Matt. vi. 14, 15. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father tvill also forgive you : but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither tvill your Father forgive your trespasses.
THE different petitions of the Lord's Prayer are collected from different parts of the Old Testament, and concentered so as to form a concise and com- prehensive summary of all that we need to pray for. But there is annexed to one of the petitions a limita- tion, which was altogether new, and which greatly needed some elucidation. Our Lord however did not stop to explain it at the time, but finished the prayer first, and then added, in confirmation of it, the words which we have now read ; shewing us thereby that the clause had not been hghtly intro- duced, but was of great importance, and indispensable necessity. It certainly appeared strange, that we should presume to make our own compassion to- wards others the pattern and the measure of God's compassion towards us : but our Lord would have us to know, that it will be in vain to expect mercy at God's hands, unless we exercise it towards our fellow- creatures : on this condition, and on this only, can we hope for acceptance with him in the day of judgment.
Having already had repeated occasion to consider the subject of forgiveness of injuries, we shall now advert rather to the manner in which that duty is here enjoined ; and shall shew,
I. In what sense the salvation of the Gospel may be called conditional —
This subject has been a fruitful source of contro- versy in the Church of Christ : but both sides of the question are true according to the sense which we annex to the word " condition."
Salvation is not conditional in a way of compact —
[There are those who think that God engages to give us heaven, if we will perform so many good works ; and that, when we have performed those good works, we may claim heaven as a
208 MATTHEW, VI. 11, 15. [iSW.
debt. But to affirm that salvation is conditional in any such sense as this, would entirely make void the Gospel of Christ. Salvation would then be of works, and not of grace. It would be to no purpose to say, that these terms were procured for us by Jesus Christ, and that we must therefore refer the honour of our salvation unto him, and accept our reward as the pur- chase of his blood: for, though the procuring of the terms might be his act, the performing of them must be ours : and when we had performed them, we should have whereof to glory before God. But by the Gospel all glorying is excluded'^ : and therefore salvation cannot be conditional in the way that we are now speaking of.]
But salvation is conditional in a waij of i?iseparable connexion —
[" God has chosen men to salvation ;" but it is " through sanctification of the Spirit, and through belief of the truth ^." Faith and holiness are required of us ; but the performance of them gives us a claim upon God only so far as he has freely engaged himself by his own gracious promises : it does not warrant us to expect any thing on the ground of merit : we cannot go to God, as labourers that have performed their task, and say, " Pay me that thou owest:" on the contrary, " if we had done all that was commanded us, we should still account ourselves unprofitable servants;" and must accept life as the free gift of God for Christ's sake". But still we must do these things ; and without doing them we cannot possibly be saved. God has appointed the means as well as the end; and the end is to be attained only in and by the means. It is certainly true that " tlie purpose of God according to election shall stand*^;" but it is no less true, that it shall be effected only in the way that he has appointed; and that, whatever men may fancy about their predestination to eternal life, " except they repent they shall all perish ; " and " if they believe not, they shall not see life;" and "without holiness no man shall see the Lord." In this sense therefore salvation is conditional : the obligations that are upon us are indispensable ; and no person whatever shall be saved who disregards them.]