indevours for the things which are heavenly are much to be blamed and are to be admonished to overcome this their earthly mindednesse lest their end be damnation because they minde earthly things Phil. 3.19 Vse 2 Let the desires of Christians therefore be fewer and lesse vehement for the things of this life and let their principall care be how their sinnes may be forgiven and the strength thereof abated the particulars whereof come now to be handled in the two next petitions The fifth Petition And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debters Here follow those petitions that concerne the soule and eternall life which as they doe properly tend to the exceeding great benefit of man so do they most excellently serve for the accomplishing the chiefest desire of every good man namely the attaining of the glory of God in the comming of his kingdome and doing of his will For no man is accepted to be a subject of Christs kingdome untill his sinnes be forgiven neither can any man doe the will of God untill he be sanctified and have power against sinne Now because sinne doth hinder Gods glory and mans happinesse our Saviour directeth his Disciples to deprecate sinne and that in two respects First in respect of the guilt and punishment from which they are to desire to be acquitted and justified This is the subject of the fifth petition Secondly in respect of the dominion and power of sinne which is prayed against and is the subject of the last petition These words Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debters containe a petition Forgive us our debts an argument to perswade him that asketh forgivenesse that he is capable of forgivenesse and that hee may be assured he shall be forgiven In the petition come to be cōsidered the subject of it Forgivenesse of debts the circūstāces which do set forth this forgivenesse In the subject of this petition there are to be considered the act of forgivenesse forgive and the object whereabout forgivenesse is exercised namely our debts Debts that is sinnes so Saint Luke saith Forgive us our sins And because it is set downe in the plurall number and indefinitely by debts or sinnes wee must understand all sinnes both originall and actuall veniall or smaller sinnes deadly or greater sinnes the smallest are not so little that they need no pardon and the greatest are not so hainous as that they cannot be pardoned Sinnes are called debts by similitude because man stood bound by the law first written in mans nature and after in tables of stone unto perfect obedience with this obligation Gen. 2.17 Deut. 27.26 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 miseries in this world and eternall destruction in the world to come This forfeit Adam and Eve did make and in them all mankinde who daily adde unto this debt by their actuall sinnes the guilt punishment of these sinnes are the object of forgivenesse Forgive Forgivenesse is an act of grace whereby a man is acquitted from the whole guilt and is released of all the punishment of his sinne in such sort that nothing can be layed to his charge In this act of forgiving Rom. 8.33 allusion is made unto the acts of creditors to their debtors which stand bound to them in obligations to pay certaine summes of money or upon not payment to forfeit a far greater summe Now when the debter doth make this forfeit and is no way able of himselfe to discharge it if the creditor doth forbeare to sue the debtor and doth freely cancell 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 a judge towards such subjects as by transgressing the law had forfeited their lives into the hands of justice Now when the King of his meere 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 Now because forgivenesse of sinnes is of the greatest consequence that can concerne man and because justification of a sinner and this act of forgivenesse is much mistaken by some wilfully by others ignorantly I will endeavour in opening the meaning of this word forgive as distinctly and as clearly as I can to shew what our desire extendeth unto when we say forgive shewing First what things do necessarily go before forgivenesse of our sinnes Secondly what it is to have them forgiven Thirdly what are those immediate effects of forgivenesse which are comprehended under it Before any man can have his sinnes forgiven two things are required First that satisfaction bee made unto the justice of God who is the partie offended by Sinne. Secondly that there bee a qualification of the partie to be forgiven by faith whereby he doth apply to himselfe the interest which he hath in the satisfaction before mentioned For although Gods forgiving of sins be in many things like mans forgiving of men their trespasses yet in this it differeth much Man by a meere single act of mercie forgiveth without satisfaction else it were no forgivenesse but in Gods forgiving there is an act of mercie mixed with justice For the Scripture saith that without shedding of bloud Heb. 9.22 that is without satisfaction and expiation for sinne there is no remission Not but that God by his absolute power and meere mercy could have forgiven mans sinne without any satisfaction of his justice Exod. 34.6 For mercie is as naturall to God as is justice and God was in himselfe free to either being no more tyed by his justice to punish sinners than by his mercie to forgive them God doth nothing out of himselfe by any naturall necessitie but doth all things freely according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 1.9 And if he had so pleased he might as well out of his meere mercie have pardoned a sinner without any satisfaction as to account the guilt and inflict the punishment of mans sinne upon another upon Christ a suretie in himselfe innocent and to accept of that punishment for satisfaction But God intending to bring more glorie to his holy Name and to shew his more abundant love unto man in doing him a greater good he did in his holy wisdome make choice rather of saving man by a way of mercie tempered with justice whereby the glorie of more of his Attributes and Excellencies might shine forth and man being by this way incorporated into Christ his Saviour his salvation is made sure for ever Whereas if God had by a single act of mercie pardoned man and then have left him to stand upon his owne bottome he had remained in a great likelihood of falling againe into a like state of condemnation God intending thus to glorifie himselfe and to save man in a way of mercie but not without satisfaction
on Christ Iesus who is the surety for man And be wee sure to confesse and aske forgivenesse of this debt and never give over untill it have pleased God to seale an acquittance unto our consciences by his Spirit which he will give to all that aske it This wee should doe Luk. 11. â—5 because sinne is a debt and that of most dangerous consequence Debts Our Saviour doth not say debt as speaking of one debt or of one kinde of debt but hee saith debts that is all kinde of sinnes as well veniall as mortall if we may use that distinction as well small as great From hence observe Doct. 10 Whosoever would be justified before God must be beholding to God for the free forgivenesse of all his sinnes as well as of any David saith Hee forgiveth all thine iniquities Psal 103.3 Reas 1 All sinnes are mortall and of themselves damnable For Cursed is every one that conâ—inueth not in all things written iâ— the Law to doe them Gal. 3.10 Wherefore if all sinnes be not pardoned a man abideth under the curse there denounced Reas 2 All sinnes are veniall and pardonable in Christ to all beleevers and penitent persons therfore they may expect pardon of all as well as of any one This confuteth the tenent of Vse 1 Papists which hold that such sinnes which they call veniall doe not deserve hell and may be done away by crossing and knocking the brest by holy water by any worke of charitie and such slight satisfactions Let all that will be saved be Vse 2 glad they may bee beholding unto GOD for pardon of all their sinnes and let us aske for remission of all sinnes God can as well pardon all and the greatest sinnes as one of the least and the least sinne hath need to be pardoned as well as the greatest for a Musket shot will kill as well as the shot of a great Ordenance As we forgive our debters These words are the reason serving to strengthen the faith of such as are to aske forgivenesse Here therfore we learne Doct. 11 In asking forgivenesse of sinne it is meet that reasons be used to expresse what ground a man hath to aske and to expect forgivenesse Thus David yeeldeth reasons why God should have mercy on him first from his tender mercy then from his owne confession of his sins then from his faith in Christ and from the effects which would follow upon Gods shewing mercy to him all which may be plainely seene in Psal 51.1.3.7 c. Reason Apt reasons serve much to imbolden and incourage a sinner to come before God and this he hath need of because Satan hath many devices to keepe him from asking forgivenesse as sometimes to hide from his sight the uglinesse and danger of sinnes causing him to forget his sinne or to thinke there is no great need of pardon Iâ— this fetch of his will not prevaile then he setteth all his sins before him and stretcheth them upon the tenters of aggravation making them seeme bigger than they are pleading Gods wrath and justice against them Now against arguments of discouragements and feares reasons of asking forgivenesse are very usefull They are therefore to blame Vse 1 who aske forgivenesse of their sinnes and yet cannot render a true reason why they should expect forgivenesse Let all that would breake Vse 2 through all discouragements and would aske forgivenesse of their sins with confidence furnish their hearts with strong arguments taken from Gods nature and Gods commandement to aske and from Gods promise of forgivenesse or from their misery and capablenesse to be forgiven or the like that when they come to GOD in prayer though they are not to goe about to perswade God with arguments to grant that which of himselfe he is not inclined to yet they may use arguments to perswade themselves to aske and hope for forgivenesse As we forgive them that trespasse against us Note here those which make this petition must be able to say truely they forgive others that thereby they may approve themselves to be capable of forgivenesse from God and that they have good reason to expect it Hereby we learne Doct. 12 Whosoever would have God forgive them their sinnes they must be able truely to say they forgive all other their trespasses against them Our Saviour saith If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if you forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Mat. 6.14.15 Also he saith When yee stand praying forgive if yee have ought against any Mark 11.25 God hath expresly commanded Reas 1 every Christian to forgive one another Eph. 4.32 Col. 3.13 Now if man will not for his sake at his commandement forgive one hundred pence why should hee expect that God should forgive him ten thousand talents at his intreatie God hath promised forgivenesse Reas 2 to all that from their heart forgive their brethren their trespasses Mat. 18.35 Mat. 6.14 15. To forgive another in mercy Reas 3 and compassion towards men and in conscience towards God this is a signe that God hath already begun to forgive us because that our forgivenesse of our neighbour is but a reflexe of Gods former forgiving of us for Gods love to us first maketh us love our brethren Now if we can assure our selves God hath begun to pardon us wee may assure our selves hee will againe pardon our sinnes if we aske it Ob. It doth belong onely to God to forgive trespasses Sol. In every wrong done to man there is a double trespasse one against man another against God whose commandement is broken by that trespasse done to man Now it is most true that God onely can forgive the sinne and trespasse against him and no man must presume to forgive the sin comitted against God onely hee is to intreate God to forgive the sinne committed in the wrong done to him as Stevâ— did Acts 7.60 who said Lord lay not their sinne to their charge But forgivenesse spoken of in the point is of forgivenesse not of the sinne but of the wrong and trespasse against man The Scripture alloweth men to require their debts Ob. and if they be wronged to complaine to the Magistrate and for that cause both magistracie and judiciall constitutions were set up in the common-wealth of Israel therefore it may seeme all trespasses are not to be remitted In every wrong done unto us Sol. there are two things concurre First defect of love in him that wrongeth us which is apt to beget the like defect in us to cause us to cease to love him yea to spite and seeke revenge The second thing is there is some hurt or damage groweth either to our name life or goods which worketh in us that are wronged desire of satisfaction and recompence for the hurt done unto us The first of these namely their ill will to us must alwayes be forgiven so that all ill will in us to them and all
purpose of revenge must absolutely and utterly be laid downe by us and of this forgivenesse the petition speaketh of requiring of debts and of satisfaction for the second evill in the wrong done to us that is for the hurt and damage wee sustained by the wrong is that which the Scripture alloweth us to require Yet because requiring of debts and satisfactions may proceed from malice and revenge difference must bee put betweene one wrong and another some are small and they do us little damage and the consequence of them cannot bee to any great harme some other wrongs are great which do much hurt our names goods or lives and the consequent of them is great Againe satisfactions must be distinguished some are to be made to the Magistrate others unto the partie wronged Now all those smaller wrongs which are no great blemish to our name or any great empairing of our goods or quiet must be remitted even in respect of satisfaction 1. Pet. 4.8 because love should cover all such offences And if we seeke satisfactions in these cases it must needs proceed from want of love and from some degree of revenge except the Magistrate and common-wealth be interessed in the cause and do require us to prosecute such offenders for to make them examples to like offenders but then it must bee done in love and mercy to their persons But if the damage be greater than love is bound to passe by In what case a maÌ„ may go to Law and how because in our name life and goods we are much wronged or the consequent of not seeking satisfaction would be much to our damage or to the dishonour of God and religion as in some cases it falleth out where the matter of the wrong is not alwayes great in such cases the Scripture alloweth us to seeke satisfactions but with these and the like cautions and rules First be sure the cause of the complaint be good and just Secondly that as I said it be a matter of weight 1. Cor. 6.5.6 Thirdly that it be necessary for what may be well composed otherwise must not beâ— brought to the Magistrate Fourthly the prosecution oâ— a suit or complaint must not be in an ill manner as in splâ— and malice or by any indirect and unlawfull courses but 〈◊〉 love and in a legall way Fifthly the end of the proâ—â—cution must be good as to reâ—ver his right without whiâ— he cannot well live withâ— his owne or others great prejudice or it must ayme at the suppression of the wicked Psal 10.17.18 1 Cor. 5.5 Deut. 19.19.20 1. Tim. 2.2 or chiefly at their reformation or for the terrour of others or last of all that we may live in peace The objections being answered and the doctrine thereby explained the uses follow All malicious and revengefull Vse 1 persons who will yet say this petition are hereby condemned of grosse hypocrisie and lying to Gods face when in words they say they do forgive but in truth they do not And withall in saying these words they must know that they make an imprecation against themselves so that God may in justice according to their owne words not forgive them because they do not forgive others And if any leave out this clause out of the Lords Prayer because they hate their brethren they are guilty of no lesse sinne than he that uttereth it in hypocrisie They that revenge themselves upon their neighbours wrong God more than their neighbour could wrong them for they usurpe upon his divine prerogative Ro. 12.19 for vengeance is mine saith God I will repay Therefore they should not give place to wrath for if they would be patient God would right them Let all these unmercifull and revengefull spirits consider what is said in the parable of him that would not forgive his fellow-servant Mat 18.34 He was deliuered to the tormentors and let them also consider that thâ—â— shall be judgement mercilesse 〈◊〉 him that hath shewed no mercie Iam. 2.13 Let everie one that would have God forgive him his sins freely from his heart forgive all those that trespasse and wrong him Let us for this cause put 〈◊〉 bowels of mercie Colos 3.12.13 kindnesse humblenesse of minde meeknesse long suffering forbearing one another and then this will follow forgiving one another No man can wrong us so much as we daily trespasse against God therefore if he forgive us the greater we must forgive the lesse No man can wrong us so much as our Saviour was wronged for us Luk. 23.34 yet he forgave his persecutours and hath left us his example that we should follow his steps And because no man shall have the like provocations that Gods children shall have they have need of much faith wherefore that wee may forgive our brethren untill seven times a day let us with the Disciples pray Lord increase our faith Luk. 17.4 5. If any man have a mercifull heart though sometimes his Vse 3 heart wil begin to rise and boile against his brother yet if he can and do keep it downe and doth put away al purpose of revenge freely forgiving his brother this man should herein take comfort because he may with boldnesse aske and expect of God that he will forgive him For mercy rejoyceth against judgement Iam. 2.13 The sixt Petition And leade us not into temptation but deliver us from evill When a man having beene wearied with the burden of the guilt of sinne and with the feare of Gods wrath hath at the length by earnest sute obtained forgivenesse of all his sinnes and also peace with God his next desire and care is how he may keepe this peace by endeavouring to spend the rest of his time in holinesse willing in all things to please God The thing contrary to this holinesse is the act of sinne which is here called evill The cause of this evill is temptation both which are deprecated in this petition and the contrary namely good motions unto holinesse with perseverance therein are prayed for The subject therefore of this petition is sanctification consisting of abstinence from evill and perseverance in doing that which is good The place and order of this petition is excellent for by obtaining what is here asked a man keepeth his peace with God and holdeth the assurance of pardon of his sinnes Secondly holines bringeth with it convenient meanes for this present life for it hath the promise thereof 1. Tim. 4.8 or contentment with want 1. Tim. 6.6 Thirdly it enableth a man to do the will of God on earth Fourthly it is a proofe that the kingdome of God is come unto him Lastly when grace is obtained and sinne beaten downe in the same measure Gods name shall be glorified Thus it appeareth how all the petitions in a perfect order are linked one to another all the five latter serving the first and principall namely the glory of God in hallowing his name This petition is propounded in two sentences joyned together
fourth thing to bee considered is the end which God proposeth and attaineth by permitting and ordering of the sinnes of men far different from those which men propose in committing of them which ends are holy good namely to set forth his owne glory and that many wayes as by discovering the impotency of the creature what need it hath to depend upon the creator for that man though perfect yet could not stand for want of a speciall grace to support him also to manifest his owne freedome and absolutenesse over his creature besides that his wisdome saw that permitting sinne in such a way as could no way impeach his holinesse it would make way for the manifestation of his power in his infinite grace and mercy mixed with justice towards some and in his infinite justice towards others This hee did not that he could not glorify himselfe otherwise but for that in his holy wisdome he held it fitteâ—â—â—o glorify himselfe thus But the end of the proper causes of sin is alwayes naught namely envy against man and malice against God was the cause why Satan tempted man to sinne the satisfying of some vile lust is the cause why man enticeth and is enticed unto sinne Why might not God first permit sinne to be in the world that so a cleere way might bee made to the manifestation of his holinesse in hatred of sinne and in his just revenge upon sinners in which respect though sinne was no way good in acting yet it was good that it should be acted And since the fall his end of giving up the wicked unto abhominable sins is to shew his displeasure in his righteous punishing of one sinne with another for this hee holdeth to bee a meet and equall punishment as he saith of the Romans Rom. 1.17 They received in themselves that recompence of their errour aâ— waâ— meete He doth thus dispose of their sinnes that it may also appeare that he hath just cause to damne them at the day of judgement Wherfore though sinne be evill yeâ— the punishment of sinne is 〈◊〉 evill but exceeding good The ends of the Lords permitting and disposing of the temptations and sinnes of the elect are manifold First at the first his permission of sinne to bee through mans fault made way for an object of his mercy since the fall he permitteth hiâ— owne people to be tempted unto sinne to shew his wisedome and power in sustaining theâ— that they do not fall into evill notwithstanding the subtilty of Satan and the dâ—ceitfulnesse of their owne heart or if they 〈◊〉 into sinne he suffereth it that he might shew his grace and mercie in forgiving and his almightie power in rescuing and delivering them out of the power of sinne Also God oftentimes suffereth his owne children to commit some great sinne that hee might discover unto them which do commit it that wickednes of heart which they would never else have acknowledged to be in them And this God doth that he might cure them of their diseases of sinne doing like a skilfull Physitian let them fall into one disease to cure them of a greater as they say they will cast a man into a burning ague to cure him of his Lethargie or like as a cunning Surgeon can gather dispersed humors unto an head and there make an issue whereas he may let out that corruption which otherwise could not be drawne forth even so God by suffering his children to fall into some great sinne letteth out that securitie and pride which else would not be cured and worketh that humiliation repentance and care to shunne sinne afterwards which would not else have beene wrought in them Seeing therefore God hath such good ends moving him to permit sinne and to dispose of it in manner as hath been said he is to be cleared from all imputation of faultinesse in all that he hath to do in the sinnes of men The last thing to be considered is how God standeth affected unto sinne Touching which be it knowne that he hateth it perfectly as it is sinne for he forbiddeth it before it be done he never approveth of it by his approving will when it is done yea he is so displeased with it that he never letteth it go unpunished after it is committed for he hath punished it in Christ for the elect and is daily in punishing of it and reserveth it to bee eternally punished by hell-fire upon the reprobate Thus Gods holinesse is every way cleared though he permitteth sinne and hath an over-ruling hand in mens sinnes God is the cause of the action which is the matter of sinne Ob. therefore of the sinne Here is no sound consequence Sol. for as sinne is an action and is an effect of God it is good and is no sinne Peccatum est defectus nou effectus but sinne is sinne as it is a defect and failing in the action swarving from the rule of righteousnesse which is not caused by God nor by any cause which hath any direct subordination from God the chiefe cause of all things God disposeth of sinne Ob. and worketh in sinne therefore in some respect an author of it Sinne hath reference unto God as it is an object Sol. or subject wherein or whereupon hee worketh disposing it to his own holy ends but it never hath reference unto God as the effect hath to the efficient cause Peccatum quà peccatum est objectum operis nbâ— opus Dei to be wrought by him therefore it doth not follow because he hath a worke concerning it or in it therefore he is a cause of it so long as it cannot be said he doth worke it Ob. God is a cause without which sinne could not be therefore a cause of sinne after a sort Sol. Grant that wirhout God sin could not be yet he is in no sort a cause for this kinde of cause which is called sine qua non is 〈◊〉 truth no cause And all that caâ— be yeelded is that God is onely a cause by accident now causâ—â— by accident are properly no causes No wise man will say the warmth of the Sunne is a true cause of the stinke of carrion which doth not stinke untill the Sunne did shine upon it the cause of the stinke is in the 〈◊〉 thy corrupt matter of the carrion not in the warmth of the Sunne for the same Sunne shining at the same time upon violets occasioneth a sweet smell The Scripture doth seeme to say plainly Ob. that the cause of some mens sinnes have beene of God 1. King 12.15 The King hearkened not to the people for the cause was of God Now in not hearkening to them the King sinned Cause Sol. in that place doth not signifie the proper effecting of a thing causally but a disposing of the proper causes so as they did produce this effect God left Rehoboam to his evill heart and suffered the young counsellours to give counsell according to the pride of their owne hearts by which meanes it
by beleeving a man doth set to his seale that God is true 4 By fearing him So saith the Prophet 1. Pet. 3 1â— Sanctifie the Lord of hasts himselfe let him be your feare and let him be your dread Isaiah 8.13 5 Also by loving him trusting in him and zeale for him for there is the same reason that all the affections of the heart should be for him as well as any one Iob 1.21 6 By confessing with the mouth that he is just in all his judgements so doth Daniel saying Dan. 9.14 The Lord our God is righteous in all the workes that he doth for we obeyed not his voyce Iosh 7.19 Thus Achan is bid to give glory unto the Lord. 7 Also by acknowledging his mercie goodnesse power Rom. 15.6 Rev. 19.7 c. in praises and thanksgiving He that offereth praise glorifieth me saith God Psal 50.23 8 By contending for God and his truth Isa 59.4 9 By ordering the conversation aright both in doing and suffering Herein Ioh. 1â— 8 saith our Saviour is my Father glorified that ye beare much fruit Therefore he exhorteth his disciples unto good works that as lights they may shine before men and glorifie their Father which is in heaven Mat. 5 16. Philip. 1. And Paul was assured Christ should bee magnified in his bodie whether by life or by death And Peter was foretold by what death he should glorifie God Ioh. 20.19 10 Lastly by regarding his holinesse in his titles word and holy ordinances in his holy day the Sabbath and in his children whom he hath made to be an holy people In all these our estimation and speech of them our carriage towards them and use of them must be with speciall respect to God whose holinesse they carrie upon them alwayes putting difference betweene these things and all other which have not the like respect of holinesse Though we cannot in all these hallow Gods name as wee would yet wee must endeavour it that we may be able with the Church to say The desire of our soule is to thy name Now we know the particulars let us give God glory every way and let us make it the end of our life Motivâ—s to hallow Gods Name to know and acknowledge him to be holy It is Gods right as you have heard we were created and redeemed to that end and wee have examples of the best David saith he would speake the praises of the Lord and saith Let all flesh blesse his holy Name for ever and ever Psal 145.21 Christ Iesus hath gone before us in seeking his Fathers honour and not his owne It was Ioabs praise so to order the battell 2 Sam. 12.28 that his Lord and king might have the glorie of the day and not himselfe Ought not all Gods subjects to respect their God more than he did or could respect his king Excellently spake Ioseph that the honour of interpreting dreames might not be given to him It is not in me Gen. 41.16 God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace In like manner Daniel would not assume to himself the power of revealing secrets but saith Dan 2.26.28 There is a God which yeâ—â—alleth secrets The Apostle Iohn when he was in the Spirit heard everie creature which is in heaven and on the earth and such as are in the sea saying Blessing honour glory Rev. 5.13 and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lambe for ever and ever These examples are for our learning so that we must alwayes say with the Psalmist Psal 115.1 Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give glorie If God be glorified by us Ioh 13.32 he also will glorifie us Them that honour me I will honour 1. Sam. 2.30 saith God Thus it may be learned what are the desires and endeavours to which the first petition doth leade us Before I passe to the second one thing must be observed from Christs choice of the word hallowed rather than any other Hallowed When Christ would signifie that God was to be esteemed acknowledged with the absolutest honour that could be he saith hallowed that is let thy Name be known and acknowledged to bee holy Whence we may inferre that Doct. 2 Holinesse is the highest title of honour and glory that can belong to any person yea to the most high God As any person or thing is more holy so is it more honourable When the Seraphins would give God the greatest honour and glory they crie Holy holy Isa 6.3 holy is the Lord of hosts The foure living creatures say Holy holy holy Rev. 4.8 Lord God almighty It was the honour of Ierusalem to be an holy Citie It is the glorie of the third heaven to be the high and holy place Isa 57.15 As men were more holy Psal 16.3 so did David count them more excellent For such whom hee calleth Saints he also calleth excellent And when Christ Iesus will present his Church unto himself a glorious Church he will sanctifie it Eph 5.26.27 Reason and present it holy and without blemish Because holinesse in God is the rectitude and perfection of his power mercie justice and all other his attributes which if they were not all holy could not be good much lesse goodnesse neither could he be God if he were not holy yea holinesse it selfe And as for other things the more they partake of holinesse the more like they are to God and are therfore the more glorious Man at the first was therefore most glorious of all creatures here below because hee was made according to Gods image most holy Vse 1 If holinesse be the highest most honourable title that can bee given then most blasphemous are the Pope and Papists the one for taking to himselfe the other for giving to him a prophane beast and impure Antichrist the title of holinesse in the abstract For the title of holinesse cannot simply be given to any but to God without blasphemie Vse 2 Hereby wee may learne whom to esteeme most honourable most excellent and most worthy our love and goodnes not the most witty most wealthie most beautifull or most noble by birth but as any man is more holy so is he to be held and regarded as most truly honourable Which being so the proud sinfull world erreth foulely in counting themselves the onely men of worth and esteeming the holy ones of God to be base and of no reckoning If to be holy be so honourable and glorious this must perswade Vse 3 men to follow after holinesse Heb. 12.14 Honour is the sharpest spurre to pricke men forward unto any action let it force us upon this of seeking to bee renewed after God in righteousnesse and true holines Be holy Lev. 19.2 saith God for I the Lord your God am holy No honour like this of being an holy man a chosen generation an holy nation
in their mindes hee will write them that is hâ—e will give them faith repentance and their sinnes and iniquities hee will remember no more Here we see that God promiseth to give knowledge of him and faith in him as well as to forgive their sinnes nay therefore hee giveth faith and the knowledge and feare of him that in a way of mercy mixed with justice he may forgive that so as he saith 〈◊〉 righteousnesse being ou◠〈◊〉 faith Rom. 3.26 God might be just 〈◊〉 justifier of him which beleeveth in Iesus Christ elsewhere is said to have given himselfe for us Tit. 2.14 that hee might redeeme us from all iniquity which cannot be meant by satisfying Gods justice onely that so God if hee pleased might forgive iniquity and that man if hee pleased might beleeve as the diefiers of mans free will would have it but that he might purifie us to himselfe which he worketh by his spirit in the exercise of our * Act. 15.9 faith to be a people zealous of good workes This is the very end why God raised Christ and exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour namely to give repentance as well as forgivenesse of sinnes He doth not say Act. 5.32.32 to give forgivenesse of sinnes to the Israell of God if they will beleeve and repent but he saith absolutely to give repentance that is faith and amendment of life that their sinnes past might actually be forgiven Though faith be not in the text named yet it is understood in the word repentance faith being the first part of repentance whereby an unbeleever turneth from his unbeliefe and becommeth a beleever from whence followeth the whole change of a man by repentance to new obedience In this sense repentance is also taken Acts 2.28 as will appeare if we compare Saint Pauls answer to the Iaylours question Acts 16.31 with that of Saint Peters both answering to one and the same question in effect Peter saith Repent and be baptized Paul saith Beleeve and be baptized So that if Christ dyed and rose againe to give repentance and remission of sinnes he dyed and rose againe and was exalted to give faith and forgivenesse of sinnes Faith considerable in and about forgivenesse of sinnes is either primary or secondary The first is a beleeving in Christ that through him our sinnes may be forgiven and that we through him may bee saved The second is a beleeving that our sinnes are forgiven and that by Christ we shall be saved The first is a single and direct act of the soule Ioh. 1.12 receiving Christ and relying upon Christ and upon the promise of forgivenesse and salvation by him by vertue whereof a man is united to Christ and is ingrafted into him and before God is justified The second is a reflect act of the soule whereby in a mans conscience he hath some spirituall sense that he doth beleeve in Christ and that God hath forgiven him his sinnes and hath justified him through Christ by which act God doth by his spirit speake peace and comfort to a mans soule which is not that faith whereby wee stand just before God but that whereby we are assured our sinnes are forgiven and that we are in state of grace through Christ The primarie faith is that which is to bee chiefly prayed for in the behalfe of our selves and others before conversion The secondary faith is chiefly to be prayed for in the behalfe of our selves and others after we beleeve and are in state of grace and salvation Christs righteousnesse wherby a man is justified before God in that it was performed by Christ for man unto God is virtually and in way of right mans righteousnesse even before he doth actually beleeve and that because by the decree of God the Father and in the purpose of Christ it was performed for all that should through him beleeve But this righteousnesse of Christ is not accounted to a man nor yet is his in possession and use untill he doe indeede beleeve I speake of men of yeeres by that primary faith before spoken of nor yet is Christs righteousnesse ours in any comfortable sense of it to our selves untill we beleeve by that secondary faith before mentioned Now secondly I am to shew what it is to have sinnes to be forgiven Forgivenesse in proper speech is an act of Gods mercy in not imputing or accounting to a man his sinnes and thereupon in not punishing him for sinne Which act is called also in Scripture a taking away sinne A covering of sinne a blotting out of sinne a casting it behind his backe and the like To forgive sinne not to impute sinne and to be justified and discharged from the guilt and punishment of sinne is all one Act. 13 38.39 Here the sense of forgivenesse of sinne is to be inlarged and taken synechdocically for our whole justification and salvation that is not onely for freedome from guilt and punishment of sinne unto eternall death but also for acceptation unto favour by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse unto eternall life In this justification these two things are to be considered First the very act of forgivenesse of mans person in respect of Gods not accounting him a sinner Secondly the application and manifestation thereof unto a mans selfe wherby a man hath assurance that his sinnes are pardoned and doth actually injoy the benefits that follow forgivenesse Forgivenesse in both these respects are here meant That this may bee fully and plainely understood consider the whole order of justification It is first in the gracious purpose of the Father to forgive and justifie a sinner wherefore with the Sonne and holy Ghost he did fore-appoint him thereunto Secondly it is in the Sonne who being God and man did actually by his death and resurrection purchase this forgivenesse Thirdly it is in the holy Ghost who doth actually apply the grace and merit of Christ and so maketh a sinner capable of the favour and mercy of the Father through the merit of the Son When this application is made Christ actually by way of intercession presenteth the sinner unto his Father who thereupon doth actually receive him into favour Now after this act of acceptance of a man into favour is passed with GOD through Christ then the holy Ghost doth make application of it unto the conscience of him that is accepted In the justification of a sinner there is a blessed concurrence of the speciall acts of the three Persons in the blessed Trinity God the Sonne having made satisfaction doth also make intercession for him God the Father having imputed his sinnes to his surety Christ ceaseth to account them unto him and accounting Christs righteousnesse to him hee accepteth of him as most righteous The holy Ghost having made an inseparable union betweene Christ and the sinner he doth seale and ratifie this his justification unto him It must be diligently observed that though justification be but one individuall
duty to pray for Reas 1 the dead as well as the living there would have beene some precept or it would have beene commended in some example in Scripture Wherefore wee may conclude in such a case as this from the silence of Scripture that onely the living not the dead are to be prayed for It is vaine and bootlesse to Reas 2 pray for the dead for either they be carried by the Angels into heaven where they need not our prayers Luk. 16. or else they are throwne into hell the Scripture knoweth no third place out of which our prayers cannot fetch them Eccles 9.10 And there is no repentance or forgivenesse in the grave Vse We are therefore to abhorre and avoid that point of Popery which teacheth praying for the dead yet as absurd and vain as it is that old Poperie which was bred in the bone will not out of the flesh of many Protestants For many will never speake of any departed but with this addition God be with him or Lord have mercie on his soule If ye tell them of this fault they say Better say so than worse and if we do them no good by our prayers wee are sure we do them no harme I answer what necessity is there of praying better or worse for them And grant that your prayers do them no harme I am sure they do them no good But in praying for them you do your selves harme in committing a sinne against God by making a prayer which cannot be a prayer of faith Now he is unwise that will do himselfe harme in any thing wherein he neither pleaseth God nor doth good to his neighbour Our implyeth a plaine acknowledgement and confession of sinne without hiding excusing or extenuating of sinnes Whence this is observable In asking pardon of sinne there Doct. 8 must alwayes be an heartie acknowledgement and confession of sinne When David gave over hiding his iniquitie and said I will confesse my transgressions to the Lord then saith he Thou forgavest the iniquitie of my sin Psal 32.5 We have a large example of his confession of sin originall and actuall Psal 51.3 4 5. Daniel saith We have sinned against thee Dan. 9.8 Heartie confession of sinne Reas 1 giveth glory to God for thereby it is acknowledged that God should have been obeyed this giveth him the glory of his authoritie and soveraigntie Also thereby is acknowledged that Gods Law which is broken is equall holy and good else the act of sinne could not be acknowledged to be a fault Reas 2 A free confession sheweth that a man is ashamed of his sinne and that he is humble and sorie for it and he is hereby capable of forgivenesse whereas when a man hath committed a sinne if he will not confesse it it doth then stand God upon to seek out his proofes and bring him to his triall Reas 3 An unfained confession of sinne argueth a true desire of pardon yea it doth put an edge to desire for when the bed role of many damnable sinnes is laid open to the view of a man it will make him earnest with God as it did Daniel who after his confession is most fervent in prayer saying O Lord heare O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and do deferre not for thine own sake O my God Dan. 9.19 God hath promised to forgive Reas 4 those that confesse their sinne If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes 1. Ioh. 1.9 It is therefore a great fault Vse 1 not to confesse but to go about to hide sinne from God and a mans owne conscience this doth greatly aggravate sinne This sinne is one of the first sins and one of the commonest sinnes that are amongst the sonnes of men When the devill had drawne Adam and Eve into sinne he knew the best way to keepe them from forgivenesse was to teach them to excuse and extenuate their sinne the man layeth the fault on the woman yea upon God himself Gen. 3. the woman layeth it on the serpent neither of them will take it upon themselves Even so it is with all the children of Adam untill God endue them with a great measure of his grace either they will denie or excuse or extenuate or shift it off imputing their sinne either to their naturall disposition therefore they cannot chuse they must bee borne with or they impute their sinnes to the wickednesse of the times or to their companie or to the deuil when all this while the evill heart which is most in fault is not charged at all with any faultinesse whereas in touch whatsoever was the occasion or whosoever was the entise if the heart yeeld to commit sinnes the sinne is a mans own and must be called as it is in the petition Our debt or my dâ— It is the extreamest folly 〈◊〉 can be to go about to hide siâ— for it cannot be hidde from his eyes which seeth all things who will one day when all secrets shall bee made manifest fully discover it It is a fault to commit sinne but it is aggravated when it is not confessed If I covered my transgression as Adam or after the manner of man saith Iob Iob 31.33 and 2. By hiding my sinne in my bosome Then what portion of God is there and what inheritance of the Almightie from on high verse 2. For this is the generall evill which is to be applyed to all the particular sinnes mentioned in that Chapter The hiding of sinne therefore is dangerous according to that saying He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper Prou. 28.13 Would any man have his Vse 2 sinnes forgiven then let him uncover his sins and lay them open before God in confession that so God may hide and cover them in Christ who is the covering and true propitiation of all our sinnes that through him he may put them out of his remembrance as if they were cast into the bottome of the sea In confession it shall be needfull to observe these rules 1 Confession must be heartie not verball for this is meere hypocrisie 2 It must be voluntarie not constrained and forced as wâ— that of Pharoahs when Gods terrible judgement being upon him hee said I have sinned against the Lord c. Exod 1â— 16 3 It must bee mixed with faith and hope of pardon 〈◊〉 was that of Daniel Dan 9.9 saying 〈◊〉 the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses though we have rebelled against thee It must not be a desperate comâ—sion like that of Judas Mat. 27 4. sayiâ— I have sinned in betraying innâ—cent bloud 4 It must be with holy affections of griefe godly shame for sinne with contrition and brokennesse of heart with a lothing and detestation of the sinnes confessed and with true humiliation of heart Thus did Ezra confesse saying O God Ezra 9. I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God for our iniquities are increased over our heads Thus did the