it is a great taking the Name of God in vain for any man or woman to have slight thoughts of sin ibid. 2 Men should be content to endure much difficulty in seeking of Pardon ibid. 3 The difficulties pardon of sin passes through should make us willing to undergo any hard services God puts us to 52 CHAP. VI. Of Pardoning Mercy coming from the Fountain of Gods Everlasting Love 52 CHAP. VII Of Pardoning Mercy being a work that all the three Persons in the Trinity are ingaged in 54 1 God the Father's heart was in it ibid. 2 Christ the Son's heart was in it 55 3 The Holy Ghost was much in it 56 CHAP. VIII Of Pardoning Mercy being a perfect mercy 60 Hence 1 Flows out abundance of comfort 61 2 Great ingagement unto duty ibid. CHAP. IX Of Pardoning Mercy being an Irrevocable Mercy 62 This appears 1 In Gods blotting out of sin 64 2 Casting it behind his back 65 3 Removing it as far as the East is from the West ibid. 4 Casts them in the bottom of the Sea ibid. 5 He will remember them no more ibid. 6 They shall never be mentioned ibid. 7 They shall never be found 67 CHAP. X. Of Pardon of Sin being a mercy denyed to fal'n Angels 69 CHAP. XI Of Pardoning Mercy being such that it is given but to a few 71 1 Because God would have a proportion between his Justice and Mercy 72 2 To manifest his Mercy the more to those that are saved ibid. CHAP. XII Of the possibility of Pardoning Mercy how it would be prized by poor Souls now under wrath 74 CHAP. XIII Of Pardon of Sin being the special end of all God's Ordinances 76 1. Hearing of the Word ibid. 2. The Sacraments 78 3 Discipline 79 A Transition to the Application of what is to be said to these things ibid. CHAP. XIV Of the Dishonour done by Men to the Pardoning Grace of God 81 1 By careless ones 82 2 By sinful ones who labour to increase guilt 84 3 Those that have slight thoughts of Pardon 87 4 Such as seek Pardon but are insensible of the greatness of the work 89 5 Those that dally with God and 92 1 That cry for pardon and yet continue in love to their sin ibid. 2 That seek the pardon of some sins yet still keep the love of others 94 3 That look not after their Prayers 95 4 That follow not their Prayers with answerable endeavours ibid. 5 Those that pray for pardon and yet are satisfied with other things ibid. 6 Those that are quiet upon weak and slight Evidences dishonour God 96 1 The Word 97 2 The Word put in writing ibid. 3 Witnesses and they are six 3 in Heaven and 3 on Earth ibid. 4 An Oath ibid. 5 Seals 98 1 The Broad Seal of the Image of God ibid. 2 The Privy Seal of the Spirit of God ibid. 3 Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. ibid. 7 Those dishonour Gods Mercy that defer the seeking of it to the worst times as Sick-bed or Death-bed time 99 1 Because they leave not sin till sin is leaving them 100 2 That time is usually the time of Gods wrath ibid. 3 A man is then unfit for the greatness of this work 101 4 God will loose a great part of his end in pardoning mercy 102 5 It argues a base spirit to put it off till then that all the tag-rag and rabble-rout will come in ibid. 8 They dishonour the pardoning grace of God that seek it any other way then in and through the Mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ ibid. 9 Those that venture on any one sin in hopes they may be pardoned 107 1 It argues an abominable heart 111 2 An ingenious gracious spirit would never do it ibid. 3 Gods Children reason to the contrary 112 4 In some respect thou art worse than the damned in Hell 113 5 This will be an intollerable burden to thee that will indanger the sinking of thy soul in the bottomless gulf of dispair 114 10 They dishonour the Pardoning Grace of God that sin after pardon as 115 1 That return to the same sin 116 2 That are negligent in the ways of God 117 1 They remember not the days of old 118 2 Are in danger of losing their Evidences 120 3 This may provoke God to deal with you as a slave and not as a son 122 4 Hereby thy sin is aggravated above the sins of the wicked ibid. CHAP. XV. Of the dishonour done to the Grace of God by not resting on it 125 1 It argues low thoughts of the pardoning Grace of God 126 2 Thou hereby judgest of God according to thy own thoughts 127 3 'T is contrary to the main scope of the Scriptures which is to magnifie the pardoning grace of God 128 1 Against the greatness of sin ibid. 2 The way thou takest 't is the ready way to perish 129 Object Would you have us go on to believe and doubt no more 130 Answ No. But 1 Turn your fears of Presuming into fears of Dishonouring the Grace of God 131 2 Set the greatness of the Pardoning Grace of God before the eye of your souls ibid. 3 Keep your spirits in an active frame 132 4 Renew your Resolutions of Honouring God whatever God does with you ibid. 5 Keep thy heart in a waiting frame ibid. 6 Catch hold of any beginnings 133 Of the evil of this sin of dishonouring the pardoning Grace of God ibid. 1 It is a sinning against mercy which God accounts his glory ibid. 2 It aggravates the sin of such men 134. 1 Above the sin of the Heathen ibid. 2 Above the sin of the Devils 135 3 The Scripture speaks dreadfully of it ibid. CHAP. XVI Of the several Mistakes of Men about the Pardon of their Sins 1 Many think their sins are pardoned because it is but little they are guilty of Answ 140 1 Such understand not the evil that is in the least sin ibid. 2 Gods mercy is his own to do with it as he pleases ibid. 2 Others think they are pardoned because they have not multiplied and increast them 142 Answ One sin is enough to damn thee as well as a million of transgressions ibid. 3 Others think they are pardoned because the guilt of them does not lie upon their Consciences Answered 143 4 Others think they are pardoned because they have had prosperity Answ 145 5 Others hope they are pardoned because 1 They are sorry for them Answ 146 2 Leave them Answ 151 1 All Reformation satisfies not for sin 153 2 God accepts of duties not for themselves but because of the person that performs them 154 3 Others say we trust in the mercy of God and they are 1 Such as are most grosly ignorant Answ 155 2 Others more knowing Answ 157 4 Others say We rely upon Christ Answ 161 CHAP. XVII Of the true Evidences of Forgiveness of Sin 162 1 They are such as are Called Ones 163 2 They are received into the Covenant
and he comes on purpose to enlighten you in this great point and to witness this great Truth unto you Heb. 10.15 Whereof the Holy Ghost is a witness for after that he had said before this is the Covenant that I will make c. vers 17. Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more as the Principal part of the Covenant and of this the Holy Ghost is a witness This great Truth of the forgiveness of Sins the Holy Ghost comes to bear witness of and seal this to thy Soul that thy sins are forgiven this is the great work of the Holy Ghost after believing to seal up the forgiveness of sin and this is one great reason why the Holy Ghost hath the Title of Comforter because as he comes to convince of sin so also to witness and seal up forgiveness of sin to the soul And indeed as it shews the excellency of the mercy of forgiveness because the Holy Ghost is so much in it so the greatness of it that must have so high a Person to witness it and indeed the Soul is not satisfied until it have this special witness of the Holy Ghost 't is true there may be probable arguments drawn by signs of Gods love unto us and the Holy Ghost may come in those signs but besides that there is the immediate witness of the Holy Ghost to limit him to witness by signs only is more than any man can have warrant for and this I say further that all the signs of Gods favour that we can have will not satisfie the soul until there be this special work of the Holy Ghost sealing and witnessing the favour of God unto us 1 Joh. 3. there are many signs of Gods favour in that Chapter Vers 9. He that is born of God doth not commit sin And Vers 19. Hereby we know we are of the Truth and shall assure our hearts before him and he that keepeth his Commandemenâ—s dwelleth in him and he in him that 's another sign and Vers 24 but the conclusion of all is this Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us it is the Holy Ghost must convince satisfie the soul of Gods love many there are that would fain have their sins pardoned and would fain have some signs of it and perhaps I may hereafter give some signs But now know that all the signs in the world will not serve to quiet the heart but that it may return again to its former doubts till God come to pacifie the spirit by the witness of the Holy Ghost for it is so great a matter where once the Soul understands the infinite breach made between God and it by sin that it must needs be more than an ordinary work to assure the Soul of Gods Reconciliation to it and nothing can do it satisfactorily but the Holy Ghost he must come to the Soul to assure it of this thing perhaps the case of a poor Soul is thus Suppose a Prisoner in Goal lies bound in fetters for some great offence against his Prince and some friend comes and tells him there is hope of pardon Oh says he 't is too good news to be true well another comes to the grate of the Prison and tells that he hears from the Court the King hath sealed Pardons and put such a ones name in this is some comfort but yet this frees him not from fears and doubtings But now suppose the Favourite of the Prince come from the King himself one that is of the Kings Bed-chamber and one to whom the King opens his whole soul and nothinâ—â—he King doth but he is acquainted with it he comes to this poor man and bids him be of good comfort I come from the King and bring you a Pardon from him shews it him and says there it is take it Oh this revives his spirit when such a special Messenger is sent unto him so in this case I may compare all signs to be like some friend or other that goes by the grate and speaks of the happiness of such a man that he is pardoned but the soul is under such blindness and fears by reason of the guilt of sin that God knows it is no easie matter to perswade it of pardon But now God for the comfort of those that he intends good will unto sends his own Spirit that lies in his own bosom and knows all his secrets to declare the mind of God and to say to such a soul Peace be to thee thy sins are forgiven now this satisfies the soul But it may be here objected How may I know it is the Spirit of God that witnesses and not my own fancies or delusions of Satan I answer as we know the Sun by its own light so we may know the Spirit by its own testimony and though there be may some ebbs yet it will rise again there is such a witnessing work of the Spirit by a kind of sweet and secret intercourse between God and the Soul whereby God over-powers all doubts and fears though I do not say every one hath it in a like sensible measure yet this I say when this full assurance comes although there may be doubts and many questions before in the soul for fear of being deluded for certainly many are deceived and deluded yet then the Spirit over-powers all doubts and fears and witnesses to the Soul it s own work Do not you say because some are deluded with fancies that there is no witness of the Spirit when as there is scarce any point in the Gospel the Scripture speaks more about than this of the witness of the Spirit indeed they that judge of the mysteries of the Gospel by Humane Reason and understand no further than that reaches too and that are little acquainted with those converses that are between God and a believing Soul they may slight this witness of the Spirit but you must know there is not any Soul that has assurance he shall go to Heaven but it is wrought on by a high supernatural and mysterious way and if there were no other way to evidence this to the Soul but by some signs this would be no higher evidence than by way of reason But we are to know as great is the mystery of godliness God manifested in the flesh so also great is the mystery of godliness God justified in the Spirit God justified in the Spirit is a great mystery Christs Incarnation is a great mystery so is a Believers Justification as well as Christs Incarnation so also the witness of Justification is a great mystery and therefore I beseech you look up higher than for such signs as Reason may reach unto and beg of God to reveal this unto you that thou may'st have the witness of the Spirit of God to testifie unto thee that thy sins are pardoned Now blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven seeing God the Father Son and Holy Ghost is so much in it CHAP. VIII
People the pardon of their sins Brethren the King does not use to set his Broad Seal to trifles and toys and fancies but unto things of great concernment and consequence they must be such that shall have the Broad Seal so here because pardon of sin is such a blessed thing the Broad Seal of Heaven is ordained to seal it and when the Sacrament is administred rightly it is no other but the Broad Seal of Heaven to Seal up the pardon of thy sin and so should men and women come to receive the Sacrament they should think this day is a sealing-day as in Courts of Justice they have their Sealing-days and 't is usually said such a day is a Sealing-day so a Sacrament day is a sealing-day sealing up to you the the great blessedness of forgiveness of sin a Soul thinks thus I am a poor wretched vile sinner before the Lord woe unto me thus and thus have I done woe is me But I have heard of the riches of Gods grace in pardoning my sin and this day God calls me to come in and have the pardon of my sin sealed with the Broad Seal of Heaven that my soul may be assured and I may go away in peace and be comforted and quieted in the great business that lies upon me those sins of mine that have so grated on my Conscience and for which I have had dreadful apprehensions of the Clouds of Gods displeasure hanging over my head this day I am to go to have the sealing of a pardon of them all Thus should men and women come to the Sacrament with such thoughts upon their hearts as an Ordinance appointed and ordained by Christ for the sealing up the pardon of their sins 3. The third Ordinance is the Ordinance of Discipline whose sins soever you remit they are remitted Joh. 20.22 and those who are cast out of the Church and then received in again find it to be an Ordinance of Christ to assure them of remission of their sins It casts out those that are scandalous and when they repent it receives them in again and thereby assures them of the pardon of their sins A Transition to the Application Having done with the Explication if you would run over and make some recollection of what has bin delivered of the glorious blessedness of this mercy of forgiveness of sins you might see the effects following thereupon I have shew'd you the abundant grace of God that is declared in the forgiveness of sin I have shew'd you the many mysteries that there are in it and that it is an inlet to many other mercies I have shewed you the great difficulties it passes through and how much the heart of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost was in this mercy I shewed you it was a perfect and an irrevocable mercy a mercy denyed to Angels and shewed but to a few of mankind compared to those that are past by I have shewed it is a mercy the very possibility of it would make the damned to rejoyce and it is a mercy that is the end of all Ordinances And now having come to some period of the Explication methinks that Scripture comes presently into my mind that notable place in Rom. 8.31 If these things be so if God thus gloriously appear in the riches of his grace for the pardon of sin What shall we then say to these things the Apostle after he had spent some time in opening the Doctrine of free Justification for the working it upon the heart of the Romans and his own heart too says What shall we say to these things the holy Apostle stood as a man amazed at the wonderful richness of the grace of God in pardoning of sin in the verse before having said Moreover whom he did predestinate them he called and whom he called them he justified and whom he justified them he also glorified And having spoken much to the point of Justification in this Chapter he concludes at vers 31. Now what shall we say to those things as if he had said Lord how does thy glory appear in the Justification of a sinner and pardoning his sin through Jesus Christ that we cannot but stand amazed at the greatness of thy glory appearing herein that we know not what to say there is so much of thy glorious grace appears that our mouths are stopped What shall we say to these things So now after we have heard of these glorious things of the glorious Revelation of the grace of God in and through his Son working in such a glorious and mysterious way of godliness for the justifying of a sinner and pardoning of his sin if we could now sit down as men and women amazed and astonished as having our hearts so fill'd with the glory of these things as being not able to express our selves but even sit down amazed at the brightness of the glory of them it would be an excellent fruit of our attendance in hearing those things we should sanctifie the Name of God in it and t' would be very happy for us but if not while we are here together yet get into your Closets and look into this mystery of godliness and recollect what you can of that which you have heard and let this consideration lie warm upon your hearts and thoughts O Lord what shall we say to these things that God should have such thoughts of such mercy and grace in the pardon of sin as we have heard What shall we say to it and though for the present your hearts be not able to express more yet by meditation sure the fire will kindle and bring forth some admirable expressions in glorifying the Name of God or in singing some Psalm to his praise or in doubbling and trebbling that blessed acclamation with the heavenly Host Luk. 2.14 Glory to God in the Highest on Earth peace good will towards men O here is the good will of God towards poor wretched vile men Glory be to God in the Highest Lord What is man that thou should'st be so mindful of him thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels nay as you have heard this day God has set him above those Angels that sinned against him Christ would not shew mercy to them they could not be pardoned this is for poor sinners in the world a generation of those that seek him that have this great mercy of pardon and forgiveness of sin revealed to them What shall we say to these things the Apostles expression may help us to make way to the Application and as I have told you we should sanctifie the Name of God in standing amazed at the wonderful grace of God that gloriously appears in the Justification of a sinner as we have opened in many Particulars And now we have many things to say in the Application of these things for the answer to that question What shall we say to these things attend in the fear of God and you shall hear in the Application what
of God and therefore to say boasting is excluded by faith because faith is the gift of God will not serve the turn therefore the mystery of Justification is a great mystery that notwithstanding faith is such a glorious work as it is one of the gloriousest works that ever any creature did yet that this should be excluded by this I cannot but be perswaded that there is more in the work of Faith than in any thing Adam ever had and that faith the power of believing was not in Adam in the state of Innocency Why Because it is now made such a grace as excludes all kind of boasting For were it but the stirring up of any power we had in Adam it would no more exclude boasting than if God stirr'd up any other grace as Love Hope Fear and the like But that it excludes boasting this may be the most satisfactory answer Works they could not exclude boasting Why though they were from the grace and gift of God yet they belong'd to mans nature for if God will make a rational creature he must give it those perfections that are due to that nature Now the Image of God was in some regard due to such a nature But now God when he comes to give faith he gives a higher thing than ever was due to the nature of man hence there is a greater mystery in faith than in any other grace and therefore it is a great mystery that God should justifie a man by faith and yet this excludes boasting more than any other thing I but the Scripture says God imputes faith for righteousness and when God inables us to believe Is it not our own Yea when we have it it is our own and when we are justified it is imputed to us for righteousness but mark what I shall say it will be useful for the understanding that Text in Rom. 4.22 Where it says faith was imputed to him for righteousness ye must not understand it thus that is that God did through the grace of Christ now accept of Abraham's faith as his righteousness whereby he should stand to be justified by it in the sight of God he did not thus accept of faith for righteousness no not through the mediation of Christ nor by vertue of any Covenant made by God with Christ God did never make any Covenant with Christ that whereas man did owe obedience to all the Law and that should have been his righteousnes had he continued in it but man now being unable to perform it that God would be now so favourable to him as that he would accept of faith for righteousness that is not the meaning of it for the word in the Original translated for righteousness it is thus it was imputed unto righteousness it is the same word used in Rom. 10.10 With the heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the mouth Confession is made unto Salvation Now Confession with the mouth is not made Salvation it self but unto Salvation so faith is not the righteousness it self but unto righteousness that is by faith we come to get righteousness But why says the Scripture God imputed it unto righteousness I take it thus that forasmuch as faith is so glorious a Principle infused of God above any thing of our own God is pleased to account of it as if it were our own and so imputes it unto righteousness the truth is it is not our own no not so our own as other graces are our own but God in point of Justification is pleased to impute it as our own that we may come to have righteousness by it as if it were our own Now this is a great mystery that God in the work of pardon of sin should do it by the grace of faith and that this excludes all boasting and yet righteousness imputed to it as if it were our own Hence by the way let us take heed of the Opinion of those that say faith it self is imputed for righteousness and that God through Christ accepts of faith as the matter of our righteousness The Papists say we are justified by works and that God is pleased through Christ to accept not of Faith only but of Humility Fear Love Repentance Joy c. though they be imperfect yet he is pleased to accept of these for our righteousness says the other opinion faith is our righteousness though God might require exact obedience to the whole Law yet he is pleased to accept of faith both these Opinions are besides the truth and therefore there is the same danger in the one as in the other and therefore both to avoided Of the eight Mystery God is infinitely Just and yet infinitely Merciful 8. The eighth particular is this that shews pardon of sin is a great mystery because where-ever God pardons sin he is infinitely just and yet infinitly merciful there is an admirable reconciliation between Gods Justice and Mercy which shews it to be a great mystery There are three great mysteries in Religion 1. The great mystery of the Trinity that there should be divers Persons and yet but one God The second is that in the Person of Christ there should be two Natures and yet but one Person And then the third is the reconciliation of the mercy and justice of God in the forgiveness of a sinner Many people when they seek for pardon of sin they only think of Gods infinite grace and mercy but not of his justice But certainly who ever he be that comes to be pardoned God shews himself infinitely just as well as merciful that he is merciful that is clear to every one But how does it appear he is so infinitely just for that there is a clear Text for it Rom. 3.26 To declare at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus so that God in the justifying of him that believes in Christ is just as well as merciful Now then poor sinner lay these together that God should work so strangely in bringing about the pardon of thy sin in such a mysterious way as this is certainly it does demonstrate that thou art a blessed man I beseech you think of what hath been said and lay it in your breasts go away with this upon your spirits Lord I indeed heard much of the evil of sin and that it was a greater evil than ever I thought it to be and now I have begun to hear of the mighty work of God in pardon of sin I hope I shall for ever retain higher thoughts of it than before Brethren there is nothing in the world that people have slighter thoughts of than of the pardon and forgiveness of sin they think it a slight matter But if there were any work that ever took up the heart of God from all eternity and shews God to be a God it is this about the pardon of sin this is a great doctrine the doctrine of the work of God in
must needs be a great taking the Name of God in vain for any man or woman to have slight thoughts of such a mercy as pardon of sin is that comes through so many difficulties Secondly This may come with power upon our hearts if Gods mercy pass through so many difficulties for the pardon of thy sin thou mayst be content to indure much difficulty in seeking for the pardon of thy sin thou seest what an evil sin is and art more sensible of it than ever thou wert before well thou art seeking for pardon and thou camplainest thou hast waited long for pardon it may be a quarter or half a year or it may be twelve months and thou hast got little assurance of pardon and thou findest it much more difficult than thou thoughtest it would be temptations come stronger than ever and the Devil suggests more evil thoughts than ever thou findest duties hard to flesh and bloud and thou art wearied and tired with temptation these are some difficulties but yet art thou about that great work of seeking pardon of sin be contented to suffer some difficulties yea ten times more than thou hast if God see good to lay it upon thee for Gods mercies pass through difficulties to pardon thy sin and if thou get'st through though thou meetest with difficulties thou hast no cause to complain at all Why should not you be willing to pass through difficulties in seeking pardon when as Gods mercies pass through many difficulties to come to thy soul thou art going to God and seeking to him for mercies and there lies many difficulties in the way when God was coming to thee there lay many difficulties in the way and yet he past through them all therefore thou mayst be content though thou meetest with some difficulties in seeking the pardon of thy sins Thirdly This may make us willing to go through any services though they be hard if thou art in getting of pardon Suppose God set us about some hard work that hath many difficulties in it do not complain as if God were a hard Master when he sets you about any hard work for be it known unto you thou art never set about any such hard work in all thy life for God that hath so many difficulties in it as the work of God in pardoning thy sin hath there are more difficulties when God comes to pardon thy soul for sin than in any service whatever that Cod requires of thee thou look'st upon the service of God and there are many difficulties in it be contented do not complain for God past through many difficulties to pardon thy sin and this is another consideration the difficulties God passes through to pardon sin is a great Argument that that soul is blessed that hath his iniquities forgiven CHAP. VI. Of Pardoning Mercy coming from the Fountain of Gods Everlasting Love WHen God comes to pardon sin it is such a mercy as comes from the fountain of Gods Everlasting Love other mercies do not where this is not you cannot make them Evidences of Gods eternal love if God give you health of body good voyages at Sea and good comings in in respect of the world you cannot draw Arguments from hence that God bears eternal love to your souls But when he comes to pardon your sins it is a certain evidence that God hath set his love on thee from all eternity if there were a chain let down from Heaven and thou could'st take hold but of one link it would certainly bring thee thither both ends would come together Rom. 8.30 here 's a chain of many links let down and if thou canst catch hold of the link of Justification thou may'st certainly catch hold of Predestination for all hang together if thou art justified then know for certain that thou art a predestinated man or woman whom God hath set his heart upon from all eternity to do thee good and this is a great happiness for a poor creature while he lives in this world to know that God hath set his heart upon him from all eternity to do him good and indeed we can never be at rest until we come to this if thy heart be right thou can'st not be at rest in the enjoyment of such poor fare as God casts to Reprobates thou must have other comforts than any thing the world can afford if thy heart be right thou wilt never rest until thou come to know Gods thoughts in his eternal purposes towards thee it is no nicety nor vain curiosity for men and women to seek to know what were the thoughts of God towards them from all eternity it may be known and God hath revealed it especially in the times of the Gospel God hath opened his bosome to reveal unto his people the thoughts he had of them from all eternity and this makes a Pardoned sinner to be so blessed and this is more than any Malefactor can have from a Prince he may be perswaded to pardon him and yet even presently his heart may be as much set against him as against any man yet now having got his Pardon he thinks himself blessed and goes his way But now when God Pardons it is not an act of a day but such an act as God hath set his heart upon from all eternity to do it it is such an act as the infinite wisdom of God hath been set on work from all eternity to effect it if a Malefactor come to a Prince for pardon and the Prince say I have been setting my thoughts a work to pardon you ever since I heard of your crime this will bring some comfort But what is this to the comfort God brings to the soul that he pardons when God comes to a soul he does not only pardon he says not soul I pardon thee but know oh soul for thy comfort that this is a work that my wisdom and the councils of my will have been a contriving from all eternity to bring about thy pardon with my own honour and here it is for thee take it as a fruit of my eternal Councils therefore Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven because such purposes have been taken up in Gods eternal Councils to effect it CHAP. VII Of Pardoning Mercy being a work that all the three Persons in the Trinity are ingaged in BLessed is the man whose Iniquities are forgiven because as there is no one thing hath taken up the heart of God more than this so this is a work that all the three Persons in the Trinity are ingaged in nothing more God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as to instance 1. For God the Father in Isai 43.25 he challengeth this as his own glory I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my Names sake and will not remember thy sins it is his Prerogative I am he God glories in it as a peculiar belonging to none but himself Exod. 33.18 Moses desired to see the glory of God and
Of Pardoning Mercy being a Perfect Mercy BLessed is he whose iniquities are forgiven for this mercy is a perfect mercy that is where God doth pardon any sinner such a one stands as perfect before God in point of Justification as Abraham Isaac Jacob or any of the Prophets or righteous men that ever lived in the world thou poor Soul Man or Woman Youth or Servant if God come unto thee pardon any of your sins thou standest as fully justified as Abraham Paul Peter or any of the Apostles and Prophets though in Sanctification thou fallest short of them yet though art justified as perfectly as ever they were Justification is an act that is done altogether and at once therefore a perfect work and this is an Argument of infinite Consolation to the Saints of God that the great business between God and them in point of Justification is perfected Psal 51.7 David prays to God that he would purge him with Hysop and he should be clean that is that he might be cleansed by Justification by having the guilt of sin taken from his Conscience by a renewed act of pardon and then as it follows I shall be whiter than Snow the Saints of God though they be Sanctified they are not whiter than the snow in Sanctification but in Justification they are whiter than the snow no spot at all in them Ephes 5.27 Christ presents his Church unto himself without spot in point of Justification every believing soul is without spot before the Lord Numb 23.21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob that is though God knows there is iniquity there yet he sees is not to charge them with it or impute it to them all is done away in that regard by Justification it is observable to this purpose what we have in Cant. 4.7 Thou art all fair my love there is no spot in thee no spot in thee there are spots in respect of Sanctification yea but in respect of Justification it may be said of her There is no spot at all in thee Thou art all fair my Love it is the words of Christ he comes forth and says Thou art all fair my Love Alas when the Believer looks upon himself his own duties and performances he sees nothing at all but spots all besmear'd and bespatter'd all over why though thou lookest on thy self be spotted yet Christ looks upon thee without spot and God the Father looks upon thee through Christ without spot and says Thou art all fair there is no spot in thee thou thinkest it may be that if God should make a discovery of thy heart to all thy Christian friends and acquaintance thou would'st appear so foul that they would cast thee out of their society and never have to do with thee more yet for all this Christ says Thou art all fair there is no spot at all in thee Justification admits of no degrees no not in Heaven thou art not more justified there than thou art here thou art now as perfectly justified as ever and accepted of Christ as ever Sanctification is renewed day by day it being a work of God within us we increase in it dayly but Justification is a work of God without us and so is perfected at once and hence then this makes a pardoned soul blessed because pardon of sin is of such a nature that it is a perfect work Hence then I will but touch it Here is 1. Abundance of comfort to a pardoned soul though thou art weak in Sanctification and it troubles thee to think how far thou comest short of Abraham's David's Paul's Solomon's wisdom and Job's patience yet this know that thou art equal in Justification with Abraham Moses David and all the Prophets and this may be a mighty comfort to thee against the weakness of thy Sanctification 2. This should be a mighty ingagement upon thy spirit Has God made thee equal to them in Justification how should'st thou labour to be like to them in Sanctification think thus with thy self Is the mercy of God so rich and glorious come though I be a poor wicked wretched vile sinner that I should be made equal to the greatest Saints in Justification Oh how should I labour to follow hard after them and get as near to them as I can in point of Sanctification this Argument should come with power and strength upon our hearts to stir up all our endeavours to be like to them in point of Sanctification that are equal with them in point of Justification How should we imitate Moses his Meekness David's Love Paul's Zeal and Job's Patience CHAP. IX Of Pardoning Mercy being an Irrevocable Mercy BLessed are they that have their Iniquities forgiven for it is an irrevocable mercy when God pardons sin he never revokes it again it is true the soul that is pardoned may afterwards commit many offences that may provoke the displeasure of God against him yet he shall never so provoke God as to cause him to revoke this mercy of pardon to all eternity if thou art once pardoned thou art pardoned for ever It is not so with God in pardoning as it is with men a King pardons a Malefactor on condition of his good behaviour afterwards though it is true a Believer will be more careful of offending after he is pardoned than ever before But yet God does not pardon me so much on condition of my good behaviour as of his free grace therefore it abides He does not say to a poor soul I will pardon you but it shall be on this condition that you behave your self well and if you be found tripping in any one thing I will recal my pardon back again it is so with a Princes Pardon a man that is pardoned for his life if that man afterwards offend perhaps breaks the Peace which in another man would not be so great a matter for he could soon satisfie the Law for it but he that goes under pardon for his life if he break the Peace it costs him his life whereas another if he strike a man it is but an Assault and Battery in him but he that has his Pardon for his life for such a thing done by him his Pardon may be revok't again and it may cost him his life I hope you will not abuse this grace of God I know not how to open it to Believers but with a great deal of danger to others but how much danger soever it may be to others yet it must be opened and delivered to Believers it is Gods mind that his grace should be made known unto them he would have them to know it to the full that his Pardoning Mercy is irrevocable and therefore a Believer should not question his Justification upon every failing in his Sanctification this is a dishonour to the free and rich grace of God if on every failing we call in question that great work of the Justification of our souls either to say or think I indeed did hope before that