Luke 18

Let us then give God spirit-worship; this best suits with his nature: a sovereign elixir full of virtue may be given in a few drops — a little prayer, if it be with the heart and spirit, may have much virtue and efficacy in it. The publican made but a short prayer, God be mercif…

The more love a Christian receives from God, the more he sees himself a debtor to free grace, and the sense of his debt keeps his heart humble, but presumption is bred of pride. He who presumes, disdains; he thinks himself better than others (Luke 18:11): God I thank you, I am n…

We are kept by power of God. 3. The world's golden snares, riches and pleasure (Luke 18:24). How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God.

4. If we trust in our civility, we make it a God: many trust to this, none can charge them with gross sin. Civility is but nature refined and cultivated; a man may be washed and not changed: his life may be civil, yet there may be some reigning sin in his heart: the Pharisee cou…

Answ. 1. When our faith in prayer is humble: A presumptuous person hopes to be heard in prayer for some inherent worthiness in himself; he is so qualified, and has done God good service, therefore he is confident God will hear his prayer. See an instance (Luke 18:11-12). The Pha…

O how thankful should you be to God? Do as that blind man in the Gospel, after he had received his sight, he followed Christ glorifying God (Luke 18:43). Make Heaven ring of God's praises.

8. If you would not fall short of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of worldly-mindedness; a covetous spirit is a dunghill spirit, it chokes good affections, as the earth puts out the fire. The world hindered the young man from following Christ, abiit tristis, he went away sorrow…

The world's golden sands are quicksands. How hard is it for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven, (Luke 18:24). The consideration of this should make us submit to God in adversity, and say, Your will be done: God sees what is best for us; if we have less estate we are…

The husbandman waits till the seed spring up: wait for the harvest of glory. Some have their waiting weeks at court; this is your waiting time: Christ says, Pray and faint not (Luke 18:1). So wait and faint not.

Why do they not dare to come to Christ in the present state, but must wait for these dispositions? Why thus it is, they are afraid that Christ will not accept of them, such as they are, but if they were thus of so, could but find in themselves these desired frames, then they sho…

(5) because in all the prayers of the Church, there is an especial regard had to himself, and the whole work of his mediation. (1) Luke 18:1; Chap. 21:36; Romans 12:5; 1 Timothy 2:1, 2. (2) Ephesians 4:8, 12, 13; Romans 8:15, 16; Galatians 4:6.

A cunning flatterer who is continually suggesting things and taking all hints and occasions to do so may at last work hard to push out a near and dear friend and make one jealous of him. As the judge yielded to her importunity (Luke 18:5), so the mind is apt to yield to a sugges…

'Does his promise fail forever?' Remember what is said in another case in Luke 18:8 — that though he bears long, yet he comes speedily — that is, though long in our eyes, yet speedily in his own. He has all time before him and knows how much time remains to be spent in embraces…

[⟨in non-Latin alphabet⟩]. But absolutely it signifies to pay tithes, or to give tithes, not to receive them (Luke 18:12). [⟨in non-Latin alphabet⟩], I tithe all that I possess; that is, give tithe out of it.

One great relief provided in this case, is a direction to argue à minore ad majus; if the blood of bulls and goats did so purify the unclean, how much more will the blood of Christ purge our consciences? How heavenly, how divine is that way of arguing to this end, which our bles…

But some may say, who is there that will not own all his works to be of God, and deny himself in them? This may seem to be no great matter: did not the Pharisee do so (Luke 18:11)? God, I thank you, &c. — he seems to acknowledge God, and his grace, in what he was, and did, or ha…

Thus in their own defense, that which Christ says, they contradict, and justify themselves. Here mark the nature of all impenitent sinners, which is to soothe and flatter themselves in sin, and to maintain their own righteousness, like to the proud Pharisee in his prayer, who br…

1. A righteous man is a humble man; he who is proud of his righteousness, is unrighteous. Luke 18:1. God I thank you that I am not as other men are, I fast, I give tithes: Here was a triple crown of pride the Pharisee wore; righteousness though it raises the name, it depresses t…

'Tis blasphemy to wrong his mercy by lessening thoughts: but grant the sinner his supposition, yet you should be instant, and try what he will do for importunity's sake. See Luke 11:8 [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] and Luke 18:5 [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], &c. In those parables th…

Query 2. Though God's abhorring and final rejecting of prayer is an argument of his abhorring the person who prays, dare we conclude so from a mere suspension of the answer? God may bear long with his own elect who cry to him day and night — Luke 18:7. Query 3. Can you deny that…

This humiliation (or sensibleness of sin) whether you call it a part of faith, taken largely; or a preparation for faith, taken strictly: to be sure it is a necessary requisite to believing. It is the humble publican that comes to Christ for mercy in earnest (Luke 18:13-14). Fai…

Upon these grounds, what has been publicly delivered could not reasonably be denied a further publication. Especially the subject insisted on (though weakly managed by the author), yet it is of the greatest importance in these latter, declining, apostatizing days, wherein (as ou…

4. Some build their hopes of salvation upon a comparative goodness, that they are not so bad as others. Many do, Pharisee-like, bear themselves upon this (Luke 18:11). But be it so; yet to have less sin, than some others; that is not to have faith.

Objection, But we may pray in the act of receiving, therefore we may kneel. Answ. Kneeling is not the only prayer gesture, for the publican stood and prayed (Luke 18:13). Though Moses and Samuel stood before me (Jeremiah 15:1).

For nothing can be holy to the Lord, which is not made holy by the Lord. It was a part of the Pharisees' superstition to fast twice a week (Luke 18:12), and it was the brand set upon Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:33), that he ordained a feast to the children of Israel, upon the fifteenth…

Your prayers may be answered, though the thing prayed for be withheld, yes, or though it should be given for a little while and then taken from you again. There are four ways God answers prayers: by giving the thing prayed for immediately (Daniel 9:23); by suspending the answer…

Captivity and affliction and no Redeemer; but when the world was over-run with idolatry, the Jews oppressed by the Romans, the scepter departed from Judah, Herod an Edomite, and stranger king, and scarce any faith left, then, then he comes. The world will be in much the like cas…

Quest. But how is it possible there should be any good towards us? That the sins in which the Nation hath been so steeped, and parboil'd, should be forgiven? that our divisions and animosities should be healed, Gods Ordinances refined, and the Lord continue his gracious presence…

Sixthly, the manner of performing [confidence of God's gracious acceptance and assistance through Christ] for in all our ways God must be acknowledged (Proverbs 3:6), and much more in such special matters of weight. If men in entering into this Covenant look for acceptance, thro…

The name of Clergy appropriate to Ministers, is full of pride and vainglory, and has made the holy people of God to be despised, as if they were profane and unclean in comparison of their Ministers. Gerard likens those who take to themselves the name of the Clergy, to the Pharis…

And to find God is to obtain and secure the aid thus sought, and to experience His most holy majesty as propitious and benevolent." In reply: to take refuge in the faith of God is to trust in God; those who do this are blessed (Psalms 2:12); to seek the aid of God's grace includ…

The 2nd symptom is deep security, and much self-confidence; where these are, Christ's Intercession is little, or not at all made use of; when a soul makes no question of, nor has any doubt about its own peace, or about its praying or getting a hearing, this is indeed self-confid…

When the Spirit of God helps us to fervency, to cry to God, and to be earnest with him in that regard, and not to give him over, and comes from a sensible want of the blessings we stand in need of, and that makes us go out of ourselves to God, for the mercy that is according to…

And this, according to Paul, is to be under the works of the law, that is to say, that hypocrites do the law, and yet in doing it, they do it not: for they understand this word doing according to the literal sense of the law, which in true Christian divinity is nothing worth. In…

These confess with their mouth that they are sinners, and they confess also that they commit sins daily, however not so great and many, but that they are able to put them away by their own works: indeed and besides all this, they will bring their righteousness and deserts to Chr…

Here he must needs fall into the hatred of God, and blasphemy against God. Before, when he was out of temptation, he was a very holy man, he worshipped and praised God, he bowed his knee before God and gave him thanks, as the Pharisee did (Luke 18). But now when sin and death is…

IV. They held, that the keeping of the morall lawe, stood in externall obedience, as appeares by the speeches of Christ, reforming their errours, Math. 5. 6. 7. chap. v. They maintained a naturall freedome of the will, in the obseruing of the law, Luk. 18. Lord I thanke you (say…

Thus much does the word, [〈…〉]stifie, import. Thus came the Publican before God, Luk. 18, when he said, Lord be mercifull to me a sinner; and departed justified. Thus in the sift petition, we are taught to come euery day into the presence of God, and to acknowledge our debts, an…

For the spirit makes us cry Abba, Father: that is, My father, and your father. God requires this importunity of us (Luke 18:1). It is practiced by David (Psalm 69:4), by the woman of Canaan (Matthew 15).

But he would have us, especially to consider ourselves, that by the consideration of our own weakness, we might learn more mildness towards others in our reproofs: for seeing we stand in need of mercy, we ought to deal mercifully: and seeing God forgives us innumerable sins, we…

16. And when he had taken them in his arms, he laid hands on them, and blessed them. Luke 18:15-17 15. And they presented to him also infants, that he might touch them; which, when the disciples saw, they rebuked them.

22. But he, affected with uneasiness on account of the saying, went away sorrowful; for he had many possessions. Luke 18:18-23 18. And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do, that I may obtain eternal life?

27. And Jesus beholding them says, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for all things are possible with God. Luke 18:24-27 24. And Jesus, perceiving that he was sorrowful, said, With what difficulty shall they who have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

“Et les derniers seront premiers;” — “and the last shall be first.” Luke 18:28-30, 22:28-31 28. And Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.

And having again taken aside the twelve, he began to tell them what things would happen to him: 33. Lo, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes; and they will condemn him to death, and will deliver him to the Gentiles: 34. And…

And immediately he received sight, and followed Jesus in the way. Luke 18:35-43 35. And it happened that, while he was approaching Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting near the road begging:

Those hypocrites which trust to their works, and live an honest and virtuous life, as it appears outwardly, do truly think, and are fully persuaded, that God must receive them into heaven, because of their works. This makes them proud, presumptuous and glorious in their own conc…

The Prodigal Son said, I will arise and go to my Father, and I will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy it be called thy Son; make me as one of thy hired Servants, Luke 15:18, etc. See also Luke 18:9. etc. And he spoke this…

This is what I would argue from hence, that the expression of our own righteousness, when used in Scripture, with relation to the favor of God, and when we are warned against looking upon it as that by which that favor is obtained, does not signify only a ceremonial righteousnes…

And the LXX. always so express the seventh day Sabbath; and frequently they use it for a week also. And so in the New Testament, [⟨ in non-Latin alphabet ⟩], Luke 18:12. I fast twice on the Sabbath; that is, two days in the week.