The True Doctrine of Justification Asserted and Vindicated, Lecture 14
LECTURE XIV.
MAT. 6.12.
And forgive us our debts.
WE have already conſidered the object in this Petition, viz. ſins, which according to the Syriak Idiotiſm are called debts, as alms are called righteouſneſſe, ver. 1. in an Hebraiſm. The next thing to be treated of, is the Petition it ſelf, forgive us, foreign: this word is moſt commonly uſed by the Apoſtles to ſignifie pardon of ſins; they have it about ſeven and twenty times; but more of this when we ſhew what remiſſion of ſins is. The work I have for the preſent to do, is, to ſhew how comprehenſive this Petition is, and what it is we pray for herein. Bellarmine oppoſing the Doctrine of the Proteſtants, holding a ſpecial and peculiar faith, appropriating pardon of ſin, miſtaking the queſtion, as if we maintained juſtifying faith to be that whereby we believe our ſins are certainly forgiven us in Chriſt, chargeth this abſurdity upon us, lib. 1. de Juſt. c. 10. That we take away this Petition in the Lords Prayer: For ſaith he, If I be bound certainly to believe my ſins are forgiven already, it would be as abſurd to pray that God would forgive us our ſins, as to pray Chriſt might be incarnated, ſeeing we believe he was incarnated already. And l. 4. de noti… eccleſiae, c. 11. He makes this opinion of the Proteſtants, holding we are righteous before God for Chriſts ſake, and the believing of this with a ſpecial faith, to be comparable with any Paradox in the world, as not being above or beſides, but plainly contrary to all reaſon, and as that which makes it impoſſible for us to ſay, Forgive us our ſins, unleſſe we lye. It is true according to the Antinomian Divinity, which ſaith, there is no ſin now in the Church, this Prayer doth no more belong to us then to the Angels in heaven: therefore the Antinomian makes not the meaning of this Prayer to be as if we prayed for the forgiveneſs which we had not before, but only for more full and rich aſſurance of it. Honey-Comb p.156. But the Sequel will ſhew the falſhood of both theſe aſſertions.
Obſer.Obſerv. It is the duty of juſtified perſons to pray for the forgivenes of their ſins. To underſtand this, we will ſhew, firſt,It is the duty of juſtified perſons to pray for forgiveneſſe of their ſins. what is the expreſſe meaning of this Petition, and then what is the implied ſenſe of it.
In the firſt place, our meaning in this Petition is, That God would not require of us the payment and ſatisfaction of his juſtice for our ſinnes. We have a Parable,The meaning of the Petition Forgive us, &c. Luke 16.8. Of an unjuſt Steward, who called his Lords debtors, who bid him that owed an hundred meaſures of oyl, ſet down fifty: but if God ſhould condeſcend thus far to us, inſtead of millions of ſins we owe, 1 …hat God w…uld not require of us the ſatisfaction of his juſtice for our ſins.to ſet down but an hundred, yea, ſhould we come down as low in the number of ſins, as Abraham of his righteous men, yet that would not avail us. Yea, as long as there is but a farthing, the leaſt ſin unpaid, ſo long are we unable to give an account to God. We therefore deſire of God, that he would not call upon us to pay for the leaſt vain thought, or idle word, much leſſe for thoſe more grievous ſins which we have committed. As it is, Not unto us Lord, not unto us, let the glory be given: ſo Not of us Lord, not of us, let thy juſtice be ſatisfied.
2 That God would lay our ſins on Chriſt A two-fold diff…rence between Gods forgiving our ſins, and our forgiving others.2. We pray, That God would lay our ſins upon Chriſt, and accept of ſatisfaction in and through him; for ſeeing God hath declared his will, that man ſhall die for ſin; if we ſhould pray, that God would abſolutely forgive our ſins, it would be to pray, that he might be unjuſt. There is a twofold difference between Gods forgiveneſſe of our ſins, and our forgiving of others. Firſt, We may and ought in ſome caſes to forgive others freely, without any ſatisfaction at all, but God hath bound himſelf to another way. Yet Gods grace is much to be magnified, and extolled in pardon, as we ſhall ſhew againſt the Socinian. Again ſecondly, We may and ought to forgive others though they do not repent, and ask pardon of us; but God hath declared his will otherwiſe: we do not therefore pray, that God would out of an abſolute ſoveraignty and dominion remit our ſins; but that he would account them upon Chriſt, and take him for our ſurety. As the Prophets wife who died in debt, was wonderfully relieved by the Prophets oyl, ſo that ſhe was enabled to ſatisfie all her creditors; no leſſe advantagious is the bloud of Chriſt to us, whereby the juſtice of God is appeaſed towards us. Therefore in this prayer, thus we may argue, O Lord, we call not upon thee to repeal any threatning, to nullifie thy word, to become unjuſt; but thy wiſedom hath found out a way that we may be pardoned, and thou ſatisfied. Neither will this be any injury to Chriſt, to lay them upon him though innocent, for this he voluntarily undertook, and he is not made a Surety or Mediatour againſt his will, neither in the midſt of all his agonies and troubles he grapled with, did he repent of his ſuretiſhip, or deſire to give it over; ſo that there goeth more to make this Petition good, and poſſible, then did to make the world at firſt, for there it coſt Chriſt but a word, Let there be light, and there was light, but it is not ſo here, Let there be pardon, and there ſhall be pardon: beſides Chriſts ſpeaking, there muſt be his doing and ſuffering.
3. As we pray thus for Juſtification, ſo alſo for continuance and preſervation in it. As we pray for daily bread, 3. As we pray for juſtification, ſo for the continuance in it.though our ſtore be full; ſo, Though our Juſtification be ſure, and perſevering, yet by prayer we are to be preſerved in it. A certain knowledge and faith of a thing, takes not away prayers; we know certainly God will gather a Church, and preſerve it to the end of the world; yet we pray, Thy Kingdom come. Paul knew Act. 27.24. that none in the Ship with him ſhould periſh, becauſe God had given him their lives, yet none can doubt, but he prayed for their preſervation, as well as uſed other means. Howſoever now, grievous ſins committed by a David or Peter, may faſten upon them, as the Viper upon Pauls hand, yet by the grace of God, they ſhall not be able to unſtate them out of Gods favour, but at laſt their repentance will revive, and ſo they will ſue out a pardon; and certainly Gods power and grace is no leſs ſeen in preſerving of us in the ſtate of Juſtification, then at firſt juſtifying us.
4. We do not only pray for preſervation in this eſtate, 4. We pray for daily renewed acts of pardon and imputation of Chriſts righteouſneſſe.but for daily renewed acts of pardon, and imputation of Chriſts righteouſneſſe. Howſoever, as in the controverſal part is to be ſhewed, Juſtification is not reiterated, but is a ſtate in which we were at firſt believing put into, without Apoſtacy from it, either total or final: yet thoſe particular acts of pardon, and imputing of Chriſts righteouſneſs, are continually by God communicated unto us: neither may we think, That our ſins paſt, preſent and to come, are all taken away by one ſentence, ſo that there is no new or iterated pardon. Then indeed Bellarmines Argument would have ſtrength in it, That it were as abſurd to pray for forgiveneſſe of ſin, Bell…rmines objection anſwered.as to have Chriſt new incarnated; or that we might be predeſtinated, according as ſome have falſly ſaid, Si non ſis praedeſtinatus, ora, ut praedeſtineris, If thou art not predeſtinated, pray that thou mayeſt be. We might indeed pray for the believing of theſe things in a more ſetled manner, but not for the things themſelves. But this is the proper anſwer to Bellarmines Objection, We pray for pardon of ſin, and not for the Incarnation of Chriſt, or the making of the world, becauſe theſe were ſo once done, that they are never to be done more. The Incarnation of Chriſt was once done, and is not to be done again; but remiſſion of ſin is ſo done, as that it is continually to be done for us, and the ultimate compleat effect of it will then only be, when ſin ſhall be quite taken away, ſo that a total and full remiſſion will be only at the day of Judgement, as appeareth Act. 3.19. That your ſins may be blotted out, when the times of refreſhing ſhall come: Not but that every ſin here forgiven is fully and perfectly forgiven, but becauſe we renew ſin daily, therefore there is need of a daily pardon: Away therefore with all ſuch opinions, as ſhall either plead ſuch an inherent righteouſneſſe in the Pelagian way, or ſuch an imputed righteouſneſſe in the Antinomian way, that will overthrow this Petition for forgiveneſſe of ſins. If all thy former ſins be forgiven, and no pardon for future, thy caſe would be deſperate, for ſin like Samſons hair, though it be cut, yet it will grow again, and come to great ſtrength.
5. We pray for the ſenſe of this pardon in our conſciences more and more.5. We pray for the ſenſe and feeling of this pardon in our conſciences more and more. For although God hath pardoned our ſin, yet if we know not of this, it taketh off much from our comfort and Gods glory; we are in this caſe like ſome Heir or Prince, that hath many temporal dignities, but by reaſon of his infancy doth not underſtand it. Hence David, though Nathan told him, His ſin was pardoned, yet Pſ. 51. he prayeth for mercy and pardon, and that in a plentifull manner; ſo that although a ſin is perfectly remitted, ſo that it cannot be more of leſſe forgiven then it is, yet the aſſurance or knowledge of this, may be more or leſſe; and indeed though to have ſins pardoned be an objective happineſs, yet to know that they are pardoned, is formal happineſs; ſo that he is compleatly happy, who both hath his ſins pardoned, and alſo knoweth they are ſo; and this made David Pſ. 103. ſo exult and rejoyce, Bleſſe the Lord, O my ſoul, who forgiveth all thine iniquities. This particular aſſurance inlarged his heart to praiſes. But although this be part of the ſenſe in this Petition, yet this is not all we pray for, as the Antinomian contends; for we pray principally for the real exhibition of pardon; and ſecondarily for the Declaration and manifeſtation of it in our conſciences. Their conceit is, That God from all eternity hath pardoned our ſins paſt, preſent and to come, and that when we believe or repent, our ſins are pardoned declaratively only to our conſcience, they being forgiven before. This I ſhall handle in a Queſtion by it ſelf: Only I ſhall lay down ſome few Arguments to prove that we do not only pray for aſſurance and manifeſtation of pardon, but alſo for pardon it ſelf. The reaſons are theſe,We pray for pardon it ſelf, and not for the ſenſe thereof only.
Firſt, We might by the ſame rule, interpret all the other Petitions in regard of Declaration only, and not exhibition; when we pray for ſanctification and glorification in that Petition, Thy Kingdom come, it might be as well ſaid,Reaſons proving this. Reaſ. 1. that we were ſanctified and glorified from all eternity; and therefore when we are converted or ſaved in heaven, this is but to our ſenſe and feeling. This Argument ſeemeth to be ſo ſtrong againſt them, that they have confeſt, A man is already glorified while he is upon earth, moſt abſurdly confounding the Decrees of God from eternity to do things, with the executions of them in time. How ridiculous would it be to expound that Petition, Give us our daily bread, thus, Not that God ſhould give us daily bread, but only make us to ſee and feel that he hath given it us?
A ſecond reaſon is, from the nature of forgiveneſſe of ſin.Reaſ. …. When ſinne is pardoned, it is ſaid to be blotted out: now that blotting out is not only from a mans conſcience and feeling, but more immediately out of Gods Book. So that when God doth forgive, he doth cancel thoſe debts which are in his Book, and not only the guilt that lieth upon our hearts: therefore theſe are very ſeparable the one from the other: A man may feel no weight or burden of ſin upon him, and yet it ſtand in fiery Characters againſt him in Gods Book; and on the contrary, a ſin may be blotted out there, yet be very heavy and terrible in a mans feeling and apprehenſion: ſo ſin pardoned is ſaid to be covered or hid, not in reſpect of us, as if it were taken from our ſight, but from Gods ſight, and he is ſaid to caſt our ſins behinde his back, not ours.
The third reaſon, This Explication,Reaſ. 3. as the whole ſenſe of the Petition, would overthrow all other places of Scripture, which make no pardon of ſin to be, but where the ſubject hath ſuch qualifications, as this in the Text of forgiving others, it is not indeed put as a cauſe or merit, but yet it is as a qualification of the ſubject; therefore our Saviour repeateth this again, Except ye forgive others, neither will my heavenly Father forgive you. So Act. 10.43. Whoſoever believeth on him ſhall have remiſſion of ſins, Rom. 3.15. He is a propitiation through faith in his bloud; here faith is made an inſtrument to apply and bring that pardon to the ſoul, which it had not before. So 1 Joh. 1.9. If we confeſſe our ſins, he is faithfull and juſt to forgive us our ſins. By theſe and the like Scriptures, it is plain, That remiſſion of ſin is given us only in the uſe of theſe graces: not that hereby we merit at Gods hand, or that God is tied to theſe wayes; but it is here, as in the Sacraments, he hath tied himſelf to convey his graces in no other chanels or conduits then he hath appointed.
Reaſ. 4.Laſtly, This would make no difference between ſins repented of, and not repented of; for if they be all pardoned from eternity, then ſins that are humbled for, and that are unhumbled for, have the like conſideration on Gods part, and I may feel the pardon of the latter, though not repented of, as well as the former, yea I may have the ſenſe of the pardon of all the ſins I ſhall commit for the future, and ſo whereas I pray for daily bread, not to-morrow bread, I ſhall here beg for the ſenſe of the pardon, not only of my ſins to day, but tomorrow, and the next year: But I never read that God made ſuch a Jubile, as one Pope did, who promiſed a plenary Indulgence, not only for ſins paſt, but afore-hand alſo, for all ſins to come; God doth not antidate his pardon before the ſin be committed or repented of; but of this more largely in time.
6 We pray that as God forgives the ſin, ſo he would releaſe the puniſhm…nt.6. We pray, That as God doth forgive the ſin, ſo alſo he would releaſe the puniſhments, and take away all the wrath that doth belong to it. It is a mockery which Papiſts make about pardon, as if indeed God did pardon the ſin, but the puniſhment that abideth ſtill, and we muſt work out a releaſe from that by our own ſelves. It is true as we have proved, God though he doth pardon ſin, yet he may grievouſly afflict; but theſe are fatherly chaſtiſements, not judicial puniſhments: but in this Prayer, we deſire alſo that as the ſins are removed, ſo alſo whatſoever troubles, afflictions and chaſtiſements do remain, that they alſo may be taken away; that as the gulf of hell is removed, ſo every cloud alſo may be diſpelled.
7 We pray to be delivered from the effects of ſin.7. In this Petition, we pray, That God would deliver us from thoſe effects of ſin, which God hath immutably ſet upon it, ſuch as are ſickneſſes, death and corruption; For although God by vertue of the Covenant of Grace hath promiſed a perfect pardon of ſin, yet we cannot come to a full enjoyment of all thoſe priviledges which remiſſion of ſin doth bring, till we be freed from death and corruption. So that as long as there is the death and grave, ſtill ſin hath ſome power. We therefore pray, that whatſoever mortality and corruption ſin hath brought in, it may be taken away, and we made fit for eternal life, which is the conſequent of pardon of ſin; for you muſt know that pardon is not a meer privative mercy, freeing us from Gods wrath, but there is alſo a poſitive inveſting of us with a title to everlaſting life and glory, only our corruptibility hinders us from the actual poſſeſſion of that which we have a right unto: we therefore pray, That as God removed our ſins, ſo he would alſo remove all the ſad effects and miſchievous fruit which came in by it.
8. We pray not only for pardon of ſin, 8 We pray for pardon, and the concomitants thereof.but alſo for the good concomitants and effects of it, which are Peace with God, and Joy in the holy Ghoſt, Rom. 5.1. Hence Luther ſpeaketh of a twofold pardon, one ſecret and hidden, when he forgiveth ſins, but the people of God do not feel or regard it; The other is open and experimental: now both theſe condonations are neceſſary. The firſt (ſaith he) is more bitter and troubleſome, but more noble and acceptable. The firſt cleanſeth, the latter pacifieth: the firſt is of meer faith, and obtaineth much of God; the latter is of experience more, and takes off from the excellency of faith: for as that is the beſt manifeſtation of love when it is carried out to an enemy, ſo is that of faith, when relying upon God, though feeling terrours, and an hell within us. God uſeth the firſt kinde of pardon to more heroical Chriſtians. The latter to thoſe that are more infirm. An inſtance of this two-fold remiſſion we have in Mary Magdalen; the former, when Chriſt turned his back on her, and told Peter, Much was forgiven her; the other, when he turned towards her, ſaying, Thy ſins are forgiven thee, go in peace. Now in our prayer we muſt not be limited; but as in the Law every Commandment is ſpiritual, and hath a great latitude in it; ſo in prayer every Petition is ſpiritual, and hath much in it: let us therefore inlarge our hearts, and open them wide when we ſeek to God for pardon of ſin. The priviledge is exceeding great, and many are the dignities that do depend on it. If thy ſins be pardoned, thou becomeſt a favourite of Heaven, there is no contrariety between God and thee. The devil ſhowed the glory of the world, and falſly ſaid, All this is mine, but thou maieſt ſhew all the glory of the Goſpel and promiſes, yea all the glory of Heaven, and ſay, All this is mine. Yea there is a full reconciliation made between God and that perſon, notwithſtanding all former enmity, as appeareth in the example of the Prodigal ſon, he hath all love, favour and honour. Again, inſomuch that ſuch come not into judgement, Joh. 5.24. There is no condemnation to them, Rom. 8.1. yea there is not ſo much as any charge or indictment againſt them. What devil, what conſcience, what law may accuſe thee when God juſtifieth thee? Now in this Petition we deſire that not only pardon of ſin, but all theſe bleſſed fruits of it, may be vouchſafed to us. Oh therefore the congealed and icie temper of men, who are no more inflamed in prayer about this! There are many that can heartily and feelingly pray the former Petition, for the neceſſaries of this life, but how few for the grace of God in pardoning in a ſpiritual manner? Hearken then, O man, to what Chriſt hath ſaid is good for thee to importune and ſeek after. Philo. lib. de Somniis ſaith, and it was alſo the opinion of Philoſophers, That the Heavens make ſuch an harmonious melody, that if the ſound and noiſe of it could reach to our ears, it would make men leave off all their inferiour and ſublunary labour and profit, attending to that only: Certainly this Doctrine of remiſſion of ſin, which is revealed from Heaven only, hath ſuch excellent harmony in it of Gods Juſtice and his mercy, of Gods ſatisfaction and our happineſſe, that it may juſtly make us forget to eat our bread, or delight in other comforts, meditating of, and being raviſhed with his excellency. Let this then inſtruct thee concerning that neceſſary duty of ſeeking out the pardon of thy ſins; this belongs to every one, though a Paul, though a Moſes, though in the higheſt form of Chriſtianity. It is a great comfort that all voluntary ſins after grace received, are not unpardonable, as well as that againſt the holy Ghoſt. How often do we ſin voluntarily and willingly after we are inlightned? And then the ſins of infirmity and ignorance are more then the ſands of the ſea-ſhore: Is it not therefore neceſſary that thou ſhouldeſt be continually begging for pardon? Know then that theſe indulgences are not like the Papal, to be bought by money, but they are purchaſed by the bloud of Chriſt: Peter thought it a great matter to forgive a brother ſeven times a day, but if God ſhould not forgive us ſeventy times ſeven a day, our condition would be damnable. Thoſe that look to have pardon by their meritorious works, and penal ſatisfactions, cannot look up to God. Whereas all Nations uſed to look up to Heaven for rain, In Aegypto (ſaith Seneca) nemo aratorum aſpicit Coelum, &c. No Husbandman regards the Heavens, but Nilus only, from which they have rain; ſo in Popery Chriſt is neglected, and Angels or Saints ſet up, as thoſe that can give pardon; Men therefore look upon their Pilgrimages, their Penance, as if they were to forgive their ſins to their own ſelves.