43 Bleſſed s that ſervant whom his lord when he cometh ſhall find ſo doinsg-
44 Of a truth | fay unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
45 But and if that ſervant ſay in his heart, My lord delayeth coming z and ſhall begin to beat the men- ſervants and maidens, and toecat and drink, and to be drunken.
46 The lord of thet ſervant will come ina day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not
ſpeakeſt thou
| Or,cut him ware, and will || cut him in ſunder, and will appoint
of.
F Jam.g.17-
him h:s portion with the unbelievers.
47 And * that ſervant which knew his lords will and prepared not himſelf, neither did according to his will, ſhall be beaten with many ſ?ripes.
48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of ſtripes, ſhall be beaten with few ſ/ripes, For unto whomſcever much is given, of him ſhali be much required, and to whom men have committed much, of
him they will ask the more.
Sce the Notes on Matth. 24. froin v. 45. to the end, where we met with the ſame Parable, but here expretied more largely, and with more Circumſtances. Matthew hath not the IntroduQion to it, which we have here, v. 41. It was occaſioned from Peters ſay- ing to Chriſt, | Lord, ſpeal::/t thou this Parable unto us, or unto all ?] Doth this Duty of Watchfulne/s concern ali thy Diftiples, or only us that are thine Apoſtles, the Miniſters of thy Goſpel 2 The ſubſtance of what our Lord ſaith in anſwer to Peter, from v. 42. to v. 49. 1s, Peter, I ſpake it to all, I have not the meaneſt hearer, but is con- cerned to watch againſt my coming : Eut zou that are Miniſters of my Goſpel, are moſt eminently concerned. Others are concerned up2n the pain of eternal Damnation to have the Loyns of their un- derſtindings girt about with truth, the Loyns of their rainds girt with ſobriety and hope, to have their Lights burning to be every way, and always ready, watching againſt fin, abſtaining from it, and in- duitriouſly keeping themſelves from any obedience to their Luſts, in a proſpe& of my coming to Judgment. But you that are to be Minitters, are more highly concerned than others. You are the Ru- ters of my Hmſhold, the Stewards of my Myſteries, x Cor. 4. 1. your Work is to give the reft of my People their portion of meat in due ſeaſon; it you faithfully do this, you ſhall be blefſed, holding on in doing of it to your lives end, fo as your Lord find you fo doing. Gut 1f any of you ſhall be found, who out of any Atheiſtical Princi- ples, not 1n heart beheving what you preach to others, but ſaying, either that I wil not come, or not ſo ſoon but you may fleep a while, and wake time enough to prepare for iny coming ; if they, who ſhould be examples to my Floek,and are the Rulers over them, ſhall give reins to their Luſts, and cat with the Gluttons, and drink with the Drunkards ; if they who ſhould feed my Flock, ſhall fall to the worrying of it, inſtead of fecding, beating my Men-ſervants, and Maidens, the Lord will not ſpare them long, but be upon them be- fore they are aware Kat Nyomwinu and cut them in pieces, (the word ſignifies to divide into two patts) as thoſe Nations were wont toſerve the vileſt tranſgreffors, Traits and Rebels, and violaters of their Covenants ; they ſhall be moſt ſeverely dealt withal, ve. 47. þ Thez fhall be beaten with many ſtripes, Becauſe they hnew their ma- Pers will, and did it ut. Ignorance of the Divine Will, will not
%
EE LUKE | wholly excuſe the finner of Ignorance : he ſhall be beaten, bur hi \ ftripes ſhall be few ; his damnation ſhall be gentle compared with >
to others, but doth it not himſelf. Our Saviour further tells
faithful in giving the Servants of Chrifts houſhold their
vits Kingdom, which is not divided againſt it ſelf 3
Miniſter, that knows his Maſters will, but doth it not ; tcacheth jr
That tjis juſt Judgment of God upon lewd and ſcandalcus them, ſters, is juſtified by the ordinary prattice of men, who require oy where they give much, and ask much of thoſe to whom they "pon committed great truſts, God looks upon wicked, looſe ang Seuy
«4 lous and miſchievous Miniſters, as the greateſt tranſgreffors, ng 'M
will deal with them as ſuch, There will be degrees in the Punid
ment, as well as in the rewards of another Life. Such on: have taken upon them to be the Rulers of Chriſts houſh11d, the "hey ards of his Myſteries, if they be vile and wicked, if they pon rFing 5 its ſeaſon, muſt expett the deepeſt place in the bottonileps Pits £ y know more than others, they have more committed to their way than others, their examples do more harm than others, their bak are greater than others, and the fiery Furnace will for they ” heated over ſeven times. on
49 Iam come to ſend fire on the earth, will , ifit be already Kkindled ?
Some of the Ancients here by Fire, underſtood the Zbly Ghip c. the Preaching of the Goſpel, with thoſe flames of Loyve, and holy a fetions which that cauſeth in the i:carts of good people ; but this In rerpretation cannot but be looked upcn as ſtrained to thoſe who compare this verfe with v. 5I, 52, 53. and the parallel Text l2 Mat. 10. 34. 35, 35. By Fire here therefore is to be underſtood t! diſſenfion or diviſion 12entioned, v. 51. with all thoſe Perſecution;
b
and whaz