صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

may at first sight be supposed; for bad manners are bad morals." (Paley's Evidences. Part 2. chap. 2. 1.)

[Worship.] The Greek word so translated means literally "glory," or "honour.” Our translation is unfortunate. It must however be remembered that the meaning of words changes with time. The word "worship" did not mean exclusively religious worship, when the last revision of the Bible took place in England. The sense in which the word is here used, still lingers amongst us in the epithet "worshipful," applied to "mayors," and "worship" to magistrates. In the marriage service of the Church of England, the word also occurs in the sense of "honour."

11.-[Whosoever exalteth himself, &c.] Let it be noted that hardly any saying of our Lord's is so frequently repeated as this sentence about humility.

12. [Call not thy friends, &c. This is a remarkable directior. There are few sayings of our Lord's in which we are so plainly required by the equity of interpretation, to put a qualified sense on his command. Just as it is impossible to put a literal construction on His saying, "if any man come after me and hate not his father, &c., he cannot be my disciple," so it is impossible to put a literal sense on His words here.

Poole remarks, "Many things are delivered in Scripture, in the form of an universal and absolute prohibition, which must not be so understood, amongst which this is one instance. None must think that our Saviour doth here absolutely or universally forbid an invitation of brethren, kinsmen, rich neighbours, friends, to dine with us. There was nothing more ordinarily practised among the Jews, and Christ Himself was at divers meals. But Christ teacheth us here, (1.) That inviting friends is no act of charity. It was a lawful act of humanity and civility, and of a good tendency to procure unity and friendship amongst neighbours and friends, but no such act of charity as they could expect a heavenly reward for. (2.) That such feastings ought not to be upheld in prejudice to our duty in relieving the poor, that is, they ought not to be maintained in such excesses and immoderate degrees, as by them to disable us from that relief of the poor, which God requireth of us as our duty."

The evil consequences of an excessively literal interpretation of this passage, may be seen in the well-meant but grossly abused charities to the poor, which were so prevalent in this country before the Reformation, and which are still to be seen in Roman Catholic countries on the Continent at the present day. It is notorious that profuse charity to the poor, given indiscriminately, and without inquiry, does no real good, fosters idleness, rears up a class of professional mendicants, promotes

M

dissolute and profligate habits among beggars, and enormously increases the very evil which it is meant to relieve.

Such instances of literal obedience to our Lord's command in this passage, as Cornelius à Lapide quotes in his Commentary, are melancholy instances of useless and mischievous kindness. He tells us how St. Louis of France used daily to feed a hundred and twenty poor people, and how St. Hedwig, Duchess of Poland, used daily to feed nine hundred poor people! The slightest knowledge of human nature will tell us that such liberality would certainly be grossly abused, and could never have been meant by our Lord. The words of St. Paul are distinct and unmistakeable, "If any man will not work, neither shall he eat." (2 Thess. ii. 10.)

We must beware however in England that we do not go into the other extreme. There is a disposition in some quarters to discourage all charity and almsgiving whatsoever. There are many who say that to give relief checks exertion, and makes the poor do nothing for themselves. Such arguments no doubt have a grain of truth in them, and certainly save men's pockets. But we must be careful that we do not carry them too far. In a densely peopled country like England, there always will be many cases of real poverty and distress, which rich people ought to consider and relieve. Relief should of course be given judiciously, and after due enquiry. But to say that nothing should ever be given to a poor person, under any circumstances, excepting what the law allows, is evidently contrary to the mind of Christ, and flatly contradictory to the spirit of the passage before us.

14.-[Thou shalt be recompensed.] This expression is worthy of notice. It confirms the doctrine of a reward according to works, though not on account of works, in the judgment day.

The similarity between the Lord's language in this place, and that used in the description of the judgment day, in the 25th chapter of St. Matthew, ought to be observed. It seems to contradict the opinion which some hold, that in St. Matthew our Lord is speaking only of the judgment of the heathen who never heard the Gospel. Some arguments by which this view is maintained, would apply to the passage before us. Yet here it

is plain, that our Lord is speaking of His own hearers and disciples. It appears more probable that both here and in St. Matthew our Lord speaks of the general judgment, and that the importance of works as an evidence of faith, is the truth which He desires to impress on our minds.

[The_resurrection of the just.] This expression is remarkable. I cannot think that our Lord used it in deference to an opinion common among the Jews, that resurrection was the special privilege of the righteous. It seems to me far more

probable that our Lord refers to the first resurrection, spoken of in the 20th chapter of Revelation. It is hard to put any other sense on the expression than this, that there is a resurrection of which none but the just shall be partakers,-a resurrection which shall be the peculiar privilege of the righteous, and shall precede that of the wicked.

LUKE XIV. 15—24.

15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. 16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of land, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

20 And another said, I have mar

ried a wife, and therefore I cannot

come.

21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry, said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

24 For say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

THE verses before us contain one of our Lord's most instructive parables. It was spoken in consequence of a remark made by one who was sitting at meat with Him in a Pharisee's house. "Blessed," said this man, "is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.”—The object of this remark we are left to conjecture. It is far from unlikely that he who made it was one of that class of people who wish to go to heaven, and like to hear good things talked of, but never get any further. Our Lord takes occasion to remind him and all the company, by means of the parable of the great supper, that men may have the kingdom of God offered to them, and yet may wilfully neglect it, and be lost for ever.

We are taught, firstly, in this parable, that God has made a great provision for the salvation of men's souls. This is the meaning of the words, "a certain man made a great supper, and bade many.' This is the Gospel.

The Gospel contains a full supply of everything that sinners need in order to be saved. We are all naturally starving, empty, helpless, and ready to perish. Forgiveness of all sin, and peace with God,—justification of the person, and sanctification of the heart,—grace by the way, and glory in the end,—are the gracious provision which God has prepared for the wants of our souls. There is nothing that sin-laden hearts can wish, or weary consciences require, which is not spread before men in rich abundance in Christ. Christ, in one word, is the sum and substance of the "great supper." "I am the bread of life," He declares," he that cometh unto me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."-"My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.". "He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life." (John vi. 35—55, 56.)

We are taught, secondly, in this parable, that the offers and invitations of the Gospel are most broad and liberal. We read that he who made the supper "sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come: for all things are now ready."

There is nothing wanting on God's part for the salvation of man. If man is not saved, the fault is not on God's side. The Father is ready to receive all who come to Him by Christ. The Son is ready to cleanse all from their sins who apply to Him by faith. ready to come to all who ask for Him.

The Spirit is There is an in

finite willingness in God to save man, if man is only willing to be saved.

There is the fullest warrant for sinners to draw near to God by Christ. The word "Come," is addressed to all without exception.-Are men labouring and heavyladen ? "Come unto me," says Jesus, "and I will give you rest." (Matt. xi. 28.)-Are men thirsting? "If any man thirst," says Jesus, "let him come unto me and drink." (John vii. 37.)-Are men poor and hungry? Come," says Jesus, "buy wine and milk without money and without price."-(Isaiah lv. 1.) No man shall ever be able to say that he had no encouragement to seek salvation. That word of the Lord shall silence every objector,-"Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." (John vi. 37.)

66

We are taught, thirdly, in this parable, that many who receive Gospel invitations refuse to accept them. We read that when the servant announced that all things were ready, those who were invited "all with one consent began to make excuse." One had one trivial excuse, and another had another. In one point only all were agreed. They would not come.

We have in this part of the parable a vivid picture of the reception which the Gospel is continually meeting with wherever it is proclaimed. Thousands are continually doing what the parable describes. They are invited to come to Christ, and they will not come.-It is not ignorance of religion that ruins most men's souls. It is want of will to use knowledge, or love of this present world. It is not open profligacy that fills hell. It is excessive attention to things which in themselves are

« السابقةمتابعة »