his vicegerent upon earth, to maintain and promote his cause and religion in the world; and by his inward influences, to assist all Christ's faithful disciples in their endeavours after virtue and lastly, that Son of God's coming down again from heaven at the end of the world, to judge both the quick and the dead, according to their works done in the flesh; and to reward all good men with eternal life and happiness, and to punish all bad men in hell-fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels.

This now is the sum of those doctrines that were delivered by our Saviour: and as to all, and every one of them, I ask, whether they be not truly practical doctrines? Whether the whole scope and design of them be not to make men good? Nay, lastly, whether in these doctrines there be not a more powerful, a more effectual method laid down for the reforming human nature, and obliging the whole world to forsake their sins, and to lead holy and virtuous lives, than was ever taught before, nay, or than was possible to have been contrived by all the discernment of mankind?

[ARCHBISHOP SHARP.]

SERMON XXXII.

SEPTUAGESIMA.

LABOURERS HIRED.

ST. MATT. XX. 1-16.- -The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard, And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market-place. And said unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, I will give you.' And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the Lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came, that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the good man of the house, saying, These

last have wrought but one hour; and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.' But he answered one of them, and said,Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good ?' So the last shall be first, and the first last; for many be called, but few chosen.

[Text taken from the Gospel for the Day.]

THIS parable, in its primary sense, vindicates the freedom of God's grace, in communicating to the Gentile the knowledge of that Gospel, which the Jews had contemptuously rejected. In considering this portion of Scripture in more immediate reference to ourselves, let us advert, first, to the hiring of the labourers; and secondly, to the circumstances of their reward.

I. 1. The first and most obvious consideration which this parable suggests relative to the hiring of the labourers, is a testimony to the gratuitous mercy of God. In no period of the world, hath he left himself without witness: the various calls, with which he hath favoured progressive ages, abundantly testify his anxiety to reclaim the children of a sinful and fallen progenitor. The forfeit of Paradise is,consoled by the promise of a great Restorer. This future blessing is more clearly developed in successive revelations to the Patriarchs, who, in various circumstances of their lives, prefigured the announced Redeemer. That the hope of Israel might be preserved pure and uncontaminated from idolatrous nations, Moses conducts forth a chosen people from the servitude of Egypt; and is commissioned to deliver to them a covenant, whose rites and ceremonies might lead all true Israelites to the circumcision of the heart, and to the expectation of a more efficacious sacrifice. This spirit of faith is cherished by a succession of Prophets,, who, at divers times, and in divers parcels, fortel some new particular relative to the birth and office of the Messiah. In the fulness of time, the Desire of Nations becomes incarnate: he first addresses himself to his brethren in the flesh; and, on the eve of his ascension, enjoins his disciples to direct their first labours to the same benevolent purpose. These gradual communications of the divine will, commencing with the fall of man, and extending to the preaching of Christ, and of his immediate Apostles, are the calls, by which God, at the third, and sixth, and ninth hours, refreshed and maintained the confidence of Israel. But the eleventh hour at last arrives: the ingratitude of the Jews

has fatigued the forbearance of God; and the Gentiles are brought from the outer court into the innermost recesses of the Temple. In thus contemplating ourselves transferred from darkness into light, we may well adapt to our unexpected joy the grateful language of David: "O give thanks unto the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever.' Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of their spiritual enemy; and gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south. The Gentiles were wandering in the wilderness of sin, in a solitary way they found no city of hope or refuge, to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their souls fainted in them: then did God deliver them out of their spiritual distresses: he led them forth by the right way of eternal truth, that they might go to a city of habitation, even the heavenly Jerusalem, whose walls are salvation, and whose bulwarks are everlasting redemption.

I. 2. If Christians be represented under the emblems of labourers, we are, thereby admonished to distinguish ourselves by spiritual industry. The Church is the vineyard of God; he weeds it, prunes it, fences it, waters it; and the fruits of it must redound to his honour. Each separate vine in this sacred plantation may figuratively denote the soul of each of us individually. That soul must be pruned of worldly luxuriances, and fenced against the incursion of evil passions. This necessary exertion requires labourers, not loiterers; and will not admit of trifling. Man is sentenced to labour, by the law of his creation: the sinner must labour from motives of penitence; the saint, that he dishonour not his holy adoption. Throughout the whole of the New Testament, the Christian's life is described under the images of strenuous exertion: he carries on a warfare; he runs a race; he strives to enter in at a strait gate. In every station, whether public or private, we are summoned to do our utmost to promote the glory of God, and the happiness of mankind: with so many claims upon our industry, why stand we all the day idle?'

I. 3. But when does this necessary industry of the labourers truly and properly commence? Then only, when the market. place is exchanged for the vineyard of God. The marketplace is the scene of noise and concourse; but Christians must not follow the multitude to do evil. The market-place is

crowded with those, who are pursuing the lucre of fraud and covetousness: Christians must forsake all, and follow Christ. The market-place is where children are piping and dancing in frivolous amusement: Christians are called from vanity to serious and devout reflection. The question, therefore, Why stand ye idle,' significantly implies, that we are classed among the indolent, until we have been hired into the vineyard of God, and have framed our hearts by the commandment of the celestial Householder. The soul of man stands ready to be hired into some service or other; and is either a servant to iniquity, or a servant to righteousness. A sinful state, though a state of drudgery, may really be termed a state of idleness; since all the toil which is incident upon the gratification of evil passions, is not that honourable labour, which we are appointed to undergo. Whatever will be of no avail to us in the final day of judgement, has not been done to any useful purpose; and will therefore be reprobated by the one great Householder, as a very aggravated species of spiritual sloth.

I. 4. But allowing that the labour in the vineyard does not commence, until we are actually hired; are we not at liberty to consult our own ease, by not presenting ourselves in the market-place before the eleventh hour? Our reward will be equal, and our fatigue less.-That the Householder should have hired servants at the eleventh hour, is a great consolation to such of us, as have hitherto neglected the business of God: but to strain the parable too far, will convert encouragement into condemnation. To imagine that one common reward awaits us all, without reference either to our characters, or to our zeal in the improvement of opportunities, is to contradict the very purport of that final day, in which every man is to receive according to his works. The Gentiles came in, at the eleventh hour, inasmuch as Christ had not sooner been manifested unto them. But if we have been insensible to the summons at the third or sixth hour, we cannot allege in our defence, that no man hath hired us:' and it is insolent presumption to expect, that the call will be repeated at the ninth, much less at the eleventh. And, therefore, that all may be awakened, and that none may be discouraged, let us remember that now is the accepted time;' and that if we are really anxious for salvation, we must hear the voice of God, while it is called to-day. God is not bound to receive us, at what hour, or

upon what terms we please. A conscience, struggling against its own convictions; obstinate impenitence; and wilful sloth; can have no claim to the indulgencies, which a God of mercy may be disposed to bestow upon unavoidable hindrances, and upon unhappy ignorance. Of all experiments with God's grace, none are more hazardous than a death-bed repentance. The inscription over the gate of mercy, is Knock, and it shall be opened but shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.' Life is precarious; and it is madness to procrastinate, while we are ignorant at what unexpected moment the door may be closed by death, and we be thereby abandoned to everlasting lamentation and to eternal despair.

Such seem to be the chief topics of Christian instruction, connected with the hiring of the labourers: let us proceed, in the last division, to consider the nature of the reward.

II. 1. If those that are hired, are, by the very nature of their compact, subjected to toil; is it of that duration, to which their powers are inadequate? No: they are hired but for a day. The work is but for a day; but the reward is for eternity. It is this consideration which will sweeten labour, alleviate toil, and be as a shadow in the heat and burden of the meridian sun. The utter disproportion between the task and the recompense, animated St. Paul under the pressure of afflic tions, from which we are happily exempted: Our light afflic tion,' saith the Apostle, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen, are temporal; but the things which are not seen, are eternal.' [2 Cor. iv. 7.] But if our labour be thus limited to a day, how vigilant should be our care, lest the hours, insensibly eluding our attention, bring on evening, before our allotted husbandry · be completed. The night is coming,' said our Lord, upon another occasion, when no man can work: walk, while ye have the light.' The short period of a day will soon be brought to a close: and if our work be undone, the negligence is irreparable. Let us tremble at the fate of those sluggards, who are standing on the brink of rendering up their existence, without having learned the purposes for which it was bestowed.

II. 2. The parable suggests a second circumstance, relative to the nature of our reward,-that it will be regulated by the