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LESSON XVIII.

The parable of the lost sheep-the prodigal son-the unjust steward-The Pharisees deride Christ-he replies to them-The rich man and Lazarus— Impossible to avoid giving offence-to forgive a brother on repentance-the power of faith-we are unprofitable servants.

FROM LUKE XV. XVI. AND XVII.

Now all the publicans and sinners were resorting to him to hear him: and the Pharisees and Scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.* And he spake this parable to them, saying:

What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And having found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And coming home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say to you, that so there shall be joy in heaven over one repenting sinner, more than over ninety and nine righteous persons who need no repent

ance.

Or what woman having ten pieces of silver, if

* By conversing and eating with tax-gatherers, who were generally esteemed persons of bad character, our Lord gave offence to the self-righteous Pharisees. To vindicate his conduct, he uses this and the following parable, showing that comparatively there is more joy for the recovery of one lost sinner than there could be for the continued safety of many who had not been lost.

she lose one piece,* doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And having found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. So, I say to you, There is joy in the presence of the angels of God+ over one repenting sinner.

And he said: A certain man‡ had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of property that falleth to me, And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after, the younger son having gathered all together, took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his property, in living riotously. And having spent all, a mighty famine came over that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country; and he sent him into the fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And having come to himself, he said,§ How many hired servants of my father's have abundance of bread, and I perish with

* A drachma, a Greek coin of the same value as the Roman denarius, about seven-pence-halfpenny of our money.

Before the angels. By this it is plain that the spirits of heaven are interested in our welfare. They rejoice at our repentance, and therefore they know when we repent.

This celebrated parable, which for simplicity, truth, exactness, and description, is justly reckoned superior to all the allegorical writings of antiquity, has a twofold reference; first, to the righteous and the sinners, secondly, to the Jews and Gentiles. By the man who had two sons, is meant God in the character of an indulgent father; by the younger, any sinner who abuses the gifts of his Heavenly Father, and also the Gentiles who knew not God; and by the elder, the Jews who were peculiarly favoured with a knowledge of his laws, and to a certain extent obeyed them.

§ Through the mercy of God, sinners are sometimes brought to their senses by calamity.

hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, I am no longer worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And, rising up, he came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off,* his father saw him, and had compassion, and running, fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no longer worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat and make merry. Because this my son was dead, and is come to life again; was lost, and is found. And they began to

be merry.'

Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him in health. And he was angry,+ and would not go in his father therefore coming out entreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years have I served thee, and I have never transgressed thy commandment : and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might

* Before the son had time to express his sorrow and contrition, his father ran to meet him: so God is more ready to forgive than even the penitent are to ask forgiveness.

+ The Jews considering themselves God's chosen people, were angry that the idolatrous Gentiles should be brought into the gospel-covenant. Here is also expressed the envy of a self-righteous man at the favours bestowed on a repenting sinner.

make merry with my friends but as soon as this* thy son, who hath devoured thy property with harlots, was come, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art always with me, and all that I have is thine. It was fit that we should make merry and be glad : for this thy brother was dead, and is come to life again; and was lost and is found.

And he said also to his disciples, There was a certain rich man+ that had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him and said to him, What is this that I hear of thee? Give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do, for my Lord taketh away from me the stewardship? to dig, I am not able; to beg, I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So having called every one of his lord's debtors, he said unto the first, How much dost thou owe to my Lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill,§ and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much dost thou owe? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he

* He does not say, "this my brother," but "this thy son;" such language is the effect of anger, and highly sinful.

The rich man is God; the steward any man favoured with the bounties of Providence in any degree, such as wealth, time, talents, opportunities, &c. especially the Jews, the stewards of "The oracles of God," out of which they might now enrich and serve the Gentiles, of all which advantages we are only stewards, accountable for the use of them at the day of judgment.

The word in the original means 9 gallons and 3 quarts. By remitting part of their debts to his lord, he expected to secure them as friends to himself in the day of need.

This word in the original means 14 bushels and 1 pottle.

said unto him, Take thy bill and write eighty. And the Lord gave to the unjust steward the praise of having done prudently: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye are dismissed, they may receive you into the everlasting habitations. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust that which is true? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?§ No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

:

But the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. And he said to them, Ye are they who justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts; for that which is in high esteem among

* The lord of the steward admired his prudence, but must have detested his fraud; and Jesus pronounces him unjust, for all such villainy is abomination in the sight of God. It is the prudence of the steward, and not his principles, that our Lord recommends to our imitation, in seeking a refuge when we shall be dismissed from our stewardships in this life. By "the children of this world," is meant, worldly-minded men, who are more prudent and diligent in their temporal concerns, than professors of religion are in spiritual matters.

+Literally when ye fail; but the allusion is both to the dismission of the steward from his office, and to our dismission at death.

The unrighteous mammon, the riches of this world; the true riches, the treasures of a life to come.

Si. e. If you be unfaithful as a servant, who will make you free, and give you the inheritance of a son?

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