Luke 8

Hesiod says, Hell is as far under the earth, as Heaven is above it. Luke 8:31: The Devils besought Christ, that he would not command them to go into the deep. Hell is in the deep.

7. If you would hear the Word aright, be not only attentive, but retentive: lay the Word up in your memories and hearts. (Luke 8:15): The seed on the good ground are they, who having heard the Word keep it. The Greek word ⟨ in non-Latin alphabet ⟩, to keep, signifies to hold the…

In a prosperous estate there is more burden; many look at the shining and glittering of prosperity, but not at the burden; Plus oneris. (1.) The burden of care; therefore Christ calls riches, cares (Luke 8:14). A rose has its prickles, so have riches; we think them happy that fl…

He is the prince of the airy part of the little world in man, as well as of the elemental region in the great world, and so can raise unnatural storms and vapors that shall darken reason, and cause such thunders and lightnings as shall hurl all into black confusion — such that i…

Possess your souls in patience: as if he should say, If you would save your souls, you must labor to bear all crosses that fall on you, with patience. In the parable, Luke 8:15, They that receive the seed in good ground, are they, which with an honest and good heart hear the wor…

The second kind of faith is temporary faith, so called because it lasts but for a time and season, and commonly not to the end of a man's life. This kind of faith is noted to us in the parable of the seed, that fell in the stony ground (Luke 8:23). And there be two differences o…

Good reader it is a thing to be considered, that a man may seem both to himself and to the church of God to be a true professor of the gospel, and yet indeed be none. All professors that be of this sort, are excellently described, (Luke 8:13) in these words: And they which are u…

We are justified freely, not of the law, not by the law, without the law, without works, not of works, not according to works, not of us, not by the works of the law but by faith (Galatians 2:16). All boasting excluded: only believe (Luke 8:50). These distinctions, whereby works…

After the same manner Solomon teaches us to retort this temptation — Proverbs 5:20-21: 'And why, my son, will you be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his goings.' What if I…

What wonder then that it do them no good? In the end of that parable of the sower (Matthew 13; Mark 4; Luke 8), it is said by the Lord, Take heed how you hear, for whoever has, to him shall be given, etc. If you improve well your hearing, you will get yet more, but so long as yo…

Though he could have made a thousand worlds at a word, yet so low was he, that he had not a foot of ground to lay claim to, or to lean his blessed head on. And if we look to (Luke 8) we will find that he was provided for in his necessity by some few women, such as Mary Magdalen,…

Partly because he was in the whole course of his life more intimate with these, than with the rest of the disciples. You shall see when he raised Jairus his daughter from death to life (Luke 8:51), he suffered no body to go in but Peter, James and John, and the father and mother…

7. Do you hear him so as to prefer God and Christ, and the life to come, above all the sensual pleasures and vain delights, and worldly happiness, which you enjoy here? Religion is obstructed, not soundly received: if your hearts be not taken off from these things (Luke 8:14). T…

They which cried Hosanna to the Son of David, shortly after cried, Crucify him, crucify him. The cross and persecution, will make men call the Gospel in question, if not forsake it (Luke 8:13). The multitude of people among us are like wax, and are fit to take the stamp, and imp…

Hence we learn, that there is a felicity after the time of this life, and that is, to receive and embrace the doctrine of the Gospel. So says Christ elsewhere (Luke 8:21 and 11:18; Matthew 7:26). True happiness stands in our reconciliation with God in Christ.

23. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. Luke 8:17 17. For there is nothing hid that shall not be revealed, and nothing concealed that shall not be known and come to light.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Luke 8:16 16. And no man, when he has lighted a candle, covered it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a candlestick, that those who enter may see the light.

41. And they feared with a great fear, and said among themselves, Who is this: for even the wind and the sea obey him? Luke 8:22-25 22. And it happened on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples.

20. And he went away, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all wondered. Luke 8:26-39 26. And they sailed to the country of the Gaderenes, which is opposite to Galilee.

34. And he said to her, Daughter, your faith has cured you: go in peace, and be delivered from your scourge. Luke 8:40-48 40. And it happened, while Jesus was returning, the multitude received him: for they were all waiting for him.

43. And he charged them earnestly, that no man should know it: and commanded them to give her something to eat. Luke 8:49-56 49. While he was still speaking, one came from the house of the ruler of the synagogue, saying to him, Your daughter is dead, do not trouble the Master.

28. but he said, Nay, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. Luke 8:19-21 19. And his mother and his brethren came to him, and could not reach him on account of the crowd.

25. For to him who has it shall be given; and he that has not, even that which he has shall be taken away from him. Luke 8:1-10, 18 1. And it happened afterwards, and he was traveling through each city and village, “Il alloit de ville en ville, et de village en village;” — “he w…

20. There are others who have received the seed into a good soil, who hear the word, and receive it, and bear fruit, some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred. Luke 8:11-15 11. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

There is probability in the conjecture that, as Christ frequently, when he wished to try the faith of men, delayed for a short time to relieve them, so he subjected this blind man to the same scrutiny. The second difficulty may be speedily removed; for we have seen, on a former…

It is more probable, however, that Mark names her alone, because she first obtained a sight of Christ, and in a peculiar manner, in preference to the others, and yet that her companions also saw Christ in their order, and that on this account Matthew attributes it to all them in…

But his divine glory broke forth and shone, when at twelve years old, he disputed with the doctors in the temple; in that he appeared, in some measure, as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. And so after he entered on his public ministry, his marvelous humility and meekness was mani…

And that we may be the more assured and certified of this, we will compare this song of Salve Regina with Scripture, and see how they accord. But if it does not agree with God's word, I require you for the honor of God to leave it, and cleave to the word of God: and so doing you…

This appeares by the opposition of the next verse unto this, lay not up for your selues earthly treasures, but lay up for your selues treasures in heaven. This was Esaus practise, who sold his birthright for a messe of pottage, Heb. 12. 16. and the sinne of the Gadarens, that up…

III. Many that professe religion are deceiued, that measure their grace and goodnes in religion by feeling in their own hearts: but we must not relie thereon, for true faith may be in the heart without inward sense: againe, the deuill may put false comforts many times into a man…

His mother and natural relations were poor, and not able to help him: and he was maintained by the charity of some of his disciples while he lived. So we read in Luke 8, at the beginning, of certain women that followed him, and ministered to him of their substance. He was so poo…

But Philip uses a yet stronger Expression, he does not only say, if you believe with the Heart, or from the Heart, but with ALL your Heart. And besides, for any to suppose, that those same Persons which the Scriptures represent in some Places as under the Power of an evil Heart…

In this also the hypocrite apes and imitates the believer (Acts 8:13): Then Simon himself believed also. (Luke 8:13) These are they which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. Does the precious eye of faith, discovering the transcendent excellencies that are…

First, If there be such power in this to help to suffering, then surely there is power in this to help to service: you that know what these things mean, be ashamed to complain of any difficulty in any service. Secondly, hence we see cause much to bless God that reveals such thin…

Love being peculiar to a husband, to him he says, Let him love his wife: and reverence being peculiar to a wife, to her he says, let the wife see that she reverence her husband. The direction in every of those several epistles which were sent to the seven churches of Asia, (in t…

3. Let us to this purpose consider the general issues of men's entering into temptation; and that of bad and good men, of ungrounded professors, and of the choicest saints. For the first I shall offer but one or two texts of scripture (Luke 8:13): they on the rock are they which…

The people meant as they spoke, when they were willing to come under the obedience of the Word, God gives them that testimony, The people have well said, but O that there were such a heart in them! (Deuteronomy 5:28-29). They may receive it, and may seem affected with it, and ha…

Now this delight (though good) I speak not of, because it may be in temporaries, who have a taste of the good word, to invite them to seek for more (Hebrews 6:4), and is a fruit of common illumination. The stony ground received the word with joy (Luke 8:13), and though it may af…

He that receives the word into good ground is he that hears the word and understands it. And (Luke 8:13) they that hear the word and keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. It is not enough to hear the word, but we must understand it; and yet that is not all, an adversary…

And "the [reconstructed: fervent] effectual prayer" (James 5:16) — that prayer which has a spirit and a life in it; not only prayer is required, but fervency, not dead and drowsy devotion. So (Luke 8:18) not only it is required that we hear, but to take heed how we hear, with wh…

God's servants must wait for his promises with patience, and self-denial (Romans 2:7): 'To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory, and honor, and immortality, eternal life.' (Luke 8:15) 'Those in the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart, h…

Matthew 13:22: he instances in the cares of the World. And Luke instances in the pleasures of this Life, he adds voluptuous living (Luke 8:14). And Mark has it more generally, the cares of this Life (Mark 4:19), and the lusts of other things choke the Word.

5. Though there must be a friendship to all, yet some are to be chosen for our intimacy: our Lord Christ had Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:1; Matthew 26:37): He took with him Peter, and the two sons of Zebedee. When he raised Jairus' daughter, he suffered none to go in but…

Some seem greedily to catch at promises at first, but their ardor is soon spent; and when it is a troublesome business to wait upon God, they give it over. This is the faith and hope of temporaries, but the good ground brings forth fruit with patience (Luke 8:15). God's children…

He knows the Christian's privileges lie in pronouns, but his duty in adverbs; it must not be only bonum, good, but it must be bene, that good must be right done. Here the almost Christian fails, he does the same duties that others do for the matter, but he does them not in the s…

The keeping of one sin keeps possession for Satan, and his right to the soul, and under the allegiance of all the accursed lusts that either can come from without or arise from within: one [illegible] the sovereignty, but he is a slave to all, as special occasion may be offered;…

So it shall be spiritually, the valley of consternation, perplexity of spirit, and brokenness of heart, is the very gale and entrance of any sound hope, and assured expectation of good. This I take to be the true meaning and intent of the place, and part of the description of a…

The means of subsistence is in Scripture called our life, because it is the very sinews of life. The woman in the Gospel spent all her living upon the physicians (Luke 8:43), she spent her whole life upon the physicians, because she spent her means by which she should live. It i…

Though he fills us, and the angels who have larger capacities to receive, yet he has never the less himself — as the sun, though it shines, has never the less light. Luke 8:46: I perceive that virtue has gone out of me. Though God lets virtue go out of him, yet he has never the…

If a person had a disease in his body — a pleurisy or cancer — he would use all means for a cure. The woman in the gospel who had a bleeding disease spent her whole estate upon the physicians (Luke 8:43). Be more earnest to have your soul cured than your body.