A Devotional from the Pen of John Bunyan
For
October 18
The Chastisement of Sons and Daughters
“If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons”
Hebrews 12: 8.
One word more before I go . . . [a]head. The Father, as I told you, has reserved to himself a liberty to chastise his sons, to wit, with temporal chastisements if they offend. This still abides to us, notwithstanding God’s grace[; that is] Christ’s death or blessed intercession. And this punishment is so surely entailed to the transgressions; that we who believe shall commit, that it is impossible that we should be utterly freed therefrom. Insomuch that the apostle positively concludes them to be bastards, what pretenses to sonship soever they have that are not, for sin, partakers of fatherly chastisements.
For the reversing of this punishment, it is that we should pray, if perhaps God will remit it, when we are taught to say, “Our Father, forgive us our trespasses.” And he that admits of any other sense as to this petition, derogates from the death of Christ, or faith, or both. For either he concludes that for some of his sins Christ did not die. Or that he is bound to believe that God, though he did has not yet, nor will forgive them, till from the petitioner some legal work be done. Forgive us as we forgive them that trespass against us. (Matthew 6: 14-15) But now, apply this to temporal punishments and then it is true that God has reserved a liberty in his hand to punish even the sins of his people upon them. Yea and will not pardon their sin, as to the remitting of such punishment, unless some good work by them be done; “If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6: 15 & 18: 28-35).
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