me for it! You have all, even the very best of you, been like to the son, who said to his Father, I will not. From this time forward, let me exhort-let me beseech-let me implore you-be, my friends, like unto him in his repentance. He repented, and went and worked. Do the same. From henceforward work the works of God according to all which Jesus Christ has taught you. And then, you will do the will of your Father in heaven: for his will is, that not one of you perish through obstinate disobedience.

should

LECTURE LXV.

ST. MATTHEW, xxi. 33.

Hear another parable. There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a wine-press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

OUR blessed Lord now spake a parable, in which he shewed the treatment he was to meet with from the wicked Jews. This treatment would be like to that shewn to many good and wise teachers before him, but much worse even than that.

He

says: "there was a certain house

holder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country." In the country, where the Jews lived, a great many vines were planted. When any body planted a vine, he also planted a hedge round it, digged a place for a press to squeeze the juice out of the grapes, with which juice the wine was made, and built a tower or watch house in it for a watchman to live in, who took care of the vineyard, and guarded it from thieves.

The householder, whom our Saviour speaks of, and to whom the vineyard belonged, must have been rich, for he did not attend to it himself, but put it under the charge of husbandmen, and left the country.

Now, my brethren, by the householder