SERMON

ON CRUELTY.

VIII.

MATT. xviii. 32, 33.

O thou wicked fervant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou defiredft me: Shouldeft not thou also have had compaffion on thy fellow-fervant, even as I had pity on thee?

THI

HIS parable is a beautiful elucidation of that part of the Lord's prayer, wherein we pray to God " to forgive us our trefpaffes, as we forgive them that trefpafs against us." It also, very naturally, prefigures the manner of God's dealing with mankind; for the kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king which would take account of his fervants." As moral agents we shall all be obliged,

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obliged, at the day of judgment, to give a ftrict account to God, who is the King of kings, of what we have done in the body, whether it be good or whether it be evil. "And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him which owed him ten thousand talents.' This vast sum * is specified, in order to point out the abundant of God, who is ever willing to forgive mercy even the greatest offences, if the finner be truly penitent; but if he repent not, then the divine justice will take its course. And therefore we read, that "forafmuch as he had not to pay," nor had probably shewn any figns of candour, humility, or contrition,

his lord commanded him to be fold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The fervant then fell down and worshipped him, faying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all." Here we find, that, at the approach of punishment, he became difmayed, he became humble, and forry for his fault; and his lord, in the tenderness of his affection towards his poor fervant and dependant,

The value of a talent is about 1871. 10s. in English

"being moved with compaffion, loofed him, and forgave him the debt."

How full of delight is the reflexion, that we do all ferve fuch a compaffionate, fuch a merciful Lord; that we, who are tied and bound with the chains of our fins, are, through mercy (that darling attribute of heaven) loofened and fet free; that we, who fome time were the fervants of fin, are now permitted to become the fervants of God, in whose service is perfect freedom! But, alas! do we not frequently abuse this allgracious goodness and loving kindness? Let us look to ourselves while we read, that "the fame fervant went out, and found one of his fellow-fervants, which owed him an hundred pence and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, faying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellow-fervant fell down at his feet, and befought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and caft him into prison, until he fhould pay the debt. So when his fellow-fervants faw what was done, they were very forry, and came

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**The value of a Roman penny is about 7d. in English money.

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and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, faid unto him, O thou wicked fervant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou defiredft me: Shouldeft not thou alfo have had compaffion on thy fellow-fervant, even as I had pity on thee?" Surely mercy, in majesty divine, came down from heaven, to fhine over the whole earth, upon all creatures; may any one of us, therefore, in the perverseness of his foul, strive, with impunity, to bedim its glory? Certainly not: for we find, that "the lord of that wicked fervant was wroth, and that he delivered him over to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him." How? Was not the debt already remitted? It was: but the forgiveness was retracted, not because of the debt, but because of the cruelty and hard-heartednefs that was fhewn towards a fellow-fervant. "So likewife fhall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye, from your hearts, forgive not every one his brother their trefpaffes."

It appearing then that a relentless and cruel difpofition of mind is particularly, and with much point and force, criminated in

this parable, I fhall confine this discourse entirely to the subject of Cruelty; and the rather, because we have not been often enough reminded from the pulpit of our wilful and inconfiderate barbarities.

ift, I shall attempt to draw out-line characters of certain perfons, who, for their cruelties, may well be called Chriftians without principle, and men without humanity.

2dly, I fhall fhew, that, in this life, the perpetrator of cruelty is a hateful character; and that, in the world to come, he will, probably, be excluded from God's mercy. 3dly, I fhall conclude the fubject with, I hope, fome few useful reflexions.

Ift then, Behold the rancorous and un-feeling creditor! Dark, vindictive, and malignant, he fits brooding over human mifery. He feels fomething like joy at the debtor's agony under his afflicting power. If the mifery be not, in his opinion, sharp enough, he renders it more poignant by unequal variations and reiterations of cruelty. Sometimes he shall agonize the foul of the fuppliant and grief-worn wife with terms of harsh morality against her husband; terms