the Power to pardon is an Efflux of Supremacy and incommunicable to the Subject A Prince that invests another with an absolute Power to pardon must either relinquish his Soveraignty or take an Associate to share in it This Pretence of the Papists is such a lame Evasion as that which they are forced to make use of to clear themselves from the Charge of Idolatry in their Worship of Angels and Saints their Excuse is that their Worship of Angels and Saints is inferiour in degree and imperfectly divine as if there could be different Degrees in Divine Worship which is absolutely and necessarily supreme The Ministers of the Gospel have only a declarative Power as Heralds or Embassadors to propose the Terms of the Gospel for the obtaining Pardon and to apply the Promise of Pardon to those who appear qualified for it But to pronounce and dispense Pardon they have no judicial Authority for 't is not presumeable that the wise God should invest Men with that Authority which they are utterly incapable to exercise 2 dly God is ready to forgive The Power to pardon without an Inclination to it affords no Relief in the Agonies of an accusing Conscience and the Terrors of eternal Judgment The merciful Will of God declared in his Word is the Foundation of our blessed Hope and encourages us in our Requests before his Throne For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in Mercy unto all that call upon thee The Attribute of which Pardon is an Emanation is usually exprest by Grace and Mercy 'T is said the Grace of God that brings Salvation has appeared unto all Men We are saved by Grace Grace implies free Favour There is in this respect a Difference between Love and Grace Love may be set upon an Object worthy of it The primary Object of God's Love is himself whose excellent and amiable Perfections are worthy of infinite Love The Love of Parents to Children is a Duty most clearly natural and Duty lessens the Desert of performing it but Grace is exclusive of all Merit and Dignity in the Subject and of all Obligation in the Person that shews it God's most free preventing Grace is exercised without any Motive in us that deserves it The Grace of God may be consider'd as exercised in our Creation and our Redemption In the Creation it was absolutely free for Angels and Men were in the State of nothing there was only a Possibility of their Being Now there could be no attractive Merit before their Existence 'T is true Goodness is glorified and crown'd by communicating The World is a bright Efflux of the Divine Glory but this does not lessen the free Goodness of the Maker There was no Constraint upon God to make the World for his declarative Glory for his essential Glory is truly infinite and wants no external Appearance to make it compleat The Universal Church pays humble Homage to the Great Creator acknowledging that for his Will and Pleasure all things were created The Divine Goodness to Angels and Man in their Original Purity was Grace for altho the Image of God shining in them was attractive of his Approbation and Acceptance yet they deserved no Benefits from him there is such an infinite Distance and Disproportion between God and the Creatures that they cannot by a common Right claim any thing as due from his Majesty Besides he is the productive and conservative Cause of all their active Powers and the Efficacy of them The creating Goodness of God is eclips'd in the Comparison with his saving Grace The first supposes us without any Deserts of his Favour but this supposes our exceedingly bad Deserts The first was free but this is merciful and healing Grace Mercy revives and restores us when deservedly miserable This Grace and Mercy is of so pure a Nature that the most tender humane Inclinations to relieve the Afflicted are mix'd with Self-interest compared with the Mercy of God towards us Our Bowels relent and Affections are melting at the sight of Persons in deep Misery But there is an inward and unvoluntary Constraint of Nature that excites such feeling Resentments and our Compassion is moved by Reflection upon our selves considering that in this open State we are liable to many Disasters and wounding Sorrows but God is infinitely free from all disturbing Passions and exempted from all possible Evils To represent the immense Love and Mercy of God in its endearing Circumstances and to demonstrate his Readiness to forgive we must consider what he has done in order to his pardoning Sinners 1. If we consider God as the supreme Lawgiver and Judg of the World as the Protector of Righteousness and Goodness and the Revenger of all Disorders in his moral Government it became him not to pardon Sinners without the punishing Sin in such a manner as might satisfy his injur'd Justice and vindicate the Honour of his despised Law and declare most convincingly his Hatred against Sin Now for these great Ends he decreed to send his Son from his Bosom to assume our Nature and to suffer the contumelious Calamity of the Death on the Cross to make a Propitiation for our Sins This was the Contrivance of his high Wisdom which the most enlightned Angels had no presaging Notions of Now can there be a more clear Evidence and convincing Reality that God is ready to forgive Sins than the giving his only begotten Son a Person so great and so dear the Heir of his Love and Glory to be a Sacrifice that he might spare us In this Dispensation Love was the regent leading Attribute to which his Wisdom Justice and Power were subordinate they were in exercise for the more glorious Illustration of his Mercy We have the strongest Argument of God's Love in the Death of his Son for our Pardon was the end of it From hence 't is evident that God is more willing to dispense his pardoning Mercy than Sinners are to receive it 2. God's Readiness to forgive appears in the gracious and easy Terms prescribed in the Gospel for the obtaining Pardon There are two ways of Justification before God and they are like two Ways to a City One is direct and short but deep and unpassable the other lies in a Circuit but will bring a Person safe to the Place Thus there is a Justification of an innocent Person by Works that secures him from the Charge of the Law and a Justification of a Sinner by Faith in our all-sufficient Saviour The first was a short way to Man in the State of Integrity the second such is the Distance of the Terms takes a Compass There is a shorter Passage from Life to Action than from Death to Life There is no Hope or Possibility of our legal Justification The Apostle saith That which the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the Likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh. The Expiation of
be saved by the Death of Christ upon the Terms of the Gospel This Constitution is grounded upon the eternal Articles between the Father and the Son in the Covenant of Redemption Our Saviour declares that God gave his Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal Life Notwithstanding the full Satisfaction made for our Sins yet without our Consent i. e. an applicative Faith no Benefit could accrue to us He dwells in our Hearts by Faith and by that vital Band of our Union we have Communion with him in his Death and as entire an Interest in all the blessed Benefits purchased by it as if whatsoever he did and suffered had been for us alone He is a Propitiation by Faith in his Blood Of this full Consent of the Sinner there is an excellent Example in the Apostle He expresses it with the greatest Ardency of Affection I count all things but Dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ. Like as a poor insolvent Debtor ready to be cast into a perpetual Prison longs for a Surety rich and liberal to make Paiment for him Thus St. Paul desir'd to be found in Christ as an all-sufficient Surety that he might obtain a Freedom from the Charge of the Law The Establishment of the Gospel that Faith be the Condition of our Pardon so that none can be justified without it is from pure Grace The Apostle assigns this Reason why all Works are excluded those performed in the State of Nature or by a Principle of Grace from being the procuring Cause of our Salvation that it is to prevent Vain-glory in Men that would result from it You are saved by Grace through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God The Pardon of Sin is a principal Part of our Salvation He positively declares that Justification is therefore of Faith that it might be by Grace If Justification were to be obtain'd by a Condition of impossible Performance it were no Favour to offer that blessed Benefit to us but it being assur'd to a Believer that humbly and thankfully accepts of it the Grace of God is exceedingly glorified To make this more clear Faith may be considered as a productive Grace or a receptive As a productive it purifies the Heart works by Love and in this Consideration we are not justified by it Faith hath no Efficiency in our Justification 't is the sole Act of God But Faith as a receptive Grace that embraces Christ with his precious Merits offer'd to us in the Promise entitles us to Pardon And in this way Divine Grace is exalted for he that entirely relies upon the Righteousness of Christ absolutely renounces his own Righteousness and ascribes in solidum the obtaining of his Pardon to the Clemency and Favour of God for the sake of the Mediator 3. That God is ready to forgive is fully proved by many gracious Declarations in his Word the infallible Expression of his Will We are commanded to seek his Face for ever his Favour and Love for the Countenance is the Christal wherein the Affections appear Now all the Commands of God assure us of his approving and Acceptance of our Obedience to them it follows therefore that 't is very pleasing to him that we pray for the Pardon of our Sins and that he will dispense it if we pray in a due manner When he forbad the Prophet to pray for Israel it was an Argument of decreed Ruine against them Pray not for this People for I will not hear thee To encourage our Hope God is pleased to direct us how to address our Requests for his Mercy He directs Israel that had fallen by Iniquity to take Words and turn to the Lord and say unto him Take away all Iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the Praise of our Lips To this is added a solemn renouncing of those Sins that provoked him to Anger His gracious Answer follows I will heal their Backslidings I will love them freely If a Prince draws a Petition for an humble Suppliant to himself 't is a strong Indication that he will grant it God joins Intreaties to his Commands to induce Men to accept this Mercy The Apostle declares Now then we are Embassadors for Christ as tho God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be reconciled to God Astonishing Goodness how condescending how compassionate The Provocation began on Man's part the Reconciliation is first on God's That the King of Heaven whose Indignation was incens'd by our Rebellions and might justly send Executioners to destroy us should send Embassadors to offer Peace and beseech us to be reconciled to him as if it were his Interest and not ours is a Mercy above what we could ask or think With Commands and Intreaties he mixes Promises of Pardon to encourage us to come to the Throne of Grace Whoever confesses and forsakes his Sins shall find Mercy This Promise is ratified by the strongest Assurance If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Vnrighteousness The Pardon of a repenting Sinner is the Effect of most free Mercy but 't is dispensed to the Honour of God's Faithfulness and Justice who is pleased to engage himself by his Promise to do it And tho the Word of God be as sacred and certain as his Oath for 't is impossible for him to change his Will or to deceive us in the one as well as the other yet to overcome the Fears to allay the Sorrows and satisfy the Desires of repenting Sinners he was pleased to annex his Oath to the Promise which is the most infallible Character and Note that the Blessing promised is unchangeable He adds Threatnings to his Invitations that Fear which is an active and strong Passion may constrain us to seek for his Mercy Our Saviour said to the Jews who did blind and harden themselves in their Infidelity If ye believe not that I am he the promised Messiah and come to me to obtain Life ye shall die in your Sins The Threatning implies a State final and fearful beyond all Expression for they who die in their Sins shall die for them to Eternity Hell is the sad Mansion of lost Souls fill'd with extreme Wrath and extreme Despair and where Despair is without Remedy Sorrow is without Mitigation for ever From hence we may be convinc'd how willing God is to pardon and save us in that knowing how we are intangled with pleasant Sins he reveals to us what will be the eternal Consequence of Sins unrepented and unforgiven a Punishment above all the Evils that are felt or fear'd here and above all the Patience and Strength of Sinners to endure If Men yield themselves to the Call of his Word without and of his Spirit within
that all the World are become guilty before God that is justly chargeable with their Crimes and liable to his Judgment The Act of Sin is transient and the Pleasure vanishes but the Guilt if not pardoned and purged away remains for ever in the Records of Conscience The Sin of Judah is written with a Pen of Iron and with the Point of a Diamond it is graven on the Tables of the Heart When the Books of eternal Life and Death shall be opened at the Last Day all the unpardoned Sins of Men with their killing Aggravations will be found written in indelible Characters and shall be set in order before their Eyes to their Confusion The righteous Judg has sworn he will forget none of their Works According to the Number and Heinousness of their Sins a Sentence shall pass upon them No Excuses shall suspend the Judgment nor mitigate the immediate Execution of it The Forgiveness of Sins contains the Abolition of their Guilt and Freedom from the deserved Destruction consequent to it This is express'd by various Terms in Scripture Pardon relates to some Damage and Offence which the offended Party may severely vindicate Now altho the blessed God in strictness of speaking can receive no Damage by rebellious Creatures being infinitely above the Impression of Evil yet as our Saviour speaks of one that looks upon a Woman with an impure Desire that he has committed Adultery with her in his Heart tho the Innocence of the Woman be unstained so the Sins of Men being Acts of foul Ingratitude against his Goodness and notorious Unrighteousness against his Authority are in a Sense injurious to him which he might justly revenge upon them but his Clemency spares them The not imputing Sin is borrowed from the Accounts of Servants with their Masters and implies the Account we are obliged to render the supreme Lord for all his Benefits which we have so wretchedly misimproved he might righteously exact of us ten thousand Talents that are due to him but he is graciously pleased to cross the Book and freely to discharge us The purging from Sin implies 't is very odious and offensive in God's Eyes and has a special respect to the expiatory Sacrifices of which 't is said that without Blood there was no Remission This was typical of the precious Blood of the Son of God that purges the Conscience from dead Works from the deadly Guilt of Sin that cleaves to the Conscience of the Sinner By the application of his Blood the crimson Guilt is wash'd away and the pardoned Sinner is accepted as one pure and innocent 2. I shall next demonstrate that Forgiveness belongs to God This will be evident by the following Considerations 1 st 'T is the high and peculiar Prerogative of God to pardon Sin His Authority made the Law and gives Life and Vigour to it therefore he can remit the Punishment of the Offender This is evident from the Proportion of humane Laws For tho subordinate Judges have only a limited Power and must acquit or condemn according to the Law yet the Soveraign may dispense with it This is declared in Scripture by God himself I even I am he that blots out thy Transgressions for my Name sake He repeats it with an Emphasis He is proclaimed with this Royal Title The Lord gracious and merciful pardoning Iniquity Transgression and Sin 'T is a Dispensation of Divine Soveraignty to pardon the Guilty 'T is true God pardons as a Father according to that most gracious Promise I will spare them as a Father spares his Son that serves him but as invested with the Dignity of a Soveraign Our Saviour directs us in the perfect Form of Prayer dictated to his Disciples to pray to God for the Forgiveness of our Sins as our Father sitting in Heaven upon a high Throne from whence he pronounces our Pardon His Majesty is equally glorious with his Mercy in that blessed Dispensation His Royal Supremacy is more conspicuous in the Exercise of Mercy towards repenting Sinners than in the Acts of Justice upon obstinate Offenders As a King is more a King by the pardoning humble Suppliants by the Operation of his Scepter than in subduing Rebels by the Power of the Sword For in Acts of Grace he is above the Law and over-rules its Rigour in Acts of Vengeance he is only superiour to his Enemies 'T is the peculiar Prerogative of God to pardon Sin The Prophet challenges all the reputed Deities of the Heathens as defective in this Royal Power Who is a God like unto thee pardoning Iniquity Transgression and Sin The Pharisees said true Who can forgive Sins but God only for 't is an Act of Empire The judicial Power to pardon is a Flower inseparable from the Crown for 't is founded in a Superiority to the Law therefore inconsistent with a depending Authority A Creature is as incapable of the Supremacy of God in pardoning Sin as of his Omnipotence to create a World for they are both truly infinite Besides the Power of pardoning Sins necessarily implies an universal Knowledg of the Minds and Hearts of Men which are the Fountains of their â—ctions and according to their Ingredâ—â—ncy the moral Good or Evil of them rises The more deliberately and wilfully a Sin is committed the Sinner incurs a greater Guilt and is obnoxious to a more heavy Punishment Now no Creature can dive into the Hearts of Men They are naked and open to the piercing Eye of God alone Add farther the authoritative Power to pardon has necessarily annex'd to it the active Power of dispensing Rewards and Punishments Now the Son of God alone has the Keys of Life and Death in his Hands It may be objected That our Saviour declares that the Son of Man has Power to forgive Sins The Answer to this will be clear by considering there are two Natures in Christ the Divine Nature that originally belongs to him and is proper to his Person and the Humane Nature which is as it were adoptive and was voluntarily assumed Now the Divine Person is the sole Principle and Subject of this Royal Dignity but 't is exercised in its Conjunction with the humane Nature and attributed to the Son of Man As in the Humiliation of Christ the Principles of his Sufferings and the actual Sufferings are solely in the humane Nature but upon the Account of the personal Union they are attributed to the Divine Person 'T is said The Lord of Glory was crucified and the Blood of God redeemed his Church The Church of Rome with high Presumption arrogates to their Priests a judicial Power of forgiving Sins and by the easy Folly of the People and crafty Deceit of their Instructors exercise a Jurisdiction over Conscience To avoid the Imputation of Blasphemy they pretend there is a double Power of Forgiving supreme and subordinate the first belongs to God the other is delegated by Commission to the Ministers of the Gospel But this is an irreconcileable Contradiction for
Whom God justifies he glorifies If a Sinner dies immediately after his Pardon is past nothing can intercept his being received into Heaven Now this is utterly impossible the exclusion of such is peremptory and universal for without Holiness no Man shall see God The Admission of an impenitent Sinner into Heaven would pollute that holy Place and unconsecrate the Temple of God wherein his Holiness shines in its Glory It is objected by some that the requiring Repentance to qualify the Sinner for Pardon eclipses the Grace of the Gospel I willingly acknowledg that a religious Jealousy lest the Freeness and Honour of Divine Grace in our Pardon should be lessen'd is very becoming a Christian but 't is ill-grounded and ill-guided in this Matter This will be evident by considering 1 st Repentance is an Evangelical Grace the Gift of the Redeemer Him has God raised to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance and Forgiveness of Sin The Law did not allow of Repentance nor promise Pardon The Design of it was to keep us in the Favour and Communion with God but afforded no Means of Reconciliation after our offending him Repentance was no Degree of Perfection before Man's Fall but is a Relief of his Imperfection after it The Law call'd the Righteous to Obedience the Gospel calls Sinners to Repentance 2 dly There is no Causality or Merit in Repentance to procure our Pardon The Mercy of God for the most precious Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ is the only Cause of Pardon A Flood of repenting Tears an Effusion of our Blood are of too low a Price to make any Satisfaction to God to deserve a Return of his Favour The most sincere Love of Holiness and stedfast Resolution to forsake Sin which is the principal part of Repentance can be no Satisfaction for our past Offences for 't is the natural Duty of Man before the commission of Sin Repentance is only a vital Qualification in the Subject that receives the Pardon 3 dly The Grace of God is very conspicuous in dispensing Pardon according to the Order of the Gospel to repenting Sinners For first Repentance renders the Divine Mercy most honourable in the Esteem of those who partake of it Our Saviour tells us The whole need not a Physician but those who are sick He that feels his Disease and is strongly apprehensive of its Danger values the Counsel and Assistance of a Physician above all Treasures The repenting Sinner who is under the strong Conviction of his Guilt and his being always obnoxious to the Judgment of God and eternal Misery the Consequent of it he values the Favour of God as the most sovereign Good and accounts his Displeasure as the supreme Evil. Repentance inspires flaming Affections in our Prayers and Praises for Pardon The repenting Sinner prays for Pardon with as much Fervency as Daniel pray'd in the Den to be preserved from the devouring Lions or as Jonah pray'd out of the Belly of Hell for Deliverance He addresses not with faint but fainting Desires for Mercy Give me Pardon or I die The insensible Sinner that is secure in the Shadow of Death may offer some verbal Requests for Pardon but his Prayer is defective in the Principle for he never feels the Want of a Pardon he prays so coldly as if unconcern'd whether he be accepted or no. And with what a Rapture of Admiration and Joy and thankful Affections doth the pardon'd Penitent magnify the Divine Mercy The Christian Niobe that was melted into repenting Tears loved much because much was forgiven her 2. This Establishment that Repentance qualifies a Sinner for Pardon is most beneficial to Man and consequently most illustrates pardoning Mercy We must observe that Sin does not only affect us with Guilt but leaves an inherent Corruption that defiles and debases the Sinner and strongly inclines him to relapse into Rebellion Now Repentance gives the true Representation of Sin in its penal Consequences the Anger of the Almighty the Terrors of Conscience and makes it evident and odious to the Soul David had a piercing Conviction what a foul Sin Adultery was when his Bones were broken Repenting Sorrow strikes at the Root of Sin the Love of Pleasure This makes us fearful to offend God and to fly all the alluring Temptations that will betray us to Sin This makes us obedient The melted Metal is receptive of any Form Contrition is join'd with Resignation Lord what wilt thou have me to do was the Voice of repenting Saul It may be objected that we read God justifies the Vngodly but the Answer is clear The Apostle does not intend by the Ungodly an impenitent Sinner but makes the Opposition between the Ungodly and one that perfectly obeys the Law and is consequently justified by Works and in this Sense the most excellent Saints here are ungodly Besides the Apostle does not assert that God absolutely pardons the Ungodly but qualifies the Persons To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifies the Vngodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness Now justifying Faith and Repentance are like Tamar's Twins Repentance is first felt and then Faith exerts it self in applying the Merits of Christ's Death for our Pardon It is replied by some that all Grace is communicated from Christ as our Head and supposes our Union with him of which Faith is the vital Band and consequently the first Grace by which all other Graces are derived to us To this I answer there are two Means of our Union with Christ The principal is the quickning Spirit descending from Christ as the Fountain of the supernatural Life and a lively Faith wrought in us by his pure and powerful Operation that ascends from us and closes with him 'T is said the second Adam was made a quickning Spirit and he that is join'd to the Lord is one Spirit As the Parts of the natural Body are united by the vital Influence of the same Soul that is present in the whole so we are united to Christ by the Holy Spirit that was given to him without measure and from his Fulness is derived to us 'T is clear therefore beyond all Contradiction that Faith is not antecedently requisite as the means of conveying all Graces to us from Christ. 2. There are two Acts of Faith the first respects the General Offer of Pardon in the Gospel to all repenting believing Sinners The second is the Application of the Promise of Pardon to the Soul The first is antecedent to evangelical Repentance The second is clearly consequent in the Order of Nature for the Promise assures Pardon only to the weary and heavy laden that come to Christ for Rest. In short there is a perfect Agreement and Sympathy between Reason and Divine Revelation in this Doctrine that God pardons only the repenting Sinner The contrary Assertion is an Impeachment of the Rectitude of his Nature and directly contrary to the Design and Tenour of the Gospel If a Man be justified as
every day The Scripture gives an Account why Execution is respited The Lord is not slack as some Men count Slackness but is long-suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance He waits to be gracious and spares Men in order to their Salvation 5. It appears that God is ready to forgive in that upon the first Suit of humble and penitent Believers he presently pardons them If we consider how long Men continue in a Course of voluptuous or profitable Sins how many Repulses to the Offers of Mercy they are guilty of it might justly be expected that God should with Disdain reject their Petitions or not be intreated without a long Exercise of Repentance and continued submissive and earnest Solicitations for his Mercy But the King of Heaven keeps no State the Throne of Grace is always open and accessible to humble Penitents When their Hearts are prepar'd his Ear is inclin'd to hear them David after his commission of very foul Sins and long continuing in a State of Impenitency yet upon his melting in the Sense of his Wickedness and Resolution to humble himself by a mournful Acknowledgment of it he was restor'd to the Divine Favour I said I would confess my Sins and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin Repenting Ephraim is an admirable Instance of God's relenting Bowels to Sinners I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustom'd to the Yoke Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Surely after I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my Thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the Reproach of my Youth Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him I will surely have Mercy on him saith the Lord. The Prodigal upon his Resolution to return to his Father and debase himself as utterly unworthy of being received as a Son while he was in the way his Father saw him at a distance and ran to him fell on his Neck and kiss'd him and entirely forgave his past Rebellion The Soul-wounded Publican said Lord be merciful to me a Sinner and was justified rather than the proud Pharisee 6. 'T is a convincing Argument that God is ready to forgive Sin in that he affords Grace to Men to prepare them for his pardoning Mercy Repentance and Faith are sacred Plants that do not spring from our Earth but have their Roots in Heaven God gives Repentance unto Life Faith is not of our selves 't is the Gift of God In our corrupt State Sin is natural to Man and hath entirely possess'd all his leading Faculties The carnal Mind is Enmity against God and judges according to the carnal Affections which deprave it The Will is rebellious and strongly inclin'd to charming Lusts Temptations are so numerous and delightful that Sinners will venture to be miserable for ever to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin that die in the tasting 'T is true such are the inviolable Inclinations of the humane Nature to Happiness that no Man can love undisguised Death nor choose Damnation for it self yet the Affection to Sin is so over-ruling that they will not forsake it tho complicated with Death The Wisdom of God tells us Those that hate me love Death i. e. constructively Our Saviour compassionately reproves the Jews Ye will not come to me that ye may have Life This is the Cause of their remaining in a State of Guilt for ever Now such is the Mercy of God that he gives his Spirit to assist Men by his illuminating preventing restraining and exciting Grace to forsake their Sins that they may be saved and if they did faithfully improve the lower degrees of Grace tho they can claim nothing by right he would from his good Pleasure afford them more Grace but they are so averse from God and strongly bent to the present World that they so long resist the pure Motions of Grace in their Hearts till the Gales of the Spirit expire and revive no more according to that terrible Threatning My Spirit shall no longer strive with Man for he is Flesh. Besides the common Grace afforded to natural Men there is a Super-effluence of Grace bestowed upon some to convert them which infallibly obtains its end Those who are the Patrons of Free Will methinks should allow that God is Master of his own Will and the free Dispenser of his own Grace This special Grace works powerfully yet conveniently to the reasonable Nature There is no Charm so sweet no Constraint so strong as the Operation of it For the Understanding is convinc'd by so clear and strong a Light of our being undone for ever without God's pardoning Mercy that his Loving-kindness is better than Life and this is represented to the Will with that powerful Application that the Will certainly chooses it When there is a Wavering and Indifferency of the Will to a propounded Object 't is either from some Defects in the Object or in the Apprehension of it but when the supreme Good is so represented that it fills all the Capacities of the Soul the Will as certainly embraces it as one that is burnt up with Thirst and near a cool Stream stoops and drinks to quench it The Holy Spirit who knows the manner of his own Operations expresses the Efficacy of them in the Resemblances of the Creation and Resurrection wherein the Divine Power cannot be frustrate yet 't is so congruous to the Frame of Man's Nature that the Freedom of the Will is then in its most noble Exercise Men are drawn to Christ by the Teachings of God not by over-ruling Violence upon their Faculties but by Instruction and Perswasion sutable to them Now from hence 't is evident that all the Persons in the Godhead concur in bestowing this admirable Blessing the Pardon of our Sins they all willingly join in this undivided Work tho with different Operations The Father pronounces our Pardon from the Throne his Majesty shines without Diminution or Condescension of his Person in forgiving us The Son purchased our Pardon by the sacred Treasure of his Blood The Holy Spirit qualifies us and applies the Pardon of our Sins to us 3. I now come to the third general Head that God is abundant in Forgiveness This God has declar'd in Words so full and expressive as may exceedingly satisfy the most tender and fearful Spirits Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon For my Thoughts are not your Thoughts neither are your Ways my Ways saith the Lord. For as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are my Ways than your Ways and my
instructive Inference in the Text There is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared that is with a Fear of Reverence for his amiable Excellencies for the Attractives of his pardoning Mercy and of Caution lest by abusing we should make a deadly Forfeiture of it If God should appear as an irreconcileable Judg arm'd with Terrour against all Offenders the Apprehension would produce Hatred and a dreadful Flight from him it would make Men boldly wilful and harden them in their Rebellions for if they cannot be pardoned for their past Sins and can be but damned for their Continuance in them they will give Licence to their roving and impetuous Appetites and commit Iniquity with Greediness Now God has appointed a Way for the Pardon of Sin wherein there is a bright and equal Discovery of his Greatness and Goodness his Purity and Righteousness that his Law may be more sacred and inviolable more remembred and obeyed by us He has declared in the Death of his Son wherein the equal Extreams of Ignominy and Torment were combin'd what an Evil Sin is that requir'd such a mighty Expiation We may from the Depth of his Sufferings conceive the Excess and Height of our Provocations We may understand the deadly Guilt of Sin that can only be wash'd away in the Blood of Christ the Fountain of Remission To turn the Grace of God into Wantonness to be more loose and secure in committing Sin is to turn the Antidote into Poison and defeat his blessed End 'T is a main Article of our Reconciliation The Lord will speak Peace to his People but let them not return to Folly We may conceive that God speaks to the pardon'd Sinner what our Saviour said to the Man whom he miraculously heal'd Go away sin no more lest a worse thing befal you 'T is both the Duty and Disposition of those who have received the Pardon of their Sins to fear the Lord and his Goodness There is no Principle more clearly natural and sensible than this Dependance includes Observance the receiving Benefits obliges a Person to the Benefactor Accordingly the Psalmist expresses the Affections of the humane and the holy Nature What shall I render to the Lord for all his Benefits and breaks out in an Extasy of Thankfulness O Lord truly I am thy Servant I am thy Servant thou hast broken my Bands The repenting Believer receives Pardon from God with joyful Admiration that fastens his Mind in the Contemplation of his glorious Mercy the serious Thought of it kindles a sacred Fire in his Breast as 't is said of Mary Magdalen Much was forgiven her for she loved much Love to God that results from his pardoning Love to us is singular and supreme and necessarily produces an ardent Desire to please and glorify him and an ingenuous grateful Fear of offending him The Soul that has felt the Terrors of the Lord as the holy and righteous Judg of the World and afterward has been revived by the Light of his Countenance and has tasted how good the Lord is how is it possible to resist such dear and immense Obligations How prodigious to turn the strongest and sweetest Ingagement to Reverence and Obedience into an Encouragement to do that which is odious and offensive in his Sight To sin against Light heightens a Sin into Rebellion but to sin against revealed Love makes it above-measure sinful This is so contrary to natural Conscience and super-natural Grace that 't is the Leprosy of the Wicked not the Spot of God's Children Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish People and unwise The upbraiding reduces them to a defenceless Silence and covers them in black Confusion When Divine Grace pardons our past Sins it cures our depraved Inclinations to future Sins The clearest Discovery of the Heart is by Reflections on God's Mercy The Fear of God's Justice is natural the reverent Regard of his Goodness is a spiritual Affection There is a great Difference between filial Fear of the divine Goodness that is so becoming the Breast of a Christian and so congruous to our present State and servile Fear that is the proper Character of one in the Bondage of Sin The Filial Fear of God is an ingenuous voluntary Affection flowing from Love and freely exercis'd and esteem'd the Treasure of the Soul Servile Fear the Sequel of Guilt is a judicial Impression from the sad Thoughts of the provoked Majesty of Heaven and if the Offender could dissolve the Bands of Conscience he would throw it off Filial Fear is mix'd with Joy 't is the Preservative of God's Favour to us it makes us more circumspect but not less comfortable it opposes Security but establishes the Assurance of Faith the Fear of the Lord and Hope in his Mercy are united Graces Servile Fear has Torment 't is an Alarm within that disturbs the Rest of the Sinner 't is a fretting Fire that secretly torments him in his most luscious Fruitions Filial Fear restrains from all Sin in the Heart and Life because it dishonours and displeases God it denies the carnal Appetites with Sweetness and Satisfaction to the Soul it excites us to obey God with Choice and Complacency Servile Fear induces an Abstinence from some Sins which fly in the Face of Conscience and which the Sinner loves and urges to the outward Performance of Duties which he hates The slavish Spirit is afraid to burn not to sin he is fearful to be damn'd not to displease God Filial Fear is a serious and habitual Constitution of the Soul inseparable from it in all Times and Places 't is influential into the whole Life Servile Fear is a sudden Passion and transient sometimes a sharp Affliction a piercing Sermon awakens a secure Wretch into a Fit of Terror Filial Fear keeps the Soul close to God makes it solicitous lest any Sin should intercept the Light of his Countenance and obstruct Communion with him which is the Paradise of a Saint 't is the gracious Promise of God to his Children I will put my Fear into their Hearts and they shall never depart from me Servile Fear makes the Sinner shy of God's Presence and as unwilling to find him as a Saint is to lose him He is not pleased with Solitude lest the guilty Conscience should have time of Recollection and should look to the Judg above He takes no Delight in the Society of the Saints and the Enjoyment of the Ordinances because God is peculiarly present there and above all things he is afraid to die because then the Spirit returns to God that gave it In short the filial Fear of God ascends with the Soul to Heaven and is the eternal Respect that the blessed Spirits continually pay to his adorable Perfections Servile Fear attends the Sinner to Hell and settles into Despair for ever 2 dly The Doctrine of Divine Forgiveness affords strong Consolation to those who are wounded in Spirit in the Sense of their Sins Those only who feel the intolerable Burden of
ungodly the Evangelical Command of Repentance for the Remission of Sins is useless and unprofitable What a pernicious Influence upon Practice this Doctrine may have is obvious to any that consider it I shall only add if God pardons Men as ungodly how shall he judg the World 'T was prophesied by Enoch Behold the Lord comes with ten thousand Saints to judg all that are ungodly for their ungodly Deeds which they have ungodlily committed Now as St. James argues against the Perverseness of Men when from the same Mouth proceeds Blessing and Cursing Doth a Fountain send forth sweet Water and bitter This Instance is incomparably more strong with respect to God than to Men. 'T is more consistent and conceiveable that a Fountain should send forth fresh Water and Salt than that the holy and righteous God in whose Nature there is not the least Discord should justify some as ungodly and condemn others as ungodly for ever 2. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the Evangelical Condition of our obtaining Pardon This will appear by considering the Nature of Faith Saving Faith is an unfeigned Perswasion of the Power and Desire of Christ to save Sinners that induces the Soul to receive him and rely on him as he is offer'd in the Gospel We are assur'd of his All-sufficiency and of his compassionate Willingness to save us He is able to save to the utmost all that come to God by him Our Saviour declares whoever comes to him he will in no wise cast out Faith is seated in the whole Soul and according to the Truth and transcendent Goodness of the Object produces the most precious and sacred Esteem of it in the Mind and the most joyful Consent and Choice of it in the Will Accordingly a sincere Believer imbraces entire Christ as a Prince and a Saviour and is as willing to be govern'd by his Scepter as to depend upon his Sacrifice Acceptance and Reliance are the essential Ingredients of justifying Faith This is the Doctrine of the Everlasting Gospel The Angel declared this to the Shepherds Behold I bring you Tidings of great Joy which shall be to all People for to you is born this Day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Jesus Christ is come into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief Faith is indispensably necessary to our obtaining Forgiveness Faith is the Channel wherein the precious Issues of his Blood and Sufferings are conveyed to us To make more evident how necessary and gracious a Condition Faith in the Redeemer is for our Pardon I will briefly consider the Foundation of the Covenant of Life in the Gospel After Man had plunged himself into Damnation God having decreed that without Satisfaction there should be no Remission of his Sin and the Sinner being utterly incapable of enduring such a Punishment in degrees as might be truly satisfactory it necessarily followed he must suffer a Punishment equivalent in Duration To prevent this there was no possible way but by admitting a Surety who should represent the Sinner and in his stead suffer the Punishment due for Sin A threefold Consent was requisite in this Transaction 1. The Consent of the Soveraign whose Law was violated and Majesty despised For as there is a natural Distinction between Persons and between the Actions of Persons so there must be between the Recompences of those Actions Consequently the Sinner is obliged to suffer the Punishment in his own Person From hence 't is clear that the Punishment cannot be transferr'd to another without the Allowance of the Soveraign who is the Patron of the Rights of Justice 2. The Consent of the Surety is requisite for Punishment being an Emanation of Justice cannot be inflicted on an innocent Person without his voluntary interposing to save the Guilty A Surety is legally one Person with the Debtor otherwise the Creditor cannot exact by the Rule of Right the Paiment from him which is fixt by the Law upon the Person of the Debtor 3. 'T is as clear that the Consent of the Guilty is requisite who obtains Impunity by the vicarious Sufferings of another For if he resolves to bear his own Guilt and wilfully refuses to be freed by the interposing of another between him and the Punishment neither the Judg nor the Surety can constrain him to it Now all these concur in this great Transaction As the Creation of Man was a Work of solemn Counsel Let us make Man so his Redemption was the Product of the Divine Counsel I may allude to what is represented to us in the Vision of the Divine Glory to the Prophet Isaiah I heard the Lord saying Who shall I send and who will go for us Then said I Here I am send me Thus the Rise of our Salvation was from the Father He makes the Inquiry who shall go for us to recover fallen Man The Son interposes Here I am send me The Father from his Sovereignty and Mercy appointed and accepted the Mediator and Surety for us It was no part of the Law given in Paradise that if Man sinned he should die or his Surety but it was an Act of God's free Power as superiour to the Law to appoint his Son to be our Surety and to die in our stead And the Aspect of the Law upon a Sinner being without Passion it admits of Satisfaction by the Sufferings of another 'T is said in the Gospel God so loved the World so above all Comparison and Comprehension that he gave and sent his only begotten Son into the World that the World through him might be saved The Son of God with the freest Choice did interpose between the righteous God and guilty Man for that end He willingly left his Sovereign Seat in Heaven eclips'd his Glory under a dark Cloud of Flesh degraded himself into the Form of a Servant and submitted to an ignominious and cruel Death for our Redemption When he came into the World he declared his full Content with a Note of Eminency Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldst not but a Body hast thou prepared me Then said I Lo I come to do thy Will O God Upon this Consent of the Father and the Son the whole Fabrick of our Redemption is built 'T is the Resultance from it that the Execution of Justice on Christ is the Expiation of our Sins and by his Sufferings the full Price is paid for our Redemption There is a judicial Exchange of Persons between Christ and Believers their Guilt is transferr'd to him and his Righteousness is imputed to them He made him to be Sin for us who knew no Sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him His active and passive Obedience his Doing and Dying are as truly accounted to Believers for their Acceptance and Pardon as if they had meritoriously wrought out their own Salvation The Sinner must give his Consent to