for my sinnes past are sufficient for him to suffer and satisfie for my sinnes present and to come Thirdly the sinner stands justified not for any thing in himselfe but by the mercies of the LORD JESUS CHRIST Now then gather up all and the thing is cleare if our Saviour suffered for all sins and this being infinite is sufficient to pacifie all his wrath due to my sins past present or to come And if a man is not justified of or by any thing of his own but from CHRIST from this I argue by what death is my sin remitted by the death of CHRIST and have not I the whole death of our our Saviour to satisfie Yes for that death that suffered for my sins past suffered for my sins present or to come the death CHRIST suffered for all sins Now this death of CHRIST is applyed to the soul at the first act of beleeving in the LORD CHRIST therefore my sinnes past present or to come are remitted at the first act of beleeving That remission of sins that leaves no condemnation to the party offending is the remission of all sinnes for if there were any sin remaining a man is still in the state of condemnation but justification leaves no condemnation Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Argn. 2. Thus it is evident there is no condemnation to those that are in CHRIST therefore there is full remission of all sins past present or to come to the soul at the first act of beleeving If the remission of all sinnes be not at once Arg. 3. it is either because my faith cannot lay hold on it or because there are some hinderances but a man by the hand of faith can lay hold on all the merits of CHRIST the Word can reveale all the Sacraments seale and confirm the pardon of all and then there is no inconvenience for it makes the soul more carefull of a command Psal 130. If thou shouldest enter into judgement with us who were able to abide it but there is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared Forgivenesse makes a man yeeld faithfull obedience then it is cleare that the forgivenesse of all sinnes past present or to come is made to the soul at once at the first act of beleeving First because CHRIST dyed for all and that is all applyed at once Secondly justification leaves a man without condemnation Thirdly there are no hinderances for my faith is able to lay hold on all the merits of CHRIST and the Sacraments able to confirm all therefore all the sinnes of the Elect whether past or present or to come are pardoned at once in CHRIST But then why do we pray for daily forgivenesse of sins It seems needlesse thus to do Quest if they be pardoned already what need we pray daily for the forgivenesse of them This is one of Bellarmines chief holds But I answer First if a man do beleeve Answ yet he prayeth for more faith Secondly we intreat the Lord that he would be pleased to renew this repentance write over and renew this our evidence of the remission of our sinnes and more and more confirm it to our selves this a man doth though he have faith Thirdly that he would be pleased to continue this his evidence Fourthly that he would make it increase and be more strong This a faithfull man craves Lord saith the soul that my sinnes may not only be pardoned and the evidence of it sealed to my soul but that the evidence may be more and more increased Whether doth this act of beleeving leave any frame Quest or put any disposition into the soul First Answ our justification which we call forgivenesse findes nothing in us or any thing done by us by which we come to be justified when we are said to be justified by faith or are not said to be justified for faith that is popery but by faith we lay hold on Christ by whose merits we are justified as a man is said to live by his hands not that he eates them but by the labour of his hands he gets money which buyes his meat which nourisheth him So a mans sins are not forgiven by vertue of beleeving but only thus because faith as an hand laies hold on this as a man gets a prey by his hand so we get this prey by the hand of faith faith doth not make a man just before God for God might condemne us for the imperfection and weaknesse of our faith but it layes hold on him who justifies Secondly forgivenesse or justification leaves no gracious frame upon the soul but it is only a legall and judicial forgiving of a man a pronouncing of the soul believing acquitted As a man that is arrested the surety paying all the debt the law is frustrate and hath nothing against that man and he is pronounced acquitted by the law but this acquitting doth not make a man any honester That of the Proverbs He that justifies the wicked and he that condemneth the righteous they both are abomination to the Lord. Not to make a man honester then he was but to account him so and justifie him when he is not You see then this leaves no stamp upon the soul this cuts the throat of many a mans comforts here is the maine difference between justification and sanctification justification is not for any thing in a mans self neither leaves any stamp but sanctification proceeds from some ability in the soul and leaves him holy Thirdly though the act of beleeving doth not put grace into the soul yet wherever this is there will be another work and bring grace into the soul For we forgive others THis is made an argument to prevaile with God we beseech God to forgive us because we forgive others as if we should say if we forgive others forgive thou us but we forgive others therefore Lord forgive us as though first we could forgive others before God forgive us Hence the question drawes on namely Whether is the soule able to forgive trespasses to others before the Lord forgives its trespases Quest No our forgiving others doth not goe before our owne forgivenesse Answ God must first forgive us before we can forgive others because it is a work of grace to doe this as God requires and it comes from a gracious disposition of soule which God must put into us before we can do it But now sanctification follows justification as a man should say a tree bringsforth fruit from the sap in the root But this is used as a cause Quest for we forgive others because we forgive others therfore forgive us it seems then to be a cause of our justification No Answ it is a fruit and effect to make way for the conveyance of the assurance of it it makes us not to be just but dedares us to be just Every reason propounded by the word because doth not imply a cause as I prove fire
wee must not looke to the quantity not for a month or a quarter but goe to the Lord as to a market let him dispose it or else wee beg one thing and desire another the Lord will be content to give us bread not pearles not to cocker us but to give us what we stand in need of That of Hagar should be our prayer Give me not too much lest I be proud nor too little lest I put forth my hand to wickednesse Prov. 30. but give me food convenient It is better to be at Gods allowance then our owne A childe happily would have a coat foure or five yards too long and to tire him or fire to burne him but a father will not have it too long to tyre him or fire to burne him So our Father wee would over-flow our measures out-run our portions too beyond our need It is with us as it is with dyets sicke men would have hot wines and salt meates and eate excessively but the Physitian orders all his dyet for if hee should have his fill it would kill him A full body and a full stomack would increase the humour So the Lord is a marvelous skilfull Physitian we have proud hearts and would have dainties and if we should have riches as we would God should lose his honour which now he hath by us being kept under hatches therefore the Lord dyets us Divers creatures are kept in divers things Cherries are kept in Sugar but Beefe is kept in salt pickell and not in sugar for otherwise it would stinke Nothing would serve some if the Lord should not dyet them but they would be as proud and as saucie as ever they could therefore the Lord is compelled to dyet them Thus we should be content with the least pittance that the Lord sees fitting for us and he that is thus the Lord will give him enough for his baites in this pilgrimage And thus much for this Petition And forgive us our trespasses c. THis is the fifth Petition touching the good of man There are three Petitions concerning God and three concerning us this life and a better the first we have handled and those that concern our spirituall being follow First for the order Secondly the sense and meaning of the words Thirdly the frame of the heart in putting up this Petition First for the order why it is thus placed justification before sanctification Reason The reason is because sanctification flowes from justification being justified we are sanctified first we are acquitted of our sins whereof we stand guilty before him and then he sanctifies us first this then the other the other are the sprigs and this the main branch we beg for faith c. but they are included in this Secondy for the sense of the words First here is the Petition Forgive us our trespasses Secondly the Reason As we forgive others or For we forgive others that trespasse against us so Lord forgive thou us this is the argument whereby we win the favour of the Lord. What is meant by debts Quest By debts are meant all sinnes Answ all failing of all kindes of omission or commission now they are called debts because we owe all obedience to God to love him above all and our neighbours as our selves and these being the articles of agreement the sleighting and neglect of this brings us into debt with God For first we are bound to these Secondly by breaking these we deserve the punishment due to the breach of it now when we omit any thing we forfeit and are cast behinde hand And thirdly wee are lyable to the execution of the punishment due to us in the breach of this thus sins are debts and debts sinnes of omission or commission What is it to forgive To forgive is this Quest we beg that the Lord would be pleased not to take advantage of us because of our debts Answ nor yet to proceed in the rigour of this Law to do that it requires Now our sins require we should be condemned and executed A malefactors forfeiting his bond is cast in his cause and then cast into the prison and execution sued out for the satisfaction of this debt now we beg of the Lord that he would not condemn us in the Court of conscience nor execute his justice on us this is to forgive and this proceeds from mercy But how can God do thus will this stand with the justice of God Quest not to be satisfied for our faults to pardon without satisfaction No Answ but though the party do not satisfie yet if the surety do it is sufficient so though he doth forgive us yet he looks for it at the sureties hand as the creditor doth not require the debt at the debtors hand but at his hand that is bound to make satisfaction for the debt so the Lord doth not require satisfaction of us as he might to exact the utmost farthing because thou sinnest thou shalt die the LORD will not exact this of us but he requires this satisfaction of the LORD JESUS so that GOD the Father is satisfied though not by us mercy to me and justice to CHRIST mercy on my part and justice on CHRISTS part Thus we see what it is to forgive us that is that the LORD would not arest us but the surety that he would not exact of us but take all of CHRIST Whether are a mans sins forgiven at once Quest or at sundry times At the first time Answ when a man believes in the LORD JESUS CHRIST at that time all his sins past present or to come are remitted The sins he commits after beleeving or in beleeving or before beleeving are all pardoned Justification doth not increase or decrease but sinne it is pardoned at the first act of beleeving Though sanctification may have degrees one man may be more sanctified then another but this hath none but he is fully justified and all his sins past present or to come are pardoned to him in CHRIST all phrases in Scripture implie thus much Jer. 32. I will pardon their sins and remember them no more Ezek. 38. I will blot them out of my remembrance Now the Argument is this I will conclude in divers Propositions First Argum. our Saviour by once suffering suffered for the sins of the Elect past present and to come the infinite wrath of GOD the Father fell on him for my sins now this wrath is all one in him and being all one and infinite and our Saviour suffering this whole and infinite wrath of GOD the Father if he had suffered for 10000. worlds he could have suffered no more Gods wrath could not be but infinite so were his sufferings he might have applyed his suffering to many thousands more if he would and yet have suffered no more Adam's sinne was enough to infect a thousand worlds and our Saviours merits are sufficient for a thousands worlds Secondly those sufferings that he suffered
in the shop to call over others to look on himselfe his person properties and the like but to sell his Masters wares And so we desire that God may lift us up but that is not the rule that men may see our good workes but God in them A child or a servant should so walke that others may admire Gods grace in him we are Gods workmanship Secondly wee should have hearts enlarged to blesse God that hee hath been pleased to reveale himselfe to us Thus much for the first Petition Thy Kingdome come VVHy is this added immediately to the former Quest Because it is a speciall meanes whereby the heart is fitted and the glory of God advanced Answ the first was to hallow Gods Name and to that end the Kingdome of Christ must be set up for no naturall man can glorifie God because so long as sinne and corruption prevailes it will never be therefore the power of Christs Spirit must doe it and by it we must be swayed unto it What is the scope of this petition Quest The main scope of it is thus much Answ that the government of God by Christ might be set up and prevaile every where as before Gods name was highest so here the power and government of Christ is to be universall that is the generall now we come to the particulars and here consider the sense of the words First What is this Kingdome Secondly the carriage of the heart in putting up this petition Thirdly what is the comming of this Kingdom By Kingdome is meant that rule that Christ hath set up in the hearts of his For the generall providence of God I take it is not so much aimed at in this place or that ordinary providence of God over the creatures this is set forth in the fourth petition Give us this day our daily bread but it is the rule of Christ that is set up in his Church How many fold is it Quest It is two fold Answ which are these Of Grace Glory both aymed at here What is the Kingdome of grace Quest It is that whereby Christ by his Spirit and grace Answ by the ministery of the Word takes place in the hearts of his and this he doth two waies First by over-powering casting down all other things which are opposite thereunto all the power of sin and Sathan which are opposite to him Secondly he sets up that frame of Spirit whereby it is subject to grace and it takes place two wayes First by cutting down and killing of every sin Secondly the soul takes the stamp of every condition and is ruled by it What is the Kingdome of glory Quest Gods immediate ruling in the hearts of the glorified Saints Answ How doth the Kingdome of grace and glory differ Quest Here in the Kingdome of grace God rules Answ First by his Spirit Secondly by the Word and Ordinances Thirdly by the ministery of the Word But in Heaven he rules immediatly no more words and means but Christ fills the soul fully and then he rules gloriously when the understanding will and affections are full of Christ and are fully and wholly subject to him here in the vale of tears we meet with many rubs and oppositions but then Christ shall shine fully and immediately In all his Ordinances we seek a Christ but then we shall have all of him so that we that have the Spirit have a glimpse of heaven therefore ashamed should we be to be wearie of God let us be wearie of sin I tell you it is a heaven to live here with God upon earth and if it be a glorious thing to have a glimpse of God here how much more to be filled with God hereafter in his Kingdome How is this Kingdome said to come Quest The comming of these Kingdomes implies three things Answ First that the Word may be revealed in these places where it hath not been Luk. 1. That the day-spring from on high may visit them that sit in darknesse that the Sun of righteousnesse might visit them that want it that the banquet of the Gospell might be set up Mat. 24. If any man say he is in the wildernesse go not out for where the Carkasse is thither will the Eagles resort This is the first thing A Kingdome is said to come when a King rules in a place where he did not before so it is here Let all the people praise thee saith David he desires not that some tongues only but that all tongues and languages should do this Secondly where ever the Gospell doth shine we desire that it should discover it self more fully and spread it self where ever it comes we desire the Kings government should enlarge the territories more and more so we desire not only that Christ should be revealed but that more and more should be gathered that God may be taken in every where and that every knee may bow to Christ and lick the dust that so there may be an addition made to the Church that every man in every kinde may come to Christ and that God would cast his skirt over him that more may be caught in his net that the Jew and Gentile may be gathered into one sheep-fold and have one Shepheard Thirdly that the power of it may be more and more setled as the house of David grew stronger and stronger 2 Sam. 3.1 but the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker so when Christ sets up his candlestick that the seed that is sowen there may take deep root When a King hath erected Castles then he hath his Kingdome so we desire God may intrench himselfe and reare Castles of defence against his enemies which would remove him that he would set himselfe up strongly that every Traytor may be crusht and every base lust that God would slay them and none but his Lawes take place in a word the issue returnes to thus much we beseech Christ that his Gospel may spread and be strong and these dayes of sinne may be wasted and that he may come in the clouds Revel 22. and then come Lord Jesus come quickly that he would accomplish the number of his Elect and gather those that belong to his glory and that they may bee everlastingly with him What is the carriage of the soul in putting up this petition Quest It appears in three things First the soul desires and so labours to be subject to the good pleasure of the Lord the heart saith oh that I might be so disposed that I might be subject to the pleasure of the Lord we desire that all those things that are set up in our hearts that are contrary to the good pleasure and will of the Lord might be subdued Psal 119.4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy commandements but oh Lord that my soul were so thou hast enjoyned me to do so oh that I could do so the Spirit should be as wax to the seale
and inke to the paper that the soul might take the impression of every rule that God would set up in our souls thus the soul should be disposed to wish that the Lord would put this frame into us this is a heart worth gold thou hast said seek me oh saith the soul that I could seek thy face and eccho behold Lord thy face I seek to submit wholly without any contending not that the Lord should force us but that we should take up our yoke put our necks to the yoke let the Word of the Lord bear the balance When Mary wanted wine and our Saviour checked her and Martha cumbred with too much businesse was reproved thou art troubled with many things c. they submitted presently not a word more so what the Lord commands let us do without any quarrelling let the least inkling of the Word beare the balance When our Saviour sent his Disciples for the Asses Colt they might have said but haply the man will not let him go how then I tell them saith our Saviour the Master hath need of him and then they will not deny him that is enough do but speak and it is done this the soul should labour to attain unto Secondly the soul carries it self with an inward opposition to whatever is opposite to the government of the Lord Jesus Christ to the utmost of our power it is in vain to say it were wel if it were so I would it were so and yet to stand still and not to set to our hands but we must join sides with the Lord as he spake of Merosh Cursed art thou because thou wilt not help the Lord against the mighty So truly the Lord Jesus is comming to our Towns to our families therefore we should step out and help the Lord against those mighty mountaines of pride and stubbornesse of heart when a proud heart stirs do you joine sides with it or cry out and say good Lord help down with that proud heart and stubborn spirit and the like the Lord saith it and doth your heart yeeld But if you say come pride and you and I will joine sides together and if the Word can remove us let it but we will joine sides Is this calling for the Kingdome of Christ to come No no you are traytors and conspirators and no subjects therefore stop your mouths this is not submitting but conspiring when Jezabel looked out of the window with her painted face saith Jehu Who is on my side fling her out so the Lord saith will you have pride or me if you be on my side fling down that proud heart which hinders the Lord Jesus Christ from taking place in your souls you paint your selves in a sturdy humour but if you be on Gods side fling down those painted strumpets you must not only oppose great sins but every sin we must not fodder and side with any secret sin although it be but with the appearance of evill you must abstaine from it you know what Moses said of losing not a hoof another said he would not start a hairs breadth from Gods Commandements in any particular so let us subdue all not leave an inch not a stamp not so much as two nails of the Dagon of our cursed lusts to rule in us thus it should be with the soul Thirdly though the soul cannot be as it should yet it doth desire the Lord that neither sin nor self-will may rule in us lay all flat down under the government of Christ When the heart finds a great deale of outwardnesse and power of sin then it saith Lord thy Kingdome should prevaile but the Sons of Zeruiah are too strong in me therefore take power to thy self and pluck away whatever doth oppose thee It was a good speech of a good Christian that he desired the Lord to rule whether he would or no. Thus the soul should be disposed to intreat the Lord that he would break open the doore when the Lord comes and we will not open we desire the Lord would come in by violence The white horse in conquering conquered so the soul desires the Lord to conquer to break in and make way into the soul and to take possession wholly in the soul now when the soul is loath this should be it is a wretched spirit that when the Lord will take sin whether we will or no we are loath it should be Do we then pray Christs Kingdome should come when we are not able to bear a commandement No no the soul will labour to oppose sin and pray the Lord for power against corruption Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven THis is the third Petition and in it are three things observable First the order it is in the third place Secondly the sense and meaning of the words Thirdly the frame of the heart in putting up this Petition First for the order the reason of it is because the two former make way for this third he that glorifies God in all things and hath his power set up in him he only doth what he commands for naturally there is no ability in man to do the will of God but when the Spirit works within then we are able to frame our hearts to Gods will David was a man after Gods own heart and then he did his will this is the reason of the order of the Petition From the ground observe two grounds of directions First he that thinks out of his own power to do Gods will it is impossible he should do it no he will never do it Secondly we must first submit to the Kingdome of Christ before we can do his will be under the government of Gods grace and then go on cheerfully We faile before we have submitted we would be doing but first Christ must do terrible things to the heart before it yeeld obedience Now for the words What is the will of God Quest It is the purpose of the Almighty touching the accomplishment of any thing Answ there is nothing done but the LORD doth it Whatsoever is brought to passe that GOD wills in generall Ephes 1. How many kinds of will are there Quest or how manifold is the will of God It is two-fold not in regard of it selfe Answ but in regard of us First the revealed will of God Secondly the secret will of God What is the secret will of God Quest It is that secret purpose he hath in himselfe before all worlds Answ and hath not discovered it to the creature Ephes 1.9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his own good pleasure which he hath purposed to himselfe The Gospel was hid in the bosome of the Almighty not observable by man or any creature under heaven but now it is revealed this is the secret will of God which was hid in himselfe before all words 1. Cor. 2.16 Who hath known the mind of God The deep things of God