handed to him and ceased reading his own, and his attendance upon his church. The result could readily be prophesied. The word he heard became flesh. He was changed into its image, and no language can paint his distress, when, under a flash from the Heavenly Spirit, he came to himself, and attempted to rest his appalled soul once more upon the promises of the Gospel. Such had been his long-continued habit of doubt, that he could only groan out, in the depths of his despair, 'I cannot believe; I cannot believe!'

"Parents may well watch carefully the literature that constantly meets the eyes of their children, both periodical and in the form of books. It must not only be harmless, but helpful. It must not simply be non-committal upon moral and religious subjects, but positive, sweet and winning. The only way to keep the noxious book and paper away, especially upon the Sabbath, is to have attractive, pure and pious literature lying where the attention of children will be won by it. Special effort should be used to place in their hands simple and clear answers to the utmost frequent objections meeting them in the public print and in their social life-objections to the inspiration of the Bible and the divine sanction to the fundamental doctrines of Christianity.

"The oldest of us may well meditate thoughtfully upon the probable effect of turning our reading and study too uninterruptedly in the direction of doubt or criticism. The bow, if continued bent too long, will never fly back. It is not always, nor usually conscientious conviction that drives an orthodox student from his conservative balance and makes him the clamorous advocate of a broader liberty of thought rather than an earnest worker for the deliverance of man from his sin and worldliness; it is the fascination of novel ideas, of daring thoughts, of eccentric positions; the inevitable trend of a mind that yields itself without resistance to one line of thinking, and feeds itself with only one, and that unwholesome, form of mental nourishment."

THE FORGIVING SPIRIT.

What is the true Christian spirit in relation to misunderstanding, personal difficulties, and offensive wrongs? This is a very practical

question, the answer to which cannot fail of interest to every follower of Christ. Let the teachings of our Lord himself have first consideration. In his memorable Sermon on the Mount he signifies very clearly the duty of a worshiper who is conscious that he has given offence. "Therefore if thou bring thy gift before the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." So in relation to one who has given offence his teachings are equally explicit: "Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church: but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican." As to the patience a Christian should exercise in showing the forgiving spirit, Christ found opportunity to express himself in answer to a direct question: "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times: but until seventy times seven." The idea is that the Christian is to carry with him and manifest the forgiving spirit. In no wise is he to feel or show a spirit of revenge. He is to banish all malignant and revengeful thoughts. Revenge is of the devil, and in no way can a man make himself appear more like Satan than by exhibiting a revengeful temper. On the other hand, forgiveness is Christ-like, and the manifestation of this spirit is proof that a man has been with Jesus and has learned of him. A gentleman who had filled many high stations in English public life, with the greatest honor to himself and advantage to the nation, once went to Sir Eardly Wilmot, in great anger at a real injury that he had received from a person high in the political world, which he was considering how to resent in the most effectual manner. After relating the particulars to Sir Eardly, he asked if he did not think it would be manly to resent it? "Yes," said Sir Eardly, "it would doubtless be manly to resent it, but it would be godlike to forgive

it." This, the gentleman declared, had such an instantaneous effect upon him, that he came away quite another man, and in a temper entirely altered from that in which he went. He that studieth revenge keepeth his own wounds green, but he that maintains a spirit of kindness and good-will toward his brother is at ease in mind and in the way of spiritual health. Only by the maintenance of such a spirit are specific acts of genuine forgiveness possible. Dr. Bushnell says that two things are necessary to the establishment of the new relations which forgiveness implies and the permanent banishment of old animosities: first, such a sympathy with the wrong doing party as virtually takes his nature; and secondly, making cost in that nature by suffering, or expense, or painstaking sacrifices and labor. Propitiation is demanded. The specific nature of the offering is not material, but to do something is necessary for the two-fold purpose of winning an offender, and saving self; and the latter is effected even if the former fail. Christ says as much in these words: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you." Here he enjoins the duty of love, and names the propitiatory offerings-"bless," "do good," "pray." The doctrine as elsewhere expressed is, "Overcome evil with good." Nothing is more natural to man than revenge, and yet there is no greater self-tormentor than such a spirit. It turns its own poison into the heart of its possessor. It fills him with the restless malignity of the evil one, who is a murderer from the beginning. And so, nothing is more unnatural to man than forgiveness, and yet nothing is more strenuously insisted upon in the teachings of Christ and his apostles. The Christian precept is, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath;" and this precept, Plutarch tells us, the Pythagoreans practiced in a literal sense; "who, if at any time, in a passion, they broke out into opprobrious language, before sunset, gave one another their hands, and with them a discharge from all injuries; and so, with a mutual reconciliation, parted friends."

He that will not forgive shall not be forgiven. A great many fruitless efforts are made in this line. "I forgive," says M. Shaw, "are easy words to pronounce, but the state of feeling in the heart corresponding thereto is harder to be produced." A parrot might

be taught to say the word, and perhaps feel the sentiment as much as many that do use it. It is often said "I forgive but can never forget," or " I forgive, but wish never more to have anything to do with him;" and yet their prayer "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us," had not died away. "Does he design to ask our Heavenly Father to forgive but always remember, or to have no more to do with him? Not so. And yet this is the logical import. Such a state of mind is perplexing to the one desiring to be a well-rounded Christian. He desires to be rid of it. He prays for its removal. He tries to love his enemy, and to forgive the seventy times seven offences of his brother, but does not succeed to his satisfaction. The work is all negative. He does not seek his enemy's injury, but is half gratified at his calamity, if it be not too shocking. His brother's misfortune, too, provokes a half feeling of satisfaction, which he seeks to suppress. Abhorring hypocrisy, he often, it is to be feared, covers up such a state of feelings with words of sympathy, and perhaps, also, deeds that are not altogether sincere. This ought not so to be. Give and forgive. These are nearly the sum of our social duties. Give yourself in kindness, blessing and prayer to others, and forgive wherein others fail, or err, or offend. Be quick to forgive your neighbors' wrong, slow to forgive your own. Bear about with you the principle of love for your fellows, a love as intense and sincere as the love you. cherish for yourself."

St. Jerome relates that "the blessed Apostle John, living at Ephesus to extreme old age, was with difficulty carried to church in the arms of the disciples, and being unable to make a long discourse, every time they assembled was wont to say nothing but this, 'Little children, love one another.' At length, the disciples and brethren who attended, tired of hearing so often the same thing, said, 'Sir, why do you always say this?' Who then made this answer, worthy of himself, Because it is the Lord's command; and if that alone be done, it is sufficient.'

In regard to specific acts of forgiveness we are carefully taught by him who spake as never man spake, and lived in such a way that even his shrewdest and most bitter enemies could find nothing

with which to accuse him. Here are his words: "Take heed to yourselves; if thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him." The plain meaning of this passage is: If my brother wrong me it is my duty to rebuke him in order, and if possible, in such a way as to produce in him a penitent spirit. The rebuke is to partake of the nature of a "do good;" it is "to secure my own peace and the peace of the Church, and to prevent my brother from falling into deeper sin and apostasy." The word "seven" is a sacred number, and is expressive of numerous repetitions; it does not materially differ from the "seventy times seven" before referred to. Nothing is said here about forgiveness without repentance, and nowhere in the Bible is the particular exercise of forgiveness enjoined upon impenitence. Our general desire must be for his repentance, and his wellbeing, and his salvation, but not until by some process of our own or others he turns in contrition and confession, asking forgiveness, can we bestow upon him our token of reconciliation. This is the divine method. "We know that Christ and Stephen both prayed to God to forgive their enemies and their murderers; hence, it is inferred that they forgave them. But we learn that Peter preached the doctrine of repentance to those very persons who had crucified the Saviour. (See Acts iii. 19.) To do an injury to any person is a sin against God as well as a sin against man. And man cannot forgive sins and blot them out, and God will not without repentance; therefore, there is much truth in the old saying, 'If God forgives him I will,' for we cannot forgive his sin till God does. Nor do we believe the expression, I cannot forgive him.' It necessarily implies ill-will, hatred, or malice, or a disposition to revenge an injury. We believe a person can and will remember the injuries done him, and yet may feel no disposition to retaliate or return evil for evil; he may pray for his enemies, and feed them, and clothe them, and do them good, yet he may not forgive them for the injury done without repentance. Now, let all offenders of this description recollect that if you do an injury to your fellow-being in thing or way, that you commit a double sin-one against God