Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-06-12
8tli9iuus department.
Conducted BY Hnv. G. M. sourneArr
FORGIVENESS AND LAW"

ing this title, ' one cannot but pause n me
ment in thankfulness that the publisher
have put il into type so clear that the ey
loves to follow IL, and an American need no
sigh because no printer on this side the wa
ter understands that his readers eyes ar
not tireess microscopes. Advancing year
have not robbed tho author of his famil
lar charm. We find the same fresh though
and vigorous expression the rich emotion
and open candor, tho bold, yet reverent
approach to God, the deep earnestness with
his own soul and his neighbours, all are here
together with tho quaint originality of wor,
and idiom.
The Revelation tells us of thousands o
thousands round about the throne, sayinI
with loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that
was slain, to receive power, and riches, anC
wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory
and blessing we can understand this, fol-
no thought has such power over us now as
this Of Christ's sacrifice for us. Nor has
any other Of the great truths of Christiani.
ty kept our minds so constantly at work in
exploring its heights and depths.
DIR. Bushnell has been best known as
Propounder of the "Moral Theory" in his
earlier work "Vicarious Sacrifice" which
"rejects all idea of expiration, or of the sat.
isfactiou OF justice by vicarious punishment,
and attributes all the efficacy of Christ's
work to the moral effect produced on the
hearts of men by his character, teachings,
and acts" lie presented this with great
eloquence, and has won many followers to
its simple doctrine.
Hc still rejects "a justice in God, which
accepts the pains Of innocence in place of
the pains Of wrong, and which.is, in fact
the very essence of injustice a forgiveness
on the score of compensation, which to our
human conception mocks the idea." But
he iinds that he has passed too lightly over
the sentiments Of justice and hatred OF sin
in the Divine mind, aud writes this book to
supersedc his first teaching in this regard.
1t came about in this way, he tells us: III
was writing discourse on the inquiry, How
shall man be able to entirely and perfectly
forgive his enemy, so as to forever sweeten the
bitterness OF his wounded feeling and leave
no sense of personal revulsion? | was
brought squarely down upon the discovery
that nothing will ever accomplish the pro-
posed real and true forgiveness, but to make
lost in the endeavor, such cost as new TEN.
3ers and iiquefes the reluctant nature. And
his making cost will be his Precipitation of
himself. Why not say this of all moral ma
ures, why not Of the Great Precipitation
tself2" lie proceeds thus to draw light
rom our own moral Instincts as similar to
hose Of God. When We have been injured
y others we must make cost and bear heavy
'urdens Of paiostaking and sorrow to regain
hem and be reconciled to them. The injured |
arty has most powerful and multiform
ombination of alenated and offended senti.
tent struggling in his nature. Aud, in one
lew. it is right that he should have. He
ould not be a proper man, least of all n
oily man, without them. His integrity is
urt, his holiness offended, his moral taste
isgusted. lie is alienated, thrown of.
hrust back into separation, by the whole
lstinct Of his moral nature. The fires of
is purity smoke. His indignations search
is love, and without any false fire Of re-
onge, which is too commonly kindled also,
e seems to himself to be in revulsion
lat he has no will to subdue. Let him find
ow to pillow through the bosom of his adj
ersary by his. tenderly appreciative SYM
athy, how 10 appear as brothorly nature
every gate of the mind, standing there
J in cost, to look forgiveness without saying
, and he will find, however he may explain
or not explain it, that there is a wonder
i consent in his feeling somehow, and that
is perfectly atoned (at.oned) both with
mself aud his adversary"
So with the Divine nature:
ust consider what living G cd must suffer
I'd be suffering always in his good sensibili. !
: lie pities and pity going through bad
ul or body, by inward inspection, has now
UGH to look upon that is painful. He alb
'rs wicked and cruel soul, and what is l
'horrence but recoil that is, at least ety.
ologically, related to horror. In vile I
ID filthy mind Re encounters disgust and s
nat is that but to suffer? All the perse. !
tlons OF his friends, all the rage aud scot. J
g OF his enemies, all the hate and hateful. I
So OF natures made for love, all desccra. Q
ms OF his honor, all perversions of his O
nth, impurlty, lust, diseased inheritance v
nat are all these things to Gods pure sem u
lllity, since he has it, but evils 10 bear, il
enses to suffer, such as can be forgiven on I
by nature whose dispositions have been B
nhgured TO sacrifice and cost, before the p
'rlds we're made. 1t is in Gods character b
erlastingly, if we should not rather say b
nature, to be always enduring the bad b
their badness, and 80 melting his way 81
Vingly through into forgiveness. Beuefac. e
: thus to all, and king of joy as Of sor. "
" to himself If his streams ran all one a
", no would be too simply placid to be Il
eat, but he lives in everlasting counter o
les OF struggle and victory-victory both G
or enemies without and violated good in a
nself What is to como of all moral ma. d
res created, he well understood before their c
'ation, and he peOpled the world with k
'm as one girding himself for war that d
to live and reign by tho mastery of their y
j, including all the disasters to feeling in b
ich evil comes. Thus he began early, as II
were, in afiliction for the bad, or only al
rtly good for sin their affection he was W
icted, aud he bare and carried them all L
days Of old" And 50 along down L
ough the smoke OF the ages-why not
, Of iha aka.nsl,aa L. L.. -. = | IL