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SERMON VIII.

BY

CHARLES CHURCHILL.

Q2

#

SERMON VIII.

MATTHEW vi. 12th.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

N these words are two things obfervable; the Petition-forgive us our debts, and the condition on which we ask forgiveness-as we forgive our debtors. Both these are subjects that greatly deferve our confiderationthe one as it affords the highest instance of God's goodness to the fons of men, the other as containing a motive to the forgiveness of

our enemies, which is one of the hardest of all Chriftian duties.

I fhall therefore particularly confider them, and fhall fhew that the mercy and goodness of God, is remarkably displayed, by the permiffion here given us to pray to him, for the forgiveness of our sins.

The temporal bleffings which his Providence difpenfes for the fupply of our wants, are arguments indeed of great goodness to us, and deserve our highest gratitude and love. But these are concerns of fmall moment to us, in comparifon of those which look beyond the grave, and yield a profpect of better things to come.

For what would it avail us to be fupplied by his bounty with the neceffaries of this prefent life, if our fins were to follow us in the next? If the fins and offences of our youth and old age were registered and treafured up against us, if no act of oblivion

was.

was to pafs on our actions, no pardon granted, no method of atonement appointed to blot out our fins, no affurance that our prayers fhall be heard, no direction to ask, that our debts may be forgiven as we forgive our debtors, we fhould as the Apoftle fays, all have been concluded under fin, and consequently under punishment; our condemnation had been fure, our fentence irreversible, and the bleffings and con-veniencies we at prefent enjoy, would only have served to make easy our paffage to a ftate of everlasting misery; and who could be fo fond of a fhort momentary life, as to value it upon fuch terms as these?

It is the glorious prospect we have before us, the certainty that if we are not wanting to ourselves we may work out our own falvation, and obtain by the fatisfaction of our Saviour, what we were not able to fecure for ourselves; the means of forgivenefs are placed in our own hands, and therefore it will be our own faults if we mifcarry.

And

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