it grew and waxed a great tree: and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. (See § 52.) 20. And again he said, Wheresunto 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. See § 53.

§ XCI. Concerning the number of the saved. Jesus is desired to leave Herod's dominions. He bewails Jerusalem the first time. See § 111, 121. Luke xiii. 22,-35.

Our Lord was now travelling by slow journeys towards Jerusalem, being on his way to the Jordan from the north-east parts to Perea. See the last paragraph of the last note on § 89. Somewhere on the road, probably soon after he had described the success of the gospel by the parables of the mustard and the leaven, his opinion was asked concerning the number of the saved. Luke xiii. 22. And he went through the cities and villages, teaching and journeying towards Jerusalem., 23. Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? The person who proposed this question seems to have heard the parables above mentioned. If he did, his notions of the kingdom of God being such as, the Jews at that time entertained, he perhaps meant a temporal salvation by admission into the Messiah's kingdom. But as no secular kingdom was ever to be erected by their great deliverer, Jesus answered the question in its spiritual meaning. Or we may suppose, that this Jew enquired concerning the eternal salvation of men. For though he could easily believe that all his brethren were to be saved, yet he could not so easily bring himself to believe that salvation was confined to his own nation. Wherefore, having an high opinion of Jesus as a teacher, he proposed his doubts to him. But in whatever sense we understand this question, our Lord's answer contains an exhortation which implies, that a small number of Jews only should be saved. Luke xiii. And he said unto them, 24. Strive to enter in at the strait gate: By enquiring thus curiously into the state of others, you seem to be at ease with respect to your own salvation. I must therefore tell you, that though as Jews you have great advantages, the gate to life is still strait; and that if you would be saved, you must exert yourself to the utmost. Of this you will be the more convinced, when I assure you, that many of your brethren, who, because they trusted to their privileges as Jews, lived all along securely, shall be for ever excluded from heaven, for many, I say unto you, avill seek to enter in, and shall not be able: that is, shall seek to enter in at an improper season, namely, by importunate intreaties, after the period of their trial is concluded, and their state finally and irreversibly determined, as is evident from what follows. 25. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand

without,

without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open un to us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence you are: On this occasion Jesus repeated what he had formerly delivered in the sermon on the mount. 26. Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. Over and above the privileges which you have enjoyed by the Mosaic dispensation, you shall plead on that occasion the peculiar favour which I shewed you in the days of my flesh, by exercising my ministry among you, and by conversing familiarly with you. 27. But he shall say, I tell you, I know not whence you are: I disclaim all knowledge, of, and friendship with you; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. He repeated likewise what he had declared in praise of the centurion's faith, Matt. viii. 11. § 28. 28. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. 30. And behold there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last. Here therefore, as well as in Matthew, our Lord plainly affirms, that many others besides Jews shall be saved.

Luke xiii. 31. The same day there came certain of the Phari sees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence, for Hered will kill thee. From the known disposition of the Pharisees, who were always enemies to Christ, as well as from his answer, it is more than probable that their concern for his safety was feigned, and that their real design was to intimidate him, and make him flee into Judea, not doubting that the haughty priests would fall upon some method of putting him to death. Herod too seems

to have been in the plot. He now began to take umbrage at Christ's fame and authority, fearing that it might occasion him some embarrassment either with his people, or with the Romans. But he dreaded to make an attempt on his life, remembering the agonies of mind he had suffered on account of the Baptist's murder. He therefore sent the Pharisees to him with the message above mentioned. Thus we see the reason why Jesus reproved Herod, whose name might otherwise have been innocently used by the Pharisees. Luke xiii. 32. And he said unto them, Go ye and tell that fox, he called Herod a fox, because of the craft which he shewed in this affair, Behold, I cast out devils, and 1 do cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I shall

Ver. 32. To-day and to-morroa, &c.] Some apply this to the years of Christ's ministry, supposing that a day is put for a year. But the explication is improper; because if the three days here mentioned were intended to comprehend the whole years of our Lord's ministry, this conversation

must

I shall be perfected. He added, I know all that is to befal me: I know who are my enemies, what their intentions are, and how far they will be able to accomplish them; for which reason, you need give yourselves no trouble about me. 33. Nevertheless, I must walk to-day, and to-morrow, and the day following: no malice or power of men can hinder me from accomplishing my ministry; for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. As the court of priests, whose prerogative it was to judge prophets, had its seat in Jerusalem, our Lord, by putting the Pharisees in mind that a prophet could not perish out of Jerusalem, insinuated that he knew their intentions too well to pay any regard to their advice. Or, in making this observation, his design may have been to display the wickedness of that city, the inhabitants of which had been in every age the chief enemies of the messengers of God, in so much that none of them were put to death any where else. And to this agrees what our Lord says of Jerusalem in the pathetic lamentation which he now utetred concerning it, on account of its crimes, its obstinacy, and its punishment. 34. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent 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 house is left unto you desolate; your temple will, in a little time, be totally deprived of my presence; and verily I say unto you, ye shall not see me until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. After your house is become desolate by my departure, ye shall not see me till the time come when ye shall say, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Jesus lamented the city a second time as he rode into it, a little before his passion. See on Matth. xxiii. 37. § 121.

must have happened in the first year thereof; contrary to Luke himself, who tell us, chap. ix. 51. that the time was come that he should be received up. Besides, according to this interpretation, Christ's being perfected on the third day will imply, that he was to suffer in the third year of his ministry, which is far from being a certain point. Were we to conclude any thing concerning the length of our Lord's ministry from the days mentioned, it would be, that he did not suffer till the third year after this conversation. But the real meaning of the words seems to be as follows: I shall not be very long with you on earth; yet while I am here, I will perform the duties of my ministry, without being afraid of any man; because my life cannot be taken from me, but in the place, and at the time, appointed by God.

XCII. Jesus dines with Pharisees the third time; see § 43, 87. The parable of the marriage-supper; see § 116.

1,-24.

Luke xiv.

ABOUT this time one of the Pharisees, who was a member of the great council, (Tires Tay agxorta gia) and had his coun

try-seat

ner.

t y-seat in Perea, happening to meet with Jesus while he abode. there, carried him home to dinner. But the invitation was ins dious; for we are told that they watched him. Our Lord how. ever accepted it with his usual condescension; for he never shunned to do all manner of good, even to his bitterest enemies, though it was often attended with great danger to himself. Luke xiv. 1. And it came to pass, as he avent into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath-day, that they watched him. The chief Pharisee and others of his sect, who were gathered together for this very end, (ver. 3.) watched all his words and actions, in order that they might find something to blame in them, whereby they hoped to blast his reputation as a pro phet. To make their scheme take effect, no sooner did Jesus enter into this Pharisee's house, than they set before him a man whose body was prodigiously swollen with the dropsy. For that this diseased person was brought in by the Pharisees themselves with an intention to ensnare Jesus, is evident from what followed. Besides, the man would not otherwise have found admission into the house of so great a person, far less into the hall where the company was to dine, and that too immediately before din2. And behold there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. The Pharisees made no doubt that Jesus would cure him, and hoped to bring discredit both upon the miracle and its author, by the day whereon it was performed;, for according to the tradition of the elders, the sabbath admitted of no servile work whatever, such as they judged a cure to be. In the mean time, Jesus knowing their thoughts, asked the Pharisees and the lawyers, whether it was right to perform cures on the sabbath? But they all held their peace, not caring perhaps to hinder him. 3. And Jesus answering, spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath-day? 4. And they held their peace. And he took him (oves he laid his hand on him) and healed him, and let him go; (xas axedvor and sent him away). The moment that Jesus laid his hand on the man, his complexion returned, and his body was reduced to its ordinary dimensions, becoming at the same time vigorous and fit for action, as appeared by the manner in which he went out of the room. Doubtless our Lord could have accomplished this cure as well by a secret volition, and so might have cut off all matter of cavilling. But he chose rather to produce it by an action, in which there was the very least degree of bodily labour that could be, because thus he had an opportunity of reproving the reigning superstition of the times. Accordingly, whilst the Pharisees were considering with themselves how to turn the miracle against him, he disconcerted them, by proving the lawfulness of what he had done, from their own practice. 5. And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit,

and

and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath-day? Will ye, for fear of breaking the sabbath, let it pass before ye attempt to draw the beast cut, and not rather make all the haste you can to save its life, though it should cost you a great deal of work? But the labour of this cure was barely that Jesus had laid his hand on the man. His argument therefore was what the grossest stupidity could not overlook, nor the most virulent malice contradict. 6. And they could not answer him again to these things. What he said was so consonant to common sense and common practice, that they had not a word to reply. They were much ashamed therefore and vexed at their disappointment, having gathered together and invited him in, with a design to ensnare him.

Before dinner, the pride of the Pharisees discovered itself inthe anxiety which each of them expressed to get the chief places at table. Jesus took notice of it, and shewed them both the evil and the folly of their behaviour by its consequences. He mentioned this in particular, that pride exposes a man to many affronts, every one being desirous to mortify a vain person; whereas humility is the surest way to respect. Luke xiv. 7. And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms, saying unto them, 8. When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room, lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; 9. And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place, and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. 10. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. 11. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted, both by God and man.

rcom;

In time of dinner, Jesus directed his discourse to the person that had invited him, and shewed him what sort of people he should bid to his feasts. Luke xiv. 12. Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours only, lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee: by no means confine thy hospitality to thy rich relations, acquaintance, and neighbours, lest the whole of thy reward be an invitation from them to a like entertainment. For that the

text

Ver. 7. Those which avere bidden.] From this circumstance, and from what is said verse 12. it appears that this was a great entertainment, to which many were invited. Very probably therefore the meeting was con certed, and the company chosen, with a view to ensnare Jesus, as we have hinted in the paraphrase; so that his being invited, was a matter, not of accident, but of design.