The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 212

eto. ; but this result baa no be11ring on the m11y be stated more accurately as I to lessening or the original debt. 1,250,000. The enormous difference between Ver. 26.-Worshipped him, Prostrated these two amounts represents the dispro- himself before the monarch, and in this portion between the offences of our neigh- abject attitude sued for meroy. He.ve patienoe bours against us and those of which we are with me. Be long-suffering in my case; give guilty towards God; and how small is the me time. And I will pay thee all, In bis forgi ven~ss on our aide compared with that t.error and anguish, he promises impossible which God freely accords to our infinite things; even the revenues or a province debt to hiru I We must consider alao the would not in any convenient time supply parties to whom these debts are owiog-on this deficiency. The scene is very true to one side, the worm mnn ; on the other, life. To save himself from a present diffi- Almighty God. Took him by the throat culty, a debtor will make any promise that ((1rvry•); was t7trottling him. Thus preclud- ooours to him, without considering whether ing all prayer and remonstrance. Such he will ever be in e. position to fnlfil it. The brutal treatment was not what he himself defaulter in the po.rable must have thought had experienced. Pay me that thou owest ; well of the king's generosity e.nd tender- 8 .-, 6</>•llleis : quod debes. Many manu- hee.rtedness to make such e. proposition at scripts and late editors (e.g. Lachmann, this extreme moment. If we take the spiritual Tregelles, Tischendorf, Alfor<l, W e8tcott and sense of the parable, we see that no sinner Hort) soften the demand by reading et ,-, could offer to pay, much less pay, the debt 01>.lllm, Iii quid debes., "if thou owest due from him to his Lord, "so that must be anght,'' as though the creditor were ashamed let alone for ever" (Pa. xlix. 8). of mentioning the paltry sum due; or else Ver. 27.-Was moved with compassion. it is simply a fashion of speaking, not to be The earthly circumstance bas its counter- pressed as if any doubt was intimated con- part in God's dealings with sinners. Humi- oeming the debt. It might almost be lity, confession, prayer, are accepted by him rendered, "Pay, since thou owest some- as pe.yment of the debt, Loosed him from thing." Not thus had hia lord addressed arrest, from being sold as a slave. This was him in the first instance. the first favour accorded. The second was Ver. 2().-l'ell down at his feet. The even g.ceater. l'orge.ve him the debt. The fellow-servant repeated the action and the servant had asked only for time ; he reoeives very plea which he himself hatl bot now acquittance of the enormous sum which he used so successfully. :Besought. Not "wor- owed. The king's severity he.d brought shipped," ll8 in the former case, where the home to the debtor· his full .guilt and its superiority was more marked. consequences; when he realizes these, and Ver. 30.-And he would not. The piteous throws himself on his lord's mercy, he appeal made no impression on his hard receives more than he had e.sked or hoped heart. " He did not even regard the worda for. But (to.revert to. the spirituo.l interpre- by which he himself had been saved (for tation) the pardoned sinner must not forget on saying these same words be had been the past; he must live as one forgiven. So.ye delivered from tho ten thoUB::uid talents), the penitent psalmist, "I acknowledge my nor reoognize the port by which he had traneg.cessions, and my sin is ever before escaped shipwreck; neither did the attitude me " (Ps. li. 3). of supplication remind him of his master's Ver.28.-Wentout-straightway from his kindness ; but putting aside all such con- lord's presence, where he had been so merci- siderations by reason or covetousness, cruelty, fully trea~d, while the remembrance of his a.:id revenge, he was fiercer than any wild free and undeserved forgiveness must have beast" (St. Chrysostom, in lac.). Re went been still fresh. l!'ound. Lighted upon by and oast him into prison. He either himself chance, as it were. Here, rather, was provi- dragged the wretched debtor to prison, or dentially offered an opportunity of showing was uot satisfied till he had seen the door of that his lord's goodness was not thrown the gaol close upon him. Fllr from forgiving awai,, but had entered his heart and con• the debt, he woulJ not even grant an exten- trolled his conduct towards others. One of sion of time; he must have payment im- his fellow-servants. An. official of the king, medie.tely, or he will exe.ct the utmost but probably in an inferior posit.ion to that punishment till the debt is fully discharged. which he himself oooupied. Seeing this Ver. 31.-Fellow-aervants. Those in the man, he is reminded of II paltry debt whioh same condition of lifo as the incarcerated this person owed him. He remembers this debtor. Mystically, they would be the fact : he forgets his late experience, An angels, who, like those in the parable of hundred penoe ( denarii; see on eh. xx. 2); the tares, tell the Lord w hilt we.a done ; or equivalent to some £3 of our money, and a the saiuts who plead with Gou against ■um not e. millionth part of his own debt to oppression and injustice. They were VerJ Ilia master: the proportion, 119 some say, eorey. It is well remarked that auger  216 TilE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MA'l'TIIEW. [ou. xvm. 1-35>.