Luke 13:1-5 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.… We should labour to make good use to ourselves of God's judgments on others. Why? God expects it; this is the way to prevent the execution on ourselves. How? 1. "Learning righteousness" (Isaiah 26:9); faith, seeing Him execute threatenings; fear, beholding His severity; obedience, sure want of that is the cause; love, whilst we escape. 2. Forsaking sin: "Sin no more" (John 5:14). All sin, because every sin is pregnant with judgment; therefore it summons to search and try, etc., especially those sins which brought wrath on others. Observe providences; use means to discover what is the Achan, &c. We have great occasion to practise this. Wrath is kindled and burns, &c.; the cup of indignation goes round; the sword has had a commission, &c.; the scars and smarting impressions continue in bodies, estates, liberties. Let us learn to believe, to tremble, to love. Let us forsake sin, our own; the sins that have unsheathed the sword, mixed this bitter cup. Make not this warning ineffectual with the Jews' supposition. Rather hear, believe, apply what Christ says, Except I repent, &c. I. FROM THE ADMONISHER, CHRIST, IN THAT HE TEACHES REPENTANCE. Repentance is an evangelical duty; a gospel, a new-covenant duty. This should not be questioned by those who either believe what the gospel delivers, or understand what it is to be evangelical; but since it is denied, let us prove it. And first from this ground. 1. Christ taught repentance. But He taught nothing but what was evangelical. 2. It is excluded by the covenant of works. No room for repentance there. 3. It is required in the gospel (Acts 17:30). 4. It was preached by the apostles (Luke 24:47; Acts 2:28; Acts 3:19). 5. It was the end of Christ's coming (Matthew 9:13) to call sinners. 6. It was purchased by Christ's death (Acts 5:31). 7. It has evangelical promises. 8. It is urged upon evangelical grounds (Matthew 3:2; Mark 1:14, 15). 9. It is the condition of the prime evangelical mercy. God offers, gives remission of sins, upon condition of repentance. What Christ commands us, Himself does practise (Luke 17:3). If he repent, forgive him. So Acts 3:19, and Acts 2:38. 10. It is confirmed by the seal of the covenant of grace. Baptism is the seal of repentance. 11. It is a fundamental of Christianity (Hebrews 6:1). 12. It is the way to life (Acts 11:18). 1. It reproves those who reject this duty as legal. Certainly those who find not this in the gospel, have found another gospel besides that which Christ and His disciples preached. 2. Exhort. To practise this duty evangelically, that is most congruous. Directions:(1) Undertake it for evangelical ends. The end gives nature and name to the action. If your aims be legal, mercenary, the act will be so. Go not about it only to escape hell, avoid wrath, satisfy justice, remove judgments, pacify conscience. Ahab and Pharaoh can repent thus, those who are strangers to the covenant of grace. How then? Endeavour that you may give God honour, that ye may please Him, that you may comply with His will, that you may never more return to folly. Confess, to give honour, as Joshua 7:19, get hearts broken, that you may offer sacrifice well pleasing. (2) Let evangelical motives lead you to the practice of it. Act as drawn by the cords of love. The goodness of God should lead you to it (Romans 2.). (3) In an evangelical manner, freely, cheerfully, with joy and delight; not as constrained, but willingly. (4) Repent that ye can repent no more. This is an evangelical temper, to be sensible of the defects and failings of spiritual duties. (5) Think not your repentance is the cause of any blessing: it is neither the meritorious nor impulsive cause; it neither deserves any mercy, nor moves the Lord to bestow any. (6) Think not that your repentance can satisfy God, or make amends for the wrongs sin has done Him. (7) Ye must depend upon Christ for strength, ability to repent; all evangelical works are done in His strength. (8) Ye must expect the acceptance of your repentance from Christ. (9) Think not your repentance obliges God to the performance of any promise, as though He were thereby bound, and could not justly refuse to bestow what He has promised to the penitent; for He is not obliged to fulfil it till the condition be perfectly performed. Imperfect repentance is not the condition; God requires nothing imperfect. If He accomplishes His promise upon our weak detective endeavours, it is not because He is by them engaged, but from some other engaging consideration. Now our repentance is defective, both in quantity and quality, measure and manner, neither so great nor so good as is required. Why, then, does God perform? How is He obliged? Why, it is Christ that has obliged Him; He makes good the condition. When we cannot bring so much as is required, He makes up the sum; He adds grains to that which wants weight. He has satisfied for our defects, and they are for His sake pardoned, and therefore are accepted, as though they were not defective. (10) Expect a reward, not from justice, but mercy. II. Thus much for the admonisher, "I tell you." PROCEED WE TO THE ADMONITION. And in it — 1. The correction, "nay." Hereby He corrects two mistakes of the Jews:(1) Concerning their innocency. They thought themselves innocent, compared with the Galileans, not so great sinners (ver. 2). (2) Concerning their impunity, grounded on the former. Because not so great sinners, they should not be so great sufferers, nor perish as they in the text.From the first. 1.(1) Impenitent sinners are apt to think themselves not so great sinners as others; to justify themselves, as Pharisees in reference to others; like crows, fly over flowers and fruit, to pitch upon carrion; say as Isaiah 65:5, "Stand by thyself," &c. (a) Because never illuminated to see the number, nature, aggravations of their own sins, how many, how sinful; examine not their hearts and lives; judge of sins according to outward appearance, not secret heinousness. (b) Self-love. They cover, extenuate, excuse their own; multiply, magnify others. (c) Ignorance of their natural sinfulness. In which respect they are equally sinful as others. Seed-plots of sin; have a root of bitterness, an evil treasure of heart; a disposition to the most abominable sins that ever were committed, such as they never thought of, nor will ever believe they should yield to (2 Kings 8:11, 12); want nothing but temptation, a fit occasion. Take heed of this. It is a sign of impenitency. Paul counts himself the chief of sinners: "If you judge yourselves," etc. (1 Corinthians 11:31). (2) From their conceit of impunity. Sinners are apt to flatter themselves with the hopes they shall escape judgments. If they can believe they are not so great sinners, they are apt to conclude they shall not perish: "Put far from them the evil day" (Amos 6:3), threatened (ver. 7); cry Peace, &c. Satan has blinded them. Beware of this. It has been the ruin of millions. Those perish soonest who think they shall longest escape (Amos 6:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:3; "Be not deceived, God is not mocked," &c. Believe the Lord threatening rather than Satan promising. 2. The direction — "Repent." Repentance has such a relation to, such a connection with, life and salvation, as this cannot be expected without that; for though it be neither merit nor motive, yet consider it as it is, an antecedent and sign, qualification, condition, or means of life and salvation, and the truth will appear. (1) An antecedent. So there must be no salvation till first there be repentance. Sown in tears before reap in joy. (2) Sign. A symptom of one being an heir to salvation. (3) Qualification. To fit for life. He that is in love with sin is not fit for heaven. No unclean thing enters there. Neither will God Himself endure him to be there. (4) Condition. For that is, without it, never see God: "Except ye," &c. This is the condition, without which ye shall not escape. (5) Means and way to life: Christ's highway. "Repentance to life" (Acts 11:18). Peter directs them to this (Acts 2:38). What is it to repent? Why must they perish that do not?To repent, is to turn; to return from former evil ways (Ezekiel 14:6). 1. Sorrow for sin. To repent, is to mourn for sin (2 Corinthians 7:9, 10). (1) Hearty, such as greatly affects the heart. Not that of the tongue, which is usual, I am sorry, &c.; nor that of the eyes neither, if tears spring not from a broken heart; not verbal, slight, outward, superficial, but great, bitter, cordial humbling; such sorrow as will afflict the soul. (2) Godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:9, 10), sorrow for sin, as it is against God; not as it is against yourselves, prejudicial to you; as it brings judgments, exposes to wrath, makes you obnoxious to justice, brings within the compass of curses, and in danger of hell. 2. Hatred of sin. This is an act of repentance, and that indeed which is principally essential to it. This hatred is (1) well-grounded; (2) universal; (3) irreconcileable. 3. Forsaking sin. Terror to impenitent sinners. Hear the doom in the text: "Except ye repent," etc. Those that do not, will not repent, must perish, shall perish. There is no way without repentance to avoid perishing, and these will not repent, mourn, hate, forsake sin.What will become of them? Christ, the righteous Judge, gives sentence, they shall perish, certainly, universally, eternally. 1. Certainly. For Christ has said it. He speaks peremptorily; not they may, but they shall. 2. Universally. All, and every one, without exception, whatever he be, have, do, or can do, "Except," &c. Christ speaks to the Jews, and to all without exception — all perish. If any people in the world had any ground to plead exemption, sure it was the Jews; no people ever in greater favour, none ever had greater privileges. Whatever you can plead why this should not concern you, they had as much ground to plead. 3. Eternally. Soul and body, here and hereafter, now and for ever, must perish without redemption: For who shall redeem from it but Christ? and Christ cannot do it except He will act against His own Word, except He will deny Himself. The sentence is passed, and none in heaven will, none in earth can, recall it. Exhortation: To the practice of this duty. Christ urges it, and under such a penalty. These should be sufficient enforcements. But there are many more considerations to stir up to this duty.I shall reduce them to three heads: some concerning — 1. Sin to be repented of. 2. Christ that urges repentance. 3. Repentance itself, the duty urged. 1. Concerning sin. (1) No creature ever got, nor can get, any advantage by sin. (2) The least sin is infinitely evil. When I say infinite, I say there is more evil in it than the tongue of men or angels can express, than their largest apprehensions can conceive. When I say infinite evil, I understand it is a greater evil than the greatest in the world besides it. (3) The least sin deserves infinite punishment, i.e., greater than any can endure, express, or imagine. (4) The least sin cannot be expiated without infinite satisfaction. (5) It is the cause of all the evils that we count miseries in the world. Whatsoever is fearful, or grievous, or hateful, owes its birth to sin. Were it not for sin, either no evil would be in the world, or that which is now evil would be good. (6) It is the soul's greatest misery. Those evils which sin has brought into the world are lamentable, but the miseries wherein it has involved the soul are much more grievous. (7) It is God's greatest adversary; it has done much against the world, more against man's soul; aye, but that which it does against God is most considerable, as that which should move us to hate, bewail, abandon it, above all considerations. It has filled the world with fearful evils, the soul with woeful miseries; but the injuries it does to God are most horrible. (8) Consider the multitude of your sins. If any one sin be so infinitely evil in itself and in its effects, oh how evil is he, what need to repent, who is guilty of a multitude of sins 2. Considerations from Christ, who enjoins repentance. If our sins were occasion of sorrow to Him, great reason have we to mourn for them. But so it is; our sins made Him a man of sorrows. The cup which He gives to us, He drank Himself; He drank out the dregs and bitterness, the wormwood and gall, wherewith this sorrow was mixed. That which He left to us is pleasant. The cup which Christ gives us, shall we not drink it? Nay, the cup which Christ drank, shall we refuse to taste? Our sins made Him weep and sigh, and cry out in the anguish of His spirit; and shall we make a sport of sin? 3. Considerations from repentance, the duty enjoined. That is the time when all happiness begins, when misery ends, the period of evils; the time from whence ye must date all mercies. Till then, never expect to receive the least mercy, or have the least judgment, evil, removed without repentance. (D. Clarkson, B. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. |
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