changed would be a strong and undeniable inference And indeed for this particular may the Arminians be challenged as holding Gods mutability because they hold That notwithstanding Gods decree and purpose to save such a man yet a man by his own corruption and default shall frustrate God of this his intention Otherwise all know Adam was created in a state of Gods favour and quickly apostatized into the contrary so that we may truly say Adam was one day yea hour as some a childe of Gods favour and in another of his wrath yet the change was in Adam not in God both because God had not made an absolute Decree from all Eternity for his standing as also because he had made no Promise to preserve him in that happy condition In this sense 1 Pet. 2.10 it is said Which in time past were not a people but now are the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy And whereas the Opponent saith God loved us before we did believe it is true with a love of purpose but many effects of his love are not exhibited till we do believe He loveth us and so worketh one effect of love in us that that effect may be a qualification for a new and further effect of love He loveth us to make us his friends and when he hath done that he loveth us with a love of friendship God loved us before he gave Christ for out of that love he gave us Christ that so when Christ is given us he may bestow another love upon us Now because it is ordinary with us to call the effect of love love as the fruit of grace is grace Therefore we say In such a time God loved not one and afterwards we say He doth love the same not that herein is any change of God but several effects of his love are exhibited As we call the effects of Gods anger his anger Poena patientis ira esse creditur decernentis The punishment on the offender is judged the anger of the inflicter and by this means we say sometimes God is angry and afterwards he ceaseth to be angry when he removeth these effects of his anger so a man is said to be loved or not to be loved according to the effects of Gods love exhibited in time and God hath so appointed it that one effect of his love should be a qualification in the subject for another as sanctification for glorification LECTURE XXIII MAT. 6.12 And forgive us our Debts THe next Question to be considered is Whether in this prayer we pray only for the Assurance of Pardon not Pardon it self For thus the Antinomians answer to the Objection fetched from this place that the whole sense of this Petition is That we may feel in our selves and assuredly perceive what pardon God had given us before Honey-Comb p. 155. So Den reconcil of God to man p. 44. making this Argument of the Text against himself If we pray for forgiveness of sins then sins are not forgiven before answereth The Protestants saith he with one consent hold That they do beg at the hands of God greater Certainty and Assurance of Pardon and he instanceth in a condemned person that is upon the ladder who having received the pardon of his Prince may when called into the Kings presence fall down and say Pardon me my Lord and King but this is to abuse Protestant Authours for although many of them may make this part of the meaning yet none make it the only meaning Gomarus in his Explication of this Petition doth excellently confute Piscator for explicating Pardon of sin by a Metonymy of the subject viz. The sense and feeling of this in our hearts and saith That such a signification cannot be proved out of any place of Scripture nor out of the language of any good Authors and one of his reasons is this Prayer for pardon of sin would be imprudently taken out of the Lords Prayer for he who prayeth for the sense and feeling of a thing supposeth it already done Now saith he every wise Petition hath for its object a thing to come and not a thing past This also Bellarmine objecting against special Faith as if it were a confidence that my sins are forgiven already he makes it as absurd upon this ground to beg for pardon as it would be to pray that Christ may be incarnated or made flesh Crocius in his answer to this Disput de fidei justificantis objecto pa. 131. saith as you heard before That those things indeed use not to be prayed for which are so done that they are never done more but those things which are so done as that they may be often done again may be prayed for The incarnation of Christ was once done and can be no more but Remission of sins is so done that it continueth further to be done and its last effect is reserved for the future For as often as we sin so often there is need of Repentance So that by his Judgement Remission of sinne is not like Creation which once was and is not reiterated but conservation More might be said out of Authors but I come to answer the Question First We grant it a duty for that believer who knoweth his sins are pardoned to pray for further Faith and Assurance of the Pardon For seeing our Faith admits of degrees and is sometimes staggering ready to sink no marvel if it needs supports Thus David although he heard his Pardon proclaimed yet makes that poenitential Psalm Psal 51. for mercy to do away his sins which was by appeasing his conscience and satisfying his soul with the goodness of God for as a godly man though he have truly repented of his sins yet upon any sad occasion doth reiterate his Pardon as Paul many times hath his heart-ake for his former blasphemies and persecutions so it is necessary to have the sense and apprehension of his Pardon reiterated to his own comfort and consolation There is no mans Assurance about Pardon so high and unmoveable but it many times meeteth with violent assaults and therefore needeth oil to be frequently poured into his wounds Comfort comfort ye my people saith the Prophet There must be an ingemination of the duty else the soul at first will not hearken In the second place We may conceive of four sorts of persons praying for this Pardon of sin The first is an unconverted and unregenerated man For although he cannot call God Father and so not pray in Faith yet he is bound to pray The Socinians interpret that compellation Our Father not actually but dispositively as if the meaning were who art ready and willing to be a Father But that is not the full meaning of that place There lieth an obligation upon unregenerate men to perform holy Duties though they cannot do them acceptably Their impotency to do them doth not disoblige from the command to do them Now its plain that such a person
at all Yea God hath delighted sometimes in natural Causes to work the Effects without them lest the glory should be given to the instruments Hence he caused light to be before the Sunne and the earth is commanded to bring forth Herbs before any rain that so God may be acknowledged all in all If God do this in the order of natural things how much more of supernatural Yet this is not so to be prest as if therefore God would forgive sin without Repentance No God hath ordered a way inviolably and indispensably wherein he will vouchsafe his Pardon and no otherwayes But although God out of his meer good will hath inseparably conjoined Repentance and Remission together yet the Discovery or Promulgation of this unto the broken and contrite heart is altogether Arbitrary And in this as well as in other things that speech is true The winde bloweth where it listeth Know therefore by these divine Dispensations That though thou dost repent Gods forgiveness is a meer gift of liberality and no natural necessary fruit of thy sorrow Insomuch that setting Gods gracious Promise aside whereby he is a Debtor unto his own faithfulness after thy purest and most perfect Humilation for sin God might refuse to take thy guilt away A second Reason Why God though he pardon may yet deny the manifestation of it is Because hereby God would make us feel the bitternesse and gall of it in our own hearts A Pardon easily obtained takes off the burden of the fault Thus God dealt with David The light of Gods favour doth not presently break thorow the Cloud that so David may feel how bitter a thing it is to sinne against God As God suffered Isaac to be bound to have wood laid on him the knife to be lifted up to strike him in all which space Isaac's fear could not but heighten Thus God also will kill and wound those whom he intends to make alive he will bruise them and break them that so they may judge the seeming good in sin to be nothing to the real evil that followeth it And from this second issueth a third Reason viz. To make us more watchful and diligent against the time to come Peters bitterness of soul was a special preservative against the like temptations as bitter Potions kill the worms in childrens stomacks It must needs argue much guilt in Gods people if after the particular gall and wormwood they have found in sin they shall be ready to drink the like bitter potion when sin presents it self Certainly the heart-aches that Paul found afterwards though pardoned for his former persecutions were like a flaming sword to keep him off from such attempts again He might more truly say then that Heathen did He would not buy repentance so dear 4. By reason of the Difficulty and supernaturall way of believing it is that Pardon may be in Heaven when we cannot apply it in our Consciences Hence though the Promises be never so much for our ease and thereupon infinitely to be desired yet the way of believing this is so far above natural conscience which expects Justification by works that the heart of a man hath much ado to close with it Therefore faith is not like other Graces or Duties viz. Love of God Humility c. which have some obscure footsteps in the natural dictates of conscience but it is wholly supernatural yea Adam in the state of integrity knew not this kinde of believing in the righteousness of a Mediatour For as the object of faith viz. Christ is only by revelation no councel of men or Angels could have excogitated such a truth so faith as it is the hand or organ applying Christs righteousness is a duty not manifested by humane light but wholly from above And as flesh and bloud doth not reveal to us That Christ is the Son of the living God so neither that we are to have remission of sins only by faith in his bloud Hence the Scripture makes faith the gift of God which coming from the Spirit into our hearts meeteth with much contrariety and opposition of doubts and unbelief No wonder therefore if after the heart of a man hath been awakened for sinne there remain some commotions a long while after even as the sea after tempests winds though they be allaied yet for some space after roareth and rageth not leaving its troubles presently as you heard before Though therefore as God pardoneth in Heaven he offereth it also unto our Consciences yet we refuse and put it off we will not be comforted because it is not a comfort flowing in the way we look for viz. by working And for this reason though David heard Nathan pronounce his pardon yet he doth vehemently importune for it afterwards in Psalm 51. as if he had not the least notice of any such mercy to him Lastly God defers the notice of Pardon to thee that so thou mayest be the more able to sympathize with those that are in the like tempted condition For as one end of Christs suffering in his soul lying in agonies under Gods displeasure was because he might know how to have compassion upon his children in such temptations So the Lord doth exercise his people to the same purpose and certainly Christ accounted this the tongue of the learned to speak a seasonable word to a wounded heart Besides hereby shall we speak the more wonderfully of Gods grace and his goodness after our deliverance out of those storms Those that have been in these deep waters see the wonderful works of the Lord and so have their hearts and mouths the more opened to celebrate his praise Another Question may be What Directions are to be given unto a soul tempted about the pardon of sin for many such there are who like Pauls fellow passengers in the ship have been so many dayes moneths yea it may be years and have seen no Sun enjoyed no comfort at all Let the Persons thus affected use these remedies First Acknowledge God and clear him howsoever Thus David Psal 51. that thou mayest be clear when thou art judged If the devils and the damned in hell have no cause to complain of God as unjust or too severe then much less mayest thou who art kept in darkness for a season only that afterwards thou mayest enjoy the more light Let not God be the worse God his goodness the less unto thee because thou art not yet set free out of the bonds of sin By being thus humble thou takest the way to be filled whereas impatiency and discontent causeth God the more to hide his face Secondly Examine thy Repentance whether that hath been so sound so pure so deep so universal as it should have been All sorrow and humiliation for sin is not godly Repentance Ahabs tears and Peters differ as much as the water of the Sea which is brinish and salt and the water of the clouds which is sweet David Psal 32. acknowledgeth the pain
THE True Doctrine OF JUSTIFICATION Asserted and Vindicated FROM The Errours of PAPISTS ARMINIANS SOCINIANS and more especially ANTINOMIANS In XXX LECTURES Preached at Lawrence-Iury London By Anthony Burgess Preacher of Gods Word The second Edition Corrected and Revised LONDON Printed by A. Miller for Tho. Vnderhil at the Anchor in Pauls-Church-yard near the little North-door 1651. TO THE Right Honourable EDWARD Earle of Manchester Vicount Mandeville Baron of Kimbolton My Lord THE many favours your Honour hath vouchsafed unto me altogether undeserving may justly command a publike acknowledgement thereof to the whole world But that which doth especially encourage me to seek for your Protection in the publishing of this Treatise is your unfained love of and stedfast continuance in the Truth So that those two things which Pythagoras said made a man compleat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to doe good to others and to embrace truth may without flattery be affirmed to be in your Lordship And as for the latter Paul speaks it as a great commendation that the true faith did dwell in Lois which denoteth a stable and firm permanency as the Apostle elsewhere saith Sinne dwelleth in him In some mens breasts Truth is only a sojourner and their assent to it passeth away as the Psalmist speaks of our life like a tale that is told Now herein Christ speaks of a peculiar priviledge to the Elect that it is not possible for them to be deceived by false Prophets if it were possible to deceive the very Elect which is to be understood of a totall and finall seduction Thus also when the Apostle had mentioned the Apostacy of Hymenaeus and Philetus he interposeth by way of comfort to the godly neverthelesse the foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth who are his and no wonder if the truths of Christ are worthy of all hearty acceptation seeing they are wholly by supernaturall revelation in which sense some say Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word because he revealed the will of his Father to us but in another respect are we to take heed how we decline from the truths of God because they are the inlet and first instrument of our Sanctification and Salvation God would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth Sanctifie them by thy truth thy Word is truth and our regeneration is described paâ—tly by the renewing of our minde so as corrupt distillations from the head are apt to putrifie the vitals so Errours and false Doctrins do quickly corrupt our practâ—ce One thing more I make bold to recommend to your Lordship that besides the bare receiving of the truth there is as the perfection of knowledge the acknowledgement of truth after godlinesse and the learning of truth as it is in Jesus Christ which is when the truths we beleeve have a savoury and powerfull effect upon us and nothing causeth our abode in the truth so much as the experimentall efficacy of it upon our hearts It is good saith the Apostle to have the heart established with grace and not with meats One would have thought the Apostle should have said it is good to have the heart established with sound Doctrine because he exhorteth them not to be carried aside with every winde of Doctrine but he saith Grace rather then knowledge because this is the choicest Antidote against falshoods Tantum scimus quantum operamur we know no more viz. favourily clearly and stedfastly then we have powerfull practice of Now of all supernaturall truths the doctrine of Justification hath no mean excellency this is the article which Luther said reigned in his heart In this is a Christians treasury of hope and consolation and because the Antinomians whose opinions may be stiled as those of Epicurus were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inticing Syrens of a mans fleshly minde have put their dead flies in this precious Box of ointment I have endeavoured to select this precious Gold from their drosse Though the matter I handle be in part controversall yet it is also in a great measure practicall The greatest mercy I can wish to your Lordship is this glorious priviledge of Iustification in which only and not in riches honours or any earthly dignity consisteth true and perfect blessednesse as David a King doth heartily and with much affection acknowledge Psal 32.1 and Paul by vertue of this Iustification Rom. 8. triumphs over all adversity and trouble whatsoever Of which glorious happinesse that your Lordship may be made partaker is the Prayer of Your Lordships most humble Servant in the Lord ANTHONY BURGESS TO THE Christian Reader Christian Reader WEre I not already ingaged I know not how in this publike way of Controversies I should wholly decline such service partly because of that ill fate if I may say so which doth accompany books through the various Palates of those that reade them whereby they are unwilling agnoscere quod Dei est or ignoscere quod hominis est partly because of expectation which is an heavy prejudice all men judging it reasonable that now in these latter times there being the advantage of all the abilities of those who went before us a man should not so much libros as thesauros scribere write not Books but rich Treasuries as the heathen said partly because this controversall way doth so possesse the intellectual part that the affectionate part is much dulled and made remiss thereby Even a Papist Granada in his way of Devotion said A Learned man that was busied in such kinde of imployment should reckon himself in the number of those wretched Captives that are ad metalla damnati Though all the day long they dig up Gold yet they are not any whit inriched by it but others for whom they work And Rodericus as I remember relateâ—h of Suarez that he was wont to say He esteemed that little pittance of time which constantly every day he set apart for the private examination of his own conscience more then all the other part of the day which he spent in his voluminous Controversies The Apostle speaks of doting about questions but the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to be sick and languishing which doth declare the nature of needlesse disputations that they fret away and make to consume the true power of Godlinesse God once only spake out of a thorny bush and as the Israelites were to go out of the military Camp to gathâ—r manna so must a man shuntedious disputes who would injoy the fat and marrow of Christian Religion But notwithstanding these dâ—scouragements yet the Apostle with a vehement obtestatâ—oâ— cals upon Timothy and in him all faithfull Ministers to preserve that good thing committed to their Charge so that it is the duty of Ministers not only by Preaching but otherwise as occasion serveth to see that the golden treasure deposited in the Church be not debased
with drossy errors or the childrens necessary food mingled with destructive poyson Truth is a Depositum Aristotle doth rationally conclude That it is a greater injustice to deny a little thing deposited then a great summe that we are indebted for because he that depositeth any thing in our custody trusteth in us as a faithfull friend the other expecteth only justice from us Now of all points of Divinity there is none that with more profit and comfort we may labour in then in that oâ— Justification which is stiled by some articulus stantis cadentis ecclesiae The Church stands or fals as the truth of this is asserted and a modest sober vindication of this point from contrary errors will not hinder but much advantage the affectionate part of a man even as the Bee is helped by her sting to make honey Gods way of Justification is for the truth of it above naturall reason and therefore there is required a supernatural Revelation to manifest it Insomuch that the Divine Authority of the Scripture is in nothing more irradiant then in the discovery of this glorious way of our Justification But it hath been a stumbling block and a rock of offence to many mens hearts who look for a Philosophicall Justification or righteousnesse of works either wholly issuing from our free will as they suppose or partly from it and partly from the grace of God and on this hand have erred the Pelagians Papists Arminians and Socinians But while the Orthodox have been diligent to keep this fountain pure from the filth those Philistims daily threw in There arose up another error on the right hand which the Apostle Paul in his Epistles doth many times Antidote agaâ—nst viz. such a setting up of Free-Grace in Justification that should make the Law as to all purposes uselesse and while it extolleth prâ—viledges debases duties That as the Arminians on the one side think it most absurd that the same thing should be officium requisitum donum promissum a duty required on our part and yet a gift promised on Gods part So on the other side the Antinomian cannot at the same time see the fulnesse of Grace only in blotting out our sins and yet at the same time A necessity of repentance without which this Justification could not be obtained Hence it is they fix their Meditations and Discourses upon the promissory part of the Scripture not at the same time attending to the preceptive part But whether it be their weaknesse or their wilfulnesse they seem to be upon those passages of Scripture which speak of Gods grace and Christs satisfaction as David in Sauls arms which were an hinderance not an advantage to him Men destitute of sound knowledge and Learning should be afraid lest they doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 3.16 wrest the Scripture and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to their own destruction It is no lesse a sin saith Oecumenius to torture the Scripture by perverse interpretation then it was to torment and Crucifie the very bodies of the Apostles but to how many ignorant men attempting beyond their strength in Controversies of Divinity hath that faln out which did to one Lucian speaks of who finding Orpheus his harp consecrated to Apollo in a certain Temple bribed the Priest of the Temple thinking to make the same melody which Orpheus used to do which he attempting through his ignorance made such an horrid sound that it inraged all the dogs neer him which presently fell on him and tore him in pieces It is therefore good for men in all humility and modesty not to think of themselves above what they ought or to affect to be Doctors before indeed they have been Disciples But to my matter in hand I shall briefly give an account of my method in this Treatise Whereas in Justification many things are considerable the efficient and impulsive Cause Gods grace the meritorious Cause Christs satisfaction the instrumentall Cause Faith and evâ—ry one of these hath many Debates upon it by Learned men Yet I have insisted upon that whereâ—n the nature of it doth consist and because that is made by some two fold partly in remission of sins partly in imputation of Christs righteousnesse this Discourse is wholly upon the former indeavouring to clear all the Doctrinal and Practical doubts that are of greatest consequence in this matter And if God should blesse this part with any good successe to establish the mindes of those that waver I shall with Gods assistance proceed to the other point viz. The Imputation of Christs righteousnesse the mistaking of which point is no mean cause of Antinomianism I am not ignorant how subject to blindnesse and severall imperfections the best of men are whereby through after-thoughts they see such an argument might have been more strongly managed and such expressions better ordered insomuch that most men may say as Luther said of his Books He could like Saturn eat up his own children It is also to be considered how difficult it is with pure ends and godly intentions aiming only at the glory of God and edification of others to undertake such a businesse as this is therefore in all these exercises it is good to go out of our selves depending upon the strength of God only and not to boast as if we had not received Tutius vivitur quando totum Deo damus Et in nihilo gloriandum est quia nihil nostrum est One thing more I am to inform thee of which is that in the former part of this treatise I have more remisly spoken of Justification in the generall because that will more pertinently be handled in the other point of imputed righteousnesse and have indeavoured more vigorously to prosecute the other part which is wholly spent about pardon of sin These things premised I leave thee to the Lord who teacheth his children to profit Thine in Christ Jesus Anthony Burgess THE CONTENTS WHy the doctrine of justification ought to be kept pure pag. 3 2 Propositions clearing the nature of justification 3 4 3 What is implied in justification 6 7 4 What cautions are to be observed to conceive the nature of justification 14 5 Wherein justification consists 17 6 Propositions for the understanding remission of sins 18 7 How sins may be said to be forgiven ibid. 8 How sin is to be considered when it is said to be forgiven 19 9 What it is to have sin forgiven 20 10 How afflictions come upon Gods people after their sin is pardoned 24 11 Whether God corrects his people for sin 26 12 How the Antinomians prove that God doth not chastise his people for their sins 34 13 Whether any absurdities follow upon that doctrine that God doth correct his people for their sins 39 14 What errors the Antinomians hold concerning remission of sinne 43 15 How it may be proved that God doth see sin in a beleever so as to be offended with it 53 16 How great the guilt of
Whether the Justification of believers under the Old Testament and New be not uniform and altogether the same which is to be affirmatively maintained and therefore remit you to that question For the present we see how David here doth twice and thrice with much vehemency desire that Gods face would not be upon his sins Here may be one considerable question made seeing Nathan the Prophet had told David his sin was forgiven him Was not this great unbelief and diffidence to pray for pardon after that consolation To this it may be answered 1. That Nathans comfort might be given after this penitential Psalm for although 2 Sam. 12.13 the History makes mention of Nathans oyl poured into David as soon as ever he was wounded yet it is a frequent thing in Scripture to have those things immediatly connected in story when yet there was a great distance in the practice But grant it was immediatly upon Davids repentance yet faith in God for pardon may well stand with prayer for pardon The deep sense and feeling of Gods offence cannot but provoke to earnest petition though faith at the same time perswadeth the heart God will hear Hence David doth not here pray in unbelief thinking God would not pardon him therefore some translate v. 7. in the future tense Thou wilt purge me with hysop because of his assurance Again though God removed Davids sin in respect of condemnation yet not in respect of all other effects of his anger for so his sin did still lie as a burden on him and in this respect he still seeketh Gods face In the next place consider Psa 32.1 3 4. Of all parts of the Scripture the Psalms have this excellency that they do in a lively experimental way set forth the gracious works of God upon the soul and David doth in many Psalms still as it were play upon the Harp to drive out the evil spirit of unbelief and diffidence out of a mans heart Now this Psalm is a most excellent directory for the obtaining of pardon after sin committed wherein David being for a while grievously crushed by Gods anger for his sins at last feeling the Sun-shine of his favour breaking through the clouds he doth in the beginning of the same joyfully break out admiring the happines of those who have their sins pardoned and he doth in several words repeat the same benefit because of the excellency of it and certainly were your hearts touched with the sense of Gods displeasure for sin neither riches nor good trading or any advantage in the world would so glad your heart as to have a pardon of sin For how cometh David to be thus affected with forgivenesse of his sins even because he confessed it not was not humbled under it till Gods wrath was heavy upon him and then he resolved to acknowledge it whereupon God immediatly forgiveth him Now lest any should think What is this to us in the times of the Gospel observe v. 6. For this every one that is godly shall pray unto thee that is for this remission for this pardon every one that is godly shall pray so that its ungodlinesse by Davids judgement not to confesse sin or to pray for the pardon which how can any Antinomian do by his principles that holdeth God seeth not or taketh notice so as to be offended with the sins of justified persons and so they are not only Antinomists but Anti Confessionists Anti-Petitionists and Anti-penitents Take one more instance Psa 6.1 where David prayeth God would not rebuke him in his hot displeasure Compare this with Jer. 10.24 where you see the servants of God do suppose an anger from God will fall on them for their sins and they do not refuse his rebukes only they desire God would moderate and set bounds to his wrath that it may not overwhelm them Many other places there are where its plain the people of God praying do suppose him to be angry with them for their sins and it is a truth so ingraven in the heart of a godly man that no error can ever quite obliturate it A sixth sort of Arguments shall be from those places where God is said to take notice of our sin more then we can or do 1 Joh. 3.18 19 20. where the Apostle presseth believers to a sincere love of one another with this Argument that hereby we shall assure our hearts before him the Greek word signifyeth to perswade and doth excellently set forth the difficulty of being assured in Gods presence Now this great benefit he illustrates by the contrary if our hearts condemn us God is greater then our hearts and this holdeth universally in every holy duty as well as that of love if our hearts condemn us for hypocrisie and insincerity in them God doth much more for he knoweth more evil by our selves then we do Now how can this Apostolicall assertion be true if so be God took no notice or were not offended at the sins of his people It s an argument of sweet meditation to humble us that if where there is but a drop of grace our sins are so lothsome and offensive how much more must they be to the ocean of all purity To this the Antinomian replieth Honey-Comb p 89. that John speaks this of hypocrites and not the justified children of God But 1. he gives the expresse title of little children to them ver 18. and my little children so that he taketh upon him the bowels of a father to them Again let it be granted that he describes hypocrites yet there is no godly man but this text will in some sense belong to there is no man so godly but he hath some hypocrisie and insincerity in his best love there is that worm in his best fruit that drosse in his best gold It followeth then by proportion that so far as the godly do discern imperfections and insincerity in their duties so far they are to be humbled before God who knoweth much more by them then they discern as you see little moats are discerned by the Sun-beams in the Air which were not discerned before therefore when John addeth If our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence with God his meaning is not as if we could have no confidence where our hearts doe condemn us in some degrees for then none in the world could have confidence but he speaks of condemning our selves upon a discovery of a total and wilful hypocrisie and so we will indeed grant that he speaks of hypocrites but yet it proveth as much as we desire namely that where there is any condemnation of our selves for any degree of insincerity in any duty we are to tremble and to remember that God is greater then our hearts knoweth more by us and so his wrath might break out hotter then we can imagine Neither is the former answer weakned though we grant it to be understood of total hypocrites for it is usuall with the Apostle to threaten even
this opinion That we have no sin in us we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us and then which is worst We make God a liar who in his Word doth testifie of us as having sin in us So that this opinion argueth those that maintain it neither to understand or firmly believe the Scriptures and this is to be extended to those who hold no sin in us as to Gods eye by reason of Christs righteousness For the Scriptures do equally overthrow both The most material Answer that I have observed by any given to this Argument from our duty of praying for pardon of sin is given by Castalio de Iustif p 63. It is this This prayer is not so prescribed us saith he that we should alwayes pray so and we never reade that any in the Scripture used these prescribed words Nay saith he we never reade that the Apostles praied for remission of sinnes no nor Christ never praied for pardon of them Therefore the meaning of this Petition must be to pray for pardon as oft as they need it not that they need it alwaies Therefore he compareth this Petition to such places Love your enemies Agree quickly with your adversary Honour your father and mother that is when you have enemies or adversaries when you have a father and mother so here Pray for pardon that is when you have sinned But this very answer needeth a pardon because it s fraughted with much falshood for first although we reade not that they praied those expresse words yet in their very addresse to Christ to be instructed how to pray and our Saviour teaching them to pray thus as one Evangelist or after this manner as another hath it it had been hypocrisie and mockery never to have conformed to it Besides our Saviour supposeth they have need of pardon when he tels them Except ye forgive one another neither will my heavenly Father forgive you vers 15. which implieth their need of pardon Hence Mat. 7.11 he cals them evil If ye then being evill which is not to be understood comparatively in respect of God only for so the Angels are Joh. 4.18 but inherently because of the remainder of that corruption in them Hence as you heard the Apostle John puts himself in the number here If we say we have no sin c. certainly the Apostle Paul was farre from these thoughts 1 Tim. 1.18 where he cals himself the chiefest of all sinners that is one in the rank of those whose sins had a scarlet hue and he saith this in the present tense not of whom I was chief but I am chief for although Cajetans Exposition be very probable that makes this relate not meerly to sinners but to sinners saved thus Christ came to save sinners of which saved sinners I am chief yet the former is not to be rejected and certainly in some sense every man is bound to think of himself as a greater sinner then others As the Pharisee said I am not as other men adulterers covetous c. The godly man on the contrary thinketh he is not holy zealous sincere as other godly men are When Paul Rom. 7. complaineth of that evil in him and law of sinne can we think he never desired the pardon of it And when our Saviour Joh. 17.17 prayeth God to sanctifie his Disciples what is that but to set them apart for their office by forgiving their sinne even as Isaiah was purified by a live coal from the altar As for his parallell places and duties it is a most absurd comparison for he may as well say That the Kingdom of God and hallowing his Name are not constantly to be prayed for but upon occasion only Certainly those places of Scripture which make originall sinne to cleave to us even as Ivy to the Oak and which is as leven in us sowring every thing we doe in some measure And those places which speak of such a perfection in the Law that we are never able to perform it argue a constant abiding principle of sin in us we may conclude then that this Petition doth suppose a worm in our best fruit drosse in our purest gold and many spots in our choisest beauty Neither may we dream of such an imputed righteousnesse as shall take away the necessity of this praying not that the godly are therefore to be denominated sinners because we call them godly though sinne be in them because godlinesse is the most noble quality in them as we call that a field of corn which yet hath many weeds in it A second thing implied is feeling of sinne a burden and weight upon us For none can heartily and with feeling experience importune God for this pardon but such who are sensible of a pressing load by sin Hence the Hebrew word Nasa doth signifie as you heard the taking of a weight and burden So the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used of deliverance from bonds Luke 4.18 where what was literally true of the Jews that were in captivity and prisons is applied to us spiritually and the Gospel of Christ is said to preach deliverance to the captives so that hereby is declared that as a captive Jew in Babylon was wearied with his estate and did vehemently expect deliverance no lesse doth a man burdened with sin desire a freedom and relaxation Therefore the time of the Gospell is expressed allusively to the year of Jubilee vers 19. as that was proclaimed with the sound of a Trumpet so this by the mouth of the Apostles How many are there then who pray this prayer but want much feeling and zeal within Now sinne hath a double weight one of punishment the other of offence and displeasure to God and in this later we ought especially to groan under it Cam felt a burden of his sins and David also felt a pressure by them but the tears of these two differed much The one was meerly because of punishment the other because it was against God Against thee onely have I sinned This inward disposition is that which putteth an excellent relish and high prize upon Christ and his benefits Hence the word to trust signifieth also to roul and cast our burden upon the Lord As a man who beareth an heavie weight upon his back being ready to break under it rouls it upon the next stall he meets with to ease himself Psal 55.22 Consider therefore what thou feelest within what pressures upon thee while thou desirest this forgivenesse Art thou as the poor prisoner bound in his chains and irons longing for a releasment Art thou as one ashamed in the presence of so glorious a God Quidni totis artubus contremiscat ranuncula è palude accedens ad thronum Regis Why should not the Frog coming out of the lake to the Kings Throne altogether tremble 3. It implieth godly sorrow and spiritual mourning of heart For we may not think this is appointed as a meer complement to use to God but our hearts ought
it self it is plain by all those places of Scripture which make repentance requisite to pardon Ezek. 14.6 Ezek. 18.30 Mat. 3.2 Luk. 13.3 The learned Dr Twisse Vind. grat p. 18. confesseth that there are Arguments on both sides in the Scripture Sometimes he saith Pardon of sin is subjoyned to confession and repentance of which sort he confesseth there are more frequent and expresse places but yet sometimes remission of sin already obtained is made an argument to move to repentance and he instanceth in David and Mary Magdalen who did abundantly and plentifully break out into tears upon the sense of pardon But these instances are not to the purpose for David repented of his wicked ness before Nathan told him That his sin was taken away and his penitential Psalm was not made so much for the first pardon of his sin as the confirming and assuring of him in his pardon Thus it was also with Mary Magdalen But more of this in time 4. There is a necessity of Repentance if we would have pardon both by a necessity of precept or command as also by a necessity of means and a way Whatsoever is necessary Necessitate medii by a necessity of means or a way is also necessary by a necessity of command though not è contra That repentance is necessary by way of a command is plain by the places fore-quoted and in innumerable other places I do not handle the case Whether an actual or explicite repentance be necessary to salvation of every sinner but I speak in the general It is disputed Whether it be a natural precept or a meer positive command and if it be a natural or moral command to which command it is reduced Those that would have it under the command of Thou shalt not kill as if there were commanded a care of our souls that they should not be damned are ignorant of the true limits and bounds of the several Commandments It s disputed also When this time of repentance doth binde It is a wonder that some should limit it only to times of danger and fear of death Certainly this command binds as soon as ever a man hath sinned Venenata inducias non patiuntur A man that hath swallowed down poison is not to linger but presently to expell it And one that is wounded who lieth bleeding doth presently dispatch with all readinesse for Physitians to have his bloud stopt and thus ought men to take the first opportunity Hence in that famous miracle wrought at the pool of Bethesda not the second or third but he that stept first into it was the only man that was healed As repentance is thus necessary by way of command so also by way of means for the Spirit of God worketh this in a man to qualifie him for this pardon So that although there be no causality condignity or merit in our repentance yet it is of that nature that God doth ordain and appoint it a way for pardon So that the command for repentance is not like those positive commands of the Sacraments wherein the will of the Law-giver is meerly the ground of the duty but there is also a fitnesse in the thing it should be so even as among men nature teacheth That the injurious person should be sorry and ask forgivenesse before he be pardoned 5. Concerning this duty of repentance there are two extream practical mistakes the one is of the prophane secure man who makes every empty and heartlesse invocation of mercy to be the repentance spoken of in the Scripture whereas repentance is a duty compounded of many ingredients and so many things go to the very essence yea the lowest degree of godly sorrow that by Scripture-rules we may say Repentance is rarely to be seen any where for if you do regard the nature of it it is a broken and a contrite heart Now how little of the heart is in most mens humiliations Men being Humiliati magis quam humiles as Bernard said humbled and brought low by the hand of God rather then humble and lowly in their own souls Again if you consider the efficient cause it is from the Spirit of God the spring of sorrow must arise from this hill Zech. 12. Rom. 8. Further if you consider the motive it must be because God is displeased and offended because sin is against an holy law and so of a staining and polluting nature Lastly If you consider the effect and fruit of repentance it is an advised forsaking and utter abandoning of all those lusts and iniquities in whose fetters they were before chained so that a man repenting and turned unto God differs as much from himself once a sinner as a Lazarus raised up and walking differs from himself dead and putrifying in the grave Do not thou then whose heart is not contrite who dost continually lick up the vomit of thy sin promise to thy self repentance No thou art far from this duty as yet On the other side There is a contrary mistake and that is sometimes by the godly soul and such as truly fear God They think not repentance enough unlesse it be enlarged to such a measure and quantity of sorrow as also extended to such a space of time and by this means because they cannot tell when they have sorrowed enough or when their hearts are broken as they should be they are kept in perpetual labyrinths and often through impatience do with Luther in such a temptation Wish they never had been made men but any creatures rather because of the doubts yea the hell they feel within themselves Now although it be most profitable bitterly to bewail our sins and to limit no time yet a Christian is not to think Pardon doth not belong to him because his sorrow is not so great and sensible for sin as he desireth it David indeed doth not only in his soul but even bodily expresse many tears yea rivers because of his sin and other mens sins yet it is a good rule That the people of God if they have sorrow in the chiefest manner appretiativè though not intensivè by way of judgment and esteem so that they had rather any affliction should befall them then to sin against God if this be in them though they have not such sensible intense affections they may be comforted When the Apostle John makes this argument He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen how shall he love God whom he hath not seen implieth That things of sense do more move us then matter of faith David made a bitter out-cry upon the death of Absolom with sad expressions Would to God I had died for thee O Absolom my son my son c. But when Nathan told him of his Adultery and Murder though he confessed his sin yet we reade not that he made such sensible lamentation Thus Hierom writeth of a godly woman Paula that at the death of her children would be so dejected that she did hardly escape death yet
in Christ yet not for Christ Christ is the meritorious cause of Justification and Glorification but not of predestination that is meerly from his own self so that if Gods act of predestinating us be enough to instate us into all this favour and love what need is there of an atonement by Christs bloud and thus we may urge a Doctors Argument upon himself All the elect of God are justified but all the elect of God are elected antecedently to Christs merits therefore they are justified before Christs merits 7. If because it s said Ephes 2. That while we were dead Christ gave himself for us And Rom. 5. That he died for the ungodly it followeth Our sins are pardoned before we believe then it will also follow that all mens sins are pardoned For the Texts that speak thus of his dying for the ungodly and for enemies make no distinction of one from another And thus a Judas as well as a Peter is bound to believe his sins are pardoned Those that argue against all qualifications and say God requireth nothing of thee though lying in thy bloud must needs hold an universal promiscuous pardon of all and that such a sin as presumption is not possible for if I believe that Christ died to take away my sins though I walk in all disobedience yet that is not presumption but a duty It is true the Orthodox call upon those who lie groveling in their swinish lusts to come unto Christ and to believe in him but what is that faith Not a faith that sins are already pardoned but a faith relying on him for pardon which faith also at the same time cleanseth and purifieth the heart Therefore let us take those general Texts which speak of Christs dying to take away the sins of enemies and let any Antinomian give a true reason why one mans sin is pardoned rather then another and although to evade this they fall into another error holding Christ died for all yet that will not serve the turn unlesse they hold That all men shall actually be saved and none damned for those Texts speak of a benefit that is actually obtained for those in whose behalf he died And thus I have produced seven Arguments for the antecedency of our Faith and Repentance to our Justification as many in number as the fore-quoted Author brings against it Other grounds may be pleaded to this purpose when we shall demonstrate that all sins are not pardoned together Use Of Exhortation To avoid all presumption whether it be wrought in thee by thy own carnal heart or corrupt Teachers and that is when thou believest pardon any other way then in Scripture-bounds there is a Pharisaical presumption or Popish and there is an Antinomian or Publican presumption The former is when we hope for pardon partly by Christ and partly by our own works and merits The other is when we expect it though living and walking in sin Now it is hard to say whether of these is more derogatory to Christ The one sins in the excesse the other in the defect Be not therefore a Pharisee excluding Christ either in whole or in part from the cause of pardon Tutius vivimus quando totum Deo damus we live more safely when we give all unto God and take nothing unto our selves In the next place be not a Publican Think not to have Christ and Belial together expect not pardon for sin without repentance of it The world is filled with these two kinde of presumers some limit Gods grace and associate their performances with it Others extend it too far and conjoyn their lusts with it But as the Apostle saith If of works and of the Law then there is no grace So we may if of lusts and prophane impieties then there is also no grace We are therefore both to avoid sins and carnal confidence in our own righteousnesse if we would have Christ all in all In vain did Peter and Mary Magdalen pour out their souls with so much bitternesse if pardon of sin may be had without this It is Hieroms observation That in all Pauls Salutation Grace goeth before Peace for till Gods grace hath pardoned our sins we can have no peace and God doth not pardon but where he gives repentance Labour therefore for that which is indeed the good of thy soul viz. Pardon of sinne When the rich man in the Parable speaking of the corn in his barns said Soul take thine ease thou hast much good laid up for thee He spake as if he had porcinam animam the soul or life of an hog for what good is corn and wine to a mans soul Forgivenesse of sin and reconciliation with God that is the connatural and sutable good and happinesse for the soul LECTURE XXI MAT. 6.12 And forgive us our debts IT hath been proved That God doth not justifie or pardon a man till he doth believe and that the wrath of God abideth upon such an one It is necessary in the next place to answer those Objections which are propounded by the Adversaries because some of them carry a specious pretence with them And indeed the Antinomian with those Arguments he fetcheth from some places of Scripture is like David in Sauls Armour not able to improve them the weapons being too big for him But before I enter into the Conflict its worth the enquiry what the judgement of the Orthodox is in this point The Remonstrants Acta Synod p. 293. bring severall places out of our Authours Lubertus Smoutius Piscator and Others wherein they expresly say That God doth blot out our sins before we either believe or amend our lives and that this pardon doth antecede our knowledge of God Faith Conversion or Regeneration of the heart Thus also D. Twisse in the place before quoted Pemble also to this purpose pag. 24. The Elect saith he while unconverted they are then actually justified and freed from all sin by the death of Christ and so God esteems of them as free and having accepted of that satisfaction is actually reconciled to them But the falshood of this will appear in Answer to the sixth Argument When Grotius had distinguished of a two-fold remission a full remission and a lesse full remission holding this later kinde of remission to be given to impenitent sinners abusing two places of Scripture for this purpose Rom. 5. 10. 2 Cor. 5.19 Rivet confuteth him making it a sure truth That sins are not actually remitted but to those that repent and saith Quinam sunt ii qui volunt actu remissa peccata cuiquam ante conversionem certè nobis sunt ignoti Who are they that say sins are actually pardoned before conversion Certainly they are unknown to us Although we acknowledge the price of reconciliation and redemption to have been prepared for the elect from all eternity or in Gods purpose and intention remission of sins to have been ordained for them even as conversion which in his time by