* man hath hired us. He faith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, that fhall ye receive. So when even was come, the Lord of the vineyard faith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the firft came, they fuppofed that they fhould have received more; and they likewife received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the good-man of the house, saying, Thefe laft have wrought but one hour, and thou haft made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered lone of them, and faid, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take ? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this laft even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil because I am good? So the laft fhall be firft, and the firft laft: for many be called, but few chofen. The Sunday called + Sexagefima, or the Second Sunday before. Lent. The Collect.. The Vineyard, the Difpenfations of Religion in ge neral which were given to mankind in the different parts of the world. The Labourers hired early in the morning fignified the Jews, who were born Members of God's Church, under the law of Mofes.Thofe hired at the third, fixth, and ninth hours, fignified thofe of the Gentiles who were converted to the worship of God, and became, fome Profelytes of righteoufnefs, others Profelytes of the Gate.-The invitation at the eleventh hour fignified the calling of the Gentiles in every country, by the Light of Nature, to live pioufly and wifely. They received every Man a Penny. The equal re ward bestowed on all, fignifies the Gospel with its Privileges and Advantages, which all, both Jews and Gentiles, enjoyed upon an equal footing. Only we muft not carry the refemblance fo far as to fuppofe that either of them had merited the Bleflings of the Gofpel, by Lord God, who feeft that we put not our truft in any thing that we do; Mercifully grant that by thy power we may be defended against all adverfity, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. O Amen. The Epiftle. 2 Cor. 11. 19. Y E fuffer fools gladly, feeing ye yourselves are wife. For ! " ye fuffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man, devour if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man you, finite you on the face. I fpeak as concerning reproach, as though. we had been weak: howbeit, whereinfover any is bold (L fpeak foolishly) I am bold also. Are they Hebrews? fo am I : are they Ifraelites?' fo am I are they the feed of Abraham? so am fo I are they minifters of Chrift? (I fpeak as a fool) I am more; + in labours more abundant; in ftripes above measure; in prifons more frequent; in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty ftripes fave one. Thrice was I beaten with rods; Once was I ftoned; Thrice I fuffered fhipwreck; A night and a day I have been in the deep in journeying often; in perils of waters; in perils of robbers; in perils by mine own country-men; in perils by the heathen; in perils in the city; in perils in the wildernefs; in perils in the fea; in perils among false brethren; in wearinefs and painfulness; in watchings often; in hunger and thirst; in fastings often; in cold and nakednefs; befides those : O Lord God, who knoweft our own ftrength for our own • Ye fuffer Fools gladly, &c. This expreffion, and what follows, relates to the falfe Teachers who had crept in among the Corinthians during St. Paul's abfence, who endeavoured to enflave them to the Jewish Law, to make them a prey to their Covetousness; and treated them with infolence, tyranny, and contumely; infufing into them, at the fame time, jealoufies, and evil furmifes against their lawful Paftor. Paraphrafe on the Collect for Sexagefima Sunday. that we rely not upon graciously protect us by thy might against all Calamities defence and fupport; for the fake of Jefus Christ our Lord. I speak foo ifbly. Obferve here how cautioufly St. Paul behaved himself in a point, which he knew to be fo nice. For tho' the falfe Teachers amongst the Corinthians had rendered fuch a vindication neceffary: yet he knew that it is very difficult to expatiate upon ourselves in Conversation without incurring the cenfure of vanity. + In labours more abundant, &c. &c. The methods afed for exercifing St. Paul's Patience and Virtue, teach us plainly, that the way in which God would be ferved by Chriftians, especially by his Minifters, is that of conftancy, and indefatigable diligence, and diffusive Charity. That eafe and idleness, and luxury, and effeminate declinings of trouble for the publick good, are by no means agreeable to the character of a Disciple of Jefus. things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, which is bleffed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. The Gofpel. S. Luke 8. 4. W Hen much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: A fower went out to fow his feed and as he fowed, fome fell by the way-fide, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And fome fell upon a rock, and as soon as it was fprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And fome fell among thorns, and the thorns fprang up with it, and, choked it. And other fell on good ground, and fprang up, and bare fruit an hundred-fold. And when he had faid these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear let him hear. And his difciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: * but to others in parables; that feeing they might not fee, and hearing they might not understand. Now the parable is this; The feed is the word of God. Thofe by the way-fide are they that hear; § then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, left they should believe and be faved. They * But to others in parables, that seeing, &c. Or as it is otherwife exprefled by St. Matth. xiii. 13. Therefore Ipak I to them in parables: because they feeing, fee not: and bearing, they hear not, neither do they understand.That is, he, fpoke to them in parables, becaufe their ftupidity was fo grofs, and their prejudices fo numerous, that tho' they had capacities for receiving his Doctrine, yet they would not regard it, if he had fpoke in plain terms. This fhews that the blindness of the Jews was the reafon of Chrift's teaching them by Parab.es, and not his teaching them by Parables the reafon of their blindness. Then cometh the Devil, &c. The perfons reprefent on the rock are they, which when they hear, receive the word with joy; and thefe have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. + And that which fell among thorns, are they, which when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares, and riches, and pleafures of this life, and bring no fuit to perfection. But that on the good ground, are they, which in an honeft and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. The Sunday called Quinquagefima, or the next Sunday before The Collect. Lent. ΟΙ Send thy Lord, who haft taught us, that all our doings without charity are nothing worth; Holy Ghost, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace, and of all virtues, without which whofoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jefus Chrifts fake. Amen. The Epiftle. 1 Cor. 13. I. T Hough I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as founding brafs, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, Paraphrafe on the Colle & for Quinquagefima Sunday. • fo that I could remove mountains, and have no charity, I am nothing. And though I beftow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity fuffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itfelf unfeemly, *feeketh not her own, is not eafily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, + believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they fhall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall ceafe; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanifh away. For we know in part, and we prophefy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part fhall be done away. When I was child, I fpake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then fhall I know even as alfo I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. The Gospel. S. Luke 18. 31. T Be HEN Jefus took unto him the twelve, and faid unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerufalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man fhall be accomplished. For he fhall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully intreated, and spitted on. And P 2 Secketh not her own. Charity does not confine its endeavours to the private good of the Perfon who is poffeffed of it; but continually excites us to promote the welfare of all Men according to our ability and opportunity. Believeth all Things, bopeth all Things, endureth all Things. Where there is any just reafon to fuppofe the Perfon accufed is not guilty of the charge laid a gainst him, Charity will incline us to believe him innocent. And even where the circumstances alledged against him cannot be entirely refuted; yet even here Charity will difpofe us to hope Things are not fo bad as they are reprefented; or to hope at leaft for the Offenders reformation. Nay even when the charitable Perfon is in fome degree a fufferer by an inconfiderate Brother; (where his Crimes are not of fuch a nature as to require his punishment, for the fake of the public) the charitable Perfon will endure his Wrongs with patience will conceal his Faults from the World; and endeavour to win him over to a better Mind, by gen tleness, meekness, and good offices. |