The Disabled Debtor Discharged, Part 13
He frankely forgave them both]
Text. Ʋtriſ que debitum foreign, ex gratia condonavit: Both theſe were forgiven by God, no part of the debt was retained to either of them; and this God did Gratis, frankly and freely; firſt obſerve,
Doct. God in forgiving ſinne, fully forgives it, no part of the debt is reſerved to be exacted of us.
To forgive imports as much; for where any recompence is made or puniſhment ſuffered; there is a kind of ſatisfaction, and that is contrary to Remiſſion.
I will forgive their iniquity (ſaith the Lord, Ier. 31.34.) and I will remember their ſinnes no more; He will ſo forgive as to forget; and if he forget them, then certainely he will never puniſh a man for them, (for in Scripture phraſe God is then ſaid to remember ſin, when he puniſheth for ſin, as Ier. 14.10. Hoſ. 8.13.)
Hereto tend thoſe Metaphors in Scripture uſed when forgiveneſſe of ſin is ſpoken of, conſidered in ſeverall Relations. Sometimes it is conſidered as having relation to the Fault committed, ſo it is expreſſed under the phraſes of Purging, as Ezek. 22.24 Pſal. 51.7. Not laying it to the charge, Acts 17.19. taking it away, Ioh. 1.29.
As it hath relation to the Booke wherein it is recorded, ſo it is expreſſed by the phraſe of blotting out, Acts 3.19. of hiding and covering ſo as it cannot be read, Pſal. 32.1. Mich. 7.19.
As it hath relation to God, who is wronged in point of honour, ſo it is expreſſed by the phraſe of paſſing by the offence, Mich. 7.18. Not ſeeing and beholding it. Numb. 23.21. Caſting it behind the backe, Iſa. 38.17.
As it hath relation to the Puniſhment contracted by it, ſo it is expreſſed by the phraſe of putting away ſinne, 2 Sam. 12.13. Iſa 44.22. Not imputing it, Pſal. 32.2. Rom. 4.8.
Theſe are all ſignificant Phraſes according to their ſeverall Relations, and betoken as much as hath beene delivered, viz. an abſolute riddance and finall diſcharge thereof; ſo that as the Prophet ſpeaketh of it, Ier. 50.20. It ſhall be ſought for, and there ſhall be none.
Vſe 1 This maketh againſt that Doctrine (before touched) of Satisfaction or Satispaſſion defended by the Papiſts;Sicut Chriſtus Paſſione ſua ſatisfecit pro peccatis, ita nos ſatisfaciendo patiamur pro peccatis. Concil. Trid. who though they acknowledge ſuch a matter as Pardon of ſin, yet they maintaine forgiveneſſe to be ſuch a thing, in which God remitteth but in part; The fault (they ſay) he doth diſcharge, but not the Penalty, that is (ſay they) reſerved to be ſatisfied for, in part here, and part in Purgatory; and indeed for the foundation of Purgatory and maintaining of that fire, was this diſtinction of theirs invented; for it was never knowne in Chriſts time.
An opinion that cannot ſtand with the Nature of forgiveneſſe, as it is deſcribed in Scripture. If all be pardoned, what is behind to be ſatisfied for? If there be ſome ſatisfaction on our part expected, how then is the forgiveneſſe abſolute?
Sundry arguments we have in Scripture againſt this error.
Firſt, Rom. 8.1. the Apoſtle expreſſely teacheth, that there is no condemnation to them that are in Chriſt, nihil damnationis, (as the Vulgar Tranſlation (which they themſelves ſo highly magnifie) hath it,) not one jot of condemnation, now what is Condemnation, but the adjudging of a man to puniſhment? So in Scripture it is every where uſed, Mat. 20.18. Mark. 14 64. If then no condemnation be reſerved for the true Beleever, there is no puniſhment due to his ſin by him to be ſuffered.
Secondly, our Redemption by Chriſt was from the whole curſe of the Law due to us for ſin; now Temporall puniſhments due to us for ſin, are part of that curſe, Deut. 28.16-22. Therefore from them alſo are wee freed.
Object. Wherefore then doth the living man complaine (you will ſay)? doth not man ſuffer for ſin? Lament. 3 39. And why did God after he had pardoned David for his Adulterie and Murther, reſerve for him Temporall puniſhment? The child borne to him muſt ſurely die, 2 Sam. 12.13.
Reſp. This was Caſtigatio not damnatio; medicina, non paena, a chaſtiſement, not a condemnation; a medicine, not a puniſhment, (as ſpeaketh S. Chryſoſtome) And betwixt theſe, we muſt learne to diſtinguiſh: It is true, God layeth many things on his deareſt children in this life, notwithſtanding he hath forgiven them their ſins; but ſuch ſufferings of theirs, are neither expiatorie nor ſatisfactorie, nor yet vindictive for ſin; nor can they properly be called puniſhments, but Fatherly chaſtiſements and corrections onelyonly, Pſal. 94.12. Heb. 12.6. Revel. 3.19. 1 Cor. 11.32. God ſends them in love, and offers himſelfe therein to his as unto children, Heb. 12.7. He inflicts them as furtherances to Sanctification, not as meanes of Satisfaction.
Thirdly, the Lord doth ſo, (and much more) fully forgive the ſins of the Faithfull, as he would have them forgive one another; and he makes his forgiveneſſe the very patterne we ſhould work by, Epheſ. 4 32. But in our forgiving he requires that both the fault and puniſhment be forgiven, 1 Pet. 3.9. And therefore wee muſt needs conclude, that whom God forgives, to them are forgiven both.
As for ſatisfaction to our Brethren for wrongs to them done, by acknowledgement, reſtitution, Mulct, with asking forgiveneſſe, &c. we both teach and practiſe, but they ſhall not be able to ſatisfie us in this point, that any thing we can doe or ſuffer can ſatisfie Gods Juſtice.
I ſpare any further wading in this point; Thus much I thought needfull to ſay on it, for that this Popiſh opinion of Satisfaction cleaves (as one ſaith well) very cloſe unto our natures, and there is an aptneſſe in us to thinke by ſome act of ours to make amends for the things we have done amiſſe. This we are not able to do, for when we have done all we can, we are unprofitable ſervants, Luk. 17.
Vſe. This is a Doctrine of ſingular Comfort to all thoſe that are in Chriſt and made partakers of this benefit of Remiſſion.
It is ſtoryed of Caeſar to his renowne and praiſe, that after the defeate of Pompey hee had in his cuſtody a Casket, wherein he found divers letters written by many of the Nobles under their own hands, (ſufficient evidence to condemn them) but he burnt them al, that no monument might remain of a future grudge. Thus doth God cancell and annihilate the ſins of his Elect ones; and cauſeth an act of Oblivion to be made, that there may be no quarrell againſt them in Heaven.
And (to be ſhort) being thus fully pardoned, whatſoever happens to us or is inflicted on us, wee may reſt aſſured comes in Love, it is mingled with Love, and ſhall through Love be turned to our good, Rom. 8.28. Let our Afflictions ſmart never ſo much, yet the curſe is removed; they are but medicinable potions, and ſhall further our ſalvation in the end.
Are the Conſolations of God ſmall with thee, (as Eliphaz ſaid to Iob)?Iob 15.11. doe not theſe things affect thee to rejoycing? ſurely then we are are as yet Dead Births; Gods children have rejoyced in this mercy more then in great ſpoiles, Let the heart of them rejoyce that ſeeke the Lord.
And (to conclude) be carefull that we lay up ſafe our diſcharge and pardon having once obtained it. How carefull men are to lock up a Generall diſcharge from ſome pecuniarie debts, we know well enough; but no diſcharge to this, ſo lay it up, that you may not have it to ſeek in the hower of Temptations and Tryall. Such times you muſt expect, and then your Acquittance ſealed with Chriſts blood will ſtand you in much ſtead. Our careleſneſſe this way, often cauſeth God to hide from us the comfort of it, to the end that wee may ſeeke it up, and keep it better. Thus we lay ſome peece of plate aſide for a while to teach a careleſſe child, or ſervant, to be more carefull of it after it is returned. And thus much of the Fullneſſe of Gods pardoning. Come we now to the Freeneſſe of it. Hee Frankly forgave them both. Whence obſerve we
Remiſſion is of free grace and mercy; whom God forgives he forgives gratis. The Pope indeed ſells Pardons; God ſells none, what God doth this way hee doth freely.
This Truth is abundantly confirmed and ſtrengthened in the holy Scriptures. I, even I am he that blotteth out thy tranſgreſſions for my owne ſake, &c. Iſa. 43 25. Not for your ſakes, but for mine owne ſake will I purge you and waſh away your ſinnes, O you houſe of Iſrael, Ezek. 36.25, 32. Thus Epheſ. 1.7. The Apoſtle ſpeaking of this benefit, tells us that he gives it foreign, according to the riches of his grace. And Rom. 3.24. he ſaith, wee are juſtified, foreign, gratis, or freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Ieſus Chriſt.
Object. But here lies the Objection: If it be through the Redemption that is in Ieſus Chriſt, how then is it free? that which we get upon a price paid, and ranſome tendered, is from Iuſtice due to us, and not of free grace given us: But ſo was this obtained, as the Apoſtle likewiſe elſewhere ſh…weth 1 Cor. 6.20 1 Tim. ….6.
Reſp. Remiſſion of ſins was purchaſed for us, and our debts diſcharged through the ſatisfaction made by Chriſt to Gods Juſtice. Not one farthing of that ſum wherein we ſtood indebted to the Lord was forgiven, without payment made by Chriſt; who by his Active Obedience paid the Principall that was owing, fulfilling all Righteouſneſſe, Mat. 3.15. And by his Paſſive Obedience paid the Forfeiture, in which reſpect the Prophet ſaith, Wee have received at the Lords hand (viz. in our Surety) double for all our ſinnes, Iſa. 40 2. So that ex par…e Chriſti, on Chriſts part it was not free, and yet ex parte hominum, on mans behalfe, it is every way ingenuous and free. And that
Firſt, in regard of God the Father, who was pleaſed out of the love he bore to mankind to ſend his onelyonly begotten Sonne to diſcharge that debt was owing. Iſa 9.6. Iohn 4.10. And out of the like love and mercy hee was pleaſed to accept of the ſatisfaction and payment by him made on our behalfe; for nothing bound God to this way, but that wherewith he did voluntarily bind himſelf, Heb 6.7.
Secondly, in reſpect of Chriſt who ſatisfied for us, it was to us free. He freely and willingly aſſented to the worke of our Redemption, in which reſpect it is ſaid, He laid downe his life and tooke it up againe. John 10.15.As likewiſe in that we are no way able to gratifie Chriſt for what he did in any meaſure, Pſal. 116.12.
Thirdly, in reſpect of our ſelves who receive this mercy, it is free forgiveneſſe; we conferre no merit to it, nor did we add any thing towards that great purchaſe of his, Rom. 11.6. Thus then, in ſpeaking of Gods free grace in pardoning ſin, Chriſt is not to be excluded, he is foreign, the end or Tribute, and wee by his payment are foreign, Tribute-free. And ſo wee ſtand diſcharged through his ranſome before God Almighty.
Object. This Objection may be further urged thus, That is freely beſtowed which is conferred without any help or work in the Receiver. But many neceſſary works and acts are neceſſarily required of thoſe that are diſcharged (as Faith, Repentance, Charity, &c.) How then is it freely given?
Reſp. Though it be not conferred without theſe, yet it is not conferred for theſe. They are not Cauſes but Conditions, Signes and Proofes to ſettle our hearts in this comfortable Aſſurance that we have found mercy with God, and that our ſins are pardoned, (as we ſhall heare hereafter in the Application of this Parable.)
Vſe. This makes againſt the Papiſts, who with a like Pride cry up their Actions to be Meritorious; as they doe their Paſſions and Sufferings to be ſatisfactory to Gods Iuſtice.
They make a double merit; A merit of Congruity, which (they ſay) goeth before Converſion, and obtaineth Juſtification and Remiſſion of ſins: And a merit of Condignity which followeth after Converſion, and furthereth our Reward when this life is ended.
Neither of theſe can ſtand with Free Grace: Grace and Merit fight ex diametro, Rom. 3.28. If by Grace we are ſaved, then merit is no merit, if by merit, Grace is no Grace.
Which doctrine of the Church of Rome, (had ſhe no more alike unſound) may juſtly faſten upon her the ill name of Meretrix Babylonica, Dr. Featly. Meretrixa merendo, nam mercede ſuam exercet malitiam &c. Calepin. Tit. meretrix. Bem Serm. 52 Fateor non ſum digum ego, n… proprijs poſſum merit is regnum obtinere c lorū caeterùm duplici jure illud obtinens Dominus meus, Faeredita te ſcilitet Patri… & meri o paſſionis; al…o ipſe contencus, alteru… mihi donat, ex cujus dono ju…e illu… mihi vendicā … non conſua lorauthor vit. kern l. c. …2. Bellar de …u…i…. c. …6.6 & …5. c. 7the Whore of Babylon (ſaith one) For Meretrix a merendo ſie dicta eſt, a whore hath her name from meriting Her ſtanding upon termes with God, and pleading merit, marres all her merit, Sufficie ad meritum ſcire quod non ſufficiant merita (ſaith S. Bernard) If there be any merit, it is in denying all merit. And thus that Father merited, for I find in his life that ſeeming to be before Gods Tribunall and S…tan oppoſing him, (S. Bernard) there ſeemed thus to reply: I confeſſe I am not worthy, neither can I by my owne deſerts obtaine the Kingdome of Heaven. But my Lord obtaining it by a double right, by his Father Inheritance, and the merit of his Paſſion, being content with one himſelfe giveth me the other; of whoſe gift challenging it by right, I am not confounded.
And of this mind are the Papiſts when they come to the point indeed. So Bellarmine (out of Bernard) becauſe (ſaith he) of the uncertainty of our Righteouſneſſe and the danger of Vaine-glory, Tutiſſimumeſt filucians totam in ſola Dei miſericordia & benignitate reponere, It is ſafeſt to put our whole truſt in the ſole mercy and goodneſſe of God. Here he playes Penelope, texit telam & retexit, he ſews and ravells; after much written and great pa…es, taken in defence of merit, hee daſheth all with his Pell, telling us what is the ſafeſt way. And in a caſe ſo neerely concerning our Salvation, he that will not take the ſafeſt way is much too blame.
Vſe 2 Therfore be we directed in the ſureſt and ſafeſt courſe, fly we to the Mercy of God in begging Pardon, uſe no other plea, but the freeneſſe of his Grace in Chriſt. Thus did David ſeek, Pſal. 6.2, 4. & 25.6.7. & 55.1 So Daniel, Cap. 9 9.18. and the poore Publican, Luk. 18.13. So the woman of Canaan. Mat. 15.22. So the two blind men, M…t. 9.27. & 20.30. So do thou.
Had a man any other Plea for pardon; it muſt be from ſomething in himſelf, or for ſomthing in ſome other creature; but from neither of theſe.
From a mans ſelfe there is no ground to hope for Pardon, there is nothing in man, in regard wherof he may looke for reſpect from God: For, 1. There are many ſtaines and blemiſhes in our beſt workes (as before we have heard) Iſa. 64.6. 1 Ioh. 1.8. In reſpect whereof S. Paul that choſen Veſſell profeſſeth, That hee was nothing 2 Cor. 2 11.
2. Though a man did know no evill by himſelfe, nor were conſcious of any blemiſh in his righteous Actions, yet God who is a God of pure Eyes knowes much and ſees much in us; In which reſpect Saint Paul ſaith, I know nothing by my ſelfe, yet I am not thereby Iuſtified. Hee that judgeth mee is the LORD, Quiſquis tibi enumerat vera meritaſua, quid tibi enumerat niſi munera tua. Aug. l. 1. Confeſ. Si de …uo retriouis, peccatum retribu…; omnia enim quae habes ab illo habes, tuum…olum pe…atum habes, Aug. in Pſa. 102.1 Cor. 4.4.
3. If in caſe that there ſhould be no Imperfection at all in it, yet there is no pleading of our workes to the Almighty by way of merit, for theſe Reaſons.
1. They are not our owne, but Gods, Iſa. 26.12. 1 Cor. 4.7. &. 15.10. 2 Cor. 3.5. Phil. 2.13. If thou rendereſt any thing (ſaith S. Auſten) to God of thy owne, thou rendereſt Sin: For all the good thou haſt, thou haſt received from God: thou haſt nothing, which thou maiſt call thine owne, but ſinne. And elſewhere he ſtrongly inferreth againſt all Plea of mans Merit thus. Si bonaſunt, &c. If thy workes are good, they are Gods gifts; if they are evill God crowneth them not:Si hona ſunt, Dei dona ſunt, ſi Dei dona ſunt, non coronat tā quam merita tua, ſed tanquā dona ſua, Aug. de lib. Arbit. c. 7 Quicquid geſse. …is parum eſt: quicquid feceris minus eſt, Chryſ. Hom. 70. E…ſi millies moriamur, et ſi omnes virtutes animae expleamus nihil dignum gerimes adea, quae ipſi à Deo percepimus, Chryſ. l. de compuactione cordis. If therfore God crowneth thy workes, he crowneth them not as they are Merits, but as his own Gifts. Certainly that which is not our worke is not our Merit. Can we oblige a man to us by paying him his own.
2. We do no more then we ſtand ingaged to do, when we have done the beſt we can, Luk. 17.10. How then can we challenge any thing from God by way of Merit? Is any man engaged to us for diſcharging of a Bond, which they are bound under a great penalty by a preciſe day to ſatiſfie.
3. There is no Proportion betwixt that goodneſſe which is in us, and that we expect to receive from God for it. What is all the mony we can make; all that we can do or ſuffer towards the payment of a debt of ten thouſand Talents? and ſuch a debt is ſin, Math. 18.24. Heare the Apoſtle ſpeaking to this, Rom. 8.18. 2 Cor. 4.17. And yet Suffering for the Gospell is a worke of the beſt ſort, which God moſt eſpecially doth regard. Thus then there is nothing in our ſelves wheron to ground any Plea for pardon.
Nor is there any other Plea to uſe to God for pardon in reſpect of any other creature. We read, Math. 25. that the fooliſh Virgins hoping to borrow oyle of the wiſe, were denied, and plainly told, that they had not to ſpare, that they had not enough to lend and ſpend both. No truſting to any other mens Merits (whatſoever Papiſts ſay) Reſolve we therfore to fly to the throne of Mercy (as from Common Law we flie to Chancerie for reliefe.) Put wee up our Petitions into the Court of Requeſts, after this forme and no other, LORD bee mercifull to mee a Sinner.
And as we are to begg all of Mercy, ſo learn we here to aſcribe all to Mercy; we are called Veſſels of MercieMercy, Rom. 9.23. Now the Veſſell ſents of the liquor that is in it. The whole worke of our Salvation can be a…ib…d to no other thing then to MercieMercy. Election, that is of Grace, Rom. 11.5. Vocation according to Grace, 2 Tim. 1.9. Iuſtification by Grace, Rom. 3.24 Glorification a gift of Grace, Rom. 6.23. Why bleſſed be God, which according to his aboundant Mercy hath begotten us againe to a lively Hope, &c. 1 Pet. 1.3. Say we of all ſpirituall things as Iacob of his wealth, God hath had Mercy on me and therefore I have all theſe, Gen. 33.11. And with the Church let us ſtill acknowledge, Lord thou haſt wrought all our workes for us. Iſae. 20.12. As for thoſe who take from God, and aſcribe unto themſelves, they do that in earneſt, which wee ſee boyes doe in jeſt: They ſtand upon their heads and ſhake their heeles towards Heaven.
Vſe 3 That we may manifeſt our Thankefullneſſe to God for this free Mercy of his in our Salvation, let us ſhew mercy to our poore diſtreſſed Brethren, who ſtand in need of it; and be mercifull to them even as our Father is mercifull unto us.
Mercy in God is as it were his Face; Now we are ſaid to reſemble others when we are like them in the Face, rather then in the hands and feet. In nothing can we better reſemble God, or ſhew our ſelves his children, then in following his example, forgiving thoſe who have done us wrong, Even as he hath forgiven us. Be the Party who he will be, if he ſay, It doth repent mee, pardon him: For ſo God pardons the unworthieſt of us.
Be the Fault what it will be, God forgives us, Iniquity, Tranſgreſſion and Sinne, Exod. 34. Yea, although we have forgiven him many times already; I ſay not untill ſeven times, but untill ſeventy times ſeven times, Math. 18.12. So doth God by us. And ſo forgive as not to impute the wrong unto him, count the wrong and injurie, as if it were not; So did S. Paul forgive the Galathians, Cap. 4.12. Yea have not injured me at all. Still look upon the patterne God hath ſet us to work by, Epheſ. 4.32. Coloſ. 3.13. Remembring God hath ſo farre tied his Mercy to this Condition of our Forgiving others, that unleſſe we do ſo, we can have no comfortable aſſurance that our ſins are pardoned, Mat. 6.14, 15. & 18.32, 33.
Look as David ſaid of unthankfull Nabal. In vaine have I kept all that this fellow had, 1 Sam 25.21, 22. So will God ſay of ſuch as will not forgive, In vaine have I done all this for him, given my Son, promiſed pardon, &c. ſeeing he is ſo unthankfull as not for my ſake to paſſe by ſuch ſmall wrongs and injuries.
Vſe 4 Laſtly, from what hath beene delivered of the Freeneſſe of GODS Mercy may a poore Sinner gather Comfort.
It is that that troubles many a ſoule, they have nothing of worth within them: They cannot ſee why GOD ſhould pardon ſuch as they are. But though there be nothing in thee, yet there is ſomething in himſelfe; Bowels of Mercy, and a Nature inclined to ſhew Mercy. Where nothing is to pay, there he frankely forgives all. Beſides Chriſt hath paied for thee that which thou wert not able to diſcharge.Nomon Ieſu a pud Hebraeos a litera loth, apud Graecos a Iota incipit, quae utra que in ſua gente denarij numeri eſt nota: decē obolos in precium animae ſuae offerunt, qui in Ieſum Chriſtum credentes ſignii no minis ejus, quod a denario numero incipit, in fronte & profeſſione proferūt Bed-de tab. Salomon. The firſt Letter of his Name yeelds Comfort (if you conſider it well) much more the whole.
You know the Mercy-Seate was upon the Arke, and within the Arke the Law was put, and over the Arke and Mercy-Seat were Cherubins covering one another: What ſignified all this, but that by Chriſt our Arke, the curſes of the Law are covered, and God become gratious and favourable, into which things the Angels deſire to pry, as S. Peter ſaith. Looke then from off thy ſelfe, and fix thy eye on Chriſt, and when ever thou commeſt to God for pardon, look towards the Mercy-Seat, (as they who prayed in the Temple did) deſire him to ſhew thee Mercy, and to forgive thee for his Chriſts ſake, and doubt not of Audience. Thus much of the Benefit beſtowed. Next of the Perſons who were made partakers of this Benefit.