QUEST. CXCIV. What do we pray for the fifth petition?
ANSW. In the fifth petition, [which is, Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors] acknowledging that we, and all others, are guilty both of original and actual sin, and thereby become debtors to the justice of God; and that neither we, nor any other creature, can make the least satisfaction for that debt. We pray for ourselves and others, that God of his free grace would, through the obedience and satisfaction of Christ apprehended and applied by faith, acquit us both from the guilt and punishment of sin, accept us in his Beloved, continue his favour and grace to us, pardon our daily failings, and fill us with peace and joy, in giving us daily more and more assurance of forgiveness, which we are the rather emboldened to ask, and encouraged to expect when we have this testimony in ourselves, that we, from the heart, forgive others their offences.
Having been directed, in the former petition, to pray for outward blessings; we are now led to ask for forgiveness of sin; and it is with very good reason that these two petitions are joined together, inasmuch as we cannot expect that God should give us the good things of this life, which are all forfeited by us, much less, that we should have them bestowed on us in mercy, and for our good, unless he is pleased to forgive those sins, whereby we provoke him to withhold them from us: Neither can we take comfort in any outward blessings, while our consciences are burdened with a sense of the guilt of sin, and we have nothing to expect, as the consequence thereof, but to be separated from his presence; therefore we are taught to pray, that God would forgive us our sins, as one evangelist expresses it, or our debts, as it is in the other.
From whence it may be observed, in general, that sin is a debt. As it is contrary to the holiness of God, it is a stain and blemish, a dishonour and reproach to us; as it is a violation of his law it is a crime; and, as to what respects the guilt which we contract hereby, it is called a debt; which is the principal thing considered in this petition. There was a debt of obedience demanded from us as creatures: and, in case of the failure hereof, or any other sin committed by us, there was a threatening denounced, pursuant to the sanction of the law, from whence arises a debt of punishment; and in this respect it is that we are directed, more especially, in this petition, to pray for forgiveness. There are several things which respect the nature of forgiveness, as founded on the satisfaction given by Christ, as our Surety: which have been largely insisted on under some foregoing answers[121]: Therefore, the method we shall observe, in considering the subject-matter of this petition, shall be,
I. To take a view of sinful man as charged with guilt, and rendered uneasy under a sense thereof.
II. How he is to address himself to God by faith and prayer for forgiveness. And,
III. The encouragement which he has to hope that his prayer will be answered. Under which head we shall take occasion to consider how far that disposition which we have to forgive others, is an evidence hereof.
I. Concerning the charge of guilt upon us, and that uneasiness which is the consequence thereof. Here we consider the sinner as apprehended and standing before God, the Judge of all; an accusation brought in against him, in which he is charged with apostacy and rebellion against his rightful Lord and Sovereign, and, as the consequence thereof, his nature is vitiated and depraved, his heart deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; from whence proceed all actual transgressions, with their respective aggravations, which, according to the tenor of the law of God, deserve his wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come[122]. And this charge is made good against him by such convincing evidence, that he must be very much unacquainted with himself, and a stranger to the law of God, if he does not see it: But if we suppose him stupid, and persisting in his own vindication, through the blindness of his mind, and hardness of his heart, and ready to say with Ephraim, In all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me, that were sin, Hos. xii. 8. yet the charge will, notwithstanding, appear to be just, and every mouth shall be stopped, and they are forced to confess themselves guilty before God: Upon this, conscience is awakened, and trembles at the thoughts of falling into the hands of an absolute God, who appears no otherwise to him than as a consuming fire; his terrors set themselves in array against him, and this cannot but fill him with the greatest anguish, especially because there is no method which he can find out, to free himself from that misery, which he dreads as the consequence thereof.
If he pretends to extenuate his crimes, it will not avail him; and if his own conscience does not come in as a witness against him, as having been a party concerned in the rebellion, it is an argument that it is rendered stupid by a continuance therein: Nothing that it can allege in its own vindication, will be regarded in the court of heaven, but rather tend to add weight to the guilt he has contracted; for the omniscience of God will bring an unanswerable charge against him, as being a transgressor of his law, and thereby liable to condemnation, upon which, vindictive justice will demand satisfaction.
If he makes an overture to pay the debt, he must either yield sinless obedience, which is impossible, from the nature of the thing; or bear the stroke of justice, and suffer the punishment that is due to him, which, if he is content to do, he knows not what it is to fall into the hands of the living God, or to be plunged into an abyss of endless misery. If he thinks that he shall be secure by flying from justice, this would be a vain attempt, since God is omnipresent; and there is no darkness or shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves, Job xxxiv. 52.
Nothing therefore remains, but that he make supplication to his Judge, that he would pass by the crimes he has committed, without demanding satisfaction: But this is to desire, that he would act contrary to the holiness of his nature; which would be such a blemish on his perfections, that he is obliged to reject: What is this but to relinquish his throne, deny his sovereignty, and act contrary to his own law, which is the rule of his government, whereby sinners will take occasion to transgress, expecting that they may do this with impunity?
But, is there no intercessor that will plead his cause, or appear for him in the court of heaven? this cannot be done but by one who is able to make an atonement, and thereby secure the glory of divine justice, by having the debt transferred or placed to his account, and giving a full satisfaction for it; but this belongs to none but our Lord Jesus Christ, who has obtained redemption and forgiveness through his blood; and none can take encouragement from hence, but he that addresses himself to God by faith, which we are now considering the sinner as destitute of, and therefore the charge of guilt remains upon him. And it is certain, that the consequence hereof is such, as will tend to fill him with the greatest uneasiness under the burthen that lies on his conscience, which has a perpetual dread of the execution of the sentence that is in force against him. This wounds his spirits; and it is impossible for any one to apply healing medicines, but by directing him according to the prescription contained in the gospel, to seek forgiveness in that way in which God applies it, in and through a Mediator.
II. We are now to consider, how a person is to address himself to God by faith and prayer for forgiveness, which is the principal thing designed in this petition. Here it is to be acknowledged, that when we draw nigh to God, it is with a sense of guilt, and, it may be, with great distress of conscience, arising from it; yet it differs very much from what was observed under the last head, when we considered a sinner as standing before an absolute God, without any hope of obtaining forgiveness, since that cannot but fill him with dread and horror; whereas, this is an expedient for his obtaining a settled peace of conscience; and, indeed, there is nothing of greater importance, than our performing this duty in a right manner. And, in order thereunto, let it be considered,
1. That when we pray for forgiveness of sin it is supposed, that none can bestow this blessing upon us but God. No one has a right to forgive an offence, but he against whom it is committed: This will appear, if we consider sin as a neglect or refusal to pay a debt of obedience, which is due from us, to God, and consequently it would be an invading his right, for any one who had no power to demand it, to pretend to give a discharge to the sinner as an insolvent debtor: This would be to act like the person mentioned in the parable, who was appointed indeed, to receive his lord’s debts, but not to cancel them; and therefore, our Saviour calls him an unjust steward; and he is said to have wasted his lord’s goods, by compounding the debts which were owing to him without his order, Luke xvi. 1. & seq. Now, since obedience, as it is a religious duty is due to God alone; it is only he that can give a discharge to those who have not performed it: and since it belongs to him as a judge and law-giver, to punish offenders, it would be the highest affront to him for a creature to pretend to this prerogative; and therefore God appropriates it to himself, when he says, I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, Isa. xliii. 25. which expression is to be understood of him exclusive of all others; accordingly, when the Jews charge our Saviour with blasphemy on his forgiving sins, and say, Who can forgive sins but God only? the proposition was true, how false soever the inference, which they deduce from thence to disprove his Deity, might be. We shall now consider,
2. That all ought to pray for forgiveness, and in what sense this is to be done,
(1.) All ought to pray for forgiveness: One would think, that this is so evident, and agreeable to the condition of fallen man, as well as founded on many scriptures, and expressly commanded in this petition, which we are explaining, that it is needless to give a farther proof of it; but this we are obliged to do, inasmuch as some have asserted that a justified person ought not to pray for pardon of sin, since this is what is already done: This is an inference from what they advance, who plead for actual justification from eternity; and therefore it is, as they suppose, equally absurd for such an one to pray, that God would forgive him, as it is to pray that he would choose them to eternal life, or that Christ would satisfy divine justice for the sins of his people, which he has already done. It is, indeed, not very easy to understand what some persons mean, when they insist on this subject, inasmuch as they lay down propositions, without sufficiently explaining them; and whatever they allege in their vindication, that they intend nothing else hereby but what is agreeable to the sentiments of the reformed churches, it is certain, that they advance several things, or, at least, make use of such unguarded expressions as are altogether disowned by them; and, at the same time, give occasion to some, to run into the contrary extreme, who, for fear of being thought to assert eternal justification, deny the eternal purpose of God relating thereunto.
But whatever they intend when they say, that a justified person ought not to pray for pardon of sin; the contrary to this is sufficiently evident from scripture. For every believer is a justified person; therefore, if we have any instance of believers praying for the pardon of sin, this sufficiently confutes that absurd notion which we are opposing. Now that many have prayed for pardon of sin, who have, at the same time, been true believers, is evident, from David’s praying for the pardon of sin, as he often does: Thus he says, in Psal. xxv. 11. For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great; and yet, at the same time, he expresses himself like a justified person; O my God, I trust in thee, ver. 2. and ver. 5. Thou art the God of my salvation: And, in Psal. cxliii. 2. he prays, Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified; yet, at the same time, he appears to be a believer; for he speaks, in ver. 8. of his trusting in, and lifting up his soul to God, and fleeing to him, that he would hide him, ver. 9. which are all acts of justifying faith; and, in Psal. li. 1. he prays, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness; according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions; and, in ver. 9. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities: Whereas he had an intimation before from God, that he had pardoned his sin, 2 Sam. xii. 13. which, as appears by the preface to this Psalm, was the occasion of its composure; so that the Spirit of God hereby put words into his mouth, and taught him, notwithstanding the assurance he had from him of his having obtained forgiveness, to pray for it: And the apostle Paul was in a justified state, when he expressed his earnest desire of being found in Christ, not having his own righteousness, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, Phil. iii. 9. This might also be argued from all those scriptures, that represent believers as praying for salvation, which cannot be done without praying for forgiveness of sin, as being inseparably connected therewith. I shall therefore add no more concerning the obligation which all are under, to pray for the pardon of sin, but proceed to consider,
(2.) In what sense we are to pray for it. This may, without much difficulty, be determined, if we rightly state the doctrine of justification, which, if it be considered as an immanent act in God, or the eternal purpose of his will, not to impute sin, which is what divines call decretive justification, it is to be allowed, that this is no more to be prayed for than eternal election; neither are we to pray, that Christ may be constituted the Head and Surety of his elect, or, that he might finish transgressions, make an end of sin, and bring in an everlasting righteousness, for that is already done. But, inasmuch as the scripture often speaks of justification as consisting in the application of Christ’s righteousness, or that right we have to lay claim to it, which is styled justification by faith, and is the only foundation on which we build our hope, that we have an interest in what Christ did and suffered, and are thereby discharged from guilt and condemnation. This cannot be before we believe; and in this sense we pray that God would justify us: Now since forgiveness of sin is a branch of justification, it is, in this sense that we pray for the pardon of sin. And this includes in it,
[1.] An earnest desire that God would not lay those sins to our charge that we daily commit; or, that he would not, as the Psalmist says, enter into judgment with us, Psal. cxliii. 2. And, as the consequence hereof, we pray, that God would not punish us as our iniquities deserve. This is to pray for the application of Christ’s righteousness as the ground and foundation of our claim to forgiveness.
[2.] We are to pray for the comfortable fruits and effects of forgiveness, that being justified by faith, we may have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and access by faith, into this grace wherein we stand, Rom. v. 1, 2. or, that we may be able to conclude, that our persons and services are accepted in the Beloved; and that Christ hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.
[3.] We are to pray for the assurance or comfortable sense hereof, that hereby we may rejoice in hope of the glory of God: And, inasmuch as we daily contract guilt, we are to pray that this blessing may be daily applied to us, and that, both living and dying, we may be dealt with as those who are interested in Christ’s righteousness as our Surety and Redeemer.
If it be objected, that pardon of sin is a blessing that every believer has; and therefore he ought not to pray for it. To this I answer, that there are many privileges which God does, or will certainly bestow upon his people, which they are, nevertheless, to pray for; otherwise they, who are in a state of grace, are not to pray for perseverance in grace; because they are assured that it shall be maintained unto salvation, according to God’s promise: And, indeed, whatever promises are contained in the covenant of grace, a believer ought not, according to this method of reasoning, to pray that God would apply them to him, and so glorify his faithfulness in accomplishing them, since he is certainly persuaded that he will do it; whereas, all allow that we are to pray for this privilege: Therefore, if we have a full assurance that God has forgiven our sins; yet, inasmuch as we daily contract guilt, we are daily to pray, that he would not lay it to our charge, or deal with us as our iniquities deserve.
3. We shall now consider, how we are to address ourselves to God, or what views we are to have of him when we pray for forgiveness of sin. This depends on the idea we have of those perfections which he glorifies in bestowing this privilege; and these are, more especially, his mercy, grace and faithfulness, in accomplishing what he has promised in the covenant of grace. As for his justice, that is considered, as will be observed under a following head, as having received a full satisfaction; but this is concerned in the purchase, not in the application of forgiveness; and therefore, though God, in this respect, appears with the glory of a Judge, resolving to make no abatements of the debt which was contracted, that he may thereby express his utmost detestation of the sins committed: in this sense forgiveness is not to be obtained by entreaty; for it is inconsistent with the character of a Judge, to be moved thereby, and contrary to the demands of law and justice. But, on the other hand, when we draw nigh to him, we consider him as a Father who delights in mercy, as it is particularly intimated in the preface to this prayer; and therefore we do not come before him as summoned to stand at his tribunal, and to be weighed in the balance by him, in which respect we would be found wanting, and, if our iniquities should be marked by him, could not stand; but we consider ourselves as invited to come into his presence, in hope of obtaining this privilege; and we consider him as he has revealed himself in the gospel, in which we are told, that there is forgiveness with him, that he may be feared, not as the criminal fears his judge, who is ready to pass sentence upon him; but as a child comes into his father’s presence with such a fear as proceeds from love, and is the result of that encouragement which is given him, that he should be accepted in his sight: And, the great inducement hereunto, is the intimation that he has given thereof in the promises of the covenant of grace, and particularly those that respect forgiveness, in which he has discovered himself as a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, Neh. ix. 17. with whom is plenteous redemption, Psal. cxxx. 7. he also styles himself, Our God, who will abundantly pardon, inasmuch as his thoughts and ways are above ours, as the heavens are higher than the earth, Isa. lv. 7-9. and he has likewise promised that he will cast all the sins of his people into the depths of the sea: Therefore they consider him not only as glorifying his mercy, but as performing his truth, and acting agreeably to his faithfulness, Micah vii. 19, 20. and, all this depends entirely on the discoveries he has made of himself to us through a Mediator: This leads us to consider,
4. The way in which God bestows this blessing, and we are to seek it at his hand by faith and prayer. We have before observed, that it would be an affront to the divine Majesty, to suppose that he will extend mercy to guilty sinners, without securing the glory of his vindictive justice; and this depends wholly on the satisfaction that Christ has given to it: Therefore we are to beg forgiveness for his sake, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation for his sake, that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus; we are therefore first considered as having his righteousness imputed to us, and then this blessing, which we pray for, is applied to us. In this method of praying for forgiveness, we take occasion to adore the wisdom of God, which has found out this expedient to hallow or sanctify his own name, as well as secure to us an interest in his love, and, at the same time, we express the high esteem we have for the person of Christ, who has procured it for us, as also the infinite value of the price he paid in order thereunto; and we refer our cause to him, that, as our Advocate, he would appear on our behalf, in the merit of his obedience and sufferings; that our petition may be granted in such a way, that God hereby may have the highest revenue of glory redounding to himself, and we receive the blessings consequent thereupon.
5. We are now to consider the frame of spirit with which we are to pray for forgiveness. There is no grace but what is to be exercised in prayer, agreeably to the subject-matter thereof; and it is evident, from the nature of the thing, that when we pray for forgiveness, it ought to be with a penitent frame of spirit: Accordingly repentance and forgiveness of sins are often connected in scripture. Thus it is said, Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, Acts iii. 19. not that we are to suppose that repentance, or any other grace, is the cause of God’s secret purpose or determination to forgive sin, or, that he accepts of it as any part of that atonement or satisfaction which his justice requires to be made for it; for this is to ascribe that to it which belongs entirely to Christ’s righteousness; yet repentance is so far necessary to forgiveness, that it would be a very preposterous thing for any one to ask this favour either of God or man without it. Not to repent of a crime committed, is, in effect, a pleading for it, and a tacit resolution to persist in it, which disqualifies us from pleading a pardon; and it would be contrary to the divine perfections for God to give it to those who hereby do, as it were, practically disown their need of it.
Now the necessity of repentance, in those who are praying and hoping for forgiveness, appears from the connexion that there is between it, and all other graces; which, though distinguished, are not separated from it, and they are, all of them, necessary to salvation, which we can, by no means attain to, without being forgiven.
III. We proceed to consider, the encouragement that they, who plead for forgiveness with the exercise of faith, repentance and other graces, have to expect, that they shall be heard and answered; and more particularly, how far that disposition, which we have to forgive others is an evidence thereof.
1. Grace exercised, is an evidence of forgiveness. This appears, in that it is a work and fruit of the Spirit, a branch of sanctification, and an earnest of eternal life; and, in this respect, that good work may be truly said to be begun, which God will certainly carry on, and perfect in glory: of this, I say, every grace, provided it be true and genuine, is an evidence, from whence we may conclude our right to forgiveness, or justification, which is inseparably connected with it; as the apostle says, Whom he called, them he justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified, Rom. viii. 30.
2. We are now to consider how far, or in what respect, our exercising forgiveness towards others, is an evidence of our having obtained forgiveness from God, which is the sense given in those words, as we forgive our debtors. We may here observe the variation of the expression in Matthew and Luke; in the former it is said, Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and, in the latter, Forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. There is a little difficulty contained in the sense of the particles, AS and FOR, which must be so explained, that the sense of the petition, in both evangelists may appear to be the same: Therefore, when Matthew says, Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, the particle AS, is not a note of equality, but of similitude; and accordingly it signifies, that we are to forgive others, even as God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven us; or, as we hope to obtain forgiveness from him; though, if we compare these two together, there is an infinite disproportion between them, as to the injuries forgiven, and other circumstances that attend the action. The injuries that are done to us are very small, if compared with the crimes that we commit against God; and when we are said to forgive them, there is no comparison between it and that forgiveness which we desire from the hand of God. God’s forgiving us is, indeed, a motive to us to forgive others, but one is not the measure, or standard of the other: It therefore implies, that while we ask for forgiveness, we ought to do it with a becoming frame of spirit, as those who are inclined to forgive others, and, at the same time to bless God, that he has wrought this disposition in us; and, so far as we make use of it, as an argument in prayer, the meaning thereof is, that since he has made it our duty, and we trust, has also given us this grace to forgive others; we hope, that he will, in like manner, forgive us our trespasses.
We are now to consider the petition as laid down by the evangelist Luke; Forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us: which is, for substance, the same with that in Matthew, as but now explained: Accordingly the particle FOR, is not causal, but demonstrative; and therefore we are not to understand it as though our forgiving others were the ground and reason of God’s forgiving us, since that would be to put it in the room of Christ’s righteousness; but the meaning is, that we are encouraged to hope that he will forgive us, from this demonstrative evidence; since he has given us that grace which inclines and disposes us to forgive others; from whence we have ground to conclude, that we shall obtain the blessing we pray for.
This leads us to consider the nature and extent of forgiveness, as exercised by us, and our obligation to perform this duty; and when this may be said to be an evidence of our obtaining forgiveness from God.
First, Concerning the nature and extent of forgiveness, as exercised by us; for the understanding of which, let it be premised,
[1.] That the injuries that are done us, are to be considered either as they contain an invasion upon, or denying us those rights which belong to us, agreeably to that station and condition in life, in which the providence of God has fixed us: these must be reckoned injuries, because they are detrimental to us, and acts of injustice; or, they may be farther considered, as crimes committed against God, inasmuch as they infer a violation of the law of nature, which is instamped with his authority; whereby the rights of every particular person are determined, and to deprive us of them, is a sin against God, in the same sense in which sins immediately committed against men, are said to be committed against him. And by this we may be farther led to consider,
[2.] That injuries are only to be forgiven by us, as they are against ourselves; whereas God alone can forgive them as they are against him; and the reason hereof is, because no one can dispense with that punishment which is due for the violation of a law, but the supreme authority. The precept that is to be obeyed, and the sanction that binds over the offender to suffer for his violation of it, must be established by the highest authority. And therefore, inasmuch as the creature cannot demand that obedience which is due to God alone; for the same reason he cannot remit that debt of punishment which belongs only to God to inflict. However, we are to desire, that God would pardon, rather than punish those that have injured us: And this is the only sense in which we may be said to forgive others those crimes that are committed against God, if this may be called forgiveness. But, so far as any injury respects ourselves, as being detrimental to us, it is our duty to forgive it, and not to exercise that private revenge which is inconsistent with the subject-matter of this petition.
[3.] So far as an injury, which more especially respects ourselves, contains in it a violation of human laws, whereby the offender has rendered himself obnoxious to a capital punishment; it does not belong to us, as private persons, to forgive the criminal, so as to obstruct the course of justice, since this is a matter that does not concern us, as not having the executive part of human laws in our power; and to pretend to this, would be not only to violate the laws of men, but to commit an offence against God, who has established the just rights of civil government; therefore, that forgiveness which we are obliged to exercise towards others, does not extend itself to this matter. Nor are we obliged, when we forgive those that have injured us, to be unconcerned about doing justice to ourselves, when it is possible, or at least easy, for us to have redress in the course of law or equity; especially if the damage we sustain hereby, be, in a very great degree, prejudicial to ourselves or families. And if it affects our good name in the world, the forgiving those reproaches that are cast upon us, is not inconsistent with our using endeavours to vindicate our own reputation; though it may be, this can hardly be done without exposing him that has done us the injury, to suffer that shame which he brought on himself thereby.
These things being premised, we proceed to consider, the nature and extent of forgiveness, as it is to be exercised by us, so far as the injury committed respects ourselves. This is opposed to our bearing the least degree of malice against the offender, or carrying our resentments too far, by magnifying lesser injuries, and meditating revenge: Nor ought we to be so partial in our own cause, as to deny, or altogether overlook th