August 14

If ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Mark 11, 26.

Fourthly we prayed for our daily bread and spoke of the needs of our body and how they are satisfied by our Father in heaven. After supply of food, forgiveness of sins is asked for in order that he who is fed by God may live in God.

To have our body well provided for does not make us truly happy; we must also, yes, above all, look after the welfare of our soul. Thus the Fourth and the Fifth Petition are closely related; the Lord joins them with "and," saying, "And forgive us our trespasses." Before we are able to enjoy life rightly, our Father's displeasure must be removed, we must be delivered from a heavy burden, our sins must be forgiven. But to obtain forgiveness of sins, we must go to God. For "who can forgive sins but God only?" To Him, therefore, who has become our dear Father for Jesus' sake we must look up for help in our sins and spiritual distress. "We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look upon our sins nor on their account deny our prayer; for we are worthy of none of the things for which we pray, neither have we deserved them, but that He would grant them all to us by grace; for we daily sin much and indeed deserve nothing but punishment."

How, then, can He forgive us? Jesus Himself, who taught us to pray: "Forgive us our trespasses," opened the way to forgive-

ness. He made forgiveness possible when He bore our sins on the tree. He redeemed us and became the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world. And He bids us ask in His name: "Forgive us our trespasses."

This petition is meant for penitent sinners, who are alarmed and terrified on account of their sins, seek God's forgiveness, and have the good and earnest purpose with the aid of God to mend their sinful lives. And in grateful acknowledgment of the forgiveness received, they also heartily forgive those who offend them and readily do good to those who sin against them.

Prayer.

O almighty God, we thank Thee that for Thy dear Son's sake Thou hast forgiven us all our trespasses and hast graciously delivered us from the eternal prison-house. We beseech Thee, keep us from ingratitude and wickedness, lest we again provoke Thy anger; but grant us grace readily to forgive those who trespass against us and to take the first step in reconciling our neighbor, mercifully extending the hand of peace and forgiveness. O Lord, turn our hearts to do so. Amen.

Turn Thou us, and we shall be turned; Thou didst bring back of old Thy straying people when they yearned To find their proper fold. So now forgive what we have done, Pray, for the sake of Thy dear Son. Thy Holy Spirit be our Guide And to our end with us abide.