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40 uld be justified , with the impetuosity which in youth frequeptly attends tfee worthiest characters , the son thus (ogives vent to the strong * feeling's of his heart : * Lo , these many years do
I serve thee , neither at any time trans- ^ grossed I thy commandment , and yet thou never gavest me a kid , that I might make merry with my friends ; but as soon as this thy son was come , which hath devoured thy living with harlots , thou hast killed for him the
fatted calf . " What now is the reply of the good and wise father ? What is the displeasure that he expresses in return for this hasty remonstrance ? " Son , thou art ever with me , and all that I have is thine ! " Can language convey
a more decided testimony of entire approbation ? "All that I have is thine ! " Does it not say , thou sh< thyself apportion the share that is bestowed upon this deeply humbled penitent ? 4 < All that I have is thine ;" but " it is meet that we should make
merry and be glad ; for this thy brother was dead , and is alive again , and was lost , and is found . " The whole of this relation appears to me beautifully to display the kind and merciful disposition of the father , without throwing the slightest
imputation of blame upon the son , who had never departed from the path of rectitude , never transgressed his father's commandment ; and to represent it in any other light , seems to encourage the false , dangerous and demoralizing
opinion which is already too prevalent with many of our orthodox brethren , that a returning sinner is more acceptable , more precious in the sight of the benevolent Father of all , than the man who , as far as our frail nature will
permit , has from his youth up , been perfect and holy before him . If , as is most apparent , our gTeat Teacher intends to represent the Almighty under the character of the father in the parable , can the son , who ' * never at any time transgressed his commandment , " be other than the
most excellent of human beings I " Therefore , " says aur Lord , €€ there * fore doth my Father love me , because I do always such things as please him . " To obey the commands of God , we must be weU aware , "not only includes an abstinence from every feirid ot evil , tn * t the regular ppaoHee * & all tiwrt \»
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gvod and excellent ; ond the heavenly Parent , the Searcher of hearts , could not have been deceived by outward appearances , nor is a shadow of suspicion respecting the sincerity of the elder brother even hinted at . Indeed , the father ' s address to him , upon which I
must still further dwell , precludes all possibility of hypocrisy in his character . " The hope of the hypocrite shall perish / ' but the Lord of heaven and earth says to the man who transgresseth not his commandments , * ' All that I have is thine . " " Well done , good and faithful servant , enter thou into the joy of thy Lord . "
With respect to the Jews and Gentiles being figured by the two brothers , I cannot perceive the most distant ground of affinity between th ^ m . The Jews were throughout their whole course " a rebellious and stiff-necked people "—a people whose hearts no blessings could melt and soften into
grateful obedience ; into whose unfeeling bosoms , a series of the most astonishing miracles wrought before their eyes , and for their immediate benefit , could inspire no steady faith , no abiding confidence , in the mighty arm so manifestly stretched out for their guidance and protection . What point of resemblance can be found between this
people and the elder son in the paraole ? Nor can I discover more between the Gentiles and his younger brother . The prodigal is supposed to have shared equally with his elder son in all the advantages which a wise and good father naturally bestows upon his children . But were tUe Gentiles
favoured with a revelation inferior only to the Christian ; and did they despise and throw it from them 2 And , afterwards , when in consequence of this rejection they were reduced to the lowest state of misery , repent and return to God 2 No shadow of
likeness appears , and surely none can have been intended . The plain and single object of the parable seems to me to be a just and beautiful display of the feelinga of the Almighty Maker towards hia creatures ,
and of his gracious dealings with them . To those " who seek him early , " who "keep innocency awd take heed unto the thing that ie rigfoV' wha Hke " Noah / Daniel and Job /? have been perfect and uprigk * bfifor * him , a * give * the gkttiaus ft *** of his f » # afh
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396 Strictures on Mr . Wrigh&s Tract ^ f the Prodigal Son .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1823, page 396, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1786/page/28/
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