The Apostles fhall judge the Twelve Tribes of Ifrael. ration, when the Son of Man shall fit in the Throne of his Glory, ye alfo fhall fit upon Twelve Thrones, judging the Twelve Tribes of Ifrael. [MARK X. 29.- LUKE XVIII. 29.-] MARK X.-29. And there is no Man, that hath left House, or Brethren, or Sifters, or Father, or Mother, or Wife, or Children, or Lands, [LUK. for the Kingdom of God's fake, 239 Mat. XIX, 28. as it were, be born anew from their Graves; when Sect. 137. And tho' fome peculiar Rewards are referved Mark X. 29 for you, with Regard to your Apoftolic Character; yet there is no Man in any State of Life, or in any future Age of the World, who hath left, or fhall hereafter leave, his Houfe, or Brethren, that is,] for my [Name's] or Sifters, or Father, or Mother, or Wife, or Chil fake and the Gofpel's, dren, or Lands; in one Word, none who fhall 30 But he shall receive undergo the Lofs of any Temporal Advantages, [LUK. manifold more, yea] an hundred-fold now in for the fake of the Kingdom of GOD, [that is,] this for my Name's fake and the Gospel's; But he 30 hall receive manifold more for it, in the inward Satisfaction and divine Confolations attending real Religion, [yea,] even an hundred-fold, now in this prefent Verfe thus, "As for you, my Apoftles, who have followed me in this new State of the "Church, which is to be brought to the Birth, when I am to afcend to Heaven, that I "may govern the World from thence by my Word and Spirit, ye fhall be to the whole "Chriftian Church, what the Twelve Heads of the Tribes were of old to the Jewish Nation: "My Followers fhall appeal to your Decifions, as the Rule of their Faith and Practice." (Fleming's Chriftology, Vol. i. pag. 28.) But it seems plain to me, that our Lord refers to the Time of final Retribution, ver. 29. which he elfewhere mentions as that, in which he fhould fit on the Throne of his Glory. Mat. xxv. 31, 32.-Mr. Pierce (on Heb. i. 5.) follows Brennius, in expounding the Regeneration, of the Time, when Chrift fhould be (as it were) begotten again by his Refurrection from the Dead; but the Criticifm feems 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; fince the Words will fo fairly admit of another Senfe, referring them to the general Refurrection. See Burnet's Theory, Vol. ii.. pag. 229, 230. (k) Upon Twelve Thrones.] Our Lord well knew, that Judas would fall from his Office and Dignity; but as Matthias filled his Place, and fo ftood intitled to the Promife, he did, not think it fit to enter into any particular Diftinction; but fpeaks to the whole Body of the Apostles, in Words which he knew would be accomplished, to the far greater Part of thofe to whom they were addreffed. (1) Shall 240 Sect. 137. prefent Time, more than all the Comfort he could naturally have found in Houses, and Brethren, Sifters, and Mothers, and They that leave all for CHRIST, fhall be great Gainers. Mark X. 30. and Sifters, and Mothers, and Children, and Lands; fuch fhall be the Delights of a good Confcience, and the fecret Manifeftations of Divine Acceptance and Favour, which shall mingle themselves with all the Perfecutions he shall here endure (1); and when they are over, as they will quickly be, in the World to come be fhall inherit Everlasting Life, and be for ever enjoying that Happiness, which GOD has prepared for all his Children, especially for fuch heroic Souls as thefe, when all Earthly Relations are ceafed, and the World itself is diffolved. 31 But fuch will be the Iffue and Event of Things under the Gospel, that many [who are] First in the Advantages and Privileges they enjoy, fhall notwithstanding this fall short of others, and be Laft in the Great Day of Accounts; and those who are the Laft, fhall prove in this Respect to be the First: For fome, from whom it might be leaft expected, fhall embrace the Gofpel, and couragiously endure the greatest Hardships for it; while others, with far greater Advantages, fhall reject it, and under much stronger Engagements shall defert it. WH this [LUK. prefent] Time, Children, and Lands, with IMPROVEMENT. HO can behold, without weeping Eyes, and a bleeding Heart, this lovely Youth perishing in Sin! What could have appeared Mark x. 17. more promifing, than this folicitous Concern about Eternal Life, in a Young Man, rich in the Poffeffions, and high in the Honours of the prefent World! To fee him running with fuch Eagerness to the Feet of a Redeemer, kneeling down with fuch Humility before him, calling upon him (1) Shall receive an hundred-fold now in this prefent Time, with Perfecutions.] Dr. Maffey in his Vernacula Sacra, pag. 18. propofes a very different Verfion of this Period, viz. "Tho' he may not receive [tav un λan,] an hundred-fold (or a fufficient Recompence,) "now in this Time, Houfes, and Brethren, and Sifters, and Mothers, and Children, and "Lands; yet after Perfecution, [uela Siwyμov,] and in the World to come, he shall receive "Eternal Life." But I neither think the Authority of Theophylact fufficient, to warrant our fubftituting διωγμον for διωγμών ; nor can I find any fatisfactory Example of fuch an Ellipfis, as this Verfion fuppofes in the Original, if that Variation were allowed; to which we may add, that the parallel Paflages, both in Matthew, and Luke, lie strongly against the Verfion propofed. Reflections on the hopeful Youth forfaking CHRIST. 241 him by fo honourable a Title, and profeffing fo fincere a Defire of In- Sect. 137. ftruction, could not but lead us to conclude, Surely this Man was not far from the Kingdom of GOD; nor do we wonder, that Jefus beholding Ver. 21. bim loved him. Who would not have looked on fuch an Object with Complacency! Who would not have expected, that this pleasant Plant fhould have brought forth Grapes; but behold, it brought forth wild Grapes! (Ifa. v. 2.) So have we feen, in the Compafs, perhaps, of our fmall Obfervation and Experience, many a fair Blossom fall withering to the Ground. So have the Hopes of Minifters, and Parents, and other religious Friends, been disappointed, with refpect to many young Perfons, adorned with a Variety of amiable Qualifications, yet lacking one Thing, and parting with Chrift when put to the Trial, after all the Regard they have fhewn to his Name, and all the pleafing Expectations they have given of a Willingness to ferve him. Oh my Young Reader, whoever thou art, I earnefly pray, that thou mayeft not be added to that Number! This unhappy Youth imagined himself in the certain Way of Salva- Ver. 19, 20. tion, because he was free from the Stains of Fraud and Injustice, of Adultery and Theft, of Perjury and Murther, or any other grofs and infamous Sin. But behold, how awful a Method Chrift takes, to open to him that Infincerity of Heart, which he seems himself not to have known. Obferve, how ftrange a Command he gives him, to fell all, and Ver. 21. diftribute to the Poor. We cannot fay, that the very fame 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 preferved with a good Conscience; and by the general Rules of Chriftianity, and by its fundamental Precepts, we are in Duty bound, confcientiously to use, not only a little Part of our Subftance, but even the whole of it for GoD, as Stewards who are another Day to give up a ftrict Account for all. And if we like not Chrift and Glory on thefe 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 Chrift, (tho' forrowful,) because he had great Poffeffions. Ver. 22. Oh dear-bought Wealth, which was the Price of his Soul! Let us look upon him, and receive Inftruction; let us learn to be upon our Guard against this vain World, that fpecious Harlot, who hath caft down many wounded; yea, many trong Men have been flain by her. (Prov. vii. 26.) How univerfally are Riches defired, how eagerly are they purfued, by Perfons in all Stations, and of all Profeffions of Life! Yet what do they generally prove, but fhining Mischief, and gilded Ruin! If we believe the Incarnate Wisdom of GOD, They make our Salvation exceed- Ver. 23,-25. ing 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 otherwife, and therefore he keeps, or makes, fo many of his Children poor.-Let them be contented with their fafer State; and let those VOL. II. 242 Sect. 137: Ver, 27. Ver. 29. Ver. 30. The Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard. who are Rich be importunate with Go D, for thofe Influences of his Grace, which can effect those Things which are impoffible with Men. On the whole, let us not think much of any Thing which Chrift demands, knowing that whatever we may lofe, or whatever we may refign, we fhall gain far more by his Favour. The Teftimony of a good Confcience before him, a Life of Friendship with GoD, the Confolations of his Spirit, and the Hopes of his Glory, will yield, even for the prefent, an hundred-fold more Satisfaction, than the Poffeffion of the greatest Riches, or the Enjoyment of the most tender and beloved Relatives. How much more abundantly then, will all be repaid in the Heavenly State! And if we cannot trust the Promife of our Lord for it, we are no more real Chriftians, than if we were publickly to worship Mammon, or Plutus, with all the idolatrous Rites of the antient Heathens. SECT. CXXXVIII. CHRIST by the Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard, Sect. 138. MAT. XX. 1. N order to illustrate the Obfervation our Lord "that many who were many MAT. XX. I. FOR the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Man that is an Houfholder, which went out early in the Morning to hire Labourers into his Vineyard. had just been making, Mat. XX. 1. First, should be Laft; and many Laft fhould "be First," he added the following Parable, and faid, This will be found to be the Cafe in Inftances; for the Kingdom of Heaven, or the Gofpel-Difpenfation, is like, or may be fitly represented by the Similitude of a Man (a) that was the Mafter of a Family, who went out early in the Morning to hire Labourers for bis Vineyard, at the Time when the Vintage was to be gathered in. 2 And having agreed with the Labourers for the ufual Price of a Denarius, or Roman Penny, a greed with the Labourers Day (b), he fent them into his Vineyard. And 2 And when he had a for a Penny a Day, he fent them into his Vineyard. (a) May be fitly reprefented by the Similitude of a Man.] See Note (i) on Luke vii. 32. Vol. i. pag. 355: -Thole who are acquainted with the Eaftern Manners know, that this Parable is exactly fuited to them in a Variety of Circumftances, which many learned Commentators have obferved, but which it does not feem neceffary to enumerate here. See Petav. Dogmat. Theolog. Vol. i. pag. 305, & feq. (b) A Denarius, or Roman Penny, a Day.] It feems from hence, that this (which was in Value about Seven Pence Halfpenny of our Money,) was the ufual Price of a Day's Service among The Labourers are hired at different Hours. 3 And he went out about the third Hour, and faw Market-place, 243 And going out again about the Third Hour (c), Sect. 138. others ftanding idle in the (or at Nine in the Morning,) he faw others ftanding unemployed in the Market, where it was ufual Mat. XX. 3. for Servants to ftand, in order to their being hired. And he faid to them, Go ye alfo into the Vineyard, 4 and what foever is the reasonable Value of your Labour (d), I will be fure to give you. And they went away to their Work, without any more particular Bargain. 4 And faid unto them, Go ye alfo into the Vineright, I will give you. And they went their Way. yard, and whatsoever is 5 Again he went out about the fixth and ninth Hour, and did likewife. And again going out about the Sixth and Ninth Hour, (or at Noon, and at Three in the Afternoon,) he did the fame, and fent others to work on the fame general Promise of giving them as much as they could reafonably expect. 5 And once more, about the Eleventh Hour, (or 6 Now when Evening was come, (or at Six o' Clock, 8 among the Jews; as Tacitus tells us, it was among the Romans. (Annal. i. 17.) It is therefore juftly mentioned, Rev. vi. 6. as a Proof of the great Scarcity of Provifions, when a Meafure or Chanix of Wheat, which was the ufual Allowance to one Man for a Day, and was about an English Quart, was fold at that Price. (c) About the Third Hour.] Dr. Whitby in his Paraphrafe explains the firft Call in the Morning, of the earliest Days of Christ's Preaching; that of the Third Hour, as referring to the Miffion of the Apostles, when they were firft fent forth to preach among the Jews; thofe of the Sixth and Ninth Hours, of their preaching the Gofpel, after the Defcent of the Holy Ghoft, to the Jews in Judea, and then to the Difperfed in other Parts; and that of the Eleventh Hour, of the Calling of the Gentiles: But this feems an exceffive Nicety of Diftinction. The Jews were ready to look upon themfelves with Complacency, as a People, who had for many Ages adhered to the Worship of the true GoD, and in fome Periods had endured great Extremities out of a Regard to it; and it feems natural to interpret what is faid (ver. 12.) of bearing the Burthen and Heat of the Day, with a Reference to this, rather than to any peculiar Hardship, which the earlier Converts among the Jews might have endured, more than the believing Gentiles, many of whom met with much the fame Treatment on their embracing Christianity. See 1 Theff. ii. 14. (d) Whatfoever is reasonable.] So I think the Word dialov may be rendered, Phil. i. 7. Col. iv. 1. and 2 Pet. i. 13. and that it fignifies, not only what a Perfon may legally claim, but what he might equitably expect from a Perfon of Honour and Humanity. Ꮋ h 2 (e) They |