THE
PARABLES OF JESUS
EXPLAINED AND ILLUSTRATED.
BY
FREDERICK GUSTAV LISCO,
MINISTER OF ST. GERTRAUD CIIURCH, BERLIN.
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN,
BY THE REV. P. FAIRBAIRN,
MINISTER OF SALTON.
PHILADELPHIA:
DANIELS AND SMITH, 36 NORTH SIXTH STREET.
NEW YORK: ROBERT CARTER AND BROTHERS4
BOSTON; GOULD, KENDALL, AND LINCOLN.
1850.




%WM. 5. YOUNG, PRINTERS.




PREFACE.
THE author of the following work on the Parables,
briefly notices in the Preface to the First Edition, that it
was not his design, in preparing it, "to give a complete
commentary, or to embrace every thing which has been
embraced in commentaries on the Gospels at large, or on
this select portion of them. Hence it is only on particular passages, where it seemed necessary for grounding
more deeply the exposition given, that special remarks
have been submitted; but the connexion of the Parable,
with its attendant circumstances, has been all the more
carefully investigated, in order to arrive at as precise an
apprehension as possible of the truth unfolded in each.
The practical design of the work seemed to me to require
that the citations from other authors should be literally
made, for the satisfaction of those who might not have the
works cited at hand; and then the numerous quotations
from  Luther's Postils and Calvin's exegetical writings
may possibly have the effect of leading some to give to
these authors themselves a more regular and careful perusal. Luther's Postils contain an inexhaustible treasury
of Christian wisdom and instruction, so that it is by no
means superfluous to point to the exegetical riches
stored up in them. And, in regard to Calvin, how much
his commentary deserves to be consulted, has been well
stated by Tholuck, who, after lauding its eloquence of
diction and terseness of expression, its just proportions,




iv                  PREFACE.
and freedom from all extravagant digressions, goes on to
say:'In regard to his method of exposition, we must
first of all admire that free and independent tone of
thought, which, while it did not prevent him from paying all due respect to what had hitherto been held as of
authority in the church, at the same time never constrained him to adopt an exposition which was not justified by the connexion, or which seemed at variance
with the grammatical construction. This property of
Calvin's mind stands united with the singular exegetical
tact which rendered it well-nigh impossible for him to
take up with forced interpretations. And there is
further to be admired, his multifarious learning, and,
finally, his deep Christian feeling. How much this
profoundly learned and penetrating man made faith in
the Redeemer a heart-concern, how much he sought the
salvation of his soul in the way of practical self-denial,
all his works bear witness.' "
The sincere regard which the author here expresses
for Luther and Calvin,-the frequent quotations he has
made from their writings, and the deference he uniformly
pays to their judgments, may serve, in some measure, as
a security for the general orthodoxy of his views, and
the soundness of his principles of interpretation. In the
exposition of particular passages, he does not, indeed, slavishly follow either the one or the other, but, throughout the volume, I am not conscious of having met with
any thing at variance with the Calvinistic system of divine truth. And, besides this important article of doctrinal correctness, the work is distinguished by much
care and discrimination in ascertaining the real scope
and meaning of the interesting portions of Scripture
which it handles-by much clearness and simplicity in
its exhibitions of gospel truth-and by the lucid order in




PREFACE.                     V
which it presents the train of thought pursued in each
parable, and the heads of doctrine, or obligations of duty
respectively inculcated. In a few instances I have taken
occasion to express my dissent from the views submitted
by the author; but these have always been on incidental
or subordinate topics, and have never involved either an
article of Christian faith, or the leading scope of a parable.
This work is not so much designed for private individuals, to assist them in their meditations on the parables, as for ministers of the gospel, that they might have
a suitable help to aid them in discoursing upon the Parables. And, for this purpose, it will probably be found
of equal, if not superior, value to any other work on the
same subject. In one respect especially it may be of
considerable service. For discourses on the Parables,lot unfrequently run much in the style of loose and disjointed observations on the successive parts of the story
or image delineated, without due regard to any prominent idea or leading topic as the heart and centre of the
whole. Much important and valuable matter may doubtless be delivered even when they are so handled; but it
must be obvious, on a moment's consideration, that for
the purpose of bringing clearly and distinctly out our
ILord's meaning, such a mode of treating the Parables
must be very defective and inefficient, as compared with
that adopted by Lisco-according to which every Parable is regarded as one whole, illustrative of some important truth, or obligation, or principle in the divine
government, and which the different parts of the Parable
only serve, in some respect, to open out and develop.'The work, it is hoped, may exercise a beneficial influence in recommending this more excellent way of con.
tutcting discourses on the Parables, as also in facilitating
1*




vi                   PREFACE.
the apprehension of what is in each case the real scope
and object of the Parable, which is first always carefully
investigated, and then, with the train of thought unfolding it, is spread before the eye with all the distinctness
of a tabular representation; —while the reflections subjoined from the author himself, and from the most approved commentators on the principal verses of the Parable, suggest the most important and appropriate thoughts
for the practical treatment of the subject.  Most heartily
do we concur with the author in wishing, concerning the
translation, what he sought for the original-" That the
Lord of the church may so accompany it with his rich
blessing, as that it may contribute, in however small a
degree, to the right understanding of his blessed word,
which in its meaning is deeper than the sea, and in its
truth is lasting as eternity."
P. FAIRBAIRN.
MANSE, SALTON,
23 November, 1840.




INTRODUCTORY REMARKS UPON THE PARABLES,
AND
THE MANNER OF TREATING THEM.
1. NAME AND IDEA OF THE PARABLE.
THE word PARABLE, —similitude, —properly signifies a placing of one thing together with, or by the
side of another, and most correctly expresses the peculiar essence and intrinsic nature of this form of
poetry. For, in a parable, the image borrowed fromthe visible world is accompanied by a truth from the
invisible (spiritual,) and the proper or literal sense of
the story, which serves for the image; is only the
bearer, the presenter of a spiritual truth and doctrine.
In this respect the parable resembles the fable, from
which, however, it is essentially different. In both
we find a story, which is designed to unfold a truth
or inculcate an obligation; but the regions from which
these two kinds of inventive composition derive their
images, are not the same. The genuine fable does not
exercise itself in the province of actual life, but makes
irrational and lifeless creatures from the kingdom of
nature, think, speak, act, and suffer in a manner suited to their proper nature. The parable derives its
mattersmwy from the territory of the possible and the
true; let the event, which it presents before us, be
ever so fully described, it must still be in itself so natural, that no objection can be brought against it; and
that the transaction might have actually occurred in




THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
real life.  The fable and parable are also different in
regard to the doctrine of truth itself, which they both
seek to render palpable, inasmuch as the parable has
to (ldo with nothing but religious truths, while the
fable has for its object also experimental sayings and
prudential lessons. Poelitz, in his survey of the German language, thus defines the fable, the allegory and
the parable: " The peculiarity of the fable consists in
the delineation of human transactions and circumstances
within the circle of instinct, which is so nearly allied to human freedom. The allegory does not name
the object itself which is to be delineated, but makes
it appear under an image exactly corresponding to it,
and it is a matter of indifference, whether the object
delineated be a truth of reason or a moral principle.
The parable is the representation of an action which
enfolds within itself the emblem of a higher truth of
reason, or a moral principle, under the unity of a complete and palpable form. Just as the similitude arises
out of a continued and perfectly formed comparison,
so does the parable arise out of a complete and full
drawn similitude."
2. AGE OF THE PARABLE.
In regard to the age of these two methods of instruction, the parable and the fable, we find both were
practised in Old Testament times, and were very common among the people of the East. In the book of
Judges, chap. ix. 8 —15, we meet with the fable of
the trees choosing for themselves a king, which Jonathan spake to the inhabitants of Shechem, in order to
convince them of the folly of having elected so vile a
man as Abimelech for their king. And of the parabolic method of instruction we are furnished with examples in the second book of Samuel, chap. xiM 1-7,
where Nathan charges David with his crimeiwregard
to Uriah; and in chap. xiv. 1, seq., where the woman
of Tekoa entreats the favour of David towards Absalom.




INTRODUCTION.                 9
3. RESPECT WHICH THE PARABLE HAS TO THE VISIBLE
AND INVISIBLE WORLD.
In the general, there is manifested in the parabolic
form of instruction a very fine talent of observing
appearances in nature and in human life; a delicate
feeling, and a susceptible mind for the truths and objects of the spiritual world; a pious, devout heart,
which is ever disposed to apprehend the relation in
which the temporal stands to the eternal; and, finally,
the capacity of selecting the most suitable form, wherein to embody the eternal truth, and depict what is common to the earthly type, and the heavenly antitype.
It is the part of the parable to bring the known into
contact with the unknown; and cause the latter to be
understood according to its real nature and properties
in the known; it connects the old with the new; transports us from the visible world into the invisible, that
it may present this distinctly before us in a sensible resemblance; the earthly is made the image of the heavenly, the present of the future, the temporal of that
which is eternal. In it the whole empire of nature is
an image of the empire of grace, and it shows that in
the one the same, or at least similar laws of the development are to be found which belong to the other;
for example, that a progressively advancing cultivation,
seed-time, and harvest, have a place in the kingdom of
grace, as well as of nature.  It sets out from man's
natural experience, and gives us to discern therein God's
principles of government toward the whole human race,
and every individual. It teaches us to conclude, that
if even sinful men act so and so, are so full of love, so
ready to help, how much more must God, who is love'iself, and is almighty! It derives its matter out ot
the inexhaustible province of nature and human life,
and throws light upon both, while it employs them as
an emblem for representing what is heavenly. Kleuker, in his excellent work upon " the Son of God and




10           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
of man,"* expresses himself upon the parables of Jesus
in this respect, after the following manner: 1" The lofty
apprehension of Jesus chose many parabolic representations of the kingdom of God, the import of which
is commensurate with the grandeur of that kingdom.
He spake for a new sense, for the eye and emotion of
the heart; imagined and allured through new images,
new pictures, copies of the living world. When he
wished to shoot a ray out of his infinite orb of truth,
or to illuminate an entire night, he did it under images,
symbols, characters of nature, and of history. The
circle of nature and of history, the objects of sense
and observation supplied emblems to his thoughts, became vessels for the food of heaven, which eternally
satisfies; every thing visible was made by him a symbol
of the invisible, for creatures who live and move, are
born and must act in the world of visible things.
Depth of thought in understanding what is and is done,
was indispensable in Christ; because he chose out of
all possible forms of instruction the parabolico-poetical,
which, according to the manner it was used, necessarily required that his one eye should see nature and
the other history in every present circumstance with
living force and reality. Parable is the proof of all
proofs, level to the apprehension even of the most sensual men, while the greatest hero of abstraction must
admit, if he has not become a mutilated being, that a
single image full of significance and power in a present
reality gives more light, impressiveness, authority, and
conviction to the highest truth, than the most unbroken
chain of evidence. All these parabolical comparisons
are so admirably excellent, so profound and high, comprehensive and inimitable, that nothing but a mind such
as Christ had for time, men, and things, could have
so employed them. Were we to consider an object
according to its end or design, its cause or effect, its
* Menschlicher Versuch ueber den Sohn Gottes und der Menschen, (Bremen, 1776.)




INTRODUCTION.               11
contingencies or necessaries, and such like, we should
never be able to say so much that was complete, as is
contained in such a parable."
Upon the demonstrative force of the parables, considered in this point of view, Tholuck in his Commentary on the gospel of John, chap. xv. says: " The convincing power of the parable lies in this, that the author of the kingdom of mind is also the author of the
kingdom of nature, and both kingdoms develop themselves according to the same laws. For this reason,
the similitudes which the Redeemer draws from the
kingdom of nature, are not mere similitudes, which
serve the purpose of illustration, but are internal analogies, and nature becomes a witness for the spiritual
world. Hence was it long ago set forth as a principle, that,' whatsoever is found in the earthly, exists
also in the heavenly kingdom.' Were it not so, those
similitudes should not possess that power of conviction,
which they carry to every mind, not utterly depraved."
With what observation Jesus looked upon nature
and human life, and how he employed both as full of
instructive images, for the higher truths of his eternal
and heavenly kingdom, we learn not only from the parables, but also from the figures, with which his whole
language is replete.  Hunger and thirst are,-in his
hands, the image of insatiable desire after divine things.
He is the bread of life: he gives the living water, and
accordingly represents himself as the person who is
able to satisfy every want of an immortal spirit
throughout all eternity.  Corporeal poverty is the
image of spiritual; corporeal depression of the feeling,
which admonishes us of still prevailing deficiencies;
earthly treasures bring to remembrance the heavenly,
the nobler treasures of a divine nature anti a good conscience; splinters and beams are made to indicate the
faults which more or less conspicuously strike the eye.
The strait gate and the narrow way are emblematic
of so many neglecting the right way, and the right
gate to eternal life, or shunning them on account of




12           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
the hardships attending them; the good tree, which
bears good fruit, conveys the lesson how truly good
words and works can proceed only from a good, a renewed heart; a large harvest-field represents the joyful sight of many souls being won for the heavenly
kingdom, and a field growing white unto harvest denotes the happy result of having laboured for the Lord.
The serpent brood stand for a false hypocritical race.
Whosoever does the will of God is regarded by Jesus
as so nearly related to himself, as to deserve the name
of mother, brother, and sister.  The hand, the eye,
and the foot which are diseased, and must be cut off,
tell us of the obligation to crucify the most loved, but
sinful inclinations; and how utterly incapable the carnal mind, which is ever engrossed with the love of
earthly things, is of entering into heaven, we are forcibly reminded by the camel's inability to go through
the eye of a needle. As he literally bore the cross,
so for his sake we must bear the cross of afflictions.
The moral corruption of a people, and the destruction
overhanging it, we are taught by the fact, that whereever the carcass is, there the eagles are gathered together. The breaking down of the temple is the
image of his death, and the dying of the seed corn,
thereafter springing forth to fruitfulness, teaches how in
Jesus a new life has to unfold itself out of death, —in
his people the divine life of the spirit, out of the death
of sin, and how the grand process of development in
his kingdom is life out of death. Natural birth admonishes us of the new birth; the throes of a woman
in labour, of the painful contests between the fleshly
and the spiritual life; the joy of a mother who had
been delivered of a child, of the blessedness of that
heart which has attained to the new life, that is from
God and in God. To be refreshed with food, points
to the satisfaction and delight which is experienced by
the soul that works the work of God.  To eat the
flesh, and drink the blood of the Son of Man, is expressive of the filll approbation of his death by the




INTRODUCTION.                13
exercise of faith. At the grave of Lazarus, Christ
named himself the resurrection, because he shall one
day awaken all the dead; he is the way that alone can
lead to heaven, without whom there is no salvation;
his death is his going away to the Father, and the
death of his people their entrance into those mansions
which he has prepared for us. He himself is the
physician, sins are diseases, for sin and sickness are
equally a disorder, the one in the soul, the other in the
bodies of men.
In the writings of the apostles of Jesus, we find
also an exceedingly rich, an inexhaustible treasury of
the most noble and excellent images. Paul represents
the unity of Christians which binds them together in
love, and calls them to mutual acts of kindness, under the image of their being members of a body;
Christ as the head of the body, and his people as
members to the head, are intimately united to each
other; the Christian life is to him a race and a battle,
Christians are the soldiers of Christ; teachers are husbandmen, master-builders; the denial of self, and the
victory over self, is an enervating and taming of the
body, a daily dying; a permanently adhering sin he
names a thorn in the flesh; the crown of victory, the
crown of life and of righteousness, shall be the portion
of all true disciples; and in the sixth chapter of Ephesians there is described at length, the armour of a coinplete spiritual equipment. Peter sets forth eternal bliss
as a heavenly inheritance, names Christians a holy
priesthood, describes the common endeavour of all as
a building up of themselves into a spiritual house, and
their obedience to God in spirit and in truth, as a
spiritual sacrifice. John compares with the different
ages of life, the degrees of spiritual strength, just as
the Lord himself in this respect calls his disciples sheep.
and lambs. What richness of imagery! and yet only
a part of the great whole has been mentioned. Well
may we say, that for the sacred enunciation of the
gospel, such a multitude of images is given to set forth




14           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
its eternal truths in living and sensible form, that it is
hardly possible to increase their number; at least it
will be advisable to learn from the simplicity and transparent clearness of this scriptural imagery how we
should proceed in attempting to employ new images.
4. WHY JESUS ADOPTED THE PARABOLIC FORM OF
TEACHING.
Since all figurative language, and especially a continued figure, as in a parable, carries with it a certain
degree of darkness, because it still remains to be considered what is the plain reality, it may be asked, what
could have led our Lord, in addressing such mixed
audiences, to use so frequently the parabolic method,
and why he does not always rather employ his first
and proper address, which of itself was powerful, as
he spake not like the scribes and pharisees? The disciples proposed this question to their Master himself
with the words, Matth. xiii. 10: "Why speakest thou
unto them in parables?" And his answer is given in
the five following verses. That the figurative and
parabolic form of instruction was one not very uncommon, might possibly have induced Jesus to make use
of it; but it appears, particularly from his answer, that
there were other grounds, on account of which he
opened his mouth in parables. (Matth. xiii. 35.) It
was beyond doubt pre-eminently occasioned by the diversified character of his assembled hearers-the various degrees of spiritual and moral cultivation, in
which they were found. In capacity of mind and in
moral condition they were, indeed, far from being on
a footing, but the difference that prevailed, required
this method of discourse for the several classes, though
upon different grounds. The great mass of the people
were extremely rude and unpolished, blunted through
fleshly inclination, indifferent to the highest interests
of man, and consequently so much the less capable of
relishing a discourse devoid of imagery. The small
number of those, who were better inclined, especially




INTRODUCTION.                15
his own disciples, were in like manner held fast in
Jewish prejudices, in false representations of the kingdom of God about to be erected, unskilled in spiritually apprehending the spiritual, and much too weak to
look upon all the truths of the gospel, if presented in
undisguised and naked simplicity. Then, lastly, the
scribes and pharisees, the sadducees and elders, and
priests of the people, puffed up with vain pride for the
privileges of their nation, with being God's people,
jealous of Christ's rising reputation, full of hatred,
enmity, and evil designs toward him, could not on
this very account bear so much truth, and therefore
Jesus gave it to them only under a figurative covering. If the hearers of Christ, upon whom he had to
work, were, as we learn from the pages of the evangelist, such as has just now been described, and if we
take, besides, into account the doctrines themselves,
which he delivered, we readily perceive the suitableness, nay even the necessity of the parabolical style.
Certain doctrines, quite peculiar to the gospel, which
concerned the development of the kingdom of God
upon earth, so intimately connected with Christ's person and history, could not be understood in their full
compass and entire significancy, before the historical
transactions themselves had taken place, in which they
were grounded. Now if Jesus wished to set these
transactions and their consequences before his hearers,
it was not possible for him to do it otherwise than
through such images as are found in the parables.
This was the case more especially in regard to his
death, and the circumstances growing out of it; his
resurrection, ascension into heaven, and outpouring of
the Holy Spirit. Before his disciples were, through
these transactions, instructed and taught concerning
the nature of his kingdom, comparisons were the best
means of bodying forth to them these heavenly things,
and of representing, by manifold similitudes, their vast
variety. Jesus, indeed, spoke often also in plain lan.
guage, and especially toward the end of his ministry,




b16          THE PARABLES OF' JESUS.
of the things that were to befall him; but they understood him not, clear as the words appear to us now;
they were so blinded that they knew not the things
which were spoken to them. (Luke xviii. 34.). If
their eyes were so held, and their understanding so
blinded, by carnal views of Messiah, and the expectation of an earthly kingdom, that even after his resurrection they put the question to him: " Lord, wilt thou
at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" at an
earlier period they were certainly much less fit to apprehend the great consequences of his death,-the
gathering together of a holy people, clinging in faith
and love to Jesus. And if they did not take in the
doctrine of the resurrection when formerly announced
to them, still less could they then have apprehended
the power of a risen Saviour, overcoming and regenerating the world; begetting through his word and
spirit a new and spiritual offspring to himself. But
when the Holy Spirit was given to them by the Lord,
who is himself the Spirit; when the Spirit led them
into all truth, and brought all things to their remembrance, which he had said to them, then did they also
begin to understand the images and similitudes of the
Lord in their deep significance and manifold application, and though means of these more especially the
Spirit announced and disclosed to them the future.
The cover dropped off, the veil was taken away, and
the divine eternal truth was beheld by them in perfect
clearness. Kleuker, in the work above cited, says:
"It was the design of the parables of Christ, like the
old prophetical delineations of his coming, to describe
things, indeed, according to the whole compass and
internal truth, yet still, like the former, to carry with
them a certain darkness, so that those alone could see
into the spirit of them, who sought it with full sincerity of mind; no others understood any thing of it,
and what they understood, they made no other use of
than to fret themselves and oppose Christ." What
Paul says of all human knowledge of divine things,




INTRODUCTION.                17
that " we see through a glass, darkly," may be said in
a particular manner of the parables.  As the object
forms itself in the glass, and we, by looking therein,
perceive the image of the object, yet still not so clearly
and distinctly as when we view the object directly,
not through the medium of the glass; so is the knowledge of divine things, truths, and relations for the
present connected with the word, and through the
word brought to our experience, until the time comes
when we shall see every thing face to face. Now the
parables of the Lord are as a clearer and more perfect
glass, in which he shows us the laws and institutions
of his kingdom. But if the weakness of his disciples,
who still loved the truth, sought after it and gave
themselves up to it, rendered it necessary for him to
(leliver the truth in a form suited to their power of
apprehension; so, when he stood in the presence of
his enemies, who hated the truth, which he himself
was, it certainly was doubly necessary to communicate
it to them in such a way that it might find access to
their fore-closed and darkened understandings, and at
the same time occasion no new embitterment to their
feelings. Jesus had to teach truths, which were in the
highest degree offensive to the national pride of the
haughty scribes and priests; he had explanations to
give them, which could only tend to inflame their
hatred-and raise them the more violently against him,
because they continued, just as they were at first, disinclined to his demands-to exercise repentance, to
yield obedience, to lay to heart his warnings, and receive his merciful invitations and promises. To these
truths belonged, above all others, that of their judicial
hardening, which was such, that they would lay violent
hands upon his life, would draw upon themselves the
frightful judgments of God, and cause them, and all
who were of one mind with them, to be shut out from
the blessings of the Messiah's kingdom, while the
heathen should be called in their room. It was necessary that such things should be told them, for a testi2*




18           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
mony against them; but that the truth might be declared to them in the most delicate manner, might give
them no unnecessary provocation, might not tend to
make them sin wilfully against the truth, and incur an
aggravation of their guilt, Jesus clothed these prophecies of future things in similitudes, intelligible
enough to every one who had a mind to hear them,
and lay them to heart, yet at the same time so covered
that his adversaries were spared.  In this manner
alone, is it possible to have the truth disclosed to its
enernies, delivering it to them veiled in images, so that
it may be heard without provoking indignation; a
sound eye, a truth-loving heart, desires the full light
of the truth; but when the eye is evil, it is the part
of love also to spare the evil, that it may not turn itself against the truth. The adversaries of our Lord
often had strong suspicions that he spoke of them,
but because he did it in similitudes, the thorn, which
truth ever has for contumacious sinners, was lopped
off, and they might still have received its blessings, if
they only would.  If, as Kleuker remarks, " he would
not cast his pearls before swine, it was necessary for
him to wrap them up in the sacred drapery of parabolical description; by which means he consecrated the
parable to be the casket of his pearls."  So that there
is, as appears from what has been said, this wonderful
peculiarity in the parable, that it is at the same time
both an unfolding and concealing of the truth; —an
unfolding, because the veil is so transparent, that the
matter concealed under it could easily be discerned; a
concealing, because whatsoever looks only upon the
cover and the shell, does not perceive the hidden
kernel, but yet receives this along with the shell, and
may possibly also at a later period come to partake
of it.
But if, as we have just said, there were sufficient
reasons for our Lord using the parabolical and figurative mode of instruction, in the condition of his hearers, viewed in connexion with the truths delivered by




INTRODUCTION.                19
him, other reasons are also to be discovered for it in
the peculiar nature of this kind of instruction.  Nothing is so attractive to us as history; nothing more
awakens our attention and interest than the behaviour and the fate of our fellow men; and are not most
of the parables histories from human life? This is
what makes the Bible so attractive and full of instruction, that it contains so much history; and, as God,
through means of the histories contained in his word,
wishes to nurture and form us, as his nourishing grace
is represented to have done, in the history of those
who are discoursed of in the Old and New Testament;
so are the parables of Jesus histories of the divine
economy toward us, and as the Father, so also the
Son, wishes in this manner to instruct and rear us by
the help of history. Besides, for history, arleast for
short narratives, stupidity itself can command an attention; and they awaken the interests of those who
are most unfeeling; whosoever in his levity and folly
has shut his ear and his heart against instruction, admonition, threatening, and warning, may possibly be
disposed to open them to a narrative, and thus through
means of the history, the seed of divine wisdom gains
admittance into the heart. And though all the parables are not of this description, yet they are all beautiful images. Their figurative character is made plain
to every one, by the intimation, "the kingdom of
heaven is like"-and then forthwith curiosity is awakened; or, in profounder minds, the desire of knowledge, and consequent upon that, reflection and inquiry after the meaning of the figure. Are not the
parables, then, on this account, singularly fitted for
being vehicles of instruction? Even if nothing farther
were at first accomplished by this form of instruction,
than impressing the truth taught more readily and
deeply upon the memory, this were of itself an important benefit, and would greatly recommend its use.
But as the figurative language of Christ contains in
itself eternal truth, there moves in it a living power,




20           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
which being faithfully preserved, will sometimes manifest itself to the enlightenment of the understanding,
to the improvement of the mind, to the sanctification
of the will, and the blessed satisfaction of the whole
man. That Jesus was determined, by the condition
of his hearers, by the substance and nature of the
truth which he delivered, and finally, by the suitableness of the figurative and parabolic method of instruction to its adoption, according to his wisdom in teaching, is manifest from his expressions to the twelve
disciples and others who attended on him, and came
in a body, to ask him about the meaning of the parable of the sower, (Mark iv. 10.) According to the
account in Matthew xiii. 10, the question runs: "Why
speakest thou to them in parables?" To them therefore it was a matter of astonishment to hear our Lord
speak in this manner, for since they themselves, his
confidential scholars, had not understood the parable,
they naturally drew the conclusion that the great mass
of the people must still less have understood it, and
consequently, that the benefit of his teaching was lost,
and he was not gaining the blessed object he had in
view. Upon this objection of his disciples, and in
order to elevate their views to the proper use and design of the parable, Jesus replied; "Unto you it is
given to know the mysteries of the kingdom, but to
them it is not given." Here- our Lord makes a distinction among his hearers; he says, to you, that is, to
you all who are desirous of your salvation, of knowing the truth, and obtaining further instruction, to you
it is given; ye do thereby show that ye have linked
your wills to divine truth, and have attained to a
capacity for having it more fully disclosed to you.
But whosoever, as is the case with many, is carnally
minded, and pays little or no regard to what is heavenly, he lies on this very account under such an incapacity of heart for farther instruction in the clear
light of heaven, that the secrets of the kingdom of
God cannot be opened out and communicated to him,




INTRODUCTION.                21
according to the righteous judgment, that despisers
must not, and cannot be compelled to taste of the divine goodness, (Luke xiv. 24.)  The expression in
verse 11, Jesus explains still farther in verse 12, the
statements of which contain a general principle of divine and human action towards the faithful and
the faithless. He says; "for whosoever hath, to him
shall be given, and he shall have more abundance:
but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken
away even that he hath." That is: It fares in this
matter with my hearers, after the principle, that
whosoever has desire, and love, and fidelity in regard
to the offered salvation, to him shall always be given
more grace through his growing acquaintance with
divine truth, and he shall become rich in all manner
of wisdom and experience; but whosoever does not
count the offered grace, and now in particular the revealed truths and doctrines of the kingdom, worth
farther reflection and more careful consideration, he
shall sooner or later lose every thing, and even the
word which he has heard, shall again vanish from his
memory. Then he adds, verse 1L; "therefore speak
I to them in parables;" therefore, because the instruction so often given to them in plain language has
proved of no avail to them, I shall now try, through
means of figures and similitudes, if I can lead them to
reflect, and move them to carefulness for their salvation.  The sad spiritual condition of so many of his
hearers, their stupid insensibility, their careless departure, unconcerned about eternal life, Jesus represents in the following words of this verse; "because
they seeing, see not; and hearing, they hear not;
neither do they understand;" that is; They understand not my instructions, for although they have the
natural capacity, and besides, have also, through my
preaching, the opportunity afforded them by (od of
seeing and hearing, and consequently of apprehending
the truth, still they will not use their natural capacities, by reason of the hardness of their heart, nor give




22           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
themselves to serious application, and the natural, inevitable consequence is, that they remain unenlightened. This experimental truth Jesus confirms, verse
14, 15, by a quotation from Isaiah, chap. vi. 9, 10,
which, as it was originally applied to the prophet's
contemporaries, so was it also verified in the case of
our Lord's hearers, and-continually is so in the case
of many hearers of the divine word in all ages,-since
the same causes produce the same effects in the kingdom of grace, as well as in the kingdom of nature;
for in both alike every thing develops itself according
to divine laws-in the latter according to inevitable
necessity, in the other also according to a necessity
not less sure, though of a different kind, just as man,
with the freedom still left to him, receives or rejects
the help of God. The words of Isaiah, which thus
contain the history of the past, and the prediction of
the future, therefore import: with the ear ye shall
hear, and will not understand; and with the eye ye
shall see, and will not perceive-and in like manner
shall it be with all obstinate hearers.  The groundwork of this unprofitable hearing and seeing lies
in the following words of the prophet: "For this
people's heart is waxed gross (become insensible,)
and their ears are dull of hearing, (they will not properly hear, nor lay to heart what is contrary to their
lusts,) and their eyes have they closed, (they have
made them slumber, shut them hard, that they might
not see;) and the mournful consequence of such inwar(l aversion to the truth, while it is externally received by the ear, is thus declared by the prophet:
"that they may not at any time see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and understand with their
heart, and be converted, and I should heal them."
The hardening and rejection of Israel does not follow
upon an unconditional determination of God, but by
tvay of judgment, condemnation and punishment. Because they would not have the light, therefore they
remain in darkness; because they disdain the physician




INTRODUCTION.                 23
and his help, they therefore die in their sins; because
they will not turn, they must therefore receive that
death which is the wages of sin. After this description of the one class of hearers, Jesus turns to the
other, to his disciples and those who were of one mind
with himself.  (Mark iv. 10,) and says to them,
Matth. xiii. 16; "But blessed are your eyes, for
they see, (to be understood both corporeally and spiritually,) and your ears (of body and of soul,) for they
hear," because ye have also striven to understand.
The parabolic and figurative mode of instruction,
then, was designed to serve the purpose of bringing
near the truth to every one; and it was the undoubted aim of Jesus, that all might find the hidden kernel of divine truth. That this was his design, is
manifested from the words, which, according to Luke
viii. 16, 17, he subjoins to his solution of the parable
of the sower, where he says, " No man, when he hath
lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth
it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that
they who enter in may see the light; for nothing is
secret, which shall not be made manifest; neither any
thing hid, which shall not be known and come abroad.'
To these let us add the other words of Jesus, Matth.
x. 27; "What I tell you in darkness (in secret and
hidden instruction,) that speak ye in light, (openly
and to every one,) and what ye hear in the ear (in
secret,) that preach ye upon the house-tops, (in the
most public places, that the whole world may hear
it;)"-and it becomes clear, to a demonstration, that
the secrets, which were once so darkly veiled that he
could scarcely disclose them to his disciples, were, at
a later period, to be disclosed without reserve to all.
Of a secret doctrine in Christianity, which must not
be made known to all, there is here, therefore, no
mention; for he, who is the light of the world, will
have all men to be enlightened.*
* [In this sentiment we entirely concur, and grounded as it is
upon such clear and explicit texts, as well as confirmed by the




24             THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
5. PERFECTNESS OF THE PARABLES OF OUR LORD.
If we- direct our attention to the beauty of our
Lord's parables, we shall find them the most complete
and finished models: "apples of gold in pictures of
silver." They present the most important, consolawhole tenor of the gospel, it may well be wondered that the
contrary sentiment should need, even in the present day, to be
repudiated. Greswell, in his elaborate, but very tedious, and,
in many respects, unsatisfactory work upon the parables,: has
found it necessary, for the vindication of his most arbitrary arrangement of them, to resort to the exploded doctrine of an esoteric and exoteric doctrine in Christianity; one measure of light
for the initiated, and' another, and much smaller one, for the
rude and unlearned. If there ever was such a distinction, it certainly did not derive its authority from the blessed Redeemer,
who was ever ready to impart to all his disciples the full knowledge of the truth, and most strictly commanded his apostles,
that they should leave nothing undisclosed or unexplained, which
they had received from him, even in his most private communings with them. Any view of the parables, or other portion
of the word of God, which requires such a groundless assertion
for its support, needs nothing more to prove its fallacy. But we
have a partial exception to take in regard to the reasons which
our author assigns in this section for our Lord using -the parable.
These reasons, though not distinctly branched out into so many
heads, are the four following: 1. That in the age and country in
which Christ appeared, this was a common and popular method
of instruction. 2. That it was admirably adapted to meet the
diversified circumstances of his hearers, especially to serve as a
vehicle for conveying more instruction than could otherwise be
imparted to minds so carnal as those of his immediate disciples,
and hearts so malignantly opposed to the truth as those of the
Scribes and Pharisees. 3. That being of the nature of history,
it is, in itself, of a most interesting and impressive character.
And, 4. That it was resorted to in the way of judgment for the
people's persevering and obstinate rejection of the truth, when
presented to them in its unveiled and naked form. That these
reasons are all valid and proper, no one will be disposed to
doubt; and yet we cannot but feel, in perusing what our author
has said of them, that the one reason assigned by our Lord himself for his speaking in parables, and which we may, therefore,
presume to have been the chief one, as concerns those to whom
the parables were first spoken, does not receive the place to
which it is entitled, nor, though it is mentioned at the last, is the
precise turn given to it which the words of our Lord seem to
warrant. That the parabolic style was adopted in judgment to
the people for their inexcusable blindness and perversity of heart,




INTRODUCTION.                     25
tory, and blessed instructions, in the most inviting
form; in them there is nothing superfluous and unnecessary; in the noblest language, with the most lively
colours, in the most suitable arrangement are these
is the answer which he gave to his disciples, when they put the
question to him, "Why speakest thou to them in parables? "
And though our author admits this, yet he seems afraid to look
at the matter properly in its judicial aspect; and in his remarks
upon Christ's answer, tries, as much as possible, to explain
away the apparent severity, and to draw out of it a merciful
design. But there were all along two ends to be served by the
work of Christ, the one displaying the severity, and the other
the goodness of God. He was set "for the fall," as well as
" for the rising again of many in Israel." "For judgment," says
he, "I am come into this world, that they which see not
might see, and that they which see might be made blind." And
if we look into the 6th chapter of John's Gospel, we shall find
a particular example, apart altogether from the parables, of the
manner in which he fulfilled the melancholy part of the alternative, the blinding of those who saw. In the dialogue there recorded between him and the unbelieving carnal Jews, he began
with speaking to them in figurative terms of imperishable food,
which they, in the grossness of their understandings, mistook for
something of a fleshly nature; and constantly, as they pressed him
for further discoveries concerning it, instead of softening, he continually strengthened the figure; wrapt the truth in a deeper and
deeper mystery, until he at last clothed it in language so peculiarly
strong and apparently inexplicable, that many, even of his disciples, were offended at the hardness of the saying, " went back,
and walked no more with him."'
By the conduct our Lord pursued on this remarkable occasion,
and in like manner by his resolving during the latter half of his
ministry to speak to the people in parables, there was no positive infliction of evil from him upon the minds of his hearers,
and to a certain extent it might be proper to say, with our author, that this change in his address should have excited in them
a more solemn and awakened inquiry after the truth. But that
could hardly be said with propriety to be the purpose or design
which led him to adopt such a line of procedure. The veiling
of the truth in such a mysterious form was a direct act of judgment for their previous resistance to its power, and in its natural effect on them was very nearly the same with pouring a
thicker blindness over the eyes of their understanding. It thereby
became to them a more shrouded and impenetrable thing than it
was before; and so the adoption of the parabolic style fell upon
them as a dreadful visitation for the neglect of former privileges,
as it inevitably tended to increase their aversion to the truth of
Christ, and lessen their capacity for apprehending it. If Christ's
8




26             THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
small paintings set before our eyes; they contain nothing more and nothing less, than is just necessary to
give clearness and force to the ideas sought to be unfolded; every thing is rendered palpable through means
simple object had been to enlighten them with a knowledge of
his truth, there is no question that he could, and we may also
say, would, have presented it to them in a more engaging and
intelligible form than he had yet done; but, in point of fact, their
abiding alienation from the truth did not arise from its having
been revealed so darkly, that they could not apprehend it, but
from its being so spiritual that they would not receive it; and,
therefore, according to those principles of probation, on which
the moral government of God is conducted toward men on earth,
according to which "he shows himself froward to the froward,"
as well as " merciful to the merciful," withdraws himself to a
greater distance from them, and they obstinately persist in withdrawing themselves from him, abridges their measure of light,
or allows it to become more faint to their apprehensions, after
they have refused to follow out the convictions it awakened; according to these principles, when the Jews had long heard and
refused to profit by the plainest statements of divine truth, our
Lord proceeded to veil his speech in the darker covering of parable, and thus rendered it more difficult of access, more palpably
obscure to their carnal minds. The lesson furnished in this affecting portion of their history is substantially repeated over
again in the history of multitudes of various shades, both in faith
and practice, who begin by trifling away their day of grace and
withstanding the light given to them, and who often come in
consequence to be shorn of many of their Christian privileges,
or at least are left to the operation of causes which render them
continually'less clear in their apprehension, or more insensible
to the power, of divine truth.
It is proper to add, however, that though both the design and
the effect of Christ's teaching in parables was to remove it in
a manner farther from the Jews, and make it less palpable to
their understandings, he still longed for their salvation. He wept
in anguish of spirit over them, even at the very last, when he
knew the things of their peace were for ever hidden from their
eyes. And not only so, but no sooner were the things which
concerned himself fully accomplished, than he sent his apostles
with the message of reconciliation to them first, propounding it
in the plainest terms, and confirming it by signs from heaven.
But this does not hinder that, in the course of his personal ministry, in which he came to reveal the Father, to disclose his methods of dealing with sinners, as well as the truths which belong
to his dispensation of grace, he should have made such a change
in his style of speaking, as tended virtually with the mass of his
hearers to increase their ignorance and misapprehension of the
truth.-Trans.]




INTRODUCTION.                27
of the most powerful contrasts, and each individual is,
with the utmost penetration, marked according to its
characteristic properties. A single perusal of these
parables is sufficient to acquaint us with their beauty;
but the more frequently and attentively we apply ourselves to consider them, whether as a whole or in their
separate parts, the more are we filled with wonder
and astonishment at the perfection of their form and
matter. They always appear to me like a lovely
casket made in the handsomest style, of the most precious materials, and embellished with simple, yet most
attractive ornaments; but when the key is put into
our hand, and we open it, and see the jewels and finery
it contains, these appear to surpass all worth, and make
it difficult for us to be satisfied with looking on their
glory. However attractive in form may be the parables of Jesus, and however inviting, when considered
only as specimens of poetic beauty, the truth contained in them is still more glorious, for it is the truth
which makes blessed, truth leading to divine felicity
through the hope of eternal life. What Luther said
of scripture in general, that it is a garden of God, with
many beautiful trees full of the most precious fruit, and
though he had often already knocked upon the boughs
and got much fruit into his lap, yet did he continually
find new fruit, as often as he sought and knocked again,
-this may be said more especially of its parables, in
which is treasured up an inexhaustible store of instruction, consolation, warning, and admonition. Their
meaning is richer than the sea, no one has ever drunk
out its fulness; every new consideration of them discovers to us new relations, gives new solutions, spreads
new light over the affairs of the heavenly kingdom.
Every reader, whether learned or unlearned, polished
or unpolished, will understand somewhat of the parables, although the more acute eye sees farther into
them than the %weaker; they are simple enough for the
simple, and deep enough for the most profound thinker;
they are, like the whole of scripture, a stream, which




28           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
the lamb can wade through, while yet it is deep enough
for the elephant.
6. MATTER OF THE PARABLES.
The commencement of so many parables:  "The
kingdom of heaven is like, &c.," shows, as their main
scope, what they wish to explain; and those also,
which have no such beginning, are equally intended
to open up the kingdom of God in its manifold relations. The words in Ps. lxxviii. 2: " I will open my
mouth in parables; I will utter things which have
been kept secret from the foundation of the world,"
are applied, in Matth. xiii. 35, to Jesus, and teach us,
that our Lord in his parables conveyed information
upon the nature, extent, and destiny of his kingdom,
as also of those who should be subjects of it, and
that in it are disclosed the eternal purposes of God for
the salvation of men. They do, indeed, all stand
in the most intimate connexion with contemporary
characters, with surrounding circumstances and pressing events, were delivered for the most part only as
occasions gave rise to them, to show their application
to particular cases, yet still they are quite general in
their nature, and of perpetual force. For although
human nature, in the time of Jesus, manifested its internal peculiarities, as it ever does, only in determinate, temporary, and popular forms, the Searcher of
hearts did continually seize upon what was general
and permanent, upon which he directed his instructions,
and hence the parables reach so far beyond every thing
peculiar to one time, one place, or one people: because
in the particular he held up to view the general, in
the temporary, the permanent and constantly recurring. The heavenly kingdom, which forms the subject
of the parables, is God's dispensation of mercy and
grace for the redemption of sinners. Because this
dispensation was an eternal purpose of the paternal
love of God, it is called the kingdom of God, and because it was set up in the fulness of time by Jesus




INTRODUCTION.                29
Christ, the Son of God, it is also called the kingdom
of Jesus Christ.  Purposed from  eternity, it was
promised to our first parents immediately after the fall,
and thenceforward proclaimed and described with
manifold variety by all the prophets. At first confined
only to Israel, this dispensation of grace was, however,
latterly, by progressive development, to extend its empire over all mankind, in conformity to the love of
God, who would have all to be saved, and in conformity also to the necessities of men, who are universally
sinners, standing in need of redemption and eternal
blessedness, but in themselves incapable of attaining it.
The highest end of the heavenly kingdom is communion
with God through Jesus Christ, and in this a blessedness, already begun in time and continued throughout
all eternity. This idea of communion with God must
be kept in view as the essential point in all the parables, while, at the same time, it is treated of in many
different aspects and relations; for sometimes the discourse is of the means through which such communion
is attainable, as of the word of God, (in the parable
of the sower,) sometimes of its worth, (as in the treasure and the pearl,) sometimes of the company, brought
into that state wherein it appears as a church or community in the present world, (as in the tares,) then
again of the progress of its development, (as in the
mustard-seed,) and, finally, in a number of parables,
of the spiritual condition and destiny of those who are
willing to participate in this communion, or have already partaken of it. The kingdom of God, in its
constitution as a church, in its past and future history,
in time and in eternity, that is the great burden of the
parables of Jesus.  Draeseke: "What do we Christians understand by the kingdom of heaven? Sometimes the state of bliss to which the church shall be
brought. Sometimes the church itself, which will
conduct us thither. But always the communion of
souls, which seek and find their salvation through
Christ in God. Whether we consider alone, or by
3*




30           THE PARAILES OF JESUS.
many together, as a community united to each other
in the bonds of one salvation, the thing itself remains
the same. Wherever souls seek and find salvation
through Christ in God, there is the kingdom of heaven."
7. MANNER OF EXPOUNDING AND TREATING THE
PARABLES.
Upon the principles which ought to be followed in
the exposition and practical treatment of the parables
of Jesus, there prevails, among expositors and divines,
the greatest difference of views and contradictory
opinions. As with the exposition of Scripture generally, there is primarily and above all required an application of the parable to one's own heart, as an essential qualification for the deep and thorough understanding of them. From such an application we often
learn, in a moment, what has escaped the most diligent
investigation. The learned expositor has, therefore,
as much to lay to heart the saying-de te fit sermo,
as the practical divine. As when Nathan said to
David, "Thou art the man," the full light of the parable flashed upon the latter, so is it still found to be
the case. The truly practical judgment, at which one
arrives through such a manner of consideration, is the
best safeguard against the error of an allegorical interpretation, which is always more or less arbitrary,
and, consequently, in the same proportion false —a
rock upon which so many of the older expositors of
the parables struck. Hence, the watchword of Luther,
"the literal sense," proves itself here also to be the
effective instrument; for in that is to be found instruction, power, life, and art. Through this practical
judgment we are also prevented from surrendering the
traits and incidents to an unbridled and lawless imagination, but are led to understand that the parables and
their interpretation must be "profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly




INTRODUCTION.                 31
furnished unto all good works," that both alike must
be made to minister to our salvation, through faith
that is in Christ.
It is further necessary, as a general rule for the
profitable treatment of the figurative matter contained
in the parables, to render clear and manifest, in the
first instance, the image, which is used to embody the
spiritual truth, -without respect to this truth,-merely
by itself, in its own proper meaning and relations, after
which we may transfer it to the spiritual province to
determine the nature of what is signified by the image.
For example, Jesus names his disciples "the salt of
the earth;" what does he mean by doing so? Salt is
of itself a savoury thing, which quality it also imparts
to other things; it purifies, it preserves from corruption. Now the disciples of Jesus must be a salt in regard to the world; they are in themselves savoury,
lively —there are found in them the noblest properties
of the heart, because they have imbibed the gospel,
the spirit of Christ; and, in regard to others, with
whom they come into contact, and over whom they
obtain an ascendency, they are also salutary, since,
through the influence of their spirit, which is the spirit
of Christ, they are instrumental in purging these
others from sin, making them acceptable to God and
men, preserving them from moral corruption, from entire perdition in sin and death, nay, helping them to
obtain eternal life. Considering things in this manner, we shall hit upon the point of resemblance, the
tertium comparationis, and discover, in every parable,
a rich treasury of truth.
But, since each parable is one whole, made up of
several images, there arises the question, which has received very different answers, whether every individual trait in the picture, however small, ought to be interpreted or not? That in the parable, as a finishedl
picture, every part of the image is important, as serving to designate more exactly the characters of the
persons introduce(d, to render the transactions more




32           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
palpable, and hence forms a sort of necessary part of
the parable, as the picture is only rendered complete
by means of these subordinate traits, is admitted on
all hands. But many are of opinion, that much in the
parables was designed merely for ornamental painting,
introduced from no other necessity than to produce
effect, and ought, in the exposition of the parable, to
have no interpretation put upon it, as having no corresponding object. To this view many expounders
of the parables may have been led, from the circumstance that the meaning of small, and comparatively
unimportant particulars, has often been carried to excess, and because, by entering too minutely into what
was particular, the grand design of the parable has
often been overlooked or even completely missed, a
practice which is certainly deserving of blame. But
just as little is the opinion tenable, that much in the
parables of our Lord serves the purpose merely of ornament, as is manifest from the consideration, that the
several expositors differ very much in regard to what
is essential and non-essential; and if we bring together
the various expositions, since this part, according to
one, and that, according to another, is non-essential,
it must follow, as a necessary consequence, that all
and every part is, at the same time, essential and nonessential. But, as this latter cannot possibly be the
case, we must adopt it as the most correct opinion,
that nothing is entirely non-essential, a mere meaningless ornament, and that to every lineament in the figure
there is another answering to it in the reality, the
spiritual thing thereby represented. It is by no means,
however, on this account to be maintained, that we
must, in a petty and straitened spirit, give significancy
to every word; for there is a vast difference between
the import of particular words and of particular, distinct parts of the parable, every figurative word being
far from forming by itself a distinct portion of the figurative delineation. The more we confine our attention only to what is general, and leave unnoticed the




INTRODUCTION.,                3
particular parts of the figure, the more shall we find
the life, the grace of the similitude vanish away;
whereas, by the contrary method of handling them,
the interest increases, and the beauty and truthfulness
of it become more deeply felt.  Olshausen, in his Biblical Commentary on the Writings of the New Testament, expresses himself, at p. 429, upon the significancy of the parables, in the following manner: "The
parable of the sower is one of the few, whereof our
Lord has given us an authentic exposition, which is
of much importance, not only for the understanding
of that particular history, but for the derivation of
those principles which should guide us in the exposition of all the parables. We may learn from it, more
especially, what is usually the most difficult thing in
the exposition of the parables, how far the particular
incidents of the parabolical narrative have, or have not,
any proper meaning. As a shallow spirit can here get
over every thing of a profound nature in the divine
word, by declaring this or that to be mere ornament,
so can superstition convert every particle of sand into
a mountain. The same spirit which framed the parables, must also expound them, and then we are sure
of striking the golden mean." And again, at p. 600:
"How far particular incidents in each parable are to
be interpreted, remains, indeed, always very doubtful;
yet, still in the similitudes of Jesus, which open up to
us so rich a field of contemplation, we must, on the
whole, maintain it as a canon, that no incident is to be
lightly passed by, unless by insisting upon it the figure,
as a whole, should be manifestly obscured." Farther,
at p. 787, on the parable of the rebellious labourers
in the vineyard, he says; " But how far the particular
incidents may be applicable, that is here, as in the parables generally, a difficult question. In regard to
this no certain boundary-line can be drawn, since the
penetration required to apprehend the more remote
lines of resemblance depends upon the expositor's state
of advancement in the spiritual life. Only, a due re



34            THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
verence to the words of our Lord will naturally lead
to the most careful application possible of every particular incident, since the completeness of the similitude
depends upon the fulness of the parallel resemblances
which lie enclosed in it." At p. 799, he also remarks
on the parable of the wedding-garment: "It would
certainly be the easiest method to say, that these incidents (the wedding-garment, &c.,) are not to be
minutely pressed, but they stand in such close connexion with the whole of the similitude, that the
entire representation must be void of meaning if particulars of such moment are to be pushed aside as accidental." Lastly, at p. 910, on the parable of the
ten virgins, he says: "It is asked how far the individual traits are to be taken into account.  The natural
fitness of these to symbolize what is spiritual, is the
only determinate rule that can be given, and this, applied without violence, will furnish for the parable
before us a fulness of interesting resemblances, sufficient to constitute it the finest in the gospel.  For
the more points of resemblance that a similitude readily
and naturally presents, the richer must it be reckoned."
When a parable is to be expounded and applied, we
must first of all consider its connexion with what precedes and follows, and (letermine accordingly, before
every thing else, its prominent idea. Until, through
repeated attentive consideration of the circumstances
and subject, this central point and kernel of the parable has been discovered, and set forth in the most precise and determinate manner, we need not meddle with
the import of particular parts, for these can only be
seen in their true light when contemplated from that
central point. We might compare the whole similitude to a circle, whose centre is the divine doctrine
or truth, and whose radii are the several figurative
lineaments of the narrative. So long as we do not
stand in the centre, the circle neither appears in its
perfectly round form, nor are the radii perceived in
their order, as all tending to the centre, and in beauti



INTRODUCTION.                35,
ful accordance with each other; but all this is done
when the eye surveys every thing from the centre. It
is so exactly in the parable, when we have obtained
a full and distinct view of its central point, its grand
doctrine, the relative position and right meaning of
its several parts also become clear, and we shall then
condescend upon these, only in so far as the grand
doctrine can thereby be more vividly displayed. The
most difficult matter, though one of indispensable importance, is certainly to find out the principal idea,
since, in each parable, so many individual truths meet
us, which, at first, might seem of equal importance;
but, on maturer consideration, there is always one
which comes out before the rest into the clearest light,
while these, on the other hand, fall more into the
shade, and serve only to define more exactly the grand
truth, which forms the central point; and perhaps, also,
in some respects, to illustrate it. When it is our design
to illustrate a parable in edifying discourse, this will
certainly be effected in the best manner for the hearers,
when it is treated as one whole; for the parcelling out
of the parables into many separate discourses does unquestionable injury to the impression of the whole, as,
however much of excellent matter may be delivered,
the unity and completeness of the main idea are still
frittered away on the too wire-drawn extension of the
parts. When handled in this manner, the parables
are regarded, chiefly, as a storehouse of texts; and
though they may certainly be so handled, we should,
however, at the same time, confess that the parables,
as a whole, and in their distinctive peculiarity, are not
then handled and explained at all.
8. ARRANGEMENT OF THE PARABLES.
Since the fundamental idea of all the parables of
Jesus is that of the heavenly kingdom, it seems proper to arrange them with a respect to this, and to determine the classes according to the particular aspect
in which that idea is contemplated by each individual




36           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
similitude.  Scholten, p. 181: "Since the nature and
genius of the parables is such that they are bound together as with a strait chain by the doctrine of the
heavenly kingdom, it is there we are to seek the principles of sound interpretation. For all the parables
which occur in the writings of the Evangelists, although delivered by Jesus on particular occasions, and
with a special design, do yet set before us some branch
of that doctrine which pertains to the kingdom of heaven, and must be referred either to the constitutions,
or rather the principles, on which it leans as its own
proper foundation; or to its evolutions during the
lapse of ages; or, finally, to the laws, which it is necessary for those to obey who wish to be subjects of this
kingdom, and the rewards which, in this life and the
next, are promised to those who do become its true
and faithful subjects. Every interpreter, therefore,
of the New Testament, applying himself to the interpretation of the parables, has something at hand whereon to ground his interpretation; nor does he need
anxiously to inquire, what is the general argument of
the parables; but must give the utmost care and diligence to discover to what particular part of this general argument each parable must be referred. And
this general argument, drawn from the common nature
and design of the parables, whereby they are most
closely united to the doctrine of the Messiah's kingdom, may be compared to a guide, who indeed conducts us to the boundaries of some country to which
we are going; but, that we may proceed forward
through its domains, and acquire an accurate knowledge
of its nature, cities, places, and whatever it contains
worthy of observation he thenceforth hands us over to
other guides. "
It is obvious that we have here nothing to do with
a close systematic arrangement in necessary sequence,
but only with such a classification as may serve to bring
more readily under our review what is taught in all
the parables, and to point out the place which each




INTRODUCTION.               37
parable holds in regard to instruction in the kingdom
of God. Gray and Bourns have already attempted
such a division of the parables, and in the following
manner:
Gray forms them into three classes, —
1. Parables which represent the nature and progress of the gospel dispensation, together with the
opposition which it had to receive from the malice of
Satan, and from the folly and perversity of men; such
as the parable of the sower,-of the tares among the
wheat, —and many smaller similitudes.
2. Parables which have for their object the rejection of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles, events
which had an evident connexion with the subject of
the preceding class; and to this class are referred the
labourers in the vineyard,-the wicked vine-dressers,
-the fig-tree and the wedding-garment.
3. Parables which were directly intended to deliver
a moral instruction for the improvement of our dispositions and conduct, which forms by far the greatest
part of the parables; and this class may again be subdivided into two classes:a Such as have it for their aim to illustrate an important truth, or to enforce an indispensable obligation: of which sort are the good Samaritan, the wicked
servant, the unjust steward, the rich man and Lazarus.
b Such as are of more extensive import, and convey certain general lessons of wisdom and piety, without being confined to any one view in particular, to
which belong the virgins, the talents, the lost piece of
silver, and prodigal son, the unjust judge, the pharisee
and publican.
Bourns arranges them into four classes.
1. The parables in the 13th of Matthew, which
speak of the effects of the gospel, and the future condition of men in connexion with the present.
2. The parables in the 15th and 16th of Luke, which
are moral paintings, wherein the Saviour delineates
4




38           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
the character, disposition, and conduct both of himself,
and of the different classes of those who heard him, in
reference also to the accusation which his enemies
preferred against him.
3. National parables, which point out the character of the Jewish people, and the different sects amongst
them, containing also predictions of their subversion; of
which cast are the pharisee and publican, the two unlike sons, the fig-tree, the great feast, the wicked vinedressers, the wedding garment.
4. Apostolical parables, or such as have for their
object, the conversion of the first disciples of Jesus,
especially the Apostles, and were intended to qualify
them for their future office; the rich fool, the unjust
judge, the wicked servant, the kind-hearted Samaritan, the labourers in the vineyard, the ten virgins,
the talents.
I would also attempt a division of the parables,
keeping in view, while I do so, the constant reference
which they have to the doctrine of the kingdom of
God, and always making the leading idea in each parable the ground of the particular place assigned to it.
THE FIRST CLASS.
Parables which represent the heavenly kingdom as a
divine power, that is, as containing truths and powers,
which are divine in their origin and blessed in their
effects.
1. Matth. xiii. 3-9. The sower. The different
efficacy of the word of God depends upon the different
states of the human heart.
2. Mark iv. 26-29. The growing seed. The inherent growth and advancement of the heavenly kingdom.
3. Matth. xiii. 56. The householder. The well
prepared teacher of the heavenly kingdom.
4. Matth. xiii. 31, 32. The mustard-seed. The
progressive development of Christianity.
5. Matth. xiii. 33. The leaven.  The all-renewing
power of Christianity.




INTRODUCTION.               39
6. Matth. xiii. 44. The treasure.  The internal
glory of the heavenly kingdom.
7. Matth. xiii. 45, 46. The pearl. The all-surpassing worth of the heavenly kingdom.
The first two parables bear respect pre-eminently
to that upon which'the prosperity of the kingdom of
God depends; externally considered, it depends upon
the state of heart which belongs to those to whom the
word is preached; regarded internally, upon the living
power inherent in the word. But although human
power does not command success to the word, it is
still of great importance that they who proclaim the
divine message should possess the proper qualifications,
-hence follows the third parable. Then, the fourth
and fifth represent the power of the word, in its great
overpowering efficacy; both in respect to what is without (the mustard-seed,) and, in respect to what is within (the leaven;) and out of the whole come forth the
glory and the worth of the heavenly kingdom. So
that all the parables of this class have the divine word
for their object and subject, in so far as this word is
of itself spirit and life, and, through the gracious workings of the Holy Spirit, the germ of life, out of which
the heavenly kingdom develops itself in particular individuals, and in mankind at large.
THE SECOND CLASS.
Parables which represent the heavenly kingdom as
a community or church, founded on those divine powers
of the word of God. In the preceding class, the eficacious power, the Word, was the subject of the parables, and now it is that which is effected or wrought
by the power-the church, as a society of believers in
Christ Jesus. But the church may be considered in a
twofold respect, either as an already existing whole,
or in regard to the entrance of individuals into it.
There consequently arise here two subdivisions, for
some parables speak of the church, as an existing
whole, others treat principally of the entering of individuals into the church.




40           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
I. PARABLES WHICH RESPECT THE CHURCH AS ONE
WHOLE.
1. Luke xiii. 6 —9. The unfruitful fig tree. An
admonition to secure sinners to repent.
2. Matth. xxi. 33-44. The wicked vine-dressers.
Of impenitence.
3. Luke xiv. 16-24. The great feast. The love
of this world is a hinderance to salvation.
4. Matth. xxii. 1-14. The royal marriage-feast.
Calling and election are not the same.
5. Matth. xiii. 24-30. The tares among the wheat.
The mixture of good and bad in the church.
6. Matth. xiii. 47-50. The fish-net. The final
separation in the Christian church.
Since every social union has its origin and progress,
its end and destiny, and consequently also its history,
these parables, which concern the church or community
of God, may be considered entirely in a historical point
of view; and they then disclose the history of the heavenly kingdom from the choosing of the Israelites to
the very last transactions of that kingdom at the end
of titne. In the first parable, the secure theocrats of
the old covenant are admonished with a threatening of
divine judgment; the second manifestly represents the
judgment which immediately pressed upon them, their
rejection, and the calling of the Gentiles; the third
speaks expressly of the gracious call being sent forth
to all; the fourth shows how the reception of the gracious call is not sufficient to salvation if one does not
also fall in with God's method of salvation; the fifth
describes the mixture of good and bad which prevails
also in the church of the New Covenant, and the last
discloses the final separation that is to be made in the
Christian church.
II. PARABLES WHICH RESPECT THE ENTRANCE OF
INDIVIDUALS INTO THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
7. Luke xv. 1-7. The lost sheep. The vast importance which Christ attaches to the conversion of
every lost sinner.




INTRODUCTION.               41
8. Luke xv. 8-10. The lost piece of money. The
worth of the lost sinner in the eyes of Jesus.
9. Luke xv. 11 — 31. The lost son. Of repentance.
10. Luke xiv. 28-30. The building of the tower.
And,
11. Luke xiv. 31 —33. The war of the kings. A
careful self-examination must precede our following of
Christ.
12. Luke v. 36. The old garment with new patches.
Of a false amendment.
13. Luke v. 37-39. The new wine in old bottles.
Of true amendment.
The first two of these similitudes teach what the
Lord does in order to bring sinners into his fellowship,
for their conversion is to him a matter of much importance, because they themselves possess a great worth
in his sight. The third parable speaks of the state of
mind which must of necessity belong to those who desire personally to experience the Lord's receiving love.
The last four similitudes are concerning continued fellowship with Christ, as what requires first of all a
careful self-examination, (No. 10, 11,) and as the result of that, not a false, but a real amendment.
THE THIRD CLASS.
Parables which principally treat of the fellow-members of the heavenly kingdom, according to their state
of feeling, conduct, and destiny. And, as the spiritual
frame of Christians is described in scripture as made
up of faith, love, and hope, we may very properly arrange the parables belonging to this class under these
leading characteristics.
I. PARABLES WHICH RELATE TO THE PRINCIPLE OF
FAITH IN THE MEMBERS OF THE HEAVENLY KINGDOM.
1. Matth. vii. 24-27. The two master-builders.
The right use of the divine word. To this true living
faith owes both its birth and continuance.
2. Matth. xx. 1-16. The labourers in the vine4*




42          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
yard. Humility is the measure according to which
the Lord apportions reward to the labourers in his
kingdom.
3. Luke xvii. 7-10. The labouring servant. Humility is indispensable.
4. Luke xviii. 9-14. The pharisee and the publican. The conceit of being good, the want of humility
robs us of the divine favour, and nullifies our prayer.
5. Luke xi. 5-8. The importunate friend.  Of
persevering prayer.
6. Luke xviii. 1-8. The ungodly judge and the
widow. Motives to persevering prayer. These two
parables speak of the fruit of faith, prayer, and the
one immediately preceding (No. 4,) forms the connecting link between Nos. 3 and 5, since it speaks of humility, particularly as requisite in prayer.
7. Matth. xxi. 28 -32. The two unlike sons. Of
insincere faith.
8. Luke xvi. 19-31. The rich man and Lazarus.
Of unbelief. The nature and fruits of true faith having
been described in the first six parables, these last two
treat of false faith, which assumes the appearance of
hypocrisy and practical unbelief.
II. PARABLES WHICH HAVE FOR THEIR SUBJECT THE
LOVE THAT SHOULD BELONG TO THE MEMBERS OF
THE HEAVENLY KINGDOM.
9. Luke vii. 41-43. The creditor and the two
debtors. The pardoned sinner's grateful love to Jesus.
10. Matth. xviii. 23-35. The wicked servant.
Motives to mutual forgiveness. Both parables set
forth the pardoning grace of our Lord as the spring
of our love; the spring, first of all, of grateful love to
him, and this again the spring of pardoning love towards our brethren.
11. Lukex.25-37. Thewarm-hearted Samaritan.
Of Christian compassion. The two foregoing similitudes pointed out the origin of true love; and now this
love, as compassion, (love to the miserable and the




INTRODUCTION.                    43
needy,) is described according to its wide compass and
sphere of action.
12. Luke xii. 13-21. The rich fool. Of the deceitfulness of riches.
13. Luke xvi. 1-9. The unjust steward. Of Christian prudence. In the last two parables the want of
true love is spoken of; in No. 12, the foolish love of
riches is depicted, and in No. 13, a prudent use of
riches is recommended in doing works of love.
III. PARABLES WHICH REFER TO THE HOPE OF CHRISTIANS.
14. Matth. xxv. 1-13. The ten virgins. The proper preparation for the coming of the Lord.
15. Matth. xxv. 14-30. The intrusted  talents.
Exhortations to Christian fidelity.
16. Luke xii. 36-48. The different servants.  Of
the believer's state of readiness for the coming of Christ.
Christ's return to judgment is the object of Christian
hope; No. 14 represents the inward readiness of believers for the coming of the Lord; No. 15, the influence of this hope upon outward activity; No. 16, the
influence of this hope upon the spirit, which is induced
to watchfulness, and upon the conduct, which is persuaded to fidelity.
17. The concluding parable, Luke xix. 11-27.
The intrusted pounds. The kingdom of Christ is a
heavenly kingdom. This parable discloses the innermost nature of the kingdom of Christ, with especial
reference to the second coming, and final judgment.*
* [The division of the parables here adopted by our author, is
certainly better than either of the two which he notices before it,
and may perhaps be as proper and judicious as any other that
could be devised; but we cannot see what benefit, either theoretical or practical, can arise from such classifications. The parables were delivered without order, as the circumstances occurred
which served to call them forth, and were never intended to be
reduced into any system of precise and logical arrangement.
Besides, every such division must be exceedingly imperfect, and
can never exhibit any thing like a full or complete view of the
varied and pregnant instruction Which is contained in the parables.




44             THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
9. WRITINGS UPON THE PARABLES.
Campegius Vitringa, Brief Exposition of the Gospel parables. Frankfort and Leipsic, 1717. A work
of great power in many respects, in broad dialect, full
of constrained and unnatural expositions.
J. G. Palms, Considerations upon the Parables of
the New Testament, Hamburg, 1735. Only seven
parables are illustrated in 26 Meditations.
Samuel Bourns, Spiritual Discourses upon a few
Select Parables of our Saviour, translated from the
English, by J. J. Dusch. Altona and Bremen, 1771.
Andrew Gray, Prelections upon the Allegories of
our Saviour, (English title, Delineation of the Parables
of our Blessed Saviour;) together with a dissertation
upon Allegories and Allegorical Works in general.
From the English, Hanover, 1783. A work abounding with instruction.
G. Lorenz Bauer, (Prof. at Altdorf,) Collection and
Exposition of the Parabolical Narratives of our Lord.
Leipsic, 1782. It contains much that is good, only
the moral of the parable is not given with sufficient
brevity.
John Ehr. Fr. Eck, Religion for Men, or the Value
of Christ's Instruction shown from his Figurative DisThey all, indeed, bear in one respect or another upon the kingdom of God, and each one may, therefore, be said to illustrate a
doctrine, or inculcate a duty, or unfold a prediction concerning
it; but from the unmethodical manner in which they were delivered, and the complex nature of the species of composition to
which they belong, it is impossible, without some measure of
violence, to range them under any specified number of heads, nor
can it be of any material service in the practical handling of them.
If this may be objected to any general division of the parables,
which yet does not involve any special error, the division of
Greswell, referred to in a preceding note, into prophetical parables, and such as inculcate moral lessons, the one unexplained,
wrapt in mystery, except in one or two instances, to the initiated
few, the other level to the comprehension of all, is so expressly
contradicted in various respects by the testimony of Scripture,
that we cannot but regard it as the most objectionable of any
classification we have met with. —Trens.]




INTRODUCTION.               45
courses. Berlin, 1797. In the first section-Christ's
Figurative Discourse upon some important doctrines of
Christianity,-various parables are handled, but only
in a practical view. In the second section-On the
Importance of Christ's Figurative Discourses, in respect to the Truths of his Religion,-the author speaks
principally of the design, the suitableness, the excellence of the figurative discourses of Jesus, and the propriety of imitating them.
J. J. Kromm, The whole Parables of Jesus Translated, Explained, and Handled in a Practico-homiletical style. Fulda, 1823. Is of no value, either in an
exegetical or a homiletical point of view. By the
same author: Homilies upon the Allegories of our Lord.
First Part, containing five Parables, in sixteen Homilies. Nurenberg, 1830.
Storr, Opuscula Academica ad interpret. librorum
Sacr. pertin. Vol. I. p. 89, ss.
Ger Annaeus Van Limberg Brouwer, de Parabolis
J. Chr. Specimen Academicum  inaugurale.  Lugd.
Batav. 1825. At p. 10, the author says: The comment shall consist of two parts; of which one shall
treat in a general way concerning the nature, argument,
and design of the parables, and the other concerning
the right determination of the sense of the parables, or
concerning the rule of interpretation.  For I do not
wish to write a commentary upon the parables.
Wesselii Scholten, Diatribe de Parabolis J. Chr.
Delphis, Batav. 1825. "This treatise consists of two
parts, the first of which embraces those things which
belong generally to the parables of Christ; the second
shall give certain rules or observations, which have
more special reference to the interpretation of these."
E. W. Rettberg, de Parabolis J. Chr. Goetting.
1827.
A. H. A. Schultze, de Parabolarum J.- Chr. indole
poetica commentatio.  Goetting. 1827.  Two Essays
that received a prize from the Theological Faculty of
Goettingen, which treat the parables chiefly in a po



46           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
etical point of view, dwell at length upon principles of
interpretation, but contain very little that is profitable
for the exposition of the parables.
A. F. Unger, De Parabolarum Jesu natura, interpretatione, usu scholae exegeticae rhetoricae.  Lips,
1828. Full of instruction.
J. L. Ewald, The Look Jesus took of Nature, Humanity, and Himself; or Considerations-upon the Parables of our Lord. Hanover, 1812. Third edition.
Exceedingly attractive, rich, and worthy of commendation.
R. Eylert, Homilies upon the Parables of Jesus,
together with a Treatise upon their Characteristics.
Halle, 1818. Second edition. There are eight parables illustrated in twenty homilies, which, as also
the prefixed treatise, contains many fine remarks.
N. von Brunn. The Kingdom of God unfolded according to the Instructions of Jesus Christ, especially
in his Parables. Basle, 1816. It takes in only the
greater part of the parables contained in Matthew,
and one from Luke.
- Schreiter, Historico-critica explicationum parabola
de improbo ceconomo descriptio. Lips. 1803.
David Schulz, An Essay upon the Parable of the
Steward.  Breslau, 1821.
Chr. Guil. Nieder, (de Loco Commentar: Luca xvi,
1-13, dissertatio. Lips. 1826.
Jensen, upon the Unjust Steward, in the studies and
critiques of Hillman.
Mutzel upon the Design of Jesus in the Parable of
the Rich Man and Lazarus; in the latest Archives for
the "Pastoral Science" of Boeckel, Vol. 1st.
Meier upon the same parable, in his Pages for a
Higher Truth, Vol. 7.
Schleiermacher, four Sermons upon the Parable of
the Sower.  Magazine of Noehr, Schleiermacher,
Schuderoff. New Series, vol. 5. Magdeburg. 1827.
Tberernin, Sermon upon the Prodigal Son; in the
third volume of his Sermons. Berlin, 1823.




INTRODUCTION.               47
Very instructive hints and excellent remarks upon
the Parables are also to be found in the followirg
works:Herder's Epistles upon the Study of Theology; in
Part 4th. Stutgart and Tubingen, 1829.
Menken, Reflections upon the Gospel of Matthew.
Bremen and Leipsic, 1822.
Draeseke, on the Kingdom of God. Bremen, 1830.
Opera Melancthonis pars tertia. Vitibergae, 1563.
Enarrationes evangeliorum dominicalium et evangelii
secundum Matthaeum.
Harmonia ex tribus evangelistis composita, Matthaeo,
Marco et Luca cum Johannis Calvini Commentariis.
Ed. sec. cur. Rob. Stephano, 1560, Paris. Upon Calvin's exposition of Scripture, Pelt expresses himself
thus, in his preface to his Commentary on the Thessalonians: " He must be numbered amongst the best
interpreters of all ages-with wonderful sagacity laying open the most profound thoughts, and selecting,
with the happiest skill, from a multitude of interpretations, that which commends itself as most probable, at
the same time expressing himself with such elegance,
that we derive as much pleasure as advantage from
the perusal of his writings."
Hugo Grotius, Opera Theologica, Tom. ii. vol. 1.
Amstel. 1679.
Joan. Alb. Bengelii Gnomon, N. T. in quo ex nativa verborum vi profunditas, concinnitas, salubritas
sensuum innuitur.  Tubing. 1759.  The following
judgment on the spirit of this work is pronounced by
Boehmer in his exposition of the Epistle to the Colossians:." That pious theologian, cherishing the most
profound reverence for the word of God, possesses at
once an accomplished scholarship and the most requisite skill for expounding it, comprised much solid and
ingenious matter in a few words, and because his notes
indicate what is strictly contained in the words of the
original, they received from him the name of Gnomon
(Index.")




48          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
G. Ehr. Bartel's special Homily for the Historical
and Parabolical Homily. Braunschweig, 1824.
I have not had access to the following:Krummacher upon the Spirit and Form of the
Evangelical History, in a historical and moral respect.
Leipsic, 1805.
Conz Eastern Apologues, or the Wisdom of Jesus
as a Teacher, in Parables and Sayings. Leipzic, 1809.
Gittermann, the Parables of Jesus, or Moral Narratives from the Bible. Bremen, 1803.
[We have a better work on the parables in English,
than either of the two referred to by our author at the
beginning of this list, by Dr. Dodd;-which displays,
throughout, a sound judgment, and contains a much
fuller exhibition of gospel truth than the work of
Gray. There is also an older work by Keach, not
deficient in excellent matter, but too antiquated, both
in style and the manner of handling the parables, to
be found of much service now. We have already
spoken of Gresswell's recent laborious work; which
certainly contains many good things, as it could
scarcely fail to do in such a compass. But it labours
under the threefold defect of being often fanciful, very
prolix, and not a little expensive.- Trans.]




EXPOSITION, &c.
I.
THE TWO BUILDERS.
Matth. vii. 24-27. Luke vi. 47-49.
Tins similitude forms the conclusion of the sermon
on the mount, reported at large by Matthew in the
fifth and two following chapters. The hearers were
his disciples and a great multitude of people, (Luke
vi. 17, 18.) The reason of concluding his more
lengthened discourse in this manner, lies in the corruption of the human heart, well known to the Searcher
of hearts, which finds it easy to hear, but difficult to
do; and hence the delusion, that hearing is of itself
sufficient; against which error the similitude before us
is directed, (as also the passage in Jas. i. 22 —25,)
and the consideration of it will admonish us regarding
the proper use of the divine word.
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
The right use of the Divine word.
I. What is necessarily required to this?
1. Hearing the word, v. 24: Whosoever heareth
these sayings of mine.
2. Doing it, v. 24: And does them; the opposite,
v. 26.
II. The blessing it secures; a well grounded salvation.
1. It secures salvation, v. 24: Who built his house?
5




50           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
2. And this salvation is well-grounded, v. 25;
opposite, v. 27.
Luther in his exposition of the sermon on the mount
says upon this passage: " This is the conclusion and
end of the whole; whosoever does not merely hear
this sermon with the ear, but also does it, he is a wise
and prudent man. For though the doctrine is in itself good and precious, it is not preached only that it
may be heard, but that it may be done and manifested
in the life. When we spare ourselves this, until our
glass is run, and death and the devil attack us with
their floods and tempests, we have spared too long.
Therefore it concerns you, not merely to hear and
understand, but to strive and do!"
Ver. 24. Therefore; because the external act is not
sufficient to give us true fellowship with Christ, v. 21
-23; so that the same truth is figuratively expressed
in the similitude, which in plain terms is stated in the
foregoing verses. Calvin; "Because it is, for the
most part, difficult to distinguish between the true and
the false professors of the gospel, Christ shows, by a
beautiful similitude, wherein they principally differ.
He compares the vain and empty professions of the
gospel to a spacious, indeed, but not solid building,
which, notwithstanding its fair appearance, is every
moment in danger of tumbling into ruin, because it
has no foundation. For which reason Paul commands
us to be well settled and grounded in Christ —to have
our roots struck deep into him, that we may not give
way before every assault. In short, the sum of the
matter is, that true piety is not easily distinguished
from its counterfeit, until it is put to the test. For
the trials by which we are proved are like billows
and tempests, which readily overthrow unstable minds
whose levity was not observed in seasons of tranquillity." Luther, as above: " By such a similitude
Christ designs to give us good warning, that we be
careful, and hold fast his doctrine, and not lose him
out of our heart, as our only sure ground and corner




THE TWO EUILDERS.              5L
stone of salvation, as he is named by St. Paul in
Rom. ix. 33; and Peter in his first Epistle, ii. 6; from
Isa. xxviii. 16. If we stand grounded and built on
this foundation, we shall remain unmoved, and the
world and the devil, with all false teachers and corrupters, may rain down hailstones and fire, and every
kind of danger and distress may roar and storm about
us.  This consolation and security cannot be enjoyed
by the miserable and foolish people, who are devoid
of faith, for they stand not upon the rock, that is,
upon the doctrine of Christ, but upon the shifting sand
of their own dark and dreaming minds. Wherefore,
if the necessity comes, that in this state they must
fight with the devil and death, then do they feel that
they have placed their confidence upon loose sand,
and that their works and devices cannot stand."
These my sayings (words,) every thing contained
in the sermon on the mount, concerning the Christian's
state of heart, Matth. v. 3; righteousness, v. 20;
love, v. 44: confidence in God, vi. 44, ss., vii. 7, ss.
-hears, or reads, the means and the way of obtaining
a knowledge of the divine  word.  Does them;
Luther's gloss: " Here also Christ demands faith, (the
internal act of the heart, source of all outward action;)
for where there is no faith, the command is not rightly
done, Rom. iii. 27, and all good works done with a
fair appearance, but without faith, are sins. On the
other hand also, where faith is, works truly good
must follow. By doing, Christ means, doing from a
good heart. But faith purifies the heart, Acts xv. 9,
and such piety stands firm against all blasts, that is,
against all the power of hell. For it is built upon
the rock, Christ, through faith. Good works without
faith are the foolish virgins' lamps without oil."
I will liken him to a wise man: wise or prudent,
qpov&tFo5, in opposition to foolish, topos, —is here taken
in a good sense. He who takes into account the end
and the means, the present and the future, reality,
possibility, and probability, weighs them and dew.




32           THE PARABLES OF JES;US.
termines his procedure accordingly, he is the prudent
man; the foolish overlooks this, and hence acts beside
his purpose. Bengel, Gnomnon: "True prudence of
its own accord accompanies true righteousness, comp,.
xxv. 2." Built his house, as one builds a house for
himself, that he may dwell in it quietly, comfortably,
and securely, in the midst of tempestuous weather;
so, a house is the image of desired felicity; building
is the necessary preparation for reaching that end;
building upon a rock, is a figure indicating the solidity
of the work, and under it hearing and doing are to be
understood. Rain, floods, winds, v. 25, denote the
manifold and perilous evils which threaten our salvation, such as divine judgments expressed in various
tribulations, persecutions from men, accusations of
conscience, terrors of death and retribution, false
teachers (Eph. iv. 14,) who seek to draw us away
from Christ, and overwhelm us in sadness and despair;
but they cannot succeed, (Romn. viii. 33-39,) for we
are bound too closely by a living faith to Christ (John
vi. 68, 69.) True faith cannot remain without assaults; in this world these are just as inevitable
as the many threatening accidents which abound in
nature; but, far from endamaging faith, they only
serve to preserve it in its steadfastness, and to manifest its glory. (Rom. v. 1-5.) How blessed is the
true hearer of the word, in not shunning the labours
and applications which are necessary to deny and
overcome himself! (Jas. i. 12.)
V. 26. Built iupon the sand. Sand is in itself loose,
and imparts to that which is built on it no solidity.
To build upon sand is consequently an image of deficient steadfastness; it denotes the mere faithless
hearer, who is without any corresponding obedience,
who makes only half work, being grounded upon no
real fellowship  with  Christ.  Bengel, Gnomon:
"Sand has the appearance of a rock, but it wants
consistence."  Calvin: "Whosoever do not dig down
to a complete renouncement of self, they dig upon
sand."




THE SOWER.                 53
Ver. 27. It fell, and great was the fall thereof;
the self-delusion vanishes, the man feels it is too late,
his past life is for ever fled, his misery is boundless,
the more so as he flatters himself with vain hopes;
such bitter disappointment arising out of groundless
hopes is portrayed by Ezekiel in chap. xiii. 10-15.
Similar prudence and folly is set forth in the parable of the ten virgins, the foolish hearer of the word
is painted according to his different aspects in the
parable of the sower, Matth. xiii. 4-7; and in the
faithless servant, Matth. xxv. 24, 25, as also in the
guest who wanted the wedding garment.
II.
THE SOWER, OR DIFFERENT SORTS OF GROUND.
M atth. xiii. 1-9, 18-23; Mark iv. 3-9, 14 —26;
Luke viii. 4-15.
GENERAL REMARKS UPON THE PARABLE IN
Matth. chap. xiii.
This chapter presents us with a choice collection of
precious similitudes. The first four were delivered by
Jesus while sitting on a ship by the shore of the Galilean sea. A multitude of people had collected around
the spot, fruitful fields stretched themselves before him,
and the much frequented highway passed in the immediate neighbourhood.  With these local circumstances the parables are closely connected; what life,
what truth must they then have carried! How vivid
must they have been! And the images chosen were
of such a kind, that every one could not but find something in the words of our Lord, connected with his
own calling and manner of life, which might solicit
and win his attention to the truths presented to his
view. The eye of the Lord first of all surveys the
multitude thirsting for instruction; it appears to him
5L




54           THE PARABLES OF JESUS,
like a field that must be sowed, and in the first parable he discloses the different fates which are to befall
the dispersed seed of the word.  How mournful and
depressing that the good seed does not thrive every
where! But as this might have led the disciples, the
future sowers, into error, our Lord, according to Mark
iv. 26-29, immediately adds the parable of the seed
ripening by the force of its innate vigour, as a consolation, to assure them, that under God's blessing the
good seed would certainly bring forth fruit. Next
follows the parable of the tares among the wheat,
recommending a prudent sparing of the tares, for the
benefit both of them and of the wheat, and pointing
to the great harvest time, which might serve also to
console the saddened hearts, that beheld with grief
such a foul mixture in the field of the Lord. The
two short similitudes of the mustard-seed and the leaven, represented at the close, the mighty growth and
invincible efficacy of the Gospel. Gnomon: "These
seven parables, which have a most recondite meaning,
v. 35, bear respect not.only to the common and abiding
states of the kingdom of heaven, or the church, but
also to different periods and ages of the church."
Scholten, at p. 127, s., expresses himself thus upon
the mutual connexion of these parables, and their relation one to another: "If we may declare what we
think by these seven parables in Matth. xiii. the beginning, progress, and final perfectionment of the kingdom of heaven are shadowed forth, and held up as it
were to the observation of the eyes. Therefore, in
the first parable the different effects are describedj
which the gospel produces upon the different persons
to whom it is proclaimed. In the second, Jesus informs us, that among those who should receive the
gospel, there would be some who should propagate
errors, and indulge in vice, and who, both by doctrine
and example, should endeavour to lead others into error, and restrain their pursuit after religion and virtue;
and these men should be endured and tolerated here




THE SOWER.                 55
by the wise counsel of God, but in the next life should
be appointed to bear the fearful punishment due to
miscreants and impostors. The third parable, as it
appears to us, is intimately united to the preceding
ones. In these, the subject of discourse had been ccncerning the world, as the theatre whereon the gospel
was to be proclaimed, which gospel was, therefore, to
be carried far and wide, through the whole world,
even to the most remote nations.  But of this the disciples of Jesus were not easily persuaded; for the
commencement of his kingdom was so inauspicious,
that men, whose minds had hitherto, in common with
the rest of the Jews, been possessed by many foolish
opinions of the Messiah's kingdom, as if it should be
set up with great outward splendour, could hardly be
made to think it possible that a time should come when
he would extend its boundaries through the entire
world, and all the nations that worship him should
receive the faith of the gospel. The same, also, is the
design of the fourth parable, different, however, from
the one that immediately precedes, in this, that it has
respect to the preconceived opinion concerning the external pomp and kingly power with which the Jews
thought the Messiah's kingdom was to be instituted;
and showed, that the kingdom, which justly deserves
to be called by the name of Messiah, should be set up
and grow on every side, but not with outward splendour, nor by dint of force and victorious arms.  In
thefifth and sixth parables, our Saviour presents the
fact, in a manner, before our eyes, that the true
knowledge of the nature of Messiah's kingdom should
make its way to men of every rank, learned and unlearned, wise and foolish; that all should acknowledge
the excellence of this knowledge for promoting their
true salvation, and, with the greatest zeal and application, should endeavour to grow in a more enlarged
apprehension and settled conviction of it, as also to
bring forth the fruits of salvation, which are inseparably connected with such an apprehension and con



56           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
viction. Therefore the parable in v.44, refers to the
knowledge of the true nature of Messiah's kingdom,
and the internal conviction of its excellence, as about
to be received by men the most common and unlettered. But in that which is contained in v. 45, 46, the
Saviour seems to inform his disciples, that many also
of those who were given to the study of wisdom,
seeking after truth as a precious jewel, as soon as they
knew the truth concerning the Messiah's kingdom,
would acknowledge his excellence to be such, that they
should abandon the pursuits they had hitherto followed, and henceforth apply themselves to the study
of this alone; Rom. i. 14, 15. The seventh parable
still remains, which, as appears to us, is closely related
to those preceding it. For the disciples were not to
be allowed to think that all these would be true and
sincere citizens of the Messiah's kingdom, as with the
good there would certainly be an intermixture of bad.
But this ought not to disturb their minds, for the state
of his kingdom, he taught them, would not be always
so imperfect, but that a period should some time arrive,
when this its initiatory state would be raised to higher
perfection; and that at length es me      Iw.Acc vOo
a,,vyos, as being freed from all pollution, the kingdom
of Christ should become perfect and complete in
having only such citizens as are in every respect
pure, faithful, and good."
Neither in the sower, nor yet in the seed, which he
scatters, lies the blame of unfruitfulness, but solely in
the heart. If the state of the heart, however, is such
as to impede, rather than to further the productive
efficacy of the word, this can afford no justification to
men. For as bad soil may, through much labour and
continued diligence, be improved, so may also the
heart; and the word is given us as a means to this
end, and possesses such peculiar power, that we both
may and ought to be improved by it. Whoever will
not employ it for this purpose, or not employ it faithfully, incurs guilt, and is deserving of punishment, for




THE SOWER.                 57
the word works freely upon men, not with mechanical, external force, but simply by moral suasion, to
which the agreement of our will is indispensable.
Amid the innumerable multitudes of men, amid the
great varieties of temperament and character, and the
manifold peculiarities of individuals, there are still no
more to be found than these four grand characteristic
differences of heart, in regard to the divine word; but
these four may be found fully and distinctly formed.
The Searcher of hearts has manifested this, and its
truth is proved whenever and wherever his word is
preached. How the divine word finds the hearts upon
which it has to work, is described under the four kinds
of ground; all have in them what is sinful, but still
one condition is much more favourable to the growth
of the seed than another.  The ultimate ground of
these different appearances lies in the conduct of men
under the preparatory grace of God. Just as ploughing goes before and prepares for the seed, so is there
much done by God, through means of his kingly government toward nations and individuals, to make them
ready for the further manifestation of the word of life,
(Israel had the law and the promises.)  If men would
only employ with fidelity this preparatory grace of
God, in the law, the promises, conscience, education,
they should be as good soil, fitted for receiving the
word.
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
The different efficacy of the word of God depends
upon the different states of the human heart.
I. On many hearts the word of God has no effect
at all, Luke v. 12.
A. It has no effect at all;
1. They hear it, indeed, v. 12.
2. But they are nothing the better, ib.
B. Why it has no effect;
1. From internal grounds, because these hearts are
hard and insensible, Matth. v. 4.  Some fall by the
way;




58           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
a) They understand it not, Matth. v. 19.
b) And do not believe it, Luke v. 12.
2. From external circumstances, employed by the
wicked one to hinder the success of the word;
a) Other impressions overpower the word, Luke v.
5: The seed was trodden down.
b) Hostile powers withdraw it from the heart, Luke
v. 5: The fowls of the air devoured it.
II. On other hearts it has no deep-rooted, and hence
no permanent effect.
A. Proof.
1. It has an effect upon them;
a) They hear it, Matth. v. 20.
b) And presently with joy receive it, Matth. v. 20.
Mark v. 5.
2. But it has no deep-rooted or permanent effect;
a) For a time they believe, Luke v. 13.
b) But by and by are offended, Matth. v. 21.
c) And at last completely fall away, Luke v. 13,
Mark v. 6.
B. Grounds.
1. Internal grounds;
a) Their inmost being is not moved by the word,
Matth. v. 5.
b) Hence the word acquires no fixedness in them,
Matthew v. 6: because they had no root.
2. External grounds:
a) Tribulation and persecution, Matth. v. 21.
b) Temptation (of faith, through doubts, raillery and
such things,) Luke v. 13.
III. On other hearts, it has no purifying, and
hence no strengthening effect.
A. Proof.
1. It has an effect upon them;
a) They hear it, Matth. v. 22.
b) And it makes an impression on them, Luke v. 7;
the thorns grew up with it, namely, with the seed of
the word.
2. But it has no purifying or strengthening effect.




THE SOWER.                  59
a) They allow their lusts to grow beside the word,
Luke v. 7.
b) And thus the action of the word is again suppressed, Matth. v. 22; The word is choked and becomes unfruitful.
B. Grounds.
1. The cares of this world.  Matth. v. 22.
2. Deceitfulness of riches.'
IV. On other hearts it works with the most blessed effect.
A. On t hat hearts it works with this blessed effect;
on such as,
1. Hear the word, Matth. v. 23.
2. Receive it (Mark v. 20; i. e. understand, believe, Matth. v. 23,) in opposition to the first class.
3. Keep it in an honest and good heart, Luke v.
15, in opposition to the second class.
4. Bring forth fruit with patience, Luke v. 15, in
opposition to the third class.
B. Its manner of working most productive of blessing; a hundred-fold, sixty-fold, thirty-fold, Matth.
v. 23.
Luke v. 5. The solver, Christ and every one who
brings the divine word to work upon men. His seed,
v. 11.  The seed is the word of God; still more definitely in Matth. v. 19.  The word of the kingdom;
therefore, not merely in the general what God has
spoken, but pre-eminently his gospel, his gracious
message by Christ, his gift of grace and glory, his
testimony and invitations concerning the kingdom of
heaven. The seed belongs to the sower, it is Christ's;
whoever besides may scatter this seed, he has it from
Christ, but it must also have become, through spiritual
experience, the possession of every preacher, for it
must be taught of faith, Ps. cxvi. 10, 1 John i. 1-3.
The heart is the understanding, the feeling, the will.
1. The first class of hearts, Luke v. 5, 12. Here
the heart is like the highway; the surface is hard,
nothing can make an impression on it; the seed con



0  THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
tinues to lie exposed, and is hence either trodden down
or eaten up by the fowls. Of these hard and unfeeling hearts, the leading characteristic is, that the divine
word produces no effect upon them at all. The heart
is first rendered like a highway through thoughtlessness, levity, indifference to holy impressions; however
clear the doctrines of the gospel may be in themselves,
however intelligible they may be delivered, and with
whatever powerful considerations enforced, such a
heart remains unconcerned, is quite negligent and regardless about every thing which concerns eternal life,
and the word of God is to it a word destitute of all
meaning, from not being able to understand it. Moreover, having given itself up to all worldly impressions,
it is thereby filled with prejudices of every sort, which
completely prevent the good seed from making any
impression. In the hardened smoothness of such a
heart, nothing is properly cogitated; hence spring up
by degrees gross ignorance, and a disinclination toward all the instruction whichit has any how received;
the natural, whether less or more important, capacities
are neglected, and consequently deteriorated, so that
the heart is continually growing harder and more unfeeling, (v. 14.) When the heart is in such a condition, firmly shut against every thing divine, the word
of God, as often as it happens to be heard, is in part
trodden down, vanishing without a trace from the heart
amid the bustle of life, the dissipations of the world,
which are engaged in with no collectedness of mind,
or calm meditation; in part also devoured by the birds;
the wicked one, (Matt. v. 19,) Satan, (Mark v. 15,)
the devil, (Luke v. 12,) snatches the word from the
heart.  The kingdom of darkness fights against the
kingdom of God, which is built up within us through
the word of God, and there is still permitted to exist
a secret power of Satan, which, through much cunning, and all kinds of wicked artifice, draws away
from the heart the preached word, (Eph. ii. 2. 2 Cor.
iv. 3, 4.) So it happens, that such hearts do not un



THE SOWER.                  61
derstand, (Matth. v. 19,) or, which is all one, they
do not believe, (Luke v. 12,) and hence do not attain
to salvation.  "In the first rank," says Calvin, "he
mentions the barren and uncultivated, who give no inward reception to the seed, because there is no pre1paration in their hearts.  Yet when Christ says the
word is sown in their hearts, although the speech is
improper, it is not used without reason; because the
wickedness and depravity of men does not take from
the word its proper nature, which still retains the virtue of seed; and this must be carefully borne in mind,
lest we should think there has been any failure in the
grace of God, when its effects have not been experienced in ourselves. For, on the part of God, the
word is sown in the hearts of men: but the hearts of
all do not receive with meekness the ingrafted word,
as James exhorts, chap. i. 21. The gospel, therefore,
is always fruitful seed, in regard to its divine virtue,
but not in regard to its actual effects."
2. The second class of hearts-the stony-ground,
Matth. v. 5, 6; 20, 21. By stony, as Bengel remarks,
"we are not to understand stones lying scattered
about every where in the field, but a rock or stone,
stretching continuously under a thin surface of earth.".9nd forthwith sprung up; Gnomon: EtavvEtxE~, not
merely awVEc~x, sprung, but grew  aloft; ver. 20,
instantly with joy receiveth it; Gnomon; " For much
quickness and joy are not always the best sign; for
there, commonly, the whole vigour directs itself to
outward things, and upon these spends its strength."
From the word heard and believed there unfolds
itself a spiritual life, and this, like new-sprung corn,
possesses a beautiful appearance, and raises joyful
expectations; but, under the surface of quick emotions, of lively feelings, of an easily moved susceptibility, there lies a hard rock concealed, which prevents the seed from taking proper root.  This rock
is the earthly, sinful nature of man, upon which
temptations, trials, and afflictions, for the sake of the
6




62           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
word, produce a highly disadvantageous effect. The
feebleness of their faith, which is only of a superficial
nature, and goes not into the underground of their
heart, together with many unfavourable outward circumstances, bring on a withering decay of the tender
blade, a falling off from  Christ.  And with still
greater power shows itself here the might of Satan,
which is able to undermine the faith that has already
been planted in the heart.  The scorching heat of
temptation is partly the fear of sufferings, which are
threatened by external violence; partly the hope of
gain, to be derived from apostacy, with which wily
seduction cozens and allures; partly, also, the raillery
with which carnal wisdom reviles what is holy.
Through such means the heart of this class are overcome, because they want the steadfastness, and determinate boldness, which springs out of deep-rooted
faith, (2 Cor. iv. 8, 9.)  They seek and expect from
Christ an easy life, treasure up his word only so far as
it provides for them satisfaction, or falls in with their
earthly designs, would fain reach heaven, but will
make no sacrifice to gain it. With such a manner of
feeling they never experience the power of that faith
which overcometh the world, and without this blessed
power of faith, for which they have no adequate depth
of feeling, they sink into perdition.  The striking
characteristic here is the rapid change from bloom to
decay, from the reception of the word to apostacy from
it; the divine word produces here no deep or permanent effect, for while the hearts are soft and susceptible, they are, at the same time, weak and inconstant.
Calvin: "This class differs from the preceding one,
because temporal faith, the conception, in a manner,
of tle seed, promises some fruit, while yet the heart is
not brought into such good and thorough subjection,
as that its softness can minister to the seed a continual
supply of nourishment. And, indeed, as the sterility
of the earth is proved by the heat of the sun, so persecution and the cross detect the vanity of those, who,




THE SOWER.                 63
though touched with some sort of desire toward divine
things, are yet imbued with no truly devout spirit of
piety. It is found that they are not in reality born
again by the incorruptible seed, which, as Peter testifies, (I Ep. i. 4,) never decays."
3. The third class of hearts, Luke v. 7, 14. There
are seeds of corruption in every heart, for no one is
perfectly pure. The good seed of the word was early cast into the class of hearts before us; they felt
themselves drawn and blessed by it, and continued in
a joyful frame of mind, while the good seed had found
root in them. But, latterly, they entered into the
whirlpool of the world, and then sprung up in their
hearts all sorts of vain thoughts; they neglected
watching and prayer, in consequence of which, also,
the corrupt seed makes rapid shoots, draws all the nutritive juice to itself, penetrates the whole soil; step
by step the good impressions are worn out; the opposition to sinful lusts becomes continually weaker, the
power of evil desires increase in virulence and strength,
and the nobler, the more elevated life of the spirit, is
imbittered until it becomes quite extinct. How mighty
must the power of evil be, that it can here also prevail against the word of God! As principal antagonists to the efficacious working of the divine word,
the Redeemer mentions the care of this life, care for
our present livelihood, the pressure of an earthly existence; and the deceitfulness of riches, the glittering
side of this life, both with poor and with rich; with
those who are in quest of thenr, and those who alreadly have them, because both look upon them as the
highest good, and put their confidence in them. Luke
calls this impediment the pleasures of this life, including, therefore, the inferior lusts and sensualities of
the flesh, which destroy the life of the soul.
In the case of these hearts, which are fuill of cares
and earthly inclinations, the great characteristic is, the
contest maintained with the thorns, so that in them the
divine word works nothingpure. Calvin: " Although




64           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
evil desires dwell in the heart of man, before the word
of God puts forth the green blade, they yet do not
appear to have the dominion at the earlier stages; but,
by and by, they get the superiority, when the blade
is shooting up and is making promise of fruit. Every
one, therefore, must apply his care to pluck out the
thorns from his heart, unless he would have the word
of God to be choked; since there is no heart which is
not replenished with a great abundance of thorns, even
as with a thick forest."
4. The fourth class of hearts, Matth. v. 8, 23;
Luke v. S, 15. They hear the word willingly and with
attention, and understand it, receive it in faith, obey
it, and thus experience its powers, and understand it
always better and better; in which respects they are
distinguished from the first class. They also keep it
in a pure, good heart, often meditating on it by themselves, and laying it up in the deep recesses of their
mind, which constitutes their distinction from the second class. Finally, they bring forth fruit, in them
are manifested the fruits of the Spirit, Gal. v. 22; 1
Cor. xiii. 4-7; with patience, persevering with unshaken steadfastness against opposition and difficulties,
under the reproach of the world, in the storm of persecution; and it is precisely in these circumstances
that their glory shines brightest, like that of the stars
when the sun has withdrawn his light from the heavens.
The patience which they exercise, distinguishes them
from the third class../nd some bare a hundred-fold,
some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold; none are destitute
of fruit, but it is not always precisely the same, neither
uniformly beautiful nor uniformly rich, and also in different persons varying according to their respective
powers, the relations of life, and spheres of operation,
in which the Lord has placed them; in each case,
however, the fructifying only proceeds when the internal cultivation and renewal of the heart has gone before it, Gnomon: "o Sev, o D, o h'; the accusative, in
the neuter gender; for the subject o~, expressed here




THlE SOWER.                65
in the singular number, does not admit of a subdivision,
of itself, into three kinds of good hearers of the word,
as it is commonly understood. The progress of one
hearer from three grains of seed, as it were, as being
copious in greater or smaller degrees, is signified by
the hundred-fold, sixty-fold, and thirty-Jbld. As
the degrees of hearing without fruit were three-fold,
so also the abundance of fruit is three-fold.  To him
that hath is given."  Calvin: "Christ compares those
only to good and fruitful ground, in whom the word
of God overcomes all the obstacles which would hinder its fruitfulness.  Should any one object, that nobody can be found utterly devoid of thorns, the answer
is easy; that Christ is not here discoursing of the
perfection of faith, but merely showing in whom the
word fructifies. We are taught by no means to despise those who excel least, since the householder himself, although he prefers some to others, in proportion
to their respective abundance, yet dignifies also the
least productive with the common appellation of goodness. We must, moreover, note, in passing, that Christ
does not speak hyperbolically concerning the hundredfold return, for such was the actual fertility of some
regions, as we learn from the testimony of many historians, some of whom were eye-witnesses."
Luther, in his exposition of Matthew, remarks, on
this place: " This is uttered against the reptiles who
maintain that the spoken word is unprofitable, because,
in the greater part, it brings forth no fruit.  The fools!
as if they, of themselves, could bring forth fruit, while
yet, on this very account, that they make light of the
word of God, they are manifestly base reprobates.
But here thou seest that the seed upon a good ground
does produce fruit, while no fruit is gathered from
ground on which seed has not been sown. Therefore,
if there were no preached word in the church, neither
should there be any fruit in her."
6*




66          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
III.
THE TARES AMONG THE WHEAT.
Matth. xiii. 24-30; 36-43.
The preceding parable shows that the kingdom of
God must be grounded and built up in each individual
through the word of God; and also that, in the peculiar condition of each there naturally exist circumstances more or less favourable or unfavourable to the
success of the word. In this parable an advance is
made. The word has taken root,-has had effect;
the kingdom has obtained its members,-is formed into
a society,-exists in the world as an institution,all which is to be understood of the visible church, as
an institution founded by the Lord, in the manner it
presents itself to the eye of the believing disciple;
and the Lord here discloses the future and final termination of that mixture of good and bad which, during
the'progress of time, continued to prevail in his church.
The kingdom of God, considered by itself, as a divine
institution, and as it shall one day be manifested in
the region of glory, is something entirely perfect,
without sin; a commonwealth of pardoned, blessed,
and holy men, together with the holy angels. But
the same kingdom of God, in time, considered as an
institution for the conversion of sinful men, and their
edification in holiness, proceeds upon the supposition
of their sinful nature and moral freedom, remains, and
cannot but remain, tainted with the pollution of sin,
which has a footing in its members, though gradually
losing its hold of them; hence the kingdom of God,
the visible church, appears in the world, according to
a sort of necessity, as a mixed society, and hence also
the saying of the Lord: "Let both grow together."
Calvin: "For although Christ, with his own blood,
cleansed the church, that it might be without spot or
wrinkle, he still permits it to be disfigured with many




THE TARES AMONG THE WHEAT.          67
deformities. Nor do I speak of remaining infirmities
of flesh, to which all the faithful are liable after they
have been born of God; but as soon as Christ gathered
to himself a little flock, many hypocrites and ungodly
persons crept in among them; whence it came to pass,
that that sacred company which Christ had separated
for himself, became tainted with much corruption.
This, however, appears to many extremely absurd,
that there should be fostered, in the bosom of the
Church, any impious, profane and abandoned persons.
And there are many, with a great show of zeal, rigid
to excess, who, because they cannot get every thing
squared to their mind, and can nowhere find absolute
purity, fractiously depart from the church, or with
importunate rigour overturn and destroy it. Wherefore the great scope of the parable is simply this:-As
long as the church is tabernacling on earth, there shall
be in it a mixture of bad men and hypocrites with the
sincere and good, that the children of God may arm
themselves with patience, and still retain, amid the annoyances to which they are subjected, an unshaken
faith in God."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
Of the mixture of good and bad in the church of
Christ.
I. The rise of this mixture proceeds:(1.) Not from the Lord; v.. 24, 37. The Son of
Man sows good seed.
(2.) But from his enemy; v. 25. Then came his
enemy, &c. v. 39.  The enemy that sowed them is
the devil.
II. The perpetuity of this mixture, v. 26 —30; even
to the harvest.
(1.) It is represented:
a) According to its becoming manifest, so as to be
discerned, v. 26.
b) According to the impression it made upon the
feelings of the servants, v. 27.




68           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
c) According to the imrpression it made upon their
wills, v. 28.
(2.) It is described as agreeable to the purposes of
Christ:
a) Toward the good, v. 29, —est ye root up the
wheat with them.
b) Toward the bad, v. 30. Let both grow together.
(3.) It is limited as to its continuance, v. 30: until
the harvest.
IIT. This mixture shall be made to terminate:
(1.) By means of a general separation, v. 30. Gather together first the tares; v. 41, 42.
(2.) By means of a righteous judgment, v. 30. And
bind them in bundles to burn them; v. 43.
The kingdom of heaven is like, &-c. The institution which is set up for the purpose of bringing sinful
men into fellowship with the Redeemer, presents the
same appearance as a field of corn, in which a man
sowed good seed, but afterwards his enemy came and
sowed tares. Sowed in his field; Gnomon: " In the
field in which he himself is; for it is not said, into a
field."   This expression, therefore, must point to
operations of the Son of Man, as being himself present
and sowing.
V. 37. He that soweth the good seed is the Son of
MJMan; therefore the parable does not refer generally
to the contest, ever existing in the world, between
good and evil, holiness and sin, light and darkness;
but specially to those manifestations of it which have
taken place since the divine power of Jesus Christ
began to be displayed in the kingdom founded by
him.
V. 24. In his field; v. 38: The field is the world,
his property, for it is given to him, Matth. xxviii.
18 —20; but still not subjected to him, as it shall be in
the progressive development of the kingdom, Heb. ii.
7, 8. Hence the field of the Lord, till now, is only
there, where his word is preached, is believed,- has




THE TARES AMONG THE WHEAT.          69
found disciples. The heathen and Jewish world, as
a field belonging to the world, became the Lord's field,
when his messengers first began, under his blessing,
to scatter there the seed of his word, and find faith in
the hearers.  Calvin: "But although Christ afterwards explains that the field is the world, it is yet not
to be doubted, but that properly he wished to apply
this name to the church, concerning which he had
instituted his discourse. But since he was going to
draw the plough of his gospel through every region
of the globe, that he might cultivate fields for himself, throughout the whole world, and disperse abroad
the seed of life, by synecdoche he transfers to the
world what properly applied only to a part of it."
Good seed, v. 38. The good seed are the children
of the kingdom; according to the preceding parable,
the seed is the word of God, for only by means of this
can men be brought to a state of fellowship with Christ.
Here the seed of the divine word, the truth is considered; not by itself, but as it is received into the
hearts of men, becomes inwrought and dwells as a
living power within them; so that they themselves,
through means of the word, and quickened by the
Holy Spirit, have been made the children of the
kingdom: —have been so changed as to possess the
nature of the heavenly kingdom,-the mode of feeling
that properly becomes its members, are brethren of
Christ, and, as children of God, are heirs also of eternal life.
Ver. 25. But while the people slept; this incident
Jesus has not expounded in the interpretation, but it
marks the favourable time, which the artful enemy
spies out and uses for the execution of his destructive
designs and mischievous devices. Since the kingdom
of heaven is appointed for sinners, it is unavoidable
but that there shall be found something sinful intermixed with it, Matth. xviii. 7; 2 Cor. xi. 19, and hence
we must not bring an unconditional reproach of sleepiness against the members of the church, its apostles




70           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
and teachers. But it is not to be denied, on the other
hand, that the kingdom of darkness should not have
been able to spread so great and extensive a corruption through the church of the Lord, had not sleep,
that is, careless security, spiritual indifference, want
of love to Christ, a worthy understanding of the
Christian name, provided it with favourable circumstances. Luther, in his exposition on this place, says;
"By the sleeping he indicates that it is impossible to
prevent the entrance of heretics.  For while the
apostles teach the word as full of joy and consolation,
and hope that all will be pure and safe, lo, while they
are, as it were, asleep, and never dreamt of any thing
of the kind, suddenly arise false apostles and false
brethren. Who can prevent it? There are brethren,
who will unawares become villains as Cain did towards
Abel."
His enemy came, ver. 39: The enemy who sowed
them is the devil, the perpetual enemy of the kingdom
of God, the old serpent. There is a prince of this
world, a father of lies, a soul-murderer from the beginning; he holds, with his angels, an organized kingdom, and opposes the designs of God, the advancement
of the divine kingdom, by means of falsehood and
error. He is the ultimate source of all evil, which
lies partly without, partly within the kingdom of God,
and is detrimental to its interests.  Calvin: "We
ought to know, that it is neither from accident, nor
in the natural course of things, that many wicked
persons introduce themselves among the faithful, as if
they were of one and the same kidney; but let us be
careful to impute ihe blame of this mischief to the
devil, so as not, through his damnation, to acquit men
of guilt, and especially to ascribe no blemish to God,
on account of this adventitious evil; neither let us be
surprised if we should see the tares, by degrees growing up in the field of the Lord, since Satan is always
on the watch for himself."
fJnd sowed tares among the wheat; ver. 38: The




THE TARES AMONG THE WHEAT.          71
fares are the children of the wicked one. Falsehood
and error are the proper serpent's brood; the devil's
word gives the lie to the word of God, brings it into
doubt, or perverts it.  But, as falsehood and error
were to be described by our Lord, not as something
by itself, as a dead thing, as an existence standing
apart from the human heart, he therefore says, that
the children of the wicked one are the tares. The
word of falsehood has found an entrance into the
heart, it is received as true, it has darkened the un(lerstanding, enchained the will, depraved the feelings,
and they, in whom this has been done, are now the
c'hildren of evil, (of the wicked one, the devil;) they
have his nature, have become like-minded with him,
live and move in falsehood, error, and mischief. " For
the parable speaks," says Luther, " not of such false
Christians as are unchristian only in the outward life,
but of those who are so in regard to faith and doctrine,
possessing the name of Christians and a glistening
appearance, but are in reality noxious. The evil, in
their case, lies in the conscience, not in the hand. And
they must, indeed, be spiritual servants, who can discern such tares among the wheat."./nd went his way; he does not permit himself to
be seen, works in darkness, the fruit of his working
alone is seen; but he is ever busy in the children of
unbelief, Eph. ii. 2, John viii. 40, 41.  Luther:
"I This is the uniform artifice of Satan and heretics,
that they strive to avoid the appearance of introducing
false doctrines."
Ver. 26. But when the blade was sprung up, and
brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
The good seed was sown beforehand, had already
taken deep root, and reached a certain height, and
hence was no longer in danger-of being checked by
the rising tares.  What at first did not clearly discover itself as tares, even to the experienced eye,
could not conceal itself in its farther progress, when
it became more matured. By their fruits the tares




72             THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
were known to be what they really were, though, till
then, they had preserved a deceitful resemblance to
the wheat. Satan manifests himself as altogether an
angel of light. This resemblance of the tares to the
wheat is indicated in the name of the first, csTvLom,
which is a sort of after-wheat, cockle, and not easy to
be distinguished from genuine wheat.* With this
verse begins the more extended bearing of the parable, as describing the continued and permanent nature
of the mixture in question. It would be needless labour, and contrary besides to the nature-of the parable, to search for those periods in the church's history,
* [Why our author should at once denominate this plant afterwheat and cockle, as if they were one and the same, we profess
ourselves unable to understand. Schleusner, on the other hand,
expressly distinguishes them, and says, we are not to take it for
a kind of cockle, which grows among wheat, but for after-wheat,
a sort of inferior or secondary wheat, in appearance very like to
genuine wheat, but yielding either no fruit at all, or only bad
fruit. That this is the kind of plant referred to, however, under
the name of zizania or tares, many learned commentators are of
opinion; and yet it does not appear that the difference between
this secondary, and the genuine wheat, is by any means of such
a radical and essential kind as to correspond with the distinction
which separates the true people of Christ from the offspring of
the wicked one. The language used concerning it in the parable, and especially the application there made of it, seem to
imply that it must have been a weed, a noxious weed, incapable
of being used for food, fit only to be burned, yet possessing such
a general resemblance to the wheat, that it was only by and
by, when the field was ripening to the harvest, that the evil
admixture became apparent. Now, it is a well ascertained fact,
that there is a species of cockle or darnel, which very frequently
springs up among fields of corn in Syria, belonging to the same
family of plants with wheat, and, when analyzed, found to contain almost precisely the same ingredients, yet so very different
in its effects upon the human frame, that when its seeds remain
mixed with the wheat, the flour thus produced always occasions
dizziness and other injurious consequences. We see no sufficient reason to doubt, therefore, that this is the plant referred
to by our Lord,-the more especially when we are further informed, that the name at present given to it by the Arabs is
zulsan, (not very different from zizania,) and that, in several
parts of Syria it is customary for the people to pluck out the
stalks of this weed while reaping, and bind it in separate bundles.l —Trans.




THE TARES AMONG THE WHEAT.          73
wherein corruption has spread itself more deeply
among her professing members. It early began to
manifest itself in the church; in Jerusalem we have
Ananias and Sapphira, in Samaria, Simon; see also
1 Cor. i. 11; Gal. i. 6, ss.; Phil. iii. 2, ss.; Col. ii. 8,
ss.; 2 Tim. iv. 3, 14. And, just as in nature, both
the wheat and the tares unfold themselves, each according to their own natures, from the first germ in
the seed on till the time of harvest, so is it also in the
church; the more that in it which is conformable to
the spirit of Christ, develops itself in doctrine, and
life, in practice and constitution, the more always does
that which is unchristian or antichristian, become manifest as such, and appear in more flagrant contrast
with the former. And the more the church is sifted
with great and severe trials, in the same proportion
does the mixture, that existed in her, become more
visible, the opposition more marked, and so the first
judgment must be regarded as a perfectly correct one.
Ver. 27. Lord, didst not thou sow good seed in thy
field?  From whence then hath it tares?  Gnomon:
"Tares have a better appearance than thorns and
thistles, so that from the one being tolerated, we cannot certainly conclude that the other shall. And
often the tares assume the character of wheat, and
endeavour to extirpate the wheat as if it were tares."
"The servants spake this," says Luther, "because
from love to the Word they were indignant against
the heretics, and wished that there were none, that
all might be like-minded, and a stop put to the devil's
rule in the church." The conversation between the
Lord and his servants, renders the matter more vivid
and lively. The sense of the first question is, we
know perfectly well that thou didst sow good seed.
The second question exposes in a lively manner their
astonishment at the incomprehensible nature of the result. Whosoever has come to know the power of the
gospel, and understands how it is adapted to purify
and ennoble the corrupt heart, cannot but wonder how
7




74           THE PARABLES OF JESUS,
a great degeneracy can insinuate itself into the church,
and become prevalent even among those who have
been favoured with all the means of grace and privileges of salvation.
Ver. 28. The enemy has done this. Human nature
is indeed corrupt: flesh itself is liable to error; but
this experimental truth does not suffice to explain the
great corruption in the church, whose divine powers
are so utterly unproductive in many of her professing
members. The all-seeing Lord keeps a careful watch
over the actions of the enemy, who knows so well
how to make a skilful use of every unhappy circumstance, in order to restrain the empire of light, 2
Thess. ii. 8-12.
Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
This is the third question of the servants, and expresses
at once their desire and their readiness to serve the
Lord. It is good that they ask of him; in the Lord's
kingdom nothing must be transacted according to their
own will, their private sense and conviction of what
is right. His will is the rule of conduct, and becomes
also the will of his servants.  To gather or root up,
to apply a power of extirpation. Luke ix. 54.
Ver. 29. NJay; Gnomon:  "The zeal which the
pious cherish against the tares is not blamed; it is,
however, reduced into proper order." It is the will
of the Lord that the tares should for a time be suffered,
that the mixture should be allowed to continue; and
yet the history of the church shows that those who
in courts of inquisition and persecutions, against schismatics, assumed the appearance of faithful and zealous servants, went directly counter to this decided
nay of the Lord. The Lord converses most graciously
with the servants, and shows them the deeper ground
on which his remarkable declaration rested.
Lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the
wheat also. Here is the first ground of allowing the
permanency of the mixture, the servants have not the
power of making a right division. History proves it




THE TARES AMIONG THIE WHIEAT.       75
to be the case; persons have been persecuted and oppressed, who in the real church of the Lord were children of the kingdom. But the continued intermixture
of good and bad, affords these also the opportunity of
proving themselves to be true children of the kingdom,
in patience, placableness and love towards their enemies; the patience and long-suffering of the Lord in
bearing with the children of evil, serves as a means to
promote their spiritual advancement; they could not,
without the temptations and sufferings which grow out
of their connexion with the wicked, arrive at matured
excellence and conformity to the image of Christ, and
so an essential, a necessary means of improvement, according to the present sinful constitution of human nature, would be withdrawn from them to their hurt.
Luther: "There are here two causes; 1. Because
some who are still to be converted from among the
wicked, should be condemned and destroyed, if they
were refused admittance into the church and fellowship with the wheat. 2. If we would suffer no tares,
we should also have no church. For since the church
cannot exist without tares, if we were to pluck up the
tares, it would be all one with-rooting up the church."
Ver. 30. Let both grow together.  This is the second ground of the permanency of the mixture; the
intercourse that subsists between the good and bad in
the visible Church may, and must be of great service
to the latter, as bringing them within the influence of
the good example and blissful love of the real members
of the kingdom; and from the long-suffering patience
of the Lord, it has often happened that in the protracted day of grace, upon this territory, where freedom
reigns, a Saul has been changed into a Paul. The
tares must not be violently torn up, but this does not
hinder that the good wheat should be tended with all
care, and its increase constantly sought; does not hinder that error should be exposed as error, and full
warning given of it, and that the faithful discipline of
the Church, administered in a spirit of love, should so




26           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
correct the vices that appear as to leave room for re.pentance, Titus iii. 10. Luther: "The Lord says
not that we must check the tares, but that we must
not root them up; nor does he say that we must sow
or cultivate the tares, but speaks only of their being
permitted to grow."  Melanethon  "He teaches that
the Church should not be an earthly kingdom, and
does not wish that the apostles should bear the sword,
or punish delinquents with the sword. Elsewhere he
teaches that flagrant offences should be treated with
excommunication. Still, many sins will certainly remain. But here we are told that the Church does
not, on this account, cease to exist, for many bad ones
have been mixed with the good. This doctrine supplies us with a valuable consolation."
Until the harvest; by this time both the wheat and
the tares shall have so fully developed themselves,
that no doubt can any longer exist concerning their
respective natures, and hence, in the great separation
that is then to take place, the righteousness of the
Lord will shine forth in the clearest light. Ver. 39:
The harvest is the end of the uworld, the completion
or fulfilment of the (present) ages of the world; it is
therefore a mere dream for any one to expect a spotless visible Church upon earth; where the Church is,
there is continually a mixture. Yet still the obligation
and the duty remain to have the field of the Church
preserved in every respect as pure as possible, that in
doctrine, practice, and constitution, she may be conformable to the mind of Christ. Luther: "Just as it
is here with the human body, it cannot in this life be
perfectly clean; so it is also with Christianity, which
is a spiritual body; it cannot on earth be found without filth and impurity."
J.nd in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers;
Gnomon: "agxcLL, then at length there will be a fit
season."  The Lord here says I; and reserves to himself the power of appointing the time for the final sifting.  The reapers are the anrgels, v. 3.9; through the




THE TARES AMONG THE WHEAT.          77
Lord's power and unerring discernment they are capacitated for the work committed to them.
Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them, that
they be burned. This third main division of the parable discloses the final destiny of the two parties, who
have hitherto been mixed together. First of all, there
is to be the separation of every thing heterogeneous,
evil to evil; and then the punishment. Those who
formerly were named children of evil, and had also remained such, are at v. 41 divided into two classes:
those that offend, and those that do iniquity.  In regard to the first, xvasxa~, persons are so named, as
Peter in Matth. xvi. 23; it denotes heretics, and hence
seducers. The other class comprehends those who have
led a manifestly wicked life, and have thereby scandalized the Church, Tit. iii. 11. Calvin: "'The former
we called cxfav&azc,, (offendicula,) because they not only
live badly for themselves, but corrupt the faith of
many, retard others in their outward course, completely
lead astray some, and drive others headlong into ruin.
Hence it must be received as a profitable admonition,
to beware lest, being surrounded with so many offenders, (axav,aSc,) we should go on slothful and secure, but
rather apply ourselves to the vigorous exercise of caution."./nd shall cast them into a furnace of fire, v. 42;
an allusion to the vale of Hinnom, where the service
of Moloch was, to honour him by burning children.
Calvin: "He denounces a terrible judgment against
certain hypocrites and reprobates, who appear now
principal members of the Church, that they may not
lull themselves to sleep with their own vain imaginatidns. As the infinitude of glory, which is laid up for
the sons of God, too far exceeds our loftiest apprehensions to be properly expressed in words, so the punishment which awaits the reprobate, because it is incomprehensible, is shadowed forth in a manner suited to
our weak capacity."  The misery of the damned shall
be most dreadfully severe; There shall be wailing and
7*




i75         TIlE PARAI.L,_S OF. 3JESUS.
gnashing of teeth, prop. grinding of teeth from anguish of mind, and impotent rage, Matth. viii. 12.
Ver. 30. But gather the wheat into my garner.
Ver. 43. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the
sun in the kingdom of their Father.  Good to the
good, and glorious reward of grace!  The righteous,
those who possess God's favour, because they are
what He would have men to be; that they are such is
the effect of divine grace. Shining as the sun, (Dan.
xii. 3,) denotes their glory and blessedness, increased
through the far-extending, benignant, blessed and
happy influence which they exercise upon others. In
their Father's kingdom; God is the Father of the
righteous, they are his children; an intimate, blessed
society, John xvii. 23.  Calvin: "Glorious consolation, that the sons of God, who now lie in squalid poverty, or are passed by as things of no price, or are
even loaded with reproaches, shall then, as it were, in
a serene sky, and overshadowed by no cloud, truly
shine forth in refulgent brightness; for the Son of God
shall raise his people aloft, and wipe away every spot
of pollution which now obscures their glory. True, indeed, it is, that future glory is promised to none but
to those in whom the image of God is now reflected,
and who are transformed into it by continual advances
in glory. But when comparing this glory to the sun,
our Lord is not to be understood as affirming its uniform equality; for as here he distributes in various degrees his gifts among the faithful, so also will he crown
them with glory on the last day." That the tares are
gathered first, is a subordinate circumstance, which
must not be closely pressed, for in Matth. xxv. 3146, the reverse order is given.




THE MUSTARD SEED.              79
IV.
THE MUSTARD SEED.
Matth. xiii. 31, 32.-Mark iv. 30, 32.-Luke xiii. 18, 19.
The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed; that
is, there are to be found in this, and in the Christian
dispensation, the same appearances; so that the history
of a mustard-seed, which grows and becomes a large
plant, is an excellent image of the history of the heavenly kingdom upon earth, and that in a twofold respect. The gigantic effect proceeding from a small
and most unpromising commencement; this is the grand
point of comparison in the parable, and it finds full
application to the heavenly kingdom, whether this be
regarded as a society of believers in Christ, an institution for the salvation of sinful men-the visible church;
or in its reference to the individual believer, as in him
also it rises out of a small beginning to a great and
glorious result. For the laws are exactly the same,
according to which the divine seed unfolds itself in
humanity as a whole, and in each individual. On account of this double reference (of which, however, the
first answers most perfectly to the figurative representation, since in it only can the touching incident about
the birds of the air coming to lodge in the branches,
find its exact signification,) the truth disclosed in the
similitude might perhaps be expressed in the most correct manner, if we say that it represents the progressive development of the gospel, or of Christianity,which on a large scale, and as a whole, belongs to it
in the church, as well as on a small scale in individuals.
Calvin: "By these parables (Matt. xiii. 31 —33,)
Christ animates his disciples, lest they should be discouraged and offended at the small beginning of the
gospel. We see how haughtily profane men dispute
the gospel, and even make it an object of mockery, because it is brought to them by ministers of mean origin and of little note, because it does not meet with an




so           TTE Pi PARABLES OF JESUS.
instant and universal reception, but has few disciples,
and these for the most part men of little worth in the
estimation of the world. Hence it happens, that the
weak despair concerning its success, of which they
augur according to its commencement. But the Lord
wisely prognosticates the successful establishment of
his kingdom from small and contemptible beginnings,
that its unexpected progress might the better illustrate
his power."  Luther, in his Exposition: "In this
parable, Christ removes another offence out of the way,
that, namely, of weakness, which is found to exist in
the word, and in the church before the world, and even
in the eyes of the pious. For the parable immediately
preceding took away the offence arising from ungodliness, and the existence of sects in the church; here he
represents even the external aspect of the church as
offensive when he says: The church is like the very
smallest seed, which is looked upon as the most insignificant of things.  But out of this one seed, little
though it be, there nevertheless grows a church so
great, that many peoples, princes, and wise men, come
and rest in it through faith. By which he means to
inform us, that the world should be converted to the
faith in a manner fitted to excite wonder, and give offence, namely, through weakness, in opposition to all
power, wisdom, righteousness, &c.; a method of working that may truly be regarded as a divine wonder.
For the kingdoms of this world are not established
through weakness, but through power as opposed to
weakness. Wherefore there is an entire dissimilarity
between the manner of planting God's kingdom, and
that in which earthly kingdoms are planted. And on
this ground alone might it be proved, that the church
is the kingdom of God, because all other kingdoms in
the world contend with this one, which is continually
despised, accounted weak, and reckoned even as nothing,
andl yet they shall not prevail, but it shall itself prevail at last over all kingdoms, and convert them to
itself through the mighty power of God."




THE MUSTARD SEED.              8t
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
The progressive development of Christianity.
1. It is small in its beginning.
2. Gradual in its progress.
3. Great and glorious in its termination.
1. The birth of the Son of Man in Bethlehem, is
the small and unpromising commencement of the heavenly kingdom, which, in its manifestation, is identified with him. In the quiet of domestic privacy, the
child increases; in his thirtieth year he comes forth
into public, teaches three years, and then dies upon the
cross, Matth. xiii. 54, 55. Fishermen and publicans,
plain and unlettered men, are his first scholars and
messengers, and they gathered themselves to him only
by degrees, John i. 35 —51; besides the twelve, the
whole multitude of disciples amounted to but one hundred and twenty, (Acts i. 15.) So small at first was
the company of our Lord's followers.
Small also is the beginning of the heavenly kingdom in the human heart; it begins by a word of truth
reaching the conscience; a ray of light from above
finds its way into the darkness of the inner man, and
perhaps some trifling circumstance gives rise to consequences infinitely important. Draeseke, p. 231:
" At the first there were thoughts of Jesus, which
many times flashed upon us, clear thoughts, though
still overshadowed with doubts. By degrees, however, the doubts became more rare and feeble; convictions on the other hand, built upon the foundation
which has already been laid, find their way into our
heart.  At first there were inclinations to Jesus,
which often stirred the heart, pious inclinations, but
still intermingled with the love of sin. By degrees,
however, we come to crucify the ungodly nature and
the lusts of the flesh; attachment, strong and pure,
such as he demands, found its way into the heart.
At first there were feelings for Jesus, holy feelings,
but still alternating with impatience, lust, passion, and




81)2         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
a thousand interruptions. By degrees, however, the
storm was allayed, a calmness, serene as the clear
heaven, the offspring of a peace which is higher than
all reason, found its way into our heart."
2. The progress, the further extension of the heavenly kingdom upon earth, is gradual. How it was
Carried on, we learn in the Acts of the Apostles, and
in that interesting portion of church history which
treats of the spread of Christianity.  The mustard
seed groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs,
and shooteth out greatbranches, (Mark v. 32.) The
gospel spread on all sides from Jerusalem, and, like
the increase of that tree, shooting up under the fructifying influences of heaven, so does the extension of
the church (especially in the first centuries, and again
also in more recent times; in the former of which it
owed nothing, and in the latter little, to human power
for its progress,) manifest itself as an effect of the
power given to the exalted Son of Man, and of his
blessed influence, since he accompanies the preached
gospel with the gracious workings of his Spirit, and
makes it powerful,withal proving here and there openings for the preaching of the gospel. The gradual
increase of the church shows itself quite manifestly to
be a work of divine grace, for the first preachers had
no power or honour from the world. Sprung of a
despised and hated people, they had no other means of
working but the power of the word, and put to shame
the vain, fleshly wisdom of the world, and stood up
for one crucified, (1 Cor. i. 25-29,) and made no
promise of earthly goods.  The lively walk of the
first Christians; their constancy under suffering; the
blood of their martyrs; the dispersion of their harassed and persecuted members,-all tended to secure
only a gradual and steady increase to the church.
It is only a gradual increase, also, that is experienced by the genuine Christian, in faith, in discernment,
in love, in hope, in humility, and in all the Christian
virtues in his heart. Amid many storms, both of ex



THE MUSTARD SEED.              83
ternal and of internal temptation, the new creature
still grows, and the old more and more decays, (2
Cor. iii. 18.)
3. Great and glorious is the issue! Great —at last
one flock, the earth full of the knowledge of the Lord,
no people any more in darkness and the shadow of
death, the unbelieving Israel converted, the vain idols
with their altars and the service connected therewith,
vanished away as completely as the gods of Greece
and Rome. All this proceeding from the smallest beginning, —but still the time is not fulfilled, and the paiable is consequently in that prophetical; on which
account, the missionary cause rests its claim upon the
Christian world, as a sacred obligation,-an obligation of love to the Saviour of the world, and the
miserable beings that still live in sin, an obligation of
gratitude for being permitted to enjoy the blessings of
the gospel, an obligation of obedience to the clearly
expressed will of our Lord, Matth. xxviii. 18-20;
Luke xxiv. 47.
Glorious also is the issue; for temporal and eternal
blessings flow in rich streams amongst the members of
the Christian church; and hence the various peoples
of the earth dwell under the shadow of the great tree
of the church of Christ, and find rest to their souls
undler its branches, and imbibe the hope of eternal life;
while others are continually coming to receive an interest in the same benefits. The Lord has awakened
a desire after his salvation, though still unknown in
the heathen world 3 the latest missionary reports still
attest it.  So that for this object, the church of Christ
must ever strive and pray," Thy kingdom come," that
the parable before us may receive its fulfilment.
The appearance presented by a heart which wholly
belongs to Christ, is in like manner great and glorious.
What did not a John, a Paul become! And all from
the small beginning that the word of God has been
implanted in the heart.
The mustard seed is indeed not absolutely the very




84           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
smallest seed, but it is so when viewed in relation to
the greatness of the plant which grows out of it. In
the Jerusalem Talmud it is related; " It happened to
a mustard plant at Sichem, which had three branches,
that one of them was broken off; and that so large
as to cover a potter's tent, and to yield three cabs of
seed." Again: "I had in my garden a stalk of mustard, on which I climbed up as I used to do on a fig
tree," (Canstein, Harmonyof the Four Gospels.) Mustard seed is proverbially used as that to which any
thing particularly small may be compared; so in Matth.
xvii. 20, Luke xvii. 6. Luther's marginal note: "-No
word is more despised than the gospel, and yet there
is none more powerful; for it makes those righteous
who believe upon it; law and works cannot do so."
Vitringa, according to his custom, brings out several more points of comparison, as that the mustard
seed has great strength, is healthful to the body, purifies the blood, and destroys what might hurt the
body; so also says he, the heavenly kingdom! How
is the tertium comparationis, with which alone we
have to do, stretched here beyond the line of propriety,
and contrary to sound taste!
V.
THE PIECE OF LEAVEN.
Matth. xiii. 33. Luke xiii. 20, 21.
The similarity of this parable to the preceding one
is not to be mistaken; and yet the leading thought it
contains is quite different. The blessed effects of the
heavenly kingdom are, according to the preceding
parable, first observable, when it has reached a distinguished greatness, then the birds come to lodge
in the branches of the mustard tree. But in truth
and reality, the efficacy of the word begins as soon
as it is any where received. This efficacy concealed




THE PIECE OF LEAVEN.             85
from the external eye, but not the less really existent,
the Lord represents in the piece of leaven, which begins to work upon the dough the moment it is inserted
there. The ideas common to both parables lie, 1. In
the small quantity of leaven, therefore in the small
beginning from which the effect proceeds. 2. In the
gradual, silent, concealed development of the mustard
seed and the leaven; 3. In the great result which is
produced, the whole batch is leavened.  But what is
peculiar to this parable, lies in the circumstance, that
the leaven, by means of its power, assimilates to itself
the susceptible dough, imparts to this its own nature
and taste, so that in nature and properties, the
dough, when completely penetrated by the leaven,
becomes another thing, quite different from what it
formerly was.  The main object of the parable then
is, to represent the all-renewing power of Christianity,
and that again in a two-fold respect, as it affects single
individuals, and as it affects the whole of humanity.
Leaven is often used in the New Testament as a
figurative expression for designating an efficient power
whether in a good or in a bad sense. In Luke xii. 1,
the hypocrisy of the pharisees is warned against as a
pernicious leaven: in Gal. v. 9, leaven marks the hurtfiul effects of false doctrine; and in 1 Cor. v. 6, the
corrupting power of bad example is compared to it.
But in this parable leaven can only be used as an
image of the holy power with which the word of God
works, and it scarcely deserves to be mentioned, that
Vitringa brings to remembrance the corruptions which
have been in the Christian church, and says, that our
Lord sought here to warn us of them beforehand.
Gnomon: " I would refer this to the propagation,
rather than to the corruption of the church." Luther,
in his Exposition, says on this place: "Our Lord
wishes to comfort us with this similitude, and give us
to understand that, when the gospel, as a piece of new
leaven, has once mixed itself with the human race,
which is the dough, it will never cease till the end of
8




86          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
the world, but will make its way through the whole
mass of those who are to be saved, and come to all
who are worthy of it, despite of all the gates of hell.
And, just as it is impossible for the sourness, when it
has once mingled itself with the dough, ever again to be
separated from it, because it has changed the nature
of the dough, so is it also impossible for Christians to
be ever torn from Christ. For Christ, as a piece of
leaven, is so incorporated with them, that they form
with him one body, one mass."
The heavenly kingdom is like unto leaven, as touching the fellowship of men with Christ,-when any
one comes to fellowship with him, it is with such a
one exactly as with a piece of leaven, which extends
its sourness to the whole dough; the whole man, and
the whole of humanity, become, through this fellowship, entirely different, and the change is effected
through the word of God, as the means whereby the
Lord communicates to us the workings of his grace.
Luther's gloss: " Leaven is also the word which renews men."  Melanch.: " The kingdom of heaven is
such, that in it the hearts of men are changed through
the word."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
The all-renewing power of Christianity.
It is represented:
1. As a renewing power-the leaven leavens;
2. As one all-renewing-the three measures of
meal.
3. As one wholly renewing-until the whole was
leavened.
The heavenly kingdom is the all-renewing power, the
leaven. That it is so, and that nothing else can supply
its place, experience teaches. Not art, nor science,
nor religion in general, as faith merely in a higher
state of being, no, nor even the divine law itself, is
able to produce that reformation in man which is
wrought by the leaven of the heavenly kingdom. This




THE PIECE OF LEAVEN.            87
leaven is that which is more peculiarly divine in
Christianity, its divine truth and power, its most
spiritual parts, in particular those among its doctrines,
of reconciliation through the death of Christ, and of
the freer grace of God, which justifies the believing
sinner. The form in which it is brought near to us,
is the word, the doctrine; and this again comes to us
by reason of our communion with the church. But
the community of the church may be very ill-regulated
as to life, practice, and constitution, and in principle it may possess little that is Christian, be deformed
through the corrupt mixtures of superstition, or frittered away by the rash encroachments of unbelief.
Nevertheless, the leaven itself is untouched, and must
ever remain so; its divine powers cannot be weakened
by the sinfulness of men, however much its free and
native efficacy may thereby be hindered.
The object upon which the leaven works, is every
part of the entire mass, and, consequently, this itself;
the individual, and the whole of humanity, with whatsoever belongs to it. It is only when the dough has
not already been leavened, that the leaven works; and
it is only when the heart has not been fully saturated
by the opposite nature and power of the kingdom of
darkness with falsehood, error, malice, and hatred of
the truth, that the divine leaven can effectually work
upon it; such a total want of susceptibility for his
word, our Lord ascribes to his hearers, in John viii.
37, ss.
The human heart is the tnmediate object upon
which the power of Christianity works; it enlightens
the understanding, purifies and ennobles the feelings,
sanctifies the will; the earthly frame gives way to the
heavenly, and the man lives no longer for the earth,
but even now he lives in and for that life which is in
heaven.  "The divine power of the gospel," says
Draeseke, "works in the human heart after a threefold manner, begetting knowledge of sin, feeling of
guilt, longing desire for the Redeemer, who wipes out




8s           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
guilt and takes away sin.  As the dough rises from
the leaven, so from the divine power of the gospel
there rise up in the breast of man thoughts, feelings
and aspirations of a divine nature, of which he was before incapable." As every individual who has experienced in himself the efficacy of the gospel, becomes,
for the circle in which he moves, a leaven to work
still farther, so by degrees the divine power penetrates
through the whole of humanity, and every thing connected with it partakes in the renewing change. In
domestic life marriage is sanctified, and the education
of children conducted in the fear of God; in civil life,
equal rights are established, the female sex is rescued
from servitude, slavery is abolished, legislation becomes mihl(, war itself is rendered humane; another
spirit is infused into philosophy, science, art, every
thing, in short, through the blessed influence of Christianity, which works as leaven, until the whole has
been thoroughly leavened. The barbarians that were
won to Christianity, at the great-period of migration,
and the history of the reformation, are proofs of what
has now been declared.
And this power works internally; concealed from
the outward eye it ferments within, and is often working with great power, when every thing, externally,
appears still dead and unaltered; the new life proceeds
from within toward what is without. The course of
development, in the kingdom of grace, as of nature, is
generally gradual; working with a mild efficacy, so
that every thing hostile is subdued, if only it is permitted to have its course; in various directions, so
that the progress of conversion in the heart is exceedingly varied, and cannot be reduced to determinate
forms and methods, —with a certain triumphant result, which is unfailing, since the power in question
will never cease to work till the whole has been leavened.  Hence is it necessary to exercise patience and
quiet waiting on the Lord; impatience or violent impetuosity, which would force the leavening process, is




THE PIECE OF LEAVEN.             89
perverseness; and for one to think of generating the
Christian life, the spiritual renovation, from without,
is the height of absurdity.
The relation of the new creature to his former condition is still to be considered. The flour remains
flour, only it is leavened; the peculiar temperament
of individuals, the distinctive character of nations, is
not annihilated by Christianity, but only purged of its
sinful intermixture.  Christianity does not aim at producing identity of thought, temper of mind, inclination,
-not even at producing identity in the forms of life,
of government, and constitution; but it does produce
a community of saints, one faith, one love, one hope,
the same humility and self-denial in all the members
of the church, I Cor. xii. 4, ss.  Acts ii. 42 —47; iv.
32-35. What similarity and yet what difference in
the apostles!  Draeseke: "As the leavened dough
still remains dough, but receives from the leaven another spirit, fragrance, and taste, so the man still remains man; but he has become a man of another kind,
through the divine power of the gospel. He is no
longer the'old, natural, fleshly man, sold under sin.
He is a new, spiritual, divine man, whose element is
the liberty of the children of God."
In figure, this similitude teaches the doctrine of the
new birth, John iii., and also, that, in the heavenly
kingdom, regard is had, primarily, not to a doing,
but to a state of being, Eph. iv. 22; Gal. vi. 15; 2 Cor.
v. 17; and, indeed, to a new state of being. Eylert,
p. 20, ss. "The divine power of Christ's gospel,
though still and noiseless in its workings, does yet penetrate the whole of man. The religion which we derive
from Jesus is the most efficacious means of ennobling
us, of making us useful and happy; —but it must enter
into our inmost souls, must take possession of our
whole being,-the righteous direction and strenuous
application of our powers, is the great, the indispensable condition, which draws along with it the improving,
renovating power of religion; yet still what we do
S*




90           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
receive from the religion of Jesus, must be reckoned
according to the powers we possess, and exactly proportioned to our susceptibility;-every individual is
penetrated and ennobled by the religion of Jesus in a
separate, peculiar manner, differing, in a thousand
ways, from that in which others are affected; but whatever varieties may exist, in this all agree, that the
power of the religion of Jesus dwells in the heart, and
manifests itself without pomp, with true humanity, in
a course of upright and virtuous action.
VI.
THE TREASURE.
Matth. xiii. 44.
After our Lord had withdrawn himself from the
people, was come home, and had given to his disciples
the desired explanation of the parable of the tares, he
went on to deliver this and the three following parables.
In order to excite the imaginations, and to raise in
the still carnal hearts of his own disciples a thirsting
desire after better things, our Lord makes use of the
image of the treasure and the costly pearl, to set forth
the incomparable worth of the heavenly kingdom and
its glory.
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
The internal glory of the heavenly kingdom.
1. It is at first concealed from us,-a treasure in the
field;
2. It is discovered to us by grace, —which a man
found;
3. Manifests itself to be mighty by its influence, —
the finder hides his treasure; is full of joy at his good
fortune, and gives all for it.
1. The heavenly kingdom is again, as in the pre



THE TREASURE.                 91
ceding similitude, the internal divine nature and living
power of Christianity, with all its revelations, instructions, consolations, its light and blessings,-a glorious
treasure; hidden in the field, under a covering of unpromising appearance, where one does not perceive it;
nay, where one never suspects that so costly a treasure is concealed; and this field is not the world generally, in which, beyond doubt, the treasure has existed
since the appearance of Christ; but only that portion
of the world of humanity, where Christianity exists
as an actual establishment, that is, the visible church.
This visible church, as the covering of the divine, as
the shell of the precious kernel, is at present existing
in such a form and constitution, that one can scarcely
discern the efficacious, divine powers, which belong to
it; at least the dull, unenlightened eye cannot, in the
often very imperfect forms, and the human institutions
under which the divine is veiled, clearly discern this
according to its true nature and worth. Besides, from
our youth we have been walking upon this field, and
are so much accustomed to certain influences of Christianity,-so familiar with its doctrines from our everrecurring opportunities of hearing the word, have so
near and ready an access to the institutions of our
Lord, that the glory of the divine in Christianity is
apt to be concealed fromn us. The heavenly kingdom
is a hidden treasure, presenting itself to us under a
covering that serves to conceal it; for its costly blessings are wrapped up in the word and lie infolded in
the sacraments.
2. The treasure is found., This does not exactly
presuppose a seeking, though, properly, all acting and
striving, on the part of man, is a seeking after a treasure, after well-being, repose, peace; as it is written
in Isa. lxv. 1, "I was found of them that sought me
not; I was made manifest to them that asked not after me." The Lord pours out streams upon the dry
ground, (where there is no longing,) as well as upon
the thirsty ground, (where there is a longing;) of




9-;2         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
which we have an example in the case of the Samaritans, John iv. The finding is an unexpected good,
without any desert and worthiness on our part, but
happens according to the gracious purpose of him
" who wills that all men should be saved."  God manifests to the heart his secret, and the powers of the
world to come; where human perversity would never
have looked for deliverance from all its wants and necessities, there it finds this, and to the end of leading
us there, all the occurrences, joys and sorrows of life,
are directed.  Gnomon: "Here is at once the application and the prudence of the saints; they find out
those things which are hid, and hide those which they
have found, Prov. vii. 1." Luther, in his Exposition
on Matth.: "W e find this treasure without merit, as
if it came by accident into our hands; and yet it remains hidden from the ungodly, although it is manifested and declared to them by words and deeds, by
the cross and miracles, 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. He that
has it alone knows it; whosoever has it not, he can
never know it."
3. The glory of the discovered treasure is represented by the conduct and feelings of him who finds
the heavenly kingdom. Both of these were left to
himself, they were not demanded of him, but are rather the certain, the necessary consequence of his apprehending the glory of the good he has found; he
cannot feel and act otherwise than he does; the discovery of the treasure of itself brings this along with
it. Hence the conduct which the finder is here said
to have pursued, in order to secure his possession of
the treasure, must not be represented, in the general,
as a demand or required condition; it helps people, at
first, to get the treasure, when they come to know, or
at least to suspect, the glory of Christianity as suited
to all the wants and trials of life; after that all follows as a matter of course.
He hid it; the hidden treasure has been discovered,
and the discovered treasure is hid; so one acts with




THE TREASURE.                 93
every jewel. It indicates the carefulness springing
from a sense of its glory, to preserve, to make sure of
it.  Divine grace is kept in the heart, Matth. vii. 6;
and, when received there, we are silent,-we speak of
it only to our most confidential friends; a spirit of levity, raillery, or worldliness, would only soil or plunder the jewel.
Went away for joy; how natural! He has every
thing, for he has Christ, righteousness, life, blessing.
Sold every thing that he had. The choice is not
difficult; the highest good is possessed; so the mariner in a tempestuous sea readily parts with all, that he
may save his life. Whatever there may have been of
sacrifice before, there is now no more; self-denial is
no longer painful and difficult; it is joy and bliss;
what no external violence could have torn from the
heart, the love of the world, fleshly wisdom, selfrighteousness,-all is abandoned, Phil. iii. 4-11; Luke
x. 42; Acts v. 40, 41. Calvin: " He speaks thus,
that the faithful may learn to prefer the kingdom of
heaven to the whole world, and therefore renounce
both themselves and all the desires of the flesh. And
we are taught, that the riches of divine grace are not
to be estimated according to fleshly sense, or their own
external splendour. They only are fit to apprehend
the grace of the gospel, who, postponing every other
object, apply themselves with all zeal to obtain possession of that.  Therefore Christ exhorts his people to
the renouncement only of those things which are contrary to piety, meanwhile permitting them to use and
enjoy the temporal gifts of God, as if they did not
use them."  Grotius: " He tells us, that the too great
desire of glory, riches, and pleasure, must be laid aside,
and, if called to it, that all we have, even to life itself, must be given up, that we may find the word
beneficial, not for any brief season merely, but may
persevere in obedience to it, even to the end.".And bought the field; now the outward, visible
church, is first seen in its true worth by the enlight



94           THE PARABLES OF JESUIS.
ened and blessed heart, because he has found in it
the most precious jewel, and continues to preserve it.
Vitringa and others explain the finding or discovery of the treasure by the shining forth again of
gospel truth, before the reformation, among the Waldenses,-a most constrained exposition.  It is also
very forced to say, that this parable must teach that
the gospel is for mean, unpolished, and rude men,
while the next one teaches, that the same gospel is
equally suited for the polished and refined; which was
Scholten's opinion.
VII.
THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE.
Matt. xiii. 45, 46.
The world is like a great market, where every one
can find what he desires; the greater part strive after
those goods which gratify the eye; but all cannot succeed in obtaining these; neither are they necessary for
life, nay, they cheat and beguile many, and hinder them
from seeking the invisible, eternal, real goods, in getting which none may be disappointed. But those often, who have temporal goods in abundance, are first
enlightened as to the defective and unsatisfactory nature of these, and led to seek after the better, the
really good possessions, when they have come to experience the truth of Solomon's declaration, that all
on earth is vanity. So the merchant-man, who seeks
goodly pearls; he represents the heart, which is concerned and careful for its true, everlasting salvation.
(Simeon, Luke ii. Nathaniel, John i. 45,) but unconscious where it shall find satisfaction to its desire,
whether in knowledge, science, and accomplishments.
Then while searching he finds one pearl of great price,
(for God leaves no necessity of his heart unsatisfied.)
Because he has sought good, he is favoured to receive
the best, and while he has a seeking heart, he instantly




THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE.         95
perceives that this pearl includes in itself every thing
after which he longs, and even more; for its worth is
incomparable.  Grotius: " The Gospel has shone
upon some, who were giving themselves no thought
about God, or a new life, or the hope of a blessed
eternity, of which kind were most in the Gentile nations, to whom Paul applies that prediction:  Iwas
found of them that sought me not. There were some
also among the Jews and elsewhere, studious of wis(lomi, who were touched with a certain desire of knowing the truth, who anxiously looked for some prophet
or the Messiah himself. The similitude of the treasure respects the former, that of the pearl the latter."
Calvin: "By making merchandise, Christ does not
mean, that any compensation is offered by men, whereby they may secure for themselves eternal life;  for we
know on what terms the Lord invites his people to
come to him, Isa. lv. 1. But although the gift of God,
eternal life, is bestowed gratuitously, with whatsoever
pertains to it, we are yet told to purchase it, since we
can voluntarily deprive ourselves of fleshly gratifications, that we may not be hindered in our search after
it, Phil. iii. 8."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
The incomparable worth of the heavenly kingdom.
This is made manifest:
1. From the existence of wants, whichW no other
good could satisfy,-who sought good pearls.
2. From the perfect satisfaction afforded by this one
good; (1.)-There is but one pearl of great price.
(2.)-For this he parts with all.
Eylert, p. 48, ss.: "Jesus here shows us the true
point of view, from which we must consider Christianity, if ever its holy design shall be accomplished in
us. It must be to us a thing of the greatest importance; whence we must apply ourselves above all
things to become fullly acquainted with it, to know it




96           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
always more and more thoroughly; and this knowledge, this conviction, will be a thing sought after,
will be obtained with labour, application, and perseverance;-the cheering consideration of the glorious and
happy result, must strengthen our powers for the work;
the sure and well-grounded expectation, that we shall
be successful, and not fail to obtain a rich inheritance,
cannot but lighten to us every burden, and inspire us
with steadfastness;-we must sacrifice all, surrender
all, that is incompatible wit-h a Christian frame, Phil.
iii. 7-9."
To explain the properties of the pearl, its whiteness,
purity, splendour, roundness, size of the heavenly kingdom, were to trifle, and contrary, besides, to the design of the similitude. It is an erroneous exposition,
in which the merchant is understood to signify the
church, and the pearl Christ. Vitringa introduces
much that is improper into his explanation, which
serves rather to confuse than to illustrate it.
VIII.
THE FISHING NET.
Matt. xiii. 47-50.
This is a delightful, instructive, direct similitude;
for some of the twelve were fishermen, and called to
be fishers of men, Luke v. The Lord compares the
gathering or calling of men to the heavenly kingdom,
with the whole of their business, and not merely with
their net; in the one service and the other, there were
similar employments and appearances,-a gathering,
a mixture, and a separation.  Calvin:  "The end of
the parable is, that he might keep his disciples in fear
and humility, lest they should please themselves with
the empty title of faith, or with a naked profession,
2 Tim. ii. 19." Luther, in his Exposition on Matthew: "The proper aim and impression of this simili



THE FISHING NET.              97
trude lies in the last words, that, at the last Judgment,
the wicked are to be separated from the righteous. It
cannot but sustain the hope of believers, that though
they are necessitated in this life to bear with the
wicked, who are mixed among them, yet they have
the firmest assurance that then the wicked shall be
finally separated from them."
As this parable is the last of the seven, which here
respect the kingdom of heaven, and the Lord has in
successive delineations represented the origin, nature,
progress, and glory of that kingdom, so it appears, as
its position might lead us to suppose, that in this similitude the subject of discourse mainly respects the final
completion of the kingdom which is to be ushered in
with a general judgment. Hence the gathering together of the church retires more into the background,
and the final separation stands forth as the chief and
prominent object.
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
The final separation that is to be made in the Christian Church.
I. It is to take place in regard to all the members
of the church.
(1) Who are these members?-All who have been
gathered to Christ from the world, (the sea,) by the
word, (the net,) v. 47.
(2) Why in regard to all?-Because they are different (which gathered of every kind, v. 47.)
II. When it is to take place.
(1) When the gathering of the members is finished.
-But when it was full, v. 48.
(2) On the day when all things shall be manifested
— they drew to shore, v. 48.
III. The manner it is to be done.
(1.) It shall be exact —all the good, and all the
bad shall be severed from each other, v. 48.
(2) It shall be decisive, v. 50.
Ver. 47. J. net, a drag-net, which draws every
9




98          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
thing along with it; the sea, the new dispensation of
grace is not like the old, set up only for one people,
but for the race of mankind in its universality. "With
the Israelites the theocracy resembled a net which
was drawn through a stream, and gathered fish only
of that-one stream." (Menken, Reflections upon the
Gospel of Matthew.) As fish even in the sea are not
secure from men, so the grace of God has a thousand
means and ways to work upon the hearts of men; and
the preaching of the word, of Christ crucified, is preeminently that by which the company of believers is
gathered.
Of all sorts, according to v. 48, however, only of
all sorts of fishes; no one must be excluded through
human caprice, or -deemed incapable of the heavenly
kingdom; wise and unwise, learned and unlearned, old
and young, men and women, bond and free, master
and servant,-and these one and all without exception
or distinction, sinners,-these are the persons of all
sorts to whom the word of God, and the invitation to
the heavenly kingdom, must be brought. Acts x.
38, 39.
Ver. 48. But when it was full, they drew it out
upon the shore. The gathering is made through the
agency of men, and during the course of time; both
shall be continued until the entire number of those,
whose names God has written in his book, have been
received into the church, to be there sanctified and
saved by his grace. But all who are enclosed in the
great net of the church, do not employ this communion with the church as they might and should do;
hence a separation is necessary, and shall also one time
be effected according to God's righteous judgment.
So that there is found also in this parable, as in that
of the tares and many others, the doctrine of a mixture and separation among the members of the heavenly kingdom. Calvin: " The preaching of the gospel is
well compared to a net immersed in the waters, that
we may know the present state of the church to be
confused."




THE FISHING NET.              99.
The bad, dead fish,-men who have never come to
spiritual life, or in whom it has again died.
Ver. 49..it the end of the world, after the lapse
of the present periods of the world, which are certainly fixed, but the continuance of which is unknown to
men; so long as they exisf, the present constitution of
the Church is to stand.
The angels shall go forth, appointed thereto, orlered and capacitated by their Lord, the king of the
heavenly kingdom, Matth. xiii. 41. "The separation," says Menken, " is strictly a divine and heavenly thing; an independent, positive act, a free operation of righteousness and love on the part of the Lord
himself. Hence we are not to say they shall one
day separate; we must say, they shall one day be
separated.  Scripture teaches that angels have a
participation in the events of the heavenly kingdom
upon earth; but they must stand back and hold themselves still; no immediate agency is either permitted
or required of them for its advancement. As, however, at the first commencement of the kingdom of
God upon earth, they had a much greater hand in the
transactions belonging to it, (Luke i. ii.; Matth. i. ii.
iv. 11; Acts xii. 1, ss.,) so shall they serve the interests of this kingdom in a far greater, measure, and
on a more extended scale, at the period of its completion. But their service then shall not be that loving
service of protection, help and deliverance, but rather
that dreadful service of resistless power in the removal
and casting away of the unreclaimable and hopelessly
wicked; so that it does not properly refer to the impious and wicked. 2 Thess. i. 4-10." As the
separation is not made till the wicked have been long
patiently borne with, and all means of improvement
have failed, its execution will be a matter of the strictest punitive righteousness.




100         THE PARABLES OF JE~US,
IX.
THE HOUSEHOLDER.
Matth. xiii. 53.
This similitude does not belong to those which oper
vp and explain the nature of the kingdom of heaven.
After our Lord had asked his disciples whether they
understood what had been delivered by him, and had
received for answer, "Yea, Lord," he concludes his
whole discourse with this little parable, in which he
gives them a direction how they must conduct themselves as teachers in the heavenly kingdom. For a
teacher who would proclaim with effect the divine
truth of the kingdom of God, must act precisely as a
householder. Gnomon: " Jesus speaks concerning the
disciples, and what was said at v. 12, in plain words,
that, now that the disciples had advanced a little,
(whence they are called scribes) is confirmed to them
by a parable." Luther's exposition; "He concludes
with a riddle, or dark saying, which seems strange
enough. His meaning is, because ye know every thing,
ye are fit for your future office. Whosoever would
be an apostle, he must know every thing, just as ye
do. He must.be like a rich householder, who will
have his house full of all goods, that he may be able
to serve up, both what he himself wants, and what
others want. But the treasure, or rich supply of
knowledge, is nothing else than the knowledge of the
law and gospel. For in these two the whole wisdom
of God is enclosed, and comprised as in a brief extract."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
The well-furnished teacher of the heavenly king-.
dom.
I. His fitness consists in this:
(1.) That he is instructed for the kingdom, has the
treasure of divine truth;
(2.) And that this treasure is his property.




THE HOUSEHOLDER.             101
It. His activity is represented;
(1.) Wherein it consists-he distributes his treasure;
(2.) How it is exercised-in wisdom; for he gives
old, and new, in wholesome and agreeable alternation.
Instructed unto the kingdom of heaven. Luther's
note: "He who promotes the kingdom of heaven,
teaches others, and brings them to heaven. JV'ew, the
gospel; old, the law."
His treasure, that, which through experience has
become his. See on the Parable of the Sower, p. 56.
Jew and old; the new, the gospel, as the fulfilment
of the promise given in the old; the message of grace
as opposed to the old law. But it was necessary that
the old also should be given; for they serve mutually
to confirm each other, and so conduce, when viewed
together, to make us welcome the change, to awaken
attention, to exercise and engage reflection. Moreover, the one eternal, unchangeable, truth of God's
love and righteousness, although in itself an old thing,
will be announced in a more fresh and agreeable form
where the truth itself is in the heart, and has gained
possession of the life. Sameness is poverty. Jesus
exhibited a pattern for imitation in the very delivery
df this parable. Draeseke: "The old, in the parables
already delivered, has been nature. What was known,
was thereby more clearly manifested to them; though
the images were such as the disciples had seen a thousand times. Now, for the first time, they were taught
to connect new thoughts with the old images, and acquired a new advantage from reviving old impressions.
And thus the disciples learned, like their master, to
look upon nature, and make account both of small and
great things; so that the old book imparted to them
new wisdom. Like their master, the disciples learned
to respect history, and judge of experience; therefore
the old book here also imparted to them new wisdom.
But above all the disciples learned, like their master,
to read scripture, and understand the law and the pro9*




02'         TIIE PARABL-PS OF' JEfJUS,
phets in their reference to the kingdom of heaven;
therefore again the old book imparted to them new
wisdom." Grotius: "The apostles are admonished,
that, after the example of Christ, they should endeavour to give a zest to the doctrines of grace, by varying the manner of teaching them."  Hess, Bibl. Hist.
B. xiii. p. 494: " This last remark is, beyond doubt,
designed to show the disciples that, as future teachers,
they must not only make use of those images and forms
of representation which they had heard from him, but
must always study so to address themselves to hearers
of unlike capacities and varied conditions, as to connect what is well known with something that may
give it the grace of novelty, and skilfully to alter
where uniformity would be tiresome."   Calvin:
" Now the Lord admonishes them, that he had not
expended so much labour in teaching them, to make
them wise only for themselves, but that they might
impart to others what had been communicated to them.
And in this manner he stirred them up to more zeal
and diligence in learning."
X.
THIE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT.
Matth. xviii. 23  35.
The Lord had spoken, v. 15-17, of the brotherly
chastisement or correction of those from whom we
have received some injury; and as he had done this in
a quite general manner, without any qualifying limitation, it appeared necessary to the lively, and indeed
fiery Peter, to have some limit set to this mild and
placable disposition; for the natural heart, which is
still ungoverned by the Spirit of God, feels itself
wronged by such a command in its secret desire of revenge, and apprehends it would suffer loss by complying therewith. Self-love also continually fears lest it
should go too far, and give too much. On which ac



THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT.          103
count Peter came to Jesus, and asked him, vi. 21:
"Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and
I forgive him? till seven times?"  (i. e. is seven times
enough?) Besides the internal grounds which existed
for this question, there may also have been some outward occasion giving rise to it. It may possibly have
been a question among Jewish teachers so early as
the time of Christ, how often one should forgive his
neighbour, which, at a later period, was thus resolved
in the Talmud.  "If a man commits an offence, he is
to be forgiven for the first time; the second and third
time he is also to be forgiven; but, if he sins a fourth
time, he is not to be forgiven, according to Amos i.
3; ii. 6. Job xxxiii. 29, 30. (Margin.") Now, in
extending the forgiveness to seven times, Peter might
believe that he did something extraordinary, and sufficiently answered all just demands. But, instead of
receiving from Jesus the expected approving answer,
that seven times was enough, and that the culprit had
no reason to look for any further indulgence, Jesus
answered him, v. 22: "I say not unto thee, until
seven times; but until seventy times seven."  The
determinate number stands for the indeterminate, as
in Gen. iv. 24; and the meaning is, that we must
never, at any time, cease to forgive.  Olshausen:
"The condition of Peter prevented him from understanding aright the foundation principle of forgiveness,
(which is necessarily presupposed in the whole preceding context, about the manner of behaving towards
offending brethren;) misapprehending the nature of
true love, which can never do any thing but love, he
thinks of having a certain measure of forgiveness,
conceiving, as natural men must always do, that an
unlimited forgiveness must be an impossibility. Here,
therefore, the Redeemer sets forth to Peter, by means
of a parable, the grounds, on account of which the
member of a heavenly kingdom must be continually
ready to forgive, because he himself found admission
into it only through forgiveness. This must be to all,




104         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
even to those who view every thing in a legal point
of view, a determinate motive for exercising forgiveness; for in that there is only expressed the law of recompense. Whilst, therefore, the question of Peter
appears to pre-suppose a right, according to which he
might continue, or cease at pleasure, to dispense forgiveness, the Redeemer declares, that such a law does
not exist; he who has himself forfeited all has nothing
to demand." Luther, in his House-Postills, V. 230:
"Forgiveness of offences must have no measure or
bounds among Christians; we must always forgive
one another, and beware of exercising revenge; this
belongs only to God, whose sovereign power and majesty must not be encroached upon."
The answer given, in v. 22, is embodied in the following parable, (which is consequently introduced with
therefore,) where we have set forth the motives to
brotherly conciliation and forgiveness.  Calvin: "Because it is difficult to move us to pity, especially when
our brethren have many faults to be borne with, our
Lord confirms this doctrine by a most appropriate parable, the sum of which is, that those who inflexibly
refuse to pardon the offences of their brethren, consult
very ill for themselves, and set up a law too harsh and
severe, because they will find God equally rigid and
inexorable toward themselves. The similitude consists chiefly in three members: for the Lord is opposed
to the servant, a large sum to a comparatively small
one, singular clemency to extreme cruelty." Scholten,
p. 294: "In expounding the parables we must take
care not to offend against the analogy of faith or doctrine, which is unfolded in Scripture and discernible
by faith. Whence those interpreters are much to be
blamed, who, because in such and such -a parable they
do not find a doctrine, which they conceive to be
closely connected with Christ's chief design in propounding the parable, although this doctrine may be
taught in other parts of Scripture, forthwith conclude
that it is no where else to be found in Scripture, nay,




THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT.          105
that it does not belong to the true doctrine of the gospel. Yet, in this way it is, that because, in the parable of the prodigal son, no mention is made of an expiation given to the father, but, on the contrary, his
guilty son, with a confident mind, and without the intercession of any other, approaches to his father, simply declaring his true repentance and unfeigned desire
to return to a better life, therefore Teller concludes
that the doctrine of our redemption, through the intervention of Christ's sufferings and death, must not
be reckoned among those things which the Saviour
properly taught, but rather to those in which he and
his apostles wisely accommodated themselves to the
prejudices of the Jews. The very same might be gathered from the parable before us;-for there the Lord
remits the debts of his servant, without any expiation
or intercession from another, who might pay in his behalf; he does it, indeed, upon the bare promise of the
servant, that he would endeavour, by and by, to pay
all. Nor is there any thing in what the Saviour adds,
v. 35, which necessarily implies the doctrine of expiation. But it was not the design of Christ to unfold
the doctrine of redemption in this parable; he only
wished by it to lead his disciples to cultivate a disposition ready to pardon any injuries and affronts they
might receive, on the ground that God, though infinitely gracious, will grant forgiveness only to those
who follow his benign example."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
Motives to brotherly forgiveness.
I. The great goodness of the Lord toward his servant, v. 23-37; which is exhibited:
(1.) In the greatness of the debt, v. 24;
(2.) In the steward's inability to pay, v. 25.
(3.) Through the severe but deserved punishment
adjudged to him, v. 25.
(4.) Through withdrawment of the punishments and
the debt, v. 26, 27.




106         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
II. The small debt of our neighbour to us, v. 2830; concerning which we are to consider,
(1.) The smallness of the debt itself, v. 28.
(2.) Its being the debt of the fellow-servant, v. 28;
(3.) His begging for patience, v. 29;
(4.) And his promise of repayment, v. 29.
III. The sorrow and vexation which we raise in our
fellow-men, whose esteem and love we forfeit when
guilty of harshness, v. 30, 31.
IV. The severe judgment of God upon the unmerciful, v. -32-35; whereon we must remark:
(1.) The remembrance made of the free goodness
of the Lord, v. 32;
(2.) The representation given of the abuse of it, v.
33;
(3.) The just and eternal condemnation, v. 34;
(4.) The application to the hearers, v. 35.
V. 23. The kingdom of heaven is like. Luther,
as above, p. 231: " Such a command to forgive sins
we must not carry into the world, as persons and
offices are there dissimilar, on which account one always has power and authority over another. There
evil must not be connived at, nor must any one be
permitted to do what he pleases; but evil must be punished, and people enforced to do what is proper, just,
and honourable.  Masters and mistresses must punish
their servants, worldly governments their subjects,
parents their children. But in the Christian church
here upon earth,-save when you hold a special office,
to which God commits the chastisement of iniquity,one must always forgive another, and show all compassion and tenderness to his neighbour, where it is
necessary, although he may have deserved very differently of us, and we may have had good cause, as
the world goes, to inflict upon him all evil." Melanch.: "The ministry of the remission of sins is one
thing, private pardoning another. The ministry discourses of God's will, private pardoning bespeaks thy
will towards another; namely, that thou dost remit




THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT.          107
his offence and not demand satisfaction; dost even,
with true affection, receive him again to thy confi(fence for the sake of God. The pious are carefully
to be admonished that there is a great difference between self-defence and private revenge, that they may
restrain themselves within the bounds fixed by the
gospel. Self-defence, is to preserve our reputation,
life and property, in a just and orderly manner, without any desire thereby to injure another.  Vindictiveness, is desire to do injury in an irritated mind."
Like a king; just as Christ, in his dispensation of
grace, grants forgiveness to sinners, so must these grant
it to each other.
Servants; the reckoning, which the king demands
is grounded on a relation of dependence; and so, one
relation to God is, that of servants to a lord, to whom
we are responsible for every thing he has given us, for
life, time, powers of body and of soul, opportunities of
action, and the word of his grace.
Take account; Luther, Church-Postills, 14. p. 241:
" When God takes account, he makes the preaching
to proceed out of his law, whereby we come to know
what we are guilty of." Such a reckoning is made
in serious self-examination, while hearing the word,
and in the transactions of life, which make us acquainted with ourselves.
V. 24. Began to reckon. As soon as the conscience
has been rightly touched by the law, it begins to know
its guilt. Luther, House-Postills, 5. p. 251: " Until
the king begins to reckon with him, he has no conscience, he is not sensible of guilt, and should always
have continued so, contracting more and more guilt, and
inquiring nothing about it. So the greater part of men
think nothing about sin, go on securely in it, fear not
God's wrath; and, even when they confess sin with
the mouth, presently go away and make a jest of it."
One was brought unto him; the one is any one,
for we have all manifold short-comings. Gnomon:
" Every body ought to reckon himself that one; comp.




1S0          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
v. 35; xx. 12, 13.  For the condition of all is alike."
To understand it of the papacy is absurd.
Who owed him ten thousand talents; a terrible
sum; for a talent is about a thousand dollars; these
are the sins of omission and commission, internal and
external sins, in thoughts, desires, words, and actions,
Ps. xix. 13. Melanch.: " So large a sum is named to
teach us that we have very many aggravated sins before God. If you examine your life, you will readily
find that they are many, and great as well as manythat your carnal security is great, your negligence in
your calling great, your distrust and doubtings concerning God great. There are also numberless wanderings of desire."
V. 25. But for as much as he had not to pay;
both are clear, the greatness of the guilt and our incapacity to make amends, to restore.
His Lord commanded him to be sold, &c. Gnomon: "CEXEEvarv, the right is shown; however, the Lord
does not use his own right, but the servant abuses
every right he possesses." Luther, Church-Postills,
14. p. 241: "This is the judgment, which follows as
soon as the law manifests sin; for God has not given
his law that he might leave those unpunished who do
not keep it; it is not pleasant, nor friendly, but brings
along with it a violent and painful struggle, and gives
us to the devil, throws us into hell, and leaves us in
the bonds of punishment; consequently insists upon
our paying the very last farthing." God manifests
himself in his law through demands and threatenings,
pre-eminently as a holy and righteous God. The conduct of the king, as also of the believer, toward his
guilty servant, is grounded in Israelitish custom, Lev.
xxv. 39; 2 Kings iv. 1. Although very hard, it is
still not unrighteous.  Gnomon: "His private possessions, which, indeed, belonged to his lord." Scholten:
"From the circumstance of the king's commanding
not only the steward, his debtor, but also his wife
and children, to be sold, some might be disposed to




THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT.          109
gather, that God intends wives to suffer for the delinquencies of their husbands, children for their parents; which there is no need that we should prove to
be contrary to the analogy of faith, and abhorrent to
the nature of a most righteous God; and how absurd
it would be to determine any thing of that sort, is
manifest from hence, that to the wife and children are
joined all things that he had," from which it is obvious that the wife and children are here, after the
manner of the Orientals, considered as a part of private property, from which, however, it would be utterly absurd for any one to conclude, that the wife and
children are to suffer for the debts of a husband and
father; whereas the selling of the steward and of all
his property, to which, according to eastern fashion,
pertained also the wife and children, ought to be considered as the punishment inflicted upon the steward
alone."
Ver. 26. The servant then fell down, and besotught him, saying, Lord, have patienee with me,
and i will pay thee all. Gnomon: "' Do not deal
hastily with me; the feeling of a contrite mind is
shown."  Luther, House-Postills, 5. 251: "We feel
the earnest of God also in our hearts, when our sins
are manifested there; when the catalogue of our iniquities is held up before us, then mirth forsakes us.
We are forced to exclaim,' O miserable man that I
am; there is none on earth more wretched than I am.'
Such knowledge makes a man truly humble, paves
the way for coming to obtain the real forgiveness of
sin. And where such humility does not exist, there
also no forgiveness is experienced." House-Postills,14.
242: "This has St. Paul rightly expounded in his
Epistle to the Rornans, iv. 15: The law only worketh
wrath; that is, when it manifested to us that we have
acted sinfully, brings nothing home to us but wrath
and indignation, and causes us to despair.'
1 will pay all; Luther, Church-Postills, 14. 241:
"The fool thinks that he can still pay, and begs only
10




110         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
for patience. This is the plague of all consciences
when sin comes and bites, giving men to feel that they
are, on account of it, in an ill case toward God, then
have they no rest, but run up and down, seek help
here and there, that they may gel; free from their sins,
and still keep promising to themselves that they will
yet do much to pay God." House-Postills, 5. 134:
" Christ by these words of the servant wishes to show
that we (under a sense of the greatness of our sins,
when we seek for grace) cannot comprehend such
grace, it is so rich and exuberant. We presently
think it is too much, God will not be so gracious as
to forgive us all; he must also have some payment; it
cannot be that we shall get a full and frank forgiveness of all."  Humility, conviction of guilt, desires
for grace, and resolutions of amendment, deserve not,
indeed, the forgiveness of sin; but belong to that
scheme of God, in which God dispenses pardon to the
sinner.
Ver. 27. Then the lord of that servant was moved
with compassion, Ps. li. 19. Luther, House-Postills,
5. 234: " This is the true and proper colour wherein
most characteristically to represent God and our own
heart; whoever would give to him another colour,
would depict him in an unjust light, and otherwise
than he is in himself. He is a gracious God, and has
a fatherly heart; Ez. xxxiii. 10, 11." The conduct
of the lord at the first, as rigid and strictly adhering
to the law, should serve, therefore, merely to manifest
to the heart its guilt, to break and humble it, that to
the contrite penitent, and believing (for the prayer of
the servant springs from his confidence in the patience
and goodness of his lord) there may be granted forgiveness. "As for the means," says Luther as above,
" through which God will be gracious toward us, the
-gospel informs us in other places, when it declares
that our blessed Lord Jesus Christ has undertaken for
sinners, and by his own death paid the debt of their
guilt. Wherever there is such confidence in the Lord




THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT.          111
Jesus Christ and his death, there all desire on the part
of God to be angry or to inflict punishment, has ceased."
Melanch.: "He does not remit on account of our
merits, but in infinite mercy for his Son's sake. In
him there is such a worth as to exceed our sins. Do
not think that your sins are greater and more mighty
than the Son of God."
dand loosed him, and forgave him the debt; he does
more than we ask; glorious reward of confidence in the
Lord's goodness!  At the first he brings up the deserved judgment or suffering; then he discharges the
debt itself, declares him free.  Gnomon: "He had
sought one benefit, he obtained two."  Melanch.:
"Our sins are many and great, but grace superabounds,
Rom. v. These sins, though so many and so great,
God constantly wishes to remit to us. Let faith be
here put in exercise, that we may indeed believe this.
And in this faith let us approach to God, adoring him
with fervent supplication, and giving thanks to his
name." Luther, House-Postills, 5. 252: " True Christians, while they feel their sins, have the consolation
of believing that their sins are forgiven, and what they
believe they obtain in the kingdom of grace. And
this kingdom takes its beginning with us in baptism,
and increases continually to the end. For to this end
are the preaching of the gospel, baptism, absolution,
and the supper all directed, that we might have our
faith in the forgiveness of sin more and more strengthened; for God has laid up the treasure, forgiveness of
sin, in his word and sacraments, and commanded us to
believe it." The behaviour of the king is pure grace,
Eph. ii. 8, 9. Rom. iii. 24.
"The other part now follows, as the fellow-servant
must also be brought in; faith is such a possession, that
for its sake we might die every hour; for if we believe,
we have a gracious God; but if thou must be continued still longer in life, thou must have something to
do and act, and that, says Christ, must all be directed
upon thy neighbour." Luther, Church-Pos. 14. 246.




112          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
Ver. 28. But the same servant went out. Gnomon: "Set free from his difficulties. Before the reckoning with his Lord, he treated his fellow-servant more
gently. A danger of sinning attends the very joy of
restored liberty, health, etc. John v. 14, 2 Kings xx.
13."  Luther as above: " How  does he go out?
Where has he been within?  In faith he had entered
in, but now he goes out through love; for faith leads
people as away from people up to God; (pardon of
sin is appropriated by faith in the secret chambers of
the heart;) love leads them out again to the people,
(pardon truly received must manifest itself in love.")
And found one of his fellow-servants, his equal,
towards whom he had not the smallest right to behave
as he did; but he overlooks the relation in which he
stood to his fellow-servant; this circumstance, therefore, aggravates the harshness and iniquity of his conduct.
Who owed himr  a hundred pence, denarii, a small
debt; which should certainly have been felt as giving
additional force to the obligation under which he lay,
to mild forbearance and brotherly forgiveness. JAnd
he laid hands on him, and took him  by the throat,
which sets before us his passionate violence and hardness of heart. The vehemence of his demand betrays
a mind dead to all delicate feelings; he enforces his
threatenings through unheard of cruelties.
Ver. 29. A powerful and graphic description. In
the same posture, and with the same words, he entreats
his fellow-servant, as the latter had just employed toward his gracious Lord. It should have reminded
him of the favour he had received, and determined him
to exercise the like beneficence. This fellow-servant
also promises compensation, in token of his heartfelt
repentance, a thing too not impossible in regard to so
small a debt.
Ver. 30. "The more this wicked servant is entreated, the more severe and harsh he becomes. This
is the common course of the world; when sin is for



THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT.         113
given, one soon forgets the pardoning grace of God,
and becomes more arrogant and hard-hearted than before."  Luther, House-Pos. 5. 254. —dnd cast him
into prison, into the debtor's ward; this right the believer had. He will, therefore, know nothing of remission, stands upon his right, and will act according
to rigid justice.
Ver. 31. Luther, House-Pos. 5. 238: "Such a
monstrous disregard of equity and compassion cannot
remain secret; other Christians will see it and concern
themselves about it. And as the intercessions of the
pious are not useless and in vain, so neither is the
common malediction, the general outcry against the
wicked, useless and in vain."  The unmerciful forfeits
the respect and love of his fellow-men. Calvin: " We
must know that there will be so many witnesses against
us before God, as there are men now living with us;
for it cannot be but that cruelty shall be displeasing
and odious to them, especially when every one fears
for himself, lest the severity he sees exercised upon
another, may alight upon his own head."
Ver. 32. Then his Lord called him, this shall be
done at the last day.
Thou wicked servant. Gnomon: " He had not been
called this on account of his debt. Wo to him whom
the Lord rebukes, chap. xxv. 26. Unmercifulness,
properly wickedness."  Luther, House-Pos. 5. 239:
"' What hast thou then gained, poor wretch, by all thy
fury? Thou shouldst have had a gracious God, and
been completely discharged from all thy debt, hadst
thou but (from gratitude,) showed compassion to thy
neighbour; but now God will not forgive thee, and
besides will reckon as strictly with thee, as thou wouldst
with thy neighbour."
Because thou desiredst me; out of free grace, without all desert and worthiness on the part of the guilty
sinner.
Ver. 33. The design of God, in his gracious manifestations, which the self-willed sinner in his continued
1.0*




114         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
hardness overlooks, although it is plainly declared to.
him. God first exercises compassion, and afterwards
desires and expects it of us; which is also taught in
the fifth petition.-Thy fellow-servant.  Gnomon:
"Whom thou oughtest to commiserate; my servant
in whom thou hast injured me."
Ver. 34. And his Lord was wroth.-God's holy
and punitive indignation against the ingratitude of the
hard-hearted servant, who renders himself unworthy
of the exercise of mercy, and forfeits it. The king
does not break his promise; but the ungodly person
frustrates the purposes of divine goodness, through his
own subsequent obduracy.  Gnomon: "Before he
had not been angry, cf. Luke xiv. 21. They who
have experienced grace ought most of all to be afraid
of wrath." Jas. ii. 13; v. 26.
Luther, Church-Pos. 14. 251: "The punishment
here spoken of is not for the heathen, or for the general mass, who never hear the word of God, but for
those who with the ear receive the gospel, and keep
it upon their tongues, but will not live according to
its precepts."  Mal. ii. 10.-Olshausen: "Upon the
hard-heartedness of the sinner the o~yn, (wrath,) indignantly breaks out. Where men feel true unaffected sorrow at the sins of their fellow men, (v. 31,) there
God manifests himself in anger. Conscience testifies in
man, that the root of that sin which he sees in his
brother, is also in himself; in God there is a more
pure and unmixed hatred of the evil. The idea of the
divine wrath is identical with the love of God, the manifestation of which in kindness is Xzapt (grace,) the
wrath of God is nothing but the manifestation of himself against evil. Hence so far as a being is not the
evil itself, but only gives way to it in one respect or
another, God, in love to the being, is indignant only
at the evil that is in him. So that in the divine wrath
there is displayed only another form of the holy activity of God. Where his compassionate activity is
misunderstood or abused, as in the case of this servant, there the punitive comes into force."




THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT.          115
Till he should pay all; and as he was not in a condition to do this, (v. 32,) he was adjudged to an
eternal and righteous punishment.  In Matth. v. 26,
till, signifies also as much as now and never.  Draeseke: "So he forfeited the freedom which was destined for him, because he misunderstood and abused
it. But here lay the misunderstanding, and hence
also arose the abuse, that he presumed he could expel all compassion from an economy of things, into
which he was admitted through the most distinguished
compassion; could insult love and still remain in the
enjoyment of its blessings. As certainly as there is
no kingdom of God without forgiveness being received
by us, so certainly is there no kingdom of God without forgiveness being exercised by us. With the
measure wherewith it was meted to us, when we were
called by grace, so must we also mete, that we may
not fall from grace."
Ver. 35. JuLy heavenly Father; Christ does not
say, your father; for whosoever is so unmerciful, is
not worthy to be reckoned a child of God. Here
we find the lesson of the parable plainly declared as a
threatening of punishment and solemn warning against
unmercifulness; Sirach xxviii. 1-11. Col. iii. 12,
13. In this parable two entirely opposite characters
are depicted, and through means of the contrast between them the excellence of a placable disposition,
and the hatefiilness, nay the frightful nature of an unmerciful and avenging disposition are represented in
the most striking light. All the circumstances of the
narrative are in perfect accordance with the characters
described. Von Brunn says upon this similitude, " It
contains a clear representation of the most perfect exercise of grace toward the sinner, and also the trials,
which serve either to justify him who is the subject of
such grace, or to make him an entire reprobate. To
the sinner it opens up glorious prospects; the grace of
God appeals from the first to him almost unlimited;
punitive justice completely withdraws; God regards




116          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
all offences committed against him as cancelled; but the
moment grace sees the heart of the sinner unchanged,
is unable to soften it, to inspire with feelings of love,
to impress upon it its own image, that moment justice
resumes its proper place, and the sinner has lost all inheritance in this grace."
XI.
THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.
Matth. xx. 1-16.
The rich young man, who asked, "Good master,
what good thing shall I do, that I may inherit eternal
life?" went away sorrowing from Jesus, -while he said
to him, " If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou
hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come and follow me." For he
had many goods, which he could not bring his mind
to sacrifice, because the demand seemed too hard for
him. Upon this Jesus took occasion to direct attention to the important hinderances which the possession
of earthly goods raises up in carnal and worldly-minded
hearts against their salvation. Then Peter struck in
and said, " Behold, we have forsaken all and followed
thee; what shall we have therefore?" We, says he
of himself and his fellow-disciples, manifestly in opposition to that youth who had been frightened away
from following after Jesus by the greatness of the sacrifice required; what he could not resolve to do, that
have we actually done; to become thy followers, we
have made the greatest sacrifice. " Peter, tacitly,"
says Calvin, " compares himself and the other disciples
with the rich youth, whom the world had alienated
from Christ."
In that declaration of Peter, there is displayed, not
only a certain self-satisfaction, with which he reflects
upon himself and his conduct, but also a vaunting of
himself over the young man, and those like him, and a




THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.    117
depreciation of others. This manner of feeling gave rise
to the question, "What shall we have therefore?" In
which there discovers itself the foolish conceit of possessing merits before the Lord, and having righteous
claims, grounded upon these merits, which might be
made upon him, plainly arguing a selfish thirst for reward. Draeseke: "The natural man must always
be a hireling. Peter himself was only a hireling so
long as he was Simon. This was betrayed by the
question: what shall we have therefore?   But by
and by Peter laid aside the Simon, and along therewith the hireling, 1 Peter i. 24, 3; iv. 2; 2 Peter iii.
13." And since Peter did not rest upon the external
circumstance of his earlier call upon Jesus, and his
longer fellowship with him, though in this respect also
he was distinguished from the young man in question,
but merely upon the sacrifice he had made,-upon his
good works, we may hence gather, that afterwards in
the parable, the earlier and the later call is not in
itself an essential thing, and that the expression first
and last, is to be understood, not so much of an external difference in regard to a longer or shorfer fellowship with Jesus, as of men's judgment upon themselves
in regard to their personal worth and desert.
To the question of this disciple, our Lord replied,
v. 28: "Verily, I say unto you, that ye, who have
followed me in the regeneration (Acts iii. 21, at the
time of the manifestation of the kingdom of God,
Matth. xxv. 31, ss.) when the Son of Man shall sit
in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon
twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel,
honour, power, and glory shall be your portion, John
xvii. 24.")  A peculiarly distinguished and glorious
reward is here promised by our Lord to his apostles,
and the unfailing certainty with which it should be
conferred, is intimated in the verily, with which the
declaration commences. By such a promise the Lord
wished to stimulate and strengthen his disciples to persevering attachment to the faith, and immoveable




118          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
steadfastness under all tribulations and sufferings which
were to overtake them.  Calvin: "Lest the disciples
should think that they were bound to a fruitless task,
or repent of their begun undertaking, Christ informs
them of the glory of his kingdom, which as yet lay
concealed, but which should one day be manifested.
As if he had said: There is no reason why the meanness of your present condition should dishearten you;
for I, who scarcely have a place among the lowest,
shall yet ascend the throne of majesty; endure therefore for awhile, until the time shall come for the manifestation of my glory." Nor has Christ merely the
apostles in view, his eye stretches far and wide over
the whole company of his disciples in every age, and
hence follows, in ver. 29, the general promise, which
belongs to all who should ever attach themselves to
him: " And every one, that hath forsaken houses, or
brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or
children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive
a hundred-fold, and shall inherit everlasting life."
Still more clearly than here we find reference made in
the parallel passage of the other Evangelists, Mark
x. 29, 30, and Luke xviii. 30, to a twofold reward,
an earthly and a heavenly one. Mark says: " There
is no man that hath left house, &c. but he shall receive
a hundred-fold now in this time, houses, and brethren,
and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with
persecutions, (nothing without the cross in the fellowship with Jesus, Matth. x. 38,) and in the world to
come eternal life." This twofold reward is not to be
overlooked, on account of the penny in the parable.
Received a hundred-fold, Gnomon: " In this life, for
the future one will repay more than a hundred or even
a thousand fold, Luke xix. 16, 17. He shall receive,
not politically, and by dint of his own efforts, yet still
he shall truly receive, just as he has need of a faithful
friend, and in whatsoever other things it is desirable
for him to obtain, Matth. v. 5. The word receive
agrees more closely to the notion of reward, but in



THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.       1 19
herit implies something far richer."  Calvin: "After
having raised the minds of his disciples to the hope of
eternal life, he supports them also by present consolations, and strengthens them for enduring the cross.
For though God may permit his people to be grievously
afflicted, he yet never so far deserts them as to leave
them without compensation for their sorrows. Nor
does he speak here only to his apostles, but takes occasion to direct his discourse generally to all. The
sum of the matter is, that they who have voluntarily
suffered the loss of all things, for the sake of Christ,
shall obtain more happiness, even in this life, than if
they had sustained no injury, though still their grand
recompense is reserved for them in heaven."
To the promise just mentioned our Lord joins the
declaration in v. 30: "But many that are first shall
be last; and the last shall be first."  The connexion
with but imports as much as: However sure the word
of promise is, and however unfailing the promised reward, it yet may, and will happen, that the promise shall not be fulfilled to all, nor the glorious reward inherited by all,-that many, and of these not
a few, even among the immediate followers of Jesus,
shall be disappointed in their expectations, and that
the actual participation of the reward shall proceed
upon quite other principles than men in their blindness
and perversity dream. These words contain partly a
warning to the naturally proud and supercilious heart,
to beware of losing the promised reward through
fancied superiority over others, and partly, also, they
declare a general principle of government, which shall
he acted on in the heavenly kingdom. Calvin: " This
declaration was added to make them put away the
sluggishness of the flesh. The apostles already grasped
at the reward, though they had scarcely begun their
course. But Christ exhorts those who had truly begun, to strenuous perseverance, and, at the same time,
reminds them that it would be of no avail to have set
out boldly on the Christian race, if they did not'continue to the end, 1 Cor. ix. 24. Phil. iii. 13."




120          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
The first, taken in its proper signification, are such
as really have an external precedence over others, according to the parable, the first called disciples, (v.
1, 2,) who had to perform a long, full, laborious day's
work, v. 10f do much, suffer much, submit to great
sacrifices, continue steadfastly with Jesus, and, according to human apprehension, appear pre-eminently deserving of reward. Such a day's work had the apostles,
the first Christians generally, the martyrs, reformers,
missionaries to the heathen. But the mere circumstance that one has continued long in fellowship with
Jesus, has had to fight with many difficulties, and has
overcome them, by no means proves that, before the
Searcher of hearts, he is worthy of attaining to the
promised reward.
The last, in like manner, strictly understood, stand
opposed to those who have just been described according to their external circumstances,-such as have
not companied so long with Jesus, have been later in
being called, v. 3, 7, have therefore not performed
such a day's work, have not laboured, suffered, or sacrificed so much; who, consequently, as compared
with the former, occupy an inferior place in this respect, and do not appear worthy of such a reward.
And yet, in the actual apportioning of the reward, the
first shall be last, shall not receive such a glorious reward as these, must be content to see themselves put
behind. The treatment is in the highest degree remarkable, and appears, according to human apprehension, to be not less arbitrary than unjust toward the
last. But he, who has to apportion the reward, is
the holy, righteous, good, all-wise and omniscient God.
He must have grounds for acting as he does, as there
can be no caprice in his conduct. All those outward
distinctions, which belong to the just, suffice not before God to make them stand also first in the participation of the promised reward, that is, to secure for
them a preference before the others, to provide for
them  a richer inheritance in the rewards of grace.




THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.    121
There must, therefore, be before him, who looks only on
the heart, and does not regard the outward appearance, some internal grounds and hinderances, on account
of which the first do not remain first. These internal
grounds lie in the state of mind belonging to these
first labourers, in all outward respects so distinguished,
and consist in self-satisfaction, self-elation, contempt
of others, conceit of their own merits, presumptuous
claims to distinction, consequently, also, in forwardness
and want of humility,-these are the secret hinderances
which prevent the first from remaining first, and the
grounds on account of which the Lord does not think
them worthy of distinguishing grace. On account of
this state of mind, on account of the precedence which
they claimed for themselves, which, in the parable,
could be represented no otherwise than through the
earlier call and the longer period of labour,-for only
such workmen could so confidently extol themselves
over others, —they are called the first; and this expression, taken figuratively, is to be understood of the
imagined superiority which this class of labourers ascribed to themselves over the others, conceiving that
in God's eyes, as well as in their own, they were preeminent in worth,-the first, the best, the most distinguished. The delineation of their heart in the parable, v. 2, 10-12, 15, completely harmonizes with
the state of feeling expressed by Peter, v. 27. It is,
therefore, a good thing to be one of the first, in regard
to what is outward; but a still better thing, and an
essential requisite not to know it, not to plume ourselves upon it, as otherwise we shall have our place
among the last in the eyes of God../nd the last shall be first; the want of all the outward advantages belonging to the first-called labourers, which do not belong to the last, who, being later
called, wrought only for a short period, and had not
toiled particularly hard, (v. 3, 7-12,) forms, on the
other hand, no sufficient ground, in the sight of God,
to refuse them distinguishing grace; and if he grants
11




122          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
them a full day's reward, more than they themselves,
perhaps, could have expected for their work, he must,
as well as in the other case, have grounds for doing
so; and discern in them a state of mind which renders
them  worthy of such treatment.  Now, if the formerly described feeling of Peter, which, in the parable, discovers itself in the first-called labourers, rendered them  unworthy of a distinguishing mark of
grace, on the part of God, and deprived them of it;
we are naturally led to conclude that these last lax
bourers, who were so highly favoured above the first,
must have possessed an entirely different frame of
mind; that, being filled with humility, they thought
little of themselves, and judged themselves unworthy
of any large recompense; that they knew nothing of
personal deserts and claims on God, built not upon
themselves, but attributed every thing they possessed
of good to their Lord, v. 4, 5, 7;-and all this is represented, in the parable, by the later call. In their
own eyes, and the world's, they are last, hence they
are the first in God's.
We are, besides, compelled to understand the above
expression in this sense, from the place and connexion which the same expression has in Luke xiii. 30,
where the subject discoursed of from v. 26, is the arrogant pretensions of the Jews, proud both of their nation
and their birth, to the exclusive, or, at least, the preeminent enjoyment of the blessings of Messiah's kingdom, and of the preference to be given to the heathen
over them. The discourse concludes with the words:
"And behold there are last that shall be first, and there
are first that shall be last,"-which, in this connexion,
obviously means, that the Jews, in their arrogant and
foolish pride, should see themselves disappointed; and
that the heathen, who were so much despised by them,
and on their part made no such pretensions, should be
preferred before them. Gnomon: " The first and the
last either differ in kind, so that they are such as are
saved, and such as perish; or rather in degree, so that




TIlE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.         1'23
the first also shall be saved, but shall stand far below
the last."
Immediately after this dark and enigmatical declaration in v. 30, the parable itself follows in Matthew,
which also closes with the same declaration. Not
only the commencement of the parable with the connective particle for, but also the repetition of the saying in question in v. 16, with ovos, so, i. e. in this
manner, as the history just recited shows, clearly manifests that the parable was delivered for the purpose of
exhibiting the truth contained in the last verse of the
preceding chapter, in a specific transaction, wherein
the first were last and the last first. The circumstance, that in the first announcement of this truth, v.
30, it is said, " many that are first shall be last," has
induced the most part of interpreters to bring the universal application of this principle of the Messiah's
kingdom into doubt, and to affirm that there may also
have been some first, who were not last; but this does
not appear to be the meaning, and we are rather led by
the design of the parable, and the import of the text
itself, to understand the saying in the strictest universality, and to maintain that all the first are last, and
all the last are first.  This is demanded by the text
itself; for while, in v. 30, it is said, in the first clause,
"many first shall be last," the converse is stated,
quite generally, in the second; "and the last shall be
first." And, in v. 16, the sentiment which was expressed in v. 30, with some apparent limitation, is
given in the most comprehensive form; "so the first
shall be last, and the last first." Hence we must explain
the darker saying in v. 30, from the one in v. 16, which
is more explicit. Nor can we avoid taking the declaration as universally applicable, if we look to the
whole purport of the parable, according to'which, in
the distribution of rewards, all the first were actually
the last, v. 1, 2, comp. with v. 10; and there is nothing in the words which opposes this interpretation,
for according to Wahl, Clavis N. T. Aoxxot signifies,




124          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
also, all; "' oxaor, a multittudine appellantur, qui
sunt omnes, Matth. xx. 28; xxvi. 28."  Wahl,
indeed, brings forward the two passages, v. 30, and
v. 16, with the view of attaching to many its usual,
its limited signification, but without a proper regard
to the connexion in which the parable stands, and
which speaks strongly for the more general sense of
the, word-all.  The whole doubt, however, which
has been felt concerning the reception of this latter
sense, and which some have endeavoured to render
probable, by the incontrovertible remark, that there
may also have been those among the first who, on account of their humble and confiding disposition toward
God, continued to remain first, proceeds, as to its ultimate ground, from an entire misapprehension of the
parable.; as if the calling of the labourers, at different
times, and the longer or shorter period: of labour in
the vineyard, consequent thereupon, were to be regarded as the main feature in the parable; whereas,
first and last have no reference to the earlier and later
call, but are rather to be taken as distinct forms for
determining and marking the judgment of the workmen regarding themselves; their proud and assuming,
or their humble and unpretending disposition.
There is, however, still another way of taking the
expression, which is quite allowable. If we make
the,oxxot in v. 30, to bear its usual, its limited sense,
many, we must then supply this to the second clause,
so as to give the following sense: And many last shall
be first. In this case the nmany first and mnany last
are to be. referred only to the external circumstance
of the earlier or later call; while, on the other hand,
the thing predicated of them, shall be last, shall be
first, must be understood of the judicial sentence of
God, pronounced upon the called labourers, and the
sense will then be: But many who then (as to the
time of their call) were first, shall be last, (as concerns
the judgment of God, he does not hold them worthy
of distinguishing grace;) and many of the last-called




THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.       125
labourers shall be first in the eyes of God, be raised
to the highest honours.  (The change from the proper to the improper signification in the terms first and
last, in the one and in the same sense, need not appear strange, as we find something quite similar in the
word life, Matth. xvi. 25.) Ver. 30 is immediately
succeeded by the parable, which represents the judicial procedure of God, and which is followed up at
the close by the-declaration in v. 16. But here the
first and last would need to be understood, without
regard to the time of the call, merely of the judgment
of the labourers upon themselves, and of the contrary
judgment of God upon them, and the sense would
then be: So, i. e. according to the manner just described
in the parable, shall the last (all the last, for there
is no qualifying term there,) be first, and the first last,
all those like-minded with the first,-the proud shall
be abased; all those like-minded with the last, — the
humble shall be exalted. According to this exposition, the possibility in v. 30, grows into a reality in v.
16; in the former verse it is represented as possible
that the first might be the last, in v. 16, it is stated
to be actually the case; and the parable contains the
fundamental principle in the divine kingdom, according to which this reality comes to be established;
hence v. 16 is connected with what precedes by-so.
DESIGN OF THE PARABLE.
Draeseke: "The grand key to the mystery of the
kingdom contained in this parable, lies in the truth,
that, although the heavenly kingdom is the gift of
God in the souls of men, it yet can neither begin, nor
continue, neither manifest, nor develop itself without
worthiness on the part of men. And again, though
our worthiness is necessary, yet we do not attain to a
place in the kingdom of God through "the merit of
our works," but through the fulness of grace, and
through this alone. In short, the kingdom longs for
labourers, it disda;ns hirelings. As the parable pri11*




126          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
marily applies to that disciple, who wished; to know
what he was to have for leaving and forsaking all,
but in that disciple was personated the whole of Israel
and its high pretensions, so it runs counter to all pretension, not excepting ours, if we make any.  Labourers and hirelings have this in common, that both apply their powers, often even their most strenuous efforts, to the execution of a work, in which they obey
the guidance and direction of sorne other will than their
own.  But in this they differ from each other, that the
labourer being prompted by love, makes his Lord's will
his own; whereas the hireling remains as an alien to
thewill of his Lord,because he isdestituteoflove. The
labourer moves himself with ease and freedom, because he is full of spirit: the hirelinDg is crippledi and
benumbed, because he has nothing of the right spirit.
The labourer finds his pleasure in his work; the hireling is allured only by what he wins. The labourer
rejoices in the success also of others, his heart being in
the cause; the hireling begrudges every gain in which
he has no share. He places the person and the cause
in opposition to each other. Hirelings are the servants of their own lusts, and hence the judgment given
in Luke ix. 62."
Gnomon: c" Peter is taught to exercise modesty in
demanding; conf. Luke xvii. 5 —10, where- we learn,
that they who judge themselves unprofitable servants,
are of a sounder mind than those who exalt themselves
over others." Calvin: " Since this parable is merely
the confirmation of the last statement, v. 30, we must
now consider how it adapts itself to this purpose.
Some interpreters gather this as the sum, that, as the
heavenly inheritance is not acquired as the reward of
merit, but is bestowed as a free gift, the glory of all
will be one and the same. But Christ does not discourse concerning the equality of celestial glory, nor
concerning the future state of the pious at all, but
simply declares, that there is no reason why they
should glory, or boast themselves over others, who




THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.        127
have precedence in point of time; because the Lord, as
often as he pleased, could call those whom he seemed
for a time to neglect, and make them to equal, if
not to surpass those who had been called at an earlier
period. Besides, as we have already said, his aim was
to stimulate his disciples with perpetual excitements
to go on  and persevere.   Too much confidence
naturally begets sloth; and so it comes to pass, that
many, when they have scarcely well begun, fall a
loitering in the middle of their course."
In his discourses, answers, and instructions, the
Lord constantly deals with the inmost state of the
heart; whatever he discerns there sinful and perverse,
that he contends; with, and brings to light in proper
or figurative language, the state of mind, which is
right and well pleasing to God; as this is his general
practice, so is it in particular here.  The sinful disposition, which Peter manifested in v. 27, was the immediate occasion of the parable. Against this it is
directed, against the pride and self-elation of the human heart, against a mercenary temper and pretended
worth, against spiritual presumption, and such other
sinful emotions as naturally arise out of it; in particular, against envy, mutual jealousy, and dissatisfaction
with God. It is, therefore, his design to excite a confidential and lowly state of mind, while the mournful
consequences of the opposite state of-sinful perverseness are delineated in the first labourers.  We are compelled to regard the parable in this light by the preceding context; and in the narrative that follows, of
the mother of Zebedee's children seeking from the
Lord the two most honourable seats in his kingdom
for her two sons, the same truth is again inculcated
only from another point of view. For whilst in the
parable confidence or pride in our doings is combated,
and all righteousness of works before God is put to
shame, this narrative teaches, that the endurance also
of the most painful and bitter sufferings in following
the Lord, v. 22, 23, does not of itself make us wor



128          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
thy and deserving of being rewarded with the highest
honour and distinction in his kingdom; for though
any one should drink, says Jesus, v. 23, of my cup, I
am yet by no means necessitated to give him to sit
upon my right hand or my left, but shall give it to those
for whom it is prepared of my Father. The highest
honours in the kingdom shall be distributed by the Son,
(as steward, v. 8,) according to a predeterminate purpose of the Father, to those who possess the proper
state of feeling, and falling in with God's arrangeinent shall be counted worthy of distinguishing grace.
So that neither works, (according to the parable,) nor
sufferings (according to the narrative, v. 20-23,)
neither passive nor active obedience toward Christ, can
purchase for us merit in his kingdom, and all reward
there shall be dispensed according to the determinate
purpose of God, though still in a way of desert, i. e.
in proportion to the faith and humility of each. This
truth-that unpretending humility alone is prized before God, and reckoned worthy of the highest honour,
is not only thus set forth in the parable and the narrative, but is also, in plain language, enforced in the
verses that follow, v. 25-28; and for regarding this
as the main design of the parable, something may
even be gathered from the epistle, 1 Cor. ix. 24; x. 5,
appointed to be read along with the gospel containing this parable, in Matthew, on Sunday Septuagesima;
for the last part of the epistle warns us, from the example of the Israelites, against fleshly security, that
is, against the delusion of supposing that any thing
external, without a state of mind good and well
pleasing in the sight of God, can secure for us salvation and the experience of divine favour.
Luther, in his Church-Pos., gives the aim of the
parable as follows: " Christ designs to show in this
similitude, how it comes to pass, that in the heavenly
kingdom, or the church on earth, God judges and acts
in a wonderful manner, so as to make the last first,
and the first last. And every thing is said to humble




TIIE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.    120
those who think themselves something,-that they
must have no confidence in any thing but the sovereign mercy and goodness of God; and, on the other
hand, that those who are nothing need not despair,
but may, as well as the others, confide in the goodness of God. We must observe that the householder
insists upon having his gifts exalted above all, works
and merits, nay, of having them alone accounted of.
Therefore, the main drift of the parable does not turn
upon the penny, what it may represent, nor upon the
distinction of hours, but upon the gaining and acquiring, how the penny is to be won. This, then, is the
sum and substance of the parable,-no man is in himself so high, nor can he become so high, but that he
shall still have reason to fear he may be thrust down
to the lowest place; and again, no one has sunk, nor
can he sink, so low but that he may still hope to reach
the highest place. For here all merit is excluded, and
the goodness of God alone exalted, while the determination is formed, that the first shall be last and the
last first. In saying the first shall be last, he takes
away all presumption, and forbids thee to boast thyself over any sinner, though thou didst equal Abraham, David, Peter, or Paul. But when he also says,
the last shall be first, he removes all ground for despair, and forbids thee to take refuge under any saint,
though thou wert even like Pilate or Herod, like Sodom and Gomorrah."
Bourn understands the parable in the same light,
and regards it as directed against spiritual presumption. When it has been considered rather in an external point of view, the calling of the labourers into
the vineyard at different times, and the apparent
sameness of the reward, all receiving alike one penny,
has been regarded as the main thing, and it has not
been perceived that all this serves only as a necessary
image for representing the different states of mind.
Even Luther, at an earlier period, had taken up with
this idea, in his House-Pos. 2, 79, regarding it as




130          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
teaching the truth, that there is no respect of persons
in Christ's spiritual kingdom.  But that the earlier or
later call is only a subordinate point, and the veil of
a truth concealed under it, is manifest from this, that
the parable takes notice only of the first and the last,
and bestows no particular regard on those who were
called at the intermediate times, which it should certainly have done, had these separate calls been a matter of primary importance. The expositors who consider the different hours of calling the essential point,
hold it for the design of the parable to teach and vindicate the proposed extension of the gospel to the
heathen world, and the approaching dissolution of the
ecclesiastical state and privileges of Israel, in order to
erect a Church in its stead, which should be composed
of all classes of men, and extend even to the farthest
boundaries of the earth;-so Gray. More spiritual,
and nearer the truth, is the view which regards the
parable as directed against the national and religious
pride of Israel, grounding pretensions to merit on its
law and long-tried obedience to God, since on this account Paul so often and so strongly expresses himself
in his Epistles against the righteousness of the law,
and Israel's presumptuous claims on God. But though
we should grant that the parable points to this historical fact, yet this cannot be its immediate and proper
reference, for as it speaks only of the heavenly kingdom, and tells us how Christ will act toward his labourers, we are under the necessity of confining it to
this region.  There are still other expositors, holding
to the distinction of hours, and the apparent sameness
in the reward, who- have thought it must teach that
the earlier or later entrance into the visible church is
a matter of indifference; nay, some have even maintained the unchristian notion, as forming the very kernel of this parable, that it will not signify whether
the sinner may have come soon or late to Christ! as if
an earlier or later conversion to the Lord were really
a thing of no moment. Olshausen, in his Commen



THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.    131
tary on the New Testament, 1. p. 735, says, upon the
manifold views taken of this and similar parables:
"Such divine narratives resemble well-polished prec(ious stones, which emit a splendour from more sides
than one." The same expositors, who have failed to
(liscern the secret grounds upon which the divine procedure and righteous judgment in regard to the first
and the last was formed, because they looked only to
the long or short period of labour, have sought to
justify the apparent arbitrariness displayed by the
Lord in the distribution of the reward, by bringing to
their help the quite unwarranted supposition, that the
first-called labourers may not have wrought rightly
and conscientiously, while the last, through redoubled
zeal, may have at least equalled, in their short period,
the labour of the first. But the parable has nothing
in it to justify this supposition; for while the firstcalled labourers appeal to their long and laborious work,
the Lord makes no attempt to deny it, but simply rests
for justification on his own free goodness, and it is not
so much as hinted, that the last had distinguished
themselves by their extraordinary labour. WTere the
supposition in question right, the leading truth brought
out in the parable would be, "according to the work,
so is the reward," a sentiment which is directly opposed to the real design of the parable, which rather
unfolds the truth, "that the amount of reward.is not
determined by the labour of the servant."  It is,
finally, to be remarked, that the sameness of the reward is, after all, only an apparent one. It would
have been really so, had there been one period of labour and one service performed. But since both, according to the parable, were very different, the labourers who had wrought only an hour, received in
their full day's wages, twelve times more than they
deserved, and than was given to the first-called labourers; so that the Lord manifested toward them a
quite peculiar, and most distinguishing grace, which
was denied to the first.  In the parable, both the time




1.32         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
of labour and the work done, differs with the different
labourers, and the preference of the last-called over
the first is marked by the equality of the reward. And,
according to the clear import of the parable, when
the labourers in the vineyard, the disciples of Christ,
wrought for a like time, and accomplished a like work,
even then there is to be found an entirely different relation between work and reward, there is to be found
an unequal reward. The grace of the Lord, that it
is at once free and righteous, and the disposition of the
labourers as rendering them worthy or unworthy of
distinguishing grace, these are the two leading points
upon which we must direct especial attention, and
which, in the exposition and practical application of
the parable, must be brought most prominently out,
and rendered palpable, if it is to be rightly understood.
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
On what depends the distribution of reward in the
kingdom of God? or,
Humility is the only measure for the distribution of
reward in the kingdom of God.
I. Negative proof: The reward is not distributed
according to work,
A. Work indeed is required; for,
(1.) The steward hires labourers, v. 1, 2;
(2.) He repeatedly hires labourers, v. 3, 5, 6;
(3.) He chides the idle, v. 3, 6;
B. But still work is not the measure according to
which the reward is distributed; for,
(1.) Neither the length of the time of labour is commended, v. 8-12: " Thou hast made them equal to us."
(2.) Nor the arduousness of the work, v. 12: " We
who have borne the heat and burden of the day."
II. Positive proof. The reward shall be distributed
only according to the degree of humility; for,
A. The kingdom of God is a kingdom of grace;
(1.) Every one indeed receives a reward for his




THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.    133
work, v. 13, (comp. v. 2,) v. 24: "Take what thine
is, and go thy way."
(2.) But the gift of eternal life is only of free grace,
v. 14: "I will give unto this last, even as unto thee;"
and herein appears distinctly,
a) God's sovereign power, v. 14: I will give, etc.
b) As also his free goodness, v. 15: "'Is thine eye
evil, because I am good?"
B. And hence the humble are the objects of grace;
which is manifest,
(1.) In the case of the first, from the opposite, for
they wanted humility, v. 2; They agreed for a reward, v. 11: They murmured.
(2.) In the case of the last; They trust in humility
on the Lord, v. 3-5: And they went away, v. 9:
They receive a glorious reward.
(3.) From the closing declaration, v. 16: For many
are called, but few are chosen.
Ver. 1. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a
householder; for as a householder transacts with his
servants, so will the Lord transact with those who belong to his church, and enter into terms with him.
Householder, lit. a man that is a householder; by
whom we are to understand God.
To hire labourers; man's coming into connexion
with God, is from God, according to John xv. 16, the
call is of grace, for on this is grounded the salvation
of sinners; to hire indicates a free compact, God calls
and will bestow salvation, the sinner must consent, receive the call; the hiring contains within itself a reward, which is likewise of grace, for God, as Lord of
his creatures, is not bound to give any special recompense, but he wishes, through the promise of this, to
make men the more ready to accept of his gracious
call. Labourers are not merely preachers, but all the
called, and they are named labourers, partly on account
of their dependence on God, and partly to intimate,
that in the attainment of salvation, all must proceed
upon the dutiful subjection of man to the will of God.
12




134          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
Vineyard, an image of the church, and of the employment to be performed in it; manifold, laborious,
but richly recompensed are the employments in a
vineyard; God has established this vineyard according
to his great mercy. Olshausen: " The frequent comnparison of the kingdom of God to a vineyard, indicates as much as this, that the Redeemer, according to
his insight into nature, found in wine and the vine
the most fitting analogies in the natural world for
shadowing forth spiritual relations. John xv. 1, ss."
Ver. 2. And when he had agreed with the labourers;
they must consequently have asked after the reward,
and the Lord had also made it known to them; they
are represented to us as possessed of a selfish, greedy
disposition. ch. xix. 27; would confide nothing to the
Lord, would not rest in his divine equity. Gnomon:
"With the first labourers, the transaction is more a
matter of paction and right, with the latter, more a
matter of free goodness, even in the hiring, though
coupled with the reprehension of these last for their
idleness, v. 4, 6, 7. They make up for their idleness
by yielding obedience without stipulating for any reward."  Calvin: "Here mention is made of a penny,
and a hire; but while we quarrel concerning our deserts, and such quarrels draw on many pernicious vices,
hatred, self-seeking, pride, wrongs, it happens that the
first becomes last, and the good cause is corrupted by
ill behaviour."  Draeseke: "He gives the called their
appointed task. Now they have work. And they
set to it heartily, were not hirelings, day-labourers,
eye-servants; they were, what they ought to be, workmen, helps, and companions of the householder."
For a penny; a denarius, about sevenpence-halfpenny of our money.
Ver. 3 —5. The third, sixth, ninth hours, according
to the Jewish method of reckoning time; the day
was divided into twice twelve hours, beginning at six
in the evening, so that their third hour of day corresponded to our nine in the morning, and so on. Lu



THIE LABOURERS IN TIHE VINEYARD.    135
ther, Church-Postills, 11, says: "This portion of
scripture has been applied by some fathers to the different preachers that have been raised up in the different periods of the world; the first hour in Adam's
time; the third, Noah's; the sixth, Abraham's; the
ninth, that of Moses; the eleventh, that of Christ
{nd his apostles.  Such trifling is good enough for
filling up the time, when one has nothing else to
preach."
Ver. 3. And save others standing idle in the market-place; no activity is right while we are out of
Christ, and away from fellowship with him; we must
devote to him all our time and powers. Draeseke:
"Man may be so busy, in his business he may be so
diligent, that the sweat shall flow in streams from his
forehead; but until he feels himself called by God to
the work, until he knows himself appointed by God in
the work, until he begins to exert himself for God in it,
and also works in the kingdom, he stands idle. Worse
even than doing nothing is every sort of working
which is not done for the kingdom."
Ver. 4. Whatsoever is right, I will give you; he
refers them, without any definite promise of blessing,
to his justice and equity, and they, simply confiding
in this, making no inquiry after reward, go away into
the vineyard.  How great a difference between these
and the first labourers!  It is, besides, worthy of
remark, that the calling of men, as bodies, to the
fellowship of Christ, is done, as in the case of individuals, at different times: one people is called earlier than another, and even in the Christian church,
where all enjoy the means of outward fellowship,
some come in tender childhood, others in the season of
youth, others only in ripened manhood, or even not
till declining age, to a living and enlightened fellowship with the Redeemer, when alone they can regard
themselves as labourers of the Lord, and apprehend
the true design of their being.
Ver. 6. And about the eleventh hour; five hours




1 6          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
after mid-day, when there remained but an hour to
work. Why stand ye here all the day idle? it is
reproach.
Ver. 8. Here begins the second division of the
parable, the distribution of the reward and justification of the manner of doing it.  If, in the first part
of the parable, the calling of the labourers at different hours was only the particular form for representing to us the want of a confiding and humble spirit
in the first-called, the possession of it by the last, and
to lay a palpable ground for the self-exaltation of the
former;-if, farther, the different times of labour
taken in connexion with the manner of distributing the
reward, is only assumed as the form for presenting to
our view the truth therein disclosed, that neither the
amount of labour nor the imagined desert of the
labourer, are the things according to which the Lord
apportions the reward; then must the distribution of
the reward itself be only the veil of a truth, and we
are not to think, in searching for it, of the future
transactions of the last judgment. God has so arranged it, that every thing done in his service brings
with it an immediate reward, which is even now enjoyed by his servants upon earth, so that it will not
be adjudged and given to them for the first time at
the final judgment, as we must maintain, if we consider the distribution of the reward in the evening as
historically predictive of that judgment. This distri-,bution of reward, and the discourses held concerning
it, are only the form, therefore, through which we
have made known to us what disposition is most
pleasing to the Lord of the vineyard on the part of
his labourers, which he pre-eminently blesses, and thereby leads us to regard as right and good. If we are
determined to view this, in reference to the last judgment, it can only be done in the sense that there will
then be made manifest before all the world, what
hitherto was comparatively but little known, viz. those
who are blessed of God, and that then also the whole




THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.    137
world will be made to understand the supreme justice
and goodness of God, in giving or withholding distinguishing grace. The circumstance too should perhaps be taken into account, that through this manifestation of the sovereign good pleasure of God, the lastcalled, and so highly favoured labourers, shall receive
a vast accession to the blessedness they have already
experienced.
V. S. To his steward, the overseer of his goods,
Christ, according to Heb. iii. 2; John v. 27; Matth.
xi. 27. Draeseke: "The labourer is worthy of his
reward. So God always reckons. It is not otherwise in the heavenly kingdom. Could the kingdom
withhold the promised reward, since the Lord's word
is true? But, could the kingdom offer an unsuitable
reward since the Lord's ways are wisdom and righteousness? Or could the kingdom fail to afford an adequate reward, since the Lord's dominion stretches
throughout all the universe? It is not the labourers
alone who receive what is right. The hirelings, also,
get their pay. Every one receives his penny. Only
the same penny becomes quite a different thing, according as it is the hand, which simply takes it, or the
state of mind, which is rightly prepared to receive and
prize it.  According as thou layest hold of it as a
labourer, or as a hireling, by this it is determined what
the divine reward may be, shall be, must be to thee."
V. 9. The last called labourers, in receiving a
penny, received, perhaps, more than they deserved,
or were expecting; that they received the reward
first is of importance only as serving, by such an
arrangement, to bring out more easily the disposition of
the first-called. It was simply their humility and their
trust in the promise, v. 4, 7, which rendered them
deserving of it, not their labour.
V. 10. The first thought that they should have received more, for they were eye-witnesses of the extraordinary goodness of the Lord toward the last called
labourers; at the same time there is here intimated
12*




138          TIE PARABLES OF JESUS.
their conceit of acquired merits and righteous claims
on God's special goodness, the ground of which is
given v. 12. Their grand principle is, the more work
the more merit, and, consequently, there should also
be the more reward. fAnd they likewise received
every man a penny; —they find themselves disappointed;-God judges and acts differently from men;-he
has no particular delight in the conceited labourers.
Mel.: " Here the distribution is unequal in regard to
merits; therefore it is not merely merits that are accounted of, but Christ wishes to intimate that the
mercy of God must be more looked to than our
merits." -
V. 11, 12. The procedure of God is the occasion
of discontent to the self-righteous, proud, and presumptuous, (Acts xiii. 44, ss.; xiv. 1, ss.; xvi. 6, ss.; xvii.
11, ss.) and they give vent to their dissatisfaction,they complain of the unfair treatment they receive.
These last have wrought but one hour, expresses their
feeling of contempt towards their fellow-labourers;
and thou hast made them equal unto us-hast bestowed
unto them such distinguished favour, expresses their
envy and jealousy; in their self-elation they wished
to have the pre-eminence; and could not, without a
grudge, see it awarded to others. In thinking and
speaking thus, however, they virtually accused God of
acting unrighteously, which they do yet more expressly in the following words; who have borne the heat
and burden of the day; they look less to the grace
which had wrought in them, and through them, than
to the confidence which they had in themselves, and
therefore praised themselves rather than the Lord.
Gnomon: " The burden, arising from within, from
their own labour; the heat, coming from without, from
the sun." God must think, judge, act as we imagine
to be right: Luther, Church-Pos. 11, 83: " The day
and the heat, we must, to interpret them rightly, transfer, from what is outward, to the conscience; so that,
by the self-righteous doing long and laborious work,




TIlE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.    139
we are to understand their doing it with a heavy conscience and a grumbling-heart, constrained and driven
by the law; but the short hours indicate the lightened
conscience, led by grace, which acts righteously, of a
willing mind, and without the constraint of law."
V. 13. This verse contains a justification of the
righteousness of God from the reflections cast on it
by the first-called labourers, and throws back their
reproach. "Didst not thou agree with me for a penny?"
Thou hast, therefore, no right to seek for more than
what was promised.
Ver. 14. Here comes the punishment of this discontent: Take that thine is, despise not what is given
thee, but be content with it, no more is due to thee
than thou hast received; Rom. ix. 20; Isa. xlv. 9, 10..lnd go thy way, complete proof that there was no
hope of obtaining any more. Iwillgive unto this last
even as unto thee, a justification of the goodness of
God, which is grounded in his own gracious will; I
will, and is consequently perfectly free, ver. 15. Is
it not laufiul for me to do what I will with mine
own?  And it is only an evil, an envious heart, which
begrudges it to the other; Is thine eye evil, because
I am good? So that God himself ascribes what he
gave to the last-called labourers, to nothing but his
free goodness, thereby denying all claim to merit on
their part.  Gnomon: " The eye, the mind from the
eye."
In regard to their penny, we cannot possibly, as
some would, understand thereby, exclusively Christ,
or eternal life; but it includes all the divine promises
and rewards of grace, which differ very much according
to men's state and temper of mind, while men, through
their different conditions of mind, are rendered capable
or incapable of receiving the more or less glorious possessions and gifts of grace. The more heavenly the
mind of man is, the more bent upon eternal things,
the stronger his faith, the purer his love, the deeper
his humility, the more constant his patience, so much




140         TIIE PARABLES OF JESUS.
the more fitted is he to receive the promised recomrnpense of God in the best and noblest gifts. But if
the heart is mercenary, jealous, proud, presumptuous,
and full of pretensions, it is on that very account unfit
to receive the best gifts of God, and to be rewarded
by him with distinguishing grace; it is satisfied with
meaner, with temporal goods, Matt. vi. 2, 5. Luther
Church-Pos. ii. 82, ss., says, " Therefore, if we would
distinguish exactly, we must make the penny stand
for temporal good, and the favour of the householder
for eternal good.  The last continue in grace, and attain to salvation, besides that they also have enough
here."   Mel.: "The  meritorious, afterwards becoming insolent and ungrateful, are cast out, the submissive and grateful are received. The image of this
general rule is here depicted, nor is it necessary that
the rewards themselves should be the- same, as there
is in this respect a dissimilitude, the penny being given
even to the ungrateful.  But eternal life is not given
to those who are here understood to be rejected.  The
different parts will not, therefore, correspond, if the
penny is interpreted throughout, eternal life.  The
Jews, since they became ungrateful, are rejected,
having previously obtained both present and eternal
rewards. Now others are received, that they might
gratefully receive the rewards which should be given."
Draeseke: " The kingdom, with its gifts of grace for
eternity, is the penny which the Lord of the vineyard
promises to all whom he calls. However, it is only
the labourers, to whom the worth of this wonderful
penny is disclosed.  In their hands it is the pledge
of that complete enjoyment, which never terminates,
but always grows and renews itself. Hirelings, on
the other hand, go about the kingdom, but are still
not in it. Even that which is right in the kingdom,
appears to them as a false coinage.  They turn the
penny up and down in their hand, and know not what
to do with it. And yet this penny promise(l to the
labourers, is the noblest prize.  Less God could not




THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.    141
present to beings whom he made for being transformed
into his own image. More God can give to no creature. The perfectly righteous are only made blessed
in the enjoyment of his kingdom.  And the raising
of souls to this final blessedness'through the Holy
Ghost sent down from heaven,' is what the angels
themselves desire to look into, (1 Pet. i. 9-12.")
Ver. 16. This is not spoken by the householder,
but by Christ, and hence does not form a part of the
parable, the design of which, as explanatory of this
saying, is once again pointed out, with a manifest reference to chap. xix. 30. After that, in the words
" So the last shall be first, and the first last," it had
been intimated, that God judges not according to the
pretensions of men, and their fancied merits, it is added, " For many are called, but few chosen," as the
ground of such a procedure toward the labourers.
To be called signifies to be invited to a participation
in the goods, graces, and blessings of the kingdom of
Christ both in this life and the next. Gnomon: Kf,
Xr7vEVo,5 is, for example, a labourer, though he may
not go into the vineyard; xxno;, one who has received
the call." Chosen is applied in Scripture to every
thing which is the best of its kind, excellently good,
and hence of worth, a thing to be chosen and preferred
before all others. Now, in Christ's kingdom of grace
and before God, the Searcher of hearts, this can only
be a state of heart; hence that man is chosen who, on
account of a state of mind well pleasing in the sight
of God, (full of faith, humble, unpretending,) is reckoned worthy of distinguishing grace. But this worthiness having its ground in a certain state of heart,
no arbitrariness of partiality, on the part of God, for
the one or the other, can consequently have place,
and so these words contain a new reference to the
divine righteousness, there having been one already
in v. 13. Every thing is done, in the heavenly kingdom, in conformity with the purest righteousness —and
even the manifestations given in it of God's sovereignly




142          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
free grace proceed according to justice and equity —are
not at all arbitrary appointments.  On his part, God
is indeed inclined, where then the sense of this declaration, to bestow distinguishing grace on every one, on
all the called, and to bless them with all the blessings
of the heavenly kingdom-but the sinful and perverse
disposition of many will not admit of it, and hence all
the called are not also all chosen. As the judicial
procedure of God reaches to all those who are labourers in his vineyard, it is best to understand AxOxo,
(many,) here in the sense of all, and the opposite ox~o70, (few,) then signifies not all. To understand the
saying of an antecedent election, quite independent of
the state of the human heart, is utterly indefensible.
Luther, House-Pos. II. 84, ss. says; "From this saying the inconsiderate have drawn many impure and ungodly thoughts, as that, he who is chosen of God shall
be saved without means, without any co-operation of
his own; while, if we are not chosen, it is in vain that
we do and purpose. What sort of lazy, secure persons are likely to grow out of such a way of thinking,
it is not difficult to conceive.  Others take the words
thus: God offers his grace to many-, but gives only a
few to experience it, for there are only a few saved by
it. There is, however, another sense, in which the
saying may be taken, viz. that the preaching of the
gospel is done in an open and general way, so that
every one should hear, believe, and receive it to his
salvation. But what is the fact? Few are chosen,
that is, few give such a reception to the gospel, that
God has any pleasure in them."
Vitringa brings from the Jerusalem Talmud a similar parable, in which a king hired many labourers,
among whom was one who did his work uncommonly
well. What did the king do?  He took him to himself, and walked up and down with him. When the
evening arrived, the labourers came to receive their
pay, and the excellent workman was rewarded equally
with the rest, upon which they murmured, and said,




THE TWO UNLIKE SONS.           143
We have wrought laboriously all (lay, and have received
only the same pay with this man, who has wrought
but two hours.  The king said to them, He has
wrought more in two hours than ye have done all day.
Right, according to the Jewish notion of self-righteousness.
XII.
THE TWO UNLIKE SONS.
Matth. xxi. 28 —32.
General prefatory remarks on this and the two
following Parables.
These parables were delivered by Jesus after his
entrance into Jerusalem, shortly before his last sufferings. The nearer the time came for their being accomplished, the more clearly he disclosed, in striking
images, his own fate and that of the Jewish people;
and in them he breathes out the deepest lamentation
over the human corruption that prevailed, the wickedness of Israel, the frightful and inevitable judgments
of God. He paints, in the liveliest colours, the overflowing goodness, long-suffering, and patience of God
on the one hand, and on the other the levity, ingratitude, and increasing wickedness of the human heart,
and affirms that, on account of these the punitive
righteousness of a holy God would be necessitated to
inflict the most terrible visitations.  Only, the parabolical covering under which our Lord gave forth the
truths, warnings, threatenings, and reproofs, which he
delivered, served, in some measure, to blunt their pungent and cutting severity; yet still, the veil, which
was drawn around the truth, was so easily seen
through, and the application so pointed, Matth. xxi.
43, that his hearers clearly perceived he spake of
them, v. 44, 45, and hence thought of new plans for
his destruction, v. 46, and xxii. 15, s. The Lord had
hitherto not spoken this, but seeing that the mildness




144          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
he had all along maintained made no impression upon
the inveterate depravity of his opponents, he now began to give up somewhat of his meek forbearance, and
to speak without reserve, if, possibly, there were some,
at least a few, who would be moved to a change of
feeling by the solemn earnestness of his words, as
there really was, according to Luke xx. 16, a number of his hearers, who were so appalled by the terrible prospect of approaching judgment, as to cry out,
God forbid.
In the first parable of the two sons, Jesus mainly
depicts the hypocrisy of the first, and most influential of the people: in the following one, of the vinedressers, their overwhelming guilt concerning the people committed to their charge is declared, and how
their constantly growing wickedness would precipitate
both them and the people into destruction. In the
parable of the wedding garment, the thought already
hinted at, v. 43, of the heathen being called, is more
fully disclosed, and a representation given of what
was necessary to make them actually partakers of the
benefits which God offers to men. All the three parables have primarily a historical reference to the character of the contemporaries of Jesus, to the then existing condition of the people, and to the immediately
approaching events; but they admit also, or rather
demand, a general reference to the church of Christ,
if treated in a proper practical way; they demand it,
for the ever-important truths, appearances, and principles in the divine government, lie enclosed in the
forms chosen by our Lord.  The more determinate,
pointed and varied, we take the historical bearing of
this, and all similar parables, the more rich and lively
becomes their general application; while without
viewing them thus historically, we are left with
nothing but an abstract truth, which being bereft of
every thing special, must exercise little power on the
human mind.
The immediate occasion of the first parable was the




THE TWO UNLIKE SONS.           145
following: —The high priests and elders of the people,
both bound and authorized to take cognizance of all
religious pretensions, (John i. 19-27,) had asked
Jesus, while he taught in the temple, " By what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee
this authority?" In answer to which questions our
Lord asked them: "Whence was the baptism of John?
Was it from heaven or of men?"-a divine or a human
institution? The answer to this would have, at the
same time, furnished an answer to their own question;
but they clearly foresaw the consequence which Christ
would draw fiom the affirmation of the first supposition, v. 25, and the effects which would come to them
from the people, were they to affirm the second, v.
26. In this dilemma they considered it better to say,
" We cannot tell." They feigned an ignorance which
they did not possess, for the two possible cases lay
open to their discernment; but, in their depravity,
they could not bring themselves to give honour to the
generally admitted truth. They speak otherwise than
they both think and feel; their internal thoughts and
their outward conduct are in discord and opposition to
each other, which is the essence of hypocrisy.  This
master-vice of the high priests, elders, and pharisees,
Luke xii. 1, the Lord brings to light, and condemns
in the following parable. Calvin: "The clause in v.
32, shows to what the parable is directed, since Christ
puts before the scribes and pharisees those who were
infamous and detestable. He takes the mask from those
hypocrites, that they might no more boast themselves
as the peculiar servants of God, and pretend an empty
zeal for piety. For although their ambition, and pride,
and cruelty, and avarice, were well known to all, they
yet wished to be reckoned quite different."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
Of pretended faith.
I. Wherein it consists, its nature: want of candour,
(v. 27;) this is shown;
13




146          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
(1.) From the opposite, in the first son: who manifests candour,
a.) In his words, v. 28, 29, I will not do it;
b.) In his actions, v. 29, Afterwards he repented, and
went.
(2.) Positively, through the representation given of
the other son, whose pretended faith consists essentially,
a.) In a fair outward appearance, v. 30; I go, sir!
b.) Without the obedience, v. 30: But went not.
II. Its punishment;
(1.) It is kept out of the kingdom of heaven, v.
31: the publicans and harlots go in before you.
(2.) It hinders repentance and faith, v. 32.
V. 28. But what think ye? By this question Jesus
brings the following delineation before the judgment
seat of the conscience of his hearers, and obliges them
to pronounce sentence against themselves, 1 Cor.
iii. 19../ certain man had tuto sons; the man, or father,
according to the explanation given in v. 32, is God,
who had caused his will to be declared through John's
baptism. The righteousness of the demand is grounded in the relation which a father holds to his children.
Two sons form, on account of their different states
of mind and conduct, two very different classes of men;
in their immediate reference, publicans and phariseesmore remotely, pretended Christians and genuine disciples. JVIy son, an endearing address, which betokens
the fatherly affection of God, and with which he
would exhort careless sinners to amendment, while
self-righteous pharisees look askance upon them with
heartless contempt. Go, work to day in my vineyard.
God desires obedience, the subjection of our will and
conduct to the will of God.
Ver. 29. 1 will not; the perverse and evil will of
the sinner is the true ground for his disobedience to
God, for every thing besides tends to incline him there



THE TWO UNLIKE SONS.            147
to; the love of God, which desires only his salvation,
thankfulness for received benefits, the confidence due
to a father, all persuade to obedience. But afterward
he repented, and uwent; what is represented in the case
of this son, actually occurred with publicans and sinners in the time of Jesus.  Their exceedingly sinful
conduct was far removed from all fear of God, and
their heart appeared also to be completely lost to all
that is good, moral, and divine; but John's preaching
made an unexpectedly deep and wholesome impression upon these persons; they believed him, v. 32; their
moral feelings awoke, they perceived the necessity and
importance of a change of heart, and subjected themselves to his demands. The same manifestation is often repeated still; for the vices of excess, extortion,
etc., have not immediately such an unhappy effect upon
the mind, that they unfit it for better feelings and impressions; and the more that they outrage what is
orderly and becoming in external worth and decency,
the more readily might the slaves of such vices be
brought to feel their impropriety, and acknowledge
the necessity of a change of heart; so the prodigal
son, Luke xv.
Ver. 30. zInd he came to the second, and said likewise; God's demand is the same to all, and the obligation to obey, is also the same in all. I go, sir, lit.
1, sir, i. e. I am ready to do thy will, and went not;
he is satisfied with fine words and promises, consents
to every thing, and does nothing; his carriage and
manners are good, better than in the case of the former son, but the main thing is still wanting, real
obedience, Matth. xxiii. 3; vii. 21. Calvin: " Christ
teaches that this hypocrisy is less tolerable than ferocity, which may be subdued in course of time."
Ver. 31. They say unto him, the first. The nature
of true piety is therefore obedience to the revealed will
of God, and this obedience can be compensated by
nothing else. The observance of all devout forms and
solemnities, the most religious discourse, the most




14S         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
sanctimonious appearance, the most thorough and extensive acquaintance with scripture, without this obetience, is only a saying yea, but no true fear of God.
Here the parable properly ends, the remainder of v.
31, containing a warning admonition upon the sad
consequences of hypocrisy, and v. 32, an application
of the whole to the two classes of public and piouslooking sinners, who are represented in the parable
under the two sons.
Verily I say unto you, an impressive address; however little it may appear to you, and however disinclined you may be to receive it, yet such is the fact,
and ye must take it on my testimony.-The publicans
and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before
you; the comparison is, as in Luke xviii. 14, exclusive, and the sense is: They shall be saved, but not
you. The ground of this truth is, that the vices of
pride and covetousness, of ambition and hypocrisy,
do not consist with openness and integrity of mind;
they shut up the heart, have immediately a most disadvantageous influence upon true morality, and while
their slaves live externally honourable, decent, and
becoming lives, the necessity of conversion does not
so readily force itself upon them as upon the openly
wicked, and they are also much more averse to own
their depraved condition, and comply with the demands
made upon them to repent; and this refusal to repent
is the ground of their destruction, the cause of their
perdition.  Luther's Gloss: "Much more possible is
it for harlots and knaves to be saved, than proud
saints, for the former must at least feel their sins, but
the latter die in their own righteousness, unless they
become wonderfiully converted."
Ver. 32. John came to you in the way of righteousness, taught you the right way, showed you
how a man can be righteous before God, John i. 29;
Matth. iii. 1-12, and was himself also a pattern of
a holy life..dnd ye believed him not, Luke vii. 28 —30.,ind




THE TWO UNLIKE SONS.           149
when ye had seen it, &c., a most touching admonition, that Jesus regarded the most worthless and despised men as patterns for imitation to the self-righteous and highly esteemed pharisees.
Ewald makes the following remarks upon this
parable, p. 145, ss.: " The leading thought of the parable: To promise much, and perform nothing, to
promise nothing and perform  much.  Whosoever
would learn what true wisdom is, wisdom also toward
the enemies of truth, he must ponder the discourses of
Jesus with the pharisees, or at least this one. The
omniscient! How were they constrained by their own
answer to set'above themselves publicans and sinners,
upon whom, as worthless creatures they were wont
to look down with so much contempt. Never, indeed,
did man speak like this man. Nothing can be clearer
than that, in the parable, Jesus primarily delivers the
truth; that no father, no master, will hold him for obedient, who promises to obey, but obeys not, and none
will hold him for disobedient, who, at last does what his
master commands. And yet, what is perfectly manifest in every-day life, is not admitted in matters of
religion. What no man, no earthly lord, would be
satisfied with, from a child or a subject, with that God,
the highest father, the highest lord, must be content.
It is thought that the saying, the promise, may supply
the place of true obedience. But Jesus delivers yet
another truth, which is not less important and wellknown, that harlots and reprobates will sooner go into
the kingdom of heaven than pharisees.  For many
times these depraved characters believe, and the
pharisees believed not; and amend their lives on being
admonished, and the pharisees do not. So we are
here warned against two errors, into which so many
Christians fall, and think they are all the while walking upon the true paths of Christianity. 1. Never
think that thou rightly bearest the Christian name
without Christian deeds, or shalt enjoy Christian
salvation, John xiv. 15, 23, ss.; 1 John v. 3; Matth.
13*




15;0         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
vii. 18-28. And, 2d, let no one also think this,
that a merely external, or outwardly reputable walk,
is sufficient to constitute any one a Christian, Matth,
v. 20, ss."
XIII.
THE WICKED VINE-DRESSERS.Matth. xxi. 33-46; Mark xii. 1-12; Luke xx. 9-19'
IN its immediate reference, this parable contains,
partly as a narrative of the past, partly as a discovery
of the future, the wonderful history of the Jewish
church. It manifests the riches of divine love, and
the benefits flowing out of it to the chosen people,
portrays an almost inexhaustible patience and longsuffering on the part of God toward the refractory
and unthankful sinner, discloses at the same time the
wickedness and hardening of the sinful heart as rising
to a fearful height, and finally closes with a threatening of certain and dreadful, but most righteous, judgments. But when viewed in a more extended reference, this parable speaks also of the general truths,
which, in the Christian church, are continually unfolding themselves, and reflected anew in the history of
individuals and entire communities. Viewed in either
light, the description given of the lord of the vineyard
serves to admonish us of the union there is in God's
character, of mercy and holiness, of goodness and
righteousness, of patience and indignation.  If we
consider the general truth as represented under the
more special forms and lineaments,-how, notwithstanding so many proofs of divine goodness, the Israelitish people in stiff-necked impenitence refused to
yield to God the obedience that was due, and thereby
prepared themselves for his condemnation, we might
say, that the chief object of the parable was, a delineation of impenitence in the history of the Jewish
people; but leaving out of view this primary reference




THE WICKED VINE-DRESSERS.         151
of the parable, and considering it in the widest generality and application, the subject of the parable then
comes to be simply of impenitence. Calvin: "The
sum of this parable is, that it is no new matter for
priests and other leaders in the church to attempt impiously to defraud God of his right, for in such a
spirit of robbery did they formerly carry themselves
against the prophets, and now were ready to kill the
son, but they were not to escape with impunity, for
God will arise to vindicate his own right. The scope
of the parable, however, is twofold, that it might
charge ingratitude upon the priests as full of perfidy
and wickedness; and that it might take away the offence which would soon be occasioned by the approaching death of Christ.  Therefore he fortifies
beforehand his weak disciples, and teaches them, that
as so many prophets had formerly been killed by the
priests, one after another, there was no need for any
one now to be disquieted, if such an example should
be again repeated in his person."  The speech of Stephen, Acts vii., is just an extended historical addition
to what is now briefly related in the parable.
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
On impenitence.
I. Its nature, v. 33-39;
(1.) It does not profit by the manifestations of divine goodness, v. 33, 34; Mark v. 1, 2;
(2.) It despises the riches of divine patience and
long-suffering, v. 35, Mark v. 3-5;
(3.) It becomes always more violent and malignant
in its opposition to divine grace, v. 36, Mark v. 3-5;
(4.) It frustrates the most affectionate and powerfiul provisions of divine mercy, v. 37-39, Mark v.
6-8;
a.) Therein acting against its better convictions, v.
38. This is the heir;
b.) And flattering itself with a prosperous issue, v.
38. Let us seize on his inheritance.




152         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
II. The consequences of impenitence, v. 40 —44;
Mark v. 9-11;
(1.) It falls short of its designs, and is punished,
v. 41. He will miserably destroy those wicked men.
(2.) It loses the enjoyment of the divine benefits,
v. 41. And will let out his vineyard unto other
husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their
seasons.
Ver. 33. J3 vineyard; the Jewish church, an image
often used in former times by the prophets, and especially by Isaiah, v. 1-6, where we find many of the
particulars mentioned also here.  Melanch.: "The
sense is: God chose the people, Israel; drew a hedge
around it, i. e. the law; and made a wine press in it,
i. e. the ministry of divine truth; and built a tower,
i. e. gave them a kingdom and a temple; and let it
out to husbandmen, i. e. the seed of Jacob."
Hedged it round about; separated the vineyard from
other lands, the Jewish nation from other nations,
Deut. vii. 8, ss., through the law, Eph. ii. 14, the
moral law as well as the ceremonial. Such a separation implied that there were particular ends to be
served with the people so separated, and that their land
should be placed under a special administration.Digged a wine press in it; just as in the wine press
the juice of the grape, being pressed out, flows in rich
abundance, so this image, if it may be understood to
carry a spiritual meaning, must refer to those institutions through which the true fruits of piety had to be
sought, as through the manifestations that were given
to Israel of the word of God.-Built a tower; a watchtower, from which the whole vineyard could be observed; the means employed for the oversight of the
people, that their well-being might be looked after;
the introduction of the spiritual and civil government,
Ex. xviii. Deut. i. 9-18; latterly judges, kings.
Calvin: " By the wine press and tower you may understand the institutions, which had been superadded
to the law for the nourishment of the people's faith,




THE WICKED VINE-DRESSERS.        153
such as sacrifices and other ceremonies. For God,
like a provident and attentive householder, left nothing
undone, that he might strengthen and confirm his
church with every help."
Let it out to husbandmen; the chiefs and princes of
the people, Mal. ii. 7; Jer. xxxiii. 18; Ez. xxxiv. 2,
ss.; Matth. xxiii. 2, 3; they remain answerable to
God.-s.nd went into a far country, Luke v. 9, a long
time; either, God no longer manifested himself after
the first planting of the vineyard, after Israel's deliverance out of Egypt, after the giving of the law from
Sinai, and the introduction into Canaan, in so manifest
and extraordinary a manner, Deut. xxxiv. 10-12;
or, it indicates the feeling of the vine-dressers, who
think that God has no regard to their conduct, Ez.
viii. 12; ix. 9; Ps. x. 4, 5; Luke xii. 45. Gnomon" The time of God's forbearance is intimated, during
which men act according to their own will, ch. xxv.
14; Mark xiii. 14."
A people (vineyard) so highly favoured might have
brought forth glorious fruits of piety and holiness;
God had provided every thing for the accomplishment
of this end; it was now the part of the people's overseers, who were invested with particular power, honour, and regard, to enter into God's designs, and,
through the faithful discharge of their office, by instruction and example, to press forward the moral improvement of those committed to them. For this God
gave them sufficient time, Luke v. 9. Calvin: "When
Christ says that the vine-dressers received the vineyard well furnished and provided from the hand of the
owner, he shows their guilt to be greatly aggravated,
since the more liberally he had acted towards them,
the more odious was their ingratitude."
Ver. 34. AJnd when the time of the fruit drew near;
the patience of God had already waited long for the
fruits that might and ought to have been produced;
and the farmers had not sufficient ground of justification, wherewith to palliate their faithless discharge




154          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
of duty, in which they had been less careful of God's
honour and the people's salvation, than the gratification of their own avarice and ambition. He sent his
servants, extraordinary messengers, the prophets, who,
as ambassadors of God, had a special commission to
preach repentance, to remind men of the obligations
under which they lay, to yield obedience to God, and
call people, and priests, and rulers alike to the subjection that was due. These extraordinary provisions
of God afford peculiar indications of his love, testifying how much he desired the sinner's amendment, and
how far he is from viewing with indifference the sinner's conduct.  Calvin: "By the divine law, priests
were certainly appointed from the first, that with
wholesome doctrine they might instruct and edify the
church; but when, through sloth or ignorance, they
neglected the work committed to them, the prophets
were sent, as for an extraordinary help, that they might
purge away the noxious weeds from God's vineyard,
might lop off the superfluous branches, and, in many
respects, supply the negligence of the priests; that they
might, at the same time, sharply reprove the people,
revive the languishing piety, arouse slumbering souls,
and bring them back to the worship of God and the way
of holiness.  But what else was this than to seek the
increase that was due to God from his own vineyard?"
Mark v. 3-5.  The repeated messages which
God sent by the prophets, and the trials of amendment
again and again renewed, both indicate the continued
patience, long-suffering, and wonderful compassion of
God, and also unfold the levity and wantonness, the
forgetfulness of God, and general wickedness of the
leaders of the people, who sought to be independent,
in their blindness entirely overlooked the gracious designs of God, and saw in the prophets nothing but
men, through whom they were disturbed in their freedom and enjoyments, robbed of their respect among
the people, and restrained in the gratification of their
evil desires. The bad reception and horrid treatment




THE WICKED VINE-DRESSERS.         155
which the prophets experienced, is grounded, as matter of history, on Jer. xx. 1, 2; xxxvii. xxxviii. 1
Kings xviii. 13; xxii. 24. 2 Kings vi. 31; ch. xxii.
Isaiah was sawn asunder, Jeremiah was stoned, Amos
murdered with a club; to all these transactions Jesus
refers in Matth. xxiii. 29 —37, and Stephen, in Acts
vii. 5, ss., and the apostle, in Heb. xi. 36-38.  The
apostles, at a later period, fared no better, as, for example, John the Baptist.
Mark v. 6. Having yet, therefore, one son, his wellbeloved, John iii. 16; both the ideas here implied were
necessary to represent the invincible love of God to
sinners, his solemn earnestness in the demands he makes
upon them, and how he leaves nothing untried to secure the accomplishment of his precious designs concerning them.  He sent him also at last; the sending
of Christ was, therefore, the last trial of divine mercy
with his covenant-people, as such.  They will reverence my son, Luke v. 6.  It may be they will reverence him, when they see him; it expresses the wish
and the just expectation, that so great a favour would
bring the sinner to himself, fill him with shame, move
him to change of miind and submission, but all in vain.
Calvin: " This thought is not strictly attributable to
God, for he knew what would happen, nor was he
misled by the hope of a better issue; but it was usual,
especially in the parables, for human affections to be
transferred to him. Nor was this added without due
cause, for Christ wished to exhibit, as in a glass, how
deplorable would be their impiety, of which it was to
become too certain a mark, to rise with diabolical fury
against the Son of God, who had come to bring them
to a better mind.  This was the consummation of all
wickedness, to kill the son, that they might reign as
in a desolate houase."
Ver. 38. This is the heir, the owner of the property; the manifold testimonies which declare Jesus
to be the Son of God and the Messiah, his miracles,
holy walk, the power of his teaching, the fulness of




d156         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
his love, and every thing that God did to establish
his credentials, actually brought out from many of
the first among the people the acknowledgment here
made, John iii. 2; and though, in unbelief, they threw
all this away, as well as Christ's own solemn testimony,
Matth. xxvi. 63 —66, it was yet well known to them,
that Jesus affirmed himself to be the Son of God.
Come, let us kill him, Matth. xxvi. 3, 4. John xi.
47-50.  Afnd seize on his inheritance.  Gnomon:
"So they thought it would be, when Christ was killed,
Matth. xxvii. 63."  Grotius: " By these words it is
shown, that the priests and elders of the Jews strove
with all their might to constrain the divine law to
subserve their own interests and ambition; which was
all one, as if the husbandman should thrust himself
into the possession of his lord. For, by the term inheritance, the full title to lordship is expressed." In
short, they wished to relieve themselves of the dreaded reckoning, and remain in the undisturbed possession of their honour and their influence, which they
were in danger of losing through Christ; for already
had the great mass of the people began to pay more
regard to Jesus, and attach themselves more closely
to him than the priests and scribes, John xii. 17-19.
Incredible blindness of servants towards their lord.
Ver. 39. The wickedness reaches the highest degree, and keeps pace in its growth with the renewed
efforts of God for their improvement, Heb. xiii. 12,
13. Gnomon: "They disallowed Jesus both before
his death, by denying his claims, especially by delivering him up to a heathen judge; and also after his
death, by setting a watch upon his sepulchre, chap.
xxvi. 66."
Ver. 40. The Lord puts the question to his opponents, so that the answer from their own mouth
might serve as a testimony to the righteousness of the
punishment that had been so richly deserved by the
wicked vine-dressers. The coming of the Lord is the
period when the work of divine judgment shall be
executed.




THE WICKED VINE-DRESSERS.       157
Ver. 41. The adversaries of our Lord are still affected with blindness; apprehend not what purpose he
aims at in the parable, and answer according to the
truth; in Mark v. 9, and Luke v. 16, the judgment
pronounced appears as the declaration of the Lord;
but the different report of the Evangelists admits of
being most easily harmonized, by supposing that the
answer given by the persons interrogated (Matth. v.
41) is repeated by our Lord himself, which repetition
is omitted by Matthew, while Mark and Luke, on
the other hand, have not given the answer itself. The
judgment pronounced is twofold: HE WILL MISERABLY
DESTROY THOSE WICKED MEN, i. e. WILL BRING ALL
SORTS OF EVIL UPON THEM; AND HIS VINEYARD WILL
LET OUT TO OTHER HUSBANDMEN, WHO WILL -RENDER
HIM THE FRUITS IN THEIR SEASONS: the despisers of
the divine mercies, and those who misuse them, shall
be torn away from them, that these may be given to
others more deserving. According to Luke v. 16,
the hearers struck in here, and said, Godforbid! They
suspected the drift of the parable was against them,
and meant either to express their horror, or, through
fleshly confidence upon God's promises, their unbelief, and to say: It shall never happen to fare so ill
with us. Upon this follows the question from the
Old Testament, confirming the judgment pronounced.
Ver. 42. Ps. cxviii. 22, 23. The Truth contained
in this scripture is, according to Christ, a prophecy,
which was to receive its fulfilment in the conduct of
the Jewish rulers, and of the whole people toward
himself; the course and issue of the whole transaction
was to become manifest as a purpose of divine wisdom
and almighty power, for, although the opponents of
Christ had no respect but to his destruction, yet still
their opposition to him, under the divine government
and direction, gave occasion for the foundation of a
new covenant of grace, which should extend its blessings to the heathen.  The stone which the builders
rejected, (as unsuitable and unfit for use,) the same
14




158         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
has become the head of the corner; Jesus, rejected by
the high priests, scribes, and elders, not owned and
recognised as the true Messiah, is the strong and firm
corner stone of the new building of the Christian
church, in which those who were hitherto divided
asunder, Jews and heathen, have been united into one
glorious body, Eph. ii. 13, 20. This is the doing of
the Lord, not according to the will, nor accomplished
through the working of man, Phil. ii. 9-11; Eph. i.
20-23. kAnd it is wonderful in our eyes; the exaltation of Christ, the gathering of a new church, and
the general extension of this church, is, as a work and
manifestation of God's purposes and almighty power,
an object for men's adoring wonder.
V. 43. The kingdom of God shall be taken from
you; announcing, in direct terms, what was spoken,
figuratively, in v. 41.  Calvin: "Hitherto Christ
directed his discourse to the heads and rulers, though
in the presence of the people: but now he addresses
the people themselves in similar language; nor without just cause, since they were to aid and assist the
chief priests and scribes in preventing the grace of
God. The evil, indeed, originated with the priests,
but the people had already deserved, on account of
their sins, to have such corrupt and degenerate pastors placed over them."  Given to a nation bringing
forth the fruits thereof, one, therefore, that should
make a better use of the offered grace, and act more
agreeably to the mind of God; this nation compre-.
hends the whole people of the new covenant, 1 Peter
ii. 3-10, both Jews and heathens, for the former
were not excluded; faith in Christ is the general condition; whosoever does not possess this principle, is no
partaker of the new dispensation of grace, nor has he
a standing among the people of the covenant, although,
as a descendant of Abraham, he might formerly have
thought himself to have good claims to such a privilege.  Calvin: "The Jews thought that the kingdom
of God belonged to them by hereditary right, and there



THE WICKED VINE-DRESSERS.              159
fore went on securely and obstinately in their sins;
we, contrary to nature, suddenly came into their room;
much less, therefore, shall that kingdom be continued
with us, if it is not grounded on the root of genuine
piety."
V. 44. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall
be broken,-an image borrowed from an earthep vessel,
which falls upon a rock, and is broken in pieces. The
meaning is, —he hurts only himself, not Christ, who
is offended at the humble form of the Redeemer,
Matth. xi. 3; Isa. liii. 1- -3, and, in consequence,
turns from him in unbelief. But on whomsoever it
shall fall, it will grind him  to powder; the rock, if
it falls upon the earthen vessel, completely shivers it
to atoms, Dan. ii. 34,44. The sense is, —Whosoever
falls under the condemnation of the Messiah, who is
exalted by God, though rejected on the part of man,
he must experience complete destruction. Such is the
d(ifferent fate of those who reject Christ without any
special enmity and hatred, and of those who bitterly
oppose him,* as did these wicked vine-dressers, and
* [This, though the most common explanation, gives a turn to
our Lord's expressions which they can but ill bear, and completely overlooks the distinctive character of the two kinds of
punishment referred to. It is not certainly to be doubted, that
those who have manifested a spirit of bitter and malevolent hostility towards Christ, shall be partakers of a heavier condemnation than those who have simply disregarded the offers of his salvation,-the guilt of the one being much more aggravated than
the other. But the language of Christ does not appear to have
any respect to a difference of this nature; it marks two different
kinds of punishment, not two different degrees of the same punishment. In the one, the person offending is active, (he stumbles and is broken;) in the other passive, (he is fallen upon and
crushed.) Whatever evil is experienced in the first case is selfinflicted by the person who endures it; but that which is experienced, in the second, rushes upon the sufferer with irresistible
force, from the offended and now avenging Saviour. Consequently, the one is a punishment only of this life, where alone
sinners have the opportunity of stumbling on the rock of salvation; and consists in all the loss of peace, consolation, and blessing, together with all that judicial blindness, bitterness of spirit,
hardness of heart and manifold disquietudes of mind, which inevi



160           THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
as those also did who are described in the next parable, Matth. xxii. 6, 7, and in Luke xix. 14, 27.  Luther's marginal note: "Sll must come into contact
with Christ, whether for benefit or for stumbling."
Calvin: "They are said to fall upon Christ, who set
on him to destroy him; not as if they could actually
rise above him, but because, in their madness, they
are so. far carried beside themselves that they endeavour, as from a vantage-ground, to make an attack
upon Christ."
V. 45, 46. Most extraordinary effect of the parable,
and the solemn threatening annexed to it, the meaning
of which was, indeed, understood by the enemies of
our Lord, and applied to themselves; but, instead of
repressing their bitterness, and withdrawing their enmity from Christ, they only redoubled their malice,
and hastened forward the accomplishment of their ungodly purposes. The internal ground of this conduct
of theirs lies in the truth, which all experience confirms,
that passions, when once they have reached a certain
height, and gained a complete mastery of the heart,
are excited, brought out, and violently inflamed, by
nothing more than by having exhibited before them
their own image, and the righteous punishment that
is due to them. The most affecting entreaties produce then the very opposite of the effect intended, and
tably blight and desolate the moral condition of those who resist
the claims of Messiah. But the other punishment belongs to
eternity, and consists in the fearful and everlasting retribution
which Christ will inflict upon all his adversaries when he takes
to himself his power and great glory, one which shall overwhelm
them with complete destruction. So that there is a double retribution flowing from the rejection of Christ; one here, which the
sinner receives into his own bosom,-kicking against Christ, he
inevitably kicks against the pricks; and one hereafter, which
consigns him to final perdition, in utter darkness. We think our
author right, however, in explaining the figure employed by the
earthen vessel, and discarding the allusion which Lightfoot and
others have found here to the alleged mode of punishing criminals
among the Jews, by first throwing them over a precipice, and
thereafter, if still alive, throwing over a stone upon them. —
rans.]




THE WICKED VINE-DRESSERS.        161
make the bad only more determined and obstinate in
their wickedness; their heart hardens itself against
threatenings, and they are the more confident in setting
at naught the fear of all danger, nay, their self-love
flatters itself with the prospect of yet bearing off the
victory, and securing a quite different from the threatened result. So did it happen with these wicked
vine-dressers, with the pharisees, scribes, high-priests,
and elders of the people; so, likewise, did it happen
with Judas, and so also with LHazael, whom Elisha
forewarned, 2 Kings viii. 12, 13; x. 32. Calvin:
"'The Evangelists show how little Christ prevailed,
that we might not be surprised, if now the doctrine of
the cross does not bring all to the obedience of God.
Let us learn also, that threatenings cannot but serve
to make the fury of the wicked rise higher and higher.
For as God seals his own word upon our hearts, so
also does he wound, as with a sharp sword, bad consciences; from which it comes to pass, that their impiety is but the more inflamed."  Ewald, p. 158, ss:; "If we would seek for an admirable example of our
Lord's forbearance, and of the abuse of this forbearance, of beneficence and ingratitude, of goodness, which
has nothing to excite it and still is excited; if we
would have an example of senseless hardihood, which
mistakes itself for prudence, of blind and raving folly,
taking that for weakness which was nothing but unmeasured patience, we may find it here. Insolence
could not be pushed farther than it is here pushed by
the vine-dressers, nor could watchful oversight go farther than in the case of the Lord of the vineyard.
They were punished with great severity, and yet every
one feels that it was nothing but strictest justice. We
find here the history of Israel, of all humanity, and of
each single individual. Many a germ of good has
God planted in thy heart, and preserved there even
since the fall of humanity. Many powers have been
given thee by God, which thou both shouldest and
mayest use for good. How often has God kept thee,
14*




162         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
and drawn a hedge around thy heart! How often
has God upheld thee against the enemies of good!
All, that thou mightest bring forth fruit in its season,
mightest grow in truth and love, in purity and faith
on God, and so become his image. And when the
time came for God seeking fruit of thee, how many
messengers did he send to thee! Friends, preachers,
his blessed word, conscience, what are they all but
messengers of God, means which he employs to put
thee in remembrance of what thou owest to him? But
how often hast thou set thyself in opposition to these
messengers of God —slighted, shunned, yea, even hated
them!  Thou couldst not properly kill the Son,
whom God has made known to thee in the Bible, but
thou hast wounded him  with thy deeds.  Truly,
God's goodness is not weakness, his forbearance
is not indifference. Thy fate will be similar to tlie
fate of the Jews! Still two words of exhortationone to the secure and one to the doubting. It is clear,
from this parable, that the consequences of disobedience
are often distant, but are always certain. There are
many to whom God might say: Thou doest that, and
I am silent, thou thinkest that I am as indifferent as
thyself toward what is good, but I will punish thee,
and convince thee by punishment, Ps. 1. 21.  And
though for ten or twenty years, or even through thy
whole life, thou dost not experience it, it yet remains
an eternal, an unfailing truth,'Whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap.' But it is just as
clear from this parable, that it is not too late to become servants of God, because we have been so long
in doing so; that it is not too late to become better,
because we have not been so long before.  The earlier a man reforms, so much the better for him, but
better late than never, therefore, since we still hear
his voice, let us not harden our hearts to-day."




THE WEDDING GARMENT.            163
XIV.
THE ROYAL WEDDING, OR THE WEDDING GARMENT.
Matth. xxii. 1-14.
MANY expositors have taken this parable, and the
one given in Luke xiv. 16-24, as one and the same,
alleging that the latter is only altered from this in
some unimportant particulars; but the small resemblance and strong dissimilarity between the two parables render it impossible for us to agree to this opinion,
and we are constrained, both on external and internal
grounds, to consider the two parabolical discourses of
our Lord as quite different from, and independent of,
each other. Not only are the time, place and hearers
in the one, quite changed from what they are in the
other, but, what is still more material, the scope is entirely different, as a careful consideration of all the
circumstances convinces us. The parable of the great
supper, in Luke, was delivered by Jesus before the last
journey to Jerusalem, in Peraea, in the house of a
pharisee, at an entertainment, (for the scope, see No.
26;) the one here recorded by Matthew, in the temple at Jerusalem, chap. xxi. 13, probably on the Tuesday before his sufferings (v. 18,) before the high priests
and elders of the people, (v. 23.) The immediate
reference of the parable is certainly historical, and according to many expositors, represents in v. 3-6, the
treatment hitherto given by the Jewish people to the
prophets; in v. 7, gives a prophetic intimation of
the approaching judgment of God, on account of it, in
the devastation of Jerusalem; discloses in v. 8-10,
the call of the Gentiles to the heavenly kingdom; and,
finally, points in v. 11-14, to the different judgments
which shall be pronounced upon its members. It is
better, however, to understand the conduct of the first
invited guests, v. 2-6, as a prophetic description of
the persecutions which the messengers of Jesus, his




164          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
apostles suffered, who first properly invited men to
the heavenly kingdom, to a blessed fellowship with
Jesus, and to refer the later invitation, v. 8-10, to
the general call, which from that time forward, is
always being addressed to Jews and Gentiles, to come
into the Christian church. But if we look beyond the
nearest historical application, the parable discloses to
us the following important general truths, which are
receiving new confirmations at every period of the
church's history: God provides for the salvation of
men through the preaching of the gospel-the conduct
of men in regard to the offered grace is exceedingly
different-even among those who receive the call,
there are found some unworthy-but all shall be treated with perfect justice. The sentiment occurring at
the close of the parable, v. 14, for many are called
butfew are chosen, closely connected with what precedes by for, contains the ground of the figuratively
described issue of the matter, and at the same time the
leading idea, which shines palpably out through the
whole narrative, namely, that from men's own blame,
all shall not be partakers of the distinguishing grace
tendered by God. Mel.: "It is much to be regretted
that men do not consider such great and undeserved
goodness of God toward us; the whole parable is the
image of the church in all ages; and although the rejection and punishment of the Jewish church is principally referred to, yet the discourse must be applied to
the similar events of every age."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
Calling and election are not one and the same; or,
all are not partakers of the salvation prepared for
them by God.
I. Many are not saved, because they are open despisers of the grace of God, v. 1-8.
(1.) The state and temper of these despisers:
a) Some are perfectly indifferent toward the gracious
call, v. 2-5;




THE WEDDING GARMENT.             165
b) Others show an -open hostility to it, v. 6.
(2.) Their guilt is manifest;
a) From the greatness of the offered grace, v. 2;
b) From the repeated and pressing invitation, v. 3, 4;
c) From the trifling nature of that which they prefer, v. 5;
d) From the hostility showed by them, v. 6;
e) From the punishment executed upon them, v. 7;.f) From the judicial declaration of God, v. 8.
II. Others are not saved, because they will not
comply with the order necessary to salvation.
(1.) The state and temper of these guests;
a) They willingly indeed receive the invitation, v.
9, 10;
b) But they do not comply with the necessary order,
v. 11;
(2.) Their guilt appears in:
a) Their speechless confusion, v. 12;
b) Their condemnation from God, v. 13.
Ver. 2. The kingdom of heaven is like; just as it
went at and with the wedding-feast which a king made
for his son, so is it also found to take place in regard
to the blessed fellowship of men with Christ, to which
they are invited, Zeph. i. 7, 8; Prov. ix. 1, ss. J. certain king who made a marriage for his son; " The
king who made the marriage-feast (says Luther,
Church-Pos. 14. 189,) is our heavenly father, the bridegroom is his son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the bride is
the Christian church, we and all the world, so far as
it believes." God's gracious purpose, from eternity,
was the salvation of sinners through Christ, and he
manifested this gracious purpose after many preparatory arrangements in the fulness of time, Gal. iv. 4, 5.
In comparing the saving ordinances of the Christian
church to a royal wedding, the essential point of comparison is, not the internal union of the soul in indivi(luals, or in the whole church to Jesus, which is certainly often represented in scripture under the figure
of a marriage-union, Hosea ii. 19; Eph. v. 32; 2 Cor.




166          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
xi. 2; Rev. xix. 7, xxi. 9; but the tertium comparationis of the whole parable lies pre-eminently in the
conduct of the invited guests, toward the invitation
held forth to them, and in the destiny arising to them
out of it. The farther extension of the comparison
by many expositors to the fellowship between believers and the Redeemer, however much of what is
beautiful, true, and scriptural, may be said upon the
subject, only serves to keep out of view the main features of the similitude, and veil its real scope; but still
less can we agree with Luther, Church-Pos. 14. 193,
in saying: "This wedding is a union of the divine
nature with the human."  Bauer *understands by
this marriage-supper, a feast, such as was wont to be
given at the commencement of a king's reign, who
then married himself as it were to his people, 1 Kings
i. 5, 9; 1 Chron. xxix. 24.
Ver. 3..And sent forth his servants to call them
that were bidden to the wedding. Luther ChurchPos. 14. 189: " To invite to this wedding, God at
first sent forth his servants, that is, his prophets, who
should bid them to the wedding, should preach and
point their faith to Christ. But the persons they invited would not come, that is, the Jews, to whom the
prophets were sent, would not hear or receive them.
To others he sent out other servants, that is, the apostles and martyrs, whose part it was to call us." Others
refer the first invitation to the commission of John the
Baptist and of the twelve as first sent out, Matth. x.;
but the main thing is the repeatedly proclaimed invitation to each. The motive on the part of God to
such invitation, is nothing but hisfree grace, without
any thing like merit or worth on the part of men, for
even in the social relation of life, no one can demand
of another, that he should invite him, and least of all
can the inferior make such a claim upon the more honourable. The point of comparison between the heavenly kingdom, God's institution of grace, in which
we are to be safe, holy, and glorious, and a royal wed



THE WEDDING GARMENT.            167
ding, lies especially in the honour, satisfaction, and
delight, which such an occasion furnishes to its guests,
and the heavenly kingdom to its members; for it is
honour, when sinners enter into fellowship with the
Son of God, himself, and this fellowship brings with
it satisfaction,-pardon of sin, peace with God, righteousness, life, and blessing,-in which and from which
they necessarily experience delight. From these three
considerations, that the invitation is of free grace,
that it comes to us without any merit of' ours, and
that it brings so great a gift, the criminality of those
guests who despise the invitation is clearly manifested.
tAnd they would not come. The first class of the
invited, who do not come; it is no want of knowledge
of the feast, or of the invitation, but the bad state of
their mind, which holds them back; it is just as if they
did not hear the call, did not give the slightest heed to
it; a dull and stupid insensibility for God's rich grace,
which is freely offered to them, has taken possession of
so many, that they pay no regard to the gospel, the
promises, or the hopes of eternal life.
Ver. 4. From the frequently repeated invitation,
we may farther discern God's deep earnestness and
fatherly love, who is so bent on helping sinners, and also
the high importance of a participation in the gospel
feast,-which circumstance brings the criminal conduct of the invited still more distinctly into view.Tell those that are bidden, those who have been already bidden; God's gracious call is given to every
one, not once merely, but often.-Behold I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are
killed, and all things are ready. The invitation is
more urgent, through the full representation and description of the proffered grace; in Luke this is expressed by the words, "compel them to come in;" in
this feast all salvation is the free grace and gift of
God, which he, without any co-operation on our part,
has prepared through Christ, so that man's business
is only to come, receive, and enjoy, what God's fatherly
love presents, Eph. i. 3, ss.-Oxen and fatlings were




168          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
in olden times the noblest entertainment, 1 Kings i. 9;
Gen. xviii. 7, 8.  Luther goes quite beside the purpose, in referring these to the nourishment, growth,
and exercise of the life of godliness, (Church-Pos. 14.
1.90.) Others as unnaturally refer it to the sacrifice
of Christ, and the enjoyment, thereby purchased and
prepared, of all the blessings of salvation.-iCome in
to the marriage; the method in which we attain to
the enjoyment, is the coming, and the change of place
represents the complete change of condition and frame
of mind that must be made by the invited.
Ver. 5, 6. " Luther, Church-Pos. 14. 191: "These
are the three hinderances that keep us back from going
to  the feast.  First, lands, in other words, the
worldly honour, which tends to hinder us from thinking upon Christ and believing on him, to make us
fear lest we should suffer shame and be dishonoured;
not to confide in God, that he will screen us from
shame, and preserve us in honour, John v. 44; xii.
43. Others go to their merchandise, that is, give
their whole heart to temporal good, to the gains of
covetousness, afraid, were they to give themselves up
to the word, lest they should lose, and their belly be
starved, unable to trust that God will support them.
The third class are the worst, that is, the high, the
wise, and the prudent, the proud spirits who not merely
despise the gospel, but would straightway destroy it,
utterly strangle it, that they might retain their names,
their honour and their glory.  For the gospel cannot
but condemn their wisdom and righteousness, and
pour contempt upon their arrogance."  Mel.: " There
are still many called Christians, who, for the sake of
their farms, flee from the profession of the faith, and
become either avowed Epicureans, or, at least defend
the common corruptions for the sake of their belly.
Others are led, by their worldly business, to forsake
the profession of the faith.  Under this class are
chiefly comprised princes and courtiers, who though
they do not exercise any cruelty, yet neglect the gos



THE WEDDING GARMENT.           169
pel and the church, and think that the care of such
things is unworthy of them, —that they have great
concerns to mind, necessary to the life of men, namely,
the government and defence of empires."
They made light of it. Gnomon: "This already
implies more than if it had been said, they would not
come; they ought to have understood, and been watchful." They are not simply indifferent, as at first; the
heart turns itself away from the gospel with the manifestation of a stronger dislike,if it has been repeatedly
treated with the offer of salvation in vain, and the
enmity to this increases in the very same heart, even
to open and determined resistance; for enmity and
hatred have a far more mournful and hardening effect
upon the heart that cherishes them than upon the heart
of him who is hated, so that the latter can much sooner
be brought to forgive, than the former to lay aside its
feelings of hostility. This mournful experimental truth,
which manifests the power of sin over the human mind,
might also have been pointed at in the parable under
the different conduct of different individuals. Slew
them, John xvi. 2-4. Matth. xxiv. 2. Acts vii.
58; xii. 1-3.
Ver. 7. The servants only entreated, 2 Cor. v. 20.
They do not repel violence with violence, nor recompense evil with evil; they leave the matter in God's
hands, who is both judge and avenger.  From the behaviour also on the part of the servants, and from the
friendly message with which they come, we perceive
the greatness of that malice and hardness of heart,
which the adversaries df the gospel manifest. But
they are not left unpunished. Sent forth his armies.
Every thing must serve the Lord and execute his will,
whether consciously  or unconsciously.   Luther,
Church-Pos. 14. 191: " That was done to the Jews
by the Romans, when, under Titus and Vespasian,
they burned Jerusalem to the ground. However, I
would rather understand it spiritually, since the whole
15




170         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
gospel is to be spiritually understood, so as to consider
the prediction fulfilled, when God set on fire and levelled to the ground the synagogue at Jerusalem, abandoned the Jewish faith, scattered to and fro the people,
so that all was torn asunder, and they were deprived
both of the priesthood and the kingdom, and now no
people is to be found upon the earth so poor, miserable, and deserted as the Jews. So shall it fare with
the despisers of God's word." From the punitive
righteousness of God, marked by the words —the king
was wroth; we see once more how sincere is the gracious call of God, and how, in despising it, a guilt is
contracted on the part of man; but, at the same time,
we can also perceive, that the reception is a free act,
and that man is not compelled to it by God.
Ver. 8. The wedding is ready; it still continues so,
notwithstanding that many have slighted the call to it.
The mercy of God is long-continued. The invited
guests were not worthy of it; they were in such a state
of mind, that they could not receive the grace offered
them; here divine grace is justified, and all guilt thrown
back upon the guests, (Acts xiii. 46, 47,) so that not
even the servants inviting them are partakers in it.
Gnomon: " No one is reckoned unworthy, unless he
has refused the boon already offered; but, doing that,
he finally commits himself." Grotius: "They were
not worthy, that is, they were most unworthy."
Go ye, therefore, into the highways, the crossways.
Luther, House-Pos. 5. 188: " To the heathen, who
lay without upon the paths, having no law or word
of God, like the Jews; they were not walled in, but
set off as an open vacant space. We still see to-day,
that God has appointed his word, his baptism, his supper, for the purpose of giving every one an opportunity to partake who desires to do so."  The national
pride of Israel is here primarily aimed at, Matth. viii.
10-12.
Ver. 9. Bid as many as ye shall find, expressing
the universality of divine grace, and the call to the




THE WEDDING GARMENT.            171
Christian church, John iii. 16.  Matth. xxviii. 18, ss.
Luke xxiv. 46, 47.  No distinction of people, no
grades of intellectual or moral condition, must form an
exception, but all must be invited, not excepting even
the Jews.
V. 10. Gathered all, good and bad; the manifestly
wicked, whom all considered as reprobates, and those
who had led an externally honourable life, for such were
found even among the heathen; for example, Cornelius and the ruler at Capernaum; for, as regards the
internal condition, all are alike sinners. To refer the
good and evil spoken of to the subsequent condition of
the guests, as indicating that all were not rightly and
permanently established in the knowledge of the Christian faith, will not suit.  Grotius: " That it might
more distinctly appear that this gift was entirely
gratuitous.".3nd the wedding was furnished with
guests; although many had slighted the gracious designs and purposes of God, and frustrated them, there
was yet no want of such as, with the greatest joy and
readiness, appropriated this grace, so that the table
was filled, Isa. liii. 12; John xi. 52; xii. 24.
V. 11. When the king came to see the guests;
Luther, Church-Pos. 14. 192: "This shall be done
at the last judgment, when the king will let himself
be seen." At least, every one shall then be made
manifest before the whole world, according to his internal condition, so that God's dealing with each will
be acknowledged as perfectly just; but, even upon
earth, the secret state of heart is disclosed, through
means of many trials and experiences in life, so that
every one, who still wants the wedding-garment, might
ponder the will of the Lord, who asks after it, and
provide himself with it. Taken generally, v. 11-13,
intimate the truth, that the church on earth is not pure,
but always made up of good and evil,-of true believers and hypocrites, a mixed society, but shall afterwards be purged of all false unworthy members by the
most righteous judgment of God. This work of sepa



172          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
ration, however, is not the business of the servants,
who also could not hinder the entrance of such unworthy guests; and hence no reproach is cast upon them
by the king for the appearance which presented itself.
The thought, further, is expressed here, that the time
of gospel invitation, the day of grace, shall some time
cease, and that thenceforth, through all eternity, the
fate of each is decided and made manifest.
Saw there a man; Luther, Church-Pos. 14. 192;
"That is, not a single individual, but a whole multitude; not clothed with the wedding-garment, that is,
with faith. They are, however, pious people, much
better than the preceding; for you must understand
them to be those who have heard and received the
gospel, but still have leaned somewhat upon their
works, and not crept wholly into Christ." It is quite
an indefensible opinion to consider this one to represent those who are described by Paul, 2 Thes. ii.'3,
ss.; which opinion is advocated by Canstein in his Harmony.  Who had not on the wedding-garment; which
was wont to be given by rich and honourable entertainers to their guests, that they might put it over
their clothes, and so appear in the fitting apparel,
Judges xiv. 12; Gen. xlv. 22; Rev. iii. 4, 5. The
wedding-garment is the state of mind which is, in itself, right and well pleasing in the sight of God, and
that we must have on this wedding-garment, if we
would not be shut out from the marriage-feast, is evident from its being the order appointed by God in the
work of salvation, with which every sinner must, of
necessity, comply, if he would become a partaker,
either in time or in eternity, of the blessings proffered
to him. To regard moral qualities as a clothing, is
an image frequently employed in holy writ, Eph. iv.
22-24; 1 Peter iii. 4; Col. iii. 12; Rev. vii. 13-15.
As scripture connects salvation above all with faith,
that is, the gracious disposition which, first of all,
appropriates every thing that Christ has purchasedpardon of sin, righteousness and the several gifts of




THE WEDDING GARMENT.            173
grace, must be the wedding-garment; (on which account some expositors affirm Christ himself to be this
garment, according to Rom. xiii. 14; Gal. iii. 27;) and
this gracious disposition, or believing frame of mind,
becornes, thereafter, the source of all the virtues that
adorn the faithful, of righteousness, of life, and that
as the fruit and consequence of the righteousness of
faith. This principle of faith is conferred upon us, i. e.
through the preaching of the word it is rendered possible to every one who has a mind, Rom. x. 9, 10,
13-17.  In the practical treatment of this image, it
is most judicious not to dwell upon the garment by itself, but upon the state of those who either have or
want it.  Luther, Gloss.: "The wedding-garment is
faith, for the gospel rejects the self-righteous, and
takes in the faithful." Calvin: -" It is needlessly contended, whether the wedding-garment be faith, or a
pious and holy life; because, neither can faith be separated from good works, nor are good works practicable without faith. Christ, however, only meant, that
we must so comply with the call of our Lord, as to
be renewed in spirit, after his image, remaining constantly in union with him, that the old man, with his
defilements, must be put off, and the new life diligently
applied to, by which means our garment might become
suitable to our honourable calling." Mel.: "The wedding-garment, then, is that regeneration which comprehends within itself the actings of repentance and
faith, which receives the remission of sins; and throughout the whole life, cleaves to God for help, and endleavours after new obedience. But there are many
in the visible church who have not this wedding-garment. First, there are those who continue in sin
against their conscience; then there are hypocrites,
like Ahaz, who, though in appearance an upright man,
and sound in his profession, yet is without any true
light; that is, without repentance and faith, multiplies
acts of worship, thinks himself righteous, carries on
many operations, but all in confidence on his own wis15*




174          TIlE PARABLES OF JESUSo
dom, distrusting God; neither seeking nor expecting
aid from him, but searching every where for human
help, against the exhortations of the prophets, 2 Kings
xvi."
Ver. 12. Friend, how eamest thou in hither? &c.Language expressive of the greatest astonishment at
the extraordinary circumstance of his presence in such
a state. The wordfriend, sharps, occurs always in a bad
sense, Matth. xx. 13: xxvi. 50; and here, in particular,
it designates one who was not sincere in his professions.
Luther: House-Pos. 5. 203: "These are false Christians and hypocrites, who seek only their belly and
their honour in the gospel; such persons put to shame
the bride and bridegroom, in not being better arrayed
and having no marriage clothing.  If I were the
bridegroom, I should also take it for an indignity, and
think nothing else than that he designed to mock me."
And again, at p. 189: "If thou art already an invited guest, art baptized, hearest the gospel, goest to
the sacrament, and still hast on no wedding-garment,
that is, dost not believe, art not in earnest in the matter, and thinkest only of enjoying the Christian name
-thou art then no Christian for the sake of God or
thine own salvation, otherwise thou shouldst act differently towards the world. Never dream that thou
shalt slip through in such a state. The king will perceive thee, and drag thee forth, either at the last day,
or at thy latter end, and shall say, Do I find thee here,
having the name of a Christian, and still not believing
what a Christian should believe? During thy lifetime thou wert never in earnest how thou mightest be
free from sin, holy, and meet for heaven."
But he was speechless, his mouth was in a manner
muzzled. Luther, House-Pos. 5. 189: "'Whenever
such loose Christians are charged with being such,
either in their own conscience, or on the day of judgment, they shall be speechless, that is, they shall have
no defence. For what have they to justify themselves
withal? God has done what he would." Their si



THE WEDDING GARMENT.           175
lence, then, marks the consciousness of guilt and of the
righteousness of God's judgment; the servants, who
invite to the wedding, point also to the appointed way
of salvation, so that the demands necessary to be complied with remain unknown to none of the invited
guests, and every one, besides, must allow, that the
possession of the wedding-garment was possible for
him.  Why did so many decline it?   Their own
clothing appeared to them good enough, and they think
it must also be well pleasing to the king; it is, therefore, presumptuous ignorance, self-righteousness, confidence in their supposed virtue, which prevents many
from being saved; others dream of faith in Christ,
and rest upon his merit, while yet their faith has no
renewing effect upon their heart and conduct. They
remain, (says Luther, Church-Pos. 14. 212,) whoremongers, adulterers, gluttons, drunkards, usurers, full
of hatred and envy; they remain in the old rags and
tatters of their own fleshly darkness, unbelief, security,]without repentance and acknowledgment of their
wretchedness; console not their hearts with the grace
of Christ, nor improve their lives thereby, seek no
more, in short, from the gospel than is pleasing to the
flesh. For as this wedding-garment must be the new
light of the heart, so the knowledge of this abundant
grace of the bridegroom and his marriage feast, works
in the heart so as to make it hang in close dependence
upon Christ, and be penetrated with joy and consolation, consequently to live and act in light and love, as
knowing that it is giving pleasure to him, as a bride
does to her bridegroom." The warnings so often
given through the preached gospel to false Christians,
and the repentance pressed upon them, as well as the example of those near and around them, who are adorned
with the wedding-garment, renders them the more
liable to condemnation. And since they have not employed the long-continued day of grace for the attainment of the necessary frame of mind, it is at last too
late when the king comes, and they sink into perdi



176          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
tion. "Hence does the gospel carry a very solemn
admonition to every one who hears it, to improve well
the time of the gospel, and a terrible threatening of
frightful punishment to alight, both upon the secure,
arrogant despisers, who have slighted the day of grace
and set themselves against the preaching of the gospel; and upon the false and frivolous, who, for appearance-sake, shelter themselves under the name of
Christ and the gospel, yet never do so in solemn earnest."  Luther, Church-Pos. 14. 198.
Ver. 13. Bind him hand and foot. Luther, as
above: " The hands are the works, the feet the walk,
in which he has confided, and so, not having wholly
trusted in Christ, he must perish with his works; if
thou wouldst, therefore, do good works, thou must
first believe." Cast him into outer darkness. Luther,
iouse-Pos. 5. 190: "They must be shut out from
God's light, that is, from all light, in eternal pain,
sorrow, and anguish, where they shall never see one
ray of light."  Gnomon: " This shall be done a little
before the nuptial hour." —Weeping and gnashing of
teeth. Luther, ib.: "They must, therefore, be bound
for ever in hell, tormented with cold and heat, as was
taught by the ancients. But the Lord in this expression includes all sort of tortures which can be thought
of; as if he had said, Ye shall suffer more than can
be expressed in words, or conceived in thought."
Ver. 14. See toward the end of the parable of the
labourers in the vineyard. This guest without the
wedding-garment makes the truth palpably manifest,
Luke xiii. 24. Mel.: " There is both consolation and
warning in the words; consolation to the pious, who,
when they see many utterly regardless of the faith,
are offended,and brought into doubt whether such a society can be the true church. All the warnings of
God are announced for the purpose of moving some
thereby to turn from their wickedness."




THE TEN VIRGINS.            177
XV.
THE TEN VIRGINS.
Matt. xxv. 1-13.
General prefatory remarks upon this and. the
following Parable.
THIS parable stands in very close connexion with
the preceding instructions, warnings and admonitions
of Jesus. Matth. xxiv. To the question of his disciples,
propounded in v. 1-3, our Lord answers in v. 4-14,
with geneal remarks upon the commencement of a
very troublous, eventful period, which they themselves should live to see, (v. 5-8) and which was
principally to affect them, (v. 9-14.)  Then he
speaks more particularly of the destruction of Jerusalem, v. 15-28, as the proper commencement of a
great and general contest between light and darkness,
and especially cautions them against the mistaken
notion, that he was to come in his glory immediately
after the destruction of Jerusalem, v. 23-28.  Of
his return, he speaks in v. 29, ss., admonishes to carefulness in regard to the sign of approach, v. 32, declares in v. 36, that it was unknown as to the precise
time and hour, though still as certain as the deluge
was to the ancient world, and that it would be attended with very different consequences to men, just
according as their conduct had been, v. 37-41.  For
this reason he admonishes to watchfuilness, v. 42, the
happy consequences of which are described in v. 43
-47, as, on the other hand, the mournful consequences of which are described in v. 43-47, as, on the
other hand, the mournful consequences of false security in v. 48-51. Now, the parables recorded in ch.
xxv. 1-30, contain in figure the same admonitions,
which, without figure, are given in the preceding discourse of our Lord; they set forth in lively colours
the certainty of Christ's return, v. 6, 19, though it




178          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
should be longer delayed, than people would readily
believe, v. 5, 6, 19; and that when it arrived, a very
different fate should befall the watchful and trustworthy, and the faithless and negligent. If the first parable portrays in more general terms the necessary
readiness of the Christian for the arrival of his lord,
the latter, as having this event more immediately in
prospect, speaks in particular of the fidelity and conscientiousness that are required.  This both have in
common, that they refer to the same most important
event, the return of the Lord to his church, and call
our attention to what on our part is necessary for his
reception, that we may stand before him with honour
and acceptance, and may not be ashamed before him
at his coming, 1 John ii. 28. The parable of the ten
virgins mainly teaches, that there is required for that
purpose a genuine persevering faith, and the parable
of the talents shows, that such a faith must not be a
dead thing, and wholly separate from the rest of the
life, but binds us to make a faithful application of all
the gifts bestowed on us by God, and to the conscientious use of all the circumstances of our lot; the former describes the internal state of mind belonging to
the true disciples of Jesus, without which every thing
external is insufficient to salvation, and in a manner
nothing; the latter teaches that according to the will,
and to fulfil the design of Christ, there is also necessary
a kind of working, proceeding from a right disposition
of heart, because it is only through such an exercise
of principle in the daily life, that the disposition itself
can be preserved and strengthened, which otherwise
would languish and die, v. 29. So that faith, and the
works of faith, are represented in these parables in
their internal union and mutual relationship, and that,
in the most impressive manner, in the quite different
characters of the prudent and foolish virgins, of the
conscientious and faithless slothful servant. The foolish virgins were deficient in the proper frame of mind,
although they had what was outward, the lamps; the




THE TEN VIRGINS.             179
faithless servant acknowledged himself to be a servant
of the Lord, but this testimony was dead, wrought
not the effect it should have produced, he is without
living faith-and so both the one and the other fall.
short of the hoped for salvation.  Calvin: "Although
the exhortation here given has nearly the same tendency (as will appear from v. 13,) with that in Luke
xii. 35-48, it was yet properly added, that it might
encourage the faithful to persevere. The Lord knew
how prone the nature of man is to ease, and how it,
for the most part, happens, not only that men become
languid in process of time, but are even liable, on a
sudden, to fall off. That he might correct this disease, he taught his disciples that they were not well
fortified, unless their patience could bear up for a long
period. The sum of the parable is, that the diligent
application of a short time is not sufficient, unless there
be also found an unwearied steadfastness."
The more important, in the Lord's eyes, is the salvation of his people, and the more earnest his wish,
that none of them should be lost; the more there
were of alarming events threatening destruction, to
depress the courage of the apostles, and other disciples,
in later times; the more the distressing.and hampering influence of the temporal life, of its cares and occupations, of its joys and pleasures, tend to mislead
and restrain believers in their course toward the heavenly inheritance, and in concern for their souls; finally
the more eventful, throughout all eternity, for bliss or
misery, is the acquired or neglected preparation, the
exercised or not exercised fidelity; so much the more
solicitous and careful is the Lord in pointing out to
his people every thing necessary, in order to keep
them from all that was injurious to their souls; and
for this reason he employs such various images, to
make them familiar with the right frame of mind, and
to work upon them through the manifold motives
thereby presented to them. - The image of the householder, who, before the thief has broken into his house,




IO[0         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
(Matth. xxiv. 42-44,) must be admonished to watchfulness, from a regard to his own well-being; the example of the faithful servant, (v. 45-47,) encouraged
by the hope of honour and reward; the fate of the
unfaithful servant, (v. 48-51,) through fear of disfavour and punishment; the very same motives, only
represented more at large, are also brought forward
in the two longer parables, in ch. xxv.; wakefulness
or readiness, in general, is recommended, v. 1-13,
fidelity in particular, v. 14-30, active benevolence,
v. 31-46; all in reference to the advent of our Lord.
According to Matth. xxiv. 3, these parables were
spoken upon the Mount of Olives, and only to the disciples; they are the last parables delivered by our
Lord.
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
The proper preparation for the advent of our
Lord.
I. Wherein it consists:
(1.) Every sort of preparation is not the proper
one, v. 1, 2.
(2.) What then is the right preparation?
a.) It does not stand merely in externals, v. 3:
Lamps with6ut oil.
b.) But consists in preparedness of heart, v. 4:
The wise have oil, and of that enough.
II. Why it is so necessary; on account of the advent of the Lord; as this shall be an event,
(1.) Long delayed, v. 5; insomuch that even theprepared were asleep;
(2.) Unexpectedly sudden, v. 6;
(3.) Decisive; for it
a) Manifests to all their obligations, v. 7; and their
state, v. 8;
b.) Leaves no room for help, neither from others
nor from one's self, v. 9, 10.
c.) Determines, for ever, the fate of both, as well
the prepared, v. 10, as the unprepared, v. 11-13.




THE TEN VIRGINS.             181
V. 1. Then shall the kingdom of heaven; from this
close connexion with the instructions delivered by our
Lord in ch. xxiv., it is manifest that the course of
transactions described in this and the following parable, has its primary reference to the destruction of
Jerusalem, as, by this great event, the fate of those
who believed on Jesus was to become different, according as they had or had not, in faith upon his word,
prepared themselves for it. But since the Lord, in
that preceding chapter, had also spoken of his future
coming, the parable must also refer to the final advent
of the Lord to judgment, and in general to the visitations of God, which are all a coming of the Lord; to
such time and transactions as serve to throw the unprepared into fear and consternation; to the whole
day of grace in life, during which men must be preparing themselves for great future events, since death
begins the night, during which no man can work; and
the life after death, the moment it begins in each individual, is the day of the Lord, wherein we are called
to be sifted and judged. Mel.: "This parable is an
image of the church in all ages, but especially in the
last, and contains both doctrine, reproof, and consolation. The doctrine is, that there always have been,
and will be, good and bad in the church on earth, the
latter called hypocrites, because in name and appearance bearing a resemblance to true worshippers. The
consolation is, that it foretells there should always be
a true church and some wise virgins, who, in real
faith and well-grounded hope, look for Christ."
The kingdom of heaven is likened; those who stand
in connexion with the Redeemer, shall be found in
condition and fate, as different, as this parable represents of the ten virgins.  To ten virgins; " We would
not include in these two classes of wise and foolish
virgins, those who revile and persecute the gospel, for
such are not good enough to be named even among
the foolish virgins." Luther's Miscellaneous Sermons,
1S. 241. Virgin, says Luther, imports purity, but
16




182          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
the farther prosecution of this image, as including
that the souls of believers belong to Christ as the
bridegroom, John iii. 29, because he has bought them
with a great price, 1 Peter i. 18, 19, to make them his
own property, Acts xx. 28; 1 Cor. vii. 23, and that,
through faith, Christ is united to his people in cordial
love, is here out of place, as it would only serve to
veil the leading character of the parable and interrupt
its design.  Calvin: "Christ had no other object in
view  than to lighten the oppressive tedium  which
might be supposed to arise from the delay of his arrival; for which purpose he tells us, that he demands of
us nothing more than what was wont to be done by
friends at a marriage solemnity. It was customary
for virgins, (who are tender and delicate,) in honour
of a bridegroom, to lead him to the marriage bed; and
the main design of the parable turns on this, that it is
not enough to be once prepared and ready for the office, but to continue so to the end." Grotius: "The
scope is indicated by Christ, in the words, watch, therefore; namely, that we ought to be always careful
concerning the right ordering of our lives."
Who took their lamps and went forth to meet the
bridegroom. The essential thing here is, that the
virgins who knew of the coming of the bridegroom,
prepared themselves for his reception, in order to participate in the honour and joy of the festive transaction. It is delightful that our Lord here also, as in
chap. xxiv. 32, makes choice of an image, which raises
such joyous expectations, sufficient to divest of their
terror all the frightful circumstances with which his
coming is also connected. The believers of the old
covenant looked for the coming of Messiah, Isa. Ix. 1,
ss.; lxiv. 1; Luke ii. 25. The believers who live
under the new covenant, look for his second coming,
Phil. iii. 21; Heb. ix. 28; Titus ii. 11, ss. This expectation is a powerful means, in the hand of God, for
raising and sanctifying the heart; it springs out of
faith in the promises of the Lord, Matth. xxv. 31;




THE TEN VIRGINS.            183
John xiv. 3, xvii. 24; Acts i. 9-11, and is at once
the proof and the nourishment of love to him: we look
for him, because we love him, and could not love him
if we were not looking for him; we look for him, because we have already experienced love to him when
absent, 1 Peter i. 8; and this expectancy toward Christ's
coming and preparation for it, is the leading purpose
and main concern of all true Christians, Col. iii. 1, ss.
The image is borrowed from the Jewish custom, according to which the bridegroom had to conduct the
bride home in the evening from the house of her parents, to his own dwelling; he came accompanied by
young men, his particular friends, and, as soon as the
report of his coming was announced, the young friends
and play-mates of the bride put themselves in order
to meet him, after which they attended the pair, with
lamps carried before them, to the bridegroom's house.
The lamps were placed on copper dishes, which were
fastened from above to long poles, comp. Judg. xiv.
11, 18; 1 Sam. xxv. 42; 1 Macc. ix. 37; Ps. xlv. 15;
John iii. 29; Matth. ix. 15.
V. 2-4. Here is represented the different state of
these young women; five were wise, the number is of
no moment to the point in question, the distinction
alone is essential; they are called wise, because they
kept steadily in view the end and the means, thought
of the future with foresight, and, during the present,
held in contemplation distant possible contingencies,
all which the foolish did not do. Calvin: " It is the
part of prudence to take care that it be provided with
the necessary helps for the course of life; for, though
time be short, it yet appears to be too much prolonged
according to the eagerness of our impatience; and then
such is our poverty, that we stand in need of help
every moment." The difference existing between the
members of the visible church is here indicated; a mixture prevails; all call themselves Christians, profess
an interest in Christ, would be saved, and have an interest in the blessed joy and glorious inheritance of the




184          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
heavenly kingdom; but, however uniform in regard to
the end they have in view, they are often widely different in regard to the course of procedure they adopt,
and the degree of care and application which they
give to this important matter, and it is in this that
their prudence or folly discovers itself.
The foolish took their lamps, and took no oil in
them; they had only so much oil that their lamps
could burn well enough for a little time, but nothing
in reserve. Lamps denote the outward profession of
the gospel, mere external fellowship with the Redeemer, such as going to Church, using the means of
grace, waiting on the ordinances of worship, at the
same time that all is but dead work, only matter of
custom, formal observances.  Such people (being
hypocrites, formalists, or at most but dead Christians,)
want internal, proper, and living acquaintance with
Christ; their profession does not proceed from any
experience, or full-wrought conviction of the truth and
divinity of the gospel; they may, indeed, at times manifest much zeal for it, but they are still destitute of
the internal principle of life, Matth. xiii. 21. Luther,
Miscell. Sermons, 18. 34: " Scripture calls those persons fools, who will neither sing nor speak. They
hear the gospel, but do not follow it, still wish to have
their own sentiments in high account. Of which sort,
there are some, who possess the highest gifts of God,
and are in the ministry. It is not said of wicked,
godless Turks and heathens; but of those who call
themselves evangelical, though they are still of one
mind with Adam." Ibid. p. 244: " There are Christians, who obtain the name of pious persons, can say
a great deal about such things, praise the word; but
the kingdom of God does not stand in word but in
power; the mouth is there, but the heart far off,
Matth. vii. 22.  When they hear the word, they frame
and imagine to themselves some thought or fancy in
the heart, which they take for oil, and continue still as
before in their wonted courses."  Luther's Marginal




THE TEN VIRGINS.             185
note: " The lamps without oil are good works without
faith, which must all be destroyed; but the lamp of
oil is faith in the heart-faith in the grace of God
which brings forth good works, that will stand, and
since no one here gives oil to another, this tells us
that every one must believe for himself." ChurchPos. 14. 481, ss.: " Here the Lord calls all Christians
virgins. The foolish virgins are those Christians who
have the profession of Christians, hear the gospel,
wish to be accounted quite evangelical, and can discourse much of divine things, extol and speak much
of the word of God, praising it as a fine thing, according to which every thing must be determined and
judged, and many such fair speeches. But St. Paul
tells us, 1 Cor. iv. 20, that the kingdom of God is not
in the word, but in power. It proceeds, not with
speeches, but with the life; not with words, but with
works. The mouth is well exercised about it, but the
heart is not there; there is no oil in the lamp, that is,
no faith in the heart. But this they do not think, or
know, nay they reckon their lamps to be even in a
state of readiness.  Their way is, that they preach
and hear about faith, and when they have heard the
word, they make out of it, after their own liking,
some thought or fancy in the mind; which they take
for oil, and proceed onward without any change in
their course, as choleric as before, as avaricious, as
niggardly to the poor, as rude and unenlightened as
ever. This faith or fancy, which they form to themselves, is a production of man; therefore it is just like
scum upon the water, or the froth of bad beer, which
has no consistence, and soon disappears. The other
virgins, the wise, not merely took their lamps in their
hands, but had also oil in them, that is, genuine faith,
which God has formed and established in the heart,
with which they can fortify themselves. For they
have God's work in them, and not an imaginary, selfcreated notion, which has nothing to support it when
death appears before them. They are supported by
16*




186          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
the divine promises, and the Spirit of God works
great things through them, so that they would even
now rather die than live. Now consider, that this
parable will be verified at the last day, and all Christians dealt with as it declares, therefore, as the word
is begun and works unequally, it becomes us to think
that the last day is not far distant. In fine, this portion of the gospel, by the lamps without oil, represents
to us an outward thing, a bodily exercise without faith
in the heart; but the lamps with the oil denote the
internal riches, together with the external works
springing out of a true faith."
Ver. 4. But the wise took oil in their vessels with
their Zamps.  Luther, Miscel. Sermons, 18. 34: "This
oil is the anointing of the Holy Spirit, 1 John ii. 27;
they have an accurate knowledge of God, they live in
fear, and are careful, lest God should become. angry,
and take his grace from them; therefore they entreat
his favour when they stumble; they beg and cry for
help." This, along with true acquaintance with God,
and hearts full of Christ, a living and a spiritual fellowship with the Redeemer, a hearty and open profession of the gospel, the careful use of the means of
grace from faith and in faith, this is what characterizes these virgins, Matth. v. 16; Phil. ii. 15. Gnomon: "A burning lamp is faith, such a lamp and oil
besides, is rich faith."
Ver. 5. While the bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept. Both wise and foolish; the delay of
the return of Christ is often the occasion of a general
diminution of watchfulness, fervour, and activity, and
that by degrees, for first they slumber and then fall
fast asleep. Calvin: " The sleeping is by some taken
in a bad sense, as if the faithfill could give themselves
along with others to slothfulness, and fall asleep amid
the vanities of the world, which is quite foreign to
the mind of Christ, and the context of the parable.
I understand it more simply, of earthly transactions,
in which it is necessary for believers to be involved,




THE TEN VIRGINS.                 1S7
as long as they live in the flesh.  But, although they
should never allow forgetfulness of the kingdom  of
God to creep over them, yet the distraction of worldly
affairs is not unaptly compared to a sleep. For they
cannot be looking so intently for the coming of Christ,
but that various cares will either distract, or retard,
or entangle them; on which account it happens that,
through much vigilance, they may in part sleep."
Luther's Sermons, 1S. 35: "For we fall indeed at
times into sin, have occasionally good thoughts of the
bridegroom, but are not always burning with desires
toward God. Here, however, is the answer and the
consolation: Despair not! there are some in the heavenly kingdom who are sleepy, but are not therefore
to be rejected, who sometimes even commit flagrant
sins. The bridegroom is not always with us, he conceals himself, and lets his people at times fall, but will
soon raise them  up again."   Mark xiii. 27.  Matth.
xxvi. 41. Rev. iii. 2. But there is a wide difference
between the sleep of the wise and of the foolish.*
* [There is here, and in some other places, an unsatisfactoriness in the manner in which our author treats a nice or difficult
point-first, throwing out a view of his ovyn, without being at
any pains to defend or illustrate it, and presently introducing the
sentiments of others, sometimes contradicting, sometimes coinciding with his own. In a single sentence he has here stated his
view of the slumbering and sleeping, then he adduces Calvin
supporting one considerably different, and then, again, Luther is
heard in confirmation substantially of his own. There is certainly a benefit in having the views of different authors thus
brought before us, but it is somewhat perplexing to have the
matter left in such a state of uncertainty. In the present case,
we venture to think that Calvin has, with his usual discrimination, hit upon the right view, and that it was not our Lord's design, as is very commonly supposed, by the slumbering and
sleeping of the wise virgins, to represent them as sinking along
with others into slothfulness. This would have been to disfigure
the image he was drawing of Christian wisdom by a leading
characteristic of folly. The trait referred to is simply an indication of the long delay of the bridegroom, which naturally led
the virgins to fall into other employments than those immediately connected with the expected festivity. So, in regard to
the second coming of Christ, though the great object of the




ISS          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
Ver. 6-10. We have here represented the conduct
of all the virgins at the arrival of the bridegroom.
St midnight; much  later, therefore, than was expected, but he is true and faithful, 2 Peter iii. 3..1
cry was made; Luther, Miscell. Sermons, 1S. 35:
" If this were not done, all must despair; but the consolation is, that the bridegroom causes a cry to go before him, and calls us to him." Calvin: " Concerning
the cry, I consider it as put metaphorically for a sudden coming. For we know, that when any thing new
and unlooked for happens, men are wont to give a
shout. The Lord, indeed, daily proclaims that he is
coming, but then the whole machine of nature will resound, and his terrific majesty fill the heaven and the
earth, in such a manner as shall not only awaken those
who are asleep, but bring the dead out of their graves."
Behold, the bridegroom cometh! Such rousing cries
in the church of God, and in the lives of individuals,
are often found in great outward changes, national
judgments, desolations, diseases, extreme dangers, extraordinary deliverances, and other solemn occurrences,
through means of which zealous and godly Christians, as well as those who are lukewarm and ungodly,
are constrained to think of the coming of the Son of
Man as near at hand.
Ver. 7. The impression of this announcement upon
all; all think now anew of preparing themselves for
church's hopes, yet it was to be so long deferred, as to render it
both allowable and necessary for her members to mingle in employments not immediately connected with his advent. His people, as well as others, must betake themselves to the cares and
business of life-must enter into occupations, which, in themselves, are no way connected with Christ's appearing-but,
while amidst these, work and business of their Christian calling,
it is otherwise with real Christians-the holy oil of divine truth
still abides in their heart, and shines forth in their conduct,and all they have to do, when called to meet their Lord, is just
to recall their minds from their other necessary duties, and address themselves more immediately to the work of meeting, in
a suitable manner, the presence and glory of their divine master. I- Traus.




THE TEN VIRGINS.             189
his reception; all are again manifestly made conscious
of their present condition, thleir calling and their aim.
Ver. 8. But now becomes manifest the great internal difference, that lay under the external resemblance
and agreement. The foolish virgins find themselves in
the greatest embarrassment, and what should otherwise
have been the occasion of the greatest joy and gain to
them —the approach of the bridegroom-because they
are not in the right condition, and therefore not in a
state of readiness, throws them into the most terrible
confusion and frightful dismay; which shows itself
with much force and impressiveness in their speech;
Give us of your oil,for our lamps are out. Calvin:
- "Here is reproved the too late repentance of those
who do not perceive their defects before that the gate
is shut against all remedy. For they are, on this account, condemned of folly, in allowing a long time to
pass away without making provision for themselves,
because living securely in their want, and spending the
time in mutual converse, they make light of offered
help." Luther, Miscell. Sermons, 1S. 35: "It is torment to the conscience when we first go to seek for
aid at the coming of the bridegroom, and must abandon the good thoughts we had of ourselves, discovering then, for the first time, our failure.  There is a
disclosure of sin, if we flee from the presence of God,
when we should chiefly run to him." Give us of your
oil, that is, permit us to have an interest in your faith,
to enjoy its benefit and fruit, as we are already one
with you in profession; the extinguishment of their
lamps bespeaks the feeling and knowledge they had
of their own insufficiency.  Such shall be the fate
some time of pretended Christians and hypocrites.
Luther, MiscelI. Sermons, 18. 36: "Wherefore do
they not cry to the bridegroom that they have no oil?
Why do they run to their fellows for oil? The cause
is, that they have never truly known the bridegroom,
otherwise they would run to him." This characterizes also the cry of the rich man, Luke xvi. 24.




190          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
Ver. 9. But the wise answered, saying, Not so;not so are not in the original, but must evidently be
supplied. Calvin: "We know that the Lord distributes his gifts variously to each according to his own
measure, for this reason, that they might mutually assist each other, and bring to the common advantage
what has been imparted to each, that thereby the sacred connexion between the members of the church
may be strengthened. But here Christ points to the
time when all must attend at his judgment seat to receive, according as each has done in the body. With
propriety, therefore, does he compare the store, which
every one has laid up for himself, of received grace, to
provisions for the way, which will not be sufficient for
more." The refusal is coupled with the grounds on
which it is given; there is no superfluous desert of
good works, from which, as an ample treasury, sinners
might purchase pardon and supply the defects of their
own virtue; the wise virgins are, at the same time,
humble in forming a right estimate of themselves, for
the true Christian is distrustful of himself, as being
most sensible of his imperfections, failings, and crimes.
Gnomon: "Every one shall live by his own faith."
But go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for
yourselves. Gnomon: "What will appear advisable
then, let us now do in time."  The sense is: see if it
be still possible, with such shortness of time, and in
such a desperate case, to make up what has been neglected, to supply what is wanting, to procure what
is necessary, Rev. iii. 18.  Luther takes these words
for irony, and says, Miscell. Sermons, 18. 36: " So
must it happen; the just shall laugh at the destruction
of the wicked, when it goes ill with them who despise
God. You will not buy, you have neglected it, therefore shall all creatures mock your folly, Wisdom, v.
1, ss."  Calvin: "It is not an admonition, but a reproach, having this meaning? There was formerly a
time of buying, which ought not to have been neglected by you; for then there was oil to be bouoht,




TIIE TEN VIRGINS.            191
but now the power of recovering it is gone. Therefore there is no other way of obtaining it than receiving
in faith what is offered to us. But it is better to
find here the counsel of love, than a reproach of in(lifference and sloth; for the folly of the wicked is far
more an object of pity and regret to the righteous,
than of cruel mockery and bitter reviling, Prov. xiv.
9, However, the words are still not to be understood
as if a sure hope were held out to the foolish of gaining their object; but love hopes all things. Since a
sincere conversion during the day of grace is never
rejected, we must not deny to him, who has been late
in turning, the hope of his gracious reception with
God, while yet the fate of the foolish virgins manifestly shows how difficult, nay almost how impossible
it becomes, when sinners are long in applying themselves to it.
V. 10. AJnd while they went to buy, the bridegroom
came; for them, therefore, it was indeed too late, they
could not now make up for their neglect. JAnd the
door was shut, as well to secure those who were within, as to shut out those who had allowed the: time
granted for preparation to pass away; at the same
time, the expression indicates the unalterable condition
of both kinds of Christians after the arrival of the
bridegroom, Rev. xxi. 27, xix. 7. Htere also we find
the often recurring thought of a general and thorough
sifting impending the church of the Lord, and that
through him and at his arrival; as also in the parable
of the tares among the wheat, the fishing-net and the
wedding garment.
Ver. 11, 12. The conduct of the foolish virgins
after the arrival of the bridegroom. Lord, Lord, open
to us, expressing at once their hope and their claim
to a participation in the blessedness. The repetition
of the address denotes the earnestness of their desire,
and that they still dreamed of a relationship to him,
as if they had duly honoured him with the obedience
of true servants. Open to us; so that no one can then




192          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
claim or take any thing for himself, it must be given
him by Christ.
Ver. 12. Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
The verily is impressive, and intimates how only his,
and not their judgment upon them is correct; he does
not recognise them as fit, nor in the proper condition
to be admitted, although they judged quite differently
regarding themselves, upon their state and their worthiness. As vain as were the hopes of these foolish
virgins, are also the expectations of those who, in
fleshly confidence upon the greatness of God's compassion, undervalue his holiness, continue in sins and
corruptions, give no heed to repentance and conversion, and notwithstanding the explicit declarations in
the word of God concerning the necessity of sanctification in the followers of Christ, yet never apply
themselves to this, in the vain imagination that there
shall still somehow at last be provided for them an
entrance into the abodes of everlasting joy, Prov. i.
24-33.
Ver. 13 contains the words of Christ, not of the
bridegroom; they are directed to all the professors of
the gospel, for exhortation and warning; they form the
key of the parable, and point out its end and subject.
Watch, therefore; the spiritual watchfulness, or preparedness of the Christian is that state of mind wherein
one is truly conscious to himself of his actual condition,
of the aim and tendency of his life, of his relation to
the Redeemer and the things of this life, and every
thing is so applied and used as to be of service to us
for our eternal salvation.
For ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein
the Son of JMan cometh. The ground of the watchfilness just recommended, is our ignorance of the exact
time for the coming and manifestation of Christ, which
uncertainty or ignorance true believers improve to
their salvation. According to this parable, the wisdom, which the world names folly, consists mainly in
thinking of the approaching future, of death, judgment,




THE TEN VIRGINS.            193
and retribution; and what the world calls wisdom, a
mere living for the present, is folly in the eyes of the
Lord. Ewald, p. 190, ss.? "Thou must watch, O
man, over all that is in thee, and what is without thee,
what works upon thee, what can elevate or depress
thy spirit, inflame or allay thy passions.  Watch
over all that tends to withdraw thee from Jesus, or
bring thee near to him, to increase or diminish thy
faith upon him. Watch over the world around thee,
over thine own heart, over those powers of darkness
with which, according to the word of God, we have
to contend. In every age, in every life, there are
periods, which, more or less, resemble the coming of
Christ, upon which just as much depends for the individual, which are just as decisive for his future condition, in which he stands fully as much in need of
faith and love, of watchfulness and prudence. Every
occurrence in which a man either comes much nearer
to Christ, or removes much farther from him, where
there is no alternative; he must either wholly abandon
Christ, or say, I will not decline from thy paths.
Every circumstance in our life, wherein we see much
on the one hand, that attracts our hearts to Christ,
and on the other, much that prejudices them against
him; wherein we must choose between Christ and
antichrist, must declare for or against the Bible,-for
or against virtue; every such circumstance is just as
decisive for men as the return of Christ will be for
those who live to see it. Then, these circumstances
come so unexpectedly, if we are not thinking of them,
they will certainly take us by surprise if we feel ourselves secure. We must have been making preparation for them before-hand, gathering strength and faith
for the trial, and preparation comes too late for them
when they are already present."
17




194          THE PARABLES OF JESUS,
XVI.
THE TALENTSo
Matth. xxv. 14-30.
ALL that is necessary to be said on the connexion
of this parable with what precedes, has been already
mentioned at the beginning of the former one. Mark
has only given a hint of this parable, when he says,
ch. xiii. 34: " Like a man taking a far journey, who
left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and
to every man his work, and commanded the porter to
watch." There certainly exists between it and the
parable given in Luke xix. 11-27, to be explained
afterwards, a strong resemblance, which has led many
expositors to the conviction that they are, properly,
but one, but besides that the time and place of delivery
are different, there appears, even on the most hasty
comparison, such important differences in their respective plan, that we are compelled to assign them an essentially distinct aim. Mel.: " This parable must be understood both concerning the public ministry and the
use of private gifts."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
Admonition to Christian fidelity, derived,
I. From the distribution of gifts, v. 14, 15;
(1.) As dependent servants, we owe fidelity, v. 14:
"A man called his servants."
(2.) And because every thing we possess is matter
of gift, v. 14; "Delivered unto them his goods."
(3.) And because this distribution is made according to the highest wisdom, in proportion to our powers,
v. 15.
II. From the conduct of the servants, v. 16-18.
(1.) The exemplary behaviour of the faithful servant, v. 16: " He went, and traded."
(2.) The immediate blessing granted to his fidelity,
v. 16, 17: "And made them other five (two) talents."




THE TALENTS.               195
(3.) The shameful inactivity of the faithless servant,
v. 18.
III. From the righteous judgment, v. 19 —30.
(1.) This judgment is certain, v. 19: After a long
time; and general, v. 19: And reckoneth with them,
(v. 20, 22, 24.)
(2.) The joyful reckoning of the faithful servants,
v. 20, 22.
(3.) The rich and gracious reward of the Lord, v.
21, 23, wherein we have to notice,
a.) The praise given them, v. 21, 23: "Well done,"
&c.
b.) The enlarged sphere of action, ib.: "I will
make," &c.
c.) The promised bliss, ib.: "Enter thou into,"
&c.
(4.) The matter of the faithless servant.
a.) The wicked accusation, v. 24: " Lord, I knew,"
&c.
b.) The groundless justification, v. 25: "I was
afraid," &c.
(5.) His melancholy fate, v. 26-30.
a.) The exposure of his secret wickedness, v. 26:
"Thou wicked and slothful servant."
b.) The refutation of his subterfuge, v. 27: "Thou
oughtest, therefore," &c.
c.) The withdrawment of the lent gift, v. 28, along
with the ground of such treatment, v. 29.
d.) His banishment to final misery, v. 30.
V. 14. /s a man; we must evidently supply from
v. 1: Then shall the kingdom of heaven be. The
Lord of this kingdom will act toward those who have
come into connexion with him, just as a rich man does
with his servants, to whom he has committed his goods,
whom he afterwards called to account, and dealt with
according to their desert. Travelling into afar country; so has the Lord withdrawn his presence from the
church. Called his servants, and delivered unto them
his goods; divided these amongst them.  So also has




196            THE PARABLES OF JESUS~
Christ bestowed many gifts upon his servants; in particular, he assigned to his apostles an appointed sphere
of labour, and still now gives life, health, powers of
body and of soul, many talents, capacities, spheres of
duty, and opportunities for action.*  There is here indicated the relation of entire dependence in which we
stand to Christ, as servants to their Lord; which is
overlooked by many, because the Lord is not visibly
present; but his word teaches us the certainty of this
relation, the approaching judgment, to which he will
call us before him, will make it fully manifest, and
faith is continually acting in conformity to it.
V. 15. The different numbers of talents that were
committed to each of the servants, represent the different degrees of power and influence,-of means and
capacities, which are distributed among men in so diversified and dissimilar a manner.  To every man ac* [It might have been desirable, had our author specified here
more exactly what we are to understand by the goods or talents
committed by Christ to his people. They are not, we conceive,
the natural powers or capacities belonging to us as men, for the
goods in question, we are told, were distributed according to
these,-according to every man's ability; so that their natural
ability formed no part of the talents themselves, but only the
sort of measure after which the bestowment of them was proportioned. The talents are such things only as are bestowed by
Christ as the head and dispenser of a kingdom of grace; and we
may comprise them under three divisions. I. Our stations of
life and spheres of duty,-which are all marked out to us and
appointed by Christ,-and the various advantages therewith connected, the means and opportunities of usefulness, the events and
circumstances of life, all so many talents put into our hands by
Christ, to be used in obedience to his will, and for the promotion
of his glory. 2. Our standing and privileges in his church,
whether as pastors, elders, or deacons, parents, teachers, or as
private members of the church. 3. Our gifts of grace or measure of the Spirit's power, divided severally to all, as every man
has need. And that need, in every case, is determined by his
ability,-by his reach of intellect, his extent of obligation, his
sphere of rank and usefulness. Christ himself had the spirit
above measure, because the work given him to do required infinite resources of grace, but his people have it according to " the
measure of the gift of Christ;" that is, in other words, according*
to their need, the Spirit being given to every man to profit
withal. -Tranus.




THE TALENTS.               197
cording to his several ability; that is, the different
distribution of the different gifts is not done by the
All-wise, as it seemed good to him, according to arbitrary pleasure, but rather according to his foreknowledge, by virtue of which he knows how zealous,
active, and faithful each will be in laying out what is
committed to him, that it may be employed with profit, and he distributes more or less accordingly.
Through the unequal distribution of manifold gifts,
the church of the Lord appears like a body composed
of many members, every one of which must contribute
to the good of the whole, according to the part assigned, and the capacity bestowed on it, I Cor. xii.
4-30;. Rom. xii. 4-9.  Luther, marginal note:
" The talents are the written word of God, whosoever
uses which well, he has much himself and teaches
much to others; whoever lets it carelessly lie, he is
possessed of little; for, while it is one and the same
word, it accomplishes through some much more than
through others; therefore it is named now five, now
two talents."  This is obviously too straitened an
interpretation, and, besides, not sufficiently profound
in the dissimilarity of the gifts.
Ver. 16-18. Here is described the different manner in which the servants employ the trust committed
to them, two being conscientious and faithful, and one
entirely the reverse.  The first two servants thankfully acknowledge the trust placed in them by the
Lord, and the gifts bestowed on them, the obligation
under which they lie to serve him, and the honour and
blessing it would bring to them, if they acted agreeaIly to the will of the Lord; and they acted accordingly. Their gain and increase of goods stand in exact proportion to the sums committed to them; experience also teaches us the same, and hence we perceive
the wisdom and the righteousness of the rule, according to which the Lord continually judges, and which
is also confirmed in the parable, v. 21, viz. that to
17*




TI9 THE PPARABELS OF JESUS 
whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required.  (Luke xii. 48.)
Ver. 18. Went and digged, and hid his lord's money.
Thus he acted, in whom the Lord had placed least
confidence, and to whom he had given only one talent;
which enforces on us the important truth, that the
possession of few and small gifts is before the judge
of all the earth no sufficient justification for the misuse of what we have, and that we must consequently
employ this little with the greatest fidelity if we wish
to obtain his approbation. It was not a sinful prodigality, or a bad use of the lent talent, which served
for the condemnation of this servant, but only his
slothful indifference, that he had not employed it
either for himself or for others; from which we may
draw the double reflection, that they are culpable in
the highest degree, who misspend any divine gifts
in vice and wickedness, but that they also are exceedingly culpable, who squander or leave unemployed
many and great gifts.
Ver. 19-30. These verses describe the reckoning
which the Lord held with his servants, and the judgment he pronounced..After a long time, —directed
against the error, which looked for Christ's return as
immediately to happen.  Reckoneth with them; that
thereby his sentence might appear before all the world
as conformable to the strictest principle of righteousness.
Ver. 20. Such is the language of a good conscience,
of a peacefiil mind, of an exercised fidelity, and to the
same effect also is the declaration of the other servant, v. 22, who had received the two talents.
Ver. 21, 23. The judgment of the Lord on these
two servants is expressed in the same words; from
which we may learn that, in distributing his commendations, the Lord looks more to the honest heart, the
approved fidelity, and tender conscientiousness, than
to the greater or less result of the activity of his servants, 2 Cor. viii. 12.  Both have been equally faith



THE TALENTS.               199
ful, and hence both receive the full, unqualified approbation of their Lord. HWell done, thou good andfaithful servant; the Lord looks primarily upon the heart,
from which all action proceeds, and because that is
good, he commends also the work itself. He names
the servant faithful, because he had justified his lord's
expectations, and the confidence placed in him.- Thou,
hast been faithful over afew things; the Lord calls
even the highest, the richest and most honourable
gifts, which he bestows here, a few things, in order
to raise our expectations the more concerning the
much greater and more glorious things which he has
reserved for his people hereafter, and so to fill our
hearts with blessed hopes, as well as admonish us to
a conscientious fidelity.  Grotius: "' Christ does not
weigh the works themselves, for the performance of
which all have not equal power, time, and opportunities, but the faithful application.  Therefore it often
happens, that labour spent on what is little brings
great glory."
Ver. 24. The faithless and unconscientious servant
feels, when called to give his account, his guilt and
liability to punishment, though hitherto he could not
be brought to the proper conviction of this, either
through the example of his good fellow-servants, or
through the knowledge he had of his lord's will. He
sees now that he cannot slip through, and,in order to
palliate his unrighteous conduct, he betakes to a plea,
which involves the lord himself in accusation. So
wicked is sin, that it will rather cast all the blame on
a holy God, than confess to its own unrighteousness.
Grotius: " Christ has given the example o'f negligence
in that servant to whom least was intrusted, lest any
one should hope that he would be excused from working because he had not received the highest gifts.
More, indeed, shall be demanded from him to whom
much has been given, as Luke tells us, and he, therefore, who has received little, does not owe no return,
he only owes less,"-Lord, I know thee, that thou




200          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
art a hard man; an avaricious person, who allows
himself to be drawn away by avarice and greed into
unrighteousness; but the conduct of the lord towards
him, v. 15, was an indication of good feeling, and
therefore manifested the groundlessness of his subterfuge. It is the tendency, however, of a heart, that
is given to wicked and ungodly passions, to conceive
of God as being like to itself, Ps. 1. 20.-Reaping
where thou hast not sown, etc. Spoken proverbially,
and meaning: Thou takest by force what does not belong to thee; distributest small gifts, and expectest a
return disproportionately great.
Ver. 25. Jnd I was afraid of losing the gift committed to me, and of the hard treatment then to be apprehended from thee.
Ver. 26, 27. Thou uwicked and slothful servant,
thou knewest, &c.; granted that thy speech and the
accusation thou bringest were well grounded, and that
I really was thus minded.  Thou oughtest, therefore,
to have put my money to the exchangers; what the
slothful and wicked servant had contrived for his justification, the lord applies to his confusion, and draws
from it the quite opposite, but just conclusion, that he
should then only have felt he had to do the more,
in order to give such a master at least some satisfaction. If thou hadst but given it up to the usurers,
then it would have yielded to thee and me some interest.  Olshausen: "Because he was afraid of losing
the confided good, he durst not lay it out in independent activity for the interests of his Lord; that is, the
dangers which are connected with active exertions for
the kingdom of God upon earth, on account of the
manifold persecutions and oppositions of the world,
keep many back, who want confidence in the supporting help of God, from applying in faith and energy to
the work.  Persons of such timid, straitened dispositions, being unfit for bold, independent action in the
affairs of the kingdom, are only requested to connect
themselves with other persons of more powerful minds,




THEIL TALENTS.             201
under whose wing they might apply their talents profitably in the service of the church."
Ver. 28. Take therefore the talentfrom him, and
give it to him that hath ten talents; this was part of
the appointed punishment, taking away from him the
neglected gift; the other part is mentioned in ver. 30.
This man acted at first, ver. 14, as lord with his
talents, now as judge.
Ver. 29. The ground of this treatment; whosoever
hath, having rightly employed what was committed
to himn, exercised his gift with the required diligence,
fidelity, and conscientiousness, to him shall be given,
more shall be put into his hand; as is wont to be the
rule among men, so shall it be in the highest degree
with God; the proper use of all divine gifts multiplies
them to their possessors; and he shall have abundance,
a more extensive sphere of action, and therewith more
opportunities for the exercise of his fidelity. But whosoever hath not, wants diligence and carefulness, therefore has not rightly executed the trust committed to
him,from himn shall be taken away even that which
he hath, the just desert of his guilt, Luke xvi. 10-12,
and a judgment demanded alike by the wisdom and the
righteousness of God.
Ver. 30. See on Matth. xxii. 13.
There is subjoined from ver. 31 to v. 36, a description of the final judgment, which the Lord will hold
concerning all according to the strictest justice. There
the blessed of the Father are declared to be such as
have given themselves to labours of love, and the
cursed, who go into everlasting pain, such as are
punished for their negligence and shortcoming in regard to these; so that we may consider the whole of
the following section as a farther illustration and confirmation of the doctrine delivered in this parable,
manifesting how important in its consequences, even
throughout eternity, shall be found the faithful application, or the careless neglect of the gifts conferred
on us by God, according to our sphere of labour and




202          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
opportunities of usefulness; and while this issue discovers the necessity and importance of works of love,
it teaches, at the same time, that all the gifts of God
are bestowed only for the purpose of being laid out
for the best interests of our fellow-men, 1 Cor. xii. 7.
The reference of our Lord's words in ver. 27, primarily to the application of the gifts conferred by him to
beneficent purposes, might be still farther confirmed
by calling to remembrance the mercy which is exercised by the pious, but neglected on the part of the
ungodly. We cannot, however, take this section ver.
31-46, for a parable, although it represents, under
images well known, and borrowed from earthly transactions, the alike good and righteous conduct of the
judge of all the earth, forming an admirable illustration of the words in Rom. ii. 6; 2 Cor. v. 10. Calvin: " Christ follows out the same line of instruction,
and what he had already described under parables, he
now sets forth in plain and simple language. The
scope of the whole is, that believers should stir themselves up to the work of a pure and holy life, by looking with the eye of faith to the heavenly life, which,
though now hid, shall be fully disclosed at the final
advent of Christ."
XVII.
THE GROWrING SEED.
Mark iv. 26-29.
THE position which this parable occupies according
to the account of Mark, throws some light upon its
design.  The impression which the parable of the
sower produced upon the hearts of the hearers, and
especially of the apostles, could scarcely be otherwise
than sad and discouraging, for if a sower, with all diligence and fidelity, had yet to find that so much seed
should fail to bring forth fruit to perfection, therefore
his labour had been in vain, he was bound to a heart



THE GROWI.NG SEED.            203
less task.  But ill order to prevent such an effect, and
strengthen his apostles, as well as all teachers of the
gospel, with joyful hopes, stimulate them to continued
fidelity, and direct their eye to the happy result in
which their labours were certain to issue, the Lord
delivered this parable. He shows, in the seed, which
makes increase through its own internal vitality, and
the progress of which the sower must leave to the
blessing of God, the success of the preaching of the
gospel, which is equally under the care and superintendence of God, and is a living seed; from which the
reflection is to be drawn, that the announcement of
the gospel should always be made in joyful confidence
on the fruitful operations of the Holy Spirit, Mark
xvi. 20. Calvin: "c Christ appears to direct his words
to the ministers of the gospel, lest they should apply
themselves more coldly to their work, when they do
not immediately perceive the fruits of their labour.
Although the seed of the word may lie for a time to
all appearance choked, yet Christ commands his pious
servants to be of good courage, and not allow distrust
to diminish their alacrity."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
The self-advancing progress of the divine kingdom.
This self-advancement shows itself,I. At the very commencement:
(1.) The word must, indeed, be sown and received,
v. 26;
(2.) But it carries within itself a living, divine
power, v. 26: It is good seed:
II. And in the progress:
(1.) It must, indeed, have time for development,
v. 27; The seed springs and grows up.
(2.) But it develops itself without human aid, and
that gradually, v. 27, 28.
III. And in the termination:
(1.) In the ripe and abundant fruit which it yields,
v. 29: When the fruit is brought forth.




204          THE PARABILES OF JESUS.
(2.) Which man, however, must gather and appropriate to himself, v. 29: I-e putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
Ver. 26. So is the kingdom of God; it is exactly
so with the extension of the church upon earth, and
with the progress of the divine word in the heart, as
wchen a man casts seed into the ground. In the parable of the sower, it is said that the sower sows his
seed, but here the word is only named seed, in general; we must, therefore, by the sower understand Christ
himself, the author and proprietor of the word, while
here Christ cannot be represented under the man
spoken of; what is said of him can only be understood
of the human teachers of the divine word; and then
the carelessness and inactivity of the sower, described
in v. 27, can admit of no application to the ever active
Lord of the church, without whose power and grace
nothing succeeds, and who, with his all-seeing eye,
continually discerns the progress of the divine seed,
while, of the man in question, it is said, that he knows
not how it grows up.
Ver. 27. tAnd sleeps, and rises night and day;
after having fully finished the work of sowing, he
sleeps by night quietly and without care, and rises up
by day to look after his other business, patiently expecting that what is sown may, through the blessing
of God, grow, and bring forth fruit. The expression
is of a proverbial nature, as in Ps. iii. 5. Our part is
only to plant and water, the increase is from God, 1
Cor. iii. 6.  The seed springs and grows up, a gradual
process of development.  He knoweth not how, on
what day it properly began, and how, from time to
time, it makes progress; so is the progress of the divine word concealed from the eye of the labourer, that
he may continue sowing, and do so in the exercise of
confidence in God, and a spirit of humility.
Ver. 28. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of itself; the earth is the heart that has received the seed;
the word works in the heart, which has a capacity to




THE GROWING SEED.             205
receive it, as the earth has for the seed; and without which neither could the earth bring forth a good
crop, nor the heart yield any fruit from the word of
God implanted in it.  Gnomon: " Of itself is put in
opposition to human care; husbandry, with the rain
and suns of heaven, are not excluded." First the
blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear;
the process of development, in the kingdom of grace,
is one and the same with the kingdom of nature, slow,
gradual, and progressive; hence in knowledge, holiness, humility, and all the graces of the Christian life,
there are many degrees, 1 John ii. 18, 14. Rom. xv. 1.
Eph. iv. 13.
Ver. 29. But when the fruit is brought forth; properly, when the fruit gives up, namely, itself-when
it is ripe, and has reached the fiill development.  Immediately he putteth in the sickle, the reaper comes
with the sickle and cuts it down. Under this figure
is represented the believing appropriation, and the enjoyment of divine things, which can only be found
then, when the gospel is allowed to unfold itself without restraint.  Because the harvest is come; when
the word of God has wrought in the heart all that it
was designed to do, and the heart has become ripe
for another state, it is translated into that state; and
this shall also be done with the church at large, with
the whole dispensation of grace; the present order
of things will entirely cease when the gospel has
been preached to all nations, and accomplished in
them, through God's blessing, the purpose for which
he sends it.
18




2C6          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
XVIII.
OF TIlE OLD GARMENT AND THE NEW PATCH.
XIX.
OF THE NEW WINE AND THE OLD BOTTLEg.
Luke v. 36-39. Matth. ix,. 16, 17. ark ii. 21, 22.
THE occasion that gave rise to these two parables
is most distinctly related by Matthew. When Jesus
was at table with the publican Matthew, whom he
had called to be his disciple, and the pharisees saw it,
they said to his disciples, (manifestly by way of reproach, as in Luke xv. 1, 2:) "Why eateth your
master with publicans and sinners?"  Jesus justified
his conduct with the words, " The whole need not a
physician, but they that are sick."  But if the conduct of Christ, in companying with sinners, was extraordinary in the sight of the pharisees, the circumstance appeared quite inexplicable to the disciples of
John the Baptist, who now drew near, and who, without any bad design, merely for their own information,
for the solution of an incomprehensible difficulty, or
rather for the removal of a ground of offence, put to
him the question: "Why do we and the pharisees fast
oft, but thy disciples fast not?"  To which Jesus, in
the first instance, replied, v. 15: " Can the children
of the bride-chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom
is with them?  But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they
fast." Then, as a further reply, he delivers the two
parables before us; the general sense and connexion
of which is well explained by Neander in the following passages, taken from some occasional pieces, chiefly
of an exegetical and historical kind; in No. V. of
these, (p. 143 of the edition published in Berlin, 1829,)
on the various methods which God takes in the work
of conversion, he says: "The Lord answers first:




THE NEW WINE AND OLD BOTTLES.    207
Now is the time to my disciples for child-like unrestrained joy, on account of my being present with
them; nor will I damp them in this child-like joy, I
will not force upon them what, in their present state
of mind and feeling, would not be suitable to them,
what consequently could only be to them a matter of
hypocritical observance, or of sickly constraint, interrupting the natural development of their religious feelings. This child-like joy had certainly, however, no
firm or abiding ground. It would of itself pass away
into sorrow, sorrow on account of their external separation from the Redeemer, until they should again be
united to him for ever in their internal fellowship with
his life and spirit. In such a time as that, all the expressions of sorrow, such as fasting, would be natural,
proceeding out of the inward state of their minds, and
not merely formed from without, consequently false.
Our Lord might here also refer to the manifold privations which the calling of the apostles afterwards laid
upon them, and which were matters of feeling with
them, since through love to their Saviour and his divine work, they cheerfully and resolutely bore these
privations.  Now to this very naturally attaches what
the Saviour expresses in the two parables, that it is
in vain to think of improving man by any sort of
bodily asceticism, binding him to an external severity
of life; that by and by the new spirit of life shall
transform the old nature of man, from the internal to
the external, and that from this inward fundamental
change, every thing belonging to the renewal of the
outward course, shall of itself come into operation."
Luther, in his Exposition on Matthew, says here: "It
is now not time for fasting, they have other things to
do. Your fasting does not stand simply in the act,
nor in a consideration only of the time, but also in a
consideration of the person, the kind, and the manner.
Therefore he rejects them with their fastings, just as
he had rejected them above, v. 12, 13, with their repentance.  It must all be nothing.  In short, it is no




203         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
use to mend an old coat with a new patch. Thus we
are accustomed, in German, to say of a worn out coat
thus: Ah! the coat must now be mended with a
new one, patches can no more help it; that is, we must
lay aside the worn out coat, and get a new one in its
stead. In like manner, we may say of a too much
used wine-cask: Ah! hoops and girds are of no service here, we must bind it with a new cask; that is,
we must make a new cask for it. Therefore the meaning here is, all your fasting, and repentance, and
righteousness, must be improved by a new fasting, and
repentance, and righteousness; that is, all your doing
must be thrown away, and every thing made new.
Your old doing does not constitute this new one.
The righteousness of the law, and the righteousness
of faith, cannot stand together, or coalesce with each
other. Because there are now quite different people,
every thing is quite changed, other times, other works,
other words, etc."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE OF THE OLD
GARMENT AND THE NEW PATCH.
Of false improvement.
I. It is something merely external: A patch in a
garment.
II. It is not lasting: The patch rends again from
the garment.
1II. It is hurtful to the soul: The rent is made
worse.
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE OF THE WINE
AND THE BOTTLES.
Of true improvement.
I. It is the acquirement of a new sense: New wine.
II. It reaches from within to the outward conduct:
Put the new wine into new bottles.
III. It is lasting and full of blessing: Both are preserved.




TIHE NEW WINE AND OLD BOTTLES.       209
iV. it meets with hinderances in the hankering that
is felt after the old, Luke v. 39.
V. 36. Piece of a new garment, Matth. cloth; new,
unfulled, undressed, which will afterwards contract,
run together, and so make a greater rent; it is not to
be understood as if any one were to cut off a piece
fron a new garment, and mend an old one with it;
the meaning is, simply, that no one is to bring together old and new cloth. If otherwise, then the new
maketh a rent; if any body should still do so, the
new piece will certainly make a rent..ind the new
piece agreeth not with the old, there is no proper assimilation between them, and it is, therefore, the
merest folly to think of uniting them.  Luther's marginal note: "That is, we cannot comprehend these
new doctrines with old fleshly hearts, and where they
are preached to carnal people, the matter is only made
worse. As we constantly see now, for when spiritual
freedom is preached, the fleshly lays claim to a freedIom for its own lusts, 1 Peter ii. 16." Neander, as
above: "It is of no service to patch up the old garnent of a corrupt nature with any single pieces of
new cloth; where the whole has not been made new,
where the new birth has not sprung up within, the improvement in particulars does not last, the pieces tear
again from the garment, and the rent becomes worse."
V. 37. The new wine, like the new cloth, represents the new  spirit of Christianity.  Neander, as
above: "A new manner of life prospers only when
the whole nature has been renewed, when a new principle of life has been received into it. If a new mode
of life were to be enforced from without, while there
was any remnant of the old nature, this would but
strive the more against the constraint, the evil would
become the greater through hypocrisy, or the fresh
rejection of the unwilling yoke." Other expositors
limit the sense, more historically, thus: the old ad(litions of fasts and other external self-appointed things,
suit not the new doctrine of tl:e gospa], which, as a
1.q~




210          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
new doctrine, will cause the old forms to vanish, and
introduce new ones in their place.
V. 39. JVo man, also, having drunk old wine, being
accustomed to drink of this, straightway desireth
new, he is averse to the change; the old is better,
milder.  Gnomon: "Their own ancient doctrine was
more agreeable to the pharisees than the general doctrine of Jesus, which they thought to be new, though
it was far more ancient, Gal. iii. 17; 1 John ii. 7, 8;
at once new wine, Zech. ix. 17; and yet mild, Matth.
xi. 30."  Calvin: "I understand it simply to be an
admonition to the Pharisees, that they should not ascribe more than was meet to received custom."  Neander, as above: " Man still clings to his old course
of life, until his mind has become entirely new, but
then all his dispositions change of their own accord,
and he feels himself constrained to abandon his earlier
course of life for that which his new state of mind requires."
The relation of the two parables to each other
might be explained thus: The first tells us, that the
improvement must not be begun externally, leaving
the state of the inner man untouched; the other shows,
inversely, that the internal renovation must reach to
what is outward, and give to this a suitable direction.
Olshausen, in his Commentary, remarks here as follows; "What Christ says here, (Matth. v. 15,) is
concerning all his disciples, of every age; now they
rejoice, and now again they fast.  It is manifest that
the bodily presence of Christ cannot be so much referred to, as his internal, spiritual presence in the soul,
for to Judas, for example, the former was not the occasion of festive joy.  But the other was still more
glorious and powerful after his resurrection than before it.  Understood of this, the words of Jesus involve the deep, spiritual thought, that even with believers there is an alternation in their spiritual state,
an interchange of light and darkness (Jas. i. 17,) at
one time fts ive joy filling their hearts, at another, sor



THE NEW WINE AND OLD BOTTLES.        211
row, mourning an absent bridegroom, and according to
this difference their outward life naturally assumes a
different aspect.  Still, under the New  Testament,
the joyful tendency is represented as the prevailing
one, while, under the Old, it is the sighing, longing
disposition; on which account also a deeper spirit of
penitence appears to reign in the piety of the Old
Testament.  Both comparisons certainly indicate the
same thing, but they are taken from different points
of view; from this difference in the point of view, is
the difference to be explained, which is manifest in the
comparisons themselves. In the first, the New is a
subordinate matter, arising from the necessity of repairing the Old,-so the-Pharisees, from their limited
point of view, must needs look down upon the gospel;
in the second comparison, on the other hand, the New
appears as the essential thing, the Old as the mere
form? so that the relation they have to each other, is
according to the truth. By combining together the
two comparisons, divine mercy, graciously accommodating itself to human weakness, satisfies the necessities of all. The second comparison is as simple and
intelligible, as it is wonderfully deep, and full of meaning.  In particular, the comparison of the gospel
principle of life to the ethereal, physical power of production in nature, is profound, and gives rise to many
thoughts. The circumstance added in Luke v. 39, is
very characteristic, and leads back to the pharisees.
The gracious Redeemer apologizes for those hearts
which had grown accustomed to the nature of the old,
and finds it not unnatural that they should feel it difficult to depart from the regular and wonted course,
and venture into a new and fermenting element of life.
The old, though in itself less pleasant, is yet, through
custom, more acceptable; the new will not go down
at first. At the same time, this expression also intimates, though mildly, the necessity of entering into
the new life of the spirit, brought in by the Lord of
humanity."




212          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
XXY.
THE CREDITOR AND THE TWO DEBTORS.
Luke vii. 41-43.
THIS parable stands in closest connexion with the
history of the female sinner, who anointed our Lord.
Jesus was invited to an entertainment by a pharisee,
and while he sat at table in his house, this woman,
who in v. 37 and 39, is named a sinner, brought a box
of ointment and anointed him, with every manifestation of profound joy, gratitude, and admiration.  The
behaviour of Jesus, who allowed the woman to proceed, and offered no interruption to her manifestations
of affectionate gratitude, was to the pharisee in the
highest degree offensive, as, according to his judgment,
(which from Luke v. 30; xv. 1, 12, we learn, was the
prevailing one of their sect,) it was quite unseemly for
a pious man to come into near contact with persons
known to be of profligate character, and hence he
drew, from the behaviour of Christ, the not less erroneous than harsh conclusion, that he could not be a prophet, v. 39.  The conclusion thus arrived at by the
lharisaical Simon, besides implying that all intercourse
with sinners is in every respect blame-worthy, proceeded, moreover, upon the false presumption, that
the prophets must have known the entire condition of
the persons with whom they were conversant, which
indeed they did, in some particular cases, (1 Kings
xiv. 6; 2 Kings i. 3; v. 26,) but not generally; and
then Simon improperly took the woman for what she
was at an earlier period, an open and abandoned sinner, which she no longer was, since, according to v.
47, she had already obtained the forgiveness of her
sinls. That she was still designated by the name of
sinner, v. 37, is no proof of the continuance of her forrner state, and against her having already in part experienced divine grace, for Matthew is styled a publie3




TIHE CREDITOR AND THE TWO DEBTORS.  213
can, Matth. x. 3, long after he had become a disciple
of Jesus, and had abandoned his earlier vocation.  Simon, however, concluded Jesus to be no prophet,
from the two circumstances mentioned above, in the
following manner-either, he knew not who this woman
was, and then he could be no prophet; or, he did know,
and held fellowship with her, in which case also he
could be no prophet. Against this false conclusion,
though affecting himself, and doing despite to his proper dignity, Jesus did not immediately direct himself;
but the object of the refutation which he brought
against it, was only designed to justify the conduct of
the woman, together with his own, as quite natural,
agreeable to the actings of the human heart, and here
in particular flowing from the woman's inward experience; but at the same time it was intended to press
on the pharisee, by way of application, the impropriety
of his behaviour, and of awakening him, if possible, to
more profound knowledge of himself.  Calvin: "The
sum of this parable is, that Simon erred in condemning
a woman whom the heavenly judge had acquitted.
It proves her to be righteous, however, not because
she had pleased God, but because her sins were forgiven
her; for otherwise the parable would not be applicable, as in it Christ expressly declares that the pence
were freely remitted to the debtors who were unable
to pay. And it is indeed wonderful that many commentators should rave so absurdly, as if this woman
had merited forgiveness by her tears, &c. For the
argument which Christ employs is drawn, not from
the cause, but from the effect; as the reception of a
benefit is in point of order before giving thanks, and a
gratuitous remission is here assigned as the cause of
reciprocal love."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
Of the forgiven sinner's grateful love to Jesus.
I. The source of it is, the grace of Jesus forgiving
sins; which,




214          TIIE PARABLES OF JESUS.
(1.) Is both great, taking away all guilt; v. 41:
The five hundred, as well as the fifty pence;
(2.) And entirely free; v. 42; remitting the guilt
of those who have nothing to pay.
II. Its necessity, it is quite certain: v. 42: Who
will love him (most?)
III. Its strength; v. 43: I suppose he to whom he
forgave most:
(l.) Internally-by intensity of feeling;
(2.) Externally -by outward manifestations ofgratitude.
V. 40. I have somewhat to say unto thee; it demands thy whole attention, is applicable to thyself,
is important for thee, but, at the same time, perhaps
niot agreeable.  By this request Jesus makes himself
known, with reference to the pharisee, speaking within himself, v. 39; as the Searcher of hearts, while, at
the same time, he sought to work with the greatest
friendliness upon the cold heart of the pharisee.  Grotius: " He is going to show that it was well known
to him, both what the woman and what Simon were,
not merely as to what is outward, but in the most secret recesses of the mind."
V. 41..1 certain creditor, a usurer; a man who is
accustomed to lend. Five hundred pence, denarii,
each worth about four groshen, (or seven pence three
farthings;) the determinate numbers five hundred, and
Jfifty, can only be meant to indicate the great inequality
of the debt of these two persons, and, at the same time,
to teach that sinners in the eye, and according to the
judgment of God, are not equal, but have different degrees of guilt. Luther, House-Pos. 6. 345: " This
is the condition of all men, who are sinners in the
judgment of God, not merely, however, on account of
the sins which each individual commits in his daily
walk, but also in regard to nature, for we are all sprung
from a father and a mother who had sinful flesh, were
sinners, and under the wrath of God on account of sin.
Now, though there is a difference between these two




TIlE CREDITOR AND THE TWO DEBTORS.  215
kinds of sinners, yet it is of no moment. For in the
main thing they are both alike, inasmuch as they are
both debtors, and can pay nothing. And so, though
there be some distinctions among us, in respect to the
outward life, in that some hold themselves more in
check than others, and all are not thieves, adulterers,
murderers, yet, let the difference in this respect be
ever so great, when we come before God in judgment,
we have all alike to make this confession: We have
nothing to pay, and must remain debtors; and this,
whether we have been guilty in a smaller or a greater
sum."
V. 43. Jnd when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both; so that on the part of the debtors two things are indubitable,-the certainty and
greatness of their debt, and their perfect incapacity to
make restitution; while on the part of the creditor
there appears correspondingly in the remission of the
debt,- 1. a very great goodness; and that, 2. perfectly
free, depending simply on his own will, quite undeserved by the debtor, and never to be sued for by him
as a matter of right.  Such also is the relation of the
sinner to God, that all sins require an exercise of grace,
that is perfectly free, and this also it is possible for
them to find.-Tell me, therefore, which of them will
love him most? This question of Christ obviously
implies two things; 1. That such a manifestation of
love infallibly begets love in the heart of the receiver;
2. That the degree of this reciprocal love will always
be determined by the apprehension entertained of the
greatness of the received benefit.  From  the first of
these statements, and from experience, there may be
dlrawn the further consequence, that the debtor, before
the gracious remission of his debt, experiences no love
to his creditor, but is only conscious of the oppressive
fceling of a heavy burden resting upon him, and at the
same time afraid of meeting from the creditor the severe
treatment which the law warrants and empowers him
to use. It is entirely the same in the heart of the sin



216          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
ner; he learns, from the divine law, both his guilt and
his liability to punishment; so that nothing but fear of
God can take possession of him. But the sinner, in
such a state, is met by God in the gospel with the
gracious message of pardon for his sins, and this, in the
believing heart, which appropriates to itself the word
of God, becomes the means of rooting out all fear, and
implanting a principle of love, Rom. xv. 1, 8, 15; 2
Tim. i. 7; 1 John iv. 18, 19. The application of the
parable, therefore, leads to the following conclusions
of doctrine; 1. Love to God cannot precede the pardon of sin; 2. And hence it cannot deserve this pardon
of sin; 3. But infallibly marks an act of forgiveness,
already past and experienced.
V. 43. I suppose, it follows from the differently
related circumstances of the two debtors, that he to
whom he forgave most, will love him most in return.
And now follows the application of the parable, in
which (v. 44-46) the Saviour compares the conduct
of the woman with that of the pharisee, and shows the
latter how he had failed to afford the common and
ordinary manifestations of love, while the woman, on
the contrary, had given the most uncommon and extraordinary marks of love. This comparison, drawn
so much to the advantage of the woman, must have
put the pharisee to shame, who had judged so harshly
of her conduct, as it placed him behind the person he
had so thoroughly despised. Then comes at the close,
the judgment pronounced by Christ:  Wherefore, I
say unto thee, to her many sins are forgiven, for she
has loved much; but to whom little is forgiven, the
same loveth little. The wherefore must not, as in
the Lutheran translation, be coupled with, I say unto
thee, but with what follows; so that, I say unto thee,
should be placed in parenthesis. The wherefore also
does not indicate the ground or efficient cause of
pardon, but rather the demonstration, from which the
certainty of the given and received pardon may be inferred; so that we may translate, hence, for thlis rea



THE CREDITOR AND THE TWO DEBTORS.  217
son, has she loved so much, given such great and
manifold proofs of love, because her many sins have
been forgiven her; and the sense is: From this woman's manifestations of love to me, thou mightest have
drawn the conclusion, that her many sins have been
forgiven her.  Mel.: "He loves much, to whom much
is forgiven; as if he had said, the more thou dost apprehend forgiveness, the more wilt thou apprehend
the greatness of the benefit conferred on thee; the
greater, therefore, is the flame of faith and of love that
springs up, and the more always that one loves, the
more in turn is he loved of God. On the other hand,
the pride of the pharisee is reproved, Christ signifies
that he is ignorant of the remission of sins, and is consequently without love. The correctness of this exposition, according to which pardon of sin is the first
thing, and mutual love only its consequence, appears
partly from the application of the parable, (see on v.
42,) partly from the second declaration contained in
v. 47: to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth
little, and partly from the analogy of faith throughout
the whole of Scripture. Luther, in his disputation
upon this verse, says: " There are three things in this
passage, which forbid us to hold that the forgiveness
of sin is obtained through works or love. The first
is the speech which Christ addressed to the woman
in v. 50: Thy faith hath saved thee. He does not
say, Thy love hath saved thee. The second is the
speech of Christ in v. 47, in which he declares, that
the forgiveness of sin goes before love, and that love
follows upon the forgiveness of sin, as gratitude for a
received benefit. For he does not say here, To him
little is forgiven who loves little, but the opposite:
He loves little, to whom little is forgiven. This manifestly confirms, that the forgiveness is done gratis,
without desert, but that love is a fruit or acknowledgment of the bestowed gift. The third thing is, the
parable itself, and the whole matter which Christ here
treats of, with which parable and matter the speeches
19




218          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
just mentioned must not war, but consistently agree,
We shall be justified only through the grace of him
who pardons, because we cannot discharge the payment of the debt. For if we, as debtors, could, by
any merit of our own, have obtained the forgiveness
of sin, we should then certainly have had something
wherewith to pay. But the text says explicitly, v.
42, that when they had nothing to p[ay they were freely forgiven. The kindness experienced is not a thing
due to the debtor who receives it, but a boon from the
merciful and indulgent creditor." Also in his HousePos. 6. 344: " What, then, is the conclusion from this
syllogism in v. 47? Nothing else, than as the Lord
very nicely and exactly puts it together: I say to thee,
to her are many sins forgiven; the proof of which is,
that she loves much. But to thee and thy associates
there are no sins forgiven; you as yet stand in them
up to the very ears, and shall die and be destroyed in
them. For no trace is to be found in you of true love
to me; but this love must follow, whenever people
hold and believe that thev are set free from their sins
by me. Papists bring this text against our doctrine
of faith, and say, that because Christ affirmed, " To
her is forgiven much, for she loved much," that forgiveness of sin is obtained, not through faith, but
through love. That this, however, is not the meaning, the parable puts beyond a doubt." As the forgiven debtor naturally loves his gracious creditor, and
the woman here testified her love to Christ, the conclusion readily presents itself, that Jesus wished to
make himself known as the person who could forgive
sin, which also appears from the declaration of pardon,
announced again to the woman for her satisfaction, in
v. 48, and is farther confirmed by the astonishment of
the guests, in v. 49. The whole matter amply justifies Christ as to his knowing well with whom he was
transacting, namely, that she was a pardoned sinner.
But the inference drawn by many, that this pharisee
is to be understood by the other debtor, must only be




THE COMPASSIONATE SAMARITAN.        219
applied to his guilt as a sinner, but by no means extended so as to imply his having experienced any act
of grace from Christ,-because the pharisee gives no
evidence of his having the feeling of a pardoned sinner;
because his invitation to Christ is sufficiently explained
as a very common civility paid to distinguished rabbis; because the setting up of two debtors, and the
twofold declaration in v. 47, is done only for the purpose of explaining the very extraordinary indications
of love given by this woman, and, if the closing sentence, in v. 47, can be supposed to have any respect
to Simon, it must mean, To whom nothing is forgiven,
the same loves nothing.
XXI.
THE COMPASSIONATE SAMARITAN.
Luke x. 25-37.
WHEN the Lord pronounced his disciples specially
blessed, and said,-Blessed are the eyes which see
the things that ye see!-referring, not to the corporeal
sight, but to a believing acquaintance with himself
and his doctrine;-a lawyer stood up, and, tempting
him, therefore, with an ill intention, not for the sake
of receiving instruction, proposed to him the insidious
question, upon which there was so much discord among
the Jewish doctors; Master, what shall I do to inherit
eternal life?  The question, in itself commendable,
(Mark x. 17, and Acts xvi. 30, 31,) because it refers
to the subject most important to man, sprang here out
of a wicked heart, for it appeared to involve Christ,
either in a contradiction with himself, v. 23, or with
the divine law, which, as a revelation of God, must
be regarded as pointing out the way to salvation,
Deut. viii. 1; John v. 30. Luther, House-Pos. 5. 51:
" The Lord has before him a proud saint, a lawyer,
who will not only have it to be seen how pious he is,
but will also play a trick upon Christ, and show that




'220         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
he is a better doctor than Christ.  For, while the
Lord praises his own preaching so highly, and says;
Blessed are the eves which see the things that ye see,
this the lawyer thinks too much; reflects with himself.
We have still the law of Moses, to read, teach, and advocate, and surely this Jesus can teach nothing better
or higher than Moses has taught. Therefore they
are not alone blessed who hear thee; those who hear
and abide by the law of Moses are also blessed. Thou
goest too far. It were quite enough that thou wert
a doctor, like Moses, but that thou shouldst cast aside
Moses, as an imperfect preacher, who does not point
out the right way to salvation, and wilt be a better
preacher, that is arrogating too much."  And again,
at p. 67, "Upon the question of the lawyer, how one
might be saved, there were many opinions, especially
among the Jews; however, none of them knew the
way of salvation, how and by what man might be
righteous before God. At bottom, they were all as
one with each other, teaching that salvation must be
attained by works, just as in the papacy the monks
have done. But there was still a difference among
them in this respect, that some laid particular stress
upon sacrifices, washings, ceremonies of meat and drink,
and such like external works. Some, however, were
more strict, and said, This was to do it, to love God
with all the heart, and our neighbour as ourself. Such,
also, was the opinion of this lawyer, but no more a
matter of earnest with him than it was with the others.
For they were all mockers, who had the word merely
in their mouth, but did it not themselves, nay, made
no account of it."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
Christian compassion.
I. Its sphere of action;
(1.) On whom it is exercised, —on those who stand
in need of it, v. 30;




TIHE COMPASSIONATE SAMARITAN.       221
(2.) How far it reaches,-to all, Samaritans as well
as Jews, every person is our neighbour.
II. Its nature; it is,
(1.) A feeling, v. 23: had compassion on him;
(2.) And manifests itself in deeds, v. 34, 35.
III. Its working:
(1.) It gives help instantly and without delay, v.
33, 34.
(2.) And that unsolicited, voluntarily;
(3.) Does what is required, and as well as it can,
v. 34: Bound up, &c.
(4.) Is full of self-denial; for,
a.) It fears no dangers, comp. v. 30.
b.) And no trouble, v. 34;
c.) And no cost, spending oil, and wine, and gold,
and time thereon, v. 35;
d.) And no labour, going on foot.
(5.) It is indefatigable, and completes the work, v.
35, begging also the help of others.
V. 26. What is written in the law?  By pointing
to the law, as an acknowledged and valid authority,
our Lord cuts off all farther occasion for subtle inquiries, and no justification is needed for any of its
declarations; but he asks, expressly, after the written
law, in order to put aside the contradictory sentiments and human ordinances of oral tradition. Luther,
Church-Pos. 14. 23: "For, without scripture, he cannot reach and instruct their darkness."
How readest thou? Probably pointing to the phylactery, on which, according to Jewish custom, the
word in Deut. vi. 4 —9, ought to be written, and which
was to be repeated morning and evening.  Calvin:
"It is certainly prescribed in the law to men, how
they ought to direct their life, so as to obtain salvation
to themselves before God. But, because the law can
do nothing else than condemn, and is therefore called
the doctrine of death, and is said to multiply transgressions, (Rom. vii. 13,) this does not happen from any
fault in its doctrine, but only from the impossibility of
19 




22-2         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
our doing what it requires.  Therefore, although by
the law, no one can be justified, the law itself, nevertheless, contains the most perfect righteousness, inasmuch as it is not false in promising salvation, if any
one should perfect himself in its requirements.  Nor
ought this manner of teaching seemn absurd to us, because God, first of all, requires the righteousness of
works, then offers it gratuitously to us without works,
because it is necessary that men should be convinced
of their own just condemnation, that they may fly to
the mercy of God. But, in this answer, Christ accommodated himself to the lawyer, and kept in view the
interrogation, which inquired, not whence salvation
was to be sought, but by what works it might be obtained."
V. 27. The lawyer is ready with his answer, in
which he couples together two passages, Deut. vi. 5,
and Lev. xix. 18. Luther, Church-Pos. 14. 51:
" Such he leaves it to be thought is the real kernel
and main doctrine, since no one can point out any
thing better.  And, indeed, it is true that Moses
taught nothing better or higher."  Matth. xxii. 35
-40.
V. 28. Thou hast answered right; this do and thou
shalt live, Lev. xviii. 5. The exercise of true love
to God and our neighbour, in complete perfection, will
indeed conduct thee to salvation, but thou shalt discover, if thou wilt impartially inquire, that perfect
obedience to these demands is impossible to the corrupt nature and sinful condition of the human heart,
so that the way to God through one's own righteousness, worth, and merit, is inaccessible.  Luther,
Church-Pos. 14. 25: "Here, indeed, the law  is
preached, and a good strong election given in it.
The doctrine, says Christ, is sound and precious, only
let it also be practised,-I would fain see the doer of
it; be thou master, and let thine art be seen, for you
have all spoken and written it, and know well about
it; but the misfortune with thee and with others is,




THE COMPASSIONATE SAMARITAN-.      223
that you fail also to do it,-think it is enough to say
the words and think of them. Yes, this word of Christ,
Do it, is the perpetual lesson and sermon that must
be preached to all men, even to the saints, and which
makes them feel the impossibility there is of resting,
before God, on their righteousness and worth; but
that they must, whenever they rightly understand how
it is between them and God, condemn themselves and
their life, since no saint has ever been able to stand
upon this, either in the Old or in the New Testament;
all must see themselves alike reflected in this word,do it, which is as much as to say, Lo, thou hast never
done, or fulfilled it; Ex. xxxiv. 6, 7. Isa. vi. 5, 6.
Dan. ix. 18. Acts xv. 10, 11; xiii. 38, 39. In the
answer of Christ there is concealed the secret charge,
that the lawyer was more concerned about knowledge
and book learning than to exercise himself unto obedience, and that he had almost wholly neglected this.
Luther, House-Pos. 5. 52: "Christ says: Do it; as
if he had said, the doctrine is sound and correct, but
no help is thereby brought to thee and to others."
Church-Pos. 14. 5; "Do it; that is, in plain German,
Thou art a mere babe, thou hast never, all thy lifelong, done it, nay, thou hast never held so much as a
letter of it, and it therefore only testifies of thy wickedness. The poor ninny thinks that he must be honoured, for he is wonderfully pure and beautifil, and
that he would more fitly be sitting among angels than
here among men." Mel.: " Christ shows the pharisee the vanity of his arrogance, that he might acknowledge his sin.  Christ had enjoined him to hear the
Scripture, leads him to the word, but the pharisee
knows nothing excepting the law, neglects the promises, and brings forward a law not understood. Christ
rejoins, as a reproof to his ignorance, This do, and
thou shalt live, intimating that he could neither do
the law nor live, but was oppressed with sin and
death. For the meaning is, If thou hast done it thou
shalt live; but neither is it done by thee, nor by others,




224          TIE PARABLES OF JESUS.
and therefore life must be sought elsewhere. The
sentiment is correct, that he who doeth the law shall
live; for, if there were no sin, there should be no death.
So he reproves the pharisee as being ignorant what a
law is, what sin, what death; which death is a terrible evil sprung from sin, and is not abolished by the
law, because the law is not performed by sinful human
nature."
Ver. 29. But he, willing to justify himself; Gnomon: " They, who ask many questions, are not the
readiest to do many actions, and would rather withdraw themselves from the law. He who curtails the
righteous things that are to be performed, and the
persons to whom they are to be performed, creates for
himself an easy righteousness." The scribe felt the
secret accusation of Jesus, that he had not kept the
law; and, if his conscience convicted him, at the same
time, of many violations of the command to love his
neighbour, by its being said he wished to justify himnself, we may understand as much as,-he wished to
justify himself, in regard to these violations of law,
and push aside the blame from himself, on the ground
that it might be laid upon the law itself and its divine
author, who had not sufficiently explained what he
meant by the term neighbour, and had hence given
occasion to disobedience against this command. Luther, House-Pos. 5. 52: " Such (the reproof of Christ)
the scribe deeply feels, is conscious of shame on account of it, for he cannot say that he has done it, and
yet he will not confess this, but throws out another
question: Who is my neighbour?  Thereby he plainly
admits that he had not loved his neighbour, since he
had not yet come so far as to know his neighbour.
What benefit does he, then, derive from Moses and
his law?" It is possible, however, that the scribe,
while he felt the reproof of Christ, wished to show its
groundlessness and falsehood, and to say, I am not
c nscious of having ever violated the command to love
my neighbour, so that thou must take the word in




THE COMPASSIONATE SAMARITAN.       225
some different sense from that which we are accustomed to understand, and therefore he asks further,
Who is my neighbour? Luther, Church-Pos. 14. 8:
" He does not ask, who is my God?  As if he would
say, I owe God nothing: in regard to God there has
been no fault; in regard to man, also, I was willing to
think that I had left nothing unfulfilled; however, I
should like to know exactly who my neighbour is?"
Gray says: " Being much disposed to set out his own
merit in the most favourable light, from  the exact
obedience he had given it, according to the public and
approved doctrine of the Rabbins, he asked this question, probably expecting an opportunity of returning
such an answer as the young man did upon a similar
occasion, Matth. xix. 20."  Grotius: "Christ was
anxious to bring the lawyer to a confession of his own
impotence, that having seen how much God required,
and being conscious to himself how far he had come
short of such a full and constant love, he might implore the aid of the Holy Spirit, without which such
love could not be entertained in the soul. But he,
persevering in the Jewish obstinacy, wished to vaunt
himself before others as righteous and good. And,
there is no doubt, that he would have had himself believed to have had sufficiently loved God, from his
exact observance of all the ceremonies."
The parable which our Lord spake in answer to
the question,-who is my neighbour? certainly teaches
the universality of brotherly love, and unfolds the
truth, that every man is our neighbour; but the design
of it, as appears from the circumstances in which it
was spoken, is no other than to lead, first of all the
scribe, and then mankind generally, to the more profound and thorough knowledge of the law and of themselves, that so every one might be convinced, that
through the law and the works of the law he cannot
be saved. For, viewing in this light the design of
the parable, we are manifestly supported by the epistolical passage, which is appointed, along with this




22G          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
parable, for the thirteenth Sunday after Trinity. In
that epistle, (Gal. iii. 15-22,) the leading idea is,
that the inheritance, (v. 18,) the promised salvation,
is not, and could not be won through the law; also,
that the law was not given for the purpose of enabling
the sinner to acquire, through its fulfilment, merit,
and claims, since the law no way empowers the sinner to yield a perfect obedience, (v. 21;) but the real
purpose of the law is, to manifest to all their sins, that
all may apprehend how the inheritance is to be won,
andl salvation attained only through faith, (v. 22.)
This leading object of the parable must be held constantly in view, and the practical treatment of it so
directed, as to make the whole bear on that one point.
While the obligation of love to man is taught by the
parable in its widest generality, it, at the same time,
combats the limitations with which the Jewish doctors in the time of Jesus, and at all times the proud
and selfish heart, has sought to narrow and disfigure
the precepts of brotherly love; for, according to the
Rabbins, this precept was to be considered binding
only toward those who belonged to the same nation
and professed the same religion; all besides, they taught,
were to be hated and despised, nay, as enemies of God
and of religion, were to be rooted out, as formerly had
been done to the inhabitants of Canaan.  Blind religious zeal and wild fanaticism has constantly, even in
the Church of Christ, discarded the precept of love,
and thus brought reproach on the gospel, which neither
here, nor in Luke ix. 51-56, nor any where, either
justifies or countenances feelings contrary to love in
the disciples of Jesus.  Calvin: " Christ might simply
have taught, that the word neighbour is to be applied
indiscriminately to any one, because the whole human
race is bound together by a kind of social chain.  And
doubtless, the Lord made use of this word in the law,
for no other reason than that he might more sweetly
engage us to mutual love.  The precept had been
more distinct if it had run: Love every man as thyself;




THE COMPASSIONATE SAMARITAN.        227
but because men are apt to be so blinded by pride,
that in their self-satisfaction they will scarcely think
others worthy of being accounted of the same grade,
and withhold from them the offices of friendship, the
Lord purposely pronounces all to be neighbours, that
the very affinity might conciliate men toward each
other. But Christ wished to elicit from the pharisee
an answer, which might serve to condemn himself.
Nor may we doubt that Christ delineates the cruel neglect of charity, of which the Jews and priests were
conscious."  Mel.: " Our neighbour is any person in
distress, standing in need of our kindness, and especially he who is conjoined with us in a society under
the sanction of God, who is one of the people of God.
The flesh, on the other hand, desires to account those
neighbours, who are flourishing and powerful, but
shuns those who are in distress. As has been elegantly said by Menander:' Fortuna varie pingit amicos.'"
Ver. 30. 2/ certain man; some, without sufficient
ground, have thought they discovered here a history,
which had shortly before occurred, and was now made
use of by Jesus.-Went down from Jerusalem to Jericho; Jerusalem stood on mountains, and was surrounded
by mountains-was consequently higher than Jericho,
which lay on the plain, hence went down; the distance
between the two places was about ten miles. —Arnd
fell among thieves; the way was reckoned unsafe,
from its being frequented by robbers, which renders
the circumstances very probable.  The description of
the unfortunate accident, of the miserable state, the
necessitous and helpless condition of this man, given
in a few leading traits, is quite sufficient of itself to
move every human heart, and fill it with compassion.
Ver. 31. AJnd by chance; Gnomon: "Many good
opportunities are concealed under those events which
appear to befortuitous."  Scripture describes nothing
rashly as fortuitous; here it is opposed to matter of
necessity.  Ewald: " If we happen to come in view
of a man in distress, that is just the intimation of God




228         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
that we must help him as much as we can. Matth. x.
30. And so, not to regard such an intimnation, is not
the humane and childlike disposition which our Lord
so highly prizes." — There came down a certain priest
that way; as many priests and Levites lived in and
around Jericho, who had to march to Jerusalem, whenever it was their course to wait on the service of God1,
and return home again when their work was completed; so this way was seldom quite clear of such persons, which gives to the story additional veri-similitude and new life. Now, whether the priest was
travelling to discharge his office, or returning from
the performance of its duties, we are unavoidably led
to expect, on account of his standing and office, that
he would be disposed to manifest a compassionate feeling, Mal. ii. 6, 7. But although he saw his countryman and fellow worshipper, it moved in him no compassion; he passed by cold and unconcerned, without
so much as coming near to help or even to console
the unhappy sufferer. —He passed by on the other side,
avtttapnxOEv, marks an intentional turning away and
going past on the other side, in order not to permit
himself to be moved by a nearer view, or to suffer any sort of detention.  Grotius takes it differently: " He passed in the opposite direction, namely,
hastening from Jericho to Jerusalem. Although Christ
had chiefly designed to teach, that the word neighbour
had a more extensive meaning than the Jews thought,
he was yet desirous, by the way, of showing that they
often did not give to those whom even they allowed
to be neighbours, what belonged to neighbours, that
is, to friends."
Ver. 32. Likewise a Levite, when he was at the
place, came and looked on him; curiosity led him near,
to look upon the unhappy object; but though he obtained a more exact knowledge of his helpless position,
he yet passed by without helping him, and thus manifested a still more inhuman heart, a still more criminal conduct. Fearful characteristic of the priests




TIE COMPASSIONATE SAMARITAN.        2f 9
and Levites in the time of Jesus! drawn, as it unquestionably was, from the truth, like all the other parts
of this parable; and these were the people who were
so zealous for the law, Matth. xxiii. and were wont
to call themselves merciful.  As experience teaches
that those, who according to their office and calling,
ought to be best, if they are bad, are not merely in
their depravity similar to others, but go beyond and
exceed all others; there is disclosed in the choice of
these persons a truth, not only historically, but also
psychologically confirmed. Luther, House-Pos. 5.50:
" But the stock-holy, like the priests and Levites here,
are those who think much and highly of themselves,
have naturally no compassion for the poor, but are
hard, cruel persons.  For they deem that the Lord is
glad because they serve him, and therefore think that
they must do nothing to other people, nor serve them.
The priest here was holy on account of his office and
his birth, for which he prized himself so highly,
that he asked after no one besides. Upon what do
these'saints rely? Upon nothing else than their holiness, for they think, if they but attend to the letter of
the law, they have performed it all. These are the
stock-holy, and the stone-holy, nay the devil-holy, who
would have it to be thought that the Lord is indebted
to them, but that they are indebted to nobody."  If
the robbers showed in what they did, much inhumanity and cruelty, the priest and the Levite manifested
the same disposition in what they did not do; so that
the same sin appears in the one case as an act of comnmission, in the other as an act of omission, and all the
three parties are placed on a footing of equality, to the
greater confusion of the lawyer.
Ver. 33../ Samaritan; the Samaritans sprung
from the mixture that took place at the time of the
captivity, between the Jews who still remained, and
the heathenish Assyrians and Babylonians. National
hatred kept them still apart even at the time of Christ,
John iv. 9, 20; Sirach 1. 27, 28. Samaritan was
20




230          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
among the Jews a word of contempt and reproach,
and designated a heretic, John viii. 48. That a Samaritan is here represented as the deliverer, was directed against this national hatred, and was meant to
teach, that one often finds in men, utterly despised,
and from whom nothing was expected, more humane
feeling and truer love, than in hypocritical believers;
for which see also Luke xvii. 11 -19. This circumstance manifestly declares the truth that as the command of brotherly love ought to be taught and enforced, it must lead us to regard every man as our neighbour, and permit no distinction of a national, religious,
or speculative nature to keep us in alienation, even
from those who are counted for enemies, but'to exercise toward them active love, and in general to cherish
no such enmity in the heart.  If our Lord had introduced a Jew or a Samaritan as acting in this manner
toward his countryman and fellow-worshipper, this
truth could not have been placed in so clear a light;
and still less, if a Jew had been represented as acting
thus toward a Samaritan, for then the Jewish lawyer
might have said, that the conduct was certainly very
noble and magnanimous, but that no one could expect
this from another as a matter of obligation, and thus
his party-spirit would have found here a refuge. But
since the Lord represents the Samaritan as helping
the Jew, he puts to silence the selfish party-spirit, and
compels the lawyer, who could easily transpose himself into the place of the injured man, at least to admit in his heart, that this humane feeling and affectionate manner of acting was as excellent in regard
to the moral law, as in itself truly worthy of love and
respect.
Had compassion on him; a natural emotion- of the
human heart, implanted by God, existing when no
malformation, party-spirit, and enmity have deadened
the heart towards it; serving to lighten the obedience,
which God, besides, requires in his word in regard to
the duty of love. The spring of love must, therefore,




TIHE COMPASSIONATE SAMARITAN.       23 1
be found deep in the soul, and from thence it flows
out in acts of love towards external objects, as is seen
in ver. 34, 35. Love, compassion must already have
existed as a feeling, before it has become an act, and
where the feeling does not exist, it will never come
into act.  Grotius: " The sincere emotion of the mind
precedes, and this is followed by deeds conformable to
the state of mind."
Ver. 34. In the Samaritan's work of love, all the
circumstances are so chosen by the Redeemer, that
on the one hand every thing is kept away which
might have lightened the performance of such deeds,
or brought suspicion on their pure origin, while on the
other hand the greatest hinderances and difficulties had
to be conquered, so that the source of his love could
only be the purest love of God and man, 1 John iv.
20, anti his work appears even as one of perfect morality. He makes no account of the danger to which
his life was exposed, in a road so frequented by robbers, which was doubtless well weighed by both priest
and Levite, and would be ready to be produced in
vindication of their heartlessness; neither does he
make any account of the loss of time and delay in
this journey; troublesome, laborious, and but little
accordant with the more delicate feelings, were the acts
of relief, which he discharged to the object of his comnpassion, while he washed his wounds, bound them up,
and raised him from his half-dead condition.  And
the person to whom he does all this belongs to that
nation which the Samaritan hates and abhors; and,
doing it in the wilderness, he could derive no impulse
from the approbation of men, nor could he look for any
gain, or even for the compensation of his loss; yet he
gives also oil and wine, and performs the journey on
foot, and with toilsome labour; he provides for the
completion of the begun recovery with a fresh sacrifice; he takes leave at last of the unhappy man, as
soon as he knows him to be in a state of safety.  It
was not a temporary ebullition of excited feeling, but




232          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
a fixed principle of love, which led him to act as he
(lid. And such pure love Jesus attributes to the human heart, describes it even as the property of a Samaritan, it must, therefore, be a possible thing, and will,
indee4, be actually found there, where the heart has
been moved and animated by the love of God in Christ.
He poured in oil and wine; with wine he washed
out the wounds, and soothed the pain with oil.
Wine and oil were, and still are, in the East, a wellknown means both of allaying pain and of healing,
Isa. i. 6.
V. 35. Took out two pence,-denarii.  Luther's
House-Pos. 5. 50: "This poor man, thinks the Samaritan, is my neighbour, for he also is a man, has a
body and a soul like myself, nay, has the same God that
I have; therefore he is more nearly related to me than
an irrational beast, and for that reason I will not
abandon him."  2Ind whatsoever thou spendest more.
Mel.: " Here men prattle about works of supererogation, as if the parable referred to private works, not
commanded by God, whereas it refers to works which
a friendly solicitude requires, and which are commanded by God."
V. 36, 37. He that showed mercy on him; Luther:
"' The polite hypocrite will not name the Samaritan
by his proper name."   Church-Pos. 14. 31: "It
sounds rather strange, that he must be called neighbour, who loves and does well to another; that he also,
according both to scripture and the nature of this precept, is to be called neighbour, who stands in need of
a kindness, or to whom we must manifest love and do
good; but it refers equally to both, and comprehends
all alike as in praedicamento relationis, in a state of
relationship, binds us all together, so as to make each
one the neighbour of another. But to be such neighbours to each other, is twofold, either to be so in name
only and in word, or in deed and in reality."
Go, and do thou likewise.  Gnomon: "K~a dv.
When once the love of popularity or party spirit is re



THE COMPASSIONATE SAMARITAN.        233
moved, there is then a readier access to free and commton grace.  Did the Samaritan, then, he would inquire, by this deed of his, attain to eternal life? Comp.
v. 27-29. It may be answered from Rom. ii. 26."
Luther, House-Pos. 5. 52: "As if Jesus had said;
Thou art just such a pious saint as the priest and Levite, not willing to help thy neighbour with a penny,
though he may be upon the point of death; and dost
thou still inquire what thou must do to obtain eternal
life?"  And, at p. 60: "This portion of Scripture,
then, supplies us with a beautifiul and very profitable
lesson, as to how we must order our life if we would
be found among the number of those who truly love
God, namely, that we must love our neighbour, and
manifest all kindness to him in the time of his necessity.  God will accept that, as if we had done it to
him."  In v. 36, 37, is contained the answer to v. 29,
and the application of the parabolical narrative to the
scribe.
Many expositors, without sufficient ground or warrant derived from scripture, have thought they discovered here another and hidden sense, and explain the
whole allegorically; so Luther, Church-Pos. 14. 9,
ss.: "This Samaritan, here, is certainly our Lord
Jesus Christ himself, who has manifested his love towards God and his neighbour; he came unbidden, and
fulfilled the law with all his heart. The man who
lies here half-dead, wounded, bruised, and plundered,
is Adam and all mankind. The robbers are the devil;
we make some efforts at resistance, but cannot extricate ourselves; here the similitude is strongly verified,
and strikingly represents what we are and what we
can do with our high reason and free will. The priest
is the representative of the'holy fathers, who lived before Moses; the Levite, of the priesthood of the Old
Testament; but neither of them could prevail any
thing with their works, have passed away even as this
priest and Levite did. The Samaritan, Christ, pours
oil into the w\o:lI:ls, which he does when grace Is
20*




231          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
preached; for as oil softens, so does the sweet, gentle
preaching of the gospel, act upon me so as to beget a soft
and gentle heart toward God and my neighbour. But
wine is pungent, and represents the blessed cross,
which soon follows the other, 2 Tim. iii. 12. Thereafter the Samaritan lays the wounded traveller upon
his beast, that is, Christ himself, who carries his people. The stable or inn is our present Christian condition, in which we can remain only for a short time;
the host corresponds to the ministers of the gospel,
whose office it is to care for and wait upon us." Melancthon allegorizes the parable much in the same
manner, but with some difference in the particulars;
understanding, by the wine, the preaching of repentance; by the oil, the gospel and the Holy Spirit;
by the setting on the beast, giving the penitent believer a place in the church and the privilege of the
ministry; by the two pence given to the host, the
preaching of the law and the gospel, and by the promise to pay whatever additional expenses might be incurred, the readiness of Christ to supply whatever
was lacking for the labours and trials of the Christian life. It is obvious, that in such a method of interpretation, every thing is regulated by the greatest
capriciousness; because there is no foundation for it in
the scripture itself, and hence we find very important
differences in the allegorical interpretations just cited,
which, however, are all equally groundless. The real
aim of the parable, —which is to produce a conviction
of having transgressed the law, and the unsatisfactory
nature of a mere external compliance, without the
spirit of genuine love, which never springs but from
faith in Jesus Christ,-is completely lost sight of in
such a fanciful mode of interpretation, and therefore
it is not to be applied in this way, nor is such an application of it to be justified.




THE IMPORTUNATE FRIEND.          235
XXII.
THE IMPORTUNATE FRIEND.
Luke xi. 5-8.
THE Saviour, on being asked, by one of his disciples, to teach them to pray, as John also had taught
his disciples, proceeded to teach them the Lord's
Prayer, and went on to give them further directions
upon prayer generally, both in the short parable of
the importunate friend, and in the direct admonitions
that follow, v. 9-13; and the design of the whole
passage, v. 5 —13, is to give instructive and comforting explanations, partly upon the nature, and partly
upon the fruit or consequence of prayer. There are,
particularly, two thoughts which the Saviour unfolds in
the parable; 1. That we must pray perseveringly; and
2. That persevering prayer is certainly not fruitless.
Persevering prayer and entreaty is again recommended, v. 9, by the exhortation to ask, seek, and knock,
for seeking and knocking is, in a sense, also begging;
and contains within itself the notion of perseverance;
and by the promise, subjoined to the exhortation; and
once more by what is said in v. 10, when the wisdom
of acting thus is represented as a matter of well-known
experience in daily life, which is equally verified on
the higher ground of faith.  The blessed fruit of
prayer is still farther illustrated in v. 11-13, by the
reflection that a father, who really loves his child, will
not answer his request by giving him any thing useless, (a stone,) much less any thing hurtful, (a serpent
or scorpion;) and then follows the inference from the
less to the greater: since men, notwithstanding that
they are sinful, are yet led to give good gifts to their
children, how much more will our heavenly Father,
who is love itself, give to those who ask him the best
gifts, the holy Spirit.  Gnomon: "Scripture, with
great frequency, exhorts us to prayer.  And wherein




32)6         TIlE PARABLES OF JESUS.
stands the nature of this duty?  In beseeching with
earnestness."
As in the Lord's prayer, which immediately precedes, all the petitions are, at the same time, intercessions; and, as the friend does not properly beg
for himself, so the leading purport and design of the
parable, perhaps, is to show the efficacy of persevering
intercession; but if we take the unexpected visit only
as a cover for the thought, that an unexpected necessity or occasion should drive us to prayer, we may
consider the design to be, in general, the efficacy of
continued prayer; yet the former view appears preferable, because then the parable becomes distinguished
from the similar one in Luke xviii. 1-8, not merely
by the form, but by an essential point of difference.
And, as the thought, in v. 13, stands as a conclusion,
so we find the same concealed in the parable; for, if
a friend, whose kindly feelings and dispositions were
so contracted that he would not undergo a trifling inconvenience in order to assist his friend, yet, through
persevering prayer, is overcome, and gives the required help, how much more must God (Eph. iii. 15,)
be ready and willing!  Calvin: "The sum is: That
believers should not harass their minds, if they are not
immediately gratified in their requests, or if it should
seem a matter of difficulty to obtain what they ask;
for, if, among men, importunity in seeking extorts
what would not be voluntarily done, we have no reason to think that God will be inexorable to us, if we
persist in entreating him, and do not allow our minds
to flag through delay or difficulty."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
On persevering intercession.
I. The ground of this: Confidence in his friend,
v. 5.
II. The occasion of it:
(1.) The unexpected circumstance, v. 6;




THE IMPORTUNATE FRIEND.          237
(2.) The benevolent disposition toward the visiter;
v. 6: My friend is come to me;
(3.) His own inability, v. 6; 1 have nothing to set
before him.
III. The efficacy of it:
(1.) It overcomes the unwillingness, v. 7, 8.
(2.) It accomplishes its object, v. 8: He will rise
and give him as many as he needeth.
Ver. 5. Shall have a friend, from whom he has
experienced love, and in whom he has confidence.:/t midnight, therefore at an unseasonable time; 01shausen: The time of the greatest internal darkness
and necessity.
Ver. 6. For afriend of mine, &c.; the first ground
of his entreaty; the unexpected visiter, and the quite
unlooked-for call thereby occasioned; and I have
nothing, another ground, his own inability.
Ver. 7. The disinclination is represented and excused by the trouble which it would cause to him,
and the disturbance it would occasion to his household.
Ver. 8. Though feelings of affection could not
move him, yet, because of his importunity, he will rise
up and give him, so that he grants the request only
on account of his incessant begging; 2 Kings ii. 17:
The sons of the prophets urged Elisha, with importunate begging, till he was ashamed. Matth. xv. 2128. Ewald, p. 237: "Since Jesus has so represented
the Father, so human, so paternal, so exactly as we
conceive of a father in heaven, I reckon that we should
always view him so. Who should give us more correct ideas of God than he? No one knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son may reveal
him, Matth. xi. 27. Man must not be what he now
is, —God must not be the father of man, if it did not
become him to pray, and if God were not to hear his
prayer. If it were not the part of man to pray, he
must either have fewer necessities, or be able to satisfy
them all. He must become either more straitened, or




2S38         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
more powerful than he now is. There are many intimations in nature, that its author has appointed
prayer, and the hearing of prayer, as a resort in creation, and wills its mutual attraction. The animal,
which cannot support or aid itself, has something of
an imploring character.  The feeble helpless sex, the
female, can also beg in the most urgent and irresistible
manner, and often prevails more thereby than the
strongest with all his might. What, in former times,
took place between Samson and Delilah, between
David and the woman of Tekoa, (2 Sam. xiv.) has
many a thousand times been transacted.  As the consideration of nature leads us to apprehend God, and
as Jesus here reveals him, he has always manifested
himself in the Bible. He has always heard prayer,
and listened to the voice of entreaty. Never was he
inexorable, for that indeed never has been and never
can be the case with supreme love, Gen. xviii. 22, ss.
Ps. cxl~v. 19. Gen. xix. 18, ss. Isa. xxxviii., and
particularly Ps. cvii."
XXIII.
THE RICH FOOL.
Luke xii. 16-21.
THIS parable was occasioned by one of the multitudle saying to Christ, v. 13: "Master, speak to my
brother, that he divide the inheritance with me."
This unreasonable demand manifestly sprung out of
a contention which had arisen between the two
brothers, concerning their proper shares in the divisiotn of their common inheritance; but, whether the
one who made this application might be the injured
or the injuring party, (though it is less probable that
he was the latter,) the unbrotherly strife was, at any
rate, the indication, that a covetous, selfish disposition had so taken possession of his mind, as to have




THE RICH FOOL.               239
weakened his brotherly love, and laid his mind open
to the feelings of envy and hatred.  Our Lord declined his solicitation with the words: "Man, who
made me a judge or a divider over you?" That is,
I am not sent for the purpose of settling earthly
transactions; and then he spake to those who were
around him: "Take heed, and beware of covetousness; for a man's life consisteth not in the multitude
of things which he possesseth." Covetousness, avarice, the insatiable desire of more, springing out of
ungodly love and too high an estimation of earthly
things. Calvin: "Christ first dissuades his people
from avarice, and then, that he might completely rid
their minds of this malady, he denies that our life
consists in abundance; in which declaration he indicates the internal origin and fountain head, from which
the mad desire of possessing issues. For, as people
commonly judge, that the life of any one is happy
just as he possesses much, and riches are supposed to
be the cause of a happy life, hence arises that intemperance of desire, which, like a burning furnace, at
once gives forth its own heat, and yet never ceases
to be glowing within." The previous entreaty had
given occasion to this warning, and from it we may
warrantably infer the covetous disposition of the person who presented it; the ground of this warning lies
in the words: for a man's life, &c., or rather, a man
does not live, &c.  In the original text it must be
construed in this manner: Ott'a _wn vt'ov ovx o~av ova,
a AFP&,v6 VtVp, (infinitivus pro substantive,) Fx,ov'vpxoov~cov aveov.  Schott: "Since, though a man
abounds in possessions, yet his life does not at all
depend upon his possessions." And also, if a man
lives in affluence, his prosperity does not ensure his
happiness. The word?,od is to be taken in its twofold meaning, according to which it marks a happy
state of being in time and in eternity, so that the
sense is, Riches by no means secure for us, of themselves, a life of satisfaction upon earth, nor do they




240          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
ensure us of eternal blessedness; or: Real well-being
is no necessary consequence of the possession of riches.
But this is precisely the error and delusion in which
great numbers live, and hence they are drawn with
an insatiable desire after riches, because they continually promise themselves at least a quiet, satisfied, and
pleasant life on earth from them. And because this
error is so general and wide-spread, and is besides so
natural to the carnal heart, our Lord warns us, in this
declaration, against such self-deceit, and, with much
earnestness, introduces the warning with the words:
"Take heed, and beware;" which Schott renders:
"Cavete vobis diligenter."  Now, the parable of the
rich fool is added to inculcate this warning still farther,
and expose, in more vivid colours, the mournful deceitfulness of riches.  As it closes with the words:
" So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is
not rich toward God," it intimates that he shall also
be poor and miserable hereafter, who has not here
learned to know, and seek, and appropriate the better
things, the riches, which respect God and eternity,
but has allowed himself to be completely carried away
and deluded by the possession of earthly goods, or
his endeavours to obtain them. In the parable itself
there is, indeed, no respect had to the other life, but
the folly and unreasonableness of avarice, and the
love of earthly things, is represented only in reference
to this present life, which riches can neither prolong,
nor of themselves render blessed. There is a very
close and beautiful connexion between the parable, in
this view of it, and the following words of our Lord,
v. 22-34, in which he admonishes to Christian
indifference toward earthly things, with childlike confidence towards our heavenly Father, enforced by
many and powerful motives, and then to a striving
application to the things of God. The structure of
the parable, and the portraiture of the rich man, is in
full accordance with the end in view; for if the thing
to be shown was, that riches of themselves do not




TIlE RICH FOOL.             241
give happiness, nothing could be more suitable to this
than a very prosperous man, in whose state of mind,
also, there appeared not one trace or apprehension of
any thing higher or better, whose whole felicity was
annihilated by a sudden death, and over whose future
fate the closing words, in v. 21, threw a faint
but mournful light. Calvin: "This parable sets
before us, as in a mirror, a lively representation of
the sentiment, that men do not live of their abundance.'For, since life may be extinguished in a
moment, even with the richest, what avails it for
them to have heaped up wealth? To us is shown
here, first, the fleeting shortness of life; then, the
unavailing nature of riches to protract it. A third
consideration must be added, which is not expressed,
but may easily be gathered from the two former, that
the best policy for believers, whether they be rich or
poor, is to repose entirely upon the providence of God,
seeking from him their daily bread."
Although earthly riches cannot make us truly
blessed, and it is the part only of those riches which
are in God, to make us partakers in the heavenly
kingdom, Rom xiv. 17, there is no need, at the same
time, for denying that they contribute to the agreeableness of life, and are benefits for which we should
render God thanks; while yet the temporal life of the
rich is then only blessed, when they are also rich toward God. What danger attends the possession of
riches, we are also admonished in the parable of the
sower.
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
Of the deceitfulness of riches.'Riches deceive the worldly-minded:
I. In regard to their earthly felicity; for,
(1.) They fill the heart with cares, v. 17;
(2.) They occasion much trouble and solicitude,
v. 18, (obstructing the quiet, harmless enjoyment,)
21




242          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
(3.) They prove but a short-lived possession, v. 19:
Soul, thou hast (and will also keep) many goods; on
the other hand, v. 20: Whose shall they be?
(4.) They delude with the hope of a long life,
v. 19: Laid up for many years; on the other hand,
v. 20; This night, &c.
II. In regard to true felicity; for
(1.) They can provide no true satisfaction to the
soul, v. 19: Take thine ease;
(2.) They sink it into utter sensuality, v. 19; Eat,
drink;
(3.) They foreclose the heart against any solemn
care for salvation, v. 19: Take thine ease;
(4.) They prevent the inheritance of better goods,
v. 21.
V. 16. s certain rich man, he was already in the
possession of many goods, and received besides a
considerable addition, for his ground brought forth
plentifully; ground, zxpa, may denote a large territory, or property in land. Gnomon: " A way of
becoming rich the most harmless, and yet the most
dangerous."
V. 17. With his riches his cares at the same time
increase; he is in difficulty how to get the fulness of
his crops stored up; in the most urgent terms he expresses the solicitude of his soul; many thoughts, purposes, plans, had passed through his mind; the worldlymin(led have much to fill them with trouble and anxiety, so that they enjoy neither quiet nor repose.  Calvin: " What shall I do? Therefore the ungodly are
perplexed in their designs, because they have not known
the true and legitimate use of what they possess; then,
because intoxicated with a false confidence, they forget themselves." Grotius: " Behold, how care grows
with increasing wealth."
V. 18. The result of his reflections is, that he forms
the purpose of building new granaries, (in the East,
subterranean repositories,) which purpose, however,
brings upon him new cares, troubles, and all manner




THE RICH FOOL.              243
of vexations. His language is full both of pride and
vanity, he says, my goods, and forgets that all is only
lent him, thinks nothing of the author of his riches,
flatters himself in his folly, with the secure and inalienable possession of his goods, if he had them but
once laid up in his new barns, and consequently overlooks the thousand accidents which threaten to interrupt, and often completely destroy all temporal possessions. Gnomon: " He makes no mention of the poor."
Grotius: "YMy goods; this is not added without cause.
For persons of that sort call riches goods, not simply
from falling into the popular mode of speaking, but
because they consider these the chief good."
V. 19. Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for
many years; because he has much to enjoy, he flatters
himself with the hope, that he shall have long to enjoy it, and promises himself a great age; in his folly
he thinks as little of the possible loss of life, as of his
goods, nay, he looks upon his riches as conveying a
sort of right to a long life, and regards them as a proper good for the soul. However praiseworthy frugality is, as not suffering any of God's gifts to go to
waste, (John vi. 12,) it does not render less blameworthy the purpose here expressed, of applying every
thing for one's self, in the gratification of selfish desires.
Take thine ease. Grotius: "'From the very torture of anxiety and care, he feels how sweet rest is,
which he is unable to provide for himself." Cease to
gather and be careful any more, withhold thyself from
any further pains and applications; so must it ever be
Twith the covetous, —poor in the midst of their overflowings, they enjoy it not, for they think with anxiety
on some possible future want, and hence strive and
labour without getting satisfaction. This rich man,
however, is not of such a covetous disposition, as desires only to have, and keep, and handle wealth or
other possessions; he is bent upon enjoyment, he has
been working only for future satisfaction, now  he




244          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
counts himself quite sure of attaining his end; and
hence he goes on to say: eat, drink and be merry. His
design is to gratify all sensual desires and appetites,
to have daily entertainments, and welter in the lowest
kind of enjoyments; this is his delight, and the use which
he wishes to make of his wealth.  And, while he imagines that his soul could be filled with satisfaction
through such enjoyments, he manifests that he never
once thinks of any higher necessities of the soul, and
knows nothing of the nobler enjoyments of benevolence;
in his selfishness he thinks only of himself, and instead
of saying: God has blessed me, now I shall make myself a blessing to others, he merely says: My soul, eat,
drink, and be merry. Calvin: " Now since he exhorts
himself to eat and drink, he forgets that he is a man,
and proudly boasts himself of his abundance. And of
this haughtiness, we daily perceive the most striking
examples among profane men, who set up their mass
of wealth, as nothing but a mighty barrier against the
attacks of death."
Ver. 20. But God said unto him; God's purpose
was quite different from the far-stretching hopes and
projects of this rich man. The sudden overthrow of
his temporal prosperity through unexpected death,
and the greatness of his folly, is most vividly represented in the opposite address.  Thou fool; so is he
styled who complacently praised his prudence, and said
to himself, This I will do, &c.-This night thy soul
shall be required of thee; in contrast to v. 19: Thou
hast much goods laid up for many years. Calvin:
" The allusion made is in regard to the soul. The
rich man formerly addressed his soul as the seat of all
affections, but now the matter concerns life itself, or
the vital spirit.  The word alvwov6Sv, (they seek,) although it is in the plural number, yet, because it is indefinite, signifies nothing else, than that the life, which
the rich man thought to be in his own hand, was the
property of another." — Then, whose shall those thing s
be which thou hast provided, in contrast to v. 19:




THE RICH FOOL.              245
Take thine ease, &c. Not only is death frightful,
but, to the selfish heart, which has been always seeking its own, and paid no regard to others, the thought
is peculiarly painful, that it must leave to others all
the goods which it cleaves to with so much love, without being able to enjoy them itself, Eccles. ii. 18, 19;
Ps. xlix. 16-20. Gnomon: "The rich have many
things, which, however, are not for the rich; the rich
possessor knows not whose they shall be, certainly
they shall not belong to himself."
Ver. 21. So is he that layeth up treasurefor himself; such a fool is every one who thinks and acts
after the manner of this rich man; since he is not rich
in God, he is much more to be pitied and commiserated
than to be envied; and notwithstanding his riches in
the account of the world, he is still poor in the eyes
of God, Rev. iii. 17, 18.-a-nd is not rich toward
God, E,5 EOV, in respect to God and divine things,
these riches consist in the imperishable blessings of
faith, love, and hope, Eph. i. 3, ss.  Calvin: "They
are rich toward God, who, not trusting in earthly
t hings, place their sole dependence upon his provi(lence." In this verse, as in verse 15, a warning is
contained against the error of placing one's highest
good in earthly possessions and enjoyments.
Vitringa gives to the parable the following signification: The rich man represents the higher classes
among the Jews, who, in point of disposition, were
Epicureans; the rich produce is God's blessing upon
the Jews, especially in the time of Herod Agrippa;
the judgment of God is that which, through the Romans, was executed upon the Jews.
21*




246          TIlE PARABLES OF JESUS,
XXIV.
THE DIFFERENT SERVANTS.
Luke xii. 35-48. Matth. xxiv. 42-51.
THis parable is much the same as related by Matthew and Luke, only that the latter has it more extended; but it is introduced by the two evangelists in
a very different connexion, so that it must either have
been delivered twice, or the exact order of time must
not have been observed in the one narrative or the
other.  The purport of the discourse remains in each
case the same, recommending watchfulness and fidelity,
on the ground that an account shall some time be deinanded, and the reward distributed according to what
has been manifested in the conduct, of praiseworthy
or blameable.  The parable, as reported by Matthew,
in whom it has not so much unity as in the other
evangelist, has an immediate reference to the Lord's
return to judgment, which is there (chap. xxiv. xxv.),discoursed of; in Luke the reference is quite different.
Our Lord had been exhorting (see the preceding paraMle) to think more of the kingdom of God, and its
nore excellent and desirable possessions, v. 31-33,
an(l concluded with the declaration: "For where the
treasure is, there will the heart be also;" in which,
a.s the ground of the preceding admonition, the truth is
contained, that all the inclinations and energies of man
-are concentrated on that which he reckons to be his
highest good.  And in order strikingly to represent
the importance of a state of mind directed toward
iivine things, and of a faithful, conscientious discharge
of the trust reposed in us, Christ gives us the portraiture of two different servants, whose dissimilar conduct
led, on the one hand, to the most blessed, and, on the
other, to the most unhappy consequences. The rich
fool, in the preceding parable, was designing to act




THE DIFFERENT SERVANTS.           247
with the money committed to him in a manner as arbitrary as it was selfish and unprincipled, gave himself no concern about a day of reckoning and judgment,
-while yet the mournful consequences of his perversity were indicated only in one brief notice, v. 21.
But now the consequences, as reaching to eternity, of
fidelity, or the reverse, form a prominent feature in
this parable, which hence serves to the essential elucidation and extension of the other; for if here the
worldly disposition and misuse of the earthly goods,
without respect to a future life, is marked as folly,
here, on the contrary, the reference to eternity is the
main thing.
The question of Peter, ver. 41, divides the parable
into two sections, the first of which speaks of the duty
in general of being wakeful or ready in regard to the
cotning of our Lord, but the other treats principally
of fidelity and its consequences, and enlarges most, indeed, upon the mournful consequences of a faithless
conduct.
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
Of the believer's readiness for the coming of Christ.
This readiness, stands in, I. Watchfulness. II. Fidelity.
I. Watchfulness.
(1.) Its nature, v. 35;
(2.) Its ground, v. 36:  The servant's relation of
dependence toward his Lord;
(3.) The motive to it, v. 37; The glorious reward;
(4.) The difficulty of it, v. 38: The long delay;
(5.) Its necessity, v. 39, 40: The uncertainty of
the time.
II. Fidelity.
(1.) Motives to it.
a.) The confidence reposed in him by the Lord, v.
42;
b.) Who intrusts to him a large sphere of operation,
v. 42;




248          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
c.) In which much good may be done, v. 42.
(2.) Its nature.
a.) That it deals justly, v. 42: Gives them their
portion of meat;
b.) - And in proper season, v. 42.
(3.) Its consequences;
a.) The internal joy of a good conscience, v. 43;
b.) The Lord's approval and recompense, v. 44.
(4.) Exhortation to fidelity from the mournful consequences of the opposite.
A.) Source of faithlessness, v. 45: Security and unbelief, (v. 39, 46: Portion with the unbelievers.)
B.) Its nature:
a.) Abuse of power, v. 45: Begin to beat, &c.
b.) Ill use of the means intrusted to it, v. 45: To
eat and drink, &c.
C.) Its mournful consequences:
a.) He finds himself surprised in his security, v. 46;
b.) He is severely punished, v. 46;
c.) And the punishment, whether more lenient or
more severe, is perfectly just, v. 47, 48.
V. 35. Let your loins be girded about; the long
garments were a hinderance to quick walking, or to
the expeditious discharge of business, and they had,
therefore, to be tucked up with a girdle. The meaning is: Remove the entanglements.-J/nd your lights
burning; an image of watchfulness, for one does not
so readily sleep when there are lights burning. Both
admonitions are addressed to the servants mentioned
in the next verse.  Bengel: "He wishes his own people to be in a state of readiness." Draeseke: " Be not
merely looking after him; dress yourselves for him.
Be ready for his service, provided with what is necessary, that you may wait upon his bidding. But the
preparation does not stand in the first garment, which
may be taken up at random; but in the good garment,
which is put on, in his righteousness, Eph. vi. 13-15;
Rev. xvi. 15. Without light, however, the holy
gilding about of this garment is neither suited to the




THE DIFFERENT SERVANTS.          249
service, nor used in the service.  The light is faith.
Clear-burning faith does not permit sleeping. It
illumines our highest relations, duties, and possessions,
as it withholds nothing from us which belongs to salvation."
Ver. 36. ]fen, as much as, servants. Weddings
were in the evening, (see Parable XV.) hence the
temptation to sleep was the greater for the servants;
but they must wait till the Lord came, keeping themselves in readiness for his reception, and not then set
about the work of preparation.  Olshausen: "The
similitude of the wedding always brings us back to
the relation of Christ to his church.  Now, to the
church, in the more extended sense, belong all the
members of Christ's body, as well as the apostles;
but individual members may be apprehended according to a certain prominence of this or that direction in
the circumstances of their condition; sometimes more
as active, (8ovxot,) sometimes more as receptive or contemplative, (c~p0ovoc,) and, accordingly, the figurative
ways of expression are variously modified, (Matth.
1, ss.)  Here the apostles are represented as active
labourers, and they therefore appear as stewards of
the house of God, in the absence of the Lord, until
the celebration of the divine wedding, that is, until
the time of union with the society above, of which
the union that is to take place at the return of our
Lord (his coming to the wedding) with the company
of saints upon earth is analogous."
c V. 37. Whom the Lord shall find watching; in
whom he beholds the proof of love and fidelity.-He
will gird himself, &c. The meaning is: He will
richly recompense, and gloriously reward them. Draeseke: "And now let the blessedness, which every
stroke of this image breathes, blow upon you. The
Lord girds himself to do service to those who have
served him. Love for love! That is the first stroke.
The Lord conducts his servants to table, goes up and
down before them, and serves them with the promised




2550         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
repast.  Gift for gift!  That is the second stroke.
The Lord sets his servants over all his goods, and
will withhold nothing more from them. Fulness for
fulness! that is the last stroke. They gave him what
they had; he, in return, gives them what is his;the freedom of God's children; a region of knowledlge, of action, of enjoyment, of love, of glory, of
honour to fill and occupy, Rev. xxi. 4."  Olshausen:
" The form, under which the self-denying love of the
Saviour, towards his people, is here represented, is
borrowed from the promise, pervading all scripture, of
a great feast, which, at the erection of the kingdom of
God, the Lord will hold with his people. This marriage-supper of the Lamb, (Rev. xix. 9,) was foreshadowed by the last meal of Jesus at which he institute(l the supper; and, according to John xiii. 1, ss.,
he acted then precisely as here represented; he acted
as the servant, and treated his disciples as lords.
What was there done, was an external image of that
which the Lord will do at the end of time to those
who have faithfully kept his commands, even unto
death, (Matth. viii. 11; xxvi. 29.")
V. 38. The Romans divided the night into four
parts, which were called evening, midnight, cockcrowing, and morning. This division was made, also,
by the Jews, in the time of Christ, because they were
under Roman supremacy; though, at an earlier period,
they divided the night only into three parts, each consisting of four hours, Matth. xiv. 25.  However, the
Jewish division appears to be here adopted as the
-comrmon one.  The design of the figure is to represent
to us the continued watchfulness of the servants who
victoriously overcome all the hinderances and difficulties which are connected with the protracted absence
of the Lord. Draeseke, otherwise: " The first watch
is the period of childhood, when others watch for us;
the fourth watch is the time of old age, whosoever has
watched till which, is safe, and is in no great danger
of falling asleep. But the second and the third watch,




THE DIFFERENT SERVANTS.          251
the seasons of youth and manhood, are the most dangerous stages of life on earth. Therefore must we, who
are passing through these, least of all remit our watching. Besides, watching is peculiarly difficult. Not because watching continues all our life-long, and in so far,
length here also adds to the burden. On the contrary,
he who has fairly entered on the duty of watching, has
become habituated to it, overcomes sleep, and is the
longer the livelier. It is with him as with the thinker,
whose deep cogitations keep him from sleeping, or as
with the child, who cannot sleep for joy, when he
goes to Christ. To Christ, also, each one of us must
go. And great joy holds him awake who waits for
the kingdom, and the glory of Christ. Where the
treasure is, there the heart is also, v. 34; Eph. v. 14."
V. 39. Matth. xxiv. 43. A new image is here introduced, which, through the representation of a threatening danger to the sleeping, admonishes to watchfulness; still the main point of comparison is the unexpected arrival, as v. 40, shows. Olshausen: "With
the image of the Lord removed from his servants, but
constantly expected by them to return, while they
were left in charge of the household concerns, there is
here joined another, for characterizing, more vividly,
the unexpectedness of his return-the image of a
householder who guards against the expected inbreaking of a thief, and being ignorant of the hour when he
is to come, must continue always on the watch.  That
this similitude should have no further meaning than
simply to express the idea of suddenness, is not at all
probable.  It is used, in the first place, too commonly
of Christ's return, (Matth. xxiv. 43; 2 Peter iii. 10;
Rev. iii. 3; xvi. 15,) not to carry a special reference, nor
can we conceive why, for the indication merely of suiddenness, some nobler comparison should not have been
adopted, since so many might be found; and finally,
the minute detail of the figurative description in some
places, as here and in Matth. xxiv., according to which
the householder prepares himself for the thief, and the




5=2          aTHE PARABLES OF JESUS.
breaking in of the thief is formally represented, is not
done so as to countenance the idea, that it was to produce no effect upon the similitude itself. It is rather
to be remarked, that very often figurative expressions
are used by our Lord, which are taken from a hostile
point of view.  In the present case, the image of the
thief is chosen with a reference to the feeling of those
who give themselves to the life and business of the
world, as to the affairs of their proper home. These
are frightened for the coming of the Son of Man, as
for the attack of a thief, believing that their (supposed)
property is thereby to be wrenched from them."
V. 40. Application of the figure to the disciples of
Jesus, Matth. v. 44.
V. 41. The question of Peter proceeds from the
rashness of supposing, that he had done something of
great account in the kingdom of Christ, and hence deserving above others to be referred to under the promised
rewards, v. 37.  Draeseke: "The command to watch,
is for all the servants of God. Servants of God are
of all classes. But because greatness chiefly attracts
observation, we naturally apply the expression preeminently to those who are princes and nobles, magistrates and governors, parents and guardians, teachers
and preachers, as those who must watch for many
souls, (Heb. xiii. 17,) and among these, and besides
these, to men, to whom God has granted, or whom he
has chosen to great honour."
V. 42. The reply of our Lord, without giving a
definite answer, manifestly carries this meaning, that
he had directed his admonition pre-eminently to those
to whom there was committed a peculiarly great, important and distinguished sphere of action, v. 42, such
as the apostles and other teachers, without, however,
excluding other believers. But at the same time, he
shows how the distinguished position, which is assigned
to any one, brings along with it also an obligation so
much the stronger, and a responsibility so much the
heavier, so that the possession of an extensive sphere




THE DIFFERENT SERVANTS.          253
of action, apart from fidelity, by no means justifies the
expectation of a glorious reward, which is rather apportioned according to the measure of fidelity, Matth.
ver. 45. Calvin: "This, indeed, is the purport of
Christ's answer, that, if it is proper for the commonest
person to watch, much less is it to be borne, that the
apostles should be asleep.  He admonishes them, that
they were not elevated to an idle dignity for the purpose of enjoying themselves with security; but that,
by how much there was of excellence in the degree
of honour they had attained, so much heavier was the
burden that lay upon them, and that faith and prudence ought especially to be exercised by them.'
Draeseke: " The answer affirms as little as it denies.
It instructs; it awakens reflections; it points the inquiring disciple to the main thing he had overlooked,
upon which more depends in the case of the householder than upon the extent and importance of his
trust,-that is, his fidelity and prudence, the devotedness of his heart, and the intentness of his eye, toward
his master. Fidelity and prudence must be shown
by every servant, whether in a high or low situation.
But neither the one nor the other can be without
watchfulness."
Faithful and wise steward, 1 Cor. iv. 2. Such
domestic stewards were commonly slaves; Eliezer with
Abraham, Joseph with Potiphar. Whom his lord
shall make; Gnomon: "Shall set, future tense, because fidelity renders a servant worthy of being set
over the household. The expression occurs again in
v. 44, where the gradation is from the family to all
possessions."
Ver. 43-46. Matth. xxiv. 46 —51. In v. 44, the
more extended sphere of action is represented as the
reward of fidelity. Ver. 45. If that servant, the same
servant, in whom the lord had placed so much confidence, and whom he had set over others: say in his
heart, J.y Lord delayeth his coming, the speech of
folly, which believes the day of reckoning and jud(g22 b




254          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
ment to be far distant, only to abandon itself to the
more unrestrained indulgence of its lusts; and shall
begin to beat the servants, laying claim in arrogance
and hard-heartedness to a right belonging to the Lord;
and to eat and drink, and to be drunken, revelling
upon that which has been withdrawn from others,
and, at the same time, wickedly squandering the goods
of his lord.
Ver. 46. False security sees itself confounded, by
the unexpected arrival of the Lord, and is severely
punished. Will cut him asunder, quarter him, indication of a very hard punishment.  Aqppoint him his
portion with the unbelievers; Matth. v. 51, hypocrites;
that is, he shall have the same fate.
Ver. 47, 48. Grotius: "When Christ had delivereed
his twofold parable, the one part of which relates to
Christians in general, and the other to the rulers of
the church, he shows now wherein the things spoken
agree, and wherein they differ. They agree in this,
that common people as well as rulers are beaten, unless they discharge their duty; they differ in this,
that the latter are beaten more severely, as persons to
whom, for the most part, is given a larger and more
accurate knowledge of all that either immediately or
remotely pertains to salvation." The different punishments bear proportion to the different degrees of
criminality, manifesting the utmost impartiality and
integrity in the judge. With v. 47, comp. Jas. iv. 17;
all the bad servants, indeed, are punished, but those who
had most committed to them, and who, against their
better knowledge, and convictions of duty, had left
their obligations unfulfilled, were visited with heavier
chastisements.  But even sins which are committed
in ignorance, are punishable, for ignorance itself is guilt.
All the subjects of a kingdom are under an obligation
to make themselves acquainted with its laws, and misconduct arising from neglect is punishable guilt.  Calvin:   It must be borne in mind, that those who are
set to govern the church do not sin through ignorance,




THE FRUITLESS FIG TREE.          255
but perversely and impiously defraud their Lord.
From which, however, the general doctrine may be
gathered, that men in vain flee to the cover of ignorance, to free themselves from guilt."
Vitringa explains the bad servant, ver. 45, of the
Pope, and thereby deprives the parable of its general
reference and applicability to all the servants of the
Lord.
XXV.
THE FRUITLESS FIG-TREE.
Luke xiii. 6-9.
THE immediate occasion of the deliverance of this
beautiful parable, was afforded by the report being
brought to Jesus of the murder of some Galileans,
whom Pilate had caused to be put to death, while they
were employed in the temple offering sacrifices.  But
it is expressly intimated, ver. 1, that the persons who
related this to Jesus had been present while he was
delivering the instructions and warnings which are
recorded in the preceding chapter, and we cannot but
think they must have found some occasion in the words
of our Lord to mention the circumstances at this particular time; so that it is necessary to investigate the
connexion of the parable with the preceding context
still more closely, which is besides of importance for
the proper determination of its design. After that
Jesus, ver. 49 —53, had spoken of the inevilable and
necessary contest which the preaching of his gospel
should awaken in the sinful and perverse disposition
of the human heart, he blames his hearers, that they
failed to observe and improve the singular appearances
of the present time, in order to prepare themselves for
the still more important and eventful future, ver. 54
-57. Luther's Comment on ver. 56 says: " When
you can see how it goes with the creatures, why do
ye fail to perceive where ye yourselves are wanting?"
In order to place their blameable and criminal, as well




2-.6         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
as (lanrerous, misemployment of time in a still' clearer
light, Jesus delivers the comparison contained in ver.
58, 59, the meaning of which is: If it is unquestionably a matter of prudence for a debtor to come to good
terms with his creditor, before he is dragged by him
into judgment, where every thing will be determined
only by the strict rule of right and justice: so assuredly would it be the highest wisdom for you sinners to
become reconciled, through a true repentance, to your
creditor, the merciful and righteous God, befbre the
time comes for a strict and rigorous judgment.  Here
also are declared the following thoughts-that men
are, as sinners, debtors of God; that an impartial judlgment threatens them; that, before it comes, it is possible by a sincere repentance to escape the final condemnation of God; but that the time of grace, which
may be used-for repentance, must not be misspent in
security or carelessness, for when past it is too late,
and the destruction is inevitable.  Now it is precisely
the same thoughts which return in the parable of the
fig-tree, so that its connexion with the preceding context is rendered obvious. (It is besides to be remarked,
that in Matth. v. 25, 26, the similitude used in these
last two verses of the twelfth chap. of Luke, is also
introduced, but in a quite different connexion, and for
an entirely different purpose.)
It was after having listened to the declarations contained in v. 49-59, that some present mentioned the
fate of those unfortunate Galileans; with what design,
appears from v. 2, where Jesus discovers the bottom
of their hearts, and their perverse thoughts, and where
it is remarked by Luther in his Comment: " The Jews
held, that whosoever was prosperous in this world,
was acceptable to God, but that he who was unfortunate, was a sinner, John ix. 2, 3." Gnomon: " Do
you think that you are guiltless, and shall escape with
impunity? We ought not to look so much to what
has happened to others, or why it has happened, as to
what might happen to us, and what must be (lone by
us."  Since the mention of the fate of these Galileans,




THE FRUITLESS FIG TREE.         257
in the opinion of these narrators, was to be taken as
an example of the punitive righteousness of God, while
at the same time they manifested the perversity of the
human heart, which, though it is ready enough to
ju(lge others, is equally ready to overlook its own guilt
and liability to punishment: Jesus, therefore, v. 3,
makes a general application of this particular case to
the Israelites at large, and says: Except ye repent, ye
shall all likewise perish.  Here again we find the previously declared sentiment concerning moral corruption, liability to punishment, imminent danger, still
abiding season of grace,-concerning repentance as
the only means of deliverance, and impenitence as the
real ground of an irrecoverable perdition. Jesus farther
reminds them, v. 4, of a similar destruction, and repeats over again the asseveration he had already made
in v. 3, as to the necessity of repentance to save them
from the like sudden and overwhelming judgment of
God, and then proceeds to deliver the parable of the
fruitless fig-tree, directed against secure and careless
sinners, to teach them  the necessity of repentance, if
they would escape destruction. For that this is the
design of the parable, is manifest from the close connexion in which it stands with v. 5, and from the whole
context. Calvin: " The doctrine taught may be thus
summed up: That many are tolerated for a time, who
are deserving of destruction; but that they shall be no
gainers by the delay, if they persist in their contumacy.
For hence arises the corrupt flattery with which hypocrites harden themselves, that unless compelled, they
(o not bethink themselves of their own misdeeds; and
therefore as long as God connives and suspends his
jl(dgments, they imagine that they are on good terms
with him. And so they indulge themselves with the
more security, as if they had obtained a covenant with
death and the grave, as Isaiah speaks, (conf. Rom. ii.
5.)  We are besides taught, since the Lord does not
immediately avenge himself of the wicked, but delays
their pilnishment, that the best reason exists for his
22.*




208          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
forbearance.  So that human temerity is restrained,
and no one can charge the Supreme Judge with blame,
if he does not always execute his judgments with undistinguishing equality."
The immediate reference of this parable is to the
Jewish nation and church, whose deep and wide-spread
corruption, notwithstanding the many provisions made
by God for their improvement, is here described, and
whose rapidly approaching overthrow, in righteous
vengeance for their inconsiderate and obstinate impenitence, is predicated. Hence this parable is of a similar
tendency with the two formerly explained, of the
wicked vine-dressers, and the wedding-garment, in so
far as these are to be viewed in their immediate historical reference, as descriptive partly of the past, and
partly of the future fate and times of the Jewish people;
and that there is actually such a reference here, is
manifest, as well from the two historical transactions
mentioned in v. 1, 4, with which the parable stands
closely connected, and which our Lord represents as
types of what would befall the whole Jewish people,
as from the parable itself, as shall be farther shown
below. Pilate had permitted some Galileans to be
murdered in the temple, while they were actually engaged in offering sacrifices, so that their blood was
mingled with the blood of their victims; which horrible
crime of the Roman governor appears still more
frightful and deserving of abhorrence on account of
the circumstance, that it was committed in the temple,
and while they were engaged in an act of religion.
Now the Redeemer says prophetically: Ye shall all
likewise perish, (,oavew5, in the same manner) as if this
murderous transaction was to be only a small omen of
the general carnage that was to come upon the Jews,
and that too from the same party, the Romans, to
which also the declaration in Matth. xxiv. 28, seems
to refer; and this divine judgment upon the Jewish
people was rendered still more dreadfiil and shocking,
from the circumstance of its having been executed at
the:, time of the passover, when stuch vast crowds were




THE FRUITLESS FIG TREE.         259
assembled in Jerusalem, and were employed in offering
up sacrifices. Not less significantly typical was the
other event mentioned by Christ himself, ver. 4, in
which eighteen Jews were suddenly destroyed by the
falling of a tower in Siloam; for while our Lord in
connexion with it says again: Ye shall all likewise
perish, (opow%5, similarly,) the intimation seems to be
given, what the history of the destruction of Jerusalem
also confirms, that they would some time be buried
amid the ruins of the temple and their own dwellings.
The resemblance between these transactions is too great
and striking to admit of our supposing that the one class
of events was not intended to be typical of the other.
Gnomon: "'mavis is more than otocow; and the event
corresponds, for the Jews were punished by the nation
to which Pilate belonged; at the season too of the passover, when sacrifices were offered,and with the sword."
Grotius: " See how exactly every thing corresponds.
For they were killed on the day of the passover, a
great part of them in the temple itself, like sheep, for
the same crime of sedition, which men of flagrant impiety hid under a false show of piety."-But this immediate application of the parable to Israel's fate is
by no means exclusive: for as God still manifests the
riches of his compassion to one and all belonging to
the church of his Son, as he did in former times to the
members of the old covenant-as in his patience and
long-suffering, in his holiness and justice, he is the
same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever-as in the
naturally corrupt state of the human heart, the same
levity and inattention to the manifestations of divine
grace is ever and anon repeated-as proper repentance is at all times in the divine economy the means
of deliverance, but impenitence is perpetually ruinous;
therefore the parable possesses a much wider and more
general application, and shall have its divine truth
made manifest in the great day of final account. 01shausen: "The severe and stringent discourse of
Jesus is closed with a parable, in which the loving Son




263          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
of Man again displays the operations of grace. He
appears as the advocate of man before the righteousness of heaven, and obtains room for repentance.
This thought of postponing the day of judgment, to
give man time for repentance, runs throughout the
whole of Scripture, Gen. vi. 3; xviii. 24, ss. The
destruction of Jerusalem did not take place till forty
years after the ascension of Jesus, and his return to
judgment is delayed on account of God's long-sufferi)g, 2 Peter iii. 9."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
An admonition to secure sinners to repent.
I. The admonition is directed to secure sinners, who
are represented under the image of the fruitless fig
tree;
(1.) They are capable of improvement, ver. 6:
Had a fig tree, (which, according to its nature, must
bear good fruit;)
(2.) Nor are external aids wanting to produce this,
ver. 6: It was planted in his vineyard;
(3.) Demands also are made upon them for it, ver.
6: He came and sought fruit thereon;
(4.) And yet they make no progress, ver. 6: He
found none.
II. The admonition is accompanied by the threatened judgment of God: Cut it down, ver. 7; And this
judgment is,
(1.) A righteous one; both on account of the abuse
of divine patience and long-suffering, ver. 7: Behold,
these three years, &c.; and also on the account of the
adverse influence upon others, v. 7: Why cumbereth
it the ground?
(2.) Yet admitting of delay, ver. 8: Lord, let it
alone this year also; to which delay the motive is just
this prayer of the vine-dresser; and the design of it is
to give a new opportunity for amendment, ver. 8:
Till I shall dig about it and (lung it; and to produce
an actual improvement, ver. 9: If it bear fruit, well;




THE FRUITLESS FIG TREE.          261
(3.) A certain one, ver. 9: If not, then after that
thou shalt cut it down.
Ver. 6. Al certain man had a fig tree planted in
his vineyard; in the parable of the wicked vine-dressers, (Matth. xxi.) the vineyard denotes the whole
Jewish people, as also in Isa. v.; but here the vineyard
must be understood generally of the whole earth, and
the fig tree of the Jewish people; and in the general
application of the parable we can understand by the
fig tree the Christian church, and also each individual
Christian. As the fig tree is a fruit tree, which should
bear fine fruit, and besides was planted in a vineyard
and treated with special care, this represents the favourable circumstances and relations which the mercy
of God had granted to Israel, his design to obtain
fluit from the tree, and the just expectation of the
same. So is it exactly in regard to the Christian church
as a whole, and to each individual Christian, both alike
not only possessing the natural means and capacity of
being improved, but being placed also in the most favourable circumstances by their God, so that they
might bring forth the fruits of piety and holiness.
Gnomon: "Fig tree, a tree which does not properly
belong to a vineyard.  God chose Israel in perfect
freeness.-The Father has the vineyard, and Christ
cultivates it, comp. ver. 8, or Christ has the vineyard,
and his ministers cultivate it."  Grotius: "The vineyard( here, is the whole human race, in which was the
fig tree, that is, the Jewish people giving promise of
great things.".And came and sought.fruit thereon, but found none,
-a description of the ingratitude and impenitence of
those for whom God has done so much; Israel was
actually, at the time of Jesus, in the condition of a
deep moral corruption, excessive wickedness and hypocrisy reigned almost in every heart.  The circurnstance related in Matth. xxi. 18 —20, of Jesus having
blasted the fig-tree, from which he had in vain sought
fruit, affords a palpable and striking proof of this; for




262          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
it is very easy to see, in that action, a visible and affecting type of the sudden overthrow and irrecoverable (lestruction of the Jewish nation, and to regard the
miracle wrought by Jesus as symbolical of it.
Ver. 7. Then said he to the dresser of his vineyard; in the figure of this verse the divine purpose
toward Israel, and all impenitent sinners, is described.
Behold, these three years I come, seeking fruit, a
lively representation of the numerous attempts and
movements of God to remind sinners of their obligation to comply with his gracious designs; he comes
always anew in his word, by means of conscience, and
so forth. Along with this, however, we have here depicted the patience and long-suffering of God, which waits
for the expected fruits, 2 Peter iii. 15; Rom., ii. 4.
This patience, exercised so long to no purpose, gives
so much the more ground for the painful lamentation:
_/lnd 1 find none, (see v. 34;) and also for the judgment: Cut it down, Luke xiii. 35; xix. 41-44.
Isaiah v. 5, 6.  Matth. iii. 10; vii. 19.  The command primarily refers to the subversion of the Jewish
church, Ps. lxxx. 9-15, and in it we see the union
of love and holiness, of grace and righteousness, Rom.
ii. 5, 6.  Gnomon: "In this word there is great severity, the great power of the master of the vineyard."
And not merely does the abuse made of God's patience
show the righteousness of this judgment, but there is a
still farther ground for it intimated in the question,
TVhy cumbereth it the ground? While the fruitless
tree draws to itself the nourishing moisture out of the
earth, an(l extends its shadow far and wide, nothing
can flourish in its neighbourhood.": This we may refer to the hurtful influence which Israel's pride and
hypocrisy exercised upon the nations, Matth. xxiii.
13, 15; and every sinner is, where he lives, a pernicious example to others, and often a great hinderance to
their attainment of salvation. Grotius: "The Jews,
though treated by God with the highest favours, were
not so useful to other nations by the example of their




THE FRUITLESS FIG TREE.         263
piety, but that they might, on the other hand, by th(ir
life, alienate many the more from true religion." T'he
three years are not to be referred to the three periods
in the Jewish history, of Moses, David, and the prophets; more than any of them we should have to include the time of Christ's public ministry; but the determinate period is put for the indeterminate, and the
image points only to the grace and long-suffering of
God. Gnomon: " The Lord was now entered upon
the third year of his ministry, as the true harmony of
the evangelists manifests." Grotius: "Those who
refer these things to the three years in which Christ
taught, seem to pay little regard to what follows concerning the one year, in which further trial was to be
made.  For God did not, in answer to the prayers of
his saints, delay the punishment of the Jews for one
year only after Christ's triennial ministry, but for forty
years.  So that it is better to consider the three years
spoken as mentioned because the fig trees which do
bear fruit, always do so within that period. And to
these three years corresponds the whole time before
the Baptist and Christ, during which God most patiently waited for the amendment of the Jews." The
vine-dresser is manifestly Christ, to whom the judgment is committed, John v. 22, and the destruction of
Jerusalem is described as his coming to judgment,
Matth. xxiv. 29, ss.  Luke xix. 14, 27.
Ver. 8. The intercession of the vine-dresser marks
the still longer protracted patience, and still farther
delayed judgment, until the time of grace was expired;
it breathes the most heartfelt love, and such love was
felt by Jesus toward the people, of whom, according
to the flesh, he was sprung; he is also expressly
named the advocate or intercessor, 1 John ii. 1. Heb.
vii. 23; ix. 24. Let it alone this year also; therefore, there is only a short and determinate period given
for repentance; love hopes all things; till I shall dig
about it and dung it, marks the renewed endeavours
of grace to bring about the necessary change of mind;




264         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
the digging, or turning up of the soil, indicates the
removal of the hinderances, and the dunging points to
the application of new juices of life, which, when the
former is done, can operate with so much more freedom and effect. Without figure: I will try every
thing which can possibly be of advantage to make the
tree yield the desired fruit, and save it from destruction. Grotius: " Those gifts, which the apostles and
their fellow-labourers exercised for the conversion of
the Jews, may seem to correspond to this."
Ver. 9. If not, after that thou shalt cut it down;
the very good vine-dresser yields to the determinate
and righteous judgment of the Lord of the vineyard,
Rom. xi. 22. Gnomon: " The vine-dresser does not
say, I will cut it down, comp. v. 7, but refers the
matter to the lord; he ceases, however, to intercede
for the fig tree." What might be the consequence of
these labours and the fate of the tree, is left undetermined by the parable. And in this appears the great
inclination to spare in the mind of the Lord, who
wished thereby to awaken in the hearts of his hearers
the hope of a favourable issue, and admonish them so
much the more impressively to repent; it is not till
after this that he first disclosed the inevitable overthrow of the Jewish nation, and the history of that
of course supplies the real issue of the parable. What
befell the Jewish church, has also happened to particular Christian churches, as a fulfilment of divine
threatening, and as a proof of the truthfuilness, goodness, patience, and righteousness of God, Rev. ii. 5.
We might also give the substance of the parable,
were we to say, that Jesus represents to blinded sinners their mournful state of mind under the image of
the unfruitful fig tree; points secure sinners to the
long-suffering they have already received, and the approaching judgment of a righteous God: and admonishes the thoughtless to the conscientious improvement of their still remaining day of grace.




THE GREAT SUPPER.            265
XXVI.
THE GREAT SUPPER.
Luke xiv. 16 —4.
OF the relation of this parable to that of the wedding garment, we spoke formerly under Section XIV.
and there also remarked, that the present parable was
spoken by Jesus before his last journey to Jerusalem,
in Peraea. Its immediate occasion appears from the
narrative in the preceding context. Jesus had been
invited by a chief person among the pharisees to eat
bread on the Sabbath, v. 1.  Having entered the
house, he first of all healed a man of dropsy, and justified this work of love, to the great annoyance of the
pharisees, who were outwardly legal, but internally
quite estranged from the spirit of love, (which, however, is the soul of the law,) by pressing the question
in v. 5, so that they were put to shame, could not but
acknowledge in their heart, at least, the righteousness
of his conduct, and did not venture, against the testimony of their own conscience, to declare him to be
deserving of punishment, v. 6. Hereupon our Lord
took occasion to animadvert upon the vanity and immoderate pride of guests, pressing forward to the
chief seats at table, and thereby showing how covetous they were of vain honour, v. 7-11. Then he
disclosed to his host the selfishness of his heart, who
had so selected his guests as to manifest that he had
given his feast in order to be invited back again, and
to be recompensed, v. 12, at the same time recommending a compassionate regard to the poor, and pointing to the recompense which is to come from God, v.
13, ].4. The persons, therefore, before whom and to
whom this parable was delivered, were self-righteous,
proud, ambitious, selfish, cold-hearted, and the words
of admonition spoken by Christ could not be pleasant
to themn). The moment, therefore, that he touched
23




266          THE PARABLES OF JE9US.
upon the resurrection of the just, one of the company
laid hold of his words, as affording a welcome opportunity to turn the conversation into another channel,
and expressed a great desire to participate in the blessedness of that day, of which, however, his heart
knew nothing, so that he only feigned this stroke of
piety with his lips. To derive the exclamation of this
guest, " Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God," from so bad a source, and not rather to
take it in a good sense, to which at first sight we might
be inclined, we are justified, nay, necessitated by what
was previously intimated of the moral condition of the
guests, and still more by the whole structure of the
parable, in which it is manifested by means of the
guests first invited, how an earthly disposition, and
the love of this present world, withheld so many from
a blessed participation in the great supper, and how
those only made their appearance there, in whose case
no such hinderance existed. Calvin, however, remarks
on this place: "But, although it is scarcely credible
that the friend and guest of the pharisee uttered this
exclamation from any thing of truly pious feeling, it
does not at the same time appear to have been done
in mockery; but, as men possessed of a little faith,
and not openly profane, are wont to talk in their cups
with an air of confidence concerning eternal life, I
conceive that a word was thrown in by this man
concerning future bliss, for the purpose of eliciting
something from Christ, who thence took occasion of
*charging ingratitude upon the Jews." The connexion,
then, between the exclamation in v. 15, and the parable would be: Thou dost indeed pronounce those blessed who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God, but
I say unto thee, although this blessedness is prepared
for all, and is freely offered them, there are many who
still despise it; and all who resemble thee in spirit,
shall, from their own fault, lose the offered salvation.
The parable, consequently, is not to be viewed as a
more extended representation of that eulogium, and of




TIlE GREAT SUPPER.            267
the blessedness mentioned in it, but as a rebuke, which
the omniscient Searcher of hearts (John ii. 24, 25,)
gave to that hypocrite, and a discovery of the perverseness of the human heart in relation to the kingdom of God. For this construction of v. 15, and the
whole parable, there may still farther be produced the
analogy of other parables; for the parables of the
wicked servant, of the labourers in the vineyard, of
the good Samaritan, of the unfruitful fig tree, and
some others, are in like manner directed against sinful
perversity of heart, which the Lord rebuked in them,
as he does in the case before us.  Luther remarks
upon this, House-Pos. 4. 223: "After hearing such
things, one of them rises up, who would show himself
much more learned than Christ, and says,' Blessed is
he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God;' as if
he would say, in his greater wisdom, Thou profitest
not much with thy preaching; if the question comes
to be about that, I can also do it well, and even better
than thyself; for this I reckon to be a very superior
discourse: Blessed, &c. To this Jesus again replies:
Nay, I will tell thee how blessed thou art, and such
as are like thee, v. 16-24.  The reproof given him
is to this effect: Oh, thou art no doubt in deep earnest, as thou art a very excellent man, one, namely,
of those who are invited, and still come not." And
he gives, at p. 235, the design of our Lord thus:
"' The Lord wishes to admonish us in this parable, that
we must count the gospel excellent and precious, and
separate ourselves from the multitude, who think that
they are prudent, wise, great and good." And this
design is so far accomplished, that an earthly disposition is represented as a hinderance to salvation, while
poverty of spirit (Mlatth. v. 3,) is essential to the attainment of real bliss; and, accordingly, the narrative
makes known the method in which man desires the
salvation proffered to him, and shows the inexcusable
guilt of thoughtless and inconsiderate despisers. Since
the Jewish nation showed themselves peculiarly hos



268          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
tile to the gospel, and many of thein slighted the
Messiah, and rejected the invitation given them to his
fellowship and salvation; since, on the other hand, the
Gentiles manifested more readiness in receiving the
message of salvation and peace: the parable readily
admits of a historical reference to these tranlsactions,
though it would be far from exhausting its depth and
compass of meaning, to make the rejection of Israel
and the calling of the Gentiles its chief and only design. It rather speaks of the ultimate ground of the
melancholy fact, that so many despise the gracious call
of the gospel to salvation, which fact has always been
recurring anew during the progress of centuries, and
will be still further continued, —that the love of the
world breeds contempt of the love and grace of God,
and disinherits itself of the great salvation.  Mel.:
"It is a reproof for contempt of the gospel; but
though Christ spoke concerning the rejection of the
Jewish people, yet he does not speak of them alone,
but his discourse has respect to all times, and blames
contempt of the gospel in teachers, governors, and the
more influential part of the people."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
The love of this world is a hinderance to salvation.
I. Reasons, why the love of the world is a hinderance to salvation,
(A.) On account of its power over the heart, v.
16, 17.
(1.) It is not attentive to the greatness of divine
grace; v. 16: a supper, in which it is matter both of
honour and enjoyment to take part:
(2.) It disregards the means of this grace, through
which the sinner must be brought to the fellowship of
it; v. 16: Jand bade many;
(3.) It hardens the heart against the repeated invitations of God; v. 17:.3nd sent his servant, &c.
(4.) And does despite to the free grace of God,
which has at once provided every thing necessary




- THE GREAT SUPPER.           269
for our salvation and invites us to partake of it without any personal desert; v. 17.
(B.) On account of its nature, v. 18 —20.
(1.) It is directed to what is earthly, perishable;
a.) To goods and pleasures, v. 18;
b.) To honotur, influence, and consideration, v. 19;
c.) To ties and connexions, v. 20;
(2.) It prefers that to what is heavenly and eternal,
v. 18, 19; Ipray thee have me excused;
(3.) It lays claim, in doing so, to a right frame of
mind, v. 18, 19;-considering itself to have a proper
excuse, and thus manifests its ingratitude, its levity,
and its obstinacy.
II. Proof that the love of the world is such a hinderance;
(1.) From the consequences resulting to the despisers:
a.) They draw upon themselves the anger of God,
v. 21: Then the master of the house being angry;
b.) They forfeit the offered salvation, v. 24;
(2.) From the subsequent procedure of God, who
still manifests his mercy and grace;
a.) In that he continues to invite men to the
blessings of salvation, v. 21: Go out quickly, &c.
b.) And even the most wretched of men, v. 21:
Bring in hither the poor, &c.
c.) And all, without exception, in the most pressing manner, v. 22, 23: Compel them, &c.
V. 16. 2s certain man made a great supper; Luther, House-Pos. 4. 223; " The man is our Lord God
himself, a great and rich lord, who has prepared a
feast according to his glorious majesty and honour,
and such a feast as is truly great and glorious, not
only in respect of the host, who is God himself, but
the provision is also unspeakably excellent and precious; that is, the blessed gospel, nay, Christ our Lord
himself. This proclamation of Christ is the great,
glorious supper, wherewith he entertains his guests,
sanctifying them through his sacred table; consoling
23*




270          TIE. PARABLES OF JEU3S.
andl strengthening them through the sacrament of his
body and blood; so that nothing is wanting to a
full enjoyment, (John x. 11,) and every one is satisfied. For it is an everlasting food, and an everlasting
drink, on which a man never hungers or thirsts any
more, but is perpetually satisfied and full: and not
one man merely, but, large as the world is, were- it
even ten times larger, there would be enough for all.
And to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is to eat and
to drink at his supper."  The great supper is, therefore, fellowship with the Redeemer, in whom there is
to be found spiritual blessings and heavenly gifts both
in time and in eternity.  The word supper is not to
be pressed, because in the original it is,6,tvov, banquet;
and, therefore, Luther gives a false reason for this
word, when he says the gospel is so called from being
the last word of instruction that was to be delivered
to the world. The preparation of the supper, an
apparatus of salvation for sinners, has its ground in
the love of God; the greatness of it points to the
universality of grace as offered to all..And bade many; Luther, as above: "The many,
who were invited to the feast, were the Jews, who,
as sprung from Abraham, were specially invited
thereto by the prophets; for to that patriarch was
the seed promised, through which the blessing was to
come; accordingly, the prophets carried it forward,
and showed the people that there was no failure in
regard to the Lord's will, and pressed on them his invitations."  The invitation comes from the free grace
and love of God; on the part of the invited there is
found no worth or desert; the invitation is still always
made through the proclamation of the blessed gospel
in churches, schools, families, by all who communicate
its truth to others.  A participation in the supper
brings honour, joy, blessing, and satisfies all the necessities of the soul and of the spirit.  From  the
greatness of the benefits provided, we can easily infer the severity of their punishment, who despise




THE GREAT SUPPER.            271
them, and the worthlessness of their excuses. That
there were many invited, shows how comprehensive
the grace of God is.
The representation of the blessings of Messiah's
kingdom, under the image of a feast, was very common, (Isa. xxv. 6; Matth. viii. 11,) and was here,
besides, partly occasioned by the exclamation of the
guest in v. 15, and partly also, by the entertainment
itself, v. 1; during which the parable was uttered.
Gnomon: "Called; the link of connexion between
two convivial discourses, inviting to blessedness. Call
the poor to thee; follow the vocation of God."
V. 17..And sent his servant at supper time; —
sends, according to the eastern custom, to bid the
guests a second time,-first, on the day before, or
very early on the morning of the same day, and then
at the meal-time, when the messenger announces that
they might now come, because every thing was ready.
Gnomon: ".Jow, is indicative of present time in the
New Testament." Luther, House-Pos. 4. 225:
"When it was about the time that our Lord was
born, and must suffer and rise again from the dead,
then went forth servants, John the Baptist and the
apostles, and said to those that were bidden, to the
people of Israel: Dear people, now is the time,
come."  The coming denotes the necessary internal
change and readiness for receiving what was prepared, just as corporeal coming implies a change of
place. The repeating of the invitation manifests the
earnest desire and gracious purpose of God to do
every thing on his part, to bring men to a participation in the offered salvation, and, at the same time,
also, the utter invalidity of the alleged grounds of
excuse.
Ver. 18..Ind they all began with one consent to
make excuse; after a7Co Boas either yvot7v7 or,vor5 must
be supplied, with one voice, unanimously they excused
themselves;,uapartoa,, to make excuse, properly, to
decline under the pretext of inevitable and invincible




272          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
hinderances. Gnomon: " They had before cast it up in
their own minds that they were to have an invitation."
Luther, House-Pos. 4. 225: " This reads a lesson to
the guests, who sat at meat with Christ, and especially
to the vain talker, ver. 15, who thought to gain the
mastery over Christ at table.  Nay, says Christ, ye
would not merely remain without, and leave the householder with his large and sumptuous feast, but would
even excuse yourself and be clear. There is therefore
a two-fold sin, in that, while ye despise the gospel, ye
would maintain every thing to be rightly done, and
would still be reckoned wise, pious, and excellent.
This is a most heinous sin." And in his Church-Pos.
13. 19: " You must not suppose that these men, who
here excused themselves, were chargeable with gross
sins or unrighteous actions.  No, they had maintained
a very good appearance. For it is not an unrighteous
thing, if a man buys, and carries on business, walks
honestly, or marries a woman and lives in matrimony,
but for this reason would they not partake of the prepared entertainment, because they would not part with
these things, clave to them with their whole heart.
Whereas we must be ready to part with all, if the
gospel demands, Matth. xxii. 37; x. 39; xix. 29."
The different excuses offered by these persons manifest in them all one and the same perverse state of
heart, only the object of their sinful love is not uniform;
but there appears in them all a slighting of the Lord's
offered goodness, a want of proper regard for his divine person, a misapprehension of the worth of this
spiritual repast, of their own spiritual necessities, and
of the things of salvation. It is the things of earth
only that influence and attract them; these alone appear to them important, and are accounted much more
precious, desirable, and necessary, than any thing they
can get by partaking of the supper.
I have bought a piece of ground; Gnomon: " The
word bought, twice used, (v. 19,) indicates desire, as
is customary in a recent transaction. To a worldly




THE GREAT SUPPER.             273
man, when the divine call comes, all vain things are
fresh and delightful." In the merelyhistorical exposition, this is referred to the fondness of the Jews for
Canaan, which appeared to them a certain pledge of
their participation in the blessings of Messiah's kingdom, so that they, being filled with such a prepossession, despised the gospel, which called them to a depreciation of every thing earthly.  Luther, HousePos. 4. 227: " These are the most honourable and
esteemed, as among the Jews the priesthood and the
highest orders in the government. Their language
is, We must labour, cultivate, and reap our land;
that is, we must govern the people, (as Christ also
calls his ministers husbandmen, who sow the gospel,
John iv.,) and attend upon the priesthood committed
to us by God."
I must needs go and see it; Gnomon: "Times
most seasonable for grace, and most urgent calls of
worldly business, often meet together. One pretends
necessity; another a mere liking for other things, v.
19; a third, mistaken impossibility, v. 20. The first,
therefore, denies that he could; the two others deny
that they would, but express it by a polite circumlocution.  That holy hatred, mentioned in v. 26, would
cure them all.  For the variety that appears in the
refusal, does not stand so much in the affection as in
the object-the field, the oxen, and the wife."  The
groundlessness of such a justification becomes manifest, when we reflect that the wedding-feast was held
at a late hour, and prolonged often through the night;
so that the time in question was at once the most unusual and the most unsuitable for looking after such
things, and must be regarded as the most unavailing
ground of excuse.
1 pray thee have me excused; Wahl, Clavis:' Have
me excused, not only now, but always." He, therefore, feels himself the groundlessness of the pretext,
the worthlessness of the excuse, the impropriety of remaining away, the guiltiness of his conduct, hence




274          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
his prayer; and in this too is the greatness of his perverse, worldly state of mind, represented.  The apology contains, at bottom, a self-accusation, and gives
testimony to previous guilt.
Ver. 19. I have bought five yoke of oxen; some
explain this of the fleshly confidence of Israel upon
his external observances, and of the unbelief and contempt of the gospel thence arising. Luther, as above:
"When they justify their refusal with the oxen, it indicates that they were occupied with affairs of government, for oxen represent the rulers of the people, Ps.
xxii. 13, 14."  If, therefore, in the first class it was
earthly goods and pleasures, in this class it is earthly
honour, power, and consideration, which keeps men
back from the gospel, John v. 44; xii. 43. Mel.:
"That human blindness is to be acknowledged and
deplored which leads men to care less for God and the
concerns of eternity, than any other temporal affairs.
As in country places people are, for the most part,
more concerned about the cow-herd than the shepherd
of souls, and, when interrogated, answer, that they
have more need of the cow-herd."
Ver. 20. I have married a wife, and therefore I
cannot come; this is the' most hopeless of all, he does
not beg to be excused, but thinks he acts according to
the fullest right: it comprehends those who, through
the manifold relationships of life, permit themselves to
be constrained, contrary to the will of Christ, from
his alone truly blissful fellowship, v. 26, 27. The
manners of the East forbid women from appearing any
where in public, on which account, combined with his
love to his wife, this person conceives his remaining
a way to be a thing so proper and natural, that it requires
no justification.  Calvin: " In these verses, v. 18, 19,
20, Christ intimates that men were so given to the
world and earthly affairs, that no one could find leisure to come to God; as while we are entangled with
the cares of the world, there are so many avocations
to withdraw  us from  the kingdom  of God.  But




THE GREAT SUPPER.            275
though all are not infected with the same disease, each
one is drawn away by his own lust, and so it happens
that all wander about after one course or another."
Ver. 21. So that servant came, and showed his
lord these things. God knows minutely the conduct
of each one, in regard to the gracious invitations offered
to him, and this ought so much the more to prevent
people from lightly despising these. Gnomon: " Ministers ought to make mention to the Lord in prayer,
both of the obedience and disobedience of their hearers."  Then the master of the house being angry;
the righteous displeasure of God toward the conduct
of the guests, shows once more his earnest desire for
their welfare, the unsatisfactoriness of all their excuses
and the justness of his expectation, that the invited
would receive the invitation.  Go out quickly into
the streets and lanes of the city; historically this refers to the proselytes from the heathen, or the heathens living among the Jews, John vii. 49. Acts x.
Matth. xiii.  Without figure, the invitation is now
addressed to others. Bring in hither the poor, and
the maimed, and the halt, and the blind; outward
want, and corporeal wretchedness, are easily apprehended by the eye and the mind; hence, under this
dlescription are meant all such as feel the necessities of
their soul, and their spiritual wretchedness, Matth. v.
3. Bodily distress, also, often opens the heart to the
consolations of the gospel, and hence to those, who had
experience of it, the gospel was especially preached,
Luke iv. 1S; Matth. xi. 4, 5, and among them, for
the most part, is found the most cordial and extensive
reception, 1 Cor. i. 26-29. Earthly riches, on the
other hand, very readily become a hinderance to the
reception of the gospel-call, as it is apt to blind the internal eye to the wants and necessities of the soul,
Matth. xix. 23-26.  Luther, House-Pos. 4. 229:
" According to this word of Christ, whatsoever among
the people has been esteemed wise, holy, rich, mighty,
is thrown away, and foolish, simple, insignificant per



276          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
sons,.such as Peter, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
poor fishermen and needy beggars are chosen, whom
no one thought deserving of being made priests and
princes among the people." Gnomon: "The poor
form the genus; three species are presently named;
the maimed, whom no woman would choose, v. 20;
the halt, who cannot walk, v. 19; the blind, who
cannot see, v. 18." Comp. also Matth. xviii. 9, s.;
John ix. 30.
Ver. 22. Lord, there is still room; since now the
will of the Lord has been executed, the invitation held
out to others, and by them accepted, the greatness of
divine grace is expressed in these words, as is also its
universality in v. 23.
Ver. 23. Go out into the highways and hedges;
seen on Matth. xxii. 9 —Jand compel them to come in.
Calvin: "He seems to allude to the nature of the
gospel invitation, in which the grace of God is not
simply proffered to us, but along with doctrine we
have the stimulants of exhortations; in which is manifest the wonderful goodness of God, who, when he
sees us slumbering over the call which he has voluntarily addressed to us, eagerly plies our sloth, and not
only stimulates us by exhortations, but also compels!is with threats to come near to him." Luther, ChurchPos. 13. 21: "This is to be understood of weak desponding consciences, who are not disposed to go to
the supper, but must be driven into it. It is not,
however, an external, but an internal driving, a spiritual
one, and is done after this manner: When the law is
preached, and sin is opened up or exposed, so as that
the man comes to the knowledge of himself; when his
sins are so pressed upon his conscience, that he recognises himself to be nothing, sees all his works to be
sinful and worthy of condemnation, and thus becomes
troubled in conscience, dismayed in heart, goes out of
himself for confidence and help, and never seeks any
more for consolation in himself, then he is said to be
driven and compelled. Now, when this is done, thou




THE GREAT SUPPER.             277
mist help him out of his depression; and the way to
do that is to comfort him with the gospel, to tell him
how he is let free from his sins, to say to him, " Believe in Christ, that he has delivered thee from thy
sins; and so thou shalt be freed from sin."  Mel.:
"It yields a most delightful consolation, that God
orders men to be compelled, for it intimates that he
really seeks our salvation, and really wishes us to be
saved; as when a father is seriously concerned about
the government of his son, he not only employs cold
admonitions, but also a certain severity of discipline
towards him, and constrains him to do what is required." It is not meant, therefore, that people should
be brought to receive the gospel by means of any violent treatment; the compulsion to be used stands in
entreaties, representations, counsels, as in Luke xxiv.
29; Gen. xix. 3.  An internal constraint, through
means of powerful motives, which are pressed upon
the heart, 2 Cor. v. 19; Gal. iv. 19. Gnomon: "Every
sort of coercion will not do, for he who is pulled or
lragged does not enter. Saul, when mad for the law,
used one sort of compulsion, Paul, the servant of Jesus
Christ, a very different one."
That my house ~ma.y be filled, so that it is only
God's design of mercy to save sinners, Eph. i. 3, ss.
not any proper merit on the part of men, which is the
ground of the invitation; it must not be that his grace
has been prepared in vain, and, notwithstanding the
many despisers that exist, there are found at all periods
an unnumbered multitude, who, with the greatest joy
and readiness, receive the gospel-call and promise of
salvation as the highest boon.  Gnomon: "Neither
nature nor grace can endure a vacuum. There shall
be such a multitude of redeemed, from one extremity
of the world to the other, as shall constitute a main
part of its fulness."
V. 24. We have here the judgment pronounced on
despisers.  Luther, House-Pos. 4. 23,: "The momernt must come, when they shall be compelled to leave
924




278          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
their oxen, lands, houses, or wives, and when they
would be very glad to taste of my supper.  But I
must then say to them: Friends, I am now not at home,
I cannot wait for guests. That will be to them indeed a hard, frightful, and intolerable judgment, when
his supper shall be found to be all one with eternal
life, and their lands, oxen, and houses, with hell-fire."
There is here again manifest in God the union of his
compassion and his righteousness, in that he causes all
to be invited of free love, but judges despisers according to their conduct, and excludes them from eternal
life. Ewald, p. 277: "It might be said, it were no
great misfortune for sinful men to be shut out, they
coul(d still enjoy themselves in their own way, and if
such joy may be somewhat gross in its nature, it were
still joy to them;-but we must take into account the
consequences. No earthly enjoyment lasts alwaysand if it did continue for ever, it could not continue
as enjoyment, but would pall at the last, and fail to
yield satisfaction. Man is impelled to seek after the
highest, purest enjoyment; for that he pants, his internal being sighs after it. For a long period this impulse may be stifled, and man may imagine that the
possessions, honours, and pleasures of the world can
satisfy him. But he awakes by and by, and then often it is too late, or he at least feels, that that in which
he has hitherto been seeking satisfaction, can never
satisfy him. Indeed, where there is no enjoyment of
God, there in the long run is no enjoyment at all; and
where there is no enjoyment, there must be suffering.
Ay, frightful, excessive suffering! Eternal hunger,
and no nourishing food; eternal thirst, and no refreshing drink; the perpetual feeling of a void, without
any thing to fill it up! It is, therefore, the highest
wisdom to possess, as though we possessed not, because
all earthly enjoyment vanishes away."




THE WAR OF THE TWO KINGS.         279
XXVII.
THE BUILDING OF THE TOWER.
Luke xiv. 28-30.
XXVIII.
THE WAR OF THE TWO KINGS.
Luke xiv. 31-33.
THESE two parables stand in no immediate external
connexion with the preceding one; for the Saviour delivered them when on his journey to Galilee, to the
people, who ill great numbers pressed upon himn, and
appeared to seek his fellowship; yet a certain internal
relationship may be recognised. While the parable
of the marriage-supper points out the carnal mind and
the love of the world as the main hinderance, which
stands in the way of the sinner's salvation, these similitudes represent the believer's connexion with Jesus
to be a difficult thing, which demands the greatest sacrifices, so that the most careful and solemn inquiry
must be made, whether we feel sufficiently strong, and
so much animated by a spirit of love to him, to stand
prepared for such sacrifices. It is, accordingly, the
same carnal disposition against which all the three parables are directed; in the first, it is represented in its
proper, distinct form, and pernicious influence, as preventing many from coming into fellowship with Christ,
and leading them utterly to despise it: in the second
and third it is shown, that where this love of the world
is cherished, it is not to be expected that there shall
be a continued attachment to the Redeemer amid the
storms of adversity and trial, as such professors soon
fall away, to their own shame and confusion. Here,
therefore, we have substantially the same thought
which is brought out in the parable of the sower,




280          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
that continued fellowship with Christ is disturbed, and
with the children of this world completely broken up,
by some sort of external or internal hinderances.
It is said, in'v. 25, that great multitudes went with
Jesus; had he been concerned only about a numerous
attendance, and not about a true and approved discipleship, he would not have spoken as he did in v. 26,
27. The Searcher of hearts saw that the great multitude, who were really disposed to own him for the
promised Messiah, flocked around him merely to have
their earthly hopes concerning the Messiah fulfilled in
and by him, and that they most looked for nothing
else and nothing higher than carnal enjoyments, temporal prosperity, power, and honour. The Saviour
would flatter no such vain and'groundless hopes, nor
were persons of such a disposition prepared for following him; and therefore he declares to them, first of all,
that it was necessary to reckon upon the greatest and
most difficult sacrifices in his service, that the dearest
ties should need to be broken, trouble and persecution
encountered, and life itself parted with, without laying
their account to which they could not be fit for his
kingdom.  Then, he relates the two parables, and
closes with the words in v. 33, which declare selfdenial to be a chief prerequisite on the part of his disciples. How necessary these are, is further expressed
in the similitude subjoined in v. 34, 35. The disciples
of Jesus were appointed to be as a salt to the world,
Matth. v. 13; from them must the new divine powers
of life, which they themselves had first received when
brought into connexion with the Redeemer, be diffused among their fellow-men.  Now if the disciples
and followers of Jesus did not possess such principles
of life (restrained by their carnal inclinations)-if they
could not be to the world what they ought to be to it,
they were then good for nothing, and by such disciples he could not be served. In the whole discourse,
therefore, from v. 25 to v. 35, our Lord certainly had
it for his design, to draw off the frivolous and earthly



TIhE WAR OF THE TWO KINGS.        281
minded of his followers, to drive all to serious selfexamination, and so divide the righteous and unrighteous followers from each other.  Calvin: "Lest any
one should think it hard to follow Christ on such
terms, which require the renouncement of all his lusts,
a proper admonition is given to meditate before-hand
what a profession of the gospel really requires.  To
build is a matter full of weariness and trouble, and,
from the expense it occasions, by no means an agreeable one; war, also, because it brings so many evils in
its train, and may be said almost to threaten the extirpation of the human race, is not willingly undertaken
by any one; and yet the advantage of having a house
to dwell in is so enticing to men, that they do not
hesitate to pour out their wealth for that purpose;necessity also compels them often to go into the most
expensive wars.  But a far more excellent reward
awaits the builders of the temple of God and the solliers of Jesus Christ, for it is not a temporary edifice
which they labour to erect, nor for a short-lived triumph that they contend."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
Those who would follow Christ, should first subject
themselves to a careful examination.
Necessity of such an examination; it is called for,
(1.) By the greatness of the occasion; v. 28: Building a tower; v. 31: Going to war;
(2.) By the difficulty attending it; and that
A) As well at the beginning of a Christian course,
when we have to consider:
a.) The sacrifices required, v. 26, 28;
b.) The strength of inclination; v. 28: Whether
he bath sufficient to finish it;
B) As also in the continuance of the same. Concerning which we have to consider:
a.) The battles to be encountered.in- maintaining
our connexion with the kingdom; v. 31. Sitteth not
down..... twenty thousand, v. 27.
2-4*




282         THE PARaBLES OF JESUS.
b.) The strength we have for continued patience;
v. 31: Whether he could meet him with ten thousand.
II. The benefit arising from that examination; we
are kept from suffering injury.
(1.) Our sacrifices (costs) have not been made in
vain, v. 29.
(2.) We are not hurt by the raillery of the world,
v. 30.
Ver. 28. s. tower, a lofty palace, a pompous edifice-the fig tree indicates the undertaking of something great and glorious. —The cost, as applied to the
knowledge of Jesus and fellowship with him, denotes,
1st. What he demands of his disciples, ver. 26, 27,
33.-Whether he have sufficient to finish it; the requisite means; by which we are to understand strength
of mind, resolution of will, self-denial.-Sittcth down
first, and counteth,-the reckoning up, and careful
comparison of the costs and the means, represent the
preparatory trial and thoughtful considerations which
ought to precede the determination of following Jesus.
Gnomon: "Sitting,-space being allowed him to take
a considerate view of his circumstances."
Ver. 29. lIfter he hqs laid the foundation, —the
commencement of the building designates the begun
attachment to Christ, which was found in so many,
ver. 25. —~nd is not able to finish it, defection from
Jesus, John -vi. 66-69.
Ver. 30. The meaning is: The neglect of self-determination is the real cause of defection from Christ,
and in it is manifest the great folly of all those who
lightly, and without solemn reflection, begin to follow
Christ. Calvin: "But there is no reason why the
knowledge of our wants, which the Lord is ever ready
to relieve, should depress our minds. I confess, indeed,
that if we come to a reckoning, we are all so destitute
in ourselves, that we cannot even lay one stone, or so
much as offer resistance to the enemy. But since the
Lord will provide both arms and treasure from heaven,




THE WAR OF THE TWO KIN GS.        283
the difficulty is not such as to furnish any pretext for
our sloth and inactivity. The design of Christ, therefore, is to admonish his people, in taking up the cross,
to gird themselves with fortitude."
Ver. 31. The first similitude appears to refer mainly
to the difficulties which are experienced in the mind,
on account of which we are not strong enough to
sacrifice all other loves to the love of Jesus, for our
love to him must be more and deeper than the love we
bear to any thing besides; we must not love father,
or mother, etc. more than him, nay, must put our love
to these behind the love we feel to him.  The other
similitude appears to be directed chiefly to the hinderances that arise from without, ver. 27, through which
so many are withdrawn from following Christ. But
we can perhaps discover a different connexion between
the two, namely, that there is a progression manifested
in them. If the first speaks of the difficulties which
present themselves at the beginning of conversion, the
other sets forth the perpetually recurring, the daily
contests, which must be fought and won in following
Jesus; and, consequently, if people would determine
upon following him, they must carefully ponder both
the nearer and the more remote difficulties, those which
are to be met with at the beginning, and those (luring
the progress of their course, so that they. may not fall
away from Christ, but may attain to the promised
kingdom.  Scholten: "The parables coincide with
each other, the particle n being interposed between
them, whence it appears, that our Saviour evidently
wished to enjoin in both the same admonition, which
farther appears from IaosoyEt, which is subjoined to
each parable; at the same time, we cannot deny that
there are certain smaller points, which involve ideas
in each image, somewhat different from one another,
though still very closely connected with the leading
idea or admonition contained in both.  Thus, the ideas
of building in the first, and of warring in the second
similitude, indicate a variety and difference in the la



2S4          TlHE PARABLES OF JESUS.
bours of the disciples of Christ, as those on whom it
was only incumbent to build the church of God, and
lay, as it were, its foundations, itself, indeed, a matter
of great labour, and possessing considerable diversity;
but also to fight with the greatest dangers, and prosecute their work even amid the constant jeopardy of
their life, to say nothing of the struggles they would
also have to maintain with the most tender feelings and
affections of the mind, ver. 26, 27, 33." —The image
of the king, who would go into war, marks something
at once important and difficult, doubtful and dangerous; but the following of Christ is this only when
viewed in reference to frivolous and carnal minds,
which, in apostatizing from such a cause, incur the
greater guilt, that they have omitted the preceding
self-examination.  Gnomon: "Christianity is a great
and arduous thing; it is compared with things great
and arduous, as in a private concern, an expensive
building is; in a public one, war. The first parable
declares the necessity of hating father, mother, etc. the
other, of one's own life, v. 26. The Christian warfare
is a sort of royal thing."
Ten thousand and twenty thousand-the power of
the enemy, and one's own strength, or ways and means
to meet it.  To refer to the ten commandments,
through the external fulfilment of which men would
(letand eternal salvation of God as a right, but only
to their own confusion, as God demands also an internal fulfilment of them through a spirit of love, is quite
untenable. We are rather to regard the twenty thousand as denoting the enmity of Satan, the hatred of
the world, persecutions, afflictions, which, according
to Christ's purpose, must be overcome, if we would be
true disciples.
V. 32. Or else, that is, if, on deliberation, he is of
opinion that he cannot cope with the more powerful
enemy,- cannot reckon on a successful issue.  He
sendeth an embassage, &c.; he cannot and will not
hazard a battle, seeing that he should afterwards be




T-IE LOST SHEEP, &c.          285
obliged to abandon it, which every thoughtless disciple will- also do in regard to his following Christ,
and that to his great shame.  Calvin:'"But what
Christ says of a king sending a message of peace,
when unfit to sustain the attack of war, that he may
not be put to an ignominious defeat, ought not to be
accommodated to the matter in hand, as if we might
have any reconciliation with our spiritual enemy, when
our own strength and confidence fail us.  But our
Lord simply means,-that we ought to be in such a state
of readiness as not to be taken by surprise, and be led,
with shame, to renounce his cause." Luther's note:
" No one shall be able to stand before the divine judgment, he shall then despair of all his resources, and
seek grace, and beg for help in Christ."  Olshausen:
" The consciousness of our own incapacity should lead
us to seek for a higher power, to join ourselves to the
great empire of light and its prince, which, in all circumstances, contends against the empire of darkness.
So that the similitudes, when viewed in connexion
with v. 26, 27, virtually says:-Ye undertake, when
ye begin to follow me, a battle, from which ye cannot
retreat; come first to a conviction of your own weakness, and seek the higher power of the Spirit, for then
only can ye be fit for the kingdom of God."
XXIX.
THE LOST SHEEP.
Luke xv. 1-7. Matth. xviii. 12, 13.
General Introductory Remarks on the Parables in the
15th Chapter of Luke.
THE five parables which stand recorded in the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of Luke appear to have
been delivered at the same time, and before the same
hearers, as was the case also with the eight parables




286          TIHE PARABLES OF JESUS.
in the thirteenth of Matthew; and, if the latter delineate, in general figures, the nature and destinies of
his kingdom, as also the power of' his word, the former do not so much refer to the heavenly kingdom, as
a whole, as they point, in particular, to the endeavour
of Christ to bring the sinner into blessed fellowship
with himself, describe the moral condition of those
who would participate in the benefits of his kingdom,
and make known the demands which must be complied
with, in order to the attainment of this end.
The fact that these parables were delivered immediately after each other, renders it probable that they
were all addressed to the same hearers; and, among
these, there were, besides the twelve, who always accompanied our Lord, others also of his disciples and
followers, who, in xvi. 1, are expressly designated as
his hearers,-some publicans and sinners, who drew
near to him, xv. 1,-and, finally, scribes and pharisees,
who blamed the fellowship of Jesus with the publicans
and sinners, v. 2; according to ch. xvi. 14, these also
heard the parable in xvi. 1- 8, and in continuous discourse, without interruption, the Lord speaks to them
again the parable in v. 15 —31.
Since there is found to be an external connexion of
this sort, among these parables, it becomes probable
that there will also be a corresponding internal relationship, viz.: that, individually, and as a whole, they
shall have an exact reference to the very different
kinds of hearers to whom they are fitted to administer instruction, correction, improvement or consolation,
as the respective conditions of the different classes of
hearers might require; and this we should expect to
appear as prominently as their regular progression and
natural growth out of each other, by which their intimate connexion is rendered manifest.  The publicans
and sinners must have received a new impression of
Christ's love and solicitude for their salvation, must
have been filled with new confidence in his grace, confirmed in their desire after fellowship with him, com



THE LOST SHEEP, &c.           287
forted under the cold-hearted judgment of the scribes
and pharisees concerning them, and especially in the
last parable, made acquainted with the proper state of
mind in which one may and ought to approach the
friend of sinners.  The scribes and pharisees had to
be opposed, the harsh and unrighteous character of
their judgment and procedure laid open to their view,
and God's gracious disposition toward them unfolded;
the Redeemer had to hold up to them a mirror, in
which they might see their own image, their relation
to God, and God's judgment concerning them.  Finally, the disciples had to learn, from the example and
parables of Jesus, the kind of procedure and conduct
they had to pursue towards sinners. And as the characteristic traits which were peculiar to publicans and
pharisees lay (leeply grounded in the nature of a sinful heart, and are continually reproduced, though under different forms and in different relations, the force
and application of these parables may justly be extended to all ages of the church of Christ.
The accusation which the scribes and pharisees
brought against the conduct of Jesus, in regard to
publicans and sinners, furnished the occasion of his delivering the first three parables in justification of himself, that he might put to silence so heartless a ground
of accusation. In the first two, he does this by pressing
the conclusion, that if it were quite natural for a sheep
and a piece of silver to be sought with so much trouble,
how much more ought a man to be, in like manner.
sought for! And in the parable of the prodigal son,
he defends his conduct by disclosing the state of mind
which belonged to those sinners to which he showed
so much love. The whole three represent a loving
disposition; for it is love which moves the man to seek
his sheep and the woman her money; and love, also,
which prompts the father to take back his lost son;
but there is an essential difference among the parables,
in this respect, that the love unfolded in them is delineated under different aspects.  The first two deli



288          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
neate a seeking love, the third a receiving love; in the
former, the matter to be represented was what the
Redeemer must do to bring back the sinner who has
wandered from the way of eternal life, to true piety
and blessedness; but in the latter, what the sinner,
who really desires to be blessed, and has in him something of a penitent and believing spirit, has reason to
expect of him, viz. a ready and most welcome reception. In the first two, the chief character is the seeking shepherd, the seeking woman, that is, the Redeemer, deeply concerned for the accomplishment of the
sinner's salvation, Luke xix. 11; in the third, it is the
sinner, under the image -of a lost son, seeking and
finding grace. The two former are explained by the
words contained in v. 2; "This man receiveth sinners
and eateth with them," in which the affectionate concern of Christ for the salvation of sinners is blamed;
the last has to do, in the person of the lost son, with
the precise characteristic of those who, in that verse,
are named sinners. There can be no doubt as to the
proper meaning of the different parts of these parables.
The secret motive of the conduct of the shepherd, the
woman, and the father, is benignant love; the helpless
condition of the wandering sheep corresponds to the
misery of the prodigal son:-the joy of the shepherd
and the woman recurs also in the father, v. 23; the
call to friendly rejoicing is described in v. 6, 9, 23, 32;
the heartless disposition of the scribes and pharisees is,
in its nature, source, and manifestations, depicted under the image of the oldest son.
As it is the object of Jesus to justify his own conduct, so it is he who is to be understood under the
shepherd, the woman, and the father, for the train of
thought pursued in the parables, in reference to ver. 1
and 2, is this: Ye blame my conduct, but if it must
be allowed that the conduct of a shepherd, etc., is as
natural as it is good and beneficent; ye must cast no
reflections upon me, for such precisely is my bearing
to sinners.  Andl as it is pre-eminently the receiving




THE LOST SHEEP, &c.            289
love of God toward sinners, which is justified in the
third parable, it naturally lay out of the way to say
any thing of the work of redemption through the death
of the Mediator; but the silence maintained here can
be no refutation of the numberless other passages, in
which the favour shown to the sinner is made to depend upon the sacrificial death of Christ. And the
objection taken from this parable of the lost son against
the doctrine of redemption that the sinner returns immediately to God, and, without any regard had to a
Mediator, is received and blessed by him, falls of itself
to the ground, because Christ is the Father, who receives sinners, v. 2, (as father he is also represented
in Isaiah ix. 6,) nor is the image of the father at any
rate the principal idea, but only his receiving love. The
correlative object in all the three parables, the sheep,
the piece of money, the son, is the sinner, the individual
sinner; for though the departure of the prodigal son
from his father might well be understood in reference
to the transactions of the fall, or rather, can be applied
to these, inasmuch as the same appearances manifest
themselves in both; yet, to make this application of it is
not admissible, since, from the want of any corresponding object to the older son, it cannot be carried through
the entire parable. Some expositors, indeed, to make
good this application of it, have maintained, that as
the prodigal son signifies the whole of humanity, so
the holy angels are to be understood by the other son,
but it is impossible to attribute to the blessed angels
so unfeeling and envious a disposition, as is ascribed
to the oldest son in v. 28-30, and it would besides
run counter to what is said in v. 7, and especially in
v. 10, where our Lord speaks of the joyful sympathy
of the angels and inhabitants of heaven. By the prodigal son, therefore, we are to understand only individual sinners, and the eldest son is consequently to
be identified with the pharisees and scribes; the objection which is taken against this from v. 29, that no
one could boast of so perfect an obedience, is without
2.5




290          TIlE PARABLES OF JESUS.
any weight, since the son merely spoke what he himself judges to be true, that he had conducted himself
in a blameless manner, and so as pre-erninently to deserve the approbation of his father-and this was precisely what the pharisees judged of themselves. That
the father makes no reply to the arrogance of his
speech, but passes it by in silence, affords no support
to this objection, much less is it a confession to the
truth and justice of the affirmations made in the speech.
This silence is very naturally explained from the chief
design of the parable, which would have suffered violence by entering any farther into the words in question. And, indeed, the expression in v. 29, carries a
reference to those who, according to v. 7, needed no
repentance, for the older son was such a one as thought
he had no need of repentance, and thus the difficult
words in v. 7 derive no doubtful illustration from the
sentiment of the older brother, who, like the pharisees
in regard to Jesus, murmured against thb love of his
father, and consequently showed that he still did stand
in need of repentance.
In Matthew, the parable of the straying, sought,
and again found sheep, must be viewed as designed
not so much for the justification of Jesus, as for the
farther illustration of the sentiment contained in v. 11,
viz. that the Son of Man came to save that which was
lost; and v. 14 then contains a conclusion drawn from
the comparison, to the effect that even as the shepherd
did not wish the loss of any of his sheep, as little did
God wish any of his little ones to perish, and therefore
did it behoove Christ, as sent by the Father, and come
into the world, to save sinners. Calvin: (' In Matthew
the parable proceeds farther, and intimates not only
that the disciples of Christ must be tenderly cherished,
but that their faults must be borne with, so as that we
may be the more successful in winning them back,




THE LOST StIEEP, &C.         291
when they have gone astray. For although it is possible that they may sometimes wander, yet because
they are sheep, over whom God has appointed his
own Son to be shepherd, it is proper that they be gathered from their wanderings; and it is the less to be
permitted that they should be inhumanly driven away.
The purport of what is contained in Luke is somewhat
different, and goes to show, that as the whole human
race belongs to God, those who have wandered must
be brought back, and the same sort of rejoicing must
be held when the wicked have been reclaimed, as is
wont to be experienced by him who unexpectedly recovers what he had given up for lost."
Ver. 1. Then drew near unto him all the publicans
and sinners; that is, all who were in that neighbourhood. Luther, Church-Pos. 13. 31: "Those were
formerly called publicans, who took from the Romans
a city, custom, or bailiwick, paying for it a certain
revenue; and because this was a large sum, such officials must needs flay people with their exactions, that
they might make good their own; hence were they
every where so notorious for their exactions, that no
one expected to find among them much piety or worth.
On this account they are named along with sinners,
the crowd of wicked and abandoned persons, who lived
in open profligacy and licentiousness."-Drew near to
him, 5av Feyy&owVE5; it expresses a confidential and continued concourse of such persons about Jesus, proceeding from an affection of mind toward him, with the
design of listening to him. Luther, as above: " There
is still a spark or two of virtue and piety in them,
since they seek after Christ, and are desirous to hear
him preach, and to see what he would do, for they
well knew that he was a pious man, and that in his
words and deeds they should find nothing but what
was good; and although their disposition was far from
according with his life, yet they are not hostile to him,
so that there is still hope of their possibly being improved by him." Comp. ver. 17-20.




292          THE PARABLES OF JESUS~
Ver. 2. And the pharisees and scribes murmured.
Luther, as above: "Those who were reckoned the}
best and holiest were such poisonous reptiles, that they
not only hated Christ and refused themselves to listen
to him, but they could not bear besides that poor sinners should come to him that they might be profited."
— This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
Luther, again: " See, say they, is this your excellent,
pious man?  Who will say now that he is of God,
seeing that he takes up with such knaves and reprobates. Nay, he is a glutton and a wine-bibber, the associate of publicans and sinners, Matth. xi. 19. Such
names must Christ have from the pious, not that he
ate, drank, and revelled with them, but only because
he suffered them to come to him, and did not despise
them or push them away from him.  They lord it over
Christ, and would prescribe rules to him, how he should
conduct himself and live holily."
The judgment pronounced by them denotes their
want of love, (comp. ver. 30)-for these publicans and
sinners were not so bad as the pharisees supposedand bespoke their heartless indifference toward the improvement and salvation of sinners. But it is also
perverse, for how else could sinners be delivered? and
malicious in respect to Christ, who in his fellowship)
with sinners acted as a physician; (Matth. ix. 12,)
neither sick himself, nor liable to be sick, nor delighting
in the sickness of others, but loving the sick so tenderly
that he would deliver them from their sickness, which
he cordially dislikes. Luther, in his House-Pos. 4.
248, says, concerning the origin of this perverse judgment upon Christ's converse With sinners; "The
pharisees interpreted it very ill, as if it had been an
indication of peculiar levity, seeing it becomes a pious
man to take up and associate with pious people. But
they knew nothing more of God's word than is taught
by Moses and the law. And because the language
held there is, that God would be gracious to those
who were holy and kept his commandments, but would




THE LOST SHEEP, &C.           293
punish the wicked who do not keep them, the scribes
and pharisees therefore concluded, that it did not become men to act otherwise toward sinners than God
did towards them. Because he is angry at them and
will not receive them, neither must we receive them,
but drive them away.  Thus also does our reason
judge. Our blessed Lord, however, forms another
judgment, and makes no account of such reasoning as
that of the pharisees, nay, comes precisely to the opposite conclusion, viz. that God is not an enemy to sinners, nor has any desire for their death, therefore could
he, Jesus Christ, not be an enemy to them. This is
a different doctrine from that of Moses and the law,a doctrine which does not grow up in our hearts, but
is brought down to us from heaven by the Son of God."
Whenever, therefore, from want of Christian feeling,
the reception of sinners is blamed, we must support
ourselves by taking up the Christian position-this
Jesus receives sinners. Mel.: "Christ, however, so
receives and gathers a church even from those who
have lived without the restraint of godly discipline,
only if they repent; he does not receive those who
persevere in sin against their conscience, as is plainly
declared, 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. 1 John iii. 8. Let us
therefore understand that repentance is necessary."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
What a value Christ sets on the salvation of each
sinner.
This is discovered:
I. From the pains taken by him for the salvation of
the erring sinner;
(1.) The ground of this being done:
a.) Because every sinner belongs to Christ; v. 4:
What man is there having a hundred sheep.
b.) Because, being full of love, he wills the salvation of every sinner; v. 4: If he lose one of them.
c.) Because the misery of the sinner is so great, v.
4: It is a lost sheep.
25



9-31         THE PARABLES OF JESUS,
(2.) The outward manifestation of it:
a.) He applies to each sinner a special attention; r.
4: He leaves the ninety and nine in the wilderness.
b.) He willingly undertakes all trouble, in order to
save him, v. 4: Goes after that which is lost.
c.) And is indefatigable in his efforts to save, v. 4:
Until he find it.
II. From what takes place after the salvation of
the sinner, and that,
(1.) In reference to himself:
a.) He does not treat him with deserved punishment,
v. 5.
b.) He facilitates his safe return to the good, v. 5.
c.) He gives expression to his heartfelt joy, v. 5.
(2.) In reference to others, who are called to a participation in the joy:
a.) Because he rejoices himself, v. 6. Rejoice with
me:
b.) Because the salvation is so happy a circumstance,
v. 6. For I have found, &c.
c.) Because the inhabitants of heaven show that they
gladly participate in the joy, v. 7.
V. 4. Who has a hundred sheep, he is a rich shepherd; if he lose one of them, the care and oversight,
which he directs towards all, does not lead him to neglect any part, he is equally attentive to all, Matth.
x. 30,-even the individual sinner is not beneath his
notice, though the pharisees could look upon all sinners
with indifference.  Gnomon: "The largeness of the
flock discloses the concern of the shepherd for one
sheep."  The shepherd is proprietor, Luther, HousePos. 4. 252: "Our blessed Lord says: Sinners are
my purchased, dear-bought property, for I have bought
them to myself by my sufferings and death; so that,
should they again escape from my hands, and go out
of the way, it is impossible for me not to grieve and
to be deeply affected, since they have cost me so dear,
and have become so much an object of concern that it
would indeed pain me were they still to fall into the




TIHE LOST SHEEP.            295
hands of the devil." This is the first ground of love,
and the next is set forth in the miserable condition of
the lost sheep. "Nothing (as Luther says,) can be
more miserable; for when a sheep has wandered from
the flock into the wilderness it cannot help itself, but
is every moment in danger, without being able to uphold or defend itself. Even so is it with the sinner.
There remains for us just this one consolation, that
we have a shepherd, one blessed Redeemer, who himself undertakes for us and seeks us. The multitude
(he elsewhere says, Church-Pos. 13. 52) must not be
reckoned the lost sheep, who live on securely in their
sins, and are alike indifferent whether God smiles or
frowns; but they are the erring, lost sheep, who are
touched with a sense of sin, and stand in the conflict
of faith, in doubt and concern, whether God will be
gracious to them." In this state, according to v. 2,
were the publicans and sinners who were received by
Christ.
Doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness,
properly, upon the pasture-ground, in the pin-fold,
where they are well cared for. Luther, House-Pos.
4. 252: "Just as a mother, who has many children,
that are all equally dear to her, and would not have
one of them taken from her, should it happen that
one of them falls sick and comes into jeopardy, this
makes a difference among the children, the sick one
becomes now the dearest, and she can neither interest herself much in any thing besides, nor pay much
heed to it. If any one would judge of love by the
diligence applied, he would say, —the mother loves
the sick child, but not the others that are in health.
So, the Lord here says, it is with me in regard to the
sinner."  The first manifestation of love to the sinner, is that he becomes the object of such special care
and attention../nd go after that which is lost —in order to seek
it; to apply all care, love, and faithfulness toward
the recovery of the sinner, for of his own accord he




THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
would not come back to enjoy the blessed fellowship
with God, but would go into a state of endless perdition-hence a divine plan of salvation is necessary.
Gnomon: "In recovering the soul, it is not man but
God who labours, as it were, v. 8." Luther, as
above: "Such seeking proceeds, when Christ everywhere causes his word to be publicly proclaimed. In
it we hear how dreadful an evil and burden sin is,
which brings us down to everlasting condemnation,
(the law;) but there also we hear, that God's paternal love has been moved, that he has given us his
dear Son, and cares for nothing but that we thankfully
receive the gift, rest in faith upon his word, and become willingly obedient to him, (the gospel.)"  The
second manifestation.
Until he find it; this marks the continued, unwearied endeavour of the poor shepherd to effect the
deliverance of the sinner; he leaves nothing untried,
through parents, teachers, conscience, providences,
(v. 14, the scarcity has an effect on the resolution of
the prodigal son,) in order to work upon the sinner,
and beget in him the desire of amendment.'Third
manifestation of love. Luther, as above: " Such finding takes place when the wandering sheep, the poor
sinner, from the word preached, comes in confidence
to God, thinks and resolves within himself; Quick,
quick, return and cease, ere God's anger overtake thee,
while he would still be gracious to thee, if thou only
wouldest not, through such wayward sinfulness, sink
deeper into guilt."  Gnomon-: "Therefore did Jesus
Christ follow sinners even to their meals and tables,
where the sin principally manifested itself."
V. 5. He layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing, —the
first manifestation of joy at having found the sheep,
the other is given in v. 6. Instead of venting reproaches, he lightens the sinner's return by this exercise of love, helps him to overcome hinderances, removes difficulties, strengthens weakness with divine
-power, v. 20-2:3.  Luther House-Pos, 4. 254: " He




THE LOST SHEEP.             297
forgives them their sins and'takes them under the
wing of his protections that they may be secure from
the wolf and other wild beasts."  " He deals with the
sheep, not by law or force, as he well might, driving
it before him like other sheep, and letting it go itself;
but he takes all the labour and trouble upon himself,
that the sheep may have ease and rest, and does it
heartily. And so the sheep is safe from all error and
delusion, danger and destruction. This is, indeed, a
refreshing picture, full of love and consolation. This
bearing secures that we be kept safe, and have nothing
to fear, just as the sheep on the shoulders does not concern itself, should the hounds -be bellowing, or the wolf
prowling around. Therefore we also, so long as we
abide in faith, need not be afraid bf becoming lost, for
we are not then pursuing our own course, not even
walking upon our own feet, but hang upon the neck
of our beloved shepherd,-else were we indeed poor
sheep, ready to perish." Gnomon: " He might have
used the service of a menial, but love and joy make
the work pleasant to himself."  Mel.: "The text
contains a sweet intimation of the passion of Christ;
he places the found sheep upon his shoulders, that is,
he transfers our burden to himself, becomes a victim
for us; thence bearing us, he carries us to his own
flock, bears, feeds, sustains and governs us."
V. 6. This demand occurs in v. 28-32, and has
reference to the pharisees. Such mutual joy has its
ground in true love to Christ and sinners as our brethren; it is justified by. the pains of the shepherd, and
the good fortune of the sinner, as having attained to
salvation; it is the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, andt
in its own nature a feeling that has place in heaven,
as we learn, from v. 7, while, on the other hand, the
mode of thinking adopted by the pharisees, v. 2, and
by the elder brother, v. 28, is ungodly, wicked and
devilish.  Luther, House-Pos. 4. 253: " The heart of
our Lord Jesus Christ is here represented so full of
joy and love, that it were impossible for any one to
make him appear more kind and joyful." Gnomon



298          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
"' Jesus Christ at his ascension plainly returned home,
for heaven is his home, John xiv. 2, and then especially did he certify the heavenly inhabitants of what
he had done on earth.  Hence sat, will be, the future in v. 7, but yvEta is, the present in v. 10. Interchange these words for a little, and you will perceive the difference." Friends and neighbours, Gnomon: "The different orders of heavenly beings, not
excepting the angels, v. 10.  JVeighbours, those who
inhabit not the same, but an adjoining house; friends,
those who from good-will take part."
V. 7. The practical application of the parable.
Joy in heaven, before God with Christ, the holy
angels and all the saints, showing that the heavenly
inhabitants participate in such transactions occurring
on earth, as have an important bearing on the divine
kingdom, and thereby implying a new, a primary obligation on the part of the good to receive sinners, as
also a justification of the conduct of Jesus. Gnomon:
" Unto you, most- sharply rebuking, by this joy, the
murmuring of the pharisees. The shepherd, Jesus
Christ, has many friends and neighbours, but especially the spirits of the just, who may the rather participate in this joy, because they are more closely allied
to men. In v. 10, a rise is made to the angels, who
are there more especially named, because the man
Christ is not contemplated as present.  Nor are the
angels said to know the event from intercourse with
men, for they cannot all be with any one man, but
from its being revealed by the Lord, which it may
equally be to the spirits of the just. Thus, in Rev.
xviii. 20, the other inhabitants of heaven are distinguished from the angels."
One sinner that repenteth. Luther, House-Pos. 4.
255: " It is not called repentance, if men merely in
outward behaviour become holy, but when they trust
in God's goodness through Christ, and believe in the
forgiveness of sins.  Such sinners will Christ receive,
v. 2, 17-19. He would also gladly receive others,




THE LOST SHEEP.             299
but they will not come to him, and so he must let them
go." Repentance, accordingly, includes faith in itself,
takes its rise in a change of mind, and leads to amendment of life, both outwardly and inwardly. Over one
sinner, more than over ninety and nine just persons,the greatness of this joy arises from the difficulties attending conversion, and its unexpectedness, just as one
is disposed to prize health more highly after sickness,
and life, after a remarkable deliverance from danger.
Grotius: " It is said there is more joy, because things
unlooked for, or well-nigh despaired of, affect us more
deeply.  But it is much more difficult to break off the
habit of sin than to continue in an approved course of
life, without open backsliding." The sense of the expression, however, as in Luke xviii. 14. Matth. xxi.31,
is this,-There is great joy over such sinners, but none
at all over those who think they are righteous, though
they are really not so. To understand by the righteous, persons of such supposititious piety is quite necessary, on account of the reference which this parable
carries to the pharisees, and the description given of
the old brother.  Grotius: "Christ opposes ninetynine just persons to one sinner, not because the fact
actually stood thus, for very few live according to
strict rule, but because, although matters had so stood,
even for the sake of that one, great labour would have
been undertaken; how much more when in this degenerate world,. there was such a multitude of sinners,
such a scarcity of righteous men! Who need no repentance,-is therefore the course of such as hold
themselves for righteous.  It might be granted that
they do not need such a repentance or conversion as
the prodigal son, but daily repentance, daily increase
and growth in what is good is needed by every one.
Our Lord here then accords no actual righteousness
to the scribes and pharisees, Matt. v. 20.  Gnomon:
" They do not need repentance, because they are with
the shepherd, and have already repented. The righteous man is in the way,-the penitent returns to it."




300            THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
Calvin: " The word repentance, is especially restricted to the conversion of those, who having been wholly
alienated from God, are raised as from death to life.
For otherwise there ought to be a purpose of repentance through the whole life; nor is any one exempted
from this necessity, since the faults and imperfections of all urge them to strive after daily advancement."*
* [In the concluding remarks on this parable, the same thing
occurs, of which notice has been taken in a previous note. Our
author throws out a certain opinion regarding the comparatively
little rejoicing which is held over the ninety and nine righteous
persons, and presently introduces quotations from other commentators, who express themselves in favour of a different opinion. We think our author has not displayed his usual discrimination in the view he has himself adopted on this occasion. It
gives a very jejune turn to the sentiment to make it mean, "There
is great joy over repenting sinners, but none over those who
think they are righteous, though they are really not so." None!
certainly not, less than none-they are in the very opposite condition to that which can be the occasion of joy to holy beings.
But in this way the sentiment loses all its point,-it would be
much the same as to say, that the woman in the next parable
who had found-the lost piece of silver, rejoiced greatly on account
of that one, but did not rejoice on account of some other nine
pieces she possessed of counterfeit coin. Such a shallow sentiment was not worth being uttered, arn if it had, would not have
served the purpose our Lord had in view,-it could not have justified his peculiar solicitude for the recovery, and his peculiar joy
at the repentance of profligate sinners. The ground of the one,
was the extreme peril in which they stood, while still sinners;
the ground of the other, the safe and blessed condition on which,
through repentance, they had just entered. The transition from
the one of these conditions to the other, is that which constitutes
the grand peculiarity in the case of the repentant sinner, and
gives rise to feelings in Christ and the holy angels, concerning
him which are not called for in the case of the righteous-those
who really are such, not in their own estimation merely, but in
the mind and reckoning of God-they are established in the possession of life and blessing,-they are basking in the sunshine of
divine favour, secure of every real and substantial good, and
on that account they are indeed the objects of complacent delight
to the inhabitants of heaven; but the farther they are from the
condition of sinners, the more secure they are from the danger of
eternal ruin, there is so much the less call for exulting over them
with the singular, extraordinary joy at present in question. Our
Lord, therefore, is not thinking here of such pretenders to right



THE LOST PIECE OF SILVER.             301
XXX.
THE LOST PIECE OF SILVERS (DRACHMA.)
Luke xv. 8-10.
ON Christ's design in delivering a second parable,
so very similar to the preceding one, Luther says,
House-Pos. 4. 257: "That our Lord did not stop
with the one parable of the shepherd and sheep, but
went on to give another; he showed therein his will
that others also should follow his example, not vilely casting away sinners, but seeking to bring them to
repentance. But what le says further in this parable may be thus, perhaps, explained. The first parable bears respect solely to our blessed Lord himself,
who is the only true shepherd, and is not hostile to
the sheep, but lays down his life for it, that it might
be delivered  and set free from  the devil.  But the
other parable of the woman bears respect to the Christian church, which has committed to it the office of
preaching, that poor sinners may be shut up to repentance, delivered from  condemnation, and made eternally blessed."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
The value of the lost sinner in the estimation of
Christ. This is made to appear:
I. From the dignity which belongs to man even in
his lost condition;
eousness as the scribes and pharisees, but of those who, whatever
they may once have been, are now settled in a state of peace
with God, and blessed enjoyment of his favour. He is bringing
out a great principle of the divine government in regard to others,
who are just entering into this state, from one entirely the reverse, and his object is simply to tell us, that while still unreclaimed, they are, like the lost sheep, the objects of a special solicitude-when recovered, the occasion of a special and quite peculiar joy; and this, not because it was a better thing in itself
to exercise the repentance which brought such a happy change,
than to be in a condition which did not need such a change to be
wrought, but only because a condition so fraught with peril,
had been exchanged for one so unspeakably better.] — Trans.
26




302          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
(1.) He is, indeed, lost to the original end of his being, —a lost coin;
(2.) But he can be restored to this again,-the lost
money can be recovered.
II. From the pains taken by the Lord for the lost
sinner.
III. From the joy experienced on account of his deliverance, and which discovers itself;
(1.) Both in regard to the Lord himself, v. 9; Rejoice with me;
(2.) And also in regard to others, v. 9, 10.
V. 8. Pieces of silver, —the coin mentioned is the
drachma, of the value of sevenpence half-penny. Gray:
" Here the primeval dignity of the soul, in its original
state, is compared to a piece of silver, having the
image of the great Sovereign of the universe stamped
upon it.  "God made man upright," bearing resemblance to himself in his intellectual and moral attributes,
capable of an endless progress toward perfection. But
man, being left to the freedom of his will, degenerated
from the rectitude of his nature, so that his original
glory is departed from him. In this state of moral
corruption, he is compared, here, to a piece of beautiful coin, for a time lost in the dust of the earth, where
its former lustre is miserably tarnished, and its value
diminished. Such is the fatal influence of sensual
passions to deface the divine image after which we
were created." Similar images are to be found in
Lam. iv. 1. Isa. i. 22. Jer. vi. 30.
Light a candle, and sweep the house,-an image of
earnest desire, and of the great trouble, prompted by
love, which was taken to recover what was lost, v.
9. Friends and neighbours, (female,) Gnomon:'The angelic hosts have not the distinction of sexes;
they are considered, however, as remaining at home
or going abroad-abroad, in manly attire, prepared
for war; at home, in the domestic and peaceful garb
of females."




TIHE PRODIGAL SON.           303
XXXI.
THE PRODIGAL SON.
Luke xv. 11-32.
UPlON the incomparable beauty of this parable, Lavater, in his reflections upon the most important passages of the gospels, thus remarks: "What would
not Christ have deserved of humanity if he had done
nothing else than delivered this parable or history,
with its meaning? I may boldly say, where is there
any thing to be found like this parable?  What human teacher has placed the folly of human nature,
and the consequences of this folly, in such simple,
clear, and graphic colours before our eyes; and, in
contrast therewith, has given of the long-suffering and
compassion of God so inexpressibly rich.an exhibition,
as is done in this discourse, which, also, has no parallel for its adaptation to the capacity of all!  Had
Christ only come to the earth for the purpose of delivering this parable,-on that account alone should
1ll mortal and immortal beings have concurred in bending the knee before him, and confessing with their
tongues, that he is a Son immeasurably superior to all
others, to the glory of God the Father." Theremin,
in his Sermons, vol. iii., says of this parable: "Is
there any instruction concerning the state of human
nature; —is there a warning to recall us from the path
of destruction;-is there an assurance of divine grace
and compassion which is not contained in these few
words, and unfolded there to our view?"
It is certainly wrong in Vitringa and others, to understand this parable of the reception of the heathen
to the fellowship of the gospel, and the envy and dislike with which this was regarded by the Jews. For,
as the occasion of the parable had no reference at all
to this, and its comprehensive import is quite lost by
such a reference; so it is undoubtedly better and more
agreeable to the design of Jesus, to understand it of




301          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
the gracious reception, which the sinner may expect
from the mercy of God, whenever, with true contrition and childlike confidence, he turns from his evil
ways, and yields himself to God.  Calvin: "This
parable is simply a confirmation of the preceding doctrine. And, under the person of this young prodigal,
Christ describes all sinners, who, wearied with their
own folly, throw themselves on the grace of God."
Mel.: "Although the parable may, with propriety,
be referred to the Jews and gentiles; yet, under the
prodigal son, men are universally to be understood,
who live, without restraint, in open abandonment.
And, on the other hand, the more prudent son represents those who are decent and upright in their lives."
The parable divides itself-into four chief heads; 1.
ver. 11-16, representing the falling away of the sinner from God, and the great misery consequent thereupon to himself; 2. ver. 17-20, describe the change
of mind which he underwent; 3. ver. 20-24, relate
the gracious reception which he met with from his father; 4. ver. 25-32, exhibit the feelings and behaviour of the elder brother.
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
Of repentance.
I. The necessity of repentance is grounded:
(-1.) In the state of preceding sinfulness;
a) Origin thereof, v. 12: Give me, Father, &c.
b) Nature of sin, v. 13: And not long thereafter,
&c.
c) Manifestation of itself, v. 13: And there wasted
his substance, &c.
(2.) And in the misery consequent upon sin;
a) The man still has a desire after blessedness, v, 14:
b) And feels his miserable condition, v. 14:
Began to be in want.
c) And seeks in vain for relief, v. 15: Went and
joined himself, &c.




TEE PRODIGAL SON.            305
d) And sinks, the longer the deeper, v. 15: Sent
him to feed swine;
e) And never finds the longed for satisfaction, v.
16.
II. The nature of repentance is described, v. 1720:
(1.) The sinner comes to a right understanding, v.
17: Came to himself.
(2.) Perceives the exceeding greatness of his misery, v. 17: How many hired servants in my father's
house, &c.
(3.) Forms good resolutions, v. 18: I will arise,
&c.
(4.) Recognises his guilt, v. 18: Father, I have
Sinned, &c.
(5.) Humbles himself, v. 19.
(6.) By faith actually returns, v. 20: He arose, and
came to his father.
III. The blessed result of repentance is set forth, v.
20-32:
(1.) In reference to a compassionate God, v. 2024.
a.) God desires the repentant feeling, v. 20: When
he was yet a great way off, &c.
b.) Graciously receives the sinner, v. 20: Had compassion, &c.
c.) Facilitates to him the execution of his purpose,
v. 21.
d.) Heaps upon him marks of love, grace and goodness, v. 22, 23.
e.) And calls for a general expression of joy, v. 24.
(2.) In reference to the self-righteous, v. 25-32.
a.) Their cold-hearted envy is thereby excited, v.
28: He was angry, &c.
b.) They accuse God of unrighteousness, v. 29, 30.
c.) They overlook God's goodness to themselves, v.
31.
d.) And violate the obligations to mutual love, v,
32.
26*




306          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
V. 12. Father, give me the portion of goods that
falleth to me,-a speech of self-sufficient, and wayward selfishness, originating in a feeling, that man has
something to be regarded as his own, and manifesting
an unchildlike, ungodly state of mind. Mel.: " The
son is guilty of a twofold error, first seeking his inheritance before the time, while his father was still
living, then withdrawing himself from the authority
of his father, and going where he should not be checked
by paternal admonitions.  Thus in our wantonness
we all seize upon the inheritance before the time,the gifts of mind and other things, which God has bestowed upon us for his service, transferring to ourselves and wickedly abusing, so that our mind is not
made the dwelling-place of God, our body is polluted
and rendered an instrument of the devil, and our goods
are expended upon base pleasures. Mark here also
grammatically, E7scaxov LOo~ is — a geometrical term,
and is used to denote a certain proportion.".Ind he
divided unto them his living, he gave it up, without
any restraint upon its free use; God deals with man
as a free being, subject to no compulsion.
V. 13. And not many days after, the younger son
gathered all together, and took his journey into afar
country,-the essence of all sin, separation and departure from God. The design of the son is to be happy, and independent of his father-perfect freedom
appears to him to be an indispensable condition of
happiness: hence he regards his dependence upon a
wise and good father, as a hinderance to his enjoyment,
and chooses a state of separation from him, as the
only effectual means of accomplishing his design, and
making good his hopes. In this there was manifested
a want of confidence in the love and wisdom of his
father, and an ungracious, insolent slighting of the
comfort he had hitherto experienced under his father's
roof. The removal to a distant place, shows the unchildlike heart of the son. Grotius: "Appropriately
in regard to the thing signified, for they are said to




TIlE PRODIGAL SON.           307
remove themselves far from God, who lay aside all
fear of him, Ps. lxxiii. 27." —./nd there wasted his
substance with riotous living. When withdrawn from
fellowship with God, man sinks continually deeper, so
that all the powers and faculties of his soul are misapplied and squandered upon what is worthless, and the
gifts bestowed upon him are lost to their proper destination.  The necessity of divine guidance, and of
childlike subordination, the incapacity of man to govern himself, and the rashness of his foolish levity, are
here depicted.  Calvin: " Nor is it to be doubted,
that under this picture, the extraordinary goodness of
God, and his incomparable long-suffering toward us is
disclosed, lest the excessive magnitude of our guilt,
might deter us from the hope of obtaining pardon."
Theremin, as above: "What avail us the high endowments with which the goodness of God has enriched us, even in our banishment, since the love to
him, which ought to have directed all their use, is
wanting, and selfishness, with all the desires it naturally gives rise to, has obtained the supremacy! We
do often but misemploy our reason, to gratify our lusts,
-we destroy our good by indulgence."
V. 14-16. The mournful consequences of departure from  God are here depicted.  Mel.: "For the
most part, temporal punishments regularly follow,
even in this life, contempt of God, and that for three
reasons, —on account of God's justice, for the restraint
of men's passions, and as calls to repentance." His
having spent all, marks the internally degraded state
of the sinner, his ignorance, his unbelief, Eph. iv. 18,
19. Rom. i. 21. —There arose a mightyfamine,-the
desire of good, the longing after bliss is never wholly
extinguished in the human heart, however far sinners
are from rightly understanding it; and, if at times it
seems quite gone, and sinners think themselves happy,
other times again come, when they begin to be in want,
i. e. to have a keen feeling of their necessities, their
misery, and the unsatisfying nature of all that is




30S         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
temporal; for he hungers, or seeks after what can afford a better and truer satisfaction to the wants of his
nature.
V. 15. The greatness of the sinner's misery must
soon remind him of the heart and house of his father;
but still he is so proud as to think that he will succeed,
that he can help himself, and possibly may find aid
elsewhere, so that he shall be spared the necessity of
humbling himself before his father. " He went and
joined himrelf to a citizen of that country,-the sinner seeks enjoyment among the children of this
world; worldly wisdom, worldly cares and labours
must provide him with the necessary and wished for
help. Gnomon: "Although he was not made a citizen here. He who is on the way of amendment is
often held fast in his error, by something thrown out
to him from the men of this world."   Theremin:
"Instead of that freedom which is only to be found
in God's service, who always commands what is best,
most honourable and blessed, we have sunk into the
most wretched and despicable slavery. That principle in our nature, which makes it painful for us to
deny ourselves to feelings of honour and of shame, is
now laid hold of by sin, which reigns over us; and
we continue to live in sin, because we want courage
to break up all our relations, because our pride will
not bear that we should declare our past life to be error and sin."  He sent him into the fields to feed
swine, according to the Jewish notions, which regarded swine as impure, this is an image of the most stringent necessity, of the deepest wretchedness, of the
most depressed condition. Once a son, now a slave;
once in his father's house, now in that of an alien;
once with a most affectionate parent, now with a hard
master. Such is the sinner's miserable state.
Ver. 16..And he would fain have filled his belly
with the husks, —things without value, power, or
substance, quite incapable of satisfying his desire,vain wisdom and such like things he seeks after.




THR PRODIGAL SON.            309
Gnomon: "The greater the vanity of the things, the
more his desire grows."-s-Jnd no one gave to him,he does not find in them what he hoped and wished,
cannot appropriate them for the satisfaction of his
soul. What are here called husks, are properly a
kind of pods —the pods of the carob tree, with which
swine are fed.
Ver. 17. When he came to himself; Gnomon:
"'Food for -the dissipation of his mind, (in French not
inaptly expressed by se divertir) had failed. His return takes its beginning in the depth of his misery,
which had so far allayed the fever of sin, that he can
first come to himself and then to his God, penitence,
conversion."   When his necessity had reached its
highest pitch, and all endeavours to help himself or
obtain deliverance from men had failed, he arrives at
last at a clearer and more perfect apprehension of his
state, which hitherto the intoxication of pleasure and
the binding influence of life had prevented him from
seeing. Necessity, therefore, was and still is often
the means, which our Heavenly Father uses to awaken
sinners to the perception of the one grand necessity,to occasion it is the part of the seeking shepherd.
Calvin: " We have here described to us the manner in
which God invites men to repentance.  If they were
wise in themselves, and would yield to instruction, he
would draw them more gently, but because they will
not become obedient unless subdued by discipline, he
deals with them more severely."
How many hired servants of my father's have
bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger,
— a plain confession of the exceeding greatness of his
misery, represented in the contrasted circumstances,
servants and son,-they possessed of all abundance,
he perishing for want. In this comparison appear the
first traces of a change of mind on the part of the
son; living in the father's house has come again to be
an object of desire, dependence is salutary, and what
he once so contemptuously slighted, he now recog



310          THE PARABLES OF JESUIS
nises as a real good; he thinks, judges, feels and perceives now, quite differently, nay, in a precisely opposite manner to what he formerly did, and feels sensibly drawn to what he once had an aversion.
V. 18. From this pre-existing change in thought
and feeling, comes the purpose —I will arise, etc.and finally the execution of this purpose by actually
going; so that repentance is here described in its leading features as a complete revolution in knowledge,
sentiment, will and consequent behaviour. —Father, I
have sinned against thee, and before thee.  By the
term Father, he expresses his confidence in the still
unchanged and loving disposition toward him of his
much wronged parent. Genuine repentance, as it is
not without knowledge of its fault, so it is not ashamed
to confess its iniquity, viewing this in its real magnitude, as a violation of the obligations toward God and
our neighbour, by acts of sin. There is to be found
no excusing, no palliating or diminishing of past transgressions, but much self-reproach, where repentance
is sincere and earnest,-and at the same time a selfcondemnation, as the words in ver. 19 show, in which
the deep humility is expressed, wherewith the repentant sinner acknowledges, that he has. only to do
with grace, altogether irrespective of the outward
standing that may belong to him in consequence of his
good or bad behaviour; hence the son would be content with the place of a servant: and this affords decisive proof of the genuineness of his repentance, in
that he experienced godly sorrow more on account of
sin itself, than the sad consequences it had occasioned.
Grotius: " He does not cast the blame upon his youth
or upon his ill advisers, but without excuse of any
sort he makes naked confession of his guilt." Scholten:
"The things recorded in ver. 17-19, may be regarded by some as the returning of a man to a better
life, or the beginnings of his conversion, thenceforth
aided by God, and through his grace brought to a
happy issue, so that the man thus attains to a fully




VfIE PRODIGAL SON.           3t1
converted state.  But not only the entire doctrine of
the gospel, as taught by the apostles and evangelists,
but even the story of this parable itself, will not allow us to speak thus, For the publicans and sinners
did not of their own accord enter upon a new life, but
through the mighty power of our Lord's doctrine upon
their minds, whereby they were convinced of their
own depravity, of the misery thenrice arising to themselves, of the wrath of God, and their liability to future punishment, if they did not renounce their sinful
ways; and these representations, aided by the miraculous deeds of Christ, which convinced them of his
divine origin. By comparing this parable also with
the preceding ones, it manifestly appears, that the first
rise of conversion in the soul is not from man himself,
but from God, who begins the operation in a way suitable to reason, sometimes by other means, but especially by the word of the gospel rendered effectual by
the grace of the Holy Spirit. For the sheep, which
had wandered from the flock, returned not to the
shepherd of its own accord, but the shepherd carefully
sought until he found it; and the piece of money
which the woman lost, needed to be diligently searched
for, and only thus was recovered.  But why these
things? To show, that the conversion of men to God,
from whom they have revolted, must be ascribed only
to God himself."
V. 20. Aqnd he arose, and came to his father. —The
execution of his purpose lets us see into the heart of
this lost child, how faith wrought there, i. e. firm and
cheerful confidence in the still unchanged, abidingly
affectionate and gracious feeling of the father towards
him, though a sinner,-and also hope, i. e. an unshaken
confidence in the exercise of love, which he expected
of his father,-namely, pardon and acceptance. Without faith and hope he would not have returned; without them, therefore, he should not have been saved,
-he would have sunk into despair, and there perished.
The source of this faith could not be his state, his




312            THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
misery, but only the early acquired experience of his
father's love, (v. 12.) Every repentant sinner has
now, besides, God's word of promise, upon which he
can rest in faith.  Matthb  xi. 28-30, and  even this
faith is salvation begun.*
* [The connexion between repentance and faith, and their mutual action and re-action in the case of the prodigal, is so happily
expressed by Draeseke in the following remarks, that we cannot
forbear quoting them here. "In the deep abyss into which his
own waywardness had plunged him, his eyes were opened, and
he becomes capable of the walk of repentance and faith.'How
many hired servants.... I will arise and go to my father.' He had left, in folly, his father's house. It is still far
from him. Return to it seems impossible. Yet it stands before
him, as if he actually saw it in all its glory, and it wonderfully
captivates his soul. There, indeed, was faith, that he did not
see the father's house and yet saw it. It was the spirit of faith,
which made him capable of calling him, whom he had so lightly
abandoned, so grievously vexed, by the name of father, and confiding in his fatherly heart. That faith he assuredly had,' which
is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things
not seen.' And repentance has he not less than faith. The
more he believes in his father's love and the possibility of regaining a place in his father's house, his alienation and misery press
the more heavily upon him. He cannot bear them, and, in the
pain he experiences, behold repentance stirring.-The more he
believes in his father's love, and the possibility of regaining a
place in his father's house, the more he feels himself unworthy of
being called a son.'Father, I have sinned, &c.' See there the
self-knowledge in which repentance proceeds, the self-condemnation which it produces, the self-humiliation which it carries along
with it. The more he believes in his father's love, and the possibility of regaining a place in his father's house, the more does
he heave the wish, Would that I were there! and strengthen
himself in the resolution,' I will arise and go.' See there the
new principle of delight in God's favour and active consecration
to God's service, with which repentance shines forth as a tree
covered with blossom, in which it approves itself as a good tree,
yielding good fruit, and perfects itself through the Holy Spirit,
in the walk of a regenerated life.-Now, from all this, learn the
inseparable connexion between faith and repentance. They mutually depend on each other. Without faith, no repentance. For
how can one return who knows not of a home? Without repentance, no faith. For how can the home be reached, if no return
is made? Both work in each other. Faith opens the kingdom
to the heart,-repentance opens the heart to the kingdom. Both
also succeed through each other. Faith without repentance were
self delusion. Repentance without faith were self-torture. Faith




THE PRODIGAL SON.               313
But when he was yet a great way off, his father
saw him.-The gentlest motions in the sinner's heart
are known to the all-seeing God.  Calvin: " This is
the main point of the parable. If men, who are both
naturally prone to revenge, and too tenacious of their
own rights, are yet so much alive to paternal affection
that they generously pardon their children, and readily
receive them after they have miserably ruined themselves, it is impossible that God, whose infinite goodness so far exceeds all the affection of parents, should
deal more hardly with us. Before they call, says he,
I will answer, Isa. lxv. 24. Ps. xxxii. 5." Mel.:
"On this place it is said by Basilius, You have but to
wish, and God anticipates. The father here looks upon
his son approaching, though still at a distance, —so
we draw near to God with slow and trembling step,
and bring with us no merits, but a polluted conscience
and great filth. Although we are such, however, yet
the Father meets us; if we only come, he sees us from
afar, that is, be knows our misery, cares for us, calls
us, is moved with compassion, and sincerely desires to
save us."
-/nd had compassion,-the feeling of righteous ind ignation against the sinner's guilt vanishes before
the compassion of God; the misery of his child, his
sorrow and regret, his thirsting desire after grace, his
good purposes and resolutions, which were proved to
be genuine by his actual return,-all this goes so
leeply to the father's heart, that be feels only the
tenderest compassion for him.-Ran, and fell on his
neck, and kissed him.  Mel.: "Ran, that is, while
is the restoration of the heart to a new sphere of vision, so that
it sees what before it saw not, thinks what before it thought not.
Repentance is the restoration of the heart to a new sphere of
action, so that it wills what before it willed not, does what before it could not do. And both together in the heart of a sinner,
are even as two divine sisters sent from heaven, to quell at once
the evils in his condition, and the tumults in his breast, and like
true guardian angels, to conduct him through the dangers of a
troublous ocean, into the haven of rest and peace."]-Trans.
L )-?




314          THE PARAtBLES OF SJEts.
we -languish, he draws us by his holy word and Spirit;
he falls uj on our neck, embraces us, supports us in
trouble and distress; for we should be overwhelmed
with grief and sorrow, were we not aided and upheld
by God.  He kisses us, that is, he intimates to us the
emission of sins, and assuages our pains and fears by
new light and consolation." These tokens of paternal, deep-seated affection disclose the truth, that the
all-seeing and merciful Jehovah, who discerns the inmnost emotions of the sinner's heart toward amendment,
crowns and blesses it with the feeling and consciousiiess of his grace and good-will in the heart of the sinlner, so that the sinner, who really is in that state of
mind described in v. 17-19, possesses a blessed experience of the affectionate disposition of his Father, and
becomes established in his faith and hope. What,
therefore, was before the conviction of faith, is now
the conviction of experience.  Calvin: "Christ compares God to the human father, who voluntarily meets
his returning son; for he reckons it not enough to pardcn those who entreat his mercy, but seeks to anticipite them by his paternal goodness."
V. 21. The resolved confession (v. 18) is now carried into effect; for we must confess our sins, 1 John
i. 9, and the father's love facilitates to the son the
work of unbosoming his heart.  Grotius: " It is proper for man to make acknowledgment of his guilt,
even after pardon has been announced to him." Since
the father has already acted toward him as a child,
and done more than he could ask, the words-make
ne as one of thy hired servants —are naturally dropped.
Calvin: " Here another part of repentance is marked,
namely, a sense of sin conjoined with sadness and
shame; for he, who does not grieve for having sinned,
will do any thing rather than think of turning to a
better course."  Mel.: " The son submits himself to
Lis father, confesses his fault, and acknowledges his
double crime, viz. that he has acted offensively toward
God and his father. In this acknowledgment and re



THE PROfUTGAL SON.            915
conciliation stands regeneration or spiritual reformation."
V. 22, 23. Even if we would not keep the individual in view here, we must still keep by the ideas
contained in the figure, viz., that the father applies
the riches of his compassion to his son, and by marks
of love not less numerous than certain and explicit,
assures him of his fatherly love, and the son's restoration to the standing of a child,-marks which shall
be to him now and henceforth dear pledges of paternal
affection, and not only retain, but ever and anon confirm him the more in grateful love and childlike obedience.  So that all the blessed experiences of heart
are here indicated, which are undergone by the penitent and believing sinner, -and a confirmation given,
at the same time, to the words in Ps. cxxx. 8-12;
Ez. xxxiii. 10, 11. But that the significance of the
particular traits is not alien to the mind of Jesus and
the nature of the parabolical style, is admitted even
by Grotius, who remarks on the place, " Besides the
general resemblance, there seems to be also, in the several parts, what admits of being allegorized. For
the kiss is beyond doubt the sign of reconciliation —so
that we have here declared to us the remarkable
goodness of God, who is so moved by the late repentance of the sinner, as to pardon his sins from the
mere promptings of divine mercy.  Although allegories are not anxiously to be sought for in the single
members of comparisons, yet there are some here not
to be overlooked, as they are suggested by the collation of other Scriptures. The robe, then, appears to
signify that continued purity of life, which, through
the grace of God, a grateful heart yields in return for
the great goodness it has experienced. A ring, among
the Romans, was the sign of nobility, among the
Orientals, of peculiar dignity or vast wealth. But as
rings were also used for sealing, the ancients did not
think amiss in understanding by the ring the gift of
the Holy Spirit, whereby we are sealed, 2 Cor, i. 22.




316          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
Shoes are also granted by God to penitents who are
received into favour, that they may be fitted for teaching others, if not by words, at least by example."
Calvin: "We shall not be torturing the plain letter
of scripture, if we say that our heavenly Father not
only pardons our sins, so as to bury them in forgetfulness, but also restores to us the gifts of which we
had divested ourselves."  Mel.: " The ring signifies
the gospel and faith, through which, the one receiving
the other, the son has the honour of a place in the family, has his pristine rank restored to him. For the
gospel is the word of reconciliation, and faith is the
apprehending and applying of this word, just as if the
bestowment of some honour were marked by a ring.
In fine, the ring is a mark of ally sort of treaty. But
he that has been reconciled enters anew into covenant
with God, and this is done by the believing reception
of the gospel.  A robe every where signifies a good
conscience. Shoes mean the works of our calling, in
which our faith ought principally to shine. But mention is made of thefatted calf, that there might be a
reference to the death of Christ, through which we
have been redeemed, and whose life provides for us
righteousness, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life; andl
by this Redeemer we are fed, as is said in John vi.,
that is, we come to God and receive consolation, we
are truly made alive."
The garment may be understood to intimate the
spiritual adorning, the sinner's state of mind, now wellpleasing to God, his righteous condition; the ring, an
image of freedom, may be taken as significative of the
deliverance brought to the sinner, through divine
grace, from the vile yoke of sin, and his future standing as a son given to him of love; the shoes may be
referred to the strength, which, through divine mercy,
is imparted to him for the walk of a new obedience;
and thefeast may be understood of the full enjoyment
of peace, and comfort, and blessing, which is experienced by the pardoned sinner. What these out



THE PRODIGAL SON.            317
ward marks of favour were to the son, we have,
through the goodness of our Lord, in the sacraments,
which are visible pledges of invisible divine grace, appropriated by faith. Mel.: " Hitherto, in this long
description of the return of the prodigal son, we have
set before us the most attractive image, drawing us to
repentance, testifying that we are received, and skilfully embracing both causes and effects. Wherefore
it must be often and carefully meditated, that we may
be stirred up to repentance and godliness."
Ver. 24. The ground is here intimated of the
general rejoicing. This my son was dead, and is alive
again-all life, even when most prosperous, without
fellowship with God, is but death and misery, Eph. ii.
5, 6. WTas lost, and is found, marks deliverance from
the condemnation of sin.
Ver. 25.  The elder son was in the field-busied
about earthly things, and, in the experience of his own
heart, far removed from the feelings of a pardoned
sinner, he knew nothing of this joy, which, however,
was not concealed from him, for the sound of it breaks
upon his ears.  Calvin: " This latter part of the parable accuses those of inhumanity, who seek maliciously
to restrain the grace of God, as if they envied the salvation of miserable sinners. For we know that the
pride of the pharisees is here levelled at, who thought
that due consideration was not had of their merits, if
Christ admitted the common herd of publicans and sinners to the hope of eternal life."  Mel.: " The reproof of the hypocrite is added. Here now he shows
that outward discipline, although it was spoken of
above with approbation, cannot satisfy the law of God.
Orderly behaviour, the carefil avoidance of scandals,
and a due regard to the public peace, is a becoming
and necessary thing, but in hypocrites there are great
internal vices, such as self-righteousness, arrogance,
vanity, contempt of others, who are reckoned beneath
them, and envy of those who appear to prosper, as
Saul envied David, and the elder brother here, iaI his
27*




318         TIlE PARABLC:4S OF JESUS,
frugality, thinks it hard that the prodigal should be
received and made equal with himself. For hypocrites,
because they conceive themselves to be alone eminent
in virtue, wish to reign alone. But true love rejoices
when those who have wandered from the way are
brought back, desires the good of brethren as well as
its own, rejoices in examples of mercy and kindness,
takes pleasure in the improvement of the bad, and
unites itself to -them that their degradation may be
screened."
Ver. 28. And he was angry-from envy and heartlessness toward his brother, full of indignation at the
tender love of the father, into whose state of feeling he
could not transport himself, because of his cold, selfish,
and contracted disposition..And would not go in,
would not participate in the joy.  Therefore came his
father out and entreated him.  What a contrast between a loveless and loving heart!  Calvin: "In
these words he chides the intolerable pride of hypocrites, seeing they must be entreated not to envy the
exercise of mercy to their brethren. Moreover, though
God did not ask, yet by his example he exhorts us to
tolerate the errors of our brethren."
Ver. 29. Lo, these many years do I serve theepride of desert-thinks he has something to claim for
his righteousness. Gnomon: "I serve, a confession
of servitude.  He does not add, father. Never gavest,
not to say killed; a kid, not to say a calf; friends,
as opposed to harlots."  Neither transgressed I at
any time thy commandment-blindness at the state of
his own heart; for even now he manifests a very unchildlike disposition; it is the pride of virtue in those
who boast themselves of their honour and integrity in
social life, but know nothing of the spirit of love.A1nd thou hast never given me a kid-he represents
the good things granted to him as very small when
put in comparison with those which had been afforded
to his brother, ver. 27: but not in accordance with the
truth, as we learn from ver. 31. The ground of the




THE PRODIGAL SON.            319
representation lies in the proud heart and lofty pretensions of those persons who are never content with that
which the grace of God gives to them, overlook it and
believe that they are treated with contempt, whereas
they would judge quite otherwise had they a truly
humbled spirit.  Ver. 30. But as soon as this thy son
was come, the fine hypocrite cannot prevail upon himself to call his brother by the name of brother, and
thereby discovers his want of love.  Who hath devoured thy living with harlots-he thinks the worst
of his brother, and describes his guilt in the grossest
manner, so that the kindness showed him by his father
might appear the highest injustice, partiality and unfairness toward himself.
Ver. 31. The meaning is, the goods and gifts which
thy brother has received are also for thee, and I will
by no means hinder thee from enjoying them. But
for the enjoyment another heart certainly is necessary
than this son possessed. Gnomon: " The father speaks
to him affectionately-son, and does not immediately
(Irive from him the envious brother..Always, and,
therefore it was not necessary that there should be
any special rejoicing; with me, it is better to be happy with a father than with a multitude of friends;
mine, it is not necessary to seek for friendship abroad;
are thine, for the younger brother had received his
portion, and the elder was sole heir to his father's
goods. Many things may belong to the sons of God,
in the full enjoyment of which they do not delight.
So that the elder brother ought not to have complained
that a kid had never been given to him."  Calvin:
"This answer has two heads; the first is that the
elder son has no reason to be angry, seeing that his
brother had been received without injury to him; but
the second that he was mortified at the joy expressed
on account of his brother's return, because he had no
regard for his brother's welfare.  This comparison
(foes not intimate, however, that he would grieve for
those who had always been pious, being received as




320          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
penitents into favour, but rather implies that this would
furnish him with no just ground of complaint.  Besides it is a concession.  For neither had the scribes
and pharisees lived up to the requirements of the divine law, but since they wished to appear as having
done so, Christ granting this, as it were to them,
shows, that still there was no reason why they should
envy pardon being given to the penitent, since nothing
on that account was taken from them."
The ground for the call of rejoicing stands partly
in this, that the individual recovered is a brother, and
partly in the recovery itself from so deep a misery.
Scholten, p. 301: " The Saviour argues from what
was granted, as we say, although he by no means
allowed that which for the sake of conviction he had
yielded.-It is not by any means to be concluded, that
the common people of the Jews were altogether and
in appearance such pharisees as they professed themselves to be; nor must it be supposed, that Jesus acknowledged their piety and virtuous endeavours,
(Matth. v. 20.)  But that Jesus might convince them
the more of error, he grants, as it were, that they did
excel in every virtuous pursuit, but, that even this being
granted, it was improper and unjust to pursue with
malevolent and bitter feeling, publicans and sinners,
when they became truly penitent and returned to a
better course."
XXXII.
THE UNJUST STEWARD.
Luke xvi. 1-13.
General Remarks upon the parables in the 16th
Chapter of Luke.
THE two parables contained in the sixteenth chapter, were delivered immediately after those recorded
in the preceding chapter, and before the same hear



THE, UNJUT STEWST\.ARD, &C.`21
ers, as has been already remarked (No. 29.)  The
parable of the godless householder is connected simply by the words,.And he said also to his disciples;
by whom we are to understand not the twelve merely,
but the other followers of Jesus, especially those publicans and sinners, Luke xv. 1, some of whom might
have been once as faithless as this steward, though
they now were concerned for the salvation of their
souls. Gnomon: "The Lord speaks now more solemnly with his disciples who had been publicans, and
nore severely than he had done for them to others.
The son received back with joy, is not to be every
day regaled with music, but is taught to return to
duty." If the publicans and sinners, who drew near
to Jesus, really were penitent and sincere in their purpose, the parable will then equally serve for a justification of the Saviour in receiving them; but if they
were in any respect of the disposition of those who
wantonly abused the goodness of God to sinners, as
represented in the three foregoing parables, placing a
sinful confidence upon the greatness of the divine coinpassion, and thinking to abide without true repentance
in their sins, then would this parable warn thema
against all misunderstanding and abuse of those contained in chap. xv.  But our Lord might still farther
have had a special regard in this discourse to the pharisees, who, if not so openly, yet not less really, were
given to covetousness, to a shameful self-seeking, andi
hence to many acts of deceit and unrighteousness, ver.
14, also Matth. xxiii. 14, 25.  By the picture of the
unfaithful steward he sought to warn them, holdting
up to them their own image; admonished them by his
prudence to a better improvement of their riches,
pointed them to the time of reckoning, and the danger
therewith connected, and taught them how they might
be able to meet this through unfeigned repentance.
But the wicked disposition of these hypocrites disdainedl the earnest and faithful warnings of Jesus, and
as they possibly felt themselves especially aimed at in




322          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
the parable, in order that they might conceal their
uneasiness, spite, and indignation, they betook themselves to contemptuous looks and marks of insolence,
-" they derided Christ."  This led Jesus to say, v.
15: " Ye are they who justify yourselves before men,
but God knoweth your hearts." Gnomon: " This is
the link of connexion with the next discourse; justification of one's self before men, and pride of heart,
feeds avarice, and smiles at heavenly simplicity, v.
15; despises the gospel, v. 16, and destroys the law,
v. 17; which is shown to the pharisees in v. 18, by
an example most needful to be insisted on. The whole
is embraced in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus."  Calvin: " The cause of our justification should
not be referred to the judgment of men, but to the tribunal of God, where no righteousness is accounted of
but what gives a perfect and complete obedience to
the law.  And when men stand at the tribunal of
God, one and all are conscious of guilt."
In the passage in question, v. 15, Jesus exposes and
reproves mainly the hypocrisy of the pharisees, for
the meaning of his words is, Ye are concerned only
about this, that ye may be accounted in the judgment
of your fellow men righteous persons and favourites
of Heaven, but the all-seeing Searcher of hearts knows
the inmost state of your corrupt hearts, and ye are
any thing but in favour with him. In the following
words, " For that which is highly esteemed among
men, is abomination in the sight of God," our Lord
censures the self-conceit of the pharisees, which was
so closely connected with their hypocrisy, and declares,
that as God holds that feeling of self-exalting pride,
and every one who cherishes it, in abhorrence, this
was their position before him, he had no pleasure in
them how high soever their esteem was of themselves,
or they were esteemed by others. "Whosoever,"
says Lavater, " affects a standing of righteousness before men, and is unconcerned about the internal improvement of his heart, he is a pharisee.  Whosoever




TIHE UNJUST STEW'ARD, &C.         323
seeks more the praise and approbation of man than the
praise and approbation of Gol, he is a pharisee. Whosoever lays claim to the favour of God on account of
his regular outward behaviour, while he neglects his
internal state of thinking and acting, he sticks fast in
pharisaism. Pharisaism is pedantry in religion and
virtue,-a neglecting of the essential for the accidental,
of the end for the means, of the spiritual good for the
outward ceremony."
Their self-elation of mind, which led them to prefer
themselves before others, and to seek that they might
be regarded as the favourites of Heaven, the pharisees
founded upon two considerations; the first of which
was a conclusion which they drew from Deut. xxviii.
1, to the effect, that he who is rich and prosperous
upon earth, is a favourite of God, a man of piety, and
sure of attaining to eternal life; but that whosoever,
on the other hand, is poor and wretched, is hated by
God, without piety, and an heir of eternal destruction.
Besides this, they reckoned much upon their zeal for
the law, the ceremonial observances required by which
they most punctually kept, on account of which they
were generally esteemed pious, although the weightiest
part of the law, (Matth. xxiii. 23,) love, they unscrupulously disregarded, and thus manifested their real
unbelief. The false conclusion above mentioned is rebutted in the first part of the parable of the rich man,
Nho, though prosperous upon earth, still fell into condlemnation, and therefore could not be. a child of God,
however pious he may have seemed; while the poor
Lazarus, the olject of the rich man's contempt, attains
to salvation.  The self-elation of the pharisees on account of their supposed, but still only outward fulfilment of the law, the Saviour rebukes in the latter part
of the same parable, in which the condemned rich man
is directed to Moses and the prophets, with the assurance, that if he had heard them, he would not have
come into condemnation; so that, though he was well
acquainted with them, and highly esteemed them as a




324          THE PARABLES OF JESUSo
divine revelation, he must not have valued and used]
them in the right manner, that is, must have had no
true faith in them.  And that is just the nature of
practical unbelief, which poisoned the life of the pharisee, pluming himself upon the law and the knowledge
of God, while still he allowed them no influence upon
his walk and conduct.  Calvin: " Comp. Rom. ii. 21.
As this reproof formerly applied to the Jews, who,
trusting to their mere knowledge of the law, lived no
better than if they had been without the law; so we
must take heed lest now it should be directed against
u-s. And indeed it is but too applicable to many, who
boasting themselves of a superior knowledge of the
gospel, abandon themselves to all manner of impurity,
as if the gospel prescribed no rule of life; lest, therefore, we should trifle thus securely with the Lord, let
ius remember what sort of judgment hangs over such
babblers in words, who only in their much talking
show their regard for the word of God." This practical unbelief, the real kernel of the parable, stands
forth there in the semblance of faith, pays respect to
the word of God as a revelation, while the heart remains thereby unimproved, the love of the world unsubdued, bowels of compassion unknown. Precisely
as the rich man is here represented, the sadducees
lived, and were besides tainted with a theoretical infilelity, receiving only the books of Moses, but rejecting
the further development of the divine will through the
prophets. Indeed, as the behaviour of the rich man
is represented quite saddusiacally, many expositors
have been of opinion, that the parable is chiefly aimed
against the sadducees; but the untenableness of that
opinion is manifest from no mention being made of the
sadducees on the occasion of this discourse being delivered and especially from the circumstance, that our
Lord could not well have called in against them Moses
and the prophets, as they would not have owned the
force of this argument, which, as directed against the
pharisees, is of great weight, since their practical un



THE UNJUST STEWARD, &C.          325
belief was rendered the less excusable on account of
their theoretical faith.
That the rebuke of the practical unbelief of the
pharisees is the main design of the parable of the rich
man, receives an additional confirthation from the internal connexion that is brought out by this view of
it between the parable and v. 16-18, whereas, in
most expositions upon these verses, no such connexion
is recognised. It is said in v. 16, that " the law and
the prophets were until John; since that time the
kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth
into it." The law and the prophets have a reference
to the times of John the Baptist; what in them is announced prophetically, namely, the appearance of
Messiah and his kingdom-this was proclaimed by
John, and afterwards by Christ himself, as the gospel
or glad tidings of what was actually taking place.
Whosoever then really considered Moses and the prophets as a divine revelation, he ought to have given
proof of this by a believing reception of the testimony
of John and Jesus, which perfectly accorded with the
predictions of the Old Testament. This, however,
the pharisees did not; they rejected the preaching of
John and of Christ himself, and thus manifested their
unbelief in the prophetic portion, at least, of the Old
Testament; and as they would not comply with the
call to repentance, proceeding both from John and
from Christ, whilst even publicans and sinners were
doing so, they showed at the same time their unbelief
in respect to the moral part of the Old Testament.
Their unbelief in both respects is rebuked by Jesus, in
the asseveration he makes, v. 17, regarding the inviolable sanctity of the entire law: " It is easier for heaven and earth to pass than for one tittle of the law to
fail," (Jas. ii. 10.) And, as a proof of the arbitrary
manner in which they dealt with the law, he refers, in
v. 18, to the law of marriage, in regard to which the
pharisees, according to Matth. xix. 1-9, were accustomned to make regulations, which in effect dlestroyed
238




326          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
the divine command concerning the indissoluble nature of the marriage-bond.  By all this the real unbelief of the pharisees upon Moses and the prophets
is in plain language manifestly declared, not less in
regard to the predictions contained in the scriptures,
than to their requirements and obligations; and as
what had been in plain terms declared, was often immedliately afterwards repeated and made more palpable
in a figure or parable, so it is the case also here, and
hence, in the parable of the rich man, we cannot fitly
represent any thing else as its chief aim and subjectmatter, than a reproof of practical unbelief, of which
the manifestations in this life, and the destiny in the
world to come, are depicted to our view.
When a delineation of heartlessness, or want of
compassion, and its disastrous consequences, is held,
as very commonly is done, to be the central point of
the parable, there is certainly much in appearance to
justify this; but the ultimate ground of that coldhearted indifference is unbelief, and to that the latter
part of the parable points, as its connexion with what
precedes, warrants and justifies a much farther extension of meaning than the view just mentioned. As in
the parable of the unjust steward, the possibility and
the means of escape are pointed out, even when there
has been a heavy load of guilt contracted, so this of
the rich man shows the certainty and the dreadfulness
of that condemnation which awaits those whose unbelief has led them to despise that first warning. The
faithless management of the steward corresponds to the
selfish luxury of the rich man; the debtors of his lord,
whom the former makes his friends, stands opposed to
Lazarus, for whom the rich man cared not a pin; the
reception into everlasting habitations has its counterpart in the help which the rich man fruitlessly implored
from Lazarus, and the praise accorded to the prudent
steward is put in contrast to the judgment of condemnation recorded in v. 24, 25. By these undeniable
references of the two parables to each other, their in



TIHE UNJUST STEWARD.           327
ternal cornnexion and application to the same character
is made manifest.
Not one of our Lord's parables has received so many
and such different interpretations, as that of the unjust
steward.  That the connexion in which it stands has
not been sufficiently considered, is the chief cause of
this variety of interpretations, and of their often erring
so far from the right view both of the leading design
and of individual parts. The centre-point of the parable is PRUDENCE, for the Lord praises the unrighteous steward as having acted prudently; and the recommendation of prudence for all who would inherit
the kingdom of heaven is its main scope.  The words
in v. 8, " For the children of this world are in their
generation wiser than the children of light," contain a
truth but too frequently exemplified in daily experience, and show, through the connective particle for,
that in this matter the recommendation of prudence as
a necessary quality was abundantly required. Because
the Saviour wills that all men should be saved, but
because many, even of those who have some desire for
salvation, do not manifest the proper prudence in pressing the important work of their salvation, and many
more neglect the work altogether; on these accounts
our Lord relates this parable, that he might urge on
all the requisite prudence.  Prudence is that property,
or capacity of the soul, which, for attaining an end,
finds, selects, and applies the most fitting means,without, however, condescending upon the nature of
the end or the means, whether they are morally good
or bad.  That the Redeemer recommends to his disciples a prudence only of a moral kind, appears from
the proverb in Matth. x. 16: " Be ye therefore wise
as serpents, and harmless (simple) as doves."  Christian prudence must, therefore, according to this injunction, be always coupled with a simple, honourable and
true heart; and hence the end, which Christian pru



8328         TIE PARABLES OF JESUS.
dence proposes to itself, and the means which it chooses
and applies for the accomplishment of this, mulst always
be morally good and harmless, agreeable to a holy
God, and the mind of a blessed Saviour. This remark
is of much importance for the parable, as many have
stumbled at the circumstance that, in commending
the steward for a pattern, Jesus has not discountenanced the use of unrighteous means; and hence did
the Emperor Julian employ this parable for the purpose of attacking and vilifying the moral character of
Christ.  But we must take our starting point from the
holy mind of Jesus, to which every thing unrighteous
is an abomination, and from which a recommendation,
not of the unrighteousness, but only of the prudence
of the unjust steward could proceed: so that the application which our Lord makes of the parable in v. 9
to his hearers, can have no other meaning than this:
Even so do I recommend prudence to you.  Just as
this steward, for the attainment of his earthly object
for securing his future support, laid hold of the most
suitable and appropriate means, and thereby showed
his prudence,-so must you also do in regard to a
higher and better object, the securement of your eternal well-being, employ the best means best adapted to
the end, and manifest therein a similar prudence.  In
earthly designs it is possible that the most suitable
means may be in their nature bad, though still conducive to the end in view; but in regard to heavenly
things, this is quite impossible, only such means as are
morally good and well-pleasing to God can here be of
any avail to reach the desired end; and in this undeniable truth, we find a new testimony to the fact, that
Jesus could not possibly think of commending the unrighteousness of this steward to our imitation.
As prudence of itself is only an ideal thing-the
mere notion of fitness in the soul's discernment and
bent of purpose, while the Redeemer continually gives
and teaches essential truth, so he must be understood
as recommending, through the temper and conduct as



THE UNJUST STEWARD.            329
cribedl to the steward, not prudence alone, but also the
worth and exercise of this prudence in respect to the
use of earthly goods,-since he says in v. 9, "Make
to yourselves friends of the unrighteous mammon, &c."
As Christian prudence manifests itself in a moderate use
of earthly goods to purposes of kindness and beneficence,
this should therefore be regarded as the main idea of
the parable, and the recommendation of such prudence
its chief aim, as may be made manifest by the following train of thought:-The unjust steward was prudent while he applied the goods intrusted to him to
the purpose of making friends to himself, and thus
securing his future temporal support; Christians must
apply their temporal goods in acts of kindness, in order
to make to themselves friends, and to secure their filture eternal well-being. The conclusion to which the
parable and its practical application leads recommend(atory of the prudence in question is this: If the prudence shown by the steward for an earthly object is
praised, how much more will God commend a prudence
directed towards a heavenly object, and crown it with
his blessing! Since the steward's giving up the goods
committed to him by his lord was perceived by him to
be the means best suited for accomplishing his end,
and was that wherein pre-eminently his prudence stood:
the point of comparison on which the recommendation
of genuine prudence hangs, can be nothing else than
the free sacrifice of earthly goods to beneficent purposes. Beneficence, therefore, is beyond doubt recommended, but not, as many expositors think, as the
great end of the parable, but only as the means and
as the modle of acting, in which the quality of prudence
practically manifests itself.  If the exercise of beneficence, and, in connexion therewith, a warning against
luxury andt niggardliness were regarded as the leading
idea of the parable, then no account could be made of
many circumstances in the conduct of the steward,
which serve to bring out clearly his singular prudence,
and they must only be viewvol as figurative embellish28*




:330        THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
ments. But the moment we take prudence, as it manifests itself in general, and particularly in the use of
temporal goods, as the leading point and subject of
the parable, all its subordinate parts and circumstances
find their proper and full significance, as will be shown
more at large in the sequel.
To the right understanding of the parable belongs
the whole of the practical application, which closes
only with v. 13; the consideration of which still farther proves, that not beneficence, but prudence, which
in this part alone is discoursed of, is the prominent
idea of the parable. For the thought contained in v.
10-12, is this: It is contrary to prudence to be unfaithful in the application of temporal goods, for one
thereby sustains injury, losing in consequence of such
unfaithfulness the benefit of having better goods committed to us. It is always a matter of prudence to
compare the present and the future, the end and the
means, the cause and the effect, in a word, the necessary inevitable consequences and connexions of things,
and determine our course of action accordingly. This
connexion between time and eternity, in reference to
the consequences which stretch into the latter, is pointed at in v. 11 and 12, for the purpose of admonishing
us to a suitable line of duty, to a prudent course of
behaviour, which, so far as earthly goods are concerned,
consists, according to Christ's instruction, in making
to ourselves friends of the unrighteous mammon, so that
we may reach the everlasting habitations, obtain the
true riches, and be endowed with that which is to
constitute our eternal inalienable property. Luther has
given this view of the parable, for he says in his
House-Pos. 4. 418: " In this unjust and faithless
steward our Lord sets before us a twofold instruction.
The first of which is, that we must learn from him,
and from the men of this world, to be prudent." And
again, at p. 407, " The Lord's meaning is not that
we must act unrighteously toward each other, cheating one another of their own goods, and laying it out




THE UNJUST STEWARD.            331
in alms.  No, but his meaning is, that we must imitate the steward in his foresight, activity, and prudence, applying our money and goods so as to provide
for ourselves blessings in another and better life."
Once more, at p. 411: "Our Lord desires that, in a
good cause, we should use the earnestness and diligence, which this steward did in a bad one, for his own
profit, and the hurt of his master."  For the farther
elucidation of the matter he notices how, in Rom. v.
14, Adam and Christ are only in part compared with
each other, in respect merely to their root and origin,
-something being taken from both which they had in
common, but not in respect to their work and the fruit
growing out of it, for the one procured for those connected with him death and condemnation, the other
righteousness and salvation; "In like manner," says
Luther, "Jesus compares here the righteous and unrighteous, that even as the unrighteous act prudently
in deceit and knavery, so the righteous must act prudently in uprightness and piety."  For the sake of
illustration, he employs another comparison: " See
how an unchaste woman for the prosecution of her sinful purposes, decks herself out in the finest manner, the
gold, the velvet, and the silk which she employs,
having no power to testify against their misapplication
to such a purpose.  But I may even boast of it, and
say to thee, Seest thou how this woman knows to
adorn herself for wantonness? And why dost thou not
use similar diligence for the sake of pleasing our dear
bridegroom Christ Jesus?  In saying this, I commend
not a wanton behaviour, but only the diligence, foresight, and care which it behooves us to use in a good,
honourable, and righteous cause."  The most improper characters, such as the steward before us, have
always something good and praiseworthy about them,
which may be held up for our example and inmitation; and in this way it is that Christ has commended to us this man on account of his prudence.
But that the prudence recommended is not to be understood of prudence in its entire compass, as it may




3'32         THE PARABLES OF JESUS
then manifest itself in a great variety of ways, (Matth.
vii. 24 —27; xxv. 1-1.3,) but specially in regard to
the right employment of earthly goods, Luther has
also acknowledged, and says at p. 407: "It is a sermon on good works, and particularly against covetousness, to the end that we should not abuse our money
and goods, but employ them to help poor, needy people."
The expositions of this parable which are known to
me, although in particular parts very wide of each
other, yet all agree in this, that the means adopted by
the steward for his future support, were most shameful and utterly to be reprobated, and that he crowned
his earlier iniquities by an act of surpassing deceit. A
view of the parable, however, quite different on this
point from the common one, is to be found in an Essay
by David Schulz, on the parable of the steward. The
method which he strikes out is designed to represent
the conduct of the steward as laudable, as being without unrighteousness in regard to the means chosen'
and it is certainly not to be denied, that this exposition, if it we-re well founded, and could be proved,
would be most deserving of acceptation, although all
misgivings in regard to the representation of an immoral conduct on the part of the steward, may be
quashed by the reflection, that it is only in the prudence that the point of comparison stands, and that
this alone is recommended. Schulz grounds his exposition mainly upon the notion of steward (oxovotos;,)
who is not to be regarded as a man that must account
to his master for all receipts and expenditures, small
and great, and whose books are from time to time
overhauled by his principal; such modern conceptions
must be banished, as quite unsuitable here. In his
judgment the steward is such a person as has full power
to dispose of what is committed to him, as the Apostles
in their ministrations of the gospel, were named stewards, (1 Cor. iv. 1, 2; Tit. i. 7,) and yet manifestly
had the greatest freedom in the use and distribution
of th-e worl cornmmitted to them.  Then he properly




TIhA UrNJUST STEWARD.            333
takes notice of the image, which the relation of the
steward in the parable to his lord, affords of the relation in which the man stands to his God; and as in
this relation no one can deny that the fullest liberty
is granted to man, an(l that he may act entirely as he
pleases with the goods committed to him, only subject
to a day of reckoning, so a similar duty must be demanded, for the more limited relation which forms the
figure in the parable.  Now, to this liberty granted
to man by God, in the employment of the earthly
goods committed to him, it manifestly belongs as a
part, that the man have something to bestow, freely
to give away, in order thereby to make friends to
himself, consequently the giving away in the parable,
would be but a part of the steward's liberty, and not
be chargeable with unrighteousness or deceit.  Andl
it is further alleged, that the expression in v. 8,
OLXOVO/JoS bus a8sxt5, (steward of unrighteousness,) d:es
not mean an unjust, but an ungodtly, wicked steward,
not indicating any thing like deceit; and indeed his
wickedness had shown itself at an earlier period, in
the lavish expenditure, the selfish, extravagant use he
had made of what was confided to him, while now
(v. 8) he is praised for having at last prudently made
a better use of his stewardship by the exercise of beneficence, and for the sake of his future welfare.
But granting even that the means employed were
as righteous and laudable as Schulz would make them,
still the motive of the liberality exercised by the steward, must be regarded as selfish, and consequently deserving of blame, since he acted only out of regard to
his own self, and not fiom pure love to the creditors.
hence, according to this view also, prudence in the
use of earthly goods, for the purpose of acquiring
friends by acts of beneficence, must remain the centrepoint of the parable, for otherwise the selfish, at least,
if not deceitful, conduct of the steward would'be recommended to imitation. The commendation bestowed
upon the steward by his lord, when viewed in con



o34          TIlE PARABLE3 OF JE{3U$S
nexion with the now supposed righteousness of conduct, will import as much as: My steward, indeed, in
the earlier part of his behaviour, showed little conscience, but this last official act of his, an act of beneficence, is of a different character, and I cannot but
praise him for having consulted in such a manner for
his future entertainment, and made friends to himself
at the right time.  Schulz finally remarks, that a doctrine is never taught and explained in a parable by
being compared to its opposite, but always things only
that are similar are set over against ancd compared to
each other, so that the conclusion is often drawn from
the small to the great, but never from the opposite.
But however true this remark may be, it still does not
properly affect the case in question, for even according to Schulz, prudence is the leading idea of the parable,-under the example of the steward, a similar
prudence is recommended, and the righteousness or
unrighteousness of his conduct never comes at all into
the comparison, no more than the disobliging conduct
of that friend, (Luke xi.,) and the reckless character
of that judge, (Luke xviii.) As in these two parables the efficacy of prayer is the only thing that is
unfolded by a conclusion from the less to the greater,
so here, in that of the steward, prudence by a similar
conclusion: If an impure prudence is commended by
men, how much more will the Lord commend a holy
prudence! Calvin: " The sum of this parable is, that
we must deal humanely and kindly toward our neighbours, so that when we stand before the tribunal of
God, we may receive the fruit of our liberality."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
Of Christian prudence.
I. Obligation to this:
1. Because we are dependent on God; v. 1: Who
had a steward.
2. Because we are accountable to him, v. 2.
II. Its proper nature is represented:




TIHE UNJUST STEWAERD.            3o
1. In the general:
a.) It is provident of the future, v.;3: What shall
I do?
b.) It conceals not from itself the true state of matters, v. 3: My Lord taketh away my stewardship
from me.
c.) It is inventive of means for its well-being, v. O3:
I cannot dig, to beg I am ashamed.
d.) It forms its purpose with greatest determination, v. 4: I am resolved what to do, &c.
e.) It discloses, clearly, who or what can be of serv-ice to it for the accomplishment of its purpose, v. 4:
That they may receive me into their houses.
f.) It does not content itself with purposes, but goes
irrimmediately to action, v. 5: So he called every one,
&c.
g.) It employs the time without delay, v. 6: Sit
down quickly, &c.
h.) It transacts every thing with careful consideration, v. 5-7, drawn from the questions to the creditors.
2. In particular:
a.) It employs temporal goods in well-doing, v. 9:
Make to yourselves friends.
b.) It is mindful of death and the day of reckoning,
v. 9: When ye fail.
c.) It has an eye to eternal bliss, v. 9: That they
may receive you, &c.
III. The consequences of it:
1. It obtains the approval of the Lord and Judge of
all, v. 8.
2. It renders us capable and worthy of receiving
greater, truer, abiding goods, v. 10, 11, 12.
V. 1. There was a certain rich man, who had a
steward-the relation of man to God; every thing
that man has, especially in earthly goods, whether it
may have come to him by inheritance, industry, or
any turn of fortune, is a gift committed to him by
God, not a property, with which he can do and act




336          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
after the will and pleasure of his own heart; he must
some time give in an account, as is implied in his dependent relationship.  The person here mentioned is
a steward, to wMhom the Lord had committed the
charge of his land-goods, and who only used to possess a knowledge of husbandry,-hence at his removal
from office, nothing remained for him but hard labour
or begging, v. 3. As he was put into the office by
his master, and consequently held it in right and justice, we might here, on this ground, conclude, that
what is afterwards meant by the unrighteous mammon
cannot be money acquired by unrighteousness.- The
same was accused unto him,-an accusation accordant with truth: nothing is concealed from God,That he had wasted his goods; in this the steward
showed just as much levity, unfaithfulness, and want
of conscience, as the publicans, avaricious pharisees,
and the rich man in the next parable. For avarice,
as well as extravagance, is nothing else than a waste
of the earthly goods committed to one by God. Gnomon: "The parable does not bear respect to all stewards, who ought rather through the whole period of
their stewardship, to exercise fidelity, 1 Cor. iv. 2,
but to those who, through a long period of their stewardship, have behaved ill.  The general course of the
world is a dispersing of outward goods, inasmuch as
these are brought to places not properly their own,
although some unrighteous persons appear to gather
them."
V. 2. And he called him, and said unto him, How
is it that I hear this of thee? An intimation of the
abuse of the confidence that had been placed in him,
to which he had so ill responded, and in which he had
showed ingratitude, and inconsiderate forgetfulness of
his obligations.  Gnomon: "God is represented as
hearing, as if he did not see; thus the steward was
left to himself." Give an account of thy stewardship;
in this is expressed God's holy zeal against all unfaithfulnless, and that the application made by men of earth



THE UNJUST STEWARD.            337
ly goods, is far from being a matter of indifference to
him. But, in the threat-thou mayest be no longer
steward-his righteousness shines forth, while it is
intimated, that the steward must presently be removed
from his place. A short respite, however, was still
allowed him, which he might employ, and which is to
be referred to the period of life granted to every one,
always uncertain, and never long in continuance.
V. 3. What shall I do? The first trait that indicates
his prudence; in a moment, without the least delay,
he enters into consideration, how he can well secure
his deliverance under so pressing a danger; he is now
no longer careless and secure about his future state,
but takes the matter into serious contemplation; the
rich man did not so, and hence his irrevocable condemnation, v. 25, 26. —.My lord taketh away from  me
the stewardship-second trait. He does not conceal
from himself the greatness and nearness of the danger,
sees his whole criminality, together with the just zeal
and righteousness of his master, believes also the word
spoken to him, that he could no longer be steward.
Such faith the rich man had not, v. 29. —I cannot dig,
to beg I am ashamed-third trait.  He casts about
for other means and ways of doing for himself, but
throws them away as not suitable. He could not dig,
for, if he had the power, his indolence would not let
him give the application; he was ashamed to beg, his
pride not permitting him. To understand by the digging, a seeking of salvation through desert of works,
and by begging, through the grace of God-is contrary
to the design of the parable, and inconsistent with its
leading idea. In these traits we must think only of
the prudence they serve to manifest, by much thoughtfulness and consideration.
V. 4. That they may receive me into their housesfourth trait. He is inventive, and knows with the
greatest determination what he desires, namely, an
easy, agreeable securement of his prosperity and future
support.  Holuses, (obxoYv,) properly, families.  Fifth




338         THE PARABLES OF JESUS,
trait-seeing he manifestly discerns who can help him
to his object, on whom he has to lean, namely, the
debtors of his lord-this the rich man did not perceive,
v. 20.
Ver. 5. So he called every one of his lord's debtors
- sixth trait. He does not stand with mere resolutions and purposes; what he has prudently conceived,
he executes without loss of time, and with determination; his eagerness is also marked by the little word,
quickly, in v. 6; and that he rightly understood and
employed his short time, constitutes the seventh trait,
through which his prudence was displayed.  How
much owest thou to my lord?-Eighth trait.  He
knew right well, but puts the question in order that
the debtor, by his answer, might be made to acknowledge the greatness of his debt, (rent,) and consequently afterwards the greatness of the part remitted to
him, the greatness of the favour shown him; that he
might also feel himself the more distinctly bound to
a grateful requital. When he says, owest thou to my
lord, he recognises now, that all good is a trust, not
a property.
V. 6. Take thy bill-thy bond, thy lease, which
demonstrates the strictness of this obligation, and the
largeness of the sums remitted.  Write fifty —the
new act of unrighteousness flows from the earlier; the
sinner will help himself by sin, and thus sinks always
the deeper, for every sin becomes the seed of another,
while the moral feeling always gets more hardened,
conscience less tender.
V. 7. Similar conduct in regard to the other debtors. Whether this deceiver was again deceived by
his accomplices in guilt, whether he actually attained
his end or not, whether the deceit practised by him,
and discovered by his lord, v. 8, was punished so as
to disappoint him of his design, these are things we
must not inquire into, as the parable is here left unfinished, like that of the unfruitful fig tree. Enough
that there is here shown what was to be shown, a




THE UNJUST STEWARD.            3:39
conduct throughout prudent, though shameful, and the
consequence is here given only on one side, in regard to
the praise obtained from the lord, so that this is the sole
conclusion we can draw from the whole: How much
must a holy prudence be commended by God, since, &c.
V. 8. JAnd the lord commended the unjust steward;
that the lord of the steward is here meant is manifest
from the manner in which Christ distinguishes himself,.Jnd I say unto you; but as that lord only commended prudence, so he also only commends and exhorts
to this, v. 9. The commendation which was here accorded by the lord to his steward, notwithstanding the
injury thereby sustained by himself, has nothing improbable in it. He might have said something to this
effect: " It is true he is a shameful cheat, but he certainly has conducted his affairs prudently, has cunningly employed the time for his own benefit, and we
cannot deny him, amid all his worthlessness, the credit
of having craftily done his best." One might say
the same of a merchant, who, for his own profit,
plays a false bankruptcy.
For the children of this world are in theirgeneration wiser than the children of light. These are not
the words of the lord of the steward, but of Christ,
which are thrown out before as a general experimental truth, and from which afterwards the admonition
in v. 9 is drawn, so that the connexion is to be taken
only thus: As we see it to have been in this steward,
so is it constantly, that the children, &c., and therefore I admonish you, &c. These words obviously
point to the design of the parable, setting forth an example of prudence, and thus forming a sort of key to
the right understanding of it. Gnomon: " The comparative is used, and that in a diminutive way, for the
prudence of the world does not deserve to be called
prudence in the positive-the force of the comparative
is besides in the proposition vrap."  Luther, HousePos. 4. 412, 413: " Christ here utters a very frightful word; it needs not profound thought, we see it




340          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
laily before our eyes, more a great deal than is proper, that the world every where seeks after that, in
which it espies an advantage, and in the pursuit
grudges no pains or labour. How much labour, care,
and danger do vagabonds undergo? They have rest
neither day nor night, and they are besides in constant
danger of the axe or the halter; still they have such
a liking to their wicked life that they cannot grow
weary of it.  So also the thief, the rake, the adulterer, lead a troublesome life, and submit to hard
laws, use all sorts of trick and cunning shifts and advantages, that they may carry on their villanous and
profligate schemes, insomuch that they shrink from
these till they have paid the devil his tribute. But,
on the other hand, we see the children of light, that
is, true Christians, how lazy, backward, unprofitable,
and slow they are in the things of God, although they
know that God looks with satisfaction on what is done
therein, and that they shall reap the fruit of it in eternity.  So that it goes according to the common proverb, that the wicked do more to deserve hell, by diligently and laboriously serving the' devil, than the
righteous heaven —and it is well spoken, if it were
but rightly understood. Therefore must God draw
and pull his people, as with cords, that they may do
what they should.  Here learn what thou shouldst do
in good toward God and his word and thy salvation,
and take to thyself a profitable lesson and example
from such wicked persons. Think, since the builder,
citizen, merchant, servant, &c. serve the devil with so
much diligence, and grudge no trouble, wherefore
should I not serve, in like manner, my Lord, whom I
shall enjoy in eternity? They run, as if they were
irrational, after what makes for their eternal hurt and
perdition, and how then should I be so dull and sleepy
in what concerns my soul's salvation, that God should
need to draw me as with ropes?"
The children of this world —in Scripture a person
is called the child of any thing, the nature and pro



THE UNJUST STEWARD.             341
perties of which he has in himself: the children of this
world, therefore, are those who possess the nature,
feeling, mode of thinking and acting of the world, in
so far as that is opposed to God, consequently unrighteous and sinful, —whose thoughts are all engrossed
with what is earthly, visible, perishable, only love
and are conversant with that, and endeavour, by all
possible, even disallowed means, to obtain possession
of it. Light, in Scripture, designates divine truth and
purity, moral worth; the children of light, therefore,
are those who already, in part, possess a state of mind
in accordance with that, and partly also are striving
and wrestling after a meetness to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light. In their generation; 7YEa, according to Wahl, progenies, familia,
stirps, pro socii, genus, kindred; the children of this
world are toward their fellows, with whom they have
to do, therefore manifestly in the business, transactions,
&c., of a worldly nature, more prudent, foreseeing, and
careful, show more zeal, thought, concern, than the
children of light toward their spiritual kindred, (all
the faithful being brethren in Christ,) in regard to
those cares, labours, and employments, which concern
the work of salvation; the former think far before
them, calculate, work, not so the latter.
V. 9. And I say unto you.-I give you the following counsel and advice. Since it is the case that
the children of light are not as zealous as they should
be in striving for salvation, this admonition of Christ
should be the more laid to heart, and especially since
riches and covetousness are such formidable hinderances
to salvation, so readily withdraw the eye from it, so
completely entangle the heart and render it cold and
indifferent towards the higher interests of its being, 1
Tim. vi. 9, 10.  Grotius: "By connecting in this
manner his admonition with what precedes, Christ intimates that we are not so much proprietors as dispensers of the good things we possess."
Make to poursclves friends of the mammon of un29- 




3.42         THHE PARABLES OF JESUS,
rzi hteousness, or unrighteous mammon.  Luther,
Church-Pos. 13. 223: "Mammon is, in German,
wealth, and not an improper wealth, but superabundant, beyond what nature and necessity require; if we
were to take our measure from God and truth, we
should find many such, but if we take our measure
from  men and the world, then (from the greed and
avarice of the human heart) we should find but few.
He, however, is properly said to have mammon, who
has more than he needs, with which he ought to help
others and not injure himself." Mel.: "The exhortation obviously enjoins us to use well the means with
which we have it in our power to make friends, viz.,
Christ and the saints.  Concerning the legitimate use
of riches, we are often told elsewhere, and it is in substance that we should first of all apply them to our
own necessities, then to support the cause of the gospel; thirdly, to the necessities of the state; lastly, to
the relief of our poor brethren, and especially those
of them  who are members of Christ."   Lavater,
Considerations, 2. 184: " How many are there who
call themselves children of light, yet never think of
making to themselves out of what they term their
-property, friends to receive them into everlasting habitations! In these words there appears to me a deep
thought, a sort of hint, intimating the possibility of
the salvation of some, otherwise very faulty men."
The mammon is called unrighteous, not because it has
been acquired in an unrighteous manner, for this was
not the case with the goods committed to the steward,
and the exhortation given concerning it is not applicable to those merely who have become rich in such a
manner, but is quite general.  Were it indeed unrighteously acquired goods that were spoken of, it
could not possibly be beneficence alone that was recommended, for the first obligation, in such a case,
would be restitution, Luke xix. 8. Hence, Luther
says, House-Pos. 4. 408: "Unrighteous gain must be
restore], and not applied in the way of doing good to




THE UNJUST s'rEwARD.           343
others with it, or giving alms, according to Isa. lxi.
8, which declares, that whosoever would give a burnt
offering, or bestow charity, or do a service to God
with money, he must do it of his own, and with what
has been acquired in righteousness, or else be free.
For with the wealth of others nothing must be done,
but what has been unrighteously gotten must be restored." Mel.: "Isaiah testifies, that God abhors sacrifices offered from goods unjustly obtained.  Christ
therefore by no means intends that alms should be
given of such things as have been unjustly obtained,
but speaks of the riches of the saints.  Even these he
calls the unrighteous mammon, not because unrighteously obtained, or held without a good conscience,
but because of the manifold abuses which, through
human infirmity, are wont to grow out of them-for
what a misapplication is there of talents, what a
multitude of needless extravagances!"  The opinion,
that mammon is called unrighteous, because the unequal division of earthly goods is a consequence of
the fall, and great riches are hence unrighteously possessed, is partly artificial, partly untrue, as the distribution of all God's gifts, even spiritual ones, is very
unequal. Neither is the mammon called unrighteous,
because of its being put to an improper use, as in the
case of the unjust steward, for it would still be a
strange thing to apply as a predicate to the mammon
what properly belonged to its possessor; we must
rather consider it to be called unrighteous, on account
of its own nature and properties-and as a8,xta, (unrighteousness) according to Wahl, means also fraud,
perfidy, deceit, faithlessness, unrighteous mammon is
as much as faithless, unstable, insecure, what does not
abide, what appears to promise to its possessor continued happiness, while yet it cannot always remain
with us. The soundness of this exposition is not only
confirmed by v. 11, where the opposite to the unrighteous, is the true, the certain good, and by v. 12,
where the unrighteous is identified with another's and




341          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
the opposite is your own, but also by the parable itself; for the steward disposed of the goods of his lord
as if they were his own, while still they were not,held the stewardship as if he were always to hold
it, though soon to be displaced.  Now, as mammon
of itself cannot make blessed, as both the covetous man
and the spendthrift cheat themselves with delusive
imaginations, presently to be exemplified in the case of
the rich man, the Saviour therefore gives to the possessors of it the admonition, so to use it that it may
be the means of bringing him to the enjoyment of a
true and abiding happiness, since that must soon be
taken away; and it is so used when by acts of beneficence we make friends to ourselves.
When ye fail,-properly, die, for Exxcotw, according to Wahl, means precisely morior, lit.: I leave,
namely, life. Death is for the temporal life and its
cares, obligations, and labours, the same that the dismissal from office was to the steward, a termination
of the calling hitherto maintained. Others have supplied mammon to the leaving, and Luther has with
that view adopted the sense of deprived, but the comparison is not then so pointed.
They may receive you into everlasting habitations,
with reference to v. 4, to which it stands in opposition.
Gn.: ":~x vua, so called, on account of the security,
pleasantness, and convenience of the mode of life
pursued in tents.  Their is not added here, as in v.
4, because the tents or mansions are God's." Luther,
House-Pos. 4. 409: "We shall-find friends there for
the good deeds we have done, the kindness and beneficence we have shown to the poor, these shall not
only be witnesses of our brotherly and Christian behaviour, but shall also be commended and recompensed.
Then one shall come and say, Lord, here is a person
who gave me a coat, a little money, a piece of bread,
a cup of water in the time of need. Yea, as Christ
tells us, Matth. xxv., he himself shall come forth and
testify before his heavenly Father, angels and saints,




THE UNJUST STFEWARD.           3453
what we have (lone for bim, and how we have thereby approved our faith. Those friends will stand up
for us and help us into heaven." That all salvation
comes from Christ, does not hinder that men should
there, as well as here, be instruments, through whom
he makes his grace to flow to us, and it is not therefore to be considered contrary to the analogy of scripture and this life, that those who have been benefited
by us on earth, should in eternity be the instruments
and agents of our well-being: this is also countenanced
by v. 24. Lavater, Considerations, 2. 183: " The
supported poor man, who makes a good use of the
kindness shown him, has some power also of recompensing in the future world. He can make friends
for the friend-makers, and receive into his everlasting
habitations those who received him into their earthly
houses." Mel.: " A promise is added to the precept
concerning alms as elsewhere: Give, and it shall be
given to you.  Here two questions arise, shall the
saints receive?  And shall we be received on account
of our good deeds?  The answer is very easy to the
righteous. There are two synecdoches. The saints
receive, that is, Christ and the church; Christ as the
Saviour and giver of salvation,-the church as a witness, celebrating the gift bestowed through this deliverer, and giving thanks to a remunerating God.
And for the second synecdoche, whether we receive
on account of our own works, the answer is short; for
in all discourses concerning good works, it is necessary
to suppose a faith going before and believing, that the
obedience to be rendered shall be accepted through a
Mediator according to the Word: Through him we
have access to God."  However, as Luther remarks,
it is not works which gain heaven for us, but Christ
freely grants eternal life to those who believe and give
evidence of their faith in works of love, and the right
employment of their earthly goods.  This the rich
man did not do, therefore he wanted faith, and hence
the whole parable, v. 19 -31, is directed against un



346          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
belief as a warning in regard to its fearful consequences.
V. 10-12. Luther, House-Pos. 4. 425: " This is
merely a proverbial saying, taken from the economical
management of domestic and worldly concerns. Our
Lord applies it to what is spiritual, to rebuke the
pharisees, who were covetous, and means by it: Whosoever is not faithful in temporal goods, but seeks his
own honour and advantage, he will never be faithful
in spiritual goods, as in preaching and handling gospel
privileges."  Faithful, Gnomon: "The Lord now
commends, not prudence, but fidelity, for fidelity begets and directs prudence."  Duvernoy, Extracts
from Zinzendorf's Discourses, vol. 5, p. 48: " There
is much more art in being faithful in small, than in
great things, because the small are not so easily preserved as the great, because the small are much-more
numerous than the great-because in great concerns,
pride, self-love, a regard to character, can go much
farther in making one faithful and diligent.  Small
things, on the other hand, are not seen or noticed, are
very easily overlooked, and if attended to with care
and diligence, these are seldom  recognised.  So that
it certainly requires more principle to be faithful in
small things than in great, —requires a heart more
deeply grounded in what is good, in order to take
pains about things which might be more slightly passed
by, and deal with them as matters of importance.
But to draw the conclusion: Whosoever is faithful in
great, would also be faithful in small things, would not
hold, for many things might conspire to produce fidelity in what is great, which might not be found in
what is small. To be faithful in the chamber, will
argue more than to be faithful on the theatre of the
world; to be faithful to the Saviour in a cellar, is more
than to be so on a balcony before the eye of the world.
The reason why it is more difficult to be faithful in
small things than in great, is, that the great have more
advantages and opportunities for leading one to be so




THE UNJUST STEWARD.            347
than the snmall." Mel.: "A useful rule is added. The
saying may be understood either way, of debt or of
reward. It is due, that whatever may be our vocation,
whether great or small, we should regard it as a divine appointment, and exercise ourselves in it with
fcar and diligence. David, in his calling as a soldier,
recognised it as a divine appointment, and for the sake
of God rightly discharged it, much more therefore didl
he afterwards regard his royal calling as held of God.
But, secondly, the saying: To him that hath shall it
be given, and from him that hath not, shall be taken
away even that which he hath, may also be understood
of rewards. He who uses well the gifts of God, deserves to have these increased, as Augustine says:
Dilectio meretur incrementum dilectionis, that is, if
it be rightly used."  Grotius: " Masters are wont to
scrutinize the fidelity of their servants in matters of
small moment, and thus to form their opinion in regard to larger ones."
V. 11. The true, Gnomon: "Jesus speaks from a
heavenly point of view."
V. 12. "Mammon, (says Luther,) is called, by our
Lord, not unrighteous merely, but also a strange thing,
(another man's,) intimating that it is a temporal good,
and not always abiding, like that which is spiritual.
Eternal life is ours, that is, the Christian's good, the
true good, which remains eternally ours." It is appointed to us by God for an everlasting possession and
property, but only can be attained by those who exercise, during their time of trial and preparation, the
necessary prudence and fidelity in smaller, in temporal
things, and manifest, thereby, their capacity and fitness to receive, of undeserved grace, the heavenly, the
true, and perpetually abiding riches.  Verse 10th
contains a general truth; v. 11, 12, the application of
that truth to the relation of time and eternity, with
respect to the use of earthly goods.  Hence these
three verses draw the very natural conclusion, from
the smaller to the greater; and intimate, at the same




348          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
time, the mournful consequences of an imprudent use
of earthly goods to purposes of avarice or extravagance, which shall only be felt in eternity, as is strikingly exemplified in the case of the rich man, who found
himself, at once, bereft of all temporal and eternal
good.  Calvin: "Though the unrighteous should
gorge themselves with the riches of the world, they
still can call nothing their own, because they take
what they have by a sort of theft, and possess it under
the curse of God.:But it is a great consolation to the
pious, that, by living moderately, they take nothing
which is another's; and they receive, from the hand of
their heavenly Father, a due allowance, until they
reach the possession of their inheritance, while all the
creatures minister to their glory. For to this end shall
the heaven and earth be renewed, that they may contribute, according to their measure, to the lustre of
the divine kingdom."
V. 13. In case, now, a heart, given either to greed
or extravagance, should think, that possibly it might
reconcile the criminal employment of temporal riches
with the attainment of eternal life and the true honouring of God, our Lord anticipates this vain refuge,
and declares the impossibility of uniting the service of
God and mammon, because the heart can only, in
earnest, attach itself to one,-it ever has but one God;
and the delusion of being able to love both God and
mammon, to belong to both at the same time, while it
is combated in v. 13, is also exposed in the following
parable; for the outwardly righteous and legal pharisees, (supposed servants of God,) but inwardly given
to the lusts of the world, (actually servants of mammon,) who are there depicted, must have seen, in the
fate of the rich man, whom they resembled, how irreconcilable the love of the world is with the true fear
of God; so that here again the connexion between the
two parables, and the relation of one to the other,
forces itself upon us.




THE RICH MIAN AND LAZARUS.         349
XXXIII.
THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.
Luke xvi. 16-31.
WE have already spoken of the connexion between
this parable and that of the unjust steward. Many
expositors have thought they discovered, in this story,
a real history, and referred it to the family of Annas
and his son-in-law, Caiaphas, whose sadducean unbelief, in regard to a future state, and Epicurean mode
of life, are here delineated and reproved; but by far
the greater number regard it merely as a parable, and
with more judgment.  Gnomon: "This parable, (for
it is a parable, although it may have been grounded
on a history,) exposes not only an abuse of earthly
goods, through avarice and pride, but also a supercilious contempt of the law and the prophets. The rich
man is an example of the pharisees; Lazarus, of those
who are poor in spirit; the state of each is disclosed,
both in this life and in that which is to come." Calvin:
" It is not to be doubted that, by this example, Christ
confirms his last discourse. For he shows what sort
of fate awaits those who, neglecting the care of the
poor, abandon themselves to fleshly pleasure."  Grotius: "Here Christ returns to the argument, with
which he began, concerning the use of riches, and
shows that the law of Moses was plainly violated, in
this respect, by many adherents of pharisaism, as if
he had said; There is no need that the law of my
new kingdom condemn you, since the law of Moses
is amply sufficient for your condemnation." Luther,
House-Pos. 4, 186: " Here it is not necessary to dispute whether there is a real history or only a parable,
for, since Christ names the two persons, and says what
sort of life they both lived, and what befell them after
death, we must believe that such was actually the
case; and further believe, that the same portions shall'30




350          IHE PARABLES OF JESUS.
be appointed to all who, on earth, resemble the rich
man and Lazarus."  That the main object of the parable is the chastisement of unbelief, Luther, in another
place, has expressly declared: " Our Lord, in this passage, holds up before us an example of faith and of
unbelief, or a godless condition, that we might be scared
from a course of life which is contrary to faith and
love, and apply ourselves to these with the more diligence. For here we see the judgment of God upon
the believing and unbelieving, how frightful it is in
the one case and how consolatory in the other." It
is perfectly consistent with this view of the parable to
say, as Luther does elsewhere, that "Christ spake
this parable especially against the pharisees, who were
covetous, and has here rebuked their covetousness."
For their covetousness was the fruit of their unbelief
on God's word, as the want of love here represented,
v. 19, 20, sprung from the same evil root. And Luther
is quite right, also, when he says, further, that "our
Lord presents to us this example of the rich man, that
he might drive us from being careful only about temporal things, and might lead us to be concerned for
what is eternal; but that we might so conduct ourselves, in regard to the present and temporal, as not
to bring ourselves into eternal condemnation." For
all anxiety about eternal things springs from faith, and
all indifference from unbelief.
Vitringa gives a quite inadmissible interpretation of
the several parts of the parable, when he says: The
rich man represents the rulers of the Jews; Lazarus,
the Lord Jesus, who had not where to lay his head,
and is called Lazarus, because God helped him; his
lying before the gate of the rich man, denotes the rejection of Christ by the Jews; —full of sores, the reproaches of the Jews, or also the sins of men, which
he bore;-his desiring the crumbs to satisfy himself,
his satisfaction with his state on earth, or his fellowship with the despised; —the licking of the dogs, the
conversion of the heathen;-the bearing into Abraham's bosom, Christ's ascension into heaven;-the




THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.          351
death of the rich man, the overthrow of the Jewish
state;-the entreaty to send Lazarus, the desire after
a Messias;-the five brethren, the Babylonian Jews.
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
Of unbelief.
I. The manifestations of unbelief in this life are:A. Insatiable thirst for enjoyment, v. 19.
a.) Unbelief seeks all sorts of enjoyment; clothes itself with purple, lives sumptuously.
b.) It seeks in these perfect satisfaction; allday, &c.
c.) It regards the temporal as its only and highest
good.
B. Cold-hearted uncharitableness, v. 20, 21.
a.) Unbelief despises the poor as worthless, v. 20.
b.) It hardens itself against the daily sight of others'
misery, v. 20; Lay before his gate, full of sores.
c.) It extends no relief, v. 21: The dogs came, &c.
II. The fate of unbelief in the life to come.
A. It is fearfully undeceived, v. 22, 23.
a.) In regard to the worth of earthly goods and
enjoyments, v. 23: In hell he lifted up his eyes, being
in torments;
b.) In regard to the salvation, once hoped for, the
true nature of which he now, for the first time, though
still imperfectly, apprehends: Saw Abraham afar off.
c.) In regard to the relations respectively held by
him and Lazarus, toward God: Lazarus in Abraham's
bosom;
B. It continues, in its sinful state of mind, v. 24:
a.) As to its fleshly confidence upon the descent
from Abraham: Father Abraham.
b.) As to its imaginary pretensions to salvation:
Have mercy on me;
c.) As to its unholy lusts, which only torment it the
more from the want of all means of satisfying them:
T' hat he may dip the tip of his finger, &c.
C. It is self-condemned, by an evil conscience, v.
25 —31.




3;52         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
a.) As being dealt with after the strictest justice,
v. 25;
b.) As being incapable of deliverance, on account of
its state of mind, v. 26.
c.) As being without all excuse,
1. Because there had been no want to it of the means
of grace, v. 27-29.
2. Because these means of grace were quite sufficient for the attainment of salvation, v. 30, 31.
V. 19. There was a certain rich man, &c. Luther,
Church-Pos. 13. 2: "We must not conceive of the
rich man according to his outward walk; the gospel
does not describe him as an adulterer, a robber, a murd(erer, a criminal, or as having done any thing which
the world or reason might condemn, so that he must
have led externally a holy life, and, according both to
his own and his neighbours' thoughts, kept the whole
law like him in Luke xviii. 12. We must look into
his heart, and view his spirit, and there we shall discover a heart and a tree of unbelief.  For he is not
punished because he had such rich apparel and sumptuous food, since many holy persons, kings and queens,
had before him used these, such as Solomon, Esther,
David, &c. but because his heart was bent on those
things, sought after them, clave to them, and chose
to have all its joy, pleasure, delight, and its very God,
as it were, in them. This Christ intimates by the word
every-day; for it is thereby manifested, that he pursued such a life with eagerness, was not constrained to
adopt it from his official standing, or for doing service to his neighbours, but his object therein was
merely to satiate his own lust, and he lived to himself
and for himself. Inr this, as a bad fruit, we can trace
the secret sin of his heart, unbelief."
Purple and fine linen.-Expressive of his love of
pomp and effeminate luxury, which clothes itself in the
softest and most delicate apparel. Grotius: "The rich
man here is not accused of rapine, nor that he needlessly hoarded up his wealth, but. that he pampered




TIHE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.        353
himself with delights, while others were consumed
with want, and he is charged with the violation of an
ancient, not of a new, and that a more perfect law.
How then shall the great part of Christians escape
the punishlnent inflicted upon this rich man?"
V. 20, 21. Luther, Church-Pos. 13. 4: "; Here now
appears the other sin, that he neglected the love he
owed to his neighbour.  For faith has the art of looking to God for all good, and perceives him to be so
good and gracious.  And whosoever feels God's goodness, he feels also his neighbour's necessities; whosoever does not feel God's goodness, neither does he feel
his neighbour's necessities.  Therefore we see in this
example of the rich man, that it is impossible to love
where there is no faith, and impossible to believe
where there is no love, for they will and must be in
each other." —Yamed Lazarus, Gnomon: "Lazarus
by his own name known in heaven; the rich man not
distinguished by any name, v. 25: he had only a
genealogy in this world, v. 27. Even in a parable
admission may be given to a proper name, Ezek.
xxiii. 4. It is possible, however, that a person of the
name of Lazarus may have existed at that time in
Jerusalem, and Theophylact mentions a tradition of
the Hebrews to that effect."
Before his gate, Gnomon: "The antithesis to v.
22, bosom." Grotius: " In sight of the rich man, that
he might not have ignorance to plead."  Luther,
Church-Pos. 3. 6: "We must not look at poor Lazaruis in his outward condition, with his sores, poverty,
anl wretchedness; we must look into his heart, and
seek the treasures which his sores have made so precious, which is undoubtedly his faith and love, for
without faith no one can please God, Heb. xi. 6. He
must, therefore, have been in such a state of mind,
that in the midst of his poverty and wretchedness he
viewed all good as in God, and found consolation in
the gifts and graces which he had been permitted so
richly to enjoy, and had such delight therein, indeedl,
*0.




354          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
that he could heartily have suffered still more, if the
will of his gracious God had so ordered.  Here then
is a really living faith, which has softened his heart
through the knowledge of divine grace, so that nothing is too much for him to suffer and to do. Such a
state of mind is produced by faith, when it apprehends
the grace of God. But that Lazarus had such thoughts
(he says again, House-Pos. 4. 189,) and experienced
such consolation in his sufferings his name first of all
testifies. For Lazarus is the Hebrew name Eleazer,
and means as much as God helps, intimating that he
had placed all his confidence upon the eternal sufficiency
of God, not upon men. The same thing is afterwards
signified in his being said to be in Abraham's bosom:
which simply means, that Lazarus had placed his confidence upon the promise which was made to Abraham, that in his seed all the families of the earth
should be blessed. By such a promise could Lazarus
support and console himself, although the whole world
might hold him for an outcast, because so poor and
miserable, assured that he should be of the blessed seed
of God, and should not come into condemnation, but
be for ever a subject of grace. And such faith it was
which sustained him."  From faith springs hope, patience, devotedness, and resignation.  What a contrast
between the condition of the rich man and Lazarus!
There every thing which seems worthy of desire, here
a fulness only of poverty and wretchedness. Mel.:'Law and reason judge from the event; this man is
wretched, therefore he is neglected. Thus always
does human reason judge, while it remains in its native
darkness.  But the gospel teaches, that distresses are
not signs of the wrath of God, nay, that we are afflicted for the purpose of being brought to God, and that
the righteous under affliction are under the special
care of God. Thus, from the beginning of the world,
the saints have suffered affliction, Abel, prophets,
Christ, apostles. Therefore, whenever we are in affliction, let us learn that we are consoled by this doc



THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.         355
trine of the gospel, and stir ourselves up to prayer;
this is the warfare of the saints, to stand in such faith
and wait for help."
V. 21..1nd desiring to be fed with the crumbs, &c.
Grotius: " Two things are here intimated, both the
inhumanity of the rich man, who, from a store so rich,
from a table so well replenished with dainties, could
spare nothing in mercy to Lazarus; and the great patience of the latter, whose highest wish was to receive
only what was given to the dogs." The greatness of
Lazarus's misery is marked by his poverty and sickness, a poverty so deep, that he earnestly desired to
be fed with the offals of the rich man's table, which
were cast to the dogs. The following expression:
JMoreover, the dogs came and licked his sores, connected with the preceding by aza xac, obviously contains an elliptical contrast to something understood.
Scholten supplies this in the following manner: o'
Fovov'ot xvvc-s Eta(av, vel /ri 8&ExwvoV, scil. avlov XopWaM607vc,, a   xab FpX0ouVo, &c.)  As it is manifestly the aim
of the whole representation, v. 19-21, to exhibit in
the strongest manner the want of compassion on the
part of the rich man by the contrast between his prosperity and the wretchedness of Lazarus, the sentence
beginning with axd xac must also do this by way of
an addition, implying a comparison between the behaviour of the (logs and the conduct of the rich man;
and the defective sentiment might perhaps be supplied
thus: Lazarus desired to be fed with the crumbs, &c.,
(but although the rich man was so devoid of compassion as not to be at all concerned for the poor man who
lay at his gate) the dogs came, &c. Irrational creatures put to shame the rich man, while they alleviated
the pains of Lazarus by licking his sores,-they were
more compassionate than he, and, as Luther says, deserved better at the hands of Lazarus. The foregoing
construction is favoured by the circumstance, that
many codices have, after fell from  the rich man's
table-and no man gave to him. Some expositors,




356          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
however, are of opinion, that by the licking of the
dogs can only be intimated the nakedness of Lazarus,
his weakness, as not able to defend himself from the
dogs, and consequently a deeper aggravation of his
wretchedness; but apart from the circumstance, that
such licking was in point of fact an alleviation of the
pain, there would, according to this view, only be a
representation of the necessitous case of Lazarus by
itself, which, however, is only designed as the means
of bringing out the heartlessness of the rich man, who
neither satisfied the hungry, nor soothed the distressed.
And though we grant what Olshausen says, that in
scripture dogs appear always with a bad character,
and are never taken as symbols of fidelity and compassion, we are not thereby necessitated to think that
lust and rapacity are here meant, but rather compassion, as the natural character of the dogs, coupled with
what they did, serves but to bring out more strikingly
the cold-hearted indifference of the rich man.  Calvin:
"The rich man had already been convicted of huge
barbarity, since so miserable a spectacle could not
move him to compassion; but now this mass of wicked
and more than beastly ferocity was not able to learn
mercy even from dogs. What more prodigious, than
that a man should be cared for by dogs, and neglected
by his immediate neighbour? Nay, that not even a
crumb of bread should be given by a servant, to him
whom the dogs attempted to soothe with their tongues?"
Brower: "We behold a poor mendicant, covered with
sores, whom dogs presently approach, lick his sores,
and afford some solace and refreshment to a man
abandoned by his fellow-men; so that brute animals
surpass such men in humanity."
V. 22. This verse forms merely the transition to the
other part of the parable, and connects both parts with
a noble greatness and simplicity. By the angels, see
Heb. i. 14. Ps. ciii. 20. Calvin: "It is not in vain
that Christ assigns this office to the angels, whom we
know to be given as ministers to the faithful, to aid




THIE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.        357
and co-operate with them in the matter of their salvation." Grotius: "Lo, a sudden change. He who
lately was the sport, not only of man but of dogs is
presently honoured by the ministry of angels." Luther,
House-Pos. 4. 207: "The rich man also dies, and is
buried, doubtless with the greatest pomp, but other
angels wait on him and bear him into hell. There
every thiing is reversed. The poor Lazarus, in the
judgment of the pharisees, is condemned and accursed,
and according to them also, the rich man inherits the
blessing of God.  We must judge, however, not as
the pharisees did, but as it is written here.  But we
must be careful to distinguish rightly, and say not that
the poor man attains to heaven because he is poor,
and the rich man goes to hell because he is rich, but
that the one did well in his poverty, and acted rightly
in regard to it, while the other did quite otherwise in
regard to his riches.  Poverty in itself is not good,
but evil; it saves no one, neither does wealth condemn
any one."  Grotius: "The also here is significant;
as if it had been said, riches avail nothing against death.
Nor was it improperly taken notice of by the fathers,
that the goodness of God is marked in the circumstance
of Lazarus dying first, and the rich man afterward;
the one being removed from the trials of life, the other
permitted long time to repent."
f1braham's bosom.-Luther understands this of the
word of God, on which the fathers all believed, and
through which they attained to salvation.  But to go
to Abraham's bosom is a figurative expression, which,
like that used in Matth. viii. 11, denotes nearness to
that holy patriarch, the highly-honoured friend of
God, and this local nearness is again the image of participation in Abraham's blessedness, intimating that it
was well with Lazarus in eternity, and that he was
treated as a true descendant of Abraham, Rom. ii. 28,
29. Gnomon: "As a genuine son, he becomes the
fellow heir and companion of Abraham reclining in the
heavenly kingdom. It is a concise modle of speech, for




3538         THE PARABLES 07 JESUS.
bosom presupposes a feast; a feast, the kingdom of heaven. Lazarus is admitted to the kingdom of heaven,
nay, to the feast, nay, into the bosom of Abraham.
So that Lazarus is in closer fellowship with Abraham,
and is hence said to be Ev ro&5 XoXotot5 avov the plural."
Mel.: "The bosom of Abraham  is the rest of the
pious, who, from the promise made to Abraham, have
attained to faith, comfort, and eternal life.  This
promise is more fully opened up in the gospel, for there
it is expressly said, that every one who believes upon
the Son has everlasting life. But as now we should
sustain ourselves when departing by faith on this promise given us in Christ, and through such faith enter
into life eternal; so then the saints of God sustained
themselves on that word to Abraham, and leaning
thereon in faith, they entered into life eternal. Therefore the bliss of heaven is called the bosom of Abraham, because it is the blessing promised to Abraham,
on account of the seed, that is, Christ."  Grotius:
"Here the highest honour is ascribed to Lazarus, as
having a place next to Abraham in that happy region,
whom he resembled in his exalted faith and constancy
in enduring trials."
V. 23. AInd in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in
torments.  Grotius: "As persons in prison are wont
to be tormented before they receive condemnation; so
disembodied spirits (laden with sin) cannot but be afflicted with severest agony, forewarned by conscience
of their coming doom." Luther, Church-Pos. xiii. 11:
" Hell here cannot mean hell, properly so called, which
is to begin at the last day.  For the rich man's
body was certainly not in hell, but buried in the grave.
It must, however, be a place where the soul can be,
and finds no rest; there can be nothing corporeal about
it; and we must therefore understand by this hell an
evil conscience, which is without faith and the word
of God, and with which the unbelieving are racked
even till the day of judgment."  The word rendered
hell, is properly hades, the region of the dead; and




TIHE RICH MAIN AND LAZ.RtJS.      359
Bauer remarks here, according to the Jewish doctrine,
paradise is removed from hell only by a hand-breadth,
so that one could see from the one place to the other,
though between them there was still a deep gulf.
In regard to the conversation between the rich man
and Lazarus, Luther: Church-Pos. 13. 11, makes the
following remarks: "There could, indeed, be no
bodily speech, since the bodies of each were lying in
the grave, therefore there could just as little be a corporeal tongue, which the rich man felt to be scorching in the fire, as there could be a corporeal finger or
water, which he sought from Lazarus. So that all
must be understood of the conscience after this manner. When conscience is awakened at death, or beyond death, what is here said is true of its unbelief,
and it then for the first time sees the bosom of Abraham. Then such thoughts arise in the conscience as
would have expressed themselves in the manner the
rich man did to Abraham, could they have spoken,
and cause help to be sought from the word of God,
and all who have believed therein, with so much eagerness, that the smallest consolation would be taken
from the smallest things, and still it cannot be found."
Again, in his Sermons: " No, it is not corporeal, all
is transacted in the conscience, as he perceives that he
has acted against the gospel.  Nothing was actually
spoken by him, but only internally felt. He knows in
his conscience that he must be for ever there, (v. 26,)
and therefore he has no rest.  He seeks help at all
hands, in heaven and in hell, but there is no help
for him, no more than there was with the foolish
virgins. He thinks: gracious God! had I but believed, or were there but a believer who could communicate his faith to me! And this thought which I
have attributed to him, was simply present to his conscience."  Gray: "This circumstance-the conversation between Abraham and Lazarus-is evidently
fictitious, contrived merely to enforce and illustrate
the moral of the parable.  It is similar to that between




360          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
God and Satan in the book of Job, and to be viewed
in the same light, as contrived to convey the intended
instruction, through the help of the imagination, in a
more lively and forcible manner." It is, therefore,
the most probable way, not to regard that as a real
conversation, but only a form for embodying certain
thoughts, and feelings, which were most painful to the
unbelieving and cold-hearted rich man after death; so
that the utterance merely serves to remove the covering, and present the truth in the liveliest manner. Calvin: " Souls are not possessed of eyes and fingers, neither can they be affected by thirst, or hold conferences
one with another; but the Lord here delineates a picture, which represents to us the state after death in a
manner suited to our senses. The meaning is: The
wicked are dreadfully tormented by a sense of their
own misery, catch at some consolation, but with disappointed hope suffer double anguish; the more oppressed with pain also, that they are constrained to
remember their past crimes, and to compare the present bliss of the faithful with their own miserable and
lost condition."
Lifted up his eyes-like a man awake from a dream
and a state of unconsciousness, and again restored to
sound thought; it displays the fearfuil delusion of the
rich man in regard to the continuance, worth, and
sufficiency of temporal goods, which could neither
guaranty nor bestow the possession of happiness in
eternity, as he had supposed. Grotius: " As corporeal
acts are customarily ascribed to God, so are they by
a like figure ascribed to disembodied spirits."-Saw
Aibraham afar off,-this intimates that he had now
obtained an idea, though still a very dark one, of the
happiness which was enjoyed by Abraham in the world
of spirits.  Grotius: "Abraham  is here mentioned
as the chief of the blessed; then as the person in whom
they were accustomed to glory as the head of the
family.  But how different from this man was Abraham, who so kindly entertained strangers!" —d/nd




THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.         361
Lazarus in his bosom, —this points to another delusion
of the rich man, who had formerly considered Lazarus
as an outcast from God, and could not now see him
so highly honoured without envy and astonishment.
Luther, House-Pos. 4. 213: " We may therefore hold
this to be the occasion of bitterest grief, that the rich,
and others who suffer condemnation, must see heaven
occupied by the poor, whom they treated with contempt
on earth, as is also written in the Book of Wisdom,
chap. v."
V. 24. It is signified by the figurative expressions
of this verse, that the rich man's perversity of heart
continued also in eternity, and that death brings not
the smallest moral change upon man; they contain
partly a prayer for mercy, partly a description of his
condition. —He cried, and said, Father.tbraham; his
pride, on account of his fleshly descent from Abraham,
and his Judaism, had gone with him; he thinks of laying claim to salvation as a right wholly standing in
himself, and is quite blinded in regard to his unfilial
state of heart, Matth. iii. 8. Rom. ix. 6, 7, though
he recognises Abraham as his father. In such a state
of mind his condition must be doubly painful to him,
Matth. vii. 22, &c. Send. Gnomon: "This voluptuary still treats Lazarus as of little account, as afterwards Moses, v. 30."  Grotius: "From  this it appears probable, that those are always present to the
thoughts of the wicked, whom they remember to have
been ill treated by them."-Cool my tongue, &c.marking the continuance of his lusts and desires, which
were now without any means of satisfaction, and consequently increased his torment; the thirst bespeaks a
longing desire after an absent good; ihe suffering of
pain a present feeling of distress; the flame is an
image of the highest degree of pain; he begs, not for
entire deliverance, but only for alleviation; he sues
for mercy, who himself had been so unmerciful. Grotius: " He compares the torture of conscience to a
burning ilaitl; and suitably to this the other thilngs
31




362          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
are feigned, for they who are burned feel thirst especially in their tongue; thirst is relieved by water;
the least portion of water is what adheres to the finger. The meaning is, that the rich man who had
formerly despised Lazarus, would now willingly supplicate him, if only he could obtain the slightest alleviation of such tortures."
V. 25, 26. Abraham's answer is the reply of an accusing conscience, which was once disregarded in its
admonitions and warnings, but must now be heard in
its condemnatory judgment.  The first part of the
answer in v. 25, points to the righteousness of God,that he was dealt with just as he deserved, in accordance with his earlier state and conduct. Olshausen:
"Thejus talionis, which serves as a basis to the
whole of the Old Testament, is that through which
Abraham convinces the rich man of the righteousness
of his sufferings; so that Moses, upon whom the pharisees hoped, appears as their accuser, John v. 45-47."
It is from his connexion with Moses' writings, that
the accusing conscience of the rich man, who is painted as a pharisee, draws his self-condemnation. The
other part of the answer in v. 26, refers to the impossibility of his now, when it was too late, obtaining
help, Matth xxv. 11, 12.
Son, remember,-an affectionate address; without
figure: To me also, as a descendant of Abraham, was
salvation granted, and God's goodness besides afforded
me so many benefits for my earthly life. Upon the
propriety, beauty and truth of this form of address,
3Brouwer makes the following remarks: "The reply
is void of every thing like harshness, cruelty, or wrong;
the patriarch softly addresses a wretched man. Nor:s there any thing more envious or hurtful to human
f. eling, than when those, who are rejoicing in the
highest felicity, treat with scorn and contumely the
miserable, though they may have become so through
their own misconduct, and thus embitter their sorrows.
In all the discourses of our Lord, there is manifest




TIE RICE MAN AND LAZARUS.         363
that regard for what is honourable and becoming,
which cannot but make the perusal and reperusal of
them pleasant."  Luther, House-Pos. 4. 212: " Thou
in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, now thou
must suffer for it pain and torment; and, as thou
wouldst have it so, no injury is therefore done to thee.
Thou wouldst have thy heavenly kingdom upon earth;
gold and treasure were thy salvation, rich apparel and
fine living were thy paradise," Gal. vi. 8. Jas. ii.
13. Of Lazarus it is not said, that he had received
his evil things, as if in these he had met with the just
punishment of his transgressions, but simply that they
were the appointments of heaven. Calvin: " Thy is
emphatical; as if Abraham had said: Though thou wast
created for immortality, and the law of God again
sought to raise thee to the meditation of a divine life,
yet, forgetful of so noble a calling, thou hast preferred
being like a sow or a dog; therefore thou receivest
the just reward of such brutal pleasures." So also
Grotius: " Thy good things-those, namely, which
thou didst reckon truly, nay mainly good, which thou
didst use, not as intrusted to thee after a certain law
and manner, but as properly thine own, in which, in
short, thou didst place thy confidence."
But now he is comforted, &c.-All is, therefore,
done in righteousness, I desired only an earthly good,
and despised the heavenly, hence this is now denied
me. Grotius: "That expression, but now, intimates
the strongest resolution.  It happens indeed very
often, that those who fare best in this life, fare worst
in the next. On the other hand, those who have been
oppressed here with all sorts of evil, enjoy there the
highest felicity." Lavater, Considerations 2. 189:
" Thou hast already had enjoyment, and in the midst
of thy fulness didst not care for human misery-now
therefore the eternal order of things brings it to pass,
that waste is succeeded by indigence, misery by
bliss.".dnd besides all this, &c.-Luther, House-Pos. 4.




:36-1        TiIE PARABLES Or JESUSo
213: "If we would befriend thee, and go and cool
thy tongue, yet we cannot. We act not according to
our own will, but God's; what he wills, that we also
will; we have no power to do what you ask. When
Lazarus and thou wast together, were in a sense
neighbours, he lay before thy gate, one could have
helped another, thou hadst no gulf to pass over."
And again! " These are the thoughts of despair, when
conscience feels that the word of God is for ever
withdrawn from  him, and can never help him." —
They that would, Grotius: " They that would, that
is, if they would." Lavater, as above: " Now thou
must miserably bear thy fate' No deliverance or alleviation is to be thought of now, no refreshing or
consolatory visit of Lazarus to thee.  Upon earth
every thing is mixed-in eternity there shall be a
complete separation.  Here the good must be conversant both with good and evil; but in the world of
spirits the good are associated with the good, while
the evil shall have the irreversible fate of being united
only to the evil. Now every one is preparing himself
for his destiny, hereafter he shall find it. The nature
of things and the eternal laws of the Creator change
not," Gal. vi. 7-9.
Ver. 27-31. After the rich man had in v. 25, 26,
given utterance to his own condemnation, there is represented from v. 27, the attempt of his wicked heart
to justify itself. He first of all, v. 27, 28, tries it on
the ground, that he had not been sufficiently warned
or made aware of the mournful consequences of a life
given to worldly lusts-the refutation of which is
found in v. 29. Then he seeks to excuse himself by
falling foul of the ordinary and regular means of grace,
as if they were neither sufficient nor powerful enough
for salvation, and asks for extraordinary methods, v.
30,-the exposure of this refuge is given in v. 31.
Olshausen: " But the parable does not conclude with
this (v. 25, 26.) The rich man, giving himself up to
his fate, appeals from justice to grace, and begs that




THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.         365
Lazarus might be sent to his brethren, and warn them,
but they also are left by Abraham to Moses and the
prophets. It is certainly matter of wonder, that what
Abraham here put away from him, has been fulfilled
by God in Christ, so that in this parable we have at
once a representation of the nature of the law, and
an intimation that something higher than that was
possible."
Ver. 27. That thou wouldest send him, Grotius:
"Send him, namely, restored to his body, lest any one
should imagine reference were here made to spiritual
apparitions. That it is, as we have said, appears from
the expression farther on: though one should rise from
the dead."
Ver. 28. Luther, House-Pos. 4. 215: "This is,
however, a pious reprobate, who would fain that others
d{o not come into condemnation and torment.  B-ut it
is not written because the damned actually feel so, but
for a warning to others." As the whole is only a
colloquy of the lost man with himself, we must neither
say, that he begged this out of regard for his brother's
well being, nor affirm that he did it out of self-love,
that his agonies might be increased by the reproaches
of those who had been misled by him.  The five
brethren stand for persons of the same temper and
mode of life with himself; the prayer for them is only
a cover for the thought: I was not sufficiently
warned.
That he may testify to them, Fftvprvpouata Wahl:
"I testify and affirm, by God and the faith of men;
when used of exhortation: I seriously admonish;"it denotes, not the first communication or report of a
t hing, but rather its confirmation by an irrefragable
testimony.-Lest they also come into this Place of
torment; it might therefore have been possible, through
faith upon earth, to have been kept from condemnalion; but this faith is the free act of the mind; the
rich man had not used his opportunities so as to attailn
31*




TIE PARABLES OF JESUS.
to faith, an(l would shove the guilt off himself upon
the evidences.
V. 29. He must still further say to himself, that in
3Moses and the prophets a testimony had been given
to him, which he himself recognised for divine, and
which was sufficient for faith to rest upon-but which,
though well enough known to him, he bad failed to
receive in true faith, Acts xiii. 15; xv. 21. Calvin:
"Christ tells us, that when a certain rule of life is
prescribed to us, it is not at all to be expected that the
dead should rise up to teach and admonish us. For
Moses and the prophets, while they lived, were such
proficient teachers to the men of their own age, that
from their writings the same benefit may be derived
to posterity. And since God wishes us in this manner
to be furnished for a godly life, there is no reason why
the dead should be sent as witnesses to testify of the
punishments or rewards of a future state; nor will
any excuse be found for the indolence of those who
take up with this pretext, that they know not what
is to happen hereafter, Deut. xxx. 12. If we would
handle sacred history in a pure and pious manner, let
us remember that it must be so handled as that we
shall derive from it the fruit of sound instruction. And
its design indeed is partly to direct our life, partly to
confirm our faith, partly to excite us to the fear of
G(od."-Luther, House-Pos. 4. 195:'" Here, indeed,
the office of preaching is lauded, and people are truly
aidmonished to attend on it, since there is no other way
through which they can provide against the frightful
(1ing-er of eternal condemnation. But Moses and the
prophets preach chiefly these two articles.  The first
is, that they point to the seed of the woman as the
great object of faith-so that according to them, faith
in Christ Jesus is the only and the true way whereby
sin and death can be escaped and salvation attained.'T'he other is, that we must also be obedient to God,
a;nd in tliis present life do and cleave to that which he
conmmands us, shun and forsake that which he forbids




TIHE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.        367
us, for this is to fear God and keep him before us."
Gnomon: "The scope of this passage is to commend
scripture, which the pharisees despised. Moses and
the prophets are here considered, especially as testifying concerning Christ, v. 16, whom they mocked, v.
14." Grotius: " They have Moses, whose words are
still extant, plainly commanding help to be given to
the needy; and the prophets, as Isaiah, who told the
Jews boasting of their fasts, that the best fast was to
feed the hungry, to bring the outcast into the house,
to clothe the naked, chap. lviii. 7."
Let them hear them.  Gnomon: "This is said severely, no one is compelled; men are saved by faithful
hearing, not by apparitions. Herod, unwilling to hear
the word, sees no miracle. Very little is openly and
plainly said in the New Testament concerning the
states after death, which ought at least to suffice for
repentance."
V. 30. Luther, House-Pos. 4. 215: "They are
now, he means to say, accustomed to Moses and the
prophets, so that these will not do; but this would be
a great and uncommon thing, and would command
regard, if one from the dead should appear to them,
and testify of my anguish in these flames." Without
a figure: he demands extraordinary means, as if the
ordinary ones were not sufficient.
V. 31. Luther, House-Pos. 4. 216: "He whom
God's word cannot of itself move, will not be moved
by any one, whether it were a dead man fromn hell, or
an angel from heaven. For it is not the person who
brings a man to believe right, but the word of God
must bring him thus far, at least that he shall know
it for certain to be the word of God, who is the
greatest person." Lavater, Considerations, 2. p. 192:
"Whose bones and marrow do not tremble at this
discourse of the most merciful and compassionate of
teachers?.One can hardly believe, that he, who had
just so lately spoken of grace and kindness, of forgiveness and mercy, should by such a representation cut




368          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
off all hope-should place between salvation and condemnation such an impassable gulf, that he despairs
of a man's recovery, who has no relish for the truth
spoken by Moses and the prophets. At this fearful
warning one cannot but tremble for the' consequences
of that carnality which neglects the cultivation of the
understanding and the heart. We have learned much
from this discourse of our Lord, if we have only learned
that our whole eternal fate depends upon our so
formed or misformed internal state-ultimately, and
strictly speaking, nothing of our future destiny depends
upon the arbitrariness of our judge, but that this arbitrariness merely determines itself according to our real
state of mind, according to our religious or irreligious,
our tender or hardened disposition." The mightiest
testimony of God, the most convincing work, THE
GLORIOUS RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST, which is
here manifestly pointed at, and whatever else God has
appointed to move men to repentance and faith, all this
will fail of its design and prove powerless,if the blinded
heart will not believe; for faith depends much more
upon a moral bent of mind, than upon the kind and
character of the testimony. Gnomon: " The rich man
had said: If one were sent to them they would repent,
now (as it is affirmed, that they would not be persuaded,
though one rose from the dead,) the antecedent hypothesis is increased, but the consequent decreases.
There are many proofs to be drawn from the invisible
world, (Matth. xxvii.53,) but not in regard to this particular point, that men will repent. Another Lazarus
was raised up, but they did not believe, John xi. 44,
53.  IoE,0a0, as well as uatc0Ev, sometimes refers to
the understanding, sometimes to the will; often to
both." Grotius: " Christ restored to life another man,
called Lazarus (nor is it improbable that Christ had
respect to this when he uttered these things.) Did
the Pharisees on that account more heartily yield to
the admonitions of Christ?  Nay, they did but strive
the more to kill him, and Lazarus too.  Christ hium



THE WORKING SERVANT.            369
self returned from death, and not a few, of blameless
life, and corrupted by no bribe, were witnesses of the
fact. Yet, so far from being moved to repentance,
they only sought to suppress their testimony by force."
The certainty of a life after death, the connexion between that life and the present, by the continuing of
the same state of mind hereafter, and still farther development of the consequences of our conduct upon
earth —that the space given for repentance shall have
an end-that repentance may come too late-that
there is to be a righteous and irrevocable judgmentthat unbelief in God's word is the source of condemnation and of all misery; these truths are plainly
brought to light in the preceding parable, and if the
parables in the 15th chapter speak of the mercy of
God toward the penitent, this presents in the clearest
light the righteousness of God toward the impenitent,
Rom. i. 18, as it uplifts the veil which conceals the
future world from our view.
XXXIV.
TIIE WORKING SERVANT.
Luke xvii. 7-10.
AFTER our Lord had spoken to his disciples of inevitable offences, that is, of the wicked and malicious opposition of the world to his gospel and the professors
thereof, and had also alluded to the singular guilt of
those from whom these offences proceeded, (v. 1, 2,) he
admonishes them in v. 3, to cherish a loving and placable disposition, which is ever ready to receive again
and pardon, however often it may have been injured,
v. 4: which doctrine is still farther illustrated and enforced in the 18th of Matthew, by the parable of the
wicked servant. Upon this the apostles spoke to him,
doubtless under a lively sense of the difficulty which
there was to human hearts in fulfilling such a com



370          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
mand, and said: Lord, increase ourfaith. The feeling, however, of their own impotence, and their conviction of the necessity of having an increased measure
of faith for the fulfilment of what was enjoined, might
not be the only occasion of this prayer, in which something more than what was expressed appears to have
mingled, as we may gather from the small parable
delivered by our Lord on this occasion, in which, as
in so many others, some error or failing is evidently
combated. The prayer for an increase of faith seems
here to point to the error, which supposes faith capable of being increased without any thing further-by
an arbitrary manifestation of grace on the part of the
Lord, without respect to the spiritual condition of
those whose faith is to be strengthened. And as they
pray: Increase (add to) our faith, there appears to
have existed in the deepest underground of their hearts
a certain self-sufficient confidence and respect to the
faith they already possessed, of which they perhaps
thought the more, that so many others did not believe
in Jesus. So, looking upon their faith as meritorious,
they thought that they had good grounds for claiming
an increase to it. But when the Lord meets them in
v. 6, with the declaration; If ye had faith as a grain
of mustard-seed, &c.; he means to tell them, that if
they really had right, true, living faith, existing as a
divine power in the soul, they would not be in the
least afraid of the difficulties and hinderances in question, they would be able to overcome them as small
and inconsiderable; and if they were called to contend
with opposition, and perform what was difficult, they
might still do so though they had faith but as a grain
of mustard-seed, which even when so small can overcome the world. Upon this follows the parable of the
working servant, in which, as the only way of attaining to an increased faith, an unmoved persevering obedience is recommended, and that grounded, in v. 9,
11, upon humility. Through these two the heart is
prepared for growing in faith, and so for receiving the




THE WORKING SERVANT.            871
desired strengthening or increase of faith.  Grotius:
" Many of the fathers extend this similitude to the
most approved deeds of Christians, teaching, that even
in these there is nothing on account of which we
should boast or presume before God. For, as Chrysostom says, an humble mind without works will more
readily bring a man to salvation, than pride along with
works. There are many considerations which ought
to prevent us from seeking a reckoning with God."
Calvin: 1" The sum of this parable is, that since God
can by an absolute right challenge every thing to himself, and hold us for his own property, however zealously we may apply to any duty, we cannot bind him
to us by the obligation of our merits, because since we
are his, he can be in nothing indebted to us. But the
argument is from the less to the greater, for if such
power is yielded to one man over another, that day
and night he may urge him to incessant labour, and
yet may lie under no obligation to compensate him,
as if he was his debtor: how much more may God,
&c. We see, therefore, that all are condemned of sinfill arrogance, who imagine that they deserve something at the hands of God, as if they had laid him
under contribution to themselves." Olshausen: "To
the (foregoing) commendation of faith, which naturally
includes within itself an advice to strive earnestly for
its increase, succeeds now a parabolical representation
of the relation of disciples to their Lord, which manifestly grows out of what precedes. The prevailing
sentiment in the minds of the apostles which led them
to ask for an increase to their faith, and our Lord to
leliver this parable, was a mournful feeling in regard
to the difficulties of the warfare to be maintained, and
a thirsting for future rest and reward.  In reference
to these, Jesus reminds them of the relation in which
they stood; they were as servants to their Lord, and
the calling of a servant is to work for the interest of
his master, and in obedience to his will. To work
thus, however, can bring no desert, it is matter of ob



372         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
ligation. So that the humble Son of Man appears
here as a commander, whom all must serve; and the
point of the parable is, to press it on the apostles, and
through them on all the members of the church, that
man can acquire no merit in the service of God —that
the highest fidelity is nothing but fulfilled obligation,
and that he must consequently seek all his consolation
in grace."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
The necessity of Humility.
It is necessary,
1. Because in all matters we depend on God (are
his servants,) v. 7;
2. Because we are bound to employ all our powers
in his service, v. 8;
3. Because, in such circumstances we have no claims
for any special praise or recompense from obedience,
v. 9;
4. Because an unpretending disposition is expressly
demanded of us, v. 10.
V. 7. Servant, a body slave. —Ploughing or feeding cattle.-Olshausen: "Images of spiritual labour,
to which the apostles were called;." Go and sit down
to meat-in one thing or another to have been obedient, and to have laboured for the Lord, is not enough
to warrant our expecting from him an immediate refreshment and recompense.
V. 8. The Lord properly regards what the servant
has already done, as a matter of obligation, andl demands from him further obedience, additional labour.
Gird thyself, that you may wait upon me without
hinderance.
V. 9. The Lord is not in the least bound to give
particular thanks to his servant, and the servant must
not lay claim to this as his due; the ground of its
being so lies in the mutual relationship.  Grotius:
" In this respect reward differs from grace; that re



THE WORKING SERVANT.           373
ward looks mainly to the work done, grace to the
state of mind; so that reward becomes due according
to agreement, although the slave or hired labourer has
not done willingly the required work. But they are
proper subjects of grace who work with a ready mind,
and would do even what they cannot accomplish.
Elsewhere, however, the word reward in a looser sense
imports any sort of recompense, even though much
beyond what the deed merits, as an expression of kind
feeling.  Luke, therefore, after his custom, opposes
grace to reward."
V. 10. This verse contains the application of the
similitude to the disciples of our Lord. When ye shall
have done all, by the powers both of nature and of
grace, which have been conferred on you; it is spoken
by way of concession, and must not be understood,
contrary to the doctrine of scripture, as importing
that man actually can yield a perfect obedience to
what the law requires in respect to God and Christ.
Gnomon: " There was among the apostles an overweening regard to the obedience they had hitherto
rendered, strengthened by what they saw of the shameful obstinacy of others, xvi. 14; the Lord here calls
them away from such a line of reflection."
Say, we are unprofitable servants-confess, in a
spirit of deep, unpretending humility, that they can
build nothing upon their own worth.  Olshausen:
"'Ax~or5 is used in Matth. xxv. 30, in a positive sense,
denoting worthless, punishable; here it is used rather
negatively, of one, who brings no (special) gain, but
does only what is commanded, and hence can obtain
blessings only through grace. It therefore involves
~lECVos5, indicating a consciousness of one's own want
of desert and worth, in reference to the divine being."
— We have done that which it was our duty to do, no
more than our duty. Gnomon: "Every slave should
confess himself to be unprofitable, on the account that
he is a slave, owing every thing, and liable to be beaten
with stripes, if he is a delinquent; if he does all, he:32




374          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
deserves nothing; he ought to esteem nothing done;
no thanks are due to him, as it is not for him to expect
any thing great either in employment or in reward.
God, who alone is good, can want our services," Rom.
xi. 35. Matth. xix. 17.  Calvin: "Christ speaks
here concerning the perfect observance of the law,
which is nowhere to be found; for even he, who is
nearest perfection, is yet very far from the righteousness which the law requires. The question, therefore,
is not discussed here, whether we are justified by
works, but whether the observance of the law deserves
any reward from God. This last is denied, and because we all come short, not only is an obedience defective, but no part of it exactly corresponds to the
judgment of God. He does not wish that his faithful people should be slothful, but only forbids them to
be mercenaries, who may demand any thing of God,
as if it was their legal right."  Luther, Church-Pos.
7. 176: " We have said enough to show that our works
are nothing before God, and we have never in any
work fulfilled the least command, how much less could
we attain to his righteousness, so as to deserve his
grace! Still, if we even were so powerful as to keep
his commands, and walk up on all hands to his righteousness, we should not thereby be deserving of his
grace and salvation; he should not be obliged to give
us these, but might demand the whole of us, as service due to him from  his own creature.  What he
gives, therefore, is pure grace and mercy." Duvernoy: "This is an important inquiry, why we yet get
so little thanks for what we do. We have done it with
a willing heart, but still it is accounted as nothing:
we are conscious of pain, if others make much of it.
The ground of this is that virtue of modesty which
springs from a sense of our misery and guilt. For
who can say, that he has done every thing which be
was bound to do? This is not the modesty which is
found among the fair pretences and hypocrisies of the
world."  Apolog. Aug. Conf. iii. De dilect. et implet.




TIHE UNJUST JUDGE AND WIDOW.       37,5
legis 34: "These words plainly declare that God
may save through his own mercy, and because of his
promise, but not because he owes it on account of the
excellence of our works. Christ condemns all confidence in our works, accuses these works of being unworthy.  Ambrose clearly teaches the same: Agnoscenda est gratia, sed non ignoranda natura, promissioni gratiae, confidendum est, non naturae nostrae.
Unprofitable servants mean insufficient ones, because
no person so much fears, so much loves, so much trusts
God, as he ought. It is manifest, that confidence in
one's own works is reprehended."
XXXv.
THE UNJUST JUDGE AND WIDOW.
Luke xviii. 1-8.
THIS parable, the design of which, according to
v. 1st, is to excite to zealous and persevering prayer,
stands in close connexion with chap. xvii. 20-37,
where our Lord discourses of the mournful times
which were to accompany the destruction of Jerusalem. He manifestly wishes, by the help granted to
the importunate widow, and the promise therewith
connected in v. 8, to console his disciples, to whose
view he had disclosed those troublous times, and to
assure them that they would not be involved in the
fearful overthrow of the enemies of his kingdom, if
they faithfully followed his guidance and instruction
in other things, for the mighty help of God should
then be manifested for their deliverance. In regard
to their conduct amid those dismal calamities, our
Lord gave them direction in v. 23, 31; and the parable was added to stir them up to continued and fervent prayer before God, as the most powerful means
for preserving them from faint-heartedness, sustaining them  in immoveable confidence, invincible pa



376          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
tience, and the requisite cheerfulness of spirit. Lavater, Considerations, 2. p. 205: "Great, alone interpreter of God and of human nature! What friend
of man or of God, what poet or orator, can come as
thou dost into the human heart, and make it believe
what to the worldly wisdom, which knows neither God-,
nor man, is so hard, so impossible to be believed:THE RESISTLESS POWER OF IMPORTUNATE PRAYER!"
The history of the hard-hearted, unfeeling judge, is
admirably fitted to set forth the zeal and perseverance
which Christians must exhibit in their supplications to
God-for the begging widow gains her object only by
persevering in her entreaty; without such perseverance
she had found as little success as had been given to
the man pleading for his friend in Luke xi. As,
therefore, inthe parable circumstances are represented
most unfavourable for the widow, on account of the
reckless character of the judge, the conclusion must,
according to v. 7, stand thus: If this woman moved
an unfeeling judge, and prevailed upon him to fulfil
her urgent prayer, how much more may not we reckon
upon a gracious hearing from God to our supplications; since he holds the faithful so indescribably dear
to him, and ever desires their welfare! And in this
conclusion there is contained a most powerful admonition to continued prayer, even when the wished for result does not immediately follow, and relief is withheld.  The history of the Canaanitish woman in
Matth. xv. 21-28, and of Jacob in Gen. xxxii. 2281, afford real illustrations of this parable. Olshausen:
" The parables of the Redeemer are sometimes drawn
from that point of view, which is, not absolutely, but
only relatively true. In the former, God could never.
have been compared to such a judge, let men labour
as much as they please to soften the representation;
— but considered in the human, subordinate point of
view, the comparison speaks a profound truth, for the
experience of those, who have to contend with the




THE UNJUST JUDGE AND WIDOW.        377
necessities of a life on earth. In the struggle with
the world and sin, without them and in them, under a
sense of the desertion of God (as is delineated in the
book of Job,) bereft of all support and consolation,
the soul appears like a widow, who implores in vain
an unrighteous judge. But assiduity in prayer overcomes at last the severity of heaven." Calvin: " We
know how rare and difficult a virtue is perseverance
in prayer; and in this appears our want of faith, that,
if we succeed not with our first supplications, we presently relinquish our endeavours, together with our
hope.  But we then only manifest a becoming confilence, when, though disappointed in our desires, we
still do not sink into despondency.  Wherefore it was
not without cause, that Christ here commends to his
disciples perseverance in prayer."  Gnomon: "Two
parables treat of prayer.  The first dissuades from
indolence, the other from confidence in ourselves; the
t wo extremes are remarkable. For indolence and
improper confidence are opposed in v. 1, 9; as proper
confidence and indolence in 2 Cor. iii. 4; iv. 1, Eph.
iii. 12, 13."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
Motives to persevering prayer.
I. The greatness of the necessity is represented,
1. In our own helplessness; v. 3: There was a
widow.
2. In the evil inflicted; v. 3: Avenge me of mine
ad versary.
3. In the delay of help.; v. 4: And he would not
for a while.
II. The ultimate success; v. 4: But afterward he
said within himself, &c.; and in this success is certainly
to be expected:
1. From the goodness of God; v. 7: And shall not
God —as opposed to the unprincipled judge.
2. Who wills our salvation: v. 7: His elect.'32 X




37S          TIlE PARABLES OF JESUS,
3. If we continue with confidence in prayer; v. 7:
Who cry to him day and night.
4. Notwithstanding the long delay in the promised
help; v. 7: Though he bear long with them.
5. On account of the sure word of promise; v. 8:
I say unto you, &c.
6. Although the help vouchsafed may at first be
concealed from our view; v. 8: Nevertheless, when
the Son of Man cometh, &c.
V. 1.  lways to pray, and not to faint,-,-xxaxE&v,
is to flag or to be remiss, because one is apt to let the
spirit sink before threatening dangers, here in particular on account of deferred help.  Gnomon: "Crying
is befitting, v. 7; exemplified in v. 39." The widow
did not remit her entreaties, neither must believers.
Olshausen: " In the New Testament, prayer appears
not as a work or piece of service restricted to hours,
but as the internal abiding condition of the higher life,
Luke xxi. 36. Eph. vi. 18. 1 Thes. v. 17. Suitable prayer, accordingly, is not to be regarded as a
repetition of certain forms, but as an internal direction of the soul toward God, as a lively longing after
manifestations of him, as the breath of the inner man.
In this constant internal flux and reflux of the spiritual
life, we find the Redeemer standing, John i. 51; v.
19: but as in his life, which might be termed a prayer,
there were not wanting seasons in which he especially
applied himself to prayer with his heavenly Father,
so the command always to pray does not exclude from
the life of the believer periods of a more special and
elevated exercise of a prayerful spirit, in which this
pours itself out before God in the words of a direct
address.  But since the preservation of this higher
life presupposes a contest, inasmuch as it has constantly to labour with the oppression of earthly things,
Jesus subjoins the admonition, that we should not now
tire of this internal warfare."
V. 2. The character of the judge is so marked, that
ore could look for no good from him, for he has nei



TIHE UNJUST JUDGE AND WIDOW.       379
ther the fear of God, nor the fear of men, who are
too feeble to injure one that is in the possession of
power.
V. 3. That the suppliant here is a widow, conveys
the idea of perfect helplessness, and gives a still more
frightful idea of the hard-heartedness of the judge,
which continued unmoved by-the circumstance of a
desolate woman pleading, not for revenge, but only
for her just and righteous claims against the wrongs
of her oppressor.  Ex~sxzw, Wahl: "I defend any
one, by pleading his cause," to obtain justice. Calvin:
"Christ's proposing to us a widow in the parable,
teaches us, that however wretched and despised they
may be who entreat his favour, let them only not cease
from their continued supplications, and they shall at
length be regarded by him, and have their necessities
supplied." Grotius: " A widow, bereft, despised, and
one whom this cruel monster valued not a rush." Lavater, Considerations, 2. p. 208: " We must not create for ourselves arbitrary wants, and go with these
before God. The poor widow went not to her judge
for the purpose of making a trial. She had to concern herself simply with help and deliverance. Help
and deliverance must be the object of thy prayer. Thy
circumstances must lie upon thy heart, as the widow's
lay upon her heart. She could find no rest, day or
night, until she obtained the ear of the judge. Amid
all other things, the oppressed situation in which she
was, continually forced itself back upon her. This
burdened, vexed, afflicted her unceasingly, and drove
her to the only person from whom, if at all, deliverance was to be hoped for. Without the constraint of
such a necessity it is folly to beg, and folly to expect
deliverance. The feeling of necessity must even burn
as an inextinguishable fire in the bosom. We must
have grace to believe in God, as in an ever-present
almighty agent. We must renounce every other help,
and throw ourselves back upon God alone. But our
necessity, our prayer, our faith, our courage, must not




3t3         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
be a matter of contrivance and artificial constraint.
Suffering and-faith are the only two essential -conditions of prayer.  Suffering produces humility, faith,
boldness. And humility and boldness in proper measure, constitute the perfection of men and Christians."
V. 4. And he would not for a while,-how unrighteous is this delay of the judge, bound as he was
totexercise justice.  But afterwards he said within
himself, 4c.,-he is so shameless, as not to be ashamed
of his ungodly state, yea, rather takes pleasure in
proclaiming this. Here he negatively confesses what
did not move him to fulfil the prayer of the widow,it was neither the fear of God, nor a sense of duty.
V. 5. Now are the true efficient motives of his conduct given. It is unpleasant and painful for him to
be ever and anon met with the entreaty of the unfortunate widow,-therefore self-love, regard merely for
his own ease, was what moved him to help her; he
wished simply to get rid of her. Lest she weary me,
rather, dun me, vwntato, 1 Cor. ix. 27. Wahl:
" From vtoo,, that part of the face which is imme(liately below the eyes, and properly signifying to be
struck there so as to have lurid marks, to be made
black and blue."  Luther's note: "That is, that she
might not plague and torment him, as one says of forward, intrusive persons,-How troublesome this man
is to me!"
V. 6. Here the application made by our Lord begins. Unjust judge —properly, godless, reckless, as
in Luke xvi. 8.
V. 7. The question implies a very strong affirmation: yes, God will certainly do it.  Grotius: "Every
word has a stronger meaning and emphasis. God, the
just one, as opposed to that miserable judge, will he
iot repel violence, not from those whom he contemns,
but from those whom he loves-not from those who
trouble him, but from those whose prayers are greatly
esteemed by him?"  Shall he not avenge, as in v. 3;
procure justice, defend against the oppressions of the




THE UNJUST JUDGE AND WIDOW.        381
enemy in times of distress; from him who is love itself,
certain help is to be expected. His elcct,-a new
ground of confidence in regard to the help of God, as
what could not fail to come, though it might be delayed,-he wills the salvation of those who trust in
him. The elect,-according to Matth. xxiv. 22, 24,
where it is said, that for the elect's sake, the days of
trouble should be shortened, and that if it were possible the elect should be deceived by false Christs and
false prophets-are undoubtedly the avowed friends
and followers of Jesus, who recognised and acknowledged him for the Messias.  Olshausen: "The elect
are named as the objects of divine care (exx7,,c;;)
these are constantly, until the manifestations of the
Son of Man, exposed to the attacks of sin on the part
of the kingdom of darkness, but shall be delivered by
the Lord in his own time with a strong arm, while
they continue in faith, of which persevering prayer is
a necessary manifestation. Persevering prayer, therefore, is not strictly the condition of the XXr6,7,i, this
rather lies in the being elected; the elect are in their
nature the steadfast believers, whom their Father in
heaven will infallibly deliver."
lWho cry to him  day and night,-another ground
for expecting unfailing help as the elect fall in with
the divine arrangement, and manifest their faith in his
power and love by continuing instant in prayer.
Though he bear long with them. Olshausen: " The
help from above is expressly represented as deferred
according to God's counsel, with reference to v. 4;
in which there is at the same time an intimation given,
that the apparent injustice (acXta) of God is always
but a wise manifestation of his love."  MaxoowvEo,
Wahl: "I am tardy in bringing help to any one, or in
vindicating him from the wrongs of another." Gnomon: "The long-suffering of God is here extolled,
which so regards the injuries of the bad and the sorrows of the good, that it does not immediately put an
end to both, although men may think that their indig



382          THlE PARABLES OF JESUS.
nation against the bad, and their compassion toward
the good, demands a speedy termination." Grotius:
" This word is expressive of a delay, which, as it is
beneficial to the debtor, so is it grievous to him who
suffers wrong." Olshausen: "As used of God, this
word presupposes his relation to the sins of men. The
elect themselves are to be thought of as in part also
belonging to sinful humanity, and the delay of redemption is to be regarded, not as an accidental, but as an
intentional thing, designed for the purification of the
elect; so that the bearing longe carries a very fine reference." Although God delays long in bringing help,
yet for the reasons just mentioned, we must not lose
heart and cease praying. For this is introduced to
remove an objection and a depressing mistrust, as if
the help which is only delayed were not to be granted,
and so the expression corresponds to that in v. 4: He
would not for a while. Other expositors think that
the divine patience and long-suffering must intimate
that he, the merciful Jehovah, is not annoyed by the
continued prayers of his elect, as the judge in question
was by the prayers of the widow; but this view does
not appear to suit the context so well. Calvin: " If
at any time God winks longer than we would like at
our wrongs, let us consider, that he does so with the
fatherly design of training us to endure. Were we
allowed to look into his hidden counsels, we should
learn that his aid is always prompt and seasonable,
and is never indeed a moment delayed, but is ready
for every emergence." Lavater, Considerations, 2. p.
207: " Whoever calls persevering prayer a powerless
thing, he calls Jesus a deceiver. Whoever calls the
expectation of an answer to the persevering prayer of
an elect man, i. e. of an approved, righteous worshipper of God, enthusiasm, he calls Jesus an enthusiast.
Indeed, we must pray repeatedly and perseveringly.
We must begin, continue, and finish; we must wait
and tarry; we must continue as steadfast as if we saw
him who is invisible, and as if we received the word




THE UNJUST JUDCE AND WID3W.        283
directly from the mouth of the Lord. The word of
the Lord: Shall not God,-must be to the soul of
the supplicant as clear and certain, as the sun shining
at noon-day. Whoever can believe and pray on account of this unfailing, ever-abiding word of God, he
belongs to the elect." But divine wisdom sometimes
postpones the deliverance of his suffering people on
other grounds, which accord well with its goodness
toward them, and with its fidelity and its promises.
In part, such delay must serve for the trial and increase
of their faith and piety, and produce in them a much
livelier sense of the goodness experienced in the deliverance after great calamities; they must thereby be
trained to a more humble resignation to the will of
God, to patient continuance in well-doing, and to a
firmer confidence in his almighty power and protection.
In part also, when the Lord delays the rescue of his
people to the time of greater necessity, he seeks to
render his power and his glory more brightly conspicuous.
V. 8. I tell you that he uwill avenge them speedily
-last ground of confidence and continued prayer:
the true and faithful promise of divine help. He
is to interpose speedily, i. e. suddenly, unexpectedly,
before they, with their weak faith, and under their
heavy formidable trials, looked for it. Grotius: "He
will speedily deliver them, which is opposed to taxpoOvwtLv (the bearing long;) nor are we called to depart
from this very plain interpretation by the fact, that
God sometimes suffers his people to be for a time oppressed by the wicked; for that period, though it may
seem long to the sufferers, is yet of very short continuance, only momentary, and hence Paul speaks of the
season of tribulation as but for a moment, 2 Cor. iv.
17. Besides, the delay itself is fraught with much
good to those who have to suffer, although often not
apparent. But it will tend much to encourage us to
diligence in prayer, if we can rest in confidence, not
only that we shall be delivered, but that we shall be
quickly delivered, although it may still be delayed."




384          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
JNevertheless, when the Son of.Man cometh —
namely, to fulfil the promise just given, to deliver his
own people. "Every special interposition of the
Lord in behalf of his own is a coming of him; and he
comes most unexpectedly when prayer and faith are
well-nigh extinguished. But the discourse here is
more particularly of his coming to his kingdom, as the
season of mightiest deliverance to his people, when
little faith shall be found remaining in the earth."
(Meier's Bible.) -Shall he find faith on the earth?
The beginning of help at the coming of Christ, is so
concealed, that even his elect recognise it not as such,
because the power of evil and the weight of tribulation has pressed on them so heavily. The question
bespeaks a strong negative, that this should not be
the case, and that even the faithful should be found
faint and desponding.  Grotius: "Christ complains
that many will not persevere in patient trust, and thence
in the exercise of prayer, until the time of deliverance
comes, which is not far distant."  Calvin: "Faith,
therefore, ought not to regard one's own weakness,
misery and shortcomings; but with all diligence should
wait upon the alone efficacy of God. For if we lean
upon our own righteousness or glory, we shall never
rise to think of the power of God."
XXXVI.
THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN.
Luke xviii. 9-14.
WHEN our Lord delivered the parable of the unjust
judge, and there admonished to steadfastness in prayer,
there might be among the hearers persons with pharisaical hearts, who complacently flattered themselves
in the inmost sentiments of their mind, with being zealous in the discharge of this duty, and hence not only
conceived themselves to be distinguished by great
piety, but also looked with contempt upon others, to




THE PHARISEE AND PUBLICAN.        385
whom they did not ascribe the same fear of God and
diligence in prayer.  Against people of this sort the
following parable of the pharisee and the publican,
according to v. 9, is directed in which our Lord describes, under the publican and his prayer, the proper
character of a prayer which is acceptable to God, and
the spirit of true piety ao exemplifieId in prayer, contrasting it also most strikingly with the deportment
and prayer of a pharisee, with the view of admonishing to genuine godly fear, and warning against all
conceit in pretences of piety, which is an abomination
before God. The connexion, therefore, between the
two parables may be thus stated, that the first recommends generally the duty of prayer, and the second
gives us to understand the property of a right prayer,
which alone can obtain the blessing-for the publican
only is heard, whilst the proud pharisee, who properly
asks nothing, receives no grace, and in his prayer is
not accepted before God. Calvin: "Now Christ gives
instruction concerning another virtue, which is necessary for praying rightly, that believers may come into
the presence of God in a simple and lowly state of
mind. No distemper is more deadly than arrogance,
which yet is so deeply inherent in the nature of all,
that it can scarcely be expelled and rooted out by any
means."  Mel.: "There are two examples; in the one
Christ condemns confidence in our own righteousness;
in the other, he holds up the pattern of true righteousness."  Grotius: " Luke wisely annexes to the
admonitions concerning constancy in the faith, the discourse concerning lowliness of mind, which, as it is of
service in every part of life, is especially so in prayer."
Luther, House-Pos. 5. 20: "Here our blessed Lord
teaches us how we must be true and humble Christians, for it is only through this virtue that we can
attain to grace. Where this virtue of humility is
not, there God can take no pleasure in men, nor be
gracious to them." Lavater, Considerations, 2. p.
211: " It appears to have been one of the chief designs
33




386          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
of Jesus to oppose the dead-legal, the cold-religiouspiety of the pharisees. Why did our Lord do so?
For the sake of the heart, the internal sense, the inward life of man, as far before external punctilios and
legal exactness. IIe desires humble hearts toward
God, and loving hearts toward men. He delights
more in lost sons, who return to their father's love,
than  those never-lost, heartless, self-righteous -in
humble labourers, sin-stricken publicans, than in outwardly blameless, but proudly self-righteous, pharisees."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
Of the conceit of being Pious.
i. Its nature is delineated:
A. In the pharisee, with respect to what belongs
to this conceit:
1. It is inclined to stand aloof from others, v. 11:
The pharisee stood by himself;
2. It ascribes all good to self as its own desert; v.
11: God, I thank thee;
3. It thinks the worst of other men: v. 11: T.at
I am not, &c.;
4. It judges of neighbours in a heartless way from
appearances; v. 11: Or even as this publican;
5. It elevates itself above all, taking itself for perfect, v. 11;
6. It extols its own works, v. 12.
-B. In the publican with respect to that which
is wanting, where this conceit fails;
1. In a lively feeling of guilt; v. 13: Smote upon
his breast;
2. In a confession of this and of deserved punishment; v. 13: Said, God, be merciful to me, a sinner;
3. In desire after God's favour; v. 13.
II. The consequences of it are unfolded, v. 14.
1. It loses the favour and approbation of God, v.
14: This man went down, &c.
2. It shall be humbled, v. 14: For every one,
&c.




THE PHARISEE AND PUBLICAN.           387
Ver. 9..T7;;.tS   i',  t  e,, e s' iat i/e.l     were
righteous-they hait confidence in their own selves,
and the ground of their confidence stood in the conviction, that they were righteous, in pos-ession of the
divine favour.  The expression, as illustrate i  by what
follows, evidently marks a groundless persuision, a
vain imagination, a mere conceit.'rhe state of mind
described is that of him, who fancies himself to be perfectly righteous, anti grounds upon that stupposed righteousness a proudt self-confidlence.  Calvin: i' Christ reproves and corndemns two smns, i:rp:.oper conlidence
in ourselves, andl pridle in dlespising others-the one of
which springs from the other; for whoever deceives
himself by a false confidence, cannot flail to magnify
himself above others.  Nor is it wonderf'ul that he
should despise his equals, who deals proudly toward
God himself.  But every one, who is pulffted up by
such self-confidence, avowedly wars with God himself,
as his favour can no otherwise be gained, than by an
entire renunciation of ourselves, and a simple dependence upon his mercy." Olshausen: " To the pharisee there is certainly ascribed a righteousness, but one
only that is external, legal; to the publican an unrighteousness. The relation of the heavenly kingdom, which
manifests itself to the penitent and needy, must accordingly be brought out here, as in Luke xv. in connexion with a legal standing.  The endeavour to regard
the law as something merely outward, must lead to a
flattering self-righteousness, which removes us farther
from God, than transgression of the law, in the event
of this leading to a desire for salvation.  A rampant
profligacy, in which transgression of the law is coupled
with no repentance and no thirsting after salvation, is
certainly worse than both." Grotius: "As righteous,
that is, as if they were righteous, or because they were
righteous, namely in their own estimation; for the
words are capable of either interpretation, and the
meaning is substantially the same. For as the eye
that is suffused with humour sees all things, not as




388          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
they are, but according to the quality of the humour,
so he, who is full of self-love, foolishly dreams, and
judges of every thing, not according to the truth, but
according to his own desire.".And despised others, properly lessenedthem, thought
little of them, not giving them credit for so much good
as themselves, and less indeed than actually belonged
to them. This despising of others is always inseparably connected with that immoderate self-elation, for
the conceit, let its object be what it may, is perpetually as to its nature an errof of the understanding, the
man conceiving too highly of his own worth, and also
a perversity of heart, taking one's self to be better
than others. The judgment of the pharisee, v. 11,
12, shows it to be so.  Luther, House-Pos. 5. 21:
" These were the two leading views of the pharisees,
that they were persons who not only thought highly
of themselves, which had been sin enough, for it is a
devilish one, but also despised others."
Ver. 10. Pharisee and p'ublican —two sorts of Feopie most widely apart from each other, as well in their
manner of life, as in the opiiion publicly entertained
of them.  Olshaueiin: "The repr'esentatiVes of the
tWo classes-of the self-applauding,  arrogant lawkeepers, and the abased law-breakers, are set forth in
their common relation to God, in prayer, and the
thoughts which occur to them in this relation are to
be regarded as the expression of their state and character."  Luther, House-Pos. 5. 21: "The pharisees
Were among the Jewvs just like the monks in the papacy; they had a peculiar dress, set days for fasting
and prayer, and prosecuted the work of righteousness
So diligently, that other men were but poor sinners in
comparison of them. Hence were they called pharisees,
which in Hebrew signifies as much as a separatist, one
who separates himself from the common herd, and seeks
to be something singular."
Ver. 11. The pharisee stood, and prayed thus with
himself; according to Luther, he spoke for himself,




THE PHARISEE AND PUBLICAN.          389
that is, for his own satisfectirn, and with much cornplacency of hfeart, the folloNwing con oratulator,' prayer.  It may, however, tie more naturally understlod
as meaning that he stood by himself alone, walked
to a sidle from others, that they might observe' him
and hear him  pray; he wishes to be seen of men,
Matth. vi. 5.-God, I thank thee, Lluther, House-Pos.
v. 28: "Whoever would juldge merely by the words,
must confess it was not unrighteously sp;oken what
was here said by the pharisee.  For sucbh wuords are
uttered by the truly pious in their prayers, bult with
a different spirit. For when the)} thank (God for any
thing, they acknowledge that it is his work and gift,
they have it riot of themselves.  But this was not the
pharisee's meaning, else would he have said: That I
am  no adulterer, &c. Lord, I have no'one to thank
but thee.  Of myself, apart from thy grace, I would
have acted even as other men, for we are all alikle;
one must not glory over another.  This pharisee,
however, did not think thus, but entirely reverses it,
finds all his virtues in himself, as if he had all of himself and not of God, and so he properly thanks not
God, but himself, his own reason, his free-will and
strength, that he had doneso much."  Calvin: "Although in giving God thanks he confesses that all he
has of good works were merely of grace conferred,
yet, as he rests his confidence in works, and prefers
himself to others, he is rejected with his prayer.  A
remarkable passage; for to some it appears sufficient,
if they take from man the glory of good works, on
the ground of these being the gifts of the Holy Spirit;
and thus they understand that we are justified freely,
because God finds no righteousness in us, excepting
what he has himself conferred. But Christ proceeds
much farther, not only ascribing the virtue of acting
righteously to the grace of the Spirit, but emptying
us of all confidence in our works; for the pharisee is
not reproved for having arrogated to himself what
properly belonged to God; but because he trusted in
con 




3(90        TfM PARARLES  OF J'ESUS.
his own merits, that he might have a gracious God,
as -far as he legerved'it."  OGshausen: "'The first.half of the (prayer'put into the mouth of the pharisee
inight be'the expression of sincere piety, if in this,
I thank thee, there wrere a real acknowl]edgment, that
his superior moral condition was a'work'of divine
grace, rand that'to'God ialone'the honouir'consequently
belonged.  Btt E t'h   Siidih a e6nfession c'f what was
done by God could -not haVe been made, without an
expression'of'regret at his ow'n'unfaithfutness, which
is always most distinctly recognised'whete'the power
of God most powerfully works.  To beget'this acknowledginent of sin, is always the properdesign of
the law, which, with the pure, it must of necessity
accomplish.  It.was only the pharisaical impurity
which occupied'itself With the form, without laying
open the inner rian to the working of the law, that
could thence arrogate the vain and selfpleasing distinction of observing the law."   Mel.: "The first
image presents tou's h Secure man, without repentance,
without the fear of God, without faith and without
prayer.  He -has, however, the works of'the law, and
thinks Athem to be irighteoushess, on account -of these'he conceives that'G6d is his debtor.  Therefore he
(oes not supplicate,'that is, does not ask pardon of
G(od or other good things. But why does he give
thanks, since the giving of thanks is a part of true
worship? I answer: This giving of thanks was feigned,
like that of wicked men, who, when they abound in
riches, also use words of gratitude, and yet in reality'do not feel that riches are the gift of God, but have
either been gotten by their own industry, or thrown
in'their way by chance.  Thus the pharisee apprehends that he has made a law by his own efforts, and
soothes'himself by the thought of that adorning,
whereby hetexcels others, and has confidence towardI
God.  Had he'truly given'thanks, he would have
trusted-in mercy alone, and not have said, I am not
as other men; but would have acknowledgedl, that he




THE PHARISEE AND PUBLICAN.       391
also, if left to himself, would have been incited to
robberies and other crimes, and would have declared
it to be the goodness of God that he had been preserved. Hence it may be sufficiently understood, that
these words of the pharisee were not a real giving of
thanks."
That I am not as other men. Gnomon: "The pharisee forms two classes, into the one of which he throws
the whole human race; he himself appears to constitute the other and better one." Grotius: "He twice
errs; first, in that he reckons it matter of great praise
not to be among the most depraved, then in judging
so harshly of other men, the greater part of whom
were not known to him." What shameful calumny,
to declare the whole world besides to be wicked and
abandoned wretches, and what pride! And is it virtue, genuine fear of God and true piety, if a man is
only free of the grossest vices and misdemeanors!
Heartlessly he both judges and condemns. Luther,
House-Pos. 5. 23: " So does the hypocrite; O God,
says he, thou seest that thou hast in me a very pious
man." He recounts before God his virtues and moral
excellencies, that God might know how to recompense
him, as his like was not to be found in the world.
Mel.: " Here consider how rash the worship of hypocrites is-they approach God without fear, without
repentance, and oppose their own righteousness to the
judgment of God. But what can be more absurd,
than to approach such majesty without fear!?'
Or even as this publican! how arrogantly he pretends to judge of hearts, and judges of them after the
appearance, guided by prejudice. With slighting and
contempt he looks upon the publican, with self-satisfaction and delight upon himself.  Grotius: "If there
had been any principle of love in him, he would have
believed that the publican had come to the temple for
the purpose of repenting, which his very gesture indicated. But if, believing this, he threw out the taunt
against him on account of his former life, that was still
more atrocious."




3-2          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
Ver. 12. As he had already spoken well of his person, so now he praises his works, hiis extraordinary
good deeds, through which God had become, as it were,
his debtor.  I fast twice in the week; according to
Lev. xvi. 29-31, and Numb. xxix. 7, a yearly fast
only is enjoined, but the Jews, and especially the pharisees, from peculiar sanctity and regard to the service
of God, observed two fast days every week, the second
and fifth days, for reflecting on the ascent of Moses
to Mount Sinai, when he went to receive the law, and
on his return thence.  J.nd give tithes of all that I
possess-according to the command of God, it was
only the fruits of the earth, and the produce of cattle
and flocks, that were to be tithed. Numb. xviii. 21.
Deut. xiv. 22. Lev. xxvii. 30.  The pharisees extended the obligation to the whole of their possessions,
and thereupon grounded a certain claim to distinction
and, reward, Matth. xxiii. 23.  Luther, House-Pos.
5. 23: "To fast is right, to pray is right, to give
tithes is right, so also to preserve chastity, and abstain from robbery an(l injustice,-all right and goodi
in itself. But the pharisee bespatters himself with
proud pretensions to such a degree, that all became, as
it were, pollutions of the devil. How can God be well
pleased with sanctity, when men vannt and talk
proudly against him?" Duvernoy, Extracts 5. p. 26:
"The error of the pharisee stood in his thinking that
he was righteous, and the goodness or happiness of
the publican, that he acknowledged himself to be a
sinner. It belongs then to the heart, and must be
sought in the state of the pharisee's and publican's
hearts, if the one is named righteous and the other
not. The pharisee thought not only that he was better than a robber, adulterer, &c., but that he was entirely different from, and not at all as, a robber, an adul.
terer, or ungodly person. The poor man did not bethink himself of his heart, how it stood with him in
regard to the fountain-head, from which every thing
proceeds, and therefore he is quite unconcerned.  It




THE PHARISEE AND PUBLICAN.        393
occurred not to him, that so long as the evil was not
subdued in its deepest root, it would avail a poor man
little if he did a few imperfect good works.  The
pharisee thought not of the state of his heart, the
publican saw that his heart was worth nothing. Therefore the publican stood before God better than he regarded himself; he looked upon himself just as he
was." Lavater, Considerations, 2. p. 212: "In fact,
it was impossible to be more self-righteous, more an
egotist, more legal and contemptuous. Who is contemptuous, if he is not, who despises every one but
himself?  He, who recounts his deserts before God,
has, methinks, few deserts. The most white-washed
grave was still full of dead men's bones. The p-retension destroyed all good, or showed rather, that
every thing, which bore externally the appearance of
good, was internally rotten and lifeless."
V. 13. The publican, standing afar off-far from
the holiest, which, from his deep sense of sin, and painful consciousness of guilt, he would not approach, because he did not think himself worthy. —Would not
lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, because he
was ashamed-a manifestation of deep humility; smote
upon his breast, as an indication of his keen remorse
and melting of heart on account of sin. Gnomon:
"In repentance, either fear or shame predominates.
Shame is more ingenuous than fear, chap. xv. 18, 21.
Ez. xvi. 52. Better is a melting heart, than one merely
contrite through terror and fear of punishment. The
particles rubbed from a sandy stone still retain their
hardness; a heart become flesh from one of stone
pleases God as his workmanship, and gives glory to
hirm."-God, be merciful to me, a sinner. In this short
prayer there are three things-I am a sinner-I am
liable to punishment-I beg for grace, for pardon of
sin, for remission of deserved punishment, that thou
mayest again visit me with thy favour. So this publican shows himself to be a repenting and believing
-sinner, for prayer for the pardon of sin presupposes




394          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
faith in God's mercy; and he is rightly informed, both
in regard to his own condition, and in regard to God,
as the proper and only helper. Calvin: "That he
should obtain favour, he confesses himself unworthy 
and, certainly, as the remission of sins alone can conciliate God to us, it is necessary to make our commencement here, if we desire that our prayers should be acceptable to him. In fine, no one will attain to the
righteousness of faith, excepting he who will be unrighteous in himself.  This tenet then is to be held,
that we are justified, not by our own excellence, but
by the mercy of God."  Lavater, as above, "We
have here a short, simple, warm speech from the heart,
which, before God and man, is infinitely more valuable
-than all pompous eloquence.  The heart prays in the
publican.  The poor sinner begs.  The wounded oppressed conscience in him supplicates; and there proceeds now a great internal change and revolution.
This internal work upon his soul, this judgment upon
himself opens within him a new spring of strength and
satisfaction; he returns justified to his house."  Mel.:
"In the other character we have set before us a man
exercising himself to repentance, terrified by the conviction of his sins and the apprehension of the wrath
of God. For his not daring to lift his eyes to heaven,
betokens his apprehension of the -wrath of God, his
still fleeing from God and struggling with distrust; but
by and by faith gains the victory in him, through which
he returns to God, casting himself on divine mercy,
crying and begging for pardon. Therefore he truly
becomes righteous and acceptable to God, because in
the midst of fears and repentings he is raised up through
faith. This is an example of true justification. Nor
are good works wanting, for we have here repentance
and prayer." The publican longs after God's grace,
but sees nothing in himself on account of which he
deserves it; for the measure of good which was in him
was to him as nothing, and he therefore placed his
entire confidence upon the sovereign mercy of God, and




THE PHARISEE AND PUBLICAN.       395
the sole ground of his hope was, that God is gracious,
though he himself was poor and miserable. This is
the nature of humility. It stood essentially, not in the
publican's deportment, but in his state of mind. The
humble man knows his wants, his sins, his imperfections, knows that he might and should have been
better, feels before God only for his guilt, and his endeavours are consequently directed simply upon the
favour and grace of God.
V. 14. This verse contains the judgment of Christ
upon the relation of these two men of prayer to God.
This man went down to his house justified, rather than
the other, that is, the publican was justified, but not
the pharisee; the one received what the other did not,
and as the former had sought the pardon of sin, so he
obtained this for his portion-God received him into
favour-gave him the consoling testimony and the
blessed assurance, that his sins were forgiven him,
Psi. 1. 15; li. 3-5, 19. Isa. lvii. 15. By the being
justified is manifestly to be understood, not a moral
change of heart, but only his altered relation toward
God. As the full and rich pharisee has asked nothing,
so he received nothing, for the best gifts and bounties
of Heaven can be possessed only by those who first (Jesire, and then beg for them. And this justification is
always, as in the case of the publican, obtained no
otherwise than through humility, repentance and faith.
It is not amendment of life, nor preceding good works,
which are the ground of acceptance, but simply the
free grace of God, which the sinner lays hold of by a
firm faith. Wherever there is any confidence in one's
personal and individual merits, there the foundation of
the heart is not pure; but God gives his grace only to
those who, while they wholly and entirely renounce
themselves, trust in him with undivided hearts, Rom.
iii. 24. Eph. ii. 8, 9. Calvin: " This passage tells,
dlistinctly, what it is properly to be justified: namely,
to stand before God as if we were just or righteous;
for the publican is not said to have been justified on




396          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
this account, that he had suddenly acquired some new
quality, but, because his guilt being cancelled, and his
sins abolished, he found favour; whence it follows,
that the being just is made to stand in the remission
of sins. As the pharisees spoiled their virtues -by a
vicious confidence, so that their righteousness, however
lauded by the world, was of no price before God, so
the publican, without any merits of his own, obtained
righteousness simply by entreating pardon, because it
is to be looked for only in the free mercy of God. If
any one would seek to obtain peace of conscience by
his works, (which is seen to be the case with profane
and brutish men,) he will labour in vain. For either
his bosom has been lulled to sleep through contempt
or forgetfulness of divine judgment, or else it is full of
fear and trembling, until he has gone to repose in
Christ; for he alone is our peace. Therefore, peace
of conscience means the security which comes from
apprehending that God is reconciled.  That neither
the pharisee has, who is elated with false confidence
in his works, nor the stupid transgressor who, intoxicated with the pleasure of sin, is conscious of no disquiet."
For every one that exalteth himself, &c. In this
sentiment, often repeated, and on very different occasions announced by our Lord, there is contained a
general fundamental principle of the divine kingdom,
according to which God regulates his procedure; here,
in particular, it forms the ground why the publican,
but not the pharisee, was justified. The haughtiness
of the latter excluded him from the enjoyment of the
divine favour; the humility of the former rendered him
capable and worthy of receiving grace. What is
meant by exalting one's self, the pharisee's prayer
shows to be an overvaluing of real or only fancied
excellencies, He who exalts himself, shall receive a
treatment from God quite opposite to the judgment of
men, whereby he shall be humbled. The prayer, as
well as the entire behaviour of the publican, springing




THE- TEN POUNDS.            397
from the deepest feelings of the heart, and not merely
so in appearance, is the self-humiliation which pleases
the Lord; and whosoever so humbles himself, shall
elicit both from men and from God a judgment and
dealing, which is accordant with his graces, Luke xiv.
7-11.  Mel.: "A terrible maxim is added concerning
pride in general. Humility is indeed to fear God,
and to acknowledge that gifts are bestowed by him,
that we may be of service to others, not that we may
oppress them; likewise, that they are not capable of
making us happy without God. On the other hand,
pride is to admire one's self without the fear of God,
to trust in personal gifts, and by such confidence to
attempt much without word and calling, as Saul against
the word of God endeavours to hand down the kingdom to his posterity."
XXXIV.
THE TEN POUNDS.
Luke xix. 11-27.
THIS parable was delivered by Jesus in the house
of Zaccheus the publican, when he was on his last
journey to Jerusalem, therefore earlier than the similar parable recorded in Matth. xxv. 14 -30, which
was spoken after his arrival in Jerusalem, on the
Mount of Olives, and only to the twelve, whereas,
when the one before us was spoken, other hearers
were also present. The occasion of this parable was
the error which even the disciples of Jesus held in
common with the mass of the people, that he was
going to establish an earthly and visible kingdom,
from which they promised to themselves, as partakers,
and especially as friends of Jesus, honour, power, and
great glory. This error might have been confirmed
by a misunderstanding of the words of our Lord in ver.
10, which they did not apprehend in their true spiritual meaning, and would still farther be strengthened
34




398         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
by certain dark expectations, that at the approaching
feast something great and decisive in regard to the
kingdom would happen. The occasion, then, which
gave rise to the parable, intimates the object it has in
view, viz. to correct erroneous views and expectations
regarding the Messiah's kingdom, to lead to the proper knowledge of its true nature, and to disclose how
men would stand related to it. Two false hopes in
particular are pointed at in v. 11; the first, that this
kingdom should be immediately, without any further
delay, set up, against which the intimation in the parable is directed, that it should necessarily be a long
time before the return of the nobleman; and the second,
that the kingdom should appear, should stand forth as
a visible institution, against which it is taught, that
the kingdom was to be received in a far country.
Calvin: " But a twofold error prevailed, in that they
imagined they should enjoy a blessed rest without suffering, and then conceived of the kingdom of God after
their own carnal mind; from which it appears how
weak and unenlightened their faith was. In this respect also Christ's disciples were much deceived, as
they thought that he would now have a fixed place
for his kingdom, and would come to Jerusalem that
he might presently establish its happy condition. So
that by taking away the hope.of a present kingdom,
he exhorted them to hope and patience; for he informs
them that many labours must be long and faithfully
discharged by them, before they inherited that glory,
after which they too eagerly grasped." Grotius:
"Christ, indicating future things covertly, as was his
custom, declares indeed that a kingdom was appointed
to him, and that not in respect to the Jews only, but
in respect to all nations, as had been predicted concerning the Messiah; but that, before the full and
blessed establishment of that kingdom, many labours
were to be undergone by his people, and much opposition raised on the part of the Jews."  There were
two other perverted expectations concerning this king



THE TEN POUNDS.            399
dom, of a more latent form, springing from the conviction of its earthly nature, and which are also combated in the parable before us. It was thought that
every one would most joyfully close with this kingdom, and submit themselves to the king; this error is
opposed in v. 14. And then men hoped that they
should attain to the blessed enjoyment of the kingdom,
altogether apart from their state and disposition of
mind, in opposition to which we are told, that the
nobleman required activity of his servants, v. 13; that
he rewarded them after the measure of their proved
fidelity, v. 16-19, while he punished the faithless, v.
20-24, and dealt still more severely with the avowed
enemies, who set themselves up against his sovereignty.
The blessedness of the members of Messiah's kingdom
is, therefore, made to depend on their previous state
of mind and manner of acting-Bauer agrees with us
in regarding this parable as a different one from that
recorded in Matth. xxv., and remarks on its peculiarity: " Jesus could not just plainly say to his disciples,
that they were deceived in expecting that his kingdom
would now be established with outward pomp and
splendour. Their prejudices, which had been imbibed
with their mother's milk, were too deeply rooted.
He, therefore, chose the agreeable method of the parable, to tell them, under covert of a figure, what, on
account of their prejudices and limited capacities, he
could not plainly and openly declare: that he was indeed the Redeemer (cawrnp, with reference to v. 9,,ornpoc, and v. 10, ascsa,,  comp. Luke ii. 6S,) the
Messiah, and was going away to receive from God
the kingdom prepared for him; but still that he wouldl
not shine forth with splendour, glory and majesty.
The royal state and glory of his kingdom were
only to be manifested then, when he should return
again. Meanwhile, his servants must employ the
goods committed to them, because he will some time
call them to a reckoning, reward the faithful, humble
the slothful, and severely punish all his enemies."




400          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
To me it always appears the proper plan to take
each parable by itself, just as it stands, to search into
its main subject and illustrate it.  Though it have a
greater or less resemblance with some other, as is the
case here, yet there is no sufficient ground for denying its individuality, and finding out for it a proper
aim and subject.  While it is the part of the critic to
fix, as far as he can, the probable position, the occasion and relative connexion of each parable, it is always
the duty of the practical expositor to treat what was
delivered just as it stands in the gospels, according to
the precise form and structure given to it there, and,
in particular, when it is a parable, to investigate its
chief object and design, as it stands before him.
Hence I cannot at all agree with what Unger says,
p. 129, upon this parable, in its relation to that of
Matthew, maintaining that in Matthew  we have the
parable in its simple and proper form, and that Luke
has by a sort of incongruous mixture, joined to it another parable, spoken at another time, and for another
purpose. I agree with what is said by Starke, in his
Synopsis of the New Testament, " That this parable
is different from the one in Matthew is manifest from
all the circumstances.  It contains, as it were, the testament of Jesus, wherein he shows what was the nature of his kingdom, also his death, resurrection, glory,
and future advent."
TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN THE PARABLE.
The kingdom of Christ is a heavenly one.
I. The proper nature of the kingdom:
1. The Son of God from heaven is king; ver. 12:
A nobleman;
2. He has received the kingdom in heaven; ver. 12:
Went into a far country to receive to himself a kingdom:
3. He will give full manifestation of it from heaven;
12: Antd return.
II. The present state of the kingdom; although




THE TEN POUNDS.             401
Christ's is a heavenly one, it yet stretches over the
whole human race upon earth; for on earth he has;
1. Servants, as stewards of intrusted gifts, v. 13;
2. Enemies, who grudge his heavenly glory, v. 14.
III. The future manifestation of the kingdomshows
it to be a heavenly one, from the manner in which rewards and punishments are to be distributed; which
is,
1. Righteous and beneficent in the gracious apportionment of reward to those of approved fidelity, as
exemplified in the case both of the first, v. 15-17,
24-26, and of the second servant, v. 18, 19.
2. Just and righteous in the punishment,
a.) Of the faithless, v. 20-24;
b.) And of avowed enemies, v. 27.
V. 12.. nobleman-a man of noble birth, EvyFVr5,
through his birth, family, ancestry, distinguished from
the rest of the people, ver. 14. This was the case
with Jesus, who being descended from Abraham andl
David after the flesh, was of kingly origin, and, besides, was the Son of God. This noble one lived for
a long time among his fellow-citizens, as one of their
equals, until at last the time came when he attained
to a power and a glory, which belonged to him from
his birth, was appointed to him, and raised him far
above all those among whom he had first lived. Grotius: "A nobleman, to whom the kingdom among his
citizens was, by birthright, due."
Went into afar country to receivefor himself a
kingdom-a reference to the death and ascension of
Jesus Christ, which must mean that he has his kingdom in heaven, and from thence he exercises his power,
Matth. xxviii. 18. Phil. ii. 9-11. Eph. i. 17, 20-22;
until he comes again at the last day to the judgment,
Matth. xxv. 31. Von Brunn: "This kingdom is an
invisible kingdom, and can only be known from its
operations; and if there- must always be something
visible in this kingdom, it is only the power which
may be seen and felt in the actings of the Christian
34*




402          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
church, in the exercises of,individual souls, and in the
exalted visions of a John. The possession of the kingdom consists mainly in the execution of the great plan
of the Father in Jesus Christ-in the deliverance of
the whole of humanity by degrees from the power of
darkness-in opening up to them more and more an
entrance into the kingdom of light, and at last entirely
translating them into it.  But the chief development
of this great work takes place in the kingdom of spirits,
and but rarely manifests its influence in the great transactions of the world in a manner fitted to strike the
eyes of men grovelling in the dust. As soon, however, as it is accomplished, the nobleman shall return
again." This image has, besides, an historical reference, for Josephus informs us, (Antiq. B. xiv. ch.
xxv.) that Archelaus and his brother Agrippas, durst
not take possession of the kingdom, which came to
them by inheritance from their father, until they had
sent to Rome, and in a certain way had been invested
by the Roman emperor, as their proper sovereign,
with kingly dignity.
V. 13. The distribution of the gifts points to a relation of dependence, and lays the ground of the fiuture reckoning and judgment, v. 15, &c.  At the same
time, this image gives instruction upon the conscientious employment of what is committed to us-in the
kingdom of Christ. —Von Brunn: "The calling of
the ten servants was fulfilled in the choice of the disciples, whom Je,sus appointed for his ambassadors in
the kingdom. The number ten appears to have indicated no other purpose on the part of our Lord, than
that he chose as many labourers in the kingdom as
were necessary for making known the gospel to allnations.  Moreover, this calling of the servants must
certainly be referred, not only to the disciples, who
were singled out by Jesus for his service (luring his
personal ministry, but to all whom he at any time
calls, to point out to his brethren the way of salvation,
and press them to yield themselves to him.  The for



THE TEN POUNDS.             403
mer received not the call till they had received the
gifts which fitted them for accomplishing the object
of the Lord; the latter, on the other hand, find this
call in the gifts which he confers upon them at their
birth, or which he afterwards imparts to them through
his Spirit.  The pounds which the Lord gave to the
servants whom he left behind him, are partly the lessons which they received from the mouth of Jesus,
and which have been handed down through the writings of the Evangelists to Christians of later times:
partly, also, the extraordinary gifts which were conferred on the disciples of Jesus at the outpouring of
the Holy Spirit, and through imposition of hands on
those who, by receiving their word, believed on Jesus;
and finally, those gifts which even to the present time,
adorn through God's grace so many teachers in the
church as servants of the Lord."
Ten Pounds, minae, about twenty dollars (between
three and four pounds sterling;) the distribution of
the pounds is here made equally, in Matthew unequally; and both alike true, for the measure of the
gift is different with different persons, but in all it is
so far equal, as the Lord gives to each one precisely
what he is able to employ, Matth. xxv. 15.-Occtpy;
Gnomon: " The charge is of one meaning with that
well known saying, tvEare  xaor, raA~,rlat."-Von
Brunn: "He therefore gave them to recipients, not
that they might enjoy themselves therewith, but that,
through application, they might increase them and
give employment to others, Matth. x. 27; v. 14, 15.
1 Cor. xii. 4-11."  Grotius: "Since the gifts which
we receive from Christ are partly common, such as
the word of the gospel, and things immediately connected therewith, and partly peculiar, such as ministerial gifts and the miraculous powers, which Christ
bestowed after his ascension upon whom he pleased;
Christ appears to me to have had the former in view
while pursuing his course on earth, but the latter wheii
drawing near to his death. -Therefore, in Luke, the




404          THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
gifts conferred are equal, in Matthew unequal; Rom.
xii. 6. 1 Cor. xii. 7, 11, 29. Eph. iv. 11.
Ver. 14. This enmity of the nobleman's fellow-citizens has its primary fulfilment in the hostile procedure of those who would not regard Jesus as their
Lord and Saviour.  Von Brunn: "The citizens of
the nobleman are doubtless in the first instance the
Jews, who even to this day cannot deny their deep
and rooted enmity. They are here named- his citizens,
as by John they are called his own (property,) for according to the oldest predictions he was the king of
Zion. They sent messages enough after him to show
that they would not acknowledge him as their king,
when they incited the heathen to persecute the followers of him whom they crucified. They still send
after him such messages, because they pronounce the
curse over all their members who venture to receive
the Christian faith. With these citizens, however,
of the nobleman, we are certainly to class those also,
who, while they bear the Christian name, will only
recognise Jesus as an enlightened teacher, but not as
their Lord and Saviour." For this part of the image
also there exists an historical ground, in that the Jews
sent messengers to Rome, who protested against Archelaus being made king of Judea; but in vain, and
he did not leave their opposition unpunished.
Ver. 15. The return of Christ, and the general
judgment which is to be held upon all who have been
his servants, and have received gifts from him, and
have known his will.  That he might know-as the
omniscient he knows all things; but the conduct of one
and all must be made known before the whole world,
as also the righteousness of the Lord be acknowledged
in rewarding and punishing.
Ver. 16. A speech of humility —he gives to the
Lord all the glory; he attributes his success, not to his
own diligence, his fidelity, his application, but to the
goodness of the Lord in having given to him.
V. 17. Have thou authority over ten cities -glori



THE TEN POUNDS.             405
ous recompense of grace, which stands in exact accordance with his past performances, with his approved fidelity, and his acquired capacity-but still
far surpasses his desert.
Ver. 18, 19. The same substantially as with the
former servants, in v. 16, 17. Rev. iii. 21; iv. 6. Mat.
xix. 28. 1, Cor. viii. 2, 5.
V. 20-24. Von Brunn: " This servant is an image
of those Christians who employ not their powers, lest
they should, in doing so, hurt either themselves or
others; and of those who withhold teachers that would
labour for the salvation of others, from the fear of a
negligent use being made of them; and also of such
as having obtained the pardon of sin and an interest
in grace, from fear of falling again under the power of
temptation, shut themselves up in cloisters, or w,; -
draw themselves from the society of men." See Matth.
xxv. 24-28.  Grotius on v. 23: "Lest you should
say that you could find no one who was in need of
money. The bankers take money from all with interest.  The meaning is: You cannot plead the risk
of laying out the money; it was mine; and I should
have exacted it not at your, but at my risk. For they
are safe who manage the affairs of others, as long as
they give credit to those who have the public confidence."
V. 25. The men could not perceive the wisdom and
righteousness of the divine procedure.
Ver. 26. Hence the Lord unfolds the deep ground
of his procedure, which, so far from being arbitrary,
consists in the highest righteousness, Matth. xxv. 29.
V. 27. The judgment extends also to those who
would not acknowledge the nobleman for their Lord.
The immediate fulfilment of this threatening was to
be found in the destruction of Jerusalem; death, unutterable and eternal death, is the fate of those who
despise the glorious riches of Christ's kingdom; but
to be enabled to enjoy the eternal blessings of his
kingdom, there is needed a faith that worketh by love.




406         THE PARABLES OF JESUS.
Calvin: "In this second part, Christ appears to aim
chiefly at the Jews; -comprehending, however, all who
during his absence take up the weapons of rebellion.
But Christ's object was not only to terrify such persons by the denunciation of fearful punishment, but
also to keep his own disciples in the faith of obedience.
For it is not a small temptation to see the kingdom of
God wasted by the perfidy and rebellion of multitudes.
Therefore, that we may continue steadfast amid the
disorders, Christ admonishes us that he will return,
and at his arrival will execute vengeance upon those
who have impiously rebelled against him." The punishment figuratively threatened in v. 27, was, in plain
language, delineated, v. 43, 44, in the literally fulfilled
prophecy upon Jerusalem, which the Lord spake,
when he saw the city lying before him, and, by not
knowing the time of its merciful visitation, preparing
itself for overwhelming destruction.
THE END.