sinners above themselves, is meant by the householder's saying to those who murmured, "Friend, I do thee no wrong."

8th. That the evil and jealous eye with which the self-righteous look on the gospel salvation of sinners is wounded with nothing but its divine goodness, is shown by the question asked, "Is thine eye evil because I am good?"

9th. Of those who object to the justice of the salvation of the ignorant, and those who are out of the way, the question is asked; "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?"

ILLUSTRATION.

This

The reader has already noticed in a digression, under a former parable, something on the divine authority of the scriptures, drawn from the blindness of the Jews, which was used as a mean to convert the Gentiles to the gospel; and also from the apostacy of the christian church, which will be a mean of the conversion of the Jews. argument, which was inserted by way of digression, properly belongs to the illustration of the present subject. The reader is therefore referred to the illustration of parable 6th, page 40, where this parable is illustrated as applying in a national sense. But it is well to notice that a parable, the primary meaning of which, may regard a nation, or a dispensation, may very justly be applied to minor sections of mankind, to minor events than the dispensation of law, or gospel, taken in their largest sense, and even to individuals. The reasonableness of thus varying the application of parables, is in the correspondence that there is between great and small events, as we reckon them, between.

large and small communities, or between an individual and many.

As the great end of all parables is to convey the truth, in a profitable manner, to the mind, the parables ought to be applied to individuals as far as they will bear, the better that every one may receive benefit from what is communicated. For instance, there is a striking correspondence between the character which the Jewish church possessed, when the Saviour was in the flesh, and the character which the christian church, in general, has exhibited for many centuries past. Of course, a parable which answers to the former character, will, in many instances, apply to the latter. Likewise, as there is a resemblance between those two churches, so there is between individuals belonging to them. The pharisee who went into the temple to pray, who thanked God that he was not like other men, especially a publican on whom he had his eye, and who, he conceived, was much more wicked than himself, is as perfect a resemblance of a superstitious christian, who thanks God that he is not wicked like his neighbor, whom he supposes is reprobated to endless misery, as face answers to face in water.

The general tenor of this parable being to show the impartiality of the divine economy, and the riches of God's goodness in making his favor to be equally administered, is an important and well directed argument against the partial views. which men entertain of the divine goodness, while it also holds up to view the odiousness of that spirit of envy which is ever wounded at the happiness of others. Perhaps envy may justly be called the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity; it is the

sinners above themselves, is meant by the householder's saying to those who murmured, "Friend, I do thee no wrong."

8th. That the evil and jealous eye with which the self-righteous look on the gospel salvation of sinners is wounded with nothing but its divine goodness, is shown by the question asked, "Is thine eye evil because I am good?"

9th. Of those who object to the justice of the salvation of the ignorant, and those who are out of the way, the question is asked; "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?"

ILLUSTRATION.

The reader has already noticed in a digression, under a former parable, something on the divine authority of the scriptures, drawn from the blindness of the Jews, which was used as a mean to convert the Gentiles to the gospel; and also from the apostacy of the christian church, which will be a mean of the conversion of the Jews. This argument, which was inserted by way of digression, properly belongs to the illustration of the present subject. The reader is therefore referred to the illustration of parable 6th, page 40, where this parable is illustrated as applying in a national sense. But it is well to notice that a parable, the primary meaning of which, may regard a nation, or a dispensation, may very justly be applied to minor sections of mankind, to minor events than the dispensation of law, or gospel, taken in their largest sense, and even to individuals. The reasonableness of thus varying the application of parables, is in the correspondence that there is between great and small events, as we reckon them, between.

large and small communities, or between an individual and many.

As the great end of all parables is to convey the truth, in a profitable manner, to the mind, the parables ought to be applied to individuals as far as they will bear, the better that every one may receive benefit from what is communicated. For instance, there is a striking correspondence between the character which the Jewish church possessed, when the Saviour was in the flesh, and the character which the christian church, in general, has exhibited for many centuries past. Of course, a parable which answers to the former character, will, in many instances, apply to the latter. Likewise, as there is a resemblance between those two churches, so there is between individuals belonging to them. The pharisee who went into the temple to pray, who thanked God that he was not like other men, especially a publican on whom he had his eye, and who, he conceived, was much more wicked than himself, is as perfect a resemblance of a superstitious christian, who thanks God that he is not wicked like his neighbor, whom he supposes is reprobated to endless misery, as face answers to face in water.

The general tenor of this parable being to show the impartiality of the divine economy, and the riches of God's goodness in making his favor to be equally administered, is an important and well directed argument against the partial views. which men entertain of the divine goodness, while it also holds up to view the odiousness of that spirit of envy which is ever wounded at the happiness of others. Perhaps envy may justly be called the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity; it is the

most acid fruit that grows on the stock of sin, a fluid so subtle that nothing but the fire of divine love can purge it from the soul. Notwithstanding the wants and necessities of those who came into the vineyard at the eleventh hour were equal to theirs who went in in the morning, yet it would have been more pleasing to the envious spirit of the latter, to have had the former dismissed with nothing, or next to nothing, than to have them receive as much as they. The three main branches of this envy are the following: 1st. It views its own works of righteousness immensely meritorious, and expects great reward. 2d. It can see little, or nothing, in another, but occasion of censure and blame, and calculates on the great difference which must in justice be made between itself and another. 3d. It is ever murmuring at divine goodness, because the undeserving receive as much as the most worthy.

These are the reasons which rendered the gos.. pel of Christ so offensive to the pharisees of old, and these are the reasons why christian pharisees have so modified the gospel, that it now perfectly suits their spirit, except in the case of waiting until hereafter for the distinction to be made. In this world, we find God to be good unto all; we find that his tender mercies are over all his works; we find him doing as the blessed Jesus taught his disciples to imitate, sending his rain on the just and on the unjust, and causing his sun to shine upon the evil, and on the good. What then has the enyious spirit of the pharisee got to feed upon? Answer; Its glorious prospects in anticipating difference in the world to come which will comport with a just retribution, Says the pharisee,