164 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED LORD halt commanded, and yet there is room. And the Lord Paid unto the fervant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that myhoufe maybe filled : for Ifay unto you, that none of thofe men which were bidden, (hall toile of my fupfier. By this parable, our Lordelegantly and beautifully defcribed the infidelity of the Jews and their final rejeésion of the hea- verily meffage, while the poor, blind, de- fpifed Gentiles, brought by powerful grace, like the perfons who were compelled to come in from the highways and hedges, would be enabled to believe in the Son of God, and become thereby partakers of thofe bleffings which the unbelieving Jews rejeied and defpifed. C Ii A P T E R XXIV. JESUS being furrounded by volt Multitudes of People, he advifeth thole who are willing to be his Difciples, to examine beforehand their Refolution in Cafe of Perfecutions. The Pfiarfees murmur at CuR t ST for receiving Sinners : He .delivers the Parable If the loft Sheep, and Piece of Silver ; of the Prodigal Son, and of the unjuft Steward. Ca R IST reproveth the Hypocrfy of the Pharifees, who were covetous, and derided him; and delivers the Parable of the rich Man and Lazarus the Beggar. AFTER our bleffed Saviour had departed from the Pharifee's houfe, great multitudesof people thronged about him, to hear his doirine, and to behold his wonderous works : but the people in general, miftook the nature of his king- dom; for it was the general expeétation, that he was going to eftablifh the Meffiah's throne in Jerufalem, and from thence to conquer all the nations in the world, and render them tributary to his power. As our Lord well knew that the people followed him with fuck expeftations, he took the &II opportunity to undeceive them, and to déclare in the plaineft terms, that his kingdom was not of this world, and, of confequence, thofe who followed him for temporal advantage, would be fure to find themfelves miftaken; for, on the contrary, his difciples muff expeét to be perfecuted from city to city, and hated of all men for his name's fake. And he fur- ther obferved, that it was neceffary for all who would be his true followers, to prefer his fervice to the riches, grandeur, and pleafures of the world, and to mani- fell by their conduis, that they had a greater value for him, than for the deareft obje&s of their affeelions : f any mancome to me, faid he, -and hate not hisfather, and mother, and wife, and children, and bre- thren, and fibers, yea, andhis own life aifo,- he cannot he my difciple. And whofoever Both not bear his crofs, and come after me, cannot bemy difciple. And to thew the folly of expefing to partake of the bieffings of the Meffiah's kingdom, while they preferred their worldly attachments to our great Redeemer, he compared the cafe of fuels perfons to that of an unthinking builder, and of a rails and forward warrior : the former was obliged to leave his firuElure unfinifhed, becaufe he had foolifhly begun the build- ing before he had computed the cots; and the latter reduced to the difgrace either of being fhamefully defeated, or meanly fuing for peace, becaufe he had rafhly declared war
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