use will â—â— infer this conclusion They may prove their â—â—esent state bad and hazardous but not evidence them past hope 1. The greatness of their sins If they have fallen into some heinous and aggravated transgression and conscience smites them for it Satan presently â—ells them this is to big for a pardon Cain saith â—en 4. 13. My Sin is greater than I can bear or can be forgiven how can the forgiveness of â—â—eh sin be consistent with Gods Justice But â—is is to reflect on the value of Christ's Sacrifice â—â— if the vertue of his blood had only an influence â—â— do away the Guilt of smaller sins whereas we â—re told otherwise 1 Joh. 1. 7. Heb. 7. 25. How â—argumentative then must Davids plea be Psal â—â— 11. Pardon my sin for it is great Yea God â—â—self resolves this doubt Isa 1. 18. â— The multitude of them They are not only â—ormous but their number is not to be reckoned â— they outdo their Arithmetick they are innumerable and every one of them as a great mountain and did ever so great a Sinner obtain mercy and is not Manasseh set forth as a monument of mercy who is scarce to be parallel'd either for magnitude or multitude of sins 2 Chr. 33. begin God hath multiplied pardâ—n for such as have multiplied their transgressions Isa 55. 7. 3. Their long living in their sins They have long driven this trade they began in their youth and have followed it to their ripe and declining years this hath been their course all along and now they are habituated by custom and what saith God Jer. 13 23. Can the Ethiopian c but though by this you have rendred your Conversion and Salvation more difficult in respect of the Subject of it yet it is not hard to Gods Omnipotency we have the case represented Isa 57. 17. 18. Suppose you have made you heart as an adâ—ment yet God can give you a new and a soft one Ezek. 11. 19. 4. Their resisting of the means of Grace If upon the first report of Salvation they had embraced 〈◊〉 there had been hope but they have been brought up under a faithful Ministry and under careful Parents who often told them of their sin and danger who solemnly warned and importunately entreated them to think of it and seek to God for mercy but they despised all and can theâ— be any hope for them Truly the case is lameâ—table but yet not desperate God can bring such a Prodigal home to himself and make him 〈◊〉 turn to his father and if he do he will mâ—â—â— and embrace him Luk. 15. 17 20. was not Ephrasm such an one and yet see how it was Jer. 31. 18 19. 5. The former strivings of the Spirit with them Time was when the Spirit was wont to come in with the means and apply to their consciences and many a time they confessed their sins and promised amendment but they out grew these quenched the Spirit gat carnal quiet and forgat all their purposes and promises and now they can sit under the most awakening Ordinances and be nothing affected with them or at most they are but faint and languishing motions that are on them and this saith to them their time is past To such let me say it is a righteous thing for the Spirit to withdraw his stilvings when such affronts are offered him and your danger is hereby encreased but if he now 〈◊〉 this home upon you with deepest resentments it saith that he is come again to try what you will do and if you take the hint and rightly improve it there is a good hope set before you 6. The near approaching of their dissolution They are spent all their time in sinful neglects of God and are grown old in sin their sun is setting and they ready to drop into the grave all their strength hath been devoted to sin and Satan and will God accept of the dregs of their time â—hen they are sit for no Service Truly it would 〈◊〉 a righteous thing for God to reject such as â—â—he so late and have withstood his invitations long and there are but few of these that truly return to him Yet if God pleaseth to awaken such to look about them he can magnifie his mercy upon them To see an old Sinner going to Eternity without any thoughtfulness is a tremendous sight but to hear such an one crying out of his miserable loss of time and the wretched course he hath led falling down before God and giving him glory is an encouragement for if God give repentance he will give remission and there are some who are born out of time to be the monuments of the admirable patience and grace of God Fly then to Christ and believe that he is able to do this for you In one word let none despair who are under awakenings but hearken to Gods counsel and seek mercy of him and you shall find him merciful and gracious USE II. We here see a reason why it is more hard for some to find God than for others God doth not so readily reveal himself to some that seek him as he doth to others Some receive an answer as soon as they call others bemoan themselves that they have sought him and cannot find him they have been sighing and groaning aâ—ter him but there is no voice or answer and though his Soveraignty is in this to be adored yet there may often be a reason given for iâ— from the thing under consideration Observe then 1. There are some who have put off their heâ—â— season of finding him He hath often come tâ— them in his Word by his Spirit and presented them with alluring invitations to come to and accept of him and possibly sometimes they have bâ—en almost perswaded but their vain minds have recoiled and instead of opening to him have shut the door faster against him whiles they have entertained other lovers He came to them in their Childhood but they delayed him and put him off till afterwards he repeated his calls in their youth but they were wedded to their follies and obstinately refused him He came again to them in their riper years but they had their worldly business to attend and craved his excuse but after all they begin to bethink themselves of their former wickedness and resolve now to seek after him which is wrought in them by a more effectual and irresistible touch of his Spirit on their hearts 2. It is a wonder of his mercy that such as these should find him at all It is rich Grace that he should once offer himself and accept of those that embrace that first offer this is a favour which none of the Fallen Angels share in But that after such Grace hath been so often slighted he should bow such an heart to seek him and after never so long a tarriance at last lift up the light of this countenance and signalize his love to him and receive him into his arms is matter of
The Truly Blessed Man OR The way to be HAPPY here AND For Ever Being the Substance of Divers SERMONS Preached on Psalm XXXII By Samuel Willard Teacher of a Church in Boston N. E. Isa XII 1 2. I will praise thee though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away and thou comfortedst me 2. v. Behold God is my salvation I will trust not be afraid for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song he also is become my salvation BOSTON in N. E. Printed by B. Green and I. Allen for Michael Perry 1700. TO THE READER MANS natural and extinguishable cravings are after Happiness God at first put him in a fair way for the securing and obtaining of it having besides the resentments of it imprinted in his nature which still remain given him a Rule to direct him the way to it and a concreated power to conform to that Rule and brought him under strongest obligations to that Conformity But by his unhappy fall he hath reduced himself to a state of misery in which the whole Race of sinful men is involved and under which he must have abode for ever had not God in his rich mercy opened a new and living way for his recovery This is revealed in the Gospel in which life and immortality are brought to light but for which undone man must have groped in the dark and it is certain that those to whom this Revelation is not made do but grasp after shadows instead of substances and lay out their money for that which is not bread Their insatiable desires push them forward in quest of felecity and their crazed and deluded understandings which call good evil and evil good point them to Objects that are empty and courses that will undo them the natural man knows not the root of his misery nor the depth and strength of it much less the only way of his recovery The generality of men are immerged in 〈◊〉 if they can but gratifie their carnal lusts with sensible objects it is enough whence they seek no farther than the things of the World and if they can obtain by all their industry the Profits Pleasures and Honours here below they can bless themselves There are some indeed who have improved the light of nature and the broken fragments of the Law of it remaining in them by the exercise of Reason to a more plausible profession and practice they acknowledge man to be placed in an higher orb than bruits and to stand in need of some better object than those that are meerly sensual to give them satisfaction but therein also they have become vain in their imaginations◠hence the farthest they have reached hath been to place mans felicity in moral vertue of which they have but rude guesses and being ignorant of the state of nature by sin have hoped by their own power and goodness to oblige God and procure their own happiness not knowing either the state of damnation which they were born in or the efficacy of Original Sin in them◠whence it is truly said of them misery destruction in their ways and the way of peace have they not known It then infinitely concerns men to be undeceived With what thankfulness therefore ought w◠to entertain the Sacred Oracles of Gods Word the design whereof is to acquaint us with the New-Covenant in which is shewed us the method of self-ruined man◠recovery as it is laid out by God himself and what enemies are they to the Grace of God and the Souls of men who go about to pervert this method seeking to bring men back again to a Covenant of Works It is by the Word of God that we are acquainted that man by his Apostasy hath lost his Righteousness and Strength that he is fallen under a sentence of death to the execution whereof Gods Justice stands engaged that Satisfaction must be made to that Justice if ever the Sinner be Saved that he cannot pay his own ransom for himself that Jesus Christ became a Surety for Gods Elect and having atoned the Justice of God to them is become the author of Eternal Salvation for them that they must be united to him by a living faith if ever they partake in the benefit of it that they must be Justified in order to their being Glorified that must be by the Imputation of his Mediatorial Righteousness to them that this Justification is ever accompanied with Sanctification that the man who is thus Justified and Sanctified is an happy man that in order to this there is a work of Conversion wrought in men by the Spirit of God in which they are renewed by his Grace and brought to confess and forsake their sins and vain objects of trust and to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and that all that are so are heirs of life and may triumphantly rejoyce in God How much these truths are derided by many and despised by more in this degonerate and perilous time is obvious to every one that observes the state of Religion in places that are called Christian and never was there more need to Preach and Print in defence of those great Fundamentals of our faith and hope than at this day The excellent portion of Gods Holy Word contained in this Psalm give us abundant light for our acquaintance with and establishment on these Articles which I endeavoured in my course of Preaching to lay open before the Auditory to which I was sent according to the Grace given me and am now perswaded to make publick my care and study was to accommodate it to the meanest hearer chusing rather with the Apostle to speak five words intelligibly than many more in an unknown manner of expression and I hope these truths will relish never the worse to those that love truth for its own sake because they are not garnished with florid language May this following Treatise be any ways serviceable to the Glory of God and good of Souls may it commend Christ so as to render him lovely and acceptable may it help any in the right way to obtain Pardon and Peace may it shew Sinners their misery and drive them from their carnal security and obstinacy to Christ their only refuge and direct Saints in the renewals of their Repentance and their faithful and cheerful Serving of God I have mine highest ambition answered and that it may thus do I commend it and such as shall be at the pains to peruse it to the mercy of the Great Shepherd and Bishop of Souls Who am Less than the least c. Samuel Willard The Truly Blessed Man Or the WAY to be Happy here and for ever PSAL. XXXII 1 2. Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven whose Sin is covered 2. v. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile The Text Opened ON what occasion this Psalm was penned we are not told It evidently appears by the matter of it that it
in it Jude 4. 2. God will forgive none but in a way consistent with his Holiness Remember that as there is a pardon to be had with God for all sin so there is a way in which it is to be obtained and out of the way it is vain to expect it and God will not advance one Attribute to the wrong or injury of another Now Gods Holiness is precious to him and he hath a regard to that in all and because of this he cannot abide sin Hab. 1. 13. Psal 5. 4 5. he did not come to save his people in but from their sins Mat. 1. 21. whom he pardons them he will also purify that therefore is the character of one that hath a grounded hope viz. he purifieth himself as he is pure 1 Joh. 3. 3. 3. Hence if you live and dy in your sins this forgiveness will be none of yours God can exalt his forgiving mercy on such as shall be everlasting monuments of it though you perish and he will do it on such as shall make a better improvement of it than you do and though all sin may be forgiven now yet there is a time coming when there will be no forgiveness and there is no readier a way for you to bring your selves into that dismal condition than to offer such an affront to the Grace of God which is now tendred you Remember this Grace now waits upon you but when once time ends with you you shall hear of it no more and iâ— you dy under the dominion of sin you will certainly dy under the guilt of it and there is no readier way to provoke God to cut you off with a swift destruction than thus to offer indignity to the proclamation of pardon that he hath made unto you USE II. Let this serve to encourage droopâ—g Souls that are under despondency by reason 〈◊〉 the greatness of their sins When the Spirit 〈◊〉 God comes in with his Convictions and sets â—ens sins in order before them to make them â—ow their misery and need of pardon Satan â—ually sets in and a misgiving heart entertains â—m and now he that made light of sin before â—gins to fall into the other extream and looks â—on it with those considerations that put him â—on despairing of ever obtaining mercy Every 〈◊〉 now looks formidably great and all the agâ—avating circumstances come in and he looks â—on them through the magnifying glass of an â—cusing conscience and tempting Devil and now â—ere is no hope for him there never was such 〈◊〉 Sinner as he he hath committed such and such â—ormous sins that there are none like them â—e hath multiplied transgressions beyond count â—e hath sinned against so much light so many â—arnings counsels reproofs he hath been a â—ntemner of the means a scorner of the offers â—f Grace he hath sinned against uncountable â—ercies that should have led him to repentance aâ—ainst powerful convictions of Conscience and â—any resolutions made to the contrary he hath â—roken Covenant with God and hath lived a â—ong while in sin and sent the Spirit away grievâ—d many a time so that now he hath sinned him â—uite away and he will come no more he hath â—nned out his day of grace and there now remains nothing for him but a fearful expectation of the fiery indignation of God there is none that knows what a sinner he hath been else they would give him no encouragement To any that are in such a condition let me from this Doctrine offer these things to your consideration 1. You have not out sinned the vertue of Christ's Satisfaction If you had arrived at that you might well despair and dy but as long as there is vertue enough in that for your pardon there is hope and you should improve it your sins have been horribly great but Christ's merits are still greater It would be a reproach to the value of Christ's oblation if that could not buy off the greatest Sinner from Condemnation If you could run on the score with revenging Justice beyond his ability to make payment how should he be one able to save to the uttermost Remember Christ paid an infinite price and that which is so cannot be out done 2. You have not so sinned but that God can magnify his mercy in forgiving you It will be no reproach to his Justice because Christ hath done enough to answer that and it will be 〈◊〉 wonderful manifestation of his Grace God wiâ— be for ever admired in your pardon and salvationâ— the more and more aggravated sins are forgiveâ— you the more will his kindness appear to youâ— and the more praises will be to his name for ever and your love will be the more enlarged toâ— him because he hath forgiven you much Luk. 7. 47â— and God highly prizeth the Attribute of hiâ— Grace 3. You have not out sinned the examples of his pardoning mercy It is an encouragement to â—hink that whatsoever you have to say against â—our selves in this respect you may find a paralel â—nstance for it in the word of God of such who â—ere in the same Condemnation and yet are forgiven â—s hath already been pointed at in the Explication And what God hath done he can do for His Arm is not shortned and it is to be hoped he will â—o for he is as gracious now as ever 4. You have not out sinned the Gospel call â—t is Gods rich forbearance that you have not but â—hrough mercy you have not Why then do you â—and drooping and desponding be of good cheer â—e calls you he sends to you he makes you â—he offers of his Salvation the proclamation of â—ardon is not out there is room for you to come â—n and have it you grieve him that you suspect â—is willingness you cannot better please him â—han to adventure and cast your selves upon his mercy USE III. Let this then be glad tidings to great Sinners and put you upon going to God for â—his forgiveness Is it to be had with him why â—hen do you not seek it of him Are there no â—rievous Sinners among us yea ought not every â—ne that lives impenitent under the means of Grace to account himself so And are there none â—hat have exceeded in notorious Crimes and â—re you no whit taken with this good news â—hy then do you sit still and not make out after 〈◊〉 Consider 1. If your Sin be not forgiven you you are undone Guilt not removed will drag you down to the bottomless pit The weight of one Sin unpardoned is enough to sink you for ever If God had not found out a way to padon Sin all the race of mankind had been in a desperate condition If you appear before Christ in the great day in your Sins you will not be able to stand in the Judgment 2. The more and greater your Sins have been the more fearful will be your Condemnationâ— Great Sinners have most of all need to fly to Goâ— for a pardon for the
set against this turning to God being a lump of Enmity Rom. 8. 7. Th◠then it may be drawn to consent it must have 〈◊〉 New principle put into it and because the Will 〈◊〉 a power in a cause by counsel it requires that the Understanding be also rectified which is filled with crooked principles Call good evil c. and cannot do other so long as it remains in its carnality◠Isa 44 20. The New Convert is therefore sa◠to be a New Creature and all in him to be New◠2 Cor. 5. 17. And what is it wherein this change consists whereby he is new made but those sanctifying graces that are infused into him and disfused through the whole man Eph. 4. 24. Such a discovery then must needs witness to the ma◠that he is pardoned because it witnesseth the Conversion that is an inseparable companion of forgiveness 3. God designing his own Glory in forgiving the Sinner doth it in such a way as may be in all respects answerable Gods last end in all his works is his own Glory that there are designs of love and good will to the Creature in many of these works is beyond question but these are subordinated and ever refer to that as their highest aim and are accordingly so regulated as to advance it in the accomplishment of them So that though God intends the Sinners Salvation when he Justifieth him and therefore together with forgiveness he entituleth him to the Kingdom yet there are several Attributes that are concerned in this affair every of which must have its lustre herein and as his rich grace and mercy are in this exalted gloriously and as his Justice must be secured from wrong yea and triumph in it so there is his Holiness here to be displayed for God will be Holy in all his doings Psal 145. 17. Now the Holiness of God hath a special concern here in the manifestation of the hatred he bears to sin notwithstanding the love he bears to the person whom he pardons and if God should forgive the Sinner and yet not take away his Guile or purge him from his sin and overturn the Dominion of it he would seem not only to love the person but approve of his iniquity contrary to Hab. 1. 13. On this account wicked men who for the present escape punishment think so Psal 50. 21. And therefore to vindicate his holiness wherever he pardons sin he subdues it they go together Mic. 7. 19. 4. Pardon of Sin is a New-Covenant Blessing in which there is a perfect Reconciliation made between God and the person forgiven God often speaks of a Covenant that he will make with his people and we are told what are the benefits of it Isa 55. 3. The sure mercies of David i. e. all the good that Christ hath purchased for them whereof this is one and is expresly mentioned Jer. 31. 33 34. Now sin had made a breach between God and us and when God forgives and Justifies the Sinner he thereby signifieth that he is atoned and the Reconciliation is mutual 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. And there is no prospect of a Reconciliation either on Gods part or the Sinners so long as sin remaineth in its power and he is not Sanctified this is the abominable thing that he beteth Jer. 44. 4. It is that which made the Separation Isa 59. 2. How then should he hold amity with one that hath nothing else in him Psal 5. 4 5. It is sin that hath filled the Carnal mind with enmity Rom. 8. 7. Till then he is Sanctified and his Guile subdued he cannot possibly be reconciled to God and so the New-Covenant cannot be plighted without which he is not forgiven 5. Jesus Christ Redeemed us for his Service Forgiveness of sin is a fruit of Christ's purchase he Bought it for us 1 Tim. 2. 6. And in the Application of a pardon the Redemption of Christ is applied to us and where any one part of it is applied the whole is so for Christ cannot lose any part of the design of this great work and we are assured that he Sought in it a people to Serve him which is promised to him as a fruit of it Psal 22. 30. We are therefore told that it was for this Tit. 2. 14. And his people are said to be Redeemed from their Iniquities Psal 130. 8. And from their vain Conversation 1 Pet. 1. 18. And the strongest argument to oblige us to Holiness is fetcht from this consideration 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. Now as long as Sin reigns in the man he is the Servant of Sin during which he cannot Serve the Lord Christ he must then be made free from it in order to his attaining this end Rom. 6. compare verse 20. with 22. It is sincere Service and without Guile that he expects and by which he is honoured and because Christ will have Service from every pardoned one he with his pardon puts into him a new principle which makes him upright 6. Pardon or Justification is in order to Glorification They are Connected Rom. 8. 30. So long as the Law Sentence of Death was out against them they were incapable in that state of being Glorified when God taketh off the Sentence it is always in order to the making them happy for ever and therefore it must needs be followed with the Making them meet for that Glorious state which cannot be enjoyed by any of the Children of men so long as they have a Spirit full of Guile The natural man cannot be entertained in the spotless Kingdom nor can he resent the happiness either of the Place or Company or employment in it except he be made Holy all being accommodated to happify no other That then God may accomplish this design of his he Sanctifyeth them together with Justifying of them Christ had an eye to this Eph. 5. 25 26 27. From all these Considerations we see how evidential this being without Guile is of our being pardoned and how necessary it is for us to be able to argue this from that if we would not be mistaken in our hopes and assurances USE I. For INFORMATION in two particulars 1. Learn hence how vainly many pretend themselves to be in a Pardoned state How few indeed are there of those that Live under the Gospel who do not presume of this whence else is the quietness and confidence of the most under all the aw◠and awakning truths that sound in their Ears from time to time And yet if they were brought to the tryal of this one Character how must they fall before it And that not only in their own Consciences but in the Consciences of others too even after all the allowances which a well regulated Charity may make are afforded to them And 〈◊〉 is to be feared that besides those that walk open faced there are a great many of close covered Hypocrites whose own hearts would condemn them◠if they would hear them speak how plausibly so ever they carry it in
something pecuâ—iar in this there is a root of Atheism at the botâ—th of it for what difference between saying here is no God and thinking he may be imposed â—pon and we can hide our selves from his knowâ—edge and judgment Hence that challenge Jer. â—3 24 Can any hide c. 4. Hence as long as you thus ly your Sin is not forâ—iven Not only doth not this remove the Guilt â—ut is an evidence that it is not taken away If â—ou were Unregenerate before this proves that you are so still till such Sins are repented of â—here is no evidence of a through Conversion â—or when God pardons a sinner he forgiveth all his past sins and that is in the way of Repentance And if you are Regenerate yet the sin is not forgiven before committed nor then neither but in â—he Gospel way viz. in Confessing and Forsaking 〈◊〉 seeking Mercy through Christ which you cannot do whiles in such a frame And how fearful a thing is it to have Sins lying out against us for which we have no Sealed pardon 5. If therefore God lets you alone in this way it is a fearful Judgment It may be you please your selves in this that you are not molested in your minds but alas there is nothing more tremendous As there is not a greater mercy than to make sin too hot for us and so to drive us to the refuge that is set before us so there is not a greater witness of Gods wrath than to let men alone in their sinful courses to please themselves in them and hope to do well enough for all Hos 4. 17. It is one of the last steps God proceeds to before he brings them to ruine 6. There is a time coming when God will bring you to a reckoning for these things and then Conscience will roar The Holiness and Righteousness of God oblige him to see to his own Glory and the honour of his Law delays then are no discharges nor is there any escaping of his righteous Judgments but by timely betaking to his mercy till we do so weâ—ly open and there will be no avoiding it God hath not forgotten though you have and you shall know it too in due time He will fall upon you and then your drousy Consciences shall be full awake God will set it upon you and yoâ— need not have a worse Fiend to Torment you 7. And this may possibly be when it is too late 〈◊〉 may be not before your Soul stealeth into another World and drops into the hands of Devilâ— There are some such Wretches who dy like Lamb but in a moment this rending Lyon falls upon them It may be on a death bed when you have spent a life in sin and lived secure and now time and opportunity is past and God will not give you Repentance but open your eyes to see what you have been doing and then let you see whether you are going and the pit into which you are entring and what a terrour will this be 8. And if God doth give you Repentance at length this will wofully embitter it If you are his Children you shall repent and be forgiven because your state of Justification is secured but you shall be brought to it by Repentance and what deep wounds will these reflexions give to your Souls Be then warned and perswaded to beware of indulging your selves in this course and if you have done so already Do so no more but bitterly bewail it before God and make hast to get the Sin of it forgiven and be sure to put it into your self judging when you aggravate your sins in your humble acknowledgments 2. We now proceed to consider the Author or Efficient cause of this distress and that is God himself on his Hand that was upon him and brought him into this terrible condition and it was not an ordinary dispensation he therefore sets it forth 1. By the pressure of it it lay heavy on him 2. By the constancy of it it lay so Day Night long and without intermission The hand of God is a Metaphorical expression for he is a Spirit hath no Body and so no members it is therefore frequently used for his executive power by which he doth things whether in a way of Mercy oâ— of Judgment and so the anger and wrath of God is frequently in Scripture expressed by his hand and also it is Metonymically put for the effects themselves in which this anger appeareth viz. The Judgments or Afflictions that men are under and so it is to be understood in our Text So 1 Sam 5. 11. The word Heavy is a Metaphor from 〈◊〉 great weight laid upon one which he is not able to stand under without sinking Hence The distress of Conscience from Gods heavy hand DOCTRINE THe sore distress of Conscience that men are broughâ— into for Sin is because of Gods hand lying heavily and continually upon them That both Godly and wicked are sometimes in such distress hath already been observed and how heavily it lyetâ— on them that which now is before us is to enquire How or whence it cometh that they are iâ— such anxiety It is certain that man himself doth not willingly or upon choise bring himself into this trouble though he doth morally procure 〈◊〉 for himself for he doth all he can to keep 〈◊〉 lence to hide to maintain quiet and security iâ— his mind and to benum his Conscience into deâ—olency yea Conscience it self is through the deâ—lement that is in it prone enough to be rocked asleep and ly still and too often doth so in good men as David Satan also useth it as one of his great stratagems to hinder Unregenerate Men from Conversion by keeping all quiet within and is afraid of the least trouble of mind in â—one of his own lest it should issue in the dethroâ—ning of him and subversion of his Kingdom in the Soul for which end he spares none of his cunning by himself and his instruments to prevent or put a stop to all awakenings of Conscience in them and though he hath a peculiar spite at the peace and tranquility of Gods Children and for that reason when Gods hand is heavy upon them he endeavours to lay on load â—ill he breaks them yet when he hath by his policy drawn them into any sin he would keep them senseless as long as he can hoping so to have greater advantage on them afterwards Now â—ur Doctrine fully resolves this Enquiry Three things may here be searched into 1. That God is the author of this trouble by laying of his angry hand heavy on the man 2. How or after what manner he doth this 3. Why or for what end he doth it 1. That God is the author of this by laying his â—ngry hand heavy on the man There are two â—hings in this Conclusion 1. That God is the author of it It is in it self a â—ore evil though by the over ruling Providence of God it is made to issue
And there never was an instance of so much as one that was defeated the greatest Prodigal such as he Luke 15. If he hath come to himself gone back to his Father confessed his sins and deservings and cast himself upon his Soveraign Grace hath found him so ready that he hath met him a great way off taken him into his arms and given him all the Testimonies of his pardon 3. What influence this confession hath into that forgiveness for the obtaining of it A. 1. Negatively it is neither the meritorious nor the moving cause of Gods forgiving us 1. It is not the meritorious cause of it We have already observed that it is a free favour It is indeed first merited for us before we can partake in it for it belongs to Justification we are first ransomed and then pardoned but our confession hath no hand in this It is through Christ's Blood that we obtain remission by his stripes we are healed Isa 53. 5. Confession carrieth no satisfaction in it but is a legal and full proof of our Guilt in it we condemn our selves it saith as Dan. 9 8. To us belongs Confusion the Law left no room for a pardon upon acknowledgment this is purely Evangelical 2. Nor is it the moving cause of it Among men indeed a tender heart is moved by an ingenious confession and humble subâ—ission and it makes us to relent and shew compassion to a delinquent but though such affections are ascribed to God yet it is after the manner of men and warily to be understood Affections are attributed to him in regard of the Effects which flow from his fixed and unalterable will Confession is an adjunct of true Repentance and God is the Author of that as well as of the pardon Acts 5. 31. To be able truly to confess Sin is his gift 2. Positively this Confession belongs to the way in which God is wont to apply forgiveness to Sinners God designed from Eternity to forgive them but he hath laid out this Medium through which he will bring them to it How God treats with Infants is beyond our decision but in regard of such as are of years of understanding and under the Gospel there are two things observable 1. That God requires this Confession of these that hope to obtain forgiveness of him The influence therefore of one upon the other is only as it is the way of Divine Appointment to obtain it the promise so runs Prov. 28. 13. And that clause is inserted Jer. 3. 13. Only acknowledge c. God will be sought to for pardon and there can be no asking forgiveness without acknowledging Guilt Hence though this be Gods gift as well as the other yet it is whiles the Guilty Sinner is prostrating himself at the foot stool of Mercy taking shame to himself that God comes and passeth the act of pardon upon him Luk. 15. 17. In summe where God giveth a Pardon he gives Repentance and where true Repentance is there will be confession So we may safely conclude that he who is not brought truly to confess hath not truly repented of his sins and if he be still an impenitent he is certainly an unpardoned man 2. That this Confession is the way to obtain the evidence or witness of our pardon God is sometimes said to forgive when he witnesseth in us to his pardoning mercy and the reason is because the man was before in his own apprehension unpardoned though his state were good Now as it is usual for God to come in and refresh the heart with telling it its Sin is forgiven whiles the bleeding Soul is bemoaning it self with most humble confessions to him so there is matter of evidence in the confession it self and when we can truly say we have so confessed as before we have the characteâ— of one that hath received this grace of God and so is in a state of forgiveness whereas the want of this is just reason to make us call it in question at least to think that sin is not forgiven which is not thus confessed USE I. For Caution Take heed of abusing this truth unto presumption It is a great policy of Satan to hold men as long as he can in carnal security unto which their own natural inclination leads them and among other devices he hath to insinuate into them by this is one main engine that he useth with those that live under the Gospel and enjoy the priviledges of it to blow them up with false surmizes about God and thence to draw ungrounded conclusions about their good estate and arrogate to themselves the things that belong not to them let us then be warned to take heed to our selves and there are many that need this warning lest they rue it for ever viz. 1. All such as resolve their whole hope into the merciful nature of God not seeking his favour in his own way That God is merciful and gracious is a great truth and wo to us all if it were not so had he not written his Name in such Letters we had all been without hope But this precious truth may be abused and it is so by all those that have no other plea for Salvation but because God is merciful his natural goodness and his common love to his Creature is the only foundation on which they build thence arguing that they cannot perish and hence enquire no farther but rest here never asking how this mercy may be obtained so as to obtain a deliverance from the Curse fallen on them or what are the terms of the New Covenant on which God offers himself to be propitious to Sinners and so never study a compliance with them but count it enough that he is such a God this is derided in that Sarcasm Isa 27. 4. And this Spirit was in them Joh. 8. 32. And if we may judge of mens hearts by their practices this is the guise of all the loose Professors that live carelesly and yet confidently 2. They that instead of confessing do cover their sins and yet hope to do well enough And how many are there of these Such as seek to hide their Sins under excuses or to justifie themselves by pleas and defences or that little regard to practice Repentance upon their falling into sin but think it sufficient either to plead their infirmity or slight it over with saying we are all Sinners and none without their faults or a pretence that they allow it not in themselves though the flesh be too hard for them and hope that God will not charge it thus they prevent their deep sorrow and taking to themselves the due shame for their sins and think they are as good Christians as any and God will accept them as well as the best surely this speaks them presumptuous 3. They that encourage themselves to sin boldly on account of Gods mercy Instead of being melted into Godly Sorrow on consideration that God is so good and gracious which is the kindly effect of it
their Hopes but it ariseth from a groâ—â— mistake there is an aggravation which Satan suggests which will do it to think that we have Sinned beyond the vertue of the atonement buâ— know it there is vertue enough in Christ's Blood 1 Joh. 1. 7. And the greater you apprehend your sins to be the more will you be helped to admire the mercy that brings and applies a pardon to them the more vile you make your selves the more will Christ be exalted by you when you come to taste of his rich forgiveness VERSE VI. 6. For this shall every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayst be found Surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him WE now proceed to the third part of the Psalm in which David directs us how to improve the faith of the Doctrine of this Blessedness arising from a state of pardon â—â—emplified in himself He directeth himself to God in the words but the Doctrine in them is accommodated for the encouragement of all that fear God And here he tell us 1. What is the duty of the People of God on his account For this c. 2. What is the priviledge of such surely c. 3. Professeth his faith in God on this account for encouragement Verse 7. We may take these things up in their order 1. He declares what is the duty of the People of God on this account for this shall c. In the words observe 1. The Subject of this Duty the Godly the â—ord signifieth one that is Benevolent Beneficent Pious or Good A Godly man is called by this â—ord either to signifie that he is merciful and beneficent or that he hath obtained mercy and goodness from God We are here to understand 〈◊〉 for one that hath the saving Grace of God put into him for till this no man can truly seek God 2. The extent of the Subject every one that is Godly It is a disposition that God puts into all that are truly Converted and they shall exert it on the occasions of it 3. The duty it self he shall pray this word when applied to praying implies the bringing our cause to God laying it before him and leaving it with him all of which is proper to a petitionary prayer 4. The Object of this prayer God he shall pray unto thee to pray to any other is Idolatry and to ask help of that which cannot succour us 5. The thing it self prayed for for this i. e. for this forgiveness When they find themselves oppressed with the Guilt of sin or it may point us to the encouragement of so praying for this may be read upon this i. e. upon the reading and being acquainted with my experience and good success in so coming to God 6. The season of this prayer in a time when thou mayst be found Heb in a time of finding Some interpret it of a time of affliction when their sin have found them out but others and so on Translation understand it of an opportune time wherein God is ready to be found of such as indeed seek him Three Doctrines may here be observed Examples of Pardoned Sinners our Encouragement DOCTRINE I. THE instances of Gods forgiving any upon their hearty confessing their sins to him should encourage others to hope for and seek it of him in the same way The very subjoyning of this to what went before intimates this truth if we consider David as turning his speech to God he doth as it were say this is the honour thou shalt get by doing thus graciously by me thou shalt have more Customers others when they hear of it will be animated to seek to thee for mercy The great incentive to this is from the gracious discoveries that God hath made of himself in his Word those alluring promises with which he animates desponding Sinners to seek him but yet his works also have a voice in them and confirm his Word by giving an example in which his Word is verified Here take these conclusions 1. That there are many eminent instances of Gods pardoning mercy on Scripture record He hath set up the monuments of it there who though they had been great Sinners and many ways provoked his just displeasure yet obtained mercy of him or their humble submission and hearty bemoaning themselves before him and though there be no Saint recorded in the Book of God who was not an example of this but for which they had never been saved yet there are some who have a peculiar remark for this What a great Sinner was Manasseh how wofully did David defile himself What a Chief Sinner had Paul been What a prodigious fall was that of Peter and yet we have the register of their obtaining forgiveness with many more 2. That the Word of God gives us a distinct account of divers of these It not only mentions them to be such but mentions the Dispensation towards them in the circumstances for 1. It tells us how they had Sinned Not that God delights to be raking in the kennel of his Childrens follies when he hath cast their iniquities into the depth of the sea but to set the examples of his Grace before others for mans sin is the foil of Gods Grace and the more black that hath been the more orient do the colours of this appear to be their sin therefore is declared in its aggravations so Davids 2 Sam. 11. 12. 2. It acquaints us with what distress they were in after they had so Sinned What Convictions what compunctions they felt in them what pain they were in by reason of their wounds and broken bones what terrible agonies they suffered on the account see Context verse 3 4. and Mat. 26. ult and else where 3. It shews us what course they took to get their Sin pardoned In what way they gat relief and found mercy at Gods hand What confession they made to God how they bemoaned themselves bitterly how earnestly they besought God for mercy with what deep Humiliation and self loathing they prostrated themselves at the footstool of the Throne of Grace to this serve all Davids penitential Psalms and we have such an account of Ephraim Jer. 31. 18 19 4. It particularly notes what success they found in this way How they sped with God in thus doing how they sought a pardon and obtained it so Context verse 5. God did not spurn them out of his presence but when he saw these Prodigals humbling themselves and resolving to return he met and embraced them Luk. 15. 20. So Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13 14. Manasseh 2 Chron. 33. 12 13. And what tenderness God exprest to Ephraim bemoaning himself Jer. 31. 20. 3. That this manner of Dispensation continueth to be exemplified in Gods Providence We have not the same ground of assurance now concerning others in that we have only their own Testimony as we have for those recorded in the Book of God however there is a charitable credit
would be comforted as they were Confess with them if we would have a sealed pardon as they had 4. In thus following them let us wait upon God believingly In this way strengthen our faith from their pattern encourage our Souls with this and these were as I am and thus they did and are now happy I will then trust in God and thus waâ— for his Salvation Forgiveness obtained in the way of Prayer DOCTRINE II. IT is the Duty of all and the disposition of every Gracious Soul to pray to God for as they hope to obtain forgiveness of him They that would have it must pray for it and they that have true Grace in them will so do There are two Propositions in the Doctrine 1. It is the duty of all that hope to be forgiven by God to pray to him for it That this is a duty is evident because God hath required it though God hath purposed to bestow a pardon on all his Chosen yet Prayer is a required medium in order to the obtaining of it Ezek. 36. 37. I will be sought c God therefore connects their Calling and his Hearing together Jer. 29. 12 13. But it â—t be enquired What dependance this forgiveness â—ath on our praying for it We may take this brief account of it 1. That Gods forgiveness is every way free to us â—e cannot deserve it by any thing of ours It is of the very nature of a pardon that it is free We must distinguish between the provision made â—n the Covenant of Redemption for our being pardoned in which we were bought and satisfaction was made to the Justice of God and the Dispensation of it to us in the Covenant of Grace in which it is freely bestowed and the meer mercy of God is celebrated Whatever Christ hath done to merit it for us we our selves never did not could do any thing towards the deserving of it So that our prayers cannot of their own nature oblige God to pardon us and therefore we are in them to confess our own unworthiness of it Luk. 15. 21. 2. Hence all the media by which we come to obtain any favour from him are his free gift He hath prescribed them as an order in which we are to come by his benefits yet not only the benefits themselves but also all the grace and help where by we are enabled so to wait upon him for them is from him He gives Repentance as well as Remission Acts 5. 31. He helps us to pray as well as pardoneth us on prayer Rom. 8. 26. So that his Grace doth equally appear in the one as in the other So that though he hath made promises to such conditions yet he must give them or we can never work them in our selves 3. That Faith in Christ is the great medium by which we apprehend Gods forgiveness We cannot merit it all that we have to do is to receive it which is only by an hand of Faith Hence Justification to which pardon belongs is in the Gospel restrained to believing Rom. 5. 1. But this hath been already insisted on 4. That our faith must be acted on Christ for our apprehension of this pardon I here dispute not whether the habit of Faith doth not put us in a safe state We are here only considering the order of the Oeconomy of the Divine dispensation to us As to Gods dealing with Infants it is dark to us We can readily conceive them Subjects as well capable of the Sanctification of the Spirit as of natural corruption though how they should exert acts of faith and repentance is beyond our conjecture But as to others we know that the habits of Grace are infused for action and to believe in Christ for life is an act of the Soul proceeding from such a principle and not meerly the principle it self though it presumes a power put into us else we could not take hold on Christ Now it is actual believing to which the Gospel promise is made Joh. 3. 16. And therefore it is called a coming to him Math. 11. 28. 5. That this faith is most suitably expressed in Prayer That prayer is a duty of Natural worship the light of Nature as well as the word of God informeth us that we should carry our wants to God in Prayer appears from the nature of it that all our Prayers are to be made in faith we are assured because such Prayers only is Effectual We must ask all in the Name of Christ we have no other way of access to God Now forgiveness is one of our great wants and that to pray in faith for it is most suitable will appear if we consider 1. Herein we testify our felt want of it It is sence of need that drives men to Prayer All formalities without this feeling are but idle strains of complement which God hath no regard for And indeed the end of Prayer is not to acquaint him with our necessities for He knows them before Math 6. 8. but to affect our selves with them God would have us know our need that we may put the better value on his kindness it is therefore upon felt want that we are advised to ask Jam. 1 5. 2. We herein also acknowledge God to be the author of our forgiveness This he expecteth of us It was one clause in his Prayer Dan. 9. 9. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses And if we do not believe and acknowledge it to come from him why do we ask it of him and here is a double exercise of faith we believe that he can forgive and we believe that if ever we be forgiven it must come from him Psal 130. 4. Dan. 9. 9. When we go no whither else but to him for it we give him the glory of it 3. We herein declare that he is a free Agent when he forgiveth us The very asking a pardon if sincere implies that we acknowledge our Guilt otherwise we could not know what we want a pardon for And when we seek to have Guilt removed in way of a pardon we signify by it that we have no satisfaction of our own to make for the offence but it must come from the benignity and compassion of him whom we have offended So that Gods free Grace is fully asserted in our Praying for forgiveness and that it is at his liberty It is therefore asked in his Name Psal 25. 11. 4. Hence this puts us into the best posture to receive it God will magnify his mercy in pardoning our Sin and what posture better becomes us to take it of him than lying prostrate at his feet resigning to his mercy sensible of our own unworthiness Justifying him in his severity against us imploring him to look upon us in tender pity and all this belongs to the very frame of a right praying to God God is most honoured by taking us off from the ground where we ly before him in our shame thus is the Prodigal represented Luk. 15. 21.
tried to the utmost by them and all this notwithstanding their renewed repentance reiterated supplications and gracious answers obtained 2. Whence this is and how it consists with Gods Promise and Covenant faithfulness A. There hath been no small occasion of stumbling on this account God hath made great promises concerning this and though he hath said he will correct them in case of prevarication yet he hath also said that if they confess and pray they shall be pitied and relieved and if they waâ—â— close with him they shall greatly prosper and that after this they shall be thus exposed is an hard chapter carnal reason cries out Where is the Promise Let us then closely weigh this Case 1. In respect of Publick Calamities and their relation to them Observe two things 1. Though God may hear them for themselves â—â—â— forgive them yet he may not forgive the Land they live in and so their being forgiven will have no a fluence to keep off Publick Judgments A peopâ—â— may be guilty and God will not withold â—â— hand their personal repentance doth not remoâ—â— the general impenitency and they cannot stand â—â— the gap to keep off the Wrath of God or slâ—â— the breaking in of floods of misery and if tâ—â— body of a people have corrupted their ways anâ— will not be reformed it is righteous with God bring these waters upon them and sometimes comes to that Jer. 15. 1. Ezek. 14. 14. 2. They may not only see the common â—â— lamity but smart by it and that righteously and there are two reasons for this 1. They are members of that body against which God hath a Controverly That there is an external Dispensation of Gods Covenant in treating with the body of a professing people collectively is a great truth on which account the whole are considered as one and Gods Temporary Providences are accommodaâ—ed to them as so thus sometimes the sâ—n of one may bring Gods Judgments on the â—hole Congregation Josh 22 20. especially when that one mans sins are influential to debauch a whole people a s 2 King 23. 26 27. compare Chap. 21. 11. And when good men suffer on this account it is their infelicity in some regard but therâ— is no unrighteousness with God nor may they charge iniquity on him 2. Their very sins which they have repented of and have obtained forgiveness for may have given occasion for those publick calamities Such was Davids numâ—â—ing of the people 2 Sam. 24. begin Israel indeed had provokâ—d Gods anger however this act of Davids was introductory to the fearful Plague that followed and yet he repented before the plague â—â—me verse 10. Nay the Sins of Gods Children may defile a Land and though they repent perâ—onally yet publick Guilt remains as in the foreâ—â—ted Case David therefore takes it to himself â—nd deprecates it from the people in verse 17. 2. In respect to the personal afflictions they meet with â—â—d those very awful after they are forgiven And â—he consistency of this with the Covenant promise and fidelity may be considered and neâ—e 1. Negatively These afflictions are not properly the punishments of those Sins If we take punishment for the execution of Vindictive Justice this is not to be attributed to that we must beware of their distinction who say God forgives the Guilt but not the punishment Guilt is nothing else but an obligation to suffer punishment and if the Guilt be remitted that obligation is taken off there is nothing legal on this account God doth not sit upon them as a Judge to condemn them for he hath already past an act of Grace upon them in pardoning them 2. Positively God in all this hath an eye and respect to the Covenant of Grace under which be hath taken them And how consonant it is to that will be evident if we Consider 1. God in the New Covenant hath declared that he will chasten the bold Transgressions of his Children Their relation to the promises doth not secure them against this and it would wrong them if it should see how the Covenant runs on this account Psal 89. 30. c. It is one Article in the Covenant Heb. 12. 6. He scourgeth every son whom he receiveth God will maintain a fathers authority over them and use a fathers discretion in it 2. God usually prepares his Children for this Correction by bringing them to his foot on which forgiveness follows This is not that they should escape the rod but be sitted for it A wise father first reason with his Child sheweth him his folly makes him â—o see his desert and this puts him upon asking forgiveness and the same love that pardons his sin makes him smart for it because his wisdom sees it is most convenient thus 2 Sam. 12. 14 15. 3. Hence God doth it for their Spiritual advantage Heb. 12. 9 10. That sin needs not only to be forgiven but to be mortified in them the furtherance of their holiness calls for this dispensation thus they come to see more of the bitterness of their sin and be made the more watchful against it David on this score acknowledgeth the goodness of his affliction and Gods faithfulness in inflicting of it Psal 119. 71 75. 4. God doth it for the vindication of the honour of his own Name There is a reproach they often bring upon the Name of God and the Religion they profess the world hath been scandalized by such sins and when God thus deals with them mens mouths are stopt they cannot say that he can allow any abominations in his own Children hence that 2 Sam. 12. 14. 5. Yea he may exercise his people after he hath forgiven them for their tryal He may exercise their Graces and make proof of them and so make them more fearful of sinning and enable them to bring forth much more fruit to his praise See 1 Pet. 1. 6 7. Now all these things are not repugnant to but included in the Covenant USE I. Learn hence what impenitent sinners may â—xpect to find at Gods hand When Christ himself â—uffered he advised to such an improvement of it Luk. 23. 31. If it be done thus in a green tree what shall be done in the dry And see 1 Pet. 4. 17. If his Children whom God loves with a fathers love may be entertained with such Providences and that although they have humbled themselves sought mercy and obtained pardon hard hearted and obstinate Sinners who will not seek God nor fall down before him but go on in their Transgressions may well expect him to fall upon them in his greatest fury and destroy them for ever from his presence If Sin be so odious to him that he will testify against it in those to whom he is reconciled in Christ they that sin with an high hand and have no Redeemer to appear for them must look to drink up the dregs of the Cup of his indignation and let every Unregenerate Sinner be suitably affected with it and be
mercy that hath undertaken for you will be your safe conduct to the haven of Eternal Rest VERSE 11. Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye Righteous shout for joy all ye upright in heart The words Opened IN these words is the conclusion of the Psalm or the use the Psalmist makes of the preceding discourse by way of Exhortation In the words observe two things 1. The Subjects of the Exhortation expressed in two words 1. The Righteous the word signifieth one that is just whether habitually or actually and is frequently used for one that is so in Law he is a righteous man whom the Law upon trial declares to be so this title is in this regard given to every Justified person whether he be so on account of his personal righteousness or that of another imputed to him for let the man have been never so unjust in himself yet if anothers righteousness be accepted for and imputed to him he is just in a Law respect and thus it is here to be taken for it points to the same man who is described in verse 1 2. 2. The upright in heart This expression is not Synonimical of the former but points at something else in the Subject that had a respect to Justification this to Sanctification and points to the inseparableness of them The word comes of a root that signifies to go strait or regularly and is used in the Word of God to denote sincerity By uprightness of heart we are to understand that there is a principle of integrity in him and that his cordial aim is to go strait in his whole Conversation though through infirmity he may come short in act yet his heart is right so that uprightness is not opposed to infirmity but to hypocrisie else it would be a title that none in this life could challenge 2. The Exhortation it self which is in summe to rejoyce but it is emphatically set forth by a triplication of the advice in a variation of words pointing us to 1. The great weight there is in this duty repetition of things is a note of earnestness God expects that all such rejoyce and will be displeased if they do not 2. The constancy of this duty when he bids them to rejoyce again and again and a third time it saith that they should always rejoyce and the variation of words points us to the manner and measure of our joy Be glad it signifies to be chearful or merry pointing to the inward affection and outward expression of it but mainly the former Rejoyce the word signifies the expression of inward gladness by outward gestures and is rendred by the Septuagint by a word that signifies to leap or dance for joy Shout for joy the word is used for the highest expression of joy that can be it signifies to cry vehemently and is used equivocally for joy and sorrow but mostly the former Sometimes translated Sing for joy Psal 67. 4. Sometimes Make a joyful noise Psal 81. 1. But why all this noise and triumph Why they are blessed men their sins are pardoned their persons are Justified God is atoned to them they are compassed about with mercy if then any in the world have cause to rejoyce these are the men Hence DOCTRINE It is the priviledge and duty of all that are righteous and upright in heart and them only always and abundantly to rejoyce in the Lord and to give highest demonstration of this There are divers Conclusions contained in this Doctrine which may be severally handled There are some Righteous in Gods account Conclu 1. THat there are some in the World who are in Gods account righteous 〈◊〉 The Spirit of God would not have given direction and encouragement to and laid down Rules for such to walk by if there were no such It is true the Law doth prescribe duties that are required of all men which they cannot perform but then they were once able these being adapted to mans state of integrity and the Law still stands out against them for their Condemnation the Guilt of that impotency being contracted by their own fault But that God should open a New-Covenant and in it give a Rule for a sort of men that never were or shall be is unreasonable to suppose and to charge the All wise God with impertinency which is blaspemy to do We may then here enquire 1. Who these Righteous Ones are A. In a word they are all whose sins are pardoned and whose persons are Justified The word of God doth frequently put this title upon men with a proper respect to their pardoned and Justified state There are many men who in the Word of God are called Righteous this title can be truly ascribed to none on a Law account with respect to a perfect inherent Righteousness of their own excepting the man Christ who is for that reason restreinedly called the Righteous 1 Joh. 2. 1◠Because there is none else without sin Now the Spirit of God would not call men so if they were not so it must be with respect to a righteousness which compleatly answers the Rule of righteousness for we are sure that our defect or coming short of that is enough to denominate a man unrighteous Jam. 2. 10. It must then respect a Righteousness that hath no failure in it which cannot be their own but must be that of Christ that they may be reputed righteous by it it must on 〈◊〉 Law account be theirs and that can be only by imputation and this is only done in their Justification nor can there be any other sense put upon those words Numb 23. 21. God hath seen no iniquity in Jacob c. When once the Robe of Christ's Righteousness is cast over them though God's Omniscience cannot but know all their spots and defects yet as a Judge he seeth the Law satisfied on their account and they are forinsically righteous by vertue thereof but this will be more clearly evident in the next Hence 2. In what respect they may truly be said to be Righteous A. We may come at this in the following Conclusions 1. That we are here to take Righteousness in a Law sense as it is opposed to Guilt The word is sometimes taken in a moral sense and is then restrained to a personal inherent Righteousness which is when a mans whole life and all his actions do in every tittle square with the Rule to which he owes Obedience and in this sense there is none Righteous 〈◊〉 not one of Adams natural posterity born by Ordinary Generation But in a Law sense a man is then pronounced righteous when he is found not Guilty Guilt is an obligation to suffer penalty for the breach of some Law every one who upon trial is exempted from such an obligation is clear and the Law saith he is righteous in this sense we may understand that Rom. 6. 14. Sin hath no dominion over us for we are not under the Law for it then hath dominion over the man
thought you haâ— mourned repented forsaken your sins and noâ— you have gone in reliance upon these for pardoâ— this is a contradiction a pardon is a free act 〈◊〉 one that hath the power to give it and if yâ— have gotten it you went for it with an aloâ— reliance on that Grace of his which was revealâ— to you for your encouragement you went wâ— but money and without price You have acknoâ—ledged it to be an act of Soveraignty and accoâ—dingly have laid your selves down at the footstoâ— of Soveraign Grace by an humble resignation 〈◊〉 your selves to that and that hath been all yoâ— hope because he is a pardoning God you have aâ—dressed him as David Psal 25. 11. For thy namâ— sake Oh Lord pardon mine iniquity USE III. Let this serve to encourage and direct burdened Souls that are sinking under the apprehension and oppression of the weight of Sin lying upon them in the Guilt of it Here is that which may help to bear up your Spirits and point you what to do that you may may obtain a gracious deliverance from it and for encouragement Consider 1. There is a way for you to get ease upon this account a pardon will do it What though your Sins be not altogether taken away as to the presence and activity of them yet if they may be forgiven for the present this is good relief in this â—uncture this may satisfy your Consciences and â—ase them of their distress and will give you assurance that the other shall be done in due time too 2. There are no Sins so great or numerous but may be thus removed God is able to take them off his forgiving Grace and Vertue is not limited the vilest of Sinners may be encouraged to go to â—im for it and if they do he will in no wise â—ast them out Sins that Lye as mountains between God and you cannot stop his way from Coming and pardoning you 3. It is a good sign that he intends you a pardon when he makes you feel your Sins to be an â—supportable burden It is the way in which he â—ath been wont to dispense his Salvation to miseâ—able Sinners It looks like the beginning towards 〈◊〉 good work of Saving Grace the Spirit first Convinceth of sin Joh. 16. 8. and that conviction will leave oppression upon the Soul and hence the next and immediate invitation of the Gospeâ— is to such as are weary and heavy laden undâ— such distress Mat. 11. 28. And for Direction 1. Beware of flying to other courses to get easeâ— there are many and we are apt to be temptâ— to them Cains's course Judas's course 〈◊〉 the common course of the most in seeking 〈◊〉 repair all by legal repentance and amendment 〈◊〉 deceive you and you shall find it labour 〈◊〉 vain 2. Be sure to seek a pardon in Gods wâ— As none can give it but he so there is a wâ— in which he derives it to us and you must â—serve it and attend upon it if you would 〈◊〉 be deceived and here 1. Go to him with your Sins there is a grâ— do that many make they would go but they 〈◊〉 so vile and so unworthy and hence thâ— would get rid of their sins first but this 〈◊〉 never be if ever your sins be taken away 〈◊〉 must do it Hos 14. 2. and the first thing 〈◊〉 doth in it is to pardon them on which 〈◊〉 purging of them follows in order of naturâ— carry all with you for all want a pardon 2. Confess and bewail them before him tâ— is the way to obtain mercy at his hands Prov. 2â— 13. lay them all open before him with all thâ— aggravations to the utmost that you can Tâ— is the thing which God expects and you mâ— not be short in it but as full as you can Taâ— them upon your selves and he will be ready to take them off 3. Cry to him for Forgiveness this should be the first great cry of a guilty Sinner that God would take off that Guilt and cry as those that are oppressed let them be loud earnest importuâ—ate incessant cries say as he did when he was â—nking Help Lord I perish God expects that â—our prayers be sensible ones 4. Now cast your burden upon him by Faith 〈◊〉 â—row your Sins upon his mercy by laying hold â—n the Lord Jesus Christ and his Righteousness â—t is the advice Psal 55. 22. Cast thy burden on â—e Lord all burdens none excepted are here â—tended and if this be the greatest of all be â—re to roll it on him and if you do you shall â—nd his helping hand afforded to take it off and â—ve you rest Forgiveness Covereth Sin DOCTRINE IV. FOrgiveness casts a Cover over the Sins of him that is pardoned This is the second expression by â—ich this great benefit is set forth the word as â—as observed signifies To hide a thing out of sight 〈◊〉 throwing of some other thing over it as we would 〈◊〉 by some nasty odious thing which we would not have seen In the clearing up of this Doctrine we may enquire 1. What is implied in the Covering of Sin 2. Who it is that Covers it 3. How or after what manner it is Covered 4. What advantage accrues to the person by having his Sin Covered 1. What is implied in the Covering of Sin A. This phrase is here used to express the Forgiveness of Sin and is accordingly to be interpreted Now the reason why things are Covered is that they may be hidden out of sight that thâ— may not always be in our eye and view to 〈◊〉 looked on and the end of our Covering a thâ— is either with respect to our selves or others 〈◊〉 regard to others we Cover it that they may 〈◊〉 see or know it thus 1 Pet. 4. 8. Charity shall coâ— the multitude of sins i. e. it keeps them to it 〈◊〉 and doth not divulge them Covering is oppoâ— to discovering thus when men bring pretences 〈◊〉 put off things they are said to cover them exâ—ses are called Covers With respect to our selâ— we are said to cover a thing when we put it ouâ— our sight in order to the putting it out of our remâ—brance and we are wont to do so by things 〈◊〉 sight and memory whereof would be a grief 〈◊〉 a vexation to us and thus are we here to undâ—stand it God covers his peoples sins from 〈◊〉 own sight that so he may not remember them 〈◊〉 be angry at his Children by reason of them so 〈◊〉 to take vengeance on them upon the accoâ— thereof the Scripture represents Sin as a thâ— odious to God a thing that he cannot endure to look upon Hab. 1. 13. a thing that horribly provokes him against the Sinner and therefore called the abominable thing that he hates Jer. 44. 4. Hence when he is resolved to punish men for it he is said to set it in his sight Psal 90. 8. to make strict search after it Zech. 1. 12. To call it to remembrance
it it cannot answer the Law for yoâ— Come then with your sins and confess your insâ—ficiency address free grace put up that petitioâ— Psal 25. 11. For they name sake Oh Lord pardâ— mine iniquity so shall the Imputation of Sin ceaâ— and you be made blessed A Pardoned Man is one without Guile DOCTRINE VI. THE Pardoned Man is one in whose Spirit there is no Guile It was observed in opening of the Text that these last words of it are put for the evidence of such a person whose happiness is described from his pardoned state or a Characteristical note by which a man may know himself to be such an one Pardon of sin in a Theological sense properly refers to the great benefit of Justification for though among menâ— is one thing to Justifie a person and another thing to pardon him a man is then only Justified at a Civil Bar when he is legally found innocent or not Guilty of the Crime he was Indicted for whereas a pardon supposeth the man to have been found Guilty and a Sentence accordingly to have past upon him to suffer according to the Law and then the supream power doth upon prerogative acquit him from the Sentence and set him at liberty without any satisfaction given for the Crime whereas God in pardoning the Sinner looks upon him in his Surety at whose hands his Justice hath received Satisfaction and accordingly acquits him Judicially as 2 Cor. 5. 21. And so the Justice as well as the Mercy of God doth herein display it self 1 Joh. 1. 9. It is true if we look upon the man in himself and with reference to the Covenant of Works so it is a pardon for the Law hath found him Guilty and condemned him Such is the condition of every one in his natural state and in that regard there is an act of free forgiveness passeth upon him who hath done nothing himself to obtain it and so the wonderful grace of God herein appears But look upon him in Christ as he was indented for in the Covenant of Redemption and is put into him under the Covenant of Grace so the satisfactory Obedience of Christ is reputed as his and on this trial he is sound without iniquity i. e Imputatively and hereupon is acquitted and that is a Justification and belongs to 〈◊〉 as one essential part of it and so is that to be understood Numb 23 21. Now though there be a wonderful change of state that passeth upon the man in Justification for in it he passeth from Condemnation and is adjudged to an Eternal Kingdom yet because it is meerly Relative 〈◊〉 hath not in it self a self-evidence but must be discovered some other way and because it doâ— not pass upon all men since the greater paâ—t oâ— mankind will fall under Condemnation Nor indeed are the Elect Justified as Elected but when the New Covenant is ratified with them nor caâ— they know their Election till they can discenâ— their Justification it therefore concerns ever one to be inquisitive after this and because it is noâ— made known by Immediate Revelation but by coâ— comitant Effects enquiry is to be made after themâ— and therefore we have one of them laid before 〈◊〉 in our Text and Doctrine Here then three things may be enquired into 1. What is to be understood by one in whose Spirit there is no Guile 2. Whether this have any influence into our pardon or Justification 3. What evidence this gives to confirm us in the knowledge and belief of our being pardoned and justified Of these in order 1. What is to be understood by one in whose Spirit there is no Guile A. This manner of expression is used in the Scriptures more than once as a Periphrasis of a Godly man So Joh. 1. 47. Rev. 14. 5. The word Guile signifies Fraud or Deceit but is used equivocally Sometimes in a good sometimes in a bad sense There is an honest Craft 2 Cor. 12. 16. and there is a dishonest one which is pointed at in our Text and there are many things in which this Guile is practised there is Guile in mens words such is Flattery Psal 12. 2 3. and Lying to deceive Mic. 6. 12. And there is Guile in mens carriages when they pretend Friendship and yet lye in wait Psal 55. 21. And there is Guile in a Profession of Religion 2 Tim. 3. 5. But the root of all this lies at the heart the falseness whereof puts men upon these Guileful practises Hence Guile is in the word of God used for Hypocrisy and to be without Guile for Sincerity And when this is referred to the Spirit or Soul it intends that there is an inward principle of it in the man which influenceth into his Life and Conversation and this points us to that Sanctification that is wrought in the man at Conversion But for a more particular opening of this observe these things 1. That in the best of Gods Children here there is a Body of Death remaining We have Paul himself crying out by reason of it Rom. 7. 24. And what else is intended by this but the relicks or remains of the Sinful Corruption which the nature of man is defiled with by the Apostasy It is that Sinfulness in our nature which hath in it a repugnancy to the Law of God and cannot yield subjection to it Rom. 8. 7. And therefore is always Warring against the Law in the Mind Chap. 7. 23. And for any meer man in this Life to exempt himself from it is counted a daring piece of impudence Prov. 20. 9. Hence that Hypothesis 1 Joh. 1. 8. If we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves And that positive Conclusion Eccl. 7. 20. There is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not 2. That in this Body of Death there is a remaining Sinful Guile It is therefore called a Body because there is every branch or member of carnal Concupiscence in it for though the whole of it be mortifyed in Sanctification yet there is no member of it is wholly destroyed but remains though not in its reigning power and there is no lust but a Child of God shall find the stirring of 〈◊〉 in him if he warily observe himself Now this Guile is one of those Lusts or rather a quality of them all and all men bring it with them into the World riveted to their corrupt nature Psal 58. 4. On which account we have that assertion of the Prophet Jer. 17 9. The Heart is deceitful above all things 3. That this Guile doth too often wofully break forth in the Lives of Gods people And this is a sufficient evidence that it is there for if they had none they would never discover any but how often doth it appear to others And though it many times acts closely and indiscernibly to the world yet they themselves might observe it if they would be acquainted at home Do not good men sometimes act deceitfully in their treating with others Did
3. 5. and he makes it his â—usiness to do so he fights against it he brings it to the Cross of Christ to be crucified he prays â—rd against it Psal 119. 29. he hates it v. 128. Such an one in Gods gracious account is one in whose Spirit is no Guile 2. Whether this have any influence into our pardon 〈◊〉 Justification A. There is occasion to make this enquiry here because the disputes about it which began from the first planting of the Churches by the Apostles are not yet at an end nor do Papists only continue to maintain their Doctrine of merit and the confounding of Justification with Sanctification but there are others who call themselves Protestants and are not willing to be counted Arminian neither who go about to depreciate the freâ— Grace of God in pardoning and justifying of us who whiles they ascribe all to Christ as the meritorious cause yet find the matter of our Justification in us which they would have to be oâ—â— Sanctification and New Obedience our faith and Repentance and Holiness and they make theâ— not only necessarily concomitant but an essentâ—â—â— part of our Justification Give me leave then 〈◊〉 clear up this matter and shew the mistake of such an opinion in the following Conclusions 1. That Justification and Sanctification are tâ—â— distinct benefits flowing to us from Christ However vain men have confounded them yet 〈◊〉 Scripture speaks of them as divers priviledges oâ—â— from the other so 1 Cor. 1. 30. Christ indeed 〈◊〉 made both Righteousness and Sanctification to us bâ—â— they are two things and applied to us after 〈◊〉 different manner We are Justified relatively 〈◊〉 are Sanctified really we are Justified by Imputaâ—â—on we are Sanctified by Infusion Justification is 〈◊〉 Garment thrown over us Sanctification is by a new principle put into us Justification is a Change in 〈◊〉 state Sanctification is a Change in our nature 〈◊〉 the one we are made legally innocent in the othâ—â— we are made inherently holy hence the one 〈◊〉 said to be an Act and the other is called a Woâ—â— by our Divines because the one passeth upon us Declaratively whereas the other operates in us Effectually 2. That both of these derive to us from the same fountain of free grace Mans whole Salvation doth so Eph. 2. 8. and both of these do appertain to it that Justification is a fruit of meer Grace we are plainly assured Rom. 3. 24. And hence pardon is to be sought of God or for his own name sake Psal 25. 11. And our Sanctification hath the same original too for it is a product of his meer good pleasure Jam. 1. 18. Grace therefore which is the same thing is given of God Psal 84. 11. God ows neither of them to us we have no way obliged him to bestow them upon us rather than others We have nothing but Sin and Guilt and pollution cleaving to us in our natural state when God comes to pardon and purifie us quickning is bestowed on them that were the Children of wrath Eph. 2. 1 3. How then should our Sanctification or being without Guile possibly contribute any thing to our Justification or Pardon 3. That they are both of them applied together in or upon our Effectual Vocation They are contemporaries for though Divines do allow them an order in the handling of them and an order of nature and accordingly give the priority to Justification yet there is no distance of time between the one and the other by their acknowledgment and they are reckoned as benefits joyntly flowing from our Effectual Calling and indeed it is in Regeneration that we paâ— from death to life there it is that we are quicknedâ— and there is a double life that we pass to according to the double death that past upon us we were dead in the Law by the Condemnation denounced on us but now we are made to live by a pardon in which we are Justified and we weâ— dead in trespasses and sins spiritually and now wâ— are made to live to Holiness by a new inspiration 〈◊〉 and if we are no sooner Sanctified than Justified how can our Sanctification afford any matter for our Justification 4. That because pardon belongs to Justificationâ— hence it must needs have a respect to a Righteousness from whence it proceeds We have already taken notice of the difference between mens pardoning a Criminal and Gods forgiving a Sinner their pardon is not a Justification 〈◊〉 his is theirs proceeds from meer mercy his from mercy tempered with Justice theirs is entirely prerogative but his hath a respect to a Law 〈◊〉 which he must be just in it Rom. 3. 26. and thâ— refers not to his Soveraign Justice barely which 〈◊〉 nothing else but his Supremacy but his Relative Justice as he is Law giver and hath constituteâ— a way of procedure with his Creature In thâ— therefore there must be a Righteousness regardâ— by him to which he hath an eye in the very pardoning of the Sinner and that Righteousness must be such as will answer it so that mercy and truth may meet together c. Psal 85. 10. 5. That this Righteousness can be no other bâ— that perfect Righteousness which was required in the Covenant of Works God did in the First Covenant that was made with man in our first Parents constitute the Rule of Righteousness between him and man and to that Rule it was that the promises and threatnings were annexed and hence the procedure of Gods Relative Justice with man must be according to the tenour of that when therefore God comes to pardon and justifie a Sinner that is the Righteousness he proceeds upon the question is may this be done and the honour of the Law be salved and the resolution of it is that if there be a Righteousness to be presented for the person that will fully answer the demand of the Law and may be accepted as his there will be no injury done to the Law but if not it will suffer by it If it bate but a jot or tittle it is so far a loser and for that reason our Saviour assures us that it shall not Mat. 5. 18. 6. That the most eminent sincerity of the Children of God doth not amount to such a Righteousness And if this be so here is reason enough to deny it to be the meritorious or material cause of pardon and Justification for if it were perfect it could not merit for us a pardon because we owe it but if it be imperfect it cannot be reputed a Righteousness at all with respect to the Law-Covenant It is certain that the Righteousness which that required was such as is without the least flaw or defect and we see how straitly man was obliged if he hoped to Escape the Curse of it Gal. 3. 10. One failure spoils it and makes it become Unrighteousness Now all our Sanctification at present is imperfect and hath mixtures of Sinful defilement adhering to it It is a Ragged
innocent or by some sinful courses take to hide it from men whereby we encrease ouâ— Guilt as David did in the case of Bathshelâ— Now this is the right course to pull troubles oâ— our own minds we can do nothing more directly to bring this distress upon us Or 2. Instead of Confessing we hope to make up all 〈◊〉 a reformation of our own There is such pride natural to us that we had rather do any thing thâ—â— abase our selves to a right confessing of our sins and so upon conviction that we have done amisâ— we are apt to think that a little endeavour to amend this by abstaining from the sin and practising the contrary duty will make up all again and count it more credit to repair our selves iâ— this way than by an humble going to God for pardon in a self abasing acknowledgment of ouâ— vileness this made them make such an enquiry Mic. 6. 6. Here is something of self to be seen whereas in the other way self is utterly denied that God alone may be Glorified and though we have left off such things and do them no more yet Gospel Repentance of them hath not beeâ— exercised by us and so the root of the trouble abideth Or 3. If we do make some confession it is not right It is not such as God expecteth Either 1. We do not confess all Our acknowledgment is with reserves there is some sin that we hide under our tongues there is something that we come and tell God of and make a fair shew of Religious doing duty in it but we keep back a part how frequent a thing is it for us to go about to put God off with half confessions how apt to think a little piece of a confession is a great matter and count that we have gone through our duty in this regard when we have not gone half way in it and this argueth a false heart that confesseth some to hide the rest but God will not be so mocked Or 2. We do not make our Confession penitently It is an humble Confession that God looks for and there is a proud sort of Confession that we are prone to and it appears in such things 1. We do not take the whole blame to our selves We confess the fact and it may be our folly too but withal we seek in part to put it off somewhere else possibly the bigger part and reserve the least for our selves we make fearful cries against the Devil the Devil tempted me and was too subtile for me c. The Devil indeed is called the Tempter but remember it is not his but our fault if we are tempted Jam. 1. 14. Acts 5. 3. Satans Instruments also shall be brought in for our excuse I had not done it but for such or such an one c. As if they could have forced our consent against our will yea God himself shall be reflected on to extenuate our fault this is not the Confession that is truly penitent 2. We are not duly ashamed of our selves for our Sin And this follows upon the former for all excuses are but fig-leaves to cover oâ— own nakedness with they are but pretence on which we may hold up our heads with the more confidence whiles our mouths are noâ— stopt but we have something to plead for our selves we do not express the due abasement that God looks for of us till we can come to say as he Ezra 9. 6. I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face c. A proud confession will never find acceptance with him who seeth thâ— proud afar off the lower we ly in the duâ—â— the nearer we are to find him 3. We do not duly Justify God in our acknowledgments When we think our selves not 〈◊〉 much to blame as others when we lay the faâ—â— on Satan or his Instruments when we complain of Gods withdrawings or Providential exposing us to Temptation when we charge him for not affording us his assistances and thereupon think it over severe for him to proceed with us according to the rigour of the Law in all which we reflect on and do not Justify him how then should be receive such a Confession 4. We do not forsake the sins we confess Right Confession is always accompanied with a setting our selves against the Sin we confess and an utter renouncing of it it is to make it bitter to us and fortify us against it if therefore we confess and to turn to our folly and then confess again and so gâ— in a round this nothing but trifling and will find no acceptance Or 5. Though we do confess yet we do not submit our selves to Soveraign Grace and resolve our hopes into the meer mercy of God Confession is the way to find mercy but if we think to earn forgiveness by it hoping thus to expiate the Guilt of our sin we are acted by a legal spirit and put our selves farther away from forgiveness In a right Confession there is alway a resignation Luk 15. 18 19 And he that hath had a true sight of his sin and acknowledged it accordingly must needs see that Soveraign Mercy only can help him and accordingly cast himself down there and yield it to be just with God to condemn him and that it is free grace if he will pardon him and hence all his hope is in Gospel Grace by Jesus Christ till then we come hither no wonder if all our Confessions afford us no relief Are we then under distress on our Consciences by reason of our sins let us bring our selves on these trials that we may know whence it proceeds And to move us Consider 1. There is a reason why we find no relief God is wise in the management of all his Providences towards the Children of men and this affair is certainly governed by this Providence there are the causes of all and he doth nothing but what he hath reason for and an holy design in and it is good for us humbly to make enquiry after it the Job 10. 2. Shew me why thou contendest with 〈◊〉 2. God is faithful to his promises He is frequently better but never worse than his word The Scripture is abundant in asserting Gods faithfulness for our encouragement to trust in him and there are many attestations given to it by such as have made the trial Now there are gracious Promises made to such as ingeniously confess their Sins to God as he requireth it in the New-Covenant so he encourageth it and it is certain that he cannot deny himself 3. Hence there is certainly some blame in you that must be removed in order to your receiving the promised benefit There is such a defect in your Confession as rendereth it another thing from that which the Gospel requires of you and if you would have him to come to you and witness his pardoning mercy in you that must be rectified It is then necessary that you make a through tryal on this account how else shall you
God in the Conscience of the person A Copy of his pardon thus ratified iâ— given to him and he is made to read and believe it as coming from God himself and from whence resulteth the Testimony of Conscience acquitting of us 1 Joh. 3. 21. If our heart condemn us not c. i. e. acquits us on good grounds Now this God giveth to the man when he sees best and this is more peculiarly aimed at in our Text though not in separation from the former for without that this is a delusion nor is there any safety in an acquitting Conscience so long as God condemneth us 3. Wherein this readiness in God to forgive is discovered A. Besides that God hath proclaimed this in his Word to belong to his great and glorious Name as that wherein he delighteth to make himself known to the Children of men Exod. 34. 6 7. There is abundant demonstration that he hath given for the confirmation of the truth of it 1. In that any of the sinful race of men have ever been forgiven Such is the vile nature of Sin so high is the affront that is offered to God by it there is so much of malignity in the least Sin and so great an indignity done to the Declarative Glory of God by it that if he had not an heart in him to pardon there had no such thing ever been heard of One Sinner pardoned though the least that ever was in the world is a Monument of Gods wonderful Grace and proclaimeth him to be a forgiving God One such instance saith that there is forgiveness with him for it must proceed from his own voluntary inclination who found the Sinner to be his Enemy and might justly have destroyed him for ever To see a Sinner saved from hell is a matter of just admiration to all such as ever were acquainted with the nature of Sin and what it hath made men to be 2. In the way which he hath contrived to bring about the forgiveness of Sinners The right consideration of this will shew us how deeply Gods heart was engaged for it in the days of Eternity and how unchangeably it is fixed on it in as much as he laid it out before time and pursued it to effect in the fulness of time and truly this is that which hath surprized the Holy Angels themselves with astonishing wonder and they still gaze upon it with greatest admiration the Psalmist observeth Psal 130. 4. With thee there is forgiveness but how comes it to be with him how came he to have a stock of pardoning mercy laid up by him It is true nothing is more free than forgiveness it cannot be bought by but must be given to the Subject but there must a door be opened for the extending of this though God is prone to pardon Psal 86. 5. Yet there was that which lay in the way of it which must be removed else there could have been no application of it the Justice of God which was concerned in and by which the First Covenant was ratified had righteously doomed man to dy for sin and the truth of God had declared that he would stand by his own Law yea and his Holiness by which he is bound for his own Glory would not admit that that Covenant should be baulked Mat. 5. 18. How then shall the Sentence be Executed and yet the Sinner be pardoned There was but one way in which this could be brought about and that was by the interposition of the Eternal Son of God undertaking to be substituted in the Sinners room and to answer all the demands of the Law in his stead that so Justice being satisfied might conspire with Mercy in the Sinners Salvation Psal 85. 10. In which affair the Son of God must become man and be humbled to death and bear all the weight of Divine Displeasure even all the penalties of sin Isa 53. 4 5 6. Nor was Salvation possibly to be had in any other way Acts 4. 12. And yet such was the kindness of God that all this should not obstruct the matter but he would rather make all wonders to meet in one and not Spare his own Son but give him for us that so he might express his kindness to us in pardoning out sins And what greater discovery of good will could there be 3. In the free offers that he maketh of it to men He hath not only made way for it by the Obedience of his Son who paid the price of our Redemption but published it in the Gospel and tendered it to all that come within the sound of that Proclamation And there are two things that set forth his readiness to apply this forgiveness to Sinners 1. That he maketh offer of and invites Sinners to accept it He hath ordered that man be told that he hath forgiveness and that they be bidden to come for it He doth not wait till miserable Sinners cry to him for it which yet would be a rich favour if so they might find it at his hands but because they sought it not nor ever would have done so he sends them an Embassy about it Isa 65. 1. 2 Cor. 5. 20. And would he do so did he not delight in pardoning 2. That he offereth it freely And if he did not do so the Sinner must for ever go without it for he had nothing to purchase it with The Gospel Invitations come as freely as can be supposed Isa 55. 1. Rev. 22. 17. If it be here objected you teach that there are Gospel Conditions on which it is only to be had how then can it be said to be free it may readily be replied there are no other Conditions required in the Gospel but what among men are required in order to receiving and being invested with the freest gift that can be there is nothing but acceptance of this gift and acknowledgment of the kindness of the bestower faith is the hand that receiveth it whereas unbelief puts it away and is it not meet that he who would have the benefit of a gift do accept of it or doth such acceptance derogate from the grace of the Giver and what is our Obedience but our thankfulness to God for so unspeakable a gift and shall any say the gift was not free be cause I was thankful for it the Sinner was worthy of death and deserved no pardon and yet he may have it for receiving and is not God willing 4. In the urgent entreaties he useth with men to accept of this forgiveness He not only offers it but pleads and is very urgent and importunate with them as if it were a kindness done him to take it of him as well as to them in their having it he useth all sorts of arguments to perswade them by he tells them what need they stand in of it that their eternal welfare depend upon it that they are condemned and going to Execution and must need perish if they be not pardoned and therefore how much they
to be given them yea we often see so much of God in them as greatly establisheth our confidence in the thing how many who have fallen and God hath â—ut them in trouble and brought them to the â—rinks of despair and yet while they have been seeking God with confession and repentance in â—he name of Christ they have been lifted up and received great consolation 4. All these are for our instruction and we â—â—ught so to improve them We are told Rom. 15. 4. That whatsoever is written is for ouâ— learning The design of the whole Scripture is one viz. To enlighten direct and help us in the Glorifying of God Such passages therefore as refer to the dealing of God with such as have sought pardon of him under distress of Conseience are not meerly for our speculation not do we rightly use any Scripture History unless we apply it to our selves and draw some Lessons from it for help us in our great business and that must be suited to the design of it and no Providences pass before us but we ought to observe them so as to use them for our advantage 5. The Lessons that we are to learn from such Examples as these refer to two heads 1. To nourish hope in us against despair When upon the apprehension of our Sins and the aggravations of them we are ready to sink in encouragement we should gather hope to our selves by contemplating these and fetching arguments of hope and they are such as these 1. That there have been those who were in 〈◊〉 case and have done will Unparallel'd cases an apt to put men to a stand and Satan endeavour by them to dishearten us but when we discover how others have been in all points as bad of â—â— as we possibly worse and yet have obtained Mercy of God it tells us there is hope that 〈◊〉 may fare well Paul therefore tells us that thâ—â— was Gods design in him 1 Tim. 1. 16. 2. God herein exhibits his readiness to pardon Hâ— hath declared it fully in his word and if wâ— will follow him in his works of this nature we 〈◊〉 find it plain and there is abundant force in this way of reasoning if God had not delighted in pardoning Sinners certainly those that had done so much to provoke him to the highest would never have found favour David therefore thus pleads Psal 51. 13. Then I will â—â—ach Transgressors thy ways and Sinners shall be converted to thee 3. And hereby God proves his faithfulness to his Promises The promises on this account are so great that one under the apprehension of his own vileness is hardly perswadable to believe that there can be any such thing and puts it away as incredible but when he sees such as himself to have adventured on the promise of Grace and cast themselves upon God and â—ome off pardoned and justified it puts the â—â—uth and fidelity of God beyond all question 2. To direct us what course to take and so strengthen our faith in it Examples do lay the Rule plain before us and give us a Copy to write after and when we see how they did it tells us what we are to do and because they sped it helps us to believe that we may speed too for 1. God is the same still He ever carrieth himself to us like himself what he hath been to his people that he will be there is one way in which he dispenseth his grace from first to last Hence that encouragement Mal. 3. 6. I am God I change not 2. This way is accommodated to the Precept God hath given direction to Sinners what to do and how to seek him so as to find him Now if we compare these examples by this Rule we shall observe that they followed the directions given them by God else they had not sped so that by their good success we may better understand what God requireth of us and this must also help our faith 3. It is a trodden way It is not an untraced path we are not to begin in it but others have gone before us and we are to follow them and as it is thereby the easier to find so it is the more hopeful of success We have leaders in it and so may the better keep it and it may put life into us when we see they have done well in it and are gotten safe through it 4. It is a way in which none ever miscarried A great many have gone in it and if but some had prospered it would be matter of hope but when we see that none have failed but every one hath done well and there cannot be one instance produced of a Soul that hath missed of Gods mercy and a free pardon who hath thus sought it what can be more animating to our faith in the prosecution of it USE I. For INFORMATION in two particulars 1. Learn hence that it is profitable for Christians on occasion to communicate their experiences to others God hath made man to be a sociable Creature and this sociableness cannot better be applied than in a Religious way Gods dealings with us are not for our selves only but for the sake of others too and we should endeavour to make them so Consider 1. This will tend to the Glory of God It is one way in which we have great advantage to Shew forth his Praises David therefore calls on them that fear God to hear him declaring Gods gracious dealings with him Psal 66. 16 17. Hereby we may set forth his precious Attributes and shew how we are the Monuments of them which will glorify him 2. It will serve greatly for the benefit of drooping Souls When they hear us telling what straits we were in what fore Temptations we have been burried withal and how seasonably and suitably while we were waiting for him God came into us and sealed up his love and what impressions we find of it upon our spirits we may by this give a good lift to help them out of trouble and God hath very frequently blessed such a course as this and this also will help farther to establish our own Consolation 2. Be we advised that there is a misimprovement of the Examples of Gods people in this regard which we are to be cautioned against They are good helps in themselves and prove so to them that wisely use them but they may be abused and then they will turn to harm beware of this And there are three ways in which it may be done 1. When we encourage our selves in Sin by them The use of them is to encourage us to Repentances this then is an abuse when we look on the examples of such as sinned grievously and yet found mercy and thence infer that there is no such danger in sinning we may be bold to transgress because they were pardoned what is this but to turn the Grace of God into wantonness and to Sin that Grace may abound to adventure to throw our selves over a precipice because
we have an instance of one that fell over and escaped with his life forgetting how many have so fallen and it hath cost them their lives God will be provoked to leave us to perish if thus we affront his mercy 2. When we strengthen our carnal security in sin by it The use of such examples is that when we have fallen through temptation and are terrified at it we may be encouraged hereby to Repentance and make haste to God for a pardon but if instead of this we argue there is no danger we may put off the Conviction and delay our Repentance and get a pardon when we wish and so live and ly under Guilt without remorce this is to prevent the end of such instances and the ready way to be left by the Spirit of God to be hardened in sin to our ruine 3. When we use them only for encouragement and not for direction We take that part of the instance such an one so sinned against God and provoked him and yet God was merciful and forgave him and by this forthy our Presumption that there is no danger we need not be afraid but we never enquire what they did or in what way they found the mercy of God and thus they are so far from being an Example that they become a Snare to us and instead of using them for Gods Glory and advantage we gratily Satan and expose our selves to the greater hazard Take heed then lest we be deceived though Paenitent David got a pardon yet impenitent Sinners have no reason to conclude from thence that they shall fare as he did USE II. Let it then be to direct and help us in the right improvement of such Examples for our benefit Let us rightly apply them and that both for encouragement and direction 1. Let us use them to encourage our hope in God for his mercy whatsoever our sins have been Doth the Guilt of Sin oppress us have we fallen by our iniquity and are conscious of our danger and the Divine anger we ly open to and do our hearts condemn us and Satan urge us to despair of pardon Let us now make use of these Examples to excite our hope And to that end 1. Learn by them to have good thoughts of God We are apt to think hardly of him when his Arrows stick in our sides and his terrours make us afraid look upon these and see what a God he hath been to such as we are and let that perswade us that there is forgiveness with him that he is not an inexorable God these have found him propitious and so may we We shall never come kindly to him for pardon till we can say of him as they oâ— the Kings of Israel 1 King 20. 31. 2. Hence let these Thoughts make us resolve to go to him for Pardon While we look on him in his anger that makes us to keep out of his sight buy when we believe that he is ready to receive poor Sinners and pass by their Iniquities this will encourage us to come into his presence 3. Hence let us oppose these Examples to all the arguments of Despair that are obtruded upon us Satan and a misgiving heart will offer hard at this but let us answer all with these And there is no case in which we may not have one or other of them to do this withal Have our Sins been very Great of the biggest Size and doth the greatness of them terrify us as if they were too big for Pardon consider What were David's Sins What were Manasseh's Yea did not David bring that for a plea Psal 25. 11. Pardon mine Iniquity for it is Great The greatness of them can neither out bid his Grace or his Will to forgive Have they been multiplyed Transgressions and doth this dishearten us See what a fearful Catalogue is recorded of Manasseh 2 Chron. 33. begin and yet they did not obstruct his Pardon Yea what saith God himself Isa 55. 7. He will multiply to Pardon Have they been against special Kindnesses bestowed upon us and so rendred us Guilty of horrid Ingratitude to God Remember how God sets forth Davids sin with all such Circumstances 2 Sam. 12. begin and yet he readily forgave him all when he humbled himself before him Have they been against many Means used with us to reclaim us which we have despised thereby sorely aggravated them We have been often warned and threatned and yet persisted and was not this also one circumstance in Manasseh's Sin 2 Chron. 33. 10. Have they been after we have received the Grace of God in converting us and so peculiarly grieved his Holy Spirit this must needs put a very black aspect on them but still remember this was Davids very case and Peters too but yet he did not take his Spirit from them but gave them Repentance and upon it remitted their Sins to them Are they Sins that you have long lain in and been habituated to and this makes you to think you have out lived your day of Grace and it is too late to hope for favour from God and did not David ly a long time remorceless under his great sin yet when at last God roused him and he repented he was forgiven 2. Let us improve them to put us upon the right course to obtain this mercy at Gods hand If we joyn not this to the former it will signifie nothing And here 1. Consider what they did in order to their obtaining forgiveness And therefore 1. They were throughly convinced of their Sin God made them to see it and know it Psal 51. 3. They had a deeply imprinted sense of what they had done and how they transgressed 2. They Confessed their Sins heartily to God They did not hide them under their Tongues they did not excuse or mince or extenuate them whiles they so did they got nothing by it but they acknowledged them Context Vers 5. 2 Sam. 12. 11. 3. They submitted themselves to God They took the shame of their Sins to themselves and acknowledged that all miseries belonged to them for the same and that God was righteous in condemning them Psal 51. 4. Dan. 9. 8. And so they yielded themselves up to God 4. They prayed hard for a pardon They besought God for his mercy yielded that nothing else but mercy could do it that God must do it for his name sake if at all and accordingly pleaded it â— Psal 25. 11. 5. They forsook their sins They turned from and renounced them utterly Judg. 10. 16. 2 Chr. 33. 15. 2 Believe that if they had not thus done they had never found mercy If they had gone on impenitently they had not been made the instances of Gods forgiveness and indeed the Word of God stands for this Prov. 28. 13. 3. Let us follow their steps This is the right improvement if we would fare as they fared let us do as they did take them as our Copy and write after them mourn as they did if we
are most like to find favour and the soul that is truly humbled will fall to prayer but God seeth the proud a far off 3. That God will have no praise for this mercy from such an one He that cannot find in his heart to fall down before God and beg his pardoning mercy will never give him suitable thanks for it if he should confer it on him Where there is no gratitude there is no thanksgiving and where a kindness is not resented how should a person be grateful Take heed then of being deluded with false hopes USE II. Here we have a Rule to judge by in what order we are towards forgiveness And certainly it is a thing very desirable to be known and they who have ever experienced what it is so stand Guilty before God will be sollicitous after satisfaction in this case and the Rule is doth the apprehension of our Guilt and misery so affect us as to drive us to pray to God for his pardoning mercy if so we have a good hope of obtaining it of him for Consider 1. It is of God to spirit us to prayer It is one character of a natural man that he seeks not God Psal 14. 4. A spirit of prayer is his gift and there is a mighty work wrought in bringing the Sinner on his knees and make him pour out his Soul to God in earnest supplication for mercy 2. When God brings a Sinner thus to pray it is that he may forgive him There is ever a gracious design in it God hath made many gracious promises to such in his Word which he cannot deny if it were not his design to bring them within the compass of the promise he would not work the condition in them and therefore when he promiseth that they shall pray he together engageth that he will hear Jer 29. 12. There is no greater sign of forgiveness then a spirit of prayer for it 3. Hence he observes when we do pray and is ready to hear us He waits to be gracious he hearkens whether men will address him for it that so he may take the opportunity to exalt his mercy on them when he had brought Paul to the ground we find how he remarks on it Acts 9. 11. Behold he prayeth q. d. Let him have been never so bitter a Persecuter heretofore yet I will have mercy on him for he prayeth for it USE III. For Exhortation and direction Let it call upon all whensoever under the sense of Guilt to betake our selves to prayer Do we apprehend the anger of God against us for any sin let it put us upon our making our requests to him for the removing of it Consider then 1. If our sin be not forgiven us it will undo us Think it not of little concernment whether our sin be pardoned or no there needs no more but the Guilt of one unpardoned sin to sink you down into the pit of endless miseries that one will condemn you and there will be no hopes of escaping the Wrath of God there is a sentence of death upon every sin which must be taken off or you cannot escape 2. You must pray for this if ever you obtain it God stands on his honour in this regard he will have Sinners to know that it is his Prerogative to forgive sin and will have their petition offered him in order thereto he will else look upon them as obstinate Sinners and such as despise his mercy and if the Sinner hath deserved to dy and hath his life offered him if he will supplicate for it and he will not do that he will provoke God to shew him no mercy 3. God is a prayer hearing God therefore there is hope in this way Thus the Psalmist pleads Psal 65. 2. Oh thou that hearest Prayer he delighteth to hear the cries of distressed Souls that feel their woful misery and have none to help them and do therefore betake themselves to him as a God of Salvations He delights in mercy and therefore hearkens if there be any miserable Sinner that will apply himself to him for it that he may shew it him Let your sins be of what colour or magnitude soever you need not despair do but pray to him and there is hope Isa 55. 7. He will do so for him that prays for it 4. This is the end of all the awakenings and troubles on your minds When God comes to shew us our sins in their colours to terrify us for them and make them a burden too heavy for us it is to drive us to prayer let us not then improve them to drive us from it And would you speed 1. Pray sensibly Cold prayers argue that Sin is not felt bear your burden and carry it with you this is the business of Prayer Psal 55. 22. Cast thy burden on the Lord. Let your groans and sighings be a witness that your sins are an oppressing load that you must sink under them if he do not lift them off by his forgiving mercy 2. Pray confessing Thus did David verse 5. Confession is a proper ingredient of a penitent Prayer Let your petitions carry a resentment of your Guilt and worthiness to dy and that your hope is in his Grace Confess the righteousness of your Condemnation and your unworthiness to cast so rich a favour as you pray for 3. Pray Renouncing all your trust in your Prayers Do not look to be heard for Praying though it must be in this way for your Prayers can lay no engagement upon him should he refuse to hear you you are not wronged Do not make a God of Prayer while you use it as a Medium to obtain Gods favour 4. Pray applying to and believing in the Righteousness of Christ This is the foundation of our hope it is for his sake that we must be forgiven if ever it be so It is Christ only that we must rely on who only can derive a pardon to us through his merits look on the fulness of them and be encouraged to wait for his Salvation 5. Pray perseveringly God though he hears them may yet defer the witnessing your forgiveness in your Consciences but let not this deter you but follow him with importunity as the poor Widow did the Unjust Judge and in this way you may be encouraged because he hath said in Psal 145. 18. The Lord is nigh to them that call upon him that call upon him in truth God to be sought in a finding time DOCTRINE III. THey that hope to find forgiveness from God in the way of Prayer must seek him in a time when it may be found There is emphasis in this they shall not only pray but they shall do it seasonably There are two Propositions in this Doctrine 1. That there is a time wherein God may be found 2. That if we would speed in our Prayers for forgiveness we must take this time to seek him in Prop. I. That there is a time wherein God may be found And