shall shew what Necessity lies upon us to seek after this Pardon 2. Our Misery without it 3. I shall speak of the annexed Benefits and our Happiness if once we attain it 1. The Necessity that lies upon us being all guilty before God to seek after our Justification and the Pardon of our Sins by Christ. That it may sink the deeper into your minds I shall do it in this Scheme or Method First a reasonable Nature implies a Conscience a Conscience implies a Law a Law implies a Sanction a Sanction implies a Judge and a Judgment-day when all shall be called to account for breaking the Law and this Judgment-day infers a Condemnation upon all Mankind unavoidably unless the Lord will comprimize the matter and find out some way in the Chancery of the Gospel wherein we may be relieved This way God hath found out in Christ and being brought about by such a mysterious Contrivance we ought to be deeply and thankfully apprehensive of it and humbly and broken-heartedly to quit the one Covenant and accept of the Grace provided for us in the other 1. A Reasonable Nature implies a Conscience for Man can reflect upon his own Actions and hath that in him to acquit or condemn him accordingly as he doth good or evil 1 Iohn 3. 20 21. Conscience is nothing but the Judgment a Man makes upon his Actions morally considered the good or the evil the Rectitude or Obliquity that is in them with respect to Rewards or Punishment As a Man acts so he is a Party but as he reviews and censures his Actions so he is a Judge Let us take notice only of the condemning part for that is proper to our Case After the Fact the Force of Conscience is usually felt more than before or in the Fact because before through the Treachery of the Senses and the Revolt of the Passions the Judgment of Reason is not so clear I say our Passions and Affections raise Clouds and Mists which darken the Mind and do incline the Will by a pleasing Violence but after the evil Action is done when the Affection ceaseth then Guilt flasheth in the face of Conscience As Iudas whose Heart lay asleep all the while he was going on in his villany but afterwards it fell upon him Thou hast sinned in betraying innocent Blood When the Affections are satisfied and give place to Reason that was before condemned and Reason takes the Throne again it hath the more force to affect us with Grief and Fear whilst it strikes through the Heart of a Man with a sharp sentence of Reproof for obeying Appetite before Reason Now this Conscience of Sin may be choak'd and smother'd for a while but the Flame will break forth and our hidden Fears are easily revived and awakened except we get our Pardon and Discharge A Reasonable Nature implies a Conscience 2. A Conscience implies a Law by which Good and Evil are distinguished for if we make Conscience of any thing it must be by virtue of some Law or Obligation from God who is our Maker and Governour and unto whom we are accountable and whose Authority giveth a force and warrant to the Warnings and Checks of Conscience without which they would be weak and ineffectual and all the Hopes and Fears they stir up in us would be vain Fancies and fond Surmises I need not insist upon this a Conscience implies a Law The Heathens had a Law because they had a Conscience Rom. 2. 15. Which shew the Work of the Law written in their Hearts their Conscience also bearing witness and their Thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another They have a Conscience doth accuse or excuse doth require according to the tenor of the Law So when the Apostle speaks of those Stings of Conscience that are revived in us by the approach of Death he saith 1 Cor. 15. 56. The sting of Death is Sin and the strength of Sin is the Law Those Stings which Men feel in a death-threatning Sickness are not the Fruits of their Disease but justified by the highest Reason they come from a Sense of Sin and this Sense is strengthned and increased in us by the Law of God from whence Conscience receives all its force 3. A Law implies a Sanction or a Confirmation by Penalties and Rewards for otherwise it is but an arbitrary Rule or Direction which we might slight or disregard without any great loss or danger No the Law is armed with a dreadful Curse against all those that disobey it There is no dallying with God he hath set Life and Death before us Life and Good Death and Evil Deut. 30. 15. Now the Precept that is the Rule of our Duty and the Sanction is the Rule of God's Process what God will do or might do and what we have deserved should be done to us The one shews what is due from us to God and the other what may justly be expected at God's hands therefore before the Penalty be executed it concerns us to get a Pardon The Scripture represents God as angry with the Wicked every day standing continually with his Bow ready with his Arrow upon the String as ready to let fly with his Sword not only drawn but whetted as if he were just about to strike if we turn not Psal. 7. 11 12 13. 4. A Sanction implies a Iudg who will take cognizance of the keeping or breaking of this Law for otherwise the sanction or penalty were but a vain scare-crow if there were no person to look after it God that is our Maker and Governour is our Judg. Would he appoint penalties for the breach of his Law and never reckon with us for our offences is a thought so unreasonable so much against the sense of Conscience against God's daily Providence against Scripture which every-where in order to this to quicken us to seek forgiveness of Sins represents God as a Judg. Conscience is afraid of an invisible Judg who will call us to account for what we have done The Apostle tells us Rom. 1. ult the Heathen knew the Iudgment of God and that they that have done such things as they have done are worthy of death And Providence shews us there is such a Judg that looks after the keeping and breaking of his Law hath owned every part of it from Heaven by the Judgments he executes Rom. 1. 18. The Wrath of God is reveal'd from Heaven against all Ungodliness and Unrighteousness of Men hath owned either Table by punishing sometimes the Ungodliness and sometimes the Unrighteousness of the World nay every notable breach by way of Omission or Commission the Apostle saith every Transgression and every Disobedience these two words signifie Sins of Omission or Commission it hath been punished and God hath owned his Law that it is a firm authentick Rule And the Scripture also usually makes use of this Notion or Argument of a Judge to quicken us to look after the pardon of our Sins Act. 10. 42
God for the clear and open Discovery of this Truth and free Offer of Grace by Jesus Christ. The 2d Use is to quicken us to put in for a Share in this blessed Priviledge I have spent my time in presenting to you what a blessed thing it is to have our Sins pardoned Christians A Man that flows in Wealth and Honour till he be pardoned is not a happy Man A Man that lives afflicted contemned not taken notice of in the World if he be a pardoned Sinner O the Blessedness of that Man They are not happy that have least Trouble but they that have least Cause not they that have a benummed Conscience but they that have a Conscience sound established and setled in the Grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord and bottom'd upon his holy Covenant and that Peace and Grace he offers to us this is the happy Man By these and such like Arguments I would have you put in for a Share of this Priviledge But what must be required I would fain send you away with some Directions Let me intreat you if this be such a blessed thing to make it your daily your earnest your hearty Prayer to God that your Sins may be pardoned Mat. 6. 12. Our Lord hath taught us to pray for we make but too much work for pardoning Mercy every day Every day forgive us our Trespasses To day in one of the Petitions is common to all that follow as we beg daily Bread we must beg daily Pardon daily Grace against Temptations Under the Law they had a Lamb every Morning and every Evening offered to God for a daily Sacrifice Numb 28. 4 5 6. We are all invited to look to the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World Surely we have as much need as they more Cause than they because now all is clear and openly made known unto us God came to Adam in the cool of the Day he would not let him sleep in his Sins before Night came he comes and rouseth his Conscience and then gives out the Promise of the Seed of the Woman that should break the Serpent's Head In Reconciliation with God let not the Sun go down upon God's Wrath Eph. 4. 26. A Man should not sleep in his Anger nor out of Charity with Man surely we should make our Peace with God every day If a Man under the Law had contracted any Uncleanness he was to wash his Cloaths before Evening that he might notly a Night in his Uncleanness We should daily earnestly come to God with this Request Lord pardon our Sins But what must those that are already adopted into God's Family and taken into his Grace and Favour daily pray for Pardon of Sin Though upon our first Faith our State be changed and we are indeed made Children of God and Heirs of Eternal Life by Faith in Christ Jesus yet he that is clean need wash his Feet We contract a great deal of sinful defilement and pollution by walking up and down here in a dirty World and we must every day be cleansing our Consciences before God and begging that we may be made Partakers of this Benefit The Lord may for our unthankfulness our negligence our stupid security revive the memory of old Sins and make us look into the Debt-book that hath been cancelled with horrour and make us possess the Sins of our Youth An old Bruise is felt upon every Change of Weather When we prove unthankful and careless and stupid and negligent and do not keep our watch the Lord may suffer these things to return upon our Consciences with great amazement Guilt raked out of its Grave is more frightful than a Ghost or one risen from the dead Few Believers have upon right terms the Assurance of their own Sincerity and though God may blot Sins out of the Book of his Remembrance yet he will not blot them out of our Consciences The Worm of Conscience is killed still by the Application of the Blood of Christ and the Spirit This short Exhortation I would give you the other would take up too much time SERMON II. PSAL. 32. 1 2. Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven whose Sin is covered Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity and in whose Spirit there is no Guile IN this Text I observed That it is a great degree and step towards yea a considerable part of our Blessedness to obtain pardon of our Sins upon the account of Christ's Righteousness I shewed the necessity which lies upon Men who are all become guilty before God to look after this Pardon And thereupon took occasion to represent the Excellency of the Christian Religion that hath provided a Salve for the great Sore that runs upon all Mankind above that of the Pagans and also that of the Jews to whom this Mystery was but darkly revealed To proceed to another use To exhort you to put in for a share in this Blessedness To perswade you to it let me use a few Motives 1. Till you are pardoned you are never blessed there is an obstacle and impediment in the way hinders your Blessedness What though you flow in Wealth Ease and Plenty yet as long as this black Storm hangs over your head and you know not how soon it will drop upon you you cannot be accounted happy Men. Do you account him an happy Man who is condemned to die because he hath a plentifull allowance till his Execution Or him an happy Man that makes a fair shew abroad and puts a good face upon his ruinous and breaking Condition but at home is pinch'd with want and misery which is ready to come upon him like an Armed-Man Or him an happy Man that revels it out in all manner of pleasure but is to die at night Then those that remain in the guilt of their Sins may be happy But now on the other side a pardoned Sinner is blessed whatever befals him If he be afflicted the sting of his Affliction is gone that is Sin If he be prosperous the curse of his Blessings is taken away the Wrath of God is appeased and so every Condition is made tolerable or comfortable to him 2. Nothing less than a Pardon will serve the turn Not Forbearance on God's side nor Forgetfulness on ours 1. It is not a Forbearance of the Punishment on God's part but a dissolving the Obligation to the Punishment God may be angry with us when he doth not actually strike us As the Psalmist says Psal. 7. 11 12 13. God is angry with the Wicked every day If he turn not he will whet his Sword he hath bent his Bow and made it ready He hath also prepared for him the Instruments of Death he ordaineth his Arrows against the Persecutors In the day of his Patience he doth for a while spare but God is ready to deal with them hand to hand for he is sharpning his Sword at a distance he is bending his Bow the Arrow is
the Conscience and the Conscience against all But where the Heart is framed to the obedience of God's Will there is Peace Pax est tranquillitas ordinis when all things keep their place as in an accurate orderly Life they do Gal. 6. As many as walk according to this Rule Peace and Mercy be upon them and the whole Israel of God There is Peace for there is an harmonious Accord between God and them and between them and themselves Psal. 119. 165. Great Peace have they that love thy Law not only Peace but great Peace a Peace that passeth all understanding Whilst we are in our Sins there is ever a fear of the War which is between God and us and there is a War in our selves Conscience disallowing our practices and our practices disliking the conduct of Conscience so that there is no peace to the Wicked But when the Lord Jesus hath taken us in hand and begun to cure us and frame us aright and shew us his wonderful Grace in turning us from our Sins here is matter provided for Serenity and Peace 2. It is the pledg of our eternal Felicity hereafter For Heaven is the perfection of Holiness or the full fruition of God in glory Now when the Mediator begins to take away Sin he blesses you for the Life is then begun which shall be perfected in Heaven Unless it be begun here it will never be perfected there For without Holiness no Man shall see God Heb. 12. 14. But if it be begun it will surely be perfected there for blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God The vision and fruition of God is begun here the Spirit of Holiness is the earnest of our Inheritance Eph. 1. 13 14. O what Blessedness is it then to have the new heart planted into us by Christ and to live the new Life It is the Beast about you that delights in the momentany base dreggy Pleasures of Sin But when Christ hath turned you from your Sins you are blessed indeed you are in the way to Blessedness and you shall be blessed for ever he gives Peace as a Pledge of Happiness and Eternal Glory III. I shall prove that this is the Mediator's Blessing 1. Let me lay down this that those Blessings that are most proper to the Mediator are spiritual Blessings We forfeited all by Sin but especially the Grace of the Spirit whereby we might be made serviceable to God Other Mercies run in the Channel of common Providence but spiritual Blessings are the discriminating Graces and Favours that are given us by the Mediator Eph. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings in heavenly Places Christ came not to distribute Honours and Greatness and worldly Riches to his Followers but to turn away every one of us from our Sins to reduce us to God that we may love him and be beloved of him He came as a spiritual Saviour to give us Grace rather than temporal Happiness Most Men have a Carnal Iewish Notion of Christ they would have a temporal Safety and Happiness they would have Deliverance from Affliction rather than Deliverance from Sin To be delivered from every evil Work is more than to be delivered from the Mouth of the Lion This is most proper to the Mediator 2 Tim. 4. 18. A sanctified Use of Troubles is more than an Exemption from them a carnal Man may have Exemption from them but not a sanctified Use of them Poverty Lameness Blindness are not as bad as Ignorance unruly Lusts and Want of Grace Moral Evils are worse than Natural Daniel was cast into a Lion's Den you would think that was a Misery but it was a greater Misery when Nebuchadnezzar was thrust out among the Beasts being given up to a brutish Heart Exemption from Trouble may be hurtful to us but Deliverance from Sin is never hurtful to us Among the spiritual Blessings we have by the Mediator Conversion from Sin to God is the chiefest we have on this side Heaven That it was the main Part of Christ's Undertaking I shall prove by Scripture and Reason For Scripture the Text is clear for it for thus the Apostle interprets the Covenant-Blessing In thy Seed shall all Nations of the Earth be blessed viz. God hath sent him to bless you wherein in turning every one of you from your Sins He shall be called Iesus Mat. 1. 21. for he shall save his People from their sins not only from the Guilt but the Power of Sin not only from the Evil after Sin but the Evil of Sin it self Denominatio est à majori the Name is taken from what is chiefest And so when he is promised to the Iews The Redcemer shall come out of Sion and he shall turn away Ungodliness from Iacob There is his principal Work 1 John 3. 5. Christ came to take away Sin and in him is no Sin He means not only the condemning Power but the Power of it in the Heart for he is pleading Arguments for Holiness why Believers should not run into Sin which is a Transgression of the Law One is from the Undertaking of Christ he came to take away Sin and from the Example of Christ In him is no Sin he plainly means the Power of Sin 2. Now to give you some Reasons why this is the chief Benefit most eyed by Christ and should be most regarded by us 1. Christ's Undertaking was principally for the Glory of God All the Promises are in him Yea and Amen to the Glory of God And it should not be a Question which should have the precedence the Glory of God or our Good Christ came to promote God's Glory and that must have the precedence of our Benefit Now then the abolishing the Guilt of Sin doth more directly respect our Interest and Good but the abolishing the Power of Sin or the turning and cleansing the Heart from it doth more immediately respect the Glory of God and our Subjection to God Therefore Christ would not only pacify the Wrath of God but his chief Work that doth mostly concern the Glory of God was to heal our evil Natures and prevent Sin for the time to come 2. To be turned from Sin is to be freed from the greatest Evil. For Pardon gives us an Exemption from Punishment which is a natural Evil but Conversion gives us freedom from our naughty Hearts which is a moral Evil and certainly Vice is worse than Pain and Sin than Misery Besides Sin is the Cause of all Evil and the taking away the Cause is more than ceasing the Effect 3. This hath nearer Connection with the Life of Glory Pardon only removes the Impediment but the sanctifying and healing of our Natures is the beginning of the Life of Glory and Introduction into it Pardon removes our Guilt which hinders our Happiness therefore Divines say Justification is Gratia removens prohibens that that removes the Impediment but the sanctifying
wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin upon him thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudg against the Children of thy People but thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self Thou shalt not bear a Grudg against him for then you hate him in your Heart 2. There must be a readiness to do all Duties of Love and Kindness to him who hath done the wrong as God ministreth Occasion and Ability There are many Laws for this Exod. 23. 4 5. If thou meet thine Enemies Ox or Ass going astray thou shalt surely bring it back to him again If thou see the Ass of him that hateth thee lye under his Burthen and wouldst forbear to help him thou shalt surely help with him Luk. 6. 27. Love your Enemies do good to them that hate you Bless them that Curse you Now so far are we bound to remit the private grudg because of the offence done to us and also to take all occasions to do them good Object But whether may not we have recourse to the Magistrate for the recovery of our Right and reparation of our Wrongs Answ. Certainly we may provided we go not to Law for Trifles for when we go to Law for small Matters and that before Infidels the Apostle reproves it 1 Cor. 6. 2. And when after all lawful Means and Courses are used before for taking away the occasion as ver 5. Is there not a wise Man among you to take up the difference And when it is not with a Spirit of Revenge and Rigour for a Christian should shew his Moderation in all things Phil. 4. 5. and his Lenity Gentleness and Readiness to Forgive But if it be out of a Spirit of Revenge not the Conscience of Justice we abuse God's Ordinance to our private Passions Rom. 13. 3. Having thus explained the Law let me vindicate this Rule 1. It seems not to be so perfect a Rule because many desire and wish much evil to themselves should they desire evil to others As he that would be Drunk should he make another Drunk And he that commits Filthiness should he intice others Answ. The meaning is not what we do in a Passion which works not the Righteousness of God but it is meant of a regular Will not that we do with evil Desires as that we do in right Reason that which you do well informed well advised free from discomposed Passion what is according to the Law of Nature engraven upon your Hearts which is most legible in our own Case what the Law of Nature would judge to be the Duty of other Men to do It is not meant of inordinate sinful Desires 2. But doth not this Rule make all Men equal and destroy all Order and Superiority if every Man must do as he would be done unto What shall a Master require of a Servant no more than he will do to him Would a poor Man have a rich Man give him Relief Should he give him no more than he expects back again from this poor Man No The meaning is that for that time we should suppose our selves in the Condition of Servants and of that poor Man you should put your selves in their stead and suppose if I were a Servant if I were Poor we should put our selves in the same equality with them and by the Law of Proportion the same things that would seem reasonable to you if you were in their Condition you should chearfully do to them For Instance If I were a Servant and did obey would not I judg such exaction Burthensome and Unreasonable If I were Poor and driven to seek Relief would not I judg a denial harsh If I were a Master should not I judg such an Offence injurious to my Authority 3. Doth not this establish Revenge and Retaliation of Injuries to do to him as he hath done to me Answ. No rather much the contrary for it is not what they have done to us Christ doth not say so but what we would have to be done to us that do to them See Prov. 24. 29. Say not I will do so to him as he hath done to me I will render to the Man according to his Work That 's an ill reasoning within our selves and takes God's work out of his Hands whose Prerogative it is to give to every Man according to his Work The Rule is not look backward but forward It doth not look to what they have done to us but what we should do to them To think to do the same would certainly break this Rule of Christ and make us be burthensom to others by such Actions and burthensom to our selves and so sin not only against our own Conscience but against Sense and Feeling of the thing committed Injury and Revenge differ only in Order He that returns Injury for Injury doth but imitate the Adversary and he that imitates that which is evil in another sins twice both against the Law and his own Conscience 4. If all the World were contented to observe this Rule then we should have a quiet World but others are very oppressive unjust and very hard to me this is to live by the Loss and to bring a restraint upon my self from which others are free Answ. Do your Duty to them though they do not theirs to you Others Sins will not exempt you from the Law of God which is your Rule and not their Actions Whatever they do to you yet carry it Christianly and Meekly towards them You are accountable to God for your own Actions not for the Actions of another Man Therefore if you be able to guide your own Spirit to them how perverse soever they be to you you will have the Comfort that you have endeavoured to do your Duty Having vindicated the Rule let me shew you the Grounds and the Equity of it What are the intrinsick Grounds and Reasons why Christ hath given such a Rule to us No Question it is founded not in his bare Authority but in great Equity There are two Grounds 1. The Actual Equality of all Men by Nature 2. The Possible Equality of all Men as to their Condition and State of Life 1. The Actual Equality of all Men by Nature Mal. 2. 10. Have we not all one Father Hath not one God created us Were we not all created by the same God I and mark the Equality goes further We were all made of one Blood Acts 17. 26. all descended from Adam Unequal diversity of Rank doth not take away Identity of Nature There is a diversity of Rank indeed Some are High some Low some Rich some Poor some Governors some Governed some Teachers and some obey But we are all made of one Blood So Neh. 5. 5. Our Flesh is as the Flesh of our Brethren our Children as their Children Some are highly advanced above others yet the poorest Creature and you is one Flesh and by Nature hath an equal right with you Therefore it is said Isa. 58. 9. Thou shalt not hide thy self from thine owe
broken Heart cannot make light of Sin What kind of Hearts are those that sin securely and without Remorse and are never troubled Go to wounded Consciences and ask of them what Sin is Gen. 4. 13. Mine Iniquity is greater than I can bear Prov. 18. 14. A wounded Spirit who can bear As long as the Evil lies without us it is tolerable the natural Courage of a Man may bear up under it but when the Spirit it self is wounded with the sense of Sin who can bear it If a Spark of God's Wrath light upon the Conscience how soon do Men become a Burden to themselves and some have chosen Strangling rather than Life Ask Cain ask Iudas what it is to feel the burden of Sin Sinners are all their life time subject to this Bondage it is not always felt but soon awakened it may be done by a pressing Exhortation at a Sermon it may be done by some notable Misery that befalls us in the World it may be done by a scandalous Sin it may be done by a grievous Sickness or worldly Disappointment All these things and many more may easily revive it in us There needs not much ado to put a Sinner in the Stocks of Conscience Therefore do but consider to be eased of this Burden O the Blessedness of it 2. It is Filth to be covered which renders us odious in the sight of God It is said Prov. 13. 5. That a Sinner is loathsom To whom to God certainly he is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity To good Men the wicked is an Abomination to the Righteous the new Nature hath an aversation to it Lot's righteous Soul was vexed from day to day with the Conversation of the Wicked A wicked Man hates a godly Man with an hatred of Enmity and Abomination but a godly Man doth not hate a wicked Man with a Hatred of Enmity that is opposite to good Will but with that of Abomination which is opposite to Complacence It is loathsom to an indifferent Man for Holiness darts an Awe and Reverence into the Conscience The Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour and a wicked Person is a vile Person in the common esteem of the World horrible Profaneness will not easily down nay it is loathsom to other wicked Men. I do not know whether I expound that Scripture rightly but it looks somewhat so hateful and hating one another We hate Sin in another though we will not take notice of it in our selves The Sensuality and Pride and Vanity of one wicked Man is hated by another Nay he is loathsom to himself why because he cannot endure to look into himself We cannot endure our selves when we are serious They will not come to the Light lest their Deeds should be reproved And we are shy of God's Presence we are sensible we have something makes us offensive to him and we hang off from him when we have sinned against him As it was David's experience Psal. 32. 3. That was the Cause of his Silence he kept off from God having sinned against him and had not a Heart to go home and sue out his Pardon O what a Mercy is it then to have this Filth covered that we may be freed from this bashful Inconfidence and not be ashamed to look God in the Face and may come with a holy Boldness into the Presence of the blessed God O the Blessedness of the Man whose Sin is covered 3. It is a Debt that binds the Soul to everlasting Punishment and if it be not pardoned the Judge will give us over to the Jaylor and the Jaylor cast us into Prison till we have paid the uttermost farthing Luk. 12. 59. To have so vast a Debt lying upon us what a Misery is that Augustus bought that Mans Bed who could sleep soundly when he was in debt so many hundred of Sesterties Certainly it is a strange Security that possesseth the Hearts of Men when we are obliged to suffer the Vengeance of the Wrath of the Eternal God by our many Sins and yet can sleep quietly Body and Soul will be taken away in Execution the Day of Payment is set and may come much sooner than you think for you must get a Discharge or else you are undone for ever Our Debt comes to Millions of Millions Well if the Lord will forgive so great a Debt O the Blessedness of that Man c. Put altogether now certainly if you have ever been in Bondage if you have felt the Sting of Death and Curse of the Law or been scorched by the Wrath of God or knew the horrour of those upon whom God hath exacted this Debt in Hell certainly you would be more and more affected with this wonderful Grace O the Blessedness of the Man to whom the Lord imputeth not his Transgressions 3dly The Consequent Benefits I will name three 1. It restores the Creature to God and puts us in Joint again in a capacity to serve and please and glorify God Psal. 130. 4. There is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feaared Forgiveness invites us to return to God obliges us to return to God and take it as God dispenseth it it inclines us to return to God and encourages us to live in a state of Amity and holy Friendship with God pleasing and serving him in Righteousness and Holiness all our days Certainly it invites us to return to God Man stands aloof from a condemning God but may be induced to submit to a pardoning God And it obligeth us to return to God to serve and love and please him who will forgive so great a Debt and discharge us from all our Sins for she loved much to whom much was forgiven It inclines us to serve and please God for where God pardons he renews he puts a new Life into us that inclines us to God Col. 2. 13. He hath quickned you together with Christ having forgiven all your Trespasses And it encourages us to serve and please God Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the Blood of Christ cleanse your Consciences from dead Works that ye may serve the Living God and that in a sutable manner that you may serve God in a lively chearful manner A poor Creature bound to his Law and conscious of his own Disobedience and obnoxious to Wrath and Punishment is mightily clogg'd and drives on heavily but when the Conscience is purged from dead Works we serve the living God in a lively manner and this begets a holy Chearfulness in the Soul and we are freed from that Bondage that otherwise would clogg us in our Duty to God 2. It lays the Foundation for solid Comfort and Peace in our own Souls For till Sin be pardoned you have no true Comfort because the Justice of the Supreme Governour of the World will still be dreadful to us whose Laws we have broken whose Wrath we have justly deserved and whom we still apprehend as offended with us and provoked by us We may lull the Soul asleep
do not you to them The one the Negative conduceth to restrain Injury but the other the Affirmative urgeth us to do Good The Negative enforceth Iustice and Equity in us to others the Affirmative Love and Charity Heathens by the Light of Nature were more sensible of Negatives that they should not hurt others in their Body Goods or good Name as we would not in either of these things be wronged our selves therefore Christ passing that layeth down the Affirmative of which Nature is less sensible of doing good to them as we desire they should do to us in our Extremities But because one cannot well be handled without the other I shall begin with the Negative Consideration which concerns Right and Justice to the Persons Names Goods and Possessions of others We are earnest to have fair dealing from others we should be as earnest to yeild the same again There is no Man but hath a quick sence of Injuries done to himself When we are wronged by Lying Slandering Oppression or by fraudulent Bargains how will we discourse of Equity and plead for Right upon these occasions Why the like tender respect the like Sense should we have in our dealing with others as you would not others should defame oppress or over-reach you so should not you do to them In other Mens dealings with us we are Masters acute Discerners of Right in our own Case able to teach what Men ought to do but in our dealing with others we are scarce Scholars We would be reverenced commended fairly used have others tender of our Credit and if we be abused in Person disgraced in Speech endammaged in Goods or good Name we complain of the Wrong Therefore it was well said of Calvin That it would be much better for Mankind if we were as faithful Learners of active Duties as we are acute Doctors concerning Passives that is That we would not offer such Usage to others as we would not be well pleased with our selves but give as we would receive To impress the Rule upon you I shall give four Considerations in the Negative Sence 1. That in the Duties of the second Table we have more Light than we have in the first for when Christ sets forth the Sum of both the Tables Mat. 22. 36 37. He tells us that we must love God with all our Hearts our Souls our Strength and Mind but when he comes to the Love of our Neighbour he gives a Measure more easily discernable we are to love our Neighbour as our selves Love will tell us what is good for our selves The Love of God must be preferred both to our selves and to our Neighbours And in guiding and expressing our Love to God we need many Rules Our Desires of Good to our selves are a compleat Measure and Rule of that Respect we owe to our Neighbours This Principle of Self-love would shew us what we owe to one another But though Nature discovers a God and Reason that this God should be worshipped yet Nature could never carve out such a Worship as is proper to God and as God likes there needs a larger Explication Let a Man be free from Passion and from inordinate Self-love consider what he would have done to himself this will direct him plainly what should be done to others that agree with us in the same common Nature and who have an original Right with us in things that belong to Justice and Equity and should be as fairly respected by us as we expect to be treated by them 2. The Breach of this Rule is more evil in him which hath experimented the Bitterness of Wrongs or Misery than in another because Experience giveth us a truer knowledg of things than a naked Idea and Conception of them He that knoweth things by meer Contemplation doth but know them at a distance and as it were afar off but he that knoweth things by Experience knows them at hand and feels the smart of them Therefore Conscience should work more in them by way of Restraint because they know what it is to be oppressed and disgraced and remember how grievous it was when they did lie under any Wrong Look as it is made an Argument of Confidence in Christ's pity because his Heart was made tender by experience He was tempted he was despitefully used he experimented all our Sorrows therefore he is able that is has a greater fitness to succour those which are tempted Heb. 2. 18. And in another place we read That he learned Obedience by the things which he suffered Heb. 5. 8. Did Christ learn any thing better or improve his Knowledge which had the Spirit without measure Yes he might have an experimental Learning and Feeling Thus when he suffered things so regretful and contrary to that Life he had assumed he knew what it was to over-rule the natural Inclinations of Life and subordinate them to the Will of God and learn Obedience by the things which he suffered and will more compassionate when poor Creatures are put upon Duties against Flesh and Blood And it is used as an Argument why we should come to the Throne of Grace with boldness Heb. 4. 15. Because we have not an High-Priest which cannot be touched with our Infirmities c. He hath experimented them in his own Person he knows these things himself And so Exod. 22. 21. Thou shalt not vex a Stranger nor oppress him for ye were Strangers in the Land of Egypt The People of Israel knew what it was to be exposed to the Envy of the Natives where they had few Friends and many Enemies But especiallly observe that Levit. 19. 33 34. for there you have this great Law repeated And if a Stranger sojourn with thee in your Land ye shall not vex him but the Stranger that dwelleth with you shall be as one born amongst you and thou shalt love him as thy self Mark what thou wouldest have done to thy self do to the Stranger Why For ye were Strangers in the Land of Egypt They knew how burdensom it was to their Souls to be under the Yoke how grievous a thing Oppression was Now sutably it concerneth all those which have lain under Defamation Slander and Oppression they should be mighty tender and careful how they speak of others and what they do to others They which have been Servants themselves and have felt the Burden of heavy Tasks and short Allowance hard and unmerciful Usage from their Masters they should not exact all their Labours nor deal cruelly unto Servants when they are Masters themselves for not only the Law of God but their own Experience will rise up in Judgment against them and increase the Sting of their Conscience So the Drift of that Parable would do well to be considered in these times Mat. 18. 33. That Servant which had his own Debt for given him yet he plucked his Fellow-Servant by the Throat Shouldst thou not have had Compassion on thy Fellow-Servant as I had Compassion on thee When we are under