ons of his Heart. Chriſt muſt be loved, above all, | It appeareth that the words muſt not be interpreted rigidly, for then, 1. They would oblige us fo 4 ching impoſſible in Nature. For no man ever yet hated his own Fleth, but Iyveth it, and cheriſheth, Eph. 5. 29. yet Life is one of the things mentioned, which we ought to hate. 2. It is Myrally impoſſeble : For the Law of God commands us to honour ous Father and Mother, tor the non-obſcrvance of, or teaching contrary to which Law, teachiag the people to ſay Corbun, (It s a Gift what- faever $14 mayeſt be profited in by me.” Chriſt ſo ſeverely refle&ed on the Phariſees. Himſelf therefore doth not here teach others to hate their Fathers or Mothers, taking Hatred in a ſtri& and abſolute Senſe. 1 any man hate mt, fignitycth here no more . than, If any Man doth love his Father, Wife, Children, Brethren and Siſters, yea, and his own Life more than mc, he cannit be my Diſciple. Nor is this any ſenſe put upon the Term hate, different trom what muſt be the ſenſe of it in other Scriptures, Gen, 29. 31. When the Lord ſaw, hat Leah was hated, that 15, leſs loved, as 15 expreſſed, wv. 3o. ſo it muſt be interpreted, 1n v. 33. It alſo fignificd Jeſs loved, Deut. 21. 18, 17. Matth. 6. 24. Fohn 12. 25, We met with the ſubſtance of what is here v. 27. in Matth. io. 58. and Mark 8. 34. See the
Notes on thoſe places.
28 For which of you intending to build a towre, fit- teth not down firſt, and countech the coſt, whether ye have /»fficient to finiſh jr ?
29 Leſt haply after he hath laid the foundation, and
is not able to finiſh zr, all char behold jr, begin ro mock
him, : 39 Saying, This man began to build , and was not able ro finiſh. : ; |
31 Or what king going to make war againſt another
king, fittech not down firſt, and confultech whether he be able with ten thouſand-to meet him that cometh againſt
him with twenty thouſand ? 32 Orelſe, while the other is yer a great way off, he ſendecrh an ambaſſage , and defireth conditions of
ace. "a So likewiſe, whoſoever he be of you, that forſa-
keth not all that he hath, he cannot be my dilciple.
Our Lord had in the Parable of the Supper ſhewed what thoſe things are, which keep Men from imbracing the Call of the Goſpel, towit their Hearts too much adl.erence to, and imbracing of ſent1- ble, and ſenſual things. . For the avoiding of which Temptation he had told them, wv. 25, 26, 27. that if they loved any thing in the World more than him, they could have no porti»n in him, they could not be his Diſciples, or Cas Mutthew faich) they are not wor- thy of him. Nay, more than this, they muſt take up, and bear their Croſs, and come after him, Pere he dire&ts them to the beſt Expedient in order to the performance of theſe Dutics, ſo hard to Fleſh and Blood, That is, to fit down before hand, and think what it will coſt them to go through with the Profetſion of Religion. This he tc!'s them, ordinary Prudence direttcth men to, when they go about to build, or fight. As to the firſt they make as good an eſtimate as they can of the Charge. As to the latter they conſider both the charge, and the ſtrength that they are able to produce, to make oppoſition. So ſaith he, tauſt th.y do who will be his Diſciples, 1, Sit down and contider what it will coft them to became the Lords Building, what old Foundations of Nature muſt be digged up, what new Foundation muit be laid, how many Stones muſt be laid before they can corne up to a Wall level, to the promiſe wherein Salvation is inſured. 2. Then they muſt conſider what Oppoſittons they are like to meet with from the World, the Fleſh and the Devil. And they muſt be ready to forſake ail for Chrift, tho' it may be they ſhall net be attually called out to, it. Only we mutt remember, that in Parables every branch is not to be applyed. We muſt defire no Con- ditions of Peace from our ſpiritual Adverſartes. 3. In our counting upof our Strength to maintain the ſpiritual Fight we muſt do as Princes uſe to do, who uſe to count the Forces of their Allies and Confederates, as well as their own : So we muſt not count what op- poſition we alone can maintain againſt the World, the Flefh and the Deyil ; but what Chriſt (who is in Covenant as to theſe fights) and we can do together. So as Conſideration and Predeliberatien here 1s not required of us upon any account to deter us from the Fight (for fight we muſt, or dye Eternaily) but to prepare us for the Fight, by a firm and ſteady Reſolution, and to help us how to manage the *:2ht, looking up to Chtiſt for his Strength and Affiſtance in the Managery of it.
34 Sait 5s good : bur if the falt have loft its favour» Wherewith ſhall ir be ſeaſoned ?
35 lr isneirher fir for the land, nor yer for the dung- hil; but men caſt ir our, He that hath ears tq hear, let
bim hear,
dec the Notes on Hatth. gs. 13. Hark og. $0. where we met with the moſt of what we have in theſe Verſes. By Salt in this place our Mv1our ſeemeth to mean a Chriſtian Life and Profeſſion. It 15 a $04, a novle, a zrcat thing to be a Chriſtian - But one that is ſo 1n an outward Profe{{i>n mav loſe his ſavour. Tho' a man cannot fall away from Truth, and rcality of Grace, yet he may fall away from 1!!s Profeſſion, he may be given up to believe Lics, and imbrace damnayle Errors, he may ſhake off that dread of Cod which he ſeem- c« to have upon him, and then what is he good for wherewith ſhall he be ſeaſoned 2 He is neither fit for the Land nor the Dungbtl. As lome things will ſpoil Dunghils, fo debauched Profetfors do but mage wicked Men worſe, by prejudicing and hardening them a- 2u1nſt the ways and truths of God. [. He that hath Ears to hear, let en hear.) It is an uſual Epiphenomena, or Sentence by which Chriſt oiten thuts up grave, and weighty Dilcourſes z the ſenſe is, you had beg need to look about you, and to undertake tne profetſion My Region vron ſack weighty Grounds and Frinciples as will
9d LUKE
Chap.
carry you through the praQice of it to th2 end, againi? all the oppo
fitions you ſhall meet with; for if you apoſtatize from your Protc1-
ſion, you will be the worſt of men, neither fit for the Churc{, nor
for the World (for you will make that the worſe) indeed fit for ny
thing but for the Fire of Hell.
CHAP. XV.
The Phariſees murmur againſt Chriſt, b : 7 Wears ag Ur ag, ecauſe he receiveth Sinners, 1, 2 Chriſt juſtifieth himſelf by a Parable of loſt hoes we
em
5 j
4