A Learned and Fruitful Exposition Upon the Lords Prayer, Section 19
Forgiue.
TO forgiue ſinne, is to couer it, or not to impute it. Pſal. 32. When our ſinnes are imputed to Chriſt, and his righteouſneſſe to vsus, then are wée fully cleared and diſcharged.
Through whom is forgiueneſſe?
Forgiuenes is onelyonly through Chriſt, Rom. 3.24. Epheſ. 1.7. Col. 1.14. Hebr. 9. Zech. 13.1.
VnderUnder this one benefit of remiſſion of ſinnes, all the reſt of the ſame kinde are vnderſtood: as namely, Iuſtification, Sanctification, Redemption, Regeneration, Glorification.
This word (forgiue) teacheth that all men are ſinners, and hauehave néed of forgiueneſſe, as 1 Kings 8.46. There is no man that ſinneth not.
Surely, there is no man iuſt in the earth that doeth good and ſinneth not, Eccleſ. 7.22.
Who can ſay, I hauehave purified my heart I am cleane from my ſinne? Prouerbs.
Enter not into iudgement with thy ſeruant, for no man liuing ſhall be iuſtified in thy ſight, Pſal. 143.2.
If thou O God, marke our iniquities, who ſhall be able to ſtand? Pſal. 130.3.
O cleanſe me from my ſecret ſinnes. Pſal. 19.12.
Séeing we pray for frée forgiueneſſe, wée are to hold that there is no ſatiſfaction made by vsus to Gods iuſtice for ſinne: for to forgiue, and to ſatiſfie, be contrarie: here falleth downe the doctrine of ſatiſfaction, taught in the Church of Rome.
Séeing we ſinne daily, and therefore pray dayly for forgiueneſſe, wée note the great patience and long ſuffering of God, that ſuffers and forbeares ſtill, and doth not powre downe his wrath vponupon vsus, and it doth teach vsus to vſe the like patience towards our brethren that offend vsus.
Againe, wée may obſerue, that our ſanctification in this life, is neuer perfect, becauſe we craue pardon eueryevery day for ſinne, it is alwayes in perfecting, but neuer perfected here.
Where it is brought as a reaſon taken from the compariſon of the leſſe to the greater, thus: if we which hauehave but a ſparke of mercy, doe forgiue others, then doe thou, which art the fountaine of mercy, forgiue vsus: but we forgiue others, therefore doe thou forgiue vsus.
The Papiſts make our forgiuing a cauſe, for the which God is mooued to forgiue vsus: but it is no cauſe, but onelyonly a ſigne or effect, that God doth forgiue vsus, for our readineſſe and willingneſſe in forgiuing others, is a liuely token of the pardon of our owne ſinnes: wée muſt therefore be ready to forgiue others, that we may hauehave teſtimonie in our owne conſciences that God forgiueth vsus: Bleſſed are the mercifull, for they ſhall obtaine mercy.
If you forgiue men their treſpaſſes, your heauenly Father will alſo forgiue you: but if you doe not forgiue men their treſpaſſes, neither will your heauenly Father forgiue you your treſpaſſes. Matth. 6.14.
A man doth neuer fréely, franckly, and from his heart forgiue others, till hée doe inwardly féele that God hath forgiuen him: but when hée once féeleth that, then doth hée eaſily and readily forgiue his brother, that thereby he may hauehave more and more teſtimony to his owne heart of Gods louelove towards him: for a man is towards his neighbour, as hée féeleth God to be towards himſelfe: he reboundeth vponupon his neighbour that which he hath receiued from God, therefore hée which féeleth not God to be mercifull to himſelfe, will neuer be mercifull to his neighbour. A ſeale doth not ſet any print into the waxe, before it hath it in it ſelfe. A coale doth not warme others, till it be hot it ſelfe: ſo we doe not willingly forgiue, till we be forgiuen.
But after a ſeale hath receiued his impreſſion, and is grauen, it doth imprint the ſame vponupon the waxe: and after the coales be hot, they heat others, ſo after we féele God to be good to vsus, we are good to others.
The manner of forgiueneſſe.
Our Sauiour ſayth, Matth. 18. that it muſt be from the heart: therefore wicked are they which ſay, I may forgiue him, but I will not forget him: he may come into my Pater-noſter, but he ſhall neuer come into my Créed: behold the Diuels logick, which maketh Malice to be Charitie.
Blinde people play with the Lords Prayer, as the Flie doth with the Candle, till ſhe be burnt: for the more they pray theſe words, the more they call for vengeance againſt themſelues.
For if we be ſo cruell, that we cannot forgiue the offences which men commit againſt vsus, which are but as the debt of one hundred pence, with what face can we require of God to be forgiuen the offences which wée hauehave committed againſt him, which are as the debt of tenne thouſand talents?
Looke how often therefore a man doth vtter this petition with a mind deſirous of reuenge, ſo often doth he call vntounto the Lord, to take vengeance vponupon him for his ſinnes.
Obiection.
How can any man forgiue treſpaſſes, ſéeing God onelyonly forgiues ſinnes?
Anſwere.
In eueryevery treſpaſſe which any man doth to his neighbour, there be two offences.
One to God.
Another to man.
In the firſt reſpect, as it is againſt God and his Law, it is called a ſinne, and that God onelyonly forgiueth.
In the other reſpect, it is called an iniurie or damage, and ſo man may forgiue it.
So in the caſe of theſe, as it is a ſinne againſt God, God onelyonly doth forgiue it: but as it is a wrong to our neighbour, man doth forgiue it.
Obiection.
Whether a man may lawfully pray this petition, and yet ſue him at the Law who hath done him wrong.
A man may in an holy manner ſue another for an iniurie, as a Souldier in lawfull warre may kill his enemie, and yet louelove him: ſo a man may forgiue an iniurie, and yet ſéeke in a Chriſtian manner the remedie.
But in doing of this, wée muſt obſerue fiue things.
Firſt, we are to take héed of a priuate reuenge & inward hatred, which if we doe not conceiue, we not forgiue.
Secondly, we muſt take héed of offence, and hauehave care that our doings be not ſcandelous to the Church.
Thirdly, our ſutes muſt be taken in hand to maintaine godly peace: for if all iniuries were put vp, there would be no ciuill ſtate or gouernment.
Fourthly, that the parties offending may be chaſtiſed, and brought to repentance for his fault: for if many were not repreſſed, they would grow worſe.
Fiftly, law muſt be the laſt remedy, as Phiſitions vſe deſperate remedies, when weaker will not ſerue, euen ſo muſt we vſe law, as the laſt meanes, when all other fayle.
The ſumme of this Petition.
1 All men are ſinners.
2 God onelyonly forgiueth ſinnes.
3 He forgiueth it through Chriſt.
4 He forgiueth it to them that confeſſe and forſake it.
5 We may know in our ſelues, that our ſinnes are pardoned.
6 The enuious man can hauehave no pardon.