We have the fame without any conſiderable Alteration, Mar. il. 27,22,29,30,31,32,33. Luke alſo records the ſame Fiſtory, CMP. 20, 1,2, 3, 4,5,9, 7,% With no conſiderable difference, only lie thus pretacerh ro ir: And it came to paſs, that on ine of 912 &:ys, as he taught the People in the Temple , and Preached the 01pe!, tre chief Prieſts end the Scribes came upm him with the El-
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mite is inrexpreted bY Vir. 22. [ Al things whatſoever ye ſhall ask rod fing®- ſhall receive, | We met with the like Expreſſion
in Prayer) »
pr ohibiting any ro Preach in the Temple wichour Anchoricy from the Chi:f Prieſts and Elders. If any one think this was not an appolice Antwer to the Queſtion prop -unded to him, 1, They Ougit to contider , that our Saviour did cruly judge they deferved no Anſwer ; tor his Works had teſtified of him, that he ated by a Divine Power ; he ſhould not need rell them ſo, in fo many Words. 2. In very deed there was a dire& Anfiver couched 1n this Queſtion ot our Saviour. I pray, faith he, by whar Authority
did 7ohn Preach and Baptize? They could nor fay by an Human? Authyrity, for they knew he was nor Licenſed by cheir 3: Rers [c muſt tollow that he Affted by vercue of an extraordinary Divine Mitfion, to do I (faich our Saviour) and have given you 4 -reater Proof of it than ever Fohn Baptis did. But our Lord well knew
that the Phariſees had a greater Reverence for Fob tlie Baptiif than for him, and that many of the People had a great Opinion of John, indeed greater than of him, our Saviour c:mir Exting and Drinking, as he expreſſeth ir, (mY is) being of a more free
and fociable Converſation, which did nor fo pleaſe the Pharifai- cal, moroſe and ſupercilious Humour ; he theretore chuſeth to reach them by a Queſtion, in which as ſoon as they could reſolve themſelves, they might know by what Authoricy he did, what he did. Beſides, by the Baptiſm of Fohn, mentioned in our Sa- viour's Queſtion, is not ro be underſtood only his Adminiſtration of B.iptiſmn, bur Is Do&rine, and indeed the whole of his Mini- ſry : For as his Baptiſm js called the Baptiſm of Repentance, 1o the Phariſees here argue, thar if they ſhould ſay Fom Heaven, he would lay , Why then did you not believe him 2 which muſt be underſtood. of his Do&rine. A grear part of John's Do&rine was,that the Merch was come, that Chri was he, Joh. 1. 20, he pointed to him and faid: Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the Sins of the World, which had they believed, they would never have come to him with fo filly a Queſtion » The Phariſees theretore rightly judged, how they would be cnfnared, if they had faid 7obr's Bap- ti/m and Dy&rine was from God, for then a Divine Faith was duc to 1s Words,and they muſt have owned Chriſt to be the Meſſi.th. Bur why did nor they ſay of Men? The Text fairh, They fearet tne Peple, Thoſe who will nor fear God, ſhall have fomerhing to fear ſordidly, and ſlaviſhly. The People all owning 7ohn as a Prophet, a Man thar had an extraordinary Mifſion from - God, and Commiſion to reveal the Mind, and Will of God ; and would have cried ſhame upon them, had they drſparaged him, as one thar ſpake of his own Head : They fay, We cannot tell, Herein they lyed. Our Saviour replies, Neither do T tell you, &c. Nor, I cannor tell you, bur I do nottell you : I will tell you no more chan what 7ohn hath long fince told you, and what if you will,
you and all Men may know by my Miracles, |
28 But what think you ? A certain man had two ſons, and he came to the firſt, and ſaid, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
29 Heanſwered, and ſaid, I will not : but after- ward he repented. and went.
30 And he came to the ſecond, and faid likewiſc: And he-anſwered, and ſaid, I go, fir, and went not.
31 Whether of them twain did the will of his fa- ther? They ſay unto him, The firſt, Jeſus {faith unto
the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. ch
publicans and the harlots believed him. And ye, when ye had ſen zz, repented nor afterward, that ye might believe him.
Matthew alone menrtioneth this Parable, The Scope of it is taught us , ver. 31, Th? Publicans and Harlots go (that is, ſhall go) into the Kingdom of Heaven before you ; That is, you Phariſees. Who theſe Phariſees, and who the Publieans were, we ſhewed betore, Chap. 3. 7. The Publicans were very odious to the Fews ; Sce Mar. 2. 16, Harlots are great Sinners. By the Kingdom of Heaven, here is meant , that of G/ory, Our Lord's faying, thar Publicans and Halots ſhould go in before the Phariſees, doth nor imply thar they ſhould tollow. Ir only fignitiech char ſome who nad been Publicans, ( as Matthew, and Zaccheus ) and Har- lots, were in a better Condition than theſe Phariſees : He proves ir becauſe they had ane the Will of God, which the Phariſees nor- withſtanding all their fair Profefſion , had not, bur reſiſted ir ; and particularly, in the Miniſtry of 7ohn the Baptist, who came ro them, In the way of Righteouſneſs , Preaching the true Dofrine of Righreouſneſs, and living an Holy and Righteous Lite ; upon che hearing of whoſe Do&rine ſome of the Publicans, and other great Sinners had believed in Chriſt ; bur the Phariſees, tho' chey heard his Dofrine , ſaw his Converfation , and fav others repent , and own Chriſt, yet were fo tar from Believing , thar chey would not Repent, that they might believe ; they would nor be awakened to any Senſe of their finful Courfes, nor amend any thing of their tormer Ways , that they might receive Chriſt and imbrace his Righreouſneſs, and Salvaticn, For alrho Evangelical Repentance is the Fruit of Faith , yer that Re- pentance which lierh in a previous ſenſe of Sin, and a Refolu- tion to leave Sinful Courſes , goeth before ir. | Now «© Illu- ſtrate, and preſs this home upon the Conlciences of theſe Phariſees, our Saviour brings this Parable ( as Nathan did ro David, 2 Sam. 124 1. and 11.) thar they might , being Con- victed, Condemn themſelves. Hence the Parable is eafily un- derſtood : The Man mentioned 1s God, The two Sons were the Phariſces, a People highly pretending Obedicnce ro rhe Law of God, and making a great ſhew ot Religion; and che Publicans and Harlots great Sinners , bad and vile People, ma-. king no Pretence to Religion ; God faith co che one, and che
97%, Vich makes it plain, that their Queſtion principally re- ce 55 Our Saviour's Preaching, It ſhould leem, they had a Law