PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels — St. Luke — Volume 2
Ryle, J. C. (John Charles), 1816–1900 · 212,601 words · 507 reading sections
100 EXPOSITORY THOXTGHTS.
sentence : " Let the fire kindle as soon as it will, I am contented. I know much good will come of it." Barnes paraphrases the sentence thus : "What would I, hut that it were kindled. Since it is necessary for the advancement of religion that such divisions should take place, — ^since the Gospel 'cannot he estahlished…
494 wordsSECTION 122LUKE, CHAP. XII. VER. 64 59.
101 doncy, of His religion. We must distinguish between the intentional aim of Christ's coming, and the accidental event of it. Christ's intentional aim was to plant, propagate, and pro- mote peace in the world. But tluiough the lust and corruption of man's nature, the issue and event of His coming is war and division…
255 wordsSECTION 123LUKE XII. 64—59.
judge ye not what is right } 68 When thou goest with thine adversarv to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him ; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. 69 I tell thee, thou shalt not depar…
213 wordsSECTION 124102 BXPOSTTORT THOUOHTS.
the ooming of Messiah, and that Messiah Himself must be in the midst of them, The sceptre had departed from Judah, and the lawgiver from between his feet. The seventy weeks of Daniel were fulfilled. (Gen. xlix. 10. Dan. ix. 24.) The ministry of John the Baptist had excited attention from one end of the land to the othe…
282 wordsSECTION 125LTJKB, CHAP. XII. VER. 54 — 59. 103
a missionary spirit among all Protestant Churches, — ^the wide-spread interest felt about the Jews, — the evident decay of the Mahometan power, — the shaking of all the kingdoms of Europe by the French revolu- tion, — the extraordinary spread of knowledge and education, — the marvellous revival of Romanism, — the stead…
312 wordsSECTION 126104 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
which such a man ought to take. — Like him, we are upon our way to the presence of a Ju€^. We shall all stand at the bar of God. — ^Like him, we have an adver- sary. The holy law of God is against us, and contrary to us, and its demands must be satisfied. — Like him, we ought to give diligence to get our case settled, …
323 wordsSECTION 127LT7KE, CHAP. XII. VER. 54 — 59. 105
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. Christ has blotted out the hand- writing that was against us, and has taken it out of the way, nailing it to Tlia cross. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no condemnation to them that ar…
337 wordsSECTION 128106 EXPOSITORY TH0UOHT8.
[A cloud rise out of the west.., a shower. '\ It should be re- membered that the Mediterranean sea lies on the West of the whole Jewish territory. It was from this quarter that rain fenerally came. The " little cloud " rising out of the sea, which Uijah's servant saw from Mount Carmel, and which brought rain, is an il…
926 wordsSECTION 129108 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Him an opportunity of speaking to them about their own souls, which He did not fail to employ. He seized the event, as His manner was, and made a practical use of it. He bade His , informants look within, and think of their own state before God. He seems to say, " What though these Galileans did die a sudden death P Wh…
625 wordsSECTION 130110 BXPOBITORY THOUGHTS.
the Lord Jesus Christ. Bepentanoe like this is the characteristic of all true Christiaiis. The necessity of repentance to salvation will be evident to all who search the Scriptnres, and consider the nature of the subject. — Without it there is no forgiveness ot sins. There never was a pardoned man who was not also a p…
667 wordsSECTION 131112 EXPOSITORT THOUGHTS.
Ford gives a quotation from Perkins which deserves reading, " The common opinion is, that if a man die quietly, and go away like a lamh, (which in some diseases, as consumption, any man may do,) then he goes straight to heaven. But if the violence of the disease stirs up impatience, and causes frantic hehaviour, then m…
439 wordsSECTION 132LUKE, CHAP. XIII. VER. 6 — 9. 113
and not feel sorrow and shame as he looks at the state of Christendom, must be in a very unhealthy state of soul. We learn, first, from this passage, that where Ood gives spiritual privileges He eocpects proportionate returns. Our Lord teaches this lesson by comparing the Jewish Church of His day to a "fig tree plant…
299 wordsSECTION 133114 EXPOSITORY THOUOHT8.
and responsibility. We are all ready enough to eat tibe fat and drink the sweet, and bask in the sanshine of our position both as Christians and Englishmen, — ^and even to spare a few pitying thoughts for the half naked savage who bows down to stocks and stones. But we are very slow to remember that we are acoountaUe t…
630 wordsSECTION 1341X6 EXFOSITOBT THOUGHTS.
We leam^ lasdy^ from this parable, what an infinite debt we all oweio Ood*8 mercy and Chriafa intercession. It seeais impossible to draw aiLy other lesson firom the earnest pleading of the dresser of the yineyard : "Lord, let it alone this year also." Surely we see here, as in a glass, the loving-kindness of God, and t…
290 wordsSECTION 135LUKE, CHAP. XIII. VER. 6—9. 117
ally is the question that concerns us most. What does Ood see in us year after year P Let us take heed so to live that He may see in us fruit. Notes. Ltjkb XIII. 6—9. 6. — [A certain man had a Jig tree, So!] There can be no doubt that our Lord's primary obfect m this parable was to show the danger of the Jewish Churc…
736 wordsSECTION 136LUKB XHI. 10—17.
10 And he was teachinr in one of the Kynagogvies on the sabbath. 11 And. Sehold, there was a woman which haaaspiritof infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said nnto her. Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.…
216 wordsSECTION 137LUKE, CHAP. XIII. VBR. 10 — 17. 119
We see in these verses a striking example of dUigence in the use of means of grace. We are told of a "woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.'' We know not who this woman was. Our Lord's saying that she was "a daughter of Abraham," would lead u…
608 wordsSECTION 138LUKE, CHAP. XIII. VEK. 10 — 17. 121
gave way before the Lord of Life. '' Immediately she was made straight, and glorified God." We need not doubt that this mighty miracle was in- tended to supply hope and comfort to sin-diseased souls. With Christ nothing is impossible. He can soften hearts which seem hard as the nether mill-stone. He can bend stubborn …
309 wordsSECTION 139122 EXP06ITORT THOUGHTS.
oeptatlon : *' I know that thou canst do everything." (Job xlii. 2.) Jesus is ''able to save to the uttermost/' We see, lastly, in these yerses, the right observance of the Sabbath Day asserted and defended by our Lord Jeeus Christ, The ruler of the synagogue in which the infirm woman was healed, found fault with her …
309 wordsSECTION 140LUKE^ CHAP. XIII. VKE, 10 — 17. 123
For another let us keep the day '* holy/' and give it to God. From these two rules let us never swerre. Experience shows that there is the closest connection between Sabbath sanctification and healthy Christianity. KoTBS. LvKB Xin. 10—17. 11. — [Which had a spirit of infirmity.] The nature of this woman's disease we …
436 wordsSECTION 141124 BXP08IT0RY THOUGHTS.
[ Whom Satan hath bound.] This expression is remarkable. It would seem to imply that Satan has a permissive power to inflict bodily disease and infirmity. It should be compared with the two first chapters of Job, and with St Paul's expression, "to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh.** (1 Co…
340 wordsSECTION 142LTJKE^ CHAP. XIU. VBE. 18—21. 125
oomer of tbe earth, called Jiidea> a petty tributary proTuioe of the vast empire of Bonie. — ^Its first doctrme was eminently calculated to call forth the euzuity of the natural heart. Christ crucified was to the Jews a stuBibling*bIock, and to the Greeks foolishness. — ^Its first moYements brought down on its Mends pe…
273 wordsSECTION 143126 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
religion which began in the upper chamber at Jerusalem, — ^had overrun the civilized world. It was professed by nearly all Europe, by a great part of Asia, and by the whole northern part of Africa. The prophetic words of the parable before us were literally fulfilled. The grain of mustard seed ''waxed a great tree ; an…
307 wordsSECTION 144LTJKS^ CHAP. XIII. VBR. 18 — ^21. 127
a sermon, or a single verse of Holy Scripture, — a word of rebuke from a Mend, or a casual reHgious re- mark overheard, — a tract given by a stranger, or a trifling act of kindness received from a Christian, — some one of these things is often the starting-point in the life of a soul. — The first actings of the spiritu…
296 wordsSECTION 145128 SXPOSITOBT THOUGHTS.
marked and decided than in others. But wherever a real work of the Holy Ghost begins in the heart, the whole character is sooner or later leavened and changed. The tastes of the man are altered. The whole bias of his mind becomes different. ^'Old things pass away, and all things become new." (2 Cor. v. 17.) The Lord Je…
308 wordsSECTION 146LUKE, CHAP. XIII. VER. 18 — 21. 129
distioct and plain. It is the '* kingdom of God," which is like the seed. [Waxed a great tree.] The growth of the grain of mustard seed into a tree of comparatively great size, ought not to be wondered at, when we remember the rapidity of vegetation in a hot climate. Parkhiu*st'8 Lexicon, on the Greek word translated …
511 wordsSECTION 147EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Lord calls the Pharisees " serpents." And yet in another place, He says to the disciples, "Be wise as serpents." In short I helieve that the same word may he used in one place as a figure of that which is good, and in another as a figure of that which is evil. In some places leaven certainly means " false doctrine." In…
469 wordsSECTION 148LUKE, CHAP. XIII. VBR. 22 — 30. 131
an idle trifler with religion, who was ever wasting his time on curious and speculative questions. In any case, we must all feel that he asked a question oi deep and momentous importance. He that desires to know the number of the savedyin the present di^nsatiou) need only turn to the Bible, and his cimosity wiU be sat…
303 wordsSECTION 149132 EXFOSITORT THOUOHTB.
Whatever otiiers may do in religion the Lord Jesns would haye us know ihat our duty is elear. The gate is strait. The work is great. The enemies of our souls are many. We must be up, and doing. We are to wait for nobody. We are not to inquire what other people are doing, and whether many of our neighbours, and relative…
309 wordsSECTION 150LUKE, CHAP. XIII. VER. 22 — 30. 133
A day k coming on the earth when the longnsufiFering of Ood towards sinners shall have an end. The door of mercy, which has been so long open, shall at last be shut. The fountain opened for all sin and uncleanness shall at length be closed. The throne of grace shall be removed, and tiie throne of judgment shall be set …
318 wordsSECTION 151134 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
workers of iniquity." Beligious profession, and formal knowledge of Christ will save none who have served sin and the world. There is something pectiliavly striking in our Lord's language in this prophecy. It reveals to us the awfiil fact, that men may see what is right when it is too late for them to be saved. There …
268 wordsSECTION 152LUKE, CHAP. XIII. VBK. 23 — 30. 135
KoTBS. Lt7XB XTTT. 23—80. 23. — [Are iherefew that he saved f] Whitby remarks, " This ques- tion seems to have been propounded agreeably to that sentiment of the Jews, that all Israelites should have their portion in the world to come/' — Perhaps the question would be translated more literally, "Are the saved few? ' …
974 wordsSECTION 153LTJKE, CHAP. XIII. VEB. 31 — 35.
137 hold, that Old Testament saints and believers who have lived since the day of Pentecost shall not be together in glory; — and that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are not members of that Church which is the Bride and the Lamb's Wife. Both the present verse, and the one following, and the kindred passage in Matthew, (Mat…
304 wordsSECTION 154LUKE XIII. 31—36.
81 The fame day there came certain «f the PhariBeefl, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence : for Herod will kill thee. S2 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devila, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. 33 Nevertheless I must walk to d…
161 wordsSECTION 155138 EXPOSITORT THOUGHTS.
Let us learn from these verses, how entirely our tinieB are in OocCs hands. Our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us this lesson by His reply to those who bade TTiTn depart, because Herod would kill Him. He said, ** I cast out devils, and I do cures to-day and to-morrow." His time was not yet come for leaving the world. His wo…
313 wordsSECTION 156LUKE, CHAP. XIII. VEE. 31 — 35. 139
duties are ours, events are God's. We should therefore endeavour to leave things to come in God's hands, and not to be over-anxious about health, or family, or money, or plans. To cultivate this frame of mind would add immensely to our peace. How many of our cares and fears are about things which never come to pass! Ha…
309 wordsSECTION 157140 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
fitftd and spasmodic. It is for want of steady, constant faith, that so few can say with Christ, " I shall walk to-day, and to-morrow, and not die tiU my work is done.'* Let us learn, for another thing, from these verses, how great is the compamon of our Lord Jesm Christ towards siwners. We see this brought out in a m…
281 wordsSECTION 158LUKE, CHAP. XIII. VEB. 31 — 36. 141
just quoted, are distinct and express. '' I would have ffathered thy children," says Christ, " and ye would not.^' L wiU of poor hardened unbeUeving man. and not the wiU of Christ, is the cause why sinners are lost for evermore. Christ " would " save them, hut they will " not be '* saved. Let the truth before us sink …
300 wordsSECTION 159142 EXPOSITOBT THOUGHTS.
shall understand it all hereafter. Good's sovereignty and man's responsibility shall appear perfectly harmonious one day. In the meantime, whatever we doubt, let us never doubt Christ's infinite willingness to save. Notes. Luke XTTT. 31—35. 31. — [Then came certain... Herod tciU hill thee.] It is thought hy some that…
424 wordsSECTION 160LUKE, C5HAP. XIII. VEB. 31 — 35. 143
of the wicked in high places. He that would use such language about his ruler as Christ here used about Herod, must first prove his prophetical commissioD, and satisfy us that he has a special mission from God. [T<hday, and to-morrow^ and the third day.] This is a difficult expression, and one which has received three…
481 wordsSECTION 161144 BXPOBITORT THOUGHTS.
possible.** Tet it is clear that this cannot be our Lmrd's literal meaning. John the Baptist, to say nothing of other prophets, did not die at Jerusalem. The sense must be, as Euthymius and Heinsius maintain, "it would be an unusual thing,— ao exception to a rule, — for a prophet to die in any place but Jeru- salem. Wh…
468 wordsSECTION 162LUKE, CHAP. XIII. VBR. 31 — 35. 145
Let it be noted that our Lord does not say, " thou wouldest not," but " ye would not." — By this mode of speaking, He makes it plain, that He charges the guilt of Jerusalem on its inhabitants, the men and women who dwelt there, and specially on the priests, and Scribes, and Pharisees who govemea the city. They were nei…
424 wordsSECTION 163LUKE XIV. 1-6.
1 And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched Mm. 2 And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. 3 And Jesus answering spake unto the Lawyers and Pharisees, saying. Is it hiwful to heal on the sabbath day.^ 4…
351 wordsSECTION 164JAJKE, CHAP. XIV. VEK. 1 — 6. 147
salt." (Coloss. iv. 6.) The perfection of our Lord's con- duct appears on this, as on all other occasions. He always said the right thing, at the right time, and in the right way. He never forgot for a moment, who He was, and where He was. The example of Christ in this passage deserves the dose attention of all Christ…
297 wordsSECTION 165148 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Or do I endeavour to follow, however feebly, the example of Christ?" The society in which we cannot answer these questions satisfactorily, is society from which we had better withdraw. — So long as we go into company as Christ went to the Pharisee's house, we shall take no harm. Let us mark, secondly, in this passage,…
298 wordsSECTION 166LUKE CHAP. XIV. VBK. 1—6. 149
US exercise ourselves to have a conscience void of offence toward Gh)d and man, and to do nothing which can give occasion to the Lord's enemies to blaspheme. Tlie thing is possible. By the grace of God it can be done. The haters of Daniel were obliged to confess, '^ we shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, e…
298 wordsSECTION 167150 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
right to do works of necessity and mercy is fearfally abused in these latter days. Thousands of Christians appear to have thrown down the hedge, and burst the bounds entirely with respect to this holy day. They seem to forget that though our Lord repeatedly explains the requirements of the fourth commandment, He never …
291 wordsSECTION 168LIJKB, CHAP. XIV. VBR. 1 — 6. 151
Stella thinks that one ohject that our Lord had Id view in going to the Pharisee's house, was to henefit the servants of the family, who had few opportunities of hearing truth. He re- marks that in his own tune, in Spam, servants had hardly any opportunity of hearing sermons, from the demands which their masters made u…
433 wordsSECTION 169LUKE XIV. 7—14.
7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms ; saying unto them, 8 When thou art bidden of anj tnan to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room ; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him ; 9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to the…
1,034 wordsSECTION 170LUKE, CHAP. XIV. VER. 7 — 14. 155
drink." — It is not for nothing that St. Paul writes to the Galatians, "They would that I should remember the poor ; the same which I also was forward to do." (Matt. XXV. 42. Gal. ii. 10.) Let us learn, lastly, from these verses, the great import- ance of looking forward to the resurrection of the dead. This lesson st…
307 wordsSECTION 171168 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
affect Tis little. We shall not look for our reward here. We shall feel that all will he rectified one day^ and that the Judge of all the earth will do right. (Gen. xviii. 25.) But how can we hear the thought of a resurrection ? What shall enable us to look forward to a world to come without alarm P Nothing can do it, …
375 wordsSECTION 172LUKE, CHAP. XIV. VER. 7 — 14. 157
may at first sdght be supposed ; for bad manners are bad morals." (Paley's Evidences. Part 2. chap. 2. 1.) [Worship.] The Greek word so translated means literally "glory," or "honour." Our translation is unfortunate. It must however be remembered that the meaning of words changes with time. The word ," worship " did n…
476 wordsSECTION 173158 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
dissolute and profligate habits among beggars, and enormoiulj increases the very eyil which it is meant to relieve. Such instances of literal obedience to our Lord's command in this passage, as Cornelius a Lapide quotes in his Commentary, are melancholy instances of useless and mischievous kindness. He tells us how St…
487 wordsSECTION 174LT7KE, CHAP. XIV. . VER. 16 — 24.
159 probable that oiir Lord refers to the first resurrection, spoken of in the 20th chapter of Revelation. It is hard to put any other sense on the expression than this, that there is a resurrection of which none but the just shall be partakers, — a resurrection which shall be the peculiar privilege of the righteous, …
63 wordsSECTION 175LUKE XIV. 15—24.
15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said nnto him, Blessed ia he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. 16 Then said he unto him, A cer- tain man made a great supper, and bade many : 17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come ; for all things…
397 wordsSECTION 176160 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
We are taught, firstly, in this parable, that Ood has made a great provision for the salvation of men's souk. This is the meaning of the words, " a certain man made a great supper, and bade many.'' This is the Gospel. The Gospel contains a full supply of everything that sinners need in order to be saved. We are all na…
316 wordsSECTION 177LUKE, CHAP. XIV, VER. 15 — 24. 161
finite willingness in God to save man, if man is only willing to be saved. There is the fullest warrant for sinners to draw near to God by Christ. The word " Come," is addressed to all without exception. — ^Are men labouring and heavy- laden P " Come unto me," says Jesus, " and I will give you rest." (Matt. xi. 28.) —…
290 wordsSECTION 178162 BXPOSHOBT THOUGHTS.
lawful. — ^li is not avowed dislike to the Qt)spel which is so much to be feared. It is that pro(arastinatiiig» excuse- making spirit, which is always ready with a reason why Christ cannot be served io-day, — ^Let the words of our Lord on this subject sink down into our hearts. Infidelity and immorality, no doubt, slay…
305 wordsSECTION 179LUKE, CHAP. XIV. VEK. 15 — 24. 163
our preaching in the congregation, we must be ready to preach from house to house. We must even not be ashamed to use a gentle violence. We must be instant in season, out of season. (2 Tim. iv. 2.) We must deal with many an unconverted man, as one half-asleep, half out of his mind, and not fully conscious of the state …
263 wordsSECTION 180KOTBB. LUKB XIV. 15—24.
15. — [Blessed is he that shall eat bread, Se.] The motive of this vemark, and the real character of him who made it, we are left to conjecture. Gill thinks it likely that the man was a Jew, who was imhued 164 BXPosrroRY thoughts. with the gross notions which were commonly held about feasting and banquetiog in the k…
1,002 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition (1856). Text from OCR of an original Internet Archive scan; OCR may contain recognition errors.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.