The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 283

h?lder is Go? ; the vineyard is his kingdom; the labourers are men called by him to do hrn work., '1 be p_arable ~as addressed to the apostles, and was part of the answer to St. Peters quest10n; so 1t would seem that, in the first and strictest meaning, the labourers first called must be the apostles themselves. The householder went out early in the morning; the Lord came forth from heaven; it was to hire labourers, to send forth men to carry on the great work which he himself be"'an. He agreed with them for a penny a day. The penny must mP,an the prize of the hi<>h calling-that treasure in heaven which the Lord had offered to the young ruler, that eternal life which he promised to all who deny themselves for his Name's sake. The labourers hired later in the clay must, on this theory, be the holy men (such as St. Stephen, St. Paul, and others) who were called to the work after the twelve, but still in the apostolic times. Those called at the eleventh hour will be Gentile Christians called later yet to the work, such as the fellow-labourers of St. Paul, The conteitt seems to suggest this explanation as the first and most obvious meaning of the parable. But it ~ay be fairly u~derstood also of the Jews, God's ancient people, who were fir~t.ca.lled into covenant with God; and of the Gentiles, called in the last times into a covenant of grace. And, again, the parable illustrates in a touching and striking manner the dealings of God with individual souls ; some are called in childhood like Samuel, some in middle life, some in advanced age. They differ indefinitely from one another in early training, in talents, in opportunities. But all have their appointed work; all have the like blessed hope to cheer them on in their daily task. Each must do his best according to his powers, according to the time allowed him. All must trust in God. He is gracious and merciful, just and large in his generous bounty. But he is sovereign in the eitercise of his goodness. None may presume to mnrmur; envies and jealousies are excluded from the kingdom of heaven. The last shall be first. St. Paa:!, the last of all, the least of the apostles in bis own sight, laboured more abundantly than they all " Yet not I," he says, " but the grace of God which was with me." That is the true Christian temper, which ascribes all its energy and all its labours to the assisting grace of God, which never murmurs, which gladly recognizes the goodness, the work of others, which rejoices with them that do rejoice, in the successes of others, in the praises, the honours, the rewards bestowed upon them. 3. The intermediate hirings, Again the householder went out when nearly a quarter of the working day w~s gone; there were others standing idle in the market-place; be bade them go and work in hie vineyard. He made no definite agreement with them, as he had done with the first hired labonrers; they were satisfied with his promise to give whatever was right, and they went their way. Again at noon, and again when only a quarter of the working hours remained, he did the like. All went, none refnsed; none tried to bargain with the householder; none asked, " What shall we have therefore?" We mnst not stand idle when God calls us to work for him. We must go at once whenever we hear that gracious call, whether it be early or late, whatever be our circumstances and employ- ments; all other work is bnt idleness in his sight, compared with the great work, the work which God has given us to do. We must trust him implicitly. We have the blessed word of Holy Scripture," Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt·be saved." It is enough for us. 4. The last hiring. The day was now nearly ended; only one hour remained. For the last time the householder went into the market- place. God, in his long-suffering mercy, calls us again and again, at different periods -0f our lives, in different ways. He is " not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." The market-place is the world; it is a bustling, noisy scene; yet, alas ! many stand there all the day idle. Their idleness may be laborious idleness. There was one who said on his death-bed, " Heu 1 vitam perdidi laboriose nihil agendo." Their life may be restless, eager in the pursuit of pleasure or riches, filled every hour with this or that engagement, this or that amusement. Yet, if the great end of life be neglected, all is but a laborious doing nothing; for nothing real is gained. "Ma.n walketh in a vain shadow," if be is not working for God; this life, with all its varied occupations, is no better than idle play, if it has no conscious relation to the life beyond the grave. Men think that they are working hard when, in the eye of God, they are standing idle all the day, for they are not working out their own salvation, the only work that is real, earnest, abiding. God doth not leave such idler_s to periRh, He calls them again and again, by his Word, by his ministers, by his providence. lle -<JH. n. 1-34.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 287