The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-07
INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL
 LESSON
Thira Quarter. Lesson 2. Mafths
 xviii, 2i-3s. July s, 1908.
The puay of Forglvens.s.

The Duty of Forgiveness.
 II is right for him who asks forgive ness for his offenses to grant 1t to oth- ers.---aorace.
 Though with their high wrongs I am
 struck to the quick, Yet with my nobier Reason. against Do take part: the rarer action is In Virtue than in vsngeance.-shake-
 speare-
 The parable of the king taking ac- count of his servants was a transcript from current history. All the rulers of Palestine were the servants of the Elm peror. They were likely to be sum- fnoned any instant and made to give account of their gubernatorial deeds and revenues. From such a plane Je- sus lifts the thought of Ills disciples to the plane where God Is King. It pieases Him to bring Ills creatures in- t0 an accounting with Himse1f. It ia evidently not last judgment that Is pictured, for the unmerciful servant is set loose and given another test. Tn this parable Jesus portrays a species of preliminary trial which reveals the soul to itself. The effect of thie ante judgment is to reveal to the sinner his insolvency, He Is ten thousand talepts in debt. These figures simply illustrate the immensity Of our liability to Gods account. We can not pay a mite out Of a talent In view of his invincible bankruptcy. there is nothing for the sinner to do but to sue for mercy. One of the most consolatory strokes in the parable .s this: The Lord was moved with compassion. and forgave him the debt"
 This parable is an expansion. ii. a popular and attractive form, of the truth stated concretely in answer to Peters question: Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me and l for give him: till seven times?" The re- mainder of the parable shows the in- eongruousness of the forgiven sinneS showing an unforgiTipg spirit toward his fellow. By the very incredibility of the supposed case Jesus snows that the unforgiving spirit Is incompatible with discipleship, The servang who had been forgiven a debt of s15,00o. 900 finds a fellow-servant who owes him si5. He does not follow the example of his king. On the contrary. he seizes his debtor and demands the last farth- ing On hearing of this deed the King is wroth, and cancels his own forgive ness.
 This is Jesus's answer to Peters question, How oft shall I forgiven" Peter had made an advance upon the Taimud and rabbis. They taught the
  fense, but after that. allowed anger. resentment, and revenge. Peter more than doubled the rabbinic allowance. He proposes to forgive seven times Will not the sacred number suffice? But Jesus's laeonic and decisive answer is, Seventy times seven;" this is prac- sieally without ceasing. A definite number Is put for an indefinite one. In this multiplication of the perfect mum Der by its multiple. Jesus practically says, Throw away the multiplication table when you come to the matter of forgiveness"
 Analysis and Key.
 1. Jesuss use of current events.
 For illustration.
 Rulers of Palestine summoned
 To Rome for accounting.
 2. Accounting to God.
 In this instance not a last judgment. Preliminary accounting reveals insoI- veney
 Divine forgiveness
 a Application to mans forgiveness of fellow
 Paradox: Forgiven sinner showing unforgivinR spirit.
 4 No degrees in forgiveness.
 Question How oft?" not to be raiSed. Peters advance on rabbis not sufh- cient.
 Seventy tines seven. Practically without ceasing.
 Threw away the multiplication table when it comes to forgiveness.