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Let us then work while it is day, let us make the best use of the time which God has given us, that we may be ready to appear before our Judge when He shall see fit to summon us. Now let us see how this parable applies to what our Saviour had said. What was it, Anna, that He had told them?

Anna. "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

Miss M. In the parable He shows both the longsuffering and the severity of God: that if they did not repent, they would in the end perish, but still that we have One in heaven who is ever merciful and maketh intercession for us.

CHAPTER XIX.

THE PARABLE OF THE GREAT SUPPER.

Luke xiv. 15-24.

"AND when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. Then said he 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 which were bidden shall taste of my supper."

Miss Morton. This parable was spoken by our Lord in answer to one of those sitting at meat with Him, who said-what?

Mary. "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God."

Miss M. In what other part of the Bible are we told the same thing in different words? Look at Revelation xix. 9.

Elizabeth. "Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb."

Miss M. We have often before had occasion to refer to texts in which Christ is called the Lamb. Can you find me some ?

Kate. "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." St. John i. 29.

Anna. "He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." Isa. liii. 7.

Miss M. Now can you tell me the reasons why He is so called? I think the text Anna has quoted tells

us one of them. When was Jesus brought as a lamb to the slaughter?

Charlotte. When He was led before Pilate to be crucified.

Miss M. And then He was as meek as a lamb. What were some of the injuries heaped upon Him? Selina. They crowned Him with thorns.

Emily. They smote Him on the face with the palms of their hands.

Ellen. They finally crucified Him.

Miss M. And while they treated Him thus, He? Mary. Opened not His mouth.

Miss M. Now tell me another reason for His being called a lamb ?

Elizabeth. Because the lamb offered at the Passover was a type of Him.

Miss M. What is a type? What did you tell me a parable was ?

Selina. A story containing a hidden meaning.
Miss M. And what is a prophecy?

Mary. A foretelling of something that is going to happen.

Miss M. Well, a type is a prophecy and parable in action instead of words; I mean that it is something done, instead of being only said. For example, in the parable of the wicked husbandmen, I explained to you that their killing the householder's son was a prophecy of-what?

Kate. Of Christ being killed.

Miss M. Yes: you see that here a story or parable was related, prophesying the death of Christ, while the action or deed of Abraham offering up Isaac was a type of Christ's death. A parable and type both

therefore contain a hidden meaning. Types also always foretell something which is going to happen. That is the reason why the Lord's Supper is not a type, though it contains a hidden meaning; but it prophecies nothing, it only reminds us of what has already happened. It is therefore a memorial, not a type. Do you think you can give me some instances of types ?

Mary. The wilderness through which the Israelites had to pass was the type of this world, and Canaan of heaven.

Charlotte. The Jewish high priest was a type of Christ.

Miss M. Yes. Read Hebrews ii. 17.

Kate. "That he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."

Miss M. And again, Hebrews vii. 26–28.

Selina. "For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.”

Miss M. You will observe that the book of Hebrews is full of allusions to the Old Testament types and ceremonies, and on the contrary you will find that in his epistles to other churches, St. Paul rather dwells upon the union in Christ of Jew and Gentile. See Romans iii. 29, Galatians iii. 28, 29, Ephesians ii.

13-17, &c. He thus strikingly illustrates his own words in 1 Corinthians ix. 20—22.

Charlotte. "And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."

Miss M. To return to our parable; we have already said that it was spoken to show him, who called those blessed that should eat bread in the kingdom of God, that many would not obey the invitation to do so. What are we told that a certain man did?

Kate. He made a supper, and bade many.

Miss M. What did he send his servant to say to them that were bidden ?

Emily. "Come; for all things are now ready."

Miss M. In this country we should think it very strange, if, after having been once invited to any entertainment, some one should come and tell us that it was ready; but in the East it was the custom of the country to do so, and therefore did not appear singular. What were the excuses of those that should have come ?

Mary. One said he had bought a piece of ground, and wanted to go and see it.

Charlotte. Another said he had bought five yoke of oxen, and was going to prove them.

Ellen. The third had married a wife, and therefore could not come.

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