnashing all ing eaten the sacrifices presented to God according to the Mosaic constitution.-But different persons may use this plea in different senses; and they who, while their hearts are hardened in impenitence and unbelief, have profaned the Lord's-supper by an unworthy participation of it, will find a sad sense peculiar to themselves, though it might not be chiefly intended. f Herod out. Some think to terrify him with a threatening from Herod. 17 Luke all the prophets in the and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets of the SECT. kingdom of God, and succeeding ages, in actual possession of the exviii. you yourselves thrust kingdom of God; and shall find yourselves cast out with contempt, and thrust back with just in- XHI. 28. 29 And they shall dignation. Yea, they shall come from the most 29 come from the east, distant heathen lands, even from the east and the and from the west, and west, and from the north and the south, and shall from the south, and sit down in joyful multitudes, to partake of the shall sit down in the heavenly banquet with your pious ancestors in the kingdom of God, while you are utterly excluded from it. (Compare Mat. viii. 11, 12, and note, Vol. VI. p. 295.) from the north, and kingdom of God. 30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there last. And, behold, this shall be the case, not only of 30 a few, but of great numbers; for there are many are first which shall be who are now last in point of religious advan tages, that shall then be first in honour and happiness; and there are many who now appear first, that shall then be found last; and, on account of their abused privileges, shall appear as the most infamous and miserable of mankind. (Compare Mat. xix. 30, and Mark x. 31, sect. cxxxvii.) 31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying for Herod will kill thee. These things our Lord said in his journey 31 through Galilee towards Jerusalem; making unto him, Get thee many pauses in his way, that, in consequence of out, and depart hence: the shortness of his stages, he might have an opportunity of greater usefulness. And it came to pass on that day, when he uttered these discourses, some of the Pharisees came, and that they might, if possible, intimidate and drive him to a distance, they said to him, Go forth, and depart from hence, with all possible speed into the territories of some other prince; for Herod the tetrarch, in whose dominions thou art, is at this very time determined to kill theef, as he did John the Baptist, thy friend and associate, and seeks but an opportunity to effect it. 32 And he said unto them, Go ye and tell that fox, Behold I cast But Jesus was so far from being at all alarmed 32 at this intimation, that he said to them with great out steadiness, Go, and tell that fox, that crafty, wicked, f Herod is determined to kill thee: azcxlva.] For the force of this phrase compare note b on John vii. 17, sect. xcix. and note, on John i. 43, Vol. VI. p. 126. It is very probable, considering both the wicked character and suspicious temper of Herod, that though he had a curiosity to see Christ (compare Luke ix. 9, xxiii. 8.) he was uneasy at his spending so much time in Galilee, lest he should occasion him some embarrassment either with regard to the Jews or the Romans; yet fearing, after all the anxiety which the murder of John the & And |