would, even in their fulness, first come in to the Christian church. And then shall the "deliverer come out of Zion, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob; and so all Israel shall be saved." But for their obstinacy and rebellion against God, and their rejection of the Messiah, the most fearful and exterminating judgments awaited them, which were now fast approaching, and of which our Saviour constantly admonished them.

Now observe the close of this chapter, where, still dwelling upon the mournful subject which so constantly occupied his mind, he says" I must walk to-day, and to-morrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem,

Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are 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!" And now hear his prophetic declaration. "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 Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the

say,

Lord."

But I must close. My lecture this evening has been unusually long. And you, my attentive audience, may be disappointed that I have advanced no farther in the exposition of our subject. In this I am indeed disappointed myself. Yet I do not see wherein our illustrations and remarks could have been advantageously contracted. We have considered it very important, and even necessary, to a full and correct understanding of the parable, to examine very carefully

its context, and the connexion in which it stands; that we may see what was the main drift and current of our Saviour's discourses, during this his last journey to Jerusalem. Among these discourses, all which appear to have a connected meaning and reference, is found the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.

The course adopted, and which we are pursuing, is calculated to lead to an enlightened, consistent, and correct understanding of this confessedly important and interesting parable, and which, we cannot but hope, will, to the patient and attentive hearer, be convincing and satisfactory.

It will have been observed also, that the course we have taken in these lectures, has led us to examine and illustrate many other passages of scripture, which has not, we trust, been wholly without interest and useful

ness.

We have now come to the 15th chapter of Luke, in which are related three successive and very instructing parables, which it will be proper briefly to notice in our next leeture; and then in the 16th chapter the noted one of the unjust steward, with which stands closely connected the parable which comprises our subject.

I shall, therefore, still expect your patient attention to one, or possibly two more lectures, to complete the course, in this important investigation. And may the light of divine wisdom shine upon our path, and cause us to know the truth, that it may make us free. And, O God, do thou sanctify us through thy truth-thy word is truth. Amen.

LECTURE VII.

LUKE xvi. 31.

"If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."

IN our last Lecture with the view to ascertain the true meaning of the parable of which the text is the close, we commenced an examination of all the public dis- courses of our Saviour, during his last journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. For this purpose we went as far back as the 9th chapter, where the commencement of this journey is noticed, and pursued our examination to the close of the 14th.

In the 15th chapter we find a continued account of our Saviour's teachings. At its commencement the Evangelist says, "Then drew near unto him, all the publicans and sinners for to hear him; and the pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them." He vindicated his conduct in this instance, by three successive parables; that of a lost sheep, a lost piece of silver, and the prodigal son; all concurring in the same design, to show that the whole race of mankind, Gentiles as well as Jews, belonged to God, and were the flock-the treasure-the family of the one great Shepherd, the proprietor and father of all; and that however seeming

.

ly, lost to him, for a time, yet that all should eventually be recovered and restored to their rightful owner ;and that it was his appointed business to seek and save the lost. The last of these, called the parable of the prodigal son, has reference to both the Jews and Gentiles, and to the divine dispensations and purposes in relation to them. The younger son, who is represented as leaving his father's house, going into a far country, wasting his substance, and by his extravagance and dissipation, coming to poverty and want, denotes the Gentile nations. The elder son, who remained with his father, and who was offended at the return, and the cordial reception of his brother, represents the Jews, and is particularly descriptive of their character and conduct.

This is the interpretation and reference which the commentator, Dr. Clarke, assigns to this parable. He says, "the younger profligate son may represent the Gentile world; and the elder son, who long served his father, denotes the Jewish people. The anger of the elder son, explains itself at once; it means the indignation evidenced by the, Jews, at the Gentiles being received into the favor of God, and made fellow heirs of the kingdom of heaven." And he further says, "the parable of the prodigal son may well represent the conversion of the Gentile world, in order that, in the fulness of time, both Jews and Gentiles may become one fold, under one shepherd and bishop of souls."

We come now to the 16th chapter. It will be seen by the manner in which it commences, that it is not a separate discourse, but a continuation of that which is

related in the chapter immediately preceding; for it begins thus :-" And He (Jesus) said also unto his disciples; " that is, in addition to what he had just been saying, and, as we shall see, upon the same leading subject, though with a still more especial and direct reference to the Jews. He said, "There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him, that he had wasted his goods." If we consider this parable attentively, we can hardly fail to discover what our Saviour intended to represent by it, and its peculiar suitableness in this place. He had just spoken the parable concerning a man having two sons; the younger of which, denoting the Gentiles, is said to have left his paternal home, and to have "wasted his substance with riotous living." For this, the elder son severely reflects upon him, and reproaches the father for showing him, on his return, too much lenity and kindness. This elder son, representing the Jews, claims further in a style of arrogant boasting, that he had constantly been obedient and dutiful, and had never at any time transgressed his father's commandment; and he complains that his faithful services had not been duly rewarded.

The parable we are now noticing, of the unjust steward, was evidently intended by our Saviour to be applied to the Jews; and in it we find their conduct as severely reprehended, as was that of the Gentiles in the preceding parable; whilst the like penitent confession and return is found wanting.

The circumstances, and the whole tenor of this discourse of our Saviour, justify us in considering the steward in the parable as representing the house of