be at Gods disposal and therein he found present rest and a speedy healing of his condition It is the high and losty one that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is holy Isa. 57. 15. with whom we have now to do He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants of it are as Grashoppers before him yea the Nations are as the drop of the bucket and are counted as the small dust of the ballance he takes up the Isles as a very little thing all Nations before him are as nothing they are counted unto him less than nothing and vanity Isa. 40. 15 17 22. To what end doth the Lord set forth and declare his glorious Greatness and Power It is that all might be brought to trust in him and to wait for him as at large is declared in the close of the chapter For shall Grashoppers a drop of the bucket dust of the ballance things less than nothing repine against or wax weary of the Will of the immense glorious and lofty One He that taketh up all Isles as a very little thing may surely if he please destroy cast and forsake one Isle one City in an Isle one Person in a City and we are before him but single persons Serious thoughts of this Infinite All-Glorious Being will either quiet our souls or overwhelm them All our weariness of his dispensations towards us arises from secret imaginations that he is such a one as our selves one that is to do nothing but what seems good in our eyes But if we cannot comprehend his Being we cannot make Rules to judge of his waies and proceedings And how small a portion is it that we know of God The nearest approaches of our reasons and imaginations leave us still at an infinite distance from him And indeed what we speak of his Greatness we know not well what it signifies we only declare our respect unto that which we believe admire and adore but are not able to comprehend All our thoughts come as short of his Excellent Greatness as our natures do of his that is infinitely Behold the Universe the glorious Fabrick of Heaven and Earth how little is it that we know of its beauty order and disposal yet was it all the product of the Word of his mouth and with the same facility can he when he pleaseth reduce it to its primitive nothing And what are we poor worms of the Earth an inconsiderable unknown part of the lower series and order of the works of his hands few in number fading in condition unregarded unto the residue of our fellow-creatures that we should subduct our selves from under any kind of his dealings with us or be weary of waiting for his pleasure This he presseth on us Psal. 46. 10. Be still and know that I am God Let there be no more repinings no more disputings continue waiting in silence and patience consider who I am Be still and know that I am God Further to help us in this Consideration let us a little also fix our minds towards some of the Glorious Essential Incommunicable properties of his Nature distinctly As 1. His Eternity This Moses proposeth to bring the souls of Believers to submission trust and waiting Psal. 90. 1. From Everlasting to Everlasting thou art God One that hath his Being and subsistence not in a duration of time but in Eternity it self So doth Habakkuk also chap. 1. 12. My Lord my God my Holy One art thou not from Everlasting And hence he draws his conclusion against making hast in any condition and for tarrying and waiting for God The like Consideration is managed by David also Psal. 102. 27. How unconceivable is this glorious divine Property unto the thoughts and minds of men How weak are the waies and terms whereby they go about to express it One sayes it is a nunc stans another that it is a perpetual Duration He that sayes most only signifies what he knows of what it is not We are of Yesterday change every moment and are leaving our station to morrow God is still the same was so before the world was from Eternity And now I cannot think what I have said but only have intimated what I adore The whole Duration of the world from the beginning unto the end takes up no space in this Eternity of God Fow how long soever it hath continued or may yet continue it will all amount but to so many thousand years so long a time and time hath no place in Eternity And for us who have in this matter to do with God what is our continuance unto that of the world a moment as it were in comparison of the whole When mens lives were of old prolonged beyond the date continuance of Empires or Kingdoms now yet this was the winding up of all such a one lived so many years and then he dyed Gen. 5. And what are we poor worms whose lives are measured by inches in comparison of their span what are we before the Eternal God God alwaies immutably subsisting in his own Infinite Being A real Consideration hereof will subdue the soul into a condition of dependence on him and of waiting for him 2. The Immensity of his Essence and his Omnipresence is of the same consideration Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Jer. 23. 24. The Heavens even the Heavens of Heavens the supreme and most comprehensive created Being cannot contain him saith Solomon In his infinitely Glorious Being he is present with and indistant from all places things times all the works of his hands and is no less gloriously subsisting where they are not God is where Heaven and Earth are not no less than where they are and where they are not is himself where there is no place no space real or imaginary God is for place and imagination have nothing to do with Immensity and he is present every where in the Creation where I am writing where you are reading he is present with you indistant from you The thoughts of mens hearts for the most part are that God as to his Essence is in Heaven only and it is well if some think he is there seeing they live and act as if there were neither God nor Devil but themselves But on these apprehensions such thoughts are ready secretly to arise and effectually to prevail as are expressed Joh 22. 13 14. How doth God know Can he judge through the dark thick clouds are as a covering unto him that he seeth not and he walketh in the circuit of the Heavens Apprehensions of Gods distance from men harden them in their waies But it is utterly otherwise God is every where and a man may on all occasions say with Jacob God is in this place and I knew it not Let the soul then who is thus called to wait on God exercise it self with thoughts about this Immensity of his Nature and Being Comprehend it fully understand it we can never But the consideration of it will give
from your sloth and despondency of spirit you will not gird up the loyns of your minds in dealing with God to put them to a speedy issue in the blood of Christ. You go on and off begin and cease try and give over and for the most part though your case be extraordinary content your selves with ordinary and customary Applications unto God This makes you wither become useless and pine away in and under your perplexities David did not so but after many and many a breach made by sin yet through quick vigorous restless actings of Faith all was repaired so that he lived peaceably and dyed triumphantly Up then and be doing let not your wounds corrupt because of your folly make through work of that which lyes before you be it long or difficult it is all one it must be done and is attended with safety What you are like to meet withal in the first place shall nextly be declared Verse 3. The words of the Verse explained and their meaning opened THE general frame of a gracious soul in its perplexities about sin hath been declared It s particular actings what it doth what it meets withal are nextly represented unto us First Then in particular it cryes out If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand There is in the words a Supposition and an Inference on that Supposition In the Supposition there is first the Name of God that is fixed on as suited unto it And Secondly The thing it self supposed In the Inference there is expressed the matter of it to stand and the manner of its proposal Wherein two things occur 1. That it is expressed by way of Interrogation 2. The Indefiniteness of that Interrogation Who shall stand If thou Lord He here fixes on another name of God which is Jah A name though from the same root with the former yet seldom used but to intimate and express the terrible Majesty of God He rideth on the Heavens and is extolled by his name Jah Psal. 68. 4. He is to deal now with God about the guilt of sin and God is represented to the soul as great and terrible that he may know what to expect and look for if the matter must be tryed out according to the demerit of sin What then saith he to J A H 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If thou shouldst mark iniquities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to observe and keep as in safe custody To keep preserve and watch diligently So to remark and observe as to retain that which is observed to ponder it and lay it up in the heart Gen. 37. 11. Jacob observed Josephs dream that is he retained the memory of it and pondered it in his heart The marking of Iniquities then here intended is Gods so far considering and observing of them as to reserve them for punishment and vengeance In opposition unto this marking he is said not to see sin to overlook it to cover it to forget it or remember it no more that is to forgive it as the next Verse declares I need not shew that God so far marks all sins in all persons as to see them know them disallow them and to be displeased with them This cannot be denyed without taking away of all grounds of his fear and Worship To deny it is all one as to deny the very Being of God deny his Holiness and Righteousness and you deny his Existence But there is a day appointed wherein all the men of the world shall know that God knew and took notice of all and every one of their most secret sins There is then a double marking of sin in God neither of which can be denyed in reference unto any sins in any persons The first is Physical consisting in his omniscience whereunto all things are open and naked Thus no sin is hid from him the secretest are before the light of his countenance All are marked by him Secondly Moral in a displicency with or displeasure against every sin which is inseparable from the nature of God upon the account of his Holiness And this is declared in the sentence of the Law and that equally to all men in the world But the marking here intended is that which is in a tendency to Animadversion and punishment according to the tenor of the Law Not only the sentence of the Law but a Will of punishing according to it is included in it If saith the Psalmist thou the great and dreadful God who art extolled by thy glorious name Jah shouldst take notice of iniquities so as to recompence them unto sinners that come unto thee according to the severity and exigence of thy holy Law What then It is answered by the matter of the Proposal who can stand That is none can so do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes Chrysostom This WHO is NONE No man not one in the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quis stabit or consistet who can stand or abide and endure the tryal Every one on this supposition must perish and that eternally This the desert of sin and the Curse of the Law which is the Rule of this marking of their iniquity doth require And there is a notable emphasis in the interragation which contains the manner of the Inference Who can stand is more than if he had said none can abide the tryal and escape without everlasting ruine For the Interrogation is indefinite not how can I but who can stand When the Holy Ghost would set out the certainty and dreadfulness of the perishing of ungodly men he doth it by such a kind of expression wherein there is a deeper sense intimated into the minds of men than any words can well cloath or declare 1 Pet. 4. 17. What shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospel and v. 18. Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear So here Who can stand there is a deep insinuation of a dreadful ruine as unto all with whom God shall so deal as to mark their iniquities See Psal. 1. 5. The Psalmist then addressing himself to deal with God about sin layes down in the first place in the general how things must go not with himself only but with all the world upon the supposition he had fixed This is not my case only but it is so with all mankind every one who is partaker of flesh and blood whether their guilt answer that which I am oppressed withal or no all is one guilty they are all and all must perish How much more must that needs be my condition who have contracted so great a guilt as I have done Here then he layes a great Argument against himself on the supposition before laid down If none the Holiest the humblest the most believing soul can abide the tryal can endure how much less can I who am the chiefest of sinners the least of Saints who come unspeakably behind them in holiness and have equally gone beyond them in sin This is the sense and importance
As ever you desire to come to rest avoid not this entrance of your passage unto it Weigh well and attend unto what the Law speaks of your sin and its desert or you will never make a due application to God for forgiveness As ever you would have your souls justified by Grace take care to have your sins judged by the Law Secondly There is a respect in it to the Love of God And this breaks the heart of the poor returning sinner Sorrow from the Law shuts it self up in the soul and strangleth it Sorrow from the thoughts of the Love of God opens it and causseth it to flow forth Thoughts of sinning against the Love of God managed by the Holy Ghost what shall I say their effects in the heart are not to be expressed This made Ezra cry out O my God I blush and am ashamed to lift up my face to thee Chap. 9. 6. and v. 10. What shall we say after this After what why all the fruits of love and kindness they had been made partakers of Thoughts of love and sin laid together make the soul blush mourn be ashamed and confounded in its self So Ezek. 36. 31. Then shall you remember your own evil wayes and your doings that were not good When shall they do so when thoughts and apprehensions of love shall be brought home to them and saith he then shall you loath your selves in your own sight The soul now calls to mind what Love what kindness what mercy what grace what patience hath been exercised towards it and whereof it hath been made partaker The thoughts of all these now come in upon him as streams of water Such Mercy such Communion such Priviledges such hopes of Glory such tastes of Heaven such Peace such Consolation such Joy such Communications of the Spirit all to a poor wretched cursed lost forlorn sinner and all this despised neglected the God of them all provoked forsaken Ah saith the soul Whither shall I cause my sorrow to go This fills him with shame and confusion of face makes him mourn in secret and sigh to the breaking of the loyns and then Thirdly The blood and Cross of Christ is also brought to remembrance by the Holy Ghost Ah saith the soul have I thus requited the wonderful astonishing Love of my Redeemer Is this the return the requital I have made unto him Are not Heaven and Earth astonished at the despising of that Love at which they are astonished This brake Peters heart upon the look of Christ. Such words as these from Christ will in this condition sound in the ears of the soul. Did I love thee and leave my glory to become a scorn and reproach for thy sake Did I not think my life and all that was dear unto me too good for thee to save thee from the wrath to come Have I been a Wilderness unto thee or a land of darkness What could I have done more for thee when I had nothing left but my life blood and soul they went all for thee that thou mightest live by my death be washed in my blood and be saved through my souls being made an offering for thee And hast thou thus requited my love to prefer a lust before me the world before me or by meer sloth and folly to be turned away from me go unkind and unthankful soul and see if thou canst find another Redeemer This overwhelms the soul and even drowns it in tears and sorrow And then the bitterness also of the sufferings of Christ are brought to mind They look on him whom they have pierced and mourn Zech. 12. 10. They remember his gall and wormwood his cryes and tears his agony and sweat his desertion and anguish his blood and death the sharpness of the Sword that was in his soul and the bitterness of the Cup that was put into his hand Such a soul now looks on Christ bleeding dying wrestling with wrath and curse for him and seeth his sin in the streams of blood that issued from his side And all this encreaseth that sense of sin whereof we speak Also Fourthly It relates to the communion and consolations of the Holy Ghost with all the priviledges and fruits of Love we are by him made partakers of The Spirit is given to Believers upon the promise of Christ to dwell in them He takes up their hearts to be his dwelling place to what ends and purposes that he may purifie and sanctifie them make them holy and dedicate them to God to furnish them with Graces and gifts to interest them in priviledges to guide lead direct comfort them to seal them unto the day of Redemption Now this Spirit is grieved by sin Ephes. 4. 30. and his dwelling place defiled thereby 1 Cor. 6. 19. and 3. 17. Thoughts hereof greatly sharpen the spiritual sense of sin in a recovering soul. He considers what Light what Love what Joy what Consolation what Priviledges it hath by him been made partaker of what motions warnings workings to keep it from sin it hath found from him and sayes within it self What have I done whom have I grieved whom have I provoked what if the Lord should now for my folly and ingratitude utterly take his holy Spirit from me What if I should have so grieved him that he will dwell in me no more delight in me no more What dismal darkness and disconsolation yea what utter ruine should I be left unto However what shame and confusion of face belongs to me for my wretched disingenuity and ingratitude towards him This is the first thing that appears in the returning souls actings and frame a sincere sense of sin on the accounts mentioned wrought in it by the Holy Ghost And this a soul in the depths described must come unto if ever it expect or look for deliverance and a recovery Let not such persons expect to have a renewed sense of mercy without a revived sense of sin Secondly From hence proceedeth an ingenious free gracious Acknowledgement of sin Men may have a sense of sin and yet suffer it to lye burning as a fire shut up in their bones to their continual disquietment and not be able to come off unto a free soul opening acknowledgement Yea confession may be made in general and mention therein of that very sin wherewith the soul is most intangled and yet the soul come short of a due performance of this Duty Consider how the case stood with David Psal. 32. 3. When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long How could David keep silence and yet roar all the day long What is that silence which is consistent with roaring It is a meer negation of that duty which is expressed v. 5. that is intended I acknowledge my sins unto thee and mine iniquities I have not hid It was not a silence of submission and waiting on God that he intends That would not have produced a wasting of his spiritual strength as he complains
are spoken of his mercifulness and faithfulness to encourage us to expect forgiveness from him This also adds to the mysterious depths of forgiveness and makes its discovery a great matter The soul that looks after it in earnest must consider what it cost How light do most men make of pardon What an easie thing is it to be acquainted with it and no very hard matter to obtain it But to hold Communion with God in the blood of his Son is a thing of another nature than is once dreamed of by many who think they know well enough what it is to be pardoned God be merciful is a common saying and as common to desire he would be so for Christs sake Poor Creatures are cast into the mould of such expressions who know neither God nor Mercy nor Christ nor any thing of the mysterie of the Gospel Others look on the outside of the Cross to see into the mysterie of the Love of the Father working in the blood of the Mediator to consider by faith the great transaction of Divine Wisdom Justice and Mercy therein how few attain unto it To come unto God by Christ for forgiveness and therein to behold the Law issuing all its threats and curses in his blood and loosing its sting putting an end to its obligation unto punishment in the Cross to see all sins gathered up in the hand of Gods Justice and made to meet on the Mediator and eternal love springing forth triumphantly from his blood flourishing into Pardon Grace Mercy Forgiveness this the heart of a sinner can be enlarged unto only by the Spirit of God Thirdly There is in forgiveness free condonation discharge or pardon according to the tenor of the Gospel and this may be considered two wayes First As it lyes in the Promise it self and so it is Gods gracious declaration of pardon to sinners in and by the blood of Christ his Covenant to that end and purpose which is variously proposed according as he knew needful for all the ends and purposes of ingenerating faith and communicating that consolation which he intends therein This is the Law of his Grace the declaration of the mysterie of his love before insisted on Secondly There is the bringing home and Application of all this mercy to the soul of a sinner by the Holy Ghost wherein we are freely forgiven all our Trespasses Col. 2. 13. Gospel Forgiveness I say respects all these things these Principles they have all an influence into it And that which makes this more evident wherewith I shall close this consideration of the nature of it is that Faith in its Application of it self unto God about and for Forgiveness doth distinctly apply it self unto and close with sometimes one of these severally and singly sometimes another and sometimes jointly takes in the consideration of them all expresly Not that at any time it fixes on any or either of them exclusively to the others but that eminently it finds some special encouragement at some season and some peculiar attractive from some one of them more than from the rest and then that proves an inlet a door of entrance unto the treasures that are laid up in the rest of them Let us go over the severalls by Instances First Sometimes faith fixes upon the Name and infinite Goodness of the nature of God and draws out forgiveness from thence So doth the Psalmist Psal. 86. 6. Thou Lord art good and ready to forgive He rolls himself in the pursuit and expectation of pardon on the infinite goodness of the nature of God So Nehem. 9. 17. Thou art a God of pardons or ready to forgive of an infinite gracious loving nature not severe and wrathful And this is that which we are encouraged unto Isa. 50. 10. to stay on the name of God as in innumerable other places And thus Faith oftentimes finds a peculiar sweetness and encouragement in and from the consideration of Gods gracious nature Sometimes this is the first thing that it fixes on and sometimes the last that it rests in and oft-times it makes a stay here when it is driven from all other holds It can say however it be yet God is gracious and at least make that conclusion which we have from it Joel 2. 13 14. God is gracious and merciful who knoweth but he will return And when faith hath well laid hold on this consideration it will not easily be driven from its expectation of relief and forgiveness even from hence Secondly Sometimes the soul by saith addresseth it self in a peculiar manner to the Soveraignty of Gods Will whereby he is gracious to whom he will be gracious and merciful to whom he will be merciful which as was shewed is another considerable Spring or Principle of forgiveness This way Davids faith steared him in his great streight and perplexity 2 Sam. 15. 25 26. If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again but if he thus say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him do unto me as seemeth good unto him That which he hath in consideration is whether God have any delight in him or no that is whether God would graciously remit and pardon the great sin against which at that time he manifested his indignation Here he layes himself down before the Soveraign Grace of God and awaits patiently the discovery of the free Act of his Will concerning him and at this door as it were enters into the consideration of those other springs of pardon which Faith enquires after and closeth withal This sometimes is all the cloud that appears to a distressed soul which after a while fills the Heavens by the addition of the other considerations mentioned and yields plentifully refreshing showers And this condition is a sin entangled soul oft-times reduced unto in looking out for relief It can discover nothing but this that God is able and can if he graciously please relieve and acquit him All other supportments all springs of relief are shut up or hid from him The springs indeed may be nigh as that was to Hagar but their eyes are withheld that they cannot see them Wherefore they cast themselves on Gods Soveraign pleasure and say with Job though he slay us we will put our trust in him we will not let him go In our selves we are lost that is unquestionable how the Lord will deal with us we know not we see not our signs and tokens any more evidences of Gods Grace in us or of his Love and favour unto us are all out of sight To a present special interest in Christ we are strangers and we lye every moment at the door of Eternity what course shall we take what way shall we proceed If we abide at a distance from God we shall assuredly perish who ever hardned himself against him and prospered Nor is there the least relief to be had but from and by him for who can forgive sins but God
temporal dispensations that flow from them Now of this sort is the forgiveness that we are enquiring after It is not a property of the Nature of God but an Act of his Will and a Work of his Grace Although it hath its rise and spring in the infinite Goodness of his Nature yet it proceeds from him and is not exercised but by an absolute free and Soveraign Act of his Will Now there is nothing of God or with him of this sort that can be any wayes known but only by especial Revelation For 1. There is no inbred notion of the Acts of Gods Will in the heart of man which is the first way whereby we come to the knowledge of any thing of God Forgiveness is not revealed by the light of nature Flesh and blood which nature is declares it not By that means No man hath seen God at any time John 1. 8. that is as a God of mercy and pardon as the Son reveales him Adam had an intimate acquaintance according to the limited capacity of a creature with the properties and excellencies of the nature of God It was implanted in his heart as indispensibly necessary unto that natural worship which by the Law of his creation he was to perform But when he had sinned it is evident that he had not the least apprehension that there was forgiveness with God Such a thought would have laid a foundation of some further treaty with God about his condition But he had no other design but of flying and hiding himself Gen. 3. 10. so declaring that he was utterly ignorant of any such thing as pardoning mercy Such and no other are all the first or purely natural conceptions of sinners namely that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Judgement of God Rom. 1. 32. that sin is to be punished with death It is true these conceptions in many are stifled by Rumors Reports Traditions that it may be otherwise but all these are far enough from that Revelation of forgiveness which we are enquiring after 2. The consideration of the Works of Gods creation will not help a man to this knowledge that there is forgiveness with God The Apostle tells us Rom. 1. 20. what it is of God that his works reveal even his eternal power and Godhead or the Essential Properties of his nature but no more Not any of the purposes of his Grace not any of the free Acts of his Will not pardon and forgiveness Besides God made all things in such an estate and condition namely of Rectitude Integrity and Uprightness Eccles. 7. 29. that it was impossible they should have any respect unto sin which is the Corruption of all or to the Pardon of it which is their Restituion whereof they stood in no need There being no such thing in the world as sin nor any such thing supposed to be when all things were made of nothing how could any thing declare or reveal the forgiveness of it 3. No works of Gods Providence can make this discovery God hath indeed born Testimony to himself and his Goodness in all Ages from the foundation of the world in the works of his Providence So Acts 14. 15 16 17. We preach unto you that you should turn from these vanities unto the living God which made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and all things that are therein who in times past suffered all Nations to walk in their own wayes nevertheless he left not himself without witness in that he did good and gave us rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He left not himself without witness that is by the works of his Providence there recounted he thus far bare Testimony to himself that he is and is good and doth good and ruleth the world so that they were utterly inexcusable who taking no notice of these works of his nor the fruits of his goodness which they lived upon turned away after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vain things as the Apostle there calls the Idols of the Gentiles But yet these things did not discover pardon and forgiveness For still God suffered them to go on in their own wayes and winked at their Ignorance So again Acts 17. 23 24 25 26 27. Whom you ignorantly worship him declare I unto you God that made the world and all things therein seeing that he is the Lord of Heaven and Earth dwelleth not in Temples made with hands neither is worshipped with mens hands as though he needeth any thing seeing he giveth unto all life and breath and all things and hath made of one blood all Nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the Earth where by the way there is an allusion to that of Gen. 11. 8. the Lord scattered them abroad upon the face of the Earth and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation that they should seek the Lord if happily they might seek after him and find him though he be not far from every one of us By Arguments taken from the works of God both of Creation and Providence the Apostle proves the Being and properties of God Yea he lets them know with whom he had to do that God designed by his works so far to reveal himself unto them as the true and living God the Maker and Governour of all things as that they ought to have enquired more diligently after him and not to look on him alone as the Unknown God who alone might be known all their Idols being vain and nothing But of the discovery of Pardon and forgiveness in God by these wayes and means he speaks not yea he plainly shews that this was not done thereby For the Great Call to saving Repentance is by the Revelation of forgiveness But now by these works of his Providence God called not the Gentiles to saving Repentance No saith he he suffered them to walk still in their own wayes Chap. 14. 16. and winked at the times of their ignorance but now that is by the Word of the Gospel commandeth them to Repent Chap. 17. 30. II. Whereas there had been one signal Act of Gods Providence about sin when man first fell into the snares of it It was so far from the revealing forgiveness in God that it rather severely intimated the contrary This was Gods dealing with sinning Angels The Angels were the first sinners and God dealt first with them about sin And what was his dealing with them the Holy Ghost tells us 2 Pet. 2. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he spared not the sinning Angels he spared them not It is the same word which he useth where he speaks of laying all our iniquities on Christ he undergoing the punishment due unto them Rom. 8. 32. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he spared him not that is he laid on him the full punishment that by the Curse and sanction of the Law was due unto sin So he dealt with the Angels
transgresseth the Law in any one point is guilty of the breach of the whole James 2. 10. What shall we now say Do we think that God hath forgiveness only for this or that individual person No man questions but that all these were pardoned Was it by vertue of any especial personal priviledge that was peculiar unto them Whence should any such priviledge arise seeing by nature they were no better than others nor would have been so personally had not they been delivered from sin and prepared for Obedience by Grace Mercy and Pardon Wherefore they all obtained forgiveness by vertue of the Covenant from the forgiveness which is with God And this is equally ready for others who come to God the same way that they did that is by faith and Repentance 2. Many of those concerning whom we have the Assurance mentioned were not only sinners but great sinners as was said which must be also insisted on to obviate another objection For some may say that although they were sinners yet they were not such sinners as we are And although they obtained forgiveness yet this is no Argument that we shall do so also who are guilty of other sins than they were and those attended with other Aggravations than theirs were To which I say that I delight not in aggravating no nor yet in Repeating the sins and faults of the Saints of God of old Not only the Grace of God but the sins of men have by some been turned into lasciviousness or been made a cloak for their lusts But yet for the ends and purposes for which they are recorded by the Holy Ghost we may make mention of them That they may warn us of our duty that we take heed lest we also fall that they may yield us a relief under our surprizals are they written So then where the mention of them tends to the advancement of Soveraign Grace and Mercy which is the case in hand we may insist on them I think then that without mention of particulars I may safely say that there is no sin no degree of sin no aggravating circumstance of sin no kind of continuance in sin the one only sin excepted but that there are those in Heaven who have been guilty of them It may be yet some will say that they have considered the sins and falls of Lot David Peter Paul and the Thief himself on the Cross and yet they find not their own condition Exemplified so as to conclude that they shall have the same success with them A. 1. I am not shewing that this or that man shall be pardoned but only demonstrating that there is forgiveness with God and that for all sorts of sins and sinners which these Instances do assuredly confirm And moreover they manifest that if other men are not pardoned it is meerly because they make not that Application for forgiveness which they did 2. Yet by the way to take off this Objection also consider what the Apostle says in particular concerning the several sorts of sinners that obtained mercy 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor Abusers of themselves with mankind nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God and such were some of you But you are washed but you are sanctified but you are justified Hell can scarce in no more words yield us a sadder Catalogue Yet some of all these sorts were justified and pardoned 3. Suppose this Enumeration of sins doth not reach the condition of the soul because of some especial Aggravation of its sin not expressed Let such a one add that of our Saviours Matth. 12. 31. I say unto you all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost They are not they shall not be all actually remitted and pardoned unto all men but they are all pardonable unto those that seek to obtain pardon for them according unto the Gospel There is with God forgiveness for them all Now certainly there is no sin but only that excepted but it comes within the compass of all manner of sins and blasphemy and so consequently some that have been guilty of it are now in Heaven We take it for a good token and evidence of a vertuous healing water when without fraud or pretence we see the crutches of cured Criples and impotent persons hung about it as a memorial of its efficacy And it is a great demonstration of the skill and ability of a Physitian when many come to a sick person and tell him that we had the same distemper with you it had the same symptoms the same effects and by his skill and care we are cured Oh saith the sick man bring him unto me I will venture my life in his hand Now all the Saints of Heaven stand about a sin sick soul for in this matter we are compassed with a cloud of witnesses Heb. 12. 1. And what do they bear witness unto What say they unto a poor guilty sinner As thou art so were we so guilty so perplexed so obnoxious to wrath so fearing destruction from God And what way did you steer what course did you take to obtain the blessed condition wherein now you are Say they We went all to God through Christ for forgiveness and found plenty of Grace Mercy and Pardon in him for us all The rich man in the Parable thought it would be a great means of conversion if one should rise from the dead and preach But here we see that all the Saints departed and now in glory do jointly preach this fundamental Truth that there is forgiveness with God Poor souls are apt to think that all those whom they read or hear of to be gone to Heaven went thither because they were so good and so holy It is true many of them were eminently and exemplarily so in their generations All of them were so according to their degrees and measures for without holiness no man can see God And it is our duty to labour to be like unto them in Holiness if ever we intend to be so in Happiness and Glory But yet not one of them not any one that is now in Heaven Jesus Christ alone excepted did ever come thither any other way but by forgiveness of sin and that will also bring us thither though we come short of many of them in Holiness and Grace And this Evidence of forgiveness I the rather urge because I find the Apostle Paul doing of it eminently in his own person 1 Tim. 1. 12 13 14 15 16. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful putting me into the Ministry who was before a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and injurious But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of
be encouraged by it to use it unto the end and purpose for which it is exercised towards us You that are yet in doubt of your condition consider that the patience of God was extended unto you this day this very day that you might use it for the obtaining of the remission of your sins Lose not this day not one day more as you love your souls For wosul will be their condition who shall perish for despising or abusing of the patience of God VI. The faith and experience of the Saints in this world give in testimony unto this truth and we know that their Record in this matter is true Let us then ask of them what they believe what they have found what they have Experience of as to the forgiveness of sin This God himself directs and leads us unto by appealing unto our own experience whence he shews us that we may take relief and supportment in our distresses Isa. 40. 28. Hast thou not heard hast not thou known Hast not thou thy self who now cryest out that thou art lost and undone because God hath forsaken thee sound and known by experience the contrary from his former dealings with thee And if our own Experiences may confirm us against the workings of our unbelief so may those of others also And this is that which Eliphas directs Job unto Chap. 6. 1. Call now if there be any that will answer thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou look It is not a supplication to them for help that is intended but an enquiry after the Experience in the case in hand wherein he wrongfully thought they could not justifie Job 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to which of the Saints on the right hand or left wilt thou have regard in this matter Some would foolishly hence seek to confirm the Invocation of the Saints departed when indeed if they were intended it is rather forbidden and discountenanced than directed unto But the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 16. 2. The Saints that are in the Earth whose experiences Job is directed to enquire into and after David makes it a great encouragement unto waiting upon God as a God hearing prayers that others had done so and found success Psal. 34. 6. This poor man cryed unto the Lord and the Lord heard him and saved him out of his troubles If he did so and had that blessed Issue why should not we do so also The experiences of one are often proposed for the confirmation and establishment of others so the same David Come saith he and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. He contents not himself to mind them of the Word Promises and Providence of God which he doth most frequently but he will give them the encouragement and supportment also of his own Experience So Paul tells us that he was comforted of God in all his tribulation that he might be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith he himself was comforted of God 2 Cor. 1. 4. That is that he might be able to communicate unto them his own experience of Gods dealing with him and the satisfaction and Assurance that he found therein So also he proposeth the example of Gods dealing with him in the pardon of his sins as a great motive unto others to believe 1 Tim. 1. 13 14 15 16. And this mutual communication of satisfying experiences in the things of God or of our spiritual sense and evidence of the Power Efficacy and Reality of Gospel Truths being rightly managed is of singular use to all sorts of Believers So the same Great Apostle acquaints us in his own Example Rom. 1. 11 12. I long to see you that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end you may be established that is that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me He longed not only to be instructing of them in the pursuit of the work of the Ministry committed unto him but to confer also with them about their mutual faith and what Experiences of the peace of God in Believing they had attained We have in our case called in the Testimony of the Saints in Heaven with whom these on earth do make up one family even that one family in Heaven and Earth which is called after the name of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Eph. 3. 14 15. And they all agree in their Testimonie as becomes the Family and Children of God But these below we may deal personally with whereas we gather the Witness of the other only from what is left upon record concerning them And for the clearing of this Evidence sundry things are to be observed As 1. Men living under the profession of Religion and not experiencing the power vertue and efficacy of it in their hearts are whatever they profess very near to Atheism or at least exposed to great temptations thereunto If they profess they know God but in works deny him they are abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate Tit. 1. 16. Let such men lay aside Tradition and Custome let them give up themselves to a free and a rational consideration of things and they will quickly find that all their profession is but a miserable self-deceiving and that indeed they believe not one word of the Religion which they profess For of what their Religion affirms to be in themselves they find not any thing true or real And what Reason have they then to believe that the things which it speaks of that are without them are one jot better If they have no Experience of what it affirms to be within them what confidence can they have of the Reality of what it reveals to be without them John tells us that he who saith he loves God whom he hath not seen and doth not love his Brother whom he hath seen is a lyar Men who do not things of an equal concernment unto them wherein they may be tryed are not to be believed in what they profess about greater things whereof no tryal can be had So he that believes not who experienceth not the power of that which the Religion he professeth affirms to be in him if he sayes that he doth believe other things which he can have no Experience of he is a lyar For instance he that professeth the Gospel avows that the death of Christ doth crucifie sin that faith purifieth the heart that the Holy Ghost quickens and enables the soul unto duty that God is good and gracious unto all that come unto him that there is precious Communion to be obtained with him by Christ that there is great Joy in believing These things are plainly openly frequently insisted on in the Gospel Hence the Apostle presseth men unto Obedience on the account of them and as it were leaves them at liberty from it if
they were not so Phil. 2. 11. Now if men have lived long in the profession of these things saying that they are so but indeed find nothing of Truth Reality or Power in them have no experience of the effects of them in their own hearts or souls what stable ground have they of believing any thing else in the Gospel whereof they cannot have experience A man professeth that the death of Christ will mortifie sin and subdue corruption Why doth he believe it because it is so affirmed in the Gospel How then doth he find it to be so Hath it this effect upon his soul in his own heart not at all he finds no such thing in him How then can this man believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God because it is affirmed in the Gospel seeing that he finds no real truth of that which it affirms to be in himself So our Saviour argues John 3. 12. If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things If you believe not the doctrine of Regeneration which you ought to have experience of as a thing that is wrought in the hearts of men on the earth how can you assent unto those heavenly mysteries of the Gospel which at first are to be received by a pure Act of faith without any present sense or experience Of all dangers therefore in profession let professors take heed of this namely of a customary traditional or doctrinal owning such truths as ought to have their effects and accomplishment in themselves whilst they have no experience of the reality and efficacy of them This is plainly to have a form of godliness and to deny the power thereof And of this sort of men do we see many turning Atheists Scoffers and open Apostates they find in themselves that their profession was a lye and that in truth they had none of those things which they talked of And to what end should they continue longer in the avowing of that which is not Besides finding these things which they have professed to be in them not to be so they think that what they have believed of the things that are without them are of no other nature and so reject them alltogether You will say then What shall a man do who cannot find or obtain an experience in himself of what is affirmed in the Word he cannot find the death of Christ crucifying sin in him and he cannot find the Holy Ghost sanctifying his nature or obtain Joy in believing What shall he then do Shall he not believe or profess those things to be so because he cannot obtaine a blessed Experience of them I answer Our Saviour hath perfectly given direction in this case John 7. 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self Continue in following after the things revealed in the Doctrine of the Gospel and you shall have a satisfactory experience that they are true and that they are of God cease not to act faith on them and you shall find their effects for then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord Hoseah 6. 3. Experience will ensue upon permanency in faith and obedience Yea the first Act of sincere believing will be accompanied with such a taste will give the soul so much experience as to produce a firm adherence unto the things believed And this is the way to prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect Will of God which is revealed unto us Rom. 12. 2. 2. Where there is an inward spiritual Experience of the power reality and efficacy of any supernatural truth It gives great satisfaction stability and Assurance unto the soul. It puts the soul out of danger or suspicion of being deceived and gives it to have the Testimony of God in it self So the Apostle tells us He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself 1 John 5. 9. He had discoursed of the manifold testimony that is given in Heaven by all the holy Persons of the Trinity and on earth by Grace and Ordinances unto the forgiveness of sin and eternal life to be obtained by Jesus Christ. And this Record is true firm and stable an abiding foundation for souls to rest upon that will never deceive them But yet all this while it is without us It is that which we have no Experience of in our selves Only we rest upon it because of the Authority and faithfulness of them that give it But now he that actually believeth he hath the Testimony in himself he hath by experience a real evidence and assurance of the things testified unto namely that God hath given us eternal life And that this life is in the Son v. 12. Let us then a little consider wherein this evidence consisteth and from whence this Assurance ariseth To this end some few things must be considered As 1. That there is a great Answerableness and Correspondency between the heart of a Believer and the truth that he doth believe As the Word is in the Gospel so is Grace in the heart yea they are the same thing variously expressed Rom. 6. 17. You have obeyed from the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the form of Doctrine delivered unto you As our Translation doth not so I know not how in so few words to express that which is emphatically here insinuated by the Holy Ghost The meaning is that the Doctrine of the Gospel begets the form figure image or likeness of it self in the hearts of them that believe So they are cast into the mould of it As is the one so is the other The principle of Grace in the heart and that in the Word are as children of the same Parent compleatly resembling and representing one another Grace is a living Word and the Word is figured limned Grace As is Regeneration so is a Regenerate heart As is the Doctrine of faith so is a Believer And this gives great Evidence unto and Assurance of the things that are believed As we have heard so we have seen and found it such a soul can produce the duplicate of the Word and so adjust all things thereby 2. That the first Original Expression of Divine Truth is not in the Word no not as given out from the infinite Abysse of Divine Wisdom and Veracity but it is first hid laid up and expressed in the Person of Christ. He is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first pattern of truth which from him is expressed in the Word and from and by the Word impressed on the hearts of Believers so that as it hath pleased God that all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge should be in him dwell in him have their principal residence in him Col. 2. 3. So the whole Word is but a Revelation of the Truth in Christ or an expression of his Image and likeness to the Sons of men Thus we
〈◊〉 will multiply to pardon He hath forgiveness with him to outdo all the multiplied sins of any that turn unto him and seek for it But this is very hard very difficult for us to apprehend This is not the way and manner of men We deal not thus with profligate Offenders against us True saith God But your wayes are not my wayes I do not act in this matter like unto you nor as you are accustomed to do How then shall we apprehend it how shall we conceive of it You can never do it by your Reason or Imaginations For as the Heavens is above the Earth so are my thoughts in this matter above your thoughts This is an expression to set out the largest and most unconceivable distance that may be The creation will afford no more significant expression or representation of it The Heavens are inconceivably distant from the Earth and inconceivably glorious above it So are the Thoughts of God they are not only distant from ours but have a Glory in them also that we cannot rise up unto For the most part when we come to deal with God about forgiveness we hang in every bryar of disputing quarelsom unbelief This or that Circumstance or Aggravation this or that unparalleld particular bereaves us of our Confidence Want of a due Consideration of him with whom we have to do measuring him by that line of our own imaginations bringing him down unto our Thoughts and our Wayes is the cause of all our disquietments Because we find it hard to forgive our pence we think he cannot forgive Talents But he hath provided to obviate such thoughts in us Hos. 11. 9. I will not execute the fierceness of my wrath I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I AM GOD AND NOT MAN Our satisfaction in this matter is to be taken from his Nature where he a man or as the Sons of men it were impossible that upon such and so many provocations he should turn away from the fierceness of his Anger But he is God This gives an Infiniteness and an inconceivable boundlesness to the forgiveness that is with him and exalts it above all our thoughts and wayes This is to be lamented Presumption which turns God into an Idol ascribes unto that Idol a greater largeness in forgiveness than faith is able to rise up unto when it deals with him as a God of infinite Excellencies and Perfections The reasons of it I confess are obvious But this is certain no presumption can falsly imagine that forgiveness to it self from the Idol of its heart as faith may in the way of God find in him and obtain from him For Secondly God engageth his infinite Excellencies to demonstrate the Greatness and Boundlesness of his forgiveness He proposeth them unto our Considerations to convince us that we shall find pardon with him suitable and answerable unto them See Isa. 40. 27 28 29 30 31. Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel my way is hid from the Lord and my judgement is passed over from my God Hast thou not known hast thou not heard that the Everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the Earth fainteth not neither is weary there is no searching of his understanding He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he encreaseth strength even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fail but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not be faint The matter in question is whether Acceptance with God which is only by forgiveness is to be obtained or no This sinful Jacob either despairs of or at least desponds about But saith God My thoughts are not as your thoughts in this matter And what course doth he take to convince them of their mistake therein What Argument doth he make use of to free them from their unbelief and to rebuke their fears Plainly he calls them to the consideration of himself both Who and What he is with whom they had to do That they might expect acceptance and forgiveness such as did become him Minding them of his power his Immensity his Infinite Wisdom his Unchangableness all the Excellencies and Properties of his nature he demands of them whether they have not just ground to expect Forgiveness and Grace above all their thoughts and apprehensions because answering the infinite largeness of his heart from whence it doth proceed And Moses manageth this plea for the forgiveness of that people under an high provocation and a most severe threatning of their destruction thereon Numb 14. 17 18. He pleads for pardon in such a way and manner as may answer the great and glorious Properties of the Nature of God and which would manifest an infiniteness of Power and Al-sufficiency to be in him This I say is an encouragement in general unto Believers We have as I hope upon unquestionable grounds evinced that there is forgiveness with God which is the hinge on which turneth the issue of our eternal condition Now this is like himself such as becomes him that answers the infinite perfections of his nature that is exercised and given forth by him as God We are apt to narrow and streighten it by our unbelief and to render it unbecoming of him He less dishonours God or as little who being wholly under the power of the Law believes that there is no forgiveness with him none to be obtained from him or doth not believe it that so it is or is so to be obtained for which he hath the voice and sentence of the Law to countenance him then those who being convinced of the principles and grounds of it before mentioned and of the Truth of the Testimony given unto it do yet by streigthning and narrowing of it render it unworthy of him whose Excellencies are all infinite and whose wayes on that account are incomprehensible If then we resolve to rreat with God about this matter which is the business now in hand let us do it as it becomes his Greatness that is indeed as the wants of our souls do require Let us not entangle our own Spirits by limiting his Grace The Father of the Child possessed with a Devil being in a great Agony when he came to our Saviour cryes out If thou canst do any thing have compassion on us and help us Mark 9. 22. He would fain be delivered but the matter was so great that he questioned whether the Lord Christ had either Compassion or Power enough for his relief And what did he obtain hereby nothing but the retarding of the Cure of his Child for a season For our Saviour holds him off untill he had instructed him in this matter saith he v. 23. If thou canst believe all things are possible unto him that believeth Mistake not if thy Child be not cured it is not for
Reconciliation proposed unto them nor ever shall be unto Eternity There is no way of escape provided for them Having once sinned as you have done a thousand times God spared them not but cast them down to Hell and delivered them unto Chains of darkness to be reserved unto Judgement 2 Pet. 2. 4. It is not so with them that are dead in their sins if but one moment past Ah how would many souls who are departed it may be not an hour since out of this world rejoyce for an interest in this priviledge the hearing of Terms of Peace once more between God and them But their time is past their house is left unto them desolate As the tree falleth so it must lye It is appointed unto all men once to dye and after that is the Judgement Heb 9. 27. After death there are no terms of Peace nothing but Judgement The Living the living he alone is capable of this Advantage It is not so with them to whom the Gospel is not preached God suffers them to walk in their own wayes and calls them not thus to repentance The Terms of Reconciliation which some fancy to be offered in the shining of the Sun and falling of the rain never brought souls to peace with God Life and Immortality are brought to light only by the Gospel This is your priviledge who yet live and yet have the Word sounding in your Ears It is not thus with them who have sinned against the Holy Ghost though yet alive and living where the word of forgiveness is preached God proposeth unto them no terms of Reconciliation Blasphemy against him saith Christ shall not be forgiven Matth. 12. 31. There is no forgiveness for such sinners And we if we knew them ought not to pray for them 1 John 5. 16. Their sin is unto death And what numbers may be in this Condition God knows This Word then is unto you These terms of peace are proposed unto you This is that which in an especial manner you are to apply your selves unto And wo unto you if you should be found to have neglected it at the last day Wherefore consider 2. By whom these terms are proposed unto you and by whom they were procured for you By whom are they proposed Who shall undertake to umpire the business the controversie between God and Sinners No creature doubtless is either meet or worthy to interpose in this matter I mean originally on his own account For who hath known the mind of the Lord or who hath been his counsellor Wherefore it is God himself who proposeth these terms and not only proposeth them but invites exhorts and perswades you to accept of them This the whole Scriptures testifie unto It is fully expressed 2 Cor. 5. 18 19 20. He hath provided them he hath proposed them and makes use only of men of Ministers to act in his Name And excuse us if we are a little earnest with you in this matter Alas our utmost that we can by zeal for his glory or compassion unto your souls raise our thoughts minds spirits words unto comes infinitly short of his own pressing earnestness herein See Isa. 55. 1 2 3 4. Oh infinite condescention O blessed Grace Who is this that thus bespeaks you He against whom you have sinned of whom you are justly afraid He whose Laws you have broken and whose name you have dishonoured He who needs not you nor your Love nor your Friendship nor your Salvation It is He who proposeth unto you these terms of Reconciliation and Peace Consider the Exhortation of the Apostle upon this consideration Heb. 12. 25. See that you refuse not him that speaketh from Heaven It is God that speaks unto you in this matter And he speaks unto you from Heaven And he doth therein forego all the Advantage that he hath against you for your destruction Wo would be unto your souls and that for ever if you should refuse him 3. By whom were these Terms procured for you and by what means Do not think that this matter was brought about by chance or by an ordinary undertaking Remember that the proposal made unto you this day cost no less than the price of the blood of the Son of God It is the fruit of the travail of his soul. For this he prayed he wept he suffered he dyed And shall it now be neglected or despised by you Will you yet account the blood of the Covenant to be a common thing Will you exclude your selves from all benefit of the purchase of these terms and only leave your souls to answer for the Contempt of the price whereby they were purchased 4. Consider that you are sinners great sinners cursed sinners Some of you it may be worse than innumerable of your fellow sinners were who are now in Hell God might long since have cast you off everlastingly from all expectation of mercy and have caused all your hopes to perish Or he might have lest you alive and yet have refused to deal with you any more He could have caused your Son to go down at noon day and have given you darkness instead of vision He could respite your lives for a season and yet swear in his wrath that you should never enter into his rest It is now otherwise How long it may be so nor you nor I know any thing at all God only knows what will be your time what your continuance We are to speak whilst it is called to day And this is that for the present which I have to offer unto you God declares that there is forgiveness with him that your condition is not desperate nor helpless There are yet terms of Peace proposed unto you Methinks it cannot but seem strange that poor sinners should not at the least stir up themselves to enquire after them When a poor man had sold himself of old and his Children to be servants and parted with the land of his inheritance unto another because of his poverty with what heart do you think did he hear the sound of the Trumpet when it began to proclaim the year of Jubilee wherein he and all his were to go out at liberty and to return unto his possession and Inheritance And shall not poor servants of sin slaves unto Satan that have forfeited all their Inheritance in this world and that which is to come attend unto any Proclamation of the year of Rest of the acceptable year of the Lord And this is done in the tender of terms of Peace with God in this matter Do not put it off this thing belongs unto you The great concernment of your souls lyes in it And it is a great matter for consider 5. That when the Angels came to bring the news of the Birth of our Lord Jesus they say we bring tydings of great joy to the whole people Luke 2. 10. What are these joyful tydings What was the matter of this report Why this day is born a Saviour Christ the Lord v. 11.
will undoubtedly flourish 3. A deep sense of the indwelling power of sin is consistent with Gospel Assurance Sense of indwelling sin will cause manifold perplexities in the Soul Trouble disquietments sorrow and anguish of heart expressing themselves in sighs mourning groaning for deliverance alwayes attend it To what purpose do you speak to a Soul highly sensible of the restless power of indwelling sin concerning Assurance Alas saith he I am ready to perish every moment my lusts are strong active restless yea outragious they give me no rest no liberty and but little success do I obtain Assurance is for Conquerours for them that live at rest and peace I lie groveling on the ground all my dayes and must needs be uncertain what will be the issue But when such an one hath done all he can he will not be able to make more wofull complaints of this matter than Paul hath done before him Rom. 7. and yet he closeth the discourse of it with as high an expression of assurance as any person needs to seek after v. last and chap. 8. 1. It is not Assurance but Enjoyment that excludes this sense and trouble But if men will think they can have no Assurance because they have that without which it is impossible they should have any it is hard to give them relief A little Cruse of Salt of the Gospel cast into these bitter waters will make them sweet and wholsom Sense of the guilt of sin may consist with faith of its pardon and forgiveness in the blood of Christ. Godly sorrow may dwell in the same heart at the same time with Joy in the Holy Ghost and groaning after deliverance from the power of sin with a Gracious perswasion that sin shall not have dominion over us because we are not under the Law but Grace 4. Doubtings Fears Temptations if not ordinarily prevailing are consistent with Gospel Assurance Though the Devils power he limited in reference unto the Saints yet his hands are not tyed Though he cannot prevail against them yet he can assault them And although there be not an evil heart of unbelief in Believers yet there will still be unbelief in their hearts Such an evidence conviction and perswasion of Acceptance with God as are exclusive of all contrary reasonings that suffer the Soul to hear nothing of Objections that free and quiet it from all assaults are neither mentioned in the Scripture nor consistent with that state wherein we walk before God nor possible on the account of Sathans will and ability to tempt or of our own remaining unbelief Assurance encourageth us in our Combate it delivereth us not from it We may have peace with God when we have none from the assaults of Sathan Now unless a man do duly consider the tenor of the Covenant wherein we walk with God and the nature of that Gospel Obedience which he requires at our hands with the state and Condition which is our Lot and portion whilest we live in this World the dayly sense of these things with the trouble that must be undergone on their account may keep him in the dark unto himself and hinder him from that establishment in believing which otherwise he might attain unto On this account some as holy persons as any in this World being wholly taken up with the consideration of these home bred perplexities and not clearly acquainted with the way and tenor of assuring their Souls before God according to the Rule of the Covenant of Grace have passed away their dayes in a bondage frame of spirit and unacquaintance with that strong consolation which God is abundantly willing that all the Heirs of promise should receive 5. Evangelical Assurance is not a thing that consisteth in any point and so incapable of variation It may be higher or lower greater or less obscure or attended with more Evidence It is not quite lost when it is not quite at its highest God sometimes marvellously raiseth the Souls of his Saints with some close and neer approaches unto them gives them a sense of his Eternal Love a taste of the embraces of his Son and the inhabitation of the Spirit without the least intervening disturbance then this is their Assurance But this life is not a season to be alwayes taking wages in our work is not yet done we are not alwayes to abide in this Mount we must down again into the battle fight again cry again complain again Shall the Soul be thought now to have lost its assurance Not at all it had before assurance with Joy Triumph and Exultation it hath it now or may have with wrestling cryes tears and supplications And a mans Assurance may be as Good as true when he lyes on the earth with a sense of sin as when he is carryed up to the third Heaven with a sense of Love and foretaste of Glory In brief this Assurance of Salvation is such a Gracious Evangelical perswasion of Acceptance with God in Christ and of an interest in the promises of preservation unto the End wrought in Believers by the Holy Ghost in and through the exercise of Faith as for the most part produceth these effects following 1. It gives delight in obedience and draws out Love in the duties that unto God we do perform So much Assurance of a Comfortable Issue of their Obedience of a blessed End of their labours and duties of their purifying their hearts and pressing after universal Renovation of mind and life as may make them Chearfull in them as may give Love and Delight in the pursuit of what they are engaged in is needfull for the Saints and they they do not often go without it and where this is there is Gospel Assurance To run as men uncertain to fight as those that beat the Air to travel as not any way perswaded of a comfortable entertainment or refreshment at the Journeys End is a state and condition that God doth not frequently leave his people unto And when he doth it is a season wherein he receives very little of Glory from them and they very little increase of grace in themselves Many things as hath been shewed do interpose many doubts arise and intangling perplexities but still there is a Comfortable perswasion kept alive that there is a Rest provided which makes them willing unto and chearfull in their most difficult duties This prevaileth in them that their labour in the Lord their watchings praying suffering alms mortification fighting against temptation crucifying the flesh with the lusts thereof shall not be in vain This gives them such a delight in their most difficult duties as men have in a hard Journey towards a desirable home or a place of Rest. 2. It casts out fear tormenting fear such as fills the soul with perplexing uncertainties hard thoughts of God and dreadfull apprehensions of wrath to come There are three things spoken concerning that fear which is inconsistent with the Assurance of forgiveness First With respect unto
own hearts only What is it that the Scripture calls for in your condition Is it not Industry and Activity of spirit And what doth the nature of the thing require distress that is yet hoped to be conquered evidently calls for Industry and diligence in the use of means for deliverance If you are past hope it avails not to complain If you are not why do you give up your selves to despondencies Our Saviour tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Mat. 11. 12. It is not of the outward violence of its Enemies seeking to destroy it that our Saviour speaks but of that spiritual servency and ardency of mind that is in those who intend to be partakers of it For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken by force Luke 16. 16. is no more but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is preached the Kingdom of God is preached and every man presseth into it pressing into it and taking it by force are the same thing There is then a violence a restless activity and vigour of spirit to be used and exercised for an interest in this Kingdom Apply this to your condition Are you in depths and doubts staggering and uncertain not knowing what is your condition nor whether you have any interest in the forgiveness that is with God Are you tossed up and down between hopes and fears want peace consolation and establishment why lye you upon your faces get up watch pray fast meditate offer violence to your lusts and corruptions fear not startle not at their crying or importunities to be spared press unto the Throne of Grace by Prayers Supplications Importunities restless Requests This is the way to take the Kingdom of Heaven These things are not Peace they are not Assurance but they are part of the means that God hath appointed for the attainment of them What then is the peculiar Instruction that is proper for souls in this condition that plainly of the Apostle 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure Alas saith the soul I am at no certainty but rather am afflicted and tossed and not comforted my heart will come to no stability I have no Assurance know not whether I am chosen or called yea fear that my latter end will be darkness and sorrow There is I confess forgiveness with God but justly fear that I shall never be made partaker of it What is the usual course that is taken in such complaints by them to whom they are made Mostly they have a good opinion of them that come with these complaints They judge them to be godly and holy though much in the dark if they knew them not before yet upon these complaints they begin to be well perswaded of them Hereupon they are moved with pitty and compassion and troubled to see them in their perplexities and set themselves to tender relief unto them They mind them of the gracious promises of the Gospel it may be fix upon some one or more of them in particular which they explain unto them Thence they minde them of the abundant Grace and tender Love of the Father of the mercifull care of our High Priest his readiness and ability to save his communications of such savours unto them as they perceive not By such waies and means by such Applications do they seek to relieve them in the state and condition wherein they are But what is the issue Doth not this Relief prove for the most part like the morning cloud and as the early dew a little refreshment it may be it yields for a season but it is quickly again dryed up and the soul left in its heartless withering condition You will say then do you condemn this manner of proceeding with the souls of men in their doubts fears and distresses or would you have them pine away under the sense of their condition or abide in this uncertainty all their daies I answer no I condemn not the way I would not have any left comfortless in their depths But yet I would give these two Cautions 1. That Spiritual Wisdom and prudence is greatly required in this matter in the Administration of consolation to distressed souls If in any thing the tongue of the spiritually learned is required herein namely in speaking a word in season to them that are weary A promiscuous drawing out of Gospel consolations without a previous right Judgement concerning the true state and condition of the souls applyed unto is seldome useful oft times pernicious And let men take care how they commit their souls and consciences unto such who have good words in readiness for all comers 2. If Counsel and Consolation of this kind be given special and distinct from the Advice we are upon of Watchfulness Diligence Spiritual Violence in a way of duty it is exceeding dangerous and will assuredly prove useless For let us see what counsel the holy Ghost gives in this condition unto them who would make their Calling and Election sure who would be freed from their present fears and uncertainties who complain of their darkness and dangers why saith he giving all diligence add to your faith vertue and so on v. 5. for saith he If you do these things an entrance shall be Administred unto you abundantly into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ v. 11. You who are now in the Skyrts of it who know not whether you belong unto it or no you shall have an Entrance into the Kingdom of Christ and all the Joy comforts consolations and Glory of it shall be richly administred unto you This is the advice that the Holy Ghost gives in this case And this is the blessed promise annexed unto the following of this advice And this the former compassionate course of Administring consolation is not to be separated from But you will it may be here say we are so dead and dull so chained under the power of corruptions and temptations that we are not able thus to put forth the fruit of a spiritual life in adding one Grace unto another But do you use diligence Study Endeavours all diligence diligence at all times in all wayes by God appointed all manner of diligence within and without in private and publick to this end and purpose do you study meditate pray watch fast neglect no opportunity keep your hearts search try examine your selves fly Temptations and occasions of cooling deadning and stifling Grace Do these things abound in you Alass you cannot do thus you are so weak so indisposed but alas you will not you will not part with your ease you will not Crucifie your lusts you will not ufe all diligence but must come to it or be contented to spend all your dayes in darkness and to lye down in sorrow Thus do men frequently miscarry Is it any news for persons to bewail the folly of their nature and wayes in the Morning and Evening and yet scarce stand upon their
persons that are exercised under the hand of God In the time of suffering it was that he fell upon the Head of the Church turning it into the very hour of the power of darkness And he will not omit any appearing opportunities of Advantage against his Members And this is that which he principally in such seasons attacks them withall namely that God regards them not that they are fallen under his Judgement and Severity as those who have no share in Mercy Pardon or Forgiveness From these and the like Reasons I say it is that whereas Afflictions in general are so testified unto to be such pledges and tokens of Gods Love and Care to be designed unto blessed ends as conformity unto Christ and a participation of the Holiness of God yet by reason of these Circumstances they often prove means of casting the soul into depths and of hindering it from a refreshing interest in the forgiveness that is with God That this may prove no real or abiding ground of inward spiritual trouble unto the soul the following Rules and Directions may be observed 1. Not only Afflctions in general but great and manifold Afflictions and those attended with all sorts of aggravating circumstances are alwaies consistent with the pardon of sin after signal tokens and pledges of it and of the Love of God therein Job 7. 17 18. What is man that thou shouldst magnifie him and that thou shouldst set thine heart upon him and that thou shouldst visit him every morning and try him every moment What were the considerations that cast him into this admiration of the Care and Love of God is expressed v. 12 13 14 15 16. There are no words of a more dismal import in the whole book than those here expressed yet when he recollected himself from his overwhelming distress he acknowledgeth that all this proceeded from the Love and Care of God yea his fixing his heart upon a man to magnifie him to set him up and do him good For this end doth he chasten a man every morning and try him every moment and that with such afflictions as are for the present so far from being ioyous as that they give no Rest but even weary the soul of life as he expresseth their Effects on himself v. 15 16. And hence it is observed of this Job that when none in the Earth was like to him in trouble God gave him three Testimonies from Heaven that there was none in the Earth like unto him in Grace And although it may not be laid down as a General Rule yet for the most part in the providence of God from the foundation of the world those who have had most of Afflictions have had most of Grace and the most eminent Testimonies of Acceptance with God Christ Jesus the Son of God the Head of the Church had all Afflictions gathered into an head in him and yet the Father alwaies loved him and was alwaies well pleased with him When God solemnly renewed his Covenant with Abraham and he had prepared the Sacrifice whereby it was to be ratified and confirmed God made a smoaking Furnace to pass between the pieces of the Sacrifice Gen. 15. 17. It was to let him know that there was a furnace of Affliction attending the Covenant of Grace and Peace And so he tells Sion that he chose her in the furnace of Affliction Isa. 48. 10. that is in Aegyptian Affliction burning flaming afflictions fiery tryals as Peter calls them 1 Pet. 4. 12. There can then no Argument be drawn from Affliction from any kind of it from any aggravating circumstance wherewith it may be attended that should any way discourage the soul in its comforting supporting perswasion of an interest in the Love of God and forgiveness thereby 2. No length or continuance of Afflictions ought to be any impeachment of our spiritual consolation Take for the confirmation hereof the great Example of the Son of God How long did his Afflictions continue what end or issue was put to them No longer did they abide than until he cryed with a loud voice and gave up the Ghost To the moment of his death from his Manger to his Cross his Afflictions still increased and he ended his daies in the midst of them Now he was the Head of the Church and the great Representative of it unto a conformity with whom we are predestinated And if God will have it so with us even in this particular so as that we shall have no rest no peace from our trials until we lye down in the Grave that whatever condition we pass through they shall be shut out of none but only from Immortality and Glory what have we herein to complain of 3. Where the Remembrance and perplexing sense of past sins is revived by present afflictions separate them in your minds and deal distinctly about them So long as you carry on the consideration of them joyntly you will be rolled from one to another and never obtain rest unto your souls They will mutually aggravate each other The sharpness of Affliction will add to the bitterness of the sense of sin and the sense of sin will give an edge to Affliction and cause it to pierce deeply into the soul as we shewed in the former instances Deal therefore distinctly about them and in their proper order So doth the Psalmist here He had at present both upon him and together they brought him into these depths concerning which he so cries out for deliverance from them see Psal. 32. 3 4 5. And what course doth he take he applies himself in the first place to his sin and the guilt of it and that distinctly and separately And when he hath got a discharge of sin which he waited so earnestly for his faith quickly arose above his outward trials as appears in his blessed close of all He shall redeem Israel out of all his trouble the whole Israel of God and my self amongst them This do then single out the sin or sins that are revived in the sense of their guilt upon the conscience Use all diligence to come to an issue about them in the blood of Christ. This God by your Affliction calls you unto This is the disease whereof your trouble is but the symptom This therefore in the Cure you seek after is first and principally to be attended unto when that is once removed the other as to any prejudice unto your souls will depart of its self The root being once digged up you shall not long feed on the bitter fruit that it hath brought forth or if you do the Wormwood shall be taken out of it and it shall be very pleasant unto you as well as wholesome How this is to be done by an Application unto God for forgiveness hath been at large declared But if men will deal with confused thoughts about their sins and their troubles their wound will be incurable and their sorrow endless 4. Remember that a time of Affliction is a
unto Christ as our head because it consists in a vital effectual influence from him and his fulness And this kind of Relation unto Christ all Grace that is or may be in unregenerate men is incapable of Thirdly The Grace of Regeneration and the fruits of it are administred in and by the Covenant This is the promise of the Covenant That God will write his Law in our hearts and put his fear in our inward parts that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32. This is that Grace whereof we speak whatever it be or of what kind soever It is bestowed on none but those who are taken into Covenant with God for unto them alone it is promised and by virtue thereof is it wrought in and upon their souls Now all Unregenerate men are strangers from the Covenant and are not made partakers of that Grace which is peculiarly and only promised thereby and exhibited therein Fourthly the least spark of saving Regenerating Grace is wrought in the soul by the Holy Ghost as given unto men to dwell in them and to abide with them He is the water given by Jesus Christ unto Believers which is in them a well of water springing up to everlasting life John 4. 14. First they receive the water the spring it self that is the Holy Spirit and from thence living waters do arise up in them they are wrought effected produced by the Spirit which is given unto them Now although the common Gifts and Graces of men Unregenerate are effects of the power of the Holy Ghost wrought in them and bestowed on them as are all other works of Gods Providence yet it doth not work in them as received by them to dwell in them and abide with them as a Never-failing spring of spiritual life For so our Saviour sayes expresly that the World or Unbelievers do not know the Spirit nor can receive him or have him abiding in them All which in a contradistinction unto all Unregenerate persons are affirmed of all them that do believe Fifthly The least of saving Grace such as is peculiar unto them that are Regenerate is Spirit Joh. 3. 6. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Whatever it is that is so born it is Spirit it hath a spiritual being and it is not educible by any means out of the principles of Nature So it is said to be a new Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. Be it never so little or so great however it may differ in degrees in one and in another yet the nature of it is the same in all It is a new Creature As the least Worm of the Earth in the order of the old Creation is no less a creature than the Sun yea or the most glorious Angel in Heaven So in the order of the new Creation the least spark or dram of true grace that is from the sanctifying Spirit is a new Creature no less than the highest Faith or Love that ever were in the chiefest of the Apostles Now that which is Spirit and that which is not Spirit that which hath a new spiritual being and that which hath none whatever appearance of agreement there may be among them do yet differ specifically from one another And thus it is with the saving Grace that is in a Regenerate and those common Graces that are in others which are not so So that as these are divers States so they are eminently different and distinct the one from the other and this answers the second thing laid down in the Objections taken from the Uncertainty of these States and of Regeneration it self and the real difference of it from the contrary State which is exclusive of an interest in forgiveness Thirdly This is laid down in the Enquiry whether this State may be known unto him who is really partaker of it or translated into it or unto others that may be concerned therein to which I say the difference that is between these two States and the constitutive causes of them as it is real so it is discernable It may be known by themselves who are in those states and others It may be known who are born of God and who are yet Children of the Devil who are quickned by Christ and who are yet dead in Trespasses and Sin But here also Observe 1. That I do not say This is alwayes known to the persons themselves concerned in this distribution Many cry peace peace when suddain destruction is at hand These either think themselves regenerate when they are not or else wilfully despise the consideration of what is required in them that they may have peace and so delude their own souls unto their ruine And many that are truly born of God yet know it not They may for a season walk in darkness and have no light Nor 2. That this is alwayes known to others It is not known unto Unregenerate men in respect of them that are so For they know not really and substantially what it is to be so Natural men perceive not the things of God that is spiritually in their own light and nature 2 Cor. 2. And as they cannot aright discern the things which put men into that condition for they are foolishness unto them so they cannot Judge aright of their persons in whom they are And if they do at any time Judge aright nationally concerning any things or Persons Yet they do not Judge so upon right grounds nor with any Evidence in or unto themselves of what they do Judge Wherefore Generally they Judge amiss of such persons And because they make profession of somewhat which they find not in themselves they Judge them Hypocrites and false pretenders unto what is not For those things which evince their Union with Christ and which evidence their being born of God they savour them not nor can receive them Nor is this alwayes known unto or discerned by them that are Regenerate They may sometime with Peter think a Symon Magus to be a true believer or with Eli an Hannah to be a daughter of Belial Many Hypocrites are so set forth with gifts common Graces Light and profession that they pass amongst all believers for such as are born of God And many poor Saints may be so disguised under Darkness Temptation Sin as to be looked on as strangers from that family whereunto indeed they do belong The Judgement of man may fail but the Judgement of God is according unto Righteousness wherefore 3. This is that we say it may be known in the Sedulous use of means appointed for that end to a man's self and others which of the Conditions mentioned he doth belong unto that is whether he be regenerate or no so far as his or their concernment lies therein This I say may be known and that infallibly and assuredly with reference unto any duty wherein from hence we are concerned The discharge of some duties in our selves and toward others depends on this knowledge and therefore we may attain it so far
that awe of his Greatness upon our hearts as that we shall learn to tremble before him and to be willing to wait for him in all things 3. Thoughts of the Holiness of God or infinite self-purity of this Eternal Immense Being are singularly usefull to the same purpose This is that which Eliphaz affirms that he received by vision to reply to the complaint and impatience of Job chap. 14. 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. After he hath declared his vision with the manner of it this he affirms to be the Revelation that by voice was made unto him Shall mortal man be more just than God shall a man be more pure than his Maker Behold be puts no trust in his Servants and his Angels he chargeth with folly How much less on them that dwell in houses of Clay whose foundation is in the dust who are crushed before the moth If the Saints and Angels in Heaven do not answer this infinite Holiness of God in their most perfect condition is it meet for Worms of the Earth to suppose that any thing which proceeds from him is not absolutely Holy and perfect and so best for them This is the fiery property of the nature of God whence he is called a Consuming fire and Everlasting burnings And the Law whereon he had impressed some representation of it is called a fiery Law as that which will consume and burn up whatever is perverse and evil Hence the Prophet who had a representation of the Glory of God in a vision and heard the Seraphims proclaiming his Holiness cryed out Woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips Isa. 6. 5. He thought it impossible that he should bear that near approach of the Holiness of God And with the remembrance hereof doth Joshuah still the people with the terrour of the Lord chap. 14. 19. Let such souls then as are under troubles and perplexities on any account endeavour to exercise their thoughts about this infinite Purity and fiery Holiness of God They will quickly find it their wisdom to become as weaned children before him and content themselves with what he shall guide unto them which is to wait for him This fiery Holiness streams from his Throne Dan. 7. 10. and would quickly consume the whole Creation as now under the curse and sin were it not for the interposing of Jesus Christ. 4. His Glorious Majesty as the Ruler of all the world Majesty relates unto Government and it calls us to such an awe of him as doth render our waiting for him comely and necessary Gods Throne is said to be in Heaven and there principally do the glorious beams of his terrible Majesty shine forth But he hath also made some Representation of it on the Earth that we might learn to fear before him Such was the appearance that he gave of his glory in the giving of the Law whereby he will judge the world and condemn the transgressors of it who obtain not an acquitment in the blood of Jesus Christ. See the description of it in Exod. 19. 16 18. So terrible was the sight hereof that Moses himself said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12. 21. And what effect it had upon all the people is declared Exod. 20. 18 19. They were not able to bear it although they had good assurance that it was for their benefit and advantage that he so drew nigh and manifested his Glory unto them Are we not satisfied with our condition cannot we wait under his present dispensations let us think how we may approach unto his presence or stand before his Glorious Majesty Will not the dread of his Excellency fall upon us will not his terrour make us afraid shall we not think his way best and his time best and that our duty is to be silent before him And the like manifestation hath he made of his Glory as the great Judge of all upon the Throne unto sundry of the Prophets as unto Isaiah chap. 6. 1 2 3 4. to Ezekiel chap. 1. to Daniel chap. 7. 9 10. to John Rev. 1. Read the places attentively and learn to tremble before him These are not things that are forraign unto us This God is our God The same Throne of his Greatness and Majesty is still established in the Heaven Let us then in all our Hastes and heats that our spirits in any condition are prone unto present our selves before this Throne of God and then consider what will be best for us to say or do what frame of heart and spirit will become us and he safest for us All this Glory doth encompass us every moment although we perceive it not And it will be but a few daies before all the vails and shades that are about us shall be taken away and depart And then shall all this glory appear unto us unto endless bliss or everlasting woe Let us therefore know that nothing in our dealings with him doth better become us than silently for to wait for him and what he will speak unto us in our depths and streights 5. It is good to consider the instances that God hath given of this his Infinite Greatness Power Majesty and Glory Such was his mighty work of creating all things out of nothing We dwell on little Mole-hills in the Earth and yet we know the least part of the excellency of that spot of ground which is given us for our habitation here below But what is it unto the whole habitable world and the fulness thereof And what an amazing thing is its Greatness with the wide and large Sea with all sorts of creatures therein The least of these hath a beauty a glory an excellency that the utmost of our enquiries end in admiration of And all this is but the Earth the lower depressed part of the world What shall we say concerning the Heavens over us and all these creatures of Light that have their habitations in them who can conceive the beauty order use and course of them The consideration hereof caused the Psalmist to cry out Lord our Lord how excellent and glorious art thou Psal. 8. 1. And what is the rise spring and cause of these things Are they not all the effect of the Word of the Power of this glorious God And doth he not in them and by them speak us into a Reverence of his Greatness the like also may be said concerning his mighty and strange works of Providence in the Rule of the World Is not this he who brought the Flood of old upon the world of ungodly men Is it not he who consumed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire from Heaven setting them forth as Examples unto them that should afterwards live ungodly suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Is it not he who destroyed Aegypt with his Plagues and drowned Pharaoh with his Host in the red Sea Is it not he one of whose servants flew an hundred and fourscore and five thousand in Senacheribs Army in one night
in themselves from them they draw conclusions arguing from one thing unto another and in the end oft-times either deceive themselves or sit down no less in the dark than they were at the entrance of their self-debate and Examination A mans judgement upon his own reasonings is seldom true more seldom permanent I speak not of self-examination with a due discussion of Graces and Actions but of the final sentence as to state and condition wherein the soul is to acquiesce This belongs unto Christ. Now there are Two wayes whereby the Lord Jesus Christ gives forth his decretory sentence in this matter 1. By his Word He determines in the Word of the Gospel of the state and condition of all men indefinitely Each Individual coming to that Word receives his own sentence and doom He told the Jews that Moses accused them John 5. 45. His Law accused and condemned the transgressors of it And so doth the acquit every one that is discharged by the Word of the Gospel And our self-judging is but our receiving by faith his Sentence in the Word His process herein we have recorded Joh 33. 22 23. His soul that is of the sinner draweth neer to the grave and his life to the destroyers This seems to be his state it is so indeed he is at the very brink of the grave and hell What then why if there be with him or stand over him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Angel interpreting or the Angel of the Covenant who alone is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one of a thousand what shall he doe He shall shew unto him his uprightness He shall give in unto him a right determination of his interest in God and of the state and frame of his heart towards God whereupon God shall speak peace unto his Soul and deliver him from his entanglements v. 24. Jesus Christ hath in the Word of the Gospel stated the condition of every man He tells us that sinners of what sort soever they are that believe are accepted with him and shall receive forgiveness from God that none shall be refused or cast off that come unto God by him The Soul of whom we are treating is now upon the work of coming unto God for forgiveness by Jesus Christ. Many and weighty Objections it hath in and against its self why it should not come why it shall not be accepted Our Lord Jesus the Wisdom of God foresaw all these Objections he foreknew what could be said in the case and yet he hath determined the matter as hath been declared In General mens arguings against themselves arise from Sin and the Law Christ knowes what is in them both He tryed them to the uttermost as to their penalties and yet he hath so determined as we have shewed Their particular Objections are from particular considerations of sin their Greatness their Number their Aggravations Christ knows all these also And yet stands to his firmer determination Upon the whole matter then it is meet his Word should stand I know when a Soul brings it self to be judged by the Word of the Gospel it doth not alwayes in a like manner receive and rest in the sentence given But when Christ is pleased to speak the word with power to men they shall hear the voyce of the Son of God and be concluded by it Let the Soul then that is rising out of depths and pressing towards a sence of forgiveness lay it self down before the Word of Christ in the Gospel Let him attend to what he speaks and if for a while it hath not power upon him to quiet his heart let him wait a season and light shall arise unto him out of darkness Christ will give in his sentence into his Conscience with that power and efficacy as he shall finde rest and peace in it 2. Christ also judgeth by his Spirit not only in making this sentence of the Gospel to be received effectually in the Soul but in and by peculiar Actings of his upon the heart and soul of a Believer 1. Cor. 2. 11. We have received the Spirit of God that we may know the things that are freely given us of God The Spirit of Christ acquaints the Soul that this and that Grace is from him that this or that duty was performed in his strength He brings to mind what at such and such times was wrought in men by himself to give them supportment and relief in the times of depths and darkness And when it hath been clearly discovered unto the Soul at any time by the Holy Ghost that any thing wrought in it or done by it hath been truely saving The Comfort of it will abide in the midst of many shakings and Temptations 2. He also by his Spirit bears witness with our Spirits as to our state and condition Of this I have spoken largely elsewhere and therefore shall now pass it by This then is our first General Rule and Direction Selfdeterminations concerning mens spiritual state and condition because their minds are usually influenced by their distempers are seldom right and according to Rule Mistakes in such determinations are exceedingly prejudicial to a Soul seeking out after relief and sence of Forgiveness let Christ then be the Judge in this Case by his Word and Spirit as hath been directed RULE II. Self-condemnation and abhorrency for sin consistent with Gospel Justification and Peace The nature of Gospel-Assurance what is consistent with it What are the Effects of it Self-Condemnation and Abhorrency do very well consist with Gospel-Justification and Peace Some men have no peace because they have that without which it is impossible they should have peace Because they cannot but condemn themselves they cannot entertain a sence that God doth acquit them But this is the mystery of the Gospel which unbelief is a stranger unto Nothing but faith can give a real subsistence unto these things in the same Soul at the same time It is easie to learn the notion of it but it is not easie to experience the power of it For a man to have a sight of that within him which would condemn him for which he is troubled and at the same time to have a discovery of that without him which will justifie him and to rejoyce therein is that which he is not lead unto but by Faith in the mystery of the Gospel We are now under a Law for Justification which excludes all boasting Rom. 3. 27. So that though we have joy enough in another yet we may have we alwayes have sufficient cause of humiliation in our selves The Gospel will teach a man to feel sin and believe Righteousness at the same time Faith will carry Heaven in one hand and Hell in the other shewing the one deserved the other purchased A man may see enough of his own sin and folly to bring Gehennam è Coelo a Hell of wrath out of Heaven and yet see Christ bring Coelum ex inferno a Heaven of blessedness out of an
Hell of punishment And these must needs produce very divers yea contrary effects and operations in the Soul And he who knows not how to assign them their proper duties and seasons must needs be perplexed The work of self-condemnation then which men in these depths cannot but abound with is in the disposition of the Covenant of Grace no way inconsistent with nor unsuited unto Justification and the enjoyment of Peace in the sence of it There may be a deep sence of sin on other considerations besides Hell David was never more humbled for sin than when Nathan told him it was forgiven And there may be a view of Hell as deserved which yet the Soul may know it self freed from as to the issue To evidence our intendment in this discourse I shall briefly consider what we intend by Gospel Assurance of Forgiveness that the Soul may not be solicitous and perplexed about the utter want of that which perhaps it is already in some enjoyment of Some men seem to place Gospel Assurance in an high unassaulted Confidence of Acceptance with God They think it is in none but such as if a man should go to them and ask them are you certain you shall be saved have boldness and confidence and ostentation to answer presently yea they are certain they shall be saved But as the blessed Truth of Assurance hath been reproached in the World under such a notion of it so such expressions become not them who know what it is to have to do with the Holy God who is a consuming fire Hence some conclude that there are very few Believers who have any Assurance because they have not this confidence or are more free to mention the oppasition they meet with than the supportment they enjoy And thus is it rendred a matter not greatly to be desired because it is so rarely to be obtained most of the Saints serving God and going to Heaven well enough without it But the matter is otherwise The importance of it not only as it is our life of comfort and joy but also as it is the principal means of the flourishing of our Life of Holiness hath been declared before and might be further manifested were that our present business Yea and in times of tryall which are the proper seasons for the Effectual working and manifestation of Assurance it will and doth appear that many yea that most of the Saints of God are made partakers of this Grace and Priviledge I shall then in the pursuit of the Rule laid down do these two things 1. Shew what things they are which are not only consistent with Assurance but are even necessary concomitants of it which yet if not duely weighed and considered may seem so far to impeach a mans comfortable perswasion of his condition before God as to leave him beneath the Assurance sought after And 2. I shall speak somewhat of its nature Especially as manifesting its self by its Effects 1. A deep sense of the evil of sin of the guilt of mans own sin is no way inconsistent with Gospel assurance of Acceptance with God through Christ and of Forgiveness in him By a sense of the guilt of sin I understand two things 1. A clear conviction of sin by the Holy Ghost saying unto the Soul Thou art the man and 2. A sense of the displeasure of God or the wrath due to sin according to the sentence of the Law Both these David expresseth in that complaint Psal. 31. 10. My life is spent with grief and my years with sighing my strength faileth because of mine Iniquity and my bones are consumed His Iniquity was before him and a sense of it pressed him sore But yet notwithstanding all this he had a comfortable perswasion that God was his God in Covenant v. 14. I trusted in thee O Lord I said thou art my God And the tenor of the Covenant wherein alone God is the God of any person is that he will be mercifull unto their sin and iniquity To whom he is a God he is so according to the Tenor of that Covenant so that here these two are conjoyned Saith he Lord I am pressed with the sense of the guilt of mine Iniquities and thou act my God who forgivest them And the ground hereof is that God by the Gospel hath divided the work of the Law and taken part of it out of its hand It s whole work and duty is to condemn the sin and the sinner The sinner is freed by the Gospel but its right lyes against the sin still that it condemns and that justly Now though the sinner himself be freed yet finding his sin layd hold of and condemned it fills him with a deep sense of its guilt and of the displeasure of God against it which yet hinders not but that at the same time he may have such an insight as faith gives into his personal interest in a Gospel acquitment A man then may have a deep sense of sin all his dayes walk under the sense of it continually abhorr himself for his ingratitude unbelief and rebellion against God without any impeachment of his Assurance 2. Deep sorrow for sin is consistent with Assurance of forgiveness Yea it is a great means of preservation of it Godly sorrow mourning humiliation contriteness of Spirit are no less Gospel Graces and fruits of the Holy Ghost than Faith it self and so are consistent with the highest flourishings of faith whatever It is the work of Heaven it self and not of the Assurance of it to wipe all tears from our eyes Yea these Graces have the most eminent Promises annexed to them as Isa. 57. 15. chap. 66. 2. with blessedness it self Math. 5. 4. yea they are themselves the matter of many Gracious Gospel Promises Zech. 12. 10. so that they are assuredly consistent with any other Grace or Priviledge that we may be made partakers of or are promised unto us Some finding the weight and burden of their sins and being called to mourning and bumiliation on that account are so taken up with it as to lose the sense of Forgiveness which rightly improved would promote their sorrow as their sorrow seems directly to sweeten their sense of forgiveness Sorrow absolutely exclusive of the faith of forgiveness is legall and tendeth unto death Assurance absolutely exclusive of Godly sorrow is presumption and not a perswasion from him that calleth us But Gospel Sorrow and Gospel Assurance may well dwell in the same breast at the same time Indeed as in all worldly Joyes there is a secret wound So in all Godly sorrow and mourning considered in its self there is a secret Joy and refreshment Hence it doth not wither and dry up but rather enlarge open and sweeten the heart I am perswaded that generally they mourn most who have most Assurance And all True Gospel mourners will be found to have the root of Assurance so grafted in them that in its proper season a time of trouble it