and lanes of the city, and bring | none of those men which were in hither the poor, and the bidden, shall taste of my supper. maimed, and the halt, and the 25 And there went great blind. multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say unto you, that 23. Hedges; paths made, by means of hedges, across vineyards and other cultivated places. || Compel; invite with the utmost urgency. 24. None of those men-shall eat of my supper. Thus the parable very strikingly showed the rejection of the Jews, and the bestowing of the Messiah's blessings on others. PRACTICAL APPLICATION. This parable is full of INTEREST TO US. 1. The blessings of the gospel are proposed to us - pardon and eternal life; and the claims of God on our love and obedience are forcibly urged. v. 16. 2. We are disposed to excuse ourselves from obeying the commands of God, and are, consequently, in danger of failing to obtain the blessings which he proposes. The excuses which men make are of a wholly unsatisfactory character, arising from the absence of love to God, from a preference of their own will to his authority, and from a preference of earthly enjoyments and cares to spiritual and everlasting blessings. These excuses often consist in a perversion of God's providential arrangements and mercies, and in an inordinate attachment to things which in themselves are lawful and even necessary. Hence the spirit that prompts us to make excuses in respect to the service of God, ought to be carefully watched and strenuously resisted. vs. 18-20. 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, cannot be my disciple. 3. If we persist in making excuses, we shall be inevitably shut out from heaven. v. 24. 4. If we are shut out from heaven, the goodness of God in providing so blessed a world for the eternal happiness of holy beings will not be useless; heaven will, notwithstanding, be abundantly furnished with holy be ings and recipients of the divine favor. v. 23. The loss will be wholly our own. And O how unspeakable the gain of those who, while on earth, wisely lay hold on eternal life! Can WE be contented, if we have reason to fear that we do not belong to that company? 26. Hate not his father, &c. This very strong expression is to be understood comparatively, as equivalent to the expression, love in a far less degree; that is, love his father, &c. far less than he loves me, or hate his father, &c. in comparison with the love he bears to me, regarding my claims as superior to the claims of all others, however dear to him those others may be. As a specimen of this comparative use of the word, see on Mark 3: 4. Compare, also, as to the meaning of the verse, Matt. 10: 37. 27. See Matt. 10: 38. Jesus plainly declared, that nothing must be allowed to come into competition with his claims on men's obedience; that his claims must be considered supreme; and that his disciples must 28 For which of you, intend-| sitteth not down first, and coning to build a tower, sitteth not sulteth whether be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty 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, and was not able to finish. 31 Or what king going to make war against another king, be willing, out of regard to him, to endure all sorts of trials; and to submit, instead of renouncing him, even to the most painful and shameful death. There were prevalent so many erroneous notions respecting the Messiah's designs, and such wrong expectations respecting dignity and bliss on earth, as connected with the Messiah's cause, that a clear statement of what Jesus required in his followers was greatly needed. He made this clear statement, so that every one who might propose to follow him should know on what to calculate, and might carefully examine beforehand whether he was willing to encounter what, in all probability, he would meet; lest, afterwards, he should regret having begun to follow the Messiah, and should bring on himself the condemnation and the shame which those would incur, who, through fear of danger and love of the present world, should renounce the Messiah's cause. 28-30. For which of you, &c. The importance of knowing the Messiah's claims thoroughly, of carefully examining one's disposition towards him, and of making an intelligent calculation in regard to the prospect before his followers, Jesus illustrated by what occurs in common life. When a prudent man is proposing to undertake an important matter, he looks at it thoroughly, reflects on his resources, and weighs the probabilities in regard to ultimate success. 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. Unless a man does this, he exposes himself to a failure and to the derision of all who may know him. The same wisdom which prompts a person to enter deliberately, and after due examination of his means, on any important measure, ought to prompt those, who propose to follow the Messiah, to an examination of his claims, and to a comparison of their hearts and purposes with those claims. || A tower. The original word sometimes means a costly edifice, such as would be furnished with a tower; an expensive mansion. 31. Or what king, &c. So a king, proposing hostilities with another king, would naturally take the matter into consideration, and calculate the chances of success, by comparing his own forces with those of the enemy. And if his own forces should be very inferior to those of his enemy, he would consider whether it would be at all likely, that, with his inferior forces, he could overcome the enemy and reduce him to terms. 32. Or else, &c. If the king, without this previous reflection and consultation, should rush into hostilities, he would expose himself to the mortification, after having himself begun the war, of suing for peace. 33. So likewise, &c. So if a person proposes to become a disciple of Jesus, he ought carefully to consider whether he has such an attachment to the Saviour, and such an estimate of the surpassing glory which will be 34 Salt is good: but if the hath salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that given to the Saviour's followers in another world, that he is willing to renounce every earthly good, even life itself, out of regard to Jesus and his cause. Forsaketh not all that he hath; is not willing to abandon every earthly good for my sake. A person who would renounce Christ rather than his temporal possessions cannot be a disciple of Christ. Obedience to Christ must be his controlling principle, to whatever difficulties such obedience shall lead. See on vs. 26, 27. Compare Mark 10:21. 34. If the salt have lost his savor, &c. Having shown the spirit which must characterize his followers, and the necessity of careful examination by the standard which he had proposed, Jesus further enforced his statements by an illustration drawn from salt, which had lost its saltness. See Matt. 5: 13. As such salt would be wholly valueless, so a man who, without the spirit which he had enjoined, should profess to be his follower, would be wholly valueless as to the great purposes for which Jesus had come. Cast it out; throw it away. hear. ears to hear, let him CHAPTER XV. THEN drew near unto him all the publicans and sin ners for to hear him. trust in the Lord; "for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.” CHAPTER XV. 1. Publicans and sinners. It would seem that many of the people to whom these epithets were given, had become deeply interested in our Saviour's teaching, and many, doubtless, had derived spiritual benefit from his instructions. See Matt. 21: 28-32. They had become truly penitent, and were seeking still further spiritual improvement. Jesus encouraged their attendance on his instructions, and was so frequently in their society, for the sake of instructing and reforming them, and for the sake of confirming in the truth those who were really penitent, that it became a matter of remark among the Pharisees. See Matt. 9: 10. The publicans were odious to the Pharisees and to the Jews in general, on account of their employment, and of the extortion which many of them practised. See INTRODUCTORY EXPLANATIONS, in the first volume, page xvii. Many of this class had become true penitents through the instructions of John the Baptist and of Jesus; and it was suitable that Jesus should continue to instruct such, and be frequently among them, as a promising portion of his hearers. But the Phar isees would not abandon their prejudices against them, and would doubtless dislike them still more in consequence of their becoming attached to Jesus. REFLECTION. A profession of religion is a very serious transaction. Much self-examination and prayer should precede it. Yet if you are conscious of loving the Saviour and his cause; if, so far as you can honestly judge, you prefer the Saviour's cause to every other interest, and out Those who are denominated sinof regard to that preference are will-ners were persons who were not ing to renounce earthly enjoyments careful to observe the outward reand ease you ought not to be deterred ligious forms of the strict Jews. Maby a sense of your weakness. "He ny of them were doubtless known to gives power" to them who feel that be vicious. Among these, also, Jesus they have no might." Your very found some fruits of his labors and of sense of weakness will prove your the labors of John the Baptist. They strongest security, if it leads you to looked to Jesus as their teacher and 2 And the Pharisees and | and nine in the wilderness, and scribes murmured, saying, This go after that which is lost, until man receiveth sinners, and eat- he find it? eth with them. 3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 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 neighbors, saying unto them, success, and should associate with those who had excited so painful an interest in his bosom, and for whom his solicitude had been availing. It was natural, even, that he should feel more joy in contemplating these recently reclaimed wanderers than in contemplating multitudes of holy beings that had never departed from God, and that were never exposed to such danger. 4-6. What man of you, &c. Just as a shepherd, observing that one of his sheep had wandered away, would 4 What man of you having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety guide, and Jesus gladly imparted to them additional instruction. But their having become truly pious, and their having become attached to Jesus, would not induce the Pharisees to cease regarding them as irreligious; for even Jesus himself they could stigmatize as a glutton and a wine-drinker. See Matt. 11: 19. However reformed, then, persons belonging to these classes might become through the instructions of Jesus, the odious appellation of publicans and sinners would still be given them. 2. The Pharisees and scribes mur-bend all his energies to the reclaimmured. They made it an objection against Jesus, that he would condescend to be on so familiar terms with such persons; as though such conduct detracted from the dignity of a religious teacher, and was a just cause of suspicion as to the moral purity of his character. The Pharisees cared little about the low and the degraded; they thought rather about the dignity and emolument which pertained to the office of a religious teacher. The views of Jesus were entirely different; and he stated it as one of the deciding evidences of his being the Messiah, that "the poor had the gospel preached to them." See Matt. 11:5. 3. He spake this parable. In order to meet this cavil of the Pharisees, and to vindicate himself for associating with those whom they contemptuously styled sinners, Jesus brought to view, in a parable, the reasons for his conduct. It was the express purpose of his coming, to reclaim the guilty who were wandering from holiness and happiness; and having succeeded in reclaiming some, it was natural that he should rejoice in his 8 VOL. II. ing of that one sheep, neglecting, for a time, the flock which was in safety, leaving them in the pasture. And should his anxious seeking for the one wanderer prove successful, with what interest would he take it up, torn and emaciated, and bring it back to the fold' And who would think it strange if, in the fulness of his joy at having recovered the hapless wanderer, he should speak of the circumstance to his neighbors, and manifest more pleasure in contemplating and still taking care of that sheep, than he would show for the whole flock which had not been exposed to danger? Now, the principle which would lead such a shepherd to rejoice, would also lead Jesus to look with peculiar interest on sinners who had been reclaimed, and who still needed and desired his watchful care. || Wilderness; equivalent to the word pasture. See on Matt. 3:1. || Layeth it on his shoulders. The sheep may be regarded as having suffered injury, and as requiring great tenderness of treatment. The strong affection of Oriental shepherds for their sheep well Rejoice with me; for I have 9 And when she hath found found my sheep which was lost. it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had 7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just per- lost. sons which need no repentance. 10 Likewise, I say unto you, 8 Either what woman hav-There is joy in the presence of ing ten pieces of silver, if she the angels of God over one sinlose one piece, doth not light a ner that repenteth. candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? justifies this particular in the description. 11 And he said, A certain man had two sons: she not show more joy at having found the one piece than she would 7. Just persons, who need no re-in reference to all which she had not pentance. The word beings would lost? And who would think of findexhibit the Saviour's thought more ing fault with her for experiencing clearly than the word persons. He so much pleasure in having found the did not mean to represent any per- one piece of money? Rather, would sons on earth as not needing re- not her friends rejoice with her, and pentance (see on Matt. 9: 13); but express to her their congratulations? his idea was, that one sinner who And why, then, should not Jesus feel has become a true penitent is an ob- a deep interest in reclaimed sinners? ject of more absorbing interest in Why should the Pharisees find fault heaven than multitudes of holy beings with him? Had their hearts been would be, who had never been exposed right, and had they felt such a symto eternal death. And if such feel-pathy for the people as religious ings in respect to penitent sinners exist in heaven, surely the holy and benevolent breast of Jesus would swell with emotion in contemplating those whom he had reclaimed; and it was, in the Pharisees, an entire oversight of the Messiah's design, and of the spontaneous feelings of a holy heart, that induced them to find fault with Jesus. Even if those Pharisees had really been as righteous as they professed to be, and had not needed repentance, it would be natural that Jesus should rejoice more over those whom all acknowledged to be sinners, than over them. teachers and guides ought to feel, they would have rejoiced with him in so desirable a result of his efforts. But since the Pharisees found fault with Jesus on account of his interest in these reclaimed sinners, they betrayed the absence of all those feelings which the occasion demanded. Light a candle. This circumstance indicates a careful, earnest search, a searching in every dark corner. The houses of the poor were not well lighted from without; so that, even in day-time, a lamp or torch would be needed in order to make a thorough search. 11. In order to show very distinctly, and to rebuke, the utterly unjustifiable spirit which the Pharisees and scribes had manifested, he added another parable. Here, an undutiful son is pictured to us, who, after sinking to an exceedingly low depth of degradation, became penitent, and returned to his father. The father, perceiving satisfactory evi |