3. Thou art just on the point of saying to me, “But I am not God, I am a man, a sinner.”
God be thanked that thou dost confess thou hast sins. Forgive then, that they may be forgiven
thee. Yet the Lord Himself our God exhorteth us to imitate Him. In the first place God
Himself, Christ, exhorteth us, of whom the Apostle Peter said, “Christ hath suffered for us,
leaving you an example that ye should follow His steps, who did no sin, neither was guile,
found in His mouth.”3523 He then verily had no sin, yet did He die for our sins, and shed
His Blood for the remission of sins. He took upon Him for our sakes what was not His due,
that He might deliver us from what was due to us. Death was not due to Him, nor life to us.
Why? Because we were sinners. Death was not due to Him, nor life to us; He received what
was not due to Him, He gave what was not due to us. But since we are speaking of the remis-
sion of sins, lest ye should think it too high a thing to imitate Christ, hear the Apostle saying,
“Forgiving one another, even as God in Christ hath forgiven you.”3524 “Be ye therefore im-
itators of God.” They are the Apostle’s words, not mine. Is it indeed a proud thing to imitate
God? Hear the Apostle, “Be ye imitators of God as dearly beloved children.”3525 Thou art
called a child: if thou refuse to imitate Him, why seekest thou His inheritance?
4. This would I say even if thou hadst no sin which thou mightest desire to be forgiven
thee. But as it is, whosoever thou art, thou art a man; though thou be righteous, thou art a
man; be thou layman, or monk, or clerk, or Bishop, or Apostle, thou art a man. Hear the
Apostle’s voice, “If we shall say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.”3526 He, that
famous John and an Evangelist, he whom the Lord Christ loved beyond all the rest, who lay
on His breast, he says, “If we shall say.” He did not say, “If ye shall say that ye have no sin,”
but “if we shall say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” He
joined himself in the guilt, that he might be joined in the pardon also. “If we shall say.”
Consider who it is that says, “If we shall say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and
the truth is not in us. But if we shall confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity.”3527 How does He cleanse? By forgiving, not
as though He found nothing to punish, but as finding something to forgive. So then, Brethren,
if we have sins, let us forgive them that ask us. Let us not retain enmities in our heart against
another. For the retaining of enmities more than anything corrupts this heart of ours.
5. I would then that thou shouldest forgive, seeing that I find thee asking forgiveness.
Thou art asked, forgive: thou art asked, and thou wilt ask thyself; thou art asked, forgive;
thou wilt ask to be forgiven; for, lo, the time of prayer will come: I have thee fast in the words
3523 1 Pet. ii. 21, 22.
3524 Col. iii. 13; Eph. iv. 32.
3525 Eph. v. 1.
3526 1 John i. 8.
3527 1 John i. 9.
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On the words of the Gospel, Luke xvii. 3, ‘If thy brother sin, rebuke him,’…