We daily sin much. This, indeed, is certain. And we deserve nothing but punishment. And we do not deserve that God should accept and hear our prayers and petitions. But the Son of God, our merciful High Priest, who has atoned for our sin and guilt, bids us, after the manner of children, to go to our heavenly Father every day and pray: "Forgive us our trespasses." And our heavenly Father most assuredly forgives us, and does so with great loving-kindness. And He does not regard our sins, and does not charge them to us, and does not on their account deny our prayer, but graciously gives us all manner of good things. And then our Saviour teaches us to promise and to vow that we will also forgive those who trespass against us. If our heavenly Father daily and richly forgives us all our sins, and bestows all manner of blessings upon us, then, surely, we should also heartily forgive and readily do good to those who sin against us. The knowledge of, and faith in, the grace of God, which makes new creatures of us, naturally effects this in us. He that will not forgive his neighbour does not truly know and trust in the grace of God, or has wasted it, as it were, and forgotten it. Such a one cannot obtain forgiveness of God. And if, nevertheless, he prays the Fifth Petition of the Lord's Prayer, he thereby invokes upon himself the wrath of God. For the Fifth Petition reads: "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."