[God had planted his Church among the Jews, and had cultivated it with peculiar careb. From it he expected a revenue of honour and glory : and when the people were for- getful to pay it, he sent his prophets to remind them of their duty, and to stir them up to the performance of it. But they abused his messengers in every successive age, and beat them, and sent them away empty. He, however, averse to punish them as they deserved, sent, last of all, his Son, in hopes that, when they should see his exalted dignity, his clear credentials, and his unbounded benevolence, they would reverence and obey him. But they, wishing to retain undisturbed possession of their lusts, determined to cast him out and kill him. And though, when warned that they would do so, they exclaimed, 'God forbid that we should treat the Messiah thusc!' they actually fulfilled the parable within the space of three days, and put to death God's only begotten Son.]
And is it not accomplished in us also ?
[It is true that we cannot crucify him as the Jews did, because he is not within our reach ; but nevertheless we cast him out with as much indignity as ever they did. As he was among them, " the man whom the nation abhorred," so is he still "despised and rejected of men," "a butt of contradiction" to an ungodly world4. How is he treated by the ungodly and profane*? When he comes to them in the ministry of the word, and demands their hearts for God, do they not thrust him away, saying, " Who made thee a ruler and a judge over usf ?" " We will not have this man to reign over usg ?" And how do the self-righteous moralists regard hime? When he calls them to build on him as the only foundation of their hopes, do they not make him a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence11? Do they not persist in going about to establish their own righteousness, instead of thankfully submitting to his1? Among his very followers too, are there not many self-deceiving professors*, who acknowledge him in words, but in works deny himk? If others crucify him more openly, these, like Judas, betray him with a kiss. Lastly, what shall be said of vile apostatese, who having once embraced his cause, decline from his ways, and go back unto the world? Are we not expressly told, that they crucify him afresh1, and " tread him under foot ? " By all of these then is Jesus cast out of the vineyard, as much as ever he was by the Jews of old.]
b Isai. v. 1—4. e ver. 16. a Luke ii. 34, 35.
e Shew under each of these heads (printed in Italics) what the Lord requires of them ; which however they will not do.
f Acts vii. 27. s Luke xix. 14. " h pv0m. jx> 30—33.
i Rom. x. 3. k Tit. I 16. 1 Heb. vi. 6.