y;" swelling pride--"he would
not go in;" jealousy, which required soothing--"his father went out
and entreated him."

And now brethren, mark the father's answer. It does not account for
this strange dealing by God's sovereignty. It does not cut the knot of
the difficulty, instead of untying it, by saying, God has a _right_ to
do what He will. He does not urge, God has a right to act on
favouritism if He please. But it assigns two reasons. The first reason
is, "It was _meet_, right that we should make merry." It is meet that
God should be glad on the reclamation of a sinner. It is meet that
that sinner, looking down into the dreadful chasm over which he had
been tottering, should feel a shudder of delight through all his frame
on thinking of his escape. And it is meet that religious men should
not feel jealous of one another, but freely and generously join in
thanking God that others have got happiness, even if _they_ have not.
The spirit of religious exclusiveness, which looks down contemptuously
instead of tenderly on worldly men, and banishes a man for ever from
the circle of its joys because he has sinned notoriously, is a bad
spirit.

Lastly the reason given for this dealing is, "Son, thou art always
with Me, and all that I have is thine." By which Christ seems to tell
us that the disproportion between man and man is much less than we
suppose. The profligate had had one hour of ecstasy--the other had
had a whole life of peace. A consistent Christian may not have
rapture; but he has that which is much better than rapture:
calmness--God's serene and perpetual presence. And after all brethren,
that is the best. One to whom much is forgiven, has much joy. He must
have it, if it were only to support him through those fearful trials
which are to come--those haunting reminiscences of a polluted
heart--those frailties--those inconsistencies to which the habit of
past indulgence have made him liable. A terrible struggle is in store
for him yet. Grudge him not one hour of unclouded exultation. But
religion's best gift--rest, serenity--the quiet daily love of one who
lives perpetually with his Father's family--uninterrupted
usefulness--_that_ belongs to him who has lived steadily, and walked
with duty, neither grieving nor insulting the Holy Spirit of his God.
The man who serves God early has the best of it; joy is well in its
way, but a few flashes of joy are trifles in comparison with