Work he will furnish them with Endowments answerable to their vast Employment And the best Furniture they can have is the Holy Spirit in his Gifts and Qualifications suitable to their Work He breathed on them and said Receive ye the Holy Ghost Observe 4. How Christ asserts their Authority in the discharge of their Commission and declares that what they act Ministerially according to their Commission here on Earth is ratified in Heaven Whose Sins ye remit they are remitted Where Note That there is a twofold Power of remitting or forgiving Sins the one Magisterial and Authoritative this belongs to Christ alone The other Ministerial and Declarative this belongs to Christ's Ambassadors who have a Power in his Name to bind and loose It is a pious Note of St. Austin upon this Place That Christ first conferr'd the Holy Ghost upon his Apostles and then said Whose Sins ye remit they are remitted Thereby intimating that it is not they but the Holy Ghost by them that puts away Sin For who can forgive Sin but God only The Power of forgiving Sin that Man hath is only to declare That if Men be truly and really Penitent their Sins are forgiven them for the sake of Christ's satisfaction 24 ¶ But Thomas one of the twelve called Didymus was not with them when Jesus came 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and thrust my hand into his side I will not believe What the cause of Thomas his absence was is not declared it is evident that he was not with the rest of the Disciples when Christ appeared to them and his absence had like to have cost him dear even the loss of his Faith and he might have had cause for ever to have bewailed his absence from that Meeting of the Disciples had not Christ been more merciful Learn thence That the letting slip of one holy Opportunity may prove exceedingly prejudicial to the Souls Advantage It is wise and safe to lay hold upon every Opportunity for injoying Communion with God and Fellowship with his Saints Thomas his absence deprived him not only of the good News which Mary brought of Christ's being risen but also of the sight of him which the other Disciples got by assembling together and for want thereof Thomas is left under many Doubts and Fears Observe farther What a strange Declaration Thomas makes of his obstinate Unbelief Except I see the print of the nails and put my finger into his side I will not believe Where Note How strangely rooted Unbelief is in the Hearts of holy Men insomuch that they desire the Objects of Faith should fall under the view of their Senses Thomas carries his Faith at his Fingers ends he will believe no more than he can see or feel whereas Faith is the Evidence of things not seen 26 ¶ And after eight days again his disciples were within and Thomas with them then came Jesus the doors being shut and stood in the midst and said Peace be unto you 27 Then saith he to Thomas Reach hither thy finger and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but believing Observe here First Our Saviour's appearing again to his Disciples after his Resurrection it was eight days after he first arose which was the first day of the Week Here Note That Christ's rising the first day of the Week and appearing on the next First-day of the Week after to the Disciples and they observing that Day for their solemn Assemblies and St. Paul administring on that Day the Lord's Supper Acts 20. and commanding on that Day Collections for the Poor 1 Cor. 16. and St. John calling it the lord's-Lord's-Day Rev. 1.10 From these Authorities and the Primitive Practice we derive our Christian Sabbath For we do not find in all the Scripture one Instance of any one Congregation of Christians only assembling upon the Jewish Sabbath but on the First Day of the Week on which we ground our Observation of that Day Observe 2. The wonderful Condescension of Christ to the weakness of Thomas his Faith he bids him reach forth his hand and thrust it into his side Not that Christ was pleased with but only pitiful towards Thomas his Infirmities and it ought to be no encouragement to any Person to follow his Example in seeking or expecting the like Signs of their own prescribing for helping of their Faith Observe 3. How mercifully Christ over-ruled Thomas his Unbelief for the Confirmation of our Faith His Doubting proved a means for establishing his own and our Faith Therefore says Gregory well Plus mihi profuit dubitatio Thomae quam credulitas Mariae Had not Thomas doubted we had not been so fully assured that it was the same Christ that was crucified who rose again 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him My Lord and my God These Words may be considered two ways 1. As an abrupt Speech importing a vehement Admiration of Christ's Mercy towards him and of his own Stupidity and Dulness to believe Learn hence That the convincing Condescension of Christ turns Unbelief into a Rapture of holy Admiration and humble Adoration 2. This Expression of Thomas My Lord and my God contains a short but absolute Confession of Faith Thomas rightly collects from his Resurrection that he was Lord God blessed for evermore the true Messias the expected Redeemer and accordingly with an explicite Faith he now professes his Interest in him saying My Lord and my God 29 Jesus saith unto him Thomas because thou hast seen me thou hast believed blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed Here we have Christ's Reprehension of Thomas for not believing without such sensible Evidence as he desired He believed now that Christ was risen from the Dead but it was upon the Testimony of his Senses only Therefore Christ tells him that his Faith would have been more excellent and more eminently rewardable if he had believed without such demonstrative Evidence Faith is the Evidence of things not seen Therefore to give Credit to a thing upon the Evidence of Sense is not properly believing Observe farther How Christ pronounces them Blessed who should hereafter believe on him through the preaching of the Gospel though they did not see him as Thomas did nor handle him as he might This is a sure Rule that by how much our Faith stands in less need of the external Evidence of Sense the stronger our Faith is and the more acceptable it is provided what we believe be revealed in the Word of God Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed 30 ¶ And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book 31 But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the
that I was not there to the intent ye may believe nevertheless let us go unto him 16 Then said Thomas which is called Didymus unto his fellow-disciples Let us also go that we may die with him Observe here 1. How desirous the Disciples were that Christ should not go to Bethany where Lazarus was Bethany being within two Miles of Jerusalem where the seat of our Saviour's Enemies was But our Lord knowing his Call to be clear Resolves to go Nevertheless says Christ let us go unto him Oh Love stronger than Death the Grave cannot separate betwixt Christ and his Friends other Friends accompany us to the brink of the Grave and there they leave us to Worms and Dust for Death hath both horror and noysomness to attend it But for thee O Saviour the Grave-stone the Earth the Coffin are no Bounders of thy Dear Respects Blessed be God that neither Life nor Death can separate from the Love of Christ but even after Death and Burial he is graciously affected to those he loves Christ has a Gracious Regard to the Dust of his Saints tho' his holy ones see Corruption they shall not always lye under the power of Corruption their dead Bodies are a part of the undoubted Members of Christ's Mystical Body Blessed be God the time is coming when Christ will knock at the door of his Childrens Graves and call them up out of their Bed of Dust and they shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and Live Observe 2. The Wise and Holy design of Christ in delaying to go to Bethany till Lazarus was Dead Namely That he might at once Raise Lazarus his Dead Body and his Disciples Faith confirming them in the Belief that he was the Son of God and the true Messias But could the Faith of the Apostles want confirmation who had seen so many Miracles wrought by our Saviour and had lived under his Ministry all the time of it Yes the Faith of the most Eminent Saints even of Apostles themselves wants Confirmation in this state of Weakness and Imperfection and is capable of Growth I am glad for your sakes that I was not there to the intent ye may Believe Observe 3. The great Passion which Thomas expresses upon the notice given by Christ of Lazarus his Death Plainly Lazarus is Dead says Christ Let us go and die with him says Thomas Oh what passionate and impatient Expressions do sometimes drop from our Mouths on the occasion of the Death of our dear Relations We are ready to be so affected with the Death of our Friends as to wish our selves out of the World that we might be with them But we must remember that it is God that appoints us our several Posts and particular Stations which we must keep till the Wisdom of God sees fit to remove us 17 Then when Jesus came he found that he had lien in the grave four days already 18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem about fifteen furlongs off 19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother 20 Then Martha assoon as she heard that Jesus was coming went and met him but Mary sat still in the house 21 Then said Martha unto Jesus Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died 22 But I know that even now whatsoever thou wilt ask of God God will give it thee Observe here 1. The length of time which Christ designedly delayed before he would come to Lazarus his Grave he was not above six Miles off Bethany being within two Miles of Jerusalem and Jerusalem within four Miles of Bethabara where Christ now was and yet our Saviour comes not of four Days doubtless that the Miracle of Lazarus's Resurrection might be the more Conspicuous and remarkable Christ could as easily have cured Lazarus's being sick as have raised him being dead and as easily have raised him the first day as the fourth day but that had not carried along with it such a full conviction of Christ's Almighty Power Therefore that he might draw the eyes of their Faith more steadfastly to behold and admire his Almighty Power our Saviour defers his coming till Lazarus had been dead four Days Observe 2. The civil usage of mourning with those that mourn for the Dead Anciently they mourned Thirty Days and sometimes forty for a dear Relation Numb 20 29. During which time Neighbours and Friends came to visit and Relieve them in their sadness with such consolatory Arguments as they had Christian Religion doth not condemn natural Affection humane passions are not sinful if not excessive to be above the stroke of passions is a condition equal to Angels to be in a state of sorrow without the Sense of sorrow is a disposition beneath the Beasts but duly to regulate our sorrows and set Boundaries to our grief is the Wisdom the Duty the Interest and the Excellency of a Christian As to be above all passions will be our happiness in Heaven so to regulate and rectifie our passions is a great part of our holiness on Earth Observe 3. Although Martha was a â—rue mourner for the Death of her Brother yet she doth not so far indulge to grief but upon the first notice of Christ's approach she arises and goes forth to meet him with a mournful moan in her mouth Lord if thou hadst been here my Brother had not died Where Observe How Faith and Infirmity were mixt together Faith appeared in that him perswasion which she had of Christ's Power as if Death durst not shew its face in Christ's presence hadst thou been here my Brother had not died But then her Infirmity appeared in limiting Christ both to Time and Place to Place if thou hadst been here As if Christ could not if it had pleased him save his Life absent as well as present then to time Now he stinketh as if she had said you are come but alas too late you have stayed too long he is past Recovery the Grave has swallowed him up as if Death would not deliver up its Prisoner at the command of Christ Oh the Imperfect Composition of the Best of Saints what a mixture of Faith and Infirmity is found in the Holiest and Best of Christians This also farther appears in her next words ver 22. I know that whatsoever thou shalt ask of God he will give it thee She seems not to Believe that Christ was able to raise him by his own immediate Power but must obtain Power of God to do it as the Prophets were wont to do that raised the Dead She thought Christ a person highly in God's favour but scarce believed him able to raise Lazarus by his own Power had her Faith extended to a Belief that Christ was equal with the Father and that the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him she would not have questioned his Power to raise him from the Grave for tho' Christ as Mediatour did apply himself by Prayer to God at the raising of Dead
Works of the Law only must keep the whole Law or Covenant of Works perfectly and exactly Learn 2. That the best way to prâ—pare Men for Jesus Christ is to let them see their own Impotency to keep and fulfil the Covenant of Works 18 He saith unto him Which Jesus said Thou shalt do no murder Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness 19 Honour thy father and thy mother and Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self 20 The young man saith unto him All these things have I kept from my youth up what lack I yet Observe here That the Duties our Saviour instances in are the Duties of the second Table which Hypocrites are most failing in but the sincere Practice of our Duty to our Neighbour is a singular Evidence of our Love to God These Duties of the second Table the young Man says he had kept from his Youth and perhaps might say it truly according to the Pharisees Interpretation which condemned only the gross outward Act not the inward Lust and Motion of the Heart Learn hence How apt Men are to think well of themselves and to have too high an Opinion of their own Goodness and Righteousness before God All these have I kept from my Youth 21 Jesus said unto him If thou wilt be perfect go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come and follow me That is Thou that hast been all thy Days a Pharisee if now thou wilt be a Christian thou must maintain a Readiness and Disposition of Mind to part with all that thou hast in this World at my Call and at my Command and follow after me Learn That such as enter themselves Disciples of Christ must be ready at Christ's Call to part with all for Christ's sake that they have in this World 2. All that profess themselves to be Christ's Disciples must be his Followers that is They must obey his Doctrine and imitate his Example his Holiness his Humility his Heavenly mindedness his Patience and Meekness his Readiness to forgive Injuries and the same Mind must be in us which was in Christ Jesus 22 But when the young man heard that saying he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions This parting with all for Christ seemed so hard a Condition to the young Man that he went away sorrowful from Christ Whence Learn 1. That a Man wedded to the World will renounce Christ rather than the World when both stand in Competition 2. That Unregenerate and Carnal Men are exceeding sorrowful and sadly concern'd when they cannot have Heaven upon their own Terms and win it in their own way The young Man went away sorrowful 23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples Verily I say unto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven Our Blessed Saviour takes occasion from what had past to discourse with his Disciples concerning the Danger of Riches and the Difficulty that attends rich Men in their way to Salvation A rich Man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of God Whence Note 1. That rich Men do certainly meet with more Difficulties in their Way to Heaven than other Men 'T is difficult to withdraw their Affections from Riches to place their Supreme Love upon God in the midst of their Abundance 'T is difficult to depend upon God in a rich Condition The Poor committeth himself to God but a Rich Man's Wealth is his strong Tower 2. That yet the Fault lyes not in Riches but in Rich Men who by placing their Trust and putting their Confidence in Riches do render themselves uncapable of the Kingdom of God 24 And again I say unto you It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God These Words were a Proverbial Speech among the Jews to signifie a thing of great Difficulty next to an Impossibility And they import thus much that it is not only a very great Difficulty but an Impossibility for such as abound in Worldly Wealth to be saved without an extraordinary Grace and Assistance from God 'T is hard for God to make a Rich Man happy because he thinks himself happy without God 25 When his disciples heard it they were exceedingly amazed saying Who then can be saved The Disciples understanding how naturally and strongly Men love the World and how Idolatrously and Inordinately their Hearts run out upon it they say unto Christ Lord who can be saved Learn 1. That when the general Difficulties which lye in the Way of Salvation are laid forth and sufficiently understood we may justly wonder that any are or shall be saved 2. That such are the special and peculiar Difficulties in the rich Man's Way to Heaven that his Salvation is Matter of Wonder and great Admiration to the Disciples of Christ When the Disciples heard this they were exceedingly amazed saying Who then can be saved 26 But Jesus beheld them and said unto them With men this is unpossible but with God all things are possible As if Christ had said Were all Men left to themselves no Man either Poor or Rich would be saved but God can bring Men to Heaven by the mighty Power of his Grace he can make the Rich in Estate Poor in Spirit and them that are Poor in this World Rich in Grace Learn 1. That it is impossible for any Man Rich or Poor by his own natural Strength to get to Heaven 2. That when we are discouraged with the Sense of our own Impotency we should consider the Power of God and act our Faith upon it With God all things are possible 27 Then answered Peter and said unto him Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee what shall we have therefore 28 And Jesus said unto them Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel The Apostles having heard our Saviour's Command to the young Man to sell all and give to the Poor St. Peter in the Name of the rest tells Christ that they had left all and followed him Behold we have forsaken all Where Note how Peter magnifies that little which he had left for Christ and ushers it in with a Note of Observation and Admiration also Behold we have forsaken all what shall we have then Learn thence That altho' it be very little that we suffer for Christ and less that we have to forsake upon his Account yet we are apt to magnifie and extol it as if it were some great matter Lord we have left all What all His tatter'd Fisher-Boat and his ragged Nets a great all next to nothing at all scarce worthy to be mentioned Yet how is it magnified Behold Lord we have left all But observe our Lord 's
kind and gracious Answer You that have left all to follow me shall be no Losers by me For in the Regeneration that is at the Resurrection when Believers shall be perfectly renewed both in Soul and Body and shall enjoy my Kingdom then as I sit upon the Throne of my Glory so shall you sit with me in an higher Degree of Dignity and Honour Judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel that is the Jews first for their Unbelief and then all other Despisers of Gospel-Grace and Mercy Learn 1. That such Ministers as do most Service for Christ and forsake most to follow him shall in his Kingdom partake of most Honour and Dignity with him and from him 2. That as the Ministers of Christ in general so his Twelve Apostles in particular shall set nearer the Throne of Christ and have an higher place in Glory at the great Day than ordinary Believers 29 And every one that hath forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my Names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life The foregoing Promise v. 28. respected the Apostles this all Christians who forsake their dearest Enjoyments for Christ He assures them they shall be recompensed in this Life an Hundred fold How Non formaliter sed eminenter Not in Specie but in Valore not in Kind but in Equivalency Not an Hundred Brethren or Sisters or Lands but first he shall have that in God which all Creatures would be to him if they were multiplied an Hundred times 2dly The Gifts and Graces the Comforts and Consolations of the Holy Spirit shall be an Hundred-fold better Portion than any thing we can part with for the sake of Christ and his Gospel here Learn hence That tho' we may be Losers for Christ yet shall we never be Loosers by him 30 But many that are first shall be last and the last shall be first A twofold Sense and Interpretation is given of these Words The First respects the Jews and Gentiles in general the Second all Professors of Christianity in particular The Jews as if Christ had said Look upon themselves as first and nearest to the Kingdom of Heaven but for their Infidelity they shall be last in it That is shall never come there And the Gentiles who are look'd upon as Dogs and farthest from Heaven shall be first there upon their Conversion to me and Faith in me As the Words respect all Professors the Sense is Many that are first in their own Esteem and in the Opinion of others and forward in a Profession of Religion yet at the Day of Judgment they will be last and least in mine and my Father's Estimation and Account And many that were little in their own and less in the Esteem of others who had a less Name and Vogue in the World shall yet be first and highest in my Favour Learn hence That the Day of Judgment will frustrate a great many Persons Expectations both as touching others and concerning themselves Many will miss of Heaven and be last which look'd upon themselves to be first And many will find others in Heaven whom they least expected there The Lord judgeth not as Man judgeth We judge of Men by outward Appearances but we are sure that the Judgment of God is according to Truth He can neither be deceived nor yet deceive CHAP. XX. 1 FOR the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an housholder which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day he sent them into his vineyard 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market-place 4 And said unto them Go ye also into the vineyard and whatsoever is right I will give you And they went their way 5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour and did likewise 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle and saith unto them Why stand ye here all the day idle 7 They say unto him Because no man hath hired us He saith unto them Go ye also into the vineyard and whatsoever is right that shall ye receive A twofold Sence and Interpretation is given of this Parable The one Literal the other Analogical The Historical and Literal Sence relates to the calling of the Gentiles The Jews were the first People that God had in the World they were hired into the Vineyard betimes in the Morning the Gentiles not till the Day was far spent yet shall the Gentiles by the Favour and Bounty of God receive the same Reward of Eternal Life which was promised to the Jews who bare the Heat of the Day while the Gentiles stood idle In the Analogical Sence we may understand all Persons indefinitely called by the Gospel into the visible Church those that are called last shall be rewarded together with the first and accordingly the Design and Scope of this Parable is to shew the Freeness of Divine Grace in the Distribution of those Rewards which the Hand of Mercy conferrs upon God's faithful Servants The Vineyard is the Church of God the Husbandman is God himself the Labourers are particular Persons God's going at divers times into his Vineyard imports the several Ages of Man's Life some are called early in the Morning some at Noon others at Night Now when God comes to dispence his Rewards those that entered first into the Vineyard and did most Service for God shall be plentifully rewarded by him and such as came in later but did faithful Service shall not miss of a merciful Reward Learn 1. That so long as a Person keeps out of Christ's Vineyard and Service he is Idle Every unregenerate Man is an idle Man 2. That Persons are called by the preaching of the Gospel at several Ages and Periods of Life into God's Vineyard that is into the Communion of the visible Church 3. That such as do come in tho' late into God's Vineyard and work diligently and faithfully shall not miss of a Reward of Grace at the Hand of free Mercy 8 So when even was come the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward Call the labourers and give them their hire beginning from the last unto the first 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour they received every man a penny 10 But when the first came they supposed that they should have received more and they likewise received every man a penny 11 And when they had received it they murmured against the good man of the house 12 Saying These last have wrought but one hour and thou hast made them equal unto us which have born the burden and heat of the day 13 But he answered one of them and said Friend I do thee no wrong didst thou not agree with me for a penny 14 Take that thine is and go thy way I will give
us to bear Reproach and direct us to give Reproof he that is silent cannot be innocent Reprove we must or we cannot be faithful but prudently or we cannot be successful 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart My lord delayeth his coming 49 And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants and to eat and drink with the drunken 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an hour that he is not aware of 51 And shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the hypocries there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Our Lord in these Verses describes an unfaithful and negligent Steward and denounces the dreadful Sentence of Wrath hanging over him he is described 1. By the Character of Infidelity he believeth not Christ's coming to Judgment tho' he preaches it to others he saith in his Heart My Lord delayeth his coming 2. He is described by his Hatred Envy and Malignity against his Fellow-servants that were more painful and faithful than himself He begins to smite at least with the Virulence of his Tongue if not with the Violence of his Hand 3. By his associating with the wicked and strengthening their Hands by his ill Example He eateth and drinketh with the Drunken That is as their Associate and Fellow-Companion Thus the unfaithful Servant is described next his Judgment and Sentence is declared Obs 2. The tremendous Judgment that shall come upon unfaithful Stewards 1. Christ will surprize them in their Sin and Security by coming in an Hour when they look'd not for him 2. He will execute Temporal Vengeance upon them He will cut them asunder or hew them in pieces as the Jews did their Sacrifices That is separate his Soul from his Body by untimely Death Hence some Observe That God seldom suffers slothful sensual wicked and debauch'd Ministers to live out half their Days 3. Christ will punish them with Eternal Destruction also Appointing them their Portion with Hypocrites That is with the worst of Sinners they shall have a double Damnation As the Hypocrite has a double Heart a double Tongue and is a double Sinner so shall he undergo a double Damnation Learn hence That such Ministers as neglect the Service of God and the Souls of their People as they are ranked amongst the worst sort of Sinners in this Life so shall they be punished with them in the severest manner in the next When Satan destroys the Souls of Men he shall answer for it as a Murtherer only not as an Officer that was intrusted with the Care of Souls But if the Steward doth not provide if the Shepherd doth not feed if the Watchman doth not warn they shall answer not only for the Souls that have miscarried but for an Office neglected for a Talent hidden and for a Stewardship unfaithfully administred Wo unto us if at the great Day we hear distressed Souls roaring out their Complaints and howling forth that doleful Accusation against us Lord Our Stewards have defrauded us our Watchmen have betrayed us our Guides have misled us CHAP. XXV Our blessed Saviour in the Close of the foregoing Chapter had exhorted all Christians to the great Duty of Watchfulness and to be in a Posture of Readiness against his coming Which Duty he is pleased to inculcate again in this Chapter and accordingly he urges the Necessity of it from two eminent Parables the former Of the Ten Virgins v. 1. and the latter Of a Man travelling into a far Country v. 14. 1 THen shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom 2 And five of them were wise and five were foolish By the Kingdom of Heaven here is meant the State of the visible Church here on Earth it cannot be understood of the Kingdom of Glory for there are no foolish Virgins in that Kingdom nor yet of the invisible Kingdom of Grace for therein are no foolish Virgins neither But in the visible Church here on Earth there ever has been a Mixture of wise and unwise of Saints and Hypocrites Five of these Virgins were wise and five were foolish Where Observe our Lord 's great Charity in supposing and hoping that amongst the Professors of the Gospel the number of sincere Christians is equal with Hypocritical Professors Five were wise and Five foolish Teaching us that we should not confine the Church of Christ within a narrow Compass nor confine our Charity to a few and think none shall go to Heaven but those of our own Party and Perswasion but to extend our Charity to all Christians that hold the Foundation with us and to hope well of them Lord let me rather err on the charitable Hand than be found on the censorious and damning side this is to imitate my Saviour whose Charity supposed as many wise as foolish Virgins as many Saints as Hypocrites in the Church All these Virgins are said to take their Lamps and go forth to meet the Bridegroom For understanding which we must know that our Saviour alludes to the ancient Custom of Marriages which were celebrated in the Night when usually Ten young Men attended the Bridegroom and as many Virgins attended the Bride with Lamps in their Hands the Bridegroom leading home his Bride by the Light of those Lamps By these Virgins are shadowed forth the Professors of Christianity The foolish Virgins are such as satisfie themselves with a bare Profession without bringing forth Fruits answerable thereunto The wise Virgins are such as walk'd answerable to their Profession persevered and continued stedfast therein and abounded in the Graces and Virtues of a good Life They are called Virgins for the Purity of their Faith for the Purity of their Worship and for the Purity of their Conversations 3 They that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps By the Lamps are meant an outward Profession of Faith and Holiness By Oil in their Lamps is to be understood that solemn Profession of Repentance and Faith which all Christians make in Baptism By Oil in the Vessels is meant the Sanctifying and Saving Graces of the Holy Spirit the Growth and Improvement of them with Constancy and Perseverance in them Observe here wherein the wise and foolish Virgins agreed and wherein they differed They agreed thus far that both took their Lamps both lighted them they both had Oil in their Lamps the difference was not that the wise had Oil and the foolish had none but in this that the wise took care for a future Supply of Oil to feed their Lamp When the first Oil was spent some Professors like foolish Virgins content themselves with a blazing Lamp of an outward Profession without concerning themselves to secure an inward Principle of Grace and Love which should maintain that Profession as the Oil maintains the Lamp As the Lamp will
All-sufficient Good and man an indigent helpless dependent Creature full of Wants and obnoxious to Dangers 2. That Prayer is not only an inestimable Priviledge but an indispensable Duty So sollicitous is God for our Welfare and Happiness that he makes our Priviledge our Duty by the Authority of his Command so that we are at once ungrateful to God and unjust to our selves in the most exalted Degree if we do not pray unto him and spread our Wants before him Observe 3. That this Duty of Prayer is not an Occasional but a constant Duty Men ought always to pray that is 1. at all seasonable times and fit opportunities we are said to do a thing continually when we do it Seasonably now the Seasons for Prayer are Morning and Evening As the Morning and Evening Sacrifice was constant among the Jews and the Fire was always upon the Altar and never went out so he that prays Morning and Evening may be said to be instant in prayer and to pray without ceasing 2. Always to pray is an endeavour always to keep the Heart in a praying Frame and to be very frequent in offering up pious Ejaculations and short mental Prayers to God as occasion shall offer when in the Field in the Shop in the Bed when Sleep departs in the Journey when alone this may be done advantagiously without loss of Time and Acceptably without danger of Hypocrisy which too often mingles it self with our more set Prayers Observe 4. We must not only pray constantly but pray fervently yea importunately if we would pray successfully we must cry to God as the Widow to the Judge vehemency and importunity are both helps and ornaments to Prayer they both Fortify and Beautify our Prayers they pierce the Heavens and offer an Holy Violence to God Oratio vincit invincibilem ligat Omnipotentem haec Deo Grata est says Tertullian God delights in such Importunity 8 Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh shall he find Faith on the Earth If by the Son of Man's Coming we understand Christ's Coming in Judgment against Jerusalem then the sense is this That when he comes to take Vengeance on the obstinate Jews and to destroy their City he shall find but little Faith and patient waiting for help from God in the Land of Judea and consequently little Importuning him with incessant Cries and Supplications as this poor widow did the unjust Judge Secondly if by the Son of Man's Coming we understand Christ's Coming to Judge the World at the Last Day then the sense is when he Cometh he will find but few Faithful ones comparatively speaking he will find but few sincere and serious Christians in whom the genuine effects and fruits of Faith are found Learn That when Christ shall come to Judgment he will find comparatively very few whose Hearts have not fainted and very many who thro' the power that Temptation has upon the Frailty of humane Nature are fallen away When the Son of Man cometh will he find Faith on the Earth verily but little Faith and few Faithful ones 9 And he spake this Parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were Righteous and despised others 10 Two men went up into the Temple to pray the one a Pharisee the other a Publican 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself God I thank thee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican 12 I fast twice in the week I give Alms of all that I possess 13 And the Publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto Heaven but smote upon his Breast saying God be merciful to me a sinner 14 I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather then the other for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted The Design and Scope of our Saviour in this Parable is to reprove and condemn the Pharisees and in them all other Self-Justiciaries who having an high Opinion of and trusting in their own Righteousness despised others as vile Persons whose Religion is not accompanied with Ostentation and who pretend not to such extraordinary degrees of Sanctity as themselves And the Parable further shews That an humble Self-Condemned Sinner who tho' he has been wicked is now sensible of it and with shame and sorrow confesses it before God shall be sooner pardoned and find Favour with God than he that vaunts of his Vertue and rests in the outward Duties of Religion his pride and exaltation of himself shall abase him while the others Humility shall exalt him This is the general Scope of the Parable the particular Observations from it are these 1. The Pharisee and the Publican both Pray they both pray together they both pray together in the place of Prayer the Holy Temple and they both Pray Apud se with and within themselves where the Duty and Action is the same there may be vast difference in the purpose and intention doth an humble Saint pray so may an haughty Hypocrite Two men went up into the Temple to pray the one a Pharisee the other a Publican Observe 2. The Pharisees Prayer He stood and prayed with himself God I thank c. Where Note his Gesture He stood and prayed standing and kneeling are Praying Gestures but sitting is a rude Indecency except in Cases of Necessity In Prayer says pious Bishop Hall I will either stand as a Servant to my Master or Kneel as a Subject to my Prince Note farther It is said he prayed but here is not one Petition but Thanksgiving God I thank thee c. Whence Learn That Thanksgiving is a part of Prayer Hannah's Prayer as it is called 1 Sam. 2. is a Canticle or Song of Praise we then Pray best when we praise God most Again See the Pharisees Pride in this his Prayer This proud Begger shews not his Wounds but his worth not his Rags but his Robes not his Misery but his Bravery yea he brings God Almighty in a Reckoning of his Services I fast twice a Week I give Alms of all that I possess and thanks God more that others were bad than that himself was good had the Pharisee with an humble Mind thanked God for his restraining Grace that tho' he were not so good as he should be that yet he was not so vile and bad as some others this had been no fault but when he comes before God with a proud and scornful Mind inwardly pleased that others were so bad and so much worse than himself giving Thanks rather for others Badness than his own Goodness This is a wickedness incident to none but Divellish Dispositions Learn hence That whatever shews of Goodness an Hypocrite may make yet he is inwardly glad and takes a secret Delight in others Badness God I thank thee that I am not as this Publican which was a kind of Triumph and proud insultation over the poor Publican he would