A Guide to Go to God, Petition 5 · Section 106 – Section 107
§. 106. Of ſinnes ſtiled debts, and of the kinds of thoſe debts.
Q. WHich is the fifth Petition?
A. And forgiue vsus our debts, as alſo we forgiue our debters.
Q. foreign.What is the Summe of this Petition?
A. Iuſtification.
What are the parts thereof.
A. 1. The Petition it ſelfe.
2.Et remitte nobis debita noſtra, ſicut & nos remittimus debitoribus noſtris. A condition annexed thereto.
The Petition containeth the thing which is prayed for.
The condition giueth aſſurance of obtaining it.
Q. How many diſtinct points are noted in the Petition.
A. Foure. 1. Debts acknowledged.bThe originall word which we tranſlate treſpaſſes, properly fignifieth debts foreign. DEBTS or TRESPASSES.
2. An appropriation of them. OVR.
3. The kinde of diſcharge. FORGIVE.
4. The parties to be diſcharged. VSUS.
Q. What is meant by DEBTS?
A. Sinnes.cMath. 6. 14, 15 Debitum quid eſt niſi peccatum? Aug. de verb. Dam…a…a. 28. Chriſt himſelfe declares his owne meaning. For immediately after this prayer, he returneth to the condition of this Petition, to vrge and preſſe the ſame ſomewhat more forceably: and in the repetition thereof, for debts he putteth treſpaſſes, and that three ſeuerall times.dforeign. Yea Saint Luke ſetting downe this forme of prayer, thus expreſſeth this Petition,eLuke 11. 4. foreign. Forgiue vsus our SINNES: for we alſo forgiue eueryevery one that is indebted to vsus. That which by Mathew is called debts, by Luke is called ſinnes. And whereas Luke in the Petition expreſſeth ſinnes, in the condition he mentioneth debters. Againe,fLuke 13, 2, 4. the Lord hauing occaſion twice at one time to inculcate this queſtion, Thinke ye that theſe were ſinners aboue others? Firſt he vſeth this wordgforeign. ſinners: then this, hforeign.debters. It was vſuall with Chriſt to reſembleiMat. 18. 24. &c. Luke 7. 41. &c. ſinners to debters.
Q. In what reſpect are we ſinners counted Debters?
A. 1.mLuk. 17. 10. As we are ſeruants of God. So wee owe obedience.Rom 6. 16.
2.nEzek. 18. 4. As we are ſinners againſt God. So we owe death.Rom. 6. 23.
Thus there is a double bond whereby wee ſtand bound as debters to God.Man a debter to God by a double bond.
One is the bond of the Law, whereunto we are tied in a double reſpect.
1. In regard of the ſupreme ſoueraignty, and abſolute authoritie which God hath ouer vsus. This is expreſſed in the Preface before the Decalogue thus, I am the Lord thy God.
2. In regard of the many benefits which wee hauehave all our daies receiued, and ſtill do continue to receiue from him. By God we are what we are: and hauehave what we hauehave: He created vsus, He preſerueth vsus, He prouideth for vsus all needfull things, He protecteth vsus from all hurtfull things. This alſo is intimated in the fore-ſaid Preface by mention of one great benefit, Freedome from Egypt, the houſe of bondage.
The other bond is the curſe of the Law, whereunto we are tied by forfeiture of the former.Deut. 27. 26. For he that performeth not the condition of a bond, ſtandeth liable to the penaltie of the bond. In regard whereof the Law is called oforeign. Col. 2. 14.an hand-writing againſt vsus.
Adam, euen in his innocencie, and all we that come from him, are in the former reſpect debters by vertue of our creation. Adam ſince his fall, and all his wicked off-ſpring are in the latter reſpect debters by reaſon of our tranſgreſſions.
Q. Which of thoſe debts do we here deſire to be forgiuen?
A. The latter moſt eſpecially, whereby wee are bound to theqGal. 3. 10. curſe of the Law, which is the penalty of it. This penalty▪ if it were exacted, would make vsus moſt miſerable. There is good cauſe therefore of praying to hauehave that remitted. As for the other debt of obedience, we ought to deſire rather abilitie to performe it, then libertie to be freed from it. Yet notwithſtanding, becauſe it is impoſſible for vsus, ſo long as fleſh is in vsus, to pay that debt, as it ought to be paid, by conſequence we deſire a remiſſion of that debt; namely, that God would not exact of vsus to be performed by vsus in our owne perſons ſuch exact and compleate obedience as the Law requireth.
§. 107. Of Chriſts actiue righteouſneſſe imputed to vsus.
Q. IN regard of our diſabilitie to diſcharge our debt of obedience to God, what may be inferred?
A. Imputation of Chriſts righteouſneſſe is neceſſary for our inſtification. Chriſt teacheth vsus to deſire a diſcharge of all debts. The Law requireth a debt of perfect righteouſneſſe. This we are not able to pay of our ſelues. But our Suretie being able, did pay it.aMat 3. 15. He fulfilled all righteouſneſſe. By the imputation thereof to vsus, are we diſcharged.bRom. 5. 18, 19 For as by one mans diſobed ence many were made ſinners, ſo by the obedience of one ſhall many be made righteous. His righteouſneſſe is vponupon vsus to iuſtification of life. In this reſpect Chriſt is ſaid to bec1. Cor. 1. 30. made vntounto vsus righteouſneſſe: and we are ſaid to bed2. Cor. 5. 21. made the righteouſneſſe: of God in him. This kind of debt is not duly conſidered of them,Arg. againſt Chriſt actiue right. anſw. who exclude the actiue obedience of Chriſt from our iuſtification. They preſſe thoſe places which make mention onelyonly of the bloud of Chriſt, forgetting the Synecdoche which is frequent in the Scripture, whereby one member or part is put for all of that kind. In particular they preſſe this Petition, which placeth our iuſtification in remiſſion of ſinnes, not conceiuing that vnderunder debts here mentioned, all manner of debts are compriſed: and vnderunder this word forgiue, all manner of needfull diſcharge. Where further they ſay, that Chriſts actiue righteouſneſſe: was neceſſarie for himſelfe, they do not duely conſider the dignitie of his perſon by vertue of the hypoſtaticall vnion of his two natures: which dignitie exempteth him from all neceſſitie of obedience to the Law, in regard of himſelfe.
This doctrine of the imputation,Comfort. euen of the Actiue obedience of Chriſt,Iſa. 64. 6. bringeth much comfort to poore ſinners, who knowing that all their righteouſneſſes are as filthy rags, do thereupon tremble at the thought of the preſence of the righteous Lord. But their faith in Chriſt his righteouſneſſe imputed to them (in ſtead of that debt of righteouſneſſe which they owed to God) whereby they are accounted righteous before God, maketh them with much comfort and great confidence preſent themſelues before him.