Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc00/v02550

Text File | 1994-03-02 | 7KB | 117 lines

02553
 #9-14 This parable was to convince some who trusted in
 themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. God
 sees with what disposition and design we come to him in holy
 ordinances. What the Pharisee said, shows that he trusted to
 himself that he was righteous. We may suppose he was free from
 gross and scandalous sins. All this was very well and
 commendable. Miserable is the condition of those who come short
 of the righteousness of this Pharisee, yet he was not accepted;
 and why not? He went up to the temple to pray, but was full of
 himself and his own goodness; the favour and grace of God he did
 not think worth asking. Let us beware of presenting proud
 devotions to the Lord, and of despising others. The publican's
 address to God was full of humility, and of repentance for sin,
 and desire toward God. His prayer was short, but to the purpose;
 God be merciful to me a sinner. Blessed be God, that we have
 this short prayer upon record, as an answered prayer; and that
 we are sure that he who prayed it, went to his house justified;
 for so shall we be, if we pray it, as he did, through Jesus
 Christ. He owned himself a sinner by nature, by practice, guilty
 before God. He had no dependence but upon the mercy of God; upon
 that alone he relied. And God's glory is to resist the proud,
 and give grace to the humble. Justification is of God in Christ;
 therefore the self-condemned, and not the self-righteous, are
 justified before God.

02559
 #15-17 None are too little, too young, to be brought to Christ,
 who knows how to show kindness to those not capable of doing
 service to him. It is the mind of Christ, that little children
 should be brought to him. The promise is to us, and to our seed;
 therefore He will bid them welcome to him with us. And we must
 receive his kingdom as children, not by purchase, and must call
 it our Father's gift.

02562
 #18-30 Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet
 perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear
 Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate.
 Many who are loath to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a
 long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions,
 their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they
 cannot serve both; but if one must be quitted, it shall be their
 God, not their worldly gain. Their boasted obedience will be
 found mere outside show; the love of the world in some form or
 other lies at the root. Men are apt to speak too much of what
 they have left and lost, of what they have done and suffered for
 Christ, as Peter did. But we should rather be ashamed that there
 has been any regret or difficulty in doing it.

02575
 #31-34 The Spirit of Christ, in the Old Testament prophets,
 testified beforehand his sufferings, and the glory that should
 follow, #1Pe 1:11|. The disciples' prejudices were so strong,
 that they would not understand these things literally. They were
 so intent upon the prophecies which spake of Christ's glory,
 that they overlooked those which spake of his sufferings. People
 run into mistakes, because they read their Bibles by halves, and
 are only for the smooth things. We are as backward to learn the
 proper lessons from the sufferings, crucifixion, and
 resurrection of Christ, as the disciples were to what he told
 them as to those events; and for the same reason; self-love, and
 a desire of worldly objects, close our understandings.

02579
 #35-43 This poor blind man sat by the wayside, begging. He was
 not only blind, but poor, the fitter emblem of the world of
 mankind which Christ came to heal and save. The prayer of faith,
 guided by Christ's encouraging promises, and grounded on them,
 shall not be in vain. The grace of Christ ought to be thankfully
 acknowledged, to the glory of God. It is for the glory of God if
 we follow Jesus, as those will do whose eyes are opened. We must
 praise God for his mercies to others, as well as for mercies to
 ourselves. Would we rightly understand these things, we must
 come to Christ, like the blind man, earnestly beseeching him to
 open our eyes, and to show us clearly the excellence of his
 precepts, and the value of his salvation.
02588
 * The conversion of Zacchaeus. (1-10) The parable of the nobleman
 and his servants. (11-27) Christ enters Jerusalem. (28-40)
 Christ laments over Jerusalem. (41-48)

 #1-10 Those who sincerely desire a sight of Christ, like
 Zacchaeus, will break through opposition, and take pains to see
 him. Christ invited himself to Zacchaeus' house. Wherever Christ
 comes he opens the heart, and inclines it to receive him. He
 that has a mind to know Christ, shall be known of him. Those
 whom Christ calls, must humble themselves, and come down. We may
 well receive him joyfully, who brings all good with him.
 Zacchaeus gave proofs publicly that he was become a true convert.
 He does not look to be justified by his works, as the Pharisee;
 but by his good works he will, through the grace of God, show
 the sincerity of his faith and repentance. Zacchaeus is declared
 to be a happy man, now he is turned from sin to God. Now that he
 is saved from his sins, from the guilt of them, from the power
 of them, all the benefits of salvation are his. Christ is come
 to his house, and where Christ comes he brings salvation with
 him. He came into this lost world to seek and to save it. His
 design was to save, when there was no salvation in any other. He
 seeks those that sought him not, and asked not for him.

02598
 #11-27 This parable is like that of the talents, #Mt 25|. Those
 that are called to Christ, he furnishes with gifts needful for
 their business; and from those to whom he gives power, he
 expects service. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to
 every man to profit withal, #1Co 12:7|. And as every one has
 received the gift, so let him minister the same, #1Pe 4:10|. The
 account required, resembles that in the parable of the talents;
 and the punishment of the avowed enemies of Christ, as well as
 of false professors, is shown. The principal difference is, that
 the pound given to each seems to point out the gift of the
 gospel, which is the same to all who hear it; but the talents,
 distributed more or less, seem to mean that God gives different
 capacities and advantages to men, by which this one gift of the
 gospel may be differently improved.