ford preacher had deeply experienced it). But when Bunyan’s hero comes to the cross and sees the three shining angels standing there, he looks up to the Cruci fied and the burden drops from his shoulders and rolls down the hill and disappears in the open tomb at the bottom. Once conscious of our deep sin, and then coming to the realization of God’s glorious pardon, makes for humble, rejoicing servants of God, ready to show forth the praises of Christ who brought them out of darkness into His marvelous light. As a result of this forgiveness, a blessed assurance comes to us. It is remarkable that the' heart can so react by faith to the promises of God that an unmistakable assur ance is created deep within the soul— the assurance of being forgiven, of acceptance with the Father. There is no thought for the sinful soul as sweet and comforting as the thought of forgiveness. Nothing is com parable to it. How stabilizing to know that God in reveal ing Himself to men has encouraged us in this blessed assurance that as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Of great importance is the truth that having been for given ourselves, we more readily forgive those who offend us. Jesus coupled God’s forgiveness with our own willing ness to forgive and said: “ . . . if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your tres passes.” Paul puts it the other way about, saying that we are to forgive one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven us (Eph. 4:32). “ To have the power to forgive Is empire and prerogative; And ‘tis in crowns a nobler gem To grant a pardon than condemn.”
after them.” I remember the twinkle of satisfaction in his eye, and I thought at the time: What a blessed figure of complete forgiveness and expiation! God says He will blot them out as a thick cloud. Air plane travellers learn how completely thick clouds can blot out both earth and sun. Again, He says, “ . . . and I will remember their sin no more.” It is a blessed thing to know that God has a good “ forgetory.” The figure of our text is quite significant. He says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” I think it a sign of divine inspiration that “ east and west” is used rather than “north and south” because we know where both the north pole and south pole are, but there is no east pole or west pole, and therefore the figure reveals that having removed our sins as far as the east is from the west, the Lord has com pletely put them away. To me the most blessed fact of the Gospel is this com plete removal of sin. Modem church people do not seem to have the deep consciousness of the mighty miracle of the forgiveness of sin that our parents had. .Modem evangelism almost without exception creates little deep conviction, and as a result, the exultant joy of spiritual deliverance is little known. It was the dictum of Jesus that only those who were forgiven much will love deeply. The result of God’s forgiveness is great peace. The man who by faith knows his sins are forgiven has had a de pressing burden lifted from his heart and life. Bunyan had a clear conception of this experience when, in his Pilgrim’s Progress, he presents his hero coming to the cross with a bulging burden upon his back that he seeks to shed but is unable. It is the worry of his life. The burden is old-fashioned conviction for sin (the Bed
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