The parable of the unmerciful servant. certain king, which of his servants. 31 XCV. unbounded, and you must never be weary of sECT. forgiving your brethren, since you are so much more indebted to the Divine mercy, Mat. than they can be to your's. xviii. 23 Therefore is For this reason, or with respect to this mat- 23 the kingdom of hea- ter, I may properly say, that the kingdom of ven likened unto a heaven, in its constitution and final process, would take account may be likened to, or be illustrated by, the instance of a certain king that ruled over a large country, who, as he had a great number of officers under him, was determined at length to 24 And when he settle an account with his servants. And when 24 had begun to reckon, he began to reckon with them, there was brought one was brought to him one who had so abused the eminent staowed him ten thou- tion in which he had been placed, and the high unto him, which sand talents: his lord commanded be made. confidence which his prince had reposed in him, that he owed him a most immense sum, and stood accountable for ten thousand talents: 25 25 But forasmuch And as he had nothing to pay which could be as he had not to pay any equivalent for the debt, or any considerable him to be sold, and composition for it, his lord, according to frehis wife and chil- quent custom in such cases (Exod. xxii. 3; dren, and all that he Lev. xxv. 47; and 2 Kings iv. 1), commanded had, and payment to him to be sold for a slave, and also his wife and children, and all the goods that he had, and payment to be made with the price of them, as far 26 The servant as it would go. The servant therefore falling 26 therefore fell down down in helpless consternation, prostrated himand worshipped him, saying, Lord, have self at his master's feet, and said, Lord, I bepatience with me, seech thee to have patience with me for a while and I will pay thee longer, and I will endeavour to pay thee all. Then the Lord of that unhappy servant, whose 27 27 Then the Lord affairs were so utterly desperate, being melted moved with compas- with compassion, graciously discharged him; sion, and loosed him, and, knowing how vain it was to expect he should ever pay him, declared that, on con all. of that servant was May be likened to, or be illustrated, e.] See sect. lviii. note, Vol. I. was to pay fifteen thousand talents, that is, five hundred talents down, two thousand five hundred when the senate should ratify the peace, and the remaining twelve thousand Owed him ten thousand talents.] According to Dr. Prideaux's computation, if in twelve years, at a thousand talents a these were talents of gold, this would amount to sevent; two millions sterling; which is so immense a sum, that it seems strange Antiochus the Great should be able to pay it, as Eutropius tells us he did, to purchase a peace with the Romans: (Eutrop. lib. iv. cap. 2.) But, by Livy's account of the conditions of peace, they were talents of silver, of which Antiochus VOL. 2. 6 year: (Liv. Histor. lib. xxxvii. cap. 45, and lib. xxxviii. cap. 38.) And even thus the sum must have amounted to 6,750,000/. See Prid. Connect. Vol. I. Pref. p. 20, and Vol. II. p. 138. Our Lord seems to have mentioned so large a sum on purpose to intimate the number and weight of our of fences against God, and our utter incapacity of making him any satisfaction. 32 The parable of the unmerciful servant. с SECT. dition of his future good behaviour, he frankly and forgave him the forgave him all the debt. XCV. Mat. debt. 28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fel But just as that servant went out from the xviii. presence of his generous and indulgent sove28 reign, he met with one of his fellowservants, who lowservants, which owed him, but a very inconsiderable sum of owed him an hunmoney, no more than an hundred pence, and dred pence: and he laying hold of him by the throat, and almost and took him by the strangling him, he said, in a furious and out- throat, saying, Pay rageous manner, Pay me that which thou owest me that thou owest. me immediately, or I will detain thee as my en laid hands on him, servant fell down at his feet, and beHave patience with sought him, saying, me, and I will pay thee all. 29 prisoner. And his poor fellowservant fell down 29 And his fellowat his feet, as he had done at his lord's, and treated him, saying, in the very words which he himself had used but just before on the like occasion, Have patience with me for a while longer, and I will endeavour to pay thee all. 30 And he would not be prevailed upon to forbear 30 And he would but went away with him be- cast him into prison, any longer; fore a magistrate, and cast him into prison, pro- till he should pay testing he should lie there till he should pay the debt. even the last farthing of the debt. 31 him gave their not, but went and 31 So when his ed him, said unto And when his other fellowservants saw what fellowservants saw was done, they were exceedingly grieved at such what was done, they an instance of unexampled cruelty from a man were very sorry, and in his circumstances, and came and came and told unto their lord all that lord the king an exact and faithful account of was done. the whole matter, who was highly incensed at 32 Then his lord, 32 so inhuman an action. Then his lord, having after that he had callcalled him again, said unto him with just indig- him, O thou wicked nation, Thou wicked and barbarous slave, thou servant, I forgave knowest that I frankly forgave thee all that thee all that debt, vast debt which thou owedst to me, because thou edst me: 33 didst entreat my pity: And shouldst not thou 33 Shouldst not also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, thou also have had when in thy power, even as I but just before compassion on thy had compassion on thee? Thou art most inex- as I had pity on thee! < On condition of his future good behaviour.] This is a circumstance exceeding natural, and by the revocation of the pardon afterwards it seems strongly implied. d An hundred pence.] Reckoning the Roman denarius at seven pence halfpenny of our money, it amounted to three pounds and half a crown. By the throat, and almost strangling him.] This is the proper import of the word eye, which yet more strongly expresses his cruelty. because thou desir fellowservant, even f Gave their lord an exact and faithful account.] This is the meaning of the word duranov, as Albert has shewn ; Observ. p. 116. & Thou wicked slave.] The word dλ is not always a term of reproach, nor does it necessarily imply more than servant : (compare Mat. xxv. 21, 23) Yet in this connection I thought it would well bear the version I have given it, which may best express the indignation with which his lord is supposed to speak. Reflections on an unforgiving and revengeful spirit. 34 And his lord 33 cusable in what thou hast done, and I am de- SECT. termined to treat thee accordingly. XCV, Mat. xviii. And his lord, being justly incensed revoked was wroth, and de- the grant of remission he had just before made, livered him to the as forfeited by so vile a behaviour; and not 34 tormentors, till he should pay all that only put him in prison, but delivered him to the was due unto him. tormentors there, to fetter and scourge him," till he should pay all that was due to him; which was equivalent to condemning him to perpetual confinement and painful imprisonment during life. 35 So likewise And Jesus concluded the discourse with 35 shall my heavenly saying, Thus also will my heavenly Father deal Father do also unto with you, if ye from your you, if you do not every one of you from hearts forgive not your very hearts forgive his brother his tresevery one his brother passes; and I leave it to your own consciences their trespasses. to judge whether it be safe for you to tempt the strictness of his inexorable justice, by the severity of your conduct towards your offending brethren. IMPROVEMENT. How unreasonable and how odious does a severe and un- Verse charitable temper appear, when we view it in the light of this 24 parable! Yet what light can be more just than this? We are indebted to God more than ten thousand talents; from our infancy we begin to contract the debt, and are daily increasing it in our ripening years: justly, therefore, might he cast us into the prison of hell till we paid the uttermost farthing. And were we to fall at 26 his feet, with a promise of paying him all on his patient forbearance, it must be the language of gross ignorance, or of presumptuous folly, when addressed to a Being who knows our poverty, and knows that, in consequence of it, we are utterly incapable of making him any amends. But he magnifies his grace in the kind offers of a free forgiveness; and shall we who receive it, and hold our lives and all our hope by it, take our brethren by the throat, because they owe us a few pence? or shall 28 we carry along with us deep continued resentment, glowing like a hidden fire in our bosoms? God forbid! For surely if we do so, out of our own mouth shall we be condemned, while we 34 acknowledge the justice of the sentence here passed against this cruel servant. Delivered him to the tormentors, &c.] Imprisonment is a much greater punishment in the eastern parts of the world than here: state criminals especially, when condemned to it, are not only forced to submit to a very mean and scanty allowance, but are frequently loaded with clogs or yokes of heavy wood, in which they cannot 34 SECT. 35 A stranger, acting in the name of Christ, Christ himself has made the application: so shall my heavenly xcv. Father deal with you, if you do not forgive your brethren: and he has instructed us elsewhere to ask forgiveness only as we grant Verse it. (Mat. vi. 14, 15.) Let us then from this moment discharge our hearts of every sentiment of rancour and revenge, nor ever allow a word, or even a wish, that savours of it. And as ever we hope our addresses to the throne of Divine mercy should meet with a favorable audience, let us lift up holy hands, without wrath, as well as without doubting. (1 Tim. ii. 8.) SECT. SECT. XCVI. Christ reproves John for prohibiting one who cast out demons in his name, because he was not of their company. Mark IX. 38-41. Luke IX. 49, 50. swered him, followeth not IN TN the midst of the preceding discourse, re- AND John anlating to humility and selfdenial, the apos saying, Master, we tle John (whether desirous of diverting him saw one casting out Mark from a subject which he could not hear pur- devils in thy name, and he followeth ix. 38 sued without some consciousness of having not us and we fordeserved blame, or thinking it might receive bade him, [because some farther illustration by his remarks upon he the case that he should mention) interrupted with us.] [LUKE IX. 49.] our Lord, and answered him, when he had just been urging a readiness to receive one of the least of his servants in his name (Mark ix. 37, p. 20), by saying, Master, while we were in our late progress, we saw one casting out demons in thy name, who does not follow us, nor converse with us as brethren: and we forbade him to do it any more, because he does not follow thee among us, and never had, as we apprehend, any regular commission from thee, and so might possibly have proved an occasion of neglect or reproach to the rest of thy disciples. Interrupted our Lord.] I have inserted this story apart here, that the thread of the preceding discourse might not be broken; that the xciii. section might not be lengthened beyond due bounds; and that I might have room to illustrate and improve this passage, which, though short, has both its difficulty and its use. Casting out demons in thy name.] Probably this was a case something resem bling that of the sons of Sceva (Acts xix. 13-16); and God might see reason now to grant that efficacy to their adjurations, which he afterwards denied, when the evidences of the gospel were proposed so much more distinctly and fully, after the descent of the Spirit. Dr. Clark supposes that he was one of John the Baptist's disciples. 39 But Jesus said is not to be forbidden. 35 But Jesus said unto him, Do not forbid, or SECT. unto him, forbid go about to hinder him at present; for, by thus xcvi. him not: for there is making use of my name, he appears to have no man which shall Mark ix. 39 do a miracle in my some reverence and regard for me, and will name, that can not therefore set himself against me; since lightly speak evil there is no man who shall be seen to work such of me. [LUKE IX. a miracle in my name, that can quickly, or on 50.-] any slight occasion, speak evil of me, or say any thing dishonourable of that name for 40 For he that is which he professes such a regard: And be 40 not against us, is on that regard ever so imperfect, I would not disour part. (LUKE IX.-50.] courage one who acts thus now: for, with respect to such, and in a case like this, I may use a proverb, (the reverse of that which I mentioned on a different occasion) and say, Whosoever is not against us, is for us, and therefore I would by no means condemn a man for doing that by which the kingdom of Satan is in fact weakened, and my name glorified, though he have not my immediate and express commis41 For whosoever sion. I rather take it in good part, as I am 41 shall give you a cup willing to do any thing that looks like a token of water to drink in of esteem and affection to me, be it ever so inmy name, because ye belong to Christ, considerable; for, as I formerly told you verily I say unto (Mat. x. 42, Vol. I. p. 421), whoever shall preyou, He shall not sent you with a cup of cold water only in my lose his reward. name, that is, because you belong to Christ, verily Whosoever is not against us, is for us.] Our Lord had formerly said (Mat. xii. 30), He that is not with me, is against me; thereby giving his hearers a just and necessary admonition that, on the whole, the war between him and Satan admitted of no neutrality, and that those who were indifferent to him would finally be treated as his enemies. (See sect. lxi. Vol. I. p. 339.) But here, in another view, he very consistently uses a different and seemingly opposite proverb, the counterpart of the former, directing his followers to judge of men's characters in the most candid manner, and charitably to hope that they who did not oppose his cause wished well to it; a conduct peculiarly reasonable, when his cause lay under so many discouragements. Probably many who now concealed their regard to him were afterwards animated courageously to profess it, though at the greatest hazard. I cannot, with Mr. Baxter, think an express declaration of regard to Christ to have been more necessary in the former case than now; but it is most obvious that Christ requires us to be more rigorous in judging ourselves, than he allows us to be in judging each other. |