Forty-Five Sermons Upon Psalm 130, Sermon 17
SERMON XVII.
Pſalm 130. Verſe 4. But there is forgivenneſs with thee,—
YE may remember that I have inſiſted long upon this excellent Priviledge, The remiſſion, or the forgiveneſs of ſins; I have ſpoken to the Object of pardon, or what it is that is pardoned, Iniquity: I have alſo ſpoken to the Author of pardon, GOD: To the Nature of Pardon, and when it is that Pardon is pronounced; and I entered the laſt day upon the Applicatory part of this Doctrine, to lead you in a right way of cloſing with pardoning Mercy, following the ſcope of the Context, I propoſed to ſpeak of ſomewhat required antecedently to pardon; to ſomewhat required in cloſing with pardon, and of ſomething conſequential to pardon, whereby we Evidence that we are pardoned, and do improve our pardon: I ſpoke to the firſt of theſe, and ſhew, that in order to the obtaining of pardon, men ſhould be careful not to run headlong and voluntarly on in ſin, for that will make the coming at pardon more difficult, that they ſhould be frequent in ſelf examination, to find out ſin; That they ſhould be ſerious in laying to heart the deſert of ſin, as the Pſalmiſt is, verſe 3. And ſerious in Repentance for ſin: I told you alſo that theſe things being premitted, it was the duty of the penitent ſinner, by Faith to cloſe with pardoning Mercy, which I cloſed with a check, both to the wicked, who becauſe they ſee not the advantage, which is on the back of Conviction of Sin, never look their ſin in the face; and with a check to the godly, who notwithſtanding their being humbled in the ſenſe of ſin, ſtand aback from cloſing with pardoning Mercy. And I came in the third place to ſpeak to what was conſequentially required to pardon, as the Pſalmiſt here having ſaid, There is forgiveneſs with thee; he adds, as a conſequence of it, that thou mayeſt be feared: And upon this Head, I named two or three things, as native Conſequences of pardoning Mercy, as that there muſt be love to the Pardoner, as that woman, Luke 7. did evince, much was forgiven her, becauſe ſhe loved much: That there muſt be a Heart-melting, when we reflect upon the pardoning of iniquity; and a Compaſſion… looking on them that are ſtill lying in that pit, that through mercy we have eſcaped. I told you there are other two conſequential evidences of pardon, that I intended to inſiſt a little more on: As, 1ſt. The forgiving of others that have injured us: And 2ly. The fearing and ſerving of God; the one of theſe I find it neceſſary to inſiſt upon, becauſe it is put in by Chriſt, in that pattern of Prayer, Mat. 6.12. And the other becauſe it is recorded in the Text, to be a conſequent of pardon.
For the 1ſt. of theſe, concerning the forgiving of others, I ſhall briefly ſpeak to theſe three anent it, as it is ſpoken of in that Pattern of Prayer: 1. That the people of God are getting wrongs in the World. 2. That it is the will of God that we ſhould forgive thoſe that wrong us. 3. That folks forgiving of others that wrong them, is an evidence of their being pardoned themſelves.
1ſt. The people of God, theſe that are allowed in the Pattern of Prayer to call God Father, they are getting wrongs in the World, they are getting debts in the World, they have their debters in it; thereby is not meant ſo much, men that are under civil obligations to pay the debt they owe to them, (though that may have its own place, as we may hear,) as chiefly and mainly, wrongs, injuries, unrighteous dealing, violating the Law of Love in their carriage and deportment. This is the condition, the woful condition, that all the Children of men are in ſince the fall, Tit. 3.3. They are fooliſh, diſobedient, deceived, ſerving divers luſts and pleaſures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another; and Hab. 1.13, 14. Tells, that men are like the fiſhes of the ſea, and the creeping things that have no ruler over them, where the greater are ready to devour the ſmaller, and the children of God are large ſharers in this matter. And Paul confeſſes, 1 Tim. 1.13. That before Converſion, he was a blaſphemer, injurious, and a perſecuter: and Mat. 5.44. Chriſt ſuppoſes the godly will have enemies, curſers of them, haters of them, ſuch as will deſpitefully uſe them, and perſecute them; and experience in all ages makes it out, how much work fearers of God have for this ſweet diſpoſition called for in them, to be forgivers of others.
All that I ſhall ſay from this, ſhall be in the firſt place to invite you to conſider the ſtate of all mankind ſince the fall, as the Proverb is, Homo homini lupus, one man is a wolf to another, that men are now more ready to wrong and injure one another, than the brute beaſts are in their own kind; this is a ſad document how far man is fallen from God by ſin. 2. From this I would have the Lords people to take warning what they are to expect in the world; they will have wrongs to bear, injuries to ſuffer and endure, debts to forgive; Cement as we will theſe two ſeeds, the ſeed of the Woman, and the ſeed of the Serpent will never be one, one Family and Ark, one Womb will never make them one: But as it is Gal. 4.29. As he that was born after the fleſh, perſecuted him that was born after the ſpirit, even ſo is it now. Therefore ye are not to wonder, when ye meet with trouble and perſecution in the world, but rather wonder at the moderation ye meet with. 3. Let it be a warning to them that wrong others, that thereby they conſtitute themſelves debitors, injurers, breakers of the Law of love, if not of juſtice and righteouſneſs alſo. They run themſelves under debt, which they muſt repent of, Luk. 17.4. and make reſtitution of, with Zacheus, Luk. 19.8. They muſt not ſtand upon their credit ſo to do, neither muſt they be as many, who if they do an injury, reſolve to cruſh them utterly to whom they have done it, that they may not be able to repay it, and beſide that, they may remember, that God is the principal Creditor, who will crave and exact that debt, if it be not repented and pardoned.
The ſecond thing propoſed to be ſpoken to, is, That it is the will of God, that theſe debts men contract, in reference to the people of God, his people ſhould forgive them; Chriſt will have them to ſay, Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, Mat. 6.12. It is commanded, Eph. 4.32. Forgiving one another, even as God for Chriſts ſake hath forgiven you, Col. 3.13. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another; if any man have a quarrel againſt any, even as Chriſt forgave you, ſo alſo do ye. And our Lord Jeſus, Mat. 5. when v. 44. he hath bidden his followers love their enemies, bleſs them that curſe them, do good to them that hate them, and pray for them that despitefully uſe and perſecute them; he adds, v. 45. That thereby they ſhould evidence their good condition, they ſhould evidence themſelves to be children of their Father which is in Heaven, that maketh his ſun to riſe on the evil and on the good, and ſends his rain on the juſt and unjuſt.
That which I would ſay anent this forgiving of injuries, ſhall be briefly in anſwer to a few Queſtions: As
1. If it be inquired what it is that men ſhould forgive? 1. I anſwer, for Civil Debts, (what-ever the Law of Charity requires in ſome caſes, as to that, yet) it is, as we hinted before) mainly wrongs, injuries, defraudations, perſecutions, oppreſſions and the like.
2. If it be aſked, How can we forgive theſe, they being ſins againſt God? Ye may remember, when I ſpake before of the Author of pardon, I ſpoke of that, a man that is wronged can only forgive what concerns his own intereſt, but the perſon that wrongs God, is ſtill lyable to God for his intereſt; thy forgivenneſs of the wrong done to thee, is not a total abſolution, but for what concerns God, the injurious perſon is ſtill comptable to God.
3. If it be inquired on what terms ſhould men forgive? I Anſwer, as to the matter of envy, malice, deſire of revenge, rancour, hatred, a man is bound to forgive, whatever the temper of him be that does the wrong, Mark 11.24. When ye ſtand praying, forgive (ſays Chriſt) if ye have ought against any, that your Father which is in Heaven may forgive you; intimating, that if a man hath done thee an ill turn, thou muſt not becauſe of that do thy ſelf a worſe, by keeping up a grudge, thou muſt not let rancour obſtruct thy acceſs to God in Prayer; yea, whether he repent or not, thou art bound to heap coals of fire upon his head to melt him, Rom. 12.20. And therefore Exod. 23.4, 5. When our neighbours Ox or Aſs is going aſtray, or the Aſs of him that hates us is lying under a burden, we muſt bring the one to him, and help up the other. And Rom. 12.20. If thine enemy hunger, thou muſt feed him; if he thirſt, thou muſt give him drink, and ſo witneſs that thou art willing to pardon him; all this thou art bound to, what-ever be the carriage of him that injures thee; but for familiar or intimat converſe, there is repentance in the injurer required, Luk. 17.4. If thy brother treſpaſs against thee ſeven times in a day, and ſeven times in a day turn again unto thee, ſaying, I repent, thou ſhalt forgive him.
4. If it be inquired, How ſhall this forgivenneſs be gone about and expreſſed? I anſwer, that here we muſt beware of Satans wiles; there are many that will forgive, but not forget; ye will find many in forgiving, their carriage is like Abſaloms to his Brother Amnon, 2 Sam. 13.22. He ſpake not to his brother good nor bad, but when he got an opportunity he killed him: This is not Chriſtian-forgivenneſs; it's the practice of many to cover their hatred with lying lips, Prov. 10.18. There are many that ſpeak fair unto their neighbour, when ſeven abominations are in the…r hearts, Pro. 26.25 Many whoſe carriage is like Joa…s to Amaſa, who came, and ſaid, Art thou in health, my brother? And took him by the beard to kiſs him; but ſmote him under the fifth rib, and ſlew him, 2 Sam. 20.9, 10. That's not Scripture-forgivenneſs, the Scripture preſſeth forgivenneſs from the heart, Mat. 18.35. So ſhall my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive every one his brother. And Mat. 5.44. We ſhould love our enemies, bleſs them that curſe us, do good to them that hate us, pray for them that despitefully uſe and perſecute us, that's forgivenneſs acceptable to God.
5. If ye inquire, how often and frequently are folk bound to forgive the debts of injuries done to them? I can give you no more fuccinct anſwer than Chriſt gives, Mat. 18.21.— Peter ſaith, How often ſhall my brother ſin against me, and I forgive him till ſeven times? Chriſt anſwers, I ſay not to thee, till ſeven times, but till ſeventy times ſeven; that is, though injuries were never ſo often repeated, that (as ye uſe to ſpeak) it would provoke patience it ſelf, yet it is the will of our bleſſed Lord, that there be forgivenneſs.
6. If ye aſk, Shall men then ſo forgive, that there ſhall no purſuit be of injuries done to them? Shall they ly down and take as many wrongs as folks like to do unto them, and make no more of it, but forgive them? I anſwer, no doubt reparations are allowed and required, and the Law and Civil Magiſtrat may be made uſe of for that end, or …n caſe the matter be betwixt Magiſtrats by a Civil War: But in ſo far as concerns us in our privat ſtations, I ſhall give you a few words for clearing the caſe: And firſt, when a man forgives an injury, he is not always obliged to paſs the damnage; he may forgive the wicked diſpoſition of any oppreſſor or cheater, when he is not bound to forgo the loſs he hath ſuſtained; partly becauſe by the eighth Command he is bound to look to his own ſubſiſtence, and ſo to recover his own for that end; partly becauſe the damnage belongs to the Civil Magiſtrat, to ſee to, and right or puniſh, and therefore privat perſons cannot forgive theſe. Yet 2. in ſome caſes, we are not only bound to forgive the injury, but the damnage alſo: That is, when a man may ſubſiſt without that which the injurer hath taken from him, and the injurious perſon cannot without his own ruine make ſatisfaction or reſtitution, in that caſe the Law of Charity, though not ſtrict Juſtice, will plead for forgivenneſs in the matter of damnage. And 3. Even when a man is to forgive the injury, but not the damnage, he is not to make reparation at his own hand, he is not to walk out of Gods way to get the damnage repaired; when he hath got a wrong, he is not to do himſelf a wrong, and God another wrong to right it. And 4. In ſeeking reparation in the matter of damnage, we would take heed that we be not ſcandalous. The Apoſtle taxeth a fault in the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 6.1. — That they vexed their brethren, in going to Law with them, eſpecially under Infidels and Heathen Judges. There are many caſes which may prove ſcandalous among Profeſſors, and this is one, when in petty injuries which they ſhould bury, they vex one another in Law. And 5. When a man goes to Law, to ſeek reparation of a damnage, it ſhould not only be the laſt refuge, as a Phyſitian, when he cuts off a leg or an arm, for the preſervation of the life of the Patient, but his ſeeking reparation muſt be ſo managed, duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page that it may bear witneſs to all, that he ſeeks the good of hi… Party as well as his own.
7 If it be aſked, How ſtands all this that hath been ſpoken of forgivenneſs, with that of the Apoſtle, 2 Tim. 4.14. Alexander the Copper-ſmith did me much evil, the Lord reward him according to his works. This, if I might inſiſt upon, would lead me to ſpeak to theſe imprecations in Scripture, uſed againſt men that are not only injurious to others in private wrongs, but are enemies and injurious to the work of the Goſpel, and imprecations vented by godly men, led by an extraordinary ſpirit againſt them, are not a pattern to be imitat by us; only ye would know that a mans forgiving of wrongs doth not import, that he is to call ill good, a knave an honeſt man, or that he is to aſſoil him at Gods Tribunal, what-ever pardon he give, the injurer is to anſwer to God for his intereſt.
8 If ye aſk, How ſhall folk win to this ſweet condeſcending humour to forgive injuries? How ſhall they get their crap ſubmitting to it? How ſhall they get their bitter diſpoſition under their feet, that they may heartily remit wrongs done unto them? I confeſs this is a duty that requires more than an ordinary meaſure of grace, and grace in exerciſe, and few attain it. Alas! How few are who, when they have gotten a wrong, have that teſtimony, that they mourn more over their own diſpoſition, than reſent the wrong, and pray for the perſon that hath wronged them: but in ſhort, there are four words I would recommend to you in order to that me…k and mortified temper.
1. It were a ſpecial mean to bring you this pardoning-humour, to be daily ſenſible of the wrongs that ye have done, and are doing to God, and who wots but a wrong done by thee to God is laid in thy diſh by a third hand, to make thee ſenſible of it? The man that is daily ſenſible of the wrongs he doth to God, is the only man to be a good neighbour; when he comes out loadned with the ſenſe of his own provocations, he will be ready to forgive others: He that finds he hath ten thouſand talents to be forgiven, will eaſily be brought to forgive an hundred pence. It's our diſtance with God, and the want of the ſenſe of the wrongs done to him, that makes us keep up a revengful humour.
2. They that would have this pardoning-diſpoſition, would be ſenſible of how much need they have to be forgiven themſelves, Eccleſ. 7.21, 22. Take not heed unto all words that are ſpoken, leſt thou hear thy ſervant curſe thee; do not ſaſh thy ſelf with noticing every injury, were it from as mean a perſon as thy ſervant, for oft-times alſo thine own heart knoweth, that thou thy ſelf haſt curſed others. There is no living in the world, if (as we uſe to ſpeak) we do not live and let live, if we forgive not as we would be forgiven; If thou ſeeſt a more in thy brothers eye, pull the beam out of thine own, and then thou wilt ſee more clearly to pull the more out of thy brother's eye: This will make thee of a meek and condeſcending frame.
3. I recommend to thee that would forgive, to labour to get a ſight of the hand of God in the wrong done to thee: When thou gets a wrong, it may be of a perſon far below thee, and one that thou can eaſily reach, O! How doth poor duſt ſwell with thoughts of revenge? But were the hand of God ſeen in that wrong, it would tame thee; when David is fleeing from his ſon Abſalom, and Shimei comes out and curſes him, Ab…ſhai ſays, Should a dead dog curſe the King, let me go over and take off his head: O let him alone, ſaith David, God hath ſaid unto him, Curſe David, Who then ſhall ſay, Wherefore haſt thou done ſo? 2 Sam. 16.9, 10. If the providence of God extend to the hairs of our head, that they are all numbered, Mat. 10.30. Unqueſtionably it is not unconcerned in the affronts and injuries done to us by men, and whatever thou haſt to ſay to the perſon that hath injured thee; yet if thou look up to the hand of God in it, thou wilt be ſilent, and calm.
And 4. Remember, when thou does not pardon, but offers to revenge at thine own hand, thou uſurps Gods place, Rom. 12.19. Dearly beloved, revenge not your ſelves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, ſaith the Lord: and conſequently, when thou offers to revenge, thou takes his place, and provocks him to leave thee, and let thee ſtand to thy ſelf, and not concern himſelf in any wrong done to thee.
But the third thing I propoſed to ſpeak a word to, is, That this forgivenneſs of others is abſolutely neceſſary to them that would evidence, that they are pardoned of God themſelves, Mat. 6.12. We are bidden pray, Forgive us our debts, as we forgive others; I ſhall briefly explain this, and cloſe. And
1. As I have often hinted before, our forgiving others doth nor merit pardon; for forgiving of others is not an antecedent to pardon, but a conſequence of it; it's the evidence of a pardoned man, and conſequently cannot be antecedent to pardon, far leſs a meritorious cauſe of pardon.
2. While Chriſt bids us pray, Forgive us, as we forgive, there is no proportion to be underſtood; there is a vaſt difference betwixt Gods forgiving and our forgiving; his forgivenneſs extends to ten thouſand talents, ours only to an hundred pence, Mat. 18.24, 28. His forgiving requires a ſatisfaction to juſtice, before he give out the ſentence of pardon, not ſo ours; his forgivenneſs brings no profit to him as ours doth to us, we having thereby acceſs to pardoning mercy; only in this the parallel holds, that we forgive frankly and freely, as God forgives us.
3. Conſider the connexion a little more nearly, partly it is an encouragement to the ſenſible ſinner, to believe he is pardoned, when he finds a diſpoſition in himſelf to forgive others; a poor ſenſible ſinner lying at Gods foot-ſtool, ſuing for pardon, though he be pardoned, yet he hath a hink whether he be ſo or not; but this encourages him to believe it, that he finds in himſelf a looſing of heart to forgive another, that hath wronged him often; he may reaſon, have I gotten many wrongs, and yet I can find in my heart to forgive, and put them in my boſome that have wronged me, upon their repentance? and ſhall I doubt but God, who is a God infinite in mercy, hath pardoned me? So that thy warmneſs and looſing of heart to forgive others, looſes and opens a door to thee, to believe that the infinite God in mercy hath pardoned thee; and partly, ye would remember, that it is a condition of pardon, not antecedent, but ſubſequent, whereby a man may reflect and gather whether he be pardoned or not, read Mat. 6.14, 15. he contents not himſelf to ſay, Forgive if we would be forgiven, but he adds, if ye forgive men their trespaſſes, your heavenly Father will alſo forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespaſſes, neither will your Father forgive your trespaſſes. Ye can have no evidence that ye your ſelves are pardoned, except ye have a tender diſpoſition and frame of heart to forgive others; and therefore that ſervant, who Mat. 18.27. had ten thouſand talents forgiven him, and yet when he got his fellow-ſervant, would not forgive him an hundred pence, he proclaimed, that though he ſeemed to be forgiven, he was not forgiven, but behoved to go to priſon.
Now I have been detained in providence upon this Doctrine for this time, a Doctrine that is not unſeaſonable to you, if ye be in earneſt in ſeeking the pardon of your ſin; it ſerves to point out to you the terms on which it is attainable, and by which ye evidence that ye are pardoned, that ye may not in this matter cheat your ſelves, in taking a lie in your right hand in ſtead of pardon; and it is not unſeaſonable, were it but to give a check to the malicious diſpoſition that haunts too too many in this generation. What ſhall I ſay of it? I ſhall only ſay this, that little love is the firſt ſtep to this malicious diſpoſition, when love grows cold, and folk lives uncouth and fram'd one to another, without intimations of that warmneſs of affection that ſhould be, (which is much creept in among the fearers of God) love, I ſay, growing cold, then injuries, bitter reſentments, back-bitings, reproaches, evil ſpeakings, &c will threed in with that needle; yea, this is one of the great in-lets, to that monſtruous, damnable, dreadful ſin of Witchcraft, into which ſome have been led by their luſts, others have been tempted to through poverty, but moe by malice than by both, to give themſelves formally over to the Devil, to renounce Chriſt, to renounce their Baptiſm, hope of happineſs, and to ſacrifice all to their malicious and revengful temper; therefore look to it, and upon this as a neceſſary Doctrine, that preſſes you to have love one to another, forbearing and forgiving one another; that love that ſuffers long, is not puffed up, behaveth not it ſelf unſelf unſeemly, ſeeketh not her own, is not eaſily provocked, thinketh no evil, rejoyceth not in iniquity, but in the truth: beareth all things, hopeth all things, believeth all things, endureth all things, 1 Cor. 13.4.— It was the moſt known badge of the primitive Chriſtians, and no wonder, their Maſter left it with them, Joh. 13.35. By this ſhall all men know that ye are my diſciples, if ye have love one to another; love to kindle up kindneſs, that malice drowns, love that extenuats faults that paſſion aggreges, love that pities and compaſſionats, where malice and revenge ſeverely puniſhes; love that will meet an injurer mid-way and more, when revenge bids run away. As ye would not be given up to the moſt dreadful temptations, ſtudy love, and from love to forgive, and harbour not a malicious and revengful diſpoſition. Lord bleſs, &c.