Matthew 21

Matthew 21:13

By their merchandise in the temple they robbed God of his due honour, and at the same time they defrauded their neighbours in their dealings with them

Matthew 21:19-22

This tree represents the Jews, who made great professions of their regard to God and readiness to receive the Messiah, but nevertheless brought forth no good fruits of faith or holiness; wherefore our Redeemer, by his curse, quickly ejected them from their church state, and rendered them fearfully miserable

Matthew 21:29-32

The first of these sons represents the notorious sinners of the Gentiles, who, after long professed rebellion against God their Creator and Preserver, did, at last, repent and turn to the Lord by the gospel: and the second represents the Jews, who, notwithstanding their high profession of readiness to serve God, did not believe in his Son, nor bring forth good works. 33—41, 43. This vineyard denotes the church-state given to the Jews, furnished with God’s oracles, ordinances, protection, and privileges. After withdrawing from them the cloudy pillar, and other miraculous tokens of his presence, he sent his prophets to remind them of their duty, direct them in it, and encourage them to it: but all of these they persecuted and murdered one after another. After a long interval, he sent his Son, as the last expedient for rendering them penitent and fruitful. But, when they saw him speaking and acting with divine power and authority, and extolled by the people as the Messiah, their rulers, in church and state, resolved to establish their own authority, by excommunicating, persecuting, and murdering, him:—on account of which, God, about forty years after his death, deprived them of all their pri- 2 vileges in church and state, and by sword, famine, pestilence, and captivity, rendered them dreadfully miserable; and admitted the Gentiles into the gospel church in their stead. 42, 44. Notwithstanding all the abuse and persecution which Christ suffered from the Jewish rulers till he was put to death upon the cross, yet was he exalted to glory, and made Head over all things to his church. They, who, through ignorance and prejudice, undervalued him in his state of humiliation, endangered their souls: but they, who obstinately reject him in his exalted state after the wonderful effusion of his Spirit, draw down upon themselves fearful and inevitable misery

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. XXI.—Let me at once behold in Jesus the omniscient, the all-commanding, the temple purifying, the miracle-working, God; and the weak man pinched with poverty and hunger! Yea, the true Messiah riding on an ass, attended with shouts of salvation, in order to die for the people! But what ignorant and diversified views men have of him! And how is the church of God often corrupted, and her ordinances profaned, while they, who ought to reform others, hate to be reformed, or to hear of others more devout than themselves, or to see God perform his promises to, and glorify, his Son! Yea, careless clergymen are apt to oppose every faithful administration of the truth, unless shame or fear restrain them. And the most ignorant and notorious sinners are frequently turned to the Lord and his ways, when forward professors draw back unto their everlasting perdition. But, if God bestow his means of salvation upon men, he will demand their careful improvement of them. And, if his ministers be condemned and persecuted, he will unchurch the persecutors at last, and put others in their room. Yea, let men trample the Redeemer under foot as they may, God will cause him to be highly exalted, and made the Connector and glory of his church. If men will not bow to the outstretched sceptre of his grace, they must, self-condemned, fearfully perish under the weight of his wrath. And awful is the prospect when faithful reproofs do but exasperate the reproved; and when God must make the awe of infuriors restrain the rage of persecuting superiors!