power and reality of the Divine forgiveness.  When we refuse to forgive, we bind their sins to them, we make them doubt the love and mercy of God.  Have we forgotten the part which Ananias played in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus?  St. Augustine used to say that the Church owed Paul to the prayers of Stephen.  Might he not have said, with equal truth, that the Church owed Paul to the forgiveness of Ananias?  For three days, without sight, and without food or drink, Saul waited in Damascus, pondering the meaning of the heavenly vision.  Then came unto him, sent by God, the man whose life he had meant to take:  “Ananias entered into the house; and, laying his hands on him, said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared unto thee in the way which thou earnest, hath sent me.” “Brother Saul”—­how his heart must have leapt within him at the sound of the word!  It was a voice from without confirming the voice within; it was the love and forgiveness of man sealing and making sure the love and forgiveness of God.  Wherefore, let us take heed lest, by our sullen refusal to forgive, we be thrusting some penitent soul back into the miry depths, whence, slowly and painfully, it is winning its way into the light and love of God.

Let us forgive for Christ’s sake, because of that which God through Him has done for us.  When, day by day, we pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us,” what we are asking is, that God will deal with us as we are dealing with others.  Do we mean what we say?  Are we showing a mercy as large as we need?  Chrysostom tells us that many people in his day used to omit the words, “As we forgive them that trespass against us.”  They did not dare to ask God to deal with their sins as they were dealing with the sins of those who had wronged them, lest they brought upon themselves not a blessing but a curse.  And would it not go hardly with some of us, if, with the measure we mete, God should measure to us again?  Yet there is no mistaking Christ’s words:  “If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”  Therefore, let me think of myself, of my own sin, of the forgiveness even unto seventy times seven which I need; and then let me ask, can I, whose need is so great, dole out my forgiveness with a grudging hand, counting till a poor “seven times” be reached, and then staying my hand?  Rather, let me pray, Lord,

    “Make my forgiveness downright—­such as I
    Should perish if I did not have from Thee.”

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice; and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you.”

    “O man, forgive thy mortal foe,
    Nor ever strike him blow for blow;
    For all the souls on earth that live
    To be forgiven must forgive,
    Forgive him seventy times and seven: 
    For all the blessed souls in Heaven
    Are both forgivers and forgiven.”