an hundred sheep, left the ninety and nine in quest of the one which was gone astray: as also to that of a woman searching, with all diligence, for a piece of silver that was lost, and rejoicing exceedingly when she found it. By these comparisons he intimated the great care all prophets and pastors ought to take of those committed to their care, and the obligation they lay under of searching diligently for every wandering sinner, whose conversion is a grateful offering to the Almighty. There is joy in the presence of the angels of God, over one sinner that repenteth.

But to illustrate this doctrine still farther, and to shew that the greatest sinner, if convinced of his unworthy and lost condition in himself, might find grace and favor in the sight of God, upon a devout and serious repentance, he delivered a most beautiful parable, which is deservedly esteemed a master-piece of its kind; and the substance of which is to the following effect:

A certain man had two sons, the younger of whom, not content to live in his father's house, safe under his protection, and happy under his eye, desired his father to give him the portion of goods which fell to his share. The indulgent father did not hesitate to grant his request; but the ungrateful son had no sooner obtained what he asked of his parent, than he left the presence and neigh borhood of so kind a father, and retired into a far country, where he had an opportunity of indulging, without restraint, his wicked inclinations; and there he wasted his substance in riotous living. Having thus consumed the portion given him by his indulgent parent, he began to feel the miseries of want, and, to add to his misfortunes, a terrible famine arose in the land; so that he soon became acquainted with the sharp stings of hunger. In this distressed condition, he hired himself to a citizen of that country, willing to try every expedient, rather than return to his kind, his merciful father, and humbly confess his faults. His master, from a just contempt of his former prodigality, employed him in the meanest and most contemptible offices; sending him into his field to feed swine. Behold here, ye sons of extravagance, a change indeed! Behold this thoughtless prodigal, reduced at once from a

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life of voluptuousness and gaiety, a life of pleasure and excess, to a life of the most abject slavery, a life of penury and want! Nay, so great was his hunger, so prodigious his distress, that he would have been contented, in this miserable state, to have satisfied the cravings of hunger with the most indifferent kind of food; but no man relieved him, no man shewed the least compassion for him; so that the very swine were in a better condition than this wretched prodigal..

Thus miserably reduced, he was brought to himself; he had hitherto been in a state of utter forgetfulness; but now began to reflect on his happy condition, while he continued with his father, before he had deviated from the paths of virtue, and to compare it with his present deplorable condition. How many hired servants of my father, said he to himself, have bread enough, and to spare, and I perish with hunger? I will therefore, undeserving as I am, have recourse to his mercy and favor. I will arise and go to my father, for such he still is, and I, though wretched and lost, am yet his son; I will therefore say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: that happiness is too great for me to expect or desire; I have, by my behavior, forfeited all the right I once had in so endearing, so valuable a title: Make me as one of thy hired servants. I desire nothing more, than that thou wouldst mercifully receive me even in the humble state of a menial servant.

Having thus made a firm resolution of throwing himself at the feet of his father, and imploring forgiveness for his past offences, he did not delay to put it immediately into execution; he arose, and with the utmost expedition went to his father.

A scene of tenderness and affection, amazingly pathetic, now presents itself to our view! His kind, his affectionate father saw him while he was yet afar off; his bowels yearned towards him, he had compassion on his lost, his ruined child: paternal fondness would not suffer him to forbear, he ran to meet him, he fell on his neck, he kissed him. Encouraged by this kind reception, the son fell down at his father's feet, and began to make con

fession of his faults, to plead his own unworthiness, to request his father's pardon: Father, said he, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son-He was not suffered to proceed any farther, the love of his parent prevented the rest; he commanded his servant to bring the best robe, and put it on him, to put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and to kill the fatted calf, that they might eat and be merry. For this, my son, said he, was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.

During this transaction, the elder brother was in the field, properly employed in his father's business; but returning from thence, and hearing the sound of mirth, music, and dancing, he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant? The servant replied, that his younger brother was returned, and that his father had killed the fatted calf, because he had received him safe and sound. This news greatly displeased the elder son; he was very angry, and refused to go in, upon which his father came out and intreated him; but he replied, Lo! these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment, and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends; but as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. Luke xv. 29, &c.

His father, with the most amiable condescending tenderness, replied, Son thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine: it was meet that we should make merry and be glad for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found. Though he hath been so indiscreet in his conduct, yet he is both thy brother and my son; thou shouldst not, therefore, be angry, because he has repented, and is returned, after we thought him irrecoverably lost.

Thus beautifully did our Lord represent the work of grace on the heart of man, from the first conviction of sin to the absolute confession of it; shewing at the same time there can be no true confession, without a thorough consciousness of guilt, a sense of our lost state, and an entire reliance on the mercy of God through Christ our Lord,

By this parable our Blessed Lord (in the character of the elder brother) reproves the unjust murmurings of the Pharisees, who were displeased at his conversing with sinners, though the salvation of such was the main end of his coming into the world.

Having thus exposed the pride and envy of the Pharisees, he next reproved them for their covetousness, and then proceeded to instruct his disciples in particular, and the multitude in general, what was the proper use they were to make of their riches; which he displayed by relating the following parable of the artful steward. "There was, (said he) a certain rich man, who had "a steward, and the same was accused unto him, that he "had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said "unto him, how is it that I hear this of thee? Give an "account of thy stewardship? for thou mayest be no longer "steward." This severe reprimand, and the inward conviction of his own conscience that the accusation was just, obliged the steward to reflect on his own ill mismanagement of his master's affairs, and in what manner he should support himself when discharged from his servitude." What shall I do? (said he) for my lord "taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig, to 66 beg I am ashamed." In this manner did he deliberate with himself, and at length resolved on the following expedient, in order to provide for himself after being discharged from his servitude. "I am resolved what to do, "that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may "receive me into their houses. So he called every one "of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, "how much owest thou unto my lord? and he said, an "hundred measures of oil; and he said unto him, take "thy bill and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then "said he to another, And how much owest thou? And " he said, an hundred measures of wheat. And he said "unto him, take thy bill, and write fourscore."

The instruction our Lord gave to his disciples from this parable was, not that they should imitate the injustice, but the forecast and policy of this steward, by employing his earthly riches to make them friends in the person of the poor, that, when they came to leave this transitory

world, they might, by these means, be received into everlasting habitations in heaven; and that the children of light might become as prudent in things relative to their salvation, as the children of this world were, in the management of their temporal affairs.

This discourse made little or no impression on the Pharisees: being stupified and intoxicated with sensual pleasures, they were deaf to every argument, however powerful, provided it was levelled against their worldly enjoyments. In order, therefore, to illustrate this truth, confirm his assertion, and rouse these hypocritical wretches from their lethargy, our Lord delivered the following most beautiful parable of the rich man and the beggar.

"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed "in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every "day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, "which was laid at his gate full of sores, and desiring to "be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's "table; moreover (so great was his misery, so exquisite "his distress) the dogs came and licked his sores." Thus wretched in life, the Almighty, at last released him, the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. Nor could the rich man's wealth rescue him from the same fate, the rich man also died and was buried. But behold now the great, the awful change! In hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and the late despised and afflicted Lazarus, in his bosom. In this agony of pain and distress, he cried to Abraham, begging that he would take pity on him, and send Lazarus to give him even the least degree of relief, that of dipping the tip of his finger in water, to cool his tongue, for his torment was intolerable. “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulph fixed; so that they which would pass from hence