was to come into the world. And we shall see reason to admire the wisdom and goodness of Divine Providence in giving us, almost by a miraculous preservation of the author, such a commentary on this prophecy as is delivered down to us in the works of Josephus, the Jewish historian, which throw a much stronger light upon it than if they had been written by a Christian on purpose to illustrate it.

The whole of this prophecy most evidently shows us, how vain and dangerous it is to trust in external privileges, and to cry out, as these foolish and wretched Jews did, The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, are these buildings; when of this stately and magnificent structure, within less than half a century after it was finished, not one stone was left upon another.

The Jews eagerly listened to the very name of a Messiah, by whomsoever it was assumed; while they rejected him whom God had sent them, and who had so long, and with so much importunity, been renewing to them the offers of life and salvation. May none of us ever know the sad impatience with which condemned sinners will wish, and wish in vain, for those overtures and messages of grace which they now despise! In that sense, wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together: wherever there is the like unbelief and impenitence, there will be, in its degree, the like ruin, Christ has graciously told us these things before: may we humbly attend to the warning, that none of this terror and destruction may ever come upon us. Sins like theirs, may be done in every age; and sufferings like theirs, may fall upon any nation. To despise the religion of the Son of God; to deny his divinity; to mistake ceremonies for holiness; to lean on self-righteousness; to pervert his Scriptures; to forget his laws; to hate his followers; and to crucify the Son of God afresh in the wickedness of our lives are crimes, which are confined to no rank, or station, or country; and it is always in the will of a holy, and the power of an Almighty God, to punish the evil-doers for the evil they have done. The Gentile, as well as the Jew, may sin against his Redeemer and his God; and, like the Jew, be scattered abroad in the breath of God's anger. For what merit hath the Gentile more than the Jew? or what city of the earth can have more claims for mercy than the towers and the temples of Jerusalem ?

'If God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold, therefore, the goodness and severity of God; on them which fell, severity; but towards thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise, thou also shalt be cut off. For because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not, therefore, high-minded, but fear.' (DODDRIDGE. BENSON.)

General characteristics of our Saviour's Parables. He taught them many things by Parables. MARK, iv. 2.

PARABLE, in the literal sense of the word, is "the placing of two things in juxta-position, for the purpose of comparison." Hence the term is applied to short compositions, in which the circumstances narrated and the instruction implied in them seem (as it were) to proceed with equal pace, and are each other's counterpart. In the New Testament, parable sometimes denotes a proverbial saying, or sententious maxim: but more generally, is applied to those more extended comparisons, by which the moral lessons or prophecies of our Saviour, relative to his Church, his death, his office of Judge, are conveyed under images drawn from natural objects, or from some imaginary or real occurrence. As this mode of teaching had been familiar among Eastern nations, and had been adopted in the Jewish Scriptures, our Saviour did not deem it unworthy of his prudence, to accommodate himself to the taste of his countrymen.

The utility of this mode of instruction has been generally felt and acknowledged. A lesson founded upon known and familiar objects, is more perspicuous in itself, and makes a deeper and more lasting impression on the mind. The capacities which are unequal to the comprehension of continued and elaborate argument, are sensible to the more pleasing and less distracting instruction of parables; in which fancy is the handmaid to the understanding. In many cases, curiosity would be quickened to make more diligent search into the meaning, and be thus beguiled into a more extended knowledge. The feelings of vanity and self-sufficient pride are not alarmed and offended by advice, administered in this delicate and circuitous method. Even subjects, the most unwelcome to national prejudices, are

rendered less repugnant, when the force of the admonition is broken by the interposition of an amusing parable.

The parables of our Saviour exhibit all the preceding marks of advantage: but at the same time, they are superior, in many respects, to all compositions belonging to the same class.

They are remarkable for their conciseness, which fatigues not the attention: for their perspicuity which opens a ready passage into the minds even of the dull and ignorant: for their beauty, simplicity, and pathetic nature, which strike deeply into the heart.

They are not drawn from things which never happen, but from events of ordinary occurrence in human life. There is nothing in them wild, extravagant, and unworthy of the Teacher; no absurd and monstrous fictions, such as abound in the Jewish writings.

In the parables of Christ, the actors are not the inferior creatures, but men. Sometimes he leads us to draw instruction from the inferior living creatures: but the species of mankind is the principal and most distinguished part of the vast scene and spectacle of nature. Here, therefore, lies the fullest source of instruction, in regard to morality and religion.

A peculiar excellence of our Lord's parables, is the frequent introduction into them of his own character as the principal figure; and in views so various, important, and significant. We view, through the veil of parable, our Lord as the sower; the vine-dresser; the proprietor of an estate; the careful shepherd; the just master; the compassionate father; the splendid bridegroom; the potent nobleman; the heir of a kingdom; and the king who judges all mankind. A striking interest hence arises, between the simplicity of the descriptions, and the dignity of the speaker.

The parables of our Lord were not intended merely to amuse the imagination, and please the fancy of the hearer; but to purify his soul, amend his conduct, and lead him to the knowledge of God's will and intended dispensations.

They are uttered not by a fabulist or by a mere philosopher; but by the Son of God, who has authority to say, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

But the wide differences by which our Saviour's parables are distinguished from others, are (I.) partly the awfulness of

their prophetic scope; and, (II.) partly, their extent of spiritual instruction.

I. The different soils to which the sower consigned the seed, are emblems of the reception which the Gospel would experience from men of different dispositions. The tares point out the mixture of corruptions, with which Gospel-doctrines would be polluted; and a separation of good and bad, in a final day of judgment; a doctrine repeated in the rejection of the corrupt fish, and the selection of the sound into vessels. The growth of the grain of mustard seed, and the influence of leaven, announce the spread of the Gospel in defiance of obstacles, insuperable by human powers. The pearl, and treasure hid in a field, declare the possession of the Gospel to be of more value than all earthly possessions. The rejection of the Jews and calling of the Gentiles are portrayed in the vineyard, let out to husbandmen; in the nobleman who went into a distant country; in the gathering of the halt and the maimed, as guests to the marriage-feast; and in the reward dispensed to the labourers hired at the eleventh hour.

II. The parables, relating to the important points of duty, are wonderfully impressive and wonderfully diversified. The foolish Rich Man; the Rich Man and Lazarus; the unjust Steward; inculcate a right use of riches; which become occasions of sin when ministering to useless hoarding and to luxurious sensuality; and operate as blessings, when applied as hopeful instruments of procuring admission into everlasting habitations. Universal benevolence is pathetically preached by the Good Samaritan. Forgiveness of injuries is enforced by the punishment of the unrelenting Servant. Encouragements to repentance are held out in the recovery of the lost drachma, and of the wandering sheep; in the yearning of a pitying father towards a returning prodigal; and in the forgiven debtors. Spiritual pride is forbidden in commendation of the humble publican. The insufficiency of bare external privileges, when not accompanied with the fruits of piety, is represented in the barren fig-tree levelled to the ground. Assiduity of devotion is commended in the attention which the widow extorted from the unjust judge; and in the loaves which the importunate request of a friend at midnight procured from his friend. Vigilance and preparation

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for our final account, are most solemnly impressed by the punishment which crushed the careless and profligate servant.

But if parables were meant as vehicles of instruction, why did our Saviour seem to answer, on one occasion (Matthew, xiii. 13), that he spoke in parables, in order not to be understood by his hearers? This difficulty will be removed by remembering, that while our Lord never refused to instruct those who sincerely desired it, the bad part of his audience deserved to be left in that ignorance which was entirely their own fault.

We will suppose part of his auditors to have been persons who had Moses and the Prophets, but would not hear them. It is not strange that Christ should refuse to instruct them; since the instruction which they had received before, had produced no good effect upon them.

Let us suppose them to have been such as the Prophet Isaiah describes; persons whose "hearts were waxed gross, and whose ears were dull of hearing ;" and who had closed their eyes; men enslaved to their prejudices and vices. If Christ discoursed darkly to them; it is to be considered, that they hated the light, and hardened themselves against conviction.

Let us suppose, that they had seen some of the works of Christ, but were not the more disposed to acknowledge his authority; that they had heard him explain their duty in a familiar manner, but with a spirit superior to that of all their teachers, and yet had heard him in vain. No parables could be thought too obscure for them, upon whom the plainest doctrines and the testimony of miracles had been thrown away.

Let us suppose them to have been led by no better motive than curiosity, and to have come with no view to correct their faults. They hear Christ speaking in parables which they comprehend not, and they depart with the same temper; nor do they apply to him for further instruction. Such negligent hearers are justly sent away in ignorance.

Let us suppose them persuaded that God would never show the same favours to the Gentiles as to the Jews; that the ceremonial law and the temple should abide continually; that the Messias should be a triumphant Prince, who would subdue all their enemies. If Christ had, in plain terms, laid open to them some of those mysteries which related to the Messias, and to