ness 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 bis 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 should chearfully obey the Law he had given them for their own Happiness, they, on the contrary, with all Ingratitude rebelled against him, and abused his Prophets which he fent to reform them.

4 & 5. Again, the Master of the Vineyard fent other Servants to the Hufbandmen; and after them, Others; But all these also the Husbandmen treated in like manner; fending some 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 despised and rejected the Admonitions of the Prophets; perfecuting them, misusing them, and even murdering fome of them.

6. After all this, the Owner of the Vineyard, having one only Son whom he loved, refolved to fend him to the Hufbandmen, to receive the Fruit of bis Vineyard; thinking, that furely they would be ashamed 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 longsuffering, to make to the Jews the last Offers of Repentance and Reconciliation.

2 And at the fea

son he sent to the husbandmen a fervant, that he might receive from the huf

bandmen of the fruit

of the vineyard.

3 And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.

4 And again he fent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones,

and wounded him in the head, and fent him away shamefully handled.

5 And again, he fent another; and him they killed : and many others, beating some, and killing fome.

he

6Having yet therefore one fon, his fent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence

10 And have ye not read this fcripThe stone

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

9. Now, faid Jesus, when the Master of the Vineyard returns, what will be do to these 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 those ungrateful and rebel- 41. lious Wretches; and will let out bis Vineyard to others, who shall duly render him bis Fruit in its Seajon.

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

to another People who shall serve him
better; And Christ, being rejected by
the Chief of the Jews, shall receive

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

together.

II This was the

it is marvellous in

11. This is a wonderful Act of the Divine Power, and an extraordinary Lords doing, and Instance of the immediate and overruling Influence of God's peculiar Providence.

12. Now the Chief Priests and Scribes, seeing that Jesus at last thus plainly applied the Parable to Them, in great Rage and Indignation resolved to lay hold upon him, and have him put to death. But for fear of the People, who they faw were pleased 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 propose infnaring Questions to him, and to try if they could draw any Words from him, which they might improve into Matter of Accufation against him before the Roman Governour.

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

our eyes.

12 And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.

13 And they send unto him certain of the Phari

fees, and of the He

rodians,

to

catch him in his words.

14 And when they were come, they fay unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and careft for no man: for thou regardest not

the perfon of men, but teachest the way

of

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

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

16. And they brought it: and he faid to them, Whose is this image and superscription? And

Cefars.

17 And Jesus anfwering faid unto them, Render to Cefar the things that are Cefars, and to God the things that

15. This they asked, thinking with themselves that if Jesus should say abfolutely, They ought not to pay Tribute, he might then be accused to the Governour, of designing to move Sedition; and if he should say, They ought, then he might fall under the Envy of the People, for afserting the Romans Right of keeping them in subjection. But Jefus, knowing their malicious Design, 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 Whose Image and Inscription it bore; they faid, Cafar's.

17. Then faid Jefus; Pay therethey faid unto him, fore to Cæfar what is Cæfar's Due; and be always so far subject to the Government ye are under, as is consistent with your Obedience to the Commands of God. Which Answer being so wife and just, that they could not any way wrest it to accuse him on Either Side, without expofing themselves to the Cenfure and Indignation of the People; they went away from him, greatly furprized at his Wisdom and Caution.

are Gods. And they

marvelled at him.

18 Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no refurrection; and they asked him, faying,

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

18. After These were gone, came some of the Sadducees, who believe no future State after this prefent Life; and they asked Jefus, faying:

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

and

and leaves his Wife without any Children, his Brother should 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 same Woman: and he died also without Children: and a third likewise after him; and in short, 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; whose Wife must this Woman be in that futute State? For they all alike married her.

24. But Jefus, pitying their Ignorance, said: Ye talk very foolishly; neither confidering the Power of God, that he who created Man in this prefent State, can as easily 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 shall not be like this present State, as ye fondly imagine. For here indeed continual Mortality makes Marriage neceffary to preserve a Succession of Men: But in that other State, Men shall be immortal like the Angels now in Heaven; and as there will be no Death, so neither will there be any need of Marrying.

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

and leave his wife behind him, and leave

no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up feed unto his brother.

20 Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no feed.

21 And the second took her, and died, neither left he any feed: and the third likewife.

22 And the se

ven had her, and left no feed: laft of all the woman died

alfo.