2. Here is a resolution professed : ' Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.' Where take notice —
[1.] Of the ready forwardness of the scribe. He was not called by Christ, but offered himself of his own accord.
[2.] Observe the largeness of the offer, and unboundedness of it, ' whithersoever ; ' as indeed it is our duty to follow Christ through thick and thin. In the Revelation, Christ's undefiled company are described to be such as ' follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth,' Eev. xiv. 4 ; that is, obeyed him, though to their great peril and loss. Well, then, here is readiness, here is largeness; it is well if all be sincere. Therefore let us see —
3. Christ's answer and reply: 'And Jesus said unto him. Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests ; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.' By the tenor of Christ's answer, you may know what ails him, and on what foot he limped ; for this is spoken either by way of i)reparation to enable him to keep liis resohiy tion, or rather by way of probation, to try the truth and strength of it; whether it were sincere and sound; yea or nay: as the young man was tried, Mark x. 21, 'One thing thou lacke.st: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven : and come, and take up thy cross, and follow me. But he went away sad at that saying.' So here, we hear no more of this scribe ; our Lord knew how to discover hypocrites. Two things were defective in this resolution : —
[1.] It was sudden and rash, not weighing the difficulties. They that rashly leap into a profession, usually fall back at the first trial. Therefore we nmst sit down and count the charges, Luke xiv. 28.
[2.] There was a carnal aim in it. He minded his own profit and honour; therefore Clirist in effect telleth him, You had best consider what you do, for following of me will be far from advancing any temporal interest of yours. The scribe was leavened with a conceit of a worldly kingdom, and had an eye to some temporal advantage ;
^ See note on page 90. — Ed.
Luke IX. 57-62.] must expect troubles in this world. 115
therefore Christ telleth liiin })laiii]y, There was no worldly ease and riches to be expected from liim ; and so, Non repulit volenlem ; sed fingentem prodidii — ' He did not discourage a willing follower, but discover a worldly hypocrite,' saith Chrysologus.
Tiie doctrine we learn from hence is this : —
They that will sincerely follow Christ, must not look for any great matters in the world, but rather prepare themselves to run all hazards with him.
This is evident: —
1. From Christ's own example ; and the same mind should be in all his followers : John xvii. IG, ' They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.' Our estranging of our hearts from the world is an evidence of our conformity to Christ. Christ passed through the world to sanctify it as a place of service ; but his constant residence was not here, to fix it as a place of rest: and all that are Christ's are alike affected. We pass through as strangers, but are not at home as inhabitants or dwellers ; and if we have little of the world's favour, it is enough if any degree of service for God.
2. From the nature of his kingdom. His kingdom is not of this world, John xviii. 3, 6. It is not a kingdom of pomp, but a kingdom of patience. Here we suffer with Christ, hereafter we reign with him. The comforts are not earthly, or the good things of ,this world, but heavenly — the good things of the world to come. This was the scribe's mistake.
3. From the spirit of Christ. His spirit is given us to draw us off from this world to that which is to come : 1 Cor. ii. 12, ' Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we may know the things w^hich are given us of God.' The spirit of the world is that which possesseth and governeth worldly men, and inclineth them to a worldly happiness ; this is in all men naturally. Corrupt nature doth sufficiently prompt and incline men to look after the honours, and pleasures, and profits of this world. James iii. 15, the apostle, when he would describe the wisdom which is not from above, he saith, that it is ' earthly, sensual, devilish ; this wisdom cometh not from above.' Present things are known by sense, and known easily, and known by all. But there is a divine Spirit jnit into Christians, which inclineth them to things to come, and worketli graces suitable : some of which give us a sight of the truth of those things, as faith ; some, a taste or an esteem of them, as love ; some an earnest desire, as hope. This Spirit cometh from God and Christ, Eph. i. 17, 18. And without these graces we can have no sight nor desire of heavenly things : 1 Cor. ii. 14, ' The natural man reeeiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness un-to him ; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.' They think it is folly to hazard present conveniencies for future rewards, and the truest wisdom to live in ease, plenty, and honour. On the contrary, the divine Spirit convinceth us that there is no such business of importance as looking after eternal life ; that all the gay things of sense are but so many May-games to heaven's happiness ; the terrible things of the world are but as a flea-biting to hell torments ; and the pudder and business of the world but as a little childish sport in