him, acknowledging himself unworthy to be called his son; intending only to entreat that he should be employed as his servant. In this poor prodigal, we have shadowed out the lost state of man by nature, shut out from the presence of God because of sin; within him the seed of every evil passion, which, left to himself, he would indulge; seeking happiness either in the vain deceitful pleasures of the world, or the sensual gratifications of the flesh, or in the pursuit of wealth or fame; but still restless, still unhappy, still in want. He comes to himself; a gleam of divine light breaks in upon his darkness; he remembers that he has a father, kind, merciful,. forgiving. To that father, as an humble contrite suppliant, he approaches; and how is he received?'

GEORGE. "When he was yet a great way off his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him."

MRS. M. 'Does not this give a beautiful picture of the forgiving tenderness of the

earthly parent? But when we consider it as descriptive of the desire of our heavenly Father for the conversion of sinners, how touching is it! The father waits not for the son to express his repentance; he ran to meet him, received him not only with kindness, but with the tenderest affection; "ran and fell on his neck and kissed him." What a lovely picture of the encouraging gracious fatherly tenderness of our Lord and Saviour! who thus with open arms welcomes every humble broken-hearted contrite sinner; every penitent who from his heart says, "Father, I have sinned, and am no more worthy to be called thy son, make me as one of thy hired servants." Thou art already humbled, my son, let us rejoice that thou hast come to thyself: 66 Bring forth the best robe and put it on him, and a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet." Naked and unable as he is to clothe himself, having cast away his own filthy rags, let him be clothed with the spotless robes of Christ's righteousness."

EMILY. Mamma, what do you think is

meant by the ring that his father desires to be put on his finger.'

MRS. M. A ring is a token of high favour; you may remember how Pharaoh took his own ring and put it on Joseph's finger. It is also a token of union. The prodigal in his degraded state was a type of sinful unregenerate man, at enmity with his God. Now humbled and penitent, restored to his father's favour, he becomes a type of the ransomed sinner, united to Christ as a spouse to her husband.'

GEORGE. And the shoes upon his feet, mamma, what's that?'

MRS. M. The penitent, restored to the favour of God, united with Christ, is prepared to walk with pleasure in the paths of holiness; as is said by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians, "His feet are shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace.'

EMILY. And then, mamma, the feast; the killing of the fatted calf?'

MRS. M. That again, as in the former parables, is to express the joy that is felt in

heaven over a repentant and restored sinner, when he is called to sit down at the " marriage supper of the Lamb.”

EMILY. 'Mamma, what do you think is meant by the elder son who envied his brother, and was angry at his being restored to favour?'

MRS. M. I think our Saviour employed these means to bring before the eyes of the proud Pharisees their own conduct.'

GEORGE. 'But mamma, the father addresses him in an affectionate manner; he says, "my son.

MRS. M. That is only keeping up the parable, it does not express favour; he adds, "Thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine;" he addresses them not according to their real state, but according to their own opinion of themselves; ye who imagine that ye are ever walking in the path of duty, always relying on your observance of outward forms, satisfied with yourselves, why should ye be displeased at these poor sinners whom ye so despise, being received

by me? why should ye be displeased at the conversion of a penitent brother, over whom ye ought rather to rejoice?'

GEORGE. 'Well I always liked this parable, but I understand it now better than I did.'

MRS. M. Stay, George, I have not quite done with it yet. This parable also applies to the Jews and Gentiles, who were originally one family; till all having fallen away into idolatry, it pleased God by the call of Abraham to choose for himself a people who were to be distinguished by many privileges; to them he gave laws, and in many ways made himself known to them. They were ever with him ever under his protecting care, had all the privileges of children: yet did they prove themselves ungrateful for all these blessings, and murmured at the Gentiles being admitted as the disciples of that Saviour whom they denied; they boasted of being the children of Abraham, but it was only according to the flesh; had they been his true spiritual children, they would have