mortal souls to hazard, than our bodies and estates to jeopardy'. The Pharisees heard these solemn admonitions with scorn, because they were covetous, and devoted to Mammon in every sense but they are plainly told that God knew their hearts; that a new order of things was at hand. "The Law and the Prophets were until John;" but the Baptist had preached the kingdom of God," which was not to destroy the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfil them. By this new Law their sensual habits should be corrected, and their most revolting and capricious cruelties in regard to divorce would not henceforth be permitted, except alone in the case of unfaithfulness 3. SECT. XCVII.-Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.Luke xvi. 19–31. JESUS, having rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, carnal-mindedness, and covetousness, returns to His discourse concerning the use and abuse of riches, and the evils of a worldly and voluptuous life; to which purpose He adds the parable of Dives and Lazarus 9. Him to unveil the scene, and open beyond the present world. present world. If there were no such prospect, then "let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die;" but, if all, as He taught, must stand before the judgment-seat of 'Abp. Tillotson. 8 Abp. Sumner. 9 This leads the prospect Dr. S. Clarke. from His instruction, instead of being gratified by His condescension, they made it a ground of accusation against Him: "This Man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them." Surely, to shut them out from the benefit of His presence, and then blame Him for it, is much the same as to accuse a physician, because he received into his house those who most required the benefit of the aid he could give them. Our Lord vindicates His conduct by the following parables, to show that the conversion of sinners is highly acceptable to God; and, therefore, that the embracing of every opportunity for effecting this important purpose ought not to be displeasing to men': and He addresses them to the "publicans and sinners, who drew near unto Him to hear Him." As men are more sensibly affected with joy at the recovery of any possession which had been lost, than in the continued enjoyment of what is incomparably more valuable; so the examples of the joy afforded to a shepherd, by the recovery of a sheep that had strayed, and was lost; and that of a woman, who had lost a piece of money, and was overjoyed at the recovery of it, after all her care and trouble in seeking after it; are given by Jesus as showing the triumph in His kingdom in the recovery of a sinner from his evil way, as being a peculiar Archbishop Sumner and Dr. Whitby. 6 Dean Stanhope. acquisition, even more grateful to Him than the continued felicity of established believers, of whose righteousness He was fully assured'. SECT. XCV.-Parable of the Prodigal Son.- STILL further to urge on His hearers how acceptable such a recovery is to God, Jesus relates the story of the prodigal son, and his welcome reception on his return home again', in a parable, remarkably beautiful, even in the letter of it, for the variety of its incidents, and the affecting manner in which they are related1. A younger son claims of his father the portion he was entitled to expect; and as the father was no doubt acquainted with the dissipated inclinations of his son, he had every inducement to refuse compliance; but he does not do so: notwithstanding that the application looks more like a demand than a request. It is probable that the custom was, that, in movable property, or "goods," the younger sons were entitled to demand their "portions," before the decease of their father, in order to establish themselves in life. Thus Abraham, in his lifetime, gave his other sons their portions, and let them go away; whilst Isaac, who had the birthright, that is, the larger share of the inheritance, like the elder son in this parable, remained with him, in order to succeed to it at the father's death. The text, indeed, seems to say, that here the father gave both his sons their proportions; -"he divided unto them his living;" but this would have been to strip himself of his possessions, which it is clear, from what follows, was not done 2. "And the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living." What a lively picture does this story present of a sinner in his wilful and ungrateful degeneracy and revolt from God,―our Father both by creation and protection, and in thus departing departing from his known duty, to comply with his vicious affections! This description of the prodigal is, alas! that of too many of God's family;—they take "the portion of goods that falleth to them;" they take their health, and their strength, and their understanding, and their fortune, and spend it, not in the service of their heavenly Father, but in the search how best to please, and serve, and amuse themselves. The prodigal son soon found the disappointment and dissatisfaction, which is sure to accompany evil courses, in the treachery of a deceitful and wicked world 5 he was soon reduced to the most infamous servitude, and to such a degree of wretched 4 2 Pictorial Bible. 3 Dr. Jortin. 5 Dr. Jortin. : ness, that he was on the point of perishing by hunger. This man had departed from God; and is soon reduced to a state of misery and degradation that is most feelingly described by his being represented as receiving an employment, which, in the notions of a Jew, must have been peculiarly offensive,—to be made a swineherd,—a circumstance showing the extreme want to which he must have been reduced, before he could have obliged himself to engage in this most odious occupation. He is described as receiving so scanty a pittance, even in this service, that, in the days of famine, it would not provide him with food'; and he would fain have been a partaker with the unclean animals, "in the husks the swine did eat." Nothing so powerfully calls the mind to the thoughts of home as distress: if we have a friend, it is then we think of him; if a benefactor, at that moment all his kindnesses press upon our mind: so it is, that those who, in the hour of their prosperity, forget God, do yet remember and return unto Him in the hour of their sorrow: "When our heart is in heaviness, we think upon God." While all went pleasantly with the prodigal, we hear not a word concerning his father;-no pang of remorse for the sufferings which his departure may have caused him, or any thought of returning; but, in the hour Bishop Pearce. Dr. Macknight. 6 |