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how oft shall my brother sin, and I forgive him? till seven times ?"

I say not unto thee, Until seven times, but until seventy times seven.- −(22d verse.)

2. Do we owe every thing to God?

Yes: we owe every blessing to the mercy of God, and his justice may call on us to give up our accounts. 3. What is the value of "ten thousand talents," the amount due to the king?

If they be silver talents, they amount to twenty millions of dollars; if gold, three hundred millions of dollars.

4. What should the largeness of this amount teach us? That it is impossible we can ever pay the immense debt we owe to God.

5. What command did the King give as to this debtor? According to the custom in the east, he ordered him and his family, and all that he had, to be sold.

6. How did the debtor then act?

He fell down at the king's feet in the most abject manner, and said, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

7. How did the King then treat his debtor ?

He was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt: thus does God pity helpless sinners; and when they seek his mercy, he is faithful and just to forgive their iniquities, however great they have been.

8. What was the sum which a fellow-servant of this debtor owed him?

An hundred pence, or about fourteen dollars of our money.

9. How did this servant act to his debtor?

He laid hands on his fellow-servant; took him by the throat; insisted on payment; refused to wait any longer, and cast him into prison for this small amount.

10. When the king was informed of the cruel conduct of his debtor, how did he censure him?

O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt because thou desiredst me, shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? (verse 31, 32.)

11. How did the king punish this cruel and ungrateful

servant?

He delivered him to the tormentors* till he should pay all that was due unto him.

12. How does Christ apply this parable for our instruction ?

So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.-(verse 35.)

13. What does this parable forbid ?
All hatred, ingratitude, and revenge.
14. What does this parable recommend?
Gentleness, kindness, forgiveness, and love.

Prisoners in the east are often tortured.

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"And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eteraal life?

He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

Ard Jesus answering, said, a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

And by chance there came down a certain priest that way and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and I gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again I will repay thee.

Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among thieves?

And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise."

1. Who is meant by the "lawyer" in this passage? One of the scribes who studied and taught the law of Moses.

2. What was the first question this lawyer proposed? Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?-An important question, for an answer to which Christ referred him to the divine law, which he professed to study.

3. What was the second question which this Scribe proposed to Christ?

Who is my neighbour? And Jesus answered this enquiry by the plain and instructive parable of the good Samaritan.

4. What lesson is the parable of the good Samaritan intended to teach?

That every fellow creature in distress is our neighbour, though we may not know him, and though he may be of a different nation or religion.

5. What did our Saviour intimate by the cruel conduct of the priest and Levite?

That the Jews neglected the command of God, to love their neighbours as themselves, or limited its extent by their traditions. That men are apt to harden their hearts by pride and selfishness, and this under the cloak of religion.

6. What did Christ intend by relating the kindness of the good Samaritan ?

To rebuke the Jews for their bitter hatred of the Samaritans and the Gentiles, and to show that the duty of compassion should be universally exercised.

7. How is the kindness of the Samaritan to the distressed traveller particularly described?

He had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine,* and set him on his beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him; and on the morrow when he departed, he took out two-pence,† and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him, and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again I will repay thee. (33 to 35.)

* These beaten together appear to have been used by the ancients as a common medicine for fresh wounds.

+ About thirty cents of our money; in a country where robberies might be feared, travellers would not commonly take any large sums with them.

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