lawful. It is not avowed dislike to the Gospel which is so much to be feared. It is that procrastinating, excusemaking spirit, which is always ready with a reason why Christ cannot be served to-day.-Let the words of our Lord on this subject sink down into our hearts. Infidelity and immorality, no doubt, slay their thousands. But decent, plausible, smooth-spoken excuses slay their tens of thousands. No excuse can justify a man in refusing God's invitation, and not coming to Christ.

We are taught, lastly, in this parable, that God earnestly desires the salvation of souls, and would have all means used to procure acceptance for His Gospel. We read that when those who were first invited to the supper refused the invitation, "the master of the house said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind." We read that when this was done, and there was yet room, "the lord said unto his servant, Go out into the high ways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."

The meaning of these words can admit of little dispute. They surely justify us in asserting the exceeding love and compassion of God towards sinners. His longsuffering is inexhaustible. If some will not receive the truth, He will have others invited in their stead. His pity for the lost is no feigned and imaginary thing. He is infinitely willing to save souls.-Above all, the words justify every preacher and teacher of the Gospel in employing all possible means to awaken sinners, and to turn them from their sins. If they will not come to us in public, we must visit them in private. If they will not attend

our preaching in the congregation, we must be ready to preach from house to house. We must even not be ashamed to use a gentle violence. We must be instant in season, out of season. (2 Tim. iv. 2.) We must deal with many an unconverted man, as one half-asleep, half out of his mind, and not fully conscious of the state he is in. We must press the Gospel on his notice again and again. We must cry aloud and spare not. We must Ideal with him as we would with a man about to commit suicide. We must try to snatch him as a brand from the burning. We must say, "I cannot, I will not,-I dare not let you go on ruining your own soul." The men of the world may not understand such earnest dealing. They may sneer at all zeal and fervour in religion as fanaticism. But the "man of God," who desires to do the work of an evangelist, will heed little what the world says. He will remember the words of our parable. He will "compel men to come in."

Let us leave this parable with serious self-inquiry. It ought to speak to us in the present day. To us this invitation of the Gospel is addressed as well as to the Jews. To us the Lord is saying constantly, "Come unto the supper,-Come unto me."-Have we accepted His invitation? Or are we practically saying, "I cannot come." If we die without having come to Christ, we had better never have been born.

NOTES. LUKE XIV. 15-24.

15.-[Blessed is he that shall eat bread, &c.] The motive of this remark, and the real character of him who made it, we are left to conjecture.

Gill thinks it likely that the man was a Jew, who was imbued

with the gross notions which were commonly held about feasting and banqueting in the kingdom of Messiah. He shows, from Rabbinical writers, that "the Jews suppose, that God will then make a splendid feast, in which, beside bread, which they call the bread of the kingdom, there will be great variety of flesh, fish, and fowl, plenty of generous wine, and all sorts of delicious fruit. Particularly they speak of a great ox, which they suppose to be the Behemoth in Job, which will then be prepared ;—and of Leviathan, and his mate, which will there be dressed;-and of a large fowl, called Ziz, of mountain bigness;—and of old wine, kept from the creation of the world;—and fruits of the garden of Eden, which will then be served up." I have given this quotation at length, as an instructive instance of the rubbish contained in Rabbinical writers.

I am myself unable to see, what some think, that this man was a believer, or even a pious-minded person. To me his remark appears nothing better than the indolent, vague wish of a man who thinks it proper to say something religious, when religion is spoken of in his company. This is well worked out by Stier. The whole tone of the parable which the remark called forth, appears to me irreconcileable with the idea that the remark was to be praised.

16.-[A certain man made a great supper.] There is a great similarity between this parable and the one reported by St. Matthew. (Matt. xxii. 2.) Yet it is clear that the two parables are distinct, and were spoken on different occasions.

The primary object of the parable, no doubt, is to show the wickedness and unbelief of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles in their stead. The Jews had the first offer of Christ. When they rejected it, they were cut off, and the offer was made to the Gentiles Yet the parable is evidently meant to apply to the history of the Gospel offer, and the reception it meets with, in every age of the Church.

17.—[All things are now ready...Supper time.] These expressions denote the completion of the whole work of redemption, which was announced to the Jews and Gentiles, after Christ rose again. Then and not till then, could it be said literally “ all things are ready."

18.-[Began to make excuse, &c.] The various excuses which those who were invited made, are types of the various worldly reasons with which men excuse themselves from closing with the offer of Christ's Gospel. Let it be noted, that all the things mentioned were in themselves innocent and lawful.

[Bought...and I must needs go and see.] Stella sees in this expression an intentional illustration of the folly of worldly men. They are spending their time, and thoughts, and strength,

on things of which they do not know the real worth. If the man had been wise, he says, "he would first have seen the land, and afterwards bought it.'

20.-[I have married a wife, &c.] The Roman Catholic writers do not fail to draw from this expression arguments in favour of the unmarried estate. Yet they can make nothing of it. By parity of reasoning, we might prove that buying oxen, or land, is more sinful than hoarding up money and not spending it. They overlook the beautiful point of this part of the parable, which is this. It is not so much the open breach of God's law, as an excessive attention to lawful and innocent things which ruins many men's souls. Few truths are so completely overlooked. 21.[Shewed his lord.] This seems to teach the duty of a minister. He must report to his Master in heaven, what success he meets with.

[Being angry.] It is evident that this expression must not be strained into a proof that God is liable to the passion of anger, as the giver of a feast, whose feast is despised. Yet the words are meant to teach us that unbelief and rejection of the Gospel are very provoking to God. And there is a sense, we must never forget, in which “God is angry with the wicked every day."

[The poor...maimed...halt...blind.] These words describe primarily the Gentiles, who were just in this miserable condition as compared to the Jews. Secondly, they describe all sinners to whom the Gospel is offered, who feel their sins, and acknowledge their own spiritual need and poverty.

22.-[Yet there is room.] This expression seems to show that there is more willingness on God's part to save sinners, than there is on the part of sinners to be saved, and more grace to be given, than there are hearts willing to receive it.

Bengel remarks, "neither nature nor grace can endure a vacuum, or empty space."

23. [Compel them to come in.] This expression must be carefully interpreted. It does not sanction any literal compulsion, or force, in pressing the Gospel on men's acceptance. Least of all does it sanction the least approach to intolerance or persecution of men because of their religious opinions.

Bishop Pearce says, Compel them by arguments, not by force. The nature of the parable shows this plainly. It was a feast to which they were invited."

46 con

The word translated "compel," is only used nine times in the New Testament. In four of the places it is rendered strain." Matt. xiv. 22; Mark vi. 45; Acts xxviii. 19; Gal. vi. 12. It is evident from these passages, that the word does not necessarily imply any employment of force and violence.

Alford's idea that in the words "compel them to come in," there is possibly “an allusion to infant-baptism," appears to me exceedingly improbable. 24.-[None...bidden...shall taste, &c.] This expression primarily applies to the Jews. Rejecting Christ's Gospel they were cut off for a season, until it shall please God to graff them in again. (Rom. xi. 23.) Secondarily it illustrates a mournful truth about those who reject the Gospel among ourselves. They are sometimes let alone, and given over to a reprobate mind. To refuse truth brings down on man God's heaviest displeasure. Our Lord's words about Chorazin and Bethsaida should often be studied.

LUKE XIV. 25–35.

25 And there went great multitudes, and was not able to finish. with him and he turned, and said unto them,

26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, he cannot be my disciple.

28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

30 Saying, This man began to build,

31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, where with shall it be seasoned?

35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

WE learn, firstly, from this passage, that true Christians must be ready, if need be, to give up everything for Christ's sake. This is a lesson which is taught in very remarkable language. Our Lord says, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."

This expression must doubtless be interpreted with some qualification. We must never explain any text