ne his brother from your hearts."
And, finally, all these words are made fast for ever in the minds and
consciences of men, by the great act on the Cross when the dying
Redeemer prayed for the men who slew Him: "Father, forgive them; for
they know not what they do."

The meaning of all this is unmistakable. No child could miss the point
of the solemn parable to which I have referred. At the same time, it may
not be out of place to point out that there are not a few instances in
which people may feel themselves wronged, which, nevertheless, do not
come within the scope of Christ's teaching about forgiveness. An
illustration will best explain my meaning. It sometimes happens, both in
business life and in the Church, that two men, equally honourable and
true, but with almost nothing else in common, are often thrown into each
other's company. They have to deal with the same facts, but they look
upon them with wholly different eyes, they approach them from wholly
different points of view. The results are obvious. There are not only
widely differing opinions, but occasional misunderstandings, and
sometimes sharper words than ought ever to pass between Christian men.
Now, to say broadly that one is right and the other wrong, that the one
owes confession and the other forgiveness, is simply not true; what is
true is that the men are different, different in temperament, different
in training, different in their whole habits of thought and life. And
what is needed is that each should learn frankly to recognize the fact.
This is not a case for rebuking, and repenting, and forgiving, but for
mutual forbearance. There are multitudes of good people, people whose
goodness no one who knows them would ever question, whom yet we cannot
take to our bosoms, and treat as intimate personal friends. Even
religion does not all at once straighten out all the twists in human
nature, nor rub down all its hard angularities. And, as I say, it is our
simple, common-sense duty to recognize the fact; and if sometimes we
find even our fellow--Christians "very trying," well, we must learn to
bear and forbear, always remembering that others probably find us no
less trying than we sometimes find them. But where grave and undeniable
injury has been done, immediately Christ's teaching comes into
operation. The injured one must banish all thought of revenge. Never
must we say, "I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render
to the man according to