is fire thus That which burnes is fire but that burnes therefore it is fire now burning is not the cause of fire but an effect of it not a cause for first there must be fire before it can burne so it is a tree because it hath Apples now Apples are not the cause of the Tree but the Tree of the Fruit. What is it to forgive the trespasses of our fellow-brethren and how farre may it be done In the trespasses of a brother three things are considerable First the sinne it selfe Secondly the guilt of that sinne Thirdly the punishment due to that sinne First concerning the sinne In guilt wee must know two things wherein is the Answer First we must know that to forgive properly we cannot it cannot be done by us for who can forgive sinnes but God onely it is one of Gods prerogatives to forgive sinnes and that no creature can doe Secondly as the guilt hath a respect to God so it hath a respect to us for as he is injured so are we when a man steales it is not onely a wrong to the Law of God but also a wrong to me So farre as the sinne doth respect God he pardoneth it and as it concernes me I forgive him And this is done when the heart is as willingly content to doe all the good to a brother as though he had never sinned against him We say we forgive him but not forget him this is not to forgive but between whom and me there is nothing to stop me that is to forgive him onely remember this that a man doth sinne in some kinde so that the Lord doth not require that a man should forgive him As if a man that flatters me to my face and back bites me I am not bound to trust him againe He that beares fire in one hand and water in another if he sinne against me once God forgive him but if he sinne against me the second time and I forgive him God forgive him and me When a man cheates me I will never trust him againe till I see good and yet I forgive him when I am as willing to doe him good as though he had never offended me and withall intreat the Lord to pardon him if he hath a lot in Christ seek for the pardon of those sinnes whereby he hath done us wrong This our Saviour did Father forgive them they know not what they doe So also Stephen Acts 7.12 thus we should doe so farre as it concernes us Whether is a man bound to forgive punishment to another Quest as when one hath stolne any thing from us should we not follow the Law on him how farre must a man goe in this case in taking punishment on such an one offending A man may Answ nay it may be so that a man is bound not to forgive it but to punish it and a man should sinne deeply in the neglect of it If one hath murthered another a man is bound to follow the Law on him and to give him the punishment due to the fact How farre may a man goe in this case Quest It appeares in these particulars First Answ when all things considered in all a man sees it may doe good then a man is bound to give punishment When there is nothing but a Bridewell will doe a servant good give it him When a childe is stubborn give him correction and spare him not it is as good as his meat If a wretch belch out his malice if a man can reforme him by punishment give it him for who knowes but it may be the best physick that ever he had and to let him go unpunished in such a case a man is guilty of his sinne because hee might have reformed him by this meanes Secondly if this be a way and meanes to binde a mans hands and to hinder him from the practice of some sinne As if a persecutor intends to persecute another if a man have a suit of Law against him he is bound to cast him into prison for it keeps him from persecuting the Saints of the LORD and so from sinning deeply It is a work of mercy to take a knife from a mad man so to bind such a mans hands that doth so If God put forth an opportunity into a mans hand he is bound to take the Law and it is mercy to him thus to doe Thirdly when a man cannot otherwise maintaine his owne honour or life or some other particular good for the taking off of his own wrong a man is bound in justice to take punishment on such a one as thus If he shall raise a false report on a man it is not a work of tyranny but a work of mercy he ought to right his own wrong that is done unto him by punishment when it cannot otherwise be maintained we are bound to take this course for why mine own honor life and estate is to be preferred before others Fourthly when this course being just will maintaine the goodnesse of a mans profession and Gods glory this should be done when a mans profession lyes at the stake a man is not bound to be mealiemouthed but to make those black-mouthed wretches known to others that they may not dare to bring a scandall upon the glorious Gospel of Christ nor on the professours thereof Thus a man must doe and yet forgive a man for all this if his good or mine or the profession of the Gospel may be furthered hereby this should be And thus a man may goe to law in these cases and the like Now we come to the force of the Argument How is this an Argument to prevaile with GOD to forgive us Quest because wee forgive others where lyes the force of the Argument what vertue is there in this It lyes in 3. particulars and it is a speciall meanes to obtain mercy Answ Lord I forgive others therefore forgive thou me First all the mercie I have it is not firstly in my selfe it is but a river and spring comming from the Sea but mercie is firstly in thy selfe the fountaine and Sea of mercy is in thee Now Lord if I have but some bowels of mercy and some drops of that Ocean of mercy and yet can forgive others much more then thou the fountaine of mercy canst forgive me When the two servants fell out the one pulled the other by the throat and said Pay mee that thou owest me now when the Master of that servant heard of it he said Oh thou wretch dost thou deale thus with him when I deale so favourably with thee and if a sinner must forgive his fellow brother seventy seven times how much more the Lord the God of mercy if he that hath but some mercie received from the fountaine much more the Lord the fountaine it selfe Secondly as we have not from our selves but from God so also that we have is mixt with a great deale of spleene Though some compassion yet mingled with a great
thee He that thus begs forgivenesse shall undoubtedly obtaine it at the hand of the Lord And leade us not into temptation THis is of sanctification both begun here and ended in heaven sanctification frees from the power of sin glorification frees from the presence of sinne sanctification kills sinne glorification buries sin First for the order sanctification flowes from justification When sin is pardoned we have the Spirit of Christ which conveys all to us first justified then sanctified Secondly for the sense of the words and here are two things First what God should not doe Leade us not into temptation Secondly what he should doe deliver us from evill What is meant by temptation Quest A tryall Answ or an assault whereby a mans strength is tried now they are double First the deliverance from evill Secondly to prove the soundnesse of grace The first is especially intended and by it are understood all the assaults of the soul by sin Satan or the world whereby our faith may be shaken or we withdrawn from God to evill sometimes there are good temptations of proving or expressing our grace These in some sense may have place in this Petition God tries us in this manner and we pray him that he would trie us no more then we are able to beare What is it to be led into temptation Quest It appeares in three things Answ First when temptations pursue us Secondly when they doe foile us in assaulting of us Thirdly when temptation doth totally vanquish us Now we pray in this Petition that temptations may not pursue us pursuing us that they may not foile us and though we be foiled yet that we may recover our selves We desire that God would not let them besiege us if they doe yet not foile us and if they do yet that we may recover our selves after our foile Can God lead into temptation Quest The Apostle explaines it Answ Jam. 13. God cannot tempt to evill He that is goodnesse it selfe cannot provoke a man to sin The Lord doth not put malice into any mans heart God cannot properly be the cause of drawing a man into sinne there are tryals of proofe The Lord may try his as he did Abraham Gen. 22.1 A man doth not hurt his armour if it be good when as he proves it So God intends no evill to a man when he thus deals with him Some adde this word suffer us not to be led but that is silly since God tempts no man to sinne What needs this Prayer Quest God may doe it Answ sin and all other temptations have a double respect First evils are totally and professedly opposite to the Law of God Secondly sinnes go under the name of punishments sometimes God punisheth one sinne with another now as sin hath reference to the Law of God he is not the cause of it but so far as sin is a punishment God may be the author of it We pray then that God by a sinfull distemper would not plague us In what manner doth God leade us into temptation Quest He doth it three waies Answ First when the Lord withdraws not those nets that are laid for us when God removes not those stumbling-blocks that are cast before us Nay God may put a temptation before us Thus a master may lay a baite for his servant by laying money in a corner to trie his truth Now it is lawfull for a man thus to leave his money to discerne whether his servant be faithfull or no he desires not that he should steale but that he may trie his fidelity so God justly suggests occasions there must be heresies for the triall of Gods servants God sends occasions of provocations for their tryall God raines snares Psal 11.6 They that pitch their nets first let it fall and then set it up This is to raine snares the favour of God is but a baite to a wicked man his posperitie is but his ruine It is not with God to deale so because wicked men desire it so Judas would faine have gotten somwhat by the ointment now it is just with God to send the Pharisees to give him thirty pence and ruine too now his minde is pleased he hath thirty pence and damnation too Secondly as God layes occasions so he lets sin and Satan loose a mans heart would be hankering now God gives him up take him sin and Satan let him have field-roome 1 King 22.22 Ahab would faine go to warre it was a thing not allowed but he desired it therefore God sends the Devill God askes who will prevaile over Ahab the Devill saith I will go Then God saith go and do it Judg. 9.23 Abimelech and the men of Sechen did very ill then God sent an evill spirit that is he he let loose the spirit of contention and they destroyed him and he laboured to destroy them So God Rom. 1. is said to give them up when they departed from the government of the truth No saith God will you not be ruled by holinesse then take them uncleannesse Many a man hath a wrathfull disposition take him envie saith God let him bring blood on others and so ruine to himself Thus God tooke away his Spirit from Saul and gave him up to sinfull distempers of all plagues there is none like this Thirdly GOD leaves a man to himselfe and lends him not the assistance of his grace suffers him and Satan to grapple together 2 Corinthians 32.31 Thus GOD dealt with Hezekiah because he had a lease of his life he began to be proud Therefore God left him to himselfe to trie what was in him He though himselfe a brave man therefore GOD leaves him as a father lets a child go when he will not be held so saith GOD see what thou canst doe trie thy own strength Now this leaving is in two passages First GOD lets in the truth of his Word not so much as may serve for direction but for provocation That of the Romans is observable to this purpose There is no transgression where there is no Law not that the Law brings sinne but provokes a mans heart Rom. 7.5 the phrases are strange in the fifth verse The motions of sinne which were by the Law The Law moves a man to sinne by opposing of it saith the stubborne heart I will doe it because you say so many a man that hath lived civilly and as a good neighbour c. and after the Law stirs him up to more exactnesse he is more violent against good men The Law meeting with a proud heart he opposeth it and would pluck the Law in peeces All the while men joine sides they are loved but if GOD pleaseth to humble them then they flie out There is nothing there that comes in anew saving GODS grace but that malice that was there before is now stirred now there is no fault in a good man that he is good but sinne taking occasion by the command slew me saith the
for my sinnes past are sufficient for him to suffer and satisfie for my sinnes present and to come Thirdly the sinner stands justified not for any thing in himselfe but by the mercies of the LORD JESUS CHRIST Now then gather up all and the thing is cleare if our Saviour suffered for all sins and this being infinite is sufficient to pacifie all his wrath due to my sins past present or to come And if a man is not justified of or by any thing of his own but from CHRIST from this I argue by what death is my sin remitted by the death of CHRIST and have not I the whole death of our our Saviour to satisfie Yes for that death that suffered for my sins past suffered for my sins present or to come the death CHRIST suffered for all sins Now this death of CHRIST is applyed to the soul at the first act of beleeving in the LORD CHRIST therefore my sinnes past present or to come are remitted at the first act of beleeving That remission of sins that leaves no condemnation to the party offending is the remission of all sinnes for if there were any sin remaining a man is still in the state of condemnation but justification leaves no condemnation Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Argn. 2. Thus it is evident there is no condemnation to those that are in CHRIST therefore there is full remission of all sins past present or to come to the soul at the first act of beleeving If the remission of all sinnes be not at once Arg. 3. it is either because my faith cannot lay hold on it or because there are some hinderances but a man by the hand of faith can lay hold on all the merits of CHRIST the Word can reveale all the Sacraments seale and confirm the pardon of all and then there is no inconvenience for it makes the soul more carefull of a command Psal 130. If thou shouldest enter into judgement with us who were able to abide it but there is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared Forgivenesse makes a man yeeld faithfull obedience then it is cleare that the forgivenesse of all sinnes past present or to come is made to the soul at once at the first act of beleeving First because CHRIST dyed for all and that is all applyed at once Secondly justification leaves a man without condemnation Thirdly there are no hinderances for my faith is able to lay hold on all the merits of CHRIST and the Sacraments able to confirm all therefore all the sinnes of the Elect whether past or present or to come are pardoned at once in CHRIST But then why do we pray for daily forgivenesse of sins It seems needlesse thus to do Quest if they be pardoned already what need we pray daily for the forgivenesse of them This is one of Bellarmines chief holds But I answer First if a man do beleeve Answ yet he prayeth for more faith Secondly we intreat the Lord that he would be pleased to renew this repentance write over and renew this our evidence of the remission of our sinnes and more and more confirm it to our selves this a man doth though he have faith Thirdly that he would be pleased to continue this his evidence Fourthly that he would make it increase and be more strong This a faithfull man craves Lord saith the soul that my sinnes may not only be pardoned and the evidence of it sealed to my soul but that the evidence may be more and more increased Whether doth this act of beleeving leave any frame Quest or put any disposition into the soul First Answ our justification which we call forgivenesse findes nothing in us or any thing done by us by which we come to be justified when we are said to be justified by faith or are not said to be justified for faith that is popery but by faith we lay hold on Christ by whose merits we are justified as a man is said to live by his hands not that he eates them but by the labour of his hands he gets money which buyes his meat which nourisheth him So a mans sins are not forgiven by vertue of beleeving but only thus because faith as an hand laies hold on this as a man gets a prey by his hand so we get this prey by the hand of faith faith doth not make a man just before God for God might condemne us for the imperfection and weaknesse of our faith but it layes hold on him who justifies Secondly forgivenesse or justification leaves no gracious frame upon the soul but it is only a legall and judicial forgiving of a man a pronouncing of the soul believing acquitted As a man that is arrested the surety paying all the debt the law is frustrate and hath nothing against that man and he is pronounced acquitted by the law but this acquitting doth not make a man any honester That of the Proverbs He that justifies the wicked and he that condemneth the righteous they both are abomination to the Lord. Not to make a man honester then he was but to account him so and justifie him when he is not You see then this leaves no stamp upon the soul this cuts the throat of many a mans comforts here is the maine difference between justification and sanctification justification is not for any thing in a mans self neither leaves any stamp but sanctification proceeds from some ability in the soul and leaves him holy Thirdly though the act of beleeving doth not put grace into the soul yet wherever this is there will be another work and bring grace into the soul For we forgive others THis is made an argument to prevaile with God we beseech God to forgive us because we forgive others as if we should say if we forgive others forgive thou us but we forgive others therefore Lord forgive us as though first we could forgive others before God forgive us Hence the question drawes on namely Whether is the soule able to forgive trespasses to others before the Lord forgives its trespases Quest No our forgiving others doth not goe before our owne forgivenesse Answ God must first forgive us before we can forgive others because it is a work of grace to doe this as God requires and it comes from a gracious disposition of soule which God must put into us before we can do it But now sanctification follows justification as a man should say a tree bringsforth fruit from the sap in the root But this is used as a cause Quest for we forgive others because we forgive others therfore forgive us it seems then to be a cause of our justification No Answ it is a fruit and effect to make way for the conveyance of the assurance of it it makes us not to be just but dedares us to be just Every reason propounded by the word because doth not imply a cause as I prove fire