There are two sorts of persons indeed, who are apt to indulge very erroneous conceptions on this subject: some suppose that they are so completely justified as not to need any renewed applications for pardon : and others, that they arc so perfectly sanctified as not to have any fresh occasion for pardon. But as David, after God by Nathan had sealed his pardon, still
o2
196 MATTHEW, VI. 12. [l316.
implored mercy at the hands of God'*, so must we : and they who fancy themselves living in a sinless state, are proud deceivers of their own souls'^. There is not a day or an hour in which any human being has not just occasion to offer the petition in our text : the corruption of his nature, the transgressions of his former life, and the imperfections of his very best services, all require it of him "^.J
2. Infinitely important —
[Consider the state of a man whose iniquities are not for- given: God, the Almighty God, is his enemy** He is
every moment in danger of dropping into hell^ He
neither has, nor can have, any solid peace in his mind^
He lives but to aggravate his guilt, and augment his condem-
nations Can any one reflect on this, and not see the
importance of urging the petition in our text ? The only wonder is, that any person in an unforgiven state can close his eyes in sleep, or give attention to any of the concerns of time or sense, till he has implored mercy at the hands of his offended God.]
But whilst the general importance of this petition is obvious, there certainly is some obscurity in,
II. The limitation or condition annexed to it —
To understand this part of the Lord's Prayer aright, we must compare the expressions as recorded by St. Luke, with those which are used in the text. St. Luke says, " Forgive us, for we forgive others '':" but in the text we pray, " Forgive us, as we forgive others." Now we cannot doubt but that both the Evangelists have given the prayer with accuracy, so far at least as not to comprehend in it any thing which was not intended by our Lord. We, therefore, shall take the petition in both views, and consider it as importing,
1 . A profession of our readiness to forgive others —
[This is a frame of mind which God requires in all who come to him for mercy : and he warns us not to expect mercy at his hands whilst we are indisposed to exercise it towards
a Compare 2 Sam. xii. 13. with Ps. li. ^ 1 John i. 8. Jam.iii.2.
'^ See John xiii. 10. As they who have walked in a bath yet need to wash their feet on account of the defilement contracted in coming from it, so, Sic.
d Ps. vii. 11—13. e Luko xii. 20. ^ Isai. Ivii. 20, 21.
■ s Rom. ii. 5. '^ I^uke xi. 4,
1316.] THE lord's prayer. 197
others'. Such is the explanation which our Lord himself gives of his own words^: and, taken in this sense, they are a kind of plea with God to grant us our desire, and an encou- ragement to ourselves to expect it. The duty of forgiving others being imposed upon us as a condition, without the performance of which God will not forgive us, a consciousness of having performed the duty emboldens us to ask forgiveness at his hands. Moreover, whilst we thus appeal to God respect- ing our endeavours to obey his commandments, we do in effect acknowledge the agency of his Spirit, and the efficacy of his grace; without which we should have neither the ability nor inclination to fulfil his wilP. In this view then it is also encouraging ; for, if God has already bestowed his grace upon us, and we have a clear evidence of it by its operation on our hearts and lives, we may reasonably hope, that he will yet further extend his mercy to us in the pardon of all our sins : we may regard his past favours as a pledge and earnest of others yet to come, and especially of those which our souls most need, and which he himself is most ready to bestow.]