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A65814 A discourse upon I Peter IV., VIII wherein the power and efficacy of charity as it is a means to procure the pardon of sin is explained and vindicated / by John Whitefoot. Whitefoote, John, 1610-1699. 1695 (1695) Wing W1862; ESTC R26478 56,458 143

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to serve him for the time to come in his own Person and then to bring over all Israel with him to the Obedience of the King 2 Sam. 3.10 And that the Practice of this great vertue of Charity in other Instances as well as this of endeavouring to Convert sinners from their evil Ways is the best Means of Satisfaction to God or appeasing his Wrath for sin may appear by these two Reasons 1. Because it is in it self most pleasing and acceptable to Him as most agreeable to his own Goodness 2. Because it tends to the procuring of much Glory to his Name as otherwise so by the Thanksgiving of many engaged by the Benefit of Charity extended to them redounding to the Glory of God 2 Cor. 1.11 4.15 If a Man hath incurred the just Displeasure of any Man what better means can be used to recover his Favour than by doing of such things as he knows to be most pleasing and acceptable to him or if he hath any way Dishonoured him what better Satisfaction can be done him towards the repairing of that Injury than by Endeavouring to promote his Honour effectually some other way CHAP. III. HAving thus sufficiently illustrated that Sense of the Text which seemeth to me most probable I am sensible of the Necessity of a further Confirmation thereof Wherein I think this Demand should not be denied me by any Indifferent Judge namely That if the Doctrine collected from this Interpretation be proved to be True and sufficiently Confirmable from other Scriptures this Interpretation hath a fair advantage of Preference before the other from the before noted Scope of the Context and the far greater Validity of the Argument thus understood to enforce the Exhortation that precedes it And therefore towards the better satisfaction of some prejudiced Readers whose Objections shall be considered in due place it will be necessary to shew the undeniable Truth of this Doctrine from other Texts of both Testaments which for their Number are far more than are absolutely necessary for the Confirmation of any Doctrine Nor should I think it reasonable to quote so many of them as I shall do were it not that by the same Labour I hope not only to demonstrate the Truth of this Doctrine but also to promote the Practice of the Apostles Exhortation upon this singular Motive added to many others which fall not within the compass of this Text. I say that by the many Texts by which I hope to make it appear that Charity to our Neighbours for Gods sake and with respect to his Will and good Pleasure is so much conducible to the Pardon of our sins the Practice of this Vertue will also appear more advisable to them that are least disposed to it than perhaps hath been formerly considered or understood by them And whereas most of the Texts which I shall alledge to this Purpose do seem to speak of a full and final Remission of all sins at the Day of Judgment I suppose it will be easily yielded by the Argument from the Greater to the Less that if Charity be available for Deliverance from the Eternal punishment of the Life to come it may well be concluded it may also avail for a Redemption from Temporal punishments in this Life which are justly to be feared or for an Abatement The first Argument which I shall produce for the Truth of this Doctrine shall be taken from those Texts which speak of such an Act of Charity as is more commonly understood in this Text namely That whereby we Cover the sins of others by Forgiving them their Trespasses against our selves And the express words of our Saviour Mat. 6.14 15. are that if ye forgive men their Trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you but if ye forgive not Men their Trespasses neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you By which Text it appears plainly that the Truth of that Sense of St. Peters words which I plead for is no other then a just Consequence of the other more commonly received That if it be true that Charity will cover a Multitude of sins in other Men it will also procure the same Effect to the Charitable Person that is cover a Multitude of sins in him he that forgives shall be forgiven And in another Evangelist we find our Saviour expresly directing us to this Work of Charity for the same End namely that our sins may be forgiven Mar. 11.25 When ye stand praying forgive if ye have ought against any that your Father which is in Heaven may forgive you your Trespasses But if you do not forgive neither will your Father which is in Heaven forgive your Trespasses That which our Saviour himself directs us to do for this End may it not be done by us to that End And is it not confidently to be believed to be Effectual and Available thereunto And is not the same Effect as manifestly implyed in that Prayer which our Saviour hath taught us Forgive us our Debts i. e. our sins as we forgive our Debters i. e. them that trespass against us Luke 11.4 Where the Particles As in the one Evangelist and For in the other do signifie the same thing namely A Motive used by our Saviours direction to promote the Effect of our Petition confirmed by an express Promise Luke 6.37 Forgive and ye shall be forgiven Add to this from the beginning of the same Sermon of our Blessed Saviour Mat. 5.7 Blessed are the Mercifull for they shall obtain Mercy and as Mercy in us is a Branch of Charity so the Covering or Pardon of sins is an eminent Part of that Mercy that is to be obtained thereby These Sentences of our Blessed Saviour together with divers others to the same Purpose I suppose might be alluded to by St. James in that Saying Jam. 2.13 For he shall have Judgement without Mercy that hath shewed no Mercy and Mercy rejoyceth against Judgement Mercy in the Text comprehends all works of Charity as well in the latter as in the former Clause They that would have the latter Clause to be understood only of the Mercy of God triumphing over his Justice seem not to consider the Context before and after these Words which apparently speaks of such Mercy and Charity as is to be exercised by Men toward their Brethren which being also the undoubted Meaning of the Word in this Verse the plain sense of the whole Verse can be no other than this that the Unmercifull man shall find no Mercy in the day of Judgment On the contrary that Mercy or the Mercifull man shall have his Judgment so tempered with Mercy as to give him cause of Rejoycing in that Day for Deliverance or Salvation from the Judgment of Condemnation or the Fear of it This Goodness or Mercy found in Men if it be true and sincere being the Effect of Gods Grace doth dispose and fit Men for Divine Mercy Mercy in the Person to be judged qualifies him for the Mercy of the Judge