The Parable of the Great Supper Opened, Sermon 13
SERM. XIII.
Luk 14.21.
—And bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, the halt, and the blind.
CHAP. I.
THeſe words contain the final cauſe of the former, viz. the end why the Maſter of the feaſt bid his ſervant go out quickly into the ſtreets and lanes of the City: it was to bring in hither the poor and maimed, &c. where obſerve firſt, how the gueſts come unto this goſpel-proviſion; it is by being brought in hither, whither they are invited. Hence I note,
Obſerv. God ſends the meſſengers of the goſpel out, to bring the goſpel-hearers in, Matth. 28.19, 20. we have heard how, and whither the meſſengers are ſent out, now we are to enquire how they are to bring in hearers. The notation of the Greek word uſed in the Text, will give us ſome light here, while we conſider the ſeveral acceptions of the word.
1. It ſignifies to bring in by way of diſcovery: as an Introduction in a Book, which ſerves for the help of the Reader, that he may gain the more exact knowledge of what is written. An introduction is a writing,Introductio est ſcriptia qua prima urtis alicujus elementa tradimus, & ad eam lectores velut introd… cimu…, i. e. ad ejus cognitionem. wherein the firſt Elements of an Art are delivered, by which that Art or Science is the more eaſily learned. Thus miniſters Sermons ſhould be as introductions, to ſhew their hearers the way how to attain ſaving knowledge, I ſhew unto you, (ſaith St. Paul to the Corinthians) a more excellent way, 1 Cor. 12.31. Thus then, Bring them in, that is, ſhew them the way wherein they ſhould walk, Iſa. 30.20, 21. point out Jeſus Chriſt to them, who is the way, John 1.29.
2. It ſignifies to bring in by way of authority, as a citation, or ſummoning into a Court of Juſtice:foreign. Demoſt. ſo Demoſthenes makes uſe of the word. So ſhould miniſters warn and teach men, that they may preſent them perfect in Chriſt Jeſus at his Tribunal, Col. 1.28. that they come to trial, and abide the trial, ſo ſhould we bring men in, that they may be found to praiſe and honour and glory at the appearing of Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Pet. 1.7.
3. It ſignifies to bring in by way of conjunction: as two ſtreams or Rivers are brought into one:foreign. Homer. the ſtrength of them brought into one channel, that did run into two or more. So Homer uſeth the word. So preachers ſhould labour to bring their hearers into one way, who go in ſeveral ways. Other ſheep have I ſaith Chriſt, and them alſo muſt I bring, and there ſhall be one fold, John 10.16. This m…ſt be their work, who are ſhepherds under Chriſt.
CHAP. II.
Now for the manner of this bringing in, it muſt be
1. BY convincing arguments, with plainneſs and fidelity, telling them of the neceſſity of Regeneration, faith, and repentance unto eternal life: reaſoning out the caſe with them concerning the worth of a ſoul, the danger of a natural eſtate, the uncertainty of this world; the eternity of that which is to come, the hatefulneſs of ſin, the lovelineſs of grace, the incomparableneſs of Chriſt.
2. By affectionate expreſſions, making uſe, not of exaſperating, but mollifying language, Phil. 3.18, 19. for grace is not enforced, but diſtilled into the mind: exhortations ſhould proceed from compaſſion. Words ſhould be fitted to the matter, for the more ready conveyance of it into the hearts of the hearers.
3. By an exemplary life, anſwerable to the Doctrine which is delivered, a ſober, grave, holy example. The preacher of good Doctrine, muſt likewiſe be a pattern of good works, Tit. 2.7.
The truth of this point will appear, if you conſider
1. The nature of men to whom the Goſpel is ſent, they are rational creatures, and ſo to be wrought upon in a rational way, by bidding them, Conſider their ways, Hag. 1.5. to commune with their own hearts, Pſal. 4.4. this is the way to illighten the underſtanding, … perſwade the will, to ſtir up the affections.
2. The nature of the Goſpel which is ſent to men;Fides eſtratio Chriſtiani hominis. Luther. it is a reaſonable ſervice, Rom. 12.1. In thoſe points of Chriſtianity where there is no reaſon for the thing believed, yet there is very good reaſon for the belief of the thing, and that becauſe of the Authority of the ſpeakèr.
3. The nature of that happineſs, which is the fruit of the Goſpel: this is ſuited to a rational creature; here is truth in it, which is the object of the underſtanding, and Good, which is the object of the will, John 17.3.
Queſt. Whether are Gospel-meſſengers to bring in men?
Resp. It is ſaid, Bring them in hither: in general, that is, into the nouſe of God, 1 Tim. 2.13. or into the Garden of Chriſt. More particularly thus, 1. Into the unity of the faith, Eph. 4.13. to partake of the Doctrine of Chriſt. 2. Into the bond of peace, Eph. 4.3. to partake of Chriſtian fellowſhip, maintaining communion with them, who agree to walk according to the order of the Goſpel.
CHAP. III.
Uſe 1. THis informs us, that men naturally are without, Eph. 2.12. without Chriſt: all out of him are without life, 1 John 5.12. Without the common-wealth of Iſrael, Thoſe that belong not to Chriſt as the Head, belong not to his Church as the body, without the Covenants of promiſe. They who have not to do with the Church, have nothing to do with the priviledges thereof. Why, the Covenant (though but one) is put in the plural number, and why the promiſes (though many) are put in the ſingular number,Bezain Eph. 2. Beza gives the reaſon: becauſe the Covenant was often renewed, and becauſe the promiſes are all but one in Chriſt Jeſus, 2 Cor. 1.20.—without hope: it is onelyonly the heirs of promiſe that caſt the Anchor of hope into heaven, Heb. 6.17, 18, 19. others may preſume, but hope they cannot: he that hath no hope of an happy life hereafter, will not trouble himſelf about leading an holy life here. Now though men are naturally without, yet God would not have men abide without; he is ſo courteous and gracious, ſo kind and loving, as to invite men to come …n. Indeed, he once drave man out, Gen. 3.…4. and ever ſince men naturally are born without; but it is as true, that he would have man come in again, that as they are born in the wide world, ſo they may be born in Sion, Pſ. 87.5. he drave man out of the earthly Para…iſe, but he ſends his meſſengers after men to …ring them into an heavenly Paradiſe.
Uſe 2. Though God ſend out miniſters to bring people in, yet they cannot bring them in by any power of their own, it is the ſpirit of God which leads men into truth, John 16.13. Moral perſwaſions by men may bring men unto truth, but it muſt be God's teaching, which brings men into the truth.
Again, though God ſend his meſſengers to bring his elect in, yet he can bring them in without any ſuch external helps. John Baptiſt was ſilled with the Holy Ghoſt from his Mothers womb. Infants may be taught of God, though they cannot be taught of men.
Uſe 3. Anſwer Gods end in ſending forth his meſſengers.
1. Come in: let your great care be to be found in Chriſt, Phil. 3.9. as the body is within the garment, whereby us ſhame is covered, Chriſts Righteouſneſs is your Robe; As the ſouldier is within his armour, defended by it againſt the aſſaults of his Adverſaries: as we are in Chriſt, we overcome all ſpiritual enemies: as the branch is within the Vine, whereby it receiveth ſap and vigour from the root. As the water is within the fountain, John 4.14. There is a freſh ſupply continually.
2. Abide within, John 15.4. Walk in him as ye have received him, Col. 2.6. walk in the ſpirit of Chriſt, follow not the impulſes of your own ſpirits: The ſpirits motions appear in ſpiritual actions; they ſtir up grace, and keep down ſin according to the Rule of the word; walk alſo in good works, unto which you are created in Chriſt Jeſus, Eph. 2.10. and be not weary of well doing. Come in, or elſe you will one day be caſt out, Matth. 8.12. and unleſs you abide within, it is a ſign you were never truly within, 1 John 2.19. if ye leave good company, and make others your intimate companions, and continue ſo to do, it is a ſad ſign you were never truly good.
CHAP. IV.
The poor, & the maimed, & the halt, and the blind.]
IN theſe words we have the Deſcription of the gueſts, upon whom God beſtows the Goſpel-proviſion. The greater ſort of men would have none of it, as their ſeveral excuſes declare, wherefore the meaner ſort of people ſhall receive it. foreign, the Poor,] this word noteth out ſuch as are brought to extream want. And the maimed. foreign.] This word ſignifies ſuch as are defective in any part of the body.] As the other two words, foreign, [the halt and the blind] ſignifie thoſe particular defects which are in thoſe two parts of the body, the foot, and the eye. This is the proper ſignification of theſe words, and the ſenſe of them ſeems to be, valde obſcuros & contemptibiles, Marlor. in loc.very obſcure and contemptibles. Theſe words are likewiſe uſed in a metaphorical ſenſe, as Poor in ſpirit, maimed in the ſoul, or affections, halt in opinion, blind in underſtanding. Howſoever! take the words either properly or metaphorically, they come up to one ſenſe, to expreſs the mean and miſerable condition of thoſe who partake of the Goſpel.
Obſerv. God makes choice of very obſcure and contemptible perſons, he brings thoſe into his favour, who are of no credit, nor eſteem in the world, 1 Cor. 2.8, 9, 10. paſſing by others. Thoſe whom God makes choice of, are
1. Such as are but mean in natural parts; the fooliſh things of the world, in oppoſition to the wiſe, 1 Cor. 1.27. men that have no great inſight into things, and ſuch as the world will ſcarce vouchſafe to look upon, or ſuch as have not ſuch fore-caſt as the Politicians of the world have: Babes and children in compariſon of the wiſe and prudent of the world, Matth. 11.25.
2. Such as are but weak in power, compared with the Potentates of the earth, 1 Cor. 1.27. believers are a company of poor feeble creatures, called Doves and Sheep, creatures void of force. The Church is called the Congregation of the poor, foreign Baſil.Pſal. 74.19. deſtitute of worldly advantages; ſuch as have little, and can do little. Our Saviours attendants were of the meaner ſort, Joſeph the Carpenter, and Mary his Wiſe, Peter and Andrew, James and John, fiſhermen. St. Baſil brings in Chriſt thus ſpeaking, I ſeek for fiſher-men, not for Princes; I perſwade Mariners, not Potentates.
3. Such as are low for birth and breeding. God chuſeth the baſe things of the world, 1 Cor. 1.28. ſuch as are bred of a mean ſtock, that there are no Chronicles of their Predeceſſours, nor any Pedigrees to be found for them upon record, that cannot boaſt of the gallantry or Gentility of their Kindred, as ſome do.
4. Such as are meer nothing in mans account,foreign. 1 Cor. 1.28. men of no name, that are not eſteemed in any reckoning: and ſuch (too) as account themſelves of no worth, nothing in their own eyes. The Apoſtle goes ſo low in the deſcription of them, as if he could not find a word mean enough to denominate them, and therefore calls them, juſt nothing.
Queſt. Unto what doth God chuſe them?
Resp. 1. He chuſeth them to be poſſeſſours of grace; he chuſeth the poor of the world to be rich in faith, Jam. 2.5. rich in reſpect of the Doctrine of faith, wherein they receive the pearl of great price, Matth. 13.46. and rich in reſpect of the grace of faith, which is very precious.
2. He chuſeth them to be heirs of glory, heirs of the kingdom: the kingdom by way of eminency and excellency, none of the kingdoms of the world are like it. Believers are Princes under age, Heads deſtinate to the Diadem, as Tertullian calls them: they are joynt heirs with Chriſt, Rom. 8.17. Thus God dignifies thoſe that are contemptible in the world.
Queſt. Why doth God chuſe thus?
Resp. 1. To diſcover the equity of his proceedings with the children of men, as is intimated in that Parable, Luke 16.25. God turns the ſcales at the hour of death, and cauſeth them to go up that went down here.
2. To difference the ſpiritual ſervice of the Goſpel from the carnal ordinances of the Levitical Law. Since John Baptiſt's time the kingdom of heaven ſuffereth violence, Matth. 11.12. men of all ſorts come ruſhing in upon it. The Publicans, Sinners, Lepers, ſuch as were legally unclean, lept over the Levitical ceremonies, thruſting themſelves into the number of the Goſpel-converts, the ſpiritual worſhippers. In the time of the Law Lepers were to ſtand aloof off: the maimed, the lame, and the blind, were not to be uſed in God's ſervice, Deut. 15.21.
3. To confound the world, viz. the men of the world in their wiſdom and ſtrength, 1 Cor. 1.27. making them bluſh for ſhame, to think how poor ideots learn the way to happineſs in the conſcientious practice of that little they know, when they with all their ſpeculative knowledge, diſcourſing of happineſs, miſs of it.
4. To exalt himſelf: that all that glory, may glory in the Lord, 1 Cor. 1.31. when mean men are exalted, they cannot boaſt. Though the Senator, if choſen of God, might perhaps boaſt of his dignity: the Orator of his Eloquence, and the Emperour of his power; yet ſurely the poor fiſher-man being choſen, can boaſt of nothing but of him who made choice of him, ſaith Auguſtine.Auguſt.
5. To conform the members to the Head; now conſider how poor he was, who was the firſt-born of God's choſen: A Carpenter's Wife was his Mother: When he was born, he was laid in a manger inſtead of a Cradle: when he was grown up, he had not wherewith to lay his head.
6. To ſhew the ſoveraign pleaſure of God; it is ſo, becauſe ſo it ſeemeth good in his ſight, Matth. 11.25, 26.
CHAP. V.
Uſe 1. HEre ſee that no kind of defects need keep off any from cloſing with the Goſpel, as
1. Not civil defects, as want of worldly wealth. The pooreſt need not ſcruple coming, thoſe that have no money may come and welome, Iſa. 55.1. the Goſpel-proviſion is not an ordinary, where ye pay for what ye have, but as a Feaſt, whereto ye are freely invited, and whereat you may fully feed.
2. Not corporal defects, as want of limbs. The maimed, the lame, and the blind, need not ſcruple coming. The man ſick of the Palſie was healed both in his body and ſoul, Luke 5.25.
3. Not mental defects; as want of wit: though you cannot ſo fully expreſs your mind before God as others, yet fall down before him.
4. Not moral defects, as want of good manners, not leading a well-ordered life. The lewdeſt perſons need not ſcruple coming. Publicans, Sinners, Extortioners, Harlots, are received by Chriſt when they come unto him, Matth. 21.31, 32. it is lawful for the moſt notorious ſinners to believe; and great ſinners have become notable Saints.
Secondly, here ye may ſee, that God in his chuſing is different from Satan, and from men in their chuſing: Satan makes choice of the craftieſt Heads, and ſubtilleſt inſtruments to carry on his deſigns, Gen. 3.1. he picks out a Goliah for ſtrength, an Achitophel for policy to do his work. And no wonder! for he cannot make men fit for his turn, when he doth not find them ſo: he cannot put new abilities into men, though he doth excite thoſe abilities which are in them. Therefore he chuſeth men fit for his turn, ſeeing he cannot make them fit. So men in their ſeveral choices, they avoid defects as near as they can.
Uſe 2. Yet all that God chuſeth, are not obſcure perſons: God chuſeth ſome to grace and glory, that are very eminent in the world. Abraham the father of the faithful; Iſaac the heir of the Promiſe: Jacob the man powerful with God, were all very rich. The elect Lady, … John 1. honourable women, and men not a few believed, Act. 17.12. So God chuſeth ſome to be eminent in piety, who are eminent in natural parts, and moral accompliſhments. Such a one was St. Paul, of whom Porphyry, that great enemy to Chriſtianity, ſaid, it was pity ſuch a man as Paul ſhould be caſt away upon the Chriſtian Religion.
Now as God doth not make choice of none but mean perſons, ſo neither doth he make choice of all that are mean. Many are deformed in their minds as well as in their bodies, ſuch as Thyrſues in Homer. Do we not ſee many poor people live and die in groſs ignorance and wickedneſs? David ſaith, the abjects gathered themſelves againſt him, Pſal. 35.15. ſawcy duſt, (as one calls them) who will be flying in the faces of God's people. And the rage of ſuch many times proves the more furious for want of an ingenious diſpoſition, and civil education.
Ʋſe 3. Doth God make choice of mean perſons, then hearken unto this, ye that are mean in the world and not good, this Doctrine tells you of a way, whereby your outward wants may be ſupplyed with ſpiritual abundance: You that are deformed and decrepit, look into the glaſs of God's word, and dreſs your ſouls by that glaſs. As you ſhould labour to ſupply your outward wants with ſpiritual excellencies, ſo you ſhould labour to ſee your ſpiritual wants by your outward wants.
Secondly, ye that are poor and godly; that are decrepit and deformed in your body, and yet adorned with the graces of God's ſpirit in your ſouls, learn to ſpiritualize your outward wants: though the world neither know you, nor regard you, yet you are both known and eſteemed of by the Lord: and though you poſſeſs little or nothing of the world, yet poſſeſſing God, you poſſeſs all things. Bleſs God for giving you ſpirituals, though he hath denyed you temporals: ye may rejoyce in the God of all mercies, when you have not many outward mercies to rejoyce in, Habak. 3.17, 18. Expect a change for the better, death will perfect the ſouls of Saints: after death the ſpirits of juſt men are made perfect, Heb. 12.23. The Reſurrection will perfect the bodies of Saints: the weak body is raiſed in power, 1 Cor. 15.43. the crooked body will be raiſed ſtreight: the maimed body will be raiſed whole; the Reſurrection will cure all infirmities: the thought of which comforted the Martyrs, when they gave their bodies to be burnt to aſhes. At Stratford-bow in Queen Maryes dayes were burnt at one ſtake, a lame man, and a blind man. The lame man after he was chained, bid the bl…nd man be of good comfort, for they ſhould both be healed.
Ye that are not mean in the world, do not ye deſpiſe whom God makes choice of, Jam. 2.5, 6. He that despiſeth the poor, deſpiſeth his Maker, Prov. 17.5. he contemneth the wiſe diſpenſation of God, who would have the world conſiſt of hills and valleys, of high and low people intermingled. And he that deſpiſeth the godly. Poor, defaceth the image of God twice, deſpiſing the immateriality and immortality of God upon the man, and deſpiſing the holineſs and Righteouſneſs of God ſtampt upon the new man.
Let both high and low conſider, that theſe outward degrees are only calculated for this world; the Grave takes away all civil differences, Job 3.19. Bodies under ground are alike. The duſt of the rich and poor intermingleth; one is not known from the other. Beſides, many that are now deſpicable, will appear honourable at the great day: Thoſe that are now ſo obſcure, that they are loſt in the count of the world, ſhall be taken into the arms of Chriſt, and made much of before all the world, 1 John 3.1, 2. Luke 12.8.