possesseth and he is poor and dreams that Christ is his and died for his sins and made his peace but he is deceived there is no such matter at all Now there are foure things which do manifestly declare that the confidence That confidence is but a delusion Which is contrary to the Word which some men have that Christ dyed for them is but a delusion 1. When that confidence is contrary to the Word Every true and sound perswasion of our interest in Christ and in the benefits of his death is conformable to the testimony of the Word and every false perswasion or confidence is contrary to the Word as it hath no word of God to bottom upon so it hath the Word of God to unbottom and contradict it You are confident that Christ dyed to save you and to purchase the pardon of sins c. And yet you remain an ignorant and impenitent a disobedient and unbelieving sinner you still love your sins and will not forsake them your heart is hardened in sin and you mourn not for sin you despise the Gospel of Christ and truth of Christ and calls of Christ and paths of Christ and subjection to Christ and communion with Christ And yet you are confident that Christ died effectually 〈◊〉 for your salvation And what warrant have you thus to lay claim to him and to his benefits The Word saith Whosoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16 36. And he that believeth not shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And you believe not on him where is now your confidence the Word saith be converted and repent that your sins may be blotted out Acts 3. 19. And Christ saith that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his Name Luke 24. 47. But you repent not you do not you will not forsake your sins The Word saith that Christ is the Author of salvation to all that obey him Hebr. 5. 9. But you will not obey him he calls you off from your sins and he calls you off from the world and he calls you to fellowship with himself and he calls you unto holinesse but you will not obey him in any of these calls therefore your confidence in the benefits of his death is a meer presumption and delusion it is not warranted by the Word nay the Word is expressely contrary unto it 2. When that confidence is but natural and easily believed The right confidence Which is but natural and easily believed that Christ dyed for us it is supernatural and difficult we cannot give it to our selves it is a perswasion given unto us and it costs us many prayings and many tears and many bearings and many waitings upon God before we can attain unto it But a deluding confidence that is natural and easie the person never gets it by prayer never wrestled with God for it never attended the Word for it never conflicted with doubts and fears was never at any cost for it but was confident all his days no antecedent conflict no present conflict presumption is a work of our own a meer fancy of our own and a meer delusion of our own Thirdly When that confidence is fruitlesse and loose it produceth no love Which is fruitlesse at all to Christ nor fear to offend Christ nor care to please Christ nay instead of these there is a boldnesse to sin the more and to continue impenitent because Christ dyed for sinners and his death is sufficient to expiate the greatest transgressions whereas a right confidence of the benefits of the death of Christ makes men more holy and obedient 1 John 2. 3. We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Ver. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Fourthly When that confidence or assurance is easily swept away in time of Which is easily swept away in time of tryal tryal either by conscience or by afflictions or by sicknesse or by the approachings of death His confidence shall be rooted out of his Tabernacle and shall bring him to the King of terrors said Bildad in Job 18. 14. A deluding confidence usually ends in a despairing diffidence but so doth not a right and well-grounded confidence it will hold out in all afflictions and tryals whatsoever Rom. 8. 38 39. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Yea it will hold out in death it self when all the hopes of the hypocrite shall perish 2 Tim. 4. 6. I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand Ver. 7. I have fought the good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Ver. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day From all this let us learn carefully to try our very confidences of our interest in Christ and in the benefits of his death remember but three things 1. Your interest is never the more for all your confidence confidence gives no propriety though sometimes it follows it 2. Your interest is the lesse if your confidence be false A troubled and doubting Christian may be brought in to Christ and partake of him and of his benefits when the bold confident presumptuous sinner keeps off and hides himself even because he is boistrously confident 3. You will certainly be lost if you rest in this confident delusion it is a broken bottome and a dream which will destroy you Case 2. What a person should do who as yet cannot certainly affirme What a person should do who as yet cannot certainly affirme that Christ dyed for him that Christ dyed for him and that he hath any interest in the benefits of his death Sol. This is the case of many troubled souls and their exceeding burden and fear unto whom I would commend 1. A few Cautions 2. A few Directions 1. Cautions Cautions to such Do not cashiere your title 1. Do not cashiere your title Though all this while you cannot clear your interest although you cannot conclude for it yet do not conclude against it nor yet despair for 1. This dark condition is incident to most if not all weak believers who are baptized in a cloud though they drink of the rock i. e. Christ indeed is theirs although they do not see him to be theirs and the blood of Christ was shed for them although the assurance thereof be not shed abroad in their hearts yea and pardon of their sins is sealed although as yet it be not revealed to them they do not finde this in a sensible experience but yet they
of our sins and judge and condemn and everlastingly punish us for the rest of our sins here would be small cause of rejoycing unto us 4. Again where were the hope of glory hath the unpardoned sinner any hope of heaven doth not every sin deserve the loss of heavenly glory and will it not effectually and eventually prove so unlesse God pardons it 5. Where is the liberty of accesse and boldness of approaching to God if any of your sins are unpardoned the very spirit of fear and bondage lies still on you that God is not reconciled to you but is your enemy and he will not own and bless you but will reject and curse you and will bring on you all the evil that he hath threatned Fourthly A fourth Argument to prove that God will forgive all the sins of We are to forgive all the trespasses against us his people is this We are to forgive all the trespasses of an offending brother in case he repent Luke 17. 4. If he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him Now we are to forgive our brother as God forgives us Ephes 4. 32. Forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us his forgiving is a pattern to our forgiving and he would have ours to be universal therefore his is so to us Matth. 18. 32. I forgave thee all that debt because thou desiredst me Verse 33. Shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant even as I had pity on thee Thus have you heard the Assertion cleared by Scripture and Arguments that God will foâ—give all the sins of his people Now before I passe to the useful Application of 〈◊〉 unto our selves I would speak something unto a Question much agitated amongst the Learned and others viz. SECT II. Quest VVHether God which promiseth to pardon all the sins of his people doth Whether all sins be pardoned together at once pardon all their sins Simul Semel together and at once all sins past which his people have committed and all sins present which they do commit and all sins future which they may hereafter commit Sol. This is I confess a very nice question and hath if it be well weighed something of difficulty in it peremptorily to resolve it And there are very godly and learned men who have spoken and written differently concerning it and yet all of them consent in this That God doth forgive all the sins of his people If it might not be burthensome unto you I would 1. Present unto you the several opinions of men with their chief Arguments for their different opinions concerning this Question 2. Offer my own private thoughts concerning this Controversie First Some are for the Affirmative and their opinion is this that as soon as Some are for the affirmative any are made Believers in Christ and so are within the Covenant Actually all the sins which they have committed in time past and all the sins which they are guilty of as to the time present and all the sins of which they do come to be guilty of in time future they are actually pardoned unto them in general and in particular Neither are Believers ever henceforth to pray unto God for the pardon of any sin which they do or shall commit but only for the assurance of the pardon of them in their own Consciences neither is any future Repentance required to attain the forgiveness of any new and future sin but only for the more comfortable assurance of former forgivenesse unto our selves Nay Repentance is not required of God as an Antecedent work to pardon of sins but only as a consequent work and fruit thereof c. This is their Opinion Quest Now what might be the ground inducing unto this Opinion That all the sins of a believer not only past but also present and to come are pardoned ot once and The grounds for the affirmative actually unto them Sol. The chief which I do find in writing are these First The Covenant expressions Isa 43. 25. I even I am he which blotteth out thy transgressions Heb. 8. 12. I will be merciful unto their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more Ergo all is pardoned at once Secondly Again Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus And Ver. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth And ver 38 39. Nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And Joh. 5. 24. He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Ergo all sinnes are pardoned at once or else they were in a state of condemnation c. Thirdly A believer even when he sinneth is still united to Christ and is cloathed with the righteousness of Christ which covers all our sins and dischargeth us from them so that no guilt shall redound to us Fourthly A believer is not to fear curse or hell at all which he might do if all his sins were not pardoned at once but some of his new sins were for a while unpardoned Fifthly Repentance is not at all required for our justification where our pardon is only to be found but only faith therefore pardon of sins is not suspended untill we repent of our sins Sixthly Again if new sins were not pardoned untill you do repent then we should be left to an uncertainty whiles our sins be pardoned or when they will be pardoned for it may be long ere we repent and more long ere we can know that we do truely repent of our sins Seventhly If all sins were not forgiven at once then justification is not perfect at once but is more and more increased and perfected as more and more sins are pardoned which as they conceive cannot consist with the true Doctrine of Justification These are the chiefest and strongest Arguments which I have read for the Affirmative Some for the Negative Opinion and I have delivered them rather with advantage than with any prejudice Secondly Neverthelesse there are others of the Negative and contrary Opinion unto this who although they do hold that God hath pardoned all sins past unto believers brought into Covenant with Christ and that he will pardon also all the sins of which hereafter they shall be guilty yet they do conjecture that all these are not forgiven at once unto them but upon though not for their renewed repentance for them and upon a renewed act of Faith on Christ for the particular forgiveness of new and particular transgressions unto them Neither do they lay any Popish reason of worthiness or merit in Repentance as some unjustly do charge upon them for the
it to perfection to give life to the dead and to give strength to the weak to convert a sinner and to subdue sinnes for he is an Omnipotent God And so likewise for your joy and peace which are but weak your God is able to fill you with joy in believing to make your joy unspeakable and full of glory he is able to give you peace that passeth understanding and to make it as a River And so for temptations which do so much distress you your God is not only able to restrain Satan but also to bruise him under your feet Rom. 16. 20. It is a certain truth that Omnipotency hath no bounds or limits you cannot say that God who works thus farre can work no farther as he can work all things unto their being so he can work them up to that perfection of being of which they are capable 6. If your God be an Omnipotent God then you who are his people are altogether Then his people are altogether safe and secure For their bodies safe and suâ—â— both in respect of your bodies and in respect of your souls For your bodies Is not he safe who hath Omnipotency to be his guard and shield is not Omnipotency it self safety enough unto you Deut. 33. 26. There is none like unto the God of Jeruson who rideth upon the heaven in thy help and in his excellency on the skye ver 27. The eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting armes And likewise for your souls they shall never be lost nay they shall assuredly be kept and preserved to glory John 10. 27. My sheep And for their souls hear my voice and I know them and they follow me ver 28. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my Fathers hands ver 29. My Father which gave them me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hands Mark here the comfort and assurance which Christ gives and the reason thereof My sheep shall never perish but they shall have eternal life This is the comfort and this comfort he grounds upon the power of God he is greater than all and no man is able c. As if he should say many assay to hinder them and deceive of that life but they are not able they are in my Fathers hand in the keeping of his power and he is greater he is stronger than all put them all together he is too strong for them 1 Pet. 1. 5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation There is not power enough in our selves to keep out selves but there is power enough in God and we are kept by the power of God even unto salvation untill we come to the heavenly glory 7. If your God be an Omnipotent God he can easily help you and enable you He can easily help you and enable you to all good in and to all good What shall I say more for your comfort from the Omnipotency of your God it is an universal comfort unto you in all conditions of life and death Tu non potes sed Dominus tuus potest said Chrysostome he is able to enable you for all your duties I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me Phil. 4. 13. He is able to comfort you in all your sorrows 2 Cor. 1. 4. He is able to deliver you from all your sins and troubles He is able to keep you from falling Jude ver 24. He is able to raise you up being fallen He is able to feed you all your days Gen. 48. 15. He is able to deliver you from the power of death Heb. 2. 14. He is able to present you faultlesse before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Jude ver 24. 7. A seventh Attribute wherein God is engaged unto you is faithfulnesse your Gods faithfulnesse is engaged for you God is often stiled a faithful God that is one that stands to his word and keeps his Covenant Deut. 7. 9. The Lord thy God he is God the faithful God who keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him c. 1 Kings 8. 23. Lord God of Israel c. who keepest Covenant and mercy with thy servants Nehem. 9. 32. Our God who keepest Covenant and mercy There are foure things in the faithfulnesse of God Four things in the faithfulness of God Sincerity of intention 1. Sincerity of intention God is faithful that is he really intends all the good of which he speaks and which he promiseth unto you his heart goes with his word he doth not speak one thing and minde another ptomise much and never intend to do any thing but his word of promise is bottomed upon the real purpose of his will 2. Fixednesse of resolution God is faithful that is he is stedfast he is still Fixednesse of resolution in the same minde he is not variable and changeable he will never alter his word he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2. 13. 3. Certainty of execution or performance God is faithful that is will Certainty of execution certainly performe unto you whatsoever good he hath promised Gen. 28. 15. I will surely do thee good and I will not leave thee untill I have done that which I have spoken unto thee of said God to Jacob Jer. 31. 20. I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord God chap. 32. 41. I will rejoyce over them to do them good and I will plant them in this Land assuredly with my whole heart with my whole soul Hab. 2. 3. The vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come Micah 7. 20. Thou wilt performe the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworne unto our fathers from the days of old 4. Fulnesse and exactnesse of performance not failing his people in any one Fulnesse and exactnesse of performance promise Jer. 32. 42. I will bring upon them all the good that I have promised them Josh 23. 14. Ye know that in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you all are come to passe unto you and not one thing hath This faithfulnesse is your exceeding comfort failed thereof 1 Kings 8. 5 6. There hath not failed one word of all his good promise which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant This is the faithfulness of God and this is your exceeding comfort that your God is a faithful God he remembers his Covenant for ever and his word to a thousand generations Psal 105. 8. Were he as he is an all-sufficiency and full of mercy and Omnifcient and Wise and Omnipotent and never so abundant in goodness yet if he were
for God to have There cannot be a New Covenant without a Mediatour set up a Covenant a New Covenant if he had not set forth a Mediatour for that Covenant Because neither can a sinner come into a New Covenant without a Mediatour the sinners accesse to God and union with him requires one Nor can there be any acceptance of the person or of the services of any sinner without a Mediatour who must bear his name before God and take away the iniquity of his holy offerings Nor can he continue in that Covenant without the presence and help of a Mediatour For if Adam who had a perfect righteousness suitable to his created condition could not make good the Covenant with him much lesse can the sinner by his own strength either perform the duties or persevere in the performance of them against so many inward oppositions of his own sinful nature and so many outward temptations of Satan without the power and sufficiency of a Mediatour SECT II. 2. THat Jesus Christ is the Mediatour and he only There are two Branches Jesus Christ and he only is the Mediatour Jesus Christ is tâ—e Mediatour proved by the 〈…〉 God in this Assertion 1. One that Jesus Christ is the Mediatour which will appear to be a truth whether you consider six things 1. The counsel and purpose of God to save sinners by Christ as Mediatour Ye were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world 1 Pet. 1. 19 20. Whose names are written in the book of Life of the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world Rev. 13. 8. Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and for eknowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain Acts 2. 23. 2. The voluntary consent and compact between God the Father and Christ The The voluntary consent and compact betwixt God and Christ Father was willing to give Christ his Son to be the Head and to be the Ransome of the Elect and Christ the Son of God presented himself most willing to procure that salvation for them The Father agreed with him for an obedience even to the death to bring this about and promised him a Spiritual Kingdom and seed upon the performance And the Son came up to this Then said I Loe I come in the volume of thy Book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart 3. The promise of this unto Adam Gen. 3. 15. It shall bruise thy head and thou The promise of this to Adam shalt bruise his heele This is directly meant of Christ who as our Mediatour should suffer death for us c. And unto Abraham in Gen. 18. 18. In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed 4. The Legal figures and shadows in Sacrifices and Offerings all which Typified The Legal figures and shadows of it Jesus Christ the Mediatour who offered himself shed his blood took away sinne and made peace as in the Hebrews is a bundantly expressed 5. The actual exhibition and presentation of Christ unto the world and for this The actual exhibition of Christ purpose to be a Mediatour Gal. 4. 4. When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law verse 5. To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons 6. The real executing of that Office of Mediatour in fulfilling all Righteousness The real execution of that Office and in giving himself for a Ramsome and by his blood reconciling and making Peace 2. And as Christ is that Mediatour so he only is that Mediatour 1 Tim. 2. 5. Christ only is that Mediatour There is one God and one Mediatour between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus but one God and but one Mediatour Acts 4. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other Name under heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved None was ever called to that Office but Christ and none was ever fitted for that Office but Christ and none were ever able to discharge that Office but Christ Him the Father sent and gave and sealed and on him was laid our iniquities c. Read you of Man or Angel called by God to be a Mediatour 'twixt him and sinners Was ever any so fitted for that work but Christ He who is a Mediatour at least three conditions must lie upon him 1. He must not be of the number of those who are to be reconciled Therefore Three conditions in a Mediator agree only to Christ no simple man can be a Mediatour 2. He must partake of the nature of them who are to be redeemed and reconciled He must be of the same seed with them Heb. 2. 16. and therefore no Angel can be a Mediatour 3. He must be more than a meere Creature For a meere creature cannot satisfie nor can his righteousness be imputed to any but himself and he must be able to overcome sin and death and raise himself which no creature can do therefore neither men nor Angels can be Mediatours SECT III. 3. NOw let me speak unto the third particular viz. How Jesus Christ is to How Christ is to be considered as being-Mediatour As God Man be considered or look't upon as being a Mediatour I answer not as God only not as the second Person in the Trinity only not as man only but as Theanthropos as God-Man As God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3. 16. As the Word made flesh which dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory as the only begotten of the Father Joh. 1. 14. As the second Person of the Trinity incarnated as Immanuel God with us A Virgin shall conceive and bring forth a Son and thou shalt call his Name Immanuel Isa 7. 14. with Matth. 1. 23. and so the Angel to Mary in Luke 1. 31. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a Son and shalt call his Name Jesus verse 32. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David verse 33. And he shall raign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end So Gal. 4. 4. When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman c. to redeem them that were under the Law And Christ is said to bear our sins in his own body 1 Pet. 2. 24. And to make his soule an offering for sin Isa 53. And by his death and blood to reconcile us Rom. 5. 9. Col. 2. 22. As Christ was God from all eternity so in time he was made Man True God he was Joh. 1. 1. The Word was God and true Man also be was
some internal testimony of the Spirit of Christ witnessing and sealing the application of the death of Christ in the benefits of it unto the unbelieving and impenitent person But such a testimony the Spirit of Christ never gives to any person remaining unbelieving and impenitent his witnessing and sealing being only to the children of God Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit itself beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God and follows on believing Ephes 1. 13. In whom after ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Ver. 14. who is the earnest of our inheritance So that there is no way for any unbeliever and impenitent person to know that Christ dyed for his sins and to make his peace and to save his soul and unlesse his unbelief and impenitency be changed he can never know it 2. As the Gospel fixeth the death of Christ in the benefits of it only upon Believers he that believeth shall be saved Mark 16. 16 And whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. So it threatneth unbelievers with the losse of all benefit by Christ Mark 16. 16. He that believeth shall not be damned And John 3. 36. He that believeth not on the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Note And therefore by the way let me hint unto you two things One is that all such persons who do continue to slight and refuse Christ and will go on in their sinful ways they have certainly deceived themselves and do still deceive themselves in their presumptuous confidence that Christ hath dyed for them and shed his blood for the remission of their sins and that they shall be saved as well as the best These rude confidences are but lying vanities and ungrounded presumptions refuges and delusions of their own making and who so trusts unto them will in the end perish for the Scripture is so far from offering Christ in the benefits of his death to unbelieving and impenitent persons continuing in that estate that it assures them of the quite contrary that they shall not see life that they shall not be saved that they shall dye in their sins and perish A second is that we would every one of us look seriously into our conditions and if we do finde them to be unbelieving and impenitent then as we love our lives and tender our salvation by Christ humbly and earnestly to importune the Lord to deliver our souls from unbelief and impenitency they being the sins which else will hinder us not only of the benefits by the death of Christ but also of Christ himself without an interest in whom we cannot have any interest in the benefits purchased by his death Secondly Some there are who perhaps are in Christ and yet they do not Some may be in Christ but do not know it know that they are in Christ and Christ in the benefits of his death belongs unto them at least they do not certainly know this and the reason of that inevidency may be 1. Their own negligence and carelessnesse the Apostle saith We must give all diligence to make our calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. The assurance of our interest in Christ and in the benefits of Christ is a most sweet and refreshing knowledge but it cannot be so easily attained A diligence on our part is required to attain the same much searching and praying and conference and comparing of our hearts with the Word of precept and with the Word of promise are necessary for such an evidence and our failing in these may be a reason why we fail in that 2. The imbecillity of faith which is but newly â—ormed and hardly perceptible by reason of many clouds and doubts and fears weak faith cannot so easily manifest it self unto us nor yet our title to Christ and interest in his purchase 3. The power of temptations and of melancholy which do distract the soul and disturb the apprehension and the acts of it and daâ—ken and misperswade and delude us so that we cannot see our selves aright nor Christ aright nor our grounds of Application nor yet the testimonies or evidences of our union with Christ Thirdly Some there are who lie in a trembling condition and are not determinately Some would know but do not resolved either way they cannot peremptorily conclude Christ did not dye for them nor yet can they confidently affirme Christ did dye for them only this is to be found in them that their hearts do mourn after Christ and they do love him and do exceedingly strive after the knowledge of his love and the intentions of his death for their souls the inevidence of it is their great perplexity and the certainty of it is their great desire and pains And now for a clear and distinct answer unto the question One may certainly know that Christ died effectually to satisfie Gods justice for him to take away his sins to make reconciliation for him and to save him 1. By the description of those for whom without all question Christ did intentionally and effectually dye 2. By the qualities of those persons who in Scripture have been able to say upon sure grounds that Christ dyed for them and unto whom in particular the benefits of his death have been applied and appropriated 3. By the interest in that condition of faith upon which Christ becomes ours in his person and in his benefits 4. By the combination of the benefits of the death of Christ and the real participation of every one of them 5. By the ends of the death of Christ and the appearance of them upon his heart and life 6. By the ground and order of that certainty of knowledge or perswasion which a person hath that Christ dyed for him 7. By the concomitant presence of some choice affections in all who do attain unto that certain evidence that Christ dyed for them 8. By the consequent effects and fruits which do flow from that sound knowledge of Christ in his death and benefits for us in particular One may certainly know that Christ dyed for him By the description of those for whom Christ intentionally dyed 1. One may certainly know that Christ effectually dyed for him By the description of those for whom without all question Jesus Christ did intentionally and effectually dye If one can finde himself within the number of them for whom Christ himself hath said he came to dye and came to save and laid down his life and saith he is the Saviour of them this man may be confidently perswaded and assured that Christ dyed for him Now you finde some expressely described in Scripture for whom he unquestionably dyed Matth. 1. 21. He shall save his people from their sins Joh. 10. 15. I lay down my life for the sheep Joh. 15. 13. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends If therefore any
man can clear out unto himself that he is one of the people of Christ or one of the sheep or one of the friends of Christ or one of the body of Christ or one of the Church of Christ he may thereupon certainly conclude that he is one for whom Christ dyed and really intended to save by his death Object You will say Here lies all the difficulty to evidence to our selves that we are within the number of these Sol. I confesse it doth yet this must be evidenced if you would certainly know that Christ effectually dyed for you and upon diligent inquiry it may be evidenced forasmuch as Christs people and sheep and friends and body and Church have such signal characters and differences stamped upon them by which they may be known to be his indeed I will give some instances to help you in this They are the people of Christ his people who are given unto him of the Father and His people bought by him with a price and rescued by his power unto himself and brought into Covenant by him with the Father and do stand in a near and choice relation unto himself as their Head and Lord of these people it is said in Scripture that they are 1. A willing people in the day of his power Psal 110. 3. i. e. when the Gospel is preached unto them there goes with that Gospel such a power from Christ upon their hearts that they are overcome and perswaded and willingly leave their former station and relation to sin and to the world and to Satan and as willingly become Christs hearkening unto his call and falling into relation with him 2. A peculiar people Tiâ—â—s 2. 14. That he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people His people are a peculâ—ar people in a twofold respect One because they are purged from those sins and iniquities under which other people do lye and with which they are defiled Another because they are beautified and adorned with those excellencies of grace which other people do want and attain not unto and therefore in 1 Pet. 29. An holy Nation and a peculiar people are joyned together These things being thus opened it will not now be so difficult for any mans conscience to say whether he be any one of the people of Christ yea or no for two things will plainly testifie it One is the willingnesse of his heart to become Christs and the other is the choicenesse or excellency of his nature both these are in all the people of Christ and in none but the people of Christ and if you finde these upon your hearts then are you the people of Christ and if you be his people then assuredly he dyed to save you from your sins They are the sheep of Christ his sheep for whom he did lay down his life His Sheep who do hear his voice and follow him thus doth Christ himself describe his sheep John 10 27. My sheep hear my voice and they follow me And Ver. 28. I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish Well then hence a man Hence a man may conclude Negatively may conclude both Negatively and Affirmatively I do not hear the voice of Christ â—or do I follow him I disregard his voice and disobey his voice therefore as yet I am none of his sheep and consequently I cannot assure my self that Christ did lay down his life for me And on the contrary one can say I do hear the voice of Christ and I do follow Affirmatively him His voice saith Come unto me Matth. 11. 28. and I come unto him his voice saith Open the door Revel 3. 20. and receive me and my heart is open unto him and I do receive him his voice saith Be converted that your sins may be blotted out Acts 2. 19. and I do repent and am converted his voice saith Hearken unto me and your souls shall live Isa 55. 2. and I do obey this voice of Christ I hearken unto him and yield up my self to the service and obedience of his will Why hence I can conclude I am therefore one of the sheep of Christ and being so I am sure that Christ did lay down his life for me Again Jesus Christ saith that he layes down his life for his friends And in His friends that very place he gives two Characters of such who are indeed his friends One on their parts Joh. 15. 14. Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you The other on his part Ver. 15. I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you The meaning is As betwixt friends there is a reciprocal love so there is between Christ and his friends Christ loves them and they love Christ That they love Christ as friends indeed appears by their readinesse to do whatsoever Christ shall be pleased to command they are ready to take up his will and are chearfully at his command That Christ loves them as his friends appears by the manifestation and communicating unto them the secrets of his Father he tells unto them the love and minde of his Father in the great concernments of salvation which he doth not effectually make known to every man So now this stands as a firme and unmoveable ttuth that Christ did effectually lay down his life for his friends And secondly that they are the very friends of Christ who first are at the command of Christ And secondly unto whom Christ doth in a more special and familiar way make known the minde of his Father in the matters of salvation Therefore if you do experimentally finde an heart readily and chearfully affected to all the will and command of Christ What wilt thou have me to do his commands are not grievous I delight to do thy will then are you sure that you are one of the friends of Christ and if so then are you sure that Christ laid down his life for you And if you do experimentally finde such impartings of Christ to you from the Father which the men of the world know not in the sense of his love and taste of his mercy and fruits of his grace and efficacies of hâ—s Spirit thence you may certainly conclude that you are his friends for Christ effectually makes these known only to his friends and if you be his friends then undoubtedly Christ dyed for you he laid down his life to save you To this purpose might I go over the other instances of the body and of the Church of Christ but I have said enough unto this choice distinction 2. Secondly One may know that Christ dyed for him in particular by the quality of those persons who in Scripture have been able to say upon sure grounds that Christ dyed for them and redeemed them and unto whom the benefits of his death have been applied in particular It is a true rule Parium est par
Saints all along 5. And it seems to be a strong Guard against presumption and carnal security and looseness 6. And hath no direct natural appearance of inconveniencies in or from it Object Whereas they say this is Popish and Legal Sol. They speak ignorantly if not maliciously for they know that Jesus Christ in the Gospel-Commission joyned Repentance and Remission of sins It is as Popish to say Repentance is required for Assurance as for Remission for both are acts of grace Object But what if one should die before he repents Sol. And what if he should not dye That God who hath promised renewing mercy hath likewise promised renewed repentance Object But a man may be damned for the sinnes committed if all be not forgiven at once Sol. 1. As if a particular sin destroyed the state of Justification 2. What a sin deserves is one thing what it shall redundantly and eventually bring on the person is another thing 3. Though God doth not forgive all the sins at once yet he will certainly forgive them unto his people when committed and when repented of for God hath promised so to pardon them And no one promise of God can be shewed to the contrary It was Fulgentius his prayer Domine da poenitentiam postea indulgentiam Object But God justifies the ungodly therefore no need of subsequent repentance in relation to forgivenesse Sol. 1. Nay and put in too any Repentance or Faith at all for God justifies the ungodly 2. But he justifies the ungodly i. e. a man stands before God when he justifies him as a poor undone sinner having no righteousness of his own nor is Repentance required as the meritorious or as the material cause of Justification but as a meanes to enjoy what God hath pâ—omised to the believer Having thus waded through this great Controversie I shall now proceed unto the useful Application of the Doctrine That God doth promise to forgive all the sins of his people SECT III. Use 1. THe first Vse shall be of Information It may informe us of five Information things 1. Of that exceeding greatness of mercy which is in God 2. Of that exceeding love and kindness which is in God unto his people 3. Of what a heavy weight did lie upon Jesus Christ 4. Of the high Obligations which rest upon us who do enjoy this promise of universal forgiveness 5. Then multitude of sinnes is not absolutely inconsistent with pardon First In that God engageth himself by promise to forgive all the sins of all That God is a God of infinite mercy his people This doth manifestly declare unto us that he is a God of infinite mercy must he not needs be so who forgives such a number of sins and transgressions There are two things which discover unto us the infinite fulness and depth of mercy in God One is that vast Title attributed unto him and his mercy He is said to be of great mercy Psal 105. 8. and to be rich in mercy Ephes 2. 4. and to be plenteous in mercy Psal 86. 15. and to pardon abundantly Isa 55. 7. 1 Pet. 1 3. according to his abundant mercy and to keep mercy for thousands Exod. 34. 7. and to be of everlasting mercy Psal 100. 5. and to be of transcendent and incomparable mercy As the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him Psal 103. 11. In like manner there are ascribed to his mercy and mercies a multitude Psal 51. 1. According to the multitude of thy tender mercies A depth Mich. 7. 19. Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the sea Not only an abundance but an exceeding abundance 1 Tim. 1. 14. The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant Nay an over abundance where sin abounded grace did much more abound Rom. 5. 23. It did superabound c. 2ly The other is the vast quantity of sinnes of which the people of God have been guilty Who saith David Psal 19. 12. can understand his errors i. e. the number of a mans sins is so numerous that with all the Arithmetick he hath he is not able to cast up how often he hath sinned Nay David surveying the number of his own sins he is non-plused and professeth that they are innumerable and that they are more than the hairs of his head Psal 40. 12. And Ezra in his confession Chap. 9. 6. Our iniquities are increased over our heads and our trespasse is grown up into the heavens Now if the number of sins in respect of one person be so innumerable what then is the number of all the sins of all the people of God yet there is mercy enough in God to pardon all and every one of them To pardon â—â— their sinnes which they do know and all the rest which they do not know Secondly In that God doth pardon all the sins of all his people this doth likewise discover the exceeding love and kindnesse of God to his people The Apostle The exceeding love and kindness of God to his people saith in 1 Pet. 4. 8. That Charity or love covereth a multitude of sinnes and that he that converts a sinner shall hide a multitude of sins Jam. 5. 20. Certainly then it shews exceeding love in God to cover to blot out to forget to passe over to pardon all the multitude of sins in his own people To injure God is infinitely more than to injure man to offend and dishonour him is infinitely more than to offend and dishonour man and for God to passe by all this it must needs flow from his infinite love and kindness and therefore God is said Rom. 5. 8. To commend or highly to exalt his love toward us in that whiles we were yet sinners Christ died for us and to shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 7. And the forgivenesse of our sins is rightly attributed to the riches of his grace Eâ—â—es 1. 7. Thirdly in that God forgives all the sins of all his people this may inform us What a heavy weight did lie upon Christ What an heavy weight did lie upon Jesus Christ and of that wonderful power and vertue of his sufferings There is no man who is able to express the surpassing desert and burden in any one particular sin we finde many times that some one sin set on with the wrath of God doth drive us to our feet it is more unto us than the shadows of death it doth fill us with such distractions and horror that we can neither live nor dye we are not able to sustain it nor yet to decline it what work then would all our sins make within us if the Lord should in wrath return them upon us Now all the sins of all the people of God from the beginning of the world to the end thereof were in all their kinds and numbers and aggravations laid upon Jesus Christ he bare all our
ways of worldly advancements and advantages But the rule which a renewed heart sets up to guide and prescribe him is none other but that which God himself sets up for his people to walk by and that is his written Word Psal 119. 105. Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path Ver. 133. Order my steps in thy Word This rule he sets up for all matters of faith and for all matters of fact this I must believe because God reveals it and commands me to believe it this I receive for truth because God delivers it for truth and that I reject as erroneous because the Word of God condemns it as contrary to the truth And this work I do and that way I walk in because God sets it out in his Word for me and that I do not do and so and so I dare not walk for I have no Word of God for it nay the Word of God is against it why mans heart is right indeed it is renewed by grace but if a man will walk contrary to this rule if he will not speak and live according to this Word it is because there is no light in him Isa 8. 20. SECT V. Vse 4. DOth God promise to give unto all his people in Covenant with him a new heart and a new spirit then there is comfort and joy to Comfort to those that have a new heart all those who finde the new heart given unto them it is true that when the Lord doth renew the heart of any by his grace and separate them from the world unto himself that 1. They shall meet with many troubles and scoffs and reproaches and persecutions from the world All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecutions 2 Tim. 3. 2. They shall meet with many temptations and oppositions from Satan if he cannot hinder grace and conquer grace yet he will molest and disquiet grace 3. They shall meet with many conflicts and warrings within their own hearts and with many weaknesses and failings and tryals nevertheless their condition is a very happy and comfortable condition and there are eight Eight comforts proper to them choice comforts which are proper to every renewed person and which may cheer up his heart all his days v. g. 1. Newness of heart is a sure and infallible testimony of the best and of the greatest matters which can concern the soul 2. This newness of heart is an unquestionable effect of our union with Christ 3. It is the noblest and highest elevation of the soul here on earth and the clear evidence of the presence of the Spirit of Christ 4. It enables you for all heavenly communion and serviceableness to Divine glory 5. God will own and accept of it and the fruits of it though but little and weak 6. He will strengthen and uphold and perfect it unto the day of Christ 7. He will poure upon every person who enjoys it all necessary blessings for this life and will take special notice of him and care for him in the days of adversity 8. Renewing grace shall without all doubt bring us at the last to eternal happiness First Newness of heart is a sure and infallible testimony of the best and of It is a clear testimony of the greatest matters which can concern the soul the greatest matters which can concern the soul There are six things which do concern the soul as nearly I think as any can and of every one of them is renewing grace a sure testimony 1. The love of God 2. The election of God 3. A relation to God 4. A change from death to life 5. The pardon of sin 6. The hope of glory 1. Of the love of God that the Lord doth indeed set his special love A testimony of the love of God his very heart upon a person 1 Joh. 3. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God Psal 146. 8. The Lord loveth the righteous for any to be made the sons of God this is an effect or fruit of the love of God now all the sons of God are new born they are born again of the Spirit Joh. 3. 5. Ephes 2. 4. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us Ver. 5. even when we were dead in sins and trespasses hath quicked us together with Christ As it is one of the greatest testimonies of Gods hatred and wrath for any to be left to his old sinful heart and lusts and ways so it is one of the greatest testimonies of Gods love when he pities them in their sinful condition and delivers them out of it and gives his Spirit to enliven and renew them by grace 2. Of the Election of God for this see two places 1 Thes 1. 4. Knowing Of election Brethren Beloved your Election of God Ver. 5. For our Gospel came unto you not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost Eph. 1. 4. He hath chosen us in him that we should be holy Holiness or renewing grace it is as one speaketh the counterpane of Gods decree of Election God by his own eternal prescience knows whom he intends for salvation and we by that work of renewing grace in our hearts come to know that eternal purpose of his grace concerning us it being given unto us an effect flowing from his Election and in order unto that happiness unto which he hath chosen us 3. Of our Relation to God as our God and our Father as none but his Of our relation to God people and children are holy so all his people and his children are holy Isa 63. 18. The people of thy holiness they are 1 Pet. 2. 9. an holy Nation and a peculiar people 2 Cor. 6. 17. Come out from among them and be ye separate and touch no unclean thing Ver. 18. And I will be a father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty 4. Of our translation from life to death See Isa 4. 3. He that is left in Of our translation from death to life Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem Ezek. 16. 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live Luk. 15. 32. This my son was dead and is alive again Rom 6. 11. Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God Renewing grace is one of the strictest differences between men of death and men of life not any man hath it but he who is made alive by Christ and is in the state of life no profane person hath it nor doth any hypocrite partake of it 5. Of the pardon of our sins if any
Spirit but did you ever find him a witnesting Spirit Now improve your interest in the Spirit for these soul-renewing works which you long for but never yet found why beâ—eech the Lord to give you the Spirit of Joy as well as the Spirit of Faith the Spirit of Peace as well as the Spirit of Holiness the sealing and witnessing Spirit as well as the renewing and changing Spirit The Spirit of gladness as well as of mourning Say unto my soul I am thy salvation Be of good comfort go in peace thy sins are forgiven thee Thy heart is ready to sink and break for want of comfort why Go to the Lord Lord comfort my soul thou hast promised joy and comfort to thy people and biddest thy Ministers to comfort them O comfort me with thine own Spirit it is his work it is his Office to be the Comforter c. Secondly For the works which he hath begun but hath not as yet perfected and finished within you as all the works of grace of knowledge of faith of love c. be not content with a little of these but as the Apostle exhorts in Ephes 5. 18. Be filled with the Spirit labour to encrease and abound in all fruits of the Spirit Psal 92. 13. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the house of our God Ver. 14. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing Here I will briefly answer two Questions 1. Quest One is Why they that have the Spirit of grace should strive to increase Why such as have grace should labour to grow in it and to abound in grace Sol There are five Reasons for it First This will testifie the truth that is in them That they have the graces of the Spirit indeed there are three things amongst many others which do testifie grace in truth 1. One is Power 2. The second is Growth 3. The third is Perseverance Dead things and Artificial things have no growth q. because they have no life Every branch in me that beareth fruit the Father purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit saith Christ Joh. 15. 2. Secondly Yea and this testifies that the Spirit is in you of a truth for the Spirit changeth us from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. When the Spirit changeth us at the first from sinfulness to holiness this is a glorious change for as the natural estate is vile and inglorious so the renewed and sanctified estate is an excellent and glorious estate and when the Spirit begins a glorious change he proceeds and makes it still more glorious the spirit changeth us from glory to glory Grace makes us glorious and more grace makes us more glorious the more grace the more glory and where the Spirit of God is there he carries on his work from glory to glory Thirdly The more that ye do grow in the graces of the spirit the greater and fuller is your conformity unto Christ Grace is in Christ as in a Fountain and perfection as in a pattern Now the more you have in answerableness to the pattern the fuller is your conformity a little grace in us resembles that grace which is in Christ Simile But as those who lived under the Old Testament had some glimpses of Christ but they that lived under the New Testament had a more clear knowledge of him face to face So they that have but a little of grace there is some resemblance and manifestation in them of the image of Christ but they who are high in grace they are nearer to Christ in the resemblance of his excellent perfection of holiness and to speak plainly there is much more of Christ in them Fourthly The more you obtain in the proportion of grace the greater Revenue of honour will you be able to bring in to God I told you that the weakest grace can enable you to bring God some honour why then much grace can help you farther in that service it can set up his Name on high A little Faith can honour God but a strong Faith such as Abrahams or Moses's will bring more honour to his goodness and faithfulness a little love will make you to do something for Christ but much love will make you do much more The more grace that you attain the more gloriously will you shine in your conversation and in all the fruits of Righteousness with more fulness evenness and stedfastness and all this glorifies your Father which is in heaven Fifthly You your selves would gain more if your graces were increased more e. g. You would certainly find more peace in conscience and more freedom from slavish fears and doubts and more confidence in your accesses to God and more sweetness in the Ordinances of Christ and more enlargement of heart in all your communions with God and more wisdom and strength against the temptations of Satan 2. How may one know that he hath much of the Spirit of God in him that How to know that we have much of Gods spirit in us If more humble grace is increased and raised that he is more spiritual Sol. You may know it thus First If you be more humble The more pride alwayes either no grace or very little but the more humility still the more grace mark the Records in Scripture and you shall find the most excellent in grace have been the most eminent in humility e. g. Abraham Jacob Moses David Paul c. For much grace 1. Discovers most wants 2ly Most failings 3ly Most self-insufficiency 4ly Most self-unworthiness 5ly That all our receptions are from meer grace and mercy Secondly If you be more exact in your walking giving no just occasion either If more exact in our walking of offence to the weak or of grief to the strong Christians or of reproach to them that are without A man that can order his conversation so as good men are edified by him and wicked men have their mouthes stopped or cannot speak ill of him without lying he hath a great measure of grace Thirdly If a man be able to drink of the cup which Christ did drink and to If able to suffer afflictions be baptized with the baptisme wherewith Christ was baptized Mat. 20. 22 23. this man hath got on far in the work of grace The more able that you are to suffer reproaches and losses yea death itself for Christ the greater is your faith and the stronger is your love when you can rejoyce in tribulations bear the reproaches for Christ taking the Cross as your Crown and triumph that ye are counted worthy to suffer for his Name Fourthly If you be able to govern your tongues with wisdome and meekness If we can wisely govern our tongues and grace and truth this is a sign that you are strong in grace Jam. 3 2. If any offend not in word the same is a perfect man Fifthly The less careful we are for outward things and