and as keen to your mind as they
come back to that other mind, which is still so full of the wrong. Even
if your victim has forgiven and forgotten you, never you forget him, and
never you forgive yourself when you again think of him. Welcome back
every sudden and sharp recollection of your wrong-doing. And make haste
at every such sudden recollection and fall down on the spot in a deeper
compunction than ever before. Do that as you would be a forgiven and
full-chartered soul. For, free and full and everlasting as God's
forgiveness is, you have no assurance that it is yours if you ever forget
your sin, or ever forgive yourself for having done it. 'Forgive
yourself,' says Augustine, 'and God will condemn you. But continually
arraign and condemn yourself, and God will forgive and acquit and justify
you.'

3. 'I give also My holy law and testament, and all that therein is
contained, for their everlasting comfort and consolation.' This is not
the manner of men, O my God. Kind-hearted men comfort and console those
who have suffered injuries and wrongs at our hands, but the
kindest-hearted of men harden their hearts and set their faces like a
flint against us who have done the wrong. All Syria sympathised with
Esau for the loss of his birthright, but I do not read that any one came
to whisper one kind word to Jacob on his hard pillow. All the army
mourned over Uriah, but all the time David's moisture was dried up like
the drought of summer, and not even Nathan came to the King till he could
not help coming. All Jericho cried, Avenge us of our adversary! But it
was Jesus who looked up and saw Zaccheus and said: Zaccheus, come down;
make haste and come down, for to-day I must abide at thy house. 'The
injuries they have done themselves also,' so runs the very first head of
our forgiveness covenant. Ah! yes; O my Lord, Thou knowest all things;
Thou knowest my heart. Thou knowest that irremediably as I have injured
other men, yet in injuring them I have injured myself much more. And
much as other men need restitution, reparation, and consolation on my
account, my God, Thou knowest that I need all that much more--ten
thousand times more. Oh, how my broken heart within me leaps up and
thanks Thee for that Covenant. Let me repeat it again to Thy praise:
'Full, free, and everlasting forgiveness of all wrongs, injuries, and
offences done by him against his neighbours and against himself.' Who,
who is a God, O my Go