The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-06-07

IL InGN see LNO
think it is about themselves. II they
see two people laughing they think II Is
about themselves. Where there Is one
sweet pippin in their orchard there are
fifty crab apples. They have never been
able to forget. They do not want 10
forget. They never will forget. Their
wretchedness is supreme, for no one can
be happy if he carries perpetual IN
mind the mean things that have been
done him.
On the other hand. you can find here
and there a man or woman (tor tnere
are not many of them) whose dlsposlnon
is genial and summary. Whyf Have
they always been treated well? Oh. no.
Hard things have been said against
them. They have been charged with
oificiousness; and their generosltles have
been set down to a desire for display,
and they have many time been the
subject of tittle-tattle, and they have
had enough small assaults like gnats
and enough great attacks like lions to
have made them perpetually miserable,
if they would have consented to be mis-
cradle.
But they have had enough divine phil
osophv to cast off the annoyances, and
they have kept themselves in the sun
light of Gods favor, and have realized
that these oppositions and hindrances
are a part of a mighty discipline. by
which they are to be prepared for use
| fitness and heaven. The secret of it all
is. they have by the help of the eternal
! God learned how to forget.
FORGIVE AND FORGET.
Another practical thought-when our
| faults are repented of let them go out Of
mind. If God forgets them, we have
right to forget them. Having once re-
pented of our infelicities and INSIDE
rleanors. there is no need of our repent
ing of them again. Suppose owe you
! a large sum. of money, and you are per-
| suaded am incapacitated to pay, and
vou give me acQuittal from that oblga-
| ton. You say: Il cancel that debt.
! All is right now. Start again" And
the next day | come in and say: You
know about that big debt l owed you.
have come in to get you to let me off.
feel so bad about it l cannot rest. Do
| let me off" You reply with 4 little i'm
patience: Il did let you of. Don't
bother yourself and bother me with any
more of that discussion"
The following day l come in and say:
my dear sir, about that debt. | can
) never get over the fact that l owed you
that money. 1t is something that weighs
Oh my mind like 8 milestone. Do for
give me that debt" This time you clear
lose your patience and say: You are a
nuisance. What do you mean by this
reiteration of that affair? l am almost
sorry forgave you that debt. Do you
doubt my veracity, or do you not under
stand the plain language in which told
you that debt was canceledT'
Well, my friends, there are many
Christians guilty of worse folly than
that. While it is right that they repent
of new sins and of recent sins. what Is
the use of botherinS yourself and insult
ing God by asking him to forgive sins
that long ago were forgiven? God has
| forgotten them. Why do you not for
get them No, you drag the load on
with you and 365 times a year, if you
pray every day, you ask God to recall
| occurrences which he has not only for
given but forgotten. Quit this folly.
do not ask you less to realize the turpi-
tude of sin, but l ask you to higher
faith in the promise of God and the full
deliverance of his mercy. He does not
give receipt for part payment, or SC
much received on account, but receipt
in full. God having for Christ's sake de.
creed. your sins and your iniquities
will remember no more"
As far as possible, let the disagree
abIes of life drop. We have enough
, things i'll the present and there will bt
enough in the future to disturb us with
out running a special train into the great
comedy to fetch us as special freight
things left behind. Some ten years ago
when there was II great railroad strike
, | remember seeing all along the route
from Omaha to Chicago and from Chi
cago to New York hundreds and thou
sands of freight cars switched on thu
side tracks. those cars loaded with al
kinds of perishable material, decayinG
= and wasting.
After the strike was over did the rail
road companies bring all that persisted
: material down to the markets: No
: they threw it off where it was destroyed
l and loaded up with something else. LIE
2 the long train of your thoughts throw
: off the worse than useless freight of
I corrupt and destroyed past, and load n
with gratitude and faith and holy de
Y termination. We do not please God b.
r the cultivation of the miserable. Ii
, would rather see us happy than to Sc
e us depressed. You would rather Sc
your children laugh than to see then
i cry, and your heavenly Father has n
Y fondness for Mysteries.
1 GLoRYING IN wICKEDNESS.
f Not only forget your pardOned trans
p: gressions, but allow others to forge
: them. The chief stock on hand Q
: many people is to recount in praye
< meetings and pulpits what big scour
d drels they once were. They not onl
l will not forget their forgiven deficits
!. but they seem to be determined that tn
h church and the world shall not forge
d them. If you want to declare that yo
@ have been the chief of sinners and extC
Y the grace that could save such wretc