their Souls on Christ for Salvation tho it should be as they imagine that Christ may cast them out than convince them that he will not cast them out Yet we stand by it as a certain truth that those that come to him weary and heavy laden shall find rest to their Souls Acts 10.43 and that whoever believes on him shall receive remission of sins And that in confidence of this promise of God that cannot lie Tit. 1.2 a Sinner may draw nigh to him with full assurance of Faith And in this confidence many are filled with all joy and peace in believing Rom. 15.13 even in this first direct act of Faith But it is observed That as we have sometimes seen a clear Morning without any Cloud overcast and grow Dark and Gloomy so we have seen Clouds to darken the clearest and brightest Comforts of Christians And we make various Conjectures at the reason of it Sometimes thinking that as God under the Law did so far indulge new-married persons as to exempt them from any business for the first year which might occasion their absence from each other till their Affections were firmly setled and till they were well cemented together Deut. 24.5 so God is pleased to indulge such as are newly betrothed to him till their Affections be fixed or knit but afterwards tho he may retain the same kindness to them yet he doth not make them fare deliciously every day Sometimes we are ready to think that they have left their first love and so God hath withdrawn the sense of his Love from them and several other reasons may be supposed thereof but I question not but the chief reason is because they do as I said at first flee to Christ for refuge in confidence of the Invitation and Promise of the Gospel and this confidence doth for some time abide with them but as those that fled from the wrath to come were to bring forth fruits meet for repentance Matth. 3.8 so those that have by Faith fled to Christ for refuge are to bring forth fruits meet for Faith or such as may be suitable to Faith in Jesus Christ And having a fresh and lively sense of the Love of Christ 2 Cor. 5.14 they think this should constrain them so as they should for the future not live to themselves but to him that died for them And that they should be such manner of Persons in all Holy Conversation and Godliness 2 Pet. 3.11 as that for the future they think they shall live more like Angels than Men and that their conversation shall be in heaven Phil. 3.20 But we find our selves to fall far short of what we propounded to our selves and that there is a law in our members warring and rebelling Rom. 7.23 against the law of our minds so that we cannot do what we would and we now begin to reflect on our Faith and to consider that there is a dead faith that profits not James 2.18 c. that there is a temporary Faith through which a man may for a time receive the word with joy Matth. 13.21 Luke 8.13 Gal. 5.6 but afterwards fall away in time of Temptation And it is a faith which works by love which avails in Christ And now Doubts and Fears begin to arise in our hearts lest we should deceive our selves And those that require Assurance in the direct Act of Faith and that we should renew such Acts of Faith tho we are sollicited by Doubts yet acknowledg that Assurance will not continue without the tryal of our Faith by the inseparable Properties of a true Saving Faith and that we must examine the fruits of our Faith and try whether we can shew our Faith by our Works that we may be sure not to be deceived in our Judgment concerning it Now this doth well agree with what the Scripture teaches concerning Assurance where the Apostle speaks of giving all diligence that is the greatest diligence to make our calling and election sure He doth not mean 2 Peter 1.10 that this should be the immediate matter of our Care and Diligence but having exhorted them in the first Verse to give all diligence to add one Grace to another and one degree of Grace to another that they might not be barren or unfruitful in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ in this Verse he enforces the same Exhortation they should the rather give diligence to make their calling and election sure that is to the end that they might hereby make them sure our calling first and thereby our Election Tho the Thunder be before the Lightning yet the Lightning gives notice of the Thunder So tho our Election be from before the foundation of the world Eph. 1.4 yet we have first notice of it by our Calling I know some do interpret that place otherwise than Protestants do ordinarily interpret it because supposing the word which is rendred to make sure is rather to make firm than to make evident And looking upon Election as conditional or suspended on something to be performed by us they reckon that it becomes absolute and so sure to us upon our diligence But as we are not chosen if we be holy Eph 1.4 but that we may be holy so the word here used doth not only signify making a thing firm Heb. 9.17 Mark 16.20 Heb. 2.3 4. but evident or giving evidence of the truth of it And whereas they say our calling is a thing so evident there needs no such diligence for the making of that sure I answer If our Calling were nothing but making us Christians by outward Profession it might be easily known but this is not the Calling that will prove our Election Matth. 20.16 For there are but few chosen of those that are thus called But there is another Calling spoken of in Scripture which is termed Effectual Calling because men hearken to that Calling and come in at it and this is inseparable from Predestination Justification Rom. 8.20 and Glorification And it requires much diligence to know this So if we would have full assurance of Hope or a confidence of future Glory it must be by diligence and following those who through faith and patience have inherited the promises Heb. 6.11 12. For those words in the close of the Verse may either be referred to our shewing the same diligence or to the words the full assurance of Hope we must persevere in our diligence if we would maintain the assurance of our Hope We do not say as the Papists at least in their sense that Faith is necessary to the beginning of our Justification but Works to the continuance of it for they suppose that they that are once justified may cease so to be and fall again under Condemnation But we may justly say That tho the beginning of our Assurance be from Faith in the direct act of it yet the continuance of it must be from Works for we
that we must find out the certainty and sincerity of our Faith and Obedience by Self-examination before we can have a well-grounded Assurance that we are in a state of Grace and Salvation already and that such an Assurance belongs to the reflect Act of Faith and is not of the Essence of that Faith whereby we are justified and saved But if by believing we mean coming to God by Jesus Christ Psal 119.60 1 John 3.23 Esther 2.12 we should make haste and not delay to keep this command as well as others We are not to think that as the Queens of Persia were to be prepared Six months with oyl of myrrh and six months with sweet odours and other things before they might be admitted to the King so we must continue such a time under Humiliation and so long under Contrition before we may presume to come to Christ For tho it is true we should count the cost of being his Disciples Luke 14.28 Matth. 13.21 for want of which many as it is in the Parable of the Sower are forward to hear the word with joy and believe for a time but afterwards fall away yet it is not necessary that we suspend our believing till we have throughly weighed every thing It is not in this case as in ordinary Marriages where Persons should inform themselves well of every particular before they engage because when once engaged it will be too late to repent or to make a better choice But it is herein as if a Person had one propounded to her that she must Marry or be undone and one who they know will put her upon nothing or require nothing of her which she can justly except against in whom there is nothing that she can dislike there can be no danger or inconvenience in finishing such a Match without further delay So if there were any other Name whereby we could be saved if Christ did put us upon any thing or require any thing of us which Heaven will not countervail or if he would not have us yet come to him we might defer our believing And tho something is to be done as I have said to make us willing to come to Christ yet there is no long time required for the Soul to continue in a State of Preparation the whole Work hath been done at once Acts 2. Acts 9. Acts 16. Vol. 2. 148. as we see in those that were converted at Peter's Sermons in Paul in the Jaylor As Mr. Charnock doth ingeniously illustrate it The preparation of the Subject is necessary but this preparation may be at the same time with the conveyance of the Divine Nature As a warm Seal may both prepare the hard Wax and convey the Image to it by one and the same touch CHAP. XI I Will finish all with a few words about the Necessity of Holiness both for the allaying of those heats that are amongst some about it and for preventing or removing the Prejudices of Men against it There is no need of distinguishing betwixt the Necessity of Holiness or Obedience to the beginning of our Justification and to the Continuation of it among those that according to the Doctrine of the Church of England believe the Perseverance of the Saints and that there is no Intercision of Justification But there is a Necessity of Holiness in those that are justified for tho we may be justified at first by such a Faith as is only in tendency to obedience but wants time and opportunity to put it self forth yet where Faith is unfeigned and only such Faith justifies it will as there is occasion and opportunity work by love so Gal. 5.6 1 Cor. 6.11 Heb. 12.14 that whom God doth justify in the name of Christ he doth also sanctify by his spirit therefore without holiness none shall see God Yet we are not to think that Holiness is required on the same account with Faith much less in co-ordination with the righteousness of Christ I doubt it is a piece of ordinary Christian's Divinity that the righteousness of Christ serves only as grains of allowance to make our righteousness currant where it is too light But as Christ hath no sharers in his Mediation so neither is there any thing needful to be added to his satisfaction but we are acquitted only upon the account thereof and whatever we do serves not for so much as grains of allowance to make his satisfaction currant with God for us But yet it is necessary upon other accounts not only because God will insist on it as a thing condecent to his Holiness who is of purer eyes than to behold evil Heb. 1.13 but there is a natural necessity of it as a means to our chief end which is to glorify God and enjoy him As when Nebuchadnezzar chose some of the Captivity to serve under him Dan. 1.3 c. he would not only have them well-favoured and fed with the King's Meat and Wine that they might appear sightly before the King but had such chosen as had good Natural Abilities and had them taught the Learning and Language of the Caldeans that they might be fit to do him Service So God doth not only delight in Holiness but indeed without that we are not fit to serve him we are naturally reprobate to every good work Tit. 1.16 and we must be God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to those good Works which he hath before ordained that we should walk in them But it is likewise necessary that we may enjoy that happiness which he hath prepared for us He brings in the Highways and Hedges Luke 14.23 the meanest and most unworthy to partake of his Glory But if a King should invite those that are Sick and that of some loathsome Disease to eat at his Table if he would of his Bounty and Goodness dispense with the smell and loathsomeness of their Disease it would be no favour to them in the Condition wherein they are to sit at the King's Table while their Sickness makes them nauseate every thing there and the smell of Meat to be offensive to them But it would be a favour indeed to be first recovered from their Disease that they might not be ashamed to appear in such a place and that they might be able to relish their Meat and Drink This is our case as we are unfit to appear before God in the state wherein we are to whom our inner-man is as naked and open as our outward-man is to men like our selves So we are alogether uncapable of that Comfort and Happiness which is to be found in the Presence of God or of the foretasts of it which he gives his People in this Life Whatever Excellency there is in any thing we must have a Sense or Faculty correspondent therewith or else we cannot understand or enjoy any thing of it There is a Beauty in a Rose and in other Flowers which those that have their sight may enjoy the
This is believing with all the heart when we do gladly and willingly apply our selves to him for Grace and Salvation For thus to seek to God Heb. 11.6 or to Christ is to come to him That which is called coming to God is in the same verse expounded diligently to seek him so they say Jer. 2.31 We are Lords we will come no more unto thee Psal 10.4 Joh. 1.12 The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God So we must receive Jesus Christ that is accept of him for our Saviour submit our selves to his way and method of Salvation saying with Paul Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts. 9.6 Gal. 5.6 So our Faith must work by love his readiness and willingness to save us at the price of his own Blood 1 Joh. 4.19 must make us love him who loved us first And this love will constrain us while we judg that he dying for us when we were dead we should no more live to our selves but to him that died for us 2 Gor. 5.14.15 and is risen again I will endeavour to make this more plain by a similitude There may be some Physician in the Country whom we may reckon our selves happy that we ever knew or heard of Tho' there are many that know of such a person and perhaps live near him yet do not regard him because he is nothing to them while they find themselves well and see no need of him But we were sick of a dangerous disease which we never heard that any were cured of till this Physician came amongst us but hearing that he cured all that he took in hand that would follow his directions that he was so obliging that he turned away none that came to him that he expected neither see nor present from the poor that had nothing to give but cured them Gratis we chose him for our Physician applied our selves to him followed his Directions and find already such a change and alteration in our selves and so good success that we resolve to stick to him and follow his directions looking for perfect cure in time from him This is our case Jesus Christ is come into the World to save sinners many know this but are never the better for it because they not finding themselves sick think they need not the Physician Mat. 9.12 Rom. 10.14 and so never apply themselves to him But we knowing the miserable condition wherein we were think our selves happy that ever we heard tidings of him for how should we believe on him of whom we have not heard But we looked upon it as worthy of all acceptation That Christ came into the World to save sinners Hereupon we applied our selves to him 1 Tim. 1.13 tho' we had neither price nor present to find acceptance with him yet did we not seek his favour that we might continue in Sin but that he would save us from our Sins and bless us in turning us from our iniquities Thus we see that Faith Mat. 1.21 Acts 3.26 or that saving act whereby we are justified and saved is neither a bare notional knowledge nor a barren dead Faith but such a belief of the Gospel as doth suppose our miserable estate by nature as brings us to Jesus Christ as our only Saviour not only for pardon of sin so as we may avoid the wrath to come but for entire and compleat Salvation Rom. 6.14 so as iniquity may not have dominion over us but that we may be freed from the bondage of it and so redeemed from it as to be a peculiar people to God zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 I shall have occasion to add something afterwards which may more fully clear up this point and so shall at present proceed to the second thing which I propounded to speak of viz. Why we are to believe in Christ as well as in God First If we consider Christ as God of the same Essence with the Father Joh. 5.23 Joh. 10.30 so we are to honour the Son as we honour the Father for so he and the Father are one But if we consider him as Mediator so we are to believe in him as the immediate object of our Faith and by him to believe in God 1 Pet. 1.23 Joh. 17.3 As the knowledge of Christ must be superadded to the knowledge of God for obtaining Eternal Life so Faith in Christ must be joined with our Faith in God We must come to God by him Heb. 7.25 None can come to the Son but by the Father that is Joh 6.44 Joh 14.6 by his grace drawing them But none can come to the Father but by the Son That is they must have access to the Father through his mediation As the Tyrians made Blastus their Friend when they came to desire Peace of Herod Acts 12.20 So if we would have Peace with God we must have access to him by Jesus Christ it is he that must bring us to God Rom. 5.2 Eph 2.18 1 Pet. 3.18 Ephes 1.6 We must first by Faith come to Christ and he must introduce us to God that we may find acceptance with him The Jews were so terrified at the giving of the Law that they were afraid of having to do any more immediately with God and therefore desired that Moses might come betwixt God and them Exod. 20.19 Now as the Athenians had an obscure notion of an unknown God but the Apostle declared to them him whom they ignorantly worshipped Acts 17.23 so here the Jews had some Conviction of the necessity of a Mediator and they pitched on Moses as the fittest person for it that they could think of But God answered to the ground of their desire Deut. 18.15 c. Ephes 3.20 and promises them a Mediator which they could never have thought of that was fit for that Office doing for them above what they could ask or think As God doth doth many times in answering the Prayers of his people grant the thing which they desire but not in such a way or by such means as they might think of but by some more proper way or means which his wisdom finds out But further before the Incarnation of Christ they were to believe in the Messiah to come but now that he was come and had given sufficient proof that he was the promised Messiah by doing these works which never any man did they were to determine their Faith on him in particular Joh. 15.22 Joh. 8.24 or dye in their Sins But he doth likewise press this upon them because he foresaw what discouragements they were like to meet with and how likely their Faith was to be shaken in this particular 1 Cor. 1.23 A crucified Christ was a stumbling-block to the Jews and to the Greeks foolishness The Jews thought that the Messiah when he came should abide for ever John 12.34 therefore his Disciples when they saw his
hands of Christians by teaching that perfection is not necessary to Salvation nor attainable in this Life because Chistians generally concern themselves more to endeavour after Assurance than after Perfection both as it is more attainable and more necessary to the comfort of their Lives As for the profession of the People of God in Scripture it is not universally true of them for as we meet with instances of many triumphing in the assurance of the love of God and the hope of future glory so we do of some under doubts and terrors and as Moses wished in another case that all the Lord's People were Prophets so I wish that all the Lord's People had Assurance yea I hope that if he call them to like sufferings he will give them like Assurance as his People had under theirs formerly it being his ordinary way to proportion their Consolations to their Sufferings 2 Cor. 1.5 Yea we ordinarliy teach not only that Assurance is attainable without extraordinary Revelation but that it is the Duty as well as the Interest of Christians to endeavour after it Having premised thus much briefly I will now proceed to enquire how far Faith is attended with Assurance and how it may be sometimes without it I will not say there is a direct Act of Faith and a reflex Act I think not the terms so proper but I own what they call the direct Act of Faith is the most proper Act of it and that when a man hath believed or doth believe he may reflect upon it and say with him Mark 6.24 I believe and thence he may infer his Interest in the promise of Salvation and so have Assurance which some call Assurance of Faith and we may call it so as it is inferr'd from our Faith rather than as it is an act of Faith The Scripture speaks of a full assurance of understanding Col. 2.2 which is a clear and certain knowledge of Truths Of a full assurance of hope Heb. 6.11 Heb. 10.22 that is a certain expectation of Salvation Of a full assurance of faith Now. the Assurance which we are now speaking of is indeed rather the Assurance of Hope than the Assurance of Faith tho it is indeed grounded on the Assurance of Faith wherewith we should draw nigh to God not only in particular Acts of Worship but in our first access to him in Conversion as the Prodigal first returned to his Father's House and when he was received into it made his particular Addresses to his Father as he had occasion And this full Assurance is not only such as that of Abraham That what God had promised Rom. 4.21 he was able also to perform Nor as that of Sarah That judged him faithful that had promised Heb. 11.11 So as he will certainly make good his promise according to the true Tenor thereof whether we believe or no he cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2.12 Rom. 3.3 And if some do not believe their unbelief shall not make the faith of God without effect It shall be fulfilled to others that do believe But there is a further Assurance of Faith even in the first direct Act thereof whereby we do apply the Grace of God to our selves in particular which is not a believing that our Sins are already pardoned or that they shall be pardoned upon our believing that they are so but that they shall be pardoned upon our believing that is upon our addressing our selves to God by Jesus Christ upon our coming to him or casting our selves upon God's free Grace in Christ This is that boldness and access with confidence which we have by the faith of him Ephes 3.12 Heb. 10.19 that boldness which we have to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus Boldly adventuring our selves on God's free Grace in Jesus Christ for Salvation fleeing for refuge to lay hold on the hope that is set before us Heb. 6.18 in the encouragement of the gracious invitation of the Gospel to all those that are weary and heavy laden Matth. 11.28 Rev. 22.18 John 6.37 to those that shall desire really the Water of Life and the promise made to such And in confidence of the gracious promise made to all that come to Jesus Christ that he will in no wise cast them out And tho it is true Ministers in their preaching do often make use of the example of the Lepers that sate at the gate of Samaria 2 Kings 7.3 4. who resolved to go into the Host of the Syrians as the most likely way to save their lives because there was no other course that they could take wherein there was any hopes of it for if they went into the City they should dye there if they continued where they were they should dye So that if there were the least probability of saving their Lives by going to the Syrians this being the only way which did afford them any hopes it was the wisest course they could take So in this case there being Salvation in no other Acts 4.12 Mark 16.16 John 3.18 and Unbelievers being under Condemnation If there were but the least probability of finding mercy through him it would be the safest course that Sinners could take They would certainly perish if they should not believe in Christ and they can but perish if they betake themselves to him But all this is spoken not to discourage the hopes or weaken the confidence of such as flee to Christ for refuge as if it were doubtful whether Christ would shew them mercy or receive them to favour but to meet with the Scruples of Doubting Christians that fear that Christ may reject them tho we do not grant that it may be so while we have his promise that he will not do it Yet suppose such a thing possible it is acknowledged by all that we should take the safest way so that if there were only a possibility much more if there be a probability of Salvation by Christ and no possibility thereof any other way it is certainly the best way for us to betake our selves to him It is in this case as if a Physician should come to a sick Person and tell him his Condition is very dangerous and there is but one Remedy that will save his Life but if he will make use of that he doth not doubt of his recovery The sick Person is apprehensive enough of his danger but he hath not much confidence in this Remedy but doubts whether it will cure him or no. His fears may be such and his Melancholly prevail so far that the Physician can hardly hope to free him from his fears at present but may think it an unanswerable Argument to perswade him to use such a Remedy that if he do not use it there is no way but Death but if he do use it he may live So when Christians are under Temptation and the Power of Melancholly we may more easily prevail with them to venture
shall have too much ground to suspect that our Faith is not an unfeign'd Faith 1 Tim. 1.5 2 Tim. 1 5. Tit. 1.1 or the Faith of Gods elect if it do not work by love It is further evident That Assurance must be maintained by Reflection or Self-Examination because the Apostle makes that to be the scope of his Epistle That those who believe on the name of the Son of God may know that they have eternal life 1 John 5.13 and may still believe or be confirmed in their Faith If any doubt what those things are that he refers to doubtless they are not the things immediately going before but the Epistle in general In several places of which he shews what doth evidence a state of Salvation and what is inconsistent therewith as Ch. 1.6 7. Ch. 2.3 15. Ch. 3.14 Ch. 5.1 4. Now after all this some are unsatisfied with this way of attaining Assurance or rather maintaining it as being neither satisfactory nor necessary and it seems to found our Assurance and Comfort on something in our selves For this last Objection to dispatch it in few words As fruit tho it grow from the Root yet grows upon the Branches so tho all our Hope and Comfort be originally from the Grace of God yet this manifesting it self in its effects we may comfort our selves in what God hath wrought in our selves as well as rejoice in behalf of others when we see them walking in truth 2 John 4. or see in them those things that accompany Salvation Heb. 6.9 or have Salvation following on them And if any say this may suffice for a Judgment of Charity which is all that is required of us in reference to others but it is not sufficient to that judgment of certainty which we should have concerning our selves This will receive an answer from what I have to say upon the two other exceptions Now whereas it is said that this way of self-examination leaves Christians at great uncertainty about their Spiritual Estate and the evidences that are usually given for satisfying them are not so convincing but Christians are perplexed still with fears and doubts I answer That we should not go to Ministers either in hearing or reading or conferring as Naaman went to the Prophet to be cured of his Leprosie expecting that he should do it with a word of his mouth and a stroke of his hand 2 King 5.11 We cannot expect that they should presently resolve us about our Spiritual condition but there is much diligence to be used by our selves as there is in all things of any worth which are difficult As this deserves our diligence so it requires our diligence not only for the tryal of our Grace but for the exercise of it It is observed by some that Christians in our days have not ordinarily that Assurance which others have had in former times and I doubt the observation may be true but I think it proceeds not so much from any error about the nature of Faith as from decay in Grace and that manifest declining that there is in the practice of Religion and it is no wonder that professors of Religion are such strangers to Assurance and Spiritual Comfort while there is such a manifest difference betwixt the Christians of these days and of former times and I desire that the words of one suspected by none to derogate from the Grace of God or the operations of his Spirit in reference to man's Salvation may be diligently heeded It is saith he impossible that many professors whom we see and converse withal should have any solid peace with God It is a fruit that will not grow on an earthly selfish frame of mind and conversation God forbid but that our utmost diligence and continued endeavours to thrive in every Grace should be required thereunto Now in this case I neither think it so easy a matter as some do to attain Assurance nor such an impossibility as others do Some Learned Men think that Assurance doth generally accompany saving Faith because they suppose the Soul must needs know its own acts and so must necessarily know when it believes and when it repents and consequently infer its own Justification But tho it be easy to know our own acts considered Physically or Naturally that is when we put forth such an act in general as when we believe or repent or know God yet it is another thing to know our own acts morally considered or as they ought to be qualified in order to such ends as they are appointed to There may be a Faith which is but temporary Mat. 13.21 or for a season there may be a repentance like that of Nineveh which may avail to the preventing of temporal Judgments but not to Salvation There may be such a knowledge whereby we do not know things as we ought to know them 1 Cor. 8.2 Tit. 1.16 so we may only profess that we know God But we must know that we know him 1 Jo. 2.3 Jer. 22.16 by our Obedience as the fruit or effect thereof so it requires search and self-examination 2 Cor. 13.5 to know whether we are in the Faith or in the state of true believers But on the other hand some suppose it impossible to attain Assurance by reflecting upon any thing in our selves as an evidence of God's special Grace or favour towards us and that they may wholly disable Christians for inferring any Assurance from any thing in themselves they deny both propositions from whence they should draw their conclusion For example we say that those who love the brethren are passed from Death to Life 1 Jo. 3.14 By reflecting upon our selves we add further that we love the brethren thence we conclude that we are passed from death to life Now these men with whom we have now to do deny both the Propositions that is they deny we know that we our selves are passed from death to life by our love to the brethren making this to be rather a ground of a judgment of Charity concerning others than a judgment of certainty concerning our selves for we may surely make a better judgment of our own love to the brethren than of the love of others only they think a judgment of Charity may suffice towards others but we are now speaking of Assurance of our own love but in this argument they insist on the second Proposition denying absolutely that we can know our own love to the brethren or at least that Christians can ordinarily know it there being so many properties of it which it is hardly possible for any Christian to find in himself 1 Cor. 13.4 c. but further we must know them to be brethren they say otherwise Papists or any sort of persons love those of their own way looking upon them as brethren Yea we see such Divisions and Animosities and mutual Exacerbations among Christians as it seems impossible either to attain to a judgment of Charity
that is ready to faint and may have a Cordial in his Closet yet if it be not at hand when he should use it he may fall into a swoon if he do not take it I will now shew more particularly how Faith is such an effectual remedy against trouble of mind and the chief reason thereof is Because thereby we have our sins pardoned As sin is the Sting of Death so it is also of every affliction therefore he is a Blessed man whose iniquities are forgiven Psalm 32.1 CHAP. III. NOw for the more full clearing of this Point I will first shew you what pardon of sin is 2. How this is obtained by Faith 3. How great a privilege and happiness it is Remission or forgiveness of sin is in its most ordinary sense freeing or exempting the sinner from the punishment of it and sometimes it hath respect only to the temporal punishment so God forgave the Israelites in the wilderness when he did not punish them Num. 14.19 So it is said God would not pardon the Innocent Blood which Manasses shed tho it is supposed the Eternal punishment of it was remitted 2 Kings 24.4 Matth. 6.14 Ephes 4.32 1 Kings 8.34 and 39.50 Amos 7.2 In this respect we must forgive each other in this sense we pray for the forgiveness of the sins of a Nation and no doubt in this sense those that are in a state of Grace may pray dayly for Pardon of sin Tho' I doubt not but men that are already justified may pray for the pardon of sin in the most proper sense as Christ by one Sacrifice perfecting for ever those that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 doth not prevent his intercession or make that unnecessary So neither doth our full discharge from the guilt of all our sins discharge us from praying daily for the forgiveness of them When we are in the fullest possession of the greatest abundance of the things of this Life we are to pray for our daily bread that is not only for the blessing and comfort but for the continuance of them So tho' our sins be pardoned when we first believe we may pray daily for the continuance of the vertue and efficacy of the Blood of Christ upon our consciences for the continuance of our peace with God But that remission of sins which we have by Jesus Christ is the discharging us from the eternal punishment and is the same thing in effect with justification Acts 13.38 39. In the former verse the Apostle saith Through Christ is preached forgiveness of sins in the latter that whoever believes on him is justified Not that justification and forgiveness of sins are the same thing in the precise notion of them but where many say that they are the same thing they only intend thereby to exclude that sense of the Word justifying in which the Papists sometimes take it viz. for making righteous by Renovation Sanctification or infusion of new habits But there may be justification where there is not Pardon of sin when a person is acquitted or declared free from that which he was suspected of or charged with So not only a righteous man may be justified but God himself Deut. 25.1 Luke 7.29 Rom 3.4 And as there may be justification without Pardon so Pardon without justification I do not mean that actually or de facto there is Pardon or a remission of the Eternal punishment of sin where there is not justification But we may conceive of a Pardon without justification as there are some that acknowledge a Pardon of sin merely out of mercy without respect to any satisfaction made to Divine Justice and tho the Scripture speaks more frequently of the justification of sinners than to have it denied yet they say that justification is only by a Metonomy taken for pronouncing a sinner just and dealing with him as if he were righteous freeing him from the guilt and punishment of sin and bestowing eternal life on him Whereas in the sense of the Scripture to justify is to acquit or discharge a sinner from the guilt and punishment of sin upon the Imputation of righteousness to him Rom. 4.6 But as we must not suppose that God only deals with us as if we were righteous which some suppose he might tho Christ should not be supposed to have died in our stead or have born our sin yea tho he had not died at all So on the other hand we must not imagine that God in imputing righteousness to sinners doth think or suppose that they have not sinned or have satisfied the Law for their sin Imputation doth not imply any such thing When Shimei desires that David would not impute iniquity to him 2 Sam. 19 19. we cannot suppose that he desires that he would think or make account that he had not done iniquity but that he would not charge it upon him or deal with him according to it and where it is said the Sacrifice of him that should be eaten on the third day should not be imputed to him Lev. 7.18 the meaning of it is that he should not have the benefit of it or be dealt with according thereto But to keep the true mean between these we must suppose that God deals thus with us not imputing our sins to us in consideration of what Christ hath done for us or in our stead Philem. 18. As where Paul allows Philemon to put Onesimus his wrong or debt for which it is like he might be put into the same Prison where Paul was on his account as he would not have him think that it was Paul and not Onesimus that had wronged him neither would he have him to punish it no more in Onesimus than if he had not done it but Paul But he tells him and gives it under his hand that he would repay it or satisfy him for it So God doth not only deal with us as if we were righteous in remitting our eternal punishment But he doth this in consideration of what Christ hath done and suffered for us He having laid upon him the iniquities of us all Isaiah 53.6 Gal. 3.13 And God having by his Soveraignty so far dispensed with his Law as to make Christ a curse for us he is now not only merciful and gracious 1 John 1.9 but faithful and just to forgive us our sins he having set him forth to be a propitiation for our sins to declare his righteousness that he might be just and a justifier of him that believes in Jesus Rom. 3.25 26. It is not only that he may be just tho' he justify sinners or that he may justify them saving his justice But it is just with God to justify or acquit sinners Christ having born our sins on the Cross 1 Pet 2.24 that we through his stripes might be healed I come now to shew how we are justified by Faith and that we are justified by Faith is evident beyond all contradiction
and those sins which they went lightly under before as David did under his are now a heavy burden 2 Sam. 11. Psal 38.4 too heavy for them And these convictions he makes as a bearded arrow which while men endeavour to shake off torment them more and they shall not be able to put off the thoughts of their sins but as David's they shall be continually before them Psal 51.3 so that they shall have no rest in their spirits till they come to Christ But now doubts do ordinarily arise in the minds of Christians whether they be rightly humbled whether they be sufficiently humbled whether they have been long enough under these preparations 1. They are ready to suspect that their trouble for sin is not kindly that it is rather from self-love and fear of punishments than from love to God and sense of the nature of sin as it is against God and displeasing to him Now to this I answer That God hath placed our affections in the Soul as handles to take hold on it and particularly Jer. 32.40 Prov. 16.6 Fear and he doth not only after conversion put his fear into our hearts or at least continue it there that we may not depart from him but may thereby depart from evil Gen. 2.17 but he gave an intimidating threatning to man in the state of innocency to be a means to keep him from sin And at first conversion we ordinarily flee from the wrath to come Matt. 3.7 Heb. 6.18 or to avoid that flee for refuge to lay hold on the hope that is set before us But there is a frequent exercise of Evancal repentance after Conversion Men espy a Tree in a storm or in the heat and betake themselves to it for shelter or shade but when they come at it they find fruit which they did not at such a distance see or in such a fright or trouble consider but having found it they are at last as much pleased with it as with the covert or umbrage of it So we sit under the shadow of Christ with great delight and his fruit is sweet to our taste Cant. 2.3 In Marriage Estate and Conveniences of Life are first treated of and conjugal love increases by society or converse you have first betaken your selves to Christ or desire to come to him to save you from Hell but doth this upon second thoughts satisfy you Can you content your selves herewith or rather do you not desire that he would bless you in turning you from your iniquities and say with Paul Lord Acts 3.26 Acts 9.6 what wouldest thou have me to do It matters not so much what is our first motive to bring us to Christ if it do not terminate our desires when we have occasion and opportunity more fully to consider things A man may address himself to a person at first on the account of her Portion to pay his debts and keep him out of Prison and answer some other occasions but upon further knowledge of her when he is freed from his debts and extricated out of his troubles he finds those accomplishments and qualifications in her which are a more abundant satisfaction to him than all her Estate For the fear of Christians that they have not been sufficiently humbled and so that they should have the wounds of their consciences healed slightly before they be sufficiently searched or drawn I answer It is true when persons have been throughly humbled for their sin it may work in them a greater aversion from it and a more fixed resolution against it As when Ephraim had suffered much for their sin of Idolatry Hos 14.3 8. they would not say any more to the work of their hands ye are my Gods but would rather say what have I to do any more with Idols and tho the Jews were much addicted to Idolatry yet the destruction of their Temple and City by the Caldeans and their Captivity in Babylon did much reclaim them from it Yea God is pleased to deal variously with persons either according as their former conversations have been where mens sins have been notorious God doth many times make their Repentance as notorious or as the frame and temper of their hearts is Isa 28.26 he that instructs the husbandman to use several means for getting out his Corn as the nature of it requires or as it is threshed with more ease or difficulty doth himself exercise persons under affliction as need requires till he hath brought their uncircumcised hearts to be humbled to accept of the punishment of their iniquity Levit 16.41 And so in bringing Souls to Jesus Christ he exercises them under different degrees of humiliation as he sees their state to require or as he intends for the future to deal with them But those that have to do with troubled Souls or such as are humbled under a sense of their sin should take heed of tampering too much in keeping them down lest they do as Physicians who that they may throughly subdue a disease bring their Patients so low that they cannot recover their strength and raise them up again and let Christians themselves take heed lest out of a mistaken modesty or humility they think they can never be sufficiently humbled and so refuse to be comforted It is not for us to teach our Physicians Psalm 77.2 or to prescribe to God how he should deal with us I have heard of an Eminent Man who in a deep humility desired that God would shew him his sin in its own colours or let him see the deformity of it that he might be yet more humbled for it and God did shew it to him so as to make him go mourning to his grave And I have likewise heard of a wowan that made the like request to God thinking she could never be sufficiently humbled for her sin But it pleased God to give her such a sight of her Sin that like Heman while she suffer'd his terrors Psalm 88.15 she was distracted and in that Condition killed her own Child It is the end that determines the manner and measure of the means leading thereto And that Humiliation and Conviction is sufficient that makes us willing to forsake our Sin and come to Christ A kindly Sorrow and Trouble for Sin Jer. 31.19 Ezek. 16.63 may grow upon us as I lately said after Conversion and Sense of Pardon For the other doubt of Christians that they have not been long enough under the pangs of the New Birth as they speak and know not whether they may not be too forward to believe I answer That if by believing we mean a perswasion or confidence that our sins are pardoned we may believe too soon P. 172. And Mr. Marshall in the forementioned Treatise notwithstanding all that he hath said of Assurance being Essential to Faith acknowledges That many must be taught to doubt whether their present State be good and that it is Humility so to do