The Nevada County picayune., 1910-08-26
Nature of Divine Forgiveness By Rev. Chas. A. Riley
 Detroit, Mich.
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sins. lisa. 4i.22.
 Our best approach to this subject is by way of inquiry into the results of sin. There are two penalties attached to sin-the outward and the inward. One looks to the external conse quences; the other points to the in ward feelings and affections. One re- fers to the visible punishment, the pain and suffering that Is felt; the other has to do with the guilty con science, the closed heart of God and the separation from him. External 1enalty embraces all the evil cousa quences that are left behind and make themselves felt in the life; internal or subjective penalty Is the alienation of Gods affection, disturbance of the personal relation between God and man. God Is grieved and right eously angry with sin and he with draws his approval. Now forgiveness is the restoration of this broken per sonal relation.
 We are apt to fall into mistaken notions regarding the consequences of sin and to grieve more over the punishment than over the lack of Gods approval. Yet the worst penalty of sin Is to be separated from God by our own sinful desires and actions. To be out of harmony with God is really the death of deaths. To be an agent in the reversion of the moral order of the universe is to be against God and to be separated from him. This Is terrible status as between Creator and created. Yet it surely fol- lows sin. Your sins have separated between you and your God"
 Children have keener eyes and truer hearts than we have. What is it that makes the child's face fall and the tears come to the eyes? Is it the fear of punishment or the look of trouble in the fathers face? The child sees the real penalty, dreads the fathers closed heart. The slave would fear the rod alone; the child dreads the unhappy relation with his father, counts moments chastise- ment small beside an indefinite period of offended, withdrawn love. The out ward consequences of sin may be ter rible, but 1t is worse to have a heart in which no trace of the Divine ap- proval can be found. Recall also the danger. both for this life and the life to come, of alienation from God. The internal penalty Is the worst.
 Now, which of these penalties does forgiveness do away with? Not the external. for the sufferings in most cases remain. David was forgiven, but that did not exempt him from pun ishment. Whatsoever a man soweth that shall be also reap" He will reap 1t in his memory. in his con science. in his weakness of will. often in his worldly position. In his reputa- tion, sometimes in his health and in many other ways. To say that God cannot remove these consequences would be an arbitrary statement. Without doubt. God sometimes re- moves the penal consequences of sin. But while such remission may accom- pany forgiveness, it Is not at all an essential element therein. Forgiveness is the undisturbed communication of the love of God to sinful men; 1t re- stores the offender to his former po- sition of acceptance and favor.
 Legal pardon contains but poor analogy to this inward experience. The civil magistrate may grant a par. don, but not forgiveness. He Is not required to exercise a personal rela- tion with an offender. The Bible In no instance uses legal analogy in speaking of the Divine forgiveness. It cannot be the mere remission of the penal results of sin. Deeper than that we must look. What, again. is the real penalty? As we have req soned, it is the closing of the heart the wanderer back again to the heart
 In other words 1t Is fathers for. giveness. Your heavenly father will forgive you your trespasses." In all the passages of Scripture that treat of forgiveness 1t is either spoken of these words are not used, then the fact for which fatherhood stands namely the love of God, is empha sized. Now father closes his heart against and sternly holds an offend ing child aloof. waiting for an expres sion of sorrow. Lost without the ia ther's love and earnestly desiring to regain it. the child expresses sorrow Forgiveness is complete when the ia ther says, Come. you are my child again" But if one trace of disap .)roval remains or one fragment of the fault stands like the timbers of dam to block the stream, the child is not forgiven. He is forgiven when the last thin film of mist between him and his father has faded away. And the Heavenly Father seals his pardon to us when he declares. "I have plotted out like a thick cloud thy sins" In the parable of the prodigal son we read: And he fell on his neck and kissed him" Forgiveness is the open heart of God receiving the returning prodigal.