sin for time to come justifies the ungodly pardons sin yet purchases the pardon These eleven Meditations about the Pardon of Sin make it appear to be a wonderful work of God put these together and then the result according to the point will be clear and full that Blessed is that man whose sins are forgiven And surely if there be such a mysterious and glorious work of God in pardoning sin that man for whom God shall work such a glorious work is a blessed man indeed And now having done with this Argument of the great mystery of Godliness in forgiveness of Sin I proceed to another and it is this CHAP. IV. That Pardon of Sin not only is a Mercy in it self but the Foundation of many other Mercies PArdon of Sin makes a mâ—â— blessed Why Because it is the Foundation of abundance of other Mercies it is an inlet to many other mercies therefore a great mercy it is a leading mercy it is as the Queen of Mercy that hath a great and glorious train of other mercies attending on her indeed it is the very foundation of all the mercies of the Covenant of grace 't is the principal mercy and the very foundation of all the mercies that are in the Covenant and the inlet and opening to them all the Covenant of Grace is a rich Treasury hath abundant store of mercy in it and this opens to them all The current of all Gods mercies was stopt by mans sin though God had an infinite Ocean of mercy yet the sourse and vent of all Gods mercies was stopt Now when God pardons sin he takes away the stop and opens the sluce that his infinite grace and goodness may flow forth plentifully and sweetly to the soul body and state yea to all that belongs to a believer You may conceive Gods mercy to be as an infinite stream of goodness running with a full current towards his creatures for God delights in the Communication of himself to his creatures But now mans sin made a dam and stopt the pipe that not one drop of mercy could come forth not a drop of all that mercy that in the eternal purpose of God he hath appointed in time shall come forth to such and such a poor creature but when he comes to Pardon and Justification he pulls out the plug and pulls up the flood-gates and sluces and then mercies come flowing in amain when sin is pardoned then the full streams of all the mercies in the Covenant of grace come flowing into the soul well then if it be thus that pardon of sin is an inlet to other mercies then he that hath his sin pardoned is a very blessed man I shall open this That Pardon of Sin is the foundation to and opens the sluce to let in all other mercies Jer. 31.31 Behold the days come that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah here God opens his goodness and tells them he will make a new Covenant not like that he made with their fathers vers 32. but this shall be the Covenant vers 33. and he instances in some particulars I will put my Law into their inward parts and write it in their hearts and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me c. But what is the foundation of all this at the end of the 34. For I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more I will make a new Covenant with them and put my law into their inward parts and they shall all know me I will come in with all my mercies and blessings Illumination and Sanctification he mentions these instead of the rest as in a grant of great things some particulars are mentioned but then he comes in with a general For I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more As if it should be said Why Lord wilt thou come in thus to thy people in such an abundant way of mercy more than formerly and let in these graces of thy Covenant Why here 's the ground of all for I will forgive their iniquity so that forgiveness of iniquity is the special inlet of the mercies of the Covenant Now more particularly I shall shew you what are those special mercies Pardon of sin is an inlet to and that will further shew the blessedness of those souls that have their sins pardoned because pardon of sin is an inlet to many other mercies As Of Peace with God that Pardon of Sin is an inlet to 1. Peace with God Rom. 5.1 being justified that is pardoned through faith what follows we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ the ground of our Justification and Reconciliation it is not our Humiliation no nor our Sanctification Observe it the very bottom and foundation of our Justification and Reconciliation it is neither of these though we ought to be in the use and exercise of them but pardon of sin is through the free grace of God applyed by faith this is the ground of all our Peace and Reconciliation with God And thus men and women should seek their peace with God the main thing they should lay the waight of obtaining peace of God upon it is the work of faith applying the Righteousness of Christ for pardon rather than any work of Humiliation or Sanctification by the Spirit of God yet both these are sweet and comfortable when we found the bottom and main foundation of all our peace on the free grace of God pardoning our sin and justifying of us through faith in Christ Cod does not say you that are great sinners stay till you are humbled and are brought to hate sin and you shall have peace with God No you may be much troubled for sin and may leave it and reform in many things and live better lives than before and yet your peace not made up with God How then shall it be thus being justified by faith looking up to the free grace of God in Christ for pardon of sin we come to have peace with God and this is a great priviledge but if you consider on the other side a creature not reconciled cannot look upon the infinite Creator without terror and shakings and tremblings of spirit he cannot have any thoughts of God but he thinks of him as his Enemy and that all the excellencies of God are working misery and ruine to him this is a sad thing But when pardon of sin comes God is reconciled and all fears and terrors from the Almighty are gone those fears whereby the soul was afraid God was secretly working ruine to it are dispell'd and if any judgment of God come close and near and befal any in the sight and hearing of a guilty soul he would be thinking God is coming to me next But a justified soul may say though the judgments of God be never so terrible in the world and in
and witnesses affixed to it but we use to take an Oath Well says God I will swear and take an Oath to make my Covenant of grace sure to your souls Heb. 6.13 when God made a Promise to Abraham because he could swear by no greater he sware by himself and this is in the 18. verse an admirable Text of Scripture That we might have strong Consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us there is hope of Gods grace through the Reconciliation of Christ Jesus and this hope the soul runs to as to a City of Refuge when his guilt like the persuer of blood follows him Well says God this poor soul notwithstanding will have doubts of my grace now that it might have strong consolation I have swore that I might make my mercy sure to such a soul that 's a fourth way but is there any thing else you use to make things sure between one another Yea Lord Fourthly we put our Seals to it an Oath taken may soon pass over but a Seal that abides says God I will do that too I will give you Seals and there are divers sorts of Seals there 's first the Broad Seal of Heaven What is that that is nothing else but the very Printing of the Image of God on the Soul that is the Broad Seal of Heaven And as the Broad Seal of England hath the Picture or Image of the King stampt upon it so the Broad Seal of Heaven is nothing else but the Image of God stamp't or imprinted on the Soul 2. There is the Privy Seal of the Holy Spirit of God which is the perswading and assuring of the soul of its interest it hath in Christ and God the Father In 2 Tim. 2.19 you have Gods Privy Seal The Lord knows them that are his and they having his Privy Seal know themselves to be the Lords Cant. 6.2 I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine so Paul Gal. 2.20 being sealed with this Seal saith of Christ He loved me and gave himself for me he was perswaded and assured of salvation 2 Tim. 1.12 Rom. 8.38 39. This Privy Sealing is like the New Name Revel 2.17 Which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it And to this you shall have a third Seal Baptism and the Supper of the Lord that is to assure you that the end of the Sacrament is to Seal up Pardon of sin God saw that his People would be very solicitous and therefore added all these wayes of assurance to them when you therefore come to the Sacrament you should come with a sense upon your souls of the great need you have of the grace of God in pardoning sin and come to it as to a Sealing-day you have many fears and doubts come so as that you may have the grace of pardon seal'd to your souls take heed of coming so as to have your condemation sealed for certainly all Ordinances if they work not for that end that they are appointed they turn to another and quite contrary as the Word if it be not the savour of life it is the savour of death and so the Sacraments if they seal not the pardon of thy sins up unto thee they seal up the sentence of death and condemnation therefore look to it as oft as you come unworthily to the Sacrament you have so many Seals of death and condemnation set upon your souls Take heed you do not come to take another Seal of death 't is much to be feared many in this place come to take the seal of eternal death upon their souls but those that come worthily though administrations be not in that due order as they should yet God may be present with his own Ordinance to give them comfort from it and help their Evidences by it I must conclude this those that content themselves with slight Evidences about this great work dishonour the grace of God you would have us preach of mercy and indeed it is a blessed Argument which our souls delight much to be preaching of because we find so much sweetness in it and for which our souls shall expatiate themselves in glorifying God to all eternity but we are withal jealous of your dishonouring of God in this mercy and therefore it is that we labour so with you after the laying open of this mercy that you may not abuse it for certainly my Brethren there is nothing in the world God takes to heart more than the dishonour that is done to his pardoning mercy and nothing more aggravates the sin of People than to have slight thoughts of this great work Seventhly This is a great dishonour to Gods pardoning mercy for men to put off the seeking of it to the worst times that possible can be Is it not the ordinary way of most people to put of the seeking of the grace and favour of God Pardon of sin and Reconciliation till the time of sickness and the time of death they go on all their life time in sinning against God but when they are lying upon their sick-beds and death-beds Lord have mercy upon me pardon me forgive me a wicked wretch that I have been these kind of words we hear from men at that time O that God would forgive and pardon such and such sins and then perhaps they will tell some particular sins if they think they shall die they will open themselves to the Minister or to some faithful Neighbour in the disclosing of their particular sins and beseech them to pray to God for mercy but if they have any hopes to escape they will keep them in and be loath to rip open the sins of their lives This I say for any to put off the seeking unto God for his pardoning grace till that time it is to put a great dishonour upon God for it is a putting of it off to the worst time that possible can be And that makes much to the dishonour of God For First Those men seek pardon of sin when sin is leaving them or they must leave sin whether they will or no when you have served your own turn of sin after you have had as much supposed pleasure as you can then you think to be delivered from the guilt and punishment of sin what is there but a meer selfish spirit in seeking God now and God sees it so it is not seeking after pardon of sin that you may honour God in his infinite grace for then you would seek after it now and the honour of God would be dear to you now but you seek it at such a time meerly out of respect to your selves this is a great dishonour to God It is the first born of Gods glory to pardon sin and for God to see men and women have no higher ends in seeking pardoning grace but meerly to save their own skins How may God look upon them with disdain What shall I magnifie the riches of my grace so wonderfully in this work of
pardon sin yet it does not work thus viz. You have sinned and my law requires such and such obedience to be performed on such tearms or else you must perish but I through my mercy will remit something of the rigour and strictness of the Law And most people confess that by the strictness of the Law they are condemn'd but they hope the mercy of God will grant some remission of the Law as it is with men if all Penal statutes should be executed it would be very hard but there is a Chancery to abate something of the rigour and strictness of penal statutes and thus men think to come to have pardon and deal with God after the manner of men you think the crying to God for mercy wil abate something of the strictness and severity of the Law but you mistake in taking this way to get peace and reconciliation with God to look upon Gods mercy to lye in this to remit something of the strictness and severity of the Law No but the work of Gods mercy lyes in this to finde out a surety for you and to transact the debt upon him Further Consider the work of Gods mercy in justification of a sinner when faith layes hold upon it faith must not lay hold upon it as a meer single Act but look at all the concomitants of the work of Gods grace in making way for the justification of a sinner The mercy of God workes many waies and faith must exercise it self on Gods grace according to the multiplicity of the work of it in bringing about the justification of a sinner as thus you have sinned and you cry to God for pardon but the mercy of God does not work thus to pardon you as t is a single act but the mercy of God works thus to mankind First he is pleased to enter into a second covenant with mankind after he had broken the first A second work of Gods mercy is to set his wisdom on work to finde out a way how mankind should be reconciled unto him and his sin pardoned and yet that God should be no looser this was the work of his infinite wisdom And Thirdly when this is found out this can be done no other way but only through the Son of God taking mans nature upon him and suffer for him then here 's the mercy of God to be willing to send his Son to mediate for poor creatures and then a further mercy in giving thy soul to his Son he sent not his Son that all might be pardoned but a certain number that God the Father had given to his Son from all eternity now there 's a great work of Gods mercy in passing by others and giving thee to his Son And further It is a work of Gods mercy in the powerful Ministry of the Gospel to reveal this And then further It is a work of Gods mercy to draw thee to close with his Son and thereby to unite and marry thee to his Son And then further It is a work of Gods mercy to assure thee of the pardon and justification of thy soul 't is a great deal more for faith to look upon God in this manner than to come in such a way as this God is merciful and I trust in his grace that he will pardon me we mistake mightily about the mercy of God when we do not look upon it in an Evangelical way as it is revealed in the Gospel Further know thus much that if Gods mercy will work so far for thee as to pardon thy sin and save thy soul certainly it will work so far as to take away the power of sin and let thee not live in the filth of thy sin Many think Gods mercy will do great matters hereafter but nothing now in comparison of what he will do hereafter they think he will give them outward blessings now but keep spiritual things till hereafter Certainly this is an infallible truth If Gods mercy work not so powerfully here in this world as to bestow spiritual good things on thee thou may'st be assured that it will never work so powerful on thee as to save thy Soul in the World to come Can it be thought a Prince pardons a Malefactor that he shall not be hang'd and yet suffer him to lie in Prison and rot in the Dungeon this were but a poor pardon a half pardon to be delivered from the Gallows and rot in the Prison Certainly whatever a Prince may do God never pardons a sinner so to shew him mercy to save him from Hell and yet to lie rotting all his life long in sin no God when he pardons he delivers and shakes off the fetters as we shall see further therefore thou that say'st thou hopest in Gods mercy that he will pardon thee let me ask What hath he done for thee if thou thinkest that Gods mercy will work so strongly hereafter to save thy soul certainly it will be as strong for thee here to sanctifie thee if it work not so strong on thee now as to sanctifie thee certainly it will never work so strongly for thee hereafter as to save thee 4. Others say in the last place we are not only sorry for sin and reform and trust in Gods mercy but we relie upon Gods mercy through Christ and therefore we hope we shall be pardoned this I might speak much too we must rest there but there is a mistake there too the relying on Christ is not relying on him by acting of some transient thoughts that passes over but it is an abiding thing when men hear there is no way to be saved but by Christ and they cannot deny it and because they are loath to think they are such as cannot be saved they are loath to have such ill thoughts of themselves hearing this is the way and no other therefore they will perswade themselves that they shall find mercy through Christ Now what great work is this so to rely on Christ the work of faith is a mighty work it is not a short transient work a few thoughts upon thy heart to be saved by Christ No wheresoever faith is right and a true reliance on Christ it is a mighty work of the Spirit of God working this grace in raising the soul higher than it self and carries it through and above all difficulties when it brings the soul to relie upon God there may be great mistakes when People say they rely upon Christ and therefore take this for conviction Relying on Christ is not barely to think my sins are pardoned by Christ but it is a receiving of Christ a possessing of Christ a coming into Christ a living in Christ and a bringing Christ to live in me 't is eating of the flesh of Christ and drinking of his blood and so finds nourishment and strength from him as really as the body by the meat and drink it takes that abides with it is strengthned by it so does faith to the soul therefore faith is
it is a great taking the Name of God in vain for any man or woman to have slight thoughts of sin ibid. 2 Men should be content to endure much difficulty in seeking of Pardon ibid. 3 The difficulties pardon of sin passes through should make us willing to undergo any hard services God puts us to 52 CHAP. VI. Of Pardoning Mercy coming from the Fountain of Gods Everlasting Love 52 CHAP. VII Of Pardoning Mercy being a work that all the three Persons in the Trinity are ingaged in 54 1 God the Father's heart was in it ibid. 2 Christ the Son's heart was in it 55 3 The Holy Ghost was much in it 56 CHAP. VIII Of Pardoning Mercy being a perfect mercy 60 Hence 1 Flows out abundance of comfort 61 2 Great ingagement unto duty ibid. CHAP. IX Of Pardoning Mercy being an Irrevocable Mercy 62 This appears 1 In Gods blotting out of sin 64 2 Casting it behind his back 65 3 Removing it as far as the East is from the West ibid. 4 Casts them in the bottom of the Sea ibid. 5 He will remember them no more ibid. 6 They shall never be mentioned ibid. 7 They shall never be found 67 CHAP. X. Of Pardon of Sin being a mercy denyed to fal'n Angels 69 CHAP. XI Of Pardoning Mercy being such that it is given but to a few 71 1 Because God would have a proportion between his Justice and Mercy 72 2 To manifest his Mercy the more to those that are saved ibid. CHAP. XII Of the possibility of Pardoning Mercy how it would be prized by poor Souls now under wrath 74 CHAP. XIII Of Pardon of Sin being the special end of all God's Ordinances 76 1. Hearing of the Word ibid. 2. The Sacraments 78 3 Discipline 79 A Transition to the Application of what is to be said to these things ibid. CHAP. XIV Of the Dishonour done by Men to the Pardoning Grace of God 81 1 By careless ones 82 2 By sinful ones who labour to increase guilt 84 3 Those that have slight thoughts of Pardon 87 4 Such as seek Pardon but are insensible of the greatness of the work 89 5 Those that dally with God and 92 1 That cry for pardon and yet continue in love to their sin ibid. 2 That seek the pardon of some sins yet still keep the love of others 94 3 That look not after their Prayers 95 4 That follow not their Prayers with answerable endeavours ibid. 5 Those that pray for pardon and yet are satisfied with other things ibid. 6 Those that are quiet upon weak and slight Evidences dishonour God 96 1 The Word 97 2 The Word put in writing ibid. 3 Witnesses and they are six 3 in Heaven and 3 on Earth ibid. 4 An Oath ibid. 5 Seals 98 1 The Broad Seal of the Image of God ibid. 2 The Privy Seal of the Spirit of God ibid. 3 Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. ibid. 7 Those dishonour Gods Mercy that defer the seeking of it to the worst times as Sick-bed or Death-bed time 99 1 Because they leave not sin till sin is leaving them 100 2 That time is usually the time of Gods wrath ibid. 3 A man is then unfit for the greatness of this work 101 4 God will loose a great part of his end in pardoning mercy 102 5 It argues a base spirit to put it off till then that all the tag-rag and rabble-rout will come in ibid. 8 They dishonour the pardoning grace of God that seek it any other way then in and through the Mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ ibid. 9 Those that venture on any one sin in hopes they may be pardoned 107 1 It argues an abominable heart 111 2 An ingenious gracious spirit would never do it ibid. 3 Gods Children reason to the contrary 112 4 In some respect thou art worse than the damned in Hell 113 5 This will be an intollerable burden to thee that will indanger the sinking of thy soul in the bottomless gulf of dispair 114 10 They dishonour the Pardoning Grace of God that sin after pardon as 115 1 That return to the same sin 116 2 That are negligent in the ways of God 117 1 They remember not the days of old 118 2 Are in danger of losing their Evidences 120 3 This may provoke God to deal with you as a slave and not as a son 122 4 Hereby thy sin is aggravated above the sins of the wicked ibid. CHAP. XV. Of the dishonour done to the Grace of God by not resting on it 125 1 It argues low thoughts of the pardoning Grace of God 126 2 Thou hereby judgest of God according to thy own thoughts 127 3 'T is contrary to the main scope of the Scriptures which is to magnifie the pardoning grace of God 128 1 Against the greatness of sin ibid. 2 The way thou takest 't is the ready way to perish 129 Object Would you have us go on to believe and doubt no more 130 Answ No. But 1 Turn your fears of Presuming into fears of Dishonouring the Grace of God 131 2 Set the greatness of the Pardoning Grace of God before the eye of your souls ibid. 3 Keep your spirits in an active frame 132 4 Renew your Resolutions of Honouring God whatever God does with you ibid. 5 Keep thy heart in a waiting frame ibid. 6 Catch hold of any beginnings 133 Of the evil of this sin of dishonouring the pardoning Grace of God ibid. 1 It is a sinning against mercy which God accounts his glory ibid. 2 It aggravates the sin of such men 134. 1 Above the sin of the Heathen ibid. 2 Above the sin of the Devils 135 3 The Scripture speaks dreadfully of it ibid. CHAP. XVI Of the several Mistakes of Men about the Pardon of their Sins 1 Many think their sins are pardoned because it is but little they are guilty of Answ 140 1 Such understand not the evil that is in the least sin ibid. 2 Gods mercy is his own to do with it as he pleases ibid. 2 Others think they are pardoned because they have not multiplied and increast them 142 Answ One sin is enough to damn thee as well as a million of transgressions ibid. 3 Others think they are pardoned because the guilt of them does not lie upon their Consciences Answered 143 4 Others think they are pardoned because they have had prosperity Answ 145 5 Others hope they are pardoned because 1 They are sorry for them Answ 146 2 Leave them Answ 151 1 All Reformation satisfies not for sin 153 2 God accepts of duties not for themselves but because of the person that performs them 154 3 Others say we trust in the mercy of God and they are 1 Such as are most grosly ignorant Answ 155 2 Others more knowing Answ 157 4 Others say We rely upon Christ Answ 161 CHAP. XVII Of the true Evidences of Forgiveness of Sin 162 1 They are such as are Called Ones 163 2 They are received into the Covenant
THese are to certifie all into whose hands this Book shall come that these Sermons contained in this Book on Psal 32.1 Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven and whose Sin is covered Entituled Gospel Remission and Printed for Dorman Newman Stationer are the painful and profitable Labours of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs and published by the best and most Exact Copy extant Jan. 17. 1668. Philip Nye William Greenhill William Bridge William Adderly Matth. Mead C. Helms There is now Re-printed The Christian Man's Calling with Directions to perform it in all religious Duties Natural Actions Particular Vocations Family Directions his own recreation In the Relations of Parents Children Husbands Wives Masters Servants and in all conditions in his dealings with all men in Company in Solitariness on a week-day from morning to night in visiting the sick and on a dying-bed by Geo. Swinnock M.A. late of Great Kimbal in Buckinghamshire GOSPEL REMISSION Or a TREATISE shewing that TRUE BLESSEDNESS CONSISTS IN Pardon of Sin Wherein is Discovered The Many Gospel Mysteries therein Contained The Glorious Effects proceeding from it The Great Mistakes made about it The True Signs and Symptomes of it The Way and Means to obtain it By Jeremiah Burroughs Being several Sermons Preached immediately after those of The Evil of Sin by the same Author And now Published by Philip Nye William Greenhill William Bridge William Adderly Matth. Mead C. Helmes The Inhabitant shall not say I am sick the People that dwell therein shall be forgiven their Iniquities Isai 33. 34. London Printed for Dor. Newman and are to be sold at his Shop at the Chirurgions Arms in Little Brittain near the Hospital-gate 1668. To the READER Christian Reader THe provident care of God is manifested toward his People in the present Preservation of and provision for them To have the mouths of Lions stopped when we are cast into the mid'st of their Den the Waters to be a wall about us on the right hand and on the left which in their own nature and tendency would overwhelm us to have the Bush burning and not consumed are as evident tokens of the good will of him that dwelt in the bush of Gods presence with and owning of his afflicted People now as in the days of old yea to have Hony out of the flinty Rock Manna in the Wilderness a voice behind us Saying This is the way walk in it enforceth as great an obligation to admiration and thankfulness upon us as upon the Israelites of old Among'st the many English Prophets who are dead and yet speak the Reverend Author of the ensuing Treatise may challenge a place with the first Worthies His Works not my words are the best Orators to commend him That Scripture Encomium may be written upon his Stepney and Cripplegate-Lectures This and that man was born there For although many now living do through mercy enjoy able Teachers and Instructors yet do they owe to him the Name of Father as an Instrument of their Conversion I may boldly apply that saying to holy Burrough's which was once spoken of a Learned Divine beyond Sea Meruerunt viri docti etiam post funera vivere ac docere scriptis posteros quos infeliciter post eos nasci contigit in eo autem virorum ordine Burroughsium reponere nemo praeter eum qui propriae diffidit virtuti prohibebit These Sermons presented to thy view are with the help of an able Learned Divine who also heard these Sermons preached cast into that form of a Tract that now thou seest them in without any material Additions or Alterations The time when the Reverend Author preached them was next in order after those convincing Sermons of the sinfulness of Sin so that this Gospel Soul-Reviving Discourse was then a word spoke in due season In this Treatise thou hast Gospel Grace stated rightly the Justice of God cleared the Mercy of God exalted poor trembling Sinners incouraged to come to the Blood of Christ for Pardon presumptuous sinners awakened out of their deadly deluding Dreams of Heaven when they are ready to drop into Hell In a word here thou may'st take a view of the Love of the Father the Grace of the Son the Fountain opened for Sin and for Uncleanness Cordial Waters of Life for sinking and fainting sinners here thou may'st behold Sin Damning sin sin that God hates and cannot but hate Sin that God punisheth and cannot but punish taken off the poor believing sinner and laid upon his Surety sin condemned and punished in Jesus Christ and the Believing Sinner justified pardoned acquitted If therefore thou prizest peace with God through Jesus Christ Pray for light to direct thee into a distinct knowledge of this Gospel Truth and take up this Book and read it and the Lord give thee understanding in all things answerable to the Design of the Author and the Prayer of him who heartily wisheth thy Salvation and growth in the knowledge of God and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ C. Helmes The Stationer to the Reader IT is now long since I undertook the Printing of this Book and as my Incouragements were many so I had obtained of one of those Reverend Divines that have given their attestation to it to peruse the Work and had his Testimony that he heard those Sermons preached and upon Perusal of them found not any thing Material left out of what the Author Mr. Jer. Burroughs delivered and knowing that Mr. Peter Cole who formerly Printed many of the Author's Works had long laid wait and endeavoured to get this Copy out of the hands of those that published the Author's Books offering as great Reward for the same but could not obtain it And now at last being so much wished thereunto by his friends being assured that as the whole is abundantly spiritual and lovely in its Matter and that wherein the very spirit and style of Mr. Burroughs is manifested so there are many things as I am informed were never so much as touch 't upon or handled by any other Writer and yet are of very great Importance to be known by all Intelligent and Sober-minded men I thought good having this assurance from them to certifie so much to the Reader Dor. Newman Some of the greater faults in Printing to be thus amended Page 2. line 17. for sorrow read terror p. 7. l. ult to children add of men p. 15. l. 26. for thee r. him p. 21. l. 32. for letter r. little p. 30. l. 1. to inlet of add all p. 36. l. 37. after the first word cry add but it may be p. 45. l. 9. after pardon add and. l. 14. after in add to l. 15. for run r. ran p. 56. l. 19. after how add then p. 60. l. 3. after seeing add the heart of ibid. after Holy Ghost r. are for is p. 81. l. 31. after horrible add evil p. 98. l. 6. for fourthly r. fifthly Gospel Remission PSAL. XXXII 1 Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven and
shine into your hearts than ever before the mysteries of God will be opened to you and you shall understand more than many of your fathers who have not had this mercy to be rightly acquainted with the Justification of a sinner and therefore you young ones that much desire knowledge the main thing to be acquainted with is this great Doctrine of Justification and pardon of sin as Luther said Three things Prayer Meditation and Temptations make a Divine so I say the right knowledge of Justification makes a Christian and they that have not a clear knowledge in this point do but bungle and are extream weak in all other points of Religion but when once the soul comes to be justified what a glorious light is let into the soul as you all know that have been made partakers of this grace And you young ones you may come to have sin pardoned as well as others and to have the knowledge of the mysteries of God revealed unto you 1 Joh. 2.12 compared with the 13. I write unto you little Children because your sins are forgiven for his Name sake even little children I write to you your sins are forgiven oh 't is a happy thing for young children to have faith wrought in them and to have their sins forgiven them betimes and then in the 13. verse I write unto you little Children because you have known the Father Oh what an admirable light springs up in the souls of little Children when their sins are pardoned they come to the knowledge of the Father and this is the reason why many great and learned men that are men of excellent understanding in the knowledge of natural things are not acquainted with the mysteries of godliness and think but meanly of them marvel not at it for the knowledge of the mysteries of godliness comes in by pardon of sin when God pardons sin and justifies a soul by faith in Christ then God opens the Covenant and all the glorious mysteries of it to such a soul A Prince reveals not the secrets of State to a Traytor that lies under bolts and chains but if a Prince please to pardon him and knock off his bolts and chains and raise him unto favour bring him into his Privy Chamber and open his whole heart and all the mysteries of the Kingdom to him here is a great change thus does God to poor sinners that he pardons A soul that lies under the guilt of sin is just for all the world like unto a Malefactor that lies in a dungeon that hath bolts and fetters on him the guilt of sin is like bolts and fetters on thy soul Well thou lyest there fast bound but when God comes in with pardoning mercy God sends to thee in this dungeon and knocks off thy bolts by pardon and not only so but calls thee into his Privy Chamber and opens his heart and bosome unto thee and reveals those things that were kept secret from the beginning of the world Princes do not always deal so with Malefactors if they pardon them they think they have done enough for them they may afterwards go and shift for themselves they are not call'd into the Privy Chamber to have the King open his secrets unto them but it is certainly so to every soul God pardons he pardons none but whom he calls into his Privy Chamber and reveals unto him the great Councels of his will and what has been the great thoughts of his heart for the good of that soul from all eternity though some souls have more light than others yet to no soul that is pardoned but God comes in with a great and glorious light and in respect of the light of Nature it may be call'd a glorious light there 's not the weakest and poorest creature in the world that is pardoned but he understands more of the light of Gods grace and Covenant than the greatest Doctors or Rabbins in the world and though he cannot speak or talk so much of these things yet he dares venture his soul on those thoughts he hath of Gods good will made known unto him in the Covenant no Rabbin in the world though he can talk much of these things yet he dares not venture his soul for the eternal welfare of it and his estate upon God to do with him as he pleases but a believing soul dares venture his Name his Estate his Life yea his eternal life on God he dares to put them all into his hands and to such a soul God will repeal his Covenant Psal 25.14 God will grant this mercy that he will reveal his Covenant and all the secrets of it shall be made known unto him you that complain of dulness of understanding you say you hear excellent mysteries and do not understand them there is surely much in them I see some weight and excellency in them to be found out and I hope God in time will discover them unto me but little I know for present you take a course to get understanding by attendance on the outward Ordinances it is good to use all means as reading and conferring with other Christians and pray over what you hear these are excellent But the great and special means to get saving understanding in the mysteries of the Gospel is this Cast down your souls at the footstool of God and cry for pardon of sin it may be guilt of sin is upon thy heart let that be thy work to get of the guilt of sin and cry for Gods justifying mercy in Christ guilt being removed God will let out to thy soul the Revelation of his Covenant in a glorious manner he will reveal his secrets to thee so that upon this there is a holy boldness a sinner comes to have in the presence of God Suppose a Malefactor come to Court under his guilt being not pardoned alas he dare scarce look in at Court-gate and when he comes he keeps in some out-room and dares not stir any further than he is call'd but take another that is pardoned he comes in boldly and goes from one room unto another yea into the very Presence-Chamber and there can open his mind fully to the King and speak out all his heart and this is a great difference between one under the guilt of sin and another that is pardoned one under the guilt of sin he dare scarce go to Prayer and thinks God casts away his person and his services and that nothing is regarded but when God comes to pardon he calls the poor sinner that was under trouble before to come and draw near to him and saith fear not open thy mind and heart to me Lam. 3.55 56 57. I called upon thy Name O Lord out of the low dungeon 57. In the day that I called upon thee thou drewest near and said'st fear not Every poor soul that is justified may say God knows when I was under the guilt of sin I was cast into the low dungeon and the chains of guilt were upon me
me is the Lord the world translated judgment in the Greek it is mans day Man has his day here and he thinks to weary out the People of God why says Paul I pass not for mans day he that hath the supream judgment in his hands he hath acquitted me and I am well enough Of the Foundation of Eternal Life laid in Pardoning Mercy 8. Blessed is the man that hath his iniquities forgiven for this is the foundation of eternal life whoever hath this mercy hath a certain pledge put into his hands of eternal life Rom. 8.30 Whom he predestinated them he called whom he called them he justified and whom he justified them he glorified thou who art justified and hast thy sin pardoned thou shalt certainly be glorified A Prince may pardon a man but he cannot assure him of eternal life though he give him his natural life But God if he pardon he makes it known to that soul that he shall live eternally with him in glory Oh blessed is he then that hath his iniquities forgiven for this is a pledge unto him of eternal life Of Pardon of Sin being the bottom of all true Comfort 9. Blessed is he that hath his sin pardoned for pardon of sin is the very bottom of all true comfort Be of good comfort your sins are forgiven if Christ speak but this word to a soul though he be never so much dejected it is enough to raise any drooping soul from the gates of Hell it self Be of good comfort oh soul thy sins are forgiven thee Isai 40.2 Speak you comfortable to her for her iniquities are pardoned God calls to comfort her when her iniquities are pardoned this is the foundation of all true comfort if you lay any other foundation to build your comforts on certainly that building will totter and come to nothing if this be not the foundation You would fain have comfort and you are every one looking out for comfort and indeed it is as natural for the soul of man to seek for comfort as it is for the fire to burn there 's no man but would fain have comfort now look to the foundation if you would not have the building totter lay a good foundation Many lay the foundation of their comforts in their sins and others in the creatures but thou must lay it in the pardon of thy sin in the free grace of God justifying thy soul and that building will hold lay it there and thou shalt be comforted here and for ever hereafter And thus we have done with that Particular That Pardon of Sin is a great mercy because it is a foundation and inlet to many other mercies Blessed is the man that hath his iniquities forgiven that hath such a grand mercy upon which many other mercies follow CHAP. V. Of Pardoning Mercy passing through a great many difficulties BLessed is the man that hath his sins forgiven for indeed it is a mercy that passes through many difficulties before it comes to the soul and that that passeth through many difficulties is strong and great indeed and therefore makes the man blessed because it is grace that doth pass through many difficulties it is an argument of a great deal of strength of grace when grace shall pass through many difficulties as it is an argument of the great strength of sin when sin passes through many difficulties to bring forth a soul being set upon sin there lies a great many difficulties in the way yet lust to that sin being strong it will break through all difficulties to get to it so in mercy when God comes with mercy to forgive a soul this mercy of God must go through abundance of difficulties before it gets to you which argues it to be wonderful strong mercy and therefore makes him blessed that partakes of it When God made the World it was done with a word speaking God said Let there be light and there was light But when God comes to pardon a sinner Heaven and Earth must be moved there must be a greater work of God in pardoning of a sinner than in making of the world certainly the work is greater and passes through more difficulties As First All the wrongs that ever thâ—u hast done to God stand betwixt thee and pardon never did any man in the world wrong another man as thou hast wronged God How sin wrongs God has in part been held forth to you in the evil of sin and how contrary sin is to the infinite holiness of God yet mercy breaks through that yea above all that great and difficult work of the satisfying the infinite justice of God yet mercy breaks through that and there stands in that 1. This difficulty that before thou canst be pardoned God must be made Man and yet must remain the same God he was before thou cryest for pardon of sin or thou art undone suppose now that Gods bowels of mercy did even yearn towards thee for to pardon thy sin yet before this is done there must be this great work done that God must be made man and yet remain the same God he was before here 's a mighty difficult work a greater work than making of the world and yet mercy breaks through this 2. Here 's this stands between sin and pardon That when God is made Man he must die and be made a curse and not only so but God the Father must do it he must take his own Son and stab him for thee he must himself take him and put him to death and himself must pour out his wrath upon his own Son before thy sins can be pardoned Now that God the Father should take his own Son the Son of his delight stab him to the heart and himself put him to death this is a mighty great work and yet this must be done before thou can'st be pardoned 2. There 's this difficulty stands in the way That before sin can be pardoned the blind dead wicked carnal sottish heart of Man must be raised up to perform the most glorious Act that ever any creature did which is an Act of believing yet says God that thy sin may be pardoned I will put forth my infinite power to effect it to raise that blind dead sottish carnal wicked heart of man so full of all wickedness to perform the greatest work that ever any creature did for so is believing Gods mighty power is put forth to effect this Now there is all these difficulties lying in the way and yet mercy passes through them all to pardon sin surely then that soul must needs be blessed that hath his sin pardoned that God sets his heart upon him so much that rather than he will not shew mercy unto him he will pass through all these great difficulties that lie in the way and truly on consideration of this before I pass any further there are three Meditations that may be collected hence and may come with a great deal of power upon all our souls First Then it
must needs be a great taking the Name of God in vain for any man or woman to have slight thoughts of such a mercy as pardon of sin is that comes through so many difficulties Secondly This may come with power upon our hearts if Gods mercy pass through so many difficulties for the pardon of thy sin thou mayst be content to indure much difficulty in seeking for the pardon of thy sin thou seest what an evil sin is and art more sensible of it than ever thou wert before well thou art seeking for pardon and thou camplainest thou hast waited long for pardon it may be a quarter or half a year or it may be twelve months and thou hast got little assurance of pardon and thou findest it much more difficult than thou thoughtest it would be temptations come stronger than ever and the Devil suggests more evil thoughts than ever thou findest duties hard to flesh and bloud and thou art wearied and tired with temptation these are some difficulties but yet art thou about that great work of seeking pardon of sin be contented to suffer some difficulties yea ten times more than thou hast if God see good to lay it upon thee for Gods mercies pass through difficulties to pardon thy sin and if thou get'st through though thou meetest with difficulties thou hast no cause to complain at all Why should not you be willing to pass through difficulties in seeking pardon when as Gods mercies pass through many difficulties to come to thy soul thou art going to God and seeking to him for mercies and there lies many difficulties in the way when God was coming to thee there lay many difficulties in the way and yet he past through them all therefore thou mayst be content though thou meetest with some difficulties in seeking the pardon of thy sins Thirdly This may make us willing to go through any services though they be hard if thou art in getting of pardon Suppose God set us about some hard work that hath many difficulties in it do not complain as if God were a hard Master when he sets you about any hard work for be it known unto you thou art never set about any such hard work in all thy life for God that hath so many difficulties in it as the work of God in pardoning thy sin hath there are more difficulties when God comes to pardon thy soul for sin than in any service whatever that Cod requires of thee thou look'st upon the service of God and there are many difficulties in it be contented do not complain for God past through many difficulties to pardon thy sin and this is another consideration the difficulties God passes through to pardon sin is a great Argument that that soul is blessed that hath his iniquities forgiven CHAP. VI. Of Pardoning Mercy coming from the Fountain of Gods Everlasting Love WHen God comes to pardon sin it is such a mercy as comes from the fountain of Gods Everlasting Love other mercies do not where this is not you cannot make them Evidences of Gods eternal love if God give you health of body good voyages at Sea and good comings in in respect of the world you cannot draw Arguments from hence that God bears eternal love to your souls But when he comes to pardon your sins it is a certain evidence that God hath set his love on thee from all eternity if there were a chain let down from Heaven and thou could'st take hold but of one link it would certainly bring thee thither both ends would come together Rom. 8.30 here 's a chain of many links let down and if thou canst catch hold of the link of Justification thou may'st certainly catch hold of Predestination for all hang together if thou art justified then know for certain that thou art a predestinated man or woman whom God hath set his heart upon from all eternity to do thee good and this is a great happiness for a poor creature while he lives in this world to know that God hath set his heart upon him from all eternity to do him good and indeed we can never be at rest until we come to this if thy heart be right thou can'st not be at rest in the enjoyment of such poor fare as God casts to Reprobates thou must have other comforts than any thing the world can afford if thy heart be right thou wilt never rest until thou come to know Gods thoughts in his eternal purposes towards thee it is no nicety nor vain curiosity for men and women to seek to know what were the thoughts of God towards them from all eternity it may be known and God hath revealed it especially in the times of the Gospel God hath opened his bosome to reveal unto his people the thoughts he had of them from all eternity and this makes a Pardoned sinner to be so blessed and this is more than any Malefactor can have from a Prince he may be perswaded to pardon him and yet even presently his heart may be as much set against him as against any man yet now having got his Pardon he thinks himself blessed and goes his way But now when God Pardons it is not an act of a day but such an act as God hath set his heart upon from all eternity to do it it is such an act as the infinite wisdom of God hath been set on work from all eternity to effect it if a Malefactor come to a Prince for pardon and the Prince say I have been setting my thoughts a work to pardon you ever since I heard of your crime this will bring some comfort But what is this to the comfort God brings to the soul that he pardons when God comes to a soul he does not only pardon he says not soul I pardon thee but know oh soul for thy comfort that this is a work that my wisdom and the councils of my will have been a contriving from all eternity to bring about thy pardon with my own honour and here it is for thee take it as a fruit of my eternal Councils therefore Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven because such purposes have been taken up in Gods eternal Councils to effect it CHAP. VII Of Pardoning Mercy being a work that all the three Persons in the Trinity are ingaged in BLessed is the man whose Iniquities are forgiven because as there is no one thing hath taken up the heart of God more than this so this is a work that all the three Persons in the Trinity are ingaged in nothing more God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as to instance 1. For God the Father in Isai 43.25 he challengeth this as his own glory I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my Names sake and will not remember thy sins it is his Prerogative I am he God glories in it as a peculiar belonging to none but himself Exod. 33.18 Moses desired to see the glory of God and
guilty also as well as he But now when the King comes to look upon them he sets his heart on this poor man that perhaps begg'd from door to door and says this poor creature shall be forgiven I will pass by his offence and not only so but advance him into high and great favour at the Court and condemns all the Nobles Now if this poor man shall see all the Noble men in chains that were guilty but of one offence and he perhaps hath been guilty for acting in a treasonable way 40 50 or 70 years and the Noble men guilty but for one offence and this poor wretched creature sees these Noble men in chains and knows that all they and every one of them are condemn'd to suffer most dreadful tortures to dye a most dreadful torturing tormenting death Now what a mighty aggravation is this of the mercy of the King that shall pardon the offence of this poor creature how will he stand amazed admiring at the greatness of it I that am guilty of the same offence yea more guilty than they and that I shall be pardoned and the chief of the Nobility of the Kingdom must die a most torturing tormenting death for their offence what a difference hath the Kings favour made between me and them certainly this is the case for all the world with any poor soul whose sins are pardoned God has done as much for thee to the full the Angels were the most glorious creatures that ever God made and thou art but a poor worm in comparison of them they sinned against him but once and thou art guilty of millions of transgressions and yet God sets his heart on thee and says I will do great things for thee though I pass by thousands millions of Angels I will magnifie my rich grace to this poor creature in pardoning his sin and advance him to high favour though I condemn them into everlasting chains of darkness now when a poor creature comes to see the infinite riches of Gods grace that hath made such a difference between him and the Angels how will he stand admiring of it me thinks this should mightily work upon the hearts of all poor sinners and make them to say What shall God pass by such excellent creatures as the Angels the most excellent creatures that ever God made and come to me a poor worm to set his heart on me and shew mercy to me Oh let me pass by all the excellencies of the creatures to perform my duty unto him Hath God past by the most excellent of his creatures that mercy might come to me Oh let me pass by all the glories and excellencies of any thing in this world that my Soul may come in in a way of duty and service unto him Shall God leave the glorious Angels to shew mercy to me and to do good for me and shall not I leave my base lusts for him Shall not I be content to leave any thing to serve him Shall I satisfie any base lust with the neglect of him God forbid This is another Argument that they are blessed that have their sins pardoned because God does that for them that he will not do for the faln Angels CHAP. XI Of Pardoning Mercy being given to a few FUrther Blessed is he that hath his iniquities forgiven because it is a mercy that is given but to a little handful of the world the whole world lies in wickedness as carrion in a ditch or as Prisoners under the chains of guilt of sin and yet that God should pull some of these out that lie as in a filthy Dungeon this is a wonderful mercy A Prince that hath many offenders usually pardons the most and executes the fewest But God usually executes the most and pardons fewest But how comes this to pass seeing God is a God of more mercy than any Prince how is it that a Prince should pardon most and execute the fewest and God do the contrary Answ 1. Because the execution of many that are guilty Answ 1 would be a troublesom and dangerous thing unto a Prince he cannot do it when the most have offended but God can easily execute thousands of thousands and all with one word speaking Further If a Prince should execute all that offend he Answ 2 should have a want of his Subjects But God wants not the creatures he has no need of us but a Prince may want his Subjects and therefore if there be any way in the world to preserve them and keep them in any way subject to him the Prince will not destroy them Besides the Prince executes the fewest and saves the most Answ 3 Because the execution of a few may be a means to bring others unto allegiance But when God comes to execute Malefactors the execution of some cannot be a means to work good on others especially at the great day 't is true in this world God is long-suffering and executes a few that it may be a means to work good on others But how is God said to be a God of rich and glorious mercy and yet pardons very few and executes most for all the world have been in Treason against him how is it that God pardons fewest and destroys most I hope to give you very good reason and satisfaction in shewing you how the infinite glory of the mercy of God appears and yet but few are pardoned yea rather the more because that few are pardoned God would thereby manifest the more his glorious mercy 1. It may well stand with the glorious riches of the mercy of God that many are destroy'd and yet but few pardoned thus Because that God would have a proportion between his Justice and Mercy you say he would have a proportion Is not be as merciful as he is just Then there must be as many pardoned as condemned No if God will observe a proportion between his mercy and justice and that he will have his Justice appear as well as his Mercy then more must be damned than saved How does that appear thus Because the glory of Gods Justice in damning twenty hundred is not so much as the glory of his Mercy in saving two you may conceive it by what is ordinarily used among men If the King save but two men that are Malefactors he magnifies his mercy as much in that as his justice if he hang up a hundred so if God save but two his mercy is as much magnified as his justice in damning twenty hundred the reason is this Because there is something in the creature that calls for Gods justice that requires that But there is nothing in the creature that requires his mercy when God manifests his justice he does such a work as is due to the Creature there is something in the Creature that challenges such a work from God but when God comes to manifest mercy there is nothing at all in us that should require such a work from God no his mercy is
free altogether from himself 't is his own work and proceeds from his own hearts love and nothing in us that may challenge it from him Now seeing there is that in the Creature that challenges justice and nothing at all that can require mercy therefore if God shew mercy but to a few it is as great a glory to his mercy as it is to his justice if he condemn a hundred but if he should save as many as he condemns the mercy of God would be beyond all proportion to his justice but because that cannot be hence it is that few are saved and many damned Answer 2. There are more damn'd than saved because God would hereby manifest his mercy the more to thee that art saved by suffering so many others to perish this is one end that God hath in it that their destruction might set out the excellency of the glory of his grace to thee When a Limner would draw a Scutcheon or a Picture in Or or any other curious colours he lays the ground-work in black and then the beauty of the other colours will thereby most appear thou oh soul that hast thy sin pardoned know that God lays the ground-work of thy mercy in the black dismal destruction of multitudes of ungodly sinners he gives them their due that that is their right but the ultimate aim of God in it rises to this that their destruction may make the brightness of his glorious grace appear the more gloriously to them that are saved that the Saints whose sins God hath pardoned may in Heaven have this argument to praise his grace so much the more because they are cull'd out of the mass and multitude of sinners that are damn'd this will mightily inflame the hearts of Saints in giving God glory in Heaven when they shall see so many thousands and millions of thousands cast down to eternal destruction that God should do this to set off the riches of his grace to them How will this inflame their hearts in giving God glory and this God aims at as the top of his glory that he might have a company to be the eternal objects of the riches of his grace and this shews the base and low account God hath of wicked men that he lets them perish eternally that he might magnifie the glory of his grace to Saints What an aggravation is it of the greatness of Gods mercy to Saints when he is content that so many thousands of others shall perish that his mercy to them may more gloriously appear As when a Prince hath a Child born that he might shew his honour to the Child in solemnizing the Christning of the Child it may be thousands of Oxen and Sheep shall loose their lives in the solemnizing of the joy the Prince hath in his Child If the Solemnity of the Joy the Prince hath in that little Infant may be the cause of thousands of creatures losing their lives this shews the dear respect he hath to his Child or else he would never let so many creatures go to the Shambles but that he might shew his respect to his little Infant So says God there is a handful of People that I have thoughts to do good too to all eternity and I have set my heart upon them and that I may manifest the greatness of my mercy to them I will let thousand thousands of others perish eternally to be but as a black ground for that glorious work that I intend to manifest in the riches of my grace in Christ in the pardoning of their sin thus you see it is a peculiar mercy and therefore blessed are they that have their iniquities forgiven for it is a mercy that is peculiar to them only Oh how ought they to bless God that he hath call'd them out of the multitude when he has left others to the sway of their own carnal sottish and malitious hearts to go on against the ways of grace and all because he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy CHAP. XII Of the Possibility of Pardoning Mercy how it would be prised by poor Souls now under wrath FUrther Blessed is he that hath his iniquities forgiven because the very possibility of it to thousands of creatures now under wrath would be prised more than ten thousand worlds to have but a possibility of it upon any terms those that are now damn'd in Hell and see the stroaks of Gods dreadful wrath against them for their sin that are now swallowed up in the gulf of misery and condemnation if they might have but any possibility to have their sins pardoned how would they prise it if such a Messenger were sent from God to Hell-gates to call there and to cry out O ye damned spirits behold a message from the Almighty I come unto you from him and this is the message to let you know That there is a possibility upon some terms that God will require that your sins may be pardoned and you delivered from that dreadful wrath you now lie under How would the damned spirits sing and rejoyce and look about them to attend this message What acclamations would there be in Hell in the mid'st of those fiery flames What holding up of hands and rejoycing would there be to hear of such a thing that there is a possibility on any terms they would not stand to enquire what the terms were whether hard or easie they would answer let them be what they will if there be but a possibility it is enough thinking every one it might be he Well then if the possibility of being saved would be received with such joyfulness by the damned in Hell What then is the Possession of it and glorious knowledge of it to a soul that is already pardoned if they would all cry out on supposition a message should be delivered of a possibility that some should be freed from Hell and have their sins pardoned They would all cry out Oh blessed blessed indeed is he that shall have his sins pardoned and be delivered from Hell if they would give this testimony let us give it much more Though there be a blessed difference between their condition and yours yet not long since there was not it may be for ought you know some of them might go to Church with you sit in the same Pew and hear those Sermons of the Evil of Sin which now they are gone to feel and are shut up in the bottomless pit beyond any possibility of pardon But this is granted to you all that are before the Lord this day In the Name of God I can boldly preach this unto you that if you come in and believe there is a possibility yea even for the worst of all they may come in and be pardoned Now if the damned in Hell would prise it so high if there were a possibility for them to be pardoned shall not you prise it as high as they as I remember in setting out the evil of sin that was
one thing that aggravated the sin of men above the Devils that the Devils believe and tremble and yet some men will not do so much as the Devils so now I say if there were but a possibility of pardon to the damned in Hell how would they rejoyce and shall not you rejoyce more than the damned souls in Hell would Bethink your selves if the damned souls in Hell would rejoyce if they had a message of a possibility for them to be saved me thinks you should not be quiet if you find not the same workings in your hearts as would be in theirs Shall a poor Minister be forc't to say there is less hopes to prevail with you than if he were to preach to those in Hell Shall he say there would be better Auditors in Hell than are here God forbid it should be so that there should be more stirring in Hell if they might but here of a probability of being pardoned than there is with you if your hearts are not stirr'd at the hearing of this blessed Doctrine of the Pardon of Sin that there would be better Auditors in Hell than you are whose hearts are not stirr'd in hearing the glorious mysteries of the Gospel opened how a sinner may come to get the pardon of his sins God forbid it should be so CHAP. XIII Of Pardon of Sin being the special end of all Gods Ordinances FUrther Blessed is he that hath his Iniquities forgiven because forgiveness of sin it is the special end of all the Ordinances of God the Ordinances of God that he has appointed and set up in his Church attain their end in this blessed effect in the forgiveness of sin and it is an argument their is much blessedness in pardon of sin because those precious Ordinances of Christ attain their special ends in it there are three great Ordinances I shall instance in the Word Sacraments and Discipline and the people of God should count themselves in a happy condition when they see those blessed ends wrought on them which God hath appointed those Ordinances to effect 1. For hearing 't is a great Ordinance that Christ hath appointed When he ascended on high he gave gifts unto men upon Christs Triumphal Ascension to God the Father he gave this great gift unto his Church that his Church should have Pastors and Teachers which by the way argues the horrible wickedness of those that slight Pastors and Teachers of his Church because it is part of the glorious gift of Christ when he ascended on high Well did Christ ordain Pastors and Teachers for the preaching the Word surely it is for some great end and purpose that he hath in it there is surely some great glory he intends to reap by it What is the end for which Christ hath set up this great Ordinance 2 Cor. 5.18 And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself and hath committed to us the Ministry of Reconciliation Ministers of the Word are Ministers of Reconciliation that God hath given to his People what is that read the next verse to wit That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespâ—sses unto them Now then there is a word of Reconciliation and this is committed unto us God hath appointed that we should have this Word of Reconciliation to convey it unto you What is this to wit That God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their sins so then forgiveness of sin is the end of this Doctrine of Reconciliation that there should be forgiveness and pardon of sin to poor souls in and through Christ Jesus so that this shews the great scope of this Ordinance and the end of it to wit forgiveness of sin therefore no wonder we stick in this Point because the great business we have to do is to declare the Ministry of Reconciliation when a Minister is about that he is about the work that God hath appointed him to do all other Doctrines are but to make way for this and to teach people how to walk worthy of it and this is the only taking Doctrine to all those that God hath appointed this mercy too though we as Ministers of Christ preach against the vanities and profits of this world but this is not the main thing not the right method of Preaching to work upon the hearts of People nor the great end of Christs Ascention he did not give gifts principally for these things but that men should be able to reveal the great Doctrine of Pardon of sin Ministers need not keep a stir to get esteem and love and to make themselves honourable among the People if they did but apply themselves to Preach this great Doctrine God hath set them about That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their sins they cannot but gain honour in the hearts of those that God hath appointed this mercy too Many complain they want respect and honour let them take pains in this Doctrine and they cannot choose but they must get honour if once this Word of Reconciliation take hold on any mans heart by Faith and Repentance let men speak against such a Minister never so much say what they will of him his heart will not be taken off from him but will be ready to answer as the poor blind man did the Scribes and Pharisees who raised on Christ Joh. 9.24 Saying give glory to God but we know this man is a sinner He answered whether he be a sinner or no I know not One thing I know that whereas I was blind now I see be it was that opened my eyes thus he answered their slander and so when others clamour against a Minister and speak evil of them that soul that hath his eyes opened he will say I am sure God hath done great things for me by him he hath shew'd me the evil of sin and the sad condition I was in by nature and he hath revealed to me the exceeding riches of the mercy and grace of God and my soul hath sound it so God hath come to my soul in his Preaching Now such a Ministry as this will certainly ingage the hearts of people to them 't is not the man so much as Christ in the man and this is the end of our Ministry not to tell this or that conceit or story but to shew you the riches of the grace of God in the pardon of sin and the Justification of your Souls through Christ Jesus your Acceptation and Reconciliation through him this is the first Ordinance 2. The Sacraments for what purpose hath Christ ordained them the main end for which they were ordained is for Sealing in the Supper is sealed up Gods mercy in the pardon of sin Matth. 26 28. Christ tells his Disciples The Cup is the blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the Remission of Sin as if Christ had said this is the great Ordinance to seal unto
shall be said to those things you have heard in the former Doctrine CHAP. XIV Of the Dishonour that is done by Men to the Pardoning Grace of God by slighting of it FIrst this we have to say to those things Surely if the Pardon of Sin be so great a mercy as you have heard and that there is such a wonderful work of God in it then it must needs be a horrible and vile thing to sin against this grace that the heart of God is so much in to dishonour this great work of God must needs be a very vile and horrible thing And this hath been my intention my very plot as to set forth the greatness of the grace of God in the mercy of forgiveness so also to keep you from sinning against this grace If he be blessed upon whom such a great and glorious work of God is wrought in forgiveness of sin then it must needs be a most horrible and dreadful thing for any man or woman to sin against this grace of God and horrible to dishonour such a great work of God as this is But who are they that dishonour this great work of God or how many wayes may we be guilty in sinning against this great mercy of God in forgiveness of sin I shall shew first who they be that cast dishonour on this great work of God and Secondly Shew the greatness of the sin what a dangerous thing it is to sin against this great work of God in pardoning sin First They sin against this great work of God in pardoning sin that are altogether careless who little or nothing mind it or scarce spend any time about it there are a generation of men and women in the world that have sin and guilt enough upon their spirits yet they scarce ever call to mind or question what are the terms between God and their own Souls how things stand between God and them what God hath to charge them withal whether God hath any thing against them yea or no How few of you now this morning that are come into the presence of God have had your thoughts working thus O my soul how is it with thee How does matters stand betwixt God and thee What guilt is it thou hast upon thy Spirit What hath Divine Justice to charge thee withal Conscience speak freely and fully What is there in Heaven against me Is there any thing upon Record that I am charg'd withal How is it between God and me O what strangers are most men unto such thoughts as these but go on in a sleepy secure and dead hearted way either they believe there is no guilt at all upon their spirits or no great evil in that guilt or else think 't is no great matter for God to pardon you are very solicitous for the flesh what you shall eat and drink and what you shall put on and for your Estates how to get and increase in the world But to make up the Records between God and your Souls to get them discharg'd and the Records of Heaven cancell'd that are against you O how seldom do these things take up your thoughts know you that are of such careless spirits about this great matter of pardon of sin that it is a great aggravation of your sin that you are so careless about that great work of God in pardoning sin you are careless and spend but a few thoughts about that that hath as I may so speak with holy reverence taken up the heart of the infinite God from all eternity certainly there is not any in the world not any of the works of God towards his creatures hath taken up the thoughts and heart of God so much as this one work of the pardon of sin yet your thoughts are not taken up with it you little mind it certainly there is a great disproportion between your thoughts and Gods whereas those that are godly should labour to work as God works and those things that hath taken up the heart of God should take up their hearts whereas those things that are even unworthy of an immortal Soul take up your thoughts and those objects that take up the thoughts heart of God about pardoning sin your own Consciences can tell you is very little in your thoughts and hearts Certainly my Brethren were the thoughts of men and women taken up about this serious and great business of getting pardon of their sin it would prevent and cure them of thousands of other vain slight foolish and wicked thoughts there are I suppose many of you begin to be sensible of sin and of the base wandring filthy unclean and wicked thoughts of your hearts and you say O that we could but help our selves against these wandring vile and wicked thoughts surely this would be a great help if you would get your thoughts possest with serious subjects it would have a great deal of waight in it to help you against those light and vain things your thoughts work about Now of all subjects in the world this is the most serious about the grace of God How his infinite wisdom hath wrought to reconcile himself to your souls in the bringing about the pardon of sin and making peace between himself and the Children of men Now if you would take up your thoughts about the great business of getting pardon of your sins it would take off your thoughts from other things Suppose a man have a vain slight wandering foolish heart yet if he were condemned to die some dreadful tormenting death his thoughts would quickly be taken off from other things and taken up about using means if there were any possibility to deliver himself from death Jerom in one of his Epistles hath this Relation of one that was troubled with vile thoughts and he that he complained unto had this device I name it not to approve it but he had this device he brought the man to have a charge of a crime laid against him and caused him to be brought before a Judge and put into Prison and afterwards he came to him and askt him How is it now with you Does your vain thoughts still abide with you as they were wont to do he gave him this answer says he I cannot live and what shall I now think of Uncleanness and Fornication I am in danger of my life and I have now no time to think of such things and that help't and cured his thoughts from this we may see that if a soul was possest of the evil of sin and the danger of condemnation the necessity and great consequence of a pardon what a mighty means would it be to take off your thoughts from other things and turn them upon this and certainly who ever you are whose thoughts are not mightily taken up about this great subject of the pardon of your sins you take the name of God in vain and do not sanctifie him in this great work of his and know this you that spend
to try and see whether God would extend his mercy further and further we tell you in the Name of God and say to you the sins you have committed already are so grievous that it must needs be a wonderful work of God to forgive them and what must you needs add more and more and tempt God to extend his mercy further Take heed of tempting God to extend his mercy further for though God may be pleased to extend his mercy thus far Who shall prescribe God how far he shall go Who can tell but that the thoughts of God towards thee are thus that he will go thus far to pardon thee but if thou go on in sin who can tell whether he will go on to pardon further 'T is true when God comes to pardon he will do them all away but know thou that goest on to increase the guilt of thy sin thou may'st find it as many thousands have found it a mighty hard thing which hath cost them much anguish and distress of spirit to get the pardon of their sin sealed in the Court of Conscience though it was sealed before in Heaven O the anguish of spirit it hath cost them and dost thou still go on to heap up more and more sin as if the pardon of thy sin was nothing there is a great deal of reason in this to cry to sinners to stop in the course of sin for thou hast gone on enough already go no further that 's a second abuse of the mercy of God in pardoning sin Thirdly They abuse the mercy of God that have extream slight thoughts of pardon of sin that think to have it at any time when they will 't is but repenting as it was said of Lewis the xith King of France That he wore a Crusifix in his Hat and when he had committed a sin it was but taking it down and kissing of it and all was well again so many Idolatrous Papists they have as slight thoughts of pardon of sin as can be if they commit a sin they make no more of it but go to a Priest to shrieve them or kneel before a Crucifix and knock their breast which is a thing soon done and all 's well again certainly 't is a great dishonour to God for any man to have slight thoughts of the pardon of sin It is such a work as if ever any thing put God to it as I may say to pardon sin and yet to salve his Justice it was this work and certainly if ever God have love to thee thou wilt change thy thoughts about this and certainly the slight thoughts men have about this is the cause many times why they are held so long under the spirit of bondage when God begins to work upon them and stirs the Conscience and lays the guilt of sin home upon it how long are they before they can have any assurance of pardon and in just judgment it is so because they had slight thoughts before of the pardon of sin I remember it is storied of Pompey when one of his Captains came to him and told him he wanted men says he I can but stamp my foot upon the ground and bring forth so many men presently but when the Enemy came this Captain came to him again and said where 's your men now but then he could not get them when he was in distress and had great need of them as many think they can do great things with a word speaking as if all must be at their beck presently but when they come to it they fail and find it otherwise so many make it a small matter to get pardon of sin they think to do it with a Lord have mercy upon us at their death-bed or the like but when they come to it indeed God makes them to know It is the greatest business that ever they had to do in in all their lives there is nothing that God is so jealous of as his honour and specially about this great work and certainly were it not that God is very jealous of his honour and would cure the slight thoughts that men have of this great work there needs never be so much humiliation and workings of the spirit of bondage and certainly did we but know the greatness of this work how would sinners snatch at any opportunity or hint of Gods favour appearing to them they would do as the servants of Benhadad 1 King 20.33 diligently observe if any thing would come from him and hastily catch at it they watched that if any thing did come from him that did make any way to that which they sought after and did hastily catch at it so did a soul understand the pardon of sin what a great work it is he would be so far from having slight thoughts of it that he would come cloath'd in Sackcloath and every Sermon would be watching and enquiring what hath God spoke any word to my soul or no And if any word fall from a Minister concerning this great business such a soul would catch greedily at it and lose no opportunity to imbrace it Psal 32. is very remarkable to this purpose David found it a very hard thing to get pardon of his own sin vers 4. and he acknowledged it and God forgave him vers 5. what follows vers 6. For this shall every man that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou may'st be found as if David in this language spake thus O all you poor sinners that sin against God think it an easie matter to get pardon of sin know I have found it otherwise it cost me dear before I could get assurance of pardon and therefore for this cause let every one that is acquainted with the ways of God seek to God in due time and not put it off from time to time for the business is not so slight to put it off many abuse the example of David and think because he sinned they may take liberty to sin but they consider not what abundance of sorrow it cost him to get his pardon it cost him so much as that he tells them for this cause every one shall seek God in due time many think they may put it off till any time but mark what David says For this cause every man that is godly shall seek thee in a time when thou may'st be found he does not say I have found mercy in the pardoning of my great sins and for this cause men shall be bold to put it off to any time no but for this cause those that are godly and have any acquaintance in the wayes of God will seek God in a time that he may be found and if those that are godly that have sin pardoned in the Court of heaven find so hard a matter of it to get it pardoned in their own Consciences how does it concern thee that perhaps hast thy sin neither pardoned in the Court of Heaven nor in thy own Conscience But art in the
my pardoning mercy And shall my creatures seek after it for no other end nor higher aims but meerly to save their own skins you bring down the grace of God that that is the top of his infinite Majesty and Glory you put to a low and base end therefore put not off seeking it to the last 't is a great dishonour to his grace 2. It is the worst time because you come to seek after pardoning grace when it is the time of Gods wrath Prov. 11.4 the time of affliction and trouble sickness and death is call'd the day of wrath Riches avail not in the day of Gods wrath Riches avail for comfort at present but in the day of wrath they will not God hath his day of affliction and his day of wrath he hath his time to come to visit men for their sins Now then for people to come to seek to have the pardon of their sins when Gods time is to visit for sin that must needs be the worst time that possible can be I reason thus and consider of it if God does deny his mercy in the day of mercy is it likely that he will grant mercy in the day of wrath while you are alive and have liberty health and opportunity to come to hear the Doctrine of the Justification of a sinner and forgiveness of sin opened you are to know it is the day of Gods grace Now is the acceptable time now is the day of Salvation and of grace when God gives liberty and oppertunity thus to have the mysteries of the Gospel opened unto you this is the day of Gods grace Now if God deny you grace in this day of mercy that you are not so much as inlightned your souls melted and your hearts stirred Do you think that now you are upon your sick-beds or death-beds which is a day of wrath unto you for so it is to those that have not their sins pardoned before it is a day of wrath and Gods time of visiting for sin Is it likely that God will now shew thee mercy I beseech you consider the usual way of Gods working on men is according to his Ordinance Now the ordinary way of Gods conveying grace is by the Ministry of the Word Did God ever appoint any other way to convey Christ and grace to thy Soul give me a Text for it Where do you find a Text in Scripture of any other way as an Ordinance appointed by God for the conveying of his pardoning grace in Christ to any Soul No it is in the Ministry of the Gospel and by faith that lays hold of the pardoning grace of God by coming to hear the Word preached Now if God come not in that time to work upon thee and to bestow mercy in his own appointed way it is not likely he will come any other way I remember in a Treatise of Mr. Bolton's he has this expression Let any one give me an example that ever any one that lived under a powerful Ministry and not savingly wrought upon that way was ever wrought upon any other way many he says may be stirred but for his part he knew none that was so stirred by affliction to the conversion of their souls if God had not before in the Ordinances of grace wrought upon them then it must needs be the worst time that can be to seek pardon of sin in a day of trouble or affliction because that is usually a time of Gods wrath visiting for sin 3. The work of the Soul in seeking after Gods pardoning mercy and applying of it to himself as it is the excellentest work that ever a creature did perform so it does require the most exquisite work of the Spirit that ever was required or that ever any creature was set about it is the most intensive work of the spirit of man the applying of the grace of God in Christ and the closing with it for Justification it is the highest most exquisite most glorious and most admirable work of the spirit of man that ever was in the world and it requires the greatest intensness and strength of a mans spirit that ever any work did Now then to put this off till such a time as a mans strength is gone and he through diseases unfit for any thing and when as all the strength he hath will be little enough to help him to bear his pain this must needs be the worst time you are mistaken if you think the applying of Gods mercy in Christ is but in saying Lord have mercy upon me No it is Gods putting the heart of man to do the most glorious work that hath the greatest operation in it that ever he did I remember it related of one that lived wickedly and divers sought to reclaim him says he come when I am upon my sick bed that is time enough and afterwards he being sick was put in mind of it you said you would do it then but then he swore a great Oath saying What is this a time to repent in because he then felt so much trouble and anguish that took up his thoughts that he was stirr'd with indignation to be put upon repenting then in a time when he felt so much dolour of spirit by the pains that were upon him Is this a time to repent in if that be not then do it betimes 4. It is the worst time because God shall lose a great part of his end in pardoning sin for when God pardons sin it is to this end that his poor creatures might honour and worship him in â—his world and do him service but now to seek for Gods pardoning grace when thou can'st do him no more service in this world How can'st thou think that he will accept thee then He came to redeem us that we might serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives and he knows there is no such way to ingage the heart of man to serve him as pardoning grace for when once a soul sees it self delivered from those Enemies of sin and of the Law that would destroy him his heart will be mightily set to honour God and serve him in holiness and righteousness all his days and therefore to seek for pardon when thou can'st do God no more service in this world must needs be the worst time for how knowest thou that he will accept thee then I beseech you observe one Text of Scripture that is abused by many people for I suppose that I am speaking to a great many very ignorant in the ways of God and therefore I desire to speak plainly unto you there is one place though misapprehended and mistaken that is the main prop of many carnal hearts as it is read in some Books At what time soever a sinner repents c. I know no such Text of Scripture it is true there are Scriptures tending that way that do not limit the time but no Scripture does express it so many people run away with that
expression as if it were so there is no Text of Scripture hath those words there is one Text of Scripture this is taken out of but that is spoken to another end and therefore you had need to examine what is spoken 't is Ezek. 18.21 this comes the nearest to those words mark this Scripture and see what you can have from thence to defer the seeking of Gods pardoning mercy and grace till sickness and death But if the wicked shall turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my Statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die here this Scripture does not limit a time though it says not At what time soever it says if he turn from all his sins and keep all my Statutes and do that that is lawful and right so that this Scripture promises mercy to one that turns from all his sins and will keep all Gods Statutes and so do all that is lawful and right But now if you put it off to the time of sickness and death How can you do all this Turn from all sin and keep all Gods Statutes then or How can you do that is lawful and right then it must be then when you can keep all Gods Statutes as well as turn from all your sins so that if you take all together there is not so much incouragement to that which is so frequent in your mouths At what time soever a sinner repents it must be at such a time as that you must keep all Gods Statutes but further God speaks here to the Jews according to the condition of the Covenant of works because they made account to be justified by the Law says God you will put it off and think at last to turn from your wicked wayes and that I will have mercy on you I but look to it if you will repent it must be such a repentance as must be joyned with a keeping all my Statutes therefore those that do not understand the way of the Gospel but depend upon a repentance on their death-beds God will hold you to this Scripture that you must repent at such a time as that you must keep all Gods Statutes then you see this is the worst time of all to defer repentance till your sick-beds or death-beds for how can you keep all Gods Statutes then and do all that is lawful and right then 5. It is the worst time because all the tag-rag all the base and vâ—lest wretches in the world will come in then And what hast thou no other spirit but to defer coming in till then Hast thou no more care of thy soul no more love to God and his ways but to put it off till such a time as all the abominable wretches in the world will come in that is the seventh way in dishonouring the pardoning grace of God by seeking it in the worst time that possible can be 8. The Eighth way of dishâ—nouring the pardoning grace of God and the most considerable of all is the seeking and expecting of it any other way but only through the Mediation of the Son of God I told you in the opening of the glorious mysteries of pardoning grace that it must be done by a Mediator Now not only gross ignorant people but many others dishonour the pardoning grace of God they are not sensible of this that it is such grace that only comes through the Mediation of the Son of God We have too low thoughts of the pardoning grace of God if we do think there is a possibility of attaining it any other way than by the mediation of him that is God-Man If we think our crying to God at any time will do it or our roaring out in anguish of spirit forty fifty or sixty years is enough to do it or that there is any thing to attain it by under the mediation of the Son of God we have too low thoughts of the pardoning grace of God we give not God that honour that is due unto it Luther has a notable expression to this purpose It is a horrible blasphemy if you presume to pacifie God by any works 't is an excellent speech so I say 't is horrible blasphemy and intolerable to think to have any thing in the least of your own to presume upon that God will be pacified with it whereas God cannot be pacified by any other means then by the infinite price of the Death and Blood of his own Son one drop of which is more precious than all the creatures of Heaven and Earth God will say Have I revealed such a way of being reconciled with my Creatures and that at such a rate and infinite price as the death of my own Son Shall his life and blood go to procure pardon one drop of which is more worth than ten thousand worlds and when all this is done shall my creature think to put me off by a poor work of their own prayers tears good meaning or the like or with the most glorious work that they can perform for the greatest and most glorious work that they can perform is not near worth so much as one drop of the blood of Christ And if you have not such high thoughts of Gods Pardoning Mercy that it must be procured by that which hath more worth in it than all the Creation besides you do dishonour it by having such low thoughts of it when as you think to obtain it by any duty that you can do you think God is a merciful God and you hope upon your reforming and performing duties of Obedience that God will be pacified towards you for all that is amiss Certainly when you have these thoughts of Gods pardoning grace you make it to be but as common and ordinary pity towards one in misery but the grace of God is a higher thing than common pity and compassion and it is a mighty dishonour to God to have no higher thoughts of it that you think of it but as of common pity and compassion that one creature hath unto another or if you think it differs from that pity one creature hath to another it is but a difference in degrees only you think it is a little higher in degree but you must look upon it in another way and as another kind of pity then one creature bears to another it is true Gods pardoning his poor creatures is in pity and compassion but it is through the death and satisfaction of his own Son and if you think to procure it any other way than by the mediation of the Son of God you look upon it but in a natural way as nature will dictate unto you for nature will dictate that the beholding of one crying out in misery will move pity and compassion and you go no further But you are to know the pardoning grace of God is the most supernatural and mysteriousest thing in all the Book of God therefore when God works in us
very low thoughts thou hast of the pardoning mercy of God and what Christ hath purchased and what God hath intended from everlasting in the Covenant of grace to those souls for whom he intends good and though for his intentions he keeps them to himself and would not have thee meddle with that till he manifest them in the work of grace yet in the mean time having revealed no further but that thou maist have it as well as any other he expects from thee that thou shouldst venture thy self upon his grace through his Son Jesus Christ and though thou saist thou art vile unworthy and after the use of means that thou art unprofitable vain full of wandring thoughts and deadness and therefore thou canst not expect grace know that thou hast but mean thoughts of the grace of God that sett'st such things as these against it these are poor low unworthy things to set against the grace of God and they do lower the grace of God too much that set such things as these against it A Schollar would think it a dishonour to him for one to come to reason with him and bring nothing but poor low weak objections that are not worth the answering he would think it a disgrace to him certainly it is a dishonour to the grace of God to set such things as these against it thou look'st upon it in a natural way and dost not consider it is the great designe of God above all things in the World to magnify his grace in pardoning of sin certainly were this understood these things would be counted too low and unworthy to be set against such a designe when it is the greatest God hath to magnify his name in Secondly Thou judgest of God according to thy own thoughts and this God will take exceeding ill as they Psal 50.21 Because I kept silence thou thoughtest I was altogether such a one as thy self 'T is a great evil to measure God by our own thoughts and there are two waies of dishonouring God by it 1. The way of the carnal secure sinner he measured God by his own thoughts he thinks God is not so strickt to be angry for every fault and if thou offendest that if we go and cry him mercy he will be pleased again We think it an easie matter to please God and because God is silent we think he do's not hate sin as he doth that 's one way of dishonouring God A Second way is when a man comes to be troubled for sin and conscience enlightened then we think slightly of God another way It may be thou hast a hard heart and wouldst not pardon one that provokes thee again and again thou wouldst not pass by such and such offences and thou thinkst God is so too thou thinkest God to be like thy self and that he cannot bear with thee in such and such things because thou canst not bear with others This is to judge God by our own line but know that the thoughts of Gods pardoning grace are as far above ours as the Heavens are above the Earth and therefore we must not measure God by our own thoughts Thirdly Thou dishonourest the pardoning grace of God by haveing low thoughts of it because it is contrary to the Scriptures For the main scope of all the Scriptures is to magnifie the pardoning grace of God and to set it out in its greatness to to thy soul and thou mak'st it thy main work to under-value it Luther sais the scope of the whole scriptures are but this that we might know and acknowledge God to be a gracious and merciful God and a greater then Luther speaks this that is a notable Text of Scripture in the Acts of the Apostles 10.42 43. And he commanded us to preach unto the people and to testifie it is he that was ordained of God to be the Judge of Quick and Dead To him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Marke to him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins So that it is the scope and intention of all the Prophets to witness this to a poor soul that whosoever believes in him shall receive remission of sin You will say whosoever believes on him but there is all the Question but thou hindrest thy self of believing thou wouldst have assurance before thou dost believe thou must believe that thou mayest have it that is thou must venture and cast thy soul upon this grace of God all the Prophets witness this that whosoever believes on him shall receive remission of sins therefore by thy sitting down in these sullen discouraging thoughts of thy heart thou givest a lye to all the Prophets of God thou giv'st not a lye only to our preaching for certainly so it is God sees it so but to all the Prophets of God now when God makes it the work of all the Prophets to witness forgiveness of sins by Christ wilt thou make it thy work to object against it Again Know that thy reasonings are quite contrary to the Scriptures for thou reasonest that pardoning mercy will not be thine because thy sins are so great Psal 25.11 David cries to God to pardon his iniquities for they are great he makes the greatness of his sins an argument to drive him too God not from God and this is Gods own argument Gen. 8.21 I will not again curse the Ground any more for mans sake why for the imaginations of Mans heart are evil from his youth one would have thought it should have been thus the imaginations of mans heart are evil and therefore I will do nothing else but curse the ground No saies God I will not because the imaginations of mans heart are evil from his youth as if he should say if I should never leave cursing till man leave sinning I should alwayes be cursing so saies God If I should never pardon sin till mans sins are less I should never pardon at all So in Hosea 2.13 14. You have God reasoning there like to this here She went after her lovers and forgat me sais God 14 v Therefore will I allure her and bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably unto her For she had forgotten me and went after her lovers see how the Scripture makes that an argument of Gods mercy Take another Text in Isaiah the 57.17 For the iniquity of his covetousness I was wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart Marke what followes I have seen his wayes and will heal him and will restore comfort to him and to his mourners he went on frowardly in the perverseness of his Spirit saies God I have seen his ways and will heal him thus God expresses himself to the end of the Chap. to incourage the hearts of those that are sencible of their sins and would be sensible of the evil
your hearts were active at any thing in the world it ought to be in this if once you give your selves liberty to lye down and the activity of your Spirits be gone you are in a sad condition t will be very difficult to get them up again take heed of a sullen heart you may be very active and yet calme quiet and patient there 's a great conjunction between these two when I am active and yet calme stilling of my heart under God and yet stirring of my heart unto God these two are joyned together in those whom God directs unto himself Fourthly Renew thy resolutions that what ever becomes of thee whether God will ever speak peace or no to thee yet so long as thou livest thou will do what thou canst to honour his name and keep from sin Keep thy heart under the power of this resolution Fifthly Keep thy heart in a waiting frame use the means lye at the Poole as the man that lay many years waiting for the stirring of the Waters met with help at last so do thou keep thy heart in a waiting frame and think with thy self if mercy come at last it will recompence thee for all thy waitings and pains Sixthly Be willing to catch hold of any beginnings of Gods discoverings of himsef if it be but a little glimpse make much of it and bless God for it Many in their trouble seek to God for pardon but they are always complaining either to their Neighbours or themselves but seldom express themselves in Thanks-givings Now you should observe what God hath granted what beginnings and glimpse of his grace appear look and see if there be not a little cloud the bigness of a mans hand it may breed a shower a shower of grace may come after it but take notice of it when it is but the bigness of a mans hand it is a great evil in such as are under trouble of Conscience because they find not full Assurance presently they think they receive nothing at all Well wait upon God under these directions and as you shall not be so guilty of dishonouring the pardoning mercy of God so 't will be a means to bring great good unto your souls We have now done with the several wayes of dishonouring the pardoning grace of God and because God is very jealous of this and takes it exceeding ill I have been the larger in it now I am to shew the evil of it Of the Evil of dishonouring the Pardoning Grace of God First There is this evil in it because it is a sinning against mercy which God accounts his glory a man takes it exceeding ill if he be wronged in his Goods or good Name or in any thing he apprehends an excellency in and mark it The greater excellency a man apprehends in any thing the greater evil he accounts the wrong that is done to him in that thing As a covetous man if you wrong him in his Estate he presently as a mad man cannot bear it because you wrong him of that which he counts his greatest excellency so a Scholar a man of parts will rather you wrong him in any thing than account of him as a Dunce because he accounts his parts and learning his greatest excellency therefore he would not be wronged in that so you that are Marriners and have skill in sailing and in the Art of Navigation if one vilifie your work and find fault with you there 't is as if one touch't your free-hold you cannot bear it Why because you account it your excellency so it is between us and God if we wrong God in that which he accounts his excellency he cannot bear it Now the pardoning mercy of God is that which God counts his excellency and glory Exod. 34. when God descended to shew Moses his glory his Pardoning Mercy was one of the great Master-pieces wherein God accounted his glory to consist more than in the making of Heaven and Earth Now for God to be contemn'd in that wherein his glory consists must needs be a great dishonour to him the mercy of God comes from the bowels of his compassions Now if you strike one on the arm or shoulder it is not so much as if you strike him on his bowels when you dishonour the pardoning grace of God you do as it were spurn at the Bowels of God and Christ and he accounts it so certainly you that can hear this and neglect it and prize and prefer every base iust before it you do as it were go up and down kicking and spurning at the bowels of God and that Child that should spurn at his Mothers bowels is not so much to be blamed as thou art that goest on in sin after thou hast heard the pardoning grace of God opened to thee thy going on in sin is a spurning at the very bowels of God Secondly This aggravates the sin of such men above the sins of the Heathen their sins are nothing in comparison of those that live under the Gospel and have the grace of God opened unto them at the Day of Judgment when thou hearest them condemned for sins against the Light of Nature they may say Lord What shall become of these we never heard of such grace and pardoning mercy in Christ as you heard of that have lived in such and such a place and have had the pardoning mercy of God opened to you if they do not plead against you yet it will be made known before all Men and Angels what you have heard and what has been preached unto you and what God has done for you and for you to continue in sin your sins will thereby be aggravated and your condemnation heightened Thirdly Your sin is above the sin of the Devils the sin of the Devils is not so great as yours is that live under the light of the Gospel and have the pardoning grace of God preached to you for though the Devils blaspheme God continually yet their sins have not this aggravation upon them that yours have God never came and told them he was willing to pardon their sins nor did Christ make any purchase for them by his blood but to you is the Gospel preacht and pardon offered dayly to you Are not your sins greater then than the sins of the Devils Would not you account it a great aggravation of any ones offence that hath wronged and injured you and should seek for pardon and yet you rather seek to him and offer pardon to him and sue to him to accept it and he goes away and contemns you would not you account this a great aggravation know thy sinning against this grace makes thee to be in a worse condition than Belzebub himself that is the chief all the Devils he had never this aggravation which is a dreadful one to sin against the pardoning mercy of God so that the very Devils may complain against you and say O Lord we sinned against thee but thou tookest advantage against us presently
it now for this is our time and this is the great work of our lives not to cumber our selves about many things but about this one thing to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling this is the great work to seek to secure this blessing of the pardon of our sins which is the foundation of all in the obtaining of it we obtain all blessings it ought to be our chief care and we ought to lay out our chief strength and indeavours in seeking of it and if God would be pleased to put his hand to your hearts and turn the stream of your thoughts and indeavours the very turning of your hearts after this business is a great mercy there is so much blessedness in it as not only the obtaining of it but the very motion of the heart this way is worth all the world in Act. 2. we read there were many thousands that had their hearts pricked at hearing the Word preached and they cryed out men and brethren What shall we do to be saved O that there were a disposition in the hearts of men to cry thus we see it is our blessedness if we have it and if we have it not we are all cursed for ever What shall we do to get it Mar. 10.17 we read of one came running after Christ saying What shall I do to be saved O that your hearts were now in such a frame to come running after Christ saying What shall we do that our sins may be pardoned but before I come to any thing else it is necessary by way of caution or proviso to say three or four things First This that although I must seek after God for the pardon of sin yet know there is nothing in a natural man that is or can be acceptable all his endeavours have not that in them that can gain him acceptance with God But then to what purpose are we to endeavour to do any thing yes we must be striving after the pardon of sin although without Christ we can do nothing and a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit yet it is to purpose that we be doing for God likes well the exercise of the work of common gifts though they are not saving and to eternal life yet God likes the exercise of them so far as there is any thing good and commends them when that young man came to Christ Mar. 10.21 Christ look't upon him and loved him though not with such a love as to save him and bring him to eternal life yet God did discover love to such a one therefore it is to some purpose that a man should put himself on doing what he can if it be only for that 2. It is to some purpose that the heart be stirring after God and Christ because hereby we shall evidence that we are not so negligent of God and Christ and the things of eternal life as we were before 3. It is to some purpose for in the stirring of the common works of Gods Spirit God many times comes in with saving works for God works not upon men as upon stocks or stones but God puts them on by stirring up the common works of his Spirit and at that time when they are most in stirring it is Gods usual way to come in with the saving works of his Spirit therefore it is not to no purpose that we are putting on poor creatures to do what they can The second Caution is this That whatsoever any one doth in seeking after Christ before he has union with Christ it is not to be reckoned on as the condition of the Covenant of Grace or a Gospel-work there are no preparatory works for the receiving of Christ that are the condition of the Covenant of grace though they be such things as we must follow after yet they are not the condition of the Covenant of grace Now that that is the condition of the Covenant of grace sanctifies him that hath it and follows upon our union with Christ though God uses to carry on the soul in the way of legal terrors humiliations and the like yet these are not the work of the Covenant of grace and therefore this may help many a poor soul about terrors of Conscience and humiliations that are troubled that they never had those degrees as others have why as they do not prepare and fit thee for Christ so the want of them is no hinderance to the receiving of Christ The third Caution is this that follows on the other That though you put your selves upon the use of all means to the receiving of Christ yet take heed you do not rest in any of those preparatory works there 's a great deal of danger in that many souls mistake and it is to be feared it is in this the resting in something that they have done it may be God has awakened their Consciences and they fall upon working upon humbling and reforming themselves and here they rest but this is a mistake you must not rest until you find you are in Christ and until there be an union with Christ and your souls the work is not therefore done because you are humbled and reformed and run another course to what you did before for Rom. 9.16 'T is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy not of him that willeth that is that hath some good affections to it nor of him that runneth that is though his endeavours be never so strong yet 't is not of him neither many think they have peace in their souls upon their good desires and endeavours when their hearts are mightily stirr'd and they wonderfully inlarged then they make no question but all is done and they quiet their hearts with that and think there is no further work to be done but it is not so Not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy though we must will and we must run yet there may be running and striving to enter in and yet not enter this is a very great point to let us see all of us what need we have of the free grace of God in pardoning of our sin Fourthly Though God does not tie himself to come in to pardon upon these preparatory works going before yet it is worthy of the utmost endeavours of any soul in the world that there is a possibility of the obtaining of it though God tie not himself to give pardon on those works yet there is enough in it to require the utmost endeavours of any one to be laid out could we do ten thousand times more than we can even the very possibility of obtaining pardon is worth the calling forth of all our strength know that the very possibility of having sin pardoned is enough to set all your hearts a work to seek after it though God do not tie himself to come in then and pardon t is not thus that God would have his creature seek unto him and
then all should be left unto that seeking no for if that were granted that God did foresee something that his creature would do and upon that he would give him pardon then all the world would be saved but all the world do not what they can if God had tied himself to come in then when men do what they can all the world might be saved but it is not so God hath left it so that he will have his creature do what he can to relie upon him and when he doth come in then he enters into the greatest and strongest bonds that can be to do his creature good but I come to inforce the Exhortation for to seek after the pardon of sin You will say How must we seek it and what is to be done First In the seeking pardon of your sins set your selves as in the presence of God and put this upon your souls I am now looking after the pardon of sin but how do I do it does my heart work so in it as that I can satisfie my own Conscience in the work I do that it is such a work that may testifie my high respect to God from whom I seek it is it such a work as manifests that I am sensible it is a business of the most infinite concernment that I have in all the world and am I sensible of the infinite Power and Majesty of God as one that is infinitly above me when you seek after pardon you must do it so as that you may be able to satisfie your Consciences that your seeking is such a work as does hold forth the glorious greatness of that God that you are seeking after many pray slightly as God be merciful to me and mumble over a few words and have done does this hold forth that they have such an apprehension of the greatness of the power of that God they seek after surely no that 's the first Secondly If thou wilt seek after pardon of sin it must be such a seeking as may testifie that thou dost prize thy life here in this world above all things else in it because God gives thee time in it to seek after him Is thy seeking such that manifests the time of thy life is given the for this very end if you were sensible of this you would seek it in another manner than you do you would seek it as a condemn'd man seeks his pardon for certainly every man is a condemn'd man and the time of your life is like a condemn'd mans time between his condemnation and execution Now does your seeking testifie and witness that you spend your time and that your hearts are so stir'd in seeking pardon as that it holds forth you account your lives pretious and use it for the same end to get the pardon of your sin if a condemn'd man have time to seek a pardon two or three days and he followes drinking playing and the like certainly none would apprehend this man spent his time as if it were given him for to get his pardon look upon the courses and lives of most men and are they such that does testifie they live to that very end to seek pardon if men were so sensible of it as they should they would cry and weep and lament unto God for the pardon of their sins and so carry it as would testifie they prize their lives at a high rate for this end that they may seek the pardon of their sins Thirdly It must be done so as that you may have this testimony in your Consciences that you never sought after any thing in the world so as you sought after this though it was never so an important occasion yet there is nothing after which your endevours have been so powerful as after this I appeale to you in this place is the work of your souls after pardon so as that in your own Consciences you can say if any business ever took up my heart this hath if ever my spirit was up in any thing in the world it is in this certainly unless it be so you have not done that that God requires of you Fourthly You must so do it as apprehending God is ready to be gone and to turne away from you you must so seek after him as apprehending for ought you know that God is just a going away and if thou hast it not now 't is uncertain whether thou shalt ever have it the soul must cry as a poor Malefactor does when the Judge is on the Bench he cries all that while but when he is ready to rise and is going off then he cries mercy mercy when he thinks if he let him go then he shall never see his face more he cries then to purpose so should it be with every soul that understands the danger of losing of it you should so seek after it as looking on your selves standing before God the Judge of all the World having the sentence of death out against you yet for the present God is looking on you and admits of you to look on him but so as apprehending God ready to turn aside and you know not whether ever he will grant you such an opportunity of seeing him any more O then if a man would seek after God as ready to turn aside from him and for ought he knows he should never see him more Certainly if you know the evil of sin and the blessedness of pardon of sin What a deep impression would such an apprehension make upon your hearts Fifthly So seek after it as that thou may'st testifie thou would'st sanctifie the great Name of God in it I do not say thou can'st do it but thou must endeavour after it and desire that that which thou dost may have some resemblance to it there is no work that ever God did from all eternity that hath so much or more of his Name in it than this work of the pardon of sin hath this is a positive work of God and is for this end to declare his Name the works and Counsels of God about this was the greatest thing that ever God did you heard much concerning the glory of God in this work in the opening of the Doctrine Now what I put you upon in the use is this That in seeking pardon of sin know you are are so to endeavour after it as your endeavours may hold forth the apprehensions your souls have of the great Name of God certainly this sanctifies Gods Name when we perform it so when there is a work upon our souls suitable in some measure to the excellent and glorious Name of God that appears in some measure in the work that we are conversant about as suppose it be the speaking of any attribute of God then I sanctifie Gods Name when there is that reverential respect to God in reference to such an Attribute so when I give God praise for a mercy I sanctifie Cods Name when there is a work upon my heart suitable
Congregation and in others where the Word is preached that he will pardon Mar. 10.46 The blind man hearing it was Christ that past by he cryed for mercy and many charged him to hold his peace but he cried the more and Christ stood still and called him unto him Now if thou seest thy sin and cryest for pardon Christ will call thee to give pardoning mercy to thee as he did Bartimeus Thirdly It may be thou art not only under the means of grace and the outward call but thou begin'st to feel an inward call there are some stirrings of Gods Spirit within thee thou could'st say before thou wonderedst what the matter was with people to run after Sermons but now thou begin'st to feel the effect of it And the glory of God appears to thee in this place when thou art hearing of his Word thou may'st hence reason as Manoa's wife Judg. 13.23 That certainly if God had intended to have killed us he would not have received a burnt Offering and a meat Offering at our hands neither would he have shewed us all these things so say to thy soul if God had intended to kill me he would not have been so willing to have drawn me after him neither would he have shewed me all these things and let that be an incouragement unto thee Fourthly The end why God continues this world in being is that he might give pardon to his Elect certainly this world had been dissolved long ago if it were not that he might bring pardon to his Elect and to those that see their sins this must needs be a great incouragement to a soul viz. to those that see their sins to come in when this pardoning work is done Christ will deliver up his Kingdom to his Father if a malefactor should come to sue out his pardon and one should say unto him 't is well Sir you are come for the King would not have kept his Court so long here but that you should come in were not this a great incouragement so say I were it not that men should come to get the pardon of their sins the Court of the world would have been broken up long before this time Fifthly The principal scope of the Scriptures is for this very end to reveal the pardoning grace of God you have here the heart of God laid open Christ wept and mourned that sinners would not come in that they might be pardoned and saved I have read a story that in Athens there was a Temple and in that there was a woman weeping and in one hand she had a bleeding Heart and with the other she was writing Pardons so Christ he stands weeping over you that you will not come in and he hath a bleeding heart bleeding for you in the one hand and with the other hand he is ready to write you a pardon Luk. 19.41 42. nay he does not only weep But the Sixth incouragement may be He sends his Ambassadors to woe you to come in and tells them they shall not take a denyal at your hands 2 Cor. 5.20 They intreat and beg as in his Name nay it is the beseechings and intreatings of God himself as if a King should send one of the Attendants on him to a poor condemned Prisoner and say go tell such a one that he must come for his pardon and tell him I beseech him and take no denyal of him I beseech him to come in would not this manifest the great willingness of the King to pardon God does so he sends his Ministers and beseeches you to come in and take a pardon 't is as certain God speaks thus by his Ministers as if you heard God speaking by himself this should move you to come in Christ begs and intreats you to be reconciled that his bloud might not be shed in vain seeing it is so that God begs of thee to come in why shouldest not thou come in and take pardon of thy sin Why can'st not thou come in and give up thy self and all thou hast and art to him Seventhly Know it is the great office and work of Christs mediatorship to bind up the broken hearts of wounded sinners Isai 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and he hath anointed me he hath sent me to preach good tidings to the meek he hath seat me to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound this in the New Testament is applyed to Christ Now this being the great work for which Christ came into the world to bind up the broken-hearted see whether thou canst not rely on Christ by an act of faith this should be a great incouragement Eighthly Consider that that God thou hast to deal withal his nature is mercy in the abstract and if so he is free in his mercy as the Sun shines because it 's the nature of it to shine so the mercy of God must needs work freely because it is his nature as the fire burns naturally Exod. 34. Mic. 7.18 God pardons because he delights in mercy thou say'st thou art a poor sinner well though it be so yet thou may'st say though God can see nothing in me yet seeing that he is a God that delights in mercy this may move me to come in For 1. He hath more delight in pardoning any sinner than in all the creatures of Heaven and Earth God delights in all the works of his hands but in this he delights in more than in all he delights in them all but not so much as in magnifying his grace in Jesus Christ for in this he magnifies his Son and therefore he hath more pleasure and takes more delight in pardoning a poor humbled sinner than in all the works of his hands besides 2. No one can take so much pleasure in the salvation of his own soul as God doth in pardoning of thy sin and the reason is because this is the greatest design that God hath which is the setting out of his glory in his pardoning mercy in Christ and therefore this may be a great encouragement 3. God is more delighted in the work of thy heart closing with free grace than in all the legal works of humiliation what says Christ this is the good will and pleasure of God and David was called a man after Gods own heart Why because he was a man that would do his will so that this is a great incouragement though many abuse this and pervert it to their own destruction yet God will have it taught that thou mightest have the comfort of it and therefore thou shouldest close with God and come in and take hold of his pardoning mercy Ninthly Though God hath taken such a way in mercy to pardon sin yet he loseth nothing in his justice Christ hath taken such order that his glory shall no way be diminished his justice shall be satisfied and therefore thou need'st not say thus I have so sinned
against God that I know not that I cannot tell how to make up his glory for there is care taken for that already and therefore that need not discourage thee Tenthly There are as vile sinners now Triumphing in Heaven as any of you that are here be you never so black and vile and therefore be not discouraged at the greatness of thy sins for though they be very great yet that may not keep thee out others as vile as thou art are now in Heaven Eleventhly Make the utmost of thy sin thou can'st yet this need not hinder thee to come to God for for ought that either men or Angels know thou hast as much interest in Christ as any Saint in Heaven over had and if thou comest in and layest hold on Christ thy very laying hold on Christ will plainly shew thou hast a right unto him and therefore be not discouraged but come in Twelfthly Vpon thy closing with Christ thou wilt find such a change as was never wrought in any creature besides for though thou wer 't vile and filthy more vile and filthy than a child new born by original and actual sins ingendred in thee yet thou shalt be made cleaner than a child and more pure in the eyes of God than any child cleansed from his filthiness would not you do any thing to be pure in the eyes of God make use of what I say and you shall be clean when you hear the Ministers utter the threatnings of God you fall out with the man and say he preaches nothing but terror alas 't is our delight to preach the pardoning grace of God but we must shew the evil of sin and it is that you might come in and imbrace mercy for know we delight to preach mercy more than any thing else and know that if thou desirest that all thy thoughts ways and actions may be for Gods glory he will not upbraid thee for coming in unto him Joh. 6.37 He that cometh to Christ he will in no wise cast out though thou hast been never so great a sinner yet thou may'st come in and close with Christ for he that comes to him be he what he will he will in no wise cast out Thirteenthly Thou wilt fill Heaven with joy and there will be more melody in Heaven than at the coming in of any Prince to his Kingdom and I may say unto you even in this place if you come in the Angels will rejoyce at it for there are many Angels stand about you therefore take heed of your carriage for they come to see your behaviour have a special care your hearts be set upon the work you come about for they are here to see how you carry your selves Fourteenthly In obtaining pardon of sin and closing with Christ by faith thou art made heir of the whole world Rom. 4.13 How does many of you Marriners and others venture upon dangerous voyages to get great Estates in this world and you count them happy that are born to great Estates Why by closing with Jesus Christ by faith for remission of sins you are made heirs of the whole world I mean not of that to come but of this present world though none of you certainly desire more than may carry you to Heaven yet you are true and proper heirs of the whole world All is yours the Scripture is very clear in it but I cannot now stand to inlarge upon it 1 Cor. 3. latter end Fifteenthly For any thing thou knowest thou art one of Gods Elect and there is nothing thou art to do but God hath promised to inable thee to do it for there is such a transaction between God and Christ that he that shall be saved shall not have only savour vouchsaf't unto him but shall be inabled to do whatsoever God requires of him there shall be grace given to every one of the Elect of God And now if thou comest in and givest up thy self and all that thou art hast or can'st do to Christ How knowest thou but thou art one of those that art Elect and so shall be made for ever happy But if after all that has been said thou goest away with slight thoughts of this rich and transcendent grace of pardoning mercy and dost not set presently upon the work to obtain it Be thou for ever ashamed and confounded but let the pardoning mercy of God be for ever magnified FINIS A TABLE of the Principal Things contain'd in this Treatise CHAP. I. THe Text opened and the main Doctrine propounded viz. pag. 1 Doct. That the blessedness of a man or of any soul consists in the free grace of God forgiving of his sin 4 CHAP. II. Of the blessedness of the pardon of sin which appears 6 1. Negatively in the evil it frees us from ibid. 2. Positively in the good bestowed upon us therein consider 8 1 The Efficient cause of mercy in forgiveness of sin ibid. 2 The Final cause of mercy in forgiveness of sin 9 CHAP. III. Of 11 wonderful Mysteries of Godliness included in in the great mercy of forgiveness of Sin 10 1 It is by means of a Mediator 11 2 It is through Christs undertaking the debt upon himself 12 3 It is by Christs sufferings 13 4 Sin pardoned makes the soul stands righteous before God 14 5 This righteousness is in another ibid. 6 A near union is made between Christ and the Soul 15 7 It is by faith yet boasting is excluded 16 8 God is infinitely just and yet infinitely merciful 18 9 When God forgives sin at present he forgives all to come 19 10 God pardons a sinner not because he is but that he might be changed 25 11 God himself purchases the Pardon 27 CHAP. IV. Of Pardon of Sin not only being a mercy in it self but the Foundation of many other Mercies 28 1 Peace 1 with God 2 with 1 Conscience 2 Creatures 30 32 33 2 The Revelation of Gods secrets to them he pardons ibid. 3 It makes all other injoyments to be mercies which otherwise are not 38 1 By reason of guilt of sin 39 2 Not known whether they be given in love or hatred ibid. 4 It makes all afflictions easie to be borne 40 1 The great good of pardon makes the bitterest evil nothing 41 2 It assures the soul the evil of affliction is gone 42 5 Pardoning mercy brings healing with it into the soul 43 6 Comfort against death the effect of pardoning mercy 45 7 Security against the worlds reproaches 46 8 It is the foundation of eternal life 48 9 It is the bottom of all true comfort ibid. CHAP. V. Of Pardoning Mercy passing through a great many difficulties by reason of the wrong that man hath done to God by Sin 49 1 God must be made Man and yet remain the same God he was before 50 2 He must die and be made a curse ibid. 3 The dead heart of man must be raised to do the gloriousest work that any creature ever did 51 Hence 1
with God 169 3 They are translated into the Kingdom of his Son 171 4 They have much given unto them 173 1 The Spirit to inlighten them 174 2 God will write his law in their hearts ibid. 3 God will give them cleansing mercies ibid. 5 They have a glory put upon them 175 6 They are made to know what pardon means 177 7 They have melting hearts for sin ibid. 8 They have a growth in grace according to the degrees of pardon 179 9 They have an answerable work in their souls to the work of Gods grace in pardoning them 181 10 They have a merciful frame of heart to forgive others 182 CHAP. XVIII Of the Rules how to apply the Evidences of the Pardon of Sin 1 If you cannot find all yet if you find any one of them you may take comfort because all are there 185 2 Have recourse to Gods former workings 187 3 Try not your selves in times of temptation 189 4 What of the Word you find on your side keep close to that 191 5 Renew your Evidences if you cannot find your old ones 193 6 Remember you are to deal with God in a Covenant of Grace 195 7 When you want the faith of Assurance put forth the work of faith of Adherence 199 8 Rest not much upon Evidences 200 9 When you have lost the use of signs at present do not determine all is gone 201 10 Keep up good thoughts of God when you are at the lowest ibid. CHAP. XIX Of Exhortation to seek after Pardon of Sin with Cautions and Rules how to seek and what we are to do 1 Caution Know nothing in a natural man can be acceptable to God 204 2 What is done before Vnion with Christ is not to be reckoned on as the condition of the Covenant of Grace 205 3 Rest not on any Preparatory works ibid. 4 Yet such works are worthy of our utmost endeavours 206 Rules how to seek 1 Set your selves as in the presence of God 207 2 See it be such a seeking that may testifie thou prisest thy life here in this world for this end 207 3 It must be done so as that you never sought any thing in this world so us you seek this 208 4 Do it as apprehending that God is a going ibid. 5 So seek after it as that thou may'st testifie thou sanctifiest the Name of God in it 209 6 So seek as if you were now to answer for all your sins before the Lord. 210 7 Do it as thou thinkest in thy Conscience the damned souls in Hell would do it if they had a possibility granted them ibid. 8 Seek after it with a desire to bring as much glory to God as if he should damn you 211 Of what is to be done in seeking 1 Be sure to take the heart from all other imaginary blessedness ibid. 2 Let Conscience have free liberty to shew thee thy sins 212 3 Be willing to own all thy sins ibid. 4 Be willing to accept of the punishment of sin 213 5 Resolve to avoid sin whatever come of it ibid. 6 Cast out whatsoever is gotten by false wayes ibid. 7 Be sure thou be put of with nothing else but pardon of sin ibid. CHAP. XX. Of Encouragements to seek after Pardon of Sin 1 The time of your life is given you for this end 215 2 The means you are under argues that God intends mercy for you ibid. 3 From the stirrings of Gods Spirit thou may'st argue God intends thee good ibid. 4 The world is continued for this end that God may gather in his Elect. 216 5 The Principal scope of the Scriptures is for this end to reveal the pardoning Grace of God ibid. 6 God sends his Ambassadors to wo you 217 7 It is the great work of Christ's Mediatorship to bind up broken hearts ibid. 8 God whom thou hast to deal withal his nature is mercy in the abstract ibid. 1 He more delights in pardoning any one sinner than in all the Creatures of Heaven and Earth ibid. 2 He takes more pleasure in saving the◠than thou dost thy self 218 3 God more delights in the work of the heart closing with 〈◊〉 grace than in all Legal Humiliations ibid. 9 Christ hath satisfied Gods Justice ibid. 10 As vile sinners as thou art are now in Heaven ibid. 11 Make the utmost thou can'st of thy sin yet this need not hinder thee to come to God ibid. 12 On closing with Christ thou wilt find such a change as was never in any creature besides 119 13 Thy coming in will fill Heaven and Earth with joy ibid. 14 Thou art hereby made heir of the whole world ibid. 15 For any thing thou knowest thou art one of Gods Elect and so there is nothing that thou art to do but he hath promised to enable thee to do it 220 FINIS Prov. 25.11 Object Answ Object Answ Object Answ Object Answ 4. Argument Object Answ 2 Sam. 18.15 Job 5.23 5. Argument 6. Argument 7. Argument 8. Argument 9. Argument 10. Argument 11. Argument Object 12. Argument 13. Argument Quest Answ 1. Quest Answ 1. The Word 2. Writing 3. Witnesses 4. Oath 5. Seal Ob. Ans Quest Answ Answ Plea Answ * Note the signs were given forth in one Sermon O rich grace Quest Answ Simile
to that glorious Name of God that appears in that mercy bestowed on me so if I seek after God for a blessing then I reverence Gods Name when there is such a disposition in my heart that is somewhat suitable to the glorious Name of God that appears in that blessing so in endeavouring to sanctifie Gods Name in seeking after pardon of sin thou dost it then when there is such a frame in thy heart as may hold forth to Men and Angels that this work of thine hath some kind of suitableness to the glorious Name of God that appears in it this is to sanctifie the Name of God and this is a great work this is the great thing for which thou wast made and this is the great thing for which the counsels of God yea the deep counsels of God were set a work from all eternity Now the dispositions of our spirits must be such as may manifest the great end the wisdom and counsels of God had in it and therefore it must be a great work that must manifest that for certainly those whom God pardons he makes them understand what pardon means Now thâ—n if thy seeking be such as that thou knowest what it is thou seekest after then it must hold forth also that thou dost understand the Name of God is exceeding glorious in it and then as thou doest apprehend this so accordingly thy heart will work after it and therefore when you are alone and you find your hearts working this way say What do I do Do I so call upon him and seek after him as that this work of mine declares to God and my own Conscience I seek for it so as that I may manifest the glorious Name of the great God is in it certainly if I do not do it thus I take Gods Name in vain Sixthly Further you must seek after it as if you were now to answer for all your sins before the Lord as you would wish you had done it then so do it now I put it to every one of you Have you not been on your sick-beds and in your apprehension neer unto death hath not God wakened your Consciences and you have been afraid upon the account of your sins what kind of temper your souls have been in then know it concerns you every day in the whole course of your lives to have the same apprehensions as you had at that time do now as then you would have done certainly thou dost not understand what pardon of sin means if thou dost not seek it thus Seaventhly Do it as thou thinkest in thy Conscience the damned souls in Hell would do if God should give them a possibility What would they do if God should proclaim unto them a possibility of pardon what would they do divers things you may conceive they would do and here it comes up fully to my hand to put you upon it â—o say O! what shall I do Were we to preach to them in Hell do you think that there is any one of them but would mightily cry to the God of Heaven 't is not like that any one of such an Auditory but would mightily cry to God if the great counsels of God concerning pardon of sin were preacht to them and will not every one of you now mightily cry to God for it certainly if they would do it in Hell Why should not you do it now that which you think they would do not with a few slight vain expressions do you do now with all your might Eightly Do this so seek after it as to desire if it were possible that you might bring as much glory unto God as he would have had of you if he should have damn'd you for ever this is an excellent frame of spirit though you do not know it but though you do not yet you should put your selves upon such a kind of work and God may come in you cry out for pardon but never cry out for Gods honour O what shall become of the honour of God that he hath lost by me and the dishonour I have brought to him say O Lord I have dishonoured thy Name O that I might so honour thy Name as I have dishonoured it O Lord thou mightest make up thy honour in my eternal damnation but O Lord I would if I could do any thing that might make up that dishonour that I have brought by my sin if I could do any thing that thou mightest have any honour in I would do it for a close I shall put this for a consideration to you whatsoever you would do upon any supposition suppose your danger were as great as ever it was in all your lives what you would do then do it now you must do all that can be done by a creature Now if you would do more on such a supposition as this after all those Sermons you have heard of the evil of sin and now of the great blessedness of the pardon of sin if you do not do what a creature is able to do How can you look for pardon of sin in the face of God and therefore what you would do on any such supposition do now though thou shouldest not get pardon suppose such a thing as if thou wer 't now ready to be damn'd yet is it not better to do it than not to do it Having spoken of these general things I come now more garticularly to the other part of the Question What is to be done First This is to be done be sure thou takest off thy heart from all other imaginary blessedness certainly there is no man in the world but hath somewhat else his heart was running out after now thou must get off thy heart from that thing whatever it be it may be thy heart was set upon friends or upon pleasures of the flesh and thou thoughtest thy self happy the more thou had'st liberty for thy lust and the like now thou must be convinc't that thou hast fed upon ashes and hast not been able to say there is a lie in my right hand but God hath now shewed me there is a lie and I have look't for happiness else where but now I see it is not there to be found win thy soul fully to this O my soul art thou taken off from all other things hath God convinc't thee that thou may'st have honours riches pleasures and yet be a Reprobate wo unto me for the time that I have lost I have laid out my time and mony for another blessedness that is no where to be found but in the grace of God Secondly Let Conscience have free liberty to shew thee thy sins and charge them upon thee yea to accuse and condemn thee and do thou help thy Conscience when Conscience accuses and condemns then do thou condemn thy self if thou would'st be pardoned then give Conscience scope and liberty 't is very dangerous when God begins to stir the hearts of men and women to make any stop or give any