My sins, my sins, my Saviour! I heard Thy pleading prayer, Therefore my songs, my Saviour! Rev. John Monsell. VIII. "FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES, AS WE FORGIVE THEM THAT TRESPASS AGAINST US." "THEN came Peter to Him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times; but, until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."-St. Matt. xviii. 21-35. And "If ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." St. Matt. vi. 14, 15. "As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. But love ye your enemies, and do good and lend, hoping for nothing again: and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest, for He is kind to the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged. Condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned. Forgive, and and ye shall be forgiven."-St. Luke vi. 31-37. "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."-Eph. iv. 31, 32. "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”—Col. iii. 13. "He shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy." St. James ii. 13. "Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow His steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth. Who when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not, but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously."-1 St. Peter ii. 21–23. In the last Chapter we thought of God's love, and of His forgiveness of our sins. Now we turn to another subject, which is our forgiveness of others who have injured us, or who have been unkind to us in any way. Remember these solemn words" If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father in Heaven forgive your trespasses." Forgiveness is one of the hardest virtues to practise, I mean real forgiveness, not in words only, but from the heart. One of the greatest trials in a small country village is the way in which our neighbours |