e.gainst sin is God's &ttribnte (ver. 84), supremely deteetable. In e. mystical sense sorrow appertains to men. These h&ve e. these nro the ministers of Divine venge11noo fellow-feeling for the sinner, in that they who oarry out the behests of the King. Till are conscious that in their own heart there he should pay; until hs ahould have paid nre germs of evil which, unohecked, mRy (fo,r o~ &troll'!')- Some editors omit or develop into similar wickedness. Told bracket ol'i, but the sense is the same with (~i,o-&.p71o-aP) ; told clearly. They took the or without the relative. The debt neveu pe.rt of their comrade, e.nd, not in revenge or could be paid, so prnctically the punishment me.lice, but 1\8 an e.ct of jnstice, gave their would Inst for ever. Commentators, medi- lord full information of whnt had happened. mval e.nd modern, see bera nn argument for The jnst cannot hold their peace at the the eternity of future punishment; others sig-ht of oppression and wrong, e.ud God see in the clause o.n intimlltion that sin may confirms their judgment. be forgiven in the other world, though not Ver. 32.-After that he he.d oe.lled him. repented of or pardoned in this present life. A second time he is brought before his lord, The words give no support to the latter not now to receive forgiveness, but to he.ve interpretation. Until, eto., does not neces- the enormity of his guilt exhibited to him, sarily signify the.t the condition specified is and to suffer well-deserved punishment. certain to be fulfilled.. As Bengel says, on In a mystical sense this call is the summons oh. i. 25, "Non sequitur ergo post." And of death, which is virtually judgment. O in the present case there could be no pos- thou wioked aerva.ut. The lord had not 80 sibility of payment. A criminal delivered to addressed him when he had come cringing the tormentors would have no opportunity iHto his presence on the former OCCI\Bion; or means of raising the necessary funds. he had spoken no words of reproach, but If this is e. picture of the final judgment, it simply left him in the Lands of justice. is pe.re.llel to our Lord's statement in eh. v. Now he calls him "wicked," because he is 26, " Thou shall by no means come out unmerciful; he deserves the epithet, because thence till thou hast paid the uttermost he has been guilty of a crime as heinoua as farthing; " for, as the Preacher says," There theft or murder. Then the lord places in is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor strong contrast the mercy which he had wisdom, in the grave whither thou goest" reoeived and the unmeroifulness which he (Eccles. iL 10). All the.t was due [uto him) had shown. All ths.t debt. Great as it was. (-riiv -ro ocp•,>..oµ.evoP o.li-rfi). Modem editon Thou desi:redst me (1ra.p,1<&>..eo-<1S); besoughtut reject a.li-rt;: Vulgate, universum del>itum. me; callcdst on me for a.id. The debtor had This is more general than "o.ll that debt" not asked or hoped for remission of his debt, in ver. 32. It is uaually taken to refer to- e.nd h11d been largely e.nd most nnexpectedly the old debt now redemanded.. But a. blessed. di.fliculty hBB been fonnd in the fact that Ver. 33.-CompusiOJl ..• pity, The same this old debt had been freely forgiven e.nd' verb is used in both ple.ces. Shoulde,t utterly done away, e.nd therefore could not, not thou also have had mercy on thy fello11r in equity, be age.in exacted. Hence some- $ercanl., ei,e,i as 1 had mercy on thee 1 (Re- commentators have explained the ole.nse as vised Version). The man's guilt lies in his referring not e.t e.11 to the former debt, but nnmercifulness in the face of mercy received. to e. new debt incurred by a new offence, The foot is patent; it stands for itself; it viz. ingratitude e.nd unmeroifulness. Bu~ needs no e.mplificalion or enforcement. The the spizitne.l truth seems to be that, a.I though kiDg aays no more, e.nd the delinquent is sins once absolutely forgiven are not· a.gain equally silent; he has no excuse to offer. impuled, they make subsequent sins more Convicted by his own conscience, he knows heinous, BB in a human law court previous it is UBeless to sne for pardon or to expect conviction increases the penalty of a fresh further leniency. 80 in the day of judgment transgression. Falling from grace, a man no excnse ce.n be admitted ; it is too late to pa.sees into enmity with God, and 80 fe.r plead or argue when the sentence is past. C11ncels his pardon, e.nd is in a st!lte of con- Ver. 34.-We.s wroth. This, e.s we Slolid demnation (see Ezek. xviiL 24, 26). above, is the prerogative of God. Man is Ver. 35.-So likewise. This points to the pained e.nd grieved e.t ein; God is angry. moral of the parable intended by Christ. Tormenton ; /30.0-fTJ'JJT'Ttiis : torloribua. These It is not e. lesson against iogre.titude, but a.re not the ge.olera, prison-keepers, but against nnmercifulness. "Blessed are the persons who put prisonel'l! to the torture. merciful: for they shall obtain meroy." Ba, Neither Jewish nor Roman law a.t that want of charity makes a me.n incapable of time recoguized e.ny such officials; neither retaining God'~ po.rdon; the Holy Spirit were those in confinement treated tLus in cannot a.bide in an unforgiving souL My either community. The idea is t!lken from hee.venly :rather. He se.y1, not "your" tl,e practice of Oriental despotism, wLich (eh. vi. H 26), nor" our," but" my heavenly might thna puniah BJ1 offence considered Father," the Father of Chri1t, the God of all err. xvm. 1-36.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTIIEW. 211
mercies. He oo.nnot join himself in mention grace and in reoonoilio.tion with God ; this with such ns are not children of God. l'rom alone makes prayer acceptable ; and we are your hearts. Forgiveness mnst be real, assured that, as our heavenly Father requires sincere, not pretended, nor merely outwo.rd. us to Corgi ve without limit, so hie mercy is There must not only be no outward aot or infinite and will be extended to us in mea- revenge, but no malice in the hoo.rt, no sure unbouncled. Their trespaSBea. These storing up of evil puesions for future outlet, worits are omitted by many mannscripts, DB ocoasion may arise. The heart must ho tho Vnlgate, and most mod em editors; and in harmony with the conduct, and both they are not required by the sense. They must evidence a true spirit of charity. This have been, perhaps, adclecl to obviate a certain alone enBbles ono to continue in e. state of abruptness in the conclusion of the parable.