for the inhabitants of the country, remembering what had been told them by John the Baptist concerning Jesus, and being sensible that the doctrine and miracles of our Saviour were fully equal to what the Baptist had foretold, firmly believed him to be the Messiah; so that he not only made a great number of proselytes, but likewise considerably increased the number of his disciples.

During our Lord's stay in this part of Galilee a certain person one day put a singular question to him concerning the number of those that should be saved: Lord, said he, are there few that be saved? From this question our Lord took occasion to admonish his hearers, by telling them, That they ought to use their utmost endeavors to enter in at the strait gate of salvation, because the number of those who should not attain it would be large, that they ought to do it with all expedition, because, when once the gate was shut, and the means of salvation with. drawn, all pretences of having heard the glad tidings of the Gospel, and of having been conversant with him upon earth, would gain them no admittance. Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the Master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not, whence ye are. Luke xiii. 24, 25, Our Lord then told them, that all workers of iniquity should be utterly excluded; and therefore the Jews, in particular, would have cause to lament, when they should see many strangers, from all parts of the earth, possessed of the glories of heaven, with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the ancient prophets, while themselves should be thrust out, and, instead of the first, become the last. And behold, these are last which shall be first, and these are first which shall be last.

While our Lord was discoursing to the people on this and other topics, some of the Pharisees, who could not any longer bear with patience the power and authority which he had gained among the people, in hopes of getting rid of him, went and suggested the danger he was in from Herod Antipas, so long as he continued in Gali

lee, which was part of his dominions. In answer to this piece of information, our Lord told the Pharisees, that, having but a short time to live, he was determined to devote it to the relief of the distressed, the curing diseases, and casting out devils; and as to Herod's designs against his life, they were altogether superfluous, because he foreknew that he was to suffer death at Jerusalem, which was the place appointed (as it were) for the slaughter of all the prophets. He then broke out into a most pathetic exclamation against the inhabitants of that city, reproaching them with rejecting the kind offers of the Gospel, and with killing the messengers sent from God; and then denounced the sad calamity that would, in a short time, overtake them. Oh! Jerusalem, Jerusalem, (said he) which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not? Behold, your house is left unto you desolute; and verily I say unto you, ye shall not see me until the time come, when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Luke xiii. 34, 35.

After our Lord had finished this awful exclamation and prediction against the inhabitants of Jerusalem, he went into the house of a Pharisee of distinction to eat bread. It happened now to be the sabbath-day, and our Lord had not been long in the Pharisee's house, before there was brought unto him a man afflicted with a dropsy. This, no doubt, was a scheme projected by the Pharisees, in order (as they thought) to involve our Saviour in this difficulty-That either, by forbearing to heal at that time, he would betray his fear, and strengthen their superstitions with regard to such ritual observances; or else that by doing it, he must incur the censure and odium of a sabbath-breaker and a contemner of the law. But our Lord so ordered the matter as to accomplish what he saw fit without any opportunity given for his enemies to compass their ends by it. As soon as the afflicted person appeared, our Lord, who knew the secrets of their hearts, asked the Pharisees whether it was lawful to heal upon the sabbath-day? But they not chusing to give any answer to the question, Jesus laid his hands upon the dis

eased person, and immediately his complexion returned, his body was reduced to its ordinary dimensions, and his former health and strength were instantly restored.

So surprizing a miracle, it might reasonably be thought, would have convinced the Pharisees, that the Author must have been endued with power from on high; but, instead of being persuaded that he was a person sent from God, and labored only for the benefit of the children of men, they were contriving how they might turn this miracle to his disadvantage. Our Lord, however, soon disconcerted their projects, by proving that, according to their own avowed practice, he had done nothing but what was truly lawful. Which of you, (said he) shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straitway pull him out on the sabbath-day? If a misfortune happens to one of your beasts, you make no scruple of assisting it on the sabbath, though the action may be attended with considerable labor: and surely I may relieve a descendant of Abraham, when nothing more is requisite than touching him with my hand. This argument was conclusive, it being so plain, that the most stupid could not avoid feeling its force, nor were the most malicious able to contradict it.

When the entertainment was nearly at hand, the guests appeared very anxious to obtain the uppermost places at the table; which being particularly observed by our Lord, he endeavored to convince them how commendable it was for a man to seat himself in a place below, rather than above, his rank and condition, because daily experience shewed, that humility was a virtue, which was so far from debasing, that it raised and exalted the person who practised it. "When thou art bidden (said he) of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room, lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him, and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place, and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room, that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself, shall

be abased; and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted."

Our Lord, having thus addressed the guests in general, next directed his discourse to the Master of the house in particular, whom he found to be totally regardless of the poor and needy. He gave him (and in him all others) the good advice of inviting the poor, the blind, the lame, who could not make any requital, rather than his own friends or rich acquaintance, who were able to return the compliment, to his entertainments, telling him that in so doing he might depend upon a recompence from God in the kingdom of heaven. "When thou makest a dinner or a supper, (said he) call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind. And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompence thee: for thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the just."

On hearing these last words one of the company called out, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. From hence our Lord took occasion to represent the different success of the Gospel, the rejection of it by the Jews, and the call of the Gentiles. This he delivered under the emblem of a feast, to which those that were invited, upon sundry pretences, refused to come, so that the master of the house was obliged to send out into the streets and lanes of the city, and into the highways, to collect a sufficient number of guests, being determined, that none of those, who were first invited, should taste of his supper.†

*It appears, from the parable which follows, that the kingdom of God here does not signify the kingdom of heaven in its most exalted sense, but only the kingdom of the Messiah, whereof this worldly-minded Jew here speaks according to the received sense of his nation, as of a glorious temporal kingdom, in which the Jews should lord it over the Gentile world, enjoy their wealth, and be provided with all those earthly blessings and delights in which they placed their felicity.

By this feast is represented the Gospel Dispensation, and the bounty and infinite love of God, are signified by the greatness of it, and the numbers invited. The first bidding implies all the previous

After our Lord had delivered this parable he departed from the Pharisee's house, and being followed by a prodigious concourse of people, he explained to them what they were to trust to if they intended to become his disciples. He told them that they must renounce even some of their most lawful affections, and prepare themselves to undergo the most unjust persecutions, if they thought of properly professing his religion; and therefore (that they might not fail in the day of trial) he advised them to consider well beforehand what such a profession would cost them: "For, as he who begins to build, and has not "money to accomplish it, leaves his work imperfect, and "himself becomes ridiculous; or as he that designs to go "to war, and has not men or money enough to go "through with it, had better never have engaged in it; so "he that undertakes to be a Christian, must resolve to re"nounce all that is precious, and to bear all that is "afflictive to him in this world, otherwise he will never "be able to hold out." Whosever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

Among the great multitudes that daily resorted to our Saviour to hear his discourses, were many Publicans and Sinners. This gave great offence to the Scribes and Pharisees, who murmured at his condescending goodness in so freely conversing with (what they called) such infamous people. But, to vindicate himself in this respect, he compared his conduct to that of a man, who, having

notices of the Messiah, by which the law and the prophets were intended to prepare the Jews for the reception of him and his doctrine. The second bidding, when all things were ready, seems to import all that Jesus did, and taught, and suffered for their conversion and salvation, and all the testimonies and exhortations of his apostles, and other preachers of the Gospel, to the same purpose. The excuses sent for their absence, are the prejudices and passions, and worldly interest, which not only hindered those Jews from coming into the faith, but likewise disposed them to treat all attempts to win them over with the utmost obstinacy and contempt. The guests brought in from abroad to supply their places are the Gentile world, to whom (after the Jews had thrust it from them) the subsequent tenders of this grace and salvation were made. And he declaring that none of those who were bidden should taste of this supper, denotes the giving those Jews over to their own perverseness, and leaving them under that infidelity in which they have ever since continued.