2. In point of necessity ; as it should be so, so it will be so ; for God's mercy will have an influence upon us to make us merciful. All God's actions to us imprint their stamp in us. His election of us makes us to choose him and his ways; his love to us makes us love him again, who hath loved us first; so his forgiving of us makes us to forgive our brethren. There is an answerable impression left upon the soul to every act of God. Why ? For a true believer is God's image : ' The new man is created after God,' Eph, iv. 24 ; and therefore he acts as
188 AN EXPOSITION OF [Mat. YI. 12,
God. Certainly, if tliere be such a disposition in our heavenly Father, it will be in us if we have an interest in hira. Look, as a child hath part for part, and limb for limb, answerable to his father, though not so big in stature and bulk ; so hatha child of God, which is created after God, he hath all the divine perfections in some measure in his soul. And this consideration is of more force, be- cause the new creature cannot be maimed and defective in every ^ part, but is entire, lacking nothing. And therefore, if God forgive others, certainly the godly will be inclinable to forgive too.
Use 1. Here is a ground of trial whether we are pardoned or no : Is our revengeful disposition, that is so natural and so pleasing to us, mortified ? That is one trial or evidence whether we are forgiven of God ; can we freely from the heart forgive others ?
Object. But it may be objected against this : Do you place so much in this property of forgiving others ? It doth not agree only to par- doned sinners, because we see some carnal men are of a weak and stupid spirit, not sensible of injuries. And, on the other side, many of God's children find it hard to obtain- to the perfect oblivion of injuries that is required of them.
Ans. As to the first part, I answer: We do not speak of this disposition as proceeding from an easy temper, but as it proceedeth from grace ; when, in conscience towards God, and out of a sense of his love to us in Christ, our hearts, being tendered and melted towards others, to show them such mercy as we ourselves have received from the Lord ; that is the evidence. And again, Ave do not press to judge by this evidence single and alone, but in conjunction with others; when they are humbly penitent, and confessing their sins, and turn to the Lord, which is the great evangelical condition : Job xxxiii. 27, ' If any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not,' then will he restore light to him. When a man is soundly touched with remorse, and seeth the folly of his former courses, and asketh pardon of God, then is God gracious to him. But this is that we say, that this disposition of pardon, in conjunction with the great evangelical condition of faith and repentance, it helpeth to make the evidence more clear.
2. As to the other part of the objection, which was this: it will be a great weakening of the confidence of God's children who cannot get such a perfect oblivion of injuries they have received, but find their minds working too much this way : —
I answer : As long as we live in the world there will be flesh and s})irit, corruption as well as grace ; there will be an intermixture of the operations of each. Carnal nature is prone to revenge, but grace prevaileth and inclineth to a pardon. Well, then, if this be the pre- valent inclination of the soul, and that which we strive by all good means to cherish in us, this meek disposition, passing by of wrongs we receive by others, then we may take comfort by this evidence, though there be some reluctances and regrudgings of the old nature.
Use 2. To press us to this ready inclination to forgive wrongs and injuries. We are not so perfect but we all need it from one another. There will be mutual oftences while we are in the world, especially in 1 That is, ' any.'— Ed. - Qu. ' attain ' ?— Ed.
Mat. VI. 12.] the lord's trayek. 189
a time when religious differences are on foot ; therefore it concerns us to look after this disposition of forgiving others, as we would be for- given of God. Human society cannot well be upheld without this mutual forbearance and forgiving. Now imitate your heavenly Father. No man can wrong us so much as we daily trespass against him, and yet God pardoneth us. He doth not only pardon the lesser failings, some venial errors, and sins of incogitancy and sudden surreption, which creep upon us we know not how ; but he pardons the greatest sins, though they be as scarlet: Isa. i. 18. Those that are of a crimson hue, God can wash them out in the blosd of Christ. And mark, what is it then that you will stand upon ? Is it the greatness of the offence? God pardons great sins. Or is it the baseness of those that injure you — (this is the circumstance)— when we have received wrong from those which are our inferiors, that owe us more reverence and respect ? What are we to God ? Notwithstanding the baseness of those which affront him daily, all men to him are but ' as the drop of the bucket, and the small dust of the balance,' Isa. xl. 15 ; yet God pardons them. And then again, cast in the consideration of God's omnipotency. He is able to right himself of the wrongs done to him, and no man can call him to an account. Many times it is not in our power : ' He can cast body and soul into hell,' Mat. x. 28. God is thus offended, and by saucy dust that is ready to fly in his face, in- considerable man ; and yet the Lord pardons, and this he doth freely: Luke vii. 42, ' He frankly forgave them both.' And he pardons fully, as if it were never committed : Micah vii. 19, ' He casts all our sins into the depths of the sea.' Then he pardons frequently : His ' free gift is of many offences unto justification,' Koni. v. 16. And he ' multiplies to pardon,' Isa. Iv. 7. And mark, he pardons too (in some sense) before they repent ; there is a purpose; he provided Christ before we were born. And he gives us grace to repent, or else we could never humble ourselves at his feet, the offended God ; he gives them the grace whereby they shall acknowledge the offence. Christ prayed for his persecutors when they had no sense of the injur}'' they had done him ; they were converted by that prayer afterwards : Luke xxiii. 34, ' Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do ;' therefore certainly much more when they repent and submit. Oh, therefore, let us not be drawn hardly to this duty ; or, at least, we should not upon every petty offence cherish hatred and rancour against our brethren.