accounts with his servants; and when he began to balance the accounts, one was brought to him in debt ten thousand talents. But not having (wherewith) to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Lord, defer your anger against me and I will pay you all.' The lord of that servant was moved to compassion, set him at liberty, and forgave him the debt.

But that servant went out and found one of his fellow-servants who owed him one hundred denarii; and when he had laid hold of him, he seized him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe.' His fellow-servant therefore fell down at his feet and besought him, saying, 'Defer your anger against me, and I will pay you all.' But he would not, and departed, and cast him into prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow-servants perceived what had come to pass, they were grieved, and came and clearly stated to their lord all that had come to pass. Then his lord called him and said, 'O wicked servant, I

forgave you all that debt because you entreated me; ought not you also to have pitied your fellow-servant as even I pitied you?' His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors until that he should pay all his debt. In like manner also My heavenly Father shall do to you,

unless each of you forgive his brother from your hearts." (Thus Jesus provided for the future peace of His Church whilst He lived in retirement at Capernaum, by setting forth the necessity and the manner of discipline for the removal of scandals. He also propounded the principle that pardon would not be confirmed to any one, even to the Apostles themselves, in part accepted as they were, unless they exercised the full measure of a forgiving spirit).

Chapter Ixib.

Remarks upon the foregoing History.

BEFORE proceeding farther we observe that the biography of Jesus of Nazareth in His infancy claims a nature and origin on an equality with God the Creator and Governor of all creatures and things.

The claim to this exalted position was renewed in the Temple at twelve years of age, but the proof remained in abeyance until Jesus went forth "in the power of the Spirit into Galilee."

I. The manifestation of power He then gave in His teaching was considered by all who heard Him to be unique: "Never man spake as this man." All perceived that His words had an

At

authority and grace more than human. Whenever hearers were in a position to judge of and to admit the full evidence of the claim, they submitted without hesitation to the proof, as in the case of Nathanael, or again in the case of the Jews at the first passover, who believed in His name, "Son of God," and therefore did not eject Him (as might have been expected under the circumstances) from the Temple, wherein He claimed authority not from human appointment to an official position, but upon the plain ground that God's temple was His "Father's House." that time the claim was acceded to and recognized universally by the Jewish people. They expected a Messiah, and at present evidence was in favour of Him who claimed to be Son of God in a preeminent and special manner. No insuperable difficulty had yet arisen, no religious controversy had ruffled the minds of men. The honest faithfulness of God's Son had not yet seen cause to defend the integrity of God's laws against the corruptions and prejudices of the Jews. As soon as it was evident that His teaching was counter to the religious scruples of His own age His popularity began to wane; but the evidence of His Sonship the rather increased. So that men who were little disposed from their prejudices to show Him favour, could not divest themselves of a growing conviction that He was of a superhuman nature and exercised a superhuman power.

Jesus accepted for a Time.

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This fact is patent upon every page of the combined record in which the question arises.

II. Hence the position to which Jesus had attained at the time of the third passover, when His public ministrations in the cities of Galilee closed. The claim to be Son of God, and to act as such, was in some way admitted on all sides. The dæmons were cast out, the lepers cleansed, the dead raised, sins were forgiven, and no one ventured to raise a doubt as to the fact; notable miracles were performed, and "we," say they, "cannot deny it." They talked about His breaking the Sabbath, and of His blasphemy, but they never stoned Him. Even after they "were offended at Him," the conviction remained that He had a power equal to God's, which they in mere spite attributed to "Beelzebub the prince of the dæmons." The evidence of spiritual power and authority was so great that they could not be attributed to any inferior being, but only to the greatest being of which men had a conception as existing independently of God Himself. Had such evidence worked upon minds unbiassed by prejudice, no doubt the Sonship of Jesus would have continued to receive universal acknowledgment. In healing the paralytic and forgiving his sins, the evidence was clearly overwhelming upon all persons who were present. Some rejoiced in the conviction produced in their souls, others despitefully rebelled against their own conscience, and

committed the absurdity of affirming that "Satan cast out Satan," to the downfall of his own kingdom. When the argument and the reproof of Jesus dislodged them from a position so untenable, they in silence conceded His claim.

Thus it is patent that the Divine nature of Jesus of Nazareth was not rejected by any one for want of evidence, or through failure of conviction of the truth, but simply through perverse obstinacy. In consequence of a voluntary blindness and a suppressed conviction, the majority of the people never arrived at the confession, "Thou art the Christ of God," or the still higher confession, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

III. Further, the fact of men acknowledging that Jesus had a power which they saw never failed to accomplish His will, and yet not shrinking from Him in fear that He should use it to punish and ruin His enemies, can hardly be attributed to any other cause than a tacit confession of His Divine Sonship. There is no evidence whatever that they at one time had the fear of His retaliation (as they would have had of any other man of like power), or that, having the fear, they subsequently discovered that the fear was needless. How can a man all at once assure himself that a power with which he cannot cope will not be exercised against himself? Only by the fullest conviction that such exercise is contrary to the dis