Analysis of Homily the Sixty-seventh.

"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. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering, said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment:" &c.— Luke xv. 25-32.

SUBJECT:-The Elder Son; or, Technical Sainthood.

THERE are three facts which stand out prominently in this passage:-First. That the moral reclamation of souls is a source of delight to the infinite Father of spirits. Indeed, this is the truth taught in the three parables of this chapter. The joy of the woman who found her lost piece of silver, of the shepherd who found his lost sheep, and of the father who presses to his bosom a long-lost son, are all intended to express the pleasure of the INFINITE in receiving lost souls. Another fact which stands out prominently in this parable is, secondly, that in this delight the infinite Father wishes all his family to participate. To the whole household the father says, "Let us eat, and be merry"; and he presses the elder son to join the circle, and partake of the joy. The shepherd who had found his sheep, the woman who had found her silver, and the father who embraced his lost son, call upon others to rejoice with them. And this expresses the great truth, that God wishes the universe to rejoice with Him in this event. The other fact which stands out prominently in this parable is, thirdly, that there are professed members of his family who will not participate in the delight. These are represented by the elder brother. "And he was angry, and would not go in." Who does this elder brother represent? Not angels, for they rejoice. With every conversion, they strike their harps in new and deeper notes of joy. Not true saints: their deepest cry is, "Let the people praise thee, O God!" &c. In Christ's

time the elder brother represented the proud and self-righteous Pharisee, who looked with envy and contempt upon the publicans who, under the ministry of Christ, pressed into his kingdom. But the elder brother is a type of a large class of character that have existed in connexion with the Church in all ages-the technical saint; the man who has the form of godliness, but not the power; who is alive to the letter, but dead to the spirit. There are three things which this elder brother develops which ever mark the history of all formal religionists.

I. A HEARTLESS INDIFFERENCE TO THE MORAL RECLAMA

TION OF A BROTHER. He "would not go in"; and more, he felt anger, and indulged in censure. There is a class of men who belong, more or less, to all churches: technical saints, who, whatever their professions, are manifestly indifferent to the conversion of souls. They do nothing. Feeling that their conduct is anomalous, they, when forced to an explanation, urge a defence on a variety of grounds. 1. Some urge a defence on doctrinal grounds. They say that conversion is the work of God, and we ought not, by our instrumentality, to endeavour to take it out of His hands. We do not deny its being the work of God. The Bible refers it to three agencies the agency of the sinner himself, the agency of God, and the agency of the Christian. There is no contradiction here: the harvest is both the work of the husbandman, and the work of God, &c. 2. Some urge a defence on ecclesiastical grounds. It is the work of apostolically-ordained men. It is contrary to all ecclesiastical order for others to attempt it. Such is the language of cold ecclesiasticism. 3. Some urge a defence on business grounds. This is the case with thousands who would be ashamed to plead either doctrine or ecclesiastical proprieties. They have no time, they say, to seek the conversion of men. They talk about souls being of more value than the world, and yet not one hour in the week can they spare for the purpose of reclaiming them. Away with your hypocrisy, brother! Abjure your profession, or amend

your ways! Numbers who make this excuse labour in business, not for the necessaries, or even comforts, of life, but for luxuries and artificialities; and thus they show that they care more for confection and finery than for souls.

Another feature which the elder son developed, which marks the history of technical sainthood, is

II. AN EXAGGERATED ESTIMATE OF HIS OWN EXCELLENCES. "Lo, these many years do I serve thee." Here is the Pharisean spirit, which always extols its own virtues, and "rates its morals high." "I am not as other men," &c. A mere technical saint always over-estimates his goodness. Indeed, it is imaginary merits that reconciles his conscience to his heartless life; and this spiritual conceit frequently develops states of mind similar to those which now came out in this elder son. Here is, first, displeasure at the happy reception of a brother. Instead of rejoicing at the return and happy reception of a brother, he was "angry." Envy-the indwelling demon of selfish natures kindled its hell-fires of anger in that breast of his, which should have glowed with blithe and heartsome love. Your technical saint, instead of rejoicing in the interest felt in a fresh convert, feels often a suppressed dislike; especially if it be in connexion with any other section of the Church than his own. Here is, secondly, an irreverent discontent with the doings of a father. "And he answering, said to his father, Lo, these many years," &c. What a heartless and irreverent way to address a father, especially at a period when his heart was so full of inexpressible delight! Your technical saint has no profound reverence. He has devotion on his lip, but murmurousness in his soul. Here we have, thirdly, a censorious reflection upon the faults of others. "But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots," &c. A reference to the faults of an erring brother, in this hour of his penitence, was not only bad taste, but worse feeling. It was the captiousness of a callous heart; it indicated a deadness to all true sentiment. The technical saint is characteristically censorious: he has no

mercy on the sins of others. Perhaps the critical tendency is always the strongest in the weakest brain. Certainly the censorious is always strongest in the basest heart. The greatest sinner is frequently the greatest censor. always the most merciless judges.

The Jeffreyses are

Another thing which is here suggested in relation to a technical sainthood, is—

III. A VOLUNTARY EXCLUSION FROM THE TRUE CIRCLE OF JOY. He "would not go in." All were happy within. The father and the reclaimed son were happy, though their happiness flowed from different sources. All the domestics shared the joy. There were "music and dancing" in the house. All were joyous but this "elder son." And why

was he not happy? 1. Not because the scene was not adapted to yield it. The rich banquet is spread. There is the long-lost brother, whose heart, freed from the bitter sorrows and dread forebodings of years, bounds with inexpressible emotions of joy; there is the father, whose soul is too full for speech. Attentions, looks, and tears, take the place of words, and declare that his happiness is too great for utterance. Servants and neighbours catch the inspiration of the scene, and feel the ecstacy of joy. The house is full of "music and dancing." There was everything, therefore, in the scene to make the elder brother happy-to touch every chord of his nature into music. 2. Not because he was not invited to participate in the scene. "Therefore came his father out, and entreated him." How could he have refused the entreaties of such a father at such an hour! Why, then, was he excluded? "He was angry, and would not go in.” His own cold, selfish heart shut him out from all this joy. He was self-excluded from the joyous circle.

Thus it is ever with your technical saints: they are a murmuring and a discontented class. They have nothing but trials in the world—not they. They have no comfort in the church : religion to them is a burden on the back, beneath which they bow and groan-not a new life in the heart, causing them to

look sun-ward, and mount up as on the eagle's wings. There is happiness around them. Nature spreads out her banquet under the sunny banner of love, the great Father is happy, and his servants rejoice, and the house is filled with "music and dancing;" but the earth is a "wretched land" to them; it yields them no supply. The church spreads out her banquet-a feast of fat things, of wines on the lees, well-refined. Returned prodigals are there, and the happy Father is there, delighted servants are there, and the house is full of "music and dancing"; but their cry is, that "the ways of Zion do mourn. Happiness ever depends upon the state of the heart. It cannot stream into a man; it must well up from his own soul.

I know not of a greater evil than this technical sainthood. Bold infidelity is bad; open profligacy is bad; but this technical sainthood, for many reasons, is worse. It is infidelity repeating creeds, and saying prayers; it is depravity in the robes of virtue; it is Judas in the character of an apostle; it is the devil in an archangel's garb. It is the greatest living lie in the world. It is an Achan in the camp; not in one camp, but in every camp in Christendom. The favour of God does not rest upon our path. We achieve no moral victories The enemy will continue to gain upon us until this “accursed thing"-this technical sainthood-is banished from our churches. "There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel thou canst not stand before thine enemies until ye take away the accursed thing from among you."

now.

Analysis of Homily the Sixty-eighth.

"But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul."-Prov. viii. 36.

SUBJECT:-Sin a Self-injury.

There are three facts implied in these words :-First. That man is capable of sinning. This, though a truism, is worthy of a statement on account of what it involves. Before, for