The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-08-08
THE SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR AUGUST IL.

SoUJeCt' Ahe cOrGlVlng Splrlts uAhtt>
xviii, a1-35-Golden Text: Matt. VII
"2-Memory Verses, FL, a2-Commsn'
tary on the Days Lesson.
q. Then came Peter" Peter always
. made himself very prominent. "And !
! forgive him." He knew it was his duty
!. to forgive, but the question was, How Of.
ten: Till seven times" Peter uses the
term seven in strictly literal sense. The
teaching OF the rabbis was never to forgive
more tnan three times. Peter increases
this until he supposed he had reached the
, limit. Man is naturally a vinulctive being,
cult to him than forgiveness of injuries.
2; Until seven times This would be
wholly inadequate. Seventy times seven"
| That Is, there shoulu be no limit to Your
forgiveness. The precept is unbounded,
and you must never be weary OF Iorgiving.
%: Kingdom of heaven hkened." The
/ teachings of Christ with respect to for.
giveness are fully illustrated in the para
bic which follows. 1t shows, l. The char.
acter of mans relation to God. 2. The real
meaning, on mans part, of distinct re-
reckoning" ,(R. " Inc fundamental
I moral principle in Gods kingdom is right.
eousness. The great King OF heaven and
earth will, one day, reckon with all Of His
subjects. Every sin is debt contracted
with the justice of God, and soon our
Master will settle accounts with US. What
an awful time it will be when with multi
tudes nothing shall be found but sin and
! insolvency!
"a. Ten thousand talents" An enor-
nous sum. The amount cannot De reck-
oned definitely. 1t has been estimated all
the way from ten million to three hundred
l<lln ~,
tended to indicate the infinite debt in
Cured, which could never be discharged.
25. Had not to pay" Our debt to God
is so great that we are utterly incapable
of making Him any satisfaction whatever.
Commanded him to be sold" An allu-
sion to the Law of Mc.es. See Exod.,
22:3; Lev. 25, 80. AZ; 2 Kings Al. Cred
itors had power to sell insolvent debtors
in several countries of Europe, as we'll as
Asia, in ancient times. We thus see by
this parable what our sins deserve. Cap.
tives to sin are captives to wrath. And
payment be made" The amount OBJ
Gel the debt, but as large a payment was
26. will pay thee ALL" The debt is ad-
mitted and he comes pleading for mercy.
The means which sinner should use to be
saved are, l. Deep humiliation of heart.
.. Fervent prayer. 3. Confidence in the
mercy of God. 1. A firm purpose to de-
vote his soul and body to his Maker
81. "Forgave him the debt" We are
debtors of our heavenly King, who has en-
trusted to us the administration. of what
is His, and which we have purloined or
misused, incurring an unspeakable debt:
which we can never discharge, and of
which utter ruin would be the proper Sc
Quence. But, if we cast ourselves at His
feet, He is ready in infinite compassion
not only to release us from punishment,
but to forgive us the debt.
%. "An hundred pence" About fifteen
dollars. "Took him by the throat" Thus
manifesting most unkind and base dis,
position. The sin is greatly aggravated
when we consider his own debt, and the
sins against me compared to my number
less sins against God? "Pav me what thou
owest." He was unwilling even to forgive
him single dollar: He must pay in full
and pay at once. We must be very careful
and not show this same disposition in our
treatment of others.
20. "Fell down at his feet" His fellow
servant humbled himself and plead for
mercy as he himself had done just before
this.
80. "And he would not" Such is man;
SO harsh and hard against those who. are
in every way his equals. Ignorance OF his
own condition makes him unforsiving and
cruel to others.
81. "Were very sorry" An act Of this
kind is so dishonorable to all true Chris.
tians, and to the spirit of the. gospel, that
through the concern they feel for the
prosperity of the cause Of Christ, they are
Obliged to speak against it.
SO. Thou wicked servant" unmerci-
fulness is great wickedness. 10 the unmer-
ciful, God will have no mercy; this Is an
eternal purpose of the Lord which can
give not men their trespasses; neither will
never be changed. Jesus said, If ye for:
your Father forgive your trespasses.,
Matt. 6:l5. Because they besought me-
(R. W When We really beseech Christ
for forgiveness He will answer us and
grant our pardon. No one need despair.
We have nothing to pay and nothing IS
demanded. If we come. in humility ana
faith and in the spirit OF obedience God is
always ready to hear us. But we must urge
our case (Luke ISIS; TEess. ,5:l7; Matt;
~, 81 and continue tc beseech the Lord
even when surrounded by disbursements.
80. even as l had pity on thee. Inc
servant is here shown the obligation he Is
under to his fe.,ow-servant because of the
mercy that had been shown him. 1t is
Justly expected that those who have re-
ceived mercy shall show mercy. -.
81. Delivered him to the tormentors.
The person who does not have torglving
spirit will be tormented, both in this
world and in the world to come. A guilty
conscience. the fear Of the judgment day
and the fires OF Gods wrath (Rev. 2O:l5)
will. in turn. act as tormentors. All that
was due" And inasmuch as the amount
was so great that he could never pay 1t. he
must have been delivered over to the tor
mentors forever. The wicked will be ban
ishad eternaly from the presence of God.
See Matt. 5:25, aG, 25:46; ev. A:H; Matt.
Matt. 1873.
35. so likewise" This verse .5 an ap-
plication of the whole parable. The para,
bic is not intended to teach US that Cod
reverses His pardons to any, but that he
denies them to those who are not worthy
OF them. Those who have not forgiven
others their trespasses have never, yet truly
repented, and that which is spoken OF as
having been taken away is only what they
seemed to possess. Luke Sis. From
YOUR hearts" When we deal with God
mere pretersiorS will not answer. The
one who really forgvrs the trespasses OF
his brother will not be calling them up
again at every provocation. Heart tor
yiyeness is full and complete. Every one
his brother" We will have need to eX'
ercise the grace OF patience and torDear-
ance continually. Lei US remember tnat
''to fcrcive is divine"
NEW SURGICAL ExPEDIENT.