2. A conscience inferreth a law.
3. A law inferreth a sanction.
4. A sanction inferreth a judgment.
5. A judgment inferreth a condemnation to the fallen creature.
6. There is no avoiding this condemnation, unless God set up a chancery, or another court of grace.
7. If God set up another court, our plea must be grace. Of this see more at large, ' Twenty Sermons,' Sermon 1 on Ps. xxxii. 1, 2.
Secondly, The nature of this benefit, or manner how God for- giveth.
1. Freely.
2. Fully.
[1.] Freely, and merely upon the impulsions of his own grace : Isa. xliii. 25, ' I, even I, am he that forgiveth your iniquities for my name's sake.' Nothing else could move him to it but his own mercy ; and he could have chosen whether he would have done so, yea or no — for he
196 AN EXPOSITION OF []\IaT. VI. 12.
spared not the angels, but offeretli pardon to man, and all men are not actually pardoned. And, therefore, the only reason why he showeth us mercy and not others, is merely his own grace. The intervention of Christ's merit doth not hinder the freedom of it, though dearly purchased by Christ, yet freely bestowed on us. For it is said, Eom. iii. 24, ' Justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ.' Why ? Partly because it was mercy that he would not prosecute his right against us. Partly because he found out the way how to recompense the wrong done by sin unto his majesty, and out of his love sent his Son to make this recompense for us : John iii. 16. It was love set all a-work. And lastly, not excited hereunto by any worth on our parts, but the external moving cause was only our misery, and the internal moving cause his own grace. Nor is the freedom of this act infringed by requiring faith and repentance on our part, because that only showeth the way and order wherein this grace is dispensed, not the cause why. It is not for the worth of our repentance, or as if there were any merit in it. A malefactor, that beggeth his pardon on his knees, doth not deserve a pardon ; only the majesty of the prince requireth that it should be submissively asked. These are not conditions of merit, but order ; not the cause, but the way of grace's working. And these conditions are wrought in us by giace : Acts V. 31 ; not required only, but given. In all other covenants, the party contracting is bound to perform what he promiseth by his own strength. But in the covenant of grace, God doth not only require that we should believe and repent, but causeth it in us. Conditions of the covenant are conditions in the covenant. God requireth faith and repentance, and giveth faith and repentance. Compare Isa. lix. 20, with Eom. xi. 26. It is Christ's gift as well as his precept ; so that when we come about pardon of sin, we have only to do with grace. We beg pardon, and a heart to receive it. It is a free pardon.
[2.] It is a full pardon. It is full in several respects. (1.) Because where the party is forgiven, he is accepted with God as if he had never sinned: Ps. ciii. 12, ' As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.' And Micah vii. 19, ' Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the sea ; ' Isa. xxxviii. 17, ' Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.' It shall not be remembered nor laid to their charge any more. It is true, for a while after they may trouble the conscience, as when the storm ceaseth, the waves roll for a while afterwards ; so may sin in the consciences of God's children work trouble, after the fiducial apj^lication of the blood of Christ. But the storm ceaseth by degrees ; and it is possible that the commitment of new sins may revive old guilt, as a new strain may make us sensible of an old bruise. Yet we must distinguish between the full grant of a pardon, from the full sense of it. When we are not thankful, humble, fruitful, former sins may come into remembrance, and God may permit it, as matter of humiliation to us, and to quicken us to seek after new confirmation of our right and interest. Yet God's pardon is never reversed, nor will the sin be charged again, or put in suit against him, to the final condemnation of the person so pardoned. Once more : though the sins of the justified
Mat. VI. 12.] the lord's prayer. 1'J7
should be remembered at the day of judgment, it will not be to the confusion of their faces, but the exaltation and praise of the Lord's grace. Then is this acquittance in all respects full. (2.) It is full, because where God forgiveth one sin, he will forgive all : Ps. ciii. 3, ' Who pardoneth all thy sins ;' and Micah vii. 19, ' Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the sea.' Sins original, actual ; of omission, commission ; small, great ; secret, open ; lust that boileth in the heart, and breaketh out in the life ; sins of worship, of ordinary con- versation. Look in the bill — what owest thou ? A Christian is amazed when he cometh to a serious account with God ; but the self- judging sinner needeth not be discouraged when he cometh to God. For where God pardoneth all that is past, the fountain stands daily open for him to flee unto, with all his faults as they are committed ; and upon the renewing of his faith and repentance, he shall obtain his pardon. All sins are mortal, all of them damnable. Therefore if all sins be not pardoned, he remaineth in danger of the curse, and one sin let alone is sufficient to exclude us out of heaven. Therefore all is pardoned, first or last. Justice hath no more to seek of Christ. And we have all leave to sue out our pardon in Christ's name. He is under that covenant that will pardon all.