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DIVINITY SCHOOL
TROWBRIDGE LIBRARY

THE PARABLES OF OUR LORD

THE PARABLES OF
OUR LORD

INTERPRETED IN VIEW OF THEIR
RELATIONS TO EACH OTHER

BY
HENRY CALDERWOOD, LL.D.
PROFESSOR OF MORAL PHILOSOPHY, UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

HonDon
MACMILLAN & CO.
1880

FXB4-

ffitinfaitaft Knitasits $resss :
I. AND A. CONSTABLE, PEXNTERS TO HER MAJESTY.

TO
THE BEY. JAMES BUCHANAN,
THE ELDEBS, SLiNAGEES, AND MEMBEBS ui!
GBEYFRLABS' UNITED PBESBYTEEIAN CHUBCH, GLASGOW,
l^his eHrrtk is gfiicaitb
BY THE AUTHOB,
IX TOKEN OF AFFECTIONATE INTEREST
IX HIS ONLY CHAEGE
IN THE MINISTRY OF THE WOED.

PREFACE.
The aim of the present work is to present an
exposition of the Parables of our Lord for popular
use, not a critical commentary on the Sacred
Text. The special feature in the design is an
attempt to ascertain the relations of the Parables
to each other. Contemplated as "The Parables
of the Kingdom " of Grace, they are regarded as
a unity, — a Eevelation •\vithin the Revelation of
God. This conception of the unity of parabolic
teaching in the Gospels has determined the
grouping of them, and also the interpretation of
each parable in its order.
The acknowledged eminent ability of existing
works on the Parables of our Lord has led me
through many years to shrink from publication
of materials long accumulated, and used in a
variety of ways. The special plan here adopted

viii Preface.
has, however, encouraged the belief that many
whose delight it is to " search the Scriptures,"
according to our Lord's counsel, may find some
aid in their study of a peculiarly attractive
feature in the structure of God's Word. At the
same time, in preparation of these pages, I have
never been without the consciousness of a measure
of unfitness for the self-imposed task, acknow
ledgment of which should here be made. For
adequate treatment of the Parables, the artist's
eye and the poet's fancy are both needful, and
neither belongs to the writer. The lofty imagi
nation of such writers as Jeremy Taylor and
John Howe, Richard C. Trench and James
Hamilton, Thomas Guthrie and William Arnot,
had much service to render in the work of Bible
exposition. No addition to such service is here
contemplated. But the Parables present, besides,
a most attractive subject for analytic treatment.
This attraction has afforded me unabating interest
in their study, and has induced me to attempt
a single contribution to the great work of Bible
exposition. The necessity for giving the first place to the

Preface. ix
duties of a Philosophical Chair has led to long
delay in the promised publication of these pages.
They appear now as reminiscences not only of
Wednesday Evening Meetings in Greyfriars'
United Presbyterian Church, Glasgow, but also
of Sabbath Evening Meetings in Morningside,
Edinburgh ; while some part of the expositions
was published several years ago in the pages of
the Family Treasury, from the press of Messrs.
T. and ^f. Nelson, Edinburgh. H. C.
EDrNBUEGH, 11th April 1880.

CONTENTS.

PAGK
PREFACE, . .... vii

CHAPTER I.
The Uses of the Parables, CHAPTER II.
The Relations of the Parables, .

liinsiuit 1.
MAN'S ENTRANCE INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
CHAPTER III.
SALVATION OF THE LOST.
Search foe the Wandeeee— The Lost Sheep (Luke xv. 1-7), . 18
CHAPTER IV.
THE VALUE OF THE LOST ONE.
The Lost Piece of Money (Luke xv. 8-10), . • 32
CHAPTER V.
WELCOME TO THE RETURNING.
The Prodigal Son (Luke xv. 11-32), . . . .48

xii Contents.

CHAPTER VI.

CONFESSION AND SUPPLICATION OF THE
PENITENT ONE.

PAGE

The Pharisee and Publican (Luke xviii. 9-14), . 81

gibijsimt II.
THE PRIVILEGES AND DUTIES OP GOD'S KINGDOM.
CHAPTER VII.
STORES OF BLESSING WITHIN THE KINGDOM.
The Great Feast (Luke xiv. 16-24),
CHAPTER VIII.
UNION WITH THE SON IN THE FAVOUR OF THE
FATHER.
The Royal Marriage Feast (Matt.; xxii. 1-14), . 115
CHAPTER IX.
THE PRIVILEGE OF ASKING FOR OTHERS FROM
GOD'S STORES.
The Friend at Midnight (Luke xi. 5-8), . . 135
CHAPTER X.
ENCOURAGEMENT TO PERSEVERANCE IN ASKING.
The Importunate Widow- (Luke xviii. 1-8), . 147

Contents. xiii

CHAPTER XI.
THE SERVICE OF THE KING. AGE
The Two Sons (Matt. xxi. 38-32), 163

CHAPTER XII.
SERVICE TO GOD IN SERVICE TO OUR NEIGHBOURS.
The Good Samaritan (Luke x. 25-37), 175

Bibistort III.

RELATIONS OF GOD'S KINGDOM TO THE PRESENT
STATE OF THE WORLD.
CHAPTER XIII.
SOWING OF GOSPEL TRUTH FOR AWAKENING OF
SPIRITUAL LIFE.
The Sower (Matt. xiii. 3-9), . 187
CHAPTER XIV.
PROPAGATION OF A GODLESS LIFE IN THE WORLD.
The Tares (Matt. xiii. 24-30), . . 199

CHAPTER XV.
THE BENEFICENT INFLUENCE OF GOD'S KINGDOM
IN THIS WORLD.
The Mustard Seed (Matt. xiii. 31, 32), . . 214

xiv Contents.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE ASSIMILATING POWER OF GOSPEL TRUTH. PAGE
The Leaven (Matt. xiii. 33), . . 224
CHAPTER XVII.
THE EXCEEDING VALUE OF SPIRITUAL GOOD FOUND
IN GOD'S KINGDOM.
Hid Treasure (Matt. xiii. 44), . . . .234
CHAPTER XVIII.
WISDOM IN SEEKING AND DISTRIBUTING SPIRITUAL
GOOD.
The Merchantman (Matt. xiii. 45, 46), . . 246
CHAPTER. XIX.
GATHERING OF GOOD AND BAD WITHIN THE KINGDOM.
The Net (Matt. xiii. 47-50), ... . . 256
CHAPTER XX.
WISE USE OF THIS WORLD'S POSSESSIONS. '
The Unfaithful Steward (Luke xvi. 1-10), . . .266
CHAPTER XXI.
WORK AND WAGES IN GOD'S SERVICE.
The Labourers in the Vineyard (Matt. xx. 1-16), 291
CHAPTER XXII.
UNFAITHFUL OFFICE-BEARERS IN GOD'S KINGDOM.
The Wicked Husbandmen (Matt. xxi. 33-44 ; .Mark xii. 1-12 •
Luke xx. 9-18), ... ,-,-

Contents. xv

JHbisicut II.
RELATIONS OF GOD'S KINGDOM TO THE FUTURE
STATE OF EXISTENCE.

introductory. PAGE
TBE CONNECTING LINES OF TWO WORLDS, 340

CHAPTER XXIII.
CONTRASTS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE PRESENT AND
FUTURE STATES.
The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke xvi. 19-31), 347

CHAPTER XXIV.
CHRIST'S COMING, THE TEST OF, CHRISTIAN
PROFESSION.
The Ten Virgins (Matt. xxv. 1-13), . 383

CHAPTER XXV.
DIFFERENT TALENTS YIELDING EQUAL REWARDS.
The Talents (Matt. xxv. 14-30), . . 404
CHAPTER XXVI.
EQ UALITY OF GIFTS WITH DIVERSITY OF RESULTS.
The Pounds (Luke xix. 12-27), • • .427

CHAPTEE L
THE USES OF THE PARABLES.
The first impression made by our Lord's parables
was unfavourable. Even His disciples wondered at
them, being perplexed as to the reason for employing
this mode of address. The wonder and perplexity have
not been continued in later times. There is a complete
contrast between the view taken in modern times of
the value of the parables of our Lord, and that taken
by the audiences to which they were first delivered.
Even those who are averse to accept Bible teaching
have an admiration of these Gospel parables. To the
great majority of Bible readers they are amongst the
most attractive features of the written revelation; to
those who heard them they were the most perplexing
parts of Christ's discourses. To us they are as "the
green pastures by the still waters ;" to them they were
as stumbling-blocks and barriers lying across the path
to the pasture-ground.
Mere contrast of position does not account for this.
Difference of position may go far to explain diversity
of view as to the words of forewarning bearing on the
violent death which Jesus expected. It goes only a
/ little way to account for the contrast of thought and

2 The Uses of the Parables.
feeling as to the parables. The main part of the
explanation lies in the nature of the parable. Teaching
in parabolie form perplexes at first. The parable has a
dark side and a bright, giving it power to confuse and
power to instruct. These contrary features belong to
the very nature of parabolic teaching. Another thing
is to be observed : the dark side is always seen first; and
accordingly the confusing power is first experienced.
On this account it happened that the disciples were
surprised, and almost offended, at the frequent use of
parables in the public discourses of their Lord. Coming,
as these parables often did, in rapid succession, without
the slightest expository remark, and giving strangely
different views of " the kingdom of God," there is little
wonder that the perplexity of mind was great before
a discourse was finished. We have in the completed
Bible a key which easily opens the door leading to
the inner chamber of truth. It is therefore difficult
for us to imagine how great was the puzzle for those
who gathered about the door exercising their ingenuity
in the attempt to effect an entrance. Those who had
an eager desire to understand, were constrained to close
around the Great Teacher, when He had finished,
exclaiming, " Declare unto us the parable." Make it
clear ! If, however, the dark side is seen first, it is no
less certain' that when the brightness is once seen, the
darkness permanently disappears. The dark side alone
may be turned towards many beholders, but when
any are led to the position where the brightness breaks
upon the view, there is thenceforth nothing but bright
ness perceptible. Each parable is a deeply-shaded
picture, on which the full sunshine must fall before it
can be rightly seen and appreciated. When the dis-

The Uses of the Parables. 3
ciples were alone with the Lord, He threw fresh light
on the scene. Immediately a new wonder displaced
the old, as they saw His meaning. From that day till
this it has been recognised that the Parable, when laid
open to view, affords an illustration at once fresh and
suggestive of some selected doctrine of grace. In our
Lord's Parables the cross-lights of many analogies play
freely over the wide region of revealed truth. Like
the stars glistening in the sky, these parables in the
firmament of Eevelation are hung over our world as it
lies in the darkness of sin, guiding the thoughts of
men heavenward.
Even in the hands of our Lord Himself, the parable
could not lose its double character. It could not fail
to exert a twofold influence. As parable, it must be
at once dark and bright ; in its effects it must be both
beclouding and enlightening. The Divine Teacher
meant that it should be so. He selected the parabolic
form of address, notwithstanding the risk of perplexing
some while instructing others; in part also, because it was
capable of producing this double effect. His disciples
were surprised at the use of a form of discourse fitted
in any degree to confound. Hence the inquiry which
came hurriedly from their lips when the audience had
dispersed — " Why speakest Thou unto them in parables?"
This question He did not answer by referring to the
poverty of ordinary language, or the insufficiency of
more simple forms of illustration. He said distinctly
that He meant both to puzzle and to instruct. There
can be little doubt that this answer occasioned increased
perplexity for a time. Their Lord intended to hide the
truth so that men should need to search about for it. >
He meant in a way to bury the truth, so that men should1.

4 The Uses of the Parables.
need to dig under the surface for it. He was not
making His teaching as clear and simple as He might
have done, but was even taking pains to wrap it
in a covering fitted so far to conceal it. To the
"why" of the disciples, this was the Lord's answer —
"Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of
the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given."
In this reply there is a double reason, harmonising
with the double nature of the parable. There is a
" because " which applies to the light in a parable, and a
"because" which refers to the darkness in it. 'Why speak
I in parables ? (1.) Why speak thus to you ? Because
unto you it is given in these parables, and by their aid,
to understand the mysteries of the kingdom, — the things
of grace long hidden from men. Being first puzzled,
you will be the better taught. But do ye ask, (2.) Why
do I speak unto them in parables ? Because unto them
it is not given to understand the mysteries of the
kingdom. These parables, revealing the mysteries to
some, really conceal the things of the kingdom from
others.' The teaching of the Saviour wears this para
bolic form, that it may carry in it reward to the inquiring
and penalty to the uninquiring. And if both reward
and penalty are carried in the one utterance, the result
in each case agrees with the moral condition of those
who hear or read. To those who are seeking light,
light is given. To those who do not value and do not
seek the light, darkness not only remains, but is
deepened. The Parables as set in the Gospels are
illustrations of the great principle determining the
distribution of spiritual good. "Ask, and ye shall
receive ; seek, and ye shall find." The true spirit of
inquiry is a prayer for light. Ask that, and light

The Uses of the Parables. 5
will straightway fall softly on the eyes, discovering
beauty and grandeur around and above. Ask it not
— come to the source of it, and yet account it not worth
asking — and thou shalt continue groping in the dark ;
thou shalt be even more uncertain as to truth than
before. "Therefore speak I to them in parables:
because they seeing, see not; and hearing, they hear
not; neither do they understand" (Matt. xiii. 13). Or
still more solemnly, even awfully (Mark iv. 12) —
"That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and
hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at
any time they should be converted, and their sins should
be forgiven them."
There is something testing, we may say even trying,
to us in the reception of this explanation. We our
selves may have gladly received the teaching of Christ,
enjoying that discovery of light before which darkness
flies away. Still, we are left asking, Why should
others be taught in such a way as to keep them in
darkness? Why should the darkness be deepened,
occasioning to them increased perplexity ? Why should
" the Word " — the Eevealer of the Father — the Great
Teacher of truth — open His mouth in parables to hide
His meaning?
Seeking an answer, we are reminded that there are
moral conditions necessary for the understanding and
reception of the truth. There is personal responsibility
in this matter. A reference to this affords a fuller ex
planation of the uses of the parables. Amongst our
Lord's hearers there were some who craved to be in
structed, but there were many more who had no such
longing. Some acknowledged their need, and looked
to Him for help ; others felt no need, and would make

6 The Uses of the Parables.
no appeal for enlightenment. No hearers were left to
appeal in vain to this Teacher. But, as certainly, those
who rejected His teaching found in His words a witness
against them. Both results flow directly from the
frame of mind which hearers cherish. In the parables,
then, there is lying hid a reward for inquiry; while,
^-perhaps more conspicuously, because on their surface,
"there is the punishment of indifference to the message
they bear. These parables are ever repeating the
Saviour's warning, " Take heed how ye hear."
There is mercy, however, mingled with judgment in
the use of this instrument of teaching. The parable is
a picture so far telling its own story. Men seeing the
story in the picture become attracted. If only they trace
the lesson through the story, the truth becomes more
clear and impressive. If they look at the picture and do
not detect its story, the picture may indeed darken their
eyes to the truth, and send them away thinking of
nothing higher than the figures on the canvas, the
colouring, and the artistic effects. As often happens
with Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, the incidents of the
story awaken interest, but the embodied truth escapes
observation, and for the time vanishes like the breath
of a speaker. And yet a picture will live in the
imagination — a story will be brought forth again by the
memory, when the simplest, most direct teaching lies
unstirred. How effectually, for example, has the
parable of the Prodigal Son preached in this way !
Thus mercy appears in the use of parables, even though
for a while they place truth under a covering. The
story, so simple and natural, not understood at first,
—possibly misunderstood, — coming again before the
mind, a flood of light then falls upon it, discovering a

The Uses of the Parables. 7
significance unseen before. Then truth enters, hand
in hand with the story, to find a welcome and an
abiding place within the mind. "The eyes of the
understanding being enlightened," God has become the
teacher of the soul.
Such use of parabolic forms as a covering for truth
is in perfect analogy with the ordinary moral govern
ment of God. The lives of men are full of parables.
God is ever teaching us by experience. This is what
we mean by the lessons of Divine Providence. One
sees an incident, and solemnly reads the lesson. One,
less inclined to be instructed, observes the incident, but
perceives no lesson, and the event is allowed to pass.
God does not interpret His providences. The lesson
comes under the garb of incident. To some the writing
is invisible, to others it is conspicuous as the largest
letters. To one there is no voice, to another the still
small voice of God is distinctly audible — now sweetly
attractive as the Sabbath bell, anon solemn as the bell
swaying amid the heaving billows. Death enters a
household, and the warning is given, " Be ye also ready."
The sufferings of a profligate attract notice, and a voice
is heard saying, " The way of transgressors is hard." A
good man is suspected, his good name seems lost, but
by and by his reputation is vindicated. The assurance
is confirmed, " He shall bring forth thy righteousness
as the light." " Superstition," says one ; " Mere fancy,"
says another; while many pass heedlessly by, having
neither time nor disposition to inquire whether the
interpretation is wise or foolish. It fares with the
lessons of Providence as with the parables of Scripture.
The explanation, in part at least, is that the lessons of
Providence are parables. Something of this there must

8 The Uses of the Parables.
be, indeed, in connection with all teaching, whatever
its form or matter. Teaching implies learning, and
this requires attention and labour. Some means of in
struction there must be in order to convey truth;
and these means must be carefully used, that truth
may be received. Those who would know anything
must at least open their eyes, and direct their observa
tion. For the secrets of nature, we must search beneath
the surface of things. Those who would understand
Eevelation must " search the Scriptures." The parables
present no exception to the common demand. They
are a touchstone for the inquiring spirit. They become
lamps for the path in the hands of those who diligently
search for truth.

CHAPTEE II.
THE RELATIONS OF THE PARABLES.
Occasional and cursory perusal of Scripture is apt
to induce a reader to regard the parables merely as
pictures on the page. It is as if the Divine hand
had illuminated the pages of the Holy Bible. These
parables are the illustrations relieving and adorning
the Book. But such portions of Scripture are not
merely ornamental borders accompanying the text.
Each one of them infolds a portion of Gospel truth.
When the illustration is fully appreciated, the exceed
ing value of the truth becomes more apparent. By
its very nature, and in accordance with the Saviour's
design, as we have seen, the parable primarily conceals
the truth, but ultimately discovers it more clearly in
full relief. The story selected from ordinary scenes of
life affords a setting in striking harmony with the truth
in the midst of it, and with the requirements of the
eye gazing upon it. The observer must, however,
linger long over the scene in order to appreciate what
has been depicted.
A further subject requiring attention prior to an
examination of the parables themselves, is the relations
of the parables to each other. These stories did not

io The Relations of the Parables.
come from the lips of the Saviour casually according
to the suggestions of passing events. There is a
method discoverable in them. They were presented in
relations deliberately chosen by the Great Teacher.
They very commonly appear in groups throughout the
Gospels, and are recorded as if uttered consecutively.
Simply taking this fact, patent on the surface of the
narratives, and without any minute criticism of the
text, we may satisfy ourselves of the reality of close
and important relations subsisting between the parables.
They were presented on a definite plan, thereby making
a consistent whole. They appear as a gallery of pic
tures, giving in successive views the grand outlines of
truth which Jesus otherwise presented in more formal
discourse. The pictures may be hung on a variety of
plans, considerably varying the relative effects, but the
general result will be the same. The gallery is com
plete, and in any case, the general effect is secured.
Take, for example, the parables in the fifteenth
chapter of Luke's Gospel. The chapter contains three
parables, which are three pictures of the same truth.
Each is so different from the other two as to present
quite a distinct phase of the truth ; while their rela
tion is so close that all three are needed to give a full
view. The parables are, the Lost Sheep, the Lost Piece
of Money, and the Prodigal Son. When these three
are taken together, they present for all times the
answer to these questions, Why does God receive
sinners ? and, How does God receive them ? The
source of salvation for guilty men is depicted in a
wonderful way in these three pictures. The plan of
salvation is sketched with sharpness of outline and
minuteness of detail not often found concentrated in a

The Relations of the Parables. 1 1
single passage. Of a formally didactic kind, the third
chapter of John's Gospel comes most closely into com
parison with this fifteenth chapter of Luke. To these
two the inquiring student of the Christian revelation
may well turn. Upon these two the faith of Christian
men will rest with increasing satisfaction while the
Bible continues their guide in studying the Divine
plan of salvation.
Taking first these three parables in the single chapter
of Luke's Gospel, it is clear that they are essentially
connected with each other. Each one of the three is
the complement of the others./ Take any one of the
three from its place, and an important part of the
Divine revelation is withheld. Like a triple picture
representing dawn, noon, and night, which artists de
light to present in a single frame, these parables' must
hang together before the eye, else the effect is lessened.
Inquire as to the source of human salvation, Why
does God bring salvation to the guilty ? Each of these
parables supplies an answer. Each answer is distinct
from the other two, yet harmonises with them, and
manifestly supplements what is given in the others.
There is thus a threefold answer. Look on this picture
of a shepherd following on the track of a wandering
sheep. Look next on the sketch of a woman searching
eagerly for a piece of silver lost in her dwelling. Look
again on that household full of rejoicing over the return
of a prodigal son. These are the three answers ; and
the three are one. What is the source of human sal
vation? It is Divine Love. But the answer cannot
be reduced to simple unity, for one picture would not
suffice to convey an adequate representation. Divine
love toward sinners is a love which seeks every wan-

1 2 The Relations of the Parables.
derer, and the scene in shepherd life will admirably
convey this aspect of the truth, while harmonising with
what is otherwise recorded in the tenth chapter of
John's Gospel — a discourse in which Jesus spoke of
Himself as the Shepherd of the flock. Again, Divine
love towards sinners is a love which values the lost
one, however the worth of the soul be obscured by the
corruption into which it has fallen. A woman's search
for a lost coin will suitably depict the wonderful truth.
And yet again, Divine love towards sinners is a love
which welcomes with joy every returning wanderer
who comes to seek pardon. The scene which brings
out a father's joy in receiving as from the dead a long-
lost son, will vividly portray this great reality, so
far as pictorial representation can. A Divine love
which searches for the lost, and which rejoices in
their recovery, is the love which has provided salva
tion for men. Eemove any one of these parables,
and the representation of the grand truth is glaringly
incomplete. But these parables not only teach that salvation is
altogether of love ; they also strikingly present to view
the manner in which Divine love brings salvation to
the lost. As before, each parable gives a separate
answer, and all three answers are required that the
reply may be complete. Dogmatically it may be
simply affirmed that love is the source of all, but pic-
toriaUy this cannot be brought out without at the same
time showing how love works to the accomplishment of
its end. Look first on the scene in pastoral life. The
shepherd appears toiling and suffering in his pursuit of
the wanderer until he finds it, when he lays it on his
shoulders and bears it back to the fold in triumph.

The Relations of the Parables. 1 3
This scene is one part of the answer. As the shepherd
searches for lost sheep, so does God seek for sinners.
But this is only a partial statement, for pastoral life
cannot represent the whole truth. Look, then, on this
other picture, which is in character " an interior view."
A woman with lighted candle sweeps her house as she
searches for a lost piece of money. The indications of
suffering in the former view disappear, but new aspects
come into view, specially the disturbing process in the
search, and the need for having light to play strongly
on the scene. God causes a heavenly light to fall on
those lost in darkness. Nor is this enough. Some
thing more nearly approaching the great reality is
wanted — something which will supply at once what is
darker in the lost state, and what is brighter in the
saved state — something penetrating more completely to
the heart of human relations. And all this is provided
in the matchless parable of the Prodigal Son. Match
less beyond doubt it is ; and yet, had this been the
only representation of the manner in which God brings
salvation to men, parabolic teaching on the subject
would have been incomplete. Still more incomplete,
however, would that teaching be if the other two
stood alone without this wonderful accompaniment.
God loves a repenting sinner as a father loves and
welcomes a returning son.
Having thus found a threefold answer to the ques
tion, How does God bring salvation to men ? we may
compare this answer with what is said on the subject
in other portions of Scripture. Take, for example, the
third chapter of John's Gospel, to which allusion has
already been made. There we find a reference to the
Spirit's part, the Son's part, and the Father's part in

14 The Relations of the Parables.
the plan of salvation. Men are to be saved by being
"born of the Spirit," — " drawn" to the Son, who has
been "lifted up" on the cross for them,— and they are
blessed in the experience of the forgiving mercy and
gracious love of the Father manifested through the
Son. Just so is it that the threefold aspect of the
plan appears parabolically in the fifteenth chapter of
Luke's Gospel. That the Shepherd is the Son, and
that the invisible Spirit kindles the light of truth for
the discovery of the lost soul in its darkness and pol
lution, and that the father of the returning prodigal
represents the Divine Father, will be admitted as
essential to the interpretation of the parables. If
these things be plain, the relation of the three parables
is not only intimate, but necessary for completeness of
representation. Similar evidences of close relationship between suc
cessive parables can be traced in other passages. For
example, in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew's Gospel,
;here is a series of parables representing the spiritual
Kingdom in its relations to the world as a whole. First
in this series stands the parable of the Sower, illustrat
ing the fact tha^t in some cases the truth produces no
result, in others only a temporary result, and in some
a permanent result. Next comes the parable of the
Tares, illustrating the sad reality that evil is also broad
cast over the world, taking root and flourishing alongside
the good seed of the Word. Thereafter, we have the
parable of the Mustard Seed growing up till it becomes
a great tree, representing the spiritual kingdom as a
whole, and the outward benefits obtained by its pre
sence in the world. And, finally, we have the parable
of the Leaven, representing the hidden but constant

The Relations of the Parables. 1 5
influence of spiritual truth, silently subduing the world
to itself. That a very close relation subsists between
these parables is a fact so obvious that it need not be
insisted upon.
The examples of relationship now adduced may
suffice to show that the parables of Scripture have
been constructed and set in position upon a definite
plan, such as may fairly warrant us in seeking here a
systematic revelation of Gospel truth, even apart from
other portions of Scripture. Any scheme of arrange
ment will leave unaffected the interpretation of sepa
rate parables, and yet order may throw additional light
upon their value as portions of Eevelation.
If, then, a plan of arrangement is to be not merely
fanciful, but evidently reasonable, it becomes important
that we discover some central point of connection —
some key to the system. And such a key we seem to
have in the introductory form, explanatory of their
reference, so frequently found preceding the parables.
In Matthew's Gospel this form is commonly, "The
kingdom of heaven is like unto;'' in the Gospels of
Mark and Luke the designation is, " The kingdom of
God," and the introductory form at times assumes the
character of a question, thus, "Whereunto shall we
liken the kingdom of God ; or, with what comparison
shall we compare it ?" This introductory reference is
not by any means invariable ; but it is sufficiently
common to warrant the conclusion that it may properly
guide us in the attempt so to group the parables as to
obtain a general view of their unity. There appears
little risk of error, if we regard the parables as a con
sistent and complete representation of "the kingdom
of God" in this world. As to the meaning of the

1 6 The Relations of the Parables.
phrase, " Kingdom of heaven," or, " Kingdom of God,"
there is hardly room for dispute. The reference is to
the spiritual kingdom which God has established in
the world through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus
Christ. By the death of the Saviour, the throne of
mercy has been set up in the midst of our sinful world
—the benefits of the kingdom have been freely offered
to men — the gate of faith has been set open that men
may enter. This spiritual kingdom is represented in
the parables. This, then, being the key to the unity
of the parables, it is easy to trace their relations to
jach other. They depict different aspects of the king-
lom. First, there are those which are concerned with
entrance into the kingdom ; next, those describing the
privileges and the duties of the kingdom ; thereafter,
those setting forth the relations of the kingdom to
this present world ; and, finally, those which illustrate
the relations of the kingdom to the world beyond.
All the parables readily come within these four
divisions ; and when so placed, we obtain a most im
pressive view of their unity as a revelation of truth.
Further, if they can be so distributed, the order in
which the subjects have been set down is the natural
order for their consideration. It is reasonable that we
should first consider entrance to the kingdom ; then
what is within the kingdom ; thereafter, the relations
of the kingdom to what exists around ; and, in con
clusion, its relations to what is to come. By this
order, then, I mean to keep.
Here, however, it is needful to introduce a conclud
ing remark as to what is not found in the parables.
The kingdom is described as an existing kingdom ; but
there is no representation of the laying of its founda-

The Relations of the Parables. 1 7
tions. There is nothing in the parables as to the
eternal purpose of God — nothing as to the everlasting
fountain of love out of which the reign of grace has
sprung. Of those deeper, more mysterious, but essen
tial realities, there is no indication in the parables.
There could not be parabolic representation of such
truths. These things are hid, as are the foundations
of a building. The parables trace only what admits of
analogy with human experience. For this reason also,
we have no parabolic representation of the death of the
Saviour, nothing which comes even so near the grand
truth as the figurative saying of our Lord : " The good
shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." We are not,
indeed, without some reference in the parables to the
death of the Son of God, as in that of the Vineyard ;
but it is only in illustration of the rebelliousness of
those who cast Him out from the vineyard. Of satis
faction to the holiness of God, there could be no
parabolic representation, for there is no analogy of
human experience which could be employed for such a
purpose. No parable depicts to the eye the anguish of
Gethsemane — the lifting up of the Saviour, that men
might be drawn to Him — and that unfathomable
experience of our Lord, when He made His soul an
offering for sin, after which He " bowed his head, and
gave up the ghost."

• Mbxzxon 3E.
MAN'S ENTRANCE INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

CHAPTEE IIL
1.— SALVATION OF THE LOST.
SEARCH FOR THE WANDEREE — THE LOST SHEEP.
Luke xv. 1-7.
The opening verses of this chapter explain the cir
cumstances in which this and the two following parables
were uttered. The preaching of Jesus repelled the
self-satisfied, but attracted the self-condemned. The
Preacher Himself was a mystery and an offence to the
more conspicuous religious men of the country. He
denounced them for their formalism, and He welcomed
penitents who had been notable not only for indiffer
ence to religion, but even for open sinfulness. " This
man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them." The
fact seemed a testimony against Jesus. The parables
present the explanation of His conduct as a Teacher
and Leader. This parable of the Lost Sheep, standing
nearest the utterance of the difficulty, plainly applies
to the speaker Himself. He would be regarded as a

The Lost Sheep. 19
Shepherd in a strange land seeking his wandering
sheep. Verse 4. — " What man of you, having an hundred
sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and
nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost,
until he find it ? " Instead of direct narrative, this part
of the parable is thrown into the form of a question.
Our Lord thus deals more pointedly with the objection
taken against Him by some in His audience. He does
not begin with a narrative of a shepherd's wanderings in
search of a lost sheep. He was in a pastoral country,
where the sight was familiar, and He asks what any
one of them would do if, when counting his sheep in
the morning, one of the flock were wanting. Is it not
natural for the owner to go in search of the lost one ?
Which man of you would do otherwise in such circum
stances ? They could not say that the opposite course
would be reasonable, and this was our Saviour's vindi
cation of Himself. They asked : Why do ye receive
sinners ? His answer is : I act as ye would in seeking
a lost sheep.
How guardedly our Lord puts the case when He
addresses this question to those who marvel at His
conduct. Multitudes of sinners were flocking to hear
Him, and to all of them He gave a welcome. He might
then appropriately have spoken of hundreds of lost
sheep ; but He narrows attention to one. Here, then, is
one lost sheep. It was not the only sheep belonging
to its owner. He was not like the poor man of Nathan's
parable, who " had nothing save one little ewe lamb,
which he had bought and nourished up ; and it grew
up together with him and with his children." This
sheep did not reckon even as one in two or three score.

20 Salvation of the Lost.
The one lost was but one in a hundred : its wandering
from the flock involved no ruinous loss to him who
owned so many. Still this one was lost. The shepherd
makes his flock pass before him, and one of the number
is wanting. Once more they pass under his hand, but
still the reckoning is ninety-and-nine. There is a lost
sheep ! Widely the eye ranges, but no trace is found
of the wanderer. And how helpless is a lost sheep !
Wherever it be, it is the most helpless of creatures.
Other animals, taken far away from their accustomed
haunts, turn their faces in the right direction, and
pursuing their course by day and night, reappear on the
familiar ground. It is not so with the sheep. Separated
from the flock, it wanders, not knowing whence it has
come, not knowing whither it goes. There is not a more
affecting example of helplessness. Bleating vainly for
help, startled by everything that moves, hurrying as if
danger were behind, it hurries on to exhaustion and
death. It cannot rest in separation from the flock,
and be content to feed where pasture is found; it
cannot move deliberately as in familiar walks, but must
hurry excitedly on; it cannot save its strength, but
wastes it, and hastens the ruin it dreads. Amongst
animals, none gives so striking an example of unrest,
useless expenditure of strength, and utter helplessness
in wandering.The shepherd's care is the only hope for the lost
sheep. He will soon discover the loss, and start in
search of the wanderer. When a sheep is missing, the
fact at once determines the shepherd's most pressing
task. Other things may claim attention; this must
come before all. Every hour's delay may render dis
covery more difficult, and may expose the sheep to

The Lost Sheep. 2 1
danger, or even to destruction. Instantly, therefore,
the shepherd lea ves all the rest, that he may find the one.
He has no other to tend the flock while he is absent.
Such help is not hinted at in the parable ; and the
absence of this possible provision for the emergency is
to be observed. But even though there be no other to
turn an eye on the flock, he leaves them that he may
start in pursuit of the one which has gone astray. They
are together, and may keep together, however far they
wander on as they feed. Some may stray, yet this risk
cannot restrain him meanwhile. On his return he may
have to go in search of others, but for the present he
must seek for the lost one. For this one he leaves the
ninety-and-nine. We must note where they are left.
" Doth he not leave the ninety-and-nine in the wilder
ness ? " This reference to the place stands prominent
in the statement : we cannot pass it by, as if it were
merely accidental and unimportant. He will leave
them just where they are — not in the field, not in the
fold, but in the wilderness. If he had had any enclosure
for them, any limits even which would have hindered
them wandering further, it would have been a gain now.
If their feeding-place had been a field, out of which
the straggler had wandered through some breach in the
fence, he could first have restored the fence before going
in pursuit of the lost one. If their pasture-ground had
been even a hillside, such as is familiar to us in Scot
land, every corner and crevice in which is well known
to the shepherd, the risk of leaving the flock would
have been comparatively slight. But this shepherd
has been feeding his flock in a wilderness — such a
wilderness as was familiar to Jewish minds as the
pasture-ground of the flocks and herds. It was not

22 Salvation of the Lost.
indeed a place in which there was no grass. In the
wilderness both the Forerunner and the Messiah often
taught, and we know that Jesus found " much grass "
in such a place, on which He made the people sit down.
This wilderness, then, is that into which the shepherds
were wont to guide their flocks, having in it verdant
places where the pasture was plentiful, with wide
stretches of barren soU, over which the flock must be
led, in order that they may find fresh pasture. On
such a grassy place as was to be found in this wUder
ness, the shepherd leaves his ninety-and-nine sheep,
not knowing how far they may have wandered in search
of other feeding-ground before he comes to them again,
or how many more stragglers there may be.
Leaving his flock, the shepherd will start in search
of the lost one. And doth he not " go after that which
is lost, until he find it ? " He wUl not return without
success. Once discovering its track, he will pursue
that track until he come in sight of the wanderer. If
he see the sheep hurrying still further away, he wUl
foUow with increased speed, until he overtake it. If
he find it fallen into a pit, he will lift it out. If he
find it fast in a thicket, he wiU clear it from the thorns.
If he see it bruised and bleeding at the foot of some
rocky place over which it has fallen he will let himself
down over the rocks, risking his own life that he may
save the life of the sheep which otherwise must
speedily die. The shepherd wiU find the lost sheep.
Verse 5. — "And when he hath found it, he layeth it
on his shoulders, rejoicing." The toil of seeking the
lost sheep is a small matter to the shepherd, if he has
the joy of finding that lost one. From the moment
when he reaches it, its safety is secured. However

The Lost Sheep. 23
worn out it be by its wandering — however injured by
the disasters it has encountered — he wiU save it from
exhaustion and death. He lays it on his shoulders
and carries it aU the way back again; great as his
toU proves, he rejoices within himself, while he re
traces his weary way, bearing the heavy burden.
" And when he cometh home, he caUeth together his
friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Eejoice with
me ; for I have found my sheep which was lost." It
must be remarked that he is represented as coming
home with the sheep. This cannot be identified with
the wUderness, where he has left the ninety-and-nine.
However true it be that there is pasture in the wilder -
ness, where the sheep may feed for a time before they
are led to other places for grazing, there are no homes
in the wUderness. The shepherd does not erect his
dwelling there. Whatever satisfaction he may find in
tending his flock there, and meditating in the solitudes,
he cannot call together friends and neighbours to re
joice with him in any joy he has. The home to which
he carries the wanderer is different from the wilderness
where he leaves the flock. The lost one is so exhausted
that it cannot foUow the flock. It wiU need special
care, and he carries it home. So soon as he arrives
there, he calls together his friends and neighbours, that
they may rejoice with him. If this sheep had not
wandered, the shepherd had not appeared at his home
at this time; the sheep would have been feeding
quietly with the others; the shepherd would have
counted it among the number of his own, as be does
now; yet would there have been no such scene of
rejoicing. But returning as he does, carrying the
sheep, he teUs his neighbours of his long and anxious

24 Salvation of the Lost.
search ; he describes the circumstances in which he
found the lost one ; and they rejoice with him, that
that which was lost is found. In this scene of re
joicing the story ends. There is nothing said as to
when the shepherd returned to his flock ; not a word
more is uttered as to this sheep, whether it was kept
thenceforth within the enclosure by the house, or led
out to other pasture-ground. So far as our Lord was
in need of any story to convey the explanation of His
welcome to those who bewaU their wanderings in the
ways of sin, the parable is sufficient, and here it ends.
The parabolic meaning is clear, very beautiful in
itself, and very affecting to us dwelling in a sinful
world. When from the perfect moral character of
Jesus as depicted in the Gospels, and from the
evidence of His glory as " God manifest in the flesh,"
we turn to consider His mode of dealing with men,
marking speciaUy the encouragement He gave to the
publicans and sinners when they came to hear Him, and
ask, Why does Jesus so encourage even the chief of
sinners ? the answer He himself would give lies before
us in this parable of the Lost Sheep. Each of these
sinners in whose return He rejoices is represented by
the sheep which went astray ; and He by the shepherd.
This is made so plain by the manner in which the
parable is introduced, that there is no need for argu
ment in support of it. " This man receiveth sinners
and eateth with them," say the objectors ; and this
parable is the explanation of His conduct, and its
defence, if such a thing be required.
If we compare the representations of the three
parables, the Lost Sheep, the Lost Piece of Money, and
the Lost Son, all represent the sinner in his separation

The Lost Sheep. 25
from God. The three descriptions do not apply to
three different classes of sinners, but are three distinct
views of the condition of every sinner in his wandering
from God. Bengel, in his own terse style, made a
threefold classification of sinners to suit the three
parables ; and his view has been very generaUy
adopted. With his usual brevity, nothing is said in
support of it. The classification is sharp in outline,
and happy in its appearance of harmony with the
main features of the parables ; but I think it cannot
stand the test of rigid scrutiny. He says there are
some sinners who are stupid in their wanderings, as the
lost sheep ; some ignorant of their state, as the lost
piece of money ; and some wilful in their transgression,
as the prodigal son. There is much that is striking in
this way of grouping sinners ; specially, an apparent
roundness of figure which is apt to prove attractive
to an interpreter. There is, besides, a measure of
truth in the classification, although there must be con
siderable strain in order to reach the analogy in the
case of the money, if it also must be applied to a
distinct class of sinners. There are some who are
conspicuous for their stupidity, others for their ignor
ance, and some for their wUfulness ; but there is no
sinner of whom aU these things may not be said ; nay,
more, these are things which must be said of every
sinner, if his condition is to be accurately described.
There is no one who is not unreasoning, ignorant, and
wilful in his wandering from God. The three things
are so connected that they cannot be separated. To
sin is wUfulness, and that is acting from blind, un
reasoning impulse ; to continue in this is to continue
wilfuUy indifferent and ignorant as to what is really

26 Salvation of the Lost.
involved in such a state. These go inevitably in
company. Man wandering in the ways of sin is a sheep stray
ing from the flock. This view of his condition
awakens the compassion of our Divine Saviour. Man
is a wanderer from God's care and keeping ! Thinking
it better to be free from God's control, and to act as
he inclines, he wanders on, not knowing whither he goes.
With all this uncertainty, he keeps on the course which
he has begun ; he even hastens onward, and in doing
so hurries towards destruction. If escape be sought,
safety proves difficult to reach. The sinner is helpless ;
his case is hopeless, even with all his strivings, though
thereby he exhaust himself. He has wandered, and
cannot return. He cannot undo the past. He cannot
retrace his steps, and stand again safe under the gracious
keeping of his God. Helpless and hopeless, he con
tinues wandering as a lost sheep. In aU this the
sinfulness of the wandering is not indicated ; only the
helplessness and the sure ruin of such wandering, are
conspicuous. So accurate is this view of oar case,
that if we would describe it aright, we must be wUling
to take up the words of the prophet and make them
our own : " All we like sheep have gone astray, we
have turned every one to his own way."
But, for the helpless wanderer help is found in One
who is mighty. This helper is the Divine Saviour.
He it is who calls Himself " the Son of man," and whom
the Father caUs His " beloved Son, in whom He is weU
pleased." He toils to save the lost. They are away
from the fold of God, outside His kingdom, and exposed
to the greatest hazards. He goes forth to seek the
sinful, even while they continue to wander. Here

The Lost Sheep. 2 J
we view the Saviour's work, not as that of suffering
in the room of men, of which there is no parabolic
representation, but as that of seeking the wanderers,
that He mar rescue them from destruction.
The first part of the parable may seem more obscure.
It implies leaving some, in order to seek others.
"Doth he not leave the ninety-and-nine in the wUder
ness?" What is the significance of this forsaking of
some, in order to rescue others ? What is plain in the
case of the shepherd, is not by any means so clear in
the case of the Saviour. While the shepherd must
leave the flock in order to seek the straying sheep, this
necessity is not so obvious when the Saviour would
seek some wayward soul Does Jesus in reality leave
some men to themselves while He seeks others ? So
it is made to appear. But it is the whole flock which is
left in this case. Does, then, the Lord forsake His own
people in seeking for those who wander in the ways
of sin ? Did He ever speak as if this were the case, or
did His disciples ever feel as if it were ? Assuredly
not. Whosoever is delivered by Him is thenceforth
cared for and kept by Him. They are defended, and
fed, and folded by Him. For His relation to His dis
ciples, as represented under the image of a shepherd, we
must turn to the tenth chapter of John's Gospel. There
we find the Good Shepherd and the sheep which know
His voice, and the fold in which they are kept, and the
practice of the Shepherd in leading them out to the
pasture. In such a picture, there is no indication of the
sheep of the fold being left unprotected, as in the case
before us. There is, then, nothing in Christ's dealing
with the saved ones, which can be represented as leav
ing them in the wilderness, whUe He goes in search of

28 Salvation of the Lost.
the wandering. The analogy of parabolic teaching is
against this view; the more direct teaching of the
whole Bible is against it ; the experience of the early
disciples gives no clew to such a thing ; and even the
structure of this parable is adverse to the supposition.
Look at the connection in which it is recorded. The
disciples are not said to have wondered at Christ
leaving them in order to welcome the publicans and
sinners. But the Pharisees and scribes murmured.
They felt that Jesus had withdrawn Himself from them;
that His words of encouragement and warning and
instruction were not for them, but for other classes of
the people. This was indeed the case ; Jesus intended
that it should be so ; and the parable at this point
carries an admission of the fact. Seeking the deliver
ance of the lost, He must separate Himself from those
who think they have no need to be delivered. In so
far as the Teacher interprets His teaching, this is con
firmed ; for in the seventh verse the flock which is left
is described as " ninety-and-nine just persons who need
no repentance." Does the Saviour ever describe His
people thus ? Quite otherwise. This is His description
for the self-satisfied, who do not mourn their sins, and
do not feel their need of a Saviour. Such are indeed
left by Him in His seeking after the lost. They are left,
not in the fold, but in the wilderness ; yet not without
pasture, but rather in the very midst of it ; neverthe
less unprotected by the Saviour's power, and completely
exposed to danger. Often He is with them. But, in
seeking the wandering and the troubled, He is ever leav
ing them in the state which they account sufficient ; for
they think not that they need repentance, and pardon,
and Divine help, to save them from impending ruin.

The Lost Sheep. 29
Passing this view of separation from some, we see
the Saviour going forth in search of the lost sheep, to
engage in the work on which His soul is set, delivering
those who are ready to perish. He seeks the wander
ing, who feel the misery of their condition. However
far sinners wander, there is no extremity to which the
Saviour wiU not foUow. The Most Holy will seek
after the most guUty. Unwearied by the effort, un
changed by their foUy, fuU of compassion and love for
them in their perplexity and suffering, He wUl still
pursue His work of mercy, and be ready to save them
in the hour of their extremity, when they feel as though
they were ready to die. This was the Saviour's great
work when He sojourned on the earth. A God-like
work ! Of this He was wont to speak with zest as His
work. " The Son of man is come to seek and to save
that which was lost." And now that He has gone to
the heavens, He stUl carries forward the same work by
the Spirit of truth, who shall glorify Him in the salva
tion of men, according to the promise of the Saviour,
"He shaU receive of mine, and shaU show it unto
you." The Saviour's work, however, is not merely seeking,
but deUvering by the exercise of His own strength. As
the sheep in its exhaustion is powerless to return, so
the sinner is helpless. The deeper the sense of sin,
the more distressing wiU be the sense of the utter
hopelessness of any attempt to escape the crushing
weight of condemnation. Burdened with sin, how can
the soul venture on return to God ? Troubled with the
fear which self-condemnation awakens, and weakened
by reckless, foolish wandering, there is not strength to
return. To such an one the Saviour comes as the

30 Salvation of the Lost.
shepherd to the lost sheep. His voice is gentle and
famUiar as a shepherd's voice to one of his own flock.
And when He finds the sinner, mourning over his lost
condition, He does not merely, by His higher knowledge
and by His grace, show him the way to safety, as any
disciple of the Master might ; He does not merely lead
him along the way, as one of like experience might;
but in the exercise of Divine strength He bears the
troubled one to the Father's presence, and there sets
him down in peace. Such description as this is
unspeakably precious. No reflection however anxious,
no philosophy however profound, can bring anything
so valuable to the sin-burdened family of men.
Thought only exasperates and exhausts ; the power of
the Saviour brings help aU- sufficient. In such an
assurance there is balsam for the sorest wounds — there
is healing for all the nations. If anything in the
form of the assurance could enhance its value, it is
provided when the Saviour represents Himself as bring
ing help to one sinner, as though there were no other
straying at the time. Love concentrates on the indi
vidual wanderer.
One thing more there is in this description to crown
what has already been said. " And when he cometh
home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours,
saying unto them, Eejoice with me ; for I have found
my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, That like
wise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that
repenteth, more than over ninety-and-nine just persons,
which need no repentance.'' Even the sinner's deliver
ance is placed beneath the fulness and freshness of
the Saviour's joy. When He has brought the sinner
back, He rejoices. Into His Own home in the heavens

The Lost Sheep. 3 1
He brings him ; and calling together those who dwell
there, He says, " Eejoice with me, for I have found
my sheep which was lost." As it was with the
shepherd in his humbler way, so shall it be with the
Divine Saviour in His heavenly home. We have the
assurance in His own words : " I say unto you, that
likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that
repenteth, more than over ninety-and-nine just persons,
which need no repentance." Joy over one sinner I
More joy over one than over ninety-and-nine who need
no repentance ! We are in close contact with the
greatest realities of life in considering such words. It
wUl be weU for those who think they have no need of
a Saviour if they ponder this profound measure of
divine love and justice. And for those who are
" feUow-workers with God," seeking the deUverance of
them who are ready to die, it shall be weU if they
draw encouragement from the teaching of the Saviour
in this place, and strive with growing zeal, in face of
extended toU, to " enter into His joy."

CHAPTEE IY.
II. - THE VALUE OF THE LOST ONE.
THE LOST PIECE OF MONEY.
Luke xv. S-10.
This parable has a simUar application ; and, at the
same time, is sufficiently unUke the former in structure
to give a representation of the case quite different.
The contrast between the two is strongly marked,
suggesting that the Teacher felt the need for a distinct
addition to the instruction already communicated.
Verse 8. — "Either what woman, having ten pieces of
silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and
sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it ? " A
woman possessed of ten pieces of silver, loses one of them
in the house. Concerned at her loss, she lights a candle,
and sweeps the whole house, searching for it until she
finds it. When she has found it, she is so full of joy
that she calls together her neighbours, who had already
heard of her concern under the loss, and teUs them
that she has found the lost piece. So it is, says our
Lord, as to the loss of the sinner, and the joy over his
recovery from the sinful state. Such a parable puts
man's sin and salvation in a new light, presenting for
consideration a distinct order of facts. Man may be

The Lost Piece of Money. 33
likened to a sUver coin. In his sinful state, it is with
him as with the coin which has rolled off to some
obscure corner. When recovered, his value is exactly
as it was when lost.
A lost piece of money ! — This is the chief feature of
the parable, around which the whole interpretation
gathers. Our Lord selects a piece of money to repre
sent a man ; and it is a sUver piece.1 In taking this
silver coin to represent the lost soul, our Lord chooses
the money of highest value in common use. Gold coin
there was, no doubt; and in our times this form of
currency would probably have been preferred, for gold is
elsewhere used in Scripture when the currency is not
in question, as when reference is made to the trying
of men in the furnace. But silver coin was the highest
in regular use in the days of our Lord. Anything
higher certainly could not be in the possession of the
woman who reckons up her Uttle stock at ten
drachmas. It cannot appear, then, to an interpreter
as if our Lord were selecting a secondary value. This
sUver piece must be taken as the highest form of coin in
general circulation. Man, then, is Uke the silver, which
is precious by its very nature. Inherently valuable he
appears even in the eyes of the Great Proprietor, who
made him the chief of all His works on earth. Further,
it is not silver ore, but sUver coin, which has been
taken for illustration. And in this has been uni
formly recognised an aUusion to the image of God in
1 The Greek drachma, the same in value as the Roman dena
rius, was the silver coin in ordinary use in our Lord's time, — ren
dered in our English version " a penny." Its value is about seven-
pence three-farthings of our money. The whole money, therefore,
in the possession of the woman at the time of her loss is about six
shillings and sixpence of our currency. r,

34 The Value of the Lost One.
the soul of man, the distinctive feature of His ex-
ceUence, as the image of the sovereign is the common
mark of the coin of the realm. The accuracy of this
allusion is not affected by the fact that the Greek
drachma had often upon it the image of some animal,
and sometimes of one of the national deities, instead of
the effigy of a ruler, as on the Eoman denarius. In any
case, the imprint marked the piece as belonging to the
coin of the country, having its character and value deter
mined by the ruLing power ; and this sufficiently repre
sents the image of God imprinted on the soul of man.
Even the likeness of a heathen deity neither destroys
nor mars the analogy. If any idolatrous nation marked
their coin with the fancied likeness of one of their gods,
our Lord may weU compare with such coin bearing the
stamp of the national mint the spirits of men having
the traces of His Father's image upon them. In such
comparison there is testimony to the superiority of the
true God over idols, and of that which is valuable to
Him over the treasure of the kingdoms of this world.
Here, then, are the two points of analogy given us;
man is inherently precious in God's sight, as is sUver
among the things of the earth ; and man is distin
guished by the imprint of the Divine image, as is every
piece of silver sent forth from the national mint.
Take any one of these pubUcans, however grasping,
unfeeling, and harsh in his treatment of those from
whom he seeks to obtain the sums levied upon them.
Or take any one of these dissolute women, however
irreligious, profligate, and profane she may have been.
The Saviour seeks to rescue every one of them. Why
should He welcome such as they, even though they
come with penitential confessions ? His own answer

The Lost Piece of Money. 35
is this, Each one is precious in my sight as the
silver coin in yours, which you gather and seek to
save ; precious in my Father's sight as is the currency
of the Idngdom in the eyes of the king.
This parable is entirely different from the other two
in this respect, that it alone introduces likeness to an
inanimate object This it is which presents the
specialties of the parable. Valuable as the sUver is,
there is manifest difficulty in selecting a lifeless
object as the basis of comparison, when the intention
is to iUustrate not only the value, but also the sinful
ness of man. In this view the use of such a com
parison may at first seem unpromising. Assuredly
the Ufeless cannot represent the Uving, least of all
responsible Ufe. Here aU analogy with action is
surrendered; the view of human responsibility dis
appears for the time. But what is in this way laid
aside, is very fuUy and carefuUy indicated in another
of the companion representations. If in one of His
parables our Lord thus turns away from the essential
facts of personal responsibility, it is to add important
features which the other two parables were insufficient
to indicate. And here certainly is obtained the most
startUng representation of utter helplessness in a lost
state that any such form of teaching could provide.
The moral helplessness characteristic of the sinful
state is certainly one of the most difficult to set forth
in paraboUc form. In this appears the need for resort
ing to more than one parable. That of the Prodigal
Son most impressively brings out individual responsi-
bUity; but, at the same time, it discovers, with least
exactness, the utter inabUity of the sinner to undo the
past, or escape from its consequences. Helplessness of

o

6 The Value of the Lost One.

a kind is illustrated by the sheep, so destitute of know
ledge to guide, whUe it has the power to hurry along,
thereby wandering stiU more hopelessly. But the in
ability to do what needs to be done in order that the
soul may be rescued from its sinful state, one of the
most sad features of the sinner's ease, is most vividly
set forth here. In the parable of the Sheep, this
appears in the act of the shepherd carrying back the
sheep, rather than leading or driving it back. But it
might be supposed that this carrying was., in such a
case, more compassionate than needful. Here, however,
the reality is brought out most vividly. Where a piece
of sUver falls, there it must Ue, unless some hand be
stretched forth to lift it. Power in itself to affect its
own position there is none. So is it in a most im
portant sense with the sinner. To undo the past is
hopeless. To go back to that state from which man
has fallen is impossible. To change his position in
relation to God from that of a sinner to that of a holy
one accepted of God and doing service according to His
wUl, is an impossibility with one condemned of his
own heart, and stiU more condemned of God. As
well might we represent a pieee of money as rolling
back from the corner into which it has faUen, and
leaping again into the hand of her who is most anxious
to obtain it. A special part of the explanation of the
Saviour's selection of this inanimate object for repre
sentation of a responsible being is to be found in this
suitableness for the illustration of spiritual helpless
ness. If man by nature is valuable as the sUver, in
his sinful state he is as a lost piece of silver. In
this way due prominence is given to the fact, that in
the parable it is not only the inanimate though

The Lost Piece of Money. 37
precious silver which represents man ; but a lost
silver piece illustrates the state of a lost man. And
very fitly in other ways does the analogy prove service
able. A piece of money does not lose its value, though
it be for the time lost to its owner. So the intelligent
immortal spirit continues to be precious in the sight of
God, even when separated from Him by aU the distance
which sin implies. Yet lost sUver is soon tarnished,
and is the more obscured the longer it continues in
neglect. In this respect sUver represents, even more
accurately than gold, that sensitiveness to corrupt
ing influences which is characteristic of the soul of
man. The soul separated from God quickly loses the
beauty of holiness, and is easily tarnished by contact
with evil around. In this the silver coin is the true
type of the human heart. But lost money is useless
while lost. It continues of the same value ; but while
lost, present usefulness is gone. It is aU the same as
if it were of no worth ; it is not capital in any proper
sense. It is not only itself lost, but what it is capable
of producing is lost also. The increase it might have
brought to its owner is sacrificed. So does God lose
the service whieh man was created to render, and
which he would have rendered but for this separation
from righteousness. Something worse than this there
is, as we know, in this sinful state, which the piece of
money cannot represent. If the money is lost, the loss
is summed up in the amount of its own value, with
such increase as it might have brought. But the soul
which sins, not only yields no return to God, robbing
Him of his own, but goes on to do evil, in defiance of
the will of God. In this again appears the insufficiency
of a single parable to illustrate the many-sided aspects

38 The Value of the Lost One.
of man's state. To the parable of the Prodigal Son we
must turn for evidence of progress in sin.
Continuing, however, the attempt to interpret the
parable before us, we concentrate attention upon
what is characteristic of the inanimate object here
selected. A piece of money cannot lose itself. It is
lost either by the misfortune or by the carelessness
of one to whom it belongs, or who has it in charge.
Whether in consequence of the one or the other in the
case before us is not stated. That is left indefinite, and
intentionally so, in order that the story may apply
to either mode of losing. But if a piece of money
be lost, there is responsibility somewhere. Not being
in the thing lost, it is in the loser ; and hence it is that
the person seeking the lost in this case has the responsi
bility of losing, and is therefore not a representative
of God, as the shepherd is, and as the father is in the
succeeding parable.
A woman with lighted candle. — She bears the evi
dence of imperfection as a seeker, while representing
one somehow related to God in the search for the lost.
The shepherd seeking the sheep may represent the
God of salvation, so also may the father receiving the
penitent son, but not this woman sweeping the house,
and searching by the aid of candle Ught. What seemed
quite simple in the other two parables is compUcated
here. And yet the complication, which may have
been puzzUng to the first hearers of the parable, must
appear very attractive to those who contemplate the
search for lost souls by the believing people of God in
this world. Why does our Lord in this parable repre
sent a woman as the seeker for the lost piece of money?
We cannot find the explanation in anything so super-

The Lost Piece of Money. 39
ficial as the fancy that women in His audience were
assenting to the objection taken against the Saviour's
conduct in receiving penitent reprobates. There is no
value in the supposition. The explanation will appear
if we attend to the structure of the parable itself.
There is some truth as to the seeking of sinners to
be Ulustrated in this way, and which is not brought
out in either of the other parables. To His audience
the first parable must have appeared a very direct and
f uU explanation of His conduct in receiving sinners.
Wnen He passed on to another mode of illustration, it
may have appeared to His hearers that He was only
varying the form. They could see at once, for these
things Ue on the surface of the stories, that He somehow
accounted even the worst of sinners as His own lost
ones ; that He strove to save them ; and that He had
joy when successful in doing so. But when we con
sider the detaUs of the parables, there are specialties
which need some distinct interpretation. In this way
we have been led to give prominence to the fact that
the loss of the coin is to be accounted for by responsi-
biUty of its possessor, showing that in this parable the
woman cannot represent the Saviour Himself. And,
without anticipating the interpretation of what is to
foUow, it is evident that the need for Ught in order to
seek for sinners, points to some need which the Saviour
Himself did not feel The woman, therefore, does not
directly represent Himself. Yet the seeking here
strikingly described must be so closely analogous with
His own, and so truly connected with Himself, that it
must somehow be possible to account of it as if it
were His own. With these considerations before us,
we find that His subsequent teaching throws clear light

40 The Value of the Lost One.
on this parable. He invariably urged it as the common
and constant task of His believing people, that they
should seek to save others who were lost. The pro
minence of this to the Saviour's mind is peculiarly
obvious in the sublime intercessory prayer recorded in
the seventeenth chapter of John's Gospel, in which He
speaks of the mission given to Him as exactly that
which He has given to His people : " As thou hast sent
me into the world, so have I also sent them into the
world." Thus it is that when He is to take His depar
ture from the world, and is no more in person to do
the work of the shepherd seeking the lost sheep, He
regards His people unitedly as taking His place and
doing His work in this respect. Therefore He says :
" I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the
world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the
evil." When He goes, they are to be left behind ; when
He is wanting, they are to take His place, in so far as
the seeking of sinners is concerned. Their seeking
thus becomes as it were His own. With this the
parable before us agrees. It is not He himself who
is the seeker, and yet it is as if this were His own
seeking. The parable is the answer for after-times to
the question, Why does the Church of Christ willingly
receive publicans and sinners ? just as the parable of
the shepherd is the answer to the question why He
personaUy was found doing so on that day when these
three parables were uttered. The Church seeks sinners
just as her Lord and Master did ; and she it is who is
represented in this woman seeking for the lost piece of
money. Most naturally this parable comes after the
former— after, and not before, as the Church's work
follows Christ's ;— and comes necessarily, as Christ's

The Lost Piece of Money. 41
work is not complete without the Church's work, hers
being in reality His work continued down through all
time. These hearers of our Lord, being Old Testament
readers, could not have much difficulty in perceiving
the fitness of the parable, familiar as they were with
the representation of the Jewish Church as "the
daughter of Zion." Eeaders in later times, being
New Testament readers, may see it more clearly still,
familiar as they are with the representations of the
Church as "the bride," Ufting up her voice and saying,
"Come!" If, then, the woman in this parable be a type of
Christ's Church, how fitly the little Church of these
early days seems represented by this poor woman with
her ten pieces of sUver ; and how precious also is a soul
thus made to appear, when it is as one piece out of ten.
She dweUs in a smaU house, and these ten pieces of
sUver now in her possession are required that she
may hold that house as her own. By and by her
house may be enlarged — it may even become one of
stately proportions — and if it do, the seeking for the
lost piece of money will be a search more widely
extended. Here, however, we are coming upon another
complication. Have we not made the lost piece of
money represent the lost soul, and if the woman be
the Church, is not every saved one absorbed into that
Church, thus being at one time the sought, and at
another the seeker ? No doubt this is the case, and
when we think of it, there may appear some entangle
ment. Yet this complication exists in reality. Men
who were first in the position of the lost are after
wards in the position of the seekers. We may there
fore expect that this double relationship to Christ's

42 The Value of the Lost One.
work will involve some complication in a parable which
puts both things into one story. But the parable may
be regarded as giving the Church's position at a definite
point in her history. At each successive period to
which the narrative applies, the unsaved soul is the lost
piece of money, and the Church is the seeker. The
representative story wiU thus be constantly applicable.
And if we shift our view from the position of the sought
to that of the seeker, it wUl be found that the form of
this parable wonderfully suits the reality. As possession
of money is to the support of the household, so is the
ingathering of the lost to the maintenance of the Church.
There is no analogy which can better indicate this than
that afforded by money. The Church's wealth is in
creased by conversions, the house is enlarged, and the
resources at command are sufficient to support aU the
demands of the extended establishment. No doubt the
imagery is becoming complicated when we think oi
such things, but it is also enriched by the compUcation,
as the Church is by the increased number of those lost
ones who are found. The wealth of imagery which is
here was recognised by the Teacher who shaped the ¦
parable. And in confirmation, it is to be noted that
the Lord does not compare the nine pieces which remain
to those who need no repentance, as He did compare the
ninety-nine sheep left in the wilderness. The Church is
spiritually richer by every piece which she finds. The
silver of the Lord's house is multiplied ; its treasury is
replenished ; and the Lord is " seeing of the travail of
his soul, and is satisfied." The Church herself may or
may not have had the responsibility connected with the
position of those who are lost ; but she shall at least
have fresh gladness in every lost piece of silver which

The Lost Piece of Money. 43
she replaces in the treasury. She shall then dwell joy
fully and gratefuUy in the house provided for her, and
her home become a centre of activity and cheerfulness
in the land.
Search for the lost piece. — The picture, so sharp in
outline and definite in figure, is such as may engage the
fancy of an artist, and supply an attractive subject for
the pencU. The Ughted candle, the thorough sweeping,
the diligent searching, are highly artistic. And they are
spirtuaUy fuU of significance.
1. The lighted candle is the first requisite for the
search, and is altogether peculiar to this parable. Need
for it presents evidence of imperfect ability for the
search. The candle is instrumentality which supplies
want. Without Ught we cannot see to search, and the
candle provides the requisite. The candle is a prepared
medium of light, ready to the hand of the woman when
she would use it ; and a moveable light, which can be
carried in the hand or shifted from place to place as
the searching proceeds. The light with which the
Church searches is the truth. The candle is the Word.
The familiar analogy of Scripture is drawn out in
harmony with this, as under the imagery of the golden
candlestick in tabernacle and temple, and again in the
candles and candlestick of the Apocalypse. The Word
of truth is the candle prepared by the Spirit of truth to
the hand of the Church, that she may be equipped for
her searching. This parable is, therefore, that in which
the Spirit's part in the salvation of men is brought into
view. Invisible He himself continues, in accordance
with aU that is otherwise taught in Scripture, as to His
working ; but the light of the truth, wherever it appears,
is the evidence of His preparation for the work of the

44 The Value of the Lost One.
Church in the salvation of the lost. And in this
connection we are elsewhere taught to believe in His
presence with the Church in working, and His power
accompanying the work, so that while the Church
searches, He, too, is the invisible Searcher who needs no
light. This, however, cannot be introduced in parabohc
representation. There is, then, light provided for the
salvation of lost men, as to which the Bible is Ml of
aUusions. Christ is the light of the world, His Word
is light, His Church herself is Ught. The harmony is
clear. The Word lightens, but it is the work of Christ,
as set forth by the Holy Spirit, which gives the iUu-
minating power, and it is the Church which holds up
this divinely-provided light. The candle is a move
able light, carried by the woman from place to place.
Wherever a lost piece of money is to be sought, there
the candle must be carried that the searching may be
thorough. This carrying of the candle, first into one
place and then into another, is the Church's part in
seeking for lost souls. WhUe the whole truth for
man's salvation is presented in Holy Scripture, and any
man who would inquire as to the way of life may there
find the light he needs to guide him aright, men do not
readily search the Scriptures for themselves, that their
own souls may be saved. In recognition of this neglect,
illustrated in one way under the image of the wander
ing sheep, in another under the image of the lost piece
of money, the necessity for the active work of seeking
is acknowledged by the Church, as it is here taught by
the Saviour. The Bible is thus to the Church as the
store of candles which the householder keeps ready
for immediate use. The truth stored in the Bible is
taken up, carried in the hand, and applied to the souls

The Lost Piece of Money. 45
of men, that its Ught may fall upon them, discovering
their condition and the way of escape. Where earnest
desire to save the lost exists in the Church, such as
was exemplified by the Saviour, and is illustrated in the
case of this woman, there wiU be constant use of Gospel
truth in order to secure the deUverance of men. And
this is not gained by simple preaching of comfort,
which may be disregarded in the hearing of it, as it
often is in the reading of it ; but by such preaching
as shall make God's truth faU upon the soul to the
discovery of its own lost condition. The candle burns
as clearly when the search is unsuccessful as it does
when its Ught is reflected on the surface of the lost
piece of sUver. The difference is, that in the latter
case, by continued faithful searching and the Spirit's
influence, it is brought to bear upon the lost. There
must be much unsuccessful carrying about of the truth,
attended with much labour ; but wherever there is suc
cess in searching, it is the result of close application of
Gospel truth.
2. The sweeping of the house. — The woman determines
to leave no corner unexamined, no article in the house
unmoved. As the soul is amongst the corrupting
influences of earth, so is this piece of sUver faUen
among the dust, where it may be tarnished, and its
real nature may be in consequence hard to recognise.
Difficulty was felt by the Pharisees and scribes as they
looked upon these publicans and sinners. In such
characters the glance of the sUver was not apparent.
The naturalness of their perplexity the parable at this
point aUows. Tarnished silver has its value obscured.
But, knowing the sinful condition into which men have
faUen, and how in that state their real value may be con-

46 The Value of the Lost One.
cealed, the Church wUl diligently continue the search,
even in most unlikely quarters, determined at least
not to be misled by unfavourable appearances, or by
captious objections from onlookers. As in the case of
the woman, the Church can carry out the search only
at the cost of considerable disturbance all around, and
discomfort to herself. As Bengel has said, the work is
not done without raising much dust. The woman, how
ever, is not deterred, she is hardly influenced, by the
confusion occasioned and the dust raised. So eager is
she in the search, that she hardly takes heed to these
things. So much anxiety of heart does she feel in
reference to the piece of silver which she has lost, that
she cares nothing for discomfort. This is the ideal of
the Christian Church as sketched by the Saviour's hand;
a woman who grudges no trouble, and is undeterred by
the disturbance her work occasions. The one object
kept in view is the discovery of that which has been1
lost; and when success at last crowns the effort, her
reward is sufficient, her joy is great.
Joy over the finding of the lost piece. — In her gladness
of heart the woman caUs together her friends and
neighbours to rejoice with her. It is interesting to
observe that the Saviour does not in this case say that
there shall be joy in heaven, as He did when speaking of
the shepherd taking home the lost sheep. Here he
says simply (verse 10), "There is joy in the presence
of the angels of God." It is stUl joy to the angels in
the salvation of lost men which is here represented, as
in the former case ; but here it is the joy of those angels
when they are sent forth to the earth, beholding the
efforts of the Church, and ministering to them who are
heirs of salvation. There is joy in heaven to the angels,

The Lost Piece of Money. 47
and there is joy to them also, as they are visitors to the
earthly house, beholding the Church's work. Within
the house of privilege, where the Church has her home,
and where provision for her need has been made from
the fulness of Divine favour, there is great rejoicing
when a lost one is found, and that joy is shared by in
visible witnesses who are interested in aU that con
cerns the working of Divine grace in the midst of the
sinful race of men. As Bernard has well put it, though
out of harmony with the analogy in the parable, " The
tears of the penitent are angels' wine." Keeping to
the figure, we may say that the Church's joy wakens
a sympathetic gladness in the midst of a group of
witnesses, invisible to human eyes, belonging to a
higher race, attracted to the sight by the importance
of this great work to which the Church on earth gives
herself, in the name and with the blessing of her Lord.

CHAPTEE Y.
TO.— WELCOME TO THE RETURNING.
THE PRODIGAL SON.
Luke xv. 11-32.
As a picture, the parable of the Prodigal Son needs
a large canvas, bringing out in due perspective a father's
house in the foreground, and a far country in the back
ground. Perhaps it might rather be said that the story
affords material for a portfolio of views, aU the pictures
having the same subject. The father's house is first pre
sented to view ; thereafter different points in the land
scape are successively brought into prominence, under
varying light and shade ; until, in the last view, the
house is again seen in the foreground, in the full
brightness of an unclouded day, the scene of special
rejoicing. A single sketch, however, will best serve
the purposes of exposition. A spacious dwelling
situated in a wide territory is conspicuous in the
picture ; a father and two sons compose the famUy ; a
large number of servants are in the dwelling. This
father is ruler over the whole territory. In a far part
of his dominions the inhabitants have established them
selves in opposition to his authority. The younger
son, after receiving a large share of his father's wealth,

The Prodigal Son. 49
leaves his father's house, and wanders into the region
of rebellion, where he joins the rebels and wastes his
substance in riotous living. Coming to wretchedness,
lie after a great while repents, and sets out for the long
deserted home. He is welcomed with great joy by his
father ; in that joy the servants of the household
largely share ; but the elder son, who had continued at
home, stands outside in sore displeasure. Sketched
only in outline, this is the representation of the
kingdom of God in its relation to a sinful world. God
is as a Father amongst men, who takes delight in
receiving to His favour and home all who return in
penitence from wandering and transgression. Self-
righteous and supercilious men may wonder at it, but
this is the very truth, a Divine Father "receiveth
sinners and eateth with them."
Verse 11. — "A certain man had two sons." At first
our attention is fixed on the famUy circle within the
dwelling. There is a father, and there are two sons.
These make up the family. The mother does not
appear in the story. Her absence is quite marked,
and yet is never painfully felt, because there is nothing
in the story which involves even an allusion to the
fact. This is a studied silence, for the simple reason
that human relations never can be made fully to
harmonise with the higher relations subsisting between
God and men. Hence it happens that the gentle,
penetrating, and most powerful influence of a mother
— the finest moral and spiritual influence working in
the midst of family ties — is necessarily absent from a
story introduced for parabolic service. At the same
time, it is to be observed that the subtle power of
tenderest, purest affection is not absent. The sons are
D

50 Welcome to the Returning.
not represented as if suffering from the want of this.
On the contrary, there is an unusual tenderness of feel
ing, and very striking expression of it, when the father
meets his returning son. To every one who considers
how a father would act in such circumstances, and how
a mother would, it must be clear that the motherly
influence is not wanting, but rather conspicuously
present. It is the strongest and tenderest love of the
family circle which is discovered at that point in the
narrative, though even in such love there is, no doubt,
only a dim shadowing of the love which "passeth
knowledge." There are only two sons. In the three parables here
set together, there is a striking difference in the
numbers spoken of in the illustrative cases. There is
indeed in each case a single object conspicuous. It is
a solitary wandering sheep, which is alone on the
mountain ; a single piece of money, which has rolled
off into some darkened corner ; and one prodigal son.
But the single object is put in different relations in
the successive stories, and with some regard to what
is natural in the form of illustration. There is one
sheep from a flock of a hundred belonging to the
shepherd ; one piece of money out of a little store of
ten pieces which a woman has in her possession ; one
son from a family only two in number. The flock of
sheep affords in some ways an appropriate line of illus
tration, but it is furthest removed from the reality.
The piece of money comes nearer the case in the
iUustration of enduring value, yet the relative import
ance of it to the holder is heightened to one in ten.
The family circle comes unspeakably nearer the truth,
yet stiU the effect is heightened, and the lost one takes

The Prodigal Son. 5 1
rank as one of two. This is the impressive mode of
disclosing the fact that God cares for each sinner
apart, as if he were the only wanderer; — as if the
world were but a small domain, and in it only a single
sinner, so watchfully does God care for each lost soul.
This is the parabolic form for " whosoever will, let him
come;" and for the distinctly personal assurance for
" every creature," — "him that cometh unto me, I will
in no wise cast out."
And here let us mark quite decidedly that it is a
father's love which yearns over the lost one. So our
Lord describes it ; and so every sin-burdened heart may
regard it. A father's love is the key to the glad
tidings of peace. "A certain man had two sons."
This is quite a different " having " from having sheep,
or having sUver pieces. A father's relationship is
concerned, and he has not even a large family circle.
The whole strength of his affection is concentrated on
two sons, and of these two, one is a prodigal.
Verse 12. — Our attention is to be given chiefly to
this younger son, who becomes a wanderer in the
ways of folly and vice. We see the separation of this
son from his father, to the father's deep displeasure,
and to his own speedy ruin. What leads to this
separation of father and son ? Nothing in the father's
character or treatment of the son ; nothing in the cir
cumstances of the famUy ; but something in the moral
condition of the young man himself. He is restless,
lon<rino- after what he has not. He craves more than is
given him in his father's love and the fulness of his
father's house. What is worse, he desires what it is
impossible to have in the sunshine of his father's
favour. He is prepared to sacrifice a father's love in

52 Welcome to the Returning.
order to gratify his own desires. Two things he speciaUy
longs after, — goods completely his own, and separation
from his father in order to unrestricted use of them.
These two give form to a plan which he sketches for
his life, or at least for as much of it as he cares to fore
cast. There may be a Beyond, — he does not inquire
into that, and is content to leave it a blank. While,
however, the two things are present to his mind, only
the first is uttered. There is a half-truthfulness
attendant on an evil purpose, which is falseness, and
prepares the way for evil-doing. Such half-truthful
ness is the device of this young man now. "Father,
give me the portion of goods that falleth to me." Pro
perty which I can call my own is my want. He
speaks as if he only wished to make a beginning for
himself, as every j'oung man may properly desire, and
as it is well for him that he should be induced to do,
whether he have a large capital to start with, or no
capital but willingness to work, character to guide him,
and determination to learn. But this young man does
not contemplate work. He does not think of entering
upon his possessions with a sense of responsibUity,
meaning to do a manly part in making a wise and bene
volent use of his property. He is quite willing, indeed,
that his father should regard his request in this light,
but quite unwilling to have his actual design explained.
The desire for property is occasioned by what is mean
while unacknowledged — the desire of self-indulgence
away from a father's control. The father gives his son
what he asks. So God gives to man, with freedom to
use, according to personal choice. Deceived neither by
half-truthfulness in utterance, nor by the nature of the
purpose but half acknowledged in the heart, God freely

The Prodigal Son. 53
distributes property, even though men make a god of it
and utterly forget the Giver. Too often men desire
the gifts while caring little for the favour of the
Giver, and unrestricted use of His gifts rather than
their use according to His will. The explanation
of man's separation from God is twofold : Inwardly,
. self-indulgence is more valued than experience of
Divine favour under the restraints of obedience ; Out
wardly, God's gifts are esteemed more than God Him
self. These elements mingle in all sin.
Verse 13. — Half-truthfulness, which has a covert
end to serve, discovers its real falseness as soon as
that end seems sure. The young man could not long
keep up appearances. But a few days could he
brook delay, when he makes a complete break-off from
home restraint. " Not many days after, the younger son
gathered all together, and took his journey into a far
country." Such beginning is the start on a course
of sin. In such exploring a man may travel long, and
penetrate far into the dread mysteries of unrestrained
wickedness. As we look upon the young man hasting
away, we do not see the worst. With stores of money
in his possession, he is hurrying from his father's house,
glad to widen the distance between him and a father's
commands. His mind is fuU of purposes and high
expectations. Property and prospects together are here
a preparation for iniquity. This young man is mighty
to do evil, and eager to make a beginning. Sad it is
for the man himself, and very sad for those to whom he
comes, when youth and wealth go open-handed into the
dwelUng-places of vice. Sad for him, for he may
perish, though a possibility of escape remains, through
which he may come out, though scathed as by fire.

54 Welcome to the Returning.
Sad for them who are dwellers in the abodes of sin,
increasing the power of those influences which ensnare
them, establishing the strongholds of evil. By such
events, those who have sold themselves to sin become
still more entangled in their captivity.
How, then, does it fare with this youth? He
reached the desired country, and " there wasted his sub
stance in riotous living!' It is quickly told. The Bible
condenses the description of such scenes. These few
words give the Bible representation of folly and vice.
The picture is only in outline. It does not aim at
telling much, for there is an ignorance which is precious
above thousands of gold and silver. It is ignorance of
such scenes as those with which this young man was
now daily familiar. Happy is that man whose memory
carries no imprint of them. This youth has now a
knowledge which is a living curse. Enough is sketched
in this picture to show in dim perspective the hateful-
ness of the life. "Wasted his substance in riotous
living." Eeckless folly. The reins which reason holds
are snapped and dangling in the breeze ; passion has
sway ; the sight of ruinous waste faUs to deter. Some
sin is wily in its working, and does not part company
with prudence ; but not such as this. Vice can cut
short its own course by ruining its devotee. Earthly
substance cannot endure under riotous living. Like
snow before the sun, it melts away. The profligate
awakes ; his eyes are cooler and clearer ; his wealth
is gone. In wreck of substance is the reign of debas
ing vice. Terrible is the close for the man who delights
to dwell among its devotees. The law which conscience
gives is first shunned; afterwards it is brought forth
to provide materials for jest ; lofty aspirations are cast

The Prodigal Son. 5 5
away as cumbersome treasure on the line of a retreating
army ; and the novice in vice goes headlong into pollu
tion, soon fitting him for companionship with the worst.
This " far country," where substance is wasted in riotous
Uving, is the kingdom of wickedness in this world. It
is the kingdom of Satan.
Between the kingdom of vice and the father's house
there is a wide territory. In view of the significance
of the story, the dweUing of vice could not be near the
house. It is in a " far country." The separation is
complete. As you look along that wide stretch of
moorland between the father's house and the corrupt
retreat to which the younger son has gone, you discover
no messenger sent to make inquiries after the youth, or
to carry words of earnest entreaty for his return. At
first sight this is perplexing. It seems so different from
the reality represented in other parables, such as the
two which precede this. There is significance in the
absence of a feature which would have been natural to
such a story. Is not this testimony to the deep dis
pleasure of the father with the conduct of his son ?
The father voluntarily continues as far from his son as
the son has voluntarily gone from him. In this com
pleteness of the son's isolation from home — in this
absence of the going and coming of messengers — we
trace strong marks of a father's moral indignation. It is
plainly the more needful to notice this, considering the
absence of any manifestation of displeasure, when at
length the father meets his son returning from his
career of wickedness. The past is then so completely
buried, that it is of the highest consequence to note the
unbending condemnation so strongly maintained till
that moment.

56 Welcome to the Returning.
Verse 14. — The narrative, which faintly traces the
riotous living, indicates more minutely the bitter ex
perience which comCs in its train. " When he had spent
all, there arose a mighty famine in that land ; and he
began to be in want" Such is the dark shading in
which the consequences of riotous living are painted.
Euin keeps company with riot. The youth goes un
bidden to be the guest of the riotous, and soon ruin
comes unbidden to be guest with him. This happens
partly as the result of his own action, partly because 01
events over which he had no control. First, he spends
all his substance in self-indulgence, and thus walks
deliberately into the inheritance of penury. By his own
choice, he brings himself to want. To aggravate his
experience, there comes "a mighty famine" upon the
whole country. His trouble is deepened by events
which involve all around him in a share of distress.
The famine in Canaan, when stores were in the garners
of the king of Egypt, may represent what is here de
picted. The parabolic meaning of the famine is the
thing of chief interest. In seeking this, the main points
to be noticed are, that its coming is here connected
with his spending of his substance, and it involves him
in additional distress only as it involves all the dwellers
in the land. It came when his purse was empty, but
it came to all who dwelt there, whatsoever the state of
their resources at the time. Not merely has this young
man's wealth gone from his hands, but the land into
which wealth is carried by headstrong foolish youth,
who freely pour it forth till nothing remains for them
selves, is a land subject to mighty famines. When
such famine comes, the possession of flocks and herds
avails little ; in some ways it increases the eviL How

The Prodigal Son. , 5 7
to provide for them at such a time ; how to escape the
necessity of driving them to an unfavourable market;
how to keep off the hour when there shall be stores of
money in possession, but no food to buy, — these are the
perplexities of the rich in such times. Money keeps
famine at bay only by a few paces. In this way the
parable illustrates a spiritual truth. Famine afflicts
the life of those who are far off from God, whether in
the midst of poverty or of plenty. There is a want
which riot cannot satisfy. Licentious indulgence will
only excite for a brief season, blinding the eyes for the
time to aU that is beyond the whirl ; but when the
excitement is over a great void is left behind. The
whirl stops, objects beyond become visible, and the man
finds himself unprepared for meeting them. Property
cannot satisfy. There is in the land a great famine of
aU that the higher nature wants for its support and
satisfaction. Those who have least property, having
least to lean upon, and fewest expedients open to them,
are on these accounts likely to feel the pinching most.
But all feel it, even to the richest. The greatest pos
sessions cannot buy what the higher nature needs.
Afar off from God, the supply is not to be had at any
price. There comes a mighty famine.
Verses 15, 16. — "And he went and joined himself to
a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields
to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly
with the husks that the swine did eat : and no man gave
unto him." In the straits which famine brings, and
without any resources of his own, he looks around him
for help. He makes his appeal to " a citizen of that
country." This person, as a permanent dweller there,
is identified with the place where the youth has but

58 Welcome to the Returning.
recently arrived. The citizen has acquired property,
has vested interests in the country, and among the
citizens is one of those least likely to think of remov
ing. It was plainly of such an one as this that our
Lord spoke, when He startled His disciples by saying,
" How hardly shall a rich man enter into the kingdom
of heaven!" Eendered into the language of this
parable, that saying will run thus : " How hardly wiU
a prosperous citizen of the far country depart from it,
that he may dwell near to God." To such a settled
dweller in the place, the profligate son betakes himself
now. The youth would settle if he could, and find a
place among the citizens. Companionship in a godless
life gives sOme support. When this cannot be found
to any extent worth reckoning upon, even patronage
from those who have prospered in ungodliness is
accepted as a gain. A very smaU gain in this case
such patronage brought. This wealthy citizen "sent
him into his fields to feed swine." And he went !
He who~e excited imagination had drawn vivid pictures
of unmingled delight, accepts to-day the post of a
swine-herd. He drives out the swine into the fields,
that they may feed under the trees on pods which have
fallen from the branches. Heart-sick with disappoint
ment, he is meeting the realities of Ufe in their
plainest, roughest form. Separated from his home,
forsaken by the companions of his revelry, he is lonely
and sad in these silent fields. In his self-produced
poverty, hunger is his companion, yet no man gives
unto him. In his extremity he sits down among the
swine and feeds with them upon the husks. Sad is
this picture of humbling, bitter extremity. As we look
upon it, let us remember that poverty is in itself no

The Prodigal Son. 59
disgrace, though there be many disgraceful paths which
lead down to it. Unspeakably better it is, in every way
more worthy of man's moral nature, to be an honest
swine-herd, feeding on the pods which have fallen from
the kharub trees, than a riotous profligate, faring
sumptuously every day.
Verses 17-19. — "And when he came to himself, he
said, How many hired servants of my father's hare bread
enough, and to spare, and I perish with Imnger ! T will
arise, and go to my father, and will say unto him,
Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and before thee,
and am no more worthy to be called thy son •' make me
as one of thy hired servants!' Suffering proved a
valuable teacher to this young man. He was in
misery now ; no help was to be found around him, and
he knew of help nowhere save in the midst of that
home which he had so wickedly left, and which for a
time he had been so anxious to forget. Such thoughts
as these came in upon his mind on this day of
calamity. In giving a welcome to them, " he came to
himself." This brief expression carries in it a vivid
reflection of what his previous course had been, as well
as a strong testimony to complete change now. The
Saviour accounts every one who hastes away from God,
hurries into transgression, and seeks to abide in the
midst of evU, a man who is " away from himself," as
well as away from God, and away from home. This
description applies not merely to one course of conduct,
such as that described in the parable, but to all courses
of action involving wilful separation from Him who is
the source of all good. A man is away from himself
when he refuses direction of those powers given him
for the guidance of his conduct. Euling impulses may

60 Welcome to the Returning.
differ greatly in the history of different wanderers, but
in all cases they are impulses not suited for the rule.
which is given to them, and not capable of exercising
such rule, except to the man's hurt. Prejudices,
opinions, and delusive imaginations are not the man,
though cherished by him ; evil passions are not the
man, though indulged and strengthened within him;
wicked actions are not the man, though they are done
by him. Under the dominion of false views and evil
desires, which lead on to sinful actions, the man is not
himself. The wandering from God, which is wicked
ness, is also the utmost foolishness. The man who goes
against God, at the same time goes against himself.
The history of this prodigal is the illustration. At
length, however, in the midst of self-caused wretched
ness, " he came to himself." This return is coincident
with the resuming of sober thought. Once brought to
this frame of mind, thoughts start up as memories of
the pleasant past ; in the stillness and sadness of that
hour he seems to hear a voice say, "Thou fool!"
Then, overleaping the immediate past, which he has
filled with spectres of folly, sin, and shame, he sees
in a more remote past the exceeding blessedness which
he has surrendered, and in the fulness of which his
father's servants are now luxuriating. Having abated
bodily hunger by sharing husks with the swine he-
tended, a greater hunger now takes possession of his
soul. Lost to all around, he gazes with lustrous eyes
on an excellence unseen by those who are near him.
He longs for peace, for purity, for such a love as his
father's love, even if he cannot have it in all the ful
ness which he had known when he held the favoured
place of a son. He says in his heart— says it aloud,

The Prodigal Sou. 6 1
perchance, as he wanders through those fields, with
none but the swine for companions — " How many hired
servants of my father's have bread enough, and to spare,
and I perish with hunger !" Subjection to his father
he had disliked and sought to escape. But now, from a
sadly changed point of view, and with a greatly widened
experience, which had made him weary of knowing
what the world contained, he looked on the service
of his father as the finest thing the world possessed.
How glad would he be now, even if he took the lowest
place among the servants ! As he thinks of it, he feels as
if new Ufe were coming to his heart, as if the treasures
of wisdom, so recklessly thrown away, were being
mysteriously restored. He says, " I will arise, and go
to my father." This is the turning-point. To secure
this among men, Jesus lifted His voice and cried,
" Eepent : for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Eepent and come. Blessed is the least in the kingdom
of heaven. That blessedness men may not only see
from afar, but enter into, and share freely from hence
forth. There is warrant even for such a wanderer as
this prodigal to repent of the past, and say, " I wiU
arise, and go to my father." He is right in the instinct
which makes him regard this as his last resort. Pity
that it had not been his first ! There he hopes to find
an open and safe retreat for his weary, sin-burdened
spirit. Well it is for him that such a resolution should
be taken and at once carried out. In this is the begin
ning of wisdom ; the end is everlasting life.
But all who wander do not thus escape from that
" far country." The figures of many are dimly traced
on the picture, whose movements we cannot descry.
They do not appear in the foreground, because none

62 Welcome to the Returning.
of them are seen to come out from that country and
approach the father's house. They dwelt there when
that son came to their abodes of evil, and they con
tinue there when he departs. Thus it is faintly indi
cated that there are many who remain there, and find
their graves in the "far country." There are some
who prosper, and who settle there, rejoicing in their
prosperity. There are some uncomfortable there, who
seek to make the best of things they see no way of
mending, and who do not brace themselves for an
effort to break away from the influence with which
they have grown familiar. Others there are, sick at
heart, who yield to depression, and, like weary travellers
toUing in winter through dangerous Alpine passes, sink
into the midst of snow, knowing as they yield to over
powering drowsiness that they will sleep the sleep of
death in that cold winding-sheet. From other parables
we learn that in the kingdom there is provision for
merciful attempts to deliver men from this great danger.
To those who will not say, " I will arise and go," there
are those who are sent forth, to lift their voices with
the friendly cry, " Arise, and come." Yet are there
many who remain behind.
When the prodigal son nerves himself for the resolu
tion of returning to his father, thereby discovering his
shame and wretchedness, his thoughts grapple with the
great perplexity, — How can he meet his father, and
what, account will he give of his sin ? He went out
full, he will return empty; he went from the door
with great pomp, he will come again to that same door
as a beggar ; he carried with him all his goods, but
they have been swept from his grasp, while he himself
with difficulty forded the torrent of vice, barely escap-

The Prodigal Son. 63
ing with his life ; he will return with an empty waUet,
every eye in the house beholding his shame. But
these are not the things which distress him now.
How shall he meet his father ? is the one question ;
as the sinner's inquiry must be, How shall I meet God?
The one thought which expels other thoughts from his
mind, and lies as a great burden upon him, is this, " I
have sinned." True it is — and the one truth affecting
his position. AU other facts in his career lead directly
to this as the central fact. However often he may turn
aside from it, to this one thought he must always
return : " I have sinned." " I am no more worthy to
be caUed a son." In saying this, he sees his only
method of approach to his father, fti his father he sees
his only refuge from perdition. He forms his resolu
tion. " I wUl say it." This is what the Bible means
by confession. It is simple truth-speaking when we
approach God ; nothing more, and nothing less. " If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins, and to cleanse us from aU unrighteousness."
By the Saviour's work the way for all this has been
set open. We are assured of that which the prodigal
son only hoped for with a trembling uncertainty and
fear, when, having repented of his foUy and sin, he
resolved to retrace the long way over which he had
hurried in pursuit of phantom forms of liberty and
joy. For every sinner it is fit to speak to God as he
now determined to speak : " Father, I have sinned, and
am no more worthy to be caUed thy son." To this he
adds a request which is proof of the sincerity and
depth of his humiliation now : " Make me as one of
thy hired servants." In the abjectness of his distress
he sees no other thing he can ask. Eestoration to a

64 Welcome to the Returning.
son's place ! That seems too much to think of asking
He cannot even venture to frame such a wish in words.
The hope flits like a condemning spectre about his
mind, and frightens him when he dares for a moment
to glance at it. No; it cannot be. Fallen for ever
from a son's place, I can ask only to be set among
those who serve in the house, out of my father's sight,
whose hire is recompense. Thus the self-condemned
prodigal thinks and feels now. It lies with the father,
and not with him, to see how impossible is aU this,
and how certain it is that the welcome given on his
return must be the welcome for a son.
When the prodigal's trouble was at its height, he
still confided in his father, believing that he would
receive him if he returned. Upon this return he
resolved, with the determination to acknowledge in
his father's presence the greatness of his sin. From
this point all is changed.
Verses 20-24. — "He arose, and came to his father!'
Travelling back over the ground which he had before
crossed so light-heartedly — travelling now in the garb
of a beggar, and, what was far worse on that day,
agitated with bitter thoughts of self-condemnation —
he at length came in sight of that house which had so
lingered in his memory as the happy home of his boy
hood, and which had seemed to him in his extremity
the only remaining retreat which the wide world con
tained. In sight of the place, his heart beat fast ; his
anxiety rose to intensity, as he wondered whether that
day should make his life one of despair by throwing him
back again on his misery, or of hope and returning joy
by affording escape from the poUuted, hateful past. He
trembled under a sense of the greatness of the crisis.

The Prodigal Son. 65
"But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw
him!' The father who would not go to seek his son,
who would not even send to entreat his return, did not
cease to watch day by day in the hope of his reappear
ance. With the quickness which love gives to the
observing eye, the father recognised his son when he
was just in sight, far in the distance. The servants
in the house might have taken no notice of him, or, if
they had cast a glance in the direction, they might have
faUed to recognise, in the weary, poor-looking wayfarer,
the figure of that long-lost son, who had departed
wearing aU the signs of high rank. But " his father
saw him ;" not only saw, as any of the servants might
have seen him, but recognised him as his son. And
" he had compassion on him, and ran, and fell on his
neck, and kissed him." The intensity of feeling long
pent up in that father's heart became apparent. Others
might have misunderstood the restraint which he had
put upon himself during his son's wilful wandering;
but there could be no misunderstanding now. The
compassion sUently nourished, now rose like a tide;
and in the strength of his ardour, he hasted to meet his
son. WhUe others may have doubted how that son
would be received if he ventured to return — and no
one could feel greater misgiving than the son him
self, now that he was about to put it to proof — the
matter was already settled in the heart of the father ;
and the decision is quickly discovered to all. The
father did not wait the arrival of his son ; he did not
send out a messenger to receive first the submission of
the transgressor ; he went forth to meet him, and, as if
to lessen, though only by a few moments, the period of
their separation, he ran towards him ; and when they

66 Welcome to the Returning.
met, the father fell upon the son's neck, and kissed
him. Before a word had been spoken, a welcome was
made sure. The combined strength of a father's regard
and of a mother's tender love are seen in such a
welcome. As in an instant, the light of morning breaks
through the darkness of night ; so the warmth of home
affection revived the man ready to die in neglect.
When our Saviour has sketched this scene, He tells
us that in such a father we have a representation of the
Father in heaven. He who saith, " No man knoweth
the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the
Son will reveal him," looks upon this picture taken
from earthly life, and says, This is my Father, and thus
my Father acts towards a returning penitent. His is
a father's love towards a lost son — a father's welcome
to a repenting prodigal. A grand truth lies here for
all mankind. The value of the representation is
enhanced by the fact that the son thus welcomed is
one of two. God welcomes each sinner with a strength
of love and joy such as a man might feel if the son
who comes back to subjection were the only one
whose return was expected. God's forgiveness must,
indeed, be such as condemns sin and upholds righteous
ness. The Divine displeasure against sin has been
already set forth in the parable, but its uncompromis
ing sternness is followed by the most marveUous sight
of overflowing love. With ever -watchful eye, God dis
covers the first movements of penitenoe within the heart ;
before the penitent can be assured of a welcome, the
Divine favour is turned towards him ; when the sinner
comes to plead, the answer is ready before the petition
has found utterance. God keeps no man waiting who
seeks His blessing thus. " He delighteth in mercy."

The Prodigal Son. 67
Welcomed as the son is in this way, he cannot leave
the past unmentioned. He must make confession of
his own exceeding sinfulness and unworthiness. And
thus it is he speaks : " Father, I have sinned against
Heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be
called thy son." Most comprehensive confession, fit
equaUy for the ear of his father and for the hearing of
God, who judges of all such confessions when they are
made. "I have sinned;" this brief description applies
to all my course since I passed wilfully from under thy
control in search of a satisfaction never found. "I
have sinned against Heaven ;" for this is the first and
most dreadful view of my evil course, that I have in
aU sinned grievously against God, while the sin has
been in thy sight, my father, and thou hast had cause
to condemn me. It is in the very spirit of David he
speaks (Ps. li. 4), "Against thee, thee only, have I
sinned, and done this evU in thy sight." And when
now he sees and owns what he is before God, he keenly
feels how unworthy he is to be owned by his father.
" I am no more worthy to be called thy son." ' Father'
I must call thee ; and yet I am unworthy that thou
shouldest caU me ' Son.' Such is genuine confession.
Yet must we observe what is left unsaid. There is no
trace of false-hearted excusing of his conduct, such as
we all find so easy. There is no apology for himself,
and no making of charges against others. As Grotius
has said, " He does not cast the blame upon his youth,
or upon his UI advisers, but, without excuse of any sort,
he makes naked confession of his guilt." And, on the
other hand, it is to be observed that something of what
he purposed to say is left unspoken. Before he
departed from the far country, we heard his resolution

68 Welcome to the Returning.
to pass from his confession to the petition : " Make me
as one of thy hired servants;" but that prayer is
unspoken. The father's welcome has made it impossible,
and when he has said in humility, "I am no more
worthy to be called thy son," he cannot go further,
even though he intended it,— for he must still say,
Father ! These then are the prominent features of this
son's state of mind now ; he mourns over his sin and
loathes it; he feels himself unworthy to be named a son;
and yet he desires nothing so much as to be completely
under his father's authority again. This is the Saviour's
sketch of a true penitent before God. If any are
anxious to know who will have the welcome of a
Divine Father, they have here the unmistakable reply.
As he says, I have sinned, so must we ; as he views
all his sin chiefly as sin against God, so must we;
as he cried unworthy, so must we own complete
unworthiness of Divine favour. Then shall we receive
that which is given in the exercise of Divine mercy
and grace ; for " by grace are we saved through
faith ; and that not of ourselves : it is the gift of God."
But it will be said that in selecting such a prodigal
to represent the man who appears before God to confess
himself a sinner, a very extreme case has been chosen.
And no doubt this must be carefully considered. We
hope it may be said that the great majority of men
shrink from going such a dreadful length in sin as this
youth went. But there is obvious reason for the selec
tion, when Jesus would by this story set forth the
grand truth that every sinner may come to God and
Uve. The line runs out widely to embrace such a
profligate, that it may encourage all. Not, indeed, that
this case may be taken as a type of the very worst on

The Prodigal Son. 69
earth, for as the dividing line sweeps through the far
country, it passes between the abodes of those content
to dweU there. But through the midst of these abodes
it runs, that it may be clearly shown that any dweUer
there may yet escape condemnation, if he will only
arise and come. On the other hand, it is evident
that this description embraces all courses of sin less
gross and glaring, in which a man runs a less distance,
and returns by a more direct course. While thus the
extreme type of Ulustration is such as to make it aU-
inclusive, it must be observed that as all sin is self-
seeking in disregard of the wiU of God, so must all the
avenues of return converge on the same point of union,
— repentance of the wandering, and faith in the God to
whom aU must return in seeking for peace. And now
we complete the view, when, passing from different
courses of sin, we consider how each man's sin appears
in his own sight when he comes to meet God with
confession. Seeing how much men's lives differ in the
amount of evil they contain, we may appropriately
speak of some forms of Ufe being more wicked in
comparison with others. But when each man considers
his own sin, as it looks under the eye of the holy God,
it appears most dreadful, and there is no true expres
sion of the reality save this : " I am unworthy to be
caUed thy son." The prodigal's confession is accepted
as suitable for each ; the publican's prayer is the fit
petition for all : " God be merciful to me a sinner."
There is thus no extreme of self- depreciation, but the
natural expression of what is obviously true, when
Peter says, " Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, 0
Lord ; " and when Paul, the apostle, who in early life
had been a scrupulous observer of all the demands of

yo Welcome to the Returning.
the law, tells us that in his own eyes he seems the
chief of sinners.
From the confession of the prodigal, the narrative
passes at once to the orders which the father issues to
provide for his son's wants. The son said, " Father, I
am no more worthy to be called thy son;" but the
father said, " Bring forth the best robe, and put it on
him!' This transition conveys a deep impression of the
all-absorbing determination of the father to prove that
the welcome was unhesitating and joyous. While,
however, we mark this, we must not fail to observe the
father's silence in reference to the confession. There is
meaning in this. When a son is received in such cir
cumstances, expressing his grief for the past, what he
says is apt to give occasion for reproach, or, if a
different spirit rule, the father is apt to go to the
opposite extreme, and frame words of excuse. It is
otherwise here. The father is silent, and that silence
is God-like. He receives the confession, for it is true,
it is necessary ; nothing can excuse the deeds, nothing
can change the character of that awful past ; but he
does not dwell upon the painful subject, he does not
open up the wound afresh. As he cannot say a word
in excuse, he will not speak at all. His sUence is con
demnation. Thus God deals with man, maintaining a
silence which is merciful. He casts the sins behind his
back. " He giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not."
Having thus received the humble confession, the
father orders a robe for his son, a ring for his hand,
shoes for his feet, and the killing of the fatted calf that
a feast may be prepared. The best in the house is at
his command, and a festival is a fit expression of the
household's joy over the wanderer's return. In each one

The Prodigal Son

V3

of these particular orders some readers see a distinct
meaning. The robe is righteousness, the ring is free
dom, the shoes represent preparation for service, and
the feast is experience of the blessings of grace. No
doubt the imagery has a fitness, but we doubt if there
be warrant for such use of single phrases ; most of all
would we object to the attempt to find in the kiUing of
the fatted calf some representation of the death of the
Saviour, to which event it bears no analogy. The simple
tale is this. The father is fuU of gladness, and all his
resources are caUed into requisition to give token of
it, and mark the rank of the son. All trace of his
wretchedness is instantly cast away ; he is clothed as a
member of the famUy, and the household is summoned
to a day of rejoicing. The key to aU is in these words
of the father to his servants : " For this my son was
dead, and is alive again ; he was lost, and is found," —
words which carry softly the condemnation of the past,
whUe they celebrate the present gladness. This my
son was dead — dead to home, dead to a father's claims,
dead to duty ; this my son was lost — lost to me, leaving
me in gloom to weary for his return, lost to the Ufe
of holiness which otherwise had been his honour and
my j°y ! Dut my son i* was wno went astray, and my
son he stiU is now that he has returned, let us rejoice
together : he was dead, and is alive again ; he was lost,
and is found.
" And they began to be merry." In the circumstances,
this statement is o-rriking. It is not of the prodigal's
experience that we are told. We naturally expect to
hear how he was soothed, how the great weight of sad
ness began to pass away from his soul, how he drank
in a new joy from the light of his father's countenance,

72 Welcome to the Returning.
and coveted eagerly the satisfaction of ministering
humbly to his father. But we hear nothing of all this.
The son's experience is lost in the joy of the father and
the household. By the Saviour's teaching we are made
to see that this is God's way. Wonderful teaching as
to the ways of God ! It is even made to appear as if
the return of the sinner were the source of satisfaction
chiefly to Him. He rejoices over a solitary sinner's
return, when He blesses that soul with everlasting Ufe.
And it is not upon His gladness alone that our atten
tion is turned. " They began to be merry ! " Who are
these servants ? They abide in the house, they are
even more in harmony with the father than the sons
are, and they, find their joy in ministering to these sons
at the father's bidding. There can be no doubt as to
the meaning of aU this. These servants of the house
hold represent the angels in the Father's house on
high ; there is here the echo of what has been already
said in the seventh and tenth verses of this chapter.
Look upon that household in the day of their feast
ing, when the master rejoices over the return of a
long-lost son. And now, hear the Saviour translate
the scene according to its spiritual significance : " Like
wise, I say unto you, There is joy in the presence of the
angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." The
words were uttered in reference to the recovery of the
lost piece of money ; but the truth is the same, and
the parabolic representation of it is much nearer the
reality, when we witness the rejoicing over the return
of the long-lost son.
Verse 25. — "Now his elder son was, in the field:
and as he came and drew nigh to the house, lie heard
music and dancing!' We now enter on a second part

The Prodigal Son. 73
of the story, which is in some respects a return upon
the first part of it, though quite distinct in detail. At
the outset the story spoke of two sons, between whom
this father divided his living ; but hitherto the younger
son exclusively has occupied attention. Now the elder
son reappears — the wonder being that he has not
appeared sooner. The explanation of his absence from
the scene of rejoicing comes out in what follows. This
father, with only two sons, had trouble with both ;
neither obeyed him with a willing mind, or showed
anything like that measure of sympathy with him
which he had from the servants of his house. What
here breaks upon us as a discovery of the evil disposi
tion of the elder son is evidently nothing new or un
expected to the father. Such an outbreak of feeling has
plainly been a common occurrence. This father had no
such close and happy relationship with his first-born son
as he must have longed for, especially during that weary
season of the absence of the younger. The elder son
had not, indeed, forsaken his father's house ; he had
not hurried into profligacy, as the other had done ; he
had throughout kept an eye to all that concerned the
property on which they lived. But mutual confidence
was wanting, and free intercourse between them there
had not been. Outwardly the elder son was the better
of the two ; but in the end the younger came most
quickly to give himself to his father with a full-hearted
affection. This father was like that other, reported of
elsewhere in the Gospels (Matt, xxi 28), who had two
sons, to both of whom he issued his commands : and
the one said, " I wUl not," but afterwards he repented
and went ; whUe the second said, " I go, sir," and went
not. That this is the real state of things in this case is

74 Welcome to the Returning.
made very evident. When the younger son returned,
the father, full of joy, called his servants ; but he sent
no messenger to caU his brother from the field. The
absence of this is a conspicuous feature in the story.
It can be accounted for only on the supposition that
the father, while lavishing his affection on the younger,
and finding in this aU sympathy from his servants,
expected nothing but discontent if the elder son
entered the house. The want of any message to him
is the mark of the father's displeasure with the reigning
disposition of the only other son he had. The conduct
of the father in this respect is the exact counterpart of
that on which we remarked at an earUer stage, as he
sent no message to the prodigal while he remained
absent. In both cases we have evidence of his dis
satisfaction by withholding communication. The elder
son was absent from the scene because he did not
know of the rejoicing ; in the midst of it his father
sent no message to him, obviously because he expected
no joyfulness on his part. Thus it appears he was
excluded by his own cherished disposition, which had
separated him from his father; and it is only the
natural and inevitable consequence which we witness
at this crisis in domestic history. The elder son does
not appear in the midst of the festivities which cele
brate the return, in profound penitence, of the long-
absent wanderer.
" And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard
music and dancing." When all within the house are
partaking of the feast, and the sound of music is high,
the elder son is coming slowly back from the fields,
where he has been superintending the operations in
progress there. He is confounded by the evidence of

The Prodigal Son. 75
high rejoicing within the house. But he will not enter
to ascertain what has occasioned this unexpected state
of matters. He summons a servant, and when he hears
the explanation, so far from feeling any impulse to
hurry into the presence of his brother, he is full of
wrath, and turns away from the door. The father is
informed of this, and hastens out now to meet this son,
as a Uttle earlier in the day he had gone forth to meet
the other. In the former case, the son was the sup-
pUant; in this case, it is the father. The father
entreats his own son to rejoice with him in the return
of the erring one ; but the entreaty is scorned with the
utmost bitterness of feeling, and the father is taunted
for want of generosity towards a faithful son, and for
wonderful sympathy with Ul-doing. The words of this
son are hateful, coming from a heart full of bitterness ;
they are words poisoned with malice. No man with a
lingering trace of respect for his father could have
spoken as he did. He tells his father that there is no
generosity, not to say fairness, in the treatment he has
experienced as a son. For many years he has served
him without transgressing, and he has never received
even a kid, far less the fatted calf, to make merry with
his friends. He has served as a drudge, kept under
continual restraint, without even a day of festivity
throughout all these years. " But as soon as this thy
son (he wUl not say 'my brother') is come, who has
devoured thy Uving with harlots, thou hast killed for
him the fatted calf." Thou hast no reward for faithful
service, and thou hast no condemnation for the wasting
of substance in immorality ; thou hast nothing but
feasting for a reckless spendthrift, who comes home
only after he has wasted aU that he had. The father's

76 Welcome to the Returning.
reply is clear, calm, and conclusive ; but clear reasoning
has no value to a man in such humour. The father
says nothing of the bitter, malevolent spirit against
himself and against the younger son which breathes
through aU these hateful words. He can do nothing
but condemn them; and he keeps silence, as he did
before in receiving the .confession of the younger son
because of his course of evil. That confession, how
ever, he Gould receive. This statement which the
elder son makes of his past he cannot accept ; it is
exactly the reverse of the confession of the other, and
in every respect it is false. The younger said, I have
sinned ; the elder says, I have never transgressed : the
younger said, I have sinned against Heaven ; the elder
makes no account of heavenly authority : the younger
said, I am no longer worthy to be called thy son ; the
elder says, I only am worthy. The confession of the
younger son the father could receive, for even his ¦
terrible sin had not shut him out from return ; the
self-assertion of the other he could not approve. But a
man who stubbornly affirms that he has never trans
gressed is not to be reasoned with ; it is hopeless to
convince him that he is guilty of serious transgression
in the utterance of the moment. Yielding to sad
necessity, the father is silent. Of the charge against
himself the father easily disposes. Had he never given
this elder son anything ? He had divided between the
two all his living ; and all that now remained of the
property belonged to the one who declared he had
received nothing. The younger son had indeed wasted
his substance in riotous living, but in this he had
robbed himself, not his brother, and made himseU
dependent on the tender mercy of others. And who

The Prodigal Son. 7 7
should show mercy if not his father and his brother ?
"It was meet that tee should make merry, and be glad :
for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and
was lost, and is found." In speaking to his servants,
that father had given this reason for rejoicing in exactly
the same terms, except that then he said, " This, my son,
was lost ;" whereas now he says, " This, thy brother, was
lost :" for now he would not merely explain his own
feeling, but remind a selfish brother what his feelings
should be. Having given this explanation, and made
this appeal, his father leaves him there.
The dealing of the father with his elder son repre
sents the dealing of the Father in heaven with another
type of transgressor. And who is this elder brother ?
The question has occasioned great perplexity to Bible
interpreters. Some have supposed that Christians are
aimed at, who are dissatisfied with the welcome of
profligates into the kingdom of their Lord. And if
we consider only the discontent with the welcome of
the prodigal, there is enough to give a colour of sanc
tion to this view. But if we have regard to the entire
character described, such an interpretation is hopeless.
There is no Christian who could think and speak of
God, not to say to God, in such a manner as that
adopted by the elder brother in speaking to his father.
It may be asked, Of whom, if not of a Christian, can it
be said by God, "All that I have is thine"? But of
which Christian can this be said ? And if the words
could be thus applied in any sense to a Christian,
would he be fierce in his denial of having received
anything ? Let us be consistent in our interpretation,
and carry the meaning uniformly through the whole.
The father divided between these two his living — a

78 Welcome to the Returning.
half he gave to the younger, and the elder became
rightful owner of all that remained. In both cases
temporal substance is spoken of, which is of unspeak
ably less value than the father's love ; if that which
was wasted in riotous living was temporal, so also was
this which remained by right to the elder ; and in that
case, " All that I have is thine," must be held to apply
to what is only temporal. To begin to apply this in a
spiritual sense is to contradict the principle of inter
pretation uniformly followed in dealuig with the other
half of the parable, and is to mix up in hopeless con
fusion the domestic history and the paraboUc teaching
conveyed by it. Others have supposed that the elder
son is intended to represent the hypocrite ; and though
this is certainly nearer the truth, the character described
is not prominently hypocritical, but rather offensively
open in the assertion of his hatred. We discover
the application simply by gathering together the lead
ing features of character implied in his own words.
These are mainly three — -first, he has never transgressed ;
secondly, he has had no pleasure in his service ; and
thirdly, he feels as if God did injustice to him by par
doning the profligate. These are the outstanding fea
tures of the character. The life of such a man wanders
less into open sin than the life of the profligate ; but it
no less involves separation from God, and even for him
there can be no true union to God except by returning
to Him in the same spirit as that which the prodigal
cherished and expressed. Outwardly decent, worldly,
self-satisfied a man may be, wondering how open trans
gressors can hope to be accepted of God ; but he him
self must change his thoughts, feel his sinfulness, and
take as his own the confession of the prodigal. Instead

The Prodigal Sou. 79
of saying, " I never transgressed at any time thy com
mandment," let him say as the prodigal did : " Father,
I have sinned, and am no more worthy to be called thy
son," and his confession will be received as true, his
welcome shall be sure, and he will straightway have a
fuU share in the rejoicing which they have who trust
the Divine mercy, and serve God in gratitude for the
great deliverance. But as long as the confession of
sin is refused, the heart wUfully separates itself from
God. The God who forgives the sin which is confessed,
cannot approve when the confession is withheld and
the need for it is denied. In this case the man is
untruthful, and his Ufe is one of rebellion. Such an
one is not even called to a share of the joy which is
felt in the return of the prodigal, but is left standing
without. Thus the parable ends with solemn warning.
The high encouragement of the early part is followed by
the stern fideUty of the close.
In the three parables which have now been con
sidered there is set forth in figurate representation the
grand truth concerning the Divine plan for human
salvation. On the lower side we see man's sinfulness,
foUy, and hopelessly ruined state, foUowed by a view
of man's penitence and repose in Divine compassion
and love. On the higher side we see God's condem
nation of the ..sin, and His deliverance of the sinner.
Having our attention specially concentrated upon the
manner in which salvation is provided, we see the Son,
as the Shepherd, going forth to seek the lost, and bear
ing their weight upon His own shoulders ; we see the
Church, with aid of the truth, under the Spirit's guid
ance, used as the instrument to seek the lost ones of
the race ; and we see the Father, by whom both Son

80 Welcome to the Returtiing.
and Spirit are sent, giving a royal welcome to the sinful
in the midst of His own glorious home. Here is God's
work for the good of man, while man's lowest state
before God is exposed to view. Here is Divine truth
of the highest order, reflected with prismatic beauty
and harmony in these three parables. And most
glorious it is to mark that this truth is ever being
realised anew in the history of successive generations
of men, for God's seeking is a constant seeking, and
the Divine joy a continual rejoicing over the everlast
ing gain which rewards the search.

CHAPTEE VI.
IV. _ CONFESSION AND SUPPLICATION OF THE
PENITENT ONE.
THE PHARISEE AND PUBLICAN.
Luke xvxn. 9-14.
Following the Ulustrations of restoration to the
kingdom of God presented in the foregoing parables,
we have seen that God desires men to come to Him,
that they may share the blessings of His grace. We
have now another view of the arrangements connected
with entrance into the kingdom, giving greater pro
minence to personal responsibility in the manner of
appearing before God. Men must plead with God in
order to become partakers of His grace. We have
heard God caUing unto men ; we must hear men caU
ing unto God. In accordance with a conspicuous part
of the parable of the Prodigal Son, suppUcation on
man's part must be regarded as essential for entrance
into the kingdom, and opportunity for such pleading
with God is one of the privileges of the kingdom.
Men cannot serve themselves heirs to this kingdom
by any long course of strivings after great deeds of
holiness, but they may have their names placed on
F

82- Confession and Supplication of the Penitent.
the roll of its subjects by lowly acknowledgment of
their failures. It is not chivalry, bearing down the
selected course through heats of passion, and wearing
with pride the signs of its triumphs, which wins the
favour of this King ; but humility, bending in lowly
mien at the gate, owning the imperfection of the
past, yet seeking, by God's help, an elevation hitherto
unattainable. If the plans of the Lord of the kingdom
are to be carried out, they who trust in themselves
that they are righteous must be undeceived.
Prayer is, on one side, sense of need ; on the other,
entreaty for supply. It is need finding expression
in the hearing of God. This exercise is the duty of
men in coming to God, and thereafter the estabUshed
privilege of those who have come in faith. The
analogy between the two sons in the parable of the
Prodigal Son, and the two suppliants here, is very close.
An expositor cannot be far astray when detecting in the
Pharisee the reappearance of the likeness of the elder
brother, who says, " Neither transgressed I at any time
thy commandment ;" and in the publican the likeness
of him who said, " I have sinned, and am no more
worthy to be called thy son." The characters are the
same, only the development of truth is more advanced.
In observing such points of analogy the real unity of
the parables becomes apparent.
The peculiarity of the parable of the Pharisee and
Publican is, that the true nature of the prayer by
which men enter the kingdom is Ulustrated by two
examples entirely opposed in spirit. In other cases the
parabolic narrative is drawn from pastoral, domestic,
or social life. But the prayer to be offered by men,
in seeking admission to the kingdom, is so thoroughly

The Pharisee and Publican. 83
distinct from anything to be found in the relations
of men, that such relations are searched in vain for
anything sufficiently analogous to serve the end of
iUustration. This fact our Saviour proclaims, when
now, contrary to His custom in other cases, He con
structs His parable by selecting iUustrative examples
of the exercise of prayer itself. Man is, indeed, often
a suppUant before his fellow-man, and our Lord will
find aid for iUustration in this, before He has finished
His teaching as to prayer ; but no example of this kind
wiU suffice to bring out the true nature of that exercise
which is required of those who draw near to God. To
serve His end, our Great Teacher must select examples
of the homage which is preferred in presence of the
Deity. He who knew the heart of man, and needed
not that any should testify what was in man, must go
into the secrets of the soul, and select illustrative
examples of prayer which shaU be truly representative.
This He has done in constructing the parable before
us, setting forth how extremely different are the views
of men as to prayer, and how different is the estimate
which God sets on a variety of exercises bearing the
same name.
Verse 10. — " Two men went up into the temple to pray ;
the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican." "Two
men." This is another example of the selection of
two to represent the whole. AU suppliants may be
included within this comprehensive grouping. But
aU men are not suppliants. There is another class
of men which cannot be here represented. They are
strangers to prayer. Their absence is allowed for in
the fact that the reference of the parable is exclusively
to those who do appear before God in some way,

84 Confession and Supplication of the Penitent.
while their case has been dimly indicated in the parable
of the Prodigal, where they are mentioned as citizens of
a far country ; they are by their own choice " far off,'.'
while these two at least seek to draw nigh to God. For
the present our attention is concentrated upon praying
men — upon as many of our race as own that it is
rational to pray, and that it is dutiful. Thus per
suaded, and in a sense urged, they agree in appearing
before God in the attitude of suppliants.
That the representation may be the more striking to
the observer, these two men are brought together at
their devotions, their meeting-place being the temple
of God. Whatever their private life, they have come
together for the same exercise, and they meet in the
place dedicated to Divine service, where the tokens of
the Divine presence have often been given. As they
enter the outer court, everything before them conveys
instruction as to the true manner of approaching God.
Here, in the very centre, is the great altar of sacrifice,
over which the blood of victims is daily pouring in
token of sin ; and behind it, the laver for cleansing ;
and within the holy place, the altar of incense, symbol
of prayer. This is the divinely-appointed order : atone
ment for sin, cleansing from sin, then homage sweet as
incense. This great lesson of approach to God has
been familiar to both men from their youth, and it is
before their eyes now as they enter. One in their
purpose, with a common meeting- place for their
devotions, they have had very different courses of life,
while their traditional places in the judgment of others
have been far apart. The one is a Pharisee, the
other a publican ; the one has been marked for his
profession of religion, the other at the least has not

The Pharisee and Publican. 85
been noted for this. How they stand relatively in the
midst of the class to which they respectively belong, is
not stated ; but they may be taken as fairly represented
by the designation of these classes. A Pharisee and a
publican are drawing near to God in the temple. And
God is there to meet them, as He waits to receive all
who come. He is there as the Hearer of what these
men wUl say, and the Answerer, according to His
sovereign and righteous pleasure.
In this narrative the Pharisee is allowed precedence
as he claims it ; but this is granted with ominous
tokens that he may afford an example of the accuracy
of that saying, "The first shall be last, and the last
first." Advancing to a conspicuous position, as is obvi
ously implied, he began as one who accounted himself
a special favourite of Heaven.
Verses 11, 12. — "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus
with himself : God, I thank thee, that I am not as other
men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this
publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of cdl
that I possess."
The introductory words employed by the Lord in
describing His position, seem to forewarn the reader of
the want of reality in the prayer. He prayed with
himself. He was in the house of prayer, his attitude
was that of a suppUant, his exercise was in the form of
prayer, but in reaUty he spoke only with himself. The
prayer bears witness to unreality. His thankfulness
that he is not as other men, is the centre and substance
of the whole, what follows being only an amplification
of this. He condescends on particulars that he may
establish his claim to precedence, which is the one thing
on which his heart is set. Comparison with others is

86 Confession and Supplication of the Penitent.
so uncertain, and so often employed with varied extent
of signification— at times implying comparison only with
some, at other times with many, and often with most
others — that the rendering hardly conveys the literal
meaning of his words. He really says, " God, I thank
thee, that I am not like the rest of men" He too has a
way of dividing men into two classes; but the division is
such that he is the sole representative of the one, while
all other men are crowded together, with wonderful
facility on his part, and no misgiving as to his accuracy..
So completely is he absorbed with the conviction that
his own life presents a solitary example of perfection in
the world, that he feels no compunction in placing the
whole company of the Pharisees in the fellowship of
publicans and sinners. How much of thought, and how
much of mere pride of feeUng, there is here, it would be
difficult to estimate, unless we were to be satisfied with
the conclusion that there is no thought, and that all is
pride. But there is a kind of thought involved in the
state of mind producing this prayer, even so much
as seeks to establish the vaUdity of its claim on some
kind of evidence ; and it is such thought as pride
commonly rests upon. He seeks to establish innocence
for himself by charging iniquity upon others. They
are extortioners, unjust, and adulterers. This hideous
charge he makes against all his fellow-men ; he credits
it with the testimony of his own belief, and then he
lodges it in the presence of God as a buttress on
which to rest his own claim to goodness. They all do
wilfully injure their fellows in any way within their
reach. If opportunity offer, they plunder by violence ;
if it be more convenient, they gain their own ends by
deceit ; and in their career of self-indulgence, they rob

The Pharisee and Publican. 87
others of purity and peace, and of all that makes home
precious. As if to show the intensity of self-exalta
tion in which he indulges, he catches at the case of
the solitary worshipper whom he sees at the footstool
with him ; as if he would establish a rivalry between
himself and this other suppliant at the throne, and, if
possible, throw back some distance his prospect of
approval, he says, " I thank thee, that I am not even as
this publican." The offensive character of the self-
righteous disposition could not be painted in darker
colours than in this typical prayer given by the Lord
in this parable. Such a disposition seeking utterance
in prayer is ever untrue as to self, unjust as to others,
and dishonouring to God. So our Lord represents it.
How different is true prayer as iUustrated in Scripture !
Its disposition is exactly the opposite, as exempUfied
in the utterances of David, such as this : " Search me,
0 God, and know my heart; try me, and know my
thoughts ; and see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting" (Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24).
In contrast with these words, those of the Pharisee are
so confident as to his goodness, that he feels as if no
searching were needful, or could be even supposed to
lead to another result. David, in the presence of God,
always speaks as if his knowledge of his sin were
enough to satisfy him that there must be much more
iniquity in him than he has detected; this Pharisee
speaks as U God's knowledge of his heart could involve
nothing different from that to which he himself bears
witness, whereas even if he were neither plunderer,
deceiver, nor adulterer, the absence of these vices would
go but a little way to establish moral purity.
But the absence of vice is never the only thing on

88 Conf ession and Supplication of the Penitent.
which a self-righteous disposition leans. Something
more decided, in the form and clothing of righteousness
itself, there must be. And so our Lord represents it
here, although in such a way as to throw much discredit
on the righteousness of the self-righteous, exposing to
view its littleness when it testifies concerning itself
in the presence of God. " I fast twice in the week, I
give tithes of all that I possess." The narrowness of this
as a representation of a holy Ufe is painfully obvious,
the meagreness of it as an offering to God is still more so.
In the eyes of such a man these things constitute righte
ousness ; with such offerings God must be well pleased.
In estimating the significance of this prayer, its
essentially parabolic character must be kept in view.
It were easy to break forth in invective upon such a
Pharisee as this ; but invective were useless, and would
miss the mark. This is a prayer of the Saviour's own
sketching, drawn up in a manner so comprehensive and
suggestive as to stand for an accurate representation of
all prayer based in self-righteousness. In this Ught it
must be studied. To catch our Lord's meaning, it will
be well to mark off what is true and good here ; then
will the false and wicked stand out conspicuously. To
render homage to the Deity, to acknowledge before Him
the evil of sin, to render thanks for deUverance from it,
and to offer thanksgiving for attainment in holiness —
aU these are gbod. To make God the sovereign of the
soul, and to have " a conscience void of offence toward
God and toward men," must be the very end of Ufe.
Thus far the Pharisee's prayer carries in it some
acknowledgment of what is- true and good. This ad
mitted, we straightway come upon what Jesus con
demns in the prayer of the self-righteous. Such prayer

The Pharisee and Publican. 89
is not the utterance of need. Under the profession and
form of the reality, it involves the reversal of every
element of true prayer. Confession is perverted, the
language of thanksgiving is used to cover self-adulation,
and professed homage to God is turned to its opposite.
There is confession, but it is only of the sins of others.
Self-glorification is not concealed by the slim guise of
thanksgiving thrown over it. Supplication there is
none. The presumption of the whole, when regarded
as a prayer, is apparent. The catalogue of his own
excellences is presented merely as if for a formal recog
nition by the Deity. This is the general testimony
against the self-righteous prayer, that it is in nature
completely the Teverse of prayer. The spirit of self-
confidence cannot Uve with the spirit of prayer. The
one is the contrary of the other. Hence it happens
that the self-confident do only in appearance, not in
reaUty, approach God as suppliants. They own that
prayer is rational and dutiful, and yet act as if reason
and conscience might be satisfied with a pretence.
This radical inconsistency is accompanied naturally
with other features which give force to the condemna
tion of such prayer. 1. The self-righteous spirit is harsh
in its judgments of others. Conscious of the weakness
and falseness of its own claims, it does not shrink from
injustice to others. The thing which could not be
uttered in the hearing of fellow-men because of its false
ness, is nevertheless assumed before God in support of
the pretentious claims of self. Hence the comparison
with others, who are represented as evil. It is not,
"0 God, I am what thou wouldest have me to be;"
but, " I am not as other men." 2. It is inconsistent in
its utterances. This is the penalty of falseness. It is

90 Confession and Supplication of the Penitent.
always self-condemned. With truthfulness alone is it
easy and natural to be consistent. The self-righteous
man cannot utter his thoughts regarding himself with
out contradiction. With one breath this Pharisee
declares he has no sin, and with the next he tells that
he fasts twice in the week, as if he were laborious in
his confessions. Either his profession of holiness is
false, or his fasting is mockery. 3. It is ever prone to
magnify formal service. Fasting and tithing are the
symbols of highest excellence. Other virtues seem
ordinary and commonplace. That man is thought to
reach to unusual eminence whose life is greatly occupied
with observing fasts, and calculating tithes to the
fraction of a penny on the "mint, the anise, and the
cumin" growing in the corners of his garden. This
tendency to formaUsm is the natural fruit of self-
righteousness. Fundamental virtues of character are
assumed to be easy ; multipUcation of forms is volun
tary subjection to difficulties, and wears a fictitious
importance. God had appointed one day of humUiation
annually — the great day of atonement ; but if a man
can fast twice in the week, what an addition to his
holiness there must be ! God requued that they should
give tithes of all their increase ; and if a man should
take reckoning scrupulously of the very flowers in his
garden, how high his excellence must be ! Thus it is
that formalism, which first seems evidence of strong
life, grows apace, until it chokes the better life. Where
formalism reigns, religion becomes an affair of minute
details. This appears from the Pharisee's prayer.
Sincere prayer may, indeed, have parts tarnished in
this way, for even genuine Christian life may have
some admixture of the self-righteous spirit. Our Lord's

The Pharisee and Ptiblican. g i
parable, therefore, carrying condemnation of self-right
eousness, has its warning for aU His people, that they
be not ensnared by insinuations of spiritual pride.
We have thus had an example of the prayer of the
self-righteous. It is not indeed such a prayer as any
man could be heard to utter. A prayer of this model is
not to be heard even once in a Ufetime. It is not on
this account, however, unreal and inappropriate as a
model. It is an iUustration of the fact, apt to be for
gotten, that the Hearer of prayer reads our utterance in
the Ught of the suppressed thought and feeling cherished
within the mind. In successive generations there may
be no one shaping the utterance of his seU-confidence
exactly as we have it here, or thinking and feeling in
aU respects as is implied by such a prayer. And yet
there is no man indulging in any degree the self-
righteous spirit, who does not find his own thought in
some measure embodied in the Pharisee's prayer. That
men do not express themselves thus in actual form, is
only because the spirit of self-reliance leaves still such
a regard to truth, and such a dread of certain condem
nation from others, that men can deceive themselves
in the sUence of thought, while they would be over
whelmed with confusion did the utterance of their
thoughts faU upon their own ear. But here is the
inmost thought of the self-righteous, — the accurate
expression of his devotion, — and it is a clear sign that
the suppUant is an aUen from the covenant of Israel.
From this form of prayer, utterly unreal, and laden •
with sin, we turn to the example which our Lord sets
forth as an illustration of true prayer. That it is a
publican's prayer, is of no account ; that he has not
previously been esteemed a religious man, does not

92 Confession and Supplication of the Penitent.
affect the worth of what he utters now; the prayer is
real, befitting the man's past life, and as such it
receives Divine approval. The description of his atti
tude and manner, with which the prayer is introduced,
discovers the sincerity, the earnestness, and the lowliness
of the suppliant. Verse 13. — " The publican, standing
afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven,
but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me
a sinner!' It is not merely the appearance and
demeanour of the man which present a contrast here.
The attitude of soul in relation to God is different,
placing the two prayers wide as the poles asunder.
There is one thing which this publican needs, and
longs after, and pleads for with all the earnestness of
his soul at the footstool of the throne of mercy : " God
be merciful to me a sinner."1 His prayer is simple,
concentrated, all-embracing. He is a sinner, hungering
for mercy, asking provision where alone supply can be
had. This cry stands in Scripture as the Saviour's
embodiment of the prayer appropriate to a sinner.
With such an example of prayer acceptable to the
Deity, there is not a soul on earth which may not take
courage in drawing nigh to God.
At the basis of this prayer is the unqualified con
fession of personal sinfulness. It is the perception of
the dread reality of sin, and the sense of it as a mighty
burden on his spirit, which give form and meaning to
his prayer. Bunyan has exactly caught the ruUng
thought when he represents Christian as carrying a
great burden on his back, until he comes in sight of
1 This prayer might be rendered, " God be merciful to me the
' sinner" — ra d/iapraKa, — but the generic sense seems more con
sistent. The concentration precludes thoughts of comparison. As
Stier has well said, " He thinks of no other person under heaven."

The Pharisee and Publican. 93
the cross, when it suddenly falls from his shoulders and
is borne no more. The publican comes burdened in
spirit to the footstool of the throne of mercy. His sin
fulness absorbs his thoughts. In this he does indeed
stand at the opposite extreme from the Pharisee. The
self-righteous spirit is not only wanting ; the soul
recoUs from it as untruthful. As a sinner he comes ;
as such he presents himseU before God, pleading with
the Holy One of Israel for pardon. This example our
Divine Master gives as indicating the spirit in which
men should appear before God. And in considering
this example, it is to be observed that there is nothing
in the prayer which indicates the degree or the aggra
vation of his sin. If these had been included, the
prayer would have assumed a shape applicable only to
his individual case, and would in this way have lost
the universal appUcability which our Lord desires to
preserve, in accordance with the aim of parabolic
teaching. Each suppliant can make mention for him
self of the character, and extent, and aggravation of his
own sins. But our Saviour here presents the basis of
all true praying on our part. The publican says : " I
am a sinful man, 0 Lord." He who takes his place at
the footstool in this way, comes as he should into the
presence of the Holy One, to whom all sin is hateful.
It is a dark view of himself which the man has. He
sees sin in his heart and life. The evil thing is every
where present. He has wilfully done what conscience
and Scripture aUke condemn. The terrible evil now
appears in its true character. He sees it now in some
measure as God does. It is darkness without trace of
light ; evil without mixture of good. It is evil of his
own working, which cannot now

94 Confession and Supplication of the Penitent.
which no subsequent acts can atone. This is the view
of his condition which deeply troubles his spirit. The
one evil, which displeases God and ruins man, cleaves
to his soul. Before God he appears to declare his sense
of this, and his grief because of it. Such is true con
fession, having its foundation in truthfulness, humiUty,
and penitence.
That which gives confidence to the prayer is trust
in the mercy of God. In sight of personal sin aU is
fear ; but when from self he turns to God, and beholds
the Divine mercy, trust banishes fear. There is no
inconsistency in a man seeing himself so low, and yet
aspiring so high. It is the harmony of Divine mercy
with the forgiveness of sin which Ufts man's spirit
beyond the cloud gathering thick and threatening over
head, even though he also perceives the harmony of
Divine justice with sin's punishment. This suppliant
does not expect that God will excuse his sin, or that
He will do otherwise than he himself has done in con
demning it. He expects that the Divine condemnation
of his sinful conduct will be even more searching and
more sweeping than his own. That he has often done
what is right in the sight of God, this man knows ;
and he does not expect to be condemned for weU-
doing ; but neither does he hope that God will find in
such imperfect acts of well-doing even a small compen
sation for the sinfulness of his life. He has but one
ground of confidence. The God of purity and of
judgment is a God of mercy, and he wiU be a Saviour-
God. This is the thought which the God-man, the
Eedeemer, puts into the minds of men when He
sketches a prayer for a suppliant. God will be a
Saviour-God. This is the thought soon to be made

The Pharisee and Publican. g 5
conspicuous on Calvary's Cross, when He, at once the
High Priest and the Victim, shall present Himself as an
offering for sin. Then, as now, wUl the mercy of God
be the ground of hope ; but thenceforth, as never before,
shaU the prayer for mercy be offered in the name of
Jesus Christ, with reUance on His atoning sacrifice.
Thenceforth the prayers of sinful men wiU ascend,
freighted with the merit of the Divine Eedeemer. The
cry of sin shall stUl as ever carry its own condemnation ;
but the name of Jesus in the midst of the cry shall
plead the merit of an aU-sufficient atonement. Divine
mercy is thus the ground of confidence in the prayer
burdened with confession of sin. The God in whose
hearing the suppliant speaks is " The Lord God, merci
ful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in good
ness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving
iniquity, and transgression, and sin." The sinful sup
pUant has warrant from God HimseU for the trust which
inspires his prayer, for the Lord " delighteth in mercy."
The trust which encourages prayer, at the same time
makes prayer a necessity in order to obtain forgive
ness. The trust which warrants prayer is not such as
to admit of our dispensing with prayer. Mercy does
not go forth to vanquish sin with a conqueror's might,
as justice may do : it waits the coming of the penitent,
stretching out his hand that he may be rescued from
perdition. " Therefore wiU the Lord wait, that he may
be gracious unto you ; therefore wUl he be exalted, that
he may have mercy upon you : for the Lord is a God of
judgment : blessed are all they that wait for him" (Isa.
xxx. 18). God does indeed go forth in the exercise of
His mercy to visit sinful men, but it is to caU, to invite,
even to entreat them to come to Him. All this has

96 Confession and Supplication of the Penitent.
been already set forth in these parables with clearness
and impressiveness. But what is now shown with no
less vividness is, that men in coming to God must caU
upon Him for mercy. Here is the exposition of peni
tential approach. Prayer is the true coming ; — such
prayer as is here described, simple, earnest, and solemn.
In this relation prayer is recognised not only as a
rational and dutiful exercise, but further and more
expressly as an exercise required by the urgency of
deep personal need. This was entirely wanting in the
Pharisee's prayer. He came as if to testify that he was
in want of nothing ; the publican comes to declare that
he is in want of everything. From the depth this cry
ascends unto the Lord, bearing witness that thence the
suppliant must be lifted if he is to rise into the sunshine
of the Divine favour. This parable holds in permanent
representation the type of true prayer from one who
would enter the kingdom of God, while, at the same
time, the contrast between the true and the false is
rendered conspicuous. Prayer has place in the Divine
plan, not because God asks to be informed of our need,
but because we ourselves must feel that need, and own
it in the presence of Him who alone can supply the
great want. He who prays thus, pleads on the warrant
of the Divine pledge that mercy shall straightway have
exercise. With this representation of true prayer, the Lord
who alone can answer prayer proclaims the result.
With authority he declares the decisions given from
the Mercy-seat. Verse 14. — " I tell you, this man went
down to his house justified rather than the other : for every
one that exaHeth himself slwdl be abased; and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted." The publican's

The Pharisee and Publican. 97
prayer was answered ; the Pharisee's called forth no
response. This is implied, but something more is
expressed. "Justified" is the term employed, in
contrast with which stands the word "condemned."
Something more than the result of the prayer is here
announced. The condition of the man before God
is decided. The one man is condemned, prayer and
character at once. The other man is justified in his
prayer with its confession, and in his person as a peni
tent. The one man is utterly abased, the other is
exalted. The line which encompasses the kingdom of
God runs between these two men, enclosing the publi
can and excluding the Pharisee. The teaching of the
parable as to the nature of true prayer is explicit.
There is a form of prayer which will never be answered,
and had better be discontinued and changed for some
thing more truthful It is the prayer of self- righteous
ness. Such prayer strikes against a heaven of brass,
and falls powerless to the ground; he who essays
to approach Heaven thus is self-condemned, as he is
most surely condemned of God. There is a prayer
which is answered without delay. It is the prayer of
the penitent pleading for Divine mercy. For the imme
diate answer of such prayer Divine provision has been
made, and Divine promise freely given. To all those
who thus ask, it is said, " Ask, and ye shall receive."

Bibisiott If.
THE PRIVILEGES AND DUTIES OF GOD'S KINGDOM.

CHAPTEE VII.
STORES OF BLESSING WITHIN THE KINGDOM.
THE GREAT FEAST.
Luke xiv. 16-24.
By the representations of this parable we are guided
within the kingdom of God on earth. The Wandering
Sheep, the Lost Piece of Money, the Prodigal Son, and
the Suppliant Publican, all represent men without;
their recovery bringing to view entrance into the king
dom of grace. All who do enter appear as saved ones
— rescued from their lost state, and secure within the
kingdom which God has established as a home for
sinful men. In all these parables, save the last, the
joy which gains prominence is the finder's joy rather
than the gladness of the saved one. God is seen
rejoicing over the return of the lost. Now, however,
we enter upon another division of the parables, reveal
ing to us what is within God's kingdom. Here we
98

The Great Feast. 99
see a great feast spread, and the guests gathered to
partake of it. While there is joy over the saved,
there is, as an accompaniment, joy among the saved.
To those over whom God rejoices, He gives gladness
of heart. Within the kingdom this is the first thing
apparent to a beholder. There is a great feast; the
preparation for it is made known even to those with
out, by the going and coming of the servants who bear
the invitations. The kingdom is stUl represented by
a house in which the Lord dweUs, Uke the home
thrice spoken of in connection with the finding of
the lost ; and this house is not separated and secluded,
but is in the midst of the dwellings of men, so that
there is a continual going forth with messages from
the lord of the house.
Attention is first turned to the feast which God has
provided ; next to the invitations, given in order that
the house may be fiUed.
Verse 1 6. — " A certain man made a great supper, and
bade many" This is our Lord's representation of His
Father's munificence in the midst of the kingdom of
grace. The feast which may supply materials for a
parable must be on a large scale : ' it must be a great
feast, to which many are bidden. In harmony, also, is
the selection of supper, the principal meal amongst the
people. With these particulars to guide us, we see that
God's kingdom is not merely a house where He abides,
and in the midst of which His people may dwell, but a
house of feasting, — this being so essentially character
istic of it, that we may say, within this house the feast
is continually spread. The story leads us to consider
the provision for the feast, rather than the partaking of
it. The feast of grace is one ; but the experience of

ioo Stores of Blessing withm the Kingdom.
men in partaking of it may be as varied as the number
of the guests. The variety of experience, however, is
not here set forth, but the wonderful provision.
A great feast ! Provision for man's spiritual nourish
ment and gratification has been made by God, with
careful regard to the desire of those returning to Him
in penitence from sinful wandering. It is " the feast
of reason," in contrast with the revelry of licentious
ness, in which the prodigal had vainly sought satisfac
tion in the far country. And it is more than " the
feast of reason," as including ample provision for man's
deepest moral and spiritual need, as well as the highest
moral and spiritual joy, excelling the richest feast at
reason's board. Truth is set forth, not only as to the
unsearchable glory of God beyond what the wide
revelation of Nature affords, but especially as to the
mercy and grace which are in Christ Jesus. The pro
vision is in varied form, for the satisfaction of the
spiritually quickened, who "hunger and thirst after
righteousness," who long for peace, and joy, and
spiritual strength. Here are the treasures of mercy,
"abounding mercy," however great the need of each,
and however vast the number of guests. Here are the
" riches of grace," giving strength, refreshing, and good
cheer to all who partake of them. Here is "joy in
God," and in all that belongs to God's kingdom. Here
is fellowship with the King, and with those devoted to
His service, by means of which the spirit of reliance,
courage, and hope is roused and strengthened. And
besides the provision spread out to view, there is
evidence all around the banqueting-house of ampler
and richer store yet to be brought forth, to the
increased delight of the guests. But judged even by

The Great Feast. 101
what is discovered to one whose eye scans the board,
it appears as the prophet describes it when he says —
" In this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto
all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the
lees ; of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees
well refined." To the palace of the Great King men
ascend when they are introduced to the feast of grace ;
and chief of aU attractions of the feast is the presence
of the King Himself in the midst of His guests, cheering
all with the feUowship constantly afforded in His love
towards them and delight in them.
Verses 17-20. — " And sent his servant at supper time
to say to them that were bidden, Come ; for all things are
now ready. And they all with one consent began to make
excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of
ground, and I must needs go and see it : I pray thee have
me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of
oxen, and I go to prove tJiem : I pray thee have me excused.
And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I
cannot come." He whose supper provides a basis for
paraboUc teaching has a mortifying experience just
before the expected arrival of his guests. His invita
tions had been formaUy accepted; but when he sent
his servant with reminders on the- day appointed for
the feast, those who had promised their presence one
after another asked to be excused. His feast was to
be despised, and his house, which he had counted on
seeing crowded, was to be deserted. Delicate as such
withdrawal is, and liable to give serious offence, they
plead a variety of insufficient excuses, and do not show
any concern though their conduct should occasion the
loss of his friendship. Offended by such treatment, he
sent out his servant to the streets and lanes to invite

102 Stores of Blessing within the Kingdom.
whomsoever he found there ; and when this course did
not altogether fill the house, he sent his servant to the
outskirts of the city, that he might gather people from
the highways, even though they were the poor and
maimed, sitting to ask alms under the shelter of the
hedges. In this way only was his house fiUed with
guests for his great supper. That the occurrences are
unusual we must allow. Such refusals as are here
described are certainly not common : the most ordinary
politeness imposes a check on personal preferences at
such times. But when refusals do come, this mode of
supplying guests is an expedient to which it would
seem strange indeed were any one to resort. And yet
this story, singular as it is, provides the requisite
narrative for illustration : showing, on the one hand,
the manner in which men act when favoured with
the Divine invitation; on the other, the manner in
which God acts when His invitations are refused. The
significance of the story is most impressive. We can
hardly hope to express the feelings of solemnity which
creep over the spirit as we silently ponder it ; but we
must endeavour to gain at least a just interpretation.
God, who has so amply provided the feast of gladness
for sinful men, has His invitations formaUy accepted,
yet actually rejected. It is of necessity, under the
figure employed, that a certain day is fixed for the
feast, and that invitations are understood to have been
sent out a considerable time before the day appointed.
In this way some can be spoken of as previously
invited. And if the definite time for the gathering to
the feast be the appearing of the Saviour, as seems
intended, it will be obvious that those formerly invited
are such as had been prepared to expect the appearing

The Great Feast. 103
of the Messiah. From the coming of Jesus, " a con
tinual feast" has been provided ; the invitations have
been daily repeated ; " now is the accepted time." The
time for giving and accepting the invitation is now
the same. WTe thus lose sight of the distinction as to
invitations prior to the day of the feast ; and for
present application we are brought simply to con
template the fact, common to all times, that Divine
invitations are by many formally accepted, and yet
actually rejected. FormaUy there is an expression of
satisfaction with the goodness of God in the call to
share of the riches of His mercy ; and yet those who
express the satisfaction are absent from the feast. To
be reminded by a servant of the Lord of what is involved
in the formal acceptance of his Master's invitation, is
with such persons of no avaU. With one consent they
make excuse.. An appearance of inconsistency they
cannot deny, and their only course is to attempt some
vindication. Of such seU-refuting and unworthy de
fences, our Saviour gives us three examples. " / have
bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see
it." "I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to
prove them." " I have married a wife, and therefore
I cannot come." In recording these three forms of
apology, it is not meant that there were only three
refusals. There were many such refusals, untU at
length the whole company had declined to come ; but
these three forms of excuse may be held to embrace
aU the explanations given. And to all these excuses
there is this common, that a present good is esteemed
above the blessing of God. There is no such longing
after fellowship with Him while sharing with others
the blessings of mercy and grace, as there would be if

104 Stores of Blessing within the Kingdom.
it were regarded as the most precious thing in life.
Temporal good is esteemed above spiritual. For some
earthly advantage a man is ready to risk the loss of
the Divine favour, all-satisfying though that favour is
admitted to be. The madness of this, and the dreadful
impiety of it, we find it difficult to represent to our
minds, so familiar are we with such refusals of Divine
mercy. The best excuses which can be offered may be
embraced under the three here given. The attrac
tions which are allowed to eclipse those of the Divine
banqueting-house are those of property and social en
joyment. These are represented under such examples
as discover their advantages in the most striking
manner. As to property, the pleasure of possession
and that of acquisition are set forth ; as to the attrac
tions of social life, the marriage relation is taken as the
closest of aU, involving the most constant and powerful
type of the influence of companionship. The two
great antagonistic forces which gain ascendency over
the mind are, love of money and love of friendship.
Earthly substance and family relationships, which
should appear as tokens of Divine goodness, we turn
into hindrances, obstructing attainment of the higher
good which God offers. The attractions of property are
twofold. The delight of possession is seen in the case
of him who has so prospered that he has bought a piece
of land, and desires nothing so much as that he should
just walk over it, and look upon it, and consider
how he may improve it. The pleasure of acquisition
is prominently indicated by the excuse of him who has
been purchasing five yoke of oxen — a large number to
be able to employ. He is thinking of his ploughing,
and sowing, and reaping, ard driving home the fruits of

The Great Feast. 105
the field, rejoicing in his abundance and in the gains of
a favourable market. For him it seems too much to give
up a single day at the caU of friendship. For fear of
the loss of some expected gain men will thus risk their
souls, and not hesitate to set slightly on the invitation of
God. The power of companionship will sway others who
are not blinded by pelf. The companionship of wife or
husband — the reigning influence of the home circle,
where brothers and sisters are apt to be governed by a
common standard — the free fellowship of a favourite
circle of friends, in the midst of whom the hours of
the night sweep pleasantly on, — all these may prove a
snare. It is better, no doubt, that we should be swayed
by fellowship of valued friends, if the friends are good,
than by the prospect or possession of gain. But it is
unspeakably solemn and awful that any two, however
closely knit, should consider nothing higher than them
selves, agreeing that love should make their souls
godless, instead of pointing their eyes upward, and
incUning their hearts to walk in company to everlasting
habitations. In such ways as these men spend their
lives in ignorance of the joys which God has provided
within His kingdom.
When the servant, in giving his reminders of the in
vitation previously made and accepted, found that all
declined to come, he returned to communicate the
vexatious result. Verse 21. — "So that servant came, and
showed his lord these things." This was essential to the
story. But, in connection with God's kingdom, who is
represented by this servant ? As the Saviour Himself
carries the message, it might be supposed that He is
intended. In favour of this it may be said that He not
only carried the invitation, but " took upon Him the

106 Stores of Blessing within the Kingdom.
form of a servant," and may well bear the servant's
name. But, on reflection, it will appear that the
Saviour does not in this parable hold the place of the
servant, but rather that of the lord, unless we consider
that in this He keeps His own special part out of view.
He is not a servant who needs to go and come re
peatedly, reporting unexpected occurrences and receiv
ing new instructions. He is not a servant who knows
not what His Lord will do, but is in His counsels. In
this relation He may be regarded even as the Lord of
the feast. Passing from the Lord Jesus Himself, it is
plain that this servant represents aU who bear the
message of mercy to their fellow-men. The only diffi
culty is in the fact that there is but one servant ; and
indeed it seems strange it should be so, considering the
structure of the story, which applies to a large house,
a great feast, and many guests. But the representative
purpose is well served. One servant may suffice to
illustrate the fact, since the message is one by whomso
ever it is carried, and the work is one by whomsoever
done. The messengers are one, having their unity fitly
represented in the one servant. Most attractive is the
view thus given of their work. It is their part to say,
Come ! Their whole duty is represented in that one
word. Wherever they go they have the same invita
tion, " Come, for all things are ready." They give the
message, but cannot compel men to receive it. If it
be rejected, they can but depart to repeat it to others.
Disappointment they must have, which they will lay
before their Lord ; but they will still carry the invita
tion to others, exercising such constraining influence
as they can by the earnestness* and persuasive power
with which, in the spirit of their Lord, they urge men

The Great Feast. 107
everywhere to come. Knowing their Lord and the
richness of the feast, the work intrusted to them is
their joy ; and they have precious reward in the success
of their mission, inducing others to come with them and
share in the blessings of the great salvation. This
servant in the parable thus stands as the representative
of all who take part in the work of inviting others to
come to the gospel feast.
The feast is ready ; but guests are wanting. Wbat
shaU be done ? Verse 2 1 . — " Then the master of the house,
being angry, said to his servant, Go out quickly into the
streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor,
and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind." The re
ference to the master's anger may be passed meanwhile ;
the aUusion to it is thrown into the background, await
ing explanation in the last verse, while prominence is
given to the measures instantly taken to gather a com
pany. There is urgency in the command. The opening
words of the commission run thus : " Go out quickly."
Whoever is indifferent, the master of the feast is in
earnest. Thus it is with the Father who rules in the
kingdom of grace. The King's work must not tarry ; His
servants must not cease from effort by reason of dis
couragement ; when some refuse the invitation, others
must receive it. The result of refusal is wider invitation,
in some respects transferred invitation. So afterwards
Paul and Barnabas, at Antioch said to the Jews, " It was
necessary that the word of God should first have been
spoken to you : but seeing ye put it from you, and judge
yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the
Gentiles." Eesponsibility for carelessness rests with
those who receive the invitation. But success is not
wanting for the servant who carries the master's welcome.

ic8 Stores of Blessing within the Kingdom.
As he goes out a second time, he does not turn aside to
selected houses, but hastens along the streets and lanes of
the city, that he may call the poorest he meets, not pass
ing even the most miserable amongst them, but rather
giving special heed to " the maimed, the halt, and the
blind." Wherever there is one to hear, the voice of
the messenger cries, "Come." The most unworthy
is not despised, but is selected for special assurance of
compassion. The spirit of the master breathes in this
message, " Whosoever wiU, let him come."
Even with invitations thus free, the guests are in
sufficient. Gladly have those come who were called
from the streets and lanes of the city in which this
generous householder dwells ; but so great was the
feast, and so many the guests first invited, that stUl
there was room. The narrative is not delayed to
tell anything of the experience of the servant as he
went through the streets and more obscure lanes of the
city. The purpose of the master is resolute. And the
narrative, first burdened with the tidings of delay, can
not be detained to recount details as to the manner in
which success is secured. It proceeds as tf the whole
had been done in an instant. The order is issued, and
straightway the servant is before his master again.
Verse 22, he says : "Lord, it is done as thou hast com
manded, and yet there is room!' If the previous report
occasioned displeasure to the master, this seems to
give delight. " Yet there is room." The sound is
pleasing in his ear. It is fuU of promise to many be
yond the city, still ignorant of what has been going on
within it. Grand is the interpretation of the words
thus put into the lips of the servant ! At every stage
in the history of the spiritual kingdom, it is a joy to

The Great Feast. 109
those within it, partaking of the rich feast which
Divine grace has prepared, and a joy to the Lord
Himself that it can stiU be said, " Yet there is room."
How many there are even now in the world ignorant
of the good to be enjoyed in it. They know not what
a feast for spiritual strengthening and satisfaction has
been prepared by God ; they know not how many
invitations have been given, and strangely refused ;
they know not how widely the messenger has travelled,
making his circuit through the wide world, everywhere
repeating the invitation. They know by sad experience
that no such messenger has come to them. To us,
famUiar with the glad tidings and with the exceeding
value of the feast, there is but one satisfaction as we
think of those who are still excluded by no wayward
ness of theU own. " Yet there is room." Here there
is rational comfort, as there is stimulus to holy zeal.
To every servant who shares in satisfaction because of
the amplitude of God's house, the Master is saying, Go
forth — bid others come in.
Thus runs the still widening commission, — now
happUy widened but not transferred : Verse 23. — " Go
out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come
in, that my house may be filled!' The invitation must now
extend to them that may be found in the less-frequented
ways far beyond the city, — to them that are " out of
the way," — to the " strangers and foreigners " in more
remote parts, that they also may become " fellow-
citizens with the saints, and of the household of God."
The command of this master to his servants sounds as
the echo of our Lord's command, " Go ye into all the
world, and preach the gospel to every creature.''
Further, let us mark what constraining influence is

i io Stores of Blessing within the Kingdom.
provided for them who are most out of the way.
" Compel them to come in." Such words were not
spoken concerning those who were first invited. When
their formal acceptance was followed by a cold refusal,
there was no such utterance as this : " Compel them
to come in." It could not be. But in the case of
those ignorant of the welcome, spending their days
with few words of gladdening, and bruised under
many sufferings, the Master expressly requires that
there be some constraining earnestness in the endeavour
to secure that they gather together to the enjoyment
of the great spiritual feast provided. No marvel if
such men need to be often entreated, scarce under
standing the meaning of words strange to their ears,
and scarce believing them when understood. And if,
standing before them, the messenger oftentimes repeats
his message, and that with increasing earnestness,
which seems to say he can take no refusal, in this he
acts according to the Master's purpose. " The first
shall be last, and the last first." The first may have a
reminder of what is implied in their professions, and
righteously expected of them ; but the last shall have
their invitation pressed upon them with persistent
earnestness. The righteous Lord has regard to the
wants and woes of men, and makes compensating pro
vision in wonderful adaptation to the disadvantages of
those who are far from the centres of p'rivUege. Many
who have been far off, and have felt as if compelled to
arise and come to the feast, when within the banqueting-
house will sing —
"'Twas the same love that spread the feast,
That sweetly forced us in."
The lord of the feast himself will rejoice over the

The Great Feast. 1 1 1
coming of these guests from all quarters. For this is
the desire he expresses in sending his servant forth on
the widest circuit : " Compel them to come in, that my
house may be filled." To serve the purpose of illustra
tion, our Lord has taken the case of a rich citizen,
whose mansion is large, with spacious halls, and who
seeks that his house may be filled. Interpreted as
applying to the purpose of the God of Salvation, the
parable discovers, in a most striking way, the richness
of Divine mercy with the freeness of Divine grace.
The Lord, who has come to save, will gather into the
house of rejoicing a multitude of saved ones. Even
though there be many who refuse His invitation, His
house shaU be fuU, and He shall rejoice over all who
are gathered together. The feast shaU be great, the
guests shaU be many, His delight shall be complete.
But one sad accompaniment of the feast there is, and
that remains to be thought of now. Passing allusion
has been made to the anger of the master on account of
the refusal of his invitations, but we have kept it in
reserve, on account of the evidence that the narrative
was reaUy engrossed with arrangements for extending
the invitations. But now we must return upon it,
for the story closes with a solemn reference to the
displeasure of the lord of the feast. He was angry, we
have been told, when some had refused to come. And
now, even when his house is filling, it is apparent that
he has not forgotten the displeasure he felt, but rather
expresses it with greater force, adding to the command
to go out to the highways and hedges this by way of
explanation : Verse 24. — " For I say unto you, That
none of these men which were bidden shall taste of my
supper." This utterance, which comes so naturally

I 12

Stores of Blessing within the Kingdom.

from the master when speaking to his servant of his
plans, becomes additionally impressive when set forth
by the Saviour as a revelation of His Father's wiU. In
the sight of God there is no offence so grievous as the
rejection of His invitation to partake of the great sal
vation. This is the meaning of those closing words.
In the midst of this universe, marked by beauty and
grandeur, year by year yielding an endless variety of
blessings for the use of man, the feast of spiritual good
which God has provided for man, and to which He is
ever calling men, is the most prominent feature in all
the Divine arrangements for the benefit of our race.
The invitation to come within His kingdom, is a call
to escape from the range of condemnation beyond it ;
and, as it tells of a feast provided within the king
dom, it is a call to participate in satisfaction for the
requirements of an immortal nature. To be content
with the engagements, possessions, and companionship
of this world, is to neglect the highest demands of our
own being, and to fall beneath the friendship of God.
Despising God's invitation to us to share the best bless
ings He bestows, is the most grievous sin, incurring
His unchangeable displeasure. He will invite all to
the feast ; He will give a welcome to those who
accept His call, however far they have been separated
from Him and however deeply injured in their course
of sin; but He must treat those who despise the
message as the objects of His wrath. Anger with Him
is no tumultuous passion, but something more awful.
It is an unchangeable displeasure. Of such anger they
become objects who despise His call. Those whom He
excludes from the feast exclude themselves. And that
absence which they voluntarily choose becomes a

The Great Feast. 1 1 3
terrible penalty. The Lord saith of such : "None of
these men shall taste of my supper." These words tell
of a dread reality under the government of God.
In this parable we have our first view of what is
within the kingdom of God on earth. We see how
close is the relation between this kingdom and the sin-
troubled state in which we all find ourselves. This
kingdom, here represented as the home of our God in
this world, His house in which the great feast is spread,
to which men are continually invited, is the true
Biblical intermediate state between the state of separa
tion from God and the heavenly state in which there
is enjoyment of perfect union with God in complete
likeness to God. The kingdom is here shown to exist
in the world even more for the sake of those who are
stiU beyond it, than for the sake of those now within
it. Between those within and those without there
must be a continual going and coming, that multitudes
more may be induced to enter, and that the house may
at length be fiUed, in accordance with the gracious
purpose of its Lord. By the aid of this parable we
look within the gate ; and there, as by the help of the
parable of the Prodigal Son, we see the Father in the
midst, rejoicing over those who are gathered around
Him. Here, also, after the manner of the parable of
the Prodigal, though more vividly, we see the rich feast
of mercy and grace enjoyed by the guests, and the
evidence of other blessings in store, richer than those
of which they now partake. And here, as by the aid
of no other parable, we obtain a survey of the large
gathering of guests. They come from all ranks and
spheres. None have been excluded from the invitation.
Even the poorest of the people are there, and many
H

114 Stores of Blessing within the Kingdom.
who have wandered far in sin and been sorely maimed,
all bearing stiU the marks of their trying experience.
Indeed, as we examine the company, the poor and
suffering seem most numerous. And this has come
about under the testing power of the free invitation.
For if God, of His own grace, and for the good of aU,
began with a selected people, and gave to them the
first opportunity, gradually did the circle of invitation
widen; and stiU as it extended, more were found to
respond, so that many who were once far off are now
brought nigh. In the great gathering where they now
are, whatever marks distinguish them and teU of the
sad past, all have this experience in common, that they
honour the Master as the giver of all good, they rejoice
in the shelter of His house as their home, partake of
the blessings of His mercy and grace as His best gifts,
and delight in fellowship with Himself as their chief
good.

CHAPTEE VIII.
UNION WITH THE SON IN THE FAVOUR OF
THE FATHER.
THE ROYAL MARRIAGE FEAST.
Matt. xxii. 1-14.
This parable is in framework similar to that of the
Great Supper. Our Lord returns to the same analogy
in order to communicate further instruction as to God's
kingdom. The whole truth cannot be conveyed in a
single story. We are now taken round to a different
point of observation, in order to gain a view of His
kingdom not previously seen. That the two parables
are not identical must be plain. We have only to
consider what is additional to that presented by Luke,
in order to be satisfied that there is here new truth
as to the spiritual kingdom. We cannot assume that
in the contrast between the two narratives we have an
iUustration only of diversity of recollection on the part
of hearers, or, greater or less fulness in reporting. The
absence of aU that belongs to royalty is marked in
Luke's version, and is adverse to Meyer's supposition that
Luke quoted from an imperfect version of the parable.
What is additional in Matthew has a significance which
could not be conveyed under the different construction 115

1 1 6 Union with the Son.
of the story as it stands on the pages of Luke. And
the additional significance is so clear and important as
to afford ample explanation of a double use of the story.
There is here at once richer grace and greater stern
ness — the latter being connected with a more open
antagonism to the work of the Eedeemer.
Both forms of the parable concern the kingdom of
God. This kingdom Matthew always names the king
dom of heaven ; for that which is God's kingdom on
earth is in character and destiny a heavenly kingdom,
— a kingdom belonging to a higher order of things.
All that had been taught in the parables as to entrance
into this kingdom concerns individuals. But looking
within the kingdom itself, we see what concerns the
people of God collectively. Guided by the earlier
form of the parable, we behold a great spiritual feast
provided, which is enjoyed in fellowship with God.
As to the guests, we learn something about persons
who are absent as well as concerning those who are
present. Many who have been invited have refused
to come ; while the poorest and most miserable have
been made welcome. These are facts of much signifi
cance as to God's kingdom. But there are many
questions concerning the kingdom and its subjects
which are left unanswered. Are those who refuse to
come simply left to themselves ? In giving a welcome
to all, does God make no account of the character and
conduct of those who seek to share in His favour ? Is
there any condition of their welcome other than their
willingness to come ? These are questions partially
answered in the parable of the Pharisee and the
Publican, — the condemned and the justified. To afford
a fuller answer, the analogy of a feast is brought for-

The Royal Marriage Feast. 1 1 7
ward anew with needful additions. In turning atten
tion to the distinctive features of the parable in its
new form, those already commented upon may be
passed almost without remark. The additions which
affect the entire mould of the story are mainly these :
What was formerly merely a supper is now a marriage
feast ; the marriage to be celebrated is a royal marriage,
being that of the king's son ; those who refuse to come
are visited with punishment for their refusal; and
those who are accepted in their coming are clad in
wedding garments provided by the king. To these
points it is needful to turn attention, remarking, as we
proceed, any new feature affecting what has already
come under review.
Verse 2. — " The kingdom of Jieaven is like unto a cer
tain king, which made a marriage for his son." In this
parable kingly authority is made prominent. In the
former it was, " A certain man made a great supper ; "
in this it is, " A certain king made a marriage for his
son."1 And if royal authority be conspicuous here,
it appears in the arrangements for the marriage of his
son. It is no longer an ordinary feast which illustrates
what Divine mercy and grace have provided. A feast
stiU affording the basis for illustration, the merely
transitory aspect of such entertainment must be taken
from it, and some conception of permanence secured.
The abiding relationship of marriage, enduring while life
lasts, is therefore introduced. Permanence of fellow
ship as weU as gladness is foreshadowed. The marriage
ceremonial itself is only anticipated. It does not form
part of the parable, but is kept out of sight as a thing
1 In the one case, avSpamos ns, a certam man ; in the other,
av6pasi7<f /3ao-iXei, a man that was a king.

1 1 8 Union with the Son.
for which all the arrangements described are prepar
atory. The king is only here preparing for the mar
riage.1 Thus the perplexity is avoided which should
otherwise have been felt in adjusting our thoughts to
the fact, that those who come are individually wel
comed as guests, and at the same time, taken collectively,
as a church, are represented as a bride. The com
plexity is escaped by treating the marriage ceremony
as still in the future. Yet prominence is given to the
fact that this is a marriage feast, and thus permanence
of fellowship is in contemplation. This assurance of
permanence runs as a soothing undertone through all
the parable. You hear it sounding in the message as
the servant says, Come ! He says not, as the servant
of even a rich householder must, For only a little time
come ! but as the servant of the king may, Come !
accept a welcome to a place at the festal board of the
king. As the king proceeds with the arrangements,
everything is confirmatory of a permanence, of which no
trace is found in the earlier form of the parable. Here
it appears that this great feast separates aU concerned
into an inner and outer circle. To come within is to
be permanently blessed ; to continue without, or to be
cast out, is to be permanently separated from what is
satisfying. This thought we have far more vividly in
considering that the guests collectively are represented
by the bride— a fact always kept before us as an
accompaniment of the parable, though the marriage
ceremonial is not described.

1 Not " made a marriage," as in our version, but " prepared for
the marriage festivities." The plural is used throughout, tows
ydfiovs ; except when the king speaks to his servants (verse 8) as
of a prepared feast, when it is 6 ya.ji.os, " the marriage."

The Royal Marriage Feast. 119
The marriage is that of the king's son. This addi
tional aspect gives a large sweep of illustrative power
to the parable, as it represents the kingdom of heaven,
or God's kingdom among men. This reference to the
son, rich in significance as it is, is meanwhile held in
reserve. The king alone appears, making all the pre
parations, in the exercise of royal authority. We must
also remark, without insisting upon it, that in this
relationship of father and son, we have a parabolic
indication of the relationship subsisting between Father
and Son in the Godhead, differing from that relation
in which God stands to us as a Father, as that had
been set forth in the parable of The Prodigal Son.
Passing this, however, it must be considered that it is
the father of the bridegroom who is preparing the
marriage festivities, and this quite in accordance with
Eastern custom. It is the father who sends out the
invitations, which are first refused and then widely
extended, untU the house is filled with guests. But
the father engaged in these arrangements is a king.
This introduces a large part of the additional force
belonging to this form of the parable. He is a king,
and those invited are his subjects. This completely
alters the position of matters. The rich householder
could only invite his neighbours, and if they refuse,
he must be content to arrange for his feast apart from
them. But there is here superadded the fact of regal
authority over the persons invited. In that case, the
invitations are in a sense commands. The authority
of royalty is here. In this we are at once brought
nearer the reality to be represented. It is the Sover
eign of the earth who issues the invitations of mercy.
His call to come is also a command. It appeals to

120 Union with the Son.
our conscience as well as heart, and that with unques
tionable authority. In neglecting or refusing such a
call, we not only slight a gracious and most generous
invitation, but violate the natural obligation under
which we are laid to " the King eternal, immortal, and
invisible, the only wise God."
Naturally, in the altered circumstances, the conduct
of those who refuse the invitation is represented in a
worse light than in the earlier form of the parable. In
that their refusal appears as an ungracious and unkind
act ; in this, as a rebellious and unrighteous act. The
difference of view springs from the structure of the
story, and both are accurate, the latter, however, afford
ing the most exact paraUel. It is a painful reaUty,
that the proffered love of God meets no kindly response
from those who allow themselves to be engrossed with
earthly possessions and friendships. But it is a fact,
solemnising and saddening, that in thus rejecting the
offers of mercy, men violate their allegiance to the
Supreme, and bring themselves under just condemna
tion. Such neglect is a breach of loyalty to the Most
High. Very naturally it happens that in this form of the
parable we have the strongest representation of man's
enmity against God. The messengers were sent forth
(verse 3) " to call them that were bidden" and " they
would not come" 1 " Again he sent forth other servants,"
to say, " Come unto the marriage." But those who were
invited (verse 5), " having made light of it,"2 went their
several ways ; whUe a remnant, more violent in their
1 ovk rfBikov iKdeiv, had no willingness to come.
2 afiekijo-avTes, having slighted the invitation, or expressed their
disregard for it.

The Royal Marriage Feast. 1 2 1
antagonism than others, having seized the servants,
" entreated them spitefully^ and slew them."
The King -who sends the invitations appears even
more condescending than the householder described in
the previous case. He sends his servants again and
again to those who refuse to come. The forbearance
and compassion of God thus find stronger representa
tion here. But, in contrast, the conduct of men
appears unspeakably worse. They appear not only
engrossed with worldly interests, but strongly averse to
acknowledge submission to the King. The growing
urgency of the summons, carrying in it more of the in
dication of authority, gives occasion for the outbreak of
enmity which really exists in the heart, venting itself
in insults and injuries inflicted on the messengers. In
the earUer form of the parable, we hear of nothing more
than the sUghting of the message. Nor could there,
under the conditions, have been more. It is almost
inconceivable that a mere invitation from a neighbour
could have given occasion for an outburst of violence.
But here, when regal authority comes into exercise,
when appearance at the marriage is a test of readiness
to do honour to the king, there is room for introducing
those sadly common scenes of violence, in which the
wrath of men is kindled against the messengers of
mercy, whose message is resented because of aversion
to the authority it impUes. Authority may have sanc
tions of punishment to enforce it, and may therefore
tempt men to resistance, and to such forms of violence
as they can safely venture upon. Thus we read, " The
remnant took his servants, and entreated them spite
fully, and slew them." Such treatment of the mes-
1 v(3pio-av, subjected them to insult.

122 Union with the Son.
sengers, common as it unfortunately has been in human
history, is a testimony against those who resort to it.
But, as with the servants of this king, so with the
servants of our Lord. Moved by the love of their
fellow-men and by the desire to serve their Master,
they have not been deterred by insult or danger.
Having learned " not to fear them that kill the body,
and after that have no more that they can do," they
have courageously pleaded the cause of their Lord, the
benefactor of all, believing that "if they suffer, they
shall also reign with Him."
While, however, the servants yield themselves to
spiteful treatment, and even to death, the king cannot
know of such things and leave them unpunished. As
God's long-suffering and gentleness are Ulustrated more
clearly than in the parable of the Householder's Feast,
so also Divine justice and judgment stand out more
solemnly. Verse 7. — " But when the king heard thereof,
he was wroth : and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed
those murderers, and burned up their city." The anger
of the king was great. It was first manifested among
the surviving servants, who brought tidings of the
murder of some of their number. The king was wroth.1
The. servants who had borne the invitations to the
marriage, now hear orders issued to the officers of the
army. The tokens of the king's favour had roused
active antagonism to his authority, thus disclosing an
enmity which had been sUmly covered over, and which
needed only this special season of rejoicing in the royal
household to make it break forth into scenes of anarchy
and bloodshed. Such violence must be checked, and
1 anovuas 8e 6 fiauCktvs &>pyio-8i) : But the king having heard,
was angered.

The Royal Marriage Feast. 123
an expedition is sent out to punish the murderers.
•The invitations to share in the king's joy have not only
been rejected, the messengers have been murdered ; the
avenging expedition next appears, — the murderers are
slain, their city is burned up. This infliction of retri
bution by the king is the Saviour's Ulustration of God's
way of dealing with persistence in wilful rebellion. Some
have raised the question : Is there any historical event,
or series of events, to which the Saviour is pointing ?
Does Jesus here make prophetic allusion to the coming
destruction of Jerusalem ? Such questions are apt to
turn attention aside from the only true principle of
interpretation. The parable sets forth what holds true
of God's spiritual kingdom in the world. Our Saviour
sets forth in parable the truth that God " would have
all men honour the Son," and what are the conse
quences of this demand. This narrative discloses a
uniform principle in the moral government of God.
He who comes to us with messages of love as our best
friend, also rules as a king, and visits with punishment
aU who resist His authority, and do evil to His messen
gers. According to the exceUence of His nature He is
just ; and because His government is in accordance with
that excellence, His exercise of power must be to the
punishment of evU-doing as well as to the reward of
them that do weU. The narrative sets forth what legiti
mate reasoning must uphold. The message of mercy,
uttered by the last breath of the messengers who are
slain, is in fact the confirmation of this. For if there
were no vengeance upon evU-doers, there were no need
for a message to assure them of Divine favour, if they
only repented of their sins. The martyred witness,
faUing beneath the stones which men in their rage hurl

124 Union with the Son.
at him, may have faith enough, and sufficiency of the
forgiving spirit, to offer the prayer — "Lord, lay not
this sin to their charge." But such a prayer could be
answered only on condition of repentance of the sin
committed. Eebellion cannot be forgiven if it be stUl
persisted in. The king must rule, or cease to be king ;
rebellion he must vanquish, else the order of the king
dom must be overthrown. Slaughter of the murderers
and burning of their city affords such Ulustration as
the analogy admits. The ruthless devastation of an
avenging army presents but rough Ulustration, it is
true, involving, as it always does, suffering for the inno
cent as well as the guUty, which can have no place
under the Divine government. The one truth set forth
here is, that certain penalty will follow upon wilful
transgression. That death and burning are the forms
of punishment in this case cannot warrant any conclu
sion as to the manner in which God punishes rebelhon.
These belong to the form of the parable, and point to
the utmost penalty possible under earthly authority.
Our Lord is speaking for all times, and not for any
particular occasion, however important. If the words
seem to apply to any historical event, it is because the
occasion illustrates the general rule, not because the
principle of government had been introduced for theocca-
sion. The principle is unchangeable and eternal as the
Deity Himself. The account of this work of judgment
on those who slew the servants is described as follow
ing upon the deed, and preceding the celebration of the
marriage, we may therefore interpret it as applying to
that which precedes the celebration of the Lord's fuU
joy in union with His perfected Church. The words
may thus apply to what takes place in this world as

The Royal Marriage Feast. 1 2 5
well as in the next. The forces of Heaven's King are
many, and ever at His command, embracing all powers
of nature, all actions of men and nations, working
according to His own decree. "None can stay His
hand, or say unto Him, What doest thou ?" He may
destroy evil-doers, and remove them from their place on
earth, even as He must here and hereafter separate
them from His favour. This is the solemn truth set
forth in the parable before us, which could not have
been introduced under the parable of the Householder's
Feast. Its revelation is clear when the provision of the
kingdom is depicted as a feast prepared by the King,
to which his subjects are requUed to come in homage
to himself.
We turn now to the ingathering of the guests, and
the solemnities of the marriage. The words describing
the manner in which attendance was secured, seem
more to express what was to be expected by a king
than by a casual benefactor. Verse 8. — " Then saith the
king to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which
were bidden vjere not worthy. Go ye therefore into the
highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the
marriage. So those servants went out into the highways,
and gathered together all, as many as they found, both
bad and good." A reflection of royal authority is trace
able in the doings of the servants. Distinct mention
of the gathering of bad and good is not found in the
instructions as reported, but it is present by implica
tion. The mention of badness and goodness, always
having some moral colouring even in their most familiar
applications to men, seems to point, much more expli
citly than anything in the earlier parable, to the exer
cise of sovereign grace in calling even the chief of

126 Union with the Son.
sinners. That there is a reference in these words to
moral character, it is impossible to deny with any weight
of reason, though it has been denied over and over
again. In whatever way taken, goodness and badness
concern in some measure the moral character. They
are terms very different from " the poor, the maimed,
the halt, and the bUnd," formerly distinguished as the
objects of favour. All whom God caUs are, indeed,
sinners exceedingly before Him ; but men differ so much
moraUy, that some are accounted by their fellow-men
as bad, and some as good. This distinction is a real
one, of which God makes account. So the Saviour,
without reservation, here uses the distinction as famUiar.
Those whom their fellow-men would shun as bad, God
freely invites. If He visits with judgment rebeUious
subjects who refuse to come, it is not because they
rebel, but because, in their rebellious spirit, they refuse
offered mercy. But if any wUl come, however rebel
lious they have been, they shall find a welcome. Thus
sovereign grace touches the worst of men. Most cheer
ing it is for the student of the parables to find this
record in close proximity, not merely with the threat
ening, but even with the execution, of Divine venge
ance. The darkness of judgment is without, but the
brightness of saving love is within.
" And tlie wedding was furnished with guests." The
guest-chamber was filled. Many who had been called
were without, busy about their farms and merchandise,
and those who , had broken out into open rebeUion
were numbered among the dead. But the great guest-
chamber was crowded. The reign of grace in a sinful
world introduces sharp contrasts. There is grace
rejected, and grace welcomed; worldly interests are

The Royal Marriage Feast. 127
preferred by some, the blessings of Divine love by
others ; there is open rebellion against Divine authority,
and grateful submission to the beneficent rule. Such
is this world when looked at from the standpoint of
moral government. In the midst of this world is a
kingdom of grace, whose courts are crowded. For all
his guests, the king has provided wedding garments.
This is implied, though not explicitly stated. Con
sidering the social position of those who were brought
together, and the circumstances in which they -were
summoned, it is clear they could not have appeared at
the door of the palace in garments suitable for appear
ance at court, much less for taking part in the marriage
festival of the king's son. Nothing more is required of
those invited than that they should be wUling to come.
The spiritual truth becomes clearer by the extension
of invitations which has taken place. Men are asked
who could not provide suitable costume ; they are
brought to the palace just as the messengers find them
in the streets or on the highways ; and thus it is clearly
impUed that suitable raiment had been provided by the
king. That it was customary in Eastern nations to
provide changes of raiment as a mark of favour, appears
sufficiently evident. Thus Joseph, in making arrange
ments for his father and his brethren coming down to
see Pharaoh, sent " changes of raiment " (Gen. xiv. 22) ;
and Gehazi felt that he made no strange request in
asking for his master, from the " captain of the host of
the king of Syria," " two changes of garments ;" while
we read that when the king sent his captain away to
seek a cure, he bade him go, promising to send a letter
unto the king of Israel ; and the captain took with him
" ten talents of sUver, and six thousand pieces of gold,

128 Union with the Son.
and ten changes of raiment" (2 Kings v.) These
examples are sufficient to prove that it was customary
that the palace of the king should be largely supplied
with garments, to be conferred on those who were
objects of royal favour. The story may therefore be
taken as in harmony with Eastern custom. And the
interpretation is of deep interest, as illustrating the
provision which God makes for sinful men whom He
summons to the marriage feast. As each one enters
the spiritual kingdom at the call of God, he is clothed
in a robe which God has provided. Each one may
exclaim, " I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul
shall be joyful in my God ; for he hath clothed me
with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me
with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh
himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself
with jewels " (Isa. lxi. 1 0). The prophet gives in these
words the simple and obvious interpretation of the
" wedding garment." It is a robe of righteousness with
which God clothes the man whom He welcomes to
His presence. He who cannot look upon sin sends His
servants to invite even the worst of sinners to come to
Him, and to come just as they are when the message
finds them. But Jesus, the King's Son, has wrought a
righteousness which may be given as a garment to all
who seek the King's favour, and with that, as with a
robe, is each one covered as he enters the palace of the
Great King. This is the divinely-provided robe, in its
richness and beauty suitable for a wedding garment,
and in its amplitude completely covering the worn and
soiled garments which betray the former evil condition
of the wearer.
We have now a striking view of the assembled guests.

The Royal Marriage Feast. 129
Gathered in the vast festive hall, they are all clad in
robes befitting the palace of the king. In the earlier
form of the parable the imagination is allowed to dwell
on the mixed company of all classes and ranks, so
strangely gathered that many have come even from the
dingy lanes of the city, or from shelter under the hedges
by the wayside. Conspicuous among them are the
" poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind." All these
appear, taking theU places at the royal board just as
they have been found. And for the purpose of inter
pretation, it seems needful that such a view of the
guests should be given. They are a gathering of good
and bad — of those who have led a comparatively sober
and rational life, and of those who have grown familiar
with the haunts of vice, and have become poUuted in
their contact with all vileness. Under the parabolic
representation of "The Great Feast," as we see the
guests assembUng, aU this is conspicuous. Such a view,
as it is accurate in itself, is needful for gospel teaching.
But from the point of view now obtained the sight is
amazingly changed. As the eye runs along the
extended ranks of guests, all are clothed in robes of
perfect beauty, and of a richness of texture befitting the
palace and the greatness of the occasion. The inter
pretation is clear. The riches of Divine grace are
before us. The immense differences of character are
concealed from view, the poverty and maimed condition
of the guests are not perceptible. They are clad in
"robes of righteousness" supplied by the God who
invites them to the feast, and provided only on account
of the marriage of His Son. Here appears the essential
importance of the Son, who is introduced in this
parable. How plain it must have seemed to the eye
1

1 30 Union with the Son.
of Jesus as He sketched the story. The spiritual
significance of the marriage, though the actual celebra
tion is held in reserve, comes at this point plainly
enough before us by way of suggestion. But for the
position of the Son, this rich feast, these free invita
tions, these royal garments, had not been provided by the
King. And yet more must be added : shining through
the parable, if not actually embraced in it, aU are
invited not merely to feasting and rejoicing, but to
eternal union with the King, through union with the
Son. Wonderfully different as are the two parabolic
representations of the assembling guests, they are both
essential to Christ's teaching, and both needful to meet
the demands of the case. Salvation work takes men
as it finds them, and makes them different from what
they are when found.
Verse 11. — " The king came in to see the guests"
This introduces a feature unusual in the reception of
guests. He comes to survey the guests, not merely
with royal dignity, but for some exercise of judicial
authority, as immediately appears in the expulsion of
one of their number. Under the former parable,
no ground for expulsion of any one accepting the
invitation becomes apparent. But here, in the most
awfully solemn manner, it is made to appear that
those who have entered under invitation may be
cast out. The king came in to see the guests, and
the survey then taken was to judge of those pre
sent. Immediately his eye was arrested by one who
had not clothed himself in the wedding garment pro
vided for him. The question addressed to him carried
the warning of his condemnation. Verse 1 2.  " Friend,
how earnest thou in hither, not having a wedding gar-

The Royal Marriage Feast. 131
ment ?" He has obtained admission, and meanwhile
the king addresses him as an associate thus far, though
not related to him in true friendship.1 To address him
even for this once as a companion implies much con
descension on the part of the king. But to excuse his
conduct is impossible. The man feels it, and is speech
less. In some respects his conduct is worse than that
of those who have refused to come. He has made his
disrespect more offensive. The king has shown him
self so generous as to invite all, however poor and
unworthy ; but he was not on that account so indiffer
ent to the occasion and to the honour of his son as to
be willing that his subjects should appear in any guise.
He had provided for the company in a manner suitable
for the celebration of a royal marriage. But this man
has shown so little regard for the will of the monarch
as to enter in his poor worn garments. He who acts
thus cannot abide among the guests. Therefore, Verse
13, the king commands his servants to "bind him
hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into
outer darkness ; there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth!' His doom is sounding in these words : " Take
him away !" He has been within the palace ; he has
seen something of its brightness and of the richness of
the feast prepared ; but he shall see no more ; he shall
not participate in the rejoicings of that day. Bound
hand and foot, so as to make resistance impossible, he
must be cast into the gloom without, mourning bitterly
the loss which a stubborn spirit has to endure.
The interpretation of all this is very clear, and it is
overwhelmingly solemn. Verse 1 4. — " Many are called,
1 The word is iralpos, a companion or associate, not <f>[kos, which
would have been quite inappropriate here.

132 Union with the Son.
but few are chosen!' This man also must be added to
the many who have been called, and nevertheless are
left in the outer darkness. In his conduct and destiny,
he is the representative of all who come within the
kingdom of God in profession of friendship, and yet
in heart and action belie that profession. While they
are united in outward fellowship with His people, God
may in condescension address them as associates, but not
as true friends. Their certain exposure will come from
their own sinful neglect of the offered merit of the Son.
Eefusing to be clothed in the robe of His righteousness,
the shame of their sinful state shall appear to every
eye. The want of the wedding garment is a thing con
spicuous in the midst of the assembled friends of the
Son. Before the joy of the marriage celebration has
come, when the King looks around upon those who are
met, He shall separate from the guests all who faU to
appear in a robe of righteousness. In that hour there
shall be no escape, for the servants are at hand who do
the bidding of the King. There is no escape from the
vengeance of God. As th e words were uttered, " Take him
away," so under the Divine command shall they be cast
out who have not trusted in the merits of " the Lamb
of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." By
Divine strength, as has been touchingly shown in the
parable of the Lost Sheep, men, helpless under sin, are
carried into the kingdom; and by the same might,
men, helpless under Divine condemnation, are cast
out from the sacred circle into which, in a godless
spirit, they have ventured to intrude. If we ask what
is without the kingdom, the parabolic answer here
given is twofold. The state is one of darkness, its
experience is woe. The meeting-place of the guests is

The Ro\ 'a I Ma rriage Feast. 1 3 3
the inner circle ; all beyond is the outer. Within is
light ; without is darkness : within is joy ; without is
bitterness of spirit. Into the outer darkness light does
not come, for the light of God's countenance cannot
shine upon evil. Those who are without are separated
from Divine favour. Those who made farming and
merchandise their absorbing interest, those who rose in
open rebellion against Divine authority, and those who
made false-hearted professions of allegiance, shall all
be left in the outer darkness. " There shall be weep
ing and gnashing of teeth ;" fruitless lamentation over
what has been recklessly sacrificed ; bitterness of de
spair, for that which has been lost cannot be regained.
Into the inner joys of the King's house we are not
introduced. These joys are but foreshadowed. The
gathering of the guests is conspicuous ; the expulsion
of the false-hearted is a painful and unexpected occur
rence ; and the doors are closed. But the feast within
is the marriage festivity of the King's Son. In this
the Son's relation to the whole is proclaimed. The
number of guests coming from all quarters, and arriv
ing at different times, involves multiplicity which
renders it difficult to include in the same parable
the marriage itself. But the union of Christ with His
Church is declared. The Church is itself a unity, and
Uves in union with the Son, — a union which is life
long, that is, to everlasting. Throughout the eternity to
foUow, the Church's delight in the Saviour, and the
Saviour's deUght in His Church, shall be complete. In
closest union they shaU together rejoice in the midst
of the glory of the Father of Lights, with whom is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Thus, then, these two parables, taken together, present

134 Union with the Son.
to view the provision made for those who are invited
to be guests within God's kingdom. In the richness of
Divine mercy and grace, a great feast has been prepared ;
all are freely invited — the poor, the maimed, the halt,
and the blind ; all who are welcomed are clothed in a
divinely provided garment of righteousness ; and aU
these arrangements are consequent on the marriage of
the Son, — the favour which He has for the bride, which
is His Church. The parabolic representation is com
plete. Questions unanswered when we had finished
the study of the parable of the Great Supper are
answered now. The feast of gladness in God's pre
sence unfolds into marriage union with God's only-
begotten and well-beloved Son.

CHAPTEE IX.
THE PRIVILEGE OF ASKING FOR OTHERS FROM
GOD'S STORES.
THE FRIEND AT MIDNIGHT.
Luke xi. 5-8.
This parable springs from the midst of the most
impressive lessons as to prayer. The Saviour Himself
is seen at prayer ; He afterwards teaches His disciples
how to pray ; next this parable is uttered ; after which
He presses the duty of earnestness in prayer by reitera
tion of the strongest assurances as to its answer. Thus
the parable comes to stimulate the spirit of prayer.
There is an obvious connection between this parable
and the two which describe the spiritual feast. Those
who are received into God's kingdom obtain a title to
ask freely of God's stores. The fellowship with the
king, enjoyed by the guests at the feast, leads into the
further privilege of special requests according to in
dividual need.  __
The purpose of our Lord in this parable of the friend
pleading at the door of another in the middle of the
night, is to illustrate the privilege granted to God's
household of interceding for others. Verse 5. —
" Which of you, shall have a friend, and shall go unto
135

136 Asking for others from God's Stores.
him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend m.e three
loaves." In the opening of the parable it appears as if our
Lord meant only to enforce importunity in prayer, but
afterwards we perceive that He has something more
specific in view. The friend to whom appeal is made
in extremity is first mentioned, but a friend in whose
behalf the suppliant pleads is spoken of subsequently. .
The foundation of the parable is laid in the follow
ing facts : — A friend in his journey comes in the
middle of the night, seeking hospitality. On his
arrival at the door, this friend stands without, seeking
admission; he had lost his way- — it is now weU into
the night — and he is exhausted, greatly needing food
and rest. He is no stranger who is in this plight, but
one well known, who has the claims of friendship. He
is not merely on a journey, as our version suggests, and
therefore far from home, but, as the marginal reading
gives it, he is " out of his way." Besides, the time of
his arrival is not an ordinary hour of the day, when
he may readily find supplies somewhere else if not in
the house of a friend. It is the middle of the night.
In Eastern countries, the cool of the evening is often
chosen as the time for travelling. But the cool of the
eventide is past ; the darkness of night has set in, when
travelling is dangerous, and the weariness of the way
is doubly irksome. A resting-place the man needs and
craves, with nourishment sufficient to revive his sink
ing strength. By this representation our Lord suggests
that a fellow-man — a friend — may have a strong
appeal to make to his followers for help, in seeking to
attain spiritual repose and nourishment when ready to
sink on the journey of life. Appeal may be made for

The Friend at Midnight. 137
temporal aid, since this is a case clearly included. But
our Saviour's teaching more particularly concerns the
spiritual. So regarded, the representation here given
of the case of one in spiritual perplexity, " out of the
way," appeaUng to a Christian friend for help, is exceed
ingly striking. Life's journey is symbolically depicted
as one which should end in the peace of a glorious
home. But this traveller has lost his way, and having
become convinced of this, he feels bewildered. Like one
benighted, he knows not what to do. In this extremity
he thinks of a Christian friend, and to him he turns.
From him he craves help, desiring escape from his per
plexity, and nourishment for his famishing soul. Jesus.
speaking in all this to His disciples, is teaching them
how to pray; He is warning them that they must
expect to be appealed to in this manner, and that they
will, therefore, find use for their privilege of prayer,
not merely in offering supplication for themselves, but
in interceding on behalf of others.
There is next presented to view the action of the
Christian when appealed to in such a case. He is the
friend at whose door one stands knocking in the middle
of the night, who gives a ready and hearty response to
the appeal made to him from without. To the friend
within it seems a smaU thing to have his peace dis
turbed, if only he can render help to one who is in
trouble. In answer to the knocking and the appeal,
he not only gets up, but unbars the door, lights up the
house, gives his weary, agitated friend a warm welcome,
and sets himself to do everything he can for his
comfort. Thus cordially should every disciple of Jesus
prove himself the friend of any one, bewildered and
agitated with the sense of being out of the way, who

138 Asking for others from God's Stores.
turns to him as one having a truer peace, and a better
hope of reaching safely the destination where eternal
peace is enjoyed.
But, however much can be done by a Christian at
such a time in giving . encouragement and comfort,
he cannot do all that needs to be done. There is a
want which he cannot supply ; and the deficiency
concerns what is essential. Another stage in the
parable brings this into view. It is the representation
of the host's perplexity. When he has given his friend
a welcome, the necessary supplies are wanting. He
has no bread to set before him. Sympathy and shelter
will not support life; the famishing man needs food.
In the absence of this, the generous host has put him
self into an unexpected difficulty. His friend's wants
must somehow be supplied, and that promptly, yet he
has not at command what will suffice to set before
him. In this way the Saviour indicates the limits of a
disciple's power to help the perplexed. The disciple
can sympathise with such an one, he can speak words
of comfort, he can give him a welcome to his friendly
regard, he can point him on the way ; but he cannot
supply him with the very bread of life itself.
Sympathy, and love, and knowledge too, a troubled
soul may find by turning to a disciple ; but to the
Lord Himself must supplication be made, in order to
obtain the bread of life. As God gives life, and by His
bounty provides the bread which nourishes it, so the
Saviour-God must Himself give life to the soul, and,
in the richness of His grace, provide the bread by which
it is to be nourished. In harmony with this view of
direct dependence upon God Himself for the nourish
ment of spiritual life, were the words spoken by the

The Friend at Midnight. 139
Lord Jesus on another occasion, when He said, " My
Father giveth you the true bread from heaven ; for the
bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven,
and giveth Ufe unto the world." Jesus, when received
anew day by day as a gift from God, is received to
the nourishment of the soul, and satisfaction of all its_
_wants. Looking at the matter from this point of view,
it would appear a serious difficulty to find any parabolic
illustration suitable for indicating this inabUity on the
part of the disciple of Jesus to supply to another that
which is to be regarded as the nourishment of the
spiritual Ufe. But this difficulty is surmounted by
bringing the wanderer to the door of his friend unex-
pectedly in the middle of the night, when it is not to
be supposed that he could have supplies laid in for an
unexpected arrival, and when it was impossible to
obtain them by the usual channels. Verse 6. — "A
friend of mine in his journey is come to me." Thus the
friend who has welcomed the wanderer is naturally
without the store of bread required to supply his wants.
The awkward position of this host serves as a fit illus
tration of the inabUity of any follower of Jesus to
provide supply for the nourishment of spiritual life,
however like to his Master in spirit, and however
eager to benefit others.
From the contemplation of the host's perplexity, we
pass to the scene which discovers his resort in extremity.
The sight brings full before us the exceeding value of
the warrant we have to approach our God with special
supplication. Speaking to His disciples of going to His
Father and their Father, He presses upon them, in sub
stance, this inquiry : In such a case as that described,
which of you having a friend near by would not go to

1 40 Asking for others from God's Stores.
him, even at midnight, making known your extremity,
and asking the needful supply ? This the Saviour con
templates as of all courses the most natural. What is
the worth of friendship, He would say, if it cannot
bear to be disturbed during the night watches by a plea
for help in extremity ? Thus the Great Teacher pro
vides Himself with His parable. Beautifully does this
scene illustrate the noble exercise of intercessory prayer.
We must waive meanwhile the perplexity occasioned
by such representation of the Hearer of prayer as is
implied. The guest welcomed to his friend's house,
ancTpr'ovided with such comfort as was at command, is
left in the house, while the host hurries off to a friend
of his own, to obtain, if possible, the loaves of bread
required. Hastening along the street, he makes no
scruple as to the disturbance of another famUy in the
middle of the night. He is to occasion no disturbance
which he has not himself most gladly submitted to first.
He does not ask another to do what he is not himself
willing to do as occasion may require. At length the
door of the friend is reached. He knocks at once, and
when inquiry is heard from within, he responds by
narrating the circumstances which have led to his
appearance at such an hour. But the friend within is
not disposed to be troubled. He has many excuses,
and as they come after one another in rapid succession,
the burden of the whole is expressed in his first words :
" 'Trouble me not." The door is shut ; it will occasion
disturbance to undo the fastenings. I am in bed com
fortable for the night ; it will trouble me to get up.
My children are asleep, and to rouse them by the
opening of all the doors will cost me no small trouble
before they are lulled to rest again. I beseech thee,

The Friend at Midnight. 1 4 1
trouble me not. " I cannot rise and give thee." Un-
wiUingness easily magnifies difficulties ; endurance of
trouble seems an impossibility in the sight of a reluc
tant spirit. But the man of generous spirit who
grudges no trouble in well-doing will take no denial
from another, desiring to escape from a share in the
sacrifice. Trouble faUs to men as a condition of friend
ship. It is the strain which tests the strength of the
bond uniting those who call each other " friend." What
is the value of friendship if it be not ready to endure
disturbance and discomfort for the sake of one who is
daUy saluted as a friend ? The suppliant feels as if
he would dishonour his neighbour who has spoken so
unworthUy, if he were to take him at his word and
turn from his door. The man, he is assured, is better
than might be supposed by a stranger, judging him by
his hurried words. His friendship is strong enough to
bear a heavier strain. Thus with better thoughts of his
friend than his discouraging reception seems to warrant,
he resolves to repeat, and even press, his demands until
he obtain what he needs. Where friendship is genuine
such resolution is already sure of success. The Saviour
foreteUs the result. Verse 8. — " I say unto you, Though
he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet
because of his importunity he will rise and give him as
many as he needelh." This is the natural result when
genuine friendship is tested by honest, unflinching
earnestness. Importunity gains its end, not on its own
account, but because it works with the lever which
true friendship provides. Importunity on the part of
an entire stranger may not succeed. It may irritate
rather than persuade. If importunity here leads to a
different result, the difference is accounted for by this,

142 Asking for others from God's Stores.
that it works from the vantage-ground which friendship
affords. In this most condescending manner does our Lord
commend to His disciples the free use of the warrant
they have for His sake to draw largely on the friendship
of His Father. And in full accordance with the form
of the illustrative parable, which rests its teaching on
human friendships, He points specially in this connec
tion to the fact that the privilege of prayer is so
extended as to embrace the right of supplication on
behalf of those whose welfare is matter of deep interest
to us. The benevolence of friendship cannot be more
honestly and powerfully exercised than in our prayers.
Many things friendship can do to soothe life's troubles
and multiply life's joys. But friendship must often
discover wants which it cannot supply. The deeper
the friendship is, the oftener this painful discovery
must be made, and the more important must such
wants appear. The most urgent wants of man are those
which the best earthly friend cannot satisfy. To this it
is that Jesus here points. But " there is a Friend that
sticketh closer than a brother," — there is a Divine
friendship with men ; — some at least have been named
" the friend of God ; " such there may be amongst
men still. Yea, says this gentle Master to these His
disciples, ye yourselves are the friends of God ; use
your friendship in behalf of others, plead for them that
they may receive the bread of Ufe — that they " may eat
thereof and not die."
With all this soothing, encouraging, and ennobling
truth concerning the believer's privilege, the " Good
Master '' shows that He does not shun uncomfortable
truth. He does not hide the trials attending on

The Friend at Midnight. 143
privilege ; nor does he avoid what may seem unaccount
able in the ways of God. While directing notice to
the reward which will crown the effort, He does not
hesitate to tell of stumbling-blocks in the way. The
privilege of intercession may be freely used, yet the
fruits of the intercession may be long delayed. But even
then this parable stands as our encouragement to believe
and persevere. Here we must take into account the
seeming incongruity of the representation of the Hearer
of prayer, and the condescension of the Divine Teacher,
in employing such analogy, as the unkind delays of
men, can afford , of those wise delays in answering
which cannot be fully explained to us. The hin
drances in the way of intercessory prayer are not such
as those encountered by the man pleading for a supply
of bread from a friendly neighbour. The Friend to
whom we go " neither slumbers nor sleeps ; " there are
none in His house who will be roused from their
slumbers by our calling ; no time can prove to Him
untimely; we cannot by our continual coming weary
Him. All these things are sure, nevertheless inter-
cessory prayer may wait long for its answer. Nay,
the suppliant pleading at God's throne on behalf of
another, is likely to have long to tarry, and will have
need of patience in the work he has undertaken. But
if his friendship for his fellow-man be true, he will
deem the drafts on patience not too great a cost for
gaining his end. The attainment of everlasting life by
another, — or even of fuller spiritual strength, — is a
result so grand, that it will seem but a small thing to
the disciple to continue waiting at the footstool in
expectation of an answer. Perseverance will in such
a case appear a necessity, even more urgent than that

144 Asking for others from God's Stores.
which summons all the energy at command to save a
life in danger. And if there be confidence in the
Divine Friend to whom the petitions are addressed,
there will be assurance that the answer shall be granted
when it is fit it should be, and in the manner which to
unerring wisdom is the best. With such confidence to
sustain patience and perseverance, the suppUant will
find many reasons for delay in answering, and as many
for perseverance in praying. He wUl reverently own
that it may be a needful thing, because merciful in its
result, that the friend who has wandered from the way,
and is in want of the bread of life, should stUl be left
perplexed and famishing for a season, while another
stands pleading in his behalf. This is the lesson
coming from the period of waiting on the part of the
guest, while the host seeks supply of bread. As it
does not seem strange to him who seeks bread at a
neighbour's door, that the wanderer is meanwhUe left
in hunger ; so to the suppliant who asks from God the
blessing of salvation for another, it must not seem
strange that the other is left for a season in trouble.
God, who encourages intercessor)' prayer for the highest
spiritual blessings, taking measures for providing an
answer long before fulfilment of his desire is apparent
to the suppliant himself, requires of the disciples that
they do not marvel, and certainly do not weary or
become despondent, if the object of affectionate interest
be left for a season in suffering. The answer to inter
cessory prayer must at the same time be answer to
prayer from the object of our regard. The intercessor
and he for whom he intercedes must both be suppliants
for the same thing before intercessory prayer can be
answered. At this point we have an example of the

The Friend at Midnight. 145
impossibility of one parable conveying the whole truth
on a subject. This parable as to intercessory prayer
needs to reduplicate on that of the publican. He for
whom his friend intercedes must become a suppliant
for his own soul's good, as the publican did, crying,
" God be merciful to me a sinner," before the inter
cessory prayer long offered on his behalf can be
answered. Nothing under God's government is more
certain than this, that intercessory prayer in behalf of
the Pharisee can never be fully answered as long as
the Pharisee spirit remains in the man, inclining him
to saj', " I thank thee that I am not as other men."
But if, whUe others intercede for both, the publican be
brought to mourn his sins, and the Pharisee be abased
to own that his self-righteousness is false and wicked,
the first results may be disturbing, yet intercessory
prayer is being answered. Not till such results are
reached can it be answered, j But God, who values
intercessory prayer, and acts in accordance with it, has
many measures which He can employ in a manner
quite beyond the observation of the suppliant, which
shall contribute towards the answer, long before the
thing desired is effectually accomplished.
Here the fuU beauty of the parable opens to view.
When the ultimate result is gained, in the salvation
of the friend for whom intercession has been offered,
there is constituted a threefold friendship, which shall
not be broken. In the structure of this parable every
individual finding a place in it is described as "friend."
It is a friend who has been travelling, and, having lost
his way, comes to the door of his friend for shelter
and help. And he who welcomes him goes in to turn
to his friend for aid to entertain the other. The truth
K

146 Asking for others from God's Stores.
thus conveyed is exceedingly attractive. The wanderer
from the way of life, when he seeks deliverance from
the position to which sin has brought him, will find a
friend in the disciple of Jesus. And though this friend
cannot supply his need, he knows a Divine Friend
who can. To Him he wUl go in his behalf ; to Him
the penitent may go also in secret prayer. The double
prayer will be answered, and these two suppliants wUl
find their highest joy in a triple friendship, both being
now friends of God, and God the Friend of both.
They will together rejoice in the feast supplied from
the stores of Divine grace.

CHAPTEE X.
ENCOURAGEMENT TO PERSEVERANCE IN ASKING.
THE IMPORTUNATE WIDOW.
Luke xviii. ] -8.
In this parable the duty of continued prayer is
enforced. Verse 1. — " And he spake a parable unto
tliem, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint!'
The parable has been very commonly named " The
Unjust Judge." And no doubt the judge appears first
in the narrative, and on this account may easily be
aUowed to give a name to it. But to designate it thus
is misleading, for the widow is the conspicuous figure
in the story, and by constant reference to her we find
the key of interpretation. This view is confirmed if we
look at the whole group of parables concerning prayer,
with reference to their relations to each other. Their
unity is apparent at once when we contemplate the
several suppUants : the penitent, — the friend whose
wiUingness to help outruns his power, — and the injured
one. Here the judge is apt to attract, if not engross atten
tion ; and it is, indeed, a great marvel that God should
be wUling to liken Himself to an unjust judge. As
expositors have almost uniformly said, we could not on

148 Encouragement to Perseverance in Asking.
our own responsibility have ventured on this form of
illustration. Only because it has been supplied by
the Lord Himself, do we escape a feeling of discomfort
in instituting a comparison with one who has become
notorious for injustice. Great as this marvel is, how
ever, we must be content to hold it in reserve, lest the
main features of the parable be obscured.
The avowed object of the parable is to teach that
men ought always to pray, and not to faint. Verses
2, 3. — " There was in a city a judge, which feared not God,
neither regarded man : and there was a widoiv in that
city ; and she came unto him., saying, Avenge me of mine
adversary." The history of the suppliant affords the
designed instruction. Everything discovered regarding
her position gives force to the illustration. She is a
widow. Whether she has any family, who may after
wards grow up to help her, is not said. All such con
siderations are left out of account, and attention is
concentrated on her widowhood. Under the providence
of God, this is her first and great trial. She is bereaved
of her husband, and is now facing life's cares without
her companion, supporter, and protector. In the lone
liness and helplessness of her state she stands as the
representative of the suppliant.
Giving additional force to the illustration, she is an
oppressed widow. According to a turn of events sadly
common in the world, weakness meets oppression in its
path. Helplessness is easy of attack. On the other
hand, selfishness is ever mean, and is apt to be cruel.
Experience of this is a bitter trial for the widow.
Within the neighbourhood of the city in which she
lives, there is one who is mean enough to take advan
tage of her weakness, in order to secure gain for himself.

The finportunate Widow. 1 49
Bereaved of her husband, she is afflicted yet more by
the injustice of one whose knowledge of her case does
not move compassion, but whets cupidity. The nature
of the wrong inflicted is not explained. The indefinite-
ness in this respect is designed, making her case more
easily applicable for illustration. Endurance of wrong
at the hands of another is set forth to view, and every
one who thus suffers may here find analogy with his
own experience. God, who has promised to be a hus
band unto the widow, permits this further trial to come
upon her. Doubly tried — bereaved and wronged — she
stands before us as the representative of the needy and
distressed who bow at God's throne.
To complete the view, we must see this bereaved
and wronged woman pleading in vain for redress of
the wrong. Suffering injustice, her only resort in her
adversity is to turn to him who is the dispenser of jus
tice in the city. She must appeal to the judge set in
the place of authority. Well it is that such a tribunal
is set up, if only the administration of justice is pure
and prompt. Otherwise, the good is turned to evil, and
under the fair name of justice there is a curse in the
city. From such perversion of justice fresh trouble
breaks on the devoted head of this afflicted widow.
The judge is unworthy of his position. Speaking in
name of justice, and professing homage to her authority,
his reckless decisions violate the sacred principle of
equity, according to the impulse of the hour. He
does not concern himself with the feelings, rights, or
sufferings of those appearing before him, though he is
capable of being moved by largesses unrighteously
presented, but with needful secrecy. He even makes
Ught of the name and authority of God. Expressions

1 50 Encouragement to Perseverance in Asking.
of irreverence come freely from his lips, and he is
even pleased with himself as he jests with sacred
things, which fill others with awe. " A judge, which
feared not God, neither regarded man." This is the
vivid portrait as sketched by a Divine hand. To such
a dispenser of justice it is that this widow must turn.
What hope can she have in making her appeal before
such a tribunal ? Here is an increase of her affliction.
God is permitting manifold trials to close in upon her
path. She looks for protection where she has a right
to claim it; but her weakness makes her the object of
mockery, and her burden is bound more closely about
her shoulders. She has come to the final resort, but
her appeal is treated slightingly. She is disappointed
in her hope. ' The star which cheered her has set behind
a dense cloud. Now she may feed upon her sorrow,
throwing open the door of her heart, before which
despair stands knocking for admission.
But no ; she would not surrender in this way. She
had urged her plea, saying, " Avenge me of mine adver
sary. And he would not." But she resolves that her
plaint shall not be thus lightly treated. She will renew
her demand — she will persist in claiming justice at the
hands of the judge — she will not cease, even though
her efforts seem useless. Here is the praying spirit
exemplified. This woman supplies a model for Christian
suppliants who bow at the footstool of the righteous
and compassionate God. With them, the occasion for
importunity is different ; but the spirit of earnest deter
mination to seek, even when the answer is withheld,
must be the same.
How impressive is the parabolic representation of
the suppliant's place and experience ! The weak pleads

The fmportunate Widow. 151
with the mighty for help ; the oppressed one flees to
the shelter which sovereign power has provided for
the injured. As illustrating the experience of those
who wrestle anxiously for deliverance, and receive no
answer to their prayer, she is foiled in her effort to
gain redress. The mighty one refuses aid to the weak
petitioner. The refuge is closed by the hand of him
who has been set to keep open door for every one who
hurries thither in flight. The judge refuses to hear,
says remorselessly that he will not avenge her, and
impatiently requires her to be gone. In the brief period
granted for a hearing, not a word of encouragement
falls from the judge's Ups — not a glance of compassion
steals from his eye. Again she comes, hoping for a more
favourable opportunity, but with no better result. Once
more she returns, but the same cold indifference and
relentless mockery are all she experiences. Morning
after morning she wends her weary way through these
famiUar busy streets, to the place where the courts of
justice are situated. Patiently she waits the hour when
the doors are thrown wide, and immediately she hastens
within. The court attendants, now familiar with her
appearance, glance at each other with a faint smile as
the rueful face and worn garments of the widow re
appear, accounting of her persistence as if it were evi
dence that reason had been there dethroned by the crash
of heavy calamity. Her experience is the repetition
of what has grown familiar to her. The sad, dejected
face reappears as she issues from the court-house, and
once more she returns with a heavy heart to her desolate
home. Into such details as these the imagination is
left to enter, that there may be some appreciation of the
difficulties which this widow encountered in pressing

152 Encouragement to Perseverance in Asking.
her demands. How hopeless is the search for justice
in her case ! We are almost ready to conclude that it
were better for her to desist from those efforts which
are putting patience to a painful strain, and adding
fresh bitterness to the cup of gall which she is daily
constrained to drink. Nevertheless, she will not cease.
What is it that nerves her purpose ? It is simply this,
that she pleads for justice. Weak as she is, in this she
feels that she is stronger than the cold, imperious judge.
She can conquer him. Strong as he is in position and
authority, he can be made to feel a treacherous weak
ness when justice cries out against his verdicts, even
though it be the feeble, faltering lips of an oppressed
widow which utter the cry. The strongest becomes ,
weak in attempting to defend wrong ; the weakest
receives strength in pleading for right. Yea, in such a
case as that before us, there is strength in weakness ¦
itself, if there be only steadfastness in pressing the
claim. The commanding simplicity of justice is made
more apparent in the absence of accompanying supports,
which might conceal its majesty and strength. This
conviction nerves the widow's heart, as in the stiUness
of the night, under renewed disappointment, and again
in the freshness of the morning, with its new oppor
tunity, she ponders the course to be taken. She will not
desist. With fixed determination she encounters still
the ordeal of reappearance to press the oft-rejected suit.
Her persistence is at length rewarded, for she prevails.
Her determination, sustained by the justice of the
claim, to which even injustice must yield homage, at last
forces the judge to relent. Verse 4. — " He said within
himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man ; yet be
cause this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her

The fmportunate Widow. 1 5 3
continual coming she weary me." Thus is he defeated,
whUe he vainly attempts to persuade himself that this is
simply an exercise of his power. The whole legal force of
the city is won to the widow's service by her own quiet
determination. Our Lord discovers to us the secret
thought of the judge, seeking to delude himself and
others with the beUef that he is disinterestedly per
forming a pure act of justice. The Lord accounts it a
tardy act wrung from a reluctant judge at the close
of an unrighteous and cruel delay. Our Lord adds, in
solemn appeal for reflection from the reader, "Hear
what the unjust judge saith"
This parable our Lord uses to encourage persistence
in prayer. The condition, conduct, and experience of
the suppliant carry a large part of this lesson. She
is weak, she is bereaved, she is oppressed, and under
aU she cries in vain to him who is ou the judgment-
seat to dispense justice. The selection of such a case
as this is a cheering testimony to those who are over
whelmed by distress, that they are not overlooked by
God, but are tenderly cared for. Their prayers are
heard, and "are had in remembrance," though the
answer is not yet. As this widow returned daily to
repeat her request, so would God have all who trust
Him to continue untiring in supplication, even though
the answer be long delayed. Though we are weak, and
the weakness is appointed by God ; though we are
wronged, and that wrong permitted by God ; we are to
cry to Him for deUverance from the wrong, for defence
from the oppressor. Yea, even though our prayer
appear to be unheeded, we are to continue in prayer,
never fainting in this exercise.
Under all this, however, lies the lesson, that our plea

154 Encouragement to Perseverance in Asking.
must have the support of justice, and God's warrant
for expecting the granting of our petition. These
things are essential to the example presented in the
parable. Neglect of these things defeats prayer. An
unrighteous petition receives no heed from God, how
ever perseveringly offered. But it is the wiU of our
Father, in answer to our prayer, to deliver us from
wrong, even though there be long delay in working out
deliverance. Verse 7. — " And shall not God avenge his
own elect, which cry night and day unto him, though
he bear long with them ? I tell you that he will avenge
them speedily." Thus while persistent prayer is one of
the established privileges of the kingdom of God, His
people must exemplify in this world patient endurance
of wrong. There are, all around, those who are willing
to injure others, and God does not shelter those who
trust Him from experience of the painful consequences.
Continuance of injury they may expect, long after
they have begun to cry to God for deliverance. He
permits such suffering, and we are to bear it as of His
appointment. Nevertheless we are counselled to cry
unto Him for defence ; yea, to " cry day and night unto
him." He is our refuge ; waiting upon Him in faith
is our privilege ; and though there be no sign of reply,
our prayers shall be treasured in His presence, and in
due time have their answer. " Though we beUeve not,
yet he abideth faithful ; he cannot deny himself." He
owns our plea as just ; He will have regard to the
earnestness and faith which our prayers discover, but
having regard to other things besides, He may hold in
reserve the deliverance which He has prepared and
promised. Our continued suffering is, indeed, con
tinued subjection to injustice, carrying with it serious

The fmportunatc Widow. 155
responsibility on the part of the wrong-doer ; but, for
wise reasons, which will yet commend themselves to our
own judgment when the suffering is past, He will " bear
long!' The turn of this phrase shows the direction
in which the thought points. He who has regard to
the oppressed has regard to the oppressor as well, and
ever as He listens to the cry of a confiding child for
escape from anguish, thoughts of mercy are directed
towards the oppressor. There is a striking peculiarity
in the form of expression with which our Lord closes
His question. Though He bear long, is the rendering
we have in our English Bibles. The passage may be
read either in this form, And shall not God avenge
His elect, also bearing long with them ? or thus, Shall
not God avenge and bear long? It is not mere waiting
that is iinpUed, but exercise of forbearance towards
those who have no claim to consideration. The refer
ence is clearly to the wrong-doer, for even towards
him God wiU exercise forbearance, while His own
believing people may be called to wait for a time.
AU their best possessions are beyond the reach of
harm, and for them there is discipline in the trial while
it lasts. While His people bear much wrong, God
bears long with their oppressors, that space may be
given for repentance.
This gives us the key to the delay so often ex
perienced in obtaining an answer to the prayer which
seeks escape from evil inflicted upon us. If the answer
to our prayer involved personal experience alone, there
might be little delay in the response. But in the case
under consideration it is otherwise. There is another
responsibility intertwined with the suppliant's, and God
has regard to this in the delay to which He subjects him

156 Encouragement to Perseverance in Asking.
who waits at His footstool. The prayer is heard, but
God, in the exercise of mercy and forbearance, has deal
ings with the oppressor, rendering necessary delay
painful for the sufferer. It is thus that those who have
obtained mercy do, by patient waiting in prayer, make
an offering of their own continued anguish that their
enemy may share in mercy. At the hands of others
they become " partakers of Christ's sufferings." Wait
ing in faith, and patiently enduring their wrongs, they
wait to this end, that their adversaries may be blessed.
It were easy for God to grant an immediate answer, by
instantly visiting the oppressor with judgment. But
this is not in accordance with the plan of His govern
ment, nor has He, at any time in the world's history,
acted in this way. He did not act thus even when the
cry of a whole people rose to Him from the midst of
Egyptian bondage. He bore long before His judgments
were sent forth. So it is in personal history. The
whole. race is under a reign of mercy; the worst of
men share the advantages of forbearance, even though
they employ the space given for repentance in injuring
those exercising a humble trust in God. With this
exercise of forbearance on God's part, there must
be an exercise of patience on the sufferer's part.
This is the grand lesson which the parable teaches,
running parallel with the direct command of the
Saviour — " Pray for them which despitefully use you,
and persecute you " (Matt. v. 44). God in His mercy
has to do with them also. Pray for them. Such prayer
will not stay your own cry for deliverance, but will save
you from bitterness in that prayer, and aid you in
patience. Yet must we continue to pray for escape
from oppression. Content to wait God's time, we must

The fmportunalc If Idow. 157
nevertheless continue to plead, in full persuasion that He
wiU have regard to the earnestness and constancy with
which we turn to Him, who is able and willing to help.
The grand perplexity of the parable now rises full
before us. Why, in teaching us such things, should the
Eedeemer compare the Father with an unjust judge ?
There is an incongruity which cannot be disguised,
and which is apt at first to awaken painful emotions.
By way of relieving the mind of difficulty, it is first to
be noticed that the character and conduct of the judge
are expressly condemned. As our perplexity is occa
sioned by the fact that the character of the man is evil,
it is of consequence to note that the evil occasions
severest blame. To read the parable without seeing
and feeling this would be puzzling. To attempt to
escape the perplexity, by seeking for ingenious excuses
for the judge, as has often been done, is to ruin the
parable. Such interpretation not only injures the
story, but breaks it into fragments, which no skill can
cement. Look at the judge as he is sketched by the
Saviour's hand. The colours in which he is depicted
are exceptionally dark. He is described as one who
neither fears God nor regards man, and who is even so
hardened as to make a boast of this. And when he
utters his "lest she weary me," the Lord, expressing
wonder and blame, exclaims, "Hear what the unjust
judge saith ! " Then, by way of complete contrast, He
adds, " And shall not God avenge His own elect ?" The
immeasurable distance between the two is conspicuous.
It is the irreconcilable difference between righteousness
and wickedness. The perplexity as to the comparison
may remain as before, but it is not heightened by a
single touch which blurs moral distinctions.

158 Encouragement to Perseverance in Asking.
If, then, the purity of God is not obscured by the
manner of the comparison, His glory is untarnished.
While with wonder and awe we regard the Divine con
descension in constructing for illustrative use such a
narrative, we are led to accept this as the only solution
of the perplexity, that our Lord, in His eagerness to
instruct us, does not shrink from the use of an available
comparison, even though it be drawn from a corrupt life.
He does not hesitate, if with the lesson to be taught,
the condemnation of the judge be expressed. If a
judge's authority may symbolise the authority which
is Divine, he will not refuse to compare God with the
merely human judge, who arrogates to himself absolute
sovereignty, and wickedly presumes to settle the claims
of others according to his own caprice. This judge is
deserving of unqualified condemnation, yet Jesus does
not hesitate to stoop so far as to employ for illustration
his reckless assumption of sovereignty, that he may
by contrast present to view the mysterious unsearch
able reality of absolute disposal of all events by the
Great Euler of the universe.
This being the explanation of our Lord's use of the
example of an unjust judge, it is needful more particu
larly to mark the points of analogy in the case of this
judge. As, in civil affairs, the judge is the last resort
in the appeal for justice, so is God the final resort for
the supply of every want. In close connection with
this, but still more important for the end in view,
follows another point of analogy, obtained only by
taking for illustration the conduct of an unjust judge.
This judge, expressly by reason of his evil character,
assumes the prerogative of Deity, claiming by his own
sovereign will to dispose of the destinies of men. In

The fmportunate Widozv. 159
the manner in which he assumes this he misrepresents
the Deity. This judge would exercise a self-seeking
sovereignty in violation of justice; God exercises a
wise, holy, and beneficent sovereignty, upholding
justice, yet showing mercy. In result also they are
sufficiently like to serve the end of illustrative teach
ing, and sufficiently unlike to make clear the excellence
of Divine sovereignty. In both cases the answer of
the petition is by sovereign decree refused, inflicting
suffering on the suppliant ; but in the one case it is an
act of cruel injustice, in the other an act of fatherly
discipline, with aid of sustaining grace, accompanied by
opportunity for the repentance of the oppressor. At
length, in both cases, the petition is by sovereign
decree granted ; but in the one case it is an act of
tardy justice at the call of a languid, profligate self-
indulgence ; in the other, it is an act of justice lovingly
and joyfully granted, with evidence of personal gain
in the exercise of faith and patience during the delay,
and with accompanying result in the history of the ad
versary, either good or bad, according as he has valued
or despised the opportunities of repentance which
mercy has afforded. If, by the importunity of one
who pleads for right, an unjust judge be constrained
to decree tardy justice, how much more shall the Holy
God satisfy the just demands of those who trust in
Him, though He tarry long in His dealings with their
oppressors ? Thus saith the Lord (verse 8), "I tell you
that he will avenge them speedily."
This singular parable our Lord closes with a startling
question. "Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh,
shall he find faith on the earth ? " It is the Son of
man Himself who throws this question before our minds,

1 60 Encouragement to Perseverance in Asking.
leaving it unanswered, that we who expect His appear
ance may ponder it against His coming. It was needful
the Master should leave it unanswered, for the practical
good is dependent on our pondering it, with acknow
ledgment of uncertainty as to what the answer shall be.
Let us make sure of the real meaning of the question as
put. The reference to the coming of the Son of man
may be left in its double signification, the one more im
mediately connected with the departure of individual
believers, and the other, more prominent and glorious,
connected with the close of this world's history. He
who aims at gaining an answer to the question, wUl
not err by regarding the coming of the Son of man in
both of these relations. The main inquiry must be,
What is the Saviour's allusion in thus referring to
faith, as He points to His anticipations when He shaU
reappear ? What will He seek for, and rejoice in find
ing ? Will He find faith on the earth ? The nearest
and simplest answer is this : If He find a people on the
earth whom He can call His own, He wiU find faith,
for they are His by faith, and by that alone. Faith in
Himself as the Saviour of men He shall doubtless find.
Hence, we conclude, it is not to such simple faith His
question points. And if not to that, there seems but
one answer to the question. He has in the parable
sketched the rare faith He wishes to see in His people ;
such faith as He once found when He tested the Syro-
phoenician woman, and in admiration at the result
exclaimed, " 0 woman, great is thy faith !" Faith in
God's goodness while He continues to afflict ; faith in
His willingness to answer while He seems for a time to
refuse ; faith in His justice and in His love even while
prosperity is granted to those who injure us. WUl He

The fmporhmate Widow. 161
find such faith among His people ? This is a faith
most difficult to maintain, when sight is no help but
altogether a hindrance. To trust that when we pass
hence and come into the presence of God, He wUl save
us, is comparatively simple. Then we shall pass away
from all that assails us here, and be in the hands of
God Himself. But here we are in the midst of evil ;
our adversaries afflict us most grievously, so that we
cry out in our distress, yet no help comes. We must
believe that God is here, though we see no token of
His presence ; we must believe that He is ruling in the
midst of these things, whUe evil is prevailing ; we must
beUeve that He is attending to our prayer, though there
is no token that He hears, but temptation even to fear
that He has cast us off. There is no servant of God
who does not find such faith extremely difficult of
attainment. David experienced this difficulty. He
tells us of his own faUure in the attempt to exercise
such faith. " As for me, my feet were almost gone ;
my steps had weUnigh slipped. For I was envious at
the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me,
untU I went into the sanctuary of God ; then under
stood I their end" (Ps. lxxiii 2, 3, 16, 17). The diffi
culty with David has been a sore difficulty for all who
have cried for deliverance from the wicked. To walk
by faith and not by sight is hard ; but it is still more
trying to walk by faith when all the evidence of sight
is directly against it. Our Lord, contemplating the
possible attainments of His people, asks if He will' find
such faith in the world when He appears. At His coming
He shaU search for this ; will He find it ? His work
at that coming shaU indeed be one of judgment and
L

1 62 Encouragement to Perseverance in Asking.
heart-searching. In prosecuting His search for spiritual
excellence, He shall seek for a faith which is stronger
than sight, a faith which has been steadfast, while
blessings were refused and trials multiplied. He will
search, not with the view of making any discovery on
His own part, but for the purpose of discovering the
reality to ourselves, and pronouncing special approba
tion on them who have excelled. And here it is to be
noticed that our prayers will be the test of our faith. The
whole force of the Saviour's question is experienced here,
fastening attention on the great lesson of the parable.
To whatever wrong we are subjected, He would have
us " always to pray and not to faint." And with the
utterance of this desire, He gives warning that at His
coming the history of our prayers will discover the
measure of our faith. This is a thought of high prac
tical importance to all who account it their honour to
be His disciples, and to gain His favour. It is a
thought which admits of wide illustration. It is essen
tially connected with "praise, and honour, and glory
at the appearing of Jesus Christ." At His coming He
shall pronounce a blessing higher than that uttered
upon those who excel the doubting Thomas, " Blessed
are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
A greater blessing shall then be given to those who in
patience have waited under sore wrongs, and have not
ceased calmly and joyfully to trust. " These are they
which came out of great tribulation."

CHAPTEE XI.
THE SERVICE OF THE KING.
THE TWO SONS.
Matthew xxi. 28-32.
In this parable we enter upon a new department of
instruction. Attention has been turned, first to the
outflowing of Divine mercy for the salvation of the
lost; and, next, to the privileges of the kingdom.
Now, advancing a step further, we are taught how the
penitent, after being brought into the favour %f God,
begins to render a wUling service, finding in this a
further privUege.
There is wonderful proof of the love of God to our
race in the first breaking of this thought upon us : that
we, who are unworthy, and whose doings are all so
tarnished with evil, can render service to God, who
has performed so great a work for us as to deliver us
from destruction. We can do Him a service, and He
stoops to ask it of us ; but it is only after penitence has
brought us to the footstool, and our Father has given
us His welcome as penitents, that we can understand
the blessedness and honour of being asked to serve Him.
When a man makes this discovery, he is quite past the
dark and troubled place where the prodigal son, sitting

1 64 The Service of the King.
in wretchedness of heart, wondered if his father would
receive him and let him be even a hired servant. All
the surroundings are changed when God, as a reconciled
Father, speaks as one who asks a service at our hands.
This is the point reached now in our study of our Lord's
parabolic teaching. By the avenues of grace we are
advancing into the sphere of service. Beyond the
house with its scenes of rejoicing, is the vineyard with
its scenes of labour. We have the windings of the way
which have brought us to the vineyard gate. First, we
have seen a place of humiliation and penitence ; next,
there has come full in view a place of pardon and peace ;
in close proximity with that, a place of fellowship with
God, where we may have free approach to Him with
our petitions ; and now we are on the confines of the
vineyard, where work is to be done.
The true aspects of this work are now to appear,
introducing the dark side as weU as the bright side of
human conduct in reference to it. God, who has been
the wonderful benefactor, comes now as if wUling to be
benefited. He to whom all supplication has been
offered, comes to us as if He would be a suppliant, ask
ing a favour of His own children. The paraboUc view
of this truth is simple and impressive.
Verse 28. — "A certain man had two sons; and he
came to the first, and said, Son, go work to-day in my
vineyard." A certain man had a vineyard. It is under
this guise that our God appears to us. He is as the
holder of a vineyard, who is dependent on help for
securing increase. This allusion to a vineyard is in
striking harmony with the figurative teaching of revela
tion. This form of similitude abounds in the sacred
pages. The Psalmist, addressing God in the interest

The Two Sons. 165
of His people, speaks of the kingdom of God thus :
" The vineyard which thy right hand hath planted."
(Ps. lxxx. 15.) Very specially does the aUusion here
call to mind that exquisitely beautiful parable in the
fifth chapter of Isaiah, beginning, " My beloved hath a
vineyard on a very fruitful hiU," and closing with the
explanation, " The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the
house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant
plant." In the course of the Saviour's own teaching,
we cannot forget the reference in the fifteenth chapter
of John's Gospel, " I am the vine, and ye are the
branches." It is, then, in harmony with favourite
imagery of Scripture, when God is here represented
as the owner of a vineyard.
The particular aspect in which God here comes into
view is not that which discovers His wealth in the
possession of the vineyard, but, if we may say it, that
which implies dependence upon others for help in its
cultivation in order to secure the vintage. The vine
yard needs to be irrigated ; the soU must be loosened
about the roots of the vines; weeds must be struck
down on their first appearance ; over-luxuriant shoots
of the vines must be pruned. Using this simUitude,
God comes condescendingly with Ulustration of the
fact that He asks service from His people.
That God cannot be in any way dependent on us is
a truth to be kept in view in this connection. Our
regard to this fact may be appropriately quickened by
the impressive utterance of Scripture : "If I were
hungry, I would not tell thee : for the world is mine,
and the fulness thereof" (Ps. 1. 12). Besides, if God
could be enriched by any means, it could not be by any
effort of ours, since from Him we have received aU w$

1 66 The Service of the King.
have. Even did we render to Him a perfect service,
we should be constrained to say, " We are unprofitable
servants : we have done that which was our duty to
do." Even at the best, our God could in reality be no
gainer by our service.
And yet God, possessor of all, in the plans of His
grace concerning us, not only comes to pardon us and
to listen to our cry, but to address to us His own
request for help. He has so ordered the affairs of His
kingdom, that, as a vineyard, it depends upon the
service of labourers in the midst of it, in order that it
may yield fruit which shall be to His joy and glory.
In accordance with this need, there is established a
form of voluntary dependence upon His people. God
asks of them service, that, when "the harvest is
past and the summer is ended," the wine-presses may
be full.
This owner of the vineyard, who needed help for its
tending, had two sons. As these two sons are intro
duced to view within the home of a certain man who
had a vineyard, we are arrested by another proof of the
unity of the parabolic teaching of Scripture. Are not
these two the younger and elder of the parable of the
Prodigal, — the Penitent, and the Alienated ? Are they
not still the same as the two suppliants in the parable
of the Pharisee and Publican? As we proceed, we shall
find ample warrant for an affirmative answer. The
consideration which is here before us once more, in
restricting the number to two, is, that in very many
points of view affecting our relation to God it is seen
that men are reaUy embraced in only two distinct
groups. There is a close connection between the
several views of our relations to God presented in the

The Two Sons. 167
parables where the persons appearing are only two in
number. For it is to be observed that while the
parable now before, us has express reference to service,
there were also important references to service in the
parable of the Prodigal Son. The younger son not
only bewails that he has transgressed, but underneath
his thoughts of return, there is a desire to serve ; while
the elder son claims approval as if he had all along
been serving his father. In a light very similar, there
is here a twofold failure as to service, presenting the
dark part of the picture, which fiUs in the background.
The owner of the vineyard asks his two sons for help
in its cultivation. With a father's authority, he says,
" Go work to-day in my vineyard." This use of
authority in desiring the service is befitting in a father.
By its introduction, the parable more adequately
represents the position of the Deity, who only in con
descension, and in His desire to bless us, comes to ask
service at our hands. Well does it befit Him, coming
in such a way, to use words of command, and say,
" Go work to-day in my vineyard."
Much additional effect is here given to the instruction
as to our part in serving God, by introducing an explicit
reference to time. To-day! The demand is for im
mediate service, and that throughout a definite time
of short duration. The time of service is now, as the
caU reaches us ; the sphere is " God's vineyard," near
by our own home. God asks our service all the day
long. The work to be done needs instant and constant
attention. If we cherish filial love, we shall joyfully
respond, and shall not grieve though that response
involve much self-denial. How natural it is, besides,
that our Father in heaven, with whom a thousand

1 68 The Service of the King.
years are as one day, should describe our present
opportunity as a day of service. If we bear the
burden and heat of this short day, a gracious Father
places in prospect, at the setting of the sun, a reward,
glorious and satisfying, which shall spread through the
long course of an Eternal Day.
The poor beginning made by both sons on that day
when their father's demand for service came upon
them, must first have attention. Verses 29, 30. — .
" He answered and said, I will not ; but afterward he
repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said
likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir; and went
not." The result of the father's demand for service is
sadly disappointing in the case of both of his sons.
The one said, " I will not;" the other, " I go, sir; and
went not." The record is shortly and sharply put,
giving full effect in the reader's mind to the complete
ness of the refusal. This is the Saviour's view of the
manner in which men treat God's call for service.
There is little wonder that in contemplating it, He
should ask men themselves to , judge of it in light of
what is due to a father. "What think ye" of this?
When a father looks to his own sons for help in culti
vating his vineyard, he receives a direct refusal from
the first ; and though the other makes a promise of
help, that promise is not kept. In the account of the
disobedience of these two, there lies before us a repre
sentation of the conduct of our whole race in disobeying
God's demand for service. The first prominent point of
the parable is discovered here. When God calls to
men for service, there is universal disobedience to the
call. There are indeed two distinct aspects of this
disobedience, but only two. The one is open and

The Two Sons. 169
defiant. The other is not without some evidence of a
disposition to obey; and a promise of obedience is
actually made, but the promise is not kept. A general
view of human service, painted in colours so dark, is
apt at first to be staggering to us. All the more is this
so on account of our being constantly prone to excuse
ourselves for shortcoming, in consideration of our
meaning to do well. Yet there is no ground for doubt
ing the accuracy of the colouring. Nor does there
seem to be any hope that a longer study of the picture
will soften down in our estimation its intended mean
ing. The most careful and renewed study will not
detect any modifying touches, at first unobserved on
account of the darkness of the general effect. There
is, indeed, candour in the very directness with which
the first refusal is given ; but candour is no credit in
evU-doing. There is in the case of the second a mani
fest wish to avoid blunt refusal, and even an inclina
tion to stand well with his father ; but this does not
lessen the blameworthiness of subsequent disobedience,
burdened as it is with the additional sin of unfaithful
ness to the promise. The substance of the teaching of
the parable at this point is, that all men fail in render
ing to God the service required of them. There is no
one amongst us who begins as he should. No doubt
there are great differences in the manner and extent of
disobedience; but the spirit which leads to disobedi
ence is the same in aU, and the manifold varieties can
be reduced to two classes. If there be any difficulty in
acknowledging the completeness of this twofold classi
fication, it must be connected with the attempt to
include, under the example of the second son, all who
are not openly rebeUious. And this difficulty would

1 70 The Service of the King.
be serious if we were shut up to interpret the parable
in such a manner as to regard the second son as
designedly hypocritical. If the story could not be
otherwise read than as conveying that the second son
deliberately intended to deceive his father, then would
it be impossible to take the twofold classification
here given as all-inclusive. But there is really no
warrant in the structure of the story for pronouncing
the second son hypocritical. Indeed, if the story be
pondered, it will appear that the statement of the case
of this second son is intentionally short and vague, so
as to leave the state of his mind undescribed. In this
way it is left in such form as quite successfully
to include the mere hypocritical promiser, who in his
heart does not mean to obey, and at the same time
those who honestly mean and wish to serve God, and
yet, under a variety of inducements, turn aside. If
due account be made of the restricted nature of the
description of the conduct of the second son, there can
be no difficulty in admitting that under it may be in
cluded all who are not openly defiant against God's
authority ; for , it will be seen that nothing more is
said than that he made the promise and did not keep
it. How the failure came about is not told. Such
reserve, practised intentionally in the structure of many
of the parables, is far more appropriate to the end in
view than a fuller narrative could have been. The son
made the promise, but in some way that promise was
left unfulfilled. How many cases are covered by such
a restricted statement ! An honest wish to serve, but
a mind pre-occupied with designs of its own, which
speedily regain the ascendency. A desire to please
God, but a pliable nature, easily swayed to please men

The Two Sons. 1 7 1
rather than God. A genuine assent to the voice of
rightful authority, but inertness of nature, slow in pass
ing from purpose to action. As we go on with the
enumeration, we can see that the classification may
indeed embrace all the cases of an honest intention to
serve, which is followed by failure in action. The
result in aU such cases is that God is not served ; the
work of the vineyard is not done ; all become trans
gressors. Though this is the sad account of the beginning —
for it must be owned that we all begin badly — this is
happily not the end. While universal disobedience is
the first result which God beholds, He is not left alto
gether without service on the earth. But that service
comes after disobedience, being in all cases a recoil
from it, brought about by the working of God's own
grace, in a manner already explained in the first group
of parables. And now, under the operations of that
grace, there are ever some repenting and turning back
upon the way, that they may at length enter upon a
wiUing service. Of these two sous, the first, who said
in reply to his father's command, " I will not," after
wards repented and went. Here we reach the second
prominent feature of the parable. We first see uni
versal disobedience among the children of men ; now we
discover that in the case of many there is at length
entrance on service by the gateway of repentance.
That this is the lesson meant to be taught at this
point, it seems impossible to doubt. It follows as a
necessary consequence from the first feature of the
parable. If disobedience be universal, obedience can
be only by turning again from the way of transgression.
The repentance which turns from sin and leads to

1 72 The Service of the King.
pardon, guides by the next step to the beginning of a life
of holy service. This is according to God's plan when
He shows favour to the guilty. He does not pardon
because He sets lightly on sin, or would excuse it. No
man can look at Calvary with the slightest appreciation
of the scene there witnessed and continue to think so.
God pardons in order that He may lead men back again
to holiness. This is the lesson before us. The picture
of this penitent son quietly entering the gate of the
vineyard to set about his father's service is, in the direct
line of personal history, the picture which meets the
eye as we turn the page from that which depicts the
joyous welcome of the penitent prodigal in the midst
of the father's household. That scene of rejoicing is
not by any means a closing or even a permanent scene
in family history. It is only the first scene in a new
course of life for the son whose return is gladly cele
brated. His new life is not to be one of never-ending
festivity, which would certainly become tame and tire
some. Its noblest feature is a return to filial obedience.
It is an entrance upon service which is thenceforward
to be continued unremittingly. The passing sight here
given us of this son entering by the vineyard gate, with
all the signs of preparation for work, is the parabolic
representation of an essential feature of Christian Ufe —
true service following on repentance. It is not thereby
implied that the work thereafter done is perfect of its
kind, but it is honestly and faithfully done ; and while
all its imperfections are observed and owned, there will
no more be abandonment of the task, but in its steady
continuance there will be acquirement of new experi
ence, by which a still better service shall yet be ren
dered to God.

The Two Sons. 173
As we look thankfully upon this son entering the
vineyard after the first hours of the day have fled, there
remains one ground for lamentation. This concerns the
other, whose state of mind at first seemed more pro
mising. His brother is not there before him. Answer
ing in a manner quite different from the answer given
by the first, he had said, " i" go, sir." But he went not.
All through the vineyard his brother may look for him
now, but he will not find him there. It is not that his
work has been done. It has never been begun. Here
stands before us the final lesson of the parable. The
defiant sinner is the first penitent. He is first within
the vineyard, bending his energies to the service of his
father. Those who do indeed feel a wish to serve God,
and who shrink from high-handed rebellion — those
who mean to obey God's voice, and are continually
promising to do so, yet are ever coming short, — are apt
to be slowest in coming to repentance. Eebellion is not
so manifest a thing in their case as in the life of those
who go openly into sin. Thus the disobedience which
is not so extreme is liable to be longer continued.
Eeluctance to take a place of penitence along with the
worst of transgressors deters many from humbly ac
knowledging that in aU things they have sinned and
come short of the glory of God.
Whether the second son did afterwards repent, we
are not told. In this, as in other points, there is inten
tional reserve. The same course is here followed as
was previously taken in the account given of the elder
brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son. The refer
ences in both parables are quite plainly to the same
type of character, only seen from different points of
view. The son not to be found in the vineyard when

1 74 The Service of the King.
his brother enters it in penitence, is one who has been
thinking well of himself, and contrasting his case
favourably with his brother's refusal. He has not been
so bad as the other in the form of his disobedience.
This he can say truthfully. But there is a snare in
this supposed superiority. And now it happens to him
that he must be blamed more than the other. Thus it
is that God, who condemns the life of publicans and
harlots much more than the life of scribes and Pharisees,
points, with all the solemnity of a warning, to the fact
that He is dispensing the blessings of salvation first to
those who have been the worst. While they are being
pardoned, those who have shown most wish to serve
Him are less earnest, or rather are wholly indisposed
to take their place before Him with humble confession,
and with sincere desire to have a share in the work to
be done in His vineyard. What their future shall be
depends upon themselves. God waits to be gracious ;
His service waits to be done ; and it is left with them
who know these things to determine what their lot
shall be under their Father's government. Those who
study the parabolic teaching of Scripture, must be
content to have this parable break off suddenly as it
does, and must await the future for the completing of
the record.

CHAPTEE XIL
SERVICE TO GOD IN SERVICE TO OUR NEIGHBOURS.
THE GOOD SAMARITAN.
Luke x. 25-37.
This parable presents a more advanced view of
Christian service than that given in the parable of
the Two Sons, to whom their father said, "Go work
to-day in my vineyard." In the latter the glimpse of
the actual service is very slight ; we have the history
only of its beginning. We see a son who had re
fused obedience repenting as the day advances, and
entering the vineyard to begin the work required of
him. In the parable now before us we are shown
how Christian service works for the good of mankind
generally. A scene on the highway illustrates the
truth that love is the fulfiling of the law — the love of
God flowing forth in love to man.
The picture is in itself an impressive one. A man,
stripped of his clothing and seriously injured, lies by
the wayside in a half-dying state. Those who have
robbed him and nearly murdered him have hurried
from the spot, giving themselves no concern though
the morning's sun should rise on a countenance stiff
175

176 Service to God in Service to Neighbours.
in death. Down the highway, beyond the panting
sufferer, two figures are dimly traced, the one consider
ably in advance of the other. Both of these men are
near enough the scene to indicate that they must have
passed since the robbery had been committed. In the
foreground is a man who, having alighted from his ass,
is kneeling by the prostrate figure, engrossed in the
attempt to revive the sufferer. This man illustrates
how love to God is shown on earth, and how His ser
vice is done.
Some consideration needs to be given to the circum
stances in which the picture was sketched. A teacher
of the law, whose duty it was to read and expound the
Scriptures in the hearing of the people, approached
Jesus with this question : " Master, what shall I do to
inherit eternal life ?" The question had often been
present to his mind, and by putting it now, he wished
to test this public Teacher, of whom the people said
that He spoke " with authority, and not as the scribes."
Jesus, knowing that by profession he was familiar with
the Scriptures, said, " What is written in the law ? how
readest thou?" Having the question thus turned upon
himself, the teacher of the law answered in the words
of Scripture : " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
strength, and with all thy mind ; and thy neighbour as
thyself." The answer had the approval of our Lord as
in every respect worthy of one whose duty it was to be
the instructor of others. Jesus therefore commended
it. " Thou hast answered right." But seeing that the
lawyer inclined to trust in doing, the Lord said, " Bo
this, and thou shalt live!' Life on such a standard is
life with God, and it is eternal life. A perfect love is

The Good Samaritan. 177
a perfect fellowship. The teacher of the law felt the
emphasis thus laid upon the actual doing of what is
here enjoined. When the doing of the law is made
the testing-point, the uneasiness of self-condemnation
springs up. The inquirer felt this, but sought to
shelter himself by requesting an exposition of the
passage in its last clause. "Who is my neighbour ?"
The directly personal application of the matter is
shown in the form of this query. How shall I be
taught and guided by this passage ? Who is neighbour
to me ? The picture sketched by the Master's hand is
the answer to this inquiry. Look upon that poor
sufferer, and upon this man who bends over him with
aU-absorbing compassion, and the answer lies before
your eye. "Who is my neighbour?" was. a question
apt to be made matter of casuistry. It offered a
variety of nice distinctions, on which cases of con
science might arise. The lawyer wishes therefore to
see how Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth, wUl disentangle
these perplexities. If He clear up one difficulty, a
multitude more can be raised.
But the Great Teacher takes an unexpected course,
which suddenly clears off the perplexities. The cases
of conscience are at once disposed of by an extreme
Ulustration including all cases of a more ordinary type.
The lawyer said, " Who is my neighbour ?" To him it
seemed that there must be some limitation. Perhaps
the limit might be found in their own countrymen.
Surely it could not take into account the Samaritans,
" for the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans."
At least, it could not go so far as to include the Gen
tiles, from whom they had been separated as by an
impassable wall. What a fniitful source of debate
M

1 78 Service to God in Service to Neighbours.
was here, sheltering all the casuistry of the lawyer!
But when Jesus speaks, all these distinctions between
Jew, Samaritan, and Gentile are put out of sight.
Verse 30. — "Jesus, answering, said, A certain man went
down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves,
which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him,
and departed, leaving him half dead" Here is a man
who needs help, as he lies by the wayside ready to
die. His wounds, his groans, his blanched face — all
plead for speedy assistance. As you look upon him,
the Divine word says, " Love thy neighbour as thyself."
Is he a neighbour ? Are you a neighbour to him ?
Has a suffering man a claim on his fellow-man stand
ing by him in his suffering? The whole question
is a matter of nearness, or neighbourhood. Can it be
anything more than this ? If it admit of discussion
whether the law of love requires you to help such a
man, it must somehow seem doubtful whether love
may not willingly see a man die in neglect without
stretching out the hand to save him. The suggestion
refutes itself. Love must help when help is needed.
The law is explicit. In substance it is this, Love
another as thyself, and neighbourhood or nearness is
that which determines who the object of regard should
be. Nor is it more doubtful how love works, than
who is to be its object. Love as thyself. Suppose
yourself in the place of the sufferer, and suppose him
the onlooker. Would you turn to him for help ? If
you had breath and strength, would you not ask aid
of him? And if so, your duty is clear as noonday.
This is what the Saviour teaches. A certain man is a
sufferer, whose condition calls for help. The absence
of other description than that which tells of the injury

The Good Samaritan. 1 79
he has sustained, and the danger to which he is now
exposed, is to be remarked. Whether he is Jew or
Gentile — whether he is rich or poor — yea, even whether
he is good or bad in moral character — are considera
tions kept out of view. He is a suffering man, and as
such his claim to help is unquestionable. The neigh
bour is the man who needs help, and finds you near
enough to give it. Thus beautifully the law of love
clears away perplexities. In its view social distinc
tions bring no exceptions. Before that Love which
serves God, as before the Saviour who brings us to the
love and service of God, "there is neither Jew nor
Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither
male nor female." Duty is the same everywhere,
knowing no respect of persons. This lawyer is like
Peter, desiring to have a definite limit put on the
application of this same law of love in the matter of
forgiveness of injuries. "How oft," said the apostle,
" shaU my brother sin against me, and I forgive him ?
tUl seven times?" How noble is the answer, how
satisfying to conscience, how beneficent in its practical
application ! " I say not unto thee, until seven times,
but untU seventy times seven." And so the answer
runs now. Thy neighbour is thy fellow-man, when
thou and he are near. The Saviour, who has a gospel
for " every creature," imposes a service which carries
the influence of love no less widely.
The meaning of the law being thus made clear, we
revert to the difficulty of keeping it. This is the real
perplexity. It is not hard for a man to settle who is
near to him, claiming aid in a time of trouble ; but it
is difficult to prove a neighbour indeed on all such
occasions. The beauty of the course of action enjoined

180 Service to God in Service to Neighbours.
is evident ; but it is a severe test of love between man
and man which is required in daily life. The world is
fuU of examples of the opposite. As we journey down
the highway of life there seems more of transgression
than of obedience. A picture of a part of this highway
is before us here.
There lies on the road between Jerusalem and
Jericho — long a favourite resort of banditti — a man
who has been stripped even of his raiment, seriously
wounded, and left half dead. Our Lord is illustrating
the application of the law of love ; and we see first the
bitter fruits of cruel selfishness. Such a murderous
career as these men lead is the furthest removed
from the service of God. Disregard of God is not only
disregard of man, but leads to most cruel maltreatment
of others for personal gain. The robbers are not to be
seen near ; but in their bleeding, panting victim there
is evidence of their doings. They have done their cruel
part ; they have wrenched by force some booty, includ
ing even the garments of this defenceless solitary
traveller ; and they have fled from the scene, as such
men must flee, for it is the penalty of evil-doing that
it is done in fear. These are "far off from God ;"
" citizens of the far country." Life with God and
service to Him are both embraced in the single word
"love:" the extreme opposite is before us here. "He
that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whoso
ever hateth his brother is a murderer ; and ye know
that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him."
The victim of their attack Ues helplessly where they
left him ; fortunately he lies on the highway, and
between Jerusalem and Jericho there are many going
and coming. As we look down the road so far as it is

The Good Samaritan. 1 8 1
presented to view, there are two figures visible,
travelling away from the spot. These two have passed
since the attack was made. We need some explanation
of their connection with the occurrence.
The first statement given concerns the one who is
farthest down the way. Verse 31. — "And by chance
there came doivn a certain priest that way ; and when he
saw him, he passed by on the other side!' The connection
between the two events is not M7eU conveyed in the
phrase " By chance." The word employed is the same
in structure as our word concurrently. By concurrence
of events, such as determines nearness to one who needs
help, making him the neighbour of the sufferer, a cer
tain priest, as he travels along, finds himself at the place
when the man's wounds are stUl fresh. There is here,
as elsewhere in the parable, avoidance of what marks
the individuality of the man. His profession only is
discovered. He is a priest, one of the sons of Aaron,
accustomed to minister at the altar of God, standing in
" the holy place " where incense is offered to the Most
High. By the order of his office he is trained to
reverence and love. How fortunate it seems that one
of his position should be the first to arrive ! And yet,
as the event proves, anything less favourable could
hardly have been. He passed by without even taking
time to ascertain the condition of the prostrate man.
This priest's thoughts may have been more or less ex
cusable. The main fact in the case is that love to God
was not so strong in his heart as it should have been ;
and love to man wanted that force which would have
made him instantly the helper of the man ready
to perish. It is not merely such men as are at the
extremes of antagonism to God's law who faU to

1 82 Service to God in Service to Neighbours.
keep it. This priest, brought into comparison with the
robbers who have done the wrong, is far removed from
them in character and life ; and yet he leaves the
man to die whom they in their" violence have nearly
murdered. This priest knows that the law of God
is love ; but it is not in his heart to keep that
law. Even the forms of religion, however regularly
performed, are not a security for the development of
love in the heart; they are not even a sure defence
against hardening of the heart. A man's heart may
wither even at the altar of God : he may minister in
the services of religion, yet fail in the ministry of life.
There is still another who in like manner has been
content to pass this perishing creature. Verse 32. —
"And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came
and looked on him, and passed by on the other side."
Why should there be in this parable two examples of
similar conduct ? Though the result is the same, the
actions are different. By concurrence of events, as in
the case of the priest, this man also has his faithfulness
to the service of God put to proof by the claims of the
sufferer. The result is not exactly as in the former
case. This is a subordinate officer of the temple, less
directly in contact with the more awful solemnities of
its service. He is in a position more analogous to that
of the teacher of the law who has raised the question
under consideration. The priest saw the man, and yet
deliberately held on his way ; but this Levite stopped
at the place, and took time to look at the man before
he passed by. Whether he was better than the priest,
since he at least stopped at the sight, cannot be deter
mined, as there is a manner of looking on the sufferings
of others which is in no respect better than passing

The Good Samaritan. 183
them by. But his conduct is certainly worse when,
having taken time to see the sad condition of the in
jured man, he cruelly turns aside, and gives himself no
concern lest he should perish, or at the least lie for
hours in anguish. If every passer-by act either as the
priest has done, or as the Levite now does, the man so
maltreated by banditti must die where he has fallen.
A scene of a very different kind comes now under
observation. Verses 33-35. — " But a certain Samaritan,
as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saiv him,
he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound
up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on
his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care
of him. And on the morrow, when he departed, he took out
two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him,
Take care of him: and whatsoever thou spendest more, when
I come again, I will repay thee!' A different rule of con
duct seems to sway the next traveller along that highway.
And who is he who acts so much more satisfactorily, re
presenting the life of true godliness? "A certain Samari
tan." His nationality is indicated, and not a word
more is uttered. A Samaritan ! The furthest removed
among the dwellers in Palestine from influence of the
temple service. He is beyond the circle of rites and
privUeges belonging to the Jewish Church ; and, in
common with his people, he is despised by the Jews.
But he believes in God ; he worships Him ; and, as the
result shows, he gives himself to the service of God with
devoutness of heart. Immediately when he beholds
the wounded man, he makes it his special business to
attend to him, and that with an overflowing benevo
lence. With a gentle hand he examines his wounds.
Carefully moving him to ascertain where he has been

1 84 Service to God in Service to Neighbours.
injured, he takes of his oil and wine to anoint these
wounds, and then binds them up. Having eased the
poor man's pain and revived him, this benefactor lifts
the bruised one on to his own ass. He thus carries him
to an inn, where, with appliances at command, he
ministers to him as a brother. On the morrow the
Samaritan must go in prosecution of his own business,
but before departing he gives to the host payment for
two days' longer attendance. He does not expect that
the host will do what he has done, taking on himself the
charge of the injured one. The Samaritan has brought
the sufferer to the inn, and he will not cast his self-
assumed burden on another : he himself will bear the
charge to be met in a place of public entertainment.
He even shows such completeness of sympathy and of
brotherly care, that he takes upon himself the charge
not only for the immediate wants of this man he has
found by the wayside, but even for demands which may
still arise before he can be able to depart. He under
takes to make up to the utmost for the injury which
cruel hands have inflicted.
Here, then, are three men, all of whom, by the same
concurrence of events, have been brought into the
neighbourhood of extreme suffering. Verse 36. —
" Which of these three, ihinkest thou, was neighbour unto
him that fell among the thieves?" The question is thus
put on the converse side. The lawyer asked, Who is
to be loved by me as a neighbour ? That the Saviour
has answered by saying, Every one who needs and
seeks your help. And now the Saviour in turn asks,
Who is he who loves as a neighbour ? Is not the true
neighbour to a sufferer the man who helps him in his
suffering ? Is it not he alone who performs the neigh-

The Good Samaritan. 185
hourly part? What sayest thou, as a doctor of the
law ? To that question the teacher of others could give
only one reply (verse 37) : "He that shewed mercy on
him." And with such reply, it was acknowledged that
his difficulty was solved. There only remained practical
use of the teaching for which the hearer must be re
sponsible, " Go thou and do likewise." This is the real
difficulty in the case ; and the intention of the Saviour
plainly was to press this difficulty on. the mind of his
questioner, leaving it with himself. The doctor of the
law seemed to fancy that life could be obtained by
rendering a perfect service. Now, however, that the
real demands of the law are discovered by the light
thrown upon them in this parable, he must feel self-
condemned. To love God with our whole soul, and
to love our neighbour as ourselves, are requirements
most obviously righteous. But who can endure their
test ? We come so far short, that we are constrained
to own that we have lost eternal life, if these are the
terms on which it is to be gained. To such service we
must, indeed, bend all our energies; however far short
we come, we must still strive to reach this attainment.
Pure love is the law of life in God's kingdom; it is the
law by which Christ's teaching tests all service. As a
law of obedience, it is a law of love ; and as a law of
social life, it is the same. Thus all Christian service
is reduced to these two aspects — service to God, and
service to man for God's sake ; the motive power lead
ing to performance is the same in both — supreme love
to God, carrying with it love to our fellow-men as to
ourselves. In this parable both of these aspects of
Christian service are presented to view, as the lawyer
had quoted the whole law. By this means a connection

1 86 Service to God in Service to Neighbours.
with the parable of the Two Sons is maintained, that
indicating what is due to the Father, this what is
due to our brethren. That parable gave prominence
to the failure of men in rendering service, except by the
way of repentance ; this brings failure and success into
contrast, leaving the way of escape from failure un
determined, and the way towards complete obedience
undiscovered. This is done intentionaUy, that the
lawyer, and all who think as he does, may deal with
the question, How then shall we be saved, and helped
to a perfect obedience ? To this question the Saviour
has an explicit answer. He is HimseU the answer —
" I came that ye might have life, and that ye might
have it more abundantly." He came that He might
lead us again to the Father's favour, establishing in
our heart that love by the power of which we shall
be enabled to serve Him more fully and more joyfully.
The necessity for this union to Him, in order to render
a true service to God, He has elsewhere presented in
metaphorical illustration, analogous to that of the
parable. He urges that without Him we can do
nothing ; and that true life must show itself in fruit-
fulness to God, and in love to one another. Under the
image of a vine, He represents Himself; while His
disciples are the branches (John xv. 1-12). To Him
we must be united, as the branches to the vine, that
from Him we may draw our life, and be capable of
rendering fruit to God. Thus living in Christ, we
must continually lift our hearts to God, even as the
branches spread themselves towards heaven, receiving
the light and warmth of the sun, and being refreshed
by the dews of the night, and by the showers which
water the earth.

Sibhsimt HI.
RELATIONS OF GOD'S KINGDOM TO THE PRESENT
STATE OF THE WORLD.

CHAPTEE XIII.
SOWING OF GOSPEL TRUTH FOR A WAKENING
OF SPIRITUAL LIFE.
THE SOWER.
Matt. xiii. 3-9.
With this parable we pass to the world-wide aspect
of the work of the Lord of the kingdom, all whose
subjects work under His guidance, according to .His
great plan for the world's regeneration. The unity of
design in this work is made apparent in parabolic
teaching, as weU as the various phases of work required
for accomplishment of the Divine purpose.
The need for sowing seed in order to reaping in
harvest time affords here the first form of illustration ;
after which, the leaven and hid treasure are selected as
illustrating the deeper results accomplished by the
extension of the Kingdom of Grace. 18T

1 88 Sowing of Gospel Truth.
Verse 3. — " Behold, a sower went forth to sow." Thus
the Son of God depicts His own appearance on earth to
change the face of our world into a fruitful field,
yielding plentifully the fruits of righteousness to His
Father's glory. "He that soweth the good seed is the
Son of man; the field is the world" (verse 37). There
is great gain in illustrative force by the appearance
here of a single sower rather than a multitude of
sowers far apart from each other over the world's
surface, acting under the direction of their Lord, The
Son of man Himself is the greater sower. It is thus
made impressively conspicuous that the ingathering of
fruits of righteousness is dependent upon the exercise
of Divine grace. He who conies to save the world —
He who comes as a lamb to take away the world's sin
— comes also as a sower, bringing with Him stores of
seed, preparing for a great harvest. This is the explana
tion of all that has since happened in the history of
the world, in the growth and ripening of the fruits of
righteousness under the sway of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Without this interposition of Divine grace, the field of
the world had lain waste, yielding only mixed results,
nowhere the golden grain of true righteousness. The
selfish life with rank growth would have spread out on
every side, yielding briars and thorns. The best life
of humanity would have proved feeble in the earth,
doing little to encroach on the reign of selfishness,
rather finding itself constantly encroached upon by
noxious weeds. The struggle after a better life would
still have been the struggle of the weak against the
strong. Testimony from the leaders of thought,
witnessing against self-seeking, and pleading for a
universal benevolence, would have proved little better

The Sower. 189
than an ineffective protest, — a dragging of the plough
share through the soil, without casting in fresh seed.
Jesus comes as one who has stores of seed, enough
for the requirements of the immense field over which it
is to be scattered. He Himself undertakes the work of
sowing, spreading the good seed on the right hand and
on the left as He moves over the fields. It is the very
work of His life, until the appointed time draws on for
yielding Himself a sacrifice in our stead. He dies,
leaves in His " finished work" the seed of gospel truth,
which may be scattered to the ends of the earth,
and when lodged in any heart, may be quickened into
life by the Spirit of God. He withdraws from earth,
and ascends to the throne of His glory in the heavens,
but the sowing, as it proceeds, is still His sowing
— carried on in His name, and with His blessing, by
those whom He has awakened to self-consecration after
His great example. If, in the midst of His suffering, we
say, Behold the Man of Sorrows ; in the midst of His toil
we say, Behold the Sower of the seed of righteousness.
The seed is " the word of the kingdom" — the truth
proclaimed by Jesus, the Prince of Peace, the Eevealer
of the Father. This is God's word to sinful men.1
In a sense aU truth is as seed, bearing fruit after its
kind. But the highest example of this is found in the
word of God, which, taking root in the heart, yields the
fruits of righteousness in the life of those who receive it.
Gospel truth has to do with the very sources of action
in the mind ; it cannot be received without having con
stant application to the life ; and its only fruit is the
fruit of righteousness. All this is clear from the nature
1 Very fitly, as showing the unity of gospel revelation, Jesus
himself is the word.

190 Sowing of Gospel Truth.
of the truth discovered by the Lord Jesus. It is a mes
sage of love and mercy from God ; a discovery of pardon
through the atoning death of the Son; an assurance of
newness of life by the work of the Spirit. The
word of the kingdom is thus the word of life, whose
quickening in the soul of man is the awakening there
of a life of righteousness, in the love of the Father and
of the Son. The Bible is to us the storehouse in which
the Lord has laid up the treasures of seed. As the
sowers in spring-tide bring their grain to the field, and
set it down there, to obtain fresh supply of corn as
they continue casting it abroad, so do the sowers of the
kingdom bring forth their supplies from the storehouse
of Scripture, and cast abroad the sure word of the
kingdom. Such truth as, that described the Son of God Him
self casts upon the minds of men. A God-like exercise !
The God of Truth brings to man the truth most precious.
The God of Salvation scatters among men that truth
which, when believed, proves the beginning of life
eternal. But such truth is as seed which, unless it be
lodged in the soil, remains dead — unless it go deep into
good soil, has its vitality wasted in a brief and fruitless
growth. Thus it is with seed, and not less so with
truth. Even the Son of God Himself, when He goes
forth as a preacher of righteousness, goes as the sower,
who loses some seed as it faUs from His hand, finding
by and by that much of that which was safely covered
has contributed nothing to the harvest. The Lord of
the universe is like to His creatures in this, that He
casts abroad much good seed which yields no return.
In this relation there comes out to view the main
practical lesson of this parable.

The Sower. 191
Verse 4. — " Some seeds fell by the way-side, and the
fowls came and devoured them up." The scene is fami
liar in every land. The birds of the air hover on the
path of the sower, ever ready to alight and pick up the
seed not fully covered. That which falls on the path
way is their sure portion. In vain are the harrows
dragged joltingly over the beaten track ; to no purpose
does the heavy roller lend its weight to crush the seed
into the ground — still it continues exposed, and the
fowls find an easy repast. This, the most unsatisfactory
result, is that which is soonest seen. For the best
results there needs to be the longest waiting. In this
case the seed is scarce fallen from the hand until it is
lost to the sower. It is even so with the truth com
municated to men. But why should the sower thus
lose his seed ? Why should he cast any part of it on
the pathway through which the opening ploughshare
has not passed? It is not for the sake of feeding
the hungry fowls which may eat of something less
valuable. He casts away his seed with so free a hand
only because of his wish that no part of the tilled land
may want its share. And thus it is God acts in cast
ing abroad the seeds of truth. His dispensation of the
word of the kingdom is with unstinted hand, as appears
from the case of those who have often received it without
profiting. It is done in love and mercy to all. That
the prepared souls may have no lack, there is much toil
spent and much seed lost in communication of truth to
them who understand it not. This is after the manner
of God, and it is repeated at every sowing- time. The
truth is by Him ever scattered wide of the prepared soil,
well knowing that the spirit of evil has many emissaries
hovering around, ready to snatch away the truth, though

192 Sowing of Gospel Truth.
they do not appropriate it. For while the sower of
corn may with some large-heartedness console himself
for the loss of his grain by the thought that he is at
least feeding the fowls, God casts abroad His truth
in vain, knowing that the emissaries of evil, in snatch
ing it away, only seek its destruction. Jesus, as the
Sower of truth, goes His way mourning the loss, and in
sadness of spirit says with Himself, in hearing of His
fellow-workers, " If I had not come and spoken unto
them, they had not had sin ; but now they have no
cloak for their sin." But how comes it that there are
any whose minds are so closed against the truth that
they understand it not, even when they hear it uttered ?
Part even of the corn-field may with good reason be
given up for a footpath ; but why should the hearts of
any of the children of men be hardened as a beaten
track? Where a pathway now is, the soil was once
soft as that around ; but now, having been long trodden
by the foot, long untouched by the ploughshare, it has
become hardened, causing the seed to roll as on a
surface of stone. There is such hardening in personal
history for minds long famiUarised with the passing
and repassing of evil thoughts, and long unacquainted
with the penetrating power of conviction, which, like a
ploughshare, pierces the soul, become hardened, not even
understanding when they hear the words of eternal life.
Yet even here there is hope. The present disap
pointment of the sower may not always continue. The
pathway is not stone, but trodden soil, which, if it be
only torn up by the ploughshare, may yet receive the
seed, and yield a harvest.
Verses 5, 6. — " Some fell upon stony places, where they
had not much earth; and forthwith they sprung up, because

The Sower. 193
they had no deepness of earth : and when the sun was
up, they were scorched; and, because they had no root,
they withered away." The loss in this case is longer
in being discovered, because of a false promise, satis
fying the eye for a time, before failure becomes visible.
Experience of this is common to every husbandman,
and no less common is it with those who communicate
to others the Divine message. All seed covered by the
soU does not grow to maturity, so all truth, even when
understood, does not lead to practical results. It finds
entrance into the mind ; but more than this is needful
in order that it may yield spiritual result. Though
the truth effects a lodgment, there may not be much
depth of interest in it ; if beneath the open soil there
is great hardness of heart. At times this condition of
things is laid bare, as when a cutting through the
soil discovers its meagre depth, with hard rock under
neath, there being but a turf and little more, the
rock stretching for many feet downwards. This is
the divinely-chosen iUustration of a class of hearers
described with much minuteness. Their mental con
dition is indicated by antithesis : pliableness of sur
face, with great hardness underneath ; wUlingness to
receive, but aversion to have the depths of the nature
laid open to the influences of the truth ; clearness
of intellect, with hardness of heart. The successive
stages of experience to one in this condition are carefully
discriminated. The seeds fell into a thin surface soil,
" and forthwith they sprung up, because they had not
much deepness of earth." Quickness of growth is a
first characteristic in the case, for there is emphasis on
the forthwith. It is not the strongest growth which
pushes fastest above the surface. The early appearance
N

194 Sowing of Gospel Truth.
of growth is the reverse of satisfactory. Because of the
impossibility of striking root downwards, the lffe has
been forced quickly up, to an exposure for which it was
UI prepared. There is in like manner a superficial readi
ness to receive the truth, and that with joy ; delighting
in its beauty, in the Divine compassion it discovers,
and in the blessing it promises. Such appreciation
of the truth, and delight in it, appear to give great
promise; but the promise is deceitful. The interest
fails for want of depth. The man has understanding,
and joy too; but he has "no root in himself." The
truth has not struck downwards into the mind, so as
to gain fuU possession of it. Even a tree is easUy laid
low whose roots are spread only along the surface of a
sandy soil. The seeds cast into the ground are here all
represented on the field, but only as by withered straws,
from which no harvest shall come. With little depth of
soil from which to draw moisture, they are scorched by
the sun, and wither away. If a man have not root in
himself — if his mental state offer an effectual obstacle
to the practical application of the truth, — we may be
assured that weakness will appear when the strength
of inner life is tried. When growth of the truth
requires practice of self-denial, with endurance of re
proach and suffering, he cannot submit to such things.
He will surrender truth itself, rather than become, even
in a small way, a martyr for its sake. Here also is lost
seed, more disappointing than the former, because
of the better promise. Yet is not even such a case
utterly hopeless in prospect of another seed-time. The
result must indeed be the same if the rock beneath
continue as before; but there is a word of Scripture
which asks these pertinent questions : " Is not my

The Sower. 195
word like a fire ? saith the Lord ; and like a hammer
that breaketh the rock in pieces ?"
There is stiU another form in which failure appears,
when the see!d has been cast into the soil. Verse 7.
— " Some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up,
and choked tliem!' Wheat and thorns cannot both
prosper. What holds true in the field, holds also in
mental life. The soU can give only a limited measure
of nourishment. When several plants draw of the
nourishment sufficient only for one, all must be weakly ;
or one gaining the mastery, the others must die. The
stronger growth wiU choke the weakly. The roots
striking deepest into the ground will draw the most
moisture. The growth raising its head highest will
overshadow all below, and obtain for itself most of the
light and warmth of the sun. Weeds grow rankest.
Thorns grow more quickly than corn, and as they
grow apace, they crowd and close in upon the corn,
and then choke it. So it is with a mind where Divine
truth has not room to grow. Disturbing cares multiply,
as business absorbs thought; present difficulties, and
hazards which the future may bring, add more to their
power, untU the mind's strength and interest are so
absorbed, that reUgious Ufe has not room to flourish.
Or the state of matters may be such as prosperity
occasions, and then riches engage the mind with deceit
ful promise of satisfaction, so alluring the mind that
spiritual attractions seem feeble and unsatisfying. The
heart is deceived, and the growth of the seed of the
Word is stopped, choked by a stronger growth feed
ing on the same soU. For in mind, as in nature, it
is true that weeds grow quickest ; the evil flourishes
rather than the good; fair promise is unfulfilled,

196 Sowing of Gospel Truth.
because an evil growth has come more quickly to
maturity. Verse 8. — " Other fell into good ground, and brought
forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some
thirtyfold!' This is the true harvest, and is the result
longest of being reached. The failures come first,
the successes last. What distinguishes good ground
we learn from the negative aspects already passed in
review. It is broken up, not trodden down ; it is deep,
well-tiUed soil, not soft surface-earth, with the flinty
rock a few inches below ; it is ground well cleared of
weeds, not pre-occupied with thorns. The soul which
offers good ground for the word of the kingdom is a
mind in which the understanding is active, the heart is
open to the sway of the truth, and cares and pleasures
are kept subject to the requirements of religious life.
When the word of the kingdom is received into such
a soul, that word, like good seed, has sure and steady
growth until the time of harvest. There is depth of
soil to draw upon. Weeds there are even here, for
the best soil is not altogether clear of them, but
there are no weeds so rank as to choke the growth.
Upon such souls the sunshine and the rains of heaven
descend freely, and the harvest is sure. But while the
seed is the same in all cases, and the favouring in
fluences from above the same in value, the results are
such as to show considerable diversity, — some an
hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. If we
ask how this can be, the answer is already given by
implication. Growth is according to depth. The more
nearly the truth approaches toward a full possession of
the soul, the more nearly does it come to the yielding
of an hundredfold. The great Husbandman desires the

The Sower.

197

largest return. Thus said the Saviour, — "Herein is
my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit." Yet
whatever the measure, the Father shall be glorified in
the increase. The "fruit shall be unto holiness, and
the end everlasting life." Those who produce fruit
thereby produce seed for new sowing. It is thus, and
only thus, that men become sowers with Christ. In
this way all become sowers who receive the truth
indeed. Thus is it apparent that the whole growth
of the fruits of righteousness is the result of the inter
position of Divine grace. Such grace it is which provides
the seed, casts it into the soU, and nourishes it in its
growth, until the fulness of harvest is brought in amid
great rejoicings.
"Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." There are
here solemn lessons for gospel hearers, and for all who
possess God's word. They have need to take heed how
they hear, that their hearing be not with mere under
standing and joy, but also with heart-searching and
faithful appUcation. And here are precious lessons for
all sowers. They must not be discouraged though
much seed be lost. It is ever so where the work of
sowing goes on. But in order that sowing may not be
in vain, the faUow ground must be ploughed up ; the
hammer of the Spirit must break the flinty rock ; the
thorns of selfishness, care, and evil desire must be
uprooted ; the good seed, " the word of the kingdom,"
must be cast into the soil, with prayer to the Lord of
the harvest for favouring sunshine, that the fruits of
holiness may be ripened. These things are all pro
vided because of the gracious purpose of our God
concerning this world. He works for the perpetuation
and extension of righteousness on the earth. He is

198 Sowing of Gospel Truth.
continually extending the area over which the life of
righteousness is made to flourish, thus continuaUy
encroaching on the region where the growth of evU is
favoured. Whether, therefore, we contemplate God's
purpose, or the task He has assigned to His people as
feUow-workers with Him, we must recognise that all
progress is by sowing " the word of the kingdom," —
making known the truth concerning mercy and grace
provided through Jesus.

CHAPTEE XIV.
PROPAGATION OF A GODLESS LIFE IN THE WORLD.
THE TARES.
Matt. xiii. 24-30.
There are two sowers. The Son of God now throws
Ught into the darkness of night, and upon the evil done
in the midst of it. A sower is thus discovered who
" cometh not to the Ught," — one skulking to deeds of
evU while men slumber. He is the Evil One, whose
sowing is evil, seeking a harvest of eviL There is an
Adversary of righteousness in the world. Though in
visible to us, inteUigence and deliberate purpose are at
work for encouragement of the growth of wickedness.
There is an intimate relation between this parable
and that of the Sower. The opening words of this
seem to be the commencement of the former parable in
a sUghtly varied form, a recommencement for further
explanation. Verse 24. — " The kingdom of heaven is
likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field."
The sowing of the good seed is still the first and
most prominent fact ; without this, the Enemy would
have wanted occasion for the exercise of his malignity.
On the other hand, this parable is needful in order that
199

200 Propagation of a Godless Life in the World.
the parable of the sower may be completed. After the
sower has sown his good seed, the full measure of un
favourable result is not told by mention of the fact
that only some of the seed yields a harvest. We
need explanation of the additional fact that there is
seed he did not sow, which is springing up, and yielding
a harvest after its own kind. The parable before
us is introduced as the sad but necessary supplement
to the other. In comparing the two parables, for dis
covery of the continuity of teaching involved, we observe
a change in the structure of the second parable. In the
former the seed represents the Word of God, the truth
of the Gospel ; in this, where a comparison between
good seed and evil is introduced, " the good seed are the
children of the kingdom," and " the tares are the chil
dren of the wicked one." The identity of thought is
easily seen. The transition from the truth received to
the person who receives it, and who moulds his life
under its guiding power, is natural. The seed — the
germinal principle, out of which the whole result
springs — is, in the one case, the truth of God ; in the
other, falsehood, or an evil principle of life, which repels
from God. The seed is thus contrasted as the true and
the false, the good and the evil becoming operative
within the moral nature of men. According to the
character of the seed received and vitalised within, so is
the man who receives it as to the principle of his life.
Practically, the unity of teaching is secured. The sole
difference in the two cases is this, that in the one case
we speak of the germ, in the other of the plant in its
developed state, with root, stalk, and fruit-laden head.
As in the first parable, the Great Teacher makes the
" seed " apply to the truth ; and, as in the second, He

The Tares. 201
makes " seed " apply to the persons, both views are
taken, thereby making parabolic teaching more com
plete. We now, then, take the seed as representing the
results, using it as applying to individuals, — living seed,
germinating in individual life. There are good men
and evU in the world — children of God and children of
the Wicked One ; and we are to consider how the evil
life is propagated as well as the life of holiness, — how
the kingdom of wickedness encroaches on the kingdom
of righteousness, in retaliation for the encroachment
which God is ever making on the dominion of evil.
Verses 24, 25. — " The kingdom of heaven is likened unto
a man which sowed good seed in his field ; but while men
slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat,
and went his vjay." The field is the world (verse 38).
Here is the kingdom over which God rules ; but the
world is a divided kingdom, for there is an enemy
within it who has sway over many willing subjects.
The presence of this adversary (Diabolos) is now to
engage attention. He is the enemy of Jesus, the Son
of God, the. Saviour of the world; the cherisher of
enmity to Him whose work it is to renew the life of
righteousness on the earth. Enmity is the motive
force urging him to take the position of Adversary.
This Enemy not only refuses personal subjection ; he
scatters evil seed over the world, like thistle-down
floating on the autumn breeze. This he does in wilful
wickedness. It is not so much that he wishes to sow
and gather a harvest from ground not his own, as that
he wishes to injure the growth of the wheat, and lessen
the value of the harvest to be reaped by the owner of
the field. He comes designing mischief against the
Lord of the kingdom, and as each one must who has

202 Propagation of a Godless Life in the World.
evil intent, he comes stealthily. He is evil in heart,
and defiant on that account ; but he is timid withal,
and would conceal himself if he could. Cowardice
dwells in the heart of even the strongest evU-doer.
As the sowing of evil seed is what a man would not
allow on his field, if he were aware of the purpose to do
it, the due form of the parable is maintained by repre
senting the time when the mischief was done as the time
when "men slept." The story thus naturally har
monises with the ways of men; and, at the same
time, by appropriate analogy, represents the deeds of
the Wicked One as works of darkness, yet done under
sufferance of God. If an adversary covets the shelter
of the night, there is nothing surprising in the circum
stance that he is not discovered either by owner or ser
vants. The natural time for sleeping gives a safe time
for mischief-working to those whose evil nature is strong
enough to rouse them by night, that they may gain
the opportunity they desire. The night-watchman has
his lonely round in the great city, in acknowledgment
of risk of ill-doing while men slumber. But natural
as all this is according to the life of men, we need
interpretation of it in relation to the Lord of the king
dom, for " he slumbereth not, nor sleepeth." So far as
He is concerned, nothing can be done secretly. And,
on the other hand, so far as the life of men can be per
verted by evil counsel, this cannot be effected while
men slumber. What, then, is conveyed by this intro
duction of sleeping-time as the season when the evil is
done ? Something, obviously, in reference to the feel
ings and designs of the Enemy ; and something also as
to the Lord, who has already sown the good seed.
These two references lie in this marked introduction of

The Tares. 203
intentional secrecy as to the sowing of evil seed. We see,
first, how this sowing is thought of by the Adversary
while he is engaged in it. He does it as if he were
successful in concealing his agency in the matter. This
fancied secrecy, leading to a fancied security, strengthens
him in his evU course. He accomplishes his purpose
and goes his way, as if he had never been there. With
the devil success is the test of power. When at length
the sun breaks over the scene, aU is peaceful, as if the
echoes of the night had not been awakened by the foot
steps of any wanderer. The mantle of the night has
covered the plot.- It wUl take many days until the
results discover what has been so secretly done. The
Adversary thinks weU of his evil work. The deceiver is
self- deceived. The Lord of the field looks forth on the
scene ; He slumbers not ; the darkness and the light
are aUke unto Him, and He marks what is done, not
needing to wait later discovery. Yet there is no hin
drance, — no utterance of wrath, — no infliction of ven
geance. He sits stiU in quietness, not even calUng His
servants to interfere. Instead of sending them out to
prevent this grievous mischief being done, He lets
them take their rest. Here is instruction as to the
moral government of God. The facts are familiar;
their meaning needs pondering. Liberty of action
is granted to the Adversary. Men are exposed to
the influence of evil whUe occupied in the regulation
of their life, and may even be reckoned among the
children of the Wicked One. Their double liberty
— liberty of influencing, and Uberty of opening the
mind to influence — is granted, even to the subversion
of God's gracious purpose ; because he who exerts the
influence, and they who yield themselves up to it, are

204 Propagation of a Godless Life in the World.
equally moral beings, for whom there must be such
liberty. This is the answer to the question, Why does
Jesus permit the sowing of the tares ? It is part of
the wider question: Why does God permit moral
evil ? The Son of Man casts the good seed into hearts
ready to receive it. They who do so with wUling
mind, themselves become sowers of this seed under
His guidance. But, in contrast, freedom of action is
allowed for sowing evil seed ; and they who receive the
evil into their hearts, in turn become sowers of evil.
An active agency for propagation of evil thus exists
in the world under sufferance of the Lord Himself.
This dark side of the truth was for a moment dis
covered even in the previous parable. There were
thorns in the field, which were suffered to grow, and
even to choke the growth of good seed. As weeds
grow in the ground, occasioning to the husbandman
continual struggle with them in his preparation for
harvest ; so moral evil works in the universe, opposing
the Lord as He provides for the fruits of righteousness
to His own glory. The moral significance of this will
appear before the parable is brought to a close.
Having considered the conduct of the sower of the evil
seed, attention must next be directed to the seed itself,
as a representation of the children of the Wicked One, —
those whose life is a life of ungodliness. Tares are sown
amongst the wheat. There is very general agreement
as to our Lord's reference when speaking of " tares."
The word does not apply to the tares or vetches, often
sown by our farmers along with oats, as fodder for their
horses. There could be no propriety in such a refer
ence. The word rendered " tares" applies to a poisonous
weed, a species of wild grass, usually known by the

The Tares. 205
name of "darnel," and not uufrequently described in
common language as bastard wheat. In view of the
moral purpose of the parable, this last designation most
aptly describes the thing selected. This bastard wheat
is so like to wheat in the earlier stages of its growth,
that it is difficult to distinguish between the two. At a
later stage, the difference is so great that a child sees
it at once. And this bastard wheat is really a poisonous
herb, needing to be carefully separated from the wheat
before it is put to use. The fitness of the analogy in
all these points is obvious.
The mischief done is incalculable when this bastard
wheat is scattered over a field already sown with
good seed. It is indeed impossible at once to detect
the mischief, though a time of discovery comes at
length, but only when it is hopeless to guard against
the mischief, or to prevent the progress of the
poisonous growth. The Enemy sowed the tares among
the wheat, and went his way. Verse 26. — "But when
the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then
appeared the tares also." This description is exactly
suitable to the darnel, so similar in appearance to the
wheat, that it is only when the head appears that the
complete difference between them is apparent. When,
however, the blade brings forth fruit there is no risk
of mistake. The analogy here is important. The Lord
Himself observes the sowing ; He easily recognises
the distinction in the growth from the bursting of
the germ. But His servants, as they are without the
earlier knowledge, are also without the later. In
watching the promise of early life, we know not what
may be the result. The good and the evil may be
wonderfully alike in youth ; only when character is

206 Propagation of a Godless Life in the World.
formed in more mature life, are we able to say of it,
that it is in its very nature either the one or the other.
The only certainty granted us, in the first instance, is
that of sowing. There is no power of discriminating the
type of life to be unfolded. In so far as we are workers
in the matter, if we sow good seed, and watch its growth,
we may have assurance as to the result. " Train up a
chUd in the way he should go, and when he is old he
will not depart from it." But if we are only observers
of those not directly under our influence, we are left
in uncertainty for a season. Until the blade spring
up, and bring forth fruit, we can have no certainty.
The result must declare.
The time surely comes, however, for discovery of
the mischief. The ear is formed, and then it becomes
clear that disaster has befallen the crop. There is not
merely here and there a stalk of bastard wheat, which
might have been accounted for by the condition of the
ground ; but all over the field the darnel is growing to
an extent which can be explained only on the sup
position that it has been regularly sown. Either the
seed has been bad, or wilful mischief has been done.
What shall be said of this ? The servants are in per
plexity. Verse 27. — "So the servants of the householder
came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good
seed in thy field ? from whence then hath it tares ? He
saith unto them, An enemy hath done this." The
servants are in doubt ; their master is sure. He knows
the quality of his seed, and the state of his ground;
and to his mind there is only one possible answer,
even though his servants should think it hardly pro
bable that any one could deliberately go over the
whole field to scatter evil seed amongst the good. The

The Tares. 207
perplexity and the certainty are as readily found in the
spiritual world as in the natural. The power of evil
in the world must occasion great perplexity to the
disciples of Jesus Christ. How is the evil there ? and
how does it grow so plentifully ? The disciples raise the
questions as these servants did, and feel disturbed, as
the servants were. The disciples cannot answer the ques
tions. Naturally, they turn to their Master for explana
tion ; but even thus they do not altogether escape their
disturbed feeUng. Their Master could not have done
it. He is good, and would not sow evil seed. And is He
not sovereign ? How, then, did He suffer it? The state
ment of the parable is : Verse 28. — An enemy hath done
this. The answer is good and complete for the natural
world. It is good, but incomplete, for the spiritual
world ; and He who teaches by this parable leaves it
incomplete, as all teaching on the subject is left. The
mystery remains. In the management of our fields
there is no marvel in the case. The owner of the field
must retire to his house, and take rest in sleep ; even
when awake and watchful, he cannot always prevent
the doing of the mischief, if an enemy watches for an
opportunity of inflicting it. But the Lord of the spiritual
kingdom can prevent it, at least by destruction of the
Adversary. Yet He does not destroy. Thus mystery
hangs over the question, Why is the Enemy suffered to
do this thing ? Our Lord is, however, quite explicit in
replying to the question, How is evil so quickly, so
quietly, and so widely extended? "An enemy hath done
this." This answer occasions concern. There are, indeed,
multitudes of men sufficiently at enmity with God to
use their influence for the increase of evil in the world.
The very same difficulty lies in this familiar fact.

208 Propagation of a Godless Life in the World.
But there is some additional perplexity in the exist
ence of an unseen Enemy, — an Adversary of our race,
an Enemy of God, as he is the enemy of righteous
ness. The parable expressly deals with this acknow
ledged difficulty. No new difficulty is discovered
when we say that such an Adversary is never recognised
by us. This belongs to the very nature of the case as
stated. It is difficult to obtain direct evidence of the
presence of a skulking foe. But the question of his"
agency is raised by observed facts. How is the darnel
in the field? How is evil in the world? Making
even the most liberal allowance for the natural
wickedness of the heart, do we not find a power foT
evil not to be accounted for by the evil purpose of
men? Is this not the very thing we wish to have
explained ? If so, when we are told that the facts to
which we point are explained by the working of an
invisible foe, it is of no account to reply that neither
we nor our fellow- men have seen such an Adversary.
If we had, we should not have needed to ask the
question, nor seek its answer. We may object to
invisibility, but such objection carries no force of
reason with it. When shot is flying, it is of no
account to say that no riflemen are within sight.
When we are told that an unseen Adversary walks
the world, it is enough that we are pointed for evi
dence of his agency to the effects of his working. The
only objection open is objection to the inference drawn
from recognised facts. Our Lord tells us of the exist
ence of an enemy, and we have evidence painfully
abundant of the evil work he does on the earth.
In this grievous state of things, the servants of God
are concerned as to what should be done to subvert the

The Tares. 209
design of the great Adversary. This concern finds ex
pression in the parable. " The servants said unto him,
Wilt thou then that ice go and gather them up ? But he
said, Nay ; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up
also the wheat with them." Evidence of genuine devo
tion to their master's service appears in this readiness
to do the first thing occurring to their minds as proper
to be done. The devotion of these servants has had
its counterpart in the Christian Church. But the ser
vants need guidance of their master, who restrains their
eagerness, and shows the risk of acting on their first
impulse. The evil is effectually done, and the only
course now is to abide the harvest. The significance
of this as applied to the kingdom of God in our world
is far-reaching, and deeply solemnising. On the part
of those who have committed themselves to a life-
service for God, there is a strong desire to root out the
evil from the kingdom. "Uprooting" is the term
most adequately expressing the work they long to see
accompUshed. They would destroy evil everywhere,
even if it were by destruction of the wicked. This in-
discriminating desire to destroy evil is most character
istic of an early stage in discipleship. The apostles
gave some evidence of subjection to it. But in the
service of their Lord they had to learn to temper their
ardour. It is a leading feature of the Gospel that it
destroys this uprooting disposition, and trains to
patience, supported by faith, in face of abounding evil.
That there must be separation between the evil and the
good, the Lord allows. But the time for that separa
tion is not yet ; it does not belong to us to effect it.
To foster the life of righteousness is our present work.
By and by separation will come, and then it shall be
0

210 Propagation of a Godless Life in the World.
complete and final ; but for the present the good and
the evil must grow together. Wisdom and love are
displayed in our Lord's determination. In the midst
of that field, where the tares and the wheat are growing
hopelessly intermingled, there is unseen a fountain of
mercy, welling up from the depths, and quietly sending
forth its waters for the nourishment of the weakest Ufe
there. There is, what the parable can only hint at, —
cannot formally include, — some possibility that what
appears to be darnel may yet prove to be good wheat.
What is impossible under laws of nature is possible
under laws of grace. Even if those deUghting in evU
draw encouragement from Divine forbearance, growing
stronger in their iniquity, there are tender plants which
are being nourished, in prospect of a richer harvest at
last. The servants of the Lord must share the spirit of
their Master. Christian zeal, if it burn as a flame,
must not be a consuming fire. A hand quick to pluck
may do grievous harm, while the hand diUgent in the
work of cultivation may promote unexpected growth of
righteousness. The significance of the owner's words as applicable
to God's kingdom now demands attention. The deter
mination as to both growing together is only temporary
forbearance for the sake of increase of righteousness.
A striking contrast is thus introduced. The Enemy
sows tares in order to destroy the wheat : the Owner
spares the tares in order to increase his harvest. There
is deeper truth underneath, which is only indirectly
hinted at, for no parable is sufficient to convey the
whole truth. We must wait for a later parable — that
of the Leaven — before the spreading power of the life of
righteousness can be clearly introduced. Meanwhile,

The Tares. 2 1 1
guided by the present line of illustration, we are led to
contemplate from afar final separation of the evil from
the good. The provision for this really begins here,
for sowing of good seed into hearts ready to receive
it, is effectual separation of them from others, as sowing
evil seed separates by its development in the life.
The seed determines the nature of the harvest ; tares
must yield according to their kind. The Gospel is a
spnitual test by which separation is begun. But there
comes into view, far in advance, complete separation,
such as takes place at the harvest, when the tares are
separated from the wheat. The reason for separation
lies in the difference of the two. It is because they do
so completely differ now, that they shaU be separated
at last. The word now is, " Let both grow together ; "
but it is only " until the harvest!' For the owner of
the field adds : " And in the time of harvest I will say
to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind
them in bundles to bum them : but gather the wheat into
my bam." This foreshadows the great future awaiting
our race. It is, indeed, presented under cover of
analogy, but analogy employed on account of the
accuracy of its teaching. And it is to be remembered
that wherein the analogy differs from the reality, it
differs by conveying so much less than the reality, not
at aU by transcending it. Lest, however, there should
be uncertainty attaching to the use of analogy, Jesus
Himself interprets in words which leave no room for
doubt : "The harvest is the end of the world ; the
reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are
gathered and burned in the fire ; so shall it be in the
end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth
his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom

212 Propagation of a Godless Life in the World.
all things that offend, and them which do iniquity,
and shall cast them into a furnace of fire : there shall
be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the
righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their
Father." The completeness of separation at the time
of harvest is explicitly declared. All things that offend,
and them which do iniquity, shall be gathered out of
the kingdom. The poisonous shall be parted from the
wholesome. The sovereignty which suffers the growth
of an evil life, and that with designs of mercy, travels
onwards to a time of judgment. Separation is inevit
able, on account of the holiness of the kingdom, and
the evil nature of them which do iniquity. The whole
dread reality cannot be told. Figurative language flows
over from the parable into its interpretation. The
"fire" of the parable is a "furnace" in its interpre
tation. We can reach but a faint conception of the
reality of Divine condemnation. Of the dark side of
destiny, as of its converse, distinguished by exceeding
brightness, we must say, " Eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to
conceive." We leave the parabolic, coming here in view
of personal responsibility in man and absolute purity in
God. God's holiness is here manifested. His own people
have indeed suffered by growing up in companionship
with the evil ; but they have also gained. If the marks of
the trying ordeal are upon them at the end, there are also
the proofs of greater strength gained in the struggle for
existence. Hampered here, they shall be set in a large
place hereafter. The Saviour's words now break away
from the restraints of analogy. " The righteous shall
shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father."
The golden grain gathered in the heavenly kingdom

The Tares. 213
shall shine as a sun in the firmament. And again we
must say, God's holiness is manifested. Personal re-
sponsibUity is brought to light ; they who have refused
the Gospel, and have preferred to do evil, are condemned
according to that which they have done. Not in hard
defiance, but in overwhelming woe, do they meet the
issue. There is " wailing and gnashing of teeth." The
Enemy himself, the sower of the tares, does not here
come into view, though his condemnation, his utter
defeat, is clearly involved. He sowed the tares seeking
to destroy the wheat, yet the wheat harvest is gathered.
The terrible contrast remains ; the furnace into which
the tares are cast is that " prepared for the devil and his
.angels." In the storehouse of the husbandman there
must be separation, and when that is complete, there
remains only the burning of the poisonous darnel. The
significance lying in this analogy may be most surely
reached by keeping before the mind the contrast be
tween wheat and darnel. The one is to be preserved
as the treasure of the husbandman ; the other is to be
separated from the wheat with scrupulous care, and
cast out as not only useless but injurious. The harvest
of poison is appointed unto the fire of judgment, — a
judgment which shaU be conspicuously the condemna
tion of " the devil and his angels."

CHAPTEE XV.
THE BENEFICENT INFLUENCE OF GOD'S KINGDOM
IN THIS WORLD.
THE MUSTARD SEED.
Matt. xiii. 31, 32.
In this parable the Great Teacher shifts the point
of view from which to contemplate the spiritual king
dom. A completely distinct aspect of God's kingdom
is thus presented. Under the similitude of a true and
a false wheat, we have been shown first how men
grow up in the favour of God, yielding fruit to His
glory ; and next, how wicked men grow up, introduc
ing confusion into the kingdom, and yielding an evil
fruit, which God must separate from the good. In
their relation to God's kingdom, men have been dis
tinguished into two classes, subjects and aliens. The
individuality of the members of the kingdom thus
received prominence, for they are as thoroughly dis
tinguishable as separate stalks of wheat waving in the
breeze. In the parable before us, the unity of the kingdom
becomes conspicuous, the individuality of its members
subordinate. The figure is changed accordingly.
Verse 31. — "The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain
214

The Mustard Seed. 2 1 5
of mustard- seed, which a man took and sowed in his field:
which indeed is the least of all seeds; but when it is groum,,
it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree." The
kingdom is a tree ; its subjects are as birds sheltering
under its shadow. As it grows and spreads out its
branches, it is shown that it has been planted by God
for the spiritual good of men. The kingdom here
appears as an organic whole, a source of blessing for all
who come under its shade. Taking the illustration at
its earUest stages, we must have regard not only to
the "grain of mustard-seed" but also to the presence
and action of " the man who took it, and sowed it in his
field." That the agent in sowing this grain of seed is
the Son of Man admits of no doubt. The Saviour is
not here represented by the tree ; for then would His
disciples be the branches, as in the fifteenth chapter of
John's Gospel. He is the man who sowed the seed in
his field. Our Lord having thus a distinct place in the
parable, we are precluded from thinking of the tree as
a symbol for Christ Himself, and afterwards for His
people collectively, as His representatives on the earth.
Further, we are prevented from seeing here any
allusion to the lowUness of the Saviour's birth, or the
feebleness of His infancy, understood by some to be
implied in the image of the little seed. The incon
gruity of the description, verse 32, — "the least of all
seeds" — as attributed to the Divine Eedeemer, is so
glaring as to warn us against such methods of interpre
tation. The kingdom is here represented as something
to which men come, and in coming to which they
receive shelter and comfort. At first sight this might
seem to point to the Church, as the outward manifes
tation of the kingdom, — a view which might have been

2 1 6 fnfluende of God's Kingdom in this World.
accepted had the branches of the tree represented the
members of the Church. But when the members are
not the branches, but are sheltered among the branches,
something distinct from the Church seems intended.
Both in this parable and in that of the Leaven, the
reference is clearly to the truth of the kingdom, as in the
parable of the Sower the seed is the word of the king
dom. This parable is concerned with the outward ex
hibition of the truth ; the Leaven, with the inward and
hidden application of it. The kingdom of heaven is a
kingdom of truth ; this truth is displayed to the world
in outward manifestation, and also applied to the souls
of men as an unseen influence. We have accordmgly
two parables, the one representing the visible, the other
the hidden operation of the truth revealed in Jesus.
The truth of the Gospel — the truth as to the pardoning
mercy and renewing grace provided in Jesus — was as
a very little seed, planted in the earth by the Messiah,
and that so quietly that the act hardly attracted the
attention of the world. The significance of the act
was not understood even by those who observed it.
To the future was intrusted the discovery of the im
portance for the world of this Uttle seed. It was
destined to spring up and attain a great stature,
spreading itself forth on every side, attracting atten
tion all around.
That the mustard-tree was selected in preference to
the olive, or the sycamore, or the cedar, or the fig, or
the vine, merely by accident, or because it was seen
growing near, no one will imagine who has minutely
studied the teaching of the Lord Jesus. In His
discourses careful selection of details is so obvious,
and the end to be served by the selection is so plain,

The Mustard Seed. 2 1 7
that we are deterred from glancing superficially at any
distinctive term. Jesus has selected a tree whose seed
is small, as compared with the height it attains — a
fruit-bearing tree, and a tree whose fruit is remarkable
for its pungency. These features are not affected by dis
putes as to whether the plant intended is the common
mustard plant, or the mustard-tree, known by the name
of khardal {Salvadora persica), as Dr. Eoyle has main
tained. The dispute concerns only the matter of
height, and not the properties of the tree — the differ
ence between seven feet and twenty-five ; and on the
ground of height alone we prefer Dr. Eoyle's view.
But the properties are the same in either case. The
mustard-seed was proverbial for its smallness ; and in
this fact was found one of the required elements of
analogy. But in its fruit there is, no doubt, some
thing additionally important for the pupose of illustra
tion. It is not the cedar which is chosen, for the Lord
seeks a tree which will yield fruit, and not merely
timber ; He takes a tree whose main use is found in its
continued growth, and not in its being cut down and
divided asunder. The vine is not selected, for that has
been otherwise appropriated, that the branches may
represent believers yielding the fruits of righteousness
unto God, whereas this is taken to indicate the yielding
of fruit for the use of man. If, then, we' are correct in
understanding the tree to represent Gospel truth, we find
clear analogical teaching. AU truth is fitly represented
as a tree — a germ planted in the world, showing its
vitaUty by shooting up and spreading forth its branches.
The truth made known in Jesus, constituting a king-
dom of God on earth, is properly represented as a tree
providing shelter and yielding fruit.

2 1 8 Lnfluence of God's Kingdom in this World.
We must, however, dwell on the special features
of the mustard-tree having illustrative value. First
and most prominent among these, is the smallness of
the seed in proportion to the greatness of the tree.
The mustard- seed is spoken of as " the least of all
seeds." This is not meant as an absolute statement,
but is introduced as a proverbial one. " Small as a
mustard-seed" was a current expression among the
people to indicate anything insignificant. The Saviour
accepts this as representing the seed of truth He
was then planting in the earth. In doing so, He
does no more than indicate what most of the people
thought of the revelation He had made. To many of
them it was insignificant indeed. To some it appeared
as no seed, but a mere dried and withered husk ; some
thing of so little worth, that if once put in the ground,
it should be buried for ever and no more remembered.
But He who brings it, and leaves it in the earth, says
it is indeed small, but it is a seed ; it has vitaUty, and
needs no more than to be left in order to live and grow
apace. Few gave heed to the sowing of this seed, and
few of those who did had much prospect of its growth.
But the Lord Himself had no misgiving. That which
finds only a hiding-place in Palestine will spring up,
and shoot forth on every side, until it occasion world
wide interest. This is the confidence of the Great
Teacher who proclaims the truth, which finds small
acceptance. He is like the man who has hid a mustard-
seed in his garden, and has set a mark at the spot
He is content to wait, and when the first feeble signs
of growth appear, he knows well to what extent that
plant will yet expand. The reality is greater than the
analogy. The God of creation draws from nature

The Mustard Seed. 2 1 9
illustration of His procedure in the kingdom of grace.
But to understand aright such illustrations as are
employed in this way, we must rise from man's part
in tilling the field to God's part in ruling the world.
The man who sows mustard-seed in his garden must
acknowledge uncertainty as to its growth. Many adverse
influences may obstruct it. But it is otherwise under
Divine procedure. The God who gives the seed pro
vides the sunshine and the rain to nourish its growth.
And so the God who gives gospel truth supplies the
Spirit's quickening power to make that truth extend its
range of influence aU over the world. Men may cut
down the tree to its very roots, but it will sprout again,
and grow strong as before. Men may despise this truth
hid in the midst of the earth — they may in their heart
disUke it — they may scorn those who receive it, and
attempt to banish the truth from the earth by persecu
tion. All these forms of opposition have been tried ;
but aU with little effect. Scorn has not withered it —
the weapons raised against it have not prevailed. He
who planted the seed has looked down from heaven's
height, beholding the attempts to injure the tree of
His planting. He Himself has provided the sunshine
and the moisture by which it has been nourished. That
which is false may grow quickly as thorns do, yet soon
disappear ; while that which is true may grow slowly,
yet be of sure continuance. Error begins to wither at
the top ; its development proves its destruction. Truth
has strength to sustain the most extended growth,
becoming stronger and firmer in its roots the higher
its branches rise, and the wider they spread.
If, then, the growth of the tree be certain, we have
next to consider the outspreading of the branches.

220 fnfluence of God's Kingdom in this World.
Expanding growth means extended shelter for men
throughout the world. "When it is grown, it is the
greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds
of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof." This
history of growth is in accordance with the natural
development of the mustard-seed. The plant becomes
great, even the greatest among herbs. This growth is
simple organic development, such as belongs to every
shrub or tree. It is the unfolding of the plant towards
maturity. So it is with the living power of gospel
truth, shooting upwards and spreading outwards, widen
ing its influence over the nations. Its unfolding is its
outspreading amongst the tribes of men. From its
native soil it springs, advancing till it spreads out its
branches on all sides, reaching forth towards aU GentUe
nations, while men of all climes gather under its shade.
The growth here meant is thus plainly the extended
discovery of the truth, accompanied by extended expe
rience of its comforts. These two go together, and are
essential to each other. There is an outstretching of
gospel truth, and an ingathering of men under its
shelter. As birds find a retreat among the branches,
so do men find that the truth of God provides under its
cover a soothing rest. This is of the very essence of
the parable, showing how certainly growth of Christ's
kingdom must involve at once a wider revelation of the
truth, and a wider acceptance of it. Each believer reaps
the benefit of his faith by reposing under the assurance
of Divine mercy and grace discovered in Jesus.
But the significance of the parable is not exhausted,
when we refer to the refuge for men provided in the
kingdom of God. The branches and leaves of any tree
may suffice to symbolise shelter. Our Lord, however,

The Mustard Seed. 2 2 1
selected a tree which yielded fruit of a very distinct
kind, and of which many of the birds of the air were
particularly fond. So strong was their liking for its
fruit that numbers made this tree their favourite retreat,
being attracted thither not merely by its pleasant shade,
but also by its seed. This was, indeed, their chief
attraction. The pungent and stimulating power of
the seed was so relished as to induce them to prefer
it to other kinds of fruit within their reach. Here
a wider analogy comes into view. A fruit which, in
its influence on the body, is pungent to taste, stimu
lating to vital energy, and healing in sickness, well
represents the spiritual effects of the word of the
kingdom. The truth of the Gospel is capable of pro
ducing varied effects on the mind which receives it.
There is in it that which condemns, and yet, while
condemning, quickens the whole activity of the mind,
and exercises a healing power within the moral nature.
God's word to man is in its first phase a word of con
demnation, having such pungency as readily to occasion
disrelish. Dealing with men as transgressors, who, on
account of the disordered state of their nature, persist
in their evU course, it denounces unsparingly all moral
eviL Its first influence, — what we may describe as the
tasting of the word, — is disturbing in its pungency. If
it carry a blessing, it begins by causing uneasiness.
This form of disturbance, which in its outward aspect
had been represented by the sweeping of the house
in the parable of The Lost Piece of Money, is here
presented in its deeper aspect as a personal and inward
experience. But, in advance of its condemning influ
ence, the word of the kingdom also stirs spiritual
energy, and awakens new hope. It is the great stimu-

222 Influence of God's Kingdom in this World.
lating influence for spiritual Ufe. Divinely revealed
truth as to abounding mercy, present grace, and future
glory, animates the whole spiritual nature, rousing it to
the higher activity of which it is capable. Thus by
combining sternest condemnation with loftiest encour
agement, it exercises at once a healing and a quickening
power. The truth of the Gospel, growing and spreading as a
tree in the world, is as the mustard-seed in its influence
upon the spirit of man. God's condemnation of all sin
is so stern in itself, and so powerful in its influence,
that when the soul is thrown open to its penetrating
force, tears of penitence flow freely from the eyes, and
a fountain of strange sorrow is opened. Yet, painfully
searching as this is, the soul once moved by it, so far
from being repelled, is attracted, finding a new stimu
lating power in the truth which so pierces at its entrance.
The mind is roused to spiritual exercise previously un
known. The more clearly its own condemnation is
recognised, the more fuUy does the mind rest in saving
grace, and cherish ardour of devotion to the Saviour,
whose troubling of the soul introduces peace. Here
one paradox of God's kingdom is explained — how
trouble and peace dwell together — how grief of soul
gives strength, and fits for joyful service. And here,
too, we see the crowning result, in the fulness of praise
ascribed to God by the members of His kingdom in
every land. The birds of heaven not only nestle in the
branches of the tree, and pick freely of its seed, but
warble their sweetest songs under its shade. So men,
rejoicing together in the gospel of love, burst forth in
praises to the God of Heaven, who has discovered Him
self as the God of Salvation. They are blessed who

The Mustard Seed. 223
enjoy the shelter, taste of the fruit, and join in the
praises of the kingdom of God. Doubly blessed are
they who promote the growth of the sheltering
branches of this tree of life, that others may share
its shelter, and that the praises of God may be more
widely extended, in anticipation of the expected day of
universal praise.

CHAPTER XVI.
THE ASSIMILATING POWER OF GOSPEL TRUTH.
THE LEAVEN.
Matt. xiii. 33.
In the parable of the Mustard- Seed we have the out
spreading of the kingdom of God as a tree sheltering
men and yielding valuable fruit. In this parable the
kingdom of God is represented as silently and secretly
extending in the world. This discovers an inward
influence, gradually bringing men to perfection other
wise unattainable. In both parables the kingdom is
a kingdom of truth. In the one, it is an outward
revelation, manifesting Divine love to all men ; in the
other, an inward power, touching, subduing, and ele
vating the souls receiving it.
The two parables are companions ; but companions
by contrast, and for the sake of contrast. The parable
of the Leaven, so far from being a slightly varied
repetition of that which preceded it, is essentially
different. Embraced in a single verse, its brevity may
at first tempt the reader to regard it as slight and
simple ; but study of it will satisfy the searcher of the
Scriptures that it needs more than usual carefulness in

The Leaven. 225
exposition. In it there is little of narrative, but the
absence of this is more a source of difficulty than a
means of simpUfication. Verse 33. — " The kingdom of
heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid
in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."
The fundamental thought is clear. It is this : Gospel
truth in its influence upon the hearts of men is like
the working of leaven which ultimately pervades the
mass. There is much to be unfolded, however, before
we can reach a definite conception of the whole king
dom of God on earth, as described by means of this
figure. The kingdom of our Lord is a kingdom of
truth. It is not by an exercise of authority that God
subdues us to Himself;1 nor is it by a mystic influ
ence, without use of means ; it is by the instrument
ality of truth, which first gains admission to the soul,
and then permeates it.
We have, then, to consider the influence of truth
as it resembles the working of leaven, and afterwards
the spiritual dominion obtained through means of the
truth as it may be Ukened to the ultimate dominion of
leaven in a mass of flour.
Leaven is the famiUar agent for production of light,
palatable bread. Microscopic investigation has quite
recently shown that the leavening process results from
the rapid growth of a plant, propagating cells in the
midst of surrounding material brought into a favourable
condition. It involves a species of fermentation, which
makes the dough porous, exposing it more readily to
the action of fire. Leaven was originally obtained
1 As Luther, in his own strong way, has said : "I can drag no
man to the gospel by the hair of his head ; I cannot drive any man
to heaven. It must be faith which gives God the glory."
P

226 The Assimilating Power of Gospel Truth.
by the decaying process in dough itself, now more
commonly it is taken in the form of yeast generated
in brewing. Leaven is thus an agency obtained in the
process of decay, which nevertheless contributes towards
preservation of the mass pervaded by it. Out of the
evil comes forth good. By use of that which is offensive,
there is obtained that which is most palatable.
Eeference to the nature of leaven sufficiently ex
plains the circumstance that earlier Scriptural usage
represents it as an evil agency ; the advantage gained in
the preparation of bread by use of leaven sufficiently
explains how, in later Scriptural usage, leaven becomes
an agency for good. Acting in the midst of decay, it
will accelerate it. Introduced amongst good flour,
which has been moistened and brought to a favourable
temperature, it will originate a species of vital action,
which, when taken at the proper moment, wUl pro
duce wholesome bread, if the mass be worked up and
subjected to the action of fire. The natural action
of leaven is evil, tending to corruption. The second
and applied action is good, producing the finest of
bread. There is thus in leaven singular fitness for
being employed as a type of the mysterious blending
of evU and good in human life, and the power of self-
propagation belonging to both.
In turning to the symbolic teaching of Scripture, it
is at once apparent that the symboUsm is twofold, in
harmony with this double action of leaven. First,
leaven is used to represent evil. This occurs in con
nection with the rescue of the Israelites from Egyptian
bondage, the type of escape from evil. At the institu
tion of the Passover — an ordinance commemorative of
special deliverance granted to the people of God — it

o

The Leaven. 227
was required that they should put away all leaven, and
eat only unleavened bread. " Seven days shall there
be no leaven found in your houses" (Exod. xii. 19).
As symboUc of the moral corruption which is offensive
to God, it was to be cast out. Old Testament Scripture,
warning against evil, takes leaven as the symbol of
its influence. In harmony with this, leaven was
generaUy excluded from the offerings presented to
Jehovah. There is, however, a notable exception,
introducing the other side of symboUc usage. As the
Passover represented dehverance from Egypt, the Feast
of First-Fruits represented introduction into Palestine.
Passing into the land of promise, there is transition
from the symboUsm of evU in leaven to the symboUsm
of good in the same. In the time of harvest, a sheaf
of the first-fruits was presented as a wave-offering
before God; and at the close of fifty days after the
gathering of the first sheaf a new meat-offering was
presented, consisting of two loaves of fine flour baked
vrith leaven. " Ye shaU bring out of your habitations
two wave-loaves of two tenth-deals : they shall be
of fine flour; they shaU be baken with leaven; they
are the first-fruits unto the Lord" (Lev. xxiii. 17).
Leaven, producing the finest bread, is thus offered to
the Lord in thanksgiving.
Passing from the Old Testament to the New, the
same double usage appears. Our Lord bade His dis
ciples beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is
hypocrisy, an evil acting quickly in a corrupt nature ;
and when the disciples misunderstood His meaning, He
told them He spoke not of the leaven of bread, but of
the leaven of doctrine. So also in Paul's First Epistle
to the Corinthians (v. 6-8), leaven is used as the

228 The Assimilating Power of Gospel Truth.
symbol of evU : " Purge out therefore the old leaven,
that ye may be a new lump." This is a continuance of
Old Testament symbolism ; while the descriptive term
" old leaven " is acknowledgment of the introduction of
a new leaven. If there is a leaven of malice and
wickedness, there is also a leaven of love and righteous
ness. When, therefore, among the parables we come
upon one which likens the kingdom of God to leaven
as something good, there is nothing perplexing ; there
is only a recognition of the double action of leaven
in conformity with Old Testament usage. In the one
case, we have the putting away of leaven, that the
heart may not be corrupted ; in the other, we have the
reception of leaven, that the heart may be invigorated.
In the latter case, the soul leavened by righteousness
is presented in thankfulness to God, in analogy with
Old Testament practice, which made the leavened
bread a thank-offering for Divine goodness.
The symbol of leaven implies more than diffusive
power. Diffusion through the flour is as characteristic
of water where no leaven is used, as of leaven itself.
Both moisture and some degree of heat are needful
in order that leaven may permeate the mass. Leaven
hid amongst dry flour wiU not act upon it. The flour
must be brought into a suitable condition by moisture,
in order that the energy of leaven may manifest itseU.
Thus it appears that more is involved "in the action of
leaven than diffusion through the mass. There is an
expansive power at work, altering the character of the
material on which it operates. It must therefore be
taken into account that the leaven of gospel truth
has a marked adaptation to the moral nature of man.
The Word of God has energy which will act upon the

The Leaven. 229
whole nature, if only that nature be not as the dry
flour, but be brought into a state of intelligent interest
suitable for the free action of the truth. Spiritual
susceptibility is, however, needful in order to experi
ence the assimilating power of practical truth. There
is a law of application for truth, in neglect of which the
presence even of gospel truth in the world is altogether
unavaUing to man. Hence the call to hear, — to take
heed how we hear. And hence also the frequent
allusion to the outpouring of God's Spirit as water
upon the dry and thksty land. In connection with
the leaven, there is need for both the water and the
warmth, that the latent energy may become operative.
There is power in the word, but there must be intel
ligent appreciation, and the influence of God's Spirit,
in order that the energy may become efficient.
The Word of God is hid in the souls of men who
receive it, as leaven is hid in meal.1 It is hidden;
and like the leaven, its action depends upon certain
conditions favouring its influence. As the leaven gives
no sign of its power except by being placed within meal
moistened and brought up to a certain temperature,
so is it with gospel truth, which is powerful only when
received and appUed in a heart warm with spiritual
interest, under the quickening of the Holy Spirit.
When gospel truth is thus lodged in the soul, it at
once becomes practically operative, and thenceforth con
tinues, after the manner of the leaven, to exert a trans
forming influence. As leaven changes the character of
the bread, expanding its substance, and preparing it for
the action of fire, so spUitual truth, beginning to operate
1 Liseo is surely wrong in making concealment the prominent
feature of both the mustard-seed and the leaven.

230 The Assimilating Power of Gospel Truth.
in the soul, changes its character, expanding the heart
by awakening new and lofty desires, laying open the
whole soul to the favouring influences of the Holy
Spirit. In aU this the analogy is strikingly exact.
Truth permeates and changes the soul as leaven does
the dough in which it is placed. But, in order to
this, truth must be intelligently received, must be
treasured by the receptive power belonging to mind,
and must be applied in regulation of the motive forces,
so as to form the character anew, thereby bringing the
heart completely under its sway. Thus only can the
soul become a kingdom of truth — a kingdom which is
righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Having considered the action of truth on the mind,
we must observe the instrumentality employed to bring
about the desired result. " The kingdom of heaven is
like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three mea
sures of meal." This plainly points to human agency,
" took and hid " being a double phrase, indicating the
bringing of the leaven, and the covering of it up within
the meal. Does all this belong only to the circum
stances connected with the use of leaven, or is it meant
to carry parabolic significance? The woman is intro
duced in accordance with the customs of domestic life,
the three measures of meal being mentioned as a
quantity commonly used for a household. The woman
is sufficiently conspicuous here, though not so pro
minent as in the parable of the ten pieces of silver.
There the woman is introduced first, as are the shepherd
and the father in the other two parables of the fifteenth
chapter of Luke's Gospel. " What woman having ten
pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a
candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till

The Leaven. 231
she find it?" In this parable, however, the woman is
subordinate : " The kingdom is like unto leaven."
There is a distinct reference to her instrumentality
as performing an important part, nevertheless it is
kept in a secondary position. Human agency may
come into exercise, and commonly it does much in this
matter, therefore the woman has a definite place in
accordance with the work belonging to the Church.
But human agency may perform no conspicuous part,
on which account it happens that the woman is not
here introduced as the central feature in the parable.
Since, however, there is a constant, if not an invari
able, use of instrumentality in disseminating the truth,
the woman's part is definitely referred to, and so is
the quantity of three measures, indicating that human
agency in this matter can influence only a limited area.
Taking now a general survey of the parabolic
representation, there is brought into view a hidden
kingdom steadily advancing, though it " cometh not with
observation." Contemplating this, we advance beyond
individual references. There is, indeed, a kingdom
in the soul of each believer, — a kingdom greater than
the whole realm of nature. But a larger kingdom is
introduced to notice — a kingdom of many souls — a
kingdom hidden in the world, yet advancing to occupy
the whole earth. By the operations of His grace God
has a hidden kingdom of truth and righteousness in
the world. Its existence is a marvel. Leaven is hid
by a woman in meal previously unleavened, but
ready for household use. But here the good leaven is
hid in that which has already been permeated with an
evU leaven. A kingdom of spiritual truth is silently
extending through a kingdom of spiritual error; a

232 The Assimilating Power of Gospel Truth.
kingdom of righteousness is advancing upon a stiU
wider kingdom of evU. This conflict of two leavens,
the evil and the good, makes the action of the spiritual
leaven doubly marveUous. Gospel truth acts as a
leaven of righteousness, not upon good material, but
upon evil. And so effectually does this spiritual leaven
work upon the springs of action within the soul, that it
gradually gains ascendency over the evU leaven which
had corrupted it. Secretly and sUently is the internal
change wrought out, so that the evidence of its progress
appears only slowly, as its effects come upon the surface
of life. Men being taught by God as to His love and
mercy towards the sinful, trust rises up within their
souls, and with this is stirred a deep and ardent love
to Him. By the growing power of this love the evU
leaven of wickedness is slowly expeUed from the heart,
thereby throwing open the whole nature more effectuaUy
to the action of truth and of all heavenly influence. The
process thus begun is progressive. It does not, indeed,
advance with equal rapidity at all times. Progress
here, as elsewhere, is dependent on fixed conditions.
The action of leaven is retarded or quickened by the
degree of heat applied to the mass. In like manner the
action of Gospel truth on the soul is according to the
warmth of the love maintained in feUowship with God.
On this condition progress is continuous. The power
of truth is not lessened by its diffusion over a wider
area. While widening the range of its action, it seems
to multiply its original energy. Applied here to one
mass and there to another, the action of the leaven of
righteousness is still the same. Distinct examples
of its operation may seem as if they were only isolated
occurrences, having little connection with each other.

The Leaven. 233
But they are not. Separated by a wide interval, they
are working towards a more extended influence over the
human race. They have important relations to the
world as a whole, and also to the world's history. " The
kingdom of heaven is Uke unto leaven, which a woman
took, and hid in three measures of meal, untU the whole
was leavened."
This kingdom, though advancing secretly, is prepar
ing for a glorious revelation. It is not a kingdom of
mechanical force, but of something greater; for force
were the mere overwhelming of human weakness. It
is not a kingdom gained by enticing men to enter
on irksome service, but a kingdom of grace, where
subjection is esteemed by the subject to be highest
privUege. It is a kingdom of truth, begun in the
manifestation of truth, .and extended by its acceptance
among men. This truth, moving within the hearts of
men, is the grandest of all truth ; it concerns the glory
of the Divine nature, carrying in it provision for the
glorifying of the sons of men. This truth, when
accepted, harmonises the whole nature. of man, con
vincing the inteUect, satisfying the conscience, elevat
ing all the motives. By its increasing influence " the
kingdom of heaven" is extended in our sinful world,
as a kingdom of pnrity over which God shall reign with
joy, and upon which the light of His favour shall con
tinue to shine through eternal ages, when the confusion
and corruption of earth have passed away.

CHAPTEE XVII.
THE EXCEEDING VALUE OF SPIRITUAL GOOD
FOUND IN GOD'S KINGDOM.
HID TREASURE.
Matt. xiii. 44.
Under the analogy of " hid treasure " another aspect
of the concealed condition of God's kingdom is pointed
out by our Lord. The truth of God is hid as seed
in the field, developing first beyond observation, after
wards before the eyes of men. In so far as received by
men, it is hid as leaven in their minds, spreading its in
fluence in a manner which cannot be checked even by
those most opposed to it. This placing and spreading
of gospel truth in the world is the doing of the God
of mercy, seeking deliverance of men from evil, and
restoration of a kingdom of righteousness. But, in
addition to these representations, the good of God's
kingdom is as hid treasure, concealed from common
observation, which men must eagerly seek if they
would make it a personal possession.
In the parables of the Mustard-Seed and of the Leaven
the spiritual kingdom appears as a Divine possession
in a corrupt world. The one illustrates the external
growth, the other the secret spiritual expansion of
234

Hid Treasure. 235
the kingdom ; both apply to it as a whole, discovering
the gracious love of God to man. In these parables
there is little trace of individual relations to the king
dom. In this parable, however, and in its companion,
The Pearl of Great Price, it is shown how the kingdom
becomes the possession of man, so that an individual
member of our race may say, " The kingdom is mine."
We thus obtain a twofold view of proprietorship in the
kingdom, Divine and human. We are now to consider
how the kingdom of God may become the personal
property of men. " The kingdom of heaven " in this
world is the kingdom of righteousness, which is the
highest manifestation of Divine sovereignty. In the
laws of nature there is a subordinate manifestation of
Divine power, an indication of the Divine will, operating
for accompUshment of temporary ends, and in directions
liable to be changed. Judicial sovereignty over the
rebeUious is a natural accompaniment of the Divine
relation to moral beings ; an expression of the Divine
nature, and unalterable accordingly. But God's highest
sovereignty appears in grace. This is the marvellous
expression of His good-will as He interposes for
deliverance from a sinful condition otherwise doomed
to inevitable condemnation. Here also is man's most
precious possession — the true riches of men. Material
substance is subordinate as a possession, so also is
the higher property acquired in growing acquaintance
with nature's secrets. Of that which belongs to our
personality itself, righteousness is the noblest posses
sion. The gospel of God thus provides us with a scale
of values, offering great treasure, in the acquisition of
which man becomes possessed of the highest riches.
The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure. In this

236 Value of Spiritual Good in God's Kingdom.
utterance of the Saviour we have a marked feature of
Bible teaching, insisting that man's highest property
is that which belongs to his own being. Scripture
uniformly leads a man to this reflection : Of aU that I
have, that which I am is not only the most enduring,
but also the most important. How then shall we con
template " the kingdom of heaven " so as to regard it as
a human possession ? If we reach the proper point of
view, we shall easily discover how truly it is of all
human property the one treasure. Eighteousness is
the grand feature of the kingdom in which the pro
prietorship of God and of man plainly meet. The
kingdom is mercy and grace, these belonging exclusively
to the Sovereign. It includes peace and joy, belonging
exclusively to the subject. But righteousness is that
which is God's while it is man's, and is man's whUe
it is God's. The standpoint for observation is thus
secured. Eighteousness is treasure for man; human
righteousness, as a form of Ufe, distinguishing man's own
being. Moral purity may, by God's grace, be reckoned
in the sum of possible possessions, and "the kingdom of
heaven " has been established by the Lord Jesus Christ
to the intent that it may be secured by men. Such moral
purity does not consist in mere absence of sin. It is a
possession — a treasure — the highest human treasure.
Among the possessions belonging to man as part of his
own being, the intellectual is more in value than the
physical, but the moral is still higher than the intel
lectual. By moral purity, then, is meant right prin
ciples of action, harmonious dispositions, perennial
stores of holy energy. Within this the largest sum
of human treasure falls to be computed. In its pos
session the worst poverty is escaped, the highest wealth

Hid Treasure. 237
is secured — wealth valuable in itself, and procuring
the greatest blessedness. If this possession be once
lost by man, lowering him in the scale of being, it may
seem impossible that it should ever be regained ; it
may appear more hopelessly lost than that which has
sunk to ocean's vastest depth, or been consumed by fire.
But the gospel comes proclaiming the possibility of that
which we fear to be impossible, presenting a practical
solution of the great mystery of moral life, though
leaving the problem beset with many perplexities.
By God, moral purity is made conspicuous in the circle
of human possessions, and any member of our sinful
race who attains it, finds the kingdom of heaven. The
sovereignty of this kingdom is exercised to this end,
that special privileges may be conferred on all who
would escape from sin and account righteousness their
chief treasure. On all such the Sovereign bestows
peace, strength, and gladness in their most valuable
forms. This kingdom is thus a form of life ; and such
life, as is true of life in aU forms, is the gift of God.
The present parable guides us in inquiring how this
life, as a treasure, is acquired.
Spiritual good is Uke treasure hid in a field. This
saying seems at first difficult of interpretation. The
blessings of salvation are openly proclaimed in Scrip
ture, their exact nature and the precise means of
reaching them are made known. Acceptance of the
gospel is even pressed upon men as a free gift from
God. And yet, from the structure of this parable, it
is clear that in some sense the kingdom of God is really
hid from men, notwithstanding the proclamations so
freely made, and the invitations widely circulated. To
be convinced of the accuracy of this description, we have

238 Value of Spiritual Good in God's Kingdom.
only to inquire if the existence and value of the treasure
are apparent to all who hear the gospel proclaimed.
So far is this from being the case, that the worth of the
treasure becomes known only as men make the dis
covery for themselves of the real nature of the bless
ings of Divine grace, as possessions which they are
warranted to caU their own. On this account the
gospel, even when preached, is stUl said to be hid from
some, whose eyes are blinded, and whose hearts are
hardened. The gospel which makes known the exist
ence of the treasure indicates the need to search for it.
Thus it appears that the treasure is reaUy discovered
only when men lay hold upon it and appropriate it.
Without this, its existence remains concealed — buried
out of sight. The Saviour is, indeed, clearly revealed,
all His work is set forth in detaU, and everlasting Ufe
is offered through His name ; but each man needs to
discover for himself the gift of God which lies within
this great revelation. No one can find it for another.
Each man must search for himself, must dig in the field
where it is concealed. He must, by penitence, by
prayer, and by appropriating faith, accept Jesus as a
Saviour, thereby receiving the gift of God, even eternal
life — the life of righteousness.
What, then, is the field, which is the hiding-place ?
When the revelation of truth is likened to the scatter
ing of seed, "the field is the world." But another
and more restricted view of the field must be taken
here, when its boundaries mark the scope of personal
search for salvation. By a few simple steps we
shall reach confirmation of this. Eternal Ufe is to
be obtained through acceptance of God's offer of
reconcUiation. " This is life eternal, to know Thee, the

Hid Treasure. 239
only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent."
And this knowledge is to be found in the Scriptures.
Here we must dig if we would find Divine treasure.
" Search the Scriptures ; for in them ye think ye have
eternal life : and they are they which testify of me."
The Bible is that field in which lies hid the treasure
which is the most precious of possessions attainable by
men. In the field of nature is hid the treasure of
scientific truth ; in the field of mind is concealed the
store of phUosophic truth ; but in the field of Eevelation
is hid the treasure of spiritual truth, in personal dis
covery of which man becomes the possessor of everlasting
Ufe. Gospel treasure is for all. Whatever treasure
may be secured in other fields of toilsome search, men
must come to God's Eevelation for the treasure which
must be reckoned the highest. This treasure, like all
other, is hid beneath the surface, and is not to be found
without searching. As we must pierce far beneath the
surface to discover where the coal seam lies buried — as
we must dig deep to find the gold ore imbedded in the
soU, — so must we, with earnest effort and patient toU, dig
beneath the surface of the field of revelation in order to
find the treasure stored there. " Search the Scriptures."
Nowhere else can the spiritual treasure be found. To
dig deep and patiently is needful, for the treasure is
not lying openly in sight. To visit occasionally the
field of Eevelation, only turning up the surface, may
end in disappointment, leaving the searcher to go
empty away. Nevertheless the treasure is there, and
the mine is inexhaustible;
Two distinct aspects of hiding thus come to view in
the history of the spiritual kingdom. There is hiding
of truth in the hearts of men in order to provide for its

240 Value of Spiritual Good in God's Kingdom.
diffusion ; and there is hiding of spiritual blessing so
as to require effort for its finding. These two are so
different, that in the one case the field is the World ; in
the other the field is the Word. God begins a spiritual
kingdom, hiding it in the world, that as a seed it may
grow quietly and become a great tree. In its beginning,
the spiritual kingdom is but a seedling among the fuU-
grown trees of the earth. But viewing the advance
ment of the kingdom through society by the ingathering
of individuals, it becomes plain that this can be accom
plished only by personal knowledge, conviction, desire,
and choice. A Eevelation must, therefore, be provided,
and its use must be lef£ to men themselves, in accord
ance with individual responsibility. The revelation,
while plain enough to all, must nevertheless require
labour for its understanding and application. God
calls for earnest search from men who would become
possessed of the highest spiritual good.
There is, however, a further hiding, which is man's
doing, having its explanation in himself. " The king
dom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field;
the which when a man hath found, he hideth." First
perusal of these words is apt to favour the view that
this concealment was designed to hide from the owner
of the field the existence of the treasure, so that the
field might be bought at a cheaper price. This, how
ever, is not the case. The hiding has plainly a regard to
others who do not know of the existence of the treasure.
The buyer is represented as selling all that he has, in
order to give the utmost which may be required.
Thus is it implied that the motive for purchasing the
field at a high price, is the admitted discovery of the
treasure. When men for the first time make a discovery

Hid Treasure. 241
of spiritual good in the Scriptures, they tend to conceal
the fact. Whether before familiar with the teaching
of Scripture, or ignorant of it; whether previously
leading a Ufe inconsistent with its requirements, or
in comparative harmony with its precepts, the result
is the same. There is that in the first discovery of
the great treasure, which makes the discoverer incline
to sUence and secrecy. A sense of sacredness favours
silence. This impulse to secrecy does not concern God
but men, who, sooner or later, must come to know of
the discovery which has been made. The desire of
the heart to keep its own secret arises in part from
the exceeding grandeur of the discovery, in part from
the wish to feel quite assured of actual possession of
such treasure. Hiding from God is not contemplated.
There could be no motive for it, even if it were pos
sible. The finding of the spiritual treasure necessarily
sends the soul to God with grateful acknowledg
ment. He placed the treasure there, He invited the
search, and at His call the searcher becomes rightful
possessor. The discovery implies feUowship, with
which there may weU be a deep sense of sacredness,
inducing concealment of the matter from others. The
man previously familiar with Scripture, feels as if he
had never before known its meaning, and is silent as
to the newness of knowledge which has broken over his
spirit as light at the dawn of day. The man who has
before been indifferent to Bible teaching, perhaps even
manifesting some antagonism to it, feels now a strange
delight, of which at first he scarce dares to speak, mis
takenly fearing lest it should suddenly vanish, and he
should feel as one awaking from a dream. Whatever
inducement there may be to hide this inner experience
Q

242 Value of Spiritual Good in God's Kingdom.
from men, its nature is such that it must be told to
God. Prayer is the necessity of the hour. He who
would make the treasure his own, must go to the owner
to ask the rights of proprietorship. If these be once
acquired, the fact will soon become known.
Yet how can we speak of acquiring eternal life by
purchase ? How can we buy from God the pardon of
our sins, and a restored life of holiness ? Is not eternal
life the gift of God ? Is not the prevaUing tenor of
Bible teaching even this, "By grace are ye saved through
faith ; and that not of yourselves : it is the gift of God"?
What, then, is the meaning of these closing words of
this parable as to the treasure : " The which when a man
hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and
selleth all that he hath, and buyeih that field " ? What
mean the selling and the buying ? They point to an
essential feature in the system of grace. There is an
important sense in which the acquisition of property
by purchase may represent the acquisition of eternal
life. Eternal life is the gift of God, freely offered in
the Scriptures ; and these Scriptures are open to the
searching of all. But that which is of grace is not
given irrespective of man's effort. Participation is
made dependent on some condition required of those
who desire to have the blessing. In a sense, this is the
price to be paid for the treasure. The gift of God is
purchased by men. All that is surrendered by a man
for the sake of newness of life, may be said to be sold
for this end : all that is given to God may be said to be
paid as purchase-money. A man surrenders for the
sake of spiritual life in Jesus everything inconsistent
with righteousness, and which would hinder its attain
ment. The apostle Paul gives prominence to this in

Hid Treasure.

243

his own case. " What things were gain to me, those
1 counted loss for Christ " (Phil. Ui. 7). By this sur
render the finder does not lose, but gains. It seems
as if it were a mere casting out of that which he would
not keep, and which God would not have.1 Yet these
same dispositions and indulgences were the riches of
the man before. In parting with them, he gives 'up
things which formerly were greatly valued. Still, he
is not thereby impoverished, but made richer, obtain
ing in exchange the riches of God's kingdom. He who
parts with self-confidence, receives instead confidence
in a Saviour mighty to save to the uttermost ; he who
parts with sinful passions, receives holy desires. There
is thus a giving up of former possessions, represented
by the selling. He who comes with faith and holy
desire to God, gives these to Him, which is represented
by the buying. Yet he who thus gives to God, does
not part with that he has, and so he buys "without
money and without price."
One point more needs to be pondered, that is, the
fact that the purchaser is here said to sell all that he
hath in order to secure the treasure. His judgment
of the inherent value of the treasure appears in the
complete surrender he makes. WiUingness to make
this sacrifice is the proof of absorbing earnestness in
him who has made the discovery, and now desires to
become possessor of the treasure. He wiU part with
everything else rather than want this. If he only
have this he wiU account himself richer than he
should, if, by some unexampled turn of events, he
had become lord of the world itself. In his eyes no
gain would compensate for the loss of this matchless
1 The property is not sold to the owner of the field.

244 Value of Spiritual Good in God's Kingdom.
treasure ; no price would be too high to pay that
it might be his own. In this connection the Bible
reader wiU recaU our Saviour's words to the young
man who had great riches : " Sell all that thou hast,
and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in
heaven." And though men generaUy are not caUed
upon to part with money, any more than with health,
or with life itself, in order to obtain spiritual life, there
must be wiUingness to part with any possession which
would prove an obstacle to the love and service of
God. To interpret aright the seUing of aU that a man has,
we must consider what a man is required to part with
in order to obtain everlasting life. As the kingdom
established by grace is altogether spiritual in character,
externals in themselves considered are of no account.
They are neither required nor are they discarded.
Worldly substance in greatest store could not pur
chase the kingdom. " Without money and without
price" this purchase must be effected. To obtain the
spiritual life which God gives, man must part with all
that has previously obscured God's claim to the homage
of his heart. Something to trust in man must have,
and if it be not God's grace, it must be personal good
ness which he regards as his own. Such goodness is a
precarious ground of confidence. It has enough of
worth to keep up the delusive trust in it, as if it were
enduring and sufficient. With this there ever is a
disturbing consciousness of imperfection and incon
sistency. The righteousness which a man possesses
has no such value as that which God has laid up in
store. So convinced of this is the man who has dis
covered the treasure hid in God's Word, that he will

Hid Treasure. 245
part with aU he has in order to secure the other. So
needful is this that he at once resolves upon his
course, and carries it into execution. Surrender of
self-righteousness is indeed a spiritual necessity in the
case. Self-righteousness cannot be retained where the
righteousness of grace is received. An aUoy cannot be
found in the heavenly treasury. In human life, evU is
so fused with the good as to destroy the value of what
in itseU could have acceptance. Therefore must men
cease from confidence in themselves, and have confi
dence in God alone. " By grace are ye saved through
faith ; and that not of yourselves : it is the gift of
God."

CHAPTEE XVIIt.
WISDOM IN SEEKING AND DISTRIBUTING
SPIRITUAL GOOD.
THE MERCHANTMAN.
Matt. xiii. 45, 46.
The similarity between this parable and that con
cerning the hid treasure is apt at first to hinder our
appreciation of this. We are ready to suppose that
this second parable is only a repetition of the first
under a slight variation of figure. The pearl of great
price has taken the place of the hid treasure ; and
this seems the end of the distinction. Comparison
of the two parables, .however, may satisfy us that
the resemblance is not so close as such a view
implies. The marked diversity of commencement for the two
parables affords a key to the difference of meaning:
"The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure ;" and
" The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman."
In the one, the treasure is prominent ; in the other, the
seeker. Diversity in the figurative representation of
value — in one case a treasure, in the other a pearl — is
not the discriminating feature. The circumstance of
246

The Merchantman. 247
this parable having been commonly named " The Pearl
of Great Price" has been misleading. It has turned
attention on the points of simUarity, not on the points
of diversity, whereas the latter are the more valuable
for the purposes of exposition. The treasure and the
pearl plainly agree in representing exceeding value.
But in the first parable the finder is described merely
as a man, without a single distinguishing expression.
He may represent any man. In the parable now before
us it is quite different. It is a merchantman who
is introduced. Any man will not suffice to iUustrate
our Lord's meaning here. Passing round to another
point of view from which to contemplate man's part in
obtaining spiritual blessing, He selects for His purpose
the merchantman, as distinguished from other men.
This distinctive feature of the parable makes it plain
that our Lord here treats of merchandise in the bless
ings of grace. Not only is it true that a man must
seek everlasting Ufe for himself if he would become
possessor of the treasure, but he who thus seeks may
become a merchant, proclaiming the value of the
treasure, and offering it in sale to others. In the
former case, the finding appears as if it were all for
seU, and there were no consideration beyond. And,
indeed, it is to be observed in both parables that the
finder recognises his own interest as completely in
volved in what he has found. The speciality of this
parable is to point out that, both as a seeker and as
a finder, the man is a merchantman. Besides, if we
consider the relation of both parables to God as the
source of everlasting life, the additional light thrown
upon the whole subject is very striking. In the one
case, it appears that God has hid the treasure in the

248 Seeking and Distributing Spiritual Good.
field, in order that man may find it. In the other,
it appears that God hides the treasure in order that he
who values such wealth may make merchandise of it
among his fellows.
Verse 45. — "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a
merchantman seeking goodly pearls!' Such a merchant
man may often be seen in the East, carrying rare
articles and precious stones, and offering them for sale
in the towns to which he comes. He is a man skilled
in the knowledge of the treasure he sells, and is looked
to as an expert. Of various orders of merchants, the
pearl-seeker is chosen for illustration. Such a man
has the skill of the seeker for the sheU-fish, and the
skill enabling him to judge of the relative value of the
pearls as they are found.
He is a skilled seeker. It is the work of his life to
seek for goodly pearls, and to dispose of them when
found. He knows where the shell-fish find their most
congenial resting-places, and does not waste his energies
over unpromising fields. He peers through the waters,
with eyes carefully screened, that the glare of Ught
breaking on the surface may not mislead. Every inch
of the channel is subjected to scrutiny, and the form of
a sheU is quickly detected. He is besides a skilled
judge of pearls. He knows at a glance the goodly
pearls, and instantly recognises any one of unusual
purity and excellence. His eye is trained for such
discrimination. He is a ready buyer as well as a
seller, purchasing with eagerness any pearl of extra
ordinary value, knowing how quickly he can find a
remunerative market. With such treasures he starts
on his course as a merchantman, that he may dispose
of his selection to those who set account upon such

The Merchantman. 249
possessions. This is the man chosen by our Divine
Teacher to illustrate an additional aspect of man's
work in acquiring the blessings of salvation.
Here, as formerly, our attention is directed to the
finding of treasure ; but in this case the merchant finds
not unexpectedly, but according to expectation. The mer
chant presents an iUustration of persistent, methodical
search, assured of reward. In this second parable we
have a greater range of application to the facts of
human history. Some do, indeed, find everlasting Ufe
when they seek it not. But, like the merchantman,
most find the blessing as the result of a careful search.
The latter experience happens to those who make it
the very business of their Ufe to search for truth.
Their daUy engagements may vary endlessly ; they
may be merchants acquainted with the details of very
different fields of production ; but the one characteristic
of their Uves is found in this, that they are seekers
after truth. And that truth hid in Scripture is Uke to
the pearl encased in the sheU, and lying at the bottom of
stUl water. Whether the seekers be men of trade, men
of commerce, men of science, or men of philosophy, it
matters not ; they belong to one great company, they
are searchers after such truth as the human spirit needs
for the support of its higher life. For such unbiassed
searchers after truth, God has in His grace provided the
discovery of a great treasure, which shaU be to the
soul a source of eternal joy. The more closely inquirers
press the great problems affecting personal existence,
character, and destiny, the nearer do they come to the
greatest reward of human research. Finding that, life
itself appears a new thing. Eenewed spiritual life
springs up in the soul, through faith in the Eedeemer,

250 Seeking and Distributing Spiritual Good.
and love to "the God and Father of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ."
WhUe, however, some find what they never expected,
and others find what they have been seeking, yet there
is to all something unexpected, — so unexpected as to
be altogether surprising to the finders. To many who
find it as treasure hid in a field, it is a possession the
very existence of which was previously unknown,
so that the sight of it occasions wonder. To others
who have toUed hard amid the dark problems of life,
— who have felt longings after the pure and noble,
even when their better .nature has been crushed under
the rude heel of mean passion, — who have at length
come to see that purity alone is noble, and sin the
only baseness, and who have cried for deliverance from
the dread perplexities of contending motives, — the
discovery of Divine mercy and love in Christ Jesus
has been the cause of amazement unspeakable. To
all such the transcendent value of the pearl becomes
apparent; seen in the light, it is pronounced with
certainty to be "the pearl of great price." Gospel
truth seems of such surpassing value that it far exceeds
in worth all that had been conjectured. It is "the
glorious gospel of the blessed God."
Observing thus the surprise to the merchantman in
the discovery of the pearl, we proceed now to consider
his subsequent action. Verse 46. — " Who, when he had
found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he
had, and bought it." Intensity of personal interest is
apparent here. He has sought goodly pearls, and
also gain by merchandise in them. The sight of this
pearl at once awakens eagerness to secure it ; and this
specially because of the delight he feels in such a rarity.

The Merchantman. 251
To see it is a joy, but to own it would give surpassing
delight. Therefore he parts with all that he has in
order to buy it. So it is with the eager searcher after
truth, when he comes to the first discovery of the real
character of gospel truth. Its singular value is even
more appreciated by the man who has struggled long
with the problems of moral Ufe, than by the man who
is merely contented and delighted to find in it satisfac
tion for his own present want. The eager penetrating
inquirer sees in the gospel, with its provision of
spiritual Ufe, a value which may kindle to brightness
even the duUest eye. He sees the light of a great
deUverance breaking over the disorder, the misery, the
self-reproach, and the despair of humanity. He sees
in this a value for aU the world, and with a merchant's
appreciation of a common want, he is eager to buy this
pearl, at whatever price. He will part with aU that he
has hitherto counted his valuables in order to secure
this treasure. Necessity Ues upon him, just as it was
seen to Ue upon the man who found the treasure hid
in the field. There is a common demand for self-abne
gation if we would possess everlasting life. Self-confi
dence and self-righteousness must be surrendered, in
order that confidence in Divine mercy may become a
possession of the soul. Only thus can there be parti
cipation in the righteousness which God has provided
for the sinful.
In a right understanding of this selling of all that he
has, it will be at once apparent that he who purchases
and appropriates to himself gospel truth, is not repre
sented as parting with all other forms of truth in order
to secure this. At first sight, it might appear that the
parable represented the merchantman as selling, along

252 Seeking and Distributing Spiritual Good.
with other things, the pearls already in possession, in
order thereby to attain the means of purchasing the
one. But such a meaning, alien as it is to Bible teach
ing, is not involved here. The merchantman is repre
sented as himself a seeker of pearls. A large part of
the price he pays for his pearls is the toil he expends
in finding them ; but for this pearl he will besides
part with all the money he has. So is it in the search
for truth. No one obtains more than . he finds by his
own toil. Discovery of gospel truth does not lower
the value of other forms of truth, and does not stop the
search for them. In comparison, this assuredly sur
passes all, nevertheless all other truths have a relation
to this. The parable guards against the supposition
that other forms of truth are to be surrendered as the
purchase-money of that which transcends them. Bather,
the opposite is distinctly implied, since it is the very
life-work of the seeker of goodly pearls to gather from
hidden depths, and add to his stores aU the treasures
that can be found.
By this line of reflection we are brought to what
seems the essential feature of the parable — that the
merchantman buys in order to sell. This view of the
merchant's business is not drawn out in detaU, but it is
set forth as essential. What needs to be observed is,
that no account can be given of the merchantman which
does not make him a seller of pearls as well as a seeker
of them. Nay, so prominent is the business of selUng,
that he does not restrict himself to personal efforts in
fishing for pearls, but goes into the market as a buyer,
if he can thereby secure a more valuable stock. The
typical man is a travelling merchant. He is not one
who has in the city a store of pearls, to which buyers

The Merchantman. 253
may resort, and where the work of selling may be
intrusted to another, while he continues the work of
seeking. On the contrary, he carries the pearls which
constitute his merchandise, and he travels hither and
thither in search of those who wUl buy. There is
meaning here, striking and valuable, giving complete
ness to the instruction. If there is in the kingdom of
God a seUing and a buying in order that men them
selves may become possessors of the blessing provided,
there is also a buying and selling in order that others
may come into possession of the treasure. This form of
merchandise is distinctively characteristic of the king
dom of God. A secluded meditative Ufe does not fitly
represent that of the Christian as a searcher after truth
and righteousness. The man who first finds everlasting
life for himseU becomes a merchant, offering the treasure
to others, and pressing it on their acceptance. If the
merchant presents his pearl to others that they may
become purchasers, — if he is wont to enlarge upon its
exceUence with a view to induce his hearers to desUe
it, — U among them he finds some who attempt to
undervalue it, and others who acknowledge its value,
but are unwiUing to pay for it the great price demanded,
— and if he travel far, carrying his treasure wherever
he goes, and repeating his efforts to secure a purchaser,
something analogous in aU these respects can be found
in the history of the spiritual kingdom. An element of
difficulty there is in the circumstance that there is but
one pearl, which, if once sold, becomes the exclusive
possession of the buyer. But this difficulty is only
such as adheres to aU analogy. The reality here sym
bolised cannot be conveyed by speaking of many pearls.
There are goodly pearls of truth in great number and

254 Seeking and Distributing Spiritual Good.
variety to be gathered in the world. But gospel truth
is one, and is the same to all. It must therefore be
represented as one pearl of great price. Seeing that
the spiritual treasure offered to man must be spoken
of as a unit, the engagements of the merchant are
not recounted in detail. But passing this formal
difficulty, the Christian does the part of the merchant
in seeking to induce others to accept the salvation
which he himself has received with joy. By his
eager attempts to find those who wUl contemplate the
gospel; by his enthusiastic descriptions of its value;
by his persuasive reasoning with those who lend an
ear; by his untiring efforts continued after repeated
failures, the Christian answers to the analogy here
employed. How fully the Saviour considered aU this
effort needful every Bible reader knows. He who
said, " The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant
man," gathered together His chosen and devoted fol
lowers, and said unto them, " Go ye into aU the world
and preach the gospel to every creature." These are
the merchantmen of God's kingdom. Their merchandise
consists in the treasures of grace; their toU, their
travelling, their earnest entreaties, tell how eager they
are that others should receive the blessing they de
scribe ; and they seU " without money and without
price." Here we contemplate efforts which involve great
publicity. In the former parable there is intended
secrecy — hid treasure ; in this there is intentional pub
licity — open merchandise. At the close we are return
ing upon the remarks made at the outset, when pointing
to the fact that the presence and value of the treasure
were made known in the world, and its acceptance

The Merchantman. 255
pressed upon men, even while it was represented as hid
treasure. The two parables bring out the harmony of
the whole. How truly is the treasure hid, and yet how
truly is it pressed on the acceptance of men ! When
both forms of analogy are before us, both phases of
Christian Ufe become apparent. The reaUty of both is
iUustrated, and their fundamental harmony proclaimed,
though stUl only partially explained. Salvation is by
grace, yet must it be bought ; it is hid from the view,
yet is it daily offered for sale. The practical result
is, that while God is ever offering the blessing, men
must seek it for themselves, and must part with all
that they have in order to obtain it, and afterwards
urge others to seek it as they have done.

CHAPTEE XIX.
GATHERING OF GOOD AND BAD WITHIN THE
KINGDOM. THE NET.
Matt. xiii. 47-50.
We here come in sight of the border-land of the eter
nal world. The parable now to be considered presents
the first scene in the great future toward which all
the arrangements of the kingdom are pointing. The
Eedeemer discovers to us, far in the distance, the line
where the waters of Time find their boundary on the
shores of Eternity. Here and there on the surface of
the waters are sundry marks which indicate the vast
sweep of a great net which has been set in the ocean ;
and on the shores of Eternity are the cords running up
out of the waters, and the stakes to which these cords
have been made sure. Such is the view which our
Lord has given of the relation between Time and
Eternity. Enigmatical it is, as befits what is stiU
future, making some things plain, but leaving other
things obscure and puzzling ; vividly picturesque, pre
senting many attractive features, and yet awe-inspning,
as we think of the meshes which may entangle, and

The Net.

257

also the strength of the cord which no strain can break
asunder. In outline this is the representation : — Time
is an ocean, Eternity is its shore : within the waters
God has set a net, the result of whose setting will
appear on that day when all that has been enclosed
is drawn up on the shores of the eternal world.
That a reference to the future state affords the true
point of view from which to contemplate this parable,
seems plain from these two considerations : first, That
the net is represented as being full before it is drawn ;
and second, That our Lord expressly begins His brief
and partial interpretation of it with these words : " So
shall it be at the end of the world."
What, then, is this Net ? " The kingdom of heaven
is like unto a net." It is the kingdom of God. This
can hardly mean here the visible Church, as so many
have taken for granted. From the words (verse 49),
" The angels shaU come forth and sever the wicked
from among the just," it is apparent that " the wicked"
as a class are spoken of as included in the kingdom.
The wicked are deliberately embraced in a way quite
inconsistent with the supposition that the visible
Church is represented. It is not merely some few
wicked persons, nor even a considerable proportion of
such, who are found at last among the chosen ones, but
the wicked are here present, just as the righteous are.
" The kingdom of heaven " thus described is the king
dom of grace, in the plenitude of its range. It is that
kingdom which God has in this sin- troubled world,
where judgment is withheld, vengeance is restrained,
and Divine forbearance and compassion are reaching to
all men. It is a kingdom whose sovereignty is grace,
all whose administration is gracious, within which are

258 Gathering of Good and Bad in the Kingdom.
all men on earth. The reign of grace is indeed such,
that all have some experience of its reaUty, in restrain
ing influences which move around the souls of men, as
weU as in the benefits thrown free to them, and towards
which much agency is drawing them. True indeed it
is, that only some, with spiritual natures renewed,
appreciate and enjoy the choicest blessings of grace ;
but no less true is it that all the wicked, as weU as all
the just, are meanwhile within a kingdom of grace.
The world-encircling influences of Divine favour are too
subtle to be readily recognised, and yet too potent to
be altogether unfelt. From them men at times swerve
eagerly, as fishes from the slightest touch of the net ;
against them men often struggle, as fishes entangled
in the meshes. No man, however, passes from under
the reign of God, which is for every man here a reign
of grace. There is, indeed, another and more restricted
view of the kingdom of heaven. It is a fold within
which come only as many as know the voice of Jesus,
and follow Him for defence and satisfaction. But
under this wider view, it is a net, embracing all with
out distinction. If it be clear that the latter is here
dealt with, we have only to glance forward in the
application of the parable to see that completeness of
separation between the wicked and just is here foretold
as in the parable of the Tares. This parable in like
manner gives us first the mingling and then the separa
tion of classes.
If the kingdom of heaven be a net, we are first con
cerned with its setting. " The kingdom of heaven is
like unto a net that was cast into the sea." The absence
of any statement as to agency in setting the net is to
be remarked. There is nothing here after the manner

The Net. 259
of those other parables, where a woman is seen lighting
a candle, or putting leaven among the meal. There is
here intentional omission. For though the disciples,
when first called, were spoken of as fishers of men, and
the occupation of seeking to save souls may at all times
be represented under this figure, what is here before our
notice is something quite distinct from human efforts
to save fellow-men. Consequently, the setting of the
net is not represented as accomplished by human
agency. Such instrumentality is out of sight here.
The setting of the net is left to be thought of as the
direct result of Divine agency, belonging as it does to
the very essence of Divine sovereignty. The net was
cast into the sea. This is enough to be said, for men
were not there to see it done, and could not have done
anything to help. It happens to men as to the fishes of
the sea : the evidence that the net has been cast into
the waters is obtained only by contact with it. God,
who " divided the waters which were under the firma
ment from the waters which were above the firmament,"
and who appointed boundaries to the ocean, has set
His net in these waters beneath, waiting the fulness of
time when He shall draw it on the shores of Eternity.
Such a representation is suggestive of most solemn
thought concerning the ways of God in dealing with
man, teUing us much of those cords, hid from our duU
vision, which nevertheless connect the earth with
heaven, encircling every individual in the universe,
and gathering aU under one sway.
We pass next to the standing of the net in the midst
of the waters. Its presence there implies enclosure and
restriction. We have seen with what reason we con
clude that this enclosure embraces all on earth.

2 60 Gathering of Good and Bad in the Kingdom.
Within the net-work of grace men come into life,
within it they pass their whole existence here. Ter
mination of individual life is kept out of view in a
parable dealing with the history of the world as a
whole. The outspreading influences of Divine love
enclose aU on the earth within a restraining boundary,
guarding them from evils greater than those which
now beset their life, and closing them in to advantages
which had been lost in a wider ocean where greater
severance from God had been possible. More terrible
iniquity and consequent misery there would be in the
world, but for the fact that the net of grace is set, and
the enclosure made sure. Within this enclosure there
is, doubtless, great variety of ground, involving condi
tions of life more or less favourable; but there is a
universal gain in the provisions by which infinite love
has shut in our race to all the advantages belonging
to a state of probation, where it is possible to escape
destruction and attain to a higher life.
Enclosure impUes restriction, set up by Divine sove
reignty, but in such a manner as to give scope for
human liberty. Enclosure by the net does not involve
destruction of life. There is death only for the fishes
rushing against it, or exhausting themselves whUe they
struggle in its meshes. There is a complete difference
between the net and the fishing-line. The latter
implies struggle and death; but the former, whUe it
stands, necessitates none of these. Within the wide
enclosure of the net there is natural and easy move
ment. Still it is of necessity a restricted action by
reason of the enclosure, which it is impossible to break
through ; but this restriction takes a form of irksome
constraint only to those struggling to get beyond its

The Net. 261
boundaries. It is not even recognised as a restriction
by those which find their chosen exercise and feeding-
ground within it. These features in the figurative
representation of the kingdom of grace are rich in
Ulustrative significance. By arrangement of Divine
sovereignty the plan of grace is established, without any
power on man's part to change it, or pass beyond its
range on earth. Yet within its application there is
wide scope for personal choice, and full provision for
life in all its functions. No doubt, all restraint is apt
to seem a hardship. And in the heart of man there
is so much that seeks to shun Divine control, so much
that resents it, when its uniform continuance is seen to
be inevitable, that there are some who rush against
the Divine restraints as fishes vainly rush against
the net. Others are so unmoved by signs of sovereign
grace around them, or so unobservant, that they live
in their own sphere as if Divine grace were nothing.
But to multitudes such restriction is not a trial.
Sovereignty of grace has fixed restraints, and these are
joyfuUy accepted, whUe the grace which restricts our
action multiplies our blessings. The spirit of obedi
ence, though it places checks upon action, also gives
direction and impulse to action, guiding life into
spheres of richest experience. Everywhere there is
freedom, yet chiefly for the highest type of life.
But here we come upon the difficulty, — How are
some bad and others good ? The net gathered of every
kind. The gathering is consequent upon the exercise
of a power which comes into the waters. But the
kinds being already within these waters, are not deter
mined by the net which encloses them. Such as they
are, the net takes them, and their respective value is

262 Gathering of Good and Bad in the Kingdom.
determined by the nature they have. The gathering of
every kind, impUes the presence of great varieties.
There are not merely two classes, good and bad, but
great diversity of kind in each class. Men of all
shades of character are to be found within the present
dispensation of grace. How, then, is their goodness or
badness to be accounted for ? The parable offers only
a negative reply. As the net does not determine the
quality of the fishes enclosed, so neither does the
merely restraining power of grace explain the distinc
tion between good and bad. Analogy here, as else
where, fails to meet all that is required. Each paraboUc
story is capable of telling only part of the truth. How
it happens, that where all are sinful, some are reckoned
in one class as good, and some in another class as bad,
the present parable contains nothing to explain. For
answer to such inquiry, we are referred to what has
been already told at an earlier period, as to seeking
those who are lost. Such explanation having been
already given, we are here, according to the require
ment of the parable, restricted to a description of two
classes of men, as good and bad.
The Saviour next points to a period when, the net
being full, there shall be commotion in the midst of the
waters : " Which, when it was full, they drew to shore!'
The fulness of the net is said to determine the time for
its drawing. Its manner of use is not such that it is
cast successively in different waters, taking at one point
fewer, and at another more. But it stands permanently
in the same waters, and is not drawn until it is full.
It is cast but once ; and only once, at the end of time,
is it drawn. This feature in the parable makes a wide
distinction between what is here referred to and the

The Net. 263
work of those who are themselves made fishers of men.
Theirs is a toUsome work of continued casting and
drawing. But with the majesty of Divine sovereignty
it is otherwise. Silently the net of grace is set, un
moved it stands, until grace has had full exercise,
according to God's sovereign pleasure, and then the
whole design of its continuance is accomplished. In
this respect there is no faUure.
We are thus carried forward in thought to the drawing
of the net. Verse 48. — " Which, when it was full, they
drew to shore!' The casting of the net supposes the work
of fishermen, and so also the drawing of it. But as there
were no references to the fishermen in the setting of
the net, there is indefiniteness here as to the drawing of
it. By a freedom of grammatical structure it is said
they drew it to shore, without previous reference to
persons. Placed in this form, the expression is equiva
lent merely to the indefinite statement, it was drawn
ashore. The question, — How was it drawn ? — is really
left unanswered. And U we glance to the interpretation
suppUed by our Lord, we shall see that the reference to
the angels does not convey information on the point.
In the parable it is expUcitly said, " They drew it to
shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, and
cast the bad away ;" while in the explanatory addition
it is merely said, " The angels shaU come forth, and sever
the wicked from among the just." This latter statement
contains nothing which applies to the drawing of the net
— the gathering together of the righteous and wicked to
the eternal world. It seems almost to suggest that the
angels have nothing to do with this preliminary exercise
of power. It appears to convey the impression that the
angels wiU be seen coming forth at the command of

2 64 Gathering of Good and Bad in the Kingdom.
their Sovereign, just as all men are gathered together
under sovereign power. The angels do not bring men
before God— do not take part in the work of judgment—
but merely sever from each other the two classes whom
God pronounces good and bad. It is thus implied
that the constraining hand of God Himself brings all
men to His feet, as the unerring wisdom and justice of
God pronounce the sentence ; whUe the angels as His
ministers separate the condemned from those who are
divinely accepted. The sovereignty which first set up
the restraining influence, in due time applies the con
straining power, which brings aU to His presence,
there discovering their real character.
Around the throne of God stand the ministers who
execute His bidding. InstrumentaUty is employed
in the severance of the evil from the good. The
angels have a part to perform on the great day of
adjudication. " He maketh His ministers a flame of
fire." " His angels excel in strength that do His com
mandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word."
The judgment is the Lord's ; the execution of it is
intrusted to ministers " that do His pleasure."
But here there is something worthy of special atten
tion. In the interpretation there is a divergence from
the full meaning of the parable, by dropping the refer
ence to the good. The close points only to the wicked.
Does this omission not imply in the mind of the Great
Teacher a sympathetic feeling as to the parabolic use of
the fisher's work, which is essentially a destroying work ?
Whether the fish taken in the fisher's net be good or bad,
there is death for both ; for the good, which are gathered
into vessels; and for the bad, which are cast away.
When, therefore, in reading our Lord's explanation of

The Net. 265
the parable, we mark the absence of any allusion to
the future of the righteous, He is neither uninterested
in that future, nor unwilling to dwell upon it ; but,
recognising the inadequacy of earthly imagery, He will
not in this connection even suggest what that future
shall be, but leaves for succeeding parables special and
and ample description of the blessed state of the
righteous. Here He points, in language highly figura
tive, with imagery of " the furnace of fire," to doleful
lamentation, and distressed gnashing of teeth, fruit of
the awful condemnation of those who are evil in heart.
Severed from the good and from their God, they shall
be separated from blessedness ; under the ban of the
Judge, their bitterness of soul shall be aggravated by
deep and lasting self-condemnation. "There is no
peace, saith my God, to the wicked."
If we would give completeness to the circle of Ulus
tration, avoiding irksome detail, we must somehow
keep up the figurative allusion. The God who " divided
the waters which were under the firmament from the
waters which were above the firmament," transfers
vigorous, healthy Ufe from these lower waters to the
wider expanse of waters in a more genial sphere above,
where development can be more rapid and more certain.
The net as set in the waters of Time thus gathers its
multitudes for transference to the boundless ocean of
Eternity. Not for death, but for life eternal, are these
"good" enclosed within the vast net.

CHAPTEE XX.
WISE USE OF THIS WORLD'S POSSESSIONS.
THE UNFAITHFUL STEWARD.
Luke xvi. 1-10.
After illustrating the value the believer sets on the
grace provided by God, the Saviour in the parable of
the Unfaithful Steward proceeds to instruct His disciples
as to their relationship to subordinate possessions.
Our Lord's use of the conduct of bad men for
purposes of instruction is one of the perplexities of
His parabolic teaching. One example of this has
already passed under review, in the parable of the Im
portunate Widow, in which the unjust judge is made
to supply material for elucidation of the mystery of
delayed answers to earnest supplication. It is a marvel
of condescension that the Divine Saviour is willing,
even for encouragement to the suppliant, to take the
case of an unjust minister of justice, as if it might con
tribute something instructive concerning God's dealings
with His people. The lessons are, indeed, clear enough,
and greatly needed by us, — that justice may be done,
though there be long delay ; and that the suppliant
has reason for perseverance, and has personal gain in
it. But it nevertheless remains matter of surprise that

The Unfaithful Stezvard. 267
Christ condescends to accept such a misrepresentation
of just rule, as affording some help for correct interpre
tation of God's delay in answering prayer.
We have now before us a second illustration of
spiritual truth by reference to the conduct of a bad
man. The perplexity here is in one sense less than in
the former; in another sense, it is greater. That an
upright man may learn some lessons from selfish and
dishonest men, does not involve any moral perplexity.
Piudence, forethought, and sagacity are qualities which
belong to intelUgent self-guidance, and may find place
even when the line of conduct must be condemned,
the motive being utterly wrong. We may therefore
learn not only by way of warning, but even by way of
direction, from what is observed in the life of the dis
honest. Besides, there is reaUy less to occasion diffi
culty, when we with aU our imperfections are set to
gain instruction from those who give themselves to
evil, than when the Holy God is for a moment com
pared in His action with an unjust judge. But, on
the other hand, there is really more of moral perplexity
when we are counselled, even in a modified form, to
learn from an example of what is glaringly sinful. It
is the unjust act which is used here as in some way a
model to us, whereas in the previous parable the un
just procedure of the judge is in no sense an example
of the manner in which God rules. Under His govern
ment there is never neglect of justice, whatever delay
there may be in its execution. There must, then, be
some revulsion of feeling, when, for instruction, we are
first directed upon the plottings of a dishonest servant.
Such revulsion is the natural fruit of the teaching of
the Saviour Himself. It is a feeling which He

268 Wise Use of this World's Possessions.
anticipates and appreciates. Accordingly we find that
this parable does not break off suddenly at the close of
the narrative, but is followed by explanation of its mean
ing, the presence of which indicates a deliberate intention
to guard against misinterpretation. And when we there
learn that our Lord's purpose is to inculcate faithfulness
even in that which is least — faithfulness " in that which
is another man's" — we are delivered, on purely moral
grounds, from the revulsion of feeling which is
naturally our first experience under contemplation of
the conduct of the steward as narrated in the parable.
The Saviour points our observation through dark and
drifting clouds of evUs disturbing our eyes, to a sight
which has instruction, if we can but detect it. He
guides us behind a screen which artifice has set up, to
blind from passing observation a piece of deUberate
dishonesty; He shows us the doings which go on
there; and shows us more, the calculating thoughts
of the active agent directing the whole, even though
there be trouble of conscience and sense of self-
debasement, as well as debasement of all who partici
pate in the course pursued. He points out that
behind all this pitiful screening of evil deeds, and under
all this sinful bartering for gains, there is an illustra
tion of what belongs to the strength of an intelUgent
nature. If, seeing all this, and recognising its im
portance, we continue to feel a degree of surprise that
Jesus employs the illustration, — and such surprise we
may still experience, — it needs to be remembered that
there is a fitness in the fact that " the Friend of sinners,"
"the Saviour of the lost," calling men everywhere to
" repent," has an eye which detects anything good
underneath all the evil, specially the working of

The Unfaithful Steward. 269
intelUgence when facing the deserts of evil-doing. He
who accounts the lost soul itself as silver under all the
pollution of sin, accounts a genuine exercise of rational
nature as of real worth, even though the perverse use
of it serves to make clear the moral corruption in which
that nature is involved. This dishonest man would
be received by the Saviour, if, on later reflection, he
would abandon his claims upon his master's creditors,
so dishonestly established, and submit to the poverty
he had brought upon himself by his unfaithfulness,
taking the place of a true penitent. For the poor man,
as for the rich, there is the test of parting with what is
wrongfuUy obtained. " SeU that thou hast," and give
it away, is a demand of wide appUcation. If, then,
there is a surprise when the eyes of those whose aspira
tions and efforts are towards righteousness are directed
to the conduct of one who is a mean deceiver, we must
mark that our Saviour is training us to a deeper
sympathy with His own spirit, and thereby to some
genuine sympathy with wicked men yielding to temp
tation under pressure of unexpected adversity. The
wrongness of the conduct is distressing to contemplate,
yet a regard to seU-interest in the future is a motive
not unworthy, but one which may find an appropriate
place in a noble Ufe. Dishonesty must be condemned ;
yet a judicious regard to future need is compatible
with the strictest integrity. So does our Lord insist
that there is a wise use of substance in making pro
vision for the future.
This lesson is set in a striking light by the connec
tion in which this parable is placed by Luke, by whom
alone it is recorded. It comes in immediate relation
with the parable of The Prodigal Son. The importance

270 Wise Use of this World's Possessions.
of this parable is thus made plain ; its secondary place
is also conspicuous when brought into contrast with
penitence, faith, and love. Prudence is a law of
rational life. Looking at the prodigal, we see its value
demonstrated by the disastrous consequences which
flow from its neglect. Waste of substance, and wreck
of prospects, tell the value of prudence in the guidance
of life. Looking at the elder brother, we see its
secondary place in the circle of virtues, as we mark
that the son who can claim as his own aU that remains
of his father's possessions, is unhappy in the midst
of abundance. Stores of substance, with a fretful
heart, scorning a penitent prodigal, show how in
sufficient is the government of prudence as a rule of
life. So far is it from being a sufficient guide, that the
reckless prodigal, taught by his imprudence, rises to a
higher prudence. Thus in the hard discipline of Ufe,
loss leads to higher gain, bringing the self-condemned
and newly-awakened soul to the understanding of the
great law of the kingdom — " He that loseth his life for
my sake shall find if (Matt. x. 39).
Thus, through a somewhat lengthened avenue, we at
last reach the structure of a parable, so unusual in its
character as to have occasioned much remark.
" And he said also unto his disciples." This mode of
introduction, as if it were the continuance of the same
discourse, implies that in view of the sacred writer, the
parable now to be given is in its significance closely
connected with that of The Prodigal Son, given just
before. We cannot with certainty conclude that this
was spoken by our Lord in direct connection with that.
The language does not warrant this inference. But it
is not left open to doubt that the Evangelist sees in

The Unfaithful Steward. 2 7 1
this parable intimate relation with that which precedes
it, and a distinct advance along the Une of instruction
pursued in the earUer parable.
The express statement that Jesus spoke this parable
to His disciples must be noted. Though there is con
tinuity of thought, there is such advance that the
Divine Teacher has openly turned away from the mur-
murers who complained of His receiving sinners and
eating with them (chap. xv. 2). Now, He addresses
Himself directly to. His disciples. Earthly substance is
easily lost ; it may accomplish little when carefully
preserved ; let the disciples of Jesus learn a lesson as
to its wise use. The dishonesty practised by the
steward must meet the condemnation of an upright
judge of the conduct of others ; but a wise use of pro-
pertj-, if it only be our own to use without stint, is
rightly recognised by the steward in his extremity.
" There was a certain rich man which had a steward."
Whether the " rich man" is intended to represent a
particular individual or class of persons is not an
inquiry of any importance for interpretation of the
parable. The purpose to be served lies clearly apart
from any necessity for giving a representative place
either to the rich man or his steward. The relationship
existing between them is aU that our Lord needs in
order to serve the end contemplated. To suppose, as
has been done, that the Eoman emperor was the rich
man, and the publicans his stewards, or that the rich man
represents the Evil One, or it may be Mammon, is to
illustrate how fruitless is the attempt to assign a repre
sentative character to either. The relationship of a
steward to his employer is that which our Lord seeks to
utilise, and He is so far from helping us to identify a

272 Wise Use of this World's Possessions.
certain person as if He were aimed at, that His purpose
is served by speaking of the lord of this steward as
'• a certain rich man!' He appears before us with no
greater definiteness than this, a man of wealth, absorbed
in earthly things, inquiring into his own interests, in
so far as they have been intrusted to an unfaithful
steward, and yet having the world's admiration of a
cleverly devised piece of dishonesty, while defeating it.
Of this rich man our Lord means to make nothing
further than that his proprietorship gives him the right
of dismissal, introducing occasion for his steward's
reckoning as to his own future necessities, on which
our Lord would concentrate our reflections.
The man of wealth is described only as " a certain
rich man which had a steward." The employment of a.
steward is the essential fact for the purpose. Steward
ship gives to the dependant opportunity for making
use of his lord's property in the manner about to be
described. The parable being addressed to the disciples,
attention is to be concentrated on the relative position
of the man who proceeds to dispose of a considerable
amount of property. He is a steward? To him the
rich man has intrusted general superintendence over aU
sowing and reaping, household expenditure, and sale of
produce. The name suggests a place of highest trust.
The management of affairs, both in respect of receipts
and expenditure, is committed to him, and that im
plicitly, so that the owner does not maintain any direct
supervision of transactions. Such is the authority and
responsibiUty of the man selected as conveying to the
1 olicovopos, not a farm-steward, or out-of-doors overseer, as
might be supposed from references to oil and wheat, but a steward
who has authority over the household.

The Unfaithful Steward. 273
disciples some indication of their relation to God, to
whom aU belongs, and who, in giving to men, makes
them stewards for Him. They live and are nourished
on God's property, — they buy and sell of His posses
sions, — their life is in His service, — they hold all
things in trust, to secure increase within His household,
— and they are ever Uable to be called to account for
their transactions, though long years may pass on with
out a demand for such reckoning. Every man is a
steward unto God. It is the wisdom and joy of the
Christian disciple to own that this is the true view of
his position in the world, and to find in this fact
stimulus to activity and forethought. Taking this
view, the Christian will consider the use he makes of
temporal possessions as having a bearing on after
experience, both in this life and in the future state.
To these considerations it is the purpose of our Lord to
dUect the thoughts of His disciples.
A crisis comes in the history of this unfaithful
steward, when the loss of his stewardship threatens
him as a sudden calamity. "And the same was
accused unto him, that lie had wasted his goods" From
some quarter unnamed there comes to his lord a charge
against him of unfaithfulness to his trust. The accusa
tion was that of a careless scattering, instead of a care
ful husbanding, of his master's property. " He had
wasted his goods."1 What is aUeged against him is
not wUful dishonesty in appropriating to his own
advantage what belonged to his master. It is a loose-
handed indifference, like that of the prodigal, which
1 SiacrKopnifai', — scattering loosely about. It is the same word
employed to describe the result of the prodigal's riotous living, —
" he wasted his substance."

274 Wise Use of this World's Possessions.
squandered valuable possessions to the advantage of
no one, thus allowing his master's property to go to
waste. The charge is verified as soon as inquiry is
instituted, and the inevitable end is dismissal from
office. Here we touch a point of analogy which in part
accounts for the use of such a case. We all are unfaith
ful in our stewardship. Different phases and degrees
of transgression must be recognised, but unfaithfulness
is the universal sin. There is not an inteUigent appre
ciation of the reaUty of stewardship in reference to all
we possess, and consequently no approach to faithful
ness in the discharge of our trust, by full consecration
of our powers to God's service. It is the aim of our
Lord to bring man to the acknowledgment of steward
ship, in the penitential confession of unfaithfulness,
as it is His purpose here to lead His disciples to strive
above all things to be found faithful. He calls to
repentance and faith ; but this in order that there
may be new life, — a Ufe which shaU prove a real self-
consecration, dedicating efforts and possessions equaUy
to the service of God. Here also we have a hint as to
the measure of responsibility. Wastefulness is un
faithfulness. There must be no loose-handed scatter
ing of property regardless of return. It is of the
essence of well-doing to " economise."
Verse 2. — " And he called him, and said unto him,
How is it that L hear this of thee ? give an account of
thy stewardship ; for thou mayest be no longer steward."
The natural result of unfaithfulness in a steward is
set forth in these three statements: 1. Testimony of
this kind is condemning; 2. An account of the re
sponsibilities is rightfully required, and is in itself the

The Unfaithful Steward. 275
proper test of fidelity; 3. The loss of position is the
just penalty of faithlessness to trust. The unfaithful
steward hears the threefold utterance, and has nothing
to reply. By his sUence he owns the inevitable,
and straightway occupies himself with thought con
cerning the future. The past is branded with
condemnation ; the future has its necessities, how may
it also contain its suppUes ? The narrative leads
forward to this last inquiry as the main feature. But
some passing Ught is falling on various phases of
personal responsibiUty, and quickness of eye may
contribute to the ingathering of many lessons. The
relation of the steward to his lord iUustrates the rela
tion of man to God. The disciples of Jesus are
required to be conspicuous among their fellow-men for
intelUgent and reverential acknowledgment of this
analogy. Unfaithfulness in any form stands as its
own witness against us. "All things are naked and
opened to the eyes of him with whom we have to do."
He needs not that any bear witness to Him, yet is it
an additional consideration that unfaithfulness readily
finds witnesses, and is convicted even in human judg
ment by the observation it attracts. But further, all
stewardship points forward to a time of reckoning.
It is the right of the lord of the steward to require
account. The time of reckoning depends on the will
of the master ; his sovereignty appears in its appoint
ment. Our God is, indeed, long-suffering. The fact
of unfaithfulness does not at once bring the summons
to His bar. He can afford to wait as the man of
wealth cannot. Divine government in its far-reaching
control does not experience the restraints which belong
to earthly proprietorship. Yet is the reckoning sure ;

276 Wise Use of this World's Possessions.
the summons to His presence wUl come : " Give an
account of thy stewardship ;" and even though there
has been no glaring, wilful dishonesty, want of faith
fulness will lead to loss of stewardship. Great force
is given to the expression of the inevitable in this last
case, — " Thou mayest be no longer steward," or, as it
may be rendered, — " It is not possible to thee hence
forth to superintend." It is not merely the master's
right so to decide, but the determination is righteous
ness itseU. A continuance in the oversight may
not be.
Verses 3, 4. — " Then the steward said within himself,
What shall I do ? for my lord taketh away from me the
stewardship : I cannot dig ; to beg I am ashamed. T am
resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the
stewardship, they may receive me into their houses." The
worst features of the man's character are here disclosed.
What he resolves upon must be held in contrast with
other possibUities, which are passed over without any
sign of their having had a moment's reflection. To
attempt a defence is abandoned as hopeless. The facts
are as represented, and the culpability cannot be dis
puted. On the other hand, confession of his fault and
an admission of concern and grief are not to be thought
of. There is not enough manliness in the character of
the steward to suggest the adoption of such a course.
There is the falseness of the man who tries to carry his
head weU, even when his own inteUigence bears witness
to the wrong he has done. His carelessness in the
position of trust has had underneath it actual badness
of heart, which now becomes more clearly apparent
than formerly. The challenge of his lord finds him
ready for unscrupulous dishonesty. He has been con-

The Unfaithful Steward. 277
tent to see his lord suffering untold loss ; he himself
wiU not suffer if dishonesty can lay its hand on any of
the stored treasure, which for a day or two longer must
remain at his command. The moral aspect of the
crisis does not move him. He does not live amongst
those who talk much of " sin ;" nor does he mean to
seek his dweUing amongst people of that class. An
honest trader would be an intolerable trouble to him as
he is now placed. He is dishonest, and his hope now
is that others are dishonest likewise, and wUl co-operate
under conditions of seff-interest. Unfaithful steward
ship encourages dishonest trading. The longer such a
stewardship is continued the wider the man's responsi-
biUties become. There is a secret history of growing
dishonesty which finds an unexpected measure of its
progress when an opportunity offers for unusual gain.
What obUqueness of vision descries as " a good chance,"
a clear-sighted man wiU perceive to Ue on a pathway
sloping into a pitfall. " I am resolved what to do, that
. . . they may receive me into their houses." There is
nothing here to learn save warning — no healthy result
save by nourishing our disgust. Helplessness in face
of the demand for work — horror of poverty — content
ment with the meanest form of dependence on others —
are fit companions in a dishonest mind.
Verses 5-7. — " So he called every one of his lord's
debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much
owest thou unto my lord ? And he said, An hundred
measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill,
and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to
another, And how much owest thou ? And he said, An
hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him,
Take thy bill, and write fourscore." In his case resolu-

278 Wise Use of this World's Possessions.
tion was promptly followed by action. Circumstances
were pressing him, and thoughts of honesty were not
hampering him. Something may be learned of the
Saviour's observations concerning human conduct, when
in drawing such a picture as this He represents the
steward as calling " every one " of the debtors,1 and
does not suggest that any one was found to reject the
offer of a dishonourable escape from a share of his debts
by a fraud upon a rich creditor. His plan is unfolded,
and it works well, probably all the better because he
takes each man apart, and leaves him to keep his secret
as to the real condition of affairs. Dispensing present
gains to others at no cost to himself, he hopes to make
provision for the future. This last item he meanwhUe
keeps guardedly to himself. Partners in deception
easily practise on each other.
By a few rapid strokes the steward has put things as
well for himself as pen and ink can do, making a bargain
in dishonesty. For a hundred write fifty ; and, that
things may not appear too exactly even, in a second case
write eighty for a hundred. So the thing is managed,
and there is little risk that " my lord " wiU be able to
detect what has been so quietly and quickly arranged.
There is indeed some betrayal of concern in that word
" quickly :" " Sit down quickly and write." Dishonesty
occasions fear. The more protracted the course, the
greater the risk of detection. The blessedness of well
doing appears in this, that there is no need for agitating
haste. Where motive and act are right, privacy of
personal life may be preserved unhesitatingly as cir-
1 eva cmo-rov, — each one separately, in which phrase may lie
some confession of a dread of encountering a man making conscience
his guide.

The Unfaithful Steward. 2 79
cumstances require, but there is no place for hurried
concealment. "He that believeth shall not make haste "
(Isaiah xxviii. 16). Faith in justice and the God of
justice, faith in Divine providence, which cares even
for temporal need, speciaUy upholding man in integrity,
wiU deliver from the tremor which moves around the
heart where is the abode of untruthfulness.
Verse 8. — "And the lord commended the unjust
steward, because he had done wisely." The connection in
which this clause stands places it beyond question that
the lord of the steward is the person here intended.
It is clearly the same of whom the steward has spoken
(verse 3), " My lord taketh away from me the steward
ship," and (verse 5) " he called every one of his lord's
debtors." He it is who is now mentioned as com
mending the steward. The concealment which was so
needful, and which had occasioned all the haste during
the interviews,' had not secured its end. A general
reckoning of all things had to be submitted to the lord;
his suspicions had been awakened by what had been
told him ; his inquiries proved more searching than
had been expected ; and this last act of unfaithfulness
was detected. Yet when the discovery was made, the
displeasure felt at the preparation for further injury
was kept in subjection, while a first utterance expressed
admiration of a scheme so comprehensive as that which
had been promptly executed. The thing was well
done, though it had to be ranked among things dis
honest; but it altogether confirmed his lord in the
wisdom and justice of his decision that this man- could
be no longer steward. His lord was "a man of the
world," accustomed to the world's ways, and he com
mended his now discredited steward for the dexterous

280 Wise Use of this World's Possessions.
attempt he had made.1 The ground of commendation
is the quick forethought of the man, and the sagacity
shown in his scheme. His lord easily read its aim,
though the false-hearted debtors, blinded by self-
interest, may not have fully considered his purpose.
His lord saw that "he had done wisely."2. This is "wisely"
in a worldly sense, according to the current phraseology
of those who do not concern themselves with right
actions. It is ready foresight, taking advantage of an
opportunity which is for a day within reach. It is
such prudence as can live in company with sin. Still,
as prudence, it can have a share of commendation,
while the sin is condemned. Nevertheless, prudence
of this inferior order can Uve estranged from true
wisdom, and may have, as in this case, share in the
condemnation of sin, being entangled amidst the moral
evil with which it is associated. All was done by the
steward that dishonesty could accompUsh to escape the
direct consequences of past unfaithfulness; but the
blot of dishonesty Ues darkly upon the whole. In con
sequence, there is reckoning to be made in the future.
There is the risk of dispute among these fraudulent
debtors when the equivalent comes to be exacted. The
dismissed steward will have lost his vantage ground
when that dispute arises. Beyond aU this is the
prospect of being called to reckoning before God's
tribunal, where " every man must render account of the
1 iirrjvia-f, commended, as an intensifying of the root word
alvim, implies considerable laudation, and may carry the sense of a
somewhat boisterous applause, such as may be indulged in by
admirers of the tricks of dishonesty.
2 4>pov!.fiws, prudently, — not <ro(pa>s, — not with an exercise of true
wisdom, resulting from a rational self-guidance, but purely from
self-interest, — a prudence which provides for an emergency by
means within reach.

The Unfaithf til Steward. 281
deeds done in the body." But such a man as this does
not run so far forward in thought. He has a perverse
rendering of the maxim, " Sufficient unto the day is
the evil thereof." Neither the steward nor his lord
is troubled with thoughts which include death and
judgment among human anticipations ; the leaving
behind of what we cannot carry hence, and the carry
ing with us what cannot be left behind.
" For the children of this world are in their generation
wiser than the children of light." At this point the
parable itseU is closed. We pass into a region of
general instruction and warning. We pass the limits
of commendation, and come upon the sharp edges of
censure. Jesus gives the explanation of praise from
the lips of a man who had run the risk of heavier loss
by the treachery of one whom he had made guardian
over his goods. His lord- had commended his steward,
because the children of this world are stricter in their
calculations of personal gain than are the children of
God's kingdom. To worldly men, worldly things are
all in aU ; to Christian men, worldly things have worth,
but only a passing worth ; to them, spiritual things are
aU in aU, yet even in these Christian men are not equal
to the worldly in calculations of gain.
The manner in which this is stated involves striking
contrasts. "The children of this world" are set in
contrast with " the chUdren of light ; " and the pruden
tial regard to self-interest in the one class, is set over
against that of the other, concern for this present time,
standing in contrast with the concern of Christians for
the things of the world to come. 1. " The children of
this world" are distinguished from "the children of
light." Those who stand in contrast to the disciples of

282 Wise Use of this World's Possessions.
the Eedeemer are children of this world, having their
interests concentrated on its property, and their efforts
directed towards its rewards. Material substance they
see clearly, and value at its full worth. But to them
spiritual things are invisible and unvalued. They
exist in an unseen region, — a region of darkness, — and
these are counted as of no value, or, more properly,
fail to be taken into account. In this respect the
children of this world are by implication chUdren of
darkness. By contrast, the spiritually discerned are
"children of light," seeing things which are invisible,
valuing them as reaUties ; not only including them
in all their calculations, but assigning to them the
chief place in their regard. Eange of vision marks
au immense contrast between the two classes of men.
This is made conspicuous by the phrase employed.1
Their vision and efforts, their prospects and rewards,
are circumscribed by this period of duration. The
children of light embrace the period beyond as the
more important and enduring. This contrast presents
Christ's condemnation of the worldly. 2. The men of
this world are quicker and more penetrating in their
reckoning of personal interest within their single sphere,
than are the children of light in reckoning their interests
as included within both present and future. Eegard to
personal good hereafter is a legitimate and important
motive for life. It has in it no selfishness, but rightly
used, will carry with it the good of others as a natural
complement. And it has within it an impelUng power
to be carefully utilised, as contributing at once towards
the activity and influence of Christian Ufe. Worldly
1 oi vloi tov alavos tovtov, — the children of this age, or of this
present time, rather than this present world.

The Unfaithful Steward. 283
men see this as concerning worldly things more clearly
than spiritual men do as concerning the spiritual uses
of temporal things. The defect of the latter appears in
overlooking too readUy the bearing upon interests
awaiting them in a future age of material things
which belong only to this age. Though they are
children of Ught, seeing the things both of the present
and of the time to come, they are apt to separate the
two orders of things. They fall into the mistake of
regarding the things of this life as if they were for this
life only, too much overlooking the continuity of life,
the unity of the present and the future, and the cer
tainty that the use made of the things of this world will
affect individual experience in the next. This is
Christ's condemnation of " the children of light." To
guard them against this risk the present parable was
spoken. For worldly men the calculations of self-
interest are kept within narrower compass, whUe the
worldly are commonly stimulated by pressing demands.
They narrow down their calculations "to their own
generation." The chUdren of light must take eternity
with time in their reckonings, dealing with a vastly
larger question. In this they have unspeakable advan
tages. Their reckonings are not hampered by appre
hensions such as beset the man whose calculations are
disturbed by sense of wrong-doing, as well as the
uncertainties of this Ufe. They have, besides, a mind
aided by aU the training of the Divine Spirit. With
all these advantages, however, they have to guard
against the risks belonging to them as sojourners in a
world of sense, for they are as liable as others to the
influence of its allurements, and they have even greater
need for discrimination and forethought. Marking

284 Wise Use of this World's Possessions.
their dangers, they may learn a lesson from worldly
men in their eager, calculating, and often unscrupulous
efforts to make gain. The foUowers of Jesus are prone
to act often as if they did not see the things to which
He points their attention ; or, seeing them, neglected
to assign a due place to them in their calculations.
The richness of Divine grace is apt to afford cover
to inadequacy of thought even in Christian minds,
when not braced for a clear estimate of present duty.
Because all spiritual good has been provided by God's
grace, they are tempted to overlook the law which
assigns future rewards according to present service.
Thus with partial and distorted views of the order
existing in the Kingdom of Grace, they lay themselves
open to the aUurements of sense, often using the things
of this world as if they concerned this world alone, and
as if their use could not affect the experience awaiting
the foUowers of Jesus in the world to come. " The
children of this world are in their generation wiser."
Verse 9. — "And I say unto you, Make to yourselves
friends of the mammon of unrighteousness ; that, when ye
fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations!'
"And I say unto you." We now come into the clear
light of our Lord's application. For a time detained
among the dishonest actions and current expressions of
men caring only for the things of this world, we have
had a sense of the discomfort of contemplating selfish
ness and dishonesty, exposed by the hand of the
Master drawing aside the thin veil of concealment.
We have also seen how, in the midst of the dishonest
transactions, there are powers at work capable of being
directed to better purpose. Now we see our Saviour
moving as judge in the midst of all this, condemning

The Unfaithful Steward. 285
the evU, and caUing npon His disciples to seek mastery
over it, whUe they advance in the service of God by a
wise use of those powers found working even in the
Ufe of ungodly men.
" Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of
unrighteousness!' There is a making of friends for
ourselves, by use of earthly substance, which may be
Ulustrated by the conduct of this steward, but which
rises far above all friendships having their source in
joint interests of a temporal kind. What our Lord
counsels is use of earthly substance with a view to
results to be reaped beyond this world — rewards belong
ing to the certainties of the future state. The relation
ships of the chUdren of Ught are not for this Ufe only,
they shaU continue through the ages beyond ; and the
manner in which present work interweaves the threads
of sympathy will so far determine the manner in which
the glorified wUl regard each other in a world where
their work shaU be continued under other and more
favourable conditions, yet never apart from the cherished
memories of earthly experience. Eiches in the hands
of the foUowers of Jesus should, therefore, find a place
as instruments of usefulness, performing a part suitable
to a Christian ideal of continuity of life here and
hereafter. This so-caUed "wealth," appropriating to
itseU the name, as if it were the essence of human
weal, — personified as mammon, — is so exclusively a
thing of this world, and so much concerned in its
evU, that it may be named "the mammon of un
righteousness."1 It does not need riches to make a
1 Not " the unrighteous mammon," or at least only as personified.
For the evil, as our Lord by the parable clearly implies, is not in
the riches, but in the mode of their use.

286 Wise Use of this World's Possessions.
man wicked ; but wealth in the hands of the righteous
should prove treasure indeed. The source of the evU
is so little in wealth itself, that it may be used as the
instrument for good, and this is its higher use in the
hands of the believer who lives not only for this world,
but for the next also, and lives in this world with an
intelligent appreciation of what shall go out of this
world into the next, bearing marks of what has been
achieved here. Under the laws of God's kingdom,
personal interest so blends with the interests of others
that material substance may construct a pathway for
frequent recognition of a community of interests. AU
worldly possessions Christians are counseUed to use
not for mere self-interest, — certainly not at aU for
selfish ends, subverting the interests of others, — but as
instruments in the hands of Christian love. This law
applies to all forms and measures of earthly substance,
to stores of treasure, and to " a cup of cold water" which
may refresh the weary; for the maxims of the Christian
Ufe are not narrow and one-sided, applying only to
great things and not to Uttle, — only to rich men and not
to poor. The poor have as large a share in this lofty
counsel of their Saviour as the rich. It affords spiritual
stimulus alike to master, steward, and labourer. Nor are
the workings of Christian love restricted to great occa
sions, for they are felt in all the manifold meeting times
of daily life. Our Lord walks in the midst of the
communities of interests within His kingdom, saying
to His disciples on the one hand and on the other :
" Make friends," mature friendships of eternal duration
and worth, remembering that even the mammon of
unrighteousness can bear fruit in the next world.
Help to the needy, cheer to the weary, support to the

o

The Unfaithful Steward. 287
failing, — all will be remembered after earthly bonds have
been snapped asunder. It shall be well with the man
who makes many friends among " the household of
faith." Such friends may depart from the earth a long
time before those who have befriended them, but when
their benefactors pass away, finding earthly substance
and bodUy strength fail together, they shall have a glad
welcome into everlasting habitations. " The days of
the years of our pilgrimage" on the earth may seem
" few and evil," but beyond the boundaries of this
visible state the Christian shall be received into habi
tations for the ages immeasurable.1 In that region
beyond the present he shall find that the streams of
friendship which flowed in the lower region have not
been lost in the sands of time, but are flowing from
perennial fountains in heaven. There is a fellowship
of Ufe in the next world as in this; a continuity of
influence passes from the one to the other, compacting
the bonds of friendship through immeasurable ages.
In view of this grand truth, we act wisely if, remem
bering that our continued occupancy of our steward
ship is uncertain, we make good use of our substance,
thereby multiplying and strengthening the ties of
Christian friendship.
Verse 10. — " He that is faithful in that which is least,
is faithful also in much : and he that is unjust in the
least, is unjust also in much." If that use of temporal
substance here commended to the disciples is the
highest wisdom, it is at the same time, in the strictest
sense, faithfulness to God. Here appears in full the
explanation of our Lord's reference to the steward as
one whose position carries instruction to the Christian ;
1 eis ras alaviovs o-Krjvds.

288 Wise Use of this World's Possessions.
and here also comes into view the reason for selection
of an unfaithful steward. Our holding of temporal
substance is a form of stewardship not for personal
ends merely, — not for purposes of self-indulgence has
God bestowed substance on His people, but for the
furtherance of His own ends in view of our social rela
tions. His people are stewards to Him, — holding what
they possess for attainment of the great ends con
templated by His love. Stewardship holds true of all
temporal substance, whether it be much or little. He
gives that they may live, and that they may have to
give. The great Giver would have all His people
share in the joy of giving, and deUght in the promise
of future return from what is freely given. Not large
givers only, but constant givers, may share in future
rewards for use of substance here. But here there
must be wisdom. Nothing of careless neglect of op
portunities for increase or distribution must there be,
if the Christian would be faithful to his Lord ; nothing
of waste, that there may be nothing of want ; nothing
of stinting where there is power to bless, but " a liberal
heart devising liberal things."
So great, however, is the difference in the liberty
which the Lord of the universe gives to the stewards of
His substance, in comparison with that which an earthly
lord allows to his most trusted steward, that it needs
the unfaithfulness of the earthly steward to illustrate
what is essential to faithfulness in the steward of the
heavenly King. Such proprietary rights does God assign
to those whom He makes stewards in His kingdom, that
aU they hold during His good pleasure is theirs to use
according to their own determination. In this lies the
sure test of their faithfulness. How far they are stewards

The Unfaithful Stezvard. 289
indeed ; how far their whole purpose is set on attain
ing God's ends in the world, will appear even in the
use they make of worldly property. Such property is
" the least " among all the possessions which God has
bestowed ; whether it> be much or little, these are but
varying quantities among the things which are least
in God's kingdom ; nevertheless, the real test of Chris
tian faithfulness is found in the account to be made
of that which is the smallest of all. This wiU discover
how far Christian motive has encompassed the whole
activity of Ufe. He that is faithful in those lower
levels where earthly substance is gathered and ex
pended, wUl be faithful in the higher walks of Chris
tian life, where nobler possessions are put to use. The
grander conceptions and motives of Christianity must
descend for the control of the least things, in order to
reveal the essential greatness of a faithful life. But he
who is unfaithful to God in temporal substance, — he
who aUows it to allure him to self-indulgence, and,
craving that, becomes unwilling to scatter his posses
sions for benefit of his feUows and accomplishment of
Divine ends, — wUl prove unfaithful in the higher
service of God's kingdom. He will not take full
possession of the precious stores of Divine truth, he
wiU not sound the depths of Christian joy, scale the
heights of Christian attainment, or approach a full-
hearted devotion to God's service on the earth. "He
that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much."
Only the man who is faithful in his stewardship to God,
can change the " mammon of unrighteousness " — money,
the miser's god, the spendthrift's curse — into the coin
of God's kingdom, and so put it to use, that all around
shall be blessed, specially they who are of the house-

290 Wise Use of this Worlds Possessions.
hold of faith, afterwards receiving to himself a rich
reward. From such a steward, God, the Lord of all,
shall receive His own, — not in the mammon of un
righteousness, but in the spiritual life and fellowship of
those who have been stewards of temporal good, and
are now servants together in the glory of the heavenly
land. Finally here, the history of God's kingdom, governed
by the laws now described, is continuous on the earth.
The possessions from which the steward has been
separated are not lost, but left in the world to which
they belong. There they remain to be intrusted to
another steward, to be the test of faithfulness in a
younger servant who shall be intrusted with them;
and to be the means of ministering help to many more,
cherishing fresh Christian affection and preparing for
later welcomes into everlasting habitations.

CHAPTEE XXI
work and wages in god's service.
the labourers in the vineyard.
Matthew xx. 1-16.
God's service in this world is further iUustrated
by the parable of the Labourers. His service is con
tinuous, involving daily employment of workers, with
all the experience belonging to labour, encouragement
and reward for service ; and not without its forms of
discouragement and discontent. All these are now to
find iUustration in a parable bringing together within
short compass many of the features of God's service in
this world.1
For interpretation of this parable it is of special
importance to study the connection in which it is
recorded, and in which obviously it was uttered. A
1 The parable of the Labourers has called forth very varied
interpretations. It would occupy too much space to enter upon
their criticism. They have been ably discussed by Trench, Notes
on the Parables, p. 162. To determine the interpretation by argu
ing the question whether the " penny " can represent eternal life,
as Stier has done, is not the best course, yet Alford seems to me
still more unfortunate in his criticism of Stier. This parable has
in our day been unwisely imported into the discussions of political
economy, mainly on account of Mr. Buskin's use of it under
the title, Unto this Last. 291

292 Work and Wages in God's Service.
brief outline will suffice for the whole facts. A young
man came publicly to the Saviour with the question,
" Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may
inherit eternal life?" He seems to have been moved
by the teaching of Jesus. Under its influence, his
imagination had been fired by the thought of per
forming some prominent work, some outstanding
pre-eminently " good thing," on account of which he
might receive eternal life. The mistaken fancy came
from an enthusiastic nature, favoured by the deluding
influence of high position and great wealth. He is
first referred to the common test of all right conduct
for man, the moral law. This seems to him quite
commonplace, not meeting the requirements of a lofty
spirit. Some one good thing he longs to have indicated
which will distinguish him among men. Jesus at
once puts to proof his capacity for lofty deeds, by
testing his readiness for sacrifice. " Go and sell that
thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven." Here is something rising quite
above common requirements, and which will prove his
heroic spirit. The result shows how wide is the
difference between ambition to do some " good thing,"
and complete devotion of heart to God. "He went
away sorrowful : for he had great possessions." Sight
of his sudden departure led to the solemn utterance,
" VerUy I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly
enter into the kingdom of heaven." Into this kingdom
of God which Christ is organising in the earth — the
kingdom of heaven in the midst of this world — a rich
man enters with difficulty. Entrance is effected only
by penitence, faith in the Eedeemer, and entire self-
consecration. The rich man, to whom his wealth is

The Labourers in the Vineyard. 293
his real distinction in this world, has special difficulties
in yielding up to God himself and all that he has. It
is a hard thing to account giving for God's sake the
very joy of his Ufe. The line of Divine grace does not,
however, exclude rich men, but running its course
amongst the rich, includes many of them, that which
is hard to man being easy with God.
The apostle Peter hearing this text applied to the
young man, and meditating on the promise of treasure
in heaven, refers to the surrender and devotion of
his feUow-apostles and himseU. They had surrendered
work and wages to foUow Jesus, and had left their
famiUes behind for His sake. What should they have ?
To this the Saviour answers distinctly, with assurance
of honour and influence in the world to come, a hun
dredfold for aU that they had sacrificed, and everlasting
life. Eeward for all that they have done and endured ;
and, what is more than aU rewards, everlasting life in
perfect harmony with God, which is the gift of His
grace. " But," adds our Lord, " many that are first
shaU be last, and the last shall be first." The first
in their opportunities shaU not be found in the front
rank for achievements. Many that were last in their
advantages shaU stand first in actual deeds, and,
accordingly, first in Divine favour. When compari
sons can be truly made, it will often appear that the
wealth of this world and the treasure of heaven have
faUen into different hands.
These are the lines of thought which, in accordance
with the introductory particle "for," are leading into
the representation of God's kingdom in this world as a
vineyard with its day labourers. " Many first shall be
last, and last first ;" for the kingdom of heaven is like

294 Work and Wages in God's Service.
a vineyard whose owner is engaging labourers at all
hours of the day.
Verse 1. — " For 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."
The description of the owner is in keeping with that
given of the Lord of the unjust steward — "a certain
rich man." What, however, in that parable had only
incidental reference, in this receives distinct mention.
He is an householder. And yet this fact is not made
conspicuous. The family circle does not come into
view, nor even the famUy interests, save as these are
connected with the vineyard and its fruitfulness. The
householder is one concerned as to the fruitfulness of
his vineyard, and in need of labourers. Ownership of
the vineyard thus gives a position of influence over
others, but there is also in some sense dependence for
the work to be done in order that the productiveness of
the vineyard may be utilised. Accordingly, the owner
goes out to the market-place early in the morning — just
before six o'clock, when such work was commonly
begun for the day, and when the labourers of the
district were gathering to offer themselves for engage
ment. Such is in this case our Lord's representation of His
Father's relation to the spiritual kingdom. He is
owner of all, and to Him all the fruit of the vineyard
must belong ; but He is in a sense dependent on the
instrumentality of His servants for the results.. He
has ordered things so that it is largely by human
agency the prosperity of the kingdom is to be attained.
The primary requisites are vines of a good stock, pro
ductiveness of soil, and the favouring influences of

The Labourers in the Vineyard. 295
heaven — the sunshine and the rain. But planting the
young vines, cultivating the soil, tending the fruit-
bearing trees, and wisely using the pruning-knife, are
all needful, that the clusters may be gathered in due
season. God appears in His universe as an owner
hiring labourers for His vineyard.
Verse 2. — " And when he had agreed with the labourers
for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard!'
The householder described, immediately when he
came to the market-place, found a band of labourers
waiting to be employed, and with them he quickly
concluded a bargain. In view of what follows as to
successive engagements of different bands of workers,
it is essential to the understanding of the story that
we remark the eagerness of these men for work. The
reference to the time, " early in the morning," impUes
that the owner was himself a man of energy, seeking a
full day's work, and who was therefore in the market
place some time before six o'clock, when work should
be starting. These men were also early there, as eager
to be engaged as he was to employ labourers. They
were beforehand, on the outlook for what might offer,
and anxious to make the best bargain they could.
They soon agreed as to terms, — a penny a day, about
8|d. of our money, which was at the time a liberal wage,
according to the price of labour in the market. That
sum they promptly agreed to ; and forthwith he sent
them into his vineyard, to enter upon their clay's work.
The interpretation of the parable as a whole depends
upon full value being given to the representation of this
first engagement. The description completely disposes
of the supposition, resorted to by some interpreters,
that the labourers first engaged were less active than

296 Work and Wages in God's Service.
those who entered the vineyard later. There is not in
this early portion of the record any key to the equal
distribution of wages at the close of the day. The
opening statement implies that the men first set to
work were men of energy, men who sought good wages,
and could obtain them.
The representation of GoaVs call for service in His
spiritual kingdom is a very striking one. The market
place puts before us the solemn fact, quite readily over
looked by us, that the God of the universe approaches
men, seeking to enter into an agreement with them, and
offering ample wages for their work. In this, Jesus
comes to the basis of moral government, always clearly
recognised as underlying the whole conception of the
Kingdom of Grace. Everywhere there is individual
choice and responsibility. God comes into the labour
market with a general demand, according to the require
ments of His kingdom. The conditions involved are
those of voluntary contract. Looking next at the
matter from the point of view occupied by men, we
must recognise that all men, by the necessity of their
nature, appear in the labour market. To say that all
are seeking reward for their effort, is only in another
way to say that by their constitution all men seek
satisfaction as the fruit of their labours. In an
obvious sense all men bargain for wages. This is a
common law of life, having illustration along the whole
line of physical, intellectual, and spiritual activities.
This is divinely- appointed law. When, therefore, God
comes to men with a call for service within His spiritual
kingdom — His vineyard in the earth, — He meets men as
workers who reasonably, and on the deepest moral
grounds, expect reward for their toil, and to whom on

The Labourers in the Vineyard. 297
these very grounds, and on no other, He offers liberal
wages. This offer is here treated as a common illus
tration of the principle of justice. If God asks
spiritual service of those who are spiritually-minded,
He promises spiritual reward.
He agreed with the labourers for a penny a day. It
is worthy of remark that the word selected by our Lord
to indicate the completion of the bargain applies to
verbal agreement, as is natural in the circumstances.
Some moral significance may be found in this. The
word employed is that from which our word symphony
comes — a harmony of sounds ; and in this way verbal
agreement stands in contrast not merely with written
agreement, but also with a full and hearty understand
ing. They agreed in words, but there was not enough
to show that these labourers were thoroughly in
harmony with the master into whose service they were
entering. They were eager to be engaged, and satisfied
with the promised reward. The language of the
Saviour, however, leaves room for the possibility of
misunderstanding, which actually appeared at the close
of the day. Thus He indicates His expectation of dis
content and murmuring as inevitable tokens of the
imperfect phase of religious Ufe in the vineyard of the
Lord in this world.
This brings us to consider the promised reward.
Daily work with daUy pay affords the chosen Ulustra
tion. The spiritual significance wiU appear by careful
combination of the different aspects of the Ulustrative
case. That the work referred to is that done in this
life, in the interests of God's kingdom as existing in this
sinful world, admits of no doubt. The work brought
under notice is a day's work, and the pay is that

298 Work and Wages in God's Service.
given for such service. There is nothing to represent a
life-long service. There is deliberate selection of the
very narrowest engagement common among men. By
implication the work done in course of the day for
which the wages are paid at its close, must be resumed
on the morrow, and by the same necessity these
labourers will be in the market next morning to seek
work and pay as before. The analogy suggests a
limited portion of the Christian's work in the service of
God, and a measure of reward proportioned to what has
been accomplished. That which has been done is only
a little of what is to be undertaken. Daily work for
God brings with it daily rewards. The reward does
not tarry. It is not accumulated, to be handed over on
some distant day in one sum. Daily wages present
the best illustration of the law of rewards uniformly
acted upon in God's kingdom. The man who has been
in God's vineyard doing God's work, does not close a
single day's work without being able to reckon up the
gain which he has earned, and which God has paid.
We must not be misled here by the personal interview
between employer and labourer, so as to suggest man's
appearance before God for rendering account of the deeds
done in the body. The personal interview means no
more at the close of the day than at the beginning of it.
The engagement is in the market-place, and the pay
ment is in the vineyard. The aUusions as to place are
against any transference to another scene for receiving
the promised pay. Every man who works in God's
service not only accomplishes appreciable results in
the vineyard, doing much which provides for a richer
harvest of fruit to be gathered from it, but there
is a clear gain in personal attainment as the result.

The Labourers in the Vineyard. 299
This is the daily divinely-given reward, appearing
in the increase of Christian strength, the sense of
the Divine favour, and the growing influence obtained
amongst those with whom we are associated in the
service. In view of this last, introducing human rela
tions and rivalries, we can foresee the risk, and even
the certainty of murmuring, such as our Lord hereafter
describes. That the day's wage cannot be taken to represent ever
lasting life seems clear on many accounts. The depart
ment of instruction is distinct from this. Neither is
the beginning of spiritual life brought before us, nor
its transference to a higher sphere, nor the accumulated
results of the service rendered in the lower. All these
seem excluded by the nature of the statements, and by
the relation in which they stand. The context, so far
as it guides interpretation, does not suggest it. The
young man whose inquiry had turned the discourse in
the present direction had departed very sorrowfully,
but with opportunity for returning in a better frame of
mind on some later day. There is, indeed, reference in
his case to reward in heaven, reappearing also in our
Lord's reply to Peter's inquiry. There is a glance for
ward to the time " when the Son of man shall sit on the
throne of his glory." But in both cases this reference
comes in as an adjunct, reminding the true servant of
God that he is more than a day labourer receiving only
daily reward for his toil. He stands in such relation
to God that he shall be present when computation is
made of the fruit gathered from the vineyard, and each
one shall then have acknowledgment according to the
accumulated result of his labours. In connection with
these references to a future state, two things must be

300 Work and Wages in God's Service.
considered — First, Our Lord distinguishes between the
rewards for self-denying service and the gift of ever
lasting life as a common inheritance for believers :
" Every one shall receive an hundred-fold, and shall
inherit everlasting life."1 It is not Scriptural doctrine
that everlasting life is a reward for labour. By faith in
the Saviour we inherit everlasting life. But the man
who surrenders much for the sake of Jesus, and toils
unweariedly in His service, will not enter into the
heavenly life empty-handed, but wUl receive an
hundred-fold. All this is definitely taught in later
parables. Second, Our Lord here concentrates attention
on the thought that it is not always those who enter
earliest on service, and have the best opportunities, who
will stand first in the distribution. From this thought
He proceeds in the parable to show that this may be
recognised even by observation of the service of earth
as it proceeds.
The structure of the parable itself is also adverse to
the view that the penny represents everlasting Ufe. The
selection of the vineyard as the scene of labour suggests
divinely-implanted life in the vines, yielding fruit unto
God. A day's wage may fitly Ulustrate present reward
among Christians, but it would feebly represent the
value of everlasting life. When, besides, we consider the
jealousy and complaint occasioned \>y the distribution
of the wages at the close of the day, it becomes obvious
how impossible it would be to find any interpretation
for such occurrences before the judgment-seat of God.
On all these grounds, the double conclusion is warranted
1 The words employed indicate a, marked contrast, — \ay.Sava>
signifying not only to receive, but to claim, as of a thing acquired
by toil ; KK^povofiea, to acquire by lot, or inherit, a form of
acquisition which is not brought about by personal effort.

The Labourers in the Vineyard. 301
that Jesus is not here speaking of the gift of everlast
ing life, and is not referring to the distribution of
rewards in the Heavenly State.
Verses 3, 4. — " 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."
Successive engagements of large bands of labourers
in course of a day suggest vast size of the vineyard,
and large resources in possession of the owner. In
this way there is indicated the wide range of the
spiritual kingdom, and the continual demand for labour
which God makes. All disciples who are disposed for
work can readily find engagement. The call is ever
being repeated, and fresh relays of workers are con
stantly joining those who are already engaged. There
is not at each stage an explicit statement as to amount
of wages. The law of reward applies uniformly — the
Lord of the kingdom may be trusted for bestowing that
which is just — and in the hearts of true servants going
into the vineyard at His call there is willingness to
trust in the simple assurance of His word. The calcu
lating spirit is not characteristic of those who offer
themselves for service at Christ's call. The absence of
this is conspicuous, making the want of a definite pledge
quite suitable for meeting the peculiarities of spiritual
life. Nevertheless, in common with all work, spiritual
service has its appropriate reward, which the servant of
God rightly anticipates, and which God freely promises.
" Whatsoever is right I will give you." This is the pro
mise of the owner. And under such promise it is that
our Lord gives encouragement to His disciples. What
soever is just that will He give, and in this assurance

302 Work and Wages in God's Service.
His people gladly rest, daily finding in it stimulus
for their work.
Verses 5-7. — "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 what
soever is right, that shall ye receive."
This return time after time to the market-place is
our Saviour's representation of the continual demand
His Father makes for the service of His disciples. He
has offered life to men, calling them to Him in faith,
that He may bestow upon them this blessing. But
He also calls for work, and repeats this call all the
day long. Many there are who heed not, and rather
labour in the service of another. In whatever way His
demand be treated He repeats it continually, and as
regularly finds some ready to respond. We have thus
before ns a view of the ceaseless activity for spiritual
good which Divine grace has introduced into the
world. The demand which began with our Saviour's
call, " Follow me," is repeated not only age by age, but
day by day, " Go ye also into the vineyard ; and what
soever is right, that shall ye receive." A willing spirit
has appeared throughout the ages which have passed.
The vineyard of God has not been left without its
labourers ; the recurring demand ever secures a number
of additional workers. There is a blessing for each
believer, and a service also ; there is union in the
service, for the workers go in bands to their labour ;
and there is variety of work to do, according to the
daily requirements within the vineyard. Individual

The Labourers in the Vineyard. 30

0WJ

service is a law within Christ's kingdom, implying
divinely-appointed work for each one.
The diversity of time at which different bands enter
the vineyard needs attention. Eepeated engagements
throughout a single day afford the illustration under
which a large variety of incident and responsibility is
included. There is with God continuity of demand,
and as a consequence additions are always made to
the band of workers. This fact, however, introduces a
contrast between work and idleness. WhUe some are
working, others are standing unemployed. It must,
however, be observed that the question, "Why stand
ye idle?" is addressed only to those who are found in
the market-place towards the close of the day. In
their case a response is forthcoming, which, in the
cUcumstances, is accepted, placing their conduct under
the description of constrained inaction and not wilful
idleness. But nothing of this kind is said at the
earlier hours of the day, and in this silence space is
aUowed for large diversity in personal responsibility
connected with response to God's call for work.
That caU becomes in some measure a test for each
Christian, as the caU to faith is a test of every un
believer. Idleness in a Christian is an offence to the
Lord of the vineyard. Exculpation there can be only
if opportunity for work has not been offered.
The response which is heard from the workers
engaged at the eleventh hour, " Because no man hath
hired us," is our Lord's acknowledgment of a possible
absence of responsibUity in the circumstances. There
may be men whose entrance on God's service is long
delayed because His direct call to such service had not
reached them, and they had not known till the day of

304 Work and Wages in God's Service.
work was far spent how truly He required their service,
and how willing He was to have it. " On some have
compassion, making a difference," is one of the maxims
given us for our judgment of others ; and the Lord
Himself finds scope for application of this rule. Some
are absent from service because they know not when
the Lord of the vineyard is in search of labourers.
The Lord will have regard to this in His judgment of
inactivity. What here appears under the form of time,
includes all that may be considered under the name
of opportunity. Diversity in the measure of service
rendered to God may occur without personal responsi
bility such as would involve Divine condemnation. The
essential and uniform test for all is this, — readiness to
respond to the caU as it reaches them. That caU is
involved in the very nature of Bible teaching, but there
may yet be many without responsibility because they
lack a direct call to a special sphere. Opportunity
is variously determined for those who are at God's
call, and eager to be engaged in His service. In vary
ing circumstances opportunities offer themselves, and
according to these is the demand which God makes
on His people. The nature and number of such
opportunities are according to the position in which
the disciples of Jesus are placed, as well as the form
of ability they possess ; and the Lord, who is judge,
will make just reckoning of want of a field for work,
as well as of opportunity afforded, and of actual service
rendered. On these grounds there is scope under
government of the kingdom of grace for great diversity
of tests, and for much greater equaUty of rewards than
mere outward aspects of work may enable observers to
anticipate.

The Labourers in the Vineyard. 305
Verses 8, 9. — " 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 which were hired about the eleventh
hour, they received every man a penny."
According to the structure of the story, the close of
the day's work was the time for payment of wages.
The work and the pay are actuaUy connected, so that
no labourer ceases his work and returns to his home
without carrying also the fruit of his toil. The result
of the work done may be seen in the vineyard, but the
fruit of it will be gathered by the owner only on some
distant day when the clusters ripen. The labourer, how
ever, does not thus tarry for his reward. Accordingly
the owner issued instructions to his steward that the
wages should be paid. Having a purpose in view, he
orders that payment begin from the last to the first. Our
Lord clearly gives this turn to the story to suit the end
He had in view in utterance of the parable. Those who
had been at work merely for the closing hour of the
day came, and instead of receiving only a fraction of the
day's wage, they each received pay as if for a day's
work. The lord of the vineyard had said, " What
soever is just I will give you." Under that promise
they might have received much less. But he exercises
generosity in their case, and gives them under name of
wages more than they had earned, — a wage as good
as if they had toUed aU the day long. These labourers
had an unexpected reward, and departed with joy,
telling their feUow-workers as they went that they
had received the fuU day's pay.
The introduction of the steward when pay is made
is natural in the case, but specially suggestive in inter-
u

306 Work and Wages in God's Service.
pretation. God, as possessor of all, ruling in all the
affairs of the spiritual kingdom, has His representative
among the workers, who receives the labourers under
the terms arranged, and distributes the rewards granted
to them. There is, indeed, a subordinate sense in
which every worker in the vineyard is a steward under
God, as has been suggested in the previous parable.
But there is one who is God's representative in the
world, having authority directly from Him and extend
ing over all the workers. This personal allusion Jesus
inserts, and leaves His hearers to interpret.
Those labouring only one hour received full day's
wage. This first act of payment, when taken with the
succeeding acts of the same kind, clearly turns our
thoughts to concurrent rewards in the Christian Ufe,
— rewards connected with service, not accumulated
rewards bestowed after long and varied service. It is
not, indeed, unwarrantable to suggest that the whole
Christian life may be represented as a day, its entire
labours as the work of a day, and its rewards as those
blessings bestowed when the earthly Ufe has ended.
But the structure of the parable seems much better to
harmonise with a more restricted view, not indeed such
as would shut us up to regard the day as a literal day,
but any limited portion of time in which a body of
Christians are united in a common service. Whenever
God in His providence may be described as going forth
to call men to a special service in His kingdom, that is
a time to which the parable obviously applies. Then
also there is special risk of jealousies among His ser
vants ; and against such jealousies Jesus here leaves a
specially solemn warning.
Frequently under the providence of the God of Grace

The Labourers in the Vineyard. 307
there are unexpected rewards for comparatively brief
service. The disciples of Christ being often witnesses
to such events, are here taught to expect them, and
to rejoice with all who rejoice in receiving tokens
of the Divine bountifulness. The apostles them
selves were to have experience of such things, as when
Stephen, the man " fuU of the Holy Ghost," had special
tokens of Divine favour in his service ; and Saul of
Tarsus, appearing strangely among the disciples of
Jesus as " one born out of due time," was at once laden
with special honours. Such things are common in the
history of God's kingdom, and 'apt to awaken astonish
ment. They are not easily explained except by the
sovereign disposal and bountifulness of our God, and
are always fuU of testing for those who are startled by
them, — not only for such as are surprised in. witnessing
them, but specially for those feeling themselves placed
at a disadvantage by their occurrence. The dangers of
pride and jealousy are real dangers within the Christian
Church. Verses 10-12. — "But when the first came, they sup
posed that they should have received more ; and they
likewise received every man a penny. And when they
had received it, they murmured against tlu goodman 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."
The day closed in discontent. Those labourers
formerly to be commended because of having been
early in the market-place on the outlook for employ
ment, and who had readily accepted engagement on the
pay named, were now dissatisfied with that pay when
it was put into their hands. It was, indeed, strictly in

308 Work and Wages in God's Service.
accordance with the bargain made with them ; and had
they simply done their work and received their pay,
they would have been satisfied, going forth contentedly
from the vineyard, and taking their course towards
their homes and families with a cheerful heart. But
they had seen others coming lagging behind to join in
their work ; the last had not come tUl the afternoon
was well spent ; and they who had been toiUng from
early morning had been gathered around to see the last
comers paid the full day's wage. The circumstances
were undoubtedly trying, and things had been deUber-
ately arranged in such a way as to make them rather
exasperating. Had they been first paid, and allowed to
go, there might have been no trial in the case. But
to witness the full pay given to the last who had
come, and to wait on all the while, thereafter receiving
only what the others had got, was an unexpected test.
What they had witnessed had afforded quite reasonable
ground for hoping that they might have more than
the promised wage. This did not indeed amount to a
claim in justice. But it was a reasonable expectation
they cherished, when " they supposed that they should
have received more." If their employer meant to show
a spirit of generosity on the occasion, it was at least
probable that he would allow it to guide him in his
dealings with the whole of the labourers for the day.
The, result, however, proved that the expectation was
not well founded. He gave full day's wage to those who
came late, but gave only according to his agreement
in the case of those who had been at work from early
morning. He was bountiful in the one case, and not
niggardly in the other, though viewing it by contrast
some might feel disposed so to describe his conduct.

The Labourers in the Vineyard. 309
He was in the case of all strictly faithful to the contract.
It does not appear that he made any explanations
of the reason he had for acting as he did. It was his
own good pleasure to give the day's pay to all, and no
one could have a right to object. In so far as any
thing in the previous narrative helps to an explanation,
it is found in the expression of disappointment and
trial which came from those last engaged : " No man
hath hired us." Their want of employment had been
occasioned by no fault of theirs ; it had been a cause of
sadness of heart, — a trial to them all the day long, — as
they thought of the wants of their families, and saw the
day passing on, and the hope of a day's wage slowly dying
out. Over against the bearing of " the burden and heat
of the day " the owner sets the burden of disappoint
ment and the weary vexation of the day. This is the
explanation which stands before us as accounting for
a course somewhat singular. The owner is one who
thinks of the private sorrows as well as joys of his
workers ; and wherever he sees a cloud settling, he
directs thither some token of generosity, gleaming like
a streak of sunshine through the gloom.
Often in God's government such occurrences are
found. We must not mix up with such cases the trials
of those withdrawn from active service under weaknes.
or disease. The parabolic description before us does
not apply to such afflicted ones. In the spiritual
kingdom, indeed, these sufferers are in active service,
as truly as those who are toiUng most laboriously.
Service differs so that one may lie silently aU day long
thinning the clusters, or may toil arduously turning up
the soU. The lord of the vineyard has regard to such
differences. That which is just will He give to all His

3 1 o Work and Wages in God's Service.
servants ; none will be left to do any work for which
reward will not be given. Lines of strict justice do
not, however, make limits to His giving; in all reward
He transcends the claims of His people; but there is
ever with Him a particular and tender regard for those
whose circumstances have placed them at a disadvan
tage ; a fine sensibility to differences in the distribution
of what is altogether the expression of His good-will.
The manifestation of such tenderness and generosity
is not, however, without its test, and even its element
of trial, for those having both opportunity and will
for constant work. Had they a full appreciation of
all that is involved in the doings of their Lord, there
would be no such trial and vexation. But it is not
always possible to detect the full purpose and meaning
of God's doings ; and there is so much proneness to
allow thoughts of self to rule us as to distribution of
rewards, that we readily find grounds for vexation
where men that we fancy have done less, have been
equally favoured. Hence it becomes an occurrence
sadly frequent among the disciples of Christ that
"they dispute by the way which of them should be
the greatest." Occasion often arises when a little
child should be set in the midst, and the Saviour's
words heard once more, " Be as little children ; " " Let
him that would be great among you be servant of all,"
—this is the measure of greatness in the kingdom of
love, a kingdom in which the love of the Euler specially
encompasses those who are weary by reason of wait
ing long, with hope deferred. The weariness of the
day's work is little as compared with the weariness of
waiting, and the God of Grace makes large account of
this fact in human experience.

The Labourers in the Vineyard. 311
The real difficulty in the way of perceiving the
essential justice and attractiveness of God's generosity
in dealing with those who have been restricted in oppor
tunity, is the tendency to allow thoughts of self to have
undue influence. Those who are most busy in Christ's
service most need the warning. Work is the leading
feature in their life ; calculation of results is their regular
exercise ; co-operation is a uniform condition of service,
easily gUding into competition and rivalry; the con
ditions of their life predispose to eager calculation of
rewards. These things are inevitable and well known,
and by means of them the indweUing evU of the heart
is apt to be detected and even fostered. To this
great danger Christ solemnly directs the attention of
His servants. In the service of God there is constant
need for guarding against a tendency to compare the
varying measures of reward obtained by those co
operating in carrying forward the same definite under
taking. The workers have need to train themselves
to rest in the assurance that a fuU reward will be given
them day by day as they continue their service, and to
guard against disquieting comparisons unfavourable to
faith and love and holy zeal. These practical maxims
are continually required for Christian life on earth :
Work unweariedly, accept gratefully the reward each
day's work brings, and, leaving aU in God's hands, have
no care over the proportions distributed, as if in the
inner heart reward were the end of work. Eivalries
and quarreUings about honours amongst fellow-workers
in the cause of righteousness and peace betray sinful
ness of disposition, and are apt to involve murmurings
against God Himself. This warning is set forth dis
tinctly to Christians engrossed in service, and especially

Work atid Wages in God's Service.

-ii>

to those who have a leading part under the burden and
heat of the day.
Verses 13-15. — " But he answered one of them, and
said, Friend, I do thee no wrong : didst not thou 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 ? "
The murmuring does not seem to have found open
utterance, yet was it clearly observed by the owner.
The expression of displeasure mantled the countenance
of the workers, and as soon as the pay had been distri
buted, the band began murmuring among themselves.
The reply of the owner, however, did not take the form
of a public defence, as U his procedure could be right
fully challenged. It came rather by way of private
rebuke. He spoke to one of the band who happened
to be near, and was most inclined to linger under
pressure of his discontent. Him the owner addresses
as "Friend," not employing the name expressive of
actual friendship cemented by genuine harmony of
feeling, but that which marks mere proximity as a
neighbour or associate. " Friend, I do not wrong
thee: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?" The
measure of payment had been matter of contract, to
which the complainer had voluntarily agreed. Between
morning and evening no change had occurred to alter
the terms of service, or warrant any dissatisfaction
when the employer's part was being fulfilled. There is
accordingly in the language of the owner some sharpness
of tone, as if he had reason for displeasure. " Take
thine own, and go ! " That which the man had was
his own ; no one would dispute possession of it : but

The Labourers in the Vineyard. 313
his expression of discontent the owner could not justly
be asked to receive. The murmurer'was left to depart,
feeling that even with money in the hand there is
scant joy when discontent dweUs in the heart. He
went, too, pondering the fact that he had lost favour
with the owner, and would not so readily be engaged
for another day's work, unless he returned to confess
that his complaint had been unwarranted. " I will
give x unto this last even as unto thee ; " it is my will
so to do : there could be no claim in justice for my
doing so, as there could not be a just claim for more
pay by any of my workers ; but I may pay out of my
resources as I wiU, even as thou mayest spend of thy
wages as thou wUt. " Is it not allowed to me to do
what I wUl with the things which are my own ?" The
claims of justice had been met, and there was room for
exercise of generosity, in accordance with the rights of
property. " Is thine eye evil, because I am good ? "
This charge of an evil eye brings home the source of
the mischief, and fastens the responsibility of the whole
trouble on the rnurmurer. The thing done had no evil
in it, but there is evil in the eye. There is not merely
defective vision, — a species of colour-blindness in
things moral, which would, indeed, be a sad calamity,
but the eye is evU, there is a jaundiced tinge from a
jealous heart : thus is the whole explanation from
within. This disordered condition of the observer is
stUl more marked on this account, that the thing
regarded as evil not only has no evil in it, but is
morally good, is an exercise of generosity which all
would commend save those supposing their own
interest overlooked, and having no better test of the
1 6ika> hovvai — I will to give unto this last even as to thee.

314 Work and Wages in God's Service.
conduct of others than the measure in which it con
tributes to his advantage.
Christ is in the midst of His disciples as one who
condemns all quarrelling which can be traced to
jealousy, and warns His people to guard resolutely
against the comparisons which easily lead to such dis
putes, and thereby to the fostering of an evil spirit.
There is continual danger in Christ's Church from
neglect of this condemnation and warning. In every
heart lurks the evil, which is quick in throwing its
influence over the eye, inclining the observer and critic
to see evil where it does not exist, and to take no
account of the good. It is part of Christian discipline
in this life to keep down thoughts as to distinc
tions among the workers, comparisons of the honours
gathered by ourselves with those received by others,
and restlessness of spirit when those who have done
less work seem to have equal reward. Such calcula
tions are pernicious, and contrary to the Christian
spirit. The servant of Christ who allows himself to
be swayed by them, fails in the duty of self-consecra
tion, descending to the position of the mercenary who
works only for wages, and cares little for the work and
its results, if only he obtain the pay he expects and
desires. At the basis of our Lord's warning against the
bitterness of jealousy lies this maxim of the Christian
life : Find in God's service its own reward, rejoicing
with God in the gathering of fresh labourers, and in all
the encouragement they have in the work to which
they give themselves. Even when men come late into
the vineyard, and receive some special encouragement
for their work, it belongs to all who have been far in
advance of them to rejoice. Anything contrary to this

The Labourers in the Vineyard. 3 1 5
in disposition and action is an injustice, and must
incur the Divine displeasure.
Verse 16. — "So the last shall be first, and the first
last: for many be called, but few chosen."
Even those who have been foremost in work, if they
murmur against special encouragement being given to
others less favourably situated than they, will be
thrown far back in Divine favour. This parable,
giving prominence to a marked feature in Christ's
teaching, stands between a double utterance of warning
as to a reversal of position often occurring in the
history of God's servants on the earth. This verse is
almost identical with that preceding the parable. Yet
the repetition at the close is so modified as to take its
altered form from the displeasure which the murmur
ing had justly awakened in the lord of the vineyard.
In the first instance, the utterance is prophetic, an
nouncing a certain result ; at the close, it is condemna
tory, applying to an actual illustration of the evil
condemned. A warning supplies the introduction :
" Many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be
first." The need for condemnation appears at the close :
" So the last shall be first, and the first last." But
here appears a solemn addition : " For many be called,
but few chosen." A single day's work in the vineyard
has raised the contrast between the call to service and
the choice to favour. God caUs all men to His service.
Many refuse to come, deliberately shutting themselves
out from His favour, and even proclaiming publicly in
the market that they wiU not serve God. Others enter
His service with aU eagerness, and prove themselves
possessed of energy and determination. But while
their energies are directed on the work, their hearts

3 1 6 Work and Wages in God's Service.
are turned towards the reward, and this to such a
degree that they are ready to fret if those who have
been less conspicuous are allowed to equal them in
favour. Among the workers for God, those are rejected
in distribution of reward whose efforts have been
stimulated largely by the gain to be gathered, and who
lower in their hearts true devotion to God and His
cause. CaUed they have been, but not chosen. Such
may be found as readily among those who are new to
the service as among those long engaged in it. In a
quite different spirit must such men come again at
God's renewed call, bewailing the past, and confessing
their unworthiness, if they are to find a place among
honoured servants. Even amongst those who are ser
vants indeed, jealousy and eagerness for present reward
often find place, tarnishing their honour, hindering
their faithfulness to God, and consequently throwing
them back from a first place to the rear rank in Divine
favour, — still numbered among the chosen by reason of
the faith and devotion found within them, but less
honoured because of unworthiness of disposition fos
tered in the heart. He who would rightly serve God
in His Church on earth must delight in the service, and
must have a clear eye and joyful heart in witnessing
large encouragement to others.

CHAPTEE XXII.
UNFAITHFUL OFFICE-BEARERS IN GOD'S KINGDOM.
THE WICKED HUSBANDMEN.
Matthew xxi. 33-44 ; Mark xii. 1-12; Luke xx. 9-18.
In turning to the parable of the Husbandmen, we
obtain a view of the joint responsibiUties of office
bearers in God's kingdom. The parable is recorded by
three of the EvangeUsts, and all three represent it as
spoken to the rulers of the Temple, demanding of Jesus
His authority for appearing there as a teacher. This
challenge thus came from the rulers in God's house,
and was made in presence of the people. " The chief
priests and the elders of the people came unto him as
he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest
thou these things ? and who gave thee this authority ? "
This demand He met first by questioning the rulers as
to the baptism of John, thus pointing public attention
on His forerunner, and asking what explanation they
gave of his appearance and teaching. They at once
saw_ the risks to their influence from being publicly
questioned on this subject, and they openly declared
that they could not tell. Finding them refuse to meet
Him directly, He passed to parabolic teaching. Accord-
317

3 1 8 Unfaithful Office-bearers in God's Kingdom.
ing to Matthew, He first uttered the parable of The
Two Sons, to which reference has already been made, as
illustrating individual service in God's vineyard. After
that, the present parable of The Wicked Husbandmen
is given, in which we have a wider view of the king
dom as a whole, and, at the same time, the most direct
historic references. Neither in Mark's Gospel nor in
Luke's does the parable of The Two Sons intervene.
Matthew alone acquaints us with the fact that the
Great Teacher interposed a parable bearing a lesson to
each individual among His hearers before He proceeded
to this parable directed against the chief priests.
Luke says that the parable was spoken " to the
people," but this obviously implies nothing more than
the fact that it was uttered as a portion of public dis
course, in contrast with direct questioning of the rulers.
A study of the three Evangelists makes it clear that
the parable was directed to the chief priests and other
rulers of God's house, and was uttered in consequence
of their demand for Christ's authority for appearing as
a teacher in God's name. There is thus no room for
doubt as to the interpretation of the parable. " When
the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables,
they perceived that he spake of them " (Matt. xxi.
45). This parable carried condemnation of those office
bearers of God's house in whose hearing it was spoken,
as well as prophetic warning of the treatment the
speaker should have at their hands. The general
bearing of the parable, in view of which it occupies its
own distinct place, is, however, the matter of greatest
interest in studying the Scriptures, and upon this I
concentrate attention. Naturally the parable found
utterance towards the close of our Lord's public minis-

The Wicked Husbandmen. 3 1 9
try ; and, in harmony with the circumstances in which
it was spoken, it is full of most solemn teaching as to
the responsibiUties of those intrusted with office in the
Christian Church. Its chief warning is, that bitter
opposition to God's claims may be cherished within
God's house, and even by those who have been set in
author^ there.
In the opening of the parable there is a double repre
sentation of the owner of the vineyard. Attention is apt to
be occupied prematurely with the vineyard itself. The
primary and essential feature of the parable is the owner
whose authority determines the duty of all concerned.
He is a householder and owner of a vineyard. Mark and
Luke are content to say " a certain man," but the term
which Matthew has preserved has distinct value in
harmony with the usage of the two parables preceding.
The fact that proprietorship comes out conspicuously,
makes it of consequence to dwell here on the first
representation. The proprietor appears in all, and his
authority explains aU. To the eye of Jesus the house
holder, being proprietor, appears clearly above every
object attracting attention, — above the Temple and all
its rulers, and above the people who crowded the
courts of the sanctuary. " God is over all." This
thought fiUs the mind of the Saviour. When the
chief priests and Pharisees are engrossed with thoughts
of their own honour and influence, as if everything con
nected with Temple service were involved in these, the
Great Teacher, who has come through hosannas to the
Temple, thinks of the glory, the proprietary rights, the
authoritative requirements of the Lord of all. He is
the great householder providing for all ; the proprietor
requiring due return from every servant. He is first

320 Unfaithful Office-bearers in God 's Kingdom.
householder, afterwards proprietor of this vineyard.
A householder He is, with His household gathered
together in that home of which our Eedeemer
says, "In my Father's house are many mansions."
He further becomes possessor of a vineyard, Him
self planting each tree, from which He may gather
fruit in due season. The direct influence of a gracious
God explains this growth of the wide-spreading groups
of vines, having a common life, under uniform tending.
On this vineyard of the Great Householder atten
tion is now again to be concentrated. The primary
question for each one who rules, teaches, or in any
way works in God's name, concerns the fruit God is
to receive from His vineyard. Our Lord presents
conspicuously this thought, impressing it on aU, — on
rulers in the midst of the temple who set themselves
in opposition to Him, — on the people who listened to
His teaching, — and on His own disciples solemnly
devoted to Him, and anxious to follow His leadership.
In dealing with the details of the parable, the form
given by the first of the Evangelists may guide in
exposition- — -Matt. xxi. 33-44.
Verse 33. — " There was a certain householder, which
planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and
digged a wine-press in it, and built a tower." Having
already remarked that the householder was the planter
and not the mere purchaser of the vineyard, we have
the proper standpoint for contemplating the represen
tation of God's relation to His Church. This house
holder went forth to survey a piece of ground suitable
for a vineyard. It is not suggested that a purchase
was made; it seems rather impUed that the ground
selected was on his own property, which was greatly

The Wicked Husbandmen. 321
more extended thau that now brought > under notice.
Having marked off the ground, he planted it with
vines, next he planted a hedge ; and when , the en
closure was complete, he digged a wine-press for
pressing of the clusters which should be gathered.
Further, he built a tower. This word indicates that the
intention was defence.1 The expression is that used
for towers on the waUs of a city, implying large size,
great height, and special strength. This erection
within the vineyard was, therefore, planned . for ward
ing off attack, implying an unsettled state of the
country, and such want of organised authority as to
make it needful for an owner to look to the protection
of his possessions.
By a few rapid touches in the introduction to the
parable, our Lord has given His view of God's kingdom
in the world. This background is comprehensive and
distinct enough to. give unity of effect to each of the
scenes afterwards depicted. The vineyard, with en
closures, preparation both for ingathering of fruit, and
for defence, stands clearly before the eye. God's king
dom in this world is as a chosen vineyard- in the midst
of a large estate. " The earth is the Lord's, and the
fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein"
(Ps. xxiv. 1). In the midst of the earth, as God's most
valued possession, is a spiritual vineyard, of His own
special planting. The vines are " Trees of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified"
(Is. lxi. 3). His spiritual kingdom is an enclosure,
marked off by a conspicuous boundary, within which
the work of cultivation constantly proceeds. The
1 Ka\ dKoSofirjo-e wvpyov. The word is often used metaphorically
of a man, as when a leader is described as a tower of defence.
X

322 Unfaithful Office-bearers in God's Kingdom.
enclosure also indicates separation in the sense of
exclusion, and the symbol of the hedge, presenting a
prickly surface, suggests that the enclosure is Ukely
to be felt as an offence by some who resent exclusion,
or seek to intrude upon it. To others it will be only a
visible boundary Une, and to many a thing altogether lost
to the view, as they dwell afar off. Thus represented,
the spiritual kingdom is an enclosure within which
fruit-gathering is continued from year to year. It is
a place of silent growth and slowly ripening fruit,
a place of joyous ingathering and pressing of the rich
clusters as they are brought to the wine-press. Peace
ful as all is within, it is a vineyard in a hostile land,
where are many moved by evil intent. Its fences are
liable to assault, its trees to ruthless injury, and its
clusters of promise to be wrenched from the branches
before the time of harvest has come. These are our
Lord's representations of spiritual dangers threatening
to injure spiritual life, to destroy spiritual. promise, and
to rob God of the fruit which would otherwise be
gathered. Against such risks God has taken precau
tion, providing defence for His people. His defence is
as a high tower. The Saviour's description is thus
exactly after the manner of that given in Isaiah v. 1, 2 :
" My beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill :
and he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof,
and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower
in the midst of it, and also madea winepress therein."
Attention is now directed to the history of the
vineyard so planted, enclosed, and protected. The
householder " let it out to husbandmen and went into a
far country." The owner did not continue to reside
on his estate, and therefore was unable to maintain

The Wicked Husbandmen. 323
personal oversight. As his absence was to be of lone
continuance, he hired out the vineyard to a company
of husbandmen, under a contract pledging them to
yield to him a fixed proportion of the produce. In
accordance with the bargain, he handed over the vine
yard, so that it passed under their management for the
time as if they had complete control and were rightful
owners of the land. The words " let it out," literally
refer to a delivering up or handing over, in such a
manner as to imply that the original holder had not
for the time control over his property. The rights
of ownership were temporarUy transferred, the real
owner voluntarily restricting his rights to that of
annual claim out of the return obtained. When this
arrangement had been completed, the owner went into
a far country. He went abroad, departed for a
period of travel to sojourn in foreign lands, residing
now in one country, and again in another. His in
tended course of travel impUed absence for a long
series of years, and accordingly he had made arrange
ments by which annual reckoning should be made
with the husbandmen, through agents whom he should
send at the proper time.
Such is the representation of the relation here sub
sisting between God and the responsible office-bearers
in His kingdom. He is in a sense as an owner who is
far off; they have delegated rights of control over the
kingdom, with the obligation to make annual return to
Him, and with cumulative responsibility in prospect of
His coming to reckon with them for the whole period
of occupancy. Thus Jesus Christ presents metaphori
cal iUustration of the Uberty, joined with responsibility,
which is characteristic of human life, aU the prominent

324 Unfaithful Office-bearers in God 's Kingdom.
features of which are set forth with special vividness.
Individual work is depicted in different parts of the
vineyard, revealing personal responsibiUty in the midst
of common obligations. As the series of pictures is
continued, there are clear indications of diversity of
result in the gathering of fruit year by year. The
measure of responsibUity, individual and united, is
first reached when reckoning is made of the returns
annually obtained from cultivation of the vineyard ;
and finally, in the remote distance, at the coming of
the owner to take possession. Underlying this general
introductory passage there is a striking representa
tion of what constitutes faithful government during
the period of action aUotted to the office-bearers
of the Church, before the Lord of all calls them to
account. There- is wide scope for individual thought,
experience, and effort; each year brings opportunity
for ingathering of fruits ; and these are rightly applied
when, along with the direct reward they bring to the
husbandmen, they are deUberately presented to God.
There is a stUl deeper truth, which the clusters of the
vine cannot represent, involved in the joint exercise
of faith, and consequent feUowship in service and in
gladness. Jesus had made full account of all these
things, and we cannot fail to supplement the present
representation by reference to them. The immediate
purpose, however, of the Great Teacher in the present
case is to set forth the responsibility of office-bearers.
Here we are at once introduced to representations
of confusion and unfaithfulness within the kino-dom.
Man's part discovers so much of this, that the historic
references are many which Ulustrate our Lord's words,
besides those more immediately under His own eye at

The 11 icked Husbandmen. 325
the time. Even where open rebellion against God's
authority is regarded with abhorrence, there is frequent
failure to render unto Him the fruits of His vineyard.
Against perU of this, there is warning to the faithful,
whUe there is unmingled condemnation of the openly
unfaithful, who make public avowal of their resistance
to Divine authority.
Verse 34. — " And when the time of the fruit drew
near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they
might receive the fruits of it." Long after the absence
of the owner had become famiUar to the husbandmen,
leaving them free to act according to personal deter
mination, and to consult together as to the probable
results of their bargain, they were suddenly brought
to consider the proportion of the vintage to be handed
over to theU superior. The arrival of his agents was
the immediate occasion for raising the subject. No
place was left for attempting deception, by misleading
accounts of disaster, or telling of inferiority of the
harvest. These were rendered impossible by arrival of
the agents when the time of the fruit drew near, whUe
the clusters were yet on the vines, only approaching to
ripeness. The owner showed no slackness although he
was far removed from the scene of production. The
early appearance of his agents made conspicuous his
determination to require fulfilment of aU that had been
undertaken. There is large spiritual significance in this appear
ance of the servants "when the time of the fruit
drew near." The obligations of office-bearers are
according to the opportunities given : faithfulness wUl
be tested by the fruit of personal and united effort.
Full allowance will, however, be made for the action

3*26 Unfaithful Office-bearers in God 's Kingdom.
of causes beyond control of the workers, as for varia
tions of season affecting the vintage. But, in passing
under this test, there will be no place for concealment
of any unfaithfulness, whether by neglect or by inflic
tion of positive injury on the cause of God.
The question arises under this clause, Whether a
distinct interpretation is to be assigned to the agents
sent by the owner from the far country, and named
"his servants" in contrast with the husbandmen?1 The
word employed designates more properly those born
into the service of their master, rather than flhose who
enter into his service by contract. The word servants,
by ordinary usage, implied a relation of subjection,
which had in it some mark of inferiority ; but, on the
other hand, it indicated much closer relation to the
master, much more abiding and intimate association
with the householder, than existed in the case of those
to whom he had let out his vineyard. The feature of
bondage must disappear from the interpretation, but
the more intimate relationship implied must remain,
clearly indicating a distinct reference here. These
servants must be regarded as belonging to the household
of God, in closer union with Him than those other
servants who are designated only by reference to their
employment, "husbandmen." These wicked husband
men are workers in His " vineyard," and for the time
have authority over it ; but their conduct shows that
they are not in heart His servants. They are the real
bondmen — bound to Him by contract, not devoted to
Him in heart. Their obligations are irksome, and would
be thrown off if that were compatible with self-interest.
1 tovs 8ov\ovs avrov, the name applied to slaves, and regularly so
used when the contrast is drawn between freedmen and slaves.

The Wicked Husbandmen. 327
These others have been born into the household, and
are devoted heart and life to their Lord, accounting His
service their honour. That the Saviour directly referred
to the prophets as a class distinct from the regular office
bearers in the Tabernacle and Temple service, hardly
admits of doubt. These prophets appeared more
directly as servants coming from the presence of God,
bearing His message for the time, giving warning
against rebeUiousness, and requiring that the fruits of
righteousness be rendered to God. Passing beyond the
peculiar phases of Jewish history, with the specialities
of inspired teaching, we enter the wider arrangements
of the Christian dispensation. Within this we cannot
speak of a particular class of agents, bearing- an inspired
message for the age in which they appear. In absence
of such, the message preserved in Scripture fulfils the
same purpose, pressing home on the consideration of
the office-bearers in God's house a sense of responsi
bility and a test of faithfulness.
Verse 35. — "And the husbandmen took his servants,
and beat one, and killed ccnother, and stoned another."
The unfaithful character of the husbandmen comes out
on the first occasion for asking fulfilment of their obli
gations. The servants pressed their master's demands,
the husbandmen resisted the claims, and the result
was an outbreak of violence, which overwhelmed the
servants, and did not end without the murder of one of
their number. The representation which- the Saviour
here selects implies an unsettled and lawless state of
the country in keeping with earlier touches in the
picture, specially the erection of a tower of defence.
Where such measures are needed on account of the
state of things without, there is apt to be special risk

,328 Unfaithful Office-bearers in God' s Kingdom.
within, when the owner, being far from his property, is
unable personally to enforce his claims. Against such
risk the tower of defence proves of no avail ; the evil
has arisen within the vineyard, and the servants of the
lord are cast out in the most violent and murderous
manner. Force can accomplish thus much, gaining
temporarily the advantage, and having all the appear
ance of complete mastery. The hidden influences
leading to this outbreak require attention. Self-seeking
' is at the centre of the whole. The proprietor had given
the -husbandmen a position of authority within the
vineyard ; they see in that an opportunity for enriching
themselves, by setting at nought his claims; and dis-
. honesty has such power within, that they eagerly seize
the chance. There is at this stage no evidence of
enmity against the owner. It is not alleged that they
hated him, nor is there the least reason to suppose that
there was any enmity towards the servants personally,
who are introduced as messengers previously unknown
to the husbandmen. Self-seeking was the ruling force
in their hearts, and under its power considerations of
honesty to the owner, and kindness or even fairness to
his servants, were swept down. Dishonesty, unkind-
ness, and injustice are all allowed unchecked indulgence,
if only the production of the vineyard can be appropri
ated. The consequences to the servants differ according
to the position they occupy in the history of the out
break. Less violence appearing at first, one is beaten ;
but when this act is resented and resisted by the other
servants, greater violence breaks out, and one of the
servants is murdered in the affray ; when the rest betake
themselves to flight, they are pursued, and one of the
number being overtaken, is stoned. The end of all this is

The Wicked Husbandmen. 329
enmity where none previously existed, — enmity against
the servants, and enmity also against the lord of the
vineyard. Accumulated responsibility is the conse
quence. Now they have to account not only for fruits
kept back, but for grievous wrong-doing besides, and
the end is not yet. The intervention of legal au
thority is not suggested ; the owner himself will make
reckoning. Such is our Saviour's representation of unfaithfulness
within God's kingdom, and consequent iU-treatment of
God's servants. He points to the fact that many of those
who had entered upon office by pledging themselves
to His service, preparing for a harvest, and gathering
in the ripened fruit, prove unfaithful. They occupy a
position of special trust in the world, having under
taken large responsibUities. Their position clearly
expresses a voluntarUy assumed relation to God, and
they have fuUy admitted this when entering upon office.
That their feUow-men should uniformly recognise their
special position is not needful. It is determined by
covenant made between God and themselves. Men
who set no value on rehgious privilege and Church
organisation, but shun aU thoughts of Divine authority,
wishing to Uve as if there were no God, wiU make no
account of a theory of special obligation resting on
office-bearers in Christ's Church. In the eyes of all
such, ministers of religion are only men drawing their
income in a particular way, holders of a vineyard yield
ing a good annual return. But within Christ's Church
a different account must be made of the position, and
this our Lord here solemnly teaches. The husbandmen
are indeed to have their own return for service ren
dered ; " the labourer is worthy of his hire," as has

3 30 Unfaithful Office-bearers in God's Kingdom.
already been declared under parabolic teaching ; but
the direct" end to be accomplished is the rendering a
due return to God. The work of the office-bearers in
the Church is to watch over the spiritual life of others,
to promote the development of that life, and to carry
out all those arrangements which tend to secure to God
the fruits of spiritual life, as " fruit which shall remain"
when the vintage of the field has passed away. But
our Lord here indicates that the only way in which
office-bearers can accomplish this is by regulating their
entire life in accordance with the .covenant they have
made with God, as the God of Salvation seeking the
fruits of righteousness in- the midst of the creation
which has been " made subject to vanity."
Unfaithfulness within the kingdom of grace is here
traced to failing religious life, or utter want of it, —
self-seeking becoming the ruling motive, instead of
devotion to God's cause. In the case of the husbandmen,
gain alone is contemplated as the result of refusing the
demand of the owner. This must, however, be laid
aside here as not belonging to the interpretation of
the parable. It is not suggested that mere gain, in the
sense of money reward, inevitably sways the mind of
office-bearers who prove unfaithful. This certainly may
happen, but more commonly other influences operate, as
suggested by the occasion for the parable. Self-seeking
takes another form in their case. It is the type of
self-seeking incidental to rule over others. Desire of
influence, love of power, and habits of rule greatly
influence the mind, and are prone to come into com
petition with the grand motive for all spiritual work,
the glory of God in the advancement of righteousness.
This temptation is connected with all office, and is not

The Wicked Husbandmen. 331
peculiar to the Church of God ; within and without the
Church the tendencies of human nature are the same ;
the conflict with self can nowhere be shunned by the
man :who would fulfil duty and be faithful to his
engagements. Yet is it required by God that a man
be found faithful. From those who enter upon office
in the spiritual kingdom special service is demanded,
while special grace is promised, that the highest results
in our world's history may be secured.
It is not implied that all office-bearers fail in the
manner here described. These husbandmen do, indeed,
represent the chief priests and Pharisees who heard
this parable ; and in this is warning for all who enter
upon office, for self-love is a subtle influence, spread
ing easUy through the engagements of devotion, as
weU as through the activities of industry, commerce,
art, or government. What God condemns without,
He condemns within. When He has planted His
vineyard and appointed His husbandmen, He looks
for the fruits of righteousness, and waits to receive
them. FaUure in the harvest may, indeed, indicate
nnfruitfulness in the vines, but it may also represent
unfaithfulness in the husbandmen; and this it must
mean, U office-bearers treat lightly their obligation to
God in connection with the spiritual life of those under
their care.
Verse 36. — "Again, he sent other servants more than
the first: and they did unto them likewise" Immediate
expulsion of the husbandmen from the vineyard did
not foUow upon discovery of their dishonesty and
violence. The servants who escaped from their hands
did not resort to civil authority in vindication of their
master's claims. Eeferences already made seem to

33 2 Unfaithful Office-bearers in God's Kingdom.
imply that this would have been of little avail. They
travelled back to the distant land of his sojourn, and
reported what had taken place. The husbandmen were
meanwhUe left to rejoice over their success, and to
boast of it among their neighbours. When the owner
had heard the story, he did not resort to extreme
measures, but sent other servants to repeat the demand
already made. He had shown determination to claim
his own ; but he manifested no apprehension as to his
property, and whatever the displeasure awakened by
what had taken place, he resolved simply to renew the
demand for that which is his own. This is done ; much
time is spent ; much expense incurred ; but there is no
better result.
This verse gives a concise declaration of the prin
ciples of God's government of His spiritual kingdom.
Under parabolic guise, we have an authoritative inter
pretation of His procedure. In absence of all visible
tokens of God's presence among us, it is apt to appear,
as it did at first to these husbandmen, that there is
success in unfaithfulness. God's government of His
Church is in some respects as -that of an owner dwell
ing in a far country; consequently our thoughts are
often shaped as if matters were altogether in our hands.
A delusive sense of success may attend neglect or
refusal of God's requirements. The power of His arm
does not bring sudden judgment on the unfaithful ; and
it is often easy enough to silence and scatter those who
press the Divine claims. God exercises forbearance and
patience, yet He regularly repeats His demands. He
does not manUest the haste of a man concerned for
his possessions. When some servants are treated
with despite, He sends others to press His claim. He

The Wicked Husbandmen. 333
appeals to the sense of right, leaves men to reflect on
their obligations, and bids them consider the conse
quences of persistent unfaithfulness. Better results
may not follow from forbearance, patience, and renewed
appeal; but only thus wUl He deal with those who
have deliberately undertaken large obligations.
Verses 37-39. — " But last of all he sent unto them his
son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the
husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves,
This is the heir ; come, let ns kill him, and let us seize on
his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him
out of the vineyard, and slew him."
The remnant of the second body of servants returned,
after a long time, to their master with the tidings of
their faUure to obtain from the husbandmen the fruits
of the vineyard. They had the same account as their
predecessors to give of defiance of his authority and
lawless violence. His property had been again refused
him, and his servants crueUy treated. Why, in these
cfrcumstances, he did not himself return to claim his
own, does not appear. Either more important interests
required his presence where he was, or he did not con
sider that things had come to such a pass that more
was required than the appearance for him of one having
higher authority, and more obvious claims to submis
sion. He accordingly despatched his son, with a
sufficient body of attendants, to demand fulfilment of
the compact, whUe he himself watched over other inte
rests in the distant land of his sojourn. In due time
the son appeared to claim in his father's behalf the
fulfilment of the compact on which occupancy of the
vineyard had been granted. His appearance, however,
discovered a worse disposition among the husbandmen.

334 Unfaithful Office-bearers in God's Kingdom.
They had previously driven out the servants, and in the
scuffle had become so violent as to occasion the death
of some. This, however, had been the accidental result
of unpremeditated outbreak rather than a deliberate
plan. Now, however, they enter deliberately into a
plot to murder. According to natural progress in evil,
they pass from their first intention to refuse payment,
to an attempt to rob the owner of his possession. The
appearance of his son gives them an unexpected oppor
tunity for attempting this more daring course. If they
murder him, they may readily enough be in a position
to hold undisputed possession of the vineyard. Pre
vious violence had prepared for the murderous design,
and it was speedily executed ; previous success had led
to greater boldness in rebellion. They seized the son,
cast him out of the vineyard, and there murdered him.
The band of servants attending him fled in aU direc
tions, and when they gathered together they had to
return to their master with the terrible tidings of the
death of his son.
In view of the closing portion of the gospel history,
there is something inexpressibly touching in the struc
ture of this part of the parable. A murderous design
against Himself was now apparent to our Lord, and in
the treatment of the son He publicly depicts His own
fate. Often in. the hearing of His disciples he had given
warning that the Son of Man " must be slain " (Luke
ix. 22) ; but now, under guise of this parable, He openly
discovers to the people what is awaiting Himself, and
declares to the chief priests and scribes that He is
famiUar with their secrets. The successive statements
here are of such illustrative value as to require separate
consideration.

The Wicked Husbandmen. 335
God is represented as long-suffering even towards the
most rebellious. He acts as an owner of a vineyard,
who having twice received tidings of refusal to render
Him the fruits of His own ground, yet does not expel
the husbandmen, but sends stiU another message, even
making His Son the bearer of it. Thus does Jesus now
represent the loving-kindness and forbearance of His
Father, as indicated by His own appearance on earth.
StUl more than this is conveyed in the description.
It is not simply patient waiting which is represented,
as if time were being aUowed for repentance. There is
raiciccd effort to induce obedience, and not this only,
but special means. are adopted to awaken in the hus
bandmen a sense of their obligation. In addition to the
fact that the son is the bearer of the message, we have
to remark the ruling thought in the owner's mind as
fitly representing the purpose of God : " They will
reverence my son." The word signifies a turning round
f rom the former rebelUous state of mind, and a turning
towards the son with respect, on account of his rela
tionship to the proprietor. It thus appears that God
appeals to a distinctly moral influence. The thought
of enforcing His claim is not here, nor is the strict
justice of it pushed into prominence, though this is
silently impUed. The purpose is to awaken higher
disposition, regard for Himself, stirred and strengthened
by respect for His Son. Such an appeal to the higher
nature of man there is in the appearance of the Son,
in the patience and gentleness and loving- kindness He
manifests. WTrUe thinking of God as the Almighty,
men must also think of Him as the long-suffering ; yet
while they ponder the fact that He is all-enduring, they
must stUl remember that He is absolute, " Lord over all."

336 Unfaithful Office-bearers in God's Kingdom.
The Son is set forth as the representative of the Father.
Jesus has come as the Son of the owner of the vineyard,
not to use force, but to renew the appeal which had been
reiterated by many messengers. "I came not to judge
the world, but to save the world " (John xii. 47). So
Jesus said, and this consideration was never absent
from His mind. His appeal always was to moral con
siderations. But He- came -as a Son representing the
owner, to claim for God the true fruits of righteousness.
He appeared to press this claim on the office-bearers of
the Church, and through them upon all. He came
not to abate the claim by a single iota, but to require
that the whole be rendered to God. His gentleness
and His atoning work also point to this as the real
end. Whatever there may be of forgiveness of sin
and hope for the penitent, there must be righteousness
for God, — a perfect righteousness. " Herein is my
Father glorified, that ye may bear much fruit," —
" fruit which shall remain." But the mystery all
gathers into His own suffering, here quite clearly anti
cipated, though only partially explained. In coming
to press God's claim on men, He came risking His life —
He came to sacrifice it. This result is unhesitatingly
anticipated. Still, the Saviour cannot enlarge upon
it. The dread reality can be made known to the
world only in its occurrence ; and only after that can
it begin to be dimly understood by those who rever
ently own Him the Son of the Highest, and gaze into
the exceeding mystery of the death of Him who is the
representative of God seeking to bring men back to
righteousness. Here we touch the deeper mystery of
the atonement, which lies greatly beyond the suffering
of death by the wrath of man. " The Son of man came

The Wicked Husbandmen. 337
not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give
his lUe a ransom for many" (Matt. xx. 28).
Unfaithful office-bearers are condemned as self-seekers.
That the spring of action in the husbandmen was self-
seeking had been apparent from the first ; but the depth
of their baseness becomes more manifest, and the violence
of their antagonism more terrible. They seized the
son, cast him out of the vineyard as if he had no
title to be within the fruitful enclosure, and there
put him to death. Thus they fancied aU could be
appropriated to themselves, forgetting that the lord
of the vineyard had unceasingly pressed his claim, and
that he might come not only to require his own, but to
inflict penalty on account of persistent iniquity. The
Saviour is an offence to the selfish heart, conspicuously
so in the history of unfaithful office-bearers in His own
Church. Nevertheless, there is fruitfulness in the
vineyard. He who cheered the outcast may himself
be cast out. He who appeared claiming for God the
increase of fruitful Ufe, may himseU be deprived of life.
God indeed suffered that it should be so. But selfish
ness ends at last in emptiness ; wUful wickedness fiUs
up the cup of wrath ; behind the Saviour is the Judge,
and behind the faithless husbandmen God secures His
fruitful vineyard.
Verse 40. — " When the lord therefore of the vineyard
cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen ? " Jesus
can no longer defer reference to judgment. The form
of His question implies the certainty of its approach.
That the lord of the vineyard wiU come admits of no
doubt. The outstanding feature at this critical point
is the fact that Jesus propounds the question to the people,
What will he do? He does not Himself pronounce
Y

338 Unfaithful Office-bearers in God's Kingdom.
sentence on the unfaithful, or even suggest what
shall be their doom. He calls forth from the people
themselves what must be the judgment in such a case.
To those who have been hearing him, absorbed by the
narrative, undisturbed by thought of its application,
not even anticipating a violent end as the possible
doom of the Great Teacher to whom they were listen
ing, the answer seemed clear as noon-day, and their
response was prompt.
Verse 41. — " They say unto him, He will miserably
destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard
¦unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits
in their seasons." The people declare such husbandmen
to be altogether wicked, regard destruction as their
inevitable doom, and contemplate as the sure arrange
ment of the lord the • letting out of the vineyard to
other husbandmen who will render to him the fruits of
the soil. This is the voice of conscience, a voice the
husbandmen might easily have heard but for the con
stant clamour of selfish desire, and the tumultuous
outbursts of passion. The fruitfulness of the separate
vines, and the faithfulness or unfaithfulness of indi
vidual husbandmen, are not here referred to, and may
be classed among uncertainties under human calcula
tion ; but that the Lord shall require account is sure.
There cannot anywhere be ultimate success in unfaith
fulness. Fruit shall be required of a man according to
his opportunity for production. Those who are found
faithful shall have praise of God and rich reward ; but
destruction must come upon those who have been faith
less and rebeUious. The Saviour accepts the verdict
of the people; in words of awful solemnity immediately
following, He confirms and enforces it; he opens a little

The Wicked Husbandmen. 339
the gate which leads into the great Future, discovering
to the disturbed gaze of the people the once rejected
Son ruling in the vineyard, and the rebelUous husband
men outcasts, miserable in their seU-condemnation.
" The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and
given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."
The future of the vineyard, beyond this period of
tumult and retribution, is brighter and full of promise.
Its detaUed history in the world cannot be forecast by
men, with its varying degrees of faithfulness on the
part of the husbandmen and varying fruitfulness of the
vines. But the Lord gives the assurance that the
vineyard shall yield to its owner its annual return.
God shall claim, and there wUl be willingly presented,
" the fruits in their season," year by year continually.

MbiBion 11.
RELATIONS OP GOD'S KINGDOM TO THE FUTURE
STATE OF EXISTENCE.

INTRODUCTORY.
THE CONNECTING LINES OF TWO WORLDS.
The three divisions of parables already considered
illustrate how fully the teaching of our Lord dealt with
the requirements of the present Ufe. He gave detaUed
instruction as to aU that man needs in order to Uve
the life of faith, and to travel upwards on the way of
righteousness, teaching that what is grandest in life is
within reach of all men. He clearly proclaimed what
society everywhere wants, what the world as a whole
requires, in order that there may be a progression of
the race towards a lofty ideal of individual and social
life. While His aim was to save every one who would
give ear to His call and follow Him, this aim was
embraced in the stiU wider purpose of making the
history of succeeding generations something better
than a repetition of the history of those which had
gone before. His plan embraced all nations, extending
to the ends of the earth, and to every creature in it.

The Connecting Lines of Tzvo Worlds. 341
At the same time, the whole tenor of our Lord's
teaching gives prominence to the connecting Unes
between two worlds, — the one world destined to pass
away, the other to be permanent ; the one the field of
conflict and discipline, the other the sphere of order and
perfect service. In His view death is a mere point of
transition. The underlying truth giving unity to our
view of the two worlds is the continuity of moral life.
Death does not touch the sphere in which the real life
of man exists. Notwithstanding decay of the body
there is persistence of the life. A sinful career may
hurry bodUy decay ; earnest devotion to holiness cannot
prevent dissolution. But decay of the outward man
does not mean destruction of the inner life. There is
persistence in a bad Ufe, the source of its evil being
deeper than physical energy ; and there is persistence
in a godly life, advancing in spiritual strength while
bodily vigour is decUning. Though there must be
severance from the present sphere of action, there is
continuity of moral life under conditions voluntarily
estabUshed by the agent in this state of existence.
There now comes into view a closing division of
paraboUc teaching, bearing on the future state, and indi
cating that the test of personal life wUl be reached when
transition is made into the other world. An intense
solemnity pervades the whole utterances of the Eedeemer
as He speaks of the realities of the world to come, all
visible to Him while invisible to ns. This drawing
aside of the veil which hides from view a future state
of existence, — the Ufe continued into another world, —
discovers much that human imagination and reasoning
had been feebly attempting to anticipate, though always
with mueh uncertainty and misgiving, so that accents

342 The Connecting Lines of Two Worlds.
of doubt had always fallen upon the words even of the
wisest.1 In course of the parabolic teaching applicable mainly
to existence in this world, our Lord has frequently
given references to a state of experience beyond the
1 Intensely interesting to all students of the Bible are the fore
casts of thinkers beyond the range of Jewish privilege, and pre
ceding the revelation of God's Son. The words of Socrates after he
had been condemned to death ran thus : — "There is great reason to
hope that death is a good ; . . . that no evil can happen to a good
man, either in life or after death." — Apology, 40, 41. "I have
good hope that there is yet something remaining for the dead, and
as has been said of old, some far better thing for the good than for
the evil." — Phaedo, 63. The thought of Plato is unfolded as the
dialogue advances, and the expression put into the mouth of
Socrates becomes more decided. " Are we to suppose that the soul
which is invisible, in passing to the true Hades, which like her is
invisible, and pure, and noble, and on her way to the good and wise
God, whither, if God will, my soul is soon to go, . . . perishes
immediately on quitting the body ? That can never be." — Phaedo,
80. After the argument has been far advanced, Plato describes the
nature of the other world, saying, that after death "men have
sentence, passed upon them, as they have lived piously or not "
(113). He then describes four different states into which men pass
according to the diversity of moral character apparent on the earth,
separating those who have led but indifferent lives ; those who by
their crimes seem hopelessly bad ; those whose evil deeds resulted
from sudden temptation rather than delight in wickedness ; and
those "who are remarkable for having led holy lives." Having
described these four distinct states of experience, Plato says, — "I
do not mean to affirm that the description which I have given of the
soul and her mansions is exactly true ; a man of sense ought hardly
to say that. But I do say that, inasmuch as tho soul is immortal, we
may venture to think, not improperly or unworthily, that some
thing of the kind is true" (114). Specially distinct is he as to
those who strive after a holy life : " Wherefore I say, let a man be
of good cheer about his soul, who has cast away the pleasures and
ornaments of the body as alien to him, and rather hurtful in their
effects, and has followed after the pleasures of knowledge in this
life ; who has adorned the soul in her own proper jewels, which
are temperance, and justice, and courage, and nobility, and truth "
(114). See Jowett's Plato, vol. i., or Cary's translation of the
Phaedo in Bonn's Library, vol. i. of Plato's Works. The quotations
as here given are from the former.

The Connecting Lines of Two Worlds. 343
present. These it is desirable to recaU now, as they are
the true scriptural preparation for study of the group of
parables still to be considered. They reveal the con
necting Unes of our Lord's instruction, running parallel
with human action here, and pointing forward to
human experience hereafter. A brief summary will
show how frequent and important the references have
been. In the opening group of parables, representing the
soul's deUverance from condemnation and a Ufe of sin
by the mercUul and loving interposition of God, we
have reference to " citizens of a far country" separated
from the Father, and an elder brother left unreconciled
after the prodigal's return. The returning prodigal is
received into the light of a joyful home, but others
remain in the outer darkness. When confession of
sin receives iUustration, with assurance of justification
foUowing, there is one in the attitude of devotion who
is deceived in self-righteousness, and does not go to
his house justified. A man justifying himself, yet not
justified of God, disappears from our view a victim
of seU- deception. In the parable of the Great Feast
there are those who refuse to come, of whom it is said
"none of those men shaU taste of my supper" (Luke xiv.
24). In that of the Eoyal Marriage Feast, destroying
armies are sent out against those who despise the invi
tation, and slay the servants of the king ; and of the
man who appears without a wedding-garment it is
said, "Bind him hand and foot, and take him away,
and cast him into outer darkness ; there shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt. xxii. 13).
When transition occurs to the privileges of God's
people in prayer, references are made in the parable of

344 The Connecting Lines of Two Worlds.
the Importunate Widow to the wrongs inflicted on
God's people by those who oppress them, and Jesus
leaves before us the question, " ShaU not God avenge
his own elect, which cry day and night unto him,
though he bear long with them ? I teU you that he
will avenge them speedily" (Luke xviii. 7, 8).
When we are introduced to the duty of working in
the service of God, with the son who repents and
enters the vineyard we have associated the son who
said, " I go, sir," and went not, and who has his
account to render to his Father for wUful disobedience
(Matt. xxi. 30).
Attention is largely directed to the mixed state of
things within God's kingdom here. We are intro
duced to the wilful wickedness of sowing tares among
the wheat. To the question, What shall be done ?
there is the answer, " Let both grow together until the
harvest : and in the time of harvest I will say to the
reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind
them in bundles to burn them : but gather the wheat
into my barn" (Matt. xiii. 30). "The harvest is the
end of the world ; and the reapers are the angels. As
therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire,
so shall it be in the end of the world. The Son of
man shall send forth his angels, and they shaU gather
out of his kingdom all things that offend (all scan
dalous things, aU things which cause stumbling), and
them which do iniquity (them doing what is unlawful,
continuing this as a practice), and shaU cast them into
a furnace of fire : there shall be waUing and gnashing
of teeth. Then shaU the righteous shine forth as the
sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to
hear, let him hear" (Matt. xiii. 39-43). There are thus

The Connecting Lines of Two Worlds. 345
two phases of moral Ufe, marking contrasts of experi
ence, which all men have reason carefully to distinguish,
as manUestly tending with continuity of life to wider
severance. Of the things which men see and hear
none deserve more serious consideration than this.
Finally here, the parables bearing on the varied
aspects of God's service in the earth carry simUar
references. Even in the use made of temporal bless
ings, Christians are trained to have regard to heavenly
rewards. To them it is said, "Make to yourselves
friends of the mammon of unrighteousness ; that, when
ye faU, they may receive you into everlasting habi
tations" (Luke xvi. 9). The rewards distributed in
this world to those labouring in God's vineyard are
represented as affording glimpses of the principles of
the Divine government in the kingdom of grace,
which is appointed to pass into a kingdom of glory.
They teU of reward provided for aU service, and Divine
favour for those least privileged, the value of which
wiU hereafter appear to the satisfaction of all who
deUght in righteousness. Again, the history of Christ's
kingdom here makes us famUiar with the sufferings of
His faithful servants, and the successes of unfaithful
husbandmen. The parable which depicts these things
leaves undescribed, but most certain in the future,
the coming again of the lord of the vineyard to take
possession of his own, and to call to account those
who have held possession in wickedness, having proved
selfish, cruel, and dishonest. The issue Jesus barely
suggests by presenting the question, which we are left
to answer, "When the lord of the vineyard cometh,
what will he do unto these husbandmen ?" (Matt. xxi.
40.) The people who first heard this question,

346 The Connecting Lines of Two Worlds.
answered, "He will miserably destroy those wicked
men." The Saviour heard, but did not enlarge, save
that he quoted that Scripture, " The stone which the
builders rejected the same is become the head of the
corner : this is the Lord's doing, and it is marveUous
in our eyes."
From this summary it appears that throughout His
whole public teaching our Lord had been continually
pointing towards a future state. Sometimes He did
so by the unfinished portions of a parable, indicating
that there was still to come an adjustment of things
left in confusion. What was remarked upon as visible
was the deliverance of individuals from their lost condi
tion; what was suggested as always invisible, yet certain
to come, was God's reckoning with those who rejected
His authority here. At other times, in language quite
direct, He pointed the thought of His hearers towards
the time when Divine authority would be manifest to
all in the condemnation and punishment of unright
eousness, in the approval of righteousness, and full
reward of all patient longsuffering and faithful service.
Life was thus shown to be converging on a future state,
all moral life having continuity beyond the present.
By lines of teaching concerning the future constantly
running parallel with others concerned with the pre
sent, those guided by Jesus were led to a life of holiness
destined to stretch away beyond the range of present
vision and experience. Thus are .we prepared for the
series of parables referring directly to the great realities
of a future state of existence.

CHAPTEE XXIII.
CONTRASTS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE PRESENT AND
FUTURE STATES.
THE KICH MAN AND LAZARUS.
Luke xvi. 19-31.
Extremes running paraUel in this world and in the
next are presented to view in this parable. In one
line is seen all that earthly substance can give, and
unmingled misery thereafter ; in the other line, all
that privation and suffering can entail, and unmixed'
happiness beyond. Absolute extremes are, indeed,
unknown in the history of men here. Things are too
much mixed in this world to admit of undisturbed
satisfaction on the one hand, or unmingled misery on
the other. Our Lord utters a parable, in which the
extremes of experience find embodiment, in order that
there may be vivid representation of the true contrasts
here and hereafter. The modifying circumstances are
kept out from the background of the picture. There
never w.as such a rich man as this, and there never was
such a poor man. When our Lord constructs a parable
He does not write history. He encloses within para
bolic story delineation of selected portions of truth.
The vividness of the picture admits of no doubt as to

348 Contrasts in the Present and Future States.
its symbolic purpose : the height of wealth here, the
depth of privation beyond ; the extreme of misery here,
the fulness of riches hereafter. Our Saviour is illus
trating the best that can be gathered out of worldly
possessions, and the worst that can come by their loss.
Over against these two representations He places other
two : the utter loss of the good enjoyed in the next
world ; the exceeding gain of having blessedness as an
everlasting portion.
The relation of the parable to the context is some
what difficult to trace. The immediately preceding
reference to divorce and remarriage occasions this.
The condemnation of the breach of marriage vows, in
order to enter anew into marriage relations, seems to
stand as a thing apart, almost as if it had been a side
utterance called forth by some circumstance unmen
tioned.1 This parable stands in direct relation with
that of the Unfaithful Steward. The lesson of that
parable is continued in this. The truth there enforced
is here further illustrated. The unfaithful steward
there is a representation of the rich man here. The
main lesson of that parable concerned the dutUul and
wise . use of earthly substance. This shows the self-
regarding life in the midst of profusion, disregarding
alike the misery of others and personal stewardship to
the Giver of all. This is the enforcement of the lesson
(ver. 13), "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." It is
a vivid representation of the warning (ver. 15), "That
which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in
1 One commentator, quoted by Stier ( Words of the Lord Jesus,
vol. iv. p. 200), has even spoken of the "disjecta membra of the dis
course ;" a good illustration of the risks to which internal criticism
is exposed.

The Rich Man and Lazarus. 349
the sight of God." This word "abomination" occurs
five times in the New Testament besides this example :
"The abomination of desolation" (Matt. xxiv. 15, and
Mark xiU. 14) ; three times in the book of Eevelation,
twice in chapter xvii. (verses 4, 5), " The woman was
arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with
gold, and precious stones, and pearls, having a golden
cup in her hand fuU of abominations and filthiness, . . .
Babylon, the mother of abominations ;" and in chapter
xxi. (verse 27), "There shall in nowise enter into it
anything that defileth and worketh abomination and a
Ue." These examples of Scriptural usage give force
to the Saviour's words, " That which is highly esteemed
among men is abomination in the sight of God ;" self-
indulgence in midst of earthly splendour, glorying
singly in personal magnificence, which multitudes
admire and praise, God, the Giver of all, utterly hates.
The whole passage is thus by direct line of discourse
a warning against absorption in earthly splendour, as
idolatrous and selfish in its whole tendency and history.
The picture is vivid because the warning is greatly
needed, and is easUy disregarded in midst of the snares
of earthly glory. When such snares are allowed to
fascinate and carry away the mind, the life becomes
godless, — it is impossible "to serve God and mam
mon;" and by speedy consequence it becomes im
moral, the most sacred of the social ties are broken,
— divorce is treated as a ready avenue towards another
alliance promising higher wealth and rank, and the
name of adultery is treated as one of the words which
worldly fashion does not aUow to be used. This is the
explanation, not formally stated, but clearly implied,
of the reference to divorce and adulterous marriage in

350 Contrasts in the Present and Future States.
the verse which makes the transition to the parable of
the Eich Man and Lazarus. The whole discourse is a
warning of the most solemn kind, drawn from aU the
relations of this life and of the next, to the Money-
Lovers ((biXapyvpol), who lose their life in the lavish
profusion of the things which belong only to this
short part of their history.
Verse 19. — "There was a certain rich man, which was
clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously
every day!'
The parable opens exactly as did that of the Unjust
Steward at the beginning of this chapter, — " a certain
rich man ; " and here, as well as there, appears an
absence of distinguishing references, as if it were no
part of our Saviour's purpose to represent a special
individual. He is here constructing a parable, which
does not record an individual's history, but will be
found applicable to a class of cases. A view is therefore
given of a rich man, whose sole distinction lies in his
wealth, with the lavish grandeur and gratification it
affords. All that unlimited expenditure can provide
appears in gorgeous clothing, in accordance with
Eastern custom, allowing for flowing robes and varied
colouring. The costly Tyrian dye and the finest linen
manufactures are brought into requisition, to meet the
demands of daily adornment. And he fared sumptu
ously every day. An occasional feast, where many
guests were gathered, was as nothing in the arrange
ments of this household, where was continual feast
ing. The phrase implies that the rich man daily made
merry in the midst of all the accompaniments of
grandeur. His house constantly bore witness to the
vast wealth of the lordly owner ; his halls were filled

The Rich Man and Lazarus. 35 1
with guests ; the wide-spreading chambers were con
tinually in requisition ; there was a perpetual coming
and going; retinues of servants attending to arrivals
and departures, keeping luxurious apartments in order,
providing for or arranging the festive board with all
accessories which could add to the splendour. Wealth
was in profusion, ever doing its best to display itself,
to the admiration of guests and the astonishment of
the passers-by, and even of citizens familiar with the
common tokens of worldly rank. The general effect
of this description is such that the man himself
appears even less than the abundance of the things he
possesses ; he is " a great man," but only by reason of
the surroundings which his wealth procures. He is
the owner and provider of all that is constantly under
his eyes, and he finds his enjoyment in it. The
description appUes to his wealth, and omits aU else.
What he was as a man does not appear ; that he had
brethren, and some tenderness of heart towards them,
are facts afterwards discovered ; but everything that
would give us any clear distinguishing view of the
man himseU is deUberately omitted. This intentional
omission must be pondered if the parable is to be
exactly interpreted. The purposes of the parable are
best served by sUence as to individual qualities and
pecuUarities, thereby becoming more effectively a repre
sentation of the state of wealth, showing what wealth
does for its possessor, and what an impression it makes
in the world. The man is before us in this aspect alone,
the man to whom earthly grandeur is all in all. He is
an outstanding man in " society," but only as the arid
hiU is outstanding from the plain, — glaring in the
sunlight yet fruitless, attracting the attention of those

35 2 Contrasts in the Present and Future States.
around, whether they wiU or not, but accomplishmg
nothing more, except that it affords a shelter to groups
of wayfarers who find a temporary settlement around its
base. Some service such a luxurious Ufe renders in
the world by its circulation of money ; but even this it
does, not because it designs it, or delights in it, or
expressly seeks the good of any, but simply because it
cannot otherwise find needful ministry to personal
gratification. Such is mere earthly grandeur, money-
produced splendour, showing through its magnificence
how poor it is. Such luxurious life is full of danger to
the soul, having too little of mystery in it, leading even
to the pernicious fancy that circumstances are sufficient
for all life's requirements.
Verses 20, 21. — "And there was a certain beggar
named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from
the rich man's table : moreover, the dogs came and licked
his sores."
Our eyes rest now on a contrast earthly Ufe
often presents to view. Extremes of experience are
enclosed within human history ; some having so much,
that there is no end to their luxury ; others so little,
that they never have enough. The extremes are often
found in close proximity ; want lies near the gates of
wealth. The contrast attracts attention, awakening
sad regrets, even leading to reproachful taunts against
the providence which guides the world, and giving
occasion for ineffective theories, in which bad thought
and bitter feeling often commingle. Jesus simply puts
the contrasts as they exist, and are seen by us ; He
offers no explanations, and expresses no feeling, save
as sympathy flows in upon the description of suffering.

The Rich Man and Lazarus. 353
He simply says, "Blessed are the poor," in which
brief utterance lies a philosophy of human life deeper
than the world has yet discovered, or is even willing
to study. Dangers beset wealth ; blessings lie near
to poverty. Eternity wiU supply the true measure of
the contrast between wealth and want.
"A certain poor man." Here, as in the other case,
there is absence of personal characteristics. The state
is described rather than the person.1 Sheer contrast
of situation is before us ; a state of extreme privation
is seen in the neighbourhood of aU this wealth, just
outside the gate, and is laid there, not by the wish
of the rich man, but under pressure of the poor
man's want. This poor man occupies a beggar's
place. Save the worn-out garments which hardly
give covering to his body, he has nothing he can
caU his own. He has no strength to earn his UveU-
hood. Besides enduring poverty, he is a constant
sufferer, covered with sores, his body wasting and his
heart weary, under the dominion of loathsome disease.
How to get a morsel of meat to satisfy the cravings of
hunger is a perplexity. As he lies suffering and
thinking, there is for him enough of trying mystery in
life. But that he may not, besides his other troubles,
suffer pangs of starvation, he is carried daily to the
gate of the rich man, hoping to have some share of the
fragments many times a day swept from the table.
His Ufe thus depends on supply coming somehow from
the rich man's stores. As the splendid equipages pass
through the gate, he need not lift his voice to ask
alms ; nor can he rise and go towards the house to beg;
1 "Av8pa>Tr6s ns irkoio-ios' Hraxos tis — "A certain rich man : "
"A certain poor man." Z

354 Contrasts in the Present and Future States.
nor would he, with such disease upon him, be suffered
to approach if he could. He can but lie there, sorrow
ful, weary, and waiting, in the hope that some one
among them who serve may bring him a piece of
bread, or some more fortunate beggar leave with him
a little share of the fragments carried away. Through
long hours he must lie in neglect, with aU the signs of
wealth before his eyes ; even the dogs of the city, while
they pass, seem to have some sympathy, as they turn
aside to lick his sores, their coming and going at the
same time telling how utterly stricken and helpless he is.
Human want and woe are here depicted at their worst.
There are, however, two bright gleams of sunshine
falling on this otherwise dark picture of wretchedness.
Poor as he is, and loathsome as are his sores, there is
some friendly one, unnamed and undescribed, who
cares for him ; some one who does not forget, does not
aUow natural shrinking to vanquish feeUngs of com
passion ; some one who bears him on his shoulders
morning by morning, to lay him down on his famiUar
spot for weary waiting, and who returns at nightfall
to bear him back to the place where some poor shelter
is found during the darkness and cold of the night.
That heart of sympathy is an oasis in the desert of
privation and woe. But there is much more, lying
covered from passing observation, in the name which
Jesus assigns to this representative of human woe, —
Lazarus. The loathsome disease wasting the frame
has taken fast hold on the imagination of men, making
this name a symbol for consuming disease. This
secondary and derivative use has obscured the actual
meaning of the name. We have " lazar" to describe a
sufferer from wasting disease ; and " lazar-house," or

The Rich Man and Lazarus. 355
" lazaretto," to designate a public hospital for such
sufferers, or hospital for quarantine. Spreading
through many of the languages of Europe, evidences
appear of the deep impression made by the description
given in this parable. But this sensitive shrinking
from wasting maladies, though it has done much to
remove their loathsomeness from the abodes of others,
has also hindered the true appreciation of the parable
by obscuring the original meaning of the word. The
name Lazarus is a modified form of the Old Testa
ment Eleazar, and signifies, " God my help."1 The
selection of this name is significant. Our Lord gives
no expUcit statement as to the faith, or character,
or hope of the poor sufferer. AU this is deliberately
kept out of the description, showing that it was His
purpose to describe a state, not a particular person.
But He does not paint in dark colours this picture of
human woe, without placing in the name of the repre
sentative figure the reminder that trust in God is the
key to patience and comfort under trials here, and the
security for blessedness hereafter.
Verses 22, 23. — "And it came to pass, that the beggar
died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's
bosom : the rich man also died, and was buried ; and in
hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth
Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom."
The visible contrast ends in the common lot of death.
The body of the rich man and of the poor find together
a resting-place in the dust of the ground. The poor
man has precedence in time. He has disappeared
from the place where he has long been seen lying near
1 Robinson's Lexicon ; Smith's Dictionary of the Bible ; Alford,
¦in loco.

356 Contrasts in the Present and Future States.
the gate, before the owner of the wealth is taken by
death. No allusion is made to the pauper's burial as a
last trace of the lot of penury, from which passers-by
are apt to turn away. Then the pauper's body may
even be treated with disrespect, burial being so con
ducted as to tell to the stray onlooker that affection
has smaU share in what is being done. Nothing is
erected in such a case to mark the spot ; yet had it
been here, however simple the structure, upon it could
have been set the poor man's memorial, "Lazarus," —
"God my help." Our Lord, however, does not in
troduce to our thoughts a pauper's funeral, does not
even refer to it, but omits it as a thing which need not
have attention. That which passers cannot witness,
yet which would fiU them with wonder and admiration,
could it only be seen, is depicted in this case as U it
were the only occurrence, almost as if the body had
been carried upwards as weU as the spirit, as if trans
lation had been granted to Lazarus as to Elijah, and
even in a manner more glorious, with angels as bearers
and attendants, instead of the chariot of fire and horses
of fire. " The beggar died, and was carried by the
angels into Abraham's bosom." From the side of
human observation, it could only be said, " It came to
pass that the beggar died ; " from a higher standpoint a
greater event could be seen, " It came to pass that the
beggar was carried by the angels into Abraham's
bosom." Thus is represented a great reaUty beyond
vision of men, and we, thinking of it as Ulustrated in
the history of a life, may say, " It came to pass ; '' but
seeking a general interpretation, we find in the words
a revelation of Divine government, subsisting in a
spiritual sphere beyond the confines of this material

The Rich Man and Lazarus. 357
world. We who marvel at the strange contrasts in
worldly things, may here adjust our thoughts with
greater sense of certaUnvy, as with large deliverance
from our perplexity. The destination towards which
the angels conduct this poor one is described by refer
ence to relations of persons rather than to place. In
this way Jesus suggests a continuity in the moral
relations of men, — a spiritual unity much greater than
that of an epoch or generation of men in the history
of time. Trust in God is support enough through
the worst tribulations of earth ; fellowship with the
best who have sojourned on the earth is the destiny of
those who have trusted in God through life's trials.
It is not here said that the beggar was carried to
Heaven, or to Paradise, or to the Father's house of
many mansions, but to Abraham's bosom. Thus is the
instruction of the parable best given. The solitariness
of the pauper is set in contrast with the fellowship
of beUevers. The man named Lazarus, "God my
help," finds his home in the midst of the family of
Abraham, " the father of a multitude," — " father of the
faithful." By connecting these two names, Lazarus
and Abraham, by uniting these three points in
history, — a believing life in patriarchal times, the death
of a poor sufferer in far later times, and his welcome
into the famUy of beUevers with the patriarch at its
head, — our Lord indicates the spiritual relationship
which, under God's government, unites all who believe.
One difficulty may be felt in making Abraham the
centre, but it is removed by the fact that Christ is on
the earth as the speaker. The Saviour Himself is still
a sojourner in the world from which Lazarus disappears;
He has stUl the great salvation work to accomplish ;

358 Contrasts in the Present and Future States.
but when this is done, He shall ascend to the throne on
high, and wielding all power in heaven and in earth,
shaU be the centre of all, and Lord over all, speciaUy
the centre of attraction and influence for that great
family of the faithful, of which Abraham is the father.
But as to the abiding relationship of those who believe,
it is here indicated that their life beyond the present is
in a fellowship of faith and love, within a wide famUy
circle, and fellowship with God, who hath begotten them.
" The rich man also died, and was buried." In con
trast with blessed fellowship with the ransomed throng,
there is here placed exclusion in solitude and misery.
The man of wealth has suddenly lost all. This result
is visible to aU onlookers. When under stroke of death
he disappears, all his substance remains for reckoning.
His funeral may have a word of reference. As it passes
along the streets with all marks of ceremony and pomp,
it wUl seem as the trailing fringe of the robe of wealth,
which was that day to be appropriated by another.
But as to the Beyond, — the Eeal for the man, — in
contrast with ceremony over his dead body, Jesus
speaks with definiteness. Yet He speaks in a manner
so restricted, designedly exclusive of necessary par
ticulars, and so aided by accessories drawn from earthly
experience, as to harmonise only with paraboUc teaching.
The far-reaching import of our Saviour's words appears
only by recognising what is essential to the parabolic
form, enclosing combinations otherwise incapable of
being brought into close relation. Two states of being,
far apart from each other, are temporarily united, as
if they were in contact, just as in this world, yet with
express warning that they are not intermingled as in
our order of things, but completely severed.

The Rich Man and Lazarus. 359
"And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments."
There is here what wears more the aspect of a reference
to place than appeared in the account of the experience
of Lazarus, yet here also it is the state rather than the
place which is described. The word "heU," when, as in
this case, the name " Hades " is used, though often asso
ciated with condemnation, applies generally to the state
of the dead. Accordingly, there is no reference here to
flame or fire, generally connected with the darker descrip
tion of the place of woe, when the name " Gehenna" is
used,1 though afterwards the sufferer speaks of his
1 Xew Testament usage may be seen from the following account,
embracing all the passages in which " Hades " is rendered by " hell "
in our version. There is the reference to Capernaum (Matt. xi. 23,
Luke x. 15) exalted to heaven: "Thou shalt be thrust down to
hell," involving destruction for the city, and condemnation for its
inhabitants. As to the Church's security : " I will build my
church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt.
xvi. 18), which may include a reference to the counsels of hell, or
" the powers of darkness," and also the Church's continual loss by
departure of its members through the gates of death. The passage
before us in this parable comes next in order. After this, we have
two references in one chapter (Acts ii. 27, 31), where we have
Peter's address at Pentecost, in which he quotes from the Psalms,
" Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine
Holy One to see corruption." These words the apostle interprets
thus : He " spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was
not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption," showing
that " Hades " here is rather the state of the dead — the separate
state — than a place. Next we have Paul's use of the word (1 Cor.
xv. 55), " 0 death, where is thy sting ? 0 hell, where is thy victory V
rendered in our version, " 0 grave." The reference here is to the
Christian's triumph over the state of death. Lastly, there are four
passages in the book of Revelation. One in which Christ says, I
"have the keys of hell and of death" (i. 18), control over both
soul and body in their separate state. Next, there is the descrip
tion of the "pale horse" and his rider, when death and hell are
personified: "His [name that sat on him was Death, and hell
followed with him " (vi. 8), where the allusion seems to be to
death of the body, and separation of the soul. There are only two
more examples, both found in the twentieth chapter (xx. 13, 14) :
" Death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them,"

360 Contrasts in the Present and Future States.
torment as like the burning of a flame. There is,
besides, a deUberate omission of external cfrcumstances
or accompaniments of his state. There is even a com
plete absence of all that would account for his misery.
On the other hand, there is no allusion to companion
ship, as if others were sharing in his lot, though by
implication all who pass from the earth as he has
done must have a similar destiny. We have thus
a parabolic contrast, implying that there is a worth in
companionship among the beUeving, which has no
counterpart in the case of those who have left their all
clearly meaning the grave and the separate state ; and, " Death
and hell were cast into the lake of fire," that is, the corruption of
the body and the separation of the soul were ended ; " no more
death," no longer continuance of a disembodied state. These are
the whole of the New Testament passages in which the word
" Hades " occurs. In view of them unitedly we may warrantably
interpret the words in the parable as meaning, "In the separate
state he lifted up his eyes." The darker representation of a place of
condemnation and woe, also named " hell" in our Bibles, are those
in which the name " Gehenna " is used. The complete list is
appended for contrast. There are three references in the Sermon on
the Mount. To the warning against wronging a brother, as a
breach of the sixth commandment, Jesus adds, " Whosoever shall
say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire " (Matt. v. 22)., To
the warnings against breach of the seventh commandment, He
adds twice the solemn words, as to parting with an eye or a hand :
" It is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish,
and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell " (Matt. v.
29, 30). When counselling His disciples to face boldly the danger
of death, Jesus says, " Fear not them which kill the body, but are
not able to kill the soul : but rather fear him which is able to
destroy both soul' and body in hell" (Matt. x. 28). This warning
is given in Luke's Gospel thus : " Be not afraid of them that kill
the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I
will forewarn you whom ye shall fear : Fear him, which after he
hath killed, hath power to cast into hell ; yea, I say unto you, Fear
him " (Luke xii. 4, 5). Connected with foreshadowing of offences,
and consequent condemnation in the future, is placed the risk of
being " cast into everlasting fire " (ds to irvp to alaivtov), which in
repetition, under reference to the eye, reads, "Into hell fire," or

The Rich Man and Lazarus. 361
behind them, and are overwhelmed with the sense of
desolation in absence of everything which could sus
tain and cheer, with the presence of everything to
embitter thought and feeling. To share in faith gives
power to companionship ; to be involved in a common
disaster destroys the help of companionship, and
awakens a drearier sense of hopelessness.
" In hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments." The
lifting up of the eyes is introduced in harmony with
the language of earth, though the eyes once familiar
with earthly splendour lie glazed in death, the body
the hell of fire (els rfjv yeevvav tov irvpos) (Matt, xviii. 8, 9).
Parallel with these are three examples in Mark's Gospel (Mark ix.
43, 45, 47). Following a warning against inflicting wilful wrong
" on one of these little ones," there is separate mention of the hand,
foot, and eye, and a threefold utterance of nearly the same words :
" It is better for thee to enter into life maimed," than having
two hands, feet, and eyes, " to be cast into hell, into the fire that
never shall be quenched (unquenchable) ; where their worm dieth
not, and the fire is not quenched." In these passages the references
to duration are conspicuous. They are three in number : fire
unquenchable, their worm dieth not, the fire is not quenched.
These seem to imply these three things : That the fire is persistent ; ,
that experience of misery is continuous ; that there is no interposi
tion of a higher power to destroy the burning. There is thus
double reference to the fact that the fire is not quenched. The
significance of "not quenched" may be judged from Christ's use of
the positive, as in the next parable : ' ' Give us of your oil, for our
lamps are gone out" — are quenched (Matt. xxv. 8). Further aid in
interpretation is found by an example of the use of the negative in
a different relation : " A bruised reed shall he not break, and
smoking flax shall he not quench " (Matt. xii. 20). There remain
two more references in Matthew's Gospel, connected with our Lord's
denunciations of the scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites, provoking
others. When a proselyte is made, " ye make him twofold more
the child of hell [vlov yUwqs) than yourselves" (Matt, xxiii. 15).
At close of the lengthened passage of condemnation are the words :
" Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the
damnation of hell?" (Matt, xxiii. 33.) The last passage in which
the name appears is James iii. 6 : " The tongue is a fire, a world of
iniquity : . . . and it is set on fire of hell."

362 Contrasts in the Present and Future States.
having found a resting-place in the tomb. The words
imply clear observation of the altered position, pre
liminary to the reflection which such a change as his
is fitted to awaken. The body with its special senses
and all its sensibiUties had been left behind, so that
the suffering endured was not of a physical nature.
But as he lifts up the eyes of the soul he takes
account of his change of destiny, feels his great loss,
ponders his foolish and utterly reckless disregard of
his duty to God, and of aU the higher requirements of
human life. Eeflecting on these things he is in misery ;
he is unable to stop his bitter regrets, and equally
unable to find any comfort under his sense of self-
condemnation : he is " in torments." It is not sug
gested that this torment came from any external
source, least of all that God inflicted torture upon him
as one now brought under His power. There is nothing
to suggest such thought. The structure of the parable
implies the reverse, making almost conspicuous the
absence of external causes of trouble, representing
even a strange solitariness. The key to the torment
is within the man, along with absence of all that he
had been wont to regard as of value. His own history,
with the full sense of all that it has involved, and the
quickened action of his reflective powers, presents aU
that the parable supplies in explanation of a suffering
so full of agony that it is described as the state of one
who is in torments.
The purely parabolic nature of the story now comes
prominently into view with the reference to the
seeing of Abraham and Lazarus ; and a narrative of
conversation between the three, as if they three had
been the sole occupants of neighbouring regions,

The Rich Man and Lazarus. 363
separated only by a narrow, though deep and impass
able, ravine. He lifted up his eyes, and " seeth A braham
afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." This combination
of incident, aided by contiguity of place, is essential
for our Lord-'s purpose in putting the contrasts of the
future state as vividly before the mind as the con
trasts of wealth and poverty in the present state.
Sight and speech supply the necessary conditions for
bringing out these contrasts ; and they are employed
specially to meet the requirements of those still dwell
ing in the present state. Previously, our Lord had
described the state of the rich man and Lazarus, rather
than the place in which they were ; but now the
accessories of place are introduced according to the
requirements of our senses, under those conditions
famUiar to us. This is so essential for the structure of
a parabolic story, that we should misunderstand the
whole plan of our Saviour's teaching here, did we
allow ourselves to take it as suggesting sojourn in the
same place, or even in the same neighbourhood, as if
within a distance so small as to be compatible with
sight and speech as those are exercised by us in this
world. That they were aU three in the separate state,
in Hades, regarded as a state of existence, is true ; but
it is a fact which contributes nothing in favour of
actual proximity of place. The lines of contrast in
personal history which crossed each other at the
point of death must be regarded as diverging lines,
separating from each other as they are continued.
Contiguity here means nothing more than parabolic
combination of distinct and widely separated realities,
in accordance with conditions of Ufe on earth which
must be quite inappUcable beyond death. These

364 Contrasts in the Present and Future States.
realities are : The complete contrast of torment and
blessedness ; recognition of this contrast as involving
wide separation of individuals according to life and
character under the moral government of God ; per
ception of the terrible truth that these contrasts in
state and thought are inevitable by mere continuity of
life, and because of personal choice deUberately main
tained throughout the earthly life. To the view of
the rich man, as he lifts up his eyes now, the contrast
between a life of faith in God, patient waiting on Him,
with devotion to His will, and a life of unceasing self-
indulgence, allowing no place to thoughts of God and
of the grand end of human life, appears a contrast so
great, that he is overwhelmed with a sense of the
wickedness and madness of his own career. The sight
of Abraham far away from him, and the poor man
Lazarus resting and rejoicing in closest feUowship with
the great father of their people, gave intensity to his
otherwise disturbing reflections. There is no sight of
God, no light from His presence, but only sight of
Abraham. The ready recognition of Abraham, how
ever, and that in the separate state, a recognition as
ready as that of Lazarus, is our Lord's suggestion of
the strong and ensnaring tendency of the people to
trust to their descent from Abraham as sufficient
warrant for acceptance with God. The thought of
" father Abraham " had gone deeply into his mind ;
the current congratulation, " We be Abraham's chil
dren," had often found expression in midst of the
circles within his reception rooms ; and a continuous
influence from this source had been kept up by regular
appearances at the Temple service. The result is
before us here in the quick recognition of Abraham,

The Rich Man and Lazarus. 36

ov

and the prompt appeal to him under sense of over
whelming misery.
Verse 24. — "And he cried and said, Father Abraham,
have mercy on me, and send La~arus, that he may dip
the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue ; for I
am tormented in this flame."
In harmony with the remoteness of the sight of
blessed companionship "afar off" from the place where
he was, the rich man is represented, not merely as
speaking, but as crying aloud. Attention to him he
felt to be the pressing need ; he was fully in earnest
with utterance of this prayer addressed to the great
father of the faithful. His sense of actual relationship
and consequent claim appears first in the address,
" Father Abraham." The name comes naturally to his
Ups as a recollection of a famiUar phrase, a survival of
a form of faith, which had been powerful enough to
mislead, though not to wean and awaken, far less to
elevate. " Have mercy on me!" Have compassion ;
show some regard to me, whUst thy chief regard is
given to Lazarus. Have pity on me, whose case is
pitiable indeed. This prayer is in complete contrast
with that of the publican in the parable (Luke xviii.
13), not only as it is offered to Abraham, while the
other is offered to God ; but as it is a cry for pity,
whereas the other was a pleading for pardon. Beading
our English Bible, we are apt to miss the contrast, as
both prayers seem to involve a cry for mercy ; yet are
we saved from misunderstanding by the difference of
the quarter to which the cry is directed in the two
cases. The words employed, however, are quite
different, having a perfectly distinct meaning, though
the similarity of rendering is natural in accordance

366 Contrasts in the Present and Future States.
with our own usage, which takes " mercy to pardon "
as one meaning of the word, while compassion, dis
position to mitigate anguish, or deUver from it, is even
more common. The contrast is marked.1 The rich
man pleads for pity, begging even for that as a thing to
which he has no more claim than Lazarus had during
his life on earth to the fragments swept from the
festive board. In this world beyond he is utterly
destitute, and endures misery far greater than the
penury of earth, and the wasting disease which afflicted
Lazarus during his sojourn in the earth.
"Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger
in water, and cool my tongue ; for I am tormented in
this flame." This entreaty shows how Uttle he now
feels warranted to expect even from the compassion
of Abraham, yet how intense is his wretchedness.
Our Lord puts these things together as the revelation
at once of his experience and desire, while by omission
of all reference of prayer to God, He indicates how
hopeless is the condition of the man's soul. There is
no gleam of light here, no trace of hope, save this Uttle
spark struck by the thought that Abraham might have
some power and inclination to help a son of Israel ; but
that spark almost instantly disappears in the gloom.
In accordance with the general features of the story, his
suffering is described in language commonly appUed to
bodily experience. The intensity of his distress is such
that he feels as if he were tormented in flame. There is
nothing in the description of the situation to suggest
1 The publican's prayer is, '0 6eos, iXao-ftjTt p.01 ra df»apro)X«5 —
" God be merciful to me a sinner ;" the rich man's prayer is, ndrep
'A/3paa/j, cKerjcrov p.e — " Father Abraham, have compassion on me."
His misery is the chief concern of the latter, not his sin.

The Rich Man and Lazarus. 367
such a representation, but the intensity of his feeling
could find expression in no other way. Willingly,
most wilnngly, would he accept aid from Lazarus, if
the beggar who once lay at his gate would now dip
even the tip of his finger in water, and for an instant
touch the tip of his tongue. The language is still that
of earth, as U bodUy experience determined the whole
state. Thus Jesus describes the whole man, mind and
heart, as disturbed and tormented at thought of the
awful calamity of being separated at once from wealth
and all weUbeing ; having once been a great man among
the chUdren of Israel, but now far off from Abraham's
circle ; having gained and lost the world, and with it
lost his soul ; having pleased himself, but lost the good
pleasure of God. One drop of consolation would
mitigate his torment, but even that cannot be had.
Yet wiU he cry aloud, if peradventure comfort might
be brought from afar. He does not ask to be taken
out of the flame, nor that the flame itself be put out ;
these seem to him things not to be thought of or
named; but even the least mitigation would be in
expressible gain.
Verses 25, 26. — "But Abraham said, Son, remember
that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and
likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted,
and thou art tormented. And besides all this, between us
and you there is a great gulf fixed : so that they which
would pass from hence to you cannot ; neither can they
pass to us, that would come from thence."
As the rich man's prayer points to the dreadful
contrast between the state into which he has come and
that upon which Lazarus had entered, Abraham's reply
declares that the contrast is the natural result of that

368 Contrasts in the Present and Future States.
which had existed in the preceding life. This is the
solemn warning from a loving Saviour against the
blinding tendency of worldly allurements, aided by
groundless hope that in the world to come the destinies
of men will not be found greatly to differ. Jesus
would destroy false peace, by casting light upon
contrasts existing in the invisible state. This purpose
becomes increasingly clear from study of the answer
put into the mouth of Abraham. The suppliant's
appeal is not disregarded, but the answer tells how
impossible it is to have the desire of the heart fulfilled.
The claim of kinship involved in the appeal, " Father
Abraham ! " is not disallowed, for Abraham, responding
to him as one who had been numbered among his
children, addresses him as "son," or rather as his
" child." But the reply is a call to remember the
great contrast between himself and Lazarus, as it existed
during their earthly Ufe. Such recoUections only add
fuel to the flame ; yet must the sufferer remember and
reflect. These memories have already caused to him
intensity of suffering, but they cannot be stayed ; the
thought even of appeaUng to Abraham only gives
increased force to distressing recollections. Memory is
a helping power for those advancing to higher things,
— a tormenting power for men taking a downward
course. Even for those travelling in the way of
righteousness, it carries much to humble, as well as
much to cheer ; but for those who empty their life of
godliness, there is a filUng of the memory with such
stores as self-seeking and self-indulgence accumulate,
the counting up of which will cause heaviness of heart.
In the final reckonings of a godless life, gain counts as
loss. This certainty stands out the more impressively

Tlie Rich Man and Lazarus. 369
in the parable, because the structure of it does not
suggest a life blackened by vice and crime. The
memory is not filled with bitter recollections of those
who had been lured to ruin along a maddening course
of Ucentiousness, whose reproaches sting like vipers,
because their testimony is true and their condemna
tion just. From fear of such recollections men may
weU shrink as from scorching flame. Dreaded memo
ries there must be when the hand of wealth has offered
the bribe which tempted to wickedness; dreaded
memories for those who have stooped to accept the
price of iniquity, with need for afterwards hearing
the reminder, " Thou hadst thy reward." To have
escaped such memories by having shunned the wicked
ness which places the recollections within, is unspeak
able deliverance. Even with memories less dreadful,
however, the misery is as the torment of a flame.
This man had aU that wealth could give ; he had spent
his days in luxurious ease and indulgence, eating,
drinking, and making merry ; he welcomed others to
share UberaUy in the pleasures his resources could so
amply provide; he was esteemed and honoured by
multitudes ; and it does not appear that he did more
by way of evU influence than encourage the hundreds
of welcome guests to spend their days as he did, in a
constant round of self-indulgence, caring nothing for
those beyond their gay circle, nothing for their own
life beyond the present state, and* nothing for God the
Giver of all who speaks from above, saying, " Be ye
holy, for I am holy." After all this thoughtless,
godless gaiety, and because of it aU, there is torment,
in the midst of which the sufferers have only to
recollect the past to see that they had chosen their
2 A

370 Contrasts in the Present and Future States.
portion, making light of the consequences. "Eemember
that thou in thy Ufetime receivedst thy good things,
and likewise Lazarus evil things." The form of refer
ence to the abundance of the things previously pos
sessed—" thy good things " — indicates personal choice,
and the use made of them. It is not said of the very
different lot which had faUen to Lazarus, that the want
and suffering were his evU things ; his they were most
truly, being the source of trial all his life through, but
not his by choice ; and they did not extend beyond the
earthly Ufe. The evU had been patiently endured, and
had been so used as to make it minister to good, — good
of that higher kind, extending itself into the world
beyond, there showing its real and abiding worth. The
two states are the natural and inevitable sequence of
two states which preceded them : " Now he is com
forted, and thou art tormented."
The impossibility of transference or change involved
in the continuity of life in both cases, is next set forth
under impressive parabolic forms. Contiguity of place,
introduced first to meet the requirements of speech, is
now employed to give greater vividness to the reaUty
of complete separation of state. The purely parabolic
nature of the representation is obvious, a spiritual im
possibility being translated into a physical. Verse 26. —
" And besides all this, between us and you there is a great
gulf fixed." During the earthly life each had made his
choice, the one to trust in riches, and that trust had
faUed ; the other to trust in God, and that had proved
all-sufficient. But beyond what lay purely in the
choice of the individuals, there is a righteous sovereignty
which suddenly becomes more apparent than it had
been in the earthly state. Hitherto it had proved easy

The Rich Man and Lazarus. 371
to shut the eyes to this reality; now it had become
impossible. A sovereignty there is in distribution of
wealth, and a sovereign appointment of want. But we
find it easy to speak of the one as good fortune, and
the other as sad misfortune. Divine sovereignty does
not here force itseU upon our notice, however apparent
its reality may be to those who reflect. But when
wealth passes away from the grasp, the moral results
remain, abiding in the heart ; when poverty and disease
end, losing their power by destruction of the body,
God's favour abides, its rest and gladness fiUing the
souL The new state of existence makes the moral
government of God appear as the one certainty. The
Ufe of seU-seeking and self-indulgence, which treats
Ughtly of godliness and regards reUgious earnestness in
others as an offensive profession, has its hollowness
and wickedness exposed in God's presence. The Ufe of
lowly trust, confessing personal sin and longing after
righteousness, is commended of God, finding its recom-
pence in His favour. These two states are far apart,
severed by a vast chasm. As the life of worldliness
and the Ufe of godliness are at variance, even when
they dweU in closest neighbourhood, tending by
their continuance to a wider severance, so by the
sovereign decree of Him who rules in righteousness,
and by the necessity of His unchangeable nature, the
chasm which separates them is fixed. In the world
beyond, a great guU separates godlessness from godli
ness. It is a gulf wider than the vastest ocean of this
world, " fixed " more immovably than " the everlasting
hiUs." The separation is clear even here, had we only
eyes to see it ; there it is unmistakable, for nothing
obscures it, everything forces it on attention. Even in

372 Contrasts in the Present and Future States.
the present state of existence, each one may ascertain
the severance between the self-seeking and the God
fearing Ufe ; even with our imperfect appliances for
measurement, we may satisfy ourselves of the widening
separation of these two, and, continuing our reckoning
onward, may be impressed with the conviction that it
must be an awful chasm which ultimately separates
these two lives. Extremes of human history are,
indeed, placed before our view in this parable ; between
these extremes are endless diversities under the hurry
and eagerness, the glitter and sadness of life ; the God
who rules above wUl take account of aU these diversi
ties, and have careful regard to aU disadvantages ; but
He is holy, ruling in righteousness and for righteous
ness, and He has set a vast chasm of severance between
holiness and unholiness.
"They which would pass from hence to you cannot;
neither can they pass to us, that would come from
thence." In view of the account he gives of his torment)
the rich man's request is a smaU one, that Lazarus
might bring him some little mitigation of his anguish;
but even this much cannot be granted, — the chasm
lying between is impassable. The exclusively parabolic
nature of this conversation being recognised, we cannot
interpret it as suggesting an intermingUng of feeUng,
any more than interchange of communication, on the
part of those completely separated. The parable does
not here warrant the inference that there is among the
ransomed an unfulfilled desire to go as ministering
angels to those in the place of woe, nor that there is
among the condemned the expectation of such coming.
The impossibiUty of coming and going is set forth;
and with this, the still more solemn truth, the impossi-

The Rich Man and Lazarus.

o/o

bUity of altering the misery of the seU-condemned by
the best efforts of those whose joy and hope are in the
Divine favour. We cannot go ; thou canst not come.
The impossibiUty here does not spring from any want
of longing for deUverance on the part of the suffering,
nor from any want of wiUingness on the part of the
ransomed. Both states of feeling may be represented
as natural to both in their circumstances. Yet such
feeling is powerless for alteration of the state of tor
ment, as for alteration of the conditions of blessedness.
The Ufe of worldliness which has led into the present
misery cannot be changed now ; the recoUections of
a past life cannot be altered, any more than the events
which have registered themselves on the tablets of
memory, and they cannot be obUterated by power of
the purest and deepest sympathy; the sensibUity of
the mind under presence of such recollections, and the
self-reproach they occasion, cannot be deadened. All
these are fixed results, as fixed as the results of a life
of patient trust in God ; as persistent as the recollec
tions dweUing in the soul of the escaped sufferer, or
the sense of rest and thankfulness flowing steadily in
upon his spirit. The inevitable fixedness of result
flowing from the Ufe we are now living is what a
gracious loving Saviour would have us ponder while
we Uve. We are Uving, and we must hereafter con
tinue to Uve, under the government of fixed law.
Verses 27, 28. — " Then he said, I pray thee therefore,
father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's
house : for I have five brethren ; that he may testify
unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment."
The death of hope for himself is the rise of fear for
his brethren. If Lazarus could not help him, he

374 Contrasts in the Present and Future States.
might help them. If there was no path between the
two states beyond death, there might yet be return
from the state of the blessed back through the gate of
death into the earthly state, where shines the Ught of
hope ; and fresh work might yet in this way he
assigned to one who had escaped from life's troubles
and conflicts, by passing into peace. The words of
Abraham had directed his attention to a terrible
reaUty, of which he in his eager desire for mitigation
of suffering had been oblivious. He had, indeed, re
cognised the inevitable in his torment, but he had not
considered the impossibUity of relief. When the im
passable chasm became apparent, his prayer feU back
into his own heart not only as a useless thing, but as
an additional source of trouble. Even thus dismayed,
however, he thought of his brethren. Awakened
thought takes in the realities of earthly Ufe, directing
affection for kindred into a form of concern which had
been crushed down while its influence might have
done good. A man who had felt no care for his own
soul could not seek salvation for others; and this is
now fresh evidence of the wickedness of the Ufe he
had spent on the earth, and a reason for anxiously
desiring to avert the dreaded consequences. To stay
his own responsibilities, to stop the action of influences
he had set in motion, to turn the course of aU his five
brothers in a different direction from that which he
had taken, — from a life of self-indulgence to trust in
God and earnest striving after righteousness. These
things were now ardently desired. How impossible of
accomplishment they now seemed to him. He is now
learning in a bitter experience how slender are the
links between desire and fulfilment, if thoughts of God

The Rich Man and Lazarus. 375
are banished from the life and Divine love is not
esteemed the true source of blessing. He is discover
ing how fruitless is the attempt to arise in agitating
fear, seeking to stay by his single effort the stream of
influence which took its rise from his own life. Might,
then, the thing impossible for him be done by Lazarus,
with consent of the father of the faithful, under sanction
of God ? This is now his single desire. But here also
hope must die out, whUe he learns what a dreadful
penalty of sin Ues in power of thought. Affection for
his kindred had not died out of his heart ; what had
been good in his character remained, as well as what had
been evil in it ; and the good awoke as a flickering light,
to show dimly to his eye how sinful in itself, and how
cruel to others, a life of worldUness had been. Now,
he would avert the consequences if he could ; he would
save his brothers from the doom to which he had come.
This seemed to him now matter of greatest urgency.
For its attainment he wordd even have Lazarus return
from the state of the dead. But in this also he must
endure disappointment. For them, as for himself, the
earnest desire of his heart is directed upon what cannot
be granted.
Verse 29. — " A braham saith unto him, They have Moses
and the prophets; let them hear them!'
Neither is want of knowledge, nor lack of warning,
the explanation of men Uving a godless life. In his
eagerness to avert the consequences of such Ufe, he
forgets the inducements to it, and the allurements
which had dazzled his own eyes and had carried his
own choice. The Scriptures set forth with clearness
and fulness God's caU to the life of faith and holiness ;
the great lesson is kept before the mind daily, and is

376 Contrasts in the Present and Future States.
supported by reflection and conscience, if men only
give heed to the voice within. There is the plainest
instruction as to man's most pressing need. The need
for pardon of his sins, cleansing from its pollution, and
acceptance with God, were all set forth in the Temple
service then, as they are to-day in the preached Gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ. The altar of sacrifice, the
laver of washing, the altar of incense in the holy place,
and the Most Holy Place within the veU, have a har
monious course of instruction, of which each contributes
its own part. So in Gospel teaching, the cross of
Christ, the influence of the Holy Spirit, the feUow
ship of prayer, the prospect of perfect Ufe, are clear
beyond mistake, if men wUl only give heed. God has
not left any house to make its choice for life, guided
only by the warning of a solitary messenger returning
from the abodes of the dead. AU the lessons of pro
vidence, and aU the teaching of conscience, converge
on the same point ; the Scriptures abound in the
repetitions of God's call to men, and in renewed
assurances of His wUlingness to bless aU who come.
True it is, nevertheless, that many disregard the instruc
tion, and defer considering the invitations, giving them
selves no concern. To little purpose do they possess
God's Word ; more tolerable it must be for the heathen
in the judgment, than for them who have the Scriptures
and profit so little by the possession. Those to whom
the name of Abraham is familiar as a household word
are also familiar with the lesson of faith. They have
Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. Let them
give heed, ponder, and apply revealed truth. Such
exercise constitutes true hearing, and in such hearing
there is sure reward.

The Rich Man and Lazarus. 377
Verse 30. — " And he said, Nay, father Abraham : but
if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent!'
The words of Abraham seemed familiar in his ear.
They sounded as the echo of familiar accents from the
earthly state, which had daily faUen on his own ears
and produced no effect. Eeference to the Scriptures
sounded even as something powerless ; for the sake of
his brothers he longed for a surprise. If Lazarus would
return again to the earth ; if, as men dwelling on the
earth think of it, he should arise from the dead ; if his
spirit were to reanimate the body now resting in the
dust; tf Lazarus were to appear in the midst of his
father's house with words of warning from a brother in
anguish, the effect would be startUng and immediate.
So this poor sufferer thinks, so accordingly he reasons
even with Abraham, pressing his petition on this ground.
All this is paraboUc ; the conversation is constructed
to represent what does not readily find expression
among men, yet greatly needs pondering. The utter
ance is not altogether mistaken, yet is it effectually
misleading. The man who has sUght sense of sin, has
great confidence in the power of fear. He reckons it
the strongest motive in life, and does not reflect long
enough to settle for what end it is efficient. There is
an awe of death, a power of superstition, a dread of
hopeless anguish. He knows these things by experi
ence ; he trusts in their power ; to his view, fear, super
stition, and shrinking are the most efficient agents for
working a change on human life. So little does he
trust inteUigence, so sUghtly does he value truth, so
imperfectly does he understand the attractiveness of
God's love, so poorly does he even yet estimate what
repentance really means. Yet the insertion of that

378 Contrasts in the Present and Future States.
word /' repent" is the Saviour's warning of what is
needful, while the answer following indicates that
repentance is something more than a wiser bargain, —
something else than a surrender of earthly indulgence,
on consideration of escaping future woe. It is more
than a change of outward plan, under which thought
and disposition continue as before. Calculating pru
dence might, indeed, change the course of life so far as
to lead to a degree of self-denial, and appropriation of
funds to "benevolent objects," in prospect of future
reward. Such a change would be a great gain to these
rich men themselves in the exercise of self-restraint,
and to others in a wider distribution of benefits; it
would besides have its value as bearing on the Ufe
beyond, involving escape from some of the tormenting
recollections now embittering the experience of the
brother who had died first. But this would involve
repentance only according to the influence of fear.
Self-denial and benevolence would exist only in sem
blance; the result of a wiser reckoning would be
escape from a measure of torment which had otherwise
been inevitable ; but such a change would be powerless
to secure the suppliant's end, who dreads "lest they
also come into this place of torment." True repentance
is that which changes the centre of interest from self
to God, vexation on account of miscalculation and
loss into humiUation because of sin, self-interest into
love of God, and makes the grand end a life of holiness
instead of self-gratification. But even under dread of
future suffering men are slow to believe in the value
of such a thorough-going change. Even a semblance
of refuge suffices to avert deliberate reflection under
the most solemn warning. That present interests are

The Rich Man and Lazarus. 379
pressing, that most men around are absorbed in worldly
good, that the interests of the future may be con
sidered afterwards, and that God who has placed us
here under pressure of our circumstances will be
merciful, — these are common resorts under the most
earnest appeals. Something more heart-stirring than
apprehension for the future is required to secure a
genuine change of mind. The suppliant is mistaken in
his expectation that a temporary surprise would result
in a complete change of Ufe, and consequent escape
from the misery flowing Uke a desolating torrent after
a misspent Ufe. This man's thinking is stUl on the
low level to which his earthly life had brought him.
Foverty does not lead to Abraham's bosom, neither
does a generous use of wealth. This would be insuffi
cient to guide a man to the famUy of God, or provide
escape from the mingled miseries of self-seeking and
self-reproach. Thus there is a repenting which needs
to be repented of, a change which caUs for still further
change, in order that a man may truly love God
and live in His favour. This the Temple service had
been daily testifying to this sufferer during the days of
his sojourn on the earth, yet he had not learnt it ; this
the Uving and dying of Jesus as the Son of Man and
the Saviour of man has made manifest to the ends of
the earth.
Verse 31. — " And he said unto him, If they hear not
Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded
though one rose from the dead!'
Abraham is represented as answering with all con
descension and patience, as well as with all firmness.
The answer is utterly disappointing to the suppliant,
but it is not a mere blank refusal. Neither is it, " I

3 80 Contrasts in the Present and Future States.
wiU not send," nor is it, " Lazarus will not go ;" but,
Even if I send, and Lazarus goes, they wiU not be
persuaded. The manner of this final reply shows how
far the Saviour is from suggesting that in the punish
ment of the unbelieving a hard, repeUent, or defiant
attitude is assumed. It implies that the deepest
element in punishment is the conviction that the
government of rebeUious men is ever maintained with
strict justice and tender compassion. The matter of
the reply is that the unwilUngness of men to repent
and be persuaded is the true explanation of their
condemnation. They live in carelessness as to God
and His will, and in death they awake to self-con
demnation in sight of what they have done in despising
the message of Divine love. The self-reproach which
now torments the suppliant is, alas ! the contradiction
of his own expectations. His plea for his brothers
affords no excuse for himself. Unwillingness to repent,
which is the source of continued evil in the life, and
this would not be affected by some days of surprise
because of the reappearance of Lazarus. Another
Lazarus did come again from the dead into the midst
of the sorrowing circle of Bethany ; and while his
coming was hailed with joy by the believing, and even
aroused the wonder and curiosity of multitudes, it did
nothing to convince, far less convert, the Pharisees,
and did not turn them even from their murderous
designs against Jesus, whose word had brought him
back from the dead. So completely do facts in the
life of Jesus go to confirm the truth and moral power
of His teaching. God does not seek the conversion of
men by a succession of resurrections. The dealing of
God with man is wiser than the excited longing of the

The Rich Man and Lazarus. 38 1
self-condemned heart. The wisdom becomes apparent,
if only we consider the source of the evil. The words
of Abraham are designed to make this conspicuous.
Our English version partially conceals their force. The
answer Uterally is : " If they will not hear Moses and
the prophets, neither wUl they be persuaded though
one rose from the dead." The cause of their living as
they did was the same as had been the cause in his own
Ufe — deep-seated reluctance to hear, unwillingness to be
persuaded, leading even to the deliberate shunning of
those influences which might impress on them their
duty to God. This is the key to the irreligion which
exists. There is no lack of compassion on God's part
if He do not send men from the state of the dead to
bear witness to the unbelieving. If true compassion
could be manifested in such a course, there would need
to be a continual coming and going between the two
states of existence. Surprise would then fail to accom
pUsh the desired result. Under a series of surprises,
surprise itseU would die. The instrument would be
destroyed by use. It is vain to regard excitement from
external causes as a reUable agency for inward renewal.
If men wiU not hear the teaching, warning, and encou
ragements of God's Word, neither wUl they be persuaded
to repent, turn to God, and walk with Him by any
warnings coming from the state of the dead. Thus the
parable closes with a word for the living, for whom,
indeed, the entire parable has been designed, giving
explicit teaching concerning continued life beyond this
state according to its direction here. Our Lord thus
supplies in the best form that which the despairing
suppliant longs for in behalf of those to whom oppor
tunity of repentance is still granted. He presents the

382 Contrasts in the Present and Future States.
contrasts between life with God and life without God ;
He carries the lines of contrast through the portals of
death, where we lose sight of our feUow-men ; and He
shows the completeness of the contrast as the lines are
stUl further continued into states of existence separated
by a great chasm. There are two states in the invisible
world, which are as complete contrasts as the extremes
of poverty and of wealth in this world. On the higher
level, removed from aU experience of trouble, is feUow
ship with Abraham and all who are of his family, —
fellowship in a faith working by love in a holy and
unceasing service of the Most High God. On the lower
level there is separation from all this, in the midst of
unceasing experience of self-reproach, whence there is
no pathway to the state of the blessed, to which comes
no provision for mitigation of its woe, and in which the
reigning desire is that of escape, which is ever seen to
be impossible.

CHAPTEE XXIV.
CHRIST'S C02IING, THE TEST OF CHRISTIAN
PROFESSION.
THE TEN VIRGINS.
Matthew xxv. 1-13.
After the extremes of contrast, both in this world
and in the next, have been set before us, we have a
representation of the Messianic kingdom as it will
appear on the day of our Lord's coming in glory. He
shaU appear as a bridegroom coming to receive his
bride. The direct purpose, however, is to set forth a
truth which lies nearer to us than the marriage itself,
fuU of practical value for the present life. The parable,
therefore, does not contain special descriptions of the
bride and of the marriage ceremonial. The imagery
of marriage union cannot weU be maintained, along
with a representation of judgment and separation,
which it is the purpose of our Lord here to set
forth. On this account direct aUusion to the bride
and the marriage is withheld; and the story is con
cerned with the distinctions which Christ's coming
reveals among those who are professed disciples.
That the representation should be that of a marriage
ceremony and not of a royal progress, is in marked

384 Christ's Coming tests Christian Profession.
harmony with our Lord's teaching concerning His
relation to His Church ; and it has the special value
of obvious continuity in the line of analogy presented
in the parable of The Eoyal Marriage Feast.
This parable of the Ten Virgins is one spoken by our
Lord toward the close of his public ministry, when, with
the cross only a little in advance, He gave utterance
to the most solemn warnings concerning His coming
again in glory and might. In this connection we must
interpret the reference to time with which the parable
opens. " Then" when the Son of man cometh, " shall
the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins." He
had begun His ministry by preaching that the kingdom
of heaven was at hand ; He is closing His pubUc
teaching by revealing the appearance of His kingdom
when He comes again in glory. His coming then
shall be in joy, as in the midst of "marriage rejoicings ;"
but even then there shall be painfulness of separations,
as well as joyfulness of reunions. One thing stands
out clearly in the opening words of the parable, and
must be regarded as regulating its interpretation, that
it applies to the kingdom as a whole. In that pre
viously considered individuals are placed in contrast;
in this, the kingdom as a unity is contemplated. What
is true on an immeasurably wide scale, when all
nations, including multitudes innumerable, are reckoned
together, is here brought within narrow limits, easUy
embraced by the eye, a group of ten maidens represent
ing the whole Messianic kingdom.
Verse 1 . — " Then shall the kingdom of heaven be
likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and
went forth to meet the bridegroom!'
The Saviour thus speaks of Himself as the bride-

The Ten Virgins. 385
groom ; but He has stUl to go away ; much lies before
Him connected with this going, and a long interval
thereafter must elapse before His coming in glory.
The bridegroom is therefore spoken of only as one
expected. There is no appearance of his coming, not
even any sound of his approach, not the slightest
certainty as to the probable time of his coming.
Attention meanwhUe concentrates on a group of
virgins, fuUy occupied with their own preparations for
expected marriage rejoicings. In order to give vivid
ness to the parable, the preparations are assigned to
the night for which the arrival of the bridegroom
had been fixed. This belongs to the structure of
the story, and at the same time has a manifest fitness
in view of the direct spiritual result desired by our
Lord, in counselling present and earnest watchfulness.
These ten maidens coUectively symbolise the kingdom
of God on the earth. The state of all men is not here
indicated, for there are many unrepresented who fade
from the view in the darkness of the night. The
virgins represent all who with gladness look for the
coming of the Son of God ; the entire Church of Christ,
those whom He has gathered together in the bonds of
common faith, interest, and joyful activity. They
expect the coming of the bridegroom, and prepare
themselves for it. They light their lamps, and go
forth into the darkness of the night, advancing on the
road along which he is to come, until they reach the
appointed meeting-place, where they may watch for the
signs of his approach. This little band so equipped,
interested, and active, represents the Christian Church
on the earth.
The general significance of this opening description
2B

o

86 Christ's Coming tests Christian Profession.

is so plain as hardly to admit of diversity of opinion.
The characteristics of those belonging to Christ's
Church on earth are expectation of Christ's coming in
glory, dedication to the duty of giving Him a joyous
welcome, and preparation for such a welcome. The
Church in the earth is a testimony concerning a great
Future, a witness to the promise of Christ's reappear
ance, with throngs of attendants, as a bridegroom in
the midst of his marriage rejoicings. This expectation
is professed by all who declare themselves disciples of
the Lord Jesus. They do not profess merely to cherish
the hope that at death they shall be privileged to enter
into the heavenly kingdom; but keeping their eye
along the plane of this world's history, they see a bright
period far in advance, when they shall arise from sleep
and exult in the coming of the Lord of Glory. When
this anticipation is realised, when Christ's glorious
appearance is at hand, "then shall the kingdom of
heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their
lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom."
In view of what follows, dividing the group into two,
the wise and the foolish, it seems impossible to regard
the whole as representing genuine disciples, though
this view has been largely taken. There is nothing in
the structure of the parable to warrant the suggestion
that the five foolish maidens represent only a less
devoted and less watchful portion of the true servants
of Christ. The circumstance that virginity is often
symbolically employed to represent purity such as
must belong to the people of God, cannot be regarded
as deciding our interpretation here. The group of
virgins is a usual accompaniment of marriage festivi
ties selected by our 'Lord as best representing His

The Ten Virgins. 387
And the circumstance, that of the
gathering some prove wanting in forethought, thereby
utterly failing in fulfilment of their purpose, is taken
to represent a dark and sad reality in the history
of the spiritual kingdom on earth, which shall be
made glaringly conspicuous when He comes in glory,
testing the preparedness of all who appear before Him.
The solemn warning of this phase of the parable is
speciaUy desired by the merciful Saviour, who has in
aU things a regard to the practical effect of His words
in this present state. There is nothing adverse to
this view of the parable, but much in harmony with
the realities of Christian profession, in all the group
bearing lighted lamps. This fact must be remarked as
going far to determine the significance of the light in
the parable. That the lighted lamp does not mean
spfritual Ufe in the soul seems clearly proved by many
considerations. The use of these lighted lamps is
restricted to a special season, and has its significance
determined by this fact. The lamps are naturaUy
accompaniments on account of the need for going out
in the darkness of night. They were to add to the
expected effect of the welcome only on account of the
darkness. Again, the lamp is a merely external acces
sory to be used for a time, and then laid aside. Its
effect is to be felt only on the way. When the joyous
company enter the festive halls, the lamp is to be put
out and laid aside. Expectation comes to an end
when the Lord appears. Behind the lamp as it is
borne there is conviction and expectation, accounting
for its being carried. Further, even in recognising the
relationship of lamp-bearing to the inward conviction
of the bearer, we must regard the lamp itself as some-

388 Christ's Coming tests Christian Profession.
thing external. In harmony with this must be our
interpretation of the light, whether we consider its
source in the oil which sustains it, or its influence in
the spreading beams which pierce the surrounding
gloom. All these things combine in support of the
view that the lamp or light is outward profession of
personal expectation of the coming of our Lord. This
is a profession openly avowed by aU who outwardly
connect themselves with the Christian Church, equally
by the sincere and by the formal. Such a profession,
whatever be the real condition of the heart, is carried
as the Ught of a personal testimony. Profession has
visibUity in the surrounding darkness. The lamp
which so shines, however, is not the heart, but the
outward testimony ; not the life within the man, but
the profession made by him. In all cases there is
conviction, expectation, and interest in the arrange
ments for Christ's coming; and these are awakened
and sustained by the clear declarations of God's Word,
as a storehouse of oil, from which the lamps of Chris
tian profession are replenished. From this store scant
supply may be drawn, only sufficing to kindle the lamp
of a temporary profession ; or a deeper draft may be
taken sufficient to provide for the continuance of the
profession even in the presence of the Master. The
test of true Christianity, therefore, is not found in
the light of mere profession, but in its endurance
because of real devotion to the Saviour, whose coming
is anticipated as the bringing of completed " salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time." All professing
Christians are, however, included as sharing in the
expectation of Christ's coming, and even in the general
preparations for the event. As Trench has said, though

The Ten Virgins. 389
hardly in keeping with his reasoning as to the signifi
cance of the light, " AU are included who would desire
to include themselves in the number of His believino-
people." x
Verses 2-4. — "And five of them were wise, and five
were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps,
and took no oil with them : but the wise took oil in their
vessels with their lamps."
As the virgins came forth they appeared a united
band, sharing in the same expectations, interested in the
same great event. But there were marked differences
in their preparations. There was folly as well as wisdom
apparent, — a true preparedness on the part of some,
but partial preparation in the case of others, really
preparing for disappointment and failure. There was
a clear shining lamp in the right hand of each one ; but
only some among them carried a store of oil sufficient
to replenish the lamp, and maintain its light throughout
the night watches. Quick they all were in their move
ments, united and hearty in their concerted action, but
not aU equaUy ready. Wisdom appearing in provision
according to the expectations cherished ; folly mani
fested itseU in want of prudent forethought as to what
the fulfilment of their expectations might require.
The Christian Church is by reason of its profession
a unity. AU joining its ranks profess personal interest
in the coming of Jesus. But there is a serious division
destined to appear at His coming, arising from want of
preparation on the part of many for the great event
which all agree in anticipating. There is reality in
the agreement, but unity in this respect carries con
demnation of defective preparation, branding it as folly.
1 Notes on the Parables, p. 244.

390 Christ's Coming tests Christian Profession.
Some have drawn but slightly from God's Word in
accepting the expectation of the Saviour's coming, not
pondering the question whether they regarded Him as
Saviour for them. Others, acting more wisely, draw
deeply from the teaching of God's Word concerning
the Saviour, His first coming and His second, His
suffering and His triumphs, His invitation and His
coming to receive His disciples. These are prepared
for all that may be required ; they will be found ready
whensoever their Lord may come.
Verse 5. — " While the bridegroom tarried, they all
slumbered and slept." After the band of maidens had
advanced a considerable distance along the road by
which the bridegroom was to come, they reach the
appointed gathering place, where it had been arranged
they were to await the warning of his approach. There,
ample accommodation had been provided for their com
fort ; and they went in to await the moment for which
all their preparations had been made. For a season
their conversation was sprightly, giving all the tokens
of the joy of a festive occasion. But as the night
advanced, and the ordinary season for repose had been
considerably past, conversation began to flag, quiet
ness set in, drowsiness became general, and soon they
had all sunk into profound slumber. Their appearance
betokened the object of their gathering, their lamps lit
up the room as they burned in the stillness of the
night, vigilant watchers were on the outlook for signs
in the distance of an approaching company, all things
were in readiness, and they might fairly rest while the
bridegroom tarried. Sleep in the circumstances was
natural and refreshing, preparing for the engagements
in which they were shortly to take a conspicuous share.

The Ten Virgins. 391
This part of the story is not necessary to the occa
sion, not contributing anything to the preparations and
rejoicings of the time ; but it is necessary for the
instruction to be communicated in the parable. The
general period of sleep does not appear unnatural, and
the introduction of it is quite needful to meet our
Lord's purpose. He is going from the world as one
who shall be able to say of His great atoning work,
" Father, I have finished the work which thou gavest
me to do." He shall come again as a bridegroom in
the season of general rejoicing, receiving a glorious
welcome ; but before His coming there shall be long
tarrying, and they all shaU slumber and sleep. This is
the universal sleep, the sleep of death. It is repre
sented for us here by the midnight hour, when not only
those who had prepared to meet the coming bridegroom
had faUen asleep, but when, besides, the city from which
they came was wrapped in the darkness, and its
inhabitants generaUy were sunk in deep sleep. Thus
our Lord introduces the suggestion of an intervening
period of universal sleep while He tarries, deliberately
delaying His promised coming. The event will not be
hastened. AU shall fall asleep and wait a time of
waking, when the trumpet call shaU be heard rousing
them from tbe slumbers of the tomb. For them who
" sleep in Jesus " a blessed experience is in store, when
they shall awake and arise to give exulting welcome to
their glorified Eedeemer. Our Lord does not here pass
beyond the sleep to speak of experience in the unseen.
This He has done in the parable of the Eich Man and
Lazarus ; the structure of the present story does not
admit of transition to what is beyond, having been
constructed to serve a quite different purpose. Atten-

392 Christ's Coming tests Christian Profession.
tion is restricted to that which belongs to this world.
Eeference is to the profession made during the earthly
life, to the sleep of death, which brings to a close this
Ufe's preparations for the coming of the Lord, to resur
rection from the slumbers of the grave at warning of
His approach, and to the testing of their preparation for
this great event. Our Saviour places before our view a
threefold representation of human history as connected
with His mission of mercy and love. First there is the
period of busy preparation in prospect of His coming,
in which profession is made of acceptance of His
teaching, devotion to His service, whUe fellowship is
enjoyed with His professed disciples, and expectation is
cherished of His joyous coming again, with His welcome
to life in glory. Second there is the sleep of death,
traces of previous profession and activity lying around
the resting-place, when nothing further can be accom
plished by way of preparation, but all await the sum
mons which shall bring unerring test of the previous
activity. Third there is the coming of our Lord in
glory, surrounded by heavenly attendants, at whose
approach men awake from the dead and come forth
to meet Him.
Verse 6. — "And at midnight there was a cry made,
Behold, the bridegroom cometh ; go ye out to meet him!'
For a season the quiet rest of the assembled group of
maidens was undisturbed. They slept on, while their
lamps continued to burn, reducing the oil supply
which each contained. The bridegroom tarried beyond
expectation, allowing their rest to be prolonged. At
length, however, the rousing caU was sounding through
aU the house, Behold ! he cometh, he cometh ! go ye
out to meet him. The signs of his approach had been

The Ten Virgins. 393
seen in the distance, and the signal was immediately
given ; his advance was rapid, and there was need for
promptitude in order that all might be in readiness.
It is thus the Lord sketches that crisis, which He
anticipates with certainty, and of which He has always
spoken with utmost solemnity. The midnight may
best represent the time, for men shaU be as those sunk
in profoundest sleep ; the sudden summons of those
watching may symboUse the trumpet call which shall
sound in the abodes of the dead ; the scene of busy
preparation may represent the rising from the tomb to
meet the Lord in His glory. " The Son of man cometh
at an hour when ye think not." Preparation there may
be in the life that now is, when there are no signs of
His appearing ; but when the event itself comes upon
us, there can be no alternative but taking previous
preparation according to its worth.
Verses 7-9. — "Then all those virgins arose, and
trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the
wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But
the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough
for us and you : but go ye rather to them that sell, and
buy for yourselves."
Dismay, because of unpreparedness, mingles with
the joyous eagerness of those who trim their lamps,
expecting now the welcome, the festive halls, and the
marriage rejoicings. The foUy which had been un
heeded as the band came out from their homes was
now obvious, painfuUy obvious, in the little light, ready
to die, which was seen flickering in no fewer than five
of the ten lamps. Yet could not the five whose folly
was now becoming matter of painful self-consciousness,
at once admit that their case was desperate. " They

394 Christ's Coming tests Christian Profession.
all arose and trimmed their lamps." Such trimming
only made more clear their unpreparedness for the
welcome, to join in which had been the entire purpose
of their setting out. As Stier has well expressed it,
"The cleaning of the wick wUl not avail, if at the
decisive hour there begins to be a want of oil." The
needlessness of such lamps being trimmed was mani
fest ; the need for oil was the one thing plain ; what
could they do ; whither could they go ? They appeal
to their companions ; what they themselves recognise
with a sinking heart must be confessed to others, as
indeed it is visible to all. Their nearest, and seem
ingly their only hope, is that their companions may
have so far exceeded their own requirements as to be
able to transfer a sufficient supply of oil. To them
they appeal; but the appeal is vain; and they are filled
with dismay. The supply carried by the others is ample
for their own need, but insufficient to allow of deduction.
To the request, " Give us of your oil," there can be but
one answer, "Not so, lest there be not enough for us
and you." That some of the lamps were actually going
out was disaster enough for such an occasion; they
must not risk an utter failure, dishonouring the bride
groom by tarnishing the welcome.
This is the dark and affecting picture which a
Saviour's hand has painted of the woful dismay of
resurrection in unpreparedness. The preparation of the
lifetime is the measure of preparedness at the resur
rection. A profession of discipleship, even though it
rest on the teaching of God's Word, foretelUng Christ's
coming, if it does not draw more deeply from the Word
opening to us the sufficiency of a Divine Saviour's
work, is inadequate for the requirements of spiritual

The Ten Virgins. 395
Ufe. It is a profession deceptive in its semblance
of the realitv, self-condemning because containing
enough to expose its own manifest lack, and is in
truth preparation for inevitable dismay. Various parts
of the picture vividly suggest that disaster is inevitable.
The tarrying of the bridegroom, the deepening of the
darkness even till midnight had come, the suddenness
of the call to awake, the quickness of the approach,
these are the things which tell that the bitterness of
dismay is certain in the ease of those who have fallen
asleep with no greater preparation than is implied in
professed expectation of Christ's coming, and desire to
share in His welcome. There is a mistaken suggestion,
because unwarranted by the parable, in the introduc
tion by Stier of the wish that " the Lord would but
come whUe the lamp burns brightly." This tends to
cover misleading profession, fostering false expecta
tions. This assigns a meritorious value to the light,
and nevertheless implies that it is to be estimated
according to haphazard affecting the time when it is
tested. The suggestion is at variance with the whole
parable. It is not the lateness of the bridegroom's
coming which is to be deplored, but the foUy of unpre
paredness for the great event. At whatever time the
Lord may come, mere profession cannot endure. This
wiU first be recognised by the men themselves who
have made the profession, and on that ground alone
have cherished the hope of sharing in the rejoicing.
It will be recognised by themselves even before it is
condemned by the Lord ; arising from the dead, they
shaU find their profession itself ready to expire.
The same truth as to their state is reflected from
the contrast set over against their case, in the eager,

396 Christ's Coming tests Christian Profession.
joyful preparations of those who awake to find that
they have all things in readiness. The coming bride
groom is their Saviour. They have in the years of
their earthly life drawn daily comfort and prospect of
eternal good from the saving work of the Lord Jesus ;
they have enjoyed closest fellowship of spirit with
Him, and now they are ready to meet Him, full of the
gladness which inclines the heart to exclaim, " Blessed
is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." This
overflowing joy depends upon fulness of preparation ;
it comes from possession of Divine truth drawn from
the rich supply of the Word, giving full assurance
of blessing in this grand crisis, enabling those ready
to exclaim, "When he shaU appear, we shaU be
like him, for we shall see him as he is." But the
preparation of each can prove nothing more than
preparation for himself; it cannot involve provision
for another. The truth which fills the heart, giving
preparation for the day of the Lord's coming, must be
drawn from God's Word, and cannot be obtained by
mere appeal for aid from a fellow-disciple. This
prayer addressed to companions, " Give us of your
ou," can be no more effectual than the cry of the rich
man in the season of torment that he might have help
from Lazarus. Those possessing the truth, and finding
in it true preparation for the coming of Jesus, can but
advise others to go to the same store from which they
have drawn, and obtain for themselves. Well it is
when the counsel so given is taken and acted upon in
the days of the earthly life, when opportunity is at
hand, and the stores are freely bestowed by the Spirit
of God on all who seek supply for their own need, in
view of Christ's coming.

The Ten Virgins. 397
The words, " Go ye rather to them that sell, and buy
for yourselves," have occasioned much discussion. It
has been suggested that they express well-meant but
misleading advice, given in the excitement of the
hurried preparation ; that they were uttered in
derision, those exulting in their own supply yielding
to mockery of others unprovided for the occasion, and
that they were words of deliberate condemnation of
the foUy of which they had been guUty who were so
poorly supplied. AU these Unes of interpretation
seem at fault from mixing paraboUc form with spiritual
significance. These two must be kept strictly apart,
and if this be done, the significance of the words
becomes apparent
In the midst of a group of virgins so situated, there
could be nothing more natural than that those who
found themselves in unexpected difficulty should apply
to their companions. When this appeal made it
obvious that the others had not a supply which could
meet the demand, there could be no other reasonable
suggestion than that which finds expression. The only
course in order to escape utter disappointment was to
hurry back to the city, rousing the nearest seUer of
oil, and obtaining hastily a supply. The bridegroom's
party was advancing towards the city ; if they hurried
forward, they might still be able to meet the company
before the house was reached, and so join in part of
the rejoicings over the bridegroom's arrival. This was
their only hope, and the urgent advice to go at once
and quickly was the expressed desire that by running
in advance they might yet be able to return before the
scene of the marriage rejoicings had been reached.
The parabolic story would have been unnatural without

398 Christ's Coming tests Christian Profession.
this. Oar Saviour does not sketch incidents in social
life without expressing sympathetic feeling towards
those in trouble. Suggestions of intention to mislead,
of wilful mockery, and of bitter reproach on the part of
the wise, are entirely misplaced. The words, " Go ye
and buy," are words of urgency from those who would
say, " Haste ye, and be ready."
That these words can be taken as implying a possible
mode of preparation even at the resurrection, it is
impossible to maintain in view of the closing part of
the parable. The attempt of the fooUsh virgins proved
fruitless, and it is the distinct purpose of the parable to
warn of the inevitable result of neglected preparation.
The words, " Go ye and buy," do, however, harmonise
with the spiritual significance of the story, as well as
with the circumstances of the marriage company. In
accordance with earlier parabolic teaching, it is sug
gested that there is buying and selling of the things of
the kingdom, that there are " merchants" who trade in
the truth, offering it to those who are eager to secure
personal possession. Whosoever goes to them will
find great readiness to sell, and gladness according to
the greatness of demand. There is thus present
practical instruction in these words, entirely agreeing
with the direct purpose for which the parable is spoken.
The parable is obviously uttered for solemn warning as
to present duty, rather than with deliberate intention
to afford a revelation of all that shaU be hereafter.
The warning could not be given without revelation of
that which shall be ; but the revelation is granted
mainly to secure that which should be done here. To
draw from the stores which exist is present duty ; if
hereafter men awaken to a distressing sense of their

The Ten Virgins. 399
unpreparedness, companions of former days can do
nothing but refer to the stores from which they have
drawn their own supplies. As the wise could not
suggest to the foolish virgins to go forward with their
darkened lamps, and ask from the bridegroom supplies
of oil wherewith to light them, men shall not on the
great day of the Son of Man be able to meet Him with
entreaty that He should supply their want. To advance
is to encounter condemnation ; to retreat on the long
neglected store may be thought of when it is too late.
Such is the lesson coming from this point in the parable.
Severance from the company prepared for going out
to meet the bridegroom, disappearance in the opposite
direction, vanishing from the view in the shadow of
the night bearing darkened lamps, sounds heard some
where of excited knocking at barred doors, and eager
entreaty, " Give us of your oil," — these are the sugges
tions lending vividness to the warning to beware of
the wretchedness of self-reproach, even before the judg
ment of the Lord is pronounced.
Verse 10. — "And while they went to buy, the bride
groom came; and they that were ready went in with
him to the marriage: and the door was shut." From
the door of the bridegroom's house, the bright lights of
the approaching company are seen, and the shouts of
those rejoicing in his advance are distinctly heard there,
while there are no signs in the opposite direction of the
coming again of those who had gone swiftly by on their
way to the places of merchandise. The five virgins
with lighted lamps, and all the other friends who had
gathered for the joyful occasion, had joined the marriage
company, and, swelling the ranks, had added to the
volume of sound as the crowd came towards the house.

400 Christ's Coming tests Christian Profession.
This crowd constituted the company ready for the
marriage celebrations ; they entered together in attend
ance on the bridegroom ; the door was shut ; there was
briUiance and feasting within; darkness and sUence
reigned without.
This description of the progress of the marriage
rejoicings distinctly bears evidence of being drawn
with a special regard to the absent five. There is no
account of the circumstances attending the welcome of
the bridegroom; no sketch of the appearance and
advance of the company ; not even a single mention of
the marriage ceremonial, the central event of the occa
sion ; and no detail of the festivities held within. Our
Lord has given us a general representation of His
coming, but He is not guiding us by positive and
minute statements into a discovery of the great reaUties
which shall belong to the grand period of rejoicing
appointed to usher in the triumph of the spiritual
kingdom, opening upon an eternity of joyous service.
With the reigning disposition of one whose very work
it is to warn and rally those in danger of being shut
out, the Saviour in His parable gives greater promi
nence to what concerns them than to the experience of
those who are joining in the celebrations. He is con
tent to pass quickly all that concerns His own glorious
appearance, and the fulness of joy which gladdens the
hearts of all who gather together in the sunshine of
His presence. He will say no more than this by way
of revelation of the coming glory : The Saviour shall
appear in joy as a bridegroom, and His people, hailing
His coming, shall enter with Him into His glorious
home. As He teaches the people at this time, He
thinks mainly of the closed door and the darkness

The Ten Virgins. 401
without, and the dismay of those who seek but cannot
find entrance. His reigning desire is this, that all
would give heed and make ready whUe opportunity is
given. Towards stiU more solemn warning the parable
is here unfolding.
Verses 11,1 2. — "Afterward came also the other virgins,
saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and
said, Verily I say unto you, I know yon not."
After the shutting of the door is the arrival of those
who had been unprepared for joining in the welcome.
They had been thrown into dismay, but this had not
destroyed the desire they felt to have a place in the
festive gathering. They were covered with shame,
and were open in their expressions of lamentation, but
they had not abandoned the hope that they might yet
have some part in the rejoicings ; they had not deter
mined to disperse as those frustrated in their plans.
Whether they obtained the oU they sought, or failed
in the attempt, is not said ; even if supply had been
got, it was now useless, for the welcome was over, the
darkness of the night has been left behind ; the
company had assembled in the brightness of the
festive haUs — their lamps had aU been laid aside.
Whether the lamps carried by these five are stiU dark,
or have been Ughted up, does not signify for the
special occasion. However appearing, they press on
wards to the house of the bridegroom, and knocking
at the door, Uft up their voices in entreaty, "Lord,
Lord, open to us." The bridegroom refused admission,
though he did not withhold reply. Whether he opened
the door is not stated. It is rather suggested that
he did, to look upon the group, after having heard
their knocking and entreaty. He could not recognise
2 c

402 Christ's Coming tests Christian Profession.
them as of the circle of his friends. They had not any
claim in friendship. They seemed a company moved
only by the spirit of self-seeking ; and as he uttered
the words, "I know you not," the conversation was
closed. Their opportunity was gone.
Interpretation here requires that due weight be given
to what is unsaid as weU as to what is spoken. On
their part there is the absence of confession whUe there
is the utterance of entreaty. On the bridegroom's part
there is no expression of his own will or determina
tion, but a declaration of fact as to the relation of the
suppliants to himself. These features in the parable
are full of meaning. Eeceiving such instruction as we
have here, we are standing beyond the region where
confession of sin is made, beyond the sphere where
profession of friendship is of value, whether sincere or
insincere; we are on the threshold of the scene of
rejoicing where friendship is tested by previous inter
course, where the gladness is that of reunion, and the
festal company are united to their Lord by a thousand
ties of cherished associations. To have been known
unto the Lord and have had the relationship of friends
in earlier times, is security for admission here : to have
been a stranger to Him, with no prior fellowship, is to
make admission impossible. That they should seek
admission is natural, for there is a desire which is un
quenchable. That they should enter is impossible.
For the joys of friendship, friendship itseU is needful.
The bare statement of the relations of the persons is
made, without expressed reference to judgment; but
this is the reality of judgment itself. The formalities
of judgment are not before us ; but the solemn issues
of judgment are manifest.

The Ten Virgins. 403
Verse 13. — " Watch therefore, for ye know neither the
day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."
There is uncertainty as to the time, certainty as to
the fact. The lesson is clear. Let each one be ready !
With foreknowledge of the coming of the Lord, we have
opportunity for preparation. The truth placed within
our reach concerns more than assurance as to the
future event ; it presents the fulness of a Saviour's
merit, and explains how friendship with Him can be
enjoyed now. In such friendship we find the true
preparation for His appearing whensoever it may
happen. His coming shaU be with the joyfulness of
the bridegroom ; to receive His people's welcome ; to
witness their gladness as they share in His joy. The
duty for all may, therefore, be concentrated in a single
word, Watch ! They who share not His friendship
have need to beware, lest He come and they find
themselves unprepared for meeting Him, and yet
longing to share in the joy to which He introduces.
They who are friends of the Lord join in wisest pre
parations and joyful expectations. In their fellow
ship it can be said, "Beloved, now are we sons of
God ; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be :
but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be
Uke him ; for we shall see him as he is."

CHAPTEE XXV.
DIFFERENT TALENTS YIELDING EQUAL REWARDS.
THE TALENTS.
Matthew xxv. 14-30.
We now reach the closing portion of our Lord's
teaching as to the Future State. This bears distinc
tively oh the rewards provided for His own people.
Two companion pictures, representing the distribution
of rewards hereafter, close the series of paraboUc views
of God's kingdom. In one picture, we see diversity in
the distribution of gifts, followed by distribution of
equal rewards. In the other, there are equal gifts ; but
when the division of rewards comes, there is marked
diversity in the value of what is bestowed.
In the first of these two parables, as we look at the
aspect of things in the earthly state, we see marked
differences in the talents granted to men, in their
opportunity for service, and in the results being
achieved. From these intricate and perplexing con
trasts,' which confuse us in our attempts to obtain a
comprehensive view of the picture as a whole, inducing
us to return to it continually for fresh study, our
attention is next directed to the aspect of things away
beyond this state. In that brighter scene the com
plexity is escaped ; simplicity of arrangement becomes

The Talents. 405
apparent. AU faithful workers are seen equally happy
in the presence of their Lord, equally cheered by His
words of encouragement, and by His introduction to
reward. Yet even here a shadow is found along the
horizon. In the darkening background, towards one
side, is seen a group of servants driving an unfaithful
one into the outer darkness.
Verse 14. — "For the kingdom of heaven is as a man
travelling into a far country, who called his own servants,
and delivered unto them his goods."
Here once more, as in the parable of The Husband
men, Jesus suggests His severance from His servants.
They receive their talents, have their opportunities
afforded, and are left to carry out their work whUe
their Master is at a distance. He is " as a man travel
ling into a far country." Absence from the disciples,
distance of separation between their sphere of direct
personal activity and His own, and lapse of a long
period of time between the bestowal of the property
and the season of reckoning, are all suggested by this
introductory statement. The bearing of aU these con
siderations on the history of the spiritual kingdom is
manifest. The passage has its earUest application from
the time when Jesus in person was in the world
intrusting to His servants their individual share in the
work which He required to be done ; it finds continual
application in the Church's history through all sub
sequent ages ; and it has its complete realisation in the
great meeting-time appointed for the testing of all
things, when Jesus shall come in His glory. The dis
tribution of gifts is preparation for the ultimate dis
tribution of rewards. Discipleship places a distinction
between men. There are those whom Christ calls to

406 Different Talents yielding Equal Rewards.
HimseU as " His own servants," J and in contrast those
who cannot be so reckoned. And even amongst these
servants there are some who are servants rather in pro
fession than in hearty devotion. But to all who present
themselves at His call, ranking themselves with His
servants, He gives of His goods ; and of all of them,
whether devoted to Him in heart and life, or only in
outward profession, He shall by and by require account
according to that which they have received.
Verse 15. — "And unto one he gave five talents, to
anotJier two, and to another one ; to every man according
to his several ability ; and straightway took his journey."
The day of distribution was one of peculiar interest
in the household. The servants were summoned to
their master's presence in circumstances very unusual.
He explained his intentions as to lengthened travel,
and intrusted^to each one some portion of his substance,
with which they might trade in his absence. An
equal distribution of his property was not proposed by
him. He had come to know pretty exactly the powers
of the men in his service ; he knew what to expect of
them ; and accordingly he gave to each one a sum
which he thought might be wisely intrusted to him in
view of his ability, and the nature of the trade or
merchandise in which he was able to engage. Proceed
ing in this way, a very marked difference appeared in
the amount handed over to each servant. To one he
gave five talents, to another two, to another one.2 The
1 See in the Parable of The Husbandmen, p. 326.
2 The value of the talent has been variously estimated, the gold
talent being about double the value of that in silver. The latter
has been computed at £206 sterling, and as low as £187, 10s.
Taking the lower as the least sum bestowed, the next would be
£375, and the highest £937, 10s., approaching a thousand pounds.

The Talents. 407
money thus delivered to them became for the time
their own, to be used according to their own judgment,
though always with the understanding that the capital
would be required of each of them on his return, and
also an account of the gain which had been made by
its use. Portions of land may also have been left to be
farmed, in accordance with the Ulustration adopted in
another parable. Of this no mention is here made,
save as it may be implied in the statement of the
preceding verse, when it is said that "He delivered
unto them his goods," which signifies his possessions
or property. When the distribution had been made,
their master took his departure, leaving them to plan
their course of action according to their own judgment.
Such is the view of the distribution of talents
among men, and more particularly among the servants
of Christ. In interpreting this introductory portion,
the word " talents'' must be taken as including all
that fits a man for God's service, as well what belongs
to his own nature as what is external to himself. The
"abUity" is a gUt from God as well as the "goods."
When considering what we possess as fitting us for
doing the will of God, each one may hear the question,
"What hast thou that thou didst not receive?" All that
a man is, and has, must be included among God's gifts,
to be made account of when the working season here
is over. Talents, means, and opportunities must all
be reckoned as Divinely supplied. When so regarded,
there is seen to be great diversity among the disciples.
There are differences as to the power to serve God, as to
the means avaUable for the service, and as to the field
of occupation providing daUy opportunities for accom
plishing what the disciple desires to achieve. The

408 Different Talents yielding Equal Rewards.
form of the parable naturally restricts reference to
external possessions ; the spiritual significance must have
wider range. This being recognised, the withdrawing
of possessions must be contemplated as well as the
withholding. There is no disaster involving loss of
substance, no affliction placing restraint upon activity,
no change of sphere altering the character of our oppor
tunities, which can be overlooked in computing the
diversity of distribution of which our Lord makes
account in view of the testing-time which is to come
for all.
Verses 16-18. — "Then he that had received the five
talents went and traded with the same, and made them
other five talents. And likewise he that had received two,
he also gained other two. But he that had received one
went and digged in the earth, and hid his lorcPs money."
As soon as the servants were left to themselves, each
proceeded to act according to his own choice. Each
had his own occupation for which he had been trained,
and this led naturally to a different course being taken
in each case. Thus there were three distinct lines of
life ; but in reality the three represent only two distinct
classes of servants — the working and the idle, the
faithful and the unfaithful. The holders of the five
talents and of the two are brethren in service, each
doing his appointed part for their master ; the holder
of the one deliberately refuses to do the work required
of him, and concerns himself only with the preservation
of that which had been placed in his charge. He has
only one talent, yet the sum is a large one, and he has
so much regard to the need for rendering account of it
that he takes special precaution for its safety. He
seeks a place suitable for secrecy, and digging a pit in

The Talents. 409
the ground, he buries it there, and carefully covers it
over, none but himself knowing where the treasure is
concealed. The picture which includes these three figures
depicts the doings of those who profess themselves
servants of Jesus. A short sentence is enough to
describe a Ufetime of service. And the description is
not of a meagre form including each one in a common
destiny, — lived, died, and was buried with his fathers ;
it is of that discriminating kind possible to the judge
of human conduct, — worked, gathered the fruit of his
labours, and was ready to give account; or, by sad
contrast, shunned work, but guarded his property, and
was ready to hand back again all that he had received.
The temptation to neglect effort and aUow opportunities
to pass unused, our Lord connects with the holder of
only one talent, thereby indicating that restricted power
is apt to appear smaller by comparison with the posses
sions of others. Whether properly estimated or not,
its comparatively limited influence is contemplated as
an excuse for inactivity. Hence often the absence
of results which can compare favourably with powers
possessed, and painful contrasts. A wise and diligent
use of talents, a wUful and persistent neglect of their
use, — these are the contrasts in the history of life.
Eesults which the servants can present as an offering
to God; nothing to offer at the close of life, — these
are the contrasts in respect of outcome. Each servant
is weU aware how it stands with him ; the Lord foresees
it in each case, and His coming will declare it to all.
A united service is not contemplated here. It is not
suggested that the servants might have placed their
money together in one capital sum, to be employed in

410 Different Talents yielding Equal Rewards.
a joint enterprise. Such union has already been intro
duced in the parable of The Husbandmen. What was
there made prominent is now aUowed to pass from
consideration; and here, when Jesus is dealing with
the final award on human conduct, it is indicated that
men are not to be judged in groups, but that each one
must render account for himself singly. Each individual
has received his own distinctive talents, has Uved in
the midst of his appointed opportunities, and if he
has been faithful in service, the work done must be as
distinctive as his own individuality.
Verse 19. — "After a long time the lord of those servants
cometh, and reckoneth with them."
The time of his absence is described as protracted,
the time of his return unexpected, and the reckoning
with his servants a thing which had immediate atten
tion, as if it had been the very purpose of his return.
What was left undescribed in the parable of The Hus
bandmen is here introduced as the express object of
the parable, thus making it connect with the other
to supply what was lacking in that. What is now
before us is exactly adapted to the purpose of com
pleting Christ's teaching, describing the return of the
master as directly intended by him as the season for
passing judgment on the service rendered by those to
whom he had intrusted his property.
In interpretation of this verse, it is manifest that
our Lord carefully prepared His disciples for expecting
a lengthened absence before He should come to judge
of the results of their labours. This was, indeed, im
plied in the unfinished parable of The Husbandmen,
and in the representation of a universal sleep found in
the parable of The Virgins ; but here it is explicitly

The Talents. 4 1 1
indicated that His return would not be till " after a
long time!' When at length He does appear, it will
be to judge of the service of His professed disciples.
During His public ministry, on which they had
attended, He had uniformly said, " I came not to judge
the world, but to save the world;" now as this public
ministry draws towards a close, He gives warning that
when He comes again it will be as the Judge, the
separater between the faithful and the unfaithful, and
that in accordance with the express testimony given on
another occasion, " The Father hath committed all
judgment unto the Son." Yet, in the very words in
which Jesus gives warning of His coming to judgment,
He suggests in a striking and encouraging manner that
in relation to His faithful servants His procedure shaU
not be as that of an avenging judge, nor even as that
of one who summons them to judicial investigations.
Bather wiU the procedure of that day be as the friendly
reckoning of master and servants, in which both take
their part, assured that the reckoning on both sides
will harmonise, and the results be satisfactory to
master and servant. He will reckon with them as in
joint calculation. In accordance with this view, each
servant is represented as making his own statement,
and that is received by the master as strictly reliable.
Indeed the whole description has within it the impli
cation that there could neither be error nor deception.
Beckoning there shall be, revealing our Lord's expec
tations from His servants, and their efforts in His
service. Christ wiU commend these efforts, and there
wiU be a common gladness in the results then made
known. Verses 20-23. — " And so he that had received five

4 1 2 Different Talents yielding Equal Rewards.
talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord,
thou deUveredst unto me five talents : behold, I have
gained besides them five talents more. His lord said
unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant ;
thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make
thee ruler over many things : enter thou into the joy of
thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and
said, Lord, thou deUveredst unto me two talents : behold,
I have gained two other talents besides them. His lord
said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou
hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler
over many things : enter thou into ths joy of thy lord."
The day of their master's return was one of interest
and excitement, as had been the day of his departure,
when distribution of his wealth had been made
among his servants. Only now the interest was of a
quite different kind. The excitement of expectation
moved in the hearts of aU the household on that day,
as each one busied his imagination with the use to be
made of the money unexpectedly placed at his com
mand. Now the excitement was connected with the
reckoning and handing over of the results ; the public
announcement of their work since he left ; the impres
sion made on their master and their comrades. Those
two who had first received of his substance, and also
received most largely, as the most competent and
reliable, had a satisfactory account to present. With
the five talents were handed over to the owner other
five talents ; with the two talents, other two. Their
lord's favourable judgment of these two servants on
the day of distribution is verified on this day of reckon
ing. The capital is handed back, and in both cases it
has been doubled. The talents originally intrusted to

The Talents. 413
them are acknowledged as the source of the gain, but
their own work is spoken of by the servants with
undisguised seU-satisfaction. The delight of their
master is complete. He commends them equally,
expressing his admiration of the uprightness of their
character and the faithfulness of their service. He
promises them for the future extended influence in
ruling over his possessions, and a closer fellowship
with himseU, sharing in his own joy.
Such is our Lord's picture of the meeting- time and
the reckoning when He shaU take account of the
service rendered on the earth. The picture is not
complete ; there is stUl a companion picture to be
hung before us, in a second parable similar in structure;
but this is the first representation, most clearly apply
ing to the diversity of circumstances in which His
disciples are placed. In this picture the truth lying
nearest, fuU of encouragement while we are in the
midst of present work, is, that results proportionate to
opportunities wUl fiU each servant with satisfaction on
the great and solemn occasion when he renders account
of his earthly life. Our responsibUities are fixed for
us ; what they are is discovered to us by each day of
service as it comes ; to meet daily obligations by a day
of faithful work is to do the part our Master requires
of us, and this prepares for ourselves a harvest of joy
on the day of His coming. It is not given to us to
choose our opportunities, but only our ways of using
them. Onr obligation is fixed by what we are, what
we have, and what opportunities arise in our path.
Watchfulness, earnestness, faithfulness are required
day by day, to seize our opportunities as they arise.
" It is required of a man according to that he hath."

4 14 Different Talents yielding Equal Rewards.
AU servants of the Lord shaU enter into glory in the
day of His glory; He wiU give them a Saviour's
welcome, as those who have trusted in His merit, and
are accepted in Him. This consideration is clearly
implied. The true servants of Jesus are those devoted
to Him in heart, whose life has been consecrated to
His service, and who shall equally find a welcome as
His ransomed ones. But it is a further truth which
here comes into view, absorbing the thought of our
Saviour, as He would have it move the heart of His
people. Faith secures acceptance, but service receives
reward, and the measure of a Christian's service is
found in his faithfulness to opportunities offered.
Faith unites the soul to the Eedeemer from the first
moment of its exercise; from the beginning of his
trust there is for each beUever " salvation ready to be
revealed at the last time." But, in addition, we see
here the meaning of the Christian's continued Ufe on
earth. He is intrusted with service for the Master
in the midst of the activities and requirements of daily
Ufe : the Master measures the character and extent of
this service ; and there will be joy in His presence here
after according to the work which has been done. Faith
and faithfulness are companion excellencies in Christian
life ; dependence on Jesus as the Saviour, and devotion
to His service.
The joy of the faithful servant has its counterpart
in the joy of his Master. Our Lord's gladness is as
His servants', and His servants' is as their Lord's. His
joy finds its object in their work, with its abiding
results. As He manifests and expresses this joy, it
wakens new gladness in their hearts ; their joy is
thenceforth embraced in His. If we would measure

The Talents. 415
Christ's joy in His people, its depth is not reached in
that rejoicing which is occasioned by their deliverance
from sin and condemnation. He has a deeper gladness
in the power of a spiritual life awakened in their hearts
by faith in Him ; in the energy of such life, as it has
unfolded in the midst of the toils and trials of the
earthly state; in the fruits as these are displayed
on the testing-day of His coming, and as they shall
continue part of His treasure, adding to the riches of
the heavenly kingdom. The grounds of a Saviour's
gladness are found in His joy over the varied results of
an earthly faith and service, introducing to an eternity
of perfect service in a higher sphere.
Our Lord by this parable enables us to enter with
some fulness of detaU into the sources of His satisfac
tion ; and as these are set in array, it is clear that moral
earnestness and worth are the test of excellence. Much
additional force belongs to this representation, as we
mark that difference in the amount secured makes no
difference in the praise bestowed, if only there has been
faithfulness to opportunity. WeU done ! This is the
welcome for both. That the one has gained five talents
and the other only two, makes no difference in his
praise. This difference in amount is even needful in
order to make them equally entitled to his approval.
In the wealth of the Lord the difference between five
and two is a difference among the small things of the
kingdom ; yet such minor differences are essential for
equaUty before Him who judgeth according to every
man's work. Thus the expression of praise from the
lips of the master repeats itself, one verse in the parable
being an exact reproduction of a verse preceding.
The approval of the Lord concentrates on the same

41 6 Different Talents yielding Equal Rewards.
qualities in both servants : " Well done, good and
faithful servant!' Character is in each case the key to
faithfulness. The basis of moral worth in the servant
is that to which the words of the parable point as
essential for true service, the beginning and source of
it all. Work is commended, and results are justly
valued which follow upon work well done ; but fidelity
in the character is the real test of the work. For
a part in the kingdom of righteousness there must be
righteousness in the heart. This it must be which
manifests itself in faithful service. We know, however,
from the whole tenor of Christ's teaching, that He does
not point to perfection of character, completed goodness
of the whole nature, when He uses the terms " good
and faithful " as describing His true servants. A good
servant is one genuinely devoted to righteousness.
Each one must have his own temptations, and his
conflict with evil dispositions. But whatever be the
differences in this respect, each one must be determined
to contend against evil within as well as without.
This conflict is an essential part of God's service, and
by success in it the work is done, yielding those results
over which the servant and the Lord can rejoice
together. To us it may seem as if much more were
being accomplished in one case than in another, and
according to outward measure or numerical reckoning
of talents it is so ; but when we compare this difference
of result with difference of opportunity, and find
equality of faithfulness, we have the key to the equal
commendation which our Lord implies in repetition of
the same welcome to both servants. A heart devoted to
Christ for holiness, a life given to God's service as oppor
tunity offers, and results according to these conditions, —

The Talents. 417
these are the tests which the Judge will apply. The
servant's choice appears in the motive for action;
Divine sovereignty in the opportunity; occasion for
rejoicing to the servant and to the Lord, in the results
of grace and fidelity.
To long-tested faithfulness our Lord appoints en
larged service and greater rewards. Devotedness in
this world introduces to enlarged opportunities in the
next world. "Thou hast been faithful over a few
things, I will make thee rider over many things." In
this description of the future the reference is still to
work and reward. In harmony with the analogy the
servant is to continue in service, but with greatly
wider opportunities. The bounty of the Lord gives
enlarged opportunity for energy and usefulness. The
" few things " of earth are to be replaced by " many
things" which Divine grace provides for the faithful.
The close of the earthly lUe, which seems as the
yielding up at once of the capital and the gain procured
by it, is followed by introduction into a new and
grander order of things, in which larger possessions
and wider opportunities are intrusted to each one.
The greater power appears as a wider influence and
rule under God's government. In the everlasting
Ufe procured for us by Jesus, a future is prepared for
enlarged work and also for extended reward. In the
heavenly kingdom, where righteousness reigns in man
and extended favour comes from God, life is progres
sive in ever increasing ratio.
Verses 24-30.- — " Then he which had received the one
talent came and said, Lord, 1 knew thee that thou art an
hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and
gathering where thou hast not strawed : and I was afraid,
2 D

4 1 8 Different Talents yielding Equal Rewards.
and went and hid thy talent in the earth : lo, there thou
hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto
him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that
I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not
strawed : thou oughtest therefore to have put my money
to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have
received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent
from him, and give it unto him, which hath ten talents.
For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall
have abundance : but from him that hath not shall be
taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the
unprofitable servant into outer darkness : there shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth."
The parable closes with a vivid and impressive repre
sentation of unfaithfulness on a servant's part, and the
consequent displeasure of his master. This servant has
made no use of his opportunity, and assumes that he
has done his part in returning to his master exactly
what he had received. This conduct is treated as
unfaithfulness ; the property is received back again,
and the servant is cast out from the household. This
is the paraboUc form of our Lord's instruction as to the
judgment of condemnation. The sentence is already
written in the conduct of the unfaithful one; the result,
in separation from God, is what the servant had pre
ferred. Such is our Lord's interpretation of an un
faithful life.
That the man who received the single talent is taken
to represent unfaithfulness in God's service is a signi
ficant fact. Eemembering the principle of distribution
acted upon by the master, the smaUness of the trust
committed to the third servant was in accordance with
the judgment formed of him. We are thus guided to

The Talents. 419
the state of his character first, and only afterwards to
the extent of ability. The result shows that it is
character, not restricted ability, which determines the
form and direction of Ufe. This truth has already
appeared in the equal commendation of both the first
servant and the second ; and it is now reappearing
under the darker colouring of this last scene. Com
mon faithfulness has common approval ; unfaithfulness
must meet its condemnation. The test is found in
the state of the heart, not in the extent of the posses
sions. We have, therefore, no test of ability in this
case, for the servant does not so much as attempt any
exercise of his powers, unless we can regard that as
some example of effort which is given in burying his
master's property. Yet does this act rather indicate
his unwiUingness to serve, even while he cannot shake
off his sense of responsibUity. He is not faithful even
in the few things, and so wiU not prove faithful in
greater; he cannot, therefore, have more; having volun
tarily excluded himseU from the position of trust and a
share in commendation, he has exposed himself to un
qualified condemnation. That he was the holder of
only one talent does not account for his state on the
day of final award ; his character is the single explana
tion of what he had and did. Small talents do not
foreshadow coming condemnation, as they do not imply
any loss of approval if only there be faithfulness in
the heart. While, therefore, we mark the warning
against unfaithfulness, we need to guard against
misinterpretation of slender gifts. As we study the
picture of this servant burying his single talent, we
must remember Christ's words, " Blessed are the poor,"
and recaU that other scene, a poor widow casting in

420 Different Talents yielding Equal Rewards.
two mites to the treasury of God's house, over which
our Lord writes, " She hath cast in more than they all."
There is a poverty which is rich in service, and there
is a poverty which is itself an index of worse poverty
within. Passing now to the attempted vindication of inactivity
and its condemnation, we find the most solemn warn
ings against neglect of God's service. The excuses
behind which inactivity shelters itself our Lord tears
away, with the view of delivering victims of self-decep
tion. Glancing back on the account of the servant's conduct,
(verse 18), we are reminded that its description was
accompanied by no interpretation. "He went and
digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money." What
was the motive for this we are not told ; nor is there
any hint as to his expectation of results. This omission
is designed as most suitable to the action of men. When
men wUfully shun entering upon God's service, they
have commonly a very vague notion of their own
purpose, and they shun any estimate of the probable
issue. It is in keeping with their undefined thought
and vagueness of expectation that our Lord does not
go beyond the narrative of what is actuaUy done. But
the narrative of that is explicit. Men bury their
talents. They do not merely neglect their use ; they
actually cover up from view the gifts received from
God, shunning the very thought of using them to His
glory. They do not proclaim this intention ; they do
not speak of it as an object accomplished; but they
maintain silence regarding it, as if it were a thing
they would have no man know. It is not hiding
for the sake of preserving the talent, but for the sake

The Talents. 421
of shunning the sense of responsibility, which never
theless they cannot altogether escape, knowing that the
talent is in their keeping, and that a day of reckoning
must come.
At length the necessity for rendering account of their
talents meets the servants. The return of their master
made it needful for the one who had received but a
single talent to go to the place where he had buried
the money, to dig it up, and carry it to the master,
to whom he must now make such explanation as he
can. "When his opportunity had come, he began by
reflecting on his master's character, then professed
fear of him because of his unjust expectations, and
declared his great anxiety to preserve beyond reach of
danger what had been intrusted to him.
This is our Lord's description of the incoherence and
self -coiulemnat ion of an attempted defence of neglect to
serve God. This mass of inconsistency enables a rational
being to cling to some hope for the future. Such a
man is ready to reflect on God, fearing Him as a task
master, not reverencing His authority. He occupies
himself chiefly with thoughts of his own merit. He
resents the demands made upon him, thinks of God as
a hard taskmaster, and yet is so far from shaping his
conduct accordingly, that he deliberately neglects the
duty imposed upon him. The main current of his
thought is towards seU-indulgence. He has the talent
and opportunity for God's service, but he does not use
them. His life bears witness against him, and when
the secrets of the heart are made manifest, attempted
vindication wiU prove condemnatory.
Divine condemncdion must follow a life of unfaithful
ness. Work neglected, opportunities lost, Self exalted

422 Different Talents yielding Equal Rewards.
to the first place, God reproached as if He were
unjustly requiring service, — all these must be tested
before God's tribunal. Feeble admission of wrong-doing
must be followed by exposure of all its excuses.
Grievous transgressions are not charged against this
man. If neglect bring condemnation, how much sorer
condemnation must follow upon a life of vice and wilful
injustice. But the centre from which all evU comes,
whether less or more aggravated, is self-indulgence sup
planting the love and service of God. In condemnation
of this there is condemnation of all evil. The master's
rebuke of his servant anticipates the condemnation of
the Judge when He shall appear on the great white
throne. "Wicked and slothful servant!" These are
the two words which describe the character of the man,
and they are the exact contraries of those already used,
" Good and faithful servant." This man', instead of
being devoted to God, is evil of heart, averse to. God
and to all that He requires ; instead of being faithful
to the trust imposed in him, he is slothful, caring no
thing that God's purposes are unfulfilled, if only he may
take his ease, go out and in according to his own
pleasure, be active or inactive, according as he sees
opportunity for personal gratification. This description
embraces an endless variety of cases. The forms of
gratification may be of a coarser or more refined order ;
they may be degrading or elevating in their influence ;
yet if they separate men from God and His service,
they must be included under a common description.
The Judge will make full account of all diversities in
degree, and of all intelligent self-direction in shunning
darker forms of evil. Nevertheless all faithless life
must come under the sweep of a common sentence.

The Talents. 423
Our Lord makes the parable an impressive unity. He
has a single welcome for all faithfulness, whether
bringing five talents or two, saying equaUy, " Well done,
good and faithful servant : enter thou into the joy of
thy Lord." He has a single condemnation for all who
give their chief regard to self, refusing to serve God :
"Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou shalt not
enter into the joy of thy Lord."
Hard thoughts of God wiU find their condemnation
when brought to the test of Divine requirements. It
wiU then appear that God did not seek to reap where
He had not sown ; that He did not expect of any one
that for which He had not HimseU provided both in
means and opportunity. He shall ask no more than
that He receive His own with its produce. Before that
demand, hard thoughts shaU recoil upon the mind
which cherished them ; the reasonableness of the
demand wiU be apparent to aU, being exactly simUar
to the expectations of every one who has committed to
a feUow-man any trust. God wiU but say, Now should
I have received mine own with what it could produce
by its use in the world.
The rules of Divine judgment now become apparent
in two distinct forms. The unemployed talent is trans
ferred to one who will use it well. There are many
Divinely- given talents which so belong to personal
existence, that we cannot think of them being
transferred to others. In view of this, it will be
remarked that our Lord has taken external possessions
as affording illustration of the truth proclaimed. The
talent of sUver intrusted to a servant may fitly
represent possessions belonging to a man, as distinct
from those essential to the nature of the person.

424 Different Talents yielding Equal Rewards.
Possessions which have not been faithfuUy used wiU
be withdrawn from the holder of them, and wiU be
handed over to another who has given proof of his
faithfulness. He that, hath not in the form of produce
shall have taken from him even that which for a season
he has been allowed to hold as a possession committed
to his trust.
The unfaithful servant is himself cast out from the
presence of the Lord. Possessions which can be taken
from him shall be withdrawn ; what belongs to his
personality may be retained, but he himself must be
separated from the presence of the Lord. Where love
to God is wanting, there can be no abiding in His
presence; where faithfulness has been refused, there
can be no continuance in His service ; where trust has
been betrayed, there must be tokens of His displeasure.
The servant formerly described as "wicked and slothful "
is now designated "unprofitable." He is a servant
only in name, not in reality; he holds his master's
possessions, but yields to his master no return. That
which in the relationship of earthly life becomes the
test of dUigence, the gain following from his work,
becomes here symbolically representative of the test
of faithfulness in God's presence. " Unprofitable " is
the sure proof of unfaithfulness, and that is rejected,
in harmony with all the conditions of moral life, as
with the entire course of Scriptural teaching. So our
Lord taught when He likened Himself to a vine and
His people to the branches. " Every branch in me that
beareth not fruit he taketh away" (John xv. 2). "If
a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch,
and is withered ; and men gather them, and cast them
into the fire, and they are burned " (verse 6). Accord-

The Talents. 425
ingly great fruitfulness is commanded. "Herein is
my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit;" in
harmony with which is the desire of an apostle, that
beUevers "may be filled with the fruits of right
eousness." When in the solemnities of the judgment it is shown
that the fruits of service become, the test of commend
ation by God, it is not implied that the work of the
earthly Ufe affords the meritorious ground of admission
into glory. Our Lord has expressly guarded against such
a thought by another and quite different use of this same
word "unprofitable." In another relation He applies
this word to His faithful servants. " Ye, when ye shall
have done aU those things commanded you, say, We
are unprofitable servants : we have done that which was
our duty to do" (Luke xvii. 10). The whole parable
now under consideration is bearing this very lesson.
Whether the return brought to the master be greater or
less, it is but the natural production from what had been
intrusted to each. All that is required of the servants
is dUigence in the use of what they have received.
Accordingly it is their master's property which yields
natural return. They are faithful servants who bring
such return, and are commended accordingly ; but they
cannot boast as though they had themselves produced
the fruit. They add nothing to the master's possessions,
but only bring what is altogether his own. In this
respect they are unprofitable, — they have done only
what it was their duty to do — only what was the
obvious and natural work of their life.
In view of this, the condemnation of the unfaithful
servant becomes the more obviously inevitable. He
wUfuUy refuses to serve, — he holds God's possessions,

426 Different Talents yielding Equal Rewards.
but in such a manner as to prevent their yielding
produce. He robs God of that which is His own,
and might be condemned as one injurious; but the
Saviour finds complete condemnation short of this, in
declaring that he is as one who is useless among the
servants, and on this account must be separated.
Hence the solemn verdict, "Cast ye the unprofitable
servant into outer darkness : there shaU be weeping
and gnashing of teeth." Who they are who are thus
commanded to cast him out is not expressly indicated.
It may be attendants who are around the Lord, or the
servants already commended. We know that the
former is the reference in other cases ; but our Lord is
not concerned with explicit statement on this matter ;
the doom of the unfaithful man absorbs His thoughts.
He who will not live as a faithful servant of the Lord
must be an outcast from His presence ; and to live apart
from the sphere of His favour is to dwell beyond the
sunshine of spiritual blessing, in outer darkness. How
much this banishment involves no human mind can
estimate. But when the inevitable separation becomes
a reality in personal experience, there wiU be found no
heart so dulled to sensibility as to escape overwhelm
ing anguish. A wilful refusal of service involves
God's rejection of the servant. A fruitless life closes
in fruitless remorse, from which there is no escape,
outer darkness bearing witness to exclusion from Divine
favour and subjection to Divine wrath.

CHAPTER XXVI.
EQUALITY OF GIFTS WITH DIVERSITY OF RESULTS.
THE POUNDS.
Luke xix. 12-27.
In this parable our Lord presents another side of
the truth concerning judgment, bringing into view
different results attained by servants who are equally
favoured in circumstances. There is, however, an imme
diate end sought by this parable, contrasting with the
present purpose to be secured by that just considered.
The parable of The Talents carried in it the lesson of
the uncertainty of the time when the Lord might come,
a lesson which had also been conveyed, though less
prominently, by the parable of The Ten Virgins ; this
parable of The Pounds is adapted for impressing men
with the certainty that the time was remote when the
Lord would come to judge of the results achieved by
His professed followers. That time is, indeed, far in
the distance ; but when it comes, it will prove a
testing- time for aU professed servants of God, and for
aU who have openly proclaimed themselves His foes.
In the one case, distinct results wiU be computed, and
different rewards will be distributed ; in the other case,
the enmity openly avowed and deUberately cherished
427

428 Equality of Gifts with Diversity of Results.
will be visited with punishment by Him who is ruler
over all.
Verse 1 2. — " He said therefore, A certain nobleman
went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom,
and to return."
A certain nobleman went into a far country. The
indefiniteness of description is still maintained here,
as in former parables, though our English version
does not make this manifest. The introduction is still
" a certain man."1 This intentional vagueness, which
escaped all appearance of identifying a particular
individual, served a double object. It avoided a
direct reference by our Lord to His' personal position
in the kingdom of God, a fact which He stiU felt
it needful to keep clouded in a degree of mystery.
While thus serving an important temporary purpose
belonging to His mission on the earth, and the veil
ing of His glory until His atoning work had been
finished, it directly contributed to His great object
as a teacher, by resting the whole order of Divine
judgment on principles clearly recognised among men,
and applied by them generally in estimating each
other's conduct.
While, however, these ends are secured by main
taining an indefinite form of description, there are also
explicit references to elevation of rank and sovereign
authority, in harmony with the parable of the Marriage
of the King's Son. Elevation in human rank, and
authority over all orders of the people, here come into
view in a manner admirably harmonising with the
unique position of the speaker, to whom has been given
" a name which is above every name," and who is
1 avdpamds Tis.

The Pounds. 429
"God manifest in the flesh." The leading person
introduced is " a certain man of high birth," 1 well born,
of noble rank, or, as our version gives it, " a certain
nobleman." Thus Christ indirectly alludes to the
rank He already holds because of His birth. Beyond
this there is the foreshadowing of still greater authority
and power than can have any representation in the cir
cumstances in which He was for the time voluntarily
placed. He is as one going "into a far country to
¦receive a kingdom!' His departure was, indeed, to be
through a vaUey of gloom and suffering, whence in a
little while, and for a little space, he should return,
not to be seen of the world, but to depart in sight of
His chosen people, for the far country, whence also,
after a long time, he would return in the majesty of
His kingly rank. All this lies wrapt up, concealed
from popular view, in this general introduction, to be
afterwards recognised by aU searchers of the Scriptures
who should be privileged to conduct their study in
light of the closing events in Christ's earthly history.
In the midst of the invisible land, where Jesus shall
enter into His glory, He shaU receive the kingdom from
the Father, who shall give to Him all power in heaven
and in earth, committing aU judgment into the hands
of His Son. Such glimpses of glory are granted here,
but they are not dwelt upon as though they were the
chief objects of our Lord's interest. They present,
indeed, the groundwork of His teaching in this passage,
but the end to be served is the instruction and
stimulating of men in the service of His Father. The
life of righteousness, its work on earth, its continu
ance in glory, its endless reward, these are the things'
1 elyevrjs.

430 Equality of Gifts with Diversity of Results.
He keeps ever in view, — the things which He would
make visible to those dwelling among things seen and
temporal. Having this practical end in view, He emphasises
at the outset the certainty of return. This nobleman
went "to receive for himself a kingdom, and to re
turn!' Practical importance for Christ's hearers con
centrates on this return, if only they keep in view that
it will be that of their Judge; not the return of a noble
man, nor of a teacher, nor of a mediator, but of a King.
He will come to take account of the use made of His
teaching, and with sovereign authority to declare all
awards, according to the use which His people have
made of their opportunities. His return is that which
the Christian must ever contemplate, — living under the
solemnising, stimulating power of this great expectation,
— if he would shun sloth and self-seeking, and be
faithful even unto death.
Verse 13. — "And he called his ten servants, and de
livered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till
I come." Distribution is made as the condition of service, and
this affords the ground of responsibUity, as it also
discovers the test of faithfulness. Here, however,
we have a wider range of distribution, along with
equality of measure, in contrast with what had been
depicted in the parable of The Talents. The servants
are more numerous, the sums are smaller, the principle
of distribution is that of exact equality. These are
requisite elements for illustration of diversity of service
with diversity of reward. The ten servants place
before our view more varied possibilities ; the pound to
each makes the test of the results, comparative faithful-

The Pounds. 43 1
ness in the use of the same opportunities ; the smallness
of the sum, amounting to little over three pounds
sterling, indicates that the judgments concerning our
service must apply to our smaller possessions as well
as to the grander opportunities placed within our
reach. Thus Jesus lays down the principles of right
eous judgment, which all must approve, and to the
test of which we must daily seek to rise, in order to be
assured of our Lord's approval hereafter. The Lord's
command is this, " Occupy till I come" — do business
with your possessions, trade wisely with them, that
they be not left unused, that they be not risked in
hazardous enterprise, but continue at your command,
yielding return over which the servant himself may
rejoice in presence of his King.
Verse 14. — "But his citizens hated him, and sent a
message after him, saying, We will not have this man to
reign over us."
This reference to a wider circle than that of the
professed servants is peculiar to the present parable
as iUustrating the aspects of Divine judgment. No
simUar aUusion appears in the parable of The Talents,
reference there being restricted to the narrower range
of distribution belonging to a household, in contrast
with what is more appropriate to a wider range of
authority. The parable which receives its form by
introducing one who is a nobleman, shortly to rise to
the rank of a king, makes it natural to adopt a reference
much wider than could be appropriately done in allud
ing to one who is only a householder. In the present
case, room is made for an extended field of instruction.
Besides his servants, allusion may be made to his
citizens. The contrast between the two is clearly

432 Equality of Gifts with Diversity of Results.
defined. The one class is devoted to him by volun
tary offer of service, in accordance with appropriate
covenant. The others are related to him by mere
subordination of rank and by dependence, which have
awakened resentment and a disposition to resist his
claims. This reference here to citizens, distinct from
the nobleman's family and servants, recalls the aUu
sion in the parable of the Prodigal Son to " citizens "
of the far country, and gives striking testimony to
the unity of the parables in their teaching concerning
the kingdom of God.
" His citizens hated him, and sent a message after him,
saying, We will not have this man to reign over us."
The state of heart here disclosed is that of intense
enmity. Their spirit stands even in contrast with the
self-indulgent disposition, which leads to unfaithfulness.
Theirs is a cherished animosity, finding expression in
strong aversion to everything belonging to God's
service. To maintain even an outward semblance of
submission appears to them intolerable. United and
undisguised expressions of dislike suit well their pre
vailing disposition, and they are eager to throw off the
yoke of their ruler so far as that may prove possible.
Yet is the impotence of their rage painfuUy manifest
in the feebleness of the measures to which they resort.
They can only protest that they are unwiUing to serve ;
and even that they venture upon only when he has
already departed from among them, and started on his
way for receiving a stUl more extended kingdom.
Thus does Jesus in most striking parabolic form indicate
the intensity and the ineffectiveness of human hatred
against God. Only because He seems a God at a dis--
tance, withdrawing from active control, and who does

D

The Pounds. 433
not come nigh to judgment, do ungodly men speak
boldly of their enmity, deceiving themselves by the
loudness of their speaking. But the Lord in going
departs to receive a larger dominion, and to return.
Then and only then wUl those who boast of their
enmity be brought to the final test of the wisdom
of setting themselves in defiance against God. Yet
is He a God long-suffering and full of compassion,
who desires that all rebels would repent.
Now the second portion of the parable opens before
us. The time of the king's return has come. The
faithful may bring the fruits of their labours ; the faith
less must urge some excuse as best they can; the
rebeUious must try their strength if they are to make
good the rebeUion which they had loudly proclaimed.
The reality wiU be different from the expectations
of aU, whether faithful, faithless, or rebeUious. The
work of judgment wiU begin, and it will then appear
that only a real service can be honoured, and only a
real devotion to the king can Uve in his presence.
Verse 15. — "And it came to pass, that, when he was
returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded
these servants to be called unto him to whom he had given
the money, that he might know how much every man
had gained by trading"
The king has appeared in the place of authority, he
issues his mandates, and his servants are caUed before
him that he may know what each one has made by
trading. To the nobleman, now saluted as a king,
these results are unknown, tUl the reckoning is
submitted and the results presented. But the Lord
who comes for judgment needs not to summon His
servants for information as to their doings ; aU things
2 E

434 Equality of Gifts with Diversity of Results.
are naked and open to His sight ; He but opens the
book of remembrance,— no faithful service, however
smaU, has lost a place on that record, and no case of
unfaithfulness has passed unnoticed.
Verses 16-18. — "Then came the first, saying, Lord,
thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto
him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been
faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten
cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound
hath gained five pounds"
The reporting to the king and his commendation of
faithfulness, are the same here as in the preceding
parable. We may, therefore, concentrate on the
specialities in this case, as discovering what was lack
ing in the former, varying degrees of faithfulness and
varying degrees of reward. A life of ceaseless industry
in God's service takes the first rank. There comes a
servant who naturaUy takes the first place. He has
been constant in his watchfulness for opportunities,
quick to seize them as they have been offered, and
untiring in his labours to secure his end. In his hands
the possessions of the king have yielded tenfold. The
work he has done has stimulated many associated with
him, has blessed many more who did not even seek to
honour the king, and in all things he has aimed at
advancing his master's cause. This is our Saviour's
account of Christian life at its best, — acceptance of
what God gives ; faithful use of it without wearying in
well-doing; and a joyful homage in the presence of the
Lord at His coming, laying down at His feet aU that His
gifts have earned. Behind this, but at a considerable
distance, comes a case of genuine devotion but less con
centration. Here also there has been a true sense of

The Pounds. 435
responsibility, and delight in the service of God, but
there has been more of mixed interest, forgetting and
repenting, at times seeking a present indulgence, to
the sacrifice of higher ends. Such a servant cannot
show the same great results when the time of reckoning
comes. Yet is he devoted to the Saviour, joyful in His
glory, and ready to lay at His feet aU that the labours
of a Ufe have produced. Such contrasts as these two
there are in Christian life, with many variations
between, and not a few examples of life lower stUl in
its results than the second. Of the ten servants, only
two are so represented here as to make us certain of
results; but besides the unfaithful one whose case
reappears in a manner resembUng that in the previous
parable, there are stiU seven cases untold, leaving by
restriction of the narrative scope for many differences.
Differences of result in the service lead on to diversity
of reward. In the previous parable we have the
foundation-truth connected with the appUcation of
justice ; God wiU require of a man only according to
the abUity and opportunity possessed. Eestricted
opportunity, with limited power, wiU not hinder any
one from receiving the fuUest commendation. Here,
combining the utterances of the Judge addressed to the
two servants speciaUy selected for approval, we have
the additional truth, to which our Lord now gives
prominence as essential to the administration of justice
in the Kingdom of Grace ; different degrees of faith
fulness wiU meet equally varying degrees of reward.
First, it must be recognised that men far apart in the
range of their influence, whose lives' wear very different
aspects according to actual results accomplished, may
equaUy have the commendation, "WeU done, good and

436 Equality of Gifts with Diversity of Results.
faithful servant." This is God's acknowledgment of
equal faithfulness. There is, however, besides this,
another aspect of Divine justice. The entanglements
of earthly circumstances cannot perplex the eye of the
Judge, nor can the diversities of individual faithfulness
escape His observation and recognition in the awards
of His kingdom. Looking on varying degrees of
faithfulness, He shaU nevertheless have praise for all
His servants, because a true devotion of heart and Ufe
appears in all. This equality of favour wiU meet all
true servants of the Lord as they appear in His
presence ; to each one He will say, " WeU, thou good
servant, thou hast been faithful." But the Lord will
also have special praise for each according to the
measure of his service on the earth. This is vividly
presented to view here by aid of the paraboUc form.
This nobleman, rising now to the rank of a monarch,
and returning to the position where his interests
concentrate, and where his influence has been longest
and most fuUy felt, aptly iUustrates the truth as to God's
judgment, which our Lord would impress on us as His
servants while we are in the midst of the bustle of life.
This nobleman, having now received the kingdom,
returns into the midst of his servants to select from
men known and proved those who may be intrusted
with wider influence in his newly-acquired dominions.
Such is our Lord's representation of the great future
lying before His people, when He shall come in His
glory to distribute anew of His favour, introducing each
one to wider influence. As this earthly ruler said to
one servant, " Because thou hast been faithful in a very
little, have thou authority over ten cities," and to
another, " Be thou over five cities," so shall it be in

The Pounds. 437
the kingdom of heaven. This is one of the certainties
under the moral government of God, which the dispen
sation of favour among His chosen people wiU make
only more conspicuous. Even where aU is of grace,
stiU shaU distribution be according to justice. All
shall, indeed, rejoice together in the glorious sunshine
of unmerited favour, but there shall, nevertheless, be
differences; and for each one of them the Lord shall
have His distinct reason to give in the actual measure
of the service rendered on the earth. According as
thou hast been faithful, so shalt thou be honoured.
From the principle of distribution, we pass to the
representation of the nature of future reward. Our
Lord does not speak of it as if reward were some
external and material gain, some possession to be
received by the servant, and thenceforth to be held as
property pecuharly and exclusively his own. Eeward
in the kingdom above consists in enlarged service.
From proved faithfulness here, the servant is to be
raised to extended requirement for its exercise. A
wondrous discovery of Divine favour shaU break upon
His servants in the day of their Lord's coming. The
spirit of seU-consecration wUl find extended sphere
for its exercise. The contrast in this respect will be
great indeed. As the advance from the faithful use of
a few pounds of money to the government of five cities
in an empire, or even from the same humble responsi
biUty to authority over territory including ten cities,
so shaU be the immense extension of influence for those
who enter into the heavenly kingdom. Continuity
of service with widened opportunity for usefulness
constitutes the reward of a disciple of Christ. Further
source of blessedness will be found in increased facility
2 E 2

438 Equality of Gifts with Diversity of Results.
for service within the extended sphere. Increased
responsibiUty in the earthly state carries with it
increase of care ; the burden grows heavier as influence
becomes greater. Even here, however, we can see that
there is much in training and experience, which tends
to balance things, even though the balance be not quite
equal. But what is foreshadowed here is more than
the advantage of experience acquired on the earth. The
disciple shall be transferred to the new kingdom which
his Lord has received, and there, instead of encountering
influences adverse to his cherished purpose and to his
Master's glory, he shaU fulfil his part in a kingdom
where all is ordered according to the sovereign authority
of Him who hath decreed that " there shaU in no wise
enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatso
ever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie." Enlarged
scope for the service of God shall also be favoured with
vastly increased facility in the work. Conflict with
evil shaU be ended. The discipline and force of
character, gained by courageous persistence in the
fight, shall be secured for ever, and shaU be a spiritual
force proving its value continuaUy, yet having the
mystery of its development in the darkness and trouble
of a state which has for ever passed away. All con
ditions of life there shall be favourable to joy in fulfil
ment of responsibility. Fellowship in service shall be
extended, and the bonds of human attachment more
closely entwined. Elevation in honour and influence
will not bring separation from those with whom the
servants of Christ have been associated in the earthly
state. In this world, honour for one often involves
severance from those who have previously been com
panions in labour. Our Lord places before us a prospect

The Pounds. 439
the reverse of this. United service on earth shall find
its reward in united service hereafter, with contiguity
of sphere, and interlacing of the influence of those who
have been feUow- workers on earth. As the government
of the cities of an empire is a necessary part in its
administration, so shall it be with all the service of
men in the heavenly kingdom. Widening activity
will only more closely entwine the bonds of union.
The crowning element in this reward is closer fellowship
with the Lord. This is the grand prospect, which in
the previous parable is made the conspicuous feature,
as most surely including aU the others here brought
into view. There all reward is embraced in this single
welcome, "Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
Here this prospect is again before the view, but in
clearer Ught, bringing out a richer combination of
detail Our Lord " shall see of the travail of his soul
and shaU be satisfied." He shaU find the reward of aU
His own humiUation and woe in the gathering of a
multitude which no man can number, rescued from sin
and sorrow. The kingdom of righteousness shall be
estabUshed; within it, every servant shaU find his
appointed sphere ; entering upon that, he shaU enter
into the joy of his Lord. In experience of this grander
joy, aU previous experience of feUowship with Jesus
will seem as if it had been the attachment of servants
rather than of sons. This shall be as the feUowship of
those who are permitted to share with the Lord in His
rule. Introduction to this shaU be experienced as
something so entirely new and soul-possessing, that it
will be as entrance into the fulness of the Saviour's joy ;
a first glad and glorious consciousness of what that joy
reaUy is in its breadth and depth. This will prove the

440 Equality of Gifts with Diversity of Results.
entrance to an abiding inheritance, the beginning of a
perpetual fellowship, eternal as the righteousness of the
Most High.
The exceeding brightness of this prospect has here
also, as in the former parable, set over against it the
darkness and woe of the rejected servant who has
refused to serve God, and, besides, Jesus places in
stronger contrast the deeper darkness and woe of
those who have openly declared themselves rebels
against His authority.
Verses 20-27. — "And another came, saying, Lord,
behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in
a napkin : for I feared thee, because thou art an austere
man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and
reapest that thou didst not sow. And he saith unto him,
Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked
servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking
up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow :
wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank,
that at my coming I might have required mine own with
usury ? And he said unto them that stood by, Take from
him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
(And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) For
I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be
given ; and from him that hath not, even that he hath
shall be taken away from him. But tJwse mine enemies,
which would not that I should reign over them, bring
hither, and slay them before me."
The repetition here, in terms nearly identical with
those of the previous parable, of the excuse for neglect
of God's service on the earth, and of its condemnation,
is Christ's strong testimony to the fact that self-indul
gence is the peril of professing Christianity, and self-

The Pounds. 441
deception its shelter. The same painful callousness,
the same self-condemning inconsistency of defence,
accusing God in order to excuse self, are here repeated.
The completeness of condemnation is also apparent, in
the withdrawal of the trust committed to the unfaith
ful one, and his exclusion from all part in the service,
though there is not in this case any description of the
outer sphere where the condemned are separated from
the glory and joy. Exclusion from Divine favour is the
real penalty ; God's wrath appears in the condemnation
He pronounces ; remorse and suffering are the inevitable
accompaniments in experience of the condemned.
The special feature on the dark side of this picture
is the vengeance which overtakes the openly defiant
and rebeUious. The sovereign issues his edict that his
enemies be slain, and that before his presence. The
loving and merciful Saviour thus depicts the certainty
and extremity of coming doom. He who has said,
'.' Fear not them that kiU the body, and after that have
no more that they can do," now selects the extreme
sentence of an earthly tribunal to Ulustrate a more
dreadful sentence beyond. That the analogy does not
carry in it the hope of some mitigation of penalty, by
sup-cresting extinction of Ufe as the fate of the rebellious,
DO O '
seems clear. A deeper displeasure than that felt
against the idle servant is impUed, and a more terrible
experience as the consequence of the increase of Divine
wrath. As the offence against an earthly monarch
is smaU as compared with rebellion against God, the
penalty must be greater. To cast away all righteous
ness is to sacrifice aU favour of God ; to defy God's
authority is to encounter His power. Then shall
it be said, " The great day of his wrath is come,

442 Equality of Gifts with Diversity of Results.
and who shall be able to stand ? " The Saviour who
uses this parabolic form has also said, "I wiU fore
warn you whom ye shaU fear : Fear him, which,
after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell;
yea, I say unto you, Fear him " (Luke xii. 5). Awful
beyond conception is the great darkness and dread
woe dimly visible in impenetrable gloom. There is
nothing in the description here, nothing in the words
of Jesus elsewhere on this subject, bearing a rainbow
colouring from rays of hope. There is separation from
God's kingdom in the case of aU who prove unfaithful ;
there are special tokens of Divine displeasure for those
who openly set at naught aU righteousness, in their
impotence giving utterance to bitter hate.
Terrible as is this sad record of appointed doom, it
is clear that the special design of Jesus is to give
encouragement to all who would serve God. The
parable speaks of welcome, and reward, and continuity
of service in the glorious kingdom above. This is
enough to animate each Christian heart, leading to a
fuller consecration. To all who are persevering in
the service of God through toils and trials, through
weariness and pain, Jesus would say, ' Anticipate the
day of your release, the day of Christ's coming to
receive you to Himself, the day for your entrance
upon the joy of your Lord, the day appointed for
entrance on a grander career, when the Unes of personal
influence, the bonds of Christian feUowship, and the
tokens of Divine favour shaU spread out on every
side, and stretch on into the great eternity.' The Lord
has made ready in the midst of His kingdom rich
reward for all His people. There shall be no ordeal
patiently endured, no delays quietly borne, no tenrpta-

The Pounds. 443
tions bravely encountered, no service perseveringly
continued, which shaU not have its acknowledgment
from the Divine Saviour, and its reward above.
" Every man shaU receive his own reward, according
to his own labour."

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