mean prudently, sensibly, and with common sense. But if the master
thought that to cheat, or to teach others to cheat, was acting either
wisely or prudently, then he was a very foolish and short-sighted man,
and altogether mistaken. For be sure and certain, and settle it in your
minds, that neither falsehood or dishonesty is ever either wise or
prudent, but short-sighted, foolish, certain to punish itself. Such
teaching is totally contrary to our Lord's own teaching. Agree with
thine adversary quickly, He says, while thou art in the way with him,
lest he deliver thee to the Judge. If thou hast done wrong, right it
again as soon as possible; for your sin will surely find you out, and
avenge itself. Give the devil his due, says the good old proverb. Pay
him at once and be done with him: but never think to escape out of his
clutches, as too many wretched and foolish sinners do, by running up a
fresh score with him, and trying to hide old sins by new ones. Be sure
that if the steward cheated his master a second time, the master was
foolish and mistaken, and as it were a partner in the steward's sin by
commending him. But if so; why does our Lord mention it? What had our
Lord to do, what have we to do, with the opinion of so foolish a man?

It seems to me that the only reason for our Lord's using the words of the
text, must be, that the master was right, not wrong, in commending the
steward. But it seems to me, also, that the master could be right only,
if the steward was right also--if the steward had done the right and just
thing at last, and, instead of cheating his master a second time, had
done his best to make restitution for his own sins.

But how could that be? We know nothing of what these debtors were. All
we know is that one believed that he owed the Lord a hundred measures of
oil; and another believed that he owed him a hundred measures of wheat;
and that the steward told one to put down in his bill eighty, and the