The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 322

Gentile world, but those who eustained the seeing that Jesus claimed to be that Stono. ministerisl offi088 in the Christian Church. Bejeoted; &s being not suitable tb the build- Whioh (of..-,vn); of 8uch kind aa, denoting a ing, or useless in its construction. So the 01881! of servant&. The clause is peculiar to husband men rejected the Son. '.l'he· lgnor- Matthew. The speakers did not clearly &noo and contempt of men sre overruled by apprehend the bearing of this detail of the the great Architect. The head of the corner. parable. In their seasons. The times The comer-stone, which stands at the base when the various fruit& are ripe and ready and binds together two prinoip&l we.Us (see for harvesting. These would vary in dif- St. Paul's grand words, Eph. ii. 19-22). We ferent climate.a and under differing circnm- learn that Christ unites Jew &nd Gentile in stanoea; but the good husbandmen would one holy house (comp. I .Pet. ii. 6, 7). This be always ready to render to their Lord the (alJ'Ml), being feminine, is thought by some fruits of faith snd obedience, at every holy to refer to "head of the co1-ner" (ic«/>M¾/v 110aSOn snd in due proportion. This parable, •,,,,.,!as); but it is better to take it as used by spoken originally of Israel, applies, like all a Hebrew idiom for the neuter, and to refer snob similitndes, to the Christian Church generally to what has preceded, viz. the and to the huma.n soul. How God deals settlement of the corner-stone in its destined with individual Chnrohes we see in hie position, which is effected by the Lord him- words to the seven Churches of Asia. (Rev. self. The ultimate victory of the rejected i.-iii.). Ecoleeiastical history furnishes Son is thus distinctly predicted (oomp. Acts similar examples thronghont all ages. God iv. 11 ; Rom. ix. 33). gives privileges, and looks for results worthy Ver. 43.-Therefore I say unto yon. Having of these graces. He sends warnings; he denounced the sin, Christ now ennnciates raises up apostles, preachers, evangelists ; the punishment thereof, in continuation of and if a Church is still unfaithful, he takes his parable. Because ye slay the Son, reject away hill Spirit, and lets it lapse, and gives the Comer-stone, the vineyard, i.e. the kiilg- its inheritance to othera. In the other case, dom of God, shall be taken from yon. Ye shell the vineyard is the eonl of man, which he has no longer be God's peculiar people·: yoiir to cnltivate for his Master's nee. God has special privileges shall be to.ken away;. 'A hedged it round with the law, external and nation. The Christian Church, the spititupl iDternal, given it the ministry and sacra- Israel, formed !)hiefly from the G'entila ments and the Scripture, and looks to it to peoples (Acts xv.· 14; I Pet. ii. 9). TJiB bring forth the fruits of obedience, service, fruitsthereof(au..-;js); i;e. of the kingdom'of worship. He sends times of visitation, teach- God, euch faith, life, good works, as become ing, warniDg; he speaks to it by secret those thus favoured by Divine grace. ' ,' inspiration ; he calls it in loviDg tones to Ver. 44.-Ohrist proceeds to show the closer union. If it hearkens to the call, it positive and terrible results of such nnbelief. walks in the way of salvation; if it refuses Whosoever shall fall(,.. • .,.,:,.,, hath fallen) on t.o hear, it casts away the hope of its calling, this stone shall be broken ( <Tv/1871.air8-/iir•-ri:II, and must share the lot of Christ's enemies. ,hall be shattered to pieceB). This may refer to Ver. 42.-Did ye never read 1 It is as the practice of executing the punishment of though Obrist said, " Ye have answered stoning by first hurling the culprit from a rightly. Yon profess to know the Scriptures raised platform on to a rock or stone, and well ; do yon not, then, apprehend that Holy then Btoning him to death, The falling oil Writ foretells that concerning Messiah and the stone has been explained in more. ways· hisenemieswhich yonhsve jnstanno11nced?" than '6Ile.· Some think that it iml;'lies com- The imagery is cha.nged, but the subject is ing to Obrist in repentance and humility, the same as in the preceding parable. The with a contrite heart, which he will not vil>.eyard is now a building; the hnBbe'nd- despise. But the subject here is the punish- men are the bnildel'S ; the Son is the stone. • ment of the obdurate. Others take it to: In the Scriptures. The quotation is from represent an. attack made by the enenrieii of Ps. cxviii. 22, 23--the same psalm which was Christ, who shall demolish theineelves 'lir, need on the day of triumph when Christ was such onslaught. Th't ori~nal. will' h,a~<!.It ealnt.ed with cries of'' Hosanna I" and which, allow this interpretation. Doubtless tlle· as some say, was first sung by Israel at the allusion is to those ·:who 'found in Qhri&t;s: Fee.Bt of Tabernacles on the return from low estate e. stone of stumbling and tq!llf;'C!f Captivity. The stone. Thia figure was offence. These suffered grievous loss a~;!· generally understood to represent Messiah, danger even in this present time. The.re~ on whom depended the existence and eup- jection of the doctrine of Christ cruoifled port of the kingdom of God. Many pro- involves the loss of spiritual privileges, moral phecies containing this metaphor were debility, and whst is elsewhere called " the applied to him; e.g. Isa. :uviii. 16; Dan. ii. scattering abroad" (eh. xii. 30; comp. Isa. 84; Zech, iii. 9; IJ> that the Pharisees could viii. 14, 15). On whomsoever it shall fall, it be at no loss to nnderBtand the allusion, will grind him to powder (11.11eµ.-fiir .. a/JT011, ii oH. xxr. 1--46.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 827