those who were first invited? "Notes."] Did they accept the invitation? Who are meant by those who were called to the supper from "the streets and lanes of the city"? ["Notes."] Whom do the dwellers in the 66 highways and Ledges" represent? ["Notes."] Did these Gentiles press eagerly into the Gospel kingdom? [Yes.] Have the Jews as a nation accepted the Gospel covenant? [No; a few have been converted, but the Jews as a body are yet strangers to the faith of Christ.]

Application. You have learnt that by the Supper is meant the Gospel, and that the unwilling guests represent Pharisees, scribes, and others of the Jewish nation, who refused to believe in Christ and accept His invitation to be saved; state when it was that you were called to share in the Gospel covenant. [At my baptism.] But if you are afterwards unwilling to lay hold of the hope set before you in the Gospel, whom in the parable are you then like? [The guests who made light of the feast.] Mention the three excuses which they made. What do those excuses represent? [The business, riches, and pleasures of the world.] Were the Jews who excused themselves allowed afterwards to share in the feast? And if you prefer the business, riches, and pleasures of the world to Christ's service, what will you lose? [The happiness and glory of heaven.]

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

St. Luke xv. 1-10.

1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.

2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

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 on after that which is lost, until he find it?

5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

7 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.

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?

9 And when she bath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I ha lost.

10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Parallel Passage.-St. Matt. xviii. 11–15.

Notes.-Ver. 1. Publicans and sinners. These were not necessarily Gentiles, but those who, though Jews, were nevertheless (as we said last Sunday) despised by the Pharisees, as being less strict observers of the Law of Moses than themselves. The word "publican" means a person who collected, or rather farmed, the taxes levied by the Romans. It was an office frequently undertaken by Jews; thus, St. Matthew or Levi was once a publican. The name and office were hated by the Jews, all of whom, except the political sect called "Herodians," paid the Roman taxes most unwillingly. The publicans, in order to enrich themselves, frequently exacted more money than was due to them. To this fact Zacchæus alludes in St. Luke xix. 8. The chief reason why they were so obnoxious to the Jews was, that they held office under the Romans, the conquerors of Judæa. The inferior class of publicans, or under-collectors, were chiefly Jews greedy of gain. The superior publicans were usually Romans, and they employed the under-collectors or agents, who, as we said before, were also called publicans. Publicans are often mentioned in connexion with sinners; thus, "publicans and sinners," in this verse.

Ver. 2. Pharisees and scribes. The Pharisees have already been described (see "Notes" on v. 24, Fourth Sunday in Advent). The word "scribe" signifies a writer or transcriber. Jewish scribes were those whose business it was to transcribe or copy the Mosaic Law. They were also expounders of it; also keepers of the public records or writings; and also schoolmasters. Their influence was very great. Like the Pharisees, they opposed Christ, and looked with contempt upon the lower classes of the Jews.

Ver. 4. An hundred sheep. One of these strayed, and therefore ninety-nine were left. We must not attach a spiritual meaning to every point or circumstance in a parable; therefore no mystery is intended here by the number 66 an hundred," and the number "ninety and nine."

Ver. 6.

Which was lost. In Eastern countries sheep were apt to wander from the flock, because there were no

fences or hedges there as in England. They fed upon open plains.

Ver. 7. Likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth. The word "repenteth" is here used to mean a turning back to the fold. "Repent" properly means to change one's opinion or mind. This verse shows the meaning of the parable. The shepherd represents Christ. The sheep which strayed represents in one sense the Gentiles, who were at first far off from God's covenant: more especially, however, it represents the sinner of every nation who wanders from the fold of the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ, and is brought back by Him to a holy obedience. The rejoicing of the friends at the recovery of the sheep represents the joy of the angels when a sinner is brought back to Christ.

But what is meant in ver. 7 by the reference to those "just persons who need no repentance"? Do not the best of men need it? Undoubtedly Christ speaks after the manner of men, and simply means that the joy of the angels corresponds in degree to the danger and hazard from which the sinner is saved; in other words, that the grievous sinner is rejoiced over with a greater joy than one who has strayed less far from God. Christ does not mean that there is any human being who needs no repentance, for to mean this would be to contradict many texts in the Old Testament and in the New.

Ver. 8. Ten pieces of silver. No doctrine is intende here by the numbers "ten" and "one." Seek diligently. Seek carefully. Till she find it. This implies that the woman persists in her search. She continues to search anxiously like the shepherd, who in ver. 4 is declared to have gone after his sheep until he found it.

Ver. 9. Rejoice with me. She, like the shepherd mentioned in the foregoing parable, rejoices when she has recovered what was lost. This rejoicing represents the joy among the angels when a sinner is brought back to Christ's fold (see ver. 10).

In both parables the love of Christ is shadowed forth in the work of recovering the wandering. The means which the Saviour adopts to bring back sinners are

various. He pleads with them through the Holy Ghost. Sometimes He leads them back by sickness, or by loss of earthly treasure, or by the death of friends, or by miraculous preservation from danger, or by the exhortation of His ministers. In all cases the Holy Ghost follows up the good work which earthly means have been used to begin.

Questions.-Ver, 1. Who drew near to hear Christ's teaching? Do the words "publicans and sinners" necessarily signify that they were Gentiles? ["Notes."] Who may be meant? ["Notes."] Describe the publicans. ["Notes."] Was the office of publican ever undertaken by Jews? ["Notes."] Mention one of our Lord's apostles who had been a publican. [St. Matthew or Levi.] Was he a Jew? [Yes.] Did the Jews like the name and office of "publican"? ["Notes."] Why not? ["Notes."] Of what nation were the superior publicans? ["Notes."]

Ver. 2. Who murmured because Christ spake to the publicans and sinners? Describe the Pharisees. [See "Notes" on ver. 25, Fourth Sunday in Advent.] You said that the "Scribes" as well as the Pharisees murmured; who were the scribes? ["Notes."]

Ver. 4. What was the subject of the parable which Christ spake? How many sheep had the shepherd? What happened to one of them? What did the shepherd do? Did he persevere in his search? What words show that? ["Until he find it."] What did he do when he had found the sheep?

Ver. 8. Pass on to ver. 8, and state what the woman did who lost one piece out of the ten pieces of silver which she had. What does "diligently" mean? [Carefully.] Did she, like the shepherd, continue to search? What words prove that? ["Till she find it."]

Ver. 9. When she had found the piece of money, what did she do?

Now let us study the meaning of both parables: who is represented by the shepherd and the woman? [Christ.] And who by the lost sheep and the lost piece of silver? [The sinner.] And what do you learn from both parables that Christ does for the sinner? Mention some of the means adopted by Christ for restoring the sinner to holiness. ["Notes."] And who rejoice when a sinner is brought back from the error of his ways? [The angels in heaven.]

How may both parables be considered as a rebuke to the Pharisees and Scribes who murmured because Christ noticed publicans

N

and sinners? [The publicans and sinners were despised by the Pharisees; Christ showed by these parables that He had come to save them.]

Application. How many parables do you read in to-day's Gospel? [Two.] Mention their names. [(1.) The Lost Sheep. (2.) The Lost Piece of Silver.] Were both designed to teach the same lesson, or different lessons? [The same lesson.] Were the lost sheep and the lost piece of silver both found? What took place in both cases when they were found? [Their owners rejoiced.] Who are represented in the parable by the lost sheep and the lost piece of silver? [Sinners who have erred from the religion of Christ.] Who seeks to bring such back to righteousness? [Christ the Good Shepherd.] And who greatly rejoice when sinners are restored? [The angels.] Would it, however, be right in you to live in sin for a season, in the hope that before death you would be brought back to righteousness? Would it be wise to put off religion until you were on your deathbed? Why not? [Because I might have no time for repentance.] Are some persons deprived of a deathbed? When? [When death comes suddenly, as in strokes of lightning, fits, &c.]

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

St. Luke vi. 36-42.

36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?

40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou sce clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

Parallel Passage.-St. Matt. vii. 1–6.