The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1903-12-26
onRlsraaAs A.ap MEyy YEAR.

y + & g. W.
OF time, the order in which Christ
mas and New Year occurs might
suggest to Christian people a rule
of life that would contribute meal
culably to the happiness Of man
kind. The obscrvanceof Christmas
becomes mere empty ceremony
and vain display unless it move the
mind to contemplation of the char
acter and attributes Of Jesus Christ
and awakens in the soul some de-
sire to emulate His virtues.
Forgiveness was one of Jesus's
most sublime attributes, and repent
ance His chief teaching. Forgive
as our debts, as we forgive our
debtors" For, if you forgive
men their trespasses, your heavenly
Father will also forgive you. But
if you forgive not men their tres
passes, neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses. " Upon.
one occasion Peter inquired Of Jesus:
"Lord, how oft shall my brother
sin against me, and I forgive him?
till seven timesP' To which Jesus
answered: II say not unto thee,
until seven times, but until seventy
times seven" Then Christ ex'
planned that those who, in their
hearts, failed to forgive could them
selves have no hope of forgiveness.
but would be delivered to torment.
The thing to be considered by
Christians is that Christ condemned
unforgivenness just as emphatically
as he did murder, drunkenness,
robbery and lying, consequently to
harbor hatred, resentment, retalia-
ton or revenge is criminal before
God and punishable in the same
way as these crimes. Indeed, un-
forgiveness is, in sense, less JUS
tifable than most crimes Murder
may result from sudden passion,
robbery from want, drunkenness
from heredity, lying from shame,
but forgiveness is a deliberate,
malicious purpose to nurse and
cherish evil design. When men
refuse to forgive an injury, they
say in their hearts, we will not be
content until we have done as wick
ed thing as has been done unto
us. But there is in the%isnature OF
the unforgiving much of the anar'
chist spirit. The grudge they hold
is too often entirely disassociated
from any direct, personal injury.
Our unforgiving resentment is
aroused against individuals for of
lenses, as often imaginary as real
which, at the utmost, but remotely
affect us. Of this evil disposition
the conscience is ashamed, and the
lip is constantly seeking to concea
the wickedness of the heart by cry
ing charity, charity. It is this
broader and undesirable aspect o
this subject that offers such an ex
cellent field for the exercise o
Christian benevolence in a practica
way. ~- ..
In the personal relation of indi
vidual to individual, the inflictior
of injury by one upon another is I
conscious act, not to be forgiven il
f1luess until repented. In othe
words, as between individuals, tn
measure ofrepentance should be thu
measure of forgiveness; for, no
even God forgives the unpenitent
Here, consciousness of wrong doing
is assumed; but there is an immens
class of human actions which arous
our resentment, in which conscious
ness of wrong doing is not assumed
IF hatred were never engendered
nor retaliation exercised agains
any except those who have con
sciously wronged us, mighty loa'
of tribulation would be lifted.
Now, therefore, we would like t
suggest to the Christians of cald
well, that the entire time betWee
Christmas and New Year be devote
to forgiving those who have uncor
sciously injured them. and VIII
cannot repent specifically becaus
a saR. 2 ~. II