of the verses is that it is God who disposes the heart of the believer towards the right way and causes him to hate that which is evil. Those who have passed through this experience are represented as knowing that this is so. They pray that God will continue to guide them 'on the straight path, the path of those to whom Thou (God) hast been gracious.' ¹

Thus we see that the grace of God, in some way which is never clearly defined, and by some operation which is never described, so works on the heart and conscience of men as to bring them to repent and believe.

When man truly repents, God forgives and pardons. The pardoning of man is an act of free grace. It is unmerited by man, and is wholly of mercy on the part of God. Repentance and amendment are the conditions on which God grants this pardon, but they are not causes which induce God to grant it.

The repentance, the faith, and the amendment or reformation are all from Him, being the result of His gracious dealings with man; and this grace is bestowed on man that God may be able to forgive him and again receive him into favour. God's forgiveness, though thus unearned and unmerited by man, cannot be received and acquired by him unconditionally. He must become worthy of receiving it; yet he does not earn it. Nor is it given arbitrarily. That is, none is forgiven without fulfilling the necessary conditions; but apart from these conditions, nothing else is required. The forgiveness of God is, therefore, not mere indulgent goodwill which springs out of indifference to moral

conditions. Yet there is, according to the Qur'an, nothing in the divine nature, as far as it is known by the revelation which he has made of Himself through His prophets and their teachings, which demands, in any sense, satisfaction; and there is nothing in man's condition which demands atonement other than repentance, faith, and good works. These atone and atone fully for man's sins.

It is true that in some passages, not a few indeed, it is said that God will atone for man's sins on certain conditions; but in these passages nothing appears to be meant by the word 'atone' which is not conveyed by the word 'forgive' or 'pardon'. When it is said in the Qur'an that God will atone for the sins of believers, nothing more is meant than that He will no longer lay their sins to their charge. He passes them by, and remembers them no more against the repentant believer who perseveres in his works of faith.

Thus, though there is a condition on which God forgives sin, there is no ground of forgiveness, nor is any ground of forgiveness necessary. God's mercy and justice are in no sense opposed, and the doctrine of the atonement is, to the believer in the Qur'an, nothing but foolishness.

Pardon and forgiveness are, therefore, absolutely of God's free grace. The very act of laying down a condition on the fulfilment of which God, so to say, agrees to grant forgiveness is an act of pure condescension. God has prescribed unto Himself mercy. He deals not with the sinner as he deserves, but has, of His abundant mercy, condescended to limit His just claims, and grant pardon; on His own terms and conditions: yet in doing