at the child craves when it cries for
pardon. The remission of punishment is an element, but by no means the
chief element, in man's forgiveness, and that is still more true as to
God's. There are present, and for the most part outward, consequences of
a forgiven man's sin which are not averted by forgiveness, and which it
is for his good that he should not escape. But when the assurance of
God's unhindered love rests on a pardoned soul, those consequences of
its sins which it has to reap cease to be penal and become educative,
cease to be the expressions only of God's hatred of evil, and become
expressions of His love to the forgiven evil-doer. 'I will be his
Father, and he shall be My son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten
him with the rod of men ... but My mercy shall not depart from him.'

III. The startling addition to the cry.

'_As_ we forgive.' Is, then, our poor forgiveness the measure or
condition of God's? At first sight that addition seems to impose a limit
on His pardon which might well plunge us into despair. But reflection on
the words brings to light more comforting, though solemnly warning,
thoughts.

We learn that our human forgiveness is the faint reflection of the light
of His. We have a right to infer His gentleness, forbearance, and
forgiveness from the existence of such gracious qualities in ourselves.
God is all that is good in men. 'Whatsoever things are reverend,
whatsoever things are honourable, whatsoever things are lovely--all
these are in Him, and all as they are seen in men are from Him. 'He that
formed the eye, shall not He see?' We forgive, and will not He?

In a very real sense our forgiving is the condition of our being
forgiven. We are accustomed to hear that faith and repentance are
conditions of receiving the divine forgiveness. But the very same
disposition which, when directed to God, produces faith and repentance,
when directed to men, produces a forgiving temper. A deep sense of my
own unworthiness, and of having no ground of right to stand on, will
surely lead me to be lenient and placable to others. We cannot cut our
lives into halves, and be inwardly filled with contrition, and outwardly
full of assertion of our rights. We cannot plead with God to do for us
what we will not do for others. Our prayer for forgiveness must, if it
is real, influence our whole behaviour; and if it is not real, it will
not be answered.

The possession of God's forgiveness will make us forg