58 cxxvii. Luke 52 And sent més He rebukes the intemperate zeal of James and John. SECT. enemies, he resolutely set his face to go up to Jerusalem, though he knew it was the last journey he should take from Galilee thither, and that IX. 52. tortures and death awaited him there. And as his way lay through Samaria, being a stran- sengers before his face: and they went, and ger there, he sent messengers before his face, who entered into a village in their progress entered into a village of the Sa- of the Samaritans to maritans to prepare entertainment for him; only make ready for him. desiring to take a lodging there, and to pay for 53 their accommodation. But the Samaritans had receive him, because such a national grudge against the Jews, that his face was as though they would not receive him, nor grant him the he would go to Jerusacommon rites of hospitality due to any stranger because his face was directed towards Jerusalem; and they concluded, from the season of the year, that this visit was intended as a peculiar honour to the temple there. 54 55 53 And they did not lem. 54 And when his John, saw this, they to come down from And when his disciples, James and John, who attended him, saw it, they said, Lord, wilt disciples, James and thou that we speak for fire to come down from hea- said, Lord, wilt thou ven to destroy them, as Elijah did with regard that we command fire to his enemies (2 Kings i. 10, 12); for surely heaven, and consume one word in such a case will do it, and the ar- them, even as Elias tillery of heaven will be much more ready to did? avenge such an affront offered to thee, who art so much superior to any of the prophets? But [Jesus] turning short upon them, rebuked them with a becoming severity, and said, Ye know not what kind of spirit ye are of; you neither consider the genius of the gospel, so much more gentle than that of the law, nor do you sufficiently know your own hearts; and if you were more diligently to examine them, you would soon find that there is a great deal of personal resentment and ostentation mingled with all that zeal for me which you so warmly express on this occasion. But I reject your mo As a peculiar honour to the temple there.] None of the feasts observed at Jerusalem could be more remarkable in this view, as this was kept in commemoration of the temple's being purified, after it had been polluted by Antiochus Epiphanes, to whose idolatrous impositions the Samaritans had willingly offered to submit; as was observed before in note 8 on John iv.9, Vol. VI. p. 162. Josephus observes (Antiq. lib. xx. cap. 6 (al. 5), § 1, & Bell. Jud. lib. i. cap. 12 (al. 11), § 3), that the Jews going from Galilee to Jerusalem at their public feasts, took Samaria in their way; and it might be resented as some tion 55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56 For the Son of man thing of an affront, considering the antipathy of the two nations. d James and John, who attended him.] That these disciples, so remarkably distinguished by their Lord's favour, should have some distinguished zeal and faith, may seem less wonderful, than that a person of so sweet a disposition as Johu should make so severe a proposal. (Compare sect. xcvi. Impr. Vol. VI. p. 503.-The affinity which this story has to the other, with which Luke has connected it, is (as Grotius justly observes) a sufficient reason for his having thus transposed it. Ten lepers cleansed, of whom but one gives thanks. destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another yillage. 59 Cxxvii. man is not come to tion as absolutely unfit to be complied with; SECT. for the Son of man came not into the world to erect his kingdom by military force, or by any Luke 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 which stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And as he entered into a certain neighbouring XVII.12 into a certain vilage, 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 conversed promiscuously together. And stand- 13 ing afar off, lest they should pollute passengers 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 hack, 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 cleansed none are found who have returned to give glory to God but this poor stranger to the 19 And he said commonwealth of Israel? And he said to him, there not ten cleans nine? found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. unto Arise, 19 60 Luke 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 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 violent 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 61 SECT. cxxvii.. The Pharisees inquire when the kingdom of God will come. tudes who are indebted to the Divine goodness, there is not one in ten who has a becoming sense of it? Let us labour to impress our hearts deeply with such a sense. Let us remember what it Luke is that God expects of us; and let us farther consider that, as the XVII. 17,18 exercise of gratitude towards such a Benefactor is most reasonable, so also in proportion it is most delightful to the soul; it is indeed (as one well expresses it) like the incense of the Jewish priest, which, while it did an honour to God, did likewise regale with its own fragrancy the person by whom it was offered. SECT. CXXVIII. Our Lord cautions the Jews against expecting a pompous kingdom of the Messiah, and warns them of the approaching national destruction which would be the consequence of rejecting him. Luke XVII. 20, to the end. LUKE XVII. 20. AND when he was Pharisees, when the tion. LUKE XVII. 20. cxxviii. demanded of the THUS our Lord went on in his journey, and SECT. at length came to Jerusalem. And it was kingdom of God should about this time that, being asked by some of the Luke come; he answered Pharisees when the kingdom of God, which he XVII.20 them, and said, The had so often mentioned as approaching, should kingdom of God cometh not with observa- actually come; he answered them, and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with that external pomp and observation of men which you expect. Neither shall Neither shall they point to this or that remark- 21 they say, Lo here, or, abie place, and say, Behold [it is] here, or, behold For behold, and observe it at enthe kingdom of God is [it is] there. within you. tively, the kingdom of God is already among you: though, because it is an inward and spiritual kingdom, erected in the hearts of men, and not attended with outward grandeur, you overlook it as unworthy your regards. 21 lo there for behold, 92 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come when And he afterwards said to the disciples apart, 22 Though you do indeed undergo some present difye shall desire to see ficulties,in consequence of your adherence to me, one of the days of the yet you have so much greater extremities before Son of man, and ye shall not see it. that the time will come when you shall wish to see one of these days of the Son of man and shall not see it; and the whole Jewish nation having rejected Me, the true Messiah, shall yet long for the you, a Being asked by some of the Pharisees.] I pretend not to say whether this was at Jerusalem or some neighbouring place; nor is it any way material to determine it. The kingdom of God is among you.] So I render the words up, referring the reader to those exact critics in the Greek language, Beza and Raphelius (Annot. ex. 62 Christ represents the manner of his coming, SECT. the appearance of him whom they expect under cxxviii. that character, and eagerly listen to every one Luke or, see there: go not 24 For as the light ning that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also his day. the Son of man be in that pretends to it. And accordingly they shall 23 And they shall XVII.23 say to you, Behold, [he is] here, or behold [he is] say to you, Sce here, there; [but] do not you go out on hearing such after them, nor follow reports to seek him, nor join to follow [them] in them. 24 any of their vain delusive schemes. For he will indeed come, but in a very different manner from what they expect; even to execute upon them a sudden and unavoidable destruction: for as the lightning which lightens from one [part] under heaven, shines in a moment with the greatest swiftness to the other [part] under heaven; so also in as swift and terrible a manner shall the coming of the Son of man be in his day, when he appears to plead the cause of that gospel which has been so generally despised. (Compare Mat. 25 xxiv. 23, 27. sect. clxi.) Nevertheless, he must first suffer many things, and be yet more oppro- and be rejected of this briously and solemnly rejected by this generation generation. of men, who shall by this public and national act of impiety and rebellion fill up the measure of their iniquities. (Compare Luke xxiii. 18— 21. John xix. 15. Acts iii. 13-15.) 26 a 25 But first must he suffer many things, 26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so days of the Son of man. shall it be also in the 2 They did eat, they drank, they margiven in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark= destroyed them all. ried wives, they were and the flood came and Then shall impending vengeance fall upon them at once: and as it was in the days of Noah which preceded the flood, so also shall it be in the days of the Son of man, or in those days when he shall come in the manner I have now described 27 for the destruction of his enemies. For, notwithstanding the express predictions of Divine judgments approaching, they went on with their usual course as if there were no danger; they did eat, they drank, they married wives, [and] their daughters were given in marriage; and with confident security they persisted in the business, entertainments and luxuries of life, till the very day in which Noah entered into the ark; and then the deluge came with irresistible fury, so that it overbore and destroyed them all at once; (Gen. vi. 28 13. vii. 21.) Likewise also as it was at Sodom in the days of Lot, they did eat and drink, they Lot, they did eat, they bought and sold, they planted vineyards, and built drank, they bought, magnificent houses, and never thought them- they sold, they plantselves more secure, or their pleasant country more ed, they builded: 29 like to flourish; Thus did they carelessly go on, 29 But the same day despising every admonition of their guilt and that Lot went out of danger but on the very day when Lot went out and brimstone from of Sodom, an horrible tempest of fire and brim- heaven and destroyed stone was rained down by the Lord from heaven, and 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Sodom, it rained fire them all. |