like the wicked servant, who, after having been forgiven the large debt of ten thousand talents, demanded the payment of the small sum of a hundred pence. We must remember our great and numberless offences against God, and be ready to forgive those who sin against us, not only seven times, but seventy times seven. God intrusts to all And it must not slumber. God will surely ask, Ere I enter heaven, How I've done the task Little drops of rain Bring the springing flowers; And I may attain Much by little powers. Every little mite, Every little measure, Helps to spread the light, Helps to swell the treasure. God intrusts to all Talents few or many; LESSON FIFTH. MATTHEW Xx. 1-16. THEN said Je-sus, "The king-dom of heav-en is like unto a man that is an household-er, which went out ear-ly in the morning to hire la-bour-ers in-to his vine-yard. And when he had a-greed with the labour-ers for a pen-ny a day, he sent them in-to his vine-yard. And he went out a-bout the third hour, and saw oth-ers stand-ing i-dle in the mar-ket place, and said un-to them, Go ye al-so in-to the vine-yard, and what-so-ev-er is right I will give you.' And they went their way. A-gain he went out a-bout the sixth and ninth hours, and did like-wise. And a-bout the e-lev-enth hour he went out and found oth-ers stand-ing i-dle and saith un-to them, "Why stand ye here all the day i-dle? They say un-to him, 'Be-cause no man hath hir-ed us.' He saith un-to them, 'Go ye al-so into the vine-yard, and what-so-ev-er is right, that shall ye receive.' So when e-ven was come, the lord of the vine-yard saith un-to his stew-ard, Call the la-bour-ers, and give them their hire, bc-gin-ning from the last un-to the first.' And when they came that were hir-ed a-bout the e-lev-enth hour, they rereiv-ed ev-er-y man a pen-ny. But when the first came, they sup-pos-ed that they should have re-ceiv-ed more; and they like-wise re-ceiv-ed ev-er-y man a penny. And when they had re-ceived it, they mur-mur-ed against the good man of the house, say-ing, 'These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them e-qual un-to us which have borne the burden and heat of the day.' But he answer-ed one of them, and said, 'Friend, I do thee no wrong; didst thou not a-gree with me for a pen-ny? Take that thine is, and go thy way; I will give un-to this last e-ven as un-to thee. Is it not law-ful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye e-vil be-cause I am good?" So the last shall be first, and the first last; for ma-ny be call-ed, but few cho-sen." QUESTIONS. What have you been reading to-day? To what did he liken the kingdom of heaven? To a householder who went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. What did he agree to give these labourers? A penny a day. Were they all hired at the same hours? No: some were hired later than the first at the third, ninth, and eleventh hours. Was it from idleness that some did not begin their work till the eleventh hour? No: it was because no man had hired them. What did the lord do in the evening? He said unto the steward, "Call the labourers, and give them their hire.” How much was given to each of them? No: those who had worked the whole day murmured, because those who had been hired at the eleventh hour received the same as themselves. Did the lord of the vineyard give these murmurers more? No; he said that he had given them the wages agreed upon, and if he chose to give the same to the others, he had a right to do so. Who is meant by the lord of the vineyard? God. Who are meant by those first hired? Who are meant by those last hired? What did our Lord say after this parable? |