when they see him.

14 But when the

38 But when the 7 But thofe hufhusbandmen faw the bandmen faid amongst husbandmen faw him, fon, they faid among themselves, This is they reafoned among themselves, This is the heir; come, let themselves, Laying, the heir; come, let us us kill him, and the This is the heir: come, kill him, and let us inheritance fhall be let us kill him, that feize on his inheri- ours. the inheritance may be ours.

tance.

39 And they caught

him, and caft him out of the vineyard, and flew him.

40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what

8 And they took 15 So they caft him
him, and killed him, out of the vineyard,
and cast him out of and killed him.
the vineyard.

9 What fhall there

will he do unto thofe fore the lord of the husbandmen?

vineyard do?

he will come

What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them? D

16 He fhall come

rably deftroy thofe and deftroy the huf- and deftroy thefe hufwicked men, and will bandmen, and, will bandmen, and fhall Jet out his vineyard give the vineyard unto give the vineyard to unto other husband- others.

men, which fhall ren

others.

wounded. Nevertheless he fent a third time to them, but these were murder'd by them. He determin'd at laft to fend his only Son to them, fuppofing they would. reverence him; but as foon as they faw him coming, they refolv'd on his deftruction,. imagining that if he who was the Heir were flain, they fhould be Mafters of the Vineyard. Accordingly they caft him out of the Vineyard, and murder'd him.. I ask you now what Punishment the Mafter of the Family will inflict upon these. barbarous Wretches at his return? He will put them all to death, faid they, as they have justly deferv'd, and put others into his Vineyard, who will more faithfully

execute

them,

to And have ye not

And when they

heard it, they faid,

God forbid.

17 And he beheld them, and faid,

Did ye never What is this read in the fcriptures, read this fcripture? then that is written, The ftone which the The ftone which the The ftone which the builders rejected, the builders rejected is be- builders rejected, the fame is become the come the head of the fame is become the head of the corner: corner. head of the corner? this is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

11 This was the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.

18 Whofoever shall

fall upon that stone,
fhall be broken: but
on whomsoever it fhall
fall, it will grind him
to pouder.

execute their Truft, and give him the Fruit of it in its feafon. Jefus then told them, that the obftinate fews fhonld be as feverely punish'd: upon which they cried out, God forbid thy Threats fhould ever come to pafs! Jefus faid, he threatned them with nothing but what had bin foretold by the Pfalmift in thefe words: The Stone which the Builders refus'd, is become the Head-ftone in the Corner; this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. Jefus moreover told them, that because they rejected this Stone, the Kingdom of God, that is, the true Religion by which God reigns in the minds of Men, fhould be taken from them, and tender'd to another People, who would conform their Actions to the Rules prefcrib'd by it. Then again alluding to the foremention'd words of the Pfalmift, and thofe of the Prophet Ifaiah, chap. 8. 15. he faid, Whoever falls on this Stone, thall be wounded; but on whomfoever the Stone it felf fhall fall, it fhall dafh him to pieces.

The

The Chief of the Jews having heard thefe Sayings of Jefus, immediatly deli berated how they might apprehend him, but durft not do it for fear of ftirring up the Multitude, who all efteem'd Jefus as a Prophet; tho they plainly perceived this Speech of his, and the Threatnings in it, belong'd to them.

Jefus intimated the fame not obfcurely in this third Parable: The manner in which the Kingdom of Heaven is receiv'd, refembles what happen'd to a certain King, who having made a Feaft on his Son's Marriage, fent his Servants to acquaint thofe that had bin invited, that all things were ready; but they refus'd to come.. However he sent a fecond time to them, to let them know that his Oxen and Fat

MATTHEW.

CHAP. XXII.

which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandife:

6 And the remnant took his fervants, and entreated them fpitefully, and flew them.

7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he fent forth his armies, and deftroyed thofe murderers, and burnt up their city.

8 Then faith he to his fervants, 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 thall find, bid to the marriage.

10 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 gufis.

11 And when the king came in to fee the guests, he faw there a man which had not on a wedding-garment :

lings were kill'd, and every thing ready for the Entertainment; that therefore they fhould not delay to come. But they neglecting this repeated invitation, went feveral ways, fome to their Farms, and others to their Merchandize; and fome of them evilly intreated the Meffengers, and flew them. The King, incenfed at this their Pride and Cruelty, fent Soldiers against them, who retaliated upon thefe Murderers, and burnt their City. He then faid to his Servants, The Fealt indeed was ready, but thofe that were invited were unworthy of it; go out therefore immediatly into the High-ways, and invite all you fhall find to my Supper. They accordingly went, and invited all they met, good and bad, fo that the Banqueting Room was fill'd with Guefts. The King then came in to take a view of them, and finding one in mean and fordid Apparel, thus accolted him: Wherefore cameft thou in hither

MATTHEW.

CHAP. XXII. 12 And he faith unto him, Friend, how cameft thou in hither, not having a weddinggarment? And he was fpeechlefs.

13 Then faid the king to the fervants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and caft him into outer darkness: there fhall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

14 For many are called, but few are chofen.

15 Then went the Pharifees, and took counsel how they might intangle him in his talk.

without a Wedding Garment. The man fill'd with confufion, blufli'd, and made no reply. The King thereupon commanded him to be bound hand and foot, and turn'd out of the Palace which was illuminated, into the Highway, where in the dark might be heard the Murmurings and Complaints of those who by their own fault were now refus'd admittance to the Feaft. In like manner we may justly fay that many have bin invited to the Kingdom of Heaven, but few have received the Invitation as became them.

The Pharifees and others who heard thefe Speeches, in which Jefus plainly rebuk'd the Chief among the Jews with their Obftinacy, ftepping a little afide, confulted how they might fo infnare him as to get fomething from him to make him odious to the People, or for which they might arraign him before the Roman Governor.