Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-20

tive to the blessing of forgiveness, and ID
indeed, only another name for such recep
tive condition of heart, therefore, withou
penitence there is no pardon. And this i
one of the eternal truths The hard saying
must, accordingly, be read in the light of it
Neither Peter nor all the apostles, nor the
Pope, nor all the priests in Christendom
can put away the sins of anyone who is no
penitent, nor keep back the divine pardon
from any that repent.
| Two Conditions Affect the Meaning.
Thus we have discovered two conditions
| which affect the meaning of Christ's charge
| to the apostles; it cannot set aside the will
OF God, nor can it set aside the penitence Of
| man. There is third condition; the word
forgive" which is the heart of the sentence,
must be understood according to the true
definition of forgiveness.
Now forgiveness is quite commonly in.
terpreted to mean that the forgiven sinner
has fortunately escaped from the punish
ment which is due him for his sins But
that is o mistake. The worst thing in the
world, according to Holy Scripture, is not
pain but sin. The most fearful calamity
into which a man can fall is not to be pun
! ished even in the agonfes of hell; it is to
be sinner. Jesus Christ came not to save
us from the consequences of our sins, but to
save us from our sins themselves. And all
sin inevitably involves q separation from
God. That is the fearful thing about it,
that it keeps us out of the light of the love
OF God. And what we ought to long for,
and to long for SO earnestly that everything
else is but as nothing, is to get back again
to God. And that is what forgiveness does
for us. It assures US of Gods welcome, and
is our reception into His love again.
The sin has been committed, and all its
drunkard is forgiven, but the diseases
which his transgressions have brought upon
him still rack his body with pain. The
penitent thief is pardoned, but the nails
still hold him to the cross, and he dies
there, Just as the impenitent thief dies.
Absolution does not come in between sin
and these inevitable consequences of it.
What absolution does, in Gods name, for
the penitent soul, is to declare that the old
fatherly and flial relations are resumed.
1t is solemn assurance of the unchanged
love Of God.
Out of Negation Into Definition.
Thus we get out of negation into deini-
tion. Forgiveness is not to be understood
here as meaning that man stands in the
place OF God. Take that, then, out of the
idea of absolution. Neither is forgiveness
to be thought of here as separated from re-
pentance, as making penitence unnecessary.
Take that, also, out of the idea of absolu-
tion. Neither is forgiveness to be consid-
cred here as meaning anything less than the
approval of God; it does not carry with it
deliyerance from the inevitable penalties
of sin. Take that, too, out OF the idea of
absolution.
What then remains? Why, this: That
almighty God, the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of
a sinner, but rather that he may turn from
his wickedness and live, hath given power
and commandment to his ministers to de-
clare and pronounce to his people. being
penitent, the absolution and remission of
their sins. He pardoneth and absolveth all
those who truly repent and unfeignedly
believe His holy gospel" That is the be-
ginning and the middle and the end of it.
The priest knows the love of God, he
learns the penitence of the sinner and he
stands between the two, where the Lord put
him, and speaking in his own name, as the
of Him who sent him, he
declares that the promises of God are stead
fast and that this penitent sinner is ap-
proved of God.
Ignorance and superstition and ambition
have taken these old words and read them
without relation to the gospel where they
stand, and have translated them into lie.
They have LETT out the will of God, and
made pardon dependent upon the priest
They have left out the repentance of the
sinner and have made formal confession
20 take the place of it. They have set aside
he true meaning of forgiveness, and have
made it to signify release from the penalties
II sin. And the result has been the enslave-
nent of the conscience.
Nevertheless the race has ever cried for
Ibsolution. Before the altars of all relig-
ons men and women have made their prav-
,een priests to whom penitents have re-
orted with the story of their sins, begging
or assurance of forgiveness Are we really
crgiven? Does the great, just, holy God
bove really love us who have SO offended
lin? People ask that every day, and have
sked it from the beginning of the world
With tears. For to be with God, in harmony
With him, approved OF him, is the deepest |
onging of the human heart.
No Adequate Answer From Man.
And no book can satisfy these anxious |
Iuestions; nor can any argument which a |
nan holds with his own soul provide ade- |
Iuate answer. We want voice, the voice |
# authority, the voice of assurance. We |
rant somebody who knows the law of |
rod, who is better acquainted than We are |
nth the spirit OF God, who can tell US, SO
hat his saying shall convince US, that our
onging is met and satisfied. Here am /, !
thus and thus with lamentable
this have 1 said, that have 1 |
one, all these have 1 LETT undone, and now
come to God. o. man of God. thou who
.nowest God, what does God say?
L.. - l.
ooks out tremblingly into the future and is
fraid Of death. Such and such is my con-
ition. o physician of God, must !, then,
lie? And the physician answers, and the
nswer brings the same comfort which the
ood promise of the physician of the body
rings. One may encouragingly say this,
nd another that, and thus and thus may we
peak with our ownselves, but there are
reat many people in the world who desire to
now what the physician says. That they
ccept.
And for this Christ has made provision.
t was of this which He thought when He
poke the hard saying of the text. Go out
nd tell men the best you can how they
tand with God. Here is one whom you
now to be penitent; tell him that he is for
iyen. Here is another whom you believe to
e impenitent; tell him that his sins are
etained.
1t may be in quiet conversation between
So, where there is frank confession made.
may be in the midst of a crowded church
here the preacher declares the love of
rod and His longing for the loYe of man.
nd some hear, and turn to God, and the
urden of their sins is lifted; while others,
ear, and turn away and sin again. Some
ave their sins forgiven others have their
ms retained.
The man of God, in the name of the God
love, declares to the penitent soul the