The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up; What lack I yet?" Matt. xix. 17, &c.

These commandments, perhaps, he had obeyed in the vague sense put upon them by the doctors and interpreters of the law; and, therefore, the character he here gave of himself might be very just. For though he was far from being a person who feared God from his heart, he might have appeared, in the sight of men, as a person of a very fair character. And having maintained that character, notwithstanding his great riches, he certainly deserved commendation; and therefore might be noticed by that benevolent person, who left the bosom of his Father, to redeem lost mankind. But he was, at the same time, very faulty, with regard to his love of sensual pleasures; a sin, which might have escaped even his own observation, though it could not escape the all-seeing eye of the Son of God. Our blessed Saviour, therefore, willing to make him sensible of his secret desire of possessing the riches of this world, told him, that if he aimed at perfection, he should distribute his possessions among the poor and indigent, and become his disciple. "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." His heart being set upon his possessions, he had no inclination to a religion that enjoined self-denial, and parting with our darling sins. "But when the young man heard this saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions." Matt.

xix. 22.

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This melancholy instance of the pernicious influence of riches over the minds of the children of men, induced our blessed Saviour to caution his disciples against fixing their minds on things of such frightful tendency, by shewing how very difficult it was for a rich man to procure a habitation in the regions of eternal happiness. "Verily, I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel" (i. e. a cable, or large rope) to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matt. xix. 23, &c.

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If man be not assisted by the grace of God, it will be impossible for him to obtain the happy rewards of the kingdom of heaven: but, by the assistance of grace, which the Almighty never refuses to those who seek it with their whole heart, it is very possible.

This answer of the blessed Jesus was, however, far from satisfying his disciples, who had, doubtless, often reflected with

pleasure on the high posts they were to enjoy in their Master's kingdom. Peter seems particularly to have been disappointed : and therefore addressed his Master, in the name of the rest, begging him to remember that his apostles had actually done what the young man had refused. They had abandoned their relations, their friends, their possessions, and their employments, on his account and therefore desired to know what reward they were to expect for these instances of their obedience? To which Jesus replied, that they should not fail of a reward, even in this life; for immediately after his resurrection, when he ascended to his Father, and entered on his mediatorial office, they should be advanced to the honor of judging the twelve tribes of Israel; that is, of ruling the church of Christ, which they were to plant in different parts of the earth. "Verily, I say unto you, that ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Matt. xix. 28.

Having given this answer to Peter, he next mentioned the rewards his other disciples should receive, both in this world and in that which is to come. They, said he, who have forsaken all for my sake, shall be no losers in the end their benevolent Father, who intends to give them possessions in the heavenly Canaan, will not fail to support them, during their long and painful journey to that happy country; and raise them up friends who shall assist them with those necessaries they might have expected from their relations, had they not left them for Divine Providence will take care they have every my sake. thing valuable that can be given them by their relations, or they could desire from large possessions. They shall, indeed, be fed with the bread of sorrow, but this shall produce joys to which all the earthly pleasures bear no proportion; and, in the end, obtain everlasting life. They shall leave this vale of tears, with all its pains and sorrows, behind them, and fly to the bosom of their Almighty Father, the fountain of life and joy, where they shall be infinitely rewarded for all the sufferings they have undergone in this world.

Things shall then be reversed, and those who have been reviled and contemned on earth, for the sake of the Gospel, shall be exalted to honor, glory and immortality: while the others shall be consigned to eternal infamy. "But many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first." Matt. xix. 30.

These words seem also to have been spoken to keep the disciples humble; for in all probability they at first understood the promise of their sitting on twelve thrones, in a natural sense: as they were ready to construe every expression to a temporal kingdom, which they still expected their Master would erect

upon earth. Our blessed Saviour, therefore, to remove all thoughts they might entertain of this kind, told them that though he had described the rewards they were to expect for the ready obedience they had shewn to his commands, and the pains they were to take in propagating the Gospel among the children of meu; yet those rewards were spiritual, and not confined to the Jews alone, but extended also to the Gentiles, who in point of time, should excel the Jews, and universally embrace the Gospel, before that nation was converted.

To excite their ardent pressing forward in faith and good works, our Lord relates the parable of the householder, who, at different hours of the day, hired laborers to work in his vineyard. "The kingdom of heaven," says our blessed Saviour, "is like unto a man that is a householder, which went early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard: And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out, about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market-place, and said unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out, about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So, when even was come, the lord of the vineyard said unto his steward, Call the laborers, 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 first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the good man of the house, saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for penny? take that thine is, and go thy way; I will give unto this last 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 last shall be first, and the first last for many be called, but few chosen." Matt. xx. 1, 2, 3, &c.

Such is the parable of the householder, as delivered by our Saviour and, from the applications he has made of it, it will not be difficult to interpret it. The dispensation of religion which God gave to mankind, in different parts of the world, are represented by the vineyard. The Jews, who were early mem

bers of the true church, and obliged to obey the law of Moses, are the laborers which the householder hired early in the morning. The Gentiles who were converted at several times, by the various interpositions of Providence, to the knowledge and worship of the true God, are the laborers hired at the third, sixth, and ninth hours. And the invitation given at the eleventh hour, implies the calling of persons in the eve of life, to the knowledge of the Gospel. The law of Moses was a heavy yoke; and therefore the obedience to its precepts was very elegantly represented by bearing the heat and burden of the whole day. But the proselyted Gentiles, paid obedience only to some particular precepts of the law; bore but part of its weight; and were therefore represented by those who were hired at the third, sixth, and ninth hours: while those heathens who regulated their conduct by the law of nature only, and esteemed the works of justice, piety, temperance, and charity, as their whole duty, are beautifully represented as laboring only one hour in the cool of the evening.

When the evening was come, and each laborer was to receive his wages, they were all placed upon an equal footing; these rewards being the privileges and advantages of the Gospel. The Jews, who had borne the grievous yoke of the Mosaic ceremonies, murmured when they found the Gentiles were admitted to its privileges, without being subject to their ceremonial worship. But we must not urge the circumstance of the reward so far as to fancy that either Jews or Gentiles merited the blessings of the Gospel, by their having labored faithfully in the vineyard, or having behaved well under their several dispensations.

The glorious Gospel, with all its blessings, was bestowed entirely by the free grace of God, and without any thing in men to merit it; besides, it was offered promiscuously to all, whether good or bad, and embraced by persons of all characters. The conclusion of the parable deserves our utmost attention; 'we should meditate upon it, and take care to make our calling and election sure.

After Jesus had finished these discourses, he continued his journey towards Jerusalem, where the chief priests and elders, soon after the resurrection of Lazarus, issued a proclamation, promising a reward to any one who should apprehend him. In all probability, this was the reason why the disciples were astonished at the alacrity of our Lord during this journey, while they themselves followed him trembling. Jesus, therefore, thought proper to repeat the prophecies concerning his sufferings, in order to shew his disciples that they were entirely voluntary; adding, that though the Jews should put him to death, yet, instead of weakening, it should increase their faith, especially

as he would rise again, the third day, from the dead. "Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished: For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: and they shall scourge him, and put him to death; and the third day he shall rise again." Luke, xviii. 32, 33.

As this prediction manifestly tended to the confirmation of the ancient prophecies, it must have given the greatest encouragement to his disciples had they understood and applied it in a proper manner: but they were so ignorant in the Scriptures; they had no idea of what he meant. "And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them; neither knew they the things which were spoken."

The sons of Zebedee were so ignorant, that they thought their Master, by his telling them he would rise again from the dead, meant that he would then erect his empire, and accordingly begged that he would confer on them the chief posts in his kingdom; which they expressed by desiring to be seated, the "one on his right hand, and the other on his left," in allusion to his placing the twelve apostles upon twelve thrones, judging the tribes of Israel.

This race, ever since our Saviour's transfiguration, had conceived very high notions of his kingdom, and possibly of their own merit also, because they had been permitted to behold that miracle. But Jesus told them they were ignorant of the nature of the honor they requested; and since they desired to share with him in glory, asked them if they were willing to share with him also in his sufferings. "Ye know not what ye ask; are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with ?" Matt.

xx. 22.

The two disciples, ravished with the prospect of the dignity they were aspiring after, replied without hesitation, that they were both able and willing to share any hardship their Master might meet with, in the way to the kingdom. To which he answered that they should certainly share with him his troubles and afflictions; but that they had asked a favor which was not his to give. "Ye shall drink, indeed, of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with; but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given unto them for whom it is prepared by my Father." Mait. XX. 23.

This ambitious request of the two brothers raised the indignation of the rest of the disciples, who, thinking themselves equally deserving the principal posts in the Messiah's kingdom, were highly offended at the arrogance of the sons of Zebedee.