sidfirii^. Their voice is ilie voice of tke '' elder bro- ther."
Let us beware of this spirit infecting our own hearts. It arises partly from ignorance. Men begin by not seeing their own sinfcdness and xmwor&iness, and thai they &ncy that they are much better than others, and that nobody is worthy to be put by their side.— It arises partly from want of charity. Men are wanting in kind feeling towards others, and then they are unable to take pleasure when others are saved. — ^Above all, it arises &om a thorough misunderstanding of the true nature of gospel forgiveness. The man who really feels that we all stand' by grace and are all debtors,^ and that the best of us has nothing to boast of^ and. has nothing which he has not received, — such a man wiU^not be found talking like the " elder brother/'
We are taught, secondly, in this passage, that the eoMferrion of any soul^ ought to be <m occasion of joy to aU who see it. Our Lord, shows us this by putting the fdlowing words into the mouth of the prodigal's father : — " It was meet that we should make merry and be glad^ f«r this thy brother was dead^and is alive again ; , and was lost, and is found."
The lesson of these words was primarily meant for the Scribes and Pharisees. If their hearts had been in a rig^ state, they would never have murmured at our Lord for receiving sinners. They would have remembered that the worst of publicans and sinners were their own brethren, and ihat if they themselves were different, it was grace alone thathad made the. differeacice. They would have been glad to. see sudi helpless wanderers returning to the