the Application it self may be observed First The Anthropopathy of the Expression He prayes that God would cause his ears to be attentive after the manner of men who seriously attend to what is spoken to them when they turn aside from that which they regard not Secondly The Earnestness of the soul in the work it hath in hand which is evident both from the Reduplication of his request Lord hear my voyce let thine ears be attentive to my voyce and the Emphaticalness of the words he maketh use of Let thine ears saith he be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diligently Attentive The word signifies the most diligent heedfulness and close attention let thine ears be very attentive and unto what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the voice of my supplications deprecationum mearum generally say Interpreters of my Deprecations or earnest prayers for the averting of evil or punishment But the word is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gratiosus suit to be gracious or merciful so that it signifies properly supplications for grace Be attentive saith he O Lord unto my supplications for grace and mercy which according to my extream necessity I now address my self to make unto thee And in these words doth the Psalmist set forth in general the frame and working of a gracious soul being cast into depths and darkness by sin The foundation of what I shall farther thence pursue lyes in these two Propositions First The only attempt of a sinful entangled soul for relief lyes in an application to God alone To thee Jehovah have I cryed Lord hear Secondly Depths of sin intanglements will put a gracious soul on intense and earnest application unto God Lord hear Lord attend Dying men do not use to cry out slothfully for relief What may be thought necessary in general for the direction of a soul in the state and condition described shall briefly be spoken unto from these two Propositions First Trouble danger disquietment arguing not only things evil but a sense in the mind and soul of them will of themselves put those in whom they are upon seeking relief Every thing would naturally be at rest A drowning man needs no Exhortation to endeavour his own deliverance and safety And spiritual troubles will in like manner put men on attempts for relief To seek for no remedy is to be senslesly obdurate or wretchedly desperate as Cain and Judas We may suppose then that the principal business of every soul in depths is to endeavour deliverance They cannot rest in that condition wherein they have no rest In this endeavour what course a gracious soul steers is laid down in the first Proposition negatively and positively He applyes himself not to any thing but God he applyes himself unto God An eminent instance we have of it in both parts or both to the one side and the other Hos. 14. 3. Ashur say those poor distressed returning sinners shall not save us we will not ride upon Horses neither will we say any more to the work of our hands ye are our Gods for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy Their application unto God is attended with a renunciation of every other way of relief Several things there are that sinners are apt to apply themselves unto for relief in their perplexities which prove unto them as waters that fail How many things have the Romanists invented to deceive souls withal Saints and Angels the Blessed Virgin Wood of the Cross Confissions Rennances Masses Pilgrimages Dirges Purgatories Papal Pardons Works of Compensation and the like are made entrances for innumerable souls into everlasting ruine Did they know the terror of the Lord the nature of Sin and of the mediation of Christ they would be ashamed and confounded in themselves for these abominations they would not say unto these their Idols ye are our Gods come and save us How short do all their contrivances come of his that would fain be offering Rivers of Oyl yea the fruit of his body for the sin of his soul his first born for his transgression Mich. 6. 7. Who yet gains nothing but an Aggravation of his sin and misery thereby Yea the Heathen went beyond them in devotion and expence It is no new enquiry what course sin perplexed souls should take for relief From the foundation of the world the minds of far the greatest part of mankind have been exercised in it As was there light or darkness such was the course they took Among those who were ignorant of God this Enquiry brought forth all that Diabolical Superstition which spread it self over the face of the whole world Gentilism being destroyed by the power and Efficacy of the Gospel the same enquiry working in the minds of darkned men in conjunction with other lusts brought forth the Papacy When men had lost a spiritual acquaintance with the Covenant of Grace and Mysterie of the Gospel the design of eternal love the efficacy of the blood of Christ they betook themselves in part or in whole for relief under their entanglements unto the broken Cisterns mentioned They are of two sorts Self and other things For those other things which belong unto their false Worship being abominated by all the Saints of God I shall not need to make any farther mention of them That which relates unto self is not confined unto Popery but extends it self to the limits of Humane Nature and is predominate in all that are under the Law that is to seek for relief in sin distresses by self-endeavours self-righteousness Hence many poor souls in straights apply themselves to themselves They expect their cure from the same hand that wounded them This was the life of Judaism as the Apostle informs us Rom. 10. 3. And all men under the Law are still animated by the same principle They return but not unto the Lord. Finding themselves in depths in distresses about sin what course do they take This they will do that they will do no more this shall be their ordinary course and that they will do in an extraordinary manner as they have offended whence their trouble ariseth so they will amend and look that their peace should spring from thence as if God and they stood on equal terms In this way some spend all their dayes sinning and amending amending and sinning without once coming to repentance and peace This the souls of believers watch against They look on themselves as fatherless in thee the fatherless findeth mercy that is helpless without the least ground of hopes in themselves or expectation from themselves They know their repentance their amendment their supplications their humiliations their fastings their mortifications will not relieve them Repent they will and amend they will and pray and fast and humble their souls for they know these things to be their duty but they know that their goodness extends not to him with whom they have to do nor is he profited by their righteousness They will be in the performance of all duties but
this silence did My bones waxed old nor yet was it a sullen stubborn and contumacious frame that was upon him but he notes saith Calvin and he sayes well affectum qui medius est inter tolerantiam contumaciam vitio vertuti affinis An affection between patience and stubborness bordering on the one and other That is he had a deep sense of sin this disquieted and perplexed him all the day long which he calls his roaring It weakned and wearied him making his bones wax old or his strength decay yet was he not able to bring his heart to that ingenious gracious acknowledgement which like the launcing of a festered wound would have given at least some ease to his soul. Gods children are oft-times in this matter like ours Though they are convinced of a fault and are really troubled at it yet they will hardly acknowledge it So do they They will go up and down sigh and mourn roar all the day long but an evil and untoward frame of spirit under the power of unbelief and fear keeps them from this duty Now that this acknowledgement may be acceptable unto God it is required First that it be free then that it be full First It must be free and spiritually ingenious Cain Pharaoh Ahab Judas came all to an acknowledgement of sin but it was whether they would or no. It was pressed out of them it did not flow from them The confession of a person under the convincing terrors of the Law or dread of imminent Judgements is like that of Malefactors on the rack who speak out that for which themselves and friends must dye What they say though it be the truth is a fruit of force and torture not of any ingenuity of mind So is it with meerly convinced persons They come not to the acknowledgment of sin with any more freedom And the Reason is because all sin hath shame and for men to be free unto shame is naturally impossible shame being natures shrinking from it self and the posture it would appear in But now the returning soul hath never more freedom liberty and amplitude of spirit than when he is in the acknowledgement of those things whereof he is most ashamed And this is no small evidence that it proceeds from that spirit which is attended with liberty for where the Spirit of God is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. When David was delivered from his silence he expresseth this frame in the performance of this Duty Psal. 32. 5. I acknowledged my sin and mine iniquities I have not hid I said I will confess my transgression His mouth is now open and his heart inlarged And he multiplies one expression upon another to manifest his enlargement So doth a soul rising out of its depths in this beginning of his address unto God Having the sense of sin before described wrought in him by the Holy Ghost his heart is made free and inlarged unto an ingenious acknowledgement of his sin before the Lord. Herein he pours out his soul unto God and hath not more freedom in any thing than in dealing about that whereof he is most ashamed Secondly Full also it must be Reserves ruine confession If the soul have any secret thought of rolling a sweet morsel under its tongue of a bow in the house of Rimmon it is like part of the price kept back which makes the whole robbery instead of an offering If there be remaining a bitter root of favouring any one lust or sin of any occasion of or temptation unto sin let a man be as open free and earnest as can be imagined in the acknowledgement of all other sins and evils the whole duty is rendered abominable Some persons when they are brought into depths and anguish about any sin and are thereon forced to the acknowledgement of it at the same time they are little concerned with their other follies and iniquities that it may be are no less provoking unto God than that is from whence their present trouble doth arise Let not as James speaks in another case such a man think that he shall receive any thing from God It must be full and comprehensive as well as free and ingenious And of such importance is the right performance of this duty that the promise of pardon is oft-times peculiarly annexed unto it as that which certainly carries along with it the other duties which make up a full returnal unto God Prov. 28. 13. 1 John 1. 9. and that place in Job is remarkable Chap. 33. 27 28. He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not He will deliver his soul from going into the pit and his life shall see the light He shall not only be made partaker of pardon but of consolation also and joy in the light of Gods countenance Thirdly There yet remains self-condemnation with the Justification of God which lyes expresly in the words of the Verse under consideration and hereof are two parts First Self-abhorrency or dislike The soul is now wholly displeased with it self and reflects upon it self with all affections of regret and trouble So the Apostle declares it to have been with the Corinthians when their godly sorrow was working in them 2 Cor. 7. 11. among other things it wrought in them indignation and revenge or a reflection on themselves with all manner of dislike and abhorrency In the winding up of the Controversie between God and Job this is the point he rests in As he had come in general to a free full ingenious acknowledgement of sin Chap. 40. 4 5. So in particular he gives up his whole contest in this abhorrency of himself Chap. 42. 6. I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes What a vile wretched creature have I been saith the soul I blush and am ashamed to think of my folly baseness and ingratitude is it possible that I should deal thus with the Lord I abhorr I loath my self I would fly any where from my self I am so vile and loathsome a thing to be despised of God Angels and Men and Secondly There is self-judging in it also This the Apostle invites the Corinthians unto 1 Ep. Chap. 11. 31. If we would judge our selves we should not be judged This is a persons pronouncing sentence on himself according to the tenor of the Law The soul brings not only its sin but it self also to the Law It puts it self as to merit and desert under the stroke and severity of it Hence ariseth a full justification of God in what sentence soever he shall be pleased to pronounce in the case before him And these three things which we have passed through compose the frame and first actings of a gracious soul rising from its depths They are all of them signally expressed in that place where we have a signal recovery exemplified Hos. 14. 1 2 3 4. And this makes way for the exaltation of grace the great thing
suit not its Reason at all 1 Cor. 1. 18. 2. The Law speaks nothing to a sinner but what his Conscience assures him to be true There is a constant concurrence in the Testimony of the Law and conscience When the Law sayes this or that is a sin worthy of death conscience sayes it is even so Rom. 1. 42. And where the Law of it self as being a general Rule rests Conscience helps it on and sayes This and that sin so worthy of death is the soul guilty of then dye saith the Law as thou hast deserved Now this must needs have a mighty efficacy to prevail with the soul to give credit to the report and Testimony of the Law it speaks not one word but what he hath a witness within himself to the truth of it These witnesses alwayes agree and so it seems to be established for a truth that there is no forgiveness 3. The Law though it speak against the souls interest yet it speaks nothing but what is so just righteous and equal that it even forceth the souls consent So Paul tells us that men know this voyce of the Law to be the Judgement of God Rom. 1. 32. They know it and cannot but consent unto it that it is the Judgement of God that is good righteous equal not to be controlled And indeed what can be more righteous than its sentence It commands Obedience to the God of life and death promiseth a Reward and declares that for non-performance of duty death will be inflicted On these terms the sinner cometh into the world they are good righteous holy the soul accepts of them and knows not what it can desire better or more equal This the Apostle insists upon Rom. 7. 12 13. Wherefore the Law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good was then that which was good made death unto me Godforbid but sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful Whereever the blame falls the soul cannot but acquit the Law and confess that what it says is righteous and uncontrollably equal And it is meet things should be so Now though the Authority and credit of a Witness may go very far in a doubtful matter when there is a concurrence of more witnesses it strengthens the Testimony but nothing is so prevalent to beget belief as when the things themselves that are spoken are just and good not liable to any reasonable exception And so is it in this case unto the Authority of the Law and concurrence of conscience this also is added the Reasonableness and equity of the thing it self proposed even in the Judgement of the sinner namely that every sin shall be punished and every transgression receive a meet recompence of reward 4. But yet further What the Law sayes it speaks in the name and authority of God What it sayes then must be believed or we make God a Lyar. It comes not in its own name but in the name of him who appointed it you will say then is it so indeed Is there no forgiveness with God for this is the constant voyce of the Law which you say speaks in the name and Authority of God and is therefore to be believed I answer briefly with the Apostle What the Law speaks it speaks to them that are under the Law It doth not speak to them that are in Christ whom the Law of the Spirit of life hath set free from the Law of sin and death but to them that are under the Law it speaks and it speaks the very Truth and it speaks in the name of God and its Testimony is to be received It sayes there is no forgiveness in God namely to them that are under the Law and they that shall flatter themselves with a contrary perswasion will find themselves wofully mistaken at the great day On these and the like considerations I say there seems to be a great deal of Reason why a soul should conclude that it will be according to the testimony of the Law and that he shall not find forgiveness Law and Conscience close together and insinuate themselves into the thoughts mind and judgement of a sinner They strengthen the Testimony of one another and greatly prevail If any are otherwise minded I leave them to the tryal If ever God awaken their Consciences to a through performance of their duty if ever he open their souls and let in the light and power of the Law upon them they will find it no small work to grapple with them I am sure that eventually they prevail so far that in the preaching of the Gospel we have great cause to say Lord who hath believed our report We come with our Report of forgiveness but who believes it by whom is it received neither doth the light nor conscience nor conversation of the most allow us to suppose it is embraced Thirdly The ingrafted notions that are in the minds of men concerning the Nature and Justice of God lye against this discovery also There are in all men by nature indelible characters of the Holiness and purity of God of his Justice and hatred of sin of his invariable Righteousness in the Government of the world that they can neither depose nor lay aside For notions of God whatever they are will bear sway and rule in the heart when things are put to the tryal They were in the Heathens of old they abode with them in all their darkness as might be manifested by innumerable instances But so it is in all men by nature their inward thought is that God is an Avenger of sin that it belongs to his Rule and Government of the world his Holiness and Righteousness to take care that every sin be punished This is his Judgement which all men know as was observed before Rom. 1. 32. They know that it is a Righteous thing with God to render tribulation unto sinners From thence is that dread and fear which surprizeth men at an apprehension of the Presence of God or of any thing under him above them that may seem to come on his errand This notion of Gods avenging all sin exerts it self secretly but effectually So Adam trembled and hid himself And it was the saying of old I have seen God and shall dye When men are under any dreadful Providence thundrings lightnings tempests in darkness they tremble not so much at what they see or hear or feel as from their secret thoughts that God is nigh and that he is a consuming fire Now these inbred notions lye universally against all Apprehensions of forgiveness which must be brought into the soul from without doors having no Principle of nature to promote them It is true Men by nature have presumptions and common ingrafted notions of other properties of God besides his Holiness and Justice as of his Goodness Benignity Love of his Creatures and the like But all these have this supposition inlaid with
fearful expectation of judgement and fiery indignation as to the prevailing apprehension of their minds And Sixthly God secretly sends his Arrows into the soul that wound and gall it adding pain trouble and disquietness to its disconsolation Psalm 38. 2. Thine arrows stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore Ever and anon in his walking God shot a sharp piercing arrow fixing it on his soul that galled wounded and perplexed him filling him with pain and grievous vexation These arrows are Gods rebukes Psal. 39. 11. When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity God speaks in his Word and by his Spirit in the Conscience things sharp and bitter to the soul fastning them so as it cannot shake them out These Job so mournfully complains of Chap. 6. 4. The Lord speaks words with that efficacy that they piecce the heart quite through and what the issue then is David declares Psal. 38 3. There is no soundness saith he in my flesh because of thine anger nor is there any rest in my bones because of my sin The whole person is brought under the power of them and all health and rest is taken away and Seventhly Unspiritedness and disability unto Duty in doing or suffering attend such a condition Psal. 40. 12. Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up His spiritual strength was worn away by sin so that he was not able to address himself unto any communion with God The soul now cannot pray with life and power cannot hear with joy and profit cannot do good and communicate with cheerfulness and freedom cannot meditate with delight and heavenly mindedness cannot act for God with zeal and liberty cannot think of suffering with boldness and resolution but is sick weak feeble and bowed down Now I say a gracious soul after much communion with God may on the account of sin by a sense of the guilt of it be brought into a state and condition wherein some more or all of these with other the like perplexities may be its portion And these make up the Depths whereof the Pfalmist here complains What are the sins or of what sorts that ordinarily cast the souls of Believers into these depths shall be afterwards declared I shall now shew both whence it is that Believers may fall into such a condition as also whence it is that oftentimes they actually do so Whence it is that Believers may be brought into depths on the account of sin Nature of the supplies of Grace given in the Covenant How far they extend Principles of the power of sin First The Nature of the Covenant wherein all Believers now walk with God and wherein all their whole provision for obedience is enwrapped leaves it possible for them to fall into these depths that have been mentioned Under the first Covenant there was no mercy or forgiveness provided for any sin It was necessary then that it should exhibit a sufficiency of Grace to preserve from every sin or it could have been of no use at all This the Rigteousness of God required and so it was To have made a Covenant wherein there was no provision at all of pardon and not a sufficiency of Grace to keep the Covenanters from need of pardon was not answerable to the Goodness and Righteousness of God But he made man upright who of his own accord sought out many inventions It is not so in the Covenant of Grace There is in it pardon provided in the blood of Christ It is not therefore of indispensible necessity that there should be administred in it Grace effectually preserving from every sin Yet is it on all accounts to be preferred before the other For besides the relief by pardon which the other knew nothing of there is in it also much provision against sin which was not in the other First There is provision made in it against all and every sin that would disannull the Covenant and make a final separation between God and a soul that hath been once taken into the bond thereof This provision is absolute God hath taken upon himself the making of this good and the establishing this Law of the Covenant that it shall not by any sin be disannulled Jor. 32. 40. I will saith God make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me The security hereof depends not on any thing in our selves All that is in us is to be used as a means of the accomplishment of this Promise but the event or issue depends absolutely on the faithfulness of God And the whole certainty and stability of the Covenant depends on the efficacy of the Grace administred in it to preserve men from all such sins as would disanull it Secondly There is in this Covenant provision made for constant peace and consolation notwithstanding and against the guilt of such sins as through their infirmities and temptations believers are daily exposed unto Though they fall into sins every day yet they do not fall into depths every day In the tenour of this Covenant there is a consistency between a sense of sin unto humiliation and peace with strong consolation After the Apostle had described the whole conflict that Believers have with sin and the frequent wounds which they receive thereby which makes them cry out for deliverance Rom. 7. 24. He yet concludes Chap. 8. 1. that there is no condemnation unto them which is a sufficient and stable foundation of Peace So 1 John 2. 1. These things have I written unto you that you sin not and if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous Our great business and care ought to be that we sin not but yet when we have done our utmost if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves Chap. 1. 8. What then shall poor sinful guilty creatures do why let them go to the Father by their Advocate and they shall not fail of pardon and peace And saith Paul Heb 6. 17 18. God is abundantly willing that we might have strong consolation who fly for resuge to lay hold on the hope set before us What was his condition who fled of old to the City of refuge for safety from whence this expression is taken He was guilty of blood though shed at unawares and so as that he was to dye for it if he escaped not to the City of Refuge Though we may have the guilt of sins upon us that the Law pronounceth death unto yet flying to Christ for refuge God hath provided not only safety but strong consolation for us also Forgiveness in the blood of Christ doth not only take guilt from the soul but trouble also from the conscience And in this respect doth the Apostle at large set forth the Excellency of his Sacrifice Heb. 10. The Sacrifices of the Old Law he
between those whom he serves and their Enemies so that he may leave his Guard and set open the Gates and cease his watchfulness how wary will he be lest under this pretence he be betrayed No saith he I will keep my hold until I have express order from my Superiours Conscience is entrusted with the power of God in the soul of a sinner with command to keep all in subjection with reference unto the Judgement to come it will not betray its trust in believing every report of peace No! but this it sayes and it speaks in the name of God Guilt and punishment are inseparable twins If the soul sin God will judge What tell you me of forgiveness I know what my commission is and that I will abide by you shall not bring in a Superior Commander a cross Principle into my trust for if this be so it seems I must let go my Throne another Lord must come in not knowing as yet how this whole business is compounded in the blood of Christ. Now whom should a man believe if not his own Conscience which as it will not flatter him so it intends not to affright him but to speak the truth as the matter requireth Conscience hath two works in reference unto sin one to condemn the Acts of sin another to judge the Person of the sinner both with reference to the Judgement of God When forgiveness comes it would sever and part these employments and take one of them out of the hand of conscience It would divide the spoil with this strong one It shall condemn the fact or every sin but it shall no more condemn the sinner the Person of the sinner that shall be freed from its sentence Here Conscience labours with all its might to keep its whole dominion and to keep out the power of forgiveness from being enthroned in the soul. It will allow men to talk of forgiveness to hear it preached though they abuse it every day but to receive it in its power that stands up in direct opposition to its dominion in the Kingdom saith Conscience I will be greater than thou and in many in the most it keeps its possession and will not be deposed Nor indeed is it an easie work so to deal with it The Apostle tells us that all the Sacrifices of the Law could not do it Heb. 10. 2. they could not bring a man into that estate wherein he should have no more conscience of sin that is Conscience condemning the Person for conscience in a sense of sin and condemnation of it is never to be taken away And this can be no otherwise done but by the blood of Christ as the Apostle at large there declares It is then no easie thing to make a discovery of forgiveness unto a soul when the work and employment which Conscience upon unquestionable grounds challengeth unto it self lyes in opposition unto it Hence is the souls great desire to establish its own Righteousness whereby its natural Principles may be preserved in their power Let self-righteousness be enthroned and natural conscience desires no more it is satisfied and pacified The Law it knows and Righteousness it knows but as for forgiveness it sayes whence is it Unto the utmost until Christ perfects his conquest there are on this account secret struglings in the heart against free pardon in the Gospel and fluctuations of mind and Spirit about it Yea hence are the doubts and fears of believers themselves They are nothing but the strivings of Conscience to keep its whole dominion to condemn the sinner as well as the sin More or less it keeps up its pretensions against the Gospel whilst we live in this world It is a great work that the blood of Christ hath to do upon the Conscience of a sinner for whereas as it hath been declared it hath a power and claims a right to condemn both sin and sinner the one part of this its power is to be cleared strengthened made more active vigorous and watchful the other to be taken quite away It shall now see more sins than formerly more of the vileness of all sins than formerly and condemn them with more abborrency than ever upon more and more glorious accounts than formerly but it is also made to see an interposition between these sins and the Person of the sinner who hath committed them which is no small or ordinary work Secondly The Law lyes against this discovery The Law is a beam of the Holiness of God himself What it speaks unto us it speaks in the name and Authority of God And I shall briefly shew concerning it these two things 1. That this is the voyce of the Law namely that there is no forgiveness for a sinner 2. That a sinner hath great reason to give credit to the Law in that Assertion 1. It is certain that the Law knows neither mercy nor forgiveness The very sanction of it lyes wholly against them The soul that sinneth shall dye Cursed is he that continueth not in all things written in the Book of the Law to do them Deut. 27. 26. Hence the Apostle pronounceth universally without exception that they who are under the Law are under the curse Gal. 3. 10. And saith he v. 12. The Law is not of faith There is an inconsistency between the Law and believing they cannot have their abode in power together Do this and live fail and dye is the constant immutable voyce of the Law This it speaks in general to all and this in particular to every one 2. The sinner seems to have manifold and weighty Reasons to attend to the voyce of this Law and to acquiesce in its sentence For 1. The Law is connatural to him his Domestick his old acquaintance It came into the world with him and hath grown up with him from his Infancy It was implanted in his heart by nature is his own Reason he can never shake it off or part with it It is his Familiar his Friend that cleaves to him as the flesh to the bone so that they who have not the Law written cannot but sheâ— forth the work of the Law Rom. 2. 14. 15. and that because the Law it self is inbred to them and all the faculties of the soul are at peace with it in subjection to it It is the bond and ligament of their union harmony and correspondency among themselves in all their moral actings It gives life order motion to them all Now the Gospel that comes to controll this sentence of the Law and to relieve the sinner from it is forraign to his nature a strange thing to him a thing he hath no acquaintance or familiarity with it hath not been bred up with him nor is there any thing in him to side with it to make a party for it or to plead in its behalf Now shall not a man rather believe a Domestick a Friend indeed himself than a forraigner a stranger that comes with uncouth Principles and such as
are a generation of philosophiâ—â—â— disputers amongst them by whom their tottering cause is supported that there should have been Sacrisices in Paradice if man had not sinned But as in all their opinions our first enquiry ought to be what do they get by this or that their whole Religion being pointed unto their carnal interest so we may in particular do it upon this uncouth Assertion which is perfectly contradictious to the very Nature and End of most Sacrifices namely that they should be offered where there is no sin Why they hope to establish hence a general rule that there can be no true Worship of God in any state or condition without a Sacrifice What then I pray Why then it is evident that the continual Sacrifice of the Mass is necessary in the Church and that without it there is no true Worship of God and so they are quickly come home to their advantage and profit the Mass being that inexhaustible Spring of Revenue which feeds their pride and lust throughout the world But there is in the Church of Christ an Altar still and a Sacrifice still which they have rejected for the a bominable figment of their Mass namely Christ himself as the Apostle informs us Heb. 13. 10. But as the Sacrifices of Beasts could not have been before the entrance of sin so it may be evidenced that they were instituted from the foundation of the world that is presently after the entrance of sin Christ is called the Lamb of God John 1. 29. which he was in reference unto the Sacrifices of old as 1 Pet. 2. 18 19. whence he is represented in the Church as a Lamb slain Rev. 5. 6. or giving out the efficacy of all Sacrifices to his Church Now he is said to be a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Rev. 13. 8. which could not be unless some Sacrifice prefiguring his being slain had been then offered For it denotes not only the efficacy of his Mediation but the way Besides the Apostle tells us that without shedding of blood there was no remission Heb. 9. 22. That is God to demonstrate that all pardon and forgiveness related to the blood of Christ from the foundation of the world gave out no word of pardon but by and with blood Now I have shewed before that he revealed pardon in the first promise and therefore there ensued thereon the shedding of blood and Sacrifices and thereby that Testament or Covenant was dedicated with blood also ver 18. Some think that the Beasts of whose skins God made garments for Adam were offered in Sacrifices Nor is their conjecture vain Yea it seems not to want a shaddow of a Gospel Mysterie that their nakedness which became their shame upon their sin whence the pollution and shame of sin is frequently so termed should be covered with the skins of their Sacrifices For in the true Sacrifice there is somewhat answerable thereunto And the Righteousness of him whose Sacrifice takes away the guilt of our sin is called our cloathing that hides our pollution and shame 3. That after the giving of the Law the greatest most noble and solemn part of the Worship of God consisted in Sacrifices And this kind of Worship continued with the approbation of God in the world about four thousand years that is from the entrance of sin until the death of the Messiah the true Sacrifice which put an end unto all that was typical These things being premised we may consider what was the mind and aim of God in the Institution of this Worship One instance and that of the most solemn of the whole kind will resolve us in this enquiry Lev. 16. 5. Two Kids of the Goats are taken for an offering for sin Consider only that we do not enlarge on particulars how one of them was dealt withal ver 20 21 22. He shall bring the live Goat and Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live Goat and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgression in all their sins putting them upon the head of the Goat and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the Wilderness and the Goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a Land not inhabited Let us see to what end is all this Solemnity and what is declared thereby Wherefore should God appoint poor sinful men to come together to take a Goat or Lamb and to confess over his head all their sins and transgressions and to devote him to destruction under that confession Had men invented this themselves it had been a matter of no moment But it was an Institution of God which he bound his Church to the observation of upon the penalty of his highest displeasure Certainly this was a solemn declaration that there is forgiveness with him Would that God who is infinitely Good and so will not who is infinitely True holy and faithful and so cannot deceive call men out whom he loved to a solemn Representation of a thing wherein their chiefest their eternal concernment did lye and suffer them to feed upon Ashes Let men take heed that they mock not God for of a Truth God mocketh not man until he be finally rejected by him For four thousand years together then did God declare by Sacrifices that there is forgiveness with him and lead his people by them to make a publick Representation of it in the face of the world This is a second uncontrolable Evidence of the Truth asserted which may possibly be of use to souls that come indeed deeply and seriously to deal with God for though the Practice be ceased yet the Instruction intended in thern continues III. Gods appointment of Repentance unto sinners doth reveal that there is forgiveness in himself I say the prescription of Repentance is a Revelation of forgiveness After the Angels had sinned God never once called them to Repentance He would not deceive them but let them know what they were to look for at his hands he hath no forgiveness for them and therefore would require no Repentance of them It is not nor ever was a duty incumbent on them to repent Nor is it so unto the damned in Hell God requires it not of them nor is it their duty There being no forgiveness for them what should move them to repent Why should it be their duty so to do Their eternal anguish about sin committed hath nothing of Repentance in it Assignation then of Repentance is a Revelation of forgiveness God would not call upon a sinful creature to humble it self and bewail its sin if there were no way of recovery or relief And the only way of recovery from the guilt of sin is pardon so Job 33. 27 28. He looketh on men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not he will deliver his soul from going into the pit and his life shall see the light
him nor any direction how to deal with him in any of his concernments Great and signal then was the condescension in God to take his poor Creature into Covenant with himself And especially will this be manifest if we consider the Ends of it and why it is that God thus deals with man Now these are no other than that man might serve him aright be blessed by him and be brought unto the everlasting enjoyment of him all unto his Glory These are the Ends of every Covenant that God takes us into with himself And these are the whole of man No more is required of us in a way of duty no more can be required by us to make us blessed and happy but what is contained in them That we might live to God be accepted with him and come to the eternal fruition of him is the whole of man All that we were made for or are capable of and these are the Ends of every Covenant that God makes with men being all comprized in that solemn word that he will be their God and they shall be his people Secondly This being the Nature this the End of a Covenant there must be some great and important cause to change alter and abrogate a Covenant once made and established to lay aside one Covenant and to enter into another And yet this the Apostle sayes expresly that God had done Heb. 8. 13. and proves it because himself calls that which he promised a New Covenant which undeniably confirms two things First That the other was become old and Secondly That being become so it was changed altered and removed I know the Apostle speaks immediately of the old Administration of the Covenant under the Old Testament or Mosaical Institutions but he doth so with reference unto that revival which in it was given to the first Covenant made with Adam For in the giving of the Law and the Curse wherewith it was accompanied which were immixed with that Administration of the Covenant there was a solemn revival and Representation of the first Covenant and its Sanction whereby it had life and power given it to keep the people in bondage all their dayes And the end of the Abolition or taking way of the Legal Administration of the Covenant was meerly to take out of Gods dealing with his people all use and Remembrance of the first Covenant As was said therefore to take away disannul and change a Covenant so made ratified and established betwixt God and man is a matter that must be resolved into some cogent important and indispensable cause And this will the more evidently appear if we consider First In general that the first Covenant was Good Holy Righteous and Equal It was such as became God to make and was every way the happiness of the Creature to accept of We need no other Argument to prove it holy and good than this that God made it It was the Effect of infinite Holiness Wisdome Righteousness Goodness and Grace And therefore in it self was it every way perfect for so are all the works of God Besides it was such as man when through his own sault he cannot obtain any good by it and must perish everlastingly by vertue of the Curse of it yet cannot but subscribe unto its Righteousness and Holiness The Law was the Rule of it therein is the tenor of it contained Now saith the Apostle whatever becomes of the sin and the sinner the Law is holy and the commandment is holy and just and good Rom. 7. 12. Holy in it self and its own Nature as being the Order and Constitution of the most holy God Just and equal with reference unto us such as we have no reason to complain of or repine against the Authority of it and the terms of it are most righteous And not only so but it is good also that which notwithstanding the appearance of Rigor and severity which it is accompanied withal had in it an exceeding mixture of Goodness and Grace both in the Obedience constituted in it and the Reward annexed unto it as might be more fully manifested were that our present work Secondly In particular it was Good Holy and Righteous in all the Commands of it in the Obedience which it required And two things there were that rendred it exceeding Righteous in reference unto its Precepts or Commands First That they were all suited unto the Principles of the nature of man created by God and in the regular acting whereof consisted his perfection God in the first Covenant required nothing of man prescribed nothing unto him but what there was a Principle for the doing and accomplishing of it ingrafted and implanted on his nature which rendred all those commands equal holy and good For what need any man complain of that which requires nothing of him but what he is from his own frame and Principles inclined unto Secondly all the Commands of it were proportionate unto the strength and ability of them to whom they were given God in that Covenant required nothing of any man but what he had before enabled him to perform nothing above his strength or beyond his power and thence was it also righteous Secondly It was exceeding Good Holy and Righteous upon the account of its Promises and rewards Do this saith the Covenant this which thou art able to do which the Principles of thy nature are fitted for and enclined unto Well what shall be the issue thereof Why do this and live Life is promised unto Obedience and that such a Life as both for the present and future condition of the creature was accompanied with every thing that was needful to make it blessed and happy Yea this Life having in it the eternal enjoyment of God God himself as a Reward was exceedingly above whatever the Obedience of man could require as due or have any Reason on any other account but meerly of the Goodness of God to expect Thirdly There was provision in that Covenant for the Preservation and manifestation of the Glory of God whatever was the Event on the part of man This was provided for in the Wisdom and Righteousness of God Did man continue in his Obedience and fulfill the terms of the Covenant all things were laid in subserviency to the Eternal Glory of God in his Reward Herein would he for ever have manifested and exalted the Glory of his Holiness Power Faithfulness Righteousness and Goodness As an Almighty Creator and Preserver as a faithful God and Righteous Rewarder would he have been glorified On supposition on the other side that man by sin and Rebellion should trangress the terms and tenor of this Covenant yet God had made provision that no detriment unto his Glory should ensue thereon For by the constitution of a punishment proportionable in his Justice unto that sin and demerit he had provided that the glory of his Holiness Righteousness and Veracity in his Threatnings should be exalted and that to all Eternity God would have
is spoken relates to the sense of sinners in their own souls and not to the nature of the thing it self There is in the Gospel consolation provided against the greatest as well as the least sins The difference ariseth from Gods Soveraign communication of it according to that tenor of the Covenants Administration which we have laid down Hence because under Moses's Law there was an exception made of some sins for which there was no Sacrifice appointed so that those who were guilty of them could no way be justified from them that is carnally as to their interest in the Judaical Church and Polity Paul tells the Jews Acts 13. 38 39. That through Jesus Christ was preached unto them the forgiveness of sins and that by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses There is now no exception of any particular sins as to pardon and peace but what we have spoken relates unto the manner and way wherein God is pleased to administer consolation to the souls of sinning Believers And this is the Evidence which I shall offer to prove that the souls of Believers after much Gracious Communion with God may yet fall into inextricable depths on the account of sin whence it is that actually they oftentimes do so shall be farther declared The Principles of this Assertion are known I shall therefore only touch upon them First The nature of Indwelling-sin as it remains in the best of the Saints in this life being a little considered will evidence unto us from whence it is that they are sometimes surprized and plunged into the depths mentioned For First Though the strength of every sin be weakned by Grace yet the root of no sin is in this life wholly taken away Lust is like the stubborn Canaanites who after the general conquest of the Land would yet dwell in it still Judg. 17. 12. Indeed when Israel grew strong they brought them under tribute but they could not utterly expell them The Kingdom and Rule belongs to Grace and when it grows strong it brings sin much under but it will not wholly be driven out The Body of Death is not utterly to be done away but in and by the Death of the Body In the flesh of the best Saints there dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7. 8. but the contrary is there that is the root of all evil The flesh lusteth against the Spirit as the Spirit lusteth against the flesh Gal. 5. 17. As then there is an Universality in the actings of the Spirit in its opposing all evil so also there is an Universality in the actings of the flesh for the furtherance of it Secondly Some Lusts or branches of original corruption do obtain in some persons such advantages either from Nature Custom Employment Society or the like Circumstances that they become like the Canaanites that had iron Chariots it is a very difficult thing to subdue them Well it is if War be maintained constantly against them for they will almost alwayes be in actual Rebellion Thirdly Indwelling-Sin though weakned retaineth all its properties the properties of a thing follow its nature Where the nature of any thing is there are all its natural properties What are these properties of Indwelling Sin I should here declare but that I have handled the whole power and efficacy the nature and properties of it in a Treatise to that only purpose In brief they are such as it is no wonder that some Believers are by them cast into depths but it is indeed that any do escape them But hereof the Reader may see at large my Discourse on this particular subject Secondly Add hereunto the power and prevalency of temptation which because also I have already in a special Discourse to that purpose insisted on I shall not here farther lay open Thirdly The Soveraign pleasure of God in dealing with sinning Saints must also be considered Divine Love and Wisdom work not towards all in the same manner God is pleased to continue Peace unto some with a non-obstante for great provocations Love shall humble them and rebukes of kindness shall recover them from their wandrings Others he is pleased to bring into the depths we have been speaking of But yet I may say generally signal provocations meet with one of these two events from God First Those in whom they are are left unto some signal barrenness and fruitlesness in their Generations they shall wither grow barren worldly sapless and be much cast out of the hearts of the people of God Or Secondly They shall be exercised in these depths from whence their way of deliverance is laid down in this Psalm Thus I say God deals with his Saints in great variety Some shall have all their bones broken when others shall have only the gentle strokes of the rod. We are in the hand of Mercy and he may deal with us as seems good unto him but for our parts great sins ought to be attended with expectations of great depths and preplexities And this is the state of the soul proposed in this Psalm and by us unto consideration These are the depths wherein it is entangled these the wayes and means whereby it is brought into these depths It s deportment in and under this state and condition lyes next in our way But before I proceed thereunto I shall annex some few things unto what hath been delivered tending to the farther opening of the whole Case before us And they are 1. What are or of what sort those sins are which usually cast the souls of Believers into these depths and then 2. Insist on some Aggravations of them What sins usually bring Believers into great spiritual distresses Aggravations of those sins First Sins in their own nature wasting Conscience are of this sort Sins that rise in opposition unto all of God that is in us that is the light of Grace and Nature also Such are the sins that cast David into his depths Such are the sins enumerated 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Be not deceived saith the Apostle neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor abusers of themselves with Mankind Nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God Certain it is that Believers may fall into some of the sins here mentioned Some have done so as is left on record The Apostle says not those who have committed any of these sins but such sinners shall not inherit the Kingdom of God that is who live in these or any of these sins or any like unto them There is no provision of mercy made for such sinners These and the like are sins which in their own nature without the consideration of aggravating circumstances which yet indeed really in Believers they can never be without are able to plunge a soul into depths These sins cut the locks of mens spiritual strength and it is in vain for them to say
them in the souls of men namely that all things stand between God and his Creatures as they did at their first Creation and as they have no natural notion of forgiveness so the interposition of sin weakens disturbs darkens them as to any improvement of those Apprehensions of Goodness and Benignity which they have If they have any notion of forgiveness it is from some corrupt Tradition and not at all from any universal Principle that is inbred in nature such as are those which they have of Gods Holiness and Vindictive Justice And this is the first ground from whence it appears that a real solid discovery of forgiveness is indeed a great work many difficulties and hinderances lye in the way of its accomplishment False Presumptions of Forgiveness discovered Differences between them and Faith Evangelical Before I proceed to produce and manage the remaining Evidences of this Truth because what hath been spoken lyes obnoxious and open to an Objection which must needs rise in the minds of many that it may not thereby be rendered useless unto them I shall remove it out of the way that we may pass on to what remains It will then be said doth not all this lye directly contrary to our daily experience Do we not find all men full enough most too full of Apprehensions of Forgiveness with God What so common as God is merciful Are not the Consciences and Convictions of the most stifled by this Apprehension Can you find a man that is otherwise minded Is it not a common complaint that men presume on it unto their eternal ruine Certainly then that which all men do which every man can so easily do and which you cannot keep men off from doing though it be to their hurt hath no such difficulty in it as is pretended And on this very account hath this weak endeavour to demonstrate this Truth been by some laughed to scorn men who have taken upon them the teaching of others but as it seems had need be taught themselves the very first Principles of the Oracles of God Answ. All this then I say is so and much more to this purpose may be spoken The solly and presumption of poor souls herein can never be enough lamented But it is one thing to embrace a cloud a shadow another to have the truth in reality I shall hereafter shew the true nature of forgiveness and wherein it doth consist whereby the vanity of this self-deceiving will be discovered and laid open It will appear in the issue that notwithstanding all their pretensions that the most of men know nothing at all or not any thing to the purpose of that which is under consideration I shall therefore for the present in some few Observations shew how far this delusion of many differs from a true Gospel discovery of forgiveness such as that we are enquiring after First The common notion of forgiveness that men have in the world is twofold 1. An Atheistical Presumption on God that he is not so Just and Holy or not Just and Holy in such a way and manner as he is by some represented is the ground of their perswasion of forgiveness Men think that some Declarations of God are fitted only to make them mad That he takes little notice of these things and that what he doth he will easily pass by as they suppose better becomes him Come Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye This is their inward thought the Lord will not do good nor will he do evil which sayes the Psalmist is mens thinking that God is such a one as themselves Psal. 50. 21. They have no deep nor serious thoughts of his Greatness Holiness Purity Severity but think that he is like themselves so far as not to be much moved with what they do What thoughts they have of sin the same they think God hath If with them a slight ejaculation be enough to expiate sin that their consciences be no more troubled they think it is enough with God that it be not punished The generality of men make light work of sin and yet in nothing doth it more appear what thoughts they have of God He that hath slight thoughts of sin had never great thoughts of God Indeed mens-undervaluing of sin ariseth meerly from their contempt of God All sins concernments flow from its Relation unto God And as mens apprehensions are of God so will they be of sin which is an Opposition to him This is the frame of the most of men they know little of God and are little troubled about any thing that relates unto him God is not reverenced sin is but a trifle forgiveness a matter of nothing who so will may have it for asking But shall this Atheistical wickedness of the heart of man be called a discovery of forgiveness Is not this to make God an Idol He who is not acquainted with Gods Holiness and Purity who knows not sins desert and sinfulness knows nothing of forgiveness Secondly From the doctrine of the Gospel commonly preached and made known there is a general notion begotten in the minds of men that God is ready to forgive Men I say from hence have a doctrinal Apprehension of this truth without any real satisfactory foundation of that Apprehension as to themselves This they have heard this they have been often told so they think and so they are resolved to do A general perswasion hereof spreads it self over all to whom the sound of the Gospel doth come It is not fiducially resolved into the Gospel but is an Opinion growing out of the Report of it Some relief men find by it in the common course of their Conversation in the duties of Worship which they do perform as also in their troables and distresses whether internal and of conscience or external and of Providence so that they resolve to retain it And this is that which I shall briefly speak unto and therein manifest the differences between this common prevailing Apprehension of forgiveness and Faiths discovery of it to the soul in its power First That which we reject is loose and general not fixed ingrafted or planted on the mind So is it alwayes where the minds of men receive things only in their notion and not in their power It wants fixedness and foundation which defects accompany all notions of the mind that are only retained in the memory not implanted in the Judgement They have general thoughts of it which they use as occasion serves They hear that God is a merciful God and as such they intend to deal with him For the true bottom rise and foundation of it whence or on what account the pure and holy God who will do no iniquity the Righteous God whose judgement it is that they that commit sin are worthy of death should yet pardon iniquity transgression and sin they weigh it not they consider it not or if they do it is in a slight and notional way as they consider
this matter and that is his eternal designation of the persons who shall be made partakers of this mercy He hath not left this thing to hazard and uncertainties that it should as it were be unknown to him who should be pardoned and who not Nay none ever are made partakers of forgiveness but those whom he hath eternally and graciously designed thereunto So the Apostle declares it Eph. 1. 5 6 7. the rise is his eternal Predestination the end the glory of his Grace the means Redemption in the blood of Christ the thing it self forgiveness of sins None ever are or can be made partakers thereof but by vertue of this Act of Gods Will and Grace which thereupon hath a peculiar influence into it and is to be respected in the consideration of it I know this may be abused by pride profaneness and unbelief and so may the whole work of Gods Grace and so it is even the blood of Christ in an especial manner but in its proper place and use it hath a signal influence into the glory of God and the consolation of the souls of men There are also other Acts of this purpose of Gods Grace as of giving sinners unto Christ and giving sinners an interest in Christ which I shall not insist upon because the nature of them is sufficiently discovered in that one explained already Secondly Forgiveness hath respect unto the Propitiation made in and by the blood of Christ the Son of God This was declared in the opening of the words Indeed here lyes the knot and center of Gospel forgiveness It flows from the Cross and springs out of the Grave of Christ. Thus Elihu describes it Job 33. 24. God is gracious unto him and saith deliver him from going down to the pit I have found a ransom The whole of what is aimed at lyes in these words 1. There is Gods gracious and merciful heart towards a sinner He is gracious unto him 2. There is Actual Condonation it self of which we shall treat afterward He saith deliver him from going down to the pit And 3. There is the center of the whole wherein Gods gracious heart and actual pardon do meet and that is the ransome the propitiation or attonement that is in the blood of Christ of which we speak I have found a ransome The same is expressed Isa. 53. 11. My rightoous servant shall justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities Of the justification of sinners Absolution or pardon is the first part This ariseth from Christs bearing of their iniquities Therein he finished the transgression made an end of sin and made Reconciliation for iniquity Dan. 9. 24. Even all the Sacrifices and so consequently the whole worship of the Old Testament evinced this Relation between forgiveness and bloodshedding whence the Apostle concludes that without shedding of blood there is no remission Heb. 9. 22. that is all pardon ariseth from bloodsheding even of the blood of the Son of God So that we are said in him to have Redemption even the forgiveness of sins Ephes. 1. 17. Our Redemption in his blood is our forgiveness not that we are all actually pardoned in the blood of his Cross for thereunto must be added Gospel condonation of which afterwards but thereby it is procured the grant of pardon is therein sealed and security given that it shall in due time be made out unto us To which purpose is that discourse of the Apostle Rom. 3. 24 25 26. The work there mentioned proceeds from Grace is managed to the interest of Righteousness is carryed on by the blood of Christ and issues in forgiveness now the blood of Christ relates variously to the pardon of sin First Pardon is purchased and procured by it Our Redemption is our forgiveness as the cause contains the effect No soul is pardoned but with respect unto the blood of Christ as the procuring cause of that pardon Hence he is said to have washed us in his blood Rev. 1. 5. In himself to have purged our sins Heb. 1. 3. by one offering to have taken away sin and for ever to have perfected them that are sanctified Heb. 10. to be the ransome and propitiation of our sins 1 John 2. 2. to have made an end of sin Dan. 9. 24. and to have made Reconciliation for the sins of his people Heb. 2. 17. God hath enclosed his rich stores of pardon and mercy in the blood of Jesus Secondly Because in his blood the Promise of pardon is ratified and confirmed so that nothing is wanting to our compleat forgiveness but our pleading the Promise by faith in him 2 Cor. 1. 20. All the Promises of God are in him Yea and in him Amen that is faithfully and irrevocably and immutably established And therefore the Apostle having told us that this is the Covenant of God that he would be merciful to our sins and iniquities Heb. 8. 12. He informs us that in the undertaking of Christ this Covenant is become a Testament Chap. 9. 15 16 17. So ratified in his blood that mercy and forgiveness of sin is irrevocably confirmed unto us therein Thirdly Because he hath in his own Person as the Head of the Church received an acquitment for the whole body His Personal discharge upon the accomplishment of his work was a pledge of the discharge which was in due time to be given to his whole mystical body Peter tells us Acts 2. 24. That it was impossible he should be detained by death And why so because death being penally inflicted on him when he had paid the debt he was legally to be acquitted Now for whom and in whose name and stead he suffered for them and in their name and stead he received his acquitment Fourthly Because upon his death God the Father hath committed unto him the whole management of the business of forgiveness Acts 5. 31. He now gives repentance and the forgiveness of sins It is Christ that forgives us Col. 3. 13. All forgiveness is now at his disposal and he pardoneth whom he will even all that are given unto him of the Father not casting out any that come to God by him He is intrusted with all the stores of his Fathers purpose and his own purchase and thence tells us that all things that the Father hath are his John 16. 15. In all these respects doth forgiveness relate to the blood of Christ. Mercy Pardon and Grace could find no other way to issue forth from the heart of the Father but by the heart blood of the Son and so do they stream unto the heart of the sinner Two things are principally to be considered in the respect that forgiveness hath to the blood of Christ. 1. The way of its Procurement 2. The way of its Administration by him The first is deep mysterious dreadful It was by his blood the blood of the Cross the travel of his soul his undergoing wrath and curse 2. The other is gracious merciful and tender whence so many things
We will then bring our guilty souls into his presence and attend the pleasure of his Grace what he speaks concerning us we will willingly submit unto And this sometimes proves an Anchor to a tossed soul which though it gives it not rest and peace yet it saves it from the rock of despair Here it abides until Light do more and more break forth upon it Thirdly Faith dealing about forgiveness doth commonly eye in a peculiar manner its relation to the mediation and blood of Christ. So the Apostle directs 1 John 2. 2. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins If any one hath sinned and is in depths and entanglements about it what course shall he take how shall he proceed to obtain deliverance why he must unto God for pardon but what shall he rely upon to encourage him in his so doing saith the Apostle consider by faith the Attonement and propitiation made for sin by the blood of Christ and that he is still pursuing the work of Love to the suing out of pardon for us and rest thy soul thereon This I say most commonly is that which faith in the first place immediately fixes on Fourthly Faith eyes actual pardon or condonation So God proposeth it as a motive to further believing Isa. 44. 22. I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins return unto me for I have redeemed thee Actual pardon of sin is proposed to faith as an encouragement unto a full returning unto God in all things 2 Sam. 23. 5. And the like may be said of all the other particulars which we have insisted on There is not any of them but will yield peculiar relief unto a soul dealing with God about forgiveness as having some one special concernment or other of forgiveness in wrapped in them Only as I said they do it not exclusively but are the special doors whereby believing enters into the whole And these things must be spoken unto afterwards Let us now take along with us the end for which all these considerations have been insisted on It is to manifest that a real discovery of Gospel Forgiveness is a matter of greater consequence and importance than at first proposal it may be it appeared unto some to be Who is not in hopes in expectation of pardon Who thinks not that they know well enough at least what it is if they might but obtain it But men may have general thoughts of impunity and yet be far enough from any saving acquaintance with Gospel mercy Forgiveness discovered or Revealed only to Faith Reasons thereof For a close of this Discourse I shall only add what is included in that Proposition which is the foundation of the whole namely that this discovery of forgiveness is and can be made to faith alone The nature of it is such as that nothing else can discover it or receive it No Reasonings no enquiries of the heart of man can reach unto it That guess or glimpse which the Heathens had of old of somewhat so called and which false Worshippers have at present is not the forgiveness we insist upon but a meer imagination of their own hearts This the Apostle informs us Rom. 1. 17. The Righteousness of God is in the Gospel revealed from faith to faith Nothing but faith hath any thing to do with it It is that Righteousness of God whereof he speaks that consists in the forgiveness of sins by the blood of Christ declared in the Gospel And this is revealed from the faith of God in the Promise to the faith of the Believer to him that mixes the Promise with faith And again more fully 1 Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him The wayes whereby we may come to the knowledge of any thing are by the seeing of the eye or the hearing of the ear or the Reasonings and meditations of the heart but now none of these will reach to the matter in hand by none of these wayes can we come to an acquaintance with the things of the Gospel that are prepared for us in Christ. How then shall we obtain the knowledge of them that he declares v. 10. God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit Now it is faith only that receives the Revelations of the Spirit nothing else hath to do with them To give evidence hereunto we may consider that this great mysterie 1. Is too Deep 2. Is too Great for ought else to discover and 3. That nothing else but faith is suited to the making of this discovery First It is too deep and mysterious to be fathomed and reached by any thing else Reasons line is too short to fathom the depths of the Fathers Love of the blood of the Son and the Promises of the Gospel built thereon wherein forgiveness dwells Men cannot by their rational considerations launch out into these deeps nor draw water by them from these Wells of Salvation Reason stands by amazed and cryes how can these things be it can but gather Cockle shells like him of old at the shoar of this Ocean a few Criticisms upon the outward letter and so bring an evil report upon the Land as did the Spies All it can do is but to hinder faith from venturing into it crying spare thy self this attempt is vain these things are impossible It is among the things that faith puts off and layes aside when it engageth the soul into this great work This then that it may come to a discovery of forgiveness causeth the soul to deny it self and all its own Reasonings and to give up it self to an infinite fulness of Goodness and Truth Though it cannot go into the bottom of these depths yet it enters into them and finds rest in them Nothing but faith is suited to rest to satiate and content it self in mysterious bottomless unsearchable depths Being a soul emptying a Reason denying Grace the more it meets withal beyond its search and reach the more satisfaction it finds This is that which I looked for saith Faith even for that which is infinite and unsearchable When I know that there is abundantly more beyond me that I do not comprehend than what I have attained unto for I know that nothing else will do good to the soul. Now this is that which really puzzles and overwhelms Reason rendring it useless What it cannot compass it will neglect or despise It is either amazed and confounded and dazled like weak eyes at too great a light or fortifying of it self by inbred pride and obstinacy it concludes that this preaching of the Cross of forgiveness from the Love of God by the blood of Christ is plain folly a thing not for a wise man to take notice of or to trouble himself about So it appeared to the wise Greeks
as to a sense and participation of the choice fruits of the death of Christ procured for those who are justified by their acceptance of the Attonement It flourisheth not without his sealing witnessing establishing and shedding abroad the Love of God in our hearts See Rom. 5. 2 3 4 5. And what Believer ought not to long for and press after the enjoyment of these things Nay to read of these things in the Gospel not experiencing them in our own hearts and yet to sit down quietly on this side of them without continual pressing after them is to despise the blood of Christ the Spirit of Grace and the whole work of Gods Love If there are no such things the Gospel is not true if there are and we press not after them we are despisers of the Gospel Surely he hath not the Spirit who would not have more of him all of him that is promised by Christ. These things are the hundred fold that Christ hath left us in this world to counterpoise our sorrows troubles and losses And shall we be so foolish as to neglect our only abiding riches and treasures In particular it is the product of an exercised vigorous active faith That our faith should be such alwayes in every state and condition I suppose it our duty to endeavour Not only our comforts but our Obedience also depends upon it The more faith that is true and of the right kind the more obedience For all our obedience is the obedience of faith 2. For its own fruit and what it produceth they are the choicest actings of our souls towards God as Love delight rejoycing in the Lord Peace Joy and Consolation in our selves readiness to do or suffer chearfulness in so doing If they grow not from this root yet their flourishing wholly depends upon it So that surely it is the duty of every Believer to break through all difficulties in pressing after this particular Assurance The Objections that persons raise against themselves in this case may afterwards be considered 2. In ordinary dispensations of God towards us and dealings with us it is mostly our own negligence and sloth that we come short of this Assurance It is true it depends in a peculiar manner on the Soveraignty of God He is as absolute in giving Peace to believers as in giving Grace to sinners This takes place and may be proposed as a relief in times of tryals and distress He createth light and causeth darkness as he pleaseth But yet considering what Promises are made unto us What encouragements are given us what love and tenderness there is in God to receive us I cannot but conclude that ordinarily the cause of our coming short of this Assurance is where I have fixed it And this is the first thing that is supposed in the foregoing Assertion Secondly It is supposed that there is or may be a saving perswasion or discovery of forgiveness in God Where there is no Assurance of any particular interest therein or that our own sins in particular are pardoned This is that which hath a Promise of gracious Acceptance with God and is therefore saving Isa. 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voyce of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Here is the fear of the Lord and Obedience with a blessed encouragement to rest in God and his Alsufficiency yet no Assurance nor light but darkness and that walked in or continued in for a long season For he cannot walk in darkness meet with nothing but darkness without any beam or ray of Light as the words signifie who is perswaded of the Love of God in the pardon of his sins And yet the faith of such an one and his Obedience springing from it have this Gracious Promise of Acceptance with God And innumerable testimonies to this purpose might be produced and instances in great plenty I shall only tender a little Evidence unto it in one Observation concerning the nature of faith and one more about the proposal of the thing to be believed or forgiveness And 1. Faith is called and is a cleaving unto the Lord Deut. 4. 4. Ye that did cleave or adhere unto the Lord that is who did believe Josh. 23. 8. cleave or adhere unto the Lord your God The same word is used also in the New Testament Acts 11. 23. He exhorted them that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord or continue stedfast in believing It is also often expressed by trusting in the Lord rolling our burden or casting our care upon him by committing our selves or our wayes unto him Now all this goes no further than the souls Resignation of it self unto God to be dealt withall by him according to the tenor of the Covenant of Grace ratified in the blood of Christ. This a soul cannot do without a discovery of forgiveness in God But this a soul may do without a special Assurance of his own interest therein This faith that thus adheres to God that cleaves to him will carry men to conclude that it is their Duty and their Wisdom to give up the disposal of their souls unto God and to cleave and adhere unto him as revealed in Christ waiting the pleasure of his Will It enables them to make Christ their choice and will carry men to Heaven safely though it may be at some seasons not very comfortably 2. The Revelation and discovery of forgiveness that is made in the Gospel evidenceth the same truth The first proposal of it or concerning it is not to any man that his sins are forgiven No but it is only that there is Redemption and forgiveness of sins in Christ. So the Apostle layes it down Acts 13. 38 39. Be it known unto you therefore Men and Brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses All this may be believed without a mans Assurance of his own personal interest in the things mentioned Now where they are believed with the faith the Gospel requires that faith is saving and the root of Gospel acceptable Obedience The Ransome I say the Attonement by Christ the fulness of the Redemption that is in him and so Forgiveness in his blood for Believers from the Good Will Grace and Love of the Father is the first Gospel discovery that a sinner in a saving manner closeth withal Particular Assurance ariseth or may arise afterwards and this also is supposed in the Assertion 2. That which is affirmed in it is That a discovery of forgiveness in God without any particular Assurance of personal interest therein is a great supportment to a sin entangled soul. And let no man despise the day of this small thing small in the eyes of some and those good men also as
needful for us And for the plainness of this Truth it is well if it be so unto us This I know nothing but the Spirit of God can make it so Men may please themselves and others sometimes with curious notions and make them seem to be things of great search and attainment which when they are well examined it may be they are not true or if they are are yet of a very little consequence or importance It is these fundamental Truths that have the mysteries of the Wisdom and Grace of God in wrapped in them which who so can unfold aright will shew himself a workman that needs not be ashamed These still waters are deep and the farther we dive into them the greater discovery shall we make of their depths And many other Sacred Truths there are whose mention is common but whose depths are little searched and whose efficacy is little known 3. We multiply these Evidences because they are multitudes that are concerned in them All that do believe and all that do not believe are so Those that do believe that they may be established and those that do not believe that they may be encouraged so to do Among both these sorts some evidences may be more profitable and useful one to one some to another It may be amongst all all will be gathered up that no fragments be lost They are all I hope instruments provided by the Holy Ghost for this end and by this Ordinance do we endeavour to put them into his hand to be made effectual as he will One may reach one soul another another according to his pleasure One may be of use to establishment another to consolation a third of encouragement according as the necessities of poor souls do require However God who hath provided them knows them all to be needful 4. They are so also upon the account of the various conditions wherein the Spirits of Believers themselves may be One may give help to the same soul at one season another at another one may secure the soul against a temptation another stir it up to Thankfulness and Obedience These things have I spoken that you may not think we dwell too long on this consideration And I pray God that your Consolation and Establishment may abound in the reading of these Meditations as I hope they have not been altogether without their fruit in their preparation Further Evidences of Forgiveness with God Testimonies that God was well pleased with some that were sinners The Patience of God towards the world an evidence of Forgiveness Experience of the Saints of God to the same purpose IV. Let us then in the fourth place as a fourth Evidence of this truth consider those both under the Old Testament and the New concerning whom we have the greatest Assurance that God was well pleased with them and that they are now in the enjoyment of him And this Argument unto this purpose the Apostle insists upon and presseth from sundry instances Heb. 11. How many doth he there reckon up who of old obtained a good report and this Testimony that they pleased God ver 2. 5. All these inherited the Promises through believing that is obtained the forgiveness of sin For whereas by nature they were children of wrath and under the Curse as well as others obtaining an infallible interest in the favour of God and this Testimony that they pleased him it could no otherwise be For without this on a just account every one of them would have continued in the state wherein Adam was when he heard the voyce of God and was afraid Wherefore it being evident that some persons in all Generations have enjoyed the friendship love and favour of God in this world and at their departure out of it have entred into Glory it makes it evident that there is forgiveness of sin with him without which these things could not be Let us after the example of the Apostle mention some particular instances in this matter Look unto Abraham He was the friend of God and walked with God God made a solemn Covenant with him and takes it for his memorial throughout all generations that he is the God of Abraham And he is doubtless now at rest with God Our Saviour calls the place or condition whereinto blessed souls are gathered Abrahams Bosom He is at rest with whom others are at rest The condition was the same with Isaac and Jacob. They also are Heaven being alive unto and with God Our Saviour proves it from the tenour of the Covenant I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead but of the living Matth. 22. 32. They are yet alive alive unto God and with him by vertue of the Covenant or after their death God would not be said to be their God This is the force of our Saviours Argument in that place that after their death God was still their God Then death had not reached their whole persons They were still alive with God in Heaven and their bodies by vertue of the same Covenant were to be recovered out of the dust The same is the state with David He was a man after Gods own heart that did all his Will and fulfilled all his pleasure And although he dyed and his body saw corruption yet he is not lost he is with God in Heaven Hence he ended his dayes triumphantly in a full apprehension of Eternal Rest beyond what could in this world be attained and that by vertue of the Covenant For these are the last words of David Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant ascertaining unto him sure and eternal mercies 2 Sam. 23. 5 Peter also is in Heaven Christ prayed for him that his faith should not fail and in his death he glorified God John 21. 19. So is Paul He also is in Heaven he knew that when he wis dissolved he should be with Christ. Here then we are encompassed about with a cloud of witnesses For 1. It is most certain that they were all sinners They were all so by nature for therein there is no difference between any of the Children of men And personally they were sinners also They confessed so of themselves and some of the sins of all of them stand upon record Yea some of them were great sinners or guilty of great and signal miscarriages Some before their Conversion as Abraham who was an Idolater Josh. 24. 2 3. and Paul who was a Persecutor and a Blasphemer Some after their Conversion Some in sins of the flesh against their Obedience as David and some in sins of Profession against saith as Peter Nothing then is more evident than that no one of them came to rest with God but by forgiveness Had they never been guilty of any one sin but only what is left upon Record concerning them in Holy Writ yet they could be saved no other way For he that
may take advantage to bring a greater punishment and revenge upon them and what more vile affection what more wretched corruption of heart and mind can he manifest and shall we think that this is the whole design of the Patience of God God forbid It may be objected that this Argument is not cogent because of the instance that lyes against it in Gods dealing with the Angels that sinned It is evident that they fell into their transgression and Apostacy before mankind did so For they lead and seduced our first Parents into sin And yet God bears with them and exerciseth patience towards them to this very day and will do so unto the consummation of all things when they shall be cast into the fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And yet it is granted that there is no forgiveness in God for them so that it doth not necessarily follow that there is so for man because of his patience towards them I answer That this must be more fully spoken unto when we come to remove that great Objection against this whole Truth which was mentioned before taken from Gods dealing with the sinning Angels whom he spared not at present two or three Observations will remove it out of our way For 1. That the case is not the same with the sinning Angels and the race of mankind in all Generations There are no other Angels in this condition but only those individuals who first sinned in their own persons They are not in the Providence and Patience of God multiplyed and encreased in ensuing times and seasons but they continue the same individual persons who first sinned and no more So that immediate execution of the whole punishment due unto their sin would not have prevented any encrease of them But now with man it is otherwise For God continues his patience towards them to the production of millions of other persons who were not actually in the first sin Had not God so continued his forbearance their Being and consequently their sin and misery had been prevented so that the case is not the same with sinning Angels and Men. 2. Indeed God exerciseth no patience toward the Angels that sinned and that because he had no forgiveness for them So Peter tells us 2 Epistle 2. 6. God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down into Hell and delivered them into chains of darkness Immediately upon their sin they were cast out of the presence of God whose vision and enjoyment they were made for and which they received some experience of And they were cast into Hell as the place of their ordinary retention and of their present anguish under the sense of Gods curse and displeasure And although they may some of them be permitted to compass the earth and to walk to and fro therein to serve the ends of Gods holy wise Providence and so to be out of their prison yet they are still in their chains for they were delivered unto chains of darkness to be kept unto the last Judgement And in these things they lye actually under the execution of the curse of God So that there is indeed no patience exercised towards them If a notorious Malefactor or Murtherer be committed unto a Dungeon and kept bound with Iron chains to prevent his escape untill the appointed day of his solemn Judgement and Execution without the least intention to spare him None will say there is patience exercised towards him Things being disposed only so as that his punishment may be secure and severe And such is the case such is the condition of the Angels that sinned who are not therefore to be esteemed objects of Gods patience 3. The reason why the full and final punishment of these Angels is reserved and respited unto the appointed season is not for their own sakes their good benefit or advantage at all but meerly that the end of Gods patience towards mankind might be accomplished When this is once brought about they shall not be spared a day an hour a moment So that Gods dispensation towards them is nothing but a meer withholding the infliction of the utmost of their punishment until he hath accomplished the blessed ends of his patience towards mankind But you will say Secondly Is it not said that God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endures with much long-suffering the Vessels of wrath fitted for destruction Rom. 9. 22. So that it seems that the End of Gods endurance and longsuffering to some at least is only their fitting unto destruction Answ. 1. It is one thing to endure with much long suffering another thing to exercise and declare patience The former only intimates Gods withholding for a season of that destruction which he might justly inflict which we speak not of the other denotes an acting in a way of Goodness and kindness for some especial end 2. The next Verse declares the great end of Gods patience and answers this Objection That he might make known the riches of his glory in the vessels of mercy which he had prepared for glory ver 23. This is the great End of Gods patience which whilst he is in the pursuit of towards the Vessels of mercy he endureth others with much long-suffering and forbearance This then is fully evident that there could be no sufficient Reason assigned of the patience of God towards sinners but that there is forgiveness prepared for them that come to him by Christ. And this the Scripture clearly testifies unto 2 Pet. 3. 9. The Question is what is the reason why God forbears the Execution of his Judgement upon wicked and ungodly men Some would have it that God is slack that is regardless of the sins of men and takes no notice of them No saith the Apostle God hath another design in his patience and long-suffering what is this It is to manifest that he is not willing we should perish That is it which we have proved For our freedom from destruction is by Repentance which necessarily infers the forgiveness of Sin So Paul tells us that in the Gospel is declared what is the End of Gods patience and forbearance it is saith he the remission of sins Rom. 3. 25. Let us therefore also mind this Evidence in the Application of our selves to God for pardon It is certain that God might have taken us from the womb and have cast us into utter darkness And in the course of our lives we have been guilty of such provocations as God might justly have taken the Advantage of to glorifie his Justice and Severity in our ruine But yet we have lived thus long in the patience and forbearance of God And to what end hat he thus spared us and let pass those Advantages for our destruction that we have put into his hand Is it not that he might by his patience give us leave and space to get an interest in that forgiveness which he thus testifies to be in himself Let us then
they were not so Phil. 2. 11. Now if men have lived long in the profession of these things saying that they are so but indeed find nothing of Truth Reality or Power in them have no experience of the effects of them in their own hearts or souls what stable ground have they of believing any thing else in the Gospel whereof they cannot have experience A man professeth that the death of Christ will mortifie sin and subdue corruption Why doth he believe it because it is so affirmed in the Gospel How then doth he find it to be so Hath it this effect upon his soul in his own heart not at all he finds no such thing in him How then can this man believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God because it is affirmed in the Gospel seeing that he finds no real truth of that which it affirms to be in himself So our Saviour argues John 3. 12. If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things If you believe not the doctrine of Regeneration which you ought to have experience of as a thing that is wrought in the hearts of men on the earth how can you assent unto those heavenly mysteries of the Gospel which at first are to be received by a pure Act of faith without any present sense or experience Of all dangers therefore in profession let professors take heed of this namely of a customary traditional or doctrinal owning such truths as ought to have their effects and accomplishment in themselves whilst they have no experience of the reality and efficacy of them This is plainly to have a form of godliness and to deny the power thereof And of this sort of men do we see many turning Atheists Scoffers and open Apostates they find in themselves that their profession was a lye and that in truth they had none of those things which they talked of And to what end should they continue longer in the avowing of that which is not Besides finding these things which they have professed to be in them not to be so they think that what they have believed of the things that are without them are of no other nature and so reject them alltogether You will say then What shall a man do who cannot find or obtain an experience in himself of what is affirmed in the Word he cannot find the death of Christ crucifying sin in him and he cannot find the Holy Ghost sanctifying his nature or obtain Joy in believing What shall he then do Shall he not believe or profess those things to be so because he cannot obtaine a blessed Experience of them I answer Our Saviour hath perfectly given direction in this case John 7. 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self Continue in following after the things revealed in the Doctrine of the Gospel and you shall have a satisfactory experience that they are true and that they are of God cease not to act faith on them and you shall find their effects for then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord Hoseah 6. 3. Experience will ensue upon permanency in faith and obedience Yea the first Act of sincere believing will be accompanied with such a taste will give the soul so much experience as to produce a firm adherence unto the things believed And this is the way to prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect Will of God which is revealed unto us Rom. 12. 2. 2. Where there is an inward spiritual Experience of the power reality and efficacy of any supernatural truth It gives great satisfaction stability and Assurance unto the soul. It puts the soul out of danger or suspicion of being deceived and gives it to have the Testimony of God in it self So the Apostle tells us He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself 1 John 5. 9. He had discoursed of the manifold testimony that is given in Heaven by all the holy Persons of the Trinity and on earth by Grace and Ordinances unto the forgiveness of sin and eternal life to be obtained by Jesus Christ. And this Record is true firm and stable an abiding foundation for souls to rest upon that will never deceive them But yet all this while it is without us It is that which we have no Experience of in our selves Only we rest upon it because of the Authority and faithfulness of them that give it But now he that actually believeth he hath the Testimony in himself he hath by experience a real evidence and assurance of the things testified unto namely that God hath given us eternal life And that this life is in the Son v. 12. Let us then a little consider wherein this evidence consisteth and from whence this Assurance ariseth To this end some few things must be considered As 1. That there is a great Answerableness and Correspondency between the heart of a Believer and the truth that he doth believe As the Word is in the Gospel so is Grace in the heart yea they are the same thing variously expressed Rom. 6. 17. You have obeyed from the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the form of Doctrine delivered unto you As our Translation doth not so I know not how in so few words to express that which is emphatically here insinuated by the Holy Ghost The meaning is that the Doctrine of the Gospel begets the form figure image or likeness of it self in the hearts of them that believe So they are cast into the mould of it As is the one so is the other The principle of Grace in the heart and that in the Word are as children of the same Parent compleatly resembling and representing one another Grace is a living Word and the Word is figured limned Grace As is Regeneration so is a Regenerate heart As is the Doctrine of faith so is a Believer And this gives great Evidence unto and Assurance of the things that are believed As we have heard so we have seen and found it such a soul can produce the duplicate of the Word and so adjust all things thereby 2. That the first Original Expression of Divine Truth is not in the Word no not as given out from the infinite Abysse of Divine Wisdom and Veracity but it is first hid laid up and expressed in the Person of Christ. He is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first pattern of truth which from him is expressed in the Word and from and by the Word impressed on the hearts of Believers so that as it hath pleased God that all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge should be in him dwell in him have their principal residence in him Col. 2. 3. So the whole Word is but a Revelation of the Truth in Christ or an expression of his Image and likeness to the Sons of men Thus we
Acceptance of Worship from us is an infallible Demonstration that he will not execute against us the severity of the first curse And this is clearly evidenced in the first Record of solemn instituted Worship performed by sinners Gen. 4 4. God had Respect unto Abel and his Offering Some think that God gave a visible pledge of his acceptance of Abel and his Offering it may be it was by fire from Heaven For how else should Cain so instantly know that his Brother and his Offering were accepted but that he and his were refused However it were it is evident that what Testimony God gave of the Acceptance of his Offering the same he gave concerning his Person and that in the first place he had respect unto Abel and then to his Offering And therefore the Apostle saith that hereby he obtained witness that he was Righteous Heb. 11. 4. that is the Witness or Testimony of God himself Now this was in the forgiveness of his sins without which he could neither be Righteous nor accepted for he was a sinner This God declared by Acceptance of his Worship And thus we also if we have any Testimony of Gods Acceptance of us in any part of his Worship should employ it to the same end Hath God enlarged our hearts in prayer hath he given us an Answer unto any of our supplications hath he refreshed our hearts in the preaching and dispensation of the Word or any other Ordinance We are not to rest in the particular about which our communion with him hath been Our doing so is the cause why we lose our experiences They lye scattered up and down separated from their proper root and so are easily lost But this is that which we should first improve such particular experiences in the Worship of God unto namely that God hath pardoned our sins and accepted our persons thereon for without that none of our Worship or Service would please him or be accepted with him 2. Hereby God lets us know that he deals with us upon new Terms so that notwithstanding sin we may enjoy his love and favour For this we have the engagement of his Truth and Veracity and he cannot deceive us but yet by this command of his for his Worship we should be deceived if there were not forgiveness with him For it gives us encouragement to expect and Assurance of finding Acceptance with him which without it cannot be obtained This then God declares by his Institution of and command for his Worship namely that there is nothing that shall indispensably hinder those who give-up themselves unto the Obedience of Gods commands from enjoying his love and favour and communion with him 4. For matter of fact it is known and confessed that God hath appointed a Worship for sinners to perform All the Institutions of the Old and New Testament bear witness hereunto God was the Author of them And men know not what they do when either they neglect them or would be intermixing their own Imaginations with them What can the mind of man conceive or invent that may have any influence into this matter to secure the souls of Believers of their Acceptance with God Is there any need of their Testimony to the Truth Faithfulness and Goodness of God These things he hath taken upon himself This then is that which is to be fixed on our souls upon our first Invitation unto Religious Worship namely that God intends a new Revenue of Glory from us and therefore declares that there is a way for the taking away of our sins without which we can give no Glory to him by our Obedience and this is done only by forgiveness 5. There are some Ordinances of Worship appointed for this very end and purpose to confirm unto us the forgiveness of sin Especially in that Worship which is instituted by the Lord Jesus under the New Testament I shall instance in one or two First The Ordinance of Baptism This was accompanied with the dawning of the Gospel in the Ministry of John Baptist And he expresly declared in his Sermons upon it that it was instituted of God to declare the Remission of sins Mark 1. 4. It is true the Lord Christ submitted unto that Ordinance and was baptized by John who had no sin But this belonged unto the Obedience which God required of him as for our sakes he was made under the Law He was to observe all Ordinances and Institutions of the Worship of God not for any need he had in his own Person of the especial Ends and significations of some of them yet as he was our Sponsor surety and Mediator standing in our stead in all that he so did he was to yield obedience unto them that so he might fulfill all Righteousness Matth. 3. 13. So was he circumcised so he was baptized both which had respect unto sin though absolutely free from all sin in his own Person and that because he was free from no Obedience unto any Command of God But as was said Baptism it self as appointed to be an Ordinance of Worship for sinners to observe was a Declaration of that forgiveness that is with God It was so in its first Institution God calls a man in a marvellous and miraculous manner gives him a Ministry from Heaven commands him to Go and Baptize all those who confessing their sins and professing Repentance of them should come to him to have a Testimony of forgiveness And as to the especial nature of this Ordinance he appoints it to be such as to represent the certainty and truth of his Grace in pardon unto their senses by a visible pledge He lets them know that he would take away their sin wherein their spiritual defilement doth consist even as Water takes away the outward filth of the body and that hereby they shall be saved as surely as Noah and his Family were saved in the Ark swimming upon the waters 1 Pet. 3. 21. Now how great a deceit must needs in this whole matter have been put upon poor sinners if it were not infallibly certain that they might obtain forgiveness with God After the Entrance of this Ordinance in the Ministry of John the Lord Christ takes it into his own hand and commands the observation of it unto all his Disciples I dispute not now who are the proper immediate objects of it whether they only who actually can make profession of their faith or Believers with their infant seed For my part I believe that all whom Christ loves and pardons are to be made partakers of the pledge thereof And the sole Reason which they of old insisted on why the infants of Believing Parents should not be baptized was because they thought they had no sin and therein we know their mistake But I treat not now of these things only this I say is certain that in the prescription of this Ordinance unto his Church the great Intention of the Lord Christ was to ascertain unto us the forgiveness of sins
a Second The Commandement indeed which was the matter of that Covenant the same Apostle informs us to be holy just and good Rom. 7. 12. But it was faulty as to all ends of a Covenant considering our state and condition as sinners it could not bring us unto God So he acquaints us Rom. 8. 3. It was made weak through the flesh that is by the entrance of sin and so became unusefull as to the saving of souls Be it so then through our sin and default this good and holy Law this Covenant was made unprofitable unto us But what was that unto God was he bound to desert his own Institution and Appointment because through our own default it ceased to be profitable unto us Not at all He might righteously have tyed us all unto the terms of that Covenant to stand or fall by them unto Eternity But he would not do so But Secondly In his Love and Grace he finds fault with it v. 8. not in its self and absolutely but only so farre as that he would provide another way which should supply all its defects and wants in reference to the end aimed at What way that is the Apostle declares in the following Verses to the end of that Chapter The summe is v. 12. I will be mercifull to their unrighteousness and their sins and their Iniquities will I remember no more It is the way of pardon and forgiveness This is substituted in the room of that insufficient way that was removed Let us consider then whether the infinitely Wise and Holy God pursuing his purpose of bringing souls unto himself laying aside one way of his own appointment as useless and infirm because of the coming in of sin against which there was no relief found in it and substituting another way in the room of it would not provide such an one as should be absolutely free from the faults and inconveniencies which he charged upon that which he did remove That which alone rendred the former way faulty was sin it could do any thing but save a sinner this then was to be and is principally provided against in this way of Forgiveness And we see here how clearly God hath severed yea and in this matter opposed these two things 1. Namely the way of personal Righteousness and the way of forgiveness He finds fault with the first what then doth he do what course doth he take doth he mend it take from it what seems to be redundant mitigate its severity and supply it where it was wanting by Forgiveness and so set it up anew This indeed is the way that many proceed in in their notions and the most in their practice But this is not the way of God He takes the one utterly away and establishes the other in its place And mens endeavours to mix them will be found of little use to them at the last I can have no great expectation from that which God pronounced faulty 2. The unchangeable Principles and Foundations that this Way is built upon render it secure and safe for sinners for 1. It is founded on the Purpose of God Gal. 3. 8. The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith God would do so he had purposed and determined to proceed this way and all the purposes of God are attended with immutability and 2. His Promise also is engaged in it and that given out in the way of a Covenant as hath been already declared and 3. This Promise is confirmed by an Oath and it may be observed that God doth not in any thing interpose with an Oath but what relates to this way of coming to himself by Forgiveness For the Oath of God wherever it is used respecteth either Christ Typically or personally or the Covenant established in him for 4. This Way is confirmed and ratified in his Blood from whence the Apostle at large evinceth its absolute security and safety Heb. 9. Whatever soul then on the invitation under consideration shall give up himself to come to God by the way proposed he shall assuredly find absolute peace and security in it Neither our own weakness or folly from within nor the opposition of any of all our Enemies from without shall be able to turn us out of this Way See Isa. 35. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. 3. In the other way every individual person stands upon his own bottom and must do so to the last and utmost of his continuance in this World You are desirous to go unto God to obtain his favour and come to an enjoyment of him What will you doe What course will you fix upon for the obtaining of these Ends if you were so holy so perfect so righteous so free from sin as you could desire you should have some boldness in going unto God why if this be the way you fix upon take this along with you You stand upon your own personal Account all your dayes And if you fail in the least you are gone for ever For whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all Jam. 2. 10. And what peace can you possibly obtain were you as holy as ever you aimed or desired to be whilest this is your Condition But in this way of Forgiveness we all stand upon the Account of one common Mediator in whom we are compleat Col. 3. 10. And a want of a due improvement of this Truth is a great principle of disconsolation to many Souls Suppose a man look upon himself as loosed from the Covenant of Works wherein exact and perfect Righteousness is rigidly required and to be called unto Gospel Evangelical Obedience to be performed in the room thereof in sincerity and integrity yet if he be not cleared in this also that he stands not in this way purely on his own account he will never be able to make his Comforts hold out to the end of his Journey There will be found in the best of men so many particular failings as will seem in difficult seasons to impeach their integrity And so many questionings will after arise through the darkness of their minds and Power of their Temptations as will give but little rest unto their Souls Here lyes the great security of this way We abide in it on the account of the faithfulness and Ability of our Common Mediator Jesus Christ. And this is another Consideration strengthening our invitation to a closure with the way of coming unto God under proposal There is nothing wanting that is needfull to give infallible Security to any Soul that shall venture himself into it and upon it There are Terms of peace proposed as you have heard These terms are excellent and holy and chosen of God tending to the interest of his Glory free safe and secure unto sinners What hath any soul in the World to object against them or wherein do men repose their Trust and Confidence in the neglect of this so great Salvation Is it in
considerable objections to lye against either of them and yet be far enough from that sweet consolation joy and assurance which is the product of the conclusion when God is not pleased to give it in yea a man may sometimes gather up consolation to himself upon such terms but it will not abide So did David Psal. 30 6 7. He thus argues with himself He whose mountain is made strong to whom God is a defence he shall never be moved nor be shaken but I am thus settled of God therefore I shall not be moved and therein he rejoyceth It is an expression of exultation that he useth but what is the Issue of it In the midst of these pleasing thoughts of his God hides his face and he is troubled he cannot any longer draw out the sweetness of the conclusion mentioned It was in him before from the shines of Gods Countenance and not from any arguings of his own No disappointment then no tediousness or weariness should make the soul leave waiting on God if it intend to attain Consolation and Establishment So dealeth the Church Lam. 3. 21. This I recall to mind therefore have I hope What is it that she calls to mind this that it is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not vers 22. I will yet hope I will yet continue in my Expectation upon the account of never failing-compassion of endless mercies in him whatever my present condition be And thence she makes a blessed conclusion vers 26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. And this is our third Rule It is good to hope and wait whatever our present condition be and not to give over if we would not be sure to fail whereunto I speak no more because the close of this Psalm insists wholly on this duty which must be further spoken unto RULE IV. Seeing in the course of our believing and obedience that which is chiefly incumbent on us for our coming up to establishment and consolation is spiritual diligence in the removal of the hinderances thereof Let the soul that would attain thereunto make through work in the search of sin even to the sins of youth that all scores on that account may clearly be wiped out If there be much rubbish left in the foundation of the building no wonder if it alwaies shake and totter Mens leaving of any sin unsearched to the bottom will poison all their consolation David knew this when in dealing with God in his distresses he prayes that he would not remember the sins and transgressions of his youth Psal. 5. 7. Youth is oftentimes a time of great vanity and unmindfulness of God many stains and spots are therein usually brought upon the consciences of men Childhood and youth are vanity Eccles. 11. 10. Not because they soon pass away but because they are usually spent in vanity as the following advice of chap. 12. 1. to remember God in those daies doth manifest The way of many is to wear such things out of mind and not to walk in a sense of their folly and madness never to make through work with God about them I speak of the Saints themselves for with others that live under the Means of Grace whom God intends any way to make usefull and industrious in their Generation this is the usual course by convictions restraining Grace Afflictions Love of Employment and Repute God gives them another heart than they had for a season Another heart but not a new heart Hence another course of life another profession other actions than formerly doe flow with this change they do content themselves they look on what is past perhaps with delight or as things fit enough for those daies but not for those they have attained unto here they rest and therefore never come to rest But I speak of the Saints themselves who make not such through full close work in this kind as they ought An after-reckoning may come in on this hand to their own disturbance and an inconquerable hinderance of their peace and settlement be brought in on this account So was it with Job chap. 13. 26 He makes me possess the sins of my youth God filled his heart his thoughts his mind with these sins made them abide with him so that he possessed them they were alwaies present with him He made the sins of his youth the sufferings of his age And it is a sad thing as one speaks when young sins and old bones meet together as Zophar chap. 20. 11. His bones are filled with the sins of his youth The joyous frame of some mens Youth makes way for sad work in their Age. Take heed young ones you are doing that which will abide with you to Age if not to Eternity This possessing of the sins of youth Job calls the writing of bitter things against him As indeed it is impossible but that sin should be bitter one time or other God calls it a root that beareth Gall and Wormwood Deut. 29. 18. A root of bitterness springing up into defilement Heb. 12. 15. This then is to be searched out to the bottom Israel will not have success nor peace whilst there is an Achan in the Camp Neither success in Temptation nor consolation in believing is to be expected whilst any Achan any sin unreckoned for lyes in the conscience Now for them who would seriously accomplish a diligent search in this matter which is of such importance unto them let them take these two Directions 1. Let them go over the consideration of those sins and others of the like nature which may be reduced unto the same General heads with them which we laid down before as the sins which generally cast men into depths and intanglements And if they find they have contracted the guilt of any of them let them not think strange that they are yet bewildred in their condition and do come short of a refreshing sense of peace with God or an interest in forgiveness Rather let them admire the riches of Patience Grace and forbearance that they are not cast utterly out of all hopes of a recovery This will speed an end unto their trouble according to the direction given 2. Let them cast the course of their times under such heads and seasons as may give them the more clear and distinct view and apprehension of the passages in them between God and their souls which may have been provoking unto him As First For the state of their inward man let them consider First The unregenerate part of their lives that which was confessedly so before they had any real work of God upon their hearts and therein enquire after two things 1. If there were then any great and signal eruptions of sins against God for of such God requires that a deep sense be kept on our souls all our daies How often do we find Paul calling over the sins of his
watch any part of the day or in any occasion of the day Is this giving all diligence Is this working out our Salvation with fear and trembling And may we not see Professors even indulging to themselves in wayes of Vanity folly wrath envy sloth and the like and yet complain at what a loss they are how unquiet how uncertain God forbid it should be otherwise with you or that we should endeavour to speak peace unto you in any such a frame To hear of a person that he walks slothfully carelesly or indulgeth his corruptions and to find him complaining that he is at loss whether he have any interest in Pardon or noe to give or tender Comfort to such mourners without a due Admonition of their duty to use diligence in the use of means for to help on their delivery out of the condition wherein they are is to tender poison unto them To this then the soul must come that is in depths if it intend to be delivered Heartless complaints with excuses to keep it from vigorous spiritual diligence must be laid aside if not ordinarily Peace Rest and stability will not be obtained A great Example hereof we have in the Spouse Cant. 5. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. She is drousie and indisposed unto communion with Christ whereunto she is invited v. 2. this puts her upon making excuses from the unfitness of the time and her present indisposition and unpreparedness as to the duty whereunto she was called v. 3. Hereupon Christ withdraws his presence from her and leaves her at a loss as to her former comforts v. 6. what course doth she now take doth she now lye down again in her former Slumber doth she make use of her former excuses and pretences why she could not engage into the duties she was called unto no such thing but now with all Earnestness Diligence Sedulity and Importunity She engageth in all manner of duties whereby she may recover her former Comforts as you may see in the Text. And this must be the course of others who would obtain the same success Spiritual peace and sloth will never dwell together in the same soul and Conscience RULE IX The ninth Rule Take heed of undue expressions concerning God and his wayes in distress Take heed in doubts distresses and perplexities of hard thoughts of God hasty unweighed expressions concerning him or his wayes with or of secret resolves that it were as good give over waiting as continue in the state wherein you are seeing your Condition is remediless On three occasions are such thoughts and resolves apt to befall the minds of men which sometimes break forth into unwarrantable Expressions concerning God himself and his wayes 1. In deep perplexities of mind by reason of some pressing terrour from the Lord. 2. On the long wearisome continuance of some tempting distress and hereof we have many examples some whereof shall be mentioned 3. In spiritual disappointments through the strength of Lust or Temptation When a person hath it may be recovered himself through Grace from a perplexing sense of the guilt of some sin or it may be from a course shorter or longer lesser or greater of back sliding and negligent walking with God and therein goes on cheerfully for a season in the course of his Obedience if this person through the power of Temptation Subtilty of Lusts neglect of watchfulness by one means or other is surprised in the sins or wayes that he had relinquished or is turned aside from the vigour of that course wherein he was engaged he may be exposed not only to great despondencies but also be overtaken with secret resolves to give over contending seeing it is to no more purpose nay to no purpose and that God regards him not at all Take an Instance or two in each kind The first we have in Job in the Extremity of his tryals and terrours from the Lord. See among other places chap. 10. v. 3. Is it saith he to God Good for thee that shouldst oppress that thou shouldst despise the work of thy hands Ah poor worms with whom have we to do who shall say unto a King thou art wicked and to Princes ye are ungodly and will ye speak so to him who respecteth not the persons of Princes nor regardeth them more than the poorest in the Earth And see what conclusions from such thoughts as these he doth inferr Chap. 14. 15 16 17. Thou numbrest my steps dost thou not watch over my sin my transgression is sealed up in a bag and thou sowest up my Iniquity He chargeth God to be his Enemy one that watched for all opportunities and advantages against him that seemed to be glad at his halting and take care that none of his sins should be missing when he intended to deal with him Had this indeed been the Case with him he had perished unto Eternity as elsewhere he acknowledged Of the other we have an Instance in the Church Lament 3. 18. I said my strength aad my hope is perished from the Lord. Present Grace in spiritual strength and future expectation of mercy are all gone And what is got by this secret hard thoughts of God himself are hereby ingenerated as v. 8. When I cry and shout he shutteth out my Prayers v. 44. thou hast covered thy self with a Cloud that our Prayers should not pass through These things are grievous unto God to bear and no way useful to the soul in its Condition Yea they more and more unfitâ—â— for every duty that may lye in a tendency to its relief deliverance So was it with Jonah Chap. 2. 4. I said I am cast out of thy sight all is lost and gone with me as good give over as Contend I do but labour in vain perish I must as one cast out of the sight of God The like complaints fell also from Heman in his distress Psal. 88. The General who heard one of his Souldiers cry out upon a fresh onset of the Enemy Now we are undone Now we are ruined call'd him Traytor and told him it was not so whilest he could weild his Sword It is not for every private Souldier on every danger to make a Judgement of the battel That is the work of the General Jesus Christ is the Captain of our Salvation he hath undertaken the leading and conduct of our souls through all our difficulties Our Duty is to fight and contend his Work is to take care of the Event and to him it is to be committed That then you make a due use of this Rule keep alwaies in your minds these two Considerations 1. That it is not for you to take the Judgement of Christ out of his hand and to be passing sentence upon your own souls Judgement as to the state and condition of men is committed unto Christ and to him it is to be left This we were directed unto into our first Rule and it is of special use in the case under consideration Self-judging
tells us could not make perfect the worshippers v. 1. which he proves v. 2. because they did never take away throughly and really Conscience of sin that is depths or distresses of conscience about sin But now saith he Jesus Christ in the Covenant of Grace hath for ever perfected them that were sanctified v. 14. providing for them such stable peace and consolation as that they shall not need the renewing of Sacrifices every day v. 18. This is the great mysterie of the Gospel in the blood of Christ that those who sin every day should have peace with God all their dayes Provided their sins fall within the compass of those infirmities against which this consolation is provided Thirdly There is provision made of Grace to prevent and preserve the soul from great and enormous sins such as in their own nature are apt to wound conscience and cast the person into such depths and intanglements as wherein he shall have neither rest nor peace Of what sort these sins are shall be afterwards declared There is in this Covenant Grace for Grace Joh. 1. 16. and abundance of Grace administred from the All-fulness of Christ. Grace reigneth in it Rom. 6. 6. destroying and crucifying the body of sin But this Provision in the Covenant of Grace against peace-ruining soul-perplexing sins is not as to the administration of it absolute There are Covenant Commands and Exhortations on the attendance whereunto the administration of much Covenant-Grace doth depend To watch pray improve faith to stand on our guard continually to mortifie sin to fight against temptations with stedfastness diligence constancy are every where prescribed unto us and that in order unto the ensurance of the Grace mentioned These things are on our part the condition of the Administration of that abundant Grace which is to preserve us from soul-entangling sins So Peter informs us 2 Ep. 1. v. 3. The divine power of God hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness We have from it an habitual furnishment and provision for obedience at all times Also saith he v. 4. He bath given unto us great and pretious promises that by them we might be partakers of the Divine Nature What then is in this blessed estate and condition required of us that we may make a due improvement of the provision made for us and enjoy the comforting influence of those Promises that he prescribes unto us v. 5 6 7. Giving all diligence add to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity That is carefully and diligently attend to the exercise of all the Graces of the Spirit and unto a conversation in all things becoming the Gospel What then shall be the issue if these things are attended unto v. 8. If these things be in you and abound ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not enough that these things be in you that you have the seed and root of them from and by the Holy Ghost but you are to take care that they flourish and abound without which though the root of the matter may be in you and so you be not wholly devoid of spiritual life yet you will be poor barren sapless withering creatures all your days But now suppose that these things do abound and we be made fruitful thereby Why then saith he v. 10. If you do these things ye shall never fall What never fall into sin Nay that is not in the Promise and he that sayes when he hath done all that he hath no sin he is a Lyar. Or is it never fall totally from God No the preservation of the Elect of whom he speaks from total Apostasie is not suspended on such conditions especially not on any degree of them such as their abounding imports But it is that they shall not fall into their old sins from which they were purged v. 9. Such Conscience wasting and defiling sins as they lived in in the time and state of their Unregeneracy Thus though there be in the Covenant of Grace through Jesus Christ Provision made of abundant supplies for the souls preservation from entangling sins yet their Administration hath respect unto our diligent attendance unto the means of receiving them appointed for us to walk in And here lyes the latitude of the New Covenant here lyes the exercise of renewed Free-will This is the field of free voluntary obedience under the Administration of Gospel Grace There are extreams which in respect of the event it is not concerned in To be wholly perfect to be free from every sin all failings all infirmities that is not provided for not promised in this Covenant It is a Covenant of mercy and pardon which supposeth a continuance of sin To fall utterly and finally from God that is absolutely provided against Between these two extreams of absolute perfection and total Apostasie lyes the large Field of Believers obedience and walking with God Many a sweet heavenly passage there is and many a dangerous depth in this field Some walk near to the one side some to the other yea the same person may sometimes press hard after Perfection sometimes be cast to the very border of destruction Now between these two lye many a soul-plunging sin against which no absolute provision is made and which for want of giving all diligence to put the means of preservation in practice Believers are oftentimes overtaken withal Fourthly There is not in the Covenant of Grace Provision made of ordinary and abiding consolation for any under the guilt of great sins or sins greatly aggravated which they fall into by a neglect of using and abiding in the forementioned conditions of abounding actual Grace Sins there are which either because in their own nature they wound and waste conscience or in their effects break forth into scandal causing the name of God and the Gospel to be evil spoken of or in some of their circumstances are full of unkindness against God do deprive the soul of its wonted consolation How by what means on what account such sins come to terrifie conscience to break the bones to darken the soul and to cast it into inextricable depths notwithstanding the relief that is provided of pardon in the blood of Christ I shall not now declare that they will do so and that Consolation is not of equal extent with safety we know Hence God assumes it to himself as an act of meer Soveraign Grace to speak peace and refreshment unto the souls of his Saints in their depths of sin entanglements Isa. 57. 18 19. And indeed if the Lord had not thus provided that great provocations should stand in need of special reliefs it might justly be feared that the negligence of Believers might possibly bring forth much bitter fruit Only this must be observed by the way that what