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324 Sect. 151. Destruction, came upon him in a Body, with a ftrong Defire to confound and overbear him: Luke XX. 2. And they spake to him in fuch a Manner, as to exprefs their high Displeasure at what had lately paffed, faying, Thou haft here taken upon thee to reform the Temple, which is our Province alone, and haft in a tumultuous Manner driven out thofe, who had our Permiffion to traffick in the outer Court: We infift upon it therefore, that thou tell us roundly and plainly, by what Authority thou doft all thefe extraordinary Things? and who he is, that gave thee this Authority, on which thou prefumeft to do them?

The Priefts would know by what Authority he acted:

3

LUKE XX. 2. And spake unto him, faying, Tell us by

what Authority doft thou thefe Things? or who is he that gave thee this Authority [MAK. to do thefe Things MAT.XXI.-23. MARK XI. 28.1

3 And Jefus Janfwered

and faid unto them, I will Queftion,] and answer me; also ask you [MAR. one even one Thing, which if tell me, I in like wife will tell you by what Authority I do thefe Things.] [MAT. XXI. 24. MARK XI. 29.]

And Jefus, that he might at once reprove the
Impropriety of the Queftion in thofe Circum
ftances, and in effect return an unexceptionable,
tho' oblique Anfwer to it, faid to them in Reply,
I will also afk you one plain Question on this Oc- ye
cafion; and pray answer me this one Thing, which
if you tell me, I will likewife give you all the
Satisfaction you can defire, and directly tell you,
if you do yet indeed need to be told, by what
4 Authority I do thefe Things. You all remem-
ber the Baptifm of John, which was attended by
fuch Multitudes of People, and even by many
-of your leading Men: (Compare Mat. iii. 7. Sect.
16.) Now I would gladly know, what you think
of its Original; From whence was it, that he
had his Commiffion; was it from Heaven, as he
openly profeffed? or was it merely a Contrivance
of Men? Answer me this, and then I will im-
mediately refolve your Question.

5

And they were perfectly confounded at fo unexpected a Demand, and reafoned among themselves, as it was natural to do, after this Manner, Jaying, If we shall fay, that John's Baptifm was from Heaven, he will fay to us, Why therefore did ye not believe him, and yield to his well known

and:

4 The Baptifm of John,

[whence was it?] from Hea ven, or of Men? [MAR. answer me.] [MAT. XXI. 25.- MARK XI. 30.]

5 And they reafoned with themselves, faying, If we

fhall fay, From Heaven; he will fay [unto us,] Why then believed ye him not? [MAT. XXI.-25.MARKXI..31.]

Nation; but I rather fuppofe it may fignify the Members of the Grand Sanhedrim, to whom that Title moft eminently and properly belongs; which is the more probable, as they were the Perfons, under whofe Cognizance the late Action of Chrift in purging the Temple would most naturally fall. Thefe, with the Perfons above-mentioned, probably appeared in a confiderable Company, on purpose to daunt him, and to bear an united Teftimony against him, if any thing exceptionable fhould fall from him on this Occafion.

(f) The

6 But and if we [fhall] fay, Of Men; [we fear] all the People will ftone us: for they be [all] perfuaded that John was a Prophet [MAR. indeed.] [MAT. XXI. 26, MARK XI. 32.1

325

2

Luke XX. 6.

But are filenced by his afking what they thought of John. and repeated Teftimony of me? But if we Sec. 151. fall fay, that his Baptifm had no Divine Warrant, but was merely the Device of fome wicked and defigning Men, who by that grave Solemnity endeavoured to introduce their own ambitious Schemes; we have Reason to fear, that all the Populace who are here assembled will rife up, and tone us; for they are all firmly perfuaded, that John was really a Prophet fent of GOD; and as vaft Numbers of them were baptized by him, they will never bear to hear him vilified, either as an Enthufiaft, or Impoftor. And therefore they de- 7 clined to tell him what were their real Sentiments, and answered Jefus by faying, We cannot yet certainly tell whence [it was;] for it is a Question, which ftill lies before the Sanhedrim, and which they have not yet exprefsly determined.

7 And they answered [MAR. and faid unto Jefus, We cannot tell] whence it

was. [MAT. XXI. 27.MARK XI. 33-1

8 And Jefus [MAR.. anfwering] faid unto them, Neither tell I you by what Authority I do thefe Things. MAT. XXL-27. MARK XL-33.T

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And Jefus immediately replied and said unto 8 them, Neither do I think it at all neceffary to tell you, by what Authority I do thefe Things; for the other Queftion naturally requires to be determined firft (f), and when you think proper to decide that, you may eafily perceive that the fame An-fwer will ferve for both (g).

And having thus filenced the Members of the Mark XII. great Council, who had taken upon them to examine him for his late Proceedings, he began to Speak unto them, [and] to the People who were now affembled, by feveral Parables, of which we fhall give a more particular Account.

28.

And firft, he faid to the Scribes and Pharifees, Mat. XXI. with whom he had been difcourfing, You have evaded a direct Anfwer to my Queftion, but what think you of your own Conduct. in thefe

Circum

(f) The other Queftion naturally requires to be determined firft.] That fingular Turn, which the Reader will obferve to be given to this Anfwer of our Lord in the Paraphrase, by which I think the Propriety of it to be much illuftrated, I owe to that very accurate and learned Friend, who fuggefted the Subftance of Note (g) on John vii. 22. pag. 49.

(g) The fame Anfwer will ferve for both.] This was plainly the Cafe; for as on the one hand, the exprefs Teftimony, which John bore to Chrift, must be a fufficient Proof of his Divine Miffion, if that of John was allowed; (fince according to a Jewib Maxim, The Teftimony of one Prophet was fufficient to confirm the Authority of another;) fo Chrift had fpoken in fuch an honourable Manner of John, that to condemn John as an Impoftor, would imply a like Cenfure on the Character of Jesus.

(b) Sir,

326

The Parable of the Two Sons bid to work in the Vineyard.

Sect. 151. Circumftances, and of all the high Profeffions you make of an extraordinary Reverence for Mat. XXI. GOD, and Zeal in his Service? I will plainly tell you my Thoughts of it, which are very naturally connected with the Subject we have been

28.

upon.

Man had two Sons, and he
came to the firft, and faid,
Son, go work To-day in my
Vineyard.

29 He answered and faid,

he repented, and went.

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There was a Man who had Two Sons; and coming to the First, he faid, Son, go directly away, and work To-day in my Vineyard, where thou knoweft there is Bufinefs to do that requires thine 29 Attendance. And he answered in a very rude and undutiful Manner, and faid, I will not: But after I will not but afterwards wards confidering better of it, he repented that he had ufed his Father fo ill, and to make the best Amends he could, he went into the Vineyard, 30 and laboured diligently there. And when the First had given fo undutiful an Answer to his Father, he came to the Second, and faid to him in the fame Manner as he had done to his Brother: And be being a fmooth plaufible Lad, answered with great Submiffion and Readinefs, and faid, Sir, I [am going] this Moment to obey your Commands (b): And yet after all he went not to the Vineyard, but spent the whole Day elsewhere.

31

Now I would leave it to you to judge, which
of the Two Youths did the Will of [his] Father,
and with which of them he would, on the
whole, be best pleased? And without any Hefi-
tation they fay to him, Undoubtedly the First of
them. Then Jefus upon this fays to them, The
Application of this Parable is very eafy; for thus
it is, that notwithstanding your Profeffions of a
Regard to Go D, yet in your Practice you are
GOD,
difobedient Children, and reject his Gofpel; and
verily I fay unto you, that even the most aban-
doned Sinners of the Age, fuch as Publicans and
common Profitutes, are much more open to Con-
viction, and more likely to be wrought upon,
than you;
and fo many of them have already

been

30 And he came to the fecond, and faid likewife.

And he answered and faid,

I go, Sir; and went not.

did

31 Whether of them twain

the Will of his Father? firft. Jefus faith unto them, They fay unto him, The Verily I fay unto you, that the Publicans and the Har

"

lots

(b) Sir, I am going.] This was a proper Emblem of the Hypocrify of the Scribes and Pharifees; who addreffed GOD under the moft honourable Titles, and profeffed the greateft Readiness and Zeal in his Service, while their whole Lives were a Series of Difobedience and Rebellion.

Reflections on the Vanity of Pretences to Religion.

lots go into the Kingdom of

GOD before you.

32 For John came unto you in the Way of Righteoufnefs, and ye believed him not: but the Publicans and And ye, when ye had feen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

the Harlots believed. him.

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327
been awakened to Repentance, that their Example Sect. 151.
might lead you the Way into the Kingdom of GOD,
but with all your Pretences to Sanctity you will
not follow them. For tho' you have not. In- 32

tegrity enough freely to own it, you know in your
own Confciences, that John came not unto you
in a fufpicious Manner, but in the Way of Righte-
oufness, and did in all his Ministry maintain the
uniform Character of an upright and pious Man,
as well as of a plain and awakening Preacher, yet
you believed him not; but the Publicans and Har-
lots, of whom I fpake, believed him: And you
were still so obftinate, that even when you faw [it,]
and perceived a growing Reformation among the
most abandoned of Mankind, yet you did not
afterwards repent, fo as to believe him. (Compare
Luke vii. 29, 30. Vol. i. pag. 352.) And there-
fore I folemnly warn you, that your Condition
will another Day be worse than theirs; and that
you fhall fee thofe, whom you now defpife and
abhor, entering into the Glory from which you.
fhall be excluded.

IMPROVEMENT.

Mat. XXI.

OW little do the most fpecious Pretences of Piety fignify, if they Mat. xxi. are not animated by the Heart, and confirmed by the Life! How 28,--31. vain are all the complimental Forms of Religion, when addreffed to that GOD, who penetrates all the Secrets of the Soul, and can have Complacency in nothing but real and folid Goodness! Yet how many are there, who are free of their Promifes both to GOD and Man, but always fail when the Time of Performance comes? And how many, with these unhappy Rulers in Ifrael, go on to pride themselves in a Kind of external Ver. 32.. Nearness to Go D, and perhaps in a boasted Commiffion from him, who are themselves fo far from his Kingdom, that even Publicans and Harlots: are more like to be brought into it than they.

In vain do we, like thefe Pharifees, enquire into the Evidences of Ver. 23. Chrift's Authority, if we are not heartily refolved to fubmit to it. Yet. with fuch Cavillers and Hypocrites: muft his Minifters expect to meet: May they learn by the Example of their great Master; to anfwer them Ver. 24,-27. with the Meekness of Wisdom, and to join the Sagacity of the Serpent,.. with the Gentleness and Innocence of the Dove t

The

328

Sect. 151.

Mark xi. 23, 24.

The Parable of the Vineyard let to wicked Husbandmen.

The Promises which are made to a miraculous Faith in Prayer, are not indeed our immediate Concern; but we may truly infer from them fome Encouragement in Favour of the Prayer of Faith, on whatever Account, and in whatever Circumstances it be offered. At least we may infer the Ver. 25, 26. Neceffity of forgiving Injuries, if we defire that our Petitions should be received with Favour. Let us remember it; and labour to approach the Throne of a forgiving GOD with Hearts, not only clear of every malignant Paffion, but full of that cordial and univerfal Benevolence, which may engage us to pray for all Men, and particularly for those, who have leaft deferved our Kindness, and feem least disposed to requite it.

33.

SECT. CLII.

CHRIST utters the Parable of the Vineyard let out to unfaithful Husbandmen; from which he takes Occafion plainly to admonish the Jewish Rulers of the Danger and Ruin, they would incur by the Schemes they were forming against him. Mat. XXI. 33, to the End. Mark XII. -I, ----I 2. Luke XX. —9,---- 19.

O

MAT. XXI. 33.

Sect. 152.
UR Lord having thus reproved the Priests
and Elders in the Temple, who had been
Mat. XXI. queftioning his Authority, and fhewn how inex-
cufable they were in not believing John, tho' they
could not deny him to be fent of GOD, continued
his Difcourfe, and said to them and to the People,
Hear now another Parable, in which you are
very nearly concerned, as your own Confciences
muft quickly tell you: There was a certain Man,
a Mafter of a confiderable Family and Estate, who
planted a Vineyard, and fpared no Coft to render
it fruitful; for he made a strong Hedge round it,
to preserve it from the Incurfion of Men or Beasts,
and digged [a Place for] a Wine-prefs in it, [or]
a large Cavity which might ferve as a Fat for the
Wine, to receive the Liquor when pressed from

the

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