their sin to mortifie sin to caution them against sin for the future 4. That many trials and afflictions come on pardoned sinners wherein God doth not pursue them for sin but is trying their faith and their graces Such were Jobs trials though Elihu tells him what he was he had sin and his sin deserved all was come upon him yet betwixt God and Satan all his trials were stated on this whether he would prove a godly man and continue so notwithstanding of them all and such were these trials under which the Apostles and other godly persons did glory God in these was not pursuing sin but taking service and proofs of their faith love zeal patience c. under the cross from them and to this pertains that of Joh. 9.2.3 When the Disciples asked him sayng Master Who did sin This man or his parents that he was born blind Christ answers Neither hath this man sinned nor his parents That is God was not punishing his nor his parents sin in that stroak of blindness but that the works of God might be made manifest in him These truths being conceded there are other some things to be caution'd against as error and I shall reduce what I would say for Caution to these three Heads 1. It is certain that sin is the in-let to all affliction Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Death that is all calamities which are a begun death and the great death the separation of the soul from the body And hence what-ever may be God's design in any affliction he sends on godly men it is their wisdom while they are under the Cross to search out and be sensible of sin and to be humbled for it before God as we said before when we was on the 2 and 3. verses That sense of trouble should be attended with the sense of sin The sense of sin is good company when sense of trouble is sharpest and therefore though Job was under a cleanly tryal yet Elihu tells him he had sin to deserve all that was come upon him and if he considered his sin he would quarrel less when his friends mistook him What-ever other exercise affliction calls to this is one to search out and be humbled for sin and it is a shrewd evidence that that affliction is not blessed of God that is not well Varnished with sense of sin But 2ly Not only is sin the in-let to all afflictions but even godly persons pardoned of sin may be under affliction upon the account of sin I shall not speak of those common and absolutely determined afflictions as that all godly men must die and godly women must have pain in child-bearing as well as others but godly pardoned persons may come under peculiar afflictions upon the account of sin and that either before sin is committed or after sin is committed Before sin be committed godly men may come under affliction upon the account of sin How many afflictions got godly men upon the account of their corrupt dispositions to prevent sin to withdraw them from their purpose to hide pride from man to keep back his soul from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword Job 33.17 18. How many are such hard Rocks that they must have hard Wedges to rent them How many are so prone to wandering that were not their way hedged up with thorns and the cross laid in their way they would ruine themselves in following their lovers How many would be intolerable to live with if their nose were not holden on the Grindstone How many are made beggers because they cannot bear wealth Thus ye see godly men may be put under the cross with an eye to sin to prevent sin Again they may be brought under peculiar afflictions upon the account of sin even when it is committed and that either before it be pardoned or after it is pardoned Before it be pardoned as when a sinner is lying under unrepented guilt singing himself asleep in his provocations If a godly man with David 2 Sam. 11. drive such a Trade to fall into scandalous sins and ly over in security the Lord will send a hurl upon him not to satisfie his justice but to shake him out of his secure posture and to set him to his feet to the exercise of repentance and humiliation he will send a rod that he may hear the voice thereof and who hath appointed it Hence David Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray before I got the cross I wandered and knew not what I was doing but now have I kept thy word That 's affliction upon the account of sin committed before it be pardoned to waken out of security and put to repent for it again afflictions may come on the godly upon the account of sin even when it is pardoned when the pardoned man falls in sin especially if it be a scandalous sin he may not win easily away with that escape but may be made to go with a born-down-back after it is pardoned all his days 2 Sam. 10.12 13. The Lord tells David that he had pardoned him yet that the sword should not depart from his house for all that We suppose the Corinthians were godly men and pardoned for the abuse of the Lords Supper yet 1 Cor. 11.30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep For if we would judge our selves we should not be judged But when we are judged we are chastned of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world Where ye may see affliction is let out upon the account of sin remitted And if ye ask Why doth the Lord so I answer not to take a satisfaction to his justice that 's already compleatly made by Christ but he doth it partly to vindicat his own honour whatever be betwixt him and his pardoned children if they fall in sin that the world observes he will let the world see that he will not wink at their miscarriages The sword 's not departing from David's house was not to satisfie justice for his sins that were pardoned but because by his scandalous out-breaking he had made the enemies to blaspheme He will let the world see that if his darling David bourd with him and fall in sin he hath made an ill bargain Partly he doth this upon the account of sins remitted that even the Saints who are pardoned may see yet more the bitterness of their folly and wandering The Lord looketh not upon it as a sufficient discovery of sin and the evil thereof that a child of God may win to in repentance antecedent to pardon but when he is pardoned he will sharply afflict him that he may know the bitterness of sin and that he made an ill bargain when he gave way to it and upon this it will result that when the Lord afflicts the pardoned they are not to forget daily to
there were no promising evidence of it but rather the contrary 2. Another is saints when stript and emptied of all things do not give over waiting on God because he is not only able if he will to do their turn when all refuge fails them but his owning his people in difficulties is a special part of his glory which he will not give to any other little do we understand the intricacies of Divine Providence little know we wherefore he blasts probabilities and defeats all the expectations of his people but whatever else be in it it is for this chiefly that Himself may be seen to be their Deliverer and none other Therefore he does with them as he did with Gideon's army when he brought them to three hundred and with these three hundred with Trumpets and lamps in pitchers defeat the Midianites Judges 7. That their Delivery might be seen of him And if this were well seen it would give the people of God a comfortable look of God's laying by all second Causes stripping them naked of all helps making Dispensations threaten ruine they would say our Masters feet are behind these this is but a dark hour before the dawning So doth David reason in that forecited Psalm 142.4 5. When he looked on the right and left hand and there was no man that would know him refuge failed him no man cared for his soul What follows I cryed unto thee O Lord I said thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living And Psal 94.18 When I said my foot slips thy mercy O Lord held me up When there was nothing betwixt him and ruine but Gods Mercy he found that a present help But 3. The Children of God when stripped of all things but God have ground to wait on God and do wait on him not only because he is able to deliver them and delights to lay by other things that he may be seen in their delivery but whereas guilt is a great impediment and stares the waiter on God in the face that he knows not how to expect good from God till that be removed and taken out of the way yet he waits on God on this account that there is hope in Israel concerning that thing that his guilt shall be no impediment to his delivery or any good thing he wants and is needful for him if he do with it as the Psalmist doth here verse 3 4. If he take with it be humbled for it lay claim to pardoning Mercy in the right method he may notwithstanding say I wait for the Lord There are two notable grounds of encouragement which as they would not be abused so being rightly improven are very useful to waiters on God One is that right taking with guilt and repentance for it after much incorrigibleness is attainable when we have called our selves for any thing we can see in our selves or expect from means reprobat silver yet the Lord can humble and tame that uncircumcised heart Jer. 32.19 He can turn Ephraim who has resisted many means and hath been as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke Another is that which I am upon guilt taken with and acknowledged needs not hinder a man to wait on God These places that I cited the last day proves it as Isai 8.17 I will wait upon the Lord that hides his face from the house of Jacob and I will look for him Though he be a God that is provocked to withdraw and hide his face yet I will wait on him look for him And Micah 6.7 8. When the Church is low yet she will look to the Lord and will wait for him and wait for the God of his salvation believing her God will hear her and on that ground bids the enemy boast at leisure She answers that Objection concerning guilt that she will bear the indignation of the Lord because she hath sinned she will take with guilt and stoop to his correcting hand till he plead her cause and execute Judgment for her she looks over the mountain of her guilt when she hath taken with it and waits for the Lord. So ye see what is first imported in this waiting for God that the eyes of the waiting man must be taken off all things and set on God only and that these who would wait on God would lay their account to be more and more stript of all things till they be left on God and being so they have good ground to wait on God and the waiter on God taking with guilt and pleading for mercy may in that humble posture wait still for God I proceed to the second thing imported in this waiting on God and that is The waiting man left on God and seeing an all-sufficiency in God to do his turn in the faith of that he so waits for God That is to wait for the Lord when the confidence of Gods help encourages the waiting man in waiting on God to stick closs by the way of God that he will not have a comfort but in his way he will not have a delivery but that which comes with Divine approbation He will not purchase a Delivery of Out-gate with the price of the least sin Why he waits for God in his way Troubles and delays are a great temptation to shake off tenderness the pressure and continuance of the least of troubles are ill counsellors in a waiting posture they will bid run to the leest row to the best shore take any course for an out-gate But he who is a waiter on God indeed his tenderness grows as his trouble grows and as his delays are protracted he studies to be the more tender I shall not insist on this but 1. It is certain a waiter for God should be and in so far as he waits rightly on God he is and will be a tender man as the Word is Psal 37.34 Wait on the Lord and keep his way a waiter on God hath his Ears nailed to the Posts of Divine Direction so that neither to the right nor left hand dare he move but as he hath a warrand from God So Heb. 11.35 There were folks that were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection mark it they were not tortured because deliverance was not granted but because deliverance could not be accepted on sinful Terms when offered The greatness of their trouble did not diminish their tenderness whatever it did augment it if at any time they found tenderness necessary they found it especially when their trouble was great 2. Ye shall mark that as true waiting requires tenderness so tenderness is attainable that is through Grace it is attainable That a Saint waiting on God in his way in a tender frame may attain to go through difficulties without sinning against God It is true temptations to sin will go thick and threefold when a Saint is put to wait for God in continued troubles and meets with temptations delays difficulties and pressures which as I said
in the right order needs not keep thee back thy desire to come and repent and seek pardon tells that thou art not guilty of that unpardonable sin and therefore stand not a back for scarlet and crimson coloured sins nor for relapsing in these sins There is forgivenness with God for those iniquities and that ye may grip the better to this when it is intimate that God is such a pardoner of sin ye would look to the infinit price of the Son of God whereby he purchased pardon and upon which pardon of sin is founded and ye would look to that infinite and superabounding grace in God inclining him to pardon and when these two are laid together well considered all thy doubts about pardon will amount to this whether thy iniquities or Christ's death thy abounding sin or Gods superabounding Grace will carry it And reason will determine it in favours of Christs purchase and the super-aboundant Grace of God 2. Let me leave this as a Witness against slighters of this offer of pardon I believe there are many engadged as the Jews were Jer. 2.25 Who said There is no hope no for we have loved strangers and after them we will go The matter is past redding There is little appearance that ever we will do well and therefore we mind not to do well But here is a Witness laid at thy door whatever thy condition be God and thou art yet in trysting terms and thou hast the offer of Pardon upon Repentance and turning to him art thou as mad as the man that had the legion of Devils Mark 5.9 will thou employ Christ he can cure thee Though thou were like Mary Magdalen out of whom Christ cast seven devils Luk. 8.2 He can cast them out and set thee down a worshipper of him at his feet Thy scarlet and crimson coloured sins he can make white as the snow or wool Thy scattered affections as the wind he can fix upon the nail fastened upon the sure place if thou wilt come and reason with him thou shalt find him as good as his Word and shall not this be a Witness against slighters of pardoning Grace that such profligat wretches runnaways and backsliders are within the reach of pardoning mercy and there is a Royal Proclamation made of it wherein it is offered unto them and yet they slighted it All the wrath of Sinai shall not be so terrible to such as this will be one day that in the Name of Christ we proclaimed pardon to you providing ye seek it in the right order and look how ye will answer the Lamb sitting down on his tribunal of Majesty I thought to have spoken to the persons who they are that are pardoned and that they may call God Father who seek pardon and how that it secluds not the vilest of sinners upon repentance and how it makes against the Novatian error that thrusts repentance out of the Church And to that case of godly men their relapsing in sins they have repented of and whether such be pardonable but the time having cut me short I shall forbear to break in upon these for the time The Lord blesse for Christs sake what ye have been hearing SERMON IX Psalm 130. Verse 4. But there is forgivenness with thee that thou mayest be feared I Have now broken in a litle upon this great Article of of our Creed the remission of sins The great Gospel-news the glad tidings of the Gospel of peace to them that are in the Psalmist's posture in the third verse that there is no standing before God marking iniquity in strict justice according to the Covenant of Works I am as yet detained on the first head that I proposed to be spoken to on this Subject that is the consideration of that which is pardoned it is iniquity as in the preceeding verse sin or transgression let it be called by whatsoever name it will and as to this I spake to these things 1. That all have sin 2. That sin is a Debt and Burden which they who take a right look of will see great cause will desire to be rid of it That sin being such a debt or burden the unpardoned man if he get a right look of his own condition he will find himself in a wofull plight and 4. That sin being such a debt as can only be done a way by pardon and such a burden as puts the unpardoned man in a woful plight It follows that it is good news the best of all news to a sensible sinner That there is pardon for iniquity in God When a man hath said verse 3. If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquity who can stand that he may add verse 4. But there is forgivenness with thee And here ye may remember that it was cleared how the least sins needed a pardon As also how the greatest sins for nature number or other circumstances are pardonable that sensible sinners needed not be troubled with that sin against the holy Ghost seing their very flying to the remedy of sin in Christ is a sufficient evidence that it was not in them I was the last day cutshort by time from speaking a word to these persons whose sins are pardonable And this I wold now speak to before I go to the other Heads I proposed to be spoken to And the ground of that which I would say of them whose sins are pardonable I shall take it from that pattern of Prayer Mat. 6.9 12 Father forgive us our debts They are Children who may come to God for pardon of sin and to open this a litle I shal speak to these three from it 1. It would be remembred that these who are not Children must come and become children in the due order that they may attain to the priviledge of pardon when Children only are allowed to beg pardon of sin it secludes none who are unpardoned from coming to God through the elder brother Jesus Christ that they may be put among the Children by Adoption for Isai 55.7 Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto Lord and he will have mercy vpon him and to our God for he will aboundantly pardon or multiply to pardon and Ezek. 33.15.16 When the wicked man restores the pledge gives again that which he had robbed doth walk in the statutes of life without committing iniquity he shall surely live he shall not die none of the sins he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him There shal be no more word of them which as I said the last day when I spake from these words leaves a sad check and ground of dittay at the doors of Rebels to whom the Fountain for Sin and Uncleanness is keeped open and they have pardon in their offer but will not follow the right method of obtaining mercy and pardon They will not come and be children but continue rebels still And it leaves also a caution and a check to many who if
2 Sam. 23.5 Although my house be not so with God there is his abasing of himself in the sense of sin and shortcoming in duty Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure he runs to the Remedy held forth in the everlasting Covenant and that is it which Paul subjoins to that which I cited in the morning Philip. 3.3 When a man hath no confidence in the flesh when all beside Christ is flesh to him and consequently that which he dare not have any confidence in Then the next step is not only to close with but to rejoice in Jesus Christ That I may make something of this I shall speak a short word to wicked men and insist a little longer in speaking to convinced sinners 1. For wicked men that which I am upon may serve to discover to them a great mistake they are afraid to grow acquaint with themselves O! how dow they think of casting up their accounts These black Libels and dreadful Dittays that are lying in process against them that were their ruine and would undo them if they should look thereaway they would never have a day to do well they would turn desperat and I would willingly know what it will avail them not to look over their Accompts will they resolve never to repent or will they get them shifted out of the way will their forgetting of their faults mend them will not the iniquity of a man's heels soon or syne compass him about Will not their sin find them out as is said Num. 32.23 But shall I add thou art in a great mistake that thinks the searching out of thy sin will undo thee I confess if thou do it in earnest thou must not continue in a course of sin as thou hast done but it is thy advantage to search out sin and repent if thou can say If thou Lord mark iniquity who can stand Thou shall have reason to say But forgiveness is with thee Wilt thou consider what rich advantage is in taking with thy guilt and being humbled for it that it is a man's safety to be thus lost it is an argument whereon he may plead for mercy when he finds himself undone without it It is thy ignorance of the rich advantage that is on the back of Self-judging that makes thee voluntarly continue a stranger to it But 2. For these who are convinced of sin and sensible of it who can say They have no confidence in the flesh and yet dare not say They rejoyce in Christ Jesus I would have such looking upon it as their great mistake that keeps them from resting on Christ and rejoycing in him and it makes all their other exercise to be but wind though ye had so much sorrow for sin as to sink you in the pit if ye add not There is forgiveness with thee if Christ be not the end of all your Exercises they will miscarry and leave you sinking in sin and misery And had I many to speak to that are making conscience of Repentance of sin and yet come not up to close with the Remedy of pardoning mercy in Christ I would point out several things that would be adverted to by such as are in such a frame and I shall pitch on five or six of them 1. Thou that art under convictions of sin and does not close with pardoning mercy thou evidence a mistake of that mercy thou considers not that thy necessity and impossibility to stand without it is a claim unto it thou considers not that it is the design of the Gospel to rescue the lost whose feet are sinking thou considers not that then thou begins to be beautiful when thou becomes loathsom in thine own eyes and that thou begins to be saved when thou art put to cry Save Master I perish and so in standing a-loof from pardoning mercy thou mistakes the design of the Gospel 2. In this standing a loof thou discovers thy ignorance of Gods Design in giving thee the sense of thy condition what a posture art thou in Thou art one that sees thy self abominable monstâ—ously vile the chief of sinners But may I say who told thee who shewed thee that thou was so and made it out to thee Has there not been a day when thy condition and frame was as bad and thou saw no such thing which says that it hath been Christ who by his spirit convinceth the world of sin that has opened thine eyeâ— discovered to thee thy vileness through sin But thou may think though he hath done it yet it is to be the Narrative of a sad sentence against thee and to send thee to the gate But if thou abuse not Mercy there is another thing in it if he hath opened thy mouth wide he will not fill it with an empty spoon but with good things if he hath made his Law to have a work upon thee it is not to drive thee from him but that the Law may be a school-master to bring to Christ So then it is the ignorance of God's design in giving thee the sense of sin that makes thee under convictions stand a loof from Mercy 3. In this aversion and unwillingness to come unto pardoning Mercy I would have you to consider a great reflection upon the Truth and Faithfulness of God 1 Joh. 5.10 He that believeth not God hath made him a liar because be believeth not the record that God gave of his Son I wish that I had many to speak unto that have to do with these things but I cannot pass it being the Applicatory part of the Doctrine Hast thou any sense of sin art thou afraid of wrath because of it what makes thee afraid is it not the Authority and Veracity of God speaking in his Law when thy Conscience is wakened and thou sees how faulty thou art and the Law leaves thee under the curse it afrights thee and there is good cause but how comes it that when thou hast believed God speaking in his Law unto thee thou does not believe him speaking in the Promise seing it is the same God that speaks in both is not this to make God a liar and hast thou not a witness against thy self while the Faith of his threatnings troubles thee and yet the Faith of his Promises doth not encourage and comfort thee But 4. In this unwillingness to close with pardoning Mercy read corrupt and ill principles man by nature is ignorant of a Gospel-righteousness he knows nothing of Pardoning Mercy through a Mediator but if the Covenant of Works be once broken it is everlastingly broken and hence the sensible sinner being ignorant of the New Covenant of Grace he chooses rather to ly mourning under the ruines of that first Covenant than to look up to a better and this ignorance of Gods righteousness is a thing which the Saints ought rather to mourn for than to foster But 5. In this standing a-back of sensible sinners from pardoning Mercy and in not
this I would on the one hand commend to you that Passage to be pondered concerning that blasphemous lord 2 King 7.2 who when Elisha Prophesied of incredible plenty in Samaria said If the Lord would make windows in heaven might this thing be It shall be saith the Prophet and thou shalt see it with thine eyes but shalt not eat thereof and it was so he was a Grandee on whose hand the King leaned and thought if there were any fores to be had he should have a share the King giving him the charge of the Gate the people trode upon him and he died And on the other hand ponder that comfortable Song that believers sing Isai 25.9 Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us this is our God we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation O that Saints would think that such a turn of providence may come their way that will make them say and sing I trusted in him in a strait when not only he was invisible as he is always in himself but wrapt up in a cloud of mysterious dispensations O! that ye would think that such a song is possible and sweet but if that be a sweet song what bitter youling will it put them to or may they have who when God appears must say Lo there he is but we waited not for him so soon as he went out of our sight we tint all hope we knew not what it was to wait for him who hid his face from the house of Jacob we knew not what it was to bear his indignation till he should arise and plead our cause and execute judgment for us and believe that he should bring us out to the light to behold his righteousness Thus ye see what an important matter it is that we put forth Faith keep it in exercise for the accomplishment of what is in with God for his people which is the third Direction A 4th Direction which I give and leave this Note and that is That ye would wisely consider what the Lord means when he puts his people to the exercise of their Faith so much about that which he will do He will redeem Israel from all their iniquities and yet he putteth Israel to believe it What means the Lord I say in holding them at that task of believing here without offering to encroach upon the depth of the wisdom knowledge of God in his Providence the people of God have somewhat to look to without about them somewhat to look to within them if they look to somewhat without or about them God has more ado in the world than a particular saint or even a particular Church to satisfie O! the deep contexture of Providence how unsearchable are his counsels and his ways past finding out That what is very unsatisfactory to one or one Society God may have holy ends for it in the world But to come nearer What have Believers to look to in the world without them Take it in that word which the Lord has to Abraham when he is making the Covenant with him Gen. 15.16 When he has told him that though his seed should go down to Egypt yet in the fourth generation they should come hither again If Abraham should ask Why should they stay there so long He answers The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full God holds his people at the task of believing while the enemies cup is a filling might I insist upon this I might tell you That the enemies cup is often very long in filling but longer without the Church than within the Church four hundred years to the Amorites was long yet they being a people without the Church they took all that time to fill their cup but elsewhere their enemies ripe faster their cup is sooner filled and I might add a cup that is long a filling is ordinarly a very bitter cup when it is holden to the head of enemies when the cup of the Amorites is full utter extermination rooting out and offcutting comes upon them Lord save them whom folks wish well unto from a long fristed plague a long brewing storm is more dread sulthan hand payment And therefore it would not stumble folk to see wicked men for born but if it were rightly looked on every days forbearance would be an argument of pity for a cup that is long a filling is most bitter when it is held to the head But that which I am upon is that the people of God when they are at the trade of believing have something to look to without them and particularly to the cup of enemies that is a filling But again when they are holden at the task of believing they would also look to something within them and among them What means it that God hath given many rich and precious Promises to Believers and yet they get no more in hand but Faith to believe them if they can win to that where are his former loving kindnesses which he hath sworn to David For looking within you and among you ponder that word which ye have Isai 10.12 When the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and Jerusalem he will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria and the glory of his high looks and compare it with the Verses preceeding there ye will find the Assyrians desperatly blaspheming he says Are not my princes altogether Kings as my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria Shall I not as I have done unto Samaria and her idols so do to Jerusalem and her idols What nation hath been delivered out of my hand that the God of Israel should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand One would think now were he a God in Heaven he would sit no more vvith a blasphemous atheist he vvill suffer him no more to blaspheme and reproach vvith an high contempt of him and his authority he vvill novv be knovvn by the judgment which he shall execute but at leisure he will make himself knovvn but not till he have done his vvhole vvork on Mount Sion and on Jerusalem for all the haste his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem is the greatest haste he will let the Assyrian blaspheme on and trode down all before him till that be done his great work is to do good by the Assyrians within his Church and among his people and when his work is done there he will reckon with him and be known by the judgment which he executes upon him And if ye ask what this may be within the Church and among the people of God that he will have them minding when he puts them to send by Faith on the Promises I dare not offer to give you an exact account of it but only to cast some ground for work to your hand if ye mind practically to improve such