sins 1. For his mercies sake Psal 51. 1. According to the multitude of thy mercies blot out my transgressions Psal 6. 4. O save me for thy mercies sake 2. For his Christ sake Ephes 4. 32. Even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Therefore when of old they would have their sins pardoned they offered sacrifices and blood was shed and poured out which Typified the blood of Christ that was shed for the remission of sins For without shedding of blood is no Remission Heb. 9. 22. 3. For his Promise sake Numb 14. 17. I beseech thee said Moses let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying Ver. 18. The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity and transgression Ver. 19 Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even untill now Fifthly They have patiently waited upon the Lord untill that he hath shewed them Patiently wait till he shew mercy mercy Psal 85. 8. I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints Isa 30. 18. Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you for the Lord is a God of judgement blessed are all they that wait for him Ver. 19 He will be gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it he will answer thee These are the ways which great sinners yea which the people of God being guilty of great transgressions have taken to get the forgiveness of them and in which ways God hath met them with his pardoning mercies and if in the like cases we do thus follow the Lord he will be merciful and gracious unto any of us though greatly sinning and guilty Thirdly Having shewed unto you what course is to be taken for to get the pardon Evidences of the pardon of great sins of great transgressions I shall now deliver unto you some signs or evidences by which one may certainly know that God hath forgiven his great sins There are six Evidences of this First There always goes a great change with the forgiveness of great sins A great change accompanying it It is a great question whether Justification be before Sanctification whatsoever may be disputed for the priority of nature yet it is agreed there is no priority of time for as soon as any sinner is justified and pardoned he is changed and sanctified the blood and the water go together as soon as any one is in Christ he is forgiven and there is no condemnation unto him Rom. 8. 1. And so as soon as any is in Christ he is a new creature old things are past away and all things become new 2 Cor. 15. 17. What an unclean person was Mary Magdalen before she was called to Christ and found mercy and after mercy was obtained what an eminent Christian was she what a violent and injurious Persecutor was Paul in times past and when he obtained mercy what an admirable and exemplary Christian was he Of all the changes incident to sinners the greatest change appears in the greatest sinner received to mercy and forgiveness there are two conspicuous changes in them 1. The greatest inward change the sins which he formerly loved more than his soul he now doth hate more than hell he once out faced the Word and now trembles at it 2. The greatest outward change the worst sinner being received to mercy proves the choicest Christian he is now as notable in a gracious walking as he was once notorious in a licentious living exemplary in both respects and in both wayes and courses Note Secondly A second Evidence that God hath forgiven our great sins is our great Great love to a forgiving God love to a forgiving God this note Christ himself giveth Luke 7. 47. Her sins which are many are forgiven her for she loved much but to whom little is forgiven the same loveth little Christ brings there a Parable of a Creditor who forgave two debts one of them a great debt and the other a lesser debt hereupon he demands of Simon the Pharisee which would love him most who answered I suppose he to whom most was forgiven this he applies to the woman there forgiven much was forgiven her and therefore she loved much he speaks not of a love anâ—â—cedent to pardon but of a love following it 1 John 4 19. We love him because he loved us first Ver. 10. Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins And indeed none can love God but such who can by faith see him a merciful pardoning and reconciling God in Christ Thirdly A most tender fear to offend and grieve the Lord any more Psal 130. A tender fear to offend God 4. There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared Hosea 3. 5. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness It is wonderful to observe the singular frame of spirit in a converted and pardoned sinner from what it was in former times heretofore he feared not the most cursed Oaths but now he fears an idle word heretofore he feared not the most beastly practice of uncleanness but now he fears the very thoughts and mental imaginations of it heretofore he could omit all good duties now he fears to neglect the least he hath found so much good so much mercy at the hands of God and tasted of so much gracious goodness that he would not willingly offend him in any thing in any part of his life a tender heart hath tasted of tender mercies Fourthly Exceeding zeal for God who hath shewed him great mercy and Exceeding zeal for God for Christ for whose sake God hath forgiven all the greatest sinners have ever been most zealous before they have obtained mercy they have been most zealous for what was evil and after they have obtained mercy they have been most zealous for what is good How zealous was Paul even besides himself for Christ actively zealous I laboured more abundantly than they all 1 Cor. 5. 10. And passively zealous I am ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Hierusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus Acts 21. 13. Fifthly Great compassions Oughtest thou not to have had compassion on thy fellow-servant as I had compassion on thee There are no men so merciful as Great compassions those sinners to whom God hath shewed most mercy there is a three-fold compassion in them 1. A pitying compassion of all sinners especially of great sinners grieving bewailing praying 2. An helping compassion especially to those unto whom he hath been the occasion or cause of great sins even pulling them out of the fire weeping intreating instructing them with meekness if peradventure God will give them
him and will manifest my self unto him I beseech you to remember five passages 1. That men who make no conscience of their ways but walk licentiously and dissolutely they can never come to their assurance Isa 59. 8. The way of peace they know not Isa 57. 21. There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Psal 119. 155. Salvation is far from the wicked for they seek not thy statutes 2. That the people of God for particular failings in a conscientious and careful walking have forfeited their assurance David did so Psal 51. 8 11 12. 3. That assurance is frequently promised to an upright conscientious careful walking Psal 11. 7. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness his countenance doth behold the upright Psal 50 23. To him that ordereth his Conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God 4. That such persons have found abundance of joy and comfort 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with flesh wisdome but by the grace of God we had our Conversation Psal 119. 165. Great peace have they which love thy Law 5. That all persons that do thus walk and continue so to do although for some space of time they may not finde this assurance yet they shall at length enjoy it Psal 97. 11 Light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart Simile The seed which is sown lies for a while under ground but at length it appears therefore you who desire to enjoy the pardon of your sins this do 1. Keep up a mourning heart for your sins 2. Enter into and keep on in the paths of righteousness follow on to know the Lord and ye shall know him Hosea 6. 3. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. Fourthly An humble dependance upon the Lord graciously to work this comfortable An humble dependance upon God to work it in us assurance in our hearts although we be utterly unworthy thereof Psal 33. 21. Our hearts shall rejoyce in him because we have trusted in his holy Name As you can plead no worthiness of pardoning mercy so neither of the assurance thereof but only in Christ and therefore you must depend upon God who loveth freely and receiveth graciously that he according to his promise and for his Christs sake will make his face to shine upon you Go in peace your sins are forgiven you Vse 4 Doth the Lord promise to sprinkle clean water upon his people then do you whose hearts the Lord hath sprinkled with the assurance of the pardon of your You that have this assurance sins remember and heed a few things which do especially concern you First Be you exceedingly thankful indeed you cannot but be so if God hath Be thankful thus sprinkled your consciences to bring you into Covenant and to assure you that you are so to bring you into Covenant and to assure you that you are Christs to forgive you all your sins and to assure you thereof O how great how sweet is this goodness Mercy and the assurance of mercy love and the assurance of love a good estate and a comfortable estate life and the assurance of life heaven and the assurance of heaven this was the first desire of the Church Cant. 1. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better than wine and this was the last desire of the Church â—ant 8. 13. Cause me to hear thy voice Assurance is the top of all our comfortable mercies and the top of all our desires Be chearful Secondly Be more chearful in your spiritual course when God gives you assurance Simile he doth as it were take the ring off his own finger and put it upon yours saith David Psal 105. 3. Let the heart of them rejoyce that seek the Lord. How joyful then should the hearts of them be that find the Lord When Simeon got Christ into his arms he rejoyced The possession of Christ and the evident fruition of pardon are matter of great joy walk like pardoned men and like a people assured of a reconciled God in Christ Thirdly Be very watchful no mercy must make us secure assurance it self must Be very watchful make us the more vigilant Christ was tempted after that voice came from heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And Pauls temptations were very strong after that he had been wrapt up into the third heaven Let me tell you two things and they may serve to make you watchful after your sweetest assurances 1. One is that still much of sinful corruption dwells in you though assurance doth for the present clear the mind of all doubts yet it doth not cleanse the heart of all sins 2. Another is that temptations usually attend assurances Satan is an enemy to our comforts as well as our graces and sometimes they prevail over us if they find us careless Fourthly Be very faithful and stedfast He will speak peace unto his people and to Be faithful his Saints but let them not turn again to folly Psal 85. 8. Sin should be most odious when mercy hath been most gracious O do not for a taste of sinful pleasures lose all the taste of most sweetest assurance sinnings do most provoke God and prove most bitter to us after the greatest experiences of Gods loving kindnesses Fifthly Be very fruitful the assured Christian of all others should be the tallest Be very fruitful Cedar the brightest Sun and most fruitful Vine Who should abound more in duty than he who hath found God most abounding to him in mercy I will say no more but this thy assurance was never right if it hath not made thee a more zealous friend for God and a more diligent servant to Christ and a more deadly enemy to sin Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh CHAP. VII Sanctification promised as well as Justification AS the former words contained the promise of Justification in the forgiveness of all the sins of all the people of God so these words do contain the promise of Sanctification in the renewing of all the hearts of all the people of God In them there are three things very observable First The Connexion of this promise with the former in that particle also also a new heart will I give unto you Secondly The Authour or undertaker of the particular good promised viz. God himself I will give you a new heart and I will put a new spirit within you Thirdly The very blessing here distinctly promised by God unto his people a new heart and a new spirit From these Parts there are three Propositions which I would briefly discourse upon I. That Sanctification is promised unto the people of God
all his hope and all his trust and all his delight and all his desire and all his fear and all his service c. 3. You may know whether God be your God By your choice and pecul'ar By your choice and peculiar enjoyments enjoyments or at least by your desire of them your Covenant enjoyments your desire to enjoy Covenant-mercies and blessings if God be your God in Covenant you do enjoy him and such things from him as no othe people in the earth do enjoy what peculiar things do we enjoy I will tell you 1. You enjoy that loving-kindesse and favour as none else do enjoy Remember The loving kindness of God me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people Psal 106. 4. 2. You enjoy that pardoning mercy as none else do enjoy Thou hast forgiven Pardoning mercy the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sinne Psal 85. 2. 3. You enjoy that power of renewing grace which none else do enjoy That Power of renewing grace cleansing from sinne Jer. 33. 8. That subduing of sinne Micah 7. 19. That freedome from sin Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are under grace Rom. 6. 14. That newness of heart Ezek. 36. 26. 4. You enjoy that peace and comfort which none others do enjoy He will Peace and comfort speak peace unto his people Psal 85. 8. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God Isa 40. 1. Sing and rejoyce O daughter of Zion for lo I come and I will dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord Zach. 2. 10. Object Oh But we have handly found any of these Covenant enjoyments Sol. I answer every one to whom God is a God in Covenant 1. Either hath expresly found every one of them 2. Or his great desires and longings of heart are after these Covenant enjoyments O a reconciled God a loving God a pardoning God a sanctifying God a Peace-speaking God c. above all things else whatsoever these are most eminently and most earnestly and most constantly to be found in the hearts desire of that person who indeed hath God to be his God Let the conscience speak and bear witnesse whether this be not so All you who have God to be your God and who are his people this day Now tell me you who heare this Sermon and perhaps think that God is your God what are your enjoyments your portions your possessions what Covenant-gift or work is to be found in your souls And what are the great things after which you so pant and sigh Is it the favour of God is it the mercy of God is it renewing and subduing grace I have nothing untill I have these and I cannot be satisfied untill I have these O Lord be my God O Lord forgive iniquity remember me graciously love me freely heal my soul c. 4. You may know that God is your God and that you are his people by your By the conformity of your wills to Gods Will. subordination and by your conformity of your wills to Gods Will Beloved the Covenant betwixt God and us takes in these two things 1. Subordination For it is an agreement betwixt a Superiour and an Inferiour betwixt the great God who is the Lord of all and poor miserable man who is inferiour to him and is to subject himself to his God as to his Lord and Soveraign to be ruled by him and guided by him 2. Conformity of will for it is a Covenant of love in which both parties have as it were but one heart and one mind and one will between them and so in this Covenant if we have God for our God and if we be his people what God likes that do we like and what our God loves that do we love and what our God hates that do we hate and what our God wills that do we will and what God would have done that would we have done This Covenant is an agreement and mutual consent in all things It will not permit us to give limits to God because he is our soveraign Lord Nor will it admit contrarieties and contradictions 'twixt God and us And therefore in this Covenant God writes his law in our hearts i. e. he puts into our hearts such spiritual principles as makes our will delightfully conformable unto his Will Alas if there be an opposition 'twixt our hearts and God a contradiction in our minds and wills unto his mind and Will this enmity plainly testifies that he is not our God and that we are none of his people if you be at that point that your judgement and your will and your lusts shall rule and sway and govern and command and that God must stoop and yield to your thoughts and to your pleasures and to your wills c. But by this it appears that he is your God and that you are his people if God doth rule and you do obey if he commands and you do hearken if his mind rules your judgement if his Will rules your will if his love rules your love if his Law rules your lives O Lord what thou lovest I love what thou commandest I approve good is the Word of the Lord the Commandment is holy and just and good 5. You may know whether God be your God in Covenant by the sweet By our sweet contentment in the manifestations of God to us contentment and satisfaction in the manifestations of your God in any part or branch of his Covenant into your souls If the Lord at any time be pleased to answer the desires of your souls in Covenant-love or in Covenant-mercy or in Covenant-grace or in Covenant-strength or in Covenant-peace O what a heavenly satisfaction is this But a glimpse of the favour of your God but a taste of the mercy of your God never so little of grace or peace which is an Ambassage a Letter a Token from God that he is your God this is such a life to you it is such a rejoycing it is such a cordial it is such a sweet day to your soules It is a thousand times more than to hear news that the highest of earthly preferments is yours or that the largest of earthly possessions are yours Covenant-manifestations are most precious unto all who are in Covenant Psal 35. 3. Say unto my soul thou art my salvation 6. You may know that God is your God and that you are his people by your dependance on God as your God in Covenant you will go to him and By our dependance on God as our God in Covenant rest on him in all your occasions I will cry unto God most high unto God that performeth all things for me Psal 57. 2. Thou art my God early will I seek thee Psal 63. 1. So this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us Isa 25. 9. I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will
He will forgive you though not others There are six excellent comforts unto you who have God to be your merciful God 1. That he will forgive you Though the sinnes of others are sealed up and stand upon record against their souls yet your sinnes shall be forgiven The sinnes of others are written and stand upon record but yours are blotted out He will forgive your great sins 2. That he will forgive your great sinnes as well as your small sinnes From all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I clâ—anse you Ezek. 36. 3. That he will forgive all your sinnes though they have been many though He will forgive all your sinnes there hath been a multitude of them Your God who is rich in mercy and hath riches of mercy and multitude of mercies will abundantly pardon them Isa 55. 7. 4. That he will freely forgive them I am he that blotteth out thy He will freely forgive them transgressions for mine own sake and I will not remember thy sinnes Isa 43. 25. and Luke 7. 42. He will everlastingly forgive 5. That he will everlastingly forgive your sinnes so forgive them as never to mention them more All his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him Ezek. 18. 22. Though they be sought for there shall be none and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve Jer. 50. 20. 6. That your God will certainly do this I will surely have mercy upon him He will certainly do this God is holiness Jer. 31. 20. 3. God is holinesse He is an holy God Joshua 24. 19. I am the Lord your God ye shall be holy for I am holy Levit. 11. 44. Holy holy Lord God Almighty Rev. 4. 8. Glorious in holinesse Exod. 15. 11. Gods holinesse is his infinitely purenesse without all sinne yea hating of it Being also the cause of all the holinesse and purity in the creature This is one of the great excellencies and the glories of God He were not God if he were not holy and the more that any one partakes of holinesse the more excellent is he Six things affirmed of holiness It is a glory attributed to every person in the Trinity Unto the Father Unto the Son Unto the Spirit There are six things which we can affirm of holiness 1. It is a glory attributed unto every person of the Trinity It is attributed Vnto the Father Holy Father keep through thine own Name those whom thou hast given me John 17. 11. Unto the Sonne that holy child Jesus Acts 4. 27. These things saith he that is holy Rev. 3. 7. Unto the Spirit who is called the Holy Ghost Matth. 3. 11. and the holy Spirit Eph. 4. 30. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God 2. It is a glory attributed unto all creatures and persons and things of excellency It is attributed to all creatures and things of excellency The holy Angels Matth. 25. 31. The holy Prophets Luke 1. 70. The holy Scriptures Rom. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 3. 15 The great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God Rev. 21. 10. Holy men of God 2 Pet. 1. 21. And indeed holinesse is our glory and therefore the Spirit of grace is called the Spirit of glory Heb. 10. 29. 1 Pet. 4. 14. And they who are stiled holy Isa 4. 3. are stiled the glory ver 5. 3. It is necessary unto glory unto that glory which shall be revealed unto It is necessary unto glory the exceedingly exceeding weight of glory unto that eternal glory that heavenly happiness as a means is necessary to an end as a lower step to arise unto an higher Heb. 12. 14. Follow holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. 1 John 3. 3. Every man that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure 4. It is necessary unto your present communion with God He cannot take delight in you nor will he be neare you nor impart himself unto you unless It is necessary to our present communion with God you be holy What fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darknesse 2 Cor. 6. 14. You read in the Law that all was holy which had a respect unto God the Altar was holy and the Temple was holy and the offerings were holy and the persons who offered them were holy To intimate unto us that there could or might not be any communion with the holy God without holinesse 5. It is the pawn and pledge of future glory the first-fruits of the Spirit It is the pawn and pledge of future glory Rom. 8. 23. The earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 1. 22. The sealing of the holy Spirit is stiled the earnest of our purchased possession Eph. 1. 13 14. 6. It is the distinguishing character of the Covenant No people are an holy people but the people of the Covenant and all those people are holy It is the distinguishing character of the Covenant 1 Pet. 2. 5. Ye are a spiritual house an holy Priest-hood Ver. 9. Ye are an holy Nation a peculiar people Isa 4. 3. He that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem 1 Cor. 3. 17. The Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are Now if God be your God He is and will be your holy God He will Comforts from this that God will be a holy God to you He will make you holy be an holy God unto you and that affords you many comforts 1. He will make you holy They shall call them the holy people the Redeemed of the Lord Isa 62. 12. He will give his holy Spirit unto you Luke 11. 13. Where is he that put his holy Spirit within him Isa 63. 11. As you read of Joshuah the High Priest The Lord said Take away his filthy garments from him Behold I have caused thine iniquity to passe from thee and I will cloath thee with change of rayment Zach. 3. 4. So the Lord deals with every person unto whom he is a God in Covenant He cleanseth them from all their filthinesses I will cleanse them from all their iniquities Jer. 33. 8. I will sprinkle cleane water upon you and you shall be cleane Ezek. 36. 25. So Ezek. 37. 23. They shall not desile themselves any more with their Idels but I will cleanse them so shall they be my people and I will be their God 2. He will encrease your holinesse He will sanctifie you throughout 1 Thes He will encrease your holiness 5. 23. He will give more grace James 4. 6. He will strengthen what he hath wrought Psal 68. 28. Holinesse is like the waters of the Sanctuary in Ezek. 47. â— 4 5. To the ancles to the knees and then a river that could not be passed over It is the field which the Lord will bless and prosper It is
election of The election of God grace Rom. 11. 5. 3. Râ—demption by Christ is also a wonderful blessing and this was according to the riches of his grace Eph. 1. 7. Redemption by Christ 4. Calling us inâ—o Christ and the reason of this also is his grace 2 Tim. 1. 9. Calling into Christ Justifying us 5. The justifying of us is an inestimable mercy And He justifies us freely by his grace Rom. 3. 24. 6. And the saving of us is the compleating of us and of all our blessings Saving of us and by gracâ— are we saved Eph. 2. 5 8. This is certain that Gods graciousness is the fountain of all our good and it is the reason of all our enjoyments and hopes If the Lord were not gracious if he should look on us and act towards us upon the account of our worthiness we should never have enjoyed the least of his mercies You might have heard of mercy but should never have been the better for it and you might have heard of all the promises but should never have enjoyed the good of any one of them if God were not a gracious God but because he is your gracious God and will deal with you altogether from the Throne of grace in a gracious way This is it which puts life into you and sweetly draws out the desires and confidences of your hearts Quest You may demand But what comfort is this unto the people of God that there God is a gracious God and that he will deal with them altogether in a What comfort from hence that our God is gracious gracious way and upon gracious terms Sol. The comforts from this are very choice and precious I will mention some of them unto you 1. Because your God is a gracious God therefore there can be nothing to discourage There can be nothing to discourage us in our addresses to him and expectations from him or hinder you in your addresses unto him and expectations from him The graciousnesse of God answers all the doubts of the heart and all the temptations of Satan There are four things which are apt to discourage our hearts when we think of drawing near to God 1. One is the greatnesse of our sins 2. A second is the greatnesse of Gods mercies we need 3. A third is the greatnesse of our unworthinesse 4. A fourth is the greatnesse of our evil deserts My sinnes are so great that I cannot expect that God will ever do me good The mercies and blessings that I need are so great and I can lay down nothing for them And I am unworthy of the least of mercies nay I deserve to be rejected and cursed But now the graciousnesse of God is able effectually to remove all these discouragements 1. Your sinnes are great and therefore you are afraid that the merciful God will not pardon them But then remember that the merciful God is a gracious Not the greatness of our sins God As he hath riches of mercy so he hath riches of grace And as he promiseth to forgive the sinnes of his people so he promiseth to forgive their sinnes freely the forgivenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace Eph. 1. 7. And this remember withal that the gracious God forgives the greatest sinnes as well as the least sinnes of his people upon the same terms of graciousnesse In Luke 7. we read of a lesse debtor who owed fiftie pence and of a greater debtor who owed five hundered pence ver 41. and the Creditor freely forgave them both verse 42. so c. Your God hath not one way to forgive lesse sinnes and another way to forgive greater sinnes but though the sinnes be different yet the terms or reasons of forgiveness is one and the same viz. the free grace of God 2. O but the mercies and blessings which I need are so high and so great Not the greatnesse of the mercies that we need surely those cannot come off but upon hard terms and I have nothing to lay down for them I answer your God is a gracious God Your God in his Covenant hath promised all sorts of good unto you corporal and spiritual small and great And remember it for ever that all the bonds of Gods Covenant are paid in upon the same rate Grace was the reason of making all the promises and Grace is the reason of the performance of every good you shall have the greatest good upon the self-same termes as you have the least 3. O but I am so unworthy of these mercies What am I and what is there in Not the greatness of our unworthiness me for God to look on to affect and to move God to do such great things for my soul Why there is nothing in you but an extreme need of these great good things promised by God and an absolute unworthinesse of them O but your God is a gracious God and as an unworthy sinner may go to a gracious God so a gracious God will give all that he hath promised to his people though they be unworthy Graciousness findes the price of all mercies in it self it is the only reason of our enjoyments 4. But I deserve to be rejected in my suits and to be oursed Not the greatnesse of our evil deserts 'T is true and so you should finde it if God dealt with you according to your deservings but your God is a gracious God and deales with his people not in a rigorous way but in a gracious way of loving kindnesse and mercies 2. Is the gracious God your God then all your mercies are sure you shall assuredly possesse them and inherit them The children of grace are the surest Then all your mercies are sure heires of mercy It is of grace that the promise might be sure Rom. 4. 16. Beloved If God had Covenanted with you to be your God upon a respect to your works and not upon a sole respect to his own graciousnesse and if he had promised you mercies and other blessings upon a bargain for your goodnesse and not upon a foundation in his own graciousnesse neither could God be sure to you nor could the mercies of God be sure to you Adam had as much in a way of works to have perpetuated and ensured and setled God and mercies upon himself and more than ever we shall have and yet all became unsure unto him much more would it be with us if God and we should traffique that way If God should say to any of us I promise to be your God and to give you all blessings upon condition of your perfect constant obedience your never failing obeying of my will shall be the condition and the reason of your certain enjoyment of me I dare averre it that our enjoyment of God and the good things by him promised would not be certain or sure unto us not one day not one houre nay hardly one minute But there comes the certainty of enjoying of
pitied thee to do any of these unto thee to have compassion on thee but thou wast cast out into the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast born Ver. 6. And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live Ver. 8. Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee be hold thy time was the time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse yea I sware unto thee and entered into Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine Yea and the Apostle tells us what persons they were whom yet God took into Covenant Titus 3. 3. We our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another Ver. 4. But after that the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared Ver. 5. Not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us In these places we see that there can be nothing found in us either as to our natures or as to our works which might move God to take us into Covenant but enough in both for him to reject us and yet notwithstanding both he is pleased to enter into Covenant with us and save us This must needs be grace and mercy 2. Consider the perâ—ons taken now into Covenant in their former respectivenesse of state and actions towards God The Apostle saith That whiles we were In their former respectivenesse of state and actions towards God yet enemies Christ dyed for us And when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Rom. 5. 8 10. Surely mercy shewn to enemies must needs be free mercy and to receive enemies into favour this must be gracious favour yet to do this to enemies even in theiâ— hostility for God to take his enemies into his hands of mercy and become a singular friend to them even in the time of their raging and fighting against him this must needs be of grace It was remarkable favour in David to spare the life of Saul his enemies much more in God not only to spare the lives of sinners and enemies but to give them their souls and his Christ and his mercy and his salvation You read of those in Acts 2. 23. they were men who had by wicked hands crucified and slaine the Lord Jesus and verse 13. at the present were â—â—â—â—king at the Apostles as if they had been a company of drunkards These men are full of new wine Yet these men and at this time and in this posture God laid hold on by his grace and convinced them and humbled them and gave them faith and brought them into this Covenant with himself as you may see from verse 37. to 47. The like you read of Saul when he was raging and waxing â—â—d and breathing out persecutions against Christ and against the Church of Christ Being in this woful wretched posture the Lord takes hold of him and left him not untill he had brought him into this blessed Covenant of grace and mercy 3. Consider persons comparatively with other persons you shall finde that the Comparatively with other Persons taking of any person into Covenant is gracious and free in comparing of persons with persons ordinarily God passeth by those on whom we should six admiration and look at some cause and reasons of pre-acceptation and chooseth those and brings in those in whom nothing at all is to be pre-supposed Sometimes he passeth by the greater persons and takes in the meaner persons he passeth by the wise and takes in the foolish he passeth by the mighty and takes in the weak he passeth by the noble and takes in the base 1 Cor. 1. 2â— Not many wise after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called Ver. 27. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world and the weak things of the world Ver. 28. and base things of the world and things which are despised and things which are not Ver. 29. that no flesh should glory in his presence So sometimes of persons whereof some are more notorious and wicked and vile and others are not so abominable he is pleased to leave the lesser sort of sinners and to bring in the vilest of sinners Publicans and Harlots were brought in into the Kingdome of God when the superstitious and righteous Pharisees were excluded Paul the chiefest of sinners was taken in and others were left Mary Magdalon was brought in and others past by and why doth God do this but that men should acknowledge that it is no worthinesse of the sinne that brings him in nor any unworthinesse of the sinner that shuts him out but all springs from the grace of God alone that he brings not in any sinner upon his own account but onely upon the account of free grace 3. Lastly the Covenant is free as to the dispensations and donations of it what Free as to the dispensations and donations of it is that that is all that drops out of this Covenant all that good flowing from it and running down upon us are only gracious flowings only free bounties and gifts The Papists talk of a meritum de congruo whiles we are in the state of nature and of a meritum de condigno after we are in the state of grace But we know no merit but that of sin which deserves damnation and the merit of Christ which deserves salvation All our standing and all our expectation it the grace of God that is the reason of all our enjoyments God doth not give us Christ because we deserve a Christ but because he is pleased freely to bestow Christ upon us God doth not forgive our sins for our own sake but for his own Name sake God doth not love us for any thing in us but he loves us freely because he is pleased to love us God doth not save us for any works of ours but he saves us for his mercies sake God doth not blesse us for our goodnesse sake but he blesseth us only for his Christs sake and his promises sake God doth not justifie us for the sake of our own righteousnesse but he justifies us freely by his own grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Romans 3. 24. Objection But some may say God is not free in doing of his people good because he hath by promise bound himself to do them good Solution I answer 1. It was the freenesse of his grace to make all those promises 2. Though he bindes himself in promises to do us good yet he doth not accomplish those promises upon the reason of our goodnesse or deserts but upon the account of his own mercifulnesse and goodnesse and graciousnesse Obj. But he promiseth many things conditionally and lets
them out upon such and such conditions and herefore not freely Sol. I answer 1. Every kind of condition is not opposite to grace as I shall shortly demonstrate unto you 2. Whatsoever condition he makes with his people for the enjoyment of any good he doth freely give and work that condition in them 3. No condition on our part hath any reason of merit in it which is the thing opposite to grace but it is only a means by which we come certainly to enjoy that which God is pleased graciously to give In this respect we are said to be justified by faith and to be saved by faith and yet we are also justified by grace and saved by grace Faith you see is put in as a condition and yet it excludes not grace Nay because by faith therefore by grace for our faith and Gods grace can well agree though Gods grace and mans deserts can never agree Now le ts make a little Use of all this Vse 1 Is the Covenant which God makes with us a gracious Covenant O what cause have we poor and unworthy sinners to blesse God for all this O Beloved Blesse God for this it is grace which is the life of this Covenant and which is life to our souls it is not all the love that is promised in the Covenant it is not all the mercy that is promised in the Covenant it is not all the holinesse that is promised in the Covenant it is not all the comforts and joyes and peace and blessings which are promised in the Covenant it is not that eternal life and glorious salvation promised in the Covenant it is not Jesus Christ and all the purchases of Christ drawn into this Covenant none of these nor all these would be any hope or any encouragement or any life at all unto us were the graciousnesse of the Covenant left out If the Lord should say unto us Here is the sweetest love that ever sinner tasted of but you must deserve it alas then I cannot expect it Here is the precious Christ the Authour of salvation but you must deserve him alas then I shall never enjoy him here is pardoning mercy to forgive all your sinnes but you must deserve it O then I shall never partake of it As he said Tolle meum tolle Deum so say I Tolle gratiam tolle omnia take away grace and take away all then take away Christ and take away God and take away mercy and take away heaven and take away hope and take away all the sinner is utterly lost upon any account but that of grace only it is this graciousnesse which makes him capable and makes him hopeful here is a loving God and he will love you freely here is a merciful God and he will pardon you freely here is a converting God and he will receive you graciously here is a good God and he will blesse you graciously c. Now the sinner begins to have hope and begins to hearken If there be a Covenant of grace why should I despaire If it be altogether gracious if it be raised by grace and published by grace and admits and receives by grace and le ts out all by grace there is yet hope that I may escape perishing that I may be delivered that I may find mercy and favour grace looks for no worthinesse and grace passeth by all unworthinesse and grace may look on and pity and help the greatest of sinners blessed be God who hath sweetened all his mercies and all his undertakings and all his blessings and all his givings with freenesse and graciousnesse 2. Is the Covenant which God makes with with us a free and gracious Covenant then stand out no longer be aliens to God no longer be strangers to his Thâ—n stand out no longer Covenant no longer grace makes your way clear and open it beats down all the mountains that did stand in your way It is said of Abraham that against hope he believed in hope so against all the unhopefulnesse from your selves you should believe from the hopefulnesse in the Covenant of grace yea and above hope believe in hope when you consider the greatnesse of the blessings in the Covenant they seem to be above hope but when you consider the graciousnesse in the bestowing of them they are now under hope Ho all you that hear me this day hearken unto me The graciousnesse of the Covenant will prove unto you either your sweetest salvation or else your heaviest condemnation if it doth not prove a strong encouragement to bring you into the Covenant it will certainly prove the heaviest and bitterest aggravation upon you for standing out against the Covenant O beloved yet be serious and wise and make in to God! you may be received graciously your sins have been exceeding great but the Covenant holds out more exceeding mercy joyned with more exceeding grace Rom. 5. 20. Where sinne abounded grace did much more abound If you come in to God his Covenant is to forgive all your sins and to forgive them freely Your worthinesse is none at all and yet you may come in and God according to his Covenant will love you freely you may have all freely a God a Christ love mercy forgivenesse the holy Spirit then new heart the salvation of your souls freely Therefore 1. Refuse him not and do not trifle away your precious souls whiles you Refuse not Gods offer have a day of grace and a Covenant of grace tendred unto you to come in Beware you refuse not him that speaketh neither neglect so great salvation God neither will nor possibly can fall lower or easier than he doth with you in his gracious Covenant 2. Fear not whether you shall be look't on or received of God he saith he will Fear not your acceptance receive you graciously If a company of poor men were envited by a rich man Come and I will give you money and receive and feed you freely you shall have all your wants supplied freely would they be afraid to accept the offer Do not make another Covenant than God is willing to make with you neither make any other Articles than God himself hath annexed unto this Covenant he saith it is a gracious Covenant say not you it is not so he hath said he will receive you graciously a say not you but he will not he saith that he will love you freely and justifie you freely and save you freely do not you say But God will do none of these O no! God is truth it self and he will perform the truth to Jacob and his mercy to Abraham Micah 7. 20. Therefore fear not but catch and take hold on this grace of God 3. Come in and make thy supplications to God Come in and confesse thy sins Come in and make thy supplications to God and thy unworthinesse and cry out unto God in the Name of Christ O Lord I have sinned against thee and I am unworthy to be
not sinners need mercy 3. Can mercy be found anywhere but in this Covenant of mercy or peace anywhere but in the Covenant of peace or life anywhere but in the Covenant of life 4. And doth not this Covenant hold out mercy unto you yea the best mercy and upon the best terms The other Covenant affords you no mercy it easts you off it condemns you to death and wrath And this Covenant yet offers you mercy and life and salvation and no Covenant but this doth so What and yet to refuse to come into it surely either you know not that you are sinners and what will befall you for your sins or else you are desperately wicked to slight and refuse the mercy and grace of God in this Covenant Ezek. 24. 13. Because I would have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee So may the Lord say unto some of us Because I would have shewed you mercy but you would not accept of mercy therefore you shall never have mercy And because I would have taken you into Covenant and you would not come into my Covenant of grace and life and peace I will never be a merciful God to you nor a gracious God to you but you shall dye in your sins and perish for ever Heb. 2. 3. Vse 2 How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Heb. 12. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth Then how injurious are many broken-hearted sinners to God and themselves much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven Is the Covenant of Grace the best Covenant better then any other Covenant which God made with man Then how injurious are many broken-hearted sinners both unto themselves and unto God! who lay the Covenant of grace so low and impose such opinions upon it as if there were no difference twixt a Covenant of grace and a Covenant of works Surely it is either temptation which lies upon them or ignorance or unbelief that they thus stand off and fear and dispute and except and question and many times conclude against all encouragements to be taken into this Covenant and there to finde mercy and rest for their soules truely they do many times turn the Covenant of Grace into a very Covenant of Works O but there is no mercy to be had O but not for such great sins O but for me O but I can deserve nothing and bring nothing O but the sentence is past against me O but I have nothing to make my peace And thus they make the Covenant of Grace a very Covenant of Works no better then so a Covenant without mercy without grace without a Mediatour without a tender compassionate God and Father no City of refuge at all nor help to the poor sinner at all And when they are convinced of mercy in it and possible reception into it yet they think that God will not come off to this but upon very hard and difficult terms usually annexing the Legal condition to the promises of the Covenant of Grace Why sirs what do you mean thus to wrong God and his Covenant and your distressed souls Either there is a Covenant of Grace or there is not either that Covenant of Grace is a better Covenant than the Covenant of works or it is not If it be a better Covenant then the fallen and undone sinner may finde relief there and help there which he could not finde in the Covenant of Works for if the sinner can be no more relieved by this than by that Covenant it is then no better Covenant And now see what a slurre you cast upon the wisdome of God and upon the goodness of God and upon Jesus Christ and upon all the promises of God O distressed sinner If the merciful God if the gracious God if the giving God if the forgiving God if the freely loving God if the Lord Jesus as Mediatour and Surety if all the promises of God in Christ if all the offers of grace if all the calls of the Gospel may suffice to convince thee that this Covenant is the best Covenant that ever was or can be made for sinners with all suitableness and tenderness to the sinners condition Then dispute no more but pray for faith to give God the glory of his exceeding grace in this Covenant c. Use 3 Is the Covenant of Grace the best Covenant What a comfort is this to all believers who are effectually brought into this Covenant Is it no comfort to be Comfort to all Believers brought into such a good estate as better cannot be found or enjoyed If the Covenant of Grace be the best Covenant better then any other Covenant Then all in that Covenant are in the best condition of all other men It was a special kindness in Joseph to give his Father and his Brethren a pâ—ssession in the land of Ramesis what kindness then is that in God to make you to be his people and to become your God and to settle such a portion such a possession upon your soules as in heaven and earth a better Covenant cannot be how should you hearts rejoyce and blesse God for the Covenant of Grace and for bringing of you into that Covenant of grace where A Redeemer is only to be found and you have an interest in that Redeemer A reconciled God is only to be found and you have a propriety in that reconciled God pardoning mercy is only to be found and you have your shares in that pardoning mercy Renewing grace is only to be found and you have your portion in that renewing grace Salvation is only to be found and you have your possession of that salvation Others perhaps cry out O that we might have mercy and O that we might have Christ and O that God would be pacified towards us and reconciled to us and O that our sins might be forgiven and our soules accepted into life why you have all this and more than this Have you not cause to rejoyce who are brought into such a Covenant where you have a propriety in God and Christ and the Spirit and mercy and grace and glory yea into such a Covenant where you may finde relief and support for every want and against every fear and against every sin and against every temptation where all the sorts of mercies and helps and comforts are yours Yea unto such a Covenant where there is not only mercy but fulnesse and not only fulness but freenesse and with all these a certainty and unchangeablenesse Here is as much mercy and goodnesse and happinesse as you need and you shall surely have it and it shall continue unto you for ever Adam and God parted but you and your God shall never part you and Christ shall never part you and mercy and
canâ—ot be satisfactory Or 7ly If the the sinners suffering of these punishments be a satisfaction to Gods Justice and is necessary therefore whether it be not dangerous â—nd prejuâ—icial to presse others for money to help souls out of Purgatory where they are so well imployed as to be satisfying of Gods Justice Or is it not needless so to do seeing the endurance of those paines will alone satisfie the Justice of God or if they must be helped by the pecuniary charitâ— of the living whither there be not an insufficiency and invalidity in the endurance of those paines to make a satisfaction But I leave these to their foolish inventions and self satisfaction Let us for our parts labour to know and acknowledge Jesus Christ crucified and him alone as undertaking and satisfying the Justice of God for us and to have no confidence in any but in Jesus Christ and to rejoyce only in the Cross of Christ Vse 2 Is satisfaction the result of Christs suffering for us What satisfaction and comfort and support may this afford to all Believers Paul triumphs in this Rom. What support may this afford to all believers 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth verse 34. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died And Rom. 5. 11. We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the attonement O sirs I cannot expresse the treasures of comfort in this That God is satisfied that Jesus Christ hath satisfied the justice of God for us Had Christ suffered all yet if thereby God had not been satisfied we had been still in our sins and still under the wrath of God and still under the terrors of his justice and still under the horror of conscience and still under the power of accusations and condemnations and still under fear of a fiery indignation and everlasting destruction But because Jesus Christ hath suffered for our sins and hath for them fully satisfied the justice of God on our behalfe our soules may return unto their rest we may now look upon an appeased God and stand no longer as Prisoners at the Bar before a severe Judge but as reconciled children before a pacified and reconciled Father Beloved that Gods justice is really and fully satisfied That Gods justice is satisfied by Christ for us 1. This answers all accusations O saith Satan what is the wrath of God This answers all accusations revealed against all your sins it is very great but Christ hath satisfied O but saith Conscience your sins are many and God is just True But Christ hath satisfâ—ed the just God for all my sins O but God will remember your sins and judge you for them He will not for he is satisfied by Christ and therefore he will never reckon with me nor judge and condemn me O but the wrath of God is dreadful It is so and â—hrist felt it so and hath satisfied Gods wrath by enduring of his wrath and thereby hath delivered my soul from wrath 2. This quiets all Quiets This quiets all 1. Conscience as to guâ—lt when satisfaction is made when God hath as much as he requireth why should not this quiet the heart of a man will nothing content thee unlesse thou thy self art able to pay God the utmost farthing 2. Impatience as to sufferings we meet with many afflictions in this life and with many crosses which are bitter unto us Well but yet the justice of God is satisfied by Christ and therefore though your afflictions be crosses yet they are not curses though there be bitternesse in them yet there is not revenging wrath in them though they be sent for our correction yet they are not sent for any satisfaction They never come from a revenging God but only from a loving Father 3. This assures all There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus This assures all Rom. 8. 1. You shall never perish your sins should be your sorrows but they shall never be your Hell or damnation why so because the justice of God is satisfied and if his justice be satisfied then eternal punishment is taken off and if eternal punishment be taken off then your soules shall never be separated from God nor be damned of God c. 2. The second benefit or fruit of the sufferings of Christ for us Is the remission Forgivenesse of sins or forgivenesse of our sins The Socinians flatly deny that remission of sins hath any foundation on the sufferings or satisfaction of Christ but that it depends upon and flows only from the mercy and grace of God without any respect unto Christ It is strange how these men are set against Jesus Christ and will by no means be beholding unto him for any satisfaction or justification or mercy But let us search the Scriptures and be led by them and we shall finde that the forgivenesse of our sins hath a dependance both on the free mercy of God and on the sufferings of Christ Isa 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins Luke 7. 42. When they had nothing to pay he frankly forgave them both In these places you see that forgivenesse of sins depends on the free mercy and grace of God but then peruse some other Scriptures 1 Joh. 2. 12. I write unto you little Children because your sinnes are forgiven you for his Name-sake that is for Christs sake Matth. 26. 28. This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins In these places you see that forgivenesse of sins depends upon the blood and sufferings of Christ Ephes 1. 7. In whom you have redemption thâ—ough his blood the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his grace And in this place you see that forgivenesse of our sins hath a dependance on both on the blood of Christ and on the rich grace of God A free remission is contrary to satisfaction Object But how can this be For a free Remission of sins is directly opposite to satisfaction A free pardon is without the making of any satisfaction and a satisfaction for sin is contrary to a free Remission Answered Sol. I answer Consider these as to the same subject they are so The sinner himself cannot satisfie and yet be freely pardoned and he cannot be freely pardoned and yet make satisfaction His satisfaction for his own sins and Gods free forgivenesse of his sins are indeed inconsistent Nevertheless both these may very well agree in divers subjects or parties viz. As to Christ and as to us In respect of Christ Remission of sins is not the effect of mercy but of justice it did cost him dear for he suffered and satisfied for our sins paid our debts and therefore it is just with God for Christs sake to forgive our sins But in respect of us
know any solid objection to the contrary for though many believers yet complain and yet doubt and yet seek for this assurance Yet some of these may have had assurance and pursue only an higher degree or if they never yet had yet they shall at length finde it and their longing and seeking after it are the means to attain to it Case 4. Whether the assurance or certain knowledge that Christ is ours Whether assurance be of any spiritual advantage to him that hath it and dyed for our sins and made our peace and purchased our salvation be a matter of any special advantage unto him that hath it Sol. I am willing to speak something to this case because it may serve much to excite the hearts of believing persons to strive after this assurance when they shall hear the singular advantages and benefits thereby There are nine admirable advantages and benefits by it First This assurance silenceth all the trouble of the soul all the doubts and Nine advantages by it It silenceth all trouble fears and terrors and sad suspitions and apprehensions in the soul you are presently off the Sea and off the Rack when this assurance comes in the very nature of it and in the inseparable effects of it it is a present cure and discharge unto all the anxiety and perplexity of the soul Fears and doubts and troubles of minde may consist with faith but they cannot consist with assurance if I be once assured that Christ is mine that he dyed for me that my sins are pardoned in his blood my heart is presently at ease my conscience ceaseth to accuse God appears not as a Judge but as a Father all enmity is slain what is there to fear or to trouble me Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed Rom. 8. 33 34. Secondly This assurance as it silenceth all troubles so it supplies the heart It supplies the heart with all comforts with all comforts David speaking of the light of Gods countenance saith that it put exceeding gladnesse into his heart Psal 4. 7. and made him to lie down in peace ver 8. Such comfortable operations come from this assurance of our interest in Christ and in the benefits of his death it makes us to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious and it produceth a peace that passeth all understanding And the reason of these comfortable effects is this because the certain knowledge of a mans happinesse and of his propriety in it necessarily fills the soul with joy and peace Simile When the Israelites were drawing towards the red Sea they look't back upon their enemies and were sore afraid but when they were past the red Sea and look't back and saw all their enemies drowned they bowed and blessed and rejoyced their sighs were turned into joys and their fears into peace and they rejoyced exceedingly Before assurance we look on our sins and fear after assurance when we see and know them to be drowned in the blood of Christ now we rejoyce God is reconciled sin is pardoned my soul shall be saved Doth not this will not this cause us to rejoyce We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the atonement Rom. 5. 11. Thirdly This assurance doth quicken all our graces it is their spring-time It quickens all our graces they act highly upon it as Solomons garden of spices did when the South wind blew upon it Cant. 4. 16. There is not one grace in the soul but is revived and enlarged by it Godly sorrow now fills the Pools with water see Zach. 12. 10. They shall mourn as a man mourneth for his only son c. love is enflamed by it To whom much is forgiven the same will love much Luke 7. 47. All the motions of love are in assurance here is love and mercy and kindnesse and goodnesse and bounty to me and all known by me And faith riseth by it in stronger confidence and dependance upon God whom I now know to love me to be mine to be reconciled unto me c. Fourthly This assurance sets on all our duties and services with such life It sets on all our duties with life with such affections with such alacrity oh how full is the soul with praising of God admiring him in Christ blessing him and his Christ Blesse blesse bless the Lord O my soul who forgiveth all thy iniquities Psal 103. 1 2 3. O how quick is the heart become in prayer it makes haste it takes delight to draw near to God it is enlarged in confidences and desires Fifthly This assurance is a strong preservative against sin and all temptations It is a strong preservative against sin and temptation thereto How can I do this great wickednesse and sin against God O I have seen the face of God the love of Christ the sweetnesse of mercy Should such a man as I flee said Nehemiah So should such a man as I sin saith the assured Believer Should I so requite the Lord Should I make such a return unto my loving Christ c Sixthly This assurance sweetens all our other blessings it is the Sugar in the It sweetens all other blessings Wine This land is mine this house is mine and this husband and this wife and these riches this plenty c. yea and Christ is mine and God is mine and peace with God is mine and forgivenesse of sins and salvation and I know that they are mine Although a man enjoys all these outward blessings yet if his conscience tells him Thou hast no part in Christ nor portion in his death all thy sins are unpardoned and Gods justice is unsatisfied c. O what a sinking is this unto him under all his abundance or if a man be still doubtful whether he hath a part in Christ this imbitters all his possessions I know not what will become of me at the last Seventhly This assurance sweetens all losses and crosses Job 9. 2. O that It sweetens all losses and crosses I were as in months past as in the days when God preserved me Ver. 3. when his candle shined upon my head and when by his light I walked through darknesse here the light of Gods favour made him walk even in darknesse Rom. 8. 55. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakednesse or peril or sword Ver. 37. Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us Rom. 5. 3. And not only so but we glory in tribulations c. 2 Cor. 4. 17. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 5. 1. For we know that if the earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building with God not made with hands eternal in
forgivenesse upon a twofold account One in respect of God whose justice must be satisfieds that so his mercy if I may so phrase it may be set at liberty to flow out unto sinners Another in respect of us that we may come with the more boldness and confidence to obtain forgiving mercy in the name of Christ it being the very mercy which he by his blood purchased for us at the hands of God Thirdly Forgiveness of sins is limited to repenting and believing persons It is limited to repenting and believing persons these and these only are the subjects of that precious mercy unto whom it doth belong There are three sorts of creatures and persons in the world 1. Some of whom you read that they shall never be forgiven the Divels shall never have their sins forgiven but are held and reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse unto the judgement of the great day Jude ver 6. And they who sin the sin against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven Matth. 12. 31. All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men Ver. 32. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world nor in the world to come 2. Some to whom forgiveness is conditionally offered but they do refuse it upon that condition such are all impenitent and unbelieving persons who living under the Gospel are called upon to leave their sins and are assured if they do so that they shall find mercy to pardon their sins but for lying vanities they forsake their mercies and because they love their sins therefore they do lose the forgiveness of their sins 3. Some who penitentially come off from their sins and believingly come unto Christ they put off their sins by repentance and put on Christ by faith these are they who find mercy to whom it may be said Be of good comfort your sins are forgiven Prov. 28. 13. Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall finde mercy Acts 13. 39. By him all that believe are justified but as for the impenitent they treasure up wrath unto themselves Rom. 2. 5. The unbelievers they are condemned already John 3. 18. and the wrath of God abideth on them Ver. 36. Fourthly Forgiveness of sins consisteth in the discharging or absolving of a It consisteth in discharging of a sinner from guilt and punishment person from his sins in respect of guilt and punishment It is the discharging absolving remitting freeing dismitting sparing of a sinner the phrases in Scripture for the forgiving of sins are very significant both in the Old Testament and in the New In the Old Testament there are words used for the forgiveness of sins which import what I affirm 1. Salach as Exod. 34. 9. Pardon our iniquities and our sins the word Vide Downh de Justifi lib. 2. cap. 7. p. 84. there is Salach which signifies parcere remittere ignoscere condonare propitium esse 2. Kasah which signifies to hide to spare to forgive as Psal 32. 1. Blessed is he whose transgressions is forgiven whose sin is covered 3. Habar to pass by an offence as Micah 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquities and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage 4. Hekebir which signifies to cause to pass 2 Sam. 12. 13. The Lord hath put away thy sin hath caused it to pass The same word is used in Zach. 3. 4. I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee 5. Machah which signifies to wipe or blot out of remembrance the sins of men Psal 51. 9. Blot out all mine iniquities 6. Hesir which signifies to remove Isa 27. 9. By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away sin to remove sin 7. Lochashab not to impute as Psal 32. 2. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity In the New Testament there are also several words used for the forgiving of sins which import discharge or absolution First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies as much as to dismiss or send away to let alone because when God forgives a sinner he lets his sin alone and meddles no more with it but commonly this word is used for the absolving of those who are accused as guilty and in Scripture it is used for loosing out of bonds for debts 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Colos 2. 13. Having forgiven you all trespasses which word denotes both the fountain of forgiveness namely the grace of God and the acceptableness of it to the party forgiven it being graciously welcome as glad tydings unto him 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4. 8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin 2 Cor. 5. 19. Not imputing their trespasses unto them which imports that the Lord when he forgives sins will not put them upon the score or account by all which it appears that forgiveness of sins is an absolving or discharging of the sinner from his sins Now there are three things considerable in our sins there is 1. Macula the stain or pollution of it for sin doth pollute and defile the soul therefore it is frequently stiled a pollution a defilement uncleanness filthiness a plague a leprosie c. 2. Reatus the guilt by it for as soon as any man doth sin there is a guilt upon him by which he is bound over to the wrath and curse of God and this guilt or obligation is inseparable from sin the sin doth deserve no less than everlasting condemnation 3. Pana the punishment of it which consists in the inflicting of all the curses that sin doth deserve and which God hath threatned for transgressing his holy and righteous will What it is in sin the forgivenesse of sin doth respect Quest The question is unto which of these forgivenesse of sins doth extend of from which of these the sinner is discharged upon forgiveness Sol. I answer 1. Forgiveness of sins doth not respect the stain or pollution of sin it doth Not the stain or pollution of it not remove that it is an idle opinion of the Papists and others that remission of sins consists in the extinction of sins or utter abolition of them Reasons of it for First This is to confound Justification with Sanctification it being proper to Sanctification to remove and take a way the stain and pollution of sin in the soul that is the Fullers sope and refining fire Secondly The utter deletion of sin is not granted in this life for during this life sin remaineh in the best of men Rom. 7. 17 20. and 1 John 1. 8. If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us but in this life we have the remission of our sins Ergo. Thirdly Remission
inherently and subjectively in us as it is in Christ then indeed no sin were to be seen in us But that Righteousness is ours only Relatively and not formally it is imputed only to us and notwithstanding that imputation there is sin in us Secondly It is one thing to be considered in our selves and another as cloathed with Christs Righteousnesse In the former respect our sins appear and in the latter respect they are covered How Gods displeasure and anger against his people is consistent with his discharging of their sins Quest 2. How can it be affirmed that by forgivenesse of sins any person is discharged and freed so that God remains no more offended and displeased and will not proceed against him seeing that we read of his displeasure and anger and proceedings against his people for sinning against him Answered Sol. For answer unto this I shall briefly shew you three things 1. That God is displeased with the sins of his own people 2. That his anger for their sinnings hath broken out very sharply upon them 3. Notwithstanding all this they have a singular discharge from special wrath and Gods judicial proceeding against them which is all that is required in forgivenesse of their sins First God is displeased with the sins of his own people See this in David 2 Sam. God is displeased with the sins of his own people 11. 27. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. In Solomon 1 King 11. 9. The Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord God of Israel who had appeared unto him twice Ver. 10. And had commanded him concerning this thing that he should not go after other gods but he kept not that which the Lord commanded In Jehoshapbat 2 Chron. 19. 2. Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord therefore is wrath upon thee from the Lord. Secondly His anger hath broken out very sharply upon them because of their sinnings His anger hath been sharp against them because of their sins Deut. 3. 25. O Lord God said Moses I pray thee let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan c. Ver. 26. But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes and would not hear me c. 2 Sam. 12. 9. Wherefore hast thou despised the Covenant of the Lord to do evil in his sight Thou hast killed Vriah the Hittite with the sword and hast taken his wife to be thy wife c. Ver. 10. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house Ver. 11. I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house c. 1 Sam. 2. 22. For Elies remisness towards his wicked children how heavy was the hand of God upon him in his sons and family 1 Pet 4. 17. Judgement must begin at the house of God 1 Cor. 11. 30. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep Nay his anger hath gone higher than external losses it hath come upon them also in a Spiritual way which is of all other the most heavy and that both Privatively in taking away the sense of his favour and joy of his spirit and Positively in breaking of his bones as you read in David Psal 51. Thirdly But notwithstanding all this Gods judicial wrath or dspleasure is removed Gods judicial wrath is removed All hostile anger ceaseth upon Remission of sins no displeasure of God as hating remaines and no fruit of displeasure which is a part of the curse either doth or shall befall them Christ hath removed that although a Pathetical anger be on them yet no Judicial anger is towards them Though corrections befall them yet destruction shall not though sharp affliction yet no malediction and under all their corrections which still God sanctifies unto them for their good Isa 27. 9. by this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin And which is a testimony of his Fatherly love they still remain sons of mercy and heirs of glory Psal 89. 31. If his children break my Statutes and keep not my Commands Ver. 32. then I will visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquities with stripes Ver. 33. Nevertheless my loving-kindnesse will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile Whether there be any reason to repent of our sins that are forgiven Quest 3. If God doth graciously forgive our sins whether now there be any reason for us to repent of them Answered Nothing that we do can untye the bond of sin Sol. This is I confesse an excellent Quere how our duty to repent doth consist with Gods free grace in forgiving concerning which give me favour to say a few things First Nothing that we do no mourning for sin no repenting for sin doth or can untie the bond of sin release and acquit and discharge or absolve from guilt Although God doth not discharge us from repenting yet our repenting doth not discharge us from our guilt and condemnation that is the work of Gods grace in Christ if any presse repentance upon that ground as if forgiveness of sin were the natural effect of repentance that had a merit to deliver us from condemnation he erres exceedingly because 1. Forgivenesse of sinnes is an act only of God repealing the sentence of condemnation against us it is only the Creditors act to discharge the debt 2. There is not any sufficient causality in our work of repentance for such an effect as forgiveness of sin For 1. Our repentance is imperfect and stands in need of the blood of Christ Bonum meum neque pure bonum est neque meum est 2. Suppose it were perfect yet that could not take away the guilt of sin committed because sin is an infinite offence and dishonour to God and our repentance can never bear that proportion in satisfying which sin hath in offending It must be clearly acknowledged that to set up repentance as a cause meriting forgivenesse of sins cannot consist with Gods free forgivenesse of them Secondly Although forgivenesse of sin be not the effect of mans repentance Yet repentance is required to the obtaining of forgiveness for then we should forgive our selves Yet repentance is required to the obtaining of forgivenesse Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way c. and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and unto our God for he will abundantly pardon Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed c. ver 22. all his transgressions which he hath committed shall not be mentioned unto him Luke 24. 47. That repentance and remission of sins should be purchased in his Name Acts 3. 19. Repent ye and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Thirdly Although repentance be not a cause of forgivenesse yet it is the means Though
repentance be not a cause yet it is a means of pardon which God hath ordained for us to enjoy the forgivenesse of sin of the which his grace only is the efficient cause and the blood of Christ only is the meritorious cause Though God doth freely forgive yet he enjoyns repentance on us for besides the many reasons on our part there is reason for this in repect of Gods own grace which did it expresse itself in a free forgivenesse of wicked and impenitent persons it would be exceedingly undervalued and despised as an unjust act and besides that it would be improved to all licenciousness and profanenesse Whether justified persons may charge themselves with sin Fourthly Whether justified persons may charge themselves with sin seeing God hath graciously discharged them of sin Answered How far justified persons have charged themselves with sin Sol. I will speak something unto this Case also wherein I shall shew unto you two things First How far the children of God have charged sin upon themselves we read in Scripture that they have charged themselves 1. With the matter of sin that they have been guilty of Original sin Psal 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me Rom. 7. 20. Sin that dwelleth in me And with Actual sin as David I have sinned 2 Sam. 12. 13. I have sinned against thee said Job Chap. 7. 20. and so David Ezra Nehemiah c. 2. With the manner of sinning as to the Circumstances of it against mercies warnings judgements on others Dan. 9. Neh. 9. 3. With the merit of sin that if the Lord should deal with them according to their sins there were no abiding If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand Psal 130. 3. Psal 143. 2. Enter not into judgement for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Job 9. 2. How should a man be just with God Ver. 3. If he will contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand Dan. 9. 8. O Lord to us belongs confusion of face 4. So far forth as to acknowlegde no hope nor help of discharge but in Jesus Christ and in Gods free grace O save me for thy mercies sake 5. So far forth as to quicken all penitental works they have remembred their sins Lam. 3. 20. My soule hath them still in remembrance and is humbled within me They have considered their sins Psal 119. 59. I considered my wayes and turned my feet to thy testimonies Mark 14. 72. Peter thought on the words of Christ and went out and wept bitterly They have mourned for their sins Zach. 12. 10. They shall look upon him c. and shall mourn we read of Davids tears and Peters tears and Mary Magdalens tears c. They have reformed their sins Hose 14. 8. What have I any more to do with Idols They have been earnest with God for the pardon and for the assurance of the forgivenesse of their sins Psal 51. 1 c. and Dan. 9. O Lord hear O Lord forgive and Hose 14. 2. Take away my iniquity Secondly How far forth they may not charge sin upon themselves I answer Wherein they may not charge sin upon themselves briefly they may not charge sin on themselves First As to conclude that God will damn them for their sins For there is no condemnation to them c. Rom. 8. 1. And he that believes shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. Though they must acknowledge that by reason of sin they are worthy of condemnation yet they are to believe that Christ hath dyed for them and they shall not be condemned Secondly As to undertake any self-satisfaction to God for their sins you read of their confessions and tears and prayers but not of their satisfaction All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Isa 64. 6. Wherewithall shall I come before the Lord shall I come before him with burnt-offerings will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle c. Mich. 6. 6 7. If I justifie my self mine own mouth will condemn me if I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse Job 9. 20. Thirdly As to disanull their relation to God of Sonship c. Isa 64. 8. But now O Lord thou art our Father Ver. 9. Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people Having thus opened and cleared the nature of the forgiveness of sins I proceed to the other part of the description of it SECT II. THE second thing in the Proposition of forgivenesse of sins is this viz. That God himself undertakes this work and he undertakes it by promise First God undertakes to forgive sins Luk. 5. 21. Who can forgive sins but God alone Isa 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake Exo. 34. 6. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth Ver. 7. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgressions and sin Dan. 9. 9. To thee O Lord God belongeth mercy and forgivenesse Forgiveness of sin is indeed one of his Royal Prerogatives therefore you find his people making their addresses unto him for forgiveness of their sins Exod. 32. 32. Oh this people have sinned a great sin yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin c. Psal 25. 18. Forgive all my sins Dan. 9. 19. O Lord hear O Lord forgive Hose 14. 2. Take away all iniquity Act. 8. 22. Pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee There is a forgiveness 1. By way of charity wherein we forgive the offence and trespass against us If thy brother repent forgive him Luke 17. 3. And forgive one another as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Eph. 4 32. 2. By way of Ministry thus the Apostles as Christ delivers it in Joh. 20. 23. Whose sins ye remit they are remitted 3. By way of immediate and absolute authority thus it belongs to God and to him alone God in Scripture is stiled a Judge Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right Gen. 18. 25. And to the Supreme Judge it belongs to condemn or to acquit A Creditor there was a certain Creditor which had two debtors Luk. 7. 41. who can forgive the debt but the Creditor A Lawgiver There is one Lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy Jam. 4 12. who can forgive the transgressions of the Law but the Lawgiver Now God himself undertakes to forgive sins and none but he must do so Reasons of it God himself undertakes this work First Because all sins are offences against him and deviations from his righteous will and injuries to his glory even those sins which are wrongs unto men are injuries also unto God for his Will is slighted and his Law is violated in them therefore the remission
of them is proper to him Secondly Because unto whom the power of death and condemnation authoritatively belongs unto him also the power of life and absolution doth belong but the power of condemnation belongs only to God Ergo. These are acts seated in the same power Thirdly Because the forgivenesse of sin takes off the infinite desert of sin reaching even unto eternity of punishment eternal punishment is deserved by sin and who can relieve us from that but God alone Fourthly Because our consciences might have a resting place which they could never have if God himself did not forgive sins What if all the men in the world did forgive you if God did not clear you but still held you guilty What though all the lower Courts absolve a Malefactor as long as the Supreme Court condemns him what though the Malefactor forgive himself if the Judge do not forgive him Simile But here lies the comfort that God himself who is the Supreme Judge who hath the Soveraign Power to save or to destroy to remit or binde to acquit or to condemn whose sentence none can reverse if he will pardon our offences and sinnes against him now there is peace with him and peace in our own Consciences Secondly As forgiveness of sins solely appertains to God so God undertakes the same by way of promise which shews that he is willing to forgive sins and God undertakes it by promise that he engageth himself to forgive sins and that he will certainly forgive sins Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity and will remember their sin no more Pro. 28. 13. Whosoever confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall finde mercy 2 Chro. 7. 14. If my people shall turn from their wicked wayes then will I forgive their sins Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and turn unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and abundantly pardon 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confesse our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins Quest Now if any should demand why God contents not himself with a Declaration Reasons of it only that he is a God who forgives sin but also he makes a promise that he will forgive sins Sol. I suppose these Reasons may be given of it First Because this is a greater relief to the troubled conscience A promise of forgivenesse is a more hopeful foundation to work upon than a meer Declaration that God hath power to forgive and it serves to answer our fears and doubts more fully You would not imagine how powerful and dreadful the guilt of sin is and how strongly working when a conscience is awakened and wounded with the sence of it How great is the apprehension of Gods wrath how amazing is the curse threatned how hard is it to look toward the Mercy seat through all the threatnings and through all the terrors how difficult is it to settle it with any apprehensions of mercy And therefore the Lord is pleased not only to declare that he is a God forgiving sins but also he makes promise that he will forgive sins for Christs sake this is apt to preserve troubled sinners from despair and to breed some hopes in them that perhaps they may find mercy for who can tell but that a merciful God and a God who promiseth mercy to poor sinners may at length shew mercy to them and forgive their sins Secondly Because this is a stronger Obligation and Argument to prevail with sinners to repent of their sins and to turn unto the Lord. Beloved I beseech you mark what I say 1. The greater inevidence and improbability there is of forgiveness of sins the more indisposition and averseness there is unto repentance If a person apprehends mercy as impossible he then looks upon repentance as unuseful either he grows despairing or desperate For saith he to what end should I repent and come into God who I am sure will shew me no mercy 2. Again the greater hopes that a sensible sinner hath of mercy the more easily and kindly is his heart wrought upon to Repent to come off from his sins to God Hos 14. 2. When taking away of sin is hinted then ver 3. Ashur shall not save us neither will we say to the works of our hands Ye are our gods for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy so Jer. 3. 12. Return thou back-sliding Israel and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord. Ver. 22. Return ye back-sliding children and I will heal your back-slidings behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Mark how this insinuation of mercy bowed in their hearts Psal 103. 4. There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared Now when a sinner sees forgiveness of sins in a promise this appears with more evidence of hope for him I may yet have mercy so great is Gods goodness and why should I stand out any longer and why should I for lying vanities forsake my own mercies I will home to my Fathers house for there is bread enough and to spare c. Thirdly Because this is the surest ground for faith you know this is the great scruple But may I find mercy and what ground have I to expect mercy Suppose I do repent what assurance have I that God will forgive my sits Why having Gods promise for the forgiveness of your sins in this case you may be confident that if you come to him and rely upon him he will unquestionably be as good as his word he will shew mercy to you Jer. 31. 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Ver. 20. I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed c. he shall surely live and not dye Ver. 22. All his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him SECT III. 3. I Now come to the third part of the Proposition of forgiveness of sins viz. God promiseth the same to all his people That God promiseth the same unto all his people all his people in Covenant Psal 85. 2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people Isa 33. 34. The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity Micah 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage Note Of the people of God some are sooner in Covenant and some are later in Covenant for some are called at one houre and some at another houre as Paul spake of Andronicus and Junia Rom. 16. 7. who were in Christ before me that may we say of people some are in Covenant before others but as soon as any of them are brought into Covenant they are pardoned immediatly their sins are forgiven unto them Again of the people of God some have been greater sinners and some have been lesser sinners but as soon as
they have been made the people of Gods Covenant their sins have been forgiven Mary Magdalen had her sins forgiven and Paul had his sins forgiven c. Again of the people of God some are weaker and some are stronger and both of them have their sins forgiven Acts 10. 43. Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins 1 Joh. 2. 12. I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you for his Names sake Once more of the people of God some have clear and fuller apprehensions of pardoning mercy others have more dark and doubtful disputes about it the strong believer who hath assurance and the weak believer who is troubled with doubts both of them are forgiven all of them may say with Paul Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth Arguments to demonstrate it Ver. 34. Who is be that condemneth it is Christ that dyed And there are four Arguments which demonstâ—ate this truth unto us First All who are in Christ have their sins forgiven them but all the people who are in Covenant with God are in Christ my reason for that is this because only in and by Christ God becomes our God there our relation riseth Ergo. For the first Proposition that is a clear truth viz. That all who are in Christ have their sins forgiven them for Christ himself saith This is my blood which is shed for many for remission of sins Matth. 26. 28. and Matth. 1. 21. He shall save his people from their sins and the Apostle saith there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. And he hath delivered us from wrath to come 1 Thes 1. 10. And that we joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement Rom. 5. 11. Now mark if Christ saves his people from their sins and if he shed his blood for the remission of their sins if by Christ they are freed from condemnation and from wrath and God is reconciled unto them and through him they have good reason to joy in God then unquestionably all who are in Christ have their sins forgiven them for else how could they joy in God c. this is one Argument to demonstrate that God forgives all his people in Covenant Secondly All penitent and believing persons have the forgiveness of sins but all the people whom God brings into Covenant with himself are penitent and believing persons Ergo. The first of these Propositions is so clear and open in many places of Scripture that it is needless to quote any plâ—ce you may at leisure peruse all those promises of forgiveness unto repenting and believing persons mentioned before And the second Proposition is as clear for repentance and faith are Covenant gifts and given unto such whom God owns for his people and to none but such for God owns none for his people in a Covenant way who are impenitent and unbelieving Thirdly There are no enemies in the Covenant of Grace none who hate God and none whom God hates none who set themselves against him and none against whom he sets himself but the Covenant of Grace is a Covenant of life and of love and of peace Deut. 30. 6. Hos 14. 4. Cant. 2. 3. Isa 62. 4. 2 Cor. 6. 18. Rom. 5. 1. Ezek. 16. 61. All in this Covenant love God and God loves them they delight in God and God delights in them they walk with God and God is said to dwell in them and to walk in them they have peace with God and God is at peace with them he is their Father and they are his sons and daughters if this be so and so it is if we do believe the Scriptures which say so expresly then assuredly all who are in Covenant have their sins pardoned for such mutual love and such mutual delight and such mutual dwelling and such mutual peace and such mutual relation there cannot possibly be unless sins were forgiven and all enmity slain Fourthly There is no damnation that ever was yet to be found in the Covenant of Grace salvation you find there but damnation was never read of there He that believes shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 15 16. there is damnation for refusing not for entring sinners who before they were in Covenant were obnoxious to damnation for their sins are now delivered from it by coming into the Covenant never was or shall any person be damned who is in Covenant and hath God for his God for they are blessed who have the Lord to be their God But if their sins were not forgiven they were not blessed for blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven Rom 4 7. Neither should they be saved but must perish for ever and dye in their sins And thus you see this part of the Proposition of forgiveness of sins cleared also viz. That it is promised to all the people of God in Covenant SECT IV. 4. NOW follows the fourth and the last part of the Proposition namely It is first promised by God unto his people That forgiveness of sins is one of the mercies first promised by God unto his people as here in this place it hath the heart-guard of the Covenant gifts it takes the right hand and the first place of the spiritual mercies promised In this Scripture there is mention of three spiritual gifts which are like Davids three Worthies but this of Justification this of remission of sins is the first of them Beloved you must distinguish between the Covenant it self and the gifts thereof the Covenant it self lies in this I will be your God and you shall be my people this closure and this relation makes the Covenant and when we are thus closed with God in Covenant then come out the gifts of the Covenant which God deals and gives forth unto his people and amongst these first we have a promise mentioned to forgive sins Some may think the reason of this priority to be this because Justification goes before Sanctification I confess that these are distinct works but yet I doubt whether there be a priority of time between them so that a person is first justified and after that he is sanctified For under favour it cannot well be made out that there falls any space or pause of time between those and my reason is this because 1. When a man is once in Christ Christ is at the same time made of God unto him Sanctification as well as righteousness therefore the same Apostle saith If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. 2. It cannot well be admitted that there should be a true union with Christ consisting with a partial communion in benefits absolutely necessary to constitute a Christian and such a one is Sanctification 3. There is such an immediate influence of life and grace upon believing as raiseth a consimilitude and conformity But to
omit all needless disputes I humbly conceive that there may be three reasons why forgiveness of sins is one of the first mercies mentioned in the promise Three reasons of it It doth most of all set forth the glory of God First Because it is one of the mercies which doth most of all set forth and illustrate the glory of God the greatest appearing of God in his glory in his love and in his grace and in his mercy to forgive sins Exod. 34. 6. The Lord proclaimed the Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious Ver. 7. Forgiving iniquity transgressions and sins In this Proclamation the Lord opens and shews his glory unto Moses and one of the first sights of that is this that he is the Lord God merciful and gracious and that appears by this that he forgives iniquity transgressions and sins and indeed this is the glory of his Throne that it is a Throne of grace where sinners may finde mercy and finde grace to help in time of need Hebr. 4. 16. Hence is it that his grace and mercy is so often called his glory Ephes 3. 6 According to the riches of his glory i. e. of his grace and mercy see Rom 9. 23. That he might make known the riches of his glory on the Vessels of mercy see 2 Cor. 3. 18. Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord i. e. the glory of his mercy and love in Christ Jesus therefore the Prophet saith Micah 7. 18. Who is a strong God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage as if Gods forgiving of sins were one of the greatest demonstrations of his Deity Though his Godhead doth appear in other of his Attributes and in other of his Works Rom. 1. 20. yet it doth most clearly and most comfortably appear in this merciful Attribute and work of forgiveness of sins his wisdom and his justice and his power have put forth themselves as it were in a way of subserviency to the glory of his mercy he found out by his wisdom a way to satisfie his justice by Christ that so he might bring glory to his mercy in the forgiveness of our sins Secondly Because it is a mercy transcendently excellent a mercy which excels It is a mercy transcendently excellent It excels the mercies of men most of the mercies which we do receive there are 1. The mercies of men they do sometimes pardon offences committed against them but Gods forgiving mercies far exceed this e. g. First When man hath forgiven you yet God may call you to an account and question and condemn you Secondly Mans forgiveness may acquit you from some temporal punishment due unto you by some humane Lawes by you transgressed but Gods forgiveness reacheth to the discharge of you not only from temporal but also from eternal punishment Thirdly The mercy of man in forgiveness looks only at outward offences but it meddles not with inward sinnings with those of the heart but Gods forgiving extends to internal invisible obliquities as well as external and invisible transgressions Fourthly When men forgive us this perhaps may be some lesser offences but no great and capital or if these then the benefit of this forgiveness is lost and forfeited by the next offence as in the case of Shimei but when God forgives a sinner he forgives all sorts of sinnings and will never remember those sins again any more 2. The mercies of God whereof some are corporal and some are spiritual now forgiveness of sins doth excell First All the corporal mercies or blessings which possibly can be enjoyed in It excels corporal mercies this world for 1. One may enjoy all corporal blessings in greater abundance and this may be all his portion they have their portion in this life said David Psal 17. 14. but forgiveness of sins is a mercy which never goes alone but hath the concomitancy of all choice blessings it is a better portion and yet not all 2. The outward blessings respect only the condition of the body the preferment delight ease relief support and safety of that and notwithstanding this preheminence the soul may be in a most miserable condition but forgiveness of sins hath a special respect to the soul and the welfare and everlasting good of it and happiness of it it makes us truly blessed 3. Notwithstanding the presence of outward blessings the spiritual misery of man is nothing altered they cannot release you from the wrath of God nor deliver you from that curse which the Law pronounces against you for your transgressions but when God forgives sins then the forgiven person is freed from wrath and curse and condemnation and God is pacified and reconciled 4. One may possibly enjoy them and yet never enjoy God nor Christ nor peace in conscience nor glory in heaven nay his enjoyment of these may accidentally cause a farther distance from God and Christ as in the young man whose riches and possessions kept him off from closing with Christ but forgiveness of sins necessarily involves all these grand enjoyments if sins be forgiven unquestionably God is your God and Christ is your Redeemer and heaven is your inheritance Secondly It excells if not all yet certainly most of Gods spiritual mercies I It excels most of Gods spiritual mercies am unwilling to make comparisons between them yet with reverence I speak it that forgiveness of sins in some respects excells all the graces in man 1. For the perfection of the work the change of the soul by grace is indeed an For the perfection in the work excellent work nevertheless it is imperfect therefore it gets on by degrees but the forgiveness of sin is a perfect work when God sanctifies a man he doth it so that the person needs yet more holiness but when he forgives us he doth it not so that those sins need more of forgiveness when he sanctifies a man there still remains some corruption but when he forgives a sinner you cannot say there remains yet something behind of condemnation God can find enough in our graces to except against but nothing in his forgiveness of sins 2. For the causality in the work Compare your graces and your forgivenesses For the causality in the work together there are several choice effects in the soul which you cannot affirme of your graces as their cause yet you may safely affirm Gods forgiveness of sins to be their cause e. g. peace in conscience you cannot say that any holiness or righteousness in you is the cause of this for conscience cannot be quieted by any thing in us but forgiveness of sin is a just cause of peace in conscience being justified by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5. 1. I will say no more at present but that all the springs of joy and peace and comfort are in your justification Rom. 8. 11. Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee Matth. 9. 2.
Thirdly Because it is a mercy which doth exceedingly concern afflicted and It is a mercy doth exceedingly concern afflicted consciences distressed souls Beloved remember three things 1. All the men in the world do need forgiveness of sins for who is he that liveth and sinneth not and what sinner is there who needs not to have his sins forgiven 2. All the people of God do see the need and worth of it how earnest have they been to attain to it David in Psal 51. prays ten times for it so the Church Remember not iniquity Isa 64. 9. Take away iniquity Hos 14. 2. 3. Afflicted and distressed souls they infinitely prize it and thirst for it and their soul will sink and fail without it Take me any soul whatsoever as soon as ever it comes to be a wounded and distressed soul presently it cries out what shall I do what will become of me without Christ and without forgiveness of sins if God forgives not these sins I am a lost man O that I might have mercy when shall I find mercy May I look for mercy is there any hope of mercy I tell you Sirs the wounded sinner apprehends wrath and condemnation and feels sin with such a weight and terror in conscience that if some hope of mercy did not presently appear Isa 57. 16. the spirit would fail before him it would be consumed with despair therefore no marvail that God is pleased in the first place to hold out this golden Scepter of forgiveness of sins whereby to relieve all broken-hearted sinners SECT V. Vse 1 IS forgiveness of sins one of the mercies first in promise by God unto all his people in Covenant O how dreadful then is the condition of such who refuse to How dreadful is the condition of such as refuse to be in Covenant with God be in Covenant with God! The doctrine of forgiveness of sins is not so comfortable unto the people of God but it is as dreadful to all those who refuse to be the people of God For the managing of this Use I will lay down these three conclusions 1. Some there are who do refuse God to be their God in Covenant and do refuse to be a people in Covenant with him 2. All these are an unforgiven people their sins neither are forgiven nor shall they ever be forgiven unto them 3. Because their sins are unforgiven therefore they are in a most miserable and dreadful condition First There are some who do refuse God to be their God in Covenant and do refuse Some refuse to be in Covenant with God to be his people in Covenant Job 21. 14 They say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways Ver. 15. What is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him Prov. 1. 24. Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hands and no man regarded Ver. 29. For that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. Ver. 30. They would none of my counsel they despised all my reproof c. But more particularly there are four sorts of men who refuse God to be their God in Covenant and to be his people 1. Such as refuse the authority of God to rule and guide them by his Will and Laws Such as refuse to be guided by his Laws When God is a God in Covenant there he is acknowledged as Lord and Law-giver the Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King Isa 33. 22. nay he will be so acknowledged or else he will not be a God in Covenant with us see Lev. 26. 14. If ye will not hearken unto me and will not do all these Commandments and ver 15. If ye shall dispute my Statutes and if your soul abhor my judgments then ver 17. I will set my face against you c. Psal 81. 11. But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me Ver. 12. So I gave them up unto their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own counsels If any man hath a nature which is at enmity with God and will not be subject unto his Will and Law how can there be a Covenant between them and God for in forming up of a Covenant there must be an agreement between the parties but if we set up our wills against Gods will that we will do not what comes from his mouth but what comes from our own hearts not what he commands but what our own proud lusts do like assuredly God neither is nor will be in Covenant with such a people for hereby he should lose the glory of being a Lord and we should not submit to his righteous will but he should subject himself unto our ungodly lusts 2. Such as maintain a contrariety and incompliance with the glorious nature of God Such as maintain a contrariety to the glorious nature of God This is the glory of the Divine nature that it is holy Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty Rev. 4. 8. and this is that about which God insists with all persons whatsoever whom he will own for his people in Covenant Ye shall be holy for I am holy Lev. 11. 44. For there must be a similitude 'twixt God and the people of God and as he declares his choice love to them so must they be a choice generation and an holy Nation to shew forth his praises therefore such persons as are not only unholy in a privative way but also hate holiness and cannot endure to be made holy in a positive adherency of holiness God neither is nor ever will be a God in Covenant with them nor can they be a people in Covenant with God for what communion can there be 'twixt light and darkness and what Covenant can there be made 'twixt the holy God who hates all unholiness and ungodly persons who do likewise hate and abhor all holiness 3. Such as refuse to let go their sins and will hold fast their iniquities who will spare Such as refuse to let go their sins them and not forsake them as Zophar speaks Job 20. 30. who refuse to return as the Prophet speaks Jer. 8. 5. God is no God in Covenant with these neither are they nor can they be a people in Covenant with him Psal 50. 16. Unto the wicked God saith What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldst take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my word behind thee Josh 24. 23. Now therefore put away the strange gods which are among you and incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel Ver. 25. So Joshua made a Covenant with the people that day If a mans heart be set on his sins I will love them I will serve them I will not forsake them it cannot be that there should be a Covenant made up 'twixt God
righteous God and therefore he may condemn Nor may we say that God promiseth forgiveness of sins therefore our sins are forgiven for as God promiseth mercy he contracts that promise of mercy unto his own people and as God saith he will mercifully pardon so he saith likewise that he will not be merciful to any wicked transgressor Psal 59 5. And he will not spare the audacious sinner who promiseth peace unto himself though he adds drunkenness to thirst Deut. 29. 19 20. Now because this Use is of the greatest consequence and necessity for us who stand in need of this vital and soveraign mercy the forgiveness of sins therefore I will discourse of three positionâ— concerning it 1. Some sinners do erroneously make and take some things for a certain capacity of forgivenesse of their sins which absolutely is not so 2. Some sinners do certainly put themselves out of a capacity of forgiveness 3. Some sinners are in a right capacity of Gods promise of the forgiveness of their sins Some plead for a capacity of pardon upon false grounds As Gods mercifulness First Some sinners do erroneously take these things for certain grounds that they are in the list and compasse of forgiveness of sins which absolutely considered cannot be so e. g. First God is of a very merciful nature ready to forgive and his mercy is over all his works and he will not destroy his creatures he did not make us to damn us therefore my sins shall be forgiven Answered Sol. This cannot be a sure ground to build on that we are within the compass or capacity of forgiveness of sins because 1. By this Reason the Divels also may conclude the forgiveness of their sins for God is of a merciful nature and ready to forgive and his mercy is over all his works 2. By this ground no sinner should be damned but every sinner should be saved For if every man hath his sins pardoned then no man shall be damned to have sins pardoned is to be discharged from condemnation but if this were a strong and sufficient inference Sins are pardoned because God is of a merciful nature then every sinner should have his sins pardoned 3. Though mercifulnesse be natural to God yet the dispensation or collation of mercy is voluntary and Arbitrary forgiving acts of mercy do not flow from God in that way as effects do flow from natural Agents in a way of necessity as the Sun necessarily gives out light and fire necessarily breaths out heat But as effects flow from voluntary and free Agents Rom. 9. 15 I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion So then it will not follow Your sins are forgiven because Gods Nature is mercifull for forgiving mercy is not a necessary effect of that Nature but a voluntary effect thereof 4. Besides Justice is as natural to God as mercifulnesse is he is Essentially as just as he is merciful and he doth intend the gloryfying of his Justice upon sinners as ceâ—tainly as he doth the glorifying of his mercifulnesse Rom. 9. 22. What if God willing to show his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long â—uffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Ver. 23. And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory Here you plainly see a will and purpose in God to set up the glory of his Justice in the destruction of the vessels of wrath as well as the glory of his mercifulness in the salvation of the vessels of mercy Exod. 34. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgressions and sins and that will by no means clear the guiliy Here also you find that mercifulness is so attributed to God as that justice likewise is preserved in him though his merciful nature in forgiving doth extend to thousands yet it doth not extend to all For he likewise professeth that he will by no means clear the guilty Mercy hath a double consideration First as in the nature of God Secondly As in the promise of God which sheweth whom he will forgive and therefore 5. It would be your wisdom not absolutely to sit down with this notion that God is merciful but respectively to search out unto what sorts of persons he doth promise himself to be a merciful God in forgiving their sins For in his promises you may as certainly discern the will and extent of his mercy as in his threatnings you may espy the purpose and intent of his wrath and if you did so you should presently find that forgiving mercy is promised and intended only for believing and repenting sinners Prov. 28. 13. Isa 55. 7. Acts 3. 19. Acts 10. 43. Object And whereas it is objected that Psal 145. 9. the Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works Sol. This place is not for your purpose for 1. When he saith that the Lord is good to all this is spoken only as to his general Providence whereby he doth good to all sorts of creatures man and beast in their sustentation and preservation 2. When he saith that his tender mercies are over all his works if you take all his works for the whole Creation and his tender mercies for forgiveness of sins unto which forgiveness is ascribed Psal 51. 1. then it cannot with any sense he affirmed that forgiveness of sins extends to the whole Creation for this were to make beasts and trees and the elements and heavens to be sinners but when he saith that his tender mercies are over all his works either this is spoken in an absolute sense that all his works do taste of his kindness bounty and pity or in a comparative sense that of all the works of God his mercies are the highest and chiefest they are above or over all of them none like to them Object But God did not make us to damn us Sol. No nor yet to sin against him but to serve him Secondly A second ground upon which some do conclude that they are within the compass and capacity of the promise of forgiveness of sins is this that God is a gracious God forgiving sins freely so indeed doth that word signifie Colos 2 13. Gods graciousness Having forgiven you all trespasses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely forgiven and Luke 7. 42. He freely forgiveth them both Hence they conclude that God stands upon nothing requires nothing but without any more ado will forgive the sins of men as it were of course Answered Sol. And yet by your favour God in his Word doth say Acts 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Gal. 2. 16. We have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ But consider First The graciousness of God in forgiving of sins stands in opposition not to the means which God hath prescribed to enjoy forgiveness
platted a Crown of thorns they put it on his head and a Reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him saying Hail King of the Jews so Acts 2. 13. Others mocking said these men are full of new wine And they are said in Hebr. 10. 29. to tread under foot the Son of God and to count his blood an unholy thing How amazing is this reproach and thus is it with all who sin the sin against the Holy Ghost the precious blood of Christ his holiness his truth his commands his ways his servants are the objects of their mockings and scorns and reproaches Thirdly This opposition is made against Christ and the Gospel after and against the clear Convictions of the Holy Ghost They who sinne this sin 1. Have had such a light in them as to know Jesus Christ Joh. 9. 41. Jesus said unto them If ye were blinde ye should have no sin but now ye say we see therefore your sin remaineth Joh. 7. 28. Ye both know me and whence I am Hebr. 6. 4. who were once inlightened They that sin this sin do know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Redeemer and that there is salvation in him and in no Name but his and that the way which he prescribes for salvation is the true way of life and after all this they crucifie the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame 2. The Holy Ghost hath not only illuminated their minds but hath also raised them to a kind of approbation of Christ and his truths and his ways so that they have taken upon them the profession of Christianity and side with the Gospel for a time 3. By the operation of the Holy Ghost they have attained unto some spiritual taste and experience as you may see Hebr. 6. 4. Have tasted of the heavenly gift Ver. 5. And have tasted of the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come Fourthly And yet after all this they fall away Hebr. 6. 6. Reject Christ and his truths and ways and will go on in the ways of their sinful and worldly lusts This is that sin which shall never be forgiven not only because God is pleased to shut the door of mercy against it but also because persons guilty of this sin do thrust themselves into such a desperate hardness of heart and they reject Christ in whom alone pardon is to be had that as the Apostle speaks Hebr. 6. 6. It is impossible to renew them again unto Repentance 2. Secondly They do put themselves out of a capacity of the forgiveness of their sins who will not repent of their sins i. e. who will not forsake them They who will not repent of their sins but will still persist and continue in them though they be convinced though they be reproved though they be threatned though they be assured of the inconsistence of forgiveness with impenitency This point will manifestly appear upon a threefold consideration 1. Of Gods professed resolution contrary to the presumption of mercy in the impenitent sinner indeed this sinner presumes to promise mercy unto himself though he goes on in his sins but the Lord protests that he shall have none Deut. 29. 18. Lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormewood Ver. 19. And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to adde drunkenness to thirst Ver. 20. The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven Ver. 21. And the Lord shall separate him to evil out of all the Tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the Covenant that are written in this book of the Law So Psal 50. 21. These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Ver. 22. Consider this ye that forget lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver 2. Of Gods restriction of his promise of forgiveness only upon condition of repentance only to such as forsake their sins where do you find it otherwise in the whole Bible Isa 1. 16. Wash ye make you clean put away the evil of your doings cease to do evil learn to do well Ver. 18. Come now let us reason together though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my people shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 3. Of Gods peremptory sentence in case of impenitency Exod 34. 7. that will by no means clear the guilty i. e. the impenitent in absolving he will not absolve i. e. whosoever finds mercy they shall not Ezek. 18. 21. Cast away from you all your transgressions for why will ye dye O house of Israel Psal 63. 21. God will wound the head of such an one as goes on still in his wickednesse Luk. 13. 3. Except ye repent ye shall perish Jer. 13. 10. This evil people which refuse to hear my words which walk in the imagination of their hearts Ver. 14. I will dash them one against another even the father and the son together saith the Lord I will not pity nor spare nor have mercy but destroy them Eccles 8. 13. It shall not be well with the wicked Isa 65. 20. The sinner dying an hundred years old shall be cursed then certainly not forgiven O think of this you who still go on in the hatred of holiness in profaning of the Sabbath in drunkenness in whoredom in pride in lying in any ungodly course who mock at reproof and despise instruction who flatter your selves with hopes of forgiving mercy Be not deceived for God is not to be mocked for whatsoever a man sowes that shall he also reap Gal. 6. 7. and Rom. 2. 6. God will render to every man according to his deeds Ver. 8. Indignation and wrath Ver. 9. tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil Thirdly They do put themselves out of a capacity of forgiveness of their sins who do delay and defer their work of repentance When some sinners are convinced They who delay theâ—r repentance of the inconsistence of mercy with impenitency and of the necessary presence of repentance for forgiveness then seeing it must be so and mercy cannot be otherwise had
they will repent but not yet hereafter they will when they are sick and when they are old and near to death and what mean you to do for the present til the time of sickness or age or death is it not that you serve your sins and take your delights and pleasures and when you can no longer enjoy them then you will give over your sins and then God must give down your forgiveness Simile As if a Malefactor should say I will steal and kill a few years more untill I be taken and then I will leave those courses and the Judge shall pardon me O what a cheat and deceit is this 1. To think that we have repentance in our power 2ly To think that we have forgiving mercy at our command 3ly To love and serve and live in our sins for the present and to promise unto our selves the forgiveness of our sins at the last But wilt thou know and understand O vain man that he who defers to repent is in the mean time impenitent and he that resolves only for hereafter to leave his sins resolves also untill that time to keep his sins and he that resolves to keep his sins doth for lying vanities forsake his own mercies He that will not presently repent doth put himself out of a present capacity of mercy and he who puts himselfe out of a present capacity of mercy may by going on in his sins so harden his heart as to put out himself from a future capacity of repentance The promise of forgiveness is to him who doth repent or forsake his sins it is not to him who defers to repent and saith he will do so hereafter O how foolish is the sinner who might be presently forgiven upon a present repentance and yet will hazard his soul to the loss of mercy upon a presumption of future repenting Surely thou dost not prize the great mercies of God in the pardon of thy sins who dost put off that blessed mercy to enjoy a little longer thy cursed lusts To day if you will hear his voice put it not off till to morrow for 1. It is a question whether late repentance be true 2ly You at least will question it 3ly And whether God will give it at the last 4ly Especially when we put it off to the last Fourthly They do put themselves out of a capacity of the forgiveness of their sins who do presently repent but it is fainedly and hypocritically not cordially They who repent presently but fainedly and really Jer. 3. 10 Her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart but fainedly saith the Lord. Psal 78. v. 4. They returned and inquired early after God Ver. 36. Neverthelesse they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongue Ver. 37. For their heart was not right with him Now they do repent fainedly who 1. Spare their beloved sins 2. Who put them off with a purpose to resume them again You have many persons who in the times of sickness or of danger or of loss or of fear of death or of terror of conscience will forbear their sins will cry out against their sins will pray and beg for mercy and as soon as hope and ease and safety appears they do return again with the dog to his vomit and with the swine to the wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2. 22. They forget their terrors and tears and prayings and resolutions and professions and are worse in wayes of wickedness than heretofore Their righteousnesse is as the morning cloud and as the early dew that passeth away To these God may speak as in Hose 11. 12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lyes and the house of Israel with deceit They think to circumvent and deceive the Lord with penitential pretences but indeed they do deceive their own souls for God searcheth the heart and trieth the reins and his eyes are upon the heart and upon the truth and it is just that they should be deceived with the fancy of pardon who think to deceive God with the shadow of repentance He who is but hypocritically good is really wicked and he that repents fainedly and falsly doth but provoke the wrath of God more against his soul c. Fifthly They do put themselves out of a capacity of forgiveness who remain They vvho remain unbelieving unbelieving whose hearts are not subdued and brought in to Christ by the Gospel will not consent to take him for their Head and Lord and will not serve Christ in his commands will not suffer him to reign over them to set up his kingdom in them nor to destroy his enemies in them Beloved mark what I say unto you be you what you will if yet you remain unbelievers your sins shall never be forgiven Suppose you be great or mean persons rich or poor persons learned or simple persons covetous and civil persons and just persons Papists or Protestants of this or that Opinion for Doctrine or Government if you believe not on Christ as well as profess Christ if your hearts will not consent to match with Christ if there be any sin or any thing of the world which lies nearer your heart than Christ which holds it off and keeps it from Christ you are now unbelievers and your sin shall not be forgiven 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth not shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Mar. 16. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned Sixthly They also do put themselves out of a capacity of forgiveness who do They vvho despair of mercy absolutely despair of mercy Isidore said right Desperare est in infernum descendere to fall into dâ—spair is to fall into hell where there is perfection of misery without any hope of mercy Here consider a few Particulars 1. It is one thing to doubt and fear and question whether God will be merciful unto our sins and it is another thing to despaire of his mercies one may fear and doubt of mercy for his sins who yet doth not absolutely despair of mercy fear and questionings about mercy may arise from infirmity Psal 77. 9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his mercies Ver 10. I said this is my infirmity but absolute despair of mercy ariseth from absolute infidelity and it is a peremptory concluding against all the powers and goodness of mercy in God My sinne said Cain is greater than may or can be forgiven Gen. 4. 13. 2. Again there is a passionate and transient despaire And there is a setled and permanent despaire The one is total but not final the other is total and final In times of strong temptation and Gods desertion and our own melancholy and troubles of conscience one may possibly conclude there is no hope of mercy and his sins are such as exceed
either the power or else the purpose of Gods mercy but this dark and sad conceit falls off again from the soul upon conference upon better information upon prayer upon hearing the Word and upon clear consideration of the Covenant of grace and the terms of it and of the riches of Redemption by Christ this kind of despair doth not prejudice you in the capacity of forgiving mercy but then there is a setled and permanent despair which is total and final wherein the soul is swallowed up and for ever lies under water and never riseth more with any hope of possible mercy conceiving of the guilt of sin so superlatively that neither the merits of the blood of Christ nor the riches of mercy in God can or will reach to the forgiveness of it This poor sinner puts himself out of all capacity of forgiveness and that upon a treble account 1. The infinite dishonour which he puts upon Gods throne of grace and mercy he gives reproach and the lye unto God who saith he is rich in mercy and delights in mercy 2. His utter incompliance with Christ and riches of all Gospel invitations promises and assurances 3. The confirming of his heart in impenitency seeing there is no hope of mercy Seventhly they likewise do put themselves out of a capacity of the forgiveness They who rely upon their own righteousnesse as the cause of fornesse of their sins who do rest and rely upon their own righteousness and good works as the cause of forgiveness 'T is true that you must be holy and righteous and do good works and walk in them and abound in them But if you rely on them as the reasons and causes why God will forgive your sins you will certainly lose the forgiveness of them For 1. What is this but to set up a Covenant of Works and to look for life by the Law and Justification by something of our own and what says the Scripture to this Rom. 3. 20. By the deeds of the Law there shall be no flesh justified in thy sight Tit. 3. 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he hath saved us Gal. 3. 10. As many as are of the workâ— of the law are under the curse for it is written cursed is every one c. 2. This is to take away the Crown from Christ and it is to make Christ to die in vain to lose the end of shedding his blood for the remission of sins the Scripture saith Acts 4. 12. There is no salvation in any other for there is no other Name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved but you will have it in your own name Matth. 26. 28. This is my blood which was shed for the remission of sins 1 Joh. 2. 2. He is the propitiation for our sins Eph. 1. 7. In his blood we have redemption the forgiveness of sins Gal. 5. 4. Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from grace therefore take heed what you do and how you place your confidences for the remission of your sins you must neither renounce good works nor must you rely on them but only on Christ for pardon else you debar your selves of all benfit by Christ Eighthly Lastly they do put themselves out of a capacity of the forgiveness of their sins who are unmerciful implacable revengeful and will not forgive others They who will not forgive others their offences done against themselves their offences and trespasses or wrongs done against themselves Quest You will say this is strange Doctrine that God will not forgive me if I do not forgive others Sol. 1. Nay it were more strange that thou shouldest expect forgiveness who wilt not forgive thy brother but peruse the Scriptures Matth. 18. 32. O thou wicked servant I forgave thee all that debt ten thousand talents ver 24. because thou desiredst me ver 33. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant even as I had pity on thee ver 34. And his Lord was wroth and delivered him to the tormenters till he should pay all that was due unto him v. 35. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you if you from the heart forgive not every one his brother their trespasses Math. 6. 15. If you forgive not men their trespasses neither will your heavenly father forgive your trespasses 2. Again see the express command for this by Christ in Luke 17. 3. If thy brother trespass against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him ver 4. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again unto thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him Thirdly I now proceed unto a third Position and Conclusion viz. That there Who are in a right capacity of pardon Such as do truely repent Four things demonstrate this Scripture exhortations are some who are in a right capacity and may safety lay hold on and own the promise of the forgivenesse of their sins First All who do truely repent of their sins there are four things will demonstrate this unto us 1. Scripture exhortations to repent that so our sins may be forgiven Ezek. 18. 30. Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins Act. 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out 2. Expresse promises that our sins shall be forgiven upon our repentance Expresse promises 2 Chro. 7. 14. If my people shall turn from their evil way then will I forgive their sin Prov. 28. 13. Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall finde mercy Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked will turn from all his sins which he hath committed and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die ver 22. All his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him 3. Assurance of the forgiveness of sins upon repentance though they have been Assurance of the pardon of great sins upon repentance very great and hainous Isa 1. 16. Wash ye make you clean put away the evil of your doings cease to do evil ver 17. learn to do well ver 18. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll 4. Expresse Records and Instances of forgiveness unto such as have repented Express instances 2 Sam. 12. 13. And David said unto Nathan I have sinned against the Lord and Nathan said to David the Lord hath also put away thy sin Jer. 31. 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself and Turn thou me and I shall be turned c. Ver.
promise of forgivenesse of sins upon the condition of Faith The promise of forgiveness upon condition of Faith Acts 10. 43. Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins And truely if we do seriously consider the matter we must acknowledge that faith is the only condition of the Covenant of grace wherein God becomes our God and we become his people and by which therefore we become heirs of all the promises of God and consequently of the promise of the forgiveness of sins none are the children of God and heirs of the Promises but by Faith Thirdly It is expresly taken in to the justification of a sinner So taken in that by no other means he can be justified and by this only he must be justified It is expresly taken in to the justification of a sinner Rom. 3. 28. We conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Gal. 5. 4. Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from grace You know that the forgiveness of our sins is only in our justification and that the justification of a sinner is as to him only of grace being justified freely by his grace Rom. 3. 23. And that the sinner is justified by faith and by faith only that so it may be of grace and therefore there is a necessity of faith for the pardon of sins c. Fourthly It is impossible to finde remission of our sins out of Christ forasmuch No remission out of Christ as his blood only was shed for the remission of sins Matth. 26. 28. And in him only we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins Ephes 1. 7. â—nd him only hath God set forth to be a propitiation and to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sin Rom. 3. 25. And it is as impossible to enjoy Christ without Faith which is the only grace on our part to receive Christ to joyn us unto Christ and by which Christ doth dwell in us Now if we cannot have the forgiveness of sins but we must first have Christ and we cannot have Christ but by faith there is then a necessity of faith for the remission of sins Fifthly If for want of Faith we shall certainly lose the remission of sins then the presence of faith is necessary for the forgiveness of sins this Consequence For want of Faith we lose the remission of sins cannot be denied by any rational Christian but the want of faith will certainly lose us the forgiveness of sins three places will clear that Mar. 16. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned Joh. 3. 36. He that believes not shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him Joh. 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am he you shall dye in your sins If for want of faith we dye in our sins shall not see life shall be damned have the wrath of God still abiding on us then for want of faith we do certainly lose the remission of our sins for these are utterly inconsistent with remission but you read that for want of faith we shall dye in our sins c. Ergo there is a necessity of the presence of Faith for the forgiveness of our sins 2. As there is a necessity of the presence of faith so is there a necessity of the use or exercise of Faith for the remission of sins For as in the Covenant of works A necessity of the use and exercise of faith actual obedience was necessary to enjoy the life then promised so in the Covenant of grace actual believing is necessary to enjoy Christ and forgiveness purchased by him and promised in him Now there are two acts of faith especially required in every one who would enjoy the forgiveness of his sins 1. One is an Act of acceptance 2. The other is an Act of reliance on Christ only for that forgivenesse promised First An Act of acceptance his soul must be brought into Christ acknowledge An act of acceptance and consent to receive him and whole Christ with the whole heart If a man think thus I will have my sins forgiven me but I care not for Christ my heart cannot comply with him his Commands are too strick and his wayes are too holy for me I cannot yield to be his upon such terms as he requires Let me tell you plainly and faithfully you shall never have your sins pardoned why because the forgiveness of sins is promised upon this condition if you do believe and receive Christ You may as well say that you will be saved for ever in heaven but you will not believe you will not receive Christ you will not be his No no a Communion in what he hath purchased cannot possibly be without a precedent union with himself all the Benefits and all the Priviledges by Christ are communicable only unto them who are Christs to them there is no condemnation but c. Secondly Besides this Act of acceptance of Christ there must be also an An act of reliance Act of reliance on Christ and on him only for the forgiveness of your sins Put the case you do repent of your sins yea put the case thaâ—â—ou do by faith receive Christ if now you do rely on your Repentance and on your Faith or on any other thing besides Christ for the forgiveness of your sins you will certainly lose the forgiveness of them If you should say God will forgive me for my tears sake for my grief sake for my confession sake for my turning sake for my believing sake but not for Christs sake you will certainly miss of pardoning mercy because all forgiveness of sins unto us is for Christs sake Ephes 4. 32. Forgiving one another as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you 1 Joh. 2. 12. Your sins are forgiven you for his Name sake So then there is a necessity of such an act of faith as to rely only on Christ as the reason of the pardon of your sins i. e. to trust on his Righteousness on his Redemption on his blood only as the All sufficicient and as the effectual reason of your forgiveness c. Secondly The second thing which I would shew unto you is what that Faith is What that faith is that is so necessary which is so necessary for us if that we would enjoy the forgiveness of our sins For as to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Repentance we generally grant it for a truth that men must repent iâ— they will have their sins forgiven so as to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of faith it is generally granted that men must believe and if they do truely believe their sins shall be forgiven But the difficulty is what this faith is which intitles us unto and really assures remission of sins And great reason there is to clear this because of the general confidence in men that they have faith and
what is it to be justified but to be pardoned 5. And so for Repentance and Faith certainly they have been true if forgiveness of sins have been granted unto you because to none but unto such who do truly repent and who do truly believe is forgiveness of sins promised 6. And lastly If your sins be forgiven you shall be undoubtedly saved Rom. 8. 30. Whom he justified them also he glorified So Acts 26. 18. That they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified Secondly If your sins be forgiven you then your way is opened and cleared You have access to God with all boldness with all boldness of access and confidence to your God and Father There are three choice Cordials and Encouragements to all who have obtained pardoning mercy 1. They may look upon their God as sitting altogether and always on his Throne of grace and mercy as their loving God as their kind God as their good God as their Father as their Helper as their Saviour O what a sight of God is that sight of him in heaven where there is love and nothing but love peace and nothing but peace joy and nothing but joy favour and nothing but favour blessed communion and nothing but blessed communion Such a kind of sight of God have justified and pardoned persons here on earth they may now look on God as their God as their Father as loving of them delighting in them and rejoycing over them to do them good and what should hinder them to come with a filial confidence to such a God and Father 2. They may look up unto him for any mercy which they do need and which he doth promise unto them Psal 81. 10. Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Hos 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness and in judgement and in loving-kindness and in mercy Ver. 21. And it shall come to pass in that day I will hear saith the Lord I will hear the heavens and the heavens shall hear the earth Ver. 22. And the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oyle and they shall hear Jezreel Beloved there is no partition wall but sin nothing that separates between God and us but sin nothing that hinders good thingâ— from us but sin now if that partition wall be broken down as certainly it is when sin is forgiven there is nothing on your part to hinder you from asking and nothing on Gods part to with-hold him from giving any thing that is good unto you 3. They may look on all their enjoyments as mercies as the fruits of love with marvailous contentment and delight mercies are sure and sweet unto them As every one of the Vessels had that inscription upon it Holiness to the Lord so every receit which the forgiven sinner partakes of hath this superscription on it A token of love from the reconciled God you have the bond and the seal the wine and the sugar the day and the Sun-shine mercies from mercy mercies in mercy this and that and my sins pardoned Thirdly If your sins be forgiven you this will be a great support strength It will be â— great support in all times and occurrences whatsoever In times of outward wants relief upholdment unto you in all occurrences whaâ—soever and in all times whatsoever 1. In times of outward wants and straits as Lactantius said of Lazarus he was sine domo but not sine Domino sine veste but not sine Fide sine cibo but not sine Christo The like may we say of the pardoned person he may be without money but not without mercy he may be without friends but he is not without a Father he may be without outward mercies but he is not without the God of mercies his body may want riches but his soul is not without forgiveness God is his forgiving God and his reconciling God and his blessed God and portion for ever and ever 2. In time of outward troubles when all the world is in combustion and distraction and there is no rest nor peace to be found amongst men why then can the pardoned sinner find rest and peace peace in his God and peace in his In time of outward troubles Christ and peace in his conscience my sins are pardoned it is God that justifies me he is at peace with me and I am so with him and therefore I can rejoyce in tribulation it self 3. In times of losses and trials God hath taken away this friend and that parent this childe and that comfort but he hath not taken away his loving-kindness In times of losses and â—ryals from me 'T is but a cross 't is not a curse 't is but a refining fire 't is not a consuming fire 't is but the rod of Father 't is not the word of a Judge 't is to heal and pacifie 't is not to harden and destroy 't is but the physick of love 't is not the sting of wrath for if sins be pardoned then enjoyments are from love and then losses are from love If God gives that is in mercy if God takes away that also is in mercy O Sirs a loss a cross sits heavily on the heart when the guilt of sin sits strongly on the conscience but if the guilt be taken off there as certainly it is upon the forgiveness of sins then may a man take up the cross and kiss it then may he stoop down and bear it then may he take in a mercy and rejoyce and then can he give back a mercy and bless that God who hath given and now hath taken c. 4. In times of sickness and death when all the world is leaving of us and when we are leaving all the world and the short minute of time is expiring In times of sickness and death and the larger date of eternity is appearing when Physitians say there is no hope and friends are taking their farewel for ever and no earthy thing can be of comfort or relief O then the fiduciary apprehension of a reconciling Christ and of a reconciled God and of all our sins as pardoned why this revives this stays this chears up our spirits this is better than life this is life in death Now let thy servant depart in peace said Simeon for mine eyes have seen thy salvation now let me dye and go to my God and Father it is certain that that man may look on death with joy who can look on Christ and the forgiveness of his sins with faith 5. In times of temptations How many temptations are answered if once our sins are pardoned In times of temptationâ— 1. God will damn thee for thy sins O no he hath pardoned my sins and therefore he will not damn me for them 2. But do not thy sins deserve hell and damnation they do so but God hath forgiven according to the riches of his grace in the blood of Christ 3. But thinkest thou
that God will not one time or another remember thy sins and judge thee for them O no he saith that he will forgive iniquity and remember my sin no more 4. But dost thou not see that he remembers thy sins when his hand lies now so heavy upon thee O no this is no judicial remembrance but a paternal chastisement 5. But certainly God loves thee not nay if he had not loved me freely he would never have justified me freely 6. But thou hast nothing to do with Christ nor ever shalt thou have benefit by Christ Why this is strange that my sins are forgiven me for his Names sake yet that I should have no part in Christ and no benefit by Christ 7. But God is still displeased and angry with thee No for he hath taken away iniquity and therefore his anger is turned away from me 8. But God will not hear any prayer which thou makest nor mayst thou be admitted into any communion with him O but this is false for God himself hath said 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my people shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sins and will heal their Land Ver. 15. And mine eyes shall be open and mine ears attend unto the prayer that is made in this place 9. But what good will the pardon of thy sins do thee as long as thy sins rule and prevail over thee O but that God who pardoneth iniquity saith also that he will subdue our iniquities Micah 7. 18 19. 10. But I can and will charge thy sins upon thee and condemn thee for them O but what hast thou to do to charge sins when God hath discharged sins and what hast thou to do to condemn me if God hath forgiven me Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth Ver. 14. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed SECT VIII Vse 4 DOth the promise of forgiveness belong unto all that are in Covenant with God The last Use then shall be for Instruction unto all the people of God Instruction Duties of such whose sins are forgiven Bless much whose sins God himself hath forgiven There are five duties which do in a special manner take hold of you First Bless much How should the heart be filled with the praises of so good a God and be enlarged in the blessings of him Psal 103. 1. Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name Ver. 2. Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Ver. 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities Beloved 1. Set this mercy in comparison with other mercies and if you finde just cause to bless God for them surely you will finde more cause to bless God for this forgiving mercy You many times bless God for delivering your life from death and have you not more reason to bless God for delivering your souls from hell You many times bless God for delivering your bodies from pains and aches and have you not more reason to bless God for delivering your conscience from wrath and terror You many times bless God for a blessing which is but for a time and but for this life and have you not more reason to bless God for this blessing of forgiveness which reaches to eternity and unto everlasting life You bless God many times for peace with man and have you not more reason to bless God for peace with God Being justified by faith we have peace with God c. Rom. 5. 1. You bless God many times that all is well on earth and no cross befalls you have you not more reason to bless God that all is well at heaven and that no curse shall ever befall you You many times bless God that differences and suits are taken up between you and men so that you shall never be troubled and punished by men and have you not more cause to bless God that all differences are taken off betwixt you and God so that you shall never be questioned nor be damned by him 2. Set the unpardoned sinners condition and your pardoned condition together How cursed a condition that is and how blessed a condition this is and tell me then whether you have not great reason to bless your God When a sinner lives and dies an unpardoned sinner he lives under wrath and dies under wrath he lives an enemy to God he is a Christless person and an hopeless person all his transgressions stand upon Record and in their full power of guilt against his soul and all that curse and punishment which God hath threatned and which all his sins have deserved they shall certainly and perfectly and eternally be inflicted upon him God will question him and convince him and judge him and damn him and none shall ever be able to deliver him or help him he shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord c. Now all this would have been the portion of your cup had not the Lord in much mercy pardoned your iniquities and your sins for your sins were of the same kind and of the same guilt and of the same desert as the sins of others yet they are condemned and you are pardoned They dye and you live wrath is inflicted on them but mercy is bestowed on you they shall never see Heaven and you shall never see Hell they shall be damned for ever and you shall be saved for ever they have no reason to complain because the righteous God doth punish them only for their sins and you have reason to blesse because the gracious God hath mercifully prdoned your sins for his own sake Secondly Love much Love your God much who hath forgiven you much Love much He frankly forgave them both tell me therefore which of them will love him most Luke 7. 42. 47. There are six Reasons why we should love God 1. Because he is good 2. Because he doth us good 3. Because he loves us 1 Joh. 4. 19. We love him because he loved us 4. Because he sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our sinnes 1 Joh. 4. 10. 5. Because he hath provided and promised a Kingdom to them that love him Jam. 1. 12. 6. Because he hath forgiven us our sinnes and that freely when we deserved it not nay when we deserved the contrary O how should this God be loved by you who alone share in his love in his Christ in his forgiving mercy how should your hearts be endeared unto him be knitted unto him be taken and affected with him The Schoolmen do distinguish of a twofold love Amor gratuitus such a love was Gods love to us in the forgiving of our sins Having forgiven you Col. 2. 13. the word signifies freely or graciously forgiven you all trespasses and Amor debitus such a love we do owe to God who doth
forgive us all love all kindes of true love and all degrees of true love First A love of desire our souls should long after him Psal 73. 25. Secondly A love of delight our souls should take their fill of contentmtent and satisfaction in him Thirdly A love of extasy wondering and admiring at this great love and rich mercy of God towards us Who is a God like unto thee who pardoneth iniquity Mich. 7. 18. But I obtained mercy I said Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13. Fourthly A love of similitude Forgiving one another as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Ephes 4. 32. shall we be so hardened to others when God is so tender to us Fifthly And a love of zeale in promoting what God loves and doth respect his honour and in removing what God hates and makes for his dishonour Sixthly A love of friendship to have our hearts knit unto him and bound unto him in an everlasting Covenant Thirdly Fear much They shall fear the Lord and his goodness Hos 3. 5. There Fear much is forgivenesse with thee that that thou mayest be feared Psal 130. 4. He will speak peace to his people and to his Saints but let them not turn again to folly Psal 85. 8. No man should have a more tender Conscience than he who hath gained a pacified Conscience None more feare to commit sin than he whose sins God hath remitted though God can multiply pardons yet it is not good nor safe for you to put him to it It is the right and proper improving of forgiveness of sins to watch our hearts and to take heed that we sin no more It argues a profaneness of heart to sin because God is merciful so it argues a most wicked heart to sin after God hath shewen mercy in the forgiving of sins Is forgiveness of sins so cheap and ordinary that you will again venture to sin Did it cost Jesus Christ his precious blood to purchase the forgiveness of sins and wilt thou as it were crucifie him again to procure thee another pardon Did it cost thee so many troubles of heart and confession and supplication to gain forgiveness of former sins and wilt thou break thy bones again that mercy may set them again did God shew unto thee such riches of grace after all the evil thou hadst committed to discharge thee to be reconciled unto thee to quiet and pacifie thy Conscience to passe by all and wilt thou now break the Laws of Love and Bonds of Friendship to sin and provoke a pardoning and a kind God Fourthly Improve much this singular mercy that ye are within the promise Improve much of the forgiveness of your sins Improve this four wayes 1. As to what depends upon it 2. As to what accompanies it 3. As to what may still preserve you in the sweet and comfortable fruition of it 4. As to what you may conclude from it both à parte Ante a parte Post First Improve it as to all the fruits which do depend upon it and flow from it Our justification or remission of sins is a Root which bears very precious fruit Improve it as to all the fruits which depend upon it and a Fountain from which do flow many sweet streams Thence ariseth all the peace in Conscience thence ariseth all the transcendent joy of the heart thence ariseth all the hope of the soul thence ariseth your great confidence in your communion with God Peace in Conscience depends on peace with God which certainly you have when God forgives your sins And therefore beseech the Lord to speak this peace unto you O Lord thou sayest in thy promise unto me thy sins are forgiven now I beseech thee say unto my Conscience Go in peace live in peace peace be unto thee in forgiving thou respectest thy glory and my comfort say unto my Conscience Neither trouble nor be troubled more let me know that I have found grace in thine eyes let grace and peace come from thee Joy of heart this also springs from forgiveness of sins received by Faith A condemned Malefactor hath no cause to joy but the pardoned sinner hath Rom. 5. 11. We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the attonement Psal 51. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Sin brake his bones his strength his comfort his joyes and the forgiveness of sin the news of that the hearing of that the knowledge of that would be a ground of joy and gladness to him O thou pardoned sinner why dost thou walk so heavily so dejectedly so pensively so unchearfully is not the promise of forgiveness of thy sins clear and open to thee and should not a forgiven sinner rejoyce God rejoyceth when he shews us mercy and should not we rejoyce when we receive mercy Indeed when we seek for pardoning mercy we should seek it with tears but when we have found mercy we should go home with joy Beloved pardoned sinners may rejoyce and should rejoyce In whom after ye believed ye rejoyced with joy unspeakable and full of glory â— Pet. 1. 8. Should not the forgiveness of of sins a passing from death to life from wrath to love from hell to heaven and the enjoying of God as our God and as our Friend and as our Father are not here causes good enough sufficient to â—ejoyce in the Lord Therefore in the times of your sadness chear your hearts and expostulate with your hearts why are you thus cast down and why walk you thus heavily what God your God! what Christ your Christ and all your sins freely forgiven and out of all danger and within all hopes and yet be so heavy c. Secondly Improve the forgivenesse of sins as to what accompanies a forgiven Improve it as to what accompanies a pardoned condition condition Beloved forgiveness of sins never goes alone in promise nor in participation you shall find the great Covenant of gifts linked together in promise and they are joyntly desired by the people of God a false heart is only for pardon do you not find the new heart and the new Spirit and the soft heart and the obedient heart all conjoyned with this promise of forgiveness Ezek. 36. 25 26. O then rest not here saying My sins are pardoned but press the other promises there of sanctification O Lord subdue mine iniquities as well as forgive iniquities thou hast given me mercy O give me grace thou hast broken my fetters O heal my diseases thou hast covered my sins O turn my sinful soul enable me to bring thee glory by holy walking seeing thou hast graciously pardoned the wickedness of my former living Thirdly Improve the forgiveness of your sins as to what may still preserve you in Improve it as to what may still preserves you in the comfortable fruition of it the sweet and comfortable fruition of it Though one cannot lose the forgiveness which God hath
given him yet he may lose the comfortable sight and feeling of it either by some great transgression or by his pride or by his covetousness c. O but do not lose the hive which hath so much honey by all means so preserve this favour and this mercy that still you may fetch joy and comfort and support from it and therefore when you have attained unto the forgiveness of your sins learn then 1. To walk humbly with your forgiving and reconciled God the more is forgiven the more cause of humility confessing still your unworthiness of so great a mercy and that God did forgive your sins not for your sake but for his own Name sake be not lifted up at all but remember still your own sins which God hath forgiven as Paul did and upon what gracious terms God forgave you Who am I said David I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies said Jacob. 2. To walk exactly before your forgiving God David saith in Psal 32. 1. Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven Psal 32. 1 2. Blessed is the man in whose Spirit there is no guile and Psal 119. 1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the way of the Lord. Ver. 3. They do no iniquity they walk in his wayes O that my wayes were so directed that I might keep thy statutes 3. To walk stedfastly with so good a God O that we could but attain one thing viz. to keep up that frame of spirit and that path or practice of walking which we found in our selves when God was pleased to let into our hearts the news that our sins were forgiven and that we could still continue so to walk with that thankfulness with that humbleness with that tenderness with that delightfulness with that enlargement then would our Sun still shine with strength then would our forgiveness still appear in sight and would afford unto us a long harvest of joyes and living springs of lastâ—ng comfort Fourthly Improve the forgiveness of your sins so as to be able in your distresses Improve it in distresses and tryals to draw comfortable conclusions from it and tryals to draw out and maintain such Conclusions every way as that mercy is a ground and Foundation for Quest You will say What might one conclude from this that God hath forgiven his sins Sol. I will mention some Conclusions which may infallibly be drawn from it viz. First You may conclude the seasonable enjoyment of lesser mercies because God hath forgiven your sins which is the greater mercy if he fulfils his promise in the As The seasonable enjoyment of lesser mercies greatest blessings surely he will not fail you in the least blessings as the Apostle argued He that spared not his own Son but delivered him to death for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things Rom. 8. 32. So say I hath the Lord freely pardoned thy sins questionless he will freely give thee other things will he deny thee food and rayment who hath given thee Christ and forgiveness if his love extend to the greatest of mercies will it fail and fly off for the least of mercies Secondly You may conclude that certainly you are his people and that the Lord That you are Gods people and he is your God is your God that you do stand in a near Relation unto him and that he stands in a near Relation unto you why so because forgivenesse of sins is the portion only of the people of God of such who are in Covenant with him A Prince may forgive a Malefactor and yet there be no Covenant between them But God forgives none unless such as are first in Christ and by Christ are in his Covenant of mercy and peace Thirdly You may conclude that in all your changes and losses certainly you are That you are still under grace and love still under grace and love that the Lord hath set his love upon you that his favour is towards you Because forgiveness of sins is an act of special grace and favour and no man is forgiven but the Lord doth love him with an exceeding great love in and by Christ Object I but I am chastened and afflicted Sol. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth Heb. 12. 6. Fourthly You may conclude certainly that God is reconciled and that his wrath is off and shall never redound unto you and that the accusation and condemnation God is reconciled of the Law are stopt and superseaded c. Fifthly You may conclude that at length your souls shall go to heaven for your And you shall be saved sins are for that end forgiven that you might be brought to glory c. Fifthly Having your sins pardoned in Gods promise rest not untill you have got the notice and assurance of this in your own hearts and consciences Here let me Rest not till you have got the assurance of your pardon God doth sometimes pardon sin and not give the assurance of it speak briefly unto two things First That God doth sometimes pardon sins and yet doth not presently notifie or make the same manifest or evident unto the person pardoned no not though he truely repents As it is clear in David whose sin God did put away and yet it was a long time before David could get the evidence and assurance thereof in his own heart I grant that upon true repentance sin is forgiven and it is as true that sin may be forgiven and yet the forgiven sinner not be assured thereof Whether the Reasons of this may be 1. Because the manifestation of pardon to us is a meer act of grace and divine liberty 2. Or because God would teach us hereby that it is not so easy a matter to get the voice of joy after we have sinned and provoked him and should therefore fear to â—n any more 3. Or thirdly because it is so difficult to believe the forgiveness of sins though promised by God himself when the Conscience hath been previously troubled for sin c. Secondly That the assurance of our own hearts and consciences that God hath pardoned oer sinnes is a mercy much to be desired and would be of great advantage Yet it is a mercy much to be desired and of great advantage for our Setling Satisfying to pardoned sinners For 1. This would exceedingly settle our hearts and put an end to all our hard suspicions and fears and jealousies 2. This would abundantly satisfie the longing desires of our soules to see our great discharge and relief and acquittance under the hand and seale of God Returne O my soule unto thy rest for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee 3. This would admirably enlarge our hearts in the praises of mercy Psal 103. 1 2. Enlarging 4. This would wonderfully inflame our hearts in the love of God the sense of love begets love 1 Joh. 4. 19. We love him because he loved us Loving first 5.
Here take notice of five particulars 1. God will shew unto his people the riches of his mercy and the exceeding riches of his grace even those hidden and unsearchable Treasures of his loving kindness God will shew his people the riches of his mercy such as infinitely excâ—ed all the mercies and all the kindness of men not only for acting but also for thinking and comprehending Ephes 2. 7. That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in kindnesse towarâ—s us through Jesus Christ Chap. 3. 30. To him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we are able to ask or think c. Now although the pardon of sin doth assure us that God hath mercy and grace yet it must be the pardon of all our sins which doth demonstrate the exceeding riches of his grace To pardon a few sins and to damn us for the rest this is not exceeding riches of grace nor exceeding abundance of mercy nor exceeding great kindness 2. The Reasons within God himself yea and the Reason without God are both of The reasons within God and without him are of an universal obligation them of an universal and total obligation from God to pardon all the sins of his people as well as any one of their sins The Reason within God himself which moves him to forgive the sins of his people is his own love and grace they are a ground of perfect mercy and forgiveness Now the same love and grace which moveth him to pardon one doth likewise move him to pardon all the sins of his people Again the Reason of forgiveness without God which is the meritorious sufferings of Christ on which God also looks for he forgives us for Christs sake Ephes 4. 32. this is an universal motive for Christ did not suffer for some of the sins of the Elect and not for other of their sins he did not dye for some of the gâ—eater sins only or for some of the lesser sins only but for all and every one of their sins and accordingly made such a satisfaction as reached to the discharge of all 3. This must necessarily be granted that when God forgives the sins of his Whose sins God forgives he becomes their friend people he doth then shew so much of his grace that he now becomes their friend and so much of his love towards them that he ceaseth to be their enemy O but if all their sins were not forgiven but if some were and some were not then this inequality of his grace and partiality of his love would at the same time set him out as our friend and also as our enemy and would also at the same time set us forth as a people of love and a people of hatred so far as we are forgiven there you see the love of a Father and so far as we are not forgiven we may also see the wrath of a Judge 4. He qualifies his people for an universal remission of their sins in bestowing on them such gracious qualities upon the presence and actings whereof he hath He qualifies his people for an universal remission by promise assured them of that universal Remission For he hath given such a Repentance by which their hearts are turned from the love unto the hatred of all sin and from the service of all sin to a contrary course of new obedience And upon this doth God expresly settle a forgiveness of all sin Ezek. 18. 21 22. He hath likewise given such a Faith unto his people which joynes and unites them to Christ and consequently gives them a full claim unto Justification Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by Faith Now Justification is opposed to condemnation Rom. 8. 33 34. and therefore it carries with it the forgivenesse of all sins 5. There is such a Relation and such a love between God and his people as The relation and love betwixt God and his people proves it must necessarily take in the forgivenesse of their sins The relation is very near and full of love and delight in his people and they are very dear unto his heart his soul delighteth in them and all the tokens of his loving kindness are sent unto them and bestowed on them his presence is with them and he takes up his habitation in their hearts he dwells in them they are his Temples where they meet with him and he with them Now none of these would be if yet any of their sins stood before his eyes as unpardoned For unpardoned sins make a separation and distance and so are contrary to the nearness of union and likewise do hold up a difference and an enmity and so the contrary to all gracious communion Thirdly A third Argument which may demonstrate that the forgiveness of sins is univesal it is of all sins to the people of God is this viz. The consideration From the gracious effects of forgivenesse of sins of forgivenesse of sinnes as a sure ground of many precious effects redowning thereby unto the people of God The Scripture delivers five of them unto us 1. One is Peace with God Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by Faith we have peace with God 2. Another is Peace in Conscience which if I mistake not the Apostle calls the peace of God which passeth all understanding Phil. 4. 7. and Psal 85. 8. He will speak peace unto his people c. 3. A third is Joy and rejoycing We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ having now received the attonement Rom. 5. 11. 4. A fourth is the hope of glory The Apostle delivers this as the proper effect of our justification Rom. 5. 1 2. 5. A fifth is a boldnesse of accesse unto the throne of grace that we may finde grace and mercy to help in time of need Heb. 4. 16. Which of these fruits could any of the people of God enjoy were not all their sins forgiven Did any of their sins yet stand upon Record did God yet hold them guilty 1. Ye could not say that ye have peace with God for God is not at peace with you nor are ye at peace with him whiles enmity continues between you and so it doth whiles any sinne remaines unpardoned Note 2. Nor can you have any peace in Conscience In three cases Conscience cannot be quieted 1. When it sees no forgiveness at all 2ly When it fears it is such a forgiveness as God will quickly recall and reverse And 3ly When it sees only a part of the debt forgiven but much or some of it still standing upon the accompâ— O but saith Conscience your condition is sad and unsafe any one of these sins yet unforgiven will lose your soul will bring you to hell 3. And what joy can you have from a partial forgiveness only suppose the Malefactor be pardoned as to his theft if yet he shall be tried and condemned and executed for murther what joy can he have Simile so if God should pardon some
forgiveness of any sin old or new but do urge Repentance in relation to forgiveness upon those very accounts which as they The grounds for it conceive the Scripture promises of forgiveness do require Now the Arguments produced for this opinion that God doth not pardon all sins past present and to come at once and together are these First Those very Covenant expressions respecting the pardon of sin which the former Opinion used to the contrary e. g. Heb. 8. 12. Their iniquities I will remember no more Not to remember iniquity any more doth say they in common sense suppose say they that that iniquity was before for if it never yet was it cannot be said to be remembred at all nor to be remembred any more So that passage in Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity and Jer. 33. 8 I will pardon all their iniquities do suppose an iniquity or offence committed For if it be not yet committed how can it be properly said to be forgiven unless as Bishop Downham saith we will make God like the Pope who aforehand forgave sins Of the Coven Ch. 8 p. 119. to come which never yet were committed So Isa 43. 25. I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions where pardoning of sins is compared to the blotting out of debts entred into a book But say they debts which as yet never were made may not be entered into the book and therefore cannot be said to be blotted out and consequently sins yet to come cannot be said already to be pardoned Secondly other Sriptures purposely speaking of the forgiveness of sins have a restrainedness unto sins committed and look only at them Jer. 33. 8. I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me Mark have sinned and have transgressed respecting the sins past not what they shall commit which if already forgiven must have come in also which they have sinned and which they shall sin Ezek. 18. 22. All the transgressions that he hath committed shall not be mentioned unto him 1 Joh. 2. 1. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Here Christ makes intercession for sin as an Advocate but it is upon this supposition if any man sin as if sin must be committed before he makes Intercession for their pardon of it As in the Old Testament there were no sacrifices for any future sin but all the sacrifices for sin were for sins already committed so c. Thirdly These conditional qualifications which God himself makes with respect to the forgiveness of sins and therefore I wonder how any one dare to call them Popish and Antichristian they do necessarily suppose a precedent Commission of sins vide 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my people which were called by my Name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked wayes then will I forgive their sinne 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive our sins Prov. 28. 13. He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall finde mercy Acts 3. 19 Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Mark if my people shall humble themselves if they shall pray if they shall tuâ—n from their wicked wayes If we confess our sins c. All these penitential Qualifications which God makes Antecedents unto forgiveness do suppose a peculiar respect unto sins already committed for doth God put us to humble our hearts for sâ—n which we never yet committed or for sins only which we have committed doth God put it upon us to pray for mercy to pardon sins which never were or sins which have been would he have us to confess these sins which never yet were in being to offend him or only such whereby we have offended him doth he at any time enjoyn us to forsake and turn from sins which perhaps we never thought on much less actually fell into or else the sin in which we have walked and into which we have fallen Why then say they if these be required for forgiveness and these respect sins only that are past then all sins past present and to come are not pardoned at once Fourthly If all sins past present and to come are forgiven at once unto believers then no believer is to pray unto God for the forgiveness of any sin which he commits after he is once brought in to Christ yet Jesus Christ doth teach even believers to pray Forgive us our trespasses Matth. 6. 12. Luke 11. 4. For he teacheth them thus to pray who could upon good grounds call God their Father which none can but true Believers Here some do think to evade the strength of this Argument by distinguishing 'twixt pardon of sin and the manifestation of that pardon unto the soule They grant that Believers do pray for the pardon of their sins committed in respect of the manifestation thereof unto their consciences but not for any new act of remission as unto sin committed before God Unto which there is a double Reply 1. One that it cannot easily be demonstrated in Scripture that to pray for the forgiveness of sin is any where so to be taken as to mean only the manifestation of forgiveness and not the act of forgiveness And in the Petition before mentioned it seems it cannot hold For Christ teacheth us to pray unto God Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us now our forgiving of their trespasses is not only in way of manifestation to the trespasser but also in a real precedent act of condonation 2. The other is that the Saints in Scripture when they sinned against God did humbly acknowledge their sins and did earnestly pray unto God first for the pardon of those sins and next for the manifestation of that pardon e. g. David in Psal 51. 1. prayes expresly for the pardon of those great sins which he had committed Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving-kindness according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions He useth the very same Phrase which God himself useth in his Covenant for the actual fogiving of sins I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions Isa 43. 25. so he blotteth out my transgressions and not for a meer manifestation only And after this he prayes for the manifestation and sense of the forgiveness of his sins in ver 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Fifthly It is possible that a believing person may fall into such a sin or sins of scandal for which he may be justly cast out from the visible Church and upon his neglect of Repentance or practice of Repentance he stands bound or loosed from his sin not only in earth but also in heaven for so Christ himself delivers it to us in Matth. 18. 18. Verily I say unto you whatsoever you shall binde on earth shall be bound in heaven and
Saints all along 5. And it seems to be a strong Guard against presumption and carnal security and looseness 6. And hath no direct natural appearance of inconveniencies in or from it Object Whereas they say this is Popish and Legal Sol. They speak ignorantly if not maliciously for they know that Jesus Christ in the Gospel-Commission joyned Repentance and Remission of sins It is as Popish to say Repentance is required for Assurance as for Remission for both are acts of grace Object But what if one should die before he repents Sol. And what if he should not dye That God who hath promised renewing mercy hath likewise promised renewed repentance Object But a man may be damned for the sinnes committed if all be not forgiven at once Sol. 1. As if a particular sin destroyed the state of Justification 2. What a sin deserves is one thing what it shall redundantly and eventually bring on the person is another thing 3. Though God doth not forgive all the sins at once yet he will certainly forgive them unto his people when committed and when repented of for God hath promised so to pardon them And no one promise of God can be shewed to the contrary It was Fulgentius his prayer Domine da poenitentiam postea indulgentiam Object But God justifies the ungodly therefore no need of subsequent repentance in relation to forgivenesse Sol. 1. Nay and put in too any Repentance or Faith at all for God justifies the ungodly 2. But he justifies the ungodly i. e. a man stands before God when he justifies him as a poor undone sinner having no righteousness of his own nor is Repentance required as the meritorious or as the material cause of Justification but as a meanes to enjoy what God hath pâ—omised to the believer Having thus waded through this great Controversie I shall now proceed unto the useful Application of the Doctrine That God doth promise to forgive all the sins of his people SECT III. Use 1. THe first Vse shall be of Information It may informe us of five Information things 1. Of that exceeding greatness of mercy which is in God 2. Of that exceeding love and kindness which is in God unto his people 3. Of what a heavy weight did lie upon Jesus Christ 4. Of the high Obligations which rest upon us who do enjoy this promise of universal forgiveness 5. Then multitude of sinnes is not absolutely inconsistent with pardon First In that God engageth himself by promise to forgive all the sins of all That God is a God of infinite mercy his people This doth manifestly declare unto us that he is a God of infinite mercy must he not needs be so who forgives such a number of sins and transgressions There are two things which discover unto us the infinite fulness and depth of mercy in God One is that vast Title attributed unto him and his mercy He is said to be of great mercy Psal 105. 8. and to be rich in mercy Ephes 2. 4. and to be plenteous in mercy Psal 86. 15. and to pardon abundantly Isa 55. 7. 1 Pet. 1 3. according to his abundant mercy and to keep mercy for thousands Exod. 34. 7. and to be of everlasting mercy Psal 100. 5. and to be of transcendent and incomparable mercy As the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him Psal 103. 11. In like manner there are ascribed to his mercy and mercies a multitude Psal 51. 1. According to the multitude of thy tender mercies A depth Mich. 7. 19. Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the sea Not only an abundance but an exceeding abundance 1 Tim. 1. 14. The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant Nay an over abundance where sin abounded grace did much more abound Rom. 5. 23. It did superabound c. 2ly The other is the vast quantity of sinnes of which the people of God have been guilty Who saith David Psal 19. 12. can understand his errors i. e. the number of a mans sins is so numerous that with all the Arithmetick he hath he is not able to cast up how often he hath sinned Nay David surveying the number of his own sins he is non-plused and professeth that they are innumerable and that they are more than the hairs of his head Psal 40. 12. And Ezra in his confession Chap. 9. 6. Our iniquities are increased over our heads and our trespasse is grown up into the heavens Now if the number of sins in respect of one person be so innumerable what then is the number of all the sins of all the people of God yet there is mercy enough in God to pardon all and every one of them To pardon â—â— their sinnes which they do know and all the rest which they do not know Secondly In that God doth pardon all the sins of all his people this doth likewise discover the exceeding love and kindnesse of God to his people The Apostle The exceeding love and kindness of God to his people saith in 1 Pet. 4. 8. That Charity or love covereth a multitude of sinnes and that he that converts a sinner shall hide a multitude of sins Jam. 5. 20. Certainly then it shews exceeding love in God to cover to blot out to forget to passe over to pardon all the multitude of sins in his own people To injure God is infinitely more than to injure man to offend and dishonour him is infinitely more than to offend and dishonour man and for God to passe by all this it must needs flow from his infinite love and kindness and therefore God is said Rom. 5. 8. To commend or highly to exalt his love toward us in that whiles we were yet sinners Christ died for us and to shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 7. And the forgivenesse of our sins is rightly attributed to the riches of his grace Eâ—â—es 1. 7. Thirdly in that God forgives all the sins of all his people this may inform us What a heavy weight did lie upon Christ What an heavy weight did lie upon Jesus Christ and of that wonderful power and vertue of his sufferings There is no man who is able to express the surpassing desert and burden in any one particular sin we finde many times that some one sin set on with the wrath of God doth drive us to our feet it is more unto us than the shadows of death it doth fill us with such distractions and horror that we can neither live nor dye we are not able to sustain it nor yet to decline it what work then would all our sins make within us if the Lord should in wrath return them upon us Now all the sins of all the people of God from the beginning of the world to the end thereof were in all their kinds and numbers and aggravations laid upon Jesus Christ he bare all our
sins he was made sin for us and a curse for us How heavy was this burden all the sins of all the Elect at once lying upon him and all the curse and all the wrath due unto those sins at once also lying upon him no marvel that he did sweat drops of blood and cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And yet all this he went through and so endured as that he satisfied the very Justice of God for all these sins and purchased the discharge or forgiveness of all those sins which he could never have done had he not been both God and Man and of infinite dignity and merit and power Fourthly This likewise may inform the people of God what exceeding Obligations What Obligations he upon us unto our God do lie upon their soules unto their God who forgiveth all their iniquities transgrâ—ssions and sinnes Psal 103. 2. When some few of them heretofore fell into your Consciences you would have given if you had possessed it all the world to have gained but a hopefull possibility and probability of pardoning mercy but now you are come to a certainty the Lord himself assures you in his word of promise that he will forgive not a few sins only but all your sins O beloved how should your souls love your God and bless your God who forgives all your sins and casts them all into the depths of the Sea why every one of your sins would have been the loss of heaven and a curse and an hell and a damnation and an eternal wrath unto you had not the Lord been mercifull unto you in the forgiveness of it or them But now God will discharge you of all and blot out all so that damned you cannot be and saved you shall be O the depth of love and mercy and kindness to your souls meditate more of them be taken up more with them and as you are the only objects of riches of mercy so strive to express your selves the choisest people in exactness of love and life answerable to your mercy Fifthly This that God promiseth to pardon all the sins of all his people may A multitude of sins is not inconsistent with pardoning mercy likewise inform us that no not a mltitude of sins though the number be exceedind large and exceedingly increased Is allwayes an absolute prejudice or bar or inconsistent with pardoning mercy this consequence is clear and sound for if God will pardon all the sins of all his people and their sins are multitudes of sins and in some sort innumerable then certainly a large number of sinnings is not absolutely inconsistent with forgiveness not that every one who is guilty of a number or multitude of sins is or shall be certainly forgiven but that the multitude of sins is not an absolute bar or exclusion so as to make the condition hopeless and unpardonable All manter of sin and blasphemy saith Christ shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men Matth. 12. 31. where he plainly expresseth a capability of forgiveness for any sin or sins the sin against the Holy Ghost only excepted which may be a singular preservation against despair c. SECT IV. Vse 2 DOth God promise to forgive all the sins of all his people the next Use shall be for Exhortation unto all the people of God and that unto two duties Exhort 1. To believe this truth 2. To make use of this truth First To believe this gracious promise of their God unto them As the Apostle To believe this truth spake unto them of Antioch Men and Brethren Children of the stock of Abraham and whosoever among you feareth God to you is the Word of this Salvation sent Acts 13. 26. so say I unto all of you who are brought into Christ by faith and by him are brought into Covenant with God unto you I say is this promise of mercy made I will pardon all your iniquities from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you For the better managing of this Point I will lay down four Conclusions 1. The people of God may believe this truth 2. Many times they do not believe it for themselves 3. It is very difficult in many cases to believe the same 4. It is necessary for them at all times to believe and apply it First The people of God may believe this truth that God will forgive all The people of God may believe this truth their sins they have very good ground and warrant so to do for 1. They have not meerly a single promise from God to this purpose which yet were sufficient warrant but manifold promises they have the same promise multiplied often transcribed and that not darkly and doubtfully but clearly and plainly Jer. 33. 8. Micah 7. 19 c. 2. They are the very people unto whom this renewed promise is made they are believers they are converted and renewed they have the very Characters of the Covenant stamped and sealed upon their hearts and lives 3. They have Jesus Christ 1. In his Person 2. Mediatorship 3. Purchase 4. Benefits to be their Mediator both of Redemption and Intercession who was once offered to bear the sins of many Hebr. 9. 28. and is entered into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Ver. 24. It is no more than Christ hath purchased nor than Christ will so apply unto you nor than God intended for you when he sent Christ into the world 4. What other of the people of God have found and applied that may they believe but Psal 85. 2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sin Selah Psal 103. 3. Who forgiveth all their iniquities this may they believe Secondly Though the people of God may believe that God will forgive all Yet many times they do not believe it their sins yet many times they do not believe it for many times 1. They do not believe lesser matters a few earthly mercies Matth. 6. 2. They cannot believe that God will forgive any one of their sinnes which they have committed but do fear the wrath of God exceedingly 3. They stick a long time upon some particular sins and are in long debates concerning the intention and will of Divine mercy as to the pardon of them yea and conclude very often that the Lord will never pass them by 4. Upon new commissions they are so far from believing their pardon that they do question whether God hath indeed pardoned their old and former transgrestions 5. They doubt and fear whether it be not presumption in them to believe the forgiveness of all their sins Thirdly It is unquestionably a very difficult matter for any one to believe It is a difficult matter to believe it that God will forgive all his sins especially when a person doth distinctly and seriously consider them in their number and
circumstances and the heart is really sensible of the injuries against God in them O how much oft-times hath he been provoked and dishonoured Psal 40. 12. Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold of me so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me Mark he is not able to look up and his heart faileth him O thinks he here is such a number of sins indeed will the Lord ever pardon all these I fear he will not I can hardly believe that he will There are three things which make it so difficult to believe that God will forgive all our sins 1. The weakness of faith which cannot presently apprehend and reach the heighth and depth and breadth and lenght of the love and mercy of God Simile a weak faith is like a weak eye which cannot behold the Sun in its glory so weak faith cannot so well behold God in the glorious manifestations of his exceedingly abundant grace but dazzles and doubts Is there such a treasury of mercies for a sinner is there enough in Christ for all these sins 2. The tenderness of conscience which being very sensible of a multitude of sins and feeling Gods displeasure and anger raiseth strong fears and exceptions against universal forgiveness of all our sins Shall I find mercy who do feel wrath Can I be perswaded that God will speak forgiveness to all my sins who do find him speaking such bitter things for some of my sins will he ever discharge me of all my sins who doth charge my sins with that strong displeasure upon my soul 3. The strong and manifold and subtile temptations and suggestions of Satan who knows how to heighten our sins and to diminish the mercies of God when he would bring us to despair as he doth know also how to diminish our sins and enlarge mercy when he would draw us to presumption O saith Satan here are such sins and here are so many of them that here is no hope at all for mercy the wrath of God you know is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and all unrighteousness of men Rom. 1. 18. For some of these sins hath God long since destroyed and damned multitudes of men What then will he do to you for all these sins here is sin upon sin and nothing but sin without any interruption and without any cessation for twenty thirty forty fifty years together are committed against many threatnings warnings examples punishments yea and against many calls of mercy and offers of grace which had they been accepted in time there might have been some hope but you went on and multiplied your transgressions against all these therefore for such a multitude of sins no mercy will be found 'T is true that God hath promised to pardon all the sins of his people but you are none of that number had you been so would you or durst you thus to have multiplied and increased your transgressions against such a God you would have repented long ago and besides all this think you that you should not have had news of forgiveness after so many tears and prayers and hearknings and waitings if God would have forgave those sins Fourthly Though it be very difficult to believe that God will forgive all our Yet it is very necessary to believe this promise sins yet it is very necessary to believe this promise of God and that upon a threefold account 1. The honour of God which is as much concerned in this Branch of the Covenant as in any other he doth lay forth in it as I hinted before the riches of his grace and the glory of his great goodness and his heart of mercies to the very full and besides this he seals this part of his Covenant with the same infallibility of truth and ratifies it with the same blood of Christ which though it respects the stablishing of the whole Covenant yet it is more frequently expressed to confirme the Branch of the forgiveness of sins as you may see in Mat. 26. 28. Ephes 1. 7. 1 John 1 7. Rev. 1. 5. c. that our faith might be the more strengthened and so give unto God the more glory in and for such a gracious truth And let me tell you one thing that what ground you have to believe that God will forgive you any one of your sins the very same you have to believe that he will forgive you all your sins and upon the same reason that you believe not the promise as to the forgiveness of all your sins upon the same reason you must deny belief of the promise as to the forgiveness of any one sin and so God lose all the glory of his rich mercies by your unbelief 2. The peace of your own consciences for suppose you did believe that God would forgive some of your sins but some others of your sins he would not forgive could this partial forgiveness settle and quiet your consciences would they not hold you under as much fear and bondage as if not one of your sins were forgiven surely it would because there is still in any unforgiven sins so much guilt and merit as will serve effectually to the everlasting destruction of your souls and bodies 3. The renewing of you again to repentance and bringing of you back again unto God for suppose you confine your faith to believe that God will pardon the sins which you have committed in time past and beyond this your faith will not stir tell me then I beseech you what will you do for the sins you have committed since conversion will you have them pardoned or will you not have them pardoned will you go on in them or will you forsake them will you still go away or will you return to your first husband surely you would have them pardoned surely you would renew repentance and return to the Lord your God but how can this be if you cannot or will not believe that God will forgive those sins as well as the former If you be perswaded that forgiving mercy is at an end and God hath no more mercy to forgive any more sins I dare assure you that where the hope of mercy ceaseth there the practice of repentance will cease But on the contrary when you can by faith see God willing and ready to pardon you and accept of you this will melt and this will move your hearts to repent and to return unto the Lord c. God hath yet thoughts of mercy towards me I will arise and go to my Father and say Father I have sinned against thee c. Secondly And this leads me unto the next Branch of the Exhortation which Make use of this truth is that we must not only believe that God will forgive us all our sins but we must make use of this truth in all our occasions What one day of our life have we not occasion to make use
thereof After conversion there are two sorts of sins incident unto us 1. Daily sins of ignorance and infirmity and they are so many that we know not the number of them yet all of them do need forgiving mercy 2. Voluntary sins and of a very gross and hainous nature which make a deep wound and raise an hideous cry in the conscience and shake all our foundations and lie as an heavy burden upon us and they do the more wound and afflict us because committed after mercy and against mercy Now in such a self-wounding and self-judging and self-humbling condition what should the ashamed and confounded sinner do why he should return speedily to his God and with tears and shame spread his sins before the Lord and acknowledge that he is unworthy of any more mercy and yet beseech the Lord to shew him mercy again who hath promised to forgive all the sins of his people and he should hearken what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people but let them return no more to folly Psal 85. 8. SECT V. Vse 3 THE third Use of this Point shall be partly of Comfort and partly of Encouragement First Of Comfort to all who are brought into Covenant with God especially Comfort to such as have stood out a long time and have abounded in transgressions who have made the very creature groan with the burden of their many sins why all these are forgiven as soon as God hath brought you into the Covenant Luke 7. 47. Her sins which are many are forgiven 1 Tim. 1. 13. Who was before a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy O what a day of salvation is the very day when God brings a man into Christ and into the Covenant all his enemies that pursued him are drowned not one of them is left so all his sins are forgiven and not one of them is alive to his condemnation Secondly Of Encouragement to come out of a sinful and unbelieving condition Encouragement and to yield up our selves to Christ and to be willing to become the people of God and to walk in his ways why all the sins that ever you have committeâ— shall be forgiven you they shall not be mentioned unto you your Drunkenness Swearing Whordome Theft Lying Sabbath-breakings all your sins of Omission and of Commission sins against the Law and sins against the Gospel sins that your own hearts can charge you with and that God himself can charge upon you all forgiven any one of them would damn you and now all shall be pardoned if you will hear and believe and repent c. Cast away all your transgressions repent return and live why will ye dye O house of Israel I offer to you life and death choose life Do not for lying vanities forsake your mercies A greater offer there cannot be than Christ nor motive than the pardon of all your sins EZEK 36. 25. From all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you HAving spoken somewhat unto the extensive part of promised forgiveness that it reacheth all the sins of all the people of God I now proceed unto the Intensive part of that promised The intensive part forgiveness which respects the greatness and hainousness of sin as well as the number and multitude of sins from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you whence you may observe CHAP. IV. Doctr. 2 THat although the sins of persons have been exceeding great yet when these persons become the people of God in Covenant even those sins also are forgiven them from all your filthiness and from all your Idols Great sins are forgiven to the people of God in Covenant will I cleanse you forgiveness reacheâ—â— to the greatest sins which the people of God have been guilty of this assertion 1. I shall clear from the Text it self 2. From other Scriptures Proved 3. Demonstrate by some Arguments and Reasons 4. And then apply it unto our selves SECT I. 1. THE Text clearly holds out the Assertion for God doth give here By the text instances of two great kinds of sins One against the second Table all your filthiness and the other against the first Table all your Idols in the one is implied the great injury done unto our Neighbour and in the other the great injure done unto God yet God promiseth to forgive both I will speak something of both these sins and something of the greatness of them both which yet God promiseth c. First From all your filthiness that word filthiness is sometimes taken What is meant by filthiness for any sin every sin is a pollution and uncleanness a filthiness therefore the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 7. 1. Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit there are bodily sins which the Apostle here calls the filthiness of our flesh and there are spiritual sins arising from and acted in the soul which the Apostle here calls the filthiness of the spirit Sometimes that word filthiness is taken restrictively for bodily pollution or uncleanness when the bodies of men and women are defiled and polluted and do defile and pollute themselves Several kinds of it Bestiality of which in Scripture you finde several sorts and kinds 1. Bestiality that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abomination not to be named it is confusion you read of this sin in Lev. 18. 23. and of the punishment of it with death Lev. 20. 15 16. 2. Sodomy of this horrid sin and the punishment thereof you read in Sodomy Lev. 20 13. This is not only a sin but also a recompence of other sins and for which God gives men over to a reprobate mind Rom. 1. 27 28. and for which he destroyed those five Cities with fire from heaven Gen. 19. 24 25. 3. Incest ubi servatur sexus sed non gradus it is the sin cum agnata Incest or cognata with a kinswoman of the fathers or the mothers side yea and with ones fathers wife see Lev. 20. 17. and with ones brothers wife 4. Fornication which is between single persons Fornication Adultery 5. Adultery which is uncleanness between persons married to others or when one of them is married to another and yet defileth himself with a stranger some of these sins of uncleanness are so horrid that they are said to be against nature yea against corrupt nature the very natural light in natural conscience condemns and opposes them and the rest of them as fornication and adultery the Scripture sets them out as very odious in the eyes of God and very foul transgressions and extreamly pernicious in them you may read ten things concerning Ten things concerning these â—hese sins First That they are the express fruits of a vile and naughty heart out of the heart proceedeth fornications adulteries saith Christ Matth. 15. 19. The works of the flesh are manifâ—â—â— which are
are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Secondly From all your Idols Having shewed the greatness of the sins of uncleanness I now proceed briefly to shew unto you the greatness of the sin of Idolatry the greatness of that sin Idolatry This people have sinned a great sin and have made them gods of gold Exod. 32. 31. And you shall find it very great First By Gods singular detestation and loathing of Idolatry and Idols Idols are frequently in Scripture called abominations 1 King 11. 5. Solomon went after By Gods singular detestation of it Milcom the abomination of the Amorites Verse 7. And he built an high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon Idolatries are called abominable Idolatries 1 Pet. 4. 3. which the Learned call Epithetum perpetuum non distinguens see Acts 15. 20. That they abstain from pollutions of Idols 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contaminations filthinesses defilements Therefore Idols are called dunghill-gods stinking filthy and defiling Secondly By Gods special warnings of his people against this sin of Idolatry Jer. 44. 4. Do not this abominable thing which I hate Deut. 18. 9. When thou art come By Gods special warnings into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee thou shalt not do after the abomination of these Nations Deut. 4. 23. Take heed unto your selves lest you forget the Covenant of the Lord your God which he made with you and make you a graven image the likenesse of any thing which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee 1 Cor. 10. 14. Flee from Idolatry 1 Joh. 5. 21. Keep your selves from Idols Thirdly By the grievous threatnings of Idolaters read at your leasure Deut 32. By grievous threatnings 15. He forsook God Ver. 16. they provoked him to jealousie with strange gods and ver 19. and when the Lord saw it be abhorred them and ver 20. and I will hide my face from you and ver 22. A fire is kindled in mine anger and shall burn to the lowest hell ver 23. I will heap mischief upon them and will spend my arrows upon them ver 24. they shall be burnt with thunder and devoured with burning heat and with bitter destruction ver 25. The sword without and terror within shall destroy c. Fourthly By the unparallel'd judgments on Idolaters God hath given the bill By unparalleld judgements on Idolaters of divorce and broken them in pieces and rooted them out of their dwelling places and scattered them over all the earth and persecuted them in his wrath untill he hath destroyed them from off the face of all the earth Fifthly And besides all this he hath shut the dore of heaven against Idolaters and threatens them with no less then hell and damnation and the lake that burns The dore of heaven is shut against them with fire and brimstone Sixthly But once more consider the nature or effect of this sin of Idolatry it is so every way contrary to Gods glory of which he is most tender Isa 48 11. The nature or effects of this sin and Isa 42. 8. and will not give it to graven images It is the changing of his glory They changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things Rom. 1. 23. and the sordid abasing of his glory to imagin any creature capable of that excellency and of that worship which belongeth to God and verily we do no less than make the creatures to be God when we do conferre on them that worship which is proper unto God or suppose such excellencies to be in them which are to be found only in God It is the exceeding provocation of God Hos 12. 14. Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly therefore he shall leave his bloud upon him Idolatry is therefore often called adultery and Idolaters are said to commit adultery with stocks and stones what greater offence and provocation in a wife than to forsake her husband and to play the adultress with strangers the Lord for this sin of Idolatry hath utterly forsaken people he would be their God no more nor would he own them for his people any longer Nevertheless though this sin of Idolatry is so exceedingly high and provoking yet God hath pardoned it unto his people He pardoned it to Abraham Solomon to all the Churches of the Gentiles to those of Rome to the Corinthians Ephesians Galatians Thus you see the Assertion evinced from the Text. Secondly I shall in the next place evince it from other places of Scripture that From other Scriptures God will forgive the greatest sinnes c. 1 Tim. 1. 13. Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy O what sins were these blasphemy persecution injuriousness even to banishment and death but I obtained mercy In Acts 3. 14. And ye denyed the Holy One and desired a murderer to be granted unto you ver 15. and killed the Prince of life yet Acts 44. Many of them which heard the Word believed and the number of men were about five thousand Isa 1. 18. Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red as Crimson they shall be as wooll Thirdly Let us see it further demonstrated by some Arguments Arguments to demonstrate it God is great in mercy 1. God is great in mercy Who is a strong God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the Remnant of his heritage Micah 7. 8. Grave est quod habeo sed ad Omnipotentem confugio said Austin Infinite mercy can forgive great iniquity 2. The satisfactions of Christ are great aad full so that by them grace did Christs satisfaction is great super abound He undertook the whole state of the sins of Gods people sins great and small many and few â—gnorance and knowledge all their iniquities and all their trespasses and all their transgressions and did satisfie the Justice of God fully and to the utmost so that in him there is plenteous Redemption The obedience of Christ is as much above our sins as his person is above our persons 3. When the Lord calls upon people to repent as therein he deals with them to leave and forsake all their sins great and small he excuses them in no one God calls us to repent of great sins and promiseth pardon sin but of all sinnes he presseth them to forsake their great sins so to draw and encourage them to this repentance he doth hold out his promise of pardon indefinitely of all their sins this Covenant makes no distinction at all twixt small and great God usually instances in the greatest sins 4. God by the Gospel gathers of all sorts into his kingdom The notorious God gathers all sorts of sinners sinners as well as the
away all grounds of despair from the hearts of his people There are but three principal grounds of despair God takes away the grounds of despair 1. O my sins are so many that there is no hope of mercy 2. O but my sins are so high and so great that God will never forgive them 3. O but though God can and will forgive many sins and great sins yet he will not forgive my great sins My sin said Cain is greater than shall be forgiven Gen. 4. Now God answers all these Arguments and Grounds of despair which possibly may arise in the hearts of his people For 1. He promiseth that he will forgive all their sins and will cast them also into the depth of the sea 2. He promiseth to forgive their great sins though they have been as scarlet and red like crimson and though adulterers and though idolaters c. 3. This promise he himself doth make with respect unto every one of their persons as you may see here in the Text and in other Scriptures So that there remains no ground at all of despair for them Indeed there may be matter enough for their humiliation but none for desperation SECT III. 2. Vse DOth God promise the forgiveness of all sins yea of the great sins of his people Then let all the people who are sensible of any great Make out for the pardon of great sins transgression speedily and seriously make out unto the Mercy-seat for the pardon of their great sins For the managing of this Use I will 1. Premise a few Conclusions 2. Lay down some Directions what is to be done to get the pardon of great sinnes 3. Discover some Signs and Evidences by which one may know that even his great sins are forgiven First The Conclusions which I would premise as Motives to get the forgiveness Conclusions premised of our great sins are thesâ— First Even the people of God may be guilty of great transgressions both before The people of God may be guilty of great sins their conversion and also after their conversion 1. Before their conversion scarce any of them but have been guilty whâ—â— soule sins were those Corinthians guilty of before God had called them by his grace even of drunkennesse and idolatries and adulteries and Sodomies and Paul himself who seemed so unblameable in his conversation yet what great sins stood he guilty of He was mad in persecuting the Saints he had his hand in the blood of Stephen he was consenting to his death nay the Lord Jesus Christ arested him and accused him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9. 4. Ephes 2. 3. Among whom also we had our conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind Titus 3. 3. We our selves were also foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hatefull and hating one another 2. After their conversion they have also been guilty of great sins Noah of drunkenness Gen. 9. 21. Lot of drunkenness and incest with his own daughters Gen. 19. 35 36. Solomon of abominable Idolatries 1 Kin. 11. 6 7. and David of adultery and murder 2 Sam. 11. 4. 12. 9. And a thousand to one but most of us have been guilty of some great sin or other either for the kind of it or for the circumstantial aggravations of it either of Omission or of Commission so that we all have cause to look after the forgiveness of great sins Secondly Their great sins do dishonor God as much nay more than the great sins of others 2 Sam. 12. 14. By this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies Their great sins dishonor God as much if not more than others of the Lord to blaspheme c. Rom. 2. 24. The Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you Yea they do exceedingly provoke God to withdraw his comfortable presence of joy from their spirits and to speak bitter things unto them and to correct them with a strong and exemplary chastisement and to suffer them to be buffeted by Satan with very heavy and distracting temptations upon this accout also they have reason to look after the forgivenesse of their great sins Thirdly Apprehensions of their great sins as unpardoned must needs fill their hearts with marvellous fears and their Consciences with unutterable unquietnesses The apprehension of these sins will fill their hearts with fears and burdens as in Davids roarings and his complaint of broken bones There is I think not any one person whose great sins have not at some time or other returned upon him and deeply wounded him Great sins of all other are certain terrors unto the Conscience and of all great sins these are so 1. The sins against nature 2. Those of grosse uncleanness 3. Those of blood and murder 4. Those of compact with the Divel 5. Those of blasphemy 6. Those against the workings of Conscience 7. Those against the Gospel 8. Presumptions 9. Relapses Any of these and any other great sins of which one hath been guilty they sit heavy upon the Conscience and do make dreadful work there and do often arise with exceeding terror and distraction so that the soul sinks under the guilt of them c. Fourthly There is nothing whatsoever which can allay and quiet Conscience troubled and troubling for the guilt of great sins but the presence or at least Nothing can allay those fears but the sense or hope of pardon the hope of forgiveness of them No earthly thing can quiet conscience in that condition David wanted not for them and yet he roared all the Day long and his bones waxed old and his moisture was turned into the drought of summer Psal 32. 34. Nay let me speak a bold word there is nothing in God which can do it but this merciful and gracious nature to forgive If the distressed sinner looks on his Justice he falls down confounded if he looks on his holiness O he is of purer eyes than to behold sinne if on his power O it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! Nothing but mercy answers this distress or gives ease to this pain and trouble Be mercifull unto me O God said David God be merciful to me a sinner said the Publican Take away iniquity said the Church Beloved In all sorts of distress there is but one thing which is a proper relief In sickness health is the only help in hunger bread is the only help in thirst water is the only help in pains ease is the only help and so under the guilt of sin mercy is the only help This is life this is deliverance this is all Fifthly Though your sins have been or are very great yet there is hope of mercy Though your sins be great yet there is hope of mercy and that for you which may appear briefly by four particulars 1. The promise of
God reaches as you have heard to the pardon of great sins 2. The instances or acts of mercy they are recorded grants of grace and mercy to great transgressions You know thus they have passed to David to Solomon to Mary Magdalen to Peter to Paul to the Corinthians As great sins as yours hath God pardoned yea and perhaps greater sins than yours 3. God is still of a merciful nature he is as able and as ready to forgive as ever the Fountain is as full and as open Although the Lord hath shewn mercy to many and great sinners already yet he reserves and keeps mercy for thousands nay for a thousand generations You are not the first great sinners nor yet the last great sinners on whom he hath or on whom he will shew mercy his mercy endures for ever 4. He calls upon such as have been guilty of great sins to leave their sins and to come in unto him and hath assured them that if they do so he will forgive their great sins Isa 1. 10. Hear the Word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodom and ye people of Gomorrah Ver. 15. Your hands are full of blood Ver. 16. Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings before mine eyes cease to do evil ver 17. learn to do well c. Ver. 18. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sinnes be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool Jer. 3. 1. They say If a man put away his wife and she go away from him and she become another mans shall he return again unto her shall not that Land be greatly polluted but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet return again unto me saith the Lord. Ver. 5. Will he reserve his anger for ever will he keep it to the end behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest Ver. 7. And I said after she had done all these things turn thou unto me but she returned not Ver. 12. Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am mercifull c. Secondly I now proceed to lay down some Directions what one should Directions how to get the pardon of great sins do who hath been guilty of great sins to get the pardon of them I will propose unto you no other Course or Practice than what you may read in the Scriptures that some have taken who have been guilty of great sins and have thereupon found mercy in the pardoning of them Quest What 's that will you say Sol. You shall find First That they have been greatly humbled and have greatly mourned for Be greatly humbled for them their great sinnings and then God did shew them mercy in the pardon of those sins Zach. 12. 11. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo Chap. 13. 1. In that day there shall be a Fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sinne and for uncleannesse Jer. 31. 19. I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Ver. 20. I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord Psal 6. 6. I am weary of my groaning all the night I make my bed to swim I water my Couch with my tears and you know the Lord forgave his great sins Luk. 7. 38. Mary Magdalen stood at the feet of Christ behind him weeping and began to wash his feet with tears Ver. 48. And he said unto her Thy sinnes are forgiven thee Peter went out and wept bitterly for his great sin and that sin was forgiven And Paul fell down and trembled for his great sins and they were pardoned In all these instances you see great mourning for great sins and gracious pardon for them Go you and doe likewise and you shall find friendship Secondly That they have cordially and really forsaken their great sinnes they durst not continue in them but have loathed themselves and their abominations Cordially forsake them and have cast them away Ezâ—a 9. 14. Should we again break thy Commandements and joyn with the people of these abominations Isa 30. 22. Ye shall also defile the covering of thy graven Images of silver and the ornaments of thy molten images of gold then shalt thou cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence Ver. 23. Then shall he give the rain of thy seed c. Hos 14. 8. Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols I have heard him and considered him I am like a green firre tree from me is thy fruit found Judg. 10. 16. And they put away the strange gods from among them and served the Lord. Acts 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your sinnes may be blotted out Thus did David thus did Manasse thus did Mary Magdalen thus did Paul and the Prodigal and thereupon did find mercy Such were some of you but ye are sanctified but ye are justified c. Lookst thou for mercy to pardon great sins and yet still goest on in thy trespasses c. Thirdly That they have earnestly prayed unto the Lord for the forgivenesse of their Earnestly pray for the pardon of them great sinnes Exod. 32. 31. O this people have sinned a great sinne and have made themselves gods of gold Ver. 32. Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sinne and if not blot me I pray thee out of the book which thou hast written so Moses prayed Psal 25. 11. For thy Names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great Dan. 9. 5. We have sinned and committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled by departing from thy precepts Ver. 9. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesse though we have rebelled against him Ver. 19. O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and deferre not for thy Name sake Ver. 18. We do not present our supplications unto thee for our righteousnesse but for thy great mercies Luke 18. 13. And the Publican stood a farre off and would not lift up so much as his eyes to Heaven but smote upon his breast saying God be mercifull unto me a sinner In these Prayers for the pardon of great sinnes you may espy four Ingredients 1. That they have come from broken hearts sensible of their greatness 2. That they have come from humble hearts sensible of their own unworthiness 3 s That they have been sent up with believing hearts 4. That they have been plyed and followed with earnest and servent and importunate hearts which would have no denial and all of them found acceptance Fourthly That they have pleaded with God upon such grounds which have alwayes Plead with God upon prevailing grounds been prevalent with God for the obtaining of the forgiveness of their
repentance David after the pardon of his great sins then saith he Psal 51. 13. will I teach Transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee 3. A forgiving compassion bearing much and forgiving much as God for Christ sake hath forgiven them Sixthly True peace and joy which flow only from forgiving mercy Luke True peace and joy 7. 48. Thy sins are forgiven Ver. 50. Thy faith hath saved thee go in peace Rom. 5. 11. We also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement There is a two-fold peace in a sinner 1. One ariseth from stupidity and depends upon an ignorant and seared conscience as a sick man is quiet while he sleeps 2. Another ariseth from faith which seals to the goodness and truth of the promise and causeth the soul to rest in that good and faithful Word that God for Christs sake will indeed forgive their great sins a peace that follows faith is a right peace and a right testimony that sin is forgiven 1 John 3. 21. If our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence towards God So there is a two-fold joy 1. Of presumption which is ungrounded and rash irrational and irreligious a joy that a mans sins are pardoned and yet no Word of God hath said it only his own heart saith it and with that joy there is at the same time conjoined sinful sensual joy in some lust or other 2. Of the Holy Ghost a joy which comes frâ—â— the Holy Ghost and depends likewise upon faith in Christ By whom we do receive the atonement this joy doth exceedingly enlarge the heart to God and fills it with special complacencies and delights in God and sweet communions with him c. such a peace in conscience and such a joy in God are the very fruits of his grace and love and mercy SECT IV. Vse 3 THE next Use shall be of Caution that we take heed lest we abuse and pervert this gracious promise of God touching the forgiveness of great sins Caution Abuse not this gracious mercy either by continuing under the guilt of former transgressions or by adding new guilt in the commission of more great iniquities O say some wild Atheists God is such a merciful God that he will forgive any sin yea the greatest sins adulteries and idolatries and drunkenness and blasphemers and therefore we will continue in these sins we will not be curbed and restrained but will take our delights and give over our selves unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness Ephes 4. 19. To prevent such presumptions and desperate inferences in all that hear of Gods Six antidotes against presumption great mercifulness to pardon great transgressions give me favour to lay down fix Conclusions or Antidotes First Such presumptuous inferences are expresly contrary to the goodness and Such inferences are contrary to Gods goodness intention of Gods great mercy Psal 130. 4. There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared He doth not say There is forgiveness with thee that we may therefore boldly go on in sin but that we may fear to sin any more Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance Rom. 6. 1. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid q. d. Thou dost utterly mâ—stake and pervert the aime and intention of Gods mercy in sparing of thee and forbearance to punish and destroy thee alas it is not that thou shouldest therefore continue in sin but that thou shouldest repent of sin Beloved there is no Attribute of God which can be an encouragement to sin but every one of them is a strong reason to tuâ—n us from sin he is holy and of purer eyes than to behold sin therefore we should not sin he is just and righteous to recompâ—â—ce the sinner according to his ways therefore we should not sin he is mighty in Power and of great Might able to make good and to execute all the judgement which he hath threatned sinners with therefore we should not sin he in much patience bears with us and forbears to deal with us according to our sins therefore we should not sin and he is merciful and gracious ready to forgive therefore we should not sin not therefore we will continue in our sins not therefore we will multiply and adde sin to sin Secondly As God is merciful in pardoning great sinners so God is just in condemning God is just as well as merciful great sins and as he hath and will glorifie his mercy in forgiving and saving some great sinners so he hath and will glorifie his justice in judging and damning some other great sinners therefore do not presume to go on in great sins because God hath promised to forgive great sins Exod. 34. 6. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious Ver. 7. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Here you see his mercy declared that he will forgive the great sins of some persons but then read on and you shall finde his justice that he will punish the great sins of others And that will by no means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the childrens children unto the third and to the fourth generation You read that some of the Corinthians were justified and pardoned who had been guilty of adultery and Sodomy 1 Cor. 6. 9. And so you read of others that were damned for those sins Jude ver 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over unto fornication and going after strange flesh are see forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Thirdly There was never any great sinner whom God pardoned nor is there Never was any great sinner pardoned but he repented any great sinner whom God doth promise to pardon but he hath repented and he must repent of his great sins 1. Consider the great sinners whom God hath pardoned as they were great sinners so they were great penitents David was guilty of great sins but he repented of them all he repented of his murder and he repented of his adultery and he repented of his pride in numbring the people Manasses was an exceeding great sinner hardly any the like 2 Chron. 33. from ver 1. to ver 11. but he repented of his great sins he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers Ver. 12. And prayed unto him and he was intreated of him Ver. 13. And he reformed all again for he pulled down and put away all his Idolatry Ver. 15. And he did set up the true worship of God again and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel Ver. 16 c. 2. Consider the great sinners whom God doth promise to pardon certainly you shall find that promise to pass upon terms of
repentance not else Isa 1. 16. Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well Ver. 18. Come now let us reason together saith the Lord Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out what their great sins were you may read in Ver 14. They denied the holy One. And Ver. 15. Killed the Prince of life and if they would have these sins blotted out they must repent of them Fourthly God hath threatned unto great sinners on whom his mercy hath God threatens eternal wrath to them that repent not not wrought repentance eternal wrath and a peremptory privation of mercy with inevitable destruction unto them who have presumed to go on in their sins for the first of these see the known place of the Apostle Rom. 2. 4. Not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance Ver. 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God For the latter of these see that smart place in Deut. 29. 19. And it come to pass when he heareth the wâ—â—ds of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to adde drunkenness to thirst Ver. 20. The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his Name from under heaven Ver. 21. And the Lord shall separate him unto evil out of all the Tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the Covenant that are written in this book of the Law Fifthly A going on still in great sins if it be any sure testimony at all it is Persisting in great sins if any testimony at all it is rather that God will not pardon rather that God will never forgive you than otherwise why so will you say because 1. There is no promise of mercy to any that goes on in his great transgressions but refuseth to hearken and to return in such a condiâ—ion and course no promise 2. There are dreadful threatnings of God against such who shall go still on in their trespasses Psal 68. 21. And God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goes on still in his trespasses Isa 65. 20. The sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed Prov. 29. 1. He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy 3. Your going on still in sinning unless the Lord be infinitely and extraordinary merciful towards you will render you utterly uncapable of forgiving mercy for First This course of sinning is that which doth desperately harden your hearts and fear your consciences that no dealing whatsoever can make any impression upon you toward Repentance Secondly The Lord doth usually give up such sinners to their own hearts lusts and to a reprobate mind and soul Sixthly Though possibly some few sinners who have for a long time continued Though a few such obtain mercy yet they are hardly perswaded of Gods mercy in great transgressions may obtain mercy yet they shall find it a very difficult work to be perswaded of Gods mercy to their souls Psal 6. 3. My soul is also sore vexed but O Lord how long My Reasons are these 1. Because the threatnings of God are so many and so express against great sins especially against the continuing in them that it will not be easie to over-ballance these threatnings of God with the promise of God 2. Because the truth of repentance is very apt to be much questioned by great sinners when yet indeed they do repent they do conceive and that rightly that for extraordinary sinnings extraordinary repentance is required but they feel such a hardness such a deadness of heart O they cannot repent And let me tell you if any great sinner be in dispute about the truth of his Repentance he will also be in dispute about the apprehension of mercy 3. Because of all sins whatsoever great sins do incline us under the clear apprehension of them to despair You shall find this experimentally true that the more desperate people have been in sinning they are more apt to despair when conscience ever sets upon them for their sins The guilt of great sins will be heavy and bitter and the woundings for great sins will be sharp and deep always for them there falls in the sense of Gods great wrath and the fear of Gods great judgement and the instances of the great punishments of God inflicted on great transgressions and with all these Satans great and subtile temptations all which are powerfully apt to sink the sinner with despair and then this is clear that the more apt any sinner is to despair the less apt is the sinner to close with pardoning mercy nay it falls off the more from the hope of it 4. Because the Lord is pleased to hold up the manifestation of his love a long time from those that have a long time sinned against the offers and calls of his love and mercy thereby teaching great sinners how unworthy they are to taste of his goodness and warning other great sinners not to presume of any easie enjoyment of mercy And you shall find it a hard work to settle and perswade the conscience of a great sinner about mercy when the Lord doth after many seekings still hold up the manifestations or sensible expressions of his favour and mercy towards him 5. Because it is a very difficult thing to act faith under the sense of great transgressions lesser iniquities do many times check and keep down our confidences much mort do great transgressions c. SECT V. Cases of conâ—ience What a troubled sinner should do that can find no parallel instance of the like sin forgiven Ansâ—ered Troubled sinners look after instances of like sinners pardoned BEfore I pass away from this Point of Gods pardoning great sins I would speak to a few Cases or Scruples of conscience with which some are or may be troubled Quest 1. What that troubled sinner should do who hath been guilty of some great sin for which he cannot finde any one parallel instance of forgiveness in all the Scriptures i. e. that ever God did forgive any that were guilty of that sinne Sol. To this very sadly distressing Case I would deliver these six Answers First It is true that a person convinced of and really troubled with the sense of any great sin doth look after and will not easily be satisfied in conscience without a parallel instance in the Scripture
of some sinners in the like condition of guilt with himself whom yet God did pardon but did ever any sin as I have sinned and did God ever pardon any who have sinned as I have sinned or had their sin all those aggravations though God hath pardoned them as my sin hath can you give me any one clear record or pattern of the same There are two reasons which draw a troubled sinner thus to search and thus to enquire 1. One is because he thinks that what God never did in a way of mercy he will never do 2. Another is because he thinks that the apprehension of great mercy past in a case parallel with his will be a quicker help to his hope and faith that God may likewise forgive his great sins even as he hath forgiven the same to others Nevertheless under favour be it spoken this is not so regular a way Yet this is not so regular nor so sure a ground of hope nor yet so sure a ground for hopes of mercy for 1. If instances and precedent patterns of former mercy were necessarily to be look't at as grounds for hopes in us of the like mercy then the first transgressors they that had been first in the guilt of great transgressions must have despaired of forgiveness for no pattern example or instance of the like was ever found before but mercy was pleased to make them the pattern of mercy for others as Paul speaks of himself in 1 Tim. 1. 16. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting The Lord himself would have put us upon that way of searching records and instances before we should look up unto thiâ— promise by faith 2. These instances of mercy will not absolutely quiet the troubled conscience but notwithstanding them the fire will still burn and the torments and fear will abide in strength and that upon a double account First Though God shew mercy to a great transgressor in the like kind yet he hath not shewed mercy to every one in that kind so that still the sinner is troubled But will God shew mercy to me Again that a like great transgressor I find hath had a great change wrought in him O but this I cannot find or discern in my self Ergo. So then troubled sinners do usually look after instances and examples of pardon before they do look up to the promises of mercy but this is not so regular nor so sure a way to raise faith as I shall presently shew unto you But secondly Though you cannot finde a powerful instance yet possibly there Though you cannot finde a parallel instance yet instances in the same kind may be found may be found instances of transgressors in the same kind of sinning whom God hath formerly pardoned though you cannot find them yet they may be found in the Scriptures Suppose your great sin hath been 1. Extortion you may read that forgiven in Zacheus 2. Drunkenness you may read that forgiven in Noah 3. Theft you may read that forgiven to the Penitent Thief on the Cross 4. Whoredome you may read it forgiven to Mary Magdalen and adultery it was forgiven to David 5. Incest you read it forgiven to Lot and to the incestuous Corinthian 6. Sodomy you read it forgiven to some of the Corinthians 7. Murder you read it forgiven to David 8. Idolatry you read it forgiven to Solomon and also to some of the Corinthians 9. Blasphemy why all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven c. Matth 12 31. 10. Apostasie Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful Jer. 3. 12. 11. Scoffin and mocking of the Gospel and the Ministers thereof yet some of these heve been forgiven Act. 2. 13 38. and 17. 32 34. 12. Denying and forswearing of Christ yea and that after knowledge and faith yet pardoned unto Peter possibly the great sin which lies so heavy upon the Conscience may be soon one of these and then you see a parallel instance as you do desire But 3ly admit you read not of a particular personal example yet if you do May not instances of pardon of sins that exceed yours serve the turn read of any instance of forgiving mercy to any sinner whatsoever whose great transgressions do not only equal but farre exceed that or those of which you are guilty may not that serve you Surely it is not impossible that thy great sins may be forgiven if mercy hath past an Act of grace in forgiving some sinners their great transgressions Object O no! no mans sins were ever greater than mine c. Sol. Well but what if I produce one whose sins have been such that thy heart will be amazed at and dread to think of being guilty of such transcendent iniquities my instance shall be in Manasseh of whom you may thus read 2 Chro 33. 2. He did evil in the sight of the Lord like unto the abominations of the Heathen whom the Lord hath cast out before the children of Israel Ver. 3. For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his Father had broken down and he reared up Altars for Baalim and made Groves and worshipped all the Host of heaven and served them Ver. 3. Also he built Altars in the house of the Lord whereof the Lord said In Jerusalem shall my Name be for ever Ver. 5. And he built Altars for all the Host of heaven in the Courts of the house of the Lord. Ver. 6. And he caused his children to passe through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom Also he observed times and used Inchantments and used Witchcraft and dealt with a Familiar spirit and with Wizards he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger Ver. 7. And he set a carved image the idol which he had made in the house of God Ver. 9. So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to erre and to do worse than the Heathen whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel Ver. 10. And the Lord spake unto Manasseh and to his people but they would not hearken Are not these sinnes greater than thy sinnes Such high Idolatries sacrificing of Children to the Divels Yet this greatest of sinners that you read of in the old Testament upon his deep repentance found mercy as Paul who called himself the chiefest of sinners in the New Testament did likewise obtain mercy c. Fourthly Under the sense of incomparably great sinnings the business is not Under the sense of great sinnings the businesse is not to debate but to repent to debate but to repent Not what great sins you or others have committed and whose great sins God hath pardoned but to obtain an heart from God to repent of those sins for though
sins be lesser sins a sinner shall be damned for them if he repent not Though sins have been exceeding great yet they shall be forgiven upon repentance You demand what a great sinner should do who can find no instance of mercy to any under the same guilt with himself I answer plainly 1. He should do what God calls upon him to do and what he hath called upon other great sinners to do and that is to repent Let the wicked forsake his way c. Isa 55. 7. Repent and be converted Act. 3. 19. Put away the evil of your doings Isa 1. 16. 2. He should by faith lay hold on the promises of mercy by Christ to a repenting sinner To dispute who hath found mercy is the least of your business but do you repent and you shall quickly see mercy in a promise to your own souls although you cannot find Instances of mercy unto others Fifthly Though you cannot find particular and answerable instances yet in case Though you cannot find instances yet in case of Repentance you shall find promises of Repentance you may and shall finde sufficient promises which are proper grounds for your faith to work on to answer your conditions All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy aganist c. Matth. 12. 31. Certainly this promise will reach your sin be it never so great unless it be the sin against the Holy Ghost and that sin you are not guilty of because you are repenting of your sin whereas it is impossible to renew those who are guilty of that sin unto repentance Heb. 6. 6. Sixthly And let me tell you one thing more That as when God forbids any kind of sin he doth therein forbid the particular individual branches of that sin So if I do not exceedingly mistake when he doth promise to forgive a sin in any kind that promise of forgiveness will extend to any one particular or distinct sin of that kind be that particular sin never so hainous vâ—g When he promiseth to forgive uncleanness indefinitely upon the repentance of a person this promised forgiveness is appliable to the most vile and horrid wayes of uncleanness of which a person hath been guilty But I have said enough to this Scruple Whether the first work of a sinner be to repent or to believe 2. Quest Whether in case of great transgressions the first work which concerns the sinner be to repent of his sin or firsc to believe that God hath forgiven his sin or rather will do so Answered Sol. Truely I think that whatsoever we may Theoretically argue in such a case yet practically he that is wounded in Conscience for any great sin hath little leasure or ability to keep Rank or File I mean thus artificially to consider the Method or Order of Spiritual actings But one while he thinks on sin and another while on mercy when on his sin then with great fears and when on mercy then with great doubts That he should repent he knows that he may presently believe he questions and to speak plainly he can neither well repent nor yet well believe a third work ordinarily presseth him which is of a troubled and troubling Conscience But yet if you would have me speak my thought to this Nicity rather than Case of Conscience I should say First As to experience trouble and tears and fears and sighes and groanes are usually the immediate workings and issues of great sinings Secondly As to the command Repentance is the first work which God layes out for the great sinner This generally you read prescribed both in the Old and New Testament 2 Chron 7. 14. Isa 1. 16. Isa 55. 7. Ezek. 18. 21. and Luke 24. 47. Act. 2. 38. Act. 3. 19. And truely it will be no easie work to clear out that a man can or may believe that God according to promise will forgive him his sins though very great whiles he yet remaines impenitent Thirdly As to the order of practice I would prescribe both of them to be first The sinner should repent first and the sinner should believe first and that he may do both first he should pray for both first A believing Repentance and a Repenting Faith such a Repentance which is accompanied with Faith and such a Faith as accompanied with Repentance And verily in this case if the Faith be right it is not without Repentance and if the Repentance be right it is not without Faith you cannot rightly repent unless you have Faith to see some mercy neither can you confidently believe unless there be some Repentance I beseech you whiles others are a disputing which of these should appear first do you earnestly and seriously beg of God for grace to act them both What that sinner should do who cannot find a heart to repent or believe 3. Quest But there is another Case which is more real and more to purpose viz. What that sinner should do who upon the commission of some great sin cannot find a heart either to repent or to believe the heart is become hardned and no workings can be raised either of mourning for the sin post or of believing for mercy future Answered Sol. This is unto the sinner a very dreadful case because 1. God seems to deal with him in a plain judicial way and in a forsaking manner denying unto him the presence and power of his Spirit to raise him out of the depth of his sin and misery into which he hath plunged himself 2. God seldom leaves a sinner thus but where the sinner hath presumed to commit some great transgression against some special actings of knowledge and Conscience Nevertheless to the case propounded First Let the sinner in this condition consider whether no penitential and no believing operations at all are to be found in his heart whether he doth not at least Consider whether there be no penitential and believing operations at all to be found with a sad and troubled heart consider into what a condition he hath by his great sinning brought himself whether there be not some judgings and abhorrings of himself and some desires after a Spirit of mourning and believing Secondly this sinner should acknowledge it as a great and righteous judgement of God upon him for his sinning And that the Lord may for ever withdraw from Acknowledge it a righteous judgement of God upon him him and utterly leave him because he hath thus presumptuously sinned against him Never let him open his mouth against God but justifie and clear him as most righteous and condemn himself as most unthankfull and unworthy that ever the Lord should look on him any more That he should thus against light and warnings and reluctancies of conscience and against mercy and love and perhaps experience presumptuously venture to offend and provoke God Thirdly If under all the dâ—stinct Considerations of this sinning and his free confessions unto God and his self-judgings no tenderness yet
the Mosaical Law of divers Ceremonial sprinklings 1. Of the blood of the Paschal Lamb Exod. 12. 7. 2. Of the blood of the Bullock Levit. 16. 14. 3. Of the blood of the red Heifer Numb 19. 4. And of the clean water with hysop ver 5. 4. Of the blood of the burnt-offering and peace-offering with which the people were sprinkled Exod. 24. 8. And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you All this the Apostle summes up in Heb. 9. 19. Moses took the blood of Calves and of Goats with water and scarlet wooll and hysop and sprinkled both the book and people By all these is meant the taking away of sin by the shedding of the blood of Christ and the applying of the blood of Christ to the people of God that is meant by sprinkling Hence you read Isa 52. 15. He shall sprinkle many Nations Heb. 12 24. The blood of Christ is called the blood of sprinkling 1 Pet. 1. 2. We are elected and saved through the Sanctification of the Spirit and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ Now from all this there are two Propositions observable 1. That the blood of Christ is the Cause and it is the only Cause for which the people of God have their many and great sins pardoned that is the clean water which makes us clean 2. That the Lord will and doth make a particular Application even to the Consciences of his people touching the forgiveness of their sins by the blood of Christ He will sprinkle that clean water upon them CHAP. V. Christs blood the merit of pardon THat the blood of Christ is the Cause and it is the only meritorious cause for This blood of Christ is the cause and the only meritorious cause of forgiveness which the people of God have their many and great sins pardoned That is the clean water or according to the Original the clean waters which makes them clean SECT I. OF this Assertion there are two Branches It is the cause of forgiveness First That the blood of Christ is the Cause for which the people of God have all their sins pardoned This truth the Scripture clearly holds forth Matth. 26. 28. This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past Mark Christ is our Propitiation and he is our Propitiation by blood It is the blood that maketh an Atonement for your souls Levit. 〈◊〉 11. And without shedding of blood is no remission Heb. 9. 22. And therefore the High Priest who was a Type of Christ when he was to make an Atonement he alwayes came with the blood of the Sacrifice Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins Rev. 1. 5. Who washed us from our sins in his own blood 1 Joh. 1. 7. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Besides these Scriptures you shall find other places putting the forgiveness of sins expresly upon Christs account as the Cause Ephes 4. 32. Forgiving one another even as God fir Christs sake hath forgiven you 1 Joh. 2. 12. I write unto you little Children because yovr sins are forgiven you for his Name sake Rom. 5. 11. We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the Atonement Beloved The people of God have a three-fold anchor to trust upon for the pardon of their sins 1. One is the free grace of God Rom. 3. 24. Being justified freely by his grace 2. A second is the blood of Christ Rom. 5. 9. Being now justified by his blood 3. The third is the Covenant of God Jer. 33. 8. I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me Before I quit this first Branch of the Assertion I would directly answer three Questions 1. How the blood of Christ can be such a Cause as amounts so high as the forgiveness of sins though very many and very great 2. What necessity there was for the effusion of his blood in a Causal order to the forgiveness of our sins 3. How it may be demonstrated that it doth reach so far c. Quest 1. How the blood of Christ can be such a cause as to amount How there can be such an efficacy in the blood of Christ Ansâ—eâ—ed and reach so high for the forgiveness of all our sins though very many and very great Sol. To this it may be answered that it doth arise from 1. The dignity of the person of Christ who was God-man 2. The Concurrence of both the natures of Christ in all his Mediatory actions and passions so that they were Theandrical sufferings both Humane and Divine and therefore his blood is called the blood of God Acts 20. 28. God purchased the Church with his own blood and the Lord of glory is said to be crucified they crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. And from these two Considerations there is light enough to convince us of the wonderful power and vertue in the blood of Christ to reach the forgiveness of all our sins because he was an infinite person and for him to suffer and dye was more than if all the sons of men had done so And because the vertue of his Deity did so extend unto and attend his Death or Sacrifice that thereupon it came to be of more than sufficient worth to satisfie Gods justice and to expiate our sins for although there was in our sins an abounding measure of guilt yet there was in the blood of Christ it being the obedience of one who was God a superabounding worth to weigh down and remove all the malignity and demerit in the sin of man there being no more proportion 'twixt the demerit of our sinnings and the demerit of his sufferings than there is 'twixt our persons and his person What necessity was there of it Quest 2. But secondly It is demanded What necessity there was for the effusion of his blood in order to the forgiveness of our sins Answered Sol. It was necessary that the blood of Christ should be shed to wash us from our sins because First Divine justice must be satisfied before sins can be forgiven till that Divine justice must be satisfied be done mercy it self if I may so speak is not at liberty therefore the Apostle tells us that God did set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3. 25. To declare his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus Ver. 26. The meaning is that the blood of Christ reconciled both these Attributes of God justice calls for satisfaction there it is saith Christ my
Ver. 2. I will rise up and go about the City in the Streets and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth Ver. 3. The watchmen that go about the City found me to whom I said Saw ye him whom my soul loveth We should give all diligence to make our câ—lling and election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. so should we to make Christ sure to our souls for Prov. 8. 35. Who so findeth me findeth life and ver 36. All they that hate me love death Fourthly We should look after Christ resolutely against all the discouragements Resolutely of our own hearts and against all the reproaches and contempts of the world and against all the suggestions of Satan as Jacob spake I will not let thee go except thou bless me Gen. 32. 26. Or as David one thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seek after c. Psal 27. 4. So Lord My heart is fixed my heart is fixed and engaged O give Christ to my poor soul O bring in my soul to Christ I perish without him as those out of the Ark I live only in and by him I shall be damned if I have not Christ Quest 2. Whether we do so indeed look after Christ as that we may get him Whether we do indeed look after Christ He looks after Christ so as to get him Who seeks him with a burdened spirit to be ours and finde the forgiveness of our sins in his blood Sol. This is a great and necessary question which may be thus resolved First That man looks after Christ as most probable to get him whose minding of Christ doth arise from a burdened spirit and a broken heart O when the Spirit of God doth so set our sins upon our consciences that they appear indeed as sins and do become the grievous burden of our souls and we are â—ow concluded and shut up by them as poor Prisoners utterly lost and undone and no hope nor help but in a Christ And hereupon our oppressed and dejected souls even from a clear experimental sense of our absolute need and want of Christ are carried out to the Prince of life and peace Master save us or else we perish thou art life and thou art peace and thou art help and thou only art our hope this is a right looking after Christ and this will bring us at length to the enjoying of him Secondly That man looks after Christ so as to get him whose soul doth Who hungers and thirsts for Christ come to an hungring and thirsting for Christ if any man thirsts saith Christ c. my meaning is 1. If it be Christ himself that the soul would have as it is bread which the hungry man would have and it is water that the thirsty man would have 2. If his heart be so affectionately set on Christ and drawn out after him that all shall go which hinders the fruition of Christ and that all shall be embraced that makes way for the enjoyment of Christ 3. If his soul be incessantly importunate for Christ even importunate for him O Lord how long will not be denied c. For whom I have suffered the lâ—ss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ Phil. 3. 8. so Matth. 23. 46. Thirdly That man looks so after Christ as to get him who strives with Who strives with God for faith God for faith and attends the Word of faith and meditates much on Christ and on the promises of the Gospel and invitations of the Gospel and the encouragements of the Gospel to perswade and breed faith in him to joyne him to Christ O I want faith O that God would give me faith O that he would perswade and draw me by his own Spirit O that I could lay hold on Christ and receive him and give glory to his love and willingness and offers and promises and still the soul is upon this request Lord give me Christ and Lord give me faith and Lord strengthen faith c. Quest 3. How may one know that he hath got Christ to be his Christ and How one may know he hath got Christ to be his consequently the forgiveness of all his sins by Christ and for Christ Sol. I do but occasionally move this question for their sakes who would fain be ascertained that their sins are forgiven of which they cannot be unless and untill they be ascertained of Christ but to the Quaeries one may know that he hath got Christ that Christ is his and he is Christs by three Characters expressed in Three Characters of it three places of Scripture First If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. A new creature is changed his mind new and judgement new and affections new and words and conversation new and company new and employment new c. Secondly They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5. 24. No sin hath dominion every sin is crucified it hath lost its dominion we are no friends to sin no servants to sin as Christ dyed for our sins so they that are Christs dye unto their sins in respect of love and of action Thirdly Christ becomes the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him Hebr. 5. 9. Christ rules where Christ saves if he be thy Lord assuredly he is thy Saviour His we are whose servants we are whom we do obey Thou hast delivered us and therefore thou shalt reign over us said they to Gideon so the man who is in Christ Thou hast redeemed me by thy blood and therefore thou shalt rule me by thy Spirit but if we will not obey Christ we have no interest in him Vse 2 A second Use of this Point shall be to shew the miserable condition of many persons for if forgiveness of sins come unto us only for the blood of Christ The miserable condition of such Who regard not the offers of Christ Who look for pardon on another account then two sorts are in a miserable condition they shall certainly miss thereof First Who regard not the offers of the Lord Jesus Christ but stand out and refuse him and will be enemies or strangers to him they reserve their hearts for the world and for their sins these men will live and dye in their sins Secondly Who look for the pardon of their sins upon another account than the blood of Christ if they give some almes there 's a foundation which they lay for the pardon of their sins if they say their prayers if they leave a sin they conceive here is cause enough why God should forgive them and if they serve him a little that also they build their hopes upon But all this unless God opens the eyes and changes the heart will prove a damnable mistake unto you for lying vanities you do forsake your mercies It is 1. Folly 2. Sin 3. Loss and Ruine thus to place
thy confidence on any thing but the blood c. Object But have you not told us that God promiseth forgiveness upon repenting and praying Sol. Yea but never for repenting and praying but only for Christs sake means they are for pardon but reasons and causes they are not of forgiveness therefore this do mourn and repent still but remember to stick unto Christs blood alone as the meritorious cause of your forgiveness O Lord I am a broken and penitent siâ—ner I beseech thee to forgive me my sins Why what reason upon what account saith God O Lord do it for Christs sake whose I am and whom I serve he shed his precious blood for the remission of sins for his sake forgive all my sins c. Vse 3 This is of great stay and comfort unto poor sinners who are rightly sensible of their sins and of the surpassing goodness of forgiving mercy and also of their For stay and comfort to poor sinners utter unworthiness thereof and many times are doubting and disputing what they may bring for mercy and what they should plead for mercy I will tell you what you should bring and what you should plead for which God will forgive you your sins bring Jesus â—hrist and plead in his blood and in his Name he is the propitiation for your sins and through his blood you have the forgiveness of your sins I am a great sinner and do need pardoning mercy O Lord I come not in mine own name but in Christs Name I cannot offer up any worthiness of mine own but I do by faith offer up the blood of Jesus Christ O pardon me for his sake wash me from my sins in his blood drown them in the depth his blood speaketh better things than the blood of Abel it was shed to satisfie thy justice and to reconcile and make peace Lord I rest not on my self but on thy Christ not on my works but on his merits his blood was shed for the remission of sins that is my plea and that is my confidence c. Poor soul this will carry it this will prevail for thee 1. The blood of Christ is the meritorious cause 2. And it is the only meritorious cause 3. And it is the effectual cause of forgiveness of sins God hath appointed it and God will own and accept of it he would have us draw nigh by the blood of Christ therefore make use of it rest upon it EZEK 36. 25. I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean c. I Now come to the handling of the second Proposition from these words viz. CHAP. VI. 2. Doct. THat the Lord himself doth promise not only to forgive the sins of his God promiseth not only forgivenesse but the Application of it to our souls What is meant by the sprinkling of Christs blood people in the blood of Christ but also to apply to every one of their souls that forgivenesse for the blood of Christ I will sprinkle upon you c The sprinkling of the blood of Christ on any is nothing else but the Application thereof to them for their good and benefit The sprinkling of the blood of the Lambe upon the posts of the house and the sprinkling of the blood upon the Leper did signifie the applying of the blood of Christ for pardon deliverance and salvation Here now I must shew unto you 1. What this sprinkling or the Application of the blood of Christ for forgiveness is 2. Why the Lord makes this promise of sprinkling or applying unto his people 3. Why he himself undertakes that work SECT I. 1. Quest WHat this sprinkling or application of the blood of Christ unto the What this sprinkling or application of Christs blood is people of God for the forgiveness of their sins is Sol. I humbly conceive That it is such an imputing of the blood of Christ unto them in particular as that they come to be certainly assured of the forgiveness of their very sins by the Spirit of God and by Faith In this description there are three things remarkable concerning this sprinkling or application of the blood of Christ for forgiveness 1. That in it there is a particular and personal imputation of the blood of Christ for forgiveness 2. That it is not only an imputation but also a Certioration or a respective asserting of them touching the forgivenesse of their sinnes in and for Christ 3. That this asserting Application is made by the Spirit of God and by Faith First This sprinkling it is a particular and personal imputation of the blood of It is a personal imputation of his blood Christ unto the people of God for the forgiveness of their sins As the Lord did impute their sin unto Christ He laid on him the iniquity of us all Isa 53. And as Christ was made sin for them Hew as made sin for us 2 Cor. 5. So the Lord doth impute the sufferings of Christ unto them i. e. accepts of them on their behalf and puts them upon their account and as if the Lord should say unto every particular believer my Son was thy Surety and stood in thy stead and suffered and satisfied and took away thy sins by his blood and that for thee in his blood I find a Ransom for thy soul I do acknowledge my self satisfied for thee and satisfied towards thee and thou art delivered and discharged I forgive thee thy sins and am reconciled unto thee and will save thee for my Christ sake In his blood thou hast Redemption the forgiveness of thy sins Simile As when a surety satisfies the Creditor for a debt this is accounted unto the Debtor and reckoned as a discharge unto him in particular I am paid and you are discharged saith the Creditor So it is in this case of Gods forgiving his people for Christ sake so I am paid and you are discharged and I have no more to say to you 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them But this is not all which is meant by sprinkling viz. A particular Application or Imputation of the blood of Christ to the believer for the forgiveness of his sins which is if I may so call it an Immanent Action or work within God himself But moreover Secondly This sprinkling of the blood of Christ for forgiveness it is a notifying It is a notifying of this unto the soul declaring ascertaining work of God making known to the very heart and consciences of his people that for Christs sake he hath forgiven them their sins Psal 51. 7. Purge me with Hysop and I shall be clean The Prophet seems expresly to alude unto the Leper and the cleansing of him and to the pronouncing of him clean of which you may read in Levit. 14. 3. The Priest shall go out of the Camp and the Priests shall look and behold if the plague of Leprosie be healed in the Leper Ver. 4.
and unworthy of any mercy Lord be merciful to me a sinner Thirdly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then conscience recovers Conscience recovers it seâ—â— in all its offices it self in all its offices and operations it was 1. Asleep before but now it is awakened it was 2. Dead before but now it is alive it was 3. Silent before but now it speaks and now it shews it self with wonderful authority and power First Now it is an Accuser These have been your sins Secondly Now it is a witness in testifying against thee that thou wast guilty at such a time and in such a place and in such company Thirdly Now it is a Judge and condemns the sinner Wrath belongs to thee fâ—om which thou shalt never escape unless thou get into Christ Fourthly And now it wounds and troubles the sinner for what he hath done thou didst withstand such means of grace and thou didst resist such strivings of Gods Spirit and thou didst scorn and mock at the Word of God and thou didst hate instruction and reproof and thou didst therefore harden thy heart and wouldst commit such and such sins because thy sins were discovered and reproved c. Fourthly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then the sinner will not The sinner will make out for counsel rest in the sense of his miserable condition but out he goes for counsel to this Minister and that Minister and there he cries out with tears O Sirs what shall I do to be saved Acts 16. 30. I have slighted God and I have despised you and mock't at your counsel the good Lord forgive it me I now see what I saw not before and my heart is over-whelmed within me I know not what to do what way to take for the Lords sake shew me the way of life and mercy and peace Fifthly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then there is a special teachableness He is become teachable and tractableness fallen into the heart of a sinner the man can now hear reason and he is content to receive the Law from the mouth of God his slighting mocking despising spirit is departed from him and now it is Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. and now it is Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk Psal 143. 8. Whiles hardness prevails upon the heart no word of mercy no work of affliction no command of God no counsel of man can do any thing but the sinner will hold on in his sinful way come of it what will but when hardness is off then the heart becomes like a tender branch you may bend it which way you will or like the soft wax which presently receives the impression Speak but one word Take heed do not such a thing it is evil the heart presently flies off Have a care do such a work the Lord requires it at your hands presently the heart yields it stands in awe of the Word Sixthly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then all the dealings The dealings of God will work kindly of God will work kindly and effectually upon thee When thou hearest the threatnings of God thy heart will tremble and melt as Josias did when thou seest the judgement of God thy heart will lament and mourn as Davids did when the Lord meets thee in a way of affliction thy heart will humble it self and bow before the Lord when the Lord shews thee any mercy and blessings thy heart will receive them with tears O how good is God to me a sinner when the Lord reveals himself in his Covenant and Promise and sets out himself in the exceeding riches of his grace and love and mercy why thy bowels are stirred within thee and tears do trickle down thine eyes and longings rise up in thy heart O Lord that thou wouldst be my portion Seventhly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then the sinner He will never be quiet till he have Christ will never be quiet untill he hath Christ and untill he can see God to be at peace with him and reconciled in Christ There is no hoâ— with a broken and tender heart without a Christ and without a reconciled God Lord give me Christ and Lord take away iniquity and Lord receive me graciously O he is now sensible what a sinner he hath been and what injuries God hath received from him and what God may do against him and what need he hath of a Christ to make peace for him and therefore his soul is impatient and strives and wrestles for Christ and the distressed man indeed is become willing to part with all so that he may have his part in Christ and Gods reconciled favour Eighthly What shall I say more when hardness of heart is cured or curing He hath a singular aptitude to prayer the sinner will find a singular aptitude to prayer and his great delight will be to be with God unto whom he can now open himself with enlarged confessions and with floods of tears and grief even for an heart to be given unto him to mourn and bewail his sins and to obey c. and that he would never suffer his heart to harden it self any more Ninthly When hardness of heart is cured or is curing there will be A singular fear to sin then a singular fear to sin against God any more the man would not live and do as formerly for all the world How shall I do this great wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39. 9. How shall we live in sin any longer Rom. 6. 2. Ezek. 36. 26. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and will give you an heart of flesh You have heard something of the first Proposition vâ— That there is a stoninesse or hardnesse of heart in every man naturallyiz I now proceed to the second Proposition which is this CHAP. X. The stony heart taken away 2. Doct. THat God will take away that hardness of heart from his people I God takes away hardness of heart from his people will take away the stony heart out of your flesh you have the same promise in Ezek. 11. 19. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh For the opening of this Point I would speak unto these Particulars 1. The manner how God takes away the hardness of heart from his people 2. Why the Lord will do so 3. How this can be affirmed seeing there doth remain much hardness of heart in the people of God SECT I. Quest 1. THe manner how God takes away the hardnesse of heart from his The meanes how God takes it away peeople Sol. For Answer unto this remember that hardness of heart may be taken away 1. Preparatively 2. Effectually 3. Successively 4. Perfectly and compleatly First The Lord takes away the hardness of heart Preparatively when he lets in such a powerful work of his Spirit by the Law which doth
mend the soft heart 3. In respect of the Works and Dealings of God all of them make impression on the soft heart those of mercy and those of judgement those of blessing those of affliction they all work kindly Fifthly The Author and Cause of all this is God himself Job 23. 16. God is the Author of it God maketh my heart soft Zach. 12. 10. They shall look on him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn c. The Lord doth give this soft and tender heart when he doth effectually call and convert a sinner as you may see in Pauls conversion and thus you see what the heart of flesh is what a soft and tender heart is SECT II. Quest 2. NOW to the second Question How it may appear that the people of How this appears God are people of soft and tender hearts First By Instances all the Scripture over I will mention some David was By Instances a godly man and he was a man of a soft and tender heart when he did cut off the lap of Sauls garment his heart smote him as soon as Abigal spake with him he was with-drawn from his rash and dangerous resolution Nathan spake but one word unto him Thou art the man and presently he is struck I have sinned and that made him to water his couch with tears Josiah was a godly man and he was a man of a soft and tender heart see 2 Chron. 34. 27. Because thine heart was tender and thou didst humble thy self before God when thou heardest his words against this place and against the Inhabitants thereof and humbledst thy self before me and didst rent thy cloaths and weep before me c. Joseph was so both to God Gen. 39. 9. How can I do wickedness c and to Man How tender to his father and brethren Job was so and so was Peter on whom one look of Christ did work so kindly that he went out and wept bitterly What should I speak of Jehoshaphat Hezekiah Nehemiah Ezra Daniel or of Paul or of the Corinthians 2 Cor. 3. 3. Ye are the Epistle of Christ written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart nay see more of this softness and tenderness 2 Cor. 7. 11. Behold this same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire c. Secondly By Practice and there are eight things appearing in their By Practice practice which do shew that they are persons of soft and tender hearts First Quick apprehensions even of a frown and of Gods displeasure afar Quick apprehensions off in the beginnings in the threatnings in a with-drawment in any stop or estrangedness of communion and visits and unusualness in these cases presently the heart of them begins to misgive and fear Is all well is not the Lord angry He looks not on me I hear not from him as formerly Have not I offended him c Secondly Easie convictions A reproof saith Solomon Prov. 17. 10. entereth Easie Convictions more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool and so doth any conviction if the people of God have sinned Christs look to Peter Nathans word to David sometimes a glance an hint a passage in a Sermon or in Discourse is enough for conscience is very tender and takes presently and yields and confesseth c. Great griefs for lesser trespasses Thirdly Great griefs for lesser trespasses Great sins trouble not an hard heart Simile no more than the nettles and thorns do the hardned hand but little sins do exceedingly trouble the hearts of the godly being soft and tender Simile if a mote fall into the eye it causeth vexation because the eye is tender the omission of duty the coldness of performance distraction in services vain and idle thoughts unprofitable words losing of time sit heavily upon the hearts of Gods people c. Fourthly Special care of sure warrant for special actions They must have Care of sure warrant for special actions a light and a voice going before them This is the way Walk in it May I do this and may I do that Doth the Lord command such a work and doth he enjoyn me and am I sure and clear that I do not transgress if I should venture upon it Fifthly Wise Caution in doubtfuls Where if the work or way seems doubtfully Caution in doubtfuls good or doubtfully evil the godly person makes a pause a stand a stop he dares not to act boystrously if it be but a perhaps it is evil but a perhaps God may be dishonoured or his Gospel prejudiced he will abstain untill he gets more light to clear his steps as Job offered sacrifice in the case of perhaps Sixthly Present obedience When God commands no delays no shufflings Present obedience no consultings with flesh and blood their hearts are indeed at Gods command I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments Psal 119. 60. You need not use many arguments and perswasions to the people of God a word of Gods command is of easie authority c. Seventhly And Choice obedience they would serve the Lord with their spirits Choice obedience Rom. 1. 9. and seek him with their whole hearts Psal 119. 10. and serve him acceptably with reverence and godly fear Hebr. 12. 28. and love him with all their might Eighthly Earnest supplications that they might not offend or if they have Earnest supplications offended that they might not offend so David Keep thy servant from presumptuous sins Psal 19. 13. Let not any iniquity have dominion over me Psal 119. 133. And in case of offence O take away iniquity I have sinned I have done exceeding foolishly O Lord forgive be merciful unto my transgressions heal my back-slidings return in mercy speak peace whence is all this but from the tenderness of their hearts Simile they cannot live out of doors under frowns having any difference 'twixt their God and their souls no more than the tender wife or child c. Quest 3. Why the Lord gives a heart of flesh a soft and tender heart to his Why God gives a heart of flesh Four reasons of it people Sol. The Reasons may be these which I will but mention First God will teach them they shall be taught of God and write his Law in their inward parts Ergo. Secondly His people must be his servants they must serve the Lord their God be at his command to do his will and his work Ergo. Thirdly They must be like unto their God and Father and have a nature answerable to his nature God is a God of very merciful nature very tender and gentle easie to be entreated and if I may so say to be wrought on sometimes a prayer works on him sometimes a tear sometimes
the testimonies of Gods reconciled favour O how doth the tender heart take on and judge and condemn it self if at any time it fall into sin O what a fool what a beast and why have I dealt thus with my God! why did I deal so unkindly with my kind God is this my love unto him is this my fear of him is this my tenderness of his glory O my soul what hast thou done why hast thou broken the bonds of friendship what hath the Lord been to thee that thou hast thus sinned against him And now the man falls a weeping and lamenting as if his heart would break and after some respite he thinks of his father again but he is ashamed to come to him and yet he will go to him and return with weeping and supplications O I cannot live thus I will home again to my fathers house and say I have sinned and am no more worthy to be called thy son Luke 15. Though shame and confusions belong to me yet mercies and forgiveness to him Dan. 9. O Lord heal my backslidings and forgive my backsldings and reoeive me graciously Hose 14. 2. And return again in mercy and make thy face to shine upon thy servant for the Lords sake Thus have I opened unto you the first Character or evidence of a heart spiritually soft and tender it is a heart filled with shame for sin and with grief for sin and with fear to sin and with zeal against sin and with care to be kept from sin and with restlestness till it can find God mercifully pardoning sin O that such tenderness and that such fruits of tenderness might be found in all our hearts Secondly A second Character by which we may know that we have the true The activity and life and power in conscience spiritual softness and tenderness of heart is the activity and life and power in conscience when God gives any one a soft and tender heart he gives him a conscience arrayed and enabled with other qualities and powers than in times past The Conscience heretofore was asleep but now it is awakned heretofore it was blind but now it sees heretofore it was silent but now it speaks heretofore it was loose and large but now it is strict and narrow heretofore it was dull and weak but now it is quick and powerful heretofore it was stupid and senceless but now it is apprehensive and active But I must not speak of all things about this that which I will pitch on is this the speciall Activities of Conscience where the heart is indeed tender 1. Concerning the good estate and welbeing of our souls 2. Concerning particular facts as to our doing or walking First Where the heart is tender there Conscience becomes active to clear out The conscience is active to clear our state the good and safe estate and well-being of our souls It will not suffer the poor soul to delude and deceive itself in matters of life and death to lay no grounds nor to venture all upon false bottoms and grounds of salvation and damnation of favour and wrath O saith Conscience thy soul is immortal and is for eternity and there are wayes to that eternity of Gods making and of mens making there is a reall relation to Christ and there is a seeming relation to Christ there is the power of godliness and there is the form of godliness there were virgins with oyle and there were virgins with lamps only there are some which believe and are saved and there are some that believe but for a time and perish If a man mistake himself he is undone for ever hereupon it is that Conscience in tender hearts dares not take up the estate of the soul upon trust and proud confidence and vain pretences or common grounds or every appearance but puts them on and makes them to study the Word of God and to prove what is the good and acceptable will of God and what indeed are the marks which do accompany salvation what are the infallible tokens of life of union with Christ of the new creature of a child of God born of the Spirit it causeth us to search our hearts and try our wayes to prove and examine our selves whether Christ be in us of a truth to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling it will not suffer us to be careless sluggish dallying delaying c. Conscience takes those saving promises of the â—ord as unquestionable that a man must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ that will be saved and that he must repent that will have his sins pardoned and that he must be regenerated and born again who will enter into the kingdom of heaven And hereupon Conscience puts us on if our hearts be tender exceedingly to make clear and evident the assumption I do truely believe I do truely repent I am born again and my sins are pardoned and my soul shall be saved A tender heart would be sure that it is in a state of life and favour Secondly Where the heart is tender there conscience is alive in respect of the particular facts of our lives whether good or evil For good actions which concern us in our places and callings Conscience puts us upon the careful and sincere practice of them will not suffer us to omit and neglect them but enclines and hearkens unto them although danger and trouble be incident unto us for the performance of them Act. 4. 19. But Peter and John answered and said unto them Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye ver 20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard Act. 21. 13. Then Paul answered What mean you to weep and break mine heart for I am ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Josh 24. 25. If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serve whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. For evil actions Conscience puts forth itself against them partly by warning It is evil if thou do it not partly by threatning It will be bitter unto thee it wlll deceive thee and break thy peace and confidences partly in striving with us and presenting argument upon argument consideration upon consideration Gods favour on the one hand and Gods displeasure on the other hand the happiness of walking uprightly the shortness of sins deceitful pleasures c. and all to keep us from sinning which if they prevail not then Conscience begins to be unquiet and it smites for sinning and accuses and condems and The respectiveness of our hearts to the Word of God troubles and vexes and
Spirit assuredly he hath forgiven thy sins Hath God indeed shewed thee mercy in forgiving thy sins he hath then assuredly given unto thee the Spirit of grace to change thy sinful heart Now would you have your sins forgiven do you look on forgiveness as a desirable mercy as a mercy of life and of peace and of hope O then get the Spirit of God God never forgives a man his sins but he gives his Spirit Forgiveness of sins is the great deed of mercy written in the blood of Christ and the giving of the Spirit is the seal of that deed Thirdly The Spirit and excellency alwayes go together Can we finde such a one as this is a man in whom the Spirit of God is said Pharaoh concerning Joseph Gen. 41. 38. Before we receive the Spirit of God there is no excellency in us we are but The spirit and excellency go together low and vile nothing of worth in our hearts they are wicked corrupt and dead in trespasses and sins and short of the glory of God nothing of worth in our thoughts All the imaginations of the thoughts of our hearts are only evil continually Nothing of worth in our affections they are set upon evil and set upon the world no love of God nor fear of God nor desire of God nor delight in God nothing of worth in our conversations they are unprofitable vile vain loose and dishonouring of God But when the Spirit of God come into us then comes an excellency into us and a true excellency into us The Spirit of God is stiled an excellent Spirit Dan. 6. 3. And they that enjoy the spirit are men of an excellent Spirit Prov. 17. 27. and to be more excellent than other men there is no way to attain unto it but by getting the Spirit and this I shall shew in particular all that have the Spirit they immediately enjoy 1. An excellent Nature They are made partakers of the Divine Nature Such enjoy an excellent nature An excellent Relation 2 Pet. 1. 4. They are changed into the glorious image of Christ 2 Cor. 3. 18. 2. An excellent Relation They are born again of the Spirit Joh. 3. 3. And are made the sons of God they receive the adoption of sons Gal. 4 5. And by the Spirit given unto them cry Abba Father ver 6. 3. Excellent Ornaments Ezek. 16. 7. An excellent wisdom which excelleth folly Excellent Ornaments as far as light excelleth darkness Eccless 2. 13. An excellent knowledge even the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord Phil. 3. 8. An excellent faith which is precious and more precious than gold An excellent love even the love of Jesus Christ in sincerity An excellent joy which is unspeakable and glorious An excellent hope which makes not ashamed which is as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast Heb. 6. 19 4. Excellent Priviledges To come with boldness to the throne of grace to have Excellent Priviledges the golden Scepter still held out unto them to lay claim to all the purchases of Christ and to challenge their right in him to make use of and apply any promise of God respecting any condition of their souls or bodies to appeal from themselves to Christ and from the sentence and severity of the Law unto the mercy and salvation of God in the Gospel In a word they that have the Spirit they are thereby made an eternal excellency Isa 60. 15. 5. Excellent conversation Holiness Uprightness Righteousness and unblameableness Excellent conversation The spirit and alsufficiency come together of life a life in Christ according to godliness Fourthly The Spirit and Alsufficiency comes together Whatsoever your condition may be whatsoever your exâ—â—â—ences may be whatsoever your troubles and sorrows may be whatsoever your wants may be whatsoever your works and services may be if you had but the Spirit you had enough for all his presence and efficacy can supply you with all 1. Are you weak he can strengthen you 2. Are you ignorant he can teach you 3. Are you doubtful he can counsel and guide you 4. Are you fallen he can raise you 5. Are you tempted he can succour you and make you to persist and conquer 6. Are you brought low in wants he can make you to live by Faith 7. Are you filled with sorrow he can fill you with comfort 8. Are you in darkness and can see no light he can open your eyes to see the salvation of God 9. Are fears upon you he can satifie and quiet you 10. Is dulness on you he can quicken and enlarge you 11. Are you doubtful of Gods love and mercy he can shed abroad the love of God in your hearts and make mercy turn unto you 12. Are you to 〈◊〉 to suffer to live â—nd dye he can enable you for every good work and in your sufferings be a spirit of glory unto you while you live he can make you to live unto the Lord and when you come to dye he can make you to dye unto the Lord O who would not who should not wrestle with God for this Spirit without whom no Christ no life no peace no joy no faith no help no hope and with whom comes Christ and Mercy and Excellency and Heâ—p and all Spiritual tasts Earnests Sealings Rejoycings and Glory 2ly The Means to get the Spirit Means to get the spirit Lay down prejudices against the spirit First If you would get the Spirit of God you must then lay down all prejudices against the Spirit As men have prejudices against Christ which hinder them from the receiving of Christ so men have prejudices against the Spirit of Christ which do hinder aâ—d withdraw them from desiring of the â—pirit There are four Prejudices especially and Exceptions in this case viz. 1. The humbling work of the Spirit Prejudices against the spirit 2. The mortifâ—ing work of the Spirit 3. The sanctifying work of the Spirit 4. The deâ—isions that befall men for the Spirits sake Object We would be content to have the Spirit but that he will shew us our sins and trouble and humble us for our sins Sol. I answer First Of a truth he will do so for he is a Spirit of Conviction and a spirit of The first prejudice taken away bondage to fear Secondly Nevertheless this should not take off our hearts from desiring the presence of the spirit For 1. The troubles from the Spirit are good troubles Of necessity we must be Troubles from the spirit are good troubles troubled for our sins either in this life or in hell the troubles for sins in hell are unsufferable and remediless but the troubles of this life for our sins especially when they come from the Spirit they are good they are penitential troubles and tend only to stir in us a loathing of our sins and a separation from our sins which have been so dispâ—easing and injurious to God and have
who paid no Debt nor Ransome for our selves it did cost us nothing the Remission of sins is meer mercy and free grace God did not expresse his full justice and mercy on Christ together nor did he express his full mercy and justice together on us But he expressed his justice on Christ who fully satisfied it and he expressed his mercy on us yet for the satisfaction made by the blood of Christ Amongst many places which might be brought to prove that the remission of our sins doth depend on the blood or sufferings of Christ I will mention only one more It is in Heb. 9. 22. Without shedding of blood there is no remission verse 26. But now hath he speaking of Christ once in the end of the world appeared to put away sin by tht sacrifice of himself verse 28. So was Christ once offered to bear the sins of many what can be more clear There is no remission of sins without the shedding of blood and therefore Christ appeared to put away our sins by the shedding of his blood per immolationem sui ipsius by the Sacrifice of himself As when the Sacrifices called expiatory were offered sins were taken away and pardoned so when Christ offered up himself by death a Sacrifice to God this was of real vertue to expiate our sins Vse 1 Now what an unspeakable comfort is this that Jesus Christ as our Mediatour did shed his blood for the remission of our sins Comfort that Christ shed his blood for our remission It looseth our Bonds and dischargeth our Debts 1. Our sins in Scripture are sometimes called Bonds and indeed they are the heaviest and dreadfullest Bonds of all others lying heavy upon the conscience and binding us over to Gods Tribunal to answer but these are loosened and released through the blood of Christ And sometimes they are called Debts for the payment of which we do owe unto the justice of God the endurance of everlasting pain in soul and in body but these debts are forgiven us for Christs sake In every sin there are two things considerable One is the Offence done to God by reason whereof he is displeased The other is the Obligation of that person so offending God unto everlasting wrath and condemnation And both these are removed in the remission or forgiveness of sins the offence or fault is removed God is not now offended or displeased with the offending sinner any more and the obligation unto eternal wrath and condemnation is so far cancelled that it shall never redound unto the person Although guilt and obligation be natural unto and inseparable from sin yet this obligation shall never be put in suit nor shall that wrath and condemnation deserved by sin be ever inflicted on the sinner because there is a forgiveness of sin wrought by Jesus Christ And therefore the Apostle saith That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them 2 Cor. 5. 19. that is not laying of them to their charge not suing of them not reckoning with them but forgiving them 2. Secondly the comfort from this will appear yet to be more if you do consider This remission doth extend to all our sins that this remission of sin by Christ as it takes off the guilt of sin which is the Arrow in the Side the gnawing Worm in the Conscience the Thorn in the Foot and the breaking of our Bones so it doth extend to all our sins We do diversifie our sins by the times of them some are past some are present and some are future And by the quantity of them some are small and some are great And by the quality and circumstances of them some are of ignorance and some are of knowledge some are voluntary and some are involuntary c. Now whatsoever our sins are alwayes supposing us to be Elect believing and penitent persons they are all of them forgiven through the blood of Christ Colos 2. 13. Having forgiven you all trespasses Jer. 33. 8. I will pardon all their iniquities wherey they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me Object What all every one Sol. Yes And there are five Arguments to satisfie us concerning this 1. Jesus Christ as our Surety took upon him the whole state of our sinfull debts He did not undertake this or that particular sin only but the whole debt the whole reckoning all the sins of which we might be conceived guilty and of all of them gave himself a Sacrifice to put away sin 2. He did so satisfie Gods justice for our sins as that there is now no condemnation to them that are in him and verily if all condemnation be removed then all sin is pardoned If any one sin remained unpardoned then condemnation would still be in force upon us for that one sin 3. His death was a price Aequivalent unto the merits of all our sins and preponderating them and God having accepted thereof it would be unjust in him not to remit all 4. All enmity is slain by the blood of Christ between God and us He hath reconciled us by his Crosse having slain enmity thereby But if any sin was not forgiven all hostility is not slain 5. The great end of Christs death was to save us to make us blessed to bring us to the enjoyment of eternal life which end could never be attained unlesse God did upon the account of Christ give unto us a plenary and total remission of sins Because of any one sin unpardoned the wages is death which the Apostle delivers in opposition to eternal life Rom 6. 23. 3. Nor doth our comfort from the remission of our sins by Christ end in This Remission is stable and irrevocable this it goes one step yet further and that is this as the Remission is total and perfect so it is stable and irrevocable Hence those expressions in Micah 7. 19. Thou wilt cast all our sins into the depths of the Sea as if our sins lay drowned and buried for ever never to rise up against us any more Isa 44. 22. I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins When a Bond or Writing is blotted out there the writing against us can be read no more Or when a Cloud is blotted out it is so scattered and dispersed that it appears no more Jer. 33. 34. I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sins no more Jer. 50. 20. The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve Why what comfort is this That there is Remission of sins procured for us and of all sins and that by Christ and that God hath forgiven them and as long as God is God and Christ is Christ they remain forgiven God alters not and Christ afters not and forgivenesse of sinnes alters not Vse 2 Is Remission of sin
sinner who hath no part in Christ no hope nor plea by him Fourthly The unforgiven sinner is obnoxious to the severe Authority of an He is obnoxious to an awaking guilty conscience awakning guilty conscience and unto all the powerful workings of it Indeed whiles the conscience remains stupid and seared although sins be unforgiven there is a quietnesse in the soule like a sick man asleep Simile But when God irresistably awakes conscience by effectual light and gives it a charge to act its office of accusing and condemning O Lord in what a case will the unpardoned sinner now be now the man must see all his sins and now he must see them in all their offence and provocations and deserts and now he must see them all as unforgiven and himself therefore obnoxious to death and wrath and curse and hell and conscience sets on all these with a strong conviction and with such piercing woundings and with such continual terror and horror that the unpardoned sinner is at his wits end A wounded Conscience or Spirit who can bear Prov. 18. 14. He is like Pashor-Magor-Missabib a terror round abount unto himself the guilt of his unpardoned sins works on his soul and on his body his soul hath them now before it and the thoughts of his soul are perplexed and astonished what shall I do and what will become of me And his afflictions are breaking with fears and with despaires his eyes are rolling his feet and joynts shaking and his body trembling he knows not what to do with himself nor how to fly from himself Conscience still cries and still pursues and still wounds and still gnaws and still flames and burnt and still condemns him thou hast destroyed thy self thou art lost for ever God is thy Judge thy sins are unforgiven and thy portion is damnation the poor wretch of times cries out O Conscience be quiet spare me a little give me a little space a minute an hours rest I can allow thee no Interim saith Conscience how can I thy sins are not forgiven and God hath given me a charge against thee and therefore how can I be quiet or how can I speak to him unto whom God saith there is no peace but wrath Isa 57. 21. Fifthly The unforgiven sinner must meet with death and death must meet with He must meet with death as a king of terrors him as a king of fears and as armed against him with the guilt of his sins the sting of death is sin saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 56. death is no great matter but the sting of death that is terrible that is like the sting of a Serpent or of the Scorpion piercing poysoning enraging and killing Luther professeth that there were three things which he durst not think of without Christ viz. 1. Of his sinnes 2. Of death 3. Of the day of judgement why what is death to an unpardoned sinner I will tell you what it is 1. It is a full period to all comforts and delights the unpardoned sinner shall never taste of delight more to all Eternity when a justified person dyes he shall never see any sorrow more and when an unpardoned sinner dyes he shall never see delight in any kind more 2. A full period to all Reprieves and Bayles the sinner during life may be Reprieved from many an Execution of wrath and judgement but when he dies there is no longer reprieving he must now appear in person before the righteous God answer for himself and give up his account and to receive according to what he hath done Now how dreadful will this be to the unpardoned sinner on whose soul and conscience the guilt of all his sins is engraven O saith he I cannot live and I must die I have not a day longer nor an hour longer and then must I appear before Gods Judgement seat and what will become of one who never repented who never believed who never had part in Christ who never had his sins forgiven to him Sixthly the unpardoned sinner must receive that just and irreversible sentence of He must receive the irreversible sentence of condemnation condemnation from God Beloved there is a twofold sentence which God will pronounce at the last day 1. One is of comfort and absolution Come ye blessed inherit the kingdom prepared for you Matth 25. 34. 2. The other is of terror and condemnation Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels and both these sentences are already notified unto us in this life He that believes shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned Mar. 16. 16. How dreadful this sentence of condemnation will be I pray God that none of us may find but certainly all unpardoned sinners shall find it God will pronounce it against them how can it be otherwise if sinners be not pardoned if sinners be not pardoned then the sinner is not absolved and if he be not absolved he must be condemned Object But God may forgive him in that day Sol. No no that day is not a day of forgiving though it be a day of publication who hath been forgiven c. Seventhly Upon this sentence immediately follows execution God condemns And execution immediately follows To all eternity these sins and they shall be condemned he adjudgeth them to hell to be tormented with the Divel and his Angels and thither they go to suffer that wrath which their sins have deserved Eighthly And this poenal endurance of wrath it must continue to all eternity As long as God is God so long must the wrath of God abide on them the worm never dies and the fire of hell never goes out And if these things be so then by the way learn four things 1. Come off speedily from your sins by true repentance 2. Slight the Gospel as you have done no more stand no longer against the offers of Jesus Christ 3. By all means yield your selves to be the people of God 4. Whatsoever you make sure of make sure of Christ and of the forgiveness of your sins and the salvation of your souls SECT VI. Vse 2. DOth God promise forgiveness of sins unto his people Is it one of the first mercies by him promised unto them Then let us every one be exhorted to get a capacity of the forgiveness of our sins Get a capacity of forgiveness Beloved it is true that God can and doth forgive sins and will do so but yet he will do this in that way and in that order which he hath prescribed in his own Word we may not say Why I am a sinner and therefore God will forgive me as if one should say I am a debtor therefore the Creditor will release me and I am an offender and therefore the Judge will absolve me Nor may we say absolutely God is a merciful God and therefore he will forgive me for as God is a merciful God and may therefore forgive so he is a
the more able we are to trust God and to look on his Promises with as much chearfulness as others do If able to trust God without carking cares only in their performances If we can bless and praise God when he takes away as well as when he gives Psal 56. 10. In God will I praise his word in the Lord will I praise his word Sixthly The more complyance with and contentedness in all the changes which do befall us in our journey to heaven in these dayes of our pilgrimage certainly If contented in all changes this declares a presence of much grace The Lord saith of Job that there was not a man like him in all the earth he was eminently good and upright and he it was who blessed God in his great changes Job 1. 21. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. Chap. 2. 10. Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil See Paul that strong Christian Phil. 4 11. I have learned in whatsoever estate I am therewith to be content Ver. 12. I know how to be abused and I know how to abound everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need Fourthly A fourth duty which concerns you who have received the Spirit is Our hearts must be carried out to spiritual things this your hearts should be more earnestly and fixedly and entirely carried unto and laid out for spiritual things spiritual objects and treasures should be of more value with you and they should draw out your thoughts and affections to the utmost other things should be of small account with you If the Spirit be in you then the things of the spirit should be in you as wickedness is in the wicked man and the world is in the worldly man so should spiritual things be in a man of the Spirit In him i. e. his heart still in the mindings of his heart and in the projects of his heart and in the cares of his heart and in the desires and longings of his heart and in the delights and satisfactions of his heart he should be wholly given up to them and his soul should be resolved into them Psal 73. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee The spiritual man should be so addicted to spiritual things that he should spiritualize all things he should spiritualize the world and all his dealings in the world and he should spiritualize all the comforts of the world look on them as from his God and raise his heart more to God have much more delight and sweetness in him he should spiritualize all the afflictions and troubles of the world learn Righteousness and more holiness by them and more to live by faith Nay he should spiritualize all his fails grow more fearful selfdenying mournful watchful fruitful well he should spiritualize his conference and converse with all men edifying the good and admonishing the wicked comforting the weak supporting the feeble But to the main thing his heart should lay out it self for spiritual things O more of the favour of God and more of Jesus Christ and more of the fruits of the Spirit c. 1. The great Promises are of thâ—se 2. And the Promises of them are only unto you 3. They are the best portion and your best portion and your only portion 4. These are eternity or for eternity 5. The Spirit is given unto you to carry out your hearts for these 6. These are most suitable to a spiritual nature Now in the desires of spiritual things remember to 1. Desire grace infinitely more than gifts 2. Desire strength and power more than joys and comfort 3. Desire the means as well as the end 4. Desire all for the honour and glory of God SECT VII 5. Use DOth God promise to give his Spirit unto his people Then let us all be Let all look after the gift of the spirit perswaded to look after this great gift of God not to content our selves under the want of it but by all means to obtain it For the managing of this Vse I will present unto you 1. Some Motives to excite us 2ly Some Means to enjoy 1. The Motives to look after the Spirit of God e. g. First The Spirit and Christ come alwayes together If any man hath Christ The Spirit and Christ come alwayes together he hath the Spirit if any man hath the Spirit he hath Christ if any man hath not the Spirit he hath not Christ Christ and the Spirit ever go together Should not this provoke us to strive with God for his Spirit what sinner on earth would not have Christ what will become of us without Christ how happy is every soul in the enjoyment of him how miserable in the want of him how longing are the hearts of some for Christ and for the knowledge that Christ is their Christ But if the Spirit of God be yours then the Sonne of God is yours Here is a double portion at once a double gift at once the Spirit of God and Jesus Christ at once If you mind not the Spirit for the Spirits sake yet mind the Spirit for Christs sake your desires after him must come from the spirit and your union with him must come from the spirit and your knowledge of the person 〈◊〉 propriety or interest in him must come from the Spirit A man may think he hath Christ but if he hath not the Spirit Christ is none of his Rom. 8. 9. A man may fear that he hath not Christ but if the Spirit be given unto him then assuredly Christ is given unto him Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us 1 Joh. 3. 4. Secondly Forgiveness of sins and the Spirit alway are given together Though The Spirit and pardon of sin go together forgiveness of sin be one thing and the Spirit in us another thing yet they are both given together A man hath not his sins pardoned and yet he remains unsatisfied without the Spirit and a man is not sanctified by the Spirit and yet his sins remain unpardoned but both are given together at the same time 1 Joh. 5. 6. This is he that came by water and blood even Jesus Christ not by water only but by water and blood and it is the Spirit that beareth witness 1 Cor. â— 11. Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of of our God It is true that the blood of Christ is the only meritorious cause of the forgiveness of sins God forgives our sins for Christs sake but then it is as true that assurance of forgiveness and reconciliation of the Spirit are given together Hath God sanctified thy heart by his