Here is this matter of forgiveness. Professor Seeley is excellent on that branch of his subject. He says, Christianity is founded on the unlimited forgiveness of sins. There is no limit to it." Then he quotes these words of Jesus to Peter. Peter, "with hig literal mind," wanted to.know whether seven was the exact number times we are to forgive a man. Jesus said, "No; until seventy times seven." That was His way of saying, there was to be no end to our readiness to forgive. As Professor Seeley says, "Irreconoilable enmities are henceforth for-hidden to human beings. Mercy to a submissive foe has to be no longer merely an admirable reach of goodness; it is a plain duty. Human beings have henceforth a right to terms. However much they have trampled on the rights of others, they cannot trample on their own."
Nobody can divest himself, or be divested of the right to forgiveness. It applies to private and also to public offences. The Gospel never makes our distinctions - he-tween private and public morals. What is true of one is true of the other. Nations and individuals are alike to be ready to forgive fully and without grudging, on the slightest sign of sorrow for sin on the part of the offender. No bue who at all claims to be Christian has the sanction of the Master to again, no matter how sorry he is." say, 'I'll never speak to that man
That spirit is devilish, no matter what the offence has been. And 't is just so with nations. One nation may be guilty of what we call almost unforgivable offences, yet on even half-hearted, yet sincere signs of repentance, Christiane are to be like the father in the Par-I able of "The Prodigal Son"; they are to see the offender, while he is a great way off," and "fall on his neck and kiss him," and "have compassion on him." Yes. That is drastic medicine for Christendom in its present temper. But there it is, as Professor Seeley says, the undoubted teaching of Jesus, whom we call Master and Lord of all, and by whom we believe we shall be judged. And one thing we shall be judged on will be whether we have been forgiving or not.
THE CHRISTIAN SPIRIT, Now notice, that there can be no question, that this is the teaching of Jesus When He) was on earth Jesus was never tired of forgiving. It was one of the counts against Him by the Jewish authorities, that He presumed to act as God in forgiving sins; they said Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Even if the story of the woman taken in adult tery is an invention of the early church, as some hold, it is.an equally striking proof as to how the early church had been struck by this unlimitedness of our Lord's forgiveness. On the -Cross he said of His enemies, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Notice too, as Professor Seeley points out, that we all unknowingly confess that this is true spirit of Jesus. He says, that we often use the phrase ''a Christian. spirit." And he says, we really mean by that "a forgiving spirit." When we say a man showed a very Christian spirit, we do not mean, that he exhibited great courage or generosity, as in giving a hundred dollars te a good cause, or that he is remarkably honest. No; we do not. We mean, that he is remarkably merciful and ready to forgive. That is what we always mean by it. So we give ourselves away. And, of course, this is the very heart and kernel of the Gospel. Who will deny, that man has grieved and injured God? For the. Bible God is not just "Mind" or "Principle" or any such windy. abstraction. He is personal, He loves, He can be grieved, He can be pleased, He can forgive and refuse to forgive. He is. "the God and Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." There is ne. such thing as mind without a person. And our God is an infinite, holy, loving person. And this being the case, He' feels it.-when we,. His children, slight Him, when we; disobey Him. Where then should. we be if He remembered rotten old grievances, and kept remembering dead old sins, that we have tried to repent of, as we remember other. men's? But this is just the Bible teaching; "He hath not dealt with us after our sins." Aye indeed, where would any of us be, if He kept alive rotten old grudges as we do? Where should we be? But this is just what the Gospel is.. It is unlimited forgiveness. That. always has been real religion; "though your sins be as scarlet they shal] be white as snow"; "Jesus said unto Peter, I say not' unto thee, Until seven times, but, Until: seventy times seven."
THE GREAT INNOVATION, Next, notice that, as Seeley says,. "This is Christ's most striking innovation in morality." It created what we may call "moral consternation in the ancient world." They said, crime wil] overrun the world,. if we are to forgive so freely. As. Seeley says, it is curious but a fact, that while the ancient world had less serious conception of sin than-Christianity, it was harder on sin-. ners. It is the religion. that has the stiffest idea of sin, that makes. escape from sin easiest. This is so. As he says, the "doctrine of un—limited forgiveness gave a startling-shock to the old world. This law makes an ineffaceable and palpable division between ancient and modern' morality." The classical' world not only did not forgive, but "didn't believe we are under any obligation to forgive." He says, Cicero was generally a fairly kind" man, but he quarrelled with his friend Clodius. Clodius was killed at the battle of Bovillae. Cicero dates a letter on the anniversary of the death of Clodius, in a sort of horrid glee. Cesar was notorious for forgiving his enemies, for of course, in private life, men did forgive one another out of goodness of heart, though not of fixed principle, as the will of God. But ever Cesar did an awful thing. It was the custom when a victorious gen-
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