sinner, whose company and conversation being contagious, ought to be shunned by all who have any love of goodness; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Next, Jesus conferred on his disciples in general, the power of binding and loosing, which he had formerly honoured Peter with singly. (§ 70.) Matt, xviii. 18. Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. In the former grant, the power of binding and loosing had respect to nothing but doctrine. Whatever Peter declared lawful and unlawful, should be held so by heaven; whereas here it relates not to doctrine only, but to discipline also. If by their admonitions, whether public or private, the apostles brought their brethren to repentance, they loosed the guilt of their sins, the fetters by which the divine justice detains men its prisoners; or, as it is expressed in the precedent verse, they gained their brethren, i. e. saved them from perishing. On the other hand, if the offending brother continued impenitent, after the methods prescribed were all tried, they bound his guilt the faster upon him, because, according to the laws of heaven, the terms of salvation which they were to preach by inspiration, none but penitents shall obtain pardon. Farther, to encourage good men to be very earnest in their endeavours to bring sinners to repentance, he assured them, that if they prayed to God for it he would hear them, provided it was agreeable to the wise ends of his providence, Matt. xviii. 19. Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth, as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them; I am in the midst of them by my especial favour and presence. For observing that in those religious assemblies they act as the duty which they owe to me directs, I will intercede with my Father for them, and procure them from him a gracious answer to their prayers. Such are the rules which our Lord would have us to observe in matters of private offence. Private admonition must be used before the correction becomes more public. But in public offences the case is different. The correction of such, even in the first instances, must be public like the offences themselves, that the scandal occasioned by them may be removed. And in this sense we are to understand the apostle's direction to Timothy, 1 Epist. v. 20. "Them that sin, rebuke before all, that others also may fear." Jesus, in his discourse of private offences, had, it seems, said something about the number of times these were to be forgiven; probably that which Luke has recorded on another occasion. Chap. xvii. 3. If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him, and if he repent, forgive him. 4. And if he trespass against VOL. II.

thee

'thee seven times in a day," he did not mean the same, but different trespasses, as is evident from the following clause, in which the trespassing brother's repentance is mentioned," and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him." For Peter having heard the doctrine of frequent forgiveness thus peremptorily inculcated, imagined it might be of dangerous consequence to society. He therefore took upon him to object against it. Matt. xviii. 21. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? In these questions Peter expressed great surprise, at being ordered to forgive till seven times those who injured him. His Master replied, that when he or dered injuries to be forgiven till they came to the length of seven, he did not mean precisely that number, but that the pardon must be repeated as often as the injury. 22. Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee till seven times, but until seventy times seven. This excellent morality he illustrated by the parable of the two servants, debtors to one lord, in which he showed the necessity of forgiving the greatest injuries, in every case where the offending party is sensible of his fault, and promises amendment, a necessity of the strongest kind, arising from this law of the divine government, That it is the condition upon which God forgives our offences against him. 23. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants: because I order you to forgive all who repent of the injuries they have done you, therefore the method in which you are to be treated by me at the last day, if you refuse forgiveness, may be represented by the behaviour of a certain king towards his servants, when he took account of them. 24. And when he had begun to reckon, or inspect their accounts, one was brought unto him, probably his steward or treasurer, who having had the management of his revenue, orved him no less than ten thousand talents; that is, upwards of one million eight hundred and seventy thousand pounds Sterling, and who, upon inquiry, was found to have nothing. Wherefore, as it plainly appeared, by his having run through such vast sums, that he had been both negligent and extravagant, his lord ordered the law to be executed against him. (See Lev. xxv. 39. 2 Kings iv. 1. Neh. v. 5. Isa. I. 1.) Matt. xviii. 25. But for as much as lie had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. Not that the value of him, and his family, and effects, was any way equal to the debt, but as a punishment of his wickedness. For on any other supposition, it is hard to conceive how his lord, whose humanity and goodness was so great, came to take such a rigorous measure; especially as the advantage accruing to himself therefrom, must have been but a trifle in comparison of his

loss,

loss. The steward being thus put in mind of his debt, and threatened with the execution of the law, durst neither deny it nor make light of it, as many do who are admonished with respect to their sins. For the accounts were at hand, and the officers had laid hold on him to bind him, ver. 27. In great perplexity, therefore, he fell down on the ground, and besought his lord with many tears to have patience, promising to pay the whole debt. 26. The servant therefore fell down, and worship ped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pag thee all. The confusion he was in made him say this without consideration; for the debt which he owed was a sum by far too great for one advanced in years, as he was, and who had nothing, ever to think of acquiring. However, his lord being of an exceeding generous, and merciful disposition, was touched with his distress, had compassion on him, and ordered him to be loosed. 27. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt, that is, did not insist on present payment, for he afterwards exacted the debt, ver. 34. 28. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants which osved him an hundred pence; and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pey me that thou west. The Roman penny, or denarius, which is here spoken of, being in value about sevenpence-halfpenny of our money, the whole sum that was due to kim did not much exceed three pounds Sterling. Therefore, his craving this trifle in so rough a manner, immediately on coming out of the palace, where so much lenity had been shewed to him in a matter of far greater importance, manifested the very basest disposition in the man. 29. And his fellow-servant fell down at his fect, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Though this poor man's creditor was a fellow-servant, and consequently no more than his equal in rank, he humbly fell down at his feet, and with the same earnestness entreated him as he had done his lord, making him a promise, which there was not only a possibility, but a probability of his performing. I will pay thee all. Nevertheless the other, forgetting the much greater mercy that had been shewed to himself so lately, in the like circumstances, by their common master, was insolent and inexorable, and would not wait a moment. He went immediately, and cast the man into prison. 30. And he would not, but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. Such inhumanity in such circumstances, and from such a man, afflicted all his fellowservants exceedingly. So they came and told it to their lord. So when his fellow-servants saw what gras done, they were very sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done. 32. Then his lord, after he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, the vast sums thou owedst

me,

me, because thou desiredst me: I forgave thee because thou acknowledgedst the debt, fell down at my feet, and humbly beggedst me to have patience, promising to pay me. Matt. xviii. 39. Shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant ? who likewise acknowledged his debt, and promised payment, shewing thee in his supplication, though thine equal, as much respect as thou shewedst to me, thy lord and king. Thou shouldst therefore have had compassion on him, even as I had pity on thee. 84. And his lord was wroth, was exceedingly enraged, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him: He ordered him to be tortured till he should make payment of the whole debt...

In this parable, which may be considered as our Lord's explication of the fifth petition of his own prayer, there are three things set in opposition; namely, the lord to his servant, an immense sum to a trifle, and the most extraordinary clemency to the greatest cruelty. The application of the parable therefore is easy, and fit to overturn all the arguments whereby evil minds justify revenge; particularly those that are taken from the nature and number of the offences committed, or from the dignity of the persons against whom they are committed, or from the benefits conferred on the persons who commit them. For, in the first place, what are men compared with God? In the second place, how great sums do each of us owe to him? In the third place, how trifling are the offences which our brethren commit against us, perhaps through inadvertency, or in consequence of some provocation received from us? Most unworthy, therefore, of the divine mercy are weak mortals, who, notwithstanding they are themselves

Ver. 34. Delivered him, &c.] This at first sight may seem an improper method of obtaining payment in such circumstances. Yet when it is considered, that the man's behaviour to his fellow-servant shewed him to be a wretch not only of the most barbarous dispositions, but extremely covetous, his lord had reason to suspect that he had secreted his money and goods, especially as nothing appeared in his possession. Wherefore he wisely ordered him to be tortured on the rack, till he should discover with whom they were lodged, and make complete payment. Besides it may bě considered in the light of a punishment incomparably heavier than that which was to have been inflicted on him purely for his insolvency. For though the debt was immense, yet whilst it appeared to have been contracted, not by fraud, but by extravagance and bad management, he was only to be sold with his family for a certain term of years, that payment might be made as far as their price would go. But now that he added to his former misbehaviour, covetousness and unmercifulness in the exaction of a trifling debt from a fellow servant to whom he ought to have been more indulgent for the sake of their common lord, who had been so kind to him, there was all the reason in the world to suspect, that in his lord's affairs he was more fraudulent than negligent. For which cause he was delivered to the tormentors, to be punished in the manner his crimes deserved; than which, a stronger representation of God's displeasure against men of unmerciful, unforgiving, a d revengeful dispositions cannot be set forth, or even conceived by the utmost force of human imagination.

themselves weighed down with an infinite load of guilt, are implacable towards their fellow-men, and will not forgive them the smallest offences, although they have a due sense of them, and express their sorrow for them. Persons of this monstrous disposition, should seriously consider the conclusion and application of the parable in hand. 35. So likervise shall my heavenly Fa ther do also unto you, if ye from your hearts, that is, really, inwardly, and not in word or tongue only, forgive not every one, however great, or rich, or powerful you may be, his brother their trespasses. A most awful threatening, which ought to strike terror into men of fierce and implacable minds. For whatever they may think, it shall in its utmost extent be executed upon all who will not be persuaded by the consideration of the divine mercy, fully to forgive, not their fellow-servants merely, but their own brethren and God's children, such petty trespasses as they may happen to commit against them, but afterwards are sensible of their fault, make reparation, and promise amendment.

LXXV. Jesus leaves Galilee, and goes up to Jerusalem to the fourth passover by the way of Perea. Mat. xix. 1, 2, Mark

x. 1.

AFTER delivering the parable of the servant debtors, our Lord went into Judea. Matt. xix. 1. And it came to pass that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan. Properly speaking, no part of Judea was on the farther side of Jordan; for though after the Jews returned from the captivity, the whole of their land was called Judea, especially by foreigners who happened to mention their affairs, it is certain that in the gospels, Judea is always spoken of as a particular division of the country. We may therefore reasonably suppose that Matthew's expression, και ήλθεν εις τα όρια της Ιωδαίας πέραν τω logdavy, is elliptical; and may supply it from Mark thus, And came into the coasts of Judea, die To Tigar To logdars, through the country beyond Jordan. For Mark says expressly, x. 1. κακείθεν ανατας έρχεται εις τα ορια της Ια dzing dia tu nigay tỵ logdars, And he arose from thence, and came into Judea by the farther side of Jordan, by Perea, see on John ix. 39. § 84. In this journey, our Lord passed through the country beyond Jordan, that the Jews living there might enjoy the bene fit of his doctrine and miracles. Matt. xix. 2. And great multitudes followed him, namely from Galilee into Perea, and he heal ed them there. Mark x. 1. And the people resort unto him again, viz. the inhabitants of Perea, for Mark speaks of them chiefly, and as he was wont, he taught them again. At this time our Lord seems to have travelled quickly through Perea in his way to Judea. For though the people now resorted to him in great crowds, we cannot from that circumstance infer that he staid long

here.