than our neighbours, and consequently deserve and possess a greater share of God's favour than they do. Like the Pharisee in the parable, on looking at the conduct of those around us, we secretly say, "GOD, I "thank thee, that I am not as other men "are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or "even as this publican." "I have been

"more holy, or more strict, or more cha"ritable; I have toiled longer and harder "than they, and doubtless thou wilt have

respect unto my labours, and bless me "with a more abundant reward than they "can possibly expect." But all such comparisons of ourselves with our fellow-creatures are hateful in the sight of God; and every claim to his favour as a matter of reward for our own doings, is impious. We are all, at best, but miserable sinners; and even after toiling all the day, are nothing more than unprofitable servants, with no claim upon the favour of God, but such as arises from the atonement and merits of "Him who died for our sins, and rose again "for our justification." Nor must we put greater value upon our fancied deserts, because we imagine that our neighbours are worse than ourselves. There is abundant room for improvement in all of us. Besides, our concern is with our heart and condu&.

We must mind our own work; see how we go on at home; and, as the Apostle recommends, "study to be quiet, and to do our "own business." Let any man, at the close of the day, seriously enquire how he has performed his spiritual work during the course of it; how he has done his duty to GoD and man; and he will find that he has little reason to congratulate himself on a steady attention to the labour that was appointed him, or to taunt his brother sinner with having done less than he has performed him self. In truth, my friends, the "work of "salvation" is so difficult and extensive, that it allows no time for looking abroad to see how deficient other men are in it: whether we go to our task early in the morning, or at the last hour of the day, we must stick to it with diligence and attention, or the best of us will lose our hire.

"So the last shall be first, and the first "last." In God's righteous dealings with mankind, he has no respect to rank or degree, or any of those distinctions which are so much valued by mankind. Many who have had the greatest advantages bestowed on them in this world, such as birth, education, good example, riches, learning, power, and such like, and have not used them to the glory of GoD, and the good of their fellow

creatures, shall, at the last great day, when GOD settles his account with mankind, receive this awful sentence,-" Cast ye the un"profitable servant into outer darkness, "where there is weeping and gnashing of "teeth:" while many, who are now poor, and ignorant, and friendless, and forlorn, if they have humbly endeavoured to do their duty, according to the degree of light and information which they possessed; have been pious and christian-like in their behion quiet and contented in their station;

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sober, industrious, and honest in their calling; they, I say, shall receive from their Divine Master a rich reward for their faithful labours, in this joyful sentence of welcome and approbation," Well done, ye good and faithful servants, enter ye into "the joy of your LORD."

Our Saviour concludes the parable with these very solemn words: " for many are "called, but few chosen." The expréssion "many," in this, and a great variety of other passages in the New Testament, means all mankind; who are called by the gospel, without exception or exclusion, to everlasting salvation, on the condition of reBut so pentance, faith, and obedience. great is the unwillingness of mankind to fulfil these conditions; so much do the ge

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nerality of them dislike holiness and virtue; or so little do they esteem the joys of heaven, when put in competition with the pleasures of the world, the indulgences of the flesh, and the temptations of the devil; that few, in comparison of the multitudes that are called, render themselves fit to be chosen to the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven. Thus you see, my friends, there is no room to tax the great Householder with injustice. He calls all into his vineyard; but if some refuse to come in, and others neglect to do the work for which they were hired, it cannot be considered as unjust, if He shall withhold the wages which they would otherwise have received. We hear, indeed, much of sudden, and supernatural, and special calls to salvation; and were these actually what they are said to be, we might then possibly think, that there was partiality in the dealings of Providence with mankind. But calls of this description are of a very suspicious character, and savour more of enthusiasm than of sober piety. Samuel, it is true, had a call of this. kind, and Saul of Tarsus was favoured in a like manner; they were both, however, for great, and special, and obvious purposes: but we have no foundation for thinking, that, in this age of the world, when God leaves

the gospel to work its own natural effect on the minds of men, a miracle should be resorted to, in order to convince a man of sin, and bring him to a sense of religion. Some particular circumstance, indeed, may awaken him to thought; such as, a fit of sickness, the death of a friend, an accident, or a particular discourse from the pulpit, Thought thus awakened may be improved into serious reflection; this may bring on sincere repentance for past sin; and that may end in resolutions of reformation of life and behaviour. But all this is natural; there is nothing miraculous in it; and to suppose that it is an interruption of God's usual course of Providence is only delusion, and likely to end in a religion of the imagination, rather than of the heart. The surest method of turning to God, my friends, is to listen to his call, as contained in the holy scriptures. They speak a language, which we cannot mistake; they utter a voice, which penetrates even to the soul. They tell us, that we must repent, and do works meet "for repentance," if we wish to be saved. They tell us, that we must listen to the call of Jesus, and obey his commandments, if we would be chosen."

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