The True Doctrine of Justification Asserted and Vindicated, Lecture 23
LECTURE XXIII.
MAT. 6.12.
And forgive us our Debts.
Whether we pray here for Pardon or for Aſſurance of Pardon only.THe next Queſtion to be conſidered, is, Whether in this prayer, we pray only for the Aſſurance of Pardon, not Pardon it ſelf? For thus the Antinomians anſwer to the Objection fetched from this place, that the whole ſenſe of this Petition is, That we may feel in our ſelves, and aſſuredly perceive, what pardon God had given us before, Honey-Comb. p. 155. So Den reconcil. of God to man, p. 44. making this Argument of the Text againſt himſelf, If we pray for forgiveneſs of ſins, then ſins are not forgiven before, anſwereth, The Proteſtants (ſaith he) with one conſent hold, That they do beg at the hands of God greater Certainty and Aſſurance of Pardon, and he inſtanceth in a condemned perſon, that is upon the ladder, who having received the pardon of his Prince, may when called into the Kings preſence fall down and ſay, Pardon me my Lord and King; but this is to abuſe Proteſtant Authours, for although many of them may make this part of the meaning, yet none make it the only meaning. Gomarus in his Explication of this Petition, doth excellently confute Piſcator, for explicating Pardon of ſin by a Metonymy of the ſubject, viz. The ſenſe and feeling of this in our hearts, and ſaith, That ſuch a ſignification cannot be proved out of any place of Scripture, nor out of the language of any good Authors, and one of his reaſons is this, Prayer for pardon of ſin would be imprudently taken out of the Lords Prayer; for he, who prayeth for the ſenſe and feeling of a thing, ſuppoſeth it already done. Now (ſaith he) every wiſe Petition hath for its object, a thing to come, and not a thing paſt.
This alſo Bellarmine objecting againſt ſpecial Faith, as if it were a confidence that my ſins are forgiven already, he makes it as abſurd upon this ground to beg for pardon, as it would be to pray, that Chriſt may be incarnated, or made fleſh. Crocius in his anſwer to this, Diſput. de fidei juſtificantis objecto, pa. 131. ſaith, as you heard before, That thoſe things indeed uſe not to be prayed for, which are ſo done, that they are never done more; but thoſe things which are ſo done, as that they may be often done again, may be prayed for. The incarnation of Chriſt was once done, and can be no more, but Remiſſion of ſins is ſo done, that it continueth further to be done, and its laſt effect is reſerved for the future. For as often as we ſin, ſo often there is need of Repentance. So that by his Judgement Remiſſion of ſinne is not like Creation, which once was, and is not reiterated, but conſervation. More might be ſaid out of Authors, but I come to anſwer the Queſtion.The Anſwer to the Queſtion propounded,
Firſt, We grant it a duty for that believer, who knoweth his ſins are pardoned, to pray for further Faith and Aſſurance of the Pardon. 1. Th…y who are aſſured of Pardon ought yet to pray.For ſeeing our Faith admits of degrees, and is ſometimes ſtaggering, ready to ſink, no marvel if it needs ſupports. Thus David although he heard his Pardon proclaimed, yet makes that poenitential Pſalm, Pſal. 51. for mercy to do away his ſins, which was by appeaſing his conſcience, and ſatisfying his ſoul with the goodneſs of God: for as a godly man, though he have truly repented of his ſins, yet upon any ſad occaſion doth reiterate his Pardon, as Paul many times hath his heart-ake for his former blaſphemies and perſecutions; ſo it is neceſſary to have the ſenſe and apprehenſion of his Pardon reiterated to his own comfort and conſolation. There is no mans Aſſurance about Pardon, ſo high and unmoveable, but it many times meeteth with violent aſſaults, and therefore needeth oil to be frequently poured into his wounds, Comfort, comfort ye my people, (ſaith the Prophet.) There muſt be an ingemination of the duty, elſe the ſoul at firſt will not hearken.
2. This Petition relates to four ſorts of men.In the ſecond place, We may conceive of four ſorts of perſons praying for this Pardon of ſin.
The firſt is an unconverted and unregenerated man. For although he cannot call God Father, and ſo not pray in Faith, yet he is bound to pray. The Socinians interpret that compellation, Our Father, not actually, but diſpoſitively; as if the meaning were, who art ready and willing to be a Father. But that is not the full meaning of that place. There lieth an obligation upon unregenerate men to perform holy Duties, though they cannot do them acceptably. Their impotency to do them, doth not diſoblige from the command to do them. Now its plain, that ſuch a perſon praying for forgiveneſs, doth not pray for the Aſſurance of that which is already paſt (for ſo no ſinne is forgiven to him) but for initial Pardon, which he never yet hath enjoyed.
The ſecond ſort of perſons praying this Prayer, are thoſe that at their firſt converſion humble themſelves, and ſeek unto God for his face, and reconciliation with him. Now thoſe that are thus in their beginnings, and new birth, they can pray in no other ſenſe, but for initial and firſt Pardon; for as that is the firſt time they begin to have ſorrow and brokenneſs of heart; ſo that is the firſt time they begin to partake of Pardon; Pardon of ſin and Faith they are correlates, and ſo are together.
A third rank is of Believers in their progreſs of holineſs and ſanctification, walking without any ſcandal or offence in the wayes of God: They, in this Petition have a two-fold ſenſe, the one an Aſſurance of the Pardon of ſins, that are already forgiven them; and the other is a renewed Pardon for the renewed infirmities they continually are plunged into.
Laſtly, There are lapſed Believers, who have fallen into ſome grievous ſins, and thereby have made deſperate wounds upon their own ſouls, and theſe have agonies and pangs of heart, much like their firſt converſion. Therefore its called ſo, When thou art converted ſtrengthen thy brother, ſaith Chriſt to Peter. This recovery out of the ſinne they were plunged into, was like a new converſion. By ſuch a commotion as this made in the ſoul, there is nothing but darkneſs and confuſion, and they pray for pardon, as if this were the firſt time. They fear all their former wayes to have been hypocriſies. Thus David Pſal. 51. prayeth for the reſtoring of joy to him, that his broken bones may be heaeled; as alſo for truth in the inward parts. Now although ſuch a mans former ſins were indeed forgiven him, yet it is to his ſenſe and feeling as if it were not ſo, but rather the contrary is feared by him, that Gods wrath doth ſtill abide on him. Hence he prayeth for Pardon in his own judgement, as one who yet never hath been acquitted by God. So that according to the ſeveral conditions of the perſons prayings, we may ſuppoſe ſeveral ſenſes in the Petition.
But in the third place, to anſwer the Queſtion, we ſay,3 Aſſurance of pardon not the only thing prayed for, proved by four Reaſons. That Aſſurance of pardon is not the only thing praied for. And that for theſe Reaſons.
Firſt, We are never to depart from the literall ſenſe of the words, without an evident neceſſity, but the plain undoubted ſenſe is, That God would forgive our ſins;Reaſ. 1. for our Saviour minding brevity in this Prayer, no doubt would ſpeak his ſenſe in the moſt perſpicuous and clear manner that can be. As therefore if Chriſt had ſaid, Make us to be aſſured of the pardon of ſin. The Antinomian would not have gone from the letter, but preſſed us to that: So on the other ſide, when Chriſt ſaith, Forgive us, and not Give us the ſenſe of forgivenes, we have cauſe to cleave fully to that: and this may be illuſtrated by two further conſiderations, the former of thoſe places where God is ſaid not to forgive, the later of thoſe where forgiveneſs is applied of one man unto another. When the Prophet Iſaiah ſpeaking of the Iſraelites, how their Land was full of Idols, and both great and mean men did humble themſelves before them, Iſa. 2.9. prayeth, that therefore God would not forgive them. Can any one make the meaning to be, that God would not give them the aſſurance of their forgiveneſs?
Mat. 12.32. The Evangeliſt ſaith, All other ſins may be forgiven, but that againſt the holy Ghoſt ſhall never: Now in that ſenſe, other ſins are ſaid to be forgiven, in which ſenſe that is denied to be forgiven: and that is denied to be forgiven, not in reſpect of Aſſurance and Declaration to a mans conſcience only, but really and indeed. Therefore the ſins forgiven are in the like manner forgiven.
Reaſ. 2.Again, It is plain, That by Pardon is not meant Aſſurance of Pardon only, becauſe when applied to men, it cannot admit of ſuch a ſenſe. Now the Petition runs thus, That God would forgive us, as we forgive others; and there is no man will explain the later forgiveneſs of Aſſurance; and why then the former?
Reaſ. 3.Beſides, The equivalent phraſe of forgiveneſs doth evince more then an Aſſurance of Forgiveneſs; for when the Scripture cals it blotting out of ſinne, it is an expreſſion from Debts, which are, as it were written in Gods book, and therefore till he cancelleth them, they doe remain in their guilt.
Reaſ. 4.Furthermore, If a ſin be not really pardoned, till a man do repent and believe, then he beggeth for more then Aſſurance; but we have fully proved, That there is no remiſſion of ſin till confeſſion and forſaking of it.
The inſtance for the co…trary opinion anſwered.As for the above named Authours inſtance of a malefactour who hath received Pardon, may yet upon his coming into the Kings preſence, deſire Pardon, it no wayes advantageth him: For ſuppoſe a Malefactour might the firſt time do ſo, yet experience doth demonſtrate it would argue folly and madneſs in a Malefactour, to doe ſo frequently: Whereas it is our duty daily to begge the Pardon of our ſinnes at the Throne of Grace. To conclude this Point (becauſe we have elſwhere ſpoken to it) This Expoſition doth overthrow the continual uſe of the Word, the equipollent phraſes, the proper object of Prayer, and departs from the letter of the Text, without any juſt ground at all. Which is againſt the rules of Explication of the Scripture.
The next Queſtion is of great Practicall Concernment,Why God doth ſometimes pardon ſin, not acquainting the ſinner vvith it. viz. Why God doth ſometimes Pardon a ſinne, and yet not manifest it to the ſinners heart. It appeareth by David, Pſalm. 51. That when a ſinne is forgiven in Heaven, it is not alſo remitted, and blotted out in a mans conſcience; yet God can as eaſily work the one as the other. If he ſay, Let there be light in ſuch a dark heart; of an Hell, it preſently becomes an Heaven. We would judge that by this divine Diſpenſation, as the godly man loſeth much of his comfort, ſo God of his Glory and Honour. But divers Reaſons may be produced for this. As▪
Firſt, It may be God will teach us hereby,Reaſ. 1. That Pardon of ſinne is not a neceſſary Effect of Repentance, but a gracious Gift beſtowed, though not without it, yet not for it. Though therefore thy ſoul hath been deeply humbled, and is greatly reformed, yet God ſuſpends the light of his favour upon thy ſoul, that thou mayeſt acknowledge it his Grace, not the merit of thy ſorrow; where Cauſes doe naturally produce an Effect, there it is a Miracle, if the one followeth not the other. If the fire doe not burn, if the Sunne ſtand ſtill; if Peter walking on the water ſink not. But it is no wonder, to ſee a true contrite heart without Aſſurance and Conſolation. Theſe may be ſeparated, that ſo thou mayeſt be as humble with thy Graces, as if they were not at all. Yea God hath delighted ſometimes in natural Cauſes to work the Effects without them, leſt the glory ſhould be given to the inſtruments. Hence he cauſed light to be before the Sunne, and the earth is commanded to bring forth Herbs before any rain, that ſo God may be acknowledged all in all. If God do this in the order of natural things, how much more of ſupernatural? Yet this is not ſo to be preſt, as if therefore God would forgive ſin without Repentance. No, God hath ordered a way inviolably and indiſpenſably, wherein he will vouchſafe his Pardon, and no otherwayes. But although God out of his meer good will hath inſeparably conjoined Repentance and Remiſſion together, yet the Diſcovery or Promulgation of this unto the broken and contrite heart, is altogether Arbitrary: And in this, as well as in other things, that ſpeech is true, The winde bloweth where it liſteth. Know therefore by theſe divine Diſpenſations, That though thou doſt repent, Gods forgiveneſs is a meer gift of liberality, and no natural, neceſſary fruit of thy ſorrow. Inſomuch that ſetting Gods gracious Promiſe aſide, whereby he is a Debtor unto his own faithfulneſs, after thy pureſt, and moſt perfect Humilation for ſin, God might refuſe to take thy guilt away.
Reaſ. 2.A ſecond Reaſon, Why God though he pardon, may yet deny the manifeſtation of it, is, Becauſe hereby God would make us feel the bitterneſſe and gall of it in our own hearts. A Pardon eaſily obtained takes off the burden of the fault. Thus God dealt with David, The light of Gods favour doth not preſently break thorow the Cloud, that ſo David may feel how bitter a thing it is to ſinne againſt God. As God ſuffered Iſaac to be bound, to have wood laid on him, the knife to be lifted up to ſtrike him, in all which ſpace, Iſaac's fear could not but heighten: Thus God alſo will kill and wound thoſe, whom he intends to make alive: he will bruiſe them and break them, that ſo they may judge the ſeeming good in ſin, to be nothing to the real evil that followeth it.
Reaſ. 3.And from this ſecond, iſſueth a third Reaſon, viz. To make us more watchful and diligent againſt the time to come: Peters bitterneſs of ſoul, was a ſpecial preſervative againſt the like temptations; as bitter Potions kill the worms in childrens ſtomacks. It muſt needs argue much guilt in Gods people, if after the particular gall and wormwood they have found in ſin, they ſhall be ready to drink the like bitter potion, when ſin preſents it ſelf. Certainly the heart-aches that Paul found afterwards, though pardoned, for his former perſecutions, were like a flaming ſword to keep him off from ſuch attempts again; He might more truly ſay, then that Heathen did, He would not buy repentance ſo dear.
Reaſ. 4.4. By reaſon of the Difficulty, and ſupernaturall way of believing, it is, that Pardon may be in Heaven, when we cannot apply it in our Conſciences. Hence though the Promiſes be never ſo much for our eaſe, and thereupon infinitely to be deſired, yet the way of believing this, is ſo far above natural conſcience, which expects Juſtification by works, that the heart of a man hath much ado to cloſe with it. Therefore faith is not like other Graces or Duties (viz. Love of God, Humility, &c.) which have ſome obſcure footſteps in the natural dictates of conſcience, but it is wholly ſupernatural; yea Adam in the ſtate of integrity knew not this kinde of believing in the righteouſneſs of a Mediatour. For as the object of faith, viz. Chriſt, is only by revelation, no councel of men or Angels could have excogitated ſuch a truth; ſo faith, as it is the hand or organ applying Chriſts righteouſneſs, is a duty not manifeſted by humane light, but wholly from above. And as fleſh and bloud doth not reveal to us, That Chriſt is the Son of the living God, ſo neither that we are to have remiſſion of ſins only by faith in his bloud. Hence the Scripture makes faith the gift of God, which coming from the Spirit into our hearts, meeteth with much contrariety and oppoſition of doubts and unbelief. No wonder therefore if after the heart of a man hath been awakened for ſinne, there remain ſome commotions a long while after: even as the ſea after tempeſts & winds, though they be allaied, yet for ſome ſpace after roareth and rageth, not leaving its troubles preſently, as you heard before. Though therefore as God pardoneth in Heaven, he offereth it alſo unto our Conſciences, yet we refuſe and put it off, we will not be comforted, becauſe it is not a comfort flowing in the way we look for, viz. by working. And for this reaſon, though David heard Nathan pronounce his pardon, yet he doth vehemently importune for it afterwards in Pſalm. 51. as if he had not the leaſt notice of any ſuch mercy to him.
Laſtly, God defers the notice of Pardon to thee, Reaſ. 5.that ſo thou mayeſt be the more able to ſympathize with thoſe that are in the like tempted condition. For as one end of Chriſts ſuffering in his ſoul, lying in agonies under Gods diſpleaſure, was becauſe he might know how to have compaſſion upon his children in ſuch temptations: So the Lord doth exerciſe his people to the ſame purpoſe; and certainly Chriſt accounted this, the tongue of the learned, to ſpeak a ſeaſonable word to a wounded heart. Beſides, hereby ſhall we ſpeak the more wonderfully of Gods grace, and his goodneſs, after our deliverance out of thoſe ſtorms. Thoſe that have been in theſe deep waters, ſee the wonderful works of the Lord, and ſo have their hearts and mouths the more opened to celebrate his praiſe.
What directions ſhould be given a ſoul under temptation about pardon of ſin.Another Queſtion may be, What Directions are to be given unto a ſoul tempted about the pardon of ſin? for many ſuch there are, who like Pauls fellow paſſengers in the ſhip, have been ſo many dayes, moneths, yea it may be years, and have ſeen no Sun, enjoyed no comfort at all.
Let the Perſons thus affected uſe theſe remedies:
Direct. 1.Firſt, Acknowledge God, and clear him howſoever. Thus David, Pſal. 51. that thou mayeſt be clear, when thou art judged. If the devils and the damned in hell have no cauſe to complain of God as unjuſt, or too ſevere, then much leſs mayeſt thou who art kept in darkneſs for a ſeaſon only, that afterwards thou mayeſt enjoy the more light. Let not God be the worſe God, his goodneſs the leſs unto thee, becauſe thou art not yet ſet free out of the bonds of ſin. By being thus humble thou takeſt the way to be filled, whereas impatiency and diſcontent, cauſeth God the more to hide his face.
Direct. 2.Secondly, Examine thy Repentance, whether that hath been ſo ſound, ſo pure, ſo deep, ſo univerſal, as it ſhould have been. All ſorrow and humiliation for ſin, is not godly Repentance. Ahabs tears and Peters differ as much as the water of the Sea, which is briniſh and ſalt, and the water of the clouds, which is ſweet. David, Pſal. 32. acknowledgeth the pain and gripes he had within, becauſe of ſin: and no wonder he did not confeſs it, and bewail it before God. If therefore God keeps thy heart in many doubts and fears, giving thee no reſt; conſider whether thou haſt caſt all that leaven out of thy houſe, whether every Achan within thee be ſtoned or no. It is in vain to cure the wound, as long as any ſplint of the poiſoned arrow lieth within it, or if thou finde no ſin unrepented of, ſearch whether thy formal lazy duties be not the cauſe of all the blackneſs that is in thy heart. We reade in the Canticles, that the Churches lazineſs, and her not opening the doors to Chriſt when he knockt, was the cauſe of that ſpiritual deſertion ſhe was plunged into, ſeeking up and down for her Beloved, but not finding of him. The ſtanding pool begets the croaking Frogs, not the running ſtream: and it is the dull, negligent Chriſtian, whoſe heart is filled with ſad fears and doubts, whereas the hidden Manna and white ſtone is promiſed to him that overcometh.
3. Though thy ſoul walk thus in darkneſs,Direct. 3. yet exerciſe acts of dependency and recumbency upon Chriſt howſoever. As David many times cals upon his ſoul to truſt in God, and not to be ſinfully dejected. How is that woman of Canaan commended for her faith? who, though our Saviour called her Dog, and did in effect tell her, ſhe was excluded from pardon, did yet earneſtly purſue him, and gave him no reſt, till he gave her reſt. And certainly, this is the nobleſt act of Faith, this is indeed to give glory to God, when in the midſt of all thy fears and guilt, thou canſt relie upon him for pardon; as in wicked men who are filled with Satan, as Anania… was, there is foreign, a deſperate boldneſs, whereby they dare venture upon ſin: So in the godly there ſhould be foreign, a confidence of Faith, whereby maugre the devil, and our conſciences, we dare throw our ſelves into the arms of a Promiſe. Thus by frequent putting forth of ſtrong fiducial applicative acts of Faith, we ſhall at laſt enjoy obſignative. Howſoever hereby thou wilt ſhew thy heavenly courage in enduring a kinde of ſpiritual Martyrdom. As that Love is the higheſt Love, which is carried out to enemies; ſo thoſe are the ſtrongeſt acts of Faith, which make us depend on God, though he ſeem to kill us, yea to damn us.