14. For many are called, but few are chosen.

All who are called are not approved of. The proportion between those called and those rejected does not seem to be here referred to: for according to the literal interpretation of the parable, there was but one rejected out of a large number.

REFLECTIONS.

1. How thankful should we be that we are invited to this feast, the privileges and honours of the Christian dispensation! It contains the choicest blessings of heaven; food which is suited to every palate, calculated to refresh and cheer the mind; as much superior to the provisions we had before, as a royal banquet is to an ordinary meal. There was a time when we were not thus honoured; when the favour of the Divine Being seemed to be confined to one nation, and we of the Gentile race appeared to be neglected and despised by him; and although we had no reason to complain of our condition at that time, yet ought we to admire and praise his liberality, which now admits the whole human race to sit at his table, and which has made such a happy change in their circumstances. The fall of the Jews is become the riches of the Gentiles. O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Let us not repeat the folly of the Jews, who, when invited to accept of the blessings of the gospel, refused to attend to the invitation, and turned to their farms and their merchandize. We have seen how severely they have been punished for their offence; we have seen that which was only foretold in this parable fully accomplished; we have seen those murderers destroyed,

and their city burnt up; and we shall be chargeable with double folly, if, with the effect of theirs before our eyes, we choose to imitate it.

2. We see how necessary it is to possess the virtues of Christians, if we expect to enjoy the full benefits of their religion. Although we embrace Christianity, rank ourselves among the followers of Jesus, and partake of all the privileges of the Christian church; yet, if we subdue not our passions; if we practise not the virtues of piety and benevolence, there is something wanting, which is necessary to procure us admission into heaven. There is an eye which penetrates through all outward forms, and observes the dispositions of our minds, and the real conduct of our lives. Let us now, therefore, seriously reflect upon this subject, and endeavour to prevent that dreadful horror and dismay, that speechless confusion, which will seize us at the last day, if, when we present ourselves to our judge, we are found destitute of any of those qualifications which he requires: disregarding external forms, as of little consequence, let us apply ourselves to cultivate substantial virtues in our hearts and lives. This is the only attire which is beautiful in his eye, and which can procure us a seat at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

While we know that we are clothed in this apparel, we may look forward with joy to the period, when, according to the language of the parable, the king shall come to review his guests; it will be a period of exultation and triumph; a period when we shall enjoy in perfection those refined pleasures, of which the present privileges and blessings of the gospel are but a slight foretaste.

Matthew xxii. 15----33.

15. Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk, "in his discourse."

In the twenty-third verse of the preceding chapter we find an attempt was made to put Jesus to silence by the members of the Sanhedrim, by asking him, by what authority he acted; but perceiving that they could do nothing against him by the influence of public authority, the same malicious enemies have recourse to secret artifices, in order to accomplish his ruin. They send persons to ask him captious questions, by answering which he might lose his credit with the people, or exhimself to the jealousy of the Roman governor.--pose To these measures the Pharisees might likewise be provoked by the parable of the marriage supper, in which he plainly foretold the destruction of Jerusalem, and the call of the Gentiles.

16. And they sent unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.

We know that thou speakest the truth freely, teaching, with sincerity, that way of life which will please God; and that thou regardest not the external condition of men, whether they be high or low, rich or poor, so as to accommodate thy instructions to their vitiated taste, and to obtain their favour or avoid their displea

sure.

The Herodians are supposed to be those Jews who concurred with Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee; who, in order to gain the favour of Augustus, the emperor of Rome, persuaded the Jewish nation to pay the tribute which he had imposed upon them. They were principally of the sect of the Sadducees; for the evangelist Mark (viii. 15.) represents Jesus as saying to his disciples, "beware of the leaven of the Pharisces, and of the leaven of Herod;" instead of which Matthew has, (xvi. 6.) "the leaven of the Sadducees;" so that the different appellations only expressed the same persons.

The Pharisees maintained an opposite doctrine, that it was not lawful to pay tribute to any foreign power; which they grounded upon Deut. xvii. 15. which says, "Thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother;" and in this sentiment they were followed by most of the people.

Violently as these two sects hated each other, they forgot their antipathies, to unite in a scheme for destroying the life, or ruining the credit of Jesus. With professions of the greatest respect to him, and of a tender regard to the dictates of conscience in themselves, they propose to him a question, which, in whatever way he answered it, would, as they apprehended, expose him to danger: for if he declared that it was not lawful to pay tribute unto Cæsar, the Herodians would take occasion to represent him to Pilate as a seditious person, who opposed the authority of the Roman government: if, on the other hand, he decided in favour of the lawfulness of paying tribute, he would give great offence to the common people, who were zealous in maintaining the contrary doctrine, and thought it the great business of the Messiah, when he came, to deliver them from the taxes and oppressions of the Romans. Such a decision would, in their apprehension, be inconsistent with the claims which he might appear to have to that character. Confident of the success of the scheme which they had thus laid for ensnaring him, they propose to him the following question.

17. Tell us, therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not?

18. But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?

He calls them hypocrites, because, while they made conscience and a regard to the divine will a pretext for this question, the real motive was a desire to ensnare him.

19.

Shew me the tribute-money; and they brought unto him a penny. This was a Roman coin, in circulation among the Jews, of the value of seven-pence halfpenny of our money; in this coin the tribute had been usually paid; but upon what it was levied, whether upon persons or property, or in what proportion, does not appear.

20. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?

The Roman money, as well as our own, bore the image of the prince, and contained an inscription with his name, titles, and claims.

21. They say unto him, Cæsar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's and unto God the things that are God's.

As you suffer Cæsar's coin to be circulated among you, you thereby virtually acknowledge his authority over you, and that you are bound to pay him tribute, like other Roman provinces. Render to him, therefore, that which, by your own acknowledgment, is his due: paying tribute to Cæsar is not inconsistent with your duty to God: he claims, however, from you obedience to his laws, which you must carefully render to him, even when they happen to interfere with the claims

of Cæsar.

The Pharisees, and with them the great body of the Jews, through a mistaken idea of religious obligation, were inclined to refuse obedience to the Roman governor: on the other hand, the Herodians, in order to court the favour of the great, were for sacrificing every thing to him, both their religion and their consciences. The answer of our Lord regards both. To the former he says, that their obligation to obey God did not prevent them from obeying the civil magistrate, in those things