followed and an Execution have taken hold of us It is God's Right and Royal Prerogative That his Will should be our Supream Law and his Glory our last End but how have we debased God to exalt our selves how have we as it were spoiled him of his Soveraignity and justled him out of his Throne to establish our wicked wills and obtain an absolute unlimited and an independent liberty But Jesus Christ died to make satisfaction for the wrong Man had done God Psal 69.4 Then restored I that which I took not away The first Adam affected to be as God in Knowledge and Independency the second Adam was condemned for saying he was the Son of God Mat. 27.64 65 66. and making himself equal with God John 5.18 John 10.36 So Christ paid the Debt he did not contract and pacified the Wrath be did not provoke And how much should pardoning mercy engage our hearts to God The best of men are but reconciled Enemies released Prisoners pardoned Malefactors What mercy is it that he who seeth our sins with indignation should yet himself cover them in mercy Jer. 13. last Psal 85.2 That the God that wrote down sin Isa 65.6 should himself blot it out Isa 43.25 Sin is a terrible writing it self and it draws after it another more dreadful writing Job 13.25 Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the sins of my Youth The Sentence of Death did use to be written and then read to Criminals Sin recorded will procure a written Sentence of Condemnation Punishment is the Eccho of sin In this sense Sanctius takes the Hebrew word Isa 59.12 Our sins answer to us How bad will it be to possess the sins of Youth The word rendred Youth Job 29.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies also Reproach It is too often that Youth is perverted so that it is a Reproach to God and to us too How necessary therefore is a Pardon to cross God's Book cancel our Bond and reverse the Sentence of Death God that wounds us with the threatnings of his Law heals us by the stripes of Christ He received Wounds that God might be Just in justifying them that believe in Jesus Rom. 3.25 26. How gracious is God that at once removes from us the Incentives of Wrath and presents to us the Fuel of Love Luke 7.47 48. How precious should Justification be to us that hath a sweet retrospect to Election and as accompanied with a comfortable prospect of Glory Whom God predestinated and called them he justified Thus we may with admiration look back And whom God justifies them he glorifies Rom. 8.30 And so we may with Joy look forward Pardon springs from everlasting Love flows to and issues in eternal Life What Thankfulness therefore doth it call for If he justifies we are no more to fear Crimes past so they are no more to go on in sin for time to come Hath not Christ born sufferings enough on the Cross that men will load him with new Affrints and Provocations Those do not think Christ's Sufferings to be bitter and heavy that can make light of and take delight in sin The Heart is to be Christ's habitation Eph. 3.17 and not the receptacle of any sweet and secret Lust We that daily need mercy should not daily provoke anger As the work of Creation is attended with providence which is a continual Creation so the new pardon we need and God bestows is a continual Justification as the Creation would sink without a day by providence to uphold it so Justification would cease without a daily pardon to continue it There may be a Pardon before a Trial to prevent Condemnation as well as a pardon after Sentence to hinder Execution That the Blood of Christ which meritoriously purged sin on the Cross Heb. 1.3 may be applied to you and sprinkled on you to purge your conscience from dead works to serve the Living God is the unfeigned and servent desire of Your Lordship 's most Humble and Obliged Servant SAMVEL TOMLYNS Hilcot July 1. 1696. A SERMON PREACHED On the late Fast on the 26th Day of June 1696. PSAL. LI. 9. Hide thy Face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities IN the Text we have the Psalmist's Petition for Pardon but it may be objected 1. What need had David to beg Pardon had not God given it already Nathan told David the Lord had put away his iniquity 2 Sam. 12.13 I answer Though God had pronounced the Sentence of Justification by his Prophets yet it seems not to be pronounced in and sealed to David's Conscrence by the Spirits Peace is the Fruit of the Lips as spoken by God's Ministers yet it is the Effect of the Spirit as created in the Soul by it Isaiah 57.19 The Priest did use to sprinkle the Leper Lev. 14.7 But though David looked on himself as a Spiritual Leper yet he was not satisfied with the Priest's sprikling him with the Blood of the Sacrifice but he sues to God himself to sprinkle him with the Blood of his Son the thing signified so it is not enough for Ministers in God's Name to pronounce Pardon but the Spirit must Ratify it and Establish Peace in the Soul else the storm will not cease the wound be healed the burden be removed and the Soul land at the Port of Assurance The Psaimist in the Text doth in an humble way Address to God That he would hide his Face from his Sins and blot out his Iniquities he doth imply that if God's Eye was fixed on his Sins his Anger might be fired by them there was Fuel for God's wrath if God would but behold it there was matter enough for Accusation cause enough for Condemnation if God would but read it but he begs God would turn away his Face and shut his Eyes not observing or imputing what would be destructive to him the latter expression in the Text enlarges and encreases the Sense and heightens the Mercy he doth not only Pray that God would hide his Face from his Sins but that he would blot out all his iniquities A Man may turn away his Face from an Object and yet the thing still remain as it was and be as visible as legible as before but David sues to God not only to hide his Face from seeing sin but that he would so blot it out that it may not any more be visible legible or remain to be imputed Doctrine Awakened humbled Souls do cry for this as the most valuable Mercy that God would hide his Face from their Sins and blot out all their iniquities But what is it for God to hide his Face from Sin Answer It is not to see and observe it with the Eye of Vindictive Justice So it is said God doth not behold Iniquity in Jacob nor see Perverseness in Israel Numb 23.21 God passes by Sin as if he did not see it Mic. 7.18 and he passes over the sinner as if he did not observe his iniquity God covers
of Sin and the Spirit that was signified by the Water that flowed out of Christ's side is a sovereign Remedy against the Filth and Reigning power of Sin And Jesus Christ the Tree of Life beares Leaves for the Healing of the Nations Revel 22.2 No other Tree hath Healing Leaves but only Jesus Christ his Word Doctrine Promises are Healing Leaves We do not Work to Cure our selves tho' we are Patients yet we cannot be our own Physitians but we are Justified by Christ's Condemnation and live by his Death 4. We are not Washed in any Water of our own providing or in any Bath of our own making but God the Father hath opened a Fountain for sin and uncleanness Zech. 13.1 and this Fountain is opened where we could never have thought of or imagined any such thing even in the pierced side and wounded heart of the Son of God His Head was Crowned with Thornes his Hands and Feet were nailed to the Cross his Side was pierced and Blood did flow from thence to Purifie our Souls This is noble and precious Blood indeed that affects Conscience and reaches so far as to purifie it The Blood of Sacrifices the Ashes of an Heifer and Clean Water availed only to the Purification of the Flesh to take off Ceremonial Uncleanness but Christ poured out his own Blood and thereby made a Precious Laver a Costly Bath This Blood purgeth Conscience from sins that are dead Works as they are the Fruits of Spiritual Death and the Seeds of Eternal Death Though Conscience be stupid and doth not feel the weight of these dead Works yet if they remain unpurged they will revive and sting the Soul to death they will return upon it and sink it to Hell There is no other means to purifie and pacifie Conscience but this Blood and we exceedingly need it There is a Fountain of Iniquity in us that continually flows to defile us Jer. 6.7 As a Fountain casts out its Waters so Jerusalem casts out her Wickedness It is well for us that there is a Fountain without us in Christ to take off that Guilt that is contracted by the Flowings of that Filthy Fountain that is within us Christ's Blood though it is little in quantity yet it is mighty in Virtue There is a deep Sea of Merit in it Micah 7.18 19. Thoug it was poured out of his Body but a few hours yet it is a Fountain that Flowes in all Ages and Generations to take away Sin And is not this most sweet and comfortable that Jesus Christ did not only shed his Blood but sprinkles it also Ezek. 36.25 I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness Clean Water to wash the Body is common but clean Water to purifie the Soul is rare and no where to be found but in Christ This is wonderful Grace that Christ would not only shed his Blood but undertakes also to sprinkle it He shed it with unexpressible Pain and Anguish but he Sprinkles it with much Pleasure and Delight As he pitied Souls and shed his Blood for them so he Loves Soules and Sprinkles it on them and Washes them in this Fountain from their Uncleanness Revel 1.56 We are not clothed by our own Works or Righteousness Our Webs cannot become Garments Isa 59.6 Our best Performances cannot clothe us Our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags they cannot hide our Shame cover our Nakedness they are too narrow and short to do it Isa 64.6 Shall we be proud of or trust upon filthy Rags Our own Righteousness is but a Garment full of Patches So Piscator renders the Hebrew words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vestimentum frustrorum panni veteris attriti A Garment of Pieces of old and worn-out Cloth How long have we been serving in the Oldness of the Letter Rom. 7.6 and so our Garment may be called Old Cloth Sometimes we do good Works and then are apt to turn aside and to commit evil Works There are interruptions in our obedience Sin doth too often intervene so that these patches of the Old Man do much blemish and disfigure the Garment of our Righteousness There are Breaches in our Walls and Spots in our Garments As we need clean Water to Purisie us Ezek. 36.25 so we also want clean Linnen to Clothe and Adorn us Revel 19.8 Jesus Christ invites us to come to him to buy White Rayment that the shame of our Nakedness may not appear Revel 3.18 Christ was the Angel that commanded the Filthy Garments to be taken from Joshuah the High-Priest he caused his Iniquities to pass away and Clothed him with change of Rayment Zech. 3.4 The Garments of our Bodies do put us in mind of our Sins and bring to Remembrance our Transgression therefore they are called in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bidge from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bagad that signifies to Rebel Because if Man had not Apostatized from and Rebelled against God he had not needed Clothing or Garments But the Righteousness of Christ may well be called the Garment of Praise Isa 61.3 It is a Garment for Beauty and Glory and so to be exceedingly praised when God puts it on us then we begin heartily to praise God Christ is stiled the Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 he hath healing Beames for wounded Consciencies The Church is said to be Clothed with the Sun Revel 12.1 And is not this a Glorious Garment Doth it not deserve praise in it self and call for the highest Praises from us God provided Coats of Skins and Clothed our First Parents with them Gen. 3.21 The matter of those Coats was the Skins of Beasts that probably were slain and offered in Sacrifice to God This might instruct and teach them that the Spiritual Cloathing of their Souls was to be borrowed from the Obedience and Righteousness of the Great Atoning Sacrifice As many as are Baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3.27 Our First Parents did sow Fig-leaves together to make Aprons to hide their shame Gen. 3.7 but when God provided Coats of Skin for them then they threw away their Aprons of Fig-leaves as useless So every Man Naturally seeks some Aprons of Works and righteousness of his own to cover his Nakedness when Conscience accuses them for sin and the Law of God Condemns them for Iniquity The Whore in Prov. 7.14 pleads That she had Peace-offerings with her and that day she had paid her Vowes and with this Apron she thought to hide the Filthiness of her Adultery But when Men come acquainted with Jesus Christ and have that Glorious Clothing revealed to them which he hath proved for Souls then they cast away their Aprons of Works and their own Imaginary Righteousness Paul saith That those things that he reputed his Gains that he thought would gain him the Favour of God Acceptance with God a Title to Everlasting Life these he counted loss for Christ Phil. 3.7 8 9. that is he cast them away not only as unprofitable
out of Prison Isa 49.9 that he should be wounded to heal us and be bruised to bind us up Isa 53.9 10. Isa 61.1 that a Vail should be cast over Christ's Innocency by our Iniquity taken on him that a Vail might be cast over our sins by his Righteousness imputed to us There was an Offence committed that might have remained on us and have destroyed us But O what kindness is this that there should be a Free Gift of Righteousness to relieve and justifie us Rom. 5.15 Christ Redeemed us from Destruction by devoting himself to Death for us in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to Redeem in the Arabick Fada fignifies to Devote ones self to Death This Fada is the same word with the Hebrew Phada and by comparing the two significations of the word in the two Languages we learn this excellent Truth †Vid. Oriental Lexicon That we are Redeemed by Christ's devoting himself to Death for us What we our selves should have fully wrought out that Christ hath bought and freely gives us Dan. 9.24 Rom. 5.19 O how should we admire God Who is a God like to him glorious in Holiness Exod. 15.11 Yet who is a God like to him pardoning iniquity and passing by Transgression and Sin Mic. 7.18 19. As he is Holy he hates sin yet as he is Gracious he pities Sinners His Holiness doth not hinder or obstruct his Mercy 3d. Vse Examine your selves whether you can truly call Jehovah by this sweet and comfortable Name Is he your Righteousness Are you invested with this Righteousness and discharged from your Sins Put these following Questions to your selves for Trial. 1. Did you ever come to your selves Luke 15.17 Did you ever feel your selves to be bound with Cords of Guilt laden with Iniquity ready to sink into the Bottomless Pit Men must be Condemned before they are Justified be cast down before they are lifted up apply the Curse to themselves before they apply the Blessing hear the Sentence of Death denounced against them by the Law before they partake of Justification of Life by the Gospel as the World was first without the Law and then the Israelites were under the Law and then Christ came with Righteousness and Peace So every Justified Sinner is first without the Law he is alive and full of hopes because he is without the Law Rom. 7.9 he knows not the Spirituality of the Commands of the Law nor the Severity of its Threatnings he hath a Calm and Peace because he never imputed his Numerous sins to himself or bound his Heinous Iniquities on himself The Soul is a dead Sea without motion towards God and yet is a calm and quiet Sea without dread and fear of God But when God intends good to the Soul first the Commandment comes Rom. 7.9 and then Sin Revives and a Storm is raised in the Soul but in due time Faith comes Gal. 3.25 and then the Soul is calmed and quieted being Justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 If you were nevere burdened you cannot be eased if you were never broken you cannot be bound up if you were never mourners you cannot be Comforted if you never tasted the bitterness of Sin you cannot tast the sweetness of the Grace of Christ and experience his purifying Blood and his reviving Righteousness If you are Justified How did you come by Pardon and Peace Can you call them Naphtali that you got them by wrestling It is said Israel shall be Justified and saved Isa 45.17 last Jacob wrestled with the Angel for a Blessing his Conscience might accuse him for Fraud and Lying in procuring the Blessing from blind Isaac yet he held the Angel fast said he and would not let him go except he did Bless him Gen. 32.26 And for this his Name was changed and he was called Israel Gen. 32.28 When we find Sin stirring in us when Conscience accuses the Law curses God according to the first Covenant condemns To Believe on Christ for Righteousness is as Peter's walking on the Sea in a storm If we have ever felt the smart of our wounds the Schorching heat of God's Wrath the Burning Poyson of the old Serpent in our Consciences If 〈◊〉 were ever arrested arraigned condemned shut up surely in the anguish of your Souls you have cryed out We are destitute of Righteousness and where shall we find it we have contracted guilt and provoked Wrath And where shall we be Found 2. Were you ever divorced from and dead to the Law and Covenant of Works as your First Husband and then Married to Christ we are first joined to the Law and the Covenant of Works as our First Husband and it makes us a jointure of Life upon condition of perfect Obedience The Apostle compares the Law to a Husband but the froward Heart of Man is not subject to this Husband The more the Commands of the Law are urged on it the more it contradicts and Rebels The motions of Sin are said to be by the Law Rom. 7.5 but the Fruits of Righteousness are by Jesus Christ Phil. 1.11 The Law cannot Sanctifie or Justifie us this is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.3 the thing that is impossible to the Law Have you therefore been divorced from and become dead to the Law Rom. 7.4 as it is a Covenant of Works Have you despaired of finding righteousness in your selves and of obtaining a Blessing from the Law and so have looked and fled to Jesus Christ †Heb. 12.24 as those that have been pursued by sin and the wrath of Ged Paul saith Gal. 2.16 Knowing that a Man is not Justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Christ Even we have Believed in Jesus Christ that we might be Justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the Works of the Law For by the Works of the Law shall no Flesh be Justified 3. Are you Sanctified Justification and Sanctification always go together as in the Natural Body the Blood and Spirits do flow out together so the Blood and Spirit of Christ are always joined John 19.34 Blood and Water Signifiing the Spirit came together out of Christ's Side He comes by Water and Blood 1 John 5.6 else he would be but half and imperfect Saviour As the same day that the Waters went off form the Earth and were gathered into the Sea the Earth was adorned with Grass Herbs Flowers Trees Gen. 9.11 So when a deluge of Wrath goeth off from the Soul it is presented adorned with the grace of the Spirit and called a Tree of Righteousness Isa 61.2 Those that are Justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus are also Justified by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 If God Loves the Soul he makes it Lovely If Christ washes you he also makes you Kings and Priests Revel 1.5 6. You are no longer Vassals to your Lusts but as Kings rule in your own Hearts You check vain thoughts
Criminals are sowed up and sealed up in a bag to be produced at the Trial of an Offender so are the Sins of Men Job 14.17 So many Sins as Men have committed and are unpardoned so many witnesses have they provided against the day of their Trial. Jer. 14.7 O Lord our Iniquities testifie against us Read Isa 59.12 Our Sins are not only as dead records but as living witnesses not only as matter of accusation but as accusers they cry to Heaven to kindle wrath against us and pluck down vengeance on us Gen. 18.20 21. Sodom's Sins did cry to Heaven against it Little do Sinners think that they are daily filling Gods Book with complaints and accusations and filling his Treasury with Wrath and piling up Fuel to burn and Torment themselves It is nothing else but the speaking Blood of Christ that can stop the mouths of these witnesses and silence the clamours of their Sins 7. Every Sin deserves Eternal death Rom. 6. last Death is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wages of Sin The word signifies Soldiers wages Luke 3.14 They that cleave to Satan as their General that stay in his Tents Fight on his side against God shall have Eternal death as wages paid to them Tribulation is due to the Body Anguish to the Soul and Conscience of every Transgressor Rom. 2.9 God will repay fury Isa 59.18 he will render anger to his adversaries Isa 66.15 8. Consider there is Judgement to come Heb. 6.2 God seeth all Mens Provocations Hos 5.3 Prov. 15.3 Jer. 13. last And he will be a swift witness against them Mal. 3.5 God hath not in vain Registred the Sins of Men the Book of God and the Eye of the Soul shall be opened no Sin shall be forgotten Amos 8.7 all shall be brought to light Eccles 11.9 1 Cor. 4.5 and be brought into Judgment Eccles 12.14 There will not only be a Resurection of Bodies but a Reviving and Remembrance of Sins If your Sins are not pardoned but remain before God's Face Psal 90.8 They will shortly be reviewed by God and set in order before your face Psal 50.21 If you inherit the Sins of your whole life Job 13.26 you will be Heires of Shame Misery and Eternal Torments 2. Motive Consider what great advantages we have in these times of the Gospel as to a participation of this Righteousness of God 1. It is now wrought out and perfected Jesus Christ hath been a Faithful High-Priest Heb. 2.17 And a Righteous servant Isa 53.11 God devolved the greatest trust on Christ and he undertook took the hardest and most noble work even to make Restitution to God for the wrong we had done him and to make Reconciliation for us to appease the Wrath we had provoked and to divert form us the Punishment we had deserved The Jews thought of old that their High-Priest was trusted with their greatest concerns and for fear he should be a Sadducee or out of heedlessness neglect any part of his Office on the day of Atonement they used Solemnly to swear him to a full and faithful discharge of his Office in the great Work of that day But our Lord Jesus Christ was by fervent love to his Father and his People Heartily and throughly engaged in this great Work he undertook and hath fully discharged it He glorified God on Earth he finished the Work he gave him to do John 17.4 He would not dye till he could say all was finished John 19.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How honourable a word is this to Christ And how Comfortable a word is this to us Jesus Christ as the slain Goat did bear our Sins and as the Scape-Goat he did bear them away As God did lay Sins on Christ Isa 53.6 so he purged them Heb. 1.3 and put them away He hath been a most Righteous servant to God his very Sufferings that in a Moral sence were Punishments yet in a Legal sence were Righteousness Jesus Christ is perfected himself Heb. 5.9 And he hath by one Offering for ever perfected us Heb. 10.14 There is signal evidence and demonstration that Jesus Christ hath finished his Work for he could not else have confidently commended and committed his Soul to his Father Luke 23.46 He would not else have been welcome to him and Received by him John 16.10 The World was to be convinced of Christ's Righteousness by this argument that he did go to the Father and they did see him no more on Earth How could he have ventured into the glorious Presence of God if he had not Righteously performed what he undertook Would not the Father have sent him back again into the World if he had omitted or left any thing undone But Christ saith he should be seen on Earth no more in the form of a Servant to do any Work in a state of Humiliation 2. The Father Raised him up from the Dead 1. Pet. 1.21 He Released our Surety out of the Prison of the Grave which he would not have done if the debt had not been fully paid Therefore an Angel came down from Heaven to roll away the Stone from Christ's Grave Matth. 28.2 This was an Officer from the great Judge of Heaven and Earth to free our surety and to evidence that God was satisfied and did allow Christ's Resurrection 3. The Father exalted Jesus Christ by his own right Hand Acts 5.31 And gave him Glory that we might be encouraged and emboldened from thence to act our Faith and hope in God 1 Pet. 1.21 4. Jesus Christ is sat down at the Right Hand of God in the Heavenly Sanctuary Heb. 1.3 Heb. 12.2 What an honour was this to our High-Priest to sit down in the true Holy of Holies When the High-Priest under the Law might not sit down in the Typical Holy of Holies And Christ's siting down did shew he had done his Work and might now take his rest This the Apostle makes the great difference between Christ and the Priests of the Law If they stood dayly Ministring and Offering Sacrifices that could never take away Sin But Christ When he had Offered one Sacrifice for ever be sat down on the Right Hand of God Heb. 10.11 12. The Priests of the Law did go on in their Ministry they stood Offering Sacrifices their Work was never at an end they could never sit down But Christ hath Finished his Work and therefore is sat down and expects that all his Enemies shall be made his Footstool Heb. 10.13 5. Jesus Christ as he is released so he Preaches the opening of the Prison to us Isa 61.1 God's Prison is not Forced or Broken but opened in a Righteous way our Ransom being paid Matth. 20.28 Christ therefore now comes to the Prison-door and saith to the Prisoners Come forth you that were hid in Prisondarkness now shew your selves and appear with boldness and confidence in the Heavenly Sanctuary Isa 49.9 2. The Righteousness of Christ is now brought Dan. 9.24 To bring Everlasting Righteousness Eternal Redemption is now