5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep 4 which was lost. e 7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. 8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she ose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? 9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. 2. 1 Pet. 2. 19, 15. -e Ch. 5.32.—f Drachma, here translated, a piece of silver, is the tch part of an ounce, which cometh to sevenpence half-penny, and is equal to A hundred sheep] Parables similar to this are frequent among the Jewish writers. The whole flock of mankind, both Jews and Gentiles, belongs unto this divine Shepherd; and it is but reasonable to expect, that the gracious Proprietor will look after those who are gone astray, and bring them Lack to the flock. The lost sheep is an emblem of a heedless, thoughtless sinner: one who follows the corrupt dictates of his own heart, without ever reflecting upon his conduct, or considering what will be the issue of his unholy course of life. No creature strays more easily than a sheep; none is more keedless; and none so incapable of finding its way back to the flock, when once gone astray; it will bleat for the flock, and still run in an opposite direction to the place where the flock is: this I have often noticed. No creature is more de fenceless than a sheep, and more exposed to be devoured by dogs and wild beasts. Even the fouls of the air seek their destruction. I have known ravens often atteinpt to destroy lambs by picking out their eyes, in which, when they have succeeded, as the creature does not see whither it is going, it soon falls an easy prey to its destroyer. Satan is ever going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour: in or der to succeed, he blinds the understanding of sinners, and then finds it an easy matter to tumble them into the pit of perdition. Who but a Pharisee or a devil would find fault with the shepherd who endeavours to rescue his sheep from so much danger and ruin. 7. Just persons, which need no repentance.] Who do not equire such a change of mind and purpose as these do-who are not so profligate, and cannot repent of sins they have never committed. Distinctions of this kind frequently occur in the Jewish writings. There are many persons who have been brought up in a sober and regular course of life, attending the ordinances of God, and being true and just in all their dealings; these most materially differ from the heathens mentioned ver. 1. because they believe in God, and attend the means of grace: they differ also essentially from the taxgatherers, mentioned in the same place, because they wrong no man, and are upright in their dealings. Therefore they cannot repent of the sins of a heathen, which they have not practised; nor of the rapine of a tax-gatherer, of which they have never been guilty. As therefore these just persons are put in pposition to the tax-gatherers and heathens, we may at onse the scope and design of our Lord's words: these meede nu repentance, in comparison of the others, as not being guity of their crimes. And as these belonged, by outward profession at least, to the flock of God, and were sincere and upright according to their light; they are considered as being in no danger of being lost and as they fear God, and work righteousness according to their light, he will take care to make those further discoveries to them, of the purity of his nature, the holiness of his law, and the necessity of the atonement, which he sees to be necessary. See the case of Corne lius, Acte x. 1, &c. On this ground, the owner is represented as feeling more joy in consequence of finding one sheep that was lost, there having been almost no hope of its recovery, than he feels, at seeing ninety and nine, still safe under his care. "Men generally rejoice more over a small unexpected advantage, than over a much greater good, to which they have been accustomed." There are some, and their opinion need not be hastily rejected, who imagine that by the ninety and nine just persons, our Lord means the angels-that they are in proportion to men, as ninety-nine are to one, and that the Lord takes more pleasure in the return and salvation of one sinner, than in the uninterrupted obedience of ninety-nine holy angels; and that it was through his superior love to fall en man, that he took upon him his nature, and not the nature of angels. I have met with the following weak objection to this: viz. "The text says just persons; now angels are not persons, therefore angels cannot be meant." This is extremely foolish: there may be the person of an angel, as well as of a man: we allow persons even in the Godhead; besides, the original word dikatots, means simply just ones, and may be, with as much propriety, applied to angels as to men. After all, our Lord may refer to the Essenes, a sect among the Jews, in the time of our Lord, who were strictly and conscientiously moral; living at the utmost distance from both the bypocrisy and pollutions of their countrymen. These, when compared with the great mass of the Jews, needed no repentance. The reader may take his choice of these inter the prodigal sone, 11 And he said, a certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them h his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all to gether, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that coun. try; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger. the Roman penny, Matt. 18. 25-g Deu. 21, 16. Psalm 17. 14. Prov. 19. 13, 14.— h Mark 12. 44-1 Paa. 73. 97. Prov. 29. 3. 1 Pet. 4. 3. pretations; or make a better for himself. I have seen other me thods of explaining these words, but they have appeared to me either too absurd, or too improbable, to merit particular notice. 8. Ten pieces of silver] Apaxpas dexa, ten drachmas. I think it always best to retain the names of these ancient coins, and to state their value in English money. Every reader will naturally wish to know by what names such and such coins were called in the countries in which they were current. The Grecian drachma was worth about seven pence three farthings of our money; being about the same value as the Roman denarius. The drachma that was lost, is also a very expressive emblem of a sinner who is estranged from God, and enslaved to habits of iniquity. The longer a piece of money is lost, the less probability is there of its being again found, as it may not only lose its colour, and not be easily observed, but it will continue to be more and more covered with dust and dirt: or its value may be vastly lessened by being so trampled on, that a part of the substance, together with the image and su perscription, may be worn off. So the sinner sinks deeper and deeper into the impurities of sin, loses even his character among men, and gets the image and superscription of his Maker defaced from his heart. He who wishes to find the image of God which he has lost by sin, must attend to that word which will be a lantern to his steps, and receive that Spirit which is a light to the soul, to convince of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He must sweep the house-put away the evil of his doings; and seek diligently-use every mean of grace, and cry incessantly to God till he restore to him the light of his countenance. Though parables of this kind must not be obliged to go on all fours, as it is termed; yet they afford many useful hints to preachers of the Gospel by which they may edify their hearers. Only let all such take care not to force meanings on the words of Christ, which are contrary to their gravity and majesty. 12. Give me the portion of goods] It may seem strange that such a demand should be made, and that the parent should have acceded to it, when he knew, that it was to minister to his debauches, that his profligate son made the demand here specified. But the matter will appear plain, when it is con sidered, that it has been an immemorial custom in the East, for sons to demand and receive their portion of the inheri tance during their father's lifetime: and the parent, however aware of the dissipated inclinations of the child, could not le gally refuse to comply with the application. It appears indeed that the spirit of this law was to provide for the child in case of ill treatment by the father, yet the demand must first be acceded to before the matter could be legally inquired into: and then "if it was found, that the father was irreproachable in his character, and had given no just cause for the son to separate from him; in that case, the civil magistrate fined the son in two hundred puns of cowgies." See Code of Gentoo Laws, pr. disc. p. 56. see also do. chap. ii. sec. 9. p. 81, 82. xxi. sec. 10. p. 301. 13. Not many days after] He probably hastened his depar ture for fear of the fine which he must have paid, and the reproach to which he must have been subjected, had the matter come before the civil magistrate. See above. Riotous living.] Ewv acwrws; in a course of life that led him to spend all: from a, not, and owo, Isare. And this, we are informed, ver. 30. was among harlots; the readiest way in the world to exhaust the body, debase the mind, ruin the soul, and destroy the substance. 14. A mighty famine in that land] As he was of a profligate turn of mind himself, it is likely he sought out a place where riot and excess were the ruling characteristics of the inhabitants; and as poverty is the sure consequence of prodigality, it is no wonder that famine preyed on the whole country. 15. To feed swine] The basest and vilest of all employ. ments; and, to a Jew, peculiarly degrading. Shame, contempt, and distress, are wedded to sin, and can never be divorced. No character could be meaner in the sight of a Jew than that of a swincherd; and Herodotus informs us, that in Egypt, they were not permitted to mingle with civil society, nor to appear in the worship of the gods, nor would the very dregs of the people have any matrimonial connexion with them. IEROD. lib. ii. cap. 47. 16. With the husks] Kepariwov. Bochart, I think, has proved that xɛparia does not mean husks: to signify which the Greek 18 I will arise, and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants." 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But k when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. k Acts 2.0 Eph. 2. 13, 17-1 Paa 51.4.-m Ver 32. Eph. 21. &5. 14. Rev. 3. 1.-n Matt. 20.15. Acts 14.46. Rom. 11.25, 31. botanical writers use the word Aoẞot; several examples of which he gives from Theophrastus. He shows also, that the original word means the fruit of the ceratonia or charub tree, which grows plentifully in Syria. This kind of pulse, Colu mella observes, was made use of to feed swine. See BOCHART, Hieroz. lib. ii. cap. lvi. col. 707-10. 17. When he came to himself] A state of sin is represented in the Sacred Writings, as a course of folly and madness: and repentance is represented as a restoration to sound sense. See this fully explained on Matt. iii. 2. 1 perish with hunger!] Or, I perish HERE.-Nde, here, is added by BDL. Syriac, all the Arabic and Persic, Coptic, Ethiopic, Gothic, Saxon, Vulgate, all the Itala, and several of the Fathers. 18. Against heaven] Eis Tov ovpavov; that is, against God. The Jews often make use of this periphrasis in order to avoid mentioning the name of God, which they have ever treated with the utmost reverence. But some contend that it should be translated, even unto heaven; a Hebraism for, I have sinned exceedingly-beyond all description. 20. And kissed him.] Or, kissed him again and again; the proper import of KatεþiλNGEν aνToν. The father thus showed his great tenderness towards him, and his great affection for him. 21. Make me as one of thy hired servants, is added here by several MSS. and Versions: but it is evident this has been added, merely to make his conduct agree with his resolution, ver. 19. But by this a very great beauty is lost: for the design of the inspired penman is to show, not merely the depth of the profligate son's repentance, and the sincerity of his conversion, but to show the great affection of the father, and his readiness to forgive his disobedient son. His tenderness of heart cannot wait till the son has made his confession; his bowels yearn over him, and he cuts short his tale of contrition, and self-reproach, by giving him the most plenary assurances of his pardoning love. the prodigal son. 26 And he called one of his servants, and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy fa ther hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. 28 And he was angry, and would not go in; therefore came his father out, and entreated him. 29 And he answering, said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed IP at any time thy commandment; and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that 1 might make merry with my friends: 30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. 31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. 32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found. o Gen. 31, 38, 41-p Matt. 6. 2. & 13.8 Ch. 16. 15. & 18. 11.-q Isa. 5.4. Matt. 2. 12- Verse 24 Psa 119 76. Matt. 18 12. claim any share in such property thus disposed of. The fol lowing is an institute of the GENTOO Law on this subject, (CODE, chap. ii. sec. 9. p. 79.) "If a father gives by his own choice, land, houses, orchards, and the earning of his own industry, to one of his sons, the other sons shall not receive any share of it." Besides, whatever property the father had ac quired after the above division, the son or sons, as the prodigal in the text, could have no claim at all on, according to another institute in the above Asiatic laws, see chap. ii. sect. 2. p. 85. but the father might divide it among those who re. mained with him: therefore is it said in the text, "Son, thou art ALWAYS with me, and ALL that I have is THINE." ver. 31. 29. Never-a kid] It is evident from ver. 12. that the father gave him his portion when his profligate brother claimed his; for he divided his whole substance between them. And though he had not claimed it, so as to separate from, and live inde pendently of his father, yet, he might have done so, whenever he chose; and therefore his complaining was both undutiful and unjust. 30. This thy son] THIS son of THINE-words expressive of supreme contempt; THIS son-he would not condescend to call him by his name, or to acknowledge him for his brother; and at the same time bitterly reproaches his amiable father, for his affectionate tenderness and readiness to receive his once undutiful, but now penitent child! For HIM] I have marked those words in small capitals which should be strongly accented in the pronunciation: this last word shows how supremely he despised his poor unfortunate brother. 31. All that I have is thine.] See on ver. 28. 32. This thy brother] Or, Tuis brother of THINE. To awaken this ill-natured, angry, inhumane mau, to a proper sense of his duty, both to his parent and brother, this amiable father returns him his own unkind words, but in a widely different spirit. This son of mine to whom I show mercy is THY bro. 22. Bring forth the best robe] Bring out that chief garther, to whom thou shouldest show bowels of tenderness and ment, rηy σrony тηy πрwrny, the garment which was laid by, affection; especially as he is no longer the person he was; be to be used only on birth-days or festival times. Such as that was dead in sin-he is quickened by the power of God: he which Rebecca had laid by for Esau, and which she put on was lost to thee, to me, to himself, and to our God, but now he Jacob, when she made him personate his brother. See the is found: and he will be a comfort to me, a help to thee, and notes on Gen. xxvii. 15. a standing proof to the honour of the Most High, that God receiveth sinners. This, as well as the two preceding parables, was designed to vindicate the conduct of our blessed Lord in receiving tax-gatherers and heathens: and as the Jews to whom it was addressed, could not but approve of the conduct of this benevolent father, and reprobate that of his elder son, so they could not but justify the conduct of Christ towards those outcasts of men, and at least in the silence of their hearts, pass sentence of condemnation upon themselves. For the sublime, the beautiful, the pathetic, and the instructive his tory of Joseph in the Old Testament, and the parable of the prodigal son in the New, have no parallels either in sacred or profane history. Put a ring on his hand] Giving a ring was in ancient times a mark of honour and dignity.-See Gen. xli. 42. 1 Kings xxi. 8 Esth. viii. 2. Dan. vi. 17. James ii. 2. Shoes on his feet] Formerly those who were captivated had their shoes taken off, Isa. xx. 1. and when they were restored to liberty, their shoes were restored. See 2 Chron. xxviii. 15. 23. The fatted calf and kill it] Ovoare, sacrifice it. In ancient times the animals provided for public feasts were first sacrificed to God. The blood of the beast being poured out be fore God, by way of atonement for sin, the flesh was consider ed as consecrated, and the guests were considered as feeding on divine food. This custom is observed among the Asiatics to this day. 24. Wus dead] Lost to all good, given up to all evil. In this figurative sense the word is used by the best Greek writers. See many examples in Kypke. 25. His elder son] Meaning probably persons of a regular moral life, who needed no repentance in comparison of the prodigal already described. In the field] Attending the concerns of the farm. He heard music] Evμowrias, a number of sounds mingled together, as in a concert. Dancing] Xopwv. But Le Clerc denies that the word means dancing at all, as it properly means a choir of singers. The symphony mentioned before, may mean the musical instruments, which accompanied the choir of singers. 28. He was angry] This refers to the indignation of the scribes and Pharisees, mentioned ver. 1, 2. In every point of view, the anger of the old son was improper and unreason able. He had already received his part of the inheritance, see verse 12, and his profligate brother had received no more than what was his just dividend. Besides, what the father had acquired since that division, he had a right to dispose of as he pleased, even to give it all to one son, nor did the ancient customs of the Asiatic countries permit the other children to The following reflections, taken chiefly from pious Quesnel, cannot fail making this incomparable parable still more instructive. Three points may be considered here, I. The degrees of his fall. II. The degrees of his restoration, and, III. The conse quence of his conversion. 1. The prodigal son is the emblem of a sinner who refuses to depend on, and be governed by the Lord. How dangerous is it for us to desire to be at our own disposal, to live in a state of independency, and to be our own governors. God cannot give to wretched man a greater proof of his wrath, than to abandon him to the corruption of his own heart. Not many days, &c. ver. 13. The misery of a sinner has its degrees; and he soon arrives, step by step, at the highest pitch of his wretchedness. The first degree of his misery is, that he loses sight of God, and removes at a distance from him. There is a boundless distance between the love of God, and impure self-love; and yet, strange to tell, we pass in a moment from the one to the other! The second degree of a sinner's misery is, that the love of God being no longer retained in the heart, carnal love and impure desires necessarily enter in, reign there, and corrum all his actions. The third degree is, that he squanders awas The parable of 14. CHAPTER XVI. all spiritual riches, and wastes the substance of his gracious father in riot and debauch. When he had spent all, &c. ver. The fourth degree of an apostate siuner's misery is, that having forsaken God, and lost his grace and love, he can now And nothing but poverty, misery, and want. How empty is that soul which God does not fill! What a famine is there in that heart which is no longer nourished by the bread of life! In this state he joined himself-exoλλnon, he cemented, closely united himself, and fervently cleaved to a citizen of that country, ver. 15. The fifth degree of a sinner's misery is, that he renders himself a slave to the devil, is made partaker of his nature, and incorporated into the infernal family. The further a sinner goes from God, the nearer he comes to eternal ruin. The sixth degree of his misery is, that he soon finds by experience, the hardship and rigour of his slavery. There is no master so cruel as the devil; no yoke so heavy as that of sin; and no slavery so mean and vile as for a man to be the drudge of his own carnal, shameful, and brutish passions. The seventh degree of a sinner's misery is, that he has an insatiable hunger and thirst after happiness; and as this can be had only in God, and he seeks it in the creature, his misery must be extreme. He desired to fill his belly with the husks, ver. 16. The pleasures of sense and appetite are the plea sures of swine, and to such creatures is he resembled who has frequent recourse to them, 2 Pet. ii. 22. II. Let us observe in the next place, the several degrees of a sinner's conversion and salvation. The first is, he begins to know and feel his misery, the guilt of his conscience, and the corruption of his heart. He comes to himself, because the Spirit of God first comes to him, ver. 17. The second is, that be resolves to forsake sin, and all the occasions of it; and firmly purposes in his soul to return immediately to his arise, &c. verse 18. The third is, when, under the influence of the spirit of faith, he is enabled to look towards God as a compassionate and tender-hearted father. I will arise and go to my father. The fourth is, when he makes a confession of his sin, and feels himself utterly unworthy of all God's favours, ver. 19. The fifth is, when he comes in the spirit of obedience, determined through grace to submit to the authority of God; and to take his word for the rule of all his actions, and his Spirit for the guide of all his affections and desires. The sixth is, his putting his holy resolutions into practice without delay; using the light and power already mercifully restored to him, and seeking God in his appointed ways. And he arose and came, &c. ver. 20. The setenth is, God tenderly receives him with the kiss of peace and the unjust steward love, blots out all his sins, and restores him to, and reinstates him in, the heavenly family. His father-fell on his neck, and kissed him, ib. The eighth is, his being clothed with holiness, united to God, married as it were to Christ Jesus, 2 Cor. xi. 2. and having his feet shod with the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of peace, Eph. vi. 15. so that he may run the ways of God's commandments with alacrity and joy. Bring the best robe-put a ring--and shoes, &c. ver. 22. III. The consequences of the sinner's restoration to the favour and image of God are, first, the sacrifice of thanksgiving is offered to God in his behalf; he enters into a covenant with his Maker, and feasts on the fatness of the house of the Most High. Secondly, The whole heavenly family are called upon to share in the general joy, the church above and the church below both triumph; for there is joy, (peculiar joy) in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. See ver. 10. Thirdly, God publicly acknowledges him for his son, not only by enabling him to abstain from every appear. ance of evil, but to walk before him in newness of life, ver. 24. The tender-hearted father repeats these words at ver. 32. to show more particularly, that the soul is dead, when sepa rated from God; and that it can only be said to be alive when united to him through the Son of his love. A Christian's sin, is a brother's death; and in proportion to our concern for this, will our joy be at his restoration to spiritual life. Let us have a brotherly heart towards our brethren, as God has that of a father towards his children; and seems to be afflicted at their loss, and to rejoice at their being found again, as if they were necessary to his happiness. In this parable the younger profligate son may represent the Gentile world; and the elder son, who so long served his father, ver. 29. the Jewish people. The anger of the elder son explains itself at once-it means the indignation evidenced by the Jews, at the Gentiles being received into the favour of God, and made, with them, fellow heirs of the king. dom of heaven. It may also be remarked, that those who were since called Jews and Gentiles, were at first one family, and children of the same father: that the descendants of Ham and Japhet, from whom the principal part of the Gentile world was form. ed, were, in their progenitors, of the primitive great family, but had afterward fallen off from the true religion: and that the parable of the prodigal son inay well represent the conversion of the Gentile world, in order that, in the fulness of time, both Jews and Gentiles may become one fold under one Shep herd and Bishop of all souls. CHAPTER XVI. Our The parable of the unjust steward, 1-8. Christ applies this to his hearers, 9—13. The Pharisees take offence, 14. Lord reproves them, and shows the immutability of the laro, 15-17. Counsels against divorce, 18. The story of the rich man and the beggar, commonly called Dives and Lazarus, 19-31. [A. M. 4033. A. D. 39. An. Olymp. CCIL 1.] ND he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain | 4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the rich man, which had a steward; and the same was ac stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. ensed unto him that he had wasted his goods. 2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I bear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. 3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot drg; to beg I am ashamed. • Then. 15:50 - Ps 50 10. Ereles 12.11.- The wont Batus, in the original, mensingh nine gallons three quarts: see Ezek. 45, 10, 11, 14. NOTES-Verse 1. A steward) Oikovopos, from otkos, a house, or oikia, a family, and veuw, I administer; one who perintends domestic concerns, and ministers to the support if the family, having the products of the field, business, &c. put into his hands for this very purpose. See on chap. viii. 3. There is a parable very like this in Rab. Dav. Kimchi's comment on Isaiah, chap. xl. 21. "The whole world may be con#dered as a house builded up: hearen is its roof, the stars its lamps; and the fruits of the earth the table spread. The carner and builder of this house, is the holy blessed God; and mas is the steward, into whose hands all the business of the house is committed. If he considers in his heart, that the mas ter of the house is always over him, and keeps his eye upon his work; and if in consequence he act wisely, he shall and farour in the eyes of the master of the house: but if the master And wickedness in hin, he will remove him, 1 min Dakidata, from his STEWARDSHIP. The foolish steward doth not think of this: for as his eyes do not see the master of the house, he saith in his heart, I will eat and drink what I find in this house, and will take my pleasure in it, nor shall I be ezreful whether there be a Lord over this house or not.' When the Lord of the house marks this, he will come and expel him. from the house, speedily and with great anger. Therefore it is written, He bringeth the princes to nothing." As is usual, our Lud has greatly improved this parable, and made it in very circumstance more striking and impressive. Both in the Jewish and Christian edition, it has great beauties. Wasted his goods.] Had been profuse and profligate; and had embezzled his master's substance. 2 Gire un account of thy, &c.] Produce thy books of rereipts and disbursements, that I may see whether the accusa non against thee be true or false. The original may be transbated. Give up the business, Tur dayou, of the stewardship. 3. I cannot dig] He could not submit to become a common 5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? 6 And he said, A hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. The word here interpreted, a measure, in the original containeth about fourteen bushels and a pottle. day-labourer, which was both a severe and base employment: To beg I am ashamed. And as these were the only honest ways left him to procure a morsel of bread, and he would not submit to either, he found he must continue the system of knavery, in order to provide for his idleness and luxury, or else starve. Wo to the man who gets his bread in this way! the curse of the Lord must be on his head, and on his heart; in his basket, and in his store. 4. They may receive me] That is, the debtors and tenants, who paid their debts and rents, not in money, but in kind; such as wheat, oil, and other produce of their lands. 6. A hundred measures of oil] Exarov Barovs, a hundred baths. The bath was the largest measure of capacity among the Hebrews, except the homer, of which it was the tenth part: see Ezek. xlv. 11, 14. It is equal to the ephah, i. e. to seven gallons and a half of our measure. Take thy bill Thy accompt-70 ypappa. The writing in which the debt was specified, together with the obligation to pay so much, at such and such times. This appears to have been in the hand writing of the debtor, and probably signed by the steward: and this precluded imposition on each part. To prevent all appearance of forgery in this case, he is desir ed to write it over again, and to cancel the old engagement. 7. A hundred measures of wheat] Ekarov kopovs, a hundred cors. Kopos, from the Hebrew cor, was the largest measure of capacity among the Hebrews, whether for solids or liquids. As the bath was equal to the ephah, so the cor was equal to the homer. It contained about seventy-five ga lons and five pints English. For the same reason for which 1 preserve the names of the ancient coins, I preserve the names of the ancient measures. What idea can a mere English reader have of the word measure in this and the preceding verse, when the original words are not only totally different, but the quantity is as seven to seventy-five? The origina 11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. e John 12. 36. Eph 5.8. 1 Thess.5.5.-f Dan. 4.27. Matt. 6. 19, & 19,21. Ch.11. 41. 1 Tim. 6. 17, 18, 19 Or, riches -h Mart 25. 21 Chap. 19. 17.-i Or, riches.Matt. 6.24.- Matt. 23.14.-m Ch. 10.29.-n Psa. 7. 9. The Pharisees reproved. 14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify your selves before men; but " God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God. 16 P The law and the prophets were until John: since that time, the kingdom of God is preached, and every man press eth into it. 17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. 18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband, committeth adultery. 19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day : e1 Sam. 16.7.-p Matt. 4. 17. & 11.12, 13. Luke 7.29-q Pan. 102, Z. la. # 8 & 51.6. Matt. 5.18 1 Pet 1.25-r Matt. 5.32 & 19.9. Mark 13.11. 1 Cor.7.19 11-8 Prov. 31.22 1 Mac. 10. 62. 1 Pet. 3. 3, 4. terms should be immediately inserted in the text, and the has the genuine principles of fidelity in him, will make a contents inserted in the margin. The present marginal read-point of conscience of carefully attending to even the smallest ing is incorrect. I follow Bishop Cumberland's weights and things and it is by habituating himself to act uprightly in measures. See on chap. xv. 8. little things, that he acquires the gracious habit of acting with propriety, fidelity, honour, and conscience, in matters of the greatest concern. On the contrary, he who does not act uprightly in small matters, will seldom feel himself bound to pay much attention to the dictates of honour and conscience, in cases of high importance. Can we reasonably expect, that a man who is continually falling by little things, has power to resist temptations to great evils? In the preceding relation, I have no doubt our Lord alluded to a custom frequent in the Asiatic countries: a custom which still prevails, as the following account taken from Capt. Hadley's Hindostan Dialogues sufficiently proves. A person thus addresses the captain: "Your Sirkar's deputy, whilst his master was gone to Calcutta, established a court of justice. Having searched for a good many debtors and their creditors, he learned the accounts of their bonds. He then made an agreement with them to get the bonds out of the bondsmen's hands for half the debt, if they would give him one fourth. Thus, any debtor for a hundred rupees, having given fifty to the creditor, and twenty-five to this knave, got his bond for seventy five rupees. Having seized and flogged 125 bondholders, he has in this manner determined their loans, and he has done this business in your name." Hadley's Gram. Dia logues, p. 79. 5th edit. 1801. 8. The Lord commended] Viz. the master of this unjust steward. He spoke highly of the address and cunning of his iniquitous servant. He had, on his own principles, made a very prudent provision for his support; but his master no more approved of his conduct in this, than he did in his wast. ing his substance before. From the ambiguous and improper manner in which this is expressed in the common Eng. lish translation, it has been supposed that our blessed Lord commended the conduct of this wicked man: but the word Kuptos, there translated lord, simply means the master of the unjust steward. The children of this world] Such as mind wordly things only, without regarding God or their souls. A phrase by which the Jews always designate the Gentiles. Children of light] Such as are illuminated by the Spirit of God, and regard worldly things only as far as they may subserve the great purposes of their salvation, and become the instruments of good to others. But ordinarily, the former evidence more carefulness and prudence, in providing for the support and comfort of this life, than the latter do, in providing for another world. 9. The mammon of unrighteousness] Mapova τns adikias -literally, the mammon or riches, of injustice. Riches promise MUCH, and perform NOTHING; they excite hope and confidence, and deceive both; in making a man depend on them for happiness, they rob him of the salvation of God, and of eternal glory. For these reasons, they are represented as unjust and deceitful. See the note on Matt. vi. 24. where this is more particularly explained. It is evident that this must be the meaning of the words, because the false or deceitful riches here, are put in opposition to the true riches, ver. 11. i. e. those divine graces and blessings which promise all good, and give what they promise; never deceiving the expectation of any man. To insinuate, that if a man have acquired riches by unjust means, that he is to sanctify them, and provide himself a passport to the kingdom of God, by giving them to the poor, is a most horrid and blasphemous perversion of our Lord's words. Ill gotten gain must be restored to the proper owners if they are dead, then to their successors. 12. That which is another man's] Or, rather, another's, Twaddorp. That is, worldly riches, called another's. 1. Because they belong to God, and he has not designed that they should be any man's portion. 2. Because they are con tinually changing their possessors, being in the way of com. merce, and in providence going from one to another. This property of worldly goods is often referred to by both sacred and profane writers. See a fine passage in Horace, Sat. 1. ii. s. 2. v. 129. Nam propria telluris herum natura neque illum, Nature will no perpetual heir assign, Nor make the farm his property, or mine.-FRANCIS. And the following, in one of our own poets: "Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing; "Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands." That which is your own ?] Grace and glory, which God has particularly designed for you-which are the only proper sa tisfying portion for the soul; and which no man can enjoy in their plenitude, unless he be faithful to thể first small motions and influences of the Divine Spirit. 13. No servant can serve two masters] The heart will be either wholly taken up with God, or wholly engrossed with the world. See on Matt. vi. 24. 14. They derided him] Or, rather, they treated him with the utmost contempt. So we may translate the original words. εžεμVKтηρIZOV Avrov, which literally signifies, in illum emunserunt-but must not be translated into English, unless, to come a little near it, we say, they turned up their noses at him; and why? because they were lovers of money, and he showed them that all such were in danger of perdition. As they were wedded to this life, and not concerned for the other, they considered him one of the most absurd and foolish of men, and worthy only of the most sovereign contempt, be cause he taught that spiritual and eternal things should be preferred before the riches of the universe. And how many thousands are there of the very same sentiment to the present day! 15. Ye-justify yourselves] Ye declare yourselves to be just. Ye endeavour to make it appear to men, that ye can still feel an insatiable thirst after the present world, and yet secure the blessings of another :-that ye can reconcile God and mammon; and serve two masters with equal zeal and affection; but God knoweth your hearts: and he knoweth that ye are alive to the world, and dead to God and goodness. Therefore, howsoever ye may be esteemed among men, ye are an abomination before him. See the note on chap. vii. 29. 16. The law and the prophets were until John] The law When ye fail] That is, when ye die. The Septuagint use and the prophets continued to be the sole teachers till John the word EKAEITE, in this very sense, Jer. xlii. 17, 22. See came, who first began to proclaim the glad tidings of the the note on Gen. xxv. 8. So does Josephus, War, chap. iv. 1, 9. kingdom of God; and now, he who wishes to be made a par They may receive you] That is, say some, the angels. taker of the blessings of that kingdom, must rush speedily Others, the poor whom ye have relieved will welcome you in. into it; as there will be but a short time, before an utter deto glory. It does not appear that the poor are meant, 1. Be- struction shall fall upon this ungodly race. They who wish to cause those who have relieved them may die a long time be- be saved, must imitate those who take a city by storm-rush fore them; and therefore they could not be in heaven to re-into it, without delay, as the Romans are about to do into Jeceive them on their arrival. 2. Many poor persons may be rusalem. See also on Matt. xi. 12. relieved who will live and die in their sins, and consequently, never enter into heaven themselves. The expression seems to be a mere Hebraism :-they may receive you, for, ye shall be received; i. e. God shall admit you, if you make a faithful use of his gifts and graces. He who does not make a faithful use of what he has received from his Maker, has no reason to hope for eternal felicity. See Matt. xxv. 33. and for similar Hebraisms consult in the original, chap. vi. 38. xii. 20. Rev. xii. 6. xvi. 15. 10 He that is faithful in that which is least, &c.] He, who 17. For heaven and earth to pass] See on Matt. v. 17, 18. 18. Putteth away (or divorceth) his wife] See on Matt v. 31, 32. xix. 9, 10. Mark x. 12. where the question concerning divorce is considered at large. These verses, from the 13th to the 18th inclusive, appear to be part of our Lord's sermon on the mount; and stand in a much better connexion there than they do here: unless we suppose our Lord delivered the same discourse at different times and places, which is very probable. 19. There was a certain rich man] In the Scholia of some MSS. the name of this person is said to be Ninive. This ac count of the rich man and Lazarus, is either a parable or a real history. If it be a parable, it is what may be if it be a history, it is that which has been. Either a man may live as is here described, and go to perdition when he dies; or, some have lived in this way, and are now suffering the torments of an eternal fire. The account is equally instructive, in which soever of these lights it is viewed. Let us carefully observe all the circumstances offered here to our notice, and we shall see, I The CRIME of this man; and II. His PUNISHMENT. 1. There was a certain rich man in Jerusalem. Provided this be a real history, there is no doubt our Lord could have mentioned his name; but as this might have given great offence, he chose to suppress it. His being rich is, in Christ's account, the first part of his sin. To this circumstance our Lord adds nothing, he does not say that he was born to a large estate, or that he acquired one by improper methods; or that he was haughty or insolent in the possession of it. Yet here is the first degree of his reprobation-he got all he could, and kept all to himself. ham glance at any such uncharitable conduct on the part of II. In what the punishment of this man consisted. 2 He was clothed with purple and fine linen. Purple was a very precious and costly stuff; but our Lord does not say that in the use of it, he exceeded the bounds of his income, nor of his rank in life: nor is it said, that he used his superb dress to be an agent to his crimes, by corrupting the hearts of others. Yet our Lord lays this down as a second cause of his perdition. 3. He fared sumptuously every day. Now let it be observed, that the law of Moses, under which this man lived, forbad nothing on this point, but excess in eating and drinking: indeed it seems as if a person was authorised to taste the sweets of an abundance, which that law promised as a reward of fidelity. Besides, this rich man is not accused of having eaten food which was prohibited by the law, or of having neg. lected the abstinences and fasts prescribed by it. It is true, he is said to have feasted sumptuously every day, but our-this is the first circumstance in his punishment. What a Lord does not intimate that this was carried to excess, or that it ministered to debauch. He is not accused of licentious discourse, of gaming, of frequenting any thing like our modern playa, balls, masquerades, or other impure and unholy assemblies; of speaking an irreverent word against divine revelation, or the ordinances of God. In a word, his probity is not attacked, nor is he accused of any of those crimes which pervert the soul, or injure civil society. As Christ has described this man, does he appear culpable? What are his crimes? Why, 1. He was rich. 2. He was finely clothed. And, 3. He feasted well. No other evil is spoken of him. In comparison of thousands, be was not only blameless, but he was a virtuous man. 2. The presence of a good to which they never had any right, and of which they are now deprived, affects the miserable less than the presence of that to which they had a right, and of which they are now deprived. Even in hell, a damned spirit 4. But it is intimated by many, that "he was an uncharita- must abhor the evil by which he is tormented, and desire that ble, heardhearted, unfeeling wretch." Yet of this there is not good that would free him from his torment. If a lost soul a word spoken by Christ. Let us consider all the circumstan- could be reconciled to its torment, and to its situation, then, of ces, and we shall see that our blessed Lord has not represented course, its punishment must cease to be such. An eternal dethis man as a monster of inhumanity, but merely as an indo-sire to escape from evil, and an eternal desire to be united lent man, who sought, and had his portion in this life, and was with the supreme good, the gratification of which is for ever not at all concerned about another. impossible, must make a second circumstance in the misery of the lost. Therefore we do not find that when Abraham addressed him en the cause of his reprobation, ver. 25. that he reproached bun with hardheartedness, saying, "Lazarus was hungry, and thou gavest him no meat; he was thirsty, and thou gavest him no drink," &c. but he said simply, Son, remember that thou didat receive thy good things in thy lifetime, ver. 25.-"Thou hast sought thy consolation upon the earth, thou hast borne no cross, mortified no desire of the flesh, received not the salvation God had provided for thee-thou didst not belong to the people of God upon earth, and thou canst not dwell with them in glory." There are few who consider, that it is a crime for those called Christians to live without Christ, when their lives are not stained with transgression. If Christianity only required men to live without gross outward sin, paganism could furnish us with many bright examples of this sort. But the religion of Christ requires a conformity, not only in a man's conduct, to the principles of the Gospel; but also a conformity in his heart, to the Spirit and mind of Christ. 20 There was a certain beggar named Lazarus] His name is mentioned, because his character was good, and his end glorious; and because it is the purpose of God, that the rightous shall be had in everlasting remembrance. Lazarus y is a contraction of the word y Eliezar, which signifies the help or assistance of God-a name properly given to a man who was both poor and afflicted, and had no help but that which came from heaven. 21. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs] And it is likely this desire was complied with, for it is not intimated that he spurned away the poor man from the gate, or that his suit was rejected. And as we find, ver. 24. that the rich man desired that Lazarus should be sent with a little water to him, it is a strong intimation, that he considered him under some kind of obligation to him: for had he refused him a few crumbs in his lifetime, it is not reasonable to suppose, that he would now have requested such a favour from him: nor does Abra 3. Son, remember that in thy lifetime thou receivedst thy good things, ver. 25. The remembrance of the good things possessed in life, and now to be enjoyed no more for ever, together with the remembrance of grace offered or abused, will form a third circumstance in the perdition of the ungodly. Son, remember that in thy lifetime, &c. 4. The torments which a soul endures in the hell of fire, will form, through all eternity, a continual present source of indescribable wo. Actual torment in the flames of the bottomless pit, forms a fourth circumstance in the punishment of the lost. I am tormented in this flame, ver. 24. 5. The known impossibility of ever escaping from this place of torment, or to have any alleviation of one's misery in it, forms a fifth circumstance in the punishment of ungodly men, -Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf, ver. 26. The eternal purpose of God, formed on the princi ples of eternal reason, separates the persons and the places of abode, of the righteous and the wicked, so that there can be no intercourse-they who wish to pass over hence to you, cannot; neither can they pass over, who would come from you hither. A happy spirit cannot go from heaven to alleviate their miseries, nor can any of them escape from the place of their confinement, to enter among the blessed. There may be a discovery from hell of the paradise of the blessed; but there can be no intercourse nor connexion. 6. The iniquitous conduct of relatives and friends, who have been perverted by the bad example of those who are lost, is a source of present punishment to them; and if they come also to the same place of torment, must be to those, who were the instruments of bringing them thither, an eterna source of anguish. Send Lazarus to my father's family, for I have five brothers, that he may earnestly testify (diapap Tupnrat) to them, that they come not into this place of torment. These brothers had probably been influenced by his example to content themselves with an earthly portion, and to neglect |