come from God's free bounty, and not from any claim which his creatures can establish upon him. He is "the Giver," who bestows the heavenly wisdom, which is pure, and peaceful, and just.' Eternal life is his gracious gift.2 All the blessings of the Gospel originated in his love, and that love is freely poured out in men's hearts, filling them with hope and a triumphant gladness. In the parable of the Labourers the employer bestows the full remuneration on those who had come last into the vineyard, and defends himself on the plea that it is lawful for him to do what he will with his own. This plea has often been used by the selfish, who, disregarding the connection in which the words are used, are pleased to find so high a sanction for their cupidity. But in the parable the words are a plea for generosity, and a rebuke to those who think that their own superior merits should procure them a richer measure of Heaven's favour. Men may shut themselves up in dark caves of faithlessness and sin; but the moment they emerge, the sun pours upon them the light and warmth which others have never left,

1 James i. 5, iii. 17.

2 Rom. vi. 23.

9 John iii. 16; Rom. v. 5 sqq.; 1 John iv. 10, 19.

4 Matt. xx. 1 sqq.

GOD'S READINESS TO FORGIVE.

197

and too often have never learned to value. So the love of God sheds its beams with a perennial glory; and hearts that waken from the sleep of sin revive under its kindling welcome, while too often those who have enjoyed it longest know it least, and murmur at the freedom of its gifts.

This unfailing love implies forgiveness. Love has no resentment, and is not bound by an inexorable law, which can judge only the outward deeds, and knows nothing of the affections of the heart. With this message, Christianity went into the foul places of the world's sin; and wherever men embraced the new faith, they felt that they were forgiven, and, having left the old life behind, had entered into a new life of communion with God. The simple sense of need appeals to the Heavenly Father, and, when his children plead that they have nothing to pay, he frankly forgives them. It is thus that they are taught to love him; and wherever, in Christian history, men have "loved much," they have a profound consciousness of that Divine love which has sought and forgiven them.1 Forgiveness, however, is not unconditional. Sin is a state of alienation from God, and therefore repentance 1 Luke vii. 40 sqq.

is indispensable. So long as the prodigal is content with his riotous living, he can know nothing of the sweet and calm delights of home; and with broken and contrite heart he must turn his face homewards before he can receive the welcome of his Father's kiss. There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repents.1 There is another condition, however, which Christ lays down very emphatically: men must forgive as they hope to be forgiven,2 and the measure with which they mete to others will be applied to themselves.3 The reason is very clear. Hatred and resentment cannot have communion with forgiveness and love. These belong to antagonistic realms, and the dark passions of men encompass them with a cloud which keeps out the light of God.

But though the earliest Christian writers dwell so much on the Divine love, and on the freedom with which Divine gifts are bestowed, they never forget that sense of responsibility which had been so deeply implanted in the conscience by the Jewish Law. The eternal law of righteousness was never abrogated, in

1 Matt. xviii. 13; Luke xv.

2 Matt. vi. 14 sq., xviii. 35.

3 Matt. vii. 2; Mark iv. 24; Luke vi. 38.

HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY.

199

the sense that men might disregard it, and go upon their own way. They might, through faith, lay hold of a spiritual and transforming power, and rise, through the fulness of the life of God within them, above the Law, freely discharging its obligations in the spontaneous expression of inward holiness. But they could not escape from the Law by sinking beneath it, or screen their wickedness from its condemnation under the pretext of spirituality. Such an attempt was a mockery of God, whose law that men should reap as they sowed must remain for ever inviolable.1 The great Judge of all would act according to truth, and render to every man according to his works; 2 and those who practised the evil deeds which a carnal mind suggested, should not inherit the kingdom of God.3 Thus the power of resisting the higher will is presupposed, and the disciples are continually exhorted to show forth in their conduct the new spirit of which they had become conscious. At times, indeed, the grace of God may have seemed to come with such overwhelming force as to suspend the power of choice, and lead men to what was good even against their will; but he in whom the sense of communion with God was 1 Gal. vi. 7 sq. 2 Rom. ii. 2, 6. 8 Gal. v. 19 sqq.

calmest and most perennial, knew that there were "tides of the Spirit," and that with most men the times of revealing are succeeded by periods when God seems to withdraw, and leave the soul to work out for itself the new responsibilities of a momentary inspiration. Paul himself was not always in the third heaven. Faith was not yet the equivalent of sight; and it was possible to exchange the religious rapture, which turned all duty into a grateful sacrifice of love, for the dull routine of daily service, when God seemed to be far off, and to impose upon men a solitary task.1 Thus God, while freely communicating of his own life, and raising man into the dignity of a son, does not destroy his responsibility, but leaves him in partial independence to work out his own career amid the dangers and temptations of the world. And this is what we should expect. The world is far more terrible when we have to confront it with wisdom and virtue which we must exercise through an effort of our own, and train through the hard discipline of failure and suffering; but this position of trust is infinitely grander than if

1 See the parable of the Vineyard, Matt. xxi. 33 sqq.; Mark xii. 1 sqq.; Luke xx. 9 sqq.; and the parable of the Talents, Matt. xxv. 14 sqq.