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ed themselves as wicked as they viewed others, and felt their circumstance as lost sheep that stood in need of the care of the shepherd; like a piece of silver in a lost condition, never to be recovered but by the diligence of the owner; or like a prodigal son, who had idly spent his time, and his property wickedly; and would willingly have confessed their unworthiness to be admitted as sons into the kingdom of God.

ILLUSTRATION.

Like as the three parables in the 25th of Matthew had their general application to the same subject, so these three parables in the 15th of Luke were evidently spoken, by Christ, to illustrate the one subject to which the notes apply them. For this reason they may be justly connected in this illustration..

As it is humbly conceived that the notes give the particulars of these parables, in a manner too plain not to be understood, the following illustration will consist of arguments founded on the following truths exhibited in these parables..

1st. Mankind, though in a state of alienation from. God, in a state of sin and rebellion, is represented as the property of God, and by him so highly rated as induces him to recover our nature from alienation and sin..

2d. In all the above condition, God acknowledges man to be his offspring, and exercises over him a fatherly providence, and towards him all the fatherly affections and mercies. And,.

3d. The true spirit of heavenly charity rejoices with an increased delight and satisfaction in the bringing of sinners to repentance.

The first of these general propositions is fully supported by the most natural sense of the two first parables. The lost, or strayed sheep, was the property of him who owned the ninety and nine which went not astray. This sheep, by going from the fold, did neither alienate the property of itself from the owner, nor change its nature to any other species of animal, for had either of these events been the consequence of the sheep's going astray, it might render it improper for him who had been the owner to go after it. If the sheep, when astray, were not the property of him to whom it belonged before it went astray, why should he seek it? If he found it, he could not say, as in the parable, "I have found my sheep which was lost." Or if the sheep had changed its species, it might have become an animal of no value to the former owner. It is true that the sheep, by straying from the fold to which it belonged, might, by degrees, lose its familiar acquaintance with the shepherd, and contract habits of wildness by which it might endeavor to elude the shepherd, whose voice now becomes its terror. This was, in some sort, the case with man; see Gen. iii. 9, 10. "And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." This fear was not the offspring of correct ideas, but of that deception which sin had wrought in his mind.

In a similar manner we may reason on the subject of the piece of silver. When it was lost it was still silver, and it was the property of her who owned the other nine. It is true, this piece of silver may be considered as having been lost in

such a condition that it might lose its brightness, contract filth, and to the eye of a superficial ob server, be taken for something far less valuable than silver; though it might not be difficult for a more close inspector, or a chymist, to determine its properties and value.

The following are a few of the many scriptures which corroborate the foregoing statement. Jer. 1. 6. "My people hath been lost sheep; their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place." ii. 13. "For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaking me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." Verse 32. "Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number." Chap. iv. 22. "For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge." Chap. viii. 7. "Yea the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle, and the crane, and the swallow, observe the time of their coming: but my people know not the judgment of the Lord." Isaiah xix. 24, 25. "In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land; whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance." The foregoing quotations are sufficient to show that God owns the wicked, the alienated wandering sons of men to be his people, The fol

lowing show that our Lord or owner values us so highly, that he has manifested his determination in reclaiming us from sin. Mat. xviii. 11. "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost." Luke xix. 10. "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." St. John iii. 17. "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." Chap. x. 11. "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." Verse 16. "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." Mat. i. 21. "And he shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins." Here it is necessary to show that the divine purpose in saving mankind from sin, is manifested as an effect proceeding from the love of God towards sinful man. St. John. iii. 16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Rom. iii. 8. "But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." 1 John iv. 9, 10. "In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Eph. ii. 4, 5. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love where with he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ; (By grace are ye saved.") Rev. i.

5. "Unto him that loved us, and washed us front our sins in his own blood.” As it is conceived that ample proof has been adduced to support our first general proposition, viz. Mankind, though in a state of alienation from God, in a state of sin and rebellion, is represented as the property of God, and by him so highly rated, as induces him to recover our nature from alienation and sin, we may proceed as was proposed, to consider

2d. That in all the above condition, God acknowledges man to be his offspring, and exercises over him a fatherly providence, and towards him all the fatherly affections and mercies. This proposition is well supported by the last of these parables. The son who left his father's house and went into a far country was no less a son than he who stayed at home; and though he spent his substance in an unjustifiable prodigality, yet he was still a son; notwithstanding he was reduced to penury and want, yet he was a son; although he perished with hunger, while hired servants, in his father's house, had bread enough and to spare, yet he was not the less for this a son; though he had sinned against heaven, and in the sight of his father, and, judging him, by his conduct, was no more worthy to be called his son, yet the father says, "This my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found."

The fatherly providence, exercised over the prodigal son, is seen in the indulgence, in the first instance, which he obtained in being permitted to go from home; and afterwards being subjected to an imperious necessity of returning to his father, in a most penitent manner. The famine which. arose in the land where the prodigal was, must be

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