The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-02-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Notes en- the Lesson for Febru-
airy lS---"A Lesson on
Forgiveness" ..~.>
From tho Chicago Standard

From tho Chicago Standard.
The lesson for tho above date may be found
In the eighteenth chapter of Matthew, from
the twenty first to the thirty fifth verses
DAILY READINGS.
M-Tho Connection. Matt. Is: 1929
The Lesson
W.-Forglyeness Before Sacrifice Matt 81
2l-24
I.-Forsiveness in Time of Prayer. Mark
IL: 24-26.
E.-"Seven Times Day" Luke Il: 1-5.
S-The Divine Example" Epn. 4: 81, -
S.-@As." Matt q: lib
BREAKFAST VERSES.
MI have pardoned. Mum. II: 20
I.-"Put up Thy sword" John Is: IL.
VA new commandment" John 49, 81
T-"Even as your Father" Matt. 5: AZ
E-"Without grudglng. / PeIer 4: 8
S.-"Judge not" Luke q: 81
S.-"Be ye kind one to another" Eph 4: 30
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
LORD, hoW often 1t is the worldly spirit that
reckons by numbers Presently we snail hear
OF young man who, when our Lord told hIm
to keep the commandments, answered quite
significantly, "Whichy" AS If Christianity
We're the mere observance Of rules and regu-
lations, mere calculation in addition and
subtraction. The heather OF the West Indies
tasten their prayers TO wheel or TO the
fianges of WINDMILL that it may pray them
lutIons. The Chinaman makes DART OF his
petition and casts 1t at the target Ii it stick,
1t Is answered; II IL fall to the EARTH it is in
vain Shall we be no better than the heather?
1iU SeOen times! The sacred number and
named in pious frame. Doubtless Peter
thought he was putting 1T pretty high, and il
was large advance upon the Jewish reckon
ing. Forgive once, twice, three times, said
the Jew, then stay from forgiving. Peter
ventured to add four more trials and then
ii 4
until seven ties" "There!" perhaps Peter
exclaims to himself, Il was too fast; named
too large figure" Christ goes on "But
until seventy times seven" All, the number
of indefinite extension! The disciple is sur
prised; so has the world been ever since.
Christ introduced wholly new principle,
total and complete forgiveness. Il can for
give, but l cannot forget" we say. Yes.
Seven times" but not seventy times seven"
Peters piety rather than Christ's.
Take account of his SERVANTS. Depend upon
it, the books OF God are accurately kept.
Day-ledger, credit-book, inventory-we are IN
account with God. How much owest thou?
Our creditor gives us book in which he sets
down, for our monthly perusal, it may be,
the state OF our Indebtedness to him. The
Bible ia our book Of account with God 1t is
In large degree transcript Of our standing
in the heavens; If We read 1t Alright Well for
us, if we watch our account God keeps it,
and his eye never slumbers nor sleeps
Which Oped him ten thousand talents. An
enormous debt, $1O,0OO,0UO, they to i us, in
our money. 1t is meant to represent an over
whelming amount Of liabilities. Does it not
clearly set forth mans relation to God? Sin
Ia q debt Christ emphasized it when at
Simons table. We are living on the bounty
Of another Every day, every moment, every
breath We draw, we increase our obligations;
We are debtors, every one, aud that whether
we acknowledge 1t or no. When the richest
American Of his day, as Theodore Cuyler has
sad lay upon his dying bed, the song he
chose to have sung as most applicable to his
ners, poor and needy"
He had not to pay He was insolvent, vir-
tual bankrupt 1t was thing more easily
discovered in those days than now. More read
lily known century or more ago, when the
prison was built rOomy enough TO hold debt
ors. Benjamin Franklin's employer, the
printer, we read, interrupted his business
three or four times to take up his temporary
residence in the city Jail for failure to meet
commercial dues. We have way OF hiding it
for season now, but not for long After awhile
the crash comes, and, as in the case of the no.
torious Fidelity failure in Cincinnati, it is all
the worse for the delay. In our transactions
with God, how stands the account? Are we
able of ourselves to meet it? If we are beg
CARS before him, the sooner we confess it the
better.
IcM pan thee all. Not to be forced in in
depreciation. 1t does not mean work righte-
BUSINESS; unless, indeed, the whole institution
of Judaism was work righteousness. 1t means
simply repentance, which makes meet for for
giveness. 1t represents the attitude of Israel
over and over again, when in answer to the
cry of the prophets the people returned to the
Lord and His statutes. 1t represents, too the
estate of every sinner when he approaches
God. 1t is, in much of ignorance, but also in
much Of meeknecs, asking along with patience
pardon. Because thou desredst me-" the
Lord, be merciful to me- sinner debtor.
Loosed him ana. torgaUe him. 1t was Gods
answer. 1t was the only way the king in
this case could shave patience" and show
compassion" for 10, the servant had nothing
to pay. Or rather was not that utter pros
tratlon Of himself in itself all the payment he
could makey His self surrender and humili-
aticn were his declaration of bankruptcy
And will heavens court be less kindly this
earth's?
All the fitness he requireth
Is to feel your need of him."
The same servant Uent ont And good
| piece ont, we might say. A long way from
the atmosphere of that compassion; and yet
he was q servant still, behoden to the same
master. He goes out and forgets it all Toe
often, as our pious audiences end, our good
thoughts end. Too often, as we go out from
| the Lords sanctuary, the word of the Lord
goes out from our minds and hearts Have
| we been forgiven? Remember, it gives us
no prerogative of lordship over others. Keep
| humble. You are servant STILL the same
servant whom his Lord forgave.
An hundred pence. Twenty-Five dollars,
shall We call it? Set it over against the s10,-
600, coo, it is as nothing. We go forth from
the Lords chamber Of mercy overwhelmed
with his generous compassion. We come out
| into the small shops of our human dealings
into the sphere Of the hundred pence" Here
is some one who has injured in some degree
our business 1t is an hundred pence. Some
one has spoken i'll of us-an hundred pence
| Some one has sighted us failed to oplige
us by without speaking or has failed to cali
an hundred pence Oh, brother or sister,
| look up at the cross-mark on your $40, 600, 900
| debt How paltry and pitiful the "hundred
pencil"
| Pay me that thou owest. The scene has in
deed, greatly changed. The servant has gone
out and laid hands on an under-servant who
| him I'm tl,rL. a1l ,xiIl.,aat Ill,