The poor should rather be invited than the rich. Friend, go up higher: pre 23 cxix. Luke he may say unto thee, er: then shall thy modesty be followed with a dis- SECT. then shalt thou have tinguished reward, and thou shalt thus have worship in the honour in the sight both of the master of the feast sence of them that sit and of all them that sit at table with thee, as having XIV. 10 at meat with thee. assumed nothing to thyself, but rather been 11 For whosoever contented to stoop to thine inferiors. For this 11 be abased; and he may be laid down as a certain maxim in life, that humbleth himself, and happy is the man that attends to it, Every exalteth himself, shall shall be exalted. 12 Then said he also to him that bade him, brethren, neither thy one who exalts himself beyond his proper rank kinsmen, nor thy rich a neighbours; lest they also bid thee again and arecompence be made. Then said he also to him that invited him, If 12 When thou makest a you desire to improve what you have to the best dinner or a supper, cail advantage, spend it in charity, rather than in not thy friends, nor thy magnificence and luxury and when thou makest dinner or a supper, invite not so much thy rich friends, or thy brethren, or thy kindred, or neighbours; lest they should also invite thee again, and thus a recompence be made thee, and all thou hast in return be to receive one banquet for another; which would introduce an habit of high living, at a great expence both of money and time, and would occasion the disorder of your respective families. But rather, when thou 13 wouldst make an entertainment which should turn to the surest account, let it be plain and frugal, and invite to it the poor, the disabled, the lame, [and] the blind, who are incapable of providing for themselves: let these come frequently to thy house, to receive thine alms; or send portions to them" when they cannot come. 14 And thou shalt (Neh. viii. 10.) And this will afford thee a 14 be much nobler satisfaction than banquets can give; 13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: h Invite not so much thy rich friends, or neighbours.] Probably (as Mr. Reading well conjectures) he observed in the Pharisees a humour of making magnificent feasts (on the sabbath-days and on other occasions), and of treating great persons, chiefly out of pride, ambition, and ostentation; which might render this advice peculiarly proper, especially if he, who now gave this entertainment was, as many of his brethren certainly were, very deficient in works of charity. See Reading's Life of Christ, p 256.-It is plain the word rich (as Grotius well observes) refers not merely to neighbours, but to the kindred and the other persons that are mentioned with and them: for if these were in low circum- i The disabled, &c.] We render avanças * At 24 cxix. Reflections on the exercise of humility and charity. cannot recompence thee: for thou shalt be SECT. and I may truly say, thou shalt be happy in that be blessed for they they are not capable of making thee such a reLuke quital; for their prayers shall descend in bless- recompensed at the XIV. 14 ings on thy head; and, besides all the pleasure resurrection of the just. a generous heart will find in the very exercise of such bounties, thou shalt be abundantly recompensed at the resurrection of the just, if they proceed from a real principle of piety and faith. (Compare note, Vol. VI. p. 289.) IMPROVEMENT. How happy were they, who had frequent opportunities of conversing with Christ, whose discourses were always so wise and so useful; how well did he repay all the entertainments he received, Ver. in the advantages which he gave for religious improvement! In 1 vain might his enemies watch for occasions against him. In his tongue was the law of wisdom as well as of kindness, (Prov. xxxi. 26. And surely the lips of his ministers and disciples would feed many to their everlasting benefit, were this blessed model to be more carefully traced! (Prov. x. 21.) 3-11 12, 13 Let us particularly observe, what he here says concerning a modest and humble deportment, which is indeed the surest way to be honoured and respected. And let us take great heed, that that good breeding, which consists so much in the expressions of humility and a readiness to prefer others to ourselves, do not degenerate into a mere form, and prove, as it too often does, the cloak of arrogance and pride; but that it have its foundation in a lowly opinion of ourselves, and an habitual disposition to submit even to our inferiors, when we may do it without breaking in upon the duties and decencies of life, and injuring those to whom it may be exercised, by an indulgence which they know not how to understand or improve. Let us hearken to these exhortations to charity from the mouth of our charitable Saviour, who gave himself for us. And as Christ pleased not himself (Rom. xv. 3), let us not allow ourselves to squander away great quantities of money, in what may gratify our own senses, or make a gaudy shew in the eyes of the vainer part of mankind; but let us be willing to spare from the luxuries and superfluities of life, that we may bestow it on the poor and the distressed. k At the resurrection of the just.] It is not so evident, as Dr. Clarke supposes, that dixaiw must here signify charitable men; it rather seems to me a strong and awakening intimation that none who neglect works of charity shall have their final lot among the righteous; which is evident from the many hundred scriptures which indispensably require mercy as well as justice. (Compare Mat. i. 19, note a, Vol. VI. p. 51.) a Shall The parable of the great supper. 25 distressed. And indeed, whatever our circumstances and posses- SFCT. sions be, we must expect that the stream of our bounty will soon be dried up, if it be not supplied from the fountain of a prudent Luke frugality. This self-denial may now in some instances be painful; but it will be amply recompensed at the resurrection of the just. 14 May we then meet with many, whom our liberality has fed and clothed, whom our knowledge and zeal have instructed, and whom our holy examples have edified and quickened! Here will be a foundation laid for the endearments of an eternal friendship; when that which has been formed upon a partnership in vice, or animal pleasure, shall be for ever forgotten, or be remembered with mutual horror. SECT. CXX. Our Lord foretells, in the parable of the great supper, the rejection of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles. Luke XIV. 15—24. LUKE XIV. 15. them that sat at he that shall eat bread LUKE XIV. 15. SECT. AND when one of AND while Jesus was thus discoursing, one of the guests at the Pharisee's table hearing cxx. meat with him heard these useful things, and willing to keep up so Luke these things, he said good a spirit of conversation, said to him, Happy XIV. 15 unto him, Blessed is indeed is he who shall be honoured so far as to in the kingdom of God. eat bread in the kingdom of God; blessed man, who shall live in the time of the Messiah, and share the entertainments he will prepare for his people, when these virtues of humility, condescension, and charity, shall flourish in all their glory! 16 Then said he unto him, A certain man it 17 And sent his servant at supper-time to On this natural occasion, our Lord thought 16 to remind him and the company, that proper many who, on mistaken notions of this kingdom, professed to desire it, were under the force of such carnal prejudices on this bead, that they would in fact slight and reject it. And to this purpose he uttered the following parable, and said to him that had expressed so high a notion of the entertainments of his kingdom, A certain man made a great supper, and invited many guests. And he sent out his servant at the hour of supper to say to those that were invited, as they haps it might be at the table of this noble 17 26 CXX. The guests that were first invited refuse to come. make excuse. The needs go and see it; I 19 And another five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them : pray thee have me excused. I SECT. they delayed their coming, My master desires to ssy to them that you would come away as soon as possible for all for all things are now were bidden, Come, Luke things prepared for the entertainment are now ready. XIV. 18 ready And they all began with one [consent]", 18 And they all with as if by mutual agreement they had all contrived one consent began to to put a slight on the entertainment, to excuse first said unto him, I themselves on one pretence or another. The first have bought a piece of said to him that was sent, I have just now pur- ground, and I must chased a field, and I am under a necessity of going pray thee have me exto see it, I entreat thee therefore to make my cused. 19 excuse. And another said, I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them, said, I have bought that I may see how they will draw; I beseech thee therefore to make my excuse, and assure thy master that it is important business that prevents 20 me c. And another said I have very lately married a wife, and shall have company to entertain, and therefore you will easily perceive I and therefore I cannot cannot come to attend your master's feast and 21 neglect my own. And that servant returning told his lord all these things. Then the master of came and shewed his the house who had made the entertainment was the master of the house lord these things. Then very angry, as he reasonably might be, to see being angry, said to his such an affront put upon his splendid prepara- servant, Go out quickly tions, and such an ungrateful return made for lanes of the city, and the peculiar kindness and respect he had shown bring in hither the in sending for these guests; and therefore he said poor, and the maimed to his servant, Go out directly into the streets and and the halt, and the lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the disabled, and the lame, and the blind, that they may come and partake of the entertain b With one [consent]; ano pas] Of all that is, with one consent; which supposi- It I beseech the make my excuse, &c.] ment; 20 And another said, I have married a wife, come. 21 So that servant into the streets and blind. important affairs in life with which they seldom interfere, but to indulge the ca price and folly of their own tempers, -and to gratify the impulse of present passions sometimes excited on very low occasions. d I cannot come, &c.] As the process of the parable represents a wise and good man offended with this excuse among the rest, we must suppose something in the circumstance of his receiving the message, or of appointing the time for entertaining company on his own marriage, which implied a rude contempt of the inviter, and made the reply indecent. It was not necessary to descend to such particulars. e Into the streets and lanes of the city.] This seems the true distinction between whales and fas; the former of which signifies a broad, and the latter a narrow way, in which last the alleys may be included. The poor are called in to partake of the feast. CXX. 27 Luke ment; for I had rather see my house filled with SECT. And in like manner, such will the Divine Into the roads and hedges.] Any gross and abandoned sinners might be represented as in this wretched condition. (See Eph. ii. 12-17.) But it seems an excessive refinement of Brennius, to suppose the hedges bere mentioned refer to the ceremonial law as a partition; as it likewise is to explain the first clause as relating to the proselytes of the gate, and the second to the idolatrous Gentiles. One might as well infer from ver. 24 that no Jews should be saved: and it argues a wrong taste in criticism to torture every circumstance into a fancied resemblance. g Press them by the most earnest invitation to come in.] Nothing can be more apparently weak than to imagine, with St. Augustin and many others, that these words can justify the use of compulsion and force in religious matters; the absurdity and iniquity of which I have represented at large in my sermon on that subject. It is certain the word avayxaw is often used VOL, VII, D to express an importunity where there could |