attributed to that providence whose eye was ever watchful for the good of this wanderer, whose return to his father depended on his wants not otherwise to be satisfied.

Such was the manner in which a divine providence brought about and completely fulfilled the visions of Joseph which portended the humble state into which his brethren should be brought, before him their protector. Neither Joseph nor his brethren were the cause of the famine which 'caused those sons of Jacob to go down to Egypt, but it was sent by that divine providence which embraced, as an object, from which it could not be diverted, the humility of Joseph's brethren.

It was this famine which caused Judah to say unto his father, "send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones." It was this famine which reduced Jacob to consent that his beloved Benjamin should go from him, saying, "If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."

The fatherly affections and mercies, exercised towards the offspring of God, are represented by the reception with which the returning prodigal was blessed of his father.

off.

In the room of being indifferent concerning the return of his son, the father's eye, ever on the look-out, spies him, while yet a great way Then did melting compassion move the father, and he ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. Now as tokens of the father's love, are brought the best robe, a ring and shoes; and the destitute child is clothed in the most decent manner; the fatted calf is killed by the father's order, and

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every expression of joy, suitable to the occasion, welcome the long lost son to the mansions of plenty and peace.

That the scriptures abundantly support the idea that God acknowledges sinners to be his children, the following passages fully show. Isaiah i. 2, 3, 4. "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord hath spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, children that are corrupters! they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the holy one of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward."

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xxxii. 6. "Do ye thus requite the Lord? O foolish people and unwise! is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?" Mal. i. 6. A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honor? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name." Chap. ii. 10. "Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously, every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?" Eph. iv. 6. "One God and father of all, who is above all, and through all, and you all." Mat. vi. 9. "After this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our father which art in heaven; hallowed be thy name." Verse 12." And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Heb. ii. 11-15. "For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause

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he is not ashamed to call them brethren; saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren; in the midst of the church will I sing praises unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, behold I and the children which God hath given Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death, were all their life time subject to bondage."

No comments are necessary to make it evident that the most natural sense of such scriptures, as are here quoted, goes to prove the proposition under consideration. This being conceded, notice will be taken of our third pro position, which is, that the true spirit of christian charity rejoices at the bringing of sinners to repentance.

This idea is not only supported by the application of three parables here illustrated, but is in reality the soul of the gospel system. To bring sinners to repentance, was the manifest object of God's sending his Son into our world; he was exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and the remission of sins; the ministry of the gospel is directed to this end, viz. that repentance and remission of sins should be preached among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. This system of gospel salvation, is a system of divine benevolence, which is the spirit of heaven-born charity. Jesus says, Luke v. 32. "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." This is the declared object of our Blessed Saviour. For the success of this work, there is joy in heaven; the angels of God see, with infinite delight and satisfaction, the

triumphs of the cross extended in the repentance of sinners. They see the kingdom of darkness diminished, the power of satan more circumscribed, the unhappy rebellion of mankind reclaimed, sin actually finished in the human heart, the strong holds of the enemy reduced by the power of divine grace, and every thought of the heart brought into obedience to Christ.

Nothing short of this can be meant by repentance, for to nothing short of this could the sense of the parables be justly applied. A lost sheep, found by the shepherd, restored to the fold from which it wandered, giving joy to the owner; the finding of a valuable piece of silver, and its restoration to the possession of its owner, causing joy to her who so highly prized the treasure; the coming home of a long absent prodigal son, in the most humble manner, to his father, being received with such marks of favor, and treated so kindly, and the joy inspired by the occasion, all show, in the most lively colors, the true penitence of the sinner, his happy reception into the enjoyment of favor, and the devotedness of his heart to gospel obedience: while, as a consequence of this salvation, joys unspeakable abound in the heart of every true lover of God.

Contrast with this heavenly theme the soul chil ling doctrine of eternal rebellion against the banner of love, and set up and establish the kingdom of satan and his dominion over the offspring of God, then ask the lovers of the cross to rejoice in such doctrine, what heart could comply? To require a song of rejoicing in this case, would be to tantalize the deluded captive as set forth in Psalm cxxxvii. 1-4. "By the rivers of Babylon there we set down; yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us, required of us mirth, saying, sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land." Those who have led the church captive into Babylon have required of her songs, and those who have wasted her, have required of her mirth; but her harps have been hung on the willows of sorrow, and she has wept by the rivers of grief.

But Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness, the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come unto her with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Let us allow the objector, the liberty to oppose the foregoing arguments by stating as follows:

1st. It is a dishonor to God to argue that sinners are his offspring.

2d. To argue that God loves the sinner as his offspring, and exercises a fatherly providence over him, and all the fatherly affections and mercies towards him, is to encourage him in sin and rebellion against God. And

3d. Such arguments serve the unjust cause of exalting the wicked in his own eyes.

These objections are constantly urged by se who stand in the character of the pharisees and scribes, who are zealous to defend the character of their God against all such dishonor, and are equally zealous to set the wicked in a low diminutive sphere. But these pharisees and scribes are blind and insensible to the following truths.