and sticks like an Arrow in his flesh Whereas Pardoning Mercy is as Health to the Navel and Marrow to the Bones and a Cordial to his Heart yea even as Life from the Dead And dead he is in Law as under a Sentence of Condemnation 'till he be interested in Forgiveness by Faith in the Blood of Jesus Then may he lift up his Head as one Alive from the Dead and admit Consolation when he can hope his Sins are forgiven and that God is reconciled Comfort ye Comfort ye my People say unto Jerusalem her Warfare is Accomplished her Iniquity is forgiven Isa XL. 1 2. Blessed is the Man whose Iniquity is forgiven and Sin covered Psal XXXII 1. 'Till then they are under the Curse of God on Record A Curse that cuts off from God and all gracious Communications from him a Curse which pierceth deep and spreadeth far and makes the whole Creation at Enmity with us And this Curse is intolerable in the Effects of it and unavoidable too There is no Relief or Remedy against it but by the New Covenant and Faith in Jesus Christ 'T is only by the Redemption we have in Jesus Christ through his Blood even the Forgiveness of Sins In which Forgiveness we can never be interested without Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ There is no Rest in my Bones because of my Sin saith the Psalmist Psal XXXVIII 3. My Sins are an heavy Burden they are too heavy for me v. 4. 'Till this Burden be removed by Forgiveness what Ease or Rest can a Sinner enjoy 'T is true the Deceit of sensual Pleasures or the Hurry and Clatter of Worldly Business may hinder the Sense of this for a while and keep all quiet Yet sooner or later the sinful Soul will have Torment Conscience will awake Men may laugh and be merry for a Time make a shift to be confident and secure under the Wrath and Curse of God they may take their Poyson for their Antidote their Wound for their Plaister their Plague for their Cure their Disease for their Remedy and so make a hard shift to preserve a little false Peace But the End will be the most horrid Despair And the more Jovial and Airy Careless and Presumptuous they have been in Health and Prosperity under the Guilt of great Transgressions the more disconsolate will such be when Conscience awakes to set their Sins in order before them Is there then any Message like that of Forgiveness that will suit the Case of such They can relish nothing else think of nothing else this is what they aim at This is the Subject of their great Enquiry How they may be forgiven They may try in vain what Company Mirth Sports Business or Superstition will do They must come to God for Pardon or they cannot find Rest Hos V. 13. When Ephrahim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound then went Ephraim to the Assvrian and sent to King Jareb yet could he not heal you nor cure you of your wound Did you know the Misery and Danger of a sinful Soul unreconciled to God bound over to his Eternal Wrath every Moment expos'd as a Guilty Wretch to his fiery Vengeance Did you consider the Case of such a One who hath all the Plagues and Curses in the Book of God in force against him and nothing but a little Breath between him and Endless Ruine that can't tell but the next Day or Minute Death may open the Door and let him fall into Damnation Did any one rightly understand this believe it consider it and apply it as his own Case what Mercy will suit such a One but Pardoning Mercy What is all the Pomp and Glory of this World to such a Man without the Forgiveness of Sin How can he eat drink or sleep or trade or do any thing without some Hope of Pardon without seeking after it without endeavouring it without using means in Order to it Secondly Pardoning Mercy is Mercy indeed as 't is the Fruit of Covenant Love an Effect of the special distinguishing Love of God This is the great Priviledge of such whose God is the Lord. This is a Covenant Blessing that 's never given in Anger This is never bestow'd but as a Favour peculiar to God's People This is always accompany'd with Regeneration and Adoption Jer. XXXI 33. I will be their God and will forgive their Iniquity Happy is the Man whose Iniquity is forgiven Happy is the People whose God is the Lord. Thirdly This Mercy is the most Comprehensive Blessing and the Foundation of many other Mercies This secures our State sweetens our other Blessings lays the Foundation for Peace of Conscience gives Freedom of Access to the Throne of Grace and makes way for Communion with God in all Ordinances This clears us from the Accusation of Satan the Condemnation of the Law and of our own Hearts for who shall lay any thing to his Charge whom God forgives We can have no Right and Title to Eternal Life without this For the Legal Bar must be removed by the Pardon of Sin as well as the Moral Incapacity by the Sanctifying Spirit The great Blessings of the Gospel such as the Spirit of Holiness Communion with God c. they are promised to Accompany this of Forgiveness Heb. VIII latter End I will be merciful to their Vnrighteousness and their Iniquities I will remember no more By this we not only escape the Punishment due to Sin which would render us deeply miserable but are restored to the Favour of God and accepted in the Beloved and have Grace to overcome the World Flesh and Devil The sanctifying Spirit to purge us from all Filthiness is joyn'd with this Pardon which delivers from the Condemning Guilt of Sin We are translated into the Kingdom and Family of Christ as well as deliver'd from the Kingdom of Satan and the Power of Darkness In a Word the Acceptation of our Persons Sanctification of our Natures the Answer of our Prayers and a Title to Heaven and Eternal Life are connected with and consequent to this Forgiveness of Sin Psal XXXII 1 2 3. Zac. I. 4. Isa LIX 2 3. Psal CIII 2 3. Job VII 21. This also hath respect to all the Comforts and Afflictions of this present Life You ought to Consider that if Sin be forgiven all things shall work for good Take away all Iniquity saith the Church and receive us graciously or do us good Hos XIV 2. Every Providence shall be sanctified if Sin be forgiven For peace I had great bitterness saith Hezekiah but in love to my Soul thou hast deliver'd it from the Pit of Corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy Back Isa XXXVIII 17. You have a like Instance Jer. XXXIII 6 8. But if you had all the Plenty Peace Health Riches and Grandeur of this World yet the Guilt of one Sin on the Consclence under the Apprehension of God's deserved Wrath will spoil the Relish of all Where Sin
Unfaithfulness of one Party in all Covenants disobliges the other Party In Answer to this I say He 's God and not Man His Thoughts are not as ours Among Men in all Covenants this is true but God's Thoughts and Ways are above ours Therfore if I yet return and take hold of his Covenant I may argue I am within the Bond of it and he will not utterly cast me off but forgive me upon Repentance I have read of one in Despair whom the Devil perswaded it was in vain to pray to God or serve him for he must perish he should be damned and go to Hell when he dy'd who yet went to Prayer and begg'd of God that if he must go to Hell when he dyed yet that it would please him to let him serve him while he liv'd Upon which his Terrors vanish'd being clearly convinc'd none could pray that Prayer or make such a Request who was guilty of the Unpardonable Sin or had sinn'd the Sin against the Holy Ghost Object 3. Some may say further But I have had many Fears and some Hopes for a time and I thought I was in Favour with God and had an Interest in this Forgiveneis But I have often heard it and I believe it that God never pardons Sin where he doth not subdue it Justification and Sanctification go together If the Guilt of Sin be forgiven the Power of it is broken But I find Corruption is strong evil Inclinations are still stirring and raging I never imagin'd there was such a Hell of Wickedness in my Heart as I now find There 's so much Impurity Carnality Pride Worldliness c. yet remaining in my Soul that I can't think my Sins are forgiven and that God will abundantly pardon me or hath done it because Sin is not mortified and subdued Answ God's Thoughts and yours are very different in this Matter For he attains Wise and Holy Ends by suffering us to feel Corruption and obliging us to continual Conflicts with it by sanctifying us gradually and not all at once by letting us see and feel more of Corruption stirring and striving after Conversion than ever we knew before Hereby he ingages us in constant Warfare all our days and makes it needful that we may apply to Christ continually as the great Physitian of Souls And I beseech you remember and believe this That No Sin no Corruption that is your Burden that you would rather be rid of than keep shall ever be damning to you It may be a Sign of more Grace that you sensibly complain of Corruption more than formerly If you faithfully oppose it 't is an Evidence your Hearts are softer Conscience more tender and you understand the Holy Law of God better Object 4. But after all some will say All this is good News to several but not to me I have nothing of the Spirit of Life and Power that accompanies Forgiveness I am dead in all my Duties I can't pray I have no such Liberty and Freedom and Liveliness in Prayer as others have I come to the Lord's-Table but I have no such Sealing no such Comfort no such Assurance no such Joy no such Foretasts of Heaven as I believe others have I keep on in a round of Duty but 't is not with me as with the Living Members of Christ Therfore I can't apply all this to my self with Comfort Answ God's Thoughts are not as yours in this Matter You object that you can't pray with such Life and Enlargement as others and as formerly But is it not your Burden Are you not dissatisfied with your selves about it Do you not beg the Spirit of Prayer and to have this ill Frame cur'd Do you not look up to Heaven with daily Sighs and Groans and beg Relief from Christ as weary and heavy laden under this Indisposition Let Conscience in the first place be faithful Is there not some great Guilt lately conctracted some Sin you have not repented of whereby you have griev'd the Holy Spirit of Christ and this stops your Mouths in Prayer and shames your Faces Or have you not rested too much in the Outward Performance of Duty and Attendance on the Ordinances of the Gospel You come to the Table of the Lord look upon it it may be as a Charm as too many make it on a Death-bed you expect it shall work like Physick in a Natural not in a Moral Way And by meer Coming whatever you have been or done before or however negligent you have been in your Preparatory Work you expect that it should be all one with you If you can charge your selves with any thing of this you must renew your Repentance If Conscience doth not accuse you in this Matter Consider God's Thoughts are not as yours He knows what is from the Weakness of the Flesh and what from the Willfulness of the Spirit He knows what Deadness and Distraction may arise from the Infirmity of the Body and what is the Sin of the Soul If upon all these Accounts you lose the Evidence of your Acceptance with God and fear the worst Yet when a Man hath lost his Acquittance for a Debt paid 't is a Comfort to him to consider that the Man he deals with is a merciful good Man tho' he cannot find his Discharge God is infinitely Gracious and is ready to restore what you complain you have lost It was David's Case Psalm 51. Yea if thou fearest thy Grace was never true thy Heart never right with God thy State never good there is Mercy enough in God to pardon all thy former Hypocrisie If now thou return and seek him with thy whole Heart There are Promises of Grace in such a Case to be pleaded that God will give an Heart of Flesh give a Spirit of Mourning put his Fear within thee and cause thee to walk in his Statutes Therfore do not fruitlessly bemoan thy self and sit down in Despondency but consult the Word of God and seek to the Throne of Grace with Hope whatever thy Objections and Temptations be Whatever you do take heed of dishonourable Thoughts of the Grace and Mercy of God and of the Security he hath given to perform every Word of Promise wherein he hath commanded us to hope To Conclude Since we are so near the End of this Year and many design and hope to renew their Covenant the next Lord's-day at his Table I beg you to consider and remember it for your Encouragement that God's Thoughts are not as yours Whatever Sins you have been guilty of the last Year whatever you can charge your selves with as to Unworthy Receiving the Lord's Supper for the time past yet if now you will seriously Examine your selves and humble your Souls and return to the Lord and apply to Christ and stir up your selves to be dispos'd as Penitent Believers to renew your Covenant-Vow and Engagement to be the Lord's this next time he will forgive the Sins of all your former Sacraments all the Sins of the last Year and
as long as His Word abides faithful and the Covenant of Grace is everlasting and unrepeal'd and the Offers of God's Grace are repeated as long as there 's a New Proclamation of Mercy made in the Name of Christ tho' all the former have been despised you may Now come in and find Mercy and be accepted Now. For every New Offer of God's Grace doth carry in it the Offer and Promise of the Pardon of all your former Refusals if you will Now consent The Promise is as free and the peformance of it as sure now as ever You may come in Now and be pardon'd and sav'd upon as free and gracious Terms as several years agoe 'T is still without Money and without Price Your Unbelief and Obstinacy so long does not raise the Price nor alter the Terms Therefore plead the Riches of his Free-grace and do it the more thankfully and humbly the Viler you have been saying Lord thy Mercy will be the more honour'd thy Free-grace will be the more magnify'd and exalted in the Conversion and Forgiveness of such a Wretch in the purging such a defiled Soul in the healing such a Leper in the pardoning so many and great Transgressions And 't is often Observ'd that such Sinners when they return to God have the Advantage of others upon several Accounts wherein God is more glorify'd by them As that usually they admire the Grace of God more than others love God and Christ more walk more humbly with God are more Charitable Tender and Compassionate to other Christians and are usually more watchful and circumspect for the Time to come and more afraid of falling And commonly they are more abundant in Service for the Honour of God more entirely devoted to him more zealous for his Glory more of a Publick Spirit more ready to do and to suffer any thing for his sake As this tends to the Honour of God so it may be pleaded in Prayer Object But before I close this I must obviate or answer an Objection or two more I may suppose some will say That after all there 's no finding Mercy and Forgiveness with God without Faith in Jesus Christ and I can't for my Heart believe in Christ that he will receive me I cannot perswade my self that such a one as I should be accepted What shall the Invaluable Purchase of the Death of Christ belong to me be bestowed on me if you 'd give me all the World I can't believe that such a Wretch as I have been shall find Mercy You don't know how I have affronted dishonour'd despis'd and disobey'd him I have abus'd his Grace at that dreadful Rate that you cann't imagine the Aggravtion of my Sins or the Sadness of my Case I can't believe that he will ever forgive me receive me justifie me and glorifie me I can't believe it and if I can't believe in Christ I can't be saved by him Answ I Answer Don't mistake the Nature of saving Faith You say you can't believe and you have no Faith Whereas at the bottom you mean no more than this that as yet you are not certain of Salvation you have no Assurance But are you willing to receive Christ Jesus as offer'd in the Gospel Hath the Spirit of God so far convinc'd you of your sinful miserable state that you heartily consent to be saved by Christ in his own Way and upon his own Terms Are you willing to take him as your Teacher Saviour and Lord Are you brought to depend and trust entirely upon the Mercy of God in Jesus Christ as the only Mediator between God and Man To relye upon his Sacrifice and meritorious Righteousness as your only Refuge and Hope Desiring to be found in him alone to be accepted of God only in the Beloved and are truly willing and as far as you know your own Hearts are resolv'd to follow him as the Captain of your Salvation where ever he shall lead you in hope of his purchased and promised Grace and Glory This is Faith and dare you say that there 's nothing of this that appears in the Temper of your Spirits Secondly If you can't with any Confidence say this yet the Case is hopeful if you are in the number of convinced awakened sensible Sinners Are you sensible of your Ignorance Poverty Guilt Impurity Bondage Unrighteousness c. and that you need Christ as a compleat Saviour to be made of God unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption to expiate Sin by his Blood and to subdue it by his Spirit to reconcile us to God and begin that blessed Union and Communion here which shall be compleat in Heaven And this comprehends our whole Salvation Christ is the Saviour of Sinners and of such who are lost who apprehend themselves to be so without his help that feel their Sins and their Wants he came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance And is a Physitian not to the Whole but to the Sick He calls and cures not the Proud but the Humble not the Full but the Hungry not the Rich but the Poor not the Free but the Captive who are sensible of their Bonds not the Righteous but Sinners And he makes you by his Spirit thus humble empty hungry and sensible of Sin that you may look to him as the great Reconciler sensible of the need of Pardon If it be thus you may then look for Redemption through the Blood of Jesus even the Forgiveness of Sins Feeling your need of Sanctification you may look to be wash'd and cleans'd and sanctify'd in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by his Spirit feeling your want of Strength to do and suffer the Will of God you may look to Christ to enable you to do all things Now one that is not fully satisfy'd and assur'd that Christ will save him may yet be brought to this frame How is it with you as to this Thirdly Let me ask you further under the Sense of being Vile and Hainous Sinners are you brought earnestly to desire the Mercy of God in Christ and diligently to seek after him Tho' you sometimes fear he will not accept you yet do you not neglect to pray to him What would you not give that you might be interested in God's pardoning Mercy and accepted in Christ Are not your greatest Fears and Concern with respect to this lest he should reject you Are not the strongest Desires of your Souls after this that he would receive you And is it thus not only at a Pinch in Affliction and Trouble as to Outward Affairs or on a sick Bed but in Health and Prosperity Is this the Language of your Souls I have Health and Friends and Money and Credit and many Outward Blessings beyond others I want nothing for my Body or for my Comfortable Passage through this World But I am yet a miserable Creature if I am under the Guilt of Sin if God be not reconcil'd to me O that I were clear as to this what would
such a Load of Guilt and so many hainous Crimes to acknowledge In this sense we find the Expression of standing us'd Rom. XIV 4. To his own Master he standeth or falleth that is shall either be acquitted or condemned of God 'T is of the same Import with Psal CXLIII 2. Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant O Lord for in thy sight no flesh living shall be justified Consider a little with what a Frame of Spirit doth David use such Language he seems to cry out in the View of his Hainous Sins as ready to Despair if not reliev'd by the Hope that there is Forgiveness with God Lord who can stand that is how justly may I be Condemn'd if I am try'd at thy Bar According to strict Justice I must be cast I cannot answer thee for one much less for all my Abominations I cannot stand in the Judgment This will be and is the Case of all Convinced Sinners of every one of us when we View our Sins and the Majesty of Heaven whom we have offended When we consider how we have affronted God and despised him and how easily he can crush us into Hell and how justly he might When we think how we have preferr'd a Lust a Trifle a Passion an Humour before him How we have slighted his Authority abus'd his Goodness defi'd his Power weari'd his Patience rejected his Grace and by numberless aggravated Transgressions incurr'd the Vengeance he hath threaten'd and made our selves lyable to his intolerable and everlasting Wrath. Under such a Sight and Sense of Sin what can relieve but the Consideration that there 's Mercy and Forgiveness with God and that He 'll abundantly Pardon returning Sinners This I say we are backward to believe There 's so much Ignorance and Blindness in the Minds of Sinners there 's such a proneness in Men to Judge of God by themselves and of his Thoughts and Ways by their own that because they could not Pardon such and such hainous Provocations so often repeated they imagine that God will not And there are so many Fears and Jealousies in our guilty Souls concerning God that without the Encouragement of such a Declaration of Grace as in this Text there could be no Repentance there would be no Returning to God You know what Benhadad's Servants told him 1 Kings XX. 31. We have heard that the Kings of Israel are Merciful Kings let us put Sack-cloath on our Loyns and Ropes about our Necks and go to the King of Israel peradventure he will save thy Life This gracious Method God us'd toward Israel Jer. III. 12. Go and proclaim these words toward the North saying Return O back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you for I am Merciful saith the Lord and will not keep anger for ever Only acknowledge thine Iniquity that thou hast Transgressed against the Lord thy God that is Let them not cherish any such hard Thoughts of me as if there were no Forgiveness let them not despair of my Mercy as if I would not receive them when they return This gives the greatest Encouragement to Convinced Sinners that here is a Plank to save them from Shipwrack a Remedy against Despair Here 's a ground for 'em to return to God with Hopes Here 's a Motive to seek Mercy that God hath proclaim'd his Readiness to forgive and abundantly to pardon And methinks 't is very plain that the Doctrine of Repentance would never have been preached if there were no Hope of Forgiveness The fallen Angels having no Mercy offer'd were never call'd to repent for let there be never so deep Conviction of Sin and Sorrow for it there could be no Repenting and Returning to God without believing that Mercy might be had All would end in Death and Desparation Repentance would never be commanded as a Duty nor urg'd upon Sinners as a Duty it could not if we believe the Wisdom Goodness and Faithfulness of God were it not for this Truth that If the wicked forsake his way c. But upon the Consideration of this Sinners begin to have good Thoughts of God many of their Scruples are remov'd many of their Objections answer'd and they are now encourag'd to seek the Mercy of God and prepare to receive it VSE To Conclude therefore Let the vilest and worst of Sinners receive these glad Tydings of God's Grace and not abuse them Don't despise this Message don't neglect it but consider how much you need this Mercy and go home and earnestly beg it Endeavour to welcome it as it is offer'd in the Gospel and then plead it and urge it for Christ's sake according to the Promise as it is Free-Mercy And stir up your Souls to hope in it as knowing that God takes pleasure in them that hope in his Mercy May I not therfore say that 't is from the Devil for whom there is no Mercy if there be any of you to whom this Doctrine is preached who will yet Conclude There 's no Mercy for you Since God hath told us that If the Wicked forsake his Evil Ways and Thoughts and turn to the Lord they may and ought in that Case most firmly believe that He will have Mercy and that He will abundantly pardon THE Second Sermon ISAIAH LV. 7. Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the Unrighteous Man his Thoughts and let him Return unto the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly Pardon 'T IS of the Sixth Observation from these Words that I would now speak without so much as repeating the other five viz. That Pardoning Mercy to Penitent Sinners is Mercy indeed the most valuable and seasonable Mercy This I shall endeavour to manifest by several Considerations and then Apply it First There 's nothing more suitable to the Case of a Guilty Sinner who hath any Thoughts of returning to God Consider the Perplexities of one that is awakened to a Sense of Sin and is under a Spirit of Conviction His bitter Complaints and loud Cryes tell us that he knows not what to do nor how to be rid of his Burden He apprehends his Danger from unpardoned Sin and feels the want of this Forgiveness He is wounded and nothing but the Voice of Pardoning Mercy can heal him I have greatly sinn'd said David and his Heart smote him 2 Sam. XXIV 10. And now I beseech thee O Lord take away the Iniquity of thy Servant Nothing else could give him Ease and Quiet from an Accusing troubled Conscience The Inhabitant shall not say I am sick the People that dwell therein shall be forgiven their Iniquity Isa XXXIII 24. The meer Patience and Forbearance of God without Forgiveness will not answer the Exigence of his Case Tho' he be yet out of Hell he knows not how long it shall be so or how soon he may there have a Miserable Portion 'T is the Sense of Unpardon'd Sin that breaks his Bones and dryeth up his Marrow
is forgiven other Mercies will be sweet and the Burden of Affliction tolerable But without this and under the Apprehensions of the contrary every Temporal Calamity is double For this is the Wormwood and the Gall in every bitter Cup. We shall not under the Troubles and Disappointments of this World cry out we are undone if we can think that God hath forgiven us No more than a Man who has just receiv'd his Prince's Pardon when he lay under a Sentence of Condemnation to Death can be thought if he lose his Glove or Handkerchief in the way home that he will wring his Hands and weep and take on for such a Loss when he had so lately his Life graciously given him Besides Hereby is a Foundation laid for a Life of Thankful Love and Obedience to God Conscience being purg'd from dead Works we serve the Living God without fear in hope of his Acceptance with the Promise of his hearing our Prayers and that he will be well pleased with our Services and overlook our Infirmities c. We may therefore well bear the Tryals of this Life with Patience and Resignation and in a dying Hour shall be able to commend our Souls with Faith and Hope into the Hands of Christ who will take Care of us as his own when we leave the World and at last publickly acknowledge and absolve us in the great Day Oh how many Mercies accompany this one of the Forgiveness of Sin Fourthly This is Mercy indeed to a Returning Sinner Peculiar Mercy as it it Irrevocable Where Sin is forgiven and Iniquity blotted out it shall be remember'd no more You are freely justify'd from all things and shall never come into Condemnation This my Covenant of Peace shall never be removed saith the Lord who hath mercy on thee Isa LIV. 10. This is not only true of the first Settlement of it but is the Priviledge of every one who is under the Bond and Blessing of the New Covenant Tho' I visit his Transgression with a Rod and his Iniquity with Stripes nevertheless my loving Kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my Faithfulness to fail my Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my Lips God may remember the Sins of Pardoned Believers so as to afflict them in this World and exercise the Discipline of his Family Their share in National Sins may involve them in present Sufferings with others And for particular Transgressions God may testifie his Fatherly Displeasure against good Men by remarkable Afflictions but will not reverse their Pardon so as to punish them Eternally Ely David Jonah and others are Instances Your Peace with Heaven shall never be so broken none of your Afflictions will prove it The Reconciliation between God and Sinners that is once accepted by a Real Active Unfeigned Obedient Faith is Perpetual It is promis'd that our Iniquities shall be blotted out and remember'd no more that God will cast 'em behind his Back Cast 'em into the bottom of the Sea Scatter 'em as a thick Cloud c. Isa XLIII 25. Psal LI. 9. Isa XXXVIII 17. Mic. VII 19. Isa XLIV 22. And yet more expresly to assure us that God will not enter into Judgment with us for the Sins he hath once forgiven we read Jer. L. 20. In that day shall the Iniquity of Israel be sought for and there shall be none and the Sins of Judah and they shall not be found Where God bestows Forgiveness he communicates the Spirit of Grace for the Mortification of Sin And tho' that Work be not perfect it shall be progressive and the Remainders of Corruption in the Soul will not prove that your Sin is not forgiven The Flesh will war against the Spirit and the Spirit will strive against the Flesh but you can't conclude that you are not forgiven from the Opposition that Sin makes against the Grace of God in the Soul Would you judge of your selves consider what Opposition you make against Sin Would you have Relief Apply to the Fountain open to the Blood and Spirit of Christ for new Strength from Day to Day to Crucifie the Flesh to Continue the Warfare and Maintain the Conflict That Sin yet remains in the Soul is consistent with your Reconciliation to God and your Sence of this with his Acceptance of you Yea I am perswaded there 's never such a Discovery of Corruption as after Forgiveness when the Grace of God hath enlightned the Soul But which part do you side with Do you Condemn Bewail Oppose Resist Strive Watch Pray Fight and Endeavour the Mortification of Corruption that yet remains after the Hopes of Pardon You shall then by the Grace of Christ hold on and be more than Conquerors You should Apply to him and Exalt his Power as able to destroy the Works of the Devil He has promised and undertaken it that no Iniquity shall be charged to your Condemnation No old Stories shall be repeated no latent Displeasure harboured no former Quarrel revived If thou return to God with all thy Heart he will never upbraid thee with thy former Sins tho' Men may But if you can hope that God forgives you you 'll easily bear that and little mind it Can you doubt of this Fulness of Pardon when God hath said he will hide and blot out our Sins so as When sought for they shall not be found And that he will put them as far from us as the East is from the West that None of them shall be mentioned again unto us Psal CIII 10. Jer. XXXI 34. Fifthly This Pardoning Mercy is Mercy indeed to a Returning Sinner because all his unknown and forgotten Sins shall be pardoned as well as those he hath particularly confess'd agravated and repented of As he that breaks the Law in one Point is guilty of all by the wilful Contempt of Divine Authority so he that is absolved in one Point is forgiven in all It were otherwise in vain to be forgiven and absolved as to some Sins that might damn us if there 's any one left that would do it He that is under Condemnation for one Sin is liable to Eternal Death But Divine Forgiveness is entire and full There are Sins of Good Men that arise from Humane Frailty and not from any evil Purpose of Heart as Sins of Ignorance which if we had known we would not have committed or of sudden Surprize that we did not Observe or fell into by the violent hurry of Temptation before we had time to think what we were doing of such Sins we shall be often guilty while we are in the World and we are bid to ask daily Pardon for 'em and then they shall not break Covenant between God and Us. But there are Many Sins that we have forgotten for which we were never Humbled in Particular And yet if we truly Repent of those we do know and call to mind our forgotten Sins shall be forgiven For God will Pardon us like
Conscience and you can't presently approach to God with Comfort What then should you do Give up all for lost Run into Excess of Riot and say There is no Hope therfore let us walk after the Imagination of our own Hearts No by no Means But by renewed Acts of Repentance towards God and of Faith in the Blood of Jesus return to God and seek Forgiveness I grant in such Cases it is hard to do this with any Encouragement and Hope Our Hearts misgive us and well they may we shall have a thousand Jealousies and Fears And it can't be otherwise However God's Thoughts are not as ours He will abundantly pardon Returning Sinners tho' you have abus'd his Grace tho' you have dishonour'd his Name revolted after Forgiveness slighted the Redeemer Christ griev'd his Spirit given Advantage to the Devil deserv'd to be cast out of his sight tho' you have broken your solemn Vows and broken your Peace thereby yet let such remember that God will show Mercy to Returning Sinners and he will abundantly pardon ' em He will heal their Backslidings and make them loath themselves and be confounded for all their Abominations even After he is pacify'd towards them Ezek. XVI the last You know the kind Language God us'd to Ephraim Jer. XXXI 18 20. Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself he is my dear Son he is a pleasant Child or rather is he not so though I spake aginst him I remember him still my Bowels are moved for him I will surely have mercy on him saith the Lord. Read with Thankfulness Mic. VII 18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the Transgressions of his Remnant and retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy He will turn again and have compassion on us and will subdue our Iniquities and cast our Sins into the Depths of the Sea And how sweet is the Repentance of such a Returning Backslider that is kindly melted humbled and broken and brought to the Foot of God with Hope of Mercy through Christ The Contrition of such a Soul is made up like that of Mary Magdalen of Tears and of Kisses of Sorrow and of Love of Humility and Hope of Confusion and Confidence of Shame and Joy And how will such a Soul love much to whom much is thus forgiven In short God doth abundantly pardon and multiply Pardons as to the Forgiveness of many Sins in that never any one Sin was forgiven to any Man to whom this was not made good Numberless Sins are forgiven wherever one is They are more than the Hairs of our Head or the Sands on the Sea-shore Well might the Psalmist say Have mercy on me O Lord according to thy loving Kindnesses and according to the multitude of thy tender Mercies Psal LI. 1. I will abundantly pardon saith God here and in another place I will cleanse them from all their Iniquities whereby they have sinn'd against me whereby they have trespass'd against me saith the Lord Jer. XXXII 8. Who can understand his Errors before Conversion and since by Omission and Commission in Thought in Word and Act How long did God wait on some of us What various Methods did he use to bring us home How graciously did he receive us at first and after many Provocations receive us again Surely if we find Mercy with God any of us he must abundantly pardon us and multiply Forgivenesses And because 't is not so easie a thing to believe this I proceed to the Second Particular to Consider what Reason we have to be perswaded of this Secondly Upon what Grounds may we be firmly perswaded of this Truth That God will thus multiply Pardons 'T is certain to an humbl'd awaken'd convinced penitent Sinner it must be glad Tydings of great Joy that his Case will admit of Hope That he ought not to despair that there is a possibility he may find Mercy with God if no more But to have the Riches of God's Grace display'd to have a free and general Invitation made to all the Hungry and Thirsty the Weary and Heavy laden to have a Promise of Mercy and of Forgiveness whatever thy Sins have been What matter of Rejoycing is this This will answer a thousand Objections which otherwise you could not tell what to say to This is proper to revive the most drooping Spirits to make them adore God and admire his glorious Grace This may cause them to think honourably of him seek earnestly to him and thankfully accept his offered Mercy as poor wretched perishing condemn'd undone Creatures toward whom the God of all Grace will magnifie his Rich and Undeserved Mercy Therfore be perswaded to believe it considering such things as these First That there are large and express Promises and most astonishing Instances in the Holy Scriptures to Encourage your Faith He that best understands his own kind Thoughts to the Children of Men to the chiefest of Sinners hath assured you he will not only have Mercy but abundantly pardon and that where Sin hath abounded Grace shall much more abound toward all of them who will accept of Mercy by Jesus Christ so as God may not lose the Glory of it You think it very hard to be perswaded of this but hath not God told you that as far as the Heavens are above the Earth so are his Thoughts and Ways above yours And tho' your Sins be as Crimson and Scarlet that they shall be as Snow and Wool and that To the Lord our God belong Mercies and Forgiveness tho' we have rebell'd against him Have we not Instances of this as to others of the worst of Men and Women that have been washed and justify'd through the Blood of Christ and Spirit of Christ of Sinks of Sin that have been made Vessels of Mercy Many Examples in the Old Testament and in the New of Jews and Gentiles What Folly and what aggravated Sin was David guilty of after the Knowledge of God and what great Sins before Conversion was the Apostle Paul charg'd with You have been sometimes told that 't is an Instance of God's Wisdom and Kindness to record the the Example of David's Fall Some it may be think it were better left out lest it should encourage Sinners but doubtless many a Man would have perished in Despair and made away himself if it had not been for the Example of David's Repentance and God's Forgiveness of him after such hainous Transgressions Secondly God hath declared this to be his Nature and Delight He proclaims it as part of his Name Exod. XXXIV 5 6. to be The Lord God Gracious and Merciful Slow to Anger and Abundant in Goodness and Truth forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin He is pleas'd in the Exercise of his Mercy he delights to be Gracious and takes pleasure in them that hope in his Mercy And therfore what pleaseth him and he delights to do he will do abundantly There is an Inexhausted Treasure of Grace in God Exceeding
To perswade you that God will abundantly pardon Consider how valuable a Price was paid for your Redemption that you might have Forgiveness When you think of the Freeness of this Mercy to you think also that it cost the precious Blood of Jesus to Procure it And by the great Propitiation for Sin which he hath made God hath glorify'd his Holiness and Justice and may now glorifie his Mercy and Grace in pardoning and saving Sinners without lessening the Honour of his Authority and Government or impeaching any of his Attributes and Perfections You may come and beg Mercy for the sake of Jesus Christ saying Lord save me for thy Mercy 's sake I am a Vile Sinner a Rebellious Creature not only an unprofitable Servant but a hainous Criminal I have nothing in my self but Matter of Shame and Humiliation nothing of any good but what thou hast given me There 's nothing in any of my Services but need the Sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus to make them accepted But there is Redemption even the Forgiveness of Sin through the Blood of Jesus Lord Here is the Blood shed for Expiation of my Sins Lord Here 's the Price paid for my Reconciliation here 's a perfect Righteousness to cover me here 's a compleat Attoning Sacrifice Christ's Merit Righteousness and Intercession and Grace can save me O let me be found in him accepted in him Did I dishonour God formerly by my aggravated Sins Christ my Redeemer hath honour'd him more by his Death than ever I dishonour'd him by my wicked Life Is it not a Trouble to you to think with what Affection and Delight you sinned with what Deliberation you committed such and such Sins Oh! remember that Christ delighted to do the Mediatorial Will of his Father He was straitned 'till he drank of the bitter Cup and was baptized with his own Blood He knew before hand all that he was to do and suffer for our Redemption and yet willingly undertook it Did you sin with much intenseness of Spirit so that your Heart was in it Have your Crimes been many of them Mental Spiritual Inward Sins like those of the Devil which are worse than Sensual Carnal Ones Remember Christ's Sufferings lay much in his Soul also His Spirit his Soul was heavy unto Death c. And whatever Unworthiness you may apprehend of the Mercy offer'd you remember 't is Free Mercy You are call'd and invited to receive it without Money and without Price If you are weary and heavy laden and sensible of your Unworthiness if you see your need of his help are desirous of it and willing to yield your selves to his Conduct to be saved in a way of Free-grace so as to give him the entire Glory of your Salvation you ought to believe that God will show you Mercy and abundantly pardon you He hath glorify'd his Mercy in the purchase of Forgiveness by Christ in the Publication of it in the Gospel and in the Application of it to particular Sinners upon Faith and Repentance or Repentance and Faith I scruple not to put either first since they are inseperable and are never parted And both are absolutely needful Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ that at once we may give God the Honour of his Authority and violated Law by our Repentance and of his rich Grace in the Gospel by our Faith in Christ And can any thing be more free to us than to be forgiven in this Method on these Terms to have all our Transgressions blotted out for his Name 's sake and to be washed and cleans'd in the Fountain of Christ's Blood when we have nothing but our own miserable and wretched Case to move his Pity He justisies us freely by his Grace and found a way to do it with Honour to his own Name What a strange Passage is that of the Prophet Isa XLIII 22 23 24. Thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but hast been weary of me O Israel thou hast not brought me the small Cattle of thy burnt Offerings neither hast thou honour'd me with thy Sacrifice thou hast bought me no sweet Cane with Money neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy Sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine Iniquities What might now be expected but that God should say Therfore I will not hear thee when thou callest I 'le make thee a Sacrifice to my Wrath I 'le punish thee according to thy Desert But 't is quite otherwise for it follows in Verse 25. I even I am he that blotteh out thy Transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy Sins When the God whom we had offended by Sin is become a God of Forgiveness in such a way and method of rich and glorious Grace we need not doubt but his Heart is in it and therfore that he will abundantly pardon He might have exacted the Punishment of Sin when he gave his only begotten Son to be a Propitiation for our Sin and accepted his Suffering instead of ours There could be nothing move him to this but his own Grace and Love And therfore we ought to believe that he 's ready to receive returning Sinners unto Mercy for Christ's sake Sixthly As consequent to this Consider that by believing that God will abundantly pardon returning Sinners we give Honour and Glory to God He is pleas'd and honour'd by our giving Credit to his Word and hoping in his Mercy Whereas if we distrust his Promises and Declarations of Grace we not only disobey his Order but refuse that which he delights in and whereby he 's glorify'd By not believing his Promises of Pardon we do what we can to frustrate the Command of Faith in Jesus Christ and the Promse of Salvation by him Yea to disappoint the great Design of Christ's Coming into the World which was to save Sinners We undervalue the rich Provision he hath made for our Encouragement we gratifie the Devil in keeping off from the only Remedy which Christ hath procured We do in effect make God a Liar by disbelieving the Record he hath given of his Son not setting to our Seal that God is true 1 John V. 10. John III. 33. If we honour and please God by our Faith and Hope more than by any thing else we do as much dishonour and displease him by our Unbelieving Despondency and Dispair Yea all the Sins of your past Life that make you fear God will never forgive you are not cloathed with higher Aggravations of Guilt than your doubting of the pardon of them in Case you unfeignedly return to God and believe in Christ Lastly You ought to believe it for the Reason added Ver. 7. because God's Thoughts are not as ours but as far as the Heavens are above the Earth c. We can't think so kindly of any who have injur'd us as God thinks of us who have offended him Nor can we think to what degree God
should speak such Language to me as this Tho' for lying Vanities thou hast forsaken thine own Mercies yet return to me Tho' thou hast play'd the Harlot with many Lovers yet return Tho' thou hast turned a deaf Ear to many Reproofs yet thy Case is not desperate Tho' I offer my Son and Life by him He that hath the Son hath Life and ye would not This Offer was repeated Sabbath after Sabbath for many Years yet you would not hear it you would not stoop to the Terms yet return unto me I will pity and pardon you I will abundantly pardon Long since I might have sworn in my Wrath you shall never enter into my Rest I might have said Let them alone to be undone by their own Obstinate Foolish Choice I might have resolv'd never such an Offer should be made to you more Never any Sermon about it shall ever do you good more But I am God and not Man my Thoughts and Ways are not as yours I invite you again I beseech you turn and live do not go on and dye God speaks this Language to every one of you the worst of you who hear me this Day Let none therfore think or say 't is too late for him or her there 's now no more Mercy for me For Christ yet stands at the Door and knocks tho' you have refus'd formerly and shut the Door formerly yet now if you will open the Door he will come in and sup with you and you with him Rev. III. 20. Nay tho' he has not taken Possession of thy Heart he knocks at thy Door by his Spirit and is ready to enter tho' you refuse him he does not abandon you Tho' his Kindness and Love hath been slighted yet his Mercy is tendered still and his Patience prolonged And will you resolve to go on thus Will ye not return Are you content to perish rather than come to Christ for Life rather than give him the Glory of your Salvation Will you rather dye in your Sins than be beholden to him for your Forgiveness rather than apply to God for it when he hath provided an All-sufficient Saviour and offer'd you that Salvation freely which cost so dear to purchase After this for a poor proud Sinner to turn his Back upon this Grace of God to scorn this Saviour and disdain to be saved by him saying in Effect I will have none of your Christ none of his Grace none of his Mercy I had rather enjoy my Lusts continue in my Sin and put it to the Venture how provoking is such Guilt and how righteous will be the Condemnation of such obstinate Sinners Secondly Apply your self therfore to God in Christ by Earnest Prayer He hath the Words of Eternal Life he is a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance as well as Pardon The Spirit of Faith is the Spirit of Jesus Christ he can open thy blind Eyes and soften thy hard Heart he that commanded the Cripple to take up his Bed and walk at the same time gave him Power to obey There is a Divine Spirit and Power even the Spirit of Life and Power in Christ Jesus that accompanies the Preaching of the Gospel this may be hoped for this ought to be valu'd desir'd and begg'd You ought never to despair of God's Grace to enable you to believe when it continues to be your Duty to believe on Christ and it cannot but continue to be so unless the Gospel be repeal'd Therefore beg with all your Hearts that you may be enabled to look to him and be saved to come to him and find Rest to your Souls to believe on him and receive Remission of Sins For by beholding the Glory of God in the Face of Christ you may be changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory Beg an Understanding to know him that is true and with all your Hearts to believe on him that you may assent to his Word consent to his Covenant resign to his Will and trust in his Promise depending on his Readiness Willingness Power and Faithfulness to save you Saying Lord draw me and I will run after thee Lord thou art willing to receive Sinners make me willing to receive thee Lord thou hast received Gifts for Men even for the Rebellious O communicate of those Gifts of Grace to me I see my need of Christ and what Reason I have to come to him O lead me to him and work in me to will and to do of thine own good Pleasure Thirdly If you begin to find the Spirit of Christ breathing on your Souls that have been yet unperswaded if you have any Motions of the good Spirit of God by the preaching the Word or by any other means take heed you thankfully cherish and entertain them When you find your Souls begin to turn towards Christ if you find any Beams of Heavenly Light break in upon you any Inclinations started of applying to him besure to obey the Voice of his Spirit Open every Door of your Souls to receive his Light When he works any Conviction of Sin any sence of your need of a Saviour any Desires after him or Purposes of Heart to leave your Sins and give up your selves to God to be saved by Christ according to the Gospel for your Souls sake encourage such Thoughts cherish such Suggestions Beware how you turn them off but presently and thankfully strike in saying Lord I yield I am overcome I have long enough and too long refus'd thy Grace disobey'd thy Will and resisted thy Spirit Thou hast often knockt and I would not open O now enter thou Blessed of the Lord and take Possession of my Soul Let Christ dwell in my Heart by Faith and his Spirit form a Temple there and reside there as in his own Dwelling for ever Lord art thou yet willing after all my Provocations to show Mercy and abundantly to pardon Willing to be my God and my Saviour Blessed be God I am now willing to be thy Servant Thy powerful Grace hath made me willing Thy Spirit open'd my Eyes to see my self undone to see that Christ is able and willing to save me I hope I am now ready to receive him willing to embrace him as Christ Jesus my Lord. I come to thee O God as to the Fountain of Life to be quickned and cleans'd to be wash'd justify'd sanctify'd and sav'd from Sin and Hell by the Blood and Spirit of Jesus through the Free Mercy and Grace of God But to Conclude If after all there be any Such here as are not will not be perswaded to forsake their Evil Ways and turn to God in Christ Let them consider that the longer they continue in their Obstinacy and Unbelief under the preaching of the glorious Grace and Mercy of God to Sinners so much the more Danger they are in of being lost for ever For their Minds must needs be more blinded by sinning against the Light Their Hearts more hardned by misimproving that which should have softned
Confession of Sin to God so much the better This cannot be without a Holy Sorrow and Shame in the Remembrance of your past Folly your Sinfulness and Pollution your Ingratitude and Rebellion against God and not meerly upon the Account of any Penal Afflictive Consequences by which you have smarted For Godly Sorrow will distinguish it self by the Principles and Motives of it to be another thing than meerly bowing down the Head under the Burthen of Affliction There will be a Holy Shame and Confusion of Face in the sense of what you have done and what you have deserv'd so as to tremble at the Thought of committing the like Sins again and to fear the Temptations that might draw you to it and make you reckon every Burden of Affliction tolerable in comparison of the Burden of Sin Considering what we have done and against whom we have sinned Considering what a foolish Choice we have made what Grace we have slighted what Mercies we have abused and how unworthily we have behaved our selves to God our Owner Maker and Sovereign and unto Christ our Saviour and Redeemer and unto the Holy Spirit who hath been striving with us Hereupon we condemn our selves and beg that God would not condemn us we are made sensible of our Unworthiness of the least Favour and as the Prodigal or Publican beg free Mercy Owning his Righteousness if he should deny it Thus judging our selves we justifie God and hereby give Glory to him This will make his Mercy the more welcome and our Prayers the more Earnest Such a Sence of Sin we must carefully improve to encrease our Hatred of it Resolutions to forfake it and Endeavours against it for the future To promote and preserve Humility and a low Esteem of our selves and entire Submission to all the Word and Will of God To help us to perform every Duty and joyn in every Ordinance with more Meekness and Self-abasement and to bear every Affliction as deserving a thousand times worse than we ever yet suffer'd This will make us feel more our need of Christ for Pardon and sanctifying Grace and make us have daily Recourse to him for the Influence of his Blood and Spirit And it will make us ready upon any just Occasion to confess our Sins to Men also if it appear to be for the Honour of God that we do so this will make us more compassionate toward Others who have fallen by Temptation This will raise our Thankfulness for every little Favour for every beginning of Mercy for every thing of Grace that we do or may receive from God And cause us readily to embrace and welcome the Gospel Discovery and Revelation of God's Forgiveness of Sin This serious Conviction of our Guilt and Folly will make us own our selves the Chiefest of Sinners as knowing the special Aggravations of our own Sins beyond what we know of Others I do not know as to other Men their Advantages or Disadvantages Helps or Hindrances by Education Knowledge Admonition Counsel Afflictions and special Obligations as I do my own I do not know the Strength the Urgency the Importunity of their Temptations whether if I had the like I might not have been as bad or worse I do not know the Force and Power of Bodily Constitution inclining 'em strongly to some Sins I do not know whether their Sins have been committed upon such small Temptations as many of mine have been Or whether against so many Motions of God's Spirit or whether they continued so long without Repentance or against so many Helps to repent I do not know whether there was so much of Wilfulness and Deliberation in Other Men's Sins as I know there hath been in my own I cannot tell but as to other Mens Faults there may be something to lessen to extenuate to mitigate their Guilt that doth not appear It may be their Principles and Intentions were not so bad and there was more of Infirmity more of Mistake and Error more of Weakness and Surprize in their Sins than I know there was in ' mine I may hope they did it ignorantly or but seldom or that the Consequence is not so bad as to God's Dishonour and the Mischief done to others I may hope a great deal of what I hear of their Crimes may be false or that God hath given them Repentance tho' I know it not And have Reason to consider as to several that they have otherwise many Excellent Qualifications many Useful and Valuable Things in 'em for which they ought to be esteem'd And so judging charitably of others with serious Scrutiny into our selves we shall see Reason to own our selves the Chiefest of Sinners Such an humble Sense of our sinful Vileness is a part of true Repentance and an Evidence of Forgiveness II. We cannot suppose this without Forsaking of Sin to which the Promise of Pardon is made If God hath forgiven you he enables you by his Spirit to walk in his Ways to strive and watch and pray against those Sins which with a Godly Sorrow you have confess'd and bewail'd so that you stand in Awe of God's Authority and allow your selves in no wilful known Sin or in any Negligent Omissions of positive plain Duty but endeavour to walk in all his Commandments blameless However because of the Imperfection of this in the Best Examine what Conflicts you have what Opposition you make against Sin by Renewed Spiritual Principles Is it the Desire Care and Endeavour of your Souls to have the Power of Indwelling Sin weakned and the Habits of Grace strengthned and your Obedience more Uniform Endeavouring to grow in Grace especially in that Grace which is contrary to your particular Sin and Corruption Is there an Earnest Desire and Constant Resolution and Endeavour to bring forth Fruits worthy of Repentance The Wicked must forsake his Way and the Vnrighteous Man his Thoughts if God doth abundantly pardon And to forsake it is more than a bare Refraining from Sin he must give over all Acquaintance with it and watch continually against it Whosoever retains any one Beloved Darling Sin cannot be said to forsake Sin tho' he refrain from all others He must forsake it so as to return to God and walk in a contrary Path. It must be forsaken as to the Affection and Love of it as well as the Outward Practice Then we forsake Sin indeed when we loath it and hate it and carefully watch against it As a Man is said to forsake his Meat not when he cannot get it or come by it but when he has no Stomach to it so doth he forsake his Lusts not when he hath no Opportunity but when he hath no Affection when there is an Habitual Enmity in his Heart against it and a constant Care in the Life to avoid it Is there no Sin but you are desirous to know and part with Do you love the Holy Image of God wherever you discern it and labour after a greater Conformity to the Divine Life Is
because of thy shame when I am pacify'd toward thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord. Is this the Language of your Hearts He might have condemn'd me to Hell long agoe but through the Precious Blood of Jesus I have Hopes of Forgiveness O what an Ungrateful Wretch have I been What Love have I despised Against whom have I sinned How have I rebell'd against the God of Love and Grace and griev'd his good Spirit Against what Bowels of Mercy have I spurn'd I am astonished at the Mercy of God in Christ offer'd to such a Rebel as I am I am confounded at my own Vileness that such Hainous Iniquities should be blotted out that such numberless Iniquities should be forgiven that after I had so often and so long and so wilfully turn'd my Back upon him he should yet call after me and say I am he behold I am he that bletteth out thy Transgression for my own Name sake and will remember thy sins no more That when God saw me and might have punished me might have made me an Example of his Justice here or might have sent me quick to Hell or might have left me unto Hardness of Heart to treasure up Wrath against the Day of Wrath that he should freely forgive me all and be graciously reconcil'd to me and speak Pardon and Peace to my Soul O Wretch that I have been O Abominable Sinner I abhor my self in Dust and Ashes We find this Exemplify'd in the Temper and Spirit of those to whom the Mercy and Grace of God is discovered especially in the Apostle Paul He aggravates his Sin and owns himself the Chiefest of Sinners and never more so than when he is thinking and speaking of Christ's Coming into the World to save Sinners and how wonderfully he called him and show'd Mercy to him Read this at large 1 Tim. I. 14 15 16 17. And the sight of God's Mercy and Sense of his Pardon is in it self proper to raise an Admiration of Free Grace and to humble the Soul before God It is proper to encrease our Detestation of Sin and make us loath our selves That which raiseth our Love to God must needs raise our Hatred of Sin and Sorrow for it Now Faith will make us Love much in the Sence of having much Forgiven Besides the Inseperable Connection between Faith and Repentance will evidence this We shall never adore the Love of Christ as a Redeemer delivering us from the Curse if we are not burden'd with the Weight of our Sins Nor shall we ever give God the Glory of his Justice without judging and condemning our selves by true Repentance Yet the more we see and apprehend of his Grace and Love in Forgiveness the more broken and contrite the more humbled and ashamed shall we be of our Sins against him VI. Lastly What can you say as to the Love of your Enemies and forgiving those who have injured and wronged you There is no better Evidence of God's forgiveness of your Trespasses than that he hath given you an Heart to forgive Others who have trespassed against you If it be upon a right Principle because God for Christ's sake hath pardon'd you and obliged you to forgive Others Lord Was there ever such a Distance between my Brother and me as my Sins have made between God and me Were the Injuries I resented from Others comparable to the Affronts I have offer'd to God and hath he freely for Christ's sake forgiven me What Influence hath such a Thought to cure and overcome the Ruggedness and Roughness of your Temper and Spirit towards Others If God hath pardon'd thee go and do likewise as to thy Brother For if you forgive not Men their Trespasses your Heavenly Father hath not and will not forgive you yours Mat. VI. 14. If you have a Rancorous Bitter Malicious Revengeful Spirit and will not forgive those that have wronged you how can you expect Forgiveness from God Do you then forgive those that have injured you as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you Heartily and without Dissembling Speedily and without Delay Frequently and Often without Limitation Even unto seventy times seven if our Brother offend that is so often as he doth And this Throughly and without Reserve without Exception or Equivocation without Remembring past Offences so as to bear them a Grudge This I grant is hard and difficult Work but the Spirit of Christ can enable us to do this 'T is the manifest Duty of such as are forgiven and it is a Sign and Evidence that they are so Hath God forgiven me my Scarlet and Crimson Sins and shall not I put up an Injury bear a Wrong endure a Reproach or an ill Turn from my Fellow Creature Shall I not in Obedience to Christ forgive him and pass it by By these things if Conscience be faithful you may be assisted to make a Judgment of your selves whether you are interested in this Forgiveness or no. And if your Sins have been many and great whether you may on good Grounds hope and say that God hath Abundantly Pardon'd THE Fourth Sermon ISAIAH LV. 9. For My Thoughts are not your Thoughts neither are your Ways My Ways saith the Lord. III. I Proceed to the Third General in this Passage viz. The annex'd Reason Verse the 9th why we ought to be fully satisfy'd and perswaded that God will thus receive Returning Sinners and abundantly pardon them because His Thoughts are not as ours nor his Ways as ours c. And here you may Consider First How this is Discover'd and Express'd by a Double Comparison of God's Thoughts with ours and his Ways with ours Secondly How 't is strongly argu'd by a most significant Similitude As far as the Heavens are above the Earth c. Thirdly The express Assurance of the Truth of all this from the Divine Testimony that is added Thus saith the Lord. That no Doubt may be made about it The whole of this may be compriz'd in these Three Particulars First That the Thoughts of God especially in the Dispensation of his Grace and Mercy to Returning Sinners are very different from our Thoughts and Transcendently above them as far as the Heavens are above the Earth Secondly That the Ways of God are unlike our Ways and Transcendently above them Thirdly That God's Testimony concerning his Thoughts and Ways of Grace and Mercy to Sinners ought to be credited and depended upon and is a sufficient Ground of Faith Thus saith the Lord being added 'T is the first I principally design that the Thoughts of God are not as ours but very unlike them and Transcendently above them as far as the Heavens are above the Earth This I shall Endeavour to Prove Confirm and Apply And here are two Things will need a little Explication First How the Thoughts of God are Different from ours not like them Secondly How they are Transcendently above them as far as the Heavens are above the Earth The First I shall consider more Generally The Second
Instance Object 1. Some may be ready to say notwithstanding all this I have such a sight of my own past Crimes and their Aggravations that none can judge of my Case as I can or know the worst of it as I do I knew the Will of God and yet disobey'd him I have sinn'd when I knew God did forbid it and threaten'd with Eternal Death what I was doing I have hearkned to Temptation tho' I had vow'd and promis'd and resolv'd and engag'd against that very Sin I was tempted to And which was worse I had some Thoughts of God's seeing me some Apprehensions that he would judge me for it and yet I went on and sinned Surely God will never forgive me If any of my Fellow Creatures had wilfully deliberately ungratefully frequently and perfidiously despised and affronted injured and offended me I that am but a Worm could have no Patience with such a One Much more may the Blessed God resent remember and punish such Vile Iniquities as I have been guilty of Answ Consider in Answer to this how high the Heavens are above the Earth and which is more the difference between the Creature and the Creator That his Thoughts are not as ours not like our misgiving despairing Thoughts He doth and will pardon like himself like a God Not after the Measures of a finite passionate weak Man All that you have said or can say shall be no Impediment if you return to God and seek him in Christ for Forgiveness He will Abundantly pardon beyond what you are able to think or suppose in the like Case God complains of Israel as prone and enclin'd to backslide yet he cannot find in his Heart to destroy 'em but expresses a kind of Conflict between Justice and Mercy and at last resolves I am God and not Man therfore I will not execute the Fierceness of mine Anger but I will cause 'em to walk after the Lord Hosea XI 7 10. He doth all things like himself as one Observes If he build he makes a World If he be angry with the World he sends a Flood over the Face of all the Earth If he goes out with the Armies of his People he makes the Sun stand still the Stars to fight the Seas to swallow up the most dreadful Armadoes If he love the precious Hearts Blood of his Beloved Son is not too dear If any become his Friend and Favourite thro' the Mediation of Christ he will make him a King give him a Paradise and set a Crown of Eternal Glory on his Head Let us not consider so much what is fit or likely for us to receive as for so Great a God to give and bestow If we are contrite humble penitent and fly to Jesus Christ as our Refuge of Hope He will think all the meritorious Sufferings of his Son all the Promises in his Book all the Comforts of his Holy Spirit all the Pleasures and Blessedness of his Kingdom little enough for us Object 2. But some will say further I did once hope that God had given me true Repentance and unfeigned Faith and that I was hearty and sincere in my Covenant with God I had some good Hopes that I was reconcil'd and that I was accepted And I seal'd my Covenant and set my Name to it and renew'd it also at the Lord's Table And I thank God I had some Quickning and Comfort as I thought but Wretch as I am I have revolted since I have burst those Bonds asunder I have gone back with such abominable Backslidings that I can't think God will ever pardon me who after I have known the Way of Righteousness have turn'd from the Holy Commandment After having been wash'd I have return'd with the Dog to his Vomit and the Swine to her wallowing in the Mire I fear I am among those who draw back to Perdition of whom God may say that his Soul shall have no Pleasure in them Answ Consider that God's Thoughts are not as yours as to Returning Backsliders He calls you to return O Israel thou hast fallen by thine Iniquity return unto the Lord thy God He tells you his Grace and Mercy can outdo all that you can think If you never heard of any that have sinn'd as you have or with such aggravated Backslidings he may yet forgive thee Though your Sins be as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow tho' red like Crimson they shall be as Wool Isa I. 18. If he give you Grace to repent and return he will forgive Sins after Baptism Sins after unworthy receiving the Lord's Supper may be pardon'd There is a Fountain open'd there is a Ransom found there is a Propitiation made there 's an Advocate with the Father You must forgive an offending Brother if he repent even unto seventy times seven And will not God forgive Returning Backsliders and multiply Forgivenesses This Text is the most proper Scripture that can be for such to consider that they may not think that no Mercy shall be extended to them They are invited to return with a Promise that God will heal their Backslidings Hos XIV 3 4. Jer. III. beginning and afterward Verse the 21st Go and proclaim these Words saying return ye backsliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause my Anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and will not keep Anger for ever You ought therfore to add the following Words Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Return to him with all your Hearts he will receive you graciously and love you freely The Prodigal is entertain'd upon his Return more than the First-born assoon as he repents and saith I am unworthy to be called thy Son He will heal your Backslidings and take away all Iniquity the Guilt the Stain the Power the Punishment and the Anguish of Conscience He will not impute thy Sin he will purge thy Conscience from dead works and enable thee to serve and obey him The Sun of Righteousness shall arise on thee with healing in his Wings the Influence of his Holy Spirit shall by Grace and Comfort be restored to thee And all this from his Free Love and Mercy Nothing is too hard for Love Divine Love It is I confess a real Difficulty when one is made sensible of great Sins after Repentance and I know of no Relief like that which is offer'd from this Scripture I am unworthy may such a Soul say but the Lord is Gracious I have misimprov'd his Mercy and abus'd his Goodness and his Patience what shall relieve me in this Case Why his Infinite Love Condescension and Grace Well but I have revolted and gone back by many aggravated Back-slidings that stare me in the Face Yet God is Vnchangeable he 's not only Merciful but Faithful to his Covenant And his Faithfulness was never engaged to the Angels that fell But here 's the great Objection that will be made to all this This is true but I am unfaithful and the