burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

41. "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity."

Two different sorts of people have been specifically mentioned: first, in the parable; and, secondly, in the explanation. And the passage showing that, at the end of the world, the angels shall be sent forth to gather out of Christ's kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, must be allusive to more than one class of defaulters; and may point at such as are offensive in their station upon earth, being uncalled; and such as being called, have nevertheless done iniquity.

But our first business, after having read this chapter, and the answer given by our Lord to the inquiries made concerning the meaning of it, is to decide, in our own minds, whether that answer, so plain in its words, was a literal explanation by our Lord; or whether the parable, after the explanation granted, still remained a PARABLE.

In the character of a common, but much interested

reader, I see no method by which I can fairly escape apprehending the answer as a literal interpretation, and explanation; for except the question whether different classes are meant, by things that offend, and them which do iniquity, there seems nothing left either for our inferences, doubts, or interpretations, it being itself an interpretation granted to the disciples. When they followed our Lord to intreat it of him, he answered and said unto them, "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed ARE the children of the kingdom" (that is, indubitably, the pre-eminent kingdom of God; and, of course, the children so called are esteemed the children of God): "but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them Is the DEVIL; the harvest is the END of the world; and the reapers are the angels." Can words be more explicit, if apprehended in the literal sense? Likewise the angels finally gathering out of the kingdom all things that offend, answers to another declaration of our Saviour, which seems to belong to this subject.

Matthew, chap. xv. 13. " But he answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up." That is, at the end, when two shall be in the field, the one shall be taken and the other left: two women shall be grinding at the mill, one shall be taken, the other left.

Jude, when warning people of those who would corrupt the faith once delivered to the saints, adds (as if in corroboration of the tares being sown by an enemy while men slept), verse 4. "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to their condemnation " (or proscribed.) And after the cursing of the earth, was not Satan's seed proscribed and sentenced to be at enmity with the woman's seed? and as to reality are they not put upon a footing with the woman's seed, and apparently are to contemporate with them in a state of warfare? and the confirming evidence of the New Testament gives us this encouragement, that, during the enmity and warfare, "greater is he that is for us than he that is against us." And St. Paul seems to sanction all the evidence that can be brought upon this subject, when he says, "We know that

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htua sunet to gour weer te Soof mar; turbate tur Bouric, the goot seed ava tie cial dren of the kingom" that, indubitat, the proment kingdom of God; and, of course, the children so called are esteemed the children of God):

but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the DEVIL; the harvest is the END of the world; and the reapers

the angels." Can words be more explicit, if pachonded in the literal sense? Likewise the wagh Hinally gathering out of the kingdom all thin the offenders to another declaration Neon which was to belong to this

Matthew, chap. xv. 13. " But he answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up." That is, at the end, when two shall be in the field, the one shall be taken and the other left: two women shall be grinding at the mill, one shall be taken, the other left.

Jude, when warning people of those who would corrupt the faith once delivered to the saints, adds (as if in corroboration of the tares being sown by an enemy while men slept), verse 4. "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to their condemnation " (or proscribed.) And after the cursing of the earth, was not Satan's seed proscribed and sentenced to be at enmity with the woman's seed? and as to reality are they not put upon a footing with the woman's seed, and apparently are to contemporate with them in a state of warfare? and the confirming evidence of the New Testament gives us this encouragement, that, during the enmity and