The Disabled Debtor Discharged, Part 12
He frankely forgave them both.]
Text. Litterally this teacheth Creditors a Chriſtian duty, To deale mercifully with ſuch as are diſabled Debters.
Doct. Rigorous demanding of due debt (in caſe of diſability wee may find forbidden, Dent. 15.1, 7. Which Law whether it is to be underſtood of a porpetuall releaſe of the debt at ſeven yeares end; (as the Hebrews for the moſt part underſtand it) and therefore had their Limitations for ſome debts and debters) or onelyonly as an Intermiſſion for the ſeventh yeare, Maimony in his Treat of the Releaſe, c. 9.wherein was neither ſowing, nor reaping, nor other workes of Husbandry, ſo that the poore had not ſuch meanes for paying of their debts as in other yeares; yet it figured the yeare of Grace, the acceptable yeare of the Lord, which Chriſt preached, by whom we have obtained of God the releaſe of our debts, The forgiveneſſe of our Sinnes, Luke 4.18, 19. And calleth upon us likewiſe to ſhew mercy to our poore decaied Brother, and forbeare Exaction, Nehem. 5.3, 11. Iſay. 58.6, 7.
In the Gospell our Saviour wills us to tend looking for nothing againe, Luk. 6.35. Beza.which is not (ſay ſome) to be underſtood onelyonly of Ʋſe, or Loane, but of the Principall, in caſe it ſhould ſo fall out, that they are by the hand of God diſabled: Sure I am there is a Parable propounded by our bleſſed Saviour which acquaints us with Gods ſeverity againſt Saviour which acquaints us with Gods ſeverity againſt ſuch rigorous Creditors, as upon that Parable and paſſage I have more fully ſhewd. Therfore a word or two of this Point ſhall here ſerve.
Vſe. How few Creditors are there like to him here ſpoken of? It is no rare matter to meet with ſome like him we read of, Mat. 18.28. Who will take their Debters by the throat and call for ſpeedy payment of what is owing: Theſe may be reſembled to Plinies Hinona, Lib. 8. c. 30.they eat up the carkaſſes of men; utterly undoing by Executions and perpetuall Impriſonments thoſe who are diſabled by Gods immediate hand (as by fire, water, ſickneſſe, &c.) and not through their own negligence or improvidency.
I deny not, but debts owing are to be required: God himſelf hath given liberty to the Creditor to take a pledge for his ſecurity, Deut. 24.10, 11, 12.
I (likewiſe) grant that more ſtrictneſſe and extremity may be uſed in requiring a Debt of ſuch as raſhly caſt themſelves into it (though they be poore or pretend Inability, when indeed it is but a pretence,) (as the manner of many in theſe daies is,) Prov. 22.26. & 27.13.
But in the behalfe of the poore and needy; the well minded Debter, the Lord giveth an other charge, Exod. 22.26. If thou ſhalt receive to pawne the garment of thy Neighbour, restore it unto him before the Sunne goeth downe; for that onelyonly is his covering, that is his garment for his skin, wherin ſhall he ſleep? Therfore when he crieth to me I will heare him, for I am mercifull.
Yet no debt whatever may be axacted without Mercy, ſtill remember, as man in a Debter unto thee, ſo art thou unto Mercy: Thus St. Paul (Rom. 15.27.) ſheweth the Macedonians and Achaians were. Whereupon St. Ambroſe thus ſpeaketh, In tantum nos humanos & miſericordes vult eſſe Apoſtelus, Amb. in Rom. cap. 15.ut & debitores nos dicat ejus. So farre doth the Apoſtle preſſe to be mercifull and courteous that he affirmeth us to be debters unto it. Therefore ſo exact thy Debt that God may forgive thee all thy Debts.
Myſtically, this ſets forth Gods mercifull and gratious diſpoſition towards poore ſinners, and ſerves firſt to informe us of this truth.
Doct. Remiſſion and Forgiveneſſe of Sinnes is attaincable, there is a poſſibility for a ſinner to have his Debts pardoned and remitted, Act. 3 19 & 19.43. & 26.18.
The Sacrifices under the Law prefigured as much, Heb. 5.1. and the gratious promiſe under the Goſpell make it good, Iſa. 1.18. & 55.7. Ezek. 33.16. Mat. 12.31. And the faithfull performances of thoſe gracious promiſes in ſo many Inſtances put us out of all doubt concerning this truth, Pſal. 32.5. Iſa. 38.17. & 44.22. Mat. 9.2. Marke 2.5, 9.
The grounds are two; Firſt, Mercy in God, who deſireth not the death of a ſinner, Ezek. 33.11. It is his Name to be mercifull: an Attribute as infinite as himſelfe, it ſuits with his Nature.
Secondly, Merit in Chriſt: By his Sacrifice he ſatisfied Gods Juſtice, and paid the debt of ſin, 1 Cor. 15.9. Gal. 1.4. Epheſ. 1.7. Coloſ. 1.14. 1 Iohn 3.5. Heb. 9 26.
Hence commeth that ſweet concurrence of Mercy and Iuſtice ſpoken of by the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 85.10. Mercy and Truth are met together, Righteouſneſſe and Peace have kiſſed each other. They met together and that divers times, but did never kiſſe till Chriſt reconciled them; when they met before, they met in a kind of oppoſition (as S. Bernard ſheweth in Dialogue) A great contention there was betwixt them about mans Redemption.Ser. 1. de Annun Dom. Mercy pleads hard, What hath God forgotten to be gratious, will hee caſt us of for ever and be no more intreated? That by no meanes wils the death of a ſinner; Iuſtice ſteps in, and requires that ſhe may have her due, and that the ſoule that ſinnes may die; Haſt not thou ſaid it, and ſhall not the Iudge of all the earth do right? Thus the Plea hangs; our ſalvation lies as it were a bleeding, we as guilty priſoners ſtill ſtand at the Barre. Chriſt ſteps in, gives Juſtice ſatisfaction, ends the quarrell, and makes all kind, kiſſing friends. For in giving himſelfe a ranſome for man, he did at once pay both Iustice her debt, and obtaine for Mercy her deſire.
Vſe. Great is the comfort that poore ſinners may have from hence; to looke upon the greatneſſe of our debt, the infiniteneſſe of the ſum is enough to ſinke us; but to heare of a poſſibility to procure a diſcharge, to put a new life and ſpirit into us as it did into the hearts of the people, when they heard Shecaniah tell them that there was hope in Iſrael concerning this thing, Ezra, 10 2.
It may alſo encourage us to uſe ſpeedie meanes for the obtaining of a Pardon; ſeeing in ſeeking after it, we ſeeke after that which is honourable and worth the having.
A mercy of all mercies it is to have our ſins forgiven; there needs no more but that, to make us truly happy, Pſal. 32.1. Rom. 4.6, 7. Salvation ſtands in it, and under that one benefit, all the good that we receive by Chriſt is compriſed; It is put for the whole Covenant, and for all the priviledges therein contained, Acts 10.43. and is eſteemed the greateſt bleſſing which flowes from Chriſts blood, Mat. 26.28. That is the Fountaine (as it were,) other bleſſings are but ſtreames iſſuing thence; the things of this world are made true bleſſings by it.
And yet how unworthily is this put in the laſt place in moſt mens endeavours? Should a man ſtand with Salomon in the window of his houſe, and looke and conſider the courſes of men, how ſhould we ſee them buſied? Some eagerly purſuing wealth, other greatneſſe, other following pride and vaine delights; like children they run after Butter-flies: But not one amongſt many who ſpends his time and ſtudie this way, how to get a pardon of ſin, and a diſcharge of that debt he owes to Gods divine Juſtice; Pray you to the Lord (ſaid Pharaoh unto Moſes) that hee may take away the frogs from mee: Exod. 8.8.he deſired not that his ſins might be taken away, which were the cauſe of them; ſo is it with the men of this world, they pray to have ſickneſſe, poverty, lameneſſe &c. removed from them, but for their ſins they paſſe not, that debt leaſt of all troubles them.
Quest. But whence is it that men are ſo careleſſe in ſeeking after this one thing neceſſary?
Reſp. Diverſe Reaſons may be rendered of this great neglect.
Reſp. Firſt, an erroneous judgement about the thing it ſelfe: Some think it is that which cannot be had, or if it be feiſable yet it is not ſo neceſſary as other bleſſings, which lies them more in hand to ſeeke after. The errour of which opinions what hath beene ſaid before, diſcovers.
Secondly, this great neglect ariſeth from want of due conſideration of mens preſent ſtates, they ſpend no thoughts this way; like Banquerouts, they love not to caſt up their accounts. Men are not aware how many Bills of particular ſins hang upon the file, and are upon record againſt them in the Lords Court of Juſtice; they conſider not how they lie open (till diſcharge be had) to all Gods plagues and curſes, which dog and follow them at the heeles in every corner like ſo many Serjants to arreſt them at Gods Suit, Deut 28.19. They conſider not that after death there is no Redemption: If a diſcharge be not obtained before death, lay hold upon them, there is no way but one, to priſon with them. And how Hell follow s death at the …eeles, Revel. 6.8. Nor doe they bethinke themſelves how ſuddenly death may ſeaze upon them▪ as the fiſhes that are taken in an evill net, (even whilſt they are flating and playing at a flie,) and as the Birds that are caught in the ſnare, ſo are the ſonnes of men ſnared in an evill time, when it falleth ſuddenly on them (ſaith Salomon) Were theſe things well thought on, men would feare to let the temples of their heads take any reſt in the omiſſion of this duty.
Thirdly, this ariſeth in ſome through a bold preſumption of Gods mercy, conceiting that God will forgive us our ſins, though we take no paines about it. God indeed is mercifull, and his mercy is above all his workes; but ſtill it is reſtrained to thoſe that ſeeke it, Lament. 3.25. Pſal. 103.11. Mat. 7. As for other who are brutiſh, and ſin preſumptuouſly on hope of mercy, God hath already acquainted them with his mind, Deut. 29.19, 20. Iſa. 27.11. Pro. 1.27, 28, 29, 30.
But if it be ſo great a bleſſing, and haveable likewiſe; It may be you will aske me about the meanes that muſt be uſed for the obtaining of it. If ſo, I anſwer
Firſt, bring thy ſoule to a true ſight and ſenſe of ſinne, this is that which prepareth a man, and maketh him capiable of a pardon. The whole have no need of the Phyſitian, but the ſicke, Mat. 9.12. nor are any called to be eaſed, but ſuch as find themſelves to be wearied with the load, Mat. 11. verſe 28. The widow ſaid to the Prophet, O thou man of God why commeſt thou to call my ſinne to remembrance, and to ſlay my ſonne; but thus to bring ſin to our remembrance is not to ſlay us, but to ſave us.
Secondly, Iudge your ſelves for them, confeſſe them humbly before the Lord, Luke 15.18, 19. & 18.13. 1 Iohn Chap. 1. verſe 9. Pro. 28.13. This courſe David took and found it ſpeeding, Pſal. 32. God is well pleaſed to have himſelfe cleared, and our ſelves (as is meet) charged.
Thirdly, Pray earneſtly to the Lord in the Name of Chriſt for pardon and forgiveneſſe, Hoſ. 14.3. Dan. 9.18, 19. Mat. 18.32. I forgave thee all that thy debt, becauſe thou deſiredſt mee: there is no pardon granted, but where it is deſired; no obtaining Remiſſion but by humble ſupplication, and the prayers of the faithfull are very availeable for this purpoſe, Iames 5.16.
Fourthly, carefully uſe the meanes which God hath left to his Church for the obtaining of this grace; attend on the Miniſters of the Word, it is the Ministery of Reconciliation, 2 Cor. 5. By it God is pleaſed to worke Faith in our hearts, whreby remiſſion of ſins is received. Theſe are the meanes which being conſcionably uſed,Acts 10.43. Remiſſion may be obtained, and our debts diſcharged. And ſo much of the Benefit beſtowed, come we now to the manner of it. The Text ſaith