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it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. 33

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Hear another parable: There was a certain houfholder (f) which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a wine-prefs in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and 34 went into a far country. And when the time of the fruit drew near, he fent his fervants to the hufbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, 36 and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other fervants, more than the firft: and they did unto them likewife. But laft of all, he fent unto them his fon, faying, They will reverence my 38 fon. But when the hufbandmen faw the fon, they faid among themselves, This is the heir, come, let us kill him, and let us feize on his inheritance. 39 And they caught him, and caft him out of the vine40 yard, and flew him. When the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those 41 husbandmen? They fay unto him, He will miferably deftroy thofe wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which fhall ren42 der him the fruits in their seasons. Jefus faith unto them, Did ye never read in the fcriptures, The ftone which the builders rejected, the fame is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, 43 and it is marvellous in our eyes. Therefore fay I unto you, The kingdom of God fhall be taken from

(f) The owner of the vineyard is God; the hufbandmen are the Jews, his chofen, peculiar, people; the fervants were the prophets, who were fent to warn them to give the fruits of a holy and good life. But instead of amending by their admonitions, they put them to death. Thus they did likewife by the Son of God himself. The Jews then being no longer worthy of the divine grace, which they thus abufed, the vineyard was given to others; i. e. the gofpel was preached to other nations, whereby we have been called out of darknefs unto his marvellous light. Let us then take care to walk as children of light, in all holiness and virtue; for in proportion to the means of grace will be our account at the last dạy.

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you (g), and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits 44 thereof. And whofoever shall fall on this ftone, shall be broken: but on whomfoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder (h). And when the chief priests and Pharifees had heard his parables, they 46 perceived that he fpake of them. But when they fought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

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ND Jefus answered and fpake unto them again by parables, and faid, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage (a) 3 for his fon, And fent forth his fervants to call them that were bidden to the wedding and they would 4 not come. Again he fent forth other fervants, faying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the mar5 riage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise : 6 And the remnant took his fervants, and entreated 7 them fpitefully, and flew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he fent forth his armies, and deftroyed those murderers, and burnt up 8 their city. Then faith he to his fervants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not

(g) You will lofe the benefit of the gofpel revelation.

(k) Chrift proceeds to fpeak of himself under a figure by which he is often defcribed in Scripture, the rock on which the church is built, and the ftone which crowns the building, the flone elect and precious, 1 Pet. ii. 6. the ftone cut out without hands, which broke the great image, and filled the whole earth. Dan. ii. 34. And the meaning of the paffage is this; that whofoever fhall oppofe Chrift, fhall do it in vain, and to his own damage: but whofoever fhall wilfully and finally reject him, upon that man the vengeance of Chrift fhall fall, to his utter deftruction.

(a) A marriage feast.

9 worthy.

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9 worthy. Go ye therefore into the high-ways, and 10 as many as ye fhall find, bid to the marriage. So thofe fervants went out into the high-ways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good and the wedding was furnished with 11 guests. And when the king came in to fee the guests, he faw there a man which had not on a wedding12 garment (b). And he faith unto him, Friend, how cameft thou in hither, not having a wedding-garment? And he was fpeechlefs (c). Then faid the king to the fervants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and caft him into outer darkness (d): there fhall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chofen. 15 Then went the Pharifees, and took counfel how 16 they might intangle him in his talk. And they fent out unto him their difciples, with the Herodians (e), faying, Mafter, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither careft thou for any man; for thou regardest not the perfon of men. Tell us therefore, what thinkeft thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cefar (f), or not?

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(b) Confidered in a moral and practical light, this parable should teach us the neceffity of adorning the foul with all chriflian graces and virtues, that we may always be in a due fate of preparation to approach God, in any act of religion, and alfo to ftand before him with humble confidence at the day of judgment.

(c) He had no reply to make; it being the custom in the Eaft for great men to keep a number of garments for their guefts to wear on occafions of ceremony and feftivity; fo that it was a mark of infolence and contempt in this man, not to put on the garment that was provided for him as well as for the reft.

(d) Turn him out from the guefl-chamber, the room where the company was entertained, a fcene of joy and fplendor, into a mournful place, anfwering in a moral fenfe to Hell, the region of darkness and punishment.

(e) The Pharifees were against paying tribute: but the Herodians were of king Herod's party, and afferted the Roman empeFor's right to it.

(f) Cefar was a general title given to all the Roman emperors.

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18 But Jefus perceived their wickedness, and faid, Why 19 tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tributemoney. And they brought unto him a penny (g). 20 And he faith unto them, Whofe is this image and 21 fuperfcription? (b) They say unto him, Cefar's. Then faith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cefar, the things which are Cefar's: and unto God, the 22 things that are God's. When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their

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23 The fame day came to him the Sadducees, which fay that there is no refurrection, and afked him, 24 Saying, Mafter, Mofes faid, If a man die, having

no children, his brother fhall marry his wife, and 25 raise up feed unto his brother. Now there were with us feven brethren; and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and having no iffue, left26 his wife unto his brother. Likewife the fecond also, 27 and the third, unto the feventh. And laft of all the 28 woman died alfo. Therefore in the resurrection,

whofe wife fhall fhe be of the feven? for they 29 all had her. Jefus answered and faid unto them,

Ye do err, not knowing the fcriptures, nor the 30 power of God. For in the refurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the an31 gels of God in heaven. But as touching the refurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was 32 fpoken unto you by God, faying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Ifaac, and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead, but of

(g) The penny mentioned here and in other paffages of the New Tellament, is the Roman penny, equal in value to feyen-pence halfpenny English.

(h) They would not have allowed the Roman-money, which bore the name and head of the emperor, to pass current among them, if they had no been his fubjects,

33 the living (i). And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.

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But when the Pharifees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to filence, they were gathered to35 gether. Then one of them which was a lawyer, afked him a queftion, tempting him, and faying, 36 Mafter, which is the great commandment in the 37 law? Jefus faid unto him, Thou fhalt love the Lord

thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, 38 and with all thy mind. This is the firft and great 39 commandment. And the fecond is like unto it, 40 Thou fhalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On 41 these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

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While the Pharifees were gathered together, Jefus afked them, Saying, What think ye of Chrift? Whofe fon is he? They fay unto him, 43 The fon of David. He faith unto them, How then doth David in fpirit call him Lord (k), faying, 44 The Lord faid unto my Lord, Sit thou on my

right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his Son? 46 And no man was able to answer him a word (/),

(i) To be the God of any perfon or people was commonly underflood by the Jews themfelves to imply the being, in a peculiar manner, their benefactor. The full effect of fuch a promife was not received by Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, in this life: yet God was not. afhamed to be called their God, long after their deaths. (See Heb. xi. 16. and Exod. iii. 6.) It follows therefore, that they are not wholly dead, but living, to enjoy in due time the completion of God's promifes: for all live unto him; (as St. Luke adds, xx. 38.) though dead to us, they are alive unto God, in whofe hands they are, referved for the great day of reward.

(k) Our bleffed Saviour was in his human nature defcended from David; but in a spiritual fenfe, and in his divine nature, he was his Lord; as David confeffeth. Pfal. cx. 1.

(1) In their anfwer they muft either have contradicted this decla ration of David, or elfe, they must have condemned themselves for their unbelief.

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