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51.

104 Sect. 110. Martyrs, which has been cruelly fhed from the Foundation of the World, may seem to be required Luke XI. of this Generation; Even from the Blood of Abel, who in thofe early Ages for his diftinguished Piety was murthered by his inhuman Brother, to the Blood of Zechariah (k), one of the laft of the Prophets, who was flain between the Altar and the Temple (2 Chron. xxiv. 20,—22.) Yea, in the strongest Terms I tell you, and repeat it again, The Ruin GOD will bring upon you in his righteous Judgment fhall be fo dreadful, that the Guilt of all their Blood fhall feem to have been laid up in Store, that it might be required at the Hands of this Generation, and heap aggravated Ruin on their Heads. (Compare Mat. xxiii. 34,-36. Sect. 158.)

The Blood of all the Prophets fhall be required of them.

52

53

And I will add, that the Disguises thrown on Scripture, and the Methods ufed to conceal it from the People, have done a great deal to bring on this terrible Sentence: Woe therefore unto you Interpreters of the Law, on this Account; for by thefe unrighteous Practices you have, as it were, taken away the Key of Divine Knowledge (1); and inftead of tracing out a Spiritual Meffiah in Scripture, and illustrating the Testimony which the Sacred Oracles bear to him, you have rather abetted the popular Prejudices against him ; and have been fo perverfe and obftinate in your Oppofition to the Gospel, as that you have not entered in to the Kingdom of Heaven yourselves, and even thofe that otherwife were difpofed to do it, and would have entered in, you have hindered.

from the Foundation of the World, may be required of

this Generation;

51 From the Blood of

Abel unto the Blood of Zacharias, which perifhed beTemple: verily I fay unto you, it fhall be required of this Generation.

tween the Altar and the

52 Wo unto you Lawyers: for ye have taken away the Key of Knowledge: ye entred not in yourselves, and them that were entring in, ye hindered.

53 And as he faid thele

But while he spake these fevere and awful Things to them, the Scribes and Pharifees were exceed- Things unto them, the

ingly

Scribes

(k) The Blood of Zechariah.] What Reafon there is to conclude, the Zechariah here fpoken of is that Prophet, of whofe Death we have an Account in 2 Chron. xxiv. 20, & feq. we fhall fhew in a Note on Mat. xxiii. 35. Sect. 158.

(1) The Key of Knowledge.] Vitringa underftands this of one Fundamental Truth, which would have led them into the Knowledge of the reft: (Obferv. Sacr. lib. i. pag. 125.) But all their Endeavours to embarrass, and biafs the Minds of Men, in their Enquiries after Truth, might be intended here; as well as more especially their difguifing the Prophecies, which related to the Meffiah.If a Key was delivered to them, as the Badge of their Office, (fee Vol. i. pag. 546. Note (g), and Camero on this Place,) there may be a beautiful Allufion to that Circumftance; as if he fhould have faid, You take that Key, not to use, but to fecrete it. (See Archbishop Tillotson, Vol. i. pag. 208.)—Elfner has well fhewn on this Text, that the Heathen Priefts were called Andex, Key-bearers. Obferv. Vol. i. pag. 228, 229.

(m) Fiercely

Reflections on the Guilt and Danger of Hypocrify.

Scribes and the Pharifees began to urge him vehemently,

and to provoke him to speak of many Things:

54 Laying wait for him, and feeking to catch fomething out of his Mouth, that they might accufe him,

105

Luke XI.

ingly provoked, and began fiercely to faften upon Sect. 110.
him (m), and rudely endeavoured to urge him to
Speak of many Things, that were the most excep- 53, 54.
tionable Topicks; Thereby laying Snares for
him, and attempting, if poffible, to start some un-
guarded Word (n), [which] they hoped [might fall]
from his Mouth in the Warmth of natural Refent-
ment; that so they might have fomething to ac-
cufe him for, before the Roman Governour, or
the Jewish Sanhedrim : But the Prudence of
Christ fruftrated their Malice, in the midst of all
the Plainnefs of his faithful Rebukes.

IMPROVEMENT.

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FAITHFUL are the Wounds of a Friend; and fuch were the Re- Luke xi. 39, proofs of Chrift on this Occafion. How well had all the Entertain- feq. ments of the Pharifee's Table been repaid, had he and his Brethren heard them with Candor, Humility, and Obedience! These Men defpifed them Ver. 51. to their Ruin: Let us often review them for our Inftruction, that none of thefe dreadful Woes may come upon us.

This Difcourfe of our Lord is a most just and severe Rebuke to every Ver. 39, 42. hypocritical Profeffor, who is fcrupulous and exact in Matters of Ceremony, while he neglects Morality; and is ftudious to shine in the Sight of Men, while he forgets the all-penetrating Eye of Go D. It expofes the Oftentation of thofe, who pride themselves in empty Titles of Honour, Ver. 43. and eagerly affect Precedence and Superiority. And it evidently chastises thofe, who prefs on others the Duties they neglect themselves, and fo are Ver. 46. moft righteously judged out of their own Mouth.

How melancholy is it, to obferve, in Inftances like thefe, the Deceit- Ver. 44. fulness of the Human Heart, and its defperate and unfathomable Wick

edness!

(m) Fiercely to faften upon him.] So dewws evexew properly fignifies. See Note (g) on Mark vi. 19. Vol. i. pag. 167.- Several more of the Words here used, are Metaphors taken from Hunting. Aosoμale might be rendered to mouth, or bear down with the Violence of their Words, as Theophylact excellently explains it; but the Addition of wept over engaged me rather to translate it as I have done. Grotius and Cafaubon have thewn, that it fometimes fignifies to examine in a Magifterial Way; but Erafmus's Note is, on the whole, the best I have seen upon this Word.

(n) To start fome unguarded Word.] Onpeuras in this Connection has a most beautiful Propriety, and fignifies the Eagerness, with which Sportsmen beat about for their Game, to ftart it from its Covert.-It is very probable, as Mr. Cradock conjectures, that the Pharifee, who was Master of the House, had invited a great many of his Brethren, and learned Friends, on purpose to make a more formidable Attack upon Christ, and by their concurrent Teftimony to charge upon him any Thing which might render him obnoxious: And the Pre-fence of fo many of them made the Difcourfe more proper, and the Courage and Zeal which it expreffed more remarkable. See Cradock's Harmony, Part ii. pag. 6.

VOL. II.

106

CHRIST cautions his Difciples againft Hypocrify;

Sect. 110. edness! and to fee how Men impofe upon themselves with empty Appearances, like these Pharifees; who built the Sepulchres of the former Prophets, Ver. 47, 49 while they were perfecuting those of their own Day; and in Contempt of Ver. 50, 51. all that was faid by the Meffengers of GoD, were filling up the Measure of their Iniquities, till the Cloud which had been fo long gathering burft on their Heads, and poured forth a Storm of aggravated Wrath and Ruin. May that GoD who has an immediate Accefs to the Hearts of Men, deliver all Chriftian Countries, and especially all Proteftant Churches, from fuch Teachers as are here described; who take away and fecrete the Key of Knowledge, inftead of ufing it; and obftruct, rather than promote, Men's Entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven! How loud will the Blood of the Souls they have betrayed, cry against them in the awful Day of Accounts! and how little will the Wages of Unrighteousness, and the Rewards of Worldly Policy, be able to arm them against Destruction, or to fupport

Ver. 52.

them under it!

Sect. III.

SECT. CXI.

CHRIST cautions bis Difciples against Hypocrify, and animates them against the Fear of Men by the Promife of extraordinary Affiftance from his Spirit in their greatest Trials. Luke XII. 1,---12.

LUKE XII. 1.

IN the mean Time, while Chrift was thus difcourfing at the Pharifee's Houfe, many ThouLuke XII.1. fands of People were gathered together (a), and preffed with fo much Eagerness to hear him, that they even trampled on each other; and [Jefus] going forth among them, began to say to his Difciples in the Prefence of them all, See that you more efpecially beware, and above all Things take heed, of being corrupted by the Leaven of the Pharifees, which is Hypocrify; a Vice, which fecretly puffs

up

LUKE XII. 1.

IN the mean time, when

there were gathered together an innumerable Multi

tude of People, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to fay Beware ye of the Leaven of the Pharifees, which is Hypocrify.

(a) Many Thousands of People were gathered together.] It would be more exactly rendered, many Myriads; but leaft every English Reader fhould not know, that a Myriad is Ten thoufand, I render it many Thousands; nor is it neceflary to take the Word in its ftricteft Senfe. Perhaps this vaft Affemblage of People might be owing to an Apprehenfion, either that Chrift might meet with fome ill Ufage among fo many of his Enemies, or that he would fay, or do fomething peculiarly remarkable on the Occafion. Compare Luke v. 17, 19. Sect. 45.

(b) For

and encourages them against the Fear of Men.

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107 up their Minds, and strangely spreads itself thro' Sect. III their Hearts and Lives, fo as to taint and spoil the very best of their Duties. But feriously Luke XIV: 2. reflect upon the Folly of it; for you may affure yourselves, as I have told you formerly, (Mat. x. 26. Mark iv. 22. and Luke viii. 17.) that there is nothing now fo fecretly concealed, which shall not be discovered, and be openly unvailed another Day; nor any Thing fo artfully disguised or hid, that shall not then at leaft be made known, if GoD does not more immediately expofe those shallow Artifices, which he now difcerns and abhors. So that whatever you have spoken with the utmoft 3 Caution, in the thickeft Darkness, fhall then be published and beard in the clearest Effulgence of Light; and what you have whispered in the most retired Chambers and Clofets, fhall then be proclaimed aloud as from the Houfe-Tops in the Audience of all.

5

And therefore let it be your Care, not merely 4
to fave Appearances, but to maintain a good Con-
fcience, tho' at the greatest Expence : For I fay
unto you, my dear Friends, with all poffible Seri-
oufnefs, and moft tender Concern for your ever-
lafting Welfare, Fear not those who at the worst
can only kill the Body, and after that, have nothing
more which they can do, the immortal Soul being
entirely out of their Reach, as foon as it has quit-
ted the Body. But I will point out to you the
great Object, whom you shall fear, while I exhort
you most reverentially to fear the Great Almighty
Go D, even him, who after he has killed the Body,
has Power to cast both that and the Soul into Hell ;
yea, knowing that I cannot too often inculcate it,
1 fay unto you again, Fear him, and rather chuse
to venture on the greatest Dangers, and to facri-
fice your Lives, than to do any Thing which
may offend his Divine Majefty. (Compare Mat.
x. 28. Vol. i. pag. 466.)

In the mean Time remember, that your Ene- 6
mies cannot hurt even your Bodies, without his
Knowledge and Permiffion; for his Providence
extends itself even to the meanest Works of
his Hands: For Inftance, Are not Five Spar-
O 2

rows

108

Luke XII. 6.

7

He will at last confefs, thofe that shall now confefs him.

fold for two Farthings, and not one of them is forgotten

before GOD?

7 But even the very Hairs of your Head are all numye are of more Value than

bered. Fear not therefore;

many Sparrows.

Whofoever fhall confefs me before Men, him fhall the Son of Man alfo confefs before the Angels of GOD.

8 Alfo I fay unto you,

Sect. 111. rows fold for fo inconfiderable a Sum as Two Farthings (b)? and yet not one of them, minute and worthless as they are, is forgotten before GOD; but he attends to all the Circumstances of their Lives and Deaths. Surely then you will not be overlooked by him; but may justly conclude, that he has fuch a special and particular Concern for you, as that even the very Hairs of your Head are all numbered, fo that not one of them can perish without his Notice. Fear not therefore; for as Men, and much more as my Servants and Friends, you are more valuable than many Sparrows, and will be more remarkably his Care than 8 they. But howfoever he may now permit you to be perfecuted by your Enemies for your Fidelity to me, tho' he fhould even fuffer you to facrifice your Lives in fo honourable a Caufe, you will be far from being Lofers by it in the End : For I fay unto you, that if any one shall freely acknowledge his Faith in me before Men (c), the Son of Man himself fhall also acknowledge his Complacency in fuch a Perfon, and his Relation to him, even before the Angels of GOD, when they come 9 to attend on his final Triumph. But as for him that bafely and perfidiously renounces me before before the Angels of GOD. Men, and is afhamed or afraid of maintaining fo good a Caufe, him will I also renounce before the holy Angels of GOD (d), when they appear in a radiant Circle around me, and wait, with folemn and obfervant Silence, the important Event of that awful Day. (Compare Mat. x. 29,-33. Vol. i. pag. 468.)

Nothing

9 But he that denieth me before Men, fhall be denied

(b) For Two Farthings, aaraprav duo.] This was a Roman Coin, that was then current in Judea, called As, or antiently Affarius, which was the Tenth Part of the Denarius, or Roman Penny, in Value about Three Farthings of our Money. Two Sparrows might be bought for one, and Five for two of these. Compare Mat. x. 29. Sect. 76.

(c) If any one shall acknowledge me, &c.] The Idioms of Languages differ fo much, that what is very elegant and proper in one, may, if verbally tranflated, be contrary to Grammar in another. This Verfe, and the following, are Inftances of it. It feems to me a Kind of Superftition, to fcruple fuch little Changes, as I have here made.

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(d) Him will I also renounce, &c.] Nothing can be more majeftick, than this View which Chrift gives of himself. To be renounced by him is fpoken of as a Circumftance, which would expofe a Man to the Contempt of the whole Angelic World, and leave him no remaining Shelter or Hope. Compare Mat. vii. 23. and Note (d), Vol. i. pag. 268, and John v. 22, & feq. and Note (g), pag. 294..

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