656 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. XX. iSam. But they on the contrarydeclared,What portionhavewe iK?ngs *n David,neitherhave we inheritancein theson of Jesse. 12,16. Hence itfollows,And theybeathim also,and entreatedMm shamefully,and senthim away empty. But He doesnot stophere,foritfollows,And againfiesenta third:whereby we must understandthe company of prophetswho con stantlyvisitedthe peoplewiththeirtestimony.But which of theProphetsdid theynot persecute; as itfollows,And theywounded him also,and casthim out. Now thesethree successionsof servants,ourLord elsewhereshews to com prehendundera figurealltheteachersunderthelaw,when He says,For allthosethingsmust befulfilledwhich were writteninthelawofMoses,and theProphets,and thePsalms, concerningMe. THEOPHYL. Afterthe prophetsthenhad sufferedallthese things,the Son isdelegated;foritfollows,Then saidthe Lord of thevineyard,What shallI do? That the Lordof the vineyardspeaksdoubtingly,arisesnot from ignorance, forwhat istherethattheLord knows not? but He issaidto hesitate,thatthefreewillofman may be preserved.CYRIL. The Lord of the vineyardalsoponderswhat He shoulddo, not thatHe isin need of ministers,but thathavingtho roughlytriedeverydeviceof human aid,yet His people beingin no wisehealed,He may add somethinggreater;as He goeson tosay,I willsendmy belovedson: itmay bethey willreverencehim when theyseehim. THEOPHYL. Now He saidthis,not as ignorantthattheywould treatHim worse than theydid the prophets,but becausetheSon oughtto be reverencedby them. But iftheyshouldstillbe rebel liousand slayHim, thiswould crown theiriniquity.Lest thereforeany shouldsaythattheDivinePresencehasneces sarilybeenthecauseoftheirdisobedience,He usespurposely thisdoubtfulmode ofspeech. AMBROSE. When then the onlybegottenSon was sentto them,the unbelievingJews,wishingto be ridof theHeir, put Him to deathby crucifyingHim, and rejectedHim by denyingHim. ChrististheHeirand theTestatorlike wise. The Heir,becauseHe survivesHis own death; and of thetestamentwhichHe Himselfbequeathed,He reapsas itwere the hereditaryprofitsin our advances.BEDB. But