Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/157

 many that  are  first  shall  be  last  and  the  last  shall  be first."  Peter  and  the  others,  being  men  well  on  in years,  were  fearful,  doubtless,  of  having  entered  their Master's  service  all  too  late;  of  having  too  long  idly loitered  in  the  market-place.  Besides,  they  had heard  from  Christ  that  the  Christian  era  is  the  world's eleventh  hour — its  final  stage — and  so  they  deemed the  time  too  short  to  achieve  so  great  a  work  and gain  such  great  reward.  Far  different  is  the  teaching of  Christ's  parable.  God  is  Father  of  the  universe; the  world  of  rational  creatures,  the  members  of  His household;  and  His  vineyard  was  the  Jewish  synagogue and  is  now  the  Christian  Church.  His  family comprises  three  divisions:  His  children,  the  angels and  blessed  in  heaven;  living  men,  His  freedmen;  and the lost  souls,  His  slaves. From His  freedmen  alone He recruits  the  laborers  in  His  vineyard. On five distinct occasions  has  He  deigned  with  more  than ordinary condescension  to  visit  this  busy  mart — this worldly world  of  ours,  and  each  time  has  He  called fresh laborers  to  His  vineyard. From time's  beginning to  time's  end  is  but  a  day  to  God — as  short  to Him  as  seems  to  us  the  insect's  life  that  is  born  at sunrise  and  at  sunset  dies. God's first  coming  was  in time's  first  hour,  and  the  first  to  labor  in  His  vineyard were the  common  parents  of  us  all. His subsequent goings forth  in  search  of  laborers  mark  the  great physical and  moral  regenerations  of  the  world,  viz.: the time  of  Noe  which  was  the  third  hour;  the  day of Abraham  which  was  the  sixth;  the  day  of  Moses which was  the  ninth;  the  coming  of  Christ  which