4. Not remembring Sin, 7 x7, Fer. xxxi. 34. & μn μvna TI, Hebr. viii. 12. 5. Covering our Sins, Pfal.xxxii. 1. RUM 110), 6. Blotting out, Ifa. xliii. 25. TYWA MD, כסית כל חטאתם .2 .Pfal. xxxv מחיתי כעב פשעיך .22 .Ja. xliv הרחיק ממנו כל פשעינו 10,11,12 .ciii 7. Removing Sin, y R,Exod.xxxiv.7. Pfal. Levit. xvi. 21, 22. Jer. 1. 20. 8. Not imputing Sin, Pfal. xxxii. 2. Rom. iv. 8. ᾧ ἐ μὴ λογίσηται Κύριθ ἁμαρτίαν. 2 Cor. V. 19. μὴ λογιζόμμΘ αὐτοῖς τὰ πραπτώς μαζα αυλῶν, Mic. vii. 18, 19. 2. What is the true Nature of Forgiveness? 1. As all Men are guilty of Sins, 1 Job. i. 9. Ecclef. vii. 20. fo none but God can pardon them, Ifa. xliii. 25. Exod. xxxiv. 6,7. Mic. vii. 18. 2. God's pardoning our Sins, is not the fame with His fubduing them, yet they always go together, Coloff. ii. 13, 14. 3. It is not only God's not punishing us, Ecclef. viii. 11, 12, 13. but it confifts in God's acquitting us from our Obli gation to Punishment, Hebr. viii. 12. 4. When our Sins are pardon'd, we are look'd upon no more as Sinners, Hebr. xi. 4. 5. This Pardon is of God's free Grace, Coloff. ii. 13. Ephef. i. 7. Ifa. lv. 1. For our Repentance cannot deferve it. 6. And obtain'd by us only on the account of Chrift's Satisfaction; for,S 1. Fallen Man is unable to pay his Debts to God, Pfal. cxliii. 2. 2. Hence Chrift became his Surety, Hebr. vii. 22. 3. Hence ་ 3. Hence He became Man, Joh. i. 14. 5. By this He fatisfied God's Juftice. 7. God never actually pardons Sin, unless we 2. Believe in Chrift our Redeemer, Aft. X. 43. and xiii. 38, 39. Rom. iii. 24,25. 8. Tho' Remiffion be not the fame, yet it is always accompanied with Juftification, Pfal. xxxii. 1, 2. Rom. iv. 6, 7, 8. III. What is the Meaning of this Reason or Condition in the Petition, as we forgive our Debtors? 1. By Debtors are understood thofe Men that do us Wrongs and Injuries. 2. These Men we are bound to forgive, Ephef. iv. 31, 32. Coloff. iii. 13. Not that our forgiving them their Trefpaffes is a Caufe why God fhould forgive us, but it fignifies, 1. Reality, fo that we pray that God would forgive us, as we do truly forgive o thers. 2. It speaks the Condition whereupon God forgiveth us, and that is Charity, exprefs'd by the chief Work of it, For giveness, it being a Hebraifm. 3. It intimates the Qualification of the Votary; he that comes to offer this Sacrifice, must first be reconcil'd to his Brother. He must be at Peace with all Men, otherwife God will not hear nor accept his Prayer, Ifa. i. 15. IV. What IV. What then do we ask in this Petition? 1. All Things neceflary to Forgivenefs. As, 1. A Senfe of Sin, Pfal. li. 3. 1 S. Joh. i. 8. Pfal. xxxii. 5. 2. Sorrow for it, Pfal. xxxviii. 18. 3. Converfion from it, 2 Cor. vii. 10. 4. Faith in Chrift, Ifa. liii. 4, 5. S. Luk.xvii.5. 2. That God would accept of the Sufferings which Chrift underwent, instead of those which we have deserved, I S. Joh. ii. 2. a. liii. 5, 6. 3. That He would wholly difcharge us, Job xxxiii. 24. 4. The Affurance of this Pardon, Rom. viii. 16. S. Matt. ix. 2. 15, 5. That He would justify our Perfons, Phil. iii. 8,9, 2 Cor. v. 4. USE. Pray for the Pardon of Sin; and to enforce the Duty and Practice, Confider, 1. What a dreadful thing it is, to lie under the Guilt of Sin. For then, 1. God is always angry, Pfal. vii. 11. 2. Thou canft enjoy no Mercy, Ifa.xlviii, 22. Mal. ii. 2. 3. Thou art in continual Danger of Hell, and if thou dieft in this Condition, thou wilt be eternally miferable. 4 Nothing thou doft is accepted, Prov. xv. 8. 2. How happy thou wilt be, if pardon'd. 2. All Things work together for thy Good, 3. God will always keep thee in the way to Heaven, S. Joh. xiii. 1. 4. And accept of thy weak Duties, Ifa. i. 16, 17, 18. 5. And bring thee at last to Himself. S. MATT. S. MATT. vi. 13. And lead us not into Temptation, but deliver us from Evil. WHAT do we understand here by Tem ptations? Trials. For, 1. God tempteth no Man to fin, S. Jam. i. 13: 2. Adverfity, Fob i. 12. 3. By fuffering Satan to moleft 'em, 2 Cori xii. 7. 1 King. xxii. 22. 4. By Defertions, Hof. v. 15. 2 Chron. xxxii: 31. Pfal. xxx. 7. II. May we pray against all Temptations ? III. What then do we pray against, when we beg of God, not to lead us into Temptation? 1. That we may not be tempted above our Ability, 1 Cor. x. 13, 2. That He would enable us to conquer and improve them, ibid. 3. That He would keep us from all Occasions of Sin, Prov. xxx. 8,9. 1 Tim. vi. 9. IV. What are we here to understand by Evil ៖ 1. Satan, i #omness, i Joh. v. 18, 19. F 2. Sin 2. Sin, S. Fam. i. 14, 15. 3. Our own Lufts and Sins, especially thofe which we are most fubject to fall into, 1. By the Temper of our Body; or, 2. The Company we converfe with; or, 4. The Evil of Punishment, S. Luk. xxii. 42. V. What are the principal Things we beg of God in this Petition? 1. That He would reftrain the Power of Satan, Job i. 11. S. Luk. xxii. 31. 2. Or give us more Strength to bear, than him Power to bring Temptations, Job i. 22. and ii. 10. 2 Cor. 12. 9. S. Luk. xxii, 31, 32. 3. That He would mortify our Lufts, Pfal. li. 2. Coloff. iii. 5. 4. Sanctify us, and give us all true Graces, Pfal. li. 10. as Knowledge, Coloff. iii. 10. Repentance, Faith, Hebr. xi. 5, 6. Love, Matt. xxii. 37. Thankfulness, 1 Theff. v. 18. 5. That He would direct and enable us to walk in His ways, Prov. iii. 6. Isa. xxx. 21. Hebr. xiii. 21. 6. That He would never leave us to ourselves, Hebr. xiii. 5. 7. That in all our Trials, He would keep us from charging Him with Injustice, Job i. 22. 8. Enable us to make the right Ufe of Afflictions, Ifa. xxvii. 9. Hebr. xii. 10. 9. That tho' He fuffer us to flip into, yet he would not permit us to continue in Sin, Pfal. li. 12. and xix. 13. 10. That He would, in His good Time, put an End to our Trials, by bringing us to Himfelf, Rom. xvi. 20. USE. |