thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression-the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"-Mic. vi. 7, 8.

The servant pleaded for time to pay his master. Will good works and future obedience blot out our sins?

No. For these are always due to God, and are His work in us :-"it is God which worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure,” Phil. ii. 13, and the smallest sin is sufficient to sink us in Hell for all eternity.

Do we feel this indeed to be the case, and that " our sins are grievous, and the burden of them intolerable to us?"

Too often we are careless and unconcerned about them, till the Spirit comes with power, reproving us of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment," John xvi. 8, and then we shall cry, "Enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.--Ps. cxliii. 2. "O Lord, correct me, but with judgment: not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing."-Jer. x. 24.

When the king saw the man had nothing to pay, what did he do?

He loosed and forgave him the debt.

There is a beautiful prayer in onr Liturgy, that might have been framed from this verse; do you know to which I refer?

O God, whose nature and property is ever to have mercy, and to forgive, receive our humble petitions; and, though we be tied and bound with the chain of our sins, yet let the pitifulness of thy great mercy loose us, for the honor of Jesus Christ, our mediator and advocate. Amen.

The conclusion of that prayer points to Him, by whom this deliverance is wrought, which should never be forgotten, for "without shedding of blood is no remission of sins."-Heb. ix. 22. Your thoughts may possibly revert to the many sacrifices that were offered to atone for sin; but do you imagine that the death and blood of animals could take away sin?

No. These innocent creatures were only a type of "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."-John i. 29. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."—Eph. i. 7. "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."-Heb. x. 4.

Will our sins ever be remembered against us any more?

No. "Thou hast, in love to my soul, delivered it from the pit of corruption; for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back."-Isa. xxxviii. 17. "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."-Heb. viii. 12. "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever,

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because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again; he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”—Mic. vii. 18. Is there not another parable that teaches us our utter incapability to pay the smallest debt to God? Yes. The two debtors.-Luke vii. 41.

When we think how much has been forgiven us, how should we act with regard to the offences we receive from others?

?

We should be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven us."-Eph. iv. 32. Shew me the evil nature and origin of anger "From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?"-James iv. 1. "Only by pride cometh contention." - Prov. xiii. 10. "Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools."-Eccl. vii. 9. "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”—1 John iii. 15.

You see "what a chain of evils that man prepares for himself who is a slave to anger! He is a murderer of his own soul, yea to the letter he is so, for he lives in a continual torment. He is devoured by an inward fire, and his body partakes of his sufferings. Terror reigns around him; every one dreads lest the most innocent, the most trifling occurrence, may give him a pretext for quarrel, or rouse him into fury. A passionate man is alike odious to God and man, and is in

supportable even to himself." * To what does Solomon compare the beginning of strife?

"To the letting out of water, therefore, (he says,) leave off contention, before it be meddled with."--Prov. xvii. 14.

Will God accept our prayers while under the dominion of anger or malice?

No. Christ says, "If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."--Matt. vi. 15. "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.”—Matt. v. 23--26. What advice have we for stopping anger?

"A soft answer turneth away wrath."-Prov. xv. 1. "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” --Rom. xii. 19. "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath."-James i. 19. "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath."--Ps. xxxvii. 8.

Does it require great resolution to restrain our angry feeling?

*St. Ephraim.--Book of the Fathers.

Yes. Solomon says "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city."Prov. xvi. 32.

Though of ourselves we are unable to perform this duty, "yet our sufficiency is of God," 2 Cor. iii. 5; therefore “Let no man say he cannot govern his passions, nor hinder them from breaking out and carrying him into action; for what he can do before a Prince, or a great man, he can do alone, or in the presence of God, if he will." *

In this Parable, God's mercy and clemency are held up for our imitation. Perhaps you can repeat another passage where the same example is given to us?

"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."-Col. iii. 12.

Shew me the great motive for the cultivation of this spirit?

Christ's command. "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."-John xiii. 34. "These things I command you, that ye love one another."-John xv. 17. And St. Peter charges us to "be all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous : * Locke.