sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

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CHAPTER XXII.

BLESSED JESUS ACCEPTS THE PHARISEE'S INVITATION A THIRD TIME.-DELIVERS DIVERS PARABLES, REPRESENTING REQUISITES FOR ADMITTANCE INTO THE KINGDOM.AND PUNISHMENT OF MISUSING THE BENEFITS OF THE GOSPEL.

THE

OUR Saviour was invited by one of the Pharisees to his house. At his entering the Pharisee's dwelling, they placed before him a man who had a dropsy; Jesus, who knew their secret thoughts, asked the lawyers and Pharisees, whether it was "lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day?" But they refusing to give an answer, Jesus laid his hand on the diseased person, and immediately his complexion returned, his body was reduced to its ordinary dimension, and his former health and strength renewed in an instant. "Which of you,"

said he, “shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath-day?" This argument was conclusive, and so plain, that the grossest stupidity must feel its force, and the most virulent malice could not contradict it.

As the entertainment approached, our blessed Saviour thus reproved the pride of the Pharisees. "When thou art bidden," said he, "of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him, and he that bade thee and him come and say unto thee, Give this man place, and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee: For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Having thus addressed the guests in general, he said to the master of the house, "When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the

maimed, the lame, and the blind. And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just."

When Jesus departed from the Pharisee's house, great multitudes of people thronged to him to hear his doctrine. He declared that his kingdom was not of this world; and that those who expected, by following him, to obtain temporal advantages would find themselves wretchedly mistaken; as, on the contrary, his disciples must expect to be persecuted from city to city, and hated of all men for his name's sake: though it was requisite for those who would be his true followers to prefer his service to the richest grandeur and pleasure of the world, and to show that they had much less respect and value for the dearest objects of their affections than for him. "Whosoever he be of you," added the blessed Jesus, "that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."The publicans and sinners, roused by the alarming doctrine of our Lord, listened to it attentively.

The great Redeemer of mankind, not only condescended to preach to them the happy tidings of eternal life, but even accompanied them to their own houses that the seeds of the gospel might take root in their hearts. But the haughty Pharisees murmured at this condescension as an action

too mean for the character of a prophet. Jesus soon showed them their mistake, by repeating to them the parables of the lost sheep and piece of money, and declaring "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."

To show to the greatest sinner the willingness of God to receive him into his grace and favour if convinced of his unworthy and lost condition in himself, and imploring forgiveness through the merits of Jesus Christ, he delivered the expressive parable of the prodigal son.

A certain man had two sons, the younger of whom desired his father to give him the portion of goods which fell to his share. The indulgent parent granted his request; but the ungrateful son had no sooner obtained what he asked, than he retired into a far country, and there he wasted his substance in riotous living. Having thus consumed his portion he began to feel the miseries of want, and a terrible famine arising in that land he soon became acquainted with the sharp stings of hunger. In this distressed condition he joined himself to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his field to feed swine. So great was his hunger, so prodigious his distress, that he would even have been contented in this miserable state to have satisfied the cravings of hunger with the

husks eaten by the swine; but no man relieved him, no man showed the least compassion for him, so that the very swine were in a better condition than this miserable prodigal! "How many hired servants of my father," said he to himself," have bread enough, and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and say unto him, "Father I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired servants. Accordingly he arose, and

And

with the utmost expedition came to his father, who saw him while he was yet afar off: he had compassion on his ruined child and he ran to meet him, fell on his neck and kissed him. the son fell down at his father's feet, and said; "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son." But his father commanded the servants to bring the best robe, and put it on him; to put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and to kill the fatted calf, that they might eat and be merry. "For this my son," said he, "was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found." The elder brother returning from the field, and hearing the sound of music and dancing, called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant? The servant replied, that his younger