his righteousness; not yourselves, not your own works, not the perfection of your own obedience; because you have it not to plead, and if you have no other answer to put in when God calls for the book of your hearts and lives, you must be given up to condemnation. But, perhaps, you will say, Why did not Christ tell the young man so? Why did he not inform him, in answer to his inquiry, what foundation he must be upon for eternal life? Why, because he judged it necessary, in the first place, to show him the defects of his obedience, and thereby to convince him of the great mistake he was under, and the desperate hazard he run, in thinking to purchase heaven by it. For till he saw that he was undone in himself, and, instead of proudly challenging God with his keeping the commandments, wanted forgiveness as a sinner, he could not see a need of Christ. We are come to the hard point; no more can you, till you are laid low in your own eyes, and know of a truth, that you can never justify yourselves to God, no not so much as for one hour of your lives. Do this therefore; be humble, beg of God to make you so, confess your sins, confess your desert, that Christ may be precious to you. When you put the question to yourselves, How must I attain to eternal life? let not the answer be, By my own works, or goodness, because you have them not; but remember how the young man failed in the proof of his obedience; remember what a fiery trial you have to go through, if you have only your own righteousness to appear in before God, and this will force you into the door of faith, show you the glory of Christ and his salvation, make you thankful to God for him, and confirm you in the way of a free obedience, in love to him who was obedient unto death to save us from eternal condemnation. For though our own obedience cannot save us of itself, because, as I told you, we can never approve it to

God as absolutely perfect, and free from all spot of sin, (as it must be to justify us) yet it is as much required of us, as if it could, and we had nothing else to trust to; and, if the sin which brings us sorrowing to Christ, and cost him his blood, is not repented of and forsaken; if we do not receive all his commands with the teachableness and simplicity of little children, and are troubled for nothing, so much as our coming short of them, we are not his disciples, we can have no part in his salvation. Whatever we are in our own esteem, we shall be last, that is, nothing, in his. For though the just shall live, and therefore are just, by faith, yet the Scripture knows no faith but that which worketh by love, and keepeth the commandments. Let us, therefore, inquire with true earnestness and all possible sincerity, what we must do to inherit eternal life; and beseech God that we may neither come short of it by trusting in ourselves, nor think we trust in Christ while we refuse him our obedience.

PRAYER.

Blessed God, thy will is perfect; thy commands are pure; thy law is holy, and just, and good; and thou hast in mercy ordained and revealed it for our great benefit. But we have acted contrary to thy will; we have broken thy laws; we have all erred from thy commandments. Enter not into judgment with us, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Let thy Spirit convince us of sin, and bring us to repentance and acknowledgment of the truth, that we, meekly confessing our vileness, may be received to thy mercy in Jesus Christ, and rejoice in thy peace. Make him the anchor of our hope and the stay of our hearts, when we are oppressed with a sense of our guilt, and enable us to keep ourselves in thy love, and continue steadfast in the way which leadeth to eternal life, by faithfully endeavouring to keep thy com

mandments; which we humbly beg of thee, in the name of Jesus Christ, our blessed Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.

SECTION XLII.

ST. MATTHEW, xx. 1.

For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder.—The kingdom of heaven is partly in this world; that kingdom, or state, in which we are received to the grace of Christ, and live by his rule. It is proper to observe this, not only that you may understand what is generally meant in this, and the other Gospels, by the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of heaven; but also consider it as your necessary state of preparation for the eternal kingdom of heaven, value the great privilege of belonging to it, and hold it fast as the comfort of your lives. Are Christians now of the household of God, his beloved children, rejoicing in their adoption, led by the Spirit, and training up for immortal glory? Then ask yourselves the question, Are you separated into this family and kingdom, as members and subjects of it, to partake of its blessings, to be governed by its laws; and do you resolve to live and die in it? For you must first be in and of it here upon earth; and if you live and die out of it, so you will be found at the day of judgment. He who came to set it up in the world, is always ready to set it up in our souls; and you will have a fresh call, this evening, from his own mouth, to enter into it. God grant it may sound effectually into your hearts! It may be the last that some of us will ever have.

Ver. 1. Which went out early in the morning. In the morning of the world, from the day of Adam's fall, at

sundry times, and in divers manners; and the Jews, more especially, had their call early. They, indeed, foolishly supposed they were always to be the only covenanted people and servants of God; and to beat down their presumption in this respect, is the main scope of the parable. Blessed be God, we may be hired into his service. We, too, have had our call early in the morning of our childhood. But to what purpose does Christ make us the offer, if we refuse it? Let us, therefore, have an eye to this in the explanation of the parable, and consider for ourselves whether we have entered into the vineyard, and what we are doing in it.

To hire labourers into his vineyard. - Labourers; mark that. Not idle drones, sleeping over their work; but knowing what it is, and following it with a suitable diligence.

Ver. 2. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day. The usual wages of a labourer, about eight-pence of our money. But keep it in mind, that Christ's penny is no less than heaven, and you will know at once that the reward is not of debt, but of grace. And need you be told that it is richly worth all your labour?

Ver. 3. And he went out about the third hour.- Nine o'clock in the morning. Young men and women, lose not your golden season of coming to Christ. You will be apt to reckon that a great part of your day is yet before you; but take heed that this thought does not seal you up in blindness all your lives. Christ says, Go ye into the vineyard; and his meaning is, with respect to all, the moment you are bidden.

Ver. 4. And whatsoever is right, I will give you. Lord, thou art a gracious master, payest infinitely more than we can deserve, and thy promise is our right. Grant we may not lose it, by refusing thy work.

-And they went their way. What would you have thought of them, if it had been said, they did not go? See then, if you do not go, how your own consciences will condemn you.

Ver. 5. Again he went out about the sixth or ninth hour. The Jews began their day at six in the morning; so the sixth hour was their noon, &c. Are you in the middle, or the decline of life, and yet out of the vineyard? O! hear your call. You know your day is spending

apace.

Ver. 6. And about the eleventh hour.- My friends, this is a late hour indeed; the last but one; and to leave all, till then, is most dangerous presumption. But, blessed be the grace and patience of God; there is yet hope for such, if they make haste, and escape for their lives.

Why stand ye here all the day idle? -You may have been a careful, pains-taking man for this world all your life; but this is nothing to Christ. If his work has been neglected, this reproof is for you; and, if it does not now cut you to the heart, death is at the door, and you are in the utmost danger of being lost for ever. Minister! Are these words nothing to thee?

us.

Ver. 7. They say unto him, Because no man hath hired -You will not have this to say, that no man hath offered to hire you. You have had many calls and invitations from Christ, and turned a deaf ear to them all. Nevertheless, he has one more for you, before you drop into the grave. Hear it, and be astonished at his goodness -"Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, "that shall ye receive." I say, old man, or woman, tremble for thy danger, and let thy own conscience tell thee what right thou canst have to receive any thing from thy Lord, but by his own free bounty.

It will come: Fancy

Ver. 8. So when even was come. your last breath is departing; and think what a happy