The Jews from the beginning were the profeffing people of God. They had never been wanting in high pretenfions and promises. When the Law was given on Horeb, they exclaimed, "all that the Lord com"mandeth us will we do, and be obedient." When Joshua addreffed them in Shechem, they again faid, "the Lord our God will we ferve, and his voice will "we obey." "Nevertheless, they did flatter him "with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their "tongues. For their heart was not right with him, "neither were they ftedfaft in his covenant." "What "fhall we fay then? That the Gentiles, which fol"lowed not after righteousness, have attained to righ"teousness, even the righteousness which is of faith: "but Ifrael, which followed after the law of righ"teousness, hath not attained to the law of righteouf"nefs. Wherefore? Because they fought it not by "faith, but as it were by the works of the law, for "they stumbled at that stumbling-stone; as it is writ

ten, behold I lay in Zion a stumbling-stone, and "rock of offence: and whofoever believeth on him, "fhall not be confounded."

The fimilitude will ftand as an illuftration of various characters to the end of time. Accordingly we are going to confider it, I. As HOLDING FORTH THE COMMAND OF GOD TO HIS CREATURES. And, II. AS EXEMPLIFYING THE MANNER IN WHICH IT IS REGARDED BY THEM.

PART I."The Lord looketh from heaven: he "beholdeth all the fons of men." Neither as his creatures, or as his fubjects, are they beneath his

concern. To difplay his authority and to fecure their welfare, He addreffes them in language appropriate to their circumstances. HIS COMMAND is diftinguished by three characters. It is AFFECTIONATE; it is PRACTICAL; it is URGENT.

Firft. It is AFFECTIONATE. He fpeaks as unto children, "My SON, go work to-day in my vineyard." He is the lovely Father of all mankind; and though fin has rendered us unworthy of his care, it has not destroyed our relation to him. "We have had fathers "of our flesh who corrected us, and we gave them "reverence: fhall we not much rather be in fubjec"tion to the Father of Spirits, and live ?" They were only the Instruments of our existence; but to Him the name belongs in all its perfection. "We are his "offspring;"" we are all the work of his hands:" from him we derive the immortal principle; our very fouls are his; produced by his power, and subject to his agency. This is the common character given of him in the New Teftament. Under this encouraging representation we are taught to addrefs him in prayer; in this tender relation we are to view him as difpenfing his commands. I fee the Father blending with the Sovereign; I fee goodness mingling with authority; I obey from love; it is a Father I ferve, and his fervice is perfect freedom. If he employ us as children, he "knows our frame, and will remember that we 66 are duft." He will not lay upon us more than is meet; He will be kind to our infirmities, and spare us as a man spareth his own fon that ferveth him. "We "have not received the fpirit of bondage again to fear, but the fpirit of adoption whereby we cry,

"Abba Father. Wherefore thou art no more a "fervant but a fon, and if a fon then an heir of God through Chrift."

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Secondly. It is PRACTICAL. For to what does the Father call him? To "WORK in his vineyard." I admire this Father. He does not bring up his children in idleness. Though he be a rich man, and have a vineyard of his own, he requires them to labour. And "it is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth." The Grand Seignior of Turkey is always taught fome mechanical business. The Jews, whatever was their rank, always gave their fons fome manual trade. Paul had a learned education, and was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel ; but he knew the craft of tent-making. There was wisdom in this plan. It preferved the young from floth, it filled up the vacancies of life, it prevented temptation, it made them ufeful in fociety, it furnished them with a refource in cafe of reduction and diftrefs. Adam was placed in the garden of Eden to drefs it. The Son of God till he affumed his public character wrought at the business of a carpenter. Heaven is all energy and activity; "they reft not day nor night." It is better to pursue the meaneft occupation, and even to be a fervile day-labourer, than to live in idleness, a mere cumberer of the ground. Parents! early accuftom your children to exertion and difficulties. Bring them up idly and delicately, and they are ruined for this world and the world to come. I equally pity and condemn that Father, who is afhamed or afraid to fay to a fon, "Go work in my vineyard." And what think you of God? He affigns us our place of action,

You

and prescribes the nature of our employ. It is extenfive and various. Our diligence is to be used in "working out our falvation with fear and trembling." Sinner! there is a burden lying upon thy fhoulders, which unless it be removed, will fink thee to the loweft hell. Thou art pursued by the avenger of blood, and if overtaken, thou wilt affuredly perish. Thy first concern fhould be a deliverance, a refuge. Thy first effort fhould be an application to Him who came into the world to fave finners. "Then faid they unto "him, What fhall we do, that we might work the "works of God? Jefus anfwered and faid unto them, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him "whom he hath fent." This is your first care. And a fecond is like unto it-Perfonal fanctification. are called not only to believe, but to obey; not to shew your faith instead of your works, but your faith by your works. Many would rather confider the Gospel as defigned to furnish a fubftitute for holiness, than as a system which requires piety and morality in all its parts. But how readeft thou? Where does it promise a falvation in fin? Where does it encourage a hope which leaves its poffeffor impure? "God has "not called us unto uncleannefs, but unto holinefs. "The grace of God, which bringeth falvation, hath appeared to all men: teaching us, that denying ungodlinefs, and worldly lufts, we should live foberly, righteoufly, and godly in this present world." Nor are you lefs required to ferve your generation according to the will of God. "None of us liveth to him"felf." Our fellow-creatures have claims upon us. We are to "rejoice with them that rejoice, and weep

"with them that weep ;" to "love as brethren;" to "bear one another's burdens, and fo fulfil the law of "Chrift." And however inferior our ftations, or flender our abilities, we have all one talent. How have we employed it? We have all had fome means and opportunities of usefulness. What brand have we plucked out of the fire? What naked wretch have we cloathed? What child of ignorance have we inftructed? In what inftances have we refembled Him who went about doing good," who pleased not himself, who came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many? Thirdly. It is URGENT. You are called not only to labour, but to labour immediately. "My fon, go "work TO-DAY in my vineyard." The King's bufinefs requires hafte; and this is the bufinefs of the King of Kings. A bufinefs of importance requires hafte; and no bufinefs can be fo momentous in its confequences as this. A business requires hafte that can be performed only in a certain time, efpecially if the feafon be short and uncertain; and "what is thy "life? It is even as a vapour that appeareth for a lit"tle time, and then vanifheth away." The Scripture therefore only borrows the language of common fense when it says, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to "do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor "device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave "whither thou goeft." Obferve your elder Brother; he never loft a moment: "I must work the work "of Him that fent me while it is day: the night "cometh wherein no man can work." God always fays, "To-day;"" to-morrow" is always the lan