Father recerveth with Fo ag , ; - y, Il—24., and defendeth againſt his mur- muring Brother, 25——32. 4 aefen gainjt his mu;
ſinners for ro hear him.
2 And the Phariſees and Scribes murmured, laying This man receiveth ſinners, and eateth with them. : A [ have ſo often taken notice, that the Term A? in the New Te-
ament 15 very often uſed to fignifie, not all the individuals of thi: Spectes, or order of Men to which it is applyed, but only a great and confiderable number of them, that it is needleſs ag1in to repeat it, None can imagine that every individual Publican and Sinner in thoſe parts, where Chrift now was, came to hear Chriſt, but only many of them, or ſome of every ſort. Thus Publicans and #uvlts centred intathe Kingdom of God, whiles the Children of the Kin: dom, and ſuch as appeared to lye fairer for it, were caft out. The
who were the rigid obſervers of their decrees, and interpretations, — they were diſturbed, and troubled at it. Thinking that becauſe the Law appointed no Sacrifice for bold, and preſumptyu ous Sinners, therefore there was no Mercy in God for them, or thoſe of whom they had ſuch a Notion, and that they were ipſo jure Ex- communicated, and therefore Chriſt ſinned in Eating, or Drinkin« with them, or in any degree receiving of them. And from hencs concluding he was no Prophet. As if becauſe ordinarily perſons are known by their Companions with whom they converſe, therefore it had been a general Rule, as if one might have concluded, that tlicir Doetorſhips were 1gnorant, becauſe they converſed with them tha: were ſo, for their Inſtruttion ; or could conclude, that the Phy/zcian is ſick, becauſe his Converſe is with the fick, for their Cure and Healing. A man is not to be judged to be ſuch as he converſcth with neceſſarily, or in order to their good, which was the end of all our Saviours Converſe with theſe Sinners. Beſides, were they them- ſelves without Sin ? The root of their uncharitableneſs was their opi- nion of their own Righteouſneſs from the Works of the Law, ac- cording to their own jcjune Interpretation of it. But let us hear our Saviour's Reply.
3 And he {pake this parable unto them, ſaying,
4 What man of you having an hundred ſheep, if he loſe one of them, doth nor leave the ninety and nine in the wilderneſs, and go after that which is loſt, until he find it ?
5 And when he hath found zr, he layeth jr on his ſhoulders, rejoycing.
6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together hs; friends and neighbours, ſaying unto them, Rejoyce with me, for I have found my ſheep * which was loſt.
See the Notes on Matth. 12. 12, 13. where we met with the ſine Parable, tho' not related with ſo many Circumſtances. The ſeventh Verſe which is the Epiparabo/e, ſheweth us the principal thing, whic! our Saviour by this Parable deſigneth to teach his ticarers and us alſo, viz. That Chriſt s ſo far po rejefing the greateſt Sinners, that repent , and fly unto his Mercy, that if it were poſſible, he ſhould t he a greater Satisfa&ion in ſuch an iſſue of Divine Providence, than in a:! the glorified Saints. No repenting Sinner, let his Sins be as many and as great as they cane, ſhall be unwelcome unto Chriſt, tiving to him with a broken Heart (reſolved againit his former Courſes ) for Pardon and Mercy. But as it happeneth to them, who by Study and Praftice make great Experiments, they can hardly find out what they moſtly ſeek for, but in the way to it, they will find out ſevera! other Notions, which are of great uſe to them : So it will fall out to them, who diligently ſtudy the Parables of the Goſpel. Tho' fome one Truth be that, the eggplication of which our Saviour doth chiet- ly intend ; yet the Parable will alſo afford ſome other profirable 1n- ftruſtions, not unworthy of our notice and regard. The Min here intended, is Chriſt, who was the Son of Man, as well as the Eternal Son of God. The Hundred Sheep fignifics' the whole number of his Ele, whether in Heaven or on Eartt, whether yet called, or here- after to be called. The Sheep going aſtray tignifyeth all the Elezf, who are by Nature Children of Wrath as well as others, Dead in Trej- paſſes and Sins, Eph. 2. 1, 3. Here is mention but of one Sheep 40 gone aſtray, tho? there be many, to let us know the Love of Chriſt to every individual Soul, that it but one of them had been to have been Redeemed, he would have come down from Heaven to have Re- deemed it. The Ninety Nine «it in the Wilderneſs, ſeem to me tc
| be the Ghrified Saints, they are the only juſt Perſons who need no Re- ' pentance. The Country Mans going after the loſt Sheep till he finds tt,
then bringing it home upn his Shoulders rejoycing, fignifies the inane Love of Chriſt, both in leaving his Fathers Throne, and the Society of the Glorificd Saints, and Angels to come and to ſek, and tofave
' that which was loſt, to pay a redemption-price for them then ſend-
ing his Holy Spirit, and the Miniſters of his Goſpel to invite, and et- fe&tually to perſuade them to accept of his Salvation, truly repenting of their Sins, and alfo preſerving them through his Power by Faith, unto Salvation ; ( for it is upon his Shoulders, that any Elect Soul 1s brought home, It is his Eye muſt find them, and his Power that,muſt bring them Home). The Country-mans Rejoyctng, and calling in;
Neizhboars to Rejozce, &c fignifyeth the ſatisfaQtion and well pleaſed-
veſs,
: Of 4 Leprofie, Of Silver, 8--10. and of the loſt Prodigal Son, Shi bh
Scribes who were the Interpreters of the Law, and the Phariſees,
'Þ
CY o . I Hen * drew near unto him all the publicans and * Mat. :.z +, Cht. 7. 35
Þ ” o . wi I Pet. pM 7 I fay unto you, that likewiſe joy ſhall be in heaven , . __ over one ſinner that repenteth, * more then over ninet
Ine 1 y * Chap. £, and nine juſt perſons which need no repentance.
3»
£ ” + _— 0 $ >, fn" > d . - « k £2 ; - A = 2 - wb, ER. ==. Rs Py at” £, Dans 2 5h WS T a: — _———— — — — __— —- ud P ” = : i wy . — * >.» = I —— = ic. DA1 <4 ” g . m__— - : . b yo te po * x : _—_—_- WL, . -_ ho ogys ” k R
Chap. RV.
neſs of Chriſt in the Converfion of Sinners, which 1s more plainly |
+ Gr. drachms here tranſ-
lated a prece of Silver,
the eizhth