householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed

in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An

enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then

that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather

up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together

until the harvest; and in the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers,

Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn

them; but gather the wheat into my barn."

LECTURE IV.—p. 76.

THE GROWTH AND PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL.

BY THE REV. E. AURIOL, M.A.,

RECTOR OF ST. DUNSTAN'S-IN-THE-WEST.

MATTHEW Xiii., 31, 32.-" Another parable put he forth unto them, saying,

The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man

took and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds:

but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a

tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof."

LECTURE V.-p. 103.

THE LAST INVITATIONS OF THE GOSPEL.

BY THE REV. B. PHILPOT, M.A.,

RECTOR OF GREAT CRESSINGHAM.

LUKE xiv., 16-24.-"Then said Jesus unto him, A certain man made a

great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to

say to them that were bidden, Come: for all things are now ready.

And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said

unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and

see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought

five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the

master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly

into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and

the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord,

it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the

lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and

compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto

you, that none of those men that were bidden shall taste of my supper."

LECTURE VI.—p. 129.

THE RIGHT USE OF RICHES IN THE LAST DAYS.

BY THE REV. J. W. REEVE, M.A.,

MINISTER OF PORTMAN CHAPEL, BAKER STREET.

LUKE XVI., 9.-"And I say unto you, make to yourselves friends of the

mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you

into everlasting habitations.'

LECTURE VII.—p. 161.

DUTY OF PRAYER FOR THE LORD'S RETURN.

BY THE REV. ROBERT BICKERSTETH, M.A.,

RECTOR OF ST. GILES'-IN-THE-FIELDS.

LUKE xviii., 6-8.-" And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto

Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge

them speedily."

LECTURE VIII. p. 187.

THE GRADUAL RIPENING OF THE WORLD

FOR THE HARVEST.

BY THE REV. W. DALTON, B.D.,

VICAR OF ST. PAUL'S, WOLVERHAMPTON.

MARK iv., 26-29.-" And He said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man

should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and

day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For

the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear,

after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth,

immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come."

LECTURE IX.—p. 213.

THE SIGNS OF THE LORD'S COMING.

BY THE REV. T. R. BIRKS, M.A.,

RECTOR OF KELSHALL HERTS.

MATTHEW Xxiv., 32, 33.-" Now learn a parable of the fig-tree; When his

branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is

nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it

is near, even at the doors."

LECTURE X.-
..—p. 250.

PREPAREDNESS FOR THE ADVENT.

BY THE REV. W. BROCK, M.A.,

RECTOR OF BISHOP'S WALTHAM, HANTS.

MATTHEW XXV., 1-10.-" Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened

unto ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the

bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They

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that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them; but the

wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom

tarried they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry

made, Behold the bridegroom cometh; Go ye out to meet him. Then all

those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto

the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise

answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you; but

go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they

went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in

with him to the marriage: and the door was shut."

LECTURE XI.—p. 290.

THE RECOVERY OF A LOST WORLD.

BY THE REV. C. J. GOODHART, M.A.

MINISTER OF PARK CHAPEL, CHELSEA.

LUKE XV., 3-7.-" And He spake this parable unto them, saying, What man

of you, having an hundred sheep. if he lose one of them

HUN. AND REV. H. MONTAGU VILLIERS,

CANON RESIDENTIARY OF ST. PAUL'S, AND RECTOR OF ST. GEORGE,

BLOOMSBURY.

M.A.

MATTHEW Xiii., 47-50.-"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net,

that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it

was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into

vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world:

the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and

gnashing of teeth."

LECTURE I.

THE UNEXPECTED DELAY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

BY THE REV. J. C. RYLE, B. A.,

RECTOR OF HELMINGHAM, SUFFOLK.

Parable of the Nobleman.

LUKE XIX., 11-13.

"And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come."

THERE are some parables of which Matthew Henry says with equal quaintness and truth, "The key hangs beside the door." The Holy Ghost himself interprets them. There is no room left for doubt

B

as to their meaning, or the purpose for which they were spoken. Of such parables the one from which my text is taken is an example. It is introduced by the words, "He added and spake a parable because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear."

These words reveal to us the secret thoughts of our Lord's disciples at this period of his ministry. They were drawing nigh to Jerusalem. They gathered from many of their master's sayings that something remarkable was about to happen. They had a strong impression that one great end of his coming into the world was about to be accomplished. So far they were quite right. As to the precise nature of the event about to happen they were quite wrong.

They seem to have thought that the Old Testament promises of Messiah's visible kingdom and glory were about to be immediately fulfilled. They seem to have concluded that now was the day and now the hour when the Redeemer would build up Zion, and appear in his glory, (Psalm cii., 16,)— when he would smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips slay the wicked-when He would assemble the outcasts of Israel and gather the dispersed of Judah, (Isai. xi., 12,)-when He would take the heathen for