has pardoned thy sin and delivered thee from death and nâ—w my soul return unto thy rest the word translated rest in the Original is plural return unto thy rests there are rests enough for a soul whom God hath delivered and pardoned all afflictions to him are but as the Viper on Paul's hand that he may shake off they will do him no hurt the sting of death is sin and the sting of afflictions is that they are the beginners of death but to one that has his sin taken away the property of affliction is altered they come not as acts of revenging Justice but as effects of Love and Mercy the Principle from whence they come and the end to which they tend is differenced from what it was before when Trespasses are forgiven Deliverance from Evil will follow after as it is in the Lords Prayer true as you heard before in the former point If once we come to have afflictions as the fruits of sin then they are heavy and grievous indeed in this case when affliction comes for sin and sin comes to prey upon a man in time of affliction it is just as a Bayliffe set on by a cruel Creditor that comes to a poor man in debt and he lies sick the Bayliffe takes away his Stools Table Bed and Pillow and all he hath to help and comfort him leaves him not a Pillow to rest his weary head upon so when a sinner lies sick and under affliction guilt of sin comes and takes away all thy comforts if thou hast any Promise as a Pillow to rest thy head upon guilt of sin will take it away guilt of sin pulls and tears away every comfort and every good that sinners should have to refresh themselves withal in affliction But when the guilt of sin is gone thou may'st lay thy head down in quiet and rest upon a Promise and it will make affliction very easie that thou shalt have no cause to make complaint as formerly thou had'st Isai 33. ult The Inhabitant shall not say I am sick mark the ground of it for the People that dwell therein shall be forgiven their Iniquity when God comes to bestow this great mercy of pardon the Inhabitants shall not make such dolorous complaints of affliction and trouble upon them says Luther strike Lord strike for I am absolved from my sin if once God has absolved thee or any poor creature from their sin it is not in the power of any affliction to disturb them Job 34.29 When he gives quietness who can give trouble and when he hides his face who then can behold him when God gives quietness as he doth in forgiveness of sin then who can make trouble let there be never so many rumors in the world of war bloud and miseries as if Heaven and Earth met together yet if God give quietness to the heart in assurance of forgiveness of sin who can bring trouble it is not in the power of all the world to disturb his sâ—ul whose sins are forgiven Pardon of sin is that peace the world cannot take away therefore blessed is the man that hath his sins pardoned Of Healing the fruit of Pardoning Mercy 5. Where God pardons sin he heals that soul and sanctifies it by the immediate fruits of the Spirit wheresoever it is and this is a great blessedness who is there that understands the evil of sin that sees not this a great blessedness not only to be delivered from the guilt of sin but also from the uncleanness of sin too and that Sanctification or freedom from the power and slavery that there is under the bondage of sin is a fruit of forgiveness of sin will appear by divers Texts of Scripture I shall not speak to all but only some that make this blessing to be the consequence or immediate fruits that slow in upon forgiveness Jer. 31.33 34 there God promises to put his law into our inward parts But what 's the ground of it in the 34. verse I will forgive their iniquities and remember their sins no more the writing of Gods Law in our inward parts delivering us from the power of sin and sanctifying our hearts comes in as a fruit of Gods forgiving us our iniquities Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you why because you are not under the Law but under Grace Now this is the great grace of the Gospel forgiveness of sin you are under that and therefore it is that sin cannot have dominion over you as if the Apostle had said you may resolve against sin and do what you can to oppose it and strive as much as possible you are able to subdue it yet so long as you remain under the law sin will certainly have dominion over you and you will be under the slavery of it until you come under the grace of the Gospel and partake of that Col. 2.13 ult And you hath he quickned together with him having forgiven you all trespasses so that quickning and Sanctification is a fruit of forgiving of all their trespasses 1 Cor. 15.56 57. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God that giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ the strength of sin is the law Gods Justice in the Law giving men up unto sin there lies the strength of sin But now God through Christ coming to men in the grace of the Gospel there comes deliverance from the strength of sin perhaps some of you have lain under the burden and power of sin and you have thought the only way to get victory hath been to resolve and strive against it and you have done so and yet you cannot get power over your sins I remember one writing to Luther tells him that he had vow'd and covenanted against his sin and yet his sin prevail'd against him until he understood the grace of the Gospel and so may be have you done and yet your sin prevails because you take not this course try the work of faith in point of Justification renew your faith in God for the forgiveness of your sin through Jesus Christ that 's the ready way try that course you that have been tired in labouring against corruption you have resolv'd and pray'd and shed tears and yet that will not do try this way renew your faith dayly in point of Justification by laying hold of the infinite riches of the grace of Christ in the Gospel for pardon for healing power to come in to help you against that which holds you and this will not hinder your duties you may pray resolve and fast as much as before but be sure your great care be to renew your faith in point of Justification and there will come more healing power by that in your souls than by any thing else if once you can touch Christ the bloody issues of your sins that run before come to be dryed up which you could not dry up though you spent your time
is a new creature Old things are past away and all become new Brethren by reason of the sin of man there is a curse upon the whole Creation and this old Creation must come to confusion therefore it is an evil thing for any man to seek his happiness in any thing here in the old Creation for there is a curse upon it and it will come to confusion But there is a new Creation of all in Christ of all spiritual things in Christ Now a sinner when he comes to have his sin pardoned and be justified he come's into a new state that comes in by the new Creation the happiness of the Children comes by and consists in the new Creation old things are done away and he comes to be seated in the new creation in Christ this is the first thing wherein a man or woman is blessed Negatively in being delivered from so great an evil 2. Of the Positive Blessedness of the Pardon of Sin Secondly Positively he 's a blessed man whose sins are forgiven if we consider the excellency of that mercy God makes that soul partaker of whose sins are forgiven Dan. 9.9 To thee Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses forgiveness is the fruit of glorious mercies Exod. 34.6 The Lord is merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving inquity Now I shall open this positively and shew the riches of mercy in forgiveness of sin When the Scripture applys mercy to forgiveness of sin it hath divers expressions sometimes calls it riches of mercy Ephes 1.7 sometimes plenteous mercy Psal 86.8 sometimes Gods fulness of compassion Psal 78.38 sometimes multitude of mercies Psal 51.1 I might give divers other places but those may suffice it is rich plenteous fulness of compassions and multitude of mercies When God forgives sin he shews mercies in all these expressions For the opening of it unto you I shall shew you what abundance of mercy God shows in the forgiveness of sin consider mery 1. in the Efficient 2. in the final cause of it 1. Of the Efficient Cause of Mercy in forgiveness of Sin First for the Efficient Cause there is abundance of mercy God manifests in the forgiveness of sin he abounds in his mercy there is a Sea an infinite vast Ocean of mercy in which the sins of the Elect come to be swallowed up though their sins be many and great and committed with many grievous aggravations yet when they come to an act of Justification to God to be forgiven I say God comes to the soul as an infinite Ocean of mercy that swallows up all the evil in sin attend unto it Look as in the mighty Ocean whether you cast in a load or a shovel full of earth the vast Ocean makes little difference of either so when a soul comes to God in Christ when it comes to Pardon and Justification whether sins be little or great 't is all one the mercy of God makes no difference at all take heed to what I say while I am speaking of forgiveness of sin I shall make known so much grace that if you abuse it it will be one of the most dreadful things that ever you did and therefore while I go along take heed of abusing it especially you that desire to hear of the pardoning mercy of God whether your sins be little or great when you come to pardoning mercy it is an infinite Ocean that swallows up all those that have not their sins pardoned whether their sins be little or great it makes no difference they are truly damn'd for little as well as great sins both sinks down into Hell and the infinite Ocean of wrath and horrour swallows up all so in point of Justification whether your sins be little or great it matters not pardoning mercy swallows up all 2. Of the Final Cause of Mercy in forgiveness of Sin Secondly but further as Mercy is an infinite Ocean that swallows up Sin so Mercy is the Final Cause It is to this end that God might manifest the riches of his grace when God forgives any one sin this forgiveness comes from Gods mercy and it is to this end That God may declare before Men and Angels to all eternity what the greatness and infinite riches of his grace is what the grace of God is able to do when God comes to pardon sin 't is for this end as if he should say Well I am about now to pardon thy sin and this work I am about to do it is for this very end that it may be known to Men and Angels to all eternity what the infinite riches of the infinite grace of God is able to do for poor sinners Now certainly that man is a blessed man if the man whose sins are pardoned hath such mercy shewed to him and such a blessed work upon him as is to that end that God may declare to all eternity what the glorious riches of grace of an infinite God is surely this is a great blessedness when God shall seperate a man or woman for this end it must be very glorious certainly therefore pardon of sin is no light and mean thing but it must be a most glorious work of God wheresoever it is And this Consideration is a mighty Argument to uphold a poor soul under trouble of sin and a great incouragement for him to come in for pardon Dost thou see O troubled soul Gods wrath against thee and dost thou stand quaking at the apprehension of the evil of sin let not thy heart sink come in and cast thy self on the free grace of God there is a possibility for the pardon of thy sin for when God comes to pardon sin the mercy God shews in pardoning of any one sin he does it to the end that he might magnifie the riches of his grace to all eternity and such mercy that serves to that end must needs be glorious And will not such mercy serve thy turn as must set out the infinite rich grace of God God is pleased to manifest thus much mercy for the forgiveness of thy sin and where a sinner is forgiven it is this mercy that is manifested when men judge of God by themselves they think slightly of him when they judge of Gods thoughts by their own What is the reason that makes sinners have such slight thoughts of sin but because they judge of God by themselves that he abhors sin no otherwise than man does and so hope they may do well enough measuring the infinite hatred that God hath to sin by their own so on the other side the sinner that is convinc't of the dreadful evil of sin is ready to dispair Why because he judges of God by himself as if the mercy of God were no other than the mercy of man not considering the mercy of God in pardoning sin is such mercy as is to shew his grace in the riches of it to all eternity Well then that man to whom
to try and see whether God would extend his mercy further and further we tell you in the Name of God and say to you the sins you have committed already are so grievous that it must needs be a wonderful work of God to forgive them and what must you needs add more and more and tempt God to extend his mercy further Take heed of tempting God to extend his mercy further for though God may be pleased to extend his mercy thus far Who shall prescribe God how far he shall go Who can tell but that the thoughts of God towards thee are thus that he will go thus far to pardon thee but if thou go on in sin who can tell whether he will go on to pardon further 'T is true when God comes to pardon he will do them all away but know thou that goest on to increase the guilt of thy sin thou may'st find it as many thousands have found it a mighty hard thing which hath cost them much anguish and distress of spirit to get the pardon of their sin sealed in the Court of Conscience though it was sealed before in Heaven O the anguish of spirit it hath cost them and dost thou still go on to heap up more and more sin as if the pardon of thy sin was nothing there is a great deal of reason in this to cry to sinners to stop in the course of sin for thou hast gone on enough already go no further that 's a second abuse of the mercy of God in pardoning sin Thirdly They abuse the mercy of God that have extream slight thoughts of pardon of sin that think to have it at any time when they will 't is but repenting as it was said of Lewis the xith King of France That he wore a Crusifix in his Hat and when he had committed a sin it was but taking it down and kissing of it and all was well again so many Idolatrous Papists they have as slight thoughts of pardon of sin as can be if they commit a sin they make no more of it but go to a Priest to shrieve them or kneel before a Crucifix and knock their breast which is a thing soon done and all 's well again certainly 't is a great dishonour to God for any man to have slight thoughts of the pardon of sin It is such a work as if ever any thing put God to it as I may say to pardon sin and yet to salve his Justice it was this work and certainly if ever God have love to thee thou wilt change thy thoughts about this and certainly the slight thoughts men have about this is the cause many times why they are held so long under the spirit of bondage when God begins to work upon them and stirs the Conscience and lays the guilt of sin home upon it how long are they before they can have any assurance of pardon and in just judgment it is so because they had slight thoughts before of the pardon of sin I remember it is storied of Pompey when one of his Captains came to him and told him he wanted men says he I can but stamp my foot upon the ground and bring forth so many men presently but when the Enemy came this Captain came to him again and said where 's your men now but then he could not get them when he was in distress and had great need of them as many think they can do great things with a word speaking as if all must be at their beck presently but when they come to it they fail and find it otherwise so many make it a small matter to get pardon of sin they think to do it with a Lord have mercy upon us at their death-bed or the like but when they come to it indeed God makes them to know It is the greatest business that ever they had to do in in all their lives there is nothing that God is so jealous of as his honour and specially about this great work and certainly were it not that God is very jealous of his honour and would cure the slight thoughts that men have of this great work there needs never be so much humiliation and workings of the spirit of bondage and certainly did we but know the greatness of this work how would sinners snatch at any opportunity or hint of Gods favour appearing to them they would do as the servants of Benhadad 1 King 20.33 diligently observe if any thing would come from him and hastily catch at it they watched that if any thing did come from him that did make any way to that which they sought after and did hastily catch at it so did a soul understand the pardon of sin what a great work it is he would be so far from having slight thoughts of it that he would come cloath'd in Sackcloath and every Sermon would be watching and enquiring what hath God spoke any word to my soul or no And if any word fall from a Minister concerning this great business such a soul would catch greedily at it and lose no opportunity to imbrace it Psal 32. is very remarkable to this purpose David found it a very hard thing to get pardon of his own sin vers 4. and he acknowledged it and God forgave him vers 5. what follows vers 6. For this shall every man that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou may'st be found as if David in this language spake thus O all you poor sinners that sin against God think it an easie matter to get pardon of sin know I have found it otherwise it cost me dear before I could get assurance of pardon and therefore for this cause let every one that is acquainted with the ways of God seek to God in due time and not put it off from time to time for the business is not so slight to put it off many abuse the example of David and think because he sinned they may take liberty to sin but they consider not what abundance of sorrow it cost him to get his pardon it cost him so much as that he tells them for this cause every one shall seek God in due time many think they may put it off till any time but mark what David says For this cause every man that is godly shall seek thee in a time when thou may'st be found he does not say I have found mercy in the pardoning of my great sins and for this cause men shall be bold to put it off to any time no but for this cause those that are godly and have any acquaintance in the wayes of God will seek God in a time that he may be found and if those that are godly that have sin pardoned in the Court of heaven find so hard a matter of it to get it pardoned in their own Consciences how does it concern thee that perhaps hast thy sin neither pardoned in the Court of Heaven nor in thy own Conscience But art in the
hope their sins are pardoned Do you so then you know the love of God in Christ for this is a special work of the love of God in Christ to pardon sin now the Apostel says when you come to know this you come to be filled with all the fulness of God What is the fulness of God as faith increases with the rest of the graces so you grow fuller and fuller in Gods fulness and so you grow more into a fuller assurance of pardon of sin now the soul can say as I find more assurance of the love of God in his Son so I find my soul more filled with this grace of the fulness of God Alas when I was under the Law God and I were strangers I felt little of God in me but now I begin to know the love of God in the Gospel I begin to have my soul filled with fulness of God not with chaff and dross and filthy things which heretofore my thoughts will and affections were filled withal but now 't is otherwise with me my soul is now filled with all the fulness of God certainly that soul that can say thus may well go a way with that word of Christ spoken to the woman Luk 7.50 Go in peace thy faith hath saved thee Rom. 5.1 The Apostle speaks of pardon of sin being justified by Faith we have peace with God that is God revealing justification by Faith in Christ it brings peace with it and by whom we have access and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God and not only so but we glory in tribulation knowing that c. What knowledge is this It 's this that we are justified by Faith and so come to have peace with God How does this cause the heart to be inlarged we rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God and not only so but we are strengthened and can glory in tribulation our hearts grow up to that strength that whatsoever tribulations we meet withal we are able to bear them with patience and not only so but to glory in them we not only grow up to bear that which many cannot but to rejoyce in them that is more and then to glory is above rejoycing Now Do you find that the assurance that you have of the love of God brings strength in to your soul to inable you to rejoyce in hope of the glory to come as if the Apostle had said let what will become of us for the present what though the world scorn us hate persecute us yet we rejoyce in hope of the glory that is to come and this makes us glory in tribulation knowing that tribulation works patience patience experience and experience hope Here 's a working of several graces together and this may help many a poor soul O says the soul at such a time I had a great deal of assurance of pardon of sin and much joy thereupon But have not Hypocrites joy yes certainly a Hypocrite may have wonderful ravishments of spirit and flashes of pardon of sin but yet there is somewhat wanting in other graces but how shall I know that my assurance of pardon of sin is right thus according to the degree you have of assurance of pardon you have an answerable degree in the growth of other graces as Humility Patience Heavenly-mindedness Self-denyal and the rest according as your faith grows so you have a proportionable growth in all other graces faith is as the root and the more sap there is in the root the more will the branches grow those people that are so full of assurance and never doubted as they say but as for other graces they are empty as the Fear of God Meekness Patience Self-denyal Heavenly-mindedness and the like certainly if thy faith be so high and thy other graces so low thou hast much cause to fear thy faith is not right 't is not the faith of Gods Elect as the Scripture speaks it is not pretious faith for according to the degree you have of that all other graces will grow you hope that your sins are pardoned How come you by it the soul that hath true pardon of sin hath fetch 't it from Heaven in a right way in Gods own way How is that it is on this wiâ—e the soul that sees it self lost and undone through the guilt of sin God revealing his infinite riches of grace in the Gospel such a soul seeing God on his Throne holding out his Son God-Man as Mediator to make an attonement it by a mighty work of faith closes with that glorious way of Reconciliation by the Son that it sees God the Father tender to him and so fetches grace out of the Treasury of Gods bounty in the way of the Gospel in an Evangelical way that was before opened Examine now Have you fetcht out your pardon through the way of the Gospel that the soul by a mighty act of faith hath been willing to venture its self and its eternal station on the Son of God Have you look't on Christ as a mighty Mediator as one able to save you then you have acted faith in a Gospel way and your sins are pardoned Again Are you pardoned then you are sealed that you heard likewise of there is the Broad Seal of Heaven that stamps the Image of God upon the soul as the Image of the King is on the Seal of the Kingdom so the Image of God the Broad Seal of Heaven is stampt upon the soul which I mention that you may make use of it in examination Ninthly Whomsoever God pardons there will be an answerable work in thy soul unto the work of God in justifying thee as in Election and Vocation so in Justification How is that thus that as God notwithstanding all thy sin accepts of thee to his grace and love so notwithstanding all the trouble and afflictions that are in Gods ways thou wilt accept of God and his ways he accepts of thy soul notwithstanding thy sin thou wilt accept of him and his wayes notwithstanding all evils and afflictions that accompany company them there are woful evils of sin that accompany thy soul yet God will accept of thee so there are great evils in the ways of God Afflictions that accompany them yet thou wilt accept of them and think it reasonable What shall God accept of my soul notwithstanding all the evil of sin and shall not I accept of Gods ways notwithstanding all the evil of affliction and trouble certainly the soul that is pardoned cannot but answer God so far as this Will God justifie me notwithstanding my sin I will justifie God notwithstanding any trouble affliction difficulty or sufferings that may befal me in his ways and I will justifie the ways of God this is both an Evidence and a duty God justifies our souls though they be very sinful we have cause to justifie Gods ways though they be very troublesom if thou dost not so thou art none of Gods child for wisdom is justified of her Children
against God that I know not that I cannot tell how to make up his glory for there is care taken for that already and therefore that need not discourage thee Tenthly There are as vile sinners now Triumphing in Heaven as any of you that are here be you never so black and vile and therefore be not discouraged at the greatness of thy sins for though they be very great yet that may not keep thee out others as vile as thou art are now in Heaven Eleventhly Make the utmost of thy sin thou can'st yet this need not hinder thee to come to God for for ought that either men or Angels know thou hast as much interest in Christ as any Saint in Heaven over had and if thou comest in and layest hold on Christ thy very laying hold on Christ will plainly shew thou hast a right unto him and therefore be not discouraged but come in Twelfthly Vpon thy closing with Christ thou wilt find such a change as was never wrought in any creature besides for though thou wer 't vile and filthy more vile and filthy than a child new born by original and actual sins ingendred in thee yet thou shalt be made cleaner than a child and more pure in the eyes of God than any child cleansed from his filthiness would not you do any thing to be pure in the eyes of God make use of what I say and you shall be clean when you hear the Ministers utter the threatnings of God you fall out with the man and say he preaches nothing but terror alas 't is our delight to preach the pardoning grace of God but we must shew the evil of sin and it is that you might come in and imbrace mercy for know we delight to preach mercy more than any thing else and know that if thou desirest that all thy thoughts ways and actions may be for Gods glory he will not upbraid thee for coming in unto him Joh. 6.37 He that cometh to Christ he will in no wise cast out though thou hast been never so great a sinner yet thou may'st come in and close with Christ for he that comes to him be he what he will he will in no wise cast out Thirteenthly Thou wilt fill Heaven with joy and there will be more melody in Heaven than at the coming in of any Prince to his Kingdom and I may say unto you even in this place if you come in the Angels will rejoyce at it for there are many Angels stand about you therefore take heed of your carriage for they come to see your behaviour have a special care your hearts be set upon the work you come about for they are here to see how you carry your selves Fourteenthly In obtaining pardon of sin and closing with Christ by faith thou art made heir of the whole world Rom. 4.13 How does many of you Marriners and others venture upon dangerous voyages to get great Estates in this world and you count them happy that are born to great Estates Why by closing with Jesus Christ by faith for remission of sins you are made heirs of the whole world I mean not of that to come but of this present world though none of you certainly desire more than may carry you to Heaven yet you are true and proper heirs of the whole world All is yours the Scripture is very clear in it but I cannot now stand to inlarge upon it 1 Cor. 3. latter end Fifteenthly For any thing thou knowest thou art one of Gods Elect and there is nothing thou art to do but God hath promised to inable thee to do it for there is such a transaction between God and Christ that he that shall be saved shall not have only savour vouchsaf't unto him but shall be inabled to do whatsoever God requires of him there shall be grace given to every one of the Elect of God And now if thou comest in and givest up thy self and all that thou art hast or can'st do to Christ How knowest thou but thou art one of those that art Elect and so shall be made for ever happy But if after all that has been said thou goest away with slight thoughts of this rich and transcendent grace of pardoning mercy and dost not set presently upon the work to obtain it Be thou for ever ashamed and confounded but let the pardoning mercy of God be for ever magnified FINIS A TABLE of the Principal Things contain'd in this Treatise CHAP. I. THe Text opened and the main Doctrine propounded viz. pag. 1 Doct. That the blessedness of a man or of any soul consists in the free grace of God forgiving of his sin 4 CHAP. II. Of the blessedness of the pardon of sin which appears 6 1. Negatively in the evil it frees us from ibid. 2. Positively in the good bestowed upon us therein consider 8 1 The Efficient cause of mercy in forgiveness of sin ibid. 2 The Final cause of mercy in forgiveness of sin 9 CHAP. III. Of 11 wonderful Mysteries of Godliness included in in the great mercy of forgiveness of Sin 10 1 It is by means of a Mediator 11 2 It is through Christs undertaking the debt upon himself 12 3 It is by Christs sufferings 13 4 Sin pardoned makes the soul stands righteous before God 14 5 This righteousness is in another ibid. 6 A near union is made between Christ and the Soul 15 7 It is by faith yet boasting is excluded 16 8 God is infinitely just and yet infinitely merciful 18 9 When God forgives sin at present he forgives all to come 19 10 God pardons a sinner not because he is but that he might be changed 25 11 God himself purchases the Pardon 27 CHAP. IV. Of Pardon of Sin not only being a mercy in it self but the Foundation of many other Mercies 28 1 Peace 1 with God 2 with 1 Conscience 2 Creatures 30 32 33 2 The Revelation of Gods secrets to them he pardons ibid. 3 It makes all other injoyments to be mercies which otherwise are not 38 1 By reason of guilt of sin 39 2 Not known whether they be given in love or hatred ibid. 4 It makes all afflictions easie to be borne 40 1 The great good of pardon makes the bitterest evil nothing 41 2 It assures the soul the evil of affliction is gone 42 5 Pardoning mercy brings healing with it into the soul 43 6 Comfort against death the effect of pardoning mercy 45 7 Security against the worlds reproaches 46 8 It is the foundation of eternal life 48 9 It is the bottom of all true comfort ibid. CHAP. V. Of Pardoning Mercy passing through a great many difficulties by reason of the wrong that man hath done to God by Sin 49 1 God must be made Man and yet remain the same God he was before 50 2 He must die and be made a curse ibid. 3 The dead heart of man must be raised to do the gloriousest work that any creature ever did 51 Hence 1
the grace of the Gospel that thus objectest it is another manner of thing than thou art aware of there is not that malignity in the grace of the Gospel to cause such effects in the hearts of believers Luther compares sin to Lime and the law to Water that makes the Lime hotter but the grace of the Gospel says he is like to Oyl and Oyl will quench Lime but Water will not so the Oyl of the Gospel will quench the sins of men and certainly the more there is of the grace of God revealed in the Gospel the more the lusts remaining in the heart of a believer come to be quenched this is an evident Argument of the great difference between the mercy of God revealed in the Gospel and received by faith and that which is received only in a natural way you that are unbelievers and receives the Gospel only in a natural way your lusts may be nourished and you may take liberty for wickedness But if once you come to receive the mercy of God in and through Christ Jesus then that mercy will be the greatest opposer of thy lusts and sin as any thing can be in the world certainly thou know'st not the work of God in Christ forgiving sin that reason'st thus I shall shew you plainly The knowledge of the great work of the Propitiation by Christ brings the soul into a hatred of all sin and is no nourisher of it 1 Joh. 1.9 the Apostle speaks of the wonderful grace of God in Christ to us If we confess our sins he is not only ready to forgive but to cleanse us from them And chap. 2.1 My little children I write unto you that you sin not that you take not liberty in any sin they might say you write these things that we sin not but we have sinful natures and so shall certainly fall into sin for all this Well for the comfort of Saints If any man sin says he we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ is presently an Advocate though you sin through ignorance and negligence and do not renew present acts of faith to sue out a pardon yet says the Holy Ghost Jesus Christ is an Advocate with the Father the Lord Christ stands before the Father pleading that no evil may befal you for your sin this is the admirable priviledge of the Saints of God a most blessed priviledge they have by the Covenant of Grace that when they commit a sin and may be take no notice and may be Conscience is so benum'd at present that they go not to God to seek a pardon but may be lie in sin a long time together yet says the Text you have one that pleads your cause and it is from hence that Gods wrath comes not out against you because you have an Advocate with the Father Well says the 2d vers And he is the Propitiation not only for our sins but the sins of the whole world he means believers Now in the third vers says he Hereby we know that we know him If we keep his Commandements as if he had said If we do not take heed of sin and keep his Commandements we know not this grace of pardon if any that here us Ministers teach this Doctrine and say they know him and have no care to keep Gods Commandements 't is quite contrary to what the Apostle says he says Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandements this knowing of him as it is a means to keep his Commandements so 't is an argument we do know him when we do keep his Commandements vers 4. He that says I know him that is Christ to be a Propitiation and an Advocate and keeps not his Commandements is a liar and the truth is not in him That man that reasons thus and says Well I believe in Jesus Christ and I know my sins are pardoned through faith in him yea and all the sins that shall be committed a pardon is laid in for them and I shall never enter into condemnation Dost thou say so and yet keep'st not Gods Commandements Hast not thou the Conscience and the rather upon the knowledge of this to keep Gods Commandements the Holy Ghost says Thou art a lyar and there is no truth in thee and thou wer 't never acquainted with this mystery of godliness when it is understood in a natural way men may abuse it you may know what I mean by a natural way and God knows you have need of Information by a natural way I mean by the light of Natural Reason and all other helps of learning on this side the work of the Holy Ghost but when men understand it by a powerful work of the Holy Ghost they that know it thus this knowledge will make them more careful and conscionable to keep Gods Commandements and if any man say he knows it thus and does not keep Gods Commandements he is a liar and the truth is not in him Further If a man should reason thus Well if there be such a mystery in pardon of sin and that God when he pardons sin at first lays in a pardon for all sin afterward this will make way for more sin Take notice here of the infinite perverseness of the heart of man suppose it were not thus but the contrary were true that God indeed pardoned the sins of a believer coming to him but if ever he sin after pardon let him look to it he shall then be under the sentence of death and condemnation upon this a mans heart would not be more ingaged to seek after Christ but would reason thus Well I may labour and take pains and suffer much to get a comfortable assurance of the pardon of sin but what of all this the next day the next hour I may sin again and be in the same case I was before so that which way soever things go men will reason against God for their lusts I shall put it to you or to any heart that may be supposed to have attended on God yea and hath received grace Which of these Doctrines ingage the heart most for God either this Doctrine or the other whether that you believing that God will pardon sin yet if you fall into any new sin you are under a sentence of condemnation or thus that God is so gracious that he not only pardons sin for present but for your incouragement he so pardons it that though you through infirmity fall again into sin he will not out off his kindness from you Which of these is the greater incouragement certainly to a slavish spirit the one may be more than the other But to a spirit that may be supposed to have any ingenuity in it the latter words must needs far more ingage him to walk with God all his days What is Gods grace so free that he should have such pity on poor creatures not only at their first coming in and casting themselves on Christ as to pardon all their sins
danger least God in his wrath swear against thee that thou shalt never enter into rest Well If the case be so then you may say What shall we do that we might not dishonour this sweet and precious grace but that we might honour God in it Is this the frame of thy heart to be careful above all things in the world that thou mightest not dishonour this precious grace Does thy heart work thus Lord whatever I have been heretofore though I have been a negligent vile wretch yet for time to come it shall be the work of my soul to give up my self unto whatever God shall speak unto me that I may not dishonour God Is this the frame of thy spirit The Lord keep it so Now that I might direct you in this great Point I shall 1. shew who they are that are pardoned for that will be a foundation for direction and then 2ly shew you what you ought to do to get it what we are to put you upon if you find not Evidence of it And then 3ly What is to be done for the honouring of the grace of God by those that have some comfortable Evidence of it CHAP. XVI Of the several Mistakes of Men about the Pardon of their Sins OUr work now is to shew who they are that have their sins pardoned for there is nothing in all the world so much concerns us as to know how things stand with us in relation to God and our souls whether we be pardoned or no for a mistake in this is a wonderful mistake and yet how many thousands are there that venture the weight of this great business upon poor weak and slight grounds yea rather on meer suggestions of their own hearts and therefore we must first labour to convince men of their mistakes about pardon of sin and then lay down some sound Evidences of pardon in which there may be true and solid peace People are exceeding apt to mistake in point of pardon of sin hoping that God has pardoned them and that they shall not be laid to their charge but upon very slight grounds that will deceive them And therefore I desire this day you would look upon your selves as arraign'd before the great God as one day you must be And let your hearts so hear and attend to what we deliver as if God should speak to you and say Thou sinner such and such things thou art privy to and hast been guilty of What can'st thou say why the sentence of everlasting death should not be past upon thee why God should not declare against thee according to his Law I suppose scarce any of you but have some hope that God will never proceed against you according to his Law for indeed if he do you are undone for ever But what are the grounds of your hopes why you think God will not proceed against you for your sins but will pass them by and forgive you let us a little examine the grounds of it for it is of very great Consequence and certainly many people are now sunk down into the bottomless pit of Hell by resting upon false grounds I shall labour to discover the weakness of their standing that rest on false grounds the First Is this many think that God has pardoned their sin because it is but little they have been guilty of and for that they think there is a pardon in course were I guilty of such horrible wickedness and notorious sins as many others are then I think it would go hard with me I should be affraid things between God and me were very grievous but the sins I have been guilty of are no such great sins I hope God will pass them by God forbid I should think he were so strickt as not to pass by such small sins as those that I have been guilty of For answer to this 1 Know thou dost not understand what the evil and malignity of sin means If thou thinkst the least sin does not make such a breach between God and thee as all created power in Heaven and Earth can never make up again if you do not beleive that all those Sermons preacht unto you about the evil of sin are lost unto you But know as a little Pen-knife may stabb you to death as truly as a gash of the greatest Sword and a little shot out of a Pistol may kill you as well as a Canon bullet So a little sin may prove your eternal ruine as well as a great one and therefore that is no argument that God hath past by your sins because they are little ones and for that consider this one thing I am further speaking of 2. Gods pardoning mercy is his own to do with it what he pleases and therefore that God may shew his prerogative he will sometimes to some pardon their great sins and others he will damn for little sins you think your sins are not so great as other mens and therefore you think that God will forgive you do not deceive your selves with this God will do with his mercy what he pleases What if he will pardon the most notorious gross sins in others and damn thee for thy sins in thoughts what if he will pardon the most notorious uncleanness and murder in another and damn thee for a wanton thought he may do it for his mercy is his own For this take the example of David and Saul compared together David committed many sins but especially those two of Adultery and Murder and yet God pardoned him but Saul committed far less sins then those and yet God cast him off for ever the things on which God laid the casting off of Saul were these two sins 1. He did not stay till Samuel came when Samuel had appointed a time to come he deferr'd it to the last minute and Saul was in a great strait he tarry'd for him long and he thought he must not go to war except he offer'd Sacrifice before and he ventured to offer it himself and did not stay out the full time he staid so long till he thought that Samuel would not come and then that he did was but to offer Sacrifice to God and yet God laies this very thing unto his charge as a cause why he would cast him off 1 Sam. 13.13 Samuel tells him that God had thought to establish the Kingdom for ever unto him But now he will not you are gone Saul for this sin the 2. sin in Scripture on which God layes his casting off upon is this God sent him against the Amalekites and bad him destroy all but he spar'd the fat of the flock and the King Now the sparing of the fat of the flock was done out of a good intention he professes it was that the People might have of the fattest to offer in Sacrifice to God a good intention and yet for this God tells him that he would rend the Kingdom from him for that thing 1 Sam. 15.28 True it is that though
vile before yet being justified there is a lustre in their conversations that convinces Parents and Governours and makes them see an apparent difference between what they are now and what they were before though they contemn it yet they know that God will own that difference that he has made to be his own glory and will declare it one day that this was the thing that was glorious in his eyes And therefore now would you know whether you are justified Are you glorified What glory of God is come into your hearts and appears in your lives and conversations Can you say my life is so though I have many weaknesses yet I hope something of the glory of God appears in me for so it must be there is no soul God justifies but God inables him to live so as the glory of God shines in the conversation of such a one Now if these things be so what cause have you to fear you are not a justified person but for the present many times it doth not appear for most of you darken the glory of God in your lives you that are justified should shew it forth more in your conversation among all with whom you have to do and then what a beauty and Evidence of your Justification would it be unto you Sixthly Those whom God pardons he makes them know what pardon means thou hopest thy sins are pardoned Dost thou understand and know what hath been said about it certainly those whom God pardons he causes admiring thoughts in the soul of the excellency of this blessedness of the pardon of sin the soul is taken with the admiration of three things First It admires at the freeness and the riches of Gods grace Secondly At the price that was paid for pardon Thirdly It admires at the wonderful good it is brought into and that which the soul receives by this blessedness of the pardon of sin other things God may bestow on men and women and they know not the worth of them and do not mind God in them but when God bestows pardon of sin he makes the soul have admiring thoughts of it and to know what it is Jer. 33.9 And it shall be to me a Name of joy a praise and honour and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and prosperity that I procure unto it certainly if others shall do it much more themselves those whom God pardons he bestows such mercies upon as that the soul shall even stand amazed with a trembling heart and an amazed spirit to behold all the goodness that the Lord shews to it Now have your hearts been taken with it you may know much of your Evidences if your hearts have been taken with admiring thoughts of it for certainly when God pardons sin he doth it to magnifie his grace and set out to Men and Angels in the infiniteness of it what his grace can do to poor souls if this be Gods end as certainly it is then it must needs be that those whom God pardons he gives such grace as shall cause the soul that it shall have admiring thoughts of it Has thy soul seen so much of the grace of God that it admires at the greatness and goodness of it be of good comfort thy sins are pardoned Seventhly The more assurance God gives of pardon the more the heart melts before God in mourning for the sins that God has pardoned according to the manifestation of Gods mercy in pardoning so doth the soul by the work of Gods grace melt in holy mourning even for those sins that God has pardoned many think they must mourn for sin to get pardon but when they are pardoned Why should they mourn then I have spoken to that before that many mourn to get pardon but I say they mourn because they are pardoned I manifest it thus in this evidence I give of pardon of sin that according to the degree of knowledge the soul hath of pardon of sin the heart melts before God for all sins that are pardoned the 51. Psal is exceeding remarkable David laments his sin exceeding bitterly but mark the Title of that Psalm To the chief Musitian a Psalm of David when Nathan the Prophet came unto him after he had gone in to Bathsheba Now would you know what Nathan did when he came unto David you shall find if you read the story of David's Adultery and Murther 2 Sam. 12. Chap. it was to bring the news unto David of the pardon of his sin first Nathan convinces him of his sin that he should do it before Israel and before the Sun and having convinc't him he says further the Lord hath put away thy sin Now a secure heart might go away and say all is well I shall not dye God hath pardoned my sin I need not be troubled any more about that matter But mark the Psalmist how he cries out to God Have mercy O Lord upon me and blot out all my transgressions wash me purge me and then he prays for restoring mercies for his broken bones and then cries out for further assurance the very grace of God that Nathan brought to him of the pardon of his sin that very grace of God did melt and break his heart so much the more after God had sent to him the pardon of his sin he mourned more than ever before we never read that David was so much troubled for his sin as in this 51. Psal that was after Nathan had come unto him Now if you find that at that time when God is pleas'd to come unto you in the Ministry of the Word or in private to declare unto you the pardon of your sin and to give you the comfortable Evidence of it that then your hearts are most devoted to mourn for them and to melt before God Be of good comfort thy sins are pardoned Eightly Another note is this that according to the degree of pardon of sin so all other graces grow the knowledge and assurance of Gods love in Christ in the pardon of sin it causes all other graces to grow proportionably as you have it in Ephes 3.19 about the knowledge of the love of God in Christ mark the connection he desires That they might comprehend with all Saints what is the height and depth c. and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge and be filled with all the fulness of God What is the love of Christ the love of Christ is the procuring cause of the forgiveness of sin be-before God the Father and when you know this this will fill you with all the fulness of God Mark first It brings God in to the soul And secondly Fills the soul with God And thirdly Fills the soul with the fulness of God And fourthly Fills the soul with all the fulness of God when you come to know the love of God in Christ if any thing in the world will fill the soul with all the fulness of God this will many will say they
thou hopest thy sins are pardoned and that God will justifie thee and wilt not thou justifie him Does not thy sin hinder Gods grace to thee and shall trouble and affliction hinder thy glorifying God O man thou hast too vile a heart and too base a spirit to be one of those that God hath pardoned if thou wert a child of Wisdom and one whom God hath pardoned as God hath justified thee so thou wilt justifie God This note may meet with those that in company hear Ministers and the ways of God cryed out against and yet have not a word to speak to justifie God perhaps Gentlemen and others spake ill of Gods ways and thou standest speaking and hast not a word to say for God and his ways Dost thou think God hath justified thee and dost thou hear God and his People and his Word reproached and thou hast not a heart to justifie God Tenthly and lastly Those whom God pardons and forgives he puts in them a merciful frame of heart to forgive others and that upon Divine grounds there is a kind of natural forgiveness many will forgive but it is as a Heathen forgives another and it is a shame for many that profess themselves Christians that they do not go so far but you must forgive in a spiritual way for that is the way that accompanies padon of sin to forgive because I have had more forgiven such a one hath offended me but how much more have I offended the Lord and if the Lord forgive me ought not I to forgive him you know in the Gospel he that had so many Talents forgiven him and afterwards went and took his Brother by the throat how ill the Lord took it that having forgiven him so much he should exact of his Brother the utmost farthing Hath God forgiven thee thy sin which had he not it would have everlastingly chained thee in torments and wilt not thou forgive for as it is an Evidence so it is a duty and a part of Prayer in that divine Directory called the Lords Prayer Matth. 6. Forgive us as we forgive and in another place it runs thus forgive for we forgive therefore thou can'st have no Evidence that God hath forgiven thy iniquities and pardoned thy trespasses except others be in thy thoughts forgiven too I might have given divers Scriptures but I mention it as a duty that you that have any knowledg of your sin pardoned would make this as a ground to forgive your Brethren say Alas poor wretch hath God forgiven me was there ever such a distance between my brother and me as there was between God and me and hath God forgiven and shall not I forgive my brother It is impossible a soul should be made acquainted with the rich mercy of God in forgiveness of sin and have not a meek spirit to forgive his brother Nothing can take away the rugged sowrness and rigidness of one man towards another but the Oyl of Gods grace in pardoning of sin and that coming once into the soul makes the soul to be of a sweet mild gentle kind and tender frame Observe this you that have rugged natures you say it is nature and you cannot help it if any thing change it it is the mercy of God in pardoning thy sin is there not so much in the grace of God in pardoning thy sin as to change that rugged nature of thine certainly there is else thou hast little hope that thy sin is pardoned therefore if God have pardoned thee thou must go and do so likewise I am perswaded many of you hope 't and longed for this Sermon and I desired to be the larger because I would lay the Evidences full before you here you have had the blessed man and woman described unto you but there is but few of them few can go away and say as we have heard so it is But I hope divers of you can it was for you that it was preached and sent from Heaven that you should feed upon it and 't is as needful as the bread you eat But there is one thing more that is very meet to annex to all that hath been said for without that I am afraid there are many to whom the consolation of this Text and Point belongs to will go away with little comfort because they know not how to apply them and that is to give some rules how to make use of these signs and be able to apply them and by the same rules you may come to know any other notes of Trial concerning your spiritual Estate and to make use of them in any other particular whatsoever CHAP. XVIII Of the Rules how to apply the Evidences of Pardon of Sin IT is a matter of great concernment to us to try whether our sins are forgiven for in times of danger our hearts are ready to sink but the Evidence of this that our sins are forgiven will hold up our hearts in the midst of the greatest dangers whatsoever if Heaven and Earth should meet together if I have assurance of this for so it follows after David had pronounc't him blessed whose sins were forgiven Vers 6. Surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him there may be floods of great waters but he that hath his sins forgiven God shall preserve him and compass him about with songs of deliverance but they that have their sins compass them about shall have horrour and terrour to compass them about but says David having assurance his sins were pardoned Thou art my hiding place and thou shalt compass me about therefore if your hearts close with those Evidences given you may have comfort in the great water-floods God will be a hiding place unto you it concerns very much to labour to put this out of doubt and not to put it off to a sick-bed or death-bed time of examination but now to those Evidences there is another thing which is of great concernment in this Point and that is to give some rules how to make use of those or all other Evidences that shall be given at any time for tryal of any Especially for the tryal of our states in point of Justification or Sanctification but they will be helpful to the use of any other Evidences whatsoever First is this that you may be able to apply those rules of Trial and Evidences given though you cannot find them all yet if you find but any one of them you may receive comfort from that though you feel not the rest you may be assured that the rest are there Many a soul many times hears Evidences of the happy condition in point of pardon of sin and it may be there is one two or three that they can catch hold on but there are some others they cannot take hold of them if thou findest but one of them in thy heart though thou can'st not feel or see the other yet God doth see the other to be there within though