Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-07
Christian Endeavor Hour
Conducted by Grace Livingston Hill-Luts
For Sunday, July 8. 1905.

| II
| their trespasses, your heavenly Father Will
| also forgive you
| Matthew. wills, But If We forgive not
| men their trespasses, neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses''
forgiveness" says Marcus Dods, us as
much the basis of a days duty as bread.
If we are to serve on earth we must have
bread, but II we are to serve either on earth
or elsewhere we must have forgiveness. AS
surely as we faint and die without bread,
so surely do we faint and die from all cody
life and for all cody purposes If we have
not forgiveness. Bread supplies the per-
sonal ca oability and outward opportunity
of doing things which please God; forgive
ness supplies the inward condition In Wnicn
a man can do anything pleasing to Coo.
Until the matter of sin is finally adjusted,
and an understanding come to on this point
between God and the soul. there is no VIII
lingness, no heartiness, no constancy nor
any acceptance of service. Your act OF Tor
giyenesS must precede the act you nope
that God will perform. There is something
standing in the way of your forgiveness,
which you must remove something Is "
be done before God can forgive you, wnicn
YOU must do. But, then, 1t is a thing Which
you cannot but be doing. IL you are COM
pelled to seek Gods forgiveness from any
just sense of your own SIN FOR JUST III
proportion as your own sin against Coo ap-
against yourself appear small. If the wrong
done US by others seems greater than we
can forgive and forget, then our wrong
doing is affecting us less than 1t should.
Clear and Imperative.
These two verses are very clear and I'M
neratlve. There seems to be no way out
of forgiving other men their trespasses'
How. then, is 1t that so many or US are
going on serenely bearing grudges against
neighbors, fellow kinsmen. fellow Chris
tians2 Is 1t possible we do not realize now
much we ourselves need to be FORGIVEN.
"Ah! But they have sinned SO grlevousay s,
against US We had been kind and they
have turned colby away, have ialriy
thrown our kindness in our faces Rave
we not done the same to Godf ies-put
we went out of our way again ana asais
to forgive and forget, and still they seemed
TO scorn us and to prefer others to us
They have sighted US again ana again:
Have you not done as much TO COD! 10"
many of His mercies have you seemed "
forget and then have come unthlnklngiy 10
prayer and glibly ask Him to forgive, Win
no anxious burden of sin on your heart!
Are you not for all the world ike ina,
brother or sister Of yours whom n you ae wal,
me to forgive them" And how many sins
OF your own have you omitted TO ask Goa
pardon for? How many have you reaiiy
felt needed to be forgiven? on, we are SO
selves, And we are not better. many times
not so good as those we will not forgive
There have been known Christians who
will not pray the Lords prayer because or
that conditional petition: Forgive US our
debts as we forgive our debtors. But we
cannot pray without that forgiveness IN
our hearts. for, as II our Father would set
US an added warning. there comes that
verse: And when thou bringest thy gift
TO the altar and there rememberest that
thy brother hath aught against thee. leave
there thy gift before the altar, first be
reconciled to thy brother and then come
and offer thy gift"
Even at the very steps of the throne we
are to turn back to give that reluctant for
giveness which we so much desire for our
selves When will we learn the true law
OF the new kingdom?
Applied Truth.
Rev Mr. Taylor arranged gathering OF
all those among the New zealanders who
had been brought through his ministry to
a knowledge of Jesus. The church was
filled by hundreds, and after the service
was over they administered the Lords sup
per- The first rail was filled when Mr..
Taylor saw man who was kneeling at the
upper end suddenly get up and go and sit
down at the back of the church. But in a
moment he returned and knelt in his place
again When the missionary asked him
why he had thus disturbed the congrega-
ton he answered: Mr.. Taylor, when L
went up 10 the table / did not know by
whom | should kneel. and when 1 found
myself kneeiing by the side of man who
a few years ago murdered my father and
drank his blood and whom l had sworn L
would murder the first minute | set eyes
upon him. 1t overpowered me. ! could not
stand it l went back to my seat But
instantly / saw the upper room and the
supper. and heard a voice saying: BY this
shall all men know that you are my dis
ciples. IL ye have love one to another That
did not overcome me, however and I took
and a man nailed upon 1t. and heard Him
say: Father, forgive them, for they know
not what they do and so went back"
HE that cannot forgive others breaks
the bridge over which he must pass him
self; for every man has need to be for
given"
Hath any wronged thee? Be bravely re-
venged: slight IT, and the work is begun;
forgive It. and II Is finished. He Is below
himself that is not above an injury
Quarles.
In the third century there lived a priest
In Antioch named Sapricious. He had an
intimate friend named Nicephorous After
time they became estranged and would
not speak to one another. Nicephorous
however. became convicted OF the sin of
hatred. and went into the presence of his
lEieHu, ASKING forgiveness Tor
Chrlst's sake. Sapricious. however hard
ened his heart and would not be reconciled.
Soon afterward the valerian persecution
broke out. and Sapricious. the unforgiving
priest. was arrested and bore brave testi-
mony for Christ under most terrible tor
lures. He was sentenced to be beheaded.
and did not finch. On his way to execu-
ton Nicephorous cast himself before the
martyr and begged once more. Martyr OF
Jesus Christ. forgive me my offense." But
though he repeated his request many times,
the soldiers laughing at him for seekings
pardon OF man about to be executed, he
received no response. Saprcious would not
forgive.
The order to kneel was given. that the
priests head might be cut of, but he cried |:
Stop. Do not put me to death; will do
what You desire; l am ready to sacrifice -
Nicepherous. dismayed, cried: Brother.
what are you doing? Renounce not Jesus
| Christ. Forfeit not the crown you have
already won by fortunes and sufferings. %
| But the spirit which had enabled him To
bear fortunes was withdrawn from him be
| cause he would not forgive his brother
and he baseiy denied Jesus. Then Niceph-
orous. filed with horror at the downfall OF