The Good Samaritan, Part 16
And when he ſaw him he had compaſſion on him]
Text. He turned not away his face, as the Prieſt and Levite did, but ſo lookes upon his wounds as to have his heart affected with his miſeries.
Firſt then obſerve.
Doct. The eye affects the heart, Lam 3.51. Pro. 15.30. Pſal. 119 158. Act. 17.16. Deut. 28.31, 32, 34. Eſay. 1.7. 2 Pet. 2.7.
Reaſon. For the Eye is. 1. Senſus perſpicaciſſimus: of all ſenſes the quickeſt of apprehenſion; It can ſee the sky and ſtarrs though farre remote; it goes out for a prey and brings it home in an inſtant, receiving ſpecies from the object and ſo bringing home, (according to that of Ariſtotle) rather then by caſting out beames, and darting out the viſive faculties to the object (according to the opinion of Plato.)
2. It is Senſus efficaciſſimus; no ſenſe ſo firmly imprinteth formes in the Imagination; what it ſees once intentively, it ſees many daves after.
3. It is Certiſſimus; things ſeen are moſt certainly known, and in that reſpect they move the more. I ſaw it, is an evident teſtimony: In which reſpect one Eye-witneſſe we preferre (in divers caſes) before ten Eare-witneſſes.
Vſe 1 What a helpe then to the ſoule might the Eye be, being well uſed? But if ill, how great a hinderer? Certain it is the ſight hath a marvellous influence into the ſpeeches, thoughts and actions of men, Gen. 3.6. Ioſh. 7.21. 2 Sam. 11.2. Moſt ſins begin commonly at the Eyes, Satan dealing as the Chapman with his wares, who laies them forth upon the Stall that with the ſight the buyer may be drawne in to buy, Mat. 4.8. The Eye is the Maid by which he woes the Miſtreſſe. And ſo on the other ſide great helps they are to the ſpirit, when placed upon warrantable objects, whence it was (as is conceived) that Abraham when he would ſtir up his ſoule to ſorrow for the loſſe of Sarah, wept in the ſight of the dead Corps, Gen. 23.2, 3. that behoulding it, he might be the rather mooved.
Make we then a covenant with our Eyes, as Iob did Cap. 31.1. and place them on ſuch objects as God hath provided for them, that the ſoule be not intrapped but benefitted.
Firſt, Lift them up unto the hils, from whence thy ſalvation commeth, Pſ. 121.1. To ſee God in Chriſt, is the moſt pleaſant and durable object, Exo. 33.21, 22.23 Chriſt is the rock; when once we are in him, God will cauſe his glory to paſſe before us.
Secondly, the Creatures alſo we may look upon, provided that we ſee God in them, Iſay. 40.26. Pſal. 8.1 — 9 happy we thus to ſee them▪ or with thoſe, Ioh. 2.23. So to ſee the works which God hath done, as therby to be the better induced to believe them.
Thirdly, we are to caſt our Eyes upon our Brethren in their wants and miſeries. Quod non videt oculus cor non dolet. Alexander the Great was reported to have, Cor durum & avarum; but his covetouſneſſe he overcame by his ambition of command and Empire, and his hardneſſe by his Eye-pitty; for he ſeeing in Greece a great number of poore people that were naked and diſtreſſed, the teares trickled from his Eyes (ſaith Diodorus) and forthwith he tooke order that they ſhould be furniſhed both with cloths and mony.
You read, Mat. 9.36. that when Chriſt ſaw the multitudes he was moved with compaſſion.
Fourthly, upon our ſelves: We ſhould looke homeward, and with the Bird when ſhe prunes her ſelfe, turne our Eyes into our own breſts: Look on what you will, you may ſee ſomewhat that is a brand of your ſin and ſhame; ſo ſhall your hearts be the better affected, as was Davids, Pſ. 119.136.
Laſtly, upon Gods Ordinances we ſhould look; eſpecially in the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper: When we ſee the Bread broken, and the Wine powred forth, O what a deepe impreſſion ſhould that make? Zach. 12.10.
Vſe 2 Secondly, it ſets forth the bleſſed condition of the faithfull departed, and taken out of this wretched world: Firſt in regard of what they ſee not, Iſay. 57.2. 2 Kings 22.20. Ioſiah had a tender heart, it melted to heare of the threatnings; how would he have endured then to ſee the miſeries of his country and people? therfore God tells him. His eyes ſhall not ſee that evill; he will firſt take him away by death: The like promiſe did God make to the young child of Ieroboams, 1 King. 14 13. And it was the Prayer of Luther, that he might not live to ſee the Judgements which he did verily believe God would bring on Germany for their ſins, and therin God heard him, for ſoon after his death, the land was almoſt made deſolate by the ſword.
Secondly, in regard of what they doe ſee; though not (as yet) with their bodily Eyes, yet by Viſion. But one day both they, and we ſhall ſee with theſe Eyes face to face, Iob 19.27. 1 Iohn 3.1. O think how great then that joy and happineſſe ſhall be, when the Eyes both of ſoule and body ſhall be full! If the ſight be ſuch a working ſenſe, what impreſſions then will they make upon the ſoule. In theſe reſpects why ſhould it be thought a thing unlawfull to bleſſe. GOD for ſoules departed?
Vſe 3 This is a terrour to wicked ones, who no ſooner ſhall peepe out of their graves, but they ſhall ſee him, whom they have crucified (with the ſcarrs and wounds in his ſides which they have made) come in the cloudes to judge them, to ſee thoſe they have derided and ſcorned to be taken up to him; to ſee all that they have delighted in burning about them, and themſelves, with thoſe they have drawne into ſin (their own Friends, Children, Acquaintance, &c.) to be driven from Gods preſence into everlaſting vengeance, how this will affect their hearts, let them in time thinke.
Vſe 4 Laſtly, deſire we the Lord to caſt his Eye upon us, ſeeing ſight worketh ſo effectually on the heart. We read 1 Sam. 6.5. what advice the Prieſts of the Philiſtines gave their Princes who were ſtroken with Emerods, make Images, ſay they, of your Emerods, and Images of your Mice, which marre the Land, and you ſhall give glory to the God of Iſraell: Peradventure he will lighten his hand from you: Conceiting with themſelves (as ſome conceive) that God but looking upon the ſimilitude of their loathſome diſeaſe and grievance (preſented before the Arke) his bowels would be mooved with compaſſion towards them: Sure I am that David thought it enough to ſhew God his trouble, Pſal. 142.2. And to ſay, Aſpice afflictionem meam, looke upon my affliction and miſery, Pſal. 25.18. This kind of cunning Martha and Mary uſed, Behold he is ſicke whom thou lovest, Iohn 11.3 And ſo Hezekiah, 2 King. 19.14, 16. God never caſteth his Eye upon any, but there he ſetleth his affection, and he never ſetleth his affection without an intention of bleſſing.
As Chriſt cured mens bodies with a word, ſo their ſouls with a look: He looked upon Saint Peter, and preſently he repented: He looked on Zacheus and preſently he was juſtified: He looked on Saint Mathew and preſently he was called. Lord look on us miſerable ſinners that we are, and the bowels of thy compaſſion will be mooved, and our ſoules ſaved.