was a sinner! Learn, That to see a sensual and notorious sinner, out of true remorse of conscience to seek unto a Saviour, is a rare and wonderful sight.Observe farther, It is not said, Behold a woman that sinned, but, Behold, a woman that was a sinner. One action does not denominate a person a sinner, but a habit and trade of sin. Again, it is said, Behold, a woman in the city: the place where she

acted her lewdness added to the heinous

ness of her sin, it was in the city; the
more public the offence, the greater the
scandal. Sin is sin, though in the desert,||
where no eye sees it; but the offence is
aggravated by the number and multitude
of beholders. Yet observable it is, that

there is no mention made, either of the
woman's name, or of the city's name;
and it is both presumption and injurious-
ness for any to name her, whose name
God has been pleased to conceal; for this is
not the same woman that anointed Christ's
feet, Matt. xxvi. Mark xiv. and John xii.-
that was in Bethany, this in Galilee; that
in the house of Simon the leper, this of
Simon the Pharisee. Observe, 3. The
behaviour and demeanour of this poor
woman; she appears in the posture of a
penitent: She stood at Christ's feet behind
him, weeping. Where note, 1. The great
change wrought in this sinful woman,
and the evident effects of it: her eyes,
which had been formerly lamps of fire by
lust, are now a holy fountain of peniten-
tial tears; her hair, which she had used
as a net to catch her fond and foolish
lovers, doth now become a towel for her
Saviour's feet. Verily, such a heart, as
has once felt the sting and smart of sin,
will make plentiful expressions of the
greatness of its sorrow. Again, 2. She
sits behind Christ and weeps: this proceed-
ed, no doubt, from a holy bashfulness;
she that was wont to look boldly in the
face of her lovers, dares not now behold
the face of her Saviour; she that was wont
to send her alluring beams forth into the
eyes of her wanton lovers, now casts her ||
dejected eyes down upon the earth; and
behold the plenty of her tears, they flow
in such abundance that she washes
Christ's feet with them. She began to wash
his feet, says the text, but we read not
when she ended; never were our Saviour's
feet bedewed with more precious liquor
than this of remorseful tears. Thus doth
a holy penitent account no office too mean
that is done to the honour of its Saviour.
39 Now when the Pharisee which
had bidden him saw it, he spake
within himself, saying, This man, if

he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him; for she is a sinner. 40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty: 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most? 43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

Observe here, 1. How unreasonably the Pharisee was offended with Christ, for permitting this poor woman to come near him, and touch him. Admit she had been the greatest of sinners, might not such come to Christ, when he was come from heaven to them? Oh blessed Saviour! there is merit enough in thy blood, and mercy enough in thy bowels, to justify and save the vilest sinners, which by repentance and faith do make a timely application to thee. Observe, 2. The parable which Christ makes use of, for the Pharisee's conviction, and the woman's comfort: namely, the parable of the two debtors, one of whom owed a greater sum, and the other a less, who both having nothing to pay, were both freely forgiven; and both upon their forgiveness loved their creditor much, but he most to whom most was forgiven. Now from this parable we gather these lessons of instruction; 1. That great is the debt which all mankind have contracted, and lie under to the justice of God: 'tis here expressed by five hundred pence. Our debt is infinite; and, had not miraculous mercy interposed, divine justice could never have been satisfied, but by undergoing an infinite punishment. 2. That yet all sinners stand not alike indebted to the justice of God; some owe more, and others less; all are guilty, but not all alike; some owe five hundred talents, others fifty pence. 3. That be men's debt greater or less, their sins more or fewer. 'tis utterly impossible for any person of himself to clear his debt, and make satisfaction, but they that owe least stand in need of mercy and forgiveness: He forgave them both. 4. That the forgiveness that is in God is a free, gratuitous, and gracious forgiveness: he frankly forgave them both: Gracious art thou, Ó

Lord, in thy doings towards thy children, || sign and evidence, that the free grace and and thy tender mercy is over all thy works. mercy of Christ had forgiven her; her 44 And he turned to the woman, many and great sins were forgiven her,. and said unto Simon, Seest thou this and therefore she loved much. The debt woman? I entered into thine house, his creditor; but the debtor therefore is not forgiven, because the debtor loves thou gavest me no water for my feet: loves, because the debt is forgiven. Forbut she hath washed my feet with giveness goes before, and love follows tears, and wiped them with the hairs after. Hence learn, That much love will of her head. 45 Thou gavest me no follow great forgiveness. Love will kiss: but this woman, since the time work in the heart towards God, in some proportion to that love which we have exI came in, hath not ceased to kiss my perienced from God. Observe lastly, The feet. 46 Mine head with oil thou very gracious dismission which this we didst not anoint; but this woman hath man meets with from our blessed Saviour: anointed my feet with ointment. 47 what could she desire that is not here Wherefore, I say unto thee, Her sins, granted to her? Here is remission, safety, faith, and peace; all these here meet to which are many, are forgiven; for she make a contrite soul happy: remission is loved much but to whom little is for- the ground of her safety, faith the ground given, the same loveth little. 48 And of her peace, peace the fruit of her faith, he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiv- and salvation the issue of her remission. en. 49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee: go in peace.

Observe here, 1. How our Saviour re

counts and sums up the several particular instances of this woman's love and respect towards himself: she washed, wiped, kissed, and anointed his feet, according to the custom of those eastern countries. Love will creep where it cannot go, it will stoop to the meanest offices, and is ambitious of the highest services for, and towards the persons we sincerely love. Observe, 2. The words of comfort given by our Saviour to this poor woman: Thy sins, which are many, are forgiven thee. Thence learn, That the pardoning mercy of God is boundless and unlimited; it is not limited to any sort of sins or sinners; it is not limited to any degree of sins or sinners; Thy sins, that are many, are forgiven thee: and thy sins, which are heinous, are forgiven also. Observe, 3. What is the effect and fruit, of great pardoning mercy; it is great love; her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. Her love to Christ was the effect of his pardoning love to her, and not the cause of it; she did not first love much, and then Christ forgave her, and then she loved much. Her love was a love of gratitude, because she was pardoned, and not a love of merit to purchase and procure her pardon. The Papists interpret this word (for) as if it were the antecedent cause of her forgiveness; whereas it is a consequential

woman! great was thy sin, great was Christ's pardoning grace, and great was thy joy and comfort: Thy sins are forgiven thee, thy faith hath saved thee, go in peace.

CHAP. VIII.

nd it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him.

Observe here, The great work and bu siness, which not only the apostles, but Christ himself was engaged in, and employed about, namely, preaching the gospel, those glad tidings of salvation to a lost world. Where note, that Christ himself laboured in this work of public preaching; he did not send forth his aposles as his curates to work and sweat in the vineyard, whilst he himself took his ease at home; but he accompanieth them himself, yea, he goes before them himself in this great and excellent work: Jesus went preaching the glad tidings of the gospel, and the twelve were with him. Learn thence, that preaching of the gospel is a great and necessary work, incumbent upon all the ministers of Christ, let their dignity and pre-eminence in the church be what it will. Surely none of the servants are above their Lord and Master! Did he labour in the word and doctrine? well may they. Observe, 2. The places where Christ and his apostles preached, not only in the populous cities, but in the poor country villages: They went through every city and village preaching the gospel. Some will preach the gospel, provided they may

preach at court, or in the capital cities of
|
the nation; but the poor country villages
are overlooked by them. Our Saviour
and his apostles were not of this mind:
'tis true, they were itinerary preachers,
we are settled; but be the place never so
mean and obscure, and the people never
so rude and barbarous, we must not think
it beneath the greatest of us to exercise
our ministry there, if God calls us thither:
Christ went through the villages, as well as
cities, preaching.

and scorns enough, and perhaps from their husbands too, for following the carpenter's son, and a few fishermen: but this does not damp but inflame, their zeal. The Holy Ghost acquaints us with several instances of masculine courage and manly resolution in the women that followed Christ as his female disciples. At our Saviour's trial, the women clave to him, when his disciples fled from him; they accompanied him to his cross, they assisted at his funeral, they attended his hearse to the grave, they watched his sepulchre,

2 And certain women which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmi-fearing neither the darkness of the night

ties, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, 3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.

nor the rudeness of the soldiers. These

feeble women had more courage than all the apostles. Learn, That courage is the special and peculiar gift of God; and where he gives courage, it is not in man to make afraid. Observe, 4. The pious and charitable care of these holy women, to supply the wants and outward necessiAmongst the number of those that did ties of our Saviour: They ministered unto accompany our Saviour and his apostles, him of their substance. Where note, 1. mention is here made of a certain woman, The great poverty of Christ: he lived who had been healed by Christ of evil upon the basket, he would not honour the spirits and infirmities; that is, of spiritual world so far as to have any part of it in and corporeal diseases, for the Jews were his own hand, but was beholden to others wont to call vices and evil habits by the for what he ate and drank; yet must we name of devils, as the devil of pride, the not suppose that either Christ or his aposdevil of malice, &c. Now as concerning || tles were common beggars, but it is prothese women's following of Christ, and bable there was a bag or common purse administering to him, several circum- amongst them, which upon occasion supstances are observable; as, 1. That women plied their necessities ; and there were cerdid make up a considerable number of tain ada, sisters, or Christian women, as Christ's followers, aye, and of his apostles' the learned Dr. Hammond observes, who followers too: The devout women not a few. accompanied Christ and his apostles in Acts xvii. 4. And verily it is no disgrace their travels, and provided necessaries for or shame, but matter of glory, and cause them, when they went up and down, of thankfulness, if our ministry be attended preaching the gospel. Note also, 2. The by, and blest unto, the weaker sex. I condescending grace and humility of believe in many of our congregations, and Christ; he was not ashamed either of these at most of our communions, are found women's following of him, or administertwo women for one man; God granting to him, because of their former vicious them knowledge answerable to their zeal, and obedience proportionable to their devotion. Observe, 2. One of these women that followed Christ was Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward. What! one of Herod's family transplanted into Christ's household! O the freeness of the grace of God! Even in the worst societies and places God has a number to stand up for his name, and bear witness to his truth: we read of a Joseph in Pharaoh's court; of an Obadiah in Ahab's court; of a Daniel in Nebuchadnezzar's court; of a

church in Nero's house; and of a Joanna here in bloody Herod's family, who had put John the Baptist to death. Observe, 3. The holy courage and resolution of our Saviour's female followers. No doubt they met with taunts and jeers, with scoffs

course of life; it is not what we formerly were, but what we now are, that Christ considers; it is a giory to him, to have great and notorious sinners brought to a closure and compliance with him. The reproach is not that they have been sinners, for Christ did not give himself for a people that were pure and holy, without spot or wrinkle, but to make them so by his word and Spirit, Eph. v. 26. Christ is only ashamed of those that eat of his bread, and lift up the heel against him.

4 And when much people gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: 5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trodden down, and

and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15 But that on the good ground are they, which, in an honest, and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Here the Saviour applies himself to interpret and explain the foregoing parable to his disciples; he tells them, The seed is the word; the sower is the preacher; the soil or ground, is the heart and soul of man: some hearers he compares to the hignway ground, in which the seed lies uncovered for want of the harrow of meditation; others to stony ground, in which

the word has no root; no root in their understanding, no root in their memories, in their wills, or in their affections, but they are instantly offended, either at the depth and profoundness of the word, or at the sanctity and strictness of the word, or else at the plainness and simplicity of it. Again, some hearers our Lord compares to thorny ground. Worldly desires and inordinate cares for the things of this life choak the word, as thorns overshadow the corn, draw away the heart of the earth from it, hinder the influence of the sun from cherishing it; the like ill effects have worldly affections and desires in the soul of man, rendering the seed of the word unfruitful. But the good Christian hears the word attentively, keeps it retentively, believes it stedfastly, applies it particularly, practises it universally, and brings forth fruit perseveringly. Learn hence, 1. That no hearers are in Christ's account good hearers of the word, but such as bring forth fruit answerable to their hearing. 2. That a person may be a good hearer of the word in Christ's account, if he bring forth the best fruit he can, though not in so great a proportion as others do; as some ground brings forth thirty, some sixty, some an hundred-fold: in like manner do all the sincere hearers of the word; they all bring forth fruit, though not all alike; all in sincerity, though not all equally, and none to perfection. Learn, 3. That it is not sufficient that we do at present believe, approve and practise the truth delivered to us, or that we are affected with the word, and receive it with some kind of joy, delight, and pleasure; unless we persist and persevere in obedience to all its precepts, and continue to bring forth fruit with patience.

16 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which

enter in may see the light. 17 For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid that shall not be known and come abroad. 18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

In these words Christ declares his end

and design in revealing unto his disciples the foregoing parable, and why he communicated to them the light of scripture knowledge and gospel mysteries, namely, that they may communicate it to others, and not keep it close unto themselves;

even as the candle in a house diffuses and

disperses its light to all that come within the reach of it. Such as are enlightened by God in any measure, with the knowledge and understanding of his word, ought not to conceal and hide this knowledge within themselves, but communicate it to others, and improve it for the good and benefit of others. Observe also, The argument which our Saviour makes use of to quicken his disciples to communicate their knowledge, and improve the grace they had received for the good and advantage of others. given, that is, such as improve their spiritual gifts, shall have them increased; such as improve them not shall have them such way to thrive in grace, and increase blasted. Learn hence, That there is no in gifts, as to exercise and improve them; he that hideth his talent, forfeits it, is in danger of losing it, and also of being pun nished for not improving it. Observe, lastly, How our Lord shuts up this parable

To him that hath shall be

of the sower and the seed, with a cautionary direction to all his auditors, to take heed how they hear the word: Take heed therefore how ye hear. Such as would profit by hearing the word must diligently attend to the matter of the doctrine which they hear, and also to the manner how they hear. Such is the majesty and autho rity of the person who speaks to us in the word, such is the sublimity and spirituality of the matter, and so great is our danger if we miscarry under the word, that it nearly concerns us to take heed both what we hear, whom we hear, and how we hear.

19 Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press. 20 And it was told him by certain, which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without,