A Guide to Go to God, Petition 5 · Section 117 – Section 121
§. 117. Of the many debts wherein we ſtand bound to Gods iuſtice.
Q. WHy are debts ſet downe ſo indefinitely in the plurall number?
A.aIam. 2. 3. Our debts are many. Our ſinnes are of ſundry ſorts:Amos 5. 12. and of eueryevery ſort there are many in number. Firſt originall corruption, which is the ſeed and ſpawne of all ſinnes, is a debt. foreign Cyril. Catech. myſt. 5.Thereby forfeiture is made of that integritie wherein God at firſt created vsus, and which Gods Law, that is ſpirituall, requireth of vsus.bPſal. 51. 5. This doth Dauid expreſly reckon vp among thoſe ſinnes and debts whereof he deſireth to be diſcharged. Beſides all the ſinnes which in our infancie, and younger yeares, euen before our calling, which on ignorance or weakneſſe wee committed, are debts: in which reſpectcHeb. 9. 7. the high Prieſt offered for the errors of the people. Theſe are ſo many, as Dauid was moued thereby to ſay,dPſal. 19. 12. Who can vnderſtand his errors? Yet becauſe they were debts, euen the ſecreteſt of them, he deſireth to be clenſed from them. Much greater debts are the ſinnes which we commit after we come to riper yeares, or after our calling, againſt knowledge and conſcience, wilfully and preſumptuouſly. Earneſtly therefore doth Dauid pray to beePſal. 19. 13. kept from preſumptuous ſinnes. So many are the ſinnes whereby, as by debts, we ſtand obliged to the iuſtice of God, as they cannot poſſibly be all reckoned vp. But the word DEBTS being indefinitly ſet downe in the plurall number without reſtraint to any ſorts of ſinnes, import all ſinnes.
Q. What inſtruction doth this implying of many ſinnes import?
A. Notice is to be taken of the manifold ſinnes whereby we ſtand indebted to God. Take notice of the multitude of ſinnes.Surely thoſe Saints of old did enter into a deepe conſideration hereof, who acknowledged thatfEzr. 9. 6. their iniquities encreaſed ouer their head, Pſa…. 38. 4.and grew vp vntounto the heauens, and were an heauie burthen, too heauie for them to beare.
By taking thorow and due notice of our many ſeuerall ſinnes
1. Our ſoules will be the moregPſal. 38. 3. 4, &c. wounded,Iſa. 66. 2. and humbled for them.Math. 11. 28. The benefit whereof will be, thathPſal. 51. 17. God will be the more moued with pittie and compaſſion towards vsus.
2. Our deſire of diſcharge will be the moreiPſal. 51. 1. feruent.Dan. 9. 19. Whereby the Lord will the rather be moued to grant our deſire.kIam. 5. 16. The effectuall feruent prayer of a righteous man auaileth much.
3. ThelNehe. 9. 17. long-ſuffering of God in bearing with ſo many ſinnes, ſo many waies committed againſt him, and from time to time heaped one vponupon another will bee the better diſcerned.
4. ThemExo. 32. 31, 32 riches of Gods merciemercy in forgiuing not a few pence, nor yet a few talents, butnMath. 18. 24. many thouſand talents will bee the more admired and magnified: and he himſelfe the more loued. oLuke 7. 47.Shee that had many ſinnes forgiuen, loued much.
Little do they conſider the neceſſitie of this doctrine, who neuer thinke of their ſinnes, or of ſeeking any diſcharge, but when they hauehave committed ſome hainous notorious ſinne, which bringeth them to ſome open ſhame, and then acknowledge that ſinne onelyonly, as if, that excepted, they were cleane from all ſinne. I denie not, but that good vſe may be made of faſtening the mind vponupon one principall ſinne, which ſeemeth moſt horrible to the conſcience, and maketh the partie moſt aſhamed, and whereby he conceiueth Gods wrath to be moſt prouoked, as the Iſraelites, who ſaid,p1. Sam. 12. 19. We hauehave added to all our ſinnes THIS EVILL: and Ezra, who ſaid,qEzr. 9. 14. Should we againe breake thy commandements, and ioyne in affinitie with the people of theſe abominations? And Dauid, where he ſaid,rPſal. 51. 14. Deliuer me from bloud-guiltineſſe. For by this meanes our corruption and vileneſſe will appeare in our ſight much greater. Yet are we not to reſt onelyonly in acknowledgement of ſuch ſinnes alone. If we obſerue the fore-named confeſſions of Ezra and Dauid wee ſhall find many other ſinnes reckoned vp.
Let vsus therefore learne how to ſet our ſinnes in order before God. To this purpoſe we hauehave two excellent helpes. One without vsus. The other within vsus. That without vsus is Gods Law. That within vsus is our Conſcience. Gods Law ſheweth what is amiſſe. Our Conſcience ſheweth what we hauehave done amiſſe. Apply thy Conſcience to the Law, and thou ſhalt find thy ſelfe guiltie of an innumerable companie of hainous ſinnes. Theſe acknowledge: and hauing acknowledged what debts thou canſt call to mind, and in particular craued pardon for them; then becauſe many ſinnes daily paſſe from thee, whereof thou takeſt no notice, pray in generall for pardon of all, and ſay as the Pſalmiſt,Pſal. 39. 8. Deliuer me from all my tranſgreſſions. The burthen of the leaſt ſinne is too heauie for thee to beare, it is ſufficient to cruſh thee downe to the place of the damned. Were it poſſible to be eaſed of all but onelyonly one, that one retained would hold thee in euerlaſting chaines vnderunder darkneſſe. It is therefore neceſſarie that a diſcharge of all ſins be had.
Hitherto of the thing acknowledged DEBTS. The appropriation of them in this word OVR followeth.
§. 118. Of the appropriation of ſinne to our ſelues.
Q. IN what reſpect are the debts here mentioned ſtiled OVRS?
A. As they ariſe from our ſelues, and as we are the true and proper cauſe of them, euen the principall authors and practiſers of them. This particle of relation OVR is here vſed in another ſence then it was in the former Petition.*See §. 84. There bread was called OVRS becauſe it was giuen to vsus of God,Nemo habet de ſuo niſi mendaciū & peccatum. Concil. Arauſ. can. 22. and by that gift we had a right to it. Here ſinnes are called OVRS, becauſe they proceed from vsus: in which reſpect nothing is ſo properly OVRS as ſinne.
Q. What learne we from this application of debts to our ſelues?
A. Wee are the proper cauſe of the ſinnes which we commit. On this ground ſaith the Prophet, Hoſ. 13. 9.O Iſrael thou haſt deſtroyed thy ſelfe.
Sinne is a voluntarie action: and the will of man is free, ſo as it cannot be forced to ſinne: as we ſhall*See §. 282. hereafter more fully declare.Nemo ſe palpet: de ſuo Sathanas eſt. Tolle peccatū quod eſt tuum. Aug. in Ioh. tract 49. OnelyOnly hereby learne, that no man hath cauſe cauſe to ſooth or flatter himſelfe. Of himſelfe man is as bad as may be. Sinne being thine, take that away which is thine owne.
The thing acknowledged (Debts) and appropriation of them (our) being noted, the kinde of diſcharge (Forgiue) is to be declared.
§. 119. Of Gods free and full diſcharge of mans debt.
Q. VVHat doth this word FOR GIVE import?
A. Freely and fully to diſcharge a debt. Freely without any ſatisfaction on our part. Fully without any reſeruation of any part of the debt to be exacted of vsus: but rather ſuch an acceptation, as if we neuer had bene in any debt at all.
To forgiue, is ſo to paſſe by an offence as neither to exact nor to expect any thing, either in way of recompence, or in way of puniſhment forit. Both recompence and puniſhment are counted a kind of ſatisfaction, which is directly contrary to remiſſion. It is noted of the ſeruant whoſe debt the Lord forgaue, Mat. 18. 25, 27.that he had nothing to pay: no recompence therefore was giuen: yet was he not impriſoned: no puniſhment therefore was taken. But that ſeruant that impriſoned his fellow-ſeruant, forgaue not the debt, and yet he receiued no part of the debt. For impriſonment is a puniſhment: and puniſhment is a kind of payment, which he that is puniſhed is ſaid*Poenas pendere, expendere, dependere, dare, perſoluere, luere. foreign. to pay.
Againe, though a man actually exact nothing for a debt, or an offence, yet if he beare a reuengefull mind, or a grudging heart, he is not thought truly to forgiue. Nay if he be not as good friends with the debter or offender, as if he neuer had had ought againſt him, he doth not truly forgiue him, but onelyonly to teeth outward, as we ſpeake. But Gods forgiuing is as true, full, and eueryevery way perfect as poſſibly can be: and therefore as it expecteth no ſatisfaction, ſo it is accompanied with as gracious an acceptation, as if no ſinne had bene committed.
§. 120. Of the concurrence of Gods merciemercy and iuſtice in the diſcharge of mans debt.
Q. CAn it ſtand with ſtrictneſſe of Iuſtice ſo freely and fully to acquit ſinners?
A. 1. It is not againſt iuſtice that he who hath an abſolute and ſupreme power ouer all, and is to giuegive an account to none, ſhould freely forgiue any thing which is any way due to himſelfe, whether it be dutie or penaltie.aExod. 33. 19. I will ſhew merciemercy on whom I will ſhew merciemercy, ſaith this ſupreme Lord. And againe,bMath. 20. 15. Is it not lawfull for me to do what I will with mine owne?
2. Chriſt our Suretie in our ſtead, and for vsus hathcGal. 3. 13. endured that penaltie which we by ſinne deſerued, anddRom. 5. 19. fulfilled all that righteouſneſſe which we owed.
2. Q. Can ſatisfaction and remiſſion ſtand together?
A, Yes, in three caſes.
1. WheneLuke 7. 42. the partie forgiuen neither doth nor can make any ſatisfaction.fPſal. 143. 2. Such are we in regard of that debt which we owe to God. No ſatisfaction therefore is exacted of vsus in our owne perſon.
2. When his Sonne, who forgiueth, maketh the ſatisfaction. Such a Suretie hauehave wee, who hath made ſatisfaction for our ſinnes: euengIoh. 3. 16. the onelyonly begotten Sonne of God, who is true God. So as God hath made ſatisfaction to God.Rom. 8. 32.
3. When hee who forgiueth, is no further bound to accept the ſatisfaction which he doth accept,hHeb. 6. 17. then by his owne promiſe. What other bond can be alledged to binde God, then that whereby he hath voluntarily bound himſelfe. So as all on Gods part is moſt free. Freely he gaue his Sonne a ranſome. Freely hee imputeth what his Sonne did and ſuffered, to vsus. Freely he accepteth vsus in his Sonne. Freely he acquitteth our debt. HereuponiEph. 1. 7. the Apoſtle ioyneth our Redemption by Chriſts bloud, Remiſſion of ſinnes, and the riches of Gods Grace altogether: implying thereby that neither of theſe croſſe the other, but that all of them may and do ſtand together. Chriſts ſatisfaction is ſo farre from impeaching the freeneſſe of Gods grace, as it doth the more commend the ſame. For it is much more grace, and farre greater merciemercy in God, not to ſpare his onelyonly begotten Sonne, but to giuegive him for ſinners, then vponupon his abſolute prerogatiue without any ſatisfaction at all to forgiue ſinners. Chriſt, the Sonne of Gods louelove, is more highly eſteemed of God then any ſatisfaction can be. But by the ſatisfaction which the Sonne of God hath made, there is manifeſted a perfect concurrence of infinite merciemercy, and abſolute iuſtice: and the freeneſſe of Gods grace is clearely manifeſted, and highly magnified thereby.
§. 121. Of mans diſabilitie to diſcharge his debt.
Q. WHat doctrine doth this word FORGIVE imply?
A. Man is not able to himſelfe to diſcharge the debt of ſinne. If he were, what need forgiueneſſe? This is the reaſon why the Pſalmiſt deſireth God not to enter into iudgement with him, Pſal. 143. 2.becauſe no man liuing can be iuſtified in his ſight, namely of and by himſelfe. From Gods forgiuing of ſinne the Apoſtle gathereth,Rom. 4. 5, 6. that man is not iuſtified by workes that is, by any thing which he himſelfe can do.
The recompence which is to be giuen for diſcharge of the debt of ſinne, muſt be of infinite value and worth. For ſinne being committed againſt an infinite maieſtie, prouoketh infinite wrath, and ſo becometh an infinite debt. Can a finite creature, as man is,Mat. 16. 26. giuegive a recompence of ſuch worth? What ſhall a man giuegive in exchange for his ſoule?
Nay, man hath by ſinne vtterly depriued himſelfe of all manner of abilitie to do any thing that in any reſpect might carrie any ſhew of recompence.Eph. 2. 1. He is dead in ſinne: Not ſufficient of himſelfe ſo much as to thinke any thing as of himſelfe.2. Cor. 3. 5.
But if it were granted that man were able of himſelfe to do ſomewhat, what is that to God vntounto whom the recompence muſt be made? Ioh. 22. 2, 3.Can a man be profitable vntounto God? Is it any pleaſure to the Almightie that thou art righteous? Or is it gaine to him that thou makeſt thy wayes perfect?—35. 7. If thou beeſt righteous what giueſt thou to him? Or what receiueth he of thine hand?