Henry. But they had been God's people, had they not?

Mrs. B. Yes, my dear; and for that reason they are alluded to in the parable as the elder son. From this time, however, all nations were to be placed upon an equality; the Gentiles (that is, all the rest of the world) were to be brothers to the Jews, and to partake of the mercy of the same Father; and it was at once to shew them this, and to reprove them for their pride and contempt of the Gentiles, that our Saviour probably introduced the last part of the parable; though we may also well take it to ourselves as a moral lesson. I hope, however, my loves, that I need not warn you against so detestable a vice as this of envy. I will, therefore, rather make you remark, before we quit this parable, the kind and gentle reproof which the father gives to his son. He does not upbraid him with the greatness of his sin; he leaves him to consider it on cooler reflection, and he contents himself with shewing him how unreasonable was his dissatisfaction, and how great the blessings

which he himself enjoyed. "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine." And so says our Father to those who truly and faithfully serve Him, who remain ever in His house: all His mercy, all His comforts, all His love, are ever with them. "He dwelleth in them, and they in him."1 Even here His Spirit is ever with them, and hereafter they shall dwell with Him for ever. But he says to them also, Despise not those who appear less good, less religious than yourselves: above all, rejoice in every amendment that you see in them; rejoice when these your 66 younger brothers" come back to their Father's home, sensible of their folly, and seeking again His protection. And believe me, my children, that when we so rejoice in the amendment of others; above all, when we contribute to it, if we can, we are doing that which God Himself declares "it is meet" that we should do: that, when we ourselves repent and turn again to God, we give joy to the angels that are in heaven: and when we lead a brother to God and to

1 1 John iv. 16.

L

110 PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON.

holiness, those blessed angels themselves rejoice with us, saying, that "this our brother was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found." And now, my loves, may this parable, and all other portions of the Holy Word of God, sink into your hearts, and there bring forth their blessed fruit in God's good season! May He be with us, and teach us, and guide us to His house of everlasting happiness!

Mary. Thank you, dear Mamma! I am quite sorry we have finished this parable, for I have liked it very much.

Henry. And so have I, Mamma. I hope you have got some more for us.

Mrs. B. Oh! yes, my loves, I have several more which I can read you; and I am glad to see that you are not tired, and that you seem to understand so much of what I read. I will select another parable for you by to

morrow.

"You will have seen, my dears," said Mrs. B., when her children came the following day, with the request that she would read them another parable, "that those which we have hitherto read, relate almost exclusively to our duty towards God. That which I have taken for this evening's reading, prescribes to us one principal part of our duty to our neighbour.'

Mary. Did you not tell me the other day, Mamma, that doing our duty to our neighbours was a part of our duty to God?

Mrs. B. I did, my dear Mary; for all duty is duty to God, inasmuch as it is in obedience to His commands; and as the motive of all our actions ought to be love for Him, and a desire to please Him. But by our duty to God, in an especial manner, is meant what is called by Jesus Christ "the first and great commandment," and in the words of our Church Catechism, "to believe in him, to fear him, and to love him with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul, and with all our strength to worship him, to give him thanks, to put our whole trust in him, to call upon him, to honour his holy name and his word; and to serve him truly all the days of our lives." I ought perhaps rather to have told you, that the parables which we have hitherto read, treat more particularly of the conduct of God towards man, in the government of the world,

1 Matt. xxii. 38.