the courts of heaven; but if I bring forth wild grapes, till I can no longer be reformed by pruning and wholesome correction, I shall be given up to the enemies of my salvation: I shall be rooted up, and cast forth as a branch fit for nothing but the fire. Every man's salvation is from God; but every man's de struction is from himself. What could be done more for a vineyard than hath been done for me? Therefore if I should be judged of God, his judgment will be just; and all men, even I myself, must confess it so to be at last. THE QUESTIONS. Q. What is the Vineyard in the para. ble of Isaiah? A. The Church of Jerusalem. Q. What is the fruitful hill? A. Mount Zion on which the Church was built. Q. What is the fencing of the Vineyard? A. The separating it from the Hea then nations, Q. Whe Q. Who were the stones that were cast out of it? A. The heathen Canaanites. Q. Why are they called stones? A. Because people out of God's Church are hard, and incapable of bringing forth any fruit. Q. What was the choice vine? A. The stock of Abraham. Q. What is the tower. A. The temple. Q. What is the use of a wine-press? yard. Q. What are these fruits? A. Good works. Q. What are wild grapes? A. Evil works; the fruits of man's nature without grace. Q. What is meant by taking away the hedge? A. Letting in heathen enemies to devour it. Q. What doth Christ say of Jeru salem? A. That it should be trodden down of the Gentiles. Q. How doth God prune a vine in spiritual sense? A. Br A. By correction and wholesome punishment for sin. Q. Who are briars and thorns ? A. Evil men, whether disobedient Jews, or unbelieving Gentiles. Q. What is meant by commanding the clouds that there shall be no rain? A. Withdrawing the blessings of divine grace. Q. What is every Christian to expect who is unfruitful? A. That God will judge him, as he judged the Church of Jerusalem. THE TEXTS. Isaiah v. 1-7. Psalm 1xxx. 8-16. John xv. 5. I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. 6. If a man abide not in me; he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered: and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. XII. THE XII. THE CHAPTER OF THE BY Y two brethren of apposite characters two parties of people are signified; the one good, the other evil. In Cain, that wicked wretch who slew his brother, we have a pattern of the whole world of unbelievers; in Abel, of the whole army of persecuted saints and martyrs, from the creation to the day of judgment. When Rebekah was about to bring forth twins, the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels, The same is tend ed in the parable of the Prodigal Son. Here are two manner of people, the Jews and the Gentiles, represented to us under the persons of two brethren, the elder, and the younger; and their characters are suitable in every respect. The Jew is at home, and lives in the house of his father, that is, in the Church of God: the Gentile, who was also in it from 0 2 from the beginning, departs from the true worship, and goes afar off into idolatry. The parable shews us, first, what became of him; and secondly, how the Jew behaved upon his brother's repentance and conversion. When the Gentile left the Church of God, he carried off the substance of what he had there been taught; but it was soon wasted, and a famine succeeded; such as the mind suffers, when it has not the word of God to live upon. Thus falling into riot and debauchery, such as was practised by the Heathens, even an their religion, the prodigal becomes fit company for swine, and is disposed to feed as those filthy creatures do. His misery brought him to himself: and he resolved to return to the house of his father; wherein the lowest and the meanest were better provided for than he. The father remembers no more what he had been, but receives him with tenderness and affection: puts on him the best robe-gives him the cloathing of righteousness-puts a ring on his hand, to signify that he is again adopted for a son-and his feet, which were bare, are |