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When the King began to reckon with his Servants, the first that was brought in was found to owe him upon account ten thousand Talents. Now a Talent at that time was reckon'd 750 Ounces of Silver, which at five Shillings an Ounce made the whole amount to a thousand eight hundred seventy five thousand Pounds; a vaft Sum of Mony, and far be yond the power of any Servant to pay. By this is reprefented the many great and invaluable Mercies and Bleffings for which we ftand indebted to the Goodness of God; Mercies that we are never able either to reckon or requite.

But what did the King in the Parable to this Servant, who was run fo deep in Arrears, as not to be able to get out? Why that the next Verfe tells us; Forafmuch as he had not to pay, his Lord commanded him to be fold, and his Wife and Children, and all that he had, and Payment to be made. Where the Mafter order'd him to be used according to the Custom then in ufe among the Jews; which was, that Debtors that were not able to pay, were appointed to be fold, they and their Wives and Children, to become Servants and Bondmen to thofe that bought them, and by that Sale the Debt was to be fatisfy'd. Of this Custom we read in 2 Kings 4. 1. where a Creditor came upon fuch an occafion to take two Sons of a diftreffed Widow to be made Bondmen. This Ufage (as fome Authors tell us) was only exercis'd on fuch Debtors, as by Idlenefs, Knavery, or Prodigality had render'd themselves unable to pay; whereas induftrious Perfons, who were disabled by unavoidable Ac cidents and Neceflity, found more favour: tho this Custom is continu'd to this day in fome barbarous Countries, in its utmoft Rigour and Severity.

This Paffage of the Parable is defign'd to let us know what God in juftice may exact from all wicked, ungrateful, and unprofitable Servants: he may require of them the utmoft Farthing, or yield them up to be Slaves and Vaffals to the worst of Enemies; or, which is worse, caft them into the Prison of Hell, and doom them to outer and eternal Darkness, where is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

But how did this Servant behave himself under this fad and fevere Sentence? Why it follows, The Servant therefore fell down and worship'd him, faying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. The indebted Servant, inftead of denying or outfacing the Debt, in all Humility fell upon his Knees, praying him to fhew mercy, and to miti

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gate his Sentence, and not to ufe Extremity towards him; affuring him that he wanted not Will, but Ability to pay, and if he would grant him Time and Patience, he would do his utmost to discharge the Debt, and give him full Satisfaction.

This Paffage gives us to understand, how we are to demean our felves towards God Almighty, to whom we ftand fo deeply indebted; to wit, not to difown or leffen the Mercies we have receiv'd, but humbly to acknowledg our great Obligations to the Divine Goodnefs, to be deeply fenfible and forry for any Abuse of them, to make fresh Promises and take up new Refolutions of making better Returns for them; imploring his Grace to enable and incline us to make him all poffible Satisfaction.

But how did the Mafter in the Parable deal with the Servant upon this his humble Petition? Why very mercifully, as the following Words declare; Then the Lord of that Servant was moved with Compaffion, and loofed him, and forgave him the Debt: meaning, that he was fo tenderly affected towards him, that he not only recall'd the former Sentence, but frankly remitted the whole Debt upon his bare Requeft; a great and unexpected Favour.

By this is reprefented the infinite Kindness and Readiness of God Almighty to fhew Mercy, that he is a God gracious and merciful, long-fuffering, abundant in Goodness and Truth, pardoning Iniquity, Tranfgreffion, and Sin; not exacting from us more than we are able to pay, but willing upon our Submiffion to quit fcores, to cancel our Debts, and to remember our Sins no more.

But what was the Carriage of this Servant, who had fo great a Debt remitted him, towards his Fellow-Servants? Did his Mafter's Compaffion towards him move his Bowels upon the like occafion towards them? And was he as willing to forgive others, as he was to be forgiven himself? No, quite otherwife; for the next words tell us, that the Jame Servant went out and found one of his Fellow-Servants who ow'd him an hundred Pence, and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, faying, Pay_me that thou oweft. He who juft before had ten thoufand Talents frankly forgiven him, fet upon his Fellow-Servant with the utmost Rigour for an hundred Pence; a fmall inconfiderable Sum in respect of the former, yea, not fo much as a Penny to a Pound. He demanded it likewife with that Infolence and Indignity, as could no ways become the Station of a Ser

vant, and acted rather the part of a Bailiff than a Creditor; for he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, gave him many threatning Words, and perhaps Blows, roughly requiring him to make prefent Payment of the Debt. Strange Carriage! for one who was juft before forgiven fo vaft a Sum, prefently to apprehend another in fo rigid a manner for a Debt many hundred times lefs. One would think fo late a Favour from his Mafter, fhould not be fo fuddenly and fo eafily forgotten, but that the Greatness and Frankness of it fhould have left fuch deep Impreffions upon him, as to have fet him upon ftudying to make fome Return, if not to the Master, to fome of his Servants and Dependents: but instead of that, he neither regarded the Kindness of his Mafter, nor the Neceflity of his FellowServant, but acted with the Rudeness and Severity of one, who clearly overlook'd both.

But perhaps this indebted Servant might be furly and reproachful in his Language or Behaviour, either denying the Debt, or vainly delaying the Payment: No, far otherwife, for this poor Servant used the fame humble Poftures of Submiffion to him, as he did before to his Master. For this Fellow-Servant fell down at his feet, and befought him, faying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. He fhew'd the very fame Refpect, and put up the fame Petition to him, as he who had fo much forgiven him did before to his Mafter. And yet all this would prevail nothing with him; for the next words tell us, He would not, but went and caft him into Prifon, till he should pay the Debt. The Mafter's Kindness, in the total remitting of his great Debt, could not melt him into the leaft Forbearance of his Brother for a vaftly lefs; but he used the greatest Extremity towards him, cafting him into Prifon, never to be releas'd thence without paying the whole Debt.

This Paffage of the Parable fhews us the great Ingratitude and unworthy Dealing of fome Men towards the greatest Benefactors. The great Kindness fhew'd to this Servant, was intended to oblige him to fhew the like to others, especially his Fellow-Servants; and the doing otherwife, was an Act of great Ingratitude: 'tis to be utterly infenfible of the highest Obligations, and inftead of requiting, to return Injuries and Indignities for the greatest Favours, which they that do, deferve to be branded with the blackest Marks of Reproach and Infamy.、

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But how did the other Servants refent this bafe and unworthy Treatment of one of their Fellow-Servants? Why that the following words declare; So when the Fellow-Servants faw what was done, they were very forry, and came and told unto their Lord all that was done. They were much troubled at the hard Ufage and Sufferings of one of their Fellow-Servants, and likewife at the infolent and barbarous Behaviour of him that dealt thus unmercifully with him: and knowing how widely different this Ufage was from what he himself had found from his Mafter, they came in a. Body together, to inform their Lord of all that had pafs'd. Which may teach us to refent all fuch Bafenefs and Ingratitude, and to bring all fuch cruel and barbarous Ufers of their Brethren to condign Punishment.

But what follow'd upon their acquainting their Lord with this matter? Why, 'tis faid that his Lord, after he had call'd him, faid unto him, O thou wicked Servant, I forgave thee all that Debt becaufe thou defiredft me, fouldst not thou also have had compaffion on thy Fellow-Servant, even as I had pity on thee? Where he firft rebuk'd him with fharp and fevere Language, calling him, Thou wicked Servant, and upbraiding him with his former Kindness, fhew'd to fo vile and unworthy a Wretch; together with his ungrateful and unrelenting Ufage of his Fellow-Servant, in not fhewing the leaft Compaflion to him, when he himfelf had just then found fo much. These words of the Parable are thus paraphras'd by a Learned Divine: "O thou unconsciona"ble Man, thou canst not but remember how I lately for ic gave thee all that vaft Sum owing to me, with which "this of thy Fellow-Servant bears no proportion; and "that upon thy bare Request, without any other Motive "but my own Compaflion, to invite me to fo great an "Act of Mercy: was it not then reafonable for thee, who hadft receiv'd fuch a Favour from thy Mafter, to "have fhew'd fome pity at least in remitting fo fmall a Sum, when I had remitted to thee fix hundred thousand ૮૯ times as much?" This was fmart and good Reasoning indeed, and enough to convince or fhame the moft hardhearted Wretch.

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But was this all that the Lord did to fo wicked and unworthy a Servant? No, he knew well enough that Words to fuch vile Perfons prove no better than Wind, and leave no Impreffion behind them: and therefore 'tis added, That his Lord was wroth, and deliver'd him to the Tormentors, till Vol. IV. Part 2. Hh

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he should pay all that was due to him: meaning, that he was juftly enrag'd against him, and ferv'd him as he had done his Fellow-Servant, delivering him to the Tormentors, that is, either the Bailiffs or Officers appointed to_feize fuch Perfons, who for the Miferies, Charges, and Troubles they commonly put upon them, are ftil'd Tormentors; or elfe the Keepers of Prifons, who are wont to detain them there till the Debt is difcharg'd. In short,

The Lord recall'd his former Pardon, and exacted from him the whole Debt, committing him to Goal, till he had paid the utmoft Farthing.

This is the Parable appointed to be read for the Gofpel of this Day: The Application whereof is in the Clofe of it, in these words; So likewife fhall my heavenly Father do alfo unto you, if ye from your Hearts forgive not every one his Brother their Trefpaffes. Where by this Refemblance we fee what measure to expect from God in this matter, who will deal with us as we do with others: if we forgive not Men their Trefpaffes, neither will our heavenly Father for give ours; and they fhall have Judgment without Mercy, who fhew no Mercy.

This is the Drift and Scope of this Parable, from whence we may learn the following Leffons.

1. That 'tis an A&t of Charity to remit a Debt, where it cannot be paid. This we learn from the Example of God himself, who requires from none more than they can do; and therefore we may not exact from any beyond their Ability. We are bid to be merciful, as our heavenly Father is merciful; and to follow the Example of his Beneficence and Charity, who forgiveth Iniquity, Tranfgref fion, and Sin. This God daily does for us, and this he expects we should in fome measure do for one another. Not that any fhould take encouragement from hence wilfully to run into Debt with a defign to defraud, or to pretend Poverty to enrich themfelves with the Spoils of others: in fuch cafes the Severity of the Law may and ought to take place. But in cafes of real and extreme Neceffity, and where unavoidable Accidents have occafion'd the Inability, there Mercy and Pity ought to be fhew'd..

2. From the Servant's taking his Fellow-Servant by the Throat for a fmall Sum, when he himself was just before forgiven a much greater; we learn the Cruelty of the ri gorous requiring of any, more than he is able to perform,

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