tion would almost bear down the faith of God's people. By having Faith as a grain of mustard seed, signifies having an increasing Faith, producing an attention to the various duties of Christianity, as the small seed of the mustard-tree alluded to sprang up in the earth and produced branches and leaves. It is easy to perceive, that the Parable of the two men who went into the temple to pray, was particularly de. signed to mortify the Pharisees, and encourage the Publi. cans, and those who were stigmatized as sinners by the Jews; but it will admit of general application. The Pharisees imagined that they were as holy as they had need to be, and much more righteous than other men. Proud of their strict observance of the ce. remonial law, they supposed that they had a right to claim God's peculiar favour as a debt due to them. But it is unnecessary to say any more of this self-justifying sect, as our Lord has so fully described them in the parable before us. The behaviour proper for a true penitent is also so well exemplified in the Publican, that it is superfluous to attempt a farther illustration of it. As we all stand in need of divine mercy, we should supplicate for it with the same humility as he did, and not trust in our own righteousness, like the proud Pharisee; for, in the sight of God, no man living is justified or reckoned just by his own works, since all have sinned and stand in need of forgiveness. How gracious then is the DIVINE BEING, to promise that he who humbleth himself shall, through his infinite mercy, be exalted? SECTION SECTION LXXXV. CHRIST REBUKES THE INTEMPERATE ZEAL OF JAMES AND JOHN, AND HEALS TEN LEPERS--OUR LORD WARNS THE PHARISEES OF THE APPROACHING NA. TIONAL DESTRUCTION. From Luke, Chap. ix. xvii. AND it came to pass that as he went to Jerusalem, he passed through the midst of Samaria ; : And sent messengers before his face and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, LORD, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: and they lifted up their voices, and said, JESUS, Master, have mercy upon us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass that as they went they were cleansed. And one of them when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified GOD, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And JESUS answering, said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of Gon should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation. : Neither shall they say, Lo here, or, lo there: for behold, the kingdom of God is within you. And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here, or see there : go not after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. And as it was in the days of NOAH, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that NOAH entered into the ark: and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded: : But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all: Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. : In that day, he which shall be upon the house top, and : and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. : Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life, shall preserve it. I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, LORD? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, there will the eagles be gathered together. ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS. Though our LORD knew that he should, oy his discourses and miracles, provoke the malice of the Jewish rulers, and at length suffer death at Jerusalem, he stedfastly determined to go thither; knowing, that it was the only way to promote the glory of GoD, and the salvation of mankind. It was natural for James and John to be offended with the Samaritans, but they carried their zeal to an intemperate excess, and their divine MASTER reproved them for it, shewing them that it proceeded from an unchristian disposition; for Christianity forbids the indulgence of pride, passion, and personal revenge; and they should have considered, that the Gospel was a proclamation of peace and good will to men; and not to be propagated by fire and sword, blood and slaughter. Instead, therefore, of expressing resentment against R 4 those those Samaritans, our Lord quietly retired to another village; here he had an opportunity of exercising his benevolence on ten miserable objects at once; it is proba. ble, he travelled that way in particular for their sakes. It must have been very affecting to hear these ten lepers, all with one voice calling on our LORD for mercy; and delightful to observe the benignity with which he granted it! To try the obedience of these men, and also that their cure might be ascertained, and that they might be received into society again, our LORD sent them to the Priest. One of the lepers, particularly affected with the mercy bestowed on him, publicly acknowledged the Divine power of CHRIST, and glorified God; this man was a Samaritan, the other nine were Jews: our LORD mentioned this circumstance, as an argument for his kindness to the Samaritans, whom his countrymen despised. G We may learn from our Lord's rebuke to James and John, that it is the duty of every Christian, before he executes purposes of revenge, to consider what kind of spirit is be of, and to regulate his anger by the rules of the Gospel; and we are taught, by his benevolence to the Samaritan leper, to be kind to strangers, and not to contract our kindness to the circle of our own acquaintance, nor even of our own countrymen; for all mankind are the children of one FATHER, even GOD; and as we cannot, like our blessed LORD, penetrate into the hearts of men, and discern their dispositions, charity requires that we should think well of all, till we find, by experience, that they are undeserving of our good opinion; nor should we withhold our benevolence, even if we have occasion to change our sentiments, when an opportunity offers for promoting the eternal happiness of any of our fellow-creatures. |