---------------------------------------- ---------------------- ,transcriber's note ,printer errors3 ,a number of printer errors and some punctuation errors have been corrected1 but inconsistent hyphenation has been left as in the original4 ,details of the printer errors can be found in the ,,html version of this e,book4 ,greek3 ,this book contains a number of ,greek words and phrases4 ,these have been transliterated4 ,to see the correct rendering1 use the ,,utf-#h text or ,,html version of this e,book4 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------- ,,the ,,parables ,,of ,,our ,,lord4 ,,works ,,by ,,the ,,same ,,author4 ,i4 ,,new ,,edition1 ,,complete ,,in ,,one ,,volume1 ,,laws ,,from ,,heaven ,,for ,,life ,,on ,,earth3 ,illustrations of the ,book of ,proverbs4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth4 ,price #gs4 #f;d4 ,,ii4 ,,roots ,,and ,,fruits ,,of ,,the ,,christian ,,life4 ,crown #hvo4 ,price #gs4 #f;d4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,race ,,for ,,riches1 ,,and ,,some ,,of ,,the ,,pits ,,into ,,which ,,the ,,runners ,,fall4 ,foolscap #hvo4 ,price #as4 #f;d4 ,t4 ,,nelson ,,and ,,sons4 ,,london1 ,,edinburgh1 ,,and ,,new ,,york ,,the ,,parables ,,of ,,our ,,lord4 ,by the ,,rev4 ,,william ,,arnot4 ,,london3 ,t4 ,,nelson ,,and ,,sons1 ,,paternoster ,,row2 ,,edinburgh2 ,,and ,,new ,,york4 #ahgd4 ,,contents4 ,page ,,introduction1 #aa ,i4 ,the ,sower1 #dc ,,ii4 ,the ,tares1 #ge ,,iii4 ,the ,mustard ,seed1 #aja ,,iv4 ,the ,leaven1 #aaa ,v4 ,the ,hidden ,treasure1 #abh ,,vi4 ,the ,pearl1 #add ,,vii4 ,the ,draw-,net1 #afj ,,viii4 ,the ,unmerciful ,servant1 #ahe ,,ix4 ,the ,vineyard ,labourers1 #bjd ,x4 ,the ,two ,sons1 #bbc ,,xi4 ,the ,wicked ,husbandmen1 #bcg ,,xii4 ,the ,royal ,marriage ,feast1 #bed ,,xiii4 ,the ,ten ,virgins1 #bhb ,,xiv4 ,the ,entrusted ,talents1 #bii ,,xv4 ,the ,seed ,growing ,secretly1 #cab ,,xvi4 ,the ,two ,debtors1 #cbf ,,xvii4 ,the ,good ,samaritan1 #cda ,,xviii4 ,the ,friend at ,midnight1 #ceg ,,xix4 ,the ,rich ,fool1 #cfi ,,xx4 ,the ,barren ,fig-,tree1 #cgh ,,xxi4 ,the ,excuses1 #chg ,,xxii4 ,the ,lost ,sheep1 #djb ,,xxiii4 ,the ,lost ,coin1 #dbb ,,xxiv4 ,the ,prodigal ,son1 #dbg ,,xxv4 ,the ,prudent ,steward1 #dea ,,xxvi4 ,the ,rich ,man and ,lazarus1 #dfe ,,xxvii4 ,unprofitable ,servants1 #dhc ,,xxviii4 ,the ,importunate ,widow1 #dig ,,xxix4 ,the ,pharisee and the ,publican1 #eji ,,xxx4 ,the ,servants and the ,pounds1 #ebj ,,introduction4 ,we have been accustomed to regard with affectionate veneration the life-work of the ,reformers1 and the theology of the ,reformation4 ,of a later date1 and in our own vernacular1 we have inherited from the ,puritans an indigenous theology1 great in quantity and precious in kind1--a legacy that has enriched our age more1 perhaps1 than the age is altogether willing to acknowledge4 ,at various periods from the time of the ,puritans to the present1 our stock of sacred literature has received additions of incalculable value4 ,so vast and varied have our stores become at length1 that an investigator of the present day can scarcely expect to find a neglected spot where he may enjoy the luxury of cultivating virgin soil3 so ably1 moreover1 have our predecessors fulfilled their tasks1 that a modern inquirer1 obliged to deal with familiar themes1 cannot console himself with the expectation of dealing with them to better purpose4 ,it does not follow1 however1 that a contribution to the literature of theology is useless1 because it neither touches a new theme1 nor treats an old more ably4 ,the literature of one century1 whether sacred or common1 will not1 when served up in the lump1 satisfy the craving and sustain the life of another4 ,the nineteenth century must produce its own literature1 as it raises its own corn1 and fabricates its own garments4 ,the intellectual and spiritual treasures of the past should indeed be reverently preserved and used2 but they should be used as seed4 ,instead of indolently living on the stores which our fathers left1 we should cast them into the ground1 and get the product fresh every season--old1 and yet ever new4 ,the intellectual and spiritual life of an age will wither1 if it has nothing wherewith to sustain itself1 but the food which grew in an earlier era2 it must live on the fruits that grow in its own time1 and under its own eye4 ,nor will a servile imitation of the ancient masters suffice4 ,a mere reproduction1 for example1 of the ,puritan theology would not be suitable in our day2 while the truth1 which constitutes its essence1 remains the same1 it must be cast in the moulds of modern thought1 and tinged with the hues of modern experience4 ,engineers surveying for a railway lay down the line level1 or as nearly level as the configuration of the surface will permit2 but an engineer's level is not a straight line2 it is the segment of a circle1--that circle being the circumference of the globe4 ,the line which practically constitutes a level bends downwards continually as it goes forward1 following the form of the earth1 and at every point being at right angles to the radius4 ,if it were produced in an absolutely straight line1 it would1 in the course of a few miles1 be high and dry above the surface of the earth1 and entirely useless for the practical purposes of life4 ,such would sacred literature become if in blind admiration of the fathers1 the children should simply use the old1 and not produce the new4 ,as we advance along the course of time1 we are1 as it were1 tracing a circle2 and he who would be of use in his generation1 must bend his speculations to the time1 and let them touch society on the level at every point in the progress of the race4 ,to throw a new contribution into the goodly store does not1 therefore1 imply a judgment on the part of the writer that the modern theology is better than the ancient4 ,we must make our own3 it concerns us and our children that what we make be in substance drawn from the word of ,god2 and in form1 suited to the circumstances of the age4 ,still further1 the accumulations of the past should be used by those who inherit them1 as a basis on which to build4 ,it is the business of each generation to lay another course on the wall1 and so leave the structure loftier than they found it4 ,the ,bible1 like the world1 is inexhaustible2 in either department hosts of successive investigators have plied their tasks from the beginning1 and yet there is room4 ,some observations are here submitted1 more or less strictly introductory to a treatise on a specific branch of ,scriptural exegesis--the ,parables of ,our ,lord4 ,i4--,,analogy4 ,as the husbandman's first care is neither the fruit nor the tree which bears it1 but the soil in which the tree must grow3 so an expositor1 whose ultimate aim is to explain and enforce the parables of ,jesus1 should mark well at the outset the fundamental analogies which pervade the works of ,god1 and constitute the basis of all figurative language1 whether in human teaching or divine4 ,the ,maker and ,ruler of the universe pursues an object1 and works on a plan4 ,his purpose is one1 and he sees the end from the beginning3 the variations1 infinite in number1 and vast in individual extent1 which emerge in the details of his administration1 are specific accommodations of means to ends4 ,the material and moral departments of the divine government are1 like body and soul of a human being1 widely diverse from each other2 but one ,master administers both with a view to a common end4 ,the two departments are different in kind1 and therefore the laws which regulate the one cannot be the same as the laws which regulate the other2 but in both one designer operates towards one design1 and therefore the laws which regulate the one must be like the laws which regulate the other4 ,from the duality of creation1 there cannot be identity between the physical and moral laws2 but from the unity of the ,creator there must be similarity4 ,nor is it only between the two great departments of the divine government generically distinguished1 that analogies may spring3 within either department1 analogies innumerable may be found between one species and another1 and even between individuals of the same species4 ,between two parts of the material world1 or two portions of human history1 or two processes of mental effort1 analogies may be traced1 as well as between the evolutions of matter and the laws of mind4 ,it is not strictly correct to speak of the similitudes which we have been accustomed to admire in literature1 as creations of genius2 the utmost that is competent to genius is to observe and exhibit the similitudes as they lie in nature4 ,an observing eye1 a suggestive mind1 and a loving heart constitute all the necessary apparatus2 with these faculties in exercise1 let any one stalk abroad upon the earth among his fellows1 and analogies will spring spontaneously around him1 as manifold and as beautiful as the flowers that by daylight look up from the earth1 or the stars that in the evening reciprocate from heaven the gentle salutation4 ,analogy occupies the whole interval between absolute identity on the one hand1 and complete dissimilarity on the other4 ,you would not say there is an analogy between two coins of the same metal1 struck successively from the same die2 for all practical purposes they are identical4 ,although the two objects are thoroughly distinct1 as all their sensible qualities are the same1 we are accustomed to speak of them not as similar but the same4 ,in order that a comparison may be effective either for ornament or for use1 there must be1 between the two acts or objects1 a similarity in some points1 and a dissimilarity in others4 ,the comparison for moral or sthetic purposes is like an algebraic equation in mathematical science2 if the two sides are in all their features the same1 or in all their features different1 you may manipulate the signs till the sun go down1 but you will obtain no useful result3 it is only when they are in some of their terms the same and in some different1 that you can bring fruit from their union4 ,we stand here on the brink of a great deep4 ,for wise ends the system of nature has been constructed upon a line intermediate between the extremes of sameness and diversity4 ,if the measure of difference between classes and individuals had been much greater or much smaller than it is1 the accumulation of knowledge would have been extremely difficult1 or altogether impossible4 ,it is by the combination of similarity and dissimilarity among sensible objects that science from its lowest to its highest measures becomes possible4 ,if all animals1 or all plants had been in their sensible qualities precisely the same1 there would have been of animals or vegetables only one class3 we could have had no knowledge regarding them1 except as individuals3 our knowledge would at this day have been less than that of savages4 ,again1 if all animals or all plants had been in their sensible qualities wholly dissimilar--all from each1 and each from all1 it would have been impossible to frame classes2 our knowledge1 as on the opposite supposition1 would have been limited to our observation of individuals4 ,in either case ,zoology or ,botany would have been impossible4 ,man1 endowed with intelligence1 could not1 in such a world1 have found exercise for his faculties4 ,it would have been like a seeing eye without a shining light4 ,the power would have lain dormant for want of a suitable object4 ,ask the ,botanist1 the ,naturalist1 the ,chemist--ask the votary of any science1 what makes accumulated knowledge possible2 he will tell you1 it is the similarity which enables him to classify1 accompanied by the diversity which enables him to distinguish4 ,wanting these two qualities in balanced union there could be no analogy2 and wanting analogy1 man could not be capable of occupying the place which has been assigned to him in creation4#a #a ,but in order to employ analogy with effect more is needful than to make sure that the two objects or acts compared are similar without being identical3 the design for which a comparison is made enters as an essential element1 and decisively determines its value4 ,between two given objects an analogy may exist1 good for one purpose but worthless for another4 ,given two balls1 spherical in form and equal in size1 the one of wood and the other of iron2 and let the question be1 ,do these two objects bear any analogy to each other1 real in itself and capable of being usefully employed8 ,the question cannot yet be answered3 we must first ascertain for what purpose the comparison is instituted4 ,the two balls are like each other in form1 but unlike in material2 whether is it in respect of their form or their material that you propose to compare them8 ,if one of them rolls along a gently inclined plane1 you may safely infer that the other1 when placed in the same position1 will follow the same course2 for although different in other features they are similar in form4 ,but you cannot infer that because one floats when thrown into the water the other will float too1 for in respect to specific gravity there is no similarity between them4 ,again1 let two pieces of wood1 cut from the same tree1 be brought together1 the one a cube1 the other a sphere2 you may safely conclude1 if one swim in water that the other will swim too1 because though of diverse forms they are of the same specific gravity2 but you cannot conclude1 if the one roll on an inclined plane1 that the other will roll also1 because though of the same specific gravity they are diverse forms4 ,two objects may be compared for the purpose of inferential analogy1 although in nine of their qualities they are wholly dissimilar1 if they resemble each other in one1 and that the quality with respect to which the comparison is instituted4 ,again1 although two objects be similar in nine of their properties1 and dissimilar only in one1 no useful analogy can be instituted between them if the object for which the comparison is made save with respect to the one point in which they are dissimilar4 ,an acquaintance with such simple rudiments would go far to correct blunders both in the construction and the exposition of analogies4 ,in suggesting probabilities and throwing out lines of inquiry1 analogy is of unspeakable value in every branch of science2 in sacred apologetics its specific use is to destroy the force of objections which may be plausibly urged against facts or doctrines otherwise established2 but it is as an instrument for explaining1 illustrating1 fixing1 and impressing moral and spiritual truth that we are mainly concerned with it here4 ,god's word is as full of analogies as his works4 ,the histories1 offerings1 and prophecies of the ,old ,testament are figures of better things which have been brought to light by the gospel4 ,the lessons of the ,lord and his apostles teem with types4 ,almost every doctrine is given in duplicate3 the spirit is provided with a body2 a body clothes the spirit4 ,every fruitful vine has a strong elm to which it clings2 every strong elm supports a fruitful vine4 ,one important use of analogy in moral teaching is to fix the lesson on the imagination and the memory1 as you might moor a boat to a tree on the river's brink to prevent it from gliding down during the night with the stream4 ,a just analogy suggested at the moment serves to prevent the more ethereal spiritual conception from sliding out of its place4 ,in practical morals analogy is employed to surprise and so overcome an adverse will1 rather than merely to help a feeble understanding4 ,in this department most of the ,lord's parables lie4 ,when a man is hardened by indulgence in his own sin1 so that he cannot perceive the truth which condemns it1 the lesson which would have been kept out1 if it had approached in a straight line before his face1 may be brought home effectually by a circuitous route in the form of a parable4 ,when the conscience stands on its guard against conviction you may sometimes turn the flank of its defences unperceived1 and make the culprit a captive ere he is aware4 ,the ,pharisees were frequently outwitted in this manner4 ,with complacent self-righteousness they would stand on the outside of the crowd1 and1 from motives of curiosity1 listen to the prophet of ,nazareth as he told his stories to the people1 until at a sudden turn they perceived that the graphic parable which pleased them so well1 was the drawing of the bow that plunged the arrow deep in their own hearts4 ,a man may be so situated that though his life is in imminent danger1 he cannot perceive the danger1 and consequently makes no effort to escape4 ,further1 his mind may be so prejudiced that he still counts the beam on which he stands secure1 although a neighbour has faithfully given warning that it is about to fall2 it may be that because he stands on it he cannot see its frailty4 ,let some friend who knows his danger1 but wishes him well1 approach the spot and hold a mirror in such a position that the infatuated man shall see reflected in it the under and ailing side of the beam that lies between him and the abyss4 ,the work is done3 the object is gained3 the confident fool1 made wise at length1 leaps for life upon the solid ground4 ,although the faculty of perceiving and understanding analogies is inherent in humanity1 and consequently co-extensive with the race1 it is developed in a higher degree in some persons and in some communities than in others4 ,the common opinion1 that the inhabitants of mountainous countries possess this faculty in a higher measure than the inhabitants of the plains1 seems to be sustained by facts4 ,within the borders of our own island it is quite certain that the ,scotch and the ,welsh employ figures more readily and relish them more intensely than the ,english4 ,how far the difference may be directly due to the physical configuration of the country cannot perhaps be accurately ascertained2 but doubtless the mountains contribute indirectly to the result1 by rendering access more difficult1 and so producing a greater measure of isolation and simplicity4 ,it is an acknowledged and well-known fact1 moreover1 that the inhabitants of eastern countries are more prone to employ figurative language than the peoples of western ,europe2 but it is difficult to determine how far this characteristic is due to the meteorological and geographical features of the continent1 and how far to hereditary peculiarities of race4 ,looking merely to the physical features of their country1 you might expect that the inhabitants of ,palestine would possess in a high degree the faculty of suggesting and appreciating analogical conceptions2 the peculiar history and jurisprudence of the people must have tended powerfully in the same direction4 ,accordingly1 as might have been expected from the circumstances of the nation1 it appears in point of fact on the whole face of the ,scriptures1 that as the institutes of the commonwealth were symbolical1 the language of the people was figurative4 ,they were at home in metaphor4 ,it was their vernacular4 ,the sudden and bold adoption of physical forms in order to convey spiritual conceptions1 did not surprise--did not puzzle them4 ,ye are the salt of the earth1 ,wheresoever the carcase is1 there will the eagles be gathered together1 fell upon their ears1 not as a foreign dialect1 but as the accents of their native tongue4 ,it might easily be shown that no other characteristic connected with the form of the ,scriptures could have done so much to facilitate their diffusion in all climes1 and in all ages1 as the analogical mould in which a large proportion of their conceptions is cast2 but this is scarcely denied by any1 and is easily comprehended by all4 ,in another point of view1 less obvious1 and not so frequently noticed1 the prevalence in the ,scriptures of analogical forms1 attaching spiritual doctrines to natural objects and historic facts1 has served a good purpose in the evidences and exposition of revealed religion4 ,the more abstract terms of a language are not so distinctly apprehended as the more concrete1 and in the course of ages are more liable to change4 ,the habit1 universal among the writers of the ,scriptures from the most ancient to the latest1 of making abstract moral conceptions fast to pillars of natural objects and current facts1 has contributed much to fix the doctrines like fossils for all time1 and so to diminish the area of controversy4 ,all the more steadily and safely has revealed truth come down from the earliest time to the present day1 that it has in every part of its course run on two distinct but parallel tracks4 ,,ii4--,,parables4 ,the parable is one of the many forms in which the innate analogy between the material and the moral may be1 and has been practically applied4#b ,the difficulty of constructing a definition which should include every similitude that belongs to this class1 and exclude all others1 has been well appreciated by expositors and frankly confessed4 ,the parables of the ,new ,testament1 after critics have done their utmost to generalize and classify1 must in the end be accounted sui generis1 and treated apart from all others4 ,the etymology of the name affords us no help1 for it is applied without discrimination to widely diverse forms of comparison2 it indicates the juxtaposition of two thoughts or things1 with the view of exhibiting and employing the analogy which may be found to subsist between them2 but several other terms convey precisely the same meaning1 and therefore it cannot supply us with the distinguishing characteristic of a class4 ,as far as ,i have been able to observe1 hardly anything has been gained at this point by the application of logical processes4 ,the distinctions which have been successfully made are precisely those which are sufficiently obvious without a critical apparatus2 and in regard to those comparisons which bear the closest affinity to the parable1 and in which1 on account of the rainbow-like blending of the boundaries1 logical definitions are most needed1 logical definitions have most signally failed4 ,scholars have1 for example1 successfully distinguished parables from myths and fables2 but this is laboriously to erect a fence between two flocks that in their nature manifest no tendency to intermingle2 whereas1 from some other forms of analogy1 such as the allegory1 the parable cannot be separated by a definition expressed in general terms1 which shall be at once universally applicable and universally understood4 #b ,christ made it his business to speak in parables2 and1 indeed1 one may say1 the whole visible world is only a parable of the invisible world4 ,the parable is not only something intermediate between history and doctrine2 it is both history and doctrine--at once historical doctrine and doctrinal history4 ,hence its enchaining1 ever fresher1 and younger charm4 ,yes1 parable is nature's own language in the human heart2 hence its universal intelligibility1 its1 so to speak1 permanent sweet scent1 its healing balsam1 its mighty power to win one to come again and again to hear4 ,in short1 the parable is the voice of the people1 and hence also the voice of ,god4--,die ,gleichniss-reden ,jesu ,christi1 von ,fred4 ,arndt1 vol4 i4 #b4 ,into all parables human motives and actions go as constituents1 and in most of them the processes of nature are also interwoven4 ,the element of human action is generally introduced in a historic form1 as a certain man had two sons2 but some of the similitudes of ,scripture1 which by general consent are reckoned parables1 lack this feature1 as for example1 the ,lost ,sheep4#c ,what man of you1 having an hundred sheep8 ,for my own part1 while there are some that1 on the one hand1 ,i can with confidence include1 and some that1 on the other1 ,i must with equal confidence keep out1 ,i see not a few lying ambiguous on the border4 ,my judgment inclines to what seems a medium between two extremes1--between the decision of some ,german philosophical expositors who are too critical1 and the decision of some ,english practical preachers who are not critical enough4 ,i would fain eschew1 on the one hand1 the laborious trifling by which it is proved that the parable of the ,sower is not a parable2 and1 on the other hand1 the unfortunate facility which admits into the number almost all similitudes indiscriminately4 ,i shall adopt the list of ,dr4 ,trench1#d thirty in number1 as being on the whole a fair and convenient medium2 although ,i could not undertake to demonstrate that these only1 and these all possess the qualities which in his judgment go to constitute a parable4 ,some that are included can scarcely be distinguished by logical definitions from some that are excluded2 but so far am ,i from considering this a defect1 that ,i deem it a necessary result of the impalpable infinitesimal graduation by which the fully-formed parable glides down into the brief detached metaphorical aphorism1 in the words of the ,lord ,jesus during the period of his ministry4 #c ,it is not1 however1 by the universal consent of critics that even this is admitted as a genuine parable4 ,schultze boldly excludes it2 but he excludes also all the group in ,matt4 xiii4 except the ,tares4 ,by one arbitrary rule after another1 he cuts down the whole number of our ,lord's parables to eleven4--,a4 ,h4 ,a4 ,schultze1 de parabolarum ,j4 ,c4 indole poetica com4 ,men have good cause to suspect the accuracy of their artificial rules1 when the application of them works such havoc4 ,better that we should have no critical rules1 than adopt such as separate on superficial literal grounds1 things that the judgment of the ,church and the common sense of men have in all ages joined together as substantially of the same class4 #d ,notes on the ,parables4 ,certain figurative lessons1 differing from the parable on the one hand1 and the allegory on the other1 may be found scattered up and down both in the ,scriptures and in secular literature1 whose distinguishing characteristic is1 that they are not spoken but enacted1 and which ,i am disposed to regard as more nearly allied than any other to the parables of our ,lord4 ,they seem to constitute a species of simple primitive germinal drama4 ,some examples occur in the history of the ,hebrew monarchy before the period of the captivity4 ,at ,elisha's request1 ,joash1 ,king of ,israel1 shot arrows from a bow1 in token of the victory which he should obtain over the ,syrians4 ,left without instructions as to the frequency with which the operation should be repeated1 the king shot three arrows successively into the ground1 and paused4 ,thereupon the prophet1 interpreting the symbol1 declared that the subjugation of the ,syrians would not be complete 7#b ,kings xiii47 ,another specimen may be observed1 shining through the history in the reign of ,jehoshaphat1 when a prophet named ,chenaanah made a pair of iron horns1 and flattered the ,king of ,israel by the symbol that he would push the ,syrians till he should consume them 7#b ,chron4 xvii4 #aj74 ,about the time of the captivity1 and in the hands of ,ezekiel1 this species of parable appears with great distinctness of outline1 and considerable fulness of detail4 ,when a frivolous people would not take warning of their danger1 the prophet1 godly and grave1 took a broad flat tile1 and sketched on it the outline of a besieged city1 and lay on his left side1 silently contemplating the symbol of his country's fate 7chap4 iv47 ,the strange act of the revered man attracted many eyes1 and stirred new questionings in many hearts4 ,equally graphic is the representation of ,israel's captivity1 in the dramatic parable recorded in chap4 xii41 where the prophet personally enacts the melancholy process of packing his goods1 and escaping as an exile4 ,from the subsequent history1 we learn that this significant act arrested attention2 the people gazed in wonder on the sign1 and anxiously inquired into its meaning4 ,it is eminently worthy of notice that the lavish and bold imagery of ,ezekiel effectually served the immediate purpose for which it was employed2 it attracted the people's regard1 explained the prophecy to their understandings1 and fixed the lessons in their memories4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that they did not repent2 but this only shows that parables1 even when dictated by the ,spirit1 have not inherent power to convert2 even ,god's word may1 through the hearer's sin1 remain a dead letter in his hand4 ,it emerges incidentally in the history that the preaching of ,ezekiel was eminently popular2 crowds came out to hear and see4 ,the ultimate spiritual success lies in other hands2 but in as far as the instrument is concerned1 it is proved1 from the experience of this ancient prophet1 that the mastery of analogies draws the people round the preacher's feet1 and brings his lessons into contact with their minds and hearts4 ,in modern times1 much argument is employed to prove that the drama may be pure in itself1 and effectual as a moral educator1--argument which1 however excellent it may be in theory1 has hitherto proved impotent in fact4 ,but from the beginning it was not so2 ,ezekiel was a dramatist2 he acted his prophecies and his preachings on a stage4 ,the warnings were in this form clearly articulated1 and forcefully driven home2 if they failed to produce the ultimate result of repentance1 the obstacle lay not in the feebleness of the instrument1 but in the wilful hardness of the subject whereon the instrument was plied4 ,dramatic representation in the simplicity of its infancy was a golden vessel of the sanctuary1 employed in the service of ,god2 long ago it was carried away into ,babylon1 and profanely used as a wine cup in the orgies of idols4 ,whether it shall ever be wrenched from the enemy1 purified1 and restored to the service of the temple1 ,i know not4 ,in the general history of the world1 the most interesting parable of this class that occurs to my memory is one attributed to a ,north ,american ,indian in conversation with a ,christian missionary4 ,the red man had previously been well instructed in the ,scriptures1 understood the way of salvation1 and enjoyed peace with ,god4 ,desiring to explain to his teacher the turning point of his spiritual experience1 he had recourse1 in accordance1 perhaps1 with the instincts and habits of his tribe1 to the language of dramatic symbols rather than to the language of articulate words4 ,having gathered a quantity of dry withered tree leaves1 he spread them in a thin layer1 and in a circular form on the level ground4 ,he then gently laid a living worm in the centre1 and set fire to the circumference on every side4 ,the missionary and the ,indian then stood still and silent1 watching the motions of the imprisoned reptile4 ,it crawled hastily and in alarm towards one side1 till it met the advancing girdle of fire1 and then crawled back as hastily to the other4 ,after making several ineffectual efforts to escape1 the creature retired to the centre1 and coiled itself up to await its fate4 ,at this crisis1 and just before the flames reached their helpless victim1 the ,indian stept gravely forward1 lifted the worm from its fiery prison1 and deposited it in a place of safety4 ,thus1 this simple preacher of the cross indicated to the missionary1--,thus helpless and hopeless ,i lay1 while the wrath due to my sin advanced on every side to devour me2 and thus sovereignly1 mightily1 lovingly did ,christ deliver my soul from death4 ,,iii4--,,the ,,parables ,,of ,,the ,,lord4 ,metaphorical language1 as we have seen1 is deeply rooted in the fundamental analogy which subsists between the several departments of our ,creator's work2 and the parable is a species of figure which1 for all practical purposes1 is sufficiently distinguished from others1 although it is scarcely possible to isolate it by a complete logical definition4 ,nor is it enough to say that those specimens which are found in the record of ,christ's ministry belong to the species2 they may be said to constitute a species by themselves4 ,the parables which are known to literature beyond the pale of the evangelic histories are either very diverse in kind1 or very few in number4 ,the practical result is1 that while we treat the parable as a distinct species of analogical instruction1 we must treat the parables spoken by the ,lord as a unique and separate class4 ,as the ,lord's people in ancient times dwelt alone1 and were not reckoned among the nations1 the ,lord's parabolic teaching stands apart by itself1 and cannot with propriety be associated with other specimens of metaphorical teaching4 ,logically as well as spiritually it is true1 that never man spake like this man4 ,but1 when setting aside all other forms of comparison1 we confine our regard to the parable1 and1 setting aside other specimens1 we confine our regard to the parables spoken by the ,lord1 other questions arise concerning the internal and reciprocal relations of these peculiar compositions2 should they be read and considered as so many independent units miscellaneously scattered over the evangelic record1 or should they be classified according to the place which belongs to them in a system of dogmatics8 or can any method of treatment be suggested different from both of these extremes1 and better than either8 ,it is doubtless competent to any inquirer to frame the doctrines which the parables illustrate into a logical scheme1 and in his exposition to transpose the historical order1 so that the sequence of the subjects shall coincide with his arrangement4 ,this method is lawful in regard to the parables particularly1 as it is in regard to the contents of ,scripture generally2 but1 as a method of prosecuting the inquiry1 ,i think it loses more on the side of topical and historical interest than it gains on the side of logical precision4 ,as the ,bible generally is in its own natural order1 both more engaging and more instructive than a catechism compiled from it1 although the compiler may have been both skilful and true2 the parables of the ,lord1 in particular1 taken up as they lie in his ministry1 are both more interesting and more profitable than a logical digest of the theology which they contain1 however faithfully the digest may have been made4 ,any one may observe1 as he reads our ,lord's parables1 that some of them are chiefly occupied with the teaching of doctrine1 and others with the reproof of prevailing sins2 but when on the basis of these and other subordinate distinctions1 you proceed to arrange them into separate classes1 you are met and repelled by insurmountable difficulties4 ,when ,bauer1 for example1 has arranged them in three divisions1 dogmatic1 moral1 and historic1 he is compelled immediately to add another class called the mixed1 as dogmatic-moral and dogmatic-historic1 thereby proving that his logical classification has failed4#e #e ,in reference to ,bauer's classification1 ,limbourg ,brower 7de parabol4 ,jesu47 observes that the distinction between parables that are dogmatic and parables that are moral cannot successfully be maintained1 because of the intimate union maintained in the discourses of ,jesus between the revelation of truth and the inculcation of duty4 ,this remark1 in connection with its ground1 is decisive not only against the particular division to which it is applied1 but to all divisions1 in as far as they pretend to be logically distinct and complete4 ,by abandoning1 for the purposes of exposition1 the order in which the parables have been recorded1 and adopting a classification on the basis of contents or form1 some incidental advantages are obtained2 especially some otherwise necessary repetitions are avoided1 and some subordinate relations are by the juxtaposition more easily observed2 but the loss is1 ,i apprehend1 much greater than the gain4 ,the temptation to bend the freely-growing branches of the parable1 that they may take their places in the scheme1 is by this method greatly increased2 while historical sequences and logical relations1 lying more or less concealed in the record1 are in a great measure thrown away4 ,accordingly1 ,i prefer the method of maintaining in the exposition the order which the evangelists have adopted in the narrative4 ,besides the advantage of preserving in all cases the historical circumstances whence the parable sprung1 we discover1 as we follow this track1 several groups associated together by the ,lord in his ministry1 for the sake of their reciprocal relations1 and reverently preserved in their places by the evangelical historians4 ,the seven in ,matt4 xiii41 and the three in ,luke xv41 constitute the chief of those dogmatic groupings formed to our hand in the ministry of the ,lord4 ,i refer to them here as examples1 but defer the exposition of their sequences and relations1 until it can be presented with greater advantage in connection with the examination of their contents4 ,a question1 on some of its sides difficult1 meets us here1 regarding the reason why the ,lord employed parables in the prosecution of his ministry4 ,on the one hand1 it is certainly true1 as may be proved from all history1 that comparisons between material and moral facts or laws1 spring up naturally in human converse2 and further1 that the truth expressed in parables1 if not in all cases immediately palpable1 is better fitted both to arrest attention at first1 and to imprint the lesson permanently on the learner's memory4 ,but the use and usefulness of the parable in this respect are obvious and undisputed2 it makes spiritual truth more attractive and more memorable4 ,the difficulty does not lie on this side2 it adheres to a second function of the parable1 in some respects the opposite of the first1--the function of concealing the doctrine in judgment from closed eyes and hardened hearts4 ,in some instances and to some extent1 the parables1 while they conveyed the doctrine to one portion of the audience1 concealed it from another4 ,in those cases they are like the husk which preserves the kernel from the indolent1 and for the earnest4#f ,it is the method1 not unknown in other departments of the divine government1 of making the same fact or law at once profitable to the humble1 and punitive to the proud4 ,not only the ,lord's word1 but also the ,lord himself1 partakes of this twofold character1 and produces these diverse effects2 the same rock on which a meek disciple surely builds his hope1 is also the stone over which scoffers stumble in their final fall4 #f ,gerlach in ,lange4 ,the judicial or penal function of the parable was indicated by the ,lord in express terms when he explained the meaning of the sower in private to his own disciples 7,matt4 xiii4 #aa-ag2 ,mark iv4 #aj-ac74 ,in these cases1 however1 the wilful blindness of men's hearts appears as the sin which brought down the punishment1 and the obstacle which kept out the blessing4 ,every word of ,god is good2 but some persons maintain such an averted attitude of mind1 that it glides off like sunbeams from polar snows1 without ever obtaining an entrance to melt or fructify4 ,to one of two persons who stand in the same room gazing on the same picture in the sunlight1 the beauty of the landscape may be fully revealed1 while to the other1 on account of a certain indirectness of position and view1 it appears only as an unpleasant dazzling glare4 ,so1 of two ,jews who both eagerly listened to ,jesus1 as he taught from the fishing-boat on the ,lake of ,galilee1 one found in the story the word of the kingdom1 refreshing as cold waters to a thirsty soul1 while the other1 hearing the same words1 perceived nothing in them but incoherent and tantalizing enigmas4 ,for the right comprehension of the parables in particular1 as of revealed truth in general1 a receptive heart is a qualification even more peremptorily and essentially necessary than a penetrating understanding4 ,if any man is willing to do his will1 he shall know of the doctrine1 whether it be of ,god 7,john vii4 #ag74 ,each of the parables contained some characteristic1 or presented some aspect of ,christ's kingdom4 ,his kingdom was not of this world1 and therefore it was intensely distasteful to the carnal ,jews of that day4 ,the idea did not readily enter their mind2 and when it did in some measure penetrate1 it kindled in their corrupt hearts a flame of persecuting rage4 ,it was necessary that the ,lord should1 during the period of his personal ministry1 fully develop and deposit the seed of the kingdom2 but it was necessary also that he should remain on earth until the set time when his ministry as prophet should terminate in his offering as priest4 ,now1 if he had at any period displayed all the characteristics of his kingdom in terms which the mob and their rulers were able to comprehend1 the persecution that ultimately crucified him1 would have burst prematurely forth1 and so deranged the plan of the ,omniscient4 ,it was necessary1 for example1 in order to provide consolation for his own disciples in subsequent temptations1 that the ,lord should predict his own death and resurrection2 but this prediction1 when uttered in public1 was veiled from hostile eyes under the symbol1 ,destroy this temple1 and in three days ,i will raise it up 7,john ii4 #ai74 ,more generally1 it was necessary that such features of the kingdom as its spiritual character and its expansive power should be made known to true disciples for their instruction and encouragement1 but hidden for a time from persecutors in order to restrain their enmity4 ,parables served the twofold purpose4 ,tender1 teachable spirits caught the meaning at once2 or1 if they failed1 they asked and obtained an explanation from the ,master in private2 while those who had not the single eye1 were for the time left in darkness4 ,it was their own hardness that kept out the light2 their own hardness was employed as the instrument whereby judgment was inflicted upon themselves4#g #g ,in ,matthew 7xiii4 #ac7 he speaks in parables1 because 7,greek3 hoti71 they seeing1 see not3 and in ,mark 7iv4 #ab71 and ,luke 7viii4 #aj71 that 7,greek3 hina7 seeing they might not see4 ,two different objects were effected at the same time1 and by the same act1 corresponding to those two terms2 it is true that the ,lord employed parables1 as one employs pictures to teach a child1 because his auditors were children in understanding2 and it is also true that he veiled his doctrines under metaphor in order that those who were children in understanding but in malice men1 might not perceive his drift1 and so might not violently interfere to suppress his ministry4 ,thus according to the explanation which he gave at the moment1 ,whosoever hath1 to him shall be given1 and he shall have more abundance2 but whosoever hath not1 from him shall be taken away even that he hath 7,matt4 xiii4 #ab74 ,,iv4--,,the ,,interpretation ,,of ,,the ,,parables4 ,of the parables in particular1 as of the ,scriptures generally1 it is true that faith is necessary to the full appreciation of their meaning4 ,that you must understand the ,scriptures in order to have faith1 and have faith in order to understand the ,scriptures1 is indeed1 a circle2 but it is not a vicious circle4 ,as you approach from without1 you may perceive that the ,bible is the word of ,god1 and that the ,christ whom it reveals is the ,saviour of sinners2 standing now on your new position1 and recognising your ,instructor as also your ,redeemer1 you will discover in his word a length1 and breadth1 and height1 and depth1 which were formerly concealed4 ,in our day1 as well as when the parables were first spoken1 it is to his own disciples that their true meaning is made known4 ,another cognate requisite to the true spiritual comprehension of these divine sayings1 is sympathy with the view which ,jesus took and gave of human nature in its fallen state4 ,he spoke and acted not only as the ,teacher of the ignorant1 but also as the ,saviour of the lost3 if we do not occupy the same stand-point1 and look upon humanity in the same light1 we shall stumble at every step in our effort to comprehend what the ,speaker meant4 ,these two qualifications are supreme2 and they apply alike to divine revelation as a whole1 and to each of its parts2 there are others which are important though subordinate1 and which bear more specially on the particular department of ,scripture exegesis with which we are here engaged1 the ,parables of the ,lord4#h #h ,the ,parables of the ,kingdom are1 as it were1 a picture gallery1 and we walk up and down it1 examining each picture by itself4 ,we must not forget1 however1 that these are heavenly pictures that hang around us1--that heavenly things are here exposed to view4 ,a heavenly interpreter walks by our side3 we must have a heavenly sense if we would grasp the meaning of what we hear and see4 ,if our study quicken this sense within us1 so that it shall grow clearer and sharper before every picture1 a rich treat awaits us1 for the heavenly ,gallery is great4--,drseke1 vom ,reich ,gottes1 i41 #bgj4 #a4 ,the faculty of perceiving and appreciating analogies4 ,it is certainly not necessary that an interpreter of ,scripture should be a poet2 but to possess in some measure that eye for parallels which constitutes the basis of the poetic faculty1 is a most desirable qualification for one who proposes to help his neighbours in the study of the parables4 ,it is1 indeed1 true that a man who possesses only a very small measure of this or of other mental gifts1 may read these lessons of the ,lord with spiritual profit to himself2 but the pictorial theology of the ,new ,testament is not safe in the hands of a teacher who is signally defective in the faculty to which it specially appeals4 ,learning1 and zeal1 and faith combined may1 in this department1 expend much labour to little purpose1 for lack of power to perceive the point of the analogy4 ,but1 on the other hand1 #b4 ,a stern logic is as necessary as a lively imagination4 ,deficient in the analogical faculty1 you cannot in this department go quickly forward2 but deficient in the logical faculty1 you will go forward too fast and too far4 ,we need a well-spread1 well-filled sail2 but we need also a helm to direct the ship in the path of safety4 ,restraining1 discriminating judgment1 is as necessary as impulsive power4 ,every one who possesses even a moderate acquaintance with the literature of this department will1 ,i am persuaded1 acknowledge the justice of this observation4 ,some expositors of the parables1 especially in more ancient times1 remind one of the ,great ,eastern in the ,atlantic when her rudder was disabled4 ,there is plenty of impelling force1 but this force1 for want of a director1 only makes the ship go round and round in a weltering sea4 ,from the pages of those commentators1 whose imaginations have broken loose1 you may cull fancies as manifold1 as beautiful1 and as useless as the gyrations of a helmless ship in a stormy sea4 #c4 ,some competent acquaintance1 not only with the ,scriptures1 but also with the doctrines which the ,scriptures contain1 arranged in a dogmatic system1 is necessary as a safeguard in the interpretation of the parables4 ,a scientific acquaintance with natural history is necessary not only in order to an intelligent appreciation of the contents of a museum1 but also in order that you may turn to good account your miscellaneous observation of nature2 in like manner1 although a correct exegesis of ,scripture supplies us with our only true dogmatics1 the knowledge of dogmatics1 scientifically arranged1 contributes in turn to a correct exegesis4 ,this remark has been drawn from me by my own experience in the study of this department of theological literature4 ,if we would avoid the mistakes into which his own contemporaries fell1 we must read the ,lord's parables in connection with the fuller exposition of divine truth which he commissioned and inspired the apostles to give4 ,except in some cases where an explanation is subjoined1 or the circumstances exclude all uncertainty1 it is not safe for us to lean on a parable as an independent evidence of a dogma4 ,the pictorial illustrations and the more direct doctrinal statements of ,scripture should go together for reciprocal elucidation and support4 ,more especially it is extremely dangerous for a theologian1 when he has a purpose to be served and an adversary to be refuted1 to grasp a parable in the sense which suits his view1 and wield it as a weapon of offence2 in such a case he will probably do more execution upon himself than upon his antagonist4 ,the importance of this point will be more fully seen when we consider the parables in detail4 #d4 ,some knowledge of relative history1 topography1 and customs should be at hand for use2 but1 at the same time1 these things should be resolutely kept in their own place4 ,they may be good servants1 but they are bad masters4 ,through a signal defect in the knowledge of oriental antiquity1 an interpreter may permit some beautiful allusions to slip through his hands unperceived2 but1 on the other hand1 it ought to be frankly conceded1 and1 if necessary1 firmly maintained1 that the profitable use of our ,lord's parables does not depend on rare and difficult erudition4 ,if a deficiency in this department infers the risk of baldness in the exposition1 a redundance supplies a temptation to pedantic display4 ,it is one thing to place some ancient eastern custom in such a position that a ray of light from its surface shall pleasantly illumine a feature of the parable that was lying in the shade1 and all another thing to make the parable a convenience for the exhibition of a scholar's lore4 ,with more immediate reference to the exposition herewith submitted1 it is enough to intimate that it is neither a compend of criticism1 nor merely a series of sermons4 ,i have endeavoured to combine the substance of a critical investigation with the direct exhortation which becomes a minister of the gospel1 when fellow-sinners constitute his audience1 and the ,bible supplies his theme4 ,on the one hand1 no important difficulty has been consciously slurred over without an effort to satisfy the judgment of a studious reader2 and1 on the other hand1 no opportunity has been omitted of pressing the gospel of ,christ on the consciences of men4 ,,the ,,parables ,,of ,,our ,,lord4 ,,the ,,group ,,in ,,matt4 ,,xiii4 ,the same day went ,jesus out of the house1 and sat by the sea side4 ,and great multitudes were gathered together unto him1 so that he went into a ship1 and sat2 and the whole multitude stood on the shore4 ,and he spake many things unto them in parables4--,,matt4 xiii4 #a-c4 ,in ,matthew's narrative1 the first specimen of that peculiar pictorial method which characterized the teaching of our ,lord1 is not an isolated parable occurring in the midst of a miscellaneous discourse1 but a group of seven presented in one continuous and connected report4 ,nor is the grouping due to the logical scheme of the ,evangelist2 we have here1 not the historian's digest of many disjointed utterances1 but a simple chronological record of facts4 ,in this order have these seven parables been recorded by the servant1 because in this order they were spoken by the ,lord4 ,it does not in the least detract from the soundness of this judgment to concede that some of them were spoken also in other circumstances and other combinations4 ,there is no ground whatever for assuming that one of our ,lord's signal sayings could not have been spoken in one place1 because it can be proved that it was spoken at another4 ,from the nature of the subjects1 and the form which ,christ's ministry assumed1 it might be confidently anticipated that the parables and other sharply relieved similitudes would recur1 in whole or in part1 in different discourses and before different assemblies3 with this supposition accordingly the facts agree1 as they may be gathered from a synopsis of the several narratives4 ,among the later ,german critics1 it is distinctly conceded by ,lange that these seven parables were spoken by the ,lord in the order of ,matthew's record1 although some of them appear to have been spoken also at other times4 ,if it could have been proved that none of the parables had ever been spoken a second time1 the circumstance would have constituted a non-natural and inexplicable phenomenon4 ,a measure of logical order and reciprocal relation has always been observed in this cluster of parables4 ,while some of the relations1 and these the most important1 are so obvious that they have been observed alike by all inquirers1 in regard to others a considerable diversity of opinion has prevailed4 ,some1 in the sequences of the group1 look only for various phases of the kingdom1 presented in logical divisions and sub-divisions3 others find here1 in addition1 a prophetic history of the ,church1 like that which the ,apocalypse contains4 ,for my own part ,i am disposed to confine my view to that which ,i consider sure and obvious1--the representation of the kingdom of ,god in different aspects1 according to a logical arrangement1 not pronouncing judgment regarding the soundness of the prophetic view1 but simply passing it by1 as being from its nature difficult and dim4 ,the first six readily fall into three successive well-defined pairs1 and the seventh stands clearly designated by its subject as an appropriate conclusion4 ,the first pair exhibit the ,,relations of the kingdom to the several classes of intelligent creatures with which1 as adversaries or subjects1 it comes into contact3 the second pair exhibit the ,,progress of the kingdom from small beginnings to a glorious issue3 the third pair exhibit the ,,preciousness of the kingdom1 in comparison with all other objects of desire3 and the remaining one teaches that the good and evil which intermingle on earth will be completely and finally separated in the great day4 ,thus-- #a4 ,the ,sower2 the relation of the kingdom to different classes of ,i4 ,,relations4444444444 men4 #b4 ,the ,tares2 the relation of the kingdom to the wicked one4 #a4 ,the ,mustard-seed2 the progress of the kingdom under the idea of a living growth4 ,,ii4 ,,progress44444444444 #b4 ,the ,leaven2 the progress of the kingdom under the idea of a contagious outspread4 #a4 ,the ,hid ,treasure2 the preciousness of the kingdom under the idea of discovering what was hid4 ,,iii4 ,,preciousness4444444 #b4 ,the ,goodly ,pearl2 the preciousness of the kingdom under the idea of closing with what is offered4 ,the ,draw-net2 the separation between ,,iv4 ,,separation444444444 good and evil in the great day4 ,it is not a valid objection to this division that in several cases1 if not in all1 the subjects reciprocally overlap each other2 it is1 in the circumstances1 natural and necessary that they should4 ,thus1 in regard to the first pair1 the work of the adversary appears in the sower1 and the contact of believers with unbelievers appears in the tares2 but ,i think these are in either case incidental and subordinate1 while the leading idea of the first is the reception given to the gospel by different classes of men1 and the leading idea of the second is the wile of the devil in his effort to destroy the work of ,christ4 ,we must1 however1 beware of giving too much and too minute attention to the sequences and mutual relations of the parables4 ,most of them1 in point of fact1 are found in the narrative as isolated lessons1 each complete in itself and independent of others4 ,even in this group1 although the connections are interesting and obvious1 they are not essential4 ,the meaning of each specimen may be substantially discerned without reference to its place in the series4 ,by studying each apart you may learn the lesson well2 but by studying all together you may learn the lesson better4 ,on the face of the narrative it appears that the first four were addressed to a multitude congregated on the margin of the lake1 and the last three more privately to a smaller circle of disciples in a neighbouring house2 but there seems no ground for supposing that the two portions were separated from each other by any considerable interval of time or space4 ,i freely concede that there is some ground for the distinction between the more outward and obvious aspects of the kingdom presented in the first four1 and the more inward and experimental matters which1 in the last three1 were subsequently communicated to a more private circle2 but the distinction1 though real and perceptible1 does not appear to me so fundamental and so deeply marked as to justify those who make it the turning-point of their exposition4 ,there is a parallel which the thoughtful reader of the ,scriptures will not fail to observe1 although a prudent expositor will beware of attempting to trace it too minutely1 between the seven parables of this chapter and the epistles to the ,seven ,churches of ,asia1 in the beginning of the ,apocalypse4 ,the two groups agree in this1 that both represent by a series of examples various features of the kingdom1 and various obstacles with which it must contend3 they differ in that1 while the examples given in the ,gospels are pictures drawn by the imagination1 the examples given in the ,apocalypse are facts taken from history4 ,but as all the characteristics and vicissitudes of his ,church were present to the ,head from the beginning1 it was as easy for him to exhibit an image of its condition through the ministry of ,matthew1 as to record examples after they emerged in fact1 through the ministry of ,john4 ,in both cases--alike in the pictures presented to the ,galilean crowd and the registered events sent to the ,asiatic ,churches--the ,master's design is to exhibit the kingdom on all its sides1 that the observer's view1 whether of beauties or of blemishes1 may be correct and full4 ,i subjoin for the reader's information the view of those who see in this series of parables the subsequent historical development of the ,church1 as it is briefly and clearly expressed by ,lange3 ,we 444 trace in the parable of the sower a picture of the apostolic age2 in the parable of the tares1 the ancient ,catholic ,church springing up in the midst of heresies2 in the parable of the mustard-bush resorted to by birds of the air as if it had been a tree1 and loaded with their nests1 a representation of the outward ,church as established under ,constantine the ,great2 in the leaven that is mixed among the three measures of meal1 the pervading and transforming influence of ,christianity in the medival ,church among the barbarous races of ,europe2 in the parable of the treasure in the field1 the period of the ,reformation2 in the parable of the pearl1 the contrast between ,christianity and the acquisitions of modern culture and secularism2 and in the last parable a picture of the closing judgment4 ,the parallel which the same critic institutes between the seven parables of this group and the seven beatitudes of the ,sermon on the ,mount1 is an attractive study1 and some of the coincidences are obvious and beautiful2 but this line of observation should be jealously kept subordinate to the primary substantial lesson which each parable contains4 ,on the one hand1 ,i desire that these secondary and incidental views should not by their beauty draw to themselves a disproportionate share of our attention2 and on the other hand1 ,i am disposed to respect every earnest1 sober1 and reverential suggestion which any believing inquirer may throw out1 regarding the lateral references and under-current secondary meanings of the ,lord's discourses2 for they possess a length and breadth1 and height and depth1 which will exercise the minds of devout disciples as long as the dispensation lasts1 and pass all understanding when it is done4 ,i4 ,,the ,,sower4 ,the same day went ,jesus out of the house1 and sat by the sea side4 ,and great multitudes were gathered together unto him1 so that he went into a ship1 and sat2 and the whole multitude stood on the shore4 ,and he spake many things unto them in parables1 saying1 ,behold1 a sower went forth to sow2 and when he sowed1 some seeds fell by the way side1 and the fowls came and devoured them up3 some fell upon stony places1 where they had not much earth3 and forthwith they sprung up1 because they had no deepness of earth3 and when the sun was up1 they were scorched2 and because they had no root1 they withered away4 ,and some fell among thorns2 and the thorns sprung up1 and choked them3 but other fell into good ground1 and brought forth fruit1 some an hundredfold1 some sixtyfold1 some thirtyfold4 ,who hath ears to hear1 let him hear4444 ,hear ye therefore the parable of the sower4 ,when any one heareth the word of the kingdom1 and understandeth it not1 then cometh the wicked one1 and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart4 ,this is he which received seed by the way side4 ,but he that received the seed into stony places1 the same is he that heareth the word1 and anon with joy receiveth it2 yet hath he not root in himself1 but dureth for a while3 for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word1 by and by he is offended4 ,he also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word2 and the care of this world1 and the deceitfulness of riches1 choke the word1 and he becometh unfruitful4 ,but he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word1 and understandeth it2 which also beareth fruit1 and bringeth forth1 some an hundredfold1 some sixty1 some thirty4--,,matt4 xiii4 #a-i1 #ah-bc4 ,the parable is1 in our language at least1 so uniformly associated with this name1 that it would not readily be recognised under any other designation2 but ,the four kinds of ground 7viererlei ,acker71 the title which seems to be in ordinary use among the ,germans1 is logically more correct1 inasmuch as it points directly to the central idea1 and expresses the distinctive characteristic4 ,at this period a great and eager multitude followed the steps of ,jesus and hung upon his lips4 ,a certain divine authority1 strangely combined with the tenderest human sympathy1 marked his discourses sharply off1 as entirely different in kind from all that they had been accustomed to hear in the synagogue4 ,finding that instincts and capacities hitherto dormant in their being were awakened by his word1 the common people heard him gladly4 ,at an earlier hour of the same day on which this parable was spoken1 the circle of listeners that encompassed the ,teacher had become so broad and dense1 that his mother and brothers1 who had come from home to speak with him1 were obliged to halt on the outskirts of the crowd1 and pass their message in from mouth to mouth4 ,in these circumstances1 the ,preacher's work must have been heavy1 and doubtless the worker was weary4 ,having paused till the press slackened1 he privately retired to the margin of the lake1 desiring probably to rest a while2 but no sooner had he taken his seat beside the cool still water1 than he was again surrounded by the anxious crowd4 ,at once to escape the pressure and to command the audience better when he should again begin to speak1 he stepped into one of the fishing-boats that floated at ease close by the beach1 on the margin of that tideless inland sea4 ,from the water's edge1 stretching away upward on the natural gallery formed by the sloping bank1 the great congregation1 with every face fixed in an attitude of eager expectancy1 presented to the ,preacher's eye the appearance of a ploughed field ready to receive the seed4 ,as he opened his lips1 and cast the word of life freely abroad among them1 he saw1 he felt1 the parallel between the sowing of ,nature and the sowing of ,grace4 ,into that mould1 accordingly1 he threw the lesson of saving truth4 ,grasping the facts and laws of his own material world1 and wielding them with steady aim as instruments in the establishment of his spiritual kingdom1 in simple yet majestic terms he said1 ,behold1 a sower went forth to sow4 ,whether a sower was actually in sight at that moment in a neighbouring field or not1 every man in that rural assemblage must have been familiar with the act1 and would instantly recognise the truth of the picture4 ,the sower1 with a bag of seed dependent from his shoulder1 stalks slowly forth into the prepared field4 ,with measured1 equal steps1 he marches in a straight line along the furrow4 ,his hand1 accustomed to keep time with his advancing footsteps1 and to jerk the seed forward with considerable force1 in order to secure uniformity of distribution1 cannot suddenly stop when he approaches the hard trodden margin of the field4 ,by habit the right hand continues to execute its wonted movement in unison with the sower's steps as he is turning round2 and thus a portion of the seed is thrown on the unploughed border of the field and the public path that skirts it4 ,birds1 scared for a moment by the presence of the man1 hover in the air till his back is turned on another tack1 and then1 each eager to be first1 come swooping down1 and swallow up all the grain that found no soft place where it fell for hiding in4 ,even if it should happen in any case that no birds were near1 the seed that fell on the way side was as surely destroyed in another way3 the alternative suggested in ,luke's narrative is1 that it is trodden under foot of men4 ,but while the portion of the seed that fell on the way side was thus certainly destroyed1 it does not follow that the rest came to perfection3 ,some fell upon stony places1 where they had not much earth3 and forthwith they sprung up1 because they had no deepness of earth3 and when the sun was up they were scorched2 and because they had no root1 they withered away4 ,the stony places are not portions of the field where many separate stones may be seen lying on the surface1 but portions which consist of continuous rock underneath1 with a thin sprinkling of soft soil over it4 ,here the young plants burst through the ground sooner than in spots where the seed found a deeper bed3 but when the rains of spring have ceased1 and the sun of summer has waxed hot1 the moisture is quickly exhaled from the shallow stratum of soil1 and forthwith the fair promise dies4 ,but yet another slip there may be between the cup and the lip3 even from the seed that falls on deep1 soft ground1 you cannot count with certainty on a rich return in harvest4 ,although the plants should without obstruction strike their roots deeply into the soft1 moist earth1 and rear their stalks aloft into the balmy air1 they may be rendered barren at last by the simultaneous growth of rivals more imperious and more powerful than themselves4 ,unless the grain not only grow in deeply broken ground1 but grow alone there1 it cannot be fruitful3 ,some fell among thorns2 and the thorns sprung up and choked it4 ,besides those plants that are more correctly denominated thorns1 we may include under the term here all rank weeds1 varying with countries and climates1 which infest the soil and hurt the harvest4 ,the green stalks that grow among thorns are neither withered in spring1 nor stunted in their summer's growth2 they may be found in harvest taller than their fruitful neighbours2 but the ear is never filled1 never ripened1 and the reaper gets nothing in his arms but long slender straw adorned at the top with graceful clusters of empty chaff4 ,the roots of the thorns drank up the sap of the ground1 while their branches veiled off the sunlight1 and thus the good seed1 starved beneath and overshadowed above1 although it started fair in spring1 produced nothing in the autumn4 ,as ,truth is one and ,error manifold1 so in regard to the seed sown1 the story of failure is long and varied1 the story of success is short and simple3 ,other fell into good ground1 and brought forth fruit1 some an hundredfold1 some sixtyfold1 some thirtyfold4 ,the design of the picture is to reveal the various causes which at different times and places render the husbandman's labour abortive and leave his garner empty4 ,this done1 there is no need of more4 ,the seed1 when none of these things impeded it1 prospered as a matter of course1 under the ordinary care of man and the ordinary gifts of ,god4 ,three distinct obstructions to the growth and ripening of the seed are enumerated in the parable4 ,the statement is exact1 and the order transparent4 ,the natural sequences are strictly and beautifully maintained4 ,the three causes of abortion--the way side1 the stony ground1 and the thorns--follow each other as the spring1 the summer1 and the autumn4 ,in the first case the seed does not spring at all2 in the second it springs1 but dies before it grows up2 in the third1 it grows up1 but does not ripen4 ,if it escape the way side1 the danger of the stony ground lies before it2 if it escape the stony ground1 the thorns at a later stage threaten its safety2 and it is only when it has successively escaped all three that it becomes fruitful at length4 ,in this case1 the ,lord himself gave both the parable and its explanation2 he became his own interpreter4 ,the ,master takes us1 like little children1 by the hand and leads us through all the turnings of his first symbolic lesson1 lest in our inexperience we should miss our way4 ,the ,son of ,god not only gave himself as a sacrifice for sin2 he also laboured as a patient painstaking teacher of the ignorant3 he is the ,apostle as well as the ,high ,priest of our profession4 ,his instructions have been recorded by the ,spirit in the ,scriptures for our use2 we may still sit at his feet and listen to his voice4 ,he has taken his seat on the deck of a fishing-boat while the waters of the lake are still1 and is discoursing to a congregation of ,galileans from the neighbourhood who stand clustering on the shore4 ,let us join the outskirts of the crowd and hear that heavenly ,teacher too4 ,he speaks in parables3 he fixes saving truth in the forms of familiar things1 that it may be carried away and kept4 ,we look with lively interest on the scene which these words conjure up before our eyes2 but we should look on it reverently3 it has not been given to us as a plaything4 ,gaze gravely1 brother1 into this parable1 for thou art the man of whom it speaks3 it reveals the way of life and the way of death to thee4 ,if a traveller who possesses an accurate map of his route turn aside from it and perish in a pit1 it will not avail him in his extremity to reflect that he carries the correct track in his hand4 ,alas6 a literary admiration of the parable-stories which ,jesus told in ,galilee will not avail us1 if we do not accept himself as our ,saviour from sin4 ,from the ,lord's own exposition here and elsewhere recorded1 we learn that the seed is the word of ,god2 that the sower is the man who makes it known to his neighbours2 and that the ground on which the seed falls is the hearer's heart4 ,the main drift of the parable concerns the ground1 and to it accordingly our attention must be chiefly directed4 ,the lesson1 however1 is drawn1 not from the inherent1 essential properties of the soil1 but from the accidental obstructions to the growth of grain which it may in certain circumstances contain3 some notice1 therefore1 of the seed and the sower in their spiritual signification is not only profitable at this stage1 but peremptorily necessary to the full apprehension of the instruction which the parable conveys4 ,,seed has been created by ,god and given to man4 ,if it were lost1 it would be impossible through human power and skill to procure a new supply3 the race would1 in that case1 perish1 unless the ,omnipotent should interfere again with his creating power4 ,for spiritual life and food the fallen are equally helpless1 and equally dependent on the gift of ,god4 ,the seed is the word1 and the word is contained in the ,scriptures4 ,when we drop a verse of the ,bible into listening ears1 we are sowing the seed of the kingdom4 ,the seed is the word1 but the ,word is ,christ3 ,in the beginning was the ,word1 and the ,word was with ,god1 and the ,word was ,god 444 and the ,word was made flesh and dwelt among us1 7,john i47 ,christ is the living seed1 and the ,bible is the husk that holds it4 ,the husk that holds the seed is the most precious thing in the world1 next after the seed that it holds4 ,the ,lord himself precisely defines from this point of view the place and value of the ,scriptures1--,they are they which testify of me 7,john v4 #ci74 ,the seed of the kingdom is himself the ,king4 ,nor is there any inconsistency in representing ,christ as the seed while he was in the first instance also the sower4 ,most certainly he preached the ,saviour1 and also was the ,saviour whom he preached4 ,the incident in the synagogue at ,nazareth 7,luke iv4 #af-bb7 is a remarkably distinct example of ,christ being at once the ,sower and the ,seed4 ,when he had read the lesson of the day1 a glorious prophetic gospel from ,isaiah1 he closed the book1 and gave it again to the minister1 and sat down4 ,and the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him4 ,and he began to say unto them1 ,this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears4 ,as soon as he had taken from the ,scriptures the proclamation concerning himself1 he laid them aside1 and presented himself to the people4 ,the ,saviour preached the ,saviour1 himself the ,sower and himself the ,seed4 ,in the beginning of the ,gospel1 when the chosen band of sowers first went to work upon the ample field of the world1 taught of the ,spirit1 they knew well what seed they ought to carry1 and were ever ready to cast it in where they saw an opening4 ,one of them1 and he the greatest1 formed and expressed a determination to know nothing among the people save ,jesus ,christ1 and him crucified4 ,twice in one chapter 7,acts viii471 we learn incidentally1 but with great precision1 what kind of seed ,philip the ,evangelist carried always in his vessel1 and cast into every furrow as he passed along4 ,when a large congregation assembled in the city of ,samaria to hear him1 he preached ,christ unto them2 and when1 on a subsequent occasion1 he was called to deal with an anxious inquirer alone in the desert1 he opened his mouth and began at the same scripture--,he was led as a lamb to the slaughter--and preached unto him ,jesus4 ,this is the seed sent down from heaven to be the life of the world4 ,the ,,sowers1 although they have become a great company in these latter days1 are still1 like the reapers1 few in relation to the vastness of the field4 ,the ,lord's message to ,ananias of ,damascus concerning ,saul1 immediately after his conversion1 graphically defines the office of a minister as a sower of the seed3 ,he is a chosen vessel unto me1 to bear my name before the ,gentiles1 and kings1 and the children of ,israel 7,acts ix4 #ae74 ,a vessel for holding ,christ and dropping that precious seed into human hearts wherever an opening should appear--this is the true idea of a minister of the ,gospel4 ,nor is the work confined to those who1 being trained to it1 and freed from other cares1 may thereby be capable of conducting it on a larger scale4 ,as every leaf of the forest and every ripple on the lake1 which itself receives a sunbeam on its breast1 may throw the sunbeam off again1 and so spread the light around2 in like manner1 every one1 old or young1 who receives ,christ into his heart may and will publish with his life and lips that blessed name4 ,in the spirit of the ,lord's own precept regarding the harvest1 we may all be encouraged to adopt and press the prayer that our ,father1 the husbandman1 would send forth sowers into his field4 ,we turn now to the ,,ground1 and the various obstacles which there successively meet the seed and mar its fruitfulness4 ,i4 ,,the ,,way ,,side4--,when any one heareth the word of the kingdom1 and understandeth it not1 then cometh the wicked one1 and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart4 ,this is he which received seed by the way side4 ,a path beaten smooth by the feet of travellers skirts the edge1 or1 perhaps1 runs by way of short cut through the middle of the field4 ,the seed that falls there1 left exposed on the surface1 is picked up and devoured by birds4 ,behold in one picture ,god's gracious offer1 man's self-destroying neglect1 and the tempter's coveted opportunity6 ,the analogy being true to nature is instantly recognised and easily appreciated4 ,there is a condition of heart which corresponds to the smoothness1 hardness1 and wholeness of a frequented footpath1 that skirts or crosses a ploughed field4 ,the spiritual hardness is like the natural in its cause as well as in its character4 ,the place is a thoroughfare2 a mixed multitude of this world's affairs tread over it from day to day1 and from year to year4 ,it is not fenced like a garden1 but exposed like an uncultivated common4 ,that secret of the ,lord1 ,enter into thy closet1 and shut the door1 is unknown2 or if known1 neglected4 ,the soil1 trodden by all comers1 is never broken up and softened by a thorough self-searching4 ,a human heart may thus become marvellously callous both to good and evil4 ,the terrors of the ,lord and the tender invitations of the ,gospel are alike ineffectual4 ,falling only upon the external senses1 they are swept off by the next current2 as the solid grain thrown from the sower's hand rattles on the smooth hard road side1 and lies on the surface till the fowls carry it away4 ,the parallel between the material and the moral here is more close and visible in the original than it appears in the ,english version4 ,but our language is capable in this instance1 like the ,greek1 of expressing by one phrase equally the moral and the material failure3 ,every one that hears the word of the kingdom and does not take it in 7,greek3 m synintos74 ,the cause of the failure in both departments is1 that the soil1 owing to its hardness1 does not take the seed into its bosom4 ,the seed is good3 ,the word of ,god is quick and powerful2--that is1 it is living1 and puts forth energy4#i ,like buried moistened seed it swells and bursts1 and forces its way through opposing obstacles4 ,a heart of clay1 smoothed and hardened on the surface1 may hold it out for a lifetime2 but a heart of stone could not keep it down1 if it were once admitted1 for a single day4 #i ,greek3 ,zn gar ho logos tou ,theo1 kai energs4--,,heb4 iv4 #ab4 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god1 which taketh away the sin of the world2 ,if any man thirst1 let him come unto me and drink2 ,believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and thou shalt be saved2--these and many such great solid seed-grains rain from heaven upon us in this land3 shall we close all the avenues to our hearts and so leave that seed lying on the surface till the enemy carry it away8 or shall the groanings which cannot be uttered1 the convictions of sin in the conscience1 rend at length the seared crust1 that the seed may enter and occupy the life for ,god8 ,if privileged and professing hearers of the ,gospel come short of the kingdom1 the fault lies not in the seed--the fault lies not often or to a great extent even in the sower1 although his work may have been feebly and unskilfully done4 ,if the seed is good1 and the ground well prepared1 a very poor and awkward kind of sowing will suffice4 ,seed flung in any fashion into the soft ground will grow2 whereas1 if it fall on the way side1 it will bear no fruit1 however artfully it may have been spread4 ,my father was a practical and skilful agriculturist4 ,i was wont1 when very young1 to follow his footsteps into the field1 further and oftener than was convenient for him or comfortable for myself4 ,knowing well how much a child is gratified by being permitted to imitate a man's work1 he sometimes hung the seed-bag1 with a few handfuls in it1 upon my shoulder1 and sent me into the field to sow4 ,i contrived in some way to throw the grain away1 and it fell among the clods4 ,but the seed that fell from an infant's hands1 when it fell in the right place1 grew as well and ripened as fully as that which had been scattered by a strong and skilful man4 ,in like manner1 in the spiritual department1 the skill of the sower1 although important in its own place1 is1 in view of the final result1 a subordinate thing4 ,the cardinal points are the seed and the soil4 ,in point of fact1 throughout the history of the ,church1 while the ,lord has abundantly honoured his own ordinance of a standing ministry1 he has never ceased to show1 by granting signal success to feeble instruments1 that results in his work are not necessarily proportionate to the number of talents employed4 ,nor does the cause of failure1 in the last resort1 lie in the soil4 ,the man who receives the ,gospel only on the hard surface of a careless life1 is of the same flesh and blood1 endued with the same understanding mind and immortal spirit1 with his neighbour who has already become a new creature in ,christ4 ,believers and unbelievers are possessed of the same nature and faculties4 ,as the ground which has been trodden into a footpath is in all its essential qualities the same as that which has been broken small by the plough and harrow1 so the human constitution and faculties of one who lives without ,god in the world are substantially the same as those which belong to the redeemed of the ,lord4 ,it was the breaking of the ground which caused the difference between the fruitful field and the barren way side4 ,so those minds and hearts that now bear the fruits of faith were barren till they were broken2 and those on which the good seed has often been thrown1 only to be thrown away1 may yet yield an increase of a hundredfold to their owner1 when conviction and repentance shall have rent them open to admit the word of life4 ,felix the ,roman governor was a specimen of the trodden way side4 ,his heart1 worn by the cares of business and the pleasures of sin passing in great volume alternately over it1 presented no opening for the entrance of the ,gospel4 ,paul accordingly1 when called to preach before him1 did not1 in the first instance1 pour out the simple positive message of mercy3 he reasoned of righteousness1 temperance1 and judgment to come2 thus plying the seared conscience with the terrors of the ,lord1 in the hope of breaking thereby the covering crust and preparing a seed bed for the word of life4 ,but the earth1 in that case1 was as iron1 and refused to yield even to an apostle's blow4 ,from the heart of ,felix the message of mercy was effectually shut out4 ,the jailer of ,philippi was doubtless equally hard in a more vulgar sphere1 but his defences were shattered3 in that night of visitation his heart was rent as well as his prison1 and over the openings1 while they were fresh1 the skilful sower promptly dropped the vital seed1 ,believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and thou shalt be saved4 ,the word entered1 and its entrance gave life4 ,at this point the parable addresses its lesson specifically to those who have lived without ,god in the world1 and who have lived in the main comparatively at ease4 ,they have not a real heart-possessing1 life-controlling religion1 and they have never been very sorry for the want of it4 ,they have no part in ,christ1 and no cheering hope for eternity4 ,they are not ready to die2 and yet they cannot keep death at bay4 ,they know that they ought to care for their souls1 but in point of fact they do not care2 they know there is cause to be alarmed1 and yet they are not alarmed4 ,they neither grieve for sin nor love the ,saviour2 yet perhaps a dark cloud-like thought sometimes sweeps across their brightest sky--,we have not yet gone in by the open door of mercy1 and while we are delaying it may be suddenly shut4 ,the case might be understood well enough by those whom it concerns1 if the same amount of attention were bestowed upon it that is ordinarily devoted to other branches of business4 ,see the hard dry road that runs along the edge of a corn field3 you are not surprised to find it barren in a harvest day2 you know that grain1 although sown there1 would not grow1 and you know the reason4 ,the reason why the ,gospel does you no good may be as clearly1 as surely seen4 ,cares1 vanities1 passions1 tread in constant succession over your heart1 and harden it1 so that the word of ,christ1 though it sound on the surface1 never goes in1 and never gets hold4 ,think not that the saints are by nature of another kind3 they were once what you are1 and you may yet become what they are1 and more4 ,break up your fallow ground4 ,look into your own heart's sin until you begin to grieve over it2 look unto ,jesus bearing sin until you begin to love him for his love4 ,tell ,god frankly in prayer that your heart is hard1 and plead for the ,holy ,spirit to make it tender4 ,the saints already in rest1 and disciples in the body still1 were once a trodden way side like yourself1 as hard and as barren4 ,place your heart1 as they did1 without reserve in the ,redeemer's hands2 bid him take the hardness out and make it new4 ,invite the ,word himself to take up his abode within you2 throw the doors widely open that the ,king of ,glory may come in4 ,when ,christ shall dwell in your heart by faith1 a godly sorrow underneath will soften every faculty of your nature1 and over all the surface fruits of righteousness will grow4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,stony ,,ground4--,a human heart1 the soil on which the sower casts his seed1 is in itself and from the first hard both above and below2 but by a little easy culture1 such as most people in this land may enjoy1 some measure of softness is produced on the surface4 ,among the affections1 when they are warm and newly stirred1 the seed speedily springs4 ,many young hearts1 subjected to the religious appliances which abound in our time1 take hold of ,christ and let him go again4 ,this1 on the one hand1 as we learn by the result1 was never a true conversion2 but neither was it1 on the other hand1 a case of conscious1 intentional deceit4 ,it was real1 but it was not thorough4 ,something was given to ,christ1 but because all was not given the issue was the same as if all had been withheld4 ,in the rich young man the seed sprang hopefully1 but it withered soon3 he did not lightly part with ,christ1 but he parted3 he was very sorrowful1 but he went away4 ,a ,christian parent or pastor1 diligent in his main business and fervent in prayer for success1 observes at length in some young members of his charge a new tenderness of conscience1 an earnest attention to the word1 a subdued1 reverential spirit1 with frequency and fervency in prayer4 ,with mingled hope and fear these symptoms are watched and cherished3 the symptoms continue and increase3 the converts are added to the ,church1 and perhaps their experience is narrated as an example4 ,this is not a deception on the part of either teacher or scholar3 it is a true outgrowth from the contact of human hearts with the word of life4 ,man1 who looks only on the outward appearance1 cannot with certainty determine in whom this promise of spring will be blasted by the summer heat1 and in whom it will yield a manifold return to the reaper4 ,when you cast your eye over the corn field soon after the seed has sprung1 you may not be able to detect any difference between one portion and another2 all may be alike fresh and green4 ,but1 if some parts of the field be deep soft soil1 and other parts only a thin sprinkling of earth over unbroken rock1 there is a decisive difference in secret even now1 and the difference will ere long become visible to all4 ,come back and look upon the same field after it has lain a few days without rain under a scorching sun3 you will find that while in some portions the young plants have increased in bulk without losing any of their freshness1 in others the green covering has disappeared and left the ground as brown and bare as it was when the sower went forth to sow upon it4 ,where the earth is soft underneath1 and so permits the roots to penetrate its depths1 the towering stalks defy the summer's drought2 but where the roots are shut out from the heart1 the leaves wither on the surface4 ,if the law of ,god has never rent the stony heart and made it contrite1 that is1 bruised it small1 you may1 by receiving the ,gospel on some temporary1 superficial softness of nature1 obtain your religion more easily and quickly than others who have been more deeply exercised2 but you may perhaps not be able to hold it so fast or retain it so long4 ,testing trials are the method of the divine government1 discipline the order of ,christ's house4 ,he that endureth to the end shall be saved1 but he that falls away in the middle shall not4 ,the fair profession that grows over an unhumbled heart dureth for a while1 but does not endure to the end4 ,when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word1 the religion which reached no further than the surface cannot maintain its place there2 it withers root and branch4 ,the inward affection1 such as it was1 and the outward profession together disappear4 ,from him that hath not shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have4 ,in the earlier centuries of the ,christian era the profession of faith1 when lightly assumed1 was frequently and suddenly scorched off the so-called ,christian's lips by the pitiless persecution of heathen governments3 in subsequent ages1 and down even to our own day1 ,papal fires have burned fiercely in many lands1 and before them every faith has faded except that which is of ,god's own planting1 and grows in the secret depths of believing souls4 ,nationally for several generations we have enjoyed freedom2 but let us beware4 ,the divine law1 ,all that will live godly in ,christ ,jesus must suffer persecution 7#b ,tim4 iii4 #ab71 has not been repealed4 ,nor is this merely a caveat thrown in to keep our theology correct2 it is a present and pressing truth4 ,in every season and in every climate the sun of persecution is hot enough to kill the religion which grows in accidentally softened1 natural affections1 over a whole and unhumbled heart4 ,experience incontestably establishes the fact1 although it may be difficult for philosophy to explain the reason of it1 that slight persecutions have often been as effectual as the heaviest in blasting the deceptive appearance of religion1 which1 under favouring circumstances1 grew for a time in the life of an unrenewed man4 ,in point of fact1 a sneer from some leading spirit in a literary society1 or a laugh raised by a gay circle of pleasure-seekers in a fashionable drawing-room1 or the rude jest of scoffing artisans in a work-shop1 may do as much as the fagot and the stake to make a fair but false disciple deny his ,lord4 ,young disciples1 whose faith and hope are bursting through the ground1 should be1 not indeed distrustful of the ,lord1 but jealous of themselves4 ,let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall4 ,deeper sense of sin1 clearer views of the ,gospel1 warmer love to ,christ1--these are the safeguards against backsliding4 ,strive and pray for these4 ,do not keep ,christ on the surface2 let him possess the centre1 and thence direct all the circumference of your life4 ,whosoever will save his life1 by keeping its central mass all and whole for himself1 shall lose it2 and whosoever will lose his life for my sake1 opening and abandoning it to ,christ from its circumference to its core1 shall find it4 ,it is then only his own1 when he has without reserve absolutely given it away4 ,it seems to have been after the manner of the seed on stony ground that king ,saul's faith grew and withered4 ,it came away quickly at first1 and presented a goodly appearance for a while2 but the ground1 broken and softened on the surface by ,samuel's ministry and the call to the kingdom1 was rocky underneath1 and the rock was never rent4 ,when he was seated on the throne1 with the thousands of ,israel coming and going at his word1 he began to feel the restraints of piety irksome1 and to count the rebukes of the aged prophet rude4 ,the sun of prosperity scorched the green growth of religious profession that had suddenly overspread his outward life4 ,michal1 his daughter1 better acquainted1 probably1 with the kingly airs of his later than with the pious confession of his earlier days1 seems to have partaken of his inward hardness while she had no share of his superficial piety4 ,like him1 she was ungodly in the depths of her soul2 but unlike him1 she disdained to wear the outward garb of godliness4 ,when she exerted all the force of her irony in order to make her husband ,david ashamed of his own zeal in dancing before the ,lord1 she truly reflected the inner spirit though not the external profession of her father's court4 ,that taunt from the supercilious1 curling lip of the royal princess1 who had honoured him by consenting to become his wife1 was a burning ray of persecution streaming on ,david's defenceless head4 ,if his religion had been confined to the surface1 while the pomp and circumstance of royalty occupied his heart1 it would have died out then and there1 as the tender sprouting corn1 whose roots rest on a rock1 dies out under the scorching sun of ,galilee4 ,but ,david's faith was deep1 and it ripened rather than withered under the scornful glance of the worldly-minded princess1 as corn1 growing in good ground1 fills better and ripens sooner where the sky is cloudless and the sun is fierce4 ,that deep-seated stony hardness of heart which defies all the efforts of human cultivators is often broken small by the hand of ,god4 ,it appears that ,lydia1 through natural temperament or association with ,christians1 or both together1 had attained some measure of spiritual susceptibility1 for she confessed the truth and attended the prayer-meeting by the river side2 but the seed of the word which had sprung on the surface of her life had not yet struck its root so deep as to withstand persecution if it should arise4 ,she is described as a woman who sold purple and worshipped ,god3 she had an honest business and a true religion1 and were not these enough8 ,no2 the next fact of her history was the cardinal point of her life1--whose heart the ,lord opened that she attended to the things that were spoken of ,paul4 ,the seed from that skilful sower's hand went in and took possession1 but it entered at an opening made by the power of ,god4 ,whether the rock was rent by the dew of the ,spirit dropping silently1 or by some stroke of ,providence falling on her person or her material interests1 we know not4 ,if ordinary providential methods were employed1 we know not1 of the many instruments that lie close to the ,ruler's hand1 which he was pleased to use in that particular case4 ,perhaps the child of this honest and religious woman died1 and her bosom1 bereft of its treasure1 rent with aching4 ,perhaps1 on the day that ,paul was there1 she came to the meeting for the first time in widow's weeds1 and the stroke that tore her other self away had left a wide avenue open into her heart4 ,perhaps1--for small instruments do great execution when they are wielded by an almighty arm1--an adverse turn of trade had left the hitherto affluent matron dependent on a neighbour's bounty for daily bread4 ,were other dealers1 less scrupulously honourable than herself1 underselling her in the market8 ,was her foreman unsteady8 for1 being a woman1 she must needs depend much on hired helpers4 ,or did a living husband grieve her more than a dead one could8 ,by some such instrument1 or by another diverse from them all1 or without any visible agent1 the ,lord opened ,lydia's heart1 and the word of life entered in power4 ,henceforth she was not her own2 ,christ dwelt in her heart by faith1 and her life was devoted to the ,lord her ,redeemer4 ,deep in that broken heart the seed is rooted1 and now no temptation1 however intense and long-continued1 shall be able to blanch its green blade or blast its filling ear4 ,lord1 increase our faith4 ,when trouble comes1 whether under the ordinary procedure of ,god's government or more directly from his hand1 whether in the form of bodily suffering or spiritual convictions1 possess your soul in patience and wait for the end of the ,lord4 ,no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous1 but grievous2 nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby 7,heb4 xii4 #aa74 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,thorns4--,in the application of the lesson this term must be understood not specifically1 but generically4 ,in the natural object it indicates any species of useless weed that occupies the ground and injures the growing crop3 in the spiritual application it points to the worldly cares1 whether they spring from poverty or wealth1 which usurp in a human heart the place due to ,christ and his saving truth4 ,the earthly affections in the heart which render religion unfruitful in the life are enumerated under two heads1--,the care of this world1 and the deceitfulness of riches2 the term riches includes also1 as we may gather from ,luke's narrative1 the pleasures which riches procure4 ,both from our own experience in the world and the specific terms employed by the ,lord in the interpretation of the parable1 we learn that all classes and all ranks are on this side exposed to danger4 ,this is not a rich man's business1 or a poor man's2 it is every man's business4 ,the words point to the two extremes of worldly condition1 and include all that lies between them4 ,the care of the world becomes the snare of those who have little1 and the deceitfulness of riches1 the snare of those who have much4 ,thus the world wars against the soul1 alike when it smiles and when it frowns4 ,rich and poor have in this matter no room and no right to cast stones at each other4 ,pinching want and luxurious profusion are1 indeed1 two widely diverse species of thorns2 but when favoured by circumstances they are equally rank in their growth and equally effective in destroying the precious seed4 ,in two distinct aspects thorns1 growing in a field of wheat1 reflect as a mirror the kind of spiritual injury which the cares and pleasures of the world inflict when they are admitted into the heart3 they exhaust the soil by their roots1 and overshadow the corn with their branches4 #a4 ,thorns and thistles occupying the field suck in the sap which should go to nourish the good seed1 and leave it a living skeleton4 ,the capability of the ground is limited4 ,the agriculturist scatters as much seed in the field as it is capable of sustaining and bringing to maturity4 ,when weeds of rank growth spring up1 their roots greedily and masterfully drain the soil of its fatness for their own supply2 and as there is not enough both for them and the grain stalks1 the weakest goes to the wall4 ,the lawful1 useful1 but feeble grain is deprived of its sustenance by the more robust intruder4 ,under the ground as well as on its surface1 might crushes right4 ,robbers fatten on the spoil of loyal citizens1 and loyal citizens are left to starve4 ,moreover1 the weeds are indigenous in the soil3 this is proved by the simple fact of their presence1 for certainly they were not sown there by the husbandman's hand4 ,the grain1 on the other hand1 is not native2 it must be brought to the spot and sown2 it must be cherished and protected as a stranger4 ,the two occupants of the ground1 consequently1 are not on equal terms2 it is not a fair fight4 ,the thorns are at home2 the wheat is an exotic4 ,the thorns are robust and can hold their own2 the wheat is delicate and needs a protector4 ,the weeds accordingly grow with luxuriance1 while the wheat stalks in the neighbourhood1 cheated of their sustenance under ground1 become tall1 empty1 barren straws4 #b4 ,thorns and thistles1 favoured as indigenous plants by the suitableness of soil and climate1 outgrow the grain both in breadth and height4 ,the outspread leaves and branches of the weeds constitute a thick screen between the ears of corn and the sunshine4 ,under that blighting shadow1 although the stalks may grow tall and the husks develop themselves in their own exquisite natural forms1 no solid seed is formed or ripened4 ,on the spot which the thorns usurped1 the reaper gathers only straw and chaff4 ,how vivid on both its sides is the picture1 and how truthfully it represents the case6 ,the faculties of the human heart and mind are limited1 like the productive powers of the ground4 ,neither the understanding nor the affections are endowed with an indefinite capacity of reception4 ,the soil1 even where it is rich and deep1 may be soon exhausted1 especially where the more gross and greedy weeds have taken up their abode4 ,you are convinced of sin and begin to cry for pardon2 you plead the ,redeemer's sacrifice and righteousness2 you grieve over your own backsliding1 and come anew to the blood of sprinkling2 the twin emotions1 confession and prayer1 struggle together in your breast1 ,lord1 ,i believe2 help thou mine unbelief4 ,thus far1 it is well4 ,the field has been broken2 the seed has been covered in the ground2 the covered seed has sprung2 the sprung seed has grown apace and now seems near maturity4 ,the evil spirit that seeks to spoil this fair promise seldom comes in the form of speculative unbelief4 ,when you begin to fall away1 you do not begin by abjuring your religion1 or denying the ,lord4 ,you do not pull the grown but unripe corn up by the roots and cast it over the hedge3 the harvest is marred in a more secret and silent way4 ,the kingdom of the wicked one1 cunningly in this matter imitating the kingdom of ,god1 cometh not with observation4 ,weeds spring up among the wheat4 ,at first they are small and scarcely perceptible2 the inexperienced1 apprehending no danger1 are put off their guard4 ,the first leaves which these bitter roots put forth are generally smooth1 tender1 and apparently harmless1 giving to the inexperienced eye no indication of their rough and ravenous nature4 ,but these thorns1 if they are not watched1 curbed1 and killed1 may yet cause the loss of the soul4 ,if you are poor1 anxieties about work and wages1 clothes and food1 wife and children1 become the thorn plants1 harmless in appearance at first1 which in the end may choke the seed of grace in your heart4 ,if you are rich1 the pleasure which wealth may purchase1 or love of the wealth itself1 may become the bitter root1 which in its maturity may overpower all spiritual life within you1 and leave only chaff1 to be driven away in the great day of the ,lord4 ,watch and pray3 these cares and pleasures present themselves at first in humble and submissive guise2 it is by their gradual growth that they are enabled to inflict a deadly injury4 ,their roots1 if not checked1 silently drain all the sap of your soul1 and the kingdom of ,god within you1 although never formally abjured1 is permitted to sink into decay4 ,your time1 your memory1 your imagination1 your affections1 your thoughts1 late and early1--all that constitutes your life1 instead of being devoted first to the kingdom of ,god and his righteousness1 are usurped and absorbed by the things that perish in the using4 ,when you betake yourself to the word1 to prayer1 to communion1 your heart1 already searched1 drained1 scourged by the greedy roots of rank earthly lusts1 is a sapless1 impoverished1 shrivelled thing1 where faith in ,god and loving obedience to his law can no longer grow4 ,thus perish many bright promises2 and high above the ruin1 living and abiding for ever stands the word of ,christ a witness against all who have been undone by neglecting it1 ,no man can serve two masters4 ,worldly cares nursed by indulgence into a dangerous strength are further like thorns growing in a corn field1 in that they interpose a veil between the face of ,jesus and the opening1 trustful look of a longing soul4 ,it is the want of free1 habitual exposure to the ,sun of righteousness that prevents the ripening of grace in ,christians4 ,unless we turn our eye often upward1 and expose the struggling1 springing seed of faith to the beams of the ,redeemer's love1 there will be no steady growth of grace1 and no ultimate fruit of righteousness4 ,it is thus that insinuating1 overspreading1 domineering cares quench both hope and holiness3 they hinder the simple1 tender1 confiding look unto ,jesus which is necessary to the increase or maintenance of spiritual life4 ,the love of ,christ freely streaming down from heaven through the ,scriptures and by the ministry of the ,spirit1 when freely admitted into an open1 willing heart1 by degrees turns fear into hope1 doubt into faith1 and the feeble struggle of a child into the strong man's glorious victory2 as unimpeded sunlight converts the minute mustard seed into a towering tree1 and the tender sprouts of spring into the golden treasures of harvest4 ,a thickly woven web of cares and pleasures interposed between the soul and the ,saviour is a chief cause of failure in ,god's husbandry4 ,nor is the harvest safe although the thorny shade that overhangs it be not completely impervious and constant4 ,fitful glances of sunshine now and then will not bring the fruit to maturity4 ,stand beneath the branches of a forest tree on a day that is at once bright and breezy3 you may observe on the ground at your feet a curious network of flickering light trembling and dancing about in perpetual motion4 ,the sunbeams that penetrate at intervals through openings among the agitated branches are barren though beautiful4 ,the grass that gets no other light grows slim and pithless1 bearing no seed-knot on its slender top4 ,sunlight admitted now and then through apertures in the leafy awning is not sufficient for the processes of nature2 the grain field must get its bosom opened without impediment permanently to the sun4 ,it is thus that snatches of spiritual exercise do not avail to promote the growth1 or even to preserve the life of grace in a heart that in the main is habitually overshadowed by a crowd of overgrown imperious worldly cares4 ,evening and morning you may open the ,bible and bend the knee1 but the tender plant of righteousness in your heart is not effectually revived by these brief and fitful glances4 ,before the drooping leaves have had time to feel the genial warmth1 another cloud has closed the orifice and left them again in the chill damp shade4 ,even the ,lord's day1 as a gap left open between earth and heaven1 is not by any means so wide as it seems2 for the memory of the past week's business and pleasure stretches over on the one side1 until it meet1 or almost meet1 the anticipation of the next week's business and pleasure1 so that even on the ,sabbath the world still overshadows the soul of its votary4 ,shut out1 except at short and uncertain intervals1 from the ,light of ,life1 he passes through the summer of his probation with a well-proportioned but empty form of godliness2 and the ,lord1 when he comes at the close to gather the wheat into his garner1 finds on that portion of the field only the rustling chaff of a hollow profession1 instead of the fruit unto holiness that grows on living souls4 ,some lessons suggest themselves in connection with this portion of the parable1 and claim a brief notice at our hand4 #a4 ,as the thorns are indigenous and spring of their own accord1 while the good seed must be sown and cherished2 so1 vain thoughts1 lodged in our hearts from the dawn of our being1 have the advantage of first possession1 and get the start of their competitors in the race for supremacy4 ,lurking unobserved between the folds of nature's faculties1 before the understanding is developed1 they come away early and grow rapidly1 and obtain a firm footing before the saving truth1 the seed of the kingdom1 has burst the kernel and broken through the ground4 ,crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts2 begin that work early1 and persevere in that work to the end4 #b4 ,as long as the weeds live they grow4 ,every moment1 until they are cast out of the field1 they spread themselves more widely over its surface and drain away more of its nutritive juice4 ,delay is dangerous4 ,if it be painful to pull out the root of bitterness from your heart to-day1 it will be more painful to-morrow4 ,take for example the love of money3 we know well that though money is a useful servant it is a hard master2 be assured if it get and keep the mastery of a soul1 its little finger in the end will be thicker than its loins were at the beginning4 ,avarice chastises its slave in middle life with whips2 but if he abide its slave1 it will chastise him when he is old with scorpions4 #c4 ,the thorn is a prickly thing2 it tears the husbandman's flesh1 as well as destroys the fruit of his field4 ,in like manner the care of the world and the deceitfulness of riches lacerate the man who permits them to grow rank in his heart4 ,the vain man is continually meeting with slights1 or suspecting that his neighbours are about to offer them4 ,the miser is always losing money1 or trembling lest he should lose it in the next transaction4 ,the world itself knows1 and in its proverbs confesses1 that around the most coveted pleasures are set sharp thorns1 which wound the hand that tries to pluck the rose4 #d4 ,it was where the seed and the thorns grew together that the mischief was done4 ,if the grain is permitted to occupy alone the heart of the field1 the thorns that grow outside and around it may constitute a hedge of defence1 not only harmless but useful4 ,there is a place for cares1 and for riches too1--a place in which they help and do not hinder the kingdom of ,god4 ,kept in its own sphere1 the lawful business of life becomes a protecting fence round the tender plant of grace in a ,christian's heart4 ,permit not the thorns to occupy the position which is due to the good seed4 ,not as rivals within the field1 but as guards around it1 earthly affairs are innocent and safe4 ,seek first the kingdom of ,god and his righteousness1 and all these things shall be added unto you4 #e4 ,when the husbandman perceives a huge prickly weed in the midst of his field robbing and overshadowing the corn1 he sends his servant to cast out the intruder4 ,in such a case1 a bare spot is left where the thistle grew2 but at this stage experiences diverge and travel on different lines towards opposite results4 ,in some cases the blank is soon made up again1 and the corn waves level like a lake over all the field1 so that none could tell where the thistle stood3 in others1 the blank caused by the removal of a rank weed remains a blank throughout the summer1 presenting to the reapers in harvest only a spot of bare ground4 ,why do opposite effects proceed from similar operations8 ,time was the turning point4 ,in the one case the weed was torn out at an early period of the summer2 in the other case it was torn out too late4 ,we have often seen a soul placed in imminent danger by the overgrowth of cares or pleasures that threatened by their rankness to choke the seed of the word2 and we have afterwards seen that soul delivered from the danger1 by a stroke of ,god's providence that plucked out the weeds in time4 ,many of the saved both in earth and in heaven now praise the ,lord1 because he tore the idols from their hearts and spared not for their crying4 ,the love of ,christ that had been planted in their youth1 and had1 though hard pressed1 still kept hold1 soon spread again and occupied all the empty space1 whence the fortune1 or fame1 or living treasures dearer still1 had been plucked4 ,when he came to himself1 that disciple1 afflicted sore but comforted again1 clearly saw and gladly sang the mercy and judgment joined together that had cleared the room for ,christ in his heart4 ,but examples of an opposite experience1 here and there one1 stand on the edge of life's crowded highway1 ghastly as the pillar of salt on the plain of ,sodom1 burning into the soul of the passenger the warning word1 ,be in time4 ,an old man has1 by the hand of the ,lord in providence1 been stripped of all his treasures4 ,these treasures1 whether they were in themselves the noblest or the meanest1--for when a man made in the likeness of ,god abandons himself to the worship of an idol1 it matters little whether the idol be made of fine gold or of dull clay1--these treasures possessed and filled his heart4 ,round them his understanding and affections had closely clasped1 so that his whole nature had taken the mould of the object which it grasped4 ,in this attitude the man grew old3 the faculties of his mind became hard and rigid like the members of his body4 ,the bosom1 no longer pliable to open by gentle pressure1 was rudely rent1 and its portion in one lump wrenched away4 ,a deep1 broad1 dark chasm1 like the valley of the shadow of death1 was left3 and the chasm remained dark and empty to the end2 for neither the affections of the old man's soul nor the joints of the old man's frame would fold round another portion now4 ,ah6 the cares and pleasures that drove ,christ from the heart may be cast out too late for letting ,christ come in again to occupy the empty room4 ,now is the accepted time2 now is the day of salvation4 ,to-day1 if ye will hear his voice1 harden not your hearts4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,good ,,ground4--,guided by the ,great ,teacher's own interpretation1 we have travelled through the series of successive obstacles which hinder the growth and mar the fruitfulness of ,god's word in the hearts of men1--travelled through1 weeping as we went4 ,at the close of this sad but instructive journey1 a beauteous sight bursts into view3 it is a field of ripe grain on a sunny harvest day4 ,the ground was ploughed1 and the seed sank beneath it from the sower's hand in spring2 the earth was soft and sapful to a sufficient depth1 and the roots of the springing corn found ample room to range in2 the soil was clean1 and its fatness1 not shared by usurping weeds1 went all to the nourishment of the sown seed3 therefore in the balmy air and under the beaming sun it is ripe to-day1 and ready to fill the reaper's bosom4 ,it is a refreshing1 satisfying sight2 but1 fair though it be1 we shall not now linger long to gaze upon it4 ,by the parable the ,master meant mainly to teach us what things are adverse to his kingdom4 ,having learned this lesson from his lips1 we go away grateful for his pungent1 deeply-traced1 and memorable warnings1 without pausing to examine minutely the glad prospect to which our thorny path has led4 ,the traveller who has come safely through many dangers by flood and field1 narrates at large1 with burning lips and throbbing heart1 the varied toils of the journey2 but his home1--he does not describe1 he enjoys it4#aj #aj ,it is not intimated by the parable that our ,father the ,husbandman finds any of the good ground in us3 the ground1 like the tree in another analogical lesson of the ,lord1 is not good until it is made good4 ,it is beyond the scope of this parable to explain how the ground is rendered soft and kept free from thorns4 ,the ,teacher was content in this lesson to tell us what the good ground produces2 we must discover elsewhere in the ,scriptures whence its goodness is derived4 444,the similitude from nature is no longer applicable to the mystery of the kingdom of heaven2 as a parable1 it has already reached its limits1 when the truth goes beyond the similitude4 ,there is a miraculous seed superior indeed to all natural seed1 so powerful that by its growth it can and will choke all thorns4 ,nay more1 it can also break through the rock in striking its root down into the earth1 and can make that to be again a field of ,god which was a way for the feet of the prince of this world4--,stier in loc4 ,among the many incidental and collateral applications of which this parable is susceptible1 one of the most interesting and instructive is--,that every man has within himself the elements of all the four kinds of ground4 ,the conception is thus presented by ,fred4 ,arndt3 ,at the outset1 the word of ,god finds all in the first unreceptive condition2 we go away without experiencing its power1 and remain in a state of nature1 unconverted4 ,next1 the word begins to take effect upon us1 and we are awakened4 ,oh now the word of the ,lord burns with a holy glow in our hearts6 ,we give ourselves over with our whole souls in those first days of love4 ,we have found heaven2 we have seen it opened1 and the angels of ,god ascending and descending on the ,son of man4 ,but this condition does not endure4 ,the fightings begin from within and from without1 and the flame is quenched4 ,the heart becomes cold and empty4 ,the life of faith becomes silent and slow in its course4 ,we become languid in watching and prayer2 the love of the world and its sinful pleasures awakes again2 and before we are aware1 we are trying to serve both ,god and the world4 ,then the war bursts out3 this moment ,god is above us1 the next beneath us1 and we get no rest until we have renounced the world1 and surrendered our heart and life to ,god wholly1 and to ,god alone4 ,thus we pass1 in the faith-school of the ,holy ,spirit1 through all the four classes1 deceiving ourselves and being deceived1 until at last1 after many a bitter experience1 we strike upon the narrow way1 and through the strait gate4--,die ,gleichniss-reden4 ,jes4 ,chr4 ,while all the ground that was broken1 deep1 and clean in spring and summer1 bears fruit in harvest1 some portions produce a larger return than others4 ,the picture in this feature is true to nature2 and the fact in the spiritual sphere also corresponds4 ,there are diversities in the ,spirit's operation2 diversities in natural gifts bestowed on men at first2 diversities in the amount of energy exerted by believers as fellow-workers with ,god in their own sanctification2 and diversities1 accordingly1 in the fruitfulness which results in the life of ,christians4 ,while all believers are safe in ,christ1 each should covet the best gifts4 ,no true disciple will be contented with a thirtyfold increase of faith1 and patience1 and humility1 and love1 and usefulness in his heart and life for the ,lord1 if through prayer and watching--if by denying ungodliness and worldly lusts--if by sternly crucifying the flesh and trustfully walking with ,god1 he may rise from thirty to sixty1 and from sixty to an hundredfold in that holy obedience which grows on living faith4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,tares4 ,another parable put he forth unto them1 saying1 ,the kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field3 but while men slept1 his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat1 and went his way4 ,but when the blade was sprung up1 and brought forth fruit1 then appeared the tares also4 ,so the servants of the householder came and said unto him1 ,sir1 didst not thou sow good seed in thy field8 from whence then hath it tares8 ,he said unto them1 ,an enemy hath done this4 ,the servants said unto him1 ,wilt thou then that we go and gather them up8 ,but he said1 ,nay2 lest while ye gather up the tares1 ye root up also the wheat with them4 ,let both grow together until the harvest3 and in the time of harvest ,i will say to the reapers1 ,gather ye together first the tares1 and bind them in bundles to burn them3 but gather the wheat into my barn4444 ,then ,jesus sent the multitude away1 and went into the house3 and his disciples came unto him1 saying1 ,declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field4 ,he answered and said unto them1 ,he that soweth the good seed is the ,son of man2 the field is the world2 the good seed are the children of the kingdom2 but the tares are the children of the wicked one2 the enemy that sowed them is the devil2 the harvest is the end of the world2 and the reapers are the angels4 ,as therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire2 so shall it be in the end of this world4 ,the ,son of man shall send forth his angels1 and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend1 and them which do iniquity2 and shall cast them into a furnace of fire3 there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth4 ,then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their ,father4 ,who hath ears to hear1 let him hear4--,,matt4 xiii4 #bd-cj1 #cf-dc4 ,as the main design of the first parable is to exhibit the kingdom in its relation to unbelieving men1 who1 in various forms and with various measures of aggravation1 ultimately reject it2 the main design of the second is to exhibit the kingdom in its relation to the wicked one1 who endeavours1 by cunning stratagem1 to destroy it4 ,in either case there is a conflict3 in the first1 the conflict is waged chiefly between the word1 which is the seed of the kingdom1 and the various evil dispositions which impede its growth in the hearts of men2 in the second1 the conflict is waged chiefly1 as in the mysterious temptation in the wilderness1 between ,christ1 man's ,redeemer1 and the devil1 the adversary of man4 ,in the first parable the obstacles to the progress of the kingdom lay in the heedlessness1 the hardness1 and the worldliness of men2 in the second1 the old serpent is the opposer1 and wicked men are wielded as instruments in his hands4 ,the picture is sketched from nature2 the lines are very few1 but each contributes a feature1 and all1 together1 make the likeness complete4 ,a ,galilean countryman1 after having fenced and ploughed and cleaned his field1 has watched the condition of the soil and the appearance of the sky1 until he has found a day on which both were suitable for the grand decisive operation of the season1 the sowing of the seed4 ,with anxiety1 but in hope1 this critical and cardinal act is performed2 the seed is committed to the ground4 ,it was good seed that the careful husbandman cast among the clods4 ,if the last season's crop was of inferior quality1 he and his children have cheerfully lived upon the worst1 that the best might be reserved for sowing2 if the last crop was scanty1 the family were content with a less plentiful meal2 and if none of the previous year's produce was well ripened1 better grain has been bought in a distant market1 that at all hazards a sufficient quantity of good seed may be secured for the coming season4 ,those only who have lived among them1 and shared their lot1 know how much the poor but intelligent and industrious cultivators of the soil will do and bear in order to preserve or obtain plenty of good seed4 ,the great crisis of the season is now past2 and the husbandman1 wiping his brow as he glances backward upon his completed work1 goes home at sunset with limbs somewhat weary1 but a heart full of hope4 ,the next portion of the picture is of a dark and dismal hue4 ,when the farmer and his family1 innocent and unsuspicious1 are fast asleep1 a neighbour1 too full of envy for enjoying rest1 stalks forth into the same field under cover of night1 and with much labour scatters something broadcast over its surface4 ,he is secretly sowing tares1 with the malicious design of damaging or destroying the wheat4 ,as soon as the deed of darkness is done1 he creeps stealthily back to his own bed1 and in the morning1 when he meets his fellow-villagers1 does his best to put on the air of an innocent man4 ,weeks pass2 showers fall2 the seed springs and covers all the ground with beautiful green4 ,the owner visited his field from time to time in spring1 and thought it promised well4 ,but at that period of the summer1 still a good while before harvest1 when the ears of the grain begin to appear1 some of the farmer's servants1 looking narrowly into the quality of the crop1 discovered that a large proportion of it was darnel4 ,forthwith they reported the sad intelligence to their master1 and requested permission to pluck out the intruders4 ,it was agreed among them that good seed had been sown1 and the darnel or false wheat was by common consent and without hesitation set down as the work of an enemy4 ,as to the treatment of the disaster now that it had occurred1 the master's judgment was clear1 and his order explicit3 to pull out the darnel at this stage1 as the servants proposed1 would hurt the wheat more than help it2 both must be permitted to grow together till the harvest2 they may be safely and effectually separated then4 ,some interesting questions connected with the natural objects claim our regard in the first instance1 before we proceed to investigate the spiritual significance of the parable4 ,what are the tares8 ,the original term does not elsewhere occur in ,scripture1 and in the total absence of examples for comparison1 it is somewhat difficult to ascertain its precise signification4 ,the word and the thing which it signifies have exercised the learning and ingenuity of expositors both in ancient and in modern times4 ,on such a subject as this it is on the line of natural history rather than philology that the investigation should mainly proceed2 there1 from the nature of the case1 surer results may be obtained4 ,through the increased facility of making local inquiries which has of late years been enjoyed1 it is now known1 and apparently with one consent acknowledged by intelligent inquirers1 that the seed which the malicious neighbour sowed in order to injure the produce of the field was ,lolium temulentum1 or darnel1 a kind of false wheat to which the ,arabs of ,palestine at this day apply a name 7zowan7 which bears some resemblance to 7,greek3 zizania7 the original word in the ,greek text4#aa ,it has long narrow leaves and an upright stalk1 and is indeed in all respects so like the wheat1 that even an experienced eye cannot distinguish the two plants until they are in ear3 the distinction then is manifest1 and any one may observe it4 ,the grains of the darnel are not so heavy as the wheat1 and not so compactly set upon the stalk4 ,they are poisonous1 their specific effect both in man and in beast being nausea and giddiness4 ,the remark of ,schubert in his ,natural ,history1 quoted by ,stier1 that this is the only poisonous grass1 is deeply significant in relation to the spiritual meaning of the parable2 it suggests the reason why the ,healer selected this plant as the symbol of sin4 #aa ,the ,land and the ,book1 by ,dr4 ,thomson4 ,t4 ,nelson ,sons4 ,but another question meets us here1 more obscure and difficult than either the appearance or the characteristic effects of the darnel1--the question whether it is originally a specifically different plant1 or only wheat degenerated4 ,some maintain that it is wheat which1 by some mysterious causes in the processes of nature1 has fallen1 as it were1 into a lower type4 ,this view imparts additional fulness to the parable in its spiritual application4 ,so interpreted1 the picture exhibits not only the low estate of the sinful1 but also the fact that they have fallen from a higher4 ,in such cases1 however1 there is some danger lest the beauty and appropriateness of the conception should entice us to receive it on insufficient evidence4 ,the fact that some plants in certain adverse circumstances tend to degenerate1 and in certain favourable circumstances to attain a higher type1 is well known in natural history2 but it seems questionable whether these changes ever take place to such an extent1 and in such a uniform method1 as must be assumed if we take darnel for degenerated wheat4 ,agriculturists in ,palestine believe and declare1 that1 when the season is wet1 the wheat which they sow in certain fields in spring grows as zowan in harvest4 ,it is difficult for one who is accustomed to observe the uniformity of nature in the reproduction of each species from its own seed1 to believe that transformations so great are accomplished at a single step4 ,an ,american writer1 one of the latest authorities1 and1 in respect to his abundant opportunities of observation1 one of the best1 bears witness that he has often seen the wheat and barley fields overrun with darnel1 and that the native owners stoutly declare that the good wheat which they sowed has been changed into the false in the process of growth during a single season2 but he intimates at the same time that he believes the men are mistaken1 and that the presence of the darnel must be attributed to some other cause1 and accounted for in some other way4#ab ,the suggestion that the same peculiarities of season which destroy the sown wheat may favour the springing of the darnel1 that had lain in the ground dormant before1 may possibly account for the present experience of the ,syrian cultivators2 or the effects may be in whole or in part due to other causes of which we are not cognizant2 but the solution of this question is by no means essential to the right interpretation of the parable1 and therefore we shall not prosecute the investigation further in this direction4 #ab ,the ,land and the ,book4 ,note by ,principal ,fairbairn in translation of ,lisco on the ,parables4 ,dr4 ,thomson gives unequivocal testimony1 at the same time1 that at the present day no instance is known of the growth of darnel among the wheat being caused by the malicious act of an enemy4 ,this1 however1 as he distinctly owns1 does not prove that the transaction depicted in the parable had no foundation in fact4 ,it must have happened substantially in history1 otherwise it would not have been introduced as a supposition into these lessons of the ,lord4 ,some travellers have stated that this species of crime is known in ,india2 but ,i do not set much value on the discovery of precisely identical facts in modern times4 ,the existence of the representation in this parable is1 simply as a matter of rational evidence1 a tenfold stronger proof that the facts in their essential features actually happened1 than any quantity of analogous cases drawn from other countries in later times4 ,it is of greater importance to note that the malice which endured the toil of sowing tares in a neighbour's field grows yet1 and grows rankly in human breasts4 ,in different ages and regions1 that spiritual wickedness may clothe itself in bodies of diverse mould and hue1 but it is in all times and places the same foul and malignant spirit1 acting according to its kind4 ,the same spirit that sowed darnel among wheat at night in a corn field of ,galilee1 two thousand years ago1 will set fire to a stackyard1 or hamstring the horses1 or shoot the overseer from behind a hedge in our own day1 and1 alas6 in some parts of our own land4 ,as in the highest good1 so in the deepest evil1 there are diversities of operation by the same spirit4 ,when we take into account the changes of fashion which occur both in clothing and in crime1 we have no reason to be sceptical as to the ancient fact1 and no difficulty in obtaining a modern specimen4 ,from the results already gained1 it appears obvious that the translation tares in our ,english version is unfortunate3 it not only fails to represent clearly the state of the fact1 but leads the reader's mind away in a wrong direction4 ,to an ,english reader the term suggests a species of legume1 which bears no resemblance to wheat at any stage of its progress4 ,by the use of this word the characteristic feature of the picture is greatly obscured4 ,had the plant which sprung from the envious neighbour's seed been a legume1 its presence would have been detected at the first1 and it could have been separated at any stage4 ,the darnel1 on the contrary1 cannot be distinguished from wheat until both are nearly ripe1 and the process of separation1 whether in the field or on the threshing-floor1 is much more difficult4 99 99 99 99 99 ,again the ,lord becomes his own interpreter3 at the request of the disciples he explained to them in private the meaning of his allegory4 ,the points are great1 few1 and clearly defined4 ,in this journey the ,master has kindly gone before us2 reverently1 trustfully1 we shall follow his steps4 ,he that soweth the good seed is the ,son of man2 the field is the world4 ,it is in connection with the field that the greatest difficulty has occurred1 the greatest mistakes have been made1 and the deepest injury has been done4 ,few words of ,scripture are more plain2 and yet few have been more grievously misunderstood and wrested4 ,at the entrance of the inspired explanation1 the expositor1 bent on the defence of his own foregone conclusion1 takes his stand1 like a pointsman on a railway1 and by one jerk turns the whole train into the wrong line4 ,the field is the world1 said the ,lord3 ,the field is the ,church1 say the interpreters4 ,it is wearisome to read the reasonings by which they endeavour to fortify their assumption4 ,having determined that the field is the ,church1 they are compelled immediately to address themselves to the great practical question of discipline4 ,if they were prepared to admit that there should be absolutely no discipline--that no man should be shut out from communion1 however heretical his opinions or vicious his practice might be1 their task under the general principle of interpretation which they have adopted would be very easy4 ,the command is clear1 cast none out of the field1 however fully developed their wickedness may be1 until the angels make the separation between good and evil at the consummation of all things4 ,if the field means the ,church1 the exclusion of the unworthy by a human ministry is absolutely forbidden4 ,but the expositors are not willing altogether to abandon discipline4 ,they maintain1 on the one hand1 that this parable deals with and settles the question of the right to eject unworthy members from the communion of the ,church2 and on the other hand1 that while it condemns excessive and puritanical strictness1 it permits and justifies the ejection of those who are manifestly unworthy4 ,most of the commentaries that have come under my notice betray on this point weakness and inconsistency4 ,if by this feature of the parable the ,lord gives a decision on ,church discipline1 he forbids it out and out1 in all its forms1 and in all its degrees4 ,the separation suggested1 he permits not to be attempted at all1 until he shall charge his angels to accomplish it at the end of the world4 ,in my judgment1 to contend for the right of excluding some of the ranker tares1 after admitting that this parable bears upon the subject of ecclesiastical discipline1 tends not only to perplex the student1 but to throw a reflection on the authority of the ,word4 ,i see only two doors open3 either cease to hold that the field is the ,church1 or cease to claim the right of excluding any from communion4 ,good old ,benjamin ,keach1 in a portly volume on the parables1 addressed to the impartial reader1 and sent from my house in ,horsley ,down1 ,southwark1 ,august #bj4 #agja1 indicates with clearness and simplicity his own judgment2 but1 overawed by authority1 seems afraid at the sound of his own words3 ,the field is the world2 though it may1 as some think1 also refer to the ,church4 ,marlorate saith by a synecdoche1 a part for the whole1 it signifies the ,church2 though this seems doubtful to me1 and ,i rather believe it means the world4 ,the second of two reasons which he submits as the grounds of his opinion is1--,because tares1 when discovered to be such1 must not grow among the wheat in the ,church1 but ought to be cast out1 though they ought to live together in the world4 ,here ,keach reasons most naturally1 and indeed irrefragably1 against the interpretation that the world is the ,church1 from the monstrous consequence to which it necessarily leads4 ,i am beyond measure amazed to find the general stream of interpretation1 as far as ,i have had an opportunity of examining it1 ancient and modern1 ,german and ,anglican1 flowing in this channel4 ,when ,i find the great and venerated name of ,calvin contributing to swell this tide1 ,i am compelled to pause and examine the subject anew2 but my judgment remains the same4 ,we must call no man master on earth2 one is our master in heaven4 ,it is not necessarily presumption in one of us to oppose the judgment of the great and good of a former age1 especially on such a subject as this4 ,in regard to all the relations between the ,church and the civil power1 we are in a better position for judging than either the early ,reformers or the ,continental and ,anglican theologians of the present day4 ,the general progress made since the time of ,calvin in the historical development of the ,christian ,church1 and the particular experience through which ,christians in ,scotland have in later times been led1 greatly contribute to elevate our stand-point in relation to the discipline of the ,church1 and its right to freedom from civil control4 ,as a child on the house-top can scan a wider landscape than a man on the ground1 although the child may have been indebted to that man for his elevation2 so we may own the ,reformers as in a right sense our teachers1 and yet on some subjects form a sounder judgment than they4 ,although no new revelation has been made since the ,lord's apostles were removed from the earth1 the ,church does under the government of her ,head1 advance from age to age2 and the principle embodied in the declaration1 ,the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he 7,matt4 xi4 #aa71 emerges still in manifold subordinate fulfilments4 ,as to the greatest modern scholars of ,germany and ,england1 the accepted and even lauded ,erastianism in which they are steeped is a beam in their eye1 which dims and distorts their sight when they look in the direction of the ,church with its constitution and discipline4 ,while on other subjects their insight is such that we may be content to sit at their feet1 the view on this side is from their stand-point cut off short1 as if by a mountain in the foreground1 and they can afford us no help4 ,the field is the world3 in the prevailing confusion we hold to this1 as the ship to her anchor in a storm4 ,men should remember when they explain away the meaning of the term world1 and teach that it signifies the ,church1 that they are dealing not with a parable1 but with the explanation of a parable given by the ,lord4 ,the parable is professedly a metaphor2 but when the ,lord undertook to tell his disciples what the metaphor meant1 he did not give them another metaphor more difficult than the first4 ,i venture to affirm that the expositors would have found it easier to show that the field is the ,church than to show that the world is the ,church4 ,according to their view1 it results that the ,lord proposed to interpret his own allegory1 but only gave on this point another allegory somewhat more obscure4 ,the outrageousness of the conclusion proves the premises false4 ,in affectionate tenderness to the twelve1 the ,lord ,jesus undertook to translate a figurative expression which puzzled them into a literal expression which the feeblest might be able to comprehend4 ,the field is the metaphor1 and that metaphor interpreted is the world2 it does not need to be interpreted over again4 ,this ,teacher means what he says4 ,he points to this globe1 man's habitation1 and mankind its inhabitants in all places and all times4 ,into this world ,christ1 the ,son of man1 the ,son of ,god1 cast good seed4 ,the children of the kingdom are the good seed3 in the beginning men were made in ,god's likeness1 and placed in his world4 ,thereafter and thereupon an enemy stealthily and maliciously sowed tares in the same field4 ,the enemy is the devil2 and the tares which he by his sowing caused to spring in the field are the children of the wicked one4 ,in the first instance1 the ,day in which the sower spread good seed in his field was the day in which ,god made man upright3 the ,night in which the enemy sowed tares was the period of the temptation and the fall4 ,both these antagonistic processes are carried on still4 ,the ,son of man sows the good seed day by day in the world1 and night by night the enemy sows his tares4 ,especially and signally in the fulness of time the good seed1 more completely developed1 was again committed to the ground in the ministry and sacrifice of ,christ2 and again the wicked one renewed and increased his efforts to counteract and destroy it4 ,these two1 opposite in origin and in nature1 are commingled and interwoven in all the ordinary relations of life4 ,the children of the wicked one and the children of the kingdom live together in the world1 eat of the same bread1 and breathe the same air1 and look upon the same light4 ,in the ,galilean field1 which the ,lord employed as a type with which to print his lesson1 portions might be seen where1 owing perhaps to peculiar wetness and sourness in the soil1 the wheat had wholly disappeared1 and the darnel grew alone2 in other parts1 probably where the soil was warm and dry1 the good seed had gained the mastery1 and the false scarcely showed its head2 and in a third quarter the good and bad might appear in equal numbers and equal strength4 ,such precisely is the aspect of the world4 ,large portions of it have been heathen from a higher date than that to which history ascends2 large portions1 which were ,christian long after the apostolic age1 have been overrun and laid waste by the blind but strong system of ,mahomet2 while in other parts a vigorous ,christian life appears1 although even there the good seed must maintain a struggle against bitter roots below and poisonous fruit rearing its head on high4 ,i accept1 therefore1 in all simplicity1 the ,master's own definition3 ,i see in the field of the injured husbandman a picture1 not of the ,church in the world1 but of the world in which the ,church must for the present live and labour4 ,the ingenious effort made by a recent ,swiss expositor#ac to find a middle path only serves to show how heavily the difficulties of the common interpretation press on those who maintain it4 ,having confessed1 according to the terms of the text1 that the field or ground is not the ,church1 but the world1 he proceeds1 with a very strong animus against what he calls puritanism or separatism1#ad to argue in the usual way against every attempt to purify the visible ,church except by the exclusion of persons who are notoriously heretical or vicious4 ,the grounds on which he pleads against separation from the impure1 in as far as this parable is concerned1 are--7#a47 ,that there was no need of a revelation to make known the universally acknowledged maxim that bad people should be tolerated in the world2 7#b47 ,that1 according to the terms of the parable1 the farmer sowed wheat in his ground1 but did not sow the whole of his ground--so that the ground may be the world1 and the portion sown1 or the wheat field1 may still represent the ,church2 7#c47 ,that the parable of the fishing-net confirms this interpretation2 and 7#d47 ,that in the world there was no wheat until the preaching of the gospel reached it1 and consequently the mixture is in the church1 and not in the world4 #ac ,die ,parabeln des ,herrn1 fr ,kirche1 ,schule1 und ,haus1 erklrt von ,dr4 ,de ,valenti4 ,basel1 #ahda4 #ad ,it is quite possible that the separatists whom ,de ,valenti scolds1 with more warmth than elegance1 may deserve his censure2 for severe restrictive measures adopted by governments to suppress religious dissent have frequently the effect of deteriorating its character1 on the principle that oppression makes a wise man mad4 ,the first of these grounds seems most unfortunate2 for corrupt ecclesiastics1 from an early age to the present day1 have ever shown themselves ready to cast those whom they call heretics1 not out of the ,church only1 but out of the world3#ae the second is a refinement too narrow for building any conclusion upon3 the third applies a mistaken view of one parable to support a mistaken view of another3 and the fourth is the second in another form4 ,after having in effect explained away his own admission1 that the field is the world1 and not the ,church1 he freely concedes in the close that the openly heretical and vicious should not be tolerated within the ,church4 ,but ,i ask what right has he to exclude those whom1 according to his exegesis1 the ,lord commanded his ministers to tolerate in the ,church8 #ae ,lange 7in loc471 having quoted ,gerlach to the effect that this prohibition refers to extremes of ecclesiastical discipline1 for the purpose of excluding all unbelievers and hypocrites1 and constituting a perfectly pure ,church1 timidly replies3 ,we can scarcely agree with him that it contains no allusion to the punishment of death for heresy4444 ,it is well known that ,novatianism1 on the one hand1 and the ,papal hierarchy1 on the other1 have addressed themselves to this work of uprooting despite the prohibition of the ,lord1 and that the ,romish ,church has at last ended by condemning to the flames only the best wheat4444 ,the auto da fs of the middle ages were only a humble caricature and anticipation of that fiery judgment4 ,in the intimation that it was while men slept that the mischief was done1 ,i cannot find any covert reproof of an indolent ministry in the ,church4 ,it was night3 all the community had retired to rest4 ,the species of criminal which the parable depicts was not numerous1--the crime was not of daily occurrence4 ,it was neither the practice nor the duty of the people1 after they had toiled all day in their fields1 to watch their work by night1 to protect it from possible injury4 ,the expression1 while men slept1 is intended merely to indicate that the evil-doer took advantage of the darkness to cover his deed3 accordingly1 in the interpretation no specific meaning is attached to this feature of the parable4 ,in regard to the servants1 and their proposal instantly to pull up the tares1 the interpretation is attended with difficulty4 ,with some eminent ancient expositors ,i am convinced that1 if not exclusively1 yet primarily and chiefly1 the servants who offered to make the separation are the angels4 ,the parable stretches far into both time and space3 it comprehends the world1 and the successive dispensations of ,god there4 ,morning stars sang together when they saw beautiful worlds starting into being at their ,maker's word3 the same high intelligences must have been surprised and grieved when they saw ,god's fairest work marred by sin4 ,it is like the impulse of beings perfect in holiness1 but limited in knowledge1 to offer themselves on the instant as willing instruments to cast the defilers out4 ,pleased1 doubtless1 with their instinctive zeal for holiness1 but comprehending his own purposes better than they1 the ,lord declined the proffered ministry4 ,at the same time he intimated that the separation which the servants suggested was not refused1 but only postponed4 ,his plan required that good and evil1 now that evil had begun1 should mingle in the world till the end4 ,at the close of the dispensation1 when the ,son of man shall come in his glory1 he will give the commission for a final separation to the angels who shall constitute his train4 ,it seems to be generally assumed by modern expositors1 that while the reapers who shall separate the tares from the wheat in harvest are angels1 the servants who offered to weed out the tares while they were yet green are the human ministers of the visible ,church4 ,archbishop ,trench1 for example1 says3 ,these servants are not1 as ,theophylact suggests1 the angels 7they are the reapers1 ver4 #cj72 but men1 zealous1 indeed1 for the ,lord's honour1 but zealous with the same zeal as animated those two disciples who would fain have commanded fire to come down from heaven on the inhospitable ,samaritan village 7,luke ix4 #ed74 ,i think the learned author is mistaken here1 and that the preponderance of evidence lies on the other side4 ,the subject is interesting1 and will repay the labour of investigation4 ,here two questions1 distinct1 yet closely connected1 constitute the case3 on the answer which may be given to them the decision will turn4 ,one relates to the persons1 and the other to their acts3 ,are the servants who propose to pull up the tares in summer1 and the reapers who are commanded to make the separation in harvest1 the same1 or different persons8 and is the separation proposed by the servants substantially the same in kind with that which is ultimately effected by the reapers1 or is it different8 ,i think the servants and the reapers are substantially identical4 ,the troop of servants who haunt a rich man's house1 and the band of labourers who reap his patrimonial fields1 stand far apart in our land and our day4 ,not so1 however1 in the establishment of a ,galilean householder eighteen hundred years ago4 ,when you take into view the habits of society at the date and on the scene of the parable1 it will appear certain and obvious that the servants who proposed to weed the fields in summer were1 in part at least1 the same persons who would be sent to reap the fields in autumn4 ,the reapers might be a more numerous band than the servants who were employed throughout the year1 but to a large extent the constituents must have been the same4 ,in another parable 7,luke xvii4 #g-aj71 a servant1 who has been ploughing or feeding cattle1 is obliged1 after he returns from the field1 to gird himself and wait on his master at table4 ,this shows conclusively that the division of labour which obtains among us was unknown then in ,galilee4 ,the master does not1 indeed1 say to the servants who made the proposal1 ,i will employ you in harvest to accomplish the separation3 the form of expression is1 ,i will say to the reapers2 but reapers and servants were of the self-same class1 and in all probability to some extent the same individuals4 ,the second question can be more easily answered4 ,the separation which the reapers ultimately effected is essentially the same with that which the servants at an earlier period proposed4 ,it is an actual1 material1 final separation of the tares from the wheat4 ,it results that there is no solid ground in the parable for the assumption that those who proposed to make the separation at an earlier date represent men1 while those who were employed to accomplish it afterwards represent angels2 and that the separation which the ,lord prohibited was spiritual1 while that which he permitted was physical4 ,in regard to the separation which he sanctioned1 the ,lord interprets what the operation is1 and who are the operators2 whereas1 in regard to the separation at an earlier date proposed1 he gives no interpretation4 ,instead of beginning by giving my own assumption as to the meaning of the uninterpreted part1 ,i go first to the part that is interpreted to my hand1 and from the point which is illuminated ,i get light thrown back on the point which was left in the shade4 ,the reapers1 ,i know1 are the angels2 and the servants were the same1 or at least the same class of ministers1 proposing to accomplish the work at an earlier date4 ,the separation which was actually effected in the harvest represents1 we know1 the personal and local as well as moral and spiritual separation of the good and the evil2 thence ,i conclude that the separation which the same ministers1 or the same class of ministers1 had previously offered to make was personal and local as well as moral and spiritual4 ,the proposed and the accepted separations were precisely the same in kind and degree2 they differed only in their dates3 while1 therefore1 one of the two is interpreted to my hand1 ,i have no right to attach to the other an interpretation totally different4 ,the assumption that the separation which the ,lord prohibited was only a spiritual sentence1 while the separation which he permitted was actual1 local1 complete1 and final1 derives countenance neither from the parable nor its interpretation4 ,it appears to me1 then1 that the ,lord's direct and immediate design in this parable is1 not to prescribe the conduct of his disciples in regard to the conflict between good and evil in the world1 but to explain his own4 ,knowing that their ,master possessed all power in heaven and in earth1 it was natural that ,christians of the first age should expect an immediate paradise4 ,nothing was more necessary1 for the support of their faith in subsequent trials1 than distinct warnings from the ,lord1 that even to his own people the world would remain a wilderness4 ,accordingly1 both in plain terms and by symbols1 he faithfully1 frequently intimated that in the world they should have tribulation1 but that all should be set right at last4 ,on both sides they needed1 and on both sides he gave1 the instruction1 that in this life they must lay their account with a mixture1 but that after this life they would escape4 ,left to their own imagination1 they would readily have expected that their omnipotent ,head would so rule over the world1 and so instruct his ministers1 whether stormy winds or flaming fires1 that evil1 as soon as it showed its head1 would be weeded out of his people's way3 but with this parable and other cognate lessons in their hands1 they would not be surprised at any amount of success which the enemy might be permitted to obtain2 they would possess their souls in patience1 and wait for the end of the ,lord4 ,the parable condemns persecution1 but it seems not to bear upon discipline at all4 ,in its secondary sense1 or by implication1 it protects the wicked from any attempt on the part of the ,church to cast them out of the world by violence2 but it does not1 in any form or measure1 vindicate a place for the impure within the communion of the ,church of ,christ4 ,arguments against the exclusion of unworthy members1 founded on this parable1 are nothing else than perversions of ,scripture4 ,elsewhere ,christians may clearly read their duty in regard to any brother who walks disorderly2 elsewhere they may learn how to counsel1 exhort1 and rebuke the erring1 and1 if he remain impenitent1 how to cast him out of communion by a spiritual sentence2 but in this parable regarding these matters no judgment is given4 ,while the ,notes of ,dr4 ,trench on the parables are generally judicious and valuable1 his exposition of this and one or two others that are cognate is injured by a secret bias towards the forms in which he has been educated1--a bias that is natural and human1 but not on that account less hurtful4 ,the body of the vast and venerable institution of which he is at once a chief and an ornament1 stands so near1 and bulks so largely1 that where it is concerned his usual acuteness fails him4 ,the general announcement at the commencement of the parable1 that it concerns the kingdom of heaven1 he seems to think is sufficient proof that the field must mean the kingdom of heaven or the ,church4 ,it does1 indeed1 concern the kingdom of heaven1 for it shows that when that kingdom has1 by the ,son of man1 been introduced into the world1 many things spring up and mingle with it there to mar its fruitfulness2 but it betrays an unaccountable confusion to argue formally that because the parable concerns the kingdom of heaven1 therefore1 of all the features which the parable contains1 the field must specifically represent that kingdom1 in the face of the express testimony of ,scripture that the field represents a totally different thing4 ,the parable of the mustard-seed concerns the kingdom too1 but does the field in that parable therefore mean the ,church8 ,no4 ,the mustard-seed that grew in the field means the ,church1 and the field means the world in which the ,church is planted4 ,so in this parable the only thing that represents the ,church1 or aggregate of individual believers1 is the mass of the wheat stalks that sprang from the good seed3 the good seed are the children of the kingdom1 and the field is the world in which these children live and labour4 ,looking minutely to the phraseology employed1 we find that the kingdom of heaven is not said to be likened unto a field1 but unto a man that sowed seed2 pointing to the ,lord himself as the head1 and the good seed as his members1 and the wide world as their place of sojourn1 till he take them to himself4 ,dr4 ,trench remarks further on this point1 that the use of the term world need not perplex us in the least2 and perhaps he was led to make that assertion because the use of the term did perplex him much4 ,his solution of the difficulty is this3 ,it was the world1 and therefore was rightly called so1 till this seed was sown in it2 but thenceforth was the world no longer4 ,if it has any meaning at all1 this sentence must mean that what was the world yesterday becomes the ,church to-day1 when some seed is sown1 when some children of the kingdom are in it4 ,does the whole world become the ,church when one country is christianized8 or is it only the portion christianized that becomes the ,church8 ,if so1 how many ,christians must be in a given portion of the world1 to constitute that portion the ,church8 ,if there were three of the true seed in ,sodom1 was ,sodom the ,church8 or did not the three constitute the ,church in ,lot's house1 while the world raged around it like the troubled sea8 ,some of ,stier's remarks are good3 ,the parable moves in quite a different sphere from that of the question concerning ,church discipline4 ,the householder forbids and will not allow what the servants wish4 ,these would have all the tares removed entirely from their place among the wheat1 from the kingdom of ,christ 7ver4 #da74 ,but because the field is the world1 that were equivalent to removing the bad out of the world 7slaying the heretics71 c4 ,the conclusion of the whole matter is1 that whatever separation the parable forbids1 it forbids entirely3 if it speaks of discipline1 it says there shall be none2 so that they are wholly out of their reckoning who lean on it for the condemnation of what they consider excessive strictness while they would retain the power of excluding the worst from communion4 ,but1 in truth1 the parable has nothing to say on the subject4 ,when we have made our way through the discussions that have accumulated round it1 we return to the text in its simplicity1 and grasp its plain positive truth1 ,the field is the world4 ,it was all empty2 nothing good grew there1 until the seed was brought from heaven and sown4 ,the nation1 the family1 the soul that has not ,christ1 is poor1 and wretched1 and miserable1 and blind1 and naked4 ,the good seed are the children of the kingdom4 ,they are bought with a price and born of the ,spirit2 they are new creatures in ,christ and heirs of eternal life4 ,expressly it is written in reference to ,christ's disciples1 ,all things are for your sakes 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #ae74 ,for their sakes the world is preserved now1 and for their sakes it will be destroyed when the set time has come4 ,the darnel is permitted to grow in summer1 and in harvest is cast into the fire1--both for the sake of the wheat4 ,because ,christ loves his own he permits the wicked to run their course in time2 but because ,christ loves his own he will separate the wicked from the good at last4 ,the tares are the children of the wicked1 and the enemy that sowed them is the devil4 ,some people doubt1 and some positively deny1 the existence of the devil2 but one thing is clear1 the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the eternal ,son of the ,father1 has no doubt on that point4 ,he believes in that doctrine and teaches it3 he teaches it to the multitude on the margin of the lake1 and to the select circle of his followers in a private dwelling4 ,lively and energetic are the remarks of ,fred4 ,arndt on this subject3 ,yes1 ,jesus says1 in dry1 clear words1 ',the enemy that soweth them is the devil4' ,but surely there is not any devil8 ,who says that8 ,the ,son of ,god1 the mouth of eternal truth1 who knows the realm of spirits even as he knows this visible world1--who is the highest reason and the deepest wisdom1 yea1 even ,omniscience itself1--he believes it4 ,he holds it reasonable to believe in it4 ,he teaches what he believes4 ,dost thou know it better than he1 thou short-sighted being1 thou dust of yesterday1 thou child of error and ignorance8 ,he says it1 and therefore it is eternal truth4 ',but is it not intended to be taken figuratively8' ,well1 suppose it were meant figuratively1 we can only comprehend the figures of actually existing things1 and the figurative representation of the devil would imply his real being3 but here in the text the speech is not figurative2 the expression stands not among pictures and parables1 but in the interpretation of a picture and a parable4#af ,whence hath it tares8 inquired the servants4 ,already in those days they had begun to probe the question around which the conflict of ages has been waged--the origin of evil4 ,one thing in the answer of the ,lord is fitted to pour a flood of comfort into our hearts when they are agitated by the difficulties of this tremendous problem1--an enemy hath done this4 ,evil does not belong originally to the constitution of man1 nor has ,god1 his maker1 introduced it4 ,our case is sad1 indeed2 for we learn that an enemy whom we cannot overcome is ever lying in wait seeking how he may devour us4 ,but what would our case have been1 if evil1 instead of being injected by an enemy from without1 had been of the essence of the creature1 or the act of the ,creator8 ,our condition would have been one of absolute and irremediable despair4 ,what a strong one1 who is our enemy1 has brought in1 a stronger1 who is our friend1 can cast out--will cast out4 ,be of good cheer2 believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and thou shalt be saved4 #af ,die ,gleichniss-reden ,jesu ,christi1 von ,fried4 ,arndt4 ,how grand is the view which this picture discloses1 when in the interpretation of it we closely follow the ,master's steps6 ,it is1 indeed1 a parable concerning the kingdom of heaven4 ,the whole world belongs to the ,king2 he has placed his children in it1 and commanded them to multiply till they people all its borders4 ,the enemy has introduced among them evil persons1 and within them evil thoughts4 ,it is not a part of the omniscient ,ruler's plan to remove1 by the ministry of either angels or men1 all the wicked at once from his world4 ,for his own purposes1 which are only in part discernible by us1 he permits the good and the evil to mingle and contend with each other until the fulness of time1 as he left the ,canaanites in the land to chastise and exercise his chosen people4 ,when the tares prosper1 the wheat languishes3 when the wheat prospers1 the tares languish4 ,evil men have lived in ,god's world ever since sin began3 evil thoughts and deeds will be found in ,god's children as long as they remain in the body4 ,the angels are not sent to-day to make such a separation as would leave the children of the kingdom nothing to do1 or to bear4 ,if you desire the heavenly to prosper within you and around you1 fight with the proper weapons against the devilish3 if you desire the devilish within and around you to languish and decay1 cherish the heavenly4 ,as ,david's house waxes stronger1 ,saul's house will wax weaker4 ,when ,christ gets more of the world and of our hearts1 the devil will get less4 ,,the ,,mustard-,,seed1 ,,and ,,the ,,leaven4 ,in the first two parables the kingdom of heaven is represented in conflict with its enemies2 in the next two it stands alone1 putting forth its inherent life and power4 ,there we learn the strength of its adversaries1 and here we learn its own4 ,there we saw the efforts made to check the progress of the kingdom2 and here we see the progress which1 in spite of these efforts1 the kingdom makes4 ,there the combat is exhibited1 and here the victory4 ,devils and men1 conscious conspirators or unconscious tools1 did their utmost1 as explained in the first pair of parables1 to strangle the kingdom in its infancy1 or to overpower it at a later stage2 but the kingdom1 as we learn from the second pair1 shakes its assailants off1 emerges unhurt from the strife1 and goes forward from strength to strength1 until it has subdued and absorbed all the world4 ,i have seen clouds gathering at dawn on the eastern horizon1 with dark visage and a multitudinous threatening array1 as if they had bound themselves by a great oath either to prevent the sun from rising or afterwards to quench his light2 but through them1 beyond them1 above them1 slowly1 steadily1 majestically rose the sun1 nor quivered from his path1 nor halted in his progress1 until by the power of his mid-day light he had utterly driven those clouds away1 so that not a shred of their tumultuous assemblage could any more be seen on the clear blue sky4 ,such and so impotent in ,christ's hands are the adversaries of ,christ's kingdom1 although they seem formidable to men of little faith3 such and so glorious will be the final victory of the ,king1 although even his true subjects may fret and fear over his incomprehensible delay4 ,the coming of the kingdom is like the morning1 as slow1 but as sure4 ,as smoke is driven before the wind1 so shall the ,redeemer in the day of his power drive away all those adversaries1 whether within his people or without1 that now impiously say1 ,we will not have this man to reign over us4 ,christ's disciples are on the winning side1 whatever may be the present aspect of the world4 ,he that believeth shall not make haste4 ,the two parables which now claim our attention1 although closely allied1 are not in meaning and application precisely identical4 ,both show the progress of the kingdom from a small beginning to a glorious consummation2 and both indicate that this growth1 as to cause1 is due to its own inherent unquenchable life1 and as to manner1 is silent1 secret1 unobserved4 ,thus far these two are in the main coincident2 but besides teaching the same lesson in different forms1 they teach also different lessons4 ,the parable of the mustard-seed exhibits the kingdom in its own independent existence1 inherent life1 and irresistible power2 the parable of the leaven exhibits the kingdom in contact with the world1 gradually overcoming and assimilating and absorbing that world into itself4 ,both alike show that the kingdom increases from small to great2 the first points to the essential1 and the second to the instrumental cause of that increase3 in the mustard-seed we see it growing great because of its own omnipotent vitality2 in the leaven we see it growing great because it uses up all its adversaries as the material of its own enlargement4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,mustard-,,seed4 ,another parable put he forth unto them1 saying1 ,the kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard-seed1 which a man took1 and sowed in his field3 which indeed is the least of all seeds3 but when it is grown1 it is the greatest among herbs1 and becometh a tree1 so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof4--,,matt4 xiii4 #ca1 #cb4 ,we are familiar with the mustard-plant both in a wild and in a cultivated state in our own country4 ,although not the smallest1 it is by no means the largest of our herbs4 ,on this point it is necessary to recall and keep in mind the fact that when a given plant is indigenous in a southern climate1 the corresponding species or variety that may be found in more northerly latitudes is generally of a comparatively diminutive size4 ,i have seen a mahogany-plant cultivated in a flower-pot1 the best representative that could be obtained here of those forest patriarchs in tropical ,america which constitute the mahogany of commerce4 ,the diminutive proportions of our mustard-plant prove nothing regarding the magnitude of the herb which bears the corresponding name in ,syria4 ,we know1 in point of fact1 that it grows there to a great size at the present day4 ,i have seen it1 says ,dr4 ,thomson1 on the rich plain of ,akkar as tall as the horse and his rider4#ag ,irby and ,mangles found a tree growing in great abundance near the ,dead ,sea possessing many of the properties of mustard1 which they suppose must be the mustard of the parable2 but this suggestion seems incompatible with the main scope of the representation1 for its turning-point lies in this1 that a culinary herb became great like a tree4 ,that a forest tree should be large enough to afford shelter to the birds1 is nothing wonderful2 the parable is hinged on the fact that the garden herb 7,greek3 lachanon7 became a tree 7,greek3 dendron74 #ag ,the ,land and the ,book1 p4 #fd4 ,but in this case an investigation exact and minute into the natural history of the plant is by no means necessary to the appreciation and explanation of the parable4 ,it is not needful to determine what amount of credit is due to the witness who declared that he had seen a man climbing into the branches of a mustard-plant1 or how far the fact1 if real1 was uncommon and exceptional4 ,this plant obviously was chosen by the ,lord1 not on account of its absolute magnitude1 but because it was1 and was recognised to be1 a striking instance of increase from very small to very great4 ,it seems to have been in ,palestine1 at that time1 the smallest seed from which so large a plant was known to grow4 ,there were1 perhaps1 smaller seeds1 but the plants which sprung from them were not so great2 and there were greater plants1 but the seeds from which they sprung were not so small4 ,but the circumstance that most clearly exhibits and indicates the appropriateness of the choice1 is the fact that the magnitude of the mustard-plant1 in connection with the minuteness of its seed1 was employed at that day among the ,jews as a proverbial similitude1 to indicate that great results may spring from causes that are apparently diminutive1 but secretly powerful4 ,the expression1 ,if ye had faith as a grain of mustard-seed1 employed by the ,lord on another occasion1 is sufficient to show that both the conception and its use were familiar to his audience4 ,the spiritual lesson of the parable diverges into two lines1 distinct but harmonious4 ,by the kingdom of heaven1 as it is represented in the growth of the mustard-plant1 we may understand either saving truth living and growing great in the world1 or saving truth living and growing great in an individual human heart4 ,in both1 its progress from small beginnings to great issues is like the growth of a gigantic herb from the imperceptible germ that was dropped among the clods in spring4 ,i4 ,the kingdom of heaven in the world is like a mustard-seed sown in the ground1 both in the smallness of its beginning and the greatness of its increase4 ,the first promise1 given at the gate of ,eden1 contained the ,gospel as a seed contains the tree4 ,it fell among ,adam's descendants as a mustard-seed falls between the furrows1 and lay long unnoticed there4 ,with the ,lord1 in the development of his kingdom1 a thousand years are as one day in the growth of vegetation4 ,a man who in his childhood observed the seed cast into the ground1 may live long and die old before the plants have reached maturity2 but the seed of the kingdom has not lost its life1 the ,god of the covenant has not forgotten his own4 ,at the appointed time he will visit his husbandry1 and fill his bosom with its fruits4 ,never to human eye did the seed seem smaller than at the coming of ,christ4 ,the infant in the manger at ,bethlehem is like a mustard-seed--an atom scarcely perceptible in the hand1 and lost to view when it falls into the earth4 ,yet there lay the seed of eternal life--thence sprang the stem on which all the saved of mankind shall grow as branches4 ,israel was feeble among the nations--a little child writhing in the grasp of imperial ,rome2 ,judea and ,galilee1 with the heathenish ,samaria between1 constituted his beat throughout the brief period of his public ministry4 ,the range was short in its utmost length1 narrow in its utmost breadth4 ,in a map of the world of ordinary size1 the spot that indicates ,palestine can scarcely be seen2 yet from that spot radiated a power which is at this day actually paramount4 ,the ,christ who seemed so small both in private life at ,nazareth and in the public judgment-hall of ,pilate at ,jerusalem1 is greatest now both in heaven and in earth4 ,christendom and ,christianity are both supreme1 each in its own place and according to its own kind4 ,this world already belongs to ,christian nations1 and the next to ,christian men4 ,so great has the religion of ,jesus grown1 that its body overshadows the earth1 and its spirit reaches heaven4 ,as the leaves and branches of a tree tend to assume the form and proportions of the tree itself1 so subordinate parts in the development of ,god's kingdom follow more or less closely the law of the whole kingdom--a progress secret1 slow1 and sure1 from a diminutive beginning to an unexpected and amazing greatness4 ,take1 for example1 the history of ,moses1 which is a vigorous branch shooting out from the mustard-tree under the ancient dispensation4 ,the branch1 a part of the tree1 is1 like the tree itself1 small at first and great at last4 ,a poor ,hebrew slave-mother1 counting her own a goodly child1 as every true mother will to the end of time1 strove1 by a strange mixture of ingenuity and desperation1 to preserve him from the cruel executioners of ,pharaoh4 ,when she could no longer hide him in the house1 she laid him in a wicker basket1 and set it afloat in an eddy of the ,nile4 ,how small the seed seemed that day6 ,a slave's man-child1 one of many thousands destined by their jealous owners to destruction1 cast by his own mother into the river1 that he might not fall into the more dreaded hands of man--how small that germ was1 and yet how great it grew6 ,from heaven the word had gone forth1 ,destroy it not1 for a blessing is in it4 ,on the mighty stream1 and the cruel men who frequented it1 the ,maker of them both had laid the command1 ,touch not mine anointed1 and do my prophet no harm4 ,from that small seed1 accordingly1 sprang the greatest tree that grew in those old days upon the earth4 ,moses1 the terror of ,pharaoh1 the scourge of ,egypt1 the leader of the ,exodus1 the lawgiver of ,israel--,moses in his manhood was to the foundling infant what the towering tree is to the imperceptible seed from which it springs4 ,the operation of the same law may be observed in later ages4 ,in the ,popish convent at ,erfurt a studious young monk sits alone in his cell1 earnestly examining an ancient record4 ,the student is ,luther1 and the book the ,bible4 ,he has read many books before1 but his reading had never made him wretched till now4 ,in other books he saw other people2 but in this book for the first time he saw himself4 ,his own sin1 when conscience was quickened and enlightened to discern it1 became a burden heavier than he could bear4 ,for a time he was in a horror of great darkness2 but when at last he found the righteousness which is of ,god by faith1 he grew hopeful1 happy1 and strong4 ,here is a living seed1 but it is very small an awakened1 exercised1 conscientious1 believing monk1 is an imperceptible atom which superstitious multitudes1 and despotic princes1 and a persecuting priesthood will overlay and smother1 as the heavy furrow covers the microscopic mustard-seed4 ,but the living seed burst1 and sprang1 and pierced through all these coverings4 ,how great it grew and how far it spread history tells to-day4 ,we have cause to thank ,god for the greatness of the ,reformation1 and to rebuke ourselves for its smallness4 ,through the grace of ,god it made rapid progress at the first1 and by the passions of men it was arrested before its work was done2--not arrested1 but impeded2 it is growing still1 and growing more vigorously in our own day than it has done in any generation since its youth4 ,but the present time supplies examples of the kingdom's growth from small to great1 as distinct and characteristic as any period since the apostles' days4 ,the revivals of these times are vigorous off-shoots from the great stem of ,christ's kingdom in the world1 and the part observes the same law of increase that operates in the whole4 ,trace any one of the local awakenings back to its source1 and you will discover that the interest in spiritual1 personal religion1 which now overtops and overshadows all other interests in the neighbourhood--which has led many wanderers back to ,christ's fold--which has caused friends to sing aloud for joy1 and enemies to stand mute in astonishment--which has emptied jails and filled prayer-meetings--which has changed the wilderness into a garden1 and drawn wondering witnesses from distant lands--sprang from some upper or lower room in which two or three unnoticed and unknown believers were wont to meet at stated times for prayer4 ,many of those small but living seeds have burst through the ground and made themselves known by their magnitude2 and many similar seeds are lying hid to-day under the capacious folds of our vast and earnest industry4 ,may great trees spring from these small seeds in the ,lord's good time6 ,robert ,haldane in ,geneva1 with his ,bible in his hand and a group of students around him1 is a modern example of the same law in the growth of the kingdom4 ,,ii4 ,the kingdom of heaven in a human heart is like a mustard-seed1 both in the smallness of its beginning and the greatness of its increase4 ,in the grand design of ,god1 moral qualities hold the first place2 physical magnitude is subordinate and instrumental4 ,we may safely accommodate and apply to space the principle which the ,scripture expressly applies to time3 ,one man--as a sphere on which his purposes may be accomplished and his glory displayed--one man is with the ,lord as a thousand worlds1 and a thousand worlds as one man4 ,there is room1 brother1 for the whole kingdom of ,god within you4 ,in one sense1 it is most true1 we ought to abase1 but in another we ought to exalt ourselves4 ,we should reverence ourselves as the most wonderful work of ,god within the sphere of our observation4 ,the ,king1 as well as the kingdom1 finds room in a regenerated man4 ,here the ,lord of glory best loves to dwell4 ,in this inner and smaller1 as well as in the outer and larger sphere1 the kingdom of heaven1 following the law of the mustard-plant1 grows from the least to the greatest4 ,all life1 indeed1 is1 in its origin1 invisible2 and the new life of faith is not an exception to the rule4 ,the ,lord himself1 in the lesson which he taught to ,nicodemus1 compared it in this respect to the wind4 ,in its origin it is imperceptible2 in its results it is manifest and great4 ,to wash seven times in ,jordan seemed a small thing to the ,syrian soldier1 and such it really was2 but when his leprosy was cleansed1 and his flesh restored like that of a little child1 he perceived that a great effect had sprung from simple means4 ,the little-child look unto ,jesus which the ,gospel prescribes for the saving of the soul seems to the wisdom of this world as inadequate to heal a leprosy as the waters of the ,jordan seemed to ,naaman2 yet from that small seed springs the tree of life1 with all its beautiful blossoms of hope1 and all its precious fruits of righteousness4 ,the first true1 deep check in the conscience because of sin2 the first real question1 ,what must ,i do to be saved8 the first tender grief for having crucified ,christ and grieved the ,spirit2 the first request for pardon and reconciliation made to ,god1 as a child asks bread from his parents when he is hungry2--the kingdom1 coming in any of these forms is small and scarcely perceptible2 but it lives1 and in due time will grow great4 ,be of good cheer1 ye who have felt the word swelling and bursting like a seed in your hearts4 ,that plant may not yet have attained maturity in your life1 but greater is ,he who shields it than all who assail it3 the enemy cannot in the end prevail4 ,he who hath begun a good work in you1 will perfect it until the day of ,christ4 ,you could not make a living seed2 but ,god has given it4 ,thus far all is well1 but you are as helpless at the second stage as you were at the first2 you have no more power to make the seed grow than you had to make the seed4 ,the ,author and ,finisher of this work keeps it from first to last in his own hands4 ,it is ,he who gives rain from heaven and fruitful seasons4 ,the small seed of the kingdom has fallen on your hearts1 and been hidden in their folds2 it has taken root1 and sent up into your lives some tender shoots of faith1 and hope1 and love4 ,it is well2 thank ,god for the past1 and take courage for the coming time4 ,the plant is small now2 it will be great hereafter4 ,it is small on earth2 it will be great in heaven4 ,weed it and water it1 sun it and shelter it4 ,be diligent on your own side of this great business1 and ,god will not withhold his power4 ,cultivate the kingdom in your own hearts1 and count on the blessing from on high to make it prosper4 ,from the tender1 diminutive life of grace1 the life of glory will in due time grow4 ,when painters have drawn their figures in light1 they throw in dark shadows beside them1 that the positive forms may thereby be more prominently displayed4 ,so1 beside the kingdom of heaven1 under the aspect of its growth from small beginnings1 let us throw in the outline of the kingdom of darkness1 that thereby the glory of light may be better seen4 ,although one kingdom differs from another in character and aim1 all kingdoms are like each other in the method of their operation4 ,the kingdom of darkness1 like the kingdom of light1 grows gradually from very small to very great4 ,the kingdom of ,satan hangs on and follows ,christ's kingdom like a dark shadow1 and the shadow depends upon the light4 ,the first sin against ,god was a very small seed1 but the tree which sprang from it was the fall of man4 ,thou shalt not eat1 is a small point--its smallness has sometimes supplied unbelievers with wit1 if not with argument--but on that point a door was hung1 which1 turned this way1 opened heaven and shut hell2 turned that way1 opened hell and shut heaven4 ,in its beginning the kingdom of evil was small2 but from that small seed a mighty tree has grown4#ah #ah ,good is like the mustard-seed2 from small it becomes great3 evil resembles it not less4 ,here1 too1 the great springs from the small4 ,an evil thought1 when once it has made its way into a poor soul1 may become mighty enough to cast it into hell4--,drseke vom ,reich ,gottes1 ii4 #bch4 ,as there is no sin so great that the blood of ,christ cannot blot it out1 so there is no sin so small that it cannot destroy a soul4 ,a little sin is like a little fire3 stand in awe of the spark1 and rest not till it is quenched4 ,as ,christ our ,lord is tenderly careful of spiritual life when it is feeble1 and cherishes it into strength1 we should sternly stamp out evil while it is yet young in our own hearts1 lest it spread like a fire4 ,he will not quench the smoking flax of beginning grace1 and we should quench with all our might the smoking flax of sin4 ,he commanded the ,church in ,sardis to be watchful1 and strengthen the things which remain1 that are ready to die 7,rev4 iii4 #b74 ,the counterpart and complement of that command is binding1 too1 upon his disciples3 ,be watchful1 and weaken--if possible1 kill outright--the germs of evil that are springing from unseen seeds within your own heart and around you in the world4 ,the ,god of peace will bruise ,satan under your feet shortly3 ,he will bruise ,satan1 but ,satan must be bruised under your feet4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,leaven4 ,another parable spake he unto them2 ,the kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven1 which a woman took1 and hid in three measures of meal1 till the whole was leavened4--,,matt4 xiii4 #cc4 ,in the mustard-seed we saw the kingdom growing great by its inherent vitality2 in the leaven we see it growing great by a contagious influence4 ,there1 the increase was attained by development from within2 here1 by acquisitions from without4 ,it is not that there are two distinct ways in which the ,gospel may gain complete possession of a man1 or ,christianity gain complete possession of the world2 but that the one way in which the work advances is characterized by both these features1 and consequently two pictures are required to exhibit both sides of the same thing4 ,the thought which is peculiar to this parable1 the specific lesson which it teaches1 is1 the power of the ,gospel1 acting like contagion1 to penetrate1 assimilate1 and absorb the world in which it lies4 ,the kingdom grows great by permeating in secret through the masses1 changing them gradually into its own nature1 and appropriating them to itself4 ,the material frame-work which contains the spiritual lesson here is1 in its main features1 easily understood4 ,immediately below the surface1 indeed1 lie some hard questions2 but all that is necessary is easy1 and the discussion of difficulties1 although it may well repay the labour1 is by no means essential4 ,the chief use of leaven in the preparation of bread is1 as ,i understand1 to produce a mechanical effect4 ,a certain chemical change is caused in the first instance by fermentation in the nature of the fermented substance1 and for the sake of that change the process is in certain other manufactures introduced2 but along with the chemical change which takes place in the nature of the substance1 a mechanical change is also effected in its form1 and for the sake of this latter and secondary result fermentation is resorted to in the baking of bread4 ,the moist1 soft1 yet dense mass of dough1 is by fermentation thrown into the form of a sponge4 ,owing to the consistence of the material1 the openings made by the ferment remain open1 and consequently the lump1 which would otherwise have been solid1 is penetrated in every direction by an innumerable multitude of small cavities4 ,through these the heat in the oven obtains equal access to every portion of the dough2 and thus1 though the loaf is of considerable thickness1 it is not left raw in the heart4 ,other methods1 essentially different from fermentation1 are in modern practice adopted in the preparation of bread2 but by whatever means channels may be opened for the admission of heat to every particle of the dough1 the result is practically the same as that which is obtained by leavening4 ,the operator converts the mass of solid dough into swollen1 light1 porous1 spongy leaven1 by introducing into it a small quantity of matter already in a state of fermentation4 ,it is the nature of that substance or principle to infect the portion that lies next it2 and thus1 if the contiguous matter be a susceptible conductor like moistened flour1 it spreads until it has converted the whole mass4 ,the knowledge of this process is not so universal amongst us as it was then in ,galilee1 or is still in many countries1 because baking by fermentation1 especially in the northern division of the island1 is not much practised in private families4 ,in countries where bread is prepared by that method1 and every family prepares its own1 the process is1 of course1 universally familiar4 ,the three measures of meal1 which together make an ephah1 were the understood quantity of an ordinary batch in the economics of a family1 and as such are several times incidentally mentioned in the ,scriptures of the ,old ,testament4 ,see1 for example1 the preparation of bread by ,sarah1 as it is narrated in ,gen4 xviii4 ,the various suggestions which inquirers have made regarding the specific significance of the three measures of meal1 are interesting and instructive4 ,as they do not directly traverse the lines of the analogy1 they are entitled to a respectful hearing2 but the subject is subordinate1 and the meaning must ever be comparatively obscure4 ,whether the three measures are understood to point to the three continents of the world then known1 or to the three sons of ,noah by whom the world was peopled1 or to spirit1 soul1 and body1 the constituent elements of human nature1 an interesting and useful conception is obtained4 ,each of these suggestions contains a truth1 and that1 too1 a truth which is germane to the main lesson of the parable4 ,the same historic incidents which show that three measures were the ordinary quantity1 show also that the women of the house were the ordinary operators4 ,baking the bread of the household was accounted women's work2 as men ploughed and sowed in the field1 women kneaded and baked at the oven4 ,an inversion of this order would have been noticed as incongruous1 and presented a difficulty4 ,exceptions may be found1 both in ancient and modern times1 but the representation in the text proceeds obviously upon the ordinary habits of society4 ,on this account1 although ,i willingly listen to interesting and ingenious speculations regarding the significance of the woman who hid the leaven among the meal1 ,i cannot accept them as the foundation of any positive doctrine4 ,i am jealous1 not without cause1 of ecclesiastical tendencies and prepossessions in the interpretation of the parables4 ,it is quite true that both in the discourses of the ,lord and in the epistles of his followers1 reference is made sometimes to the community or communities of believers constituted as a ,church2 but the ,church in the ,scriptures is a much simpler affair than it is in ecclesiastical history4 ,moreover1 in these lessons which were taught by the ,lord in the beginning of the ,gospel1 we find much about the individual man1 and about the aggregate of mankind1 but little about the ,church in its visible organization4 ,accordingly1 while ,i endeavour to keep my mind open for everything that the ,scriptures bring to the ,church1 ,i am disposed to shut the door hard against anything that ,i suspect the ,church is bringing to the ,scriptures4 ,when the woman who kneaded the dough1 and the woman who lost and found the silver coin1 come forward1 backed by much learned authority1 saying1 ,we are the ,church1 ,i stand on my guard against deception1 and carefully examine their credentials4 ,a man took the mustard-seed and sowed it in his field2 a woman took the leaven and hid it in three measures of meal4 ,the two parables are in this respect strictly parallel2 in both alike an ordinary act in rural economy is performed1 and in either it is performed by a person of the appropriate sex4 ,the converse would have been startling and inexplicable4 ,whatever the operator may represent in the sowing of the seed1 the operator in the hiding of the leaven represents the same4 ,to neglect the strict parallelism between the two cases1 and attribute some meaning to the selection of a woman as the operator in the one1 which the selection of a man in the other does not convey1 is1 as ,i apprehend the matter1 to forsake the main track of the analogy1 and follow by-paths which lead to no useful result4 ,the same divine hand that dropped the word of eternal life as a mustard-seed into the ground1 also hid the word of eternal life as leaven in the ephah of flour4 ,looking to the spiritual significance of the two parables1 we have in both cases the same act1 and in both cases1 therefore1 the same actor4#ai #ai ,to the question what the woman specially represents in the parable1 ,drseke answers1 ,the grace of ,god4--ii4 #bfc4 ,a question of deep interest and considerable difficulty arises from the fact that here1 and here only1 the greatest good--the kingdom of ,god in the world--is unequivocally compared to leaven1 whereas this similitude1 in all other places of ,scripture where it occurs1 either stands indefinitely for progress of any kind1 or expressly represents the energy of evil4 ,i assume without argument that in this parable the diffusion of leaven through the mass represents the diffusion of good in the world1 although here and there1 both in ancient and modern times1 an inquirer appears who understands the leaven in this place to predict the prevalence of false doctrines and practices in the ,church4 ,this interpretation no man would voluntarily adopt in the first instance1 for it is obviously incongruous with the signification of the kingdom in every other parable of the group2 but some have permitted themselves to be driven into it by a difficulty that threatens on the opposite side4 ,because in other portions of ,scripture they find leaven employed as an emblem of evil1 they think themselves obliged to take it as a representative of evil here4 ,but the difficulty which is presented by the use of a type to denote good1 which is elsewhere employed to denote evil1 must be fairly met and explained3 to escape an imaginary difficulty we must not plunge into a real mistake4 ,i am convinced that here1 as in many similar cases1 that which at first sight and on the surface wears the appearance of harshness1 will be found1 on fuller consideration1 to contain a new beauty1 and impart additional power4 ,it is obvious1 in the first place1 from the references made to it both by the ,lord and his apostles1 and especially from the iteration of the same maxim by ,paul in two distinct epistles1 that the similitude was current and familiar among the people as a proverb4 ,it is conceded1 that apart from this parable1 wherever its application is expressly indicated1 it is employed to designate the progress of evil2 but it ought to be borne in mind that ,paul has twice1 in the same words1 enunciated the universal proposition1 ,a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump 7#a ,cor4 v4 #f2 ,gal4 v4 #i74 ,by expressly mentioning the leaven of malice and wickedness in connection with this proposition1 he leaves room for the supposition that there may be also a leaven of truth and holiness4 ,in like manner1 the ,lord in another place warns his followers to beware of the leaven of the ,pharisees1 which is hypocrisy2 but he nowhere says that leaven is hypocrisy4 ,leaven does1 indeed1 illustrate the method in which falsehood spreads2 but it may1 for aught that is said in the ,scriptures1 illustrate also the manner in which truth advances1 when it has gotten a footing in the world or in a man4 ,if truth and error1 though opposite in their nature1 are like each other in their tendency to advance1 as if by contagion2 and if error is in this respect like leaven1 then truth must be in this respect like leaven too4 ,when two things are in a certain aspect like each other1 and one of them is in the same aspect like a third thing1 the other must also be like that third thing1 provided the point of view remain unchanged4 ,leaven represents evil not in its nature1 but only in the manner of its progress2 and in this respect the symbol is equally applicable to the opposite good4 ,this argument1 indeed1 may be carried one step further4 ,it is not enough to show that no loss of meaning is sustained by the application of this analogy to a new and opposite class of facts2 a positive gain thereby accrues4 ,the circumstance that in all other places of ,scripture in which the symbolical meaning of leaven is specifically applied1 it is1 in point of fact1 employed to designate the progress of evil1 instead of obscuring1 rather reflects additional light on the comparison as it is used in this parable4 ,the ,teacher who speaks here is sovereign4 ,by him the worlds were made1 and by him redemption wrought4 ,in both departments he executes his own will3 when he speaks1 he speaks with authority4 ,observing that the principle which ordinarily enters and pervades human hearts is evil1 a leaven of hypocrisy1 he does not submit to that state of things as necessary and permanent3 this is1 indeed1 the condition of the world2 but he has come to change it4 ,such is the direction of the current1 and the proverb which compares moral evil to a leaven correctly describes its insinuating and persevering course2 but here is one who has power to turn the river of water so that it shall flow backward to its source4 ,corruption has1 indeed1 spread through the world as leaven spreads through the dough1 but here is ,truth incarnate1 another leaven1 introduced into the mass1 having power to saturate all with good1 and thereby ultimately to cast forth evil from the world4 ,the kingdom of darkness1 for example1 comes secretly1--the wiles of the devil constitute his policy and secure his success2 the kingdom of ,god1 although opposite in essence1 is similar in the method of its advance1 for it cometh not with observation4 ,the wheat and the darnel were opposite in character and consequences as light and darkness1 but they were precisely alike in the manner of their growth4 ,the loyal army adopts the same tactics which the rebels employ1 while it strives to defend the throne which they are leagued to overthrow4 ,thus1 it is not enough to say that although the diffusion of evil in ,god's intelligent creatures is like the diffusion of leaven in the dough1 ,jesus may notwithstanding employ the same analogy to indicate how grace grows3 we may proceed further and affirm1 as ,stier has ingeniously suggested1 that because evil has often been compared to leaven in the manner of its advance1 ,jesus adopts that similitude to illustrate the aggressive1 pervasive power of the truth4 ,boldly1 as a sovereign may1 this ,teacher seizes a proverb which was current as an exponent of the adversaries' successful stratagems1 and stamps the metal with the image and superscription of the rightful ,king4 ,the evil spreads like leaven2 you tremble before its stealthy advance and relentless grasp3 but be of good cheer1 disciples of ,jesus1 greater is ,he that is for you than all that are against you2 the word of life which has been hidden in the world1 hidden in believing hearts1 is a leaven too4 ,the unction of the ,holy ,one is more subtle and penetrating and subduing than sin and ,satan4 ,where sin abounded grace shall much more abound4 ,the appropriation by ,christ and to his kingdom of a similitude which had previously been applied in an opposite sense may be illustrated by many parallel examples in the ,scriptures4#bj ,of these1 as far as ,i know1 the different and opposite figurative significations of the serpent are the most striking and appropriate4 ,the conception of secret motion1 followed in due time by a surely planted effectual stroke1 which is associated with the faculties and habits of a serpent1 ,christ found appropriated as a type to express the power of evil3 but he did not permit it to remain so appropriated2 he spoiled the ,egyptian of this jewel1 and in as far as it possessed value1 enriched with it his own ,israel4 ,the serpent1 as a metaphor1 was in practice as completely thirled to the indication of evil as leaven had been1 but ,jesus counselled his disciples to be wise as serpents4 ,a similar example occurs in the parable of the unjust steward3 it teaches that the skill of the wicked in doing evil should be imitated by ,christians in doing good4 ,christ acts as king and conqueror4 ,he strips the slain enemy of his sharpest weapons1 and therewith girds his own faithful followers4 ,whatever wisdom and power may have been employed against them1 wisdom and power inconceivably greater are wielded on their side4 #bj ,thus in different passages the lion is used as a figure of ,satan1 but also of ,christ2 the serpent as a figure of the enemy1 but also of the wisdom needful to the apostles2 birds as a figure of believing trustfulness1 but also of the devil catching away the word4--,lange in loc4 ,we shall be better prepared to appreciate for practical purposes the peculiar meaning which the symbol bears in this parable if we advert1 in the first place1 to its ordinary meaning in other parts of ,scripture4 ,both in the typical worship of the ,old ,testament and in the doctrinal teaching of the ,new1 leaven is ordinarily employed to denote the insinuating1 contagious advance of sin4 ,when the ,hebrews were instructed to cast all leaven out of their houses during the solemnities of the ,passover1 their lawgiver meant to teach them by type that in worshipping ,god through his ordinances they should cast all malice and wickedness out of their hearts4 ,in like manner1 when the great ,teacher warned his followers to beware of the leaven of the ,pharisees and of the ,sadducees1 he meant that they should eschew on the one hand the lie of self-righteous superstition1 and on the other the lie of libertine unbelief4 ,the ,apostle ,paul1 too1 while he does not forbid another use1 employs the conception1 in point of fact1 to illustrate the presence and power of sin4 ,evil is a mysterious1 self-propagating principle1 like leaven4 ,in the fact of the fall a piece of this leaven was hidden in the mass1 and all mankind have consequently become corrupted4 ,the leaven of sin that touched humanity at the first has infected the whole4 ,the fact of a universal corruption appears in all history1 and its origin is explained in the beginning of ,genesis4 ,the whole lump has been leavened3 break off a bit at any place1 at any time1 and you will find it tainted4 ,the innocence of childhood is a fond1 false phrase1 employed to conceal the terrible reality3 there is no innocence1 no purity1 except that which comes through the gift of ,god1 the sacrifice of ,christ1 and the ministry of the ,spirit4 ,idolatry1 for example1 is a leaven that must have been small in its beginning1 but at a very early date it had grown great4 ,the world was idolatrous when ,abraham was called out to become the nucleus of a religious nation2 and even his descendants1 though constituted as a commonwealth expressly for the purpose of maintaining the worship of the true ,god while all the world beside had sunk into idolatry1 were1 through contact with the contaminating leaven1 frequently overrun by the same sin4 ,it became necessary that they should be poured from vessel to vessel1 and tried as by fire1 in order to keep them separate4 ,small and apparently harmless ,popery began3 with the power and perseverance of a principle in nature it spread and defiled the ,church4 ,how completely that leaven penetrated the lump may be seen everywhere throughout ,europe1 in the architecture1 sculpture1 paintings1--in the laws1 habits1 and language that have come down from the middle ages to our own day4 ,the evil spirit of the ,papacy has intruded into every place2 into the councils of kings1 into the laws of nations1 into the births1 marriages1 and deaths of the people4 ,between ruler and subject1 between husband and wife1 between parent and child1 comes the priest1 gliding in like water through seamy walls1 sapping their foundations4 ,into the inmost heart of maid1 wife1 mother1 creeps the confessional1 tainting1 souring1 defiling society in its springs1--a leaven of malice and wickedness1 a leaven at once of ,pharisee and ,sadducee1 a superstition that believes everything in alliance with a scepticism that believes nothing1 and all combined to conceal the salvation of ,god and enslave the spirits of men4 ,beware of the leaven of the ,papacy4 ,other things of grosser and more material mould follow the law of leaven in their progress from small to great1 until they obtain the mastery of a community or a man4 ,such1 for example1 are the use of ardent spirits in ,scotland and the use of opium in ,china4 ,a hundred years ago how small was either bit6 but being a bit of leaven1 when it is once introduced it creeps stealthily forward1 the appetite growing by what it feeds on1 until it dominates1 and in some cases utterly destroys4 ,these creeping leavens stain the beauty and waste the strength of nations4 ,some tribes of ,indians in ,north ,america have been annihilated mainly by this process2 and at this day the ,canadian ,parliament1 through a benevolent law1 sanctioned by the ,sovereign1 entirely prohibit the sale of spirits to the ,indians1 and thus save from extinction the remnants of the tribes that live under our protection4 ,those subtile and powerful material agents which create abnormal appetites and influence the moral habits of a whole people1 afford ample room for gravest thought both to ,christians and patriots4 ,the fact acknowledged in ,scripture1 and manifest in all experience1 that evil has transfused itself through humanity like leaven1 serves to bring out in deeper relief the comforting converse truth which ,christ has embodied in this parable4 ,the universal diffusion of corruption in the world becomes a dark ground whereon the ,lord may more vividly portray the progress and final triumph of holiness4 ,good introduced among the good is not much noticed2 but when good assails1 overcomes1 and transforms evil1 its power and beauty are conspicuously displayed4 ,employing the sad facts already stated as shadows filled in to make the lines of light more visible1 ,i shall proceed now to express and enforce positively some of the practical lessons which the parable contains4 #a4 ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 became man and dwelt among us4 ,behold the piece of leaven that has been plunged into the dead mass of the world6 ,in him was life1 and the life was the light of men 7,john i4 #d74 ,the whole is not leavened yet1 but the germ has been introduced4 ,the meaning of ,immanuel is1 ,god with us3 the incarnation is the link that binds the fallen to the throne of ,god4 ,one without sin and with omnipotence has become our brother1--has taken hold of our nature1 and will keep hold of it to the end4 ,he will not fail nor be discouraged4 ,to him every knee shall bow1 and every tongue confess3 the prophecy has been written1 and the history will follow4 ,in the meantime1 while we wait for the accomplishment of the promise1 we may obtain from this parable some glimpses of the method by which the change will be effected at last4 ,leaven consists in1 or at least causes1 fermentation4 ,the name suggests the mechanical process of boiling4 ,the most sublime and awful scenes which nature has ever presented have been produced in this way4 ,when great masses are affected1 a boiling becomes unspeakably grand and terrible4 ,this earth1 now so solid beneath1 and so green on the surface1 seems to have been once a boiling mass4 ,those mountains that cleave the clouds are the bubbles that rose to the surface and were congealed ere they had time to subside again3 there they stand to-day1 monuments of the fact4 ,the moral government of ,god is like the natural4 ,the ,maker's method1 when he would bring down the high things and exalt the low1 is to throw in an ingredient which will produce fermentation4 ,he can make the world of spirit fervid as well as this material globe4 ,the earth is shaken by moral causes4 ,the ,gospel sends a sword before it brings peace4 ,wars and rumours of wars rend the nations1 and make men's hearts melt within their breasts4 ,in some cases it is obviously ,christian truth plunged into the mass that agitates the nations2 and if we were able to discern the links of cause and effect a few degrees further into the fringes of the cloud that encircles ,god's throne1 we would perhaps see the same central fact setting in motion more distant forces4 ,our life is so short1 and our range of vision so contracted1 that we cannot observe the progress which the kingdom makes4 ,sometimes1 and in some places1 it seems to recede2 but when the end comes it will be seen that every step of apparent retreat was the couching in preparation for another spring4 ,the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our ,lord and of his ,christ4 ,the captive's chains shall be broken1 whether they bind more directly the body or the soul1 although the ancient political organizations of ,europe1 and the more recent fabrics of ,america1 should be torn asunder and tossed away in the process1 as foam is tossed from the crest of a wave upon the shore4 ,thou shalt break them with a rod of iron2 thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel4 ,be wise now therefore1 ,o ye kings2 be instructed1 ye judges of the earth4 ,serve the ,lord with fear1 and rejoice with trembling4 ,kiss the ,son1 lest he be angry1 and ye perish from the way1 when his wrath is kindled but a little4 ,blessed are all they that put their trust in him 7,ps4 ii4 #i-ab74 #b4 ,converted men1 women1 and children are let into openings of corrupt humanity1 and hidden in its heart4 ,there they cannot lie still3 they stir1 and effervesce1 and inoculate the portions with which they are in closest contact4 ,in this respect the lesson is the same with that which is taught in those other short parables of ,jesus1--,ye are the light of the world4 ,ye are the salt of the earth4 ,nor is the conception essentially different from that of ,christ or his word dropped into the lump of humanity2 for ,christians have no life and no expansive power1 except in as far as ,christ dwells in their hearts by faith4 ,they are vessels which contain the truth1 and when these vessels are hidden under the folds of families and larger communities1 the word of life1 which is within them1 touches and tells upon their neighbours4 ,the most recent experience of the ,church exhibits the kingdom spreading like leaven1 as vividly1 perhaps1 as any experience since apostolic times4 ,by contact with one soul1 already fervid with new life1 other souls1 hitherto dead1 become fervid too4 ,one sinner saved1 his heart burning within his breast1 as he consciously communes with his ,saviour1 touches a meeting and sets it all aglow2 the prayer-meeting thus moved touches the congregation and throws its settled lees into an unwonted and violent commotion2 this assembly1 all throbbing with the cry1 ,what must we do to be saved8 infects a city2 and the city so infected communicates its fervour to the land2 and a nation thus on fire kindles another by its far-reaching sympathy beyond intervening seas4 ,thus some portions of the world have been thrown into such a state of effervescence1 by the leaven of the ,gospel hidden in their heart1 that for a time the sound of praise for sin forgiven has risen in the highways and market-places1 louder than that other old1 strong cry1 ,what shall we eat1 and what shall we drink1 and wherewithal shall we be clothed8 ,the leaven1 like gravitation1 follows the same law on smaller spheres that it follows on the larger4 ,brother infects sister1 and sister brother2 parent child1 and child parent2 shopman shopmate4 ,we often lament the contagious influence of evil1 and it is right that we should2 but it is an unthankful1 unhopeful spirit1 that thinks and speaks of the dark side only4 ,oh1 thou of little faith1 wherefore didst thou doubt8 ,the new life which ,christ has brought into the world is a leaven too4 ,working on the same method1 but backed by a mightier power1 good will yet overcome evil1--life will destroy death4 ,life from the ,lord and in the ,lord1 though small at first as to the number of persons whom it animates1 will increase until it fill the world4 ,it will absorb surrounding death1 and in absorbing quicken it4 ,he that sat upon the throne said1 ,behold1 ,i make all things new 7,rev4 xxi4 #e74 #c4 ,there is yet another branch of the practical lesson which ought not to be overlooked3 ,the life of faith1 when it is hidden in the heart1 spreads like leaven through the man1 occupying and assimilating all the faculties of his nature and all the course of his life4 ,the whole lump of the individual must be leavened1 as well as the whole lump of the world4 ,christ will not be satisfied until he get every man in the world for his own1 and every part of each4 ,whatever amount of ground there may be for the judgment of some expositors that the three measures of meal in the parable represent spirit1 soul1 and body1 the constituents of human nature1 certain it is that if the leaven of the kingdom is deposited in the heart1 it will not cease until it has interpenetrated the human trinity and conformed all to the likeness of ,christ4 ,in the new creature1 as in the new world1 dwelleth righteousness4 ,that which is now laid on the conscience of ,christians as a law will yet emerge from their life as a fact1--,whether therefore ye eat or drink1 or whatsoever ye do1 do all to the glory of ,god4 99 99 99 99 99 ,from a circumstance not expressly mentioned in the parable1 but obviously contained in the nature of the case1 springs a thought of tender and solemn import4 ,the piece of leaven was hid in the meal1 and the whole quantity1 in consequence1 was converted into leaven2 but the leaven will not spread through meal that is dry2 the meal is not susceptible1 receptive1 until it is saturated with water4 ,within some persons1 some families1 some congregations1 some communities1 the leaven of truth has been deposited for a long time1 and yet they are not moved1 they are not changed4 ,the leaven remains as it came1 a stranger2 all around1 notwithstanding its presence1 is still1 is dead4 ,it is when the ,spirit is poured out as floods that the leaven of the kingdom spreads with quickening1 assimilating power4 ,i will pour out my ,spirit upon you1 saith the ,lord3 the promise is sent to generate the prayer1 as a sound calls forth an echo4 ,behold1 ,i come quickly1 says ,christ3 ,even so1 come1 ,lord ,jesus1 respond ,christians4 ,catch the promise as it falls1 and send it back like an echo to heaven4 ,i will pour out my ,spirit upon you3 ,pour out thy ,spirit1 ,lord1 on us1 as floods on the dry ground2 so shall the word already lying in our ,bibles and our memories run and be glorified in our life and through our land4 ,v4 ,,the ,,hidden ,,treasure4 ,again1 the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field2 the which when a man hath found1 he hideth1 and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath1 and buyeth that field4--,,matt4 xiii4 #dd4 ,these two parables1 the hidden treasure and the costly pearl1 are even more closely allied to each other than the two which precede them4 ,generically they teach the same truth2 but they teach it with distinct specific differences4 ,it will be most convenient to notice in connection with the first1 the lessons that are common to both2 and in connection with the second1 the points of distinction between them4 ,these twin parables1 then1 exhibit on the one hand the intrinsic preciousness of the ,gospel1 and on the other the high esteem in which that precious thing is held by a spiritually quickened man4 ,they set forth first how valuable the kingdom of ,god is1 and next how much it is valued by those who know its worth4 ,these two1 along with the concluding representation of the general judgment1 were spoken1 not to the multitude on the shore of the lake1 but more privately to a smaller audience in a neighbouring dwelling4 ,many expositors believe that they can discern a difference in the nature and treatment of the subjects between the first four and the last three1 corresponding to the different circumstances in which the two portions of the group were severally delivered4 ,it is thought that those which were addressed to the multitude in public represent the kingdom in its more general and external aspects1 as was suitable in a miscellaneous audience2 while those which were addressed privately to the circle of disciples represent the kingdom more especially in its intrinsic nature and individual1 personal application4 ,i would not presume to affirm that there is no ground for this distinction2 but ,i think it is a mistake to make it the hinge on which our view of the whole group must turn4 ,i suspect there are things in the parable of the sower which require1 for their appreciation1 the faith and experience of true disciples1 as much as anything that the parable of the hidden treasure contains2 and1 on the other hand1 that the lessons suggested by the treasure were as necessary and appropriate to the mixed multitude as those which are taught by the sowing of the seed on different kinds of ground4 ,the necessity of personal appreciation and acceptance of the ,gospel1 which is the main lesson of this parable spoken privately in the house1 is pre-eminently a word in season to those that are without4 ,that lesson1 accordingly1 the ,lord and his apostles were wont to teach in promiscuous assemblies4 ,while1 therefore1 ,i notice the fact that the three later similitudes of this group were given to a smaller circle after the crowd had dispersed1 ,i am not able to say that the reason of the change is evident in the nature of the subjects4 ,had these three also been spoken from the fishing-boat to the promiscuous assemblage on shore1 ,i would not have been able to affirm that the themes seemed less appropriate to the audience1 or less in accordance with the ,teacher's method at other times4 ,i look with interest into the distinctions which some have drawn between the four exoteric parables addressed to a miscellaneous assembly1 and the three esoteric parables spoken to a more select and more sympathizing few2 but to me they do not appear to be of substantial importance in the interpretation4 ,the treasure may have been gold or silver or precious stones1 or a combination of all three3 it may have been anything of great value that lies in small bulk1 and is not liable to decay1--such a treasure as may lie buried under the earth for a long period without any diminution of its worth4 ,in oriental countries and in ancient times treasures were hid in the ground more frequently than in our land and our day2 but it is probable that even there and then the subterranean wealth was tenfold greater in the popular belief than it was in reality4 ,two distinct causes1 or classes of causes1 lead to the concealment of treasure under ground3 the feeble bury their wealth when they are oppressed1 and the guilty when they are scared4 ,as a general rule1 we may assume that the treasure which is found buried in the earth has been placed there either by honest men when the law was feeble1 or by dishonest men when the law was strong4 ,the two classes of persons who bury gold are the robbed and the robbers4 ,in both cases1 the treasure which is intentionally and intelligently buried is liable to be lost through the removal or death of those who were in the secret4 ,such secreted and lost wealth is afterwards from time to time found by those who build houses or cultivate the soil4 ,in all lands and ages some such hoards have been actually discovered1 and many such have been imagined and expected by the credulous4 ,the conditions of the treasure that may be buried under ground exist in substances widely different from gold and silver and precious stones4 ,on the west coast of ,scotland1 a few years ago1 some men1 while engaged in digging fuel from a moss1 found at a great depth large quantities of tallow carefully sewed up in raw ox-hides1 and in good preservation4 ,in troubled1 lawless times1 a clan had ravaged their neighbour's territory3 not having had time to drive away the cattle1 they had buried the only portion of the spoil that could be preserved1 intending to return when the danger was past and carry it away4 ,the opportunity of realizing the booty had never occurred1 and the clansmen had carried the secret with themselves to the grave4 ,in modern times1 treasures a thousand-fold more valuable than any that have ever been hidden by human hands are frequently discovered under the earth1 and wealth correspondingly great obtained by purchasing the field in which they lie4 ,the much disputed and now celebrated mineral at ,torbanehill1 near ,bathgate1 in the county of ,linlithgow1 affords a good example4 ,a person discovered that a coal or other mineral substance of great value lay in the ground4 ,without revealing1 perhaps not knowing to the full extent the value of his discovery1 he forthwith concluded1 not precisely a purchase1 but a long lease of the ground for mining purposes4 ,when his bargain was securely made1 he began to bring up the precious substance4 ,as a raw material for the manufacture of gas and oil1 it was found precious beyond all precedent4 ,the original proprietor then raised an action for the dissolution of the lease4 ,the action has been several times renewed in various forms1 and its fame has resounded through all ,europe4 ,meantime the prudent discoverer of the treasure and purchaser of the field is reaping a rich harvest from his transaction4 ,in ,north ,america1 both in the ,states and in ,canada1 similar facts have often of late years emerged1 especially in connection with oil springs and copper mines4 ,some men have obtained enormous wealth by purchasing for a small price a piece of ground in which a seam of copper lay1 and selling it again when the fact was verified4 ,a question has been raised and discussed at greater length1 ,i think1 than its importance warrants1 regarding the conduct of the man who found the treasure and hid it again till he had secured the field--whether the act was fair or unfair4 ,the parables of the ,lord are allowed to flow like a mountain stream in its natural channel4 ,in those at least that are metaphorical1 the narrative does not undertake to prescribe what should be1 but to represent what is probable in human history4 ,the fact as narrated may or may not be an example worthy of imitation4#ba ,the moral lesson is found1 not by looking directly at the story1 but by looking at the shadow which the material case projects on the spiritual sphere4 ,the conduct of the person in the picture may be good1 bad1 or indifferent2 the spiritual lesson is not affected by the moral character of the act which is employed as a leaden type to make it visible4 ,as the lesson on a printed page is not affected by the baseness or the pureness of the metal which constituted the type1 provided always that the form of the type were appropriate2 so the doctrine left for us after the parabolic picture has passed is not dependent for its purity on the material of which the type was formed4 ,the shifty dishonest factor1 and the indolent unrighteous judge of subsequent parables1 occur as conspicuous examples4 #ba ,it is otherwise1 of course1 in those that are directly moral1 as the ,good ,samaritan2 they are not metaphors to be translated1 but examples to be imitated4 ,the picture is obviously true to nature4 ,when a man became aware that a great treasure lay under ground at a certain spot1 he concealed his knowledge of the fact1 and took measures to obtain possession of the field4 ,believing that this hidden wealth was greater far than all that he possessed in the world1 or could ever hope to acquire by the ordinary produce of his property1 he sold all that he had without a grudge1 in order to make sure of the prize4 ,the love of his own possessions1 whether hereditary or acquired1 whether lands or money1 was overbalanced and so destroyed by the estimate which he had formed of the hidden treasure4 ,the new and stronger affection neutralized and blotted out all previous predilections for what was his own4 ,he sold all that he had1 and bought the field4 ,the turning-point is here2 and here1 accordingly1 the story is abruptly broken off4 ,there is not a word regarding the subsequent steps of the important and critical transaction4 ,how much he gained by his bargain2 whether the validity of the purchase was disputed in a court of justice by the former proprietor1 on the ground of a concealment of facts by the buyer2--these and all similar points are designedly veiled off4 ,if they had been introduced1 they would have served only to lead the investigator into a wrong track1 and the meaning of the ,master would thereby have been lost4 ,the story advances in broad and manifest accordance with nature1 both in its main line and in its subordinate accessories1 until it has reached and passed the point which marked its goal3 then the curtain suddenly drops1 resolutely concealing all the rest1 and so compelling the reader to fix his regard on the great essential lesson1 instead of dissipating his energies on a multitude of interesting but unnecessary speculations4 ,such is the material framework which sustains the spiritual truth1--such the trellis which bears up the fruitful vine3 having first gone round it to survey its construction and its form1 we now approach it to gather for our own use the ripe fruit that hangs within reach on every side4 #a4 ,there is a treasure1 placed within our reach in this1 world1 rich beyond all comparison or conception1--a treasure incorruptible and undefiled and unfading4 ,god is love1--behold the fountain-head1 where an exhaustless supply is stored3 in the ,gospel of ,christ a channel has been opened through which streams from that fountain flow down to this distant world4 ,in the ,son of ,god incarnate divine mercy reaches our nature1 and supplies our wants4 ,through the ministry of the ,spirit1 in the earliest promise and in subsequent prophecy the refreshing water was brought into contact with parched lips4 ,a heavenly treasure lies on this poverty-stricken1 bankrupt1 accursed world1 sufficient to enrich every one of its poor and miserable and wretched and blind and naked inhabitants4 #b4 ,the treasure is hidden4 ,in early ages it was concealed under certain veils1 constructed of design in such a manner that through their half-transparent folds a halo of the unseen glory should excite the hopes and attract the steps of every generation4 ,the promise given at the gate of ,paradise contained the treasure1 but contained it wrapped up in allegoric prophecy which nothing but subsequent fulfilment could completely unfold4 ,down through the patriarchal and prophetic ages it continued a hidden treasure1 although the new life of the faithful was secretly sustained by it all the while4 ,even when ,christ through these parables taught his disciples in ,galilee1 his kingdom was still hidden4 ,a few fishermen1 and here and there a ruler1 had discovered the precious deposit1 and had drawn from it enough to enrich themselves for ever2 but to the multitude it was still unknown4 ,under the form of a man--under the privacy and poverty of a ,nazarene1 was the fulness of the ,godhead hid that day from the wise and prudent of the world4 ,the light was near them1 and yet they did not see2 the riches of divine grace were brought to their door1 and yet they continued poor and miserable4 ,but even after the ,lord had fully declared his mission1 and finished his work1--after he had died for our sin1 and risen again for our justification1--after his disciples through the ministry of the ,spirit had published the glad tidings in many lands1--the treasure still lay hidden4 ,it was near1 and yet out of sight4 ,those who find it1 find out at the same time that they have been almost treading on it for years1 and yet ignorant of its existence and its worth4 ,saul of ,tarsus had been often near it1 before he found it for himself4 ,when ,gamaliel lectured on the ,mosaic sacrifices1 the attentive1 clear-headed and ardent pupil1 was on the very point of discovering where the treasure lay2 but though often near it1 he never fell on it until that day when he fell to the ground near ,damascus4 ,felix was near it when1 shut in between his own sin and ,god's righteousness1 he trembled at the sight of the judgment-seat1 like an angel with a drawn sword right before him on the narrow path4 ,agrippa was near it when1 caught and carried away ere he was well aware by the close1 clear reasoning of a true preacher1 he was almost persuaded to be a ,christian4 ,still men may be walking near the treasure of eternal life1--walking over it1 and yet miss it3 the treasure that they trod upon remains hidden1 and they remain poor4 #c4 ,the hidden treasure is at last found4 ,it is noticed by all students of the parables1 that on this point there is a marked distinction between the experience of the man who found the hidden treasure1 and that of the merchant who found the pearl of great price4 ,it is probable that this man was not aware that there was any treasure in that field3 he seems to have been neither looking for it nor expecting to find it4 ,he was probably employed in some other work1 and prosecuting some other object4 ,he may have been a labourer toiling there for his daily bread2 or he may have been engaged in making a road or digging for the foundation of a house1 when the treasure1 concealed in a troubled time1 was exposed to view4 ,he found what he was not seeking3 he was seeking a bit of bread1 and stumbled upon a fortune4 ,the merchant1 on the contrary1 who fell in with the precious pearl was travelling with the express purpose of discovering goodly pearls and buying them4 ,he obtained what he was seeking2 but obtained a pearl of greater value than he had previously seen1 or expected ever to see4 ,outwardly at least1 and on the surface1 a similar distinction seems to obtain between one man's experience and another's1 in regard to the manner of finding the treasures of divine grace4 ,some seem to find the ,saviour when they are not seeking him2 and some1 after deliberately and consciously seeking him long1 are rewarded at length4 ,it is the former of the two classes with whom we are more directly concerned in the exposition of this parable4 ,looking abroad upon the past history or the present experience of the ,church1 we observe that some suddenly stumble1 as it were1 upon salvation1 when they neither expected nor desired to find it4 ,not a few have come to laugh1 and remained to pray4 ,many authentic cases are recorded of persons who entered the house of ,god bent on making sport of the preacher1 and who went away believing in the ,saviour whom he preached4 ,a youth has left his home in the country and plunged into a great capital to push his fortune1 and has found there1 what he did not seek1 pardon of sin and peace with ,god through the ,saviour4 ,another has gone to ,india as a soldier1 dreaming of war and victory1 and honour and wealth2 but has returned a meek disciple of ,jesus1 glory to ,god and peace with men radiating like sunlight from all his spirit and all his life4 ,a young female1 chafed and fretting under the enforced dulness of a sober home1 has received and accepted an invitation which promises to set her free from restraint for a time1 and permit her to flutter at will in the midst of a fashionable throng4 ,at the threshold of the prepared festivities a message meets her1--a message charged with a mighty sorrow1 which drives the crowd of joyful anticipations forth from her heart1 as a swollen stream bears down the dry leaves of autumn4 ,she is thrown aside in solitude1 in emptiness1 in agony4 ,in the silent night1 and in the aching emptiness of her soul1 the knocking of ,christ from without is for the first time heard4 ,the weary heart opens at last1 and lets the ,stranger in4 ,she has found a treasure which1 though often near her before1 had hitherto escaped her notice4 ,from the peace of ,god in which she now dwells she looks out from time to time on the pleasures of sin which she formerly chased1 and borrows from the experience of ancient ,israel a phrase best fitted to express her mind1--,the ,portion of ,jacob is not like them4 ,the history of the ,church is studded with such examples3 the hearts of believers1 when they are ready to faint1 are cheered from time to time by such good news from countries far and near4 ,it is a reproof to us1 but a glory to the ,lord1 that he is often found of those who sought not after him4 ,perhaps the man in the parable was digging for stones when he fell upon the treasure3 they who find the true riches meet often with a similar surprise4 #d4 ,the next feature that claims attention is the instant ardent effort of the discoverer to make the treasure his own1 now that he knows what it is and where it lies4 ,in the parable1 the man conceals his discovery1 because he knows that if the secret leak out1 the owner will not part with his field at any price4 ,one can easily imagine the scene and the act that enlivened it4 ,a labouring man1 digging for some purpose in a field alone1 in the progress of his hard and humble work lays open one side of a glittering golden store4 ,as soon as the first tumult of emotion has subsided1 he gathers his wits and goes into action4 ,first of all he throws some earth over the exposed portion of the treasure2 then he looks cautiously round to ascertain whether any witness was near enough to observe his motions4 ,he proceeds next1 probably1 to ply his ordinary task on another spot with an indifferent air1 that he may not attract attention4 ,the place where the treasure lies1 the place that he loves best1 he carefully avoids3 he comes not once near it again until he has paid the price1 and secured the titles of the property4 ,too much has been made of the subordinate circumstances here4 ,a person in the position of this man could not do otherwise than he did1 without abandoning all hope of obtaining the prize4 ,to blab it out1 would have been to throw it away4 ,if he had talked about it1 the fact would have proved that he did not care for it4 ,the concealment is not an essential feature1 but a subordinate circumstance of the parable4 ,it was resorted to1 not for its own sake1 but as an obvious means of obtaining a desired end4 ,the hiding of the treasure is introduced into the picture simply to mark the man's estimate of its worth and his determination at all hazards to obtain it4 ,in the spiritual department a similar end is pursued1 but the adoption of similar means there would not tend to insure success4 ,in the nature of the case it is not necessary to conceal the spiritual treasure from others in order to secure it for yourself4 ,although the world should discover it1 by an intimation from you1 and enrich themselves out of it1 you would not therefore obtain less4 ,it is thus a vain labour to search1 as many do1 for something in the spiritual sphere corresponding to the concealment by the discoverer in the story4 ,the best way of interpreting that feature is to represent by it a soul's high appreciation of divine mercy and earnest desire to obtain it1 and then allow the feature to drop out of sight1 like the husk after the ripened grain has fallen from it and been secured4 ,it has been said that one of the rarest kinds of knowledge is to know when to hold your peace4 ,many know well how to speak2 few know when to be silent4 ,a similar experience emerges here3 many have an excellent faculty for opening up the parables1 and tracing every feature up to all its springs1 and down to all its consequences4 ,the power of attributing a distinct spiritual import to every light and shadow of the picture is common2 but the faculty of permitting a subordinate accessory to drop when it has fulfilled its office1 and following stanchly on the main track1 is comparatively rare4 ,you may1 indeed1 find instances in which a man1 awakened and persuaded of the preciousness of ,christ1 has kept all silent within his own breast until he has made his own calling and election sure2 but in these cases the secrecy is by no means prompted by a fear that to publish the secret were to lose the treasure2 and in many other examples the discoverer1 during the continuance of his efforts to obtain possession1 publishes the secret to the world1 and enters at last into his heritage in presence of many witnesses4 ,the discoverer of ,christ's preciousness is like the discoverer of hid treasure1 in his ultimate aim1 but not in his mediate methods4 ,concealment would not help him to possession1 and therefore he does not uniformly or necessarily take pains to conceal4 #e4 ,he parts with all in order that he may acquire the treasure4 ,this is the turning-point of the parable1 and the turning-point too of that which the parable represents1--the conversion of sinners1--the saving of the lost4 ,the picture1 being framed of earthly materials1 fails on one point to represent the idea of the ,lord4 ,when the man had converted all his property into money1 and offered the net proceeds for the field1 his offer was accepted as adequate1 and the property was conveyed to him in return for value received4 ,the transaction which takes place in redemption between a sinful man and ,god his ,saviour is essentially different4 ,although it is true on the one side that in accepting pardon we must and do surrender all to ,christ1 pardon is1 notwithstanding1 bestowed as a free gift4 ,our self-surrender does not in any sense or measure give to ,god an equivalent for that which in the covenant he bestows on his own4 ,the same two things occur1 indeed1 in the natural and in the spiritual spheres1 but they occur in the reverse order4 ,the price which the buyer offers induces the possessor to give him the property2 on the contrary1 on the spiritual side it is the free gift of the treasure by the ,proprietor that induces the receiver to part with all that he has to the ,giver4 ,in one aspect the acquisition of the treasure which enriches a soul is a purchase which a needy man makes by the surrender of all that he has1 and in another aspect it is a free gift bestowed by ,god for ,christ's sake upon him who had nothing to give in return4 ,in as far forth as it is a purchase which a sinner makes1 this parable represents its nature2 but in as far forth as it is a gift given on the one side and accepted on the other1 this parable is silent4 ,it contains no feature capable of presenting salvation in that point of view4 #f4 ,mark1 now in the close yet another specific feature of the material fact which has its counterpart in full on the spiritual side4 ,it is intimated that when the man had discovered the treasure1 for joy thereof he went and sold all1 in order to buy the field that contained it4 ,this joy is an essential element in the case4 ,if it is wanting the business will at some stage certainly miscarry1 the transaction will never be completed4 ,one love in a human heart cannot be overcome and destroyed except by another4 ,love1 among the affections of our nature1 is one of those high born nobles who refuse to be tried or superseded except by their peers4 ,love of the world will not yield to fear1 even though the fear be a fear of ,god's anger4 ,you cannot overcome and cast it out until you bring against it another and greater love4 ,a man has joy in his possession1 and lives without ,god in the world3 he is a god unto himself4 ,he cannot and will not surrender his joy1 such as it is1 to any summons except to that which a greater joy sends in4 ,when the preciousness of peace with ,god through the blood of ,christ is revealed to him1 the joy thereof becomes so great that all his gold becomes dross1 and all his fine gold dim in his own esteem4 ,this new joy is so weighty that it tosses up the scale in which all his former delights lay1 as if they were only the small dust of the balance4 ,a young rich man came running once to ,jesus1 as the owner of the field that contained the treasure of eternal life1 and entered gravely into terms for the purchase4 ,he would give so much for it1 but the owner held it high3 ,all that thou hast1 this is the price1 and there is no abatement4 ,the young man did not close with that offer1 and did not complete the transaction4 ,he went away2 but what was the state of his mind as he departed8 ,he went away sorrowful4 ,ah6 the secret is out4 ,although he desired1 in some sense1 to obtain what he called eternal life1 the joy thereof had not been kindled in his cold1 calculating heart4 ,his love of earthly riches was too strong to yield to the suggestions of prudence1 or the fear of a future judgment4 ,the love of the old portion will yield to nothing but love of the new2 and love of the new he had never felt4 ,the case of ,paul supplies an exact contrast4 ,a learned ,pharisee1 conscious of a power that would one day place the highest dignities at his disposal1 he was a man of great and manifold possessions4 ,a curious and interesting inventory of his goods has been preserved like a fossil in the ,scriptures 7,phil4 iii4 #e1 #f74 ,these things he highly valued and fondly loved2 but another and opposing love came against them1 and the strong man succumbed to the stronger4 ,what things were gain to me1 these ,i counted loss for ,christ3 he parted with all and purchased the newly discovered treasure2 but it was for joy thereof4 ,he went into the transaction not driven by dread1 but drawn by the expectation of a greater joy4 ,it is thus that men buy an incorruptible treasure2 it is thus that men win ,christ4 ,they deceive themselves who try how cheaply they may get to heaven1--how much of their idol they may retain and yet be safe in the judgment4 ,the man who was sorrowful when the two portions were set before him for his choice1 went away4 ,as long as peace with ,god in his ,son1 labelled with its price1 ,all that you have1 makes us sorry that the boon is held so dear1 we will never obtain the boon3 when the sight of it1 price and all1 sends a flash of more than earthly joy into the soul1 then we shall bound forward1 leaving all behind1 and win ,christ4 ,,vi4 ,,the ,,pearl4 ,again1 the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man1 seeking goodly pearls3 who1 when he had found one pearl of great price1 went and sold all that he had1 and bought it4--,,matt4 xiii4 #de1 #df4 ,so closely allied are these two parables1 that if we had regarded repetition as a formidable blemish in our lessons1 we would not have proposed to expound them separately and successively4 ,the two lines are coincident throughout their whole length1 except at one point2 but there the diversity is broadly marked1 amounting in one aspect to a specific contrast4 ,in view of this difference on the one hand1 and of the example of the ,lord on the other1 ,i think it right to open and apply the parable of the pearl as fully as if the parable of the hidden treasure had not gone before it4 ,we need and get not only different pictures of the same objects1 but also the same pictures repeated in different colours and on different grounds4 ,one eye may be more touched and taken by this colour1 and another by that1 although the outline of the objects be in both cases essentially the same4 ,thus1 the conception of a treasure found may convey the meaning more impressively to one mind1 and the conception of a pearl purchased may convey it more impressively to another2 and so1 although the lesson of the second parable had been more nearly identical with that of the first than it is1 it would not have been expedient to dismiss it with a cursory notice4 ,by a full examination of the principle under the picture of a precious pearl1 we shall obtain the advantage which in moral questions1 as in material operations1 is often unspeakably great1 of a second stroke on the same spot4 ,the usefulness1 and even the necessity of this method is acknowledged by all teachers1 in whatever department they may be called to exercise their office4 ,the same reasons1 moreover1 which induced the ,master to reduplicate his lesson demands that we should also reduplicate ours3 it is our part both in matter and in method to follow his steps4 ,pearls seem to have borne a higher value in ancient times than they bear now1 both absolutely and in comparison with other kinds of jewels4 ,romantic ideas prevailed regarding their origin and their nature2 but it is well worthy of remark that the parable passes in silence all that was false or fanciful in the ideas of the ancients regarding the production and the medicinal virtue of pearls4 ,there is not a word about their origin in a drop of dew1 or the colour imparted to them by the brightness or darkness of the heavens at the moment of their conception3 the only circumstance regarding the pearl which the ,lord employs in his instructions is its high price4 ,he seizes the obvious and universally known fact1 taking no notice of the fanciful theories with which it was connected4 ,this fact possesses a value in relation to ,apologetics which intelligent students will readily appreciate4 ,it is instructive and suggestive to compare the ,scriptures on such subjects with other books both ancient and modern4 ,take1 for example1 a passage from the comment of ,benjamin ,keach1 which gives both the conceit of the ancients and the endorsement of it at a comparatively recent era4 ,pearls1 naturalists tell us1 have a strange birth and original4 ,pliny saith1 ,shell fish is the wonderful geniture of a pearl congealed into a diaphanous stone1 and the shell is called the mother of pearl4 ,now at a certain time of the year this shell fish opens itself1 and takes in a certain moist dew1 after which they grow big until they bring forth the pearl4 ,by which it seems they have their birth from heaven in a marvellous manner4 ,planting his foot upon this story1 the worthy expositor gravely and devoutly prosecutes the parallel2 but already1 although it is only a century and a half old1 his speculation serves only to provoke a smile4 ,the comment1 written in ,england a hundred and sixty years ago1 is antiquated and set aside by the light of the present day2 but the parable1 spoken in ,galilee eighteen hundred years ago1 stands in the middle of the nineteenth century1 enduring in safety the scrutiny of adversaries1 and ministering to the delight of friends1 as fair and fresh as on the day of its birth4 ,whence hath this man this wisdom8#bb #bb ,for the sake of its bearing on the divine authority of the ,scriptures1 and the questions that are agitated at the present time1 ,i subjoin a similar example1 extracted from a lecture which ,i contributed to the ,exeter ,hall series of #ahfj-fa3-- ,a very remarkable expression occurs in the ,apocalypse 7xvi4 #ah7 bearing on the work of preparing the earth for man1 before man was made3 ',and there was a great earthquake1 such as was not since men were upon the earth1 so mighty an earthquake and so great4' ,there the advent of man1 as an inhabitant of the earth1 is formally given as an epoch after which great earthquakes did not occur4 ,it is well known now that earthquakes must have rent this globe before the birth of man1 which make all that have occurred since sink into insignificance2 but how was ,john1 the fisherman of ,galilee1 led to employ1 eighteen hundred years ago1 a phraseology which the researches of our own day have now for the first time shown to be philosophically exact8 ,speaking of this verse1 and quoting it freely1 ,john ,bunyan 7,reign of ,antichrist17 says1 ',for the earthquake1 it is said to be such as never was1 so mighty an earthquake and so great4' ,he thought the phrase1 'since men were upon the earth1' was equivalent to 'never3' so he wrote and fell into the blunder4 ,who led ,john the ,apostle safely past the mistake into which ,john ,bunyan fell8 ,pearls are the product of certain species of shell-fish1 both marine and fluvial4 ,the cause and manner of their formation have not even yet been completely ascertained4 ,they do not constitute any part or organ of the creature that contains them4 ,they are not found in every shell1 nor of the same size and shape in any two4 ,they are eccentric and accidental1 probably also morbid excrescences1 thrown out by some individuals of the species in irregular forms and at uncertain times4 ,they probably owe their origin to the presence of some minute foreign substance within the shell1 which is distasteful to its occupant4 ,not being able to cast out the intruder1 the feeble but diligent inhabitant covers it with a sort of saliva1 which hardens over it into a substance similar in consistency and sheen to the interior surface of its own shell4 ,the act of covering a base substance of any shape with gold or silver by the process of electrotype is in human art an analogous operation4 ,when the material1 distilled in imperceptibly minute portions from the living mollusc1 has chemically agglomerated round the original kernel1 the pearl is made4 ,the creature having covered the irritant atom with a coating at once hard and smooth1 can now endure with equanimity its presence within the shell4 ,thus unconsciously it manufactures those indestructible and much coveted jewels1 for the sake of which its own life is sought and taken by man4 ,in modern times pearl fishing has become a business1 and is prosecuted on a great scale in several far separated regions4 ,perhaps the increase of production1 through superior methods and instruments1 may1 here as elsewhere1 have contributed to depreciate the value of the article4#bc #bc ,i have been informed by a ,british merchant who1 under license from the government of ,india1 conducts the pearl fishing in the ,bay of ,kuratchee1 that the method pursued is to bring the shells to shore as they are brought up from the bottom of the sea until a considerable quantity has been accumulated1 disposed in a series of small contiguous heaps1 and that then the men stand round the heaps1 open the shells1 and search for the pearls4 ,so much loss accrues from the dishonesty of the men and the facility of secreting a treasure that lies in such a small bulk1 that the proprietor of the fishing has had under consideration a suggestion to sell the heaps of shells by auction to the natives1 and permit them then to make the best of their bargain4 ,whether this method of preventing peculation has been actually adopted1 ,i have not learned4 ,our own ,scottish rivers are frequented by a large bivalve mollusc1 which produces true pearls1 although their size and number have never been sufficient to attract capitalists or sustain a steady trade4 ,i do not know how others operate in other localities1 but here is a method which ,i either invented for myself or borrowed from a neighbour1 and practised with considerable success on the river ,earn in ,perthshire when ,i was a boy3--,provide a long straight rod1 thin and broad and rounded at the point after the manner of a paper-cutter4 ,jump into a light fishing-boat1 and bring it right over the oyster bed when the sun shines brightly and no ripple disturbs the surface of the water4 ,bring the boat into such a position with respect to the sun that your own body1 bending over the gunwale1 will throw a shadow on the immediately subjacent surface4 ,through that shaded spot you see the bottom with great distinctness1 and can distinguish there the objects of your search lying invitingly still1 and open1 and unconscious4 ,the depth may be from six to twelve feet4 ,the molluscs lie bedded in the mud1 with one edge above the ground1 and that edge slightly open4 ,push your rod now gently down in a perpendicular direction1--for if you permit an angle the different degrees of refraction in the air and water will make your straight rod crooked1 and you will egregiously miss your object at every stroke1--until its point is within an inch or two of the opening between the shells of the mollusc1 and then quickly plunge it in4 ,hold it still there for a few seconds until the creature has time to close and bite the rod1 you may then pull it up at your leisure4 ,throw your capture into the bottom of the boat1 and proceed in the same manner with the next4 ,when you have collected a sufficient store1 sit down and open them one by one with a knife1 feeling carefully with your thumbs for the little hard round knots among the velvet folds4 ,these knots1 when extricated from the fleshy lobes that cover them1 turn out to be pearls1 in form more or less globular1 and in sheen more or less bright4 ,you rejoice more or less1 accordingly1 in your capture4 ,the day on which a good pearl was found became a day to be remembered in the family group4 ,the price of the finest never rose above a shilling or two2 but as riches are relative1 and must be estimated by comparison1 these were treasures to us1 and the sight of a large bright pearl suddenly shining out of the shell was enough to set a boy's heart a-beating in those early days4 ,during a drought in the summer of #ahfc the small river ,doon1 in ,ayr shire1 fell so low that some pearl-beds in pools1 that had not been noticed in other seasons1 were exposed to view1 and placed within reach3 the consequence was that the people in the neighbourhood1 old and young1 betook themselves to pearl fishing1 and that with considerable success4 ,among other facts circumstantially related in the local papers at the time1 it was stated that one poor woman1 during the sickness of her husband1 gained as much by the sale of her pearls as made good the loss of her husband's wages for a whole month4 ,in the course of this summer 7#ahfd71 and since the preceding notes were written1 a considerable amount of pearl fishing has been carried on in certain rivers in the northern districts of ,scotland1 and efforts have been made to organize a regular trade4 ,i suppose diamonds occupy now the place that was held by pearls in ancient times4 ,while a vast number of goodly diamonds are in circulation1 affording occupation to many dealers1 here and there one is found which alone constitutes a fortune of almost fabulous amount for its owner4 ,one that was brought from ,india a few years ago1 and is now in the possession of the ,queen1 has a history extending upward several generations4 ,it passed1 like provinces1 from potentate to potentate by natural inheritance or the fortunes of war4 ,if it had fallen into the hands of any private person1 it would have made him an object of wonder on account of his wealth1 even in presence of modern accumulations4 ,the history and fame of the ,kooh-i-noor supply the best illustration of this parable that ,i know4 ,conceive a merchant with a moderate capital setting out on a journey with the view of collecting diamonds for sale in the home market4 ,in the course of his travels1 in the interior of ,india it may be1 he discovers a diamond such as the ,kooh-i-noor in the hands of a countryman4 ,the possessor may know generally the value of diamonds1 and know that this one in particular is of greater value than any that had ever come into his hands2 yet1 because it is unique1 and he has nothing in his experience wherewith to compare it1 he may dispose of it for a tenth of its value4 ,if the best diamond that the seller had ever seen were worth twenty thousand pounds1 he might value this one at forty thousand2 and that price the buyer might cheerfully pay down1 although it constituted all his property1 knowing that at home the prize will command four hundred thousand4 ,thus1 without supposing ignorance on the one side or dishonesty on the other1 you have a transaction which will enrich the merchant at once and enable him to retire in affluence4 ,this is the sort of transaction that is supposed in the parable4 ,it was a natural and probable supposition at a time when information did not spread so quickly as in our time1 and when pearls held as to value the place which diamonds occupy in modern merchandise4 ,it is true that the merchant went abroad expressly for the purpose of seeking goodly pearls2 yet this pearl was to him an unexpected and surprising discovery4 ,he had provided funds sufficient to purchase many pearls2 but when he met with this one1 its value was such that he could not make an offer for it until he had returned to his home and converted all his property1 including the pearls that he had previously purchased1 into money4 ,in this parable as well as in that of the hidden treasure1 an object is discovered of a value hitherto unknown and unsuspected4 ,but the lesson here is in one important respect different from that of the preceding parable1 and the point of distinction is1 that there a man stumbled upon a treasure when he was in search of meaner things1 while here the merchant finds in kind the very object which he sought1 but finds it in measure far surpassing all his expectation or desire4 ,well might the merchant return and convert all his estate into money that he might purchase this jewel2 for if it were once in his possession1 as there could be no rival1 he might command his own price4 ,none but monarchs could aspire to the possession of such a treasure1 and these would compete with each other at his desk for a gem that could not elsewhere be obtained4#bd #bd ,although their place is not the highest now1 yet pearls even in our own day are sometimes found of a value so great that the history of an individual is recorded and its praises published through the world4 ,the following1 for example1 are the terms of a paragraph taken from a ,british journal of last year3--,one of the finest pearls in the world has been found in the bay of ,panama4 ,it is of a perfect pear shape1 and of the finest water4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the application of the parable is1 intellectually at least1 a short and easy process4 ,it is not precisely the case of a man who finds the kingdom of ,god when he is seeking something else3 neither is it the case of a man who first thoroughly knows the worth of that kingdom and then sets out in search of it4 ,there is no such example3 no man knows its worth before he obtains it4 ,the merchant knew the value of pearls and set out in search of them1 but such a pearl as that which he found he had never seen before1 and never expected to see4 ,so1 although a man has some spiritual perceptions and spiritual desires2 although by a deliberate judgment he determines to seek the life-eternal in preference to all the business and pleasures of the world1 he does not at the outset understand how exceeding rich the forgiving grace of ,god is4 ,nay1 he thinks1 when he first begins his search for salvation1 that it may be accomplished by the union of many attainments1 such as men may possess4 ,precious pearls and a number of them indeed2 but still such pearls as he has often seen in the possession of other merchants1 and such as he has in former times had in his own store4 ,he goes out with cash in hand to buy pearls1 but he leaves his house and land still his own4 ,he expects to acquire many excellent pearls and retain all his property besides4 ,he did not conceive of one that should be worth all he had1 until he saw it4 ,it is thus that people under convictions set out in search of something that will make them right before ,god4 ,they want to get righteousness and temperance1 and a good case for the judgment to come4 ,in their search they come to the ,gospel2 they get a glimpse beneath the surface2 they see protruding from beneath the folds something that surprises them4 ,can that be a pearl8 ,no2 that is larger than any pearl ever was or can be1 and brighter2 surely that cannot be a true pearl4 ,what8 ,pardon of sin to sinners without stipulating for a price in their own repentance and righteousness1--peace with ,god and sonship given free to the chief of sinners before he has done anything to deserve it1--all sin forgiven1 and that now and that free1 and no condemnation thenceforth1 but the place and the favour of ,god's sons6 and these not only to some who stand out from their fellows as great and good1 but these to me1--from ,god to me to-day as surely as if there never had been a human being on the earth but myself1 and the errand of ,christ had been only and all for me6 ,these glimpses stagger the man at first2 he thinks they are too good to be true4 ,it is as if some one should tell a skilful pearl merchant that under yon covering lay a pearl a thousand times more precious than any he had ever seen before3 of course the merchant is incredulous1 and demands a sight of it4 ,then a portion of the covering is removed1 and a glittering disc is partially revealed1 so vast and so lustrous1 that instantly and instinctively the merchant feels1 ,if that be a pearl it is more precious a thousand-fold than any that ,i have ever seen3 but at the same time he secretly fears it is not a pearl1 and that1 not for want of the true pearly lustre1 which his eye has been well educated to detect1 but because of its very greatness and goodness4 ,the process in his mind is not that it does not seem a genuine pearl1 but that if it were a pearl it would be so inconceivably great and precious that he must conclude there is some deception4 ,but when it is more fully revealed and more thoroughly inspected1 he finds that it is indeed a true pearl4 ,instantly he determines to part with all he has that he may obtain it3 he parts with all that he has1 and makes it his own4 ,he has not only made a successful bargain1 as other merchants may do1 or as himself may have done at other times3 he has in one moment enriched himself beyond all conception that he formerly entertained4 ,his merchandise has been brought to an end4 ,there is no need now for more buying and selling in order to acquire wealth2 his fortune is made4 ,this is really very like the process that goes on in a human spirit when an anxious inquiry about salvation terminates in finding and closing with ,christ the ,saviour4 ,the expectations with which the inquirer set out were very low4 ,if he could get his sense of guilt somewhat lightened that he might begin anew and endeavour to please ,god2 if he could get the fear of wrath diminished1 and some assurance that the ,judge would not visit him to the full extent for all his sins2--he does not venture to expect more4 ,expressly he had no conception of all in one3 he thought of a multitude of good religious attainments1 which1 when added together1 would make him1 if not rich enough1 yet as good as any of his neighbours4 ,some low and little thing he went out to seek1 and1 lo6 he came upon all the fulness of the ,godhead bodily treasured up in ,christ1 and all that fulness offered in return for simple surrender of himself4 ,surprised by the greatness of the treasure1 he suspects at first that there must be some mistake2 but when he becomes convinced of its reality1 his resolution is instantly taken1 and the transaction irrevocably closed4 ,like the merchant rejoicing in his fortune is a believer who has found peace with ,god3 henceforth he is rich4 ,he does not need now to huckster in small bargains between his conscience and the divine law every day1 and struggle to diminish the ever-increasing amount of guilt by getting small entries of merit marked on the other side of the page4 ,all this is past4 ,he is in ,christ ,jesus1 and to him1 therefore1 there is now no condemnation4 ,the treasurer of the ,ethiopian ,queen was precisely such a merchant4 ,before he left home he evidently counted himself poor1 and longed to possess the true riches3 before he left home he was aware that a man is not profited although he gain the whole world1 if he lose his own soul4 ,it was an oppressive sense of poverty that compelled him to travel4 ,he occupied the highest office in a kingdom2 he stood on the steps of the throne1 and had charge of the royal treasury2 but he counted himself poor notwithstanding4 ,he must go in search of more precious pearls than these4 ,peace of conscience1 righteousness1 hope for eternity1--these are goodlier pearls than any that can be found in ,ethiopia2 and the man undertakes a journey to ,jerusalem to try if he can find them there4 ,disappointed there1 he was on his way home1 seeking still for the pearls1 and seeking near the very spot in the ,scriptures where the one priceless pearl lay1 when ,philip met him4 ,by the ,evangelist's skilful help he found it then and there2 but when he found it at last1 it was much more precious than he had ventured to expect4 ,he was led as a lamb to the slaughter4 ,of whom speaketh the prophet this8 inquired the ,ethiopian1 of himself1 or of some other man8 ,some subordinate benefit he was contemplating1--the suffering of some good man1 perhaps1 as an example to his brethren4 ,even that1 as being something that might contribute to the peace of his soul1 he was glad to hear of1 and would gladly buy1 that he might add it to his stock of goodly pearls4 ,but when ,philip1 beginning from that scripture1 preached to him ,jesus1 he found that the lamb led to the slaughter is the ,lamb of ,god1 who taketh away the sin of the world4 ,the worth of the pearl turned out to be immeasurably greater than the merchant had previously been able to conceive4 ,he exchanged all for it on the spot1 and went on his way rejoicing4 ,he did not require to go from country to country any more in search of goodly pearls4 ,he was rich1--rich toward ,god4#be #be ,das ist ,philippus element1 ,er bt sein ,predigtamt1 ,lebendig wird das ,pergament1 ,des ,mohrenfrsten ,herze brennt1 ,sein dunkles ,auge flammt4 ,denn was er im ,juwelenschrein ,kandaces nimmer sah1 ,die eine ,perle1 himmlischrein ,die kstlicher als ,edelstein1 ,er fand am ,weg sie da4 ,kari ,gerok4 ,i think all speculations about the whiteness and purity and lustre of the pearl as an ornament should be set aside1 as being an attempt to bring a meaning out of the parable which its ,author did not put into it4 ,obviously the merchant did not buy it in order to wear it4 ,if after giving all that he had for the pearl1 he had hung it on his neck1 where could the poor man have found food and clothing8 ,no2 the pearl is presented here in one aspect only1--as being of great price4 ,it was worth much--it was a fortune to a merchant2 but when you speak of it as an ornament on the wearer's brow1 you turn aside from the line of the parable1 and miss its meaning4 ,the true lessons of the parable1 as ,i understand them1 are briefly these3-- #a4 ,it represents the experience1 not of a careless or a profane man1 who stumbles suddenly upon the ,gospel when he was in search of other things1 but of one who is awakened1 and has begun to seek the true religion1 endeavouring to add attainment to attainment sincerely1 according to his light4 ,his conscience is uneasy4 ,he has tried the old specific1 ,all these have ,i kept from my youth up2 but it no longer avails to soothe his spirit4 ,what lack ,i yet8 burst from his breast in broken sighs4 ,there is truth in the man1 though not wisdom4 ,he is honestly seeking the way1 and the ,lord leads him4 ,he is seeking2 he shall find4 #b4 ,it represents the unparalleled1 inconceivable richness of ,god's mercy in ,christ1 taking away all a sinner's sin1 and bestowing on him freely the place and privileges of a dear child4 #c4 ,it represents that these riches lie1 not in an accumulation of goodly attainments1 such as men are wont to traffic in1 but in one undivided1 indivisible1 hitherto unknown and unimagined treasure4 #d4 ,it represents that the inquirer1 the instant he discovers that this one incomparable1 all-comprehending treasure exists and is offered to him1 cheerfully1 eagerly1 unhesitatingly gives away all that he possesses1 in order to acquire it4 ,that is1 he gives all for ,christ1 and then enjoys all in ,christ4 ,let me suppose myself a merchant1 travelling in a foreign country in quest of pearls4 ,i have found and secured several lots that ,i count good4 ,i have still capital remaining sufficient to purchase many more2 ,i therefore continue my search4 ,one day ,i meet a man who shows me a pearl more precious than any that ,i had ever seen before4 ,at a glance ,i perceive that it is worth all ,i possess twenty times told4 ,i say to the owner1 and say it with a beating heart1 fearing that he will despise my offer1 ,i shall give you all ,i possess for this pearl4 ,he accepts my offer2 he gives me the pearl into my own hands1 and ,i consign over to him all that ,i have in the world3 first1 all the pearls that ,i have bought in my journey2 next1 all my remaining capital2 then houses1 lands1 books1--all4 ,i sign the deed with a throbbing heart1 not from fear1 but from abounding joy4 ,my act does not intimate that ,i value lightly my possessions and rights3 it intimates that my new portion is1 in my esteem1 so greatly good1 that it will repay all my outlay1 and give me a fortune beside4 ,so when ,i abandon my repentance1 and my prayers1 and my services and gifts--when ,i sign away all my expectations on account of all religious attainments1 and accept ,christ alone as my soul's portion--my act does not intimate that ,i count little on the various graces of the ,spirit in a disciple's life3 it means that in ,christ and with him ,i have all good things in measure infinite1 in duration eternal4 ,if our suggestion regarding the cause and manner of the pearl's growth is correct1 the kingdom of ,god in the ,gospel of his ,son was generated in the same way3 the pearl and the pearl of great price have the same natural history4 ,some foreign1 hurtful thing falls on the creature's life4 ,forthwith the irritation which that invader produces causes the creature to throw out and over the disturber that which forms a covering round it--hiding1 smothering1 annihilating the originating evil1 and constituting over it and in place of it a gem of the tenderest1 gentlest beauty--impenetrable1 imperishable1 glorious4 ,so sin1 a corroding drop1 a dark1 deadly1 vexing1 torturing thing1 fell upon ,god's fair creation1 threatening to inoculate it with a poison that should leaven the whole lump1 and change its beauty into corruption4 ,but around the dark sin-spot1 and because the sin-spot was there1 divine love showered down1 like the impalpable silver gathering on its object in the electrotype1 embracing1 surrounding1 covering1 killing the evil and bitter thing that threatened to destroy the works of ,god4 ,death was swallowed up in victory4 ,the ,son of ,god came into the world because sin was on it4 ,he1 the ,holy ,one1 took sin into his bosom1 that he might quench it in his own embrace4 ,it was sin that summoned the ,saviour to the world1 and gave shape to the ,gospel of ,god4 ,to the devil's wile in ,eden1 as the occasion1 though not the cause1 unfallen angels and ransomed men will for ever be indebted for that specific work of their ,creator which will most attract their eyes and inspire their songs4 ,on one side they behold mercy1 in spotless1 unmingled white2 and on the other side they behold judgment1 darker1 indeed1 yet equally resplendent4 ,but here in the midst1 in the person of ,god incarnate1 they see mercy and judgment meeting--the pearl of great price--where two different and apparently opposite glories mysteriously and beauteously mingle and play4 ,death swallowed up in victory2 sin embraced and so destroyed in the person of ,immanuel2 sin lost in the holiness and love that agglomerated round it2--this pearl will shine in heaven with a glory that excelleth1 when the sun and stars shall have fallen like unripe figs from the sky4 ,,vii4 ,,the ,,draw-,,net4 ,again1 the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net1 that was cast into the sea1 and gathered of every kind3 which1 when it was full1 they drew to shore1 and sat down1 and gathered the good into vessels1 but cast the bad away4 ,so shall it be at the end of the world3 the angels shall come forth1 and sever the wicked from among the just1 and shall cast them into the furnace of fire3 there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth4--,,matt4 xiii4 #dg-ej4 ,great variety obtains in the size and structure of fishing-nets2 and great variety1 too1 in the manner of using them4 ,some are stationary1 fixed to poles in the sea or the estuaries of rivers2 some are dropped in a straight line into the water1 and allowed to remain there suspended until a shoal of fish1 endeavouring to pass1 become entangled one by one in the meshes2 others are shot in a semicircular form into the sea1 and immediately drawn back by both extremities simultaneously to the shore4 ,it is this last mentioned species of net that is employed in the parable4 ,its depth is comparatively small1 but its length is great4 ,one side is kept close to the bottom by weights1 and the other side drawn towards the surface by corks or bladders4 ,thus when spread it stands erect like a wall in the water1 enclosing a large space4 ,as soon as it has been spread1 the fishermen begin to draw it at both ends slowly and steadily towards the land4 ,as the enclosed semicircle gradually diminishes1 the captured fishes1 having still room for motion1 retire before the advancing prison wall1 until they are at length confined within a very narrow space1 and drawn into shallow water4 ,there is then a violent flutter for a few moments1 and the whole are laid helpless on the sand4 ,then begins that operation on which the ,master has here mainly fixed his eye1 and to which exclusively he directs attention in his own exposition4 ,when the fishermen have at last drawn the net wholly out of the water and secured its contents on dry land1 they sit down to examine leisurely the worth of their capture1 and to separate the precious from the vile4 ,the good they gather into vessels for preservation2 the bad they simply throw away4 ,the net surrounded and brought to land every living creature that fell within its sweep1 and was not small enough to escape through its meshes4 ,some of these are in their own nature and at all times unfit for food2 others are useless at particular seasons4 ,every one who has watched the operations of fishermen on the shore is familiar with the appearance of star-fish and other low forms of marine life1 which are drawn out by the nets1 and cast away upon the sand4 ,large predatory fishes of a low type are also sometimes caught1 when they venture too near in search of prey4 ,in some instances1 moreover1 fishes that are dead and partially decayed are brought up in company with the living1 and these are of course cast out as vile4 ,the central figure of the parable1 round which the other features congregate only as fore or back ground accessories--the central figure is1 ,a group of fishermen1 panting from recent exertion1 sitting on a knoll close by the sea-side1 with the newly-drawn net lying in a soaking heap at their feet1 picking up one by one the fishes that are fit for food1 and putting them on one side into baskets1 and casting the rest away4 ,the men are skilful1 experienced1 and cool2 they have no interest in forming an erroneous judgment1 and they are not liable to fall into mistakes4 ,the separation between good and bad is made without partiality and without hypocrisy2 it is deliberate1 accurate1 inevitable4 ,at the close1 not one good fish has been cast away1 and not a bad one has been admitted into the vessels4 ,it is of great importance to note that when the ,lord undertakes to explain this parable1 he determines for us the spiritual meaning of the last act only of the fishermen's labours1 and passes in silence all the rest4 ,i do not conclude from this fact that the earlier features of the scene possessed no spiritual significance1 or that their meaning cannot be ascertained4 ,but it is undeniable that when ,christ himself gives the meaning of his own parable1 the part that he leaves unexplained cannot be as surely and clearly understood as the part which he has explained3 and further1 the portion of a parable on which he maintained silence while he explained another part1 is not for us in the same position as another parable of which he has not given an exposition at all4 ,some of them are so transparent that he did not count it needful to give the interpretation2 in other cases1 such as the sower1 he gave the signification of the whole2 in a third class of cases1 to which this parable belongs1 he explains one feature of the picture1 and maintains silence regarding the rest4 ,now it is precisely the portions left without explanation in parables partially explained1 that must in the nature of the case be to us most uncertain4 ,it may be assumed regarding them that their spiritual meaning is either self-evident1 and therefore required not a comment1 or of subordinate importance1 and therefore did not obtain one4 ,in this case it is certain1 from the diversity of opinion that prevails regarding them1 that these portions are not easily understood3 there remains only the other alternative1 that they are not essential4 ,our view of the grand lesson which the ,master taught from the closing act of the fishermen1 is very little affected by the opinion which we may form regarding the preparatory portions4 ,those who differ widely regarding the significance of trees and animals that occupy the background of a picture1 may notwithstanding agree entirely regarding the meaning of the picture itself4 ,although we entertain various views in respect to the spreading and drawing of the net1 we come all1 under the ,master's guidance1 to substantially the same view of the separation between good and evil which was accomplished when the net was brought to shore4 ,upon this point the ,lord fixed his eye and expressed his mind4 ,he has made it so plain that there is not room among ,christians for serious diversity concerning it4 ,a river in ,africa is known and navigated in its lower reaches near the sea4 ,ships from many nations frequent the estuary1 and obtain cargoes of oil1 and wax1 and fruit from the inhabitants on its shores4 ,but a question1 meantime1 arises among geographers regarding the source of this river in the interior of the continent1 and the direction of its current before it reaches the navigable portion near the ocean4 ,one believes the river rises in the north1 and flows mainly southward2 another contends that it springs in a mountainous ridge far to the eastward1 and flows in a westerly course to the ,atlantic4 ,in defect of an actual exploration1 there is room for differences of opinion2 and differences have accordingly sprung up4 ,the right is better than the wrong even here2 but the importance of the point is1 in a commercial point of view1 secondary4 ,waiting till time shall afford the materials for decision1 the disputants meanwhile frequent the deep estuary in company1 and grow rich by the merchandise which it supplies4 ,thus we all understand1 from the ,lord's own transparent1 decisive exposition1 the last1 the deepest1 the most profitable portion of the parable4 ,while we endeavour reverently to investigate the portions that are still uncertain1 we should rejoice with thankfulness that where agreement was most necessary1 the ,great ,teacher has made it impossible to differ4 ,after this explanation1 ,i need not hesitate to admit that the view of the parable1 in its earlier and unexplained portions1 which on the whole most commends itself to my judgment1 differs essentially from the expositions that are generally given4 ,with modest1 grave1 watchful spirit should one student of the ,scripture suggest and another receive1 an interpretation of any portion different from that which has been given by the earnest1 accomplished1 and devout scholars1 who in various countries and times have sought to discover the mind of the ,spirit4 ,on the other hand1 to suppress a judgment1 in deference to human authority1 would be disloyal to the ,lord and contrary to the principles of ,protestants4 ,the view commonly entertained is1 that the net is the ,church1 or1 as some express it1 the ,bible and the ordinances of religion2 while the fishermen who spread and draw it are the apostles in the first instance1 and afterwards the ordinary ministers of the word4 ,if the net is the ,church1 and its drawers the ,church's ministers1 the whole question of discipline is immediately raised4 ,this parable1 accordingly1 like that of the tares1 has been impressed into their own service by the opponents of discipline both in ancient and modern times4 ,we emphatically repeat here1 what we formerly stated in connection with the cognate parable1 that no consistent argument can be maintained in regard to discipline from this scripture1 except an absolute and entire repudiation of all effort1 by a human ministry and in this present world1 to keep any person or class of persons without the pale of the visible ,church on account of their opinions or their conduct4 ,very few1 however1 venture to take this ground4 ,the ordinary method is to contend for some measure of ,church order--for the right and duty of excluding some of the worst--and then to lean on this parable for an argument in favour of a lax and against a stringent administration4 ,we submit that to take your stand on this parable1 and thence contend for the exclusion to some extent of the evil from the pale of the ,church1 is to trample all logical and critical laws under foot4 ,this scripture manifestly either forbids all effort to discriminate in this world1 or says nothing at all on the subject4 ,i shall now state1 as distinctly and fairly as ,i can1 some of the difficulties and inconsistencies which adhere to the common interpretation of the net and its drawers1 and convince me that it is not the true interpretation4 #a4 ,it makes those who draw the net through the water1 and those who separate between good and evil on the shore1 not the same1 but different persons1 and persons of different classes1--the one representing men ministering to the ,church in time1 the other angels executing judgment in eternity2 whereas1 both from the terms of the narrative and the ordinary practice of fishermen1 we know that the same persons who draw the net to shore afterwards divide between the worthless and vile of its contents4 ,the net was cast into the sea1 and gathered of every kind3 which1 when it was full1 they drew to shore1 and sat down1 and gathered the good into vessels1 but cast the bad away4 ,there is no ambiguity here2 the drawers are also the dividers4 ,i suppose none will take advantage of the impersonal form in which the casting of the net is expressed1 and assume that while one class1 representing a human ministry1 cast the net into the water1 another class1 representing ministering angels1 drew it to land and divided its contents2 for it would be1 contrary to all analogy and propriety1 to assume that the ,lord introduced into his picture a feature that is never found in fact4 ,there is no such thing in reality as one set of men throwing the net into the water1 and then retiring from the scene1 while another set of men draw it out4 ,the ordinary interpretation assumes1 contrary both to the letter of ,scripture and the custom of men1 that when ministers of flesh and blood have spread the net1 and drawn it toward the shore1 enclosing a multitude good and bad of their brethren1 they disappear and take no part further in the transaction4 ,another party1 representing the angels1 now fasten on the net1 and pick out the good from the bad4 ,a late ,german expositor1 learned1 suggestive1 and devout1 ,olshausen1 yielding to the inexorable logic of the case1 concedes that the drawers of the net and the dividers of the fish are not diverse1 but the same4 ,he turns1 however1 to the other side for a solution of the difficulty4 ,instead of simply proceeding to determine the unknown by the known2--instead of owning that as angels separate the good from the evil on the shore1 they must have also thrown and drawn the net1 he explains away the specific signification of angels1 and supposes that those who minister the ,gospel in time are employed1 under the general designation of angels1 to separate between good and evil in the world to come4 ,this solution will not readily commend itself to ,british students of the ,scripture4 ,the fact therefore remains1 that the ordinary exposition of the parable1 in this part of its progress1 is palpably at variance with the structure of the parable itself1 and the facts on which it is founded4 #b4 ,in the visible ,church1 the profession1 at the very least1 is to enclose the good within the communion of saints1 or to rescue the evil by making them new in the act of entrance2 whereas the net is let down at a certain spot to sweep indiscriminately all within its circle to the shore4 ,it makes absolutely no distinction between good and bad2 it can discriminate only between great and small4 ,the net is laid down in the sea along a certain line3 twelve inches beyond that line fishes good and bad are swimming1 which it does not touch2 while an inch within that line are fishes good and bad which it draws indiscriminately to the shore4 ,i can perceive no likeness between this and the kingdom of heaven1 if you understand thereby the visible ,church and the efforts of the ministry4 #c4 ,one of the chief practical lessons which expositors ancient and modern have drawn from the parable1 under this view of its meaning1 is extremely incongruous1 and even grotesque4 ,churchmen cling to it as a sheet anchor in controversy with ,nonconformists4 ,if this notion were adopted only by medival monks and modern ,romanists1 ,i would reckon it unworthy of notice2 but it is received and uttered again as genuine at this day by grave and learned ,protestant theologians of ,germany1 and notwithstanding the solidity and good sense which characterize his ,notes generally1 is formally reproduced in its boldest form by ,dr4 ,trench4#bf #bf ,they this and the parable of the tares convey1 too1 the same further lesson1 that this fact the actual intermixture of evil in the visible ,church does not justify self-willed departure from the fellowship of the ,church1 and impatient leaping over or breaking through the nets1 as here it has often been called2 but the ,lord's separation is patiently to be waited for1 which shall surely arrive at the end of the present age4--,dr4 ,trench1 ,notes on the ,parables1 p4 #acc4 ,this is a style far too loose for a critical exposition of ,scripture4 ,if the actual presence of tolerated impurity within the ,church does not justify a self-willed departure from her communion1 does it justify a departure that is not self-willed1 but a solemn separation in order to carry out the will of the ,lord8 ,the assumption that the separation of the ,english ,nonconformists was self-willed1 of course begs the whole question4 ,the practical lesson1 then1 which these expositors draw from the parable is1 that disciples of ,christ are not justified in leaving an organized ,church with which they were connected1 and forming a ,christian community beyond its pale1 on the ground that unworthy members are tolerated within its communion4 ,this is1 indeed1 not the true state of the question as between the ,established ,episcopal ,church in ,england and the early ,nonconformists2 the ,puritans did not spontaneously retire1 they were ejected by the hand of power because they refused to comply with new ordinances imposed upon the ,church of ,christ by human authority4 ,but although the state of the question were conceded1 the argument completely fails4 ,if this lesson against separation is justly deduced from the parable1 there must be in the natural object some parallel more or less distinct which suggests and supports it4 ,what is that parallel1 and where does it lie8 ,translate the spiritual lesson1 which men profess to find1 back into the material facts1 and observe the straits into which your mistake has brought you4 ,the parallel obviously must be1--,the good fishes that are enclosed within the net1 or those that count themselves good1 should not leap out because star-fish and molluscs are enclosed along with them4 ,either this is the parallel on which the lesson leans1 or it has no foundation at all2 but there is no such thing in nature1 and no such representation in the parable4 ,the fishes when they are once enclosed within the net cannot break out2 and even if they could1 they would break out not because they were confined in low company1 but because they were confined4 ,the good would fain be free2 and the bad too4 ,from first to last the net is to all its inmates and to all alike a dreaded prison4 ,i do not descry a solitary feature of resemblance between the parable at this stage and the doctrine regarding ,church discipline which the expositors deduce from it4#bg #bg ,while ,stier and ,trench seem to start with the same principle of interpretation on this subject1 they are led ultimately to opposite practical results4 ,trench1 as we have seen1 gathers from the parable that the pure1 or those who consider themselves pure1 are not justified in leaping out of the net at their own pleasure2 that is1 the ,nonconformists should not go and constitute conventicles beyond the pale of the ,establishment4 ,stier1 on the contrary1 represents the evil as endeavouring to break out of the net1 but unable to accomplish their purpose3 ,many a leviathan is caught1 and although he would fain get out1 yet cannot break the net4--,stier in loc4 #d4 ,the sea1 according to the interpreters1 being the world1 and the net being the ,church1 ,i want to know what is meant by drawing the net to land4 ,to be drawn from the sea to the land must mean to be led1 willing or unwilling1 from this life into eternity2 for both good and bad are brought to the shore2 then and there the separation takes place which all acknowledge to be final4 ,but are the members of the visible ,church alone drawn out of this life into the other world8 ,do the ministers of the ,gospel occupy themselves in dragging their brethren away from the world8 ,here1 too1 the interpretation is inconsistent with the facts of the case and the representations of the parable4 ,these difficulties in which the common interpretation is involved1 go far to prove that it must be erroneous2 a true principle of exposition would surely not lead its adherents into such straits4 ,the real key1 if it were found1 might be expected to open the lock without wrenching its parts asunder4 ,although for my own part ,i would be content to take the plain and undoubted doctrine which the closing scene of the parable contains1 and leave the earlier stages of it as the ,lord left them1 without attaching to them any definite and distinct significance1 ,i am prepared at the same time to suggest a totally different interpretation of the net drawing the fishes to land1 for the consideration of those who love to search the ,scriptures4 ,i shall state the principle of interpretation which commends itself to my judgment1 and leave everyone to judge for himself whether it will consistently and profitably explain all the facts4 ,the net is not the visible ,church in the world1 and the fishes good and bad within it do not represent the true and false members of the ,church4 ,the sea is the world4 ,the net1 almost or altogether invisible at first to those whom it surrounds1 is that unseen bond which1 by an invisible ministry1 is stretched over the living1 drawing them gradually1 secretly1 surely1 towards the boundary of this life1 and over it into another4 ,as each portion1 or generation of the human race1 are drawn from their element in this world1 ministering spirits1 on the lip of eternity that lies nearest time1 receive them and separate the good from the evil4 ,i shall enumerate here some of the reasons which commend this interpretation1 and notice some of the objections which may be urged against it4 ,among the reasons which commend it1-- #a4 ,it assumes1 according to the facts of the case and the express terms of the scripture1 that the same persons who draw the net also separate the worthy from the worthless of its contents on shore4 #b4 ,in owning this along with ,olshausen1 it owns also that the angels who separate the good from the evil at the end of the world are angels1 and does not with him explain them away into the human ministry of the ,gospel4 #c4 ,it is perfectly congruous with the habits of fishermen and the character of the instruments which they employ4 ,as fishers drop the net over a certain space1 and1 without making any pretence of discriminating between good and bad1 drag all within that space to shore2 so the invisible agents whom ,god employs in his universal administration1 whether laws or angelic spirits or both combined1 make no distinction between good and bad1 when by successive castings of the net1 as it were1 they enclose section after section1 generation after generation of human kind1 and draw them slowly1 silently1 but inevitably to the edge of this life1 and over it into the unseen world4 ,i scarcely know in the whole range of nature an analogy more true and touching than this4 ,when you allow that the angels cast and draw the net as well as divide its contents1 the incongruities disappear1 and the picture starts into life1 true to the original4 ,the fishes1 enclosed within the net when it is first thrown out1 but still swimming in the sea1 not aware that the net is round them1 are intensely like a human generation1 with the sentence of death hanging over them1 yet living and moving freely1 and looking for many days4 ,as the circle of the net grows narrower the fishes gently give way before it1 and so enjoy for a little longer the sensation of floating at liberty in the water2 and it is not until they touch the ground that they become thoroughly alarmed4 ,the struggle then is sudden1 earnest1 short1 unavailing4 ,thus are mankind1 without respect to their vice or their virtue1 indiscriminately drawn to the margin of this world's life1 and1 willing or unwilling1 thrown into an unknown state beyond4 #d4 ,if any struggles are made against the encircling net during the slow1 solemn process of drawing--any efforts on the part of the captives to leap out into freedom1 they are made1 not by one kind in displeasure at being shut up with another1 but by every kind indifferently in displeasure at being shut up at all4 ,like the indefinite terror of mute fishes when they feel the net coming closer in1 is the instinctive alarm of human beings when the hand of death is felt gradually contracting the space in which the pulses of life are permitted to play4 ,i shall now notice and endeavour to estimate the principal objections1 as far as ,i am able to anticipate them1 which may be urged against the interpretation that ,i have suggested4 #a4 ,the ,lord at another time1 in calling some of his apostles1 said1 ,follow me1 and ,i will make you fishers of men 7,matt4 iv4 #ai74 ,he did2 and ,i think it is by a mistake in instituting an analogy between that fact and this parable that interpreters have been led into a wrong track4 ,some expositors have made a similar mistake in regard to the parable of the leaven1 and the one error will throw light upon the origin and nature of the other4 ,observing that the ,lord in another place represents the doctrines of the ,pharisees and the ,sadducees as a leaven1 some have concluded that the leaven in the parable also must point to the spread of error1 and have expounded it accordingly4 ,all judicious critics1 however1 clearly see and distinctly explain in that case1 that the leaven which was in other instances employed to represent the diffusion of evil1 was in the parable employed to represent the prevalence of good4 ,although leaven in one of the ,lord's discourses pointed to hypocrisy and unbelief1 they teach1 and teach correctly1 that leaven in another of his discourses points to the progress of saving truth4 ,the same discrimination should be exercised here4 ,it is quite true that the ,lord at one time1 and in one discourse1 compared the ministry of apostles in winning souls to the labour of fishers in the ordinary exercise of their craft2 but that does not prevent him from employing at another time the universal sweep of the draw-net to represent the silent1 slow1 and sure encompassing of human kind1 which draws them1 good and bad alike1 by instruments and agencies which they do not see and cannot resist1 from this troubled sea of time toward the shore of the unknown eternity4 ,because the conception of capturing fishes in the ,sea is at one time in the ,lord's discourses employed to indicate the benevolent labour of the ,gospel ministry1 it does not follow that you are compelled to construe that conception in the same way wherever it occurs1 although the circumstances manifestly render the application incongruous and contradictory4 ,let it be observed1 moreover1 that when the apostles in respect of their work are called fishers of men1 not one feature in the process of fishing is specified in detail4 ,nothing is introduced but the general conception of a fisherman catching fishes in the sea4 ,this conception in the abstract contains nothing incongruous with the labour of the apostles4 ,as long as you abide by the bare general term fisher1 the analogy1 as applied to apostle1 is obvious and the meaning easily recognised2 but the moment you descend into the details of a net1 and the mixture of good and evil1 you plunge into inextricable confusion1 if you persist in maintaining an analogy between the detailed process of fishing and the labour of apostles for the kingdom of ,christ4 ,the general conception of fishing1 as it appeared to the mind of speaker and hearers on the margin of the ,lake of ,galilee1 diverged into two dissimilar branches as soon as it descended into practical detail4 ,the fishermen prosecuted their avocation sometimes with line and baited hooks1 sometimes with boat and nets4 ,fishing with line and hook1 a process of watching1 selecting1 discriminating1 whereby the fishes are one by one enticed and taken1 readily spontaneously leaps up before the imagination as a line parallel with the work of an evangelist1 bent on winning souls2 but fishing by the draw-net absolutely refuses to be fashioned into an analogue of the evangelistic work4 ,the ,lord in his teaching said that fishers were like apostles2 but he never said that the process of fishing by the draw-net resembles the efforts of his ministers for the conversion of the world4 ,of the two methods of fishing which were familiar to the parties1 one is in some of its main features analogous to the new employment into which ,jesus called the twelve1 and the other is totally dissimilar4 ,when ,i read1 therefore1 that an apostle is a fisher of men1 ,i shall think of the selecting1 discriminating method of casting a hook into the water2 and when ,i learn from this parable that the separation between the good and bad of the net's contents upon the shore represents the separation between good and bad men by the ministry of angels in the unseen world1 ,i am not compelled--,i am not permitted to believe1 contrary to all analogy1 that the ,church encloses all1 like the net1 without an effort1 a hope1 a desire to discriminate1 and that the ministers of the ,church1 like the fishermen1 drag their brothers unwilling out of the world to the judgment-seat4 #b4 ,but has not the ,lord said in this parable1 as in all the rest of the group1 the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea8 ,he has2 yet the fact does not prove that he meant to represent the ,church by the net1 and the labour of apostles by the spreading and drawing of the net4 ,the formula1 ,the kingdom of heaven is like1 relates to the parable as a whole1 and not specifically to that feature of the parable which lies next to it in the record4 ,for the evidence of this proposition it is not necessary to go further than the two immediately preceding parables4 ,in one1 the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure2 in the other1 it is like unto a merchant-man4 ,if1 instead of looking to the picture as a whole1 you insist on finding the analogue of the kingdom or the ,church specifically in the net1 you must1 in like manner1 in the parable of the pearl1 find that the ,church is specifically compared to a man1 whereas in the preceding example it was compared to a treasure4 ,in these examples it is demonstrated that the analogy instituted refers to the picture as a whole1 and not to the single feature that first occurs in the narrative4#bh #bh ,the argument on this point is well stated by ,limburg ,brouwer4 ,his conclusion is3 ,accedit quod ,greek3 promythion illud1 7,greek3 hmoith h ,basileia1 k4t4l47 saepe ita comparatum est1 ut proprie non conferendum sit cum solo illo subjecto1 quocum ab auctore connectatur1 sed potius cum universa re narrata4--,de ,parabolis ,jesu ,christi1 #aec4 ,the ,lord intimates in the introductory formula that he intends by this parable to give yet another lesson regarding the kingdom of heaven2 and it must be determined otherwise than by the mere juxtaposition of the clauses1 on what aspect or period of the kingdom he will by this similitude throw light4 ,six consecutive lessons on the subject have already been given4 ,he has taught already what hinders the kingdom in the deceitfulness of human hearts1 and the machinations of the wicked one2 what its inherent power is1 and what its contagious all-pervading influence2 what is its value in the estimate of those who know it1 and how much they willingly part with in order to obtain the treasure4 ,what new and additional characteristic of the kingdom does the ,master teach his disciples in the seventh and last parable of the group--the parable of the draw-net8 ,the closing lesson about the kingdom relates to the closing scene of the kingdom--the separation of the wicked from the good on the great day4 ,from the order of the subjects in the series you might expect this2 from the picture actually presented you are logically led to infer this2 but1 especially1 you know this from the spontaneous explanation then and there given by the ,lord4 ,although1 according to his usual method1 he completed the parabolic picture1 filling up the fore and back grounds with the objects that naturally lay there1 yet when he comes to the interpretation1 he passes in silence all these preparatory features1 and tells the meaning of the last only--the separation of the wicked from the just through the ministry of angels at the end of the world4 ,yes1 as the ,lord said1 this parable sheds light on the kingdom1 but the portion of the kingdom on which the light falls is the close4 ,it brings out in strong relief the final separation between those who remain distant and those who are brought nigh4 ,in view of the decisive fact that the ,lord gives an interpretation1 and does not interpret the casting and drawing of the net to mean the visible ,church and its operations--does not interpret the casting and drawing of the net at all1 ,i cannot assent to the demand that the general formula of introduction common to all the seven parables should be held to determine what specific portion of the extended picture1 or whether any1 represents the ,church in relation to the character of its members and the duty of its ministers4 ,when ,god in his work of creation determined to give this globe a lesser light1 to mitigate the necessary darkness of its night in the absence of the sun1 he provided an orb which serves that purpose1 and more4 ,although only one of its sides is turned towards the earth1 the moon has another side formed in full4 ,for light to the earth the ,creator needed only a disc2 but in order to provide it he made a sphere4 ,in a similar manner the ,lord has acted in the parable1 when he desired to give his disciples a lesson upon the separation which takes place at the close of the dispensation2 ,he made the orb full1 although he illumined only one side of it by his own interpretation4 ,if any one is disposed to hold me to the letter of this similitude1 and say that the uninterpreted portion of the parable is left1 like the further hemisphere of the moon1 deep in the shade1 and beyond our view1 ,i frankly consent to be so held4 ,i agree that those portions of the parable should be considered to us of uncertain significance4 ,we may lawfully and profitably examine them1 and test every proposed explanation1 and profit by every good lesson that may be obtained2 but we ought absolutely to abandon all attempts to find there an authority for any doctrine or any duty4 ,i think when the ,lord has explained a part of one of his own parables1 the portion of it which he has left unexplained is in a different position from a parable which he has not explained at all4 ,when he gives any interpretation1 his silence has a meaning as well as his words4 ,if he had meant to determine by a particular feature of this parable any important doctrine or duty1 we may rest assured1 when he did undertake to give an explanation1 he would not have left that part altogether unexplained4 ,on the whole1 ,i think the earlier portion of the parable is debatable ground2 it is left in the shade2 there is room for difference of opinion in regard to it4 ,in some aspects it may suggest useful reflections as a picture of the good and evil mingled in the ,church2 in other aspects it may suggest solemn thoughts as a picture of successive generations being gradually drawn from life's moving sea to eternity's stable unknown shore4 ,i believe that profitable lessons may be obtained from it in both of these1 and perhaps in other aspects2 ,i believe that the disciples do not sin1 and the ,master is not displeased1 when to one inquirer it suggests this lesson1 and to another it suggests that1 as long as all is done in charity1 and according to the analogy of the faith4 ,i have suggested a line of thought1 which ,i believe to be relevant and profitable2 but ,i would not dare to plant my foot on this exposition as the ground of any doctrine or any duty4 ,it is because others1 both in ancient and modern times1 have pretended to find on the unillumined side of this parable a light to guide ,christians authoritatively in points that vitally affect the kingdom of ,christ1 that ,i have entered at so great length into the inquiry4 ,i confess frankly that ,i count it a good and necessary work to wrench this scripture from the hands of those who1 whether in ignorance or conscious partiality1 use it as an instrument practically to blot out the line which the ,lord has elsewhere drawn between the ,church and the world4 ,it is not necessary now to refute formally the fond1 feeble notion1 that this parable proves the sinfulness of dissenting from the ,church of ,england1 established by the ,state and prelatic in its government4 ,even although we should concede that the visible ,church and the character of its constituents are the subjects with which the parable deals1 it would be childish trifling on the part of a ,churchman to quote it as of authority against ,nonconformists4 ,in the same ,bible stands the precept1 ,come out from among them and be ye separate2 and the ,nonconformist has as good a right1 that is1 no right at all1 to quote it as of authority by itself against a ,churchman4 ,the matter cannot be settled1 on either side1 by general announcements like these1 although they are selected from the ,scriptures4 ,every case must be judged upon its own merits4 ,the question whether a dissenter has separated from a corrupt community in order to obey his ,lord1 or has rent the ,church to gratify his own pride1 must be determined in each case by an appeal to the facts3 no solution satisfactory to intelligent ,christians1 or to grown men1 can be reached by superciliously throwing a text in your neighbour's face4 ,this remark is made upon the supposition that the parable bears upon the point1 which ,i think is more than doubtful4 ,those who gravely counsel the fishes to abide peacefully within the net1 and not to leap out pharisaically and schismatically because foul fish abound within the same enclosure1 certainly show themselves incapable of appreciating the analogies of nature1 whatever may be their familiarity with ecclesiastical affairs4 ,we subjoin two practical lessons2 the first1 though in itself self-evidently true1 depending for its suggestion here on the special view of the net which we have submitted2 the second founded directly on the word and enforced by the authority of the ,lord4 #a4 ,we of this generation1 a miscellaneous multitude of old and young1 good and evil1 move about at liberty in the wide expanse of life1 as fishes move about in the deep broad sea2 but certain mysterious1 invisible lines1 have been let down into the water1 and are silently1 slowly creeping near1 and winding round us4 ,the net at first has a vast compass3 a fish within its circle has as much room as it needs1 and cares not for distant danger4 ,even when the cords begin to come near1 he moves out of their way1 and for his own comfort embraces warmly the opinion that these cords do not constitute a net4 ,they are some loose things1--certain species of sea-weed1 such as he has often seen before4 ,he has gone round them or through them often and easily3 he will do so again4 ,but these approach persistently1 and still from the same side3 they lie between him and the open sea3 to avoid them he must move in-shore4 ,getting now a nearer view1 he descries some new features of the danger4 ,these lines are crossed and knitted in a manner all unlike the sea-weed threads that streamed so long and straight and loose in the tide-way4 ,a secret foreboding of some unknown doom arises3 the alarmed captive1 having now no further room to retire1 darts wildly sea-ward1 and is caught in the inevitable meshes of the encircling net4 ,after a moment of violent but feeble struggle1 he is laid still and dumb on the shore4 ,it is a picture touchingly1 terribly exact of our own state4 ,the net has been spread around us3 the sharp knitted lines gradually approach and touch us4 ,shrinking from the clammy contact as we would from living snakes1 we retire before them1 and still find room4 ,but the lines appear again1 always on the same side4 ,our space grows narrower as we recede1 from year to year1 from week to week1 from day to day1 until at length we graze the ground and strike upon the eternal world4 ,that net cannot be removed or evaded2 but it may be changed1 so that you would not fear its approach4 ,when we become new creatures in ,christ1 death approaching us becomes a new creature too1 as the image in a mirror changes with the object that stands before it4 ,this dreaded net becomes like a warm1 soft1 encircling arm1 pressing a frightened infant closer to a mother's breast4 #b4 ,good and bad alike are drawn in company toward the shore1 but the good and bad are separated when they reach it4 ,no lesson can be addressed to men more touching1 more piercing than this4 ,nor is its penetrating power diminished by any deficiency of authority in the word that presses it home4 ,it is the word of the ,lord2 not spoken in parables1 but expressly given as the meaning of the parable that had been spoken4 ,its force is not weakened by any quiver of doubt in the ,christian brotherhood as to the ,master's mind4 ,all ,christians hear this word and understand it alike3 the whole assembly1 when they hear it1 bow the head and worship4 ,on the authority of our ,redeemer1 and in terms so transparent that they afford no room for doubt1 we learn that on the shore to which we are silently1 surely moving1 a separation infallibly exact and irrevocably final will be made between the evil and the good4 ,as to the positive punishment into which the impenitent will be cast1 while ,i simply receive all the words of the ,lord1 ,i shall take care not to obtrude many of my own4 ,he spoke of matters beyond the cognizance of sense1 and beyond even the range of imagination1 and therefore in the nature of the case we cannot fully understand his words4 ,but ,he who utters this solemn warning knows what we understand by a furnace of fire1 and by wailing and gnashing of teeth3 he intends to convey to us1 regarding sufferings that are not only unknown1 but in our present condition to us unknowable1 as clear and deep and awe-inspiring an impression as our minds are capable of receiving4 ,he leads our minds in that direction as far as they can follow2 and1 for the rest1 darkness will cover it until that day4 ,in the direction downward unto death1 as well as upward unto life1 the word holds good1 ,what thou knowest not now1 thou shalt know hereafter4 ,either line1 when it crosses the border of this life1 passeth all understanding4 ,i suppose it is as completely impossible for a human heart to conceive what ,god hath prepared for them that hate him1 as to conceive what he hath prepared for them that love him4 ,it is eminently noteworthy here1 that the clearest1 most articulate1 and most emphatic announcements regarding the positive punishment of the wicked in a future world which the ,scriptures contain1 were spoken1 and spoken repeatedly1 by the lips of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,wherefore8 ,did the love of the ,redeemer sometimes wax cold8 ,did even he1 through the provocations that he met in his ministry1 sometimes forget to be gracious8 ,no2 never at any time did his heart melt more with tenderness for men than when he proclaimed that the wicked shall be cast into outer darkness4 ,he not only intimated1 as in this parable1 that such sentence would be pronounced1 but declared that himself would pronounce it3 ,when the ,son of man shall come in his glory 444 then shall he say unto them on the left hand1 ,depart from me1 ye cursed1 into everlasting fire1 prepared for the devil and his angels 7,matt4 xxv4 #ca-da74 ,he who uttered these words pitied and loved sinners2 he loved them while he spoke these words2 he loved them although he spoke these words2--because he loved them1 he spoke these words4 ,the thing which these words declare is true3 ,christ did not change the eternal law of ,god that evil shall not dwell in his presence3 since this law remains beyond the line of the present world to meet every man as he enters eternity1 it was kind to give us warning4 ,it would have been unkind1 and therefore unlike the ,lord1 to conceal the dreadful fact1 and leave unwarned sinners to learn it first by feeling it4 ,it was love1 overflowing love in the heart of our ,brother1 that drew these warnings repeatedly from his lips4 ,the reason why he tells us that the wicked shall be cast away1 is that we may never be cast away4 ,the good ,shepherd would compel the sheep to flee to the fold by sending out his terrors1 when they refused to be more gently led4 ,there is a machine in the ,bank of ,england which receives sovereigns1 as a mill receives grain1 for the purpose of determining wholesale whether all are of full weight4 ,as they pass through1 the machinery1 by unerring laws1 throws all that are light to one side1 and all that are of full weight to another4 ,that process is a silent but solemn parable for me4 ,founded as it is upon the laws of nature1 it affords the most vivid similitude of the certainty which characterizes the judgment of the great day4 ,there are no mistakes or partialities to which the light may trust3 the only hope lies in being of standard weight before they go in4 ,i gratefully recognise tender1 overflowing love1 in the faithful testimony of ,christ regarding the punishment of the wicked3 it is meant to compel sinners now to take refuge in his righteousness4#bi #bi ,arndt closes his exposition of this parable with a hymn1 which ,i subjoin1 not only for the sake of the doctrinal statement regarding the ground of a sinner's hope contained in the first verse1 but also1 and still more1 for the union of simplicity and solemnity in the conception of future punishment contained in the second3-- ,christi ,blut und ,gerechtigkeit1 ,das ist mein ,schmuck und ,ehrenkleid2 ,damit will ich vor ,gott besteh'n ,und zu der ,himmelsfreud' eingeh'n4 ,hilf1 ,gott1 dass yeder kommen mag1 ,wo tausend ,yahr' ist wie ein ,tag3 ,vor dem ,ort uns1 ,o ,gott1 bewahr'1 ,wo ein ,tag ist wie tausend ,yahr'6 ,christ's blood and righteousness ,shall be the marriage-dress1 ,in which ,i'll stand ,at ,god's right hand ,forgiven1 ,and enter rest ,among the blest ,in heaven4 ,help1 ,lord1 that we may come ,to thy saints' happy home1 ,where a thousand years ,as one day appears1 ,nor go1 ,where one day appears ,as a thousand years ,for woe4 ,,viii4 ,,the ,,unmerciful ,,servant4 ,therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king1 which would take account of his servants4 ,and when he had begun to reckon1 one was brought unto him1 which owed him ten thousand talents4 ,but forasmuch as he had not to pay1 his lord commanded him to be sold1 and his wife1 and children1 and all that he had1 and payment to be made4 ,the servant therefore fell down1 and worshipped him1 saying1 ,lord1 have patience with me1 and ,i will pay thee all4 ,then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion1 and loosed him1 and forgave him the debt4 ,but the same servant went out1 and found one of his fellow-servants1 which owed him an hundred pence3 and he laid hands on him1 and took him by the throat1 saying1 ,pay me that thou owest4 ,and his fellow-servant fell down at his feet1 and besought him1 saying1 ,have patience with me1 and ,i will pay thee all4 ,and he would not3 but went and cast him into prison1 till he should pay the debt4 ,so when his fellow-servants saw what was done1 they were very sorry1 and came and told unto their lord all that was done4 ,then his lord1 after that he had called him1 said unto him1 ,o thou wicked servant1 ,i forgave thee all that debt1 because thou desiredst me3 shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant1 even as ,i had pity on thee8 ,and his lord was wroth1 and delivered him to the tormentors1 till he should pay all that was due unto him4 ,so likewise shall my heavenly ,father do also unto you1 if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses4--,,matt4 xviii4 #bc-ce4 ,this parable1 and that of the ,good ,samaritan1 as has been justly suggested by ,fred4 ,arndt1 although historically separate1 are logically related1 like two branches that spring from one stem3 together they express a ,christian's duty to his brother in respect of injuries4 ,when a brother inflicts an injury on you1 forgive him2 when a brother suffers an injury from another1 help him4 ,forgiving love is taught in this parable2 helpful love in the parable of the ,good ,samaritan4 ,the immediate occasion of this parable is obviously ,peter's question1 ,how oft shall my brother sin against me and ,i forgive him8 but how ,peter's question springs from the preceding context does not so readily appear4 ,the ,natural ,history of the process in that apostle's mind was probably something of this sort3 ,the ,master had instructed his disciples how they should act in the event of a brother doing them an injury3 three distinct steps are indicated1 rising one above another like courts of appeal2 first1 a private remonstrance2 if that prove unavailing1 then a remonstrance in the presence of one or two witnesses2 and lastly1 an appeal to the ,church4 ,these rules are very specific1 and together constitute a complete code on the branch of the subject to which they refer4 ,in the matter of dealing with an offending brother with the view of bringing him to a better mind1 you can no further go3 if all these efforts fail1 you must separate yourself from the offender1 lest by continued intimacy you should seem indifferent to his sin4 ,after this the ,lord proceeds to give instruction on other subjects1 and especially on united prayer4 ,peter1 ,i suppose1 had allowed his mind to be so completely occupied with the question of forgiving injuries1 that he failed to follow his ,teacher when the lesson glided into another theme4 ,i could suppose him to have been so busy with the thought of injuries received1 and the difficulty of forgiving them1 all the time that the ,lord was discoursing on united prayer1 that he scarcely observed his ,master's words4 ,all the more readily might this happen1 if the impetuous fisherman had a quarrel with some of his neighbours on hand at the very time1 and was exercised in conscience about the duty of bringing it to a close4 ,at the first pause1 the current which had been for a time flowing under ground1 burst out on the surface4 ,taking up and again abruptly introducing the subject which had been for some time dismissed1 he asked1 as if unconscious that the theme had been changed during his reverie1 ,lord1 how often shall my brother sin against me1 and ,i forgive him8 ,till seven times8 ,he wanted to have a number specified1 beyond which he should not be bound to forgive repeated offences4 ,in suggesting seven he seems to have had in his mind some ,pharisaical formula3 probably he thought the allowance was liberal1 and expected to be approved for his magnanimity4 ,the formula1 seventy times seven1 while it serves to intimate that there is in the law no limit to the exercise of a forgiving spirit1 seizes upon ,peter's narrow proposal and makes a show of it openly4 ,it is possible that he may have fallen into a mistake here through the misapprehension of a lesson on the same subject given by the ,lord4 ,he may have heard the ,master teach1 as at ,luke xvii4 #d1--;,if he trespass against thee seven times in a day1 and seven times in a day turn again to thee1 saying1 ,i repent1 thou shalt forgive him4 ,but evidently the number seven in that discourse has substantially the same meaning with seventy times seven here3 seven times a day1 even when literally understood1 includes as much as the absolute seventy times seven4 ,the doctrine in both cases is that it is not lawful to set any limit to the principle and the practice of forgiving injuries4 ,to repeat1 expand1 and enforce this lesson1 the parable is introduced4 ,the kingdom of heaven is like a man king--,greek3 anthrp basilei4 ,expressly the divine is in this respect analogous to the human4 ,this ruler proposed to take account of his servants4 ,it was not the final reckoning1 but a periodical balance4 ,a king is in this respect like a merchant3 he takes account from time to time of his own affairs1 and the intromissions of his servants4 ,short counts make long friends4 ,these servants were not slaves1 the property of their master2 for afterwards it is assumed that he may sell them1 not as an ordinary right1 but as the special penalty incurred by an insolvent debtor4 ,a king1 in ancient times and oriental regions1 entered into pecuniary transactions with his servants on a great scale4 ,one man1 who owes all to the personal favour of the sovereign1 is the governor of a wealthy province4 ,bound by no written law1 and living at a distance from the seat of government1 that servant possesses always the power1 and too frequently seizes the opportunity of oppressing the people on the one hand1 and defrauding the royal treasury on the other4 ,in many cases fortunate or powerful dependants farmed the taxes of a district1 paying1 or at least promising to pay1 a certain sum yearly to the supreme government1 and obtaining authority in return to levy contributions on the inhabitants for their own behoof1 sometimes almost according to their own pleasure4 ,vast sums passed through the hands of these great officers1 and vast sums also remained in their hands that should have passed through them4 ,the amount specified in the parable--ten thousand talents--is very great1 of whatever species you may suppose the talent to be4 ,the inquiry which has been prosecuted with a view to determine precisely the value of the talent in this case is difficult1 and does not lead to any certain or important result4 ,the question is interesting to ,biblical scholars and antiquarians1 but the solution of it is by no means necessary to the perception or the application of our ,lord's meaning in the parable4 ,the sense is completely obtained by taking the ten thousand talents as a vast but indefinite sum4 ,a hundred talents of silver constituted the hire of a great army1 #b ,chron4 xxv4 #f2 and notwithstanding the lavish use of gold in the construction of the ,tent-,temple in the wilderness1 only twenty-nine talents were employed in all 7,ex4 xxxviii4 #bd74 ,besides the distinction between gold and silver1 other variations occur in the value of a talent1 depending upon time1 place1 and other circumstances4 ,in any view of its worth1 however1 the disparity between the sum which this servant owed to the master1 and the trifling amount which a fellow-servant owed to him1 is as great as the imagination can effectually grasp2 larger numbers would not sensibly intensify the impression4 ,one was brought to him3 this servant would not have come to the king of his own accord2 but he could not escape the interview and the reckoning4 ,aware of his enormous debt1 he would fain have kept out of his master's way1 but could not4 ,god looks on the heart1 and grasps the conscience1 whether the man will or be unwilling4 ,the punishment is very severe1 but in accordance with law and custom4 ,no complaint is made against the sentence as if it were unjust in principle1 or excessive in degree3 the culprit appeals only to the mercy of the judge1 and thus the righteousness of the verdict is tacitly acknowledged4 ,his promise to pay means nothing more than his desire to escape4 ,he made the promise1 not in the expectation of being able to perform it1 but as the most likely means of escaping from punishment4 ,his worship was prompted by selfish fear1 not by filial love4 ,he did not know his master's heart3 he thought he would gain his object most readily by leading the king to expect payment in full4 ,the king did not grant his servant's request3 he did more2 he forgave that servant all4 ,the absolved debtor1 as soon as he obtained his liberty1 went out1 and met a fellow-servant1 who owed him an hundred pence4 ,i suppose1 if that fellow-servant had come to him while yet he was in his master's presence1 he would not have dared to act the tyrant2 but out of sight1 out of mind4 ,he forgot his own prayer1 and his lord's compassion4 ,he grasped the fellow-servant by the throat and threw him into prison1 until he should pay4#cj ,the amount is comparatively small1 as is fit between servant and servant3 the smallness of the debt brings the cruelty of the creditor out in high relief4 ,his neighbour's pleading is expressed in the same terms as his own3 the sound should have reminded him of his duty4 #cj ,die am meisten geschont sind erweisen sich als die ,schonungslosesten4 ,unter den ,flgeln der ,zrtlichkeit wird die ,grausamkeit ausgebrtet4 7,those who get most mercy give least2 and cruelty is hatched under the wings of tenderness74--,drseke vom ,reich ,gottes1 ii4 #ada4 ,fellow-servants observing the outrage were at once indignant and compassionate4 ,they informed their master4 ,the master displeased1 pronounced his condemnation in full4 ,he who showed no mercy to his brother1 received judgment without mercy for himself4 ,before proceeding to the exposition of the parable in its spiritual meaning and application1 ,i shall submit a remark of a general character1 bearing on the parables at large1 as well as on this in particular1 which can be made more conveniently now than at the close4 ,the more ,i examine the structure and use of the parable in the teaching of the ,lord1 the more ,i am convinced that men make a great mistake when they betake themselves to a single feature of the natural scene as a defence of some specific and controverted dogma4 ,the rule may be made absolute1 or if there are exceptions they are few1 that the parables are intended to expand1 illustrate1 and enforce what is elsewhere clearly taught in the ,scriptures1 and not themselves to constitute the grounds or evidences of the doctrines4 ,but to whatever extent such a general rule may be applicable1 it is most certain that those who run to a corner of a parable and take their stand on it1 as impregnable evidence of some doctrine which they hold1 are in all cases egregiously mistaken4 ,the controversies1 for example1 on the question of ,church discipline1 which were made to turn on the tares among the wheat1 and the net that caught all kinds of fishes1 are a mere waste of words4 ,those parables do not afford material for the decision of the question2 they do not speak to the point4 ,in like manner1 when theologians gravely refer to this parable in order to prove that after a man's sins have been all freely forgiven by ,god1 he may yet fall from grace1 and the guilt of all his sins be laid upon him at the last1 they waste their own time1 and trifle with the scripture4 ,true1 in this picture you see one whose great debt was all freely forgiven by the master brought back into judgment1 and made answerable for the whole amount2 but this incidental feature of a human procedure will not bear the weight which men would fain lay on it4 ,this king1 whose conduct is represented in the parable1 is expressly called a man king4 ,no doubt his procedure in that case is employed to illustrate some laws of the kingdom of heaven2 but this is done by analogy4 ,analogy is not identity2 the very essence of it lies in coincidence in some points1 with diversity in others2 if the two were identical1 there were no longer an analogy4 ,take two pictures of a person printed from the same negative photograph2 you do not say they are like each other1 they are the same4 ,it is most dangerous to fasten on any point of the depicted human procedure1 and found on it the affirmation that the divine must be precisely the same4 ,but besides this general consideration demanding caution1 there is enough in the parable itself absolutely to refute the notion1 that ,god may forgive a man all his sins1 and thereafter lay these very sins all to his charge4 ,it is indeed said in the earlier portion of the parable that the lord of that servant forgave him the debt2 but it is as clearly indicated in the close that the debt was not forgiven4 ,the man was cast into prison until he should pay it all2 he was held bound for all the original debt1 and was punished accordingly4 ,if he was forgiven all that debt1 not one penny of it can afterwards be placed to his account2 and if it is afterwards placed to his account1 the fact proves that it had not been forgiven4 ,the meaning of the phraseology must be determined by the necessary conditions of the fact4 ,that word of the king1 ,i forgive thee1 was not a discharge2 if it had been1 mere justice demanded that the debt discharged should not be charged again4 ,the fact that it was all charged again1 proves irrefragably that it was not discharged4 ,the meaning in the light of the facts must be that these terms were offered by the king4 ,his terms are free forgiveness1 bestowed in sovereign love by the giver1 and accepted in grateful love by the receiver4 ,the servant1 as is shown by his conduct1 did not accept these terms1 and so there was no transaction4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the key-notes of the parable are found at the beginning and the end4 ,it was spoken in order to show that a man should set no limit to the forgiveness of injuries2 and in order to show this1 the parable goes into the deep things of ,god4 ,it shows that the motive power which can produce in man an unlimited forgiveness of his brother1 is ,god's mercy forgiving himself4 ,at the close it lays down the law1 that the act or habit of extending forgiveness to a brother1 is a necessary effect of receiving forgiveness from ,god4 ,if you get pardon from ,god1 you will give it to your brother2 if you withhold it from your brother1 you thereby make it manifest that you have not gotten it from ,god4 ,as the king determined to take account of his servants during the currency of their work1 and before the final winding up of their engagement1 so the ,king ,eternal in various ways and at various periods takes account of men1 especially of those who know his word1 and belong externally to his ,church4 ,one by one the servants are brought into their ,lord's presence4 ,the messenger that brings them may be a commercial crisis1 a personal affliction1 or a revival in the neighbourhood4 ,the ,king has many messengers at his command1 and he employs now one and now another to bring a professing ,christian forward to his presence4 ,when one who has contrived to keep out of the way1 both of his own conscience and of ,god1 is at length compelled to open his heart to the ,omniscient1 and fairly look into it himself1 he discovers that his debt is unspeakably1 inconceivably great4 ,the sum of ten thousand talents in the picture is not an exaggeration2 it does not indicate all the guilt which ,god detects in the conscience1 and which the awakened conscience detects in itself4 ,it is a dreadful moment when a sinner is brought face to face with ,god1 and charged with his guilt2 it is then that the law performs its terrible yet merciful work of conviction4 ,the first purpose that springs in the heart of the alarmed transgressor is to satisfy the demand3 ,give me time1 and ,i will pay all4 ,whether he deliberately expects to be able to pay it may be doubted2 but one thing is clear1 he thinks that nothing else will appease the ,master1 and he makes the promise accordingly4 ,this is1 in point of fact1 the first proposal of an alarmed conscience1 ,i will pay thee all4 ,the natural history of the process is here4 ,god does not hold the convicted transgressor to his own rash promise4 ,treating the criminal1 not according to his desert1 but according to his need1 the ,judge announces the terms of his own covenant--a pardon immediate1 complete1 and free4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the same servant went out3 the moment of close dealing between ,god and the soul has passed3 the man who has trembled at the sight of his sin1 and the prospect of judgment1 has heard the ,gospel1 and gotten a respite4 ,he goes out from that solemn and searching communion3 he is released for the moment from the presence of the ,judge1 and from the sense of his sin4 ,he glides again into the world4 ,he has not been converted2 he has only been frightened4 ,he has not been forgiven2 he has only been respited4 ,he has not accepted ,god's grace1 and therefore is not under law to ,god4 ,the fright is past1 and faith has not taken its place4 ,the heart1 after terror had driven the evil spirits out1 does not open to the ,lord1 and therefore the evil spirits come back1 and possess the empty room in sevenfold power4 ,as soon as he comes in the way of temptation1 the unsubdued carnality of his soul asserts its life and power4 ,a fellow-servant who has in small matters offended him1 begs for pardon1 as he had done from ,god1 and begs in vain4 ,he shows no mercy2 the fact proves that he has not himself accepted the mercy that was offered by ,god4 ,if the channel of his heart had really been inserted into the fountain-head of mercy for receiving1 mercy would infallibly have flowed in the way of giving1 wherever the need of a brother made an opening2 if the vessel had been charged1 it would certainly have discharged4 ,no compassion flowed from that heart to refresh a fellow-creature in distress1 because that heart had never truly opened to accept mercy from ,god2 the reservoir was empty1 and therefore the outbranching channels remained dry4#ca #ca ,drseke expresses the same conception in his own peculiarly terse and antithetic way3--,so gewiss kein ,gottesreich ohne die ,schulderlassung die wir empfangen2 so gewiss kein ,gottesreich ohne die ,schulderlassung die wir leisten4 7,as certainly as there is no kingdom of ,god without the forgiveness which we receive1 so certainly there is no kingdom of ,god without the forgiveness which we bestow47--ii4 #adg4 ,beyond all question1 the design of the ,lord in this parable is to enforce the duty of forgiving one another4 ,in teaching this lesson1 he touches matters greater than itself2 but these occupy here only a secondary place4 ,the drift of the parable is to take off the artificial limit laid by ,peter1 and by the ,pharisees before him1 on the disposition to forgive an offending brother1 and to leave it limitless1--infinite1 as far as the faculties and the time of men can reach4 ,i think the substance of the lesson may be expressed in these two words1 the practice and the principle of forgiving injuries4 ,these two are in effect the ultimate act and the secret power that produced it4 ,they are at once distinguished and united in that new commandment which ,jesus gave to his disciples1--,that ye love one another1 as ,i have loved you 7,john xiii4 #cd74 ,the first part of that commandment tells what they ought to do1 and the second part tells what will make them do it4 ,it is when they place themselves under the power of ,christ's forgiving love to themselves1 that they are impelled in turn to forgive each his brother4 ,the duty corresponds to the moving machinery1 and the motive to the stream of living water which makes the machinery go4 #a4 ,the ,,practice of forgiving injuries4 ,the terms employed indicate clearly enough that the injuries which man suffers from his fellow are trifling in amount1 especially in comparison of each man's guilt in the sight of ,god4 ,there is a meaning in the vast and startling difference between ten thousand talents and a hundred pence4 ,even when the injury is the greatest that human beings are capable of inflicting on the one side1 and enduring on the other2 even when an enemy has killed the body and ceased then1 because he has no more that he can do1 it is still a measurable thing4 ,love in a finite being's heart may swell high over it1 and exult in bestowing forgiveness on the murderer with the victim's dying breath4 ,in the beginning of the ,gospel a vivid example of that very thing stands recorded3 ,lord1 said ,stephen with fainting heart and failing breath1 ,lord1 lay not this sin to their charge4 ,great as the injury was1 according to earthly measurements1 the imperfect love that lived in a man's heart was more than a match for it1 and the martyr with his dying breath forgave his murderers4 ,but how rare are those injuries that rise to this extreme height6 ,most of the injuries with which we are called to deal are small1 even in relation to human capacity3 they are very often precisely of the size that our own temper makes them4 ,some people possess the art of esteeming great injuries small1 and some the art of esteeming small injuries great4 ,the first is like a traveller who throws a great many stones out of the burden which he carries1 and so walks with ease along the road2 the other is like a traveller who gathers a great many stones on the way-side1 and adds them to his burden1 and is therefore soon crushed by the load4 ,but more than this3 the foolish man who made his burden heavier1 retains the redoubled weight upon his back2 while the wise man who made his burden lighter1 contrives to throw off even the smaller weight that remained4 ,the same spirit that induced the suffering ,christian to diminish his estimate of the injury1 induces him to forgive even that which remains1 and thus he gets quit of it altogether2 for to forgive it1 is equivalent to throwing it away1 in as far as it had power to burden or irritate you4 ,on the other hand1 the same spirit which in an irritable man magnified and multiplied the actual injury which he received1 prevents him from forgiving the great and exaggerated mass2 thus in effect he is crushed under the accumulated weight of all the real injury he has sustained1 and all the imaginary injury he has added4 ,the compassionate1 loving man1 who counted the great injury small1 was relieved even of that small remnant by forgiving it3 the selfish1 unloving man1 who counted a small injury great1 could not forgive his neighbour1 and so was compelled to bear the heavy burden on his heart4 ,in this case that sublime rule of the ,scripture takes effect3 ,to him that hath shall be given1 and he shall have abundance2 but from him that hath not shall be taken even that which he hath4 #cb #cb ,fred4 ,arndt puts the lesson warmly and well2 his appeal is in substance this3--,a man without compassion has all against him1 ,god and the world2 and meets as many adversaries in judgment as he had associates in life4 ,woe to him who is arraigned in secret by the tears of the feeble and oppressed6 ,the sighs which he has pressed out1 the plaints which he has generated1 cry up to heaven against him1 and their echo clangs horrid from heaven down again upon the life of the loveless and revengeful4444 ,and can we sleep in peace another hour1 as long as there are men upon the earth with whom we live in unpeace and enmity8 ,cannot be written the happiness1 the inward bliss of the peaceful and peace-making4 ,revenge1 indeed1 seems often sweet to men2 but1 oh1 it is only sugared poison1 only sweetened gall1 and its after taste is bitter as hell4 ,forgiving1 enduring love alone is sweet and blissful2 it enjoys peace and the consciousness of ,god's favour4 ,by forgiving1 it gives away and annihilates the injury4 ,it treats the injurer as if he had not injured1 and therefore feels no more the smart and sting that he had inflicted4 ,forgiveness is a shield from which all the fiery darts of the wicked one harmless rebound4 ,forgiveness brings heaven to earth1 and heaven's peace into the sinful heart4 ,forgiveness is the image of ,god1 the forgiving ,father1 and an advancement of ,christ's kingdom in the world4 ,your unalterable duty is clear3 as surely as we are ,christians1 men who have experienced great compassion1 who see in every man a brother in ,christ1 and are going forward to ,god's righteous judgment1 so surely we must forgive4 ,of no commandment will the fulfilment be demanded of us with such stringency1 no divine rule so strictly enforced as this1 without the slightest exception to leave a loop-hole of hope to the transgressor4 ,if we forgive not those who injure us1 neither will our heavenly ,father forgive us2 and this would be the greatest calamity that could befall us in time and in eternity4--,die vergebende ,liebe2 oder ,gleichniss vom ,schalksknecht4 ,but we must carefully discriminate here1 and ascertain what the ,lord means by forgiving a brother4 ,there should not be a little1 narrow1 grudging forgiveness2 it should be large1 loving1 and free4 ,but parallel with forgiveness there must be faithfulness4 ,faithfulness to the evil-doer himself1 and to the community1 comes in here to modify1 not the nature1 but the outward form of forgiving4 ,for example1 there is no virtue in simply permitting a man to wrong you as often as he chooses1--forgiving him and doing nothing more4 ,in the immediately preceding context the ,lord has taught that the injured should tell the injurer his fault4 ,tell him faithfully in secret his sin3 if he repent1 thou hast gained thy brother3 if he do not listen1 tell it in the presence of two or three witnesses3 if he is still obdurate1 tell it to the ,church3 and if he refuse to hear the ,church withdraw from his company2 let him and all the world know that you do not make light of his sin4 ,again1 in some kinds of injury1 it becomes your duty for the sake of the community to aid in bringing the criminal to justice4 ,to bring the discipline of the righteous law upon the criminal1 is not revenge3 to shield him from its stroke is not love4 ,so far from being necessarily inconsistent with forgiveness1 such faithfulness in action may be associated with a ,christ-like love to the sinner1 and a thorough forgiveness of his sin1 as an injury inflicted upon you4 ,here is a side on which there is much room for advancement3 let us forget the things that lie behind us on this path1 and reach forward to higher attainments4 ,in as far as ,christians unite faithfulness and tenderness in their treatment of evil-doers1 they become imitators of ,god1 as dear children4 #b4 ,the ,,principle of forgiving injuries4 ,suppose that the methods for practice are accurately laid down1 where shall we find a sufficient motive8 ,suppose that an unexceptionable machinery has been constructed1 whence shall we obtain an adequate force to set it in motion8 ,from an upper spring in heaven the motive power must flow2 it can be supplied only by ,god's forgiving love1 on us bestowed and by us accepted4 ,when1 like little closed vessels1 we are charged by union with the fountain-head1 forgiving love to erring brothers will burst spontaneously from our hearts at every opportunity that opens in the intercourse of life4 ,the express command of ,him who redeemed us is1 ,love one another1 as ,i have loved you4 ,in teaching his disciples how to pray1 he linked their promise to forgive with their plea for forgiveness1 so that no prayer of theirs should rise to heaven for receiving pardon unless it were accompanied by an engagement expressed or implied to bestow pardon3 ,forgive us our debts1 as we forgive our debtors4 ,but there is much more in the connection between receiving and bestowing forgiveness than can be expressed by the conception of yielding to the pressure of a motive4 ,it is not only obedience to a command enjoined2 it is the exercise of an instinct that has been generated in the new nature4 ,the method in which this and other graces operate is expressed by an apostle thus3 ,it is no more ,i that live1 but ,christ that liveth in me4 ,when ,christ is in you1 he is in you not only the hope of glory1 but also the forgiving of an erring brother4 ,a traveller in ,burmah1 after fording a certain river1 found his body covered all over by a swarm of small leeches1 busily sucking his blood4 ,his first impulse was to tear the tormentors from his flesh3 but his servant warned him that to pull them off by mechanical violence would expose his life to danger4 ,they must not be torn off1 lest portions remain in the wounds and become a poison2 they must drop off spontaneously1 and so they will be harmless4 ,the native forthwith prepared a bath for his master1 by the decoction of some herbs1 and directed him to lie down in it4 ,as soon as he had bathed in the balsam the leeches dropped off4 ,each unforgiven injury rankling in the heart is like a leech sucking the life-blood4 ,mere human determination to have done with it1 will not cast the evil thing away4 ,you must bathe your whole being in ,god's pardoning mercy2 and these venomous creatures will instantly let go their hold4 ,you will stand up free4 ,two wheels protrude from a factory1 and are seen in motion on the outer wall by every passenger4 ,they move into each other4 ,the upper wheel is large1 the under small4 ,from without and at a distance1 you cannot tell whether the upper is impelling the under1 or the under moving the upper4 ,this question1 however1 might be settled by an inspection of the interior4 ,by such an inspection it would be found that the larger and higher wheel communicates motion to the lower and smaller4 ,if the upper wheel1 which communicates the motion1 should stand still1 so also would the lower3 but more than this1--if the lower wheel1 which receives the motion1 should by some impediment be stopped1 the upper wheel also would stand still4 ,it is in some such way that ,god's goodness in forgiving freely for ,christ's sake our sins1 impels us to forgive from the heart those that have trespassed against us4 ,the power is all from above2 yet1 though we by our goodness do not set the beneficent machinery in motion1 we may by our badness cause it all to stand still4 ,it is not our forgiveness accorded to an evil-doer that procures forgiveness to ourselves from ,god2 the opposite is the truth3 yet our refusal of forgiveness to a brother prevents the flow of pardon down from ,god to our guilty hearts4 ,such is the structure of the covenant4 ,it is only a small part of that covenant that we can comprehend2 but1 as far as we are able to perceive its provisions1 behold1 they are very good6 ,while a few acres of cold barren moorland constitute all your heritage1 if a neighbour encroaches on it by a hair's-breadth1 you assert your right and repel the aggression3 possibly you may1 in your zeal1 accuse him of an intention to trespass1 if you see him digging his own ground near your border4 ,while your property is very small1 you are afraid of losing any of it2 and perhaps you cry out before you are hurt4 ,but if you become heir to a broad estate in a fertile valley1 you will no longer be disposed to watch the motions of your neighbour1 and go to law with him for a spadeful of moss that he may have taken from a disputed spot4 ,thus1 while a human soul has no other portion than an uncertain shred of this uncertain world1 he is kept in terror lest an atom of his property should be lost2 he will do battle with all his might against any one who is1 or seems to be1 encroaching on his honour1 or business1 or property3 but when he becomes a child of ,god1 and an heir of an incorruptible inheritance--when he is a prince on the steps of a throne1 he can afford to overlook small deductions from a possession that is insignificant in itself1 and liable to be taken away at any time without an hour's warning4 ,in this aspect it is eminently worthy of notice that the disciples1 when their ,master on another occasion 7,luke xvii4 #c-e71 taught them a similar doctrine on the forgiveness of injuries1 immediately exclaimed1 ,increase our faith4 ,they seem to have been surprised by the extent of the demand1 and conscious of their inability to meet it4 ,as soon as the duty of forgiving injuries was laid before them in its true magnitude1 they were brought to a stand2 but they had sense to know wherein their weakness lay1 and simplicity to seek in the proper quarter for renewed strength4 ,it was a true instinct that led them1 then and there1 to plead for an increase of faith4 ,a wider1 freer channel for the inflow of ,god's compassion into their own hearts1--this is what they need in the emergency1 and this is what they get from the ,lord4 ,the miller1 finding that some of the lumps are large and hard1 and that the mill-stones are consequently almost standing still1 goes quietly out and lets more water on4 ,go you1 and do likewise4 ,when injuries that seem large and hard are accumulated on your head1 and the process of forgiving them begins to choke and go slow under the pressure1 as if it would soon stop altogether2 when the demand for forgiveness grows great1 and the forgiving power in the heart is unable to meet it2--then1 enter into your closet and shut your door1 and pray to your ,father specifically for more experience of his forgiving love2 so shall your forgiving love grow stronger1 and overcome every obstacle that stands in its way4 ,your heart1 under the fresh impulse of pardon to you through the blood of the covenant1 will toss off with ease the load of impediments that obstructed for a time its movements1 and you will forgive even as you have been forgiven4 ,,ix4 ,,the ,,vineyard ,,labourers4 ,for the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder1 which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard4 ,and when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day1 he sent them into his vineyard4 ,and he went out about the third hour1 and saw others standing idle in the market-place1 and said unto them2 ,go ye also into the vineyard1 and whatsoever is right ,i will give you4 ,and they went their way4 ,again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour1 and did likewise4 ,and about the eleventh hour he went out1 and found others standing idle1 and saith unto them1 ,why stand ye here all the day idle8 ,they say unto him1 ,because no man hath hired us4 ,he saith unto them1 ,go ye also into the vineyard2 and whatsoever is right1 that shall ye receive4 ,so when even was come1 the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward1 ,call the labourers1 and give them their hire1 beginning from the last unto the first4 ,and when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour1 they received every man a penny4 ,but when the first came1 they supposed that they should have received more2 and they likewise received every man a penny4 ,and when they had received it1 they murmured against the goodman of the house1 saying1 ,these last have wrought but one hour1 and thou hast made them equal unto us1 which have borne the burden and heat of the day4 ,but he answered one of them1 and said1 ,friend1 ,i do thee no wrong3 didst not thou agree with me for a penny8 ,take that thine is1 and go thy way3 ,i will give unto this last1 even as unto thee4 ,is it not lawful for me to do what ,i will with mine own8 ,is thine eye evil1 because ,i am good8 ,so the last shall be first1 and the first last2 for many be called1 but few chosen4--,,matt4 xx4 #a-af4 ,again the heavenly kingdom is compared to the proceedings of a human householder4 ,while in fertile plains1 like ,esdraelon1 the grain-field was the ,hebrew husbandman's chief care1 on the mountain sides1 the vineyards were the most valuable property1 and required the greatest amount of labour4 ,the steepness of the slopes on which the vine grows best1 greatly increases the owner's toil4 ,in many cases the terraces must be supported by strong stone walls2 and not only must the manure be carried on men's shoulders up the steep1 but in some cases even the soil itself is carried up in the same way1 and laid upon the bare rocks4 ,different kinds of work are required in vineyards at different seasons4 ,in spring they prepare the soil2 in summer they prune and tie up the vine branches2 and in autumn all the joyous labour of the vintage comes suddenly on4 ,looking to the circumstance in the parable1 that the labourers who began early counted much on having borne the heat of the day1 we might be inclined to suppose that the scene is laid in the middle of summer2 but the fact that the householder required so many labourers and hired all that he could find1 points rather to the vintage in the end of autumn4 ,the master went out early in the morning to hire labourers4 ,there was some spot1 doubtless1 recognised both by masters and men1 as the common meeting-place for those who needed work1 and those who needed workmen1--the ,cross or the ,buchts#cc of that place and day4 ,this husbandman at once engaged all the men that he found1 and sent them into his vineyard to begin work at six in the morning1--the first hour of the ,jewish day4 ,the terms were arranged beforehand1--a penny a day4 ,the ,roman denarius is reckoned equal to sevenpence half-penny of our money2 but obviously it was considered the ordinary rate of a labourer's wages at the time4 #cc ,the name of a great trysting place for selling cattle and hiring men and women on the eastern outskirts of the city of ,glasgow1 where the two operations resemble each other too closely for the credit of our institutions or the safety of society4 ,again at nine o'clock the husbandman went to the market-place1 and finding some unemployed men1 sent them also to work in his vineyard4 ,again at mid-day1 and yet once more at five o'clock in the afternoon he went out1 and finding men on each occasion loitering about the market-place1 he sent them also into the vineyard4 ,in these cases1 however1 as was meet when the day was broken1 the master did not promise any specific rate of wages2 and the men1 thankful for an opportunity of turning to some profitable account a day which would otherwise have been wholly lost1 were content to accept whatever he might be pleased to give4 ,about six o'clock in the evening1--earlier or later according to the season of the year and the consequent duration of daylight at the time1--work in the vineyard ceased for the day1 and each labourer1 called forward in turn by the steward1 received his wages in the master's presence4#cd ,the steward1 acting doubtless under special instructions1 called first the men who had entered the vineyard at five1 and quitted it at six1 and gave each a penny for his hour's work4 ,surprised by the munificence of their employer1 these men retire towards their homes with silent gratitude4 ,afterwards those who had laboured one-half1 and those who had laboured three-fourths of the day1 were called in succession1 and each received also a penny4 ,last of all came the men who had laboured from morning till night4 ,they had been standing near1 and had observed that all their fellow-labourers1 not excepting even those who had been employed only an hour1 received the same uniform reward1 each man a penny4 ,as this process was going on1 they cherished in silence the expectation that when their turn should come1 they would receive more of the master's money1 because they had done more of his work4 ,but the steward1 evidently acting on precise orders1 gave each of these men also a penny1 and no more4 ,no longer able to conceal their disappointment1 although they were well aware that they had no legal claim for more than they had received1 they broke out into murmurs against their employer4 ,of course1 he closed their mouths in a moment3 he had completely fulfilled his agreement with them1 and they had no right to interfere with his spontaneous generosity1 whenever and towards whomsoever he might choose to exercise it4 #cd ,by law1 wages for the work of the day must be paid the same evening 7,deut4 xxiv4 #ae74 ,here1 again1 the key-notes of the parable are found at the beginning and at the end4 ,the direct and immediate occasion of the discourse lies in ,peter's question at the #bgth verse of the nineteenth chapter1 ,we have forsaken all and followed thee3 what shall we have therefore8 ,but as the parable sprang from ,peter's question1 so ,peter's question sprang from an antecedent fact4 ,to that fact1 accordingly1 we must look as the true ultimate root on which the parable grows4 ,as ,jesus was going about in the ,father's business1 attended by the twelve1 a young man came running forward to him1 bending the knee in token of reverence 7,mark x4 #ag71 and asking1 ,good master1 what good thing shall ,i do that ,i may inherit eternal life8 ,accommodating his lesson to the condition of the learner's heart1 the ,lord saw meet1 at the close of his discourse1 to lay a specific cross on this promising disciple1 in order at once to reach and eradicate the specific disease that threatened the life of his soul1--,sell all that thou hast1 and come1 follow me4 ,the young man loved the world more than ,christ3 compelled to make his choice1 he cleaved to the portion that he loved best4 ,when by the sovereign act of the ,lord he was placed in such a position that he could not enjoy both portions1 he parted with the ,saviour and clung to his wealth4 ,peter and the rest of the apostles listened and looked on1 during this decisive interview3 they gazed after the youth1 perhaps with tears1 as he slowly and sorrowfully withdrew4 ,but their ,lord did not leave the impressive fact to sink into their minds in silence3 ,he interposed at the moment1 to print the lesson permanently on their hearts1 ,how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of heaven6 ,then answered ,peter2--as usual this impetuous man burst suddenly into a speech upon the point in hand1 before he had well considered what he was about to say4 ,for one thing1 there is no deceit in ,peter's question2 he thinks aloud1 and his thought is one of intense and undisguised self-conceit4 ,the spirit of the ,pharisee was there1 ,lord1 ,i thank thee that ,i am not as other men4 ,his heart at this moment was undisguisedly mercenary2 his eye was on the main chance4 ,we have done and suffered so much for ,god2 what return may we expect for our services8 ,that young rich man would not part with his portion in this world1 in order to follow ,christ3 ,peter1 thereupon1 made a most comfortable comparison between himself and the undecided youth1 and expressed a hope that his own great devotion would not be overlooked in the day of reward4 ,i sometimes think the ,papists acted wisely in making ,peter the first ,pope4 ,he serves better as a type for them than any one of the twelve1 unless they had gone all the way and chosen ,judas4 ,none of the true men were so forward as ,peter in giving their judgment1 or so frequently wrong4 ,the reply of our ,lord to ,peter's self-righteous demand is twofold4 ,first1 he owns and reiterates the truth that all labourers in his kingdom will be rewarded2 and next corrects the abuse of that principle into which a self-pleasing human heart is apt to fall4 ,in the discourse recorded at the close of the nineteenth chapter1 he teaches the cheering truth that the ,lord will richly reward the services of his people1 and in the subsequent parable gives to them and us a solemn admonition against the error into which ,peter had been for the moment betrayed4 ,the positive doctrine regarding compensation for all sacrifices and wages for all work needs only to be read in the memorable words of ,jesus1 as the evangelist has recorded them here4 ,notwithstanding the incrustations of ignorant self-righteousness that now and then covered and disfigured their faith1 these ,galileans have in very deed left all for ,christ1 and shall all in very deed receive from ,christ a hundred-fold4 ,even ,peter's own decisive life-act1--his consecration to ,jesus1 was a higher and purer thing than his own foolish words at this time would represent it to have been4 ,it was not with a mercenary eye to a subsequent equivalent that he left his nets and followed ,jesus4 ,that self-devotion in the simplicity of faith will be gloriously recompensed1 notwithstanding the subsequent slips that dishonour the disciple and grieve the ,master2 but ,peter1 and through him all men1 must be clearly taught that work done for the sake of the reward is not owned in the kingdom of heaven4#ce #ce ,these two are thus united and distinguished by ,drseke1--,although the kingdom of ,god is ,god's gift in the souls of men1 yet without a worthiness in men it can neither begin nor continue1 neither reveal nor develop itself4 ,and again1 although our worthiness is necessary1 we nevertheless obtain the kingdom1 not through the merit of works1 but from the fulness of grace1 yea1 from that alone4 ,in short1 the kingdom demands workers2 hirelings it disdains 7das ,reich verlangt ,arbeiter2 ,sldlinge verschmht es74444 ,thus it stands shut against the hireling1 open to the worker4 ,not as though the kingdom needed thy labour4 ,he who makes the winds his messengers and the flames his servants1 can do without thy hand-work1 ,o little man4 ,thy labour avails not2 but that thou shouldest be a labourer1 that thou shouldest have a mind for ,god1 and through that mind shouldest elevate thy life into a free and joyful service of him--that avails4--,vom ,reich ,gottes1 ii4 #dj1 #db4 ,remarkable is the construction of the chain by which this writer connects the poor unemployed men who were standing idle in the market-place with the ever-during1 ever-increasing satisfaction of their souls in eternity4 ,so verlangt das ,reich ,arbeiter1 nicht ,sldlinge4 ,es beruft die ,arbeitlosen4 ,es stellt die ,bernfenen an4 ,es beschftigt die ,angestelleten4 ,es bt die ,beschftigten4 ,es belohnt die ,gebten4 ,es gengt den ,belohnten4 ,und ,gnge whrt ewig2 wchst ewig4--ii4 #ea4 ,every one that hath forsaken earthly possessions for ,christ's sake shall receive an hundred-fold1 and shall inherit everlasting life1--,but many that are first shall be last1 and the last first4 ,this short antithetic sentence is the very gate by which we enter into the meaning of the parable2 if we rightly comprehend it1 we rightly comprehend all4 ,it is necessary to determine here the connection between this sentence and the doctrine1 which is taught in the immediately preceding verses4 ,while the ,lord undertakes that service and sacrifice in his cause will be rewarded1 he warns his disciples in the next breath that those who labour longest1 or produce the greatest quantity of work1 do not in every case1 and necessarily1 receive the highest reward4 ,in his kingdom the reward is not measured only and always by the length of the service or the quantity of work2 many who are first as to the amount of work done will be last as to the amount of recompense received4 ,a lesson drawn from this scriptural principle may be legitimately addressed to those who are not within the kingdom1 but ,i think the ,master in this parable primarily intends to draw distinctions1 not between those who are within and those who are without1 but between two classes of genuine disciples1--between those who simply trust in the ,lord and serve him in love1 and those who1 although also in the main believers1 allow the leaven of self-righteousness to creep in and mar the simplicity of their faith4#cf #cf ,on the other hand the text1 ,luke xiii4 #cj1 although precisely similar to this in form1 distinguishes1 as may be seen from the context1 between those who are within and those who are without4 ,it is not said that those who are first in the quantity of work shall all or uniformly be last in the measure of reward1 but many that are first shall be last4 ,some who are foremost in the amount of service may also be most free from the self-righteous spirit1 and some who have laboured least may also receive least if they do their little under the influence of a hireling's selfishness4 ,the meaning is1 that although you be first as to length of time and quantity of labour1 if the leaven of self-righteousness mingle in your offering1 you will be lowest in the ,master's esteem1 and least in the day of reward2 whereas1 although you be last in point of time1 and least in point of service1 if you receive all from ,christ's mercy1 and render all in love to ,christ1 you will be higher in the end than some who seemed more energetic and successful workers4 ,for the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder1 c4 ,this picture will illustrate the truth which has been declared2 the householder represents ,christ1 the vineyard his kingdom1 and the labourers his servants4 ,the main lesson of the parable concerns1 not the way of redemption1 but the service which the redeemed render to their ,lord4 ,the wages of the labourer represent the rewards which ,christ confers upon his servants1 but this must be taken with certain explanations and limitations1 especially these two1--7#a47 ,that the reward is partly a thing now begun1 and partly something that is completed in heaven2 7#b47 ,that the value of the reward depends essentially on the disposition of heart with which the workman receives it4 ,it is not necessary to determine whether the labourers who were first hired1 and who laboured all the day1 represent the ,jews under the first dispensation1 or those in the ,christian ,church who individually are converted in early youth1 and continue in ,christ's service throughout a long life1 or those who1 from special talent1 or zeal1 or opportunity1 do and suffer most for the ,lord and his cause4 ,the all-day labourers may represent all these classes1 each in turn1 and especially the last4 ,we must not understand exclusively by the first those who began first in point of time4 ,the term indicates rather those who are first in the sense of being chief or greatest2 it points especially to those who were first in rank as having endured the greatest amount of loss1 and done the greatest amount of work in ,christ's cause4 ,in the parable it is true those who were first sent into the vineyard1 in point of time1 were chief among the labourers as to the quantity of labour contributed1 but the time is only an accident4 ,the matter truly brought into view is not the time1 but the quantity of work4 ,time is here employed simply as a measure of quantity1 for it is obviously assumed throughout that all the men performed equal amounts of labour in equal times4 ,it conduces greatly to a clear conception of the whole lesson when you think of the first and last as indicating those who did and suffered most in ,christ's cause and those who did and suffered least4 ,those who toiled only one hour or other larger fraction of a working day had no contract as to amount of wages2 they entered the vineyard and laboured without a bargain4 ,they did not know what wages they would be paid with1 but they knew what master they were working for2 they were prepared to accept whatever he might be pleased to bestow4 ,in this respect they correctly represent the truest of ,christ's disciples--those little-child ,christians whom he sets up as a pattern for others4 ,those1 on the other hand1 who were first in point of time1 and therefore first in point of quantity1 made their bargain before they began4 ,this is like disciples who slide back in some measure from the simplicity of faith and allow a mercenary motive to mingle in their devotions4 ,especially is it like ,peter when1 contrasting his own large sacrifices with the refusal of the young man to sacrifice anything1 and counting himself first1 while he looked down on others as last1 he cunningly inquired1--,lord1 what shall we get for leaving all and following thee8 ,in answer to his egotistical inquiry1 he is informed in plain terms that he is one of those first who shall be last4 ,this1 however1 according to all the analogy of ,scripture1 is not1 in regard to ,peter or any individual disciple1 an absolute prediction of what shall be1 but a warning of what may be if the same spirit remain4 ,our ,scottish forefathers at the period of the ,reformation suffered much for ,christ2 some pined long in prison1 some died at the stake4 ,these were first1 and we who contribute a few pounds to a missionary society1 or teach a ,sabbath school1 or visit some poor families1 are last in respect to the quantity of our doing and suffering in the ,saviour's cause4 ,but if any of those first were proud of their sufferings1 they will be last in the reward2 and whosoever of these last give their mite in simple love to the ,lord that bought them1 will be first when he comes to bring home his own4 ,such is the structure of the parable that it must express the difference by giving one labourer not an absolutely but a comparatively greater amount of wages than another4 ,the last are recompensed at a higher rate than the first1 yet all go home with the same sum of money4 ,but although the labourers are all equal in the absolute amount of wages received1 the last are made higher than the first by a distinct addition to the pecuniary recompence--that is1 a contented1 loving1 thankful mind4 ,see the two groups of labourers as they severally wend their way home that evening4 ,as to amount of money in their pockets1 they are all equal3 but as to amount of content in their spirits there is a great difference4 ,the last go home each with a penny in his pocket1 and astonished glad gratitude in his heart3 their reward accordingly is a penny1 and more4 ,the first1 on the contrary1 go home1 each with a penny in his pocket1 and corroding discontent in his soul3 their reward accordingly is less than a penny4 ,those who know how great a gain is godliness with contentment1 and how small a gain is even godliness1 when discontent is eating into it like rust1 will allow that1 while the labourers first and last alike had each his penny1 yet the last were first and the first last in the real value of their reward4 ,considering that ,peter is evidently designated as one of the first who shall be last1 ,i cannot understand the parable otherwise than as showing differences among the disciples of ,christ1--differences in simplicity of spirit while the labour lasts1 and consequently in the value of the reward when the labour is done4 ,as all the labourers get the wages of a day1 so all who are represented by them1 inherit the kingdom3 but as one star differeth from another star in glory1 so shall it be when ,christ comes to gather all his own4 ,they will wear the brightest crowns who thought most of their ,redeemer's goodness1 and least of their own sacrifice and work4 ,the latter clause of the #afth verse1 for many be called1 but few chosen1 being evidently attached to the parable as its application by the ,lord1 demands our earnest attention4#cg ,if we should understand by it1 that many hear the call of the ,gospel1 but few are chosen by ,god and admitted through regeneration into his family1 it would not be possible1 as far as ,i can perceive1 to assign to it any proper connection with the lesson of the parable4 ,but by the terms in which this sentence is introduced1 it is clearly intimated that it is the very conclusion and kernel1 so to speak1 of the doctrine which the parable was intended to convey4 ,whether we shall be able to understand it or not1 it certainly must be something precisely in the line of the preceding instructions4 ,in that direction we must seek for its meaning2 for it is manifestly introduced as a gathering up in short and condensed form of all that the parable contained4 #cg ,while in some cases the application of the parable which the ,lord himself makes at the moment is full and perspicuous1 it is in other cases like the parables themselves1 and doubtless for good reasons1 short1 sententious1 and partially veiled4 ,in some cases the subjoined doctrine must be read in the light of the parable itself ere it can be understood4 ,majus vero et certius auxilium interpreti paratur in illis locis1 in quibus ipse ,jesus sensum parabolarum explicat1 quod quidem modo luculentius1 ut in orationibus ,mat4 ,,xiii4 modo paucis tantum verbis fit4 ,saepe enim praemittitur vel subjungitur ab eo doctrina per parabolam prolata1 quae tamen ipsa interdum paulo obscurius exprimitur1 ita ut nisi per parabolam ipsam intelligi non possit4--,schultze de par4 #hf4 ,the exposition suggested by ,bengel is simple1 consistent1 and clear2 and it is1 ,i think1 correct4 ,taking the term called as signifying not all to whom the call of the ,gospel is addressed1 but those only who are effectually called1--not those who only hear1 but those who also obey the call1--taking the term in this sense1 which is a sober and scriptural view1 he finds that this is not a distinction between saved and lost1 but between two classes of the saved4 ,the called and the chosen are both true disciples of ,christ1 and heirs of eternal life1 and yet there is some distinction between them4 ,chosen must here therefore mean1 what it did sometimes mean in ancient times1 and does often mean still1 the best of their kind4 ,we constantly speak of choice or select articles1 meaning the most excellent4 ,the phrase1 whether used proverbially before ,christ's time or not1 is in nature and structure proverbial4 ,he either found it a proverb and used it1 or he made it a proverb there and then1 for such it essentially is4 ,it seems to have been employed by the ,lord on more than one occasion1 and differently applied at different times4 ,as we might say among a great number of manufactured articles1 all true and genuine1 few are first-rate2 so1 among a great number of real disciples1 few stand out unselfish1 unworldly1 and ,christ-like1 honouring their ,lord1 and making the world wonder4 ,most1 even of those who are disciples indeed1 and shall inherit eternal life1 are so marred by self-righteous admixtures1 and unsanctified temper1 and conformity to the world1 that their light is dim and their witness inarticulate4 ,peter1 for example1 was one of the called1 in that he heard and obeyed ,christ1 and was saved2 but he was not a chosen or choice disciple1 when he demanded of his ,saviour what he should get for what he had done2 or when in the hour and power of darkness1 he denied all connection with ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,alas6 though there are many ,christians1 how few there are who forget the things behind1 and press forward till they reach the high calling of ,god in ,christ ,jesus4#ch #ch ,in the transaction with the young man from which this parable remotely springs1 an analogous expression is employed to indicate a chosen or choice disciple2 ,jesus said unto him1 ,if thou wilt be perfect1 go and sell that thou hast1 c4 7xix4 #ba47 ,the term perfect in that text seems to be entirely parallel with chosen4 ,the meaning of both is determined by the main drift of the parable2 and the meaning thus given accords with the analogy of faith4 ,another remarkable confirmation of this exposition is found in the use of the same term1 ,greek3 eklektoi1 in ,rev4 xvii4 #ad4 ,the word in that passage must have the same meaning that we have attributed to it in the parable4 ,two reasons1 a supreme and subordinate1 are given to account for the victory of the ,lamb1--his own omnipotence1 and the trustworthy character of the instruments whom he employs4 ,the ,lamb shall overcome them3 for he is ,lord of lords and ,king of kings3 and they that are with him are called1 and chosen1 and faithful2 ,greek3 kltoi kai eklektoi kai pistoi4 ,if you understand here by ,greek3 eklektoi1 chosen by ,god in the eternal covenant1 the logical arrangement becomes obscure4 ,it would be strange if1 in enumerating the qualifications of soldiers1 one should represent first that they were summoned to the warfare1 next that they were chosen for that purpose before1 and last that they were stanch in the battlefield4 ,if this had been the meaning of ,greek3 eklektoi it must have stood first in order4 ,the fact that it stands second suggests another explanation4 ,take it1 in the sense which it readily assumes and frequently bears1 and the order of the series becomes at once transparent4 ,the soldiers were called1 and choice1 and faithful4 ,they were enlisted in the cause1 excellent in character1 and found unflinching when the fight began4 ,some obvious practical lessons may be appended to the exposition4 #a4 ,judge not4 ,let a man examine himself rather than his neighbour4 ,when ,peter saw the young man refusing to make a sacrifice for ,christ1 he complacently remembered his own sacrifices1 and thought he had done remarkably well4 ,ah1 ,peter1 ,satan desires to have thee that he may sift thee as wheat2 but what by the ,master's rebukes addressed to him1 and what by prayers poured out for him1 he will be saved2 yet so as by fire4 ,you left all1 you say1 to follow ,jesus2 and how much was that8 a share in a boat and some nets1 both probably the worse for wear4 ,ah1 ,peter1 if you had been as rich as this young man1 ,i am not sure whether you would not have done as he did1--gone away1 sorrowful indeed1 but away from ,jesus6 ,disciples of ,christ that are poor1 should beware of judging the disciples who are rich4 ,you were enabled to break the tie that bound you to the earth2 and you see a neighbour struggling with the yoke still on his neck4 ,be not high-minded but fear4 ,the line that bound you was a slender cord2 the line that binds that brother is a cart rope4 ,he1 if he is set free at a later day1 may be first in the day of reward1 and you last4 #b4 ,all whom the ,lord meets and calls are sent to work1 and all go4 ,from the moment they meet the ,master till the evening of life's labour-day1 they work for him4 ,they not only labour for the ,lord1 they labour in the ,lord4 ,thus it is not a pain but a pleasure2 it is their meat and their drink4 ,god needs not our work1 but we1 for our own sakes1 need work in his kingdom4 ,he can find other servants2 but if we refuse his call we shall never find a good ,master4 #c4 ,the true spirit of a worker is love to the ,master1 and to the work for the ,master's sake4 ,the moment that a thought of merit glides into the servant's heart1 it brings him down1 not indeed from the number of true disciples1 but from the highest to the lowest class there4 ,among the motives that1 in these matters1 sway a human heart1 there are two forces equal and opposite3 one is a humble1 broken-hearted consciousness that you deserve nothing1 and receive all free2 the other is a self-righteous conceit that your valuable services deserve a great reward4 ,if this latter spirit is the main spring of your activity1 it determines your position to be altogether outside of the circle of true believers2 if it intrudes more or less as a temptation1 and tinges with self-righteous blemishes a substantial faith in ,christ1 it reduces you from the highest to the lowest rank of disciples1 and from the first to the last in the final award of those who serve the ,lord4 ,in one of its aspects the lesson of this parable is parallel with that which is taught by the experience of the penitent thief4 ,both greatly magnify the patience and long-suffering of ,god3 they record and proclaim1 each in its own way1 that there is hope at the eleventh hour4 ,but in such a case1 a perverse carnal mind frequently turns the grace of ,god into lasciviousness4 ,because the mercy of our ,redeemer is stretched to the furthest verge of safety to leave room for the outcast to enter1 when on the darkening evening of the day of grace he flees at last from the wrath to come2 souls cleaving to the dust1 take the liberty of stretching their expectations a little further than ,christ stretched his offer1 and find the door shut1 when they come too late4 ,ah1 when the tender ,saviour of sinners1 by his parable1 and the experience of the thief1 gives you encouragement to come1 although you are late2 beware lest you take from his words wrested an encouragement to be late in coming4 ,,group--,,the ,,two ,,sons1 ,,the ,,wicked ,,husbandmen1 ,,and ,,the ,,marriage ,,of ,,the ,,king',s ,,son4 ,,matt4 xxi4 #bh2 xxii4 #ad ,the natural history of a parable is like the 7probable7 natural history of a pearl4 ,something alien and irritating has alighted upon life1 and forthwith a covering of pure and precious matter is thrown over it4 ,after this manner1 indeed1 as we have already noted1 a greater than the parable came4 ,in this way redemption began1 and grew4 ,sin entered ,eden and fastened upon that image of ,god which had appeared on earth in the person of primeval man2 forthwith holy promises from heaven began to cluster round the sin-spot4 ,as age succeeded age these promises distilled like dew and crystallized around the original nucleus1 until redemption was completed in the sacrifice of ,christ and the ministry of the ,spirit3 that glorious gospel on which we now fondly look1 gathered round the fall4 ,the sin of man1 though not the cause of ,god's salvation1 became its occasion and determined its form4 ,the particular lessons which ,jesus taught in the course of his ministry1 followed in this respect the analogy of his redeeming work as a whole2 in most cases his instructions were called forth and fashioned by hard1 bold outstanding sins4 ,some of the brightest jewels which shine in the life of ,christ are the pure pearly coverings which he threw around ,pharisaic pride1 or ,sadducean unbelief1 or the self-righteous stumbles of his own disciples4 ,thus he made the wrath1 and the malice1 and the deceit of men to show forth his own praise2 thus rust-spots were converted into shining pearls2 thus human errors1 as they sprung up1 were seized and choked and buried under a mantle of glorious grace4 ,here in ,matthew's ,gospel1 we encounter a group of three parables1 the two sons1 the wicked husbandmen1 and the marriage of the king's son1 connected with each other historically in a consecutive report1 and logically as successive steps in the development of one argument4 ,the portion1 chapters xxi4 xxii4 xxiii41 is the compact record of a single scene4 ,approaching by the ,mount of ,olives1 ,jesus entered ,jerusalem in a simple but significant triumphal procession1 heralded by the hosannahs of the multitude1 which1 if for the most part neither intelligent nor permanent1 were sincere and spontaneous4 ,arrived in the city he at once made his way to the ,temple1 and there assumed an unwonted and severe authority4 ,the mercenary profaners of the temple he cast out2 the blind and lame he healed4 ,on the way to and from ,bethany1 where he lodged for the night1 the fruitless fig tree withered under his word4 ,next morning as he was teaching in the temple1 the heads of the ,jewish external theocracy1 stung to rage by his words and deeds on the preceding day1 formally demanded the exhibition of his authority1 as a preliminary step to the violent suppression of his work4 ,jesus knew the hearts of these men2 he knew that while1 in virtue of their office1 they affected to expound and apply the divine law1 and to rule the people in accordance with it1 they were at once ignorant of ,god's word and tamely subservient to the passions of the people4 ,to tear off1 or rather to compel them with their own hands to tear off their cloak of hypocrisy1 he addressed to them that question of wonderful simplicity but wonderful power1 ,the baptism of ,john1 whence was it8 from heaven or of men8 ,knowing that if they should confess the divine origin of ,john's mission they would thereby establish the ,messiahship of ,jesus to whom ,john had borne witness1 and that if they should deny it they would forfeit the favour of the people1 they answered1 ,we cannot tell1 meaning1 ,it is inconvenient to express an opinion4 ,as they could not venture to pronounce whether a ministry which had left its impress deep on the whole land1 was a human usurpation or a divine mission1 they had obviously no right to sit in judgment on the credentials of ,jesus4 ,when on this point they were condemned out of their own lips the ,lord1 rising now more into the stern dignity of judge when his ministry was drawing to a close1 advances against the discomfited and stunned hierarchs1 with another1 another1 and yet another stroke1 unveiling the hypocrisy of their religious profession1 predicting the consummation of the crime1 the murder of the ,father's well beloved1 which they were already cherishing in their hearts1 and denouncing finally the doom which in the righteous government of ,god should fall upon themselves and their city4#ci ,such are the occasion1 the places1 the object1 and the nature of the three parables which ,jesus spoke that day in the ,temple1 and the ,evangelist ,matthew has recorded in this portion of the word4 ,the first is the parable of-- #ci ,he now constrains them1 in the first parable1 to declare their own guilt2 and1 in the second1 to declare their own punishment2 and as they had now decided to put ,him to death1 ,he describes to them1 in the third parable1 the consequences of their great violation of the covenant and ingratitude1--the destruction of their ancient priesthood1 and the triumphant establishment of his new kingdom of heaven among the ,gentiles4--,lange in loc4 ,x4 ,,the ,,two ,,sons4 ,but what think ye8 ,a certain man had two sons2 and he came to the first1 and said1 ,son1 go work to-day in my vineyard4 ,he answered and said1 ,i will not3 but afterward he repented1 and went4 ,and he came to the second1 and said likewise4 ,and he answered and said1 ,i go1 sir3 and went not4 ,whether of them twain did the will of his father8 ,they say unto him1 ,the first4 ,jesus saith unto them1 ,verily ,i say unto you1 ,that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of ,god before you4 ,for ,john came unto you in the way of righteousness1 and ye believed him not3 but the publicans and the harlots believed him3 and ye1 when ye had seen it1 repented not afterward1 that ye might believe him4--,,matt4 xxi4 #bh-cb4 ,from this parable1 in connection with that of the labourers in the vineyard1 we incidentally learn that among the cultivators of ,palestine in those days there was the same admixture of large and small farms which prevails in our own land4 ,in order to provide for the structure of the preceding parable1 an agriculturist is introduced who cultivates on a large scale4 ,group after group of labourers are hired wholesale1 and sent successively into the vineyard2 in the evening a steward pays each labourer under the general instructions of his chief4 ,there in a few strokes you have the picture of an ancient ,israelitish magnate1 owning a broad estate and affording employment to a multitude of dependants4 ,in the parable which is now under review1 we have a picture equally distinct1 but representing another class of countrymen4 ,this is neither on the one hand a great proprietor1 nor on the other a landless labourer4 ,here is a man who has a stake in the country1 a portion of ground of size sufficient to provide for the wants of his family2 but his farm cannot afford employment and remuneration to a gang of labourers2 the work must be all done by the owner himself and his children4 ,this is a desirable condition of life1 and the class who occupy it are valuable to society4 ,there1 in the middle1 they are sheltered from many dangers to which their countrymen on either extreme of social condition are exposed4 ,woe to the country in which there are only two classes1--the greatest and the smallest1--the large proprietors and the floating sea of labourers4 ,the strong fixed few and the feeble surging many are to each other reciprocally dangerous4 ,give me a country dotted all over with homesteads1 where father and mother1 sons and daughters1 till their own ground and eat the fruit of their own labour4 ,to the first he said1 ,son1 go work to-day in my vineyard4 ,the first was none other than the one whom the father first met that morning4 ,to have intimated whether he was the elder or the younger1 would have introduced a disturbing element1 and obscured the meaning of the lesson4 ,there is no question here between elder and younger1 or between ,jews and ,gentiles4 ,at all events1 if those who maintained a place within the theocracy are distinguished from those who stood without its pale1 we must conceive of the ,father approaching on this occasion from without towards the centre1 coming in contact first with those who were excluded as aliens1 and afterwards reaching the inner circle1 who counted themselves the seed of ,abraham4 ,this son1 rebellious in heart1 and not trained to cover his disobedience under a smooth profession1 meets his father's command with a rude1 blunt refusal4 ,i think the humble husbandman had received a similar answer from the same quarter more than once before4 ,this is not the first unseemly word which the young man had spoken to his father3 neither himself nor his wickedness has grown to maturity in a day4 ,the habit of dishonouring his parents had sprung from a seed of evil in his infancy1 and grown with his growth until he and it had reached full stature together4 ,the father seems not to have spoken a word in reply4 ,probably he knew by experience that an altercation on the spot would only have made matters worse3 perhaps he sighed1 perhaps he wept as he turned gently round and went away4 ,i do not know how often and how long he had meditated on the grand practical question for a father1 when he should be severe1 and when he should show indulgence4 ,may ,god guide and help parents who have disobedient sons2 they need much patience for bearing1 and much wisdom for acting aright4 ,but afterward he repented and went4 ,there is much in these few simple words4 ,he repented2 perhaps his father's silent grief went to his heart at length and melted it4 ,he saw himself in his true colours1 and loathed himself for his sin4 ,the son1 who probably obtained a glimpse of his father's tears1 wept himself in turn1 and1 as the best amends he could make1 went silently into the vineyard1 and did a good day's work there4 ,thus1 when ,jesus1 suffering1 bearing reproach before ,pilate's judgment-seat1 looked on ,peter sinning1 ,peter went out and wept4 ,when he was called to suffer for ,christ1 he had rudely answered1 ,i will not2 but afterwards he repented and went--to work1 to witness1 to suffer1 to die for the ,lord whom he loved4 ,perhaps the father1 from beneath the cottage eaves1 saw the son on the brow of the hill toiling in the noon-day heat1--saw and was glad4 ,the value of a day's labour was something2 but it was as the small dust of the balance in comparison with the price he set on the repentance and obedience of his child4 ,i suppose there was a happy meeting at night when the son came home4 ,i suppose the father was a happy man as he saw the robust youth wiping the sweat from his brow1 and sitting down to his evening meal4 ,he came to the second1 and said likewise4 ,the second son had an answer ready1 sound in substance and smooth in form4 ,it was a model answer from a son to his parent3 ,i go1 sir1 said the youth1 without hesitation or complaint4 ,i am not sure that the father was overjoyed at the promptness and politeness of this reply3 probably he had received as fair promises from the same quarter before1 and seen them broken4 ,at all events1 this young man's fair word was a whited sepulchre2 he did not obey his father4 ,whether he fell in with trivial companions on his way to the vineyard1 and was induced to go with them in another direction1 or thought the day too hot and postponed the labour till the morrow1 ,i know not2 but he said1 and did not4 ,it was profession without practice4 ,the tender vine-shoots might trail on the ground for him till their fruit-buds were blackened2 he would not put himself to the trouble of tying them up to the stakes1 although the food of the family should be imperilled by his neglect4 ,now comes the sharp question1 ,whether of them twain did the will of his father8 ,the answer is all too easy4 ,the light is stronger than is comfortable for those owl-eyed ,pharisees1 who were prowling about like night-birds on the scent of their prey4 ,the sudden glance of this sunbeam dazzles and confounds them4 ,in utter helplessness1 they confess the truth that condemns themselves2 they say unto him ,the first4#dj #dj ,at an earlier stage of the same interview1 when a question regarding the ministry of the ,baptist was addressed to them1 fearing the consequences which an answer might involve1 they had sought shelter under the plea of ignorance4 ,as they gained nothing by their duplicity on that occasion1 they may have been unwilling to try the same policy again2 and1 accordingly1 they give frankly the obvious answers to the questions that resulted both from this and the succeeding parable4 ,in the first example the ,lord represents chief sinners repenting2 and in the second1 the form of godliness without its power4 ,the publicans and harlots1 who had forsaken their sins and followed the ,saviour1 sat for the first picture2 the chief priests and elders1 who concealed their thirst for innocent blood under a mantle of long prayers and broad phylacteries1 sat for the second4 ,let us look first to the two distinct and opposite answers1 and next to the two distinct and opposite acts4 ,the answers4--,that of the first son1 ,i will not1 was evil1 and only evil4 ,it is of first-rate practical importance to make this plain and prominent4 ,looking to the son in the story1 we see clearly that the answer was outrageously wicked3 it was an evil word flowing from its native spring in an evil heart4 ,looking next to the class of persons whom that son represents1 we find they are the openly and daringly ungodly of every rank in every age4 ,this son1 when he rudely refused to obey his father1 meant what he said2 he was not willing to obey1 and he plainly said so4 ,this represents those who have neither the profession nor the practice of true religion2 they neither fear ,god nor pretend to fear him4 ,at this point1 among certain classes1 a subtle temptation insinuates itself4 ,in certain circumstances1 ungodly men take credit for the distinct avowal of their ungodliness1 and count on it as a merit4 ,they are not1 indeed1 submissive in heart and life to the will of ,god2 but they do not tell a lie about the matter2 they make no pretension4 ,the frank confession1 that they are not good1 seems to serve some men as a substitute for goodness4 ,by comparing themselves complacently with fellow-sinners of a different class1 they contrive to rivet the fatal error more firmly on their own hearts4 ,observing among their neighbours here and there a rank hypocrite1 they compare his sanctimonious profession with his indifferent sense of honesty1 and congratulate themselves that they are not hypocrites4 ,well1 brother1 suppose it were conceded that you are not a hypocrite2 what then8 ,if you have lived unrepenting1 unforgiven1 unchanged2 if with your whole heart and habits you have departed from the living ,god1 and not returned to him through the ,mediator1--will all be atoned for and made up by the single fact that to all your other sins you did not add the cant of a hypocrite8 ,it is true1 a hypocrite is a loathsome creature2 but his badness will not make a profane man good4 ,when he is cast away for his hypocrisy1 it will be no comfort to you as you keep him company that it is for open ungodliness1 and not for lying pretensions to piety1 that you are condemned4 ,hypocrites are1 indeed1 excluded from the kingdom of ,god2 but it is a fatal mistake to assume that1 provided you are not a hypocrite1 you will be welcomed into heaven with all your vices on your back4 ,i scarcely know a more subtle or more successful wile of the devil than this4 ,many strong men are cast down by it4 ,you don't pretend to be good2 well1 and will that save you8 ,what comfort will it afford to the lost to reflect that they went openly to perdition1 in broad daylight1 before all men1 and did not skulk through by-ways under pretence that they were going to heaven8 ,the answer of the other son was evil too1 if you look not to its body1 but to its spirit4 ,there is no reason to suppose that it was1 even at the moment1 an act of true obedience to his father4 ,he said1 ,i go1 sir2 and went not3 he said one thing1 and did another1 an opposite2 but there is no ground for believing that he meant to go when he promised1 and afterwards changed his mind4 ,his smooth language was a lie2 and his subsequent conduct showed1 not that he had changed his mind when his father was out of sight1 but that he concealed it while his father was present4 ,it is worthy of notice1 that although the first son changed his mind after he had given his answer1 there is no intimation of any change having passed on the second son1 between his answer and his act4 ,by its silence on this point1 the narrative leads us to infer that the purpose of the disobedient son was the same while he was promising well as when he acted ill4 ,the course of the life flowing full in the direction of disobedience1 proves that the expression of the lips which ran in the opposite direction1 was a lie2 it was like a glittering ripple caused by a fitful breeze1 running upward on the surface of the river1 while the whole volume of its water rolls1 notwithstanding1 the other way4 ,thus is even the worship of hypocrites worthless3 ,not every one that saith unto me1 ,lord1 ,lord2 but he that doeth the will of my ,father which is in heaven4 ,the want of the subsequent obedience shows that the promise was not true4 ,thus at first both these sons were in a false and unsafe position4 ,their characters were not the same1--were not similar3 they differed in thought and word2 but the difference1 in as far as their answers were concerned1 indicated only varieties of sin4 ,legion is the name of the spirits that possess and pollute the fallen2 but all the legion do not dwell in every man4 ,different temptations tinge different persons with different hues of guilt4 ,at the time when the father uttered his command1 the character of the first son was bold1 unblushing rebellion2 the character of the second was cowardly1 false pretence4 ,the one son neither promised nor meant to obey2 the other son promised obedience1 but intended not to keep his word4 ,in the first instance1 therefore1 there is no ground for preferring the one to the other4 ,while they stood severally in their father's presence1 and before either had repented of his sin1 they were both1 and both alike evil4 ,the blasphemer has no right to boast over the hypocrite1 and the hypocrite has no right to boast over the blasphemer4 ,in either case it is a body of sin1 but there is a shade of difference in the colour of the garments4 ,the one pretends to a goodness which he does not possess2 and the other confesses1 or rather boasts1 that he is destitute of goodness4 ,they measure themselves by themselves2 and therein they are not wise4 ,the one thinks his smooth tongue will save him2 and the other counts himself safe because he has not a smooth tongue4 ,we come now to the ultimate act of either son4 ,the first1 after flinging a blunt refusal in his father's face1 repented of his sin4 ,the turning-point is here4 ,a change came over the spirit of the man1 and a consequent change emerged in his conduct3 his heart was first turned1 and then his history4 ,the honesty of his declaration--the absence of duplicity in giving his answer1 would not have justified him before either ,god or man4 ,he repented2 he turned round4 ,he grieved over his sin2 he was sorry that he had disobeyed his father4 ,repentance immediately brought forth fruit after its kind4 ,he went into the vineyard1 and laboured there with a will all day at the kind of work which he knew would please his father4 ,these two things go always in company1 and together make up the new man--they are the new heart and the new life4 ,the grieved father would weep for joy1 as he looked up the precipitous hill-side on which the terraced vineyard hung1 and saw there the head and hands of his son glancing quickly from place to place among the vine plants4 ,thus there is joy in heaven--deep in the heart of heaven's ,lord--over one sinner that repenteth4 ,among the vines that day work was worship3 the resulting act of obedience--fruit of repentance in the soul1 was an offering of a sweet-smelling savour unto ,god4 ,the other son promptly promised1 but failed to perform4 ,the first was changed from bad to good1 but the second was not changed from good to bad4 ,no change took place in this case1 and none is recorded4 ,it is not written1 that having promised1 he afterwards repented and did not go4 ,his promise was not true2 at the moment when it was made1 the youth did not intend to work1 and therefore it required no change of mind to induce him afterwards to spend the day in idleness4 ,this son represents1 in the first instance1 those ,pharisees who were then and there compassing the death of ,jesus4 ,they ostentatiously professed that they were doing ,god service2 yet they were spreading a net for the feet of the innocent1 and preparing to shed his blood4 ,wearing broad phylacteries1 making long prayers1 and offering many sacrifices1 they were1 notwithstanding1 living in malice and envy1 hateful1 and hating one another4 ,with their lips they honoured ,god2 but in works they denied him4 ,these1 in as far as they are here represented1 were evil first and last4 ,in the second son we have an example1 not of a man who meant to do good changing his mind and ultimately doing evil1 but of a man who1 notwithstanding his fair profession1 meant evil at the beginning and perpetrated it in the end4 ,nor are these lessons of the ,lord limited to one private interpretation3 the lesson of this parable was not exhausted when the ,pharisees died out4 ,as surely as the thorns1 and the tares1 and the lilies to which ,jesus on various occasions alluded in his lectures1 grow on the ground at this day1 and have grown there through all the intervening generations--so surely the various classes of human character which he rebuked1 warned1 or encouraged in his ministry1 have their representatives going out and in amongst us in the present day4 ,it is meant that in this glass all the self-righteous to the end of the world should see themselves2 their profession is fair1 but their life is for self1 and not for ,god4 ,in the stratified rocks many species and genera of plants and animals are found in a fossil state which are not found in the flora or fauna of our present earth2 but the human characters that were fixed and stamped as by photograph in the ,scriptures are not so far removed from the men and women who now live on the earth4 ,no species has become extinct2 and even the minuter characteristics of distinct varieties remain legible still4 99 99 99 99 99 ,here spring two distinct warnings to two distinct classes1 with corresponding encouragements attached1 as shadows follow solid bodies in the sunlight2--to the ,publicans and ,harlots first1 and next to the ,pharisees of the day4 #a4 ,there is a class amongst us answering to those publicans and sinners to whom ,jesus was wont to address the message of his mercy4 ,alas1 they may be counted by thousands and tens of thousands in the land6 ,they are the drunkards1 the licentious1 the profane1 the false1 the cruel1--those who abandon themselves to a vicious life1 and do not take the trouble of attempting to hide their sin under a cloak of sanctity4 ,they gratify every lust1 and crucify none4 ,they live without ,god in the world4 ,the key-note of their being is1 ,let us eat and drink1 for to-morrow we die4 ,to all this class the parable proclaims a warning4 ,a rank1 soporific superstition has crept over these free and easy spirits1--a superstition as dark and deceitful as any of the inventions of ,rome4 ,men seem actually to persuade themselves that their very wickedness will supply them with a passport into heaven4 ,they seem to expect that they will be made pets in the great day1 because they made no pretension to saintship2 and that they will be fondled by the ,judge as they have been by their boon companions1 because hypocrisy cannot be reckoned among their sins4 ,it is a false hope4 ,free thinking1 free living brother1 if ,i saw you about to put to sea in a ship which ,i knew to be affected with dry-rot in the timbers of the bottom1 ,i would warn you with all my energy1 that ,i might save your life3 when ,i see you preparing to launch into eternity leaning on a lie1 ,i cry vehemently1 ,beware1 lest you be lost for ever6 ,without holiness no man shall see ,god4 ,the absence of a hypocritical pretension to holiness will not be accepted instead of holiness4 ,all who go away to the judgment-seat without holiness will be shut out of heaven--alike those who thought they had it1 and those who confessed that they had it not4 ,it was all right at last with the profane son in the parable2 but mark1 he repented and obeyed4 ,god's invitation to the wicked is1 ,turn and live2 but the promise contains in its bosom the counterpart threatening1 ,if you turn not you shall die4 ,it was not the bold1 frank declaration of disobedience that made the first son all right3 it made him all wrong4 ,it was his change1--his passing out of that state1 as if he had passed from death unto life1 that saved him4 ,but to this class the parable speaks encouragement as well as warning4 ,so great is ,god's mercy in ,christ that even you are welcome when you come2 the gate stands open2 the ,redeemer from within is calling chief sinners in1 ,he has pledged himself to cast no comer out because of his worthlessness4 ,nor does the freeness of his grace prove that the prodigal's sins are small2 it proves only that the forgiving love of ,christ is great4 #b4 ,there is still a class corresponding to the ,pharisees1 and to these the ,lord in this parable conveys both warning and encouragement4 ,the essence of the ,pharisaic character1 under every variety of form1 consists of these two things1--an exact and laborious observance of external religious duties1 and a heart satisfied with itself while it is devoted to the world4 ,the species is described for all times and places in the ,apocalyptic ,epistle to the ,church in ,sardis3 ,thou hast a name that thou livest1 and art dead 7,rev4 iii4 #a74 ,there is a profession of godliness wanting its power2 ,christ's name comes readily to the lip1 but the god of this world possesses the heart and controls the life4 ,there is encouragement to the ,pharisee as well as to the publican to turn and live4 ,there is no respect of persons with ,god2 the ,pharisee was as welcome to ,christ as the publican1 if he would come4 ,a ,pharisee and a publican went up to the temple at the same hour to pray2 the publican returned to his own house pardoned and at peace with ,god1 while the ,pharisee went home still unreconciled and under condemnation3 but wherefore8 ,not that ,god was more willing to forgive the publican than to forgive the ,pharisee2 but because the ,pharisee did not ask forgiveness4 ,he would have obtained it if he had asked it3 his self-righteousness was his ruin4 ,thus in the end of this parable1 the ,lord intimates to the ,pharisees that the outcasts whom they despised are entering the kingdom of heaven before them4 ,this does not mean that the way is made more easy1 the gate more wide1 to the licentious and profane than to the hypocrite1--it intimates merely that in point of fact the profane were then and there hastening in through the gate which stood open alike for all1 while the self-righteous were standing aloof4 ,the intimation1 moreover1 is made1 not in order to keep these ,pharisees back1 but to urge them forward4 ,the ,lord desires to provoke them to jealousy by them that were no people4 ,these despised outcasts are going in before you2 arise and press in now1 lest the door be shut4 ,it was not because they were publicans and harlots that they were saved1 but because they believed and repented under the preaching of ,john2 and it was not because the others were ,pharisees that they were still unsaved1 but because even with the example of fellow-sinners repenting and believing before their eyes1 they1 thinking themselves righteous1 would not repent and believe4 ,god delights as much to receive a ,pharisee as to receive a publican4 ,when a self-righteous man discovers himself at last to be a whited sepulchre1 and counting his own righteousness filthy rags1 flees to ,christ as his righteousness1 he is instantly accepted in the beloved4 ,if ,i could be admitted1 in the body or out of the body1 to a vision of the saints in rest1 ,i would like to creep near the spot where two saved sinners chance to meet1--the man who wrote this narrative of ,christ's ministry1 and the man who preached ,christ to the ,gentiles4 ,i would fain listen for an hour to the conversation of ,matthew the publican and ,saul the ,pharisee when they meet in the mansions of the ,father's house4 ,their loving argument1 ,i could imagine1 would sometimes run high4 ,matthew will contend that the grace of their common ,lord has been most conspicuously glorified in his own redemption1 for1 he pleads1 ,i was all evil and had nothing good1 ,i had neither inside purity nor outside whitening4 ,i had neither the seemly profession without nor the holy heart within4 ,i was altogether vile2 and in me therefore is the grace of ,god glorified most4 ,paul1 on the other side1 will contend1 with his keen intellect perfect at last1 that he was the chief sinner1 and that consequently in his redemption a more decisive testimony is given to the abundance of the ,saviour's grace4 ,after describing his own hardness and blindness and unbelief1 he will add1 as the crowning sin of man1 the crowning glory of ,god1--,while ,i was thus the chief of sinners1 ,i gave myself out as one of the greatest of saints4 ,it may be hard to tell whether of the two mountains is the more elevated2 but one thing is clear1--both are covered by the flood4 ,the blood of ,jesus ,christ1 ,god's ,son1 cleanseth us1--the profane and the self-righteous alike1--cleanseth us from all sin4 ,,xi4 ,,the ,,wicked ,,husbandmen4 ,hear another parable3 ,there was a certain householder1 which planted a vineyard1 and hedged it round about1 and digged a winepress in it1 and built a tower1 and let it out to husbandmen1 and went into a far country3 and when the time of the fruit drew near1 he sent his servants to the husbandmen1 that they might receive the fruits of it4 ,and the husbandmen took his servants1 and beat one1 and killed another1 and stoned another4 ,again1 he sent other servants more than the first3 and they did unto them likewise4 ,but last of all he sent unto them his son1 saying1 ,they will reverence my son4 ,but when the husbandmen saw the son1 they said among themselves1 ,this is the heir3 come1 let us kill him1 and let us seize on his inheritance4 ,and they caught him1 and cast him out of the vineyard1 and slew him4 ,when the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh1 what will he do unto those husbandmen8 ,they say unto him1 ,he will miserably destroy those wicked men1 and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen1 which shall render him the fruits in their seasons4 ,jesus saith unto them1 ,did ye never read in the scriptures1 ,the stone which the builders rejected1 the same is become the head of the corner3 this is the ,lord's doing1 and it is marvellous in our eyes8 ,therefore say ,i unto you1 ,the kingdom of ,god shall be taken from you1 and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof4 ,and whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken3 but on whomsoever it shall fall1 it will grind him to powder4 ,and when the chief priests and ,pharisees had heard his parables1 they perceived that he spake of them4 ,but when they sought to lay hands on him1 they feared the multitude1 because they took him for a prophet4--,,matt4 xxi4 #cc-df4 ,when a proprietor has determined to appropriate as a vineyard a portion of ground which had previously lain waste1 or been employed for some other purpose1 his first care is to plant the vines4 ,as some time must necessarily elapse before the young plants begin to bear fruit1 he may prosecute the other departments of his undertaking at leisure4 ,in due time1 accordingly1 he constructs a fence around the field to keep out depredators1 whether men or beasts2 digs a vat for receiving the juice1 and prepares an apparatus above it for squeezing the clusters quickly in the hurry of the vintage2 builds a tower as at once a shelter for the keeper and an elevated stand-point for the watcher by night or day4 ,in the case which this parable represents1 the owner did not continue to reside on the spot and cultivate his own vineyard2 he let it out to husbandmen1 and went into a far country4 ,this lease1 granted by a non-resident proprietor1 throws an interesting light on the habits of the place and the time4 ,in regard both to the tenants and the terms1 the information1 though very brief1 is very definite4 ,the vineyard was let not to one capitalist1 who might employ labourers to do the necessary work1 but to a kind of joint-stock company of labourers who proposed to cultivate the property with their own hands for the common benefit4 ,it was stipulated1 moreover1 that the rent should be paid not in money but in kind4 ,it is the system known in ,india at this day as ryot-rent2 the cultivator undertakes to give the owner a certain fixed quantity yearly from the produce of the farm1 and all that is over belongs to himself4 ,the structure of the parable in its later stages presupposes a country in which the central government is paralyzed1 and the will of the strongest has usurped the place of law4 ,with us it requires an exercise of imagination to conjure up a scene in which these events could possibly occur2 but in those regions such anarchy was not uncommon then1--is not uncommon now4 ,it is probable that the annals of our own empire in ,india could supply some parallel conflicts between the privileged superiors and the actual cultivators of the soil4 ,the proprietor1 being personally absent from the country1 employed agents to demand his stipulated share of the produce at the proper season from the tenants in possession4 ,the tenants1 presuming on the distance of the superior1 and the difficulty which he must necessarily encounter in any attempt to enforce his rights1 not only refused to fulfil the conditions of their lease1 but also assaulted the messengers who made the demand2 they beat one1 and killed another1 and stoned a third4 ,obviously1 they determined from the first to retain the whole produce of the vineyard for themselves4 ,they do not seem to have laid their plans with much care3 there is more of passion than of policy in their conduct4 ,it is the ordinary practice of those who break the laws of ,god or of man1 to grasp madly a present pleasure1 and refuse to think of coming vengeance4 ,having heard of the treatment which his agents had received1 the proprietor despatched another party more numerous1 with the view probably of overawing the refractory peasants by a display of strength2 but the second mission was as cruelly and contemptuously rejected as the first4 ,the proprietor1 still unwilling to bring matters to an extremity1 adopted next an expedient which he hoped would subdue the rebellion1 without imposing on him the necessity of punishing the rebels4 ,keeping out of sight for the moment his rights and his power1 he appealed confidingly to their hereditary reverence for the family of their chief2 he sent his son1 and sent him unarmed1 unattended4 ,the conduct of the husbandmen at this point is unintelligible1 if you suppose that the country enjoyed a regular government1 and that the men had deliberately adopted a plan4 ,in order to account for the circumstances1 you must suppose that the central government was paralyzed1 and that these men were as stupid as they were wicked4 ,great criminals are often blind to their own interests3 their blunders generally lead to their conviction4 ,the murder of the heir by these greedy tenants1 in the vague hope of obtaining the property1 is a probable event4 ,to show that the scheme was not skilfully devised1 does not by any means prove that the crime was not actually perpetrated4 ,the owner was absent2 no display of irresistible power was made to their senses2 they were not in the habit of nicely considering the remote consequences of an act1 and an overmastering passion completely paralyzed at that moment a judgment which was feeble at the best4 ,from this point the close of the tragedy is self-evident2 the ,lord accordingly does not further prosecute the narrative4 ,here the ,pharisees are invited to pronounce judgment upon themselves2 nor do they hesitate to accept the challenge4 ,whether in simplicity1 as unconscious of the ,teacher's drift1 or in exasperation as knowing that by this time his drift appeared to the whole company all too plain1 may not be certain2 but in point of fact they gave the answer without abatement and without ambiguity3 ,he will miserably destroy those wicked men1 and will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen which will render him the fruits in their season4 ,no serious difficulty occurs in the interpretation of this parable1 and1 consequently1 no considerable differences of opinion have arisen among interpreters regarding it4 ,the main lines of the lesson cannot be mistaken2 but there is need of careful discrimination in some of the details4 ,frequently in the ,scriptures the seed of ,abraham1 called by ,god and endowed with many peculiar privileges1 are compared to a vine1 or to the aggregate of vines in a vineyard4 ,i shall here point to three examples of this usage1 in order to show that1 notwithstanding an obvious general resemblance1 they differ from each other and from this parable in the specific purposes to which they severally adapt and apply the analogy3-- #a4 ,isa4 v4 #a-g3 ,now will ,i sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard4 ,my well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill4 ,and he fenced it1 and gathered out the stones thereof1 and planted it with the choicest vine1 and built a tower in the midst of it1 and also made a winepress therein3 and he looked that it should bring forth grapes1 and it brought forth wild grapes4 ,and now1 ,o inhabitants of ,jerusalem1 and men of ,judah1 judge1 ,i pray you1 betwixt me and my vineyard4 ,what could have been done more to my vineyard1 that ,i have not done in it8 wherefore1 when ,i looked that it should bring forth grapes1 brought it forth wild grapes8 ,and now go to2 ,i will tell you what ,i will do to my vineyard3 ,i will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be eaten up2 and break down the wall thereof1 and it shall be trodden down4 ,and ,i will lay it waste3 it shall not be pruned nor digged2 but there shall come up briers and thorns3 ,i will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it4 ,for the vineyard of the ,lord of hosts is the house of ,israel1 and the men of ,judah his pleasant plant3 and he looked for judgment1 but behold oppression2 for righteousness1 but behold a cry4 ,the vineyard1 with its slope to the southward1 and rich soil1 and careful cultivation1 and secure defences1 and convenient apparatus1 represents the people whom ,god chose and cherished4 ,the drift of ,isaiah's parable is to show the exaggerated wickedness of that favoured nation4 ,the vineyard brought forth wild grapes1--those sour grapes which set on edge the teeth of him who tastes them 7,ezek4 xviii4 #b74 ,israel lived like the heathen1 and thus the care bestowed upon them was thrown away4 ,as a punishment for its ungrateful return1 the vineyard was laid waste2 the kingdom and polity of ,israel were destroyed by the decree of ,god1 and through the instrumentality of the king of ,babylon4 #b4 ,ezek4 xv4 #b-e3 ,son of man1 ,what is the vine tree more than any tree1 or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest8 ,shall wood be taken thereof to do any work8 or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon8 ,behold1 it is cast into the fire for fuel2 the fire devoureth both the ends of it1 and the midst of it is burnt4 ,is it meet for any work8 ,behold1 when it was whole1 it was meet for no work3 how much less shall it be meet yet for any work1 when the fire hath devoured it1 and it is burned8 ,here ,israel is compared1 not to a vineyard1 but to a single vine2 and the special characteristic selected for purposes of instruction is the uselessness of the vine tree as timber4 ,cultivated only for the sake of its fruit1 if it prove barren1 it is not only no better than the trees of the forest1 but much worse4 ,forest trees are useful in their own place1 and for certain purposes2 but a vine1 if it do not bear fruit1 is of no use at all4 ,no man can make a piece of furniture from its small1 supple1 gnarled stem and branches4 ,the wood of the vine is fit for nothing but to be cast into the fire1 and1 therefore1 a fruitless vine takes rank far beneath a forest-tree2 thus an apostate and corrupt ,church is a viler thing than the ordinary secular governments of the world4 ,such obviously and notoriously is ecclesiastical ,rome to-day4 #c4 ,ps4 lxxx4 #h-ae3 ,thou hast brought a vine out of ,egypt2 thou hast cast out the heathen1 and planted it4 ,thou preparedst room before it1 and didst cause it to take deep root1 and it filled the land4 ,the hills were covered with the shadow of it1 and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars4 ,she sent out her boughs unto the sea1 and her branches unto the river4 ,why hast thou then broken down her hedges1 so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her8 ,the boar out of the wood doth waste it1 and the wild beast of the field doth devour it4 ,return1 we beseech thee1 ,o ,god of hosts3 look down from heaven1 and behold1 and visit this vine2 and the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted1 and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself4 ,again ,israel is represented as a vine2 but in this case the features brought into prominence are its former flourishing condition and great extent compared with its present desolation4 ,by the removal of the protecting fence1 the wild beasts of the forest were permitted to trample at will on its feeble and lowly boughs4 ,the picture sets forth the ruin of ,jerusalem through the withdrawal of ,god's protecting hand1 and the consequent irruption of hostile nations4 ,in all these cases the vine1 or aggregate of vines1 represents the privileged persons who constituted the kingdom of ,israel or ,church of ,god1 as it then existed in the world4 ,in the first example1 the wickedness of ,israel is represented by the bitterness of the fruit which the vineyard produced2 in the second1 the unprofitableness of ,israel is represented by the want of fruit on the vine2 and in the third1 the sufferings of ,israel are represented by the inroads of the wild beasts upon the wide spread1 tender1 unprotected vine4 ,our parable differs from all three as to the point where its lesson lies4 ,it is not a case in which a favoured vineyard produces bad fruit2 it is not a case in which a vine bears no fruit2 it is not a case in which a vine that might otherwise have been fruitful is trampled down by wild beasts for want of a fence4 ,it is a case in which1 after the vineyard has brought forth its fruit1 the cultivators who have charge refuse to render to the owner the portion of the produce which is his due4 ,the difference is important3 it determines clearly the main line in which the interpretation of the parable should proceed4 ,by the vineyard with all its privileges1 ,i understand the ordinances of ,israel as appointed by ,god1 and the people of ,israel in as far as they were necessarily passive in the hands of their priests and rulers4 ,the husbandmen manifestly represent the leaders1 who at various periods had usurped a lordship over ,god's heritage4 ,extraordinary ambassadors were sent from time to time in the owner's name1 to demand the stipulated tribute1--prophets such as ,elijah1 ,elisha1 ,isaiah1 ,jeremiah1 and ,ezekiel1 men not of the number1 or in the confidence of the ordinary rulers1 but specially commissioned by the ,supreme1 to approach them with reproof and instruction4 ,the established authorities of the nation1 exercising their office for their own pleasure or profit1 rejected the counsel and assaulted the persons of the messengers4 ,some were imprisoned1 some driven into exile1 and some put to death4 ,successive embassies1 sent in successive ages1 met with similar treatment1 until1 in the fulness of time1 ,christ the ,son became the messenger of the covenant4 ,he came unto his own1 and his own received him not4 ,already those ,jewish rulers who listened to this parable1 were laying their plans to cast this greatest prophet out of the city1 and to crucify him4 ,the owner of the vineyard said1 ,they will reverence my son4 ,the expression is natural and appropriate in the lips of a human proprietor2 but obviously when it represents the purpose of ,god1 it means only that such reverence was claimed1 and such reverence was due4 ,the omniscient knew beforehand that the ,jewish rulers would not yield even to this last and tenderest appeal4 ,the expectation of the husbandmen that when they should have murdered the heir1 the property should become their own1 does not point to any definite1 well considered plan by which the wicked expect to gain a permanent portion by rejecting the ,gospel2 it indicates merely the blunt determination of the carnal mind to grasp and enjoy ,god's bounties while it despises and rejects his grace4 ,to crucify ,christ by the hands of the ,romans1 or to crucify him afresh through unbelief1 was and is a short-sighted policy4 ,when the ,lord of the vineyard cometh he will destroy those wicked men1 and will let out the vineyard unto others4 ,the interpretation of this turning-point is given to the ,jewish rulers in full1 and without concealment4 ,the kingdom of ,god shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof 7ver4 #dc74 ,the polity of the ,jews was crushed by the ,romans1 and the charge of the ,church fell into other hands4 ,the nation that has succeeded to the kingdom is constituted on a different principle1 and held together by different bonds4 ,it is not after the flesh1 but after the spirit that citizenship is obtained in the ,christian commonwealth2 henceforth1 the partakers of ,abraham's faith are the seed of ,abraham to whom the covenant of promise pertains4 ,the worship and ordinances of ,god's house were transferred to the apostles and their followers1 neither as ,jews nor as ,gentiles1 but as the disciples of ,christ4 ,a new nation 7,greek3 ethnos7 is constituted of those who are born again2 of those the kingdom consists1 and under their charge its affairs will be carried on until the ,lord come again4 ,the personal and permanent application of the lesson is obvious4 ,a rich vineyard1 planted and fenced to our hand1 has been let out to us by the ,maker and ,owner of the world4 ,civil and religious liberty1 the ,bible and the ,sabbath1 the ,church and its ministry1 have been provided and preserved for us by our ,father's care4 ,we are permitted to enjoy all for our own benefit1 under deduction of a tribute to the ,giver4 ,our offerings cannot directly reach him1 but he has made them payable to the poor4 ,when ,christ the messenger of the covenant stands at the door and knocks1 a worldly heart within refuses to admit him4 ,the carnal mind is enmity against ,god1 and therefore resists the claim which the ,mediator bears3 its language is1 ,we will not have this man to reign over us4 ,the lesson bears also upon the gradual corruption of the ,christian ,church in the first centuries1 and the absolute apostasy of the lordly hierarchy at ,rome4 ,at the ,reformation the kingdom was in part taken from that faithless priesthood2 but they retain vast multitudes in bondage still4 ,the ,lord reigneth2 and the time will come when every yoke shall be broken1 and the ,church set free to serve the ,lord alone4 ,the vineyard will one day be delivered from the tyranny of usurping tenants1 and its fruit fully rendered to its rightful ,lord4 ,ah1 my country1 ,i dread the punishment of thy unfaithfulness6 ,the same righteous ,god1 who cast out the ,jews and admitted the ,gentiles1 reigneth still4 ,on the same principle he has taken the kingdom from ,asia ,minor and ,greece1 and given it to this island of the sea4 ,alas1 if we render not to him the fruits of his vineyard1 he may take our privileges in judgment away1 and give them to another nation1 perhaps to ,italy--emancipated1 regenerated ,italy 7,rom4 xi4 #ai74 99 99 99 99 99 ,this parable is remarkable for the codicil taken from the ,old ,testament and attached to it by the ,lord on the spot and at the moment4 ,the picture of the tenant vine-dressers usurping possession--driving off the owner's servants and slaying his son1 although transparent in its meaning and pungent in its reproof1 does not contain all that the ,lord then desired to address to the ,pharisees4 ,it pleased him to employ that similitude as far as it reached2 but when its line had all run out1 he seized another line that lay ready in the ,scriptures to his hand1 and attached it to the first1 that by the union of the two he might make the reproof complete4 ,the first type taken from human affairs is not broad enough to represent the kingdom of ,god at a crisis of its conflict4 ,the son whom the proprietor sends on an embassy to the vine-dressers1 points to ,christ sent by the ,father to his own ,israel4 ,the terrestrial fact serves to show that the son was put to death by the rebels in possession1 but there its power is exhausted2 it has no means of exhibiting the other side of the scene1--that this son rose from the dead1 and now reigns over all4 ,the parable1 when it came to its natural conclusion1 left the lesson which it had begun to teach abruptly broken off in the midst1--left a glory of the ,lord unrevealed1 and a terror to wicked men unspoken4 ,that he might proclaim the whole truth1 and leave his unrepenting hearers without excuse1 the ,lord proceeded then and there to demand of them1 ,did ye never read in the ,scriptures1 ,the stone which the builders rejected1 the same is become the head of the corner8 ,the parable of the husbandmen has already shown that the ,son was rejected by the favoured people to whom he was sent2 and this grand text from the ,old ,testament ,scriptures1 which the ,scribes well knew1 shows further that he whom the official but false builders rejected and cast down1 was accepted and raised up by ,god4 ,whom they refused1 dishonoured1 and slew1 him ,god raised up and made ,king upon his holy hill of ,zion4#da ,it is a dreadful discovery for those husbandmen to make1 that the ,son whom they murdered lives1 and has become their ,lord4 ,nothing is more appalling to criminals than to be confronted with their victim1--living and reigning4 ,hence the agony of ,joseph's faithless brothers when they discovered that ,joseph was their judge4 ,herod beheaded the ,baptist in the intemperate excitement of a licentious feast1 that he might keep before his nobles the word which he had rashly pledged to a fair1 false woman3 but ,herod was not done with ,john when ,john's body1 tenderly buried by his disciples1 lay silent in the grave4 ,many times by night and day the king saw that gory head again lying on the charger--it would not go out of his sight4 ,the creaking of a door1 or the sighing of the wind among the trees1 seemed the footfall of the ,baptist stalking forth to reprove him4 ,when an attendant reported to ,herod the miracles of ,christ1 reporting at the same time that some took ,jesus of ,nazareth for ,elias1 and some for another prophet1 he had his own opinion on the point2 he knew better1 and in a whisper1 with pale face1 and starting eye-balls1 and trembling limbs1 he said to his informant1--,it is ,john the ,baptist whom ,i beheaded 7,mark vi4 #ad74 #da ,what wise one of this world1--what human reason would have conceived1 under the cross1 that this man suspended between two malefactors1 and despised by all1 would one day receive the worship of the whole world8 ,this is the ,lord's doing1 and it is marvellous in our eyes4--,heubner in ,lange4 ,it is a fearful thing for his murderers to fall into the hands of this living ,god4 ,it is a fearful thing to see him whom you have crucified afresh coming in the clouds to judge the world in righteousness4 ,further expanding this conception regarding the chief corner stone1 the ,lord transfers from another scripture 7,isa4 viii4 #ad1 #ae71 the prophecy spoken of old on this very point1--,and whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken2 but on whomsoever it shall fall1 it will grind him to powder4 ,we seem to mark here a change in the character of ,jesus4 ,sterner and more stern he becomes1 as in his prophetic office he approaches the subject of his own kingly judgment4 ,his eyes pierce these hypocrites1 and they quail before him4 ,as his witnessing approaches its close1 he draws the two-edged sword from its sheath and holds it before the time over the naked heads of his enemies1 if so be they may even yet fear and sin not4 ,for his own holy purposes he lays aside for a moment his gentleness1 and appears as the ,lion of the tribe of ,judah4 ,the last days of the ,mediator's ministry on earth are now running3 it must now be decided whether his own will receive or reject him4 ,the leaders of ,israel stood before him1 with all their crooked purposes revealed to his eye2 the plot was ripening to take his life away4 ,laying aside the style of a meek ,beseecher1 he assumes the aspect of a just ,avenger2 already we seem to see the wrath of the ,lamb gathering on his brow4 ,kiss the ,son1 lest he be angry2 as yet1 his wrath is kindled but a little2 in that day1 it will burn like fire4 ,why has it been kindled a little before the time8 ,mercy has lighted this premonitory fire4 ,this terror of the ,lord1 like all the others that he sends in the day of salvation1 is employed as the means of persuading men4 ,he not only receives all who come at his invitation1 but sends out foreshadowings of judgment to drive from their unbelief those who refuse to yield to gentler means4 ,many of the forgiven1 on earth and in heaven1 are ready to tell that after they had long resisted his tender invitations1 they were overcome at last by gracious terrors launched against them by a loving ,saviour4 ,the ,jews were familiar with these ideas connected with the corner stone4 ,the prophecy in the aspect of a promise they readily understood1 but here the other and opposite side of it also is displayed4 ,the picture--for it is by itself a short parable--represents a great stone at rest4 ,in ,alpine valleys1 close by the root of rent1 rugged1 precipitous mountains1 you may often see a rock of vast dimensions lying on the plain4 ,in magnitude1 it is itself a little hill2 and yet it is only a stone that has fallen from the neighbouring mountain4 ,suppose a band of living men should rush with all their might against that stone1 they would be broken and it would not be moved4 ,if they retire and repeat the onset1 the rock lies still in majestic repose1 while their feeble limbs are mangled on its sides1 and their life-blood sinks into the soil at its base4 ,the next part of the conception1 which the imagination can easily form at will1 is precisely the reverse of the first4 ,the rock rises now into mid-heaven1 hovers over the assailants for a while1 and then falls upon their heads4 ,here1 as in the other case1 the human adversaries of this rock are destroyed1 but their destruction is wholly different in degree and kind4 ,in the first case1 they were broken2 in the second1 they are grinded to powder4#db ,the words in the original are very specific1 and the translation is remarkably accurate4 ,the term employed to indicate the injury which men inflict upon themselves when they resist the ,redeemer in the day of grace1 conveys the idea of the crushing which takes place when a man strikes swiftly with all his force against a great immoveable rock2 the term which indicates the overwhelming of ,christ's enemies by his own power put forth in the day of judgment1 conveys the idea of the crushing which takes place when a great rock falls from a height upon a living man4 ,the one calamity is great in proportion to the weight and impetus of a man2 the other calamity is great in proportion to the weight and impetus of a falling rock4 ,both the rejection of ,christ by the unbelieving in the time of grace1 and the rejection of the unbelieving by ,christ when he comes for judgment1 are bruisings2 but the second is to the first1 as the power of a great rock is to the power of a man4 ,the first bruising1 caused by a man's unbelieving opposition to ,christ under the ,gospel1 may be cured2 but the grinding accomplished by the wrath of the ,judge when the day of grace is done can never be healed4 ,there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin4 #db ,the expression is chosen with reference to the mysterious stone in ,daniel ii4 #cd1 #ce1 which grinds to powder the image of the monarchies2 that is1 to ,christ who unfolds his life in the kingdom of ,god and grinds the kingdom of this world to powder4--,lange4 ,there are only two ways4 ,this stone lies across our path from edge to edge4 ,it is not possible to be neutral1 so as to be neither for ,christ nor against him3 we must either accept or reject the ,son of ,god4 ,in the prophecy to which the text refers 7,isa4 viii4 #ad1 #ae17 it is intimated that ,he shall be for a sanctuary1 but for a stone of stumbling4 ,the mighty one stands on our life path1 and we cannot pass without coming into contact with him4 ,if we flee to him for refuge1 he is the sanctuary in which we shall be safe2 if we fall on him1 in a vain effort to escape1 we shall stumble1 and fall1 and perish4 ,as a general rule1 it is in the present life that he bears the weight of sinners striking against him2 and in the life to come that those who rejected him here1 must bear the weight of his judgment4 ,but some do not relish this doctrine2 those who heard it directly from the lips of the ,lord resented it keenly1 and many resent it still when it is taught from the ,scriptures4 ,in our day men do not often expressly find fault with the teaching of ,jesus as it is recorded by the ,evangelists3 they prefer to blame the ministers who take up and echo their ,master's words4 ,people fondly grasp one side of ,god's revealed character and use it as a veil to hide the other from themselves4 ,the tenderness of ,god our ,father is employed to blot out from view the wrath of ,god our righteous ,judge4 ,since the fathers fell asleep1 all things continue as they were2 where1 therefore1 is the promise of his coming8 ,a great rock is lying on the plain3 the cultivators have ploughed and the cattle have grazed round it since the flood4 ,standing beside it1 and reverting to its possible history1 you give scope to your imagination and ask1 ,what if it had fallen1 or should yet fall on me8 ,the bare conception makes you shudder3 you are fain to shake off the reverie and compose yourself by the reflection that the rock1 fixed to the spot by the laws of nature1 cannot move to harm you4 ,but the ,judge of the quick and the dead1 though likened to a stone as to crushing power1 is not like a stone in its silent still inertia4 ,he liveth and abideth for ever4 ,he bears now1--has borne long4 ,the ,almighty ,god does not move himself to hurt those who are his enemies1 any more than the rock which has slept half buried in the valley many thousand years4 ,but he will not thus bear for ever3 he will come to judge the world4 ,he will come as the lightning comes3 then blessed will all be who shall have put their trust in him1 while he waited1 through the ,gospel1 to be gracious4 ,when the ,son of man cometh the second time1 shall he find faith on the earth8 ,he will then find only the faith which his first coming generated2 for his second coming creates no new faith4 ,then1 it is not believe in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ and thou shalt be saved2 but a fearful looking for of judgment4 ,,xii4 ,,the ,,royal ,,marriage ,,feast4 ,,part ,i4--,,the ,,wedding ,,guests4 ,and ,jesus answered1 and spake unto them again by parables1 and said1 ,the kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king1 which made a marriage for his son1 and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding3 and they would not come4 ,again1 he sent forth other servants1 saying1 ,tell them which are bidden1 ,behold1 ,i have prepared my dinner3 my oxen and my fatlings are killed1 and all things are ready3 come unto the marriage4 ,but they made light of it1 and went their ways1 out to his farm1 another to his merchandise3 and the remnant took his servants1 and entreated them spitefully1 and slew them4 ,but when the king heard thereof1 he was wroth3 and he sent forth his armies1 and destroyed those murderers1 and burned up their city4 ,then saith he to his servants1 ,the wedding is ready1 but they which were bidden were not worthy4 ,go ye therefore into the highways1 and as many as ye shall find1 bid to the marriage4 ,so those servants went out into the highways1 and gathered together all1 as many as they found1 both bad and good3 and the wedding was furnished with guests4 ,and when the king came in to see the guests1 he saw there a man which had not on a wedding-garment3 ,and he saith unto him1 ,friend1 how camest thou in hither not having a wedding-garment8 ,and he was speechless4 ,then said the king to the servants1 ,bind him hand and foot1 and take him away1 and cast him into outer darkness2 there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth4 ,for many are called1 but few are chosen4--,,matt4 xxii4 #a-ad4 ,this parable stands connected both historically and logically with the two which immediately precede it3 especially between the guests here invited to the feast and the husbandmen to whom the vineyard was entrusted1 there is a close resemblance in privileges enjoyed1 in perversity manifested1 and in judgment incurred4 ,yet the lessons1 though in some respects parallel1 are to a great extent distinct2 and though both traverse partially the same ground1 the latter carries the argument some steps further forward than the former parable4 ,a question has arisen and been largely canvassed1 on the relation between the parable and one#dc recorded in ,luke xiv4 #af-bd regarding a certain man who made a great supper and bade many4 ,around this subject much useless and some mischievous debate has accumulated4 ,the criticism which assumes that only one discourse on the subject was spoken by ,jesus1 and that consequently two reports of it differing from each other1 cannot be both correct1 is impertinent and trifling4 ,it is a pedantic literalism contrary to experience and to common sense4 ,it rests upon the assumption that a public ,teacher who taught the common people daily1 on the margin of the lake and in private dwellings1 in the ,temple at ,jerusalem and in the sequestered villages around1 never repeated with variations in one place the substance of a lesson which he had given in another4 ,even in the immense profusion of nature every plant is not in all its features different from all others2 two individuals or species are found in some respects the same and in some respects different4 ,the two walk together as far as they are going the same way1 and separate when each approaches his own peculiar and specific terminus4 ,this combination of identity and difference pervades creation2 and you may observe the same characteristics in the scheme of ,providence4 ,two men during a portion of their life-course suffer the same troubles and taste the same joys2 but at a certain point in their progress their paths diverge1 and they never meet again in a common experience4 ,look even to the history of any citizen whose life is public1 and you will find that by speech1 or writing1 or act1 he prosecutes his objects by a mixture of sameness and diversity4 ,his address in the high court of the nation1 and his address to his rustic constituents in a distant province1 will be found in some features similar and in some different3 yet the address in either case will be found an independent and consistent whole1 corresponding to the character of the speaker and the circumstances of his audience4 #dc ,no4 ,,xxi4 of this series4 ,this ,teacher sent from ,god was wont in later lessons to walk sometimes over his own former footsteps1 as far as that track best suited his purpose1 and to diverge into a new path at the point where a diversity in the circumstances demanded a variety in the treatment4 ,this is the method followed both in nature and revelation1--the method both of ,god and of men4 ,a certain king made a marriage for his son1 the two important features here are the royal state of the father1 and the specific designation of the supper as the nuptial feast of his son4 ,it may be quite true1 as some critics say1 that because the greatest feasts were usually connected with marriages1 the epithet marriage was sometimes applied to any sumptuous banquet2 if in the ,scriptures or elsewhere we should find a banquet denominated a marriage feast1 while from the circumstances it appeared that no marriage had taken place1 we should experience no difficulty in explaining the apparent incongruity4 ,but in this case there is no reason for adopting the exceptional1 and the strongest reason for retaining what is confessedly the ordinary and natural signification of the term4 ,the conception of the ,redeemer as the bridegroom1 and his redeemed people as the bride1 lies too deep in ,scripture and protrudes too frequently from its surface to leave any doubt concerning the allusion in the parable4 ,the feast1 introduced into the story for the sake of its spiritual significance1 is the marriage supper of the king's son4 ,the king sent forth his servants1 not on this occasion to give the first invitation1 but to warn those who had been previously invited that the time had come1 and the preparations been completed4 ,it is obviously assumed1 and analogies are not wanting to justify the assumption1 that those whom the king desired to honour were informed of that desire before the day of the feast1 and that another message was sent to each1 after everything was ready1 requesting his immediate attendance in the palace of the king4 ,this feature of the transaction is not explained or defended in the narrative2 it is silently taken for granted as at least sufficiently common to be well understood4#dd #dd ,i have witnessed a process closely analogous1 in a small detached island of the ,shetland group in which the message sent was an invitation1 not figurative but literal1 to come and hear the word of the kingdom4 ,it had been previously intimated to the islanders that a minister of the ,gospel from the south would preach to them on the occasion of his visit to the neighbouring mainland1 as the largest island of the group is styled4 ,when the minister and his friends succeeded at length in crossing the ,channel1 several children were dispatched as messengers in different directions to inform the people that public worship would immediately begin4 ,in a very short time a congregation was assembled consisting of the whole population of the island4 ,this peculiarity of the invitation is important in connection with the severity of the punishment which was subsequently inflicted on the recusants4 ,they did not repudiate the invitation when it was first addressed to them4 ,by retaining it1 and enjoying the advantage of being accounted the king's guests during the interval1 they pledged themselves to attend the marriage festival1 and honour their sovereign by their presence4 ,their abrupt refusal at the eleventh hour1 after all was ready to receive them1 partook of the nature both of breach of engagement and disloyalty4 ,they would not come4 ,a second message was sent1 more specific and more urgent3 but the men met the importunate kindness of the king with contemptuous mockery3 they made light of it1 and went their ways1 one to his farm1 another to his merchandise4 ,a portion of them carried their opposition beyond supercilious neglect into blood-thirsty enmity2 the remnant took his servants and entreated them spitefully and slew them4 ,but when the king heard thereof1 he was wroth3 and he sent forth his armies1 and destroyed those murderers1 and burned up their city4 ,as far as appears from the narrative1 those who affronted the king by neglect1 and those who put his messengers to death1 received the same punishment4 ,although the cruelty perpetrated by some of the conspirators was an aggravation of their guilt1 the crime for which they suffered was one of which all alike were guilty1--the crime of despising the king's invitation1 and pouring contempt upon his authority4 ,the transaction may have had great political significance4 ,it was a combination among the aristocracy to thwart the king and dictate to him a line of policy4 ,they meant by their absence in mass to leave him without support1 that he might be compelled to court them on their own terms4 ,in such a case only two alternatives are open to the supreme magistrate3 he must either submit to the aristocracy and buy them back at their own price1 or supersede them by a bold appeal to the common people4 ,suppose that in this country the ,lords should by compact refuse to attend ,parliament1 for the express purpose of extorting concessions in favour of themselves by bringing the process of legislation to a stand3 the sovereign1 in that case1 must either submit to the terms of the refractory nobles1 or by prerogative create a new peerage from the plebean ranks4 ,such1 on a minute scale and in a simple form1 was the course adopted by the king in this ancient oriental drama4 ,he destroyed their city3 it was the king's own city1 but he loathed it because of the rebellion of its inhabitants4 ,he took no pleasure in its streets and palaces when their moral glory had departed4 ,the loss of so much property was a small loss2 the gain for the discipline of unborn generations was unspeakably great4 ,the overthrow of the city in which the rebels dwelt would make children's children shudder at the thought of apostasy4 ,the sacrifice of a material interest in order to afford sanction to moral laws is the highest wisdom of government1 both human and divine4 ,this principle was adopted on the largest scale after the first rebellion1 when the earth was cursed for man's sake4 ,the king took his servants into his counsel4 ,they had suffered in his cause1 and he will not conceal from them what he is about to do4 ,go ye therefore into the highways1--the public places of resort1 as well the city's streets as the roads that traverse the country1--and as many as ye shall find1 bid to the marriage4 ,in the first instance the invitation was limited to the class who had a prescriptive right to appear at court2 when these by their perversity had excluded themselves1 the king in his sovereignty extended the invitation generally to the common people1--to persons who previously possessed no right of admission1 but who obtained the right then and there by the free act of the sovereign4 ,the servants did as they were instructed4 ,they understood and executed their commission according to its letter3 they brought in bad and good4 ,as they were not instructed to institute an inquiry into the character or social position of the persons whom they should invite1 they made no distinction2 they swept the streets to fill the royal halls4 ,at this point the parable becomes logically complete1 and its lesson may be exhibited apart from the addition regarding the wedding garment which immediately follows4 ,it will be more convenient1 accordingly1 to prosecute the exposition of the earlier portion by itself1 and leave the latter portion to be treated afterwards as substantially a separate lesson4 ,the parable1 as far as we have hitherto read it1 repeats and extends the warnings previously given regarding the spiritual privileges which the ,jews enjoyed and abused1 the judgments which had been and still would be poured out upon the nation1 and the successful proclamation of the ,gospel to the ,gentiles1 when the natural seed of ,abraham should have in rebellious unbelief rejected the offers of their ,lord4 ,the marriage festival made by the king in honour of his son1 points manifestly to redemption completed in the incarnation1 ministry1 death1 and resurrection of ,christ4 ,banquets had before this period been provided by the king1 and enjoyed by the favoured circle of his guests2 much advantage was possessed by the ,jews over the ,gentiles in every way1 but especially in that to them were committed the oracles of ,god4 ,but the feast depicted in this parable was the last and best2 it was the way of salvation in its completed state4 ,as the king made known his intention before it was carried into effect1 and intimated to the guests that they would be summoned as soon as the preparations were complete2 so a period of preparation1 and promise1 and expectation intervened between the incarnation and the sacrifice of ,christ4 ,to the ,jewish commonwealth the promise was made in the birth of the babe at ,bethlehem1 and they were invited to be upon the watch for the moment when the kingdom should come in its power4 ,when the fulness of time had come1 the ,lord himself undertaking the work as well as assuming the form of a servant1 carried to the chosen people the message1 ,come1 for all things are now ready4 ,his immediate followers and their successors repeated and pressed the invitation4 ,it is worthy of notice that the servants1 when they went out with the commission of the king1 did not announce the feast as a new thing1 then for the first time made known2 they spoke of it as that which was promised before1 and actually offered them2 they summoned those who had previously been fully informed that the feast was provided for their use4 ,these favoured but unthankful people were not taken at their word2 after the first refusal1 another and more urgent invitation is sent4 ,the successive reiterated mission of the servants to the class who were originally invited1 may be understood to point to the ministry of the ,lord and the seventy until the time of the crucifixion1 and the second mission of the apostles after the ,pentecost1 and under the ministration of the spirit4 ,both invitations were neglected and rejected by the people to whom they were sent2 ,christ came unto his own1 and his own received him not4 ,significant are the differences in the treatment which the message and the messengers received from different classes within the privileged circle of the first invited4 ,we learn here the solemn lesson that though there is much diversity in the degrees of aggravation with which men accompany their rejection of the ,saviour1 all who do not receive him perish in the same condemnation4 ,at first no distinction is made between class and class of unbelievers2 of all1 and of all alike it is recorded1 they would not come4 ,but when the offer became more pressing and more searching1 a difference began to appear1 not as yet the difference between the believing and the unbelieving1 but a difference in the manner of refusing1 and in the degrees of courage or of cowardice that accompanied the act4 ,the greater number treated the message lightly1 and preferred their own business to the life eternal which was offered to them in ,christ2 while a portion1 not content with spurning away the offer1 persecuted to the death the ambassadors who bore it4 ,the fault of those who are first mentioned takes the form of indolent1 frivolous neglect1 rather than of active opposition4 ,they were occupied with many other things1 and therefore could not attend to this one2 they were bent on prosecuting their own gains1 and therefore set no value on ,god's favour4#de #de ,a melancholy interest adheres to the contrast between man's heedlessness of ,god as expressed in this parable1 ,greek3 amelsantes1 made light of it1 did not care for it2 and ,god's regard for men as expressed in #a ,peter v4 #g1 ,greek3 aut melei peri humn1 he careth for you4 ,these two1 ungodliness and worldliness1 are always found in company2 but it is sometimes difficult to determine which of the two goes first1 and draws the other after it4 ,you seldom meet a man who neglects this great salvation1 and neglects also the gains and the pleasures of life4 ,those who forget ,god follow hard after another lord1 although they may be unable to detect or unwilling to confess their own idolatry4 ,no man can serve two masters2 but every man practically serves one4 ,it may not1 however1 be easy in any given case to discover whether a man pursues some particular pleasure because he is determined to abide far from ,christ1 or is kept far from ,christ because his heart is pre-engaged to some worldly lust4 ,in the case which the parable exhibits1 this point has not been expressly determined4 ,when the second and more urgent message arrived1 demanding their immediate attendance on the king at the marriage of his son1 those men departed in an opposite direction1 each to his own business2 but it remains an open question whether their hearts were first so glued to the farm and the merchandise1 that they could not be persuaded to take from these engrossing pursuits as much time as would suffice to attend upon their sovereign2 or whether there was first a determination to resist the sovereign's call1 and that they then introduced the business as an excuse1 and fled to it as a welcome occupation4 ,it may have been either or both2 but in the circumstances ,i think it was primarily the latter of the two4 ,in the hearts of those men lay a deep design against the authority of the king2 but it would have involved serious risk to have flatly refused his reiterated invitation4 ,they had actually incurred a grave responsibility1 and they were disposed to lighten it somewhat by interposing a plausible excuse4 ,troubled1 moreover1 by the gravity of their step they were fain to seek refuge from reflection by plunging into the ordinary avocations of life4 ,i think it was not an excessive zeal for agriculture and trade that really prevented them from attending on the king that day2 but a consciousness of having conclusively offended the king that drove them for relief into agriculture and trade4 ,on the spiritual side of the parable1 in like manner1 the excessive devotion to business which occupies some men1 and leaves not a shred either of their hearts or lives for ,christ1 may be in many cases not a primary affection1 but the secondary result of another and deeper passion4 ,when ,christ has often knocked at the door1 and the inhabitant soul within has as often refused to open1 there is no longer peace in the dwelling that has been barred against its ,lord4 ,he who has rejected the merciful offers of a merciful ,god1 does not afterwards sit at ease2 every sound that in moments of solitude falls upon his ear1 seems the footstep of an angry ,god1 returning to inflict deserved punishment4 ,when one has distinctly heard the ,saviour's call1 and deliberately refused to comply with it1 he thenceforth experiences a craving for company and employment4 ,he cannot endure silence or solitude4 ,when he stands still1 he seems to hear the throbbings of his own conscience terrible as the ticking of the clock in the chamber of death4 ,to be alone is unendurable1 because it is to be with ,god4 ,to escape from this fiery furnace1 he hastens to plough in his field or sell in his shop4 ,in such a case1 the worldliness1 even when it runs to the greatest excess1 is not the primary passion1 but a secondary refuge1--the trees of the garden among which the fallen would fain hide from the ,lord ,god4 ,but in some cases the disease may first approach by the other side3 love of the world may be the earlier matured and more imperious passion4 ,the farm and the merchandise may become the soul's first and fondest love2 and that love possessing all the soul's faculties1 may cast or keep out ,christ and his redemption4 ,if you suppose those invited guests to have been previously wedded to the idolatry of covetousness1 worshipping gain in secret as their god1 you can easily comprehend how they should grudge a day taken from traffic in order to honour their king2 so in the interpretation of the parable1 when riches or pleasures increase1 and the possessor sets his heart upon them1 he has already obtained his portion1 and will not cast it away for ,christ2 he will mock the messengers who bring the distasteful proposal4 ,among the invited guests1 however1 there is another class who treat the king's servants in another way4 ,the first class made light of the message2 the second murdered the messengers4 ,it is intimated that while the bulk of those to whom the ,gospel was preached1 neglected the offer and busied themselves with earthly gains1 some rose against the preachers and persecuted them unto the death4 ,these last1 however1 seem to have been in point of numbers an inconsiderable minority1--the remnant entreated them spitefully and slew them4 ,there were persecutors in the earliest days of the ,gospel1 and there have been persecutors in every generation since4 ,the ,pharisees plotted that they might put ,jesus to death3 ,saul of ,tarsus at a later date was their willing tool in a desperate effort to quench the life of the infant ,church in the blood of its members4 ,after he was turned1 and the mighty stream of his life compelled to flow like a river of water in the opposite direction1 a constant succession of cruel men has been kept up in this restless1 sin-stained world1 whose life-work is to crucify ,christ in his members4 ,the unchanged1 unrepenting hierarchy of ,rome1 successor not of ,peter the apostle1 but of ,saul the persecutor1 does yet all that it can and dare to treat spitefully and slay those servants of the king who invite them and the world to the marriage-supper of the ,king's ,son4 ,but the crucifiers of ,christ are not all shedders of human blood4 ,deadly enmity to the truth and its publishers may be manifested where stakes and fagots are out of fashion and inconvenient4 ,the soul of the persecution which the parable represents lies in entreating spitefully the king's messengers1 because they loathed the invitation1 and were irritated by the urgency wherewith the servants1 remembering their sovereign's command1 felt themselves constrained to press it on every man they met4 ,in our own day1 it does not require extraordinary sagacity to perceive the same spirit in the relish and readiness with which certain classes catch up a cry against any one who1 not ashamed of the ,gospel of ,christ1 has discharged his commission in full4 ,but when you add together both classes of open antagonists--those who shed the blood of ,christians1 and those who merely calumniate them1 you have only a very small company before you4 ,on the one side ,i see a little flock1--those who meekly receive ,christ2 on the other and opposite side ,i see also a little flock1--those who loudly proclaim by word and deed1 ,we will not have this man to reign over us3 but there is a multitude1 whom no man can number1 in the midst1 who neither accept the king's message nor persecute the servants of the king4 ,the character of the company on either extreme is distinctly marked1 and easily seen4 ,those have manifestly closed with ,christ's offer1 and are accepted through faith2 these1 on the other hand1 have considered the offer1 and proved their rejection of it by killing its bearers4 ,but the multitude in the middle have not taken a decisive part2 they have remained apparently in a state of equilibrium4 ,as yet they have not indeed actually and personally closed with the ,redeemer as their own2 but neither on the other hand have they determined and proclaimed that they will not accept him4 ,they have not moved to either side to take a decisive part for or against the ,lord4#df ,this feature of their condition and their history helps to deceive and so to destroy them4 ,if the condition of the world and the law of ,god were such that all would be safe in the great day who did not blaspheme ,christ's name1 and mock his ,gospel1 and put to death his ministers1 this multitude in the middle might remain where they are at ease4 ,but this is not the state of the case2 life and death for us depend on our knowing and not mistaking the state of the case here4 #df ,these three different methods of treating the message were all exhibited simultaneously at ,athens when ,paul preached there3 ,some mocked1 others said1 ,we will hear thee again of this matter4444 ,howbeit1 certain men clave unto him and believed 7,acts xvii4 #cb-cd74 ,to all the multitude in the middle the word of a merciful and faithful ,god proclaims1 ,in order to be saved1 it is necessary that you should arise1 and turn to the right hand1 and join the company there who have gladly welcomed the ,son of ,god as their ,saviour2 but1 correspondingly1 in order to be lost1 it is not necessary that you should arise from your state of indifference1 and join the scoffer's ranks4 ,to be saved you must flee to the refuge2 but to be lost1 it is enough that you remain where you are4 ,in the ,theocracy1 the ,hebrew nation were the hereditary nobles4 ,it is said of them in the ,scriptures that they are a people near unto ,god 7,ps4 cxlviii4 #ad74 ,they enjoyed a right of entry into the king's presence4 ,having1 in virtue of their birth-right1 a perennial invitation to the royal festivals1 they needed only a message as a matter of course1 demanding their presence when the feast was prepared4 ,the ,gospel of grace complete in ,christ is obviously the feast to which the house of ,israel were in the fulness of time specially summoned4 ,when they refused to come to the banquet1 the ,provider was displeased1 but not put about3 the ,omniscient knows his way4 ,he never permits his purposes to be thwarted3 ,he makes the wrath of man to praise himself1 and the remainder of that wrath he restrains4 ,in the beginning of human life and of ,god's moral government on earth1 the enemy seemed to triumph4 ,creation was thrown out of joint2 the being made in ,god's image was defiled by sin4 ,but although the garden of ,eden was emptied1 ,god was not left without a witness in the world3 sin abounded1 but grace did much more abound4 ,in like manner1 at a later stage of the divine administration when the favoured vine became barren1 another was brought out of ,egypt and planted in its stead4 ,when ,israel rejected ,christ1 ,god rejected ,israel1 and called another people to be his own4 ,we have ,abraham to our father1 said the ,jewish leaders to the ,baptist when his lessons began to gall them1 ,we have ,abraham to our father1 meaning thereby to intimate that they alone were the chosen people1 and that failing them ,god would have no children on the earth4 ,how did ,john answer this boast8 ,think not to say within yourselves1 ,we have ,abraham to our father2 for ,i say unto you that ,god is able of these stones to raise up children unto ,abraham 7,matt4 iii4 #i1 #aj74 ,although those privileged ,hebrews rejected him1 ,christ did not remain a king without subjects1 a shepherd without a flock4 ,in the exercise of the same sovereignty through which he chose ,abraham at first1 he passed over ,abraham's degenerate posterity and called another family4 ,this family was ,abraham's seed1 not by natural generation1 but in the regeneration through faith4 ,of these stones he raised up children to ,abraham1 when the natural children of the family had through unbelief shut themselves out4 ,go to the highways3 ,christ commanded his apostles to begin at ,jerusalem indeed1 but he did not enjoin1--did not permit them to continue holding out their hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people2 the alternative was embodied in their commission1 ,if the ,jews do not receive you1 go to the ,gentiles4 ,it becomes us to stand in awe before these deep things of ,god3 their fall became our rising4 ,in the channel through which a running stream is directed upon a mill wheel the same turning of a valve that shuts the water out of one course throws it into another1 that had previously been dry2 thus the ,jews by rejecting the counsel of ,god shut themselves out1 and at the same moment opened a way whereby mercy might flow to us who were afar off4 ,the servants went out and did as they were bidden4 ,peter went to the house of ,cornelius1 and in that lane of the world's great city found a whole household willing to follow him to the feast his royal master had prepared4 ,soon thereafter ,paul and ,barnabas1 ,silas1 ,titus1 ,timothy1 and others traversed the continents of ,europe and ,asia1 bringing multitudes of neglected outcasts into the presence and the favour of the king4 ,they brought in good and bad4 ,this is a cardinal point in the method of divine mercy1 and therefore it is articulately inserted in the picture4 ,the scene is taken from life in the world2 the conceptions accordingly1 and the phraseology correspond with the circumstances4 ,in society at large1 and in every section of society such as the rich or the poor1 two classes are found distinguished by their moral character1 and in ordinary language designated the good and the bad4 ,the thought and the style of ordinary life are adopted in the parable1 and every reader understands easily what is meant4 ,every great community has its virtuous poor and its vicious poor4 ,the invitations of the ,gospel come to fallen human kind1 and to all without respect either of persons or of characters4 ,apart from ,christ and prior to regeneration the distinction between bad and good is only an earthly thing3 in ,god's sight and in prospect of the judgment1 there is none good1 no not one4 ,there are not two roads from earth to heaven3 there is only one gate open1 and by it all the saved enter4 ,it is not the man's goodness that recommends him to ,god's favour3 the worst is welcome through the blood of ,christ1 and the best is rejected if he approach by any other way4 ,nor does it follow thence that the ,judge is indifferent to righteousness2 that which the unreconciled offer to him as righteousness is in his sight sin2 and the fact of offering it as a ground of justification aggravates the offerer's guilt4 ,,part ,,ii4--,,the ,,wedding ,,garment4 ,we have here two parables in one4 ,in their union and relations they resemble the two seed-stones which are sometimes found within one fruit1 attached to each other1 and wrapped in the same envelope1 but possessing each its own separate organization1 and its own independent germ of life4 ,the parable of the prepared1 offered1 and rejected feast1 and the parable of the wedding garment1 although actually united in the ,lord's ministry and the evangelic record1 are in their own nature distinct1 whether you consider the secular scenes delineated or the spiritual lessons which they convey4 ,when the wedding was furnished with guests the king came in to see them4 ,the representation is in strict accordance with the relations of the parties and the customs of society both in ancient and modern times4 ,when a citizen entertains his equals he must himself be first in the festal hall to welcome the guests as they successively arrive2 but when a sovereign invites subjects to his palace he appears among them only when the company have all assembled4 ,the instant that he entered the festive hall the king saw there a man who had not on a wedding-garment4 ,although this is the turning point of the parable1 it is represented with extreme brevity4 ,the great central facts are recorded with the utmost distinctness1 but all the surrounding circumstances are in silence assumed3 no explanation is given1 and the reason doubtless is that no explanation is needed4 ,some customs and allusions connected with the scene remain obscure to us1 after all that modern research has done to illustrate them1 but the lesson which our ,lord intended to teach stands relieved in clearest light and sharpest outline1 like distant mountain tops when the sun has newly set behind them4 ,some points regarding which we might desire information are left in the shade1 but in as far as the story is necessary to unfold and perpetuate the spiritual lesson1 it is accompanied with no doubt and with very little difficulty4 #a4 ,the wedding garment was something conspicuous and distinctive4 ,as soon as the king entered the room he detected the single man who wanted it in a great company of guests4 #b4 ,it was not a necessary part of a man's clothing1 but rather a significant badge of his loyalty4 ,the primary use of the symbol was neither to keep the wearer warm nor to make him elegant1 but to manifest his faithfulness4 #c4 ,the want of it was1 and was understood to be1 a decisive mark of disloyalty4 ,the man who came to the feast without a wedding-garment endorsed substantially the act of those who had proudly refused to comply with the king's invitation4 ,it was the same heart-disobedience accompanied by a hypocrisy that would fain commit the sin and yet escape the consequences4 #d4 ,the question whether a wedding-garment was proffered to every guest as he entered1 out of the royal store1 is attended with some difficulty4 ,the preponderance of probability seems to lie with those who think that these decorations were freely distributed in the vestibule to every entrant1 in some such way as certain badges are sometimes given to every one of a wedding party amongst ourselves in the present day4 ,but the point is not of primary importance4 ,from what is tacitly assumed in the narrative it may be held as demonstrated alternatively that either the king gave every guest the necessary garment1 or it was such that every guest1 even the poorest1 could on the shortest warning easily obtain it for himself4 ,two silences become the two witnesses out of whose mouths this conclusion is established1--the silence of the king as to the grounds of his sentence1 and the silence of the culprit when judgment was pronounced4 ,the judge does not give any reason why sentence should be executed1 and the criminal does not give any reason why it should not4 ,on both sides it is confessed and silently assumed that the guest had not1 but might have had1 the wedding-garment on4 ,if there had been any hardship in the case the king would have vindicated his own procedure1 and the condemned guest would not have remained speechless when he heard his doom4#dg #dg ,it should be assumed that the guests were not instantly hurried into the festal hall1 but that an opportunity was afforded to them of changing their dress4 ,this1 however1 is not expressly asserted in the narrative1 but may be gathered from the term ,greek3 ephimth 7he was speechless7 in ver4 #ab2 and must be understood on this account also1 that1 otherwise the sentence in ver4 #ac would stand exposed to the charge of injustice4--,storr1 de parabolis ,christi1 p4 #aac4 ,from the circumstances in which that motley company was collected and introduced into the palace1 we may safely conclude that no kind of clothing1 however torn and mean1 would have been counted a disqualification4 ,over the whole surface of the scene is spread the proof that nothing in the character or condition of the attire which a street porter or a field labourer might happen to wear1 when he was intercepted on the highway by the king's messengers1 and hurried away to the palace without an opportunity of visiting his own home1 could possibly have been a ground of exclusion4 ,when such persons in such circumstances were invited to the banquet1 assuredly the king was prepared to welcome them1 as far as dress was concerned1 precisely as his servants had found them4 ,no man forfeited his place at that table on account of any defect in the quality or condition of the clothing which he wore when he unexpectedly met the messengers and was suddenly hurried away to the feast4 ,thus far1 treading on firm ground1 we tread surely4 ,alike from the facts of the case1 from the analogy of others1 and from the corresponding spiritual lesson as elsewhere declared in ,scripture1 we conclude with confidence that the wedding garment was a well understood distinctive badge1 expressive generally of loyalty1 and specifically constituting and declaring the wearer's fitness for sitting as a guest at the marriage supper of the king's son4 ,in appearance it must have been conspicuous2 but its value may not have been great4 ,it was not the inherent worth of the material but the meaning of the symbol that bulked in the estimation of both the entertainer and his guests4 ,it may from analogous cases be shown to be probable that a loyal heart could have easily extemporized the appropriate symbol out of any material that lay next at hand4 ,where there is a will there is a way4 ,italian patriots at the crisis of their conflict with multiform oppression1 and while the strong yoke of the despot was still upon their necks1 contrived to display their darling tricolor by a seemingly accidental arrangement of red1 white1 and green among the vegetables which they exhibited in the market or carried to their homes4 ,nay more1 the loyalty of a loyal man may in certain circumstances be more emphatically expressed by a rude1 extemporaneous symbol1 hastily constructed of intractable materials1 than by the most elaborate and leisurely products of the needle or the loom4 ,in such cases1 the will of the man is everything2 the wealth of the man nothing4 ,the meanest rag suddenly thrown across the shoulders1 arranged so as unequivocally to express the wearer's faith may be a better evidence of loyalty than the richest silks of the ,east4#dh #dh ,a custom connected with funerals1 which prevails in some districts of ,england1 if not in all1 approaches closely in some of its essential features to that which occupies the most conspicuous place in this parable4 ,a scarf of black silk1 large1 conspicuous1 and expensive1 yet constituting no part of the proper garments of the wearer1 is given by the person who invites1 and worn by every one who accepts the invitation4 ,a single person without the badge in the procession would be instantly detected1 and the omission would1 in the circumstances1 be taken as proof of disrespect4 99 99 99 99 99 ,let us now endeavour to appreciate and express the spiritual lesson4 ,true to nature on the earthly sphere the parable represents the invitation1 the assembling of the guests1 and the entrance of the king1 as three several and successive acts2 but in the processes of the spiritual kingdom these three operations advance simultaneously4 ,some are in the act of hearing the invitation1--some are accepting it and going to the feast1--some are sitting at the table under the inspection of the king1--all at the same moment4 ,the process is like the habit of some species of fruit trees1 on which flowers1 green berries1 and ripe fruit may be seen at the same time2 the flowers of this season become the green berries of the next1 and the green berries of this season become the ripened fruit of the next2 and thus a constant succession is maintained4 ,in like manner1 as the generations pass1 all the processes of ,christ's kingdom are simultaneously carried forward4 ,the guests who have come at the call of the servants1 and taken their places at the table of the king1 are those who hear the ,gospel and fall in with its terms1--who adopt ,christ's name and enrol themselves among his people1--who hope in his mercy and commemorate his death4 ,herein they are broadly distinguished from those who made light of the message1 and those who persecuted the messengers2 but it is not yet certain whether they are forgiven and renewed4 ,the profession which they have made distinguishes them from those ,jews who refused the invitation1 and those ,gentiles who have not yet heard it2 but among those who thus far comply with the call1 another distinction must still be made4 ,that goodly heap must be tossed up and winnowed yet again1 that the chaff may be driven before the wind1 and only the wheat gathered into the husbandman's garner4 ,as in the parable1 we are not informed what were the shape1 size1 colour1 or material of the wedding garment1 but only that it was necessary that every guest should wear it2 so we do not find here any specific doctrinal instruction as to the method of redemption and the decisive characteristics of believers4 ,we learn from the parable that every sinner must simply comply with ,god's terms in order that he may be saved2 and elsewhere in ,scripture we are fully taught what these terms are4 ,an abundant answer to the question1 ,what must ,i do to be saved8 is recorded by the ,spirit3 the only point regarding it which this parable teaches1 is that a sinner must abandon his own method1 and fall in with ,christ's4 ,the meaning of the man who sat at the feast without a wedding garment seems to have been1 ,i am my own master1 and ,i shall work my own way to heaven3 the meaning of the men who meekly wore it was1 ,we are not our own2 we are bought with a price2 our righteousnesses are as filthy rags1 but the ,lord is our righteousness4 ,thus the lesson of the parable concentrates itself at last upon a point2 but that point is the turning-point of life or death to men4 ,is any one disposed to complain that it stakes all upon an opinion8 ,it does1 and why not8 ,one man's opinion is that his own righteousness1 especially when he has gotten time to improve it1 may be safely presented in the judgment1 and ought to satisfy the judge4 ,another man counts all his efforts vile1 as lacking the vital element of love1 and at ,god's command places his trust wholly in ,christ his substitute3 the first does deepest dishonour1 the second gives highest glory to ,god4 ,a man's opinion on a trifling subject1 may be of trifling import2 but a man's opinion--his mind on how he may be just with ,god1 is the greatest and most pregnant fact in creation4 ,opinion here is nothing less and nothing else than the attitude of a fallen creature towards his ,maker and ,judge3 one opinion is the alienated heart of a rebel1 another is the glad trustfulness of a dear child4 ,if the head of a ,hebrew family1 on the dread night of the ,exodus1 had said within himself1 ,what shall ,i gain by sprinkling a lamb's blood upon my door-posts8 ,or1 if a conspicuous mark be necessary1 may not the blood of this animal suffice1 that was killed for the use of my family in the ordinary way8 ,if moved by some self-confident speculations regarding the constancy of nature1 he had entered through the portals of the twilight into that awful night1 he would have perished while his neighbours were preserved3 not that a lamb's blood had power to save1 but because this man refused to take ,god's way of being saved1 and trusted in his own4#di #di ,i do not attach much value to the question which has been much canvassed here1 whether the wedding garment specifically signifies ,faith or ,charity1--whether it points to what the saved get from ,god1 or what they do in his service4 ,to wear the garment at the feast means that the wearer takes ,god's way of salvation and not his own2 to want it1 means that the wanter takes his own way of salvation and not ,god's4 ,this is the conclusion of the whole matter4 ,if you suppose that the garment means evangelical obedience1 you must assume that faith in ,christ is the root on which obedience grows2 if1 on the other hand1 you suppose that the garment means faith in ,christ1 you must assume that it is a living not a dead faith1--a faith that will work by love and overcome the world4 ,the rest may be expressed in few words4 ,he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment4 ,here1 first of all1 it is not intimated that ordinarily there is only one hypocrite in a large company of professors3 it is no part of the ,lord's design in this parable to tell us whether the false members of the visible ,church are many or few4 ,the single point on which the ,master has fixed his eye is the certainty that the false will be detected3 the parable does not reveal their numbers1 but it assures us that none of them shall escape in the crowd4 ,if the representation had been that a large proportion1 say a half or three-fourths of the guests1 had been detected at the table without the appropriate symbol of loving loyalty to the king1 the omniscience of the visitor1 and the certainty of the criminal's doom would not have been so clearly and strongly expressed4 ,that the king's eye instantly detects the undecorated guest1 although he is only one in a multitude1 is the most emphatic warning that could possibly be conveyed to the unbelieving4 ,none who live without ,christ in the world shall be permitted to glide into heaven with the crowd in the great day4 ,the constancy of nature is sometimes wielded as a weapon of assault against revealed religion3 it will one day strike a heavy blow on the other side4 ,when a mixture of wheat and chaff is thrown up in the wind1 the solid grains drop down on the spot1 and the light chaff is driven away4 ,you never expect1 in such a case1 that to please some fancy of yours1 the solid grain will fly away on the wings of the blast1 and the chaff drop down at your feet4 ,the constancy of nature prevents4 ,well2 by a law as constant and changeless--a law of the same ,god1 reigning over the world of spirit1 the wicked is driven away in his wickedness1 but the righteous hath hope in his death 7,prov4 xiv4 #cb74 ,he was speechless4 ,the judgment will be so conducted that the condemned will be compelled to own the justice of their sentence4 ,conscience1 brought again into contact with ,god1 will be awakened and restored to the exercise of its functions2 like a mirror it will receive and repeat the decree of the ,judge4 ,persecutors were wont to gag their victims while they burnt them2 it was found necessary to put iron on the tongues of the witnesses1 to make them silent while they suffered4 ,no such clumsy device is needed in the assize which the righteous ,god will hold upon the world4 ,conscience swelling within will stifle the complaint of the guilty4 ,the courage of the despiser will fail3 the last poor comfort of the blasphemer1 to hurl against the judgment seat the last despairing1 defiant word1 will be taken away4 ,the history of the fact written by divine prescience before the time1 makes no mention of what the condemned will say4 ,the record simply runs1 ,these shall go away into everlasting punishment4 ,outer darkness3 tell us in detail what the condition the outcast will be1 and what will be the constituents of their suffering8 ,we cannot4 ,rome has impiously traded upon this weakness of humanity4 ,she has parcelled out her purgatory1 as we delineate this upper world on a map4 ,this is the machinery whereby she is enabled to traffic in the souls of men4 ,no2 that condition lies in outer darkness2 ,i cannot see through the veil1 and tell the specific sufferings that lie beneath it4 ,my ,lord has told me that it is in outer darkness2 but he has covered it from my sight4 ,he hath done all things well4 ,he often warns us that the wicked shall be cast away2 but he never tells us the particulars of their torments4 ,for teaching about this terror let me listen to his word2 for safety from it1 let me hide in his bosom4 ,,the ,,ten ,,virgins ,,and ,,the ,,entrusted ,,talents4 ,,matt4 xxv4 #a-cj ,both historically and logically the two parables1 of the ten virgins and of the talents1 are connected and constitute a group3 in place they are contiguous1 and in nature they are reciprocally complements of each other1 making together a complete whole4 ,de ,valenti has by a happy generalization placed their relations in an interesting and instructive light4 ,he points out that there are two kinds of almost-,christians1 the bustling labourers1 and the mystic-dreamers4 ,one class tries to live on works without faith1 and the other on faith without works4 ,from opposite causes both efforts fail4 ,the parable of the ten virgins addresses its warning to the ,almost-,christianity which is all body with no spirit2 and the parable of the talents addresses its warning to the ,almost-,christianity which is all spirit with no body4 ,these constitute a pair2 or rather they are the right and left sides of one living lesson4 ,both represent the character and condition of the ,church and its members1 while they wait for the coming of the ,lord2 both apply decisive tests to a seemly profession1 and thereby separate between the true and the false3 but they differ in that the first searches the heart1 and the second examines the life4 ,the first test detects the want of secret faith2 the second the want of active obedience4 ,the parable of the ten virgins prepares and throws into the mass of ,christian profession a solvent which serves to determine whether and where there is life in the ,lord2 the parable of the entrusted talents prepares and throws into the mass of ,christian profession a solvent which serves to determine whether and where there is life for the ,lord4 ,these two1--the inward grace of faith and the outward life of obedience1 constitute the two sides1--the right and left of the new man4 ,to that new man as a whole both parables alike refer2 but the one touches him for testing on the right side1 and the other on the left4 ,the first tests his works by his faith1 and the second tests his faith by his works4 ,the first goes directly to the root and inquires whether the tree is good or bad2 thus determining what the character of the fruit must be2 the second goes first to the fruit1 and by its sweetness or bitterness ascertains the character of the tree4 ,the parable of the ten virgins speaketh on this wise1--,if there be true faith in the heart1 there will be active obedience in the life3 the parable of the talents speaketh on this wise1--,if there be active obedience in the life1 there must be a root of faith unseen whereon that good fruit grows4 ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,ten ,,virgins4 ,then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins1 which took their lamps1 and went forth to meet the bridegroom4 ,and five of them were wise1 and five were foolish4 ,they that were foolish took their lamps1 and took no oil with them3 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps4 ,while the bridegroom tarried1 they all slumbered and slept4 ,and at midnight there was a cry made1 ,behold1 the bridegroom cometh2 go ye out to meet him4 ,then all those virgins arose1 and trimmed their lamps4 ,and the foolish said unto the wise1 ,give us of your oil2 for our lamps are gone out4 ,but the wise answered1 saying1 ,not so2 lest there be not enough for us and you3 but go ye rather to them that sell1 and buy for yourselves4 ,and while they went to buy1 the bridegroom came2 and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage3 and the door was shut4 ,afterward came also the other virgins1 saying1 ,lord1 ,lord1 open to us4 ,but he answered and said1 ,verily ,i say unto you1 ,i know you not4--,,matt4 xxv4 #a-ab4 ,here is one of the larger and grander pictures in this gallery of various glory4 ,it is sublime in its ample outline1 and exquisitely tender in its details4 ,it is charged with many precious lessons1 which flow freely at the gentlest touch2 and it is cruel to put it to the torture to compel it to give meanings which it never received from its author4 ,the painful search for precisely identical customs in eastern countries and ancient times is here1 for the most part1 unnecessary and unprofitable4 ,the usages incidentally photographed in such a parable as this are indeed true sections of the place and the time1 but others1 agreeing in general character though differing in detail1 might have been substituted in perfect consistency with the circumstances4 ,there is some elasticity even in ,oriental manners4 ,it is not probable that all marriages were conducted on precisely the same plan4 ,there might1 for aught ,i know1 be a difference between a wedding among the rich and a wedding among the poor1 and another difference between the method of celebrating a marriage in the city and the country1--in ,galilee and ,judea4 ,in examining analogous cases1 ,i would look for similarity of style rather than identity of individual features4 ,looking on the parable of the ten virgins as a grand original1 ,i don't trouble myself with the work of hunting for corroboration of its truth or explanations of its meaning in the form of identical observances recorded in other books4 ,the more important portion of the nuptial ceremonies were performed at night4 ,they consisted in a great measure of processions along the road and festivals within the dwelling4 ,the out-door part of the pageant is of course conducted by torch-light4 ,a small cup1 filled with rags and resin1 is affixed to a rod1 that it may be held aloft4 ,at the proper time the rags are lighted1 and the flame is fed from time to time by pouring oil into the cup4 ,each processionist carries such a lamp1 and the many separate lights dancing and crossing each other1 and changing places as the bearers advance on the undulating and tortuous path1 impart great liveliness to the joyful nocturnal scene4 ,from the nature of the case there must be two successive processions1 one in which the bridegroom with his friends goes for the bride to her father's house1 and another in which bride and bridegroom1 together with the friends of both families1 march to the future home of the married pair4 ,there was more or less of ceremonial and feasting in either mansion4 ,it is not certainly known1 and the knowledge would not be important although it were obtained1 whether the principal feast was held in the home of the bride's father or in that of the bridegroom4 ,it is probable that the practice in this matter varied according to the wealth of the parties and the capacities of the several mansions4 ,in one case the father of the bride1 and in another the bridegroom1 might possess the more commodious dwelling1 and be more able1 in virtue of ampler resources1 to entertain the company4 ,i am not aware that there is any ascertained law or habit of the places and times demanding that the principal feast should be always given by the father or by the bridegroom4 ,in this case there is nothing in the narrative that determines with certainty whether the bridegroom1 when the ten virgins waited for him1 was on his way for the bride to her father's house or with her to his own4 ,on the whole1 the balance of probability inclines to the side of those who think that this is the procession coming for the bride rather than the procession returning with her4 ,the particular expression1 ,the bridegroom cometh1 among other circumstances1 points in this direction4 ,lange's conception commends itself as probable that the virgins are in some sense representatives of the bride1 that they go forth to meet the bridegroom1 that he has come from afar1 and that some unexpected delays have occurred on the journey4 ,the house whose door was shut ere the foolish five came up was obviously the house in which the grand marriage festival was held3 to be shut out of that house was to be shut out from the marriage4 ,when the curtain rises and the scene is first displayed1 we behold ten young women1 adorned according to the fashion of the time1 lingering in a group by the wayside at night in the warm climate of ,palestine4 ,they may have been the young companions of the bride1 a selected ten1 specially invited to meet the bridegroom on the way1 and enter with him into the festal hall1--a group in character and constituents closely corresponding to the bridesmaids at our marriage feasts1--or they may have been the daughters of neighbouring families1 sent by their parents1 or going of their own accord1 in compliance with the custom of the place1 to offer a tribute of respect and affection to the bride and bridegroom on their marriage-day4 ,this feature of the scene1 although in itself subordinate and incidental1 derives great importance from the subsequent development of the parable3 it becomes the hinge on which the lesson turns4 ,from the circumstance that a portion of the company neither came with the bridegroom nor waited in the house for his arrival1 but went out to meet him1 all the tender and solemn teaching of this parable has sprung4#ej #ej ,the closest analogue that ,i know of the fact which plays so great a part in the structure of this scriptural lesson may be found in a custom which prevails at funerals in the rural districts of ,scotland4 ,when the distance between the house of the deceased and the cemetery is considerable1 a common1 perhaps ,i should say a uniform1 practice is1 that those friends of the mourning family who reside in the neighbourhood of the burying place assemble in a group at a convenient turning of the road1 and wait till the funeral procession reaches the spot2 they then silently fall into their places and follow the corpse to the grave4 ,i like the analogy none the less that it is taken1 not from a time of mirth1 but from a time of weeping4 ,the two cases coincide in all their features except one4 ,in either example we have an occasion of absorbing interest to one family1 and the sympathy of neighbours expressed by means of large assemblies and public processions4 ,in a minor but characteristic feature there is an exact coincidence1--a portion of the sympathizing neighbours wait for the main body at a point on the path and fall into the line of march from that spot to the terminus4 ,that the one is a joyful and the other a mournful group enhances rather than diminishes the value of the comparison4 ,waiting long without employment1 the group of maidens would stand1 and sit1 and recline by turns4 ,each holds a tiny torch in her hand1 or has laid it on the ground by her side4 ,as the night wears on1 the conversation that had at first been animated1 gradually dies away1 and one by one the wearied damsels drop over into snatches of slumber4 ,before midnight they have all sunk into a continuous sleep4 ,at midnight a cry arose1 apparently from some more wakeful watcher in the neighbourhood1 ,behold the ,bridegroom cometh2 go ye out to meet him4 ,at this alarm the whole band awake simultaneously and spring to their feet4 ,each maiden hastily snatches up her torch2 not one of them burns brightly now2 some are flickering low1 and some are altogether extinguished4 ,in a moment1 all those nimble young hands begin to ply the work of trimming the expired or expiring lamps4 ,all alike are able to touch them skilfully1 but the main want with every lamp is a new supply of oil4 ,some can supply that want at the moment on the spot1 while others cannot4 ,those who had brought from home a supply of oil in separate vessels1 found it easy to make the flame of their torches burn up as brightly as ever2 but those who had neglected to provide such a supply could not with all their efforts revive the dead or dying light4 ,give us1 said the five improvident maidens1 give us of your oil1 for our lamps are gone out4 ,the more thoughtful1 and therefore more fortunate watchers1 while they pitied their sisters1 were afraid to part with any portion of their own stores1 lest they should be left in the same hapless condition ere the procession should close3 ,go to them that sell1 and buy for yourselves4 ,alas1 this was now the only alternative6 ,away went those foolish virgins at the dead of night on the hopeless errand of buying oil for immediate use in the shops of the neighbouring town4 ,the folly1 however1 lay not in this latest act2 this was now their only resource4 ,the foolish deed was done in the day time1 and before the cry arose1 ,behold the bridegroom cometh4 ,as soon as the foolish five had gone1 the procession came up1 and they that were ready fell into their places4 ,the new accession1 each bearing a flaming torch aloft1 increased the grandeur of the scene4 ,when the company reached the house1 they all entered with the bridegroom1 and the door was shut4 ,some time afterwards the five who had gone away in search of oil1 returned and pleaded for admission2 but they pleaded in vain4 ,within the house the glad festival went forward2 but those who came too late were not admitted4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the story at its close is indebted for its deep pathos1 not to anything inherent in itself1 but to the sublime lesson which it conveys4 ,the ,lord's great parable1 like the ,lord's great apostle1 is weak and contemptible in its bodily presence2 but the letters in which it writes its meaning are like his1 weighty and powerful4 ,a few country girls arriving too late for a marriage1 and being therefore excluded from the festival1 is not in itself a great event3 but ,i know not any words in human language that teach a more piercing lesson than the conclusion of this similitude4 ,the frame is constructed of common materials2 the sublimity lies in the spiritual truth which that frame sustains4 ,this conception1 like that of the hen gathering her chickens under her wing1 seems so common and so common-place1 that we would not have ventured in dignified discourse to employ it2 in the hands of ,jesus the similitude becomes at once tender and terrible in the highest degree4 ,at his word the world sprang from nothing2 we need not be surprised to find that under his touch small things become great4 ,i think no symbolic character should be attributed to the virgins1 as such1 in the interpretation of the parable2 it is when they take their lamps and go forth to meet the bridegroom that they first acquire a spiritual significance4 ,the whole group represent that portion of any community who hear the ,gospel1 accept its terms1 and profess to be the disciples of ,christ4 ,the sincerity and depth of their profession will be tested afterwards2 but in the meantime1 both in their own opinion and that of their neighbours1 they are all alike ,christians4 ,the structure of the parable required virgins in this place1 in order that the picture might be true to nature2 in the customs apparently of all times and all countries1 this position at a marriage feast is assigned to young unmarried women4 ,the ancient practice of the ,east is1 in its essential features1 reproduced among ourselves from day to day in the troop of virgins1 dressed in white1 who attend the bride on her bridal day4 ,i cannot acquiesce in the view of those who see in the special condition of these watchers a symbol of the purity which becomes the followers of ,christ1 for ,i find1 as ,i read onward in the parable1 that while the ten were in respect to condition all equal1 in as far as they represent spiritual relations1 five are symbols of sincerity1 and five are symbols of deceit4 ,the condition of virgins which was common to all1 cannot1 without complete confusion of ideas1 be made1 within the compass of the same allegory1 to signify both the true and the false4 ,from the procession of virgins1 therefore1 ,i obtain no more than ,i would have obtained from a procession of men or matrons1 if the habits of society had permitted such a representation to have been made4#ea #ea ,lange's view on this point seems sound and consistent2 while both ,olshausen and ,stier endeavour with much pain but little fruit1 to prove that the foolish represent true but defective disciples4 ,one part of the ,church is living1 while the other lives only in appearance1 because it lives only to appearance4--,lange4 ,they took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom2 this represents an open1 intelligent1 and seemly profession of faith in ,christ4 ,as all the lamps burned at first with equal brightness1 and no suspicion of a defect occurred either to the wise or the unwise1 we learn that the profession which never had life may appear so well favoured for a time1 that neither the false professor nor his converted neighbour may be aware of its shallowness4 ,to meet the bridegroom2 the parable and the discourse which precedes it1 bear upon ,christ's second coming1 and the attitude1 which becomes his disciples in prospect of that decisive event4 ,they who have been washed in his blood love his appearing4 ,no difference between class and class was as yet manifest2 but already the causes which subsequently wrought the separation had begun to operate in secret1 and here accordingly they are recorded by the ,lord2 five of them were wise1 and five of them were foolish4 ,i stand in awe of this dividing word4 ,while the whole band take part in the loyal exodus1 and all seem equal in zeal and love1 the ,searcher of hearts already perceives and pronounces that some of them are wise unto salvation1 and some are so foolish that they are throwing away their souls4 ,that same ,lord looks on the ten thousand times ten thousand who in our times go out to meet the bridegroom4 ,there is not a more grand or a more beautiful spectacle on earth than a great assembly reverently worshipping ,god together4 ,no line visible to human eye divides into two parts the goodly company2 yet the goodly company is divided into two parts4 ,the ,lord reads our character1 and marks our place4 ,the ,lord knoweth them that are his1 and them also that are not his1 in every assembly of worshippers4 ,the distinguishing feature is now specifically set down1--the wise carried each a separate vessel containing a supply of oil1 that they might keep the flame of their lamps alive1 however long the bridegroom might tarry3 the foolish1 satisfied that their lamps were burning at the moment1 laid in no supply for future need4 ,this is the turning-point of the parable1 and in the light of subsequent events its spiritual import may be determined with precision and certainty4 ,the oil in the lamp1 and the flame which it sustained1 indicate a seemly ,christian profession2 this the virgins all possessed1 and all alike4 ,the quality that tested and divided them1 lay not in the burning lamps but in the supply vessels4 ,the oil1 whether employed to anoint a person or to feed a flame1 represents1 in ,old ,testament typology1 the ,holy ,spirit4 ,that which the wise virgins carried in their vessels1 as distinguished from that which burned in their lamps1 points to the ,spirit as a spirit of grace and supplication dwelling in a believer's heart4 ,all experienced convictions1 and made profession1 as is indicated by the lamps lighted and borne aloft2 but some had nothing more than convictions and professions1 while others had passed from death unto life and had gotten their life1 through the ,spirit's ministry1 hid with ,christ in ,god4 ,this will more fully appear as we proceed stage by stage with the interpretation4 ,the bridegroom tarried4 ,for a special purpose1 the ,lord represents that the bridegroom lingered till a much later hour than that at which the virgins expected him4 ,the disciples1 during their ,master's ministry and long afterwards1 cherished a belief that the coming of the ,lord and the end of the world would take place in their own generation4 ,this expectation was1 in its literal sense1 incorrect2 but it could not be corrected by an explicit announcement that for more than a thousand years all things should continue as they were2 for such an intimation would have destroyed the expectant watchfulness which in the circumstances was salutary and even necessary4 ,by that watchfulness the ,christians of the immediately succeeding generation escaped the disasters which befell the ,jews at the destruction of ,jerusalem1 and by it believers in subsequent times were kept more loose to the world and more close to ,christ4 ,in this parable1 however1 and elsewhere in the ,scriptures1 prophecies are recorded1 which events subsequently explained1--prophecies which showed the ,christians of a later age that while their ,lord desires to keep them in an expectant attitude through all generations1 his intention from the beginning was to permit a long period to intervene between his ascension and his return4 ,the preparation which ,christ desires and true ,christians attain1 pertains more to the inner spirit than to the anticipation of the external advent4 ,while the bridegroom tarried1 they all slumbered and slept4 ,at this point many interpreters endeavour to grasp a lesson regarding the tendency of even true disciples to slumber sinfully at their post1 like their worldly neighbours4 ,the lesson is in itself good1 and comes readily to hand1 but it is not taught in this text4 ,calvin has correctly conceived and clearly expressed the meaning of the sleep that oppressed the waiting virgins2 it intimates the necessity that lies on all of going down into the ordinary affairs of this life4 ,disciples in the body cannot be occupied always and only with the expectation of their ,lord's appearing4 ,sleep and food1 family and business1 make demands on them as well as on others1--demands which they cannot and should not resist4 ,if the coming of the bridegroom be delayed till midnight1 the virgins must slumber2 this is not a special weakness of individuals1 it is the common necessity of nature4 ,so1 when life is lengthened in the body1 we must attend to the affairs of this world4 ,the coming of the ,son of man may surprise one at his farm and another at his merchandise1 but it does not follow1 on that account1 that it will surprise them unprepared4 ,now and then in the history of the ,church a ,christian has been found dead in his closet and on his knees4 ,a few years ago1 in a rural district of ,scotland1 an elder who was leading the devotions of a district prayer-meeting suddenly ceased to speak1--ceased in the middle of a sentence1 in the middle of a prayer4 ,the worshippers opened their eyes1 and observed that his head and breast leant heavily on the desk2 they approached and found him dead4 ,at the moment when the bridegroom came this watcher was wide awake1 standing on tiptoe1 and straining forward to catch the first glimpse of the glory that should herald his approach4 ,when the bridegroom came this watcher went out to meet him1 and went in with him to the feast3 safe and happy he1 but not he only4 ,on the other side we hear sometimes of a merchant who died in his counting-house1 his ledger1 not the ,bible1 the last book he had read2 of a miner killed in an instant by an explosion while he was picking coals in the bowels of the earth2 of a soldier falling on a battle-field1 while his right hand raised the sword to strike a foe2 these were all slumbering and off guard when the bridegroom came4 ,what of them8 were they all shut out8 ,nay1 verily4 ,some of them were shut out1 and some were let in1 according as they were carnal or spiritual when the decisive moment came4 ,the new creature in ,christ1 who is surprised amid the toils of his daily calling1 goes as safely into rest as his brother of the same family who is summoned over in the very act of prayer4 ,the five wise virgins were stretched on the ground asleep1 with their lamp fires dead or dying1 when the cry arose1 ,behold the bridegroom cometh1 and yet there was no surprise1 and no damage4 ,although they were only awakened by his coming1 they were ready to meet him when he came1 and to enter with him into his rest4 ,when the cry was heard all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps4 ,when life is closing behind1 and eternity opening before us1 we are all aroused4 ,every one who has a lamp hastens then to examine its condition and stimulate its flame3 all who have borne ,christ's name search themselves to see whether they are ready for his presence4 ,there is no visible distinction at this stage between those who have only a name that they live1 and those who have attained also the new nature3 all bestir themselves to examine the ground of their hope1 and the state of their preparation4 ,at this point the decisive difference which existed in secret long before emerges into view4 ,the foolish virgins1 having no oil in separate vessels1 could not keep the flame of their lamps any longer alive4 ,both classes had a profession2 the formalists had a profession and nothing more4 ,finding in the hour of their extremity that they had neglected their souls while the day of grace was running1 they make a piteous appeal to believing neighbours for help1 ,give us of your oil1 for our lamps are gone out4 ,how true to nature is this picture6 ,he who draws it knows what is in man4 ,how fondly the empty1 in such a crisis1 lean on the full4 ,alas1 even the full is but a little vessel filled by ,christ4 ,that vessel is not a spring2 this saved sinner is not a saviour of sinners4 ,he has gotten from his ,lord all that himself needs2 but he cannot supply a neighbour's want4 ,brother1 if the call come to you while you are not in ,christ reconciled and renewed1 though all the saints in heaven and earth stood weeping at your bedside they could not save you4 ,if you neglect the ,son of ,god while he stands at the door and knocks1 in vain will you apply to a godly neighbour1 after the day of grace is done4 ,taking into view generally the intimate relations which subsisted among that group of maidens1 and in particular the unselfish tenderness which must have characterized the wiser five1 we should expect to learn that they had generously resolved1 at all hazards1 to share their oil to the last drop with their unfortunate companions4 ,but this1 though consonant with nature in the external body of the parable1 would have been incongruous with the spiritual truth which the parable has been framed to convey4 ,in the structure of the parable provision is made for defining sharply the spiritual lesson1 even at the expense of some measure of harshness left on one feature of the story4 ,true ,christians cannot impart a share of the grace that dwells in their own hearts to deluded formalists in their departing hour4 ,on the spiritual side such a distinction cannot be made1 and therefore the ,master represents the wise virgins as distinctly and peremptorily refusing to share their store of oil with their improvident companions4#eb #eb ,they turn themselves to the wise1 whom1 perhaps1 they had lately laughed at1 with the prayer3 ,give us of your oil1 for our lamps are gone out4 ,they betake themselves1 if they are ,catholics1 to the dead saints1 if they are ,protestants1 to the living1 whom they have been accustomed to revere as their guides on account of their wisdom and grace1 and plead1 ,help us1 comfort us1 pray for us1 that we may be brought into a state of grace4 ,in vain4 ,they answer3 ,not so1 lest there be not enough for us and you4 ,what you desire is impossible4 ,none of us has any surplus merit out of which he could give a portion to another4--,arndt1 ii4 #agg4 ,go to them that sell1 and buy for yourselves4 ,the advice was the best that in the circumstances could be given4 ,the mention of them that sell calls up all the scene of the preceding day4 ,oil was plentiful in the town2 the five wise virgins having gone by daylight to the stores with their vessels1 had experienced no difficulty in obtaining a supply4 ,the same method was open to the rest3 they failed to secure a store in the daytime1 and then they tried in vain to make good the deficiency at midnight1 after the merchants had retired to rest4 ,this feature of the parable intimates that those who are found destitute at the coming of the ,lord1 enjoyed their day and their opportunity1 but neglected them3 they allowed the day of mercy to run out1 and cried frantically for mercy after the merciful ,saviour had wearied waiting and gone away4 ,while the foolish virgins are absent on this errand1 the bridegroom comes up4 ,they that are ready go in with him to the wedding1 and the door is shut4 ,christ calls away his own at some midnight hour when they are off their guard2 but though surprised1 they are not hurt4 ,the five wise virgins were asleep when the approach of the bridegroom was announced1 and yet they were ready to meet him4 ,their safety resulted not from their fluttering activity at that moment in the trimming of the lamps1 but from their wise foresight on the preceding day4 ,the salvation of a soul depends not on frightened earnestness in the moment of departure1 but on faith's calm closing with ,christ1 before the moment of departure comes4 ,in the vessels of the wise there was store of oil1 and it was easy for them at any time or place to refresh the fading fire of the torches which they bore4 ,deep in the hearts of those disciples dwelt the spirit of ,christ1 and the light of their profession which had shone brightly in a time of ease1 burst into greater brightness in the hour of their extremity4 ,an abundant entrance was administered to them1--an entrance into the joy of their ,lord4 ,the door was shut6 ,suffering1 sorrowing believers1 do you hear the clang of that closing gate6 ,be of good cheer1 disciples2 when your ,lord and you go in1 the door is shut behind you1 and nothing shall enter that defileth4 ,heaven is for the holy1 and for them alone2 if it were open for all it would not be heaven4 ,the foolish virgins went away after midnight to seek a supply of oil2 but we are not informed whether or not they obtained it4 ,the omission is significant2 this word of ,jesus gives no encouragement to delay in the matter of the soul's salvation2 not a ray of hope is permitted to burst through the gloom that shrouds these hapless wanderers4 ,the sole lesson of the parable is a simple1 sublime warning that sinners should close with ,christ now1 lest they should be left to invoke his name in vain at the hour of their departure4 ,this parable is a voice from an open heaven promising all grace now1 but refusing to promise any then4 ,they came afterwards to the door and cried bitterly for admission1 but the ,lord answered from within1 ,i know you not4 ,as the omniscient he knew them2 he was acquainted with all their ways4 ,he knew them1 for they had crucified him afresh by their neglect4 ,but he did not know them1 as he knew the poor bashful woman who crept near in the crowd and by her touch drew saving grace from his overflowing heart2 he did not know them by feeling their weight1 like ,john's1 leaning on his breast4#ec #ec ,the concluding application is well expressed by ,arndt3--,perhaps the breaking heart grasps at the ,bible2 it has only spikes and nails1 but no balm of consolation4 ,perhaps the dying man calls in those who have the care of souls2 the words of comfort slide over the ears1 while the ,holy ,spirit seals none of them upon the heart4 ,perhaps he partakes of the ,holy ,supper3 ah1 the feast is to him not a feast of blessings1 but an eating of judgment4 ,perhaps he prays to the ,lord himself3 the ,lord answers1 ,i know you not4 ,oh1 it is sad to be so near heaven1 and yet to be lost--to be almost saved1 and yet altogether lost4 ,were it not the ,lord who speaks here1 ,jesus ,christ1 the ,life ,eternal1 the ,judge of the living and the dead1 our feeling would be mightily to resist the terrible conclusion of this parable1 which cuts all and every hope clean away1 and leaves not an ,if or a ,but behind1 nor any other possible interpretation4 ,but he speaks2 and before his words every mouth is silent in fear and adoration4 ,he writes into our breast1 with a glowing iron pen1 the warning word--therefore watch1 c4 ,short is life2 fleeting is time2 quick is death2 long is eternity4 ,therefore what thou desirest to do1 do it quickly4--,gleichnisse4 ,after the parable is finished the marrow of its meaning is given in one short sentence by the ,lord3 ,watch therefore1 for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the ,son of man cometh4 ,let us take heed here1 lest after all the pains we have bestowed on this scripture1 we should miss the portion for ourselves with which it is charged4 ,this parable was not spoken for the purpose of kindling an agony of repentance in the hour of death4 ,it describes a sudden call1 and an eager upstarting1 and a fruitless effort1 and a right prayer uttered too late1 and final rejection1 and a fearful doom1--but it reveals this dreadful close of a life1 in order to show us what we should be and do before the close of life comes on4 ,the end of the foolish five is unveiled in order that we may be wise unto salvation in the beginning of our days4 ,the lighthouse reared on a sunken reef flings its lurid glare far through a stormy air and over a stormy sea1 not to teach the mariner how to act with vigour when he is among the breakers1 but to warn him back1 so that he may never fall among the breakers at all4 ,even so1 the end of the lost is revealed in the word of ,god1 not to urge us to utter a very loud cry when the door is shut1 but to compel us to enter now while the door is open4 ,behold ,i stand at the door and knock4 ,his word to-day runs1 ,soul1 soul1 open for me3 if that tender plea is echoed back from your closed heart in a beseeching ,saviour's face to-day1 your cry1 ,lord1 ,lord1 open to me will come back to you in empty echoes from a closed heaven4 ,the foolish five came to the door only a little too late1 but it was not a little damage that they suffered thereby4 ,in the matter of fleeing to take refuge in ,christ1 to be late by a little is the loss of all4 ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,entrusted ,,talents4 ,for the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country1 who called his own servants1 and delivered unto them his goods4 ,and unto one he gave five talents1 to another two1 and to another one2 to every man according to his several ability2 and straightway took his journey4 ,then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same1 and made them other five talents4 ,and likewise he that had received two1 he also gained other two4 ,but he that had received one went and digged in the earth1 and hid his lord's money4 ,after a long time the lord of those servants cometh1 and reckoneth with them4 ,and so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents1 saying1 ,lord1 thou deliveredst unto me five talents3 behold1 ,i have gained beside them five talents more4 ,his lord said unto him1 ,well done1 thou good and faithful servant2 thou hast been faithful over a few things1 ,i will make thee ruler over many things3 enter thou into the joy of thy lord4 ,he also that had received two talents came and said1 ,lord1 thou deliveredst unto me two talents3 behold1 ,i have gained two other talents beside them4 ,his lord said unto him1 ,well done1 good and faithful servant2 thou hast been faithful over a few things1 ,i will make thee ruler over many things3 enter thou into the joy of thy lord4 ,then he which had received the one talent came and said1 ,lord1 ,i knew thee that thou art an hard man1 reaping where thou hast not sown1 and gathering where thou hast not strawed3 and ,i was afraid1 and went and hid thy talent in the earth3 lo1 there thou hast that is thine4 ,his lord answered and said unto him1 ,thou wicked and slothful servant1 thou knewest that ,i reap where ,i sowed not1 and gather where ,i have not strawed3 thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers1 and then at my coming ,i should have received mine own with usury4 ,take therefore the talent from him1 and give it unto him which hath ten talents4 ,for unto every one that hath shall be given1 and he shall have abundance3 but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath4 ,and cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness3 there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth4--,,matt4 xxv4 #ad-cj4 ,the owner of a large property has occasion to leave the country for a time and reside in a foreign land4 ,his possessions1 consisting of his own servants and his goods1 must necessarily be left in the country1 and naturally he considers how he may so dispose of them during the interval that they may yield to him the largest profit at his return4 ,two distinct principles were open to his choice corresponding to the methods of day's-wages and piece-work in modern social economics2 he might either confide to his servants generally the management of his estate1 and give them wages according to time1 or give each a certain amount of capital1 to be exclusively at his own disposal1 promising to reward him according to his diligence and success4 ,the latter method is obviously the one which contains a spring within itself constantly urging to diligence4 ,with a set of slaves who are ignorant1 degraded1 and suspicious1 this plan would not be practicable1 but if the men possess a certain amount of moral principle1 self-reliance1 and intelligence1 it is safest and best4 ,the master accordingly1 counting on the good-will and honesty of his dependants1 frankly entrusts each with a certain amount of capital1 graduated according to their capacity for business4 ,nothing is said in the record regarding the terms of the compact1 but it is implied that these were clearly understood between the parties4 ,the money was given in order that it might be laid out to the best advantage1 primarily for the owner's interest1 and secondarily for the due remuneration of the faithful servant4 ,this practice was carried to a great extent among the ,romans2 the owner of a skilful slave could make a greater profit by giving scope to the man's energies than by confining him forcibly to menial occupation4 ,it is by no means necessary to determine the precise character of the bond which united the servant to his master in this case4 ,the circumstances of the parable will suit equally the supposition of absolute right on the part of the master and a voluntary contract between him and his servant for a limited time4 ,whatever may have been the amount of service due to the master at the time of his departure1--whether the whole life and energy of a slave1 or a limited quantity of work from a servant1--that service was his property1 and he desired to turn it to the best account4 ,two of the servants traded with the capital entrusted to their charge and doubled it ere the master returned2 one from a morbid dread of his master's severity1 coupled with indolence in his personal habits1 hid the money in the ground1 thereby deliberately sacrificing his master's profit in order that himself might incur no risk4 ,the two who had successfully traded were commended and rewarded2 the one who allowed his talent to lie idle was condemned and punished for his unfruitfulness1 although no positive dishonesty was laid to his charge4#ed #ed ,for the relation between the talents and the pounds1 see the exposition of the latter parable1--the last of the series4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we are now ready to proceed with the exposition4 ,the proprietor who went abroad represents ,christ at the close of his ministry on earth leaving his disciples and ascending to heaven4 ,his continued presence spiritually with his people is not inconsistent with this representation1 for our parable deals with the bodily and the visible4 ,his own servants1 whom he called1 like the ten virgins who went out to meet the bridegroom1 represent the whole number of those who are called by his name and seem to be his disciples4 ,the delivery of the master's goods to these servants intimates that the ,lord gives to every member of the visible ,church all his faculties and opportunities4 ,in this distribution different amounts are consigned to different persons4 ,here the representation obviously accords with the fact3 of time1 of intellect1 of health1 of learning1 of wealth1 scarcely any two persons possess a precisely equal portion4 ,there is a clause here generally overlooked by expositors1 but which must be intended to express some feature of importance1--to every one according to his several ability4 ,we can easily understand it as it occurs in the story3 the master1 at the moment of his departure1 graduated his gifts according to the abilities and acquirements of the servants that he might not throw a great responsibility on a weak man1 or leave a man of vigour only half employed4 ,what doctrine does this feature represent8 ,probably that1 while all the gifts that a man possesses are bestowed by ,god1 some1 such as bodily constitution and mental capacity are conferred by ,god as governor of the world2 while others are subsequently conferred by the ,lord ,jesus as the king and head of the ,church4 ,i am inclined to understand these latter gifts by the goods which the master bestowed on the eve of his departure2 these gifts are in some way proportioned to the faculties of the receiver1 so that one may not be oppressed and another left with inadequate occupation4 ,the one who received most and the one who received a medium amount of gifts and opportunities proved both faithful1 and both faithful alike4 ,although the first did absolutely more for ,christ and the world than the second1 both were equally diligent and faithful according to their means4 ,examples both of the likeness and the difference occur by hundreds day by day before our eyes4 ,a disciple with greater and a disciple with smaller endowments labour in the ,lord's work with equal love1 but the amount of fruit is greater where greater gifts and graces have been received and employed4 ,we shall learn soon how the two cases are treated at the master's return1 but in the meantime we have observed what the two cases are4 ,the servant who had received one talent went and digged in the earth1 and hid his lord's money4 ,the meaning of his conduct and its result we shall discover more fully when we reach the record of the reckoning2 at present1 and in general1 we may understand that this man made no effort to serve his lord1 but devoted himself exclusively to one aim1--that he might be able to stand at last on the plea that he had at least done his lord no harm4 ,these three examples are obviously given in order to cover all cases3 they represent an indefinite and all but infinite variety in the measure of the gifts4 ,two are represented to have been diligent and only one indolent1 but no information is thereby given regarding the proportions of mankind in general or within the ,church who shall be found faithful in the great day4 ,two cases were required in order to show that1 where the diligence of the workers is equal1 the result may1 in quantity1 be unequal2 and a third case was required to show that1 besides some who lack the power to do much1 there are some who lack the will to do anything at all2 the numbers have no other meaning4 ,another very important question is suggested here1--,what is meant by the representation that the person who possessed only one talent became unfaithful1 rather than the person who possessed two1 or the person who possessed five8 ,it is precisely analogous to the representation contained in another parable that one man1 and not ten or twenty1 came to the marriage-feast without a marriage garment4 ,most certainly it does not mean that those who have few talents are more liable to be unfaithful than those who have many2 and yet something is gained by making the servant who had received one talent rather than the servant who had received five1 the example of unfaithfulness4 ,it does not mean1 ,if you have only one talent you will be unfaithful2 but it does mean1 ,although you have only one talent1 you will be condemned for unfaithfulness if you do not employ it4 ,the lesson is much more emphatically given than if the servant who received five talents had proved unfaithful4 ,much of the master's property was entrusted to him3 if he had permitted it to lie waste1 and been punished accordingly1 it might have been supposed that the essence of the guilt lay in the largeness of the loss4 ,as it is faithfulness1 without regard to the amount of capital at stake1 that determines the sentence of approval2 so it is unfaithfulness1 without regard to the amount involved1 that determines the sentence of condemnation4 ,he who has least is bound to serve the ,lord with what he has2 and if he serve the ,lord faithfully with little1 he will be honoured and rewarded1 while those who had greater gifts1 but less diligence1 will be cast out4 ,every one possesses some talents4 ,he who has bestowed them expects that we shall diligently improve them4 ,he has departed1 but he desires that we should act as in his presence4 ,in this respect he is never absent--,lo1 ,i am with you alway4 ,now is the time for laying out our gifts in the ,lord's service2 for it will be too late to begin1 in terror1 when he comes to judgment4 ,after a long time the ,lord of those servants cometh and reckoneth with them 7ver4 #ai74 ,the time is not long in the account of the ,lord himself3 his latest warning to the ,church is1 ,behold ,i come quickly2 and with him a thousand years are as one day4 ,nor is the time long to ungodly men2 for in such an hour as they think not1 the ,son of man cometh4 ,at whatever time he comes1 he comes too soon for them who would give all the world1 if it were theirs1 that he should not come at all4 ,but to the true disciples of ,christ1 especially in times of persecution1 the period of his absence has often appeared long3 they have often borrowed the unbeliever's cry1 ,where is the promise of his coming8 and used it with a new significance4 ,but to saints and sinners1 whether they long for his presence or loathe it1 he certainly will come at length4 ,the two who had received from their ,lord unequal gifts1 and had laid them out with equal faithfulness1 give in their account with joy4 ,they are equally approved2 and either is rewarded with the fruit of his own diligence4 ,the case of the unfaithful one1 in accordance with the obvious design of the parable1 is given with much greater fulness of detail than those of the faithful two4 ,permitting our comment on this point to mould itself after the proportions of the text1 we shall look more narrowly into this man's character and conduct4 ,all the more willingly shall we devote the most of our attention to the darker side of the picture1 that the evangelical obedience of the faithful servants may be most distinctly seen in the dark mirror of the opposite unfruitfulness4 ,in the case of the unprofitable servant1 as it emerges in the latter portion of the parable1 three points demand our attention separately and successively1--the ,reason1 the ,nature1 and the ,reward of his unfaithfulness4 #a4 ,the reason of his unfaithfulness1 as explained by himself1 is1 ,i knew thee that thou art an hard man1 c4 ,the naive confession of this man is a very interesting feature of the story1 and a very precious lesson to us regarding the deep things of ,god4 ,through this opening light is thrown at once upon the spring of continued disobedience in human hearts1 and upon the nature of the remedy which the ailment needs4 ,some persons take much pains to extol a good life at the expense of the mysteries of grace4 ,they know not that they are endeavouring to break the upper links of a chain1 while themselves are suspended on the lower4 ,all the value of service rendered by intellectual and moral beings depends on the thoughts of ,god which they entertain2 and the thoughts which they entertain of ,god depend on the attitude in which he presents himself to them--that is1 upon the revelation of the ,father in the person and work of the ,son4 ,obviously the conception which this man had formed of his master's character1 was the direct efficient cause of his unprofitable idleness4 ,the picture1 at this point1 represents a human heart secretly conscious of guilt1 not reconciled through the ,gospel1 and dreading the wrath of the righteous ,judge4 ,when one is at peace with ,god in the ,redeemer1 perfect love casteth out fear2 but here1 in the absence of this reconciliation1 perfect fear casteth out love4 ,love is the fulfilling of the law2 and without love there can1 in ,god's sight1 be no obedience4 ,thus1 by a few links which can neither be obscured nor broken1 active obedience is bound to faith in ,christ4 ,where faith in the ,mediator is wanting1 ,god1 as shown in a guilty conscience1 is dreaded as an enemy2 and such fear produces no obedience4 ,you might as well sow stones in your field1 and expect them to produce bread4 ,it is not necessary to examine in detail the continuation of the unfaithful servant's answer4 ,when he had taken his ground on a sullen plea of not guilty which threw the blame upon his ,lord1 it was natural that he should endeavour to justify himself and fortify his position by specific averments of hard treatment2 but the essence of his answer lies all in his first words1 ,i knew thee hard4 ,the meaning cannot be mistaken here4 ,these words do not make known to us what the master's character really was3 the only thing which they determine is the servant's conception of the master's character4 ,the servant's conduct is1 in point of fact1 regulated not by what the master absolutely is1 but by what he is in the belief and regard of the servant4 ,the parable represents at once1 with rich pictorial effect and strict logical exactness1 the legal relation of sinful men to a righteous ,god1 apart from the peace that comes through the ,gospel4 ,while you think of the ,judge1 recording now your thoughts1 words1 and actions1 in order to render unto you what you deserve in the great day1 you cannot love him1 and you do not like to retain the knowledge of him in your mind4 ,the ,bible calls him good1 and perhaps your lips have pronounced him good in your prayers and hymns2 but what you really know of him in your heart is his hardness4 ,this hard measure expected1 haunts you like a spectre1 and casts a dark shadow over your path4 ,whatever your ears may hear or your lips may speak1 you know ,god only as the disturber of your joy in life1 and the inexorable exactor of impossible penalties at last4 ,the natural and necessary1 as well as actual result of this knowledge or conception of the master1 is the utter idleness of the servant4 ,tell a criminal in chains that by his own hands he must remove yonder mountain into the sea in the space of one year1 on pain of death when the year is done1 and the certain result will be that the wretched man will permit the appointed time to expire without removing a single atom of its mass2 but on the other hand1 let it be gently intimated to some emancipated slaves that their service in removing earth from that mountain to the sea will please their deliverer1 and forthwith they will carry with all their might1 their burden meanwhile being their delight1 because they have thereby an opportunity of serving the ,lord that bought them4 ,thus the idleness of one servant is explained1 and the activity of others4 #b4 ,as to its nature1 the disobedience was not active but passive2 he did not positively injure his master's property2 he simply failed to turn it to profitable account4 ,the terror of this servant was too lively to admit of his enjoying a debauch purchased by the treasure which had been placed under his charge4 ,fear is a powerful motive in certain directions and for certain effects2 it makes itself felt in the heart1 and leaves its mark on the life of a man4 ,like frost it has power to arrest the stream of energy1 and fix it cold1 stiff1 motionless2 only love can1 like the sun of summer1 break the chains and set the prisoner free to run his race rejoicing4 ,the passive character of the servant's fault greatly extends the sphere of the lesson1 and increases the weight of its rebuke4 ,if only positive activity in evil had been condemned1 a multitude of the unfaithful would have escaped1 or at least would have thought themselves exempted from the indictment4 ,the bearers of poisonous fruit constitute a comparatively small class in the vegetable creation2 the plants that bear no good fruit are much more numerous4 ,unfruitfulness includes both those that bear bad fruit and those that bear no fruit4 ,the idleness of the servant who knew his master only as a hard man1 reproves all except those who obey the ,lord whom they love1 and love the ,lord whom they obey4 #c4 ,the reward of unfaithfulness is1 ,take the talent from him and cast him out4 ,in both parts the sentence of condemnation corresponds to its opposite in the reception of those who had been faithful to their trust4 ,these retain their employed gifts2 from him the unused talent is taken away4 ,these are received into their master's favour2 he is cast out of his master's sight4 ,it is worthy of remark that the execution of the sentence begins in time1 and in its first stages lies within the reach of our observation4 ,the portion of the sentence1 moreover1 which is inflicted in our sight1 comes through the regular operation of law4 ,the disuse of any personal faculty1 surely1 though gradually1 takes the faculty away4 ,those who explain away the positive doctrines and facts of the ,gospel1 delight in representing that ,god does everything by the instrumentality of law4 ,it is superstition1 they say1 to suppose that he will put forth his hand to arrest the mighty machinery of nature1 with a view either to punish your guilt or reward your obedience4 ,here at least we can meet them on their own ground1 and accept their rule4 ,let any member of the body1 or any faculty of the mind lie dormant for a time1 and by the very fact1 its power is diminished or destroyed4 ,it is a law of life that a talent becomes feeble in proportion as it has been left in idleness4 ,it is not only true in point of fact that when we do not diligently lay out our gifts1 the ,giver recalls them2 it is further true1 that he recalls them in our sight by the silent operation of an inexorable law4 ,to waste life in the hope of getting all made right by an energetic repentance at the close1 is a very foolish and mischievous species of superstition2 it is the exercise of a very strong faith1 without any promise from ,god on which it may lean4 ,you seem to expect that ,god will arrest the operation of his own laws in order to afford you every facility for living in sin4 ,in the ,scriptures we read of an interference with the natural laws--the sun standing still--in order that the enemies of the ,lord and his people might be destroyed2 but you expect a greater miracle2--you expect the ,omnipotent to arrest the operation of his own laws1 in order that his enemies may prosper now and escape at last4 ,you expect that ,jesus will work a miracle not to cast out the unclean spirit1 but to maintain him in possession of a human heart4 ,the disuse of the talent takes the talent away2 this is the law of the kingdom2 and it will not be changed in order to encourage the sinner in his sin4 ,for unto every one that hath shall be given1 c4 ,obviously from the whole circumstances of the case1 to have in this connection1 means to possess and use aright4 ,he who received only one talent was distinguished from him who received five1 not by not having1 but by not using4 ,the law announced here is that they who employ well what they have1 shall retain it all and receive more in addition2 whereas they who do not rightly employ what they have1 will be deprived of that which they possess but do not use4 ,fearing lest ,i should darken counsel by words without knowledge1 ,i leave the positive penal infliction1 which takes effect beyond the precincts of this life1 without one word of comment1 in the short and solemn words of the ,scripture1 ,cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness3 there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth4 ,the sentence ,take it from him1 goes before the sentence1 ,cast him out4 ,a sinner is given over to himself1 before he is given up to judgment4 ,the first prepares the way for the second death2 the process is now going on by which the destiny is decided4 ,now is the accepted time2 now either salvation or condemnation is wrought out4 ,see the process and the path of death2 the steps are few and well marked4 ,i knew thee hard1 and ,i hid thy talent2 take it from him1 and cast him out4 ,the corresponding steps on the other side are1 ,i tasted thy tender mercy1 and lovingly laid thy talent out2 give the faithful servant more1 and lead him into the joy of his ,lord4 ,the stumbling-block at the outset that turned the unfaithful servant aside was his conception of the ,lord as a hard master3 it is the experience of the master's love that impels the servant forward in the path of duty4 ,when we know ,god in ,christ1 we know him reconciled to ourselves4 ,christ1 therefore1 is the way2 by him we go in to the ,father for acceptance1 and by him we go out for needful work upon the world4 ,without me ye can get nothing from ,god2 ,without me ye can do nothing for ,god4 ,,xv4 ,,the ,,seed ,,growing ,,secretly4 ,and he said1 ,so is the kingdom of ,god1 as if a man should cast seed into the ground2 and should sleep1 and rise night and day1 and the seed should spring and grow up1 he knoweth not how4 ,for the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself2 first the blade1 then the ear1 after that the full corn in the ear4 ,but when the fruit is brought forth1 immediately he putteth in the sickle1 because the harvest is come4--,,mark iv4 #bf-bi4 ,this is the only parable that is peculiar to ,mark4 ,the subjects contained in the fourth chapter of ,mark are obviously the same1 in the main1 as those which occupy the thirteenth chapter of ,matthew4 ,the parable of the sower occurs in both at the beginning2 and at several other parts they coincide4 ,the parable of the seed growing secretly holds in ,mark the place that the parable of the leaven holds in ,matthew4 ,we might1 therefore1 expect a close analogy between these two parables3 and accordingly we find in point of fact that they exhibit the same characteristics of the kingdom1 and convey the same lessons to its subjects4 ,when a man has cast the seed into prepared ground at the proper season1 he thenceforth leaves it to itself4 ,he sleeps by night1 and attends to other affairs by day1 often looking to it indeed1 and oftener thinking of it1 but never touching it till harvest4 ,by its own vitality it grows secretly1 gradually until it arrives at maturity4 ,man interferes only at the beginning and at the end2 in spring he sows1 and in autumn he reaps1 but throughout the interval between these extremes he lets it alone4 ,the point on which the parable concentrates our regard is1 that the growth of the plant1 from the time of sowing to the time of reaping1 proceeds according to its own laws1 and in virtue of its own inherent power1 neither visible to the owner's eye nor dependent on his hand4 ,in the interpretation of the parable certain great leading points must first be determined1 and then all the rest will be safe and easy4 ,there are two such points1 one at the beginning and one at the end1 which are in themselves uncertain2 and one in the middle which1 being itself determined by circumstances1 serves to determine the other two4 ,the question at the beginning is1 ,who is the sower8 ,and the question at the end1 ,what is the reaping8 ,the point in the centre already fixed1 on which the two extremities depend1 is the growth of the seed without the aid1 and even beyond the cognisance1 of the sower4 ,look first to the question which meets an inquirer at the outset1 ,who is the sower8 ,obviously it has two sides and two only2 the sower represents either the ,lord himself1 or the human ministry that he employs from age to age4 ,both representations are in themselves true and scriptural2 it is by means of other features less ambiguous that we shall be able to determine whether of the two is adopted in this parable4 ,try first the supposition that the sower is the ,lord himself2 of him1 in that case1 it is immediately said that he sleeps1 and rises night and day1 and that the seed meanwhile springs up1 he knows not how4 ,this representation is palpably incongruous with the attributes and character of the ,lord4 ,the things that are hidden from us1 both in the natural and spiritual growth1 are open in his sight4 ,expressly it is said of ,jesus1 he knew what was in man2 and we learn1 from many circumstances in the evangelic history1 that he knew the thoughts alike of plotting enemies and of fainting friends4 ,the suggestion made by some that this part of the parable may be understood to represent the ,lord's ascension into heaven1 after having sown the word in his own ministry1 does not satisfy the demands of the case4 ,we cannot1 without doing extreme violence to the analogy1 find a sense in which the divine ,redeemer does not help and does not know the growth of his own grace in believing hearts4 ,the germination and increase of vegetation without the intervention of the sower and beyond his ken1 represent a helplessness and an ignorance so definite and complete1 that we cannot1 on any rule of sober interpretation1 apply it to the omniscient and omnipotent ,redeemer4 ,the impossibility of accepting the first suggestion throws us necessarily back on the only other supposition that remains2--the sower in the parable must represent the earthen vessel to which the ministry of the ,gospel has been entrusted1--the human agent employed in the work of the ,lord4 ,this will1 of course1 accord perfectly with the representation in the heart of the parable that he who sows the seed neither helps the growth nor understands its secrets2 but does it accord also with the representation1 in the end of the parable1 that he who in spring sowed the seed1 thrusts in his sickle and reaps the ripened harvest8 ,some1 assuming that the reaping means the closing of all accounts in the great day1#ee conclude that to represent the sowing as the ministry of men is incongruous with the reaping1 which must1 as they suppose1 be the work of the ,lord at his second coming4 ,in this way they become involved between two impossibilities4 ,if the ,lord himself is represented as the sower the representation is inconsistent with the middle of the parable1 in which it is declared that he neither aids nor understands the growth of the grain2 if1 on the other hand1 men are represented as the sowers1 the representation is inconsistent with the end of the parable1 in which it is declared that they thrust in the sickle at the close of the dispensation and reap the harvest of the world4 #ee ,dr4 ,trench takes for granted1 without a word of proof1 or any evidence that he has even considered the question1 that the reaping is the consummation of all things1 the exclusive prerogative of the ,lord4 ,now in order to escape from this double difficulty it is not necessary to put to the rack either the words or the thoughts of the parable4 ,the path out of the difficulty is broad and straight2 it is the path into it that is crooked and narrow4 ,the question which demands solution here1 and which1 when solved1 will solve all the rest1 is1 ,what is meant by thrusting in the sickle and reaping the ripened grain when the harvest has come8 ,apart from this parable two distinct significations may be attributed to the analogy1 both alike true in fact1 and both alike adopted in the ,scriptures4 ,in some cases the harvest and the reaping point to the end of the world and the awards of the judgment2 expressly in the ,lord's own interpretation of the parable of the tares1 it is said1 ,the harvest is the end of the world1 and the reapers are the angels 7,matt4 xiii4 #ci74 ,but in other cases the reaping of the ripened grain is employed to represent that success in the winning of souls which human ministers of the word may obtain and enjoy4 ,such is its meaning in ,ps4 cxxvi4 #f1 ,he that goeth forth and reapeth1 bearing precious seed1 shall doubtless come again with rejoicing1 bringing his sheaves with him4 ,in the same sense it is employed by the ,lord 7,john iv4 #ce1 #cf71 ,say not ye1 ,there are yet four months1 and then cometh harvest8 behold ,i say unto you1 ,lift up your eyes1 and look on the fields2 for they are white already unto harvest4 ,and he that reapeth receiveth wages1 and gathereth fruit unto life eternal3 that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together4 ,the same idea is expressed in terms1 if possible1 still more articulate1 in ,matt4 ix4 #cg1 #ch4 ,the harvest truly is plenteous1 but the labourers are few2 pray ye therefore the ,lord of the harvest1 that he will send forth labourers unto his harvest4#ef #ef ,bengel's suggestion is ingenious and interesting1 but contributes nothing towards the solution4 ,sermo concisus4 ,mittet falce preditos1 nam ,greek3 apostellesthai est viventis cujuspiam4 ,he would understand the phrase he putteth in the sickle as a curt form of expression1 intended to intimate that he sends out reapers with sickles to reap the grain2 fortifying his opinion by the remark that the term putteth in1 7,greek3 apostellei1 sends out17 refers to a living person1 and not an inanimate instrument4 ,countenance for this view might be found in ,matt4 ix4 #cg where ,greek3 ekbalein equivalent to ,greek3 apostellesthai is employed to indicate the sending forth of reapers4 ,on the other hand1 however1 the passage1 ,rev4 xiv4 #ae1 #af1 goes decidedly against it2 for there both ,greek3 pemmtein and ,greek3 ballein1 thrust in 7the sickle7 are certainly applied to the instrument itself1 and not to the men who wield it4 ,but while the symbol taken from the reaping of ripened grain represents alternately in ,scripture1 these two distinct though analogous conceptions1 it is the latter and not the former which this parable adopts and employs4 ,the reapers are the human ministers of the word1 and the reaping is their successful ingathering in conversion here1 not the admission of the redeemed into glory at the end of the world4 ,no other conclusion is compatible1 either with the scope of the lesson or the facts of the case4 ,the sower in this story neither helps the seed to grow nor understands how the growth proceeds4 ,the parable is spoken in order to show that1 while men are employed at first to preach the word and at last to gather the fruits in the conversion of their brethren1 they can neither perform the converting work nor trace the footsteps of the quickening ,spirit in the secrets of a human heart4 ,by this similitude the ,lord represents the extent and the limits of human agency in the progress of his kingdom4 ,having made our way through the difficulties of the parable1 and found the key-note of its interpretation1 we turn again to its terms for the sake of observing and applying the practical lessons which it contains4 ,the sower sows the seed2 the seed is the word2 the hearts of those who hear it are the field4 ,parents make known the ,gospel in their families1 ministers in the congregations1 teachers in the schools4 ,these sowers lose sight of the seed from the moment that it drops into the ground4 ,it sinks and disappears2 they must go away and leave it4 ,they sleep by night1#eg and attend to other matters by day2 they cannot see how it fares with the ,gospel in a neighbour's soul4 ,they cannot put their hand to the work at this stage to help it3 the seed must be left to itself in the soil4 #eg ,here1 as in the case of the tares1 the sleep of the husbandman implies no culpable negligence either in the natural or spiritual sphere4 ,sind wir am ,tage recht wach2 dann1 mgen wir ,nachts ruhig schlafen4--,drseke1 vom ,reich ,g4 ,at this point the likeness between the natural and the spiritual is exact and obvious4 ,when you have made the ,gospel of ,christ known to some in whom you are interested1 you are precisely in the position of the agriculturist who has committed his seed to the ground4 ,if you think of the matter when you lie down1 or when you awake1 you discover1 perhaps with pain1 that you do not know whether the seed is swelling and springing or not3 and that though you knew its condition you could not reach it1 to stimulate the process4 ,it is out of your hands1 and out of your sight4 ,it is not1 however1 out of mind1 when it is out of sight2 and your own helplessness may draw forth a more eager prayer to the ,almighty ,helper4 ,in this way it is when we are weak that we become strong2 it is when we are made most keenly sensible of our own weakness that we cast our care most fully on the ,lord4 ,the law that shuts the sown seed out from us1 shuts it in with ,god4 ,one door closes2 but the closing that hides the seed in its seed-bed from our eyes and separates it from our hands1 leaves it open to ,his sight1 and pliant to his power4 ,the moment that the seed is sown1 he takes it out of our sight1 but then and thereby he brings it into his own4 ,it is away from us1 and with ,god4#eh #eh ,like the seed1 is the ,word himself4 ,he became flesh and dwelt among us2 but he has ascended out of our sight4 ,at the beginning he came into the world2 and at the close he will return2--a spring and a harvest1 but all the space between1 he is out of sight4 ,the parable shows1 with great perspicuity and certainty1 both the extent and the limits of this withdrawal from human cognizance and help4 ,in the main concern the exclusion is complete2 but in some subordinate and incidental matters1 it is only partial4 ,as to the power of germination1 and the knowledge of it1 the sower is entirely shut out from the seed1 both in the natural and spiritual departments4 ,but as he may continue his care in nature1 with much profit to the seed2 so he may1 in a subordinate capacity and in an indirect manner1 do much to promote the growth of grace in the heart1 after the ,word has been addressed to the understanding4 ,the exclusion of a minister1 a teacher1 a parent1 from knowing and helping the growth of grace after the ,gospel has been published1 is like the exclusion of the farmer from his seed after it has been committed to the ground4 ,he can help it1 and does help it much by his care4 ,he keeps the fences up1 that the field may not be trampled by stray cattle3 he keeps the drains open and the furrows clear1 that water may not stand on the field1 but run off as soon as it falls3 he gathers off the stones1 that they may not crush the seed1 and pulls out the weeds that they may not choke it4 ,in a similar way and with similar profit1 ministers and teachers of the word may remove obstructions which would prevent its growth4 ,not only have we permission to do this3 we are bound positively to do it4 ,the parable excludes us indeed from further knowledge or power1 after the word is made known1 but it excludes as the farmer is excluded from his sown seed4 ,we know the nature and extent of that exclusion4 ,while the lesson relieves us from the responsibility of that which is beyond our power1 it lays upon us the responsibility of that which is within our power4 ,you may have seen a sown field in spring immediately after a great rain-fall2 and you may have observed that a large portion of it1 on its lower side1 was smooth1 and run together and caked1 bearing all the marks of having been for some days under water4 ,on the higher portions the wheat was springing1 but on this portion1 sown at the same time1 the ground was bare4 ,you examine the matter more minutely and discover that the drains that had been made for carrying off the surplus moisture1 had been choked in the operations of the seed-time1 and not cleared out again2 and that consequently when rain fell heavily1 it accumulated on the lower ground2 and having soaked and soured it for several days1 had killed the germinating seed beneath the ground4 ,you go to the farmer and ask why he had allowed a large portion of his crop to be lost4 ,suppose he should say1 ,my work was done1 as soon as the seed fell from my hand into the soil2 ,i can neither make it grow1 nor understand how it grows2 it was not in my province that the failure took place1 and therefore the failure could not be my fault4 ,no such specimen of hypocrisy is found in the kingdom of nature3 no man could hold up his face before his fellow and cover his indolence by such an impudent plea4 ,we must see to it1 that we be not guilty of the same inconsistency in matters of greater moment4 ,a parent or minister or teacher has committed the good seed of the word to the hearts of his young people1 with all due solemnity and care2 and thereafter permits them to be steeped in a flood of folly1 which he could easily have drained away4 ,the good seed is drowned in that deluge2 but it is the sower's fault4 ,it is true he cannot make it grow by his care2 but he can make it not grow by his carelessness4 ,we cannot do the saving2 but we can do the destroying4 ,many pains and many prayers are competent to the sower1 although he cannot directly control the growth of the seed4 ,when it grows1 it grows independently of him2 but when it fails1 the failure may in part be due to his unfaithfulness4 ,further1 when it is said that the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself1 the influences of heaven are not excluded1 any more than the collateral care of the husbandman4 ,we know how and in what sense the earth brings forth spontaneously1 after it has received the seed into its bosom3 if the sun were kept from shining1 or the rain from falling on it1 the earth would produce nothing4 ,it is thus also with grace in the heart3 the ,spirit ministering the things of ,christ is as necessary in the kingdom of grace1 as rain and sunshine are in the kingdom of nature4 ,surrounding circumstances1 moreover1 tend powerfully to help or to hinder the growth of the new life4 ,the seed grows indeed by its own vitality3 the most favourable circumstances that are possible on earth could not produce a harvest of grace without the seed of the ,word2 but these circumstances go far instrumentally to help or to hinder the growth and ripening of the seed4 ,the family of which you are a member1 either as child or servant1--the ,church with which you worship1--the companions with whom you associate1--the tone of the society in which your social life moves on1--the business that occupies your day1--and the amusements that refresh you when you are wearied2--these and many others affect for good or evil the growth of grace in ,christians1 as wet or dry1 cold or warm seasons1 affect the growth of the seed after it has been committed to the ground4 ,watch and pray2 one of these small points may be the turning-point of your destiny4 ,the seed grows gradually from stage to stage4 ,three stages are specified2 first the blade1 then the ear1 then the full corn in the ear4 ,this does not determine the time occupied in the spiritual process4 ,in this respect there is not uniformity3 the spiritual growth from spring to maturity sometimes requires more than one natural season1 and sometimes is accomplished in less4 ,in the first stage of growth1 it is not easy to distinguish with certainty between the wheat and common grass2 it is when the ear is formed and filled1 that you know at a glance1 which is the fruitful and which the fruitless plant ,there is a similar ambiguity1 in as far as appearance is concerned1 in the earliest outgrowth of convictions from the hearing of the word4 ,not that there is any uncertainty in the nature of the things3 the wheat is wheat1 and the grass is grass from the first3 but an observer cannot so surely at first determine which is wheat1 and which is merely grass4 ,thus1 many hopeful impressions that appear for a while in the young1 die away1 and bring forth no fruit2 but at later stages1 a judgment may be formed with greater confidence4 ,the plant assumes by degrees a more definite form1 and a more substantial fulness3 the fruits of the ,spirit1 green at first1 but growing gradually more and more mellow1 crown the profession of a ,christian4 ,let us not deceive ourselves1 in connection with the acknowledged secrecy of the ,spirit's work4 ,the growing is an unseen thing2 but the grown ripened grain is visible4 ,it is the inner power that is hid2 the fruit may be seen by all4 ,there is indeed an invisible ,christ1 who is already within his people the resurrection and the life2 but there is no invisible ,christianity4 ,how grace in the heart grows is an inscrutable mystery2 when it is grown1 it is known and read of all men4 ,your life1 as to its source and supply1 is hid with ,christ in ,god3 but your life1 as to its practical effects1 is a city set on a hill4 ,there is a great difference between the light that you get and the light that you give4 ,the ,lord in heaven is the light of ,christians2 but ,christians are the light of the world4 ,the source of the mighty ,ganges is secret2 and that secret the superstition of the ,hindus has converted into a religious mystery4 ,but the ,ganges is not a secret unseen thing1 as it flows through the plains of ,india1 fertilizing a continent4 ,the harvest is come4 ,it is not the end of the world2 it is not even the close of a ,christian life in the world4 ,there is a ripening and a fruit-bearing while life in the body lasts3 there is also a reaping and an enjoying of the harvest by those who sow the seed1 or their successors4 ,the announcement1 one soweth and another reapeth1 clearly implies that the same one who sows may also to some extent reap4 ,there is part of both3 a sower gathers some of the fruit of his labour in his own lifetime2 and some of it is gathered by others after he has departed4 ,here is a lesson for ministers and teachers4 ,the ,lord1 who sends them out to sow1 expects that they will look and long for fruit1 and be disappointed if it does not appear4 ,when the case occurs1 as occur it may1 in which the sower is not permitted to reap1 the delay1 although not a ground of despair1 should be a source of disappointment3 the stroke will be felt painful1 if there is life where the stroke falls4 ,the giver of the seed expects that the sower1 if he lives to see it ripening1 will reap it joyfully4 ,it is like the joy of harvest to see the ,lord's work prospering under our own hand4 ,the ,master seems to chide the inertness of his servants when he says1 the fields are white already to harvest4 ,if it were their meat1 as it was his1 to do the ,father's will1 they would bound more quickly into the field1 whenever they saw it whitening4 ,some lessons1 partly encouraging1 partly reproving1 which lie in the parable1 but have hitherto been either omitted or only incidentally touched in the course of exposition1 may be now conveniently enumerated in the close4 #a4 ,the work of sowing and the joy of reaping advance simultaneously on the spiritual field4 ,the labour of the husbandman in the natural sphere is all and only sowing at one season1 all and only reaping at another3 the seed of the word affords a different experience2 in the kingdom of ,god there is no period of the year when you must not sow1 or may not reap4 ,these two processes are in experience very closely linked together4 ,they become alternately and reciprocally cause and effect3 if we were not permitted at an early period to reap a little1 the work of sowing would proceed languidly or altogether cease2 on the other hand if we cease to sow1 we shall not long continue to reap4 ,when the workmen are introduced into this circle1 it carries them continuously round4 #b4 ,in any given spot of the field there may be sowing in spring1 and yet no reaping in harvest4 ,if there is no sowing1 there will be no reaping2 but the converse does not hold good2 you cannot say1 wherever there has been sowing1 it will be followed by a reaping4 ,the seed may be carried away by wild birds1 or wither on stony ground1 or be choked by thorns4 ,watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation4 #c4 ,the growth of the sown seed is secret2 secret also is its failure4 ,it is quite true1 there may be grace in the heart of a neighbour unseen1 unsuspected by me2 but the heart of my neighbour may be graceless while ,i am in its earlier stages ignorant of the fact4 ,the gnawing of a worm at the root of one plant is for a time as secret as the healthful growth of another4 ,lord1 is it ,i8 ,i must not too lightly assume either in the natural or the spiritual husbandry1 that everything is prospering that is out of sight4 #d4 ,though the sower is helpless after he has cast the seed into the ground1 he should not be hopeless2 we know that the seed is a living thing1 and will grow except where it is impeded by extraneous obstacles4 ,the word of ,god is quick 7living7 and powerful4 #e4 ,in every case the harvest1 in one sense1 will come2 on every spot of all the field there will be a reaping4 ,if one set of ministers do not reap there1 another will4 ,where there is not conversion1 there will be condemnation4 ,the regeneration is one harvest2 the judgment is another4 ,the angels are not sowers1 but they are reapers4 ,where the men who sowed the seed find nothing to reap during the day of grace1 those ministering spirits to whom no seed has been intrusted will be sent with a sickle to cut down and cast away4 ,the first harvest is like the first resurrection2 blessed are they who have part in it4 ,in the ministry of the ,baptist1 the appointed preparer of his way1 ,christ comes from heaven to earth on the blessed errand of gathering his wheat into the garner3 rejoice therefore1 ,christians2 he has prepared for you a place1 and he will bring you safely to it2 but take heed and beware of hypocrisy2 for see1 while he comes to bring home the wheat1 he carries a fan in his hand 7,matt4 iii4 #ab74 ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,two ,,debtors4 ,and one of the ,pharisees desired him that he would eat with him4 ,and he went into the ,pharisee's house1 and sat down to meat4 ,and1 behold1 a woman in the city1 which was a sinner1 when she knew that ,jesus sat at meat in the ,pharisee's house1 brought an alabaster box of ointment1 and stood at his feet behind him weeping1 and began to wash his feet with tears1 and did wipe them with the hairs of her head1 and kissed his feet1 and anointed them with the ointment4 ,now when the ,pharisee which had bidden him saw it1 he spake within himself1 saying1 ,this man1 if he were a prophet1 would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him2 for she is a sinner4 ,and ,jesus answering said unto him1 ,simon1 ,i have somewhat to say unto thee4 ,and he saith1 ,master1 say on4 ,there was a certain creditor which had two debtors3 the one owed five hundred pence1 and the other fifty4 ,and when they had nothing to pay1 he frankly forgave them both4 ,tell me therefore1 which of them will love him most8 ,simon answered and said1 ,i suppose that he1 to whom he forgave most4 ,and he said unto him1 ,thou hast rightly judged4 ,and he turned to the woman1 and said unto ,simon1 ,seest thou this woman8 ,i entered into thine house1 thou gavest me no water for my feet3 but she hath washed my feet with tears1 and wiped them with the hairs of her head4 ,thou gavest me no kiss3 but this woman since the time ,i came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet4 ,my head with oil thou didst not anoint3 but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment4 ,wherefore ,i say unto thee1 ,her sins1 which are many1 are forgiven2 for she loved much3 but to whom little is forgiven1 the same loveth little4 ,and he said unto her1 ,thy sins are forgiven4 ,and they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves1 ,who is this that forgiveth sins also8 ,and he said to the woman1 ,thy faith hath saved thee2 go in peace4--,,luke vii4 #cf-ej4 ,an interesting and difficult question regarding the harmony of the ,gospels generally attaches itself to the exposition of this parable4 ,each of the four ,evangelists narrates that a woman anointed ,jesus while he sat at table2 and it becomes difficult to determine with certainty whether they refer all to the same event1 or some to one event1 and some to another4 ,in the narratives features of similarity occur2 leading to the one conclusion1 and features of dissimilarity leading to the other4 ,the prevailing opinion now is that ,matthew1 ,mark1 and ,john1 speak all of the same fact1 and that ,luke speaks of another4 ,i have thought it right to mention1 that this question has been often discussed in connection with our parable2 but ,i shall do no more4 ,the decision of it here and now is by no means necessary3 the interpretation of the parable does not in any measure depend upon it4 ,it is an inquiry belonging to a different branch of ,scripture exposition1 and to discuss it here would tend to distract attention from the subject in hand4 ,assuming then without argument that ,luke here records an event which is not mentioned by any of the other ,evangelists1 ,i shall proceed at once to examine its substance as the ground from which the parable directly springs4 ,the husbandman at one time operates directly on the tree1 and at another time directly on the ground in the neighbourhood2 in both cases however1 and in both alike1 his aim is to increase the fruitfulness of the tree2 it is thus that an expositor must in some instances turn his attention in the first place to the surrounding context which suggests and sustains the parable1 as the best means of ascertaining the import of the parable itself4 ,a ,pharisee invited ,jesus to a feast3 he accepted the invitation and joined the company at the appointed place and time4 ,a woman who had been of bad character in the town1 as soon as she learned that he was there1 entered the apartment where the guests reclined at meat1 and stood at his feet behind him weeping4 ,her tears rained down on his feet2 she wiped them off with her hair1 and then anointed them with precious ointment4 ,let us endeavour to determine precisely the character of the several actors and the meaning of their acts4 ,the ,pharisee1 having formed1 on the whole1 a favourable opinion of ,jesus as a prophet in ,israel1 and being1 as he supposed1 in a position to act the patron1 with benevolent intent1 but with a high estimate of his own character and position1 invited to his house and table the remarkable ,nazarene1 whose miracles and doctrines were in every one's mouth4 ,doubtless he expected1 also1 that by closer contact1 and by means of his own shrewd observation1 he should be able definitely to make up his mind on the character of the new prophet1 and so to favour or frown on him according to the result4 ,while her actions only are recorded in the narrative1 we may1 by the light of the ,lord's subsequent declarations1 also read without danger of mistake the emotions that were working in this woman's heart4 ,she had fallen into a course of vice1 and consequently lost caste in the community4 ,knowing that she had lost the respect of her neighbours1 she had lost respect for herself4 ,from a sinful act she had glided into sinful habits4 ,perhaps remorse from time to time made her inwardly sorrowful2 but she put on a bold countenance1 and tried to laugh down rebuke4 ,this woman1 while in this state1 crept one day to the outer edge of a crowd in the neighbourhood of the city1 to satisfy her curiosity as to the cause of the concourse4 ,in the centre stood ,jesus of ,nazareth preaching2 and all the people in solemn silence hung upon his lips4 ,she listened too1 and heard some wonderful words2 ,god loved the world2 ,god pardons sin--pardons freely1 pardons it all2 pardons chief sinners2 loves to pardon2 has given his ,son to seek and save2 this is the ,son1 revealing the ,father1 and inviting the prodigal to return to the ,father's bosom4 ,hark2 he says1 ,come unto me all that labour and are heavy laden1 and ,i will give you rest4 ,peeping through openings in the crowd1 she might see the love that beamed in the preacher's countenance1 as well as hear the gracious words that came from his mouth4 ,the woman's heart is touched and taken2 the woman is won4 ,by that still small voice the devil's chains are broken1 the rocky heart is rent4 ,when the congregation dissolves1 she steals away to her house alone4 ,there her eye falls on some gaudy ornaments1 the instruments of her sin1 and the badges of her shame4 ,whence this sudden strong loathing8 ,perhaps she grasps them convulsively and flings them on the fire1 shutting her eyes that she may not see her tormentors4 ,she sits down1 and searches her own heart1--her own life4 ,she discovers that it is altogether vile4 ,her own heart is the darkest1 deepest pit out of hell2 she is the chief of sinners4 ,she never knew this before4 ,she had often experienced twitches of conscience for particular acts of evil2 but now her whole life and her whole being seem one dark1 deep1 crimson sin4 ,what has done this8 ,it was that word of ,jesus2 it was the pardon that he offered2 it was the divine compassion that beamed on his countenance and glowed on his lips4 ,she was melted4 ,the old stony heart flowed down like water1 and went away2 and a new1 tender1 trustful1 loving heart came up in its place4 ,she is not the same woman that she was yesterday4 ,she is a new creature in ,christ ,jesus2 but she could not yet tell the name and describe the nature of the change that had taken place in her being1 as a new-born child could not announce the fact and explain the nature of its birth4 ,the infant will manifest its birth and life1 by seeking sustenance from its mother's breast2 and when the child has grown1 the grown man will reflect on his birth1 and perhaps understand in some measure its nature and importance4 ,such was the passing from death into life in the experience of that woman4 ,conversion in our own day often takes place as secretly1 and as soon4 ,the word of the ,lord that proved itself quick and powerful then1 liveth and abideth the same for ever2 and this is the word which by the ,gospel is preached unto us still4 ,the natural history of conversion does not change with the lapse of centuries1 any more than natural history in other departments2 there were doubtless examples of secret regeneration in the time of our ,lord and his apostles1 as well as in our own time4 ,he knew this woman's case as well as he knew the case of the woman who pressed through the crowd to touch the hem of his garment4 ,that woman1 when she was healed1 would have kept her case secret at the time if she could2 she was put about and ashamed when she was called in public1 and her experience proclaimed in the crowd4 ,it suited the purpose of the ,lord to make known her experience on the spot2 that method he saw would do most for his kingdom4 ,but in the case of this woman who was a sinner1 he did not act in the same way4 ,there are diversities in his operation4 ,he foresaw an occasion when her repentance and faith could be turned to greater account2 accordingly he postponed the public announcement of her forgiveness till then4 ,true to the new instinct that had been planted in her heart1 this saved sinner1 as soon as she heard that ,jesus sat at meat in the ,pharisee's house1 grasped the richest offering she possessed and hastened to the spot4 ,her plans1 ,i think1 were not fully laid4 ,the impulses of a bursting heart drew her to the place where her ,redeemer was2 but she had not foreseen all the difficulties1 and consequently had not prepared the means of overcoming them4 ,arrived at the house1 she entered the open door2 and passing through the attendants1 penetrated into the apartment where the company reclined at meat4 ,the table stood in the middle of the hall1 and sofas in a continuous line were placed near it on either side4 ,on these sofas were the guests1 not sitting as we do with their feet on the floor beneath the table1 but reclining with their feet projecting a little behind1 the sandals having previously been drawn off by servants1 for coolness and comfort4 ,thus it was easy for one who entered the room1 to walk up to any individual of the company and converse with him during the meal2 and1 so far from being out of the way and unnatural1 it was the easiest and most natural of all things1 that the woman1 when she came to ,jesus1 should touch his feet4 ,this was precisely the part of his body which she could most easily reach1 and which she might bathe and anoint1 while the meal proceeded1 without difficulty to herself or inconvenience to him4 ,we shall fall into a mistake if we think either that the act as here narrated was altogether accordant with the habits of the time and place1 or altogether contrary to them2 it was partly the one and partly the other4 ,in the first place it was an act radically diverse from the intrusion of a stranger to anoint the feet of a guest sitting at dinner with his friend in our country and our day4 ,such an act among us would be so unprecedented1 so difficult1 so awkward1 that it would shock every observer1 if it were attempted1 and bring the whole business to a stand4 ,there and then1 in as far as the entrance of a person unbidden is concerned1 there was nothing to attract attention4 ,there is abundant evidence that even at this day1 it is common in the ,east for persons not of the party to enter the feast chamber during the progress of the meal1 and sitting on seats by the wall1 converse on business or politics with the guests that recline beside the table2 and1 further1 from the position of the guests1 it was not difficult1 but easy to reach his feet4 ,thus far1 all was accordant with use and wont4 ,but as to the person who entered on that occasion1 and the act which she performed1 there was something strange and out of the way4 ,it was fitted to attract attention1 and to excite suspicion2 and so indeed it did4 ,a woman1 coming in while the company sat at meat1 and such a woman1 habit and repute disreputable2 and besides all this1 the ardency of her emotions1 and the familiarity of her acts1 surprised the onlookers4 ,i think it important to notice these two sides of the case2 so much of it was according to use and wont1 that the entrance of the woman by itself did not surprise and shock the company2 and yet so much of it was strange1 that the curiosity of the company was aroused1 and their attention arrested4 ,the circumstances of the incident on both sides1 were thus calculated to promote the design of ,jesus1 to instruct and reprove4 ,there was as much of the ordinary in the act as prevented it from shocking the feelings2 and as much of the extraordinary as awakened the interest of the spectators4 ,when she reached the feet of the ,redeemer with the intention of anointing them in token of her adoring gratitude1 her plan seems to have been deranged for the moment1 by a sudden and uncontrollable flood of tears1 as if the fountains of the great deep within her being had been opened1 and grief and gladness1 both at their height1 had met and caused an overflow4 ,from the position she had assumed those tears wet the feet of ,jesus2 and having no other towel1 she1 with a woman's sudden instinct1 dried them again with her long flowing hair4#ei #ei ,she was forgiven much2 therefore she loved much4 ,as soon as she had learned that ,jesus was at table in ,simon the ,pharisee's house1 her heart drew her thither to him1 that she might offer him the expression of her gratitude and love1--of her adoration and her joy4 ,she took with her a phial of ointment1 the costliest that she possessed1 found an entrance into the ,pharisee's house1 and walked behind backs to the feet of ,jesus1 as he reclined at table on an elevated cushion4 ,arrived there1 she is incapable of accomplishing her purpose4 ,the thought of the greatness of her sin1 and the greatness of the compassion of ,jesus1 broke her heart4 ,she wept1 and so unwittingly wet the feet of ,jesus with her tears4 ,oh1 salt1 salutary tears6 ,they are tears at once of repentance and gratitude4 ,now1 she must first dry the ,lord's feet again4 ,but for this she had not prepared herself2 for this she had nothing but her hair4 ,so she wiped them with her hair2 and kissed the feet of ,jesus1 and then anointed them with ointment4 ,all this was the manifestation of her inward burning love to the ,lord4--,arndt1 ii1 #he1 #hf4 ,now1 when the ,pharisee which had bidden him saw it1 he spake within himself1 ,this man1 if he were a prophet1 would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him4 ,it was an acknowledged sign of a true prophet to be a discerner of hearts4 ,simon had this test before his mind1 and was secretly applying it to determine the claims of ,jesus4 ,but another principle lay deep in the heart of the ,pharisee1 which he considered applicable to the case in hand3 he counted1 as a matter of course1 that a prophet1 while he might sit at table on terms of equality with himself1 a good man1 would not accept any mark of homage from a bad one4 ,he believed that1 by his knowledge of the town1 he had gained advantage over the prophet of ,nazareth1 who was a stranger1 and had found a ground on which he might reject his claims4 ,simon knew the character of this woman4 ,believing that ,jesus1 as a righteous man1 would have spurned her away if he had known what she was1 he thought he saw in the fact of his bearing with her an evidence that he was ignorant of her character4 ,the reasoning was this4 ,either he knows what sort of a woman this is1 or he does not4 ,if he does not know1 he is not a prophet1 because he cannot discern spirits2 if he knows1 he is not a prophet1 for he does not cast the disreputable person away4 ,on either alternative1 therefore1 he is not a prophet4#fj #fj ,the dilemma is well put by ,dr4 ,trench4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i proceed now1 under the direction of the ,lord's own words1 to consider the spiritual meaning and the practical use of the narrative4 ,the creditor is ,god1 in whom we live1 and move1 and have our being--from whom we derive all1 and to whom we must account for all2 the debtors sinful men2 and the debts the sins which they have severally done4 ,of the two1 while both are in debt1 one owes ten times as much as the other4 ,a comparison of this proportion1 with that which appears in the parable of the unmerciful servant1 is interesting4 ,between the debt which the servant owed to his master1 and the debt which a fellow-servant owed to him1 there is no assignable proportion3 so vast is the difference that we cannot form a definite conception of the relation4 ,this is precisely what we should expect in order to show the disproportion1 or want of all proportion1 between sins against ,god and sins against a neighbour4 ,in this parable1 on the other hand1 the debt in both cases is due to the master1 and not in either due by one servant to another4 ,we accordingly do not expect1 and do not find a disproportion so vast2 and yet1 there is a great difference between the two sums4 ,in the one case the debt is five hundred pence1 and in the other fifty3 the less is only one-tenth of the larger sum4 ,although there are aggravations in one case1 and alleviations in another1 ,i think the disproportion would not have been so great as in the parable it actually is1 if it had been the design of the ,lord here to teach us how much the guilt of one man may exceed that of another in the sight of ,god4 ,from the circumstances of this case we may safely gather that these sums represent not the absolute quantity of sin-debt that stood against these men severally in the book of divine justice1 but the estimate which they severally made of their own shortcomings4 ,the fifty and the five hundred pence indicate the amounts which the debtors severally acknowledged1 rather than those which the creditor might have claimed4 ,the plan of providence in the present life permits every man to keep his own accounts of debt to ,god3 no neighbour is empowered to record the items1 and sum them up1 and keep a record of their amount against you4 ,the ,romish priesthood attempt to usurp this prerogative1 but in its purpose it is boldly unjust1 and in its results miserably ineffectual4 ,they ought not1 in point of principle1 to make the attempt2 and they are not able1 in point of fact1 to accomplish their object4 ,every man keeps his own account book2 and no other man dare or can look into it1 except in as far as the owner opens it of his own accord for the inspection of his neighbour4 ,some teachers adopt this principle1 with good effect1 in the discipline of children at school4 ,each child has a book in which he marks1 from day to day and from hour to hour1 his own successes and his own failures2 and according to this record the prizes are awarded or withheld4 ,when the child is put upon his honour1 it is expected that he will be honourable4 ,probably a large balance of advantage results from this contrivance where it is judiciously managed2 but it is capable of telling two ways1 and does tell in opposite ways with different persons4 ,if the child deal fairly1 the principle of truth within him will be strengthened by habit2 but if he cheat1 all of the sense of honesty that remained within him will soon be worn away4 ,to him that hath shall be given1 and he shall have abundance2 but from him that hath not shall be taken1 even that which he hath4 ,but while each man is permitted to keep the account of his own sins against ,god1 and no human being can rightfully possess a duplicate1 there is a duplicate3 another record is kept in the ,book of ,god4 ,that record is true2 and woe to the self-deceiver who made false entries in his own favour all his life1 when it is found that the two accounts will not tally in the great day4 ,simon the entertainer kept account of his own debt to ,god--his sins of omission and commission--and balanced them from time to time against a column of merits which he possessed4 ,the balance1 he confesses1 was against himself1 and the difference he set down as the amount due3 it is expressed by fifty4 ,the woman1 on the other hand1 had during a course of wickedness lost all reckoning1 both of her own sins and of ,god's mercies4 ,lately she had obtained a copy of the missing documents4 ,a reflection of the charge had been suddenly thrown down from the archives of the ,judge1 upon the tablet of her own conscience4 ,without attempting to tax the account in her own favour1 she accepted it in full1 and expressed it by five hundred--ten times as much as the ,pharisee had laid to his own charge4 ,he1 taking his own reckoning for authority1 counted his liability light3 she1 taking her data from ,god's law1 counted her liability heavy4 ,in the story1 as it is constructed by the ,lord for the instruction and reproof of ,simon1 the love of both servants to their master is caused1 and consequently measured by1 the forgiveness which they had received3 one having obtained the remission of a small debt1 loved the forgiver a little2 the other1 having obtained the remission of a great debt1 loved the forgiver much4 ,in any such case1 however1 love springs up strong in proportion1 not to the absolute amount of the debt remitted1 but to the estimate of its amount which the debtor himself has formed4 ,this principle must be kept in view when we apply the lesson of the parable to ,simon4 ,the ,scripture does not concede that the amount of forgiveness that he needed and obtained was in respect to that of the poor woman as fifty to five hundred3 the ,scripture does not even determine that ,simon was1 in point of fact1 forgiven at all4 ,in its application to the case in hand1 the ,lord's instruction is equivalent to the conditional formula1 ,if you have been forgiven fifty pence1 and she five hundred1 whether will she or you experience the more fervent gratitude to your common benefactor8 ,this1 ,i think1 is the only true and consistent method of applying the parable to the experience of the woman and the ,pharisee4 ,the point on which all the weight should lean is not the absolute amount of guilt incurred by the sinner and forgiven by ,god1 but the estimate made by the sinner of his own sin1 and his consequent appreciation of the boon he receives when it is unconditionally blotted out4 ,this view1 besides being in itself right1 possesses this practical advantage1 that it steers entirely clear of the entangling question1 ,if the greatest sinner1 when forgiven1 loves his ,forgiver most1 will not he be happiest at last who is the guiltiest now8 ,there is no place here or elsewhere in the ,scriptures for such a speculation3 it is not admissible in any form4 ,the conception which the parable produces when legitimately applied is at once beautiful and beneficent3 love to the ,saviour rises in the heart of a saved man in proportion to the sense which he entertains of his own sinfulness on the one hand1 and the mercy of ,god on the other4 ,thus the height of a saint's love to the ,lord is as the depth of his own humility3 as this root strikes down unseen in the ground1 that blossoming branch rises higher in the sky4 ,the woman did not speak of her own acts1 either within herself or to her neighbours2 but her acts are1 notwithstanding1 proclaimed and recorded4 ,they are minutely catalogued 7ver4 #dd-df71 by the ,lord himself4 ,nothing is lost on him2 his ear is open1 and his eye4 ,as in providence not a sparrow falls to the ground without our ,father's permission and regard1 so in the new covenant not a tear falls for sin indulged1 not a sigh rises for deliverance from its pollution1 without attracting the notice and obtaining the approval of the ,sinner's ,friend4 ,love1 burning as a night lamp silently in a penitent's breast1 or bursting forth in impetuous praise1 or calmly supplying the motive power of a useful life--love in the heart of the forgiven sinner1 serves and pleases the forgiving ,redeemer4 ,one point still remains unnoticed1 needing indeed some notes of explanation1 but capable of being easily and fully explained2 it lies in these words of ,jesus3 ,wherefore ,i say unto thee1 ,her sins which are many are forgiven2 for she loved much4 ,a question has been raised here1 ,did the woman's love to the ,lord cause him to forgive her1 or did his pardon freely bestowed cause the forgiven woman to love him8 ,to state the question is in effect to answer it4 ,this announcement which ,jesus makes in the close of his exposition is obviously meant to run in the line of the parable2 but if you understand it to represent the woman's love as the procuring cause of pardon from the ,lord1 it runs right in the face of the parable from first to last4 ,the love of the servants1 the lesser as well as the larger love1 is not the cause but the effect of the ,master's kindness2 and it would not only be out of harmony with the parable1 but in sheer opposition to it in letter and in spirit1 to understand it as countenancing the doctrine that the sinner's spontaneous love to ,god merits and obtains forgiveness4 ,although1 in sentences of this form1 it is more common to express the effect in the first clause1 and the cause1 introduced by a ,for in the latter2 yet the converse method is frequently employed and perfectly correct4 ,you may say1 ,tan-waste is strewn on the street opposite this mansion1 for a member of the family lies within it sick2 or1 ,a member of the family lies sick within this mansion1 for tan-waste is strewn on the contiguous street4 ,in the first instance you place the cause last1 and in the second instance the effect1 using precisely the same formula in both4 ,nor is it difficult to perceive why ,jesus places the effect of forgiveness in the prominent position here1 for it is the only thing that is visible to the ,pharisee whom he desires to instruct4 ,the pardon which this woman had obtained ,simon did not and could not see2 but her love being embodied in action was palpable to his senses4 ,the energetic act of adoration was evidence of the heart-love from which it sprang4 ,to this love accordingly ,jesus points1 and thence infers the existence of the great forgiveness which prompted it4 ,in the end1 ,he confirms and seals1 by his own lips1 the pardon which the repenting sinner had already secretly received4 ,the ,redeemer's forgiving love to sinners is the only cause of all their love to him4 ,we love him because he first loved us4 ,have you seen a broad1 straight path of silver brightness lying by night upon a smooth sea1 and stretching from your feet away until it was lost in the distance--a path that seemed to have been trodden by the feet of all the saints who have ever passed through a shifting world to their eternal home4 ,oh that silver path by night across the sea1--it glittered much3 but it was not its brightness that lighted up the moon in the sky4 ,neither was it the love to ,jesus trembling in a believer's heart1 that kindled forgiving love in him4 ,we love him because he first loved us2 the love that makes bright a forgiven sinner's path across the world was kindled by the light of life in the face of ,jesus2 from him and to him are all things4 ,there is a peculiarly wise and tender adaptation to our need in that feature of our ,lord's character1 which consists in his desiring and appreciating our love4 ,he is not a distant1 cold1 omnipotence4 ,he lavishes love on the world1 but he is disappointed when the world does not throw back a reflection of his own love1 as the rippling sea throws up to heaven again1 the light it got from heaven4 ,when the ten lepers were cleansed1 and one returned to lavish love on his healer1 that healer1 while he enjoyed the single penitent's devotion1 permitted a sigh to escape his lips1 articulated in the sad pensive question1 ,where are the nine8 ,i love the ,lord for uttering that complaint4 ,it proves to me that he counts it no intrusion when we burst in upon him with our glad thanksgiving4 ,in the bold in-bursting of this woman2 in her premeditated anointing1 and unpremeditated tears1 the ,lord ,jesus sees--tastes of the travail of his soul and is satisfied4 ,,xvii4 ,,the ,,good ,,samaritan4 ,and ,jesus answering said1 ,a certain man went down from ,jerusalem to ,jericho1 and fell among thieves1 which stripped him of his raiment1 and wounded him1 and departed1 leaving him half dead4 ,and by chance there came down a certain priest that way3 and when he saw him1 he passed by on the other side4 ,and likewise a ,levite1 when he was at the place1 came and looked on him1 and passed by on the other side4 ,but a certain ,samaritan1 as he journeyed1 came where he was3 and when he saw him1 he had compassion on him1 and went to him1 and bound up his wounds1 pouring in oil and wine1 and set him on his own beast1 and brought him to an inn1 and took care of him4 ,and on the morrow when he departed1 he took out two pence1 and gave them to the host1 and said unto him1 ,take care of him2 and whatsoever thou spendest more1 when ,i come again1 ,i will repay thee4 ,which now of these three1 thinkest thou1 was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves8 ,and he said1 ,he that showed mercy on him4 ,then said ,jesus unto him1 ,go1 and do thou likewise4--,,luke x4 #cj-cg4 ,logically this parable may be conveniently associated with that of the unmerciful servant4 ,they constitute a pair2 that teaches us to forgive the injurer2 and this to help the injured4 ,on the almost pictured page of the evangelic history you may often observe two persons1 sometimes in presence of a multitude1 and sometimes far apart1 engaged in close and earnest conversation4 ,in most cases you discover1 when you approach1 that one of them is the ,lord ,jesus1 and the other one of the lost whom he came to save4 ,at one time it is a rich ,jewish ruler1 and at another a poor woman of ,samaria2 now1 it is ,nicodemus in a private house1 and then ,pilate in the judgment hall2 here the ,saviour1 suffering1 converses with the thief on the cross1 and there the ,saviour1 reigning1 calls to ,saul as he is entering ,damascus4 ,many of the precious words of ,jesus which now constitute the heritage of the ,church1 were at first spoken in answer to friends or foes1 during the period of his ministry on earth1 or after he ascended into heaven4 ,thus the ,lord's word frequently took its form from the the character and conduct of those with whom he conversed4 ,on their ignorance1 or simplicity1 or malice1 his wisdom and goodness were cast for keeping till the end of time4 ,the temper1 and conceptions1 and tricks of those ,jews1 like sand in a foundry1 constituted the mould in which the pure gold of our ,redeemer's instructions was poured2 and like the sand1 when they had served that purpose1 they were allowed to fall asunder1 as being of no further use4 ,here is a case in which the question of a self-righteous ,jew elicits and gives shape to the subsequent discourse of the ,lord2 here1 accordingly1 the meaning of the discourse depends1 in a great measure1 on the history in which it grows4 ,at some pause in the ,lord's discourse1 while the multitude still remained on the spot expecting further instruction1 a certain lawyer who was watching his opportunity1 interposed with the demand1 ,master1 what shall ,i do to inherit eternal life8#fa ,the question was not put in simplicity1 with a view to obtain information1 it was employed knowingly as an experiment and a test4 #fa ,how eagerly would the critics seize on this passage1 and pronounce the question of a certain lawyer to be identical with the narrative contained in ,matt4 xix4 #af1 only differently reported--if ,st4 ,luke had not himself subsequently narrated that second incident 7xviii4 #ah76 ,this once more shows that many things could naturally1 and would necessarily1 occur more than once in the life of ,jesus4--,stier4 ,very many such questions were addressed to the ,lord ,jesus during the period of his public ministry by different persons1 and with different motives4 ,we may safely gather from the whole spirit of the narrative that this example1 as to the character and motive of the questioner1 was neither one of the best nor one of the worst4 ,this scribe was not1 on the one hand1 like ,nicodemus1 a meek receptive disciple1 prepared to drink the sincere milk of the word that he might grow thereby1 nor was he like some1 both of the ,pharisaic and ,sadducean parties1 who came with cunning questions to ensnare and destroy4 ,this man seems to have been from his own view point sincere and fair3 his tempting aimed not to catch and betray1 but simply to put the skill of the new ,nazarene prophet to the test4 ,the man was full1 not of conscious malice against ,jesus1 but of ignorant confidence in himself4 ,the scribe's question is cast in the mould of the most unmitigated self-righteousness3 ,what shall ,i do that ,i may inherit8 c4 ,no glimpse had he ever gotten of his own sinfulness1 no conception did he ever entertain of the publican's prayer1 ,god be merciful to me a sinner4 ,taking the man on his own terms1 and meeting him on his own path1 the ,lord replies by the question1 ,what is written8 and refers him to the law4 ,the lawyer1 a professed theologian1 answers well4 ,he gave a correct epitome of all moral duty1 showing that love is the fulfilling of the law1--,thou shalt love the ,lord thy ,god with all thy heart1 and with all thy soul1 and with all thy strength1 and with all thy mind1 and thy neighbour as thyself4 ,the ,lord approved the answer1 seemed to require as to profession1 not another word1 and closed for the time the colloquy with the simple announcement1 ,this do and thou shalt live4 ,a very great question crosses our path here1 but we must not discuss it fully lest we should be diverted too far from our immediate object4 ,this answer of the ,lord we accept in all simplicity as the great universal cardinal truth in the case4 ,life was offered at first1 and life is offered still as the reward of obedience4 ,it is not safe1 it is not needful to apologize for this statement or to explain it away2 it is not in any sense contrary to evangelical doctrine4 ,it is really true that the fulfilling of ,god's law will secure his favour4 ,nor is this a thing merely to be admitted in its own place when it comes up2 it is the truth that lies at the foundation1 and on which all other truth leans4 ,the basis of all is1--,obedience deserves life1 and disobedience deserves death4 ,mankind have disobeyed2 we have all sinned1 and are therefore all under condemnation4 ,nothing but a perfect obedience can gain ,god's favour4 ,hence the covenant1 and hence the incarnation and sacrifice of ,christ2 hence the substitution of the just for the unjust4 ,the ,gospel is not an exception to the ,law1 ,this do and thou shalt live2 the ,gospel is founded on that ,law4 ,this ,law ,christ came not to destroy but to fulfil4 ,this do and thou shalt live3 whether by an emphasis on the word1 or by an expressive glance at the moment in the speaker's eye1 or by the simple majesty of the truth declared1 the scribe's conscience was aroused and arrested4 ,the questioner was not altogether comforted by the result of the conversation2 he could not allow the matter to drop there4 ,the reason why he continued the dialogue is expressly given2 he was willing to justify himself4 ,justify himself6 ,but who accused him8 ,not the ,lord3 he had only said1 ,this do and thou shalt live4 ,the man's own conscience was awakened and at work3 well he knew at that moment that he had not done what his lips confessed he should do2 he had not loved ,god with all his heart1 and his neighbour as himself4 ,it is interesting to notice the principle on which he proceeds to defend himself3 conscious that love to neighbours is in his heart a very narrow thing1 he conducts his argument so as to justify its narrowness4 ,if he can show that his neighbours are limited to a small circle of relatives1 with the addition perhaps of some chosen individuals beyond the line of blood1 he may yet be able to live on good terms with himself as a keeper of the law2 accordingly1 in order to form a basis for his own defence1 he inquires1 ,who is my neighbour8 ,the parable constitutes the answer4 ,but before we proceed to examine its contents1 it is of great importance to observe that it is not a direct answer to the scribe's question4 ,it is the answer which the ,lord saw meet to give1 but it is not a decision on the case which had been submitted for adjudication4 ,in his question the scribe contemplated other people1 and speculated upon who had the right to receive kindness3 the answer of ,jesus1 on the contrary1 contemplates the scribe himself1 and inquires whether he is prepared to bestow kindness4 ,as to those who should receive our love there is no limit3 the real subject of inquiry concerns the man who bestows it4 ,the question is not1 ,who is my neighbour8 but1 ,am ,i neighbourly8 ,this is the line in which the parable proceeds4 ,it does not supply the scribe with an answer to the question which he had put2 but it supplies him with another question which he desired to evade4 ,he is not permitted to ride off upon a speculative inquiry about the abstract rights of other men2 he is pinned down to a personal practical duty4 ,a certain man went down from ,jerusalem1 c4 ,it is a narrow1 dreary mountain pass4 ,by nature it is fitted to be a haunt of robbers2 if there are any robbers in the country1 they will certainly gravitate to this spot4 ,in point of fact it was notoriously unsafe for travellers in that day1 and it is equally dangerous still4 ,a particular portion of the road acquired the name of the path of blood1 and under the feeble government of the ,turks1 as well as in more ancient times1 it has well deserved its appellation4 ,the scene of the event therefore is laid in a place which is eminently suitable to its character3 the audience who heard the story first would at once and fully recognise its appropriateness4 ,robbers assailed the solitary traveller1 and after plundering him of his money1 left him so severely wounded that he could do nothing to help himself1 and must soon have died if he had not obtained help4 ,although it is not expressly stated1 it appears from the whole complexion of the narrative that this man was a ,jew4 ,indeed this is so obvious and so necessary that the point of the parable would be lost if it were otherwise3 ,i think the nationality of the unfortunate sufferer is not stated1 precisely because it could not be mistaken4 ,and by chance there came down a certain priest that way1 c4 ,by chance is an unfortunate translation here4 ,it was not by chance that the priest came down by that road at that time1 but by a specific arrangement1 and in exact fulfilment of a plan2 not the plan of the priest1 not the plan of the wounded traveller1 but the plan of ,god4 ,by coincidence 7,greek3 kata synkyrian7 the priest came down3 that is1 by the conjunction of two things1 in fact1 which were previously constituted a pair in the providence of ,god4 ,in the result they fell together according to the omniscient designer's plan4 ,this is the true theory of the divine government1 and this is the account of the matter which the parable contains4#fb #fb ,the analogy between the meetings exhibited in this parable and the meeting of ,philip with the ,ethiopian 7,acts viii47 is interesting and instructive4 ,in both cases the place is a desert1 in both a man in great need and a man who has the means of supplying that need meet each other there4 ,here the want and its supply are material and temporal1 there they are moral and spiritual4 ,the man who fell among thieves on the way to ,jericho suffered from bodily wounds1 and the ,samaritan who came to his relief appropriately applied material remedies3 the ,ethiopian treasurer1 in that way towards ,gaza which is desert1 suffered in his soul1 and the name of ,christ was the ointment which ,philip the evangelist poured into his wound4 ,these two cases are indeed diverse1 but as we learn from the ,scriptures throughout1 they proceed1 both as to disease and cure1 upon analogous principles1 so that the knowledge of the one throws light upon the meaning of the other4 ,the meeting in the desert near ,gaza did not happen by chance1 it was a tryst duly made and exactly kept1 for the angel of the ,lord spake unto ,philip1 saying1 ,arise and go toward the south1 c4 7,acts viii4 #bf74 ,the appointment for the meetings in the valley between ,jerusalem and ,jericho was as certainly made1 although it has not been as expressly recorded4 ,by previous appointment and actual exact coincidence that meeting took place between the hale comfortable priest and the wounded half-dead traveller in the bloody path between ,jerusalem and ,jericho4 ,it is thus that all meetings take place between man and man4 ,the poor ye have always with you1 said ,jesus to his disciples4 ,it is not only that once for all the poor and the rich are placed in the same world3 but day by day1 as life's current flows1 by divine unerring purpose those who need are placed in the way of those who have plenty1 and the strong are led to the spot where the feeble lie4 ,we are accustomed to admire the wisdom and foresight that spread layers of iron ore and layers of coal near each other in the crust of the earth that the one might give the melting heat which the other needed2 but the divine government is a much more minute and pervading thing4 ,the same omniscient provider has appointed each meeting between those who are in want and those who have abundance2 and for the same reason1 that the one may give what the other needs1 and that both may be blessed in the deed4 ,but he who lays the plan watches its progress1 and is displeased when men do not take the opportunity that has been given4 ,when he has brought the strong to the spot where the weak are lying he is displeased to see them pass by on the other side4 ,lo1 ,i am with you alway even unto the end of the world4 ,is that a pleasant promise8 ,no2 if after the ,lord has led you to the spot where the needy are perishing1 you pass by on the other side2 it is a dreadful thing to have him beside us1 looking on in such a case as this4 ,we are led to suppose that the wounded man was not only unable to walk1 but that he could not even move his head1 so as to observe at a distance the approach of a traveller4 ,possibly the sound of footsteps was the first warning he received that a human being was near4 ,perhaps he started in terror lest it should be the robbers returning to take what remained of his life away4 ,but as the priest came and looked upon him1 he might well begin to hope4 ,this is a man who is consecrated to the service of ,god2 he is even now on his way from his turn of office in the temple4 ,he who gets so near to ,god will surely show mercy to man4 ,no3 the priest passed by on the other side4 ,we are not informed what his excuses were2 but we may be quite sure he had plenty1 and that they were very good4 ,those who seek a good excuse for neglecting the labour of love always find one4 ,he was alone2 he could neither cure the unfortunate man there nor carry him away4 ,to make the attempt might bring the robbers down from their fastnesses upon himself1 and thus he should only throw away a good life after a damaged one4 ,right well would he justify himself that evening as he told his adventure in the pass to his friends or his family in ,jericho4 ,love saw no excuses for leaving the man lying in his blood1 for it was not looking for them2 but selfishness saw them at a glance1 and would have created them in plenty if there had been none at hand4 ,in like manner also a ,levite came to the spot1 looked for a moment on the sufferer1 and passed on4 ,at last a ,samaritan came up2 and when he saw the wounded man he had compassion on him4 ,the root of the matter lies here3 ,out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks1 and the hand labours2 the fountain is opened1 and you may expect to see a flowing stream4 ,love in presence of human suffering takes the form of compassion2 and love in all its forms tends to express itself in action3 compassion issues in help4 ,in this case evidently compassion was the secret force that produced all the subsequent beneficence3 yet we must not too readily count that all is safe for practical efficiency1 when in presence of a brother's suffering this tender emotion begins to flutter about the heart4 ,as the heart itself is deceitful1 so also in turn are each of its affections2 even those that in name and nature are good may swerve aside after they have sprung1 and degenerate into selfishness4 ,probably both the priest and the ,levite experienced some compassion as they looked on the pale and bleeding victim of lawless violence2 perhaps they went away pleased with themselves on account of their tenderness1 and somewhat angry with the wounded man for being wounded1 and so hurting their sensibilities4 ,the best things corrupted become the worst2 and sometimes the sight of distress among poorer neighbours stirs into fermentation some of the worst elements of character in the comfortable classes4 ,a little water may spring in the bottom of the well2 but if it do not increase so as to fill the cavity1 and freely overflow1 it will become fetid where it lies1 and more noisome than utter dryness4 ,it is quite possible1 as to emotion1 to be very languishing over the misfortunes of others1 and yet do the unfortunate as little good as the misanthrope who laughs at human sorrows4 ,but while the spurious compassion is thus vile and worthless1 the true is beyond expression beautiful and good4 ,it breaks forth in power1 and sweeps down whatever obstacles may be thrown in its way4 ,in this parable the ,lord expressly points to the fountain of compassion opened before he invites us to follow the stream of beneficence in its course4 ,the nationality of the compassionate traveller is an important feature of the parable2 he was a ,samaritan4 ,the ,jews and ,samaritans were locally nearest neighbours1 but morally most unneighbourly4 ,an enmity of peculiar strength and persistency kept the communities asunder from age to age4 ,the alienation1 originating in a difference of race1 was kept alive by rivalry in religion4 ,the ,samaritans endeavoured to cover the defects of their pedigree by a zealous profession of orthodox forms in divine worship4 ,the temple which they presumed to erect on ,gerizzim as a rival to that of ,jerusalem was naturally more odious to the ,jews than others that were more distant in space1 and more widely diverse in profession4 ,distinct traces of the keen reciprocal enmity that raged between the ,jews and the ,samaritans crop out here and there incidentally in the evangelical history1 as in chapter ix4 #ed4 ,most certainly the ,lord does not here intend to intimate that all the priests and ,levites were cruel1 and all ,samaritans tender-hearted3 to apply them so would be to wrest his words4 ,this teacher grasps his instrument by the extremity1 first one extremity and then the other1 that his lesson may reach further than if he had grasped it by the middle4 ,the honourable office1 and even the generally high character1 of priest and ,levite will not cover the sin of selfishly neglecting the sufferings of a fellow-creature3 self-sacrificing love is approved by ,god and useful to men as well in a ,samaritan as in a ,jew4 ,there is no respect of persons with ,god4 ,it is quite certain that there were benevolent priests and unkind ,samaritans2 and it is also certain that the ,lord would not overlook kindness in the one1 nor sanction cruelty in the other4 ,the lesson was addressed to a ,jew2 and therefore the lesson is so constructed as to smite at one blow the two poles on which a vain ,jewish life in that day turned--they trusted in themselves that they were righteous1 and despised others4 ,that high thing1 the scribe's self-righteous trust in his birth-right1 the ,lord will by the parable bring low2 and this low thing1 the mean position of a ,samaritan in the estimate of the scribe1 he will at the same moment exalt4 ,he hath done all things well4#fc #fc ,in the case of the ten lepers 7,luke xvii4 #af71 which is not a parable1 but a history1 we learn that the one who experienced and expressed gratitude to ,god for his recovery was a ,samaritan4 ,whether their low and despised condition had been to some extent blessed in making them more humble and receptive than their ,jewish neighbours1 we do not know2 but1 in point of fact1 in the historical incident a ,samaritan was more ready than the ,jew to give praise to ,god2 and in the construction of the parable a ,samaritan is represented as also more beneficent to men4 ,in connection with this case a striking example may be seen of the divine impartiality of the ,scriptures4 ,some persons1 with a view to objects of their own1 take pleasure in representing ministers of religion as more self-seeking and less generous than those who make no religious profession4 ,the contrast between the ,levite and the ,samaritan1 if this case stood alone1 might seem to support their theory4 ,but there is no respect of persons or classes with ,god2 you may learn from the ,scriptures--and that1 too1 from the writings of the same apostle--that the ,samaritans were not all kind1 and the ,levites not all hard-hearted4 ,they were ,samaritans 7,luke ix4 #ec7 who would not permit ,jesus and his disciples1 when they were weary1 to pass the night in their village2 and he was a ,levite 7,acts iv4 #cf7 who was named ,son of ,consolation1 and sold his property that he might distribute the proceeds among the poor4 ,the ,samaritan had compassion on the wounded man2 and the emotion is known to be genuine by the fruits which it immediately bears3 he bound up his wounds1 pouring in oil and wine4 ,these methods doubtless represent the opinions and practice of the time and place as to the treatment of wounds4 ,they constituted the expression of the ,samaritan's painstaking compassion2 and for our present purpose no further notice of them is needful4#fd #fd ,the ,samaritan was riding2 for he set the wounded man on his own beast4 ,what of the priest and the ,levite8--were they riding1 or performing the journey on foot8 ,if they were both pedestrians1 while the ,samaritan had a mule or an ass1 it is obvious that the two parties were not on equal terms1 and that consequently no fair test of their benevolence could in that transaction be obtained4 ,on that very ground ,i think it is certain that they were riding as well as he4 ,the parable is not a history1 containing the simple facts of any given case1 without respect to the lessons which the facts may contain2 it is a picture1 constructed according to its ,author's mind1 and constructed for the purpose of expressing a particular lesson which the ,author already had in his mind1 and desired to teach4 ,the doctrine which the ,teacher intended to declare obviously requires that the two parties whose compassion is compared and contrasted should be on equal terms4 ,the lesson which he meant to convey would slip through and be lost1 like water through a leaky vessel1 if the priest and ,levite were walking when they found the wounded man3 we must1 therefore1 if we would not do violence to the parable1 assume that both were mounted4 ,with this conclusion1 resulting from the nature of the case1 the expressions in their minutest details correspond4 ,the journey of the priest is narrated in the same terms as that of the ,samaritan3 ,a certain priest came down that way1 and ,a certain ,samaritan as he journeyed came where he was3 we never learn that the ,samaritan had a beast of burden until he sets the half-dead traveller upon its back4 ,there was no occasion for mentioning the priest's mule1 for he made no special or remarkable use of it4 ,the inn to which the patient was conducted must have been more than a khan built on the way-side1 and left empty1 a free shelter to each party of travellers who chose to occupy it for a night4 ,it must have been something more nearly allied to our modern system2 for there was a resident manager1 who kept in store such provisions as travellers needed1 and supplied them to customers for money4 ,the ,samaritan remained all night with his patient1 and then intrusted the case to the care of the inn-keeper1 paying a sum to account1 and pledging his credit for the balance1 if the expense should ultimately exceed the amount of his deposit4 ,two denaria 7pence7 were at the time and in the circumstances of value sufficient to meet the probable outlay4 ,now comes the searching question1 ,which of these three thinkest thou was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves8 ,the scribe1 shut up to one answer1 gives it rightly1 beginning perhaps to be dimly conscious of its bearing upon himself1--,he that showed mercy on him4 ,here1 as has been already noted1 the tables are turned upon the questioner4 ,the point on which attention is fixed is not1 ,who of all mankind have a right to receive kindness8 but1 ,are you willing to show kindness1 as far as you have opportunity1 to every human being who is in need8 ,the scribe desired to select a few who might rank as his neighbours1 hoping that by limiting their number he might show kindness to each1 without any substantial sacrifice of his own ease4 ,the ,lord shows him that love is like light3 wherever it truly burns it shines forth in all directions1 and falls on every object that lies in its way4 ,love that desires to limit its own exercise is not love4 ,love that is happier if it meet only one who needs help than if it met ten1 and happiest if it meet none at all1 is not love4 ,one of love's essential laws is expressed in those words of the ,lord1 that the apostles fondly remembered after he had ascended1 ,it is more blessed to give than to receive4 ,then said ,jesus1 ,go and do thou likewise4 ,through the self-sufficient ,jewish theologian the command is addressed to us4 ,the direct form of the injunction intimates1 what might be gathered from the nature of the case1 that this parable is more strictly an example than a symbol4 ,it does not convey spiritual lessons under the veil of material imagery3 it rather describes a case of practical beneficence1 and then plainly demands that we should imitate it4 ,however various the required reduplications may be in their form1 they are the same in kind with the sample which is here exhibited4 ,besides this more obvious and literal application1 almost all the expositors find in the parable an allegorical representation of the world's lost state and ,christ's redeeming work4 ,in this scheme the wounded man represents our race ruined by sin2 the robbers1 the various classes of our spiritual enemies2 the priest and ,levite1 the various legal and ineffectual methods by which human wisdom endeavours to cure sin2 and the ,samaritan shadows forth the ,redeemer in his advent and his office4 ,i mention this scheme in order to intimate that ,i cannot adopt it4 ,from the nature of the things1 there must be some likeness to our ,redeemer's mission1 wherever a loving heart pities a fallen brother1 and a strong hand is stretched out to help him2 but beyond this general analogy ,i see nothing4 ,i can derive no benefit from even the most cautious and sober prosecution of the details4 ,i find in it a reproving and guiding example of a true and effective compassion2 but ,i find nothing more4 ,nor should we think the lesson unworthy of its place1 although it does not directly reveal the redemption of ,christ2 ,he who loved us1 and whose love to us is the fountain and pattern of all our benevolent love to each other1 counted it a suitable exercise of his prophetic office to teach his disciples their relative duties in life4 ,the lesson of this parable is parallel with that other lesson1 ,love one another1 as ,i have loved you4#fe #fe ,drseke has happily expressed the conception that to love is truly to live3 ,wir finden hier demnach die ,lehre3 ,willst du leben1 liebe4--,vom ,reich ,g41 ii4 #acj4 ,some who experience a genuine love are so poor that when they meet a sufferer they cannot supply his wants4 ,in such a case the ,lord acknowledges the will1 and knows why the deed does not follow4 ,in the example of the widow's mite he has left it on record that he does not despise the gift because of its smallness4 ,nay1 further1 he approves and rewards the emotion when it is true1 although the means of material help be altogether wanting3 ,i was sick and in prison1 and ye came unto me4#ff #ff ,if the robbers had seized the ,samaritan before he was able to accomplish his design1 his work would have been accomplished in the sight of ,god2--and if the priest and ,levite had given help on account of approaching spectators1 it would have been of no value4--,stier4 ,in the vast mass and complicated relations of modern society1 it is extremely difficult to apply right principles in the department of material benevolence4 ,on two opposite sides we are liable to err2 and we ought on either side to watch and pray that we enter not into temptation4 7#a47 ,it would be a mischievous mistake to give money1 food1 and clothes to every importunate beggar who contrives to cross our path and present an appearance of distress4 ,there are men1 women1 and children in our day1 who trade upon their sores1 and even make sores to trade upon4 ,to give alms indiscriminately1 in these circumstances1 is both to waste means and propagate improvidence4 ,but 7#b47 it is not enough to resist importunities which may proceed from feigned distress4 ,shut your hand resolutely against the whine of trained1 unreal pauperism2 but1 at the same time1 diligently search out the true sufferers1 and liberally supply their wants4 ,if from defective knowledge errors must sometimes be committed1 better far that now and then a shilling should be lost1 by falling into unworthy hands1 than that our hearts should be drained of their compassion and dried hard by the habit of seeing human suffering and leaving it unrelieved4 ,a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth2 it is better that his abundance should be diminished1 by an occasional excess of disbursement1 than that love1 in which his life really lies1 should wither in his breast for want of exercise4 ,the milk of human kindness this compassion has been called2 but let us remember that if no needy child is permitted to draw it1 this milk will soon cease to flow4 ,,xviii4 ,,the ,,friend ,,at ,,midnight4 ,and he said unto them1 ,which of you shall have a friend1 and shall go unto him at midnight1 and say unto him1 ,friend1 lend me three loaves2 for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me1 and ,i have nothing to set before him8 ,and he from within shall answer and say1 ,trouble me not3 the door is now shut1 and my children are with me in bed2 ,i cannot rise and give thee4 ,i say unto you1 ,though he will not rise and give him1 because he is his friend1 yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth4 ,and ,i say unto you1 ,ask1 and it shall be given you2 seek1 and you shall find2 knock1 and it shall be opened unto you4 ,for every one that asketh receiveth2 and he that seeketh findeth2 and to him that knocketh it shall be opened4--,,luke xi4 #e-aj4 ,in prayer1 as in every other department of his ministry1 the ,lord ,jesus gave his disciples both example and precept3 he prayed in their presence1 and taught them to pray4 ,the order of events at the beginning of this chapter is worthy of notice3 it was the ,lord's praying that led to the ,lord's ,prayer4 ,the disciples heard their ,master praying1 and requested him to teach them also to pray3 in reply he imparted to them the brief germinal directory which the ,church has been living on ever since1 and which the ,church will live on till her ,redeemer come again4 ,as he was praying in a certain place2--the scene here presented is sublime and mysterious4 ,the ,son of man--the ,son of ,god in our nature1 is praying to the ,father1 and his followers are standing near4 ,silently1 reverently they look and listen4 ,they bate their breath till the prayer is done1 and then eagerly press the request1 ,lord1 teach us to pray4 ,they observed in their ,master while he prayed a strange separation from the world1 a conscious nearness to ,god1 a delight in the ,father's presence1 and a familiarity in communion with the ,father1 which seemed to them like heaven upon earth4 ,fondly desiring to partake of these blessed privileges1 they besought their ,master to show them the way4 ,he complied with their request4 ,he taught them as one teaches children--he put words in their mouths4 ,behold1 the natural history of the ,lord's ,prayer6 ,thus sprang that wonderful specimen-prayer1 which serves at once as the first lesson for babes beginning1 and the fullest exercise of strong men's powers4#fg #fg ,this seems1 however1 not to have been the first occasion on which he gave ,the ,lord's ,prayer to the disciples2 it is embodied in the ,sermon on the ,mount1 which belongs to an earlier date4 ,the learners were defective both in understanding and memory2 and the ,master gave them line upon line4 ,having taught his followers first by praying in their presence1 and then by dictating an example of prayer1 he next gives them a specific lesson on importunity and perseverance in praying4 ,this lesson he has been pleased to impart in the form of a parable--,and he said unto them1 ,which of you shall have a friend1 c4 ,the picture refers to a simple1 primitive condition of society1 and reveals corresponding social habits4 ,we must abandon our own modern1 artificial view-point1 ere we can comprehend and appreciate the facts on which the parable is based4 ,some cottages1 built near each other for common safety1 are owned and possessed by the cultivators of the surrounding soil4 ,daylight has disappeared1 and the inhabitants of the hamlet1 wearied with their toil1 have all retired to rest4 ,meantime a benighted traveller is threading his way to the spot expecting food and shelter in the house of his friend4 ,it is midnight ere he arrives2 for1 footsore and weary1 he has consumed many hours in accomplishing the distance between his resting-place at noon and his destination for the night4 ,the inmates1 hearing his knocking and recognising his voice1 forthwith open the door and hospitably receive the traveller4 ,but here a new difficulty occurs3 the bread prepared for the household had satisfied their wants for the day1 but none remained over4 ,the last remnant had been consumed at the evening meal1 and the family had retired to rest with the intention of providing early in the morning for the wants of the following day4 ,they had not a morsel to set before the weary stranger4 ,the head of the house1 willing to undergo any amount of trouble rather than seem lacking in hospitality1 determined to borrow even at that late hour the necessary supply of bread4 ,to the door of his nearest neighbour1 accordingly1 he went1 and knocked as the traveller had already knocked at his own4 ,between the two villagers a conversation now takes place1 the one lying in bed within1 and the other standing on the street without4 ,the request is met at first by a polite but peremptory refusal4 ,the hour is untimely2 the children are asleep2 unwonted movements in the house will awaken and alarm them3 better that one stranger should fast till morning than that a whole family should be disturbed in the night4 ,but the suppliant at the door has taken the matter much to heart4 ,the customs of society elevate the exercise of hospitality into the highest rank of virtues3 he was ashamed to be caught off his guard1 and unable to comply with the cardinal social duty of the ,east4 ,he knew not how to meet his friend and confess that he had no bread in his house2 bread he must have1 and will not want2 he plies his request accordingly4 ,he will listen to no refusal2 he continues to knock and plead4 ,to every answer from within1 ,i will not give1 he sends a reply from without1 ,i shall have4 ,it was for the sake of shielding his own sleeping family from disturbance at midnight that this neighbour had1 in the first instance1 refused2 but now he discovers that the method which he had adopted to preserve the seemly stillness of night is the surest way of disturbing it4 ,at first1 that he might protect his sleeping family from disturbance1 he refused2 but at last1 for the same reason1 he complied4 ,although he would not give from friendship1 he gave to importunity4 ,this parable is remarkable in that the temporal and spiritual1 instead of lying parallel throughout their length1 touch each other only at one point4 ,they are like two straight rigid rods laid one upon another at right angles2 all the weight of the upper rod lies on the under at one spot1 and therefore presses there with tenfold intensity4 ,the comparison has been chosen1 ,i think1 precisely because of this quality4 ,because the analogy does not hold good in every feature1 it better serves the purpose in hand3 the point of comparison delivers its lesson all the more emphatically when it stands alone4 ,when you have been convinced that ,god cares for his creatures1 and have therefore begun1 in the ,mediator's name1 to pray2--when you have not only said a prayer in fulfilment of a commanded duty1 but felt a want1 and like a little child requested your ,father in heaven to supply it1 another lesson concerning prayer remains still to be learned--to persevere4 ,when you have asked once--asked many times1 and failed to obtain relief1 you are tempted gradually to lose hope and abandon prayer4 ,here the lesson of the parable comes in3 it teaches you to continue asking until you receive4 ,ask as a hungry child asks his mother for bread4 ,it is not a certain duty prescribed1 so that when you have performed it you are at liberty to go away4 ,nor is it1 ,ask so many times--whether seven or seventy times seven3 it is1 ,ask until you obtain your desire4 ,when the ,lord desired specially to recommend importunity in prayer1 he selected a case which teaches importunity and nothing more4 ,he gives us an example in which unceasing pertinacity alone triumphed over all obstacles1 and counsels us to go and do likewise when we ask good things from our ,father in heaven4 ,in this parable1 as in that of the unjust judge1 a human motive that is mean is employed to illustrate a divine motive that is high and holy4 ,in both cases the reason of the choice is the same2 and in both the reason of the choice becomes the explanation of the difficulty4 ,an example of persevering importunity in asking was needed in order to become the vehicle of the spiritual lesson2 but in human affairs such an example cannot be found among the loving and generous3 you must descend into some of the lower and harder strata of human character ere you reach a specimen of the pertinacious refusal which generates the pertinacious demand4 ,that feature of the ,father's government which the ,son here undertakes to explain cannot otherwise be represented by analogies drawn from human experience4 ,if the villager had been more generously benevolent1 he would have complied at once with the request of his neighbour2 but in that case no suitable example for the ,lord's present purpose could have emerged from his act4 ,in order to find an example of persevering importunity1 it was necessary to select a case in which nothing but persevering importunity could prevail4 ,the terms are distinct and emphatic3 ,though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend1 yet because of his importunity1 he will rise and give him as many as he needeth4 ,the term ,greek3 anaideian1 translated importunity1 signifies freedom from the bashfulness which cannot ask a second time4 ,the shamefacedness which prevents a modest man from importuning a fellow-creature for a gift1 after the first request has been refused1 is out of place in the intercourse between an empty but believing suppliant and the ,god of all grace4 ,if this ,jewish countryman in his perplexity had been ashamed to ask a second time1 he would have failed to accomplish his object2 but because he was not so ashamed1 or at least did not permit the shame to drive him from his purpose1 he obtained at length all his desire4 ,now1 his conduct in this respect is specially commended to us for imitation in our prayer3 ,and ,i say unto you1 ,ask and it shall be given you4 ,as that man asked a gift from a brother1 we should ask from ,god4 ,this is the kind of prayer that ,christ teaches us to address to ,god2 and the ,son who is in the bosom of the ,father will rightly declare the ,father's mind4 ,the lesson is in some of its aspects difficult4 ,we have not experience--we have not faculties sufficient to make us capable of understanding it fully4 ,our ,teacher might have maintained silence regarding it2 or he might have said1 as we often in substance say to little children1 ,what thou knowest not now1 thou shalt know hereafter2 and this not from our unwillingness to teach1 but from their incapacity to comprehend4 ,but the ,lord does not leave us wholly ignorant1 because we are incapable of understanding all4 ,he makes one point abundantly clear--that persevering importunity in prayer is pleasing to ,god and profitable to men4 ,but the lesson is not easy3 analogies drawn from sensible objects or human experience cannot express it fully4 ,the two parables which bear upon it--the one now under consideration1 and that of the unjust judge--touch only the edges of the theme4 ,the human motive is in the one picture mean1 and in the other wicked2 yet these are the best analogies that can be found on earth for expressing this feature of our ,father's love4 ,knowing the defect of the analogy employed in the parable1 the ,lord has supported and supplemented it by a fact in his own history4 ,the case of the ,syro-phoenician woman 7,matt4 xv4 #ba-bh71 although a historic event1 serves also as an allegory4 ,the two parables1 one enacted and the other spoken1 together make the lesson plain1 as far as we are capable of comprehending it4 ,in the mouth of these two witnesses the ,lord has established his doctrine regarding importunate pressure in prayer4 ,when ,i was a little child ,i often stood near a forge1 and watched a blacksmith at work1 admiring the strength and skill of the wonder-working man4 ,he was wont to treat me kindly and bear with me patiently1 although ,i sometimes stood in his way4 ,at one time he would benevolently answer my childish questions2 and at another1 instead of answering1 would continue to handle his tools with his strong1 bare arms1 throwing glances of tenderness towards me from time to time out of his deep intelligent eyes1 but all in silence4 ,when two pieces of iron1 placed in the fire in order to be welded together1 became red1 ,i thought and said he should take them out and join them2 but he left them lying still in the fire without speaking a word4 ,they grew redder1 hotter2 they threw out angry sparks3 now1 thought ,i1 he should certainly lay them together and strike2 but the skilful man left them still lying in the fire1 and meantime fanned it into a fiercer glow4 ,not till they were white1 and bending with their own weight when lifted1 like lilies on their stalks--not till they were at the point of becoming liquid1 did he lay the two pieces alongside of each other1 and by a few gentle strokes weld them into one4 ,had he laid them together sooner1 however vigorously he had beaten1 they would have fallen asunder in his hands4 ,the ,lord knows1 as we know not1 what preparation we need in order that we may be brought into union with himself4 ,he refuses1 delays1 disappoints1--all in wise love1 that he may bring the seeker's heart up to such a glow of desire as will suffice to unite it permanently with his own4 ,a father1 when his son asks bread1 does not give him a stone3 when he asks a fish1 does not give him a serpent4 ,thus1 our ,father in heaven gives good things to them that ask him4 ,the giving ,god 7,greek3 tou didontos ,theou ,james i4 #e71 is one of his attributes4 ,why1 then1 do not all his children get whatever they ask1 and when they ask it8 ,one reason1 doubtless1 is1 that the child1 ignorant and short-sighted1 often asks a stone or a serpent because they seem beautiful1--not knowing that the one is destitute of nourishment1 and that the other will sting--and then frets when things are given to him wholly different from those which he desired and expected4 ,hannah asked a son2 in that case ,god saw that the request was wise3 the child asked bread1 and the ,father1 after the needful trial of faith1 bestowed it freely4 ,some have asked a son1 not knowing that in their case the gift would have been a serpent4 ,all their days they have wondered why the boon was denied1 and have learned1 perhaps1 in the light of the great white throne when their days on earth were done1 that ,he who cared for them shielded their bosoms more tenderly and effectually than themselves could have done1 from one of the sharpest stings that pierce the flesh of living men4 ,abraham believed ,god1 and every step of his life-journey was thereby made plain3 some great mountains that stood in the path of the patriarch were obliged to get quickly out of the way as he approached4 ,to him that believeth1 all things are possible4 ,at midnight1 in the parable1 the cry for help came1 and prevailed4 ,it is never out of season to pray1 until you be out of life4 ,he that keeps ,israel slumbers not nor sleeps4 ,come we early1 he is awake2 come we late1 he has not retired to rest4 ,in prayer1 the shamefacedness 7,greek3 anaideia7 that shrinks from giving trouble should have absolutely no place4 ,we trouble ,god by our sins1 but not by our prayers4 ,is the sun burdened by the weight of the planets that hang on him as they run their course8 ,is he exhausted by the necessity of supplying them with the light in which they shine8 ,would you relieve him by covering some of them up1 or blotting them out of being8 ,the infinite ,god is not wearied by the weight of all the worlds he has made3 the ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ is not exhausted by giving a portion to each of his regenerated children of human kind4 ,ten lepers were healed by the word of ,jesus1 and of them one came back to give him praise4 ,that man in his eagerness pushed aside every obstruction1 and pressed through the crowd that encircled the great ,teacher1 demanding and engaging his attention4 ,did the interruption trouble the ,lord8 ,no4 ,who troubled him8 ,not the one who came1 but the nine who remained at a distance4 ,with a sigh the ,lord said1 ,where are the nine8 ,he grieved because they did not come back with praise3 therefore he would have rejoiced if they had come4 ,but if they who come to ,christ to give thanks please him much1 they who come to him asking gifts please him more2 for in his own experience1 and according to his own testimony1 it is more blessed to give than to receive4 ,some additional light is thrown backward on the parable by the discourse that immediately follows4 ,it was with the view of bringing out and pressing home the lesson from his own picture1 that the ,lord1 in continuation of his teaching1 said1 ,and ,i say unto you1 ,ask1 and it shall be given you1 c4 ,two things here are most wonderful2--one is1 that needy men should require so many reasonings to induce them to ask good things from ,god2 and the other is1 that ,god should condescend to employ so many reasonings for that end4 ,one who knew only the pertinacity with which the prodigal held to his hunger1 and cold1 and nakedness in a foreign land1 would be apt to suppose that this son had been harshly treated in his father's house1 and that nothing but punishment awaited him on his return4 ,but if such an observer had been able to witness the actual meeting of father and son when the exile returned at last1 he would have learned from the fond reception which the yearning father gave to his erring child1 that the son had all along grievously misjudged and misrepresented his father4 ,suppose1 now1 the angels1 who desire to look into the provisions of the covenant of grace1 should have discovered only these two things1 the need of men1 and the mercy of ,god1 they would expect that all the fallen would flock back to his presence1 like doves to their windows when the tempest comes on3 but herein they would find themselves mistaken4 ,that complaint which our ,redeemer uttered describes in one stroke the essential characteristic of the lost1--,ye will not come unto me1 that ye might have life 7,john v4 #dj74 ,the ,lord1 who loves to bestow the blessing1 reasons with us from our own experience4 ,children trust a father1 and are not disappointed2 why will you not confide in the ,father of your spirits1 and live8 ,in the close of his lesson1 he indicates that the best gift of ,god is the ,holy ,spirit1 and that this gift he is most willing to bestow4 ,more ready than a father is to give bread to a hungry child when it cries1 is our ,father to give the ,holy ,spirit to them that ask him4 ,let us put him to the proof4 ,let us come at ,christ's bidding1 and in ,christ's name3 let us come boldly to the throne of grace4 ,he who reigneth over all has sent for us1 and bidden us come--bidden us ask4 ,he will not dishonour his own promise3 treat him as a father1 and see whether he will not make you his dear child4 ,in some respects these two1--this and the unjust judge1--are the most wonderful and most precious of all the parables4 ,the rest present such views of divine grace as may be shadowed forth by the ordinary manifestations of human character and action1--such as a shepherd bringing back his sheep1 or a sower casting his seed into the ground3 but these two go sheer down through all that lies on the surface of human history--down through all the upper and more ordinary grades of human experience1 and penetrate into the lower1 darker1 meaner things at the bottom1 in order to find a longer line wherewith to measure out greater lengths and breadths of ,god's compassion2 as the shadow in the lake must needs be deepest where the heavens which it represents are highest4 ,i know nothing more amazing1 in all these lessons which ,christ gave about the kingdom of grace1 than the lesson which these two pictures teach about prayer4 ,it is the same lesson that is embodied in one of the most memorable and mysterious of all the ,old ,testament facts--,jacob's wrestling with the ,angel4 ,sweet to the ,angel of the ,covenant was the persistent struggle of the believing man2 and sweet to that same ,lord to-day is the pressure which an eager suppliant applies to his heart and his hand4 ,in all the ,bible you will not find a word that expresses greater loathing than that which tells us how ,god regards the ,laodiceans who asked as if they cared not whether they obtained or not3 ,because thou art lukewarm1 and art neither cold nor hot1 ,i will spue thee out of my mouth4 ,the ,lord loves to be pressed2 let us therefore press1 assured by his own word that the ,hearer of prayer never takes urgency ill4 ,,xix4 ,,the ,,rich ,,fool4 ,and he spake a parable unto them1 saying1 ,the ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully3 and he thought within himself1 saying1 ,what shall ,i do1 because ,i have no room where to bestow my fruits8 ,and he said1 ,this will ,i do3 ,i will pull down my barns1 and build greater2 and there will ,i bestow all my fruits and my goods4 ,and ,i will say to my soul1 ,soul1 thou hast much goods laid up for many years2 take thine ease1 eat1 drink1 and be merry4 ,but ,god said unto him1 ,thou fool1 this night thy soul shall be required of thee3 then whose shall those things be1 which thou hast provided8 ,so is he that layeth up treasure for himself1 and is not rich toward ,god4--,,luke xii4 #af-ba4 ,while ,jesus was1 in his wonted way1 preaching the kingdom to a great multitude1 one of the audience1 taking advantage probably of some momentary pause in the discourse1 broke in upon the solemn exercises with the inappropriate and incongruous demand1 ,master1 speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me4 ,in regard to the matter in dispute between himself and his brother1 this man probably had both an honest purpose and a righteous cause4 ,for aught that we know to the contrary1 he may have been violently or fraudulently deprived of his share in the inheritance of the family4 ,in the answer of the ,lord there is not a word that calls in question the justice of his claim4 ,the question of right and wrong as between the brothers does not constitute an element of the case as it is presented to us2 it is intentionally and completely omitted4 ,dishonesty is a simpler affair1 and can be settled in very few words4 ,elsewhere it is disposed of in a very brief sentence1--,thou shalt not steal4 ,but here a far more subtle sin is analyzed and exposed4 ,the lesson is not1 ,take heed and beware of ,injustice2 but1 ,take heed and beware of ,covetousness4 ,the warning is directed not against the sin of obtaining wealth by unjust means1 but against the sin of setting the heart upon wealth1 by what means soever it may have been obtained3 this reproof was doubtless a word more in season for the assembly of well-conducted ,jews who listened that day to the preaching of ,jesus1 as it is a word more in season for the members of ,christian ,churches in this land1 than an exhortation to beware of theft4 ,the appeal so inopportunely made1 shows incidentally that the people had begun to look on ,jesus as a prophet1 and to pay great deference to his word4 ,had he not been already in some sense recognised as an authority1 this man would not have applied to him for relief4 ,he was well aware that ,jesus of ,nazareth could bring no civil constraint to bear upon his brother2 it was the moral influence of the prophet's word that he counted on as the means of accomplishing his purpose3 ,master1 speak to my brother1 that he divide the inheritance with me4 ,he had1 perhaps1 observed an amazing effect produced by a word from those meek lips2 he had1 perhaps1 himself seen wicked men subdued by it1 and heard from others that it had silenced a stormy sea4 ,he may have marked its power in healing the sick and raising the dead4 ,forthwith he conceived the plan of enlisting this mysterious and mighty word on his own side of a family quarrel4 ,if that word1 he thought within himself1 were exerted in my behalf1 it would induce my brother to give to me the half or the third of the paternal estate1 which ,i claim as my right4 ,we cannot cast the first stone at this poor simpleton1 who had no other use for the ,redeemer's word than to gain by means of it a few more acres of the earth for himself3 in every age1 some men may be found who hang on the skirts of the ,church for the sake of some immediate temporal benefit4 ,nor is it difficult to understand the phenomenon3 ,no man can serve two masters2 practically each chooses one1 and in the main serves him faithfully4 ,if ,christ is chosen as ,lord and ,master1 ,mammon and all other things are compelled to serve3 if ,mammon is chosen and seated on the throne1 he will not scruple to lay heaven and earth under contribution for the advancement of his designs2--,mammon1 when master1 will take even the word of ,christ and employ it as an instrument wherewith he may rake his rags together4 ,how simple and helpless is the man who has allowed wealth to become his chief good6 ,here is an example of ungodly simplicity4 ,without any apprehension of a reproof from the ,lord or his disciples1 the poor man betrays all3 in the public assembly he unwittingly turns his own heart inside out4 ,instead of addressing to the preacher the question1 ,what must ,i do to be saved8 showing that the truth had taken effect on his conscience1 he preferred a request regarding a disputed property1 showing that while the words of ,jesus fell on his ears1 his heart was going after its covetousness4 ,he attended to the sermon for the purpose of watching when it should be done1 that he might then do a stroke of business4 ,we must not too complacently congratulate ourselves on our superior privileges and more reverent habits4 ,if those who wait upon the ministry of the word in our day were as simple as this man was1 some requests savouring as much of the earth as his would be preferred at the close of the solemnity4 ,if human breasts were transparent1 and the thoughts that throng them patent to the public gaze1 many heads would hang down4 ,from this untimely and intensely earthly interruption the parable springs3 thus the ,lord makes the covetousness as well as the wrath of man to praise him1 and restrains the remainder thereof4 ,a fissure has been made in the mountain by some pent-up internal fire that forced its way out1 and rent the rock in its outgoing2 in that rent a tree may now be seen blooming and bearing fruit1 while all the rest of the mountain-side is bare4 ,out of the eater came forth meat2 out of the strong came forth sweetness4 ,this word of ,jesus that liveth and abideth for ever is a green and fruitful tree to-day2 but it was the outbursting of a scathing1 scorching covetousness that formed the cavity1 and supplied the soil in which the tree might grow4 ,the ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully1 c4 ,the ground was his own3 no law1 human or divine1 challenged his right4 ,the ground was eminently fruitful2 the unconscious earth gave forth its riches1 making no distinction between one who used it well and one who abused it4 ,on the fields of the covetous man the rain fell and the sun shone3 ,god makes his sun to shine on the evil and on the good4 ,it is not here--it is not now that he judges the world in righteousness4 ,he giveth to all men liberally1 and upbraideth not4 ,mark now what effect the profusion of nature and the beneficence of ,god produced on the mind of this prosperous man4 ,it set him a thinking3 so far1 so good4 ,the expression in the original indicates a dialogue1 and a dialogue is a discourse maintained between two4 ,dialogue is1 indeed1 the original word transferred bodily into the ,english language3 ,greek3 dielogizeto en heaut--he dialogued in himself3 his soul and he held a conversation on the subject4 ,this was a proper course4 ,when riches increase it is right and necessary to hold a consultation with one's own soul regarding them3 in like manner1 also1 when riches take themselves wings and fly away1 a conversation between the same parties should take place regarding their escape4 ,he said1 ,what shall ,i do1 ,i have no room where to bestow my fruits8 ,the process advances most hopefully3 hitherto1 no fault can be found with this man's conduct4 ,so great had been his prosperity that he was at a loss for storage4 ,his cup was not only full1 but running over1 and so running waste2 his solicitude now turned upon the question how he might profitably dispose of the surplus4 ,taking it for granted1 as any sensible man in the circumstances would1 that something should be done1 he puts the question1 ,what shall ,i do8 ,a right question1 addressed to the proper person1 himself4 ,no other person was so well qualified to answer it1--no other person understood the case1 or possessed authority to determine it4 ,listen now to the answer3 ,he said1 ,this will ,i do3 ,i will pull down my barns1 and build greater1 c4 ,this is the turning-point1 and on it the poor man turns aside into error4 ,when ,god's goodness was showered upon him in such abundance1 he should have opened his treasures and permitted them to flow3 for this end his riches had been bestowed upon him4 ,when rain from heaven has filled a basin on the mountain-top1 the reservoir overflows1 and so sends down a stream to refresh the valley below3 it is for similar purposes that ,god in his providential government fills the cup of those who stand on the high places of the earth--that they may distribute the blessing among those who occupy a lower place in the scale of prosperity4 ,but self was this man's pole star3 he cared for himself1 and for none besides4 ,self was his god2 for to please himself was practically the chief end of his existence4 ,he proposed to pull down his barns1 and build a larger storehouse on the site1 in order that he might be able to hoard his increasing treasures4 ,the method that this ancient ,jewish self-seeker adopted is rude and unskilful4 ,we understand better the principles of finance1 and enjoy more facilities for profitably investing our savings3 but the two antagonist principles retain their respective characters under all changes of external circumstances--the principle of selfishness and the principle of benevolence2 the one gathers in1 the other spreads out4 ,the method of reserving all for self1 is as unsuccessful as it is unamiable3 it cannot succeed4 ,the man who should hoard in his own granary all the corn of ,egypt1 could not eat more of it than a poor labourer--probably not so much4 ,it is only a very small portion of their wealth that the rich can spend directly on their own personal comfort and pleasure3 the remainder becomes1 according to the character of the possessor1 either a burden which he is compelled to bear1 or a store whence he daily draws the luxury of doing good4 ,the dialogue proceeds3 the man has something more to say to his soul3 ,soul1 thou hast much goods laid up for many years1 c4 ,he counts on riches and time as if both were his own1 and at his disposal4 ,the big barn is not yet built2 the golden grain that shall fill it has not yet been sown3 and even although no accident should mar the material portion of the plan1 how shall he secure the many years that constitute its essence on the other side8 ,does he keep ,time under lock and key in his storehouse1 that he may at pleasure draw as much as he requires8 ,many years6 ,these years lie in the future1--that is1 in the unseen eternity4 ,they are at ,god's right hand--they are not within your reach4 ,why do you permit an uncertain element to go into the foundation of your hope8 ,there is1 indeed1 nothing strange here4 ,it is according to law3 those who are taught of the ,spirit understand it well4 ,the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not4 ,thou hast goods laid up for many years6 take thine ease1 soul2 eat1 drink1 and be merry6 ,what simplicity is here6 ,the case is in degree extreme2 the letters are written large that even indifferent scholars may be able to read the lesson2 but the same spiritual malady1 in some of its forms and degrees1 is still epidemic in the world3 those are least exposed to infection who have their treasures laid up at ,god's right hand4 ,it is a useful though a trite remark1 that there is great stupidity in the proposal to lay up in a barn the portion of a soul4 ,the soul1 when it is hungry1 cannot feed on musty grain4 ,material treasures cannot save a soul from death4 ,the representation in the parable1 however1 is true to nature and fact3 it would be a mistake to attribute to a miser a high appreciation of the dignity of man4 ,covetousness1 in its more advanced stages1 eats the pith out of the understanding1 and leaves its victim almost fatuous4 ,this man1 in a dialogue with his own soul1 had settled matters according to his own mind4 ,the two had agreed together that they would have a royal time on earth1 and a long one4 ,the whole business was comfortably arranged4 ,but at this stage another interlocutor1 whom they had not invited1 breaks in upon the colloquy3 ,god said unto him1 ,thou fool1 this night thy soul shall be required of thee2 then1 whose shall those things be which thou hast provided8 ,this is the writing on the wall that puts an end to ,belshazzar's feast1 and turns his mirth into terror4 ,the terms run literally1 ,unwise1 this night they demand from thee thy soul4 ,those ministering angels and providential laws1 represented by the drawers of the net in another parable1 to whom the ,supreme ,governor has committed the task of gathering gradually the generations of men from this sea of time1 and casting them for judgment on the borders of eternity--those ministering spirits1 and principles pervading nature1 arrive in their course this night at your door1 and send the message into the midst of the merry festival1 ,the master of this house is wanted immediately2 he must arise and go1 in obedience to the summons2 he can neither resist nor delay4 ,he may weep1 tremble1 rage2 but he must go1 and go on the instant4 ,it is not the whole man1 but only his soul that is wanted3 his body will be left behind4 ,but the body1 though left behind1 cannot claim1 cannot use the goods4 ,when the soul is summoned over into eternity1 it cannot carry the hoarded treasures with itself1 and the body left behind has no further use for them4 ,a grave to rest in while it returns to dust is all that the body needs or gets2 and the deserted wealth must advertise for an owner--whose shall it be8 ,our ,lord ,jesus has spoken these piercing words1 not for the sake of the pain which they are fitted to inflict4 ,he is the ,healer#fh of diseased humanity1 and when he makes an incision he means to cure4 ,this sharp instrument1 at whose glance we wince and shrink precisely in proportion to the measure of our malady1 he wields for the purpose of piercing the deadly tumour1 and so saving the threatened life4 ,a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth 7ver4 #ae72 and the man who places his life therein1 loses his life4 ,that is not his life2 and if he take that for his life1 he is cheated3 when a merchant has given all for what seemed a goodly pearl1 he has not another fortune in reserve wherewith to begin anew1 if that for which he paid all his possessions turns out to be a worthless toy of glass4 ,our time1 our life--this is our fortune1 on which we trade for the better world3 if these be spent1--be thrown away for what is not life1 then life is lost4 #fh ,der ,heiland--the ,healer--is the ordinary epithet applied to the ,lord ,jesus in the religious phraseology of the ,germans4 ,the term is suggestive and comforting4 ,riches are truly enjoyed when they are wisely employed in doing good2 but hoarded as the portion of their possessor1 they burden him while they remain his1 and rend him at the parting4 ,by way of contrast1 the ,lord mentions another kind of treasure1 which satisfies now1 and lasts for ever4 ,those who are rich toward ,god1 are rich indeed1 and all besides are poor3 and this wealth is1 in ,christ1 offered free1--offered to all4 ,seeing that an evil spirit possessed this man1 the ,lord in mercy applied his word to cast the evil spirit out1 and make room for his own indwelling4 ,when the spirit of the world refuses to go out at his word1 he sometimes interferes as ,ruler in providence1 and tears out the intruder by his mighty hand3 the kingdom of heaven that is within you also suffereth violence2 and ,he who is most mighty comes sometimes with merciful strokes to take it by force4 ,even so3 come1 ,lord ,jesus4 ,,xx4 ,,the ,,barren ,,fig-,,tree4 ,there were present at that season some that told him of the ,galileans1 whose blood ,pilate had mingled with their sacrifices4 ,and ,jesus answering said unto them1 ,suppose ye that these ,galileans were sinners above all the ,galileans1 because they suffered such things8 ,i tell you1 ,nay3 but1 except ye repent1 ye shall all likewise perish4 ,or those eighteen1 upon whom the tower in ,siloam fell1 and slew them1 think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in ,jerusalem8 ,i tell you1 ,nay3 but1 except ye repent1 ye shall all likewise perish4 ,he spake also this parable2 ,a certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard2 and he came and sought fruit thereon1 and found none4 ,then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard1 ,behold1 these three years ,i come seeking fruit on this fig-tree1 and find none3 cut it down2 why cumbereth it the ground8 ,and he answering said unto him1 ,lord1 let it alone this year also1 till ,i shall dig about it1 and dung it3 and if it bear fruit1 well3 and if not1 then after that thou shalt cut it down4--,,luke xiii4 #a-i4 ,it is obvious that the massacre of the ,galileans by ,pilate was mentioned on this occasion1 not for its own sake1 but for the purpose of supporting a doctrine which the narrators held and desired to establish4 ,their meaning is echoed distinctly in the answer of the ,lord4 ,these ,pharisees seem to have found grist for their own mill in all events and all persons2 everything was turned to the account of their own self-righteousness4 ,peculiar sufferings seemed to prove peculiar guilt4 ,the logical consequence they did not express1 and perhaps did not distinctly frame even in thought2 but they solaced themselves with it1 notwithstanding3 they were not visited by such calamities1 and therefore it might be presumed they were not chargeable with such sins4 ,the ,lord expressly denied the truth of their silent1 hidden inference1 and fortified his teaching by reference to another analogous case1--the sudden death of some men through the fall of a tower4 ,leaving untouched the general doctrine that mankind suffer for sin1 he clearly and emphatically teaches1 that particular calamities do not measure or prove the particular guilt of those who suffer in them4 ,otherwise1 it is obvious that ,god's government begins and ends in this life2 there is neither the necessity nor the evidence of a judgment to come4 ,he indicated to the ,jews that the sudden and unexpected destruction of those sacrificing ,galileans1 was but an emblem of the sudden and unexpected destruction that would overtake themselves if they were not converted in time1 and shielded in mercy from the judgment that sin entailed4 ,to repeat1 expand1 and enforce this lesson the parable is spoken3 ,he spake also this parable1--the similitude is given in addition to the more direct instruction which had gone before1 and for the same purpose4 ,a certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard4 ,this was not a seedling that had sprung accidentally within the fences of the vineyard1 and through carelessness been permitted to grow3 the language is precise1 and indicates that the fig tree had been planted within the vineyard by a deliberate act of the owner4 ,the husbandman planted the fig-tree that he might enjoy its fruit2 and in order more effectually to secure his object1 he selected for the tree the most favourable position4 ,it is obvious both from the structure and design of the parable that the position of the fig-tree was the best that it could possibly have obtained4 ,in countries where the vine is cultivated1 not by a few wealthy proprietors with a view to an export trade1 but by each family on a small scale with a view to the food of the household1 to plant some fruit trees of other kinds within the same enclosure is the rule rather than the exception4 ,the vineyard is not the luxury of the few1 but a common necessity of life with the many4 ,it becomes the most cherished possession of the permanent rural population4 ,its aspect is sunward1 its soil is good1 its fences are in order4 ,within this favoured spot the owner is willing to make room for one or more fig-trees1 for the sake of the fruit which in such favourable circumstances he expects them to bear4#fi #fi ,in the valley of the ,rhine where the vine is cultivated as the material of a great manufacture1 and the staple of a foreign trade1 fruit trees of other species are not admitted within the vineyard2 but at ,botzen in the ,tyrol1 where the habits of society are more simple and primitive1 ,i have repeatedly seen fig-trees growing within the lofty wall of the carefully cultured vineyard1 rewarding the possessor for his care with abundant fruit4 ,when the tree had reached maturity the owner expected that it should bear fruit2 but that year1 the next1 and a third it continued barren4 ,having waited a reasonable time1 he gave orders that it should be destroyed2 since it produced nothing1 he desired to utilize in another way the portion of ground which it occupied4 ,the dresser of the vineyard is a person who has the entire charge1 subject to the general instructions of the proprietor4 ,he has long occupied this position1 and is acquainted with the fig-tree from its infancy2 he knows it1 as a shepherd in a similarly primitive state of society knows his sheep4 ,he has formed for it a species of attachment2 and a sentiment akin to compassion springs up in his heart1 when he hears its sentence pronounced4 ,woodman1 spare that tree1 is a species of intercession thoroughly natural and human4 ,the intercession of the dresser1 however1 is not sentiment merely2 it is sentiment completely directed and controlled by just reason4 ,he does not plead for the indefinite prolongation of a useless existence4 ,he asks only another year of trial3 he intends and promises to take in the interval the most energetic measures for stimulating the barren tree into fruitfulness4 ,if under these appliances it bear fruit1 he knows the owner will gladly permit it to retain its place2 if not1 he will abandon it to the fate which it deserves and invites4 ,no peculiar difficulty attends the exposition of this parable3 the main features of its meaning are so distinctly marked1 that it is hardly possible to miss them4 ,the lesson is easily read2 and when read1 it is unspeakably solemn and tender4 ,god is the owner of the vineyard and the fig-tree within its walls4 ,abraham's seed1 natural and mystical1 are the fig-tree2 and the ,mediator between ,god and man is the ,dresser of the vineyard1 the intercessor for the barren tree4 ,these points are all so obvious that there can hardly be any difference of opinion regarding them4 ,one point remains1 demanding some explanation indeed1 but presenting very little difficulty1--the vineyard4 ,the fig-tree was planted within the vineyard1 and what is the doctrine indicated by this circumstance in the material frame of the parable8 ,the suggestion that the vineyard means the world1 in the midst of which ,israel were planted1 although supported by some honoured names1 does not merit much consideration4 ,in no sense is there any likeness between the vineyard and the world4 ,the essential circumstances involved in the fact that the fig-tree grew within the vineyard are1 that in soil1 south exposure1 care and defence1 it was placed in the best possible position for bearing fruit4 ,the one fact that it was planted in the vineyard indicates1 and was obviously intended to indicate1 that the owner had done the best for his fig-tree4 ,the meaning is precisely the same as that which is more fully expressed in the analogous parable3 ,now will ,i sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard1 c4 7,isa4 v4 #a-g74 ,in the prophet's allegory1 while in general the vineyard represents the house of ,israel1 the vine trees more specifically represent the people1 and south exposure1 soil1 care1 and defence1 represent the peculiar providence and grace of ,god displayed in their history and institutions4 ,the vineyard of the ,lord of hosts is the house of ,israel1 and the men of ,judah his pleasant plant 7ver4 #g72 the plants represent the men1 and all that the proprietor did in their behalf represents the goodness of ,god to ,israel in redeeming them from bondage and giving them his covenant4 ,on the same principle in our parable the fig-tree represents the people who were favoured1 and the advantages of the vineyard represent the privileges which the people enjoyed4 ,the intimation that this barren fig-tree grew within a vineyard1 is a short method of informing us that it enjoyed a position on a very fruitful hill1 and was there fenced1 watched1 and watered with the most patient care4 ,now1 obviously1 none of these things1 in their spiritual signification1 were enjoyed by ,israel simply in virtue of their existence in this world4 ,the ,egyptians1 the ,babylonians1 and the ,persians were placed in the world too1 and yet they enjoyed no peculiar privileges1--could not be compared to a vineyard on a very fruitful hill4 ,this feature of the parable1 so far from merely intimating that ,israel were placed in the world1 teaches us that they were separated from it2 they were protected by special providences in their history1 and cherished by the ordinances of grace4 ,the place of the fig-tree within the vineyard indicates that the people to whom ,god looked in vain for the fruits of righteousness1 were distinguished from the nations by the peculiar religious privileges which they enjoyed3 the favourable circumstances of the tree aggravated the guilt of its barrenness4 ,three successive years the owner came seeking fruit on this fig-tree1 and found none4 ,in regard to the specified period of three years1 ,i do not think we gain much by a particular reference to the well-known natural process by which the fig develops simultaneously the fruit of this season and the germs of the next2 for we do not know in this case whether the germs were never formed1 or fell off before they reached maturity4 ,i am not able to perceive that the number three has any necessary reference to the peculiarities of the fig2 ,i think the same number would have been employed for the purposes of the spiritual lesson1 although a fruit tree of another species had been taken as an example4 ,three years was a reasonable period for the owner to wait1 that he might neither on the one hand rashly cut down a tree that might soon have become profitable1 nor on the other permit a hopelessly barren tree indefinitely to occupy a position which might otherwise be turned to good account4 ,while the lesson of the parable bears upon the ,church at large1 both in ancient and modern times1 it is to individuals that it can be most safely and most profitably applied4 ,most certainly we enjoy at this day the advantages set forth under the figure of the favoured fig-tree4 ,besides the life and faculties which we possess in common with others1 we have spiritual privileges which are peculiar to ourselves4 ,civil and religious liberty1 the ,scriptures1 the ,sabbath1 the ,church1 place us in the position of the fig-tree within the vineyard1 while other nations are more or less like a tree rooted in the sand1 or exposed on the wayside4 ,the ,god in whom we live has conferred these advantages upon us1 that we might bear fruit unto holiness2 and if we remain barren1 notwithstanding all his kindness1 he will give forth the decree to cut us down4 ,in some he finds bad fruit1 and in some no fruit1 and even in the best1 little fruit4 ,he has not cast out the unfruitful1 but has tenderly spared them4 ,as the fig-tree greedily drank in the riches of earth and air1 and wasted all in leaves1 so the unconverted in a land of ,christian light enjoy ,god's goodness and employ it in ministering only to their own pleasures4 ,the line of justice1 stretched to the utmost1--to the utmost and more1 snaps asunder at last3 the sentence goes forth1 ,cut the barren tree down1 and cast it out4 ,this is the doom which guilt deserves and justice proclaims3 if the sinful were under a government of mere righteousness1 it would be inexorably executed upon all4 ,here is the turning point3 here an intercessor appears1--an ,intercessor who cares for man and prevails with ,god4 ,the first part of his plea is1 ,spare3 he appeals for a respite of definite and limited duration1--one year3 less would not afford an opportunity for amendment1 and more would in the circumstances confer a bounty on idleness4 ,all who have under the ,gospel reached the age of understanding1 and are still living without ,god in the world1 enjoy the present respite in virtue of ,christ's compassionate intercession4 ,if that ,mediator had never taken up the case1 or should now abandon it1 the sentence already pronounced would descend like the laws of nature and inexorably execute itself4 ,it is ,christ's intercession alone1 that stands between the unpardoned on earth1 and the punishment which is their due4#gj #gj ,i cannot see any force in the argument by which ,stier endeavours to show that the interceding vine-dresser represents primarily the human ministry in the ,church4 ,but the ,intercessor does more than secure for the sinful a space for repentance3 ,he who obtains the respite takes means to render it effectual4 ,the two chief applications employed in husbandry to stimulate growth and fruitfulness are digging and manuring3 these accordingly the dresser of the vineyard undertakes to apply in the interval to the barren fig-tree4 ,i think something may be gained here by descending into the particulars4 ,one of these agricultural operations imparts to the tree the elements of fruitfulness1 and the other enables the tree to make these elements its own4 ,digging gives nothing to the tree2 but it makes openings whereby gifts from another quarter may become practically available4 ,the manure contains the food which the plant must receive1 and assimilate1 and convert into fruit2 but if the hardened earth were not made loose by digging1 the needed aliment would never reach its destination4 ,similar processes are applied in the spiritual culture3 certain diggings take place around and among the roots of barren souls1 as well as of barren fig-trees4 ,bereavements and trials of various kinds strike and rend2 but these cannot by themselves renew and sanctify4 ,they may give pain1 but cannot impart fertility3 the spirit much distressed may be as unfruitful as the spirits that are at ease in ,zion4 ,these rendings1 however1 are most precious as the means of opening a way whereby the elements of spiritual life conveyed by the word and the ,spirit may reach their destination4 ,the ,lord who pours in the food for the sustenance of a soul1 stirs that soul by his providence1 so that grace may reach the root and be taken in4 ,as the constituents of fruit1 held in solution by air and water1 cannot freely reach the plant whose roots lie under a long unbroken and indurated soil1 so the grace of ,god contained in the preached ,gospel is kept at bay by a carnal mind and a seared conscience4 ,it is when afflictions rend the heart1 as a ploughshare tears up the ground1 that the elements of life long offered are at length received4 ,it is thus that providence and grace conspire to achieve the purpose of ,god in the salvation of men4 ,in this work mercy and judgment meet2 and saved sinners1 on earth and in heaven1 put both together in their song of praise 7,ps4 ci4 #a47 ,but a feature appears in the close1 well fitted to arouse those who have hitherto presumed upon impunity and neglected ,christ4 ,even this kind ,intercessor does not propose that the unfruitful tree should be allowed indefinitely to maintain its place without changing its character3 ,he spontaneously concedes that if this trial prove ineffectual1 justice must take its course2 ,after that thou shalt cut it down4 ,when ,jesus lets a sinner go1 who shall take him up8 ,but there is love even in this last stern word4 ,love intercedes for a time of trial1--an opportunity of turning2 and love1 too1 after securing sufficient opportunity1 lets go its hold and leaves all hopeless beyond4 ,it is the terrible concession1 thou shalt cut it down1 issuing from the ,intercessor's lips1 that gives power to the invitation1 ,now is the accepted time4 ,to warn me now that if ,i let the day of grace run waste1 even ,jesus on the morrow of the judgment will not plead for me any more1 is surely the most effectual means of urging me to close with his offer to-day4 ,,xxi4 ,,the ,,excuses4 ,then said he unto him1 ,a certain man made a great supper1 and bade many3 and sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden1 ,come2 for all things are now ready4 ,and they all with one consent began to make excuse4 ,the first said unto him1 ,i have bought a piece of ground1 and ,i must needs go and see it3 ,i pray thee have me excused4 ,and another said1 ,i have bought five yoke of oxen1 and ,i go to prove them3 ,i pray thee have me excused4 ,and another said1 ,i have married a wife1 and therefore ,i cannot come4 ,so that servant came1 and showed his lord these things4 ,then the master of the house being angry said to his servant1 ,go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city1 and bring in hither the poor1 and the maimed1 and the halt1 and the blind4 ,and the servant said1 ,lord1 it is done as thou hast commanded1 and yet there is room4 ,and the lord said unto the servant1 ,go out into the highways and hedges1 and compel them to come in1 that my house may be filled4 ,for ,i say unto you1 ,that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper4--,,luke xiv4 #af-bd4 ,a chain of connected lessons1 consisting of several links1 immediately precedes the parable in the evangelic history2 but we may appreciate all the meaning of the parable without reference to the circumstances in which it sprung4 ,in some cases the connection with the context is such that light from the history preceding is necessary to elucidate the meaning of the lesson that follows2 but it is not so here4 ,although one thing suggests another in the conversation which the ,evangelist records1 the lesson ultimately given is independent of the things that suggested it4 ,touched by the solemn teaching of the ,lord ,jesus1 one of the company1 well-meaning1 but dim and confused in his conceptions1 made the remark1 ,blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of ,god4 ,observing that this man and the ,pharisees around him were clinging to the notion that to be invited to enter the kingdom is the same thing as to be in it1 he spoke the parable to point out the difference1 and to show that the invitation will only aggravate the doom of those who refuse to comply with it4 ,he intends to teach the ,jews1 and through them to teach us1 that those who are near the kingdom may in the end come short of it--that those who stand high in spiritual privileges may be excluded--may exclude themselves from the kingdom of ,god4 ,both in the natural objects employed1 and the spiritual lessons which they convey1 there is1 at some points1 a marked resemblance between this parable and that of the royal marriage2 but the two1 though similar1 are manifestly distinct4 ,a certain man made a great supper and bade many4 ,in this case it is not a king but a person in a private station who provides the feast2 and the occasion of the rejoicing is not the marriage of the entertainer's son4 ,it is an ordinary example of hospitality exercised by an affluent citizen4 ,both here and in the analogous parable of the royal marriage it is assumed1 as at least not altogether incongruous with custom1 that invitations should be issued some days before1 and that the invited guests should a second time be warned by a messenger to repair to the banqueting house when the time drew near4 ,this summons to attend immediately was sent out at supper time4 ,we know that the term ,greek3 deipnon was in ancient times employed generally to signify the principal meal1 without reference to a particular period of the day2 and1 from the circumstances of this case1 it plainly appears that the feast was a dinner at an early hour1 and not a supper in our sense of the word4 ,at the moment when the warning reached him1 the man who had bought a field intended to go and see it1 and the man who had bought five yoke of oxen intended on that same afternoon to try whether they would go well in harness2 these excuses1 although not sincere1 must in the nature of the case have appeared plausible1 and consequently the feast must have been ready at an early hour of the day4 ,it is implied that these men had tacitly1 or in some other well-understood way1 accepted the first invitation4 ,they gave no intimation that they intended to decline--they gave the provider of the feast reason to expect their presence4 ,probably they were well pleased to be invited2 if they met any of their poorer neighbours in the interval1 it is probable they would take occasion to show their own importance4 ,these common people in the town1 and these labourers in the country1 are not admitted as we are into good society4 ,when the moment arrived they were unwilling2 or rather they were so intently occupied with their own affairs1 that the attractions of the feast were not powerful enough to tear them away4 ,with one consent they all made excuses4 ,the servant saw them separately and received their answers4 ,there is no reason to believe that they met together and framed a plan to insult their entertainer4 ,they acted all on the same method1 although they did not act in concert4 ,the creatures were of one kind1 and though they answered separately they answered similarly4 ,off one carnal instinct--,greek3 apo mias 7gnms7--the excuses were taken1 and accordingly1 although spoken by different persons1 and moulded by different circumstances1 they were all of the same type4 ,the first had bought a field and must go to examine his bargain2 the second had bought live stock for his farm and must see them tried immediately2 the third had married a wife1 and held himself absolved for the time from the ordinary rules of society4 ,they are fair samples of the things that occupy and engross men's hearts and lives4 ,the servant1 having no authority to act1 simply reported the facts to his master4 ,the master was angry1 and immediately invited all the poor of the neighbourhood to the feast4 ,when many of the most destitute had assembled1 the householder1 not satisfied as long as there was room at the table1 and a poor man within reach to occupy it1 sent out another message still more pressing1 to sweep into the feast all the homeless wanderers that could be found1 the very dregs and outcasts of society4 ,satisfied when his house at length was filled1 the owner announced that none of those who had made light of his invitation should now be permitted to partake of the feast4 ,we are now ready to examine more directly the spiritual meaning of the parable1 and as the lesson is in the main coincident with that of the royal marriage in its earlier portion1 a brief exposition will suffice4 ,in the ,gospel1 ,god has provided a great feast4 ,israel1 or his ,church at any period1 are a privileged class1 and enjoy1 through his sovereign goodness1 a perpetual invitation1--a standing right4 ,the charge which the parable brings against this privileged people is1 that they were satisfied with the honour of being invited1 and refused actually to comply with the invitation4 ,they were content with their name and their outward privileges1 and would not in their own hearts and lives obey the ,gospel2 clinging to the form of godliness1 they peremptorily denied its power4 ,not they who are invited1 but they who partake of the feast1 are blessed4 ,to get the first invitation will be not a blessing but an aggravation of guilt1 if you despise the ,giver and refuse his gifts4 ,the last invited shall be first in ultimate position if they accept the invitation1 and the first invited will be last and lowest if they refuse to comply3 the condition of men1 ultimately1 turns not on pardon to them offered1 but on pardon by them received4 ,the servant obviously represents the ministry of the ,gospel in every form and in all times4 ,the message is addressed in the first instance to them that were bidden4 ,the ,gospel was not first proclaimed to the heathen3 begin at ,jerusalem was the ,master's command1 and that command was fulfilled in spirit and letter by his servants4 ,to the lost sheep of the ,house of ,israel the ,lord came in person1 and to them the apostles addressed their ,lord's words at the beginning of their ministry4 ,the history of the event in the ,acts of the ,apostles corresponds exactly with the prophetic delineation in this parable3 it was when the ,jews rejected the ,gospel1 that the messengers turned to the ,gentiles4 ,the invitation addressed to the favoured circle first is1 ,come1 for all things are now ready2 all preceding dispensations were a preparation for ,christ4 ,when the fulness of time had come1 those who had been all along brought up within the lines of the privileged people1 were invited to behold the ,lamb of ,god that taketh away the sin of the world4 ,this is repeated in the experience of every generation1 and every individual1 that grows up within the circle of ,christian ordinances1 as soon as the mind comprehends the message of mercy4 ,as each attains maturity1 he is informed that all things are now ready2 he is invited and pressed to believe in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ that he may be saved4 ,to make excuse1 does not here mean to invent an excuse1 and falsely state1 as a reason1 that which is1 in point of fact1 not the motive of the act4 ,to make excuse1 both in the original ,greek 7,greek3 paraiteisthai7 and in the ,english translation1 signifies simply to plead to be excused4 ,the grounds on which the plea is urged1 may in any case be true or false2 but in this case1 it is highly probable that the grounds stated were in themselves facts1 and that they were1 in part at least1 the true grounds of refusal4 ,whether the first would have gone to the feast1 if he had not at that time bought a property1 we do not certainly know4 ,a man who is intensely unwilling to go1 when one reason fails1 will find or make another2 but in this case1 the probability is1 that anxiety to see his purchase was the real1 or at least1 a real obstacle4 ,the same observation is applicable to the other two examples4 ,but although we concede that the obstacles are real1 we do not thereby help the case of those who neglect the ,gospel2 we must go one step deeper into the strata of deceit that are piled over each other in a human heart4 ,a secret unwillingness to partake of the feast may induce the invited to time his purchases1 so that he may have a good excuse at hand1 or at least to abstain from effort to regulate the incidence of other cares1 so as to leave a time of leisure for the great concern4 ,here in the highest matters1 as elsewhere in lower1 ,where there's a will there's a way4 ,if the desire were pure and true1--the desire to attend the ,giver1 and receive his unspeakable gift1 the field may be inspected and the oxen proved early in the morning1 or postponed till the following day4 ,without supposing a conscious falsehood representing that transactions which had no existence stood in the way1 you have the evil in all its bulk and all its virulence1 when the deceitful heart tries to persuade neighbours1 and to persuade itself1 that the emerging necessities of earthly business interfered with the waiting on ,christ for the salvation of the soul4 ,we might be put on our guard against this species of deceit in the highest matters1 by observing how readily we glide into it1 in things of smaller moment4 ,deceits of every shade1 from the lie direct to the most attenuated equivocation1 spring in the complicated intercourse of modern society1 like weeds in a moist summer on a fallow field4 ,assuredly1 unless our hand be diligent in digging out these bitter roots1 we shall not grow rich in the graces of the ,spirit4 ,you are invited to a neighbour's house3 you don't like to go1 and you determine that you will not go4 ,forthwith your wits go to work to discover an excuse1 and you soon find that which you seek for3 you must travel on business that day2 or some other excuse equally convenient and plausible occurs4 ,you are invited to the house of another neighbour2 difficulties unforeseen spring up2 but being bent on accepting this invitation1 you brush them all aside1 and contrive to reserve the evening for the company that you love4 ,there is much danger of staining the conscience in affairs like these4 ,the ,lord requires truth in the inward parts3 watch and pray4 ,but the difficulty of the path should not make any disciple sad3 the effort to walk circumspectly1 when honestly1 prayerfully1 lovingly made1 is pleasant and healthful exercise to the spirit4 ,neither on the natural nor on the spiritual side does the expression1 with one consent1 intimate that the parties met and consulted together regarding the terms of their answers4 ,as birds of the same species build their nests of the same material and the same form1 without deliberation or concert2 so the carnal mind1 being in its own nature enmity against ,god1 produces1 wherever it operates1 substantially the same fruits4 ,in an alienated heart there is an intense unwillingness to be or to abide near to ,god2 and there is1 consequently1 great fecundity in the conception and production of partition walls to shield the conscience from the glances of his holiness4 ,the three species#ga of thorns that grew up and choked the word in this instance1 are fair specimens of their class--fair samples from the heap4 ,these and such as these slay their thousands still in the ,christian ,church4 ,at this point1 however1 it is of very great importance to observe that all the transactions which are represented in the parable as having come between a sinner and the ,saviour1 are in themselves lawful2 to overlook this would be to miss half the value of the lesson4 ,in point of fact acts and habits of positive vice keep many back from the ,gospel2 but it is not with these cases that the parable deals--it is not to these persons that the ,lord is here addressing his reproof4 ,everything in its own place and time2 the lesson here is not1 ,a drunkard shall not inherit the kingdom1 but ,how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation8 ,when the material of the temptation is lawful and honourable the temptation is less suspected1 and the tempted is more easily thrown off his guard4 ,the field and the oxen must be bought and used2 the affections of the family must be cherished2 but woe to us if we permit these seemly plants to grow so rank that the soul's life shall be overlaid beneath their weight6 #ga ,i do not set much value on the elaborate and minute discussions which some expositors have raised regarding the distinct and specific significance of the several excuses4 ,it is enough for me that they point to the possessions and the pleasures of life1--the possessions being distinguished into two kinds1 the field and oxen1 corresponding to the farm and the merchandise of the cognate parable4 ,the mission of the servants successively to the streets and lanes of the city1 and to the highways and hedges1 with the urgent invitation to poor labourers and homeless beggars1 the maimed1 the halt1 and the blind1 is a vivid picture1 given in prophecy1 of what the ,gospel of ,christ does and will do in the world till the end of time4 ,when many1 and these the most wretched1 are brought in redeemed and sanctified1 the ,lord is not satisfied2 yet there is room1 and the servants must go forth again to new1 and if possible1 more needy objects1 with new1 and if possible1 more urgent appeals4 ,whosoever will1 let him come4 ,it is thus that the numbers are filled up in the kingdom of ,god2 but let it be well observed that to be in a spiritually wretched state does not confer a favour or imply safety4 ,these men were saved1 not because they were spiritually very low1 but although they were spiritually very low3 they were saved1 although the chief of sinners1 because ,christ invited them1 and they came at his call4 ,the more moral1 and more privileged1 who were first invited1 would have been as welcome and as safe if they had come4 ,,the ,,lost ,,sheep1 ,,the ,,lost ,,coin1 ,,and ,,the ,,prodigal ,,son4 ,,luke xv4 ,the three parables of this chapter1 like the seven in ,matt4 xiii41 constitute a connected series4 ,as soon as we begin to look into their contents and relations1 it becomes obvious that they have been arranged according to a logical scheme1 and that the group so framed is not fragmentary but complete4 ,we cannot indeed fully comprehend the reciprocal relations of all until we shall have examined in detail the actual contents of each2 and yet1 on the other hand1 a preliminary survey of the scheme as a whole may facilitate the subsequent examination of its parts4 ,a glance towards the group from a point sufficiently distant to command the whole in one view may aid us afterwards in making a minuter inspection of details2 and1 reciprocally1 the nearer inspection of individual features may throw back light on what shall have been left obscure in the general outline4 ,the three parables1 then1 the lost sheep1 the lost coin1 and the prodigal son1 refer all to the same subject and describe the same fact2 they contemplate that fact1 however1 from opposite sides1 and produce1 accordingly1 different pictures4 ,it is important to notice at this stage that the three parables of this group do not constitute a consecutive series of three members4 ,in the logical scheme the stem parts into two branches1 and the first of these is afterwards subdivided also into two3 the lost sheep and the lost coin contemplate the subject from the same side1 and in the main present the same representation4#gb #gb ,while the evidence that the main division is twofold1 not threefold1 lies chiefly in the nature of the several representations1 the minute formulae by which the transitions of the narrative are effected1 point in the same direction4 ,the parable of the lost sheep is introduced by the phrase1 ,and he spake this parable1 7,greek3 eipe de tn paraboln71 and that of the prodigal by the corresponding1 ,and he said1 7,greek3 eipe de74 ,these two are thus balanced over against each other2 but the only link between the lost sheep and the lost silver is1 ,either 7,greek3 71 indicating that the second does not introduce a new subject1 but gives another illustration of that which was already expressed in the first4 ,the repetition is profitable1 for besides the intensity which reiteration imparts1 the two parables1 although generically the same1 are specifically different4 ,together they represent one side of the fall and the redemption of man1 while the other and opposite side is represented by the parable of the prodigal4 ,but while the first two represent the same aspect of the great event1 they represent it with specific varieties of feature4 ,this will be more distinctly understood when we shall have examined the parables in detail4 ,in further indicating the relations which subsist between the two portions of the group1 ,i shall1 for the sake of shortness1 speak only of the lost sheep and the prodigal1 including under the first term also its twin parable of the lost money4 ,the sin and the salvation of man1--the fall and the rising again1 considered as one whole1 is here contemplated successively from two different1 and in some respects opposite points of view4 ,as the result1 we obtain two very dissimilar pictures2 yet the pictures are both true1 and both represent the same object4 ,in as far as the departure is concerned1 the two representations are coincident3 it is only in regard to the return that they are essentially diverse4 ,the sheep and the prodigal alike depart of their own accord1 the one in ignorance and the other in wilful wickedness4 ,man destroys himself2 but the hand of ,god must intervene for his salvation4#gc #gc ,bengel1 in his usual pointed way1 expresses the specific varieties which characterize the three successive views of men's sin1 as stupidity1 want of self-consciousness1 and the positive choice of evil by an intelligent but depraved being4 ,ovis1 drachma1 filius perditus3 peccator stupidus1 sui plane nescius1 sciens et voluntarius4 ,the conversion of a sinner is1 on the contrary1 represented by two different pictures4 ,you cannot convey a correct conception of a solid body by one picture on a flat surface4 ,the globe itself1 for example1 cannot be exhibited on a map except as two distinct hemispheres4 ,to the right you have a representation of one side1 and to the left a representation of the other2 the two pictures are different1 and yet each1 as far as it goes1 is a true picture of the same globe4 ,in like manner1 the way of a sinner's return to ,god is too great and deep for being fully set forth in one similitude4 ,in particular its aspect towards ,god and its aspect towards men are so diverse that both cannot be represented by one figure4 ,on one side the ,redeemer goes spontaneously forth to seek and bear back again the lost2 on the other side the wanderer repents1 arises1 and returns4 ,here1 accordingly1 you see the shepherd following the strayed sheep1 and bringing it back on his shoulders to the fold2 and there you see the weary prodigal first coming to himself1 and then coming to his ,father4 ,the first picture shows the sovereign self-moving love of ,god our ,saviour2 and the second shows the beginning1 the progress1 and the result of repentance in a sinner's heart4 ,these two similitudes represent one transaction3 first1 you are permitted to look upon it from above1 and you behold the working of divine compassion2 next1 you are permitted to look upon it from below1 and you behold the struggle of conviction in a sinner's conscience1--the spontaneous return of a repenting man4 ,here is revealed the sovereign outgoing of divine power2 and there in consequence appears a willing people 7,ps4 cx4 #c74 ,it is not that one sinner is brought back by ,christ1 and another returns of his own accord3 both features are present in every example4 ,of every one who1 from this fallen world1 shall have entered the eternal rest1 it may be said1 and will be said in the songs of heaven1 both that the ,lord his ,redeemer1 of ,his own mere mercy1 saved him1 and that he spontaneously came back to his ,father's bosom and his ,father's house4#gd #gd ,it is interesting to notice that the same twin doctrines which the ,master here exhibited in parables were afterwards taught in the same relation by his servants4 ,take two examples1 one a brief bold allegory1 and the other an autobiographic fragment1 both from the fervent heart and through the fruitful pen of the apostle ,paul4 7#a47 ,nevertheless the foundation of ,god standeth sure1 having this seal1 ,the ,lord knoweth them that are his2 and1 ,let every one that nameth the name of ,christ depart from iniquity 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #ai74 ,the engraving on the upper side of this seal represents ,god's part in a sinner's salvation1 and corresponds to the shepherd's generous act2 the engraving on its under side represents man's part1 and corresponds to the repenting and returning of the prodigal4 7#b47 ,not as though ,i had already attained1 either were already perfect2 but ,i follow after1 if that ,i may apprehend that for which also ,i am apprehended of ,christ ,jesus 7,phil4 iii4 #ab74 ,the obscurity which adheres to the sentence as it stands in the ,english ,bible is removed when1 instead of that for which1 you substitute the more direct and literal rendering1 for that1 meaning because or inasmuch as4 ,the sentence should be read1 ,i follow after1 if that ,i may 7if so be that ,i may7 apprehend1 inasmuch as ,i also have been apprehended by1 ,christ ,jesus1 7,greek3 dik de ei kai katalab1 eph h kai katelphthn hypo tou ,christoi ,isou74 ,the apostle intends to state two connected facts2 and to intimate that the one is the cause of the other4 ,he is striving to grasp the ,saviour2 and what impels or encourages him to make the effort8 ,his own experience that his ,saviour has already in sovereign love laid hold of him4 ,christ has already come to this sinful man1 in loving saving power1 as the good shepherd came to the lost sheep2 therefore the sinful man will arise and go to the ,father like the repenting prodigal4 ,the consciousness that like the lost sheep he has been grasped in the ,redeemer's arms does not induce him to abstain from effort as unnecessary2 on the contrary1 by inspiring hope1 it nerves his arm and spurs him on4 ,because he feels that the ,shepherd is bearing him1 therefore he will arise and go4 ,it is proper to notice here also the immediate occasion in our ,lord's history whence these instructions sprung1 as it belongs not particularly to the first parable1 but generally to the whole group4 ,this spark of heavenly light1 like many others of similar beauty1 has been struck off for us by a rude blow which the ,jewish leaders aimed against the character and authority of ,jesus4 ,the publicans and sinners of the place1--the home-heathen of the day1--the people whether rich or poor1 who had neither the power of religion in their hearts nor the profession of it on their lips1--came out in great numbers to hear this new prophet1 ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,the word was new3 never man spake like this man to these poor outcasts before4 ,if at any time they sauntered into the synagogue1 and hovered for a few moments on the outskirts of the congregation1 the stray words that reached their ears from the desk of the presiding scribe1 were harsh supercilious denunciations of themselves and their class4 ,hitherto their hearts had been like clay1 and the ,pharisaic teaching1 as far as it had reached them1 had been like fire3 the clay in this furnace grew aye the harder4 ,but now a new sound from the lips of a public teacher saluted their ears4 ,they could not throw these words back in the speaker's face1 if they would2 and they would not if they could4 ,they permitted themselves to be taken1 and led4 ,to them ,jesus speaks with authority1 and not as the scribes4 ,this word had power2 and its power lay in its tenderness3 it went sheer through their stony hearts1 and made them flow down like water4 ,nor did he gain favour among unholy men by making their sins seem lighter than the scribes represented them to be3 he made them heavier4 ,he did not convey to the profane and worldly the conception that their sins were easily forgiven2 but he fixed in their hearts the impression that ,god is a great forgiver4 ,touched and won by this unwonted tenderness1 they came in clouds to sit at ,jesus' feet4 ,the ,pharisees counted their presence a blemish in the reputation of the teacher4 ,as for them1 they had always so spoken as to keep people of that sort effectually at a distance3 the doctrine1 they think1 that brings them round the preacher cannot be sound4 ,this man1 they said1 receiveth sinners and eateth with them2 and they said no more1 for they imagined that ,jesus was convicted and condemned by the fact4 ,the occasion of the parables becomes in a great measure the key to their meaning4 ,these men1 the publicans and sinners1 are ,abraham's seed1 and consequently1 even according to the showing of the ,pharisees themselves1 lost sheep1--prodigal sons2 and the ,redeemer's errand from heaven to earth is to seek and find and bring back such as these to the ,father's fold4 ,if they had not strayed1 it would not have been necessary that the shepherd should follow them in their wandering1 and bear them home3 if they had not in a far country spent their substance in riotous living1 it would not have been necessary that they should return repenting to their ,father4 ,,xxii4 ,,the ,,lost ,,sheep4 ,then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him4 ,and the ,pharisees and scribes murmured1 saying1 ,this man receiveth sinners1 and eateth with them4 ,and he spake this parable unto them1 saying1 ,what man of you1 having an hundred sheep1 if he lose one of them1 doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness1 and go after that which is lost1 until he find it8 ,and when he hath found it1 he layeth it on his shoulders1 rejoicing4 ,and when he cometh home1 he calleth together his friends and neighbours1 saying unto them1 ,rejoice with me2 for ,i have found my sheep which was lost4 ,i say unto you1 that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth1 more than over ninety and nine just persons1 which need no repentance4--,,luke xv4 #a-g4 ,although by another saying of the ,lord1 it is rendered certain that hired1 and even in a sinister sense hireling1 shepherds were known at the time in the country1 the presumption that the flock which this shepherd tended was his own property is favoured both by the specific phraseology employed in the narrative1 and the special circumstances of this particular case4 ,the size of this flock1 consisting of only a hundred sheep1 points rather to the entire wealth of a comparatively poor man1 than to the stock of a territorial magnate4 ,the conduct of the shepherd1 moreover1 is precisely the reverse of that which is elsewhere ascribed to the hireling whose own the sheep are not4 ,the salient feature of the man's character1 as it is represented in the parable1 constitutes a specific proof of his ownership1--he careth for the sheep1 and that too with a peculiar and self-sacrificing tenderness4#ge #ge ,in the nature of the case a great and incurable defect adheres to the method of employing a hired servant to keep a flock of sheep1 without giving him a material interest in the prosperity of his charge4 ,such is the nature of the occupation1 and such its sphere1 that the servant is necessarily far and long removed from the master's inspection1 and if suspicion should arise1 proof of unfaithfulness could hardly be brought home to the accused4 ,it is the interest of the owner to contrive some method of linking the profit of the shepherd to the prosperity of the flock4 ,it was by attempting to accomplish this object by a defective plan1 that ,laban afforded to ,jacob the opportunity of prosecuting his subtle policy4 ,while conversing lately with some shepherds on the ,scottish ,cheviots1 ,i learned that masters and servants in that district arrange the matter easily to their mutual profit and satisfaction4 ,the wages of the shepherd are not paid in money2 a certain number of the sheep1 between forty and fifty according to circumstances1 are his own property1 and their produce constitutes his hire4 ,thus his own interest is an ever present motive pressing the man to do his best for the flock1 and so to do his best for the master4 ,we assume1 therefore1 according to the terms of the narrative in their literal acceptation1 that this is a man having an hundred sheep1--that the sheep are his own4 ,he is feeding them on pasture land far from cultivated fields and human dwellings4 ,hills impervious to the plough1 and patches of vegetation interspersed through rugged stony tracts1 have in all countries and ages constituted the appropriate pasture for flocks of sheep4 ,these are indicated here by one word1 the wilderness4 ,the term is obviously used not in a strict but in a free popular sense2 it means simply the region of pasturage1 consisting generally of hills and moors1 not suitable for being ploughed and sown4 ,a flock of a hundred sheep1 although small1 is yet sufficiently considerable to render it impossible for the shepherd to detect the absence of one by merely looking to them in the lump and from a distance2 he must have minutely inspected them ere he discovered that one was amissing4 ,knowing them all individually1 he knows the one that has strayed2 he loves them all as his children1 and grieves when one goes out of sight4 ,it was no mark of carelessness in the shepherd1 as some have erroneously imagined1 to leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness while he went to seek the one that was lost4 ,the main body of the flock was left in its own proper place1 where it is often left from morning till night by the most careful shepherd1 even when he is not employed on the urgent duty of recovering wanderers4 ,the shepherd knows the nature of the country in which the sheep is straying2 and also the nature of the sheep that is straying there4 ,he knows the roughness of the mountain passes1 and the silliness of the solitary truant sheep2 he divines accordingly what track it will take4 ,he conjectures beforehand1 with a considerable measure of accuracy1 the pit in which it will be found lying1 or the thicket in which it will be seen struggling4 ,he follows and finds the fugitive4 ,wearied by its journey1 and perhaps wounded by its falls1 the sheep1 when discovered1 cannot return to the fold even under the shepherd's guidance2 he takes it on his shoulders and bears the burden home4 ,he does not upbraid it for its straying2 he does not complain of its weight4 ,he is glad that he has gotten his own again1 after it was ready to perish4 ,happy while he bears it homeward1 and happy when he has gotten it home1 he invites all his neighbours to share in his joy4 ,such is the simple and transparent outline of this ancient eastern pastoral scene2 let us now endeavour to see in the symbol those lessons which it at once veils and reveals4 ,the parable is spoken expressly for the purpose of determining and manifesting the character and work of the ,son in the salvation of sinful men2 it declares the design1 the method1 and the terms of the incarnate ,redeemer in his intercourse with the creatures whom he came to save4 ,but in the fact of accomplishing this its immediate object1 it strikes also a chord which runs through the centre--constitutes1 as it were1 the medulla of the divine government in all places and all times4 ,the parable spoken in order to afford a glance into the heart of ,jesus1 incidentally at the same time sketches the outline of ,god's universal rule2 as in drawing the figure of a branch you necessarily exhibit1 in its main features and proportions1 an image of the tree4 ,this wider subject1 certainly and accurately outlined1 although incidentally introduced1 demands some notice at our hand4 99 99 99 99 99 ,ever since scientific observation discovered the true system of the material universe1 and so1 as it were1 changed those twinkling sparks of light into central suns1 the rulers of tributary worlds1 philosophy apart from faith has been1 more or less articulately1 scattering the question1 at once a fruit and a seed of unbelief1 ,how could the ,creator of so vast a universe bestow so much of his care on one small spot8 ,some have been disposed to say1 and perhaps more have been disposed to think1 with fear or joy according to their predilection1 that modern discovery is gradually putting the ,bible out of date4 ,a feeling1 if not a judgment1 has in some quarters arisen1 that in view of the vastness of creation1 the ,scriptures ascribe to this globe and its concerns a share of its ,maker's interest disproportionately great4 ,this phase of unbelief is refuted both by the necessary attributes of ,god and by the written revelation of his will4 ,what relation1 capable of being appreciated or calculated1 subsists between material bulk and moral character8 ,the question between great and small is totally distinct from the question between good and evil4 ,number and extension cannot exercise or illustrate the moral character either of ,god or of man4 ,we should ourselves despise the mischievous caprice which should give to the biggest man in the city the honours that are due to the best4 ,right and wrong are matters that move on other lines and at higher levels than great and small1 before both human tribunals and divine4 ,there is1 perhaps1 as much reason for saying that this earth is too large1 as for saying that it is too small1 for being the scene of ,god's greatest work4 ,the telescope has opened a long receding vista of wonders1 where the observer is lost in the abyss of distance and magnitude2 the microscope has opened another long receding vista of wonders1 where the observer is lost in the abyss of nearness and minuteness equally beyond his reach4 ,between the great and the small1 who shall determine and prescribe the centre-point equidistant from both extremes1 which the ,infinite ought to have chosen as a theatre for the display of ,his greatest glory8 ,in the divine government generally1 as well as in revealed religion particularly1 the aim is not to choose the widest stage1 but on any stage that may be chosen to execute the ,creator's purpose1 and achieve the creature's good4 ,a battle is fought1 an enemy crushed1 and a kingdom won on some remote and barren moor3 no man suggests1 by way of challenging the authenticity of the record1 that a conflict waged between hosts so powerful1 and involving interests so momentous1 could not have taken place on an insignificant spot1 while the continent contained many larger and more fertile plains3 neither can the loss incurred by the sin of men1 and the gain gotten through the redemption of ,christ1 be measured by the size of the world in which the events emerged4 ,it is enough that here the first ,adam fell and the second ,adam triumphed2--that here evil overcame good1 and good in turn overcame evil4 ,there was room on this earth for ,eden and for ,calvary2 this globe supplies the fulcrum whereon all ,god's government leans4 ,the ,redeemer came not to the largest world1 but to the lost world3 even so1 ,father4 ,he took not on him the nature of angels4 ,in aggregate numbers they may1 for aught we know1 be the ninety and nine1 while we represent the one that strayed2 but though all these shining stars were peopled worlds1 and all their inhabitants angels who kept their first estate1 he will leave them in their places in the blue heaven afar1 like sheep in the wide moorland1 and go forth in search of this one shooting star1 to arrest and bring it back4 ,it is his joy to restore it to law and light again4 ,rejoice with great joy1 ,o inhabitants of the earth6 the ,saviour ,almighty has passed other worlds and other beings1 some of whom do not need1 and some of whom do not get1 salvation1--has passed them and come to us4 ,he has taken hold of the seed of ,abraham1 that we who partake of ,abraham's sinful flesh may partake also of ,abraham's saving faith4 ,there is much in this mystery which we do not know1 and in our present state could not comprehend2 but we know the one thing needful regarding it1--that ,jesus ,christ came into the world to save sinners4#gf #gf ,should not that great and glorious ,shepherd1 whose millions of bright sheep fill the universe1 leave these millions in order to seek the slightest1 poorest1 most infirm of those who need his care1 and without that care would utterly perish2 does not his boundless love require him to go after it8 ,stier1 after quoting this sentence in reference to the parable from ,kurz1 ,bibel und ,astronomie1 remarks1 ,this is a thought quite permissible in itself1 but as an exposition of what ,eternal ,wisdom has spoken1 it is not valid4 ,here1 however1 the learned critic has incorrectly apprehended the state of the question4 ,a secondary relation is as real in its own place as a primary4 ,it is quite true that the parable1 under the picture of the one sheep that strayed and the ninety-nine that remained on the pasture1 points directly and immediately to two distinct classes of human kind2 but it brings up as legitimately1 although more remotely1 the distinction1 governed by the same principle1 which has in ,god's universal sovereignty been made between the human race on the one hand1 and angelic spirits on the other4 ,one expositor may legitimately confine his view to the more immediate and narrower sphere2 but another may as legitimately take a wider range1 provided he make and mark the necessary distinctions as he proceeds2 as one inquirer in physics may limit his speculation to the solid body of this globe1 while another1 under the same general designation1 may1 with perfect logical exactness1 include also the atmosphere that surrounds it4 ,having noticed cursorily that grand characteristic feature of ,god's universal government to which the principle of the parable is applicable1 we proceed now to examine more particularly the recovery of lost men by the ,lord our ,redeemer1 to which the lesson of the parable is1 in point of fact1 specifically applied4 #a4 ,the shepherd misses one when it has strayed from the flock4 ,the ,redeemer's knowledge is infinite2 ,he looks not only over the multitude generally1 but into each individual4 ,when ,i stand on a hillock at the edge of a broad meadow1 and look across the sward1 it may be said in a general way that ,i look on all the grass of that field2 but the sun in the sky looks on it after another fashion1--shines on every down-spike that protrudes from every blade4 ,it is thus that the ,good ,shepherd knows the flock4 ,knowing all1 he misses any one that wanders4 ,he missed a world when it fell1 although his worlds lie scattered like grains of golden dust on the blue field of heaven1--the open infinite4 ,when the light of moral life went out in one of his worlds1 he missed its wonted shining in the aggregate of glory that surrounds his throne4 ,with equal perfectness of knowledge he misses one human being who has been formed by his hand1 but fails to hang by faith upon his love4 ,the ,bible speaks of falling into the hands of the living ,god1 and calls it a fearful thing 7,heb4 x4 #ca72 but an equally fearful thing happened before it1--we fell out of the bosom of the living ,god4 ,he felt1 so to speak1 the want of our weight when we fell1 and said1 ,save from going down to the pit4 ,but the omniscience of the ,saviour does not stop when it passes through the multitude1 and reaches the individual man2 it penetrates the veils that effectually screen us from each other1 and so knows the thoughts which congregate like clouds within a human heart1 that he misses every one that is not subject to his will4 ,when the mighty volume is coursing along its channel towards the ocean1 he marks every drop that leaps aside in spray4 ,it is a solemn thought1 and to the reconciled a gladsome one1 that1 as the shepherd observed when one sheep left the fold1 the ,shepherd of ,israel1 who slumbers not nor sleeps1 detects every wandering soul1 and in that soul every wandering thought4 ,the ,physician's thorough knowledge of the ailment lies at the very foundation of the patient's hope4 #b4 ,the shepherd cared for the lost sheep2 although he possessed ninety and nine1 he was not content to let a unit go4 ,a species of personal affection and the ordinary interest of property1 combine to cause grief when the sheep is lost1 and to contribute the motive for setting off in search of the wanderer4 ,in attempting to apply the lesson at this point1 we very soon go beyond our depth4 ,our own weakness warns us not to attempt too much2 but the condescending kindness of the ,lord1 in speaking these parables1 encourages us to enter into the mystery of redeeming love on this side as far as our line can reach4 ,in that inscrutable love which induced the ,owner of man to become his saviour when he fell1 there must be something corresponding to both of the ingredients which constituted the shepherd's grief4 ,there was something corresponding--with such correspondence as may exist between the divine and the human--to the personal affection1 and something to the loss of property4 ,when we think of the ,redeemer's plan and work as wholly apart from self-interest1 and undertaken simply for the benefit of the fallen race1 we form a conception of redemption true as far as it goes1 but the conception is not complete4 ,the object which we1 from our view-point1 strive to measure1 has another and opposite side4 ,for his own sake as well as for ours1 the ,redeemer undertook and accomplished his work4#gg ,for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross1 despising the shame4 ,when he wept over ,jerusalem1 mere pity for the lost was not the sole fountain of his tears4 ,those tears1 like some great rivers of the globe1 were supplied from two sources lying in opposite directions4 ,as the possession of the ransomed when they are brought back affords the ,redeemer joy1 the want of the lost1 while they are distant1 must cause in his heart a corresponding and equivalent grief4 ,it is true1 that if we too strictly apply to the divine procedure the analogy of human affairs at this point we shall fatally dilute our conception of the generosity displayed in the ,gospel2 but on the other hand1 if do not apply this analogy at all1 we shall inevitably permit some of our sweetest consolation to slip from our grasp4 ,to be merely pitied does not go so kindly or so powerfully about our hearts as to be loved2 ,christ's regard for fallen men is not merely the compassion of one who is loftily independent4 ,when an infant is lost in a forest1 and all the neighbours have1 at the mother's call1 gone out in search of the wanderer1 it would be a miserably inadequate conception of that mother's emotion to think of it as pity for the sufferings of the child3 her own suffering for want of her child is greater than the child's for want of his mother2 and by the express testimony of ,scripture1 we learn that the ,saviour's remembrance of his people is analogous to the mother's remembrance of her child4 ,if you press the likeness too far1 you destroy the essential character of redemption1 by representing it as a self-pleasing on the part of the ,redeemer2 but if you take away the likeness altogether1 you leave me sheltered1 indeed1 under an ,almighty arm1 but not permitted to lie on a loving breast4 ,my joy in ,christ's salvation is tenfold increased1 when1 after being permitted to think that he is mine1 ,i am also permitted to think that ,i am his4 ,if it did not please him to get me back1 my pleasure would be small in being coldly allowed to return4 ,no3 the longing of ,christ to get the wanderer into his bosom again1 for the satisfaction of his own soul1 is the sweetest ingredient in the cup of a returning penitent's joy4#gh #gg ,you may measure a square surface and find it to contain so many feet of superficial area3 suppose you discover afterwards that it has depth as well as length and breadth2 to take in also this new measurement does not diminish the old4 ,if we discover that1 for his own sake1 the ,redeemer accomplished his saving work1 it was not on that account less for our sakes4 #gh ,in the centre of all lies the profound thought1 that in ,god and ,christ love is one with self-interest1 and self-interest one with love2 no such contrariety existing between them as is found in the case of man4--,stier1 ,words of the ,lord4 #c4 ,the shepherd left the ninety and nine for the sake of the one that had wandered4 ,i find no difficulty in the interpretation of the parable here4 ,the doctrinal difficulty which some have met at this point1 has been imported into the field by a mistake in regard to the material scene4 ,the leaving of the ninety and nine in the wilderness1 while the shepherd went out to seek the strayed sheep1 implied no dereliction of the shepherd's duty1--no injury to the body of the flock4 ,in this transaction neither kindness nor unkindness was manifested towards those that remained on the pasture2--it had no bearing upon them at all4 ,nor is it necessary1 at this stage1 to determine who are represented by the ninety and nine4 ,be they the unfallen spirits1 or the righteous in the abstract1 or those who1 in ignorance of ,god's law1 count themselves righteous1 the parable is constructed for the purpose of teaching us that the mission of ,christ has for its special object1 not the good1 but the evil4 ,as the specific effort of the shepherd1 which is recorded in this story1 had respect not to the flock that remained on the pasture1 but to the one sheep that had gone away1 the specific effort of the ,son of ,god1 in his incarnation1 ministry1 death1 and resurrection1 has respect1 not to the worthy1 but the unworthy4 ,thus the ,pharisees were entirely at fault in regard to the first principle of the ,gospel4 ,they assumed that1 because the publicans and sinners had gone astray1 ,jesus1 if he were the true ,messiah1 would not have any dealings with them2 without either conceding or expressly denying their assumption of superior righteousness--that being precisely the point on which he determined that then and there he would give no judgment--he intimates that the strayed sheep is the peculiar object of his care1 and that because it is the strayed sheep1 and he is the ,good ,shepherd2--he intimates1 taking the ,pharisees at their own word1 that the sinners are the objects whom a ,saviour should follow1 and seek1 and find1 precisely because they are sinners4 ,it concerns us more to know who are represented by the strayed sheep1 than to know who are represented by the sheep that did not stray1 for to the former class1 and not to the latter1 we most certainly belong4 #d4 ,how does the shepherd act when he overtakes the wanderer8 ,he does not punish it--he does not even upbraid it for straying2 his anxiety and effort are concentrated on one point--to get it home again4 ,would that guilty suspicious hearts could see through this glass the loving heart of ,jesus1 as he has himself presented it to their view6 ,he takes no pleasure in the death of them that die4 ,his ministry in general1 and this lesson in particular1 proclaim that ,christ's errand into the world is to win the rebellious back by love4 ,you may suppose the truant sheep to have dreaded punishment when it was overtaken by the injured shepherd2 but his look and his act when he came must have immediately dispelled the helpless creature's fears4 ,the ,lord has held up this picture before us that in it we may behold his love1 and that the sight of his love may at length discharge from our hearts their inborn obdurate suspiciousness4 #e4 ,the shepherd lays the sheep upon his shoulders4 ,this feature of the picture affords no ground for the doctrine which has sometimes been founded on it1 that the ,saviour is burdened with the sinners whom he saves4 ,his suffering lies in another direction1 and is not in any form represented here4 ,he weeps when the sinful remain distant and refuse to throw their weight on him2 he never complains of having too much of this work in hand4 ,the parable here points to his power and victory1 not to his pain and weariness4 ,the representation that the shepherd bore the strayed sheep home upon his shoulder1 instead of going before and calling on it to follow1 is significant in respect both to this parable and its counterpart and complement1 the ,prodigal ,son4 ,in as far as the saving of the lost is portrayed in this similitude1 the work is done by the ,saviour alone4 ,first and last the sinner does nothing but destroy himself3 all the saving work is done for him1 none of it by him4 ,this is one side of salvation1 and it is the only side that is represented here4 ,it seems hard to conceive how any converted man can be troubled by doubt or difficulty concerning this doctrine4 ,every one whom ,christ has sought and found1 and borne to the fold1 feels and confesses that1 if the ,shepherd had not come to the sheep1 the sheep would not have come to the ,shepherd4 ,if any wanderer still hesitates on the question1 ,who brought him home8 it is time that he should begin to entertain another question1 ,whether he has yet been brought home at all8 ,the acknowledgment of this fundamental truth1 that salvation is begun1 carried on1 and completed by the ,saviour alone1 does not1 of course1 come into collision with another fundamental truth1 which expatiates on another sphere1 and is represented in another parable1 that except the sinful do themselves repent1 and come to the ,father1 they shall perish in their sins4 #f4 ,far from being oppressed by the burden of his strayed sheep1 the shepherd rejoices when he feels its weight upon his shoulder4 ,his joy begins not when the work is over1 but when the work begins4 ,while the lost one is on his shoulder1 and because it is on his shoulder1 the shepherd is glad4 ,the doctrinal equivalent of this feature is one of the clearest of revealed truths1 and yet it is one of the last that a human heart is willing to receive4 ,the work of saving1 far from being done with a grudge in order to keep a covenant1 is a present delight to the ,saviour4 ,this lesson falls on human minds like a legend written by the finger on dewy glass1 which disappears when the sun grows hot2 but when it is graven on the heart as by the ,spirit of the living ,god1 it is unspeakably precious4 ,when ,i habitually realize not only that ,christ will keep his word in receiving sinners1 but that he has greater delight in bearing my weight than ,i can ever have in casting it on him1 ,i shall trust fully and trust always4 ,there is great power in this truth1 and great weakness in the want of it4 ,let even an experienced ,christian analyze carefully the working of his own heart1 not in the act of backsliding towards the world1 but in its best efforts to follow the ,lord1 and he will discover among the lower folds of his experience a persistent suspicion that the great draft which a sinner makes on the ,saviour's mercy will1 though honoured1 be honoured with a grudge because of its greatness4 ,look on the simple picture of his love which ,jesus has in this parable presented--look on the words1 ,he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing1--look till you grieve for your own distrust1 and the distrust melt in that grief away4 #g4 ,the shepherd on reaching home not only himself rejoiced1 but invited his neighbours to rejoice with him over his success4 ,to this last intimation of the parable the ,lord immediately adds an express exposition of its meaning1--,ver4 #g1 ,i say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth1 more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance4 ,in the parallel explanation appended to the next parable 7ver4 #aj71 an additional feature is expressed1 ,there is joy in the presence of the angels of ,god over one sinner that repenteth2 both obviously refer to the same fact1 and should be taken together as one announcement4 ,the kingdom of ,god recognises two successive homecomings in the history of every citizen4 ,the exile discovered and borne back by the discriminating mercy of the ,redeemer1 comes home when through the regeneration he enters a state of grace2 and he comes home under the leading of the same chief1 when in the resurrection he enters a state of perfect glory4 ,it is instructive and comforting to observe that1 while both homecomings are joyful1 it is of the first that the ,lord expressly speaks when he intimates that over it himself and the hosts of heaven will rejoice4 ,it is over the repentance of a sinner that a jubilee is held in heaven2 they do not wait till the ransomed one shall appear in bodily presence near the great white throne4 ,there is no need3 the entrance into grace ensures the entrance into glory4 ,the children will all get home4 ,no slip can come between the cup of the ,redeemer's glad anticipation when a sinner is renewed1 and the lip of his complete satisfaction when he welcomes the ransomed at length into the mansions of the ,father's house4 ,in this brief but lucid exposition of his own similitude which the ,lord gave at the moment1 and the evangelist has preserved for us1 something is taught first regarding the companions1 and second regarding the measure of his joy4 ,both present points of interest which require and will repay more particular attention4 7#a47 ,in regard to the participation of the angels1 in the ,redeemer's joy over the salvation of the lost1 the intimations bear that there is joy in heaven1 and in the presence of the angels of ,god4 ,it seems unaccountably to those who look carefully into the terms of the record1 to be universally assumed from these expressions that the angels1 in the exercise of their inherent faculties1 are in some way cognisant of conversion as it proceeds in human souls upon the earth1 and that they rejoice accordingly when another heart melts1 and another rebel submits to ,god4 ,capital has even been made out of this passage by ,romanists in support of prayers addressed to unseen created spirits4 ,all this proceeds upon an exegesis1 which is1 ,i believe1 demonstrably erroneous4 ,in order to settle all questions that can arise here1 nothing more is necessary than a simple straight-forward examination of the terms4 ,the rejoicing takes place in heaven1 and in presence of the angels 7,greek3 enpion tn angeln74 ,this is not the form of expression that would naturally be employed to intimate that the angels rejoiced4 ,expressly it is written1 not that they rejoice1 but that there is joy in their presence1--before their faces4 ,the question then comes up1 ,who rejoices there8 ,in as far as the terms of the exposition go1 the question is not expressly decided2 but its decision can be easily and certainly gathered from the context4 ,both in the case of the lost sheep and in that of the lost money the comparison is introduced by the term likewise 7,greek3 hout47 ,in this manner there is joy before the angels2 in what manner8 ,obviously in the manner of the rejoicing which took place after the strayed sheep was brought home1 and the piece of money found4 ,he who sought and found the lost1 rejoiced over his gain2 but1 not contented therewith1 he told his neighbours about his happiness and its cause2 he manifested his joy in their presence1 and invited them to rejoice in sympathy with himself4 ,it is after this manner that joy in heaven over a repenting sinner begins and spreads4 ,we are not obliged1--we are not permitted to guess who the rejoicers are1 or how they came by the news that gladdens them4 ,the shepherd himself1 and himself alone1 knows that the strayed sheep is safe in the fold again1 for he has borne it back on his shoulder3 his neighbours did not know the fact until he told them1 and invited them to participate in his joy4 ,it is expressly in this manner1 and none other1 that there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth4 ,the angels do not become aware of the fact by a species of subordinate omniscience4 ,he who saved the sinner knows that the sinner is saved2 rejoicing in the fact1 he makes it known to his attendants1 and invites them to share in his joy4 ,the gladness that thrills in the angels is a secondary thing1 caught by sympathy from that which glows in the heart and beams in the countenance of ,jesus4 ,the ,son of ,god the ,saviour having won a sinner by the power of his love1 and brought the wanderer back forgiven and renewed1 rejoices on his throne over this fruit of his soul's travail4 ,ere the ransomed sinner has risen from his knees or wiped his tears away2--ere he has had time to sing a hymn or sit down at the communion table on earth1 the ,lord in heaven1 feeling life flowing from himself into that living soul1 rejoices already in the fact1 and calls upon his friends1 whether the spirits of just men or angels unfallen1 or both in concert1 to participate in his joy4 ,the ,apocalyptic witness saw no sun in the new heaven2 the ,lamb is the light thereof3 from that sun the light streams down on the sea of upturned faces that surround the throne1 and the sympathetic gladness that sparkles in the members is a reflection from the gladness that first glows in the ,head1 as a separate sun glances on the crest of every wavelet1 when the breeze is gentle and the sky is bright4 7#b47 ,the intimation that there is greater joy in heaven over the return of a single wanderer than over ninety and nine who never strayed1 presents indeed a difficulty2 but here1 as in many other similar cases1 the difficulty lies more in the way of the scientific expositor1 whose task is to express the meaning in the form of logical definitions than in the way of the simple reader of the ,bible1 who desires to sit at the feet of ,jesus1 and learn the one thing needful from his lips4 ,in this1 as in many other portions of ,scripture1 a hungry labourer may live upon the bread1 while it may baffle a philosopher to analyze its constituents1 and expound its nutritive qualities4 ,a devout reader may get the meaning of the parable in power upon his heart1 while the logical interpreter expends much profitless labour in the dissection of a dead letter4 ,who are the just persons who need no repentance8 ,the suggestion#gi that they are the members of the ,old ,testament ,church1 who really possessed the righteousness of the ,law1 although they had not attained the righteousness of the ,gospel1 creates a greater difficulty than that which it proposes to remove4 ,there is not any such essential difference between the righteousness of ,abraham1 who looked unto ,jesus coming1 and the righteousness of ,paul1 who looked unto ,jesus come4 #gi ,made or adopted by ,dr4 ,trench4 ,the true solution ,i apprehend to be that in the mind of the ,lord this declaration had a double reference4 ,it expressed an absolute and universal truth1 known to himself and to his enlightened disciples2 and also1 at the same time1 took the ,pharisees on their own terms1 condemning them out of their own mouth4 ,the parable was spoken expressly to the ,pharisees1 and spoken specifically in answer to their objection1 ,this man receiveth sinners4 ,they meant to intimate that it became the ,messiah to shun the evil and associate only with the good4 ,from their own view-point he exposes their mistake2 even granting their assumption that themselves were the righteous1 their sentence was erroneous4 ,according to the principles of human nature1 and the ordinary practice of men1 they might have perceived that the chief care of the shepherd must be bestowed on the sheep that has gone astray1 and his greatest joy be experienced when it has been discovered and restored4 ,the ,saviour's delight over a publican's return to piety should be more vivid than his joy over a ,pharisee1 who1 by the supposition1 has been pious all his days4 ,had the ,lord then and there intimated to the ,pharisees that they were deceiving themselves in regard to justifying righteousness1--that they needed repentance as much as the publicans1 his word would have been true1 but that truth1 he perceived1 was not suitable in the circumstances4 ,it pleased him at this time not to fling a sharp reproof in their faces1 but rather to drop a living seed gently into their ears1 that it might find its way in secret to some broken place in their hearts4 ,a certain portion of the truth he communicated to them2 more they would not have received4 ,the whole truth on this subject1 if it had been bluntly declared1 would have driven them away in disgust4 ,elsewhere the ,master expresses his mind very clearly1 ,except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the ,scribes and ,pharisees1 ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven2 but it pleased him on this occasion to teach another lesson1 namely1 that even although they were as righteous as they deemed themselves to be1 the recovery of a lost one would afford the ,redeemer a greater joy than the retention of the virtuous4 ,beyond expression precious is the doctrine unequivocally taught here that so far from receiving prodigals with a grudge1 the ,saviour experiences a peculiar delight when a sinner listens to his voice and accepts pardon at his hand4 ,this doctrine we learn is divine2 we know it is also human3 almost every family can supply an example of the familiar principle that the mother loves most fondly the child who has cost her most in suffering and care4 ,,xxiii4 ,,the ,,lost ,,coin4 ,either what woman having ten pieces of silver1 if she lose one piece1 doth not light a candle1 and sweep the house1 and seek diligently till she find it8 ,and when she hath found it1 she calleth her friends and her neighbours together1 saying1 ,rejoice with me2 for ,i have found the piece which ,i had lost4 ,likewise1 ,i say unto you1 there is joy in the presence of the angels of ,god over one sinner that repenteth4--,,luke xv4 #h-aj4 ,the three parables of this group1 as has been already intimated1 do not constitute a simple consecutive series of first1 second1 and third3 the group consists of two parts1 and the first part contains two parables4 ,the saving of the lost is represented in the first division as it is seen from ,god's side1 and in the second as it is seen from man's4 ,in the first1 the ,saviour appears seeking1 finding1 and bearing back the lost2 in the second1 the lost appears reflecting1 repenting1 resolving1 and returning to the ,father4 ,the two parables which constitute the first division are generically coincident1 but specifically distinct4 ,both represent the side on which the sinner is passive in the matter of his own salvation1 and the parable of the prodigal alone represents the aspect in which he is spontaneously active2 but while the first two agree in their main feature1 they differ in subordinate details4 ,the second goes partly over the same ground that has already been traversed by the first1 and partly takes a new and independent track of its own4#hj #hj ,recognising in the lost coin mainly a repetition of the same lesson which the lost sheep contained1 but justly anticipating from the mere fact of a repetition1 that the second will present some features which were not contained in the first1 ,dr4 ,trench finds the expected difference in this1--that if the shepherd in the last parable was ,christ1 the woman in this may1 perhaps1 be the ,church4 ,after suggesting as an alternative that the woman may represent the ,holy ,spirit1 he remarks that these two are in effect substantially identical1 and finally rests in the conclusion that it is the ,church because and in so far as it is dwelt in by the ,spirit1 which appears as the woman seeking her lost4 ,this able expositor speaks with evident hesitation when he represents the ,church as the seeker here2 and accordingly we find him with a happy inconsistency affirming in a subsequent paragraph that as the woman1 having lost her drachm1 will light a candle and sweep the house1 and seek diligently till she find it1 even so the ,lord1 through the ministrations of his ,church1 gives diligence to recover the lost sinner1 c4 ,i am willing to accept the phraseology of this sentence1 but it is obviously at variance with the view which he had previously presented1 and to which he recurs in the close1 that in this parable it is the ,church which seeks the lost1 while in the preceding parable it is the ,saviour4 ,further1 if he maintain that the woman seeking the lost coin represents the ,lord seeking sinners through the ministrations of the ,church1 he must also maintain that the shepherd seeking the lost sheep represents the ,lord seeking sinners through the ministrations of the ,church4 ,if the ,lord himself is in both cases equally the seeker1 there is no reason in the text of ,scripture1 and ,dr4 ,trench suggests none from any other quarter1 why he should be represented as seeking through the ministrations of the ,church in one case and not in the other4 ,the letter of the word and the nature of the case peremptorily demand that the qualification regarding the instrumentality of the ,church should be attached to both or to neither4 ,in either case it remains that1 in respect to the person who seeks the lost1 these two parables teach precisely the same lesson4 ,the house in which the coin is lost means1 according to ,dr4 ,trench1 the visible ,church3 the result is that the ,church 7invisible7 searches in the ,church 7visible7 for sinners that have been lost there1 and restores them when found to the ,church1 but whether the visible or invisible ,i cannot discover4 ,the ,church then calls upon the angels to rejoice with her over the recovery of the lost4 ,this exposition seems confused and inconsistent2 and it is a dim mysterious conception of the ,church that constitutes the disturbing element4 ,from the similarity of structure and the studied identity of expression in the two cases1 ,i gather surely that the persons who seek and find the lost in those two parables both represent the same ,seeker of lost men1 the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,on any other supposition1 ,i cannot find a spot on which the foundation of a satisfactory exegesis can be laid4 ,the introduction of the second parable by the particle either 7,greek3 7 in the eighth verse1 prepares us to expect1 not another subject1 but another illustration of the same subject2 whereas1 when the ,prodigal ,son is introduced in the eleventh verse1 the connecting link distinctly indicates a change of theme4#ha #ha ,nor do ,i see any force in the minute criticism by which ,dr4 ,trench endeavours to make out that while the sheep were the shepherd's property1 the money did not belong to the woman4 ,he says1 ,i have found my sheep which was lost2 while she says1 ,i have found the piece which ,i had lost2 but these are nothing more than varieties of expression4 ,the absolute identity of the terms in which the two cases are introduced1 proves that these seemly and slight variations of phraseology at the close1 do not indicate a substantial difference4 ,what man of you having an hundred sheep1 if he lose one of them8 and ,what woman1 having ten pieces of silver1 if she lose one piece8--these questions1 so carefully and completely parallel1 conclusively show that1 after making allowance for the necessary difference in the nature of the subjects1 the two cases1 in relation to possession1 loss1 and finding1 are precisely the same4 ,assuming from the fact of its repetition that some feature or features of the lesson must be contained in the second picture which the first was not fitted to display2 and finding in the possessors1 with their misfortune1 their success and their joy1 no difference1 but on the contrary1 a studied balanced parallelism1 ,i look for the distinction in the nature of the property which1 in the two cases respectively1 was lost and found4 ,the sheep is an animated being1 with desires1 and appetites1 and habits1 and locomotive powers2 when it is lost1 it is lost in virtue of its own will and activity4 ,the silver coin1 on the other hand1 is a piece of inanimate matter2 and when it is lost1 it is lost through its own gravity and inertia4 ,when support fails1 it falls to the ground4 ,here lies an inherent and essential difference between the two cases4 ,it is through this opening mainly that light comes to me regarding the specific difference between the lessons which these two cognate parables respectively convey4 ,the inquiry at present concerns this difference only1 for the doctrine which is taught in common by both is abundantly obvious4 ,while in both examples alike the property is lost and found again1 the manner of the loss and the finding corresponds in each case to the nature of the subject4 ,in the case of the living creature1 the loss is sustained through its spontaneous wandering2 in the case of the inanimate silver1 the loss is sustained through its inherent inertia4 ,the one strays in the exercise of its own will1 and the other sinks in obedience to the laws of matter2 the method of search varies accordingly4 ,both parables alike represent the sinner lost and the ,saviour finding him2 but in the one case the loss appears due to the positive activity of an evil will1 and in the other to the passive law of gravitation4 ,not that1 in the spiritual sphere1 one sinner departs from ,god by an exercise of his corrupt will1 and another is drawn away by the operation of an irresistible law2 it is one transaction represented successively on two sides4 ,the representations are different1 but both are true4 ,in the fallen1 sin is both active and passive4 ,the sinful select their own course and go astray in the exercise of a self-determining power2 they also gravitate to evil in virtue of an inborn corruption1 which acts like a law in their members4 ,in connection with these two sides or features of sin1 the two doctrines opposite and yet not contrary1 the sovereignty of ,god and the responsibility of man1 meet and embrace each other in the work of redemption4 ,to the disease of sin in both its phases1--as an active choice and an innate tendency1--the divine physician has prepared an antidote2 ,he brings the wanderer home1 and lifts the fallen up4 ,compare once more the lost sheep and the lost coin3 in both the sinful are lost1 and in both the ,saviour saves2 but there we see a spontaneous error1 and here the effect of inherited corruption4 ,these1 when kept together like the right and left sides of a living man1 constitute1 in this matter1 the whole truth3 to tear them asunder is to kill both4 ,the number of the coins is appropriately fixed at ten1 while the number of sheep was a hundred4 ,ten sheep would not have required or repaid the care of a shepherd2 and a hundred pieces of silver would not1 in ordinary circumstances1 have been at one time in the hands of a working woman4 ,the difference of numbers is fully accounted for by the natural circumstances1 and no benefit is obtained by squeezing from it a distinct spiritual signification4 ,the numbers1 ,i think1 belong to the adjuncts of the material pictures1 and they constitute only elements of disturbance when they are brought into the interpretation4 ,the lessons which some draw from the preciousness of the metal on the one hand1 and the image of the king which it bears on the other1 although attractive and useful in themselves1 are not relevant here4 ,it is better to forego for the time even precious morsels of instruction1 than to obtain them by doing violence to those exquisite analogies which the parables present4 ,,xxiv4 ,,the ,,prodigal ,,son4 ,and he said1 ,a certain man had two sons2 and the younger of them said to his father1 ,father1 give me the portion of goods that falleth to me4 ,and he divided unto them his living4 ,and not many days after the younger son gathered all together1 and took his journey into a far country1 and there wasted his substance with riotous living4 ,and when he had spent all1 there arose a mighty famine in that land2 and he began to be in want4 ,and he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country2 and he sent him into his fields to feed swine4 ,and he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat3 and no man gave unto him4 ,and when he came to himself1 he said1 ,how many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare1 and ,i perish with hunger6 ,i will arise and go to my father1 and will say unto him1 ,father1 ,i have sinned against heaven and before thee1 and am no more worthy to be called thy son3 make me as one of thy hired servants4 ,and he arose1 and came to his father4 ,but when he was yet a great way off1 his father saw him1 and had compassion1 and ran1 and fell on his neck1 and kissed him4 ,and the son said unto him1 ,father1 ,i have sinned against heaven1 and in thy sight1 and am no more worthy to be called thy son4 ,but the father said to his servants1 ,bring forth the best robe1 and put it on him2 and put a ring on his hand1 and shoes on his feet2 and bring hither the fatted calf1 and kill it3 and let us eat1 and be merry3 for this my son was dead1 and is alive again2 he was lost1 and is found4 ,and they began to be merry4 ,now his elder son was in the field3 and as he came and drew nigh to the house1 he heard musick and dancing4 ,and he called one of the servants1 and asked what these things meant4 ,and he said unto him1 ,thy brother is come2 and thy father hath killed the fatted calf1 because he hath received him safe and sound4 ,and he was angry1 and would not go in3 therefore came his father out and intreated him4 ,and he answering said to his father1 ,lo1 these many years do ,i serve thee1 neither transgressed ,i at any time thy commandment3 and yet thou never gavest me a kid1 that ,i might make merry with my friends3 but as soon as this thy son was come1 which hath devoured thy living with harlots1 thou hast killed for him the fatted calf4 ,and he said unto him1 ,son1 thou art ever with me1 and all that ,i have is thine4 ,it was meet that we should make merry1 and be glad3 for this thy brother was dead1 and is alive again2 and was lost1 and is found4--,,luke xv4 #aa-cb4 ,recall the relation that subsists between this parable on the one hand1 and the two that immediately precede it on the other4 ,these two divisions of the group contain two different and in some respects opposite representations4 ,both exhibit the salvation of lost men2 but in the first1 that deliverance appears as the effect of the ,redeemer's sovereign love and care2 in the second1 it appears to spring in the depths of the sinner's own soul4 ,there the wanderer is sought and found and borne back2 here he spontaneously repents and returns4 ,there the ,saviour's part is revealed2 and here the sinner's4 ,these examples represent not two distinct experiences1 but two sides of the same fact4 ,it is not that some of fallen human kind are saved after the manner of the strayed sheep1 and others after the manner of the prodigal son2 not that the ,saviour bears one wanderer home by his power1 and another of his own accord arises and returns to the ,father4 ,both these processes are accomplished in every conversion4 ,the man comes1 yet ,christ brings him2 ,christ brings him1 yet he comes4 ,in the two pictures which we have last examined1 the sovereign love and power of the ,redeemer occupied the front1 while the subjective experience of a repenting man was thrown scarcely visible into the back-ground2 in the picture which is now under inspection the view is reversed--the subjective experience of the sinning man is brought full size into the centre of the field1 while the compassion of a forgiving ,god1 although distinctly visible1 lies in smaller bulk behind4 ,among the parables that of the prodigal is remarkable for the grandeur of the whole1 and the exquisite beauty of the parts4 ,the sower is the only one that can be compared with it in comprehensive completeness of outline and articulate distinctness of detail4 ,these two greatest parables1 however1 are thoroughly diverse in kind4 ,the two chief elements which generally go into the composition of a parable are the processes of nature and the actions of living men--parables1 in short1 as to their constituents1 are composed of history and natural history4 ,in the tares1 for example1 both these elements are combined in nearly equal proportions4 ,in the malicious sowing of the darnel1 the zealous proposal of the servants1 and the cautious decision of the master1 you have threads of human motive and action running through the whole2 but in the growth of the darnel1 its likeness to the wheat in spring1 and the decisive difference between them in the harvest1 you have the processes of nature profusely intertwined4 ,a parable is ordinarily woven of human action and the unconscious development of nature1 as warp and woof4 ,in the two greatest parables those twin ingredients are in a great measure separated3 the sower is almost wholly composed of processes in nature1 the prodigal almost wholly of human motive and act4 ,this parable reveals one of the brightest glimpses of ,god's character and way that men in the body can obtain4 ,there are greater and less among the parts of ,god's word as well as among the parts of his creation4 ,taking the discourses of the ,lord ,jesus1 as the little child took the stars1 for gimlet-holes in heaven to let the glory shine through1 we find in the prodigal the largest of them all4 ,it differs from other stars in the same firmament by its bulk and its brightness4 ,never man spake like this man2 and nowhere else has even this man spoken more fully or more winsomely of man's need and ,god's mercy4 ,both the departure and the return--both the fall and the rising again1 are depicted here4 ,the lesson sweeps the whole horizon of time from the unfallen state at first to the glory that shall at last be revealed4 ,the way is laid open with marvellous precision from the lowest state of sin and misery to a heavenly ,father's heart and home4 ,here a gate is opened by the ,mediator's hand1 and no man can shut it1 until the angel shall proclaim that time shall be no more4 ,here resounds a voice clear1 human1 memorable--a voice that all the hum of the world cannot drown1 proclaiming to the lowest1 furthest outcasts1 and to the latest generations1 ,whosoever will1 let him come4#hb #hb ,a curious illustration of the bondage to which an indurated ,erastianism has reduced many of the ,protestant ,churches of the ,continent1 is incidentally afforded in a remark made by ,stier regarding the peculiar fulness and preciousness of this parable3--,that this parable1 which ,lange beautifully terms a gospel within a gospel1 this universal text for preaching about the lost and recovered sons of our heavenly ,father 7and the hopelessly lost first-born to the rich possessions of the house71 should be wanting in the pericop of the ,sunday ,kalendar1 is an omission which is utterly unjustifiable on any ground whatever1 which is not compensated by the insertion of the previous similitudes1 and which of itself is ample reason for that reformation of the ,kalendar which ,palmer desires4--,words of the ,lord ,jesus1 in loc4 ,the successors of ,luther must1 it seems1 tread the mill from year to year on the same limited curriculum of texts which their ,kalendar contains2 and those of them who are weary of the restraint long in vain for an opportunity to preach on such a subject as the prodigal1 for it is not set down in the bond4 ,that ,church surely is greatly defective both in godliness and manliness1 that cannot or will not throw open all the ,word of ,god alike1 at all times1 to its ministers and congregations in their ,sabbath solemnities4 ,it is not necessary in this case to submit a sketch of the material frame-work3 there it lies1 and the simplest may see it for himself4 ,the least learned may go round without a guide1 and not miss any essential feature of the scene4 ,in this case the bare reading of the story from the ,bible leaves the image sharply outlined1 and permanently impressed upon the reader's mind4 ,assuming that the body of the lesson may be easily seen1 let us proceed at once to seek for its soul in the spiritual meaning1 which the picture covers and yet reveals4 ,a certain man had two sons3 one of the greatest difficulties meets us in the first line4 ,it is evident that ,god1 as specially manifested in the ,gospel1 is represented by the father2 but who are represented by the two sons1--the elder1 who remained at home1 and the younger1 who went away8 ,on this point three distinct interpretations have been suggested3 the two brothers of the parable may represent angels and men1 ,jews and ,gentiles1 or ,pharisees and publicans4 ,i do not think it is a profitable method to send these three into the field to fight until two are destroyed1 and one is left in undisputed possession4 ,i am convinced that we shall more fully and more correctly ascertain the mind of the ,lord by employing them all than by selecting one4 ,in representing the human figure1 an artist may proceed upon either of two distinct principles1 according to the object which1 for the time1 he may have in view4 ,he may1 on the one hand1 delineate the likeness of an individual1 producing a copy of his particular features1 with all their beauties and all their blemishes alike3 or he may1 on the other hand1 conceive and execute an ideal picture of man1 the portrait of no person in particular1 with features selected from many specimens of the race1 and combined in one complete figure4 ,the parable of the prodigal is a picture of the latter kind4 ,it is not out and out the picture of any man2 but it is1 to a certain extent1 the picture of every man4 ,this prophecy of ,scripture is not of private construction2 and therefore it is not of private interpretation4 ,as the ideal portrait is in one feature the likeness of this man1 and in another the likeness of that man1 while it is not throughout the likeness of any2 so the elder and younger sons of this parable find at one point their closest counterpart in angels and men1 at another in ,jews and ,gentiles1 at a third in ,pharisees and publicans1 and indefinitely in as many pairs of corresponding characters as have been1 or may yet be1 found in the world4 ,in the first act of the drama1--the departure of the younger son1 the case of angels and men1 presents by far the most exact counterpart to the case of the two brothers4 ,man is the youngest child of ,god's intelligent family4 ,elder and younger remained together in the house awhile4 ,you may observe sometimes in human families that the children who have reached the years of understanding at the birth of the youngest rejoice over the infant with a fondness second only to that of the mother4 ,thus the elder brother angels of our ,father's house1--the morning stars of creation1 sang together over the advent of man4 ,but the younger son did not remain in the house3 having become alienated in heart from the ,father1 he was uneasy in his presence1 and sought relief by going out of sight4 ,in the description of the younger son's conduct1 we find a picture both of the first fall and of the actual apostasy of each separate sinner4 ,the younger said to his father1 ,father give me the portion1 c4 ,only his words are preserved in the record2 but we know that thoughts unseen in his soul were the seeds whence these words sprang4 ,he desired to please himself1 and therefore grew unhappy under the restraints of home4 ,bent on enjoying the pleasures of sin1 he determined to avoid the presence of his father3 alienated in heart1 he becomes vicious in life4 ,the same two elements go to constitute the character and condition of the sinful before he is reconciled to ,god4 ,there is a lower and a higher link in the chain that binds the slave4 ,there is a body of this death1 and a soul3 there is a spiritual wickedness in high places1 and a bodily wickedness in low places4 ,the one is guilt1 the other sin3 the heart is at enmity1 and the life is disobedient4 ,the younger son did not humbly sue for a gift from his father's bounty3 he claimed a share of the property as of right4 ,the terms are significant2 ,give me the portion of goods that falleth 7,greek3 to epiballon meros7 to me4 ,the phrase faithfully depicts the atheism of an unbelieving human heart2 the fool hath said in his heart1 ,no ,god4 ,he has become brutish3 as swine gather the acorns from the ground1 heedless of the oak from which they fell2 alienated men snatch ,god's gifts for the gratification of their appetites1 and forget the giving ,god4 ,this seeing eye1 and this hearing ear1 and these cunning hands1 the irreverent son counts his own1 and determines to employ them in ministering to his own pleasure4 ,the father might justly have refused to comply with his son's demand3 although a certain part of the property might by law fall to the younger son at the death of the father1 there was no law or custom that gave the youth a right to any of it during his father's life4 ,in this case1 however1 the father saw meet to let the young man have his own way2 he threw the reins loose upon the neck of the prodigal4 ,although the father of his flesh could not see the end from the beginning1 the ,father of his spirit1 in permitting his departure1 already planned the glad return4 ,not many days after3 weary of paternal restraint1 he made off as soon as possible4 ,he gathered all2 for he needed all as a price in his hand to pay for his pleasure4 ,he went into a far country1 and there wasted his substance with riotous living4 ,even a large substance may in this manner soon be consumed2 money and health waste away quickly when they are employed as fuel to feed the flame of lust4 ,an interesting parallel to this portion of the parable occurs in ,luke xii4 #de4 ,a servant to whom much had been intrusted thought his master was at a great distance1 and would remain a long time away2 then and therefore he began to beat the men-servants and maidens1 and to eat and drink1 and to be drunken4 ,it is when a man is1 or imagines himself to be1 far from ,god that he dares to indulge freely his vicious propensities3 and conversely1 those who are secretly bent upon a life of sin1 put ,god far from their thoughts1 in order that they may not be interrupted in their pleasures4 ,the crisis came4 ,the season of pleasure did not last long2 and the man who had sowed to the flesh was compelled to fill his bosom with an early harvest of misery4 ,the hunger1 nakedness1 and shame that accumulated on the head of this wayward youth aptly represent the bitter fruits which sin1 even in this life1 bears as an earnest of the full wages in the second death1 which it promises to pay its servants4 ,his sufferings did not in the first instance turn him from his sin3 human sorrow is not all or always godly sorrow4 ,although the prodigal was in want1 he did not return to his father4 ,convictions and terrors in the conscience seldom bring the wanderer at once to the door of mercy3 he generally tries in succession several other methods in order to obtain relief4 ,as the prodigal attempted to keep body and soul together by the most desperate and loathsome expedients1 rather than throw himself on his father's compassion2 so an alienated human soul1 conscious of having wantonly offended a good ,god1 and therefore hating deeply the ,holy ,one1 will bear and do the will of the wicked one to the utmost extremity of misery rather than come home a beggar1 and be indebted for all to a father's love4 ,the picture1 although drawn by the ,master's own hand1 is necessarily drawn in the colours of external nature1 and therefore it comes far short of the original1 which is a spiritual wickedness4 ,the cherished son of an affluent and honourable house in ,israel has become the swineherd of a stranger in a famine-stricken land3 the transition is as great as could be displayed on the limited stage of the present world2 but when he who was made in ,god's image and treated as ,god's child is bound by the chain of his own passions1 and indentured as a slave in the devil's service1 the fall is greater1 as heaven is higher than the earth1 and the world of spirit deeper than the world of flesh4 ,no man gave unto him3 when a son deserts the ,father of lights1 from whom every good gift comes down1 his soul cannot be satisfied from other sources3 the world's breasts are dry1 or yield only poison to the eager drawing of the famished child4 ,there is a blank in the history here4 ,the later stages of the prodigal's misery are not exhibited in the light3 fully exposed1 they might have been shocking rather than impressive4 ,every height has its opposite and corresponding depth3 as eye has not seen nor ear heard in all its fulness the blessedness that ,god hath prepared for them that love him2 so neither can our faculties measure the miseries of sin1 in their foretastes here and their fulness hereafter4 ,how the prodigal fared under that veil1 as his misery day by day increased to its climax1 we know not2 but at length he suddenly emerges another man4 ,he came to himself3 the wild foul stream that had sunk into the earth and flowed for a space under ground1 bursts to the surface again1 agitated still indeed1 but now comparatively pure4 ,we learn for the first time that the man has been mad1 by learning that his reason is restored4 ,it is a characteristic of the insane that they never know or confess their insanity until it has passed away3 it is when he has come to himself that he first discovers he has been beside himself4 ,the two beings to whom a man living in sin is most a stranger are himself and ,god2 when the right mind returns1 he becomes acquainted with both again4 ,the first act of the prodigal1 when light dawned on his darkness1 was to converse with himself1 and the second to return to his father4 ,a man can scarcely find a more profitable companion than himself4 ,these two should be well acquainted1 and deal frankly with each other2 in the case of the prodigal how disastrous was the estrangement1 how blessed the reconciliation between them6 ,the young man1 during the period of his exile1 was as much a stranger to himself as to his father4 ,his return to himself became the crisis of his fate2 from the interview sprang the burning thought1 ,i will arise and go to my father1 and the resolute deed1 he arose and went4 ,when he had determined to return1 he returned at once1 and returned as he was4 ,emaciated by prolonged want1--naked1 filthy1 hungry1 he came as he was4 ,he did not remain at a distance until by efforts of his own he should make himself in some measure worthy to resume his original place in the family2 he came in want of all things1 that out of his father's fulness all his wants might be supplied4 ,the signification of this feature on the spiritual side is obvious2 it exhibits a cardinal point in the way of a sinner's return to ,god4 ,but while the repenting youth did not pretend to bring anything good to his father's house1 neither did he presume to bring thither anything evil3 his poverty and hunger were brought with him1 but the companions and instruments of his lusts were left behind4 ,this is a distinctive discriminating feature of true repentance4 ,in the act of fleeing to his father the prodigal leaves his associates1 and his habits1 and his tastes behind3 and conversely1 as long as he clings to these he will not--he cannot return to his father4 ,in the narrative it is made evident that a return to his father was the son's last resort2 he did not adopt it--he did not even entertain it1 until all others had failed4 ,the grief which he must have known his unnatural exile caused in the bosom of the family at home did not move him3 even want1 when it came upon him like an armed man1 failed to overcome his stubborn spirit4 ,he will be the servant of a stranger rather than his father's son2 he would live on swine's food1 if it had power to sustain a human life1 rather than sit at his father's table4 ,it was not till death stared him in the face that he consented to return4 ,he encountered all extremities of privation rather than come home2 no thanks to him1 then1 for coming at last4 ,yet he was received with an ardent welcome1 and without upbraiding4 ,the son's sullen1 obdurate1 desperate resistance becomes a measure and a monument of the father's forbearing1 forgiving love4 ,it is thus that sinful men return to ,god in ,christ to-day2 and thus that ,god in ,christ to-day receives sinful men4 ,prodigals returning deserve nothing1 and yet obtain all4 ,of even the last rag of merit that the imagination can conjure up--the merit of being willing to receive favour--they are utterly destitute4 ,though we do not come back to our father until all other resources have failed--although we come1 as it were1 only when we cannot help coming1 he receives us with open arms2 he takes the sin away1 and does not cast it up4 ,when he was yet a great way off his father saw him4 ,he must have been looking out4 ,often1 doubtless every day1 his eye turned and strained wistfully in the direction of his son's retiring footsteps4 ,while that son was starving in a foreign land1 his father was weeping at the window1 longing for his return2 when at last the prodigal appeared1 the watchful father caught sight of his form in the distance1 and ran to meet him4 ,behold again in this glass another feature of redeeming love6 ,jesus1 looking down on ,jerusalem1 wept for sorrow1 because its giddy multitude would not turn and live2 if they had with one accord come forth to accept the pardon which he offered1 he would have wept again for joy4 ,in his tears1 as well as in his teaching he showed us the ,father4 ,the reconciliation is immediate and complete4 ,the parable reveals an extraordinary outburst of paternal tenderness4 ,the son1 melted1 and in some measure confused by the undeserved1 unexpected warmth of his reception1 bethought of the speech which1 at the turning point of his repentance1 he had resolved to address to his father1 and began to recite it as he had conned the words in exile3--,father1 ,i have sinned against heaven1 and in thy sight1 and am no more worthy to be called thy son2 but there stopped short1 omitting the portion about being content with the position of a hired servant4 ,bengel suggests that the father may have cut the prodigal's speech short by giving aloud an order to the servants for the kind and honourable reception of his child2 but another thought1 also suggested by the same acute and experimental expositor1 brings out1 ,i think1 more truly the deep significance of the omission3--,the son lying on the father's bosom1 with the father's tears falling warm on his upturned face1 is some degrees further advanced in the spirit of adoption than when he first planned repentance beside the swine in his master's field4 ,there and then the legal spirit of fear because of guilt still lingered in his heart2 he ventured to hope for exemption from deserved punishment1 but not for restoration to the place of a beloved sen4 ,now the spirit of bondage has been conclusively cast out by the experience of his father's love2 the fragments of stone that had hitherto remained even in a broken heart are utterly melted at last1 as if by fire from heaven4 ,he could not now complete the speech which he had prepared2 its later words faltered and fell inarticulate4 ,he could not now ask for the place of a servant1 for he was already in the place of a son4#hc #hc ,the paraphrase of this ,scripture1 in a selection employed in most of the ,presbyterian ,churches of ,scotland1 stumbles at this point1 and misses the meaning of the text4 ,overlooking the mighty step of progress which the prodigal had made between the time when his accumulating convictions turned the balance first in favour of repentance1 and the time when the last fragment of distrust melted away in the flood of a full reconciliation1 the hymn represents the son as still pleading specifically to be sent away into the place of a servant1 after the embrace1 and the kiss1 and the tears of his father had bestowed and triply sealed his sonship4 ,he ran and fell upon his neck1 ,embraced and kissed his son3 ,the grieving prodigal bewailed ,the follies he had done4 ,no more1 my father1 can ,i hope ,to find paternal grace2 ,my utmost wish is to obtain ,a servant's humble place4 ,no2 after the meeting the youth did indeed say that he was not worthy to be called a son1 but he did not say he had abandoned the hope or the desire of being reinstated4 ,yet1 notwithstanding this and other errors that have crept into the collection1 and the superior character of many that are excluded from it1 no vigorous effort has been made to obtain a revision in order to exclude the faulty and introduce better in their stead4 ,conservative inertia--an instinct to keep unchanged what has descended to us from our fathers--is a great and curious power in human nature1 operating both on ,church and ,state4 ,although not creditable to the wisdom and courage of men1 it is doubtless overruled for good by the providence of ,god4 ,the father's command regarding the son's reception represents the complete reconciliation of the ,gospel--the total oblivion of the prodigal's past sins1 and his admission into the favour and the family of ,god1 as a dear child4 ,even the details at this point have been framed after the pattern of spiritual privileges as they are elsewhere represented in the ,scriptures2 and they admit1 consequently1 of being minutely examined and applied4 ,the best ,robe points to the ,redeemer's righteousness which the believer puts on1 and wherein he is justified2 the ,ring is the signet of a king1 the seal of the ,spirit in the regeneration2 the ,shoes suggest that the sinner1 forgiven and renewed1 shall walk with ,god in newness of life2 the ,feast indicates the joy of a forgiving ,god over a forgiven man1 and the joy of a forgiven man in a forgiving ,god4 ,these two lessons ,christ has tenderly and plainly taught in this parable1--first1 that ,god receives and forgives a sinner who comes back repenting2 and second1 that he delights in the act of so forgiving repentant sinners3 on these points no ambiguity is left1 and no room for controversy4 ,these features of our ,father's character1 if they were fully perceived and frankly accepted1 would soon change the face of the world4 ,guilt makes the guilty suspicious and distrustful4 ,for the chief ailment of humanity the parable supplies a specific antidote3 let the aspect of ,god's character1 which is here displayed1 take possession of a sinful heart1 and it is forthwith won4 ,a young person is in want of employment2 and a great man lives in the neighbourhood who could give him both work and wages4 ,to this man the youth is advised in his distress to apply2 but this is the man whom the youth has injured and offended1--the man whose just resentment he dreads4 ,but it is known and reported that this possessor of great wealth is kind1 generous1 forgiving2 that he does not retain resentment for injuries received2 that he delights to bestow favour on those who have offended him4 ,convinced by these representations1 the youth determines to venture1 and accordingly sets out on his journey toward the great man's house4 ,as he approaches it1 however1 his limbs grow feeble1 his heart beats high1 and he lacks courage to go near and knock4 ,he halts1 and is about to turn back in despair4 ,what would suffice to encourage the trembler at that moment1 and bear him through8 ,if then and there he could in any way be thoroughly convinced that the man whom he formerly injured1 and therefore now dreads1 is not only in general tender-hearted and open-handed1 but is at that moment specifically thinking of this individual transgressor1 grieving over his impenitence1 watching from his window for his coming1 yearning to receive his confession1 and enjoy the blessedness in his own heart of forgiving and satisfying the penitent2 this will be effectual2 the youth will go forward to the door now with a firm step4 ,it is such a conviction regarding the mind of ,god towards erring men that is needed1 in order to bring them in clouds to his mercy-seat1 like doves to their windows2 and it is in order to work this conviction in our hearts that ,jesus1 who has authority to declare the ,father1 has given us the parable of the ,prodigal ,son4 ,may the ,spirit take this word1 and make it in us quick and powerful4 ,here we are not left to deal with curious or doubtful speculation4 ,nothing in heaven or earth can be truer1 surer1 plainer than this4 ,the view that ,jesus gives is the true view of the ,father1 as he turns his face to-day toward the children of men4 ,here is a youth who has discovered suddenly that a disease has fatally stricken him1 deep in the springs of life4 ,after struggling some days against conviction1 and clinging to false hopes1 he has at length acknowledged that sentence of death has been passed4 ,when the first tumult subsides1 a species of calm succeeds1--the calm of earnest occupation with one over-riding and absorbing theme4 ,the world1 with its hopes and fears1 is conclusively cut off3 his business with time is closed4 ,he has bidden farewell to the crowd that he has left behind1 and has entered the solemn vestibule which at the other end opens on eternity4 ,with all the energy of his being1 he applies himself now to the question1 ,am ,i lost or saved8 ,he looks alternately backward on his own life1 and upward to ,god's throne2 both prospects trouble him4 ,backward he sees only sin2 forward1 only judgment4 ,himself seems the stubble1 and the ,judge a consuming fire4 ,as these two approach1 and their meeting seems near1 he fears with an exceeding great fear1 and cries with an exceeding bitter cry4 ,he greatly wonders1 meanwhile1 that he never saw things in this light before4 ,now1 in man's extremity1 is ,god's opportunity to show him the ,father4 ,while the eyes of the body are closed in weariness1 the mental vision remains active2 and a picture appears1 as if it were hung in light upon the wall4 ,to the soul's eye ,christ appears1 and appears in the act of revealing the ,father4 ,the ,father whom ,christ reveals runs forth to meet his prodigal son1 falls on his neck1 weeps1 and kisses him4 ,there is no upbraiding1 no bargaining for terms4 ,the returning son is forgiven1 accepted1 clothed1 honoured1 loved4 ,he has all1 and abounds4 ,this is doubtless a true picture1 the dying youth reflects1 for it is ,christ that displays it2 but1 alas1 it brings no hope to me4 ,i have stifled convictions1 and lived for my own pleasure2 and though ,i often heard of mercy1 ,i never sought it1 until ,i found that death was on my track4 ,how can ,i expect that ,god should receive me1 when ,i make him a do-no-better1 for ,i never thought of seeking him until all my chosen idols had forsaken me1 and ,i was left destitute8 ,brother1 look2 what good thing was in the lost son1 that served to recommend him to his father8 ,he would not remain at home2 he could not enjoy his abundance as long as the father1 whose face he loathed1 abode under the same roof4 ,he went away1 that he might enjoy the pleasures of sin4 ,he did not return while he had enough2 he did not return when he began to be in want2 he endured the extreme of misery and shame rather than return2 he came back to his father only when all other resources failed2--and yet his father received him with great gladness4 ,sinner1 look on this love1--look on it till you live in its light4 ,it is not him that never departed1 or came back while he yet had plenty1 or came back soon1 or came back with an improved heart1--it is1 ,him that cometh ,i will in no wise cast out4 ,those who from this parable conclude that ,god receives sinners into favour without a propitiation1 and those who endeavour to escape from that conclusion by affirming that the father in the parable represents ,christ1 err equally1 although on opposite sides4#hd #hd ,stier's observations on this point are excellent3--,the well-meaning efforts which are made to explain the absence of reference to the mediating propitiation of the ,son of ,god in this instant exhibition of the ,father's mercy1 are altogether needless2 they rest fundamentally on false dogmatic views of this propitiation1 as if there were not existing in the ,father's being the same love which is expressed in the ,son1--as if the ,father needed abstractly to be propitiated in order to entertain this love6 ,we are not to seek ,christ himself as mediator in the person of this father2 nor 7though ,melancthon has strangely ventured to affirm it71 afterwards in the fatted calf1 as sacrificially slain4 ,his place here is rather to be sought in his thus authoritatively testifying of the ,father's mercy4 ,as ,nitzsch excellently says3--',if he seems to conceal himself here1 he is all the more manifest there1 where the ,shepherd seeks the lost sheep4 ,for the ,son--who is neither an elder nor a younger1 the eternal ,son of the ,father1 one with him1 his eye and his heart towards the lost--is come into this world1 although invisible and unnamed in the parable1 to reveal the ,father where he had been ever invisible1 and where no man knew him3 and he is to the children of the law and the curse1 not only a living herald of the propitiable--we shall rather say of the already propitiated--,father1 but the 7that is our7 propitiation itself1 and the way whereby every one of us may come back to ,god4' ,the mediation of ,christ is no more denied by this silence than the seduction of ,satan was denied in the sinner's apostasy at the beginning of the parable4 ,we may also say with ,von ,gerlach that the 'coming out of the father to meet his son1 here figuratively exhibits the sending of the ,son4'--,stier in loc4 ,the notion that a mediator is not needed1 because a mediator is not here specifically represented1 proceeds upon the assumption1 obviously and inexcusably erroneous1 that all truth must be taught in every parable4 ,while occasionally visiting the printing works of the publishers as these sheets are passing through the press1 ,i have observed the process of printing coloured landscapes by lithograph4 ,one stone by one impression deposits the outline of the land2 another stone1 by another impression1 fills in the sea2 and a third stone1 on a different machine1 subsequently adds the sky to the picture4 ,no observer is so foolish as to complain1 while he sees the process in its earlier stages1 that there is no sea or no sky in the landscape4 ,it is thus with the parables in general1 and with this group in particular4 ,by the two first1 certain portions and aspects of the scene are represented2 and by the last one1 when it is impressed on the same field1 the remaining features are completed4 99 99 99 99 99 ,hitherto we have been occupied exclusively with the younger of the two sons2 but the notice given in the first sentence of the parable prepares us for meeting with the elder in some significant capacity ere it close2 and here1 accordingly1 he comes up to sustain his part4 ,at the moment of the prodigal's return1 his elder brother was in the field1 whether for his father's profit or his own pleasure we are not informed4 ,when he came home in the evening1 and before he had entered the house1 he heard the sound of the festival within4 ,surprised and displeased that a feast on so large a scale should have been instituted without his privity and participation1 he assumed and maintained an attitude of haughty reserve4 ,instead of going in at once and seeing all with his own eyes as a son1 he went to a servant1 and in the spirit of an alien1 inquired the reason of the mirth4 ,having learned the leading facts1 instead of imitating his father's generosity1 he abandoned himself to selfish jealousy1 and went away in a pet4 ,the father1 on every side true to his character1 came out and pleaded with him to enter and share the common joy4 ,hereupon the true character of the soi-disant model son is revealed2 he peevishly casts it in his father's face1 as a reproach1 that he had never provided such a feast for his immaculate and superlatively dutiful child4 ,the elder son1 in his statement of the case1 introduces an elaborately constructed double contrast between his brother's experience and his own1 which is peculiarly interesting in relation to the mercy of ,god and the methods of the ,gospel4 ,to the jaundiced eye of this sour-tempered pharisaic youth1 it seemed that his father gave much to him that deserved least1 and little to him that deserved most3 to the profligate son1 the fatted calf2 to the eminently dutiful child1 not even a kid4 ,here the hard1 self-satisfied formalist1 like ,pilate and ,caiaphas1 preaches the ,christ whom he did not know4 ,the envious contrast portrayed by the elder son is a dark shadow which takes its shape from the ,light of life4 ,it is a law of the ,gospel that nothing is given to the man in reward for the righteousness which he brings forward as his boast2 but all is given to the man who has flung away his own righteousness with loathing as filthy rags1 and come1 wretched1 and miserable1 and poor1 and blind1 and naked1 to cast himself on the mercy of ,god4 ,the greatest gift is bestowed on the most worthless2 for ,god commendeth his love toward us1 in that while we were yet sinners1 ,christ died for us 7,rom4 v4 #h74 ,at this point the line of our parable touches that of the lost sheep1 and thenceforth runs coincident with it to the close3 it points to the same features of human character1 and teaches the same principles of divine truth4 ,in the first place1 it repeats the answer already given in the two preceding parables to the question embodied in the complaint of the ,pharisees1--,this man receiveth sinners and eateth with them4 ,the father announces with great clearness and fulness1 the grounds on which he rejoiced more that day over the prodigal restored than over the elder son1 who had never left home4 ,it is a rule in human experience1 universally understood and appreciated1 that though a son never lost is as precious as one who has been lost and found1 parents experience a more vivid joy in the act of receiving the exile back than in the continuous possession of a son who has been always in their sight4#he #he ,this law may be illustrated by an analogous fact in the material department of creation4 ,lay a ball1 such as a boy's marble1 on an extended sheet of thin paper1 and the paper1 though fixed at the edges and unsupported in the midst1 will bear easily the weight3 take now another ball of the same shape and weight1 and let it drop upon the sheet of paper from a height1 it will go sheer through4 ,the two balls are of the same weight and figure2 but the motion gave to one a momentum tenfold greater than that of the other at rest4 ,it is in a similar way that the return of a lost son goes through a loving father's heart1 and makes all its affections thrill2 while the continued possession of another son1 equally valuable and equally valued1 produces no such commotion either in the heart of the father or his home4 ,in the meantime1 it is very sweet to learn from the lips of ,jesus that this law1 which may be clearly traced on earth1 penetrates to heaven1 and there prepares for repenting sinners1 not a bare escape from wrath1 but an abundant entrance into the joy of their ,lord4 ,but while the parable thus demonstrates that even though the claim of the ,pharisees were granted their objection falls to the ground1 it most certainly does not grant that claim4 ,so far from conceding that they needed no repentance1 the ,lord makes it evident that they kept company with the publicans in sin1 and only differed in this1 that they did not repent and forsake it4 ,the elder brother1 towards the close of the parable1 presents a life-likeness of the ,pharisees2 in him they might have seen their own shadow on the wall4 ,the self-righteousness1 the pride1 the peevishness1 the jealousy of the elder brother in the close of the parable represent1 in its most distinctive features1 the character of the ,jewish people and their leaders1 in the beginning of the ,gospel4 ,one of their leading reasons for refusing to own ,jesus as the ,messiah was his manifested willingness to extend the blessings of redemption to the needy of every condition and every name4 ,when the ,lord reminded them that ,elijah was sent past many suffering widows in ,israel to relieve a stranger at ,sarepta1 and that ,elisha left many lepers uncured among his own countrymen when he healed the ,syrian soldier1 they were so exasperated by the suggestion that ,god's favour had already flowed out to the ,gentiles1 and might flow in the same direction again1 that they rose up and thrust him out of the city1 and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built1 that they might cast him down headlong 7,luke iv4 #bi74 ,the same spirit burst forth when they were touched on the same tender point in the ministry of the apostles4 ,paul was permitted from the stairs of the fortress attached to the temple at ,jerusalem to address an excited multitude on the faith as it is in ,jesus4 ,loving the ,hebrew tongue in which he spoke better than the ,greek1 which they had expected him to employ1 they listened with interest and in silence to the story of his conversion through the appearing of the risen ,jesus2 but when in the progress of the narrative he found it necessary to inform them that the ,lord his ,saviour gave him a commission to preach the ,gospel beyond the boundaries of ,israel1 saying1 ,depart1 for ,i will send thee far hence unto the ,gentiles1 they gave him audience unto this word1 and then lifted up their voices and said1 ,away with such a fellow from the earth1 for it is not fit that he should live 7,acts xxii4 #ba1 #bb74 ,in this inveterate prejudice of the ,pharisaic ,jews against the admission of persons or communities other than themselves into the privileges of ,messiah's kingdom1 we see the reason why the ,lord gave his parable the turn which it takes in the extraordinary conduct of the elder brother4 ,counting that the kingdom belonged exclusively to themselves1 the ,jewish hierarchs violently resented every suggestion that pointed to the reception of strangers4 ,it was to them that this series of parables was addressed2 and to them1 in immediate relation to their stupid and impudent cry1 ,he receiveth sinners6 ,but we have not exhausted this portion of the lesson when we have pointed out that those whom the elder brother represents fret proudly and peevishly against the admission of their neighbours into the kingdom3 by that very fact they unconsciously but surely demonstrate that themselves have not entered yet4 ,the spirit that in regard to self is satisfied1 before ,god unhumbled1 and towards men unloving1 has no part with ,christ3 this is the proud whom ,god knoweth afar off1 not the meek whom he delights to honour4 ,ah1 woe to the man who serves ,god as that son served his father1 with a mercenary mind and an unbroken heart1--who thinks his obedience praiseworthy1 and would be surprised if it should go without reward4 ,the elder son was lost as well as the younger2 but as far as the parable reveals his history1 he was not like him found again3 he1 like his brother1 went astray2 but unlike him1 refused to come back4 ,the father was grieved as much by the sullen1 dry1 hard1 cold1 dead formality of his elder son1 as by the prodigal wastefulness of the younger1 without getting the sorrow balanced by a subsequent joy4 ,whited sepulchre6 what will thy residence in the house1 and thy constant and punctilious profession avail thee while thou art planting daggers in thy father's heart1 and nursing vile hypocrisy in thy own8 ,it is the empty open vessel that gets itself filled when it is plunged into a well of living water2 the vessel that is full and shut1 although it is overflowed by rivers of privileges1 does not receive and retain a drop4 ,before ,god and under the ,gospel1 the turning-point of each man's destiny is not the number or the aggravation of his sins1 but the discovery of his own guilt1 and the consequent cry out of the depths for mercy4 ,that which really in the last resort hinders a man's salvation and secures his doom is not his sin1 but his refusal to know and own that he is a sinner4 ,all the excesses of the prodigal will not shut him out of heaven1 for he came repenting to the father2 but all the virtues of the elder brother will not let him into heaven1 for he cherished pride in his heart1 and taunted his father for overlooking his worth4 ,the ground on which the ,laodiceans were condemned was not the sinfulness of their state1 but their stolid satisfaction with the state they were in4 ,because thou sayest1 ,i am rich and increased with goods1 and have need of nothing2 and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable1 and poor1 and blind1 and naked 7,rev4 iii4 #ag74 ,what although they were not rich2--if they had known their poverty1 all the treasures of the ,godhead were at their disposal3 what although they were wretched2--all the blessings that are at ,god's right hand were theirs for the asking4 ,what although this son was prodigal2--there is a place for him in ,god's favour1--a place for him in the mansions of the ,father's house for ever when he comes back repenting1 confiding2 but what although he never strayed--never missed a diet of worship or a deed of alms1 the elder brother by holding to his own righteousness1 rejects the righteousness which is of ,god by faith1 and shuts himself out of the kingdom4 ,him who thought he was poor and miserable1 and wretched1 and blind1 and naked1 the father runs to meet with kisses of love and tears of joy3 but him who thought himself rich and increased with goods1 and in need of nothing1 the father puts away1 with the most piercing expressions of loathing which the whole ,scriptures contain1 ,i will spue thee out of my mouth4 ,,xxv4 ,,the ,,prudent ,,steward4 ,and he said also unto his disciples1 ,there was a certain rich man1 which had a steward2 and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods4 ,and he called him1 and said unto him1 ,how is it that ,i hear this of thee8 give an account of thy stewardship2 for thou mayest be no longer steward4 ,then the steward said within himself1 ,what shall ,i do8 for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship3 ,i cannot dig2 to beg ,i am ashamed4 ,i am resolved what to do1 that1 when ,i am put out of the stewardship1 they may receive me into their houses4 ,so he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him1 and said unto the first1 ,how much owest thou unto my lord8 ,and he said1 ,an hundred measures of oil4 ,and he said unto him1 ,take thy bill1 and sit down quickly1 and write fifty4 ,then said he to another1 ,and how much owest thou8 ,and he said1 ,an hundred measures of wheat4 ,and he said unto him1 ,take thy bill1 and write fourscore4 ,and the lord commended the unjust steward1 because he had done wisely3 for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light4 ,and ,i say unto you1 ,make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness2 that1 when ye fail1 they may receive you into everlasting habitations4--,,luke xvi4 #a-i4 ,on the face of this parable a difficulty presents itself1 all the more formidable in that it lies not in the critical1 but in the moral department4 ,in almost all the other examples1 the acts attributed to human agents are either morally blameless in themselves1 or are manifestly exhibited in order to be condemned3 but here1 an element of injustice is inseparably mixed up with the prudence which is commended in the conduct of the steward4 ,the difficulty lies in this1 that the specimen of worldly prudence presented in order to suggest and stimulate spiritual prudence in securing the interests of the soul1 is dyed through and through with the loathsome vice of dishonesty4 ,it is not easy1 at least for us1 to gather the lesson which this man's prudence contained1 out of the dishonesty in which in was steeped4 ,when we read the parable we may detect a feeling of surprise creeping over our minds1 that the ,lord1 who had the whole world and its history before him whence to select his examples1 should have chosen a specimen of worldly wisdom1 damaged by an admixture of downright falsehood1 in order to stimulate thereby the spiritual zeal of his own disciples4 ,the three following observations will1 in my judgment1 explain and completely remove the difficulty3--7#a47 ,the ,holy ,one1 precisely because he is perfectly holy1 can come closer to the unholy than we who are infected with sin and susceptible of injury from contact with impurity4 ,jesus talked with the ,samaritan at the well1 and permitted the sinner to wash his feet with tears in ,simon's house4 ,his own disciples and the ,pharisees wondered by turns why he came so close to the unclean2 but if they had been free from sin as he was1 they could have handled it freely when in their ordinary ministry it crossed their path4 ,inflammable matter must be kept far from fire2 whereas matter that is incombustible may1 when a necessary cause occurs1 safely pass through the midst of the flame4 7#b47 ,a shorter parable in another place presents and explains the same difficulty3 ,be ye wise as serpents1 and harmless as doves4 ,serpents are proposed to the disciples as examples to be imitated2 but it is the wisdom only and not the hurtfulness of the serpent that their ,master enjoins them to imitate4 ,foresight and dishonesty are not more closely or inseparably united in the character of the cunning steward than wisdom and hurtfulness in the nature of the serpent4 ,in both alike the ,master meant that one quality which is commendable should be selected for imitation1 and the other quality which is vile should be cast away with loathing4 7#c47 ,the key-note of the parable is expressed in verse #h3 ,the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light4 ,the line of interpretation must be drawn through this point1 and all the scattered features of the picture brought up or brought down to meet it4 ,thus the tinge of dishonesty that runs through the prudence of the steward1 so far from rendering his case unsuitable for the purpose of the ,lord1 imparted to it additional appropriateness and point4 ,the methods1 as well as the ends of the worldly1 were different from those of the spiritual4 ,this example shows that1 from the ungodly man's own view-point1 and according to his own maxims1 he prosecutes his object with energy and skill4 ,let the ,christian1 with his clearer1 purer light1 prosecute his high aim by holy means with an energy and zeal similar to those which the ungodly exhibit in the pursuit of their gains or pleasures4 ,it was the design of the ,lord not simply to give his disciples generally an example of wisdom1 but to give them specifically an example of the wisdom of the world--the wisdom that neither fears ,god nor regards man4 ,an example of prudence taken from a good man's history1 and exercised under submission to the law of ,god1 would not have suited the ,master's purpose so well as the one that has been chosen4 ,it is important to notice at the outset1 that in this instance the ,lord addresses his instructions specifically to his own disciples4 ,the three parables which are recorded in the preceding chapter were spoken to the ,pharisees2 immediately after these1 and in continuation of the history1 the evangelist intimates that he said also unto his disciples1 ,there was a certain rich man1 c4 ,besides those lessons which he gave to the multitude1 teaching how the distant may come near1 he gave this lesson to those who had already come near1 in order to incite them to diligence in the course which they had chosen3 this ,teacher rightly divides the word of truth1 giving to each his portion in due season4 ,in this lesson the diligence of worldly men is employed to rebuke the slothfulness of ,christians4 ,those who make perishing things their portion are thoughtful1 inventive1 energetic1 decisive in prosecuting their object2 how thoughtless and slow are the heirs of the kingdom in the work of their high calling6 ,a certain rich man had a steward4 ,we learn here1 incidentally1 how evenly balanced are the various conditions of life in a community1 and how little of substantial advantage wealth can confer on its possessor4 ,as your property increases1 your personal control over it diminishes2 the more you possess1 the more you must entrust to others4 ,those who do their own work are not troubled with disobedient servants2 those who look after their own affairs1 are not troubled with unfaithful overseers4#hf #hf ,a case came up lately in an ,english court of justice1 in which a certain duke prosecuted his butler for malversation in his charge4 ,it appeared in evidence that the defalcation on the account for wine alone amounted to ,l4 #aejj4 ,this fact incidentally reveals two things3--,how great is the wealth of these ,british princes2 and how little that wealth is under their own control4 ,this overseer cheated his master1 and concealed the fraud for a time under the folds of complicated accounts2 but1 as in all similar cases1 this career of wickedness came suddenly to an end4 ,some person discovered the facts and informed the proprietor4 ,when suspicion was raised inquiry could not be resisted2 and1 when an inquiry was instituted1 the crime could not be hid4 ,the steward seems to have given up his case as soon as he was accused2 he uttered not a word in his own defence4 ,there was no proof on one side1 and no denial on the other4 ,the case was clear1 and the process summary2 sentence of dismissal was pronounced on the spot4 ,but the proprietor was still in a great measure at the mercy of this unfaithful servant2 the accounts were all in his hand1 and the owner could not instantly resume the power which he had delegated4 ,the agent accordingly was ordered to prepare and submit a balance-sheet1 on which his successor might proceed to administer the estate4 ,there was not much time for deliberation3 the decree of dismissal had already passed1 and as soon as the state of accounts could be made up1 this once comfortable and important personage must be cast penniless upon the world4 ,now or never1 he must do something for himself4 ,with habits1 both mental and physical1 cast in another mould1 he cannot win his bread as a labourer2 and his pride revolted against the prospect of becoming a beggar on the spot where he had long been owned as master by the multitude4 ,his resolution is quickly formed1 and as quickly carried into effect4 ,he will employ his present opportunity1 so as to provide a refuge for himself in his future need3 he will so deal with the money while it is still in his hand1 as that he shall not be left destitute when he is driven from his place4 ,in prosecution of his purpose1 the steward summoned his master's debtors one by one into his presence4 ,he held their acknowledgments for goods received1 or their signatures for the amount of rent which they had agreed to pay for their lands4 ,having in his hands the documents which bound the debtors1 he might have read off from these the amount due by each2 but it suited his purpose better to ask the obligants what sums they owed1 and to proceed wholly upon their voluntary acknowledgments4 ,the first owed a hundred measures of oil1 the second a hundred measures of wheat4 ,what these quantities may have been in relation to our standards is a question which possesses only a critical and antiquarian interest3 it has no bearing on the interpretation of the parable1 and therefore we pass it without further notice4 ,the absolute amount of the debt has no influence on the meaning of the parable2 the point which is really important is the proportion between the amount owned by the debtors and the amount exacted by the steward4 ,olive oil and wheat were two of the staple products of the country1 and the obligations in regard to them may have been incurred either in transactions of a mercantile character1 or in those which intervene between landlord and tenant4#hg #hg ,probably the rents were paid in kind1 and these were the arrears which the tenants acknowledged4 ,the method of the overseer is short and simple3 apart from considerations of morality1 conscience1 and divine retribution1 it seemed a short road to the accomplishment of his purpose4 ,he surrendered to the debtors their obligations1 and received in return obligations for smaller amounts1 in one case for fifty1 and in another for eighty1 instead of a hundred4 ,these two cases are submitted as specimens3 others were treated in a similar way4 ,of course the steward could not obtain from these debtors any obligation in his own favour for the portion remitted1 which could be enforced in a court of justice2 for the proof of the claim on the one side would have revealed his guilt on the other3 but it was assumed between the parties that the benefit conferred should in due time be substantially acknowledged and repaid4 ,the steward counted that in the day of his distress those men on whom he had conferred favours would receive him into their houses4#hh #hh ,of the same nature were the long leases of ecclesiastical property in ,england at low rents1 granted by the living incumbents1 in consideration of a sum of money in name of fine paid to themselves4 ,it was expected1 moreover1 that the proprietor1 or the steward whom he might afterwards employ1 could not exact more than the smaller sums1 for which they possessed the acknowledgments of the parties4 ,we could indeed conceive a case in which the injured owner could lead a proof of fraud in the transaction1 and enforce from the obligants the original amounts2 but it is not probable that1 in an age when records were defective1 and the two parties immediately connected with the fraudulent transaction deeply interested in concealing it1 such a suit could be successfully carried through4#hi #hi ,a case emerged lately in the courts of this country1 in which a proprietor1 who had lost very large sums by the unfaithfulness of his agent1 prosecuted the parties for restitution1 on the ground of the agent's bad faith in the transactions4 ,the case was protracted1 and ,i lost sight of it before the solution was reached2 but it is enough for my present purpose that a plea was actually raised to obtain from one debtor the price of a hundred measures of oil instead of fifty1 which he acknowledged1 on the alleged ground that the absconded steward had corruptly and for his own interest sacrificed the rights of his employer4 ,the lord1 that is the injured proprietor1 commended the unjust steward1 because1 or in that1 he had done wisely4 ,the difficulty here lies on the surface1--lies1 as it were1 in the sound2 upon a close examination it vanishes4 ,first of all1 the lord who praised the steward is1 as the translators have indicated by printing the word without a capital1 not the ,lord ,jesus1 the speaker of the parable1 but the master1 whom the cunning agent had robbed4 ,further1 this praise obviously did not indicate moral approval4 ,the master praised the servant when all was over1 not for the faithfulness with which he had been served1 but for the cleverness with which he had been cheated4 ,the commendation which the master bestowed upon the servant was that of sharply looking after himself4 ,it is the commendation which one whose house has been robbed during the night might bestow in the morning upon the robber1 after noticing how adroitly he had opened the locks1 and carried off the booty4 ,this nefarious transaction was1 from the perpetrator's view-point1 cleverly planned and promptly executed4 ,it was no sooner said than done2 delay might have ruined the steward's prospects4 ,he must have everything done before he is summoned actually to transfer his books to his successor's hands4 ,he provided in his own way for his own future need2 the plan was well-contrived1 and successfully carried into effect4 ,this praise1 but expressly and only this1 the injured master bestowed upon the man4 ,and ,i say unto you1 ,make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness2 that when ye fail1 they may receive you into everlasting habitations4 ,such is the lesson which the ,lord draws from the picture4 ,difficulties1 indeed1 adhere to the phraseology in its details2 but the interpretation1 in its main line1 is determined and made evident by landmarks which can neither be overlooked nor removed4 ,the mammon of unrighteousness means the world with all its business and its possessions2 mammon is denominated unrighteous1 generally on account of the manner in which it is employed by worldly men1 and specially on account of the case in hand1 where a gross injustice was perpetrated without scruple1 and as an ordinary matter of business4 ,alas1 how prevalent is this form of unrighteousness still6 ,although justice in a large measure pervades and so sustains the vast commerce of the country1 many mean tricks insinuate themselves between its mighty strata1 corroding its fabric1 and undermining its strength4 ,in counselling the disciples to acquire for themselves friends from the mammon of unrighteousness 7,greek3 poisate heantois philous ek tou mamna ts adikias71 the ,lord obviously adopts the terms of his spiritual lesson from the structure of the parable which conveys it4 ,by remitting part of their debts the steward made the debtors his friends2 he won them to his side1 and made sure of their sympathy when his day of need should come4 ,his prudence and skill were commendable1 but the fraud which was mingled with them is neither approved by the ,lord1 nor prescribed as a pattern for the disciples4#ij ,nor is it difficult to lift the pure lesson from the impure ground on which it lies4 ,the steward could not reach his unrighteous object except by a crooked path2 but the ends which a ,christian strives to attain neither require nor admit the employment of falsehood4 ,use the world in such a way that it shall help and not hinder the interests of your soul and of the world to come4 #ij ,the ,emperor ,julian adduced this parable in order to prove that the doctrines of ,christ were adverse to good morals4 ,this is precisely the place where the apostate1 seeking reasons to justify his apostasy1 will most readily find what he seeks4 ,the position of the phrase1 ,greek3 eis tn genean tn heautn1 in or for their own generation1 near the end of the sentence1 determines that it is applied equally to both parties4 ,it is implied that both classes1 the children of the world and the children of light1 look after their own affairs2 and it is intimated that the one class attends to its business more earnestly and more skilfully than the other4 ,this man cleaves to the world as his portion1 and that man has chosen the ,saviour as his3 but1 in point of fact1 he who has chosen the inferior object prosecutes it with the greater zeal4 ,the superior energy of the worldling in the acquisition of gains is employed to rebuke the ,christian for his slackness in winning the true riches4 ,this is the main lesson of the parable4 ,the specific form which the lesson assumes is1--,provide now for future need1 and make the opportunities of time subservient to the interests of eternity4 ,the characteristic features of the steward's skill were1 that when his dismissal was near1 he occupied the short time that remained1 and the resources still at his disposal1 in skilfully providing for the future4 ,we are stewards in possession still1 but under warning2 do we employ the time and the opportunities that remain in making our calling and election sure8 ,many precious possessions have been placed in our hands by the owner of all2 health of body and soundness of mind2 home and friends2 good name or great riches1 or both conjoined2--these and many others have been by their owner placed under our charge1 that we should lay them out for him4 ,soon the stewardship will be taken from us4 ,when ye fail1--that is1 when we can no longer retain our hold of time and life2 when flesh and heart are failing2 when a mist comes over the eye1 so that it can no longer see the circle of weeping friends that stand round the bed of death1--have we an everlasting habitation ready to receive the departing spirit8 ,more particularly the practical question is1 ,have we disposed of earthly possessions and opportunities1 so that they helped and did not hinder the acquisition of an incorruptible inheritance8 ,there is a place and a use for temporal things in making sure of the life eternal4 ,how constant has been the tendency of fallen humanity to run wildly into opposite extremes of error2 because the ,popish system gives worldly possessions too high a place in the concerns of the soul1 we may readily fall into the error of giving them no place at all4 ,we lean hard over against the superstition that expects by alms1 and money paid for masses1 to smooth the spirit's path to peace beyond the grave2 but when we have refused to make money directly the price of our admission into heaven1 we have not exhausted our duty in regard to its bearing on our eternal weal4 ,the property1 and money1 and occupations of time may instrumentally affect for good or evil our efforts to lay up the true riches4 ,according as they are employed1 they may become a stumbling-stone over which their possessor shall fall1 or a shield to cover his head from some fiery darts of the wicked one4#ia #ia ,for example1 their competence and the comforts which it brings shield women of the higher and middle classes in this country1 in a great measure1 from certain snares of the devil in which multitudes of their poorer sisters miserably fall4 ,if those who enjoy this protection throw away their advantage by turning that which is a protection on one side into a temptation on the other1 and so bring themselves to an equality over all with the less favoured classes1 the fault is their own4 ,it is proved by obvious facts that worldly possessions may be placed between you and temptation1 as cotton bales and sand bags may be employed to ward off cannon shot from stone walls4 ,they are capable of being turned to some account in advancing our eternal interests2 for our inheritance in heaven1 the world is useful1 if it is rightly used4 ,could it be truly said of any who are lost that the mammon of unrighteousness brought them to the place of woe8 or1 conversely could it be truly said of any who now stand round the throne in white1 that the mammon of unrighteousness became the friend who introduced them to that everlasting habitation8 ,i reply1 this mammon is not and cannot be a cause either of being saved or being lost2 but it1 as well as all other things in time1 may become instruments in the saving or destroying of a soul1 according as it is wisely used or foolishly abused4 ,for example1 in the next parable1 it was sin and not wealth that ruined the rich man2 many richer men than he have walked with ,god on earth1 and entered rest when they departed4 ,wealth was not his destroyer1 yet he so used his wealth as to permit the wicked one to bind his soul with it as with chains over to the second death4 ,on the other hand1 it was neither the poverty nor the sores of ,lazarus1 nor both together1 that saved him2 many as destitute of money and as full of sores as he are never saved4 ,christ was this man's ,saviour1--,christ alone2 yet1 his poverty became in ,god's hands1 and through his servant's faith1 the instrument of shielding him from temptation and purging his dross away4 ,in the same subordinate and instrumental sense in which the rich man's wealth was his ruin1 the poverty of the poor man saved him4 ,but these results are not uniform--are not necessary2 they may be--they often are reversed4 ,the wealth of a rich man may help him heavenward1 and the poverty of a poor man may press him down toward the pit4 ,the cardinal point of the parable is1 employ the mammon of unrighteousness--this world's affairs all1 with forethought1 skill1 decision1 and energy1 to further your own salvation2 turn all to account for the gain of godliness4 ,a ship leaves our shores bound westward to an ,atlantic port3 the wind1 being from the north1 beats on her right side all the way4 ,she makes a quick voyage and reaches her destination in safety4 ,another ship at another time leaves these shores for the same destination3 the wind1 blowing from the south1 beats on her left side4 ,she wanders from her course and is shipwrecked4 ,whence these opposite results8 ,was the first ship saved because she met a north wind1 and the second lost because she fell in with a wind from the south8 ,nay1 verily3 but because the one so received the wind1 from whatever point of the compass it might blow1 as to be impelled by it onward in her course3 and the other1 instead of wisely employing every wind to help her forward1 allowed herself to drift before the wind that happened to blow4 ,mammon1 the world--ah1 is it not adverse to the interests of our souls8 ,what then8 ,believer1 adversary though it be1 you may make it your friend4 ,a skilful seaman1 when once fairly out to sea1 can make a wind from the west carry him westward6 he can make the wind that blows right in his face bear him onward to the very point from which it blows4 ,when he arrives at home1 he is able to say the wind from the west impelled me westward1 and led me into my desired haven4 ,thus if we were skilful1 and watchful1 and earnest1 we might make the unrighteous mammon our friend2 we might so turn our side to each of its tortuous impulses1 that willing or unwilling1 conscious or unconscious1 it should from day to day drive us nearer home4 ,the parable is in this peculiar1 that in the moral lesson which the ,master enforces at the close1 he retains and employs the phraseology of the story4 ,make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness1 c4 ,the meaning is by the context made plain1 and the reader may translate the metaphor as he proceeds4 ,the steward1 while he remained in his place1 so handled the property in his power as to secure for himself a home when he should be removed from his place3 in like manner let men so use material possessions while they live on earth1 that these very possessions shall be found to have helped them toward their eternal rest4 ,when a man's ways please ,god1 he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him4 ,these things that are enemies1 and that overcome many1 you may make your friends2 you may turn to them such a side1 that every time they strike they shall press you nearer rest1 and at their last stroke impel you through the narrow entrance into the joy of your ,lord4 ,,xxvi4 ,,the ,,rich ,,man ,,and ,,lazarus4 ,there was a certain rich man1 which was clothed in purple and fine linen1 and fared sumptuously every day3 and there was a certain beggar named ,lazarus1 which was laid at his gate1 full of sores1 and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table3 moreover the dogs came and licked his sores4 ,and it came to pass1 that the beggar died1 and was carried by the angels into ,abraham's bosom3 the rich man also died and was buried2 and in hell he lift up his eyes1 being in torments1 and seeth ,abraham afar off1 and ,lazarus in his bosom4 ,and he cried and said1 ,father ,abraham1 have mercy on me1 and send ,lazarus1 that he may dip the tip of his finger in water1 and cool my tongue2 for ,i am tormented in this flame4 ,but ,abraham said1 ,son1 remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things1 and likewise ,lazarus evil things3 but now he is comforted1 and thou art tormented4 ,and beside all this1 between us and you there is a great gulf fixed3 so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot2 neither can they pass to us1 that would come from thence4 ,then he said1 ,i pray thee therefore1 father1 that thou wouldest send him to my father's house3 for ,i have five brethren2 that he may testify unto them1 lest they also come into this place of torment4 ,abraham saith unto him1 ,they have ,moses and the prophets2 let them hear them4 ,and he said1 ,nay1 father ,abraham2 but if one went unto them from the dead1 they will repent4 ,and he said unto him1 ,if they hear not ,moses and the prophets1 neither will they be persuaded1 though one rose from the dead4--,,luke xvi4 #ai-ca4 ,the intervening portion of history1 contained in verses #ad-ah1 should not be permitted to conceal from us the intimate relation that subsists between this and the preceding parable4 ,the application of the first for the reproof of covetousness1 touched a besetting sin of the ,pharisees1 and stung them to the quick4 ,unable to bear in silence a rebuke which their own consciences recognised as just1 they interrupted the preacher with rude derision4 ,they attempted to shield their own open sores from painful probing by raising a laugh at the expense of the reprover4 ,i suspect they reckoned without their host in this matter4 ,this man spake with authority1 and not as the scribes2 the common people heard him gladly4 ,his speech was too divinely grave1 and too palpably true1 to be turned aside by the clumsy wit of the men whom it condemned4 ,intermitting for a moment the thread of his parabolic preaching1 he turned aside and addressed a few withering words directly to these uneasy interrupters4#ib #ib ,from the introduction of a new subject abruptly in the #ahth verse--the much agitated question regarding a man's right to put away his wife--,i think it probable that the interruption had been repeated and continued2 that it took the form of a dialogue1 the ,pharisees throwing in what they considered a damaging question1 and ,jesus giving an answer by turns--a scene which is frequently repeated in modern missions among the heathen4 ,when this episode was over1 the ,lord resumed his theme where it had been broken off4 ,i think it probable1 both from the terms of the narrative1 and the nature of the case1 that if these ,pharisees had not been present1 or if they had held their peace when the preaching galled them1 the matter of verse #aith would have touched that of verse #acth--the parable of the rich man and ,lazarus would have been connected in place as well as in purport with that of the prudent steward4 ,when he had followed up the first parable with a pungent application regarding the abuse of riches1 the ,pharisees1 also1 who were covetous1 heard all these things1 and they derided him4 ,to them1 in reply to their jesting1 he spoke the words verses #ad-ah1 and then resumed1 in verse #aith1 ,there was a certain rich man1 c4#ic #ic ,dr4 ,trench's disquisition regarding the latent union between covetousness and prodigality1 involving a proof that the discourse about the rich man was applicable to the ,pharisees who were not of prodigal habits1 although very good in itself1 is scarcely relevant2 inasmuch as it is not the parable of the rich man1 but the reproofs intervening between it and the unjust steward that are expressly addressed to the ,pharisees4 ,at the beginning of the chapter1 addressing his own disciples particularly1 although some of the ,pharisees were present1 he had taught them from the case of the prudent steward to use the possessions of this world with a view to their bearing on the next2 and now1 to complete the lesson1 he will teach them1 by a terrible example1 the consequences of neglecting that rule4 ,but before we proceed to examine the parable in detail1 it is important to determine generally regarding its nature whether it is an allegory in which spiritual things are represented by sensible objects1 or simply an instructive example1 historic or poetic1 charged like other examples with moral warning and reproof4 ,the parable of the sower is an allegory3 the sower represents not a sower1 but a preacher2 the seed represents not seed1 but the ,gospel3 whereas in the inner substance1 as well as the outward form of the lesson1 the good ,samaritan is simply a good ,samaritan1 and the wounded traveller is simply a wounded traveller4 ,the parable of the rich man and ,lazarus is not allegory2 it belongs to the class of the ,samaritan1 and not to that of the sower4 ,it is not like a type1 which a man cannot read until it is turned2 but like a manuscript1 which delivers its sense directly and at first hand4#id #id ,it is true a figurative meaning has been applied to it1 as to all the rest1 both in ancient and modern times4 ,in this case the lesson1 when metaphorically rendered1 possesses a remarkable measure of beauty1 truth1 and appropriateness4 ,the rich man is the ,jewish nation1 by ,god's gift rich in position and privilege1 but selfishly keeping all to itself1 despising and neglecting others4 ,lazarus represents the ,gentiles1 spiritually poor1 naked1 hungry1 homeless1 within reach of the privileged people1 yet by them left destitute4 ,both die3 the old dispensation runs out1 and ,jews and ,gentiles are together launched into the last times4 ,by apostolic messengers1 the poor outcasts are now led unto the blessed privileges of the ,gospel2 these stones become children of ,abraham2 while the ,jews1 who enjoyed so good a portion in the former dispensation1 are cast out4 ,in this case1 as in that of the ,samaritan1 it is easy so to turn the polished instrument in the light1 that it shall throw off bright glimpses of great evangelic facts and doctrines4 ,perhaps the ,lord1 in constructing it1 kept this capability in view2 but we must take the parable as in the first instance and mainly a direct moral lesson1 accounting its allegorical capabilities secondary1 and to us uncertain4 ,the description of the rich man is short1 but full4 ,he was clothed in purple and fine linen1 and fared sumptuously every day4 ,he maintained a royal state and a prodigal expenditure4 ,this excess of luxury was not confined to great occasions2 it was the habit of every day4 ,here1 as in other cognate parables1 great wisdom is displayed in bringing the whole force of the rebuke to bear on one point4 ,it is not intimated that this man made free with other people's money1 or that he had gained his fortune in a dishonest way4 ,all other charges are removed1 that the weight lying all on one point may more effectually imprint the intended lesson4 ,to have represented him as dishonest or drunken1 would have blunted the weapon's edge4 ,here is an affluent citizen1 on whose fair fame the breath of scandal can affix no blot4 ,he had a large portion in this world1 and did not seek--did not desire any other4 ,he spent his wealth in pleasing himself1 and did not lay it out in serving ,god or helping man4 ,it is not of essential importance whether such a man miserably hoard his money1 or voluptuously spend it in feasts and fine clothing4 ,some men take more pleasure in wealth accumulated1 and others more in wealth as the means of obtaining luxuries4 ,these are two branches from one root2 the difference is superficial and accidental3 the essence of the evil is the same in both--a life of self-pleasing--without ,god in the world4 ,by a transition1 purposely made very abrupt1 we learn next that a beggar named ,lazarus#ie was laid at this rich man's gate1 full of sores4 ,whether the position was chosen by the man himself1 or by his friends for him1 the motive is obvious--it was expected that where so much was expended1 perhaps also wasted1 some crumbs might come the beggar's way4 #ie ,the name of the poor man is given1 while the rich man is left nameless4 ,generally1 ,christ's kingdom is not of this world1 and1 in particular1 it does not imitate this world's kingdoms in throwing the common people into anonymous heaps1 and recording the names of only the great4 ,i saw in an extension of the parish churchyard the graves of the two hundred men who perished in the pit accident at ,hartley a few years ago4 ,they were grouped in families of two1 three1 four1 or five1 and these family groups were arranged in extended rows2 but all were nameless4 ,near them slept the dust of the hereditary owners of the soil under monumental marble1 loaded with statuary and inscriptions4 ,subjects of ,christ's kingdom1 it shall not be so among you4 ,nor is the law which obtains in the heavenly the direct reverse of that which obtains in the earthly kingdom2 it is not the poor1 but the poor in spirit1 to whom the kingdom of heaven belongs4 ,the names that are recorded in the ,lamb's book of life are neither those who have nor those who lack this world's wealth1 but those who are poor in spirit and rich in grace4 ,the dogs came and licked his sores2 perhaps the dogs1 always plentiful in eastern cities1 that had no master2 perhaps the dogs that belonged to the rich man1 and had turned aside to lick the beggar's sores when their master rode past on the other side1 and hid from the sight of misery within the drapery of his stately mansion4 ,the act attributed to the dogs accords1 as is well known1 with their instincts and habits4 ,it is soothing to the sufferer in the sensations of the moment1 and healthful in its effects4 ,when the beggar's fortunate brother took no notice of his distress1 the dumb brutes did what they could to show their sympathy4 ,the stroke1 though it wears all the simplicity of nature1 is in the parable due to consummate art2 the kindness of the brute brings out in deep relief the inhumanity of man4 ,and it came to pass that the beggar died4 ,towards this point the narrative hastens4 ,here on the border is the hinge on which the lesson turns4 ,the whole parable is constructed and spoken in order to show how this life bears on eternity2 and to make eternity1 thus unveiled1 bear reciprocally on the present life4 ,the death of ,lazarus happened in the ordinary course of things3 his sufferings came to an end4 ,not a word of his dust1 whether it was buried1 or how4 ,of design1 and with deep meaning1 the body is left unnoticed1 and the history of his soul is continued beyond the boundary of life1 as the real and uninterrupted history of the man3 in the same breath and in the same sentence that intimates his death1 we are informed that he was carried by angels into ,abraham's bosom4 ,the dying and the entrance into the rest that remaineth are expressed in one sentence1 the two clauses connected by a copulative conjunction3 the ,lord means manifestly to teach us1 as he afterwards taught the repenting malefactor on the cross1 that there is no interval to his people between departing from the body and being with ,christ4 ,nor did ,jesus then reveal the immortality of the soul3 the doctrine was already accepted1 and he assumed it in his discourse as a truth known and acknowledged4 ,even the resurrection of the body was a commonplace among the immediate disciples of ,jesus during the period of his ministry3 ,thy brother shall rise again1 said the ,lord to ,martha4 ,i know that he shall rise again1 she replied1 in the resurrection at the last day3 this was a belief that she previously possessed4 ,abraham's bosom1 we may assume1 was already an expression employed by the ,jews to designate the place of the blessed beyond the grave4 ,it accords much better with the ,lord's purpose and method to suppose that this phrase and the term paradise1 which he afterwards employed to express the same idea1 were adopted by him from the current custom1 than that they were then first introduced4 ,the rich man also died and was buried4 ,here1 for once1 the rich and the poor meet together3 the beggar died1 and the rich man died too4 ,the same event happened to both1 and in both cases the same terms are employed to record the events2 but very remarkable is the difference introduced immediately after the article of death4 ,what came after death in the case of ,lazarus8 ,he was carried by angels into ,abraham's bosom4 ,what came after death in the case of this rich man8 ,he was buried4 ,perhaps as much could not have been said of ,lazarus4 ,the rich man was carried from a sumptuous table to a sumptuous tomb2 and the poor man perhaps had not where to lay his head1 when its aching had ceased at length4 ,it may be that his body did not find a grave4 ,his spirit found happy rest and holy company2 and we can afford therefore to lose sight of the dissolving dust4 ,first and last the one had excellent earthly accommodation1 and the other had none2 but conversely1 he who had neither a house when living nor a tomb when dead1 walked with ,god while the tabernacle stood1 and went to ,god when it fell2 whereas he who made the earth his portion got nothing for his portion but earth4 ,it would be a mischievous perversion of the parable to suppose that because the one was rich he was cast out1 and because the other was poor he was admitted into heaven3 the true lesson is in one aspect the reverse proposition3 an ungodly man is in the highest sense poor in spite of his wealth2 and a godly man is in the highest sense rich1 in spite of his poverty4 ,we enter now1 or rather have already entered1 the region where the parable must needs glide1 not indeed from the literal into the metaphorical1 but from a foreground where every object is distinctly seen to a background where the real objects cannot be seen at all1 and where1 accordingly1 only signals are thrown up to tell what is their bulk and their bearing4 ,when the line of the instruction goes through the separating veil and expatiates in the unseen eternity1 it must become dim and indistinct to our vision4 ,the moment that the parable in its progress goes beyond the sphere of the present life1 our effort to follow it is like the struggle of a living creature out of its element4 ,even when the ,lord of that unseen world is our instructor1 our conceptions regarding it are necessarily indirect1 second hand1 and obscure4 ,in this region the capacity of the scholar is infantile1 and1 consequently1 the ability of the teacher cannot find scope4 ,while1 therefore1 those parts of the parable which lay within our sphere were direct and literal1 the latter portion1 lying beyond our sphere1 is necessarily indirect and expressed by signs3 consequently1 though sufficiently precise in its larger leading features1 it is1 in its minor details1 indistinct1 inarticulate4 ,the beggar died2 this is sufficiently direct and literal3 and was carried by angels into ,abraham's bosom1--there we are already beyond our depth4 ,the horizon is dim now1 by reason of distance and intervening clouds4 ,equally obscure is the other line of information when it has crossed the boundary of time4 ,the rich man died and was buried2 this we clearly comprehend3 but in hell he lifted up his eyes1 being in torment1--these are events of the eternal world1 shadowed forth in the language and according to the conceptions of the present4 ,we perceive the direction in which they lie1 and can understand the moral lesson which they contain1 but the things themselves are shrouded from our intellectual vision in impenetrable darkness4 ,not perhaps intentionally in the structure of the parable1 but necessarily1 on account of the place where its scene is latterly laid1 a veil thicker than that of allegory is wrapped around it4 ,in accordance with the use of the word in classic ,greek1 and of the corresponding term in the ,hebrew ,scriptures1 we might assume that hell 7,hades7 only indicates generally the world of spirits1 as distinguished from this life in the body2 while the expression being in torment1 serves to determine the specific region or condition in that world to which the rich man was consigned3 the term1 however1 wherever it occurs in the ,new ,testament1 seems to be applied1 in point of fact1 to the place of punishment1 except in passages that are directly quoted from the ,old ,testament4 ,both were now in the world of spirits2 but the beggar in that world was in ,abraham's bosom1 and the rich man in torment4 ,both spirits near the same time passed from this world by the same narrow passage2 beyond the boundary their paths diverged in opposite directions4 ,each went to his own place as certainly and as necessarily as vapour rises up1 and water flows down4 ,the ransomed man entered the ,father's house and joined the company of the holy2 the ungodly gravitated1 according to his kind1 into the place of woe4 ,having lifted up his eyes1 he seeth ,abraham afar off and ,lazarus in his bosom1 and he cried and said1 ,father ,abraham1 have mercy on me4 ,deeper and deeper into the mystery we are led at every step4 ,while the outline of the landscape is defined sufficiently for the purpose or affording a landmark to direct our course1 all the lesser objects are entirely concealed by the distance4 ,we must beware lest1 in straining to get a glimpse of the invisible1 we should mistake the flitting shadows that the unnatural effort sets afloat in the humours of our own eyes for the veritable objects of the spiritual world4 ,here ,i would fain arrest attention on one guiding and dominating consideration1 which may become a thread to lead us safely through the labyrinth1 saving us the trouble of working out difficult speculations1 and averting from us the danger of injuring ourselves by falls in the dark4 ,the ,lord delivered and the evangelist recorded this parable for the purpose of teaching1 warning1 directing1 not spirits disembodied in the other world1 but men in the body here4 ,all things are for your sakes2 the great ,teacher determined all his words and acts by a regard to the benefit of his people4 ,even when ,lazarus died at ,bethany1 he said to his followers1 ,i am glad for your sakes that ,i was not there1 to the intent that ye might believe2 his absence led to the resurrection of ,lazarus1 and that event1 he foresaw1 would confirm their faith4 ,so here1 his aim is not to show how much he knows of the separate state1 or to astonish the world by the display of its secrets2 it is to give men while they are in the body those views of the separate state which will tell most effectually in leading the wicked to repentance1 and in establishing believers in the faith4 ,taking the ,teacher's aim as the determinating principle in the interpretation of his discourse1 ,i gather that the dialogue between the rich man and ,abraham does not describe absolutely what is possible and actually takes place in the world of spirits1 as if it were addressed to an inhabitant of that world1 but gives such pictures of it1 or signs regarding it1 as are intelligible to an inhabitant of this world1 and as will best bring the realities of the future to bear with beneficial effect upon the present character of men4 ,by a system of coloured lights we contrive to warn the conductors of engines on our railways of danger to be avoided on the one hand1 and to intimate the line of safety on the other4 ,the things regarding which the engineers get instruction are not within their view4 ,a red or a white light are not like the things in the distance that are to be dreaded or desired2 but a red or a white light displayed serves the purpose when the things themselves cannot be made known4 ,there everything is determined with a view to immediate practical benefit4 ,i think this helps me to grasp the difficult portions of the parable4 ,the purpose of the ,lord was not to display his own knowledge or gratify our curiosity4 ,he ever acted as the ,saviour of the lost2 he never swerved from that aim4 ,it was his meat to do the ,father's will1 and to finish his work4 ,in this particular case1 accordingly1 the object which he kept in view was not to convey to men in the body the absolute knowledge of a state1 for knowing which their faculties are unfit1 but to convey to them in time such shadows or signals of danger and safety as the actual state of matters in the unseen world truly suggested1 and in such forms as that living men1 from their view-point1 and with their mixed constitution1 could comprehend and appreciate4 ,when this principle is permitted to dominate1 the exposition of the dialogue becomes comparatively both short and easy4 ,i do not know whether the saved are within view of the lost in a future state1 or whether any communication can pass between them2 ,i only know that this parabolic picture1 constructed as from a view-point within the present world1 is the exhibition best fitted to make the diverse conditions of the good and the evil beyond the grave effectual to warn and instruct living men in the body4 ,if any one should curiously inquire about flame1 what is its nature1 and how it can hurt a spirit1 ,i can give no information on the subject1 and ,i can gather none from the parable4 ,one thing ,i know1 that this representation is a red light hung out before me1 as ,i am rushing forward on the line of life--hung out to warn me of danger1 and hung out by the hand of him who came to save the lost4 ,i understand perfectly what the beacon means to me3 it is my part to take the warning which it gives2 and1 as to the exact state of events and capabilities in the world to come1 ,i shall learn all when ,i enter it4 ,it may be quite true that there is not a flame like that which we are accustomed to see1 and not a body1 previous to the resurrection1 that may be burned in it4 ,but he who gave the word is my ,friend2 and he is true2 ,i shall trust him4 ,he knows what ,i understand by a flame2 he knows how ,i am affected by the thought of the pain which it inflicts4 ,knowing all these1 he has employed that word in order to apply the terrors of the ,lord for my warning2 he has done all things well4 ,the minute features of the dialogue all serve to give point to the main conception4 ,the request for a drop of water contributes to bring out the intensity of the suffering2 the answer of ,abraham shows that1 beyond the boundary of this life1 there is no hope of relief4 ,jesus ,christ came into the world to save sinners--it was to this world he came2 but no ,saviour goes to that other world to win back the lost who have permitted the day of grace to run out4 ,christ is the way unto the ,father2 but there is no way of passing from death unto life1 if the passage has not been made in this present world4 ,interpreting the rich man's intercession for his brothers on the same principle1 ,i do not know and cannot learn here1 whether those who have passed through death into the next world unsaved1 remember the character of the relatives whom they left behind on earth1 or whether1 remembering their condition1 they will or can make intercession in their behalf4 ,all that ,i gather certainly on the subject from this parable is1 that although a brother may permit his brother to abide in sin without instruction or reproof1 while all are living here and walking by sight2 yet1 if the fate that awaits the impenitent were adequately believed and realized1 he who believed and realized it1 could not refrain from effort to arouse the slumberers1 and lead them to repentance4 ,again1 as in previous parts1 ,i am taught here not what ,i shall wish when ,i shall be in the world of spirits1 but what ,i should do now while ,i am in the body and under grace4 ,i should get the message sent to every heedless brother who is wasting his day of grace1 while a messenger of flesh and blood may be found1 and there is a way by which ,i may reach the objects of my solicitude4 ,by aid of the same machinery--the dialogue between the rich man and ,abraham--another lesson is brought from the world of spirits to the land of living men--the lesson that those who refuse to believe and obey under the means of grace which ,god has appointed in the ,church1 would not be more pliable if prodigies were shown to them by way of overcoming their unbelief4 ,the conception1 although conveyed by the lips of the rich man after he had gone to his own place1 that a miracle of power would1 if it were exhibited1 bring alienated hearts submissively back to ,god1 springs native here in time4 ,it is the deceit with which many sing themselves to sleep--they would believe if one rose from the dead4 ,there are two answers to it3--one is1 it would not be effectual although it were granted2 and the other is1 even though it were fitted to accomplish the object1 it will not be given4 ,the conclusion of the whole matter is1 delays are dangerous2 ,now is the accepted time1 now is the day of salvation4 ,some lessons still remain1 that invite our attention1 and will repay it4 #a4 ,for mankind1 after this life is done1 another world remains1 consisting of two opposite spheres or conditions1 one of holiness and happiness1 the other of sin and misery4 ,the ,jewish people and their rulers persistently demanded of ,jesus that he would show them a sign from heaven2 and this demand he as steadily refused to gratify4 ,unlike all false prophets1 the ,lord ,jesus maintained silence in regard to the particular characteristics of the unseen world2 but one thing in compassionate love he made known with abundant clearness1 that there is an absolute and permanent separation between good and evil in the world to come1 and that there are distinct places of rewards and punishments4 ,some people labour hard to shake from their own minds the belief in a place and state of retribution4 ,to these ,i would affectionately suggest that to disbelieve it will not destroy it4 ,even in ,scotland--the narrow end of an island nowhere very broad--,i have met with persons well advanced in life1 of good common education1 and good common sense1 who had never seen the sea4 ,suppose that these persons should have cause greatly to dread the sea1 and should therefore ardently desire that there were no such thing in existence4 ,suppose further1 that1 in the common way of the world1 the wish should become father to the thought1 and that they at last should firmly believe that there is not a sea4 ,would their sentiment change the state of the fact8 ,sinners1 to whom the name and nature of a place of punishment are disagreeable1 have no more power to annihilate the object of their aversion than the shepherds of the ,cheviots to wipe out the sea by a wish4 ,the sea is near those men though they have never seen it2 and1 if they were cast into it1 they would perish1 notwithstanding their opinion4 ,ah6 the thing which by ,god's appointment is1 cannot by our arguments be blotted out of being4 #b4 ,there is a way from this present life to the place of future misery1 and also a way to the place of future blessedness4 ,the way from this world to the place of woe was made by man's sin2 the way from this world to the place of rest was made by the incarnation1 death1 and resurrection of ,christ4 ,by the one way you can glide easily down2 by the other you may climb toilsomely1 but surely up4 ,the one goes with the corrupt affections2 the other against them4 ,but let it be remembered that the way of life1 though hard1 is not unhappy2 the struggle1 when once fairly begun1 is a grand1 gladsome thing4 ,forth from this world there are only two paths2 by one or other of these two all men take their departure2 on one or other of these two paths we all are treading now4 ,we owe it to ,christ that a way into safety has been opened for our sinful world3 ,i am the way1 444 no man cometh unto the ,father but by me4 #c4 ,there is no way over from one of these future states to the other4 ,the great gulf between them is fixed4 ,this is the main fact of the parable1 and hereon its greatest lesson grows4 ,the great gulf is fixed1 and after death none can change his place4 ,this fact we now know without further revelation1 and if we believe it not on the testimony of ,jesus1 neither would we believe it although one should rise from the dead to declare it4 ,this parable1 in some of its minute features1 is to our vision necessarily obscure1 because the scene is laid in the life to come1 but its main outline is as clearly visible as any temporal object could be4 ,it teaches with great perspicuity that when immortal spirits1 at the dissolution of the body1 are thrown into the eternal world1 it is no longer possible that their place or their condition should be changed3 those who will not learn from this word of ,christ that the condition of the departed is for ever fixed at death will not learn it in time to profit by the lesson4 #d4 ,our ,lord has thus emphatically taught us that there is no possibility of passing from one state to another beyond the boundary of this life in order that he may thereby constrain us to make the needful transition now4 ,the impassable gulf between the saved and the outcast in eternity is a dreadful sight2 it was the compassionate ,jesus who drew aside the curtain and exposed it to view1 and it was his great love that moved him to make this revelation4 ,there is a line that crosses our path a little way forward from the spot where we stand to-day--a line that divides our time from our eternity--invisible to our eyes1 but known unto ,god4 ,we never know as we advance what step of the journey will carry us over this line4 ,christ has told us that if we pass it unsaved we cannot obtain a change of condition beyond it2 and he has revealed to us this truth in order that we might be induced now to make our calling and election sure4 ,these terrors of the ,lord are displayed in order to persuade men4 ,there is no impassable gulf now between a sinner and the ,saviour2 the way is open1 and the perennial invitation resounds from the ,gospel1 ,come unto me2 but to those who pass from this life without having obeyed that call1 there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin1 no more a refuge from judgment4 ,this word of ,christ is not of any private interpretation2 it may have pointed to ,herod or to the ,pharisees in the first instance1 but it was of the nature of a seed1 and its applications multiply a hundred times a hundred fold down through the history of the world4 ,we may find the rich man in this land to-day as certainly as in the circle that listened that day to the preaching of ,jesus4 ,we find the counterpart of this picture1 not only in individuals1 but in associated churches2 and if ,christians1 both in their private and corporate capacities1 are rich both in temporal means and spiritual privileges1 they need not go far to seek for the ,lazarus who is laid at their gate4 ,lazarus lies in the streets and lanes of our opulent cities2 and1 oh1 he is full of sores6 ,for his sake1 for ,christ's sake1 for our own sake1 we must go out and show him kindness4 ,dives lost his opportunity1--lost it for ever3 we must haste to the rescue lest we lose ours too4 ,if we love the ,lord1 our love will stir and burst out and overflow in life4 ,the life that will exercise itself in ,christ-like charity must begin now2 and if a new life in the ,lord begin1 it will reveal itself in love's labour4 ,if we are bought with a price and quickened by the ,spirit1 the beggar at our gate will soon discover the change4 ,he will not be left longer to the mere promptings of natural instinct among his neighbours for the soothing of his sorrows2 the warm skilful hand of intelligent and affectionate brotherhood will raise him up and minister to his wants4 ,lazarus1 instead of having only a dog to lick his sores1 will be compassed about with human affections1 and all his wants supplied4 ,as a diseased1 miserable1 neglected lazar world felt the coming of ,christ1 the poor and destitute of the world's inhabitants will know when a loving1 hopeful ,christian comes within reach4 ,who touched me8 might the huge world have said1 if it had possessed intelligence1 when ,god became man and dwelt among us4 ,who touched me8 will the outcasts on the earth begin to cry as they awaken to consciousness1 when a revived ,church has visited them in their prison1 and brought to them the bread of life4 ,,xxvii4 ,,unprofitable ,,servants4 ,then said he unto the disciples1 ,it is impossible but that offences will come3 but woe unto him1 through whom they come6 ,it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck1 and he cast into the sea1 than that he should offend one of these little ones4 ,take heed to yourselves3 ,if thy brother trespass against thee1 rebuke him2 and if he repent1 forgive him4 ,and if he trespass against thee seven times in a day1 and seven times in a day turn again to thee1 saying1 ,i repent2 thou shalt forgive him4 ,and the apostles said unto the ,lord1 ,increase our faith4 ,and the ,lord said1 ,if ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed1 ye might say unto this sycamine tree1 ,be thou plucked up by the root1 and be thou planted in the sea2 and it should obey you4 ,but which of you1 having a servant plowing or feeding cattle1 will say unto him by and by1 when he is come from the field1 ,go and sit down to meat8 ,and will not rather say unto him1 ,make ready wherewith ,i may sup1 and gird thyself1 and serve me1 till ,i have eaten and drunken2 and afterward thou shalt eat and drink8 ,doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him8 ,i trow not4 ,so likewise ye1 when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you1 say1 ,we are unprofitable servants3 we have done that which was our duty to do4--,,luke xvii4 #a-aj4 ,we are accustomed to observe a connection1 more or less intimate1 between the parable and the history that precedes it4 ,generally1 some recent event1 or some question by friend or foe1 suggests the similitude4 ,in almost every case we are able to trace the natural history1 as it were1 of the parable1--to determine what feature of the events or discourses preceding called up the image and gave it shape4 ,here the relation between the parable and the antecedent instruction is closer still3 in this case there is not merely a connection1 but an absolute union4 ,the direct and the metaphorical are here successively employed to enforce one continuous lesson4 ,the lesson is one3 the first portion of it is delivered in simple didactic language1 and the second in parabolic figure4 ,some instruments are made of two different kinds of metal1 not mixed in the crucible1 but each occupying its own separate place3 one part consists of steel1 and another of brass1 soldered together1 so as to constitute one rod4 ,the nature of the work is such that steel suits best for one extremity of the tool1 and brass for the other4 ,it is in a similar way that two different forms of speech are employed here to impart one lesson3 the discourse begins with literal expressions1 and ends with a similitude4 ,the passage #a-aj as a whole1 teaches the double truth1 ,that ,god requires of men a complete obedience1 and that even though a complete obedience were rendered1 the master would not be laid under any obligation--the servants would have no claim to praise or reward4 ,while the rule towards the close is made universal1 in the beginning the demand is particular and specific--to bear meekly and forgive generously the injuries which neighbours may inflict in the multifarious intercourse of life4 ,besides the point which constitutes the main scope of the discourse1 several matters of the very highest importance are incidentally involved1 and must be noticed1 each in its proper place4 ,first of all1 in order to prepare his disciples for meeting the trials that lay before them1 he warned them that offences will come1 and pronounced a solemn woe on those who should cast them in their neighbour's way4 ,looking to his own--alike those who were then in his sight1 and those who should believe on him down to the end of the world--he calls them1 tenderly1 little ones1 and intimates that it would go ill with all who should dare to hurt them4 ,this1 however1 appears to be laid down as a basis for the lesson which he intended at that time to teach1 rather than the lesson itself4 ,speaking expressly for the benefit of his own followers1 he was more concerned to teach them how to bear injuries than to command them to beware of inflicting injuries on others4 ,the chief part of a ,christian's duty consists in bearing well2 and when that part of his duty is successfully performed1 it is more effectual in serving ,god and convincing men than any kind or degree of active effort4 ,the disciple is like his ,lord in this1 that he conquers by suffering4 ,accordingly1 the ,teacher soon glides from the precept which forbids his people to inflict injuries1 into the precept which teaches how they should bear injuries inflicted by others4 ,take heed to yourselves3 this is his main design3 towards this he was hastening2 as a basis for this word1 the previous injunction had been given4 ,but1 mark well1 it is not after the manner of men that ,jesus warns his disciples to take heed to themselves4 ,he does not mean that they should be solicitous to protect themselves from receiving injury3 he leaves that to the natural instincts of self-preservation1 and warns them against danger on another side1 where nature supplies no defence4 ,he does not mean1 ,take heed lest you suffer by the stroke which an enemy may deal against you2 he means1 ,take heed lest you sin in spirit and conduct when you suffer unjustly4 ,you suffer one injury when a neighbour treats you unfairly3 and another when you proudly1 impatiently retaliate4 ,the loss that you thus inflict on yourself is far heavier than the loss which has been inflicted by a neighbour3 the little finger of the one damage is thicker than the loins of the other4 ,after the outpouring of the ,spirit at the ,pentecost1 we find these scholars far advanced in this lesson1 which their ,master taught them while he remained at their head4 ,the believers of those days had1 especially in the persons of ,peter and ,john1 been cruelly persecuted by the ,jewish authorities1 and when they met after their suffering to pray1 their petition ran3 ,and now1 ,lord1 behold their threatenings3 and grant unto thy servants1 that with all boldness they may speak thy word 7,acts iv4 #bi74 ,an injury had been inflicted3 they innocently suffered2 and observe what in these circumstances they feared3 not more suffering1 but lest by the suffering they should be tempted to be silent or wavering when called to be witnesses of ,christ4 ,not the pain they endured1 but the right state of their own spirits under the endurance1 exercised their minds1 and stimulated their prayers4 ,we must not suppose1 however1 that the ,lord has commanded his disciples to bear injuries as a clod bears blows4 ,mere softness in yielding to the wicked is not a ,christian grace2 it is1 on the contrary1 a mischievous indolence3 it suffers sin upon a brother3 it deprives him of the benefit of reproof1 and so encourages him to continue in his sin4 ,if thy brother trespass against thee1 rebuke him2 and if he repent1 forgive him4 ,this ,teacher does not obliterate the lines which separate righteousness from unrighteousness4 ,he enjoins tenderness3 but much as he loves to see that feature in his disciples1 he places it second to faithfulness4 ,the order of precedence as regards these two has been determined by royal ordinance--first pure1 then peaceable4 ,have salt in yourselves1 and have peace one with another1 said the ,lord at another time 7,mark ix471 plainly giving faithfulness the first place1 and requiring that gentleness should press hard up behind4 ,rebuke the brother who does a wrong to you2 if under your reproof and the working of the truth on his conscience1 he be led to repentance and confession1 forgive him in your heart1 and express your forgiveness1 that he may be encouraged and relieved4 ,the precept forgive must1 from the nature of the case1 refer to the articulate expression of forgiveness2 for in his heart and before ,god1 a ,christian forgives his enemy1 although that enemy continue obdurate4 ,next comes the precept1 given in similar terms already in another place 7,matt4 xviii4 #ae-bb71 regarding the repetition of injuries4 ,the duty of forgiving a repenting injurer is not modified by the frequency of his sin2 the form of the expression seven times in a day1 is manifestly intended to intimate that there is on that side absolutely no limit4 ,it is not the part of a ,christian to count the number of the injuries he has received1 and to refuse forgiveness after a certain point2 it is his part to be of a forgiving spirit1 and to give forth forgiveness to all like the sunlight4 ,the example of the ,lord is the pattern for his servants2 ,love one another as ,i have loved you4 ,the conception of unlimited forgiving1 which in ,matthew's narrative is expressed by seventy times seven1 is here with equal emphasis expressed by seven times in a day4 ,when we understand the terms as a formula for an indefinite number1 we exclude the minute question1 ,how could we believe a man sincere1 who should seven times in a day do us an injury1 and as often come and express sorrow for his fault8 ,the words should not be literally taken2 and besides if any one should trifle with his neighbour by frequent and manifestly false professions of repentance1 his meaning would and should be read1 not by his words1 but by his conduct2 the rule would and should be understood in its spirit1 and not in its letter merely4 ,ver4 #e4 ,and the apostles said unto the ,lord1 ,increase our faith4 ,an interesting and instructive view emerges here1 of the relation between faith and practice4 ,when they heard the measure of the demand which their ,master made upon them in the matter of bearing and forgiving injuries1 the apostles felt instantly that the weight was heavier than they could bear4 ,they had not in their hearts such an amount of patience and love1 as would enable them to fulfil this commandment of the ,lord4 ,having already learned that faith is the secret fountain whence the stream of obedience flows1 they asked with equal simplicity and correctness that their faith might be increased4 ,in this short prayer they assumed1 first1 that they already believed1 asking for an addition to the faith which they already possessed2 and second1 that it is more faith that will produce more obedience2 and third1 that the faith which worketh by love is not of themselves1 but is the gift of ,god through his ,son4 ,in all this1 having been secretly taught of the ,spirit1 these apostles are deeply intelligent1 and completely correct4 ,the appetites are generally sure guides to living creatures for the sustenance of their life2 and here the appetite of the new creature1 points surely to the source of supply3 ,blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness1 for they shall be filled4 ,both in the request of the scholars 7ver4 #e71 and in the answer of the ,master 7ver4 #f71 it is distinctly assumed as a fundamental truth in religion1 that faith lies at the root of obedience4 ,when a requisition is made upon them for an amount of meek endurance and forgiving love which their own stores cannot supply1 they cry not directly for more power of enduring and forgiving1 but for more faith which will strengthen them on this side1 and on all other sides at the same time4 ,it is as if you had a cistern meant to supply twelve streams1 running in various directions1 from whose lip twelve conduits were accordingly led3 and when water from one of these was suddenly wanted1 you opened it but found that little or none could be obtained4 ,you cry out for a new supply to the cistern2 that supply given will fill this channel which is for the the moment in requisition1 and all the other channels at the same time4 ,endurance and forgiving--more than we are able to bear and bestow--are at this moment required of us2 but if we had more faith1 we should exhibit more of these graces1 and more of all graces4 ,the ,lord in his answer acknowledges that their inference is correct4 ,by another form of expression1 similar in character to the seven times in a day1 he intimates that faith possesses an unlimited power of production in the department of doing4 ,to intensify the result he employs a double hyperbole1 as engineers employ two pairs of wheels to generate extreme rapidity of motion2 the smallest spark of faith will overcome the greatest obstacles that may lie across a ,christian's path4 ,again1 the same idea which appeared before in ,matt4 xvii4 #bj1 is expressed here by a different figure3 in both cases the ,lord intends to intimate that what without faith is impossible1 may with faith be done4 ,in ,matthew the impossible is represented by the removal of a mountain2 in ,luke by the planting of a sycamore in the sea4 ,by these forms our ,teacher conveys his meaning with amazing distinctness4 ,the letters of his lessons thus sharply1 deeply cut1 remain indeed dead letters to those who have not experienced the grace of ,god2 as letters of a book1 the largest and loveliest lie meaningless before the eyes of a savage or a little child2 but in either case1 as soon as the scholar becomes capable of understanding1 the meaning shines forth like light4 ,it would be a great transition from our present position of impotence1 if we should become able to remove a mountain1 or plant a sycamore in the sea2 such and so great is the transition when a man passes from death in sin to life in ,christ2 such and so great the difference between what he could bear1 and hope1 and do while he was at enmity with ,god1 and what he can bear1 and hope1 and do when he is reconciled to ,god through the death of his ,son4 ,the particular requirement which on this occasion put the faith of the disciples under a strain greater than it was able to meet1 was the endurance and the forgiving of injuries2 but this ,scripture must not be limited to a private interpretation2 this is a specimen shown in illustration of a general rule4 ,there are diversities of operation1 under the providence of ,god our ,father2 now the faith of ,christians is tested in one way1 and then in another4 ,at one time they are called actively to do a great work2 and at another time passively to bear a great burden4 ,the work required of one disciple is a mission to the dark places of the earth2 and the work required of another is to bear patiently many years of pain and weariness1 in his own home1 it may be on his own bed4 ,by both alike the kingdom of ,christ may be advanced3 from both equally when they are bruised1--the one by great effort1 and the other by a heavy weight1--the odour of a holy temper may be diffused all around4 ,we are not masters2 we are servants4 ,the ,lord appoints to each his place1 and his work4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the lesson now passes into the parable4 ,when he had pointed out how great is ,god's claim1 and how large faith's performance might become in the life of a disciple1 ,jesus warns them1 on the other side1 that the greatest possible1 the greatest conceivable attainment in the direction of a believing obedience1 implies absolutely no independent merit in man2 obedience1 although it reached the utmost point of perfection1 would still leave ,god indebted to man for nothing1 and man indebted to ,god for all4 ,but which of you having a servant ploughing or feeding cattle4 ,the state of society which supplies the ground-work of this parable is in many respects different from that which prevails in modern ,europe4 ,it is especially important here to notice the difference in these two features3-- #a4 ,it is a simple pastoral life that constitutes the basis of this picture4 ,the principle of division of labour exists there in its lowest stages of development4 ,it is assumed as a common and proper thing to employ a shepherd or a ploughman in serving his master at table--a practice entirely unknown among us4 #b4 ,the servitude in the instance supposed was not a voluntary limited engagement1 but a species of slavery3 the master's control was much more absolute and complete than it is among us4 ,the servant's toil might be1 and probably in many cases actually was1 on the whole1 not heavier than that to which our hired servants are subjected2 but the measure of the labour1 both as to its endurance and its severity1 depended there on the master's will rather than on the servant's freedom4 ,the master1 under the species of relation which then largely prevailed1 could demand of his servant on occasion an amount and continuity of service which now is not demanded on the one side1 and would not be rendered on the other4 ,it should be noticed1 however1 that the service which is in the parable required and rendered1 is both in character and quantity extreme4 ,an ordinary example of a servant's work would not have suited the purpose of the ,lord2 he needed a line stretched to its utmost limits4 ,his purpose is to teach that the utmost conceivable amount of obedience on man's part is not independently meritorious before ,god2 and1 in searching among temporal things for a suitable analogy1 he selected a case in which the line stretched from one extremity to the other4 ,when the servant has finished his day's work on the pasture or in the field1 at his return1 and before he obtain either rest or food1 he is compelled to wait upon his master at table4 ,even this extreme measure of work is required by the master and rendered by the servant as within the limits of their respective rights3 the servant even in that case has done no more than was due4 ,so likewise ye1 when ye shall have done all these things which are commanded you1 say1 ,we are unprofitable servants4 ,god has given all1 owns all1 has a right to all4 ,we are his by right of creation1 and his by redemption1 when we are in ,christ4 ,christians are not their own2 they are bought with a price4 ,themselves1 and their faculties1 and their capabilities belong to ,god1 their ,creator and ,redeemer4 ,when they have rendered all their powers1 and all the product of these powers1 absolutely up to ,god's will1 they have done no more than rendered to him his own4 ,will a man rob ,god8 yet ye have robbed me 7,mal4 iii4 #h74 ,it is an aggravated sin to rob ,god of what is his2 but it is no merit or ground of praise simply to refrain from robbing him2 and this is all that the creature's obedience would amount to1 although it were complete4 ,our ,master ordinarily makes our work easy2 he is gentle1 and easy to be entreated4 ,as a father pitieth his children1 so the ,lord pitieth them that fear him3 but at his pleasure1 and doubtless in deep ways for their good1 he sometimes lays extraordinary burdens on his own4 ,he may permit offences to come1 trying your temper2 he may permit sickness to overtake you1 trying your patience2 he may permit temptations to assail you1 trying your faith even at its foundations2 he may require of you great and varied activity1 trying your willingness to run at his call4 ,these burdens seem heavy1 as the master's demand of service in the house seemed heavy to the servant when he returned weary and hungry from field labour2 but although we should bear them all with complete uncomplaining alacrity1 we should acquire thereby no right to reward4 ,there is absolutely no such thing as a surplus of merit in man4 ,the imagination of it has ever been rife in man-made religions1 as weeds spring thick and spontaneous from the ground2 but never and nowhere is there any substantial foundation for this human conceit4 ,it springs in the deepest ignorance1 and it withers when the light of knowledge begins to shine4 ,it rests on an entire misapprehension of the relations between ,god and man4 ,if a man on ship-board1 thinking that the ship was about to sink1 on account of being too heavily loaded1 should grasp the shrouds1 and hang on them with all his weight1 by way of lightening the ship1 the bystanders would count him fatuous2 and yet such is the folly of him who1 getting all from ,god1 imagines that he has conferred on ,god a favour by a surplus of goodness4 ,i have seen grown people1 in possession of all their faculties1 able to read1 if not further educated1 when1 in crossing a river by a ferry1 they apprehended danger1 applying both their hands to the side of the boat in which they stood1 and1 pushing with all their might1 in order to push it towards a place of safety4 ,this implies the grossest ignorance1 or at least the total forgetfulness for the time of the most obvious and ordinary of the natural laws2 and yet ,i have found that these persons had quite enough of wit to manage all their ordinary affairs1 and to get along respectably in society4 ,i think there is some analogy between this case and the case of those who1 intelligent on other points1 yet blindly imagine that they merit praise for not squandering ,god's gifts that have been placed under their care4 ,when ye have done all1 say1 ,we are unprofitable servants--servants whom the master did not need1 and who contribute nothing to him4 ,the question whether the ,lord conceded that in point of fact any man ever does perfectly perform all his duty is out of place here2 ,the ,lord's meaning is1 even although a man should do all1 he would still be destitute of merit before ,god2 much more are those destitute of merit who come far short of perfection1 and to this class belong all1 even the best of the children of men4 ,means and opportunities of bearing evil and doing good are in providence conceded to every one of us2 and the law announced in another parable holds good here2 ,if we improve aright the talents which we possess1 more will forthwith be entrusted to us4 ,there is room for advancement2 and1 when grace is begun1 it is sweet to grow in grace4 ,if we had power to add cubit by cubit to our stature1 we should have far to grow ere our head should strike the heavens2 and in bearing meekly1 and acting righteously1 and living purely1 we have room enough to expand3 it will be long ere we have done all1 and so our progress be stopped by striking the boundary4 ,forgetting the things that are behind1 and reaching forth to those that are before1 we may press on and ever on2 yet there is room4 ,nor let any one think that bearing and doing ,god's will must be less blessed when we learn that ,god did not need this at our hand1 and that we do not thereby lay him under obligation to us4 ,when one is truly taught of the ,spirit1 it will increase and not diminish the pleasure which he enjoys in obedience1 to learn that all he is1 and has1 and does1 comes from ,god4 ,a dependent is happier than an independent position for human beings1 if he on whom they hang is great and good4 ,the life of a child is happiest during the period when he has no possession of his own1 and desires none1--when he gets all as he needs from his father2 on this side1 as well as on others1 we must receive the kingdom as a little child4 ,here is a little stream trickling down the mountain side4 ,as it proceeds1 other streams join it in succession from the right and left until it becomes a river4 ,ever flowing1 and ever increasing as it flows1 it thinks it will make a great contribution to the ocean when it shall reach the shore at length4 ,no1 river1 you are an unprofitable servant2 the ocean does not need you2 could do as well and be as full without you2 is not in any measure made up by you4 ,true1 rejoins the river1 the ocean is so great that all my volume poured into it makes no sensible difference2 but still ,i contribute so much1 and this1 as far as it goes1 increases the amount of the ocean's supply4 ,no3 this indeed is the seeming to the ignorant observer on the spot2 but whoever obtains deeper knowledge and a wider range1 will discover and confess that the river is an unprofitable servant to the sea--that it contributes absolutely nothing to the sea's store4 ,from the ocean came every drop of water that rolls down in that river's bed1 alike those that fell into it in rain from the sky1 and those that flowed into it from tributary rivers1 and those that sprang from hidden veins in the earth4 ,even although it should restore all1 it gives only what it received4 ,it could not flow1 it could not be1 without the free gift of all from the sea4 ,to the sea it owes its existence and power4 ,the sea owes it nothing2 would be as broad and deep although this river had never been4 ,but all this natural process goes on1 sweetly and beneficently1 notwithstanding3 the river gets and gives2 the ocean gives and gets4 ,thus the circle goes round1 beneficent to creation1 glorious to ,god4 ,thus1 in the spiritual sphere1--in the world that ,god has created by the ,spirit of his ,son1 circulations beautiful and beneficent continually play4 ,from him1 and by him1 and to him are all things4 ,to the saved man through whom ,god's mercy flows1 the activity is unspeakably precious3 to him the profit1 but to ,god the praise4 ,,xxviii4 ,,the ,,importunate ,,widow4 ,and he spake a parable unto them to this end1 that men ought always to pray1 and not to faint3 saying1 ,there was in a city a judge1 which feared not ,god1 neither regarded man3 and there was a widow in that city2 and she came unto him1 saying1 ,avenge me of mine adversary4 ,and he would not for a while3 but afterwards he said within himself1 ,though ,i fear not ,god1 nor regard man2 yet because this widow troubleth me1 ,i will avenge her1 lest by her continual coming she weary me4 ,and the ,lord said1 ,hear what the unjust judge saith4 ,and shall not ,god avenge his own elect1 which cry day and night unto him1 though he bear long with them8 ,i tell you that he will avenge them speedily4 ,nevertheless when the ,son of man cometh2 shall he find faith on the earth8--,,luke xviii4 #a-h4 ,among the parables this one is signalized by the distinctness with which its object is announced at the commencement1 and the principle of its interpretation at the close4 ,no room is left here for diversity of opinion regarding the lesson which the ,lord intended to teach1 or the manner in which the parable should be expounded4 ,the design is expressed in verse first2 the rule of interpretation in verses sixth and seventh4 ,why did the ,master tell this story to his disciples8 ,to teach them that men ought to pray always1 and not to faint4 ,how may this lesson be derived from it8 ,as the widow by her unremitting cry obtained her desire from the judge1 ,god's own redeemed children will obtain from their ,father in heaven all that they need1 if they ask it eagerly1 persistently1 unwearyingly4 ,when we rightly comprehend the design of the parable1 the difficulty connected with the bad character of the judge at once disappears4 ,it was necessary to go to a corrupt tribunal in order to find a suitable case2 a pure judgment seat supplies no such example4 ,in certain circumstances you might gather from a dunghill a medicinal herb which cleaner ground would never bear4 ,the grain which becomes our bread grows best when its roots are spread in unseen corruption2 and so perfect is the chemistry of nature1 that the yellow ears of harvest retain absolutely no taint of the putrescence whence they sprung4 ,thus easily and perfectly the ,lord brings lessons of holiness from examples of sin4 ,he pauses not to apologize or explain3 majestically the instruction advances1 like the processes of nature1 until the unrighteousness of man defines and illustrates the mercy of ,god4 ,it is not by accident1--it is by choice that this seed of the word is sown on filthy ground3 it is sown there1 because it will grow best there4 ,the experience of a righteous human tribunal does not supply the material of this lesson4 ,where the presiding judge is just1 a poor injured widow will obtain redress at once1 and her perseverance will never be put to the test4 ,the characteristic feature of the case which the ,lord needed1 was a persistent1 unyielding perseverance in the cry for redress2 for such a case he must go to a court where law does not regulate the judge1 but where the judge for his own ease or interest makes his own law4 ,the feature of ,christ's teaching which most arrested intelligent listeners in his own day1 was its inherent1 self-evidencing majesty4 ,instead of seeking props1 it stood forth alone1 obviously divine4 ,he taught with authority1 and not as the scribes4 ,here is an example of that simple supremeness that is at once a witness to itself4 ,he compares explicitly and broadly the method of ,god's dealing1 as the hearer of prayer1 with the practice of a judge who is manifestly vile and venal4 ,nor is a word of explanation or apology interposed4 ,he who thus simply brings sweet food from noisome carrion1 has all power in heaven and in earth2 ,his ways are not as our ways1 nor his thoughts as our thoughts4 ,as he needed for his purpose an example of judicial corruption1 examples lay ready to his hand in human history2 especially in the practice of oriental empires1 ancient and modern1 it is easy to find cases in which the supreme authority1 civil and criminal1 is vested in a deputy who habitually sacrifices justice to his own ease or interest4 ,the thorough badness of this judge1 although stated distinctly1 is stated briefly2 it is not made prominent in the parable1 and should not be made prominent in the interpretation of the parable4 ,that badness on both sides1 towards ,god and man1 is ,i apprehend not introduced here for its own sake1 but for the sake of a particular effect that resulted from it2--the frequent1 persevering appeals of the widow for redress4 ,this is the thing that is needed and used in the ,lord's lesson2 and although the injustice of the judge stands distinctly out on the face of the parable1 it is like the forest tree in the vineyards of ,italy1 used only to hold up the vine4 ,earnest1 repeated1 unyielding appeal by a needy1 feeble suppliant before the throne of power2--this is the fruit which is precious for the ,teacher's purpose1 and the hollow heart of the epicurean judge is employed only as the trunk to bear it4 ,when it has held up that fruit to be ripened1 itself may be thrown away4 ,at certain points in frequented routes through romantic scenery it is customary to fire a gun in order to afford the tourists an opportunity of hearing the echoes answering each other in the neighbouring mountains4 ,the explosion is in place nearest1 in time first1 and as to sound loudest1 but this the most articulate and arrestive fact is employed exclusively for the purpose of producing the subsequent and more distant echo4 ,the explosion is instantly dismissed from the mind and attention concentrated on the reverberation which it called forth4 ,the conduct of the judge in this parable stands precisely in the place of that explosion4 ,when it has produced the widow's importunity it is of no further use2 it must be thrown aside4 ,let us hear now the interpretation1--,and the ,lord said1 ,hear what the unjust judge saith1 c4 ,god's own chosen and redeemed people correspond to the suppliant widow in the parable4 ,they are like her in her suffering and her weakness2 they should be like her too in her unintermittent1 persevering cry4 ,like other similar lessons1 this one bears equally on the ,church as a body1 and on an individual ,christian4 ,the ,church collective1 in times of persecution1 and a soul surrounded by temptations1 stand equally in the place of the poor widow2 they are in need and in danger4 ,they have no resources in themselves2 help must come from one that is mighty4 ,it is their interest to plead with him who has all power in heaven and in earth1--to plead as men plead for life4 ,the lesson here is very specific2 it bears on one point1 and in order that all its force may be concentrated on one point1 others are for the time omitted4 ,this parable is not spoken with the view of teaching that ,christians ought to pray2 that duty is assumed here1 not enjoined4 ,neither does it prescribe what the suppliant should ask1 or on whose merits he should lean4 ,taking for granted all these things which the ,scriptures elsewhere explicitly teach1 the ,master in this lesson confines his attention to one thing1--perseverance in prayer when the answer does not come at first1 perseverance and pertinacity aye and until the object is attained4 ,it is expressly intimated in the narrative that there is sometimes a long1 and from our view-point inexplicable delay4 ,this is the meaning of the expression though he bear long with them4 ,this phrase is not taken here in its ordinary signification1--an endurance of injuries2 it means that he holds back long1 and resists their pressure for relief4 ,here are the two sides over against each other3 they cry day and night1 and he1 hearing their continuous cry1 refrains from bestowing the relief for which they passionately plead4 ,as ,god keeps back the answer1 they redouble the cry2 as they redouble the cry1 ,god still withholds the answer4 ,expressly we are informed he will give answer2 he will avenge his own elect4 ,the eternal ,father treasures up all the supplications of his children1 and he will yet give them deliverance4 ,when his time comes the deliverance will be complete2 but in the meantime the interesting inquiry presents itself1 ,why does he delay at all8 ,in the light of ,scripture we are able to give a satisfactory answer to this inquiry4 ,the reason why the widow's claims were left long unsettled in the court was the self-pleasing indolence of the judge4 ,the love of his own ease was the motive that induced him both to refuse redress at first and to grant it afterwards4 ,he refused to avenge her until he perceived that to do her justice would afford him less trouble than to withhold it4 ,in the treatment which the petitions of the elect receive at the throne of ,god there is nothing in common with the conduct of the unjust judge1 except the delay4 ,the fact that the petitions lie for some time unanswered is common to both tribunals1 but on all other points they are wholly diverse1 and even the single feature of coincidence springs in the two cases from opposite grounds4 ,when ,god withholds the deliverance for which his children plead he acts with wisdom and love combined4 ,it would be1 so to speak1 easier for a father who is at once rich and benevolent to comply immediately and fully with all the child's demands2 it requires and exercises a deeper1 stronger love to leave the child crying and knocking for a time in vain that the bounty given at the proper time may in the end be a greater boon4 ,i once knew two men who lived near each other in similar worldly circumstances1 but adopted opposite methods in the treatment of their children4 ,the boys of this family obtained money from their father when they asked it1 and spent it according to their own pleasure1 without his knowledge or control3 the boys of that family often asked1 but seldom received a similar supply4 ,the father who frequently thwarted his children's desires loved his children more deeply1 and as the result showed1 more wisely than the father who could not summon courage sufficient to say ,no4 ,the wise parent bore with his own when they pleaded for some dangerous indulgence1 and the bearing wounded his tender heart2 but by reason of his greater love1 he bore the pain of hearing their cry without granting their request4 ,the other parent was too indolent and self-pleasing to endure such a strain1 and he lived to taste bitter fruit from the evil seed which his own hand had sown4 ,for the same reason1 and in the same manner1 our ,father in heaven bears with his own when they cry night and day to him for something on which their hearts are set4 ,because he loves us he endures to hear our cry and see our tears4 ,we do not certainly know what thorn it was that penetrated ,paul's flesh1 but we know that it pained him much1 that he eagerly desired to be quit of it1 and that he besought the ,lord thrice to take it away4 ,from the fact that the child pleaded three times for the same boon1 we learn that the ,father bore with him awhile1--bore1 so to speak1 the pain of refusing1 because he knew that the refusal was needful for ,paul4 ,the thorn was left in the flesh until its discipline was done1 and then it was plucked out by a strong and gentle hand4 ,my grace is sufficient for thee3 there are no thorns in ,paul's flesh now4 ,the case of the ,syro-,phoenician woman 7,matt4 xv4 #ba-bh7 runs parallel with this as well as with the ,friend at midnight4 ,mark how the ,lord bore with the woman4 ,he delighted in her faith2 it was his happiness to give1 and yet he refused2 in denying her he denied himself4 ,but by withholding a while1 he kindled her love into a brighter1 stronger flame4 ,by refusing what she asked1 he reduplicated her asking2 this is sweet to him and profitable to her4 ,by the long delay on his part and the consequent eager repetition of the request on her part1 a richer boon was prepared and bestowed4 ,her appetite was greatly quickened1 and her satisfying was more full4 ,who shall be filled most abundantly from the treasures of divine mercy at last8 ,those who hungered and thirsted most for these treasures in the house of their pilgrimage4 ,think of the plainness of this lesson1 and the authority which it possesses4 ,its meaning cannot be mistaken2 we know what is spoken here1 and we know who speaks4 ,hath he spoken1 and shall he not make it good8 ,the only begotten ,son who is in the bosom of the ,father1 he hath declared him4 ,show us the ,father1 said ,philip1 and it sufficeth us2 here ,christ1 in answer to his disciples' prayer1 is showing the ,father4 ,to reveal the ,father's heart he spoke this parable4 ,the helpless1 needy woman came and came again1 and cried1 and would take no refusal1 until the judge was compelled by her importunity to grant her request3 and this is the picture chosen by the ,lord ,jesus when he desires to show how ,god regards suppliant disciples as they plead at his footstool4 ,it is an amazing revelation1 and the best of it is its truth4 ,he who gave it has authority to speak4 ,the ,son will not misrepresent the ,father2 the ,father's honour is safe in this ,teacher's hands4 ,we learn here1 then1 that the ,hearer of prayer puts himself in the power of a suppliant4 ,he permitted ,jacob to wrestle1 and the firmer he felt the grasp the more he loved the wrestler4 ,the words1 ,i will not let thee go except thou bless me1 dropping in broken fragments from his lips at intervals as he paused and panted1 were sweeter than angels' songs in the ears of the ,lord of ,hosts4 ,he is the same still1 as he is in the ,new ,testament revealed by ,jesus4 ,the spirit in man that will take no denial is his special delight2 the spirit that asks once and ceases he cannot away with4 ,as the ,lord loveth a cheerful giver1 he loveth too an eager persevering asker4 ,the door seems narrow1 but its narrowness was not meant to keep us out2 they please him best who press most heavily on its yielding sides4 ,the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence1 and the violent take it by force4 ,the ,king of ,glory feels well pleased the warriors' onset1--gladly welcomes the conqueror in4 ,it is indeed blessed to give3 but the giver's blessedness is greatly marred by the listlessness of the needy creatures on whom he has bestowed his bounty4 ,if they who need and get the goodness are insensible1 and cold1 and ungrateful1 the joy of the benefactor is proportionally diminished4 ,it is thus with the giving ,god4 ,when the receiver values the bounty1 the delight of the bestower is increased4 ,thus the ,lord ,jesus was specially pleased as he healed the daughter of the ,syro-,phoenician mother because she gave evidence by her importunity how much she valued the boon2 and1 on the other hand1 his plaintive question1 ,where are the nine8 when the lepers took their cure so lightly1 shows that he did not much enjoy the act of healing because the diseased made light both of their ailment and their cure4 ,come near1 press hard1 open your mouth wide1 pray without ceasing2 for this is the kind of asking that the great ,giver loves4 ,unforgiven sin on the conscience keeps the sinful distant1 and ,satan calls the silence modesty4 ,it is not2 they most honour ,god who show by their importunity in asking that they value his gifts4 ,while it is true that prayer should be a continuous fulness in the heart1 ever pressing outward and upward1 flowing wherever it can find an opening1 it is not specifically that characteristic to which this parable points4 ,this is not the lesson1 ,in everything by prayer and supplication1 with thanksgiving1 let your requests be made known unto ,god3 the lesson here points not to the breadth of a whole spiritual life1 but to the length of one line that runs through it4 ,whatever it be that a disciple desires1 and is bent upon obtaining1 he should ask not once1 or twice1 or twenty times1 but ask until he obtain it2 or until he die with the request upon his lips3 and in that case he will get his desire1 and more4 ,trust in ,god3 trust in his love4 ,he who has not spared his own ,son1 how shall he not with him freely give us all things8 ,do not deem that delay is proof of his indifference4 ,delaying to bestow is not proof of indifference in ,god2 but ceasing to ask is proof of indifference in man4 ,christ assures us he will give3 that should induce us to continue asking4 ,give me these links--#a4 ,sense of need2 #b4 ,desire to get2 #c4 ,belief that ,god has it in store2 #d4 ,belief that though he withholds awhile1 he loves to be asked2 and #e4 ,belief that asking will obtain2--give me these links1 and the chain will reach from earth to heaven1 bringing heaven all down to me1 or bearing me up into heaven4 ,while it is right to generalize the lesson1 as we have already done1 it is our duty also to notice the special form of the widow's prayer and the ,lord's promise3 in both cases it is vengeance against an adversary4 ,the pleading is that the enemy who wronged the widow should be punished by the hand of power3 the promise is that ,god will avenge his chosen ones1 who cry to him4 ,the case is clearly one in which the weak are overpowered by an adversary too strong for them3 unable to defend themselves1 or strike down their foe1 they betake themselves to ,god in prayer4 ,the ailment is specific2 such also is the request4 ,do justice upon this enemy--rid me of his oppression and his presence4 ,ah1 when a soul feels sin's power a bondage1 and sin's presence a loathsome defilement2--when a soul so oppressed flees to the ,saviour for deliverance1 the ,lord will entertain the case1 and grant redress4 ,he will avenge4 ,the ,god of peace will bruise ,satan under your feet shortly4 ,no cry that rises from earth to heaven sounds so sweetly in the ear of ,god as the cry for vengeance upon the enemy of souls4 ,when there is peace between man and his destroyer1 the closet is silent1 and no groan of distress from the deep beats against the gate of heaven4 ,this is not what ,jesus loves4 ,he came not to send this peace on earth1 or in heaven2 he came to send a sword4 ,his errand was to produce a deadly quarrel between the captive soul and the wicked one1 its captivator4 ,when the cry rises1 broken and stifled1 but eager1 as uttered by one engaged in deadly strife--when the cry1 ,avenge me1 rises from earth1 ,god in heaven hears it well pleased4 ,he delights when his people1 hating the adversary of their souls1 ask him for vengeance2 and he will grant it4 ,long to the struggling combatant the battle seems to last1 but speedily1 according to ,god's just reckoning1 the avenging stroke will fall4 ,if there is delay it is but for a moment1 and because this added moment of conflict will make the everlasting victory more sweet4 ,it is worthy of notice1 incidentally1 that where an indolent judge1 in order to avoid trouble1 gives a just sentence to-day1 he may1 from the same motive1 give an unjust sentence to-morrow4 ,he who taught this lesson1 knowing all that should befall himself1 and hastening forward to his final suffering1 knew well that deepest sorrow may spring from the selfishness of an unjust judge which happened for that time to bring deliverance to the widow4 ,pilate was precisely such a magistrate4 ,neither fear of ,god nor regard for man was the ultimate reason that determined his decision3 the love of his own ease and safety was the hinge on which his judgment turned4 ,he was disposed to do justly rather than unjustly in the case1 when the ,jewish rulers dragged ,jesus to his bar4 ,he would have pronounced a righteous judgment if that course had seemed to promise greater or equal advantage to himself4 ,but the priests and people were1 like this widow1 very importunate and persevering4 ,crucify him1 crucify him1 they cried4 ,why1 what evil hath he done8 ,crucify him1 crucify him1 rose again in a sound like the voice of many waters from the heaving throng4 ,shall ,i release ,jesus8 interposed the irresolute ,pilate2 ,away with this man1 and give us ,barabbas1 was the instant reply4 ,shall ,i crucify your king8 said ,pilate1 making yet another effort to escape the toils that were closing round him2 but this fence laid him open to the heaviest blow of all3 ,if thou let this man go1 thou art not ,csar's friend4 ,he gave way at last3 by their continual coming they wearied him1 and he abandoned the innocent to their will4 ,thus the unjust as well as the just judgment seat has two sides4 ,jesus gave the safe side to the poor widow1 and accepted the other for himself4 ,he became poor that we might be rich3 he was condemned that we might be set free4 ,,xxix4 ,,the ,,pharisee ,,and ,,the ,,publican4 ,and he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous1 and despised others3 ,two men went up into the temple to pray2 the one a ,pharisee1 and the other a publican4 ,the ,pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself1 ,god1 ,i thank thee1 that ,i am not as other men are1 extortioners1 unjust1 adulterers1 or even as this publican4 ,i fast twice in the week1 ,i give tithes of all that ,i possess4 ,and the publican1 standing afar off1 would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven1 but smote upon his breast1 saying1 ,god be merciful to me a sinner4 ,i tell you1 this man went down to his house justified rather than the other3 for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased2 and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted4--,,luke xviii4 #i-ad4 ,in this parable two great classes are represented1 not by symbols1 but by specimens4 ,self-righteous men are here represented by a self-righteous man1 and repenting sinners by a repenting sinner4 ,the instruction is communicated1 not obliquely by a figure1 but directly by a fact4 ,the quality of the harvest is shown by samples taken from the heap4 ,if allegory were deemed an essential ingredient of a parable1 this lesson of the ,lord would necessarily be excluded from the list2 but ,i am not disposed to adopt such a narrow and artificial definition4 ,taking a general view of its substance1 rather than making a minute inspection of its form1 ,i accept the ,pharisee and the publican as a parable according to the common consent of the ,church4 ,it is almost entirely free from critical and exegetical difficulties3 he may run who reads its lesson4 ,in announcing the class of persons for whose reproof it was spoken1 the evangelist at the outset supplies us with a key that opens all its meaning3--,certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others1 were clustering round the ,teacher1 and mingling with his disciples4 ,he spoke this parable for the purpose of crushing their pride3 he will not suffer sin upon them4 ,for their instruction and reproof1 these examples are selected and described4 ,it is not necessary to suppose that the parable pointed exclusively to those who were ,pharisees1 or exclusively to those who were not3 it concerned all who were self-righteous1 to whatever sect they externally belonged4 ,we know that within the circle of ,christ's devoted followers much of this spirit still lingered4 ,peter enumerated the sacrifices which he and his comrades had made for their ,master1 and bluntly demanded what reward they might expect for their fidelity4 ,it is expressly to his own disciples that the ,lord1 on another occasion1 addresses the warning1 ,beware of the leaven of the ,pharisees1 which is hypocrisy4 ,for our benefit1 then1 even though we be true ,christians--for our benefit1 and not only for some particular sect1 is this instruction given4 ,two men went up into the temple to pray4 ,the temple was the acknowledged place of prayer2 to it the devout ,jews went at the hour of prayer1 if they were near2 toward it they looked if they were distant4 ,the appointment was a help to prayer in the preparatory dispensation3 it would be a hindrance if it were maintained still4 ,not in that one place1 but in all places1 the true worshippers pray to the ,father4 ,the one a ,pharisee1 and the other a publican4 ,the two characters are represented in deep relief3 there is no confusion1 and no ambiguity4 ,each is exhibited in his own colour1 and the two are sharply distinguished from each other4 ,nor are these two men in all their features diverse3 there are points of likeness as well as of difference4 ,it is as profitable to observe wherein they are like as wherein they are unlike4 ,the distinction does not lie in that the one was good while the other was bad3 both were evil1 and perhaps it would be safe to say1 both alike evil4 ,in the end1 the one was a sinner forgiven1 and the other a sinner unforgiven2 but at the beginning both and both equally were sinners4 ,their sins as to outward form were diverse2 but in essential character the sinfulness was in both the same4 ,the ,pharisee said and did not2 the publican neither said nor did4 ,the ,pharisee pretended to a righteousness which he did not possess2 the publican neither professed righteousness nor possessed it4 ,while one maintained the form of godliness1 but denied its power1 the other denied both the form and the power of godliness4 ,at first there is nothing to determine our choice between the two men as to their state before ,god3 the one was a hypocrite1 and the other a worldling4 ,both alike need pardon1 and to both alike pardon is offered in the ,gospel4 ,the blood of ,christ cleanseth us from all sin2 but no effort of our own will cleanse us from any4 ,with the forgiveness that comes through ,christ1 the ,pharisee would have been accepted2 but wanting it1 the publican would have been cast out4 ,the hinge on which the essential distinction between these two men turned was not the different quantities of sin which they had severally committed1 but the opposite grounds on which they severally placed their trust4#if #if ,there is a strong resemblance between this pair and the two sons who were severally asked by their father to work in his vineyard4--,parable ,x4 ,both go at the same time to the same place to pray1 and both adopt in the main the same attitude in this exercise2 they stood while they prayed4 ,this was the ordinary attitude2 but kneeling and prostration were also practised4 ,each of these postures has its own peculiar appropriateness2 either is a seemly and a ,scriptural method of bringing the position of the body into significant harmony with the desire of the soul4 ,among those attitudes which are true and right1 we are at liberty to adopt that which is in our circumstances most convenient and seemly4 ,alas6 there has always been a tendency in man to lay a yoke upon himself and his fellow4 ,why should we judge one another where our ,master has left us free8 ,we may safely lay it down as an absolute rule1 without stipulating for even a single exception1 that the best position for praying in is the position in which we can best pray4#ig #ig ,this question has begun of late to attract a considerable measure of attention in the ,presbyterian ,churches of this country4 ,it needs a wise treatment1 and1 alas6 we lack wisdom4 ,for convenience and order1 all the members of a worshipping assembly ought evidently to adopt the same method2 but this is not a matter for arbitrary ecclesiastical enactment4 ,the ,pharisee and the publican both stood while they prayed2 but their prayers seem to have been short4 ,to enact that the congregation must stand during prayer1 and then to keep them praying for twenty minutes or half-an-hour1 which is sometimes done1 seems to be in effect turning prayer into penance4 ,the ,pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself1 ,god1 ,i thank thee1 c4 ,those expositors are probably right who think that with himself is connected with stood1 rather than prayed4 ,it is in perfect accord with the narrative to intimate that he stood by himself--he was not the man to mingle with the common herd of worshippers2 but it does not seem congruous to intimate that he prayed with himself4 ,his prayer is addressed to ,god2 he has no doubt much to do with himself while he utters it1 but so has his neighbour the publican4 ,as much as the proud man deals with himself to contemplate his own goodness during prayer1 so much does the humble man deal with himself to contemplate his own badness4 ,it is not then intimated that he prayed by himself1 but that he stood by himself while he was praying4 ,he counted that he belonged to the aristocracy in the kingdom of ,god1 and must get a position apart from the multitude4#ih #ih ,greek3 ,statheis pros eauton1 standing by himself1 as if it were ,greek3 kath' eauton4 ,thus the relation is preserved with the position of the publican1 ,greek3 makrothen ests4 ,either stood alone1 but for opposite reasons3 the ,pharisee stood forward alone1 because he thought other worshippers were not fit to be in his company2 the publican stood back alone1 because he considered himself unworthy to mingle with other worshippers4 ,it may be worth while to mention1 for the sake of the ,english reader1 the order of the words in the original is1 ,the ,pharisee standing with himself1 thus prayed4 ,you must be guided entirely by the sense in determining whether to read it1 ,standing with himself1 thus prayed2 or standing1 with himself thus prayed4 ,in yet one other point the two suppliants are like each other2 both alike look into their own hearts and lives2 and both permit the judgment thus formed to determine the form and matter of their prayer4 ,both addressed themselves to the work of self-examination1 and the prayers that follow are the fruits of their research4 ,at this point the two men part company1 and move in opposite directions--the one found in himself only good1 the other found in himself only evil4 ,in both1 and in both alike1 there was only evil2 but the publican discovered and confessed the truth regarding himself1 while the ,pharisee either blindly failed to see his own sin1 or falsely refused to confess it4 ,the error of the ,pharisee does not lie in the form or matter of his prayer4 ,it is substantially a song of thanksgiving4 ,this is never out of place2 praise is comely4 ,there is not a living man on the earth who has not ground for giving praise to ,god every day1 and all day4 ,nor does his prayer necessarily transgress the strict limits of truth when he says1 ,god1 ,i thank thee that ,i am not as other men4 ,if he had been employed in numbering the mercies of ,god--if he had meditated on his privileges1 till he was lost in wonder1 that so many benefits had been conferred on one so worthless1 he might with truth have burst into the exclamation1 ,i am not as other men4 ,as a true penitent1 when employed in considering his own sin1 truly describes himself as the chief of sinners2 so a thankful man1 lost in the multitude of ,god's mercies1 thinks in all simplicity that none in all the world have been so highly favoured as himself4 ,from his own view-point a true worshipper truly counts both his sins and his mercies greater than those of other men4 ,when he confesses his sins he counts and calls them deeper than those of others2 when he recounts the benefits he has received from ,god1 he says that they are greater than others have enjoyed4 ,glad praise and weeping confession correspond to each other in a true heart1 as correspond the height of the sky and the depth of its shadow in still waters4 ,when the clouds above you become high1 the shadow of them beneath you becomes correspondingly deep4 ,the same man who said1 ,i am chief of sinners1 said also1 ,thanks be to ,god for his unspeakable gift4 ,it is not1 then1 for what he has said that the ,pharisee is condemned1 even when he announces that he is not as other men4 ,if conscious of unworthiness1 and amazed at ,god's long-suffering1 he had exclaimed1 ,i am not like other men--,i have been spared and instructed1 and invited and taught and led with a paternal tenderness that others do not enjoy1 his thanksgiving would have been sweet incense as it rose to the throne of the ,most ,high4 ,he presumes to give thanks not for what he has received1 but for what he is and does4 ,here lies his condemnation4 ,it is not in the thanks but in the reason for the thanks that the old serpent lurks2 he is delighted not with what ,god has graciously bestowed on him1 but with what he has meritoriously given to ,god4 ,the sense in the original is more comprehensive than that which the ,english conveys2 other men here mean all others4 ,on one side he places himself1 and on the other side the rest of human kind3 the result of the comparison in his judgment is that he is better than all4 ,three of the more articulate and manifest forms of wickedness he enumerates1 in order by the contrast to set forth his own purity4 ,extortioners are officials having a right to something1 who unjustly force from an oppressed people more than is due2 the unjust are those who deal unfairly in the ordinary intercourse of life2 and adulterers are1 in fact1 and were then accounted the deepest and most daring transgressors of the laws both human and divine4 ,probably the ,pharisee was in point of fact free in his conduct from all these vices2 there is nothing in the parable that forbids us in these matters to take him at his word4 ,instead of extending the list of vices of which he felt himself free1 he cuts the matter short by a general comparison between himself and the publican4 ,the contempt in which the tax-farmers were held by the stricter ,jews shines out in every page of the ,gospel1 and is well understood by the readers of the ,scriptures4 ,by way of purging himself from sin in the lump1 he says shortly1 ,i am not as this publican4 ,in order to condemn the ,pharisee on this point1 it is not necessary to suppose that he made a wrong estimate of his neighbour4 ,granted that this publican had up to this hour been stained with all these three vices1 and that the ,pharisee1 knowing his character1 formed a correct judgment regarding it2 still his condemnation remains the same2 it is not the part of one sinner to judge and condemn another4 ,i fast twice in the week1 ,i give tithes of all that ,i possess1--all that ,i acquire2 it is not capital but income4 ,it is a picture of mere self-righteousness4 ,his judgment was wrong from the root2 he knew neither his own heart nor ,god's law4 ,pharisee as he was1 he might have learned from the prophet ,isaiah the true state of the case1 ,we are all as an unclean thing2 and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags4#ii #ii ,he obtained this self-confidence by comparing himself not with the law of ,god1 but with others who seemed worse than himself4 ,when a man compares himself with robbers and adulterers1 for whom the sword and the prison are prepared1 he may easily seem to himself like an angel4--,arndt4 ,the publican standing afar off1 c4 ,the difference does not lie in that this was a good man while the other was bad4 ,this is a sinner too2 but he has come to know it1 and therein lies the distinction between him and the ,pharisee4 ,his judgment of himself accords with his actual state and character2 he knows and owns the truth regarding his own sinfulness4 ,there is no merit in this discovery1 and in itself it cannot save4 ,if two men should both take poison1 and one of them should become aware of the fact ere the poison had time to operate2 the one who knows the truth is more miserable than the one who is ignorant1 but not more safe4 ,if there be a physician within reach who can cure1 the knowledge of his danger will send one man to the source of help1 while the ignorance of the other will keep him lingering where he is1 till it is too late to flee4 ,but even in that case it was not the man's knowledge of his danger that saved him4 ,another saved him2 his knowledge of his own need only led him to a deliverer4 ,it is so here4 ,there is no merit and no salvation in the publican's conviction and confession2 although he confesses his sin1 he is still a sinner4 ,his own tears are not the fountain in which his guilt can be washed away4 ,if there were no ,saviour1 his penitence would do him no good2 if ,christ had not come to save the lost1 the lost1 though alarmed1 would not have been saved4 ,if we take care to notice that there was neither merit nor safety in the man's confession1 we may profitably listen to the confession1 and learn what it was4 ,he stood afar off4 ,here we begin to observe external marks of an inward penitence2 he judged and condemned himself4 ,he had the same right with other worshippers to come near2 but a consciousness of his uncleanness before ,god compelled him to take the lowest place even among men4 ,such was the tenderness of his spirit1 that he thought everybody better than himself4 ,humility is the exact opposite of pride2 as the one man counted himself better than all1 the other counted himself worse than all4 ,when he obtained a sight of his own vileness before ,god1 his feeling was that even his brother would be polluted by his presence4 ,as love of ,god1 when we have tasted his grace1 carries love to men after it1 like a shadow2 so shame before ,god1 because of sin in his sight1 diffuses humility and modesty through the spirit and conduct in the ordinary intercourse of life4 ,he was unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven4 ,he looked down to the earth2 but his heart was rising up to heaven the while4 ,his eyes could not bear at that moment to look1 as it were1 on the light of the great white throne2 but his soul ascended1 and pressed with violence on the gate of the kingdom4 ,against that strait gate his spirit is now striving2 the ,king of glory from within feels the pressure well pleased1 and opens to let the agonizer in4 ,smote upon his breast2 it is like other signs of grace1 precious if it is true1 worthless when it is false4 ,a worshipper will not be heard for his much beating1 any more than for his much speaking3 but when it is the true external symptom of a broken heart within1 the knocking on his own breast is reckoned a knocking at the gate of heaven4 ,to him that knocketh at this lower gate1 the highest will be opened4 ,his prayer was short and suitable2 ,god be merciful to me1 the sinner 7,greek3 t hamartl74 ,the contrast continues to the last2 as the ,pharisee had compared himself with all mankind1 and concluded that he alone was good2 so the ,publican in the depth of his shame seems to count himself the only sinner4 ,the steps are few and simple by which a sinner finds or misses the way into eternal life4 ,not perceiving his own sin1 a ,pharisee comes to ,god1 as one who deserves favour2 he seeks to enter heaven where the wall of righteousness frowns in his face1 and is cast away4 ,the publican1 conscious of his unworthiness1 counting himself altogether evil1 flees from his own sin to ,god's provided mercy2 he tries where the door is open1 and passes in a moment through4 ,i tell you1 ,this man went down to his house justified1 c42 he1 but not the other4#ajj ,the ,pharisee forgave himself2 who is this that forgiveth sin8 and who is this whose sins he forgives8 ,he asked no forgiveness from ,god1 and got none4 ,he departed from the temple as full and satisfied1 or rather as empty and poor1 as he entered it4 ,for aught that we learn to the contrary1 he went on1 tithing his mint1 anise1 and cummin1--went on blindfold till he stumbled on the judgment-seat4 #ajj ,he brought with him1 what the ,pharisee left at home1 the book of his own guilt1 and exhibited all that stood against him there4--,arndt4 ,the penitent ,publican went down to his house a justified man2 he sat in the circle of his family1 retired to rest at night1 rose in the morning to his labour1 at peace with ,god4 ,on the morrow he looked on the sun-light without being in terror of the mighty ,one whose word had made it shine2 he walked abroad on the fields1 in conscious1 loving companionship with ,him who spread them out and covered them with green2 he looked from the mountain-side on the great sea when it wrought and was tempestuous1 the confiding child of ,him who holds its waters in the hollow of his hand2 and when again he laid his head upon the pillow for rest to his wearied body1 he laid his soul on the love of his ,saviour1 as an infant leans on a mother's breast4 ,when the hand that led him through the wilderness leads him at length down the dark sides of the swelling ,jordan1 he looks up with languid eye1 but bright1 burning spirit1 and whispers to his guide1 ,i will not fear1 for ,thou art with me2 when the judgment is set and the books are opened1 he stands before the ,judge in white clothing1 accepted in the ,beloved2 the voice of the ,eternal1 tenderly human1 yet clothed with divine authority1 utters the welcome1--,come1 thou blessed of my ,father1 inherit the kingdom4 ,,xxx4 ,,the ,,servants ,,and ,,the ,,pounds4 ,and as they heard these things1 he added and spake a parable1 because he was nigh to ,jerusalem1 and because they thought that the kingdom of ,god should immediately appear4 ,he said therefore1 ,a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom1 and to return4 ,and he called his ten servants1 and delivered them ten pounds1 and said unto them1 ,occupy till ,i come4 ,but his citizens hated him1 and sent a message after him1 saying1 ,we will not have this man to reign over us4 ,and it came to pass1 that when he was returned1 having received the kingdom1 then he commanded these servants to be called unto him1 to whom he had given the money1 that he might know how much every man had gained by trading4 ,then came the first1 saying1 ,lord1 thy pound hath gained ten pounds4 ,and he said unto him1 ,well1 thou good servant3 because thou hast been faithful in a very little1 have thou authority over ten cities4 ,and the second came1 saying1 ,lord1 thy pound hath gained five pounds4 ,and he said likewise to him1 ,be thou also over five cities4 ,and another came1 saying1 ,lord1 behold1 here is thy pound1 which ,i have kept laid up in a napkin3 for ,i feared thee1 because thou art an austere man3 thou takest up that thou layedst not down1 and reapest that thou didst not sow4 ,and he saith unto him1 ,out of thine own mouth will ,i judge thee1 thou wicked servant4 ,thou knewest that ,i was an austere man1 taking up that ,i laid not down1 and reaping that ,i did not sow3 wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank1 that at my coming ,i might have required mine own with usury8 ,and he said unto them that stood by1 ,take from him the pound1 and give it to him that hath ten pounds4 7,and they said unto him1 ,lord1 he hath ten pounds47 ,for ,i say unto you1 ,that unto every one which hath shall be given3 and from him that hath not1 even that he hath shall be taken away from him4 ,but those mine enemies1 which would not that ,i should reign over them1 bring hither1 and slay them before me4--,,luke xix4 #aa-bg4 ,it is necessary at the outset to indicate the relation which subsists between this parable and that of the talents1 7,matt4 xxv74 ,although in many of their features they are the same1 in others there is a decisive difference4 ,both show that the ,lord bestows privileges on his servants1 and demands faithfulness in return2 and both show that the diligent are rewarded and the unprofitable condemned4 ,but the one supposes a case1 in which all the servants receive equal privileges1 and shows that even those of them who are faithful1 may be unequal as to the amount of their success2 the other supposes a case in which unequal privileges are bestowed upon the servants1 and shows that when unequal gifts are employed with equal diligence1 the approval is equal in the day of account4 ,both alike exhibit the grand cardinal distinction between the faithful and the faithless2 but in pointing out also the diversities that obtain among true disciples1 they view the subject from opposite sides1 each presenting that aspect of it which the other omits4 ,the parable of the talents teaches that ,christians differ from each other in the amount of gifts which they receive2 and the parable of the pounds teaches that they differ from each other in the diligence which they display4#aja #aja ,the man who cannot perceive1 or will not own that these are two distinct cases1 charged with different1 though cognate lessons1 is not fit to be an expositor of any writing1 either sacred or profane4 ,enough for the critics who persist in the theory1 that these two parables are different1 and consequently incorrect1 reports of one discourse spoken only once by the ,lord2 the conceit is not worthy of more minute refutation4 ,the incident connected with ,zaccheus1 although it occurred on the spot and at the moment1 did not1 ,i think1 supply the occasion of this parable1 and does not contain the key of its meaning4 ,the ,lord's interview with that interesting and earnest tax-farmer in the neighbourhood of ,jericho rather constituted an episodical interruption to the continuity of his thought and the narrative of his journey4 ,he had passed through ,jericho on his way to ,jerusalem for the last time4 ,an expectation1 intense in character though vague in outline1 was spreading through the neighbourhood1 that great events would emerge on his arrival at the capital4 ,it was the crowd already on this account assembled that gave prominence to the case of ,zaccheus4 ,it is not from that episode that the parable springs2 rather1 when the interruption which it caused was over1 the current of thought1 displaced for a moment1 returns to its former channel1 and flows as it had flowed before4 ,the crowd had assembled before the conversation with ,zaccheus took place1 and the cause of the excitement was the expectation that the kingdom of ,god should immediately appear4 ,it was on account of this expectation that the parable was spoken4 ,the purpose of the ,lord was to correct the popular impression in as far as it was erroneous1 and to turn it to account in as far as it contained a basis of truth4 ,they expected that ,jesus was about to proclaim himself king1 and occupy ,david's throne at ,jerusalem3 he teaches them by the parable that his kingdom is not of this world--that he1 the king1 will depart from their sight for a while1 and that it behoves his subjects to occupy their talents and opportunities till he return4 ,a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom1 and to return4 ,his errand when he went abroad was not to seek a kingdom in another quarter of the world1 but to obtain from a foreign power nomination to the sovereignty of his native land4 ,in the first place1 it is not probable that1 after having become king of another country1 he would return to reside where he was only a subject2 but a much more decisive indication is given by the message which his fellow-citizens sent after him1 ,we will not have this man to reign over us4 ,they do not interfere with his prospects in a foreign country2 it is his sovereignty over themselves that they dread and deprecate4 ,this outspoken repudiation of his government by his fellow-citizens makes it both certain and manifest that1 though he sought investiture abroad1 the kingdom which he expected to receive was in his own native land1 and over his former fellow-citizens4 ,in those days both the ,jews and other nations subject to the supremacy of ,rome were familiar with the transaction which forms the basis of this parable4 ,after the nobleman's departure1 his countrymen1 aware of his design1 endeavoured to thwart it4 ,with this view they sent a message1 or rather an embassy 7,greek3 presbeian7 after him2 they commissioned some of their own number to appear along with him before the power paramount1 and oppose his claim4 ,it is a mistake to suppose that the protest of these citizens was addressed to the nobleman who sought to become their king2 the deputies are instructed to address themselves not to him1 but to the foreign power from whom he intends to seek investiture4 ,they will appear at court along with him when his petition is presented1 and plead that it may be rejected4 ,such debates were in point of fact held before the republican and imperial tribunals of ,rome4#ajb #ajb ,herod and his son ,archelaus had both in succession repaired personally to ,rome to obtain their authority4 ,precisely similar scenes are enacted between the ,british government and the protected potentates of ,india2 the agents for rival princes contend for regal rights in ,london1 where the government of ,india is in the last resort controlled4 ,before setting out on his journey he called his ten servants1 c4 ,these men were his servants or slaves4 ,in different countries1 and at different times1 the bond of servitude has been indefinitely varied both in stringency and duration4 ,in all probability these servants were the bondsmen of the nobleman1 although law and practice might not accord to the owner a power so absolute as that with which we are too familiar in modern slavery4 ,but the more nearly that the master's rights approached the point of absolute ownership of property1 the more suitable becomes the picture to represent the relation that subsists between the redeeming ,lord and his ransomed people4#ajc #ajc ,it is altogether a mistake to conclude from the allusions made here and elsewhere in the ,scriptures to the actually existing servitude of the times and places1 that any modern system of slavery may claim the sanction of divine approval4 ,it was the custom of ,jesus to seize existing facts on the right and on the left as they lay around1 and employ them as vehicles for conveying his meaning4 ,sometimes he so employed a good thing1 and sometimes a bad thing1 but by the mere fact of using a human act or habit as a metaphor1 he pronounced no judgment regarding its moral character4 ,it was enough for him that the thing was well known1 and that it served as a letter with which he might indicate his mind4 ,printers make their types of any material that may be most suitable for the purpose1 and most readily obtained2 and with these types they multiply the ,scriptures4 ,they use a cheap mixture of lead and tin2 and this base alloy serves their purpose better than more precious metals4 ,their only question in determining the choice of material is1 ,will it print our meaning clearly8 ,thus the ,lord ,jesus dealt with the habits which he found in society1 and the events that were passing at the time4 ,he selected and employed them with a regard not to their own intrinsic moral worth but to their fitness for expressing the idea which he meant to convey4 ,no matter whether it be lead or gold2 what he wanted was material suitable for types4 ,a steward has no ,scriptural warrant for cheating his master1 because the trick of an astute agent is employed to print one of the parables2 neither have men-stealers1 men-sellers1 and men-buyers any authority from the ,bible to treat their fellow-men like cattle1 because the relation of master and slave was employed by the ,lord to express a conception in the course of his teaching4 ,this nobleman1 desiring that no part of his property or capital should lie unproductive during his absence1 made the best arrangement1 of which the circumstances admitted1 before he left the country4 ,his method was the same as that which appears in the cognate parable1 the entrusted talents1 with the exception that in this case the master made all his servants equal4 ,a mina1 in value equal to about #b1 #cs4 #f;d41 was entrusted to each man1 with the intimation that1 according to his diligence and faithfulness in the management of this capital1 would be his reward when the owner should return4#ajd #ajd ,for fuller notice of the methods adopted1 see the exposition of the corresponding parable ,no4 ,,xiv4 ,such is the arrangement which this nobleman made with those who are described as his own servants1 on the eve of his departure2 but with his neighbours1 who were free and independent1 he had either neglected to seek1 or failed to obtain1 an understanding4 ,aware of his object1 they sent after him a deputation of their own number1 instructed to appear along with him at the imperial court1 and oppose his request4 ,they were not willing to become his subjects1 and therefore endeavoured to prevent him from obtaining a regal title and despotic power4 ,their opposition1 however1 had no other effect than to betray their enmity1 and so expose them to the ,king's displeasure4 ,his first act after he returned with supreme authority was to call his servants into his presence1 and reward them according to their merits2 and his second1 to issue an order for the punishment of those who had opposed his elevation4 ,the remaining portion of the scene is so similar to the corresponding parts of the cognate parable already expounded1 that it is unnecessary to trace the narrative further2 rather let us hasten now to ascertain and enforce the spiritual lesson from the whole4 ,while the ,master was setting his face towards ,jerusalem for the last time1 a dim presentiment of coming change occupied his disciples4 ,in their minds1 the expectation of his kingdom had taken a wrong direction1 and tended to put them off their guard4 ,to correct their error1 and bind them to patient watchfulness1 he spoke this parable4 ,because they imagined he was about to assume kingly power1 and give them places of temporal dignity on his right hand and on his left1 he taught them by this similitude1 that he must go away1 and that they must remain behind1 working and watching4 ,the nobleman represents the ,lord himself4 ,while he prosecuted his ministry on earth1 he had not fully attained possession of the kingdom4 ,the departure of the nobleman represents the exodus which the ,lord soon afterwards accomplished at ,jerusalem1 comprising his death1 resurrection1 and ascension4 ,in the parable1 the power paramount who could withhold or bestow a kingdom is not named3 it is intimated only that this transaction took place out of sight in a far country4 ,when the ,son of ,god ascended after his mediatorial work on earth was complete1 all power was given to him in heaven and on earth4 ,beyond his disciples' sight he received the kingdom from the ,father4 ,now he has right to rule supreme over that world1 on which before he had not where to lay his head4 ,he will come to this world again as its ,king1 with power and great glory4 ,two classes of persons are mentioned as having remained in the country while the prince was absent3--these are his servants and his adversaries4 ,in the material scene1 there might be many who neither served nor opposed him2 but these are not mentioned in the parable1 because there are none to correspond with them on the spiritual side4 ,there only two classes exist1--those who serve ,christ as the ,lord that bought them1 and those who1 being at enmity with ,god1 refuse to obey the ,gospel of his ,son4 ,the parable has not much to do with them that are without4 ,at the beginning1 it shortly indicates their rebellion1 and at the close as shortly predicts their doom2 but the circumstances1 the character1 the life1 and the reward of the ,lord's disciples are more expressly and more fully declared4 ,the master who owns them places some of his treasures at their disposal1 and with the general injunction1 ,occupy1 goes out of their sight4 ,the servants are those who1 at least in profession1 are the disciples of ,christ1 and the pounds are the faculties which they possess1 and the opportunities which they enjoy4 ,the place and age in which our lot has been cast1 our early education1 our bodily members and mental powers1 our station in society and the circle of our homes1 our money and our health1 and1 in addition1 the graces of the ,spirit1 in whatever measure they may have been conferred1--all that we are and have belongs to ,god4 ,he is the owner1 and we are tenants at will4 ,while a general law has been laid down to determine1 in the main1 the direction of our course1 the details are left to our own discretion4 ,one man may invest his master's capital in land1 and another in merchandise1 and both may be equally faithful1 equally successful3 so in various lines of effort1 different disciples may1 in diverse manners1 but with equal faithfulness1 serve the ,lord4 ,there is freedom in the choice of departments1 provided always there be loyalty to the ,king4 ,in the relation between ,christ and ,christians1 opposites meet without hostile collision4 ,his ownership is absolute1 and yet there is freedom in full4 ,his lordship does not limit their liberty2 their liberty does not infringe his rights4 ,what a glorious liberty this earth-ball enjoys6 ,how it careers along through space1 threading its way through thronging worlds1 and giving each a safe wide berth in the ocean of the infinite6 ,yet the sun holds the earth all the while in absolute and entire control4 ,like that glory in the visible heavens is the glory of the ,everlasting ,covenant4 ,the largest liberty conceded to the sons of ,god consists with sovereignty complete and constant exercised over them by the ,redeemer1 who bought them with his blood4 ,he is their owner1 and yet they are free4 ,the union of opposites is possible with ,god3 ,he is wonderful in counsel1 and excellent in working4 ,the sons serve2 and yet they are sons4 ,ransomed men are instruments of a higher order1 than other agencies through which the reign of ,providence is administered4 ,although the ,lord requires of his regenerated people as complete submission to his law1 as he demands and obtains from the elements of nature and the brutes that perish1 he does not require from them an equally uniform and mechanical routine4 ,the streams that course over continents1 and the tides that swell upon their shores1 must render the same service every day2 but these sons of ,god are not held to labour by a bridle so short and rigid4 ,they are endowed with reason and will2 they are set at liberty1 and permitted to expatiate over a wider field4 ,their master goes out of sight1 and trusts to a renewed1 loving heart for the diligent outlay and faithful return of all the talents4 ,the ,gospel requires and generates not a legal1 but an evangelical obedience4 ,when the king returns1 or the servants are summoned one by one through death to meet their master1 they are tried as to faithfulness and diligence in laying out their talents4 ,although ten were mentioned at the beginning1 it is not necessary to report on more than three at the close4 ,these are sufficient to show that some were diligent1 and some slothful2 and that among the diligent there were different measures of effort1 success1 and reward4 ,what hast thou that thou didst not receive8 ,occupy2 occupy all1 and occupy it all the time till the ,giver come to claim his own4 ,all that ,god gives us is given for use4 ,there is much evil1 moral and material1 in the world4 ,he who made it and saw it fall by sin1 has its restoration and renewal much at heart4 ,when he has gotten some of the fallen restored to favour and renewed in spirit1 he endows them with various riches from his own treasury1 that the capital wisely invested may yield a large return at his coming4 ,let each according to his means and opportunity lay himself and his talents out to leave the world better than he found it2--to diminish the amount of sin and suffering1 to feed hungry mouths1 and cover naked backs1 to enlighten dark minds and save perishing souls4 ,it is a high calling to be fellow-workers with ,god1 to be instruments of righteousness in his hands4 ,one1 by trading with his pound gained ten1 before the king returned1 and another five4 ,both are equally approved1 but unequally rewarded2 each receives as his recompense all that he had won4 ,two principles which operate in the spiritual kingdom are symbolized here2 one1 that various degrees of efficiency and success obtain among the faithful disciples of ,christ2 another that reward in his kingdom springs from work and is proportioned to it4 ,the parable of the talents recorded by ,matthew represented one fact in the history of the kingdom1 that different persons receive differing gifts from the sovereign ,god3 this parable1 recorded by ,luke1 represents another fact in the history of the kingdom1 that among those who possess equal gifts varieties occur in the skill and success with which the gifts are employed4 ,the practical lesson from the former parable is1 ,if with all your efforts you fall far behind your neighbour in the result of your labour1 you need not on that account be cast down1 for equal diligence will meet equal approval1 whether it be applied to a large capital or a small2 the lesson of the latter parable is1 ,if others are obtaining greater results than you1 strive to imitate and equal them1 lest your opportunity not have having been fully occupied1 you should obtain at last only a small reward4 ,the first puts in a spring to keep the truly faithful from sinking into despondency because their talents are few2 and the second puts in a spring to keep the indolent from lagging behind4 ,the two together1 one on this side and one on that1 shut all up to diligence in the work of the ,lord4 ,a glimpse is given here of the method in which rewards are bestowed upon faithful servants2 each receives what he has won4 ,the work of the saved in their ,master's service measures in some way their recompense at their ,master's side4 ,in all cases the wages given1 seeing they depend on the merits of the ,mediator1 must be immeasureably greater than the work done2 but it would appear that the differences which shall obtain in heaven will bear some proportion to the productiveness of the service here3 the whole continent will be elevated as by the immediate power of ,god3 but certain points will stand out above others in the celestial landscape on account of great talents greatly used4 ,how much a city is greater in value than a pound we cannot calculate exactly1 but the difference represents the gain that all the true servants will make at the coming of the king4 ,all the faithful are made great2 but the greatest worker is the greatest winner when the accounts are closed4 ,hold on1 disciples2 every grace that grows into strength1 through bearing and doing your ,redeemer's will here1 is a seed that will multiply your enjoyment manifold when you come to the inheritance4 ,nor is this a mercenary motive4 ,a true ,christian can never separate his interests from ,christ3 he serves his ,lord in love to-day1 and will discover at last that in serving his ,lord1 he has been enriching himself4 ,the case of the servant who allowed his pound to lie unused is not different from the corresponding case in the parable of the talents except in one thing2 in this parable the pound which the indolent servant had permitted to lie idle is simply taken out of his hands1 while1 in the other parable1 the unprofitable servant is cast into outer darkness4 ,the lesson1 in as far as it is the same in both1 is1 that not only those who do positive wickedness1 but those also who fail to do good1 are counted guilty in ,god's sight4 ,inasmuch as in this parable no other punishment is inflicted on the indolent servant than the deprivation of his capital1 it may possibly be intended to intimate that culpable unfaithfulness in a true believer may sometimes descend so far as to be undistinguishable by human eyes from the entire neglect of the unbelieving4 ,there is1 however1 in all cases1 a dividing line1 although we may not be able to trace it--the ,lord knoweth them that are his4 ,nor does this conception really weaken the motive to diligence2 for if any one should slacken in his efforts to serve the ,lord on the ground that a great degree of negligence1 although it may diminish his reward1 does not imperil his safety1 this very thing would conclusively prove that he has no part in ,christ4 ,it is the nature of the new creature to be forgetting the things behind1 and reaching forth to those that are before2 when the leaning of a man's heart goes in the opposite direction--that is1 when he deliberately endeavours to make matters as pleasant as possible for himself1 by escaping from all service to ,christ1 except as much as is necessary to carry him safe to heaven1 he certainly has not yet been born again1 and in this state shall not see the kingdom4 ,he who sails along the sea of ,christian profession1 loving the neighbouring land of worldly indulgence1 and therefore hugging the shore as closely as he thinks consistent with safety1 will certainly make shipwreck4 ,ah6 the ship that thus seeks the shore is drawn by the unseen power of a magnet-mountain--drawn directly to her doom2 he who is truly bound for the better land gives these treacherous headlands a wide berth4 ,the last lesson is the judgment pronounced and the punishment inflicted on the adversaries4 ,they who will not submit to ,christ the crucified will be crushed by ,christ the king4 ,every eye shall see him2 they also who pierced him4 ,meekly now he stands at the door and knocks2 then he comes as the lightning comes4 ,one hope remains1--one door stands wide open yet4 ,his enemies must be slain1 either now or then4 ,the enemies of the ,lord's reign in the present world are the evil desires that occupy a man's heart1 and close it against its rightful sovereign2 drag them forth and slay them before him1 that he may enter and possess his own4 ,surrender his enemies into his hands to-day1 and you will henceforth be among his friends2 if sins be sheltered in the day of grace1 the sinners will find no shelter in the day of judgment4