whose affections are ingrossed by the things of this present life. They forget that riches, honours, and power are bestowed on them in trust. They do not consider that God has put them into their hands for the good of others, also in order to their own improve.. ment in virtue, by the opportunities which they afford of exercising good dispositions. They rather look upon those advantages merely as instruments of luxury, and use them accordingly. But at the very time they are inwardly applauding themselves in having such an abundance of the means of pleasure, and are laying schemes for futurity as if they were never to die, and are thinking of nothing but happy days, God suddenly strips them of all their joys. While they are idly busy in gathering together the treasures of an ant-hillock, or in building childrens tottering piles, the foot of death treads them down, and spurns all abroad; so that they and their projects perish at once.

Our Lord having spoken the parable of the rich glutton, proceeded in the charge; and because a hurry of business is oftentimes a great enemy to religious dispositions, he cautioned his disciples against anxious cares about the world, from the consideration of God's providence, which is so extensively perfect as to comprehend all his works great and small without exception. Luke xii. 22. And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life what ye shall eat, neither for the body what ye shall put on. The caution to beware of covetousness, and the parable of the rich glutton, whereby he inforced that caution, were spoken to the contending covetous brothers, and to the multitude; this part of his discourse he directed to his disciples, founding it upon the caution and parable which he had just now delivered, as if he had said, Since a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth, since plenty of goods and fruits is not capable of prolonging a man's life one moment beyond the term fixed for it by God, ye, my disciples, more especially ought for that reason to take not thought for the prolongation of your life, by anxiously laying up a store of provisions and of clothes, as if these could preserve life: No; you should consider that, 23. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. You should also, 24. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which neither have` store-house nor barn, and God feedeth them: How much more are ye better than the fowls? 25. And which of you, with taking thought, can add to his stature one cubit? 26. If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? 27. Consider the likes how they grow they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to-day in the field, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? VOL. II.

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29. And seek not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 30. For all these things do the na tions of the world seek after; and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you. His sentiments here are great and sublime, being the same with those contained in the sermon on the mount, (Mat. iv. 25. § 26. which see) the following argument excepted. 32. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom: Since God hath destined you to everlasting happiness hereafter, he will surely bestow on you the necessaries of the present life. This part of the charge may be considered as parallel to the directions given to the twelve, Matt. x. 9. "Provide neither gold," &c. i. e. make no provision for your journey, but rely wholly on the providence of God. Only he now added a precept peculiarly calcu lated for those times, in which the profession of the gospel exposed men to the loss of all their goods; see on Matth. xix. 21. ý 105. 83. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves with bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, nor moth corrupteth. 34. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also: By bestowing your wealth in charity, send it before you into hea ven, where it shall lie secure from all accidents, and be a source of eternal joys to you. And if your treasure be thus laid up in heaven, your heart will be there; consequently your dispositions, actions and hopes will be all heavenly. This counsel was designed principally for the apostles, who being chosen from among all the disciples to go out into the world and convert mankind, could have no fixed possessions consistently with the duties of their function; neither had they any occasion for them, being the peculiar charge of Providence. Besides, that the first preachers of the gospel should be poor, was altogether necessary; because, if it had been otherwise, the world might have suspected that the tie, which united them in the great undertaking of converting the world, was of a secular and selfish nature; see on Matt. xix. 21. § 105. However, though this direction was given to the apostles in particular, the disciples in general seem to have followed it after the day of Pentecost, when they sold their possessions, and put the price of them into a common stock, wherewith they supported their brethren. For I think it can hardly be doubted that their behaviour in this matter proceeded from the regard. which they paid to Christ's admonition, joined with their charitable dispositions, and their expectations of better possessions in the Messiah's kingdom. Nevertheless, from what Peter said to Ananias, Acts v. 4. we learn, that this precept did not absolutely oblige them, being calculated, as was already observed, for the apostles.

Having thus recommended disengagement of affection from the things of this world, he ordered them to be in constant readiness to discharge their duty. Luke xii. 35. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning. 36. And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. This is in allusion to the customs of the East, where anciently great entertainments were made in the evening, so that night was commonly far spent before the guests were dismissed. On such occasions, servants shewed their faithfulness by watching and keeping their lamps burning, and their loins girded, that they might be ready to open the door to their master on the first knock. The master, pleased with the care of such a servant, would order him a refreshment, after having watched and fasted so long; and if he was of a very humane disposition, he might even bring it himself, and give it him out of his own hand. Accordingly it is added, 37. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord, when he cometh, shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and will come forth, and serve them. By this similitude Jesus intimated to his disciples how acceptable their zeal in discharging the duties of their function would be to him, and how highly he would reward them for it. This constant watchfulness and habitual preparation, he enforced from the consideration of the uncertainty of his coming, telling them, that as there is no master of a family but would make some preparation against a thief, if he knew of his coming, so it would be no great matter if. they should make some slight preparation on receiving certain information of his approach; for which reason, their zeal could only shew itself by keeping them in constant readiness, as they did not know what hour he would come. 38. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so doing, blessed are those servants. 39. And this know, that if the good man of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through; see on ver. 56. 40. Be ye therefore ready also; for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

Peter, who had been giving great attention to the whole of this sermon, was, it seems, at a loss to know whether the parable of the watching servants was spoken to the multitude in general, or to the apostles in particular. He therefore begged his Master to satisfy him as to that point. Luke xii. 41. Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? It was directed to all the disciples, but it contained instructions which Peter thought were peculiar to the twelve. Accordingly, by the parable of the two stewards, Jesus shewed him, that though his exhortations were directed to all, they had a more es

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pecial relation to those who are entrusted with the care of the souls of others. 42. And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? What do you think ought to be the character and conduct of a steward to whom his lord committeth the care of his family in his absence, as I do the care of my church to you? Why certainly he should be both wise, to know in what manner to govern the family, and faithful in executing whatever his wisdom and prudence direct as fit to be done; for thus only, all the members of the family under his care will have due provision made for them. 43. Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. To complete the character of such a steward, he must never remit his diligence and care, that so, at whatever time his lord returns, he may find him employed in the prudent and faithful discharge of the duties of his office. If this is the case, such a servant shall be happy, not only in the consciousness of doing his duty well, but in the rewards and honours which his lord will bestow upon him. 44. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath: He will commit the management of his whole estate to him; a trust which such a servant meriteth, by the prudence and faithfulness which he shewed as steward of the household. On the other hand, consider attentively the character and punishment of a bad steward, that you may avoid both. 45. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming: if any steward who has the care of his lord's family committed to him, yielding to the wickedness of his own disposition, shall take occasion from his lord's long absence to behave unfaithfully in his duty, and shall begin to beat the men servants, and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken: shall behave tyrannically towards his fellow-servants, and give himself up to gluttony and drunkenness, wasting their provisions in riotous living with his own companions: 46. The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware: Such a course of rioting and drunkenness will stupify that servant, so that he will not foresee his lord's coming, nor know of it till he is in the house, so that he shall be caught in the very acts of his mismanagement, and shall have exemplary punishment inflicted upon him, proportionable to the greatness of his offences, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers: His wickedness having proceeded from his not believing the rewards and punishments of a future state, he shall have his portion in that state with the Sadducees, of whose sect he was; this circumstance is added according to the meaning, rather than the form of the parable. See the moral application of this parable, on Matth. xxiv. 46. § 123. But lest the consideration of the strictness of

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the account, and the greatness of the punishment described in the parable, might terrify men of honest dispositions, who are liable to err merely through weakness, Jesus shewed them, that as offences differ greatly in their circumstances and aggravations, so shall they differ in their punishments also. 47. And that servant which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with jew stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more: In the divinė administration, the rule of judgment shall be observed which men themselves think just, and put in practice in their commerce one with another. The more advantages any one enjoys, the greater improvement will be expected of him, and the more severely will he be punished if he comes short. Jesus concluded the charge, with foretelling the divisions that should be occasioned by his gospel. 49. I am come to send fire on the earth, (see on Matt. x. 34. § 40.) and what will I, if it be already kindled? 9yw, what wish I? Do I wish to escape that fire myself, if it be already kindled? The fire he here speaks of as the effect of his coming, being the fire of division and persecution, it was already kindled, and was about to seize himself: but by this question, and what he immediately subjoined, he declared he was willing to be the first victim who should be consumed in that fire. 50. But I have a baptism to be baptized with, (see on Matt. xx. 23. § 106.) and hor am I straitened, ws σvvxqual, how am I pressed in spirit, (see the phrase complete, Acts xviii. 5.) till it be accomplished? 51. Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on the earth, by subduing all the nations of the world into one great monarchy under the Jews? I tell you, nay, but rather division. 52. For from henceforth, on account of the introduction of the Christian religion, there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 58. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in

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Ver. 47. And that servant which knew his lord's will, &c.] To understand this part of our Lord's discourse, we must suppose that the steward here spoken of, had received full instruction from his lord either before his departure or afterwards by letters, how he was to employ himself and the servants under his care. Wherefore, if he neglected his duty he was more to blame than the inferior servants, who had no knowledge of their lord's will but from the steward, who might conceal it from them, if he had a mind to serve any bye-end of his own. In this respect, how fitly does the parable describe the aggravations of the sin of the ministers and teachers of religion, who have such singular advantages for knowing Christ's will! In this light, it shews the justice of the more severe punishments here denounced as to be inflicted on them, for such wilful neglects and miscarriages as they are found to be guilty of in the discharge of their office.