thy self to him and then come and offer thy Gift It is not said if any have ought against thee but if thou hast ought against any one I confess in some Cases it is enough to lay it aside before the Lord. But at other times we are to seek reconciliation with the Party which hath wronged us But this Case is mightily to be guided by Spiritual Prudence As for God's Example God is Superior bound to none he acts freely it is his Mercy that pardons any and yet God gives us a Heart to repent of his good Pleasure he begins with a Sinner But this is nothing to our Case who are under Law who are bound to forgive others III. The Person to whom we Pray Our Heavenly Father The Note is That God doth alone forgive Sin There is a double forgiveness of Sin In Heaven and in a Man 's own Conscience and therefore sometimes compared to the blotting out of something out of a Book sometimes to the blotting out of a Cloud To the blotting out of a Book Isa. 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy Sins That it may be no more remembred or charged upon us To the blotting out of a Cloud Isa. 44. 22. I have blotted out as a thick Cloud thy Transgressions and as a Cloud thy Sins As the Sun when it breaketh forth in its Strength dispelleth the Mists and Clouds Sin interposeth as a Cloud hindring the Light of God's Countenance from shining forth upon us Both these are God's Work to blot the Book and to blot out the Cloud 1. Pardoning of Sin in the Court of Heaven it belongeth to God peculiarly Dan. 9. 9. To the Lord our God belong Mercies and Forgivenesses c. 'T is God alone can do it for two Reasons 1. He is the wronged Party 2. He is the Supream Judg. 1. He is the wronged Party against whom the Offence is committed Psal. 51. 4. Against thee against thee only have I sinned He had sinned against Bathsheba against Vriah whose Death he projected How is it said against thee only There may be wrong and hurt done to a Creature but the Sin is against God as 't is a breach of his Law and a despising of his Sovereign Authority the Injury done to the Creature is nothing in Comparison of the Offence done to God against so many Obligations wherein we stand bound to him Amongst Men we distinguish between the Crime and the Wrong And a Criminal Action is one thing and an Action of Wrong and Trespass is another If a Man steal from another 't is not enough to make him Restitution but he must satisfy the Law 2. He is the Supream Judg. Father Son and Holy Ghost as one God are the Judg of all the Earth to whom they must be accountable for the Offence Gen. 18. 25. Shall not the Iudg of all the Earth do right But in the Mystery of Redemption the Father as first in order of the Persons is represented as the Judg to whom the Satisfaction is tendred and who doth Authoritatively pass a Sentence of Absolution And therefore 't is said 1 Joh. 2. 1. We have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the Righteous He is to deal with him as the Supream Judg and 'T is God that justifieth Rom. 8. 33. The whole Business of our Acquitment is carried on by the Father who is to receive the Satisfaction and our humble Addresses for Pardon But to answer some Objections that may arise Object 1. 'T is said Mat. 9. 6. The Son of Man hath power on Earth to forgive Sins I answer That is brought there as an Argument of his God-Head He that was the Son of Man was also very God And therefore upon Earth in the time of his Humiliation he had power to forgive Sins for he ceased not to be God when Incarnate And it became him to discover himself as by his Divine Power in the work of Miracles so his Divine Authority in the Forgiveness of Sins Object 2. Is taken from the Text Forgive us our Debts as we forgive those that trespass against us I answer In Sin there is the Obliquity or Fault in it and the Hurt or Detriment that redounds to Man by it As it is a Breach of the Law of God or an Offence to his Infinite Majesty God can only pardon it or dispense with it As it is an hurt to us so restitution is to be made to Man and Man can pardon or forgive it Object 3. 'T is said Joh. 20. 23. Whosesoever Sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosesoever Sins ye retain they are retained So that it seemeth Man hath a power to remit Sins I answer They do it Declaratively and by Commission from God The Officers of the Church have the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven committed to them the Key of Knowledg or Doctrine and the Key of Order and Discipline Accordingly this Power is called The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 16. 19. And the use of them is to open or shut the Doors of God's House and to bind or loose as the Expression is Mat. 18. 18. That is to pronounce Guilty and liable to Judgment or to absolve and set free declaratively and in God's Name or as it is litterally expressed in the place alledged To remit or retain The Key of Doctrine is exercised about all Sin as Sin were it never so secret and inward and the Key of Order and Discipline about Sin only as 't is Scandalous and Infectious Now what they act Ministerially according to their Commission 't is ratified in Heaven for it is a Declaration or Intimation of the Sentence already passed there So that a Declarative and Ministerial Power is given to the Church but the Authoritative Power of forgiving Sins that God hath reserved to himself Man can remit doctrinally and by way of Judicial Procedure but that is only by way of Commission and Ministerial Deputation Such as are Penitent and feel the Bonds of their Sins they do declaratively absolve and loose them or take off the Censure Judicially inflicted for their scandalous Carriage This Ministerial forgiving however Carnal Hearts may slight it both in Doctrine and Discipline yet being according to the Rules of the Word is owned by God and the Penitent shall feel it to their Encouragement and the Obstinate to their Terror 2. As he pardoneth Sin in the Conscience and there God alone can forgive Sin or speak Peace to the Soul upon a double Account 1. Because of his Authority 2. Because of his Power 1. Because of his Authority Conscience is God's Deputy and till God be pacified Conscience is not pacified upon sound and solid Terms Therefore 't is said where Conscience doth its Office 1 Joh. 3. 20 21. If our Hearts condemn us God is greater than our Hearts and knoweth all things if our Hearts condemn us not then have we confidence towards
wish himself to love Christ less or to be less beloved of him for these things we cannot part with them without Sin but in our enjoyment of Christ there is a happy part some personal Happiness which resulteth to us now all this he could lay at God's Feet How so What for others A regular Love begins at home and every Man is bound to look to his own Salvation first and then the Salvation of others But that was not the case it was not their Salvation and Paul's Salvation which was in Competition but the Glory of God and the common Salvation of the Iews and Paul's particular Salvation It was a mighty prejudice to the Gospel that the People from whom Christ's Messengers proceeded for the Law went out of Sion the Gospel came out from among the Iews that so many of them were prejudiced and a mighty Eclipse to the Glory of God Now he could lay down all his personal Happiness at God's Feet he speaks in Supposition if such a Case falls out But however this is a clear Rule the Glory of God must be preferred before our own Salvation In some Cases there will be need of this Rule For Instance there 's many a Man that possibly is convinced of a false Religion and the first Question Men make is if they can be saved in such a Religion but many Men are hardned in Popery When therefore a Man is contented to continue in a false Religion and dishonour God with his complyance there provided he may be saved he prefers his own Salvation before the Glory of God And in case of the delay of Repentance when Men dally with God and put off the work of returning to the Lord until another time or hereafter it is time enough to repent these Men prize their Salvation before the Glory of God If it were true upon that Supposition that if ever they shall be saved they are contented God shall be dishonoured a great deal longer and that if they be saved at length this will satisfy them Quest. But how may we discern that we make the Glory of God the first and chief thing we aim at in Prayer 1. Partly by the work of your own Thoughts The End is first in Intention tho last in Execution When you are praying for a publick Mercy against an Enemy what runs in your Thoughts Revenge Safety and your own personal Happiness or God's Glory What wilt thou do O Lord unto thy great Name Josh. 7. 9. Are you pleasing your selves with Suppositions of your Escape and Deliverance and reeking your Wrath upon your Adversaries So in Prayer for Strength and Quickning what is it that runs in your Mind Are you entertaining your Spirit with Dreams of Applause and feeding your Minds with the sweetness of popular Acclamation 2. By the manner of praying absolutely for God's Glory but for all other things with a sweet Submission to God's Will Joh. 12. 27. Father save me from this hour but for this cause came I unto this hour Father glorify thy Name Then came there a Voice from Heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it again Christ is absolute in the Request and he receives an Answer Is this enough Do you mainly press God with this that he might provide for his own glorious Name that his Name might not lye under Reproach But now carnal Aims do make Affection impetuous and impatient of check and denial Rachel must have Children or dye When the Heart is set upon earthly Success Pleasure or Comfort then they cannot brook a denial without Murmuring The Children of God only accept of God's Glory and in all other things they leave themselves to God's disposal and therefore this is the main thing 3. Partly too by the Disposition of your Hearts when your Prayers are accomplished and God hath given any Blessing you pray for we do not ask it for God's Glory if we do not use it for God's Glory The time of having Mercies is the time of Trial and therefore when we consume our Mercies upon our Lusts when they do not conduce to check our Sins it is a sign God's Glory is not the thing intended as it should be Thus for the Order of this Petition II. The Necessity of putting up such a Request to God 'T is his charge to us in the Third Commandment That we should sanctify his Name Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain The positive part of that Commandment is Thou shalt sanctify it Now here we make it matter of Prayer to God Hallowed be thy Name From whence let me observe Doct. Those that would have God's Name Hallowed and Glorified must seriously deal with God about it There are several Reasons why we must put up such Requests to God I might argue from the Utility and the Necessity of it First the Utility We put up these Requests to God 1. That we may more solemnly warn our selves of our own Duty In Prayer there is an implicit Vow or solemn Obligation that we take upon our selves to prosecute what we ask It is a Preaching to our selves in God's hearing So that every Word we speak to God is a Lesson to us and our Requests are as so many Exhortations to glorify his Holy Name With what Face can we ask that which we are wholly wretchless and neglectful of Then we shall certainly come under that Character Mat. 15. 7 8. This People draweth nigh unto me with their Mouth and honoureth me with their Lips but their Heart is far from me It is the greatest Mockage of God to ask unless we have a Mind to pursue and diligently to attend to this Work and Business that the Name of God may be glorified in us and upon us 2. That we may have a due Sense and Grief for God's Honour God's Children they are troubled to see God dishonoured Lot's righteous Soul was vexed not with Sodom's Injuries but with Sodom's Sins 2 Pet. 2. 8. And David saith Rivers of Tears run down mine Eyes because Men keep not thy Law Psal. 119. 136. Many will scarce weep for their own Sins where they have advantage of remorse of Conscience but when they are zealously affected with God's Glory they will weep for others Sins When his Name is torn and rent in pieces it is a grief of Heart to them Now God will have us ask this that this Holy Sense of Spiritual Grief may be kept up for when it is become the matter of our Requests then we are interested in the Glory of God We are loth to see things miscarry where we have petitioned and begged for others so when we have begged the Glory of his Name it will further this Spiritual Sense and Grief of Heart when his Name is dishonoured 3. That we may count it as great a Blessing when God is glorified as when we are saved Continue in Prayer saith the Apostle and watch thereunto with Thanksgiving When we have been instant
Heart towards God but only a few Wishes 6. Halâ—ing the Will of God as in many Cases many will do part of the Will of God but not all they come not fully up to the Mind of God For Instance They will take notice of some great Commandment but not of the least we cannot dispense with our selves in the least Mat. 5. 19. Whosoever shall break one of the least Commandments and shall teach Men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven We are apt to say It is but a little one and my Soul shall live No Sin is little which is committed against a great God It argueth more Wickedness to break with God for a Trifle and a very small Matter it argueth more Corruption As a little Force will make a heavy Body move downward Again in another Case The Ceremonialist stands upon some lesser things as the Jews Iohn 18. 28. would not go into the Iudgment-Hall lest they should be defiled yet they could seek the Life of the Lord of Glory They are not brought under the Dominion of the Lord's Grace Faith Repentance Holiness and the weightier things of the Law these are things they regard not This is Hypocrisy Like one that comes into a Shop to buy a Penny-worth and steals a Pound 's worth so they are punctual in lesser things that they may make bold with God in greater Again some will do the Will of God in publick where they may be observed but not in private and when alone They make a fair shew in the World but in their Families their Converse is more loose and careless Psal. 101. 2. I will walk within my House with a perfect Heart A Man that is truly holy will shew it at home and abroad in his Closet and secret Retirements every where he makes Conscience of the Will of God Many times we strain our selves and put forth our Gifts in publick God will be served with our utmost in secret also and the Will of God is exprest concerning the inward as well as the outward Man and we must make Conscience of both Isa. 55. 7. Let the wicked Man forsake his Way and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts c. Not only make Conscience of our Way our outward Course but of our Thoughts as well as our Actions for the Thoughts fall under a Law So some will make Conscience of the First-Table Duties and neglect the Second and some of the Second and neglect the first Some are very punctual in dealing with Men but neglectful of God Rom. 1. 18. The Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all Vngodliness and Vnrighteousness of Men. Both Tables are owned from Heaven Some will not wrong their Neighbour of a Farthing but stick not to rob God of all that Faith Fear Love Trust Worship that is due to him Many that will not defile their Bodies with promiscuous Copulation yet are Adulterers and Adulteresses to God their Hearts stragling from God doting upon the Creature to the Wrong of God Many condemn the Rebellion of Absalom and rise up against their heavenly Father and are Murtherers that strike at the Being of God They are tender of wronging the Reputation of Men yet dishonour God and are never troubled So on the other side others fear and worship but in their Dealings are very unconscionable they will not swear an Oath but are very uncharitable censuring their Brethren without pity and remorse This is the fashion of the World to be in with one Duty and out with another 7. A Loathness to know the Will of God to search and enquire into it argueth Deceit and that we are loth to come under the Power of it Some Men shrewdly suspect it is true but are loth to enquire into it Iohn 3. 20. Every one that doth Evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his Deeds should be reproved They have a shrewd Guess about the Ways of God but will not search to be satisfied 2 Pet. 3. 5. They are willingly ignorant As Tertullian saith of the Heathens they would not search into the Christian Religion because they had a mind to hate it So these are loth to enquire further into the Will of God There 's a great deal of Deceit in it it shews we are afraid to come too near a suspected Truth Again now and then when Lusts are under some restraint Men seem to lie much under the Will of God A Horse that is kept low is easily ruled by the Rider but when fed high he grows head-strong Many times in a mean Condition a Man seems to make Conscience of doing the Will of God but when prosperous he waxeth wanton and disobedient Ier. 5. 5. I will get me to the great Men but these have altogether broken the Yoke and burst the Bonds So that there are a great many Mistakes about doing the Will of God therefore you had need search Secondly How shall we know we are rightly affected with the Will of God 1. When God's Will is Reason enough for what he hath required of us when a Man is so sensible of God's will that this is instead of all Reasons Obedience is never right but when it is done upon the meer sight of God's Will This is enough to a gracious Heart that this is the Will of God 1 Pet. 2. 15. 1 Thess. 5. 18. tho the Duty be never so cross to our own Desires and Interests This is to obey the Commandment for the Commandment's sake without any other Reason or Inducement There is indeed Ratio formalis Ratio motiva the formal Reasons of Obedience and the Motives of Obedience The formal Reason of Obedience is the sight of God's Will the Motives to Obedience are Rewards and a Dread of Punishment The formal Reason is God's Will and this is pure Obedience to do vvhat God vvills because God vvills it 2. When a Man is very inquisitive to know what is the Will of his heavenly Father When he doth not only practise what he knows but searcheth that he may know more Rom. 12. 2. That ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect Will of God And Ephes. 5. 17. Be ye not unwise but understanding what the Will of the Lord is When a Man is desirous to know the whole Will of God not for Curiosity but for Practice that he might do it When the Understanding hath a confused Notion of a thing they will not know it distinctly but when Men search and are willing to find out the Counsel of God in all things that they may come up to it this is a Sign the Heart is rightly affected to the Will of God 3. Hereby may you know your Affection to God's Will by keeping your selves from your Sins Psal. 18. 23. I was upright before him and kept my self from mine Iniquity There is an Iniquity that we may call ours upon which the Will is most passionately addicted be it Worldliness Sensuality