312 lix. Mat. The yoke of Christ is easy, and his burden light. Father, save the Sʊn, the Son will reveal him. and he to whomsoever 28 Come unto me, SECT. and glories of my person and kingdom, that no knoweth any man the one fully knows the Son, but the Father; neither does any truiv know the Father, but the Son, and XI. 27. he to whom the Son is pleased to reveal him: For I have that knowledge of him to which no creature can pretend; and it is my great errand to the world to discover his nature and will, and lead his wandering creatures into a saving 28 acquaintance with him; A work which I undertake with the greatest cheerfulness and delight and therefore, come unto me by faith, all ye that labour, and are heavy burdened, whether with the distresses of life, or with the sense of guilt (see Psal. xxxii. 4. xxxviii. 4.) or with the load of ceremonial observances which your unmerciful teachers are so ready to impose (Mat. xxiii. 4.) and I will ease you of the grievous burdens you are sinking under. 29 all ye that labour, and are heavy ladeu; and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your me, for I am meek and 30 For my yoke is Be persuaded then to take my yoke upon you, and to learn of me, as my obedient disciples; for I am meek, condescending and lowly in heart', and will impose no unnecessary hardships upon you: but on such an application to me, you shall souls. find that refreshment to your souls which you in vain would seek elsewhere; that composure, satisfaction and joy, which nothing but humility and meekness, with an entire subjection to 30 me, can give. For such is the genius of my gospel, that though it will indeed bring you easy, and my burden is under some restraints, they are not only tolerable, but, on the whole, desirable: and I may truly say, that my yoke is easy and gentle; or,. if there be a mixture of difficulty attending it, such assistances and encouragements are provided, that with them my burden is light and pleasant to those who by divine grace are engaged to submit to it. (Compare 1 John v. 3.) m sure, that our Lord might with great pro- No one knows the Son, but the Father.] 1 For I am meek, condescending and lowly in heart.] Some have apprehended that our Lord here intends peculiarly to recommend the imitation of his humility and meek IMPROVE light. ness as what would especially tend, in the natural consequence of things, to promote the repose and tranquillity of their minds; and Dr. Watts, in a very beautiful manner, has paraphrased the words thus in his Hymns. (Book I. Hymn 127.) But I apprehend our Lord chiefly means to remind them of the general lenity of his temper, which would engage him to decline all grievous impositions and unnecessary burdens, and tenderly to instruct them in the way to pardon and life. Compare Mat. xii. 19, 20. sect. li. m My burden is light and pleasant.] Ehapgov properly signifies both light and pleasant; Reflections on the sovereignty of the Divine dispensations. 313 IMPROVEMENT. lix. 21-24 WHAT can we imagine more dreadful than the guilt and con- SECT. demnation of those who hear the gospel only to despise it! How can we read the doom of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, Mat. without trembling for ourselves, lest we should incur the like sen- XL. tence! Such have been our religious advantages and opportunities, that, like them, we have indeed been lifted up to heaven: The Lord grant that we may not, by our misimprovement and disobedence, be cast down to the lowest hell! that Tyre and Sidon, and even Sodom and Gomorrah, may not at last rise up in judgment against us, and call down on our heads a punishment more intolerable than that which has fallen upon them, or which they must even then feel! Our vain curiosity may perhaps be ready to ask, Why were these advantages given to them that abused them, rather than to those who would have improved them better? But let us impose upon our minds a reverential silence; since the great Lord of heaven and 26 earth giveth not an account of any of his matters, (Job xxxiii. 13.) It is so, Father; for so it seemeth good in thy sight! Still we see the gospel hid from many who are esteemed the 25 wisest and most prudent of mankind; and, blessed be God, we still see it revealed to some, who, in comparison of them, are but babes. Let not this offend us; but rather taking our notions from the word of God, let us learn to honour these babes as possessed of the truest wisdom, and adore the riches of Divine grace, if we are in their number, while many of superior capacities are left to stumble at this stone till they fall into final ruin. Whatever objections are brought against Christ and his ways, 27 may we ever adhere to them, since all things are delivered to him by the Father! From him therefore may we seek the true knowledge of God, as ever we desire everlasting life! We have all our burdens of sin and of sorrow! While we labour 28 under them, let us with pleasure hear the gentle and melodious voice of a Redeemer, thus kindly inviting us to come unto him, that 29 we may find rest to our souls. Let us with pleasure subject ourselves to him, and go on in our holy course with that improvement and cheerfulness which become those who learn by their own daily experience that his commandments are not grievous, and feel that 30 his yoke is easy and his burden is light. pleasant; and xensos, easy, may he also rendered gentle and agreeable; and so with great propriety may express that true pleasure and cheerfulness which are the genuine result of a sincere subjection to Christ's government, which is plainly the meaning of Laking his yoke. (Compare Deut. xxvii. SECT. 47, 48. 1 Kings xii. 4. and Isa. x. 27.)-It a One 314 A woman, that had been a sinner, washes Christ's feet with tears. SECT. lx. Luke SECT. LX. Jesus accepts an invitation to dine at a Pharisee's house, and vindicates the woman who anointed his feet there. Luke VII. 36. to the end. LUKE VII. 36. LUKE VII. 36. Pharisee's house, and sat down to AND ND one of the Pharisees who was present AND one Pharisees desired at this discourse, and might feel himself him that he would eat touched by some insinuations which it contained, with him: and he went VII. 36. under a specious pretence of respect to our Lord, into the though as it seemed with an ensnaring design, meat.' invited him to eat with him that day, taking care to have others of his own sect present to observe what passed. And Jesus, being willing to express his condescension and candour, accepted his invitation; and entering into the house of the Pharisee, he sat down to table, without taking any notice of the omission of some usual ceremonies of respect which so great a guest might well have expected. 37 37 And behold, a woman in the city, brought an alabaster And, behold, there was a woman in that city who had once been a great and scandalous sinner, which was a sinner, and was still accounted infamous on account of when she knew that the lewdness and debaucheries of her former Jesus sat at meat in life. and, when she knew that he sat at meat in the the Pharisee's house, Pharisee's house, she took encouragement from box of ointment; his late gracious invitation, and determined to give a remarkable token of her reverence and love to so glorious and compassionate a Saviour; and for this purpose she brought an alabaster ves38 sel full of richly perfumed ointment; And standing by the couch on which our Lord, according to the custom of those times, lay down to eat, waiting behind him in the posture of a servant at his feet, her very heart was melted with such pious remorse, that in the presence of the whole company she was unable to refrain from weeping in such great abundance, that she began even to water his feet with a shower of tears; and, a One of the Pharisees, who was present at this discourse.] Dr. Whitby has abundantly proved this to be a different story from that of Mary's anointing Christ's head a little before his death; (Mat. xxvi. 6 13. sect. exlv.) And indeed the difference is so great and so plain, that it is astonishing so great a critic as Grotius should so observing 38 And stood at his fect behind him weep ing, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did The people croud about the house where Jesus was. 297 lv. In plentiful circumstances and an honourable station, how great sECT. is the humility of this worthy man! How low are the thoughts that he has of himself! And with what veneration and respect does he Mat. address himself to Christ! And, had this centurion been even a tri- VIII. 8. bune or a general, this humble address would well have become him when he was thus applying unto Christ. And how well does it become us, when entreating the blessed Jesus to exert his healing power on our hearts, to bow with deep humility before him, and to say, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under Luke my roof, or worthy the honour of appearing in thy presence!" He vii, 6, 7. that thus humbleth himself, shall be exalted, (Luke xviii. 14.) nor do we ever stand fairer for the praise of Christ than when we see ourselves undeserving even of his notice. viii. 10. Behold an instance of faith in a stranger to the commonwealth of Mat. Israel, by which their unbelief was condemned! Oh that the virtues of heathens may not another day rise up to our condemnation, notwithstanding an higher profession and much nobler advantages! We cannot but rejoice to hear that many shall come from the east and the west, to sit down with the pious patriarchs in the 11 kingdom of heaven: but how deplorable is the case of those 12 children of the kingdom, who, with all their towering expectations, shall be cast out, and doomed to hopeless sorrow and to everlasting darkness! May Almighty Grace awaken those who are now ignorant of the value and importance of the blessings of the gospel; and excite those holy desires after them, which may prevent that impatience and envy, that rage and despair, with which they must otherwise view them at an unapproachable distance; yea, view them possessed by multitudes, whom they are now most ready to despise ! SECT. LVI. After having quitted the multitude who crowded in upon him, and reposed himself that night at Capernaum, Jesus goes the next day to Naim, and raises the son of a poor widow from the dead. Mark III. 19-21. Luke VII. 11—17. MARK III. 19. AND they went in to an house. MARK III. 19. lvi. NOW after Jesus had performed this miracle SECT. and was prevented thus from going to the centurion's, before he left Capernaum with his Mark twelve new-chosen apostles, they went into an 111. 19. house, where he commonly resided while he a They went into an house.] We must conclude, from the manner in which Mark connects this with the names of the apostles, that it happened very quickly after their be was ing chosen. The other evangelists inform 316 ix. Luke Jesus vindicates the woman in what she had done. 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he SECT. Now as they had not any thing to pay, so that neither of them could discharge any part of his debt, frankly forgave them he freely forgave them both the whole of what both. Tell me thereVII. 42. they respectively owed: and upon this it may fore, which of them be reasonably expected that both would have will love him most? some sense of his goodness; say, therefore, which of them do you think would love him most? 43 And Simon very readily replied and said, I suppose, so far as I can judge from the circumstances thou hast mentioned, that he to whom he forgave gave most. most could not but have the greatest aflection for said unto him, Thou him. And [Jesus] said to him, Thou hast judged bast rightly judged. very rightly, and the reflection is evidently suited to the case that we have here before us. afflicted 43 Simon answerel and said, I suppose that he to whom he forAnd he 44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest my feet with tears, the hairs of her head. and wiped them with 44 And, turning himself to the woman, he said to Simon the Pharisee, Thou seest this poor woman, and canst not but take notice of the ex- thou this woman? 1 traordinary tenderness and affectionate regard to entered into thine me that she has now discovered. I came into house, thou gavest me thine house as a guest, on thine own express in- but she hath washed no water for my feet; vitation [and] thou didst not give me any water to [wash] my feet, though that be so customary and necessary a refreshment on these occasions; but she has plentifully watered my feet with her tears, and wiped them even with the tresses of her 45 hair. Thou didst not give me the usual respect of a kiss, when I first came under thy roof & but she, ever since she came in, has not ceased, I with the greatest humility and affection, even 46 to kiss my feet. Thou didst not so much as anoint 46 Mine head with my head with common oil, though few enteroil thou didst not atainments fail of being attended with that cir- man hath anointed my noint; but this wocumstance; but she, as thou seest, has anointed feet with ointment. even my feet with this precious and fragrant oint f Water to wash my feet.] Drusius supposes this may be understood as if our Lord had said, "Thou didst not give me so much as water to wash my feet; whereas some guests have their feet washed with wine mingled with spices." Athenæus does indeed mention such an extravagance; but to be sure our Lord did not intend the least insinuation in favour of it. g The usual respect of a kiss, &c.] How customary it was for the master of the house to receive his guests with such a salutation, to provide them with water to wash their feet, and to anoint their heads with oil, or some liquid perfume, the reader may see in many other commentators, and particularly in Calmet's Account of the Jewish Feasts. It is possible Simon might omit some of these civilities lest his brethren £; ment. 45 Thou gavest me no kiss; but this wo came in, hath not man, since the time ceased to kiss my feet. who sat at table with him should think he paid Jesus too much respect; and, if there was any such slight intended, it might be an additional reason for our Lord's taking such particular notice of the neglect. h Ever since she came in.] The evangelist so expressly tells us that she beard of Christ's being at dinner with the Pharisee betore she came in (ver. 37.) that I make no doubt of following those copies which read it only, she came in, rather than those which have unov, in the first person, which our translation follows. i Anointed my head with oil, though few entertainments fail, &c.] How common this circumstance was, may be judged by comparing Deut. xxviii. 40. Micah vi. 15. Psal. xxiii. 5. civ. 15. and exli. 5. k Therefore |