The New York herald., 1877-10-15
ST. STEPHENS CHURCH.

MERCY OF GOD AND FORGIVENESS OF OUR
NEIaHBoR-sERMoN BY THE REV. DIR. CUR
RAN.
At st. Stephens Church yesterday morning the high
was celebrated by the Rev. Father Cotton ana
the sermon preached Dy the Kew. DR.. Curran. There
a very largo attendance ut the service.
The preacher took his text from the parable
tanned in the gospel oi the day. which related
the story Of the King forsave to his steward the
ten thousand talents which he had not accounted for
the steward himself then forgetting tho mercy shown
him and demanding from fellow servant the one
hundred pence due him. From this the preacher drew
the lesson that should forgive another as wc
ourselves expected to be forgiven by God. Man, he
said, IN bis relation TO- Cod Is always tho SUB.
Jcct for forgiveness, he beng sinner God
does not leave him In ms SINS. does nos
turn HIS face against him nor repei him IRON Him
when he has erred but draws him to himself Dy graces
that He may restore him 10 that friendship which he
has lost Were man left TO himself, without the d.
vine grace, be resuscItated hIs condition would be
dcporaUc, ior he would then be lost Heuce we must
recognize God continuous merciful dealing with
the sinner tor Ho is constantly iorgiving the weak
OF our fallen nature ana raising up by his
mercy to hope tnat We have received from HIS bounty
forgiveness tor our offences. Man rs made Ia the
ness toward US we w,l recprocate It
our relations with our fellow man
"Forgve that you may be forgiven" We are all
brothers in our daily cares and weaknesses, and are
oil utterly dependent on the Father, and being
We must necessarily lean on Quo ana anothcT LOT
support .Beur ye another's burdens, and thus
yc shall fulfil the OF CHRIST" Our LOrd Himself,
who was the MODEL man. gave us beautiful example
OF this HIS LIE In HIS puoc teachings 10 the mul
ttudes aud IN his private conversations with Hts dis
cpes lie always incucated the necessity OF forgivng
injuries. In response TO the disciple asking how often
he should forgive his brother, our Lord answers,
mot seven times only but seventy times seven
times" And II We come to His passion We see, mol
wthstanding the prosecutions TO which He was sub
Jcctcd and after HIS enemies had exhausted all the
arts oil torture ana humiliation, and while they
wa Il Hlg
anu rcviiDgs that He sought HIS sweetest revenge IN
forgiveness. "Father, forgive them, Tor they know
not what tbcy dc" Thus should We act II We would
be followers Of the Crucldcd And when mon inJure
US and persecutc we also should sk the Father 10
forgive them, ior they know not what they do. rbe
eptomo OF ones lie should be forgiveness oil ones
neghbor, the epiiome o the lite Of eacn OF US con-
sists III Gods forgiveness OF human irailties II God
forgive US why should not We forgive each other,
especially when We remember that this forgiveness
was the favoritc nculcation OF the Saviour Himself
As we hope for union and happiness la the next lie,
we must anticipate here, for no soul furnished with
hatred nope Tor the realization OF the beau ul
Vision Cod loves man and requires lows In roturn;
but He has made II essential condition oil loving
Him that love neshDor, and, human as we are,
cannot love eacn other without being iorpcaring
with each other in our innrmtieA