three parables, (viz. that of the loft sheep, of the piece of filver, and of the prodigal fon,) in the chapter here referred to, in order to justify the divine conduct in this particular. St. Luke informs us, verfe 1. Then drew near unto him all the publicans and finners for to hear him. This gave an occafion for the fcribes and Pharifees (who were watching for an opportunity to reproach him) to murmur against him, faying, This man receiveth finners, and eateth with them, verfe 2. Our Lord, in order to justify his own conduct in this matter, and alfo to justify his principal, viz. his Father, who had fent him into the world for this very purpose, viz. to call finners to repentance, appeals to them, and makes them judges whether what he did was not right and fit to be done, feeing it was what they themfelves did, or would do in like cafes, verfes 3, - IO. And he spake this parable unto them, faying, What man of you having an hundred fheep, if he lafe one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wildernefs, and go after that which is loft, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his fhoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, faying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was loft. I fay unto you, that likewife joy shall be in heaven over one finner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just perfons, which need no repentance. Either what woman having

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ten pieces of filver, if he lofe one piece, doth not light a candle, and fweep the house, and feek diligently till fhe find it: And when he bath found it, fhe calleth her friends and her neighbours together, faying, Rejoice with me, for 1 have found the piece which I had loft. Likewife I fay unto you, There is joy in the prefence of the angels of God, over one finner that repenteth. Man was originally intended, and therefore was fitly conftituted to make a virtuous, and in confequence thereof a happy creature: but many men, by their voluntary depravity, have disappointed the kind intention of their Maker, and thereby have rendered themselves the proper objects of his difpleafure, and they, in this their depraved ftate, may (by a figure of fpeech) be faid to be dead, and loft, with regard to the end and purpose of their creation. God, as a tender parent to his creatures, and the natural guardian of their happiness, kindly interpofed for the recovery of loft finners, by fending his Son into the world to apprize them of their danger, and to point out to them the fure and only way by which they might escape it, viz. by repentance and reformation of their evil ways. And when finners are thus prevailed upon to repent and return to their duty, that is, when they are convinced of, and are concerned for their having acted wrong, and undo, as far as it is in their power, what they have done amifs, and for the time to come act that part in

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the creation which their wife and kind Crea tor originally intended them for; then they, by this means, recover themfelves out of that dead and loft ftate, which they, by their a poftafy from their duty, had before fallen into; and then they, thereby, cease to be the objects of God's difpleasure, and become the proper objects of his mercy and forgivenefs, of his approbation and affection. And as God thus kindly interpofed for the recovery of loft finners, by the miniftry of his fon Jefus Chrift: fo his conduct in this particular is fully justified by the behaviour of mankind, who do, or would act the like part, in all like cafes. And that this is the truth of the cafe, our Lord appeals to thofe very men, who were become his accufers, by relating to them, the two parables before recited. For, faith he, what man of you having an hundred fheep, if he lofe one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which was loft, until he find it? Either what woman having ten pieces of filver, if he lofe one piece, doth not light a candle, and fweep the house, and feek diligently till he find it? Now if this Man and this Woman behaved properly, by ufing their utmoft care and diligence in endeavouring to find that thing which each one had loft; then how much more is the conduct of Almighty God, and of his Son Jefus Chrift jufly approvable in the prefent cafe, by their ufing proper means for the recovery of loft

loft finners; as a man, when he behaves as he ought, is of greater importance in the creation, and therefore of more concern to the Creator, than a sheep, or a piece of filver can be to the owner thereof. When a wicked man is convinced that he has done what he ought not, and in confequence of that conviction reforms his life, by undoing, as far as it is in his power, what he has done amifs, and by acting, for the time to come, agreeably to that rule of action he ought to be governed by; in this reformed ftate, he may, by a figure of fpeech, be faid to be found, as he is brought back to that state in which he ought to have been, and would have been in, if he had not apoftatized. And as God, by fending his Son Jefus Chrift into the world to prevail upon finners to repent and amend their ways, did no other, nor no more, than purfue his own original defign in the creation of mankind: fo this fully juftiftes his conduct in this particular; and alfo the conduct of our Lord Jefus Chrift in his keeping company with publicans and finners; as hereby, he did no other, nor no more, than pursue the great end and purpose of his miffion. And as benevolence difpofes men to be pleafed with, and rejoice in each other's good, and therefore the man, when he had found his fheep, called together his friends and neighbours, faying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was loft; and the woman, when he had found

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the piece of filver, called her friends and her neighbours together, faying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I had ft: fo the recovery of a loft finner, by bringing him to repentance and reformation of his evil ways, minifters just ground of joy and pleasure to the intelligent world, as hereby, the injury done in the creation is, as far as it can be, repaired; and the dead, or lost member is reftored. Likewife I fay 'unto you, There is joy in the prefence of the angels of God, over one finner that repenteth. This, I think, is the fenfe, and the de fign of the two parables before recited.

But that this matter might appear yet plainer, our Lord related another parable, viz. that of the prodigal Son, in which the point he had in view is more largely conǹ+ dered, and more fully exemplified, verf. 11, 12. And he faid, A certain man had two fons: And the younger of them faid to his fa ther, Father, give me my portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. In this first branch of the parable is fet forth that diftribution of gifts and a bilities which God in the general course of his providence is pleafed to, give. to every man, in order to render him a useful part of the creation. Every wife and provident father does, according to his circumstances, make fuch a diftribution of his fortune to his children, when they are capable of making a proper ufe of it, as is neceflary to enable them,