and pains and did all you could do here 's a great difference between Gods forgiveness and mans a King may forgive but he cannot change and heal but when God forgives he heals and takes away that evil disposition from thee that did so weaken thee for all good Christ when he comes he comes with healing in his wings now blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven for that there follows deliverance from the power of sin and a healing of the soul Of comfort against Death following on Pardoning Mercy 6. Blessed is he whose sins are forgiven because such a man may look in the face of Death and Judgment with comfort Death when he comes to a Natural Man he comes as a Messenger of God to arrest the Soul at Gods suit but where sin is forgiven Death is made a means to bring thee to rest that that would have arrested thee is a means to bring thee to thy rest Heb. 2.14 15. Christ came to die Now what was the great business he came to die for it was to purchase a pardon for sin and by his death to take away the power of the Devil and deliver them that through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage through the fear of death and nothing in all the world can deliver from the fear of death but forgiveness of sin and then this makes a man look on the day of Judgment with comfort for one special end of that day is that there may be a Declaration of the Infinite Mercy of God in forgiving of sin Act. 3.19 Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord when he shall send Jesus again which before was preached to you Certainly assoon as ever a man comes to believe his sins are blotted out I but when the times of refreshing shall come they shall appear to your own selves and to all the World Men and Angels more fully than ever before some Interpreters think and I dare not deny it but that there will be a time of refreshing in this world before the great and terrible day that Christ will make it appear that the sins of the Elect Believers are blotted out in another manner than now it doth but however it will fully appear at that day and then that day that will be so terrible to the ungodly will be refreshing to the Saints Why because they shall find their sins blotted out then and that will make that day a refreshing day unto them Although the Heavens be all on fire and shrivelled up like a Scrowl and there be dreadful shriekings of ungodly men yet it shall be a day of refreshing to the Saints because their sins are blotted out Oh blessed is the man that hath his sins pardoned now for he shall have that day to be a day of refreshing to him but woe be to thee O soul who ever thou art that hast not thy sin pardoned if but one sin stand upon the score not blotted out woe woe will betide the for ever more but they that find their sin pardoned shall find that day to be a day of such refreshing as ever they beheld and therefore blessed is the man that hath his iniquities forgiven Of Security against the worlds Reproaches the fruit of Pardoning Mercy 7. Where God hath forgiven sin such a one need not care for the censures of all the world and the reproaches they cast upon him the men of the world cast many reproaches on the Saints and say they are hypocrites that though they will not swear yet they will lie that they are false proud and the like Why now the soul that finds it self acquitted before the Lord need not care for all the censures and condemnations that can be cast upon him from the men of the world Rom. 8.33 Having spoken before of the great grace of God in Justification in vers 33. he speaks as if he had made a challenge to all the world let them all come in let me see Who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Why because it is God that justifies many will charge them of grievous things I but it is God that justifies What will a man care if the Prince have given him a pardon though some kitchin boy some shakeril about the Court should rail against him so long as the King hath pardoned him Bernard hath a notable speech concerning David when Shimei railed David was not troubled says he he did not feel the injury heapt upon him because he had felt before the grace of God towards him the feeling of Gods grace towards him in pardoning made him not feel the railings of Shimei so Christ himself Isai 50. ver 7. he said before I gave my back to the smiters and hid not my face from shame and spitting they spit upon him this is apparently spoken of Christ but what upheld him vers 7. For the Lord God will help me therefore shall I not be confounded for all this therefore have I set my face like a flint against all scorns railings and accusations in the world but what was the bottom of all this mark vers 8. He is near that justifies me who will contend with me let us stand together Who is my Adversary let him come near to me let my Adversary come and do his worst he is near that justifies me true Christ had no sin personally to be pardoned but he had the sins of all the Elect charg'd upon him and upon that he suffered death Now we are to know Christ is justified as well as Believer and the very ground why a Believer is justified it is because Christ is justified himself Christ being justified a Believer comes to be justified this might have been opened in the mysteries of Pardon of Sin There is a justifying first in Christ as in a common publick person and then by faith in our own persons Now though in the Fathers Justification of Christ he justifies us yet not as particular persons but in him as a common person in the Name of all the Elect and faith that comes in that we might be justified in our own particular persons as before we were in Christ as a common person Now Christ is justified first and acquitted from all our sins and this acquittance is made the ground of his challenge to all his Adversaries in the world though the Prince of Devils come with all his power yet says Christ he is near that justifies me and he will make my face as a flint it is God that acquits me who is my Adversary let him come near Oh it s a blessed thing when thou hast got the pardon of thy sin thou needest not care for all the reproaches the world can cast upon thee thou may'st go up and down and challenge any in the world to come in against thee 1 Cor. 4.3 I pass not for mans judgment he that judgeth
check to Conscience there the wisest course is to give Conscience liberty for it will have liberty one day to accuse and condemn you Why will you not now give it liberty Conscience will one day bring all thy evil deeds before thee and accuse thee now let it accuse and condemn thee and certainly if thou dost so thou art in a very good way to come to have absolution of thy sins in thy Conscince now for at the great day the Books shall be opened Now bring as it were a day of Judgment upon thy self contract the Throne of God into your own hearts and call for the Book of Conscience and say Conscience What say'st thou against me that I may get it blotted out now that it may not be read against me at the day of Judgment Thirdly Be willing to own all thy sins confess discover them with all the heart-breaking circumstances and aggravations thou canst possible the Lord knows thy sins whether thou confessest them or not but God will have thee to come and lay them open God will have thee to come and charge thy self with them 't is a very good thing to open Conscience freely before the Lord not in a slight way but in a way of anguish and bitterness of spirit bewailing them and crying by way of Prayer and Petition against them Fourthly Be willing to accept of the punishment of sin say O Lord as thus I do charge and acknowledge bewail and cry out of my sin so here I am Lord ready and willing to accept of the punishment of my sin and the soul that is in this frame is in a comfortable way of pardon of sin Fifthly Resolve to avoid sin whatever come of it at that very time when thou art seeking pardon of sin be sure to resolve never to sin again for know that for ought thou knowest the very next sin thou committest may make God come upon thee for all thy former sins And then Sixthly Cast out whatsoever is gotten by false ways make restitution as Zacheus did Luk. 19. Seaventhly Be sure that thou be put off with nothing else but pardon of sin never rest keeping thy soul always in a waiting frame looking up to God for pardon To all these things I shall add that all these must have reference to the great work of the Son of God when you cry out What shall we do though I have spoken of divers things yet know all is with reference unto Christ the Son of God God-Man look upon him as the head of the second Covenant offering up himself for our sins let thine eye be upon him and as thou givest thy Conscience liberty to charge thy sins upon thy own soul so charge them upon Christ the head of the second Covenant have an eye to him for the discharge of them Dost thou vomit up thy sin by confession and cry to God for pardon remember that thou cry to him through the mediation of Jesus Christ look upon him that must make up the breach restore thee to favour and remove the curse in every work be sure thou eye Christ and make use of these rules so as may further the venturing of thy soul upon Christ except thy soul rise to this to work thee to Christ all the other is but a natural work though as I said before that thou shouldest let Conscience condemn thee and that thou have anguish of spirit know all these are but natural works any further then they serve in reference unto Christ And now I have shewed you what you are to do What is it that you will do will you set up your resolution that through the grace of God in Christ whatever hath been told you you will set about the same then happy are you but if you do it not it may be you may wish you had done it when sin lies heavy on you then you will cry that God would be merciful to you but then God and Conscience will say I warned you at such a time in such a place and were not you there put in a way to seek after pardon What did you do after you went away the next day you went among your Companions and were as drunk and as wicked as ever before if it be so then trouble will be upon you it may be some poor creature that sat in the same pew with thee had a heart to seek pardon and is absolved before men and Angels and at the day of Judgment shall sit at Christs right hand and thou that heardest the same Word and hast neglected it now comest to have thy soul for ever lie under the weight and burden of thy sins God forbid that there should be such a difference made thou hast heard the way seek after the pardon of thy sin let it not be in vain that all these Sermons have been preach't unto you Act. 10.43 when they preach't about pardon of sin it says to him give all the Prophets witness O that you might come in and give witness that this day remission of sin was preach't unto you O that while you hear this Word the Holy Ghost might fall upon you that you might have your hearts fired with strong resolutions to set about this work in the power of the Holy Ghost and rest not in any thing on this side of a pardon Now I come to give you some incouragements and they will work two ways either draw you to Christ or for ever stop your mouths that you shall have nothing to say against him I shall name fifteen incouragements unto you CHAP. XX. Of Encouragements to seek after Pardon of Sin FIrst The time of your life is given for this very end to seek the pardon of your sins if a man have any great business to do that concerns his life and another comes to him and says Sir this is the very nick of time that you have taken or else you had been lost for ever so this is the very nick of time given you to get pardon of your sins and interest in the blood of Christ Secondly This time is not only afforded for this end but the means the Lord hath brought you under is a great argument that he intends mercy for you and you may conclude there are more of Gods Elect may have pardoning mercy than in former times the light of the Gospel breaks forth and certainly there is more to be brought in the Gospel is the fruit of Christ's death and given for the Elects sake Act. 18.9 10. he bids him go end preach for he had much people he should have opposition but go be not afraid for I have much people in that place 't is true the rain will fall upon the tiles as well as on the tender hearbs and grass but certainly where God sends his Word he hath people to be gathered in and if you take notice of Gods Providence in this point it may much incourage you to come in certainly there be many in this
he removes them as far as the East is from the West and if that be not enough to satisfie thee Micah 7.19 He will cast them into the bottom of the Sea things that are cast into the bottom of the Sea are utterly thrown out of sight never to be lookt for again Well but though God cast them into the bottom of the Sea he may think upon them Therefore Fifthly mark another expression further to satisfie thee God says He will remember them no more they shall be so far from being thought upon that God says he will not remember them any more but you will say it is impossible for God but to remember them yea but when God pardons it shall be as Irrevocable as if God did never remember them there are divers Texts remarkable for this Isai 43.25 I will blot out thy transgressions and will not remember thy sins I may be not now thou may'st say But he will hereafter see what is said in Jer. 31.34 I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more neither now nor hereafter I will remember their sin no more Sixthly They shall be so forgiven as that there shall be no more mention of them there shall never be the least mention of a believers sins before God and for that see Ezek. 33.16 it is spoken of every godly man indefinitely that turns to God and is a Believer None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him by the way let men take heed how they upbraid the people of God for any of their former sins Perhaps you knew such a one in the times of his ignorance and you say he was a lyar a Drunkard but now God has reveal'd his mercy to him in the pardon of his sin and God says he will not mention them any more Take heed how you cast their sins committed in the times of their ignorance in their teeth saying oh you are so precise now I knew what you were a little before Shall the God of Heaven say he will not mention them any more and yet will you do it God will take it very ill at your hands this is admirable comfort to every Believer that God will not remember their sin any more he would have thee to remember them to humble thy soul for them and to renew thy repentance but he will not remember them to upbraid thee with them nor would he have others do it Beza speaking of himself when he was young He made some vain and sinful Poems which his Enemies upbraided him with afterwards and casts them in his teeth says he These men envy me the grace of God because God has vouchsaf't to me his grace they envy me and cast in my teeth the evil that I have formerly done Oh what a comfort and priviledge is this to thee Oh thou believing soul though thou wer 't never so wicked and abominable before yet I tell thee from God this day in whose presence thou standest that he will never remember thy sin any more and this may be a mighty encouragement for men and women to believe and turn from all their wicked wayes though thou hast been never so vile abominable and wicked yet be it known unto thee this day that if thou wilt come in and believe God will never mention any of thy wickednesses more they shall be so forgotten as they shall never be mentioned thou it may be art afraid that either here in this life or at the day of Judgment all thy sins shall be charged on thee well be not afraid perhaps there are many of you that are conscious to your selves of great sins committed and you would give a thousand Worlds to be discharged of them Oh say some there are such and such sins committed that are so great that they cannot be forgiven I may mourn and grieve for them but what shall I be the better the sins of my youth lie so heavy on me and God and my own Conscience upbraids me and what comfort can I have in my life when God and my own Soul upbraids me Well be of good comfort and be incouraged this day to come in and believe this blessed tidings that where God pardons sin he will mention them no more and he will take it very ill at the hands of any that shall mention them to upbraid thee for them Seventhly Yet further to set forth the fulness of this mercy when God pardons sin they shall be so done away as that they shall not be found Jer. 50.20 In those days the Iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve and if I pardon them then they shall be so done away as that they shall not be found Yet further the righteousness Believers have in Christ is called an everlasting righteousness and therefore abides for ever and cannot be afterwards taken away Dan. 9.24 Seventy weeks are determined to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness the righteousness that is put upon thy Soul by Christ in the pardon of thy sin it is an everlasting righteousness and will abide everlastingly Yet further Heb. 10.14 it is said That Christ by one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified that is justified Justification being call'd by the name of Sanctification or them that are sanctified that is set apart to be made partakers of the great blessing of the new Covenant to have a share in the blood of Christ for Justification Christ by one offering has for ever perfected them that are sanctified therefore being perfected in Justification there is no recalling this mercy back again Once more this mercy is set out by the typical service of the Scape-Goat Levit. 16.20 On whose head they were to put all the sins of the People all their transgressions and all their iniquities and send him into the Wilderness or Land of forgetfulness amongst wild beasts never to be lookt after again so are the sins of all Believers laid upon Christ and carried into a Land of forgetfulness and shall never come to be charged any more So much for that particular of the Irrevocableness of Pardon of Sin which shews that blessed is that man or woman that hath their sins pardoned because they shall never be recall'd again CHAP. X. Of Pardoning Mercy being such a Mercy as is denyed to the fall'n Angels BLessed is the man that hath his iniquities forgiven for this is a mercy that God hath denyed to the fall'n Angels God in pardoning thy sin does more for thee than he would do for those thousand thousand millions of Angels it is a mercy that God has deny'd to those millions of Angels that sinned against him Suppose a poor wretched man be guilty of Treason against the King and as he is so a great part of the chief Nobility of the Land are
to try and see whether God would extend his mercy further and further we tell you in the Name of God and say to you the sins you have committed already are so grievous that it must needs be a wonderful work of God to forgive them and what must you needs add more and more and tempt God to extend his mercy further Take heed of tempting God to extend his mercy further for though God may be pleased to extend his mercy thus far Who shall prescribe God how far he shall go Who can tell but that the thoughts of God towards thee are thus that he will go thus far to pardon thee but if thou go on in sin who can tell whether he will go on to pardon further 'T is true when God comes to pardon he will do them all away but know thou that goest on to increase the guilt of thy sin thou may'st find it as many thousands have found it a mighty hard thing which hath cost them much anguish and distress of spirit to get the pardon of their sin sealed in the Court of Conscience though it was sealed before in Heaven O the anguish of spirit it hath cost them and dost thou still go on to heap up more and more sin as if the pardon of thy sin was nothing there is a great deal of reason in this to cry to sinners to stop in the course of sin for thou hast gone on enough already go no further that 's a second abuse of the mercy of God in pardoning sin Thirdly They abuse the mercy of God that have extream slight thoughts of pardon of sin that think to have it at any time when they will 't is but repenting as it was said of Lewis the xith King of France That he wore a Crusifix in his Hat and when he had committed a sin it was but taking it down and kissing of it and all was well again so many Idolatrous Papists they have as slight thoughts of pardon of sin as can be if they commit a sin they make no more of it but go to a Priest to shrieve them or kneel before a Crucifix and knock their breast which is a thing soon done and all 's well again certainly 't is a great dishonour to God for any man to have slight thoughts of the pardon of sin It is such a work as if ever any thing put God to it as I may say to pardon sin and yet to salve his Justice it was this work and certainly if ever God have love to thee thou wilt change thy thoughts about this and certainly the slight thoughts men have about this is the cause many times why they are held so long under the spirit of bondage when God begins to work upon them and stirs the Conscience and lays the guilt of sin home upon it how long are they before they can have any assurance of pardon and in just judgment it is so because they had slight thoughts before of the pardon of sin I remember it is storied of Pompey when one of his Captains came to him and told him he wanted men says he I can but stamp my foot upon the ground and bring forth so many men presently but when the Enemy came this Captain came to him again and said where 's your men now but then he could not get them when he was in distress and had great need of them as many think they can do great things with a word speaking as if all must be at their beck presently but when they come to it they fail and find it otherwise so many make it a small matter to get pardon of sin they think to do it with a Lord have mercy upon us at their death-bed or the like but when they come to it indeed God makes them to know It is the greatest business that ever they had to do in in all their lives there is nothing that God is so jealous of as his honour and specially about this great work and certainly were it not that God is very jealous of his honour and would cure the slight thoughts that men have of this great work there needs never be so much humiliation and workings of the spirit of bondage and certainly did we but know the greatness of this work how would sinners snatch at any opportunity or hint of Gods favour appearing to them they would do as the servants of Benhadad 1 King 20.33 diligently observe if any thing would come from him and hastily catch at it they watched that if any thing did come from him that did make any way to that which they sought after and did hastily catch at it so did a soul understand the pardon of sin what a great work it is he would be so far from having slight thoughts of it that he would come cloath'd in Sackcloath and every Sermon would be watching and enquiring what hath God spoke any word to my soul or no And if any word fall from a Minister concerning this great business such a soul would catch greedily at it and lose no opportunity to imbrace it Psal 32. is very remarkable to this purpose David found it a very hard thing to get pardon of his own sin vers 4. and he acknowledged it and God forgave him vers 5. what follows vers 6. For this shall every man that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou may'st be found as if David in this language spake thus O all you poor sinners that sin against God think it an easie matter to get pardon of sin know I have found it otherwise it cost me dear before I could get assurance of pardon and therefore for this cause let every one that is acquainted with the ways of God seek to God in due time and not put it off from time to time for the business is not so slight to put it off many abuse the example of David and think because he sinned they may take liberty to sin but they consider not what abundance of sorrow it cost him to get his pardon it cost him so much as that he tells them for this cause every one shall seek God in due time many think they may put it off till any time but mark what David says For this cause every man that is godly shall seek thee in a time when thou may'st be found he does not say I have found mercy in the pardoning of my great sins and for this cause men shall be bold to put it off to any time no but for this cause those that are godly and have any acquaintance in the wayes of God will seek God in a time that he may be found and if those that are godly that have sin pardoned in the Court of heaven find so hard a matter of it to get it pardoned in their own Consciences how does it concern thee that perhaps hast thy sin neither pardoned in the Court of Heaven nor in thy own Conscience But art in the
your hearts were active at any thing in the world it ought to be in this if once you give your selves liberty to lye down and the activity of your Spirits be gone you are in a sad condition t will be very difficult to get them up again take heed of a sullen heart you may be very active and yet calme quiet and patient there 's a great conjunction between these two when I am active and yet calme stilling of my heart under God and yet stirring of my heart unto God these two are joyned together in those whom God directs unto himself Fourthly Renew thy resolutions that what ever becomes of thee whether God will ever speak peace or no to thee yet so long as thou livest thou will do what thou canst to honour his name and keep from sin Keep thy heart under the power of this resolution Fifthly Keep thy heart in a waiting frame use the means lye at the Poole as the man that lay many years waiting for the stirring of the Waters met with help at last so do thou keep thy heart in a waiting frame and think with thy self if mercy come at last it will recompence thee for all thy waitings and pains Sixthly Be willing to catch hold of any beginnings of Gods discoverings of himsef if it be but a little glimpse make much of it and bless God for it Many in their trouble seek to God for pardon but they are always complaining either to their Neighbours or themselves but seldom express themselves in Thanks-givings Now you should observe what God hath granted what beginnings and glimpse of his grace appear look and see if there be not a little cloud the bigness of a mans hand it may breed a shower a shower of grace may come after it but take notice of it when it is but the bigness of a mans hand it is a great evil in such as are under trouble of Conscience because they find not full Assurance presently they think they receive nothing at all Well wait upon God under these directions and as you shall not be so guilty of dishonouring the pardoning mercy of God so 't will be a means to bring great good unto your souls We have now done with the several wayes of dishonouring the pardoning grace of God and because God is very jealous of this and takes it exceeding ill I have been the larger in it now I am to shew the evil of it Of the Evil of dishonouring the Pardoning Grace of God First There is this evil in it because it is a sinning against mercy which God accounts his glory a man takes it exceeding ill if he be wronged in his Goods or good Name or in any thing he apprehends an excellency in and mark it The greater excellency a man apprehends in any thing the greater evil he accounts the wrong that is done to him in that thing As a covetous man if you wrong him in his Estate he presently as a mad man cannot bear it because you wrong him of that which he counts his greatest excellency so a Scholar a man of parts will rather you wrong him in any thing than account of him as a Dunce because he accounts his parts and learning his greatest excellency therefore he would not be wronged in that so you that are Marriners and have skill in sailing and in the Art of Navigation if one vilifie your work and find fault with you there 't is as if one touch't your free-hold you cannot bear it Why because you account it your excellency so it is between us and God if we wrong God in that which he accounts his excellency he cannot bear it Now the pardoning mercy of God is that which God counts his excellency and glory Exod. 34. when God descended to shew Moses his glory his Pardoning Mercy was one of the great Master-pieces wherein God accounted his glory to consist more than in the making of Heaven and Earth Now for God to be contemn'd in that wherein his glory consists must needs be a great dishonour to him the mercy of God comes from the bowels of his compassions Now if you strike one on the arm or shoulder it is not so much as if you strike him on his bowels when you dishonour the pardoning grace of God you do as it were spurn at the Bowels of God and Christ and he accounts it so certainly you that can hear this and neglect it and prize and prefer every base iust before it you do as it were go up and down kicking and spurning at the bowels of God and that Child that should spurn at his Mothers bowels is not so much to be blamed as thou art that goest on in sin after thou hast heard the pardoning grace of God opened to thee thy going on in sin is a spurning at the very bowels of God Secondly This aggravates the sin of such men above the sins of the Heathen their sins are nothing in comparison of those that live under the Gospel and have the grace of God opened unto them at the Day of Judgment when thou hearest them condemned for sins against the Light of Nature they may say Lord What shall become of these we never heard of such grace and pardoning mercy in Christ as you heard of that have lived in such and such a place and have had the pardoning mercy of God opened to you if they do not plead against you yet it will be made known before all Men and Angels what you have heard and what has been preached unto you and what God has done for you and for you to continue in sin your sins will thereby be aggravated and your condemnation heightened Thirdly Your sin is above the sin of the Devils the sin of the Devils is not so great as yours is that live under the light of the Gospel and have the pardoning grace of God preached to you for though the Devils blaspheme God continually yet their sins have not this aggravation upon them that yours have God never came and told them he was willing to pardon their sins nor did Christ make any purchase for them by his blood but to you is the Gospel preacht and pardon offered dayly to you Are not your sins greater then than the sins of the Devils Would not you account it a great aggravation of any ones offence that hath wronged and injured you and should seek for pardon and yet you rather seek to him and offer pardon to him and sue to him to accept it and he goes away and contemns you would not you account this a great aggravation know thy sinning against this grace makes thee to be in a worse condition than Belzebub himself that is the chief all the Devils he had never this aggravation which is a dreadful one to sin against the pardoning mercy of God so that the very Devils may complain against you and say O Lord we sinned against thee but thou tookest advantage against us presently
Clerk of the Assizes bag it may be a good while before and now at the Assizes they are drawn out and read openly in the face of the Court so are thy sins all put in a bag and God in the day of Visitation he pulls them out and reads them openly before Men and Angels We have an example in Scripture how God did come on men for sins committed a long while before as the example of Joseph's Brethren who sold him and after this they went on and never heard of it till a long time after it appears not that their Consciences were troubled till two and twenty years after they had committed that sin till they came into Egypt and were in affliction and then their Consciences began to fly in their faces for the sin they committed against their Brother Joseph was seventeen years old when he was sold and when he stood before Pharaoh he was thirty there 's thirteen years and then seven years of plenty and two years of famine before they came into Egypt there 's two and twenty years before their Consciences did fly in their faces for their sin against their Brother Take heed what you do for the sins of your youth may be a torment to your old age it may be you little think of it but remember when you are old God may come and reckon with you for the sins of your youth 't is and should be a great argument to make people to take heed of sin for those sins thou committest now may do thee a mischief fourty or sixty years hence as in the natural body many young men though they feel no distempers in their bodies for the present and so care not for their diet nor how to avoid Surfits yet after they grow old then they feel their distempers in their joynts and bones which is no other than their drunkenness and intemperance when they were young so 't is in regard of the soul many in their younger years do greatly follow after wickedness and because they hear not of it they go away and never are troubled but afterwards in their old age God comes upon them for the sins of their youth Joab when he was young committed sin but when his hoary head was on him God then came to him in wrath for it and therefore think not all thy sins are pardoned because 't is a great while ago since they were committed but rather reckon up thy former sins and bewail them and do not rest on this ground because 't is long since they were committed 't is not to be built upon you must look for other grounds or else you are undone for ever for this will certainly fail you Fourthly Others reason that God has pardoned their sins not only because they have been committed a great while ago but they have had prosperity it hath been well with them and God has done them good and certainly if God had not pardoned their sins God would never have let them thrive I shall speak but little to this for these reasonings are very vain there are others I shall more insist upon know this thou makest it an argument of Gods pardoning mercy it may rather be an argument of Gods eternal curse for God to suffer a man to prosper much after great sins committed it is a sign that God hath given that man over to hardness of heart which is the most dreadful curse in the world after God had rejected Saul 1 Sam. 14 15. Chapters you may read Saul had a great deal of success in his way immediately after God had cast him off so though God have cast off a man or a woman yet that man or woman may have much success in their way you that are Marriners you cannot draw an argument that because you have had a good Voyage and have past such dangers though you have committed many sins that God is at peace with you and that all your faults are past over no you may have many good successes in in your Voyages and yet perish at length for the sins you have committed in your Voyages and so you may have good success as Saul had good success in war and yet was cast off for all that Fifthly Others say we are not so vain to make outward prosperity an argument or ground that our sins are pardoned but we sorrow for sin repent of them and turn from them and rely on Gods mercy through Christ that our sins are pardoned these are arguments of a higher nature than the former and if there be true sorrow unfaigned repentance reformation and a trusting in Gods mercy through Jesus Christ they will be good arguments indeed but now I shall shew you there may be all these and yet sin not pardoned yea a relying on Christ at least so as people may think they rely upon Christ and yet not sin pardoned 1. Though these things we mentioned last may seem to be hard yet the tryal of them is a very safe and wholsome thing because if you mistake in this you are undone you will examine Evidences for your Houses and Lands do so in the great matters between God and your souls And for sorrow for sin I shall make it plain there may be a great deal of sorrow for sin and yet sin not pardoned you know the example of Ahab 1 King 21.27 to 29. verses And it came to pass when Ahab heard those words that he rent his clothes and put sackcloath upon his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloath and went softly when God did but send the Prophet to tell him of his sin presently upon the Prophets words he rent his clothes which was a sign of extream sorrow in those times and then he put on Sackcloath he put off his Princely Robes his brave Apparrel and put on Sackcloath and that not for an outward garment but upon his flesh and then fasted and lay in Sackcloath and went softly as a dejected man the pride and stoutness of his heart seem'd to be so much abated that God takes notice of it in the 29. verse Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me and because he did so the judgment was deferred for a while yet certainly Ahab's sin was not or ever should be pardoned though he put on Sackcloath and humbled himself before the Lord I appeal unto you this morning Are not many of you hoping for pardon of sin and yet come far short of Ahab all you do in your repentance is to say God be merciful unto me I am sorry Lord forgive me and there 's an end all 's done presently but Ahab went a great deal further and yet his sin was not pardoned Take the example of Esau you know what the Scripture says of him He sought the blessing with tears and yet found no place for repentance and in being rejected of the blessing it was a type of his rejection of Heaven some carry it thus to prove there may be tears and yet no true
sin for time to come justifies the ungodly pardons sin yet purchases the pardon These eleven Meditations about the Pardon of Sin make it appear to be a wonderful work of God put these together and then the result according to the point will be clear and full that Blessed is that man whose sins are forgiven And surely if there be such a mysterious and glorious work of God in pardoning sin that man for whom God shall work such a glorious work is a blessed man indeed And now having done with this Argument of the great mystery of Godliness in forgiveness of Sin I proceed to another and it is this CHAP. IV. That Pardon of Sin not only is a Mercy in it self but the Foundation of many other Mercies PArdon of Sin makes a mâ—â— blessed Why Because it is the Foundation of abundance of other Mercies it is an inlet to many other mercies therefore a great mercy it is a leading mercy it is as the Queen of Mercy that hath a great and glorious train of other mercies attending on her indeed it is the very foundation of all the mercies of the Covenant of grace 't is the principal mercy and the very foundation of all the mercies that are in the Covenant and the inlet and opening to them all the Covenant of Grace is a rich Treasury hath abundant store of mercy in it and this opens to them all The current of all Gods mercies was stopt by mans sin though God had an infinite Ocean of mercy yet the sourse and vent of all Gods mercies was stopt Now when God pardons sin he takes away the stop and opens the sluce that his infinite grace and goodness may flow forth plentifully and sweetly to the soul body and state yea to all that belongs to a believer You may conceive Gods mercy to be as an infinite stream of goodness running with a full current towards his creatures for God delights in the Communication of himself to his creatures But now mans sin made a dam and stopt the pipe that not one drop of mercy could come forth not a drop of all that mercy that in the eternal purpose of God he hath appointed in time shall come forth to such and such a poor creature but when he comes to Pardon and Justification he pulls out the plug and pulls up the flood-gates and sluces and then mercies come flowing in amain when sin is pardoned then the full streams of all the mercies in the Covenant of grace come flowing into the soul well then if it be thus that pardon of sin is an inlet to other mercies then he that hath his sin pardoned is a very blessed man I shall open this That Pardon of Sin is the foundation to and opens the sluce to let in all other mercies Jer. 31.31 Behold the days come that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah here God opens his goodness and tells them he will make a new Covenant not like that he made with their fathers vers 32. but this shall be the Covenant vers 33. and he instances in some particulars I will put my Law into their inward parts and write it in their hearts and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me c. But what is the foundation of all this at the end of the 34. For I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more I will make a new Covenant with them and put my law into their inward parts and they shall all know me I will come in with all my mercies and blessings Illumination and Sanctification he mentions these instead of the rest as in a grant of great things some particulars are mentioned but then he comes in with a general For I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more As if it should be said Why Lord wilt thou come in thus to thy people in such an abundant way of mercy more than formerly and let in these graces of thy Covenant Why here 's the ground of all for I will forgive their iniquity so that forgiveness of iniquity is the special inlet of the mercies of the Covenant Now more particularly I shall shew you what are those special mercies Pardon of sin is an inlet to and that will further shew the blessedness of those souls that have their sins pardoned because pardon of sin is an inlet to many other mercies As Of Peace with God that Pardon of Sin is an inlet to 1. Peace with God Rom. 5.1 being justified that is pardoned through faith what follows we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ the ground of our Justification and Reconciliation it is not our Humiliation no nor our Sanctification Observe it the very bottom and foundation of our Justification and Reconciliation it is neither of these though we ought to be in the use and exercise of them but pardon of sin is through the free grace of God applyed by faith this is the ground of all our Peace and Reconciliation with God And thus men and women should seek their peace with God the main thing they should lay the waight of obtaining peace of God upon it is the work of faith applying the Righteousness of Christ for pardon rather than any work of Humiliation or Sanctification by the Spirit of God yet both these are sweet and comfortable when we found the bottom and main foundation of all our peace on the free grace of God pardoning our sin and justifying of us through faith in Christ Cod does not say you that are great sinners stay till you are humbled and are brought to hate sin and you shall have peace with God No you may be much troubled for sin and may leave it and reform in many things and live better lives than before and yet your peace not made up with God How then shall it be thus being justified by faith looking up to the free grace of God in Christ for pardon of sin we come to have peace with God and this is a great priviledge but if you consider on the other side a creature not reconciled cannot look upon the infinite Creator without terror and shakings and tremblings of spirit he cannot have any thoughts of God but he thinks of him as his Enemy and that all the excellencies of God are working misery and ruine to him this is a sad thing But when pardon of sin comes God is reconciled and all fears and terrors from the Almighty are gone those fears whereby the soul was afraid God was secretly working ruine to it are dispell'd and if any judgment of God come close and near and befal any in the sight and hearing of a guilty soul he would be thinking God is coming to me next But a justified soul may say though the judgments of God be never so terrible in the world and in
the Word which before terrified my Conscience yet now my sin being pardoned my soul is reconciled and the Word of God speaks nothing but good unto me and all those fears that before so terrified me are dispell'd But may not a pardoned man have these fears or somewhat of the nature of them resting on his spirit after he is pardoned Yea he may but the ground of them is dispel'd and gone it is not the work of Gods Spirit that causes these fears as it did before Rom. 8.15 You have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but the Spirit of adoption whereby ye cry Abba Father may be you may have some fears but being justified by faith you have not again received the spirit of bondage if hereafter you have any fears of Gods judgments and wrath against you it is not the spirit of bondage the Spirit of God that causes these fears your own selves may mistake the matter for those that once receive the spirit of bondage never after receive it you may have fears through your own mistakes but not by the Spirit of God as the spirit of bondage shewing us our bondage by our sins and working terrors on the soul for it these fears are dispell'd for in our peace with God in the pardon of sin the matter of enemity between God and the soul is taken away there is this in it which might have been added in the mysteries When a Prince pardons a malefactor he gives him his life and he is glad goes away but the Prince regards him not any more and possibly he may yet have enmity in his heart against the Prince still But God when he pardons a sinner not only is the enmity taken away but forthwith that soul is brought into the state of infinite friendship he receives the soul into his very heart so that there shall be a greater and more intimate love and friendship between his Majesty and that Soul than ever was between the greatest and dearest friends in the world this is wonderful and yet this is so for as when God comes to pardon sin there is not only taking away the guilt of sin but the soul is made actually righteous in Justification so also there is not only a taking away of the enmity between God and the soul that was there before but he receives the soul into infinite love and takes him into infinite friendship with himself Oh the sweetness and blessedness of that mans state whose sins are pardoned Reconciliation with God follows thereupon and he takes the soul into his bosome-love Further upon this there follows two things Peace in Conscience and with the Creatures being justified by faith he hath peace with God and as the immediate consequence thereof peace in Conscience and with all the Creatures 1. Peace in Conscience those fears and grating terrors that arose on guilt of Conscience are gone those dismal accusations of Conscience are still'd though 't is true a mans Conscience may trouble him after Pardon and Justification but it is through mistake the ground of all those troubles of Conscience are gone 't is with trouble of Conscience after pardon of sin as with the Sea you that are Marriners may see the wind at Sea raising the boisterous waves on high yet after the wind is quite down 't is a great while before they be still and quiet so in mens souls it is guilt of sin that causes woful disturbances but when God pardons sin he comes into the Soul as Christ in the Ship and bids all be still and though through our weakness after the sting and guilt is removed Conscience is troubled yet is God pleased to help the weakness of his People sooner or later not only to pardon sin in the Court of Heaven but in the Court of Conscience too and then all fears and troubles are gone certainly those that know what the burnings throbbings and ailings of an accusing Conscience means they know what a blessing it is to have Peace of Conscience a great blessing to have all well there because the Soul hath much to do with Conscience and Conscience hath much to do with God yea only to do with God and if all be well with that which hath so much to do with the Almighty it is a great blessedness blessed is the man that is thus pardoned 2. There follows this also Peace with the Creatures If I should meet with these in a full Text each of them might require a Sermon themselves to shew the excellency of a quiet Conscience and peace with the Creatures But I must but touch it here God is Lord of Hoasts and all the creatures stand armed ready to avenge Gods quarrel and not only do they stand in readiness but there is a kind of cry in the creatures to God to make them the Executioners of his wrath Shall I go and strike this Drunkard says one and shall I strike this Blasphemer says another All the creatures in heaven earth cry against thee every day But when God pardons thy sin all the creatures presently become thy friends when the Judge hath quitted a Malelefactor the under-Officers have nothing to do with him Conscience and the Creatures they are under-Officers and when God is at peace they are at peace too When Joab came and stab'd Absalom the ten young men that were his Armour-bearers did so too so if God come to a sinner unpardoned and give him a stab all the Creatures will be ready to stab him too but when God comes and pardons thy sin He makes a league with thee and the stones of the field as the Scripture speaks that is the first great mercy that flows in to the Soul upon pardon of sin and peace with God Of Gods Revealing his Secrets to those whom he Pardons 2. This follows upon pardon of sin God comes in a wonderful gracious way to reveal himself to that soul he comes to reveal his secrets to that soul he pardons and pardon of sin is the very ground of the Revelation of the Secrets and Mysteries of God by the Spirit to that Soul Jer. 31.33 among other particulars in the New Covenant God promiseth they shall be all taught of God in Heb. 8. that Text is quoted something more fully than in the Prophet vers 10 11. They shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest Mark For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more Pardon of sin is made the ground of Gods teaching them his Covenant They shall know me from the least to the greatest you little ones and young ones if God please to bring you to Christ and pardon your sin a glorious light shall come into your souls God will shew himself in a glorious manner to you there shall be another manner of light