The Penn's Grove record., 1910-08-26
Nature of Divine
Forgiveness
BY Rev. chas. A. Riley
Detroit Mich.

IT have blotted out. as a thick cloud,
thy transgressions, and as a cloud. thy
sfns."-Isa. A: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
penalty embraces all the evil conse-
ouences that are left behind and make
themselves felt in the life; internal
or subjective penalty Is the alienation
of Gods affection, a disturbance Of
the personal relation between God
and man. God is grieved and right
eousiy angry with sin and he with
draws his approval. Now forgiveness
is the restoration of this broken per-
sonai 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 r~eversion of the moral
order OF the universe is to be against
God and to be separated from him.
This is q terrible status as between
Creator and created. Yet 1t surely fol-
lows sin. -Your sins have separated
between you and your Cod"
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, breads
the fathers closed heart. The slave
would fear the rod alone; the child
breads the unhappy relation with his
father, counts 9 moments chastises
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of offended, withdrawn love.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-
prevail 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 it in his memory, in his con-
science, In his weakness of will. often
In his worldly position, in his reputa-
ton, sometimes in his health and in
many other ways. To say that God
cannot remove these consequences
would be an arbitrary statement.
Without a 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; it re
stores the offender to his former po.
sition Of acceptance and favor.
Legal pardon c~ontains but a poor
analogy to this inward experience
The civil magistrate may grant a par
don, but not forgiveness. He Is moi
required to exercise a personal rela
ton with an offender. The Bible in
no instance Uses legal analogy in
speaking of the Divine forgiveness. II
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 rea
soned, it Is the closing Of the heart
Then the real forgiveness is taking
the wanderer back again to the heart
In other words it is a fathers for
giyeness. "Your heavenly father will
forgive you your ~trespasses.' In all
the passages of Scripture that treat
of forgiveness 1t is either spoken OF
as the Fathers forgiveness, or, ii
these words are not used. then the
fact for which f%atherhood stands
namely, the love Of God. is empha
sized. Now a father closes his heart
against and sternly holds an offend
ing child aloof. waiting for an express
sion Of sorrow. Lost without the ia
theirs love and earnestly desiring to
regain it, the child expresses sorrow,
Forgiveness is complete when the ia
Their says, Come, you are my child
again." But II one trace of disap'
prevail remains Or one fragment OF the
fault stands like the timbers of a dam
to block the stream. the child is not
forgiven. He is forgiven when the
last thin Aim of mist between him and
his father has faded away. And the
Heavenly Father seals his pardon to
US when he declares, Il have blotted
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.