e thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. 32. And he faid unto them, (1) Go ye and tell that Fox, Behold, I I caft out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I fhall be perfected. 33. Nevertheless I muft walk to day and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a Prophet perifh out of Jerufalem. 34 fO Jerufalem, Jerufalem, which killeft the Prophets, and ftoneft them that are fent unto thee: how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not? 35. Behold, * your houfe is left unto you defolate: And verily I fay unto you, ye fhall not fee me until the time come, when ye fhall fay, Bleffed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. A h CHA P. XIV. ND it came to pafs, as he went into the house of one of the (2) chief Pharifees to eat bread on the fabbath-day, that they watched him. 2. And behold, there I have glorified thee on Earth: I have finished the Work which thou gaveft me to do. Joh. 19. 30. He faid, it is finished, and he 10 bowed the Head, and gave up the Ghoft. Mat. 21.35 f + See on Mat. 23. 37. A 2 Efdr. 1. 33. Thus faith the was Almighty Lord, Your Houfe is de folate, I will caft you out as the Wind doth Stubble. Ifa. 1. 7. Your Country is defolate, your Cities are burnt with Fire, your Land Strangers devour it in your Prefence, and it is defolate as over. thrown by Strangers. Mic. 3. 12. Therefore fhall Zion for your fake be plowed as a Field, and Jerufalem become Heaps, and the Mountain of the Houfe, as the high Places of the Foreft. h+Pfal. 118. 26. (1) The Meffage our Lord here fends to Herod, is no Breach of that Command which forbids the Speaking evil of the Ruler of the People, and confequently it is no blemish in our Lord's Example. For our Lord here acts as a Prophet, as one who had received an extraordinary Commifi on from God. And thofe who were truly Prophets, were in the Executi on of their Commiffion, above the greatest Men, and moft powerful Princes, whom they were not to fpare, when God fent them to reprove for Sin. (2) Probably Nicodemus, mentioned in Joh. 3. 1. 1 1 k 4. And was a certain man before him, which had the dropfie. 3. And Jefus anfwering, spake unto the Lawyers and Pharifees, faying, Is it lawful to heal on the fabbath-day? they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go: 5. And answered them, faying, Which of you fhall have an afs, or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not ftraightway pull him out on the fabbath-day? 6. And they could not answer him again to these things. 7. And he put forth a Parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; faying unto them, 8. When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, fit not down in the highest room: left a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; 9. And he that bad thee and him, come and fay to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with fhame to take the lowest room. IO. m But when thou art bidden, go and fit down in the loweft room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may fay unto thee, Friend, go up higher then fhalt thou have worship in the prefence of them that fit at meat with thee. 11. For whofoever exalteth himself, fhall be abafsed; and he that humbleth himself, fhall be exalted. 12. Then faid he also to him that bade him, When thou makeft a dinner or a fupper, (1) call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinf it See on Mat.12. 10. 5 k + Exod. 23. 5. If thou see the Afs of him that hateth thee, lying under his Burden, and wouldft forbear to help him, thou fhalt furely help with him. † Deut. 22. 4.Thou fhalt not fee thy Brother's Afs or his Ox fall down by the Way, and hide thy felf from them: thou fhalt furely help to lift them up 10 again. † Luk 13. 15. Doth not each one of you on the Sabbath Loofe his Ox or his Afs from the Stall, and lead him away to watering? 15 1 Luk. 13. 17. men, m* Prov. 25. 6, 7. Put not forth thy felf in the Prefence of the King, and ftand not in the Place of great Men. For better it is that it be faid unto thee, Come up hither than that thou fhould it be put lower in the Prefence of the Prince whom thine Eyes have feen. : nt Job-22. 29. + Luk. 18. 14. † 1 Pet. 5. 5. 12. † Prov. 29. 23. + Jam. 4. 6. See on Mat. 23. (1) Sometimes negative Particles are to be understood by Way of Comparison. Thus, Prov. 8. 10. Receive my Instruction, and not Silver, that is, rather than Silver, or, prefer them before Silver. Again, Job. 6. 27 Labour not for the Meat which perisheth, but for that Meat, &c. that is, Labour more for that Meat which endureth unto everlasting Life, than for a b men, nor thy rich neighbours; left they alfo bid thee a gain, and a recompence be made thee. 13. But when thou makeft a feaft, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: 14. And thou fhalt be bleffed; for they cannot recompence thee: for thou fhalt be recompenced at the refurrection of the juft. 15. And when one of them that fat at meat with him, heard these things, he faid unto him, Bleed is he that fhall eat bread in the kingdom of God. 16. Then faid he unto him, A certain man made a great Supper, and bade many. 17. And fent his fervant at Neh. 8. 10, 12. Go your Way, eat the Fat, and drink the Sweet, and fend Portions to them for whom nothing is prepared. And all the People went their way to eat and to drink, and to fend Portions.- Job 31. 17. If I have eaten my morfel my felf alone, and the Fatherlefs hath not eaten thereof. Tob. 4. 7. Give Alms of thy Subftance; and when thou giveft Alms, let not thine Eye be envious, neither turn thy Face from any Poor, and the Face of God fhall not be turned away from thee. b Mat. 25. 34, &c. Come yebleffed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World. For I was an 20 et Prov. 9.2, 5. She hath killed her Beafts, fhe hath mingled her for that which perifheth. For our Lord did not mean that we should live idly, without taking Pains for a Subfiftance. So in this Place, When thou makeft, &c. call not: That is, rather call the Poor than thy Friends, . The like may be obferved in many other Places. For our Lord does not here forbid us to invite our Friends, &c. but he prefers Mercy and Charity before fuch Invitations. We may give fuch Teftimonies of our Friendship to our Relations and rich Neighbours; but whether this will entitle us to any Reward from God, is another Question. Nor do I think that we are obliged actually to fend for the Poor, &c. to eat with us at our Houfes; the Duty required of us is, to relieve them in Proportion to our Ability. If therefore we fend them Provifions, or Money, or Clothes, we may do a more fubftantial Charity to them and their Fa milies, than if we feafted them at our own Dwellings. On the other Hand, comparative Particles are often to be understood in a negative Sense. Thus, Luk. 18. 14. This Man went down to his House juftified rather than the other. That is, the humble Publican was juftified, not at fupper-time to say to them that were bidden, Come, for all things are now ready. 18. And they all with one confent began to make excufe. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I muft needs go and fee it: I pray thee have me excused. 19. And another faid, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excufed. 20. And another faid, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21. So that fervant came and fhewed his lord these things. Then the mafter of the house being angry, faid to his fervants, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22. And the fervant faid, Lord, it is done as thou haft commanded, and yet there is room. 23. And the lord faid unto the fervant, Go out into the high-ways and hedges, and compel (1) them to come in, that my house may be i her Wine; fhe hath alfo furnished her Table. Come, eat of my Bread, and drink of the Wine which I have mingled. * Ifa. 55. 1. Ho, every one that 5 thirfteth, come ye to the Waters.Joh. 1. 11. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. Joh. 5.40. Ye will not come to me, that ye might have Life. Mat. 22.10 3. And fent forth his Servants to call them that were bidden to the Wedding: and they would not come. filled. h Mat. 13. 22. He also that received Seed among Thorns, is he that heareth the Word: and the Care of this World, and the Deccitfulness of Riches, choke the Word, and he becometh unfruitful. i See on Mat. 11. 5. I k1 Sam. 28. 23. He [Saul] refufed, and faid, I will not eat; but his Servants, together with the Woman, compelled him,and he hearkened unto their Voice. 2Cor. 5. 11, 20. Knowing therefore the Ter not the proud Pharifee. So Joh. 12.43. They loved the praise of Men more than the praife of God; that is, and not the praife of God. Thefe Ways of fpeaking are borrowed from the Jews, of which more Examples might be produced. (1) Neither the inhuman and barbarous Cruelties practifed in the Church of Rome, nor the wholfome Severities, as they are called elfewhere, can be juftified from this Place; for the Compulfion here meant, is not a Compulfion by Threats, and Terrors, and bodily Punishments in this World; but a Compulfion or Perfwafion by fetting a good Example, by Exhortation, and the moft earneft Intreaties, laying before Men the Promifes and Threatnings of the Gofpel, as will appear from the Confide ration of the References. Those who would have an Idea of the inbuman Cruelties practifed by the Church of Rome, may confult the Hiftory of the Inquifition, written by one of the Secretaries; an account in Dr. Geddes's ift Vol, of Tracts, and Mr. Stripes's Annals of Queen Elizabeth, Chap. 20. 1 filled. 24. For I fay unto you, that none of those men which were bidden, fhould tafte of my fupper. 25. ¶ And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned and faid unto them, 26. If any man come to me, and (1) hate n not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and fifters, yea, and his own life alfo, he cannot נון ror of the Lord, we perfwade Men.We are Ambaffadors for Chrift, as though God did befeech you by us, we pray you in Chrift's ftead, be ye reconciled to God. 2 Tim. 4. 2. 5 Preach the Word, be inftant in Seafon, out of Season : reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-fuffering and Do&trine. Acts 20. 31. Watch, and remember that by the Space of three Years, I ceafed not to warn every one Night and Day with Tears. See on Luk. 24. 29. Mat. 21 43 The Kingdom of God fhall be taken from you, and given to a Nation bringing forth the Fruits thereof. Mat. 22. 8. The Wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not wor ΙΟ be it from you, and judge your felves unworthy of ever lafting Life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. + Deut. 13. 6. If thy Brother, the Son of thy Mother, or thy Son,or thy Daughter, or the Wife of thy Bofom, or thy Friend, which is as thy own Soul, entice thee fecretly, faying, Let us go and ferve other Gods. Thou shalt not confent unto him. + Deut. 33. 9. Who faid unto his Father, and to his Mo ther, I have not feen him, neither did he acknowledge his Brethren, nor knew his own Children; for they 15 have obferved thy Word, and kept thy Covenant. Mat. 10. 37. He that loveth Father or Mother more than me, is not worthy of me: and thy. Joh. 1. 12. As many as re- 20 he that loveth Son or Daughter ceived him, to them gave he power -- more than me, is not worthy of me. n: Rom. 9. 13. Jacob have I loved, and Efau have I hated. °. Rev. 12. 11. They loved at their Lives unto the Death. (1) The Meaning of this Place is not that a Man should, properly fpeaking, hate his Father or his Mother; for how can our Lord, who enjoins us to love our Enemies, make it our duty to hate our Parents? The Word therefore which is here rendered to hate, likewife fignifies to love lefs, and to take lefs Care of; and that it fhould have been fo tranflated here, is plain from a parallel Text, Mat. 10. 37. which is among the References, which is likewife to be obferved in many other Places. Thus Leah, Gen. 29. 31. is faid to be hated; that is, Jacob did not love her fo well as he did Rachel. And the Apoftle, Rom. 9. 13. cites thefe Words from Mal. 1. 3. Jacob have I loved, and Efau have I hated; which Words have no relation to any eternal Decree of God's, whereby Efau was made incapable of everlafting Life. It is an unworthy Thought of the greatest, the best, and most perfect Being, to fuppofe that he made any of his Creatures meerly to glorifie his Justice, or with a Defign that they should be everlaftingly miferable. I would rather fay, I do not understand a few difficult Texts, than interpret them in a Senfe which contradicts many plain |