bad received the Kingdom, Thofe mine Enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and lay them before me. The Evangelift obferves, that Jefus fpake this Parable, because he was nigh unto Jerufalem, and because they thought, that the Kingdom of God fhould immediately appear, Ver. 11. He lets them know therefore that, inftead of enjoying the mighty temporal Advantages they promised themselves from the Coming and Kingdom of the Meffiah, they should be exposed to a dreadful Vengeance from him on Account of their Difobedience and Unbelief.

I ..

The Rejection of the Jews is alfo plainly pointed out in the former Part of the Parable of the Marriage-Feaft, Matt. xxii. It is there obferved that thofe to whom the Invitation was firft fent made light of it: And it is added, that the Remnant took his Servants, and intreated them fpitefully, and flew them; and he fent forth his Armies, and deftroyed thofe Murderers, and burnt -up their City. Ver. 6, 7. Than which no Words could reprefent, in a more lively Manner, the dreadful Ruin that should come upon the obftinate unbelieving Jews and the City of Jerufalem. The latter Part of this Parable in which it is reprefented, that, when thofe that were firft

bidden had refused the Invitation, the King fent bis Servants into the High-Ways, to bid as many as they should find to the Marriage, refers plainly to the Calling of the Gentiles. The fame Thing feems also to be fignified in the Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard, Matt. xx. 1-16, where, by thofe that were hired into the Vineyard at the eleventh Hour, the Gentiles feem particularly to be understood, who were called laft of all, and yet fhould receive an equal Reward, and be admitted to equal Privileges with the Jews, who were God's ancient People. The Envy of the Jews, on that Account, is reprefented in a lively Manner, Ver. 11, 12. and God's gratuitous Vocation of the Gentiles is vindicated in that Expoftulation, Ver. 13, 14, 15, where the Mafter of the Vineyard is introduced as faying to thofe that murmured against him, Friend, I do thee no Wrong: I will give unto this laft, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine Eye evil, becaufe I am good? The Parable concludes with this Maxim, that the Laft shall be First, and the First Laft; which is the fame that he elsewhere. makes Ufe of, after having faid, that many fhall come from the East, and from the Wft, and from the North, and from the South, and fhall fit down with Abraham, Isaac,

and

+

and Jacob, in the Kingdom of God, whilst the Children of the Kingdom, to he calls the Jews, shall be caft out. Luke xiii. 29, 30. Matt. viii. I, 12.

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In these feveral Parables of our Saviour that have been mentioned his great Wifdom, and his Fore-knowledge of future Events, is very eminent. The Reprefentations are easy and familiar, yet very strong and expreffive, and admirably chofen; and though there be fome Things in them, which were not clearly perceived, when they were first delivered; yet, when they were afterwards verified in the Event, the Intention of them was plain, and the Fitness and Propriety of them manifeftly appeared: To which it may be added, that fome of them are of a mixed Nature, and are expreffed by our Saviour in fuch a Manner, as both to answer a present Defign particularly fuited to the Age or Time in which they were delivered, and alfo to give lafting Inftructions, that might be of great and general Ufe in the fucceeding Ages of the Church. And it would be a wrong Thing, in explaining these Parables, to confine them to a narrower Senfe than the Latitude of the Words will well bear.

I now proceed, Secondly, to what I principally had in View, and that is to confider those of Chrift's Parables that are

directly

directly and immediately defigned for conveying to us religious and moral Inftructions, for giving us juft Notions of Religion, and directing and regulating our moral Temper and Conduct. And fuch are the far greater Part of our Saviour's Parables, as recorded by the Evangelifts: They are defigned either to inforce acknowledged Truths and important Duties, to reprefent them in a clearer Light, and imprefs the Mind with a more lively affecting Senfe of them or to lead the Hearers into a Senfe and Conviction of fome Truths and Duties which otherwife would not have been fo readily received and acknowledged: For, when a Thing is proposed in the Way of Parable, it is often heard with greater Attention and less Prejudice, and Perfons are thereby infenfibly brought to an Acknowledgment of what they would not fo eafily have come into, if it had been directly propofed.

And here again, as to the Parables of this Kind, it may be obferved that most of them feem to be particularly defigned to inculcate fome one important Point of Truth or Duty; others of them are of a larger Extent, and feem not to be confined merely to one particular View, but contain feveral useful and excellent Leffons.

First, Our Lord's Parables feem generally to have one particular Point in View, which it is the fpecial Defign of each Parable to inculcate and inforce.

I fhall take Notice of feveral Parables of this Kind, and, for greater Distinctness, fhall range them under feveral Heads, according to the feveral Points of Inftruction, or Duty, they are intended to re-t commend.

Some are defigned to guard us against an inordinate Love to this prefent World, and to engage us to make a right Use of worldly Riches.

Others are intended to recommend and inculcate an univerfal Benevolence, and à Readiness to do Good to all Men, without Exception; and particularly to recommend the Forgiveness of Injuries, which is one eminent Branch of that Benevo◄ lence.

Others are intended to engage and encourage Sinners to Repentance, by reprefenting the infinite Mercies of God towards fincere Penitents, and how highly pleafed he is with their Return.

The Defign of others of our Saviour's Parables is to fhew the Infufficiency of bare external Profeffions or Privileges to recommend us to the Divine Favour and Acceptance, when not accompanied