by as certain a punishment as these did; 2. Ye shall likewise perish, similitudine pœnæ, by the same kind of punishment; you shall perish by the ruin of your whole city, as they did by the downfall of that tower, if a timely and sincere repentance doth not intervene. Learn hence, That we must judge of persons by their conversation towards God, and not by God's dispensation towards them; all things here fall alike to all. A sudden death, yea, a violent death, as it comes upon many men, so it may come upon the best of men, as well as others: think not, says Christ, that those eighteen were sinners above all that dwelt in Jerusalem, because they suffered such things, I tell you, Nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Teaching us, That repentance is the only way and means to prevent punishment here, and perishing hereafter: Except ye repent, ye shall perish.

6 He spake also this parable A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none : cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

Our blessed Saviour, that he might excite the Jews to the practice of the last mentioned duty of repentance, sets forth his long-suffering with them, and forbearance towards them, by the parable of the figtree, which the Master of the vineyard had long expected fruit therefrom, but found none. Where note, 1. The great care that God takes to make poor sinners happy; he plants them in his church, as in a vineyard, that by the cultivating care of his ministers, and the fructifying influences of his Spirit, they may be fruitful in good works. Note, 2. That God keeps an exact account or reckoning, what means and advantages every place and people have enjoyed; These three years have I come seeking fruit, alluding to the three years of his own ministry among them. God keeps a memorial how many years the gospel has been amongst a people, how many ministers they have had, and how long with them, what pathetical exhortations, what pressing admonitions, what cutting reproofs;

all are upon the file, and must be accounted for. Learn, 3. That God expects suitable and proportionable fruit from a people, according to the time of their standing in his vineyard, and answering to the cost and culture which his ministers have expended upon them, and the pains they have taken with them. Note farther, 4. That although God doth and justly may expect fruit from such as are planted, in his vineyard, to wit, the christian church, yet he expects it with much patience and forbearance, waiting from year to year, to see if time will work amendment. These three years I have come seeking fruit, and found none. Lastly, If after all the cost that God has bestowed upon a people by his ministers and ordinances, they continue unfruitful, there is nothing to be expected but excision and final destruction: Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?

him, Lord, let it alone this year 8 And he answering said unto also, till I shall dig about it, and well: and if not, then after that dung it 9 And if it bear fruit, thou shalt cut it down.

Observe here, 1. The vine-dresser's petition and request, Lord, let it alone this year also. This points out unto us the office and duty of the ministers of God, who are labourers in his vineyard, to be intercessors with God, for sparing a barren and unfruitful people. Lord! spare them a little longer, Let alone this year also. If they cannot absolutely prevent judgment coming upon an unfruitful people, yet they endeavour to respite it, and delay its coming all they can. Observe, 2. The condition upon which the vine-dresser's petition is grounded, Till I shall dig about it, and dung it; phrases which intimate unto us the nature and quality of the ministerial work and service, signifying it to be a very difficult and laborious service. Digging is a painful work, and a spending work: and such is our ministerial work, if followed as it ought to be. We deal in mysteries, in the deep things of God, which are not received without much digging. Observe, 3. A double supposition here made by the vine-dresser: First, Of future fruitfulness; If it bear fruit, well. Secondly, Of future incorrigibleness; If not, after that thou shalt cut it down. 1. Here is a supposition of future fruitfulness; If it bear fruit, well; that is, it will be well

for the Master of the vineyard; herein is he glorified, when his fig-trees bear much fruit: well for the dresser of the vineyard; it rejoices the ministers of God to see their people bring forth fruit unto God: well for the vineyard, and the rest of the trees that are in it but more especially well for the tree itself, thereby avoiding the punishment of barrenness, and procuring the reward of fruitfulness; thus, If it bear fruit, well. Here is a supposition of future incorrigibleness, After that thou shalt cut it down: that is, After thou hast spared it, and I have pruned it; after thy patience and my pains; after thou hast forborne it, and I have manured it, digged, and dunged it; if after all this, it bear no fruit, then I have not a word more to say, Thou shalt cut it down. Thou mayest cut it down, nobody will go about to hinder thee. From hence learn, That a people's continued unfruitfulness under the means of grace, doth in time take off the prayers and intercessions of the ministers of God for them, and provokes God to bring his judgments unavoidably and irrevocably upon them: After that thou shalt cut it down.

10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath : 11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath-day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work

in

them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath-day. 15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite! doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? 16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham,

whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed 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.

Observe here, 1. The afflicted person, a woman which had a sore disease inflicted upon her by the devil for eighteen years, which almost bowed her together. There is nothing that the devil delights more in, than the miseries and calamities of mankind. Satan is not satisfied barely to infect the mind, and poison the souls of men; but he delights to afflict and hurt the body, where and when he can obtain leave. Observe, 2. Christ's compassion towards her, and his miraculous healing of her; Jesus called her to him, and with a word speaking healed her. Where note, That the inveterateness of the disease, and the instantaneousness of the cure, made the miracle evident. She that had been bow, ed down eighteen years, in an instant is made straight, and only by a word of

Christ's mouth. Such a miraculous operation was an evident testimony of his divine mission, that he was the Son of God. Observe, 3. How the heart of the poor woman is affected with Christ's hand: she glorified God; that is, she gave thanks to God, and attributed the miracle to him. As the chief end of all God's extraordinary works, either of power or mercy, is the exthat we can set forth his glory, is by celealtation of his own glory; so the only way brating his praises, and expressing our own thankfulness: He that offereth me praises and thanks, glorifies me, Psa. 1. ult. Observe, 4. The unreasonable anger and unjust indignation, which was found with the ruler of the synagogue against our holy Lord for working this miraculous cure on the sabbath-day. There is no person so holy, no action so innocent, but may fall under unjust censure, especially where malice and ignorance are combined. What a severe reflection doth this man make upon our blessed Lord for performing a work of mercy on the sabbath-day! Observe, 5. Our Lord's vindication of himself from calumny and false accusation; 1. He charges his accusers with hypocrisy. Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you loose his ox or his ass from the stall on the sabbath-day, and

water him? It is one note of an hypocrite, to condemn that in another which he doth himself: the Jews held it lawful to loose and lead a beast to watering on the sabbath-day, which was a work of servile labour; and yet would condemn Christ for healing a poor woman only with a word speaking. 2. Christ vindicates his own action, by comparing it with theirs, which they judged lawful on the sabbath-day: Was their loosing and watering the beast a work of necessity? much more was his. Was theirs a work of mercy? his much more. Their compassion was to a brute beast, his to a rational creature, to a woman, and that not a stranger, an heathen woman; but one of their own, a Jewish woman, a daughter of Abraham. Nay, farther, Christ's act was an act of far greater necessity, and more special mercy, than theirs. The beast might live a day without water; the beast might not be sick but this woman was in sore distress, and had been so for eighteen years; nay, she was in the hands of the enemy of mankind, bound by Satan. Was it not then a greater act of mercy and compassion to loose her, than to lead a beast? Observe, 6. What effect our Lord's vindication of him

self had upon the hearers of it: His adversaries were ashamed, and the people rejoiced, ver. 17. His accusers were ashamed, and probably convinced, perhaps silenced; but we read not that they confessed their error, or acknowledged their unjust censure, or craved Christ's pardon. When persons' judgments are under conviction of an error or mistake, it is very hard to bring themselves to confess and own their mistake, because all men stand very much upon the credit and reputation of their understand. ings, and look upon it as a reproach to own themselves mistaken; though it is really otherwise. But though our Saviour's adversaries were only ashamed, others rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble 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 great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. 20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21 It

is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Our Saviour's design in both these parables, is to keep his disciples and followers from being offended at the small beginnings of his kingdom, and to foretel the future great success of the gospel, notwithstanding the present sinall appearance of the efficacy of it. To this purpose he compares the kingdom of God, that is the gospel-church, to a grain of mustard seed, which being one of the least seeds, yet in that country grew into so large a tree, that the birds did roost and lodge in the boughs of it. He also likens it to leaven, which quickly dif fuses itself through the whole mass and lump, instantly turning a great heap of meal into its own nature. Christ shows hereby of what a spreading nature the doctrine of the gospel would be, notwithstanding all the malice and opposition of wicked men. Learn hence, That how small beginnings soever the gospel had in its first plantation, yet by the fructifying blessing of God, and the influence of the Holy Spirit, it has had, and shall have, a wonderful increase.

22 And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 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, I say shall not be able. unto you, will seek to enter in, and

Observe here, 1. The unwearied pains and diligence of our holy Lord in preaching and publishing the glad tidings of the gospel to lost sinners: He went through the cities and villages teaching; not in great and populous cities only, but in poor and obscure villages also; not preaching by his exemplary life only, but by his holy doctrine likewise. Let such preachers, who look upon the work of preaching as the least part of their business, consider the indefatigable pains which our Lord took in that work; and how will his diligence shame our negligence! Observe, 2. A carious question put to our Saviour concerning the number of those that should many: Lord, are there few that be sacbe saved, whether they should be few or ed? Where note, How curiously inquisitive we naturally are after the knowledge