Chap. Vii.—The Sixth Clause.
CHAP. VII.—THE SIXTH CLAUSE.
It was suitable that, after contemplating the liberality of
God,[21] we should likewise address His clemency. For what will
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profit us, if we are really consigned to them, as it were a bull
destined for a victim?[1] The Lord knew Himself to be the only
guiltless One, and so He teaches that we beg "to have our debts
remitted us." A petition for pardon is a full confession; because he
who begs for pardon fully admits his guilt. Thus, too, penitence is
demonstrated acceptable to God who desires it rather than the death of
the sinner.[2] Moreover, debt is, in the Scriptures, a figure of guilt;
because it is equally due to the sentence of judgment, and is exacted
by it: nor does it evade the justice of exaction, unless the exaction
be remitted, just as the lord remitted to that slave in the parable his
debt;[3] for hither does the scope of the whole parable tend. For the
fact withal, that the same servant, after liberated by his lord, does
not equally spare his own debtor; and, being on that account impeached
before his lord, is made over to the tormentor to pay the uttermost
farthing—that is, every guilt, however small: corresponds with our
profession that "we also remit to our debtors;" indeed elsewhere, too,
in conformity with this Form of Prayer, He saith, "Remit, and it shall
be remitted you."[4] And when Peter had put the question whether
remission were to be granted to a brother seven times, "Nay," saith He,
"seventy-seven times;"[5] in order to remould the Law for the better;
because in Genesis vengeance was assigned "seven times" in the case of
Cain, but in that of Lamech "seventy-seven times."[6]