and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, and his APOSTLES, &c. 165 war before he had compared his own hrength with that of the enemy : So like- wife, added our great Redeemer, whofoever he be ofyou that forfaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my dfciftle. The fame of the miracles which Jesus daily wrought, and the divine difcourfes which he delivered, being fpread in the moll obfcure and unpolite parts of the country, feveral perlons of infamous lives and abandoned charafters came amongft the crowds which preffed to hear him. Thefe perlons, confcious of their unworthi- nefs, approached our great Redeemer with the higheft reverence, and heard him with the moli refpefful and heady attention. This opportunity was readily embraced by the great Saviour of finners, who far from upbraiding them with their former wicked - nefs, or fpurning them from him with con- tempt, kindlycondefcended to inftruét them in thofe things which concerned their ever- lafting peace, and not only taught them in the fields, but went with them to their honks, and kindly condefcended to teach them the nature of his kingdom, and lead them in the way of eternal life and hap- pinefs. This condefcending goodnefs in our great Redeemer was highly offenfive to the proud, felf-conceited, felt-righteous Pha- rifees ; they wanted to be accepted on the footing of their own worthinefs, and could not bear the thoughts of the infinite mercy of God, manifefted to the greatefl of fin- ners ; and, therefore, with hearts full of en- vious pride, they advanced it as a ground of reproach againft our great Redeemer, that, this man receivethfinners, and eateth with them. Their pride could not bear the thought, that thefe perlons whom they fo much defpifed, fhouldbe looked upon by our Saviour withmore kindnefs than them - felves, and they thought his condefcenfion unworthy the charafler ofa prophet. They had no other views of divine acceptance, than fuch as had an immediate reference to the law; and the infinite mercy of God to finners, manifefled in the gofpel ofhis Son, No. 14. was what they could not underhand ; our great Redeemer, therefore, to convince them of their ignorance, to check their abominable pride and felf-fufficiency, to dif- play the extenfive and abundant mercyof God to finful man, and to vindicate his owncondul in converfing with the meaneft and moll contemptible perlons, propofed three parables to their confideration. The firft of thefe parables was that of the loft fheep, which the Divine Inftrufor de- livered in the following words : What man ofyou, having an hundredfheeb, af+ he lofe one of them, Both not leave the ninety and nine in the wildernefs, and go after that which is loft, until hefind it? And when he hathfound it, he layeth it on hisfhoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, Paying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I havefound myAmp which was le ; Thus, by the natural turn of the human mind, which is reliefs and uneafy under the mor- tification oflofing part of it's property, and fixes with Incheager attention on that which it has loll, that it overlooks thofe valuable objeéts which it has ,in poffeffion, our great Redeemer deleribes the regard which God has to his people while they wander from him in a loft, perifhing condition; and by the joy which expands the human heart, when that which had long been given up for loft is recovered, our Lord dilplays the kind reception which the wort of finners will find when they are made fenfible of their evil ways, and are enabled to believe in the Son of God for life and falvation. And in this elegant well chofen parable he further defcribes the joy of the heavenly inhabitants, when any of the fheep of Chrift, who have long wandered from his fold, are convinced of their defperate con- dition, humbled under a fenfe of their un- worthinefs and wickednefs, and are enabled to return : I fay unto you, faid he, that likewife joy, flail be in heaven over one firmer that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine jujt jierfons, which need no re- pentance. S f There
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