A Forgiving Spirit Essential to a Christian Life.
"If ye do not from your hearts forgive every one their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses." An unforgiving spirit gives evidence that sins are uncanceled. My readers, you must forgive every one their trespasses, or there is no forgiveness of sin for you. Do I hear some of you reply, "I can forgive but not forget?" When God, who is our pattern, forgives, he says: "I will remember thy sins no more forever," and does he require any less forgetfulness of you toward your offending fellow-creature? Have you any right to claim to do in harmony with God while you are violating a known law by which he is governed? Nay, verily, as God's word is true, you are deceiving yourselves. Because some of your fellow-creatures have wronged you or your friends, you seek every occasion to manifest your resentment and spite. This is done, either by the neglect of that civility which is due to all, or by aggressive acts of petty malice, either secretly or openly manifested. Too many illustrations of this kind abound in the Christian world. During the early days of my ministry, an individual, professing pre-eminent sanctity and bold in proclaiming the power of Jesus to personally save, was not on speaking terms with his sister, and when asked to go and try to effect a reconciliation, positively and spitefully refused. Reader, if you have any such spirit of unforgiveness lurking within, indulge not the thought that you are a saved soul. Go to your closet, and on your knees before God forgive every one their trespasses, then by faith claim Jesus as your Saviour. To claim him as a personal Saviour from sin without doing this, is to either deceive yourself, or to show to the world the hypocrisy of your heart.—Wesleyan Methodist.