The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 353

Gen. xxix. 27; Jurlg. xiv. 12; Tobit viii. 19, different scorners, who are too bnsy with 20). Morison compares our English word their worldly concerns to attend to the "nuptiale." In the Old Testament, Jehovah claims of the gospel. So we read, "The is the Husband of his Church; in the New, Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard Ohrist is represented as married to the spiri- all these things; and they scoffed at him" tual Israel, which takeij the place of the olde:r (Luke xvi. 14; comp. eh. xix. 23, 24). Hie dispensation. For his son. Jesus Chriet, farm; ..-ov t8,av &:ypov: hi, ou,n farm, or whose intimate union with his Church is estate, This is the landed proprietor,who goes often represented under the figuro of a mar- to the selfish enjoyment of his poeseesiona. riage (see oh. ix. 15; John iii. 29; 2 Co:r. His merchandise. Tbis is the busy trader, xi. 2; Eph. v. 23, 32; Rev. xix. 7). who is engrossed in tbe pursu.it of wee.Ith Ver. 3.-Sent forth hie servants, In the (compare the excuses in Luke xiv. 18, 19). East, the original invitation to a solemn Ver. 6.-The remnant. These form the festivity ie followed by reminilers as the eecond class of recalcitrant guests. They day approaches ( comp. Esth. v. 8; vi. 14). are actively hostile to the King and hie The servants here are John the Baptist, the messengers, rejecting them not merely for twelve apostles, the eeventy, who first worldly or interested motives, but from in- preached the gospel to the Jewieh people. tense hatred to the doctrines which they Them that were bidden. The Jews had taught. Such were the scribes and Phari• already been invited to come in; to them sees, who could not endure to see the Law already belooged " the adoption, and the superseded, and the Gentiles raised to their glory, and the ooveuants . . . and the level; such we:re the Saddncees, who scoffed promisee" (Rom. ix. 4). Theee ew-ly at a faith founded on the resurrection, and missionariee were sent to bring such things refneed credit to the miraculone with which to their remembrance, and to bid them obey the gospel was interwoven. Took hie the call. They would not (ouir l';B,hov) servants. The narratives in the Acts give come. Their reasons for refusal are not many instances of the seizure and imprison- given hera-- fact which differentiates this ment of apostles and believers (see Acts iv. parable from that of the great supper. A 3; iL 2; xii. 4, etc.). Entreated (treated) general disinclination or aversion is denoted ; them spitefully (see Acts v. 40; xiv.19; xvi. no actual outrage is perpetrated as yet, but 23, eto.; 2 Cor. x.i. 23-25). Slew them; e.lJ. the invited guests are ripening for this stage, Stephen (Acts viL 58), Ja.mes (Acts xii. 2) . .in that they despise the King's Son, and All but one of the apostles died violent believe not in his Divine mis,,ion. This deaths at the hands of those who rejected backwardness and obduracy recall Christ's the gospel ; and there must have been lamentation, "0 Jerusalem, Jernealem I" numbers of martyrs of whom hktory ha.i (Luke xiii. 34, 35). preserved no record, though their no.mes Ver. 4.-0ther servants. The apostles are written in heaven, which is far better. and their immediate followers after the Ver. 7.-When the king heard thereof. death and resurrection of Christ, and the The text varies here. Some manUBcripte effusion of the Holy Ghost. A fresh call have "that king," to whom the rejection of was mercifully given with new gra.cee and his messengers was a personal insult(comp. new degrees of revelation. My dinner (..-1; 2 Sam. L 4, etc.). The Sino.itic, Vatican, lfp,cr..-ov /',Ou). This is the lighter midday meal, and other authorities omit iiKo~cr,u, "heard which was the commencement of the festivi- thereof," and it may well be a gloss from ties, and was followed by the supper (0•11r•ov) the human view that the king, not being in the evening. Are killed. Tho great personally present, must have been informed .Sacrifice has been offered, the 'Victim slain of the incidents. At the same time, the (John vi. 51-59), the Holy Spirit has made King, regarded as God, needs no report to all thiugs ready. Here are graoe, health, acquaint him with what is going on. He abundance, to be had for acoeptance. We was wroth. The injury was done to him, may compare the invitation of Wisdom in and he resents it (comp. Luke x. 16; John the Old Testament (Prov. iL I, eto.) with xii. 48). His armies. The Romana, under this of Christ. In Jewish minds the bless- Vespasilln and TitUB, the unconscious instru- ings of Meesiah'e kingdom are constantly ments of his nngeance. So the Assyrie.na eonnected with the idea of a sumptuous are called "the rod of God's anger" (Isa. x. feast, as in Luke xiv. 15 ; and our Lord 5; xiii. 5; comp. Jer. nv. 9; Ii. 20). Some himself uses the same image (oh. viii. 11; regard the" armies" as angels, the minister, Luke xxii. 30). of God's punishment, especially in war, Ver. 5.-They ma.de light of it, and went famine, and pestilence, the three scourgee their ways. They who refused the invita- whioh accomplished the ruin of the Jews. tion are divided into two classes-the first Probably both angels and men w-e inrluJed mentioned in this verse, the second in the in tho term. Destroyed , . , blll"Iled up following, These are simply e11rcless, in- their city. No lunger his city, but theirs, the  358 TIIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [cu. um. 1-10.