over us.

The faithful Servants are rewarded for their Diligence. 279 not have this Man to reign have this Man to reign over us, and will endure Sect. 144. all Extremities rather than fubmit to his Authority. And during his Abfence, which continued for fome Time, they thought themselves very fecure in their Infults.

Luke XIX.

14.

But, notwithstanding all the Confidence of these 15
rebellious Citizens, they were unable to prevent
his Exaltation to the Throne, or to deprive him
of the Right he had of reigning over them. And
it came to pass, that when he had received the King-
dom, and was come back with the full Powers
that were granted to him, he commanded thefe his
Servants, to whom he had delivered the Money, to
be called to him, that he might know what Improve-
ment each of them bad made.

And the firft Servant, who had gained the most, 16
came near, and faid, Sir, I have managed thy
Pound fo, that it has gained Ten Pounds more.
And when his Lord had heard how diligent and 17
careful he had been, he said to him, Well done,
[thou] good Servant, fince thou haft thus been faith-
ful in a very little, I will amply reward it; for
I will not only give thee for thine own, this Trea-
fure of which thou haft been giving me fo good
an Account, but as my Dominion is now enlarged,
and many Towns and Tracts of Land are fubject
to me, I will advance thee to a moft honourable
Station under me, and be thou Governour over Ten
Cities.

And the fecond came, and delivered in his Ac- 18
count, faying, Sir, thy Pound which was com-
mitted to me, has been improved in such a Man-
ner, that it has gained Five Pounds. And the 19
Improvement he had made was pleafing to his
Lord, and be faid likewife unto this, Thou haft
approved thyself a good and faithful Servant, and
I am pleased with thy Diligence, and will reward
it proportionably; Be thou aljo Governour over
Five Cities (e).

And

(e) Be thou alfo Governour over Five Cities.] It is obfervable, that in Mat. xxv. 20, -23. Sect. 165. where the Servants are reprefented as doubling the different Sums intrufted to each, the Reward is fpoken of as the fame; but here, the Sums intrufted being the fame, and the Improvement described as different, there is a proportionable Difference in the Re

ward:

280

Sect. 144. Luke XIX. 20.

The flothful Servant blames his Lord,

For I

And after him another Servant, who had been negligent and flothful, came and faid, Sir, behold, [here is] thy Pound, which was put into my Hands; it is not at all diminished, but I have 21 carefully kept it laid up in a Napkin : feared thee, because I knew thou art an auftere Man, [who] takeft up what thou didst not lay down, and reapest, or expecteft to reap, what thou didst not fow; and therefore apprehending I might incur thy Severity, if any Accident fhould befal this Money in Trade, I was determined not to venture it out of mine Hands, and now return it 22 just as I received it. But when his Lord heard him offer fuch a vile and groundless Charge against himself as an Excufe for his own Negligence, he was filled with Indignation, and fays to him, Out of thine own Mouth will I condemn thee, ob [thou] wicked Servant: Thou haft taken upon thee to affirm, thou knewest that I am an auftere Man; taking up, as thou expreffeft it, what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not fow (f); and thou mightest therefore on thine own Principles conclude, that I fhould expect to gather where I had depofited fuch a Sum of Money, and 23 to reap where I had thus fown: And if it had been so, if I had really been as fevere as thou would bafely infinuate, why didst thou not [then] for thine own Security give my Money into the Bank, that when I came to call for it at my Return, I might at least have received it with the common Intereft, if not with the extraordinary Improvement which might have attended a fuccessful Trade?

24

and is condemned.

20 And another came,

faying, Lord, behold, here kept laid up in a Napkin :

is thy Pound, which I have

21 For I feared thee, becaufe thou art an auftere

Man: thou takeft up that thou layedft not down, and reapest that thou didst not

fow.

22 And he faith unto him, Out of thine own Mouth ed Servant: Thou kneweft will I judge thee, thou wickthat I was an auftere Man, taking up that I laid not did not fow: down, and reaping that I

23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my Money into the might have required mine Bank, that at my coming I own with Ufury?

24 And he faid unto them that flood by, Take from

And farther to teftify his Difpleasure, be faid to fome of them that flood by, Take away the Pound him the Pound, and give it that was intrusted with him, from that idle, suf

picious,

to

ward: Which, as it is a beautiful Circumftance, was, no doubt, intended for our Inftruction.

(f) Thou knewest that I am an auftere Man, &c.] This is not an Acknowledgment of the vile and deteftable Charge, of GOD's demanding of Men (as Dr. Guyfe well expreffes it,) more difficult Services than he has furnished them for, or would affift them in; which is, as that pious Writer truly oblerves, a molt unrighteous Thought of GOD: But his Lord only argues with him on his own bafe Principles, and fhews that even on them he would be justly condemned for his Negligence.

(g) They

The Lord commands his Enemies that rejected him to be flain.

Pounds.

25 (And they faid unto him, Lord, he hath Ten

Pounds.)

281

to him that hath Ten picious, unfaithful Creature, who otherwise have Sect. 144. had that, and much more, allotted him for his own Property, and give it to him that has Ten Pounds. But they were much furprized at his Luke XIX. affigning it to one, who had before received fo 25. ample a Reward; and they faid to him, Sir, be bath already no less than Ten Pounds (g), which, with the Honour and Preferment thou haft farther added, is furely an abundant Recompence. Nevertheless, the Prince stood by his former A- 26 ward, and bestowed the other Pound likewife upon him; declaring, that his Faithfulness and Diligence was fit to be diftinguished with the most favourable and repeated Notice: And in this Way it is, continued he, that I refolve to act; for I affure you (b), that to every one that hath, or that improves what he hath, [it] shall be given, and he shall have yet more abundantly; but from him that hath not, or that acts as if he had nothing intrusted to his Care, even that which he hath, and neglects to improve, fhall be taken away. (Compare Mat. xiii. 12. xxv. 29. Mark iv. 25. and Luke viii. 18.)

26 For I fay unto you, That unto every one which hath, shall be given: and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

27 But those mine Enemies which would not that I fhould reign over them, bring hither, and flay them

before me.

And having thus enquired into the Conduct of 27
his Servants, and treated them according to the
different Use they made of what had been in-
trufted with them, he then proceeded to pafs Sen-
tence on his rebellious Citizens, that had refused
to have him for their King; and with a just Re-
fentment of their bafe Ingratitude, he faid, But
as for thofe mine Enemies, who were determined to
oppose my Government, and would not have me to
reign over them, bring them hither immediately,
and flay [them] with the Sword in my Prefence (i),
that others may learn a more dutiful Submiffion
by the Execution of these Rebels.

Now

(g) They faid to him, Sir, he has Ten Pounds.] So far as this feems to exprefs any thing of Envy in the Fellow-Servants, it is not to be regarded as a fignificant Circumftance; but only as an incidental one, to intimate to us, that his Lord gave to the diligent Servant what he had gained for himself.

(b) I affure you.] This feems to be the Import of that Phrafe, which fo often occurs, I fay unto you; as if he should have faid, You may take it on my Authority.

(i) Slay them with the Sword in my Prefence.] This is the exact Import of the Word xalaopažale. It does indeed properly exprefs the dreadful Slaughter of the impenitent Jews, VOL. II.

N n

by

282

27.

Reflections on the Improvement we should make of our Stock.

Sect. 144.
Now all this was as if our Lord had faid, Thus
fhall I at length appear, not as a Temporal Sove-
Luke XIX. reign, but as the great eternal Judge and victo-
rious Ruler over all, when having received Power
and Dominion from my Father, I fhall bring all
to their final Account, and with infinite Eafe
triumph over those who reject and affront my
Authority: Take heed therefore, that you be not
found in that wretched Number, as many will
be, who pretend moft eagerly to defire the Mef-
fiah's Appearance.

28

Luke xix. 12.

And when he had spoken thefe Things, be continued his Journey, and leading the Way went on before his Difciples, afcending to Jerufalem, being determined to appear there at the approaching Paffover, tho' he knew that he was to encounter Perfecution and Death there. (Compare Mark x. 32. Sect. 142.)

L

28 And when he had thus fpoken, he went before, afcending up to Jerufalem.

IMPROVEMENT.

ET us alfo hear, and fear. Our Lord is gone, and has received his Ver. 13. Kingdom. He has delivered to us our Stock, to. be improved in his Service: Let us be animated to Diligence in it; for proportionable to that Ver. 17, 19. Diligence, will be our Reward. Let us remember, we labour for ourfelves, while we labour for him; as all the Progrefs we make in Wisdom, and in Goodness, renders our own Souls fo much the happier, and will render them fo to all Eternity. Bleffed Servants, that have the Applaufe of fuch a Mafter, and fhare a Reward as liberal, as that conferred on a faithful Steward, who should be made Governour of a Province containing Ten Cities!

Ver. 20, 21.

Ver. 14.

Ver. 27.

Let us beware of a slothful Neglect of our Stock; let us beware of those hard Thoughts of GOD, which would difcourage us from pursuing his Service. Above all, let us take heed, that we do not proudly and infolently reject the Government of his anointed Son, and either fay with our Tongues, or declare by our Actions, We will not have this. Man to reign over us: For if we do, we speak a Word against our own Lives. He will be glorified by us, or upon us. And oh, what shall we do, if in that dreadful Day he should bring us forth as the helpless Prisoners of his Justice,

by the Sword of each other, and of the Romans; but that does not feem the chief Design of the Paffage, which plainly relates to the far more terrible Execution, which fhall be done on all impenitent Sinners, in the great Day, when the faithful Servants of Christ shall be rewarded.

JESUS is entertained at Bethany.

283

Juftice, and command us to be flain in his Prefence! How can we with- Sect. 144. ftand his Power! or to the Horns of what Altar fhall we flee for Sanctuary? Oh Lord, our Flesh trembleth for Fear of thee, and we are afraid of thy Judgments. (Pfal. cxix. 120.) May we never be the miferable Objects of them; but having faithfully ferved thee here, may that be to us a Day of Honour, Reward, and Triumph, which fhall be to every prefumptuous Rebel a Day of Shame and Terror, of dreadful Execution and eternal Destruction!

SECT. CXLV.

CHRIST is entertained at Bethany, and his Feet anointed by Mary. The Jewish Rulers contrive to kill Lazarus, Mat. XXVI. 6,--13. Mark XIV. 3,---9. John XII.

I,---II.

JOHN XII. 1,

HEN Jefus, fix Days

THE

came to Bethany, where

Lazarus, was which had been dead, whom he raised from

the Dead.

MAT. XXVI. 6. Now

JOHN XII. 1.

་

THEN Jefus came, Six Days before the Paff. Sect. 145,
over, to Bethany, which was a Village (as
was faid before, John xi. 18. Sect. 140.) that John XII. 1,
lay in the Neighbourhood of Jerufalem, where
the Abode of Lazarus was, who had been dead
and buried, [and] whom he lately by an amazing
Miracle had raised from the Dead.

Now at this Time when Jefus was in Bethany (a), Mat. XXVI. when Jefus was in Bethany, where he had many Friends that very much re

in

joiced

(a) When Jefus was in Bethany.] Few Paffages in the Harmony have perplexed me more than this. I was long of Opinion with Origen and Theophylact, defended by Le Clerc and Dr. Whitby, and efpecially by Dr. Lightfoot, (Harmon. N. Teft. §. 71. 80.) and Mr. Whifton, (in his View of Harmony, pag. 128, 129.) that the Story recorded by Matthew, (chap. xxvi. 6,-13.) and Mark, (chap. xiv. 3,-9.) was different from that in John: But on maturer Confideration it appears to me more probable,-that Matthew and Mark fhould have introduced this Story a little out of its Place,-that Lazarus, if he made this Entertainment, (which is not exprefsly faid by John,) fhould have made ufe of Simon's Houfe, as more convenient for it, and that Mary fhould have poured this Ointment on Chrift's Head and Body, as well as on his Feet,-than that within the Compafs of four Days Chrift fhould have been twice anointed with fo coftly a Perfume; and that the fame Fault fhould be found with the Action, and the fame Value fet on the Ointment, and the fame Words ufed in Defence of the Woman; and all this in the Prefence of many of the fame Perfons: All which improbable Particulars must be admitted, if the Stories be confidered as different. But, after all, I can affert nothing confidently; for there is no Impoffibility in the Thing taken either Way. Nn 2

(b) Simon

6.