who on lofing his Stewardship, provides for his future Subfiftence.

Bill, and fit down quickly, and write fifty.

7 Then faid he to another, And how much oweft dred Measures of Wheat. And he faid unto him, Take thy Bill, and write fourscore.

thou? And he said, An hun

8 And the Lord commended the unjuft Steward, for the Children of this World are in their Generation wifer than the Children of Light.

because he had done wifely:

9 And I fay unto you,

169

Receipt of it (c), and fit down directly, and write Sect. 124.
another, in which thou fhalt acknowledge the
Receipt of but fifty, and I will alter my Book
agreeable to that. Then he faid to another, And Luke XVI.
how much dost thou owe? And he said, An bun-7·
dred Homers of Wheat. And he fays to him, Take
thy Bill back, and write down an Acknowledg-
ment of but fourfcore; and remember how easy
I have made thine Account.

And when the Mafter heard of it, tho' he 8
could not but be fenfible, that it was an Act of
great Injustice, yet he praised the unjust Steward,
as having done prudently however, and found out
an ingenious Expedient for his Subfiftence, by
making Friends, who might shelter him for the
prefent, and perhaps recommend him to fome
new Truft, in hopes of fharing again in the Spoils
of his Dishonesty. And thus, faid the Bleffed
Jefus, when he had concluded the Parable, the
Children of this World are wifer in their Way and
Generation (d), i. e. they generally act a more
prudent Part with refpect to their fecular Inte-
refts, than even those who may be called the Chil-
dren of Light, or than Good Men themselves,
who are enlightened by GoD to see where their
true Happiness lies, do with refpect to theirs
(compare John xii. 36. 1 Thef. v. 5. and Eph. v.
8.) for they feldom appear fo thoughtful and
active in the great Concerns of Religion, as World-
ly Men are in Pursuit of the momentary and
carious Poffeffions of this prefent Life.

pre

;

And I alfo fay to you, Endeavour to make your- 9 Make to yourfelves Friends felves fure Friends with thefe Riches, which may not improperly be called the unrighteous or de

of

ceitful

(c) Take thy Bill, in which thou haft acknowledged the Receipt of it.] This Bill probably was fomething equivalent to a Note under his Hand, acknowledging the Receipt of fo much Oil, and promifing Payment for it. The Alteration of this plainly fhews, how much Dr. Clarke is mistaken, in fuppofing the Steward did no Wrong to his Mafter in this Affair, but only gave the Debtors the Value of what he fet off out of his own Stock, he undertaking to pay his Lord. (See Dr. Clarke's Sermons, Vol. iii. pag. 285.) For not to fay how improbable it is, that this Bankrupt fhould be able or willing to make fuch a confiderable Prefent, it is plain that if he had intended it, he would have let the Account remain unaltered. But by the Exchange of Bills, he cunningly made each of the Debtors an Accomplice with him, in defrauding bis Lord, and thereby provided against a Discovery.

(d) In their Generation.] It here fignifies Affairs or Actions; as Gen. vi. 9. xxxvii. 2. VOL. II.

Y

(e) The

Luke XVI.

17༠ Sect. 124. ceitful Mammon (e), (as fo little Confidence can be repofed in them;) that when you fail, and die out of this World (f), they may receive you into everlasting Habitations, and you may for ever enjoy the Reward of your pious Charity and Love, in an everlasting Friendship with all those truly worthy Perfons who have been relieved by it.

A faithful Improvement should be made of our Riches.

9.

ΙΟ

II

Let this Exhortation be regarded, not only by those that abound in Wealth, but by all others: For be, who acting on ftrict Principles of Integrity and Piety, is faithful in the fmalleft [Truft,] is, and would in Fact appear to be, faithful also in one of much greater Importance, if it were committed to him ; and he who is unjust in the leaft Matter, is, if he can attempt it with Views of Impunity, unjust also in much.

If therefore it appears, that you have not been faithful in the unrighteous or deceitful Mammon, as I before called thofe precarious Treasures, who 12 will intrust you with the true [Riches?] And I repeat it again, if you have not been faithful in what was but another's, and only was committed to your Care and Management for a little while; who do you think will give you [that which shall be] your own by an unalienable Right and eternal Poffeffion (g)? You cannot fure expect fo high

a Re

of the Mammon of Unrighteousness; that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting Habitations.

10 He that is faithful in that which is leaft, is faith

ful alfo in much: and he that is unjuft in the leaft, is unjust also in much.

(e) The unrighteous or deceitful Mammon.] Nothing can be more contrary to the whole Genius of the Chriftian Religion, than to imagine, that our Lord would exhort Men to lay out their ill-gotten Goods in Works of Charity, when Justice fo evidently required they fhould make Reftitution to the utmost of their Abilities.- Mammon, or Wealth, is here called unrighteous or deceitful, on Account of its being fo apt to fail the Expectation of the Owners; and in that View is oppofed to true Riches, ver. 11.The Mamman of Unrighteoufnefs is plainly fuch a Hebraism, as the Steward of Unrighteoufnefs, ver. 8. and the Judge of Unrighteousness, chap. xviii. 6. Gr. which our Tranflators have with perfect Fidelity changed into the unjust Steward, and the unjust Judge; and had they taken the fame Liberty in many other Places, they had made many Scriptures plainer, than they now appear to an English Reader. See Elfn. Obferv. Vol. i. pag. 252. where he fhews, that axia fignifies Unfaithfulness, on which Account it is often opposed to Truth. Compare Rom, i. 18. ii. 8. and Deut. xix. 19. Mic. vi. 12. Hebr.

(f) That when you fail, and die out of this World.] It is with apparent Propriety, that our Lord fuggefts the Thoughts of Death, as an Antidote againft Covetousness. Strange it is, that fo many on the very Borders of the Grave, fhould be fo inflaved to that wretched Paffion!

(g) If you have not been faithful in what was another's, &c.] This is well expreffed, tho' not exactly rendered, in the Verfion of 1727. If you have embezzled what another gave you in Truft, how can he give you an Estate in Perpetuity? It probably alludes to a Cuftom, of rewarding faithful Stewards, by giving them fome Part of the Estate they have managed.

(b) They

The covetous Pharifees that derided him, are reproved.

171 a Reward, without a Behaviour correfpondent Sect. 124.

to it.

But as I formerly have faid, I tell you now Luke XVI.
again, No Domeftick whatever can ferve Two dif- 13.
ferent Mafters; for he will furely either hate and
defpife the one, and love the other; or else he will
at least adhere to the Commands of the one, and
neglect those of the other: And fo in like Manner
you cannot faithfully ferve GOD, and yet at the
fame Time be the Servants of Mammon too, hav-
ing your Hearts engroffed by Worldly Interests and
Purfuits. (Compare Mat. vi. 24. Vol. i. p. 253.)

And the Pharifees alfo, who were extreamly cove- 14
tous, stood by and heard all thefe Things; and they
derided him (b) as a poor Vifionary, who did not
understand human Life, or only appeared to de-
fpife the World, because (as they fuppofed) it was
out of his Reach.

your

Actions:

And he faid to them, You Pharifees are they that 15
justify yourselves before Men, and find out a great
many plaufible Excufes for poffeffing and pursuing
the World as you do; but GOD knows your
Hearts, and knows that it is not by Love to him,
but to yourselves, that you are animated, even in
the most specious and
of
pompous
For that which is highly esteemed among Men, is
in many Instances an Abomination before GOD,
who observes the vile Purposes from which it
often proceeds, and cannot be impofed upon by
any glittering Mifreprefentation or Difguife. (Com-
But a Difpenfation is 16
pare 1 Sam. xvi, 7.)
now opening upon the World, which will put
you to deferved Shame; for the Law and the
Prophets [were] the only Divine Revelation among
you, until John the Baptift appeared; but from
that Time the Kingdom of GOD is publickly
and plainly preached, and every one forces his Way

into

(b) They derided him.] The Word μxpov might more exactly be rendered, they fneered. There was a Gravity and Dignity in our Lord's Difcourfe, which, infolent as they were, would not permit them to laugh out; but by fome fcornful Air they hinted to each other their mutual Contempt: And they have, no doubt, feriously answered for it, as others of their Temper and Character will.

Y 2

(i) Forces

172 Heaven and Earth fhall pass, before a Tittle of the Law fall fail. Sect. 124. into it (i); confiderable Numbers, notwithstand

Luke XVI. 16.

18

17 And it is easier for Heaven and Earth to pafs,

to fail.

18 Whofoever putteth a

way his Wife, and marrieth

ing all your Sophistry, ftand well difpofed to receive it, and are willing to fecure its Bleffings at any Rate. (Compare Mat. xi. 12, 13. Vol. i. 17 pag. 353, 354.) Yet I would not be underftood, as if I intended by what I fay, to put any than one Tittle of the Law Slight on former Revelations; for I rather establish and vindicate them, and again declare it to you as a most folemn Truth, that it is much eafier for Heaven and Earth to pass away, and the whole Syftem of created Nature to be destroyed, than for one Tittle of the Law of GOD to fail, or the leaft Precept of it to be fet afide as faulty. (See Mat. v. 18. Vol. i. pag. 227.) And far from doing any Thing to leffen or abate the Force of it, I rather affert it, in its utmost Extent and Spirituality; infomuch that you know I have before declared, in fpight of all your boafted, but dangerous Traditions, that whosoever puts away. his Wife, and marries another, unless it be on Account of a Breach of the most fundamental Article of the Marriage-Covenant, commits Adultery; and thofoever marries her that is put away from her former Hufband for any lefs important Cause, commits. Adultery with her, as the first Contract ftill continues in Force, by which he is the Wife of another. (Compare Mat. v. 32. Vol. i. pag. 235.)

Luke xvi. 8.

Ver. 9.

MA

another, committeth Adultery and whosoever mar

rieth her that is put away from her Hufband, committeth Adultery.

IMPROVEMENT.

AY the Wisdom of the Children of this World in their comparatively trifling Concerns, excite a holy Emulation in the Children of Light! Is it not much better worth our while, to employ all the Attention of our Thoughts in obferving Opportunities for the Good of our Souls, and to exert all the Force of our Refolutions in improving them; than to labour merely for the Meat which perishes, for that deceitful Mammon, that treacherous Friend, which will at beft only amufe us for a few Years, and will for ever forfake us in our greatest Extremity?

Let

(i) Forces his Way into it, as avin Braila.] Some think this intimates, that those who fhould have been readieft to open the Door, rather attempted to keep them out: It certainly implies, that there were ftrong Obftacles in the Way.

Reflections on a due Improvement of our Stewardship.

Ver. I, 2.

173 Let us take Occafion from this Parable, to think, how foon we must Sect. 124. part with all our prefent Poffeffions; how foon we must give an Account of our refpective Stewardships, as those who must be no longer Stewards. Let us therefore manage them in fuch a Manner, as may moft effectually promote the great Purposes of our everlasting Happiness. To this End let us remember, how abfolutely neceffary it is, that we abound in Works of Charity and Benevolence, and that we endeavour to abftract our Hearts from an over-eager Attachment to thefe lying Vanities; for furely the Trifles of Earth are no better. Let us not imagine, that our particular Address can find out the Secret of ferving GOD and Mammon; fince Ver. 13. Chrift reprefents it as an Impoffibility and Contradiction.

May we be found faithful in what God hath committed to us, whe- Ver. 10,-12. ther it be little or much; and govern ourfelves, not by the Maxims of this vain World, but by thofe of the Gofpel! And if the fame Temper, that

led the covetous Pharifees to deride our Lord, engage the Children of this Ver. 14. World to pour Contempt upon us as Vifionaries and Enthufiafts, we have much greater Reason to be grieved for them, than for ourselves. Their Cenfures can be Matter of but little Account to us, when we confider, that the

Things which are highly esteemed by Men, are often an Abomination in the Ver. 15. Sight of GOD. His Law is facred, and the Conftitutions of his Kingdom Ver. 16, 17. are unalterable: May the Temper of our Minds be so altered and difpofed,

as may

fuit it! for another Day, and another World, will fhew, that real Christianity is the only Wisdom; and that all the Refinements of human Policy without it, are but fpecious Madness, and laborious Ruin.

SE C T. CXXV.

Luke

Our LORD, to inforce the preceding Admonitions, delivers
the Parable of the Rich Glutton and Lazarus.
XVI. 19, to the End.

LUKE XVI. 19.

THERE was a certain
Rich Man, which was
clothed in Purple and fine
Linen,

LUKE XVI. 19.

Luke XVI

HAT his Hearers might be more effectu- Sect. 125 TH ally diffuaded from ac addicting themselves to worldly Purfuits and carnal Pleasures, Jefus 19. added another Parable, which might have been fufficient to convince the covetous Pharifees, of their Madness in deriding what he had before faid. And he addreffed himself to them in Words to this Effect: There was a certain Rich Man, who lived in the greatest Elegance and Pomp; for he

wore