What is impossible with men is possible with God. 231 Mark X, 27 27 And Jesus But Jesus, looking steadfastly upon them, saith SECT. looking upon them, unto them, With men it is indeed impossible, and cxxxvii. saith unto them, the strength of corrupt nature alone will not be With men [this is] impossible, but not sufficient to encounter such difficulties as these; with God for with but it is not impossible with God to animate God all things are their hearts against them for his grace has possible, [Luke, even the things which an almighty energy, and with God all things are are impossible with possible [even] the things which are most imposmen.] [MAT. XIX. sible with men, and seem so insurmountable to human strength as to be reckoned utterly impracticable; to him therefore let the rich and poor unite their supplications, that each may be rendered superior to the snares which attend their respective circumstances. 26. • 27.] LUKE XVIII. 28 Then Peter Then Peter replied, and with some warmth 28 [answered, and] be- and confidence began to say unto him, Well, gan to say unto him, Master, behold, we have done what this youth, Lo, we have left all, and have followed hopeful as he seemed, had not the resolution thee! [What shall to do; for though indeed we had not much, we have therefore we have left all the little that we had in the LUKE XVIII. 28.1 Wworld, and have at all adventures followed thee with the sincerest zeal and affection: what reward shall we therefore have? for we persuade ourselves thou wilt not permit us finally to be losers in thy cause. [MAT. XIX. 27. MAT. XIX. 28. upon And Jesus answering said to them, You may Mat. And Jesus [answer depend upon it that you shall not, but will be xix. 28 ed and] said unto found the whole to have acted the wisest them, Verily I say unto you, that ye part; for verily I say unto you, and assure you which have followed of it, That you who have followed me in my me in the regenera- humiliation, shall at length be distinguished tion, when the Son by proportionable honours: and in the great renovation of all things, when all the children. In the great renovation of all things.] I have given what appears to me the most natural sense of this difficult passage. Mr. Fleming agrees with our translators in connecting the words on wangeveσia with the preceding clause; and paraphrases the verse thus: "As for you, my apostles, who have followed me in this new state of the church, which is to be brought to the birth, when I am to ascend to heaven, that I may govern the world from thence by my word and Spirit, ye shall be to the whole Christian church what the twelve heads of the tribes were of old to the Jewish nation: my followers shall appeal to your decisions, as the rule of their faith and practice." (Fleming's Christology, Vol. I. p. 28.) But it seems plain to me that our Lord refers in the following words to the time of final retribution, which he elsewhere mentions as that in which he should sit on the throne of his glory. Mat. xxv. 31, 32. Mr. Pierce (on Heb. i. 5) follows Brennius in expounding the regen eration of the time when Christ should be (as it were) begotten again by his resurrection from the dead; but the criticism seems very unnatural, and the objection mentioned above lies against it in its full force. The laboured argument which Dr. Thomas Burnet deduces from hence, to prove the renovation of the earth at the millennium, is very precarious; since the words will so fairly admit of another sense, referring them to the general resurrection. Burnet's Theory, Vol. II. p. 239, 239. See 232 The apostles shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel. SECT. of God shall, as it were, be born anew from of man shall sit in CXxxvii. their the throne of glory, Mat. graves; when created nature shall put on ye also shall sit up on twelve thrones, of Israel. its fairest forms to receive them, and the Son xix. 28 of man, presiding over that august assembly, judging the twelve shall sit on the throne of his glory, exalted above tribes the highest angels of God, you also, my faith- [MARK X. 29.— LUKE XVIII. 29.-} ful apostles, shall sit around me upon twelve radiant thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel; concurring joyfully with me in the sentence which shall then be passed on the Jewish nation, and on all the professed members of my church, as they have been sincere, or faithless, in their profession, and in the observance of those laws which you, by authority from me, their exalted Sovereign, shall have given them. Mark MARK X.-29. man, that hath left And though some peculiar rewards are rex. 29 served for you, with regard to your apostolic [And] there is no character, yet there is no man in any state or house, or brethren, condition of life, whether in this or any future or sisters, or father, age of the world, who hath left, or shall here- or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, after leave, his house, or brethren, or sisters, or [LUKE, for the kingfather, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands; dom of God's sake, in one word, none who shall undergo the loss that is,] for my of any temporal advantages, for the sake of the [name's sake, and the gospel's, [MAT. kingdom of God, [that is,] for my name's sake XIX. 29-LUKE 30 and the gospel's ; But he shall receive man- XVIII.-29.] ifold more for it in the inward satisfaction and 30 But he shall Divine consolations attending real religion, ifold more, yea,] an receive [LUKE,man[yea] even an hundred fold, now in this present hundred fold now in time, more than all the comfort he could nat- this [LUKE, presurally have found in houses, and brethren, and ent] time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands; sisters, and mothers, such shall be the delights of a good con- and children, and science, and the secret manifestations of lands, with persecu Divine acceptance and favour, which shall tions, and in the mingle themselves with all the persecutions he shall here endure; and when they * Shall sit upon twelve thrones.] Our Lord well knew that Judas would fall from his office and dignity; but as Matthias filled his place, and so stood entitled to the promise, he did not think it fit to enter into any particular distinction; but speaks to the whole body of the apostles in words which he knew would be accomplished to the far greater part of those to whom they were addressed. 1 Shall receive — an hundred fold now in this present time, with persecutions.] Dr. Massey, in his Vernacula Sacra, p. 18, pro-. poses a very different version of this period, viz. Though he may not receive [eav un λan] an hundred fold (or a sufficient recompense) now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands; yet after persecution, They that leave all for Christ shall be great gainers. 233 SECT. world to come [shall are over, as they will quickly be, in the inherit] eternal life. world to come he shall inherit everlasting life, cxxxvii. [MAT. XIX.-29. LUKE XVIII. 30.] and be for ever enjoying that happiness which Mark God has prepared for all his children, espec- x. 30 ially for such heroic souls as these, when all earthly relations are ceased, and the world itself is dissolved. 31 But many that But such will be the issue and event of things 31 are first shall be last; under the gospel, that many [who are] first in and the last [shall the advantages and privileges they enjoy, shall, be] first. [MAT. xix. 30.] notwithstanding this, fall short of others, and be last in the great day of accounts; and those who are the last shall prove in this respect to be the first: for some, from whom it might be least expected, shall embrace the gospel, and courageously endure the greatest hardships for it; while others, with far greater advantages, shall reject it, and, under much stronger engagements, shall desert it. IMPROVEMENT. WHO can behold, without weeping eyes and a bleeding heart, this lovely youth perishing in sin! What could have appeared more promising than this solicitous concern about eternal life in a young man rich in the possessions and high in the honours of Mark the present world! To see him running with such eagerness to x 17 the feet of a Redeemer, kneeling down with such humility before him, calling upon him by so honourable a title, and professing so sincere a desire of instruction, could not but lead us to conclude, Surely this man was not far from the kingdom of God; 21 nor do we wonder that Jesus beholding him loved him. Who would not have looked on such an object with complacency! Who would not have expected that this pleasant plant should have brought forth grapes; but behold, it brought forth wild grapes! (Isa. v. 2.) So have we seen, in the compass perhaps of our small observation and experience, many a fair blossom fall m [μala Singμor], and in the world to come, Lovely youth perishing in sin.] Dr. he shall receive eternal life." But I Watt's excellent Sermon on this subject, neither think the authority of Theophylact and with this title, will, I doubt not, be sufficient to warrant our substituting recollected by multitudes on this occasion. quor for diaguar; nor can I find any satis- There is so much beauty and pathos, so factory example of such an ellipsis as this much wisdom and piety in it, that I could version supposes in the original, if that va- wish it might be attentively perused, especriation were allowed; to which we may ially by every one of my younger readers; add, that the parallel passages both in for I would hope there are few capable of Matthew and Luke lie strongly against the reading it without some serious impresDersion proposed. sions. 234 Reflections on the hopeful youth forsaking Christ. SECT. withering to the ground. So have the hopes of ministers and parents, and other religious friends, been disappointed with respect to many young persons, adorned with a variety of amiable qualifications, yet lacking one thing and parting with Christ when put to the trial, after all the regard they have shewn to his name, and all the pleasing expectations they have given of a willingness to serve him. O my young reader, whoever thou art, I earnestly pray that thou mayest not be added to that number! ver. 19, 20 This unhappy youth imagined himself in the certain way of salvation because he was free from the stains of fraud and injustice, of adultery and theft, of perjury and murder, or any other gross and infamous sin. But behold, how awful a method Christ takes to open to him that insincerity of heart, which he seems himself not to have known. Observe how strange a com21 mand he gives him, to sell all, and distribute to the poor. cannot say that the very same is directly required of us; yet, by this order that was given to him, we are obliged to part with our all when it cannot be preserved with a good conscience; and by the general rules of Christianity, and by its fundamental precepts, we are in duty bound conscientiously to use, not only a little part of our substance, but even the whole of it for God, as stewards who are another day to give up a strict account for all. And if we like not Christ and glory on these terms, our end will be no better than his. Of him we read, that after all his morality, and all his zeal, he went away from Christ (though 22 sorrowful) because he had great possessions. Oh dear bought wealth, which was the price of his soul! Let us look upon him, and receive instruction; let us learn to be upon our guard against this vain world, that specious harlot, who hath cast down many wounded; yea, many strong men have been slain by her. (Prov. vii. 26.) How universally are riches desired, how eagerly are they pursued, by persons in all stations and of all professions of life! Yet what do they generally prove but shining mischief and guilded ruin! If we believe the incar23--25 nate wisdom of God, They make our salvation exceeding hazardous. Yet who does not wish for them? Who does not think that he has wisdom and grace enough to stand the danger? But God knows otherwise, and therefore he keeps, or makes, so many of his children poor. Let them be contented with their safer state; and let those who are rich be importunate with God 27 for those influences of his grace which can effect those things which are impossible with men. On the whole, let us not think much of any thing which Christ demands, knowing that whatever we may lose, or whatever we may resign, we shall gain far more by his favour. The testimony of a good conscience before him, a life of friendship with God, the consolations of his Spirit, and the hopes of his glory, The parable of the labourers in the vineyard. 235 will yield, even for the present, an hundred fold more satisfaction SECT. than the possessions of the greatest riches, or the enjoyment of cxxxvii. the most tender and beloved relatives. How much more abundantly then will all be repaid in the heavenly state! And, if we ver. 30 cannot trust the promise of our Lord for it, we are no more real Christians than if we were publicly to worship mammon, or Plutus, with all the idolatrous rites of the ancient heathens. SECT. CXXXVIII. Christ, by the parable of the labourers in the vineyard, warns the Jews against envying the Gentiles those equal privileges to which they should be called in the Messiah's kingdom. Mat. F XX. 1-16. MAT. XX. 1. MAT. XX. 1. N order to illustrate the observation which SECT. OR the kinge our Lord had been just making, "that cxxxviii. of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, many who were first should be last, and many 3 And he went And going out again about the third hour 3 out about the third (or at nine in the morning), he saw others a Is like, or may be fitly represented by the similitude of a man.] See note i on Luke vii. 32, Vol. I. p. 322. Those who are acquainted with the eastern manners know that this parable is exactly suited to them in a variety of circumstances, which many learned commentators have observed, but which it does not seem necessary to enumerate here. See Petav. Dogmat. Theolog. Vol. I. p. 305, & seq. A denarius, a Roman penny a day.] It seems from hence that this (which was in value about seven pence half penny of our money) was the usual price of a day's service among the Jews; as Tacitus tells us it was among the Romans. (Annal. i. 17.) It is therefore justly mentioned, Rev. vi. 6, Mat. ΣΧ. 1 as a proof of the great scarcity of provisions, when a measure or chanix of wheat, which was the usual allowance to one man for a day, and was about an English quart, was sold at that price. About the third hour.] Dr. Whitby in his Paraphrase explains the first call in the morning, of the earliest days of Christ's preaching; that of the third hour, as referring to the mission of the apostles when they were first sent forth to preach among the Jews; those of the sixth and ninth hours of their preaching the gospel, after the descent of the Holy Ghost, to the Jews in Judea, and then to the dispersed in other parts; and that of the eleventh hour, of the calling of the Gentiles: but this seems an |