their artless love, their general simplicity. " They are naked, and not ashamed ; " assume no disguise, because they are unconscious of the need of any, 2. Their ready belief in everything they are told. The child hears of the world and its wonders with o. reverential awe, As we grow older we clothe ourselves in scepticism, and guard ourselves against deception, till, as the climax of wisdom and safety, we heliave nothing, and are like the heavy-mailed knights of old, stifled in our own armour. We train our spirits to believe in nothing but the most obvious commonplace physical things, which by their own nature are destined to decay. And the end is, we cannot, if we would, believe in the most tremendous realities. Well may we pray that God would dip us in the wa.ters of hie regenera.tion, that so the hard, foul crust in which this world encases us may drop off, a.nd our flesh become soft a.nd fresh as a child's again. 3. Their readiness to receive instruction, information, gifts. The whole life of a. child is reception. He takes gifts na.turally, and without distressing himself as to his right to them. He is to be fed because he is hungry, made happy because his nature craves it. Whereas we must ever be trying to give to God what will satisfy him. But God sella nothing. The highest and best things he ha.s to give we must accept at his hand, simply because we need them, and he is williag to give. In Christ's own life we see this childlike dependence beautifully exemplified. Clearly apprehending hi.a own position and work, he was yet as one under age. Carrying into manhood the faith of the child, he lived as one who was well cared for, and on whom the care of providing for himself did not rest. 4. It is, above all, the child's unconsciousness that he has anything to commend him that makes him our modeL The production of this humility is an invariable and essential accompaniment of conversion. Formerly a man lived on hie own strength and for himself. Now he feels he is not hi.a own, but God's; born of God, kept by God, for God's uses, beginning from God a.nd ending in God. In presence of that Being, glorious in holiness a.nd love, he abhors his own sensua.l and selfish life, and a.ha.see himself utterly. He has no claims to urge, no promises to make, no pretensions, nothing at all to show. What this child seemed to say to these helpless disciples, he says to all-You must turn, you must strive with your whole souls, you must pray, but convert yourselves you cannot; it is God only can give you a new heart. Have you been brought to a true dependence on God, so feeling the guilt of your past life and the evil of your natural character that you can. but leave yourself in the hand of God and hie grace for pa.rdon a.nd renewa.l ?-D,
Vers. 21-36.-The unmerciful servant. The form of Pater's question shows that he still considered that to forgive was not the law of the kingdom, but a tenta.tive measure which might at any moment be revoked, that undernea.th the forgiveness there lies the right to revenge. We also know this feeling of Peter'e, that in forgiving we are doing something more than could be demanded of us. .And this feeling, wherever it exists, shows tha.t we are living with retalia.tion for the law, forgiveness for the exception. It is to mark with reprobation the unforgiving a.nd self-seeking spirit that our Lord utters this parable. I. The first result of this spirit is that IT LEADS TO DISHONOURABLE OUTLAY UPON OURSELVES OF WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN us FOB BETTER USEB. The man whose great motive in life is the desire to get all the good out of it he can for himself will contract debt to God, that is, will contract real guilt, exactly in proportion to his opportunities of doing good and playing e. high part in life. Whether the power be grea.t or little, the guilt contracted is the same, if we lay out on ourselves what should in simple honesty have been laid out on God, if we habitually divert from God the revenues which truly belong to him. II. But still more strongly does the parable point to THE HATEFULNESS OP' AN UNTOB- GIVING SPIRIT. The man was not softened by the remission of his own great debt. So it often is with the sinner deadened by long sin. There is no deep contrition ia hi~ cry for pardon, only a desire to escape, as selfish as the desire to sin was. If tho-· forgiving love of God does not humble, it hardens us. If we take it as a mere trill.e;. e.nd are not thoroughly humbled by it, we are only too apt to show our zeal iu exposing and reproving the faults of other men, or by violent and unrelenting con- demnation of those who offend us. The hatefulness of this spirit is sig,nalizrd by one 01 iwo added particulars. 1. The petty amount of the debt he exacts as set over auaind 230 THE GOSPEL ACCORDIXG TO ST. M.\TTIIE\V, [c11. nm. 1-35,