of daughter's feelings, coming in one night and her eyes falling on the features of her dear mother. All the old days What would it lead the coming back. daughter to do? Thus the portrait of our Father is to lead wandering, wilful children to return. When they turn and confess then pardon comes (1 John i. 9; St. Luke xv. 18).]

(ii.) Christ shows us how to be fit for Forgiveness.

Read about the "unmerciful servant" (St. Matt. xviii. 21-35). The servant owed 10,000 talents to his master; 100 pence was owing to himself by fellowservant. Can you do a rule-of-three sum? Here it is

As 10,000 talents: 100 pence :: 1,250,000: I.

The wrong done by me to God; for duty left undone is like a debt of a million and a quarter of pounds; wrong another has done to me is only like a debt of one pound. The man in the parable forgave the big debt; moved by tears of poor debtor; very noble of him; but so angry to find the forgiven debtor with hand on fellow-servant's throat for the little debt-no mercy-that he rolled the debt back on him again. God will not forgive the big debt till we forgive the little one. An unforgiving person cannot be forgiven however much he prays for it (ver. 35; St. Mark xi. 25, 26). An unforgiving spirit prevents God's grace coming to us. (Illust. A priest of Antioch, Sapricius, A.D. 260, time of persecution, had had a quarrel with a man, Nicephorus; the latter sought to be forgiven, but the priest was hard, and refused. At last he was tortured, condemned to die for his faith, and on the way Nicephorus again implored reconciliation; he refused. What happened? God withdrew His grace from the unforgiving priest; who found himself so weak that he could not endure being a martyr, he turned apostate; sacrificed to the emperor; miserable man lost grace through unforgiving spirit.)

III. THOUGHTS

1. "Compare this petition with Ps. cix. I-20. The imprecations in the Book of Psalms have been a standing Bible difficulty. Calvin mentions that certain Franciscans could be hired by individuals to curse their enemies in the words of the 109th Psalm. Yet, though the primitive Christians constantly used the Psalter, there is no word or sign (in the catacombs, for example) which showed that they had drunk in any spirit of bitterness or vengeance towards their persecutors.

(iii.) Christ Himself pleads for our forgiveness.

us,

(Read St. Luke xxiii. 34, first of seven words from cross: "Then said Jesus.") Think, the cross laid on ground, Christ stripped of His raiment, held back on cross, cruel nails piercing tender flesh; uplifting of cross, first moments' intense agony; others would fill the place with cries, blasphemies; Christ's heart filled with thought of poor men's souls, awful awakening for them one day; prayer for their forgiveness, finding an excuse for them. Here (a) example of how we must forgive others; (b) picture of His constant pleading for Our Elder Brother compared with the elder brother in parable. (Read rest of parable, St. Luke xv. 25-32.) Would an elder brother act like that when the younger went off and disgraced the family, hurt the father? Yes, quite natural, true to life; now see contrast with our "Elder Brother." What His feelings for us when we sin? (St. Luke xix. 10.) Contrast (1) what did elder brother in parable grudge? Fat calf from stall, best robe, mirth. Our Elder Brother offers own body on cross for saving of the family that strayed, clothes us with garment of His righteousness (ver. 6 of hymn, 'Weary of earth "). Contrast (2) elder son chiding his father, "would not go in" (ver. 29, 30), like Jonah sulking when the city of Nineveh was saved. Our Elder Brother pleading on the cross, "Father, forgive them; pleading still goes on in heaven, meant for all the children. We below saying, "Our Father . . . forgive us; "" Christ yonder pleading, Father forgive

them."

How often have we said this prayer? What sins are they that we would have blotted out? Do we believe that our Father will forgive? Do we ourselves forgive? Do we think of that pleading voice, of our Elder Brother?

FOR TEACHERS.

The explanation seems to be that Christ is to be read into the Psalter so entirely, that these imprecations are the utterances of One Whose it is to punish terribly those who sin without repentance. It is not an angry man uttering in one Psaim twenty-six maledictions; not an accuser flushed with natural indignation. It is the priest or herald standing upon the stairs of an altar draped in black, and pealing out to an assembled world the interdict of God.

M

It is as the judge who puts on the black cap and passes sorrowfully the righteous sentence of the law."-(Condensed from Bishop Alexander's "Witness of the Psalms.")

2. "The one sweeping forgiveness may lie far in the past, yet is there day by day a forgiveness needed, and a forgiveness vouchsafed. 'He that hath bathed himself' all over, once for all, in the ocean of atonement, 'needeth not' afterward 'save to wash his feet,' yet that partial washing he needs, and here it is provided for. 'When ye pray, say, Forgive us our sins,' and He that hears in heaven, His dwellingplace, when He hears, forgives."(Dean Vaughan.)

3. "There is no grander story in history than the tale of Fra Giovanni Galberta. He was a cavalier of Florence, and his brother had been killed in a

duel by an enemy, and in accordance with the custom of the time it became his duty to avenge his brother's death, and all his mind was given to tracking out the slayer of his brother, to slay him in turn. For some time he sought for him in vain, until at last, one Good Friday morning, as he was riding up a hill opposite Florence, at a turn in the road that wound up its side, he suddenly came face to face with the man whom he had so long been seeking. He leapt from his horse and drew his sword, and his enemy, being entirely unarmed, could only fall on his knees and extend his hands and implore pardon. Galberta raised his sword above the head of his foe, and as he did so he saw a crucifix set up to mark the road for the pilgrimage to the church, and as, he cast his eye on the figure on the cross, he was struck with the likeness between it and the figure that knelt at the base before him. He paused, drew back his sword for a moment, and, gazing still on the crucifix, he seemed to see the figure on the cross bow His head before him. He caught the meaning of the lesson and sheathed his sword, and flung his arms round his enemy's neck and pardoned him, and they swore eternal friendship, and there and then agreed to withdraw from the world with all its malice and hatred, with all its ungodliness and untruth. They withdrew from the world, and founded the great monastery of Vallombrosa. How beautiful a story, showing how the power of the cross has brought peace into the world at every age, how the pleading figure of our Lord bids us to lay aside

all malice and all uncharitableness. Can we gaze upon the cross of Christ and retain any ill-will or any ill-feeling in the face of that exhibition of boundless forgiveness and love? Cannot we cast ourselves before it and strive to roll away the oppressive, the unspeakable burden of an unforgiving spirit?" -(Bishop Creighton.)

4. "When God would have created man He called before His Throne the council of the highest angels. 'Create him not,' said the angel of justice; 'he will be hard and cruel to those weaker than himself; he will be unforgiving and unjust to his brother man.' Create him not,' said the angel of peace; he will redden the earth with human slaughter, with confusion, horror, and war; the first-born of his race will slay his brother.' 'Create him not,' said the angel of truth; 'he will lie for his party, he will lie for his religion, he will lie for his gain, he will lie most of all for envy and malice.' And they would have said more, but there stepped forth and kneeled before the Throne the angel of forgiveness and mercy. 'Create him,' she prayed; 'create him in Thine own noble image, and as the object of Thy love; when all others of Thy ministers forsake him I will be with him, I will lovingly aid him, I will touch his heart with pity, I will make him forgiving and merciful to the unfortunate and to those weaker than himself.'"-(The Talmud.) 5. "The quality of mercy is not strain'd. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven [bless'd; Upon the place beneath. It is twice It blesseth him that gives and him [becomes

that takes;

'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it The throned monarch better than his crown.

what Christ had asked (St. John xvii. 15). Not want them taken out of world yet; have a work to do, make world better; and got to be made better by the rough world; need to be kept from evil. (Illust.-The mole burrowing into earth, yet comes out clean; hairs of its coat have power to throw off dirt. Needed by Simon Peter such power to be in world, yet throw off the evil; not be drawn into it, not frightened into it. Such power Christ prayed that he might have. Compare verse last read with "lead us not into," &c.)

In

(iii.) Why Simon Peter failed. spite of all the Lord did for him, warning, praying, he failed at first. Why? (a) Felt so sure about himself. Name one in the Old Testament who felt quite sure it would be all right with him. The young shepherd (1 Sam. xvii. 32-37). Why so confident?

God would be with him. Now compare Simon Peter (St. Matt. xxvi. 33). Could not think of himself as a weak coward. Could think even of St. John deserting Master, but could not imagine it of himself. Did not know what it would be like when the trial came: to wake up, night; fierce men with weapons, lanterns, ready to seize his Master (St. Mark xiv. 43); or, in morning, alone amongst foes; by fire, light shining on his face; every one looking at him; maid accusing him of being a follower of Jesus (St. John xviii. 17, 18). He did not know how quickly his courage would leave him (1 Cor. x. 12). (b) Slept when he should have prayed and watched (St. Mark xiv. 37). Excuse to be made for him; weary, worn, sad, but would not have slept if he had felt his danger, known his weakness. What prayer had he been taught that would have just suited him? Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One." Twice taught this, but did not seem to use it. So wakes up as a soldier who had no armour; weak in hands of great foe. (c) He ran into danger. Look again at him by that fire warming himself (St. Mark xiv. 54, 66-72). Hundreds of Christ's followers afterwards called to go into the fire; be burned to death. What came to them then? Grace and strength to bear it all, to be true to the Master. Peter not called to get amongst Lord's

III. THOUGHTS

1. In the R.V. we have "deliver us from the Evil One," as in St. John xvii. 15, "but that Thou shouldest keep them

foes; would do no good. Better have kept with his brother, wherever he was. Had not prayed; had run into temptation; sudden trial, temptation; no strength granted; at once found out his weakness; fell. It is said that he never, in after life, heard a cock crow but he felt sad; yet, in God's mercy, through his fall he learned own weakness; need of getting strength. Learned to tread down his faults, and so they were like a ladder by which he mounted up to better things. See him forty years after, very old, about to give his life for his dear Master; no fear or shrinking; had long learned to watch and pray (2 Pet. i. 10-14).

(Illust.-A very large school; boys of poor birth; between playground and infirmary a garden with apple trees. One day the chaplain saw these trees being all cut down. Why? Not worth anything? Quite otherwise. The gardener told of the large quantity of fine apples this and that had borne. Why cut down? Boys going on duty at infirmary tempted to steal them; found out; trouble; order given, "Cut them down." Was that right? Very doubtful. Every boy who passed and saw but touched not thereby grew a bit stronger to resist. Quite clear that the apple trees will not always be cut down to prevent our being tempted; temptations we shall all have; sometimes like adder across path; sometimes like lion springing out. What do we expect God to do for us, when we pray, "Lead us not," &c.? Three things. (a) Not let us be tempted above what we can bear. "He tempers the wind to the shorn lamb" (cf. 1 Cor. x. 13). (b) Give us needful strength. "Pilgrim's Progress" :-Interpreter's house; fire against the wall; an evil one dashing water on it furiously to quench the flame, yet it burned on; the secret: other side of the wall a holy one secretly pouring oil through hole in wall, so fire burned on in spite of efforts of wicked one; thus God gives strength. (c) Strengthens character through the resisting of temptation and the constant standing firm. The soldier lad finds Army full of temptations, many to laugh when he kneels to say prayers, but such often grow the finest characters (Ps. xci. 13-16).

FOR TEACHERS.

from the Evil One"; and indeed the prayer is greatly strengthened by this mention of a personal foe with whom