Ans. It is God's passing by sin, Mic. vii. 18., his wiping off the score, and giving us a discharge. The nature of forgiveness will more clearly appear : l.s/. By opening some scripturc-])hrases. 2c/, By laying down some divine aphorisms and ])ositions.
\st. By opening some scripture-phrases, ]. To forgive sin, is to tjike away inicjuity, Job vii. 21., " Why dost thou not take away my ini(piity ?" (Heb.) lift off. It is a me- taphor taken from a man that carries an heavy ])urden ready to sink him, and ano- ther comes, :ind lifts off" this burden ; so when the heavy burden of sin is on us, God in pardoning, lifts off" this burden from the conscience, and lays it upon Christ, Isa. liii. C, " The Lord hath laid on him the iniqui- ties of us all."
2. To forgive sin, is to cover sin, Ps. xxxii. 1., Thou hast covered all their sin. riiis was typified by the mercy-seat cover- ing the ark, to shew God's coA'cring of sin throngh Christ. God doth not cover sin in the Autinomian sense, so as he sees it not, but he doth so cover it, as he will not impute it.
3. To forgive sin, is to blot it out, Isa. xliii. 25 , " I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions." The Hebrew word, to
lot out, alludes to a creditor, who, when his debtor hath paid him, blots out the debt, and gives him an acquittance ; so God, when he forgives sin, blots out the debt, he draws the red lines of Christ's blood over onr sins, and so crosseth the debt-book.
4. To forgive sin, is for God to scatter our sins as a cloud, Isa. xliv. 22., " I have
throw them in, not as cork that riseth again, but as lead that sinks to the bottom.
2(1. The nature of forgiveness will a|)pear, by laying down some divine aphorisms or positions.
Aphorism 1. Every sin is mortal, and needs forgiveness: I say, mortal, that is, deserves death. God may relax the rigour of the law but every sin merits damnation. The pa])ists distinguish of mortal sins, and venial : some sins are ex surreptionr, they creep unawares Into the mind, (as vaia thoughts, sudden motions of anger and re- venge) these, saith Bellarmine, are in their own nature venial. It is true, the greatest sins arc in one sense venial, that is, God is able to forgive them : but the least sin is not in its own nature venial, but deserves danuiation. We read of " the lusts of the llesh," Rom. iii. 14., and " the works of the ilesh," Gal. V. 19. The lusts of the flesh are sinful, as well as the works of the flesh. That which is a transgression of the law- merits damnation ; but the first stirrings of corruption are a breach of the royal law, Rom. vii. 7., Prov. xxiv. 9., therefore they merit damnation. !So that the least sin is mortal, and needs forgiveness.
Aj)horism 2. It is Ciod only that forgives sin. To jiardon sin is one of the jura re- f/a/ia, tlie flowers of God's crown, Mark ii. 7., " Who can forgive sins but God only ?" It is most ])roper for God to ])ard<)n sin; only the creditor can remit the debt. Sin is an infinite offence, and no finite ])ower can discharge an infinite offence.
That (j!od only can forgive sin, I ])rove thus: — No man can t<ike away sin, unless he is able to infuse grace; for (as A(|uinas saith) with forgiveness is always infusion of grace ; but no man can infuse grace, therefore no man can forgive sin. He only can forgive sin, who can remit the penalty,
blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgres- but it is only God's prerogative royal to for- sions." Sii) is the cloud interposed, God | give sin.
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OF THE FIFTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
Obj. 1. But a Christian is charged to for- give his brother : Col. iii. 13., " Forgiving one another."
Ans. In all second-table sins, there are two distinct things : 1. Disobedience against God. 2. Injury to man. That which man is required to forgive, is the wrong done to himself; but the wrong done to God, he cannot forgive. INIan may remit a trespass against himself, but not a transgression a- gainst God.
Obj. 2. But the scripture speaks of the pilfer com wi tied to ministers to forgive sin : John XX. 23., " AVliosocver sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them."