Now that son of his that had always continued with him, and followed his business, and observed him diligently, (parallel to whom is the just person that never run the prodigal's course, and so needs no repentance,) was in the field— to celebrate his safe return with a time of feasting. So he that undertakes to be a Christian must resolve to renounce all that is most precious to him in this world, or else he will not be able to hold out, and so had better never pretend to that profession. A Christian is the salt of the earth, (Matt. v. 13,) of infinite use and benefit to all with whom he converseth, being an example of purity and other virtues, whereof Christianity is made up; but if he shall fail in the exercise of these, prove earthy, heavy, and insipid, without any active stirring quality, like to those bodies whose salt is drawn from them, he is utterly destroyed and perished. The unhappy remainder is useless beyond the most noisome excrement or putrid carcass. It is not fit or useful (as some things are) to enrich the ground, no nor to mix with other things, which, being corrupted from their primary use, are yet good for that (and so are kept, though in a mean place, for that use); it is neither at present, nor for the future, by long digestion or farther putrefaction, capable of being good manure or compost for the earth, but is utterly unprofitable, and generally dealt with as such, cast out without any respect into those places where men would have nothing grow, apt only to convert a good soil into a desert. Let every disciple, every Christian designed by Christ to be the salt of the earth, lay this to heart, for he is nearly concerned in it. ### CHAP. XV. THEN drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. [a] unjust steward] What is meant by ἀδικία, unrighteousness, in the 8th verse, may be conjectured by the use of the same word ver. 9; and the meaning of both, I conceive it to be fetched from some observations in the Hebrew tongue; as first, that δίκαιος, just, and ἀληθής, d Lib. 15. c. 28. Accordingly I advise you to make provision for yourselves, by so using the fading wealth which is intrusted to you here, that when these transitory comforts forsake you, you may be received into heaven. [b] they may receive] The word δίξωνται here is taken impersonally, as it were, not denoting the persons that should receive them, whether God, or angels, or good works themselves, (though it is true that Christ, who accounts what is done to our poor brethren done unto him, will so receive and reward the merciful,) but after the manner of the scripture speaking, to signify no more than you shall be received, He that is a faithful steward of God's, in a right use of the riches of this world, will be so in grace, which is more precious; and he that doth not make use of his wealth so as is most agreeable to God's design of trust, that is, gaining a richer crown for ourselves hereafter, by dispensing it to them that want it here, that man, as long as he continues such, will never make that use of grace that he ought to do. If therefore you have not made that use you ought of the fading riches of this world, who will intrust to you that which is more precious? And if you have not made that use you ought of your worldly wealth, which is only intrusted to you for a time, as unto stewards, and passes from one owner to another, what hope is there that God will give you those heavenly riches which will always continue to you and become your propriety, which you may enjoy to all eternity? [c] another man's] What is meant by ἐν ἀλλοτρίῳ was before touched, (note [a]). I shall only add to the explication of it a passage of an ancient writer, the author of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, making a difference and opposition between the τὰ ὄντος ὄντα, καὶ ἀθανάτως κτητά, καὶ αἰωνίως ἠδία, on the one side, "the things that have a true being are possessed immortally, and are eternally sweet;" and on the other side, τὴν ἀβίβαιον ἐν τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις οὐκ οὖσαν ἀλλὰ δοκοῦσαν εὐπάθειαν, "the unstable pleasure which consists in things that are other folk's, and which is not really, but only in appearance." On which it is Maximus's scholion, Ἀλλότρια, saith he, are τὰ κατὰ κόσμον ὡς οὐ τινὸς ἰδικῶς ἀλλὰ ἐξ ἄλλων εἰς ἄλλοὺς μεταπίπτοντα: "The things that are other men's signify the things of this world, which are not properly any particular man's propriety, but pass from one man to another." And this truly seems the most proper notion of ἀλλότρια here, those things that are not properly our own, in respect of the weak tenure we have in them, they passing from us, or we from them, so ordinarily; and so the ἀλλότριον here will be more fully agreeable and parallel to the ἄδικον μαμῶνα, false mammon, as we even now explained it; and to τὸ ὑμέτερον, that which is yours indeed, (your propriety, peculiar, that shall never be removed from you,) will be all one with ἀληθινὸς πλοῦτος, the true riches. c Chap. 3. p. 145. Here are put together by St. Luke many speeches of Christ, vers. 13, 16, 17, 18, delivered by You never can think fit to acknowledge yourselves guilty of covetousness, or any other fault, and are by men valued as the most sanctified persons; and that is all that you are solicitous for: but God sees the depth of your hearts, and therefore detests and abominates you who among men are so highly valued. the very Gentiles themselves (see Matt. xi. 12.) press into it. Which you are not to look on as any design that the law and prophets, the substantial parts of the Jewish religion, should be abolished, or any carnal liberty brought in instead of it by Christianity: that shall never be. (See note [y] on Matt. v.) And by way of parable Christ told them, There was a certain— assist, or retain: see note [m] on Matt. vi. But, &silk, Bibco. And being dead, and in a place of tormenting flames, he beholds Abraham in a place of joy, and the poor Lazarus placed next to him. (See note [g] on Matt. viii.) [c] dead] The scripture notion of the word νεκρὸς, dead, may be learned from hence to signify one that is desperately engaged in a wicked course. Thus those that were carried into captivity, and despaired of return, are called dead bones, Ezek. xxxvii. 3, and the reducing of them is said to be the bringing them out of their graves, ver. 12. So the state of Abraham's body and Sarah's womb, in respect of having hopes of a posterity, is called deadness, Rom. iv. 19, noting desperation of children, and no more. So the state of unchristian living is called death, 1 John iii. 14. And they that lived in a Gentile course are said to be dead in trespasses and sins, Ephes. ii. 1. (see Rom. iv. 17). So 1 Tim. v. 6, She that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. So the Jews have a saying, "Ill men while they live are said to be dead." And so the ancient Arabs, "Not he that is at rest is dead, but the living dead man he is truly dead;" and all this no otherwise than according to the ordinary notion of Pythagoras, who, for any that had forsaken his school, that is, refused to live according to his rules of philosophy, had a κενοτάφιον, "an empty coffin" set in his place, to signify him to be morally dead. Accordingly reformation, or recovery to good life, is called a rising from the dead, reviving, being quickened, passing to life, in these and other places, and signifies no more by all these expressions but only repentance from dead works, or renovation. And Abraham, with all mildness and gentleness and compassion, without any reproaching or reviling, said unto him, All that I can in this thy sad condition impart to thee is only to tell thee what thou art now to expect, and to mind thee of the reasonableness of it; for all thy portion of abundance and prosperity and ease and felicity, without intermixture of afflictions, thou hast already enjoyed, and spent upon thyself in thy lifetime, without imparting them to any other, though in neversomuch want of thy relief; and on the other side, Lazarus hath had all his portion of afflictions already; and now it is but just that he should have his bliss and you your torment without any allay or mixture. But beside, there is an irreversible decree passed upon you and all such, and it is not possible for all the saints in heaven to yield or obtain any release for you, or for you to get release one minute out of that state. • haube, ʒiŋi. • eiv elner, andropure nal iup, &c. dAAB vt; vferer, qnol. Titus Bostrensis, p 808. C.