SERMONS UPON Psalm CXXX Ver. 4. But there is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared BY WILLIAM BATES D. D. LONDON Printed by J. D. for Brabazon Aylmer at the three Pigeons over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhill 1696. SERMONS OF THE Forgiveness of Sins PSAL. CXXX 4. But there is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared THE Psalmist in the first and second Verses addresses to God with earnest Desires for his saving Mercies Out of the Depths have I cried to thee O Lord Lord hear my Voice let thine Ear be attentive to my Supplication He humbly deprecates the severe Inquiry of Divine Justice ver 3. If thou Lord shouldst mark Iniquities O Lord who shall stand If God should with an exact Eye observe our Sins and call us to an account who can stand in Judgment who can endure that firy Trial The best Saints tho never so innocent and unblameable in the sight of Men tho never so vigilant and watchful over their Hearts and Ways are not exempted from the Spots of humane Frailty which according to the Rigour of the Law would expose them to a condemning Sentence He relieves and supports himself under this fearful Apprehension with the Hopes of Mercy But there is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared 'T is in thy Power and thy Will to pardon repenting and returning Sinners that thou mayst be feared The Fear of God in Scripture signifies the humble holy Reverence of him as our heavenly Father and Soveraign that makes us cautious lest we should offend him and careful to please him For this Reason the Fear of God is comprehensive of all Religion of the whole Duty of Man to which it is introductive and is a principal Ingredient in it The Clemency and compassionate Mercy of God is the Cause of an ingenuous filial Fear mix'd with Love and Affiance in the Breasts of Men. Other Attributes his Holiness that fram'd the Law Justice that ordain'd the Punishment of Sin Power that inflicts it render his Majesty terrible and cause a Flight from him as an Enemy If all must perish for their Sins no Prayers or Praises will ascend to Heaven all Religious Worship will cease for ever But his tender Mercy ready to receive humble Suppliants and restore them to his Favour renders him amiable and admired and draws us near to him There are two Propositions to be considered in the Verse 1. That Forgiveness belongs to God 2. That the forgiving Mercy of God is a powerful Motive of Adoration and Obedience I propound to discourse of the first and to touch upon the second in the Application In managing the Point with Light and Order 't is requisite to consider 1 st What is contain'd in Forgiveness 2 dly The Arguments that demonstrate that Forgiveness belongs to God 1. What is contained in Forgiveness This necessarily supposes Sin and Sin a Law that is violated by it The Law implies a Sovereign Law-giver to whose declared Will Subjection is due and who will exact an Account in Judgment of Mens Obedience or Disobedience to his Law and dispense Rewards and Punishments accordingly God by the clearest Titles is our King our Law-giver and Judg for he is our Maker and Preserver and consequently has a full Propriety in us and absolute Authority over us and by his sovereign and singular Perfections is qualified to govern us A derived Being is necessarily in a State of Dependance and Subjection All the Ranks of Creatures in the World are order'd by their Maker his Kingdom rules over all Those in the lowest degree of Being are order'd by Power Sensitive Creatures are determin'd by the Impulses of Nature to their Actions for having no Light to distinguish between moral Good and Evil they have no Choice and are incapable of receiving a Law Intelligent Creatures endowed with judicious and free Faculties an Understanding to discern between moral Good and Evil and a Will to choose or reject what is propounded to them are capable of a Law to direct and regulate their Liberty To Man a Law was given by the Creator the Copy of his Wisdom and Will that has all the Perfections of a Rule 'T is clear and compleat injoining what is essentially good and forbidding what is essentially evil God governs Man conveniently to his Nature and no Service is pleasing to him but the Result of our Reason and Choice the Obedience of our supreme leading Powers Since the Fall the Light of the Understanding compared with the bright Discovery it afforded of our whole Duty in our Original State is either like the Twilight of the Evening the faint and dim Remains of the Light of the Day when Night draws a dark Vail over the World or like the dawning of the Morning when the rising Sun begins to scatter the Darkness of the Night The latter Comparison I think is more just and regular for 't is said that the Son of God enlightens every Man that comes into the World The innate Light discovers there is a streight Line of Truth to regulate our Judgment and a streight Line of Vertue to regulate our Actions Natural Conscience is a Principle of Authority directing us to choose and practise Vertue and to avoid Vice and according to our Neglect or Compliance with its Dictates reflects upon us 'T is hardly presumable that any are so prodigiously wicked as not to be convinc'd of the natural Rectitude in things they can distinguish between what is fair and what is fraudulent in Dealings and acknowledg in the general and in judging of others the Equity of things tho they elude the Force of the Conviction in the Application to themselves Now since common Reason discovers there is a common Rule there must be a common Judg to whom Men are accountable for the Obliquity or Conformity of their Actions to that Rule The Law of God is revealed in its Purity and Perfection in the Scripture The Law binds first to Obedience and in neglect of it to Punishment Sin is defin'd by St. John to be the Transgression of the Law The Omission of what is commanded or doing what is forbidden is a Sin Not only the Lusts that break forth into Action and Evidence but inward Inclinations contrary to the Law are Sin From hence results a Guilt upon every Sinner which includes the Imputation of the Fault and Obligation to Punishment There is a natural Connexion between the Evil of Doing and the Evil of Suffering the Violation of the Law is justly revenged by the Violation of the Person that breaks it It is an impossible Imagination that God should give a Law not enforc'd with a Sanction This would cast a Blemish upon his Wisdom for the Law would cancel it self and defeat his Ends in giving it it would reflect a high Dishonour upon his Holy Majesty as if he were indifferent with respect to Vertue or Vice and disregarded our Reverence or Rebellion against his Authority The Apostle declares
and humbly accept of the Terms of Mercy 't is very pleasing to him We are assur'd by Jesus Christ who is Truth that there is Joy in Heaven over one Sinner that repents more than over ninety nine Persons that need no Repentance God himself declares with a solemn Oath that he delights not in the Death of a Sinner but rather that he should turn and live The Holiness and Mercy of God are two of his most Divine Perfections his peculiar Glory and Delight Now what can be more pleasing to that most pure and compassionate Being than to see a sinful Creature conform'd to his Holiness and saved by his Mercy If the internal Joy of God wherein he is infinitely blessed were capable of new Degrees it would rise higher in the Exercise of his forgiving Mercy There is a clear Representation of this in the Parable of the Prodigal At his Return his Father received him with a Robe and a Ring with Musick and a Feast the signs of Joy in its Exaltation But if Sinners are hardned in Obstinacy and notwithstanding God is so willing to pardon them are wilful to be damn'd with what Variety of Passions does he express his Resentment He incarnates himself in the Language of Men to make them understand his Affection to them Sometimes he expostulates with a tender Sympathy Why will ye die as if they were immediately falling into the bottomless Pit He expresses Pity mix'd with Indignation at their chosen Folly and Ruine How long ye simple ones will ye love Simplicity and Fools hate Knowledg What Reluctancy and Regret does he express against proceeding to exterminating Judgments How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim Mine Heart is turned within me my Repentings are kindled together With what a melting Passion does the Son of God foretel the decreed Destruction of Jerusalem for rejecting their Saviour and Salvation When he came near he beheld the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst known at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy Peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes Like a mild Judg that pities the Man when he condemns the Malefactor Those who interpret some Expressions of Scripture that God laughs at the Calamity of the Wicked and mocks when their Fear comes and is inexorable to their Prayers in such a Sense as evacuates most gracious Declarations of God to induce Sinners to repent and believe for their Salvation they draw Darkness out of Light for those Threatnings are directed against obstinate Rebels that frustrate the most powerful Methods of Mercy and reject the Call of God in the Day of his Grace and by way of Retaliation their Prayers are ineffectual and rejected in the Day of his Wrath. And that he is so highly and irreconcileably provoked for their despising his Mercy is a certain Indication how highly he would have been pleased with their humble accepting it Let none then by a vile and wretched Suspicion that God's repeated Calls to Sinners to return and live do not signify his serious Will detract from the Glory of his Goodness and blaspheme his unspotted Holiness His excellent Greatness secures us of his Sincerity Why should the glorious Majesty of Heaven court despicable Creatures to be reconciled We are infinite Descents below him and no Advantage can accrue to him from us Temporal Princes may be swayed by Interest to send false Declarations to Rebels in Arms to reduce them to Obedience but what can the most High gain by our Submission or lose by our Obstinacy Counterfeit Kindness proceeds either from the Hope of some Good or the Fear of some Evil and of both God is absolutely uncapable We are all obnoxious to his severe Justice There is no occasion that he should intend by the gracious Offer of Pardon to aggravate the Sin and Sentence of those who refuse it Whosoever with Heart-breaking Sorrow and unfeigned Hatred of his Sins seeks for Pardon by the Mediator he shall find his Experience of sparing Mercy equal to the highest Expressions of it in Scripture and exceeding all his Thoughts 4. It appears that God is ready to pardon in that he is so slow to punish Tho all the Divine Attributes are equal in God and there is an intire Agreement between them yet there is a Difference in their external Operations St. John declares God is Love that signifies his communicative Goodness the Exercise whereof is more free and pleasing to him than the Acts of revenging Justice He does not afflict willingly the Children of Men. His Mercy in giving and forgiving flows as Water from a Fountain Acts of Justice are forc'd from him like Wine from the Grapes by the pressing Weight of our Sins In the first Day of Judgment a Saviour was promised before the Curse was threatned Notwithstanding sinful Men break his Laws and trample on them before his Face they resist and grieve and quench his Spirit yet he delays the Execution of Judgment that his Long-suffering may lead them to Repentance This will appear by considering that God's forbearing Sinners is not 1. For want of Discovery of their Sins Humane Justice may suffer a guilty Person to escape Punishment for want of clear Evidence but this Case is not incident to the Justice of Heaven God is Light with respect to his Purity and Omniscience His firy Eye pierces through the thickest Darkness wherein Sins are committed and all the Arts of Concealment used to cover them He sees all the Sins of Men with the Eye of a Judg All things are naked and open before his Eyes with whom we have to do Therefore 't is said God will require what is past and will observe what is to come in order to Judgment 2. 'T is not from a Defect of Power that the Wicked are spared Great Princes are sometimes hindred from the Exercise of Justice when the guilty Person is supported by a prevalent Party against them for the Power of a Prince is not in himself but in those who are his Subjects Thus David was constrained to spare Joab after the Murder of Abner because of his Interest in the Army the Sons of Zerviah were too hard for him he fear'd their rebellious Resistance But the Power of God is inherent in himself and depends upon no Creatures O Lord be exalted in thine own Power He fears none and is to be fear'd by all With one Stroke of Omnipotency he can destroy all his Enemies for ever He can with more Ease subdue the most stubborn Rebels than we can breathe His Strength is equal to his Authority both are truly infinite 3. The Guilty are spared sometimes from the vicious Partiality of Princes to their Favourites or a wretched Neglect of Justice But the high and holy King is without respect of Persons He hates Sin with a perfect Hatred and is angry with the Wicked
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