We have before obſerved the freedom of our Saviour's converſe ; ſometimes he will Dine with Publicans, ſometimes with P iſees, becoming all things to all Men, that he might gain ſome. Chriſtians certainly have the ſame liberty ; the matter is not in w':ofe houſes we are, but what we do, or ſay, how we behave our ſelves there. [o his going to a Phariſees houſe, he gives us a great Precedent of ns ya ers. for the Vhariſezs were his great Enemies, and we ſhall obſerve no great kindneſs ſhewed to him in the invita- tion of him. Whether this P:1ariſce be ca'led one of the chie® of the Phariſees, becauſe he was a Member of the Sanhedrim or a Ruler of a Synagogue, or becauſe he was one of the Eldeſt and greateſt Repute, 15 not worth the inquiry ; thither he went to eat Bread, tht is, to take a Meal with him. Itis a thraſe often uſed to tignifie Lining, or ſupping, for they ordinarily under the Notion of Bread, under- ſtood all manner of Viftua's. It was on the Sabbath Dav. In the mean time the Evanzeliſt tells us, they watched him, to wit, whether they might hear an: thing from him, or ſee any thing in him where- of they might accuſe him. It happened there ws a Wan who had 4 Dropſie, whether cauſaily, or brought thither on purpoſe b« the Pha- riſees, the Scripture ſaith not, te was not there with ur a Diviae di- re&tion, to give Chriſt an occaſion of a Miracle, and further to in- ſtrut People in the true Durine of the Sabbath. Cliriſt upon the Sabbath begins us a Diſcourſe proper for the Day, asking the Pha- riſees if it were Lawful to heal on the Sabbath Day? They make him no reply,Chrift healeth him, then Preacheth a Doctrine tb them, which he had twice before inculcated, in the caſe of a Man who had a withered hand, Matth. 12. 10. and of the Woman whom Satan had bound. of which we heard, ch. 13. 1g. viz. That wrhs of mercy are Lawful on the Sabbath-Day. Then he juſtificth his Fa& by the confeſſion of their own pradice, in lifting up Beaſts fallen into Pits on the Sabbath-Day. His Argument is this. If it be Lawful on the Sabbath-Day to relieve a Bzaſt 3 it is much more Lawful to relieve a Man. But you do the former. The Evangeliſt reports th2m put to ſilence, but ſaith nothing of their ConviRtion. It is an eaſier thing to ſtop Malicious Perſons Mouths, than to remove their prejudices» Malicc will ordinarily hold the concluſion, when the reaſon of the Soul infeRted with it is not able to juſtifie the premiſes.
7 And he put forth a parable to thoſe which were btd- den, when he marked how they choſe out the chief rooms ; {laying unto them,
A Parable here hath ſomething a different ſignification, from what it more ordinarily hath: in the Evangeliſtsz it uſually ſignifies 2 St- militude, here it ſignifies either a Wiſe ſaying, or a Dark j-y:n;, by which he intended ſomething further than in the Parable he expreſ-
ſed, which he expounteth, v. 11. We may obſerve frum hcr&c,that
See the Notes on a'th. 23. 37, 38, 35. Theſe five laſt verſes | the Dining of Friends together 6n the Lord's Vay is not Uplawful,
a£C.. . . aord us much for our inftrucion.
ae tons, and will like [jons tear and rend when they ſee an oppor- tunity ; hut when tney ſee i convenient. then they put on the Fox's Sn, doing the ſame thing by ſu>tilty, which they durſt not attempt ko effett 5y cruclty. but the Children of the Devil could have found in their hearts, to have defired Chriſt togo out of their Country, who did nothing
Ugl. 2,
1. We may from them learn -
4
the craft of the Enemies of the Goſpel, as well as their Malice, they :
: Lat . 2. Their Malice is as much perſpicuous : who :
bl
only they ought tolook to their diſcourſes, that they be ſuitable tv the Day. :
g When thouart bidden of any man to a wedding, fit not down in the higheſt room - leſt a more honourable man then thou be bidden of him ? _
g And he that bid thee and him, come and fay to
| (Vuu2z 7 thee,
Chap. Xtv.
Preach the Goſpel, deliver
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take the loweit room; : 10 * But when thou art bidden, go and fit down 1n
the loweſt room ; that when he tha bade thee cometh,
ſay unto thee, Friend, go up higher, Then ſhalr WE Thdrthip in the prefence of ..them chat fit at mear
ith thee. - po te whoſoever exalteth himſelf, ſhall be a-
baſed ; and he that humbleth himlelf, ſhall be exalt- ed.