fore him it is his usual way—and tempt him not to be disheartened with the first misfortune, but to go on to purfue the path of pleasure, which would not again lead to fo much difappointment. All fuch folicitations were in vain. The peni tent had not only happily taken his refolution; but was determined to go on. With trembling heart he proceeded: and came once more in view of his father's houfe, full of every tender and humiliating fentiment, which his father's often-experienced indulgence, and his own de testable unworthinefs, could infpire. HAVING thus accompanied the prodigal through all his folly, his extravagance, his fufferings, his good refolutions, and his happy repentance, let us now change the scene, and fee the father's behaviour on this tender occafion. What might the youth have expected from a father whom he had so justly provoked? If not the extreme of anger and displeasure, at least a degree of coldnefs and reproach. But how was the returning penitent mistaken! When he was yet a great way off, his father faw him and had compaffion, and ran, and fell on his neck and kissed him. What What can the penitence of a finner even wish for more than fuch kindness as this? And this is the return our heavenly Father makes to all, who with hearty repentance, and true faith, turn unto him. That gracious God, who, when our father and mother forfake us, taketh us up - fees our penitence -meets the returning finner dries our tears receives us again as his own children, and, forgetting all the past, restores us once more to himself. Thus God redeemed a loft world through the death of Christ; and thus, through the fame blessed atonement, he will redeem all his penitent children, who return to him with true faith, and a thorough change. of heart and life. LET us then confider - let us confider with religious attention, whenever we are apt to be misled by the baits of pleasure, this affecting ftory. I have applied it in general, to all; but let each of us bring it nearer home, and apply it to himself. Which of us is not, in fome fhape, a prodigal? We are all, in a greater or a less degree, inclined to leave our heavenly Father, and go in fearch after happiness among the follies of the world. When we feel ourselves thus inclined, inclined, let us remember the story we have juft heard what ignominy, difgrace, and fuffering, will certainly await us! All this distress might have been avoided, if we had obferved the paths of duty. Let us then always confider the protection of our heavenly Father as our only true home as the great fource of all our comfort our only refuge in every distress; and if we ever do wander from it, (as who is there who does not often get wrong?) let us take the earliest opportunity to retreat. But if we are ever fo unfortunate as entirely to leave it, let us in time, like the prodigal before us, think of returning, before the door is fhut against us. What en couragement has the finner to draw him to repentance! His converfation, we are told, occafions joy even among the bleffed inhabitants of heaven. His gracious Father, embracing him with the arms of mercy, receives him with those kind expreffions: This my fon was dead, and is alive again. While holy angels, taking up the strain, unite in harmony: This our brother was dead, and is alive again; he was loft, and is found. SERMON XI. MAT. XX. 8. SO WHEN EVEN was comE, THE LORD of the PENNY. RECEIVED Na late difcourfe I endeavoured to explain IN a the case of the thief on the cross, which hath induced many, it may be feared, to truft in a death-bed repentance. I fhall now confider another paffage of fcripture- the parable of the labourers hired into the vineyard; which may, perhaps, be misapplied in the fame mischievous way. VOL. IV. * See Vol. II. Serm. XXXV. L The The general fubftance of the parable, you will recollect, is this: -- A householder went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. Such as he found, he agreed with by the day, at the price of the country*. Some hours afterwards he went out again, and finding others unemployed, he fent them alfo into his vineyard; and even, at a very late hour, finding others who could get no work, he hired them alío. In the evening he paid all his workmen; and gave fuch as had wrought only one hour, the fame wages which he gave to those who had laboured through the day. "Now from this paffage (fays the man who wishes to find a cover for his fins) it is evident we are not tied up fo ftrictly, as many fuppofe, to the duties of religion: the gospel is more liberal. The labourers hired into their mafter's vineyard, we find, entered at different times, but *The penny was a Roman coin, current among the Jews it was worth about 7d. or 8d. of our money, and was the price of a day's labour in Judea. The good Samaritan therefore paid the hoft about one fhilling and fourpence in value; and as that fum would purchase much more than the fame fum now, it was fufficient for the purpose. .all |