The Disabled Debtor Discharged, Part 11
And when they had nothing to pay] Text.
Verſe 42 foreign, Non habentibus illis unde redaerent, &c.
In this then they differ'd not; both were alike in reſpect of their Indigencie and Inability for payment, They had nothing.
Doct. Sinners are weake and diſable debters. They are no way able to pay that debt which is due to God, Iob 9.3. Pro. 13 7. Revel. 3.17. Mat. 18.
In this reſpect our Lord and Maſter Chriſt, hath taught us to beg for pardon, Mat. 6.12. And ſuch is the courſe the godly have ever taken, Pſalme 51.1 & 143.2, 13. Daniel 9.
Man by ſin hath diſabled himſelf from doing any thing that in any reſpect may carry any ſhew of Recompence, 2 Cor. 3.5. like deſperate Prodigalls we loſt all at one throw, we are ſtripped naked through our fall.See the good Samaritane. No creature on earth ſo naked and indigent as man; Naked he is borne,Job 1. and naked ſhall he returne.
Secondly, Offenſio in Doum eſt infinitae magnitudinis, ſaith Bellarmine, Pſal. 130. Recompence therefore which muſt be given for diſcharge of that debt muſt be likewiſe infinite.
Now the debt is infinite, 1. Becauſe our ſins are infinite in number, David propounds a Quoties, Pſal. 19.12. Who can tell how oft be offendeth? no man ever yet could find a Toties to it. David was a good Arithmetician and numbred his daies well, but his ſins he could not number: the haires of a mans head may be told, but his ſins were more then they: the Starres in the Firmament appeare in multitude, and ſome have undertaken to number them too, but it is in vaine to undertake a numbering of our tranſgreſſions; before wee can recount a thouſand, wee commit ten thouſand. Like Hidraes heads, whilſt we are cutting off one by repentance, a hundred more grow up.
Secondly, for that ſin is committed againſt an infinite Majeſty, and ſo provoketh an infinite wrath, and cannot be taken away but by an infinite art: no finite power can doe this, or make a payment of ſuch worth. What ſhall a man give, ſaith Chriſt, in exchange for his ſoule, Mat. 19. or wherewith redeeme it, Pſal. 49.6, 7, 8.
Thirdly, Had Man any ability left, and were able to doe ſomething towards the payment of the debt due, yet if hee cannot doe all, Quis vel ſuper juſtitiâ ſua gloriabitur, cum audiat Deum per Prophetam dicentem, quia omnis juſtitia veſtra ſicut pannus menſtruati. Orig. in Epiſt. ad Rom. cap, 3.how is the debt paid? Let but twelve pence be wanting in the payment of a 100 lb. the Bond (you know) is not diſcharged; let light gold be tendered will it be accepted? Our beſt workes are full of imperfections, Iſa. 64.6. Hereupon Origen groundeth that Queſtion, who dare brag of his righteouſneſſe, when he heareth God ſaying by his Prophet, All our righteouſneſſe is as filthy rags: If our righteouſneſſe are as menſtruous clouts, what are our monſtrous ſinnes.
Fourthly, all the good a man can doe (though he doe more then ever any man did) is it ſelfe a due debt, and how ſhall that goe for a diſcharge of former debts? one debt will not diſcharge another, nor the payment of this yeares rent diſcharge the laſt yeares forfeiture.
Sicut Chriſtus paſſione ſua, &c.The Vanity of Popiſh Satisfaction may be hence diſcovered; as Chriſt by his Suffering ſatisfied for our ſinnes, ſo we by ſatisfying ſuffer for our ſinnes (ſaith the Trent Councell.) The Schoole-men goe mad in the Point. Aquinas ſaith, that a man may, Vindicare divinam vindictam, & compenſare divinam offenſam, Deliver from Gods vengeance and recompence God offended: And hee makes the ſatisfaction equivalent to the wrong done, per aquivalentiam non quantitatis ſed proportionis etiam pro alienis peccatis, by the equivalencie not of quantity, but of proportion, yea for other mens-ſinnes alſo.
Sure I am that Scripture teacheth otherwiſe;Omnis humana juſtitia injuſtitia eſſe convincitur, ſi diſtricte judicetur, Greg mor. l. 9. c. 11. If thou Lord ſhouldest marke iniquities. (ſaith David, Pſal. 130) who could abide it. Iob ſaith, He could not anſwer one of a thouſand, Iob 9.3. Who can ſay I have made my heart cleane (ſaith Salomon, Pro. 20.9.) In many things we offend all (ſaith S. Iames) And if we ſay we have no ſinne, we deceive our ſelves (ſaith the Diſciple that leaned on the breaſt of our Saviour,Da mihi aliquē ſine prolapſione Delicti. Ambr. Apocal. c. 4. 1 Ioh. 1.8.) Some may be ſine crimine, but none, ſine peccato: Thou maiſt ſeek ſuch a man, but ſhalt not find him.
Philoſophy teacheth that there is no pure mettall to be found in the Mines of the Earth, nor unmixed Element in the world: But why ſpeak we of the Earth?Quem non invenies uſquam, eſſe putes nuſquam. The Starres of the skie are not cleane, nor the Angels of Heaven pure in the eyes of God, Iob 25.5. And ſhall we boaſt of our abilities to make ſatisfaction to Gods juſtice for our tranſgreſſion?
Queſtionleſſe, ſin hindreth the virtue of ſatisfaction. If a man be a ſinner, he cannot pleaſe God; and if he cannot pleaſe God, how can he ſatisfie him? This Doctrine of the Church of Rome we cannot but condemne:Non peccare Dei jnſtitia eſt, hominis juſt itia Dei indulgentia, Ber. in Cant. Serm. 23. Acknowledging that we have ſinned, and that there is no way to ſatisfie the Lord, but by free pardon and forgiveneſſe through the merits of Chriſt (as wee ſhall heare afterwards.)
The Ignorance of many carnall Proteſtants comes here to be met withall: Reaſon with them about their hope; how they looke to be freed from the rigour of Gods Juſtice; they will tell us a ſtory of their good Deeds and Workes; were they able to doe as much as any Saint on Earth, or all the Saints together did: Nay (ſaith S. Bernard) ſo infinite is the debt we owe to God, that if all the lives of the ſonnes of Adam were in one man, and all the vertues that were in the holy Patriarches and Prophets and other holy men of God in the ſoule of one, yet all were nothing to doe God ſervice with, and diſcharge what is owing;In omnibus monitis Dei at que mandatis, una …ad…m que ratio eſt & divinae gratiae & humanae obedientiae; nec ob allud unquam datur praeceptum, niſi ut quaeratur praecipientis auxilium. for my owne part (ſaith that Father) I have but two farthings to pay the Lord withall, (and they be of the leaſt ſize and meaſure) my Body and my Soule, yea I have but one Farthing, and that is my good Will, and what is one Farthing to pay ſo great a debt withall.
Object. If it be thus, that we cannot ſatisfie the Juſtice of God by our obedience, whereto tends it? Why are we required to obey Gods Precepts?
Vſe 3 Resp. The Anſwer Proſper gives, may ſatisfie us; In all Gods Admonitions and Commands, there is one and the ſame reaſon both of Gods Grace and of Mans Obedience; Neither is the Commandement at any time give for any other thing,Hoc in loco utitur Chriſtus cō pofito vocabulo vocans hoſ…de. bitores foreign ut o…tendat nos omnes cora… judicio Dei prorſus …on eſſe ſol…endo, nam foreign simpliciter p…o ſe de…itorē ſignificat, & foreign ſignificat indi▪ gent…am at que e geſtatem, qu… non eſt ſolvendo. Chem. Harm c. 57. p. 986. but that the helpe of him that commandeth may be ſought for: Gods Precepts muſt be turned into Prayers: So much Obedience as Gods Law requires of us, ſo much Grace we ſtand in need of: And this wee are to obtaine of him, who is the Fountaine of all Grace.
Let this (that hath beene delivered) teach us to empty our ſelves of all proud and high concei…s, and put us upon an ingenuous Confeſſion of our owne Poverty and Nakedneſſe. We are not onelyonly Debters, but Banquerouts (as the word here uſed by our Saviour ſhewes) Such as have nothing at all to pay through our extreame indigence and poverty. And indeed the Reſemblances betweene the one and the other are many: We will name ſome.
A Banquerout makes great ſhew of what, he hath not: So doth a Sinner, Prov. 13.7. He makes himſelfe rich, yet hath nothing: He is an empty vine, Hoſ. 10.1. A cloud without water, Iude v. 12. A forme of Godlineſſe he may have, but he is without the Power, 2 Tim. 3.5. He hath nothing in Truth, Nothing in the right uſe, Nothing in Acceptance; all his treaſure lies in ſinne: Nothing is his, but that: And that is his, 1. In reſpect of Patrimony, he hath it from his Parents, 2. In reſpect of Practiſe: He hath ſinned after their example, 3. By Purchaſe, it is his, He drawing on himſelfe both the Guilt and Puniſhment of the Sinnes of his Neighbours many wayes. This is all a ſinner can lay claime unto, as his, and all this is but Beggarie and Nakedneſſe, Revel. 3.17.
2. A Banquerout will be borrowing of every one, but pay none to whom he is indebted; thus the Sinner borrowes of all. Of God, of Man, of the Creatures; but that Love, Duty, Service, that is expected he performes not. Promiſe, Vowes, Bonds, all are broken, Rom. 1.31. They are branded for Covenant-breakers by the Lord himſelfe, and ſo he hath found them to be, Hoſ. 6.7. Neh. 9. Dan. 9, Pſal. 106.
3. A Banquerout will take up at high Rates, and put off at Low, buy deare, but ſell cheape: So doth the Sinner. Ahab takes up Land, Naboths vineyard: Achan a wedge of gold, Gehezi, a bribe: Eſau, Iacobs pot…age: Iudas, thirty pence. All theſe tooke up their wares at deare rates (as doe the Sinners of theſe dayes.) But one day will bee inforced to cry out with Lyſimachus, How great a Kingdome for how ſmall a pleaſure have I loſt!
4. A Banquerout will be offering Compoſition to his Creditours; but it ſhall be very little, three or foure ſhillings in the pound, it may bee not ſo much: Thus deales the ſinner: he will be offering a compoſition as Pharaoh did, Exod. 8.25. Goe ſacrifice in this Land; if that will not be accepted, then, Goe into the wilderneſſe and Sacrifice, but go not farre, verſ. 28. Will not that be taken? then Goe you men and Sacrifice but all may not goe, your little ones ſhall ſtay behind, Cap. 10. verſe 11. Will not this be hearkned unto? then, goe you your ſelves, and let your little ones goe alſo: onelyonly let your Flocks and herds be ſtaied, verſ. 26. Something they will doe, but the whole debt, they reſolve they will never pay.
5. A Banquerout cannot be truſted of any one that knowes him, no more a Sinner, God will not truſt him, Iob 4.18, 19. Chriſt will not truſt him, Ioh. 2.24. Nor will the godly (if they be wiſe,) Ier. 9.14. Mich. 7.2. Iob 19.14, 15. We may expect Love and Dutie from them; but how can they pay, who have nothing?
6. A Banquerout in a ſhort time hides his head, He is not to be ſeene; ſo is it with a Sinner, Pſal. 37.10. Yet a little while, and the wicked ſhall not be, yea thou ſhalt diligently conſider his place, and it ſhall not be. And verſe 35, 36. I have ſeene (ſaith David) the wicked in great power, and ſpreading himſelfe like a greene Bay-tree, yet he paſſed away, and loe he was not, yea I ſought him, but he could not be found.
The ſerious Conſideration of this our weake eſtate by Nature, would cauſe us (not to ſay with that Debtor, Matth. 18.26. Have Patience Maſter, and I will pay thee all.) (For we are not able to pay halfe nor quarter, nor any thing at all to wards ſatisfaction of divine Juſtice, but) to pray with David for Mercy and Forgiveneſſe: Which is the next Point we are to ſpeake unto, and that whereby this Creditor is further deſcribed unto us and ſet forth, foreign, Hee frankely forgave them both. And here conſider we the Act of this Creditor [He frankly forgave] and then the Object [Them both.]