was at Jerusalem it was where Paul should have learnt to know better things for there the Apostles were and taught the Doctrine of Christ and of Christianity Sixthly If you consider the extent of Pauls malice saith he When they were put to death I gave my voice against them Pauls vote was against the Christians to put them to death Seventhly Pauls rage did goe against their soules as well as their bodies for saith he I did compell them to blaspheme Christ he laboured to damn their souls as well as destroy their bodies Eighthly saith he I was exceeding mad against them he was even mad with rage and exceeding mad with rage Ninthly He drove them from house to house I drove them into strange Cities And then Tenthly which was worst of all he did through their sides strike at the honour of Jesus Christ for why did Paul doe this to the Saints saith he I thought with myself to doe many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth there was the person he aymed at yet Paul a man forgiven for all this for he saith when he aggravates his sin in 1 Tim. 1. 11 12 13. According to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithfull putting me into the Ministery who was before a blasphemer and a persecuter and injurious But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly its unbelief Thus I have done with the Doctrinal part of my Text laying down to you an induction of instances I am the larger in this because I know perplexed consciences in trouble of mind are apt but to greaten their own sins but can you aggravate it worse then David Paul or Peter could do yet behold those sinnes and those aggravated sinnes were forgiven by Jesus Christ I have four words to say in this Sermon by way of Application there may be in such an Assembly as this is whom God might suffer either before conversion or after conversion to be unclean with David to deny Christ with Peter it may be to swear to a lye to swear to a falshood nay it may be to engage to a lye to a falshood O take heed of false Oathes it may be to persecute the Saints of Christ with Paul Four Consolations First O know it for thy comfort O thou disconsolate heart let thy sin be never so great yet the mercies of God are greater A learned Interpreter gives to my hand which is his instance Lord my fault is great but thy mercies are greater Beloved I may say to you though thy sin be great yet the mercy of God is greater then thy sin and thou canst not have so many circumstances to greaten thy sin as can be produced in God to greaten his own mercy you shall read what he saith himselfe in Isa 44. 22. I have blotted ouâ— as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins return unto me for I have redeemed thee Suppose thy sin be not onely a little cloud but suppose it be a great cloud a thick cloud saith God I doe not only blot sins out like a little cloud but I will blot ouâ— transgressions that are like a thick cloud great sins as well as small doth the mercies of God cover The Sea can as well cover great rocks as little peble stones high mountaines as well as mole-hills Gods mercy is an Ocean that can cover great enormities as well as lesser infirmities The glorious body of the Sun in the Heavens can scatter the greatest mist as well as the thinnest vapours great sins as well as small are pardoned by infinite mercy It is worthy your notice what Moses speaks of the Mercy-seat It covered the whole Ark wherein the Law was kept To note saith a Divine though thou art a man or a woman guilty of all the Lawes breach not onely of one command but of all the commands yet the Mercy-Seat covered all the commands to teach you this that the mercy of God can pardon the greatest violation of the Law therefore that wherein the Law was kept was all covered by the Mercy-Seat 2. Take this for thy comfort O thou perplexed Conscience it may be when thou art in a corner none but God and thine own soule together thou dost aggravate thy sin and thinkest no mans sin so grievous as thine then take this for thy comfort let thy sin be never so great yet the satisfaction and sufferings of Christ are far greater The blood of Christ saith the Apostle cleanseth us from all sin the Red Sea did with as much ease drown Pharaoh and all his hoast as it could doe a single man the red Sea of Christs blood can drown a whole hoast and a huge multitude of sins as well as a small lust Though thou hast need to shed more teares for sin in a way of contriâ—ion yet Christ need not shed more blood for sin in a way of redemption for he hath saved them to the utmost that come unto God by him the Apostle triumphing in the 5. of the Romans he meanes there that there is not so much evil in sin to damn us as there is good in the gift in Christ for to save because thy sin is he guilt of a creature and Christs satisfaction is the satisfaction of a God thy sin the sin of a finite creature and his sufferings the sufferings of an infinite Mediator Third Consolation is this to you that are perplexed in conscience that you have committed hainous and aggravated sinfulnesse yet that Jesus Christ doth wipe away the infamy and the ignominy of thy most horrid and scandalous sins committed before conversion Suppose thou hast been a notorious infamous creature yet Christ takes off the ignominy and the infamy of thy sin when he justifies thy person and doth sanctifie thy nature It is observable of Mary Magdalen as is conceived she was a notorious whore every one that saw her knew she was a common harlot there was a woman that was a sinner the meaning was she was an infamous notorious harlot What is done when Christ converted this woman Luk. 7. 47. Wherefore I say unto thee her sins which are many are forgâ—ven for she loved much Christ did delight to wipe away the ignominy of her harlotry in her after-life It is worthy observation that four women are reckoned in the Genealogy of Christ what women were they they were women that were infamous the best of them did fill into much scandal and gave much offence there you find mention of Thamar Rachab Ruth and Bathsheba no more in the Genealogy but these what were all these women Begin with Thamar she committed uncleannesse with her Father in Law an infamous woman as you have the story in Gen. 38. 18. And he said What pledge shall I give thee and she said thy Signet and the Bracelets and thy Staffe that is in thine hand and be
of God in thy esteem A famous story of Austin when God converted him and smote his conscience for the vanity of his youth how doth he aggravate his sin when he was a boy for robbing of an Orchard he doth aggravate that sin with many circumstances First I robbed an Orchard meerly out of vanity not out of need to steale for need is more tolerable though not justifiable but when he had enough that was vanity then it was not for the goodnesse of the fruit but meerly for the lust of the eye then I did not rob the Orchard alone but I got others with me then it was an unseasonable time of night then he went to rob the Orchard after he had spent all the day in vain sport then what they could not eat they gave to the hogs then saith he I wronged and injured an honest neighbour that never did me wrong O see how hee clothed that sin with many hainous crimes and circumstances canst not thou cloath thy uncleannesse thy oppression thy extortion thy unjust dealing with hainous circumstances let me direct you a little in this rule First To aggravate thy sin consider all sins against the manifestation of Gods love are great when God speaks peace to thee if thou shouldst then return to foolishnesse Psal 85. 8. this greatnes sin it was an aggravation of Solomons sin that he sinned against the Lord after God had revealed himselfe twice to him 1 King 11. 9. And the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared to him twice Secondly It aggravates sin when you commit a sin upon a slight temptation for a man to sin when he hath little or no provocation that greatens sin What made the sin of the Devil so great it was this that those Angels had none to tempt them for thee to follow the stews for thee to follow thy lusts when the Devil doth not tempt thee to doe it when the provocation is meerly from thine own heart this greatens a mans sin and thus in the Prophet Micah that men should sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a paire of shoes O when thou shalt recollect and say how have I dishonoured God how have I run the hazard of an immortall soul when the Devil hath laid no temptation to me this greatens sins exceedingly A third thing to greaten sin by is when a man doth sin against the checks and rebukes of his own conscience Conscience saith doe not sin doe not wickedly and the man saith I must I must I shall lose all else When Conscience shall arrest thee and accuse thee of sin and thou shalt stifle and put by all this aggravates thy sin Fourthly The frequency of the acts of sinne to commit a sin once is not so much but to fall often into the same sin this greatens sin Fifthly Complacency of heart in sin when sin is not onely the sin of thy practise and of thy life but thou delightest in sin if sin be rivetted and rooted in thy heart thou art unclean canst thou go to God say Lord what grace is here land what mercy is here that thou hast pardoned great transgressions and those sins that I can aggravate by many hainous circumstances I have read my pardon and yet I have now blotted my pardon canst thou say I have sinned and upon a very trivial occasion and on a smal temptation I am a drudge to the Devil on an easie temptation when the Devill can draw thee by a silken thread to a sin O it is a great aggravation when Conscience arrests thee for sin and thou wilt still be stifling the cries of conscience would you greaten sin you are in a ready way to greaten mercy pardoning grace that is a 4th direction Fifthly If God doth out of the riches of his grace pardon aggravated sins take you heed that when you have obtained great and gracious pardons for great and grievous sins you do not extenuate your sins do not say of your sins as Lot of Zoar Is not this a little one doe not say of wilfull enormities as Jacob did Peradventure it was an oversight do not mince the matter and doe not lessen sin but greaten sin The reason why thou shouldst not doe it consider first by extenuating sin and making it smal and little in your eye you will lessen the greatnesse of Gods pardoning grace who will value the skill and Physick of a kitchin woman That Physitian is valued that can cure a deadly and dangerous disease when a mans spirits are gone and strength is consumed the Physician is prized thou by lessening thy sin dost lessen pardoning grace 2. By the extenuating thy sin thou doest lessen the value of Christs bloud 3. Thou wilt lessen thine own repentance and humiliation for what man will labour after great humiliation for small transgessions therfore there is a world of wrong done to thy own soule when God hath pardoned great transgressions if thou shouldst extenuate and lessen the greatness of thy evils Sixthly Content not your selves with slight and superciall repentance so falling into great and gross evils be not like Lewis the eleventh King of France when he did an evill against his conscience he pulled off his hat and tooke his Crucifixe and cryed God mercy for what he had done so many men if they can but cry God mercy in ordinary and generall tearms they think they have made a Compensation to Divine Justice And thus have I done with the second branch of the use in these six particulars The third and the last branch shall be by way of Consolation to troubled and perplexed Consciences that by reason of their falling into aggravated and hainous sins do entertain doubtfull thoughts of their own pardon five Consolations I shall lay down to you from the scripture who have repented of great and many sins First Consider for thy comfort that conversion and repentance for sin before God wipes off the ignominy and the infamy of thy former miscarriages suppose thou hast been an ignominious notorious soul creature yet repentance puts a vail over thy ignominious lusts Secondly Take this for thy comfort that Jesus Christ doth manifest more love to those men who have fallen into gross sin after repentance and humiliation then he did to any other sorts of men in the world It is observable of Peter Peter did sin more then all the Disciples unless Judas that was the cast-away after Peter did humble himselfe and repent of his denyall Christ did shew more love to Peter then to all the other Disciples First Christ appeared to Peter after his Resurrection before he appeared to any other so Paul tels you in 1 Cor. 15. 5. And that he was scen of Cephas and then of the twelve there was love in Christ Peter did deny but three daies before and Peter must first see him Again When Christ was risen from the dead
several particulars are handled First the Psalmist handles wherein the forgivenesse of sin consists that he mentions under two expressions Verse 1. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered the forgivenesse of sin consists first in the covering of sin the covering of sin not from God but by God so it is explained by God himselfe Psal 85. vers 2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people Thou hast covered all their sin It is sin in us to hide our sins as it is sin to hide our talents so it is sin to hide our sin therefore when the Psalmist saith the forgivenesse of sin consists in the covering of sin this covering is understood of Gods covering Which is not to be understood of a totall abolition or Extirpation of sin but of such a covering of it as it shall never be imputed for condemnation and that is a second expression to set out Gods pardoning sin viz. 2. This forgivenesse is set out by not imputing of sin vers 2. Sin shall not be imputed unto a justified person though still it shall be inherent in him Secondly The Psalmist shews the Character of that man whose sin is pardoned vers 2. Blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no guile If sin be pardoned to the soule guile will never be harbored and indulged in the soule Thirdly Here is laid down the happinesse of a pardoned man vers 3. When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long yet for all this David cals him blessed though Gods hand was heavie upon him yet his heart was still towards him yet a blessed man though an afflicted man Fourthly Here is laid down the course that the Psalmist took to procure pardon of sin that is in my Text I said I will confesse my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Thus I have brought you by the hand to the Text. I shall give you a short paraphrase of the words I said this word implies in Scripture phrase three things First it notes a deliberation or consideration of the minde Psal 14. vers 1. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God that is he hath thought so in his minde that there is no God Psal 30. vers 6. And in my prosperity I said I shall never be moved that is I thought so Saying is not alwaies an act of the tongue but sometimes of the minde I said I will confesse my sin that is I have bethought my selfe and considered in my minde that it is meet for me to get pardon and to confesse my sin to God I said It notes secondly the purpose and the resolution of the wil so you have it Psal 119. v. 57. Thou art my portion O Lord I have said that I would keep thy words There saying is explained to be purposing or resolving of the will Thirdly I said it implies the execution or practice of what the minde resolves upon Psal 39. vers 1. I said I wil take heed to my waies c. that is I did look to my waies and I am put upon the practice of taking care unto my steps and to my waies the meaning of the phrase is this I said I will confesse my transgression I have bethought it so in my minde and it is good and meet so to do I have purposed and resolved in my will and am actually put on the practice of it I said I will confesse my transgression The Septuagint interpret this place thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I said I will confesse my transgression I will confesse against my selfe upon which one hath this note Many confesse their sins but they blame not themselves but God the stars and what not It is worth your notice that sin is exprest by three words in this Text first transgression secondly iniquity and thirdly sin I will comfesse my transgression and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin There are but four places as I remember in the Scripture where in these three words are joyned together in one verse Transgression Iniquity and Sin Exod. 34. vers 7. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Micha 7. v. 18. who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Levit. 16 vers 21. And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live Goat and confesse over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sins c. And it is likewise used in Job 13. vers 23. How many are mine iniquities and sins make me to know my transgression and my sin In these four places the words are used in Scripture and in my Text but not else as I remember throughout the word of God and because these three words are here used Interpreters take much pains to finde out some material distinction between them her is Transgression Sin and Iniquity I have consulted with many and the truest account I can give you is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Transgression signifies in the Hebrew Rebellion say interpreters it notes sin with extensions and aggravations sin increased to a great height Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin signifies evils that are of the lesser degree that are not so hainous and so notes onely by sin evils of infirmity and common incursion Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iniquity signifies sin of nature that pravity of nature wherein a man was born But Grammarians in the Latine distinguish these words otherwise Iniquity they make to be that which is done against another man Sin that which is done against a mans selfe and Transgression that which is done immediately against God But beloved the Scripture in many places makes them all one Therefore we need not make further curious enquiry after the distinction of these words And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin The iniquity of my sin There is some disagreement about the sense of these words what it is for God to forgive the iniquity of sin By the iniquity of sin some do understand the punishment that sin deserves the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies Iniquity signifies Punishment the same word here is spoken of Cain My punishment is greater then I can bear there is the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore in some translations it is read thus Thou for gavest the punishment of my sin Secondly others here do understand by the iniquity of sin with whom I do concure sin with all its aggravations with all its hainous circumstances sin with all its malignity Thou dost forgive the iniquity of my sin most Interpreters go this way and so make the phrase to be very emphatical Thou hast forgiven me my sin that is all hainous circumstances
whiles I was speaking and praying and confession my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God c. that Gabriel came and touched him c. Confession is to the soul as the whet-stone is to the knife that sharpens it and puts an edge upon it so doth confession of sin confessing thy evils to God doth sharpen and put an edge on thy supplications that man will pray but faintly that doth confesse sin but slightly Solemn and secret confession of they evils unto God doth greatly help to quicken strong supplications unto God Reas 4 A fourth Reason why justified persons must confesse sin unto God is because confession of sin will worke a holy contrition and a godly sorrow in the heart Psal 38. vers 18. For I will declare mine iniquities I will be sorry for my sin Declaration doth work compunction confession of sin is but the causing of sin to recoyle on the conscience which causeth blushing and shame of face and grief of heart Reas 5 A fifth Reason why justified persons must confesse sin unto God is because their secret confession of sin doth give a great deal of glory to God it gives glory to Gods Justice I do confesse sin and do confesse God in justice may damn me for my sin it gives glory to Gods mercy I confesse sin yet mercy may save me it gives glory to Gods omnisciency in confessing sin I do acknowledge that God knoweth my sin confession of sin gives glory to God Josh 7. vers 19. And Joshua said unto Achan My son give I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession unto him and tell me now what thou hast done hide it not from me It is a giving glory unto God Reas 6 A sixt Reason why justified persons must confesse sin unto God is because holy confession of sin will imbitter sin and indear Christ to them when a man shall let sin recoyle on his conscience by a confession These after reflexions and these after recollections of sin do greatly imbitter sin and do indear Jesus Christ the stronger desires that a sinner hath after Jesus Christ the more he doth inhaunce the price of Jesus Christ And thus much for the first Quere to wit the Reasons of the point The second Quere is But when is a man in the best plight to have freedome of spirit to make secret confession of sin unto God I will name but three Seasons As Seas 1 First When God doth bring a beleever under some grievous outward affliction then is a fit time for him to confesse sin to God It is a saying of Gregory Sins do blinde the eyes of men when they sin yet those eyes come to be opened by the punishment the punishment openeth those eyes which the fact hath shut As you read of Josephs brethren they did remain 20 yeares without having conscience recoyle on themselves to confesse their vils in selling their brother Joseph but when Joseph laid them in a prison then they confest their evill Gen. 42 21. And they said one to another we are verily guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soule when he besought us and we would not hear therefore is this distresse come upon us It may be now thou art in health thou dost not now confesse thy uncleannesse and thy drunkennesse and thy pride and thy prophanenesse but what wilt thou do when God brings thee on a death-bed when God hedges in thy waies with thornes the conscience will reflect on thee and suggest guilt to thee and draw out confession from thee it is a fit season when God doth bring a man under any outward affliction then he is in good plight to confesse sin It is worth your notice in the 38. Psalme it was made when David lay on his sick-bed as he thought his death-bed you shall finde it is a complaint of a very strong disease David lay under in the 3. vers Vers. 3 There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin Vers 5. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishnesse Vers 7. For my loines are filled with a loathsome disease and there is no soundness in my flesh Here he was lying on a sick-bed and Interpreters say that he made this Psalme when he was sick It is worth your notice of the title that David gives this Psalme A Psame of David to bring to remembrance David when he was on his death-bed as he thought he said it shall be a Psalm of remembrance to bring sin to remembrance to confess to God my uncleannesse with Bathsheba to bring to remembrance the evils of my life it was a good plight David was in when he lay on a sick-bed he would make this title of the Psalme A Psalme to call to remembrance men are in a fit plight to make confession to God when they lye under any bodily sicknesse call to remembrance thy pride call to remembrance thy passion call to remembrance thy vain dalliance whatever thy fin be it may be I may not hit of it but when ever God brings thee under affliction thou art then in a fit plight to confesse sin unto God and call to remembrance thy sins As it was with the Marriners in the storme with Jonah when there was scarce any hope to be saved then they fell a calling each one on his God Which occasioned the Proverbe He that hath not yet learnt to pray let him goe to sea So Jer. 2 vers 24. A wilde Asse used to the wildernesse that snuffeth up the winde at her pleasure in her occasion who can turn her away all they that seek her will not weary themselves in her moneth they shall finde her The men of Israel are there compared unto an Asse an unruly creature that runs up down the wilderness and kicks up the heel but saith God Though men weary themselves to take her yet in her moneth they shall take her that is when she brings forth young then they shall take her referring it to the people of Israel they in their prosperity would not be ruled but when they were in their moneth in their captivity in their sufferings then they should take them and they would then come to be more pliant in confessing their guilt more to God then in former time A second Season wherein a man is in a good plight to confesse sin is when the conscience of a man is set in office by God to persue him with clear and with strong accusations When God puts the conscience of a man in office to persue him with strong accusations touching evils he hath omitted then that man is in a fit plight if he will take hold of it Even Judas himselfe when conscience awakened him went and confessed to the High Priest and the
and will say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee Though he was a Prodigal yet he would goe to God as to a father In confession you are to go to God hopefully as to a displeased father confessions when they come to God as a Judge create fear horrour and amazement on the conscience but when confessions are mingled with hope and come to God as a Father they work a holy brokennesse of heart a holy tendernesse and remorse on the conscience We should confesse our sins to God as a Patient confesseth his disease and bodily distemper to his Physician in hope of Cure Rule 5 A fift Rule in confession of sin unto God is this Content not your selves with slight and superficial confessions of sin unto God but leave not confession till you find sorrow for sin Psal 38. 18. For I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin Dan. 9. 8. O Lord to us belongeth confusion of face to our Kings to our Princes and to our fathers because we have sinned against thee we blush and are ashamed to look up Leave not confessing of sin until shame hath filled your face and sorrow hath filled your heart it is a great fault in many people if they confesse their sin in crying God mercy in a general way they think they have made God a compensation for all the injuries they have done him though they never have any godly sorrow for their sins but beloved you are not to content your selves with such confession We should in this part of prayer imitate that holy Martyr Bradford who never gave over praying till his heart was somewhat affected and warmed in the duty Rule 6 A sixt Rule in confession of sin is this If thou findest thy heart straitned in confessing present guilt and present sins upon thee then labour to review recollect ancient guilt and ancient sins This is a very useful thing in a mans Christian course It may be a man or woman professing Christianity may not know the sins he or she hath done this last week for want of heedfulnesse and observation of their waies in that case let them recollect what they have done many years agoe recollect old sins when new sins do not come to remembrance and be humbled for them thus David did in Psal 51. 3. For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me It was meant his old sin of adultery that was his sin that he would now call to remembrance so when he found his heart dead he saith Lord remember not the sins of my youth he would go so far back as his youth I prescribe this rule not that a godly man who is under trouble of minde should take this course to collect old sins this may lead him to despair but in case of barrennesse if any man wants matter in respect of present sinnes and findes his heart hard and very insensible in secret prayer unto God in that case he is bound to let conscience recoyle upon himself and recollect sins of past years go back as far as his youth and see what conscience will bring in to provoke him to make humble confession unto God in his secret retirements Rule 7 Lastly take this Rule take more freedom in confession of sin in secret before God then in publick before men To provoke you to practise this Rule consider two things 1. First it is not fit to confesse all the evils you have done before men and if there were no argument to prove secret prayer this were enough that it is not fit for a man to confesse all the sins of his life before men Zach. 12. 12. And the Land shall mourn every family apart the family of the house of David apart and their wives apart the family of the house of Nathan apart and their wives apart c. They are to go to God and confesse their sins apart Thou art a poor professor that dost confesse what thou confessest in publick onely and never in private thou art but a barren professor 2. Again consider this that though we read of wicked men that have made great confession of sin unto God yet we never read in the Scripture that wicked men ever made conscience to confesse sin to God in secret Pharaoh you know the story confest his sin unto Moses and unto Aaron but we never read that Pharaoh confest his sin unto God Exod. 9. 27. And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron and said unto them I have sinned this time c. Saul confest his sin unto Samuel but we never read of his confessing sin unto god 1 Sam. 15. 24. And Saul said unto Samuel I have sinned for I have transgressed the Commandement of the Lord c. Verse 30. Then he said I have sinned c. Judas confest his sin but to whom was it to the High Priest and to the Pharisees but Judas never went into a corner and in secret to bewail bloodshed wicked men have made publick confessions of sin but in secret between God and their own souls they never made acknowledgment and confession of their evils unto God thus much for the third Quere The fourth Quere is this Wherein appears the difference of a gody mans making confession of sin unto God and between those confessions of sin in wicked men and there are these eight differences First Holy confession in godly men makes the soul to be more active and inquisitive after cure remedy and pardon for sin holy confession makes the soul industrious I confesse sin but how shall I subdue sin I acknowledge sin but how shall I get pardon for sin It makes it enquire how to get cure and remedy for the evils which before were confest Job 7. 20. I have sinned What shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men c. I have sinned there is his confession Lord what shall I do there is his industry Thus the Jewes they were convinced by Peter of their great sin insomuch as they cryed out What shall we do to be saved But false confession leaves men idle and carelesse confesse they do but they are not inquisitive how to get pardon for those sins they do confesse Secondly Holy confession of sin unto God in godly men is attended with remorse of conscience and with grief of heart Psal 38. 18. For I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin there is confession and sorrow joyned together Hos 12. 4. Yea he had power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplication unto him Whilest confessions are in the mouth there will be either tears in the eye or sorrow in the heart if confession be true The wicked confesse sin but tey never grieve for the sins they have committed they are not ashamed neither can they blush in the Prophets language Thirdly A godly man in confession of sin hath more freedom of spirit
great labour taken before his dead conscience will hear the rebukes of the Word there is more adoe with a wicked man to have his conscience in office then with a godly man Eightly There is this difference though the conscience of a good man be asleep for a time and doth not smite him for sin yet some time before he dyes his conscience shall smite him for sin there is no godly man in the world but under known sins if his conscience hath not smitten him his conscience shall smite him before he dyes but wicked men live dye in sin never have the controll or rebuke of conscience Ahaz was troubled by affliction from God yet conscience never troubled him for he did yet more wickedly against God Ninthly Though the conscience of a pardoned sinner may be asleep for a time and may not reprove him for sin committed yet a good mans conscience when it doth reprove him it doth check him more out of a sense of sin and the dishonour done to God then out of fear of hell or any outward judgements but wicked men are asleep in their consciences and if conscience doth ever awake it is not because sin is sin and because God is dishonoured but because there is hell for sin because there are outward grievous judgements when God breaks men by his judgements then they will put conscience on work but never doe it out of sense of sin Take this comparison of Ducks in a pond of water cast but a little peble stone into the water and it will make them dive but let it rattle and thundeâ—â—n the heavens the Ducks fear not a Divine makes this a fit embleme of a wicked mans conscience cast but a little pebble stone some present affliction neer a wicked man and that will make him dive that will trouble conscience and perplex the man but let God thunder from heaven let the Lord declare all the threatnings of his spirituall judgements against sin how evill sin is how God is dishonoured by sin and how the soule is indangered all these thundrings from heaven cannot make him startle And thus I have run hastily over the answering of this third Objection I have done it meerly for the relief of a perplexed Conscience thus I have done with this doctrine I confest thou forgavest Thou forgavest to forgive saith Musculus is a word of favour or grace not merit Thou forgavest It notes pardon of sin is not vouchsafed to men by way of debt but of gift I confessed and thou forgavest thou forgavest what Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin the sin of my sin Interpreters have various apprehensions touching the meaning of these words what it is for God to forgive the iniquity of my sin I will bring it to a two fold channell Some there are that by iniquity understand the punishment of sin I acknowledged my sin and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin That is thou forgavest the punishment of my sin the reason of that interpretation is because in the Hebrew language the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies iniquity signifies punishment and therefore they understand the iniquity of sin the punishment of sin but Interpreters generally go against this interpretation for usually the word is taken for sin it self Again the whole scope of the Psalm is not in seeking the outward punishment to be forgiven but the forgivenesse of sin is referred to eternall guilt Thirdly Here is in the Text a 〈◊〉 which is a note of admiration annexed to his expression Thou hast forgiven c. surely that would be no wonder to God to passe by an externall punishment for that he might do to men whose sins were never pardoned What is it for God to forgive the iniquity of sin I answer the iniquity of sin is meant that God out of his free grace doth not onely simply forgive a sin committed but he forgives the iniquity of that sin all the malignity of that sin all the hainous aggravated circumstances that may any wayes make it great A Learned Author having a whole Tract upon this Psalme hath these words the Psalmist useth this kind of speech To forgive the iniquity of sinne that he might touch us that it was no light fault that was pardoned it was sin and it was the iniquity of sinne sin upon sin and sin greatned by many hainous circumstances Yet Behold the great mercy of God Thou forgavest the Iniquity of my sin thus much for the explaining of the words Doct. The Observation is this That such are the riches of Gods pardoning grace that he forgives his people not onely sin in the general but their great sins such as are cloathed with many aggravated and hainous crying circumstances Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin In the handling of this point I shall proceed in this method First To prove the point to you by an Induction of particular instances then the application of it by several uses It is a pointfull of comfort and indeed I know not such a Text in all the Bible that speaks of Gods grace in pardoning aggravated sinnes more clearly then this Text doth First of all I shall give you an induction of instances that God doth not onely forgive his people a bare sin committed but God doth out of the riches of his Grace forgive his people those sins that you may call the iniquity of sin sins cloathed with many hainous aggravated circumstances to prove this take the instance of David that speaks the words an instance of Peter another of Paul many men that have sinned against light love sinned against checks of conscience and against mercies are these sins forgiven Yes that is my work to prove that Gods grace doth forgive sins that are cloathed with many hainous and aggravated circumstances to make them great First I begin with David because it is the instance in hand will you consider Davids sin the sin of Adultery and ransack the bowels of it you shall finde Davids sin cloathed with great hainous and aggravated circumstances to make it great and grievous and yet for all this that sin forgiven him First Circumstance to aggravate Davids sin if you consider the quality of it the kind of it What sin was it it was the sin of Adultery now of all sins the sin of Adultery is an aggravated sin there are five circumstances 1. He that commits adultery he sins against his own body 2. He sins against the body of the woman he is unclean with 3. It is a wrong to his own Wife 4. It is a wrong to the Adulteresses Husband 5. It is a wrong to the child that is illegitimately begotten in adultery that an ignominy should be on him when he is borne and therefore that David should fall to that sin it was one great sin to aggravate Davids sin Secondly If you consider the dignity and quality of Davids person that did commit this sin He was King Now the greater the person is that sins the sinne is the greater 2 Sam. 12. 8 9. A Third Circumstance to aggravate his sin it was that he did commit the sin after God had given him manifold mercies so Nathan telleth him 2 Sam. 12. 8. Fourthly Consider this that David had a Wife of his own nay many wives of his own that did greaten Davids sin and
her own pardon Mary was weeping for her sin and it was first revealed unto another that she was pardoned to shew that when men fall into grosse sins God doth many times hide comforts from them other men shall have good hope of their pardon more then they have of themselves let this be admonishment and a check to you to take heed of falling into grosse evils for God may keep you long without manifestation of pardon Fourthly to admonish thee consider that thou doest run a very dangerous and desperate hazard to venture upon the commission of sin upon presumption of pardon Wilt thou sin that may be as painfull to thy conscience as the breaking of thy bones because Christ can set thee in joynt again Wilt thou sin and cut gashes in thine own flesh because thou knowest the Bloud of Christ to be a soveraign balsam to cure thy wounds for by his stripes we are healed I now come to give you something by way of direction Hast thou been a man that God hath left to thine own hearts lust thou hast not onely sin but the iniquity of sin sin aggravated then First take this rule Labour in the residue of thy dayes to be as eminent in grace as thou hast been formerly notorious in sin have thy lusts been strong labour now that thy affections may be strong God-ward and Heaven-ward has thy sin been cloathed with many hainous circumstances to make it great let thy graces be cloathed with many holy circumstances to make them great though this cannot make a compensation to the most High for nothing thou hast or dost can recompense God for the wrong sin doth him yet is this something by way of a Holy revenge on thy selfe the more thou hast been notorious in evill thou shouldest labour now to be more eminent in good Secondly Hast thou fallen into any grosse and aggravated guilt follow this Rule Labour that the greater thy sin and thy unkindnesse hath been to God thou express now the greater love to Jesus Christ for pardoning mercy O labour thou that hast great sins pardoned that thou mayest have great love issued out to Jesus Christ Christ did not simply aske Peter Simon Peter lovest thou me out goeth higher Peter doest thou love me more then these there was this reason why Christ shold aske him this Question because Peter had sinned against Christ more then all the disciples had therfore Peter must love Christ more Do I speak to any that have been taler by the head in sin then any of their neighbours have been O! if thou hast sinned much love much the greater the sin the greater the pardon must be and therefore on thy part the greater must thy love be to Jesus Christ this is held out plain in that familiar parable that Christ useth Luk. 7. 41. There was a certain creditor Which had two debtors the one ought five hundred pence and the other fifty Vers 42. Aud when they had nothing to pay he frankly forgave them both Tell me therefore which of them will love him most Vers 43. Simon answered and said I suppose that he to whom he forgave most and he said unto him thou hast rightly judged The meaning of this is the two debtors are two sorts of sinners he that owed a little sum he could not pay his debt though thou hast but few little sins yet thou canst not satisfie for it He that owned much was a great sinner as Mary Magdalen It may be God hath forgiven thee thy hundred of sins thy five hundred of sins O make good this Parable that he that hath most forgiven him love most the greater thy sin hath been the greater thy love most bee It is thus with Mary Magdalen Luk 7. 47. wherefore I say unto thee Her sins which are many are forgiven her for shee loved much Her love doth hold proportion to her pardon much pardon on Christs part and much love on her part O beloved let me here inculcate this on your thoughts have any of you been great sinners have you been guilty of aggravated and hainous circumstances now finde that your love doth carry some proportion to your pardon Thirdly hath God suffered thee to fall into the iniquity of sin observe this direction the greater thy sin hath been to God labour that thy humiliation may be greater that it may carry some proportion to the greatnesse of thy transgression It is observable of what you read of three men in Scripture of David Manasses and Peter these all sinned greatly and their sorrow and lamentation did carry proportion to their sin in some measure Manasses sinned greatly and the Scripture saith of him That he humbled himself greuly before the Lord. Peter did deny Christ shamfuly and Peter went out and wept bitterly You know David sinned notoriously and he mourned exceedingly rivers of tears ran from his eyes he watered his couch with tears all this teacheth you that the greater thy sin hath been the greater thy humiliation should bee An observable Law you read of in Lev. 11. 24 25. And for these you shall be unclean whosoever toucheth the carkasse of them shall be unclean untill the Even And whosoever beareth ought of the carkasse of them shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the Even touching an unclean thing a man was unclean but if a man carried an unclean thing any length of time then saith God he shall be unclean till Even and he shall wash his clothes This law shews that touching an unclean sin requires an humiliation but if thou hast born a sin and hugged a sin in thy armes then there is greater worke required of thee he was to wash his clothes He that hath continued in sin must wash his heart by humiliation and must take more pains with his heart that hath fallen into a grosse evil then those who have not fallen so foulely and frequently Fourth Direction In case thou expectest to have a high esteeme of pardoning grace labour thou to find out all the aggravated and hainous circumstances in thy sin Do not fear that the seeing of the sinfulnesse of sin will do you hurt first look on pardon and then look on the aggravation of thy sin this is the way to heighten Christ merrits and greaten Gods mercy and extoll Gods pardoning grace It is notably mentioned of two men that were famous this way It is reported of Eusebius when he came to confesse sin he used these words Lord there is none have sinned as I have sinned the Devil sinned Judas sinned grievously but none sinned as I The Devil indeed sinned but Christ never dyed for the Devill as he dyed for me therefore my sin is a greater sin then the Devils Judas sinned greatly but Judas never had the pardon I had Achan sinned too but I sinned further then he O labour to finde out what aggravations there are that thy evils are capable of that so thou mightst come to magnifie and greaten the grace
he sent a messenger to Peter particularly by name Goe tell my Disciples in generall and tell Peter that I am risen Mark 16. 7. But goe your waies tell his Disciples and Peter Peter was crying weeping and be wailing that he should deny his Master and saith Christ Goe tell Peter that I am risen 3. Christ doth single out Peter after he rose from the dead Christ hath more discourse with Peter then hee hath all with his Disciples else Joh. 21. Thus you see that Jesus Christ manifests love to those sinners that sinned foully after they have repented and are sufficiently humbled for their sin Thus it is with Mary Magdalen after she repented what expressions of love doth Christ to her First we read that hee cast out of her seven Devils Luk. 8. 2. Then he appeared first to Mary shee was the first that saw him when he was risen Mark 16. 9. Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalen Again Christ commanded that where ever the Gospell came to bee preacht the fame of Mary should be made known Matth. 26. 1 3. Verily I say unto you wheresoever this Gospell shall be preached in the whole world there shall also this that this woman hath done be told for a memoriall of her what a great honour was this to Mary Magdalen Thus it appears that God doth manifest to those persons that have sinned the grossest sins if afterward they shall have the more serious and through humiliation the clearest evidences and the strongest comforts Thirdly Take this for your comfort It is not the greatnesse of that sin thou committest but onely the hardnesse and impenitency of thy own heart that can exempt thee from pardon Divines doe generally say that the reason of that saying in Scripture All sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come It is not that there is not more merit in Christ to save then there is guilt in that sin but it is because that man cannot will not repent of the sin Therefore that sin cannot be forgiven because he cannot repent Suppose thy sin be blasphemy this doth not exempt from pardon It is not the greatnesse of thy sin but the Judiciall hardnesse and finall impenitency of thy heart that can exempt thee from pardon when Peter preached to the Jewes that had a hand in crucifying the Son of God yet saith he repent and your sins shall be blotted out O what sin could be greater then their embrewing their hands in the bloud of Christ yet doe but repent and your sins shall bee blotted out It is not for want of great mercy on Gods part and great merits on Christs part that men are unpardoned but it is want of repentance on thine owne part Fourthly That no grosse sin committed by a justified person can make void his former pardon A rule among the Shoolemen the worke of God cannot bee made void or frustrated by the worke of man Election is a work of God Redemption the work of God Justification the worke of God which cannot be made void by the work of man therefore if God hath elected thee redeemed thee justifyed and pardoned thee the incursion of grosse evills cannot restrain thee of former pardon It is true sinne may make void thy former comforts thy former evidences gross sins may lay wast thy conscience but they cannot lay wast the grace and the mercies of God herein you may be greatly comforted and established Fifthly Take this for thy comfort though thou dost fall into grosse and aggravated guilt yet such is the goodness and mercy of God that he orders thy very falling into sin to turn to thy good I doe not mention this to any that they should be imboldened to fall into sin because it may turn to good O it is God that orders a mans fall for his good A threefold good that God doth to his people out of their very sins God doth not onely doe good to his people by their afflictions but he doth good to his people by their very sins First Sometimes God doth so order that the falling of a godly man into sin shall abate pride in his heart men of great parts are apt to be proud God many times will let strong lusts attend strong gifts the more to abate and keep under the exaltation of spirit therefore saith Paul I have the messengers of Satan to buffet me that I might not be exalted above measure God doth many times to keep under pride let a temptation loose on a man so God doth him good that way Austin saith I am not afraid to say that it is profitable sometimes for good men to fall into sin Secondly It will prevent many other sins here is Gods great mercy the putting of a man to pain takes away pain God sometimes suffers a man to sin that sin might keep out another sin one sin may be so ordered by God to keep out another sin Thirdy Falling into sin sometimes doth renew the work of repentance the Lord sometimes lets them sleep that so he might awaken them by a greater humiliation and to tast the more of the bitternesse and fruit of sin here then is Gods goodnesse to a sinner that by letting him fall into a sin he doth thee good and makes thee to renew repentance and greatens humiliation in thy heart Now for the finishing of this subject there are seven Cases of conscience that in this Doctrine are needfull to be resolved First Whether God may forgive a man his sin and yet the man himselfe not know it here David had sin forgiven him and David did know it I acknowledge and thou forgavest but whether may a man have sin forgiven him and yet not know he is pardoned I answer in the affirmative that a man may have sin forgiven him and yet not know that his sin is pardoned though David did know his pardon at this time yet he did not know his pardon at other times Psal 51. Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation God broke Davids bones for his Adultery and David was driven to shed a River of tears before God did pour in one drop of joy Job 33. 10. Behold hee findeth occasions against me he counteth me for his enemy Job thought that God was an enemy unto him and you have not onely the confession of one man but the doubts and fears of the Church in generall Lament 3. 42. We have transgressed and have rebelled thou hast not pardoned we have rebelled c. Yet God had pardoned and God had forgiven them yet here was their fear and their doubt they lay under suspense of pardon God may pardon a sinne unto the Elect and yet they not know that they are pardoned and in the manifold Wisdome of God there are divers reasons for it first by keeping them under a suspense
sins The Stoicks say all sins are alike and there is no difference It is true in regard of the object all sins are against God yet when you come to beg pardon for sin according as your sins are greatned you are accordingly to behave your selves in seeking for pardon God can pardon great sins as well as small in regard of God there is no difference nor in regard of the merits of Christ but yet in your behaviour in seeking for pardon of sinne you are to make a great difference between the greatnesse and the smallnesse of your evils For consider the scripture makes a difference between sins therefore we must doe so The Scripture compares some sin to Camels and some to Gnats The Scripture compares some sin to beams and some to motes some sins as talents and others but as pence and in Amos there is mention made of mighty sins Amos 5. in John of greater sins Joh. 19. 11. Jesus answered Thou couldest have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin It is true every sin deserves hell yet there is more of the punishment of hell inflicted on some sinners then others the reason why I speak of this case is to let you know that as God hath suffered any of you to fall into aggravated and hainous evils so he requires more of you then of other men Consider That God requires of you more humiliation then he requires of other men In the Law you read that if a man toucht the unclean thing he was unclean till evening but if a man bare an unclean thing he was to wash his cloths to shew that the touch of sin requires humiliation but the bearing of a sin in thy bosome thy continuing in sin requires more work then meerly the touch of sin Peter wept bitterly for his deniall he did more for that sin then for an ordinary sin So that you are to consider that though in regard of Christ there is no difference between a great sinne and a small as the red Sea could drown Pharaoh and his host as well as a single man so Christs blood can drown a huge host of sins but yet you must encrease your humiliation on the aggravation of your guilt thus much for the sixth case of Conscience Case 7 The seventh is this What are those great and hainous circumstances that doe greaten sin that so I may see whether I have aggravated my sin or not here are these circumstances which do aggravate and greaten sin Ans 1 First Sinning against the frequent manifestation of Gods love to thy soule this greatly aggravates sin this did aggravate Solomons sin 1 King 11. Solomon was the beloved of the Lord yet he provoked him to anger after he had appeared to him twice Secondly To sinne against the rebukes and checks of thine own Conscience doth greaten sin Jam. 4. 17. Therfore to him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin It is sin to another man that doth not know it but to him that knoweth it it is a greater sin this Christ refers to and speaks of Judas that would betray him and yet knew that he was the Son of God What my Disciples to betray me his sin was the greater Conscience is Gods Officer in man it is a greater fault to strike a Constable then an ordinary man out of Office for thee to sin against the rebukes and checks of Conscience aggravates sinne Thirdly To sin against Gods judgements upon other men is an aggravated evill for thee to sin when God hath given thee warning of sin from other mens blood this did aggravate Belshazzars sin Dan. 5. 22. 23. And thou his son O Belshazzar hast not humbled thine heart though thou knewest all this But hast lifted up thy selfe against the Lord of heaven c. Thou that knowest how a man is plagued for his uncleannesse thou that knowest how a man is plagued for riotous living yet thou wilt live riotous and thou wilt live adulterous that thy sin is the greater thou sinnest against the monument of the eie as well as against the warning of the eare Fourthly Sin against Gods judgements upon our selves doth weighten sin this did aggravate Abaz sin 2 Chron. 28. 22. And in the time of his distresse he did trespasse yet more against the Lord. Fifthly To sinne against mercies is an aggravation of sin 2 Sam. 12. I delivered thee out of Sauls hand I gave thee thy Masters house I gave thee the house of Israel and if all this had been too little for thee I would have moreover given thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised c. What thou sinne David and hast been loaden with a heap of mercies this greatens thy sin Sixthly It greatens sin when the sinne is immediately against God 1 Sam. 2. 25. If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him If a man sinnes against God O who shall plead for him Seventhly To sin against the motions of Gods spirit aggravates sin when the spirit of God shall in thy Conscience perswade thee that thou wouldst not follow such wicked waies as thou art walking in when the Spirit of God shall come and wooe thee to be reconciled to alter thy course and to walk in better paths when not only the voice of conscience but the motions of Gods Spirit shall be stifled this aggravates sin Hence it is that Scripture in setting out the wronging and withstanding the spirits motion whether to good or from evill doth ascend by gradations sometimes it is called quenching the spirit Quench not the Spirit a higher degree there is a grieving the Spirit when there are frequent acts to withstand divine motions that is a grieving the Spirit And then there is an higher aggravation then this that is resisting the Spirit Act. 7. 51. Ye stiffe necked and uncircumcised in heart and eares yee doe alwaies resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye This is caused by pertinaciousnesse in withstanding the spirits motion And then the scripture speaks of vexing the spirit Isa 63. 10. But they rebelled and vexed his holy spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them This is not only by one single act but when continually throughout thy course thou hast a wilfull and a gainsaying heart against all the motions of Gods spirit within thee Must not this be a great evill in thee when thou dost quench grieve resist and vex the spirit all these circumstances must needs aggravate and greaten thy sin Eightly Sin is aggravated when thou dost frequently fall into the same sin Ninthly Sin is aggravated when it is done in a way of complacencie that it is not onely acted by thee but loved by thee the acting of a sin is not so much as a loving
of sinne Tenthly Sin is aggravated when it is done by eminent and publick persons whose example draw other men to sin and this did aggravate Jeroboams sin 2 Kin. 17. 21. For he rent Israel from the house of David and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat King and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the Lord and made them sin a great sin Thou that hast sinned a sin and art a publick person thy sins are other mens sins thine is a greater sin then another mans sin is for every act that thou hast done will be an imboldning and encouragement of others to do the like It aggravates sin when God doth punish other men for thy sin this makes the sins of Rulers to be great sins because for their sins God may punish the people as for Davids sin in numbring the people there did thousands of Israel die of the plague when thou sinnest in thy family God may punish all the house for that sin this you shall find an aggravation of Abrahams sin Gen. 20. 9. Then Abimelech called Abraham and said unto him What hast thou done unto us and what have I offended thee that thou hast brought on me and on my Kingdome a great sin thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done Sin is an aggravated sin when it is done by a man that lives under much means of grace where the Gospell is preached where sin is reproved there to live in a way of wickednesse greatens thy sin that made a woe to be pronounced by Christ against Chorazin and Bethsaida because they had the Gospell it should be worse with them then with Sodom and Gomorrah Sin is aggravated when they are against many vows purposes and prayers and many holy resolutions thou addest perjurie to thine iniquitie and that aggravates thy sinne Oh then admire the riches of Gods pardoning grace that he forgives sins cloathed with many aggravated circumstances O then what remains there are two things to be done by you First If at any time you find that you are under these aggravations that you can call your sins the iniquity of sin O then you should admire and magnifie the multitude of Gods mercy that great sins cannot out-vie Gods mercy but Gods mercy out-vies thy great sins Magnifie pardoning grace the more Paul saith 1 Tim. 1. 13. I was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy c. O do thou say so I have been thus vile and thus wicked I have thus abounded in sin yet through the abundance of grace and love I have obteined mercie O let this inhance the value of Christs blood Secondly Labour to greaten thine own graces hast thou been notorious in sin why shouldst not thou be great in humiliation great in repentance And thus I have by the good hand of God in these Sermons handled two Doctrines to you the one touching Davids penitentiall act confessing sin and the other of Gods gracious act The Lord forgave him the iniquity of his sin FINIS JOHN 14. 3. And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there ye may be also THis Chapter out of which my Text is taken is counted famous by most Interpreters because in it begins the Legacy that Christ gives and the last Will and Testament that Christ made when he was to leave the world and this Wil and Testament of Christs begins in this 14. Chapter and continues to the 18. Chapter of this Book The scope and drift of this Chapter is to comfort his Disciples both against their fears of persecution in the World as also against their sorrowes upon this consideration that Christ was shortly to leave this world and Christ doth here mention many comfortable considerations to fence them against their fears for this much troubled them It went ill with them when Christ was with them and they thought it would have been worse with them when he was gone and he doth encourage them therefore by these Arguments First He saith I am but going to my Fathers house and the 28. verse of this Chapter he saith ye have heard how I said unto you I go away and come again unto you If ye loved me ye would rejoice because I said I go unto the Father for my Father is greater then I. Againe secondly he would not have them troubled because of his departure because saith he I do not intend to go to my Father alone but intend for to have all you with me though you shall not go with me now Though you shall not die with me now though you shall not go to Heaven with me now yet you shall be with me another day In my Fathers house there are many mansions I do not intend to go to heaven alone for there is room for you as well as for me and room for every beleever in the world Heaven first is a Mansion a place which notes a duration of Saints in Heaven Heaven is not a moveable place but a Mansion an abiding place Againe there are many Mansions in Heaven there is room enough for Christ for his eleven Apostles and room enough for all the Beleevers in the world it notes the largenesse and amplitude of heaven Heb. 11. 12. therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead so many as the stars of the skie in multitude and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable And besides these there is an innumerable company of Angels Heb. 12. 22. To this add Rev. 7. 9. A great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds people and tongues You have here also the duration and continuance implied The word is here not our tent or tabernacle but our Mansion Thirdly form the certainty of it It is no poeticall fiction these are no hyperbolicall expressions as it followes in the Text If it were not so I would have told you Christ doth not speake more then there is if there had been no such thing Christ would not have said so much as if he should say I do not feed you with the false hopes of an Utopian happinesse as the Devill deals by his whom he brings into a fools paradise Fourthly from the end Say the Disciples but Lord thou art going to thy Fathers house and what shall become of us therefore Christ comforts them and saith I go to prepare a place for you As if he should have said I go to Heaven to make ready Heaven for you against you die as Grossiâ—â— observes that the phrase is borrowed from a company of Travellers which send one man before as a harbinger to provide the Inne and take up rooms and make provision ready for them against they come so Jesus Christ is gone to Heaven that he might be as a harbinger to take up Heaven for you to take up room for you in Heaven Fifthly He comforts them by a promise
same also that ascended up far above all heavens that he might fill all things And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ. So that you are to looke upon not onely your own Christian gifts whereby God brings you to Heaven but all Ministeriall gifts are the fruits of Christs going to heaven Fifthly Christ is gone to Heaven It is to comfort us in this that Christ being bodily in Heaven it might make thee holy and bold and fiducially confident when ever thou comest to God in prayer when thou dost come to God in prayer come to him as one that hath Jesus Christ at his Right hand in Heaven presenting thy prayers to God for thee observeth it comfortable advice given Heb. 4. 14 16. Seeing then that we have a great high Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to help in time of need Jesus Christ being in Heaven it should work a holy boldnesse in us to keep out fear and distrust when thou prayest because we have an high Priest that is past into the highest Heavens Jesus the Son of God Who would not come boldly to the Court when he knows that the Kings Eldest Son is his friend and is assured of his love that he will intercede for him to his Father Jesus Christ is the King of Heaven the eldest Son and he is bound by office to represent all our supplications and make Intercession for us Sixthly that Christ is gone bodily into Heaven it may be of comfort that yet he hath the same relation towards a Beleever which he had to them whilest he was upon the Earth When hee was on the Earth Christ did say go tell my Brethren that I am to ascend and after he was taken up into heaven he cals them his brethren Heb. 2. 11. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren Though Christ was crowned with glory and gone up to Heaven yet he was not ashamed to call beleevers brethren Now in Heaven Christ is thy God there and Christ is thy Father there Christ is thy Prince there and Christ is thy friend there and this may administer much comfort to thee that Jesus Christ retaines the same relation now hee is in Heaven that he had with thee in the world therefore Iob could speak in a vision I know that my redeemer liveth I know my Kinsman liveth for so the word signifieth I know my kinsman liveth Christ did call his Disciples Brothers when he was in the flesh and so he calleth them brothers now he is in heaven Suppose thou art a poor woman that dost marry a man that is mean and poor in the world why suppose this man should come to the dignity of a King it would be a great comfort to thee that thou who wast but a beggar art now become a Kings wife so though thou art mean in the world yet Jesus Christ doth preferre thee to be his brother Seventhly and lastly it may serve for comfort in this regard that Christ is gone to Heaven for this very purpose to prepare Heaven for thee I goe to prepare a place for you Heb. 6 20. Whither the foreruner is for us entred even Jesus made an high Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec Christ is our forerunner gone to Heaven for us Christ did not onely dye for us but Christ did go to heaven for us Heb. 10. 19 20. Having therefore brethren boldnesse to enter into the holâ—est by the bloud of Iesus By a new and living way which hee hath consecrated for us through the vaile that is to say his flesh That is having hopes to come to enter into Heaven by the bloud of Christ through Christs flesh as dying on the Crosse And thus much be spoken for the Doctrinall part of this point the point was this That Christs Ascensionor going up bodily to Heaven is a ground of great comfort to Gods people whilest they live here upon the Earth I shall now draw out some instructions from some circumstances in Christs going to heaven There are five circumstances from which you may gather some instruction First from the time when Christ did leave the world and ascend up to goe to Heaven if you read the Evangelists they will tell you it was abote the 33 year of his Age he left this world and goeth up to Heaven Learn thus much from thence that if Christ would leave the world in the flower of his Age a young man then this should be fastened to the Meditation of you young men that you should not have your hearts too much glued to the world to hanker after a long life Suppose God should take thee away now in the flower of thy age bee willing and submissive for God tooke Christ away so Secondly you may learne some what from the place whence Christ did ascend it is very observable It was Mount Olivet Acts 1. 12. Then returned they unto Ierusalem from the mount called Olivet which is from Ierusalem a Sabbath days Iourney Luke saith it was from Bethany Luke 2. 50 51 And he led them out as far as to Bethany and he lifted up his hands and blessed them And it came to passe while hee blessed them hee was parted from them and carried up into heaven It was all one but there is much of Gods minde in this of all places in the world Christ did make choyce of Bethany by Mount Olivet to go up to heaven Beloved the reason was because that was the place where Christ was taken when Judas came with the Scribes and Pharisees to apprehend him from that place he was taken to be crucified and seeing it was from that place he would make choyce of that place from whence hee would take his rise to go up to Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bethany in Hebrew signifies a house of affliction Christ made that which was the house of his affliction that Bethany to be the place of the translation of him into glory I would give you thence to note that God doth oftentimes make our sufferings to be Inlets to our glory So it was with Christ from Bethany hee was taken a Prisoner and from that place hee would ascend up into Heaven so if you suffer with him you shall also bee glorified with him you may be carried to Heaven sometime in ways of sharpe afflictions therefore be not daunted at persecution for the Lord makes Bethanics the houses of our afflictions to have a trap-doore in them to let us into our Father Mansion Thirdly from the circumstance in Christs ascension that just as