ing, she began to water his feet with her tears; and wiped them with the hairs of her head, and tenderly-kissed his feet, and anointed them with the perfumed-ointment.

39. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him, observed this, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a divinely-inspired person, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a heathen.

40. And Jesus, in reply to sentiments which he read in Simon's heart, said unto him, 'Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee.' And he saith, O teacher, say it freely.'

41. A certain lender of money had two debtors; one owed him five hundred denarii; and the other, fifty: 42, but as they were unable to pay, he benevolently-forgave them both. Say then, which of them would love him the more intensely?' 43. And Simon answered and said, 'I suppose that he to whom he benevolently-forgave the more. And Jesus said to him, Thou hast judged rightly.

44. And turning himself to the woman, he said to Simon, 'Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house an invited guest and (omitting all customary attentions) thou didst not give me water for my feet; but she hath washed my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45. Thou didst not give to me the usual respect of a kiss: but this woman, from the hour of her entrance, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46. Thou didst not anoint my head with oil; but she has anointed even my feet with perfumed-unguent. 47. Wherefore, on the occasion of her late demeanour, I declare to thee, that so far from polluting me with her touch, she hath received from me forgiveness of her numerous sins: therefore, her love is great: and by her tears of gratitude, reverent homage, and costly devotion, she labours to evidence the greatness of her love for having been brought by me to repentance, and thereby to faith and pardon. These signal mercies have awakened within her this intense affection: whereas to whom little is forgiven, and who considers the remitted debt to be inconsiderable, the same loveth his benefactor but little.

48. And to renew the kind assurance of the pardon formerly granted, he turned to the woman, and said to her, I know the sincerity of thy repentance; and for thy encouragement under

this contempt, I solemnly declare that thy sins have been forgiven.

49. And they who reclined at table with Jesus, began to say [said] within themselves, Who is this that not only allows the touch of a heathen, but even forgiveth sins?' 50. But far from noticing their uncharitable thoughts, he said to the woman, ' Thy faith hath saved thee from the punishment of sin go thy way in peace.'

Vv. 44-46: On the arrival of visitors, water was brought to wash their feet, not only for refreshment after a sultry and dusty walk, but that the couches might not be soiled. The slaves took charge of the sandals. After ablution, the guests were anointed with oils or rich perfumes. The recumbent attitude allowed easy access to the feet of the guests. A kiss on the cheek was the mark of friendship; on the hand or foot, of homage and humility.

As there does not appear any valid reason for supposing that the woman, mentioned in this parable, was a notorious harlot; the original Greek word, here translated sinner, may be understood in its frequent acceptation of heathen, as opposed to Israelite. Without fixing upon the woman the particular crime of impurity, the parable may be considered as representing in her, a sample of that favour, likely to be extended to all sinners who resemble her in sincerity of contrition, and in affectionate devotion towards the great Evangelical Benefactor.

Thy faith hath saved thee. How joyful an assurance must this have been to the woman, to receive a confirmation of a former mercy, in hearing these gracious words from the mouth of the great Saviour, who alone had authority to pronounce them. But to suppose that the same rich invaluable blessing is not, at this time, vouchsafed to those who no less truly repent and unfeignedly believe in the Son of God,-is to suppose that in the lowest state of humiliation, in the days of his flesh, he distinguishes his disciples far beyond what he does now, when seated at the right hand of God. The same evidence, rational, not enthusiastic; scriptural, not imaginary; all real penitents

have to produce for the pardon of sins: for it is the same Lord who still speaketh to us from heaven. They will assuredly obtain pardon and grace, if they in earnest seek for it in prayer to Christ. When, therefore, we hear the tidings of pardon, let us gladly embrace it; acknowledging that not five hundred denarii, nor even ten thousand talents, are sufficient to express the greatness of our debt. To whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. So long as we suppose our offences small, and our guilt trifling; the office of a Redeemer will seem a superfluous appointment. When we shall have confessed with unfeigned sorrow, that our debt of fifty denarii (supposing it no more) makes a divine surety absolutely necessary to discharge it; we shall retain the remembrance of the debt, even under the hope that God has forgiven it. We shall labour that the tenderness of our love, the warmth of our zeal, and the steadiness of our obedience, may, in some measure, be proportionable to it; and, blessed Saviour, how distinguished must they then be!

The condescension of Jesus, in graciously receiving from a former convert, these marks of grateful love, is contrasted with the contemptuous spirit of Simon; who, at the sight of a heathen, was ready to exclaim, 'Begone; I am holier than thou.' By this self-conceit, he evidently discovered that he had no sense of his own imperfection, nor the least apprehension of his own demerit. May God preserve us from that arrogant confidence in our own righteousness; which, while it leads us to despise some, perhaps much dearer to him than ourselves, would proportionably sink our value of salvation; lessen our love to our Saviour; and prove what little heed we pay to his example. If Christ came to save sinners; and in reclaiming them, used all lenity and forbearance; shall we stand aloof; and discourage by upbraiding humble penitents with the scandals of their former life? Shall the sorrowful appearance, the tears, the humble conduct of the penitent, so far from attracting our attention and exciting our pity, only afford occasion for captious and ungenerous reflections? Rigid and unrelenting virtue, is this the lesson thou teachest thy votaries? No: the Christian heart is ever humane. At the sufferings of guilt, it softens and melts: but with the tears of honest sorrow and penitence, it mingles its own: and with the most attracting and endearing sympathy, soothes their pains, and mitigates their

anguish. Where we have reason to believe, that sin has been lamented and forsaken, and consequently that God has forgiven it, let us cheerfully receive those whom our holy Master has not rejected. And if the remembrance of former irregularities cannot be entirely lost, let it only engage us to magnify the riches of divine grace towards such persons, and to rejoice with them in the display of it. (DODDRIDGE. SCOTT.)

Christ exhorts his disciples to watchfulness and fidelity, in reference to his sudden coming to final judgment. LUKE, Xii. 35-46.

35. LET your loins be girded round with your garments in a readiness for activity, and your lamps burning; 36, and ye yourselves like unto men-servants who are waiting for their lord's return from a marriage-feast; that when he comes and has knocked, they may immediately open to him, and not be surprised in disorder. 37. Happy are the servants whom, when their lord cometh, he shall find watching. Verily, I say unto you, That he will condescend to gird himself, and cause them to recline to supper, and will come and wait upon them. 38. And whether he come early in the second watch, or come late in the third watch of the night, and find them thus employed, happy are those servants! 39. And ye know this, that if the master had been aware at what hour the thief would have come; he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be dug-through. 40. Be ye, therefore, also ready: for at such a season as ye think not, the Son-of-Man cometh.

41. Peter then said unto him, 'Lord, dost thou speak this parable unto us the apostles; or also unto all in general?'

42. And the Lord said, 'Though all may be interested in this warning, yet it may be especially applied to my more immediate ministers. Who now, of what character and disposition, ought to be that faithful and prudent steward, whom his lord shall set over all the servants of his family, even as I commit to you the care of the Church, to measure out to them, at the set time, the stated allowance of food? 43. Happy is that servant [or steward] whom his lord when he cometh, shall find so doing! 44. Truly I say to you, He will appoint him to the management of his whole estate.

45. But if that servant should say in his heart, 'My lord delays; and shall begin to beat [shall beat] the men-servants and the maid-servants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken, behaving tyrannically, and giving himself up to gluttony and drunkenness, 46, the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware; and will cut him asunder with severe scourging, and appoint him his portion with those who are unworthy to be trusted.

THE obvious design of this Parable is to excite us to a serious preparation for the awful solemnities of death and judgment. We are here admonished to consider ourselves as servants who have a Master in heaven, of whose return we have the strongest assurance. But as we are utterly ignorant of the precise time of his coming, it is the more important to bear carefully in mind the duties which we owe to him in his absence.

1. We are plainly taught that we should lay aside every thing that may encumber us in the service of our Master: let your loins be girded about. To the same purpose, St. Peter exhorts us, Gird up the loins of your mind. The New Testament abounds with many exhortations of the same kind; which will appear to have a peculiar propriety, if we consider those figurative representations of our work to which they are applied. It is called a race; a strife; a warfare. We must run, and

wrestle, and fight: and, therefore, have need of all our strength and activity. Long garments are for ornament, but not for use it was usual to tuck them up and gird them round the loins, whenever exertion, speed, agility, or waiting at table, was required. In the same spirit, we must labour to get rid of every incumbrance, and to be always in a posture for active service. With a cautious sense of duty, the Christian servant sits, with a burning lamp, ready to open the door at any hour, and to light his returning Master to his chamber. Nor is our own vigilance sufficient: we must implore the divine aid. Satan desires to sift us as wheat. Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.

2. Our Saviour intimates, that another part of our preparation consists in the performance of the duties we owe to each other, as well as those which more immediately respect himself. The servant who, careless of his Lord's coming, shall treat with