dead, but only in advanced age and in much infirmity, and that the son wished to be allowed to stay with him, as long as he lived, for a comfort to him, and promised that after his father's death and burial, he would then accompany Christ. If this was the state of things, the proposal for delay was a proposal to defer till an indefinite, and, perhaps, long period; which, of course, though it had some appearance of good, was very improper. But most probably his father was actually dead; yet even in this view, though it might at first seem that the proposal was reasonable, and was indeed very natural, it was not right, as will soon appear.

Our Lord would not listen to the plea of delay, but repeated his call in these words, "Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the kingdom of God." "Let the dead bury their dead." This striking proverbial expression could never have been uttered by our Lord with the view of discouraging natural affection, or any becoming attention to parents, or other relations, either alive or dead. He himself exhibited a beautiful pattern of filial affection, and reproved the scribes and Pharisees for leading men to transgress the fifth commandment by their traditions: and his inspired apostle exhorts children "to show piety at home, and to requite their parents; for that is good and acceptable before God." All harsh interpretations, and indiscriminating applications of these words are, therefore, to be carefully avoided. Still they bear a strong and important meaning. If by the dead, in the first part of the sentence, we understand the literally dead, then the meaning is, that though there were none but dead persons left behind (a most unlikely case), it were better to leave the dead unburied, than to refuse to follow Christ. But the word, in its first use, is rather to be understood of the figuratively, or spiritually, dead, for so those who are in their natural and unrenewed state are frequently called in Scripture: thus we read, "He was dead and is alive again;" "Dead in trespasses and sins;" and, "She that liveth in pleasure, is dead while she liveth." The import, in this view, is, that this man was told to leave the burying of his father to those who were in a careless and unconverted state, rather than disobey the call to follow Christ and to preach the gospel.

Now, while there may have been very peculiar circumstances, altogether unknown to us, in this case, which rendered the authoritative and seemingly severe command of

Christ most proper and gracious, there are some things obvious, and others very probable, which lead to the same conclusion. The reason of the call, for example, was very urgent. This will not be disputed when the importance, not merely of this man's soul, but of the general cause of the gospel of peace, is considered; there was, indeed, an urgency which justified and required a departure from ordinary rules. This man was called to prepare for soon preaching the gospel, and this was not only very important in itself, but required him to be free from ceremonial uncleanness. Our Lord may have had some reference, in thus prohibiting him from attending the funeral, to the idea of ceremonial pollution by the dead, and certain legal appointments regarding priests and Nazarites. "He that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes; neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother."*" All the days that he (the Nazarite) separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall come at no dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because the consecration of his God is upon his head." In all cases, such coming at the dead contracted ceremonial defilement, and rendered it necessary to submit to a course of legal purification for a considerable time; and therefore, if this man had been allowed to remain for any such purpose, he would have been longer detained than might at first sight appear, and than was consistent with the urgency of the case, for he could not have gone along with Christ that day. Our Lord might also have been aware that if he had permitted him to stay behind, there would have been a danger of his being detained altogether; and thus may have arisen another wise and gracious reason for this peremptory injunction. But, though we could not see, or conjecture, so much as all this, we must acknowledge that the express command of the Lord superseded the obligation of all ordinary rules; and that it would have been better, if nothing else could be, that a man should remain unburied, than that the Lord should be disobeyed in any degree, or for the shortest period. With regard to the result of this case, as every other express and personal call of which we read was obeyed, so * Lev. xxi. 10; Numb. vi. 6.

we must conclude that Christ's calling of this man was accompanied with the inward energy of his grace to render it effectual.

What now is the instruction we should derive from this second case? We can suppose a case in which it would plainly be duty to be guided by this passage in the literal sense, and to go away, or to remain away, even from the funeral of one's father. This would be justified, for example, by a case of very urgent necessity, or mercy, with regard to the living. Or, we shall have a case still more similar to the one before us, if we suppose a missionary who has had a clear call to the work, and who is ready to set out in a ship, which is destined for the country where he is to labour, and which is just about to set sail: the trial may be severe, but it is clear that neither the dangerous illness, nor the death, of any of his dearest relations, should keep him back, so as to make him lose his passage, and to frustrate the noble work to which he is called. But, passing from any further consideration of this case, in so close and literal a view, and looking at it in a more enlarged sense, the general principle it embodies is this, that, taking care not to overstrain the point to the neglect of the relative duties which we really owe, nothing connected with our friends should prevent any of us from following Christ in the spiritual and saving sense. It cannot be questioned that men's salvation is often hindered by their pretended regard to their friends, when that is a mere fictitious apology for the disinclination of their own hearts. But granting that their regard for their parents and friends is sincere and deep, it ought not to be forgotten that the preference is still due to their Creator and Redeemer. Now, apply this to the subject before us. Though the direct tendency of the gospel is to make men of one mind, and peaceful, and happy, yet it often indirectly becomes the innocent occasion of differences between friends, when some of them are converted, and others remain careless and ungodly, and when the blame lies with the latter. Then it requires, at once, much meekness, as well as much courage, to act a right part; but those who would be Christ's disciples must not fail to cleave to him at all events. "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth," says he; "I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother - in - law.

And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." * And again, "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:""hate not," that is, comparatively with Christ-love them not less than he loves Him, and positively refuse to be influenced by them, when they come into competition with Him, and would keep him from following Jesus. The spirit which animated Levi to come out from his relations, so far as was necessary for the service of God, and which is so much commended, is worthy of universal adoption, "He said unto his father and mother, I have not seen them; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor know his own children." The call, too, which God addresses, by the Psalmist, to the Church, must be obeyed by all who would be saved, "Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people and thy father's house. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty; for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him." I hope in God there are very few of you who are yourselves much tried, or who are trying others, in the painful way to which we are referring : it is probable enough, however, that there are some of you who are connected with those who seek to keep you from forsaking the world and following Christ; and also some of you whose example, and even more direct endeavours, are calculated to detain some of your connexions in the same state of spiritual deadness with yourselves. If there be, we would say to the latter, "Woe unto you!". "for ye shut

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up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." Cease thus to fight against God; and, instead of opposing, begin to encourage and to imitate those of your family and friends who are asking the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward." And we would say to the former, Give no unnecessary offence to your unbelieving friends, nay, do every thing you can, consistently with duty, to disarm their prejudice, and to reconcile them to your views; but beware of being yourselves ruined, or injured, by a regard, an undue regard, to the wishes of unconverted

* Matt. x. 34; Luke xiv. 26. + Deut. xxxiii. 9. Ps. xlv. 10.

relations. Leave these worldly persons to follow their worldly pursuits, if more you cannot make of it at present; "let the dead bury their dead," but follow you Christ. Nor will this be to desert your duty to them, or to act unkindly to them, but quite the reverse; instead of an interference between a proper regard to yourselves and love and duty to them, there is the most perfect harmony; for, faithfulness on your part is the only way in which you can ever hope to be useful to them.

In closing our remarks on this case, we observe, with that excellent practical commentator, Henry, from the circumstance of this second case turning out so well, while the first entirely failed, that "we are brought to Christ by the force of his call to us, not of our promises to him." "Ye have not chosen me," saith Jesus, "but I have chosen you.""It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy."-" He calleth whom he will.” May he draw us, and we shall run after him!

Let us now consider the third case, as it is given in the last two verses of the chapter. Matthew relates the two first cases, but it is only in Luke that we find this last. It, perhaps, occurred at a different time from the two preceding; but its close resemblance to them rendered its introduction here very natural. "And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell which are at home at my house." Though it is not expressly stated, I think it may be gathered from the strain of this passage, that in this case, as in the case immediately preceding, what was said was in reply to an express call of our Lord, and not, as in the first case, a spontaneous declaration. And there seems reason to believe that, though this man wished to shift the call for a time, he found himself constrained forthwith to comply. He did not give a positive refusal; nay, he declared that he would follow Christ, and only requested permission, as it is here expressed, to "go bid them farewell who were at home in his house." No doubt, the common idea of biding farewell is included in the passage as it is in the original, but there is more included in it, for it implies setting the things in order at his house, that having done so, and given proper directions about every thing, he might then leave both the things and the people of his house.*

*See the use of the Greek word arorάğurla in Mark vi. 46; Luke xiv. 33; Acts xviii. 18, 21, and 2 Cor. ii. 13.