And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors

And, Lord, as duly as we pray every day for our daily bread, we pray for the forgiveness of our sins : for we are all guilty before God, have all sinned, and have come short of the glory of God. In many things we all offend every day: who can tell how often he offend? If thou shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared. God be merciful to us sinners. Rom 3:19, 23. Jas 3:2. Ps 130:3, 4.

We have wasted our Lord’s goods, we have buried the talents we were intrusted with, nor have we rendered again according to the benefit done unto us, and thus we come to be in debt. The scripture has concluded us all under sin; we have done such things as are worthy of death ; things for which the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience. Our debt is more than ten thousand talents. It isa great debt; and we have nothing to pay, so far are we from being able to say, Have patience with us, and we will pay thee all. Justly, therefore, might our adversary deliver us to the judge, and the judge to the officer, to be cast into prison, the prison of hell, till we should pay the last farthing. Luke 16:1. Matt 25:18. 2 Chr 32:25. Gal 3:22. Rom 1:32. Eph 5:6. Matt 18:24, 26, 32; Matt 5:25, 26.

But blessed be God, there is a way found out of © agreeing with our adversary; for if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 2:1, 2.

For his sake, we pray thee, blot out all our. transgressions, and enter not into judgment with us. He is our surety, who restored that which he took not away, that blessed daysman, who hath laid his hand upon us both; through him let us be reconciled unto God, and let the hand-writing which was against us, which was contrary to us, be blotted out, and taken out of the way, being nailed to the cross of Christ, that we may be quickened together with Christ, having all our trespasses forgiven us. Be thou merciful to our unrighteousness, and our sins and our iniquities do thou remember no more. Ps 51:9, Ps 143:2. Heb 7:22. Ps 69:4. Job 9:33. 2 Cor 5:20. Col 2:13, 14. Heb 8:12. . And give us, we pray thee, to receive the atone- _ men, to know that our sins are forgiven us: speak peace to us, and make us to hear joy and gladness. Let the blood of Christ thy Son cleanse us from all sin, and purge our consciences from dead works to serve the living God. Rom 5:11. 1 John 2:12. Ps 85:8; Ps 51:8. 1 John 1:7. Heb 9:14. And as an evidence that thou hast forgiven our sins, we pray thee give us grace to forgive our enemies, to love them that hate us, and bless them that curse us; for we acknowledge, that if we forgive not men their trespasses, neither will our Father forgive our trespasses; and therefore we forgive, Lord, we desire heartily to forgive, if we have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave us. Far be it from us to say, that we will recompense evil, or that we should avenge ourselves. But we pray that all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking may be put away from us, with all malice; and that we may be kind one to another, and tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake, we hope, hath forgiven us. O make us merciful as our Father who is in heaven is merciful, who hath promised that with the merciful he will show himself merciful. Matt 5:44; Matt 6:15. Col 1:13. Prov 20:22. Rom 12:19. Eph 4:31, 32. Ps 18:25.

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Pray now: a guided prayer in six parts, with the next heads each day.

Henry’s text is in the public domain. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, No. 265 Chestnut Street. Undated, about 1840 to 1860. The preface is dated Chester, March 25, 1710. From the Internet Archive scan. The KJV text is in the public domain.