3. Another cause is averseness of heart ; they have no mind to these things: Kom. viii. 7, ' The carnal mind is enmity against God.' The heart is inclined to w^orldly vanities, set against God and godliness. Now let us consider the heinousness of this sin. It is ingratitude and unthankfulness for God's eternal love: Ps. ciii. 17, ' The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him.' It is also disingenuity ; we would be heard presently : Ps. cii. 2, ' Lord, hear me speedily.' To-day is the season of mercy, to-morrow of duty. We are always in haste, would have the Lord to tarry for our sinful leisure, when we will not tarry his holy leisure. It is also base self-love ; we can be content to dishonour God longer, provided at length we may be saved. Lastly, it is great injustice to keep God out of his right ; he hath been long enough kept out of his right already : 1 Peter iv. 3, ' The time past of our life may suffice to have wrought the will of the Gentiles.' Therefore, let us no longer delay, but speedily address ourselves to entertain the motions of the Holy Spirit.
LOOKING BACK ILL BECOMES THOSE THAT HAVE SET THEIPt FACE HEAVENWAKD.
We are now come to the third instance, wherein we are mstructed how to avoid miscarriages in following Christ.
The first instance teaches us to beware of hasty and hypocritical pro- fession, which is tlie fruit of resolution without deliberation, or sitting down and counting the charges ; this was the fault of the scribe.
The second instance cautioneth us against dilatory shifts and excuses. The most necessary business must not be put off upon any pretence whatsoever.
The tliird instance forbiddeth all thoughts of compounding, or hopes to have Christ and the world too ; as this man hoped first to pecure his worldly interest, and then to follow Christ at leisure. Whether this man were called, or uncalled, it appeareth not. It is
Luke IX. 57-62] evil of looking back. 131
only said in the text, * Another also said : ' the middle person was only called by Christ ; the other two offered themselves. The first was forward, upon a inistaken ground, to share the honours of the king- dom of the Messiah, which he supposed to be temporal. This last offereth himself, but his heart was not sufficiently loosened from the world. From both we see that ' it is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, but God that showeth mercy,' Eom. ix, 16 ; for neither of those that oftered themselves are accepted. In the words you may observe : —
1. His request.
2. Christ's answer.
1. His request. This tliird offereth himself to Le a disciple of Christ, but with an exception— that he might take his farewell at home, and dispose of his estate there, and so secure his worldly interests : ' I will follow thee, but let me bid those farewell which are at home in my house.' You will say. What harm in this request ? Elijah granted it to Elisha, 1 Kings xix. 21. When he had laid his mantle on him, thereby investing him in the office of a prophet, Elisha said, ' Let me, 1 pray thee, go and kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee :' which the prophet granteth, and gave way to Elisha to go home and salute his friends.
I answer —
[1.] The evangelical ministry exceedeth the prophetical, both as to excellency and necessity, and must be gone about speedily without any delay. The harvest was great, and such an extraordinary work was not to be delayed nor interrupted.
[2.] If two men do the same thing, it followeth not that they do it with the same mind. Things may be the same as to the substance or matter of the action, yet circumstances may be different. Christ knew this man s heart, and could interpret the meaning of his desire to go home first. He might make it a pretence to depart clean away from Christ. We cannot distinguish between the look of Abraham and the look of Lot. One is allowed ^ the other forbidden. Abraham is allowed to look towards Sodom : Gen. xix. 28, ' And Abraham got up early in the morning, and looked towards Sodom, and behold the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.' Yet Lot and his family are forbidden to look that way : Gen. xix. 17,' Look not behind thee.' We cannot distinguish between the laughter of Abraham and the laughter of Sarah : Gen. xvii. 17, ' And Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart. Shall a child be born to him that is an hundred years old ? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear ? ' Now compare Gen. xviii. 12 ; it is said, 'And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old, shall I have pleasure, my lord also being old? ' Yet she is reproved, ' For the Lord said, Wherefore did Sarah laugh ? ' The one was joy and reverence, the other unbelief and contempt. We cannot distinguish between the Virgin Mary's question,^ Luke i. 34, ' How can this be ? ' and the question of Zachary, John's father, Luke i. 18, ' How shall I know this, for I am an old man ? ' Mary was not reproved, but he was struck dumb for that speech. But though we cannot distinguish, God, that knoweth the secrets of all hearts, can distinguish.