that ſeeketh, findeth, and to him that knocketh, ic ſhall he opened. 11 *Ifa ſon ſhall ask bread of any of you that is *"r-1 4.2 - father, will he give him a ſtone ? or if hc ack a fiſh, 1-19 24: will he for a fiſh give hima ſerpent ? STE nn 12 Or if he ſhall ask an egg, will he offer him a ſcorpion ? | 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more ſhall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that as% him ? See the Notes on Matth. 7.8, 9g, 10, 11. As our Saviour's detion in the former words appeareth to be our information.that thoush! :the hand ofGod be full of good things proportioned to ail the ne- ceiſittes of his Creatures z yet they mult not expe to have them without askng,he will tor them be enquired of by the houſe of If-act, Ezek, 35. 37. and all his promiſes for the coiletion of £19 thinzs mutt be interpreted with a ſuppoſition of Peopics ſeeking them at his hand 3 as ailo that every lazy,cold, formal Praying will not o&- tain them,at the hand of God,but the working, fervent Praver + the righteous availeth much : So his farther deſign in thele Verfes leemeth to be, to let us know, that fervent and importunate prayer, will not prevail with God to give us any thing, but what ſhall be good for us ; tor he knoweth that the general defire of our Souls, is tor nothing but what 15 good;if we ask for things hurtful,it is but 4 lapſe or miſcarriage of ourTongues,cauſed from the blindneſs and 1gnorance of our minds. No man knowingly will ask any thing of another that thall do him hurt;zand though our Children,thrcagh eneir want of knowledge and judgment to difcern betwixr things that are good or evil for their Bodies, may ask of us, and cry un- to us, for things that are hurtful; yet we who know that they would not ask for them,if they had the uſe of their reaſon, and well knew their noxious quality,confideting their circumſtances, will not give them to them.So our heavenly Father tho he heareth us cry ing for ſuch things,as he knoweth (contidering our circum- ftances ) would be miſchievous.and hurtful to us; yet he will not give us any thing of that Nature,and fo in-denying the words of our Lips, he yct anſwereth the general Scope,and deſigns of our Seuls, which 1s to have only what is good for us ; But if we ask any thing which is good,and wholſome for us, and profitable unto us in the circumſtances in which we are,we may be ſure that God will give them to us, as we may,that an earthly parent will deny nothing to 1s Children crying, which is in his power to give,and which he knoweth to be good for themzfor the Nature of all good, leth in the conveniency and ſuitableneſs of the thing,to the wants and neceiſities of the Perſon that receiveth it. and every ſuch thing muſt alſo be according to the will of God ; according to his Promiſe, Pſal. 83. 11. to with-hold no good thing from them that live Uprightly. Soas both Gods fatherly relation, and the know- ledge we have, that he is a God that cannot lye, nor repent, are af- ſurances to us that whatſoever good thing we ask, we ſhall obtain of him, and nothing elſe, altho we ask and cry for it. Therefore whereas Matthew ſaith, Chap. 7. 11. How much more ſhall your Fa- ther which 7s in Heaven, give goo! things to them that asb him, Luke taith here, How much more ſhall he gtve his Ho'y Spirit go them that ash him, < 14 * And he was Caſting out a devil, and it was _ I dumb. And it came to paſs,when the devil was gone ENT out, the dumb ſpake : and the people wondered. Che Devil 1s here called Dub, from his effe& upon the Demoni- ach, in reſtraining his uſe of his Tongue. 15 But ſome of them ſaid, He caſteth out devils through Þ Beelzebub, the chief of the devils. +Gr Bret. 16 And others tempting him, ſought of him aſign £445.14 from heaven. | P v.18,1gz 17 But he *knowing their thoughts,ſfaid unto them, +john Every kingdom divided againft it ſelf, is brought to deſolation, and a houſe. divided againſt a houſe fall- et
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h. 18 If Satan alſo be divided againſt himſelf, how ſhall his Kingdom ſtand ? becaule ye ſay, that I caſt out devils through Beelzebub. 19 And if I by Beelzebub caſt out devils,by whom do your ſons caſt them out ? therefore ſhall they be your judges. 20 Bur if I with the finger of God caſt out devils, no doubt but the kingdom of God is come upon you: 21 When a ſtrony, man armed Keepeth his palace, his goods are In Peace. 22- But * whena ſtronger then he ſhall come vpon «1c, ,.. , him, and overcome him, he taketh irom him all his Col. 2. 4, armour wherein he truſted, and diviceth his {polls- 23 *He that is not With me, 1s againlt me, and he *t.12 5-2, that gathereth not with me, ſcattereth. Sce the Notes on Mutth. 5. 34,35 and 12.24, 25, 25,27.4nd on Matk 3. 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 27s 24 When the unclean ſpirit is gone out of a man,he walketh through dry places, ſeeking reſt : and finding none; he faith, I will return unto my houſeqwhence L
came Out. | : 25 And when he cometh he findeth it ſwept and
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Men and Women, as ever he had. 3. If he recovercth it, their latter end is worle than their beginning, Heb. 6. 4. Of 10. 26. 2 Pet. 2. 20.
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then the firſt.
See the Notes on Matt. 12. 43, 44, 45+ From thefe Verſes we