Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-01-18
&eadinat ur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
ROBERT LATHAM.
[Original.]
FORGIVENESS.

ShS SOAOAon
BILE formula of prayer which Christ taught
his disciples is, "Forgive US our debts, as
we forgive our debtors" The doctrine of
forgiveness stated in this petition our Sa-
viour brings up again and explains, Illus
trates and enforces it by a parable, in the
eighteenth chapter of Matthew. Having
enioined upon his disciples the necessity OF
humility, he Immediately instructed them
with reference to an erring brother. The
instruction was of such a kind and charac-
ter as to put Peter to thinking, and he asks
GLOW often shall my brother sin against
me and forgive him" The Jews, at that
time, taught that forgiveness ought not to
be granted beyond three times. Aware Of
this, and perceiving that the spirit of for
giveness, taught by u Saviour, was far
more comprehensive than that enjoined
by the Jewish Rabbis, Peter asked II ne
should forgive his penitent brother seven
times-twice as often as that required by
the traditional law of the Jews. Our Sa-
viour replied, not only seven times, but
seventy times seven-that IS, as often as
the erring brother repents and contesses
his sin, forgive him, no matter now olten
that may be. This was a new doctrine to
Peter and to all the apostles, and they very
wisely said, "Lord, increase our faith"
Luke II. To illustrate this doctrine of re-
pentance which he had been teaching, our
Saviour introduced a parable. The king
dom of heaven, that is Messiah's kingdom,
said he, is like a certain king who would
have a reckoning with his servants, that
is, with the officers who attended to his
business. In carrying out this purpose,
there was brought to him a servant who
owed him ten thousand talents, more than
sixteen million dollars. This debtor to an
enormous amount had nothing to pay, and
the king ordered him and his wife and
children and all he had to be sold and pay
ment to be made. The servant fell down
and began to beg that time might be given
him, and he would pay all he owed. The
king was moved with compassion, quashed
the prosecution and forgaye the whole
debt. This servant, with whom the king
had dealt so mercifully, soon met a fellow
servant who owed him one hundred pence,
about sixteen dollars. So 500 as he met
him he. laid his hands upon him and went
to choking him, saying, "Pay me that
thou owest." His fellow servant fell down
and besought him, as he had fell down n
besought the king, for time; but he would
have no mercy, no forgiveness, put cast
his fellow servant INFO prison till the DEBT
was paid. This cruel conduct of the first
servant toward his felloW-servant was
promptly reported to the king, who sent
for the wicked servant, and after rebuking
him severely, ordered him to be delivered
to the tormentors. The lesson designed to
be taught by this parable is contained in
the following words, $50 likewise shall
ny Heavenly Father do also unto you, if
we, from your hearts, forgive not every
one his brother their trespasses."
In this parable, an outline of which is
stated above, many things are suggested.
The king who makes the reckoning with
his servants, or who calls his servants to
reckon with them is God. We may rest
assured that, either in time or eternity,
God will call his servants to account. The
conduct of the first servant is introduced
to illustrate the unreasonableness OF one
Christian not forgiving another. God in
Christ Jesus is the Christians pattern in
all things. All men have sinned against
God infinitely oftener than any man has
sinned against his fellow-man, and all
mems sins against God are infinitely more
aggravated and heinous than are the sins of
their fellow men against them. Put six
teen dollars besides sixteen million dol
lars and you get some idea of how this
matter stands.
The conduct of the king towards the
first servant gives Us an exalted opinion
of the king. He saw the poor, bankrupt
debtor on the ground. His heart was
touched by his pleading for mercy, and ne
forgave him all the debt. What a wonder
full display of forgiveness. God in Christ
Jesus forgives all our sins. Sins of origi-
nal guilt and actual transgression, sins OF
omission and commission, sins Of youth
and old age, sins of presumption and Sc
cret faults, sins of thought and sins of
word-all our sins. On the other hand,
we abhor the Steward, who, after having
his whole debt of sixteen million dollars
forgiven, took hold of and kept choking
fellow-servant who owed him sixteen dol
lars. We are ready to say as David said
when Nathan, the prophet, related to him
the parable of the 1--WE lamb, he is not tit
to live, he ought to die. Let us not be too
fast in condemning this cruel servant, lest
we condemn ourselves. "Thou art mex
cusable, 0 man, whosoever thou art that
judgest; for whenever thou judgest anoth-
er, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that
judgest doeth the same things" The same
thing that you condemn others for doing
you do yourself.
In this parable we are not taught the
ground upon which forgiveness is based,
but the rule by which forgiveness is dis
pensed. The ground of forgiveness is the
satisfaction which Jesus Christ rendered
to the penaldemands of the law. The rule
by which God is governed in dispensing
forgiveness is stated in these words, LAS
we forgive our debtors" No one needs
to be told that debtors is here used in the
sense of trespassers or persons who sin
against us. In the matter of forgiveness
God deals with us as we deal with our fell
lOW-men.
It is taken for granted that the trespass-
er becomes penitent. Our Saviour posi-
lively declares that if our brother trespass
against us, and, if after being rebuked, he
repent, it is our duty to forgive him, even
if his trespassing and repenting should be
seven times a day. 1t is further evident
that the penitence of the transgressor is
assumed from the fact that If after being
admonished, first privately, then in the
presence of two or three witnesses, and
then before the church, he still remains
impenitent, he is to be regarded as "a hea-
then man and a publican" That is, no
longer a Christian brother.
The ground of the sinners forgiveness is,
as already stated, the perfect satisfaction
rendered by Jesus Christ in his stead.
Jesus Christ obeyed the law of God, and
suffered it's penalties in the sinners stead.
He obeyed and died, not simply for the
advantage of the sinner, but in the law
room and stead of the sinner. Both his
obedience and his suffering were vicarious.
He obeyed and died as the sinners substi-
tute. God forgives the sinner not as an
arbitrary sovereign, ignoring the claims
of the law, but as a God of immaculate
holiness and answering justice, the claims
of his justice having been met by his own
son. In the gospel Jesus Christ, with all
his benefits, is offered to the sinner, freely
and in good faith. All the sinner is re.
quired to do is to accept and live a life Of
faith nnon the Son of God. To every pro-