From this view of our subject, we learn,
1. The temper of a Christian —
[Knowing that his own debt to God is ten thousand talents, and that his fellow-creature can at the utmost owe to him only a few pence, the Christian dares not take him by the throat unmercifully, lest God should retaliate on him, and require at his hands the debt, which the whole universe could never pay. Freely has he received remission ; and freely does he grant it, even to those who may have injured him in the highest degree. All bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, are put away from him, with all malice : and he is kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving towards others, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven him™.
Let us examine then whether this be indeed our character : let us search whether our mode of speaking of others, and of acting towards them, accord with it : for, if we bring our gift to the altar with an unforgiving spirit, God bids us to " go our way," and not presume to expect any tokens of his favour, till the most perfect reconciliation has been sought with our offending or offended brother".]
2. The privilege of a Christian —
[Here God permits, encourages, commands us to ask of him the free and full pardon of all our sins. No consideration whatever is had to the number or greatness of them : the command is given to every human being ; and the fullest pos- sible assurance, that none shall ask in vain".
Some however have thought, that, because no mention is here made of Christ and his atonement, we need not to have respect to him in our addresses at the throne of grace. But we must remember, that our Lord had not yet declared the whole of what he was come to reveal. This sermon was delivered quite at the commencement of his ministry, and before the minds of his followers were sufficiently prepared for the clearer manifestation of divine truth. What therefore he afterwards declared respecting the intent of his death and resurrection, must direct us in our use of this prayer. He has told us, that he " shed his blood for the remission of sins ;" and that we must present our petitions to God in his name ; consequently we must have respect to the merit of his blood, and to the efficacy of his intercession, whenever we approach our God, whether in the use of this prayer, or of any other, which we may think suited to our state. If the considerat on
m Eph. iv. 31, 32.
" Matt. v. 23, 24. and especially xviii. 35.
0 Matt. vii. 7, 8. Isai. i. 18.
1317.] THE lord's prayer. 199
of an atonement seem to detract from the freeness of the pardon, St. Paul saw no ground whatever for such an objection p.
Be it known then to all, that a way of access unto the Father is opened to us through the crucifixion of the Son of God ; and that, if only we ask forgiveness in the Redeemer's name, our iniquities, whatever they may have been, shall be " blotted out as a morning cloud," and be irrecoverably " cast into the depths of the sea."]
P Rom. iii. 24.