The1mmutable purple of the Divine Being to Glorife the Diſ- ciples of Chriſt, The freedom of the Divine Willi, in the Gif o£ Heaven and Glory, ace neither of them cxcluſive of, but incl:.dc and ſuppoſe thc1r Duty to uſe ſuch due Means. as he h+th gr: +4 them, in the uſe of which they ſhall. obtain what he hath purpo!: d for them, and promiſed to them, ſome of which are vere dirc&cd aad preſcribed. | Sel that you have, and give Alms, &c.] It is a precept of the fatae import with that, Matth. to. 1. Mark 10,21, Tho poflibly, The Precept here given to the Diſciples of Ci:ritt gC= nerally, is not to be Interpreted fo ſtriftly as ſeemeth to be our Sa- viour's meaning in thoſe Text:, as to the young man. tor 1t ſecms to have been a ſpecial Precept to him, laying an Obligation up'n him to makea preſent Aual Sale of all he had, and it 1s plaia that he ſo underſtood it. To this Chriſtians are not oblige? gc nerally by this precept, 1. But to be ready at the cal! and command of God fo part with all, for ſuch utes as God thould fhew thum : not ty fet their Heart on Riches, P/al. 62. 16. to be ready to dillrivute, and willing 10 communicate, 1 Tim. 6, 18. remembring thar God /:wet/ Mercy rather than Sacrifice, Hof. 5. 6. M.trh. 9. v3. To give of our Superfluittes, Luke 3 11. To make Friends «four Vam nm of un- righ eouſneſs, Luie 16. g. Nay®t the ncceffitics of the yeopl- of God be ſuch as requires 1t, for the ſubſittence of Chrifituns, to ſell what we have,rather than othv rs of Gods people ſhould ſtarve,cling ro- ting our own 1n fucha cafe, which Cliriftians did in the primitive State or the Church, Acts 4. 34, 35, 37. For the other part cf, 2 2, and v. 34. ſee the N'+tcs 0n Matth. 6. 20, 21. : 35 Letyour loy.;s be girded about, ard your lights
burning, 36 And ye your ſclves like unto men thar wait fer their Lord, when he will recurn from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may onc:: un- to him immediately The firſt words o the forticth Verſe expound the tt. teftirlh. Ro Je therefore always ready alſa. inthis ſenſe we fiud ti. Phrat. uf:d, 1 Kings 18. 45. 2 Kings 4- 29. and G. 1. Fob 48. 3. and 4o. 7. Jer, 1. 17. In thoſe Eaſtern Countries, both Maſters ai! 5crvants were wont to wear long Garments, which tney were wout to Gird up, either when they went to Fight, or when they were to 7 atel, nods 12. If. 1 Kings 18. 46. Or when they wert o»t about any Service, fee Ch. 19.8. Fohn 13. 4. this was a piece of their prevuration, We read of the Girding about of the Loyns of the mind with T,uth, Ep. 6. 1.4. and with habits of Grace and Virtue, I et. 1. 13, wheretore Gird up the Loyns of your minds, be ſober, and 19pe to the end. The tice rhraſe, and 10ur Lights burning, is of the ſarae import, relating to the Lords coming from the Wedding, mentioned v. 35. For 1n thote Ccuntries their Weddings were celebrated in the Night, Chritt's coming to Judgment, whether our particular, or the more general Fudgment, 15 that which is here ſet out co us under the notion of a Mans coming home late at night trom a Wedding. Nor 1m:p oper- ly ; for in this Life Souls are united to Chriſt, Eph. 5, 32. when Chriſt ſhall have done his Work of that nature upon the Farth,that all the Ele& ſhall be gathered, then ſhall he come to Jud ,ce the World, ie would have all his Feople be ready for that Div, and waiting for their Lord, that I1s coming mas be 1wilcone fo thum, 37 Bleſſed are thoie ſervants, whom rhe Lord when he cometh ſhall find watching - verily | ſay unto yor!, that he ſhal} gird himſelf, and make them to {it down to meat, and will come forth and jerve them.
38 And if he ſhall come in the ſecond watch, or come
in the third watch, and find them lo, blelled are thoſe
ſervants» 39 And
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had known what hour the thief would come, he would
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39 And this know, that if the good man of the houſe
have watched, and not have ſuffered his houſe to be
broken through. * Mat. 21. 40 * Beye therefore ready alſo, for the Son of man
44. and 25+ Qmeth at an hour when ye Think not.
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The Duty which Chriſt is here pretfing upon [1s hearers, is 4.
Se 21+ 34+ 4, Grious keeping our ſelves awake with reference to ſome particular -hefl. 55 end. The end here exprellcd, 1s the happy recerving of Chriit
* Mat. 25. -2T.
coming to Judgrreat ; from whence 15 8vicei.t, t»at the watching here intended, is a Spiritual Watching. which 18 4 denial of our ſelves a5 to our Laſts. and the ſleep of Sin, which is compared to ſleep, Rom. 13. 11. Epheſ. 5. 14. 4nd an induſtrious keeping our ſelves from ſuch ſleep in order to the coming of our Lord, who will come, at an hour when we think nor, v. qo. His coming to us 15 uncertain, and will be to many ſurpriſong. This watchfulnet> he prefſeth upon his hearers, x From the reward the Lord wil give 16 ſuch Perſins. | He ſhall gird himſelf, and make them fit down to Meat, and will come fort? and ſerve = ag Very high Metaphorical exprefſions, ſignifying no more than thit he will put upon them a very high Honour and Dig- nity, and ſatisfie them with a fulneſs of Happineſs and Glory, and they ſhall be ar reſt for ever. Thc ſtate of Glory 1s elſewhere ſet out under the notion of drinbing new Wine in the Kingdom of God, and eating and drinking in his Kingdom. 2. From the benefit which they will have by watching in this.” That et the Lord come when he will, whether in the ſecond or third Watch, they will be ready, and thev ſhall be bletſed. 3. He prefſeth it allo from the ordinary prudence of Men, who if they have an intimation that a thief is com- ing, wall watch, and prevent the miſchief that might enſue by the breaking open c<therr Houſes. But concerning thoſe words, ſee the Notes on Matth 24. 43- where we met with them before uſcd up-
on the ſame occaſion, ; 41 Then Peter ſaid unto him, Lord,
this parable unto vs, or even ro all? ;
42 And the Lord ſaid, * Who then is that faithful and wiſe ſteward, whom hs lord ſhall make ruler over his hovſhould, to givezkem their portion of meat In due ſeaſon ? ;