[3.] It is full; because where God forgiveth the sin, he also forgiveth the punishment. It will not stand with God's mercy to forgive the debt, and yet to require the payment. It is a mocking to say, I for- give you the debt, and yet cast the man into prison ; and to pardon the malefactoi', and yet leave him liable to execution. Here in the text, God forgiveth us, as we are bound to forgive our brother, not in part, but in whole. Guilt is nothing but an obligation to punishment (1.) As to eternal punishment, it is clear : Eom. v. 9. The eternal promises and threatenings, being of things absolutely good and evil, are therefore absolute and peremptory, that is certain. (2.) But now as to temporal afilictions, there is some difficulty, for where the whole punishment is done away, such grace and payment of any part of the debt cannot stand together. That pardon which is given upon valuable and sufficient price is full and perfect. Jesus Christ satis- fied the justice of God for all our sins. How is it, then, that the saints are subject to so many afflictions ? (1.) So far as sin remains, so far some penal evil remains : when the dominion of it is broken, there remains no condemnation, but yet some affliction, and when it is wholly gone, there is no evil at all. We are not yet purged from all sin ; and, therefore, (2.) these afflictions are not satisfactory punish- ments, and need not, as to the completing of our justification, but are helps to us, as the furtherance of our sanctification ; and so are of great use — [1.] To make us hate sin more. If we only knew the sweetness of it, and not the bitterness, we would not be so shy of it. Now the bitter- ness of it is seen by the effects : Jer. ii. 19, ' Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee ; know there- fore, and see, that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts.' [2.] It will cause us to prize our deliverance by Christ. If affliction be so grievous, what would hell be ? 1 Cor. xi. 32, ' But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not
198 AN EXPOSITION OF [Mat. YI. 12.
be condemned with the world.' It is a gentle remembrance of hell- pains, or a fair warning to avoid them, when scorched or singed a little. [3.J To make us walk more humbly. We forget ourselves, and are apt to be puffed up. Paul saith, 2 Cor. xii. 7, ' Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.'
[4.] It is full, because where God forgiveth sin, there are many con- sequent benefits.
(1.) God is reconciled: Eom. v. 1, 'Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace wdth God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' This is the great blessing, and our great work is to make and keep peace with God ; to have no cloud between us and his face. Light is pleasant : what then is the light of his countenance, that filleth us with a peace that passes understanding? We would have a powerful friend, especially if we need him : Acts xii. 20 ; they sought peace with Herod, ' because their country was nourished by the king's country ; ' so should we do : we cannot live without God. If sin be pardoned, then we are at peace with God, and may have free access to him, with a free use of all that is his.
(2.) A heart sanctified is a connexed benefit : 1 Cor. vi. 11, 'And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus;' and 1 John i. 9. Sin is considerable in the guilt and filth of it, as it rendereth us obnoxious to God's justice, or as it tainteth our faculties and actions. According to this double respect, Christ destroyeth sin, and no man hath benefit by him that is not freed from the guilt and filth thereof. Christ was sent into the world to restore God's image in us. But the image of God consisteth in the participation of holiness, as well as the participation of blessedness ; for God, that is happy and blessed, is also holy and good. The filthiness of sin is opposite to holiness, and the guilt of it to blessedness ; so that either Christ must restore but half the image of God, or he must give us this double benefit. If he should give us one without the other, many inconveniences would follow; therefore both are given: he justifieth that he may sanctify, and he sanctifieth that he may glorify.
(3.) Providence is blessed : the curse is taken out of our blessings, and the sting out of our afflictions. As long as sin remains unpardoned our blessings are cursed : Mai. ii. 2, ' If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings ; yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.' There will be a worm in our manna, our ' table will become a snare,' Ps. Ixix. 22. But when once sin is pardoned, the sting of misery is taken away : 1 Cor. xv. 56, ' The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law : but thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.' Crosses are not curses.