196 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED LORD deltroy thole wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other hufbandmen, whichjhall render him thefruits in theirfeafons. On hearing this anfwer made by the Pharifees, the people faid, God forbid; furely thefe hufbandmen will not proceed to fuch defperate iniquity ; furely the vine- yard will not thus be taken from them. But, to confirm the truth of this, our Saviour added a remarkable prophecy of himfelf, and ofhisrejeflion, from the 118th Pfalm : Did ye never, faid he, read in the Scriptures, The(lone which the builders re- jetZed, the fame is become the head of the corner : this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. The reje&ion of the Mefliiah by the Jews, and the reception he met with among the Gentiles, all brought to pafs by the pro- vidence of God, are wonderful events: and therefore I fay unto you, the kingdomof God fhall.be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. The chief priefis, perceiving the drift of our Saviour's parable, were highly in- cenfed, and would gladly have apprehend- ed him ; but they feared the people, who acknowledged him as the Meffiah while they furrounded him in the temple. But as the rulers were afraid to appre- hend JEsus, he was at liberty to proceed in the offices of his minifiry ; accordingly he delivered another parable, wherein he defcribed on the one hand, the bad fuccefs which the preaching of the gofpel was to meet with amongft the Jews ; and, on the other, the cheerfulreception givenit among the Gentiles. This gracious defign of the Almighty, in giving the gofpel to the children of men, our bleffed Saviour il- lufirated by the behaviour of a certain king, who, in honour of his fon, made a great feaft ; to which he invited many guess : The kingdom of heaven is like unto a.certain king, which made a marriagefor his fon. This marriage fupper, or great feaft, Signifies the joys of heaven, which are properly compared to an elegant en- tertainment, on account of their exquifite- 1 nefs and duration ; and are here Paid to be prepared in honour of the Son of God, being bellowed on 'men as a reward for their obedience. But before the fupper was ready, the fervants were fent forth to call the guells to the wedding ; that is, when the fulnefs of time approached, the Jews, as being the peculiar people of God, were firft called to the great feafl of 'heaven by John the Baptift, and afterwards by CHRIST him- felf; but they refufed all thefe benevolent calls ofmercy, and rejeéled the kind invita- tions of the gofpel, though preffed by the preaching of the Meffiah, and his fore- runner. After our Saviour's refurreétion and afcenfion, the apofiles were fent forth to inform the Jews, that the gofpel-covenant was eflablilhed; thatmanfions in heavenwas prepared; and that nothingwas wantingbut their cheerful acceptance of the honour defigned them ; Again, hePentforthother fervants,flying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, Ihavepreparedmy dinner: myoxen andmyfatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto;the marriage. But thefe melfengers were as unfuccefsful as the for- mer. The Jews undervaluing the favour offered them, mocked at the meffage; and fome of them, more rude than the reft, infulted, beat, and flew the fervants that had been fent to call them to the marriage- fupper of the lamb : But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth; andfentforth his armies, and defiroyed thofe murderers, and burnt up their city. This branch of the parable plainly predi&ed the deflruc- don of the Jews by the Roman armies, called here the armies of the Almighty, becaufe they were appointed by him to execute vengeance on that once favourite, but now rebellious people. The benevolent calls of the gofpel be- ing thus rejefled by the Jews, the king again fent forth his fervants into the coun- tries of the Gentiles, with orders to com- pel all that they met with to come in to the marriage. This was immediately done, and the wedding was furnithed with guefts : but
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