often overlooked when we read it. I mean, the circumstance of the wretched debtor's being brought before his Lord. If man, fallen man, were left to himself, he never would come to seek forgiveness of his debt, or even so much as time to try to pay it in. This is proved before our eyes by the irrecoverable state of moral degradation to which many tribes of the earth are at this day reduced. Some few have been met with who have no name for God, not even an idea of His existence; whilst innumerable multitudes of heathen, though they have the idea of God, cannot be taught to worship Him as such. Hence all God's revelations of Himself, His will, His law. Hence His rising early and late to send prophets, at divers times speaking by them in divers manners. Hence His sore judgments upon nations, and chastisements of individuals. Hence, "in these latter days, He has spoken to us by His Sonf." These and other things, each and all, shew not

f Heb. i. 1.

only how freely God's mercy is bestowed when sought for, but its superabundant freeness in His seeking to make men seek it. The good Shepherd goes out into the wilderness to seek the lost sheep, in order to save them.

Observe, I have thus far applied the parable only to the case of man as he is by nature, not as he is under grace. And I have done so purposely; because this appears to be the first and most direct application of this first portion of the parable. Of course, with a slight alteration, it applies to man in the state of salvation also, whenever God will take account with him; whenever indeed man but enters upon self-examination. Only, when so applied, the servant's saying, "Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all," represents to us the error of those who imagine any subsequent obedience of theirs can pay off the debt of past disobedience; and the Lord's free forgiveness of "all that debt," denotes again our unmerited salvation for Christ's alone merit's sake.

The detailed application of the first part of the parable in this way would, however, detain us too long for the present occasion, and it is the less necessary, because what follows introduces us to the case of man no longer in the state of nature, but in the state of salvation.

The forgiven debtor represents the sinner pardoned and bidden go in peace, but with a consequent law imposed; which law, even without an express command, his disburdened conscience ought to teach him; viz. the obligation of loving God by loving his neighbour; of forgiving other men their trespasses against himself, as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven him his trespasses. "O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me; shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?"

This duty is put as an obligation obvious and self-evident, by reason of the benefit which he had received.

But the man is represented in the parable as having paid no regard to it.

pence;

"The same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all! And he would not; but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt."

Herein, alas! we have pourtrayed the but too common conduct of men, after they have been brought into the state of salvation; even utter neglect of the obligations imposed upon them by their being in it.

For the one particular here instanced, stands for all other particulars of duty that could be enumerated. "For love is the fulfilling of the laws." "If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar." "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." "By

8 Rom. xiii. 10.

h 1 John iv. 20. and 11.

this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to anotheri," said our Lord Himself: and, "If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

This also is shewn us in the parable. For, "his Lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him."

See how completely he forfeited the grace he had received! His Lord delivered "him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him."

And when should that be? How could he, who, though forgiven and free, never could have paid off the debt himself, how could he ever do it, when given over, bound hand and foot, unto the tormentors? Never, of course; never, to all eternity. That is the meaning of " till."

The duty of mercifulness to our fellowmen is thus not only taught us by the

i John xiii. 35.

N

Matthew vi. 14, 15.