evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. of thee; and of him that taketh away || kind unto the unthankful and to the thy goods ask them not again. These and the like precepts of our Saviour are not to be taken strictly, but reThe design of our blessed Saviour in all strainedly we : are thereby obliged to and every of these precepts is to recom charity according to others' necessities, mend unto us all sorts and kinds of mercy and our own abilities, but not bound to and charity; namely, charity in giving, give to every one that has the confidence charity in forgiving, charity in lending; to ask for what we have. Indeed every it is sometimes our duty (if we have man that really wants is the proper object || ability) to lend to such poor persons as we of our Christian charity: and we must cannot expect will ever be in a capacity, with a compassionate heart and open either to pay or to requite us. This is to hand, relieve him according to his neces- imitate the Divine bounty, which does sity, but answerable to our ability. Nor good to all, even to the unthankful and to must the second part of the verse be un- the unholy. Love for love is justice; love derstood as forbidding Christians to seek for no love, is favour and kindness; but the recovery of their just rights, by pur- love and charity, mercy and compassion, suing thieves, and following the law upon to all persons, even the undeserving and oppressors; but requiring us to forbear all the ill-deserving, this is a divine goodness, acts of private revenge, as directly cona Christ-like temper, which will render us trary to the spirit and temper of Christian- illustrious on earth, and glorious in heaven. ity. As jealousy is the rage of a man, so St. Luke says here, Be ye merciful, as your revenge is the rage of the devil, it is the Father is merciful. St. Matthew says, very soul and spirit of the apostate nature. chap. v. verse last, Be ye perfect as your 31 And as you would that men Father in heaven is perfect; implying, that should do to you, do ye also to them love and mercy, charity and compassion, is the perfection of a Christian's graces; he that is made perfect in love, is perfect in all divine graces; in the account of God. Perfection in graces, but especially in love and charity, ought to be our aim in this life, and shall be our attainment in the next. likewise. Here our Saviour lays down a most excellent rule of life, for all his disciples and followers to walk by, namely, always to do as we would be done by. The golden rule of justice and equity in all our dealings with men is this, To do as we would be done unto. It is a full rule, a 37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: clear rule, a most just and equitable rule, which the light of nature, and the law of Christ, binds upon us St. Matthew, chap. vii. 14. adds, that this is the law and the prophets; that is, the sum of the Old Tes-understood of ourselves, but our neighThis prohibition, Judge not, is not to be tament, and the substance of the second table. The whole of the law is this; to love God above ourselves, and to love our neighbours as ourselves. 32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye ? for sinners also do even the same. 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is VOL. I.-38 bours. Self-judging is a great and necessary duty; rash judging of others is an heinous and grievous sin, which exposes to the righteous judgment of God. It is private judging and private condemning of persons which God forbids; it follows, forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Not that a quires in order to your forgiveness, but it bare forgiving of others is all that God reis one part of that obedience which we owe to God, without which it is in vain to expect forgiveness from God: Forgive and ye shall be forgiven. See the note on Matt. vii. 1. 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete · withal, it shall be measured to you again. I think there is not one text of scripture that declares the bounty of God more fully in rewarding acts of charity and mercy than this before us. O how liberal a paymaster is God! how sure and bountiful are the returns Christ makes to us for the relief given to him in his members! He promises us here, 1. Not bare measure but good measure. 2. Pressed down, shaken together, and running over; nothing adds more to the measure than the shaking of the bushel, the crowding and pressing of the corn, and heaping till the measure runneth over: now a measure will run over as long as you will pour. Learn hence, That charities done in faith, in obedience to God, and with an eye to the glory of God, will produce a certain and plentiful increase. Liberality is the way to riches; giving is the best and surest way of thriving. A little charity from us, if we have but a little, is looked upon by God as a great deal. But it is the greatest imprudence as well as impiety, to do but a little when we have the ability to do much; for he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully: good measure, pressed down, and running over. 39 And he spake a parable unto them: Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? Our Saviour doubtless applied these words to the scribes and Pharisees, the Jewish leaders, doctors, and teachers, who being ignorant of the spiritual sense of the law, (interpreting it only to the restraining of the outward man,) were very unfit to instruct and lead others; for where one blind man leads another, both are in danger of the ditch; that is, to run into ruin and destruction. Learn, 1. That ignorant, erroneous, or unfaithful ministers, are the greatest plague, and sorest punishment, that can befall a people. 1. That Christ having forewarned us of such guides, to follow them will be an inexcusable sin and folly, and never free us from the danger of destruction, but rather be an aggravation of our condemnation: If the blind follow the blind, both will, inevitably yet inexcusably, fall into the ditch. 40 The disciple is not above his master but every one that is perfect shail be as his master. The application of these words, no doubt, our Saviour intended to his own disciples, partly to comfort them under sufferings, and partly to encourage them to obedience. Did they suffer hard things from an unkind world? The remem brance of what their master suffered be- fore them may support them. 41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself behold est not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite! cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote which is in thy brother's eye. By the mote in our brother's eye, is meant some small and little sins discern ed, or some sin suspected. By the beam in our own eye, some greater sin undis cerned. Now, says our Saviour, there is no greater sin of hypocrisy than to be curious in spying out the smaller faults of others, and at the same time indulge greater in ourselves. Learn hence, That there is no such way to teach us charity in judging of others, as to exercise severity in judging of ourselves. 2. That those who desire others should look upon their failings with a compassionate eye, must not look upon the failings of others with a censorious eye; for with what measure we mete, it shall be measured to us again. 43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by his own fruit for of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth: against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. Our Saviour here concludes his sermon with an elegant similitude: he compares the faithful doer of the word to a wise builder, which founded his house upon a rock. Others he resembles to a foolish builder, that built his house upon the sand. The house is the hope of heaven and eter Our Saviour here and elsewhere frequently compares persons to trees; the heart of man is as the root, the actions as the fruit; as the root is the principle from which the fruit springs, so the heart of man is a principle from which all hu-nal life; the rock is Christ; the building man actions flow: an holy heart will be accompanied with an holy life, where there is a vital principle of grace within, there will be the actings of grace without; a good conscience will be accompanied with a good conversation. Observe farther, A double treasure discovered in the heart of man. 1. An evil treasure of sin and corruption, from whence flow evil things: but why should sin be called a treasure? Not for the preciousness of it, but for the abundance of it; a little doth not make a treasure: and also for the continuance of it; for though sin be per-dient believer is the only wise man, that petually overflowing in the life, yet doth the heart continue full. The treasure of original corruption in man's heart and nature, though by sanctifying grace it may be drawn low, yet it is never in this life drawn dry. 1. Here is a good treasure of grace discovered in a sanctified and renewed man; which is the source and spring from whence all gracious actions | do proceed and flow; namely, a sanctified and renewed heart and nature. When once the will of man is made conformable to the will of God, it doth will and desire, choose and embrace, take pleasure and delight in, what God approves, commands, and loves; and it will lay an injunction upon all the members of the body to act comformably thereunto. upon the sand, is resting upon the bare performance of outward duties; the rain, the winds, and the floods, are all kinds of afflicting evils, sufferings, and persecutions, that may befall us. The sum is; men's hopes of salvation built upon any other besides Christ, or built upon Christ without a sincere and uniform obedi ence to him, are vain hopes, deceitful hopes; for when the storm arises, when affliction or persecution comes, their con|fidence will fail them, their foundation will be shaken. Learn, 1. That the obe builds his hopes of heaven upon a sure and abiding foundation; Christ is the rock that he builds upon, and one Christ is before a thousand creatures, one rock better than millions of sands to build upon. 2. That such professors as rest in the bare performance of outward duties, are foolish builders; their foundation is weak and sandy, and all their hopos of salvation vain and deceitful. Lord! how does the carnal world build all their hopes upon the sand, on the wisdom of the flesh, on their policies, councils, friends and riches! They bottom their very soul upon fancies, presumptions, delusions, and vain hopes. They expect to be happy without being holy, which is to expect to be easy without being healthy. Woe to that man whose portion lies in the 46 And why call ye me, Lord, creature's hands, who builds all his hopes Lord, and do not the things which upon this earth; for when the earth is I say? 47 Whoever cometh to me, shaken, his hopes are shaken, his heart and heareth my sayings, and doeth is shaken, and he is at his wits' end: them, I will shew you to whom he whereas the Christian that builds upon is like: 48 He is like a man which the Christian falls, Christ must fall with built an house, and digged deep, and him: he shall never be disappointed of laid the foundation on a rock: and his hopes, unless faithfulness can disapwhen the flood arose, the stream beat point; he shall never be deceived, unless vehemently upon that house, and truth itself can deceive. If it be impossicould not shake it: for it was found-ble for God to lie, then it is impossible for the obedient, holy, and circumspect ed upon a rock. 49 But he that Christian finally to miscarry. the rock, stands firm and sure; for if ever CHAP. VII. The former part of this chapter relates to us a double miracle wrought by our blessed Saviour: the one in raising the centurion's servant from his bed, the other in raising the widow's son from his bier: both of them eminent acts and instances of his divine and almighty power. The history of the former stands thus: NOW without exception; even the bloody trade of war yields worthy clients to Christ: he doth not so much regard what we are, and whence we are, as with what dispo sitions and desires, with what purposes and inclinations, we come unto him. Observe, 2. The person whom the centurion came to Christ for: not for himself, nor for his son, but for his servant. His servant was sick; he doth not drive him out of doors, nor stand gazing by his bed-side, but looks out for help and relief for him: a worthy example of humanity! Some masters have not so much regard to their sick servants as they have to their oxen and their swine. But he is not worthy of a good servant that in a time of sickness is not willing to serve his servant. Ob.. OW when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. 2 And a certain centurion's servant who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. 3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Je-serve, 3. Unto whom the centurion seeks, sus, they besought him instantly, say ing, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: 5 For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. 6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself; for I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof: 7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. 8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant. Do this, and he doeth it. 9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 10 And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick. In our Saviour's miraculous cure of the centurion's servant, we have several particulars very observable; as, 1. The person applying himself to our blessed Saviour for help and healing: he was a Gentile, an Heathen, a Roman soldier, an officer and commander; yet he believes in, and relies upon the power of Christ. Note, That such is the freeness of divine grace, that it extends itself to all sorts and ranks, to all orders and degrees of men, and with what zeal and application; he seeks not to wizards and conjurers, but to the physician, for his sick servant; yea, to Christ, the chief Physician; and this not with a formal relation in his mouth, but with a vehement aggravation of his disease, My servant lies sick of the palsy, grievously tormented, St. Matt. viii. 6. where the master's condolency, and tender sympathy, with his afflicted servant, is both matter of commendation and imita tion. Observe, 4. The happy mixture of humility and faith which was found in this centurion. See his wonderful humility in not thinking himself worthy to come into Christ's presence, or that Christ should come under his roof. The best men have always the lowest thoughts of themselves; when we esteem ourselves unworthy of any favours, Christ accounts us worthy of all. See also his faith in Christ's divine power; he believed that Christ was able at a distance, and by a single word, to command off the distem per of his servant; he tells him, that dis eases were as much at Christ's command, as his servants were at his command. Humility, we see, is both the fruit of faith, and the companion of faith. An humble soul has evermore an high esteem of Christ's power, and a low esteem of itself. Observe, 5. How our blessed Saviour exceeds not only the centurion's desires, but his expectations, also, St. Matt. viii. 7, Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. O wonderful condescension. In St. John iv. 47. we read of a certain nobleman and ruler that twice entreated our Saviour to come to his house and heal his son, but our Lord refused. Here the centurion doth but barely tell Christ of his poor servant's sickness, and Christ, both unasked and undesired, says, I will come and heal him. O how far is Christ 17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judea, and throughout all the region round about. from seeming in the least to honour riches | ed his people. There were three persons raised from death to life by the powerful word of Christ's mouth; namely, Jairus's daughter, mentioned by St. Matthew; Lazarus recorded by St. John; and here the widow's son, only taken notice of by St. Luke. The place where the miracle was wrought was the city of Nain; out of their cities, and not within them, the Jews were wont to bury their dead. Our Saviour at the gate of the city meets with the sad pomp of a funeral, a sorrowful widow attended with her mournful neighbours, following her only son to the grave. Where note, 1. The doleful and distressed condition of the widow: there were many heart-piercing circumstances in her afflic tion. 1. It was the death of a son. To bury a child rends the heart of a parent; for what are children but the parent multiplied? But to lay a son in the grave, which continues the name, and supports the family, is a sore affliction. 2. This was a young man in the strength and flower of his age, not carried from the cradle to the coffin. Had he died an infant, he had not been so much lamented; but then when the mother's expectations were highest, and the endearments greatest, even in the flower of his age, he is cut off. 3. He was not only a son, but an only son; one in whom all his mother's hopes and comforts were bound up. The death of one out of many, is much more tolerable than of all in one. The loss of that one admits of no consolation. 4. Still to heighten the affliction, it is added that she was a widow; she wanted the counsel and support of a loving yoke-fellow. Had the root been left entire, she might better have spared the branch; now both are cut down, and she has none left to comfort her in her 11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. 12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 14 And he came and touched the bier; and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. 16 And there came a fear on all and they glorified God, say-strange doth Christ's counsel seem! To ing, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visit comfortless state of widowhood. In this bid a woman not to weep for such a loss |
