Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-04-01
&eadiua fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.

| CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
From the United Presbyterian.
THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
BY DAVID A. WALLACE.
"What is the forgiveness of sins? Sin is
the transgression of law. Law points out
something to be done or avoided, and affixes
a penalty for doing the thing forbidden or
failing to do the thing required. Every sim
ner, until delivered. is under the penalty or
curse of the law. Now, forgiveness is re-
mission of the penalty, the removal of the
curse. When the imprisoned convict is par
doned, he is no longer held liable to suffer
the penalty of the law, but goes free. Par.
don, strictly speaking, secures this for him,
and nothing more. 1t leaves him sinner as
before. 1t does not even restore him to ia
vor. While this is all that is properly meant
by the forgiveness of sins, still, in the case of
God and .Ee sinner, it is accompanied by
restoraticn to favor, or reconciliation. In-
deed, in common language, pardon and peace
60 together. Forgiveness from God is an
act of grace and mercy. The sinner merits
nothing but punishment, and that he is de-
livered from it is all of mercy.
"But what is it worth ?" Forgiveness is a
great blessing. 1t delivers from the wrath of
God, from hell. There is no stronger Ian
guage than that which our Lord employs to
delineate the wrath which abides on the i'm.
penitent, the hell that awaits the wicked.
Sentiment may tone down these expressions,
and philosophy may explain them away but
still the terrible language uttered by the Sa-
viour of men and reiterated by his apostles,
remains. Now, from all this, pardon deliv.
ers, fully and completely y and at once. Take
the case of an offended father and an offend
ing son. Once the son enjoyed his confidence
and companionship. He lived to sit and
walk and talk with him. He enjoyed his
loving counsel and encouragement He was
the constant recipient of his bounty. But
now the son has sinned against the father
heinously, and offended him deeply. The
son is conscious of his own guilt. He is too
we'll aware of the alienation that has taken
place. He deplores the loss he has sustained.
Ask that young man what he would give to
be pardoned and restored to his fathers favor
again, and to be on the old footing once more,
and you will learn something Of the value we
should put on forgiveness. Now, if forgive
ness by an earthly father is such great
thing, how much greater must forgiveness by
our heavenly Father be? Look also at the
prayers of the Psalmist: are there any more
earnest pleadings than these for pardon
Look at the thanksgivings which he has
placed on record: are there any more jubi.
liant than those for sin forgiven? Look at the
work of Christ performed for sinners: could
he have thought the remission of sins a tri-
fling thing7
"But God is just Justice demands that
sin he punished. How, then, can a just God
forgive sin? What is the ground or reason
of pardon?' Paul answers this question in
his Epistle to The Ephesians in these words
"In whom we have redemption through his
blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the
riches of his grace" The blood of Christ
denotes his finished work. Forgiveness, then,
comes from the grace and mercyof the Father
and Son, on the ground of his obedience, and
death. We are forgiven for Christ's sake, be-
cause of what he has done and suffered for US.
But how can this be? You are in debt.
Your creditor sues you at the law and obtains
judgment against you. Your goods are
about to he levied on and sold for the debt.
Your friend steps in, pays the debt, and stays
the proceedings. You are thus delivered
from the penalty, and you have no difficulty
in seeing how your friend helped you in this
matter. He paid your debt, and that is the
whole of it. Now, if Christ's obedience and
sufferings we're accepted by the Father instead
of your own enduring the proper penalty OF
your sins, that would make it plain, would it
not But that is just what the Father does.
Again, story is told of judge before
whom came for trial one with whom he
had been associated in youth, in wild, way
ward, lawless living. Those who knew them
both expected that the judge would favor in
every possible way his old companion in sin,
and that he would escape with the lowest pen
atty the law would permit. But as the trial
proceeded it became clear that the accused
would receive no favor When found guilty
of the crime charged under aggravating cir
cumstances, heavy fine was imposed, and
the criminal sentenced to Imprisonment un-
til it should be paid. 1t looked as if the
Judge had neither sympathy nor mercy. But
when the trial was over, he showed his good
ness of heart without casting the slightest
suspicious on his integrity, by paying the
fine he himself had imposed, and letting his
old friend 20 free. There was not mercy
without justice, but justice in the judge and
and grace and goodness in the man. Now,
the great God is a just Judge. There must
be no stain on the purity of his ermine. But
in the riches of the grace of Father and Son
the convenant of redemption is made. In
accordance with its provisions the Father &C.
cepts the obedience and suferiugs of his Son
incarnate as the substitute for the penalty
demanded by the law on the sins of his peo.
pie; and the Son having finished the work
which he untertook in accordance with the
terms of the covenant, the way is open for
the Father to exercise bis mercy in pardon
ing iniquity without compromising his JUS
tice. Justice and judgment are still the
habitation of his throne Sin is pardoned,
not because of works of Righteousness which
the sinner performs, but for Christ's sake,
through the redemption which he has accom-
plished.
"But how does the sinner obtain forgiv-
ness ?" Though faith in Christ: "By him
all that believe are justified from all things,
from which ye could not be justified by the
law of Moses" By repentance: 'Repentye,
therefore, and be converted that your sins
may be blotted out" By confession: "If we
confess our sins he is faithful and just to for
give US our SINS" He that believeth receives
Christ as his own, and IN HIM full and COM
plete forgiveness for all sins past and future.