Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	father_n	forgive_v	trespass_n	2,767	5	11.5983	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50164	Speedy repentance urged a sermon preached at Boston, December 29, 1689 : in the hearing and at the request of one Hugh Stone, [a mis]erable man [under a just sen]tence of [death] for a [tragical and] hor[rible murder : together with some account concerning the character, carriage, and execution of that unhappy malefactor : to which are added certain memorable providences relating to some other murders, & some great instances of repentance which have been seen amonst us / by Cotton Mather.]	Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728.	1690 (1690)	Wing M1156; ESTC W19439	36,769	111

Depths of the Sea But shall they not Rise and Float again Truly a Milstone thrown into the deepest Ocean shall sooner be brought in sight than the Sin of one who has been a Subject of Iustification shall ever be brought up for his Condemnation any more Conclusion 5. It is observed that the same words Transgression and Iniquity are used both for Sin it self and for the punishment of Sin Wherefore I shall here tender you this one Conclusion more In Iustification the severe punishment of Sin is Remitted with the Fault it self There has been a vain Distinction used about this matter between Reatus Culpae Guilt as Deserving of punishment and Rectus Paenae Guilt as Obliging to punishment But these are so inseparable that when Guilt is Remitted the punishment goes along with it In Iustification our Bonds are taken off and nothing is demanded of us as a price to A●one the Righteous God It was said in in Isa. 33. 24. The Inhabitant shall not say I am sick the people shall be for given their Iniquity Thus when men are Forgiven their Iniquity they shall not by vindictive Justice be made to say I am sick or I am poor or I am pained and the like There are no proper Paenalties remaining for a justify'd man Whatever Troubles he may afterwards meet withal there shall not be the Wrath and the Curse of God spicing of them and in regard of the Second Death it is very peremptorily declar'd unto him Thou shalt not Dy. It was the cry of the Psalmist in Psal. 143. 2. Enter not into Iudgment with thy Servant The God of Heaven acts not so much like a Iudg as like a Father to a justify'd man and He not only secures him from the vengeance of Eternal Fire but also puts a New and a Knd Respect upon all the Temporal Afflictions which do befal such a Man The Afflictions which happen to him are not so much Punishments as Chastisements and a Reconciled God therein proceeds according to that Rule in Rev 3. 19. Whom I Love I Rebuke and Chasten Yea if a Correction be at any time employ'd upon him it is at the same time a Benefit in that very thing which called for it As the Dumbness of Zachary was as much an Argument for his Faith as a Chastisement for his Unbelief And I am to tell the wretched Malefactor here That his Prison and his very Gall●ws will but be turned into his Advantages upon his true Repentance Man you shall find Honey for your Soul in the Bowels of those Devourers if your Sins be once done away But then our Next Enquiry is to be Why should men be Importunate in their Prayers to the Eternal God for the pardon of their Sins before the Sleep of Death bring their Great Change upon them For Answer to this Let these three Conclusions all found in the Text be laid together Conclusion 1. None can Forgive Sins but God The Scribes of old were so far Well Instructed as to say in Marc. 2. 7. Who can Forgive Sin but God only The true Answer is very short None Injuries done to men may so far be forgiven by Men as men only are concerned in them Hence t is among the solemn Charges of the Lord Jesus to us all in Mat. 6. 14. Forgive men their Trespasses But as it was of old said If a Man sin against the Lord who shall entreat for him Even so If a Man sin against the LORD who shall pardon him Injuries done to God are to be Forgiven by Him alone whose Great Name is that in Exod. 34. 7. The Lord Forgiving Iniquity and Transgression and Sin It is a Maxim Nemo potest Remittere de Iure Alieno No man can dispose of Anothers Right Who then can Intrude or dare Invade upon the Great God so as to allow for a Wrong which has been done unto His Majesty To Forgive Sin is a prerogative peculiar to the God of Heaven and it is therefore mention'd among His Regalia in Mic. 7 8. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity 'T is one of His Incomparable Excellencies and a Flower in His Glorious Crown T is the Glory which He will not give unto another Look upon sin as a Debt still God is the Creditor Look upon sin as a Fault still God is the Governour to whom alone belongs the Remission of it VVe are advertised of this Rom 8 33. It is God that Iustifies Ministerially to Declare a Pardon is one thing This may be done by the Churches of the Lord Jesus Chirst as the Priests were to pronounce upon the Cleanness of the Leper 〈◊〉 which respect our Lord said in Iohn 20. 23. Whose soever sins ye remit they are remitted to them And in such a sense was the Prophet Ieremiah to pull down and pluck up Nations that was to Declare what Nations were so to be dealt withal But Authoritatively to Dispense a Pardon is another thing and it pertains to God alone It was a passage of Moses in Numb 14 17 Let the power of my Lord be great The Iews find a Letter of a greater figure than usual there to intimate they say something of an extraordinary Greatness but what is it it follows Pardon I beseech thee None but one that has the great Power of a God can pardon Sin The Popish Blasphemy and Villany upon this point was the Scandal which first gave occasion to the Protestant Reformation and God forbid that any Pr●testant should Return to lick it up Wherefore YOU that here stand Condemned both by God and Man are now to be put in mind not only that we have no Priest to Absolve you and Deceive you and that the Rulers of this place may not Pardon you if they could but also if that your murdered Wife had Forgiven you before her Expiration this would not acquit you before the Tribunal of the Eternal God To invert the words of Elihu When He gives quiet who can make trouble I would say If he trouble you who can Quiet you I● He do not forgive none can Pardon you Conclusion 2 The God of Heaven requires our Importunate Prayers that our Sins may be forgiven to us T is an Article in that Platform of Prayer which our Lord has given us O our Heavenly Father Forgive us our Trespasses When a certain Man had sinned at a grievous Rate there was this Direction given to him in Acts 8. 22. Repent of thy wickedness and pray to God And O that this Direction might penetrate into the very Soul of the sad man that is now before us here a Man if he be worthy to be called so of whom we may say O this Man hath sinned a great Sin Behold the course to be taken by every sinner that would have a Pardon from the Lord Pray to God if perhaps thy Sin may be forgiven thee We have a promise of a Pardon in Ezek. 36. 25. I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye