"to the poor the gospel should be preached." Accordingly, Jesus Christ, adapting the style of his preaching to the state of his hearers, borrowed many familiar illustrations of the truths he taught from the scenes of nature and from the occupations of ordinary life, and generally used the parabolic mode of instruction: yet his illustrations were always delivered in a manner consistent with the dignity of his doctrine and character, and they tended to shew that his religion is perfectly adapted to make all mankind wise unto salvation.

The proud Pharisees took offence at this attention of our Saviour to the common people, and urged it as an objection against him that he received sinners and ate with them. Our Saviour replied to their objection by supposing the case of a shepherd who, if he had lost a single sheep of his flock, would immediately leave all the rest that he might recover that one; and, having recovered it, would feel a greater degree of satisfaction than the possession of all the rest could bestow. After this comparison, our Lord descended to another yet more humble, which could have occurred to no person that was not more conversant with cottages than courts; the comparison of the poor woman that, on the recovery of one lost piece of silver, would be filled with a joy which she could not forbear inviting her neighbours to participate. From these familiar images Jesus Christ lifts our imagination at once to heaven itself; assuring us that, in a similar manner, "Joy shall be in heaven, joy among the angels of God, over one sinner that

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repenteth," and this a greater joy than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance.” In endeavouring to unfold this passage for our mutual advantage, I propose to consider, briefly, the four following subjects of inquiry; first, where we are to look for these ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance; secondly, why the event of one sinner's repentance should fill the angels with joy; thirdly, why this joy should be greater than that with which they contemplate so large a number of righteous persons; and, fourthly, why the seat of this should be placed in heaven; after which, in the last place, I shall conclude with a brief improvement.

1. The first point of inquiry is, Where are we to find these ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance? The forerunner of Jesus Christ came preaching the doctrine of repentance; and Jesus Christ himself repeated that doctrine, saying to all, Except ye repent, ye shall perish. When he sent forth his apostles, he taught them to circulate, wherever they went, the solemn admonition, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is come unto you. They constantly inculcated repentance as universally necessary: Now, said they, God commandeth all men every where to repent. Yet the text makes mention of ninety-nine persons who need no repentance. Where then are we to find these? Two solutions have been proposed; each in itself appears satisfactory, but each must be taken separately proceeding on different grounds, they are not capable of being combined.

First, the persons concerned have been supposed to be persons who have already repented. Divines are accustomed to divide all persons into three states of character,-as careless sinners, awakened penitents, or confirmed believers. The persons in question, who need no repentance, are supposed to have passed through the two former of these states of character, and to be now in the third: they are neither careless sinners, nor penitents newly awakened to a sense of guilt-they are confirmed believers; and they need no repentance, no entire change of their hearts, simply because they have already experienced it: as the apostle exhorts the Hebrews, they go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance. It is not intended to convey an idea that they have not daily sins to call for daily penitence, but merely that, having once been effectually convinced of sin, and converted to God by a true repentance, they may justly be said not to need that change any more. There is nothing unnatural or improper in this interpretation: there are many such persons, it is to be hoped, in every christian society; many who, having passed through that mysterious and vital process of divine influence on the soul, which we call repentance, cannot, strictly speaking, experience or require it a second time.

The other solution is, that Jesus Christ is here speaking hypothetically; that he makes a supposition, which has no existence in reality, merely for the sake of argument. No doubt many instances of such suppositions occur in the discourses

of our Saviour. It is a mode of statement which exactly concurs with another part of the parables contained in the same chapter: I refer to the character of the elder son. Is there any individual to be found, either in the christian profession, or in civil life, who exhibits the archetype of that elder son? any one to whom the Father could with propriety say, "Son, thou hast been always with me, and all that I have is thine?" I am aware that the conduct of the Pharisees has been generally considered to be represented by that of the elder son: this is true; yet it is evident the Pharisees are here represented not such as they really were, but such as they vainly imagined themselves to be. In strict reality, nothing could be more unlike than the original and the picture : our Saviour gave them credit for their pretensions to righteousness; but nothing could be more remote from the real character of those, before whom even the publicans and harlots would enter into the kingdom of heaven. After the same manner of speaking, it has been supposed, Jesus Christ here introduces the idea of ninety-nine righteous persons: no real persons were designed by the expression; he used it merely for the purpose of assailing the arrogant conclusions of the Pharisees respecting themselves: supposing them to be of such a faultless character, still, argues our Lord, the spectacle of one penitent sinner would inspire greater joy in the hearts of heavenly beings than the spectacle of ninety-nine such persons.

2. The second inquiry is, Why this spectacle

should have such an effect on heavenly beings, and particularly on angels? One might have thought it more probable that no event on earth, at least none in which one individual alone was concerned, would have any effect on beings of so elevated an order; that such an occurrence would not even be known in the celestial court; still less that it would occasion an increase of joy in those abodes of eternal blessedness. But revelation has withdrawn the veil from the invisible world, and opened a communication between earth and heaven. It exhibits to us a race of holy and glorious beings denominated angels; and these are represented as instruments employed in executing the divine purposes respecting man; they are Christ's angels; they take a deep concern in the success of his church, and the gathering in of his redeemed: Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to them that are heirs of salvation? In one passage, indeed, though somewhat obscure, the apostle Paul seems to insinuate that angels are invisibly present in the solemn assemblies of the faithful.* Though their interference in the affairs of the church is now silent and unperceived, there is no reason to suppose it to be withdrawn, or less real than when it used to be accompanied with the splendour of miraculous circumstances; any more than there is reason to believe those infernal spirits, against whose temptations we are so often warned, to be now no longer awake and active against us. Heavenly beings are witnesses of

* 1 Cor. xi. 10.