The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-07-29
9aturday Digit
"oIkc BY Rev. F. E. DAWSON
N/uhkNS Rutland, VI
THE KINGS TEACHING CONCERN
ING FORGIVENESS.
International Bible Lesson for July
81, '1o--(Matt. ts:2t-s5).
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that eulogy of love | put, THE Hard
est Thing in the World, the duty
Of forgiveness.
1t is easy enough to love those who
love you, to get along peaceably with
those who have no inclination to do
you harm. But to forgive your enc
mics. to cherish no hard feelings to-
wards those who bark at you, and stab
you in the back. and lie awake nights
Matching up schemes to ruin you, and
camp on your trail as persistently as
an Indian scalp-lock hunter, and in
every place and under all circum.
stances, undermine ana betray you;
to forgive such human vultures and
blood suckers, and do 1T, not once, nor
twice, but 20 times Z, if it is not the
hardest thing to do in the world, Will
somebody please explain why not?
What is there in the whole realm OF
life that makes such a demand upon
every member of your body and every
faculty of your soul?
This is more than keeping your
mouth shut, more than holding your
temper, more than refusing to retail
ate; this is to fully, freely, perfectly
forgive the offender. And let him
who thinks that is an easy thing to
do, just try it.
The Worlds Standard.
The worlds standard is IAN eye
for an eye, and a tooth for tooth"
If a man wrongs you, pay him back
in his own coin, get even with him II
1t takes you years to do 1t, nurse your
wrath to keep it warm, as Robert
Burns said, and when the opportunity
presents itself to avenge your injury
exact the utmost farthing of principal
and interest. Let it be understood
that he who crosses your path does so
at his peril, and will pay dearly for
It when once you get him in your
power.
The world is full of people in whose
soul the milk of human kindness has
turned to bonnyclabber. They have
repudiated those who were once their
bosom friends. They have torn out
Of their hearts all memory's pictures
OF those they once loved, and their
very names are tabooed by them.
the wall. They are dead and buried
to them. They demonstrate with
good deal of satisfaction that they
can hate as intensely as they once
loved. II ever angels weep 1t is over
such a ruined, poisonous, reptilian
heart as that.
Worlds Great Haters.
When you come to put the micro
scope upon these people who never
forgive, what do you find? Do you
discover that they themselves are i'm
maculate? Do you find that they oc-
cupy a spotless altitude on an un-
stained pedestal? Usually just the
opposite. The people who are out of
harmony with one, are out of gear
with a good many. Like Ishmael of
old, every mans hand is against
them, and their hand is against every
mans. The great haters usually have
lot of il to do. There seems to be
general conspiracy to torment them.
Somebody is always stepping on their
corns, their feelings are in continual
state of perturbation.
They are not by any means the
modern saints. They loudly condemn
the sins of others, while conveniently
blind to their own. They make a
distinction in sins, declaiming vocifer-
ously against some forms of evil while
practicing others, with still greater
criminality. They throw up their
hands in holy horror at some forms of
evil, while harboring tempers and dis
positions in other directions equally
vile.
Compound for sins they are inclined
BY damning those they have no mind
to-"
They forget that hate is murder in
the sight of heaven, that covetousness
is really larceny in Gods sight, that
an unforgiving spirit slams shut the
door of paradise, that, with what
judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged
and with what measure ye mete, it
shall be measured to you again"
Worlds Compromises.
Some people try to get around
this duty by compromising the matter,
They say, 81 will forgive, but / can
not forget" They take the old
grudge and put it out of sight, but
1t is carefully preserved where they
can see 1t once in while. They bury
the hatchet, but they leave the handle
sticking out to be a daily reminder
of what is there entombed, and then
they roll up their eyes very piously
and pray, Forgive us our debts, as
we forgive our debtors" No. it is not
human nature to forgive. There is too
much carnalty in all of us to tamely
submit to injustice. abuse and calum-
ny. We explode quickly when a spark
falls upon the magazine.
But what human nature is incapa-
BILE Of, grace can do, There have
been multitudinous instances OF men
and women who in the midst of might
lest provocation, have given soft an.
swers to wrath, turned the other
cheek to the smiter, and repeated
without a particle or acrimony in
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