And, 3. That God is a gracious, pardoning God, and dealeth not with us on the terms of rigorous justice according to the law of innocency, but hath brought us under the Redeemer's covenant of grace, which giveth pardon to all penitent believers so that sin is both pardonable, and conditionally pardoned to us all." Q. 3. What, then, are the presupposed things which we pray not for? A. 1. We pray not that God may be good and love itself, or a merciful God, for this is presupposed. 2. We pray not that he would send a Saviour into the world, to fulfil all righteousness, and die for sin, and that his merit and sacrifice may procure a conditional, universal pardon and gift of life, viz., to all that will repent and believe, for all this is done already.* Q. 4. Is it to the Father only, or also to the Son, that we pray for pardon? A. To the Father primarily, and to the Son as glorified, for now the Father without him judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son. (John v. 22.) But when Christ made this prayer, he was not yet glorified, nor in full possession of his power. Q. 5. What sin is it whose forgiveness we pray for? A. All sin, upon the conditions of pardon made by Christ; that is, for the pardon of all sin to true penitent believers. Therefore we pray not for any pardon of the final non-performance of the condition, that is, to finally impenitent unbelievers. Q. 6. Sin cannot hurt God; what need, then, is there of forgiveness? A. It can wrong him by breaking his laws, and rejecting his moral government, though it hurt him not: and he will right himself. Q. 7. What is forgiving sin? A. It is by tender mercy, on the account of Christ's merits, satisfaction, and intercession, to forgive the guilt of sin, as it maketh us the due subjects of punishment, and to forgive the punishment of sin, as due by that guilt and the law of God, so as not to inflict it on us.z น Q. 8. What punishment doth God forgive? 1 John ii. 1; 2 John iii. 16; Psalm cxxx. 4; Acts v. 31; xiii. 38, and xxvi. 18. * Luke xxiii. 34; Matt. ix. 6, and xii. 31, 32. y Luke xv. 3,5. * Col. ii. 13; Jam. v. 15; Matt. xviii. 27, 32; Luke vii. 42, 43; Rom. i. 21, 23; 1 Cor. xv. 22. : A. Not all for the first sentence of corporeal punishment and death is inflicted. But he forgiveth the everlasting punishment to all true believers, and so much of the temporal, both corporeal and spiritual, as his grace doth fit us to receive the pardon of: and so he turneth temporal, correcting punishments to our good." Q. 9. Doth he not pardon all sin at once, at our conversion? A. Yes, all that is past, for no other is sin. But not by a perfect pardon. Q. 10. Why must we pray for pardon, then, every day? A. 1. Because the pardon of old sins is but begun, and not fully perfect till all the punishment be ceased: and that is not till all sin and unholiness, and all the evil effects of sin, be ceased. No, nor till the day of resurrection and judgment have overcome the last enemy, death, and finally justified us." 2. Because we daily renew our sins by omission and commission, and though the foundation of our pardon be laid in our regeneration, that it may be actual and full for following sins, we must have renewed repentance, faith, and prayer. Q. 11. God is not changeable, to forgive to-day what he forgave not yesterday, what, then, is his forgiving sin? A. The unchangeable God changeth the case of man. And, 1. By his law of grace, forgiveth penitent believers who were unpardoned in their impenitence and unbelief. And, 2. By his executive providence he taketh off and preventeth punishments both of sense and loss, and so forgiveth. Q. 12. How can we pray for pardon to others, when we know not whether they be penitent believers, capable of pardon? A. 1. We pray as members of Christ's body for ourselves, and all that are his members, that is, penitent believers. 2. For others, we pray that God would give them faith, repentance, and forgiveness. As Christ prayed, " Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do;" that is, qualify them for pardon, and then pardon them; or give them repentance and forgiveness. Q. 13. Why say we, "As we forgive them that trespass against us?" A. To signify that we have this necessary qualification for forgiveness; God will not forgive us fully till we can forgive others; and to signify our obligation to forgive; and as an ar Psalm ciii. 3; 1 John i. 9. b1 Cor. xi. 30-32; Matt. xviii. 27; Psalm lxxxv. 2—4, &c.; Luke vi. 37 ; Jam. v. 15. gument to God to forgive us, when he hath given us hearts to forgive others. But not as the measure of God's forgiving us, for he forgiveth us more freely and fully than we can forgive others." Q. 13. Are we bound absolutely to forgive all men? A. No; but as they are capable of it. 1. We have no power to forgive wrongs against God. 2. Nor against our superiors, or other men, or the commonwealth, or church, further than God authoriseth any man by office. 3. A magistrate must forgive sins, as to corporeal punishment, no further than God alloweth him, and as will stand with the true design of government, and the common good. And a pastor no further than will stand with the good of the church; and a father no further than will stand with the good of the family: and so of others. 4. An enemy that remaineth such, and is wicked, must be forgiven by private men, so far as that we must desire and endeavour their good, and seek no revenge; but not so far as to be trusted as a familiar, or bosom friend. 5. A friend that offended, and returneth to his fidelity, must be forgiven and trusted as a friend, according to the evidence of his repentance and sincerity, and no further. The rest about forgiveness is opened in the exposition of that article in the creed, "The forgiveness of sins." Still remembering that all forgiveness is by God's mercy, through Christ's merits, sacrifice, and intercession. CHAP. XXX. "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Q. 1. WHY is this made the sixth petition? A. Because it is the next in order to the attainment of our ultimate end. Our natures being maintained, and our sin and punishment forgiven, we next need deliverance from all evils that we are in danger of for the time to come, and then we are saved. Q. 2. What is meant by temptation? A. Any such trial as may overcome us or hurt us, whether by Satan, or by the strong allurements of the world and flesh, or Matt. vi. 14, 15, and xviii. 35; Mark xi. 25, 26. by persecutions or other heavy sufferings, which may draw us to sin, or make us miserable." Q. 3. Doth God lead any into temptation? A. 1. God placeth us in this world in the midst of trials, making it our duty to resist and overcome. 2. God permitteth the devil, by his suggestions, and by the world and flesh, to tempt us. 3. God trieth us himself by manifold afflictions, and by permitting the temptations of persecutors and oppressors. Q. 4. Why will God do and permit all this? A. It is a question unmeet for man to put. It is but to ask him why he would make a rank of reasonable creatures below confirmed angels? And why he would make man with free And why he would not give us the prize without the race, and the crown without the warfare and victory? And you may next ask why he did not make every star a sun, and every man an angel, and every beast and vermin a man, and every stone a diamond.f Q. 5. Doth God tempt a man to sin? A. No: sin is none of God's end or desire. Satan tempts men to sin, and God tempteth men to try them whether they will sin, or be faithful to him, to exercise their grace and victory.g Q. 6. Is it not all that we need that God lead us not into temptation? A. The meaning is, that God, who overruleth all things, will neither himself try us beyond the strength which he will give us, nor permit Satan, men, or flesh, to overtempt us unto sin. Q. 7. But are we not sure that this life will be a life of trial and temptation, and that we must pass through many tribula tions? A. Yes: but we pray that they may not be too strong and prevalent to overcome us, when we should overcome.h Q. 8. What be the temptations of Satan which we pray against ? A. They are of so many sorts that I must not here be so large as to number them. You may see a great number with the remedies, named in my Christian Directory; but, in general, they are such by which he deceives the understanding, perverteth the will, and corrupteth our practice; and this is about our state 42 Pet. ii. 9; Rev. iii. 10; Matt. xxvi. 41; Luke viii. 18. Jam. i. 2, 12; 1 Cor. x. 13. h1 Cor. x. 13; Heb. ii. 18. of soul, or about our particular actions, to draw us to sins of commission, or of omission, against God, ourselves, or others. The particulars are innumerable.' Q. 9. What is the evil that we pray to be delivered from? A. The evil of sin and misery, and from Satan, ourselves, and men, and all hurtful creatures, as the causes. Q. 10. What is the reason of the connexion of the two parts of this petition, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil?" A. Temptation is the means of sin, and sin the cause of misery. And they that would be delivered from sin, must pray and labour to be delivered from temptation; and they that would be delivered from misery, must be delivered from sin.k Q. 11. May not a tempted man be delivered from sin? A. Yes, when the temptation is not chosen by him, and cannot be avoided, and when it is not too strong for him, grace assisting him. Q. 12. What duty doth this petition oblige us to, and what sin doth it reprehend? A. 1. It binds us to a continual, humble sense of our own corrupt dispositions, apt to yield to temptations, and of our danger, and of the evil of sin; and it condemneth the unhumbled that know not, or fear not, their pravity, or danger. 2. It binds us all to fly from temptations, as far as lawfully we can; and condemneth them that rush fearlessly on them, yea, that tempt themselves and others. The best man is not safe that will not avoid such temptations as are suited to his corrupt nature, when he may. While the bait is still near unto his senses, he is in continual danger.' 3. It binds us to feel the need of grace and God's deliverance, and not to trust our corrupted nature, and insufficient strength. Q. 13. How doth God deliver us from evil? A. 1. By keeping us from over-strong temptation. 2. By his assisting grace. 3. By restraining Satan and wicked men, and all things that would hurt us, and, by his merciful providence, directing, preserving, and delivering us from sin and misery. 1 Thes. iii. 5; Eph. vi. 11. * Prov. iv. 14, 15; 1 Thes. v. 22; Prov. vii. 23; 2 Tim. iii. 7, and vi. 9; 1 Cor. vii. 35; Matt. v. 29-31. 1 Matt. xviii. 6-9, and xvi. 22-24; 1 Cor. viii. 9 ; Rom. xiv. 13 ; Rev. ii. 14. |