LORD, HEAR MY VOICE: LET THINE EARS BE ATTENTIVE TO THE VOICE OF MY SUPPLICATIONS. LUKE xiv. 35. 35 It-is neither fit everov for the-land, nor-yet for the-dunghill; but men cast it out. He that-hath ears to-hear, let-him-hear. SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS. Lu. xiv. 35. men cast it out-Thus had it been with ancient Israel; and thus also were the Jews threatened, Je. vii. 8-16, Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. 9, Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; 10, and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations i 11, Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD. 12, But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. 13, And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; 14, therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. 15, And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. 16, Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.' The Roman church was also threatened with a like excision should they refuse to continue in the Lord's goodness, Rom. xi. 17, 22, And if some of the branches' be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them. partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 22, Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.'-He. x. 26, For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 38, Now the just shall live by faith but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 33, But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. He that hath ears-ch. viii. 8, § 32, p. 244-see on Mt. xi. 15, § 29, p. 225; xiii. 9, § 32, p. 244; ver. 43, § 33, p. 260; Mk. iv. 23, § ib. p. 259; vil. 16, § 44, p. 8. ADDEND A. THE PARALLELISM OF THE PARABLES OF THE GREAT SUPPER, LUKE xiv. 16-24, pp.183, ..4, IF THOU, LORD, SHOULDEST MARK INIQUITIES, O LORD, WHO SHALL STAND?-Psalm exxx. 2, 3. 4 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: 7 and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 8 I COUNSEL THEE TO KEEP THE KING'S COMMANDMENT,-Eccles. viii. 2. [VOL. II. BE NOT RIGHTEOUS OVER MUCH; NEITHER MAKE THYSELF OVERWISE: WHY SHOULDEST THOU DESTROY THYSELF?-Eccles. vii. 16. SECTION 68.-(G. 41, .2.)-[Lesson 63.]-JESUS DEFENDS HIMSELF AGAINST THE EXCEPTIONS OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, FOR RECEIVING AND EATING WITH PUBLICANS AND SINNERS. HE DELIVERS THE PARABLES OF THE LOST SHEEP, THE LOST PIECE OF MONEY, AND THE PRODIGAL SON.-Luke xv. INTRODUCTION. The three following parables, the recovery of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Piece of Money, and the Lost Son, possess a sameness of character, as describing God's readiness to receive repenting sinners; yea, his delight over them as restored to the enjoyment of his goodness. These parables manifest the Divine grace to the sinner, that he may be encouraged to return to God; and they shew to the servants of God the propriety of their exerting themselves to the utmost, in order to restore the wandering, to discover that which was lost, and to receive back into favour and fellowship, those who had entirely departed from the ways of wisdom, purity, and peace. These parables have been understood, especially the last, as being in some measure prophetic, with regard to the reception of the Gentiles into the favour of God. But if we regard the prodigal son as representing the mere Gentile, there is nothing answering to some of the characters introduced, such as the servants in his father's house; they of course would be Gentiles also; so that the original position of the prodigal would be the same as theirs, which is far from being the case. On the contrary, he is described as having been, equally with the Jew, a son and heir, who having demanded his portion, a thing which no mere servant could claim, had wandered away from the enjoyment of privileges he previously possessed in common with the Jew; and having, even in his own esteem, lost his original standing, he is content to be received back as a mere servant, that is, as a common Gentile. Now there is something corresponding to all this broadly written upon the page of prophecy, throughout the whole of the Old Testament scriptures, and abundantly developed in the history of our race. We should ever bear in mind that the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost;' and that he was emphatically sent unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel;' and that when all Israel are recovered, they will recognise not only a small portion of the flock as having wandered, but will say, All we like sheep have gone astray. The rejoicing in heaven, and on earth, because of this recovery, is spoken of in prophecy; but in the meantime, however little noticed the event may be upon earth, there is at the repenting of even one sinner joy in heaven among the angels of God. It seems evident that this parable must in some measure be understood as containing not mere analogy; this, like many of our Lord's parables, contains much forcible contrast. This principle of interpretation seems to be equally needed in the second and third, as in the first of these three parables, Lu. xv. The lost piece of money would have been worth searching for, if it had been used as a personal ornament in the head-dress, to which custom there may be an allusion, Rev. xii. 1, where the woman is said to have upon her head a crown of twelve stars.' If even one of the sparkling ornaments accustomed to appear so conspicuously, in symmetrical array, were lost, the loss would be felt; and much search would be made in order to recover and have it restored to its place; how much more if the whole ten had been lost! But wherefore ten here, rather than twelve, or any other number? Because this was the very number which had been lost. Jerusalem, which lay between the two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, and which was the great rendezvous of the children of Levi, was, beside these, given ten other tribes, which she should have endeavoured to preserve in shining beauty, as her best ornaments; in place of which she defiled them with her uncleanness, loosed them from their attachment to her person, and by her pride and oppression, drove them far from her; and never, but by violence, to which the Lord refused his sauction, did she seek their recovery, 1 Ki. xii. 21-.4. And when they were entirely gone from her view, she seems never to have VOL. 11.] thought of trimming the lamp of prophecy, and ally spoken of, but they have been given up as irre- mission of Him, who came to seek and to save that they were cast far off among the nations, and scat- WISDOM IS A DEFENCE,-Eccles. vii. 12. [187 BE NOT OVER MUCH WICKED, NEITHER BE THOU FOOLISH: WHY SHOULDEST THOU DIE BEFORE THY TIME ?-Eccles. vii. 17. LET THE STRONG BEAR THE INFIRMITIES OF THE WEAK, AND REJOICE at the time of the separation; and Samaria, in the tribeship of Ephraim, became ultimately the capital of Israel, as Jerusalem was the capital of the kingdom of Judah. The Lord's possession in the land was divided into two portions, and Ephraim had amply his share. Not long after this partition, Ephraim separated himself entirely from the house of his Father. He went wandering after the lusts of his own evil heart, and his Father was at length heard to say of him, Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.' The prodigal stopped not in his career of folly and of sin until he had spent all; he came to be reduced to the greatest straits; but then, in place of reading his sin in his punishment, and turning to the Lord, he went and joined himself to the Assyrian, becoming his vassal. And this imperious master, without any regard to Ephraim's dignity or previous habits, used him for his own purposes, sending him away to the back of his dominions, to Halah and Habor, the river Gozan, and the cities of the Medes. Analagous to the case of the prodigal, who was sent into the fields to feed swine, Ephraim was left to eat unclean things in the land of Assyria; yea, the word was fulfilled, Is. vii. 8, Within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.' Ephraim was lost; he was lost even to himself: and it is worthy of remark, that the prodigal sou was not first discovered by his brother; he came to himself. The Jews may not be expected to discover the long lost children of Ephraim; it is likely they will first come to themselves, and be acknowledged of their Father. They will say, 'I will arise, and go to my Father:' and truly we can say, as in Is. lxiii. Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.' We are found as the posterity of Joseph were to be found, blessed through the cross, and in the name of the Redeemer of Israel; also, with natural and providential blessings, as promised unto the fathers. And it is worthy of remark, that the English race, in whom is so remarkably fulfilling the destiny of Ephraim, came from the very quarter where Ephraim was lost: our best historians tracing the Anglo-Saxon race back, eastward, to the borders of the Caspian Sea, in which neighbourhood our Israelitish ancestors were located by the Assyrians. Thence the English race came, who, having renewed their strength in these islands, have gone out to encompass the globe. They are given a position which never before was given to any, and with which no other people have been favoured. Joseph's dreams are being fulfilled, and yet his posterity have been almost as little recognised by the Jews, as Judah recognised his brother Joseph, our ancestor, in the ruler of Egypt. Yes, while we were yet a great way off, the Father has had compassion upon us, and met us with his paternal embrace. Glad were we to be received as servants, as common Gentiles, but we have been dealt with as sous; the best robe has been given us for clothing, the robe of Christ's righteousness; and he hath put shoes on our feet, the preparation of the gospel of peace; and the ring, the token of authority, has been put upon our hand. And of this people which were made 'not a people,' Is. vii. 8, Lo-ammi' (not my people), Ho. i. 9, are now the sons of the living God,' ver. 10. Truly we can say, 'He hath not dealt so with any people.' When the Father proceeds in his purposes of love with regard to us, should Judah be angry, and refuse to come in, we will come out, and in our Father's name beseech him to be reconciled. We will shew him that he is not the poorer because we are made rich; but that all is his, as it is ours; and the same love will we shew to the Gentiles with whom we have so long been identified. In us the middle wall of partition has been broken down, that both might be made one in Christ. Be it ours, not to struggle for a proud supremacy, but to manifest a brother's love to all, both Gentile and Jew. Knowing that we can never repay our Father's forgiveness and kindness, let us earnestly seek to do good, at all times, to all men, but especially unto those who are of the houshold of faith.' To us the grace of God hath been wondrously displayed, that by us it should be manifested, both by word and by deed, to all the human race.-See Our Israelitish Origin,' or Wilson's Lectures on Ancient Israel, and the Modern Nations of Europe, tracing their Identity.' ANALYSIS. Lu. xv. 1, 2. Many publicans and sinners having come to Jesus for the purpose of hearing him, the Pharisees and scribes accuse him of keeping company with sinners. 3-7. Jesus delivers the parable of the Lost Sheep,' which intimates that, even supposing the sinner were one of a hundred, he is to be sought for till found, and cared for till fully recovered; and that there is in heaven more joy over that one repentant sinner, than over ninety and nine that need no repentance. 8-10. Jesus delivers a second parable, that of the Lost Piece of Silver,' shewing (see SCRIP. ILLUS., p. 190) that if only one piece, in place of all the ten given to Jerusalem, had been lost, her duty would have been to take in her hand the light that shineth in a dark place,' and make diligent search until she found it, and then call others to rejoice with her upon the occasion of its recovery; so is there joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. 11-32. Our Lord proceeds to deliver a third parable to the same effect, illustrative of the case of Ephraim, so frequently referred to throughout Old Testament history and prophecy; he to whom the birthright was given, and of whom was to come a multitude of nations or Gentiles. In this parable are to be considered,12.6. The history of him who is here called the younger son, until he is utterly lost. 17-20. Conduct of the lost son upon coming to himself. was dead, and is alive again.' 20-4. The father's kind reception of his son, who 25-.8. The ungracious conduct of Judah, called here the elder son.' 29-32. The father's discourse with the elder brother. For the sublime, the beautiful, the pathetic, and the instructive, the history of Joseph in the Old Testament, and the parable of the prodigal son in the New, have no parallels either in sacred or profane history.'-A. Clarke. (G. 41.) No. 68.-Jesus defends himself against the exceptions of the scribes and Pharisees, for receiving and eating with publicans and sinners.—Luke xv. 1-10. Eastward. 1 Then drew-near Hσav de eyyiČOVTES unto-him all the publicans and sinners for-to-hear SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS. Lu. xv. 1. publicans and sinners-A very similar occurrence is recorded, Mt. ix. 10, .1, § 36, p. 277-Jesus was called a friend of publicans and sinners, xi. 19, § 29, p. 226-Repenting sinners go into the kingdom of heaven rather than self-righteous Pharisees, xxi. 31, 2, § 84, p. 285-The publicans, in place of justifying themselves, justified God,' Lu. vii. 29, § 29, p. 225-1 Ti. i. 15, This is a faithful saying, and * See Sharon Turner's History of the Anglo-Saxons, b. ii. ch. i. &c. worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;' 188] to hear him-The decree on the holy mount was, Hear ye him,' Mt. xvii. 5, § 51, p. 55-His discourse was interesting to the people generally, Mk. xii. 37, § 85, p. 307-and even the officers sent to apprehend him were constrained to acknowledge, Never man spake like this man,' Jno. vii. 46, § 55, p. 96. HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD,-Isa. i, 10. [ VOL. II. IN USING THEIR STRENGTH FOR THE DELIVERANCE OF THE LOST. LET US HAVE NO FELLOWSHIP WITH SINNERS IN THEIR EVIL DEEDS; BUT, LIKE JESUS, LUKE XV. 2-7. 2 him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This-man receiveth πроσdexeтαι sinners, and eateth-with them. 3 5 And he-spake this parable unto them, saying, 4, What man of you, having an-hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth- not -leave the ninety-and-nine in the wilderness, and go after that eT TO which-is-lost, until he-find it? And when-he-hath-found it, he6 layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when-he-cometh home, he-calleth-together his friends and neighbours, saying unto-them, Rejoice-with me; for I-have-found my 7 sheep which was-lost. I-say unto-you, that likewise joy shall-be in heaven over one sinner that-repenteth μeтavоovVTI, more than over ninety-and-nine just-persons dikalois, SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS. Lu. xv. 2. the Pharisees and scribes murmuredThey are described, Is. lxv. 5, Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.'-God shewed Peter that he 'should not call any man common or unclean,' Ac. x. 28. thou. 4. an hundred sheep-see Mt. xviii. 12, .3, § 53, p. 82. if he lose one-The whole flock had gone astray, Is. liii. 6, All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.' go after that which is lost-Eze. xxxiv. 11, .2, .6, For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 12, As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 16, I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.'-So also, Jno. x. 16, And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.' 5. when he hath found, &c.-Eze. xxxiv. 13-.5, 'And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14, I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and of Israel. 15, I will feed my flock, and I will cause in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.' 6. sheep which was lost-Ps. cxix. 176, I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant;' &c.I Pe. ii. 10, 25, Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 25, For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.' 7. joy shall be in heaven-When the Lord declares his remembrance of Israel, his forgiveness of their transgressions and sins, and his willingness that they should return to him as his redeemed people, Is. xliv. 21, .2, the invitation is given, ver. 23, Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.'-So, when their gathering from far; and NOTES. Lu. xv. 1. All. i. e., some of all the different classes. Publicans and sinners. τελωναι και ἁμαρτολοι, taxgatherers and heathens; the latter being persons who neither believed in Christ nor in Moses. See on 'Publicans,' Lu. iii. 12, § 7, p. 53. 2. The Pharisees and scribes. See § 7, p. 56, ADDENDA, Pharisees,' and § 25, p. 199, Scribes.' Receiveth. The original word means, to receive readily and kindly;' and is so used, Rom. xvi. 2. The Pharisees' rule was to abandon the profligate. Our blessed Lord came to call sinners to repentance. The real motive to the exception taken by the Pha-§ risees was,.... a secret expectation, that by drawing attention to this part of his conduct, and appealing to certain popular prejudices against it, they should lower his credit with the people..... 3. This parable. This and the two following parables justify his friendly intercourse with sinners, and make known the joy there is in heaven when even a single sinner repents. 7. Joy, &c. 'The sum is, as a father peculiarly rejoices, when an extravagant child, supposed to be utterly lost, comes to a thorough sense of his duty; or as any other person who has recovered what he had given up for gone, has a more sensible satisfaction in it, than in several other things equally The valuable, but not in such danger; so do the angels in heaven peculiarly rejoice in the conversion of the most abandoned sinners. Yea, and God himself so readily forgives and receives them, that he may be represented as having part in the joy.'-Wesley. One sinner that repenteth. One who, casting himself upon the mercy of God, through Him who loved us and gave himself for us, becomes thoroughly changed in heart and life. Just persons. dixaíos, righteous persons. same word is translated 'righteous,' Mt. xxv. 46, 86, p. 354, [The declaration in question may be supposed to convey, (as Mr. Greswell shews) an oblique but pointed censure of the censurers themselves; since οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσι μετανοίας those who need no repenδικαίοις cannot mean simply the righteous, nor οἵτινες tance; but the expressions are to be taken with a certain turn of meaning, called forth by the occasion, and connected with irony. Thus by dixalovs are to be understood, those who think themselves such,' are such in their own conceit; in short, the self-righteous. As examples of which mode of expression it may suffice to refer to, Mk. ii. 17; Lu. v. 32 (§ 22, p. 168), οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους, ἀλλ ̓ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάvolar; ib. x. 21 (§ 60, p. 144).-Bloomf.] PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS. Lu. xv. 1. The words of our Lord were spoken in the hearing of all, and should also be read by all. Let all the publicans and sinners-let even the vilest and most abandoned, have free access to Him who can save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, He. vii. 25. Let us remember that it is not only one or another that hath been lost; but that all we like sheep have gone astray,' &c.-See SCRIP. ILLUS., on ver. 4, supra. 2 ver. See margin. VOL. II.] [3, 4 ver. The christian pastor, that has the heart of the chief Shepherd, will direct his most earnest endeavours for the salvation of such as are ignorant and out of the way.] 6 ver. Let us rejoice with those who are successful in their efforts to recover the lost. Let the success of each be counted the gain of all. 7 ver. Let the christian missionary think of the importance of his work upon earth. His successful THEIR REDEEMER IS MIGHTY;-Prov. xxiii. 11. BY KINDNESS INDUCE THEM TO LISTEN TO THAT WORD WHEREBY THEY MAY LEARN TO HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD. [189 GREAT WILL BE THE REJOICING ON EARTH, AND ALSO IN THE PRESENCE OF THE ANGELS OF GOD, WHEN THE LORD'S LUKE XV. 8-12. 8 which need no repentance ου χρειαν έχουσι μετανοιας. Either what woman having ten pieces-of-silver, if she-lose one piece, doth-not-light a-candle, and sweep the house, 9 and seek diligently till she-find it? And when-she-hath-found it, she-calleth-her friends and her neighbours -together, saying, Rejoice - with me; for I-have-found the piece 10 which I-had-lost. Likewise, I-say unto-you, there-is joy in-the-presence-of the angels of God over one sinner that-repenteth. (G. 42.)-Jesus takes occasion from the same occurrence to deliver the parable of the elder and the younger brother; or, as it is commonly called, the parable of the prodigal son.Luke xv. 11-32. Eastward. 11 And he-said, a-certain man had two sons: 12, and the younger of-them said to-hisfather, Father, give me the portion of goods that-falleth to me. And he-divided dieλer SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS. also from the north, and west; and from the land of Sinim, is spoken of, Is. xlix. 12, it follows, ver. 13, 'Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.'-When the innumerable multitude, the flock of the Lamb, are found before the throne, ascribing salvation to God and the Lamb, there is joy in heaven, Rev. vii. 11, .2, And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.' Lu. xv. 8. ten pieces of silver-Israel was chosen to be the Lord's peculiar treasure,' Ex. xix. 5— Ps. cxxxv. 4, For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.'-But not only was one of the pieces lost to Jerusalem; all the ten were lost, 1 Ki. xi. 31, .2, And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: (but he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel :)'-and of Jerusalem, it is said, Is. i. 21, .2, How is the faithful city become an harlot ! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:' &c. light a candle-The word of the Lord is a lamp unto the feet, and a light unto the path, Ps. cxix. 105-It throws light upon all the working of God, Am. iii. 7, Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.'-His word may especially be expected to cast light upon the case of the lost treasure-Israel, the work of his hands, Is. xlv. 11, Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.' sweep the house, &c.-so far were the inhabitants of Jerusalem from doing this, with the view of recovering that which had been lost, that they rejoiced in the sweeping away altogether of Israel, saying, Eze. xi. 15, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession.' 9. Rejoice with me-see the joyful surprise of Sion, upon the recovery of her lost children, Is. xlix. 14-21, p. (23)-and the call to her that was termed desolate, Is. liv. 1, Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.'-Is. xlix. 18, up thine eyes round about, and behold: all,' &c. Lift 10. joy in the presence of the angels of God, &c.— The angels are represented as rejoicing over those who had been lost, but are redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb, Rev. v. 11, .2-see on ver. 7, supra. 11. had two sons-see the same two sons, Ephraim and Judah, described in another parable, Mt. xxi. 28-32, § 84, p. 285. 12. the younger of them, &c.-If the case of the younger might be expected to excite interest, much NOTES. Lu. xv. 8. Ten pieces. spaxuas dexa, or drachmas, each being the fourth part of a shekel, and of the same value with a Roman penny, that is, sevenpence halfpenny, so that the ten amounted to six shillings and threepence. 'The women in Syria, and throughout the east generally, wear pieces of silver, as ornaments, upon their heads, these being secured upon their tarboosh, or red skull cap, by means of holes bored in them. The rich have gold; the poorer, silver. These have all been presents; the first given at the birth of the child, and the rest added one by one, as particular events occurred in the wearer's life. Now I think it not unlikely, that the ten pieces of silver alluded to by our Saviour, were those which formed the wreath round the woman's forehead. The loss of one of these coins would be considered, as indeed it is, a serious misfortune; and we can easily imagine the diligence with which a woman would light a candle, and sweep the house, and search for one of these missing pieces of silver; and when she had found it, how she would call upon her neighbours to rejoice with her at finding what, from long possession, she had become so much attached to. It is to be observed, that it does not appear to be the loss of the mere value of the coin, so much as the loss of that particular piece of silver, which leads the woman to be so active in her endeavours to find it again. The pieces of silver thus worn are seldom, if ever, spent, but descend as heirlooms from mother to daughter, and hence from their antiquity would come to acquire, in the eyes of the woman, a worth for which no equivalent could be found. At this day, the women's heads are almost entirely covered with these coins; but this is natural, from the necessary accumulation of successive generations; and beside, money was not so plentiful then as now. Probably at the time our Lord spake his parable, few had more than ten pieces to their portion. I have never heard this explanation given, but on mentioning it to my fellow-travellers in the east, they seemed struck with formerly, as now, worn by the women as ornamentsits probability; and if it prove that coins were and in these lands, where customs are so permanent, have little doubt of the correctness of the criticism.' there is every probability that they were-I shall Rev. Joseph W. Ayre, Diary of Eastern Travel, pp. 64, .5. Light a candle. The houses of the lower ranks were anciently very dark; some of those in Herculaneum and Pompeii had no windows at all, and others only loop-holes. 11. A certain man. The history of the prodigal son has always been considered pregnant with reliPRACTICAL REFLECTIONS. labours, in restoring fallen man, increase the joy of even the inhabitants of heaven; and men shew themselves of a heavenly spirit, in as far as they are partakers of that joy, and are zealously desirous of promoting it.] 190] [Lu. xv. 8. If for one piece of silver the woman might have been expected to search diligently till she had found it, how much more should she if the whole ten pieces had been lost? Israel were chosen to be the Lord's peculiar treasure, above all the na FOOLISHNESS IS BOUND IN THE HEART OF A CHILD;-Prov. xxii. 15. [VOL. II. LOST TREASURE IS FOUND IN THE BELOVED. LET US PRAY AND LABOUR TOWARDS THIS GLORIOUS CONSUMMATION. |