and his aged father beholding him a great way off, ran to meet him, fell upon his neck and kissed him; he ordered his rags to be changed for the best robe, the fatted calf to be killed, and joy to abound, for his lost son had returned home.

What a very striking representation is this, of the sinner, who having sought his whole happiness in this world, has been disappointed in all his expectations, is at length made willing to return to his God; and what a sweet exhibition it is of the love and compassion of Almighty God, who waits, like the father in this parable, to be gracious. O return, ye poor wandering sinners, and he will surely receive you."Behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God." (Jeremiah iii. 12 and 22.)

LUKE XVI.

149

THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.

He waits in vain, nor would they him afford
The broken relics of their festive board;

At length he dies, and freed from pain and care,
Kind angels him to Abraham's bosom bear.

THE parable of the prodigal son, which we have just noticed, exhibits to our view the manifest rich abundance of grace and compassion in God towards poor returning sinners. In the parable before us, as recorded in the 16th chapter of St. Luke, we have some solemn warnings of the condition of those who live despisers of the grace or God, and die without an interest in Christ. The substance of the parable is this: "There was a rich man who fared sumptuously every day, and was clothed in purple and fine linen; and at his gate was laid a poor beggar named Lazarus, who desired to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table, and the dogs licked his sores."

Here we observe a great contrast, one of the richest and one of the poorest men that dwelt upon the earth: and if it were possible for us to have our choice which of such characters we would rather be, it is probable we should be tempted to choose the state of the rich man; but we should make a foolish choice, for though dressed in gay clothing, and faring sumptuously, he was only preparing for eternal misery: while Lazarus, though a poor beggar, devoid of any one comfort that this life afforded, was a beloved child of God, for whom a mansion in heaven was prepared. But observe, it was not the riches of the one that sent him to hell, nor the distress of the other that procured heaven for him, for there is many a rich man that is a favourite of God, and many an afflicted poor man who will experience more sorrows in an