Concerning forgiveness of fins,
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism.
Concerning Forgiveness of Sins.
Quest. 105.W Hat do we pray for in the fifth petition ?
A. In thefifthpetition, which is, [And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,] we pray, that God,for Christ'sfake, would freely pardon all ourfins ; which we are the rather encouraged to ask, because by his grace we are enabledfromtheheart to forgive others .
Q. 1. Why doth this petitionimmediatelyfollowthe former ?
A. To teach, that all temporal and corporal good things, without special and spiritual ones, are little worth ;
Psalm iv.
6. Therebemanythatsay,Whowillshew usanygood ? Lord, lift thou up the lightofthy countenance upon us. Psalm xvii.
14, 15. From men which are thy hand, O Lord, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure. They are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to theirbabes. As forme, I willbeholdthy face in righteousness : I shall be satisfied,when I awake with thy likeness.
Q. 2. Why is it annexed to the former with thecopulative and?
A. To teach, that to beone minute in the confluence of all earthly good things, without the pardon off in,isa very dangerous and dreadful condition; Luke xii. 16, 20. And he spake a parable unto them, saying,The ground ofa certain rich man hrought forthplentifully: But Godfaid unto him, Thou fool, this night shall thyfoulbe required of thee; then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided ?
Q.3. Why is forgiveness of fins placed in the front of fpiritualblessings?
A. Because till finbe pardoned, we are under wrath, and can have no special saving grace applied to us, till we are accepted; till we are in Christ, we have no covenant-right to the blessings of Christ ; Mat. xi. 28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Ver. 30.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light; John xv. 4, 5.
Abide in me, and I in you ; as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine ; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine,ye are the branches.
He that abide thin me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. Ver. 7. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you ; ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. John iii. ult. He thatbelieveth on the Son, hath everlasting life; and he that believeth
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism. not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Q. 4. Why do we pray for forgiveness ? Cannot we make amends for our fins,and be freed from their guilt, without pardon?
A. No, all that we can ever do, or suffer, can never expiate the guilt of the least sin ; Psalm xlix. 7, 8. None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him; (for the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever.) 1 Sam. ii. 25. Ifoneman sin against another, the judge shall judge him : but if am an fin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him ?
Q.5. DoesGodthenfreely,and out ofmeregrace, forgive us?
$ A. Yes, without any respect had to any thing we can do, or be; Ifa. xliii. 25. I, even Iamhethatblottethoutthytranfgressionsformineown fake, and will not remember thy fins.
Rom ix. 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Ver. 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will hehardeneth.
Q. 6. How doth God forgive fins ?
A. (1.) Universally, all fins ; Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands ; forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and fin. Jer. xxxiii. 8.
And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have finned against me : And I will pardon all theiriniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have tranfgreffed against me. Hoseaxiv. 2. Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously. (2.) Completely, and perfectly ; Ifa. xliii. 25.
I, even I am he thatblotteth out thy transgressions formineown fake, and will not remember thy fins. Psalm ciii. 12. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed ourtranfgreffions from us. Mic. vii. 19. He willfubdue ouriniquities; and thou wilt east all our fins into the depths of the sea. Ifa. xxxviii. 17. Forthouhast cast all myfins behind thy back. (3.)
Everlastingly ; Jer. xxxi. 34. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their fin no more.
Heb. viii. 12. And their fins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Q. 7. But doth notGodpunish them afterward, whom he hasjuftified and forgiven?
A. No, not with a proper and vindictive punishment; but
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he brings evils upon them for their fins, as a father chastises his child;and other forts ofafflictions for their spiritual good:
He maybe angry, as a Father, with those he has pardoned, but never hate them as a condemning Judge ; Psalm lxxxix.
28. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. Ver. 34. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
Q. 8. How can God be said freely to pardon all our fins, when we pray it maybe done for Christ's fake; does not that imply thatChrift has fatisfiedGod for our fins, and deserved ourremiffion?
A. Yes, it does so; for the Lord Christ, by his life and death,did satisfy divine justice, anddidmerit our forgiveness :
But if he did so, we did not fo; our fins cost him dear, but their pardon cost us nothing ; our pardon is perfectly free to us, though due to Christ, for God gave Christ freely for us;
God accepts of his merits, and applies themtousfreely ; Rom. iii. 24. Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.
Q. 9. But is there nothing required from us as the conditionofpardon? and iffo, how can it be absolutely free ?
A. There are required repentance from fin, and faith in the Lord Christ ; Luke xiii. 3. But except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish ; John iii. ult. And he that believeth not the Son, shall not fee life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
This is required from us towards our pardon,but yet it is free, (1.) Because God freelyordains thus to pardon. (2.) Because both these are the free gifts of God; Acts xi . 18. Then hath
Godalfo totheGentiles granted repentance unto life. Eph. ii.
8. For by grace are ye fayed, through faith ; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Q. 10. When then are our fins forgiven ?
A. Just upon our closure with Christ by faith, in that very moment ; Rom. v. 1. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. viii. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus .
Q. 11. Why do we pray in the answer, for the forgiveness. of all our fins ?
A. Because iftheleaft guilt should ren.a in upon us, it would exclude us from God's favour, and lodge us in everlasting burnings ; Rom. vi. ult. For the wages off in is death .
Q. 12. Whataretheprivileges and blessings that accompany pardon ?
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A. Justification is accompanied with adoption; John i. 12.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.
With the Spirit and principle of all grace and holiness ; 1Cor. vi. 11. And such were some of you ; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
With an infallible title to eternal glory ; John iii. 16. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life; Rom. viii. 30.
Whom he justified, them he also glorified.
2.13. How may we know that we are pardoned and justified?
A. Ordinarily, by our sanctification,by our loathing of fin, our contempt of the world, our valuing of Christ, our love and thankfulness to God, &c. 1 Cor. vi. 11. But ye are sanctified.
Rom. vii . 24. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? Gal. vi. 14. By whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. I Pet. ii. 7. Unto you therefore which believe, he is precious. Luke vii. 47.
Her fins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much.
Q. 14 What is meant by (our ?
Is it only such sins as we have personally and actually committed?
A. No, but alsoAdam's fin, which is ours by imputation ; Rom. v. 19. By one man's disobedience, many were made sinners. And original fin, which is ours by inhesion ; Psalm li. 5. Behold, I was shapen iniquity, and in findid my mother conceive me. And other mens fins, which we have made ours,byexcitingthem to them, nothinderingofthem, silence at them, and other ways ; 2 Sam. xii 9. Thou hast killed Uriah theHittitewith the sword, and haft taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
I Tim. v. 22. Neither be partaker of other mens fins.
Q. 15. Wherefore are sins called debts ?
A. Because they are a non-payment of God's dues, an on performance of our duty ; which makes us liable to the arrest of death, and to the prison of hell.
Q. 16. Why do we plead our own forgiveness of others ?
A. Not as any merit of our own pardon; but either as an encouragement to ourselves to beg pardon ; seeing such evil, envious, and malignant persons, are enabled to forgive others, muchmoremay we hope the good and gracious God will forgive us : or, as a condition, without which we can have no pardon, and with which we shall; Matth. vi. 14. For if ye
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forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Q. 17.Howdoothers trespass against us ?
A. When they injure us, either in our persons, or names, or families, or estates, or fouls, &c. I Sam. ii. 25. If one man fin against another, the judge shall judge him ; but if am an finagainst the Lord,who shall intreat for him ?
Q. 18. Can we forgive our neighbourfreely, fully, and perfectly, as God doth forgive us ?
A. We cannot.
Q. 19. Whatthenis the meaning of God's forgiving us, as we forgive others ?
A. Not as to the quantity and perfection of forgiveness, but 'as to the sincerity and quality thereof, Matth. xviii. ult. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, ifye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
Q. 20. Are we always boundtomanifest outwardly our love and forgiveness to all our enemies, and to behave ourselves towards them as friends ?
A. No, if we have experienced them to be treacherous and false, and fee no change, we are not bound to trust them ; if they be, and remain, wicked and profane,we must not associate with them ; Psal. xxvi. 5. I have hated the congregation of evil doers, and will not fit with the wicked. Ver. 4. I have not fatwithvain persons,neither will I go in with diffemblers.
Q. 21. What thenmustwe do to such?
A. We must heartily forgive them all their injuries, we mustlovethemwith the love of benevolence,prayforthem,and bereadyandwillingtodothem all good,both of body and foul ;
Matth. v. 44, 45. But I say unto you, Love your enemies ; bless them that curse you,do good to them that hate hate you, and pray for them which despitefullyuse you and persecute you.
That you maybe the children of your Father which is in heaven; forhemakethhisfun torife on the evil,and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Q. 22. If we forgive others, shall we be forgiven ourselves?
A. We shall, if out of obedience to God, and love to Christ, we do it.
Q. 23. What is the first inference from hence ?
A. That except our fins be forgiven, we are lost and undone creatures; and therefore we must never be contented, till we are pardoned.
Q.24. What is a second inference ?