important concern, our fpiritual ones: and here we afk in the first place, what it is very fit we should, pardon and mercy, Forgive us our tr paffes, as we forgive them that trefpafs against us. The forgiveness of fins having been already explained, under that article of the Creed which relates to it; I fhall only take notice at prefent of the argument, which we are directed to ufe in pleading for it, which is likewise the efpecial condition of our obtaining it; that we also forgive*, as we hope to be forgiven. And concerning this, two things ought to be underflood: what that forgivenefs is, to which we are bound: and how far the exercife of it will avail us. Now the obligation to forgiveness means, not that the magiftrate is to omit punishing malefactors; for he is the minifter of God, a revenger, to execute wrath upon him that doth evil: not that the rulers of the church are to forbear fpiritual cenfures against notorious offenders; for the scripture hath appointed them, for the amendment of finners, and the prefervation of the innocent, when they are likely to have these good effects: not that private perfons do amifs in bringing trangreffors to juftice; for neglecting it would be in general only a feeming kindness to them, and a real mischief to human fociety: not that we are forbidden to make reasonable demands on fuch as withhold our dues, or do us any damage; for recovering a debt is a very different thing from revenging an injury nor laftly, that we are always bound, when perfons have behaved ill to us, either to think as well of them as before; which may be impoffible; or to trust and favour them as much, which may be unwife. But our obligation to forgive doth mean, and abfolutely require, that civil governors be moderate and merciful; and ecclefiaftical ones make use of difcipline to edification, not to deftruction ‡: that, in our private capacity, we pafs by all offences, which, with fafety to ourfelves, and the public we can: that where we must punish, we do it with reluctance; and as gently as the cafe will permit; and where we must defend or recover our rights; we do it with the leaft expence, and the least uneafinefs to the adverfe party, that may be: that we never be guilty of injuftice to others, because they have been guilty of it to us; and never refufe them proper favours, merely becaufe we have been refufed * Luke xi. 4. Rom. xiii. 4. 2 Cor. x. 8. xiii. 10. and be careful, not to that we be willing to refufed fuch favours by them; much less because we have not obtained from them what it was not fit we fhould: that we look upon little provocations, as trifles think great ones greater than they are: make those who have displeased us, all fuch allowances to the full, as our common frailty and ignorance demand: that we always wish well to them; and be ready, as foon as ever we have real caufe, to think well of them to believe their repentance; and, how great or many foever their faults may have been, to accept it; and restore them to as large a share of our kindness and friendship, as any wife and good perfon, uninterested in the queftion, would think fafe and right: always remembering, in every cafe of injury, how very apt we are to err on the fevere fide; and how very much better it is, to err on the merciful one. This is the temper of forgiveness to our fellow-creatures : and it is plainly a good and fit temper. Let us therefore now confider further, what influence it will have towards our Maker's forgiving us. Our Saviour undoubtedly lays a peculiar ftrefs on it for this purpose; both by inferting it, as a condition, into the body of his prayer; and infifting on it, as a neceffary one, in his words immediately after the prayer. But ftill, we must obferve, he doth not mention it as the cause, that procures our forgiveness: for God faveth us, not by this, or any other works of righteousness, which we do, but according to his mercy; which he bath fhed on us abundantly through Jefus Chrift; that being juftified by his grace, we may be heirs of eternal life*. Our pardoning others is no more than a qualification, requifite to our receiving that final pardon from God, which our Saviour, through the Divine goodness, hath merited by his death, on that condition. Nor is it the only qualification neceffary, though it be a principal one. For the rest of God's laws were given in vain, if obferving this one wouldfecure his favour and Chrift would be found the minifter of fin†, if he had taught, that the fingle good difpofition of forgivenefs would be fufficient, let a perfon have ever fo many bad ones. But it is plain, that throughout the whole fermon on the mount, in which this prayer is delivered, he makes the performance of every part of our duty the condition of 3 N 2 : our our acceptance. In the very beginning of it, he hath promifed heaven to feveral other virtues, as well as here to this; and the meaning is, not that persons may get thither by any one that they will; for nobody fure is fo bad, as to have none at all but that each of them fhall have its proper fhare, in fitting us for that mercy and reward, which however, with lefs of them we fhall never obtain. Our imperfections in all will indeed be pardoned: but not our continuance in a wilful neglect of any. Still, though a spirit of forgiveness to our brother is by no means the whole, that God requires in order to forgive us; yet it is a quality, often fo difficult, always fo important, and fo peculiarly needful to be exercised by us, when we are intreating our Maker to exercise it towards us; that our Saviour had great reason to place it in the strong light, which he hath done; and even to place it fingle; fince his defign could not eafily be underfood to be any other, than to engage our particular attention to what deferves it fo much. For if we will not, for the love of God, and in obedience to his command, pardon our fellow-creatures the few and fmall injuries, which they are able to do us: (when perhaps we may have done many things to provoke them, and comparatively can have done little to oblige or ferve them) how should we ever expect, that he will forgive us the numerous and heinous offences, which we have committed against him; from whom we have received all that we have, on whom we depend for all that we can hope for, to whom therefore we owe the most unreferved duty, and the most affectionate gratitude? Let us remember then, that fince we pray to be forgiven, only as we forgive'; so often as we use these words, we pray in effect for God's vengeance upon ourselves, inftead of his mercy, if we forgive not. And therefore, let us apply to him continually for grace to do in carneft, what we profefs to do in this petition: let us carefully examine our hearts and our condu&, that we may not cheat ourselves, for we cannot cheat God, with falfe pretences of obferving this duty, while indeed we tranfgrefs it; let us utterly put away from us, all bitternefs, and wrath, and clamour, and evil-speaking, with all malice; and be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another; even as we hope, that God, for Chrifi's fake, will forgive us*. * Eph. iv. 31 32. LE C. LECTURE XXXIII. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. WE Amen. E fhould be very unfit to afk for the pardon of our past fins; and could neither hope to obtain it, nor indeed continue long the better for it; if we did not earnestly defire, at the fame time, to avoid fin for the future. And therefore, after the petition, forgive us our trefpaffes, moft properly follows, and lead us not into temptation. The word temptation very often fignifies no more, than trial; any oppofition or difficulty, that may call forth our virtues into vigorous practice, and, by so doing, both strengthen and make them known: not indeed to God, who always knows our hearts; but to ourselves and others to thofe around us at prefent; to all mankind, and the holy angels hereafter. Now in this general fenfe, our whole life on earth is, and was intended to be, a ftate of temptation: in which, as the fcripture expreffes it, God himself tempts men; that is, proves and exercises them. And accordingly, St James directs us to count it all joy when we fall into divers temptations; adding a very good reafon for it: Bleffed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life; which the Lord hath promised to those that love him. The more love to God we thus fhow, the more we exert our inward good principles and habits, and by exerting, improve them the greater reward we fhall obtain. When therefore we fay, Lead us not into temptation; we do not pray, that we may not be tried at all: for we know, that we muft, even for our own good. : But the word here ftands for dangerous trials, provocations, and *Gen. xxii. 1. Deut. iy. 34. 2 Chrop. xxxii. 31. ↑ Jam. i. 2, 12. and enticements to fin; under which we are likely to fink, inftead of overcoming them. Now there is indeed fcarce any thing in life, that may not be a temptation to us, in this bad fenfe. Our tempers, our ages, our ftations, and employments in the world, be they ever fo different, may, each in their different ways, rifk our innocence. They that are poor, are grievously tempted, either to repine against God; or take unlawful methods of relieving themselves. And they, that will be rich, experience, as well as the apostle, may teach us, fall into temptation and a fnare, and into many foolish and burtful lufts*. Both adverfity and profperity, business and leisure, company and folitude, have their respective hazards. And fometimes these hazards are fo dreadfully heightened by particular circumstances; and, at others, trying incidents, totally unforeseen, happen fo unfeafonably; that, though they may only roufe and animate our virtue; yet they may alfo, more probably, overbear, and deftroy it. And therefore we must know very little of our natural frailty, the ftrength of our paffions, and the deceitfulness of fin †; if we do not think it the more prudent, as well as modefter part, to decline, than venture the conflict, if it be God's will and do not accordingly beg of him, that he would not lead us into fuch temptation. : God, indeed, tempts no man‡, in the sense of alluring and inviting him to fin; as the devil, and wicked people, and our own bad hearts do. And therefore to pray, in this sense, that he would not lead us into temptation, would be great irreverence, inftead of piety for it is inconfiftent with the holiness of his nature, that he fhould. But as nothing comes to pass, but with his knowledge and fufferance; and every thing is fubject to his direction and fuperintendency: the fcripture fpeaks, as if every thing was done by him, when the meaning, as appears by other paffages of it, is only to acknowledge, that nothing is done without him: and, agreeably to the manner of speaking in the eastern countries, things are ascribed to him, which he only permits, and afterwards turns to the furtherance of his own good purpofes. Now God may very justly permit us to be led into the fevereft temptations, if we do not pray to him againft it: because a great part of the danger proceeds from that weakness, which we have wilfully, or carelefsly * 1 Tim. vi. 9. † Heb. iii. 13. James i. 13. |