14. Our being under Grace under the power of the belief of forgiveness is our great preservative from our being under the power of sin Faith of forgiveness is the Principle of Gospel Obedience Titus 2. 11 12. Fifthly The general notion of forgiveness brings with it no sweetness no Rest to the soul. Flashes of joy it may abiding rest it doth not The truth of the Doctrine fluctuates to and fro in the minds of those that have it but their Wills and Affections have no solid delight nor rest by it Hence not withstanding all that profession that is made in the world of forgiveness the most of men ultimately resolve their peace and comfort into themselves As their apprehensions are of their own doing good or evil according to their ruling light whatever it be so as to peace and rest are they secretly tossed up and down Every one in his several way pleaseth himself with what he doth in answer unto his own convictions and is disquieted as to his state and condition according as he seems to himself to come short thereof To make a full life of contentation upon pardon they know not how to do it One duty yields them more true repose than many thoughts of forgiveness But faith finds sweetness and Rest in it being thereby apprehended it is the only harbour of the soul. It leads a man to God as Good to Christ as Rest. Fading evanid joyes do oft-times attend the one but solid delight with constant Obedience are the fruits only of the other Sixthly Those who have the former only take up their perswasion on false grounds though the thing it self be true and they cannot but use it unto false ends and purposes besides its natural and genuine tendency For their grounds they will be discovered when I come to treat of the true nature of Gospel forgiveness For the End it is used generally only to fill up what is wanting Self-righteousness is their bottom and when that is too short or narrow to cover them they piece it out by forgiveness Where conscience accuses this must supply the defect Faith layes it on its proper foundation of which afterwards also and it useth it to its proper End namely to be the sole and only ground of our Acceptation with God That is the proper use of forgiveness that all may be of Grace for when the foundation is pardon the whole superstructure must needs be Grace From what hath been spoken it is evident that notwithstanding the pretences to the contrary insinuated in the Objection now removed it is a great thing to have Gospel forgiveness discovered unto a soul in a saving manner The true Nature of Gospel forgiveness It s Relation to the Goodness Grace and Will of God To the blood of Christ. To the Promise of the Gospel The Considerations of Faith about it The difficulties that lye in the way of faiths discovery of forgiveness whence it appears to be a matter of greater weight and importance than it is commonly apprehended to be have been insisted on in the foregoing Discourse There is yet remaining another ground of the same Truth Now this is taken from the Nature and Greatness of the thing it self discovered that is of forgiveness To this end I shall shew what it is wherein it doth consist what it comprizes and relates unto according to the importance of the second Proposition before laid down I do not in this place take forgiveness strictly and precisely for the act of pardoning nor shall I dispute what that is and wherein it doth consist Consciences that come with sin entanglements unto God know nothing of such disputes Nor will this Expression there is forgiveness with God bear any such restriction as that it should regard only actual condonation or pardon That which I have to do is to enquire into the nature of that pardon which poor convinced troubled souls seek after and which the Scripture proposeth to them for their relief and rest And I shall not handle this absolutely neither but in Relation to the Truth under consideration namely that it is a great thing to attain unto a true Gospel discovery of forgiveness First As was shewed in the opening of the words the forgiveness enquired after hath Relation unto the Gracious Heart of the Father Two things I understand hereby 1. The Infinite Goodness and Graciousness of his Nature 2. The Soveraign purpose of his Will and Grace There is considerable in it the infinite Goodness of his nature Sin stands in a contrariety unto God It is a Rebellion against his Soveraignty an Opposition to his Holiness a Provocation to his Justice a Rejection of his yoke a casting off what lyes in the sinner of that dependance which a Creature hath on its Creator That God then should have pity and compassion on sinners in every one of whose sins there is all this evil and inconceivably more than we can comprehend it argues an infinitely Gracious Good and loving heart and nature in him For God doth nothing but suitably to the Properties of his Nature and from them All the Acts. of his Will are the Effects of his Nature Now what ever God proposeth as an encouragement for sinners to come to him that is of or hath a special influence into the Forgiveness that is with him For nothing can encourage a sinner as such but under this consideration that it is or it respects forgiveness That this Graciousness of Gods nature lyes at the head or spring and is the root from whence forgiveness doth grow is manifest from that solemn Proclamation which he made of old of his name and the Revelation of his nature therein for God assuredly is what by himself he is called Exod. 34. 6 7. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniuity and transgression and sin His forgiving of iniquity flows from hence that in his nature he is merciful gracious long-suffering abundant in goodness Were he not so infinite in all these it were in vain to look for forgiveness from him Having made this known to be his Name and thereby declared his Nature he in many places proposeth it as a relief a refuge for sinners an encouragement to come unto him and to wait for mercy from him Psal. 9. 10. They that know thy name will put their trust in thee It will encourage them so to do others have no foundation of their confidence but if this name of God be indeed made known unto us by the Holy Ghost what can hinder why we should not repair unto him and rest upon him So Isa. 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice 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 Not only sinners but sinners in great distress are here spoken unto Darkness of state or
and Jacob and the name Jehovah to Moses and the people so now by Jesus Christ and in him every particular Promise belongs unto all believers in all their occasions and every Name of God whatever is theirs also at all times to rest upon and put their trust in Thus the particular Promise made unto Joshuah at his entrance into Canaan to incourage and strengthen him in that great enterprize of conquering the Land is by the Apostle applyed unto all Believers in all their occasions whatever I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. So like wise doth every name of God belong now unto us as if it had in particular manner been engaged in Covenant unto us And that because the whole Covenant is ratified and confirmed unto us by Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 6. 18. Chap. 7. 1. This then absolutely secures unto us an interest in the Name of God insisted on the God of forgiveness as if it had been given unto every one of us to assure us thereof 4. God takes this name the God of forgiveness to be his in a peculiar manner as that whereby he will be distinguished and known He appropriates it to himself as expressing that which the Power and Goodness of no other can extend unto There are Lords many and Gods many saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some that are called so such as some account so to be How is the true God distinguished from these Gods by Reputation He is so by this name He is the God of Pardons Micah 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity This is his Prerogative herein none is equal to him like him or a sharer with him Who is a God like unto thee that may be called a God of Pardons The Vanities of the Nations cannot give them this rain they have no refreshing showers of mercy and Pardon in their power Neither Angels nor Saints nor Images nor Popes can Pardon Sin By this name doth he distinguish himself from them all 5. To be known by this name is the Great Glory of God in this world When Moses desired to see the Glory of God the Lord tells him that he could not see his face Exod. 33. 18 20. The face of God or the glorious Majesty of his Being his Essential Glory is not to be seen of any in this life We cannot see him as he is But the glorious manifestation of himself we may behold and contemplate This we may see as the back parts of God That shaddow of his excellencies which he casteth forth in his passing by us in his works and dispensations This Moses shall see And wherein did it consist Why in the Revelation and Declaration of this name of God Chap. 34. 6 7. The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed the Lord the Lord God Merciful and Gracious long-suffering and Abundant in Goodness and in Truth keeping Mercy for thousands Forgiving Iniquity Transgressions and Sin To be known by this Name to be honoured feared believed as that declares him is the great glory of God And shall this fail us Can we be deceived trusting in it or expecting that we shall find him to be what his name declares God forbid Let us lay together these Considerations and we shall find that they will give us another stable foundation of the Truth insisted on and a great encouragement to poor sinful souls to draw nigh to God in Christ for Pardon God hath no Name but what he gives unto himself Nor is it lawful to know him or call him otherwise as he calls himself so is he What his Name imports so is his Nature Every name also of God is engaged in Jesus Christ in the Covenant and is proposed unto us to place our Trust and Confidence in Now this is his name and his memorial even the God of Forgiveness By this he distinguisheth himself from all others and expresseth it as the principal Title of his Honour or his peculiar Glory According to this name therefore all that believe shall assuredly find There is forgiveness with him XI The consideration of the Essential Properties of the Nature of God and what is required to the manifestation of them will afford us further Assurance hereof Let us to this end take in the ensuing Observations God being absolutely perfect and absolutely self-sufficient was eternally glorious and satisfied with and in his own holy Excellencies and Perfections before and without the creation of all or any thing by the putting forth or the exercise of his Almighty Power The making therefore of all things depends on a meer Soveraign Act of the Will and Pleasure of God So the whole Creation makes its acknowledgement Rev. 4. 11. Chap. 5. 12. Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created God could have omitted all this great work without the least impeachment of his Glory Not one Holy Property of his Nature would have been diminished or abated in its Eternal Glory by that omission This then depended on a pure Act of his Will and Choice 2. On supposition that God would work ad extra by his Power produce any thing without himself it was absolutely necessary that himself should be the End of his so doing For as before the production of all things there was nothing that could be the end why any of them should be brought forth out of nothing or towards which they should be disposed So God being an infinite Agent in Wisdom and Understanding and Power he could have no End in his Actings but that also which is infinite It is therefore natural and necessary unto God to do all things for himself It is impossible he should have any other end and he hath done so accordingly Prov. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for himself He aimed at himself in all that he did there being no other infinite Good for him to make his Object and his End but himself alone 3. This doing things all things for himself cannot intend an Addition or Acrewment thereby of any new real good unto himself His absolute Eternal Perfection and Al-sufficiency render this impossible God doth not become more Powerful Great Wise Just Holy Good or Gracious by any of his works by any thing that he doth He can add nothing to himself It must therefore be the Manifestation and Declaration of the Holy Properties of his Nature that he doth intend and design in his works And there are two things required hereunto 1. That he make them known that by wayes suited to his Infinite Wisdom he both declare that such Properties do belong unto him as also what is the nature of them according as the creature is able to apprehend So he doth things to make his power known to shew his power and to declare his name through the earth Rom. 9. 17 22. So it was said that by
are said to learn the Truth as it is in Jesus Eph. 4. 21. It is in Jesus originally and from really and from him it is communicated unto us by the Word We are thereby taught and do learn it for thereby as the Apostle proceeds we are renued in the Spirit of our mind and do put on the new man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness ver 23 24. First the Truth is in Jesus then it is expressed in the Word this Word learned and believed becomes Grace in the heart every way answering unto the Lord Christ his Image from whom this transforming Truth did thus proceed Nay this is carried by the Apostle yet higher namely unto God the Father himself whose Image Christ is and Believers his through the Word 2 Cor. 3. 18. We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord whereunto add Chap. 4. 6. God who commanded light to shine out of darkness hath shined into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The first pattern or example of all Truth and Holiness is God himself hereof Christ is the Image ver 4. Christ is the Image of God The brightness of his glory and the express Image of his person Heb. 1. 3. The Image of the invisible God Col. 1. 15. Hence we are said to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ because he being his Image the Love Grace and Truth of the Father are represented and made conspicuous in him For we are said to behold it in his face because of the open and illustrious manifestation of the glory of God in him And how do we behold this glory in a Glass as in a glass that is in the Gospel which hath the Image and likeness of Christ who is the Image of God reflected upon it and communicated unto it So have we traced Truth and Grace from the Person of the Father unto the Son as Mediator and thence transfused into the Word In the Father it is Essentially in Jesus Christ originally and exemplarily and in the Word as in a transcript or Copy But doth it abide there No God by the Word of the Gospel shines into our hearts Chap. 4 6. He irradiates our minds with a saving light into it and apprehension of it And what thence ensues the soul of a believer is changed into the same Image by the effectual working of the Holy Ghost Chap. 3. 18. that is the likeness of Christ implanted on the Word is impressed on the soul it self whereby it is renewed into the Image of God whereunto it was at first created This brings all into a perfect Harmony There is not where Gospel Truth is effectually received and experienced in the soul only a consonancy meerly between the soul and the Word but between the soul and Christ by the Word and the soul and God by Christ. And this gives assured establishment unto the soul in the things that it doth believe Divine Truth so conveyed unto us is firm stable and immoveable And we can say of it in a spiritual sense that which we have heard that which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life we know to be true Yea a Believer is a Testimony to the certainty of truth in what he is much beyond what he is in all that he saith Words may be pretended Real effects have their Testimony inseparably annexed unto them 3. Hence it appears that there must needs be great Assurance of those Truths which are thus received and believed For hereby are the senses exercised to discern good and evil Heb. 15. 14. Where there is a spiritual sense of Truth of the Good and Evil that is in Doctrines from an inward experience of what is so good and from thence an Aversation unto the contrary and this obtained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by reason of an habit or an habitual frame of heart there is strength there is stedfasiness and Assurance This is the teaching of the Unction which will not which cannot deceive Hence many of old and of late that could not dispute could yet dye for the truth He that came to another and went about to prove by Sophistical reasonings that there was no such thing as motion had only this return from him who either was not able to answer his cavilling or unwilling to put himself to trouble about it he arose and walking up and down gave him a real confutation of his Sophystrie It is so in this case when a soul hath a real experience of the Grace of God of the Pardon of sins of the Vertue and Efficacy of the death of Christ of Justification by his blood and peace with God by believing let men or Devils or Angels from Heaven oppose these things if it cannot answer their Sophisms yet he can rise up and walk he can with all holy confidence and Assurance oppose his own satisfying experience unto all their arguings and suggestions A man will not be disputed out of what he sees and feels And a Believer will abide as firmly by his spiritual sense as any man can by his natural This is the meaning of that Prayer of the Apostle Col. 2. 2. That your hearts might be comforted being knit together in love unto all riches of the full Assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mysterie of God and of the Father and of Christ. Understanding in the mysteries of the Gospel they had but he prayes that by a farther experience of it they might come to the Assurance of understanding To be true is the property of the Doctrine it self to be certain or assured is the property of our minds Now this experience doth so unite the mind and truth that we say such a Truth is most certain whereas certainty is indeed the property of our minds or their knowledge and not of the truth known It is certain unto us that is we have an assured knowledge of it by the Experience we have of it This is the Assurance of Understanding here mentioned And he further prayes that we may come to the Riches of this Assurance that is to an abundant plentiful Assurance And that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the acknowledgement of the Mysterie of God owning it from a sense and experience of its excellency and worth And this is in the Nature of all Gospel Truths they are fitted and suited to be experienced by a believing soul. There is nothing in them so sublime and high nothing so mysterious nothing so seemingly low and outwardly contemptible but that a gracious soul hath experience of an Excellency Reality Power and Efficacy in it all For instance look on that which concerns the Order and Worship of the Gospel This seems to many to be a meer