are the means or steps by which we may win in and ascend to this heavenliness of Conversation which is indeed a very suitable and necessary question and would God we were serious in proposing of it and were convinced of the necessity of it However let such as would fain be at it know First That they must be much mortified and denyed to Creature-Comforts therefore Col. 3. These two are opposed Seek those things which are above set your affections on things in heaven and not on things of the earth to go both up and down at once is impossible if ye would be heavenly in your Conversation seek to have the world litle and low in your estimation to be not only free from the sinfull intanglements of it but to be Mortified to things lawfull I press you not to negligence in your honest and lawfull callings far less to lay them aside but to a heavenly mindedness and holy denyedness in your diligence Use the things of this world as not abusing them as not being taken with them nor glued to them the minding of earthly things too much clogs and keeps mens hearts that they do not mount up to heaven It 's impossible while the heart is surfeited with the cares of this life that it can thus sore aloft And therefore Secondly Those that would be heavenly in their conversation must lay up their treasure in heaven For where the Treasure is there will the heart be also were ye under the deep and due conviction of the vanity of earthly things and of the excellencie of heaven and heavenly things and laying your reckoning soberly and seriously that heaven ye must have it would be much more easie to Scrue up your affections to it as where mens stock and treasure is there is their heart even so were your great stock and treasure in heaven your heart would certainly be there your hope your love and delight would be there But your seeking after contentment and satisfaction in earthly vanities where it cannot be found keeps your heart out of heaven Thirdly Be much in the duty of meditation and contemplation of heavenly things this is as it were the great wheel and first mover of the Clock to have the mind heavenly often conversing in heaven and often thinking of it and often recounting the blessed advantages the glorious and great happiness that are there even till your meditation of God be made sweet and till your delight in him thereby stirred up and strengthened make a heavenly conversation for litle such meditation makes litle heavenly-mindedness and when the mind is not on heaven something that 's worse comes in the place of it ye that know the bent and inclination of your own minds to be naturally downward and how natively to speak so it runs on vanities and how difficult it is to keep it but alongst two or three sentences fixed on heavenly things and how preternatural a motion it is as it were to make it ascend and mount upward will easily assent to the truth of this It is an excellent word that David hath Psal 139. When I awake I am still with thee Fourthly We commend this to you hinted at before that ye would be much in trading and Trafficking with Heaven to be often and serious in Prayer frequently sending up desires thither and bringing thence returns of prayer in gâ—eat measures of Grace catching hold of and griping at somewhat above you whereby ye may be helped up that high and Holy hill It transforms into the same Image from Glory to Glory to be keeping love to Christ fresh to have hope as an anchor cast within the vaile In a word love to Christ and delight in him being as a considerable part so also the result of Holiness There must be a study of Holiness in all the Parts of it of Holiness in all manner of Conversation and a Heavenly frame aimed at and endeavoured in all duties and in all the steps of our walk and conversation in order to the keeping in cherishing and increasing of love to and delight in him and often thinking on that which helps to it viz. Let thy will be done on earth as it is done in Heaven A word often in the mouths of many but litle in their hearts And Q how lamentably unlike are the practises of many of you to it We may indeed blush and think shame to speak and you may think shame to hear of having a Conversation in heaven there being so litle of it amongst us But we must speak of it and ye must hear it spoken of since it is a part and a great part of our duty and will be a part and a great part of our reckoning and we lay and leave it upon you from the Lord to be studied by you Do not think that ye shall ever have your Conversation in Heaven afterward who have not your Conversation in Heaven here many of you that have a fair Profession of Religion and seem to come near to that harbour of rest and yet never enter into it are like to a ship that comes as it were with up-sails very near the Port and is unexpectedly blowen back to the Sea again whereas the Believer who has his Anchor cast on firm and sure ground within the vail is enabled to endure tossing being like a tight ship that is able to ride out the storme and to stem the Port His Treasure is in Heaven and there is a sure and indissoluble knot cast betwixt Heaven where his treasure is and his heart Now from all this judge what a mighty prejudice it is to be earthly minded and to slight this walk with God and Conversation in heaven and who are they that dare offer or presume to come before God the righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth in whose sight the very Heavens are not pure to abide his tryall who have been puddling all their dayes in the world never once seriously and suitably minding a Conversation in Heaven O let the consideration of eternal Happiness on the one hand and of Eternal miserie on the other provoke you and necessitat you all to study in good earnest to have your conversation in Heaven and ye believers in Christ and Children of light walk in the light suitably to your Heavenly Father and to the hope of your Heavenly inheritance O! be more conversant in Heaven before ye come to it and where ye shall be by and by for evermore A Preparation SERMON for the Communion On ISAIAH 55.1 2 3. I will make an Everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David IT is hard to conceive or express whether the things which the Gospel offereth be the most large or the terms on which they are offered be the most free There is that no doubt in both together which may make the beholder stay and wonder Among many excellent offers of the Gospel that which is here is one very full and free would to God we
may possibly be under for the time it may be that ye shal never be priviledged with such convictions again nor be brought â—o near Heaven hereafter but more delusion and seduction by Error more Prophanity Security Hypocrisie and Presumptâ—on may break in among you And though these be not thought much of now by some aâ— least but lookt aâ— as very light things yet the day will come when they will be found to be inâ—uppo tably Heavy And men will be put rather to wish that this house wherein we now aâ—e had fallen on them and bruised them or that the Sword had fallen in upon them and slain them then to ly under such a weight Thirdly know that it may bring on eternal Judgement And O! but this will draw deep on the Score of many Professors even the abuse of the Lords Table in partaking of His Table and of the Table of devils I shall Name but a few Sins here that ye would notice and try your selves in as to this First Ye have often Communicat have ye also often Examined your selves can many of you Pitch on such an hour or half hour that ye set a part to try your Souls condition Secondly I would ask what Repenâ—ance hath there been Right examination makes discovery of Guilt and discovery of Guilt brings out Repentance which hath some pricking and Soul panging with it Thirdly What effect hath followed What engagements have been keeped How have many of us reformed our walk Is not our carriage as it was Passion and Pride as quick and lively as they had wont to be Deadness Security and worldly mindedness as they were before Are we not as little Self denyed As unready to Fo give As Ignorant and having as little knowledge of Gospel mysteries as we were and had many a Year Since But very few can say on good grounds that they have made any Progresse in Mortifiâ—ation and Holiness and except it be some conviction Some flash of affection Or some faint Resolution to amend things amisse What use hath been made of or what benefit hath been reaped by many and that not of the worst sort by the Communion and therefore in the next place let me say that it were not unbecoming or unsuitable to the Communion to make this night a night of Humiliation before God and of prayer to him to be delivered from Blood Guiltiness There is not a more legible Evidence of our untenderness then our being little pricked at the heart for this sin a word of reflexion from our Neighbour or the apprehension of some great Mans displeasure and Feud hath lyen nearer our hearts then the wronging of the Son of God at this rate hath done for which it were good now to cast an eye To look to him and to mourn as on mourneth for his only Son and to go to Zion weeping as we go asking the way thitherward These are no uncouth nor strange things but such as are Ordinarily prest upon us We are afraid that many have loathed and left the simple way of Godliness to get and look after some Shining and Glistering thing to the Eye and that way will never profit them to take a serious look of your Souls condition and to be in good earnest in the exercise of Repentance as the life oâ— your Preparation even that ye may come knowing well what ye need and what ye are to Receive if ye come aright The Third and main Use is that seeing there is so great ground to fear Communicating unworthily and that so great Judgements follow upon it it would be as our fear to Communicat unworthily So our uptaking business how we may communicat worthily This is the end of the day and should be our task and work this night even to endeavour to be worthy communicants to morrow Ye will readily ask how is such a Frame to be attained and come by I would for answer desire you seriously to mind what ye have heard on these words Let a man Examine himself and so let him eat Which comprehend the Summe of what is called for from you and we shal now add these Four things that in your preparing your selves to Communicat Rightly and worthily ye would seriously mind 1. A right uptaking of your selves Secondly A Right uptaking of the Ordinance Thirdly A right Acting in reference to both Fourthly A right manner of Acting or a right Frame in your going about the work For the First We say there would be a right uptaking of our Selves that we may know what we are what are our Sins Spiritual wants and necessities that we may have some distinct errand to God This is implyed in these Words Let a man examine himself That he may be well acquainted with himself if there be not some time taken for attaining to a right Consideration of our Selves we cannot come rightly to thi Oâ—dinance or if any word come that suits our condition it will come by guesse as to us and we may come to the Communion and neither know what we need not what we are seeking or would be at For the Second We say there would be a right uptaking of the ordinance it self which when wanting it marâ—es us that we know not how to Communicat in the ordinance we would take up the substance of it the end of it and how it effectuaâ—s the end First The Substance of the ordinance is Christ Jesus himself who though he be not bodily yet is he really present in the Sacrament His words are not empty words the Signes are â—oâ— empty Signes But the Bread is his Body and the wine is his Blood For if there be a presence in the woâ—d as he makes it known through his Spirit by the efficacie of it on the Heart then in a more speciall and Solemn manner there is a presence in the Sacrament which also he makes sensible to the Spiritual senses of the Believer Secondly The end and use of the Ordinance for which God hath appointed it would also be rightly taken up and this is large It serves for the man festing of his love in his Death till he come again and this would be a piece of your exercise to descover the love of Christ in it and to put your faith to exercise on that love In which respect Christians have not only their Particular case to look to in the Sacraments But also that their Spirits be taken up with the thoughts of the wonderfully condescending love of Christ who hath given and left behinâ— him a token and Memoriall of it and especially these ends would be looked to and considered viz. That its given for our instruction for it gives us a Sight oâ— Christ crucified It shewes us the way of making up our union with him and the necessity of it and the warand given us to make use of him and as it s given for instruction and teaching so for sealing and confi ming the Lord would have us the eby knowing the truth of
liberty to return to their own land Yet considering the great scope of the Words and that this liberty of the Jews is in a great part fulfilled in Christ and that the union spoken of here is such as hath in it the gathering together of all the Tribes and withall that the Covenant which they enter into with the Lord Christ is such as shall never be forgotten We must extend the words to their Ingraffing again into their own Olive when all Israel shall be saved and they shall be graffed into their own root and Stock from off which they were broken As for the Scope it 's partly off encourage the Jews This being not only a Promise of their return but also and mainly of their Repentance and of their Friendship Reconciliation with God and with one another In those dayes they that had been far from him and busie vexing one another shall come and come together Their work and business in coming is to seek the Lord and the manner of it is going and weeping Praying and repenting and although the way be somewhat dark and not so discernible to them yet they go on asking the way to Zion with their faces thitherward They ask how they may come to Him worship God again aright and perform the duties of a people inchurched to and in Covenant with him And as it were from one Post or Town to another they ask the way and get Direction from one day to another and from one duty to another And their designe in all is Come say they on the matter we were once in Covenant with God and with one another but we have been unfaithfull in both now let us amend and make up the breach in both Let us Joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant never to be forgotten Let us renew our Covenant with God and let it be done firmly and surely so as it may not be broken again this looks and hath respect to Jeremiah 31.31 c. and 32.49 40. Where the Lord Promiseth To make a new Covenant with the House of Israel and with the house of Judah Cited by the Apostle Heb. 8. And it 's called Chap. 32. An everlasting Covenant Which is not so much to be understood of meer externall Covenanting as of saving sharing in and partaking of Christs Righteousness for the Pardon of sin and of their engaging to God in his own strength to be forth-coming in the fruits of saving Grace and Holiness in their practice This is in Sum the way and course which they take and is a short directory for what should be a peoples carriage when they would make up the breach of a broken Covenant with God As for the Particular Scope of this place as it relateth to Israel and Judah their returning together we shall not insist in it yet from these words we may see First That There is good ground for us to expect the Lords bringing back his scattered People the Jews and their ingraffing again into their own Olive The same God that perswaded Japhet to dwel in the Tents of Shem can perswade Shem to dwell in the tents of Japhet As they minded us Gentiles as a litle Sister and were Holily Solicitous what they might do for us we ought in gratitude to mind them as the elder Sister that they may turn again to the Lord who hath given us his faithful Word for it which cannot fail but must be fulfilled Secondly We see that Heart-melting towards God and seriousness to make up the breach of a broken Covenant betwixt a People and him conduce natively to make the hearts of those that have been divided and set at variance from one another in much warmness of love to unite and sweetly to join together It 's from this that Israel and Judah become one Stick in the Lords hand Ezek. 37. This makes them as melted mettall to run close together as it were into one Lump though it was a long continued Schisme and had much bitterness attending it yet when their hearts are touched with a Sense of sin and of a broken Covenant their former differences and animosities evanish softness of heart in the sense of by gone sin would silence many things among us that all disputings writings and Printings will not be able to do Pray for this to the Land as the most effectuall mean and way of curing out divisions and of uniting us in the Lord It Joins Judah and Israel together whose breach was much greater and of far longer continuance then ours Thirdly We see here that A peoples joining and running together in serious seeking of the Lord is very Commendable and lovely and a good token and evidence to them of their turning to God and of Gods accepting of them even as bitterness and division is exceeding displeasing to God and prejudiciall to themselves and to the Work of Grace in them This is an happy-like hopeful and promising day of Repentance and turning to God that bodeth much unspeakably much good to a land and People But we come to consider the words as they do direct unto and chalk out the way for a people returning to make up a broken Covenant with God which is the Scope And we may take it up in these Three First As it respects the frame of their hearts And O what a tender humble warm and mournfull frame are they represented to be in They shall come and go together exciting one another going and weeping with their faces towards Zion Secondly As it respects and holds forth the great designe they have and that is to renew and make sure the Covenant betwixt God them Though it was now broken and they want not challenges for it Yet they do not say we will never enter in it again Because we brake it the last time we made it But come say they let us make it the more firm and stable Thirdly As it respects and hold out their posture and the way which they take in pursuing this designe There is a going and weeping a praying to and seeking of the Lord in a word they seek and endeavour to renew their Covenant with God seriously diligently and humbly and thus they pursue their designe First then If we look to their frame we will find implyed in it 1. A guilty condition 2. A challenging and convinced condition 3. A repenting condition they are kindly affected with the wrongs done to God and desire and use means to have them righted We shall name Two or Three generall Doctrines from this First Consideration of the word though in effect it will fall in with the Last The First whereof is this That Gods Covenanted People may deal foully and falsly in his Covenant For their coming to renew the Covenant supposeth that they had broken it and it 's also implyed in their mourning and weeping and saying Come and let us join our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant never to be forgotten This needs no further
sin should have this for their aim designe and endeavour as we see in these spoken of here who when they come to any sense of their sin this is clearly their great designe and work verie seriously and closely pursued by them To clear and Confirm it take these Three words Consider First What state and Condition man naturally is in Secondly What God is to man in reference to that estate And Thirdly What Covenanting with God is and we will find that there is nothing which he should more seriously designe and seek after First Man is naturally an enemy to God and in respect of his malicious desperat inclination given to thwart with God whereby God stands as an enemy to him he is liable to the curse of God and God is as an armed man against him as Job speaks and he like an unarmed Child runing on the bosses of his Buckler Secondly Consider that God is not only an enemy but stands stated as such with his Curse against sinners according to that word Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the Law to do them and this Curse is like the flaming Sword in the hand of the Cherubims which with terrour separats betwixt God and the sinner So that there is no access for him to God and if he have any thoughts of God he is troubled with them and all the Creatures are armed against him So that he can expect nothing but enmity from every stone of the field Thirdâ— Consider that Covenanting with God is that wheâ— by a man who is naturally at enmity with God coâ—eth to be in friendship with him and hath the faâ— of every thing altered the meditation of God sweet to him the creatures are in league with hiâ— The Angels become Ministring Spirits to him a Gods dispensations become lovely and do work tâ—gether for his good even those that are in themselves most terrible Death and the Grave becomâ— servants to him and being in Covenant with Goâ— he can triumph over them and all troubles and peâ—secutions and say that he is More then Conqueror 〈◊〉 them all as it is Rom. 8. and saith the Apostle tâ— such 1 Cor. 3. All things are yours whether Pauâ— or Apollo or Cephas or Life or Death things presenâ— or things to come all are yours and ye are Christs Is it any wonder then that at Poor Soul toucheâ— with the sense of sin be desirous and Solicitous to bâ— in Covenant with God And therefore whetheâ— we look upon it as a dutie or as an evidence of 〈◊〉 person truly humbled for sin it is very desirable anâ— should be seriously sought after The Use Serves to show That the great Scope which ye should now have before you is to have a broken Covenant made up with God It should be your main designe to put this grand business to a point that there may be no war but a standing League betwixt God and you And therefore whâ— ever they be that satisfie themselves with going about the Ordinances misken this they certainly mistake the mark The great matter is not to come to the Communion neither is it to win at somewhat of heart softness or to a little sense which are good but it 's really to be in Covenant with God to be able to say on good ground The Lord is my God My beloved 〈◊〉 mine and I am his And when he saith Return backsliding Children to be in case to answer with the heart â—ehold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God â—his is indeed a desirable thing and he is an unhappie man that doth not that will not heartily desire and seek after it Secondly From their very great Seriousness in going and weeping in going to seek the Lord asking the way to Zion and from their encouraging one another to Join in Covenant with the Lord Observe that where there is any Sincerity or begun work of Grace it shews 〈◊〉 self in nothing sooner then in an impulse to be at Covenanting with God and to have some clearness therein For only to be in Covenant and not to have the knowledge of it cannot give that peace and comfort which a present sad exercise calleth for therefore say they while they are going and weeping Come and let us join our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that shal not be forgotten So then we say that a sincere and gracious work of God appears in nothing sooner then in this impulse to have the Covenant of God fixed and put out of doubt to have this at a Point is their great designe here and they are very serious in it So Isaiah 44. where vers 3. There is a Promise of the work of the Spirit in Sanctifieng and how is this work of the Spirit proved or wherein doth it appear Even thus vers 5. One shal say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the Name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and sur-name himself by the name of Israel the work of Gods Spirit whâ— he comes to Sanctifie and save is such as makes a maâ— run and devote himself to God with hand heart aâ— mouth ye never saw people more quickly and wiâ— better will come to the Church at the most Solemâ— occasion then when this work is begun or there any kindly exercise about it serious Souls will 〈◊〉 ready to run with their heart to Subscribe to Gods Câ—venant when the Terms of it are laid out before theâ— Only advert to these Two things in this Observatioâ— First When I speak of entering in Covenant with Goâ— I mean of the hearts closing with him by Fai h according as he offers himself in this Gospel when he saitâ— quit and renounce your own righteousness and taâ— mine quit and abandon your lusts and Idols and giâ—â— your selves to me and I will be your God and be fortâ— coming to you in all things that concern your happineâ— here and hereafter the heart yeelds and says conteâ— Lord the offer is good and I accept of it and 〈◊〉 wives were wont as it is yet the custom to surnaâ— themselves by their husbands so doth the Soul upâ— the matter in this Covenant Subscribe I am Godâ— This is called a yeelding to God or the giving of tâ— hand to him 2 Chron. 30.8 and Rom. 10.3 It 〈◊〉 called A submitting to the righteousness of God Seconâ—ly When we speak of this impulse towards or desiâ— of Covenanting with God It 's noâ— to be understood 〈◊〉 every raw wish such as Balaam bad to be in Heaven but it is a seriously urging impulse an earnest hungâ— and thirst and an ardent longing to have this at a point It 's such a thirsting desire as all the world beside wâ— not be able to quench It makes the Soul eager in tâ— pursuit of the thing even to meet and close with Goâ— in the Covenant It 's in effect that which Matth. 5.6 is called
That was broken for you Open your mouth wide and I will fill it I will be thy God That is the comprehensive Article of the Covenant and the great Gift the Gift of gifts and we may very safely say that as he could not swear by a greater then himself So he could not give a greater giâ—t then himself would God there were suitable conceptions and apprehensions of this non-such Gift and that he in whom the fulness of the God head dwels bodily were looked upon as being thus in our offer and were Cordially closed with by Faith that 's a great word which we have Revel 20.7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things and how is it performed and fulfilled I will be his God this is all and without this there is nothing Fourthly Having this Gift is there any thing that can be added the Text says Heaven not that Heaven is more then Christ but this is it that Christ enjoyed in Heaven is more then Christ enjoyed here on earth I will drink it new with you saith he in my Fathers Kingdom The floud gates are there as it were opened and the heart enlarged and made capacious to let in the fulness of God to the filling of the Glorified Believer even to the very brim Therefore is Communion with Christ said to be Now in Heaven We may have Christ here and Believers have him but this is an addition when we have our husband not only in right but have access Immediatly and most intimatly to converse with him and he to converse with us When the Queen shall be brought unto the King in Raiment of needle work and takâ—n into the Kings Palace with gladness and with joy and the Virgins her Companions with her When there shall be a putting of unbelief to shame and an Eternal Banishment of it and a Compleating of Believers Satisfaction the eye of the most profoundly exercised and experienced Believers never saw their ear never heard neither were they ever able to conceive the thousand part of these abundant consolations and heart ravishing joys that shall flow from the Presence of the Lamb and of him that sitteth on the Throne When there shall be no interveening Ordinances nor Temple in that higher House but the Lamb shall be the light thereof and yet all this is offered to sinners and put in Christs Testament to them to the end it may be made sure And Lastly As all these other things do Concurr to make out the excellency of the Bargain So doth this in a special manner that the price is payed that they have nothing to lay down but may come and take all freely without money and without price Secondly For furthering and strengthening the consolation ye would consider that the Believer who receives Christ as he is offered in the Gospel though he be a sinner yet he hath a most sufficient excellent and unquestionable security for and right unto all these good things that our dieing Lord Jesus hath comprehended in his Testament Believing sinners what security would ye have ye have Christs word I say unto you c. Ye have Christs Covenant and Testament This is the Cup of the New Testament in my Blood and now the Testament is Confirmed and Sealed so that neither man nor Angel can annull nor alter it Our Lords Testament being Sealed it stands legally registred in the Court Books of Heaven and it stands legal on these terms that a sinner who takes with his sin disclaims his own righteousness and betakes himself to Christs Righteousness putting it in the room of his own for his Justification before God may be sure of Christs legacy and of Heaven as it 's sure that Christ suffered and Instituted this Sacrament for his Confirmation in the Faith of it the accepting of Christ the submitting to his righteousness the yeelding to the Covenant and closing with him on his own terms gives him a right to Heaven and all the Riches contained in his Testament To make out this as being the very thing of the Comfortable Application of all that hath been said and of what we are further to say I shall offer these four grounds The First whereof is some clear Scriptures that hold forth so much viz. That as really they shall have life who rake Christ and his offer and close with him as he really suffered and Satisfied the Justice of God for their sins The First of these Scriptures is Heb. 7.25 Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him He is an able Saviour able to the uttermost and there is not a point of Latitude longitude or altitude beyond the uttermost He is able to save them all and what all All that will come and make use of him and give him the credit of his Offices all that will come unto God by him A Second is Rom. 5 20. Where the Apostle out-reasons sin for holding forth the triumph of free-Grace Where sin abounded saith he Grace did much more abound That as sin hath reigned unto death Even so and indeed it is an excellent So might Grace Reigne through Righteousness unto Eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord though we would endeavour to our utmost to unfold these words we could not unfold all that is infolded in them did sin make sinners lyable to death and Triumph over them So Grace hath erected a Throne by Christs Righteousness not by inherent Holiness and hath Triumphed over sin the way how Grace gives out its orders and obtains its end Is not by our Righteousness but by the Righteousness of Christ through Faith in him Justice to speak with reverence is off the Throne and Grace orders and sways all in making Application of Christs Purchased Righteousness to believers The Third Scripture is Acts 13.38 Be it known unto you therefore Men and Brethâ—en that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenness of sins and vers 26. To you is the word of this Salvation sent O glad tidings to the greatest sinners Thorow the man Christ is Preached to you Remission of sins and by him all that Believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be Justified by the Law of Moses What are ye owing Or what can the Law Justice or Satan claime ye are Justified from all these things and when he speaks thus to despisers with a Be it known unto you That the offer is made to them we may on good ground turn it over to you and say Be it known unto you that thorow Christ Jesus ye may have Remission of sins and be Justified from all things from which ye could not be Justified by the Law of Moses According to the terms of the Covenant Let your libell be as long as it will Grace is on the Throne and will receive you Secondly Consider that the great designe which the Lord drives in the business of Redemption and publishing of it in the Gospel Is that Remission of sins and