Luke xv. 28. And he ivas angry, and would not go in : there- fore came his father out, and entreated him.
IT is an undeniable fact, that many who have lived a profligate life are received afterwards to God's favour; and that many who have been externally moral are excluded from it. But this ought not to be a stumbling-block to us, since there will always be found a corresponding difference of character in the persons rejected or received. The Prodigal had been abandoned; but was renewed in the spirit of his mind : the elder brother had been moral ; but was proud, envious, discontented, querulous. The cha- racter of the latter well deserves a distinct considera- tion. We shall notice,
I. The disposition of the elder brother —
Some think that he was intended to represent a pious character ; and doubtless there have been good men, who too nearly resembled hima : and, on this supposition, his father's address to him will have no difficulty b. But the parable in this case would not have been suitable to the occasion c : yea, it would rather have tended to mislead the Pharisees, and to foster the conceit they had of their own piety. His character rather represents that of the murmuring Pharisees, as that of the Prodigal does of the repenting Publicans. It might indeed have some further re- ference to the Jews and Gentiles d: but it admirably portrays the character of Pharisees in every age. The two things noticed in the text especially demand our attention :
1. His displeasure at the reception of the Prodigal — [On being informed of his brother's reception, " he was angry." When entreated by his father to join in the festivity, he began to boast of his own blameless and meritorious con- duct. He complained that sufficient respect had not been
a Jonah hi. 10. and iv. 1, 9. Acts xi. 2, 3. b ver. 31.
c ver< i — 3. <* Acts xiii. 42, 44, 45. and xxii. 21 — 23.