"And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Rev. 22:17)
During the presidency of Andrew Jackson, George Wilson robbed a federal payroll from a train
and in the process killed a guard. The court convicted him and sentenced him to hang. Because of
public sentiment against capital punishment, however, a movement began to secure a presidential
pardon for Wilson, and eventually Jackson intervened with a pardon. Amazingly, Wilson refused
it.
Since this had never happened before, the Supreme Court was asked to rule on whether someone
could indeed refuse a presidential pardon. Chief Justice John Marshall handed down the court's
decision: "A pardon is a parchment whose only value must be determined by the receiver of the
pardon. It has no value apart from that which the receiver gives to it. George Wilson has refused
to accept the pardon. We cannot conceive why he would do so, but he has. Therefore, George
Wilson must die." "Pardon," declared the Supreme Court, "must not only be granted, it must be
accepted." George Wilson, as punishment for his crime, was hanged.
Likewise, God, through His mercy, has provided every human being pardon from their sins. However, that pardon must be accepted in the way God has ordained. Those who do not accept the pardon will perish.