And foretells the destruction of the unbelieving Jews. it be in the day when the Son of man is re vealed. €3 SECT. cxxviii. Luke and with a sudden overthrow destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall (Gen. xix. 14, 24.) Even so shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed, when he will sensibly display his power in the destruc-XVII.30 tion of this sinful people: the Jewish nation shall be as careless and confident as if there was not the least danger, indulging themselves in all kinds of luxury and extravagance, till they shall see ruin surrounding them on every side, from which it will be as impossible for them to escape as it was for the sinners of the old world, or the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Compare Mat. xxiv. 37-39. sect. clxiii.) 31 In that day, he which shall be upon the house-top, and his turn back. wife. In that day, if any one shall be taking the air 31 on the house-top, or be retired thither for any stuff in the house, let other purpose, and his best dress and furniture him not come down to be in the house, let him not come down into the take it away: and he that is in the field, let house to take it away; but let him flee the readihim likewise not re- est way by those steps which go down on the outside of the building: and he that is at work in the field, stripped of his upper garment, let him likewise not return back, though it be but a few steps to take it. (Compare Mat. xxiv. 17, 18, 32 Remember Lot's sect. clxi.) But remember the awful example 32 of Lot's wife, with the dreadful issue of her delay and looking back, (Gen. xix. 26.) and take heed lest, like her, you perish in that sudden vengeance, which shall overtake your former abode, if you allow yourselves to linger in it, or turn back for the sake of any thing you have left there. For in that day, he that shall seek to 33 preserve his life by retiring into some fortified city, and especially into that where it might seem he should be safest, shall lose it; but he that shall be thought to take the ready way to lose his life, shall preserve it; for they who regard my admonitions, and retire, however their conduct may be censured as imprudent, shall survive the general ruin. 33 Whosoever shall seck to save his life, shall lose it: and who soever shall lose his life, shall preserve it. e Indulging themselves in all kinds of luxury and extravagance.] It is not unseasonable for Great Britain to recollect, that when a pompous and luxurious way of living has come to its height in many of the most considerable ancient and modern nations, there has been a very sudden transition to the lowest state of servitude and ruin. All histories abound with instances of this kind; and God grant that our own age may not add one to the number! I tell d Let him not come down into the house to take it away.] This shews, beyond all controversy, that this discourse refers not to the final judgment, from which there can be no escape; but to the destruction of Jerusalem, from which it is well known that many Christians were preserved by this caution. See Grotius in loc.-The Jewish houses were built with a flat roof, and had stairs on the outside to go down from the top. Compare note e on Luke v. 19, Vol. VI. p. 247. e The 64 SECT. cxxviii. Luke Reflections on the coming of Christ. I tell you, in that night, that gloomy calamitous time, the Providence of God shall be strange 34 I tell you, in that night there shall be 35 Two women shall two men in one bed; lv in delivering some of my disciples, when the one shall be taken, seen, XVII.34 others in the very same places and circumstances and the other shall be shall perish in the common calamity: there shall, left. for instance, be two persons lying in the same bed; and the one shall be taken by the enemy, 35 and the other dismissed. Two women shall be grinding together at the same mill; the one shall 36 be taken, and the other dismissed. And two men shall be working or walking together in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other dismissed. (Compare Mat. xxiv. 40, 41, sect. and the other left. clxiii.) 37 be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, him, Where, Lord? will the eagles be ga And they answered and said to him, Where 37 And they anLord, and to whom shall this destruction hap- swered and said unto pen? And he said to them, That common pro- And he said unto verb is applicable to the present occasion, Where- them, Wheresoever soever, the carcase [is,] there will the eagles be the body is, thither gathered together, wherever the impenitent thered together. and unbelieving Jews are, the vengeance of God will pursue them, and the Roman eagles shall (as it were) fly upon them as a helpless prey; and So, where their numbers are the largest, there the destruction will be greatest and most terrible. (Compare Mat. xxiv. 28, sect. clxi. Ver. 20 IMPROVEMENT. MAY our minds be formed to a true taste and relish for the kingdom of God! and may we learn wherein it consists, not, like the kingdoms of this world, in external pomp and splendor, but in righteousness, peace, joy in the Holy Ghost, and that inward subjection of soul to the Divine government which is the essence of religion, and the grand security and felicity of our natures! Many are, like the Pharisees, talking of it, and expecting it, 21 while it is among them, and they know it not; and, perhaps, despise the humble Christians in whom it resides, and most eminently e The one shall be taken by the enemy.] That this is the sense of the word wapa ληφθησείαι, and that αφεθησεται in the latter clause should be rendered dismissed, or let go, I think Elsner has abundantly proved; Observ. Vol. I. p. 262, 263.-He has likewise shewn there, how customary it was for women to grind at the mill. See also Bos, Exerc. p. 30. f Where Lord, &c.] I have seen few paraphrases which do not supercede this question; I have forbore mentioning Je rusalem above, that I might leave room for it. g Wheresoever the carcase is, &c.] Dr. Clarke has explained the general sense of this proverb with great judgment. (See his Seventeen Sermons, p. 381. & seq.) It is, as if it had been said, The like causes will produce the like effects. But it seems to suggest so proper an allusion to the Roman standards, and to the carnage they made of the Jews, that I could not forbear introducing the mention of it. Reflections on the coming of Christ. 65 cxxviii. nently triumphs. May they who think most lightly of it, never SECT. have cause to wish at last for the return of those days of the Son of man, which are now their burden, rather than their pleasure, 22 while they hear vital and inward religion in vain recommended and enforced! What our Lord says of his coming to the destruction of Jerusa-26--30 lem, may be applied, as it is elsewhere, to his appearance at the final judgment, of which the former was a figure. Thus shall the men of that generation be immersed in business and pleasure; and that tremendous day shall come upon them, even as a thief in the night; so that they shall find themselves overwhelmed with irrecoverable ruin, while they cry, Peace and safety; (1 Thes. v. 2,3.) And thus doth the awful hour of death, which consigns men over to judgment, surprise the generality of mankind, while they are thoughtless of it and unprepared for its approach, amidst all the solemn warnings of it which they daily receive. May we be always in a prepared posture, and daily live as on the verge of eternity! And if once we are engaged in a course of serious preparation, 32 let us remember Lot's wife, and take heed that we turn not back again. We flee as for our lives; let us not look behind us. What- 31 ever is to be left, whatever is to be lost, it is enough if our life be given us as for a prey. If we have any just hope that it will be so given us, we have 34--36 a great deal of reason to own and adore the riches of Divine grace to us, of that distinguishing grace which has taken us when others are left; some perhaps, employed in the same business, and dwelling in the same place; and, may not I add, some lying in the same bed too! In a word, let all seriously bethink themselves, and flee from the wrath to come. God spared not Judea, that favourite country, when they rejected his gospel, and his Son: let us fear, lest he also spare not us; (Rom. xi. 20, 21.) In this respect also, wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 37 The same causes will produce the same effects; and when we, in particular, of these happy, but sinful nations, consider our numerous and aggravated provocations, we shall see much greater reason to wonder that the judgments of God have been so long delayed, than that they should at last fall upon us with an insupportable weight. SECT. 66 SECT. cxxix. Christ delivers the parable of the importunate widow, SECT. CXXIX. Christ presses his disciples to perseverance in prayer by the parable of the importunate widow; and recommends humility by that of the Pharisee and publican. Luke XVIII. 1—14. LUKE XVIII. 1. LUKE XVIII. 1. rable unto them, THUS our Lord discoursed with his disciples AND he spake a paof the approaching destruction of Jerusalem to this end, that men Luke by the Romans; and, for their encouragement ought always to pray XVIII.1 under those hardships, which they might in the and not to faint: mean time expect, from their unbelieving countrymen, or others; he spake a parable to them; which was intended to inculcate upon them this great truth, that, how distressed soever their circumstances might be, they ought always to pray with faith and perseverance, and not to faint under their trials. 2 2 Saying, There was feared not God, neither in a city a judge, which regarded man." 3 And there was a widow in that city, unto For this purpose he discoursed to them in the following manner, saying, There was a judge in a certain city, who neither feared God nor reverenced man; but was wicked enough to set light by all regards to both, and to make his own humour and secular interest the only rule of 3 his actions. And there was a widow in that city who had sustained some injury from an and she came enemy more powerful than herself; and, having him, saying, Avenge no other way to obtain redress, she came to him, me of mine adversary. at a place and time when she could not be denied access, and said, I come to put myself under the protection of the law, and to demand thine assistance as a magistrate, to do me justice against mine adversary, that I may not sink under his 4 oppressive attempts. This was her case and plea; yet as she brought no present in her hand, for a while but afterhe would not, for a considerable time, take any himself, Though I fear notice of it but, as she still persevered in her not God, nor regard petition, he afterwards said within himself, man; Though indeed I neither fear God, nor reverence man, and therefore care not what becomes of this cause, or who has the right or the wrong of 5 it: Yet because this importunate widow gives me trouble by her continued application, I will do her justice, lest, by her coming perpetually to me a a Do me justice against mine adversary.] This is the undoubted import of the phrase εκδίκησον με : and care should have been 4 And he would not ward he said within 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest with by taken in the version to express it so as not to suggest the idea of revenge. b She And declares the success of perseverance in prayer. 67 by her continual com- with this petition, she even stun and weary me SECT. ing she weary me. out with her cries ". 6 And the Lord said, 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with-them? cxxix. And the Lord said, Hear, and observe, what Luke Hear what the unjust the unjust judge saith upon this remarkable occa- XVIII.6 judge saith. sion, and how he owns himself to be prevailed on by the continual cries of one whom otherwise he would not have regarded. And if the 7 earnest importunity of a poor widow thus prevailed on an unrighteous person, shall not a righteous God much more be moved to vindicate his own elect, his chosen and dearly beloved people, that cry to him day and night, under the cruel oppression of their insulting enemies, even though he may seem to bear long with them, to give them space for repentance? Yes, I say, 8 unto you, He will certainly vindicate them; and when he once undertakes it, he will do it speedily too; and this generation of men shall see and feel it to their terror. Nevertheless, when the Son of man, having been put in possession of his glorious kingdom, comes to appear for this important purpose, will he find faith in the land? The persecution will be so severe as almost to bear it down: but let the remembrance of what I have now spoken be a comfort to my people, and a warning to those that injure them. 8 I tell you, that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheman cometh, shall he find faith on the carth? less, when the Son of 9 And he spake this parable unto certain He also spake this other parable to certain 3 which trusted in them- persons, who, like the proud self-justifying selves pharisees, with an arrogant conceit of their own b She even stun and weary me out.] The word Unwia? is very emphatical, and signifies to stun or beat down by violent and repeated blows on the head. Compare 1 Cor. ix. 27. Though he may seem to bear long with them, &c.] The learned Elsner supposes maxpołu, with a small alteration in the accent, to correspond to Bowlwy, and would render it, Shall he not avenge his elect, who cry to him, and wait patiently for it, that is, for his appearance in their fayour? (Elsner Observ. Vol. I. p. 265, 266.) But, as I cannot think the words will naturally bear such a construction, or that the authorities he produces are satisfactory, I choose to retain our version. Nor can I, on this interpretation, perceive any inconsistency between ver. 7 and 8, since it is plain God might wait long, and yet at length execute a speedy and sudden vengeance on the persecuting enemies of his people. Compare Psal. lxxiii. 19, Hab. VOL. VII. merit, ii. 3. and especially Ecclus. xxxv. 18. to d Will he find faith in the land ?] It is e As |