ſeen the King, the Lord of Hits, Zaccheus is now made ſenile of his Covetouſneſs, and Hardneſs of Heart towards the poor, of his Ext1;;3- on, and Oppreſſion, and reſolves upon an efteRual Reformation. Chriſt never looks any Soul in the face, but he looks his ſcanda;ous S:n:1ngs out of countenance, Affts of Charity and Juitice are the firſt Fruits of true Repentance. The World and the love of it. »5- cth out of the heart atſoon as ever the true love of Chriſt come: into It; the Soul knows that it cannot ſerve God and Mammm. In caſe of wrong done to others, there can be no Repentance, nor ( confequent- ly) any Remiffion, without Reſtitution and SatisfaRion fo far as we know it, and are able. T reftore four fold (ſaith Zaccheus.) True love to Chriſt never giveth him bare meaſure. God had no « here required the giving of half a Mans gords to the Poor, nor the reftoring of four-fold, except in caſe of theft, of which men were judicially convicted 3 1n caſe of voluntary Confetfion the Law was but for 2 fifth part over and above the principal as to which a Perfon was wronged, Num. $5, 7. Incaſe an Ox were ftollen, the Thief was to reſtore five-fold 3 and in caſe of a Sheep ſtollen, four were to be re- ſtored, if the perſon had alienated it ; if it were found alive in his hand, he was to reſtore double, Exod. 22. 1, 4. In other cafes he was to reſtore but double, if it came to the Sentence of the judge, V. 9, But in caſe of a voluntary Confeſſion, he was only tied to a fitth part above the principal, Levit. 5. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5. and to bring a Treſp.ajs-Offering to the Lord. This was the cafe of Zacchens, being couched with the ſenſe of his Sin, he voluntarily confetfeth, and promiſeth the higheſt degree of Reſtitution. A true Love in the Soul to Chriſt, thinks nothing too much to do in the deteRation ©f Sin, or demonſtration of it ſelf in Works which may be acceptabl= in the ſight of God. |
And Jeſus ſaid unto him, This day is ſalvation come
to this houſe, for ſo much as he alſo is *the fon ofabraham. ©
that which was loſt
j wp 5 Rs i It is the opinion of ſome, that by houſe is here to be undertood
Zaccheus and his whole Family, Nor can it be denied, but that God when he poureth out the Oil of Grace upon the icad of a Family, maketh ſome of it to run down to the skirts of his Garments. Gods Covenant was with Abraham and his ſeed. There is a leiting upon whole Nations, and whole Families, where the heads of them re- ceive the Goſpel 3 but this 1s not to be extended beyond ſome Goſpel privileges, and the liberty of the means of Grace, Swme/a tyivem which we tranſlate Salvation # come) ſeemeth to ſignitie much more. than this. I had rathertherefore Interpret ths b5yſe, the head of this houte. | Forſomuch as he alſo is the Sin of Abraham. ] Here again 4 queſtion ariſeth, in what ſenſe theſe Words are to be underſtood ; whether that he were the Sn of Abraham, as Abraham was the father of the Jewiſh Nation, or as he was the Father of the Faithful, viz. of all thoſe who believed, or ſhould belicve in Chritt. Thoſe who think he was a Jew, ſuppoſe that the R»mans did imploy ſome Fews 1n their ſervice, to gather the publick Revenue, («hich is not improbable, being no more than is cone by all Conquerors) they have alſo to countenance them, 1. That Zaccheys 1s a name ot Hebrew extration. 2. That his mention of a four-fold Reſtitution. ſeemeth to have reference to the Law of four-fold Reſtiturim, Exod. 22. I. incaſe of Sheep ſtolen, and alienated. 3. That the Jews did not charge our Saviour for eating with a perſon Uncir-umciſcd. but a Perſon that was a ſcandalous Sinner, Theſe make theſe viords to be a reaſon given by our Saviour, why he was ſo kind to Zacchexs, becauſe he alſo was a Son of Abraham, one of the {oft Sheep of the houſe of Iſrael. If I could Interpret Zowmyela: the means of Sulvation, T thouid incline to this ſepſe alſo; but raking 1t to ſignitic ſaving Grace, whic!: brings men to a certainty of Salvation, Remiſſton of Sins, and tie ju- ſtification of the Soul of this Pablican; I cannot but think that by - Son of Abraham in this Text 1s meant a true bultever z, which he
ve read of, (to whoſe houte Chrift not asked) invited himſelf, and |
might be and yet be a Native Few, ailo. Tio all jjrac; did not 05-
in it did more for Zaccheu; than he expected. O the freeneſs, and \ tain, yet the Eleion amongſt them did obtain, Rom. v1, 7. All niches of Divine Grace / which ſecketh not a worthy ObjeR, but } were not Iſrael, who were of Iſrael, Neither (faith the Apoſtle Rom.
makes the Object worthy, and therefore loveth it. - What a Word was\ 5: v. 7.) becauſe they are the ſeed of Abraham ave they all Chiliren. Nor were they other than Jews to whom Chriſt faid, F:hn 8. 29.
2? tf / 5 [4 . » . n tf / Come dn, for I mat this day abide at thirg vouſe,
- 4
Chap. XIX,
and if I have taken any thing from any man by * falſe * ch. -
ifs
E271 FOO ITS oe -—_ Ll fn ERIE 9 11-47» 97
Chap. XIX. CL
Tf ye were Abraham's Chilton je wild to the works of Avraliam, and V. 44. Tou are of your Fatho the Devil, and the Laſts of your Father ye will ds, Our Saviour therefore in ſaying, Foraſmuch he alſ5 is the Son of Abraham, intendeth much more, than that he was a Na- tive Jew, (it indecd he were ſo, for that 15 not certain) viz, That he was a beltever, a Son of Avraham, contidered as the Father of the Faithful, a genuine Son of Avraham, rcjoycing with him at the fight of his Day, and velteving with him, fo as it was puted to him for Rightewwnejs, and Salvaticn is already come in 2 ſure 77tle, tho not 1n actual Polleſfion, to every Soul that js ſuch a one.
For the}
O KE. ſented in it, un
what the thin A far
Chap, Xl
» and Servants Notion of ;.:
-1 Our Lord in this lcemeth b were a=" win Om in , the
Son of Man (faith he) is come ro ſeeb and to Jave that which is 118, We had the fame Mitth, 18. 11, Sce the Notes in that place,
11 And as they heard theſe things, he added, and ſpake a parable, becauſe he was nigh to Jeruſalem, and becauſe they thought that the kingdom of God ſhould
lnmediately appear.
| away from
gning amongſt )
them for a long time. maniteſtation of his Kingdom in Glo exalt and liberally reward his Friends, as ſhould be his Enemies. In order to up this Parable, or ſpeaketh to them 3- 4s to the aptn of it,
this [imilityqe
kloneg 1, 15