[1.] From the condition of God's children here in this world. The best are not so fully sanctified in this life but there is some sin found in them ; not only they who walk with no cai-e, but even they that set the most narrow watch over their ways, they are not so sanctified but they need daily to go to God.
(1.) They have original sin which remaineth with them to the last, they have the sinning sin which the apostle speaks of. Paul com- plains of the body of death : Rom. vii. 23, 24, ' Who shall deliver me from it ? ' The Hebrews were wont to propound their wishes by way of question ; as, ' Oh that salvation were come out of Zion !' It is in the Hebrew, 'Who shall bring salvation out of Zion?' So, 'Who will lead me into Edom ?' that is, * Oh that I were led into Edom,' that I might display the banner there, because of God's truth. ISo, ' Who shall deliver me from the body of this death P' that is, ' Oh that I were delivered !' Where the reign of sin is broken, yet there it remains ; though it be cast doio7i in regard of regency, yet it is not cast out in regard of inherency. As the ivy that is gotten into the wall, cut away the boughs, branches, stubs, yet still there will be some sproutings out again until the wall be pulled down ; so until these earthly taber- nacles of ours be tumbled in the dust, though we are mortifying and subduing of sin, yet there will be a budding and sprouting out again. (2.) There are many actual sins: James iii. 2, 'In many things we offend all ;' and Eccles. vii. 20, ' There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not :' that is, that sins not either in omitting of good or committing of evil : our ofiences are either total or partial. Partial ofiences ; though a child of God loves God, fears God, trusts in God, yet not in that purity and perfection that he hath required of him ; though he serves God and obeys him, yet riot with that liberty, delight, reverence, which he hath required. There is an omission in part in every act : there is not that perfection which God deserveth, who is to be served with all our might, with all our strength. Our principles are divided ; there is flesh and spirit ; there is a mixture in all our actions. Sometimes there is a total omis- sion, the spiritual life is at a stand, many times all acts of respect
Mat, VI. 12.] the lord's prayer. 177
are intermitted. Then for commissions, sometimes, out of ignorance, they do not see what is to be done. Though they have a general reso- lution to do the whole will of God, yet many times they mistake. Our light is but in part : And ' who can understand his errors ? Cleanse me from secret sins :' Ps. xix. 12. We sin out of ignorance, as a man in the dark may jostle against his friend. Sometimes by imprudence and inconsideration, as a man that is not heedful, tliough he knows it, he may mistake his way. Many are overtaken in a fault : Gal. vi. 1 ; that is, unawares, and besides their intention. Sometimes, out of incogitancy and sudden incursion, they may not only be overtaken but overborne, ' drawn away by their own lusts,' James i. 14 : overcome by the prevalency of passion and corrupt affection ; so sin gets the upper hand. Thus it is with the children of God. Look, as it was said of the Romans, that in battle they were overcome, but never in war ; thougli a child of God hath the best of it at last, yet in many particular conflicts he is overborne by the violence of temptation and his own corrupt lusts. Thus there is a necessity of begging daily par- don, if we consider the condition of the saints while they are here in the world, who carry a sinning nature about them, a corrupt issue that will never be dried up while they are in the world ; and also they are guilty of many actual sins, both of omission and commission.
Secondly, The necessity of it will appear from the way wherein God gives a pardon, which is upon the creature's humble submission, and seeking of terms of grace ; so that whatsoever right we have to remis- sion in Christ, though we have a general right to remission and pardon of sin, yet we must seek to apply that right, and beg the use of it for our daily pardon and acceptance with God. This will appear by considering — (1.) The nature of this request ; (2.) The right that a justified person hath to the pardon of his daily sins.
1. What we beg for when we say, Forgive us our sins. Five things we ask of God : —
[1.] The grant of a pardon.
[2.] The continuance of this privilege.
[3.] The sense and comfort of it.
[4.] The increase of that sense.
[5.] The effects of pardon, or a freedom from those penal evils that are fruits of sin.