world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. As if he had said, "The sun rises to set again in a few hours, and may fail many of you, ere you have finished your journey: but every one that receives and governs himself by my doctrine, shall have a constant and continual guide, sufficient to direct him to eternal life." Upon the appearance of summer in the trees before him, he points out equally evident signs of his approaching kingdom.† At the season of fruits, he puts the Jews in mind that the time was come when some would be expected from them, in return for all the labour that had been bestowed upon them; and intimates the judgment that would shortly overtake all such among them as were found to be unprofitable. When the harvest comes on, he reminds them of the spiritual harvest, or the gathering of his church among them; admonishes them to labour diligently in that work, and add their prayers to heaven for success. From their slaves having been lately made free on the sabbatical year, he takes occasion to proclaim a greater and more noble freedom from the slavery of sin and bondage of cor

Luke xxi. 29. Matt. xxiv. 32.

Matt. xxi. 33.

§ Matt. ix. 38.

Luke xiii. 6.

Luke x. 2. A like comparison between the season of a spiritual harvest and some circumstances in the na

tural one, occurs John iv. 35, 36.

on the fields, for they are white

"Lift up your eyes and look

already to harvest. And he

that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal." In which words Jesus alludes to the number of Samari

ruption.* And from the Jewish ceremony of fetching water on the last day of the feast of tabernacles, in commemoration of the miracle wrought for their fathers in the thirsty wilderness; he introduces an offer of that true living water, which should be unto them a well springing up unto everlasting life, the gospel of immortal happiness and salvation, and the plentiful effusion of the Holy Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive.† Upon a report that certain Jews were massacred by the Roman governor in the midst of their devotions, and that others had lately met with a no less untimely death by the fall of a tower in Jerusalem, he guards his audience against the common vices of pride and censoriousness, in judging such as these to be the greatest sinners, because they were the most eminent sufferers, and exhorts them all to repent of their own crimes, before the divine judgments overtook them, which would shortly fall upon that people, and be the more distinguishable, as coming attended with the very same circumstances. From Herod's late rashness in having led his army out to meet the king of Arabia, who came against him with superior forces, and defeated him, a lesson is laid

tans coming to him, and who now began to appear in sight. He points towards them, and calls upon the apostles to behold the agreeable sight and consider his approaching harvest.

John viii. 32.

↑ John vii. 37, &c.

Luke xiii. 1. 5.

down to all who entered on the Christian warfare, that they should first well weigh and carefully compute the difficulties that attended it, before they were engaged in a matter of such consequence.* From the robberies which were more particularly frequent in that age and place,† he forms a beautiful story of a certain traveller, who fell among thieves, was stripped and wounded, and could find relief from none of his own country or persuasion; but met with it in one of those from whom he had the least reason to expect any, as being so much used to despise and hate that people and their way of worship. From whence he forces his opponent to approve this amiable instance of humanity, even in the odious character of a Samaritan; and thereby shews him incontestably that the like good office would no less become a Jew in the like circumstances: and from what happened about that time, namely, that those who obtained the kingdom of Judea went to Rome to be confirmed in it; and on their return called such to account as had been wanting in their duty, and

*Luke xiv. 31.

↑ So many robberies and murders were committed on this road, which lay through a kind of wilderness between Jerusalem and Jericho, that Jerom tells us it was called the Bloody Way.

That this notorious enmity between the Jews and Samaritans was then carried to the greatest height, at least by the former, appears wherever mention is made of the latter. Vid. John viii. 48. Luke ix 53.

Luke x. 30, &c.

took ample vengeance on those who rebelled against them (which was the case under Archelaus, a few years before our Lord delivered that parable); he gives his followers to understand, that after he had ascended into heaven, and taken possession of his heavenly kingdom, he would come again in power and great glory, and not only punish that rebellious nation of the Jews, with exemplary judgments, but at length condemn all those who wilfully opposed his gospel, as well as those who continued to neglect and disregard it. Such was our Saviour's constant method, that whenever men proposed to him any curious question, or related to him any particular fact or event, in expectation of having his observations upon it, he constantly turned the matter before him into an occasion of giving some practical instructions to the persons themselves with whom he was conversing.

But I proceed with the general detail of his allusions to the things present, which is laid down by an excellent author: and though it may look like repeating some of the articles above, yet I trust the insertion of it here will be excused on account of the different applications made and the variety of uses pointed out.

"In the spring our Saviour went into the fields, and sat down on a mountain, and made that discourse which is recorded in St. Matthew, and which * Luke xix. 12.

E

is full of observations arising from the things which offered themselves to his sight: for, when he exhorted his disciples to trust in God, he bade them behold the fowls of the air, which were then flying about them, and were fed by Divine Providence, though they did not sow nor reap, or gather into barns; he bade them take notice of the lilies of the field which were then blown, and were so beautifully clothed by the same power, and yet toiled not like the husbandmen, who were then at work. Being in a place whence they had a wide prospect of a cultivated land, he bade them observe how God caused the sun to shine, and the rain to descend, upon the fields and gardens even of the wicked and ungrateful: and he continued to convey his doctrine to them under rural images; speaking of good trees, and corrupt trees; of wolves in sheep's clothing; of grapes not growing upon thorns, nor figs on thistles; of the folly of casting precious things to dogs and swine; of good measure pressed down, and shaken together, and running over. Speaking at the same time to the people, many of whom were fishermen, and lived much upon fish, he says, what man of you will give his son a serpent, if he asks a fish? Therefore, when he said in the same discourse to his disciples, Ye are the light of the world; a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden; it is probable that he pointed to a city within their view, situated upon the brow of a hill. And when he called them the salt of the earth, he alluded perhaps to the hus