Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-08-16

Christian service because they are
harsh in their criticism upon the errors
of their fellow men. You know that
some people make the sinful boast that
If an injustice or wrong has ever
been Conc against themselves they VIII
never fc.-lYc. How can such persons
expect Chlist's pardon when they are
willfully rciusing to obey Christs COM
mand to j.dge not, so that they shall
not he judged?
We Must Forgive to BE Forgiven
Mr.. Moody was the evangelist,
think, who once illustrated the lmpOsSl-
bility Of receiving Christs pardon Tor
sin unless ut the same time we are Will
Ing to forgive the sins Of others by tell
ing an incident that happened at one OF
his revival meetings. \ woman was
under deep conviction Of sin. she telt
that Chr'y! Was ready to pardon. she
felt that she was sinner but for some
unknown reason she would not be par
doned. At last the great evangelist
came TO her and said: MADAM, there
is some sin in your life which you are
unwilling to give up. What is it? VIII
YOU confess the sin to meT Yes"
answered the lady, Il will. want TO
be saved. feel that Christ is willing TO
save me. But every time ! begin 10
pray for pardon | think Of woman
who has done me in the past a great
wrong | cannot but condemn her ana
Judge her very harshly. Then, as |
pray for pardon. Christ seems to say TO
me. VIII you pardon and forgive your
sister If pardon and forgive youT ana
say, NO, cannot forgive her Then
Christ, with sad face, seems to say,
Then | will not forgive you Mr..
Moody said to the lady, "Will you kneel
down here by this scat and let me pray
for youY" She answered, 81 Will" Then
the evangelist prayed ;aat Gcd might
soften her heart toward her sister; that
he would help her to forgive, as she
wanted to ! forgiven. Arl in the
midst OF t. ."ay,r the c!g.'g woman
sobbed. 80 Lord, forgive, | forgive!
and she was saved. So my brother If
you are not ready to deal gently with
those who have done sou wrong and
also ready to forgive others Christ VIII
not forgive you. Judge not, that ye be
not judged, for with what judgment ye
Judge. We shall be Judged. And with
what measure ye mete it shall be meas
ured unto ye again"
But | have one thought more to de-
velop. and then | am done. No man
has a right to condemn his brother be
cause after the condemnation is once
spoken it often happens that 1t can
never be recalled, no matter how much
he may repent. Our judgments are
nearly always spoken judgments;
therefore those evil words which
speak to others about Gn absent friend
or enemy Will in all probability be re-
peated to second and a third and
fourth party until those censorious
criticisms a"e carri, everywhere. And
then. my brother, the damage which
we do unto others will be past recall
Thus my text has the same kind of
a practical application as that which
a mother taught her little boy while
they were spending the summer In the
woods The little fellow came running
into the house in tears and said: Nam
ma. there are some bad boys out there
mocling me. When | cried Hello!
they shouted back 'Hellov When
cried Keep still! the bad boys cried
Keep stillr And when | shouted 1
won'tv the bad boys shouted back i
won'tn" "Ah," answered the Chris
tan mother, my son, those were not
bad boys answering the Hello! The
mocking voices you heard were only
the echoing of your own. You were
the bad boy. If you had called 4 love
voup you would have heard the sup
posed bad boys say 4 love your II
you had called Come and sing to me!
they would have answered Come and
sing to mer" SO the gospel invitation
Today is going to be heard a great deal
IN the echoings Of your own voice. II
we cry out to suffering and sinful hu
manity Il love youl" Christ will cal
back 81 love your If we cry to those
who have done US an injustice 81 for
give your sinsw Christ will echo back
II forgive your sins" Oh, my brother
and sister, can we shall we not, here
and now, while we offer the LORDS
Prayer, say with sincere and truthful
hearts, "Forgivc US our trespasses a!
we forgive those who trespass agains
as"
Copyright 1902. by Louis Klopsch.l