back? It is by His Word: that is the Shepherd's voice. It is by affliction: that is the Shepherd's crook, by which He lays hold of us, and pulls us back-roughly, it may be, but still lovingly. Yes, He often uses chastisement as a means of bringing us into the fold of safety. He does not willingly afflict us, but He is sometimes forced to adopt this method. One may fancy a Shepherd, on some dark and stormy night, very anxious to bring his scattered sheep into the fold. He throws the door wide open, but they will not enter. He calls them, but to no purpose. He drives them, but when they get close to the open door, they turn aside. Having tried many means, we may fancy him at length resorting to this-he takes one of their number, bears it on his shoulder, and enters with it himself into the fold; and then the bleating flock, one after another, follow him. So, the Good Shepherd is sometimes forced to act with us. He snatches away some one very dear to us-a child, a parent, a brother -and takes him to heaven before us, that we, who have so often refused His call, may now at length follow Him, and enter in. O sinner, Jesus is searching for thee, as it were-searching for thee now. He longs to save thee. He desires to have thee with Him where He is. Oh yield yourself to Him at once. Pray to Him in the words of the Psalmist, "I have gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek thy servant." I cannot do better than conclude my remarks on this Parable with the following beautiful lines: I was wandering and weary, Ye wand'ring souls come near me; At first I would not hearken, But life began to darken, And I thought I heard Him say, &c. So anxious to relieve me. And I'm sure I heard Him say, &c. He bore me on His shoulder, And said how He had sought me. I feared His love might weaken, And its light and heat go through me. Let us do then, dearest Brother, If we follow on His way, We may always hear Him say, 214 THE PRODIGAL SON. PART I. LUKE XV. 11—19. "And he said, A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and 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." OUR Lord's Parables are, each and all of them, most beautiful. They are like so many gems dotted about the page of Scripture. But this Parable is of all perhaps the brightest and most full of light. It shines out among the rest with special brilliancy. "We might call it (says a Christian writer) the pearl and crown of all the parables." There is no other which speaks so touchingly of the misery of sin, and of the exceeding love of God to those who mourn over it. The story is this— There are two sons living in their Father's house. The Younger of them is dissatisfied with his home, and is bent on leaving it. He therefore obtains from his Father the portion of goods which falls to his share, and departs. He wanders into a far country in search of happiness. But he does not find it. On the contrary he soon gets into trouble. His money is spent, and he finds himself destitute, and in the midst of strangers who care not for him. He is forced to work for his daily bread. And so low is he brought, that he actually feels the pangs of hunger, and is |