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Sunday Evening Lectures: No. XLVIII. "The Two Debtors,"

A Lecture,

Delivered in the Mechanics' Institute, Castlemaine, On Sunday, January 8th, 1871,

By G. C. Leech, Esq. Published by H. Bamford, Barker-Street, Castlemaine.

From the "Castlemaine Representative" of the 11th January, 1871.

The following lecture was delivered on Sunday evening last by G. C. Leech, Esq., in the Mechanics' Institute. Subject: "The Two Debtors." Reported by Mr E. C. Martin.

My belief—which I by no means profess to present to you dogmatically, but simply as my own opinion, which you, as reasonable men, will accept or reject as you think wise—my belief, I say, is that the Governor of the Universe rules, teaches, and strengthens the souls of men through the spirits of the mighty dead of earth. In other worlds, in the countless galaxys that deck the midnight sky there are doubtless also sentient beings—beings who differ from us possibly in outward form altogether beyond our conception, but who have, notwithstanding, like us, imperishable spirits. The souls of such sentient beings the Supreme Governor of the Universe also rules, guides and strengthens by the spirits of their departed mighty dead. In this great economy of God there is no derogation of His supreme dignity for being Omnipresent, there being nowhere in the immeasurable expanse of the universe the smallest space where His Infinite Spirit is not present, He guides and directs the intermediate spirits, His eye is ever upon them. They are but the ministrants of His will. Happily for us, happily for the sentient beings of other worlds, the divine love and pity, the appreciation of our continual weakness, the consciousness of our need of sustaining strength, reaches Him through beings, who themselves have also felt those weaknesses, have suffered and solved the besetting difficulties of life, have struggled and won, have, alas! also struggled and been defeated. Many great and good of our world are doubtless filling such functions of the Eternal at this moment. The special nations, the particular people to whom on earth they addressed the guidance and comfort of their presence, are gathered round them now in their eternal home. Jesus of Nazareth, doubtless, who to my mind more than any other man fathomed the Divine mind and penetrated into the secrets of His designs, had this great fact, in view, when he said to his disciples, "In my Father's house are many mansions, if it were not go I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, that where I am there ye may be also." In the grand roll of earth's heroes, the men who held life, honor and ease, and all things cheap in comparision with the sublime work of duty are many who have held this doctrine, and in the circles of other spheres they have around them those who found in their written counsels spiritual strength, light and peace. I hope, and I have something more than hope—I have deep and earnest faith that when the earthly house of my tabernacle will be dissolved I shall enter the mighty circle that surrounds the teacher of Nazareth! I have also, concerning him, not only a page break faith as to the future, but a realisation of his help in the present, and that his soul is still fulfilling a great work of light, comfort, and love on earth, that he still ministers to my soul and your soul in every hour of need and every moment of necessity; and that he is fulfilling these great functions amongst almost countless hosts. I have faith also that the spirits of all earth's great deliverers are amongst us. I desire to realise the teaching, and the manner of teaching of that teacher who still so loves and so yearns over the great brotherhood of humanity. For that purpose for a few moments to-night we will select one of the many memorable scenes of his history. Upon one occasion after his public teaching was over, a Pharisee invited him into his house to feast. We will consider for one moment what class of man the Pharisee was. He was what in our days would be described most emphatically as a highly respectable, religious, church-going man; a sell-satisfied,' complacent being, who would be irreproachably good and up-right on the Exchange during the week day. A man who would not only never commit the folly of crime, but who would never fall into the crime of committing a mistake. He would be careful never to be missed from his place in church on Sunday. Just for one moment please to hear this man's character from his own lips. The fashion of the character is not contradicted, so we may presume he did not exaggerate or falsity his own merits. "Two men went up into the Temple to pray—the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The I harisee stood and prayed thus with himself: God, I thank Thee that I am not as other men are extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess." Now, these were high, good, and laudable things for a man to be able to say of himself. Not only are they conventional virtues, but such as every man ought to be able to say of himself. Not to be an extortioner, an adulterer, and unjust, are good and laudable qualities. The publican was an extortioner in all probability. I am sorry to say the word has been allowed to stand thus, translated, and, therefore, misleads. It really meant a tax-gatherer, and the tax gatherer, we have every reason to believe was an extortioner. The Romans instead of collecting the revenues by their own paid officials and by selecting honourable and respectable men, farmed them out, so that the revenues went as it were to the highest bidder. As his profit would consist of the difference between what he collected and what he paid, he would have, apart from ordinary human cupidity, reasons for exacting all he could, having been out-bid in all probability by competitors for the same office. Well, the publican could not thank God for any of the qualities of the Pharisee, so he smote his breast and said, "Lord, have mercy upon me, a miserable sinner." The decision of Jesus is that this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. If we were to read the many lessons in the New Testament in a careless and undiscriminating way, the effect on the mind could only be disastrous. The qualities of the Pharisee were not undervalued or disregarded, nor were the sins of the publican made a light matter in the mind of Jesus. Then why was it the great teacher rather commended the publican than the ultra respectable Pharisee? I will tell you. Because above and beyond the most respectable virtues there is something dearer to the mind of God. The self-justification and self-laudation of the Pharisee showed the pride of his heart, but in the publican standing afar off, beyond his humble words, there was humility in his very bearing. There was in that man's heart a larger share of human love and pity that in the heart of the Pharisee hardened by steroetyped forms and complacent self-satisfaction. Some of the most respectable and religious men, men who will subscribe liberally to any religious endowment.—I speak not of my observations in this small community—are the most unmerciful and unpitiful of all men I ever met. Indeed men who are thus religiously respectable, are generally cold and hard hearted. The reason the publican went down to his house more justified than the Pharisee was because he had in his heart a greater depth of human feeling than the self righteous Pharisee. A man of this Pharisee class invited Jesus into his house, and treated him with somewhat scanty courtesy. It was a custom of the oast that the guest should be provided with water to wash his feet, as a traveller's feet would be dust-covered after traversing a road in sandaled feet. Oil was also often given to the guest to oil his head and feet. It was usual also to salute the invited page break guest with a kiss upon the cheek. But none of these courtes.es were extended by the Pharisee. Jesus, we are told, went into the house and the multitude pressed in. In the east at that time, nor now, do men claim that privacy that is enjoyed by the nations in western countries. There is a guest chamber into which strangers may enter uninvited, without any breach of manners. When the guest [unclear: anber] in this Pharisee's house was filled, the court yard was occupied by those who pressed to see him. Into the innermost chamber a woman pressed her way. She was by profession a harlot, she was one of those women who made sin her trade: she pressed in, and with alabaster ointment tended his dust and travel-stained feet. She bathed his feet in her tears and wiped them with the hair of her bead. What affinity was there between this woman's darkened and polluted nature and the ineffably pure nature of Jesus? For the first time she learned that God made a distinction between sin and the sinner. That even when yielding to our lower and material nature, God and God's servants have ineffable and unutterable pity for us. She had caught a [unclear: dimghmmering] of the divine and sublime truth, that truth which kings, philosophy's, and wise men never found. She entered into the presence chamber, and bathed his feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, and poured ointment on them. Perhaps the ointment was purchased by the wages of sin. But neither her tears nor her gift was disdained. The Pharisee looked on amazed. He thought within himself: Now I have a crucial test whereby to judge this Galilean assailant of our order who had the audacity but the other day to upbraid us with hypocrisy. He called us whited sepulchres, and showered much bitter invective on us. Yet he does not know what manner of woman this is. Now, I have a test whereby I can prove him. Jesus, to the unexpressed thoughts of his host, made answer. By that high spiritual power which he had and which is not unknown to other men, he could search the secret heart, and know what was in it, just as in the spiritual world, though there is no vocal utterance, the thought of one spirit is known to the other. When nature becomes intensely spiritualised it is so with men even in the flesh. Jesus read the thoughts of his host, He spoke somewhat after this fashion: Simon I have somewhat to say unto thee. There was a certain rich man, who had two debtors, and when they had nothing to pay he frankily forgave them both. Now tell me, Simon, which would love him most; He to whom most was forgiven or he who owed least?" Master, replied the Pharisee, I suppose he to whom most was forgiven. "Thou hast well said." See this woman. I came into thine house, yet thougavest me no water, no oil, neither did you impress a kiss upon me, but she hath not ceased to water my feet with her tears, and therefore, though her sins are many, they are all forgiven her. The startled audience said—who is this that forgiveth sin? In their darkened minds they could not understand him. He did not profess to forgive sins, but he had searched for and found the laws of God, whereby he knew that acts of love and mercy entitled those who practised them to heavenly gifts and forgiveness. He therefore said—Thy faith hath saved thee, go in peace. To is is the story of the two debtors, from which we may learn wisdom. There is another from the lips of the same teacher. I suppose they had been saying what is called The Lord's Prayer, and had stumbled on the sentence. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us," and could not reconcile it in their minds—in fact at one time a worthy bishop, who. I suppose, had a temper of his own, altered the prayer thus: "Forgive mo my trespasses as I ought to forgive them that trespass against me." Perhaps Simon had not overcome the desire to avenge himself when he asked Jesus, How often am I to forgive my brother?" "Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times: but until seventy times seven." That is as long as he manifests any desire to amend his ways. So Jesus then gave them this parable:—

Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. Hut 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. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took page break him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due to him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Men and brethren, in all the teachings of Jesus there prevailed this manifest truth that the highest and strongest recommendation to God is pity, compassion and love. Whilst all good qualities are to be practised, remember this, that the sacrifice of every feeling of cruelty, hardness of heart and wrong, is most agreeable to the God and Father of Jesus Christ. As he was during his earthly ministrations, so also is he now. Therefore whilst cultivating every quality let us also remember that the spirit of unreasoning anger to our fellow man is to be restrained by every power in our command, and we shall become one with Christ, as he was one with God, by mutual affinity of spirit unto spirit. Men and brethren, I believe for some ten months past we have been meeting in this place and many of you present have been hearing my voice. During that time there has been no little controversy. I have been assailed strongly, assailed by not a few opponents, and in the somewhat unequal conflict, I have no doubt that I have said many strong things, it may be that I have said harsh things; as I say pressed in the somewhat unequal conflict if at any time I have wounded my opponents I ask their forgiveness, I regret it. And if I have felt myself sometimes wounded by taunts of real faults unfairly exaggerated, and wounded by the imputation of faults not existing, I freely fore give them as I have faith that the God and Father of Jesus Christ has for all things, freely forgiven me.