The request of this last person seems to have brought to our Lord's mind the circumstances of Elisha, when he was called to serve Elijah : and it is to Elisha's occupation that our Lord alludes in the answer he gave hima. From his words we may deduce two important observations :
I. When we engage in God's service, we should de- termine, through grace, to continue in it —
When we "put our hand to the plough" we engage in God's service —
[It is obvious that, as God's creatures, and more particu- larly as redeemed by the blood of his dear Son, we are bound to serve and obey him. Now the obedience which he requires, is, that we renounce tbe world, and mortify sin, and yield up ourselves to him unfeignedly, and without reserve. And when we begin to make a profession of religion, we do, in fact, de- clare, that henceforth we will walk conformably to the example of Christ, and the precepts of his Gospel. Our very putting of our hand to the plough is, as it were, a public declaration of our intention to prosecute and finish the work assigned us by our divine Master.]
But it is of no use to begin the Lord's work, if we do not resolutely adhere to it —
[When first we turn to the Lord, we propose to ourselves two ends, namely, to glorify God, and to save our own souls : and while we continue faithful to our engagements, we find no reason to complain of disappointment. But the very instant we recede from our work, we proclaim, as it were, to all around us, ' I have tried religion, and found it but an empty name : I have served the Lord, and experienced him to be a hard Master : T have weighed the world and its services in a balance with God and his service ; and I bear my testimony, that the world deserves our preference.' By such conduct as this a person pulls down all that he has built : he brings incompara- bly more dishonour to God than ever he brought glory, and sinks his soul into a far deeper condemnation, than if he had never known the way of righteousness b. As a man who should begin to plough, would render himself of no use, if he should relinquish his work as soon as he had proceeded to the end of a single furrow ; so an apostate from religion renders his divine Master no service by a temporary obedience, but rather defeats, yea, most completely reverses, the ends proposed.]
* 1 Kings xix. 19, 20. b Ezek. xviii. 24. 2 Pet. ii. 21.