at meat with thee. The poor should rather be invited than the rich. exalteth himself, shall 23 cxix. Luke be may say unto thee, er: then shall thy modesty be followed with a dis- SECT. Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have tinguished reward, and thou shalt thus have worship in the pre- honour in the sight both of the master of the feast sence of them that sit and of all them that sit at table with thee, as having XIV. 10 assumed nothing to thyself, but rather been 11 For whosoever contented to stoop to thine inferiors. For this 11 be abased; and he may be laid down as a certain maxim in life, that bumbleth himself, and happy is the man that attends to it, Every one who exalts himself beyond his proper rank and circumstances, shall be proportionably humbled and mortified; but he that willingly humbles himself shall be exalted and honoured, as well as beloved, both by God and man. (Compare Mat. xxiii. 12, and Luke xviii. 14.) shall be exalted. 12 Then said he also to him that bade him, Then said he also to him that invited him, If 12 When thou makest a you desire to improve what you have to the best dinner or a supper, call advantage, spend it in charity, rather than in not thy friends, nor thy magnificence and luxury and when thou makest brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich a dinner or a supper, invite not so much thy rich neighbours; lest they friends, or thy brethren, or thy kindred, or neighalso bid thee again and bours; lest they should also invite thee again, arecompence be made. and thus a recompence be made thee, and all thou hast in return be to receive one banquet for another; which would introduce an habit of high living, at a great expence both of money and time, and would occasion the disorder of your respective families. But rather, when thou 13 wouldst make an entertainment which should turn to the surest account, let it be plain and frugal, and invite to it the poor, the disabled, the lame, [and] the blind, who are incapable of provid ing for themselves: let these come frequently to thy house, to receive thine alms; or "send portions to them" when they cannot come. 14 And thou shalt (Neh. viii. 10.) And this will afford' thee a 14 be much nobler satisfaction than banquets can give; 13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: Incite not so much thy rich friends, or neighbours.] Probably (as Mr. Reading well conjectures) he observed in the Phari sees a humour of making magnificent feasts (on the sabbath-days and on, other occa sions), and of treating great persons, chiefly out of pride, ambition, and ostentation; which might render this advice peculiarly proper, especially if he, who now gave this entertainment was, as many of his brethren certainly were, very deficient in works of charity. See Reading's Life of Christ, p. 256.-It is plain the word rich (as Grotius well observes) refers not merely to neighbours, but to the kindred and the other persons that are mentioned with and them: for if these were in low circum- i The disabled, &c.] We render avaπnçus k At 24 cxix. Reflections on the exercise of humility and charity. cannot recompence thee: for thou shalt be the SECT. and I may truly say, thou shalt be happy in that be blessed for they they are not capable of making thee such a reLuke quital; for their prayers shall descend in bless- recompensed at XIV. 14 ings on thy head; and, besides all the pleasure resurrection of the just. a generous heart will find in the very exercise of such bounties, thou shalt be abundantly recompensed at the resurrection of the just, if they proceed from a real principle of piety and faith. (Compare note, Vol. VI. p. 289.) IMPROVEMENT. How happy were they, who had frequent opportunities of conversing with Christ, whose discourses were always so wise and so useful; how well did he repay all the entertainments he received, Ver. in the advantages which he gave for religious improvement! In 1 vain might his enemies watch for occasions against him. In his tongue was the law of wisdom as well as of kindness, (Prov. xxxi. 26. And surely the lips of his ministers and disciples would feed many to their everlasting benefit, were this blessed model to be more carefully traced! (Prov. x. 21.) 3-11 12, 13 Let us particularly observe, what he here says concerning a modest and humble deportment, which is indeed the surest way to be honoured and respected. And let us take great heed, that that good breeding, which consists so much in the expressions of humility and a readiness to prefer others to ourselves, do not degenerate into a mere form, and prove, as it too often does, the cloak of arrogance and pride; but that it have its foundation in a lowly opinion of ourselves, and an habitual disposition to submit even to our inferiors, when we may do it without breaking in upon the duties and decencies of life, and injuring those to whom it may be exercised, by an indulgence which they know not how to understand or improve. Let us hearken to these exhortations to charity from the mouth of our charitable Saviour, who gave himself for us. And as Christ pleased not himself (Rom. xv. 3), let us not allow ourselves to squander away great quantities of money, in what may gratify our own senses, or make a gaudy shew in the eyes of the vainer part of mankind; but let us be willing to spare from the luxuries and superfluities of life, that we may bestow it on the poor and the distressed. k At the resurrection of the just.] It is not so evident, as Dr. Clarke supposes, that dixar must here signify charitable it rather seems to me a strong and awakening intimation that none who neglect works of charity shall have their final men; lot among the righteous; which is evident from the many hundred scriptures which indispensably require mercy as well as justice. (Compare Mat. i. 19, note a, Vol. VI. p. 51.) a Shall Ten lepers cleansed, of whom but one gives thanks. destroy men's lives, 59 cxxvii. man is not come to tion as absolutely unfit to be complied with; but to save them. And for the Son of man came not into the world to they went to another erect his kingdom by military force, or by any Luke village. 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. LUKE XVII. 12. And as he entered into a certain village, which stood afar off. up their have mercy on us. And as he entered into a certain neighbouring XVII.12 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 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 voices and ing afar off, lest they should pollute passengers said, Jesus, Master, who might come too near them, they lifted up their voice, and said with great earnestness, having 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 deplorable circumstances. And, seeing them as 14 they stood crying to him, he said unto them, Go, shew yourselves to the priests; intimating that the cure they desired should be performed by the 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. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew your And it came to pass, that as they went they selves unto the priests. were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God; 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan. 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. 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 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 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 give glory to God, save 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 there not ten cleans nine? unto Arise, 60 Reflections on the evil of a persecuting spirit. hath made thee whole. 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. Luke ix. 53 54 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. 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. Luke xvii. 12--16 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 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 tudes The poor are called in to partake of the feast. CXX. 27 Luke ment; for I had rather see my house filled with SECT. And in like manner, such will the Divine Into the roads and hedges.] Any gross and abandoned sinners might be represented as in this wretched condition. (See Eph. 11. 12-17.) But it seems an excessive refinement of Brennius, to suppose the hedges here mentioned refer to the ceremonial law as a partition; as it likewise is to explain the first clause as relating to the proselytes of the gate, and the second to the idolatrous Gentiles. One might as well infer from ver. 24 that no Jews should be saved: and it argues a wrong taste in criticism to torture every circumstance into a fancied resemblance. Press them by the most earnest invitation to come in.] Nothing can be more apparently weak than to imagine, with St. Augustin and many others, that these words can justify the use of compulsion and force in religious matters; the absurdity and iniquity of which I have represented at large in my sermon on that subject. It is certain the word avayaw is often used VOL. VII. Ꭰ to express an importunity where there could |