Will We Accept Or Reject God's Pardon?

During the presidency of Andrew Jackson, a postal clerk by the name of George Wilson, robbed a federal payroll from a train, and in the process killed a guard. The Supreme Court convicted him and sentenced him to death by hanging.

However, because of public sentiment against capital punishment at the time, a movement began to secure a full presidential pardon for Wilson (his first offense), and eventually Jackson intervened with a pardon. Amazingly, Wilson refused the pardon.

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:

See here.

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets