Christ warns his disciples against giving offence. 53 CXXV. saw signs and wonders they would believe. The heart of man SECT. may be hardened against the most sensible and immediate miracle; but if that evidence were irresistible, it would ill become us to Ver dictate to God when and to whom it should be given. Let us 29 examine and acquiesce in such as he has seen fit to afford; and pass through our various scenes of life as those that have eternity in view, and are persuaded we must each of us, in a few years at farthest, be with Lazarus in Abraham's bosom, or with the rich man in that tormenting flame. SECT. CXXVI. Christ repeats his exhortations to an inoffensive conduct and a forgiving temper; and warns his disciples not to arrogate any merit to themselves, Luke XVII. 1—11. LUKE XVII. 1, THEN said he unto LUKE XVII. 1. the disciples, It is OUR Lord also about this time repeated to the whom they come. SECT. Luke impossible but that ofnumerous attendants who were then around cxxvi. fences will come: but him several things which he had formerly said woe unto him through in a more private way to the disciples; and parti- xvi. 4. cularly addressed them in terms like these: Considering the general corruption of human nature, the snares of the world, and the temptations of Satan, it is impossible but one way or other offences should come; many professing my religion will, no doubt, act unworthy of themselves, and disgrace the holy name they bear: Nevertheless, woe [be to him] by whom they come; and let me warn you therefore, as you love your own souls, to guard against the guilt and danger 2 It were better for of being a stumbling-block to others. For I 2 him that a mill-stone assure you, it were better for such a one, even neck, and he cast into for him that by an immoral life proves a rethe sea, than that he proach and scandal to my cause, that he should should offend one of die by the hand of violence, and suffer the most shocking execution; yea, that a huge mill-stone should be hanged about his neck, and he should be thrown into the sea, than that he should offend and insnare one of these little ones that believe in me, so as to draw the meanest of them into sin and ruin. (See Mat. xviii. 6, 7. and the notes there, sect. xciii. Vol. VI. p. 488, 489.) Take heed to yourselves therefore, that you 3 were hanged about his these little ones. Take heed to your. selves: a Take heed to yourselves.] This contains a strong and important intimation, how much sin, and scandal is occasioned, by a severe quarrelsome temper in the disciples of Christ; as it not only stirs up the cor 54 We should be ready to forgive a repenting brother. SECT. may govern all cxxvi. rebuke him; and if he your passions aright, and par- selves: If thy brother ticularly your resentments by which otherwise trespass against thee, Luke much sin may be occasioned, both to yourselves repent, forgive him. XVII. 3. and others. And if thy brother trespass against thee, do not lay up a secret grudge against him for it, but plainly and faithfully rebuke him, endeavouring to convince him of the evil he has committed; and if he appear to repent of his fault, forgive him immediately, without insist4 ing on any rigorous satisfaction. And if he trespass against thee again and again, even though he should repeat his fault, seven times in a day, (compare Psal. cxix. 161.) and seven times in a day return to thee, seriously, saying, I repent of my folly, and am heartily sorry for the injury I have done thee; thou shalt forgive him even these repeated offences. (Compare Mat. xviii. 21, 22. Vol VI. p. 498.) 5 6 7 Then the apostles said unto the Lord, Lord, we are sensible, that in this instance, as well as in several others, we have need to pray, thou wouldst increase our faith: Oh quicken our apprehension of the reality and importance of the motives by which all thy commands are enforced, and of the authority by which they are dictated; that we may not scruple to submit even to such precepts as these, how hard soever they may bear upon flesh and blood. And the Lord said, If you had ever so little faith, though it were but as a grain of mustardseed, yet (as I formerly told you,) it would conquer the greatest difficulties; so that you might, as it were, be able to say to this sycamore tree, Be thou rooted up, and planted in the sea, and it should presently obey you. Endeavour therefore to live in the exercise of this noble grace, and in a series of such services as are the proper fruits of it: But in the midst of all, be careful to maintain the deepest humility, as in the presence of God your heavenly Master, on whom, as you are his servants, you can have no claim of merit: For who is there of you, that if he has a servant ploughing his b Increase our faith.] Woltzogenius himself acknowledges, that their applying to Christ to strengthen their faith, shews that they believed he had a Divine influence over the spirits of men. See Whitby in loc. You might say to this sycamore-tree, &c.] I do not apprehend this text to be entirely parallel to Mat. xvii. 20. Vol. VI. p. 480. ground, 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. 5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. No merit must be arrogated to ourselves. 55 cxxvi. will say unto him by ground, or feeding his flock, will say unto him, SECT. and by, when he is as soon as he comes in from the field, Come in, come from the field, Go and sit down to and sit down at the table with me? meat? say unto him, Make and serve me, till I he did the things that I trow not. Or will he Luke not rather say to him, if it was a part of that XVII.8. 8 And will not rather servant's business to do it, Make ready somewhat ready wherewith I may for my supper, and when it is prepared gird up sup, and gird thyself, thy garments close about thee, and wait upon have eaten and drunk- me, while I am eating and drinking; and afteren; and afterward thou wards thou shalt sit down to eat and drink shalt eat and drink? thyself? And suppose he should observe his 9. 9 Doth be thank orders with the greatest diligence, does he think that servant because himself obliged to thank that servant, because he were commanded him? hath done what was commanded him? I apprehend he does not, because he has an authority over the servant, and may justly claim his obe10 So likewise ye, dience as matter of debt. Now to apply this to 10 when ye shall have done all those things your own services; so likewise ye, when you have which are commanded faithfully done all that was commanded you in you, say, We are un- the exactest manner, yet should still say, Surely have done that which we are worthless and unprofitable servants, who cannot pretend to have merited any thing from the hand of our Master; for we have done no more than what we were by virtue of our relation to God, and dependance upon him, indispensably obliged to do, as much as any purchased slave is obliged to serve his master. And assure yourselves, that no services will be so pleasing to God, as those performed with such an humble spirit. profitable servants: we was our duty to do. 11 And it came to pass, as he went to Je rusalem, that he passed These discourses, and those above mentioned, 11 happened in our Lord's journey to the feast of through the midst of the dedication; and as he went to Jerusalem Samaria and Galilee. to attend it, he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee, taking those parts of Samaria in his way, which lay next to Galilee. Come in.] Raphelius proves, that the word wagine has often this sense. Compare Luke xii. 37. and Acts xxiv. 7. See Raphel. Annot. ex. Herod. p. 263, and especially Annot. ex. Xen. p. 108. e Gird up thy garments close about thee.] Compare Luke xii. 37. Vol. VI. p. 581.That servants used to be girded while waiting on their masters, is well shown by Elsner, Observ. Vol. I. p. 258, 259. See note b on Luke xii. 35, Vol. VI. p. 581. f Unprofitable servants.] The word axgua sometimes signifies wicked; (Rom. iii. 12. Mat. xxv. 30.) but in this connection it cannot have that sense. I entirely agree with Heinsius, that here, and 2 Sam. vi. 22. Septuag. it signifies mean, or inconsiderable, as the best of men certainly arc. IMPROVE In our Lord's journey to the feast of h As he went to Jerusalem.] As Lake 84 SECT. cxxxii. X. 7. Christ, as the good Shepherd, will die for the sheep. as of mercy; and make it our humble prayer that we may be enlightened by him, and not scaled up under aggravated darkness, as a punishment for our obstinacy and impenitence; for then all the means of knowledge which we have so basely perverted will rise up to condemn us. John Let Christ be regarded by us as the door from whom all true teachers derive their authority, and to whom they direct their administrations and let it be our care that we enter by this door. Let inferior shepherds learn their duty, so plainly suggested here: Let them learn to know their sheep, and take as particular notice as they can of each single person committed to their care; and let them go before them in all the paths of duty for what could the greatest enemy to the flock do worse than to lead them by example into the paths of destruction? 9 10 cxxxiii. Happy souls, who are entered in by this gate! Their safety, their comfort, is secure; they enjoy a holy liberty and plenty, and going in and coming out they find pasture. If we are strangers to that entertainment and refreshment which arises from ordinances (those green pastures which Christ hath provided for his sheep in the wilderness,) we have a great deal of reason to fear that we belong not to his flock. He came that his sheep might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly; that greater provision might be made for their instruction and consolation now, till they are brought to those better pastures he intends for them above: May his grace prepare us for them! and his hand will certainly conduct us to them; nor need we fear the darkest passage in our way. SECT. CXXXIII. Christ describes himself as the good shepherd, who will lay down his life for the sheep. John X. 11–21. SECT. OUR Lord, having thus represented himself I herd: the good as the door of the sheep, and intimated the shepherd giveth his life regards to be maintained towards him, parti- for the sheep. John cularly by those that professed themselves X. 11. teachers of others, now changed the similitude, a I am the good Shepherd.] Lamy (in his Harmony, p. 339) very justly supposes that there might be some allusion here to Isa. xl. 11. But nothing can be more precarious than the argument he seems to draw from hence for placing this discourse at the feast of tabernacles, even though it scripture should be allowed that the xlth of Isaiah was read in the synagogue at that time of the year for it is certain our Lord does not confine himself to the lesson for the day in his quotations from scripture, or his ellusions to it. A He knows his sheep, and will gather them into the fold. 12 But he that is an shepherd, whose own 85 cxxxiii. scripture under that character, (Isa. xl. 11. SECT. The hireling indeed, who is not the true shep-12 fleeth: and the wolf scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling A-eth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and ain known of mine. knoweth me, even so to secure himself, and leaves the sheep and flees But I am the good Shepherd, who have a true 14 affection for my sheep, and am above the influence of all such mean and selfish views: and such is the relation that there is between us, and such the love we have to one another, that I know and acknowledge my [sheep], and take the kindest and most tender care of them; and I am also known, acknowledged and confided in, by 15 As the Father mine: So that we mutually are dear unto each 15 know I the father: other; and even as the Father knoweth me, and and I lay down my owns his affection and regard to me, by the sure tokens of his presence and approbation; and I also know, or acknowledge and honour, the Father, in the delight with which I do his will; so the affection is reciprocal between me and my sheep and as it is in love to them, as well as with an ultimate view to his appointment and his glory, that I lay down my life for the sheep he has given me, so also do my sheep acknowledge and confide in me, and so do I protect and patronize them. Life for the sheep. And I would farther observe to you, as a point 16 of great importance, that I have other sheep which L 2 are |