must be the Foundation of our faith and not in what we do our selves For 1. Know that all Reformation in the world will not satisfie for the evil that you have done for the time past this I would convince you of and be you willing to hear it it may be of great use unto you when we preach Christ and free grace it is to bring you to Christ our preaching down of works is not to keep you from doing of them but from resting in them that which I aim at is to bring you into an enquiring frame of spirit a restless condition that so we may bring you to that which is the true rest and we shall be as glad to bring you into the true rest as now to bring you into restlesness Know all Reformations for time to come will not satisfie God for time past it will not amongst men if you have run into arrearages with your Landlord for Rent and you bring him a quarters Rent when there 's three or four quarters behind or may be two or three years if you should think to pay the Rent of two or three years with bringing the last quarter it would be accounted a foolish conceit so would it be if with God you should think the duties you do at present should satisfie for all the arrearages you have run into for time past you do not understand Gods way if you think that God will be satisfied for all that is past by what you do at the present Suppose what you do now were perfect and for all time to come you never committed one sin against God any more yet all this would not satisfie for time past this looks but at time to come and does not at all take off any thing for the time past Besides you may see matter enough in your best Reformations for God to condemn you not only for your former sins but sins in your reforming but if there were no sin in that that would be no satisfaction for that which is past Mark this That which must be the ground of the pardon of thy sin must be that that must satisfie for thy sin past and for all thy sins to come and that was opened unto you in opening the mysteries of godliness in the Pardon and Justification of a Sinner 2. Know this that God accepts of duties not for the duties themselves but because he accepts of the person that performs them God does not accept of the duties and then of the person that is not Gods way but he accepts first of the person and then of the actions God never accepts of what we do till he accepts of our persons As Abel God had regard to Abel 's person first and then to his offerings so God has first regard to the person of any man and then to his Offerings thou thinkest thou art a poor wretched creature and then thou thinkest it may be if I had such and such parts and could do thus and thus then God would accept of me I tell thee all thy parts and performances are cast away till God accept of thy person St. Paul was blameless according to the Law and yet he accounted all loss for Christ for he knew that when God revealed the Gospel to him that he could not be accepted for his righteousness but his person must first be accepted and then his righteousness So that the way of new Obedience and the work of Sanctification are the qualifications of the man that is justified but not the conditions required for the Justification of his person 't is not that that justifies the soul the Justification of the soul comes not through these but these flow from Justification and until a soul understands this he never rightly performs duties Therefore further to conclude this though good Works and new Obedience are good Nurses unto Faith yet if you make these the Mother of your Faith your faith is but a Bastard faith these are not the right Mother of Faith if your faith be begotten out of your Duties and Performances and your faith have no other Mother than these then your faith is illegitimate and not true born it has not the right Mother The right Mother of Faith is the manifestation of the freeness of Gods grace in the Covenant of the Gospel shewed unto the Soul through the mediation of the Son of God this laid open to the eye of the soul by the mighty work of the Spirit of God raises and creates faith in the soul this is the generation of true saving faith the faith of Gods Elect as the Scripture speaks Duties and Performances cannot be the Mother of it it is of a higher birth than that birth that arises out of Parts Duties or Performances whatsoever thy faith will not inherit if it be base born through faith we come to inherit the Promises and if thy faith hath no other foundation than thy sorrows and reformation thy faith is illegitimate and not that that shall inherit 't is not of the right kind that will bring thee unto Salvation thus you see what mistakes there may be in this great Point of the Justification of a Sinner and in being made blessed and therefore we had need look to it to be sure that what we rest upon will hold least when we come to lay claim and make challenge of blessedness our hold deceive us Many think the main matters of Religion to be nothing but believing in Jesus Christ and crying God mercy you see by these things that I have spoken that there had need be much workings of spirit in the way of Religion and mighty strong teachings of the Holy Ghost to lead the soul for there may be many mistakes and to prevent and remove those mistakes that lie in the way to get peace with God 't is a matter of great concernment and not a slight business to be done suddenly 3. Others say we trust in the mercy of God and in this I am to speak to two sorts First Those that are most grosly ignorant that have no other ground to hope for pardon of sin but because they hear that God is a merciful God Know thus much that notwithstanding what you hear of God that he is merciful and not willing that men should perish yet the Scripture reveals clearly to us that notwithstanding God is gracious and merciful yet the greatest part of the world perish in their sins there is nothing more clear then this that most people in the world do perish and therefore to say God is merciful is not enough you may be sorry for sin reform and say God is merciful and yet perish if these three were enough what needed the son of God to come and take our nature upon him and be made a curse for Mans sin lay down his life and shed his precious blood why might not these three have been joyned together and so Christ never have come for though Christ had never come I
pardon sin yet it does not work thus viz. You have sinned and my law requires such and such obedience to be performed on such tearms or else you must perish but I through my mercy will remit something of the rigour and strictness of the Law And most people confess that by the strictness of the Law they are condemn'd but they hope the mercy of God will grant some remission of the Law as it is with men if all Penal statutes should be executed it would be very hard but there is a Chancery to abate something of the rigour and strictness of penal statutes and thus men think to come to have pardon and deal with God after the manner of men you think the crying to God for mercy wil abate something of the strictness and severity of the Law but you mistake in taking this way to get peace and reconciliation with God to look upon Gods mercy to lye in this to remit something of the strictness and severity of the Law No but the work of Gods mercy lyes in this to finde out a surety for you and to transact the debt upon him Further Consider the work of Gods mercy in justification of a sinner when faith layes hold upon it faith must not lay hold upon it as a meer single Act but look at all the concomitants of the work of Gods grace in making way for the justification of a sinner The mercy of God workes many waies and faith must exercise it self on Gods grace according to the multiplicity of the work of it in bringing about the justification of a sinner as thus you have sinned and you cry to God for pardon but the mercy of God does not work thus to pardon you as t is a single act but the mercy of God works thus to mankind First he is pleased to enter into a second covenant with mankind after he had broken the first A second work of Gods mercy is to set his wisdom on work to finde out a way how mankind should be reconciled unto him and his sin pardoned and yet that God should be no looser this was the work of his infinite wisdom And Thirdly when this is found out this can be done no other way but only through the Son of God taking mans nature upon him and suffer for him then here 's the mercy of God to be willing to send his Son to mediate for poor creatures and then a further mercy in giving thy soul to his Son he sent not his Son that all might be pardoned but a certain number that God the Father had given to his Son from all eternity now there 's a great work of Gods mercy in passing by others and giving thee to his Son And further It is a work of Gods mercy in the powerful Ministry of the Gospel to reveal this And then further It is a work of Gods mercy to draw thee to close with his Son and thereby to unite and marry thee to his Son And then further It is a work of Gods mercy to assure thee of the pardon and justification of thy soul 't is a great deal more for faith to look upon God in this manner than to come in such a way as this God is merciful and I trust in his grace that he will pardon me we mistake mightily about the mercy of God when we do not look upon it in an Evangelical way as it is revealed in the Gospel Further know thus much that if Gods mercy will work so far for thee as to pardon thy sin and save thy soul certainly it will work so far as to take away the power of sin and let thee not live in the filth of thy sin Many think Gods mercy will do great matters hereafter but nothing now in comparison of what he will do hereafter they think he will give them outward blessings now but keep spiritual things till hereafter Certainly this is an infallible truth If Gods mercy work not so powerfully here in this world as to bestow spiritual good things on thee thou may'st be assured that it will never work so powerful on thee as to save thy Soul in the World to come Can it be thought a Prince pardons a Malefactor that he shall not be hang'd and yet suffer him to lie in Prison and rot in the Dungeon this were but a poor pardon a half pardon to be delivered from the Gallows and rot in the Prison Certainly whatever a Prince may do God never pardons a sinner so to shew him mercy to save him from Hell and yet to lie rotting all his life long in sin no God when he pardons he delivers and shakes off the fetters as we shall see further therefore thou that say'st thou hopest in Gods mercy that he will pardon thee let me ask What hath he done for thee if thou thinkest that Gods mercy will work so strongly hereafter to save thy soul certainly it will be as strong for thee here to sanctifie thee if it work not so strong on thee now as to sanctifie thee certainly it will never work so strongly for thee hereafter as to save thee 4. Others say in the last place we are not only sorry for sin and reform and trust in Gods mercy but we relie upon Gods mercy through Christ and therefore we hope we shall be pardoned this I might speak much too we must rest there but there is a mistake there too the relying on Christ is not relying on him by acting of some transient thoughts that passes over but it is an abiding thing when men hear there is no way to be saved but by Christ and they cannot deny it and because they are loath to think they are such as cannot be saved they are loath to have such ill thoughts of themselves hearing this is the way and no other therefore they will perswade themselves that they shall find mercy through Christ Now what great work is this so to rely on Christ the work of faith is a mighty work it is not a short transient work a few thoughts upon thy heart to be saved by Christ No wheresoever faith is right and a true reliance on Christ it is a mighty work of the Spirit of God working this grace in raising the soul higher than it self and carries it through and above all difficulties when it brings the soul to relie upon God there may be great mistakes when People say they rely upon Christ and therefore take this for conviction Relying on Christ is not barely to think my sins are pardoned by Christ but it is a receiving of Christ a possessing of Christ a coming into Christ a living in Christ and a bringing Christ to live in me 't is eating of the flesh of Christ and drinking of his blood and so finds nourishment and strength from him as really as the body by the meat and drink it takes that abides with it is strengthned by it so does faith to the soul therefore faith is
my pardoning mercy And shall my creatures seek after it for no other end nor higher aims but meerly to save their own skins you bring down the grace of God that that is the top of his infinite Majesty and Glory you put to a low and base end therefore put not off seeking it to the last 't is a great dishonour to his grace 2. It is the worst time because you come to seek after pardoning grace when it is the time of Gods wrath Prov. 11.4 the time of affliction and trouble sickness and death is call'd the day of wrath Riches avail not in the day of Gods wrath Riches avail for comfort at present but in the day of wrath they will not God hath his day of affliction and his day of wrath he hath his time to come to visit men for their sins Now then for people to come to seek to have the pardon of their sins when Gods time is to visit for sin that must needs be the worst time that possible can be I reason thus and consider of it if God does deny his mercy in the day of mercy is it likely that he will grant mercy in the day of wrath while you are alive and have liberty health and opportunity to come to hear the Doctrine of the Justification of a sinner and forgiveness of sin opened you are to know it is the day of Gods grace Now is the acceptable time now is the day of Salvation and of grace when God gives liberty and oppertunity thus to have the mysteries of the Gospel opened unto you this is the day of Gods grace Now if God deny you grace in this day of mercy that you are not so much as inlightned your souls melted and your hearts stirred Do you think that now you are upon your sick-beds or death-beds which is a day of wrath unto you for so it is to those that have not their sins pardoned before it is a day of wrath and Gods time of visiting for sin Is it likely that God will now shew thee mercy I beseech you consider the usual way of Gods working on men is according to his Ordinance Now the ordinary way of Gods conveying grace is by the Ministry of the Word Did God ever appoint any other way to convey Christ and grace to thy Soul give me a Text for it Where do you find a Text in Scripture of any other way as an Ordinance appointed by God for the conveying of his pardoning grace in Christ to any Soul No it is in the Ministry of the Gospel and by faith that lays hold of the pardoning grace of God by coming to hear the Word preached Now if God come not in that time to work upon thee and to bestow mercy in his own appointed way it is not likely he will come any other way I remember in a Treatise of Mr. Bolton's he has this expression Let any one give me an example that ever any one that lived under a powerful Ministry and not savingly wrought upon that way was ever wrought upon any other way many he says may be stirred but for his part he knew none that was so stirred by affliction to the conversion of their souls if God had not before in the Ordinances of grace wrought upon them then it must needs be the worst time that can be to seek pardon of sin in a day of trouble or affliction because that is usually a time of Gods wrath visiting for sin 3. The work of the Soul in seeking after Gods pardoning mercy and applying of it to himself as it is the excellentest work that ever a creature did perform so it does require the most exquisite work of the Spirit that ever was required or that ever any creature was set about it is the most intensive work of the spirit of man the applying of the grace of God in Christ and the closing with it for Justification it is the highest most exquisite most glorious and most admirable work of the spirit of man that ever was in the world and it requires the greatest intensness and strength of a mans spirit that ever any work did Now then to put this off till such a time as a mans strength is gone and he through diseases unfit for any thing and when as all the strength he hath will be little enough to help him to bear his pain this must needs be the worst time you are mistaken if you think the applying of Gods mercy in Christ is but in saying Lord have mercy upon me No it is Gods putting the heart of man to do the most glorious work that hath the greatest operation in it that ever he did I remember it related of one that lived wickedly and divers sought to reclaim him says he come when I am upon my sick bed that is time enough and afterwards he being sick was put in mind of it you said you would do it then but then he swore a great Oath saying What is this a time to repent in because he then felt so much trouble and anguish that took up his thoughts that he was stirr'd with indignation to be put upon repenting then in a time when he felt so much dolour of spirit by the pains that were upon him Is this a time to repent in if that be not then do it betimes 4. It is the worst time because God shall lose a great part of his end in pardoning sin for when God pardons sin it is to this end that his poor creatures might honour and worship him in â—his world and do him service but now to seek for Gods pardoning grace when thou can'st do him no more service in this world How can'st thou think that he will accept thee then He came to redeem us that we might serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives and he knows there is no such way to ingage the heart of man to serve him as pardoning grace for when once a soul sees it self delivered from those Enemies of sin and of the Law that would destroy him his heart will be mightily set to honour God and serve him in holiness and righteousness all his days and therefore to seek for pardon when thou can'st do God no more service in this world must needs be the worst time for how knowest thou that he will accept thee then I beseech you observe one Text of Scripture that is abused by many people for I suppose that I am speaking to a great many very ignorant in the ways of God and therefore I desire to speak plainly unto you there is one place though misapprehended and mistaken that is the main prop of many carnal hearts as it is read in some Books At what time soever a sinner repents c. I know no such Text of Scripture it is true there are Scriptures tending that way that do not limit the time but no Scripture does express it so many people run away with that
very low thoughts thou hast of the pardoning mercy of God and what Christ hath purchased and what God hath intended from everlasting in the Covenant of grace to those souls for whom he intends good and though for his intentions he keeps them to himself and would not have thee meddle with that till he manifest them in the work of grace yet in the mean time having revealed no further but that thou maist have it as well as any other he expects from thee that thou shouldst venture thy self upon his grace through his Son Jesus Christ and though thou saist thou art vile unworthy and after the use of means that thou art unprofitable vain full of wandring thoughts and deadness and therefore thou canst not expect grace know that thou hast but mean thoughts of the grace of God that sett'st such things as these against it these are poor low unworthy things to set against the grace of God and they do lower the grace of God too much that set such things as these against it A Schollar would think it a dishonour to him for one to come to reason with him and bring nothing but poor low weak objections that are not worth the answering he would think it a disgrace to him certainly it is a dishonour to the grace of God to set such things as these against it thou look'st upon it in a natural way and dost not consider it is the great designe of God above all things in the World to magnify his grace in pardoning of sin certainly were this understood these things would be counted too low and unworthy to be set against such a designe when it is the greatest God hath to magnify his name in Secondly Thou judgest of God according to thy own thoughts and this God will take exceeding ill as they Psal 50.21 Because I kept silence thou thoughtest I was altogether such a one as thy self 'T is a great evil to measure God by our own thoughts and there are two waies of dishonouring God by it 1. The way of the carnal secure sinner he measured God by his own thoughts he thinks God is not so strickt to be angry for every fault and if thou offendest that if we go and cry him mercy he will be pleased again We think it an easie matter to please God and because God is silent we think he do's not hate sin as he doth that 's one way of dishonouring God A Second way is when a man comes to be troubled for sin and conscience enlightened then we think slightly of God another way It may be thou hast a hard heart and wouldst not pardon one that provokes thee again and again thou wouldst not pass by such and such offences and thou thinkst God is so too thou thinkest God to be like thy self and that he cannot bear with thee in such and such things because thou canst not bear with others This is to judge God by our own line but know that the thoughts of Gods pardoning grace are as far above ours as the Heavens are above the Earth and therefore we must not measure God by our own thoughts Thirdly Thou dishonourest the pardoning grace of God by haveing low thoughts of it because it is contrary to the Scriptures For the main scope of all the Scriptures is to magnifie the pardoning grace of God and to set it out in its greatness to to thy soul and thou mak'st it thy main work to under-value it Luther sais the scope of the whole scriptures are but this that we might know and acknowledge God to be a gracious and merciful God and a greater then Luther speaks this that is a notable Text of Scripture in the Acts of the Apostles 10.42 43. And he commanded us to preach unto the people and to testifie it is he that was ordained of God to be the Judge of Quick and Dead To him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Marke to him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins So that it is the scope and intention of all the Prophets to witness this to a poor soul that whosoever believes in him shall receive remission of sin You will say whosoever believes on him but there is all the Question but thou hindrest thy self of believing thou wouldst have assurance before thou dost believe thou must believe that thou mayest have it that is thou must venture and cast thy soul upon this grace of God all the Prophets witness this that whosoever believes on him shall receive remission of sins therefore by thy sitting down in these sullen discouraging thoughts of thy heart thou givest a lye to all the Prophets of God thou giv'st not a lye only to our preaching for certainly so it is God sees it so but to all the Prophets of God now when God makes it the work of all the Prophets to witness forgiveness of sins by Christ wilt thou make it thy work to object against it Again Know that thy reasonings are quite contrary to the Scriptures for thou reasonest that pardoning mercy will not be thine because thy sins are so great Psal 25.11 David cries to God to pardon his iniquities for they are great he makes the greatness of his sins an argument to drive him too God not from God and this is Gods own argument Gen. 8.21 I will not again curse the Ground any more for mans sake why for the imaginations of Mans heart are evil from his youth one would have thought it should have been thus the imaginations of mans heart are evil and therefore I will do nothing else but curse the ground No saies God I will not because the imaginations of mans heart are evil from his youth as if he should say if I should never leave cursing till man leave sinning I should alwayes be cursing so saies God If I should never pardon sin till mans sins are less I should never pardon at all So in Hosea 2.13 14. You have God reasoning there like to this here She went after her lovers and forgat me sais God 14 v Therefore will I allure her and bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably unto her For she had forgotten me and went after her lovers see how the Scripture makes that an argument of Gods mercy Take another Text in Isaiah the 57.17 For the iniquity of his covetousness I was wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart Marke what followes I have seen his wayes and will heal him and will restore comfort to him and to his mourners he went on frowardly in the perverseness of his Spirit saies God I have seen his ways and will heal him thus God expresses himself to the end of the Chap. to incourage the hearts of those that are sencible of their sins and would be sensible of the evil
to God and make them enquire after Christ and stir up their hearts to take away those things that do hinder from Christ but it does not interest the soul in Christ you do not understand the way of the Gospel if you think that sorrow interests the soul in Christ no that must be by faith laying hold on him for Justification and then comes sorrow of repentance after thou may'st see thy self an undone wretch for sin and lost for ever and nothing in the world can quiet thee all this may be by the work of the Law but then God comes and shews thee his grace in Christ and enables thee to close with it for Justification and then comes in Evangelical sorrow mourning and melting sorrow more than ever before but now it comes in another way from the Spirit of God melting the soul because it hath sinned against Jesus Christ who hath so graciously appeared to it in his pardoning mercy to the soul so that now you sorrow because you are pardoned for it comes as a fruit of faith laying hold of the pardoning grace of God and then there is no such argument in the world to melt the heart with sorrow as when faith tells the soul that sin is pardoned and though thy sorrow was little before and now is greater thou need'st not be troubled if God make thy humiliations greater for sin after the knowledg of thy pardon for the revelation of Gods grace in the pardon of thy sin is the most excellent means to humble the soul in the world the sorrows of Gods Children after pardon as they work on their own hearts so on Gods heart too God is mightily taken with it when once thy sins are pardoned then God makes thy heart melt to him as his does to thee but the sorrow of one that is an Enemy to God does not soften Gods heart there is a great deal of difference between the sorrow of Gods Children and the sorrow of others they make sorrow the ground of pardon this God accepts not 't is true you may sorrow for sin because it may be a means to bring you to Christ but that that justifies the soul is Union with Christ by Faith and all that sorrow that works Repentance to Salvation flows from Gods grace in Christ having justified you Justification is the first thing that estates thee in blessedness sorrow does not first state thee in a blessed condition but is meerly a fruit of that blessedness thou art stated in certainly these things are the Truths of God so that when you look for blessedness any other way you look for it meerly in a natural way or as a Heathen may do a Heathen knows he ought not to offend God and he knows he had need to have mercy from God and that he ought to be sorrowful for his sins I might give you many examples for it but I must hasten those then that seek after pardon of sin this way do but seek for it meerly in a natural way Secondly Others say I am not only sorry for my sins but I reform and is not this a ground of pardon Know likewise that there may be a leaving of sin and yet sin not pardoned for that take the example of Herod 't is said He heard John Baptist gladly and reformed in many things he was a great deal the better for John's Ministry and yet Herod was not pardoned this is a notable example for you that come to hear Sermons and seem to be much affected let me ask you in the Name of God and let Conscience answer What is it you reformed since you heard all those Sermons of the Evil of Sin and now of the Pardon of Sin What Evils have you reformed in your families and in your own hearts I cannot but hope that many of you may say through grace these and these evils were in my family before but now I have reformed them and these evils I did before but now I have left them I hope many can say so and blessed be God for this fruit of our Ministry if any thing be reform'd if Sabbaths be better kept and Duties in family set up and private Exercises of Religion performed that you are not so proud passionate and froward as before O that it may be said so 't is worth our labour to restrain sin that God may not be so much dishonoured if there were no more done but we preach for further and higher ends that souls would not stay in reforming for Herod heard John Baptist and did many things and Judas cast away the money he repented and would not keep the money there was a kind of reformation in both Herod and Judas but this is no ground to build upon for pardon of sin As those that depended on their sorrow for pardon built on the quagmire so those that depend on their reformation build upon the sand the one by his sorrow and trouble for sin seems as it were to be in the work of humiliation is like a man that digs deep for a foundation but does not cast out the old mould but builds upon it the other seems like one that not only digs deep but casts out the old rubbish and brings in new mould new earth lays by and casts away his former sins and does the contrary good but now though they go further than the former in casting out the old rubbish and bringing in of new earth yet after all this is done they build upon it and do not build upon the Rock Christ they bring in the new earth of their own Performances and Duties and this they build upon and do not build upon the Rock Christ for the pardon of their sins and Justification of their souls before God and here they fail and this is their undoing their mistake in this and yet it is most sure that every one of us would mistake in this if God did not reveal in the Gospel another way to receive Pardon and Justification in his Son we should certainly all of us rest here and go no further no man or woman in the world that never heard the Gospel went further than this and so far one may go without the Gospel we may dig deep cast out the old rubbish and bring in new earth this we may do and not hear of the Gospel And therefore we have a great deal of cause to bless God that we may hear the mysteries of the Gospel opened unto us for certainly we should else go no further and if we go no further we should certainly perish and therefore if we go but thus far it is not building on the Rock Christ hence the ground and bottom of faith for Justification cannot be in Reformation or in any thing in the creature it must be in something above and without us and yet by faith wrought in us though without us I mean the Rock Christ and the Foundation that is laid for the forgiveness of our sin in Christ that
hope their sins are pardoned Do you so then you know the love of God in Christ for this is a special work of the love of God in Christ to pardon sin now the Apostel says when you come to know this you come to be filled with all the fulness of God What is the fulness of God as faith increases with the rest of the graces so you grow fuller and fuller in Gods fulness and so you grow more into a fuller assurance of pardon of sin now the soul can say as I find more assurance of the love of God in his Son so I find my soul more filled with this grace of the fulness of God Alas when I was under the Law God and I were strangers I felt little of God in me but now I begin to know the love of God in the Gospel I begin to have my soul filled with fulness of God not with chaff and dross and filthy things which heretofore my thoughts will and affections were filled withal but now 't is otherwise with me my soul is now filled with all the fulness of God certainly that soul that can say thus may well go a way with that word of Christ spoken to the woman Luk 7.50 Go in peace thy faith hath saved thee Rom. 5.1 The Apostle speaks of pardon of sin being justified by Faith we have peace with God that is God revealing justification by Faith in Christ it brings peace with it and by whom we have access and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God and not only so but we glory in tribulation knowing that c. What knowledge is this It 's this that we are justified by Faith and so come to have peace with God How does this cause the heart to be inlarged we rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God and not only so but we are strengthened and can glory in tribulation our hearts grow up to that strength that whatsoever tribulations we meet withal we are able to bear them with patience and not only so but to glory in them we not only grow up to bear that which many cannot but to rejoyce in them that is more and then to glory is above rejoycing Now Do you find that the assurance that you have of the love of God brings strength in to your soul to inable you to rejoyce in hope of the glory to come as if the Apostle had said let what will become of us for the present what though the world scorn us hate persecute us yet we rejoyce in hope of the glory that is to come and this makes us glory in tribulation knowing that tribulation works patience patience experience and experience hope Here 's a working of several graces together and this may help many a poor soul O says the soul at such a time I had a great deal of assurance of pardon of sin and much joy thereupon But have not Hypocrites joy yes certainly a Hypocrite may have wonderful ravishments of spirit and flashes of pardon of sin but yet there is somewhat wanting in other graces but how shall I know that my assurance of pardon of sin is right thus according to the degree you have of assurance of pardon you have an answerable degree in the growth of other graces as Humility Patience Heavenly-mindedness Self-denyal and the rest according as your faith grows so you have a proportionable growth in all other graces faith is as the root and the more sap there is in the root the more will the branches grow those people that are so full of assurance and never doubted as they say but as for other graces they are empty as the Fear of God Meekness Patience Self-denyal Heavenly-mindedness and the like certainly if thy faith be so high and thy other graces so low thou hast much cause to fear thy faith is not right 't is not the faith of Gods Elect as the Scripture speaks it is not pretious faith for according to the degree you have of that all other graces will grow you hope that your sins are pardoned How come you by it the soul that hath true pardon of sin hath fetch 't it from Heaven in a right way in Gods own way How is that it is on this wiâ—e the soul that sees it self lost and undone through the guilt of sin God revealing his infinite riches of grace in the Gospel such a soul seeing God on his Throne holding out his Son God-Man as Mediator to make an attonement it by a mighty work of faith closes with that glorious way of Reconciliation by the Son that it sees God the Father tender to him and so fetches grace out of the Treasury of Gods bounty in the way of the Gospel in an Evangelical way that was before opened Examine now Have you fetcht out your pardon through the way of the Gospel that the soul by a mighty act of faith hath been willing to venture its self and its eternal station on the Son of God Have you look't on Christ as a mighty Mediator as one able to save you then you have acted faith in a Gospel way and your sins are pardoned Again Are you pardoned then you are sealed that you heard likewise of there is the Broad Seal of Heaven that stamps the Image of God upon the soul as the Image of the King is on the Seal of the Kingdom so the Image of God the Broad Seal of Heaven is stampt upon the soul which I mention that you may make use of it in examination Ninthly Whomsoever God pardons there will be an answerable work in thy soul unto the work of God in justifying thee as in Election and Vocation so in Justification How is that thus that as God notwithstanding all thy sin accepts of thee to his grace and love so notwithstanding all the trouble and afflictions that are in Gods ways thou wilt accept of God and his ways he accepts of thy soul notwithstanding thy sin thou wilt accept of him and his wayes notwithstanding all evils and afflictions that accompany company them there are woful evils of sin that accompany thy soul yet God will accept of thee so there are great evils in the ways of God Afflictions that accompany them yet thou wilt accept of them and think it reasonable What shall God accept of my soul notwithstanding all the evil of sin and shall not I accept of Gods ways notwithstanding all the evil of affliction and trouble certainly the soul that is pardoned cannot but answer God so far as this Will God justifie me notwithstanding my sin I will justifie God notwithstanding any trouble affliction difficulty or sufferings that may befal me in his ways and I will justifie the ways of God this is both an Evidence and a duty God justifies our souls though they be very sinful we have cause to justifie Gods ways though they be very troublesom if thou dost not so thou art none of Gods child for wisdom is justified of her Children
thy soul Do not I now find the work of God in me do not I find him now drawing of my heart out of the world unto himself and does not my heart listen unto this call for the call of God is not only at first conversion but God is alwayes calling and drawing the heart from the world unto himself if thou can'st not make use of the work of God heretofore make use of his present work upon thee Again those whom God justifies they enter into Covenant with God for it was by way of Covenant as I told you they give up themselves to God in an everlasting Covenant But when did I come into Covenant with God I am afraid I am not the man or woman in Covenant with God I cannot remember any such work perhaps thy heart sinks down within thee because thou can'st not clear up this work of entring into Covenant with God heretofore Now the time that thou spendest in seeking after this work spend it in entring now into Covenant with God at this present time it will be no hinderance to thee that thou can'st not find what was heretofore if now at this present thou can'st surrender up thy self to God in an everlasting Covenant this is enough do it Now if you can find your hearts now come in and yield up your selves into Covenant with God you may have the comfort of this Evidence as fully as if you clearly remembred all the former transactions and the work of God upon you in your first entring into Covenant with God Again those that had their sins pardoned I told you were brought into the Kingdom of Christ but you will say I cannot remember how I was translated Take now upon you the Scepter of Jesus Christ many trouble themselves saying I never found such humiliations and troubles for sin as you speak of or as others have found How is it now with your souls Do you find sin now a burden to your souls Is it not the greatest affliction If you were put to your choice had you not rather suffer any thing in the world than sin against God and not only out of Convictions of Conscience but because you find a frame of spirit in your hearts suitable thereunto for an Hypocrite he may have Convictions of Conscience but the frame of his spirit is not suited thereunto in you there is a frame of spirit suitable to the convictions of Conscience within you though you cannot remember you have had such sorrows and troubles in convictions for sin as others have had while they were under the spirit of bondage yet you may be comforted by the present frame of spirit that you have and so in the like cases if you cannot find your old Evidences fall to work to renew your Evidences and do not spend time in lying down under the discouragements of your own hearts The sixth Rule is this When you examine your selves to find out your Evidences carry this thought along with you that you have to deal with God in the Covenant of grace and this will be of marvellous use unto you perhaps to some these are very dry things and they see but little in them and scarce know what they be but I hope there be many others that have knowledge of an eternal state to be between God and their souls I hope I speak things will be very precious to them yea I say unto many of you for while I am in this argument I am speaking to such as have had the fear of God faln upon their hearts and they have made it the great business of their lives above all things in this world to know how tearms are between God and their souls to know how it stands with them for their everlasting estates I know abundance of people scarce ever call these things in question to whom these Rules will be of little or no use at all but if I speak to some or any one troubled soul to help and direct them though I do no good to others I shall think my time well spent wherefore then in your examinations ever carry this with you that you have to deal with God in the Covenant of grace and not in a Covenant of works Certainly that many are so troubled in their Consciences about their eternal estates it is on this ground because they look upon God in the way of the Covenant of works if they find any corruptions stirring and breaking forth and temptations strong upon them they think presently all is naught and that God will never accept of them What is the reason If we had to deal with God in a Covenant of works the least stirring of corruption it is enough to cast the soul down into eternal horrour as Adam though he had never so much goodness before by the Image of God upon him yet one sin eternally cast him if there had not come in a Covenant of grace Now though people will acknowledge there is a Covenant of grace yet upon the stirring of their corruption they carry it as that it serves for no other use than if they had to deal with God in a Covenant of works and as if there were no Covenant of grace at all Now what a dishonour is this to the riches of Gods goodness in the Covenant of grace that tells us We are not to be judged for our eternal estate by the Covenant of works and tells us that he that must be our Judge for our eternal condition is our Advocate with the Father and tells us also that God accepts of the uprightness and the sincerity of the heart and that the want of perfection shall never damn thy soul He that stands before the Lord to make atonement and to be our Advocate to plead with the Father for us he it is that must be the Judge of our eternal estate and therefore when I set my self before the Lord I consider that I have to deal with him in a Covenant of grace Suppose I find and feel such and such corruptions and weaknesses in me Is it not possible that my estate is happy by the Covenant of grace Collect your selves and say Why do I determine of my everlasting condition Have I to deal with God in the Covenant of grace and cannot these imperfections stand with it Why do I make such conclusions that my state is naught because of the stirrings of such and such corruptions The doubts and fears of most Christians arise from hence because they have not a clear understanding of the difference between the Covenant of grace and the Covenant of works there is nothing in the world would so satisfie the Consciences of men and women so as a clear understanding of the Covenant of grace and the Covenant of works Many people cry out of the Preachers that they disquiet and trouble the hearts of people by their Preaching the truth is no Preachers occasion so much the trouble and perplexity of Consciences as those that
preach Morality and meerly the way of duty and never come to make them see clearly the difference between the Covenant of grace and the Covenant of works and I appeal unto you who are they that most quiet and settle your Consciences and satisfie your spirits Are they not those Preachers that open the difference between the Covenant of grace and the Covenant of works Certainly those Preachers that shew you what the Covenant of grace is are the only men that quiet and satisfie Conscience and 't is a truth that nothing can do it but that You that are Christians how should you then labour to get a further insight into the Covenant of grace and instead of other Discourses less useful let this be the subject of your discourse the difference of the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace or the blessings of this Covenant and that this is the Covenant that we must depend upon notwithstanding our weaknesses And now I am speaking of this Covenant that weakness may stand with the Covenant of grace many that have carnal hearts may be ready to abuse it take notice how dear the comforts of your souls cost God and God will have his Ministers to comfort you though the revealing of such things will indanger many a mans soul God is content to hazard the damnation of other men to comfort you for certainly those things that we speak for your comfort will be the damnation of many others Think thus O Lord must the comforts of my soul cost so dear and that for my comfort many souls are hazarded who by taking occasion to sin abuse that grace that is reached forth to me and so are like eternally to perish O then what need had I to make good use of this grace that comes to me with the hazard of the souls of so many others If a man should bring some precious Balsom to apply to a wound and tell him there is not one drop of it but cost a thousand pound at least would not this be highly prized Now when we come and shew you any thing that may comfort your hearts and satisfie your souls we must reveal such things that not only cost much but the least dram of Gospel-comforts cost that which was of infinite worth and 't is valuable two ways first every drop of the Balsom of the Gospel cost the blood of Christ but besides this the very revealing of it must cost the damnation of many souls and yet God is content to venture that that you may be comforted We in the Name of God come and preach the grace of the Gospel and we think many will be hardned by it and grow more secure and abuse Gods mercy but then we satisfie our selves with this that the comforting of any broken troubled soul is so precious in the eyes of Jesus Christ that he is content to venture the hardning of many other souls if they will be hardned let them be hardned Christ is content to venture it and hereby we see how precious these comforts are therefore you had need to prize them and not cast them off as suppose a Captain for the saving of the lives of two or three men should venture the lives of a thousand men meerly to save the lives of two or three were not these mens lives very precious to him so Jesus Christ he ventures the hardning of the hearts of many for the comforting of a few therefore it shews your comforts are precious things you should not easily put them off for they cost dear The seventh Rule in applying Evidences is this That when you cannot see the work of faith reaching to Assurance yet labour to put forth the work of faith of Adherence there may be much of the workings of the faith of adherence where there cannot be the faith of assurance that is certain there may be true faith adhereing to Christ for the pardon of sin where the soul hath no certain assurance of it Many poor creatures are crying out and saying if I had faith of assurance and a full perswasion my sins were pardoned I could be comforted but because they have not attained to a full perswasion and assurance they think they have no grace at all but there may be faith in the pardon of sin where there is not a reflect act of the soul whereby I come to know it hath faith and that its sins are pardoned 1. Joh. Chap. 2.3 he shews there that there may be knowledge and yet not know they do know Hereby we know that we do know him if we keep his Commandements hereby we know that we do know him now knowing of Christ and knowing that we do know him is not all one there is a knowing and a knowing that we do know him so there is a beleiving and a knowing we do beleive there may be a true work of grace that I may know Christ and know him to salvation and yet not know that I do know him that is by a reflect act of faith a knowing that I do know him so then where there is not a faith of assurance there may be a faith of adherence that is when the soul sticks to Christ and can giue it self unto and venture it self upon Christ for pardon of sin life and Salvation that is faith of adherence suppose in seeking my Evidences many of them being taken from the effects and friuts of faith I cannot find them and so cannot put forth a reflect act of the soul which is faith of assurance yet I may at that time have a faith of adherence thou may'st feel thy heart stick to Christ and thou may'st venture thy soul on Christ that faith will save thee though you have not a faith of assurance that is though you cannot find such Evidences whereby you may draw up such a conclusion or make up such a judgment that you are pardoned yet if you have a faith of adherence that you can stick to Ghrist and venture your soules on him for life and Salvation and all that is good that faith will save you and therefore upon examination of your Evidences when you cannot get up to such acts of faith as assurance is live then by a faith of adherence stick to Christ say here I will resolve to live and dye venture on the grace of God in Christ Now for the soul to do this it is a mighty work of faith for if you can venture your souls on Christ you will venture your Estates on Christ your Names on Christ and all that you have on Christ and therefore remember if you have not a faith of assurance then venture your selves on Christ by a faith of adherence and comfort will come in that way Eightly If at any time you feel comforts from Evidences flow in upon your souls and that you are able to apply the comforts to your selves that the Lord hath spoken to you by such and such signs of a pardoned sinner take heed
it now for this is our time and this is the great work of our lives not to cumber our selves about many things but about this one thing to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling this is the great work to seek to secure this blessing of the pardon of our sins which is the foundation of all in the obtaining of it we obtain all blessings it ought to be our chief care and we ought to lay out our chief strength and indeavours in seeking of it and if God would be pleased to put his hand to your hearts and turn the stream of your thoughts and indeavours the very turning of your hearts after this business is a great mercy there is so much blessedness in it as not only the obtaining of it but the very motion of the heart this way is worth all the world in Act. 2. we read there were many thousands that had their hearts pricked at hearing the Word preached and they cryed out men and brethren What shall we do to be saved O that there were a disposition in the hearts of men to cry thus we see it is our blessedness if we have it and if we have it not we are all cursed for ever What shall we do to get it Mar. 10.17 we read of one came running after Christ saying What shall I do to be saved O that your hearts were now in such a frame to come running after Christ saying What shall we do that our sins may be pardoned but before I come to any thing else it is necessary by way of caution or proviso to say three or four things First This that although I must seek after God for the pardon of sin yet know there is nothing in a natural man that is or can be acceptable all his endeavours have not that in them that can gain him acceptance with God But then to what purpose are we to endeavour to do any thing yes we must be striving after the pardon of sin although without Christ we can do nothing and a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit yet it is to purpose that we be doing for God likes well the exercise of the work of common gifts though they are not saving and to eternal life yet God likes the exercise of them so far as there is any thing good and commends them when that young man came to Christ Mar. 10.21 Christ look't upon him and loved him though not with such a love as to save him and bring him to eternal life yet God did discover love to such a one therefore it is to some purpose that a man should put himself on doing what he can if it be only for that 2. It is to some purpose that the heart be stirring after God and Christ because hereby we shall evidence that we are not so negligent of God and Christ and the things of eternal life as we were before 3. It is to some purpose for in the stirring of the common works of Gods Spirit God many times comes in with saving works for God works not upon men as upon stocks or stones but God puts them on by stirring up the common works of his Spirit and at that time when they are most in stirring it is Gods usual way to come in with the saving works of his Spirit therefore it is not to no purpose that we are putting on poor creatures to do what they can The second Caution is this That whatsoever any one doth in seeking after Christ before he has union with Christ it is not to be reckoned on as the condition of the Covenant of Grace or a gospel-Gospel-work there are no preparatory works for the receiving of Christ that are the condition of the Covenant of grace though they be such things as we must follow after yet they are not the condition of the Covenant of grace Now that that is the condition of the Covenant of grace sanctifies him that hath it and follows upon our union with Christ though God uses to carry on the soul in the way of legal terrors humiliations and the like yet these are not the work of the Covenant of grace and therefore this may help many a poor soul about terrors of Conscience and humiliations that are troubled that they never had those degrees as others have why as they do not prepare and fit thee for Christ so the want of them is no hinderance to the receiving of Christ The third Caution is this that follows on the other That though you put your selves upon the use of all means to the receiving of Christ yet take heed you do not rest in any of those preparatory works there 's a great deal of danger in that many souls mistake and it is to be feared it is in this the resting in something that they have done it may be God has awakened their Consciences and they fall upon working upon humbling and reforming themselves and here they rest but this is a mistake you must not rest until you find you are in Christ and until there be an union with Christ and your souls the work is not therefore done because you are humbled and reformed and run another course to what you did before for Rom. 9.16 'T is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy not of him that willeth that is that hath some good affections to it nor of him that runneth that is though his endeavours be never so strong yet 't is not of him neither many think they have peace in their souls upon their good desires and endeavours when their hearts are mightily stirr'd and they wonderfully inlarged then they make no question but all is done and they quiet their hearts with that and think there is no further work to be done but it is not so Not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy though we must will and we must run yet there may be running and striving to enter in and yet not enter this is a very great point to let us see all of us what need we have of the free grace of God in pardoning of our sin Fourthly Though God does not tie himself to come in to pardon upon these preparatory works going before yet it is worthy of the utmost endeavours of any soul in the world that there is a possibility of the obtaining of it though God tie not himself to give pardon on those works yet there is enough in it to require the utmost endeavours of any one to be laid out could we do ten thousand times more than we can even the very possibility of obtaining pardon is worth the calling forth of all our strength know that the very possibility of having sin pardoned is enough to set all your hearts a work to seek after it though God do not tie himself to come in then and pardon t is not thus that God would have his creature seek unto him and
with God 169 3 They are translated into the Kingdom of his Son 171 4 They have much given unto them 173 1 The Spirit to inlighten them 174 2 God will write his law in their hearts ibid. 3 God will give them cleansing mercies ibid. 5 They have a glory put upon them 175 6 They are made to know what pardon means 177 7 They have melting hearts for sin ibid. 8 They have a growth in grace according to the degrees of pardon 179 9 They have an answerable work in their souls to the work of Gods grace in pardoning them 181 10 They have a merciful frame of heart to forgive others 182 CHAP. XVIII Of the Rules how to apply the Evidences of the Pardon of Sin 1 If you cannot find all yet if you find any one of them you may take comfort because all are there 185 2 Have recourse to Gods former workings 187 3 Try not your selves in times of temptation 189 4 What of the Word you find on your side keep close to that 191 5 Renew your Evidences if you cannot find your old ones 193 6 Remember you are to deal with God in a Covenant of Grace 195 7 When you want the faith of Assurance put forth the work of faith of Adherence 199 8 Rest not much upon Evidences 200 9 When you have lost the use of signs at present do not determine all is gone 201 10 Keep up good thoughts of God when you are at the lowest ibid. CHAP. XIX Of Exhortation to seek after Pardon of Sin with Cautions and Rules how to seek and what we are to do 1 Caution Know nothing in a natural man can be acceptable to God 204 2 What is done before Vnion with Christ is not to be reckoned on as the condition of the Covenant of Grace 205 3 Rest not on any Preparatory works ibid. 4 Yet such works are worthy of our utmost endeavours 206 Rules how to seek 1 Set your selves as in the presence of God 207 2 See it be such a seeking that may testifie thou prisest thy life here in this world for this end 207 3 It must be done so as that you never sought any thing in this world so us you seek this 208 4 Do it as apprehending that God is a going ibid. 5 So seek after it as that thou may'st testifie thou sanctifiest the Name of God in it 209 6 So seek as if you were now to answer for all your sins before the Lord. 210 7 Do it as thou thinkest in thy Conscience the damned souls in Hell would do it if they had a possibility granted them ibid. 8 Seek after it with a desire to bring as much glory to God as if he should damn you 211 Of what is to be done in seeking 1 Be sure to take the heart from all other imaginary blessedness ibid. 2 Let Conscience have free liberty to shew thee thy sins 212 3 Be willing to own all thy sins ibid. 4 Be willing to accept of the punishment of sin 213 5 Resolve to avoid sin whatever come of it ibid. 6 Cast out whatsoever is gotten by false wayes ibid. 7 Be sure thou be put of with nothing else but pardon of sin ibid. CHAP. XX. Of Encouragements to seek after Pardon of Sin 1 The time of your life is given you for this end 215 2 The means you are under argues that God intends mercy for you ibid. 3 From the stirrings of Gods Spirit thou may'st argue God intends thee good ibid. 4 The world is continued for this end that God may gather in his Elect. 216 5 The Principal scope of the Scriptures is for this end to reveal the pardoning Grace of God ibid. 6 God sends his Ambassadors to wo you 217 7 It is the great work of Christ's Mediatorship to bind up broken hearts ibid. 8 God whom thou hast to deal withal his nature is mercy in the abstract ibid. 1 He more delights in pardoning any one sinner than in all the Creatures of Heaven and Earth ibid. 2 He takes more pleasure in saving the◠than thou dost thy self 218 3 God more delights in the work of the heart closing with 〈◊〉 grace than in all Legal Humiliations ibid. 9 Christ hath satisfied Gods Justice ibid. 10 As vile sinners as thou art are now in Heaven ibid. 11 Make the utmost thou can'st of thy sin yet this need not hinder thee to come to God ibid. 12 On closing with Christ thou wilt find such a change as was never in any creature besides 119 13 Thy coming in will fill Heaven and Earth with joy ibid. 14 Thou art hereby made heir of the whole world ibid. 15 For any thing thou knowest thou art one of Gods Elect and so there is nothing that thou art to do but he hath promised to enable thee to do it 220 FINIS Prov. 25.11 Object Answ Object Answ Object Answ Object Answ 4. Argument Object Answ 2 Sam. 18.15 Job 5.23 5. Argument 6. Argument 7. Argument 8. Argument 9. Argument 10. Argument 11. Argument Object 12. Argument 13. Argument Quest Answ 1. Quest Answ 1. The Word 2. Writing 3. Witnesses 4. Oath 5. Seal Ob. Ans Quest Answ Answ Plea Answ * Note the signs were given forth in one Sermon O rich grace Quest Answ Simile
such mercy is shewn must needs be very blessed CHAP. III. Of the wonderful Mysteries of Godliness in forgiveness of Sin THirdly Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven because there is a glorious mystery of godliness in forgiving of sin the work of God in forgiving a sinner hath abundance of glorious mysteries in it the Argument stands thus That man or woman for whom God shall work such a work as hath multitude of glorious mysteries in it that man or woman is blessed But where ever sin is forgiven God works for that soul such a strange work the strangest that ever he did a work that hath so many admirable mysteries in it that in the opening of them will declare every way that this soul is blessed And this is the business I would now do to open the mysteries that are in the forgiveness of sin and it is to this end that as I might set before you the great work of God in pardoning sin so also that you might have higher thoughts of it than ever you had before for that 's it I aim at to raise up the thoughts of men to the right understanding of this great point of the Justification of a sinner that so you may sanctifie Gods Name by having such thoughts of it as the thing it self calls for Of the first Mystery it is by means of a Mediator 1. Where sin is forgiven it is by means of a Mediator between God and the Soul it is through the Mediation of the Son of God observe it for there is no point in all Religion is of greater use to understand than this point of the way of God in pardoning of sin because of the many mysteries of God contained in it I hope I shall make it appear it is no slight work and business Mark then when God pardons sin 't is always done through the mediation of the Son of God God never pardons any sinner as a Prince does when a Malefactor hath offended him he comes and humbles himself casts himself down at his feet and cryes I pray Sir forgive me and he says Well I will forgive you God never forgives any sin thus and yet it is thus with people when they come to God for pardon most of them never think of any other way Friends there must be a great deal more than so for whosoever hath his sins forgiven it must be by the vertue of the mediation and intercession of the Son of God he must stand up before the Father and mediate for thy soul if all the Angels in Heaven stood up to mediate it would not be sufficient but the Son of God alone must do it 't is as if a Malefactors condition was so that the mediation of all the Nobles could not prevail with the King for a pardon but there must be the mediation of the Prince himself to obtain it So I say poor soul thou mayst think it a slight business but know if ever thou art forgiven it must be by the mediation of the Son of God he must stand up to mediate for thee and plead Oh Father let such a poor soul that hath been a Sabbath-breaker a Lyer a Drunkard an Unclean person let his sins be forgiven and let him not be damn'd Father put in his Name for pardon I shall not speak of it how Christ mediates but that is and has been his work from all eternity to mediate and make intercession for those he saw before in the eternal Council of God should live in such times and whatever pardon of God is gotten it is through him and if thou poor man ever com'st to be pardoned know Christ hath been mediating to God the Father for thee Oh Father such a poor creature that dwells it may be in such a Cottage or in such an obscure place let his name be put in for forgiveness And now is not this a blessed thing that thou poor creature should'st have the Son of God to mediate for thy name to be put in for pardon this of a truth is so if there be any truth in the Divinity of the Word it is in this That all the forgiveness and pardon any creature hath it is by the mediation of the Son of God and his heart was upon it from all eternity surely here is abundance of grace in this one thing take heed of abusing it this is the first mystery you must not look for pardon of sin in a natural way to cry for forgiveness but you must go in the Name of the Mediator in this mystical way Of the second Mystery It is through Christs undertaking the Debt upon himself 2. The second mystery is this 'T is not Christs intreating the Father will serve the turn If ever any sin be forgiven I beseech you take notice of it for I speak in the Name of God and therefore must take heed of speaking any thing but the Truths of God unto you if any sin be pardoned it is not for the Prayer of Christ that will not do it But God the Father says Son if you would have the sins of poor souls forgiven you must take the debt upon your self you must be their Surety and you must enter into Bonds to pay everyfarthing of what debt the sinners owe you must pay all if you will undertake for them so it is for I will never come upon themselves for it but on you Certainly there are these transactions between God the Father and God the Son from all eternity about the pardoning of any sin however you commit a sin and think not of it and cry Lord have mercy upon me and so you have done with it there 's an end you think that is all But I say unto thee if thy sin be pardoned Christ must take the debt upon himself and be thy Surety 2 Cor. 5.21 He made him to be sin for us that knew no sin the way of pardon is by a translation of all our sins upon Christ Christ himself God blessed for ever the Delight of the Father must be made sin for the soul that hath sinned consider this all the sins thou hast committed if ever they be pardoned they must be by vertue of the Covenant between God the Father and the Son all thy sin must be transmitted on Christ all thy oaths drunkenness and wickedness must be put upon him and he must stand charged with them all Oh you that are so lavish in sin and take such liberty to do wickedly I say if ever thy sin be pardoned it must be laid on his shoulders run on as fast as thou wilt if ever thou be'st saved at the best yet thy sin must be set on him and charg'd upon his score I remember that expression of Nathan to David 2 Sam. 12.13 The Lord hath put away thy sin the words are to be read out of the Original The Lord hath made thy sin to pass over to pass over from thee unto his Son he hath laid them to his
charge This is the second mystery in point of Justification thou a poor soul stands charged with thy sin and art in danger of eternal damnation rather than thou should'st eternally perish God is contented to pass over thy sins upon his own Son Now they must needs be blessed that God does so much for and know thou if ever thy sin be pardoned God does do so much for thee Of the third Mystery It is by Christ's Sufferings 3. Where ever sin is pardoned Christ stands charged not only with the sin but to suffer as much punishment for thy sin as if thou wer't eternally damn'd for them it is not such a pardon as that there is no punishment to be suffered but whosoevers sins are pardoned there is this agreement between God the Father and the Son that his own Son shall suffer as much punishment as if thou shouldst suffer eternally the wrath of God for thy sin there is this done for thee and surely that man is a blessed man for whom Christ is content to suffer so much as thy sins comes to or else thou must have been eternally damn'd this Religion and the Gospel teaches us that we can never come to be pardoned by any other way Of the fourth Mystery Where Sin is pardoned the Soul stands righteous before God 4. There is this mystery in it Where ever sin is pardoned God does not only pass by sin and forgive it but he makes the soul stand righteous before him every justified man stands righteous before the Lord. A malefactor may come to a Prince and be forgiven his fault and yet not accounted a righteous man he may be lookt upon as a wicked wretch still though out of free grace the Prince forgive him But God never forgives the offence of any one sin but that man is set righteous before the Lord this is done by an Act of Justification I speak not of Sanctification A Prince may forgive a Traytor but the Law is not satisfied but God when he forgives sin takes such a course as that the offence is not only forgiven but the Law comes to be satisfied and the soul stands before God as a righteous person and surely he that is righteous must needs be blessed Of the fifth Mystery This Righteousness is in another 5. This Righteousness is in another and it is a higher righteousness than ever that of Adam's was in Innocency this is a great mystery that a soul should stand righteous before the Lord and yet in the righteousness of another not of his own Phil. 3.8 9 10. St. Paul counted his own righteousness as dung that he might be found in him that is in Christ Not having my own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness of God that comes in by faith and so Rom. 5. latter end Christ is said to be our righteousness ver 19. As by the disobedience of one many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous 't is a righteousness transferr'd upon us beyond our own Mark in forgiveness as our sins comes to be transferr'd and put upon Christ so the righteousnes of Christ is transferr'd upon a justified soul and that soul comes to be righteous before God surely then blessed is that man that comes to have the shining garments of Christs righteousness upon him Ahasuerus could not think of a better way than this to honour Mordica more than to cloath him with the Kings Royal Rayment and proclaim before him This shall be done to the man whom the King delights to honour surely that man or woman is honour'd indeed that God shall cloath with the shining Robes of the Righteousness of his own Son thou that wast cloathed with the filthy rags of thy own sin and wickedness and had'st no other garments to stand in in the presence of God now he puts on thee the Righteousness of his own Son and so thy iniquity comes to be covered Oh that is a glorious Garment all the Garments in the world bedest with Diamonds are but filthy Garments in comparison of the Garments of Christs Righteousness that is put upon a man when his sins are forforgiven Of the sixth Mystery A near Union is made between Christ and the Soul 6. When God comes to forgive sin the way God takes is this he brings a man into such a near Union with his own Son as makes thee to be one with â—â—m yea so to be one with Christ as no two things in the world are joyn'd so together as thou and Christ art the Soul God pardons he does it this way 't is not thou hast sinn'd and I will pardon thee 't is no such slight business as I may say in a sinners pardon No for when God forgives thee he makes thee one with his own Son so as no two things in the world are so near together as thou and Christ therefore the Scripture expresses it by the Union of Branch and Root Body and Members that is a near Union of bones and flesh in one body so also the Union between Man and Wife is a near Union but the Union between Christ and a justified Soul is nearer than any of these there is one expression in Scripture that Christ useth Joh. 14.20 You in me and I in you there are no two things so nearly united though the members be in the body the body is not in the members so the branch though it be in the root the root cannot be in the branch but the Union between Christ and us Is Christ in us and we in him He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit It is a spiritual Union and the Union of spiritual things is the nearest that can be Now Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven because by this means God brings the Soul and Christ to such a near Union that all natural Unions are but dark shadows of it Of the seventh Mystery It is by Faith yet boasting excluded 7. It must be by Faith and that is the most glorious work that ever God inabled a poor creature to do yet boasting must be excluded the Scripture excludes boasting from both not only from the Law of works but the Law of faith but you may say How can both be excluded both the law of works and the law of faith for works they may be excluded say some because works are our own but faith is the gift of God God inables us to believe therefore there can be no boasting of faith because it is the gift of God but works are our own this answer is but a fiction for if we be inabled for the performance of any work that is of God too the work of any grace is the gift of God as really and truly as faith is the gift of God all gracious works are performed by the grace and gift of God Adam could not do what he did in Innocency 〈◊〉 by the gift
of God and therefore to say boasting is excluded by faith because faith is the gift of God will not serve the turn therefore the mystery of Justification is a great mystery that notwithstanding faith is such a glorious work as it is one of the gloriousest works that ever any creature did yet that this should be excluded by this I cannot but be perswaded that there is more in the work of Faith than in any thing Adam ever had and that faith the power of believing was not in Adam in the state of Innocency Why Because it is now made such a grace as excludes all kind of boasting For were it but the stirring up of any power we had in Adam it would no more exclude boasting than if God stirr'd up any other grace as Love Hope Fear and the like But that it excludes boasting this may be the most satisfactory answer Works they could not exclude boasting Why though they were from the grace and gift of God yet they belong'd to mans nature for if God will make a rational creature he must give it those perfections that are due to that nature Now the Image of God was in some regard due to such a nature But now God when he comes to give faith he gives a higher thing than ever was due to the nature of man hence there is a greater mystery in faith than in any other grace and therefore it is a great mystery that God should justifie a man by faith and yet this excludes boasting more than any other thing I but the Scripture says God imputes faith for righteousness and when God inables us to believe Is it not our own Yea when we have it it is our own and when we are justified it is imputed to us for righteousness but mark what I shall say it will be useful for the understanding that Text in Rom. 4.22 Where it says faith was imputed to him for righteousness ye must not understand it thus that is that God did through the grace of Christ now accept of Abraham's faith as his righteousness whereby he should stand to be justified by it in the sight of God he did not thus accept of faith for righteousness no not through the mediation of Christ nor by vertue of any Covenant made by God with Christ God did never make any Covenant with Christ that whereas man did owe obedience to all the Law and that should have been his righteousnes had he continued in it but man now being unable to perform it that God would be now so favourable to him as that he would accept of faith for righteousness that is not the meaning of it for the word in the Original translated for righteousness it is thus it was imputed unto righteousness it is the same word used in Rom. 10.10 With the heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the mouth Confession is made unto Salvation Now Confession with the mouth is not made Salvation it self but unto Salvation so faith is not the righteousness it self but unto righteousness that is by faith we come to get righteousness But why says the Scripture God imputed it unto righteousness I take it thus that forasmuch as faith is so glorious a Principle infused of God above any thing of our own God is pleased to account of it as if it were our own and so imputes it unto righteousness the truth is it is not our own no not so our own as other graces are our own but God in point of Justification is pleased to impute it as our own that we may come to have righteousness by it as if it were our own Now this is a great mystery that God in the work of pardon of sin should do it by the grace of faith and that this excludes all boasting and yet righteousness imputed to it as if it were our own Hence by the way let us take heed of the Opinion of those that say faith it self is imputed for righteousness and that God through Christ accepts of faith as the matter of our righteousness The Papists say we are justified by works and that God is pleased through Christ to accept not of Faith only but of Humility Fear Love Repentance Joy c. though they be imperfect yet he is pleased to accept of these for our righteousness says the other opinion faith is our righteousness though God might require exact obedience to the whole Law yet he is pleased to accept of faith both these Opinions are besides the truth and therefore there is the same danger in the one as in the other and therefore both to avoided Of the eight Mystery God is infinitely Just and yet infinitely Merciful 8. The eighth particular is this that shews pardon of sin is a great mystery because where-ever God pardons sin he is infinitely just and yet infinitly merciful there is an admirable reconciliation between Gods Justice and Mercy which shews it to be a great mystery There are three great mysteries in Religion 1. The great mystery of the Trinity that there should be divers Persons and yet but one God The second is that in the Person of Christ there should be two Natures and yet but one Person And then the third is the reconciliation of the mercy and justice of God in the forgiveness of a sinner Many people when they seek for pardon of sin they only think of Gods infinite grace and mercy but not of his justice But certainly who ever he be that comes to be pardoned God shews himself infinitely just as well as merciful that he is merciful that is clear to every one But how does it appear he is so infinitely just for that there is a clear Text for it Rom. 3.26 To declare at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus so that God in the justifying of him that believes in Christ is just as well as merciful Now then poor sinner lay these together that God should work so strangely in bringing about the pardon of thy sin in such a mysterious way as this is certainly it does demonstrate that thou art a blessed man I beseech you think of what hath been said and lay it in your breasts go away with this upon your spirits Lord I indeed heard much of the evil of sin and that it was a greater evil than ever I thought it to be and now I have begun to hear of the mighty work of God in pardon of sin I hope I shall for ever retain higher thoughts of it than before Brethren there is nothing in the world that people have slighter thoughts of than of the pardon and forgiveness of sin they think it a slight matter But if there were any work that ever took up the heart of God from all eternity and shews God to be a God it is this about the pardon of sin this is a great doctrine the doctrine of the work of God in
has pardoned thy sin and delivered thee from death and nâ—w my soul return unto thy rest the word translated rest in the Original is plural return unto thy rests there are rests enough for a soul whom God hath delivered and pardoned all afflictions to him are but as the Viper on Paul's hand that he may shake off they will do him no hurt the sting of death is sin and the sting of afflictions is that they are the beginners of death but to one that has his sin taken away the property of affliction is altered they come not as acts of revenging Justice but as effects of Love and Mercy the Principle from whence they come and the end to which they tend is differenced from what it was before when Trespasses are forgiven Deliverance from Evil will follow after as it is in the Lords Prayer true as you heard before in the former point If once we come to have afflictions as the fruits of sin then they are heavy and grievous indeed in this case when affliction comes for sin and sin comes to prey upon a man in time of affliction it is just as a Bayliffe set on by a cruel Creditor that comes to a poor man in debt and he lies sick the Bayliffe takes away his Stools Table Bed and Pillow and all he hath to help and comfort him leaves him not a Pillow to rest his weary head upon so when a sinner lies sick and under affliction guilt of sin comes and takes away all thy comforts if thou hast any Promise as a Pillow to rest thy head upon guilt of sin will take it away guilt of sin pulls and tears away every comfort and every good that sinners should have to refresh themselves withal in affliction But when the guilt of sin is gone thou may'st lay thy head down in quiet and rest upon a Promise and it will make affliction very easie that thou shalt have no cause to make complaint as formerly thou had'st Isai 33. ult The Inhabitant shall not say I am sick mark the ground of it for the People that dwell therein shall be forgiven their Iniquity when God comes to bestow this great mercy of pardon the Inhabitants shall not make such dolorous complaints of affliction and trouble upon them says Luther strike Lord strike for I am absolved from my sin if once God has absolved thee or any poor creature from their sin it is not in the power of any affliction to disturb them Job 34.29 When he gives quietness who can give trouble and when he hides his face who then can behold him when God gives quietness as he doth in forgiveness of sin then who can make trouble let there be never so many rumors in the world of war bloud and miseries as if Heaven and Earth met together yet if God give quietness to the heart in assurance of forgiveness of sin who can bring trouble it is not in the power of all the world to disturb his sâ—ul whose sins are forgiven Pardon of sin is that peace the world cannot take away therefore blessed is the man that hath his sins pardoned Of Healing the fruit of Pardoning Mercy 5. Where God pardons sin he heals that soul and sanctifies it by the immediate fruits of the Spirit wheresoever it is and this is a great blessedness who is there that understands the evil of sin that sees not this a great blessedness not only to be delivered from the guilt of sin but also from the uncleanness of sin too and that Sanctification or freedom from the power and slavery that there is under the bondage of sin is a fruit of forgiveness of sin will appear by divers Texts of Scripture I shall not speak to all but only some that make this blessing to be the consequence or immediate fruits that slow in upon forgiveness Jer. 31.33 34 there God promises to put his law into our inward parts But what 's the ground of it in the 34. verse I will forgive their iniquities and remember their sins no more the writing of Gods Law in our inward parts delivering us from the power of sin and sanctifying our hearts comes in as a fruit of Gods forgiving us our iniquities Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you why because you are not under the Law but under Grace Now this is the great grace of the Gospel forgiveness of sin you are under that and therefore it is that sin cannot have dominion over you as if the Apostle had said you may resolve against sin and do what you can to oppose it and strive as much as possible you are able to subdue it yet so long as you remain under the law sin will certainly have dominion over you and you will be under the slavery of it until you come under the grace of the Gospel and partake of that Col. 2.13 ult And you hath he quickned together with him having forgiven you all trespasses so that quickning and Sanctification is a fruit of forgiving of all their trespasses 1 Cor. 15.56 57. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God that giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ the strength of sin is the law Gods Justice in the Law giving men up unto sin there lies the strength of sin But now God through Christ coming to men in the grace of the Gospel there comes deliverance from the strength of sin perhaps some of you have lain under the burden and power of sin and you have thought the only way to get victory hath been to resolve and strive against it and you have done so and yet you cannot get power over your sins I remember one writing to Luther tells him that he had vow'd and covenanted against his sin and yet his sin prevail'd against him until he understood the grace of the Gospel and so may be have you done and yet your sin prevails because you take not this course try the work of faith in point of Justification renew your faith in God for the forgiveness of your sin through Jesus Christ that 's the ready way try that course you that have been tired in labouring against corruption you have resolv'd and pray'd and shed tears and yet that will not do try this way renew your faith dayly in point of Justification by laying hold of the infinite riches of the grace of Christ in the Gospel for pardon for healing power to come in to help you against that which holds you and this will not hinder your duties you may pray resolve and fast as much as before but be sure your great care be to renew your faith in point of Justification and there will come more healing power by that in your souls than by any thing else if once you can touch Christ the bloody issues of your sins that run before come to be dryed up which you could not dry up though you spent your time
God promised to make all his goodness pass before him and Exod. 34.6 he proclaimed The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands and then to the point in hand forgiving iniquity transgression and sin here 's the glory of God Would you have a demonstration indeed that Gods heart was set upon this as the greatest work that ever was done take it in this that the very thoughts of effecting this by the death of his own Son made God very well pleas'd and delighted with his death surely then his heart was much set upon it for rather than he would not effect it he would part with his own Son Never was there such a hideous thing as the death of the Son of God and therefore if there were any delight to be taken in it that God the Father took delight in it there must be some great thing to sweeten it such an horrid thing as the death of the Son of God had need have some great thing to sweeten it what now sweetned this to God the Father that his own Son should be put to death Why nothing but this that hereby sinners might come to be redeemed justified and pardoned nothing else would sweeten it to God the Father but this does Isai 53.10 It pleased the Lord to bruise him and again the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand the Scripture says God takes no delight in the death of a sinner and yet God did take delight in the death of his Son it pleased God to see his Son bruised when God the Father saw his Son under his wrath swetting drops of water and blood under the curse of the Law it pleased God well certainly then there must be some mighty thing that must sweeten this and make the death of his own Son a delightful object to him Why the very thing that did it was this that Christ being made a curse he thereby did redeem us from the curse procur'd the pardon of our sins and reconciled us unto God and this very thing sweetned the death of the Son of God unto God the Father therefore the heart of God was much in it 2. For Christ What was the business that brought him from the Fathers bosome made him content to take our nature upon him to suffer and to be a man of sorrows so as to delight in it there was a kind of delight to Christ in induring the wrath of God for with desire says Christ have I desired to eat this Passover because it was the Preparation to his Death and Sufferings of the wrath of God in all the fruits and effects of it for the sin of Man and when Christ came to institute the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and to give his blood for the remission of sins the Text says He gave thanks What did he give thanks for surely the thing for which he gave thanks for upon which the Supper of the Lord is called the Eucharist from the Greek word that signifies Thanksgiving was this that by his death Remission of sins should be obtain'd when Christ was to die suffer all the wrath of God that was due for our sins Christ blessed God thanked God the Father for it surely there must be some great matter to sweeten it that he should be so affected as to bless God the Father for that that cost him his life and yet he did Mark what it is that satisfies Christ for all this Isa 53.10 It pleased the Lord to bruise him and his soul was made an offering for sin all was laid upon Christ Well but what did Christ look for for all this Vers 11. He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied that that shall satisfie Christ for all his pains labour and sufferings shall be to see of the travel of his soul What is that What is the travel of Christs soul What Why by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many as if Christ had said this is the very thing my Soul travels for in all that I have done or suffered in all my life that I might but bring this great business to pass to justifie some souls to get the sin of those poor souls that are thine Elect pardoned and their persons justified this my soul travels for and oh Father let me but see this the travel of my Soul and I am satisfied Christ accounted it worth all the travel of his Soul in all he did and suffered that he might justifie some souls as if he had said he would have no other boon from his Father but only this Father if thou wilt but recompence all my travel with this I shall for ever account my self that I am satisfied and have enough How should we be satified with Christ when Christ accounts the pardon of our sins satisfaction enough Shall Christ say notwithstanding all my sorrows let thy sin be pardoned and I have enough Wilt not thou now say and let me have Christ and I have enough Christ says to God the Father let me have those souls pardoned and I have enough Oh then do thou say let me have Christ and I have enough Surely Christ is enough to satisfie thee when the pardon of thy sin is enough to satisfie him 3. As the heart of God and Christ so the heart of the Holy Ghost is in this business too the great work the Holy Ghost hath to do in this world and the great business for which he was sent it is to convince poor souls of the righteousness there is to be had in Christ for Justification Joh. 16.8 9 10. Christ will send the Comforter and first he will convince the world of sin 2. Of righteousness What is that that is when the Spirit comes he will clear it up unto believers and convince them that the righteousness that they must have to stand righteous before God in is the righteousness of Christ alone and this is a mighty work of the Spirit of God and a work that would never have been done had not he come to have done it it is such a great mystery that we should be righteous by anothers righteousnes that it is above the reason of all Men and Angels all Men and Angels were never able to fathom this infinite depth it is above their apprehensions that ever we should come to be righteous in Christ and very few yet where Christ is made known are convinced of it Those men that take up Religion in a natural way they never are convinc't of the Righteousness of Christ it is a riddle and a mystery to them only those few souls whom God intends eternally to save the Spirit of God is sent unto them from the Father and the Son to clear it unto them that the righteousness wherewith they must stand righteous before God is the Righteousness of Jesus Christ this is the great work of the Spirit of God
and he comes on purpose to enlighten you in this great point and to witness this great Truth unto you Heb. 10.15 Whereof the Holy Ghost is a witness for after that he had said before this is the Covenant that I will make c. vers 17. Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more as the Principal part of the Covenant and of this the Holy Ghost is a witness This great Truth of the forgiveness of Sins the Holy Ghost comes to bear witness of and seal this to thy Soul that thy sins are forgiven this is the great work of the Holy Ghost after believing to seal up the forgiveness of sin and this is one great reason why the Holy Ghost hath the Title of Comforter because as he comes to convince of sin so also to witness and seal up forgiveness of sin to the soul And indeed as it shews the excellency of the mercy of forgiveness because the Holy Ghost is so much in it so the greatness of it that must have so high a Person to witness it and indeed the Soul is not satisfied until it have this special witness of the Holy Ghost 't is true there may be probable arguments drawn by signs of Gods love unto us and the Holy Ghost may come in those signs but besides that there is the immediate witness of the Holy Ghost to limit him to witness by signs only is more than any man can have warrant for and this I say further that all the signs of Gods favour that we can have will not satisfie the soul until there be this special work of the Holy Ghost sealing and witnessing the favour of God unto us 1 Joh. 3. there are many signs of Gods favour in that Chapter Vers 9. He that is born of God doth not commit sin And Vers 19. Hereby we know we are of the Truth and shall assure our hearts before him and he that keepeth his Commandemenâ—s dwelleth in him and he in him that 's another sign and Vers 24 but the conclusion of all is this Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us it is the Holy Ghost must convince satisfie the soul of Gods love many there are that would fain have their sins pardoned and would fain have some signs of it and perhaps I may hereafter give some signs But now know that all the signs in the world will not serve to quiet the heart but that it may return again to its former doubts till God come to pacifie the spirit by the witness of the Holy Ghost for it is so great a matter where once the Soul understands the infinite breach made between God and it by sin that it must needs be more than an ordinary work to assure the Soul of Gods Reconciliation to it and nothing can do it satisfactorily but the Holy Ghost he must come to the Soul to assure it of this thing perhaps the case of a poor Soul is thus Suppose a Prisoner in Goal lies bound in fetters for some great offence against his Prince and some friend comes and tells him there is hope of pardon Oh says he 't is too good news to be true well another comes to the grate of the Prison and tells that he hears from the Court the King hath sealed Pardons and put such a ones name in this is some comfort but yet this frees him not from fears and doubtings But now suppose the Favourite of the Prince come from the King himself one that is of the Kings Bed-chamber and one to whom the King opens his whole soul and nothinâ—â—he King doth but he is acquainted with it he comes to this poor man and bids him be of good comfort I come from the King and bring you a Pardon from him shews it him and says there it is take it Oh this revives his spirit when such a special Messenger is sent unto him so in this case I may compare all signs to be like some friend or other that goes by the grate and speaks of the happiness of such a man that he is pardoned but the soul is under such blindness and fears by reason of the guilt of sin that God knows it is no easie matter to perswade it of pardon But now God for the comfort of those that he intends good will unto sends his own Spirit that lies in his own bosom and knows all his secrets to declare the mind of God and to say to such a soul Peace be to thee thy sins are forgiven now this satisfies the soul But it may be here objected How may I know it is the Spirit of God that witnesses and not my own fancies or delusions of Satan I answer as we know the Sun by its own light so we may know the Spirit by its own testimony and though there be may some ebbs yet it will rise again there is such a witnessing work of the Spirit by a kind of sweet and secret intercourse between God and the Soul whereby God over-powers all doubts and fears though I do not say every one hath it in a like sensible measure yet this I say when this full assurance comes although there may be doubts and many questions before in the soul for fear of being deluded for certainly many are deceived and deluded yet then the Spirit over-powers all doubts and fears and witnesses to the Soul it s own work Do not you say because some are deluded with fancies that there is no witness of the Spirit when as there is scarce any point in the Gospel the Scripture speaks more about than this of the witness of the Spirit indeed they that judge of the mysteries of the Gospel by Humane Reason and understand no further than that reaches too and that are little acquainted with those converses that are between God and a believing Soul they may slight this witness of the Spirit but you must know there is not any Soul that has assurance he shall go to Heaven but it is wrought on by a high supernatural and mysterious way and if there were no other way to evidence this to the Soul but by some signs this would be no higher evidence than by way of reason But we are to know as great is the mystery of godliness God manifested in the flesh so also great is the mystery of godliness God justified in the Spirit God justified in the Spirit is a great mystery Christs Incarnation is a great mystery so is a Believers Justification as well as Christs Incarnation so also the witness of Justification is a great mystery and therefore I beseech you look up higher than for such signs as Reason may reach unto and beg of God to reveal this unto you that thou may'st have the witness of the Spirit of God to testifie unto thee that thy sins are pardoned Now blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven seeing God the Father Son and Holy Ghost is so much in it CHAP. VIII
Of Pardoning Mercy being a Perfect Mercy BLessed is he whose iniquities are forgiven for this mercy is a perfect mercy that is where God doth pardon any sinner such a one stands as perfect before God in point of Justification as Abraham Isaac Jacob or any of the Prophets or righteous men that ever lived in the world thou poor Soul Man or Woman Youth or Servant if God come unto thee pardon any of your sins thou standest as fully justified as Abraham Paul Peter or any of the Apostles and Prophets though in Sanctification thou fallest short of them yet though art justified as perfectly as ever they were Justification is an act that is done altogether and at once therefore a perfect work and this is an Argument of infinite Consolation to the Saints of God that the great business between God and them in point of Justification is perfected Psal 51.7 David prays to God that he would purge him with Hysop and he should be clean that is that he might be cleansed by Justification by having the guilt of sin taken from his Conscience by a renewed act of pardon and then as it follows I shall be whiter than Snow the Saints of God though they be Sanctified they are not whiter than the snow in Sanctification but in Justification they are whiter than the snow no spot at all in them Ephes 5.27 Christ presents his Church unto himself without spot in point of Justification every believing soul is without spot before the Lord Numb 23.21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob that is though God knows there is iniquity there yet he sees is not to charge them with it or impute it to them all is done away in that regard by Justification it is observable to this purpose what we have in Cant. 4.7 Thou art all fair my love there is no spot in thee no spot in thee there are spots in respect of Sanctification yea but in respect of Justification it may be said of her There is no spot at all in thee Thou art all fair my Love it is the words of Christ he comes forth and says Thou art all fair my Love Alas when the Believer looks upon himself his own duties and performances he sees nothing at all but spots all besmear'd and bespatter'd all over why though thou lookest on thy self be spotted yet Christ looks upon thee without spot and God the Father looks upon thee through Christ without spot and says Thou art all fair there is no spot in thee thou thinkest it may be that if God should make a discovery of thy heart to all thy Christian friends and acquaintance thou would'st appear so foul that they would cast thee out of their society and never have to do with thee more yet for all this Christ says Thou art all fair there is no spot at all in thee Justification admits of no degrees no not in Heaven thou art not more justified there than thou art here thou art now as perfectly justified as ever and accepted of Christ as ever Sanctification is renewed day by day it being a work of God within us we increase in it dayly but Justification is a work of God without us and so is perfected at once and hence then this makes a pardoned soul blessed because pardon of sin is of such a nature that it is a perfect work Hence then I will but touch it Here is 1. Abundance of comfort to a pardoned soul though thou art weak in Sanctification and it troubles thee to think how far thou comest short of Abraham's David's Paul's Solomon's wisdom and Job's patience yet this know that thou art equal in Justification with Abraham Moses David and all the Prophets and this may be a mighty comfort to thee against the weakness of thy Sanctification 2. This should be a mighty ingagement upon thy spirit Has God made thee equal to them in Justification how should'st thou labour to be like to them in Sanctification think thus with thy self Is the mercy of God so rich and glorious come though I be a poor wicked wretched vile sinner that I should be made equal to the greatest Saints in Justification Oh how should I labour to follow hard after them and get as near to them as I can in point of Sanctification this Argument should come with power and strength upon our hearts to stir up all our endeavours to be like to them in point of Sanctification that are equal with them in point of Justification How should we imitate Moses his Meekness David's Love Paul's Zeal and Job's Patience CHAP. IX Of Pardoning Mercy being an Irrevocable Mercy BLessed are they that have their Iniquities forgiven for it is an irrevocable mercy when God pardons sin he never revokes it again it is true the soul that is pardoned may afterwards commit many offences that may provoke the displeasure of God against him yet he shall never so provoke God as to cause him to revoke this mercy of pardon to all eternity if thou art once pardoned thou art pardoned for ever It is not so with God in pardoning as it is with men a King pardons a Malefactor on condition of his good behaviour afterwards though it is true a Believer will be more careful of offending after he is pardoned than ever before But yet God does not pardon me so much on condition of my good behaviour as of his free grace therefore it abides He does not say to a poor soul I will pardon you but it shall be on this condition that you behave your self well and if you be found tripping in any one thing I will recal my pardon back again it is so with a Princes Pardon a man that is pardoned for his life if that man afterwards offend perhaps breaks the Peace which in another man would not be so great a matter for he could soon satisfie the Law for it but he that goes under pardon for his life if he break the Peace it costs him his life whereas another if he strike a man it is but an Assault and Battery in him but he that has his Pardon for his life for such a thing done by him his Pardon may be revok't again and it may cost him his life I hope you will not abuse this grace of God I know not how to open it to Believers but with a great deal of danger to others but how much danger soever it may be to others yet it must be opened and delivered to Believers it is Gods mind that his grace should be made known unto them he would have them to know it to the full that his Pardoning Mercy is irrevocable and therefore a Believer should not question his Justification upon every failing in his Sanctification this is a dishonour to the free and rich grace of God if on every failing we call in question that great work of the Justification of our souls either to say or think I indeed did hope before that
God had pardoned the sins of my youth and all my antient sins but falling into sin again I am afraid all is undone all that God hath done unto me is undone again and I must answer for all my sins this I confess will come upon the Conscience specially upon the committing of any new sin but though it do yet if ever you have been assured of the pardon of of your sin know this mercy shall never be recall'd again the foundation of God standeth sure and this is a fundamental mercy that always abides therefore as we observed in Cant. 4.7 Christ says Thou art all fair my Love there is no spot in thee but in Cant. 5.2 you shall find she was in a sleepy secure and sinful condition as a man or woman asleep they might do what they would with her men might impose what they would upon her put her in what posture they pleased and yet she was unsensible but yet in this condition her heart was awake I sleep but my heart waketh there remain'd a Principle of grace alive in her but mark what Christ said though she confest she was asleep yet Christ says Open to me my Sister my Love my Dove my undefiled this was spoken when the Church was in a secure sinful condition yet this is the voyce of Christ calling the Church his Sister his Love his Dove his Undefiled one when she was in that secure condition which shews the grace of God in pardoning sin is not call'd back again and because this is a point wherein much treasure lies I shall a little open the Irrevocableness of Gods mercy in his Pardoning and Justifying Grace and for this I shall give you some places of Scripture which being opened as they will shew the greatness of the mercy so they will afford abundant matter of Consolation and Encouragement to every believing soul The First Scripture Expression I shall name is in Isai 43.25 where the Lord tells his people that he blots out their transgressions God seems to take much delight in this Phrase and therefore doubles it I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy sins Now this phrase of blotting out is taken from the custom of Tradesmen that have their Books of Accounts wherein they enter all their Debts that are owing to them by such and such men Now when these come to be paid the Debt-book is crossed or blotted out if any of you owe a debt when you come to pay it you call for the Debt-book to see it crossed or blotted out and then you assure your selves you shall never hear of it more Now you must know that all sinners are debtors to the Lord they are in a debt of punishment for want or failing in paying him a debt of Obedience many men by their sin run into debt with God dayly and because God does not call for the debt presently they think there 's nothing between God and them but carry it as if all were well as many Gallants run into Tradesmens debt to hang fine Cloaths upon their backs and ruffle it up and down in the world and never think of their debts till their Creditors come and arrest them and cast them into Goal and there they lie in Prison for all their ruffling it up and down in the world Just so men and women by their sin run into debt with God and though God do not call for the debt presently yet they are recorded in Heaven it is as certain that every sin of any man or woman is set down in Gods Debt-book as any debt you owe is set down in your Creditors Book and as certainly must your debts be call'd for and satisfaction and payment made unto God for them as certain as any Tradesman will call for payment of his debt Now this is the work of Justification between God and your Souls if ye would know the nature of it When Jesus Christ sees a poor soul that God the Father hath given to him to save thus run into debt Christ comes and lays down a price before God the Father to pay this debt and Christ sees that the debt be blotted out of the Book Now when God comes with pardoning mercy to a Soul God shews the debt Book to a Believer and causes him to see all his debts blotted out and by that he certainly assures the Soul his debt shall never be called for again this is such a mercy as is irrevocable it shall not be brought back again the debt being once paid shall never more be call'd for this is the first expression and it is a blessed one Many men that are run into debt and are in danger every hour to have some Bayliffs arrest them they cannot look out of their doors but they are ready to fall upon them they would think themselves happy if they might have any that would come and lay down all and satisfie the debt and that they might see the debt blotted out they would think themselves happy indeed Well know that it is so with God when he comes to pardon sin the Debt-book is blotted out and all Bonds cancell'd Secondly Though they be blotted out yet they may be before Gods face and God may see them though he will not call for them again therefore the Scripture tells us that God will take that course with the sins of Believers as that he will cast them behind his back and never so much as lay the debt before his face to look upon them Isai 38.17 Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back that which Hezekiah spake of himself is true of every believing soul God casts the sins of every Believer behind his back when a man casts a thing behind his back he does it to that end that he might take no farther notice of it but though God cast a mans sins behind his back yet if they be not very far he may easily turn his face and look upon them when he will therefore mark further Thirdly Another Scripture expression Psal 103.10 As far as the East is from the West so far hath he removed our transgressions from us thus God expresseth himself to satisfie the souls of his people that their sins shall never be called for again the East and West it is an expression to note out the utmost distance the East and West are so remote that those two Points can never come together so the sins that God has pardoned to any soul they shall never be call'd for again Fourthly Though they be remov'd as far as the East is from the West yet God's eyes may look a great way off though those Points be at so great a distance to our eyes yet not so to the eye of God therefore there is another expression that may make it more full that God will never look upon their sins again that he has once pardoned he blots them out he casts them behind his back
expression as if it were so there is no Text of Scripture hath those words there is one Text of Scripture this is taken out of but that is spoken to another end and therefore you had need to examine what is spoken 't is Ezek. 18.21 this comes the nearest to those words mark this Scripture and see what you can have from thence to defer the seeking of Gods pardoning mercy and grace till sickness and death But if the wicked shall turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my Statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die here this Scripture does not limit a time though it says not At what time soever it says if he turn from all his sins and keep all my Statutes and do that that is lawful and right so that this Scripture promises mercy to one that turns from all his sins and will keep all Gods Statutes and so do all that is lawful and right But now if you put it off to the time of sickness and death How can you do all this Turn from all sin and keep all Gods Statutes then or How can you do that is lawful and right then it must be then when you can keep all Gods Statutes as well as turn from all your sins so that if you take all together there is not so much incouragement to that which is so frequent in your mouths At what time soever a sinner repents it must be at such a time as that you must keep all Gods Statutes but further God speaks here to the Jews according to the condition of the Covenant of works because they made account to be justified by the Law says God you will put it off and think at last to turn from your wicked wayes and that I will have mercy on you I but look to it if you will repent it must be such a repentance as must be joyned with a keeping all my Statutes therefore those that do not understand the way of the Gospel but depend upon a repentance on their death-beds God will hold you to this Scripture that you must repent at such a time as that you must keep all Gods Statutes then you see this is the worst time of all to defer repentance till your sick-beds or death-beds for how can you keep all Gods Statutes then and do all that is lawful and right then 5. It is the worst time because all the tag-rag all the base and vâ—lest wretches in the world will come in then And what hast thou no other spirit but to defer coming in till then Hast thou no more care of thy soul no more love to God and his ways but to put it off till such a time as all the abominable wretches in the world will come in that is the seventh way in dishonouring the pardoning grace of God by seeking it in the worst time that possible can be 8. The Eighth way of dishâ—nouring the pardoning grace of God and the most considerable of all is the seeking and expecting of it any other way but only through the Mediation of the Son of God I told you in the opening of the glorious mysteries of pardoning grace that it must be done by a Mediator Now not only gross ignorant people but many others dishonour the pardoning grace of God they are not sensible of this that it is such grace that only comes through the Mediation of the Son of God We have too low thoughts of the pardoning grace of God if we do think there is a possibility of attaining it any other way than by the mediation of him that is God-Man If we think our crying to God at any time will do it or our roaring out in anguish of spirit forty fifty or sixty years is enough to do it or that there is any thing to attain it by under the mediation of the Son of God we have too low thoughts of the pardoning grace of God we give not God that honour that is due unto it Luther has a notable expression to this purpose It is a horrible blasphemy if you presume to pacifie God by any works 't is an excellent speech so I say 't is horrible blasphemy and intolerable to think to have any thing in the least of your own to presume upon that God will be pacified with it whereas God cannot be pacified by any other means then by the infinite price of the Death and Blood of his own Son one drop of which is more precious than all the creatures of Heaven and Earth God will say Have I revealed such a way of being reconciled with my Creatures and that at such a rate and infinite price as the death of my own Son Shall his life and blood go to procure pardon one drop of which is more worth than ten thousand worlds and when all this is done shall my creature think to put me off by a poor work of their own prayers tears good meaning or the like or with the most glorious work that they can perform for the greatest and most glorious work that they can perform is not near worth so much as one drop of the blood of Christ And if you have not such high thoughts of Gods Pardoning Mercy that it must be procured by that which hath more worth in it than all the Creation besides you do dishonour it by having such low thoughts of it when as you think to obtain it by any duty that you can do you think God is a merciful God and you hope upon your reforming and performing duties of Obedience that God will be pacified towards you for all that is amiss Certainly when you have these thoughts of Gods pardoning grace you make it to be but as common and ordinary pity towards one in misery but the grace of God is a higher thing than common pity and compassion and it is a mighty dishonour to God to have no higher thoughts of it that you think of it but as of common pity and compassion that one creature hath unto another or if you think it differs from that pity one creature hath to another it is but a difference in degrees only you think it is a little higher in degree but you must look upon it in another way and as another kind of pity then one creature bears to another it is true Gods pardoning his poor creatures is in pity and compassion but it is through the death and satisfaction of his own Son and if you think to procure it any other way than by the mediation of the Son of God you look upon it but in a natural way as nature will dictate unto you for nature will dictate that the beholding of one crying out in misery will move pity and compassion and you go no further But you are to know the pardoning grace of God is the most supernatural and mysteriousest thing in all the Book of God therefore when God works in us
repentance that is a truth Esau was very much troubled and shed many tears and yet there was no true repentance but I rather take the meaning of the Text thus he found no place of repentance in his Father Isaac his Father Isaac had given the blessing to Jacob and would not call it back though he sought it with tears there was no place for Isaac to recal it any more though he shed many tears yet he went without it so that there may be much sorrow and thou may'st seek the blessing with many tears and yet God may be so turn'd against thee that there will be no place for repentance that is God will not call in that that is out against thee And of Judas 't is said when he saw Christ was condemn'd that he repented 't is said he did repent yet Judas was not pardoned so that you see plainly there may be repentance and yet sin never pardoned Indeed true repentance hath ever pardon going along with it but the Scripture speaks of a repentance that may be without pardon therefore when thou say'st thou repentest you must not look upon it so because you repent therefore your sins are pardoned as if every repentance was true for thou mistakest in the work of repentance thou thinkest this to be repentance to Salvation for thee to be sorry at the very heart for thy sins certainly thou may'st be sorry at the heart and yet perish for all that I make no question but Judas was sorry at his heart and wisht it had never been done and if it were to do again he would never do it there is as much exprest he repented and he brought the 30 pieces again he was not only sorrowful but made satisfaction he brought the mony back again that he had got in a wicked way and therefore if you think this to be true repentance you are mightily mistaken but wherein is it that we fail It is not for me now to enter on the Doctrine of true Repentance I am to speak of it so far as to convince men that it is not a ground for hope of pardon of sin Mark it when 't is thus with thee thou repentest because thou seest that sin will bring thee into danger Now thou hast had the pleasure or the profit of it and thou seest now it will bring thee into trouble and danger thou art sorry that ever thou did'st it certainly if God would be satisfied with such kind of sorrow he might have enough of it in Hell for there is yelling and sorrow because of the troubles that sin hath brought upon them to sorrow because of the trouble that our sins bring on us is meerly natural and flows from nature it self and far from a saving work of repentance therefore the repentance many hope to have What is it when we tell them of their sins they say they hope to repent What do they mean Why they would take the pleasure of sin and when the punishment comes they would be sorry for it and repent of it the ordinary way to put men off from this plea is to tell them How do you know you shall live or that your hearts shall not be hardned but suppose you do live and that you have a heart to do as you say yet your repentance may fail you if your repentance be no other than that which comes for sorrow of sin because of the punishment it will fail you certainly that repentance that must go for current in Heaven is of another nature possibly I may shew afterwards what is true and false sorrow but for the present I shall shew where the mistake lies Whosoever therefore that builds their believing of the pardon of their sin meerly on their sorrow and such kind of sorrow they are like a man that would erect a great Building and lay the foundation of it in a quag-mire or on the sand as the Scripture speaks when storms come the building falls I shall speak hereafter to those that build on the Sand but these build on a Quagmire on a few tears sorrow and trouble of spirit they have upon the apprehension of punishment of sin this building will fall in time of straights and danger and this is the reason why people that depend upon sorrow never have peace for how can I tell the measure of sorrow I am to have before peace be spoken and then if they feel not sorrow they are questioning again it is a dangerous thing to lay the hopes of pardon of sin upon our own sorrows where or how then shall we lay our hopes why upon the sorrows of Jesus Christ there you shall find the surest ground there may be some mistake there too but for the present I shall not stay on that we must look ten thousand times more at the sorrows of Christ than at our own sorrows and therefore when your hearts are troubled and you look for mercy depend more ten thousand times on the sorrows of Christ than on all your own sorrows for your sorrows for sin cannot satisfie Gods Justice and that that must be a ground of hope for the pardon of my sin must be something that must satisfie the justice of God for though there be never so much sorrow yet it will not satisfie Gods justice and consider further True sorrow rather follows the work of Justification then preceds it as thus I am not therefore pardoned because I mourn but because I am pardoned therefore I come to mourn so stands the Truth in Divinity in point of Justification and Repentance you pervert the order if you think because you mourn and are a little sorrowful that therefore you shall be pardoned the truth is if your mourning and sorrow be a work of true saving grace you mourn and sorrow because you are justified sorrow of true repentance rather flows from pardon then pardon from it when God pardons sin he lets out the graces of his Spirit and then comes sorrow as a fruit or Evidence of Gods pardoning love and Reconciliation for though God may give outward favours to a man that is not pardoned yet God never gives his Spirit to work any saving grace in the heart till he is reconciled 't is a fruit of his pardoning grace and favour and because he has justified thee he sends his Spirit to work sorrow and repentance Many think Justification flows from sorrow but thou must come to sorrow and repentance another way know that all true sorrow flows from Justification all that sorrow before Justification it is but Legal sorrow and reveals something that may hinder the soul from Christ as sin and the terrors of the Law and the wrath of God but it does not interest the soul in Christ this I affirm as most certain Divinity that there is no sorrow whereby any soul is interested and planted in Christ the sorrow that is wrought in them before Justification in order of nature may be a means to bring them
might have been sorrowful and I might have reformed and said God is merciful though Christ had never come those that never knew Christ nor heard of him yet they may be sorrowful reforme and say God is mercifull I beseech you consider this note I can never be pardoned and saved in such a way as it might be done though Christ had never come I can then never be pardoned and saved by all the means I take for pardon and Salvation if those things might be done though Christ had never come and if you have nothing else but them to rest upon then you can never be saved put this to your hearts what have I wrought in my heart that I might not have had if Christ had not come into the world certainly the most things that most people have to rest upon for pardon and salvation they might have had though Christ had never come into the world Further Thou saist God is merciful True the mercy of God is sweet and a blessed argument and our souls much delight to open the grace and mercy of God and I have endeavoured to open to you what is revealed in the Gospel yet Gods mercy is free though he delight to glorifie his mercy and he hath thousand thousands of Subjects to glorify his mercy in though thou perish eternally Though thou perish eternally yet God may be glorious in the blessedness of his mercy God hath others to magnifie his mercy unto besides thee a beggar comes and asks an almes of a man and he gives him none that is not an argument the man is not merciful for he hath other objects that are more suitable and fit though he give not to every one t is no dishonour to his compassion so it is with God he hath thousands of objects to bestow his mercy on though thou perish Further Thou saist God is merciful and thererefore thou hop'st for pardon Why God is and hath been merciful to thee beyond all that thou canst conceive God hath shew'd his mercy to thee already thou saist God is merciful true or else thou hadst not been alive at this present that thou shouldst hear and see and have all thy members whole and the use of all thy sences and that thou shouldst stand here this day under the meanes of grace and that thou shouldst hear God call on thee to repent and believe in his Son while thou walk'st on in thy sin and art dead in sins and trespasses he sends his son and spirit to thee to tell thee that he would rescue thee and give life unto thee again is not here rich mercy perhaps thou hast had thy portion of mercy already that God intends for thee yea so much mercy that all the Angels and saints will give acclamations to God for that mercy thou hast had though thou perish God hath many waies shewd mercy to thee in so much as that the very devils themselves will acknowledge that God was very good to his poor creatures Further Thou speakest of mercy hast not thou abused and turn'd mercy into wantonness perhaps the mercy thou speakst of now is at this very present pleading to God against thee saying how have I been abused by this wretched man the more my beauty excellency hath been displayed the more wicked he hath grown what if mercy be now pleading against thee even those mercies that thou hast abused and therefore thou hadst need to look for somewhat else to settle thy soul upon then this to say that God is merciful this is to the first sort those that are grosly Ignorant Secondly There are others that mourne pray and reform and then have some kinde of relyance on God to pardon them for his mercies sake and therefore to them I shall say thus much Know the mercy of God must be received after Gods own way he hath appointed the communications of it and so it must be received otherwise it can never attain to such an effect as the pardon of thy sin note this that all the mercy in God considered as he is creator of Heaven and Earth and not let out through the Mediator Christ Jesus God-man it never wrought to the pardon of any one sin and therefore if you looke upon the mercy of God and do not look to the right way of the conveyance of it you may most dangerously mistake The ground and bottom of faith that justifies is not meerly to cast ones self on the mercy of God for there is none but in a natural way know that God is a merciful God but the main ground of Justification or of justifying faith is the free grace of God through Jesus Christ That God is merciful through a Mediator Otherwise the ground of your faith is but on a meer confused notion of the mercy of God which will certainly faile you a heathen may have as much to be the ground of his faith that the great creator of Heaven and Earth pitties those that are in misery and I am a poor creature in misery I le cry to him and I le reform my life and I le relye on him thus far a heathen may go but the ground and bottom of faith is not the mercy of God in general but the mercy of God in and through a Mediator observe a little further the ground of justifying faith is not thus that God for Christs sake will forgive me for what Christ hath done to purchase my pardon but there is another work of faith in the souls of believers though the soul apprehend it not t is not the work of faith in justification to believe that Christ hath paid so much as my debt comes to but thus the work of faith is to bring the soul unto Christ and to pitch it upon the person of Christ to be made mine first and then the righteousness of Christ to be mine T is not thus I believe this is my debt and there is so much money to pay it but this is the work of faith to bring thee to be marryed to such a person and so the debt is transacted on him to whom thou art marryed and he will discharge the debt because thou art marryed to him so that the ground of faith is not to look unto God meerly through his son that so I may have pardon but thus I must come to have Christ to be mine I must be marryed with Christ and so through my union with the person of Christ I come to have all that Christ hath done and suffered to be made over to me and therefore when I come to look upon the riches of the grace of God in the mediation of his son I must come with an eye of faith to be marryed unto Christ and Christ with me the riches of Gods grace in Christ was opened before we now make use of it as a trial to shew the danger of false grounds in relying upon God for pardon Further Though it be through the mercy of God to
the justification of a sinner 't is one of the greatest Doctrines in Divinity and therefore that you might sanctifie the Name of God in it and give him that glory that is due in this great work it is needful to search that we may find out what is the work of God in it Of the ninth Mystery When God forgives sin for the present he forgives all to come 9. The ninth mystery is this and this may seem one of the strangest of all When God forgives a sinner any one sin for the present he likewise forgives him all the sins that ever he shall commit afterward this is a mighty mystery for God when he takes a poor soul and forgives him his sin he does not only forgive him his present and past sins but lays in a pardon for all the sins that ever shall be committed by him afterwards this is a way of pardoning sin proper to God alone there is no creature pardons the offence one of another so as God pardons here therefore the Prophet cries out Micah 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage Who is a God like to thee who in all the world can pardon sin as God doth No Father pardons the sin of a Child no Prince the sin of a Subject as God doth Now because this is a point of admirable comfort to all the Saints of God 't is fit it be opened and made out that when God pardons sin at first he gives in a pardon for all they shall commit afterwards I manifest it thus in Rom. 8.1 the Apostle says There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus from whence I argue Except God did pardon whatsoever sins should be committed when he justifies a sinner then at any time when a justified person sins until he renew an act of faith for pardon there must be condemnation to him for whosoever is in such an estate as hath any sin unpardoned for that instant he is in the state of condemnation But there is no instant of time when it can be said of any justified person that he is in the state of condemnation I say no instant of time for though a justifi'd person may fall into sin after he is justified yet at that instant when he falls into that sin there is by God apply'd a pardon that was laid in before although an act of faith be not renewed in regard of that particular sin that is the point I would make good though it be true there is required as our duty an act of faith to lay hold on our pardon yea also it is required in respect of comfort too for we cannot have comfort of the pardon of a new sin committed except there be a renewal of an act of faith But yet this renewal of an act of faith though it be necessary because commanded and for our comfort yet no absolute necessity to free us from condemnation but being once justified by Christ there is a pardon laid up so that upon any act of sin newly committed this pardon is apply'd by God himself though we be not able by the renewal of a present act of faith to sue out pardon anew unto our selves Nay the truth is if this were not so there could be no instant of time wherein a believer was not in the state of condemnation for there is no instant of time wherein a believer doth not some way or other sin against God Further it is apparent and undeniable that there is not a necessity of renewing an act of faith upon every sin committed for the pardon of it this Argument cannot be denyed because otherwise there must be a necessity of renewing an act of faith after the last act a believer doth for in the last action a believer doth in this world there is some sin it Now if there be some sin in the last act of all then there cannot be of necessity required another act for the applying of the pardon of that sin a believer did do in the very last act he did in this world those that hold a believer cannot finally fall away yet say he may totally many hold that if once a man be justified he can never go to Hell but yet this they hold that he may so sin that he may be brought into a state of condemnation he may be brought into such a state that if he should die at that present he should perish but say they God doth take care that he shall not die till there be a renewing of an act of faith for pardon I answer there is nothing in Scripture to prove there is not any instant of time wherein a believer may not die and yet if he do die he must then perish because an act of faith was not renewed true say they further that all sins bring not into the state of condemnation there may be pardon of course for sins of infirmity but other sins that wast a mans Conscience there a believer is brought into the state of condemnation till there be a new act of faith renewed for pardon I answer If any one sin bring a believer into the state of condemnation after Conversion where shall we put the limits as to say if you go but thus far you are not in a state of condemnation but if you go a letter further you are God puts no such limits in Scripture but all sin in its own nature brings into a state of condemnation and yet no sin brings a believer into the state of condemnation therefore this is a great mystery of God in the pardoning of sin when God pardons the sin of a believer he does not only pardon what he hath done at present but for what he shall do he lays in a pardon and Christ hath purchas 't it for us for all sins yet to come 't is like a Son running into arrears his Father comes and pays his debts but because he sees his Son will run further into arrears he lays in so much as will pay all for time to come that if he run into arrears he shall not be cast into Prison just so it is with God God pardons all our sins at first and then he lays up a Pardon that if we run into arrears we shall not lie in Prison to be condemn'd and suffer for them This is a great mystery and they that teach otherwise rob the people of God of abundance of comfort that otherwise they might have were this Truth made clearly known unto them Is not this Doctrine a Doctrine of Liberty If they have knowledge that God when he pardons for what sins are past and lays in a Pardon for what sins are yet to come May not People hence take liberty to sin May not they say that though they do sin yet there is a Pardon laid in before hand for them Here thou speakest as one that understands not