The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1889-03-13

against me and 1 forgive him? Till
seven times?' Three times was the pre-
scribed limit among them of old time, but
Peter had enlarged the number to seven,
and evidently supposed he had made an
attainment in charity worthy of com
mendation. Jesus gave him a surprise
and lesson: Until seventy times seven.
Then came the impressive parable of the
king who forgave his servant debt of
ten thousand talents; but the forgiven
man, finding fellow servant who owed
him hundred pence, took him by the
throat and demanded payment, and be-
cause he was unable to make it, cast him
into prison. Then his lord called him
and said, 20 thou wicked servant, for
gave thee all that debt because thou de-
siredst me. Shouldest thou not also
have had compassion on thy fellow-ser-
want, even as had pity on thee ?" And
his lord was wroth, and delivered him to
the tormentors till he should pay all that
was due unto him. Then came the
solemn application of the parable that
sounds the knell of many an unforgiving
soul: $50, likewise, shall my heavenly
Father do unto you, if ye from your
hearts forgive not every one his brother
their trespasses.
1t may be said, as it so often has been
said, does not this law of full, uncondi.
tional forgiveness contradict the teaching
of the other text, that God has implanted
within US q principle of self-protectlon ;;
and would not the requirement to forgive
all injuries fill the world with the unjust
exactions of those who would take advan-
10 of oh I'D
premium on outrage2 Not by any
means. AS anger is guarded against the
excess which would make it sinful. 80 the
requirement to forgive our enemies is also
coupled with conditions which makes the
discharge of the duty consistent with the
safety of the individual and with the
well-being Of society.
In complying with the command, the
Christian citizen does not forfeit his right
to avail himself of all the protection
which the laws and which public opinion
provide against injustice. We have al
ready seen that the weakest and the most
defenceless do not appeal in vain to the
community when suffering frem the out
RACES of the unprincipled, and that the
appeal brings to the solitary and other
wise helpless victim of wrong the sympa-
thy and the succor of thousands of the
strong. Let citizen of the United States
be aseailed and pillaged or outraged in
any manner, though he be alone and on
the other side of the globe, the injury to
which he is subjected arouses the sympa-
thetic indignation OF the million, and all
for his protection or for the redress of his
injuries Paul, the very apostle who so
urgently enjoined the duty Of forgiveness,
did not hesitate to appeal unto Caesar
when in danger from conspiracy against
his liberty and life; he filled the minds
of the Philippian magistrates with the
fear of consequences when he charged
them with having beaten him openly and
uncondemned, though he was Roman
citizen. The law of forgiveness does not
oblige the Executive of the State to par
don offences against the public safety.
The exercise of justice is quite consistent
with the deepest and tenderest pity on
the part of the Judge or executive, and
all the confessions of the condemned
criminal and all his pathetic appeals for
clemency will not prevent the execution
of the sentence. Within a week you
must have had your sensibilities painful
ly stirred in reading an account of the
anguish of the Governor of sister State,
which almost prostrated him In refusing
to stay the execution of murderer, whose
mother plead for mercy in behalf of her
son and refused to leave the room until
she obtained it, but the Governor told
her, with tears in his eyes, that much as
he felt for her he would fall short of duty
if he allowed his sympathy to overcome
him. The command to forgive, even as
the condition Of the divine forgiveness,
has no application in case like that.
Private offences against individual
peace and happiness must be forgiven
when the assailant repent8. And no
matter how often he Gins, if he repents he
must be pardoned; but God Himself does
not restore the impenitent to this conf
dence and favor. "Thou Lord lowest
| righteousness and hatest iniquity." God
adherence of Gin Is the evidence of His
holiness. While as a Christian man you
have no desire to rstaliate even when
smarting under injuries, and while from
/ the heart you can forgive the offender
/ even when be does not repent, in the
sense that you bear him no malice and
can sincerely pray for him, yet it is
| duty we owe to society to make a differ
ence in our manner between the vicious
and the virtuous, and it would be the
sherest hypocricy to treat with elusive