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334 Reflections on the Parable of the unfaithful Husbandmen. Sect. 152. him, and to lay a Plot for his Life, which they ~ might execute with lefs Hazard to themselves.

W

IMPROVEMENT.

HEN we read this Parable, and confider it as levelled at the

Jews, we applaud the righteous Judgment of GOD in revenging fo feverely upon them the Quarrel of his Covenant, and the Blood of his Son: But let us take heed to ourselves, left we alfo fall after the fame Example of Unbelief. (Heb. iv. 11.)

Mat.xxi.33. GOD has given to every Man fome Part of his Vineyard to cultivate and improve, or fome Advantages to know and ferve him. And as for us who enjoy the Chriftian Difpenfation, we have particular Reason to say, The Lines are fallen to us in pleasant Places. (Pfal. xvi. 6.) What could be have done more for this Part of his Vineyard? How ungrateful thereVer. 34,-36. fore fhall we be, and how miferable too, if we with-hold the Fruits he fo reasonably expects; if we flight the Melengers, by whom he fo frequently and fo pathetically demands them; yea, if by wilful ImpeniVer. 37,-39. tency and Unbelief we in effect renew the Slaughter of his beloved Son, after that amazing Favour he has done us, in charging him with an Embaffy of Peace to us, whofe aggravated Crimes had long fince deserved, that he should have fent amongst us the Meffengers of his Vengeance. Oh that we may never be condemned out of our own Mouths, in the Cenfures we pafs on the guilty Jews!

Ver. 41.

Ver. 43.

Ver. 42.

Ver. 44.

We cannot furely think of the awful Threatening of our Lord without fome fecret Terror for ourselves, when we confider how shamefully we of this Nation have abufed our Privileges. The Kingdom of GOD, faid he, shall be taken from yeu, and given to a Nation bringing forth the Fruits thereof. GOD had been juft, had he long fince executed fuch a Judgment upon us: May he be merciful to us all, in fufpending and averting it! May his Compaffion particularly extend to those amongst us, who reject Chriftianity; for the Paffage before us has a dreadful Afpect upon fuch! Whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear; whether they will fubmit, or whether they will oppofe; Chrift is made the Head of the Corner, and GOD will for ever establish him as fuch. Woe to them, who instead of joining with him, and fixing the Strefs of their Souls upon him, deliberately fet themselves to oppofe his Cause! On fuch undoubtedly will be fall, like a mighty Rock of Adamant, and crush them in Pieces, and grind them to Powder.

Thus did our Lord warn his Enemies, moft wifely, and moft gracioufly; but they defpifed the Admonition, and hated him for what was Luke xx. 19. fo kindly intended. They fought to lay Hands on him, because he had spoken

CHRIST delivers the Parable of the Marriage-Feaft.

335 this Parable against them. High Provocation indeed! to fet their Danger Sect. 152. faithfully before them, that if by any Means it were poffible, they might be awakened to escape it! But, alas, what can fave thofe, whofe Spiritual Diftempers are exafperated by the most proper Remedies prefcribed for their Cure!

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CHRIST farther warns the Jews of the Danger which would attend their rejecting the Gospel, or refting in an infincere Profeffion of it, by the Parable of the Marriage Feast, and the Wedding-Garment. Mat. XXII. 1,----14.

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MAT. XXII. r.

fpake unto them again

by Parables, and faid,,

2 The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain King, which made a Marriage for his Son,

MAT. XXII. 1.

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ND Jefus anfwered and AND when the Priests and Scribes were re-Sect. 153. tired, Jefus, being ftill furrounded with the Mat. XXII. Multitude, answered and spake to them again in Parables, fuited to the prefent Circumstances of Affairs, faying, The Kingdom of Heaven, or 2: the Difpenfation of the Gospel, is like, and may be well compared, to that which happened in the Cafe of a Man [that was] a King (a), who made a fplendid Marriage - Feaft for his Son. 3 And fent forth his Ser- And when all was prepared, he sent his Servants 3: to call thofe, who had been before invited, that they might come immediately to the Nuptial Banquet (b). But they were fo rude and foolish, that they would. not come upon the Summons.

vants to call them that were bidden to the Wedding: and they would not come.

Again

(a) The Kingdom of Heaven is like a King.] See Note (i) on Luke vii. 32. Vol. i. pag. 355. -It is obfervable, that Luke does not relate this Parable here, because he had given us one very much like it before, which was spoken on a different Occafion: (Luke xiv. 16,—24. Sect. 120.) For the fame Reafon he omits the Queftion of the Lawyer, Mot. xxii. 35. moft of the Discourse against the Pharifees, Mat. xxiii. and the Parable of the Talents, Mat. XXV. 14, & feq.

(b) To call thofe, who had been invited, to the Nuptial Banquet.] The Word γαμος here: properly fignifies a Nuptial Banquet, in which Senfe it is often ufed by other Writers. (See Raphel. Annot. ex Polyb. pag. 93. and Wolfius, in loc.) It was fometimes cuftomary to send Two Mages, as in the Cafe here fuppofed; which reprefented the Condefcenfion the greater, and fuited the repeated Invitations given to the Jews, by Chrift himself during his Life, and by the Apostles after his Death.

(c) My

336 Sect. 153.

4.

The Guests refufing to come, others are called from the High-ways.

Again he fent other of his Servants, faying, Go and tell them that were invited, that I muft Mat. XXII. infift upon their coming immediately; for bebold, I have prepared my Dinner; my Oxen, and my other fatted Beafts are flain and dreffed (c), and all Things are just ready to be ferved up to the Table ; therefore come to the Marriage - Feaft 5 without any farther Delay. But fuch was the Perverseness of the Guefts, that notwithstanding this repeated Invitation, they refused to come; and not regarding [it,] they went away, one of them to his Field in the Country, and another to 6 his Merchandise in the City. And the reft were fo brutish, that laying hold on bis Servants, who came with the Meffage, they infulted them in a very outragious Manner, and even carried their Ingratitude fo far, that they flew fome of them. 7 And when the King heard of it,] he was greatly provoked; and not long after having fent his Armies, be destroyed thofe Murtherers, and even burnt their City where they dwelt (d), which being difaffected to him, had joined with these wicked Men in concerting this grofs and intolerable Affront.

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4 Again he sent forth other Servants, faying, Tell hold, I have prepared my Dinner: my Oxen and my Fatlings are killed, and all Things are ready:

them which are bidden, Be

unto the Marriage.

it,

come

5 But they made light of and went their Ways, his Merchandife:

one to his Farm, another to

6 And the Remnant took

his Servants, and entreated them fpitefully, and flew them.

7 But when the King heard thereof, he was wroth: and destroyed those Murderers, and burnt up their City.

and he fent forth his Armies,

8 Then faith he to his Servants, The Wedding is

ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.

9 Go ye therefore into the High-ways, and as many as ye fhall find, bid to the Marriage.

(c) My Oxen, and my fatted Beafts are flain.] It was agreeable to the Simplicity of the antient Ages, to mention these as the chief Parts of a Royal Entertainment. Thus in Homer, and other antient Writers, we fee Princes of the first Rank and Dignity feafting each other, with nothing but the Flesh of Oxen, Sheep, and Swine.Compare Ifa. xxv. 6.

(d) Not long after having fent his Armies, &c.] This Clause must be fuppofed to come in by way of Prolepfis or Anticipation, for it is plain there could not be Time, before the Feaft already prepared 'was ferved up, to attempt an Execution of this Kind.This Circumftance feems to point at the Slaughter of the Jews, and the burning Jerufalem, and the other chief Cities of their Country, by the Romans; who are here confidered as the Armies of their affronted Prince, whofe Embassadors they had indeed most cruelly and ungratefully murthered.

(e) The most publick Ways, &c.] The Phrase dodus Tav odav fignifies the Ways which were most frequented; which muft be fuch, as are mentioned in the Paraphrafe. See Boiftus, Compar.

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that had not on the Wedding-Garment.

Mat. XXII.

10.

337
many as you find there to the Wedding-Banquet. Sect. 153.
And accordingly thofe Servants went out, as their
Lord had commanded them, into the Streets and
other [publick] Ways, and affembled all that they met
with, whether Bad or Good, without any Regard to
their Characters or Circumftances: And the Feaft
was abundantly fupplied with Guefts.

But that, whatever Habits they had on before, II
they might appear worthy to fit at fuch a Table,
the King had ordered clean white Garments to
be delivered to each of them, and appointed
Servants whofe Province it was to fee that they
were decently dressed; after which coming in
to view the Guests, he faw a Man there, who
was not clothed with the Wedding - Garment he
had provided (f); but either in Contempt of
the Feaft, or prefuming his own Habit was as
good as that which was offered him, had refused
to accept it. And he faid to him, Friend, 12
how cameft thou in hither, not having on the ap-
pointed Wedding - Garment? Was it not offered
to thee? or hadft thou fo little Senfe of Decency
and Gratitude, as to refuse to accept it in Com-
pliance with the Order of my Feaft? And he was
prefently struck Speechless (g), being confounded
with the Majefty of the King's Royal Prefence,
and confcious of his own Infolence and Folly.
Then the King being juftly incenfed at fo great 13
an Affront, resolved to punish it by a fevere Im-
prisonment; and therefore faid to [his] Servants,

Bind

Compar. in loc. This intimates, that the Gentiles had as little Reason to expect the Call of the Gospel, as common Paffengers and Travellers to expect an Invitation to a Royal Banquet. (f) Who was not clothed with the Wedding-Garment he had provided.] It was ufual for Perfons to appear at Marriage-Feafts in a Jumptuous Drefs, generally adorned with florid Embroidery, as fome Writers tell us: (See Rev. xix. 8. and Dr. Hammond, in loc.) But as it could not be expected, that Travellers thus preffed in fhould themselves be provided with it; we must therefore conclude, not only from the Magnificence of the Preparations, to which we must fuppofe the Wardrobe of the Prince correfponded, but likewife from the following Circumftance of Refentment against this Guest, that a Robe was offered, but refufed by him. And this is a Circumstance, which (as Calvin obferves,) is admirably fuited to the Method of GoD's dealing with us; who indeed requires Holiness in order to our receiving the Benefits of the Gofpel, but is gracioufly pleafed to work it in us by his Holy Spirit; and therefore may juftly refent, and punifh our Neglect of fo great a Favour.

(g) He was ftruck Speechless.] I render it [Struck Speechless,] because the Word quan is in the Paffive Form, and is very expreffive. It is applied to the muzzling of Cattle, i Cor. ix. 9. Compare 1 Tim. v. 18. and i Pet. ii. 15.

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(b) Caft

338

Mat. XXII. 13.

The King orders him to be caft into outer Darkness.

Sect. 153. Bind his Hands and Feet, and take him away hence, (i. e. from the Gueft - Chamber, which was finely illuminated, and richly adorned,) and caft him out into the Darkness which is without (b); and there, instead of the Mirth and Delight of my Banquet, there shall be nothing but weeping and gnashing of the Teeth for Anguish and Despair. (Compare Mat. viii. 12. Vol. i. pag. 339.)

14

Nor imagine, faid our Lord in the Conclufion and Improvement of the Parable, that this will be the Cafe of one alone; for I must say, tho' it be a dreadful Truth, that even the greatest Part of those to whom the Gospel is offered, will either openly reject, or fecretly difobey it; many indeed are called to the Gofpel-Feaft, but few chofen in fuch a Sense as finally to partake of its Bleffings. (Compare Mat. xx. 16. pag. 245.)

Thus did he strongly intimate to the Jews, that fince they defpifed the rich Provifions of his Gofpel- Grace, incomparably more valuable than thofe of a Royal Feaft, and fince they used the Meffengers whom GoD had fent to them in fo ungrateful and barbarous a Manner, they must expect to be cut off and destroyed, by those hoftile Armies which Divine Providence would fpeedily bring upon them; but that the Gospel fhould be embraced by the Gentiles, and vaft Numbers of them be converted and faved by it. And he farther intended to infinuate, by the Circumftance of the Wedding - Garment, that as GOD had made Provifion in his Gofpel, for the Sanctification of Men's Hearts, and the Reformation of their Lives, he expected true Holiness and cordial Obedience from all who profeffed to embrace it; and would another Day take a ftrict Review of all its Profeffors, that he might fepa

rate

Hand and Foot, and take him away, and caft him inthall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth.

to outer Darkness: there

14 For many are called, but few are chofen.

(h) Caft him out into the Darkness which is without.] The Mention of this Circumftance in this Connection would incline one to think, either that the Word apis (in ver. 4.) may fignify Supper as well as Dinner, (which fome Criticks have thought,) or that the King is reprefented as vifiting the Guests in the Evening; but it is a Matter of little Moment. (See Note (g) on Mat. viii. 12. Vol. i. pag. 339.)- Confidering how fplendid and magnifi cent the Entertainments of the Eastern Princes were, it cannot be thought an unnatural Circumftance, that fuch an Affront as this offered to the King, his Son, his Bride, and the reit of the Company, fhould be punished with fuch Bonds.

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