III. The necessity —
[There is an intimate connexion between the exercise of God's mercy to us, and ours to others. Though our forgiving of others cannot merit forgiveness from God, yet it will cer- tainly be followed by it. On the other hand, an unmerciful disposition towards others will be the certain means of ex- cluding us from God's favour'. It will cut us oif from the enjoyment of the mercy we seemed to have obtained*^. In uttering the Lord's prayer, we shall even seal our own con- demnation'. Let us then, if we desire to find mercy in the day of judgment, forgive others, as we hope to be forgiven "\]
Let us LEARN from hence,
L How to obtain forgiveness for our own offences —
[We must not merely ask for patience in hopes of dis- charging our own debt: we must rather acknowledge our inability to pay one single mite ; and implore at God's hands a free and complete forgiveness. We must not however con- clude from the parable, that there is no need of the mediation of Christ : it is through him alone that we can derive any blessings from God ; but we must ask for mercy as a gift, instead of attempting to make any compensation for our own iniquities.]
2. How to obtain a foi'giving temper towards others —
[If we know not what we ourselves merit at God's hands, we shall be ready to think much of any injuries which we receive from others; but if once we become sensible of the greatness of our debt to God, and of the obligations he has laid us under by the free offers of his mercy, we shall feel no difficulty in exercising forbearance and forgiveness. Resent- ment cannot long dwell in the bosom of one who has tasted redeeming love. Let it then be our study to obtain a thorough knowledge of our own depravity, and to imitate the long- suffering, which we ourselves so richly experience.]
men are then especially bound to exercise mercy, when they them- selves have received mercy. Lev. xxv. 9.
' Matt. vi. 14, 15. Jam. ii. 13.
^ The parable must not be understood to say, that God revokes mercy, when he has once really pardoned us. See Rom. xi. 29. Heb. viii. 12.
1 Matt. vi. 12. m Col. iii. 12, 1^.