Commenting on the fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer (“forgive us our debts [or tresspasses], as we forgive our debtors [those who trespass against us"), Calvin writes:
...we ought not to seek forgiveness of sins from God unless we ourselves also forgive the offenses against us of all those who do or have done us ill. If we retain feelings of hatred in our hearts, if we plot revenge and ponder any occasion to cause harm, and even if we do not try to get back into our enemies' good graces, by every sort of good office deserve well of them, and commend ourselves to them, by this prayer we entreat God not to forgive our sins. For we ask that he do to us as we do to others [cf. Matt 7:12 [show] [12]"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (ESV)
]. This, indeed, is to petition him not to do it to us unless we ourselves do it. (Institutes, III.xx.45)
Words to take to heart.
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