1 MATTHEW. MARK.HU! LUKE. CHAP. XV. joyce with me, for I have found 11 And he faid, A certain man 12 And the younger of them faid to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided to them his living. 13 And not many days after, the younger fon gathered all together, and took his journy into a far country, and there wafted his fubftance with riotous living. 1 14 And when he had spent all, there arofe a mighty famin in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himfelf. to a citizen of that country; and he fent him into his fields to feed fwine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the fwine did eat, and no man gave to him. JOHN. and expect they should alfo teftify their gladness on that account, tho fhe difcover'd no unufual joy when fhe had the whole ten in fafety. Thus, in the like degree, do the Angels in Heaven exprefs their pleafure when they take notice of the recovery of but one Sinner from the error of his ways. the Afterwards he fpake this Parable to them: A certain man had two Sons; younger full of fire, and unmanageable, and eager to have at his own difpofal wherewith to fupport his Extravagance, and gratify to the full his fenfual Appetites, was never at reft till he had perfuaded his Father to divide his Eftate between them: Which the Father at laft complied with, tho without any injury to his eldest Son. The jolly Youth, having gain'd this point, and a few days after got his Equipage ready, went a travelling into a remote Country under pretence of merchandizing, where he quickly fquander'd away the intire Sum. Being thus by his Lufts reduc d to the utmost Beggary, and in a Country where that year the fcarcity of Corn was. next to a Famin, he was compel'd, that he might preferve himfelf from ftarving,to hire himself to one who daily imploy'd him in that vile drudgery of looking to his Swine. In 2 › CHA P. XV. 17 And when he came to himfelf, he faid, How many hired fervants of my fathers have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arife and go to my father, and will fay unto him, Father, I have finned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy fon: make me as one of thy hired fervants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father faw him, and had compaffion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kiffed him. 21 And the fon faid to him, Father, I have finned against heaven, and in thy fight, and am no more worthy to be called thy fon. 22 But the father faid to his fervants, Bring forth the beft robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. JOHN. In this Imployment he was fo feverely ftinted, that he had not the liberty of fatisfying his Hunger with the very Husks he gave the Swine. This exceffive Mifery brought him at laft to his right wits, and to this reflection; That his Father had many hired Servants who had Bread as much as they would eat, while he who was his Son, was ready to ftarve in the bafest Servitude imaginable. He refolves therefore to return home, and there intreat his Father to forgive him that offence he had committed against God and him, when out of a youthful confidence of his own Difcretion he prevail'd with him for his share of the Eftate, which he had fo wretchedly abus'd; owning himself unworthy to be call'd his Son, and defiring no greater favour than the allowance of the meanest of his Servants. Accordingly he undertook the journy, and being not far from the Houfe, his Father feeing him at a diftance in fo fad a condition, pitied him, and ran towards him, and embrac'd him with a very ardent affection. The young man now thorowly ftruck with fhame, cried out: Father, I have finned against Heaven and thee, and no more deferve to be accounted thy Son, ufe me as a hired Servant. But the Father, instead of the juft Reprimand his Son might have expected, commanded his Servants to bring out the best Apparel, to put a King on his Finger, and Shoes on his Feet. Then, faid he, let 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us ear and be merry. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was loft, and is found. And they began to be merry. 25 Now his elder fon was in the field and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard mufick and dancing. 26 And he called one of the fervants, and asked what these things meant. 27 And he faid unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him fafe and found. 28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. 29 And he answering, said to his father, Lo, thefe many years do I ferve thee, neither tranfgreffed I at any time thy commandment, and yet thou never gaveft me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: 30 But as foon as this thy fon was come, which hath devoured thy living wich harlots, thou haft killed for him the fatted calf. JOHN let us kill the fatted Calf, and fpend this day in Mirth and Gladnefs, fince this our Son who was as it were dead, is reftor'd to me. At which words the whole Family testified their joy on the occafion. It happen'd in the mean time that the elder Son, who had bin in the Country, was now returning home, and being at some distance from the House, he heard the Mufick and Dancing; and being inform'd by a Servant, whom he met accidentally, of the reafon of it, he was fill'd with anger against his Father, and would not go in, till he hearing of it, came out and earnestly, intreated him to rejoyce with them. This Son began to upbraid his Father with his unkindness to him, who had bin all along with him, and had conftantly obey'd him, reproaching him that whereas he had kill'd the fatted Calf, and made a great Feaft for the fake of his younger Brother, who had fquander'd away all his Patrimony in riotous and luxurious living, he had never bin fo liberal to him, nor allowed him to Zz enter entertain his Friends in fo fumptuous a manner. The Father then replied, that he had bin always at home, and had the ufe of his whole Eftate, to which he alfo was Heir; that therefore laying afide all Envy, he ought rather to rejoice at his Brother's return, who was fo ftrangely reftor'd to them, when given over by all as loft. In which Parable he plainly enough told the Pharifees, and others of the Jews, who fet up for a ftricter fort of Life, that they ought to be fo far from repining at his Friendship and Familiarity with Publicans and others of their ftamp, whofe Reputation was none of the beft, that they ought rather to rejoice at fo certain a token of their Repentance, as being delighted with his Difcourfes and Company, who injoin'd them a much stricter Courle of Life than formerly. CHA P. XLVI. A Similitude concerning the true ufe of Riches. The Pharifees reprov'd for their Covetousness. The Parable of the wealthy Glutton, and the Begger Lazarus, relating to it. ESUS afterwards fpoke many things concerning the true ufe of Riches, which ought to be imploy'd in relieving the neceflities of the Poor, and on this occafion faid unto them, A certain rich man had a Steward who was accus'd of wafting his Goods; upon which he fent for him, and order'd him to make up his accounts, and withal told him he had no further need of him. The Steward perceiving he fhould CHA P. XVI. 3 Then the steward faid with- 4 I am refolved what to do, 5 So he called every one of his lords debtors to him, and faid unto the first, How much oweft thou to my lord? 6 And he faid, A hundred measures of oil. And he faid unto him, Take thy bill, and fit down quickly, and write fifty. Then faid he to another, And how much owest thou? And he faid, A hundred measures of wheat. And he faid unto him, Take thy bill,and write fourfcore. 8 And the lord commended the unjuft fteward, because he had done wifely for the children of this world are in their generation wifer than the children of light. 9 And I fay unto you, Make to your felves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; JOHN. fhould be difmifs'd from his Imployment, began to confider how he might be able to fubfift, fince he had learned no Trade, and could not endure the thoughts of begging, or working for a Livelihood. To fecure himself a retreat therefore after being turn'd out of the Family, he calls feveral of his Lord's Debtors to him, and ask'd one how much he was indebted to his Lord, who replied, one hundred Meafures of Oil. Then, faid he, take thy Bill, and fet down fifty. Another being ask'd the fame queftion, and having anfwer'd that he ow'd a hundred Measures of Wheat, was directed to alter the Figures, and fet down eighty. Hereby he got himfelf the good will of his Mafter's Debtors. This being told his Lord, tho he did not approve the Fact, yet he could not forbear praifing the Steward's Craft, for having thus purchas'd Friends against a time of need out of another's ftock. The truth on't is, men who have addicted themfelves intirely to the bufinefs of this World, are more skill'd in the management of it, than the Jews, who have a divine Light to guide them, are in reference to things of another World. And I advife you, faid he, to get your felves Friends by means of thofe Goods which are very often unjustly acquir'd, |