The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-22
FORGIVE OUR TRESPAsSEs.
True and False Ideas Regarding the Doc
trine of Forgiveness Of Injuries.
Justifable and Healthy ndignation-Priyate
Revenge Proven To Be Foolish and Expen-
siye by History and Experience.
Rev. Mrron v. Read,s sermon. penyer. Col.


the sun go down upon your wrath
/ read last night of the murder of an express
messenger on the Rock Island railroad, and at
once felt a strong desire to see the murderers
caught and punished That kind of wrath is
healthy. The sun ought to 90 down upon it and
rise upon it. When you can hear of any injus-
tice done nywhere to anybody, and do not feel
warm over it, that is sign that you dying.
1t is essential to your life, and the life of the
world, that this kind of anger continue to exist
in force We have no private right to forgive
public injury. We have no private right to for
give private injury to another man. The duty
of forgiveness is wholly personal Society must
not forgive the smallest injury to the humblest
individual An American maltreated abroad
has a right to call on the government of the
United States TO set the matter right. The
question of how many ships of wal will be
needed does not come In at ALL Whether the
injustice is small or great does not come in.
The question of small or great does not come
in at all, where principle is involved. Hamp-
den makes his great fight against an unjust tax
of few shillings. An economist of the time
might have said, 'Oh pay it; it is only few
pieces of silver" But an economist of all time
would have said, Never pay it." Reckoned in
money, the cause of the American Revolution
vas very trivial, but the principle involved in
the stamp act was serious enough for seven
years war. Injustice is never little; it is always
great. Highway robbery is not the taking of
much or little it is the taking of anything in
certain manner.
The best man is one who is most severe in the
case of injuries to others, and most forgiving in
the case of injuries personal to himself. "Re-
sist not evip is a commandment, but Horace
Greeley said that in certain case he would
knock man down as public duty. A burglar
NAV we'll be shot, not that he is seeking to rob
me, but because bis business is robbing. He
may be shot for the good OF the neighborhood.
Ii we can only eliminate personal vengeance, we
can render unto man according to his works
and not do ourselves wrong
The good bishop in Victor Hugo's great novel
turns loose upon society thief. In that case
his trust in the ex-convict works well, redeems a
man. But it is evident that forgiveness must
have limits, not on personal grounds, but for the
sake of society. Charity must not be fool A
big, huking ruffian hits me on one cheek, shall
turn to him the other cheek also2 As a private
matter between him and me, Yes" But it is
not altogether private matter. This ruffan is
in the habit of hitting harmless citizens on the
cheek. The sooner be is cured of that habit the
better. On that ground I will not turn the
other cheek also. The sooner he has dose of
medicine the better.
The Quakers are able to be non resistants, be-
cause there are plenty of people to fight the bat
tie of Gettysburg for them. But fog that, doubt
less, the confederate army would have camped
in Philadelphia.
have read Charles Summers Fourth of July
Boston Grafton on Peace" In that he argues
that all the results OF the Revolutionary war
might have been attained peacefully. Against a
theory, we have the historical fact
that all the rights of men yet at
grip of tyrant has never yet been loosened by
an argument Freedom has come by fear.
Liberty" has a lovely face, abundant hair, a
Roodly person, but she has not made her way by
these. She has strong wrist and bright
sword.
We honor the men of reformation and revolu-
tions. not because they fought for themselves
for tho redress of some private personal griev-
ance some petty tax or other, but because they
fought for principle wide enough to include
ell the world. The motives Of the sword. On
that depends all
But there is private anger that is bad and
mean, and even poisonous Against that st.
Paul warns us. There is a saying in the Bible
about ''heaping up wrath against the day of
wrath That is, people SO let wrath accumu-
late-keep one days supply of it overland so
die with the whole stock on hand. SO Absalom
swung between heaven aud earch, with his skin
full of mutiny against mis- father and king. We
know by experience the corrosive power of
anger. It works like rust in the inside of gun
barrel. 1t is at first speck easily removed; it
can be wiped off with rag. Let it alone
with rag. 1t is too much for soap The rust
has made an etching. / know Of nothing that
tries one so as anger. A few moments of it are
as exhaustng as days work. Putting anger
on the highest ground, it costs too much. It
wears out the machinery-ages man. Philos-
ophers and Christians agree that it is too expens
i've. Either things are within our power, or
they are out of our power. If they are within
our power, and are rot agreeable, change them
If they are out of our power, treat them as you
would wet day.
s'There is nothing good or evil. save in the
will sMy brother ought not to have treated
me So" Every true; let him see to that How
ever he treated me. | AM to act rightly toward
him, for my conduct is within my power; his
conduct is not within my power" Very inter
esting is the quarrel between Jacob and Esau.
Jacob with the help of his mother, swindles his
brother out of the birthright and the blessing
and Esau hated Jacob, and said in his heart:
1.-The days of mourning for my father are at
hand then will | STAY my brother Jacob"
BY the advice of his mother Jacob goes down
to Aram to stay there until his brothers anger
is turned away. He stayed twenty-five years,
and then returning, dare not see his brother I'M
til he had sent forward presents. and then mus
tered courage enough to bow himself 10
the ground seven times and creep into
the presenceof Esau. And Esau ran to
meet him and embrace him. and fell on
his neck and kissed him, and he said: 'What
meanest thou by all this drove which metz
And Jacob said: These are to find grace in the
6lRnt or my lOru. anu ESau SalQ: Il nave
enough, my brother keep that thou hast unto
thysef" All enmity had gone out of him.
But people who do not forgive suffer the pen
atty that they cannot believes in forgiveness For
twenty-five years Jacob is an unnecessary cow
ard. 1t would have been a relief to him to have
heard that his brother was dead. He illustrates
the fact that we hate those We have injured.
This feeling against a man is poisonous thing.
OF course, men must sometime meet if not
here then hereafter. Enmity is out on
interest It rolls up like debt 1t is not
fixed quantity. Time sets the color. ''Let
danger of entertaining hate for twenty-four
hours is suggested It's giving place to wrath"
that we are warned against; that is letting it in
and being hospitable toward it, giving it board
and lodging. 1t makes itself at home then and
there is fatal pride of consistency that pre-
vents the will from turning the tenant out. II
he ought ever to have come in. now he ought to
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