beloved sins are not abandoned, the soul must be lost, or go into everlasting fire. See notes on Mark ix. 44, 46, 48.

10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

'Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones,' &c. That is, one who has become like little children or a christian. "In heaven their angels do always behold his face.' That is, the angels are the guards of his followers, and aid them, and watch over them, Heb. i. 14. They always behold the face of God.' This is taken from the practice of earthly courts. To be admitted to the presence of a king; to have free access at all times; was deemed a mark of peculiar favour, 1 Kings x. 8. Esther i. 14. So, says our Saviour, we should not despise the obscurest christians, for they are ministered to by the highest and noblest of beings; beings who are always enjoying the favour and friendship of God.

11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

This is a second reason why we should not despise christians, for the Son of man came to seek and save them. It was the great object of his life; and that cannot be worthy of contempt which the Son of God sought by his toils and his death. Son of man.' See note, Matt. viii. 19, 20. That which was lost.' A wicked and profligate man is said to be lost to virtue and happiness. He is useless to society. So all men are lost. They are wicked, miserable wanderers from God. They are lost to piety, to happiness, and heaven. These Jesus came to save by giving his own life a ransom, and shedding his own blood that they might be recovered and saved.

12 How think ye? If a man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? 13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, He rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

To show still further the reason why we should not despise them, he introduces a parable. Man rejoices over the recovery of one of his flock that had wanderea, more than over all that

remained. So God rejoices that man is restored, seeks his salvation, and wills that not one thus found should perish. If God thus loves and preserves the redeemed, then surely man should not despise them. See this passage further explained in Luke xv. 4-10.

15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

The word brother,' here, evidently means a fellow-professor of religion. Christians are called brethren because they belong to the same redeemed family-having a common Father, God, and being united in the same feelings, objects, and destiny. Trespass against thee.' That is, injure thee in any way, by words or conduct. 'Go and tell him his fault.' Seek an explanation of his conduct; and if he has done wrong, administer a friendly and brotherly reproof. This is required to be done alone, that he may have an opportunity of explaining it, or of acknowledging his offence, and making reparation, if he has done wrong. It should not be blazoned abroad. This can do no good. It does injury. It is what the enemies of religion wish. Christ is often wounded in the house of his friends; and religion, as well as an injured brother, suffers by spreading his faults before the world. Thou hast gained thy brother.' To gain, means, sometimes, to preserve, or to save, 1 Cor. ix. 19. Here it means, thou hast preserved him, or restored him, to be a consistent christian.

16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

'If he will not hear thee,' &c. That is, if he spurns or abuses you, or will not be entreated by you, and will not reform. 'Take one or two more. They should be persons of influence or authority; his personal friends, or those in whom he could put confidence. The law of Moses required two or three witnesses, Deut. xix. 15. 2 Cor. xiii. 1. John viii. 17.

17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

6 Tell it unto the church.' See note Matt xvi. 18. It was to be brought to the church, in order that he might be admonished, entreated, and if possible reformed. This was, and always should be, the first business in disciplining an offending brother. If he neglect to hear the church, let him be,' &c. The Jews gave the name heathen or Gentile to all other nations but themselves.

With them they had no religious intercourse or communion. 'Publican.' See note, Matt. v. 47. The meaning of this is, cease to have religious intercourse with him, to acknowledge him as a brother. Regard him as obstinate, self-willed, and guilty. It does not mean that we should cease to show kindness to him, and aid him in affliction or trial; for this is required towards all men.

18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

See note, Matt. xvi. 19. These words were spoken to the apostles. Christ had used the same words to Peter, ch. xvi. 19. He used them here to signify that they all had the same powerthat in ordering the affairs of the church he did not intend to give Peter any supremacy, or any exclusive right to regulate it.

19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

When two of you agree-have the same mind, feelings, and opinion, about the arrangement of affairs in the church, or about things desired for its welfare, and shall ask of God, it shall be done for them. See Acts i. 14-26; xv. 1-29. The promise has primary respect to the apostles in organizing the church. It may also be applied to the ordinary prayers of believers.

20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

6

This is a general assertion, made to support the particular promise made, ver. 19, to his apostles. He affirms that wherever two or three are assembled together in his name, he is in the midst of them. In my name.' That is, in the place of prayer and praise, assembled in obedience to my command, and with a desire to promote my glory. Every day, perhaps every hour, two or three, or many more, may be assembled in England, in Greenland, in Africa, in Ceylon, in America, in the Sandwich Islands, in Russia, and in Judea-in almost every part of the world-and in the midst of them all is Jesus the Saviour. lions thus at the same time, in every quarter of the globe, worship in his name, and experience the truth of his promise to be present with them. It is impossible that he should be in all these places, and not be God.

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21 ¶Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not

unto thee, Until seven times: but, until seventy times seven.

'Forgive him?" To forgive is to treat as though the offence was not committed-to declare that we will not harbour malice, or act unkindly, but that the matter shall be buried and forgotten. Till seven times? The Jews taught that a man was to forgive another three times, but not the fourth. Peter more than doubled this. 'Till seventy times seven.' The meaning is, that we are not to limit our forgiveness to any fixed number of times. See Gen. iv. 24. As often as a brother offends us, and injures us, and asks forgiveness, we are to forgive him.

23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

'Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened,' &c. It shall be in my church as it was with a certain king; or God will deal with the members of his churcn as a certain king did with his servants. 'Would take account of his servants.' To take account' means to reckon, to settle the affairs. Servants' here mean, probably, petty princes, or more likely, collectors of the revenue, or taxes. Among the ancients, kings often farmed out, or sold for a certain sum, the taxes of a particular province. Thus, when Judea was subject to Egypt, or Syria, or Rome, the kings frequently sold to the high priest the taxes to be raised from Judea, on condition of having a much smaller sum paid to them.

24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

A talent was a sum of money, or weight of silver or gold, amounting to three thousand shekels. A silver shekel was worth a fraction more than two shillings and three pence of our money. A talent of silver was worth about 3757.; of gold, 5,475%. If these were silver talents, as is probable, then the sum owed by the servant was three millions, four hundred and twenty-one thousand, eight hundred and seventy-five pounds, a sum which proves that he was not a domestic, but some tributary prince. The sum is used to show that the debt was immensely large, and that our sins are so great that they cannot be estimated or numbered.

25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

By the laws of the Hebrews, they were permitted to sell debtors, with their wives and children, into servitude for a certain time

sufficient to pay the debt. See 2 Kings iv. 1. Lev. xxv. 39-46. Amos viii. 6.

We are not to interpret the circumstances of a parable too strictly. The statement about selling the wife and children is not to be taken literally, as if God was about to punish a child for the sins of a father; but it is a circumstance to make the story consistent; to explain why the servant was so anxious to obtain a delay of the time of payment.

26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

'The servant fell down and worshipped him.' He prostrated himself before his lord, as is customary in all eastern nations, when subjects are in the presence of their king. See note, Matt. ii. 2.

27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. This represents the mercy of God to men. They owed to God more than could be paid. to be cast off. But God has mercy on them,

They had sinned. They were about and forgives them.

28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

'He found a fellow-servant who owed him an hundred pence,' or a hundred denarii. This debt was about three pounds, four shillings, and seven-pence; a very small sum compared with what had been forgiven to the first servant. Our Saviour, by this, meant to teach that the offences which our fellow-men commit against us are very small and insignificant, compared with our offences against God. Since God has forgiven us so much, we ought to forgive each other the small offences which are committed. 'Took him by the throat.' Took him in a violent and rough manner-half choked or throttled him.

31 So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

So when his fellow-servants,' &c. This is a circumstance