We have met with the ſame Inſtrutions before 1n Matthew and Marb. Sce the Notes on Matt!. 10. 11, 14. and Mark 6. 10, 12. there is ſome difference in Words. Matthew ſaith, Enquire who 1n the City s worthy, and wv. 13. If the bouſe be worthy. Luke faith, I the ſon of po.cce be there 3 they both mean the ſame thing. If there beany in it rthut Lelongs to God 5s Eleftion of Grace,any whom God tended by vou to call, and make partakers of the Yeice of the Goſ- pel. For othicr thivgs relaring to the opening of the Words, ſee the Notes before mentioned. Only we may from hence obſerve for our Inftrution, 1. That it is the Will of Chriſt, that his Mimiftzrs ſhould not be too follicirous for a Livelihood. As the Labourer is worthy of his lire, fo he that ſends them into his Hirveſt will ſee they ſhall be fed. Let rl;cw louk to their Calling,and to the fulfilling of their Minifiry, God wilt fee they ſhail be fed. 2. That the Society of Miniſters of te Gofſp-l in Cities and Bovſcs ſhould not be with Debauchees, but with thofe that are woith»,ſo far as Man can judge 3 Such as are their Maſters, Friends, and Servants, ſhould he their | Companions. 2. Thott are mett worthy in places, amongſt whom the Son of Peace 1s , Men and Women that have the moſt Knowledge of, and Cove for Chiift. 4g. The Miniſters of Chriſt ought to carry ficmſelves with alfiaropingttc Cavility, withing good to all, and do- ng good to all, &. Chit s Miniſters ought not to make their Bel- nes their God. ol, fo
AQ. *--
S. LUKE:
| have a promiſe, that bcing refitted, he ſhall flee from them.
Chap. X. 2 Divine Licenſe to take and uſe for their Neceſſities ſuch things -25 men give them. 7. Chriſt expects that his People ſhould maintain his Miniſters, not depriving the Labourers of their hire, nor uz zlinz the mouths of the Oxen that tread out the Corn, 1 Cor: go 9 1c. nor preferring their Servants for their worldly cccafions before ſuch as labour for their Sou s, ard in that Work are God's Mefſengers ts them ard his Servants in the tirtt place, though employcd in watch- ing for Peoples Souls. 8. [ſhenot giving a Livelihood to Miniſters, is a not receiving them, 7, ce. that 15, provided the People be able. % People by not rece:ving the Goſpel of Peace brought them by faithful Miniſters, ſhall do them no hurt, their Peace ſhall return un- to them, ; They ſhall be a ſweet ſavaur unto God, even as to them that periſh. Their Judgment is with the Lord, and their Work with their God, though they /abour in vain, though Iſrael be ny: zathered they ſhall be glorified. Men proportion their Rewards according to Succeſſes of Servants ; God more juſtly proportioneth his Rewards to Mens Sincerity and Diligence in their Labour. 10. If men refuye the Goſpel,yet they ſhall know the Kinzdom of God is come nizh unt» them. If they will not be ſubjef to his Kingdom of Grace, yet they thall te lu>dued by the Kingdom of his Power and Juſtice. 11. There will come 4 day when Men that have the Offers of the Goſpel and Peace and refuſe them, {lighting and deſpiſing his Miniſters and their Mef. ſage, will find, that they had better have lived in S227 when it was burnt with Fire and Brimſtoue. Their portion of Wrath in the day of Judgment will be larger and bitterer than the Portion of the Men of Sodom. Let all who live in our days hear and fear, and in time break off their Sins by a true Repentance, leſt they go to Hell at the higheſt diſadvantage.
13 Wounto thee Chorazin, wo unto thee Bethſai- da; for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which have been done in you, they had a
hon while ago repented, ſitting in ſackcloth -and alhes.
14 But it ſhall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. 15 And thou Capernaum, which art exalted to hea-
ven, ſhalt be thruſt down to hell. | See the Notes on Matth. 11. 21.
16 * He that heareth you heareth me, and he that * john 13. deſpiſeth you deſpiſeth me : and * he that deſpiſeth me 29 deſpiſeth him that ſent me. * 1 Thell:
See the Notes on Matth, 10, 40. 4» 8.
17 And the leventy returned again with joy, ſaying, Lord, even the devils are ſubject unto us through thy name.
As we before read of the Twelve coming back to give Chriſt an account of their Succeſs, ſo we here havethe ſame of the Seventy z whetier this Joy of the Seventy was more Carnal than it ought, they rather rejuycing in that new Power which they had received from Chriſt, than 1n the Demonſtration of Chriſts Divine Power, and the Confirmation of the Dottrine of the Goſpel by theſe mira- culous Operations, is hard to determine ; for though Chriſts reply ſeemeth to have a Check 1n it, vet it is ſo qualified by the Term Ra- ther, v. 20, that we cannot from t...1ce abſolutely. conclude any ſuch thing fronr it, Here 1s a ditference to be obſerved betwixt Chrifts aud his Diſciples caſting out of Devils, Chriſt did it in his 2wn name, by his own Word of Command, Power and Authority ; the Diſciples did it in Chriſt's Name, and by a Power and Authori- ty derived from him.
13 And he faid unto them, I beheld Satan as Light-
ning fall from heaven.
Lightning comes ſuddenly, and with Thunder. The Thunder of the Goſpel brought down the Devil as Lightning z anc indeed this 1s obfcrvable, the Devil is ſo butie in no places where the Goſpel pre- vails, as 1n places where that joyful Sound is not come; whether we conſider kis Power with reference to mens Bodies or Souls. This is one general advantage of Goſpel-preaching, the Devil will not en- dure the ſound of it, ſoas to impoſe upon mankind at that rate which he doth upon 1gnorant perſons that are Heathens, or oniy differing from them in chat they are Baptized, and call themſelves Chriſtians. Chriſt ſaw thi, as God, for the Devil 1s not viſible to humane Senſes, as neither are any Spirits z which ſhewed the Iarpu- dence of that Popiſh Impotor in Germany, who ſelling Indulgences (by which he pretended Souls were delivered from Purgatory) call'd to the people to look up and ſee them fly away. But Chriſt could ſee it as God, for he certainly knew that it would be, and that it already was the bleſſed effect of the Goſpel.
i9 Behold, *I give unto you power to tread on ſer- * Mar. i. pents and ſcorpions, and over all the power of the **:
enemy, and nothing ſhall by any means hurt you.