When a father forgives his child, does that merely or chiefly mean that he spares the rod; or does it not much rather mean that he lets his love flow out to the little culprit, undammed back by the child’s fault?  And when God forgives He does so, not so much as a judge but rather as the Father.  It is the father’s heart that 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 forgiving.  ’Forgiving one another, even as also God in Christ hath forgiven you.  Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children.’