Luke 17

There is still something lacking in our faith (1 Thessalonians 3:10). Grace is but in its infancy and minority, and we must be still adding a cubit to our spiritual stature; the Apostles said Lord increase our faith (Luke 17:5). Grace is but weak (2 Samuel 3:39).

Because he might have sacrifices of thanksgiving ready to offer to God for their deliverance. To have a thankful heart for a deliverance, is a greater blessing than the deliverance itself (Luke 17:15). One of the lepers, when he saw he was healed, turned back, and with a loud vo…

Because this sin of drunkenness does so abound in this age, I shall enlarge something more on this head. It is said of the Old World, they ate, they drank, till the Flood came (Luke 17:27). Drinking is not a sin; but the meaning is, they drank to intemperance, they disordered th…

God honors his children with the title of kings (Revelation 1:6): And has made us kings. All God's children are kings: though they have not earthly kingdoms, yet, 1. They carry a kingdom about them (Luke 17:21): The kingdom of God is within you: grace is a kingdom set up in the…

2. More Particularly. (1.) Masters must have a care to provide for their servants: As they cut them out work, so they must give them their meat in due season (Luke 17:7). And the food should be wholesome and sufficing.

3. Lay up a stock of faith. Luke 17:4: If your brother trespass against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to you, and say, I repent, you shall forgive him. And the Apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith.

So we accordingly must labour and strive against that inbred unbelief which is in us: for every man has innumerable sins in him that resist faith; and if they be not checked and suppressed, they will master his faith: but he that would have faith to continue and last, must striv…

The sixth sign is, an exceeding deadness of heart, so as neither judgments from heaven, nor the preaching of the word shall move the hearts of men. So Christ says, It shall be in the coming of the Son of Man, as it was in the days of Noah, and in the days of Sodom: they knew not…

Reason 3. Luke 17:10: When you have done all those things that are commanded us, we are unprofitable servants — we have done that which was our duty to do. The Papists answer that we are unprofitable to God but not to ourselves.

The other ground of our answer to all the places on the contrary, is that the word [Greek text], and [Greek text]; Christ died for all: does never signify all and every one of mankind, by neither Scripture, nor the doctrine of adversaries: but is as all Divines say, to be expoun…

No, this is not the spirit of a faithful minister of Jesus Christ, and it will be but uncomfortable to such ministers, as think now they may be left to the wide world, they will shift anywhere, but where we see any seeds of faith begun, we must be desirous to increase it in ours…

If we be able to do it ourselves, we must not discover it, but do it ourselves and let it go no further; but if the burden be too great, that he cannot lift it up, it is too weighty a matter for him, then he may call in those that are able to help him in such a work, so as that…

And (Colossians 2:16) let no man judge you in meat or drink, or in a piece of a holy day, or of a new Moon, or Sabbath day, etc. So says our Savior Christ: The kingdom of God comes not with observation of the law (Luke 17:20). Much less then are men's consciences, to be burdened…

Besides this, Paul should be inconstant and unlike himself, if he should admonish unclean persons, fornicators, wantons, and that three times before excommunication: and should at the first excommunicate certain others, without any precedent admonition. Third, the word there use…

In a word, as he had described repentance by the signs, so he now sets forth their inward obstinacy and hardness of heart, by the outward testimonies of it. For even as we witness our sorrow for sin by abstinence and other exercises; so by our dissolutions and superfluities, we…

The kingdom of the Father, as the inheritance of the godly, is contrasted with the earth, to remind them that here they are pilgrims, and therefore ought to look upwards towards heaven. In another passage, the kingdom of God is said to be within us, (Luke 17:21), but we shall no…

29. And he said to them, This kind "this kind [of devils] goes not out" cannot go out in any other way than by prayer and fasting. Luke 17:5-6 5. And the apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith.

20. For where two or three are assembled “— Ou il y en a deux ou trois assemblez;” — “— where there are two or three of them assembled.” — in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Luke 17:3 3. Be on your guard.

35. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do to you, if you forgive not every one his brother from your hearts their offenses. Luke 17:4 4. And if seven times in a day he shall offend against thee, and seven times in a day he shall turn to thee, saying, I repent, forgive him.

47. And if your eye offend you, pluck it out; for it were better for you to enter with one eye into the kingdom of God than that, having two eyes, you should be cast into hell-fire: 48. Where their worm dies not, and their fire is not quenched. Luke 17:1-2 1. And he said to his…

24. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles, till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Luke 17:22-25 22. And he said to the disciples, The days will come when you shall desire…

33. Take heed, watch and pray; for you know not when the time is. Luke 17:26-37 26. And as it happened in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

Again (Luke 21): As a snare shall that day come upon all them, that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Again (Luke 17): As the lightning that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines to the other part under heaven: so shall the Son of Man be in his day. That is, it s…

These Graces therefore in carrying on the work of Sanctification are gradually encreased. So the Disciples prayed our Saviour that he would encrease their Faith, Luke 17. 5. That is, adde to its Light, confirm it in its Assent, multiply its Acts, and make it strong against its A…

Lawful things are oftentimes the occasion of unlawful. All the sins of the old world are described thus, they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, etc. (Luke 17:27-28). There is not one of these an act evil in itself, yet they sinned away their peace, and sinne…

When God gives unto men the outward meanes of salvation, wherein he does reueale his grace & fauour in Christ; as the Gospel preached, which is therefore called the word of the kingdome, Matth. 13. 19. And so Christ (hauing relation to his preaching, which he confirmed by miracl…

So Christs Disciples did not onely heare him preach, but desired to bee instructed in those things which they knew not, Matth. 13. 36. Declare to us the meaning of the parable: also they prayed him to increase their faith, Luk. 17. 5. Here then we may see the cause of that ignor…

25. The twenty-fifth and last sin of London, which I shall speak of, is carnal security — another of Sodom's sins. It is said of the Sodomites (Luke 17:28-29), In the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built: but the same day that L…

The world of mankind being continued so long in a state of such great prosperity, shall now begin to abuse their prosperity, to serve their lust and corruption. This we learn from Luke 17:26, etc. 2. Those apostates shall make great opposition to the church of God.

No wise husbandman will neglect a fit opportunity of gathering in his hay and corn, upon a presumption of much fair weather to come; he will not say, the weather is settled, and I need not trouble myself, though my corn and hay be fit for the house, yet I may get it in another t…

The Nature of Man will not allow it. Indeed Christ says, Luke 17:20. The Kingdom of God comes not with Observation.

It will be a good evidence of our repentance toward God, to humble ourselves to our brothers, whom we have offended, as it will be also a good evidence of our being forgiven of God if we be ready to [reconstructed: forgive] those that have offended us: And such yielding pacifies…

In all the means that we use, let us look up to him, and seek a blessing of him. The latter must with the tenth leper return back to Christ, and glorify God (Luke 17:16). Whatever the means were, or whoever the minister was, the praise and glory of all must be given to him.

It is further commended in the examples of Abraham's servant, Elijah's servant, and many others (Genesis 24:9; 1 Kings 18:43). Note how far the Lord Christ exacts this duty of servants: though a servant has been all day plowing — a laborious and wearisome work — yet when he come…

And it always so fell out, to fix our faith on the right bottom, that scarce any Prophet that spoke in the name of God, had any Approbation from the Church, in whose days He spoke. Matthew 5:12. chapter 23:29. Luke 17:47, 48. Acts 7:52. Matthew 21:33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38. It is t…

There were Divisions and Parties, Schisms and Sects in the Corinthian Church, and they must be, says the Apostle, that they that are approved may be made manifest among you, 1 Corinthians 11:19. Our Lord Jesus forewarns his Disciples, that Offences will come, and it is not possi…

Others have had as much of God's patience, and as fair opportunity as you, whose souls and Christ have never met, and now know, that they never shall; they had their time of worldly projects and enjoyment, as you now have, and followed them, as if they had been immortally to abi…

By the law of creation, we were not appointed to serve and please the flesh, but to serve God. (Luke 17:10) When you have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants, we have done that which was our debt or duty to do. Obedience, worship, and…

So accordingly should we reason of God's mercy, according to the mercy that we find in ourselves. Therefore it is very notable, that when Christ had spoken of forgiving our brethren, not only seven times, but seventy times seven, the disciples said to the Lord, Increase our fait…

And mark, when God carried on his kingdom in a way of sensible manifestation, by visions, oracles, and miracles: so did Satan visibly govern the pagan world by apparitions, oracles, lying wonders, and sensible manifestations of himself. But now, when God's kingdom is spiritual,…

One is that administration which belongs to the present life, and is called the kingdom of grace; and the other belongs to the life to come, and is called the kingdom of glory. 1. The kingdom of grace is spoken of in many places, especially (Luke 17:20-21): When he was demanded…

It reproves Iovial Sinners, vvho are so far from fearing God, that they spend their time in mirth and vvantonness. Luke 17:27. They did eat, they drank, they married, till the flood came and destroyed them all.

Great is the weakness of our faith, as appears by our fears, doubts, and distrusts, so that we need to be assured more and more. We need to say with tears, as he does in the Gospel (Mark 9:24), "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief," and to cry out with the apostles, "Lord, increas…

When the saints are crowned, they cast their crowns at the Lamb's feet (Revelation 4:10). We hold all by his mercy (Luke 17:10). When we have done all, we are unprofitable servants: not in compliment, but in truth of heart we are unprofitable servants.

Now consider, is there no return due? You know the story (Luke 17:15-19). Christ healed ten lepers, and but one of them returned and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down at his feet giving thanks, and he was a Samaritan, and Jesus answering said, were there not ten cle…

Self-love will put us upon prayer, but the love of God upon praise and thanksgiving; we pray because we need God, we praise because we love God, and have a sense of his goodness to us. Luke 17:15: One of them when he saw that he was healed, with a loud voice turned back and glor…

And his argument is: For I delight in your word. Mercy is nevertheless free though the creature minds his duty, for when we have done all we are but unprofitable servants (Luke 17:10), and grace helps us to do what we do (Luke 19:18). Your pound, not my industry.

Nothing we have can [illegible] it, nothing we can do can deserve it at the hands [illegible] Christ. For the conclusion is firm, when we [illegible] done all we can we are [illegible] servants [illegible] have done no more than we should (Luke 17). Indeed we do much that we sho…

But none of all these can be granted. They cannot deserve grace, because when we have done what we can, we must conclude as we shall have cause to confess we are unprofitable (Luke 17:10). The plowing, and so the praying of the wicked is sin, his most beautiful performances are…

Heaven is already begun in a believer: Romans 14:17, The kingdom of God is peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. This kingdom is in a believer's heart: Luke 17:21. The people of God have a prelibation and taste of blessedness here.