and Peace of Soul then one of the Depths of God Oh pray pray saith Perkins for the Pardon of thy particular and personal Sins The HEATHENS were wont to flie to the Mercy of their Gods by Petitions and purging Sacrifices They imbibed and espoused this Principle that the GODS were propitious and propense to pardon But none of the Gentile-Gods could ever pardon Sin for the Pardoner of Sin is the God of the Gentiles That the God of Gods is the God of the Gentiles is evident Thus Rom. 3.29 Is he the God of the Jews only Is he not also of the Gentiles Yea of the Gentiles also And that this God is the sole Pardoner of Sin is as evident Thus Mark 2.7 Who can forgive sins but God only The sins of believing Penitents and of penitent Beleivers are pardoned though the Tears of Repentance stand in their Eyes and they cannot read their PARDON Is not Remission then one of the Depths of God Lord saith Luther now do what thou wilt with me for thou hast pardoned me Remission of Sin is of more Validity and ought to be of more Value then all the Crowns and Scepters in the World is it not then one of the Depths of God 'T is more Christ-like and consequently more Christian-like to remit than to revenge The Pardon of Sin is a Mercy invaluable incomparable and inconceivable to all below a GOD Declarativè non Authorativè is it not then one of the Depths of God A Man may pardon Ministerially but not Juditially he may pardon Declaratively but not Authoratatively he may pronounce it but God performs it Is not Remission then one of the Depths of God The Form of a Monkish-Absolution I find to be thus God forgive thee my Brother the Merit of the Lord Jesus Christ and of blessed Saint Mary always a Virgin and of all the Saints the Merit of thine Order the Straitness of thy Religion the Humility of thy Confession the good Works which thou hast done or shalt do for the Love of our Lord Jesus Christ be unto thee available for the Remission of thy Sins the Increase of Desert and Grace and the Reward of everlasting Life AMEN Is not this a Linsey-Woolsey Absolution As one therefore said concerning the Writings of Moses Gen. 1.1 c. In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth c. Quomodo probas Domine Moses Quomodo probas Domine Monache Eris mihi magnus Apollo These are great things but Sir Moses how dost thou prove them so I may write concerning the Absolution of the MONK This is a larg and a long Absolution but how dost thou prove it Sir Monk Prove this Absolution from the sacred Scripture the written word of God and thou shalt have my Subscription if it be valuable that thou art a great Apollo This Sacerdotal Absolution among the Papists is the most hideous dangerous and perfidious Cheat of ROME saith Dr More that ever she could light on for the damning of poor credulous Souls that thus superstitiously depend on the vain Breath of their Priest for the Security of their Salvation GOD only can pardon sin The Pardon of Sin is his Act his proper and peculiar act He can do it and none can do it but He. We read Remission among his royal Titles is not this then one of the Depths of God Thus Exo. 34.7 Forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Here are three words about sin As if GOD would not only pardon all Sinners that cordially repent but also all kinds and degrees of sin whatsoever by what names or titles soever they be styled upon cordial Repentance which is virtually included in the Promise of Pardon Is not this manifest beyond all modest contradiction that not one can be a Pardoner of Sin but he who is vested v. 6. with these preceeding glorious Qualifications Jehovah Jehovah God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Is not this now one of the Depths of God To offer Works for the Pardon of Sin is the worst SIMONY in the World For a trembling and a troubled Soul a doubting and a drooping Soul a desponding and despairing Soul to see and read his Name in an Act of Oblivion and Indempnity and that of Gods own making is not this then one of the Depths of God The Pardon of Pope Alexander the sixth though it was for thirty thousand Years was not worth two Sparrows and yet they were sold for a Farthing 'T is the God of Gods that gives Pardon to those that believe and that gives FAITH to believe that Pardon 'T is the God of Gods that gives Remission of Sin to those that repent and that gives REPENTANCE for Remission of Sins Is not Remission then one of the Depths of God We read of a Servant Mat. 18.24 Who ought to his Soveraign ten thousand Talents A considerable Summ here seems to be If a Talent according to the lowest Computation be three hundred pounds of Money and if ten thousand times three hundred be three Millions then these three MILLLONS are forgiven as a Debt of three MITES Is not Remission then one of the Depths of God For a Person to be mourning til it can mourn no more Yea after that mourn that it hath no more mourned and for Christ then to say to this Person as he did to that City-Sinner Luke 7.48 Thy sins are forgiven Is not this one of the Depths of God For Persons to be afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted and for Christ then to say to these as he did to them Jo. 16.33 In me ye shall have peace is not this one of the Depths of God For a Person to be days and nights in the Deep and to be crying out there my SINS are not only innumerable but also unpardonable and for God then to say to this Person as he did Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own names sake and wil not remember thy sins is not this one of the Depths of God For a Person to be without Sun-light without Moon-light without Star-light Not only without full Shines and Smiles not only without the lest Glance of a reconciled Eye and Glimpse of a reconciled Face but also without a Commemoration that ever God was gracious that ever God and the Soul in a Promise sweetly and savingly met and for CHRIST then to say to this Person as he did to that Woman Mark 5.34 Go in peace and be whole of thy plague is not this one of the Depths of God A Depth of God REMISSION enters now Where is the Man that will not this allow Who hath been sailing by the Gates of Hel And truly then could not his PARDON spel Sins against Man may all forgiven be By Man Himself as Sages do agree Sins against GOD are All by God alone Forgiven Man that He may change his Tone
blood live When thou wast saith Caryl wrapped in and defiled with thine own blood Sin and Misery then I had pity on thee and spake Life to thee Every Soul tumbleth in Blood till sprinkled with Blood The Blood of Man is Filthiness the Blood of God-Man is Holiness GRACE comes not by Generation but Donation Did ever any finite Intellect perfectly travel the Heights and Depths the Lengths and Breadths of Free-Grace For Free-Grace to out-bid and out-vie not only the Deserts but also the Desires of Man is not this one of the Depths of God Thus Eph. 3.20 Now unto him that is able to do superabundantly so the Greek above what we are able to ask or think c. What Pensil can draw to the life the vanishing Features of a Soul beautified with GRACE The whole Fabrick of Salvation from the Cell in Nature to the Chair in Glory is founded in Free-Grace The whole Alphabet of Salvation from the Alpha to the Omega thereof is purely legible in Free-Grace Thus Eph. 2.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By grace ye are saved This is so blessed a Parenthesis that without this Parenthesis there had been no Blessedness This is a weighty and a worthy Text here is the Mercy that 's Salvation and here is the Medium that 's Grace by grace ye are saved This is a Text of worth and of weight here is the Motive that 's Grace and here is the Mercy that 's Salvation by grace ye are saved Salvation is a choice CHAIN but every Link of this Chain is made up of Free-Grace I may assert it with the greatest Confidence and with the greatest Innocence that Free-Grace is the Wheel Primum Mobile which sets all a going in Heaven and in the Heart For God to love before loved yea for God to love when and while hated is not this one of the Depths of God For the Mercy of God to be over all his Works yea and over all his Workers too is not this one of the Depths of God For that GOD who is incapable of Addition or to be greater incapable of Substraction or to be lesser to Write rather in Honey than in Gall and to draw lines of Love than of Wrath is not this one of the Depths of God For the Grace of God to be greater than the Sin of Man and for the Ephah of God to be fuller of Mercy than the Ephah of Man can be of Iniquity is not this one of the Depths of God Thus Rom. 5.20 But where Sin abounded Grace did much more abound FREE-GRACE doth lead the Van that 's freely-free No Native but a Donative to Thee This is the Wheel that set's a going all In Heaven in the Heart and fince the Fall Hath ever done So let it be for Ever Thus do I pray and would retract it Never By Grace ye saved are Now is not this To sordid Man a sweet PARENTHESIS Are Judgments Deep what are Gods Mercies then They well-come are unto the Sons of Men. Salvation's Sions Chain but every Link Of Free-Grace is made up I more then think The two POLES distant are yet these will meet When Free-Grace and Free-Will each other greet In saving Man a Captive to the Devil And freeing also from a double Evil. The PENSIL draws the Features of the Face Oh God of Gods my Glass doth run apace While therefore I am running of my Race Oh Deck this Soul of mine with saving Grace ELECTION Election that 's one of the Depths of God The Romanists speak of an universal Election but the very name of Election carries in it a Confutation For none can be said to be elected if all be elected he that electeth cannot be said to take all Neither can it be said that Election is nothing else but Dilection for Dilection was antecedaneous and praevious unto Election Election is an absolute Act of Grace and is it not then one of the Depths of God Thus Rom. 11.5 6. There is a remnant according to the election of grace A remnant comparatively is very little to the whole piece There are very few among very many that are elected and 't is the election of GRACE Election is made up of Grace made out of Grace It is such an Election as Grace makes an Election of Graces making And if by Grace then is it no more of Works otherwise grace is no more grace But if it be of Works then is it no more grace otherwise work is no more work The two sorts of righteousness by the Covenant of Works and by the Covenant of Grace are altogether incompatible Whatsoever is given for the MERIT of Works is not freely given and consequently is not Grace For as Aug. speaks elegantly against the Pelagians Grace Gratia non est Gratia ullo modo nisi sit gratuita omni modo is not said to be Grace in any sense or any way if it be not free every way It loseth the nature of a work if done to merit by for if elected partly for Works and partly by Grace then the merit of Works is no Merit For if Merit first enters it excludes Grace and if Grace first enters it excludes Merit Now if Election hath for its efficient cause the Purpose of God for its formal cause the Mercy of God for its material cause the Blood of Jesus for its final cause the Glory of God and the Salvation of Man is it not then one of the Depths of God The ARMINIANS say Non eligit dignum sed eligendo efficit dignâ—m that Election is posterior to Faith to Works to Perseverance but these are posterior unto Election God elects not the worthy but having elected them makes them worthy They also are under a notorious deception and prodigious Delusion who say Election is Christ the Seed not the Persons of Men and Women Christ is if I may so write Gods first Elect. Thus Isa 42.1 Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighteth Christ was chosen by God to be SAVIOUR Man was chosen in Christ to be saved There are those who are called the elect of God Thus Col. 3.12 Put on therefore as the elect of God Bowels of Mercies c. Now the elect of God are elected in Christ Thus Eph. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the World that we should be Holy and walk without blame before him in Love Here is the elector this is God He. As he hath chosen The elected Us. Here is the person in whom these are elected this is Christ In him And here is the end of this Election That they might be holy c. They were not elected because they were holy or because they would be holy PAUL Electum Vas. was an elect Vessel Now God elected Paul as Paul not as a Believer or a holy person Election is absolutely free there was no Praevision of any Qualification in Man as a Motive to God
in order to his Election Is not this then one of the Depths of God Here were some elected and were not these Persons But who were these They were the Saints at Ephesus and the Faithful in Christ Jesus Eph. 1.1 And were not here Women as wel as Men Do not Women believe as wel as Men then elected as wel as Men For Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternal Life believed They did not believe and so were ordained to eternal life but they were ordained to eternal life and so did believe But though Election be before Grace in Existence yet GRACE is before Election in Evidence The former is first in the Ordination of God the latter is first in Manifestation to Man Though Election be not for foreseen Faith yet until Faith none can see their Election We can never find our selves in the heart of God by gracious Ordination til we find God in our hearts by gracious Operation Those that conclude election without Grace wil be as much non-plus'd at the Tribunal of God as that speechless man was who appeared without a Wedding Garment We cannot find our selves in Gods Roll unless we walk according to Gods Rule nor conclude that we are predestinated until we are purified Thus Election is the sublimest Act of divine Soveraignty and is not this one of the Depths of God Man lapsing was obnox'ous to the Rod Election therefore is the Depth of God Ah lapsed Man here matter is of Fact ELECTION now is Gods sublimest Act. Election doth out-bid Desert Desire This Act prevents a fatal final Fire I wil assert not caring who come next The Sacred Scripture best interprets Text Inspect this CANON and find this Decision Election is not from the least Praevision Of Faith or Works 'T is not from Idol-Merit But Mercy that elected ones Inherit Ah lapsed Man 't is easy Thee to find An Enemy in Manners and in Mind But to prevent for ever a Rejection There is the Depth of God divine Election Lord spare a little give a little space Election is made up and out of GRACE As is thy Rule so let my Walking be That I my Name within thy Roll may see REDEMPTION Redemption that 's one of the Depths of God If Mans Redemption be Mans Re-emption from the Servitude of Sin and Satan Redimere est quasi rursus emere unto the Immunities of the Sons and Daughters of God by the payment of an equal Price is it not one of the Depths of God If the Redemption of Man be the Restauration of Man from a state of Sin and Death unto a state of Grace and Life is it not one of the Depths of God He that shall question whether Redemption be a greater or a better work than Creation knows very little what a REDEEMER is and what the ransome of an immortal Soul is worth I should think as Mans gaining the World cannot compensate the loss of his Soul so Gods creating the World cannot equalize Christs Redeeming of the Soul It is proper and peculiar to Christ to be the Redeemer of Mankind yet this work of redemption the Romists ascribe to MARY whom they call their Hope their Joy their Mediatress a Medicine for the diseased a Defence from the Enemy a Friend in the hour of Death But is not this among all the Topicks of Prayer the strongest Argument that Christ hath redeemed us Or that we are his redeemed ones Thus Eph. 1.7 In whom we have redemption thorough his blood the forgiveness of Sins according to the riches of his Grace In this Text and Truth there are these things worthy inspection and reflection The MATTER This is Redemption The Subject and Theam or Thesis is Redemption The rare Contrivance of this is greatly worthy of and cals aloud for a critical Contemplation Let the redeemed of the Lord take a Prospect of this in its Plat-form and in its Publication In its Plat-form Was not this gloriously laid in the eternal Project and Purpose of God Yea in that aged Promise which passed between the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Son Thus Tit. 1.2 In hope of eternal Life which God that cannot lye promised before the World began Or rather from the beginning of Ages In its Publication The discovery of this Mystery of redemption was early and shined forth in the very Morning of the World No sooner is Man polluted but Christ is promised Thus Gen. 3.15 I wil put enmity between Thee and the Woman c. The MEDIUM Whom This is Christ The Redeemer is Christ In whom we have redemption 'T is he Gal. 3.13 that redeemeth from the curse of the law c. If any say how can they be blessed whom the Law pronounceth cursed 'T is easily answered because Christ was made a Curse for his For it is Written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree As the Serpent was accursed above all the Beasts of the Field so the Death on the Tree was accursed above all kinds of Death the Serpent being the Instrument and the Tree the Occasion The MERIT Blood Thorough his blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In whom we have redemption thorough his blood Not her blood but his blood not the blood of Mary but of Christ Not the blood of Hales and Becket but the blood of Christ Believe it Redemption is not thorough the Milk of the Mother but thorough the Blood of the Son The Blood of Christ was meritorious as to Redemption This blood spake better things than the blood of Abel That blood had as many Tongues as Drops and every Drop crying for Vengeance Was not God in his Inquisition more critical than the Spanish Inquisition though that be done with utmost secresie and security Christ must bleed and that unto Death in order to Redemption Thus Rev. 5.9 Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood c. Here is a redemption to God to the Benignity of God to Grace and Glory but this is thorough the blood of Jesus The MERCY The forgiveness of sins Remittere is retro mittere In whom we have redemption thorough his blood the forgiveness of sins Here is remission and to remit is to send back It properly signifieth the sending of a thing back to the place from whence it was taken Here is remission and that of sins Of Lapses and Offences 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Faults and Falls so the Greek Did Julius Caesar glory in nothing more than in giving and forgiving In giving to his Friends and in forgiving his Enemies What may be said of a Christ then a greater than Caesar The MOTIVE This is grace riches of grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. riches of his grace In whom we have redemption thorough his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace For the most plentiful goodness of himself so Grotius Thus Rom. 2.4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness