21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: 22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. 23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth. 24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Our Saviour having sufficiently shown that he did not work his miracles by the power of the devil, he next informs the Pharisees from whence he had that power, even from God himself; accordingly he compares Satan to a strong man armed with weapons to defend his house; and himself clothed with divine power, he compares to one that is stronger than the strong man. So that the argument runs thus: the devil is very strong and powerful, and there is no power but only God's that is stronger than his: if, then, says Christ, I were not assisted with a divine power, I could never cast out this strong man, who reigns in the bodies and souls of men, as in his house; for it must be a stronger than the strong man that shall bind Satan; and who is he but the God of strength? Learn thence, That only Christ's divine power is superior to Satan's strength: he only can vanquish and overrule him at his pleasure, and drive him out of that possession, which he holds either in the bodies or souls of men: The strong man armed keeps the house, till a stronger than he comes upon him, and overcomes him. When the unclean spirit goeth out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Note here, 1. That Satan is an unclean spirit, he hath lost bis original purity, his holy nature in which he was created, and is by sin become universally sinful and impure; no means being allowed by God, for the purg

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ing of his filthy and impure nature; yea, he is a perfect enemy to purity and howould promote it. 2. That Satan is a liness; maligning all that love it, and restless and unquiet spirit; being cast out of heaven, he can rest no where when he is either gone out of a man by policy, or cast out by power, he has no content or satisfaction, till he returns into a filthy heart, where he delights to be, as the swine in miry places. 3. That wicked and pro. fane sinners have this unclean spirit dwelland habitation, and the lusts of pride and ing in them their hearts are Satan's house unbelief, malice and revenge, envy and hypocrisy, these are the garnishings and furniture of Satan's house. Man's heart was God's house by creation, 'tis now Satan's by usurpation and judiciary tradition. 4. That Satan, by the preaching of the gosthey become sober and civilized; yet pel, may seem to go out of persons, and may he return again to his old habitation, and the latter end of that man be worse than the beginning.

27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. 28 But he said, Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Observe here, 1. How ready we are to admire persons for their external privileges, and the favours of divine Providence, and to pronounce such blessed: Blessed is the womb that bare thee. 2. That Christ makes another judgment of persons, and pronounces them more blessed, that bear him in their hearts by faith, than his own mother, who bare him in her womb by sense. The blessedness of being an obedient believer, is far greater than that of being the mother of our blessed Saviour. Blessed be God, this great and gracious privilege is not denied unto us now. Although we cannot see Christ, yet love him we may; his bodily presence cannot be enjoyed by us, but his spiritual gracious presence is not denied us. Though Christ be not ours in house, in arms, by affinity, by consanguinity; yet in heart, in faith, in love, in service, he is or may be ours: verily spiritual regeneration, and an obediential doing of God's

will, bringeth men into a more honourable relation to Christ, than natural generation ever did: Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. 29 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it but the sign of Jonas the prophet. 30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

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The sign which the Pharisees here desired of our Saviour, was a miracle wrought by him. Now our Saviour, though he was very ready to work miracles to encourage and confirm his hearers' faith, yet not to satisfy the unbelieving Pharisees' curiosity and accordingly he tells them, they should have no other sign than that of his resurrection, which Jonas was a type of. Next he threatens them for their obstinacy and infidelity, which he aggravates from the example of the queen of the south, and the men of Nineveh. From thence learn, That the sins of infidelity and impenitency are exceedingly heightened, and their guilt aggravated, from the means afforded by God to bring men to faith and

obedience. The sin of the Pharisees was infinitely greater in rejecting the evidence of Christ's miracles, than the sin of the Ninevites would have been in refusing to hearken to Jonas's ministry; therefore the Ninevites shall condemn the Pharisees.

33 No man when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. 34 The light of the body is the eye: there

fore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. 35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. 36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

Our Saviour in these words does these two things: 1. He declares, that although his ministry had no effect upon the proud and obstinate Pharisees, yet he would not hide the light which he came into the doctrine which his Father had committed world to bring, nor conceal that heavenly to him to communicate to the children of men; teaching us, That such as are enlightened by God with the knowledge of his word and will, ought not to conceal and hide this knowledge within themselves, but communicate it to others, and improve it for the good and benefit of others: No man that lighteth a candle putteth it under a bushel. 2. Our Saviour here discovers the reason why the Pharisees continued blind under so clear a light as that of his ministry; namely, because the eye of their understanding was darkened, not so much with ignorance as with prejudice, whereby they opposed Christ and his holy doctrine for if the mind be clearly enlightened by the word and Spirit of God, that light will diffuse and spread itself in the soul, as the bright shining of a candle doth in the house, enlightening all the inward faculties, and directing all the outward actions, and communicating its light also to the enlightening of others.

Pharisee besought him to dine with 37 And as he spake, a certain him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.

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38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner. And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter: but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. 40 Ye fools! did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?

Observe here, 1. The free conversation of our blessed Saviour, how readily he complies with the Pharisees' invitation to dine with him. I do not find that, when Christ was invited to any table, that ever he refused to go; if a Pharisee, if a publican invited him, he constantly went, not so much for the pleasure of eating, as for the opportunity of conversing and doing good. Christ feasts us when we feed him: he says of himself, that he came eating and drinking, that is, allowing himself a free, though innocent, conversation with all sorts of persons, that he might gain some. Observe, 2. The exception which the Pharisee takes at our Saviour's not washing his hands before dinner. This they made (but without any warrant for it) a religious act; abounding in external washings, but neglecting the inward purgation of their hearts and consciences from sin and uncleanness. Thus Pharisaical hypocrisy puts God off with outward cleansing instead of inward purity; regarding more the outward cleanness of the hand, than the inward purity of the heart. Observe, 3. Our blessed Saviour does not condemn any external decency and cleanliness in conversation, but his design is to show the vanity of outward purity with out inward sanctity, and to convince them of the necessity of cleansing the heart, in order to the purifying and reforming the life. The Pharisee washed his hands clean, but left his soul full of uncleanness; not considering that he that made the soul as well as the body, requires that both should be kept pure, all the impiety of men's lives proceeding from the impurity of

their hearts and natures.

41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.

As if Christ had said, The way to purify your meats, and drinks, and estates, from all pollution cleaving to them, and to have them sanctified blessings to you, is (in conjunction with other graces) by doing works of mercy, and by liberal alms-giving according to your ability. Learn, That charity and alms-giving according to our ability and opportunity, is a special mean to sanctify our estates to us, and to cause us holily and comfortably to enjoy whatever we do possess: Give alms of such things as ye have; and behold, all things are clean unto you. As if Christ had said, Your temporal enjoyments are unclean,

that is, unlawful to be used by you, till you have sanctified them by some act of charity, which will procure a blessing upon your substance.

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42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Our Saviour here denounces a woe against the Pharisees for their strict and scrupulous observing the lesser things of the law, as tithing mint and rue, whilst they were regardless of the principal and substantial duties which they owed both to God and man. Learn hence, That although some duties are of greater moment and importance than' others, yet a good man will omit none, but make conscience of all, both great and small, in obedience to the command of God. There is no duty so little as to be neglected, no command so small as to be disobeyed; but yet there is a difference in duties, and our first regard ought to be to the greater, then to the less. Christ doth not condemn them for tithing mint and rue, but for passing over judgment and the love of God.

43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.

The next woe denounced against the Pharisees is for their ambition, pride, and popularity, affecting the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the markets; where their fault was, not in taking, but in affecting these uppermost places. God is the God of order, there may and ought to be a precedency amongst persons. Honour is to be given to whom honour is due, and that by God's command. But pride and ambition are detestable vices, especially in such as are preachers, and ought to be patterns of humility.

44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

Another woe is here denounced against the Pharisees, for cheating and deceiving the people with an outward show and appearance of piety and religion. They

were like graves and sepulchres grown over with grass, which though they held dead men's bones, yet the putrefaction not outwardly appearing, men walked unawares over them, and so were polluted by them, intimating, that the inward rottenness and filthy corruptions of the Pharisees not appearing unto men, the people were easily deceived by outward shows of Pharisaical sanctity, and so fell into a dangerous imitation of them. Learn thence, That the great design of hypocrites is to cheat the world with an empty show of piety: the hypocrite's ambition is to be thought good, not to be so. Learn, 2. That nothing is more fatally dangerous to the souls of men, and draws persons to an admiration and imitation of hypocritical professors, like their outward shows of sanctity, and their extraordinary appearances of devotion and piety. This it was that gained the Pharisees such a veneration and esteem among the people, that it became a proverb among them. "If but two men went to heaven, the one must be a Pharisee:" but their counterfeit piety being double iniquity, they did receive

for it double damnation.

45 Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying, thou reproachest us also. 46 And he said, Woe unto you also ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

The former woes were denounced by our Saviour against the Pharisees, who had their names from an Hebrew word, which signifies to separate, because they were persons separated and set apart for studying the law of God, and teaching it to others. The next woe is here denounced against the lawyers, that is, the scribes of the law, of which there were two sorts, the civil scribe and the ecclesiastical scribe. The civil scribe was a public notary, or a register of the synagogue, employed in writing bills of divorce, and sentences in the phylacteries. The ecclesiastical scribe was an expounder of the scripture, an interpreter of the law; men of great learning and knowledge, whose decrees and interpretations the Pharisees strictly observed. This lawyer here insolently calls our Saviour's reproof a reproach: however, our Saviour, who never feared the face or regarded the person of any man, gives them their portion, and lets them know

wherein they were faulty as well as the Pharisees, and accordingly pronounces a woe unto them also, for a threefold crime; 1. For their laying heavy burdens upon others' shoulders, which they would not touch with one of their fingers. These burdens in general were a rigid exaction of obedience in the whole ceremonial law, and in particular the burden of traditions, certain austerities and severities, which they imposed upon the people, but would not undergo any part of them themselves. In vain do we hope to oblige our hearers to follow those rules of life, which we refuse or neglect to put in practice ourselves.

47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they inand deed killed them, build their ye sepulchres. 49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute; 50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 51 From the blood of Abel, unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple : verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

The second crime which Christ reproves in these men, is their grand hypocrisy, in pretending great honour to the saints departed, building their tombs, and garnishing their sepulchres, declaiming against their fathers' impiety, that had they lived in their days, they would not have been partakers with them in their sins. Now their hypocrisy appeared in three particulars. 1. In that they continued in their own wickedness, and yet commended the saints departed; they magnify the saints, but multiply their sins, and instead of imitating their virtues, they content themselves with garnishing their sepulchres. 2. In professing great respect to the dead saints, and at the same time persecuting the living. Palpable hypocrisy! and yet, as gross as it is, prevails to this day. The church of Rome, which magnifies martyrs, canonizes saints departed, have added to their number, by shedding of their blood. 3. In

taking false measures of their love to the saints departed, from their building their tombs, and garnishing their sepulchres. Whereas the best evidence of our love to them, is the imitating their virtues, and cherishing their followers. 'Tis gross hypocrisy to pay respect to the relics of saints, and veneration to their images, and at the same time to persecute and hate their followers. From the whole, note, 1. That the world has all along loved dead saints better than living ones, Mortui non mordent: The dead saint's example, how bright soever, is not scorching and troublesome at a distance, and he himself stands no longer in other men's light; whereas the living saint's example is a cutting reproof to sin and vice. Note, 2. That there is a certain civility in human nature, which leads men to a just commendation of the dead, and to a due estimation of their worth. The Pharisees here, though they persecuted the prophets whilst alive, yet did they pretend to a mighty veneration for their piety and virtue after they were dead, and thought no honour too great to be done unto them. Note, 3. That it is the greatest hypocrisy imaginable to pretend to love goodness, and at the same time to hate and persecute good men. These Pharisees and lawyers prefended high to piety and religion, and at the same time killed the prophets. Note, 4. That the highest honour we can pay to the saints departed, is not by raising monuments, and building tombs to their memory, but by a careful imitation of their piety and virtue, following the holiness of their lives, and their patience and constancy at their death. Lastly learn, That it is a righteous thing with God to punish children for the impiety of their parents, when they walk in their ungodly parents' footsteps: Upon you shall come the blood of all the prophets, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias: yet must this be understood of temporal evils, not of eternal punishments; no man for his father's sins shall lie down in everlasting burnings: as our fathers' faith will not let us into heaven, so neither will their impiety shut us into hell. At the day of Judgment every man shall be separately considered according to his own deeds.

52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in your

selves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

The last woe pronounced by our Saviour against the scribes and Pharisees, is for perverting the holy scriptures, and keeping the true sense and knowledge of them from the people: this St. Luke here calls, the taking away the key of knowledge from men, alluding to a custom among those that had authority given them to the Jews, in admission of their doctors; interpret the law and the prophets, were solemnly admitted into that office, by delivering to them a key and a table-book: the interpretation and understanding of the so that by the key of knowledge is meant scriptures; and by taking away that key is signified, 1. That they arrogated to themselves the sole power of understanding and interpreting the holy scriptures. 2. That they kept the true knowledge of the scripphecies which concern the kingdom and tures from the people, especially the procoming of the Messias; and so they hindered men from embracing our Saviour's doctrine who were otherwise well enough disposed for it. Learn, 1. That the written word is the key whereby an entrance into heaven is opened unto men. 2. That the use of this key, or the knowledge of the word of God, is absolutely and indispensably necessary in order to salvation, 3 That great is the guilt, and inexcusable the fault, of those who deny the people the use of this key, and deprive them of the knowledge of the holy scriptures, which

alone can make them wise unto salvation.

4. That such as do so, shut the kingdom of heaven against men, endeavouring what in them lies to hinder their salvation. Men may miscarry with their knowledge, but they are sure to perish for lack of knowledge.

53 And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things; 54 Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

Observe here, 1. How our blessed Saviour's plain and faithful dealing with these men, doth enrage instead of reforming them; they are filled with anger and indignation. 2. Their wrath sets their wits on work to ensnare him. Lord! when