the churches on the contrary, directions are given in 1 Cor. xi. that the women, when prophesying in the churches, are to have their heads covered. Without this permission the prophecy of Joel, concerning our" daughters," and our "handmaidens,” receiving the Spirit could not be fulfilled, and the permission being restrained to speaking in the Spirit, and with the head covered, in token of subjection, preserves still the great original type of Christ and the church, while it also recognises the universal character of the Christian dispensation, in which all are destined to become as the angels of God in heaven, and where is neither male nor female, bond nor free, but every soul united to Christ is equally dear to his heart. Unless we allow this liberty to women, we add restraints to the Mosaic dispensation, instead of removing them. For though in the temple service women were not allowed to worship with the men, but had a court to themselves, yet prophetesses were allowed, and obeyed, as Miriam and Deborah and Huldah and Anna spoke in the temple; and the daughters of Philip prophesied; and so may Christian women now, when filled with the Holy Ghost. Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order."

INTERPRETATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE

MARRIAGE FEAST.

Matt. xxii. 1-14.

Ir is a great mistake to suppose that the parables of our Redeemer belong to what are called the plain parts of Scripture. Many persons, reputed wise among men, beginning and ending with this impression, have taken occasion therefrom to gainsay the clearest truths of prophecy; grounding their rejection of what they refuse to study in one part of Scripture on the confidently assumed import of what they misunderstand of another. While they have warned the simple off the whole breadth of prophecy, as a, matter to be consigned solely to the "private interpretation" of the learned (though the prophecy came not by the private will and wisdom of the learned, as Peter says), they have placed no such interdiet on the Parables; but have rather commended them to the ignorant, as easy matters, in which the ignorant should not err. But I trust to make it appear to demonstration, in the course of these papers, that the majority of the Parables have indeed been much misunderstood, whatever may be thought of the interpretations of some of them which I shall venture to offer; and that these discourses, the nature, connections, and terms of which have been so ill appreciated, are indeed, like the Speaker of them, a key-stone of the truth, furnishing stability and consistency to the whole edifice.

All the parables of which, by the grace of God, I purpose to write, concern the ending of the present dispensation. They are not doctrinal, but prophetic discourses; and have for their subject, judgments in which the quick, and the quick only, are contemplated. I shall commence with the Parable of the Marriage Feast, Matt. xxii.: to the consideration of which I shall premise, first, a few introductory remarks; and, afterwards, a careful examination of the circumstances under which it was spoken, as developed by its preceding context.

It is a solemn fact, put beyond doubt by many portions of the New Testament, that the Christian dispensation, under which we live, was to find its end in a great apostasy, which should call down sudden destruction from on high. Our Lord and his Apostles foresaw, for they foretold, this. They foresaw that the visible church which they were founding would in the end utterly corrupt itself; that the sow which was washed would return to her wallowing in the mire, the dog to his own vomit; that they who had escaped the pollutions of the world should be re-entangled again therein; and the unclean spirit re-enter, and re-possess with seven-fold power, his original victim. This is a truth not to be gainsayed. It is the last sad theme of the Apostles Paul, James, Peter, John, and Jude, respectively. Moreover, that this climax of Christian apostasy (like the climax of Jewish apostasy of old)-this returning of the sow to her wallowing in the mire, and of the dog to his own vomit; this reentanglement in a world's pollutions, and re-possession by sevenfold uncleanness-that all this (the last great apostasy, properly so called), while it is a wickedness in men against God, is nevertheless a judgment on men from God, a dementation introductory of perdition, which reason might infer, but Scripture expressly declares. In proof of this, let only 2 Thess. ii. be attentively perused, which, by common consent of Protestants, foreshews the great Papal apostasy. It is there written, at verse 11," For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." But for what cause shall God send them strong delusion? because of the man of sin? Nay, but because of their having lent themselves to him. The "strong delusion," therefore, is not Popery, but its effect; and the chapter signifies expressly two apostasies, whereof the second is the judicial consequence of the first. There is, therefore, a falling away which succeeds the Papal; a delusion deeper and darker, poured out by the hand of God himself, preluding the destruction of the ungodly.

I will now beg the reader's attention to the xxist chapter of Matthew, from verse 23; the whole passage from which verse to the end of our parable (xxii. 14) represents a scene which

took place in the temple at Jerusalem; the actors present being the Lord, the Jewish common people, and their rulers-the Lord himself being the principal speaker. And, that light may be carried forward for our main purpose from every consideration capable of affording it, I make the following survey of all that occurred. Our Lord entered the temple at Jerusalem-that temple whose enriching was become the great religious work of the time; in whose splendour was seen the symbol of a corrupt and ostentatious hierarchy-a structure, near to annihilation, to be replaced by another and far different, whose stability remained to be tried-yet the temple, withal, which was the type of an eternal building, not to be supplanted by any principles of corruption or decay. Our Lord had entered the temple, and was teaching the people;-a people who hearkened not to the Prophets, and should resist the Apostles sent unto them;—a people who knew not their Lord, who now stood among them, though they had been willing for a season to rejoice in John, as a shining light," and did as much as apprehend that this was some prophet who now spake unto them;-a people full of envy, and easily excitable against their rulers, yet ever kept back from God by these, and now to the uttermost. The Lord had entered the temple, and was teaching the people, when, behold, the rulers of the people, chief priests, and elders, came in after him. They came in to their own house, and found there a man -no priest, no elder, but the reputed Son of a carpenter, probably in meanest attire-taking upon himself to instruct their people; and they break upon him thus: "By what authority doest thou these things, and who gave thee this authority?" Saith our Lord, in reply; "By what authority did John baptize? Answer me, and I also will answer you." Now, they believed not in John, but feared to gainsay his ministry in the presence of the people, who did believe in him: so the Lord's question shuts their mouths, and at the same time opens the ears of the people, who all held John as a prophet. This from vers. 23 to 27 inclusive. Next, taking occasion from their confusion, the Lord adds a parable against the intruders; and, in the application thereof, informs them that the lowest dregs of the people there present were fitter and readier than themselves to enter into the kingdom of God: which what was it but to say, that the former, believing John, listened willingly to Him, whom they, rejecting John, were come to reject also? Here was another step towards displeasing these rulers, and gaining, at the same time, favour with the people. This carries us to ver. 32 inclusive. But this was not all the intruders heard by their interruption. The Lord had silenced them by the fear of the people; He had angered them by his preference of the people: He proceeds next to denounce them for their treatment of the people; and concludes

by extracting from their own mouths a confession that they deserve to be destroyed for keeping the people from him,-the very purpose with which they had just entered the temple. To my understanding, the Lord speaks to this effect: "My Father established the culture of mankind for Himself; he circumscribed its operation to this people; he delegated his judicial authority for the work; he established a sure defence, and committed all to you rulers, who were to have held this people under him and for him; and then waited, in his long-suffering, to see what should come of it: and by and bye, when he looked for fruit, and that you should present the hearts of this people to him, and acknowledge that you held them for him, he sent unto you prophets, to receive them at your hands a God-trusting and creature-distrusting people. But ye variously despised and illtreated those prophets, and kept the people back from giving heed to them. Again he sent others, prophet upon prophet, more abundantly unto you; but ye did unto them likewise, and kept the people, and the deluded affections of the people, ever to yourselves. Last of all hath my Father sent to you me, his only Son, if perhaps you will reverence me; but on seeing me ye say, and perceive within yourselves, that I am the rightful Lord of this people and lest I should dispossess you it is that ye go about to kill me; and, having laid hands on me at last, ye will deliver me over to the Gentiles (extra vineam), and slay me. When, therefore, my Father himself shall come to reckon with you for all this, what will He do unto you, ye rulers of men, but not for the glory of God?" They answer him, as a matter of course, apparently not yet seeing the drift of his parable, "He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. "9 Thus, out of their own mouth convicted, Jesus saith unto them (possibly pointing to the temple's structure while he spoke), "Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore I say unto you (expounding this text), The kingdom of God-the dominion over men for God-shall be taken from you rulers, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." And it is worth our while, and not foreign to our purpose, to examine how it is that the text justifies our Lord's application of it, and what is the real meaning of that application. Thus much is evident to the slightest attention: that these Jewish rulers, against whom the preceding parable was spoken, were meant by the builders; and that their own corrupt order was implied by the building, whence they rejected God's appointed Head-stone; and that by that Stone was meant Christ. Therefore, builders who would not exalt their Master's

Head-stone, and a building whose proportions or materials were not constituted to receive it, must be rejected: therefore, rulers who would not acknowledge, nor were fitted to be under, God's appointed Head Ruler, must have the rule taken from them and given to others. Thus far is clear: but why the kingdom of God taken from those rulers was to be given to a nation, and to what nation it was to be given, is not so obvious. This I find from a consideration of the context of the passage in Ps. cxviii., compared with the known destinies of Israel, manifested throughout Scripture: for, observe, the nation spoken of by our Lord was to be a righteous nation; and the marvel (at the kingdom of God given to it) was to be in Jewish eyes—“in our eyes.” Now I think it is clear, in Ps. cxviii., that the parties who "marvel” (ver. 23), and "rejoice and are glad" (ver. 24), are the same as "the righteous ones who shall enter” (ver. 20); and these are the same of whom Isaiah saith, "Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation, which keepeth thy truths, may enter in" (xxvi. 2); and again, "Ye shall be called the priests of the Lord, and men shall call you the ministers of our God” (lxi. 6); which, I need hardly add, shall be in the day when God brings forth his "Head-stone with shoutings of Grace, Grace unto it " (Zech. iv. 7), to the marvel of Israel's eyes, who have seen nothing of the kind to marvel at yet. So, Israel, restored righteous Israel, is the nation that shall bring forth the fruits; and for them was the kingdom of God to be taken from those wicked rulers; and for them is it kept to this day; there having appeared as yet no righteous nation, headed by Christ, to their eyes, nor to any eye but that of faith-which sees, indeed, a "righteous nation," but not one having as yet received a kingdom. But some will say, 'Is not the church of Christ intended by this nation? For Peter saith of us, "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation," &c.' What then? we must, like the well-instructed scribe (Matt. xiii. 52), bring forth new as well as old things, to solve the matter; and perceive to be contained in it, not only the old purpose of God to his ancient people, but his new act of glorifying a church for his First-born out of the Gentiles. Still, however, in both aspects the text is as yet unfulfilled; for the church hath as yet no kingdom, and Israel's eyes have as yet not marvelled: but, both in the letter and in the spirit, the accomplishment awaits the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who of course appears not as the Head-stone of the church's building till she be fully built up to receive him, which as yet she is not.--So much for our Lord's declaration to those chief priests and elders, "that the dominion over men in God's stead should be taken from them, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits of righteousness:" to which he adds a twofold denunciation respecting the stone in question.