Milk for Babes, Questions · Question 43
43. Q. What is the fift Petition?
A. And forgive us our treſpaſſes as we forgive them that treſpaſſe againſt us.
Here thou beginneſt to beg the removing of ſuch impediments as hinder the hallowing of Gods name. What is prayed for in the fift petition.There are two ſorts of Impediments: the firſt are our ſinnes paſt. Sinnes do make a ſeparation betwixt God and thy ſoul, and keep good things from thee. They keep thee both from grace, and glory, and ſo, thou canſt not honour God: therefore here thou doeſt pray againſt the guilt of them, Forgive us our treſpaſſes. Matth. 6.By treſpaſſes thou muſt underſtand ſinnes, that is, all errours in thy nature, and in thy life, againſt the rule of Gods word. Theſe are called Debts. Becauſe thou canſt not performe the debt of obedience to God, therefore, for ſinne, thou oweſt the debt of ſatisfaction. Under this, thou muſt conceive thy ſinnes, thy daily ſinnes, and thy ſinnes of all ſorts, and ſizes whether five hundred pence, or ten thouſand talents. To forgive, 2 Cor. 5.21 Phil. 3.9.is, freely to diſcharge thee for the merits of Chriſt accounted thine by faith. It is as much as, let them go; have not to ſay to them; Pſal. 32.1. Eſa. 38.17. Mich. 7.19. Jer. 50.20.Cover them; Caſt them behinde thee; throw them into the depths; make them become as no ſins, like Daniels Lions, and Pauls Viper, that could not hurt, or like a Debt book that is croſſed. To this Forgiveneſſe thy God leads thee by theſe wayes, the way of procuring, the way of conferring, and the way of receiving. 1 Joh. 1.7.It is procured for thee by the bloud, and merits of Chriſt. It is beſtowed upon thee, Rom. 8. 2 Sam. 12. Act. 2.38. Mat. 26.28.by God the Father pronouncing it, and tendring of it unto thee in the holy uſe of the word of grace, and the two Sacraments. And for thy receiving of it, firſt thou art made capable by a contrite, Pſal. 50.and broken heart: Next, thou doeſt receive it by faith. Rom. 3. Phil. 3.Now, mark for whom thou wouldſt have this forgiveneſſe. Forgive (us) that is, thy ſelf and all that are in communion and fellowſhip with thee for a pardon. Thou muſt include thy ſelf. Though Chriſt have ſatisfied for thee by way of remedy, Eſa. 53.5. Mat. 18.32.yet not by way of application of it without prayer. Thou muſt not exclude others of all ſorts who ſtand for a pardon. Pſal. 65.2.All fleſh comes to him that heareth prayers: and if it come for a pardon, thou haſt no authority to ſhut ſuch an one out. Laſtly, the argument by which thou craveſt thy pardon is (for we forgive thoſe that treſpaſſe againſt us). Matth. 6.14This is not a cauſe of thy forgiveneſſe, but an argument of thy asking it from Gods promiſe. It is true, that thou canſt not forgive, as thou deſireſt that God ſhould forgive thee, in Equality, ſo perfectly as God forgives; nor in quality ſo purely: but yet thou maiſt, in likeneſſe. Though thou be a drop, and God be an Ocean of merciemercy; yet a drop of water may wet as well as the whole ſea, though not as much: ſo maiſt thou forgive as God forgives, but not ſo perfectly. Wonderfull is the wiſedome of Chriſt in helping thee about the forgiveneſſe of ſinnes in this Petition. Conſider the Procurer of thy forgiveneſſe, thou prayeſt that Chriſts worth, and merits may be made thine: Conſider the forgiver, thou prayeſt that God the father would accept thee in Chriſt, and hide thy fault, and guilt. Conſider the ſetlers of forgiveneſſe upon thee, thou prayeſt that the word may work a ſight, ſenſe, and confeſſion of thy ſinne; and that the Sacraments may be means to ſeal, and aſſure thy pardon. Conſider thy receiving of it, and thou prayeſt that thou maiſt have contrition, deſire, and faith: and conſider the promiſe of Chriſt, and thou prayeſt that thou maiſt have true merciemercy in forgiving others, without which thou ſhalt not be forgiven thy ſelf.
Vſe. Therefore (my childe) ply God here. Neither thou, nor any body elſe, can hallow Gods name under the guilt of ſinnes; for praiſe is not comely in the mouth of a fool. Therefore, what ever thou doeſt, pray that this guilt may be taken off both from thee and others. The odiouſneſſe of ſinne is ſuch, that it is worſe then Satan, and hell. Hell could not be hell unto thee, were it not for ſinne; and Satan could do thee no miſchief, Act. 8.had not thy own ſinnes bound thee hand and foot firſt. Therefore we reade of an old Chriſtian in former times, who ſaid, that if he were ſet to chuſe heaven, or grace, he would chuſe grace before heaven; becauſe without grace, heaven could not hold him: and if he muſt chuſe hell, or ſinne, he would chuſe hell before ſinne; becauſe hell without ſinne could not poſſeſſe or hurt him. Again, the danger of ſinne is fearfull, it defaceth the image of God, woundeth conſcience, hindereth peace, and keepeth good things from us. If thou adde but to this thought, the plenty of ſinne, that the whole world lies in wickedneſſe, and that the ſinnes of all ſorts of people cry to heaven, thou wilt then cry for a pardon for thy ſelf, and others, that for the merit of Chriſts bloud God would diſcharge us, and by the word of God and Sacraments would aſſure it, that we may comfortably walk before him all the dayes of our life.