tion to which the offending party may belong, acting with and by its proper officers, and according to its established order, as the ultimate court of appeal, or means of arbitration and adjustment. And if one who has done wrong to another should "neglect to hear the church" i. e. should refuse to submit to the admonitions of the Christian congregation of which he is a member, he must thenceforward, as long as he may continue obstinate and incorrigible, be treated "as an heathen man and a publican" i. e. be excluded from Christian fellowship. And in ver. 18 our Lord appears to intimate that church discipline, duly exercised, is ratified by divine authority; assigning, perhaps, to his inspired Apostles an extraordinary power in this matter, as in others, but implying, at the same time, that the sanction of heaven would be given to all faithful ministers or rulers of the church, in the discharge of their duty, to the end of time. him the evil of his sin that he may repent. If he hear thee so as to repent and amend, thou hast won him from the danger of his guilt, which may be a comfort to thee: but if he defend his sin, or will not repent and amend, cease not thy love or labour, but take with thee one or two meet persons, that two or three witnesses may the more awe him, or credibly convict him. And if he neglect to hear them, (having exercised due patience for the trial, and fit means to convince him), then make it public by telling the church in whose communion he liveth; either by opening it in the congregation, that the church guides may reprove him, and exhort him to repent, and pray for his repentance; or, when that is not convenient, tell it to the guides of the church, that they may make it public, and do their office. And if he neglect to hear this public exhortation, have no more communion or familiarity with him than with a heathen or a publican, but so carry it that he and others may see that thou esteemest him not as Christian society whom Christ will own." With reference to ver. 18, it has been well remarked, that "what was said before to Peter is here said to all the disciples, and in them to all faithful office-bearers in the church, to the world's end. While ministers preach the word of Christ faithfully, and in their government of the church strictly adhere to his laws, they may be assured that he will own them, and stand by them, and will ratify what one of the they say and do, so that it shall be taken as said and done by himself. READER. Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, &c. We may learn from ver. 15-18 many important practical lessons. Let me present them to you, in few words, as they occur to my mind in looking at the passage. It appears then, First, that unity and brotherly love is a matter of great importance in the kingdom or church of Christ. The careful and precise directions for the restoration of good-will and a good understanding, when broken, point at once to this conclusion.Secondly, It should be our object, when a Christian brother may have done us any wrong, not to revenge ourselves upon the offender, but to gain him over to a right state of feeling and conduct.-Thirdly, Private expostulation, in a spirit of kindness, is the means which should be employed for this purpose in the first instance; and, if this should fail, the interference of Christian friends should be sought, with a view to obtain an amicable settlement of the existing difference.Fourthly, A Christian church, or a congregation of believers in which all things are done decently and in order, ought to be able and willing to arbitrate in such cases;-to this authority we should appeal, if previous measures should have proved ineffectual; and, if this Christian body should deem the party accused worthy of such punishment, and cannot prevail upon him to acknowledge and make due reparation for his fault, then it possesses, and ought to exercise, the power of excluding him from its communion. And in such a case, we must cease to hold fellowship with him as the member of a Christian church; although we shall still be obliged to love, and pity, and pray for him as a fallen and erring fellow-creature. Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth, &c.-Having pointed out the misery and disadvantage of dissension, and the means of avoiding or healing it, our Saviour now declares one great benefit arising from Christian unity and fellowship. He represents it as contributing to the prevalence and efficacy of prayer. The harmonious petitions of united Christian brethren are peculiarly effectual at the throne of grace. By the acceptance and fulfilment of such petitions, for Christ's sake, God puts honour at once upon the ordinance of prayer, and upon the Christian grace of love and brotherly good-will. Let us beware of offering up even private prayer in an unforgiving temper; and let us value every means and opportunity of uniting with our brethren, in the great congregation, in presenting accordant petitions to the God and Father of us all. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. How rich a promise to public Christian prayer! How great value and dignity are hereby stamped upon our assemblies of religious worship; of which we may indeed truly say "This is none other "This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!"-In these words we may find a valuable instruction respecting the true nature and objects of Christian assemblies, -the constitution and work of a true Christian church or congregation. We must meet together in mutual love or fraternal charity, and in the name of Christ. "When we come together to worship God in a dependence upon the Spirit and grace of Christ as Mediator for assistance, and upon his merit and righteousness as Mediator for acceptance, having an actual regard to him as our way to the Father, and our advocate with the Father, then we are met together in his name. We must come together by virtue of his warrant and appointment, in token of our relation to him, professing faith in him, and in communion with all that in every place call upon him ;-and then our congregation possesses all the needful marks or tokens of a Christian church, and is prepared to receive all the blessings which flow to believers from their gracious and ever present Head." or Divine presence, was among them. Let our minds and hearts dwell upon this most precious promise. Wherever two or three are assembled in the name of Jesus, he is in the midst of them. The number of assembled worshippers may be small, but if there be true faith and devotion and brotherly love, there is also the favourable presence of their Lord." 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." "By his common presence he is in all places, as God; but this is a promise of his special presence. Where his saints are, his sanctuary is, and there he will dwell; it is his rest (Psalm cxxxii. 14), it is his walk (Rev. ii. 1) :—he is in the midst of them, to quicken and strengthen them, to refresh and comfort them, as the sun is in the midst of the universe." May we have grace with one accord to make our supplications unto our God and Saviour, remembering for our en that when two or three are gathered together in his name, he will grant their requests. And may He indeed fulfil the desires and petitions of his servants, as may be most expedient for them, granting us in this world knowledge of his truth, and in the world to come life everlasting! There am I in the midst of them.-couragement His word of promise, How plain an assertion of omnipresence, on the part of Christ, and therefore of divinity! And this assertion, easily intelligible by ourselves, must have been peculiarly emphatic in the ears of Jews, because it was a current saying among them that where two or more were gathered together for the purpose of studying the Law,-the Shechinah, CHAP. XVIII. 21-35. Christ teacheth how oft to forgive; which he setteth forth by a parable of the king that took account of his servants, and punished him who shewed no mercy to his fellow. 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. 23¶Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 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 sold, 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. 27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, 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. 31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was tion in the heart, Lord, what wilt done. 32 Then his lord, after he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. thou have me to do? and that meek, inquiring, submissive spirit O Lord,-Speak, Lord, for thy serwhich says, Teach me thy statutes, vant heareth, are among the marks of genuine religion; they are sure characteristics of those who are children of God not only by baptism and by profession, but also by faith in Christ Jesus.-Besides this, the question of St. Peter implies a sense of the duty of forgiveness, a readiness to discharge that duty, and a wish not to do less in this matter than God required. It is said to have been a maxim among the Jews not to forgive an offending brother more than three times. And perhaps this was the rule which the Apostle had in view. He felt that it was too narrow. And he was resolved to ascertain whether it would Luke xvii. 4. ch. vi. 14. Mark xi. 25. Col. iii. be agreeable to the will of God that 13.- A talent is 750 ounces of silver, which after five shillings the ounce is £187 10s.- 2 Kings iv. 1 Neh. v. viii - Or, besought him.—1 The Roman penny is the eighth part of an ounce, which after five shillings the ounce is sevenpence half-penny. ch. xx. 2.-z Pro. xxi. 13. ch. vi. 12. Mark xi. 26. Jam. ii. 13. READER. This portion of the sacred narrative, while it is free from any verbal difficulties, is eminently practical, and may well give rise to many profitable reflections. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? till seven times?—In the appeal thus made by the Apostle to our blessed Lord, there is something which is good and worthy of imitation. St. Peter was desirous to know the will of God as his rule of duty, and, in pursuit of this knowledge he applied to Christ as his teacher. That ques these limits should be enlarged. Lord, is it enough that I forgive once, twice, or thrice? Ought I not to forgive, if need be, even seven times? But we may observe also something wrong, or, to say the least, exceedingly defective, in this question. Here we perceive, not only, as we hope, the power of Divine grace, but also the weakness and ignorance of human nature. Here are symptoms of a disposition to obey a rule of law,-to fulfil a covenant of works. And here perhaps we may trace also some remains of that corrupt nature which is prone to limit and stint itself in that which is good, and to ask What must I do? |
