66 I our Saviour's form of prayer. "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us."* It must then be performed without excepting any either person or offence. As also without remembering any, God doth so forgive our sins as not to keep a register of them. even I am he, saith the Lord, that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." Yet with us what more frequent then saying, I forgive such a man, such a wrong; but shall never forget it or him? A distinction that came not out of Christ's school, but Satan's mint. Paul was of a different spirit: witness that remarkable passage of his to the Galatians," Brethren, I beseech you be as I am, for I am as ye are; ye have not injured me at all." Where he seemeth to desire that every member of the Church in Galatia would be to him as an alter ego, another self, seeing he was affected as another self to each of them. But had they not injured him? yes, very much, in preferring the false apostles before him, questioning his doctrine, yea, becoming his enemies, and that for telling them the truth; yet behold him professing here, "Ye have not injured me at all,” because these wrongs were as no wrongs in his estimation, it was not his purpose to impute them; he speaks as one that had really forgotten Galat. iv. 12. Vide Bezam and Grotium in lọc. them by reason of his resolution to forgive them. There is, I confess, a kind of remembrance not inconsistent with true forgiveness, when prudent men remember offences and offenders in cautelam, so as to beware for the future of exposing themselves to the like injuries; but Christians ought not to remember in vindictum, so as to revenge themselves upon the delinquents for wrongs done in time past. I say to revenge; for otherwise a Christian may seek to right himself in a legal way, yea, and to bring offenders to condign punishment, still retaining a charitable mind towards them even as God, though he have forgiven justified persons, may notwithstanding and often doth chastise them with his fatherly cor rections. : EXERCITATION V. The latter clauses of Exodus xxxiv. 7. so tran slated and expounded as to contain an eighth branch of divine goodness, viz. Clemency in correcting. Equity in visiting iniquities of the fathers upon the children. Clemency in stopping at the third and fourth generation. A lesson for Magistrates. A speech of our Queen Elizabeth. God's proclamation in Exod. xxxiv. Improved by Moses in Numbers xiv. 1. THE following clauses have somewhat more of difficulty in them than any of the for mer, as being variously rendered and expounded by interpreters. The most read as we do, "That' will by no means clear the guilty, visiting, &c." But amongst these that do agree in the transla tion, there is some difference about the meaning of the words. The major part of that combination apply them wholly to the justice of God in taking vengeance upon obstinate sinners. Some few (whereof Mr Ainsworth is one) respecting the scope of the whole context, which is to set forth the goodness of God, consider this also as relating to that. His words are these. "This his justice upon the wicked is a part of his goodness towards his people," as it is said, “ The just shall rejoice, when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked."* A gloss that may receive confirmation from certain passages in the hundred and thirty sixth Psalm. Where the destruction of opposite princes is recorded as an evidence of God's mercy to his church. “He slew famous kings, for his mercy endureth for ever. Sihon king of the Amorites, for his mercy endureth for ever. And Og the king of Bashan, for his mercy endureth for ever." As also from that in the first of Nahum, "The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble: and he knoweth them that trust in him : but with an overflowing flood he will make an * Psalm lviii. 10. + Psalm cxxxvi. v. 18, 19, 20. utter end of the place thereof,"* that is, the oppressing city Nineveh, and darkness shall pursue his enemies. $ 2. But the learned critic Ludovicus de Dieu, considering that in other places, by name Zechar. v. 3. the word Nakah signifieth to make void, and to cut off, by altering the translation of these words, puts them into a posture of looking directly at the goodness of God, and not with an oblique glance. He renders them thus, "Evacuating, cutting off or destroying, he will not evacuate, cut off, or destroy; visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation :"* making this the sense, "So great is God's goodness, that even when he is angry and punisheth, yet he will not utterly overthrow: he visiteth indeed the sins of the fathers upon the children, but it is to the third and fourth generation only, not for ever." Now according to this interpretation (which for ought I know may well be received) the expressions import an eighth branch of divine goodness, to wit, Clemency in correcting, here set forth by a general declaration, and by a particular in stance. First, By a general declaration in these words, venakkeh lo ienakkeh, destroying he will not destroy, that is not altogether, not so destroy as to Nehem. i. 7, 8. + Evacuando non evacuabit, succidendo non succidet. Lud. de Dieu. Animadvers. in Exod. page 81, 82. make a full end, according to the expression in Jeremiah. Thus in like forms of speech, delivering thou hast not delivered, that is, say our translators, neither hast thou delivered this people at all. Redeeming he cannot redeem; that is, say they, none of them can by any means redeem his brother.t Proportionably here, destroying he will not destroy, that is, God will. not at all, he will not by any means utterly destroy his people, however he may correct and chasten for some time. Suitable whereunto is that in Amos's prophecy, " Behold the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom; and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth, saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord." § 3. This sense is exceedingly favoured by a parallel place in Jeremiah, "I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee. Though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee; but I will correct thee in measure." Then followeth, venakkeh lo anakkeca, which Pagnin rendereth, "And destroying I will not destroy thee." It may further, and yet more strongly be confirmed by a passage in the fourteenth of Numbers. The hand of faith having once fastened upon God, will not readily let go its hold. Moses *Jerem. xlvi. 28. + Exod. v. 22. Psalm xlix. 7. § Jer. xxx. 11. |