The Nature of Divine Forgiveness

“I have sinned against heaven... make me as one of thy hired servants. But the father said, Bring forth the best robe and put it on him.” — Luke xv. 18, 19, 22.

There are no degrees in forgiveness. There are degrees in the holiness that follows forgiveness; but pardon must be perfect at its birth. Forgiveness restores each man to the place he had before he fell. If the prodigal had been a hired servant previous to his fall, he would have been made a hired servant again. There would have been no sting in that; it would have involved no stigma. But to make him a servant after he had been a son would have perpetuated the pain of memory. Nothing impedes my progress like remembrance of a dark yesterday. When the page is already blotted I am apt to blot it more. I lose heart;

I say, “It is already tarnished; what does it matter now” If I am to get a fair start, it must be a bright start — a start with the ring and the robe. It will not help me that you lift me from the far country if you give me a place second to my former self. That second place is my yesterday, and I should walk by its darkness. It would dog my footsteps; it would never let me go. I should not feel that sin was unworthy of me, below me. I should always be fingering my ticket of leave. I should never be able to soar for the remembrance of the irons; memory would clip the wings of hope.

Therefore, O Father, I am glad that the robe has preceded my merits. I am glad Thou hast clothed me in beauty before I deserved it. I am glad Thy smile has not waited for my well-doing. It is only by Thy smile I ever shall do well; the white robe of Thy Christ alone will keep me pure. Give me the morning star — the star ere work begins! Give me the music and the dancing of Thy house in advance of my labours! Give me the light of Thy countenance when I am still untried, unproved! I would not seek to win Thy smile; I would win by it. Let Thy love precede my toiling! Let Thy favour outrun my day! Let Thy pardon come before my earning! Do not put me on hire! Do not take me on probation! Send out Thy light before all things; make me glad ere I have learned to be good! When I am clothed in Thy white robe, I shall seek the far country no more.