to her when presented in a more allur- SERM. ing guize. And though reflexion might x. be suppressed in the height of his revelries, yet conscience would not fail to haunt him in his more sober hours, to expose his vices in their proper colours, and to warn him of their miserable fruits. Yet notwithstanding the rçmonstrance of the friendly monitor within him, he is entangled in the maze of error, and against conviction perseveres in sin, till he sensibly experiences the fatal consequence of her ways. When he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be;

in want.

.

His portion being now exhausted by extravagance, and his constitution being impaired by vicious indulgence, he found that he had made a miserable choice. That voice of conscience, which he had laboured to overpower in the height of his intemperance, cannot now be suppressed, when he is come to himself. That paradise of folly, that enchanted him so long, is all at once converted into a wilderness of woe. By this sudden change he discovers to his shame how slight is the bond of friendship among the vicious. His

SERM. Companions and Harlots, who had parX. taken in his abundance, acknowledge

him no more, when he is reduced to want. Want is an unwelcome visitor to all but to one, who has prodigally fared in all the luxuries of life, it comes with accumulated misery. The patient and hardy Son of poverty is prepared by labour or by service to encounter or to endure it. But how shall the voluptuous Reveller be able to support it? He cannot dig, to beg he is ashamedb. To relieve his hunger he is compelled to submit to the most menial servitude. He went and joined himself to a Citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. Yet this degrading task supplied him hardly with the necessaries of life: For he would fain have filled his belly with the husks which the swine did eat; and no man gave unto him.

So mysterious are the ways and so merciful the dispensations of Providence, that out of the greatest evils are often to be deduced the greatest benefits. When the miseries of the Prodigal became very great, they brought him to a knowledge of himself. While em

Luke xvi. 3.

ployed

ployed in this menial task, so unworthy SERM. of his capacities and so degrading to X. his birth, he cannot but contrast the wretchedness of his present lot with the peace and plenty of that house, in which in the day of his innocence he had maintained the relation and experienced the tender treatment of a Son. How many hired servants of my Father have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

This reflexion leads him to sigh for a restoration to his dear and favoured home. But what hope can he indulge, that he may on any terms be admitted into the household of that Parent, whose name he has disgraced, whose precepts he has set at nought, whosè good example he has defied, and whose last indulgence he has so extravagantly abused? Or should his Parent be disposed to clemency, with a sense of his demerits what confidence can he have to come into his presence, and to look him in the face? But when he calls to remembrance all those tokens of affection which he once experienced under the parental roof, he determines to repair to his Father's house, to acknowledge his unworthiness, and to commit himself

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SERM. himself to his mercy; I will arise and X. go to my Father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son. Make me as one of thy hired servants.

A Parent's heart is naturally disposed to pardon errors, wherever there appears a disposition to repentance. But the clemency of this Parent far surpasses the hopes of his unworthy but penitent Son. While he was yet a great way off, his Father saw him, and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. As soon as the Son could give expression to the sentiments of a contrite heart, he said, as he had thought before, Father I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son:-He was proceeding in the language of humility to solicit a place among his hired servants. But the Father interrupts his penitential prayer by directing his servants to attire and to treat him as a Son; Bring forth the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet and bring hither the fatted calf and kill it; and let us eat and be merry. For this my Son was dead and is alive again,

:

was

X.

was lost and is found. This gracious SERM. command was immediately obeyed. The Wanderer was apparelled as a Song the Friends were assembled to a Feast, and the house was enlivened with the sounds of music and dancing.

This kind reception which a Father gave was neither followed nor approved by all his family. Now his Elder Son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy Brother is come; and thy Father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. On hearing this account his jealousy was found superior to his affection. Instead of meeting his Brother with a Brother's love, he was angry, and would not come in. Hereupon the Father came out of the house to conciliate and intreat him. But his intreaties were answered with the language of remonstrance and complaint; Lo these many years do I serve thee, neither have I at any time transgressed thy commandment. And yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my Friends. But as soon as this thy Son was come, who hath

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