cy over conscience. They now make havoc enough in this way. Then they would have their perfect work.

God has done all things wisely and kindly. He has favored us with a strong probability that we shall live again; this probability strengthening itself in proportion as we are faithful to its lessons and so indisposed to abuse it. This is enough for us, my happy friends. Only think of continued progress in the Christian virtues, and you will hear louder and louder voices within you, and around you, and above you, proclaiming in harmony, we are immortal.' Come then what may, so duty is done. Hasten, ye years. Take wings, time. Speed the day of life away. Its close shall but bring us to a day that will have no night.

'Decay, then, tenements of dust;
Pillars of earthly pride, decay :
A nobler mansion waits the just,

And Jesus has prepared the way.'

For Jesus, to conclude as I began, Jesus, the alpha and the omega, the first and the last of a Christian's trust, has laid his finger on these aspirations of natural reason, and in the name of God made our hopes sure.

"Come, wanderers, to my Father's home;
Come, all ye wearied ones, and rest;
Yes, sacred teacher, we will come,

Obey thee, love thee, and be blest.'

SERMON VIII.

BY REV. FRANCIS PARKMAN, BOSTON.

FORGIVENESS OF INJURIES.

MATTHEW XVIII. 21-2,-THEN PETER CAME TO HIM AND SAID 'LORD, HOW OFTEN 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 first reflection, which these words suggest, is a comparison of the narrow charity of man with the patient and generous charity of the gospel. When the apostle came to Jesus with this inquiry, he doubtless imagined, that he was making large allowance for the exercise of a forgiving temper; and that to pardon a brother, who had offended seven times, would be more than meeting the demands of religion. Had he connected this question with another, or but thought within himself 'How often may I need the forgiveness of my brother?"—he would have extended, I doubt not, the limits of indulgence. And his Master, who knew what was in man, how many in the intercourse of life and the diversities of human interests are the occasions of offence, how indispensable also to the character of his disciples is a forgiving temper, replies as in my text, I say not

unto thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven.'

The inquiry of Peter was probably founded on one of those traditions of the Jews so often condemned by our Lord, in which the letter was substituted for the spirit, and the word of God annulled by the commands of men.* The answer is an example of a form of speech not unusual with the writers of the Hebrew scriptures, in which a definite is employed for an indefinite number. And the meaning obviously is, that we are to set no bounds to a forgiving temper; that we must never be weary of receiving the returning brother. And this, as for many other reasons, so especially from the conviction that we continually need for ourselves the mercy of our heavenly Father, and are required to be imitators of Him, who is long-suffering to us-ward, abundant in goodness, and even 'waiteth to be gracious.'

On another occasion we find our Saviour enforcing the same duty by a motive, which we may all at once appreciate. 'When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any, that your Father also that is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.' The most superficial knowledge of ourselves, of our relations to God and to one another will show to us the import of this weighty sanction; and the circumstance with which the precept is connected intimates also the constancy with which it is to be performed. Charity to man, we are taught, is to be united with all prayer to

He that is wronged,' says the Talmud of Jerusalem, is forbidden to be difficult to pardon, for that is not the manner of the seed of Israel; and whosoever is most ready to pardon is most praise-worthy.' This is well. But here observe the limitation. They pardon,' says Jonathan, 'a man once that sins against another. Secondly, they pardon him; Thirdly, they pardon him; Fourthly, They do not pardon.'

God; and if we are not grossly deficient in the duties of piety, if we are not strangers to the mercy-seat, we shall be in the habitual exercise of a forgiving temper.

I propose in this discourse to speak of this great duty. It is inculcated with frequency and earnestness in the New-Testament, and the virtue it recommends is in accordance with the whole spirit of Christianity. I do not mean that the commandment to forgive injuries is peculiar to that system. For this is not true; and we are not permitted, nor is it in the least necessary, for the sake of illustrating the surpassing excellence of the gospel, to depreciate what of light and truth may be found in other dispensations. Every good gift, let it be remembered, is from above; and all truth, whether deduced from unaided reason, reflecting on the works, or from explicit revelation declaring the mind of God, proceeds from the Father of lights. Many good precepts concerning forgiveness may unquestionably be gathered from the writings of the heathen philosophers. Some of them taught, that there was wisdom and beauty in forgiving an enemy. 'Injuries received,' says Plato, 'ought not to be returned; and he is one of the best of men, who knows better than others how to bear injuries.' The same philosopher tells us, that in the exercise of our forgiveness we have a sure rule for our direction, viz. to imitate God, 'who hateth nothing which he hath made.' And there is a remarkable passage from Seneca, who however, being a contemporary with the apostles, might not have been unacquainted with the Christian system, in which he uses the same argument for the forgiveness of injuries, that is urged by our Saviour. 'God causes his sun to shine upon all; and