Forgive Us Our Debts

1. Coherence.

This is the fift petition, & the second of those which concern ourselves: in the former we craved temporal blessings, in this and the next which follows, we crave spiritual blessings. Where we may note, that seeing there be two petitions, which concern spiritual things, & but one for temporal; that the care for our souls must be double, to the care for our bodies. In the world men care for their bodies, their hearts are set for wealth and promotion: they can be content to hear the word on the Sabbath, yet neither then, nor in the week day do they lay it up in their hearts, and practise it, which argues, that they have little or no care for their souls.

Question. What is the cause, that first we crave things for the body, & in the second place, those which concern the soul? Ans. The order of the Holy Ghost in these petitions is wonderful: for the Lord considers the dulness and backwardness of men's natures: therefore, he trains them up, and draws them on by little, even as a schoolmaster does his young scholars: propounding to them some elements and principles, and so carrying them to higher points. [illegible] the former petition is a step or degree to these two following. He that will rest on God's [illegible] so the pardon of his [illegible] of all, rest on God's providence [illegible] this life, and he that cannot put his affiance in God for the provision of meat and drink, how shall he trust in God's mercy for the salvation of his soul? Here we may see the faith of worldlings: they say that God is merciful, and that they believe in Christ: which how can it be true? Seeing in lesser matters, as meat and drink, they distrust God, as appears by their covetousness.

2. The meaning.

Debts By debts sins are meant, so it is in (Luke 11:4), and they are so called, because of the resemblance between them. For even as a debt does bind a man, either to make satisfaction, or else to go to prison: so our sins bind us, either to satisfy God's justice, or else to suffer eternal damnation.

[Forgive.] To forgive sin, is to cover it, or not to impute it (Psalm 32:1). And this is done, when God is content of his mercy to accept the death and passion of Christ, as a sufficient payment and ransom for man's sins; and so to esteem them as no sins. And here under this one benefit, all the rest of the same kind are understood, as justification, sanctification, redemption, glorification, &c.

3. The uses of the words.

1. Here we may learn many lessons; the first is, that seeing we must pray thus, Lord forgive, &c. we must hold, that there is no satisfaction to God's justice for sin by our works; no not in temporary punishments: but that the doing away of our sins, is of God's mere favor: for, to forgive and to satisfy be contrary: therefore the doctrine of human satisfactions, taught in the Church of Rome, is vile and devilish.

2. Secondly, we are taught thus to pray continually, from day to day: where we note the great patience and long suffering of God: in that we offending daily, yet he suffers and forbears still, and does not pour out his confusion upon us. This teaches us, like patience towards our brethren: we cannot put up the least injury, and forbear but one day, yet we desire that God would forgive us all our lives long.

3. Again, we may observe, that there is no perfect sanctification in this life, seeing we must every day, to the end, crave the pardon of our sins. Therefore, wicked is the opinion of the Catharists or Puritans, which hold that men may be without sin in this life.

4. And when we say, forgive, not me, but us: we are put in mind to pray, not only for the pardon of our own sins, but likewise for our brethren and enemies (James 5:17). Confess one to another, and pray one for another for the prayer of the righteous avails much, if it be fervent. And as some think, the prayer of Stephen was a means of the conversion of Saul.

5. Also we note, that before prayer for pardon of sin, must go a confession of sin: for whereas we say, forgive our debts, we confess before God, that we are stark bankrupts, and not able to discharge the least of our sins; this appears (1 John 1:9): If we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive us. And it was practised by David (Psalm 51 and 32:5). The manner of making confession is this; known sins, and those which trouble the conscience, are to be confessed particularly: but unknown sins generally (Psalm 19).

6. Lastly, hence it is manifest, that there is no justification by works. Our sins are debts: & so also are all works of the law. Now, how can any man discharge one debt by another?

4. Wants to be bewailed.

The wants to be bewailed are the burden of our sins, and the corruptions of our natures, & the wickedness of our lives, and the sins of our youth, and of our old age. Psalm 40:12: My sins have taken such hold upon me, that I am not able to look up: they are more in number than the hairs of my head: therefore my heart has failed me. Thus with David, we are to travail and groan under this burden: but this grief for sin, is a rare thing in the world. Men can mourn bitterly for the things of this life, but their sins never trouble them. And further, this sorrow must be for sin, because it is sin, though there were neither hell nor devil, nor conscience to accuse, nor Judge to revenge.

5. The grace to be desired

The grace which we must desire, is the spirit of grace and deprecations (Zechariah 12:10). It is that work of the Spirit, whereby we are enabled to call to God for the pardon of our sins. A man having offended the laws of a Prince, and being in danger of death, will never rest, or be at quiet, till he have gotten a pardon: even so, they which feel and see their sins, having this spirit are so moved, that they can never be at rest, till in prayer they be eased of their sins. A man may, I grant, babble and speak many words, but he shall never pray effectually, before he have this spirit of prayer, to make him cry, Abba Father. For worldly commodities all can pray: but learn to pray for the want of Christ.