The Power of Godliness, Book 6 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Shewing what is meant by Forgiveness and by Debts. That God doth not forgive without satisfaction. How many wayes forgiveness of sin may be considered. And how he is to be qualified that would make this petition. The ground thereof. And what we desire of God therein.
Question: WHat is the fifth petition?
A. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our Debtors.
Q. What is it to forgive?
A. Forgiveness is opposed to paiment, recompence, or satisfaction,Luc. 1.79. Dan 9.9. Num. 14.19. Act. 5.31. Ps. 32.1, 2. Ps. 85.2. Psal. 51.2. Act. 3.19. Is. 43.25. Jer. 31.34. Mic. 7.18. Is. 44.22. Ps. 25.7. & 79.8. Is. 38.17. Ps. 65.3. Col. 3.12. Ezek. 18.21, 22 Act. 13.38. Rom. 8.33. Vox foreign proprie sig. ase amovere. Mat. 4.20. unde sumpta Metaph. sig deserere & dimittere, & permittere, freq. autem rationem alicujus rei non habere Mat. 15.14.18.12. & 23.23. foreign ad omne genus gratificandi pertinet▪ Luc. 7.21. Ph. 1.29. Act. 3.14. & 25.11.16. and doth note a gracious and free pardon of mercy. In Scripture many phrases are used to explain what forgiveness is, as when God is said to cover iniquity, put it out of sight, not to impute, or call to a reckoning for it: to blot it out of his book, not to remember it, to do it away, pass by it, do it away as a mist, seal it up, cast it behind his back So that forgiveness is the pardon of Gods free mercy, when he himself doth freely cross out these debts, and imputeth not the punishment thereof unto us. More fully it may be defined, an act of free grace, whereby a man is acquitted from the whole guilt, and is released from all the punishment of his sin, in such sort that nothing can be laid to his charge. In this act of forgiving, allusion is made unto the acts of creditors to their debtors, which stand bound to them in obligations to pay certain sums of mony, or upon not paiment to forfeit a far greater sum. Now when the debtor doth make this forfeit, and is no way able of himself to discharge it, if the creditor doth forbear to sue the debtor, and doth freely cancel the obligation, and give to him an acquittance of that debt, this act of his is to forgive. It is likewise resembled by the act of a King and Judge towards such subjects, as by transgressing the Law, had confiscated their lives into the hands of justice. Now when the King of his meer grace doth remit the offence and punishment, this is to pardon and forgive. Such an act as this, is that of Gods forgiving of a sinner.
Q What is meant by Debts?
A. Sins, so Luke saith, forgive us our sins. Luc. 11.4. Mar. 11.25, 26. Col. 2.13.And because it is set down indefinitely, by Debts or sins, we must understand all sins, original and actual, greater and smaller: the smallest are not so little, that they need no pardon, nor the greatest so hainous that they cannot be pardoned. There is a twofold Debt that man oweth to God; the one of duty that we are bound to pay;Luc. 17.18. Rom. 8.12. Rom. 13.8. Mat. 18.24. Luc. 7.42.47. & 13.2. Bell. Tom. 4. de oper. partic l. 1. c. 6. pet. 5. Omnis qui peccat injuriam facit Deo. Omnis qui peccat, legem Dei praevaricat ur. Ibid. Deut. 27.26. Gal 3 10. Ezek. 18.4. Rom. 6.23. Jam. 2.10. as of love, thankfulness, worship, obedience, the other of sin and punishment, which we are fallen into through the neglect of our duty. Now in this petition we desire not to be discharged of the duty that we owe to God, but to be acquitted from the sins that we have committed, and to be freed from the punishment that we have deserved. Sins are called Debts by similitude, because man stood bound by the law unto perfect obedience, with this obligation, that if he continued not in all things written in the law, the forfeiture was, he should be accursed; which curse comprehended in it all misery in this world, and eternal destruction in the world to come. This forfeit Adam and Eve did make, and in them all mankind, who daily adde unto this debt by their actual sins: and by reason of sin we are bound over to eternal punishment, if the divine justice be not otherwise satisfied, and a pardon of grace obtained.
Q. Doth God forgive sin without satisfaction?
A. Forgiveness is of meer grace, but that grace might do it justly, that infinite wisdom of God found out a means to satisfie justice.Ep. 1.7. Rom. 4.24. Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God took upon him the condition of man that being God and Man, he might be an Al-sufficient Mediator between God and Man. This Son of God being made Man, stood in the common nature of Man, as a common person, to answer as a surety for man: and was therefore arraigned, condemned,Is. 53.5. Rom. 4.25. 1 Pet. 1.18, 19. and had the full wrath of God due to sinners executed upon him; which wrath he satisfied and overcame, and thereby purchased eternal redemption. Thus by his satisfying Gods justice, a way was opened unto Gods mercy, that in saving of man he could be just, and yet a justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.
Q. How many wayes may forgiveness of sin be considered?
A. Forgiveness is considered, 1. As it is decreed by God, who in his gracious purpose hath chosen some to life, and ordained that in time they should be partakers of mercy. 2. As it is purchased by Christs death and passion. Christ sustained the person of all the elect, in whom all their sins were virtually forgiven, when he had paid the price of their redemption. All the sons of Adam sinned virtually in Adam when he transgressed in eating of the forbidden fruit; and all the Elect of God were virtually redeemed in Christ,2 Cor. 5.19. when he actually laid down his life for their ransom. 3. It must be considered as it is profered in the Gospel of peace, and sealed in the Sacraments. To you is preached forgiveness of sins, Act. 13.38.4. As it is received by faith and conferred by grace: for when the word of the Kingdom is received, the good thing promised in the word is received also. Now the promise of a pardon in Christ Jesus is received two wayes. First, slightly and superficially by a temporary faith, which tasteth the word of life, but feedeth not upon it. Secondly, Soundly and effectually by a sovereign and well-rooted faith, which firmely knitteth unto Jesus Christ. And according to this double manner of receiving the word, there is a twofold remission; the one inchoate, which is not ratified in heaven, because the promise is not entertained into an honest and good heart; the other perfect and sound, which is confirmed in the Court of heaven, according to that of our Saviour, Whose sins ye remit, they are remitted, and whose sins ye retain, they are retained. Whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. And this sentence of pardon is considered two wayes: first as it is passed in heaven, when upon the presentment of the merits of Christ applyed to the sinner, believing in him, through the operation of the Holy Ghost, he is actually received into favour, and acquitted from the guilt and punishment of former sins, which sentence can never be revoked nor blotted. This judgement is passed, at what time the Elect in Christ have their names inrolled in the book of Gods effectual calling, and are numbred among the just. For where the holy Ghost worketh in us the grace of faith to believe in Christ, who was raised from the dead, and applieth his grace and merite Christ actually presenteth us unto his Father, who doth most graciously receive us into favour, and freely discharge us from all our transgressions. Secondly, It is considered as made known or manifested to the conscience; which is a second act of the Holy Ghost, wrought in this manner. First, when the Holy Ghost hath by the word convinced the conscience of the peril it stood in by reason of sin, then by the light of the Gospel he sheweth unto man a possibility of salvation, and offereth forgiveness upon condition of believing. Then by the ministery of the same word, he worketh faith in the heart, whereby we obtain and receive forgiveness offered. Thirdly, Being enlightned by the Spirit, through the reflexion of the renewed conscience upon it self, we come to know that we do believe, and that believing our sinnes are pardoned and done away. Thus the Spirit shining about the soul, the sentence of absolution is made clear to the heart of the sinner guilty in himself, but believing in Christ for mercy. This sentence hath different degrees: it is sometimes more clear in the apprehension of the soul, sometimes more dimme, yea, sometimes quite blotted out in the counter-pane of our release or copy of our aquittance, so that a person standing perfectly just before God, hath little or no sense or apprehension of it in his own conscience. 5. It must be considered in respect of continuance, not only in regard of the new application of it to the conscience, but of the Divine sentence. For pardon is vouchsafed of mercy, as it is promised in the Gospel and received by faith. But God doth not promise pardon of sinnes past, present and to come, before they be committed and repented of, nor can the believer by faith receive the pardon of them. All Divines grant, that in respect of the pronouncing of that sentence to the heart, it is not actually applied, neither can a particular sinner be said to be every way actually forgiven, untill it have been committed, confessed, and repented of. But if sinnes to come be actually pardoned to the believer, and that be promised in the Gospel to be received by faith, we desire to know why it may not be revealed to the conscience? What is known by the Word, and apprehended by Faith, that may be known to the renewed conscience, The Word of Truth hath never taught us so to distinguish, and it is not for us to admit what we have not learned from it. Nevertheless, we must not so conceive, as if by every gross sinne the person justified did fall from the state of justification, and favour of God: but the state of the person sinning must be distinguished from the actual pardon of particular sinnes commited after effectual calling. 6. Forgiveness of sinne is to be considered in respect of the execution of the sentence. For so long as sinne abideth in us, and we be subject to the displeasure of God, and temporal chastisements by reason of our offences, the sentence of pardon hath not taken full effect. If it be objected, that the remission of the sinnes of the justified is full and perfect: The answer is, that the remission of the sinnes of the justified, is full and perfect, not for that they are already freed actually from the inherence of sinne, and the displeasure of God disliking it: but because they have full title unto, and right in that mercy of God, which as it hath already delivered them from the dominion and condemnation of sinne, so it will in the end wholly free them, from the inherence of it, the displeasure of God disliking it, and all the temporal chastisements that do light upon us. 7. The full and perfect consummation of forgiveness is not obtained till the Day of Judgment when we shall be discharged openly by the Judg himself, before the Tribunall of Grace. Repent, Act. 3.19.that your sinnes may be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come. The sinnes which are pardoned in this life, are pardoned in the life to come.
Q How is he to be qualified that would make this Petition?
A. He must acknowledg his sinnes with grief and godly sorrow,Joel. 1.13, 14. 1 Joh. 1.9. Jer. 14.20. Psal 143.2. Isa. 53.5. Ezra 9.5, 6 7. Dan. 9.7, 8. Luk 15.21. Act. 2.37. Luk. 18.13. freely judging and condemning himself before God, with hope of pardon in the free mercy of God through Jesus Christ. Confession, sorrow and faith are required in him, that would crave forgiveness of his offences.
Q. Are sinnes called our Debts in the same sense that bread is ours?
A. No: Bread is ours because it is given unto us by the gift of God: Sinnes are ours,Act 3.19. 1 Joh. 1.9. & 2.12. & 4.9. Apoc. 1.5. Jer. 31.33. because we stand guilty of them, and the blame is justly imputed to us. We therefore sustaining and confessing the fault, do implore mercy of God for pardon. Wherein we do not use any excuse, or lay the blame upon any other: but judge our selves, and fly to the clemency of God in Jesus Christ.
Q. What is the ground of this Petition?
Ezek. 36.25, 26. Exo. 34.6 7. Psal. 86.15, 16. Psal. 145.8. & 103.8. Dan. 9.18, 19. 2 Chro. 7.14. Hos. 14.1, 2. Isa. 1.18. & 40.2. & 43.25. & 44.22. Psal. 130.3. & 27.7. Jer. 31.34 Micah 7.19. 2 Chro. 6.25, 26, 27.A. That God in Christ Jesus is most gracious and mercifull, ready to pardon iniquity, transgression and sinne, not only giving the penitent leave to ask mercy, but commanding them to pray with assiance to be heard.
Q What do we acknowledg in this Petition?
Gen. 1.27. Eccl. 7.29. Luk. 5.31. 1 Chro. 21.17. 2 Chro. 6.37. & 29.6. Psal. 143.2. Prov 20 9. Dan 9.5. Rom. 3.9. 1 Joh. 1.9.A. We acknowledg that God made us just and upright, but that we are most miserable and wretched sinners, corrupt by nature, sinfull by practice. Also we acknowledg that we are starke bankrupts unable to make satisfaction for the least offence, or to discharge the least penny of our debt. For every man is bound to keep the law wholly and continually, so that the breach thereof even once, and in the least point, maketh us debtors: But no man can avoid the breach of it, or when he hath broken it, make amends unto God for it; considering that whatsoever he doth after the breach, is both imperfectly done, and if it were perfect, yet it is due by obligation of the Law, and therefore cannot go for paiment, no more then a man can pay one debt with another. Therefore we are compared to a Child new born, red with blood, not able to wash nor to help himself:Ezek. 16.4, 5. and to captives close shut up in prison and setters,Luk 4.18. Mat 12.29. kept by a strong one; so that there is as small likelihood of our deliverance out of the power of Satan, as that a poor Lamb should deliver it self from the gripes and pawes of a Lyon. Lastly, We acknowledg that with God there is mercy to cover our offences,Psal. 32.5, 6. & 51.5, 6.7. & 130.3. Col. 1.14. and to forgive the guilt and punishment of our transgressions great and small.
Q. What desire you of God in this Petition?
A. That God of his free mercy in Jesus Christ would fully pardon and forgive all our offences,Act. 5.31. Isa. 44.22. Act. 10.43. Psal. 51.2. Isa. 43.25. Mat. 1.21. Rom. 5.9. and cancell our obligation, that in law it be not available against us.
Q. Do we here pray for the sinnes of this Day, as before for the Bread of this Day?
A. Not only for them, but also for all that ever we have done at all times before, to the end that we might be the further confirmed in the assurance of the remission of all our sins.
Q. What do we pray for more particularly?
A. 1. In respect of them that be without, we pray. First, That God would give them repentance to turn from their evil waies;Jer. 5.7. Act. 5.31. & 11.18. Jer. 31.18. Act. 8.22. Mal. 1.9. 1 Joh. 5.16. Jam. 5.15. Exo. 32.31. Act. 7.60. that considering how many and great and grievous their sinnes be, they might seriously humble themselves before God, and amend their lives. Secondly, That he would give them faith to believe in the grace of God through Jesus Christ, that upon the sight of sinne they be not swallowed up in despair. Thirdly, That God would apply that mercy of his reaching to forgiveness, unto them that are yet Children of wrath, over whom his anger yet abideth through unbelief: These things we ask in respect of our Brethren by grace of election, yet uncalled.
2. For our selves that do believe, we ask. First, That God would blot out the remembrance of sinnes past: Not that God can play fast and loose,Psal. 25.11. Psal. 130.2, Hos 14.3. Psal. 143.2. Mat 9 12. 3. or say and unsay, nor that we ought to beg what we have obtained: but we have obtained remission of sinnes in a fort only, not perfectly. For notwithstanding our assurance of forgiveness, if the eye be taken off Christ never so little, the remembrance of former sinnes will disquiet afresh. Now since pardon of sin past is assured by faith, it followeth that we must ask it as long as we live: because faith ever looks to Christ as an humble Petitioner. Secondly,Psal. 79.8. We ask the continuance of his grace, that his mercifull pardon may be a gift without repentance. For in this life our justification is not fully executed, but continued: and God who continueth his mercy towards us, willeth that we should ask it daily by hearty supplication.
3. We ask the manifestation of it,Rom. 8.15.16 Eph. 1.13. that he would make us see and feel this forgiveness of his; For our faith is weak, the spiritual sight of our souls is dimme, and the comfortable apprehension of mercy little, and sometimes none at all. Now we get by this Petition our faith confirmed, our sight cleared, our sense restored, our comfort encreased. To this branch therefore must be referred these three things as asked by us. First,Psal. 51 8, 9, 10, 22. That God would heal the doubtings and darkness of our minds. Secondly, that he would strengthen our faith to full assurance in this point, that our sinnes are pardoned. Thirdly, That he would make us feel our peace in the joy following it.
4. Every day we sinne, and every day we must beg both the sense and feeling of sinne and pardon of grace and faith to believe the remission of them.Psal. 130.3. & 143.2. 1 Reg. 8 36. 2 Chro 6.25. 1 Joh. 2.1, 2. Psal. 51.2, 7. 2 Chro. 6.26, 27. Psal. 103.2, 13 Mal. 3.17. Sins of daily incursion have a pardon of course, but …t is required that we humble our selves, and sue for mercy: Sinnes notorious are not actually forgiven, till they be actually repented of.
5. We ask in this Petition, that God would execute the sentence of forgiveness every day more and more, killing and crucifying the sinne that abideth in us, sparing us as a Father doth his Children, removing from us those temporal chastisements which our sinnes might every way bring upon us, to our great smart: for though God as a Judg hath pardoned our sinnes, yet as a Father he may scourge them in us, though we be freed from the guilt of condemnation; yet God is displeased with our sinnes that be inherent, and do oft break out in us.
6. We desire that God would keep us from security, hardness of heart and impenitency,Psal. 19.12, 13. Psal. 130.3. Zech. 12.10. Mar. 9.24. that he would quicken us by his spirit continually with sighes and groanes to crave pardon and forgiveness, and carefully to maintain peace and communion with his Majesty in the use of all holy means that he hath ordained for this end. After once we have tasted the mercy of God, we are apt to grow secure, careless, unmindfull of his love, slothfull in the use of his Ordinances, forgetfull of our accounts, ready to runne into arrerages: Therefore we pray that God would keep us by his Spirit, that the world by her allurements might not steal our hearts away, that no slumber in this kind possess us: but that every day we call our selves to reckoning, and sue out a pardon for our offences, that our peace with God might be continued, and our comfort encreased in assurance of his love.
7. We pray that our hearts might be inclined more and more to love,Eph. 4 32. Col. 3 12, 13. gentleness and compassion towards our enemies, that we might have the greater comfort in confidence that God hath forgiven us.
8. We pray that we may be acquitted from all sinne, before the Tribunal of Grace, at the Dreadfull Day of Judgment, and that the sentence of absolution may take full effect at that time.
9. As we desire forgiveness of sinnes: so do we pray to be accepted as righteous unto life in Jesu… Christ.2 Cor. 1.30. 2 Cor. 5.21. Phil. 3.8, 9. For as it is not enough for a begger to come before a King, to ha…e his rags taken from him, unless he have convenient Apparel and Ornaments: so for us it is not enough to have our filthiness done away, unless we be clothed with convenient righteousness; not enough to put off our Shakels and Manacles, unless we be decked with Garters and Bracelets.