A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Luke · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
1. ANd it came to paſs on the ſecond ſabbath after the firſt, that he went through the corn fields: and his diſciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. 2. And certain of the Phariſees ſaid unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawfull to do on the ſabbath-days?
1, 2. The reaſon of the name of the ſecond Sabbath, after the firſt, is doubtful to us that live at this diſtance. Many conjectures there be. Some, that it is the laſt day of unleavened Bread; others, that it is the day of Pentecoſt, &c.
3. And Jeſus anſwering them ſaid, Have ye not read ſo much as this, what David did, when himſelf was an hungred, & they which were with him: 4. How he went into the houſe of God, and did take and eat of the ſhew-bread, and gave alſo to them that were with him, which is not lawful to eat but for the prieſts alone?
3, 4. Hypocrites will be ſtricter than Chriſt, but it is when they err, or are ſtrict in evil, or in ſhadows againſt the greater things.
5. And he ſaid unto them, That the Son of man is Lord alſo of the ſabbath.
5. I have power to uſe all Ceremonies to the ends of Redemption, for the good of Man.
6. And it came to paſs alſo on another ſabbath, that he entred into the ſynagogue and taught: and there was a man whoſe right hand was withered, 7. And the ſcribes and phariſees watched him, whether he would heal on the ſabbath-day; that they might find an accuſation againſt him. 8. But he knew their thoughts, and ſaid to the man which had the withered hand, Riſe up, and ſtand forth in the mids: And he aroſe and ſtood forth. 9. Then ſaid Jeſus to them, I will ask you one thing, Is it lawful on the ſabbath-days to do good, or to do evil? to ſave life, or to deſtroy it?
6, 7, 8, 9. See Matth. 12. What better work for the Sabbath-day, than to ſave life? And he that will not do that when he may, is guilty of murder.
10. And looking round about upon them all, he ſaid unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did ſo, & his hand was reſtored whole as the other. 11. And they were filled with madneſs, and communed one with another what they might do to Jeſus.
10, 11. Note; Nothing ſo enrageth the Devil and his Servants, as doing the greateſt good: This is to them the greateſt crime.
12. And it came to paſs in thoſe days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
12. Note; What need then have we to pray?
13. And when it was day, he called unto him his diſciples; and of them he choſe twelve, whom alſo he named apoſtles:
13. Note; His Prayer ſeemeth to be in order to the choice of his Apoſtles, that is, Deputed Commiſſioned Meſſengers, next under him, to gather and guide his Church.
14. Simon (whom he alſo named Peter) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15. Matthew and Thomas, James the ſon of Alpheus, and Simon called Zelotes, 16. And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iſcariot, which alſo was the traitour. 17. And he came down with them, and ſtood in the plain, and the company of his diſciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judea and Jeruſalem, and from the ſea coaſts of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diſeaſes. 18. And they that were vexed with unclean ſpirits: and they were healed. 19. And the whole multitude ſought to touch him: for there went vertue out of him, and healed them all.
14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. O the wonderful mercy of our Saviour to Bodies and Souls!
20. And he lifted up his eyes on his diſciples, and ſaid, Bleſſed be ye poor; for yours is the kingdom of God.
20. Ye my Diſciples, though poor in the World. Note; Matthew more fully repeateth this Sermon than Luke.
21. Bleſſed are ye that hunger now; for ye ſhall be filled. Bleſſed are ye that weep now; for ye ſhall laugh.
21. See Matth. 5.
22. Bleſſed are ye when men ſhall hate you, and when they ſhall ſeparate you from their company, and ſhall reproach you, and caſt out your name as evil, for the Son of mans ſake.
22. Bleſſed are ye though you now hunger, weep, are hated, &c. becauſe it is for Righteouſneſs ſake.
23. Rejoyce ye in that day, and leap for joy: for behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in like manner did their fathers unto the Prophets.
23. Note, But we muſt ſee that the cauſe be good, and that our hearts be ſound with God in the main, and in all other Caſes.
24. But wo unto you that are rich, for ye have received your conſolation. 25. Wo to you that are full: for ye ſhall hunger. Wo unto you that laugh now: for ye ſhall mourn and weep. 26. Wo unto you when all men ſhall ſpeak well of you: for ſo did their fathers to the falſe prophets,
24, 25, 26. Wo to you ungodly unbelievers, though you be now rich, and full, and merry, and well ſpoken of: (Not becauſe you are rich and full. &c.) But though you are ſo, becauſe you have no better: For mans welfare is to be judged of, by what he ſhall have hereafter, and not by what he hath here.
Note, Luke omitteth divers of the beatitudes, but reciteth the woes which Matthew omitteth: Whether this Sermon was twice ſpoken by Chriſt, or (which is liker) but once, is uncertain.
27. But I ſay unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you. 28. Bleſs them that curſe you, and pray for them which deſpitefully uſe you. 29. And unto him that ſmiteth thee on the one cheek, offer alſo the other: and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat alſo. 30. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods, ask them not again.
27, 28, 29, 30. See on Matth. 5. prefer charity and peace before thy right; and right not thy ſelf to thy neighbours greater hurt.
31. And as ye would that men ſhould do to you, do ye alſo to them likewiſe.
31. Love your neighbours as your ſelves, and make not too great a difference beetwen their intereſt and your own: For juſtice will not be maintained without Love.
32. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for ſinners alſo love thoſe that love them. 33. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for ſinners alſo do even the ſame. 34. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for ſinners alſo lend to ſinners, to receive as much again.
32, 33, 34. All this is but the exerciſe of ſelf-love, and is not ſo much as vertue; much leſs that charity in which you muſt excell all wicked men.
35. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again: and your reward ſhall be great, and ye ſhall be the children of the higheſt: for he is kind unto the unthankful, and to the evil. 36. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father alſo is merciful.
35, 36. Let your Love and good works be in imitation of God your Father, taking his approbation for your full reward.
37. Judge not, and ye ſhall not be judged: condemn not, and ye ſhall not be condemned: forgive; and ye ſhall be forgiven: 38. Give, and it ſhall be given unto you; good meaſure, preſſed down, and ſhaken together, and running over, ſhall men give into your boſom: for with the ſame meaſure that ye mete withal, it ſhall be meaſured to you again.
37, 38. God's rewards are ſure and full.
Note; The word [men] v. 38. is not in the Text; but [They ſhall give,] ſignifieth [It ſhall be given,] as Luke 16.9. [They ſhall receive you into the everlaſting habitations,] is, [That ye may be received:] And Angels are liker to be the Inſtruments than Men, from whom we cannot expect to be meaſured to, as we meaſure to them. Yet the Promiſe may extend to this, that when God ſeeth it good, he will make Men, yea Enemies, the Inſtruments of his reward.
39. And he ſpake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? ſhall they not both fall into the ditch?
39. He that will be a Teacher of others, muſt himſelf firſt underſtand what he teacheth. Teaching-ignorance is the calamity of the Church, the deceiver of Souls, and the condemnation of the Teachers.
40. The diſciple is not above his maſter: but every one that is perfect ſhall be as his maſter.
40. You muſt look to ſpeed no better than I that am your Maſter; but it will be your perfection to imitate me; Learn of me, and ſuffer with me, and you ſhall be bleſſed with me.
But ſome expound it [you cannot expect that the Diſciples of ignorant Teachers ſhould attain to any higher perfection than their Maſters] which they gather from the context: But Luke uſeth oft to conjoin various ſayings and ſubjects. See Matth. 10.24.
41. And why beholdeſt thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye, but perceiveſt not the beam that is in thy own eye? 42. Either how canſt thou ſay to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thy ſelf beholdeſt not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, caſt out firſt the beam that is in thine own eye, and then ſhalt thou ſee clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brothers eye.
41, 42. It is of great neceſſity for Teachers and Reprovers, to know themſelves, and be free from ſcandals, and the crimes which they reprove and not as Phariſees, to be looſe in Morals, and cruel to others, while they are zealous for their Ceremonies; elſe their Hypocriſie will aggravate their Iniquity.
43. For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit: neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44. For every tree is known by his own fruit: for of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-buſh gather they grapes.
43, 44. If thou be a bad man thy ſelf, and guilty of worſe than thou preacheſt againſt, who will believe thee, or expect good fruit from ſo bad a man?
Note; But Matthew otherwiſe connecteth theſe ſayings.
45. A good man out of the good treaſure of his heart, bringeth forth that which is good: and an evil man out of the evil treaſure of his heart, bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth ſpeaketh.
45. As the man is, ſo uſually will his words and actions be (for hypocritical force is uſually ſhort l.v'd.)
46. And why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I ſay?
46. All the good words and praiſes of God and Religion, from diſobedient men, do but aggravate their ſin.
47. Whoſoever cometh to me, and heareth my ſayings and doeth them, I will ſhew you to whom he is like. 48. He is like a man which built a houſe, and digged deep and laid the foundation on a rock and when the floud aroſe, the ſtream beat; vehemently upon that houſe, and could not ſhake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
47, 48. As a building on a Rock will ſtand in Storms; ſo he that obeyeth my Word, will ſtand in Tryal. Q. How is our Obedience made the Rock that we build on? Is not Chriſt the Rock? Anſ. Similitudes muſt not be ſtretched beyond their intent. It's only the ſtability of the obedient that is meant.
49. But he that heareth and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an houſe upon the earth, againſt which the ſtream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that houſe was great.
49. Hypocritical, diſobedient Hearers, and Profeſſors, have no firm foundation and ſtability, truſting to a barren Opinion inſtead of true Faith, and ſo fall by woful ruin in their Tryals.