Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-01-31
4eliaipns department.
HOW GOD FORGIVEs SIN.


1t seems as though the Lord had ex-
hausted the resources of language and the
stores of natural imagery in the effort to
set forth the fullness and completeness of
his forgiveness of the penitent. We call
attention to some of the most striking
illustrations which the Spirit has used to
set forth the fullness of the divine pardon,
What, then does God do with the sins of
the Christian?
l. "IRou aoiH cast all their SINS into the
depths Of the sea" micah vii. 19). The
stone cast into the deep ocean is quite
safe from the danger of discovery. s'Tell
the people," said thoughtful child, when
he had listened to sermon on these
words from his father, s'tell them to re-
member that sin is heavy, and it will sink
itself They might think it is light, and
would float" Indeed, it will sink of its
own weight. And God puts it not into
the shallow brook, where it may be laid
bare, or into the treacherous river, which
may uncover its bed in time of drought,
but he casts it into the depth of the sea,
where no search can find it.
2. 'For thou hast cast all ney SINS behind
| thy back" Isaiah xxxv1ii. ~. David in
his penitence, cried out, ''Tbou hast set
my iniquities before thee, my secret sins
in the light of thy countenance." We see,
at once, what change forgiveness effects.
Our sins are behind God now, instead of
| before him. He is between us and our
| sins, instead of our sins being between us
and him. He thus hides us from our
transgressions, instead of transgressions
| hiding us from him.
| 3, $50 far as the east IS from the aceSt, so
| far hast thou rcmoUed oar trGnsgresSionS
from us' Psalms CHI. 12). Wonderful
promise this For who can tell how far
| the east is from the west? The sailor that
navigates the globe says that he never
finds the west, that it is always before
him but never found. He sails to one
point which lies west, and when he is
there he hears them telling of the west
still as farther on. So Gods forgiveness
puts our sins into far-off land which we
can never find, as well as into deep
which we can never fathom.
4. ''I haze Jlotted out as q cloud thy
trdRsgressionS, and as thick cl0ud thy
SINS isaiah liv. 22). When God accuses
his people, he says, ''But your iniquities
have separated between you and your
God, and your sins have hid his face
from YOU" Here the cloud is between
the Lord and his children, hiding his face
and bringing darkness upon them, cloud
ing their hearts and glooming their minds.
But in forgiveness the sky is swept of
clouds, the sun shines once more undim-
med; Gods hand sweeping through the
heavens has cleared it and in so doing
has cleared the soul Of it's gloom.
s. "1heir sins and their iniquities aotU /
remember no more" (Hebrews viii. 12).
Forgetfulness is the greatest boon to a
sinner. The ancients dreamed of Lethe,
the river of forgetfulness, into which the
soul should plunge at death. There is
but one such stream-the fountain that
cleanses us blots our sins from memory.
God can forget-blessed assurance to the
sin-ridden, conscience-stung soul! ''The
truly penitent," says Newman, ''never
forgives himself" God forgives, we say,
and God forgets, and he invites US to lose
J oblivion of his grace.-Watchaeord.