Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Chapter 6 · Verse 12
vers. 12.
And forgiue vsus our debts, as we forgiue our debters.
I. The Coherence. Christ hauing taught vsus in the former petition to pray for temporall blessings, and for grace to relie vponupon Gods prouident dispensation for the things of this life, doth in this petition and the next, direct vsus to aske spirituall blessings for our selues, to wit, remission of our sinnes, and strength against temptation: and the reason of this order is this; Christ makes the former petition a steppe vntounto these: for a man must rest vponupon Gods prouidence for the preseruation of his bodie, that will relie vponupon his merciemercy for the saluation of his soule: he that can not be perswaded that God will giuegive him bread, will hardly be resolued that hee will forgiue him his sinnes.
Where, first we may note what is the faith of worldlings: theyWorldlings want …. doe not trust in God for foode, raiment, and other temporal blessings; how then can we say that their faith is sound for eternall mercies? Isa. 28. 16. He that beleeueth will not make hast, but will stay Gods leasure, waiting for his blessings whereof he stands in neede: But is this the practise of the world? no verily; for let a crosse come, and men will not sticke to vse vnlawfull meanes for their deliuerance: and so they deale, when hope of gaine is offered, making little conscience of fraud, lying, oppression, &c. and so making hast to be rich, they ouerrunne the prouident hand of God, that would lead them by ordinarie lawfull meanes.
Secondly, hence we learne how to enioy and vse all temporallRight vse of temporall blessings. blessings, foode, raiment, & such like; namely, as helps and meanes to draw vsus towards Gods merciemercy in Christ. Thus did Iacob, Gen. 28. 20. 21.. If God will be with me, and giuegive me bread to eate and clothes to put on,—then shall the Lord be my God: Ioh. 6. 27. Christ bids those whome he had fed miraculously, when they sought him afterward for outward things, that they should not labour for that foode which perisheth resting therein, but for that which endureth vntounto euerlasting life; leading them from bodily care and labour, to that which is heauenly and spirituall.
To come to the petition, wherein we will handle, first the necessitie of it; then the meaning; and lastly the vses.
For the first: This petition may seeme to be needlesse; for they that make it are Gods children, who hauehave all their sinnes forgiuen them, both past, present, and to come. Ans. This indeed must be the daielyWhy Gods children must daily pray for pardon. petition of all Gods children in this world, and the necessitie of it is great; for howsoeuer in the purpose of God all sinnes are pardoned to true beleeuers; yea, all sinnes past repented of, are so forgiuen, that they shall neuer be againe imputed: yet sinnes present, and to come, are not actually pardoned, till they be repented of. This experience teacheth, for who can feele the assurance of merciemercy for any sinne committed, before he hauehave repented of it? and though true repentance once had set vsus for euer in Gods fauour, yet it must bee daiely renued for our daiely falls, or els we cannot know it to be true. Hence it is, that Paul intreats the Saints of God in Corinth (though they had truely repented at their conuersion) to bee reconciled vntounto God, 2. Corinth. 5. 20. meaning, by renuing their repentance. And Dauid was the true childe of God, yet beeing left vntounto himselfe, hee fell into two grieuous sinnes, wherein he lay almost a whole yeare without repentance; during all which time, he had not pardon of them actually; for Nathan rebuked him to bring him to repentance, and vponupon his confession, pronounced them pardoned: yea, and Dauid himselfe afterward, for the fuller assurance of merciemercy to his soule, most earnestly intreated pardon hereof at the hands of Gods, Psal. 51. So that this petition is most necessarie, as well for actuall pardon of sinnes present, as for the more ful assurance of sinnes past.
The meaning. This petition is propounded in the forme of a comparison, which naturally standeth thus; As wee forgiue our debters, so forgiue thou to vsus our debts: and it hath two parts, a request for pardon, and a reason thereof. Our request for pardon is this; Forgiue vsus our debts. In the word debt is a figuratiue kinde of speech, taken from bargaining, wherein God is resembled to the Creditour, Man is the debter: the Law is the bond or obligation; and sinne is that debt ofSinne a debt▪ ours, for which we stand bound to God by the law: this appeares by this, that in the Euangelists the word sinne and debt are vsed promiscuously; as Luk. 11. 4. compared with this of Matthew, and Luke 13. 4. Now sin makes vsus debters vntounto God, not for that we owe it vntounto him, for we are bound by the law to yeeld the contrarie obedience; but because vponupon default of obedience vntounto God whereto wee are bound by the law, we are bound for our sins vntounto punishment, which is as it were a second debt. Euen as a man that is bound in an obligation to another, through default of performing the condition thereof, is bound to paie both the principall and the forfeiture: the punishment of sinne which is eternall death, being that forfeiture whereto we stand bound before God, for want of obedience which is as it were the principall.
The consideration of this resemblance for which sinne is called a debt, serues to direct vsus in some points of religion: as first it confutesRemission of sinnes is not our whole iustification. their opinion, who hold that our whole iustification consists in the remission of sinnes, and that the same is wrought by the shedding of Christs blood alone: for we owe to God a double debt, first obedience, and for default thereof we stand bound to punishment: these two debts are different and distinct one from an other, and they must both be paid, and Gods iustice satisfied either by our selues or by a furetie, before we can be accepted as righteous vntounto life. Now we our selues can discharge neither; therefore Christ our suretie must doe both: and so he hath: for our second debt of sinne whereby we stand bound to punishment, Christ discharged by his death and passion, wherein he made his soule a sacrifice for sinne: and our debt of obedience in perfect louelove to God and man, he also paid to God in fulfilling the law for vsus: whereupon it is true, cRom. 8. 4.that the righteousnes of the law is fulfilled in thē which walke not after the flesh, but after the spirit. But (say they) the Scripture eueryevery where ascribes our whole redemption and iustification to Christs blood-shedding, and to his death and passion. Ans. Christs bloodshedding must be considered two waies: first, as a part of his passion whereby we are discharged from punishment: secondly, as a part of his obedience, wherein he testified singular louelove both to God his father, and vntounto mankind: for in suffering he obeied, and in obeying he suffered: now because his bloodshedding is a part of both, therefore is our whole redemption ascribed thereunto, not excluding, but including his actuall obedience therein, it beeing a part thereof.
Secondly, debt in this place betokening sinne as it binds vntounto punishment, sheweth plainly that sinne and punishment goe alwaies together:Rhem. on 1. Ioh. 1. sect. 5. and therefore the Popish doctrine is false and erroneous which parteth them asunder, by making some sinnes veniall, not deseruing the punishment of death, which is the wages of sinne.
Forgiue vsus] This forgiuenesse here asked is a free and full dischargeForgiuenes of sinne described. from sinne and the punishment thereof, without any satisfaction on our part: and this God doth, when he is content for Christs sake, not to impute sinne vntounto vsus, but to account it as not committed, and the punishment thereof as not due vntounto vsus; beeing fully and freely contented with the all-sufficient satisfaction made by Christ in his death and passion. This forgiuenesse Hezekias expressed when he saide to God, dIsa. 38. 17.Thou hast cast all our sinnes behinde thy backe: and Michah, saying, eMich. 7. 19.He will subdue our iniquities, and cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the sea. So that our request to God is this, that whereas our sinnes binde vsus vntounto punishment, the Lord would be pleased for his Sonnes sake, freely to remit all our sinnes, and neuer to impute them vntounto vsus, and to be fully contented with the suffering of Christ, that the punishment of our sinnes be neuer laide vponupon vsus.
Quest. But of what sinnes doe we here aske pardon? Ans. Both of sinnes past and present: for howsoeuer the child of God hath his sinnes past fully pardoned at once on Gods part, vponupon his true repentance; yet he is not able so to receiue pardon as God giues it, but must receiue it by little and little, and as it were droppe by droppe: this we may see in Dauid, who had the pardon of his sinne pronounced by f2. …am. …. 13.Nathan the Prophet; and yet after that he penned the 51. Psalme, wherein he begges merciemercy and forgiuenes most earnestly for that sinne which God had alreadie pardoned, aiming no doubt at a more full and comfortable assurance of Gods pardon in his owne heart: for this cause also in his olde age he praies for the pardon of the sinnes of his youth, Psal. 25. 7. Againe, here we pray for the pardon of sinnes present, both that they may be actually forgiuen; and also that our hearts and consciences may be setled in the assurance thereof.
The vses. First, by this petition, we are taught to bewayle our carnallWants to be bewailed. S…cu…itie in sinne. securitie; for naturally we goe on from day to day, in following the pleasures and profits of this world, and neuer thinke of our debt to God by sinne, till the euill day of death or distresse approach vntounto vsus; like to desperate bankrupts that neuer regard their debt, till the sergeant be vponupon their backe. This is that sinne which Christ foretold should raigne in the latter daies, Math. 24. 39. and I appeale to the conscience in the veiw of all estates and conditions, whether it be not so: for though iniquitie doe abound, yet no man saith, what hauehave I done? Ier. 8. 6. yea, this is the sinne of many professors, for the nature of man is prone to incroach vponupon Gods favour. But we must know that this securitie cannot stand with this petition, for here we are taught to call to mind our sinnes, eueryevery day praying for the pardon of them.
Secondly, here we see whereon we must relie and setle our heartsOur rest in distrust. in all estates, in affliction, temptation, and death it selfe; namely on the meere merciemercy of God in Christ, by faith in his blood for the pardon of our sinnes: Looke to the prayers of all the Saints of God in Scriptures, and we shall finde that they made this their rocke, and ankor of stay in all distresse. Dan. 9. 18, 19. O Lord, heare and behold,—not for our owne righteousnesse, but for thy great tender mercies: deferre not, for thy owne sake, oh my God. This we must obserue to arme vsus against the damnable doctrine of the Church of Rome, for they will graunt that in his first conuersion a man must relie onelyonly on Gods… de …. l. 5. c. 7. merciemercy in Christs blood; but after a man is made the childe of God; he may rest vponupon his owne good merits, so it be in modestie and sobrietie. But this is the right way to hell, flat against this petition: for how can wee dreame of any merit, when as we must eueryevery day aske merciemercy and forgiuenesse: for to aske merciemercy and to plead merite, are contraries: now by our daily sinnes we adde debt to debt, and so must still plead merciemercy and not merit, euen after we are conuerted and sanctified; euer praising God that hath deliuered vsus from the slauish bondage of that proud Synagogue.
Thirdly, here we see what we must doe in respect of our daily sinnesDul… humiliation. whereunto we fall; we must not lie in them, but renue our-estate by true humiliation and repentance. Also if thou be crossed in the things of this world, the way of comfort and deliuerance is to be learned here: for as thou doest daily aske bread, so thou must aske forgiuenesse for thy sinnes, and when they are pardoned thou hast title and interest to al Gods blessings. Now this daily humiliation stands in three things: 1. in examination of our selues for our debt vntounto God by sinne: 2. in confessing our debt vntounto our creditour, yeilding our selues into his hands: 3. in humbling our selues vntounto him, crauing pardon and remission earnestly for Christs sake, as for life and death: herein the children of God are presidents vntounto vsus: Psal. 32. 5, 6. Dauid in great distresse found no release while he held his tongue, but when he humbled himselfe and confessed against himselfe, then he found merciemercy and ease: whereupon he professeth that he will be a patterne to eueryevery godly man for their behauiour in the time of distresse.
Fourthly, here we hauehave a notable remedie against desparie, wherewithRemedie against despaire. the deuill assaults many a child of God, when through infirmitie they fall into some grieuous sinne, or commit the same sinne often, which greatly wounds the conscience: for here Christ bids vsus aske forgiuenesse of our daily sinnes whatsoeuer they be, or how often so euer cōmitted. And no doubt, he that bids vsus forgiue our brethren that sinne against vsus, though it were aLuk. 17 4.seauen times in a day, if they seeke it at our hands, will much more forgiue vsus. This must not embolden any to sinne presumptuously, for the Lord hath saide, He will not be mercifull vntounto that man, Deut. 29. 19. but if any fall through infirmitie, hereon he hath to stay himselfe from despaire.
Fiftly, hereby we see that no man possibly can fulfill the law, for theNo man can fulfill the law. Apostles themselues were commanded to aske pardon of sinne eueryevery day; whereby it is plaine they could neuer fulfill the law, and therefore much lesse can any other.
Sixtly, that which we pray for we must in all godly manner endeauourEndeauour to get pardon. after. And therefore as we pray for pardon of sinne eueryevery day, so must we daily vse the meanes wherein God giues assurance of remission to his children; as heare the word, receiue the Sacraments, and pray vntounto God publikely and priuately; endeauouring to resist all temptations, and to glorifie God by newe obedience: for it is grosse hypocrisie to aske the pardon of sinne, and still to liue in the practise of it.
Lastly, here we see we must pray not only for the pardon of our ownWe must be carefull of the saluation of others. sinnes, but of our brethrens also: Forgiue vsus; whereby Christ would teach vsus, to be carefull of the saluation of our brethren and neighbours; the good estate of their soules should be deare and pretious vntounto vsus: and if this were so, happie would it be with the Church of God; but, alas, men are so farre from care of the saluation of their neighbours, that men of the same family are carelesse of one an others soules; masters regard not their seruants, nor parents their children: indeede they will prouide for their bodies and outward state, but for their soules they hauehave no care: wherein they bewray themselues to be cruell and mercilesse, hauing more care of their hogges and bruit beasts then of their children and seruants: for when their hogges hauehave all needefull prouision, their children and seruants soules shall want instruction.
As we also forgiue our debters.] These words are here propounded as a condition of the former petition; and they include a reason thereof, as Luk. 11. 4. Forgiue vsus our sinnes, FOR euen we forgiue eueryevery man that is indebted vntounto vsus. And this Christ addeth for waightie causes, euen to crosse the fraud and hypocrisie of our corrupt hearts, who would hauehave forgiuenesse of God, and yet would not forgiue our brethren, nor yet leaue off the practise of sinne our selues. But this condition imports, that we must exercise mercy towards our brethren, and so breake off the course of our sinnes, if we looke for merciemercy at Gods hands. Now the words here vsed are comparatiue, betokening a likelihood and similitude betweene Gods forgiuing and ours: which must be rightly vnderstood, because our forgiuenesse is mingled with much corruption through want of merciemercy: and therefore we must not vnderstand it of the measure of forgiuenesse, nor yet of the manner simply, but especially of the very act of forgiuing, for thereto sometimes must similitudes be restrained; as Mat. 9. 29. According to your faith be it vntounto you. And the force of the reason stands in the circumstance, thus; If we who hauehave but a drop of merciemercy, doe forgiue others; then doe thou who art the fountaine of mercies forgiue vsus: but we forgiue others; therfore do thou forgiue vsus.
Touching our forgiuing others, three questions must bee scanned:How man forgiues. I. How can any man pardon a trespasse, seeing God onelyonly forgiueth sinnes? Answ. In eueryevery trespasse which one doth to his neighbour, be two things: the losse and dammage whereby man is hindered in bodie, goods, or name; and an offence against God, by a practise of iniustice against his law. Now as a trespasse is a damage vntounto man, so may a man forgiue it; but as it is a sinne against God in the transgression of the morall law, so God onelyonly pardons it: as when a man hath his goods stollen, that dammage done to him, a man may remit; but the breach of the eight commaundement therein, God onelyonly can forgiue.
II. Quest. How farre is a man bound to forgiue others that trespasseHow far wee are bound to forgiue. against him? Ans. There is a threefold forgiuenes; of reuenge, of punishment, and of iudgement: Forgiuenesse of reuenge, is when a man is not desirous of reuenge from an inward grudge, but forbeares to render like for like to those that wrong him: this is principally here meant, for we must Mat. …. 25.alwaies forgiue our brethren, in respect of reuenge; for vē geance is mine, saith the Lord, and I will repaie, Rom. 12. 19. Forgiuenes of punishment, is the remitting of that punishment which another mans wrong-doing iustly deserues: this is not alwaies to be granted, especially in the case of offence, which may tend to the publike hurt; for then were the state of magistracy vnlawful, whose office it is to punish offences. The forgiuenes of iudgement, is the remitting of that censure which an euill deed doth iustly deserue; neither is this here meant, for beeing lawfully called therevnto, wee may freely censure that which is euill done.
III. Quest. Whether must we forgiue those that wrong vsus, if theyHow we must forgiue the obstinate. will not confesse their fault, nor aske vsus forgiuenesse? Ans. Wee must forgiue them freely, in respect of reuenge. Obiect. But it is said, If hee repent, forgiue him, Luk. 17. 3. therefore, vnlesse hee repent, wee neede not to forgiue him? Answ. That place is meant of Ecclesiasticall censures, that those must proceede no further after the partie offending doth repent.
Debters] Hereby is not meant such as we count debters in the ciuillHow we become debters against our neighbours. state; that is, such as owe vsus money graine, &c. but any one that doth vsus iniurie, or wrong: for no mans estate is so lowe, but in some degree God hath giuen one or moe of these 4. things; honour, life, goods, or good name; and he that hinders his neighbour in any of these, is a debter before God, and so standeth, till hee make recompence to the partie, and repent towards God: yea further, wee must know that besides the endammaging of our neighbour in these things, the very omission of preseruing and furthering our neighbours life, honour, goods, & good name, makes vsus also debters before God.
These words thus vnderstood, must be conceiued as a reason drawn, not from the cause, or like example, but from the signe and pledge of Gods forgiuenesse; for God hath made a promise to forgiue vsus, if wee forgiue our brethren their trespasses, Mark. 11. 25. From whence mercifull men may gather assurance of pardon with God, from that inclination to compassion and readinesse, which they find in their own hearts, to forgiue others that wrong them; for Christ teacheth them to reason thus: If we be those to whom thou hast promised pardon when they aske it, then Lord pardon vsus: but we are such, for wee feele our hearts inclined to merciemercy; therefore Lord pardon vsus. So that this reason serues to mooue vsus to pray to God for pardon with confidence and assurance: yea further, they include a profession to God of new obedience in amendment of life; for vnderunder one dutie of merciemercy towards our neighbour, is comprehended the whole practise of repentance, and the performance of our vow made in baptisme.
Uses. I. Marke here, that asking pardon of God, and testimonie ofRemission & repentance go together. repentance goe together; he that receiues the one, must expresse the other: for where God giues pardon, there also he giues grace to repent, and merciemercy is not granted, but on condition of repentance. Act. 2. 37, 38. when the Iewes that were pricked in conscience at Peters sermon, asked what to doe to finde merciemercy; Peter said, Amend your liues, &c. And therefore when he perceiued want of repentance in Simon Magus, he tels him, bAct. 8. …3. v. 13.Thou art yet in the gall of bitternesse, and in the bond of iniquitie, though he had formerly baptized him. Whereby we see, First, with what affection we must come to God, when we pray for the pardon of our sinnes; namely, with humble and contrite hearts, hauing a true purpose not to sinne wittingly and willingly, but to obey God in all his commandements: and the want of this, is the cause of that small comfort in praier, which many finde in themselues; for the promise of pardon is not giuen, where the condition of repentance is not performed. Secondly, this shewes the grosse and fearefull errour of the blind world, who sing this song while they liue in sinne, to their owne hearts; God is mercifull: Christ is a Sauiour: but thus trusting to Gods merciemercy they deceiue themselues, for they trust to nothing; for merciemercy is not due, where repentance is wanting: nay, the Lord hath said, cDeut. 29. 19. 20.Hee will not be mercifull to that man that shall blesse himselfe in his heart, saying, I shal hauehave peace though I walke after the stubbornnesse of mine own heart, &c. Let vsus therefore see to this, that we practise repentance, when wee pray for pardon; and looke to the purpose of our heart against sinne, when we waite for mercy to our soules. We may not seuer those things which God hath ioyned, but looke how heartily wee desire merciemercy, so earnestly must we hunger after grace to repent: if we truely seeke both, we shall hauehave both; but if we let slip repentance in our selues, wee shall come short of merciemercy with the Lord.
II. The ioyning of this condition, implying repentance, to the petition, and the dependance of it on the former, teacheth vsus, eueryevery day to renue our repentance, and to humble our selues for our sinnes, seeking for a new supply of grace, that so our purpose not to sinne, may bee more and more confirmed in our hearts, which is the infallible signe of a new creature.
III. Here we see wherein the practise of true repentance standeth;The practise of true repentance. namely, in exercising merciemercy, louelove, peace, reconciliation, and forgiuenesse; for though forgiuenesse bee onelyonly named, yet vnderunder it all other fruits of repentance are vnderstood. Indeede to heare the word, to receiue the Sacrament, to preach and pray, be excellent workes; but yet the heart of man may more easily dissemble in them, then in the duties of the second table: the most infallible marke of true grace, is the practise of the louelove of God in workes of louelove and merciemercy to our brethren; Iam. 1. 27. Pure religion and vndefiled before God, is to visit the fatherlesse, &c. Iam. 3. 17. The wisedome that is from aboue, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easie to be intreated, full of merciemercy and good fruits. And hence it is, that louelove is called the fulfilling of the law, Rom. 13. 10.
IV. Christ knitting our forgiuing our brother, with Gods forgiuingA true signe of pardon of sinne. vsus, doth here affoard vntounto vsus a notable signe of pardon of sinne; namely, a readie and willing minde to forgiue our brother offending vsus: our inclination to merciemercy in suppressing the desire of reuenge when we are wronged, giues assurance to our conscience that wee shall finde merciemercy at Gods hands: whereby it is plaine, that the child of God may know his owne estate towards God, in regard of his merciemercy in Christ, euen by descending into his owne heart, and there finding the affection of merciemercy, in forgiuing those that hauehave wronged him: and this wee must labour for, if we would know Gods merciemercy in Christ to belong vntounto vsus.
V. Hereby we are admonished, to beware in our selues, of the commonDesire of reuenge must be auoided. sinne of this age, ingraffed in our nature; to wit, desire of reuenge, spite, and grudging vponupon eueryevery occasion: for when we pray vntounto God with such malitious hearts, wee doe in effect desire the Lord to exercise his wrath, and to reuenge his iustice on vsus. And vndoubtedly, many a man doth searefully curse himselfe in his owne prayers, while hee is cruelly minded towards his brethren; and God oftentimes saith Amen to such curses most deseruedly, seeing men are so cruell to their owne soules to curse themselues: and therefore we had need to looke to our hearts, when we pray to God, that we forgiue men, if we would be forgiuen of God.
VI. Here note a general grosse abuse in this age: most men wil seekeWhen wee ought to seeke reconciliation with our brethren to be reconciled to their brethren, with whom they are at variance, whē they come to the Lords table: but at all other times thy take their pleasure, thinking they may well enough performe all other duties of religion, though they retaine malice and enmitie towards their brethren. But here we may obserue, that we ought to be reconciled with our brethren, whensoeuer we goe to God in prayer; for else, if we come in malice and enuie towards our brethren, wee curse our selues, and sinne against our owne soules. In prayer we bring the sacrifice of our hearts, & the calues of our lips vntounto God; but before we offer it, wee must reconcile our selues vntounto our brethren, as we oChap. 5. 23, 24. An euidence of our hypocrisie.heard before.
VII. Here also we may see the grosse hypocrisie of our nature, for so oft as we make this petition, wee make profession of reformation of life in new obedience, (for this one branch of brotherly reconciliation here professed, doth presuppose our conuersion from all sinne, sith that true repentance for one sinne, cannot stand with a purpose to liue in any other.) And yet behold, though men say this prayer often, yet stil they continue in their old sinnes, as in blasphemie, drunkennes, whoredome, oppression, lying, fraud, &c. as though it were nothing to dissemble with God: but God is not mocked, either amend thy wicked conuersation, or leaue off to make this holy profession.
VIII. In that Christ tieth our duty of forgiuing our brethren, to soMans naturall cruelti. waightie a condition, as is our forgiuenesse with God; hereby he would acquaint vsus with the horrible crueltie of our nature, and pronenesse to reuenge: we must therefore take notice of it, and labour to see and to bewaile this corruption of our hearts; and on the other side, to hunger after louelove, merciemercy, gentlenesse, meekenesse, and to endeauour to practise the same continually.
Lastly, ioyne both parts of this petition together, & they shew vsus a way how to keepe true peace of conscience for euer; namely, First, wee must call vponupon God for the pardon of our sinnes eueryevery daie. Secondly,How to get and keepe peace of conscience. we must follow after peace with men, in the practise of forgiuenesse & reconciliation when offences growe; for when we are at one with God and man, we hauehave a blessed peace: and hence will follow peace in our owne hearts, which is that peace which the world cannot giuegive; which while we retaine, wee need not to feare any euill, no not death it selfe; for if God be with vsus, who can be against vsus?