Isaiah, Chapter 5, verses 1-7
1 Under the parable of a vineyard, God excuseth his severe judgementPhilippians, Chapter 4, verses 6-9
4 he proceedeth to general exhortations4
4:6 Be anxiously careful for nothing - If men are not gentle towards you, yet neither on this, nor any other account, be careful, but pray. Carefulness and prayer cannot stand together.In every thing - Great and small. Let your requests be made known - They who by a preposterous shame or distrustful modesty, cover,stifle, or keep in their desires, as if they were either too small or too great, must be racked with care; from which they are entirely delivered, who pour them out with a free and filial confidence. To God - It is not always proper to disclose them to men. By supplication - Which is the enlarging upon and pressing our petition. With thanksgiving - The surest mark of a soul free from care, and of prayer joined with true resignation. This is always followed by peace. Peace and thanksgiving are both coupled together, Col 3:15.
4:7 And the peace of God - That calm, heavenly repose, that tranquility of spirit, which God only can give. Which surpasseth all understanding - Which none can comprehend, save he that receiveth it. Shall keep - Shall guard, as a garrison does a city. Your hearts - Your affections. Your minds - Your understandings, and all the various workings of them; through the Spirit and power of Christ Jesus, in the knowledge and love of God. Without a guard set on these likewise, the purity and vigour of our affections cannot long be preserved.
4:8 Finally - To sum up all. Whatsoever things are true - Here are eight particulars placed in two fourfold rows; theformer containing their duty; the latter, the commendation of it. The first word in the former row answers the first in the latter; the second word, the second and so on. True - In speech.Honest - In action. Just - With regard to others. Pure - With regard to yourselves. Lovely - And what more lovely than truth?Of good report - As is honesty, even where it is not practised.If there be any virtue - And all virtues are contained in justice.If there be any praise - In those things which relate rather to ourselves than to our neighbour. Think on these things - That ye may both practise them yourselves, and recommend them to others.
4:9 The things which ye have learned - As catechumens.And received - By continual instructions. And heard and seen - In my life and conversation. These do, and the God of peaceshall be with you - Not only the peace of God, but God himself, the fountain of peace.
Matthew, Chapter 21, verses 33-43
28 and rebuketh them by the similitude of the two sons, 35 and the husbandmen who slew such as were sent unto them21
21:33 A certain householder planted a vineyard - God planted the Church in Canaan; and hedged it round about - First with the law, then with his peculiar providence: and digged a wine press - Perhaps it may mean Jerusalem: and built a tower - The temple:and went into a far country - That is, left the keepers of his vineyard, in some measure, to behave as they should see good. Mar 12:1; Luk 20:9.
21:34 He sent his servants - His extraordinary messengers, the prophets: to the husbandmen - The ordinary preachers or ministers of the Jews.
21:41 They say - Perhaps some of the by - standers, not the chief priests or Pharisees; who, as St. Luke relates, said, God forbid, Luk 20:16.
21:42 The builders - The scribes and priests, whose office it was to build up the Church. Is become the head of the corner - Or the chief corner stone: he is become the foundation of the Church, on which the whole building rests, and is the principal corner stone, for uniting the Gentiles to it, as the chief corner stone of a house supports and links its two sides together. Psa 118:22.
21:43 Therefore - Because ye reject this corner stone. The kingdom of God - That is, the Gospel.
5 Israel, God's vineyard, his mercies, and their faithfulness, should be laid waste, Isa 5:1-7.
Judgments upon covetousness, Isa 5:8-10.
Upon drunkards, and the lascivious, Isa 5:11-12.
The great misery of the Jews, Isa 5:13-17.
Judgments on impiety, scoffers at God's threatnings, those who corrupt the notions of good and ill, strong - drinkers, and unjust judges, Isa 5:18-23.
God's anger, and the Chaldeans army against them, Isa 5:24-30.
5:1 Now - I will record it to he a witness for God, and against you, as Moses did his song, Deu 31:19 Isa 5, Deu 32:1, .To - To the Lord of the vineyard. Of my beloved - Not devised by me, but inspired by God. Vineyard - His church. Hill - Hills being places most commodious for vines.
5:2 He gathered - He removed all hindrances, and gave them all the means of fruitfulness. A tower - For the residence of the keepers.
5:6 Nor digged - Vine - dressers use to dig up and open the earth about the roots of the vines. The meaning is, I will remove my ministers, who used great care and diligence to make you fruitful. Thorns - I will give you up to your own lusts. No rain - I will deprive you of all my blessings.
5:7 Pleasant - In whom God formerly delighted. A cry - From the oppressed, crying to men for help, and to God for vengeance.