gives faith Vnto you it is given to believe Phil. 1. 29. By grace are Faith you saved through faith It is the gift of God Ephes 28. And he gives repentance Acts 11. 18. Then hath God given or granted unto Repentance the Gentiles repentance unto life And he gives mercy 2 Tim. 1. 16. The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus Mercy And he also freely gives us all things Rom. 8. 32. He gives grace and he gives All things gloâ—y Psal 84. 11. And he gives unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by them we Great and precious promises might be partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. This Covenant is a Covenant of gifts all that God promiseth in it is given and all that God requires of us is given and all that we are to give again to God is first given unto us by God Reasons why it is so from And there are two reasons why this Covenant is an altogether giving Covenant 1. One is our universal brokennesse and impotency and insufficiency our sinful Our universal insufficiency fall hath so ship-wrack't and ruined us that we have nothing at all left us we are naked and poor and miserable Rev. 3. 17. Without strength Rom. 5. 6. Not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves 2 Cor. 3. 5. What hast thou that thou hast not received I Cor. 4. 7. Such a brokâ—n vessel is the sinner such a self-undoing and destitute creatures like the Prodigal who spent all and had neither bread nor rayment nor shoes nor any thing and therefore his father must provide all and give all he must give him housing and he must give him rayment and he must give him shoes for his feet and he must give him meat to eat and wine to drink Where the creature is universally miserable and utterly impotent there must be nothing but giving Mercy must give all or the sinner is undone 2. Another is Gods intenâ—ion and purpose in this Covenant and that in the Gods intention and purpose in this Covenant praise of the glory of his grace Ephes 1. 6 His intent in making this Covenant is wholly and only to exalt himself to proclaime his own glory and therefore he will give all and the sinner is to receive all that all the glory and praise of mercy of grace of blessings may be returned unto himself alâ—ne Rom. 11. 35. Who hath first given to him and it shall be recompâ—nced unto him again Ver. 36. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whâ—m be glory for ever Amen Vse 1 If this Covenant be a giving Covenant then the poor and needy may traffique at it If it were a buying and selling Covenant in proper sense then Then the poor and needy may traffique at it poor sinners must despaire but it is a giving Covenant and therefore poor sinners have hope May not the poor who keep no house of their own yet go to the rich mans door where all is given When we survey our hearts and conditions we finde a world of wants and when we survey the Covenant we finde a Heaven of supplies Objection But then we fear and dispute and reason But how shall we get this mercy and gaine that blessing and enjoy that help We have nothing and we can bring nothing the Well indeed is deep but we have nothing to draw Sâ—l True but yet God can give all though you can bring nothing and according to the tenor of this Covenant He will give all the greatest and the least But will he give me food and rayment yes he will give you bread and he will give you double cloathing O But will he give me Grace yes he will give grace and glory O But will he give me Christ yes he will give his Christ that greatest gift that ever was given to sinners he is the gift of God O but will he give me mercy to pardon my sinnes and all my sinnes yes he will shew mercy and will forgive all thy sinnes whereby thou hast sinned against him O but will he give me Faith yes he will draw you to Christ and put forth an Almighty power to make you to believe O but will he give me another heart yes I will give thee a new heart c. O but I must pray if I would have these and I cannot pray why and it is his Covenant to give you the Spirit of grace and supplication Let these things quiet your sorrowful and troubled soules There is enough in the Covenant for you and all that is there is to be given 2. Be content to come and receive seeing God is pleased in this Covenant to be Be content to come and receive giving He is all upon the giving hand and we should be all upon the recâ—iving hand The giviâ—g works is Gods work and the receiving work is our work he findes the gift you must open your hand and take it O what a blessed Covenant is this wherein you may have all for asking and receiving Mat. 7. 7. Ask and it shall be given James 1. 5. If any of you lack wisdome let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and it shall be given him John 4. 10. If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Now there are four qualities which if you could get them you Which we shall do if we have these qualities would then be content and willing to come unto God and beg of him and receive of him what he will give and without these you will not do so 1. One is poverty of spirit you must be poor in spirit the poor man speaks Poverty of spirit supplications saith Solomon It was poor Lazarus that came to the rich mans dâ—or and it is the poor sinner one who is truly sensible of his spiritual wants and miseries who will come to the door of mercy and cry out O Father of mercies give me mercy O God of grace give me grace O give me Christ c. If you be rich and encreased and stand in need of nothing as Laodicea was if you have enough of your own if you think that you are righteous and need not Christ and need not mercy c. you will never come to God and beg him to give you these 2. A second is humâ—lity of heart a proud man scornes to beg and scornes Humility of heart to receive he will not be beholding to any body it is the humble man who will acknowledge mercy and blesse for mercy and beg for mercy and be glad he may have mercy upon receiving termes God gives grace to the humble and the humble are thankfully contented to receive grace from God 3. A praying heart will be glad to be receiving A praying
are the very ingredients of his promises the promises are nothing else but the good will and purpose of God transcribed and copied out for us 3. Who is faithful Hebr. 11. 11. Sarah judged him faithful who had promised and what is it for God to be faithful in his promises but in his own good time to do what he speaks and to give what he promiseth to give Faithful is he who hath called you who will also do it saith the Apostle 1 Thes 5. 24. Mark to do what he promiseth this was to be faithful 4. God hath promised all of them to all his people in Covenant to all that are God hâ—th promised all of them to all his people brought into Christ to all who have chosen him for their God and give up their hearts and lives unto him to all who can call him Father and are become his children as the blessings promised are distributed into greater and lesser some are spiritual some are corporal so the heirs of blessings some of them are stronger some are weaker but this makes no difference as to the claim and title the weakest Believer in Christ the weakest childe of God is an heir of all the spiritual blessings which God hath promised Use 2 Hath God promised all spiritual blessings as well as temporal unto all his people in Covenant then you who are the people of God Mark what concerns you Mark what conceâ—ns you under the sense of your wants under the sense of any spiritual wants Do not complain any longer and do not charge God foolishly and do not give up your conditions as desperate do not say there is no help nor hope and do not hearken to what Satan saith nor to what your perplexed hearts do say but regard and mark what God saith in his promises He saith that he will give grace and glory and he will give all the matters of Justification and of Sanctification and therefore do you take that course for the enjoyment of them which God directs you unto and likewise encourages you unto Quest What course is that What course we should take for this enjoyment of sâ—iâ—itual bâ—essiâ—â— Pray for spiritual blessings Sol. It is this First You must humbly pray unto him to give unto you all those spiritual blessings which you do need and which he hath promised Object Pray unto him will you say if he hath promised to give them what need we to pray for them Sol. Yes promises on Gods part and prayers on our part are not contradistinct but subordinate therefore remember 1. Though God promiseth to give all these spiritual blessings yet he expresly calls for prayer from us unto himself to bestow them on us Ezek. 36. 37. Thus saith the Lord God I will yet be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them Jer. 29. 11. I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end Ver. 12. Then shall you call upon me and ye shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you Ver. 13. And ye shall seek me and finde me when ye shall search for me with all your hearts 2. As he calls for prayer so he adds a new engagement of promise to give even spiritnal blessings upon prayer Luke 11. 13. Your heavenly Father will give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Secondly You must act faith you must believe on his Word and trust on Act faith him as a faithful God to performe c. Psal 62. 8. Trust in him at all times ye people poure out your hearts before him God is a refuge for us Selab Isa 26. 4. Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Isa 57. 2. I will cry unto God most High unto God which performs all things for me Hebr. 11. 6. He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Jam. 1. 6. But let him ask in faith O Sirs this is one of the greatest reasons why notwithstanding your many tears and prayers you have so small portion in spiritual blessings because you do not trust on God for them you do not believe that he will deal with you according to his Word you do not give him the glory of an all-sufficient and faithful God still you are questioning him and reasoning against him But will he make good his Word of promise and can he do this or that the Lord humble our hearts for this we think not of it as a sin or else but a small sin but indeed it is an exceedingly provoking sin and an eternal dishonour to the God of truth and mercy thus by our unbelief to charge a lye or a doubtfulnesse upon him Object But have we not reason to doubt what he will do when we are so unworthy Sol. No our unworthinesse is no sufficient reason to question the goodnesse and faithfulnesse of Gods promise because 1. He never indents with us upon terms of our worthinesse 2. He professeth that he doth us good not for our sakes but for his own sake Thirdly If need be you must wait upon God for the performance of those spiritual Wait upon God for performance blessings promised unto you Isa 36. 18. Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you for the Lord is a God of judgement he knows what and when is best blessed are all they that wait for him Three things 〈◊〉 to enable you to wait c. 1. Any spiritual blessing is worth a waiting for the least of them being of more worth and more consequence to the soul than a whole world 2. God will oft times try your hearts whether indeed you would be thus blessed or can be satisfied and give over without enjoyment 3. The promise of them is very sure God who cannot lye hath promised Tit. 1. 2. He will not fail you in these spiritual blessings though many times he doth deny you some temporal desires Vse 3 Are spiritual blessings and mercies promised by God to all that are in Covenant with him in what a case then are all obstinate and perverse sinners who will The sad condition of Impenitent â—â—nners hold fast their sins and walk in their own ways and hate to be reformed and will not be brought into the bond of the Covenant with God if there were no other misery for them but this that they shall not partake of spiritual blessings this were misery sufficient You read of those in Luke 14. who excused themselves and refused to come to the Supper prepared Christ saih of them ver 24. None of those men shall taste of my Supper truly this was judgement and punishment enough never to partake of any benefit or good by Christ In like manner this is
righteous God and therefore he may condemn Nor may we say that God promiseth forgiveness of sins therefore our sins are forgiven for as God promiseth mercy he contracts that promise of mercy unto his own people and as God saith he will mercifully pardon so he saith likewise that he will not be merciful to any wicked transgressor Psal 59 5. And he will not spare the audacious sinner who promiseth peace unto himself though he adds drunkenness to thirst Deut. 29. 19 20. Now because this Use is of the greatest consequence and necessity for us who stand in need of this vital and soveraign mercy the forgiveness of sins therefore I will discourse of three positionâ— concerning it 1. Some sinners do erroneously make and take some things for a certain capacity of forgivenesse of their sins which absolutely is not so 2. Some sinners do certainly put themselves out of a capacity of forgiveness 3. Some sinners are in a right capacity of Gods promise of the forgiveness of their sins Some plead for a capacity of pardon upon false grounds As Gods mercifulness First Some sinners do erroneously take these things for certain grounds that they are in the list and compasse of forgiveness of sins which absolutely considered cannot be so e. g. First God is of a very merciful nature ready to forgive and his mercy is over all his works and he will not destroy his creatures he did not make us to damn us therefore my sins shall be forgiven Answered Sol. This cannot be a sure ground to build on that we are within the compass or capacity of forgiveness of sins because 1. By this Reason the Divels also may conclude the forgiveness of their sins for God is of a merciful nature and ready to forgive and his mercy is over all his works 2. By this ground no sinner should be damned but every sinner should be saved For if every man hath his sins pardoned then no man shall be damned to have sins pardoned is to be discharged from condemnation but if this were a strong and sufficient inference Sins are pardoned because God is of a merciful nature then every sinner should have his sins pardoned 3. Though mercifulnesse be natural to God yet the dispensation or collation of mercy is voluntary and Arbitrary forgiving acts of mercy do not flow from God in that way as effects do flow from natural Agents in a way of necessity as the Sun necessarily gives out light and fire necessarily breaths out heat But as effects flow from voluntary and free Agents Rom. 9. 15 I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion So then it will not follow Your sins are forgiven because Gods Nature is mercifull for forgiving mercy is not a necessary effect of that Nature but a voluntary effect thereof 4. Besides Justice is as natural to God as mercifulnesse is he is Essentially as just as he is merciful and he doth intend the gloryfying of his Justice upon sinners as ceâ—tainly as he doth the glorifying of his mercifulnesse Rom. 9. 22. What if God willing to show his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long â—uffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Ver. 23. And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory Here you plainly see a will and purpose in God to set up the glory of his Justice in the destruction of the vessels of wrath as well as the glory of his mercifulness in the salvation of the vessels of mercy Exod. 34. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgressions and sins and that will by no means clear the guiliy Here also you find that mercifulness is so attributed to God as that justice likewise is preserved in him though his merciful nature in forgiving doth extend to thousands yet it doth not extend to all For he likewise professeth that he will by no means clear the guilty Mercy hath a double consideration First as in the nature of God Secondly As in the promise of God which sheweth whom he will forgive and therefore 5. It would be your wisdom not absolutely to sit down with this notion that God is merciful but respectively to search out unto what sorts of persons he doth promise himself to be a merciful God in forgiving their sins For in his promises you may as certainly discern the will and extent of his mercy as in his threatnings you may espy the purpose and intent of his wrath and if you did so you should presently find that forgiving mercy is promised and intended only for believing and repenting sinners Prov. 28. 13. Isa 55. 7. Acts 3. 19. Acts 10. 43. Object And whereas it is objected that Psal 145. 9. the Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works Sol. This place is not for your purpose for 1. When he saith that the Lord is good to all this is spoken only as to his general Providence whereby he doth good to all sorts of creatures man and beast in their sustentation and preservation 2. When he saith that his tender mercies are over all his works if you take all his works for the whole Creation and his tender mercies for forgiveness of sins unto which forgiveness is ascribed Psal 51. 1. then it cannot with any sense he affirmed that forgiveness of sins extends to the whole Creation for this were to make beasts and trees and the elements and heavens to be sinners but when he saith that his tender mercies are over all his works either this is spoken in an absolute sense that all his works do taste of his kindness bounty and pity or in a comparative sense that of all the works of God his mercies are the highest and chiefest they are above or over all of them none like to them Object But God did not make us to damn us Sol. No nor yet to sin against him but to serve him Secondly A second ground upon which some do conclude that they are within the compass and capacity of the promise of forgiveness of sins is this that God is a gracious God forgiving sins freely so indeed doth that word signifie Colos 2 13. Gods graciousness Having forgiven you all trespasses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely forgiven and Luke 7. 42. He freely forgiveth them both Hence they conclude that God stands upon nothing requires nothing but without any more ado will forgive the sins of men as it were of course Answered Sol. And yet by your favour God in his Word doth say Acts 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Gal. 2. 16. We have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ But consider First The graciousness of God in forgiving of sins stands in opposition not to the means which God hath prescribed to enjoy forgiveness
promise of forgivenesse of sins upon the condition of Faith The promise of forgiveness upon condition of Faith Acts 10. 43. Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins And truely if we do seriously consider the matter we must acknowledge that faith is the only condition of the Covenant of grace wherein God becomes our God and we become his people and by which therefore we become heirs of all the promises of God and consequently of the promise of the forgiveness of sins none are the children of God and heirs of the Promises but by Faith Thirdly It is expresly taken in to the justification of a sinner So taken in that by no other means he can be justified and by this only he must be justified It is expresly taken in to the justification of a sinner Rom. 3. 28. We conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Gal. 5. 4. Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from grace You know that the forgiveness of our sins is only in our justification and that the justification of a sinner is as to him only of grace being justified freely by his grace Rom. 3. 23. And that the sinner is justified by faith and by faith only that so it may be of grace and therefore there is a necessity of faith for the pardon of sins c. Fourthly It is impossible to finde remission of our sins out of Christ forasmuch No remission out of Christ as his blood only was shed for the remission of sins Matth. 26. 28. And in him only we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins Ephes 1. 7. â—nd him only hath God set forth to be a propitiation and to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sin Rom. 3. 25. And it is as impossible to enjoy Christ without Faith which is the only grace on our part to receive Christ to joyn us unto Christ and by which Christ doth dwell in us Now if we cannot have the forgiveness of sins but we must first have Christ and we cannot have Christ but by faith there is then a necessity of faith for the remission of sins Fifthly If for want of Faith we shall certainly lose the remission of sins then the presence of faith is necessary for the forgiveness of sins this Consequence For want of Faith we lose the remission of sins cannot be denied by any rational Christian but the want of faith will certainly lose us the forgiveness of sins three places will clear that Mar. 16. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned Joh. 3. 36. He that believes not shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him Joh. 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am he you shall dye in your sins If for want of faith we dye in our sins shall not see life shall be damned have the wrath of God still abiding on us then for want of faith we do certainly lose the remission of our sins for these are utterly inconsistent with remission but you read that for want of faith we shall dye in our sins c. Ergo there is a necessity of the presence of Faith for the forgiveness of our sins 2. As there is a necessity of the presence of faith so is there a necessity of the use or exercise of Faith for the remission of sins For as in the Covenant of works A necessity of the use and exercise of faith actual obedience was necessary to enjoy the life then promised so in the Covenant of grace actual believing is necessary to enjoy Christ and forgiveness purchased by him and promised in him Now there are two acts of faith especially required in every one who would enjoy the forgiveness of his sins 1. One is an Act of acceptance 2. The other is an Act of reliance on Christ only for that forgivenesse promised First An Act of acceptance his soul must be brought into Christ acknowledge An act of acceptance and consent to receive him and whole Christ with the whole heart If a man think thus I will have my sins forgiven me but I care not for Christ my heart cannot comply with him his Commands are too strick and his wayes are too holy for me I cannot yield to be his upon such terms as he requires Let me tell you plainly and faithfully you shall never have your sins pardoned why because the forgiveness of sins is promised upon this condition if you do believe and receive Christ You may as well say that you will be saved for ever in heaven but you will not believe you will not receive Christ you will not be his No no a Communion in what he hath purchased cannot possibly be without a precedent union with himself all the Benefits and all the Priviledges by Christ are communicable only unto them who are Christs to them there is no condemnation but c. Secondly Besides this Act of acceptance of Christ there must be also an An act of reliance Act of reliance on Christ and on him only for the forgiveness of your sins Put the case you do repent of your sins yea put the case thaâ—â—ou do by faith receive Christ if now you do rely on your Repentance and on your Faith or on any other thing besides Christ for the forgiveness of your sins you will certainly lose the forgiveness of them If you should say God will forgive me for my tears sake for my grief sake for my confession sake for my turning sake for my believing sake but not for Christs sake you will certainly miss of pardoning mercy because all forgiveness of sins unto us is for Christs sake Ephes 4. 32. Forgiving one another as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you 1 Joh. 2. 12. Your sins are forgiven you for his Name sake So then there is a necessity of such an act of faith as to rely only on Christ as the reason of the pardon of your sins i. e. to trust on his Righteousness on his Redemption on his blood only as the All sufficicient and as the effectual reason of your forgiveness c. Secondly The second thing which I would shew unto you is what that Faith is What that faith is that is so necessary which is so necessary for us if that we would enjoy the forgiveness of our sins For as to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Repentance we generally grant it for a truth that men must repent iâ— they will have their sins forgiven so as to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of faith it is generally granted that men must believe and if they do truely believe their sins shall be forgiven But the difficulty is what this faith is which intitles us unto and really assures remission of sins And great reason there is to clear this because of the general confidence in men that they have faith and
Then shall the Priests command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean and Cedar wood and Scarlet and Hysop Ver. 5. And the Priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water Ver. 6. As for the living bird he shall take it and the Cedar wood and the scarlet and the hysop and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the living bird that was killed over the running water Ver. 7. And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosie seven times and shall pronounce him clean c. Now that the Lord doth on this wise sprinkle the blood of Christ on his people for the forgiveness of their sins namely in a way of assurance that their sins are forgiven may thus appear by Scripture Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it The white stone was given in token of absolution and the black stone in token of condemnation by the Athenians Psal 103. 2. Blesse the Lord O my soul Ver. 3. who forgiveth all thine iniquities Matth. 9. 2. Son be of good chear thy sins be forgiven thee Luke 7. 48. He said unto her thy sins are forgiven Ephes 4. 32. Even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Col. 2. 13. Having forgiven you all trespasses 1 Joh. 2. 12. Your sins are forgiven for his Names sake Isa 60. 16. Thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer Ch. 40. 2. Speak ye comfortably unto Jerusalem and cry unto her that her iniquity is pardoned 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life c. But unless they did know that their sins in particular were pardoned they could not have said we know that we are passed from death to life Thirdly This ascertaining Application is made by the Spirit of God and by How this appâ—ication is made Faith and by the testimony of Conscience First By the Spirit of God which is given to the people of God that they might know the things that are given to them of God 1 Cor. 2 12. The Spirit By the Spirit of God is given not only for implantation of grace but aâ—so for demonstration to manifest by his light those graces which he hath wrought in us Not only for union with Christ but also for manifestation of that union unto us not only to bring us into Covenant with God but also to open and reveal unto us the love and mercy of God unto us in his Covenant Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God ver 17. and if children then heirs heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ If the Spâ—rit testifie unto us that we are the children of God and heirs of God then certainly he witnesses with this that we are justified and pardoned persons â—phes 1. 13. In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise ver 14. which is the earnest of our inheritance What is that sealing by that holy Spirit of promise but the evidencing confirming assuring of us concerning the things which God hath promised unto us and amongst the rest of the pardon of our sins in order to salvation Secondly By Faith There is an ability in Faith not only to give a general evidence and assent that whatsoever God hath promised is true but also By faith to raise a particular evidence concerning our very interest in the things promised by God unto us 1 Joh. 4. 16. We have known and believed the love that God hath to us Cant. 15. 6. He is altogether lovely There is a direct act of Faith This is my beloved and this my friend here is the reflexive act of faith 1 Joh. 5. 20. He hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ Beloved whatsoever good the Lord doth promise unto his people he will give them Faith to believe it for that is one great end of his promising that we might inherit the good promised by believing but God hath promised the pardon of sins in particular to every particular believer Act. 10. 48. Whosoever believes on him shall receive the remission of sins Ergo. Thirdly Besides this there is given unto every one of the people of God an By a renewed Conscience illightned and renewed conscience which knows the present frame of heart and can give in a clear testimony concerning it whether it doth indeed Repent and indeed believe finding it such as the word requires from whence it can make a concluding evidence that our sinnes are certainly pardoned for thus conscience reasoneth Whosoever doth truely repent and believe God himself in his Word saith that his sins are forgiven But saith the enlightned and renewed conscience which knows what is in man thou dost truly repent and believe for I find such lively acts and effects of them both which the Word of God gives concerning them in truth Ergo Be of good comfort and rejoyce thy sinnes are forgiven thee Thus you see what the sprinkling is in the Text namely the imputation of the blood of Christ for forgiveness to every particular believer with an assurance of the forgiveness of his sins for Christs sake SECT II. Quest 2. NOw I proceed unto the second Question Why the Lord is Reasons of it pleased to make such an application and such an assurance unto his people No benefit by the blood of Christ without application Sol. 1. One reason is because though there be forgiveness for the blood of Christ yet this is of no benefit unto any but unto whom it is applyed and appropriated and imputed Simile Suppose that a great debt be discharged this avails not me unless my great debt be discharged Suppose that a release from the prison or from death be granted what is this to me if the release be not imputed unto me in particular So though God forgives sins only for the blood of Christ unless he applies this to me I am not the better for it O but God did peremptorily intend the particular good of every believer in the death of Christ Christ dyed for them and gave himself for them and therefore he applies the blood of Christ to them his intention was for them in particular they shall fare the better for Christ Ergo. Secondly Their great comfort lies in this apprehension and assurance of the forgiveness The comfort oâ— it lies in assurance of their sins in the blood of Christ There are two Requisites for the Christians comfort concerning Christ and forgiveness 1. One is Propriety that Christ is his Christ and dyed for his sins Who
an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our Conversation in the world 8. Vnbelief discontentment impatience discord and variance these are other principles of the old heart but when the Lord gives a new heart then he works in us contrary principles unto these viz. faith Phil. 1. 29. Vnto you it is given to believe Repentance Acts 11. 18. God hath granted to the Gentiles also repentance unto life Contentment Phil. 4. 11. I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content Patience 1 Cor. 4. 12. Being reviled we bless being persecuted we suffer it Love 1 Thes 4. 9. Ye are taught of God to love one another I could name many more such heavenly principles and qualities contrary to the old sinful principles and qualities which are certainly found though not in the same measure or degree yet in truâ—h in every man whom the Lord doth give a new heart Fifthly Whensoever the Lord gives a man a new heart there is presently a new A new combate and conflict combate and conflict Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusheth against the Spirit and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh and they are contrary the one to the other c. Rom. 7. 23. But I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind The flesh which is our corrupt heart or nature the old man the Law in our members and the Spirit which is our new heart or renewed nature the new man the Law of our mind these are both in the same regenerate person and they are dispersed over every faculty of the soul and they are contrary the one to the other and do warre one against another and that war is from the first moment that renewing grace enters into the heart to the last moment that the soule leaves the body Object Now here it may be objected that this cannot be a true and real sign of newness of heart because in a natural and unregenerate man there is many times a combate and conflict between their judgement and their affections and between their conscience and their temptations unto sin Sol. That there are such combates and conflicts in unregenerate men I grant Differences betwixt the conflicts in a regenerate and unregenerate man In their Principles but then they are of another nature different from those in a renewed or regenerate person First In their Principles The conflict in the one ariseth from servile fear the conflict in the other ariseth from spiritual hatred A natural Conscience may see the danger of sinning and thereupon oppose the affections inclining to sin but a renewed heart sees the baseness of sin and thereupon inclines the heart to hate it As sin a coal of fire there is the fire which burneth and there is the coal which defileth so in sin there is considerable the wrath unto which it doth expose and the filthiness whereby it doth pollute the soul The fear of burning wrath this makes the unregenerate conscience to hold off and to argue against the temptations to sin but it is the defilement and pollution by sin which makes the renewed heart to abhor and contest with it Not only or principally the evil by sin but the evil of sin which is so extreamly contrary to God in his Nature and Will and Glory which we entirely love c. In the Seat Secondly In the Seate and place of combate Simile The combate in unregenerate men is like that between Souldiers in several Forts and that in renewed persons is like the fight of Souldiers in the same Fort where every ones sword is against every one The conflict or combate in the unregenerate is only 'twixt one faculty and another distinct faculty the affections go one way and the judgement and conscience another way But when a mans heart is renewed by grace there now ariseth a war and combate within every faculty The judgment is divided against the judgment and the will is divided against the will and the affection against the affection The reason whereof is this because there is flesh and Spirit sin and grace co-existent and co-habiting in every faculty of the soul sin is not driven up to one faculty whilst grace possesseth the other faculties but renewing grace is in every faculty and remaining corruption is also in every faculty Simile Like Jacob and Esau strugling in the same womb or like heat and cold in the same water and in every part of it Thirdly In the Extent of the combate that in unregenerate persons is only with some gross scandalous and infamous sins but for secret sins or other In the Exteâ—t sins which the world applauds these are still favoured and harboured the natural man can go no farther than his light which in him cannot make a clear and full discovery of sins nor will he quarrel with his sins further than he needs must to save his ease in Conscience and credit with men But when the heart is renewed by grace there the combate is against all known sin the reason whereof is this because the ground of opposition is not accidental and particular but natural and universal the newness of the heart is not an humour but a contrary nature to that of sin and therefore the heat doth conflict with all that is cold because it is naturally contrary unto it so doth renewing grace combate with all sin because it is a nature contrary to sin as sin not as little or great secret or open c. but as sin 4. In the event In regenerate men the issue of the conflict is either a plain giving up to the will of lust in the affections the man being tyred and In the event vexed with the violent sollicitations of them as Sampson was with Dalilahs importunities or in case that natural conscience doth prevail it is not to the mortifying of any sin but only to a temporary repressing and restraining of sin but the combate ends otherwise where the heart is renewed by grace for it makes a more constant and resolute resistance and at the last though perhaps after some foiles it gets the victory over sin and wins the field Thus you see that the new spiritual combate or conflict is a true character of a heart indeed renewed by grace It is not a sign of true grace that a man hath no sin but that his heart is conflicting with all sin Sixthly Whensoever a new heart is given by God unto any person then are New abilities there given new abilities unto that person Beloved two things I take for granted 1. That renewing grace is in itself a very powerful quality There is a Spirit of power and might in it and going along with it if it were not so it could never change the heart of a sinner nor unthrown sin nor maintain conflict with all the powers
the Gospel this is clear in Ephes 1. 13. In whom you also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation So Rom. The Gospel is the means of faith 10. 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God The Gospel is therefore called the door of Faith Acts 14. 27. and the word of faith Rom. 10. 8. and the power of God Rom. 1. 16. and the word of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 19. The Gospel is the meanes of faith in three respects 1. In that it is set apart and ordained by God himself for that end and purpose to call sinners to Christ It is set apart for that end As it is blessed of God with the presence of his Spirit 2. In that it is blessed of God with the presence of his Spirit to work and implant faith There God reveales his arm and puts forth his power Some men do fancy wayes of their own to get faith And why not another way as well as by the Gospel I will tell you why Because God hath not ordained and sanctified any other way but this When the Lord commanded the brasen Serpent to be set up for the healing of the people and that they should look on it and be healed they might as well demand and why a Brasen Serpent and why not another brasen Serpent as well as this to heal us No none but this for this only was ordained of God and sanctified for that purpose So the Gospel that and that only is the means ordained and sanctified by God and which hath his promise of presence and blessing to go along with it to beget faith in our hearts 3. In that it is the most apt of all ministrations whatsoever to raise and perswade It is the most apt of all ministrations for this end the heart to believe For there only is the relation of the grace of God and love of God and kindness of God and of the mercy of God in Christ and therein is Christ made known and the righteousnesse of Christ and a sinners salvation in and by Christ and therein are held forth all the encouragements to winne the heart to Christ and all the answers and resolves to whatsoever may breed fears and doubts and discouragements in the heart from coming to Christ and all promises by which this faith is raised 3. Consider what concerns your selves in reference unto God who only gives faith Câ—nsider what concerns us in reâ—erence to God and the Gospel and in reference to the Gospel which is the only meanes by which this faith is wrought Supposing only three things already formed in you viz. 1. An apprehension that you are lost and separated from God by sin 2. A conviction that you stand in extream need of Christ 3. An earnest desire at least to enjoy Christ I would propound four things for you to do that so at length you may Four things to be done attain unto this uniting faith 1. Diligent application of your selves to the hearing of the Gospel joyning Diligent application of our selves to the hearing of the Gospel for this end thereunto a serious and reverent attention come and hear and come and hear for this very end if peradventure God will give you this faith if peradventure his Spirit will accompany the Gospel with power unto your hearts that so you may be able to believe Come as the impotent man came to the poole to be healed Lydia took this course and her heart was opened to believe Acts 16. 14. So did they in Acts 2. 37. 41. Act. 13. 48. When the Gentiles heard this they glorified the word of the Lord And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed 2. Serious meditation upon first the relation of the Gospel 2ly The offers Serious meditation of the Gospel 3ly The terms of the Gospel 4ly The promises of the Gospel 5ly The instances or examples in the Gospel 1. The Gospel Revelations of Jesus Christ given sent sealed set forth by God Of the revelations of the Gospel to be a Redeemer a Saviour a Mediatour a Peace a Propitiation a Reconciliation a life for sinners Now seriously meditate on all this you whose hearts are broken with the sense of your sins The Gospel in the Word of truth what it reveals and declares unto us that same is certain and infallibâ—e and the Gospel is the Word of Salvation whatsoever concerns our salvation that same is manifested unto us by the Gospel And this Gospel doth reveal and declare unto us the exceeding love of God the Father in that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life It doth also declare unto us hiâ— Son Jesus Christ who was God and in time was made man that so he might reconcile and unite man to God And it doth declare him in the union of his Natures and excellencies of his Person and in the glories of his Offices and in the accomplishment of all the work of Redemption and salvation for sinners and willingnesse to save them So that from the very Gospel-revelation of Jesus Christ a distressed sinner may gain thus much 1. As not to despaire 2. As to have some hope 3. As to have some desires O here is a Christ for sinners A Christ given by God the Father to save sinneâ—s why should I then despaire and here is a Christ such a Christ of such infinite worth and merit given to make satisfaction and peace and why should not I hope Am I excluded At least his Person and Offices and Works may serve thus far to beget hope and to work a desire that I may enjoy him in whom alone salvation is to be found and who came into the world to save sinners 2. The Gospel offers this Christ to distressed and poor sinners Acts 13. 26. Vnto Of the offers of the Gospel you is the Word of this Salvation sent verse 38. Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of your sins This Evangelical offer of Christ it is The Evangelical offer is A good offer 1. A good Offer It is an offer of a Saviour of Mercy Peace Life and of Salvation itself This day is Salvation come to thy house 2. It is a serious Offer Heb 12. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speak th A seâ—â—ous offer 2 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Hearken unto me and your soules shall live Isa 55. 3. Believe and thou shalt be saved Acts 16. 31. These are serious offers and commands 3. It is a personal Offer the Lord Jesus means you in particular You I say A personal offer who are heavy-laden you who are poor you who hunger and thirst unto you is the word of this salvation offered and sent 4. It is a very tender Offer 2 Cor. 5. 20. As though God did beseech you by us A
tender offer We pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God why If a sinner did seriously meditate on this offer of Christ by the Gospel me thinks it might much conduce towards a bringing in of his heart to Christ by faith 5. It is an Offer worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1. 15. As to the making of a match when you report unto the party there is such a person every way desirable An offer worthy of all acceptation and lovely there is no exceptions to be taken He is perfectly beautiful singularly wise affectionately loving exceedingly rich every way suitable and you cannot live unlesse you have him And besides all this he dâ—res and offers himself to match with you Surely all this conduceth much to the making of a match So when a poor sinner hears of Christ and of so much good in and by Christ and withall findes Christ offering himself unto him I am willing to be yours I am content to take you as I find you I know your sins and wants and unworthinesse I know what it must cost me to adorn you c. yet I offer my self to be yours and I charge you that you do not neglect and refuse my offer Truely this conduceth very much to perswade the heart and to draw the heart to close by faith with Christ c. 3. The Gospel offers Jesus Christ upon very gracious and reasonable terms In â—f the terms of the Gospel the Gospel you shall finde Jesus Christ propounded unto sinners under several notions and expressions and in all of them you may discern the admirable condescentions of Christ he cannot fall in with you upon lower and easier terms so as to become yours than he doth propound Sometimes he is propounded as a Gift and all the terms that he stands for that you may be possessed of him as a Gift is that you receive him giving and receiving are correlatives Sometimes he is propounded as a Match as a Husband and all that he stands for to make him yours is only that you be willing that you give your consent to be his Sometimes he is propounded as a Bargain to be bought and all that he imposeth on you is this that you buy without money and without price Sometimes he is propounded as a Guest and a friend who would come into your house and sup with you and all that he insists with you for is only this that you open the door and let him in 4. As the Gospel reveales Christ unto you and offers Christ unto you and The promises of the Gospel offers him unto you upon most gracious terms so likewise it holds out unto you abundance of promises which are as so many Adamants to draw your hearts to Christs and are as so many cords of Love There are promises which respect you and Christ If you will come and be his he will certainly be yours he will not reject you And there are promises which respect you and your good estate by Christ As that he will marry you to himself in righteousness and in judgement and in loving-kindness and in mercies Hosea 2. 19. And that he will be Wisdom and Righteousnesse and Sanctification and Redemption unto you 1 Cor. 1. 30. And that there shall be no condemnation to you Rom. 8. â— And that whosoever believes shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. And that whosoever believes in him shall receive remission of sins Acts 10. 43. 5. Besides all this the Gospel gives you instances of the performance of all these promises The instances and examples iâ— the Gospel and likewise of the gracious reception of as great and unworthy sinners as your self 1 Tim. 1. 13 14 15 16. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. It shews how that when sinners have by faith come to Christ he hath accepted of them hath receâ—ved them graciously hath bestowed himself upon them hath given righteousnesse and remission of sins and his Spirit and his Peace and everlasting life unto them Every true believer who came to Christ did enjoy Christ and all saving good with and by Christ Mary Magdalen Paul the Corinthians Ephesians and all others are witnesses of it c. they became Christs and Christ became theirs and he was their Attonement Redemption Reconciliation Righteousnesse Life c. why A serious and solid consideration of all these Evangelical passages they cannot but work on the hearts of broken sinners to look towards this Christ at least to pant in humble and earnest desires of him and for faith that they may be united unto him 3. The third means which I would present unto you for the obtaining of this uniting faith is earnest supplication or prayer As Christ spake unto the woman of Samaria if thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee Earnest supplication give me drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Joh. 4. 10. So sayâ— if you did but know the excellency of this faith of union with Christ and what Christ is and what union with Christ is and how far it interests you in the Covenant of grace surely you would earnestly be enlarged in your supplications and requests unto God for it and you would not be denied this request Ephes 3. 14. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ verse 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith draw me and I will run after thee Well pray the Lord to give this faith unto you which will unite you to Christ I say pray the Lord to give it you For 1. You cannot give it to your own hearts it is not in your power to make your hearts to believe 2. None can give it but God no created power is sufficient for this work 3. God is able to make your hearts to believe to break all the chains of unbelief To set out Christ as most desirable and to work faith that so you shall come to Christ He is able to enlighten your minds and to convince your judgements and to overcome your wills and to perswade your hearts 4. He hath promised to give this faith He hath promised that the dead shall hear the voice of his Son Joh. 5. 25. He hath promised that they shall be all taught of God and he that heareth and learneth of the Father shall come to Christ Joh. 6. 45. He hath promised to allure us unto Christ Hosea 2. 14. And to perswade Japhet Gen. 9. 27. and to make us a willing people in the day of his power Psal 110. 2. and to send the rod of his strength out of Zion verse 3. Object We do hear and we do pray and yet we are not able to believe Sol. 1. O but pray that God would make the Gospel which you do hear to be the savour of life unto you and that his Spirit may accompany the Gospel which you do hear
day find it so for as our persons are the first things which Christ hath purchased and blessings and blessednesse for them the next so it is Christ himself unto whom we must be first united before we can have any portion or communion in the good things purchased by him If you did indeed believe that all your right and title to mercy and glory lay in the purchase of Christ you would never be at rest untill Christ himself were yours c. Col. 1. 27. Christ in you the hope of glory 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made unto us of God c. 3. If you do indeed believe that all your saving good depends upon the Why do you not go to Christ and get from him all that good purchase of Christ Why do you not go to Christ and get from him some of that goâ—d yea all that good which he hath purchased for us in this life Beloved the purchase of Christ 1. Contains much good for this life All that Christ hath purchased is not a reversion of heaven hereafter there is exceeding much good to be had in present possession There is for this present life an holy nature a discharge of all sins a power of new obedience the presence of the Spirit communion with our God 2. There is nothing which Christ hath purchased for us but it is very precious and very necessary Christ did not dye for small things all that Christ hath purchased he did purchase the same with his precious blood and if all that he purchased is worth his blood then surely it is worth our care and our reception But why is it not thus you look on Christs purchase only in the reversion as if heavenly glory were the whole summe It is not so there are many precious things of a present possession which he hath purchased And why are you so carelesse about them If you do indeed believe them that they are precious and necessary why take you no more pains to enjoy God as your reconciled God why do you not seek his favour and love which Christ hath purchased and why are you so negligent to make peace with God and to sue out that peace which Christ hath made and why do you not seriously beg for holiness and for all the graces of the Spirit of Christ for these hath Christ purchased as well as glory verily many men do not belive that Christ hath purchased any thing and many believe only that he hath purchased heaven but for all other things they fall neither within their faith nor within their care 4. If you believe the meritorious purchase of Christ why do you keep off and Why do you stagger in your expectations and hopes Improve the sufferings of Christ as a purchase stagger in your expectations and hopes and confidences for glory and mercy for any good and doubt your enjoyments is it not because you doubt either of Christs title or of your own right 2. Mind and improve the sufferings of Christ as a meritorious purchase do not rest in the sufferings of Christ as a satisfaction only nor as a deliverance only but go on further and consider them as a purchase and accordingly improve them Beloved ponder well what I say 1. Your estate is not full without the purchase of Christ and the good things purchased Your estate is not full without the purchase of Christ by his blood Suppose you have Gods justice satisfied for the sins which you have committed and suppose that Christ hath delivered you from wrath and condemnation yet this is not enough that all a mans debts be paid is this enough unless you set him up with a good stock again As deliverance from sin and death and wrath is necessary so a right unto and a possession of grace and glory is necessary As you must shew your aquittance from misery so you must shew your title to blessedness and this lies in the blood of Christ as a purchase the estate is not full it is not repaired unlesse you come to possession again 2. As the estate is not full so it is not safe without the enjoyment of what Nor safe without it Christ hath purchased nor without his title for the same Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his Commandements that they may have right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the gates into the City Heb. 12. 14 Without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. Rom. 8. 30. Whom he predestinated them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Heb. 10. 39. We are of them that believe to the saving of the soule Acts 11. 18. Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life Lo here are things purchased by Christ In ordine ad finem holinesse repentance justification faith and obedience and without these there is no entring into life c. And therefore by all means look after the purchase of Christ this is your salvation and Rock to build upon 3. Your conscience will never be satisfied else it will break down your Consciences Your Conscience will never be satisfied without it from heaven if you have not Christ as your purchase your rejoycing must be in Christ Jesus and your hopes in Christ Jesus And you must be found in him not having your own righteousnesse but the righteousness which is of God by faith c. Quest. But here some may demand When should we improve the meritorious When should we improve this purchase purchase of Christ Sol. I answer you should improve the meritorious purchase of Christ 1. All the dayes of your life when at any time you find a need of any good that All the dayes of our life concerns your souls and desire to enjoy the same now remember what Christ hath purchased and bought for you and now go in his Name to God the Father for it Joh. 14. 14. If you ask any thing in my Name he will do it Chap. 16. 23. Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you Object O the matters are so high and so great I shall never attaine them Sol. Do you finde them within Christs purchase If so then they are within your faith and you may take them into your Prayer and you shall certainly speed 2. At the time of death when all your hopes to all eternity depend on At the time of death Christ and when the great business and estate of immortality and life comes to the issue and when all for ever is reduced to the merit and power of Christs death and purchase when if Christ failes all failes and if his merit holds heaven is sure and you souls are sure This is the great time the last time to improve the meritorious purchase of Christ Now lay hold on him and fast hold
latitude for all and every man The intention and minde of Christ in this I Proved humbly conceive cannot be better discerned than by 1. The entring into his Office of Mediatorship as a Surety 2. The opening of his last Will and Testament when he was near death to seal it 3. The prosecuting of all their interests who were concerned in him and his death 4. The disowning of some as such as he never had respect unto 1. When Christ entred into or took on himself the office of a Mediator he then declared himself also a Surety or Sponsor Therefore as he is stiled Heb. 12. 24. The Mediatour of the New Covenant so is he said to be made the Surety of a better Testament Heb. 7. 22. The Argument runs thus Jesus Christ is a Surety for all those to whom he is a Mediatour Redeemer and Saviour But he never was a Surety for all and every man Ergo. The first of these Propositions cannot be denied for the Scripture calls Christ our Mediatour and Redeemer our Surety and saith expresly that Christ once suffered for sinners the Just for the unjust 1 Pet. 3. 18. i. in their stead and for their good and that he bare our diseases and carried our soroows and the chastisement of our peace was upon him and our iniquities were laid upon him Isa 53. 4 5. But then for the second Proposition that he never was a Surety for all and every man Will the Arminians speak plainly to this was he or was he not If he were not then every sinfull mans debts are not paid by Christ and then every man is not redeemed and then God is not reconciled to every man for if that debt be not paid and God satisfied then Redemption is not wrought c. If he was a Surety for all and every man then Jesus Christ put himself in the room and stead of every sinner of the world as a surety doth for every one to whom he is a Surety and bound himseâ—f as responsible to Divine Justice to satisfie all that could be charged against any sinner as the surety doth for every one he stands bound for I will be surety for him said Judah to Jacob about Benjamin Gen. 43. 9. Of my hand shalt thou require him if I bring him not unto thee and set him before thee let me bear the blame for ever So Jesus Christ as Surety to God did actually satisfie the Justice of God the Father for us and pay and discharge all the debt so that wrath and curse and damnation are utterly removed and can never befall the sinner because Christ as a Surety hath perfectly satisfied for all and cleared all Sed ira Dei manet infidelibus Joh. 3. 36. Nay as a Surety he did not only satisfie to the discharging of all sin and punishment but merited also and purchased mercy life grace and glory and God is bound to give in all this So that if Christ be a Surety for all and every man and as a Surety died for them all then is Gods Justice fully satisfied God hath no more to say against any sinner he cannot damn any because all sin is satisfied for and discharged and every man shall certainly be saved because Christ as a Surety hath purchased this and must and will see it performed and enjoyed But this no Arminian that ever I read or heard of will maintain c. 2. Secondly we may find out the very mind of Christ concerning the latitude of Redemption and salvation by his death if we peruse his last will and Testament where his mind is plainly opened unto us and which he sealed and confirmed by his death there you read for whom he died Matth. 26. 28. This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Mar. 14. 24. This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many Luke 22. 20. This cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you Heb. 9. 15. For this cause he is the Mediatour of the New Tetament that by means of death for the Redemption of the transgressors that were under the first Testament they which aâ—â— called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance verse 28. Christ was once offered to bear the sinnes of many Matth. 20. 28. The Son of man came to give his life a ransome for many Here you see all along in the Testament of Christ no mention made for all men but only for many for many and for many and so God speaking of his Christ My righteous servant shall justifie many for he shall bear their sins Isa 55. 11. And he bare the sins of many verse 12. 3. Thirdly Jesus Christ did not prosecute an universal interest of all the world but a particular interest of some Ergo. He did not intend an universal Redemption and Salvation Joh. 17. 9. I pray for them I pay not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine Doubtlesse if Christ did intend to redeem and save all he would have done so much as to have paid for all It is strange that he should lay down his life for all and yet would not lay out a prayer for all that he would die to save them and yet not pray to save them if Christ would not do so much as to prosecute their salvation by a Prayer I verily believe he never intended their salvation by his death Ob. The Arminians to decline the edge of this Argument tell us of a double interceding or praying of Christ One is particular and this indeed is onely for Believers Another is universal and this is for the whole world Sol. A handsome evasion I confess methinks they should also distinguish of a two-fold death and Redemption and salvation by Christ one particular for all believers and another universal for all the world that effectual and doing good this ineffectual and profiting none Object But may we know any Scriptures for Christs universal Praying and intercession yes they quote Luke 23. 34. Father forgive them for they know not what they do Sol. True here is Christs Prayer indeed but yet here is not the universal prayer for the whole world here is his prayer for them that Crucified him out of ignorance and we hear of the fruit of this prayer in Acts 3. 17. compared with Acts 4. 4. these men who through ignorance crucified Christ and for whom Christ prayed Pater Remitte they were not the whole world this place therefore will not make out an universal interceding or praying for the whole world Object Therefore they bring another Scripture Isa 53. 12. He made intercession for trannsgressors Sol. 'T is true he made intercession for transgressors but where is that intercession which he made for all transgressors where is the universal intercession the transgressors for whom he made intercession in this 12. verse are those sinners which he calls many and justified them in
Ratio par Affirmatio Put seveâ—al men into the same and like condition and into the same and like relation and into the same and like capacity then what interest priviledges one hath the same interest and priviledges the other hath and upon what ground the one can plead and conclude upon the same may the other plead and conclude I shall make use of this to the present purpose You read in Scriptuâ—e of some who have been able to say Christ loved me and gave himself for me Paul said so Gal. 2. 20. By the quality of the persons who have been able to say upon sure grounds that Christ dyed for them And I know my Redeemer liveth Job said so chap. 19. 15 And this is my beloved and this is my friend and I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine the Church said so Cant. 5. 16. and Cant. 6. 3. And of some to whom the benâ—fits of the death of Christ have been particularly applied and attributed Luke 7. 48. He said unto her Thy sins are forgiven Matth. 9. 2. Jesus saith unto the sick of the Palsie Son be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee 1 Joh. 2. 12. I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you for his Names sake 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made unto us of God wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Revel 5. 8. Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood Now consider what was the quality and disposition of these persons who were able confidently and upon sure grounds thus to speak and of whom these things were thus affirmed and if you finde the same spiritual disposition in your selves you may then certainly conclude Christ gave himself for you and he is your Redeemer and your sins are forgiven you c. Quest Why what kinde of persons were they Sol. They were effectually called persons as Paul who saith in Gal. 1. 15. That it pleased God to call him by his grace And so were the Corinthians called to be Saints 1 Cor. 1. 2. And called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord Ver. 9. And they were upright persons fearing God and eschewing evil such an one was Job chap. 1. 8. And they were mourning and repenting persons such an one was the woman Luke 7. 37 38. And longing after Christ such an one was that person in Matth. 9. 2. And united unto Christ by Faith and Love filled with high thoughts desires and delights so was the Church mentioned in the â—anticles and the rest spoken of in the other places Why then if any man can say upon good grounds God hath called me by his grace unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ he may certainly conclude Christ dyed for me and gave himself for me I was thus and thus sinful but God hath converted me I was a blasphemer and a persecutoâ— c. And if any man can say My heart thirsts and longs for Christ and my soul is matched with Christ he is the beloved of my soul Why I say unto that man Christ loved thee and gave himself for thee And if any man finds himself a mourning and repenting sinner I can say to him Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee And if any man finds his heart upright with God and with Christ that man may surely conclude with By his interest in the condâ—tion of faith Job I know that my Redeemer liveth 3. Thirdly One may know that Christ dyed for him in particular by his interest in that condition of faith upon which Christ certainly becomes ours in his person and benefits If any one of â—s do indeed believe on Christ assuredly God the Father intended his salvation in the giving of Christ and Jesus Christ intended and wrought the remission of his sins and the salvation of his soul by his death Hearken what the Word of God speaketh in several places to this purpose John 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life Acts 10. 43. Whosoever believes on him shall receive remission of sins Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Mark 16. 16. He that believeth shall be saved 1 Cor 1. 30. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctificaâ—ion and redemption In those places it is most evident that whosoever believes on Christ he is certainly interested in Christ and in all the benefits depending on Christs death he is delivered from perishing he shall have everlasting life he shall receive the remission of sins his peace is made with God Christ is wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption and salvation unto him Object You will say this is true and unquestionable that whosoever believes on Christ he is certainly interested in the death of Christ and in all the benefits of his death but here lies the scruple I doubt whether my faith be that very faith which doth indeed interest a person in Christ whether it be faith unfained 1 Tim. 1. 5. And faith that is precious 2 Pet. 1. 1. And faith that is justifying Rom. 5. 1. And faith that is saving Ephes 2. 8. Sol. I will not expatiate in the answer of this because I have upon several occasions How I may know my faith doth interest me in Christ spoken already much of the nature and properties of true faith what I would say to the present scruple whether my faith be the very faith which doth interest me in Christ and in the benefits of his death is this That faith is true and truly interesting in Christ and in his benefits which First is seated in an heart broken with the sense of sin and deeply apprehensive of the need of a dying Christ such was theirs in Acts 2. 37. c. and his in Acts 16. 29 30 31. Secondly Is raised and created by the exceeding greatnesse of the power of God and according to the working of his mighty power Ephes 1. 10. Thirdly Is let in by the Ministry of the Gospel and upon Gospel-offers and calls and promises and assurances Ephes 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of truth the Gospel of your salvation Matth. 11. 28. Joh. 6. 36 37. Rev. 3. 20. Fourthly Raiseth the heart to high and precious thoughts of Christ unto you that believe he is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. all is nothing without Christ And if I have but Christ I have enough he is life and best of all Fifthly Draws out earnest and unsatiable desires never resting without the enjoyment of Christ and parting with all which stands in opposition to that enjoyment Sixthly Makes the heart to receive Christ Joh. 1. 12. yea gladly to receive Christ Acts 2. 41. yea whole Christ the Lord Jesus Christ
Christ and why do you not go to God freely to give you Christ What can you say or object when God promiseth to give you all and to give you all upon gracious terms how would you have God to frame and form his Covenant better or otherwise to encourage your hearts to come unto him and rely upon him 〈◊〉 you be wholly beholding to God or would you not are you contented that God should have all the glory of mercies or are you not Is it any disadvantage to the working of your faith that God will pass by all your sins and unworthiness and will love you freely and justifie you freely and save you freely Is there any more reason to distrust God when he saith he will do you good for his own sake then when he saith I will be merciful to your transgressions and will freely bless you Had you rather be under a Covneant of works than of grace would it please you better to come by your mercies upon harder terms You find that you have nothing of worthiness and yet you are not content to receive all from Gods graciousness why do you pray that God would do you good for his own sake and yet you will not believe that that is reason enough to prevail and enjoy I will say no more but this 1. The blessings of the Covenant are worth our enjoying 2. God doth promise to give them 3. His own graciousness is the price or reason of it 4. Upon better or other terms it is impossible to attain them 5. It is for want of faith that we do not justifie this unspeakable loving-kindness of God towards us O beg for faith to believe a God Covenanting to give all good and all good though not for our sake yet for his own Name sake Ezek. 36. 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you HAving finished those four general Conclusions I shall now handle the Gifts of the Covenant in particular mentioned in this verse and in the subsequent verses In this verse there is promised unto the people of God the Remission of their sins concerning which you may observe 1. The Efficient I will c. 2. The Matter clean water 3. The Form or Manner I will sprinkle upon you 4. The Power and Efficacy And ye shall be clean 5. The Quantity or Extent from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you From these parts there are these four Points which do offer themselves to our consideration 1. That forgiveness of sins is promised and one of the first mercies promised by himself unto all his people in Covenant with him 2. Gods promise of forgiveness of sins doth extend to all the sinnes of all his people 3. Though the sins of people have been exceeding great yet when they become Gods people in Covenant even those sins also are forgiven 4. The blood of Christ is the cause and the only cause for which many and great sins are pardoned 5. That God will make unto the Conscience of his people a particular application of forgiveness by the blood of Christ CHAP. II. Doct. 1 THat forgivenesse of sins is promised and it is one of the first promised mercies by God himself unto all his people in covenant with him I will sprinkle c. This is a very comprehensive Assertion Forgiveness of sins one of the first mercies promised by God to all his people in Covenant consisting of many Particular Branches For the opening of it I shall shew unto you 1. What forgiveness of sins is wherein it doth consist 2. That God himself doth make promise of it unto his people 3. That it is promised unto all and every one of his people 4. That it is one of the first mercies promised by God unto his people SECT I. Quest 1. VVHat is forgiveness of sins and wherein doth it consist Forgivenesse of sins described Sol. It is a gracious act or work of God for Christs sake discharging and absolving believing and repenting persons from the guilt and punishment of their sinnes so that God is no longer displeased with them nor will he ever remember them any more nor call them to an account and condemn them for their sinnes but will look on them and will deale with them as if they had never offended him Here we must pause awhile and consider six things First That forgivenesse of sinnes is a gracious act of God there be some acts It is a gracious act of God of God which have a special reference unto his power as the Creation of the world and the resurrection of the dead There be other acts of God which have a special reference unto his Justice as the condemnation and destruction of unbelieving and impenitent sinners And there are some acts of God which have a special reference unto his meer goodness and graciousness there being no Reason or Cause of them on our parts such an act is his Remission or forgiveness of our sins Isa 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my Name sake Eph. 1. 7. The forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his grace Psal 51. 1. Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions Rom. 3. 25. Being justified freely by his grace Not that Repentance is not required in the sinner who is to be pardoned For the Scripture speaks expresly of a turning from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God that we may receive forgivenesse of sinnes Acts 26. 18. Not that Believing is not required in the sinner to be forgiven for the Apostle Peter saith also expresly Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Acts 10. 43. but because these are not Reasons or meritorious causes for whose sake God doth forgive any man his sins they declare the effect who are pardoned not the cause why they are pardoned Secondly The forgivenesse of sinnes hath foundation in Christ and in him only It hath foundation in Christ as the Mediatour as the meritorious cause thereof Hebr. 9. 22. Without shedding of blood is no remission Matth. 26. 28. This is my blood which is shed for many for the remission of sins Ephes 1. 7. In his blood we have redemption even the forgivenesse of sins 1 Joh. 2. 12. I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you for his Names sake Forgiveness of sins hath a double respect One unto our selves so it comes unto us freely from the grace of God as a free gift Another unto Christ so it comes by way of purchase and merit it doth cost us nothing but it did cost Jesus Christ his precious blood to obtain the remission of our sins and to make peace for us Now Christ comes in as the cause of
of sin maketh formally no change in the person forgiven for it is a work without him indeed there is a relative change upon forgiveness the person forgiven is in a state of life and not of death but there is no inherent change of qualities in the person by it no more than there is in a Malefactor pardoned or a Debtor forgiven both of them may be diseased notwithstanding their pardon but this could not be if remission of sin consisted in the extinction or deletion of the stain of sin It is true that when God forgives the sin he doth likewise change the heart of the sinner nevertheless the forgiving of sin is one thing and the giving of a new heart is another thing c. Fourthly If remission of sin consist in the outward deletion of sin Then the troubled conscience could never come to rest and peace in the assurance of pardon of sin why because in this life the person shall never find in himself such an utter deletion of sin and consequently no remission of sins and if no remission of sin then no rest nor peace because from the knowledge and assurance of that doth the rest and peace of conscience come and flow 2. Forgiveness of sins hath a peculiar respect to the guilt of sin and removal It hath a peculiar respect to the guilt of sin of that when the Lord forgives a man he doth discharge him of that obligation by which he was bound over to wrath and condemnation Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Ver. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth Ver. 34. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed Beloved the Lord is a holy and just God and he reveals his wrath from heaven against all unrighteousnesse and there is a curse threatned to every transgression of the Law and when any man sinneth he is obnoxious unto the curse and God may inflict the same upon him but when God forgives sins he therein doth interpose as it were between the sin and the curse and between the obligation and the condemnation q. d. by reason of your sinning you are now fallen into my hands of justice and for your sinning I may according to my righteous Law condemn and curse you for ever for by your sinning you are worthy of death Rom. 1. 32. but such is my mercy to you in Christ that for his sake I will spare you and that curse and condemnation which you have deserved it shall never light upon you I will deliver and free your souls from going down into the pit Object But may some say Is not guilt inseparable from sin can sin be without guilt and can guilt be without the desert of wrath and condemnation Sol. I answer there is a two-fold guilt there is reatus simplex and reatus efficax absolute guilt hath in it a worthiness or desert of condemnation and this can never be separated from sin for though sin be pardoned and condemnation removed from the sinner yet his sin is worthy of condemnation but when God pardons sin he doth it not by making the sin not to be worthy of condemnation but this is it which God doth he doth remove that condemnation that it shall never effectually or actually fall upon the sinner although he for his sinning be worthy thereof e. g. When a thief or murderer is pardoned amongst us this pardon doth not make the theft or murder no sin or in themselves not worthy of death by the Law but it relieves the pardoned persons thus far that the death deserved by these sins is taken off and shall never be inflicted on the offenders 3. Forgiveness of sin takes off all punishments properly so called for sin there It takes off all punishment properly so called belongs unto us temporal punishment and eternal punishment you do not consider what a depth of merit there is in sin what plagues and curses it can pull down in this life and what an hell hereafter but when God forgives sins you are then released and for ever acquitted from any after-reckonings with the justice of God Divine justice hath no more to say or do against you for remissa culpa remittitur poena if the fault be forgiven then also is the punishment forgiven nay let me speak with an humble reverence God cannot in his justice punish when he hath pardoned Why will you say First He forgives upon a satisfaction made to his justice already by Christ so that he cannot in justice punish us again for satisfaction Secondly When he forgives he releases the guilt and the fault and the sin in now by this act of his merciful grace as if it had never been committed so that the proper cause and reason of punishing being utterly removed there can no punishment issue out from Divine justice against you Object But will some say are not justified and pardoned persons many times punished in this life Was not David punished for his sin were not the Corinthians punished for their unworthy receiving of the Lords Supper Sol. I answer that word Punishment may be taken either 1. Largely for any affliction or chastisement which doth befall us from God as a Father in this sense I grant punishment incident to justified or pardoned persons for Hebr. 12. 6. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth And Ver. 7. If you endure chastisement God dealeth with you as with sons for what son is he whom the Father chastneth not 2. Strictly for those miserable evils issuing out from the Court of justice and falling upon us from God as a wrathful Judge and as yet unsatisfied and unreconciled these kinds of punishing are wholly and utterly removed from justified or pardoned persons by the blood of Christ and Gods gracious forgiveness 5. A fifth thing considered in the description of forgiveness of sins is this It is Gods act of oblivion that forgiveness of sins is if I may so express it Gods act of oblivion and as it were an eternal cancelling of all our sinful bonds and debts so that there is now a full end of all controversies between God and us Object We many times are possessed with fears like Josephs Brethren that notwithstanding the peace and assurance which he gave them of passing by their injurious dealing with him yet at length they feared that he would remember them and be avenged of them such thoughts have we of God also sometimes we do perceive his great love and rich mercy towards us in the forgiveness of our sins yet at other times we have fears lest God will call us unto account for all our sinful offences and question us and judge us as if the granting of pardoning mercy might be revoked and called back by the Writ of Error and the old suit be prosecuted again by Divine justice which seemeth to be taken off and silenced
but unto our merits and deserts of forgiveness God forgives sins freely and graciously i. e. without any merit or desert of ours Isa 43. 25. I even I am be that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine name sake but God doth not forgive sins freely i. e. without our repenting and believing for these he doth require of us that we may receive the forgiveness of our sins Secondly When God is said to forgive sins freely the meaning is not that he forgives every sinner in the world freeness notes the means not the extent of forgiveness with such a free unlimited largeness he doth not forgive but the meaning is that all those sinners who are forgiven they are freely forgiven God doth not put them upon any personal satisfactions nor doth he agree with them for any work of theirs as a cause or desert of the forgiveness of their sins Jer. 3. 12. Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon thee for I am merciful saith the Lord. Ver 13. Only acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God c. Therefore take heed that you deceive not your selves with a confidence that your sins are forgiven because God is gracious and forgives freely for God is gracious to whom he will be gracious and they whom he graciously forgives are only the people of his Covenant even believers and penitents The death of Christ for all Thirdly A third false ground upon which some do absolutely conclude the forgiveness of their sins is the death of Christ that he shed his blood for the remission of sins and that he dyed as to that purpose for all and every one therefore their sins amongst the rest are unquestionably forgiven Answered Sol. That Jesus Christ did shed his blood for the remission of sins is most true he himself hath delivered it Matth. 26. 28. This is my blood which is shed for the remission of sins but that his blood did procure an actual remission of sins for every sinner in the world this is most false for Christ himself hath said Mark 16. 16. He that believes shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned Joh. 10. 15. I lay down my life for the sheep Joh. 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am he ye shall dye in your sins and the Angel to Mary Mat. 1. 21. Thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins But for your help and direction in this point take my mind in these three conclusions 1. That there was a necessity for Christ to shed his blood that so our sins might be forgiven Hebr. 9. 22. Without shedding of blood there is no remission 2. His death did purchase the forgiveness of sins Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins 3. This remission purchased though illimited as to the sins forgiven yet it is limited as to the persons forgiven 1. By the Decree of God to the Elect. 2. By the Covenant 3. And by the intention of Christ 4. And by the Gospel to whosoever believes that the shedding of his blood for the remission of sins did so illimitedly procure the same That every sinner in the world enjoys the fruit thereof whether he believes or not or whether he repents or not as I know no man living of so wicked an opinion so the Scripture delivers no such matter but the quite contrary Luke 24. 47. That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations Acts 10. 43. To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Acts 13. 38. Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins Ver. 39. Then Peter said Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past It is true that remission of sins hath foundation in the blood of Christ as in a meritorious cause but our enjoyment of that merited and purchased remission takes in faith and repentance for neither God nor Christ ever intended nor promised the application thereof unto any but such as believe and repent therefore do not venture absolutely upon this that Christ dyed for the remission of sins therefore your sins are forgiven for as God did ordain the death of Christ as the meritorious cause of forgiveness of sins so did he ordain that all who have the benefit thereof should repent and believe Fourthly A fourth false ground from which some do absolutely conclude that their sins are forgiven is this their sins are but small and little sins which The smalness of sin God marks and regards not and will never take notice of but will pass them by indeed if they were guilty of great transgressions then they had reason to doubt whether they were within the compass of forgiveness promised but alas their sins are small c. Answered Sol. For answer unto this deceit remember these four particulars 1. No sin is simply little or small 2. Those sins are not little or small which people do ordinarily count so 3. God hath severely expressed himself against persons for those sins which we look on as small sins 4. This very conceit that sins are little and are past by in course may lose a man the forgiveness of his sins First No sin is simply or absolutely little or small though comparatively when we set on sin by another we find them to be of different magnitude some to be great abominations and others to be lesser transgressions yet absolutely no sin is little but as there is a greatness in the least mercy so there is a greatness in the least sin for every sin whatsoever is a transgression of the royal Law and it is committed against a great God sin is to be considered as to the object as well as to the act how were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses Every sin doth expose to a great curse even the curse of the Law Cursed is every one who continues not in every thing that is written to do it Is that a small offence which may cost a man his life nay it cannot be taken off but by the death and blood of Christ there is an infinite offence and merit in any sin you read in the Mosaical Law that the blood of the beast was to be shed for the expiation of sins of ignorance and inadvertency which did signifie the shedding of the blood of Christ for the expiation of the least sins and surely that offence may not be reputed little or small which cannot be put away but by the death of the Son of God Secondly Those sins are not little or small which people
which receives whole Christ in all his offers if you have not a saith for service on your part as well as for benefit on Christs part if you have not a faith which will conform you to Christ as well as apply Christ to you it is but a counterfeit faith and as it gives you no interest in the person of Christ so it will never intitle and convey unto you any forgiving mercy and salvation by Christ Thus you see what that Faith is which is necessary for the forgiveness of sins Now a word to the third Particular viz. Thirdly That true Faith which intitles to the forgiveness of sins it may True faith may be either weak or strong be either weak or strong Compare believer with believer there is this latitude in true faith therefore you read of great faith in some and of a little faith in others of some whom Christ styles his lambs and others his sheep and John calls some young men others little children and others fathers there are different measures of faith amongst believers 1. Partly from the different impartings of the Spirit who is a free and wise cause and from partly 2. The different means and helps which conduce to the improvement of faith and 3. Partly from the different Age and times of faith some have been long in Christ in others Christ is but newly formed and who can expect that babes newly born should have that strength and sufficiency as men have who are grown to a riper age yea and the same faith is in the same person first but weak and tender but as the bruised reed but as the smoaking flax c. Fourthly Bur then in the last place which shall close up this Discourse Whether it be strong or weak if it be true it intitles to pardon whether the faith be strong or whether it be weak if yet it be the true Gospel faith of which I have spoken it hath a certainty of the forgiveness of sins promised and annexed unto it The Scripture expresly clears this Conclusion Acts 10. 43. Whosoever believes in him shall receive remission of sins Joh. 3. 18. He that believeth in him is not condemned why then he is absolved or pardoned 1 John 2. 12. I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you Acts 13. 39. By him all that believe are justified Isa 53. 6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all And there are five clear Demonstrations of this Five Demonstrations of it Every believer is in the Covenant First Every believer whether strong or weak is in the Covenant God is their God and they are all of them his people he is their father and they are all of them his children Gal. 3. 26. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Now every one in Covenant hath the express promise of forgiveness of sins Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more Secondly Every believer is in Christ and Christ is in him Christ dwelleth in And in Christ and Christ in him our hearts by faith Eph. 3. 17. and Gal. 3. 28. speaking of all sorts of believers he saith Ye are all one in Christ Jesus Now the Scripture affirms six things of all who are Christs 1. That they have lâ—â—e 1 Joh. 5 12. He that hath the Son hath life 2. That there is no condemnation to them Rom. 8. 1. 3. That they shall never perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. 4. That in his blood they have redemption even forgiveness of their sins Eph. 1. 7. 5. That Christ bears their sins 1 Pet. 2. 24. and did put away their sins by the sacrifice of himself Hebr. 9. 26. 6. That Christ is made unto them and that of God righteousness and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. Thirdly The promise of forgiveness is made to the believer as a believer They have the promise of forgiveness as believers not as a strong believer for then none but strong believers should be forgiven nor as a weak believer for then none but weak believers should be forgiven but to the believer as a believer and therefore to every believer whether strong or weak Fourthly All believers have the like and equal advantage by vertue of All believers have an equal advantage their union with Christ in all things purchased by Christ which are of a necessary respect to their safety and salvation I say of a necessary respect to these whatsoever is necessary to deliver from hell and whatsoever is necessary to bring to heaven in that doth every believer share alike therefore every believer is sanctified because without holiness no man shall see the Lord and therefore every believer is justified because only they are glorified who are justified and so every believer hath his sins forgiven because pardon of sin is necessary to salvation otherwise he must be damned for his sins and never shall see life Fifthly Shall I adde one Argument more If there were any believer who Else some believers â—ust â—e in the same condition with unbelievers should not have his sins forgiven Then some believers might be in the same condition with unbelievers both unpardoned and both under condemnation but this cannot be for Christ hath plainly differenced the state of the believer and of the unbeliever thus Joh. 3. 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already Ver. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And thus you have heard these two Conclusions manifestly cleared from the Word of God viz. That 1. Every truly repenting sinner is within the promise of forgiveness of sins 2. Every truly believing person is also within the same promise of forgiveness of sins And on the contrary you have heard it also cleared 1. That no impenitent person 2. That no unbelieving person hath any promise of the forgiveness of sins What should these truths work on all us who have heard the testimony of God given in so abundantly for them I will tell you what impression they should make upon us First We should all of us fear and tremble lest we should come short of such a mercy which doth so nearly and so eternally concern us as the forgiveness of our sins Secondly Be no more so averse unto the Doctrine and Practice of Repentance and Faith Thirdly We should with all carefulness and seriousness and speediness search our hearts and try our ways whether we have attained the grace and practice of true Repentance and whether true justifying faith be in us yea or no especially considering the general course of men is impenitency and unbelief and our own courses of life have been like that of other men a walking as the Apostle speaks in lasciviousness lusts excess of wine revellings banquettings and
given him yet he may lose the comfortable sight and feeling of it either by some great transgression or by his pride or by his covetousness c. O but do not lose the hive which hath so much honey by all means so preserve this favour and this mercy that still you may fetch joy and comfort and support from it and therefore when you have attained unto the forgiveness of your sins learn then 1. To walk humbly with your forgiving and reconciled God the more is forgiven the more cause of humility confessing still your unworthiness of so great a mercy and that God did forgive your sins not for your sake but for his own Name sake be not lifted up at all but remember still your own sins which God hath forgiven as Paul did and upon what gracious terms God forgave you Who am I said David I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies said Jacob. 2. To walk exactly before your forgiving God David saith in Psal 32. 1. Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven Psal 32. 1 2. Blessed is the man in whose Spirit there is no guile and Psal 119. 1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the way of the Lord. Ver. 3. They do no iniquity they walk in his wayes O that my wayes were so directed that I might keep thy statutes 3. To walk stedfastly with so good a God O that we could but attain one thing viz. to keep up that frame of spirit and that path or practice of walking which we found in our selves when God was pleased to let into our hearts the news that our sins were forgiven and that we could still continue so to walk with that thankfulness with that humbleness with that tenderness with that delightfulness with that enlargement then would our Sun still shine with strength then would our forgiveness still appear in sight and would afford unto us a long harvest of joyes and living springs of lastâ—ng comfort Fourthly Improve the forgiveness of your sins so as to be able in your distresses Improve it in distresses and tryals to draw comfortable conclusions from it and tryals to draw out and maintain such Conclusions every way as that mercy is a ground and Foundation for Quest You will say What might one conclude from this that God hath forgiven his sins Sol. I will mention some Conclusions which may infallibly be drawn from it viz. First You may conclude the seasonable enjoyment of lesser mercies because God hath forgiven your sins which is the greater mercy if he fulfils his promise in the As The seasonable enjoyment of lesser mercies greatest blessings surely he will not fail you in the least blessings as the Apostle argued He that spared not his own Son but delivered him to death for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things Rom. 8. 32. So say I hath the Lord freely pardoned thy sins questionless he will freely give thee other things will he deny thee food and rayment who hath given thee Christ and forgiveness if his love extend to the greatest of mercies will it fail and fly off for the least of mercies Secondly You may conclude that certainly you are his people and that the Lord That you are Gods people and he is your God is your God that you do stand in a near Relation unto him and that he stands in a near Relation unto you why so because forgivenesse of sins is the portion only of the people of God of such who are in Covenant with him A Prince may forgive a Malefactor and yet there be no Covenant between them But God forgives none unless such as are first in Christ and by Christ are in his Covenant of mercy and peace Thirdly You may conclude that in all your changes and losses certainly you are That you are still under grace and love still under grace and love that the Lord hath set his love upon you that his favour is towards you Because forgiveness of sins is an act of special grace and favour and no man is forgiven but the Lord doth love him with an exceeding great love in and by Christ Object I but I am chastened and afflicted Sol. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth Heb. 12. 6. Fourthly You may conclude certainly that God is reconciled and that his wrath is off and shall never redound unto you and that the accusation and condemnation God is reconciled of the Law are stopt and superseaded c. Fifthly You may conclude that at length your souls shall go to heaven for your And you shall be saved sins are for that end forgiven that you might be brought to glory c. Fifthly Having your sins pardoned in Gods promise rest not untill you have got the notice and assurance of this in your own hearts and consciences Here let me Rest not till you have got the assurance of your pardon God doth sometimes pardon sin and not give the assurance of it speak briefly unto two things First That God doth sometimes pardon sins and yet doth not presently notifie or make the same manifest or evident unto the person pardoned no not though he truely repents As it is clear in David whose sin God did put away and yet it was a long time before David could get the evidence and assurance thereof in his own heart I grant that upon true repentance sin is forgiven and it is as true that sin may be forgiven and yet the forgiven sinner not be assured thereof Whether the Reasons of this may be 1. Because the manifestation of pardon to us is a meer act of grace and divine liberty 2. Or because God would teach us hereby that it is not so easy a matter to get the voice of joy after we have sinned and provoked him and should therefore fear to â—n any more 3. Or thirdly because it is so difficult to believe the forgiveness of sins though promised by God himself when the Conscience hath been previously troubled for sin c. Secondly That the assurance of our own hearts and consciences that God hath pardoned oer sinnes is a mercy much to be desired and would be of great advantage Yet it is a mercy much to be desired and of great advantage for our Setling Satisfying to pardoned sinners For 1. This would exceedingly settle our hearts and put an end to all our hard suspicions and fears and jealousies 2. This would abundantly satisfie the longing desires of our soules to see our great discharge and relief and acquittance under the hand and seale of God Returne O my soule unto thy rest for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee 3. This would admirably enlarge our hearts in the praises of mercy Psal 103. 1 2. Enlarging 4. This would wonderfully inflame our hearts in the love of God the sense of love begets love 1 Joh. 4. 19. We love him because he loved us Loving first 5.
whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven But this cannot possibly be if all his sins be already pardoned in heaven for then he is alwayes loosed and never bound in heaven This Argument is of that strength that I do not see how it can be answered for if upon the right sentence of the Church of Christ the offender is bound in heaven as well as on earth in respect of his sins then his sins are not all pardoned at once and if upon repentance he is loosed in heaven i. e. absolved and forgiven as well as loosed on earth thence also it follows that all his sins past present and to come are not at once forgiven in heaven take the one or the other or both still it shakes that Opinion of a forgivenesse of all sins at once Sixthly If all sins past present and to come are forgiven at once before they are repented of then a Regenerate and a justified person in the midst of his grossest sins as suppose Davids adultery and murder may joy and rejoyce as much in God and look on him as well pleased as when they do humble their soul and repent and seek his face To this one Francis Cornwell answers freely and plainly When sin is most In lib. of the difference between Legal and Evangelical repentance p. 54. prevalent and the heart is most hardened he speaks expresly of Regenerate and justified persons yet then can they glory in Christ Jesus with a large heart breaking forth into thanksgiving as Paul did Rom. 7. 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yea and he that commits a gross sin and doubteth the pardon of it committeth a double sin the one against his Sanctification and the other against his Justification And what though a believer usually upon the pag. 56. committing of gross sins doubts of his estate this is from a defect in faith and not from any Rule and Precept of Gods Word And that it is all one and alike unto God when a person is humbled or not humbled and when he repents and forsakes his gross sins or repents not of them but continues in them for all is already pardoned on Gods part c. But these strange deliveries are contrary 1. To the Word which in case of gross transgressioâ—â— calls for humbling and mourning and repenting of the heart and weeping anâ—â—â—plication because God is dishonoured and displeased 2. To the exigence in all the children of God so fallen who thereupon have broken their peace and lost their joy and exceedingly interrupted their confidence with fear 3. To the Assertion of these very men who do hold that in case of gross transgression there must be deep humiliations to get assurance and joy Seventhly To these another Reason may be added and is added by some that forgiveness of sin is a judicial act in God as the contrary act of condemning is now the Judge neither condemns nor yet forgives offences which are not extant and which cannot be proved upon the Offender that ever he was guilty of them But when they are charged and pleaded then doth he condemn or acquit so it would be strange for a Judge to condemn one for faults not committed and so acquit a man for sins never in being and so not deserving punishment Eighthly Lastly the great and continual work of Christ in heaven as our Intercessor and Advocate 1 Joh. 1. 2. and the daily suing out of pardon in his Name and for his sake seems to carry much in it for the acquiring of daily pardon and continued forgiveness of sins His great work of Intercession and Advocater-ship surely it contains in it something more than to obtain an assurance that all is still pardoned Thus have I delievered unto you the two different Opinions with their several Arguments concerning this great Question whether all the sins of believers past present and to come are pardoned by God at once Now I shall make bold to deliver unto you my own thoughts concerning it and those different Opinions about it The truth concerning these different Opinions They agree in five particulars First I do observe that they do both agree in five particulars e. g. 1. That as to Gods eternal decree or purpose of forgivenesse all the sinnes of his people are forgiven God did not intend to forgive some of their sins and not the rest but an universal and full and compleat forgiveness was fixedly purposed and resolved on by God 2. That all the sins of his people in their absolute number from first to last were laid upon Christ who in the dayes of his suffering did meritoriously purchase perfect Remission of all their sins to be applied in future times to them and by them 3. That as soon as ever any person is brought into the Covenant by believing on Jesus Christ all his sins past whatsoever they have been they are actually forgiven unto him and God will never remember them any more 4. That as to the state of Justification there is a full and perfect remission of all sins considered under the differences of time past present and to come As in the state of condemnation there is not any one thing pardoned so in the state of Justification there is not any one sin but is pardoned for the estate of Justification is opposite to all condemnation and curse and wrath 5. That no Repentance or work of ours is a meritorious cause neither God nor any true believer looks on it as so of Justification or pardon of any sin neither the repentance which we call Initial neither that which we call Renewed we acknowledge no meritorious cause of pardon of sins but the blood of Christ Secondly The maine differences which I doe observe do rest in two The differences betwixt them things 1. One is that sins not yet committed are actually pardoned and we are to believe so say the one party not so say the other party untill committed or repented 2. Repentance is required say both of them but with this difference because sin is pardoned say the one but the other say that sin may be pardoned That we may have the comfortable sense and experience of pardon say the one that we may have the◠〈◊〉 forgiveness as well as the comfort of it say the other In this difference my own judgment inclines to that Opinion which holds That all the sins past of a Believer are at once forgiven and all his future sins are remitted unto him upon renewed acts of believing and repenting for Christs sake If that Opinion be true that Justification be one continuing or continued act this would reconcile all To me this Opinion 1. Hath clear grounds in the Scripture 2. Doth best suit with the Covenant which in this case still suits Faith and Repentance together 3. Doth best agree with the wayes which God still hath put his people upon in relation to forgiveness 4. And with the practice of the
Saints all along 5. And it seems to be a strong Guard against presumption and carnal security and looseness 6. And hath no direct natural appearance of inconveniencies in or from it Object Whereas they say this is Popish and Legal Sol. They speak ignorantly if not maliciously for they know that Jesus Christ in the Gospel-Commission joyned Repentance and Remission of sins It is as Popish to say Repentance is required for Assurance as for Remission for both are acts of grace Object But what if one should die before he repents Sol. And what if he should not dye That God who hath promised renewing mercy hath likewise promised renewed repentance Object But a man may be damned for the sinnes committed if all be not forgiven at once Sol. 1. As if a particular sin destroyed the state of Justification 2. What a sin deserves is one thing what it shall redundantly and eventually bring on the person is another thing 3. Though God doth not forgive all the sins at once yet he will certainly forgive them unto his people when committed and when repented of for God hath promised so to pardon them And no one promise of God can be shewed to the contrary It was Fulgentius his prayer Domine da poenitentiam postea indulgentiam Object But God justifies the ungodly therefore no need of subsequent repentance in relation to forgivenesse Sol. 1. Nay and put in too any Repentance or Faith at all for God justifies the ungodly 2. But he justifies the ungodly i. e. a man stands before God when he justifies him as a poor undone sinner having no righteousness of his own nor is Repentance required as the meritorious or as the material cause of Justification but as a meanes to enjoy what God hath pâ—omised to the believer Having thus waded through this great Controversie I shall now proceed unto the useful Application of the Doctrine That God doth promise to forgive all the sins of his people SECT III. Use 1. THe first Vse shall be of Information It may informe us of five Information things 1. Of that exceeding greatness of mercy which is in God 2. Of that exceeding love and kindness which is in God unto his people 3. Of what a heavy weight did lie upon Jesus Christ 4. Of the high Obligations which rest upon us who do enjoy this promise of universal forgiveness 5. Then multitude of sinnes is not absolutely inconsistent with pardon First In that God engageth himself by promise to forgive all the sins of all That God is a God of infinite mercy his people This doth manifestly declare unto us that he is a God of infinite mercy must he not needs be so who forgives such a number of sins and transgressions There are two things which discover unto us the infinite fulness and depth of mercy in God One is that vast Title attributed unto him and his mercy He is said to be of great mercy Psal 105. 8. and to be rich in mercy Ephes 2. 4. and to be plenteous in mercy Psal 86. 15. and to pardon abundantly Isa 55. 7. 1 Pet. 1 3. according to his abundant mercy and to keep mercy for thousands Exod. 34. 7. and to be of everlasting mercy Psal 100. 5. and to be of transcendent and incomparable mercy As the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him Psal 103. 11. In like manner there are ascribed to his mercy and mercies a multitude Psal 51. 1. According to the multitude of thy tender mercies A depth Mich. 7. 19. Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the sea Not only an abundance but an exceeding abundance 1 Tim. 1. 14. The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant Nay an over abundance where sin abounded grace did much more abound Rom. 5. 23. It did superabound c. 2ly The other is the vast quantity of sinnes of which the people of God have been guilty Who saith David Psal 19. 12. can understand his errors i. e. the number of a mans sins is so numerous that with all the Arithmetick he hath he is not able to cast up how often he hath sinned Nay David surveying the number of his own sins he is non-plused and professeth that they are innumerable and that they are more than the hairs of his head Psal 40. 12. And Ezra in his confession Chap. 9. 6. Our iniquities are increased over our heads and our trespasse is grown up into the heavens Now if the number of sins in respect of one person be so innumerable what then is the number of all the sins of all the people of God yet there is mercy enough in God to pardon all and every one of them To pardon â—â— their sinnes which they do know and all the rest which they do not know Secondly In that God doth pardon all the sins of all his people this doth likewise discover the exceeding love and kindnesse of God to his people The Apostle The exceeding love and kindness of God to his people saith in 1 Pet. 4. 8. That Charity or love covereth a multitude of sinnes and that he that converts a sinner shall hide a multitude of sins Jam. 5. 20. Certainly then it shews exceeding love in God to cover to blot out to forget to passe over to pardon all the multitude of sins in his own people To injure God is infinitely more than to injure man to offend and dishonour him is infinitely more than to offend and dishonour man and for God to passe by all this it must needs flow from his infinite love and kindness and therefore God is said Rom. 5. 8. To commend or highly to exalt his love toward us in that whiles we were yet sinners Christ died for us and to shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 7. And the forgivenesse of our sins is rightly attributed to the riches of his grace Eâ—â—es 1. 7. Thirdly in that God forgives all the sins of all his people this may inform us What a heavy weight did lie upon Christ What an heavy weight did lie upon Jesus Christ and of that wonderful power and vertue of his sufferings There is no man who is able to express the surpassing desert and burden in any one particular sin we finde many times that some one sin set on with the wrath of God doth drive us to our feet it is more unto us than the shadows of death it doth fill us with such distractions and horror that we can neither live nor dye we are not able to sustain it nor yet to decline it what work then would all our sins make within us if the Lord should in wrath return them upon us Now all the sins of all the people of God from the beginning of the world to the end thereof were in all their kinds and numbers and aggravations laid upon Jesus Christ he bare all our
civil sinner Mary Magdalen as well as Lydia Saul as well as Nicodemus great sinners as well as small offenders But unless God would pardon great sinners the Gospel cannot invite all sorts of sinners For when you preach it to persons guilty of great sins alas say they mercy belongs not to us and what have you to do to press upon us to believe suppose we should believe yet we shall not be saved God will never justifie and pardon us c. 5. God brings great sinners into Covenant Publicans Harlots and when God brings great sinners into Covenant in a perfect league of love and peace God brings any actually into the Covenant there is a perfect league of love and peace made between them a mutual reconciliation and relation therefore he pardons their great sins For unless these were pardoned such a league of love and peace would be impossible Persons are not perfectly reconciled whilest the greatest matters of difference do continue 6. Son said Christ be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee Matth. 9. 2. Every justâ—fied person hath cause of rejâ—ycing Every justified or pardoned person is in a comfortable condition he hath cause of joy and rejoycing But if God did not pardon their great sins as well as the rest of their sins their condition would not be comfortable at all but most miserable and full of just horror and fear c. 7. God hath made use of the great sins of persons to humble them and will he not God makes use of great sins to humble men now make use of his great mercies to pardon them all our humbings are wrought by the Spirit in a reference unto mercy when God intends to make us vessels of mercy he doth first make us broken vessels Acts 2. 37. Pricked in their hearts Ver. 41. then believed Acts 9. 6. Trembled Chap. 16. 29. And when he intends to break and humble the heart of a sinner usually he makes the Conscience of him to apprehend and to lay hold of some of the greatest and worst of his sins Pauls Conscience took hold of his persecuting of Christ and the Jaylor of his injuriousness to the Apostles Zacheus on his exaction and Mary Magdalen on her adultery God layes on us the sense of our great sins to make us see the great need of mercy and to confess the greatness of mercy in the pardoning of such great sins and to quicken earnest prayers for mercy 8. God hath great glory in the pardon of great sins Who is a God like unto thee c Mich. 7. 19. q. d. there is not such a merciful and gracious God in all the God hath great glory in the pardon of great sins world Prov. 25. 2. It is the glory of God to conceale a thing Prov. 19. 11. It is the glory of a man to passe over a transgression So Jer. 33. 8. I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me Ver. 9. And this shal be to me a Name of joy and praise and honour before all the Nation This was his glory Exod. 34. 7. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin c. 9. God would have his people to pray for the forgiveness of their great sinnes God would have his people to pray for pardon of great sins Hose 14. 2. Take away iniquity and receive us graciously and they have prayed for the forgiveness of their great sins Psal 25. 11. For thy Name sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great And they have prevailed Exod. 32. 32. Therefore certainly he will forgive their great sins For whatsoever we ask according to his will and in Christs Name he will do it for us SECT II. 1. Vse DOth God promise to pardon the great sins yea the greatest sins of his people Hence we may be informed of the unspeakable goodness Information of the unspeakable goodness of God to his people In not taking advantage against us of God to his people First That he takes not advantage against them he seeks not occasions to fall off from them if he did then small offences would serve the turn our daily failings would have broken up all communions betwixt him and us much more would our great transgressions have raised up a partition wall and caused his soul to abhor us Psal 103. 10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities Great transgressions are great provocations and great injuries and great dishonours unto God yet you see he promiseth to pass them by to pardon them therefore certainly he takes no advantage against us he doth not mark iniquities and what we have done amiss There are no small matters God doth for us Secondly That they are no small matters which he doth for us There are two things which God doth for his people which are not small favours 1. One is the giving of Christ unto them and the giving of them unto Christ 2. The other is the forgiving of their great sins Moses reputes this work as the fruits of his great power and of his great mercy Numb 14. 17. I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying ver 18. The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity and transgression ver 19. Pardon the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy And so doth the Apostle in Ephes 1 17. He puts this upon the account of the riches of Gods grace wherein ver 8. he abounds towards us Was it a small thing for the King in Matth. 18. 23 24. to forgive the servant who owed unto him ten thousand talents What is the desert of any one sin even of the least of our sins death and wrath and curse and hell what then is the punishment and recompence meritoriously belonging to us for our great transgressions yet God forgives them c. Thirdly That his love is very great and very firm and sure unto his people His love is very great and firm and never to be taken off and removed why so because he forgives all the sins of his people and the great and the greatest sins of them If any thing breaks off the love of God it must be sin for that he hates and that is the only provocation of him and if any sin doth it it is likely that a multitude of sins will daily and continual offences and if any of these will it is most probable that great and high sinnings will cut the knot asunder But you see it is not the multitude of sins nor yet the magnitude of sins which separates the people of God from the love of God but he will pardon all their sins yea the greatest of their sins therefore his love is fixed and never to be changed For if these will not alter it nothing else shall or can Fourthly That God takes
of some sinners in the like condition of guilt with himself whom yet God did pardon but did ever any sin as I have sinned and did God ever pardon any who have sinned as I have sinned or had their sin all those aggravations though God hath pardoned them as my sin hath can you give me any one clear record or pattern of the same There are two reasons which draw a troubled sinner thus to search and thus to enquire 1. One is because he thinks that what God never did in a way of mercy he will never do 2. Another is because he thinks that the apprehension of great mercy past in a case parallel with his will be a quicker help to his hope and faith that God may likewise forgive his great sins even as he hath forgiven the same to others Nevertheless under favour be it spoken this is not so regular a way Yet this is not so regular nor so sure a ground of hope nor yet so sure a ground for hopes of mercy for 1. If instances and precedent patterns of former mercy were necessarily to be look't at as grounds for hopes in us of the like mercy then the first transgressors they that had been first in the guilt of great transgressions must have despaired of forgiveness for no pattern example or instance of the like was ever found before but mercy was pleased to make them the pattern of mercy for others as Paul speaks of himself in 1 Tim. 1. 16. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting The Lord himself would have put us upon that way of searching records and instances before we should look up unto thiâ— promise by faith 2. These instances of mercy will not absolutely quiet the troubled conscience but notwithstanding them the fire will still burn and the torments and fear will abide in strength and that upon a double account First Though God shew mercy to a great transgressor in the like kind yet he hath not shewed mercy to every one in that kind so that still the sinner is troubled But will God shew mercy to me Again that a like great transgressor I find hath had a great change wrought in him O but this I cannot find or discern in my self Ergo. So then troubled sinners do usually look after instances and examples of pardon before they do look up to the promises of mercy but this is not so regular nor so sure a way to raise faith as I shall presently shew unto you But secondly Though you cannot finde a powerful instance yet possibly there Though you cannot finde a parallel instance yet instances in the same kind may be found may be found instances of transgressors in the same kind of sinning whom God hath formerly pardoned though you cannot find them yet they may be found in the Scriptures Suppose your great sin hath been 1. Extortion you may read that forgiven in Zacheus 2. Drunkenness you may read that forgiven in Noah 3. Theft you may read that forgiven to the Penitent Thief on the Cross 4. Whoredome you may read it forgiven to Mary Magdalen and adultery it was forgiven to David 5. Incest you read it forgiven to Lot and to the incestuous Corinthian 6. Sodomy you read it forgiven to some of the Corinthians 7. Murder you read it forgiven to David 8. Idolatry you read it forgiven to Solomon and also to some of the Corinthians 9. Blasphemy why all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven c. Matth 12 31. 10. Apostasie Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful Jer. 3. 12. 11. Scoffin and mocking of the Gospel and the Ministers thereof yet some of these heve been forgiven Act. 2. 13 38. and 17. 32 34. 12. Denying and forswearing of Christ yea and that after knowledge and faith yet pardoned unto Peter possibly the great sin which lies so heavy upon the Conscience may be soon one of these and then you see a parallel instance as you do desire But 3ly admit you read not of a particular personal example yet if you do May not instances of pardon of sins that exceed yours serve the turn read of any instance of forgiving mercy to any sinner whatsoever whose great transgressions do not only equal but farre exceed that or those of which you are guilty may not that serve you Surely it is not impossible that thy great sins may be forgiven if mercy hath past an Act of grace in forgiving some sinners their great transgressions Object O no! no mans sins were ever greater than mine c. Sol. Well but what if I produce one whose sins have been such that thy heart will be amazed at and dread to think of being guilty of such transcendent iniquities my instance shall be in Manasseh of whom you may thus read 2 Chro 33. 2. He did evil in the sight of the Lord like unto the abominations of the Heathen whom the Lord hath cast out before the children of Israel Ver. 3. For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his Father had broken down and he reared up Altars for Baalim and made Groves and worshipped all the Host of heaven and served them Ver. 3. Also he built Altars in the house of the Lord whereof the Lord said In Jerusalem shall my Name be for ever Ver. 5. And he built Altars for all the Host of heaven in the Courts of the house of the Lord. Ver. 6. And he caused his children to passe through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom Also he observed times and used Inchantments and used Witchcraft and dealt with a Familiar spirit and with Wizards he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger Ver. 7. And he set a carved image the idol which he had made in the house of God Ver. 9. So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to erre and to do worse than the Heathen whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel Ver. 10. And the Lord spake unto Manasseh and to his people but they would not hearken Are not these sinnes greater than thy sinnes Such high Idolatries sacrificing of Children to the Divels Yet this greatest of sinners that you read of in the old Testament upon his deep repentance found mercy as Paul who called himself the chiefest of sinners in the New Testament did likewise obtain mercy c. Fourthly Under the sense of incomparably great sinnings the business is not Under the sense of great sinnings the businesse is not to debate but to repent to debate but to repent Not what great sins you or others have committed and whose great sins God hath pardoned but to obtain an heart from God to repent of those sins for though
act Restraining grace especially such as are scandalous and dangerous in the opinion of men With this do many men sit down and blesse themselves for renewed and changed persons for they are not as other men neither whore nor thief and dare not commit such and such sins But Beloved there is a vast difference between restraining grace and renewing grace they differ in six particulars Difference betwixt restaining and renewing grace Restraining grace is only an impediment to sinful actions First Restraining grace is only an impediment to sinful actions but renewing grace is an amendment of our sinful inclinations When a man is only restrained from sin Simile it is with him as with a thief in prison who doth not commit any thievish act yet even then he doth retain his thievish heart or as with a dogge that is chained up and cannot tear and devour but yâ—â— the same curst and revenging nature remains in him Simile So when a man is only restrained from sin although he forbears any visible acts of sin yet his heart is as wicked as ever and his sinful inclinations and affections the same as before But this it is not when the heart is renewed by grace for renewing grace is not only a cord to with-hold but it is likewise a plaister to heal and change as it is a preservative against sinful actions and works so it is a spiritual salve to cure our sinful natures the renewed Christian doth not only forbear sin but he doth also hate sin a restrained sinner at sometimes cannot sin a renewed sinner at no time would sin the one doth not commit the sin which yet he still loves but the other doth sometimes do the sin which yet his soul still hates It is an unvoluntary impediment Secondly when a man forbears sin by the sole power of restraining grace it is involuntary There is a secret regretting or rising of the heart against this restraining power Simile The heart looks on it as under a force or extreamly burdened or oppressed it is discontented and impatient like a horse that is kept in by a bridle or like water which is stopt it riseth and swelleth the more and the sinner counts it a great part of his misery that such awing and restraining circumstances are upon him but when a person is renewed by grace it is no grief or burden of heart to him that he may not sin but he prayes earnestly to be kept from sin Keep thy servant c. So David Psal 19. 13. and he heartily blesses God for being kept from sin Blessed be the Lord God of Israel c. 1 Sam. 25. 32. and is more troubled and discontented and burdened that he carries within himself a body of sin which rebels against the law of his mind than that he is hindred and kept from sin Thirdly A person acting only under the strength of restraining grace though a while he may hold off from gross sins yet he will not strive seriously to mortifie It doth not mortifie those sins it restraines from the lusts from which those sins do arise but he will give his heart leave to a delightful contemplation of them and to secret desires after them and will venture very near to the commission of them But when the heart is renewed by grace the person flies from sin yea from all appearances of evil and is so far from sparing of any sin that he layes the Axe to the root of the Tree and endeavours in good earnest the mortifying and crucifying of sin Fourthly when a person hath only that grace which we call restraining his Sin breaks out with more violence upon the removing of the restraint sinful corruptions upon the removing of those restraints do break out with more rage and violence if once it recover its liberty the course of it now is with more strength and fury Take you any child or servant or any other person loving of sin yet not daring to commit sin of their fear of those under whom they live if these once get but their liberty none prove more insolently and outragiously wicked But where the heart is renewed by grace it hath a constant tenderness and habitual fear a fixed contrariety and detestation of sin Though Parents be dead though Governours be absent though Friends be departed it is all one God still lives and God still sees and therefore how can the renewed person commit any wickedness and sin against God and the longer he lives the more he hates sin Fifthly Though men acting by restraining grace may and do sometimes forbear He forbears sin upon other grounds to sin yet it is upon other grounds than those do who abstain from sin from renewing grace In restriction men abstain from sin for fear of outward shame or of outward loss or for fear of Gods wrath or for fear of terror of conscience which hath formerly befallen them for sinning But in Renovation men abstain from sin out of a love to God and out of an hatred of the filthiness of sin because it will offend and grieve their God and defile and pollute their souls Sixthly Lastly though by restraining grace there is some temporary cessation from There is only a temporal cessation sinful evil yet there is no setled inclination unto nor delight in spiritual good no heart to prize God or Christ or holiness or the wayes or works of new obedience But where God gives renewing grace to the heart as there is more than a meere ceasing to sinne So there is another heart given inclining to God to 〈◊〉 his Will to love his Commands to walk in his Paths to delight to do his Will I delight in the Law of God after the inner man said Paul Rom. 7. 22. O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Psal 119. 5. And ver 112. I have enclined my heart to perform thy statutes alwayes to the end III. The presence of common gifts The presence of common gifts I call then those gifts common gifts which the Spirit of God doth give though not to every man yet unto men who are really bad and unconverted as well as to men who are really good and converted of which some do respect What those gifts are First The mind in light or knowledge of the Scripture in general and of Christ and the way of salvation by him in particular 1 Cor. 12. 8 9 10. Secondly The judgement in a credence or assent unto what God reveals in his Word as true King Agrippa believest thou the Prophets I know that thou believest Acts 26. 27. Thirdly The heart as those tasts you read of in Heb. 6. 4. The tasting of the heavenly gift ver 5. The tasting of the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come Fourthly The Conscience unto which may be given a deep sense of sin and extream trouble for it as you read in Ahab and Judas c. Fifthly The affections
passage in the life which denominatively declares the estate of the heart either way one particular good action may be done by him whose heart is naught and one particular ill action may be done by him whose heart is good and truly renewed by grace As the new heart brings forth new works so it doth act them after a new manner of working it is possible that an unregenerate man may do many works which are morally good but then he doth not perform those works in such a manner as that man doth whose heart is renewed by grace The qualification of works for the manner in a man renewed There are four qualifications as to the manner of working or performance of duties which are found in the renewed person and in no other man 1. He performs them in the strength of Christ by vertue of union and communion with him Simile as the members of the body do act by vertue of their union and communion with the head I can do all things said Paul through Christ that strengthens me Phil. 4. 13. And as the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in me Joh. 15. 4. 2. He performs them as with love the love of Christ constraineth me said Paul 2 Cor. 5. 14. If a man love me he will keep my Word said Christ Joh. 14. 23. Now when a man doth works of obedience out of love he is ready and willing to do them the work is written in his heart he takes delight in the doing of them I delight to do thy Will O God Psal 40. 8. And make me to go in the paths of thy Commandments for therein do I delight Psal 119. 35. It is a mans meat and drink to do the will of God Joh. 4. 34. The yoke is easie and the Commandments are not grievous 1 Joh. 5. 3. He performs them with fervency of spirit not coldly and carelesly and indifferently but closely and seriously with a fervent spirit Rom. 12. 11. Fervent in Spirit serving the Lord he seeks the Lord with his whole heart an heavenly impetus aestus vigor c. 4. He performs them with integrity of intention looks not at himself but the glory of God in Christ c. Eighthly You may know that God hath given you a new heart if you find New delights and satisfactions new delights and satisfactions There is not a man in the world but the frame of his heart may be known by that which he takes delight and contentment and satisfaction in If one hath a proud heart the vanities and fashions and dresses and braveries of the world are his delight and satisfaction If one hath an ambitious heart the honours and applauses and dignities and preferments and powers of the world are his delight and satisfaction If one hath a covetous heart the riches and profits and treasures of the world are his delight and satisfaction If one hath a sensual and unclean heart the filthiness and actings of lusts are his delight and satisfaction And there is no unregenerate person but either some worldly object or some sinful object is his delight and satisfaction might he have wealth enough or honour enough or pleasure enough he would desire no more here he would rest and with this he would be contented and satisfied But now when the Lord changeth and reneweth the heart by grace that which delights and contents and satisfies other men will not delight and satisfie him nay those very objects which formerly satisfied himself will not now by any means satisfie him but he hath new objects and new ways of delight and satisfaction If the Lord should say unto a regenerate and renewed person I will give thee all the world this would not satisfie him or delight him though heretofore a little of it would have gone far and have done much The renewed person sees what a vanity of vanities the world is and what a hell of hells sin is and his delights and satisfactions are now in objects sutable to his new nature the highest and best objects these are sutable with the highest and best heart A God a reconciled God the favour of God the knowledge of him as so the fruition of him as so the meditations on him as so the communions with him as so the manifestations of him to the soul as so the hopes of the future and eternal enjoyment of him as so Psal 73. 25. These these are the delights the contentments and satisfactions of an heart indeed renewed by grace The excellent glories of Christ a near relation unto Christ the life of Christ the peace by Christ the comforts of Christ the enjoyments of and by Christ the love of Christ the powers of Christ the presence of Christ and fellowship with Christ these are the new delights the new contentments and the only satisfactions of a new heart these are food and rayment these are houses and lands these are parents and friends these are treasures and pleasures to a renewed heart these are the rest of it and the heaven to it one sight of God in Christ one smile of his love one word of peace and joy from Christ delights and satisfies a renewed heart more than all which the world can afford Ninthly Another sign of a new heart is new society when God gives a A new society man a new heart that man hath a new Master and new work and new friends and society Psal 119. 63. I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the Brethren 2 Cor. 6. 14. What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness Psal 139. 21. Do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee O what a burden is it to a good heart to be in ungodly company Woe is me that I so journ in Mesech that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar Psal 120. 5. And what a delight is it to a renewed person to be in the company of renewed persons Psal 16. 3. To the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight Psal 42. 4. I went with them to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise Holy society is the only society for persons of holy hearts and in that society can no man take delight untill God renews his heart by grace Tenthly Lastly When God gives a man a new heart he doth presently A new rule set up a new rule of life to walk by and according to that is his course ordered all the days of his life and what is that rule not our own judgement not revelations not our own will not our own lusts not our own affections not the opinion of men not the customes of the world not the applauses of the world not the
Joh. 14. 23. If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come and make our abode with him Ver. 16. The Father shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever The Father dwells in us 2 Cor. 6. 16. I will dwell in them The Son dwells in us Ephes 3. 17. Christ dwells in your hearts by Faith The Spirit dwells in us Rom. 8. 11. Fourthly That all the people of God have the Spirit of God may plainly appear by the works â—f the Spirit which are to be found in every one of them 1. They are sanctified by the Spirit Ye are sanctified by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6. 11. 2. They are led by the Spirit As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God Rom. 8. 14. 3. They are upheld and strengthened by the Spirit Psal 51. 12. Vphold me with thy free Spirit Ephes 3. 16. To be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man 4. They are partakers of the first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8. 23. Our selves have the first fruits of the Spirit 5. They are helped by the Spirit Rom. 8. 26 The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities and the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered 6. They are taught by the Spirit Joh. 14. 26. The Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things 7. They are comforted by the Spirit Acts 9. 31. They walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost 8. They are sealed by the Spirit Ephes 1. 13. In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise Quest 3. Why doth the Lord put his Spirit within every one of his Reasons of it people Sol. There may be assigned six Reasons for it viz. 1. Necessity 2ly Congruity 3ly Conformity 4ly Excellency 5ly The love of God 6ly The purchase of Christ First Necessity The presence and enjoyment of the Spirit is necessary for The necessity of it them in many respects 1. For applying of Christ unto them and for the applying of them unto Christ For applying Christ that there is a conjunction or union between Christ the Head and his Mystical body the Church is an unquestionable truth And how Christ who locally in heaven should be joyned or united to his Church here on earth this cannot be done but by the Spirit who doth knit or joyn Christ to us and us to Christ as really as the head is joyned to the body and as the body is joyned to the head But take the instance in any particular believer that Christ is his and he is Christs it is certain but how comes Christ to be his what is that on Christs part which makes this union it is the Spirit and none but the Spirit and what is it on our part which makes this union it is faith and it is caused by the Spirit So that the Spirit is necessary to this union on either part on Christs part to apply or unite him to us and on our part in causing faith which applyes and unites us to Christ And unto this reciprocal union the Spirit is such a necessary agent that without him there cannot possibly be any union at all No man can be united to Christ but by the Spirit neither can Christ I speak it with reverence unite himself to us but by his Spirit 2. For conveying of spiritual life into them or a new being into their souls For conveying of spiritual life Naturally all men are dead in trespasses and sins and every faculty in them is totally defiled and polluted and corrupted and is deprived of the glory of God nor can any man help himself in this case nor can any creature do it None can raise him from his death but that Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead Therefore is the Spirit called the Spirit of life and the Spirit of grace forasmuch as he is the authour of both unto our souls it is the Spirit who quickens them by infusing the life of Christ into them and who renews them by changing of them into the image of Christ 3. For all the actings of grace Take me any Christian though endowed with For all the actings of grace all the principles of grace and great measures thereof now put him upon any particular acting put him upon believing put him upon repenting upon mourning upon any acts of obedience why looâ—â—s no member of the body can move or strive but from an influence from the head no more can we act any grace we have but by an influence from the Spirit of Christ our Head Joh. 15. 5. And we find it in experience that it is with our souls Simile as with a ship which stirs not if the wind stirs not and it stirs more or less as the wind is greater or lesser so if the Spirit of God stirs not in us our graces stir not c. For all our receptions 4. For all our Receptions Would you know any truth of God you cannot know it unless the Spirit of God give you his light to know it 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. would you be acquainted with the love of God you can never perceive it unless the Spirit shed abroad that love in your hearts Rom. 5. 5. would you be clear and satisfied in your relation of sonship unto God as your Father all the men in the world cannot perswade and satisfie as to that unlesse and untill the Sperit beareth witness with your Spirits that you are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. Secondly Congruity It is meet and fit that the people of God should have the Spirit of God For Congruity 1. They are his children and is it not meet that the children of God should have the Spirit of God should they not bear his image if they were led by the same spirit by which the children of this world are led had they not another Spirit they could not be his children 2. They are his servants and therefore they have much to do for him and they have much to suffer for him Is it not meet that the Lord should help his servants The services of the people of God which they are to do for him and to suffer for him are above all their own strength and therefore God will give them his Spirit to enable them for all their services whether active or passive the Spirit can supply them for every work 3. They are his Heirs and intended for eternal glory and is it not fit that they should have the Spirit of grace who must have the Spirit of glory Heirs of God Rom. 8. 17. Before a person comes to heaven it is fit that he should be fitted for heaven be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. And who
the Spirit of God Sol. One may know that there is a true work of grace although very How a true work of grace may be known though weak By loving Gods image weak First By his apprehension and love of the image of God of this work of the Spirit in whomsoever he finds it His very soul values such a person and doth close with him and is knit unto him 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren Every one that hath truth of grace doth highly prize all that have grace counts them the excellent of the earth and is most delighted Psal 16. 3. and satisfied in the society of such Secondly By the choice of his heart he chuseth God to be his God and the By our choosing God to be our God wayes of God to be his wayes I have chosen the wayes of truth Psal 119. 30. I have chosen thy precepts Ver. 173. Although he doth not serve his God in fulness yet he doth in sincerity although he cannot walk in his wayes exactly yet in these wayes he will walk he is a servant to none but his God and traveller in no wayes but his Thirdly By the desires of his soul They are holy and heavenly and spirituall though his work is little yet his desires are great though his enjoyment ares By the desires of his soul small yet his desires are high and amongst others there are these five desires where there is truth of grace viz. 1. An earnest desire of Gods love and favour Psal 106. 4. Remember me Five desires in the tâ—uth of Grace O Lord with the favour which thou bearest unto thy people O visit me with thy salvation 2. An earnest desire of Christ a hungring and thirsting after him I will seek him whom my soul loveth Cant. 3. 3. O that God would give me Christ O that I could believe Lord help my unbelief Mark 9. 24. 3. An earnest desire to walk in all well-pleasing before God O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Psal 119. 5. they do not keep them but they desire to keep them Lord increase our faith 4. An earnest desire for more grace as Paul Phil. 3. 12. I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus Ver 14. I presse toward the mark A desire of the Word that we may grow thereby is a sign of the new birth 1 Pet. 2. 2. 5. An earnest desire that he might not sin against his God Psal 119. 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee O let me not wander from thy Commandements Fourthly By the conflicts in himself Though there be not a present victory By the conflicts in himself yet there is a present war in every one who hath truth of grace Truth of grace will make a man 1. To love the Law of the Spirit of Christ and to joyn and take part with his good motions and directions and commands The good that I would do saith Paul and I delight in the law after the inward man Rom. 7. 19 22. 2. To hate and oppose the Law of sin Though he doth evil yet he hates it what I hate that I do and though he cannot subdue his sins yet he will oppose them He oppâ—seth and resisteth the pride the filthiness the passions the frowardness the hardness the unbelief of his heart Fifthly By the griefs and complaints of his soul He is grieved that yet sin By the griefs and complaints oâ— his soul hath so much power in him and cries out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death and he is grieved that he is so low and weak and short in obedience unto his loving Christ that he can love him no better fear him no more trust on him no stronger and magnifie him no more And he is grieved that he cannot grieve that he cannot believe that he cannot walk up to the Rule of Christ and unto the desires of his soule By the endeavours and actings of his soul Sixthly By the endeavours and actings of his soul He that is weakest in grace is acting according to the proportion which he hath received Simile As old father Latymer said to his fellow-sufferer I am coming as fast as I can brother So the weakest in grace he is stirring and he is doing as well as he can he is doing his Masters will and if he could do more and better service assuredly God should have it from him and glad he is if he can mend one 3. Quest Why no Christian should be discouraged because of the weak measure Why we should not be discouraged because of our weakness in grace All grace is weak at first of grace wrought in him by the Spirit of God Sol. You should not be discouraged for these Reasons First All the graces of the Spirit do begin in weakness we are at the first but babes in Christ and then young men and strong and then Fathers 1 Joh. 2. 12. 13 False grace is too suddain and too ripe it begins where it should end and therefore it ends usually as soon as it begins But true grace is first but weak nevertheless it shall encrease Secondly It will not rest so but gets from weakness to strength and from Yet its growing strength to strength as the Sun in the firmament Prov. 4. 18. The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more to the perfect day Thirdly The weakest grace doth bring God some honour it will make a It brings God some honour man to honor God inwardly and outwardly Rev. 3. 8. Thou hast a little strength and hast kept my Word and hast not denyed my Name 1. Inwardly by setting up his will and authority in the heart by loving of him fearing of him and trusting on him though but weakly 2. Outwardly by abandoning every evil way by exercisâ—ng our selves in godliness by countenancing the rules and wayes of Christ and walking before God in truth Even the Children in the Temple cryed out Hosanna to the Son of David Matth. 12. 15. whereupon Christ applyed that of David Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise ver 16. Fourthly The weakest grace is the workmanship of the Spirit of God Not It s the workmanship of the spirit of God only our rejoycing but our tears not only our assurances but our very groans are from him Rom. 8. 26. The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered So Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure To will any good this comes from the Spirit of God as well as to do any good Fifthly The weakest grace is able to unthrone sin and dispossess Satan and to set up a throne in the heart for Christ to hold
not neglect these motions do not throw them aside and do not delay or defer to act them remember it you shall be able to do much at that time when the Spirit of God stirs your hearts if you presently act upon his actings of you Simile as the ship moves the faster when the Mariner takes the wind and tide but if you neglect them the work will be more difficult and your hearts will be more untoward and backward and hardened Object But some will say It is an hard thing to know what motions are the motions How to know the motions of the Spirit of the Spirit if we could certainly know them to be his we would not neglect them Sol. You may know the motions which are stirring of you to be the motions of the Spirit of God by the conjunction of these Adjuncts First They are holy and heavenly they do resemble himself he never moves They are holy you to any evil but only to what is good and spiritual to get grace to increase it to exercise it to mortifie your sins to beware of all incentives and provecation unto sin c. Secondly They are conformable to the written Word All hâ—s motions are Agreeable to the Word but the setting on of Gods commands upon your heart and lives he moves you not and stirs you not to do any thing but what the Word of God expresly commands Thirdly They are suitable to your place and condition The spirit moves to Suitable to our place and condition do that good work wâ—ich belongs to us in our place He did not move Vzza to put forth his hand to hold the Ark nor Uzziah to burn incense It pertaineth not to thee Uzziah to burn incense unto the Lord but unto the Priests the sons of Aaron that are consecrated to burn incense 2 Chron. 26. 18. He is the Author of order and not of confusion he moves men to exercise the gifts which he hath given them in the places and callings wherein he hath set them Fourthly They are seasonable He puts in good motions not to hinder a present good work but to further it when we are sometimes praying or hearing you shall They are seasonable have many good things presented unto your minds which come not from the Spirit of God but from Satan for they are put in as diversions and distractions from that good work in hand but when they are from the Spirit they are seasonable and helpful As when you are hearing and 〈◊〉 and confessing your sins all those good motions which drop into you to humble your hearts enlarge your hearts to attend to mark and remember and to yield consent and obedience and to take delight to raise heavenly resolutions to walk according to the will of God revealed these are motions from the Spirit Fifthly They are gentle and spiritually rational men talk of impulsives and violent They are gentle motions upon their spirits for particular works for the doing of which they can give no religious account or ground Those are dangerous motions and are to be suspected and questioned but the motions of the Spirit are not turbulent nor violent though they be strong yet they are gentle they are leadings but not disquieting motions Secondly Neglect not the removings of the Spirit The Spirit of God by reason of our spiritual pride and security and formality and other sins may remove from us i. e. you may not find that comfort from him and you may not find that strength and assistance and vigor from him and you may discern a general Hatness and lowness in your graces and services they come not off with that zeal with that delight with that care with that love with that importunity with that fervency with that faith as formerly and you are more ready to fall under temptations and sinful occasions you cannot make that resistance which you were wont to do The Spirit in these cases is removing and withdrawing And it is a most dangerous folly now to sit still and to be careless and regardless If a Guard which preserves you draw off are you not in danger are you not exposed to enemies why all your strength support sufficiency safety is in the presence of Gods Spirit Therefore take notice of his removings or or withdrawings at any time and do it quickly and seriously for though his removes be not usually all at once yet the oftner he removes he removes the farther from you and the farther he removes the stronger will hardness grow upon you Quest Why what is to be done in this case Sol. I will tell you How to prevent the Spirits removoings First Search your hearts and enquire what is amiss what cause you have given unto the Spirit of God thus to withdraw from you what harndness what offence you may read in Scripture these causes 1. Pride of heart as in Hezekiah 2. Self-confidence as in Peter 3. Careless neglect as in the Church Cant. 5. 6. I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself See the cause of this in Ver. 3. I have put off my coat how shall I put it on 4. Foule transgressions as in David Psal 51. He had almost lost all Secondly Then repent it is the counsel given to the Church of Ephesus which lost her first love Rev. 2. 4. 5. Thirdly Cry out with David Psal 51. 11. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me O Lord I am willing to let my sin go but I cannot be willing let thy Spirit go When the spirit is removing move after him and lay hold on him with tears and supplications and faith and say O forsake me not utterly O return in mercy revive thy work again in me and quicken and restore and establish me c. Fourthly Do not injure the Spirit Ezek. 36. 27. And I will put my Spirit within you c. SECT VI. 4. THe fourth Caution which concerns them that have the Spirit given unto Injure not the Spirit How the Spirit may be injured By bearing false witness against the spirit them is this Take heed you do not injure or wrong the Spirit Injure the Spirit will some say how can any man injure the Spirit of God A man may injure the Spirit of God four wayes First By bearing false witness against the Spirit Wicked men do injure the spirit by railing and by reviling his gifts and graces and good men do injure the spirit by denying and disowning of them upon every temptation and every weakness and upon every failing O they have no faith and no love and no sincerity of heart and the Spirit of God never wrought any Renewing work or saving work in their hearts and they cannot attain unto those joyes and comforts which the people of God do meet with But beloved why do we charge the Spirit of God thus foolishly Is it a small thing for you to weary men but
temper he had respect to Gods Commandements they had authority over him he had a regard to them therefore consider well what is the Motive which induces you to pray to hear to do any other good duty is it Gods will or Commandement alone if it be not so you walk not you act not uprightly Object But will some reply This is something difficult to discern forasmuch How to know whether we act upon Gods command alone as Gods command and our own interests may meet they may concur sometimes in some actions to be done and now it will be hard to know whether we act upon the command of God alone Sol. There are two things which shew that it is Gods command alone which sets us on to our duties 1. When there is no reward or external encouragement presented to set us on When we are not set on by reward When dangers discourage not to the performance of duties 2. When our hearts hold on and set upon the duties amidst all dangers and discouragements and to our own external prejudice as Moses was obedient with afflictions Secondly The simplicity of the end when a man doth sincerely serve the Lord or walk uprightly in his statutes he doth in all the good actions done by hiâ— look If our ends be sincere at Gods glory he doth them not for self ends to advance or exalt himself but he doth them with a single respect to Gods glory to exalt and lift â—â— his Name Aâ— Paul spake We preach not out our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord 2 Cor. 4. 5. we propound not we intend not the honour of our gifts and abilities and pains but the honour of Jesus Christ and as he spake in Phil. 1. 20. That Christ may be magnified Thus is it with every man who walks uprightly and does things with an upright heart he doth in all his wayes seek and intend the praise and honour of God and not himself I seek not my self saith the Apostle I seek not my own profit 1 Cor. 10 33. And none of us liveth to himself and 〈◊〉 of us dieth unto himself for whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord Rom. 14. 7. On the contrary they that walk hypocritically with a false heart they do set up themselves and not God Hose 10. 1. Israel is an empty vine bringing sorth fruit unto himself Matth. 6. 1. c. They gave alms prayed fasted to be seen of men A carnal man so that he may enjoy his own safety liberty ease profit he cares not what becomes of Gods glory let the Gospel sink or swim let the Ministry perish let a Nation be brought to confusion let the Ordinances of Christ and truth of Christ be contemned and destroyed let all wherein Gods honor or glory are concerned be trod under foot he cares not for he respects himself and not God c. Thirdly The singleness of the path when a man walks in Gods statutes uprightly If the Word be your Riâ—e his path of walking is only the way of Gods Commandements he hath no other path but that but one God and but one mercy and but one heart Isa 26. 7. The way of the just is uprightness Psal 139. 23. Search me O Lord and know my heart try me and know my thoughts Ver. 24. and see if there be any way of wickedness in me and lead me in the way everlasting The way or path of every man is not that particular action or work but it is his general and habitual course of life and that is to him that walks uprightly the course of holiness and righteousness Fourthly I might add other Characters but I shall pass them over only take one more and that is Diligence He who walks uprightly in Gods statutes If we walk diligently doth walk in them heartily and diligently he gives up his heart and life and desire and care and strength to do the will of God to serve him to obey him this is his great business the main work that he hath to do and he doth it with all his heart and with all his soul not negligently and carelesly as a servant doth ey-service he doth not slubber over duties as if any were good enough for God he knows that cursed is the man that doth the work of the Lord negligently Jer. 47. 10. He is very intent and taken up with the work which God commands not only to do but so to do it as may be most pleasing to God and conducing to his glory when he prayes hears receives the Sacrament c. Ezek. 36. 27. And cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them I Have finished the first Proposition from these Words viz. That even the people of God within his Covenant of grace are to walk in Gods statutes c. I now come unto the second Proposition viz. CHAP. XIV 2. Doctr. THat the people of God are to make progress to proceed on to continue Gods people must persevere in their obedience to God and persevere all their dayes in an obediential observation of Gods statutes Ye shall walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements c. To walk in Gods statutes is a Metaphorical expression taken from those who do walk in a journey who are still moving on in their path or way from place to place untill they come to their journeys end So the people of God they are not only to enter into the way of obedience but they must hold on their whole life they must go from strength to strength from step to step untill they come unto the end of their life Job 17. 9. The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger A threefold continuance is required of our obedience First For the matter still doing the work of our Master ordering all For the matter our steps by his Word exalting his rule keeping to his paths not weary wandering or revolting Secondly For the manner not abating or decaying at any time in 1. Our integrity of intention For the manner 2. Our loveliness of affection 3. Our diligence of action 4. Our watchfulness of observation 5. Our forwardness and delight 6. Strictness in our obedience 7. In our valour and resolution Although we do 〈◊〉 meet with 1. Much intrinsecal opposition 2. Much extrinsecal discouragement and dangers yet still to hold on none of these things move me said Paul neither count I my life dear unto my self so that I may finish my course with joy Acts 20. 24. through the Red Sea and through the wilderness to Canaan Thirdly In a further advancing as to our graces and as to our services being more zealous more stedfast more aboundâ—ng in the work of the Lord In a farther progress bringing forth more fruit in our old age Prov. 4. 18. The path of the just is
The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Jer. 4. 22. Tbey are sottish children and they have no understanding they are wise to do evil but to do good they have no knowledge Hose 8. 12. I have written to him the great things of my Law but they were counted a strange thing Psal 14. 1. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God they are corrupt thy have done abominable works there is none that doth good Prov. 13. 19. It is abomination to fooles to depart from evil Levit. 26. 43. Because they despised my judgments and because their soul abhorred my Statutes Jer. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil Tit. 1. 16. Being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate By all these places it doth appear that there is no power and sufficiency in any natural man to any spiritual good but a total want thereof and a total opposition unto it Secondly That then God is no hard cruel or rigorous master unto his servants but very kinde and gracious we have no reason to complain at all but rather to bless him and cheerfully to serve him There are seven things which do respect the people of God c. 1. Enterance which takes in 1. Union Of him are ye in Christ Jesus 1. Cor. 1. 3. 2. Regeneration 3. Repentance This God works in them of his own grace Jam. 1. 18. Of his own good will begat he us with the word of truth Phil. 1. 29. Unto you it is given to believe Acts 11. 18. Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life 2. Performances this likewise doth God work in his people Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure God is no hard master 3. Sufferance Phil. 1. 29. Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake 4. Resistance 1. Of sinful works 2 Tim. 4. 18. The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work 2. From sinful temptations 1 Cor. 10. 13. God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able 5. Perseverance Phil. 1. 6. Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 5. We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 6. Acceptance 7. Recompence Thirdly Then you see the same reason why when the same truths of God Why some receive the truth and others do not Why not all God leaves some to themselves and not others They which walk not in Gods wayes are none of his are preached and the same wayes of life are revealed some do receive those truths but others do not and some do walk in those wayes and some do not Quest Why do they not all do so The Reason is Sol. Because God leaves some unto themselves and others he doth not leave unto themselves they do both of them hear the way to heaven but they have not both the same grace and strength given to walk in the way to heaven Fourthly Then they are none of Gods people who never found any sufficiency any ability any actual strength to walk in the wayes which God hath Commanded why so because God promiseth to cause his people to walk in his Statutes and to do them I grant that all the people of God do not walk alike in his Statutes some are more lively some are more forward some are more high and full and vigorous and exact then others are nevertheless every one of them hath obtained grace and strength in his proportion to walk in Gods Statutes every one of them doth pray and every one of them doth repent and every one of them doth believe doth walk in newness of obedience and every one of them doth fear the Lord and makes conscience of his wayes and strives after perfection Simile You see that the least finger in the body receives an influence from the head by which it moves and stirs and performs the office of its place And so doth the meanest and weakest servant of Christ receive a virtue and power from Christ to act and walk in his proportion Therefore those men who still continue in their wayes and have no power to leave them and who are still charged to walk in Gods wayes and have no heart nor power to obey him no power or ability at all to bewaile their sins to forsake their sins to poure out their hearts in prayer to long after Christ to love the Lord Jesus Christ to prize and hold communion with God these persons are not as yet the people of Gods Covenant There is nothing in the world to evidence it to their souls that they are so nothing in practice for they â—eglect all holy walking with God and nothing in their natures and hearts for if they were renewed and changed by grace presently there would be an ability an inclination a desire an endeavour to walk with God according to his word Take it for a certain truth that all persons actually in Covenant with God have a power given them more or less to walk as God would have them walk and to do what God would have them to do therefore consider your selves and your conditions all of you who are still without strength to walk assuredly you are without life to quicken all the children of God are alive and are thus far enabled by his grace to chuse his way and to walk in his way with upright hearts Fifthly Then the wayes of God are possible and passable wayes why so Gods wayes are possible and passable because the promise of God is annexed unto them There are two errors opposite unto this truth 1. One is of the Papists who make the wayes of God concerning us so passable Papists confuted that a man may perfectly fulfil the Law of God nay as if this were a poor business they teach that a man may do yet more then God requires he may do works of supererogation by which he may merit for himself and for his friends this is a proud and false doctrine for no man except Christ ever did or could with a legal exactness fulfil the will of God In many things we offend all saith the Apostle Jam. 3. 2. And what man is he that liveth and sineth not there is no man that sinneth not 1 Kin. 8. 46. And who can say My heart is clean or I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin Prov. 20. 9. 2. The other is of carnal and lazy Protestants who when they are pressed to Carnal Protestants confuted leave their sinful wayes and to walk
exceeding great danger of self-confidence to do any good and The danger of self-confidence there are three dangers which will befal you 1. You will be but poor and barren and insufficient so as to do nothing at all as the ship lies still if the winde stirs not without me you can do nothing you will be weaker then the weakest Christian the weakest Christian trusting on Christ and the promise will be able to do much when you relying on your self-ability will be able to do nothing There are two sorts of being Two sorts of being One is absolute and of it self as God is who is of himself and can work alone by and from himself Another is depending such a being is every creature yea and every created grace which as it is by virtue of Gods grace so it acts in virtue of his assistance As a beam of the sun is made alive by the sun and it gives light by the continued influence of the sun part it and the sun it is nothing so c. 2 God will leave you at least a while unto your selves that you may be ashamed of your confidence and see your selves to be but vanity that you are indeed without strength and utterly insufficient of your selves and that you stand only and work only in the presence of his might You read that God hath left his servants in four cases In what cases God leaves his servants One when they have been idle and careless and venturing upon the occasions of sin this was Davids case A second when they have not stedfastly believed his word but have given credit to Satan upon this he left Adam and Eve unto themselves A third when they have ventured upon evil company in this case he left Sampson A fourth when they have presumed upon their own strength and sufficiency and in this he left Peter 3. And now you will not be able to do any good nay not able to withstand the greatest sins Satan will be too hard for you and so will sin we shall quickly hear you complaining of hardness of heart and of deadness of heart and of unbelief of heart and I wish these were the worst God doth some times cure the proud self-confidence and the proud self-sufficiencies of his people by leaving them to some gross and vile falls as David and Peter c. Fourthly There is indeed no self-sufficiency in you although sometimes Wherein our weakness appears you veryly imagine and fancy it and I would convince you of this by your own experience 1. You cannot pull down any one sin that troubles you by your own strength it will move and strive and tempt and follow you and do what you can by all your own strength it doth many times captivate you 2. You cannot rise out of any sinful fall unless the Lord gives you his hand to lift you up there your feet stick in the mire and every grace that you have is nonplussed repentance will not stir and sorrow will not melt and faith will not take hold unless the Lord himself comes in with new strength and assistance you cannot deliver your selves 3. You cannot many times act any one grace when your desires are so to do you finde your hearts many times hard but you cannot soften them dull and you cannot quicken them straitened and you cannot enlarge them you would mourn but cannot fetch up your tears you would believe but you cannot stretch forth one act of faith all that comes from you is Lord help my unbeliefe you would pray but are not able c. 4. If it were in your power and self-strength to act and to do any good works and to walk in Gods Statutes then 1. Why do you make your prayers to God for his help 2. Why have the people of God acknowledged their own inability It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps 3. Why do the works of obedience stick and go on so heavily when they rest on our hands 4. Why is it that they go on so freely and easily when God is pleased to put out his assistance I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart saith David Psal 119. 32. SECT III. 3. Use DOth the Lord promise to cause his people to walk in his Statutes What duties it may teach us and to do them this may instruct or teach us especially the people of God four necessary duties 1. To be alwayes sensible of their own weakness and infficiencie 2. Not to dispond or cast down their hearts because of the greatness of any To be alwayes sensible of our weakness work or dutie which God requires of them 3. To depend on God and to make him their strength and help for all the works which they are to perform 4. To give the praise of all to God First To be alwayes sensible of their own weakness and insufficiencie Two things are of great use unto every Christian one is still to believe Gods alsufficiencie the other is still to acknowledge his own insufficiencie When you are to do any work or dutie suppose it be to repent to believe to pray to preach to withstand a temptation to cast out a sinful corruption preserve in your hearts a sense of your own weakness and insufficiencie as Paul spake so do you Lord who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2. 16. I can do nothing by my own strength here is much work but of my self I can do nothing I am not able to carrie it on There are three Reasons why I offer this advice unto you because many persons Reasons of it are not sensible of their own weakness and insufficiency to spiritual acts of obedience e. g. 1. Such â—s make nothing of the most solemn duties of communion with God they feel not the weight of those services It is all one with them to go to the Lords as to go to their own table it is all one with them to repent of sin as to commit sin it is all one with them to believe on Christ as to say that they believe on Christ it is all one with them to pray as to speak are these men sensible of their weakness and insufficiency unto any duty unto whom the performance of every duty is so easie 2. Such as are seldom in prayer when they are to do any work commanded them of God these men do not see their own weakness and insufficiency they do imagine that they are able to carry on their work in their own strength without the strength of God else they would be much in prayer to God for his help and for his assistance 3. Such as mind not the promises of God to enable them and never make use of them Surely the child thinks himself able to go alone who refuseth the hand and help of the Nurse c. Secondly Because a right sensibleness of your own weakness is a special means to
unbeliefe and of sideing with it and nourishing of it which makes us so ready to deny the power of Gods alsufficiency and to question the intention and purpose of it unto our selves c. against this he wrestles much and doth pray much lest having a promise of Gods helping grace he should fall short of it through unbelief Thirdly If you do indeed look on God as your strength that can and will enable you to walk c. then his promise in relation unto your services of obedience will put life and courage into you even under the greatest and hardest of trials and duties so that the greatest and hardest services will be all one unto you with the weakest and smallest for saith the Church The Lord God will help me Esa 50. 7. 9. And as Asa said when he was going out against an boast of a thousand thousand Ethiopians Lord it is nothing with thee to help whiether with many or with them that have no power 2 Chron. 14 11. So it will be with us when high and difficult works are to be done by us our hearts faint not but we set upon them cheerfully for Gods strength is sufficient for the greatest and for the smallest services Zach. 4. 7. Who art thou O great mountain before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain Sometimes you meet with dreadful temptations and if you do believe and relie on Gods strength you will resist them and fight against them and expect victory over them for God is on your side and his strength will bear down all the strength of Satan Somtimes you meet with strong corruptions why the power of God will subdue them and sin shall not have c. Somtimes you meet with strong afflictions and you will bear them patiently for the hand of God will sustaine you Somtimes you meet with wonderful oppositions from the world why your God is with you and for you and he will uphold and streng then you and fill you with love and zeal for his name O when a man believes indeed on God he doth then 1. Oppose strength to strength 2. See all to be weakness which oppseth God 3. That Gods strength will carry all before it 4. That works which heretofore seemed impossible and unfeasible and we did despaire ever to compass them now we look upon them as possible to be done and dare to set upon them and are confident to be successful in them strong temptations and corruptions will now appear to be vincible and the greatest and hardest of holy duties will now appear to be practicable c. Before we do by faith apprehend and rely on Gods promised strength and asistance we do measure all our works and duties and trials by our own strength but when we do indeed rely on God then we do measure them by Gods strength which is alsufficient When a poor soul lights upon a spiritual promise respectively answerable unto his particular work and occasion and can indeed by faith rely upon God making that promise Come saith he the work will be done which I have often thought would never be done this sin will be mastered and that temptation will be conquered for God hath promised his own strength c. We must look on God as our strangth Fourthly If you do indeed look on God as your strength who can and will enable you to walk in his statutes c. then your hearts will be perfect with God and sound and impartial in respect unto all his wayes you will not pick and chuse you will not take up one duty which concerns you and leave or omit a weightyer duty which concerns you you will not comply only with duties of easiness and neglect the duties of difficultie you will not satisfie your â—elves with the external parts of duty and lay aside the internal ingredients of duty but your hearts will comply with all the will of God and you will sincerely attempt the performance of all Why so because 1. The command of God takes on your souls for all and 2. God assures you by his promise that he will enable you for all the works he requires of you Beloved this is an undeniable truth that so far as men are believingly perswaded of Gods sufficiencie and faithfulness in promise so far their hearts are carried out in evenness and uprightness of walking with God if a man believes that God will be present with him and help and strengthen him for all the duties and works commanded of God this man shall finde his heart closing with God enlarged unto all those works And on the contrary if any man remaines unperswaded of Gods abilitie and faithfulness either in whole or in part his heart will remain unsound and his walking will for ever be uneven with God If he thinks that Gods help is sufficieâ—t against one sin but not against another sin unto which he hath been accustâ—med why he will now remaine under the dominion of that sin If he thinks that Gods help is sufficient for one good work but not for the performance of another good work not to self-denial not to contentedness not to heavenlimindedness not to perseverance O how uneven will this man be how full oâ— carnaâ— reasonings O this cannot be done and this can never be attained And why is not that work done by you as well as by another and attained by you as well as another why can you not mourne for every sin as well as another doth and why cannot you repent and forsake every sin as well as another aâ—d why are not you so even and upright in your wayes as well as another I tell you the reason of it because you do not believe the promise of Gods sufficient grace and you do not rely upon it as another doth think you that he mortifies his sins and acts all those duties by his own strength or by the strength of God and how comes he by that strength but by believing And verily thus far might you have attained as well as he if your heart were sincere and did your hearts desire and trust on God in Christ for his alsufficient help Fifthly if you do indeed trust upon God to be your strength who can and We must trust on God to be our strength will enable you to waâ—k in his statutes and to do them then you are and may be found in the wayes of his strength in the wayes wherein he reveals his arm and power unto his servants Beloved there is a marvellous difference between presumption and faith presumption is a very bold and boisterous and irregular confidence on God both for pardoning mercy and for assisting grace the man loves his sins and lives in them and yet doubts not of Gods mercy to pardon his sins and the man exposeth himself to the temptations of sins and presumes on Gods help to keep him from sin and the man lives in the contempt or in the neglect of Gods ordinances and presumes