as well as reapers and binders of sheaves. The honest master pays his laborers according to the work they do, and not acording to the crops that grow on his land. Our Master in heaven will deal with all His servants at the last day in like manner. He knows that success is not in their hands. He knows that they cannot change hearts. He will reward them according to their labor, and not according to the fruits which have resulted from their labor. It is not " the good and successful servant," but " the good and faithful servant," to whom He will say, " Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."'-'5 (Matt. xxv. 21.)
The greater portion of this passage is meant to show us the dignity and importance of the relation of marriage. It is plain that the prevailing opinions of the Jews upon this subject, when our Lord was upon earth, were lax and low in the extreme. The binding character of the marri- age tie was not recognized. Divorce for slight and trivial causes was allowable and common, f The duties of hus-
* Some remarks of Bishop Latimer on this point are well worth reading. They occur in a passage in one of his sermons on the par- able of the wedding garment. He says, " the man who had not the wedding garment was blamed because he professed one thing, and was indeed another. Why did not the king blame the preachers ? There was no fault in them, they did their duties : they had no fur- ther commandment but to call men to the marriage. The garment he should have provided himself. Therefore he quarrelleth not with the preachers, ' What doth this fellow here ? why suffered ye him to enter ?' For their commission extended no further but only to call him. Many are grieved that there is so little fruit of their preaching. And when they are asked, l Why do you not preach, having so great gifts given you of God?' ' I would preach,' say they, 'but I see so little fruit, so little amendment of life, that it maketh me weary :' a naughty answer : a very naughty answer. Thou art troubled with that which God gave thee no charge of: and leavest undone that which thou art charged with." — Latimer's Works. Parker Society. Vol. I. p 236
t The extent to which the Jews allowed divorce for absurd and