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26,

came and drew nigh to the Houfe, he heard Mufick and

Dancing.

26 And he called one of

the Servants, and asked what thefe Things meant.

164 But his Elder Brother repines and resents it: Sect. 123. the Houfe, he heard the Sound of Mufick and Luke XV Dancing, and was furprized at the Discovery of fuch unusual Joy. And calling one of the Servants, he enquired of him, what was the Meaning of thefe Things, and what could have occafioned this extraordinary Rejoicing? And be faid to him, It is becaufe thy younger Brother is come Home; and thy Father is fo tranfported with Joy at his unexpected Return, that he has killed the fatted Calf, and made a very splendid Entertainment, because he has received him in good Health again, and found him happily recovered to a 28 Sense of his Duty. And he was very angry at

27

29

30

31

27 And he faid unto him, thy Father hath killed the Thy Brother is come; and fatted Calf, because he hath received him fafe and found.

28 And he was angry,

the kind Reception of his Brother, and refolved and would not go in :that he would not go in.

-Therefore came his Fa

His Father therefore, hearing he was there, and being told he had discovered fome Uneafinefs, ther out, and intreated him. came out with great Condefcenfion, and calmly intreated him to be pacified, and to join with them in the Festivities of the Day.

But instead of rejoicing on fo happy an Occafion, and running to embrace his penitent Brother, he was ftill full of Envy and Refentment, and replied to his Father, Behold, I have ferved thee thefe many Years, and even to this Day am as careful of thy Affairs, as if thou waft my Master, rather than my Father; nor canft thou fay, I have at any time departed from my Duty, or tranfgreffed thy Command; and yet thou haft never given me fo much as a Kid, to make an Entertainment with a few of my felect Friends:" But as foon as ever this thy favourite Son was come, who has, as much as in him lay, devoured thy Subftance with Harlots Abroad, in a long Courfe of fcandalous Debaucheries, to his own to his own Ruin, and the Infamy of the Family, thou haft killed for him the fatted Calf, and made him as welcome, as if he had been the moft dutiful Child upon Earth.

And tho' his Father juftly might have taken Offence at his unbecoming Reply, yet with great Gentleness be faid to him, Son, thou art always with me, and art every Day receiving fome Token of my Kindness; yea, all that I have is in a man

ner

29 And he answering,,

faid to his Father, Lo, thefe neither tranfgreffed I at any time thy Commandment, and yet thou never gaveft

many Years do I ferve thee,.

me a Kid, that I might makemerry with my Friends:

30 But as foon as this thy

Son was come, which hath
Harlots, thou haft killed for

devoured thy Living with
him the fatted Calf.

31 And he faid unto him, Son, thou art ever with me,

and all that I have is thine.

32 It was meet that we fhould make merry, and be glad: for this thy Brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found..

my

While his Father acquaints him, how fit it was to rejoice. ner thine, as thou art Heir to the Bulk of Eftate (k): But furely, on farther Confideration, thou must acknowledge, that it was fit we fhould feaft and rejoice To-day; for this thy poor Brother (1), who was but lately looked upon as dead, is as it were miraculously made alive again; and he who was loft to us all, is now happily found; and it will much better become thee, to join with us in Joy for his Return, than thus peevishly to quarrel with my Indulgence to him.

Now you, who have heard this Parable, will eafily fee, how indecent this Conduct was, and how ungracious a Figure this elder Brother makes in my Story. And I will affure you, that when you Pharifees murmur at the Kindnefs fhewn to the Publicans, or even the Gentiles themselves (m),. on their fincere Repentance, you act with as ill a Grace, and are the Objects of ftill greater Blame,. in Proportion to the Degree in which Men's Eternal Interefts are more important, than those that relate merely to the prefent State.

(k)_All that I have is thine.] This is a material Intimation, and fuggefts a strong Reafon against murmuring at the Indulgence fhewn to great Sinners: For as the joyful Welcome that the Father gave this younger Son, did not incline him to difinherit the elder Brother; so neither will Go D, out of a partial Fondness for remarkable Penitents, raife them to a State of Glory, fuperior to that of thofe, who have on the whole made a greater Progress in Holinefs, and done him more constant and faithful Services.

(1) This thy Brother.] There is a lovely Oppofition between this, and the 30th Verfe: The elder Son had there indecently faid, This thy Son; the Father in his Reply tenderly fays, This thy Brother. And it is a moving Intimation, that the best of Men ought to look on the most abandoned Sinners, as in some respect their Brethren still; and should especially remember the Relation, when there appears any Inclination to return.

(m) To the Publicans, or even the Gentiles themfelves.] Many Commentators have con-fidered this Parable, in a View of peculiar Application to the Jews and Gentiles; and have obferved, that the Murmurs of the Jews against the Apostles, for preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles, (fee Acts xiii. 42,50. xxii. 21, 22. and I Thef. ii. 16.) are reprefented by the Conduct of the elder Brother. This was certainly a Cafe comprehended in our Lord's Defign; but he undoubtedly had fomething more in his Intention. He meant to fhew, that had the Pharifees been as eminently good, as they themselves pretended to be, yet it had been very unworthy their Character, to take Offence at the kind Treatment,which any fincere Penitent might receive. Thus does he here, and in many parallel Texts,. condemn their Conduct on their own Principles; tho' elsewhere, on proper Occafions, he fhews the Falfhood of thofe Principles, and plainly expofes their Hypocrify and Guilt. Thus the judicious Calvin ftates the Matter; and it is ftrange, fo many learned Writers fhould have puzzled themselves, and their Readers, in fo clear a Cafe.

IMPROVE

165

Sect. 123.

Luke XV.

32.

166

Sect. 123.

123: L

Ver. 13.

Reflections on the Folly of Sinners,

IMPROVEMENT.

ET us here behold, with all due Attention, the moving Reprefentation which our gracious Redeemer makes of the Folly of Sinners; and the Compaffions of GOD; Compaffions, which he defcribes, as one who himself felt them, and who in this Refpect, as well as others, was the exprefs Image of his Father.

We have before us in this Parable, a lively Emblem of the Character and Condition of Sinners in their fallen State. They are thus impatient Luke xv. 12. of the most neceffary Restraints; thus fondly conceited of their own Wisdom; and thus, when enriched by the Bounties of the great common Father, do they ungratefully run from him, and fay unto Go D, Depart from us, for we defire not the Knowledge of thy Ways. (Job xxi. 14.) Senfual Pleafures are eagerly fought; and perhaps, all their Earthly Poffeffions and Hopes are quickly paid, as the Price of them. While the Means of obtaining thefe Pleafures continue, not a ferious Thought of GOD can find a Place in their Minds: And then, perhaps, Afflictions, heavy and complicated Afflictions, come upon them; yet even under Ver. 15, 16. that Preffure, they will often make very hard Shifts, before they will be perfuaded to think of a Return; till at length Divine Grace, working in Concurrence with Providence, brings them to a better Temper.

Ver. 14.

Ver. 17.

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When they see themfelves naked and indigent, inflaved and undone; when they come to themselves, and recover the Exercife of their Reason, improving it to the only Purposes for which it would have been worth while to have received it; then they feel the Pangs of penitential Remorfe; then they remember the Bleffings they have loft, and attend to Ver. 18, 19. the Mifery they have incurred. And hereupon they are difpofed humbly to confefs their Folly, and to proftrate themselves in the Prefence of their Heavenly Father: They put the Refolution immediately into Practice; they arife, and go unto him.

Ver. 20.

Ver. 21.

But oh, let us behold with Wonder and Pleasure, the gracious Reception they find from Divine injured Goodness. He fees them afar off; he pities, he meets, and embraces them; he interrupts their Complaints and Acknowledgments, with Tokens of his returning Favour. Is Ephraim

my

dear Son? is he a pleasant Child? for fince I fpake against him, I do earneftly remember him ftill: Therefore my Bowels are troubled for him; I will furely have Mercy upon him, faith the Lord. (Jer. xxxi. 20.) Thus does GOD welcome the humble Penitent; thus does he open the Arms of his Love to embrace him, and the Treasures of his Bounty to enrich him. Ver. 22, 23. He arrays him with the Robe of a Redeemer's Righteousness, dreffes him in the Ornaments of fanctifying Grace, honours him with the Tokens of adopting Love, and invests him with the glorious Privileges and Immu

167

Ver. 24.

and on the Kindness of GOD to returning Prodigals. nities of his Children. And all this he does, with unutterable Delight: Sect. 123. He rejoices over him with Joy; he refts in his Love, and, as it were, rejoices over him with Singing; (Zeph. iii. 17.) and this is the joyful Language of the Song, My Children that were dead, are alive again; and tho they were loft, they are found.

Let Heaven and Earth unite in the foy, and echo back the Song. Let no Elder Brother murmur at the Indulgence, with which thefe Pro- Ver. 25,-3.2. digals are treated; but rather welcome them back into the Family, and even encourage every Thing that looks like a Difpofition to return to it. And let thofe, who have been thus received, wander no more; but rather let them emulate the strictest Piety of those, who for many Years have ferved their Heavenly Father, without having in any notorious Inftances. tranfgreffed his Commandments.

SE C T. CXXIV.

CHRIST delivers the Parable of the unjuft Steward, and reproves the Pharifees for their Covetousness and Hypocrify. Luke XVI. 1,----18.

LUKE XVI. L

AND he faid alfo unto his Difciples, There was a certain rich Man which had

a Steward; and the fame was accufed unto him, that

he had wafted his Goods.

2 And he called him, and faid unto him, How is it

that I hear this of thee?

give an Account of thy Stewardship; for thou mayeft be no longer Steward.

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LUKE XVI г..

Luke XVI..

I.

UR Lord then fpake another Parable, by Sect. 124. which he intended to convince his Hearers of the Neceffity of making a right Use of their Worldly Enjoyments; and having before rebuked the Pharifees for their envious and uncharitable Temper, he said alfo to his Difciples, that were about him, There was a certain Rich Man, who had a Steward, in whom he had long put great Con fidence; and he was at laft accufed to him, as hav ing wafted his Goods, which had been intrufted to his Care. And calling him, he faid unto him, What is this ftrange Account that I hear of thee? Can it be true, that thou haft acted so base a Part? Give an immediate and exact Account of thine Administration and Management in this Office; for thou canst be no longer Steward, with any Honour to thyself, or Satisfaction to me, while thou continueft under fuch Imputations and Sufpicions as these.

And

22

768

Sect. 124. Luke XVI. 3.

4

5

CHRIST delivers the Parable of the unjuft Steward,

And upon this, as might be well imagined,
the Steward was much alarmed, and faid within
himfelf, in the Reafonings of his own Mind,
What Shall I do, in this unhappy Situation of my
Affairs? for my Lord is taking away my Steward-
Ship, and with it I fhall lofe my Subfiftence. I am
not able to dig, or to apply myself to any other
laborious Work of Hufbandry (a); nor can I ex-
pect, under this Load of Infamy, to be trusted
by another in the Business I have been accustomed
to; [and] I am utterly afhamed to beg my Bread,
after having lived fo handfomely in the World
thus long.
And after a Paufe he added, I
have at length bethought myself, and now know
what I will do; an Expedient offers itself to my
Mind, by which I may fecure myself Friends,
so that when I am removed from my Office, they
may receive me into their Houfes.

3 Then the Steward faid

within himself, What shall I do? for my Lord taketh away from me the Stewardhip: I cannot dig, to beg am ashamed.

I

do,

4 I am refolved what to that when I am put out receive me into their Houses. of the Stewardship, they may

5 So he called every one of his Lord's Debtors unto him, and faid unto the first, How much oweft thou unto my Lord?

And in purfuance of this Scheme, having called every one of his Lord's Debtors to him, whom he could hope to oblige by fo fraudulent a Propofal, he determined to lower the feveral Articles in his Book, which stood chargable to the Account of each; and faid, for Inftance, to the first, How 6 much owest thou to my Lord? And he faid, An bundred Baths of Oil (b): And he said to him, Take he faid unto him, Take thy thy Bill, in which thou haft acknowledged the

Receipt

6 And he faid, An hundred Measures of Oil. And

Bill,

(a) I am not able to dig, or to apply myself to Hufbandry.] Raphelius, (Annot. ex Xen. pag. 104, 105.) and Elfner, (Obferv. vol. i. pag. 251.) have fhewn, that the Word xale fignifies in general, to cultivate the Land, and efpecially to prepare it for Seed; which was one of the moft laborious Parts of the Hufbandman's Work, in which DayLabourers were employed; and confequently, moft fit to be mentioned by this Steward, who having been used to a delicate and luxurious Way of living, would naturally think of fuch a Change of Life in the most difcouraging View. The Exprefion, x 10, 1 am not able, or ftrong enough, to do it, has also a peculiar Beauty in this View, which is loft in our Tranflation, and in most others.

(b) An hundred Baths of Oil.] The Greek Word Balss, is evidently derived from the Hebrew 'n, which we render Baths in the Old Teftament. (1 Kings vii. 26. 2 Chron. ii. 10. Ezra vii. 22.) According to Bishop Cumberland, it contained about Seven Gallons, Two Quarts, and Half a Pint. Compare Jofeph. Antiq. lib. viii. cap. 2. §. 9.- -The Measure of Wheat, xos, mentioned in the next Verfe, is the 2, Cor, or Homer of the Hebrews, containing about Eight Bushels and an Half, Winchester Measure. The Word Homer being familiar to an English Ear, I have retained it in the Verfion. This Homer contained Ten Ephahs, or Baths; (Ezek. xlv. 11. 14.) and each of thefe latter Ten Omers. (Exod. xvi. 36.) Twenty Homers, which he allowed the Debtor to deduct, were above Twenty Quarters of Wheat, and might be as valuable as Fifty Baths of Oil; so that the Obligation conferred on both thefe Debtors might be equal.

(k) Take

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