Where Two or Three are assembled in his Name, he is with them.

19 Again I say unto you,

that if Two of you shall agree on Earth, as touching any Thing that they shall afk, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven.

20 For where Two or

Three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in

the Midst of them.

29

on Earth, shall be loofed in Heaven. (See Note (b) Sect. 94.

on Mat. xvi. 19. Vol. i. pag. 546.)

And further, as a convincing Token and Demonftration of this, I say unto you, that this Authority and Power not only shall attend the Actions of your whole united Body, but even if any Two of you shall agree together here on Earth (g) concerning any Thing which they shall think it proper to ask in Prayer, for the miraculous Confirmation of any of their Determinations, it shall be immediately done for them by my Father in Heaven (b). For where but Two or Three are afssembled in my Name, with a Regard to my Authority, and to the Purposes of my Glory, whatever the peculiar Occafion be, I am there by my special, tho invisible Presence, in the Midst of them, and will shew by all proper Interpositions of my Divine Power, the Regard I have to their Interest and their Prayers.

IMPROVEMENT.

THUS happy

Mat. XVIII. 19.

20

HUS happy are the meanest Servants of Christ, in the Care and Mat. xvin.
Favour of their Heavenly Master, and in the Angelic Guard 10.

which by his high Command are continually attending even the Lambs
of his Flock. So condescending are the Blessed Spirits Above, that even
the greatest of them do not disdain to minister unto the Heirs of Salvation.
(Heb. i. 14.) Let not the wisest and greatest Men despise those, whom
Angels honour with their Guardianship and Care; especially fince the Son
of Man, that merciful Shepherd, has come forth into this Wilderness, to fave Ver. 11, 12.
that which was loft, and even to feek and recover us, when we were gone
aftray, and should otherwise have wandered on to our eternal Ruin.

What could have been more happy for the Church of Christ, than the Observation of this plain and easy Rule, which he has given for ending Ver. 15, 16. Difputes among his Followers! And yet who, that fees the Conduct of

the

(g) If any Two of you shall agree together here on Earth.] The Text fo exprefsly refers to agreeing in a Petition, that I wonder the learned and judicious Editors of the Pruffian Testament should render it, If any Two of you shall live on Earth in a good Understanding with each other. Perhaps there may be a Reference to the Notion the Jews had, that it was neceffary at least Ten should concur in focial Prayer, if any extraordinary Success was expected. See Trigland. de Setta Karæorum, cap. x. pag. 172.

(b) It shall be done for them, &c.] That this refers to a miraculous Anfiver of Prayer, may appear from comparing Mat. xxi. 21, 22. Mark xi. 23, 24. John xiv. 13, 14. 1 John. iii.. 22. v. 14, 15. and Jam. v. 16. See Tillotson's Works, vol. iii. pag. 307.

30

Reflections on the Management of Church Cenfures.

Sect. 94. the Generality of Christians, would imagine, they had ever heard of fuch a Rule? Instead of this private Expostulation, which might often bring a Debate to a speedy and amicable Conclufion, what publick Charges! what paffionate Complaints! what frequent and laboured Attempts to take, if the least scandalous, yet not the least pernicious kind of Revenge, by wounding the Characters of those, whom we imagine to have injured us?

Ver. 17.

As for Church Cenfures, how lamentable is it, that they have been fo little conformable to this Rule, and in many Instances so contrary to it, in almost every Christian Nation under Heaven! Is this the Form, in which Ecclefiaftical Judgments do appear, in the Popish, or even in the Protestant World? Are these the Maxims, by which they have been, or by which they are determined, even by those, who claim the largest Share in the Promises made to the Apostles, and boast with the greatest Confidence of the Presence and Authority of Christ with them, to confirm their Sentences, and to sanctify, perhaps, Rapine and Murther ? Vain wretched Confidence! Let us earnestly pray, that this Dishonour to the Chriftian Name may every where be wiped away; and that true Religion, and even common Humanity, may not with such solemn Mockery be destroyed in the Name of the Lord.

Ver. 18.

Ver. 20.

Let humble Submission be always paid to Apoftolical Decifions in every Difficulty; and let the Promises made to these Leaders in the Christian Church, be some Encouragement even to us, on whom the Ends of the World are come. None but an Omnipresent, and consequently a Divine Person, could say, Wherever Two or Three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the Midst of them. His Power, and his Goodness, can never be impaired; let it therefore be an Encouragement to Social Prayer, and let the Remembrance of our Redeemer's continued Presence and Inspection, engage us to behave ourselves agreeably to the Relation that we claim to him, and to those Expectations from him which we boaft.

SECT. XCV.

Our Lord cautions his Disciples against a revengeful Spirit, and inculcates mutual Forgiveness, by the affecting Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. Mat. XVIII. 21, to the End.

МАТ. XVIII. 21.

Sect. 95. THEN when Jesus had given this Advice, for the Accommodation of Differences among his Disciples, Peter, imagining it might be abused by ill disposed Persons, as an Encouragement to offer Injuries

MAT. XVIII. 21.

How often an offending Brother should be forgiven.

how oft shall my Brother fin against me, and I forgive

22 Jesus saith unto him, I fay not unto thee, Until seven Times; but until seventy Times seven.

23 Therefore is the Kingdom of Heaven likened unto a certain King, which would take Account of his Ser

vants.

24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him Ten thousand Talents:

25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his Lord

commanded him to be fold, and his Wife and Children, and all that he had, and Payment to be made.

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

31

Injuries to others, came to him and faid, Lord, Sect. 95.
how often must I forgive my Brother, if be offend
against me? must I go on to do it, until he has
repeated the Injury seven Times?.

21.

And Jesus in Reply says to him, I do not 22
merely say to thee, Till seven Times, but even till
Seventy Times seven: In short, the Precept is un-
bounded, and you must never be weary of for-
giving your Brethren, fince you are so much
more indebted to the Divine Mercy, than they
can be to yours.

24

For this Reason, or with Respect to this 23
Matter, I may properly say, that the Kingdom of
Heaven, in its Constitution and final Process, may
be likened to, or be illustrated by the Instance of a
certain King that ruled over a large Country (a),
who, as he had a great Number of Officers under
him, was determined at length to fettle an Account
with his Servants. And when he began to reckon
with them, there was brought to him one, who had
so abused the eminent Station in which he had
been placed, and the high Confidence which his
Prince had reposed in him, that he owed him a
most immense Sum, and stood accountable for
Ten thousand Talents (b): And as he had 25
nothing to pay, which could be any Equivalent for
the Debt, or any confiderable Composition for it,
his Lord, according to frequent Custom in such
Cases, (Exod. xxii. 3. Lev. xxv. 47. and 2 Kings
iv. 1.) commanded him to be fold for a Slave, and
also his Wife and Children, and all the Goods that
be bad, and Payment to be made with the Price of
them, as far as it would go. The Servant 26
therefore falling down in helpless Consternation,
proftrated himself at his Master's Feet, and faid,
Lord, I beseech thee to have Patience with me for

a

(a) May be likened to, or be illustrated, &c.] See Sect. 58. Note (i), Vol. i. pag. 355. (b) Owed him Ten thousand Talents.) According to Dr. Prideaux's Computation, if these were Talents of Gold, this would amount to Seventy-two Millions Sterling; which is so immenfe a Sum, that it seems strange, Antiochus the Great should be able to pay it, as Eutropius tells us he did, to purchase a Peace with the Romans. (Eutrop. lib. iv. cap. 2.) If they were Takents of Silver, it must have been 4,500,000l. See Prid. Connect. Vol. 1. Pref. pag. 20.Our Lord feems to have used it, on purpose to intimate the Number and Weight of our Offences against God, and our utter Incapacity of making him any Satisfaction.

(c) On

,

32

The Parable of the unmerciful Servant.

Sect. 95. a while longer, and I will endeavour to pay thee
~ all.
Then the Lord of that unhappy Servant,
Mat. XVIII.

27.

28

whose Affairs were so utterly defperate, being
melted with Compassion, graciously discharged him;
and knowing how vain it was to expect he
should ever pay him, declared, that on Condition
of his future good Behaviour (c), he frankly for-
gave him all the Debt.

But just as that Servant went out from the
Prefence of his generous and indulgent Sovereign,
he met with one of his Fellow-Servants, who owed
him but a very inconfiderable Sum of Money, no
more than an Hundred Pence (d); and laying hold
of him by the Throat, and almost strangling him (e),
he faid, in a furious and outragious Manner, Pay
me that which thou owest me immediately, or I will

29 detain thee as my Prisoner. And his poor
Fellow-Servant fell down at his Feet, as he had
done at his Lord's, and intreated him, faying in the
very Words, which he himself had used but just
before on the like Occafion, Have Patience with
me for a while longer, and I will endeavour to pay
30 thee all.
And he would not be prevailed upon
to forbear him any longer; but went away with
Magistrate, and cast him into Pri-
fon, protesting he should lie there, till be should
pay even the last Farthing of the Debt.

31

him before

a

And when his other Fellow-Servants Saw what was done, they were exceedingly grieved at such an Instance of unexampled Cruelty from a Man in his Circumstances, and came and gave their Lord the King an exact and faithful Account of the whole Matter (f), who was highly incensed

27 Then the Lord of that Servant was moved with

Compaffion, and loofed him, and forgave him the Debt.

28 But the fame Servant went out, and found one of

his Fellow-Servants, which owed him an HundredPence: and he laid Hands on him,

and took him by the Throat,

faying, Pay me that thou oweft.

29 And his Fellow-Servant fell down at his Feet, and befought him, saying, Have Patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

30 And he would not: but went, and caft him into Prison, till he should pay the Debt.

31 So when his FellowServants saw what was done, they were very forry, and came and told unto their

Lord all that was done.

32 at so inhuman an Action. Then his Lord
32 Then his Lord, after
having called him again, faid unto him with just that he had called him, faid

Indigna

unto

(c) On Condition of his future good Behaviour.) This is a Circumstance exceeding natural, and by the Revocation of the Pardon afterwards, it seems strongly implied.

(d) An Hundred Pence.] Reckoning the Roman Denarius at Seven Pence Halfpenny of our Money, it amounted to Three Pounds and Half a Crown.

(e) By the Throat, and almost strangling him.) This is the proper Import of the Word επνιγε, which yet more strongly expresses his Cruelty.

(f) Gave their Lord an exact and faithful Account.] This is the Meaning of the Word διεσάφησαν, as Albert has shewn; Obferv. pag. 116.

(g) Thou

.

If we forgive not our Brethren, we shall not be forgiven.

H

33

Indignation, Thou wicked and barbarous Slave (g), Sect. 95.
thou knowest that I frankly forgave thee all that
vast Debt which thou owedst to me, because thou
didft intreat my Pity: And shouldst not thou Mat. XVIII.
also have had Compaffion on thy Fellow-Servant, 33.
when in thy Power, even as I but just before had
Compassion on thee? Thou art most inexcusable in
what thou hast done, and I will treat thee accord-
ingly.

And his Lord being justly incenfed, revoked the 34
Grant of Remiffion he had just before made, as
forfeited by so vile a Behaviour; and not only put
him in Prifon, but delivered him to the Tormentors
there, to fetter and scourge him (b), till be flould
pay all that was due to him; which was equivalent
to condemning him to perpetual Confinement,
and painful Imprisonment during Life.

And Jesus concluded the Discourse with faying, 35
Thus also will my Heavenly Father deal with you,
if you do not every one of you from your very
Hearts forgive his Brother bis Trefpaffes; and I
leave it to your own Confciences to judge, whe-
ther it be safe for you to tempt the Strictness of
his inexorable Justice, by the Severity of your
Conduct toward your offending Brethren.

IMPROVEMENT.

OW unreasonable, and how odious, does a severe and uncharitable Temper appear, when we view it in the Light of this Parable ! Yet what Light can be more just than this? We are indebted to GOD Mat. xviii. more than Ten thousand Talents ; from our Infancy we begin to contract 24. the Debt, and are daily increasing it in our ripening Years: Justly there

fore

(g) Thou wicked Slave.) The Word one is not always a Term of Reproach, nor does it necessarily imply more than Servant: (Compare Mat. xxv. 21, 23.) Yet in this Connection, I thought it would well bear the Version I have given it, and would best express the Indignation with which his Lord is supposed to fpeak.

(b) Delivered him to the Tormentors, &c.] Imprisonment is a much greater Punishment in the Eastern Parts of the World, than here; State Criminals especially, when condemned to it, are not only forced to submit to a very mean and scanty Allowance, but are frequently loaded with Clogs, or Yokes of heavy Wood, in which they cannot either lie, or fit at Ease; and by frequent Scourgings, and sometimes by Racking, are quickly brought to an untimely End. (See Samedo's China, pag. 225.) To this there is probably a Reference here. Compare Sect. 32. Note (h), Vol. i. pag. 192.

4

1