Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-07-04
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.
eeayer Meeting Topic For the Week
Beginning July ;.

Topf- -Forgiviug and being forgiven
Matt vi. IL Is.
The Importance Of the petition in the
Lords Prayer ON forgiveness is Illus
trated by the fact that 1t is the only pc
tition upon which Christ enlarges after
the prayer is closed. He teaches US to
pray forgive Us our debts as we for
give onr debtors" and then at the end
of the prayer. TO emphasize the great
Importance Of this petition, he con-
tin1cs, For if ye forgive men their
trespasses your heavenly Father viii
also forgive you. but if We forgive not
men their treSpasses neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses." In
this form OF presenting the fact that
forgiveness is necessary to forgiveness
there is no spirit of retaliation. 1t is
not an arbitrary refusal to forgive US
because we win not forgive others, but
before we can be forgiven we must
forgive. Necessity and not retaliation
denanl.s a forgiving spirit on our
part before we can be forgiven. The
unforgfving man is in no condition to
ask forgiveness from God. He is still
In sin and willingly in sin, and IF we
regard iniquity in our hearts God viii
not hear as" He cannot hear US. HUI
man forgiveness does not merit divine
forgiveness. 1t is simply one Of the
conditions upon which 1t is possible for
God 10 forgive us, and unless we fulfill
the condition we cannot be forgiven.
Christ's reference to forgiving sug-
rests that there are those who need our
forgiveness, those who are in our debt.
And all know this to be true. Men not
only sin against God, but against one
another. Primarily all sin is against
God, yet most of our sins involve wrong
to our fellow men at the same time
In his prayer for forgiveness in the
Fifty-first Psalm David declares,
Against Thee and Thee only have |
sinned," but at the same time In his
grieyous sin against God he had com
mitted a great wrong against an officer
In his army We do wrong one an
other, and sometimes very grievously,
but when men have wronged us II is
our duty to forgive men. as it is their
duty to forgive US II we wrong them.
To forgive is not natural to the hui
man heart. TO err is human; to for
give, divine" And the spirit of divinity
that makes it easy for man to forgive
Is not very largely possessed by him.
- lie aff IN,
punishment for the wrong done. But
let US RENE nber that vengeance be-
longs to God. vengeance is Mine,
saith the Lord, | will repay" No
guilty man escapes. But If we viii
leave the exaction of the penalty TO
God it will be the easier for us TO for
give. Our unwillingness to forgive is
largely inspired by our desire to exact
payment of the debt that is owed TO us.
BY allowing God TO collect the debt for
us. by leaving vengeance TO Him. where
1t belongs, our minds viii all the sooner
forgive even the greatest wrongs
against us and live without malice and
hatred toward our fellow men. "a con-
summation devoutly to be wished"
Christ's reference to being forgiven
suggests the fact that we need for
onstration. We wrong our fellows and
need their forgiveness. But, above all.
we sin against God and need His for
giveness. And the condition of our be-
ing forgiven is our willingness to for
give others. We should rejoice that our
God is so willing to forgive us; that
He SIS slow to anger and plenteous in
mercy" that His mercy endureth for
ever" Our debt to God is great one,
and yet He forgives and forgets. We
can forgive. but 1t is folly to think of
our forgetting. at least. the fact But
God remembers our transgressions no
more against us" God forgives fully
and forever. As His children let us
initiate this example. Let us not for
give that we may buy our own forgive
ness. but because forgiveness Is char
acteristic of our God and His desire
toward us. Deeply grateful for Gods
attitude Of forgiveness toward us, let
Us freely and fully forgive all who
have wronged us in thought, word or
In deed.
BILE READINGS.
Elk. xxi. 30-35; Ps. eiii, Is; Matt.
xviii, 21-25; Mark xi, 20; Luke vi, 81;
vii. $3.50; xvii. IA; xiii, 80, "a; Eph.
iv, 25-32; John 1. $40.