ise his hopes so high. His sincerity is proved,
however, by his proceeding to repair, as far as he has opportunity,
each evil that he has done; by his mourning over what he cannot cure,
and by the determination of his mind, through the help of divine
grace, to walk for the future in newness of life. In short, he feels
that if his life were prolonged a thousand years, and youth and health
were restored to him, he should choose to spend his strength and the
utmost length of his days in the service of the same Master, and to be
a laborer in the same vineyard.

But here, methinks, some objector rises up, and says, "What then,
shall this man be accepted of God, like him who has been moral and
orderly all his days, or like the first person you mentioned?" We
shall now answer this objection by proceeding with the parable.

The Jews are there represented as _murmuring against the good man of
the house_, on account of his rewarding the more late and early
laborers, the ancient Jews and the newly converted Gentiles, by giving
each of them a penny, "saying, These last have wrought but one hour,
and thou hast made them equal unto us, who have borne the burden and
heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do
thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that
thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last even as unto
thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?" It was
no injury to the Jews that the poor Gentiles were admitted, though at
a later hour, into the church, and the Jews had therefore no right to
complain; on the contrary, they ought to have rejoiced at it. In like
manner, it can be no injury to those among us who may have served
Christ from our youth, that any poor outcast should be admitted to
the same Christian privileges with ourselves; and we also ought to
rejoice, as the angels of God are said to do, over one sinner that
repenteth. Again it may be remarked, that even the first calling of
the Jews arose not from any superior merit in them, but from the
sovereign goodness of God. Surely, therefore, it was most unreasonable
in those people to complain of God's extending the same mercy to the
Gentiles. Much in the same manner, it may be remarked in respect to
the present day, that the salvation even of the best of men arises
not from any merit of their own, but merely from God's free mercy in
Christ; and surely, therefore, one pardoned sinner among us ought