Blesse the Lord O my soul who forgiveth all thine iniquities This particular assurance inlarged his heart to praises But although this be part of the sense in this Petition yet this is not all we pray for as the Antinomian contends for we pray principally for the real exhibition of pardon and secondarily for the Declaration and manifestation of it in our consciences Their conceit is That God from all eternity hath pardoned our sins past present and to come and that when we believe or repent our sins are pardoned declaratively only to our conscience they being forgiven before This I shall handle in a Question by it self Only I shall lay down some few Arguments to prove that we do not only pray for assurance and manifestation of pardon but also for pardon it self The reasons are these First We might by the same rule interpret all the other Petitions in regard of Declaration only and not exhibition when we pray for sanctification and glorification in that Petition Thy Kingdom come it might be as well said that we were sanctified and glorified from all eternity and therefore when we are converted or saved in heaven this is but to our sense and feeling This Argument seemeth to be so strong against them that they have confest A man is already glorified while he is upon earth most absurdly confounding the Decrees of God from eternity to do things with the executions of them in time How ridiculous would it be to expound that Petition Give us our daily bread thus Not that God should give us daily bread but only make us to see and feel that he hath given it us A second reason is from the nature of forgivenesse of sin When sinne is pardoned it is said to be blotted out now that blotting out is not only from a mans conscience and feeling but more immediately out of Gods Book So that when God doth forgive he doth cancel those debts which are in his Book and not only the guilt that lieth upon our hearts therefore these are very separable the one from the other A man may feel no weight or burden of sin upon him and yet it stand in fiery Characters against him in Gods Book and on the contrary a sin may be blotted out there yet be very heavy and terrible in a mans feeling and apprehension so sin pardoned is said to be covered or hid not in respect of us as if it were taken from our sight but from Gods sight and he is said to cast our sins behinde his back not ours The third reason This Explication as the whole sense of the Petition would overthrow all other places of Scripture which make no pardon of sin to be but where the subject hath such qualifications as this in the Text of forgiving others it is not indeed put as a cause or merit but yet it is as a qualification of the subject therefore our Saviour repeateth this again Except ye forgive others neither will my heavenly Father forgive you So Act. 10.43 Whosoever believeth on him shall have remission of sins Rom. 3.15 He is a propitiation through faith in his bloud here faith is made an instrument to apply and bring that pardon to the soul which it had not before So 1 Joh. 1.9 If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins By these and the like Scriptures it is plain That remission of sin is given us only in the use of these graces not that hereby we merit at Gods hand or that God is tied to these wayes but it is here as in the Sacraments he hath tied himself to convey his graces in no other chanels or conduits then he hath appointed Lastly This would make no difference between sins repented of and not repented of for if they be all pardoned from eternity then sins that are humbled for and that are unhumbled for have the like consideration on Gods part and I may feel the pardon of the latter though not repented of as well as the former yea I may have the sense of the pardon of all the sins I shall commit for the future and so whereas I pray for daily bread not to-morrow bread I shall here beg for the sense of the pardon not only of my sins to day but tomorrow and the next year But I never read that God made such a Jubile as one Pope did who promised a plenary Indulgence not only for sins past but afore-hand also for all sins to come God doth not antidate his pardon before the sin be committed or repented of but of this more largely in time 6. We pray That as God doth forgive the sin so also he would release the punishments and take away all the wrath that doth belong to it It is a mockery which Papists make about pardon as if indeed God did pardon the sin but the punishment that abideth still and we must work out a release from that by our own selves It is true as we have proved God though he doth pardon sin yet he may grievously afflict but these are fatherly chastisements not judicial punishments but in this Prayer we desire also that as the sins are removed so also whatsoever troubles afflictions and chastisements do remain that they also may be taken away that as the gulf of hell is removed so every cloud also may be dispelled 7. In this Petition we pray That God would deliver us from those effects of sin which God hath immutably set upon it such as are sicknesses death and corruption For although God by vertue of the Covenant of Grace hath promised a perfect pardon of sin yet we cannot come to a full enjoyment of all those priviledges which remission of sin doth bring till we be freed from death and corruption So that as long as there is the death and grave still sin hath some power We therefore pray that whatsoever mortality and corruption sin hath brought in it may be taken away and we made fit for eternal life which is the consequent of pardon of sin for you must know that pardon is not a meer privative mercy freeing us from Gods wrath but there is also a positive investing of us with a title to everlasting life and glory only our corruptibility hinders us from the actual possession of that which we have a right unto we therefore pray That as God removed our sins so he would also remove all the sad effects and mischievous fruit which came in by it 8. We pray not only for pardon of sin but also for the good concomitants and effects of it which are Peace with God and Joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 5.1 Hence Luther speaketh of a twofold pardon one secret and hidden when he forgiveth sins but the people of God do not feel or regard it The other is open and experimental now both these condonations are necessary The first saith he is more bitter and troublesome but more
if he be a Beleever the wages due to his sin is only temporal chastisements but to a wicked man it 's eternal death I say this is not safe for although a Beleevers sin shall not actually damn him yet God hath made the same Law to both and repentance as a means is prescribed so that we may by supposition say If the wicked man repent his sin shall not damn him If the justified person do not his sin will damn him It 's true it is not proper to say of sin in the abstract it shall be damned no more then that grace shall be saved but we are to say the person shall be damned or saved Yet the guilt of the sin will cause the guilt of the person if not taken off by Christ as the meritorious and faith as the instrumentall cause The sins then of Beleevers and ungodly are both alike only that the guilt of them doth not redound upon the persons alike is because the one takes the way appointed by God to obtain pardon and the other doth not Not that the godly man makes himself to differ from the wicked but all is the work of grace In some respects the sins of godly men are more offensive to God then those of wicked men because committed against more light and more experience of the sweetnesse of Gods love and the bitternesâ—e of sin What is the cause Heb. 10.28 29 30. the Apostle maketh the condition of a wilfull Apostate to be so dreadfull but because of the excellency of the object in the Gospel above that in the Law If he that despised Moses his Law died without mercy of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy c. Observe that interposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 think ye do you not easily think that such sins offend God more Now although the truly sanctified can never fall into such a condition totally and finally yet their sins committed wilfully against the Gospel are gradually and in some measure of such a nature and therefore they fall terribly into the hands of the living God when they so sin against him and consider how that the Apostle speaks these things even to them of whom he hoped better things and things that accompany salvation Heb. 6. If therefore we see a godly man who hath tasted much of Gods favour play the prodigall walk loosely we may and ought notwithstanding Antinomian positions powerfully and severely set home these places of Scripture upon his conscience And observe how in the New Testament the Apostle alledgeth two places out of the Old Vengeance belongeth to me Deut. 32.35 and the Lord will judge his people Psal 135.14 To judge is to avenge so that the people of God have those considerations in their sins to provoke God which wicked men cannot have and therefore have the same motives to humble them as the Apostle argueth To which of the Angels said he Sit at my right hand c. so may we To what wicked man hath God poured out his love revealed himself kindly as unto the godly therefore do they neglect the greater mercies LECTURE X. JEREMIAH 50.20 In those daies and at that time the iniquity of Iudah shall be sought for c. LEt us in the next place consider the particulars wherein Gods eye of anger doth manifest it self upon his own children if sinning against him The effect of his wrath may be considered in that which is temporal or spiritual or eternal in all these Gods anger doth bring forth in one respect or other For the temporal objects take notice of these particulars first When they sin against God they are involved in the common and ordinary afflictions which do usually accompany sin in the wicked Thus 1 Cor. 11.30 for their unworthy receiving of the Sacrament and some even of those were godly as appeareth v. 32. many were weak and sickly weak were such as did languish and sickly is more such as had diseases on them now these were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strokes from God and therefore came from his anger for their sins Though the Lords Supper consist of a twofold bread the one earthly for the body the other heavenly the bread of life for the soul yet both body and soul did miserably decay because of unworthy receiving This Table being as Chrysostom said mensa Aquilarum not Graculorum food for Eagles not Jaies As therefore those children who have fainting diseases upon them and do secretly eat salt oatmeal c. though they have never such excellent food at their fathers table yet thrive not but look pale and consuming so it was with the Corinthians by reason of their corruptions they inclined to death though they fed on the bread of life Now that these bodily diseases are the common issue and fruit of sin appeareth Lev. 26.16 Deut. 28.22 grace therefore of justification can give no Supesedeas to any disease that shall arrest a believer offending but are the wicked in Consumptions Agues Feavers for their sins so are the godly yea the people of God are in these calamities before the wicked Amos 3.2 You only have I known of all the Families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities I have known you that is acknowledged ye for mine see what that is Exod. 19.5 A peculiar treasure unto me above all people The Hebrew word signifieth that which is dear and pretious and to be desired of all This is aggravated by what followeth for all the earth is mine that is seeing there are so many nations in the world over whom I have full power and dominion how great is Gods goodnesse in taking you for his above others now mark the Prophets reason because I have done this therefore I will visit you for your iniquities for to all your other wickednesses you adde an ingratefull heart So there is another place 1 Pet. 4.17 where God is said to judge them before others and this hath been a great offence to the godly It is time that is a seasonable opportunity by the decree and appointment of God for judgement that is chastisements for former sins which are called judgements because they are publique testimonies and manifestations of Gods anger against sins and are to put the godly in minde of their sins only it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the original The word is used even of the godly 1 Cor. 11.31 32. 1 Pet. 4.6 By the house of God he meaneth the true Members of the Church and whereas he saith it begins in them he thereby intimates that the godly in this life are more exposed to afflictions for sin then the wicked are and this made David and Jeremy so expostulate with God in this matter so that the godly in their afflictions ought to say as that widow of Sarepta 2 Kin. 17.18 This is to call my sin to remembrance It is thought the Apostle though he doth not
his justification before God so that there is nothing clearer then that the word is a judicial word and with John who in his Epistles never useth the word justifie the sense of it is expressed by not to come into judgement or to be translated from death unto life And certainly if to justifie were to make righteous inherently it would not be an abomination in that sense to justifie the wicked Fifthly There can be properly no justification but where there is accusation or a charge Therefore condemnation is opposite to it Hence it is that though it be said that Angels and Adam were justified and that by works yet if we would speak properly they were no more justified then they had an Advocate or Intercessor Thus when Christ is said to be justified in the Spirit that is declared to be the Son of God by the Spirit which was spoken in reference to those calumnies and reproaches that were cast upon him so that this consideration may comfort a godly man even in that particular wherein he is most troubled for thus the godly argue my heart chargeth me with such folly and so the devil doth oh it is too plain I cannot dissemble it I cannot hide it oh what shall I do even this very thing may support for how could there be Justification if there were not a charge What need a Christ to justifie if there were no fault Sixtly No man can do any thing whereby he should be accounted just before God This is the grand truth that is such a stumbling block to the world this makes the Papist gibe and scoff this makes God say they to dissemble this makes him a lyar to account that ours which is his Sons who will say a lame Vulcan goeth upright with another mans legs who will compare some deformed Thersites to a fair Absalom because of some imaginary beauty which is not in him But the Scripture is too plain 2 Cor. 5. to be eluded Ipse factus est peccatum sicut nos justitia non nostra sed Dei nec in nobis sed in ipso sicut ipse factus est peccatum non suum sed nostrum nec inse sed in nobis constitutum He is made sin as we are righteousness not our righteousnesse but the righteousnesse of God not in us but in him as he was made sin not his own but ours not in himself but in us Neither do we say we are made righteous without a righteousnesse that indeed were absurd but we say it is not in us Seventhly That righteousnes whereby we are made just is only by Christ of this more hereafter only the Scripture doth carry us alwaies from our own righteousness to that of Faith which is by his bloud this made Bernard say Quid tam ad mortem quod morte Christi non salvetur Meum meritum est miseratio Domini non planè sum meriti inops quamdiu ille miserationum non fuerit inops Though we want Christ doth not want though we sinned away our good yet not Christ his merits And if a man were made perfectly holy yet he could not be justified for all that but he needs a Christ to satisfie for his former transgressions Eightly This description of Justification in a judicial way containeth much terrour and also much comfort It is good for a Christian to meditate why God describes the way of pardon by these tearms and first it may be to rouse up secure and Epicurean consciences Thy heart will not alwaies be quiet neither will thy sin alwaies lie still at the door but it will awaken thee and hale thee to judgement O the terrour thy soul will then be put into And as it doth thus terrifie so it doth the more comfort nothing is so welcome as a pardon after a man is condemned and his head laid upon the block Thus when all this charge is laid upon thee and thou summoned before the tribunall how precious must grace then be to thee LECTURE II. ROM 3.23 Being justified freely by his grace c. THe ninth Proposition is concerning the reality and truth of this Justification for when we say God doth justifie that is account and pronounce righteous this is taken by Papists as if here were nothing but a meer fiction and imagination without any truth indeed Therefore the godly are for their comfort to know that this Justification of theirs is no lesse a reall and solid foundation for comfort yea it is more then if they had the most perfect and compleat inherent righteousnesse that could be for all things that are constitutive of this Justification are reall God his gracious accounting and esteeming of us so is reall and seeing he is most wise just and holy what he doth judge must needs be so we many times justifie our selves but then it is sometimes a meer opinion we are indeed condemned at that present but it cannot be so with God Again the foundation of this Justification is as solid and firm as any rock it being the righteousnesse of Christ if therefore the righteousnesse of Christ be not a fancy or imagination no more is this And lastly the effects of this are reall viz. deliverance from wrath peace with God joy in the holy Ghost and the spirit of Adoption Now in this treasure the godly heart may much inrich himself he is not in a dream when his soul is ravished with this priviledge thou mayest be in this transfiguration and say it 's good for us to be here and still know what thou saiest What shame then is it to thee when if thou hadst inherent perfect righteousnes thou wouldst bid thy soul take her spirituall ease for she hath much good stored up for her and thou canst not do this upon an imputed righteousnesse imputed righteousnesse and inherent differ only in the manner not in reality it is all one as to Gods glory and as to thy comfort whether righteousnesse be thine inherent or thine imputed if it be a true real righteousnesse Tenthly Consider the Scripture speaks of this justification as to us still in a passive sense we are justified and that whether it speaks upon a supposition of Justification by works of the Law or in an Evangelicall manner and this it doth to shew that God only doth justifie for sin is only against him and therefore none but himself can remit his own offence Besides none can condemn but God therefore none can Justifie Who can lay trouble on thy soul binde thee in chains and throw thee into hell but God and who but God can command all the tempests and waves in thy troubled soul to be still When therefore others are said to Justifie that is only to be understood declaratively and no more Now this particular may suppress all those proud Pharisaicall thoughts in us whereby we are apt to be puffed up within our selves what if we Justifie our selves and clear our waies yet if God doth not
also Dan. 9.25 Zech. 13.9 Whereby you will presently judge of the mans bold ignorance But as for the place it self certainly the words are very emphaticall Count it implying a man in his choicest deliberation ought to do so all joy an Hebraism full perfect joy when ye fall the word is so fall that ye are compassed round about And lastly divers temptations By temptations Austin seemeth to have understood inticements or provocations to sin and whether such temptations may be desired or to give ground of a just joy is disputed by the Schoolmen but that is impertinent we see the Apostle speaketh of afflictions as appeareth by the word following and not all kinde of afflictions but such as are for Christs name certainly the Apostle writing to the Corinthians and speaking of the chastisements of God upon them for their sins he doth not bid them count that all joy but rather exhorts them to judge themselves that they be not condemned with the world He doth not then speak of all kinde of afflictions but some only and his meaning is not that under even those afflictions they should have no grief for he saith no affliction is for the present joyous but grievous but he giveth one respect why they should rejoyce because of the good work of their faith manifested thereby though in other considerations they may be humbled And I see not but even in those persecutions which befall the godly for the Gospels sake they may not some of them at least and sometimes be humiliations for the Godlies former sinnes as well as explorations of their Graces and more eminent glorifying of them here and hereafter I deny not but even in afflictions for their sins the people of God may take comfort to their souls from severall considerations but I think not that the Apostle doth refer to them in this place Let us now consider what dangerous Absurdities would flow from this doctrine of ours and first saith he this is to confound Law and Gospel together The Law should be preached only to secure sinners the Gospel to broken sinners only whereas if you tell the godly when they are afflicted that it is from their sinnes you preach Law to them But first Then the Apostle mingled Law and Gospel when he commands the Corinthians to judge themselves under Gods hand upon them and how legall was Peter when he said judgement must begin at the House of God 2. The Gospel and the Law are to be mingled in all spirituall administrations but for different ends As they must not in preaching be confounded so neither divided 3. The people of God have still sin pride and hardnesse of heart remaining in them and shall a Minister preach the Gospel to his pride shall we comfort them because their hearts are sometimes dull and froward Lastly Though we say they are afflicted for their sins yet this is not to make the crosses Legal but Evangelical for we do not say they are so for their sins as that thereby they must satisfie the justice of God in their own persons but for other considerations A second Absurdity will be say they hereby to make the Gospel unsufficient to abolish the old man unlesse it borrow help from the Law But first Observe his contradiction The Gospel doth abolish sin in the beleever how can that be when he holdeth there is no sin to be abolished certainly that which is not needs not to be abolished for it is not already Secondly If the Gospel be so powerfull to abolish sin why will he have the Law preached to obstinate sinners certainly by his rule the Gospel would sooner melt the tuffest and most Ironny sinner that is Thirdly That which he would have such an absurdity is an eminent truth the Law and the Gospel are mutually subservient to each other and are to be preached as conjoyned though not confounded one with another Another Absurdity for I cannot take them in order seeing he doth absurdly make one thing several arguments and so doth but tautologize This would be to deny Christs perfect righteousnesse and that we are not made without all spots or blemishes But first It doth not derogate from Christ that we are not freed from sin while here in this life for he himself holdeth the believers in the Old Testament had sin in them and God scourged them for it yet Christ bore their sins and took away their iniquities Secondly If this place prove any thing it would the Popish Tenet That we are inherently without sin and the Antinomian denieth that for he saith we are made perfectly holy not actively but passively whereas those places speak of an active holiness Thirdly If so be the sin remaining in us did not only bring temporal evils but eternal did not bring only a disease but hell also then this would evacuate the fulnesse of Christs death but now it doth not A fourth Absurdity he would fetch from an Argument of Bish Babingtons Ejus quod non est non est poena but sin when it is forgiven is not therefore to forgiven sin there is no temporal punishment I answer first If by that which is not should be meant that which hath a physical and natural existence then the Argument would prove that no sin whether forgiven or not forgiven could damn a man because no sin according to the received opinion hath any positive natural being therefore it must be understood of a moral being that is a desert of punishment Now when sin is said to be forgiven the reason is not at if remission of sin made sin no sin drunkennesse no drunkennesse or as if that sin did not deserve punishment for that is inseparable from the nature of it but forgivenesse of sins takes away the actual ordination of them to condemnation So then a sin though forgiven hath some kinde of being though not that of actual ordination to everlasting death when therefore sins are said to be thrown into the bottom of the sea and they shall be no more that is to be understood quoad hoc in respect of actual condemnation So Davids sin was forgiven viz. as to damn David yet though forgiven it was still viz. to afflict David and to make God angry with him A fifth Absurdity If you say the people of God are afflicted for sin this would trouble the consciences of Gods children exceedingly and make them fearfully to expect horrible temporal plagues every hour because the least sin is so infinitely distastfull to God But first It seemeth then a godly man though fallen into murder adulteries c. his conscience must not be troubled Peter if he denieth Christ must not weep bitterly Secondly we give many cordials and antidotes against despair while we say they are afflictions even for sin for we add further That they are all bounded within a due measure God considers our strength and
yet his love and wisdom put him upon that remedy which neither men or Angels could have excogitated so that God doth not let sin go unpunished only he provideth a Ram to be sacrificed for Isaac a Mediator to come between his wrath and us It is true reason as we see doth much gainsay this mystery but we may say mulier ista taceat let this woman hold her peace in the Church of God Though therefore God cannot but execute justice upon sinners yet his justice did admit of a temperament whereby God doth proceed to see the sins of his people to hate them but yet to punish them upon Christ 7. Prop. There is a great deal of difference between Iustice as it is an essential property in God ad intra and between the effects of it ad extra These latter come much under the liberty and freedom of God which appeareth in the variety of his judgements upon wicked men some being consumed one way and some another so that it is meerly at his pleasure whether he will stir up more or lesse wrath Ps 2. there is a little anger of his spoken of but you may read a remarkable expression Ps 78.38 He turned away his wrath from thâ—m and stirred not up all his wrath Here you see the anger of God subject to his free-will If the effects of Gods justice should flow from him as burning from fire or drowning from water the whole world were not able to endure before him who is a consuming fire How could it come about that the wicked do so overflow with prosperity in this world if so be that God did necessarily punish and destroy which are effects of his Iustice So that there is a great difference between Iustice taken for an attribute and Iustice for the effects God cannot but be alwayes just the former whereas there is a liberty in the latter As in man the power of laughing is an essential property in him yet the act of laughter ariseth in some measure by the freenes of his will Hence it is that Gods essential Iustice doth not receive more or lesse but the effects of his Iustice may be more or lesse If many men be in the same sin and God doth punish some of them with a remarkable temporal judgement we may not say God dealeth more justly with these then the other yet we may say the effects of his Iustice are greater upon some then others 8. Propos Christ satisfied God as a just Iudge not as a Father provoked and by this means though punishments are taken away yet afflictions for sin are not and this doth directly answer the whole Question whereas it is demanded seeing Christ fully reconciled God to us and thereby all punishments are taken away why not as well all afflictions If he hath removed greater will he think much at the lesse The answer lieth fully in this Christ by his bloud and satisfaction undertook that the justice of God should never fall upon us to punish us not that he should never be angry with us a Father to chastise us By this redemption it s Christs will that God should not as a just Iudge require compensation of us not that as a provoked Father he should not scourge us for our sins when committed The reason is clear because fatherly anger is an â—ffect of love but punishment the fruit of hatred And thus now you see why God will not see sin to condemnation because Christ hath made up that yet he will see it in believers to angry castigation because Christ did not interpose there it is therefore no derogation to Christs death no injury to his sufferings if notwithstanding them God doth afflict for sin even his own children 9. Propos By reason of this anger of God against sin even still abiding those afflictions which come upon believers are from a conveniency with the justice of God Although we cannot say rigidly That if God did not chastise believers for their sins he were unjust yet we may say his afflicting of them is beseeming his Iustice partly because he hath prescribed this law to himself 1 Sam. 7.14 Even as to wicked men upon their obstinate sinning to punish them so upon his own if they offend to chasten them and partly by afflicting of his people for their sin he demonstrates the hatred of it unto the world Although therefore God do not alwayes chastise every godly man but sometimes by their repentance these very chastisâ—ments are either prevented or removed yet when God doth thus break out in his anger against them this is becoming his just nature and the world thereby seeth how he is displeased with it One of the Articles which Arminius relateth as laid against him was that he should hold The temporal afflictions of believers were not chastisements but punishments properly so called To this he answereth pa. 103. Resp ad Artic. 31. That the calamities inflicted upon David for his sin in the matter of Vriah may be called punishments properly and that the Text seemeth to be better explained so and yet withall that there will be no favour to the Popish opinion for he grants That Christ satisfied both for eternal and temporal punishments but yet God when he takes off the spiritual punishment may for a while reserve the temporal as though Christ hath taken away the jus the power and right death hath over us yet he hath not quite destroyed actual death but all this is a meer itching to innovate needlesly in Religion for if Christ have satisfied for temporal death then though it be not removed presently yet it cannot abide as a punishment strictly LECTURE XIII MATTH 6.12 And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors THis Text shall be the last because the noblest to prove that God seeth sin in those that are believers for if they be bound to pray that God would forgive them their debts therefore they are involved in debts and in deep humility they are to acknowledge this withall desiring the cancelling or blotting them out so that as the Church anciently used this place against those Pelagian Doctrines which dreamed of a perfection in this life and immunity from all sin no lesse doth it overthrow those novel Assertions of being without sin though not inherently yet as to Gods eye and account What Terâ—ullian said of the Lords-Prayer in general is most true of this Petition Quantum substringitur verbis tantum diffunditur sensibus it is as comprehensive in sense as straightned in words so in this Petition you have few leaves of words but much fruit of matter It s like Christs Mustard-seed which by a good Interpreters managing will grow into a tall tree The material things that belong to remission of sins I shall inclose as pertinent to my purpose In the words you have the Petition it self Forgive Secondly The Subject Vs Disciples and Believers He that thinketh himself without sin that very thought is
satisfie Gods justice in the next place we by sin become debtors to everlasting punishment in hell so that as the murderer or flagitious person by his crimes becomes a debtor to the capitall punishments to be inflicted by a Law so doth a sinner to the Scripture punishments threatned in the word so that hell and damnation are the proper wages that are due to him Oh how dear doth every pleasant or profitable sin cost thee thou owest eternal damning for it Chrysostome in his time complained of some who would say Give me that which is sweet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and let it choak me so do all sinners Give me that sinful profit and pleasure though I am obliged to eternal wrath thereby Ambrose thought wicked men were called debtors because the devil lends them their lusts and sins as so much money for which he will exact eternal torment as the usury of them Whatsoever it be certainly this notion of sins being debts ought much to affect and trouble thee Thy sins are worse debts then any thou owest Fourthly In sin we become debtors by this means All the good we have whether natural or supernatural we are betrusted with as so many talents and for abusing of these or not improving of them we become debtors unto God You have a full parable to this purpose Mat. 25. Where you have every opportunity even the least that God puts into our hands compared to a talent and that for the greatnesse and preciousnesse of it and a man may be accountable unto God either propter damnum emergens for the losse that comes to our master therein or for lucrum cessans the very ceasing of gain As that servant who hid his talent in a napkin and returned it safe again though he was not guilty of any prodigall decoction of it yet he is called a wicked and unprofitable servant Now because all our talents are many hence our debts do arise to an infinite summe none so indebted as those who have great wealth great parts Sicut crescunt dona sic crâ—scunt rationes donorum The more mercies the greater account to be given This consideration may deeply humble us As our sinnes are thus debts so we have all naturally the evill properties and wicked customes of ill debtors 1. We are very unwilling to be called to any accounts we do not love to hear of the day of judgement we love not that the Ministers of God should tell us of our bills and hand-writings that are against us Hence some observe that expression Mat. 18.24 When the Master begun to reckon it is said One was brought that owed ten thousand talents as if it were by force and he was haled to his master What an amazement and astonishment will that voice from heaven put us into Give an account of thy Stewardship unlesse Christ be our surety and he undertake to discharge all so that the very word debts may breed in us much love to Christ who was willing to stand engaged for us Phocian the Athenian coming to one in publike office that was very solicitious about giving up his accounts and saith he I am solicitious how I may give no account at all Thus if it were possible would every man be studious how he may decline that day of accounts how gladly would he have the grave to detain him there alwaies 2. To be full of shame and fear Thus are men in debt desirous to lie latitant and not to be seen Grave vocabulum debitorum said Ambrose The name of debts is very dreadfull and terrible Hence Ambrose speaketh of some who for the shame and distresse thereof have made away themselves fearing more opprobrium vitae then mortis periculum the reproach of life then the punishment of death Suidas speaks of a Proverb in lit A. A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Once red with blushing at the time of borrowing and afterwards ten times pale for fear of paying Canis latrat cor tuum palpitat Ambros de Tob. cap. 7. The dog doth but bark and thy heart feareth an Arrest and if men have been thus perplexed about worldly debts when yet death would at last release them how much more may men be afraid of these spiritual debts There was a certain Roman died in a vast sum of debts which in his life time he concealed and after his death when his goods were to be sold Augustus the Emperor sent to buy his pillow he lay upon because saith he I hope that would make me sleep on which a man so much indebted could take his ease It is much that we who have so many debts spiritual can sleep or eat or drink till we see them discharged by Christ Oh that every natural man should not like Cain fear every thing would damn him 3. To shift and put off to be in continuall delays and if so to be no further troubled This a custome in worldly debts if men can shift one way or other they care not hence Horace cals the wicked debtor Sceleratus Proteus fiet aper modo avis modo saxum cum volét arbor become in all shapes to evade the Creditor and thus it is in spirituall debts How unwilling to acknowledge our debts to confesse them to God I look upon all Pelagian Doctrines on one side and Antinomian opinions on the other side which would either make no sin in us or at least not to be taken notice of by God but as so many cousening cheats of a guilty heart that is unwilling to be found a debtor before God Cum delationem impetraveris gaudes said Ambrose of a debtor If men can but delay they do rejoice And are we not all thus naturally affected if we can from day to day get one worldly comfort after another and so be able to support our selves we think all is well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing is more troublesome then to hear Pay what thou owest do not therefore please thy self with delays and excuses lest thou die in thy misery 4. To hate those to whom we are indebted Leve aes alienum debitorem facit grave inimicum A little money borrowed makes a man a debtor but a great deal an enemy and so the more they owe the more they hate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said Aristotle Debtors wish their Creditors to have no being such is the hatred that ariseth thereby and this is most eminently true in wicked men They hate God because they fear him as a just Judge who will severely demand to the last farthing Comfortable therefore is this direction to pray in this Petition for hereby is supposed that God is propitious and ready to release us we may have a Jubile ever day No devil hath any warrant to say Forgive us our sins God hath cast them into utter darknesse and bound them up in perpetuall chains for their debts but he is ready to forgive us As therefore we reade of David
That men in debt and distresse followed him hoping thereby to be freed from their Creditors hands so let us follow Christ who only is able to take off this heavy burden from us and know the longer we lie in our debts the more they will encrease upon us Now in two respects spiritual debts do exceed wordly debts 1. In the danger of non-payment Suppose the highest punishments that we reade of in Histories against perfidious debtors yet that doth not amount to the punishment of our spirituall debts In some Laws they were bound to sell their children yea themselves to become slaves Exodus 21.7 Exodus 22.2 2 Kings 4.1 Thus God commanded in the Jewish Laws This was very miserable to have children sold for parents debts Valentinian the Emperour would have such put to death that were not able to pay their debts but above all that Law in the 12. Tables that who was in debt the Creditors might take him and cause him to be cut alive in as many peeces as the Creditors pleased This cruelty saith Tertullian was afterwards erased out by publike consent Suffudere maluit homini sanguinem quam effundere but what is this to that Mat. 18.30 His master was wroth and delivered him to the tâ—rmentors till he had paid all that was due so then chains and imprisonments are the worst of worldly debts but the eternall wrath of God falleth upon spirituall debtors 2. In the impossibility of escaping this punishment In these debts death will free a man but then is the beginning of our misery by spirituall debts So Mat. 5.26 Thou shalt by no means come out till thou hast paid the utmost farthing and because we are never able to do that therefore must our condemnation be eternall We pity the indebted prisoners that out of their grates cry Bread bread But how more doleful is that cry of Dives out of hell for a drop of water and none giveth unto him This is some mitigating consideration to the worst troubles here that they are not eternal and it is the aggravation of the least in hell that they are eternal Therefore in that the Scripture cals our sins by these names and we have an innumerable heap of them let us mourn under the weight of them and bewail their burden aud this is to be done with all speed not knowing how soon justice may take us by the throat saying Pay that thou owest The use may be of instruction to the godly that notwithstanding their Justification and forgivenesse of sins past yet they run into debt daily and such debts as for the pardon of them they must renew daily sorrow and confession as also sue out continual pardon for certainly our Saviour did not direct us to say this Petition humiliter only for humility sake as some of old thought but also veraciter truly and if it be true then we are not in a cold customary way of luke-warmnesse to beg this pardon but with the same deep sense conflict and agony of spirit as we see malefactors importune the Judge for a pardon Now if there were a malefactor that thought the Judge saw no crimes nor matter of death in him but on the contrary that he was altogether righteous and free how could this man with any deep remorse and acknowledgement bewail himself so that this Petition containeth excellent Doctrine as well as practice Tertullian called the Lords Prayer Breviarum Evangelij a breviary or sum of the Gospel for legem credendi adde operandi lex statuit supplicandi said another The Law or Rule of Prayer teacheth the rule of faith and practice and this is very true in this Petition which teacheth both Doctrine and Practice against the Antinomians It is true they make glosses upon this Text but such cursed ones as do wholly corrupâ— it do not therefore think that Justification giveth thee such a quietus est that new sins daily committed by thee should be no matter of humiliation or confession certainly our Saviours command is That we should desire this forgivenesse as often as we do our daily bread LECTURE XIV MAT. 6.12 And forgive us our debts WE have already considered the object in this Petition viz. sins which according to the Syriak Idiotism are called debts as alms are called righteousnesse ver 1. in an Hebraism The next thing to be treated of is the Petition it self forgive us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this word is most commonly used by the Apostles to signifie pardon of sins they have it about seven and twenty times but more of this when we shew what remission of sins is The work I have for the present to do is to shew how comprehensive this Petition is and what it is we pray for herein Bellarmine opposing the Doctrine of the Protestants holding a special and peculiar faith appropriating pardon of sin mistaking the question as if we maintained justifying faith to be that whereby we believe our sins are certainly forgiven us in Christ chargeth this absurdity upon us lib. 1. de Just c. 10. That we take away this Petition in the Lords Prayer For saith he If I be bound certainly to believe my sins are forgiven already it would be as absurd to pray that God would forgive us our sins as to pray Christ might be incarnated seeing we believe he was incarnated already And l. 4. de notiâ— ecclesiae c. 11. He makes this opinion of the Protestants holding we are righteous before God for Christs sake and the believing of this with a special faith to be comparable with any Paradox in the world as not being above or besides but plainly contrary to all reason and as that which makes it impossible for us to say Forgive us our sins unlesse we lye It is true according to the Antinomian Divinity which saith there is no sin now in the Church this Prayer doth no more belong to us then to the Angels in heaven therefore the Antinomian makes not the meaning of this Prayer to be as if we prayed for the forgiveness which we had not before but only for more full and rich assurance of it Honey-Comb p. 156 But the Sequel will shew the falshood of both these assertions Obser It is the duty of justified persons to pray for the forgivenes of their sins To understand this we will shew first what is the expresse meaning of this Petition and then what is the implied sense of it In the first place our meaning in this Petition is That God would not require of us the payment and satisfaction of his justice for our sinnes We have a Parable Luke 16.8 Of an unjust Steward who called his Lords debtors who bid him that owed an hundred measures of oyl set down fifty but if God should condescend thus far to us instead of millions of sins we owe to set down but an hundred yea should we come down as low in the number of sins as Abraham of
sinne doth naturally and necessarily go away so that there needeth no acceptation from God or act of remission but onely an infusion of grace to repent But this in the next Sermon shall mainly be insisted upon and it is of great practical use to take us off from having confidence and trust in our sorrow for sin For as when a creditor doth forgive his debtor it is the sole act of the creditor not any thing of the debtor So in pardoning it is not any thing that we do though with never so much love and brokennesse of heart that doth release and untie the bond of sinne but it is an act of God onely If you say Why then is repentance and faith pressed so necessarily that God doth not forgive without it For if it be onely an act of Gods then it may be done without any work of the sinner intervening But of this in the next place onely for the present take notice That it is not any sorrow or retraction of ours that makes a sinne either remissible or actually remitted but a meer act of Gods and if all the men of the world were askt this Question What they mean when they pray God to forgive their sins The sense of all would be not that they should doe something which would remit them but that God by his gracious favour would release them So then if all these particulars be cast up together you may clearly conceive how God doth forgive sin not by infusing or putting grace into us which may expel sin as light doth darkness but by his outward grace and favour accepting of us and therefore we are not to relie upon any thing we do not to presume no not of our godly sorrow for sinne but to look up to Heaven desiring God would speak the word that he would pronounce the sentence of absolution Let the Use be To look upon our selves as bound in chains and fetters by our sins as made very miserable by them that so we may the more earnestly desire pardon and put an high prize upon it Though Gods forgiving be not the putting of godly sorrow and the working of a broken heart within us yet we can never obtain the one without the other The grace and mercy of a pardon is no more esteemed by us because we look not upon our selves as so many guilty persons adjudged to eternal death Thus the Publican cried out Have mercy upon me a sinner What Plutarch said of the Husbandman That it was a pleasant sight to him to see the ears of corn bending to the earth because that was an argument of fruit within No lesse joyfull is it to spiritual husbandmen to see their people walk with humble debased broken hearts through sense of sin and not to walk confidently and delicately like Agag saying The worst is past God said of Ahab though humbled for externall motives only Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself How much more will God take notice of those who humble themselves upon spiritual grounds desiring ease from Christ As therefore Bernard writing to one epist 180. who he thought was not sollicitous enough about the Judgements of God in stead of wishing him according to the ordinary custom of salutation Salutem plurimam much health said Timorem plurimum much fear So may the Ministers of God we wish you not much joy but much holy fear Alas thou fearest pain poverty death but the guilt of sin is chiefly to be feared but we like children are afraid of a vizard and do not fear the fire which is a real danger LECTURE XVIII MAT. 6.12 And forgive us our debts YOu have heard Pardon of sin is Gods work only as also his manner of doing it is not by infusing grace into us which takes away the guilt of sin but besides grace sanctifying there is also an act on Gods part repealing the sentence of condemnation against us Now because this may seem to overthrow the duty of repentance and because this is the rock many have been split upon not being able to reconcile our duty of repentance with Gods gracious favour of pardoning I shall speak though not all yet as much as relateth to my purpose in hand concerning the duty and necessity of repentance although there be no causality or merit in it to take away sin and this may rightly inform us about the true efficacy of our sorrow for sin To open this Truth consider these Propositions First That God doth never remit or forgive sin but where also he giveth a mollified and softened heart to repent The Scripture doth abudantly confirm this by precepts and examples It is indeed disputed by the Schoolmen as you have heard whether God by his absolute power might not forgive sin without Sanctification of our natures and the grace of Repentance for seeing they are two distinct mercies why may not God separate the one from the other But it is a vain thing to dispute what God might do when he hath revealed what he will do And although we cannot say That there is a natural necessity between Justification and Sanctification such as is between the light and heat in the fire yet this conjoyning of them together by Gods will and appointment ariseth from a condecency and fitnesse both to God himself who is an holy God and to the nature of the mercy which is the taking and removing of sin away 2. Although the Scripture attribute pardon of sin to many qualifications in a man yet Repentance is the most expresse and proper duty The Scripture sometimes makes forgiving of others a necessary disposition sometimes confessing and forsaking of them sometimes believing though that hath a peculiar nature in receiving of pardon which other graces have not and therefore faith obtaineth pardon by way of an instrument applying which other graces do not But if we speak of the expresse formall qualification it is repentance of our sins not repentance as it is a meer bare terrour upon thy heart but as it is sweetned with Evangelical considerations Luther said There was no word so terrible unto him and which his soul did more hate then that Repent But it was because he understood not Gospel-grounds We read then of some places of Scripture which make God to be the only Author of blotting out and pardoning sin And again we reade of other places where God doth this for none but the broken and contrite heart Now both these places must not be opposed to each other neither may we so dwell upon the one as to neglect the other so to look upon it as Gods act as if there were nothing required in us and again so to look upon that which we do as if God were not to be acknowledged 3. None may believe or conclude that their sins are pardoned before they have repented To this I shall speak more particularly when I handle the Doctrine of Justification before Faith As for the Assertion
Scripture less loving is called hating sometimes as the Learned observe Neither doth this make any change in God it only denoteth a change in the creature as hereafter is to be shewed So that the gross mistake as if Eleâ—tion were all love actually and expresly and the confounding of the love of God as an immanent act in him with the effects of this love hath made several persons split upon rocks of errors But how love and anger are in God is more exactly to be examined when we speak of the meritorious cause of Justification which is Christs merits for indeed this Argument from Election will as well put in for a Justification before any consideration of Christ as well as of Faith if every thing be duely weighed as in that part God willing is to he shewed where also the distinctions about Gods love are to be considered of Some making a general love and a special love others a first love and a second or one flowing from the first others a love of benevolence or beneficence and of complacency But of these in their proper place We proceed and in the next place we will put his fourth and sixth Argument together being both grounded upon this That Christ by his death gave a full satisfaction to God and God accepted of it whereby Christ is said so often to take away our sins and we to be cleansed by his bloud This Argument made the learned Pemble pag. 25. to hold out Justification in Gods sight long before we were born as being then purchased by Christs death otherwise he thinks we must with the Arminians say Christ by his death made God placabilem reconcilable not placatum reconciled No saith he it is otherwise the ransome demanded 〈◊〉 paid and accepted full satisfaction to the divine Justice is given and taken all the sins of the Elect all actually pardoned This is a great oversight For first Though Christ did lay down a price and the Father accept of it yet both agreed in a way and order when this benefit should become theirs who are partakers of it and that is when they believe and repent Now Bonum est ex integris causis if God the Fathers Covenant be to give pardon for Christs sake to those that do believe which faith also is the fruit of Christs death then may we not separate Christ from faith no more then faith from Christ or God the Fathers love from both If Christ had died for such a man to have his sins pardoned whether he had faith in him or no then this Argment would have stood firm God then did accept of Christs death and becomes reconciled but in that order and way which he hath appointed 2. This Argument doth interfâ—re with that of Election for there pardon of sin doth take its rise from Election but here from the time God laid our sins upon Christ And indeed the Antinomians are at a variance amongst themselves some fetching the original of pardon from one way and some from another 3. We do not say That faith is the condition of Christs acquiring pardon but of the application of pardon Faith doth not make Christs merits to be merits or his satisfaction to be satisfaction This ariseth from the dignity and worth of Christ It would be an absurd thing to say That faith is the cause why God doth accept of Christs merits and receiveth a satisfaction by him This were to make the instrumental cause a meritorious cause The Arminians they make Christ to have purchased pardon upon condition of believing which believing they do not make a benefit by Christs death yea they say Nihil ineptius nibil vanius nothing is more foolish and vain then to do so Now this indeed is an execrable errour to hold Christ died only to make a way for reconciliation which reconciliation is wholly suspended upon a mans faith and that faith comes partly from a mans will and partly from grace not being the fruit of Christs death as wel as remission of sins it self But we say a far different thing Christ satisfied Gods wrath so that God becomes reconciled and gives pardon but in the method and way he hath appointed which is faith and this faith God will certainly work in his due time that so there may be an instrument to receive this pardon For the opening of this when it is said Christ satisfied Gods wrath this may have a different meaning either that Christ absolutely purchased reconciliation with the Father whether they believe or no without any condition at all as Joab obtained Absoloms reconciliation with David or Esther the Jews deliverance of Ahashuâ—rosh Or with a condition In the former sense it cannot be said because the fruits of Christs death are limited only to believers If with a condition then either Antecedent which is to be wrought by us that so we may be partakers of his death and that cannot be because it is said He died for us while sinners and enemies And this is Arminianism for by this means only a gate is set open for salvation but it may happen that no man may enter in or else this condition is Concomitant or consequent viz. A qualification wrought by the Spirit of Christ whereby we are enabled to receive of those benefits which come by his death And in this sense it is a truth and by this the foundation of the Opponent is totally razed For Christ took away the sins of those for whom he died and reconciled them to God and this absolutely if by it we understand any condition anteceding to be done by us but not absolutely if it exclude a condition that is consequently wrought by the Spirit of God to apply the fruits of Christs death so that the actual taking away of sins is not accomplished till the person for whom he died be united to him by Faith Hence the Scripture speaks differently about Christs death sometimes it saith He died for us sinners and enemies and in other places John 15.13 He layeth down his life for his friends and his sheep Joh. 17.19 He saith he prayeth and sanctifieth himself for those that shall believe in him viz. in a consequent sense for those who by faith shall lay hold on his death So that faith hath a two-fold condition the first of the time when sins are taken away by Christs death and that is when they believe 2. Of whom these priviledges are true and that is of such who do believe Now all this may be the further cleared if we consider what kinde of cause Christs death is to take away our sins It is a meritorious cause which is in the rank of moral causes of which the rule is not true Positâ causâ sequitur effectus The cause being the effect presently followeth This holdeth in natural causes which necessarily produce their effects but moral causes work according to the agreement and liberty of the Persons that are moved thereby As for
and gripes he had within because of sin and no wonder he did not confess it and bewail it before God If therefore God keeps thy heart in many doubts and fears giving thee no rest consider whether thou hast cast all that leaven out of thy house whether every Achan within thee be stoned or no. It is in vain to cure the wound as long as any splint of the poisoned arrow lieth within it or if thou finde no sin unrepented of search whether thy formal lazy duties be not the cause of all the blackness that is in thy heart We reade in the Canticles that the Churches laziness and her not opening the doors to Christ when he knockt was the cause of that spiritual desertion she was plunged into seeking up and down for her Beloved but not finding of him The standing pool begets the croaking Frogs not the running stream and it is the dull negligent Christian whose heart is filled with sad fears and doubts whereas the hidden Manna and white stone is promised to him that overcometh 3. Though thy soul walk thus in darkness yet exercise acts of dependency and recumbency upon Christ howsoever As David many times cals upon his soul to trust in God and not to be sinfully dejected How is that woman of Canaan commended for her faith who though our Saviour called her Dog and did in effect tell her she was excluded from pardon did yet earnestly pursue him and gave him no rest till he gave her rest And certainly this is the noblest act of Faith this is indeed to give glory to God when in the midst of all thy fears and guilt thou canst relie upon him for pardon as in wicked men who are filled with Satan as Ananiaâ— was there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a desperate boldness whereby they dare venture upon sin So in the godly there should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a confidence of Faith whereby maugre the devil and our consciences we dare throw our selves into the arms of a Promise Thus by frequent putting forth of strong fiducial applicative acts of Faith we shall at last enjoy obsignative Howsoever hereby thou wilt shew thy heavenly courage in enduring a kinde of spiritual Martyrdom As that Love is the highest Love which is carried out to enemies so those are the strongest acts of Faith which make us depend on God though he seem to kill us yea to damn us LECTURE XXIV MAT. 6.12 And forgive us our Debts ANother Question which is also of great use we are to dispatch at this time viz. Whether a Believer repenting and suing for pardon is to make any difference between a great sin and a lesse For if a man should be perswaded of the negative then would gross and notorious sins which Tertullian cals Devoratoria salutis whirlpools and gulfs wherein the party offended is plunged be no more then those sins which Austin cals Quotidiana levia daily infirmities which continually flow from the most sanctified person Again on the other side A Christian falling into such a gross sin may so far be swallowed up with sorrow as that he shall think the whole bond of friendship is dissolved between him and God that he is cast out of that spiritual Paradise he was in and that God is no more his Father nor he his childe It is therefore necessary to have a pillar of fire to guide us in this wilderness And that the whole truth of this matter may be understood observe these Propositions First Every sin even the least sin doth deserve eternal death As appeareth by those general places Cursed is every one that abideth not in all things the Law commands Gal. 3.10 Now every sin is a transgression of the Law This the Apostle speaks universally of all sin without any exception Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death And indeed this must needs be so if you consider the least sinne is an offence against an infinite God and in this respect because God is not a little but a great God so every sin is not little but a great sin Again if you consider the necessity of Christs bloud to expiate this no sinne can be thought little for if a man had no sin in the world but one of these little ones he could not escape eternall wrath without Christs mediation Therefore we cannot say any sin is venial either from its kinde and nature as Papists distinguish such they make to be officious or jesting lies or from the imperfection of the act such they make those that are committed indeliberately or out of ignorance without full consent or knowledge Or from the smalness of the matter as to steal a farthing or the like None of these sins are so small but that they deserve hell because they are the transgression of the Law of an holy and great God and our Saviour confirmeth this when he saith Of every idle word a man shall give an account Mat. 12.36 and that phrase of giving an account is not a diminutive but aggravative expression Our Saviour doth there argue from the less to the greater Thus If a man must give an account for every idle word much more for blasphemy against the holy Ghost Take we heed therefore how we bring down the weight and guilt of the sinne here also we may see why Paul found such a mountain upon him by sinful motions only arising in his heart There are two places that seem to import such a difference between sins as if some only deserved hell and others not The first is Mat. 5.22 where our Saviour speaking of three degrees of sin doth proportionably assign three degrees of punishment and the last only is guilty of hell fire But the clear Answer is That our Saviour speaks allusively to those three Courts of Judicature among the Jews the least punishment whereof was death so that the first Court punished with death the second death with a more grievous torment The third with a most grievous For that our Saviour doth only allude to these Courts and not speak of what faults the Courts punished is plain for none can think that the Court put any to death for calling his brother fool It was murder and such â—ins that they punished with capital punishments The other place is 1 Joh. 5.15 17. where the Apostle makes a difference between a sin unto death and a sin not unto death but that is clearly to be understood either of the sin against the holy Ghost which in those times when the spirit of discerning was frequent might easily be known or of such sin that did plainly discover obstinacy and impenitency accompanying of it otherwise no man might pray for another man that hath committed a mortal sin if by a sin unto death the Papist will mean every mortal sin Lay therefore this foundation That every sin is mortal in respect of its desert and guilt howsoever to the godly believing and repenting no sin is mortal
way of Justification by faith in Christ ariseth because of our imperfection and sinfulness remaining in us and therefore is justificatio viae not patriae a justification of us in our way not when we come to our home Fourthly Although pardon of sin be compleated at that great day yet this is not to be understood as if Gods pardon of any sin were imperfect and something of sinne did still remain to be done away No those expressions of forgivenes of sin in the Scripture denote such a full and plenary pardon that a sin cannot be more remitted then it is But because we commit new sinnes daily and so need pardon daily Therefore it is that we are not compleatly pardoned till then As also because the perfect pardon we have here shall then solemnly and publikely be declared to all the world These things thus premised I come to shew the grounds or particulars wherein our pardon of sinne is thus compleated And first In our sense and feeling For howsoever God pardon a sinne perfectly yet our faith which receiveth it is weak This Jewell is taken with a trembling and shaking hand Hence it is that we have not full faith and confidence in our spirits We may see this in David though Nathan told him his sinnes were forgiven him yet his faith was not so vigorous and powerfull as wholly to apply this to his own soul and therefore he had much anguish and trouble of heart afterwards But now at the last day all these fears diffidence and darknesse will be quite removed out of our hearts There shall be no more disturbance in our souls then there can be corruption in the highest heavens we shall then have such a gourd as no worm can devour Our souls shall not then know the meaning of sitting in darknesse and wanting Gods favour There will then be no complaints Why hath the Lord forsaken me Well may Gods children be called upon to lift up their heads when such a redemption draweth nigh and well may that day be called the times of refreshment seeing the people of God are so often scorched with the fiery darts of Satan Secondly Pardon of sin will at that day be perfected Because all the effects of pardon will then be accomplished and not so much as any scars remain the wound will be so fully healed Although God doth fully pardon sin yet the effects of this are delaied many chastisements and sad afflictions are to be undergone howsoever death it self and the corruption in the grave must seize upon justified persons now these are the fruit of sin and howsoever the sting of these be taken away yet they are not wholly conquered till that last day Then therefore may we justly say Sin is pardoned when there shall be no more grave no more death no more corruption but all shall be swallowed up in immortality and glory Thirdly Then and not till then may we say remission of sins will be compleated because then shall no more iteration of pardon be Here in this life because the root of corruption abideth in us there are daily pullulant branches of sinnes and so frequent guilt is contracted whereby as we have daily sores so we need daily plaisters It is with originall corruption in us as in that Tree in Dan. 4.14 15. although the branches be cut off yet the stump is still in the earth and that sprouts out too fast by the temptations that are alwaies by it Hence it is that we alwaies pray Forgive us our sins and because of thâ—se failings the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.20 writeth to and exhorteth the godly Corinthians who were already reconciled to God to be further reconciled to him But then this Petition shall wholly cease then there will be no serpent to sting us nor will the eye of justifying faith to look upon the brazen serpent exalted be necessary any more The Lord will not only wipe away the tear of wordly grief but also of godly sorrow at that time Then and not till then will it be true That God seeth no sin in his children Then will the Church be without wrinkles or any spot within her In this respect it is the Church of God pâ—aieth so earnestly for the Bridegrooms coming For this it is They look for and hasten in their praiers that day Fourthly At that day will pardon of sin only be compleated if you consider the nature of justification For what is that but an overcoming the accusing adversary and clearing of us against every charge Now this is most eminently and fully done in those last assizes The Syriack word to justifie is also to conquer and overcome because when a man is justified he overcometh all those bils and indictments which were brought in against him now this is manifestly done in the day of judgement when God shall before men and Angels acquit and absolve his people and if the Apostle say in this life Rom. 6.7 of a godly man dead in Christ he is justified from his sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of sanctification that sin doth not conquer him but he sinne how much more will this be true at that day when all the guilt and filth of sin shall be totally removed Oh what a glorious conquest will that be over sin hell and the devil when the Judge of the whole world shall pronounce them free from all sinne and command them to enter into his glorious rest Having thus cleared the Doctrine one Question may be briefly touched upon Whether the sins of Gods people shall be manifested at the day of judgement and God for Christs sake then acquit them There are learned men for the affirmative They shall be published and there are learned men for the negative Those that are for the affirmative they say indeed godly mens sins shall not be examined for their ignominy or confusion but only that the goodnesse and grace of God may be made the more illustrious For this they urge these Arguments First Those places of Scripture which speak of the universality of the reall objects and personal Of the reall as when it 's said A man must give an account of every idle word Mat 12.36 2 Cor. 5.10 an account must be made for every thing done in the body For the universality of the object personal 2 Cor. 5. We must all appear before the Tribunall seat Again They urge the opening of the book which shall be at that day and that is nothing but the manifesting of the consciences of men Furtther Many wicked mens sins and godly mens are mingled together and there cannot be a judgement of discussion preceding that of condemnation unlesse godly mens sinnes also be produced In summe They think this conduceth more to the setting up of Gods justice the exaltation of his mercy neither say they will this breed shame to the godly for in heaven they shall remember their sins committed on earth but without any grief
or trouble yea with joy and thankfulnesse to God because delivered from them Quandoque laeti recordamur dolorum said Gregory We may with joy remember by-past grief But those that are for the negative think this no waies suteable to Gods goodnesse that the sins of the godly should then be published for these grounds following First From the judicial processe where Christ cals the blessed of his Father to inherit the Kingdom prepared for them and then enumerateth only the good works they had done no question they had many sins and failings but God takes no notice of them Secondly This agreeth best they say with those expressions of Scripture concerning pardon viz. that God blotteth them out that they are thrown into the bottom of the sea Thirdly The godly are said not to come into judgement and there is no condemnation to them yea they have already life everlasting Lastly Christ is their bridegroom their friend their advocate and how ill becoming would it be one in such relations to account or lay open their sins Which of these opinions is truest is hard to say neither of them have cogent arguments and the Scripture doth not expresly decide the question yet the negative seems to have more probability on its side The Use is First Of comfort and glad tidings to the children of God howsoever in this life they have accusations from within and from without yet the day is coming when they shall have a glorious and publike justification from all objections Then Satan can no more accuse Joshua for the noisome rags upon him Then Joseph shall be brought out of the prison freed from all guilt and calumny and exalted to great glory and it may be therefore God suffereth thee to be exercised with much guilt and fear here that thou maist the more long for those daies of refreshment And as this truth is for their great consolation so also it demonstrateth their happinesse That that which is so terrible and dreadfull to wicked men should be such matter of rejoycing unto them when they through horrour should cry for the mountains and hils to cover them these shall desire the graves and the earth to deliver up her dead that they may enjoy their Bridegroom Certainly beleevers are not beleevers in this point as they should be what an heavenly contempt would it work in them of this present world what earnest desires that this Kingdom might at last come This is their marriage-day the day of coronation Then death hell grave sin and Satan are all conquered And if the joy and peace which remission of sin produceth in this life be so exceeding glorious what will that be when we shall have no more streams but that fountain 2. Use by way of contrary To terrifie and arouse wicked men for as the godly have but a glimmering a little pittance in this life in respect of that fulnesse of glory to be revealed hereafter so the wicked feel not the least part of that guilt torment shame and confusion which hereafter shall be poured upon them There are many mens sins lie asleep keep no noise either in their own consciences or before God but then these lyons these mastive dogs that lay tumbling at the door will rise up in rage and wholly devour Do not therefore take Gods forbearance for his gracious acquittance oh do not imbolden thy self with false encouragements and say The worst is over As the Apostle said these light afflictions were nothing to that eternal weight of glory so on the contrary may the wicked say These pangs and wounds of consciences which are felt here are nothing to that eternal weight of sin hereafter Bernard said descendamus in infernum viventes ne descendamus morienâ—es let us goe into hell while we are alive by a serious meditation and holy consideration that we may not go into it when we be dead by reall miseries As the Apostle saith we are the children of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be there is more glory then they can conceive so wicked men are now the children of wrath but it doth not yet appear what they shall be Oh therefore that ungodly men were as wise as Jonah's mariners who in the midst of tempests seeing their ship necessarily sinking throw away the goods that were a burden knowing they and their safety could not consist together Thus are ye to do throw away thy sins those heavy burdens that put all into danger and so maist thou safely arrive at last in heaven LECTURE XXX LUKE 7.47 Wherefore I say unto thee Her sins which are many are forgiven her for she loved much THis Text is part of a famous history which may well be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of the three great things observable in it 1. Great sinnes 2. Great repentance and humiliation â— Great love and grace of God through Christ in pardoning And there is this one peculiar thing well observed about this woman in the history that whereas divers others addressed themselves to Christ for corporal mercies this only cometh for spiritual even for remission of her sins For the better understanding of the text let us briefly consider the history and first the woman is described by her quality inherent a sinner not in a common sense as all are but in a more notorious manner and therefore those that mitigate her fault out of some reverence or honour to her do not so much encrease her honour as Maldonat upon the place well observeth as detract from Christs honour for the Physicians skill is most commended where the disease is more desperate That she was a known great sinner appeareth in that the Pharisee wondred at Christ because he would have any commerce with her Whether this woman was Mary Lazarus his sister or no is hotly disputed by Commentators but impertinent to my scope In the next place you have her great repentance expressed wherein for the generall you may see the Apostles duty accomplished as she had given her members to be members of iniquity so now of righteousnesse insomuch that she is the true looking-glasse of an humble convert Her humiliation is described 1. In bringing of a box of oyntment to anoint his feet not his head say some because she thought her self so unworthy she brought indeed an outward visible box of ointment but she had another invisible and spiritual one even a contrite and broken heart 2. She stands behinde Christ as being loathsom in her own eyes and washeth his feet with her tears which must suppose that to be true in her which Jeremiah desireth viz. Her head to be a fountain of water but as long as her heart was such a fervent limbeck it was no wonder to see such precious distillations Chrysologus upon this fact of hers saith The Heavens are wont to water the Earth with rain but ecce nunc rigat terra Coelum here the earth watereth Heaven Lastly The debasement of