Page images
PDF
EPUB

nefs and Obedience, proportionable to their Advantages and Degrees of Knowledge.

2&3. But when at the time of Vintage the Owner fent his Servant to these Husbandmen, to receive of them the Fruit of his Vineyard; they instead of justly returning him his Due, most ungratefully beat his Servant, and fent him home empty: Thus when God expected that the Jews fhould chearfully obey the Law he had given them for their own Happiness, they, on the contrary, with all Ingratitude rebelled against him, and abufed his Prophets which he fent to reform them.

45. Again, the Mafter of the Vineyard fent other Servants to the Hufbandmen; and after them, Others; But all thefe alfo the Husbandmen treated in like manner; fending fome of them home with Contempt, beaten and abused; and others they killed outright: Thus God fent more Prophets to the Jews from time to time, to exhort them to repent, and to return to their Obedience: But they defpifed and rejected the Admonitions of the Prophets; perfecuting them, mifufing them, and even murdering fome of them.

6. After all this, the Owner of the Fineyard, having one only Son whom he loved, refolved to fend him to the Hufbandmen, to receive the Fruit of his Vineyard; thinking, that furely they would be afbamed and afraid to affront his Son: Thus God, after all other Means had proved ineffectual, fent at last his own Son into the World, with much longfuffering, to make to the Jews the laft Offers of Repentance and Reconcilia

tion.

[blocks in formation]

7 But thofe hufbandmen faid a

mongst themselves,

This is the heir; come, let us kill

him, and the inhe

ritance fhall be ours. 8 And they took him, and killed him, and caft him out of the vineyard.

9 What fhall therefore the Lord of the vineyard do? he shall come and destroy the husbandmen,and will give the vineyard unto others.

10 And have ye not read this fcripture? The ftone

I which the builders rejected is become the head of the cor

ner.

7 & 8. But the Malice of the Huf bandmen was now grown to exceed all measure, fo that it was not to be conquered by any Kindness or Forbearance; When therefore they faw their Lord's Son, they thought, if He were but once deftroyed, they should then be difturbed no more in their unjust Poffeffion; and accordingly they caft him out of the Vineyard, and flew him: Thus the Jews, to their continued Difobedience and Impenitence, added this alfo at length, to fill up the Measure of their Iniquity; that they rejected and defpifed the Son of God himself, and, at the very time when this Parable was fpoken, were just preparing to condemn and kill him.

9. Now, faid Jefus, when the Mafter of the Vineyard returns, what will be do to thefe wicked Husbandmen? The Scribes and chief Teachers of the Jews, not yet perceiving the true intent of the Parable, anfwered: He will mi-* Mat.xxi. ferably destroy these ungrateful and rebel- 41. lious Vretches; and will let out his Vineyard to others, who shall duly render him his Fruit in its Seajon.

10. Then Jefus replied: Ye have judged well, and have paffed a juft Sentence upon your felves; For This is your own Cafe, and ye are the Perfons to whom God thus entrusted his Vineyard, which is his Church: But when he expected from you the Fruits of Holines and Obedience, ye on the contrary perfecuted and flew his Prophets; and when he fent unto you his only Son, ye have rejected Him alfo, and are now going about to kill him. Therefore God +Mat.xxi. + will take from away the Privi- 43. you leges of the Gospel, and give them

to another People who fhall ferve him
better; And Chrift, being rejected by
the Chief of the Jews, fhall receive

the Gentiles and unite Them into his *Pf.cxviii. Church; in like manner * as the prin22 & 23. cipal Corner-ftone in a Houfe, unites and keeps the two Sides of a Building

together.

II. This is a wonderful Act of the Divine Power, and an extraordinary Inftance of the immediate and overruling Influence of God's peculiar Providence.

12. Now the Chief Priefts and Scribes, feeing that Jefus at laft thus plainly applied the Parable to Them, in great Rage and Indignation refolved to lay hold upon him, and have him put to death. But for fear of the People, who they faw were pleafed with his Doctrine and admired his Miracles, they durft not venture to apprehend him openly upon this Account, and by their own Authority.

13. They contrived therefore to fend
to him fome of the Pharifees and of
the Followers of Herod, to propofe in-
fnaring Queftions to him, and to try
if they could draw any Words from
him, which they might improve into
Matter of Accufation againit him be-
fore the Roman Governour.

14. Accordingly thefe Spies went
to him, and faid: Mafter, we are fully
fatisfied that you are a Teacher fent
from God, that you dare fpeak the
Truth with all Freedom, and that
will not be restrained by Fear or Re-
fpect to any Man whatfoever, from
declaring to us plainly the Will of God.
Tell us therefore; Ought we Jews,

you

[blocks in formation]

of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Cefar, or not?

15 Shall we give, or fhall we not give? But he knowing their hypocrifie, faid unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may fee it.

[ocr errors]

16 And they brought it and he faid to them, Whofe is this image and fuperfcription? And they faid unto him,

Cefars.

unto

17 And Jefus anfwering faid them, Render to Cefar the things that are Cefars, and to God the things that are Gods. And they

marvelled at him.

18 Then come unto him the Sadducees, which fay there is no refurrection;

who are God's peculiar People, to pay Tribute to the Roman Emperor, or no?

15. This they asked, thinking with themselves that if Jefus fhould fay abfolutely, They ought not to pay Tribute, he might then be accufed to the Governour, of defigning to move Sedition; and if he fhould fay, They ought, then he might fall under the Envy of the People, for afferting the Romans Right of keeping them in fubjection. But Jefus, knowing their malicious Defign, faid; Why do you lay Snares for me, ye Hypocrites? Show me a Piece of that Money wherein your Tribute is demanded to be paid.

16. And when they brought it to him, he asked them Whofe Image and Infcription it bore; they faid, Cafar's.

fore to Cæfar what is Cafar's Due; 17. Then faid Jefus; Pay thereand be always fo far fubject to the Government ye are under, as is confiftent with your Obedience to the Commands of God. Which Anfwer being fo wife and juft, that they could not any way wreft it to accufe him on Either Side, without expofing themfelves to the Cenfure and Indignation of the People; they went away from him, greatly furprized at his Wifdom and Caution.

18. J After Thefe were gone, came fome of the Sadducees, who believe no future State after this preand they asked him, fent Life; and they asked Jefus, fay

faying,

19 Mafter, Moses wrote unto us, if a mans brother die,

ing:

19. Mafter, the Law appoints (Deut. xxv. 5.) that if a Man dies

and

and leaves his Wife without any Children, his Brother fhould marry his Widow, and raise up an Heir for him, to keep his Name.

20. Now there were among us Seven Brethren, whereof one married a Wife; and dying, left his Wife without any Children.

21 22. Whereupon another of the Brethren, according to the Law, married the fame Woman: and he died alfo without Children: and a third likewise after him; and in fhort, they all Seven married her, and died without Children; and the Woman died laft.

23. Now if there be, as you teach, a future State, and another Life after this; whofe Wife must this Woman be in that futute State? For they all alike married her.

24. But Jefus, pitying their Ignorance, faid: Ye talk very foolishly; neither confidering the Power of God, that he who created Man in this prefent State, can as eafily continue him in a future; nor understanding what kind of State that future Life is, which the Scripture teaches us to expect.

25. For That future Life fhall not be like this prefent State, as ye fondly imagine. For here indeed continual Mortality makes Marriage neceflary to preserve a Succeffion of Men: But in that other State, Men fhall be immortal like the Angels now in Heaven; and as there will be no Death, fo neither will there be any need of Marrying.

26. And that there fhall really be fuch a Life after this, the Scripture fufficiently declares in thofe Words

and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children,

that his brother fhould take his wife, and raise up feed unto his brother.

20 Now there were feven brethren: and the firft took a wife, and dying left no seed.

21 And the fecond took her, and died, neither left he any feed and the third likewise.

22 And the feven had her, and left no feed: last of all the woman died alfo.

23 In the refurrection therefore,

when they fhall rife, whofe wife fhall the be of them? for the feven had her to wife.

24 And Jefus anfwering faid unto them, Do ye not therefore err, becaufe ye know not the fcriptures,neither the power of God?

25 For when they fhall rife from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage: but are as the angels which are in heaven.

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »