The priests come to him, and question his authority.

may forgive you your trespasses.

forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

185

cli.

i'ye have ought against in the presence of that Majesty of heaven whom SECT. any; that your Father also whatch is in heaven you have offended by so many provocations, you should forgive, if you have any matter of com- Mark plaint against any; that your Father in heaven XI. 25. 26 But if ye do not may also forgive you your trespasses. But if 26 you do not forgive even your most cruel enemies, and much more your offending brethren, neither will your Father in heaven forgive you your trespasses (compare Mat. vi. 14, 15. xviii. 35.) And if your trespasses be not forgiven, vou have little reason to hope for such extraordinary interpositions in answer to your prayers; or if those interpositions were to be granted, you would receive no manner of advantage from them, while amidst all the glory of working the most amazing miracles you lay under the load of guilt and condemnation.

27 And they come

and [when he was

walking, (LUKE, as he

And after Jesus had been thus discoursing with 27 again to Jerusalem: his disciples by the way, they come again to JeCome into the temple], rusalem: and when he was come into the temple, [LUKE, it came to it came to pass, that as he was walking there, pas, that] as he was while he taught the people who flocked around taught the people, and him, and zealously preached the gospel of the preached the gospel, kingdom to all that were desirous to be instructed there [LUKE, came in it, the chief priests, and the scribes, and the upon him] the chief priests, and the scribes, elders of the people, who were contriving his and the elders [of the destruction, came upon him in a body, with a people]; [MAT. XXI. strong desire to confound and overbear him: 23.-LUKE XX. 1.] LUKE XX. 2 And and they spake to him in such a manner, as to Luke spake unto him, saying, express their high displeasure at what had lately XX. 2. passed,

Tell

It came to pass, that as he was walking.] Luke, who tells this, as he does several other stories, in a less circumstantial manner, says it was on one of those days: but the insertion of that clause here would have been improper, considering how particularly the date of this fact is fixed by Mark. If the reader should happen elsea here to meet with the omission of a word or two in any of the evangelists (which he very seldom will), I hope he will not condemn it till he reflect whether it may not be accounted for in the same manner.

The chief priests-and the elders of the people.] These are titles that frequently occur, but it is not easy to fix a determinate idea to them.-By the chief priests, I thuk we may understand any peculiar distinction in the Aaronic family: so that it may include the high priest, his deputy of sagan, any of the heads of the twenty-four Courses of priests who might happen to be in wating, and likewise any of those whom the Talmudists called Catholicin, Amarca

lin and Memunnim, who (if their testi-
mony may be credited) were appointed to
preside over the other priests and Levites,
and to regulate the watch, the singers, &c.
A summary account of them may be seen
in Reland. Antiq. Heb. part ii. cap. iii. § 4,
5.-By the elders of the people, some would
understand those representatives who were
called Viri Stationarii, that were appointed
to attend in their courses at the hours of
morning and evening sacrifice in the name
of the whole Israelitish nation; but I ra-
ther suppose it may signify the members of
the grand sanhedrim, to whom that title
most eminently and properly belonged;
which is the more probable, as they were
the persons under whose cognizance the
late action of Christ in purging the temple
would most naturally fall. These, with
the persons above-mentioned, probably
appeared in a considerable company on
purpose to daunt him, and to bear an
united testimony against him, if any thing
exceptionable should fall from him on this

occasion.

186

cli.

Luke

He confounds them by asking what they thought of John. SECT. passed, saying, Thou hast here taken upon thee Tell us by what authoto reform the temple, which is our province rity dost thou these things? or who is he alone, and hast in a tumultuous manner driven that gave thee this XX. 2. out those who had our permission to traffic in authority [MARK, to do these things?]the outer court; we insist upon it, therefore, [MAT. XXI.-23. — that thou tell us roundly and plainly by what MARK XI. 28.] authority thou dost all these extraordinary things? and who he is that gave thee this authority on which thou presumest to do them?

3

3 And [Jesus] answered and said unto you [MARK, one question], and answer me; even one thing, which wise will tell you by I do what authority these things.] [MAT.

them, I will also ask

And Jesus, that he might at once reprove the
impropriety of the question in those circum-
stances, and in effect return an unexceptionable,
though oblique, answer to it, said to them in re-
ply, I will also ask you one plain question on this
occasion; and pray answer me this one thing,
which if you tell me, I will likewise give you all
the satisfaction you can desire, and directly tell
you, if you do vet indeed need to be told, by 29.1

4 what authority I do these things.

5

if ye tell me, I in like.

XXI. 24. MARK XI.

[MAT.

You all re- 4 The baptism of member the baptism of John, which was attended John, [whence was it?] from heaven, or by such multitudes of people, and even by of men? [MARK, anmany of your leading men: (compare Mat. iii. swer me.] 7, sect. xvi.) Now I would gladly know what XXI. 25.-MARK XI, 30.] you think of its original; From whence was it that he had his commission? was it from heaven, as he openly professed? or was it merely a contrivance of men? Answer me this, and then I will immediately resolve your question.

5 And they reasoned And they were perfectly confounded at so unexpected a demand, and reasoned among them- with themselves, saying, If we shall say, selves, as it was natural to do, after this manner, From heaven; he will saying, If we shall say, That John's baptism was say [unto us], Way from heaven, he will say to us, Why therefore did ye not believe him, and yield to his well-known 6 and repeated testimony of me?

But if we shall

then believed ye him not? [MAT.XXI.-25. MARK XI. 31.]

6 But and if we

[shall] say, Of men; we fear] all the people

will stone us: for they

say, That his baptism had no Divine warrant,
but was merely the device of some wicked and
designing men, who by that grave solemnity be [all] persuaded that
endeavoured to introduce their own ambitious John was a prophet
[MARK, indeed.] -
schemes, we have reason to fear that all the po- [MAT.XXI.26. MARK
pulace who are here assembled will rise up and
stone us; for they are all firmly persuaded that
John was really a prophet sent of God; and as
vast numbers of them were baptised by him, they
will never bear to hear him vilified, either as an

XI. 32]

7 enthusiast or impostor. And therefore they 7 And they answered

[MARK, and said unto declined to tell him what were their real sentiJesus, We cannot tell] ments, and answered Jesus by saying, We cannot whence it was. [MAT yet certainly tell whence it was]; for it is question which still lies before the sanhe- 33.-]

a

XXI. 27.-MARK XI.

drim,

187

He confounds them by asking what they thought of John.
drim, and which they have not yet expressly SECT.
determined.

them, Neither tell I

you by what authority I do these things.

cli.

8And Jesus MARK, And Jesus immediately replied and said unto Luke answering,] said unto them, Neither do I think it at all necessary to tell XX. 8. you by what authority I do these things; for the other question naturally requires to be determined first, and when you think proper to decide that, you may easily perceive that the same answer will serve for both 8.

-27.

[MA T. XXI. — MARK XI. 33.]

MARK XII. 1.And he began to speak

unto them [and to the people] by parables.— [LUKE XX. 9.-]

MA T. XXI. 28.

certain man had two sons, and he came to

the first, and said, Son, go work to-day in my

Mark

And having thus silenced the members of the great council, who had taken upon them to XII. 1, examine him for his late proceedings, he began to speak unto them, [and] to the people who were now assembled, by several parables, of which we shall give a more particular account.

XXI. 28.

And first, he said to the scribes and Pharisees, Mat. But what think ye? A with whom he had been discoursing, You have evaded a direct answer to my question, but what think you, of your own conduct in these circumstances, and of all the high professions you make of an extraordinary reverence for God, and zeal in his service? I will plainly tell you my thoughts of it, which are very naturally connected with the present subject.

vineyard.

29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterwards he repented, and went.

There was a man who had two sons; and coming to the first he said, Son, go directly away and work to day in my vineyard, where thou knowest there is business to do that requires thine attendance. And he answered in a very 29 rude and undutiful manner, and said, I will not: but afterwards considering better of it,he repented that he had used his father so ill; and, to make the best amends he could, he went into the 30 And he came to vineyard, and laboured diligently there. And 30 when the first had given so undutiful an answer to his father, he came to the second and said to him in the same manner as he had done to his brother and he, being a smooth plausible lad, answered, with great submission and readiness, and said, Sir, [I am going] this moment to obey

the second, and said bkewise. And he an

swered and said, I go Sir, and went not.

188

cli.

Mat.

XXI.31.

Reflections on the vanity of pretences to religion.

31 Whether of them twain did the will of

SECT. obey your commands: and yet, after all, he went not to the vineyard, but spent the whole day elsewhere. Now I would leave it to yourselves to judge his father? They say Which of the two youths I have been speaking of unto him, The first.— did the will of [his] father, and with which of them he would, on the whole, be best pleased? and without any hesitation they say to him, Undoubtedly the first of them.

Mat.

Jesus saith unto

them, Verily I say un

to you, That the pub

cans and the barlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

Then Jesus, upon this, says to them, The ap-
plication of this parable is very easy; for thus it
is, that notwithstanding your professions of a re-
gard to God, yet in your practice you are diso-
bedient children, and reject his gospel; and
verily I say unto you, That even the most aban-
doned sinners of the age, such as the publicans
and common prostitutes, are much more open to
conviction, and more likely to be wrought upon
than you; and so many of them have already
been awakened to repentance, that their example
might lead you the way into the kingdom of God,
but with all your pretences to sanctity you will
32 not follow them. For, though you have not
integrity enough freely to own it, you know in of righteousness, and
your own consciences, that John came not unto ye believed him not:
you in a suspicious manner, but in the way of but the publicans and
righteousness, and did in all his ministry main- him. And ye, when
tain the uniform character of an upright and ye had seen it, repent-
pious man, as well as of a plain and awakening ed not afterward, that
preacher, yet you believed him not; but the ye might believe him.
publicans and harlots, of whom I spake, believed

him; and you were still so obstinate, that even
when you saw [it], and perceived a growing
reformation amongst the most abandoned of
mankind, yet you did not afterwards repent, [so
as] to believe him. (Compare Luke vii. 29, 30.
Vol. VI. p. 305.) And therefore I solemnly warn
you, that your condition will another day be
worse than theirs; and that you shall see those
whom you now despise and abhor, entering into
the glory from which you shall be excluded.

IMPROVEMENT.

32 For John came unto you in the way

the harlots believed

How little do the most specious pretences of piety signify if xxi. they are not animated by the heart, and confirmed by the

h Sir, I am going.] This was a proper emblem of the bypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees ; who addressed God under the most honourable titles, and professed

life!

the greatest readiness and zeal in his ser vice, while their whole lives were a series of disobedience and rebellion.

The parable of the vineyard let to wicked husbandmen.

189

cli.

life! How vain are all the complimental forms of religion when SECT. addressed to that God who penetrates all the secrets of the soul, and can have complacency in nothing but real and solid goodness! 28--31 Yet how many are there, who are free of their promises both to God and man, but always fail when the time of performance comes! And how many, with these unhappy rulers in Israel, go on to pride themselves in a kind of external nearness to God, and 32 perhaps in a boasted commission from him, who are themselves so far from his kingdom, that even publicans and harlots, who did not pretend to any religion, are more like to be brought into it than they, as being more open to a conviction of their sin and danger, and so more ready to embrace an offered Saviour! Let us dread the guilt of receiving the grace of God in vain, lest by rejecting the calls of the gospel, and abusing the privileges we enjoy, our hearts be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, so as to perish in impenitence and unbelief.

In vain do we, like these Pharisees, inquire into the evidences 23 of Christ's authority, if we are not heartily resolved to submit to it. Yet with such cavillers and hypocrites must his ministers expect to meet. May they learn, by the example of their great Master, to answer them with the meekness of wisdom, and to join 2!--27 the sagacity of the serpent with the gentleness and innocence of the dove!

Mark

X1.

23--24

The promises which are made to a miraculous faith in prayer, are not indeed our immediate concern; but we may truly inter from them some encouragement in favour of the prayer of faith, on whatever account, and in whatever circumstances it be offered. At least we may infer the necessity of forgiving injuries, if we 25, 26 desire 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 passion, but full of that cordial and universal benevolence which may engage us to pray for all men, and particularly for those who have least deserved our kindness, and seem least disposed to requite it.

SECT. CLII.

Christ utters the parable of the vineyard let out to unfaithful husbandmen; from which he takes occasion plainly to admonish the Jewish rulers of the danger and ruin they would incur by the schemes they were forming against him. Mat. XXI. 38, to the end; Mark XII.-1-12. Luke XX. 9—19.

OUR

MAT. XXI. 33.

SFCT.

UR Lord having thus reproved the priests
and elders in the temple who had been clii.