BY a Parable here is to be underſtood a Proverbial ſaying, which hath ſome darknefs in it, as being brought to expreſs, or ſignifie more thin the Words naturaliy do expreſs. Proverbial Specches «re apphcable to more things, and in more Caſes than one. Nor 1s to be -xpefted thar in all that the Evangeliſts give us an account of, as to the ſayings of Chriſt. we ſhould be abie to find but an evi» dent Connexion. They ( queſtionlefs) Wrote much at leaſt from their Memories, and fet down many ſavings without reſpe@ tothe Ume when our Saviour ſpake them, or the matter of his Diſcourſe ummnediatelv preceding them 3 we need not therefore be careful to Make out the Connexion «of theſe Words of his, with what was be- lore ſet down, in the Parallel Text, Matth. 15. 14- Our Saviour Paitly applveth theſe words with reference ro the Scribes and Pha- es, the Jewilh. Leaders, their Do&ors, and Teachers at that time, Vho themtelves being 1gnorant of the true Senſe of the Divine Law, vere not Itke very wel: to Guive others, but with them tq fall into ive Mtch, that is, into Ruin and Deftruttion, from whence a very Probable Connexion of them here. with what went b<fore may be ob- TC; for as appears from Matth. &, he hid in the preceding Ver- "> AIVEN an intcrpretation ofthat Law of God. Thou (halt love thy "1,9bour as thy jelf. much differcnt from what the Phariſe:s had OEM, Wit lied capounded it, Marth. 5. 45+ Thou ſhalt love
viol. 2.
Ss LUXE
tum per ſe, in its ſeif evil, but only malum probibitum, an Evil as |
eth by Retaliation as ſuch which are the Produtts of theſe Habits :
VL
Chap.
rhy Neighbour, and hate thy Enemy, Making a great many Bray- ches of Love to Men, more than they made, Now (laith he) Thiy- 13 the Will. this is the Law of my Heavenly Father, The Scribs: and Phariſees, your preſent Do&ors and Teachers g9 much below thr: ; but liften not to them, if you mind to pleaſe God z themſelves arc B!11nd, and know not the Will of God, and if you foilow ther,
what can you expett more than ſuch an cvelt, as where one Blind Man lcads another 2?
4O The diſciple is not above his maſter, but every * * Mat 5.42. one that | is perfect ſhall be as his maſter. { Or, ſhat
This was auorher common ſaying, which our Saviour applveth, 9? perjectes * age i 2 bl 3 Matth. 10. 24. fohn 15. 20. to comfort his Diſciples concerning 4 £5
— .
their Sutferings, becaufe he was firſt in Suffering : here he apolieth 794/f*”- it to t1gnifie their Duty in doing, Some appiy this with reference
to the Phariſees, and fo make a Connexion betwixt thix and the for-
mer Verſe, where he had faid, If the Blind lead the Blint, they ithatlt
both fall into the Ditch. For, The Diſciple s not above bis matey | 13-0 none muſt look to learn of another, more than the Te:cher know. 108L! cth himſelf. But it is better applied to Chriſt, and is as much ;« |
if our Lord had ſaid, Iam your Maſter, you are my Diſciples, ang
by that Relation ingaged to learn of me, and to follow me. T hive
taught you no wore than I am ready to prattiſe, I am Merciful, f
forgive, I give, looking for nothing again. I do not look that you
ſhould do any thing above me : any thing as to which I have not ſet
You, .or ſhall not tet you an Example, but your perfe&icn lyeth in
comitfg as near to me as you can, in being as your Maſter.
41 And why beholdeſt thou the mote that is in thy bro- þ pans eye, bur perceivelt not the beam that is in thine own oy eye !
42 Either how canſt thou ſay to thy brother, Brother, ler me pull out the more that is in chine eye, when thou "UBD thy ſelf beholdeſt not the beam that is in thine own ble 04 De 408 eye Thou hypocrite, * caſt out firft the beam out of * $ee Prov. eg h*þ thine own eye, and then ſhale thou ſee clearly ro pull out 18. 27. hi + |
the more that is in thy brothers eye. Fiat} See the Notes on Matty. 7. 3, 4, 5+ 11087
43 For a good tree bringeth not * forth corrupt fruit, neicher doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruir, | | 2
4.4. For * every tree is known by his own fruit, for + 1c, ; 2. 3 of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-buſh Ca 33, 2 | "gt cher - they grapes. + Gr. a (OY
45 X A good manout of the good treaſure of his hearc, ED - 'S bringerh forth that which is good, and an evil man out of S ES | ' the evil treaſure of his heart, bringeth forth that which , | is evil, for * of the abundance of che heart, his mouth * Mat- 12: | | ſpeaketh 34”
Sce the Notes upon Matth, 7 15, 1+, 18, 20. The 43, and 44. are expounded 1n the 45. v. Men and Women here, (as in other Texts j of Scripture) are compared toTrees with reſpett to theirRoot andFruit, | and the dependance the Fruit hath upon the Root, and the Natureof the Tree» The Heart of Man 1s made the Root, that heing the Princi- ple of humane Adtions, as the Raot is the Principle to the Fruit ; for all the overt &thions of a Mans Life, are but the imperate Ads of the Heart and of the Will. Hence it 1s that a Will renewed. and Sanctitied in a Man and made Conformable to the Will of God, | doth not only will, and chuſe the Will of God, love it, defire it, $7 BIT and delight in it, but commandeth the Tongue to dire& its Dif- gs th courtes conformable to it, and alſo commandeth all the Members of at | their Body, in their Motions, and Order, to Act conformably 3 | TN |
and on the contrary the unrenewed, and ſanftified Will of Man, doth not enly rcjett, and refuſe the Will of God, but direceth the Tongue to Words contrary to the Divine Will, and all the Members ofth - Body in their Motions and Order, to a& without any reſpett | to, or aw of the Will of God. 4. IR | * M, | 39/00 46 * And why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the Mags - F,.1þM | things which I lay ? | Ch. 13, 25: | | 47 Wholoever cometh to me, and heareth my fay- ings, and doth them, I will ſhew you to whom he is like. 48 He is like a man which builc an houſe, and dig- ged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock, and when the flood aroſe, the ſtream beat vehemently upon that houſe, and could not ſhake ir, for it was founded upon a rock.
49 But he that heareth and doeth nor, is like a man that without a foundation built an houſe upon the earth, againſt which the fiream did beat vehemently, and WG immediately ir fell, and the ruin of that houſe was Ws. great. |