The herald., 1896-08-10
Morning Service at the First
Congregational Church
THE FORGIVNESS OF SIN
The Theme Of an Eloquent Discourse by
Rev. DR.. Day
Kew. Mr.. cochran's Sermon at Simpson
Tabernacle Praise Service In the
Evening - Musical Program

There was large congregation at the
First Congregational church at the cor
ner of Hill and Sixth streets yesterday
morning. Rev. DR.. Day, the pastor,
chose as his theme The Forgiveness of
Sins. basing his thoughts upon these
words, found in Colossians ia In
whom we have redemption through his
blood, even the forgiveness of sins"
This doctrine" said the speaker,
stands at the fore part of the New Tes-
lament. Its spirit is that of mercy to
the erring it is book of human for
giveness. High up in the rank of manly
excellencfes it places the nobility of for
glVeness between man and man. The
Lords Prayer brings the suppliant to
his own duty to his neighbor; announces
the repeal of the old law of retaliation
and brings in what makes for peace.
The spirit of hate and revenge has shot
through our race And pushed it down
ward; here is a force to turn it back
ward and upward
But the New Testament is not only
book of human forgiveness, urgently
needed and wonderfully fitted to meet
the want, but it is pre- eminently book
OF divine forgiveness. God was moved
to manifest himself in the flesh as the
forgiver-the redeemer of sinful men,
In Christ and what he came to do, is the
L
does the Infinite care about sin? What
must be done about the sinner?
what no language was able to eX-
press, appears in living lines in him and
his ministry, the one unique object les
son, by which all the ologies are to be
tried and by which all real truth seek
ers may be directed. AS presented in the
New Testament, he is the revelation and
realization of divine forgiveness Above
all other Office ho CT oydc ae.
the Redeemer. No noe can really know
him until he comes into his experience
as one who forgives sins
we are set to preach the gospel of
culture, of human progress, of civilizd-
ton. The trend of the New Testament
is for better present things it is the
great civilizer; under it men awake,
strive, thrive, expand. But before all
this, through all this, we are set to
preach the gospel of the forgiveness of
sins. And where the redemptive power
OF the gospel Is most felt, there the in
tellectual, social and industrial exalta-
tion of the people is most distinctly
manifest.
Side by side with the mighty thought
of the divine forgiveness of sins, which
breaks in power from the life of Christ,
is the doctrine of mans fundamental
need of divine forgiveness. All through
the New Testament runs the quivering
cry, For that all have sinned, and come
short of the glory of God The burden
of the New Testament is the message of
the holy one to the SHINING.
Here, too, we meet the fact that the
parallel between mans compassion to
man and that of God to men quickly
ends. Between men there is reciprocity
There is no human being who has not
occasion to forgive his fellow men and
tro,f Z, lfo ~nian~, sthsdnIs BIT, hAtSHfaf
only one way. No man ever had occa-
sion to forgive God. God has never been
mans debtor; there is no man who is
not debtor to God.
Not least of all, this book of divine
forgiveness teaches that Gods pardon
is a provision Of mercy that makes for
righteousness. To no other end could the
Infinite make the sacrifice which ap-
pears in the incarnation. Forgiveness
is not merely provision by which the
sinner is saved from penalty, but one
to bring the shining soul out from de-
filement and the forgiven nearer to the
heart of God. The New Testament doc
trine of forgiveness is not for him who
seeks absolution today that he may re-
new his denominations tomorrow, but it
is the pardon of the penitent who would
be purer and truer. and keep what
God has committed to his trust
What woe to this world were there no
forgiveness of sins No escape from the
crush of of our own moral catastrophe,
No redemption possible! The soul
shrinks from such vision to respond in
cheerful hope to this thought, which,
dealing with what is sweetest and su-
blimest IN human wants and attain
ments, rises above all ordinary thought,
as Mt. Blanc towers above the lesser
Alps. Who hath delivered us from the
power of darkness, and hath translated
us into the HngGom of his dear Son, in
whom we have redemption through his
blood, even the forgiveness of SINS"