in affuring us that he will give all good things to thofe that ask him.

Thus hath Religion the promise of this life, and of that which is to come: of the one, in the full affurance of hope; and of the other, in the prefent comfortable belief of providence. The good man' doth not, by fufpending his worldly thoughtfulness, defert his interest, but really fecures it; he by this believing trust in God's help purchaseth his Almighty protection, and hath thereby more ease in the conduct of his affairs, and better fuccefs in their event. But the great misery of human life is, that they understand not their happiness in this point, they tire and torment themselves with distracting and anxious cares for this world, when they might both more dutifully and more happily cast them upon God, who fo much careth for them.

SERMON

SERMON VI.

MATT. VI. 12. Forgive us our Debts, as we forgive our Debtors.

HE parallel place in St. Luke is
fomewhat different from these
words, forgive us our fins, for we
alfo forgive every one that is in-

debted to us; from whence it appears, that the
Lord's Prayer in our Liturgy follows rather the
fenfe than the words of both places; the mean-
ing however is the fame, whether we with
St. Matthew read forgive us our Debts, or
with St. Luke, forgive us our Sins or Trefpaf
fes. An offender against God owes his punish-
ment, and an offender against his neighbour
owes reparation and restitution; and therefore

the

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the injuries both to God and man are properly enough call'd Debts.

a

The parable of the unmerciful fervant is a proof of this explication, where the offences of men against each other are set forth in the debt of a few pence; and those of men against God, their common master, in the immense debt of an hundred talents. The divine Author of this Prayer gives the fame sense in the . 14, 15. following verfes, If ye forgive men their Tref paffes, your heavenly Father will forgive you; but if ye forgive not men their Trefpaf fes, neither will your Father forgive you your Trefpaffes.

It is worthy of observation, that our Saviour thought it neceffary to fingle out this

a The Greek of St. Matthew bath it äes nμïv rà ¿peλńpala, and that of St. Luke ras duaglias, &c. It is evident that the word ipéλnua is by the sacred style synonymous with

aglia; fo Matt. xxiii. 16. ¿péad is truly render'd reus eft; fo likewife Luke xiii. 4. ὀφειλές is put for ἁμαρτωλοί. Now this new fenfe of the Greek word is owing to the ambiguity of the original, which according to the context fignifies either guilt or debt, one of which fenfes is follow'd by the interpreter of St. Matthew, the other by St. Luke; the one tranflating it literally, the other (as Grotius obferves) ilinάte@g. It appears from thence reasonable, notwithstanding the difference of the Greek, to retain the common way of expreffion, forgive us our Trefpaffes, &c. However, I would hereupon obferve, that the improper use of feveral Greek words in St. Matthew are an evident proof that the prefent Greek of that Gospel is a tranflation from the Hebrew.

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article from all the reft, and to fhew, as he doth very particularly, both the neceffity of obtaining forgiveness from his Father, and the terms by which we must expect to do so.

The defire of revenge was fo deeply rooted in nature, so much strengthen'd by custom and prescription, and fo little discountenanc'd hitherto by God's own laws to the Jews, that to bring men to this perfect and heavenly rule of forgiveness, there was wanting much authority in the teacher, and a very strong fense of their own interest in the practice of it. No one therefore could preach this difagreeable doctrine with more confidence than the Son of God, who himself bore our fins, and carried our forrows; nor could he give a more cogent reafon for obeying it, than by making the low pardon of finners to their brother, the only condition of obtaining a more important one from God.

The Saviour of the world is truly call'd the Ifai. ix. 6. Prince of Peace, fince he gave the best assurances of it from God to man, and the most perfuafive motives to it between one man and another; and by both promising it on one hand, and teaching it on the other, fhews the true complexion of his Gofpel, which is founded. in mercy, and doth withal naturally promote it. The fruits of his preaching did hereby fulfil the prophetick

prophetick acclamations made at his birth, and he by establishing peace upon earth, brought down from Heaven good will towards men. Left therefore this duty of charity should be either forgot or neglected, it is made the subject of our daily and most important Prayers, and we are reminded of the necessity of reconciliation to each other, as oft as we ask it of God for our felves.

I fhall treat of the words in this method : First, I fhall fet forth the limitation and exception with which we ask the pardon of our Trefpaffes.

Secondly, Enquire into the measure and degree of that forgiveness to each other, which is made the condition of it.

And, Thirdly, Shew the great difproportion that there is between the pardon of men to each other, and that which they here ask of God for themselves.

First, The limitation and exception with which we ask the pardon of our Trespasses.

Now we do not in this, as in the other Petitions, ask God's favour without limitation, the request being made with a condition, extends no farther than fuch condition. So that thofe, who thus pray for the forgiveness of their Trefpaffes, are either fuppos'd to declare themselves friends with all the world,