conduct of your tongue from the words of David :-"I said, I will take heed to my ways: that I offend not in my tongue. I will keep my mouth as it were with a bridle while the ungodly is in my sight. I held my tongue, and spake nothing; I kept silence, yea, even from good words; but it was pain and grief to me."— (Psalm xxxix.)

Again, there is a lesson for the hands. The hand denotes action. Clean hands denote honest and upright actions. If we say of a person that he has not come out of this or that with very clean hands, we mean that there is something wrong and not commendable in his conduct that he is not honest and straight in his dealings. What does the Word of God say about such? "The wicked is snared in the work of His own hands." "And though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished.' Now let us turn to the 24th Psalm:-"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in His holy place?" By the hill of the Lord, is meant the Church of God, even the place of His presence and holiness. Now who are fit and proper persons to appear there? Hear the answer: He that hath clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek Him, that seek Thy face, O Jacob." Here you have a description of a real and consistent child of God. Study the lesson, and may the God of all grace accompany your doing so with His blessing!

Again, there is a lesson also for the feet. By the feet we mean the holy walk and godly life of the Christian. To this end the feet have to be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. The walk is in Christ. "Walk ye in Him." He is the straight path, the holy and only way to heaven. We need look well to our feet in our pilgrim journey through this world. "Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet." These

straight paths for the feet, are the rules of Christian conduct. How shall a man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy Word "Make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way." Lest some weak brother should stumble, and fall. "But let it rather be healed." Practice selfdenial for the good of others, and gather up, and take care of the weak ones of the flock. Now there are many lessons concerning the feet, but I shall not attempt to enlarge at any length upon the straight paths which may be culled by you from the Word of God.

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A friend of mine the other day gave me a printed paper containing thirty-six rules for holy living. I took them, and looked at them. Thirty-six rules for holy living." Well, I found it difficult to read them, more difficult to remember them, and still more difficult to practice them. What was I to do? I said to my friend, Well, I will now give you three rules in return, which I have found to be more than I have been able to keep. And if I have not been able to keep three, pray, what am I to do with thirty-six? I will now give you the three rules for holy living. They are taken from the 6th of Micah:-"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." Now, my friends, take these three rules as three lessons, and see how you get on with them during the present month. I think that you will find enough to do to keep them.

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I rejoice in the words of my text :-" Yea, He loved the people," and He loves them now, and will continue to love them. "All His saints are in Thy Hand,' O Blessed Jesus! And they are safe in Thy power and keeping! They sit down at Thy feet" humbly and willingly, to "receive Thy words," and to be instructed. by Thee. "Teach me to do Thy will; for Thou art my God." And to Thy Triune Name shall be ascribed all the honour and the glory both now and for evermore. Amen and Amen!!

SERIES VIII. No. 10.

"THE BEST ROBE, THE RING, AND THE SHOES."

A SERMON

PREACHED BY THE

Rev. J. BATTERSBY

(Vicar of St. James', Sheffield),

AT VERULAM MISSION CHURCH, KENNINGTON ROAD,

LAMBETH, LONDON,

THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 2ND, 1883.

In the 15th chapter of St. Luke's Gospel, and at the 22nd verse, you will read the following words :

"BUT THE FATHER SAID TO HIS SERVANTS, BRING
FORTH THE BEST ROBE, AND PUT IT ON HIM;
AND PUT A RING ON HIS Hand, and
SHOES ON HIS FEET.'

We have in this chapter three parables. There is the parable of the lost sheep: the parable of the lost piece of silver: and the parable of the prodigal son.. The parables in this chapter seem to have been delivered by our Lord in justification of His conduct in receiving sinners and eating with them, as stated in the first and second verses. The Scribes and Pharisees murmured at His doing so, and hence these three parables are related in self-justification by our Lord. The first is the shepherd looking after and recovering the lost sheep. The application of this parable is made by our Lord Himself thus, that the angels of God rejoice over a repentant sinner more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. The same idea is

repeated in the parable of the lost piece of silver. And when the recovery and restoration of the prodigal son takes place, it is an occasion of joy and rejoicing in the home of his father. We have two sons spoken of in the parable, and many indeed are the opinions respecting them. Some persons look upon them as referring to the Jew and the Gentile. There may be a truth in this, but I scarcely think that it is the truth of the parable. I prefer taking the parable as an illustration of our Lord's readiness to receive great sinners, and His defence of the same. It will harmonise better to take the elder brother as referring to the Pharisees and Scribes, and the younger brother to the publicans and sinners. The parable viewed thus will be instructive. It is outside of my object to take up the parable generally. You will remember the old definition of a parable which I have given you many times: "That it is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning." Now you must bear this in mind whilst we proceed with our text. I shall ask you to look at it thus:

First, "The Best Robe"; Secondly, "The Ring"; Thirdly, "The Shoes"; and Fourthly, in conclusion, the father's direction. "But the father said to his servants, 'Bring forth the Best Robe, and put it on him; and put a Ring on his hand, and Shoes on his feet.' We shall proceed at once with the first of these. The text, you will see, is a full one, and on this account I shall not pretend to travel outside of it. Some preachers might undertake to go through the whole of the parable in a sermon. I cannot do so. In the 23rd and following verses we have a great deal of blessed teaching concerning the sacrifice of and feasting with Christ. Or, at least, so I think. I I may be wrong. Let us proceed with the text:

First, then, what is this Best Robe? It is not only a Robe, but the Best Robe. In reading the Scriptures we find garments frequently spoken of. Garments for this, and garments for that. Now, garments were either for use or for ornament, or for both. We read of the first garments ever made, in the 3rd chapter of

Genesis, which were for use. There was a necessity for them. Man had sinned, transgressed, and broken the Law of God. His folly and nakedness appeared, and the Lord made them "coats of skins," and covered their nakedness. (Verse 21.) Without this, you will perceive, that they would, in God's sight, have remained for ever naked, and ruined, and lost. I often think that there is a great deal in this verse which is very lightly passed over. "Coats of skins." These coats seem to have been made of the skins of victims that were slain and offered in sacrifice. God made the coats for and clothed our first parents. God must do all for the lost sinner, or otherwise he will never go to heaven. This is foundation truth, you must bear in mind. Our natural clothing, which we venture to call self-righteousness, is described in the Scriptures as "filthy rags." Everything done by a fallen creature, however excellent it may appear to be, is but "filthy rags" in God's Sight. We find that Joshua, the high-priest, was clothed in "filthy garments,' -as in the 3rd of Zechariah. And the commandment went forth that these "filthy garments" should be taken away from him, and that he should be clothed with "change of raiment." I look upon this passage as explained by the context as meaning, that all his sins and his self-righteousness, must be taken away, and that he must be clothed entirely in pure white raiment before he can be accepted by, and fit to appear before God. Another thing is said of these holy garments in the 61st of Isaiah and the 10th verse, that "He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation." Very useful, then, are these garments. This part of the verse may be beautifully explained by turning to the New Testament, where you will see that these garments of salvation mean, "the Redemption, the Righteousness, the Sanctification, and the complete work of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. i. 30.) These are the garments of salvation. We might enter further into details, but we must forbear.

Again, what is the Best Robe? The "Best Robe " is what was called the upper garment,—and this is the