the Law required Death was due and death immediately upon the offence but death was kept off by the interposition of the Mediator and this which is less than death inflicted at present The Mediator or Days-man interposed before this sentence for the promise of the Seed which should bruise the Serpents head preceded the pronouncing of this sentence Gen. 3.15 16. God arms himself against both but not with those weapons they had deserv'd Capital Crimes are usually attended with capital punishments which draw a destruction upon the offender Where death is deserv'd and a lighter punishment inflicted it is rather an act of clemency than strict Justice and may be called by the name of a partial pardon or reprieve as well as a punishment 'T is indeed a punishment when Conscience racks a man with further expectation of torment when it is but a Prologue to everlasting burnings when through those pains any fall into the place of everlasting horrour 'T is then more properly a punishment when it proceeds from an irreconcileable Justice arm'd with Omnipotency in the Execution not when it proceeds from an anger mix'd with mildness and mitigated by the Intercessions of a Mediator 2. 'T is not a reparation of the injury done to God One reason of the institution of punishment is to repair the damage the Person offended sustains by the malefactor as far as he is capable The injury done to God cannot be repaired by any temporary punishment No nor indeed actually by an eternal one though an eternal suffering is all the reparation a finite Creature is capable to make to the honour of God A man is capable of making some kind of amends to his Neighbour for an offence done but God being infinitely our Superiour cannot have his honour repaired by any thing a Creature can do or suffer 3. 'T is not continued as a part of Satisfaction to the justice of God As though Christ needed the sufferings of the Creature to make up the sum which he was to pay for us and which he hath already paid 'T is not on the account of the death of Christ purely a vindictive but a medicinal act to a believer 'T is rather to awaken us than to Satisfy justice As we wring a man by the nose who is fallen into a swoon not to have satisfaction from him for any injury he may have done us but to fetch him out of his fit These punishments are to awaken men to a sight of their first sin 4. The proper impulsive cause of punishment is wrath Though this was the first cause of this sentence yet it is not inflicted in wrath upon a believer Though at first it was an effect of Gods anger yet in a beliver it is a fruit of Gods fatherly anger wherein he acts with a composition of Judge Father In inflicting it he preserves the authority of a Judge In preserving under it and pardoning the sin for which it was inflicted he evidenceth the affection of a Father Punishment as such is only to hurt and make men reap the fruit of their iniquity But the end of affliction in the intention of the person that doth afflict is oftentimes to benefit 2. Yet it is in some sort a punishment and something more than an affliction 1. In respect of the meritorious cause sin This is not inflicted ratione absoluti dominii but ratione meriti 'T is not an act of absolute soveraignty but a judicial legal act upon the demerit of sin There are some afflictions which are not punishments as in the case of the man that was born blind Christ tells us that it was neither for his own sin nor for the sins of his parents but that God might be glorified John 9.2.3 i. e. God in inflicting that blindness respected neither the sin of the man nor the sin of the parents but the making him a passive subject of his glory in our Saviours miraculous Cure But in this case God respected the sin of the woman as the cause and reason of the punishment 2. Because if man had stood in innocency neither this grief nor indeed any other had been The birth in innocency would have been without sorrow and grief as the hunger and thirst which would have been in Adam in that state would have been without that gnawing in the stomack and that pain which we find in those defects because a state of integrity and perfect righteousness must needs be without grief But after the fall all those pains incident to man or woman are fruits of the curse of sin 3. This punishment doth not hinder Salvation though it be continued I shall lay down these Propositions to clear up this matter 1. God intended not in the acceptance of Christs mediation to remove in this life all the punishments denounced after the fall God takes away the eternal but not the temporal For this very punishment was threatned after his acceptance of Christs mediation and after the compact and covenant between the Father and the Son about their redemption of mankind because the promise preceded the threatning and the mediatory covenant preceded the promise Some parts of Christs purchase are only payable in another life and some fruits of Redemption God intends for growth only in another soyl such are Freedom from pain diseases death sin And therefore the last day when believers shall be gather'd together is called by way of excellency the day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 as if we had nothing of Redemption properly in this life because we have it not compleat And it is called upon this account the time of refreshing and the time of the restitution of all things Act. 3.19 21. when all things shall be restored to their primitive compleatness and we shall have a full refreshment by a removal of all the evils which we suffer by reason of sin So that the satisfaction made by Christ extends not to a present removal of all the effects of the curse pains of the body death of relations c. The ground is not restored to its original vigor and fruitfulness man must still eat his bread in the sweat of his brows women must still bring forth with sorrow our lives must waste by a continual invasion of weaknesses and diseases we must drop one after another into the grave send some before us and leave others to come after us tho God in mercy doth mitigate these in some more in some less according to his Soveraign pleasure and though those curses do materially continue yet they are attended with a blessing the fruits of Christs purchase But the full value of Christs satisfaction will appear when there shall be a new Heaven a new Earth when the day of Redemption shall dawn and all tears be wiped from believers eyes But God never promised the total removal of them in this life to any Saint no though he should have all the Faith and Holiness of all the Catalogue of Saints in the book of
pardon of sin necessâ—tate decreti if not naturae God repented of making the World but never of forgiving sin So that the pardon of sin is more pleasing to him than the sufferings of his Son were grievous otherwise whatsoever the Father would have done by Instruments yet surely he himself would not have been the Executioner of him But in this affair there were not only Instruments Judas to betray him the Jews to accuse him the Disciples to forsake him Pilate to condemn him the Souldiers to mock and crucifie him and Thieves to revile him but God himself Isa 53.10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief Thou shalt make his Soul an Offering for sin His own Father that lov'd him as Abraham in the Type puts as it were the knife to the throat of his only Son which surely God would not have done had not pardon of sin been infinitely pleasing to him And how great a pleasure must that be that swallowed up all grief at his Sons sufferings Yea he seemed to love our Salvation more than he loved the life of his Son since the end is always more amiable than the means and the means only lovely as they respect the end 2. The Certainty of Forgiveness God must deny Christ's payment before he can deny thy pardon God will not deny what his Son hath earned so dearly and what he earn'd was for us and not for himself Did God pardon many before Christ died and will he not pardon believing Souls since Christ died Some were certainly saved before the coming of Christ Upon what account Not for their own righteousness that is but a Ragg and could not merit infinite grace Not by the law that thundered nothing but death and condemned millions but never breathed a pardon to one person Or was it by their vehement supplications Those could not make an infinite righteousness mutable Justice must be preferred before the cries of Malefactors and if those could have done it God would not have been at the expence of his Sons Blood Therefore it must be upon this account Rom. 3.25 For the remission of sins that are past Did God pardon upon trust and will he not much more upon payment Did he forgive when there was only a promise of payment and some thousands of years to run out before it was to be made and will he not much more forgive since he hath all the debt paid into his hands Would God remit sin when Christ had nothing under his hand to shew for it and now that he hath a publick testimony and acquittance will he not much more do it Seeing his purging our sins or expiating them by his death was the ground of his exaltation to the honour of sitting at the right hand of God in our natures Heb. 1.3 When he had by himself purged our sins sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high it is a certain evidence of the grant of pardon upon the account of this Sacrifice to those that seek it in Gods Methods since God hath shewen himself so pleased with it For it is clear that because Christ loved righteousness and hated iniquity i. e. kept up the honour of Gods justice and holiness by the offering himself to death that God hath given him a portion above all his fellows 3. The extent of it Both to original and actual sin John 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world Sin of the World the sin of humane nature that first sin of Adam Of this mind is Austin and others that original sin is not imputed to any to condemnation since the death of Christ But howsoever this be it is certain it is taken away from Believers as to its imputation Christ was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 to bear all sin It had been an imperfect payment to have paid the Interest and let the Principal remain or to have paid the Principal and let the Interest remain There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 and therefore no damning matter or guilt left in arrear It had been folly else for the Apostle to have published a defying challenge to the whole Creation to have brought an Indictment against a justified person Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay anything to the charge of Gods elect if the least crime remained unremitted for the justice of God the severity of the Law the acuteness of Conscience or the malice of the Devil to draw up into a charge Since the end of his coming was to destroy the works of the Devil whereby he had acquired a power over man he leaves not therefore any one sin of a Believer unsatisfied for which may continue and establish the Devils right over him If the redemption only of the Jews with the exclusion of the Gentiles in the first compact seemed to displease him to shed his blood for small Sins only would have been as little to his content It had been too low a work for so great a Saviour to have undergone those unknown sufferings for debts of a smaller value and to shed that inestimable Blood for the payment of Farthings and leave talents unsatisfied Certainly God sent not his Son but with an inten ion his Blood should be improved to the highest uses for those that perform the covenant conditions and that Father who would have us honour his Son as we honour himself will surely honour his Sons satisfaction in the extensive effects of it as he would honour his own mercy since they are both so straitly linkt together And it is as much for the glory of Christs satisfaction as for the honour of his fathers mercy to pass by the greatest transgressions 4. The continuance of it Thou art pardoned and yet thou sinneâ— but Christ hath paid and never runs more upon the score Thou art pardoned and dost â—aily forfeit and needest a daily renewal but Christ hath purchased and never sins away his purchase God exacted a price suitable to the debt he foresaw men would owe him for he knew how much the Sum would amount unto When he gave Christ he intended him for the justification of many offences Rom. 5.16 The free gift is of many offences unto justification speaking of the gift of God v. 15. And therefore since God cannot be mistaken in the greatness of the Sum because of his infinite knowledge it had been a greater act of wisdom not to provide any remedy at all than not to do it thoroughly If the continuance of that imperfect remission of Adam and the Patriarchs was drawn out for above 3000 years and more and the enjoyment of happiness made good to them meerly upon Christs undertaking surely it will be much more upon his actual performing Rom. 3.25 There was then a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they had a continuance of freedom from punishment by his mediatorship and sponsion much more shall Belevers
and charging others and thus his grace would rather be a mockery and derision of men Neither doth it consist with the end of pardon which is Salvation for to give an half pardon is to give no Salvation since if the least guilt remains unremitted it gives justice an unanswerable plea against us What profit would it be to have some forgiven and be damned for the remainder Had any one sin for which Christ was to have made a compensation remain'd unsatisfied the Redeemer could not have risen so if the smallest sin remains unblotted it will hinder our rising from the power of eternal death and make the pardon of all the rest as a nullity in Law But it is the glory of God to pass by all Prov. 19.31 It is his glory to pass over a transgression 'T is the glory of a man to pass by an offence 'T is a discovery of an inward principle or property which is an honour for a man to be known the master of If it be his glory to pass by a single and small injury then to pass by the more heinous and numerous offences is a more transcendent honour because it evidenceth this property to be in him in a more triumphant strength and power So that it is a clearer evidence of the illustrious vigor of mercy in God to pass by mountainous and heaped up transgressions than to forgive only some few iniquities of a lesser guilt Jer. 33.8 I will cleanse them from all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me and I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me and whereby they have transgrest against me Therefore when God tells the Jews that he would give them a general discharge in the fullest terms imaginable to remove all jealousie from men either because of the number or the aggravations of their sins he knew not how to leave expressing the delight he had in it and the honour which accrued to him by it It shall be to me a name of joy a praise and honour before all the nations of the earth He would get himself an honourable name by the large riches of his Clemency Mercy is as infinite as any other attribute as infinite as God himself And as his power can create incomprehensible multitudes of worlds and his justice kindle unconceiveable Hells so can his mercy remit innumerable sins 3. Perfect in respect of Duration Because the hand writing of ordinances is taken away Col. 2.14 15. Blotting out the hand writing of ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his Cross which was the Ceremonial Law wherein they did by their continual presenting Sacrifices and imposition of Hands upon them sign a Bill or Bond against themselves whereby a conscience of sin was retain'd Heb. 10.2 3. and a remembrance of sin renewed they could not settle the Conscience in any firm peace Heb. 9.9 they were compelled to do that every day whereby they did confess that sin did remain and want an expiation Hence is the Law called a ministration of condemnation 2 Cor. 3.9 because it puts them in mind of condemnation and compelled the people to do that which testified that the curse was yet to be abolished by virtue of a better Sacrifice This Hand writing which was so contrary to us was taken away nailed to his Cross torn in pieces wholly cancelled no more to be put in suit Whence in â—pposition to this continual remembrance of sin under the legal administâ—ation we read under the New Testament of Gods remembring sin no more Hâ—â— 10.3 17. Christ hath so compounded the business with Divine Justice that wâ— have the sins remitted never returning upon us and the renewal also of remissions upon daily sins if we truly repent For though there be a blacker Tincture in sins after conversion as being more deeply stain'd with ingratitude yet the Covenant of God stands firm and he will not take away his kindness Isa 54.9 10. And there is a greater affection in God to his Children than to his Enemies for these he loves before their Conversion with a love of benevolence but those with a love of complacency Will not God be as ready to continue his grace to those that are penitent as to offer it to offending Rebels Will he refuse it to his Friends when he intreats his Enemies Not that any should think that because of this duration they have liberty to sin and upon some trivial Repentance are restored to God's favour No where Christ is made Righteousness he is made Sanctification His Spirit and Merit go together A new Nature and a New State are Concomitants and he that sins upon presumption of the grand Sacrifice never had any share in it V. The Effect of Pardon That is Blessedness 1. The greatest evil is taken away sin and the dreadful consequents of it Other evils are temporal but those know no period in a doleful Eternity There is more evil in sin than good in all the creatures Sin stript the fallen Angels of their Excellency and dispossessed them of the Seat of Blessedness It fights against God it disparages all his Attributes it deforms and destroys the creature Rom. 7.13 Other evils may have some mixture of good to make them tolerable but sin being exceeding sinful without the mixture of any good engenders nothing but destruction and endless damnation Into what miseries afflictions sorrows hath that one sin of Adam hurl'd all his posterity what screechings wounds pangs horrours doth it make in troubled Consciences How did it deface the Beauty of the Son of God that created and upheld the World with sorrow in his Agonies and the stroak of Death on the Cross How many thousands millions of poor creatures have been damned for sin and are never like to cease roaring under an inevitable Justice Ask the damned and their groans yellings howlings will read thee a dreadful Lecture of sins sinfulness and the punishment of it And is it not then an inestimable blessedness to be delivered from that which hath wrought such deplorable Executions in the World 2. The greatest Blessings are conferred Pardon is God's Family-Blessing and the peculiar mercy of his choicest darlings He hands out other things to wicked men but he deals out this only to his Children 1. The Favour of God Sin makes thee Satan's Drudge but pardon makes thee God's Favourite We may be sick to death with Lazarus and be God's Friends sold to slavery with Joseph and yet be dear to him thrown into a Lions Den with Daniel and be greatly beloved poor with Lazarus who had only Doggs for Chirurgions to dress his Sores and yet have a Title to Abraham's bosom But we can never be beloved if we are unpardoned no share in his friendship his love his inheritance without a pardon All created evils cannot make us loathsom in a justified State nor all created goods make us lovely under guilt Sin is the
against him 3. All the time thou livest unpardoned thy debts mount the higher Every new sin is an adding a figure to the former suns and every figure after the three first adds a thousand Every act of sin adds not only the guilt proper to that single act upon it but draws a new universal guilt from all the rest committed before because the persisting in any one sin is a renewed approbation of all the former acts of rebellion committed against God 4. 'T is that God who would have pardon'd thee if thou wouldst have accepted of it who will condemn if thou dost utterly refuse it 'T is that God thou hast provoked offended and dishonoured That power which would have been manifested in forgiving thee will be glorified in condemning thee That Justice which would have signed thy absolution if thou hadst accepted of its terms will sign the writ of execution upon thy refusal of them Nay the mercy that would have sav'd thee will have no compassion on thee The Law condemns thee because thou hast transgressed it and mercy will reject thee because thou hast despised it The Gospel wherein pardon was proclaimed will acquit others but condemn thee God would be false to his own word if after thy slighting so many promises of grace and threatnings of wrath thou shouldest be spar'd 2. Use Of comfort Pardon of sin may make thee hope for all other blessings Hath God done the hardest and will he stick at the easiest Hath he overthrown mountains and shall mole-hills stop him 'T is an easier thing to waft thee to Heaven than it was at first to remit thy guilt Rom. 5.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life To this the death and resurrection of the Son of God was necessary and there was to be composition and agreement made between mercy and justice But since this is compleated the Redeemer saves thee by his life since he hath dyed for thy remission there is no need of his dying for thy further Salvation Seeing he hath made manifestation of his pardoning grace unto thee he will not cease till he hath brought thee into a perfect state For to what purpose should the Creditor forgive the smaller part of the debt and cast the debtor into prison for an unpayable sum 1. If once pardoned thou will be always pardoned For the first pardon Christ paid his blood for the continuance he doth but plead his blood and we cannot be without a pardon till Christ be without a plea He merited the continuance as well as the first remission Will our Saviour be more backward to intercede for pardon than he was to bleed and pray for it on earth Would not our dearest Saviour let sin go unremitted when he was to contest with the Fathers wrath and will he let it go unpardoned when he is only to solicite his Fathers mercy Thou shalt not want the daily renewals of it since he is only to present his blood in the most holy place seeing an ignominious and painful death did not scare him from the purchase of it upon the Cross As Gods heart is more ready to give than we are to ask forgiveness so is Christs heart more ready to plead for the continuance of it than we are daily to begg it for he Loves his people more than they can Love him or Love themselves Our praying is according to self Love but Christs intercession is according to his own infinite Love with a more intense fervency 2 Thou art above the reach of all accusations Shall the law condemn thee No. Thou art not under the law but under grace And if grace hath forgiven thee the law cannot sentence thee Shall conscience No. Conscience is but the Eccho of the law within us That must speak what God speaks Gods Spirit and a believers Spirit are joint witnesses Rom. 8.16 For the Spirit it self bears witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God Conscience is sprinkled by the blood of Christ which quite changeth the tenour of its Commission Will God condemn thee No. That were to lose the glory of all his pardoning mercy hitherto conferred upon thee that were to fling away the vast revenue grace hath all this while been gathering for him yea it were to deny his own covenant and promise Shall Christ condemn thee No. That were to discard all his offices to undo his death and bely his merits did he sweat and bleed pray and dye for thee and will he now condemn thee Hath he been pleading for thee in Heaven all this time and will he now at the upshot cast thee off Shall we imagine the severity of a Judg more pleasing to him than the charity of an Advocate since his primary intention in coming was to save the world not to condemn it No. It would not be for his honour to pay the price and to lose the purchase 3. There will be a solemn justification of thee at the last day Thou art here pardoned in Law and then thou shalt be justified by a final Sentence there is a secret grant here but a publick manifestation of it hereafter Thy Pardon was past by the Spirit of God in thy own Conscience it will then be past by the Son of God in thy own hearing That Saviour that did merit it upon his Cross will pronounce it upon his Throne The Book shall be laid out of sight there shall be no more writing in the Book of God's Omniscience to charge thee or of thy Conscience to affright thee His fatherly anger shall for ever cease and as all disposition to sin so all paternal correction for it shall be for ever abolisht and forgiveness be fully compleat in all the glorious effects of it 4. Faith doth interest us in all this though it be weak The grant of a Pardon doth not depend upon the strength of Faith though the sense of a Pardon doth A weak Faith as a Palsy person may not so well read a Pardon though it may receive it As a strong Faith gives more glory to God so it receives more comfort from him Christ made no difference in his Prayer John 17. between the feeblest and stoutest Believer His Lambs as well as Sheep were to be fed by his Apostle with Gospel-comforts and even those Lambs Isa 40.11 he himself carrys in his bosom Strong Faith doth not intitle us to it because it is strong or a feeble Faith debar us from it because it is weak but it is for the sake of a mighty Saviour that we are pardoned 'T is the same Christ that justifies thee as well as Abraham the Father of the faithful 'T is the same Righteousness whereby thou art justified as well as Paul and the most beloved Disciple 3 Use Of Examination Consider whether your sins are pardoned Will you examine whether your Estates are sure and will you not examine
exaggerating man's defilement Wherein consider the Universality 1. Of the subject Every man 2. Of the act Every thought 3. Of the qualification of the act Only evil 4. Of the time continually The words thus opened afford us this Proposition That the thoughts and inward operations of the souls of men are naturally universally evil and highly provoking Some by cogitation mean not only the acts of the understanding but those of the will yea and the sense too But indeed that which we call cogitation or thought is the work of the mind Cartes Princip Pâ—ilos Part 1. Sect. 9. imagination of the fancy 'T is not properly thought till it be wrought by the understanding because the fancy was not a power designed for thinking but only to receive the images imprest upon the sense and concoct them that they might be fit matter for thoughts and so 't is the Exchequer wherein all the acquisitions of sense are deposited and from thence received by the intellective faculty So that thoughts are inchoativè in the fancy consummativè in the understanding terminativè in all the other faculties Thought first engenders opinion in the mind thought spurs the will to consent or dissent 't is thought also which Spirits the affections I will not spend time to acquaint you with the methods of their generation Every man knows he hath a thinking faculty and some inward conceptions which he calls thoughts he knows that he thinks and what he thinks though he be not able to describe the manner of their formation in the womb or remember it any more than the species of his own face in a glass In this discourse let us first see what kind of thoughts are sins 1. Negatively A simple apprehension of sin is not sinful Thoughts receive not a sinfulness barely from the object That may be unlawful to be acted which is not unlawful to be thought of Though the will cannot Will sin without guilt yet the understanding may apprehend sin without guilt for that doth no more contract a pollution by the bare apprehension than the eye doth by the reception of the species of a loathsome object Thoughts are morally evil when they have a bad principle want a due end and converse with the object in a wrong manner Angels cannot but understand the offence which displaced the Apostate Stars from heaven but they know not sin cognitione practicâ Glorified Saints may consider their former sins to enhance their admirations of pardoning mercy Christ himself must needs understand the matter of the Devils temptation yet Satan's suggestions to his thoughts were as the vapors of a jakes mixed with the Sun-beams without a defilement of them Yea God himself who is infinite purity knows the Object of his own acts which are conversant about sin as his holiness in forbidding it wisdom in permitting mercy in pardoning and justice in punishing But thoughts of sin in Christ Angels and glorified Saints are accompanied with an abhorrency of it without any combustible matter in them to be kindled by it As our thoughts of a divine object are not gracious unless we love and delight in it so a bare apprehension of sin is not positively criminal unless we delight in the object apprehended As a sinful obiect doth not render our thoughts evil so a divine object doth not render them good because we may think of it with undue circumstances as unseasonably coldly c. And thus there is an imperfection in the best thought a regenerate man hath for though I will suppose he may have a sudden ejaculation without the mixture of any positive impurity and a simple apprehension of sin with a detestation of it yet there is a defect in each of them because 't is not with that raised affection to God or intense abhorrency of sin as is due from us to such objects and whereof we were capable in our primitive state 2. Positively Our thoughts may be branched into first motions or such that are more voluntary 1. First motions Those unfleched thoughts and single threads before a multitude of them come to be twisted and woven into a discourse such as skip up from our natural corruption and sink down again as fish in a River These are sins though we consent not to them because though they are without our will they are not against our nature but spring from an inordinate frame of a different hue from what God implanted in us How can the first sprouts be good if the root be evil Not only the thought formed but the very formation or first imagination is evil Voluntariness is not necessary to the essence of a sin though it be to the aggravation of it 'T is not my Will or Knowledge Gen. 19.33 35. which doth make an act sinful but God's prohibition Lot's Incest was not ushered by any deliberate consent of his Will yet who will deny it to be a sin since he should have exercised a severer command over himself than to be overtaken with drunkenness which was the occasion of it Original sin is not effectivè voluntary in Infants because no act of the will is exerted in an infant about it Yet it is voluntary subjectivè because it doth inhaerere voluntati These motions may be said to be voluntary negatively because the Will doth not set bounds to them and exercise that soveraign dominion over the operations of the soul which it ought to do and wherewith it was at its first creation invested Besides though the Will doth not immediately consent to them yet it consents to the occasions which administer such motions and therefore according to the rule that causa causae est causa causati they may be justly charged upon our score 2. Voluntary thoughts which are the blossoms of these motions Such that have no lawful object no right end not governed by reason eccentrick disorderly in their motions and like the jarring strings of an untun'd Instrument The meanest of these floating phancies are sins because we act not in the production of them as rational creatures and what we do without reason we do against the law of our creation which appointed reason for our guide and the understanding to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the governing power in our souls These may be reduced to three heads 1. In regard of God 2. Of our selves 3. Of others I. In regard of God 1. Cold thoughts of God When no affection is raised in us by them When we delight not in God the object of those thoughts but in the thought it self and operation of our mind about Him consisting of some quaint notion of God of our own conceiving This is to delight in the act or manner of thinking not in the object thought of and thus these thoughts have a folly and vanity in them They are also sinful in a regenerate man in respect of the faintness of the understanding not acting with that vigor and spriteliness nor with those raised and spiritual
wisheth his head were a full springing Fountain to weep for the slain of the Daughter of his People for the sin the cause as well as the calamity the effect Jer. 9.1 He wishes his head to be filled with the vapours from his heart and become a fountain What a transport of sorrow had Ezra when he heard of the peoples sins and the mingling the holy Seed with that of Idolaters A horror run thorow his whole Soul His astonishment is twice repeated Ezra 9.3 4. Every faculty was alarumed at the sin of the People 'T is probable John Baptist used himself to those severities which are mentioned Matth. 3.4 because of the sinfulness of that generation among whom he lived Paul discovers it to be a duty when he reproves the Corinthians for being puft up instead of mourning for that fornication which had been committed by one of their profession 1 Cor. 5.2 And when he writes of some that made the glorious Gospel subservient to their own bellies he mixes his tears with his Ink Phil. 3.18 19. I tell you weeping they are enemies to the Cross of Christ The Primitive Christians did much bewail the lapses of their fellows Celerinus among the Epistles of Cyprian acquaints Lucian of his great grief for the Apostacy of a Woman through fear of persecution which afflicted him so that in the time of Easter the time of their joy in that Age he wept night and day and was resolved that no delight should enter into his heart till through the mercy of Christ she should be recover'd to the Church And we find the Witnesses clothed in Sackcloth when they prophesied in a sinful time to shew their grief for the publick abominations Rev. 11.3 The kingdom of Satan can be no pleasure to a Christian and must therefore be a torment 2. It was our Saviours practice As he had the highest love to God so he must needs have the greatest grief for his dishonour He sighed in his spirit for the incredulity of that generation when they askt a sign after so many had been presented to their Eyes Mark 8.12 He sighed deeply in his spirit And the hardness of their hearts at another time raised his grief as well as his indignation Mark 3.5 He was sensible of the least dishonour of his Father Psal 69 9. The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell upon me I took them to heart Christ pleased not himself when his Father was injured as the Apostle descants upon it when he applies it to Christ Rom. 15.3 His Soul was more pierc'd with the wrongs done to God than the reproaches which were directed against his own person His grief was unexpressibly greater than can be in any creature because of the unimitable ardency of his love to God the nearness of his relation to him and the unspotted purity of his Soul Christ had a double relation to Man to God His compassion to men afflicted him with groans and tears at their bodily distempers his affection to his Father would make him grieve as much to see him dishonoured as his love to man made him groan to see man afflicted This grief for sin was one part of Christ's Sacrifice and Suffering for he came to make a full satisfaction to the Justice of God by enduring his wrath to the holiness of God by offering up an infinite sorrow for sin which it was impossible for a creature to do We cannot suppose that Christ should only accept the punishment but not bewail the offence which was the cause of it A Sacrifice for the sins of others without remorse for those sins had not been acceptable it had not been agreeable to the purity of his humane Nature He wept at Jerusalem's obstinacy as well as for her misery and that in the time of his triumph The loud Hosanna's could not silence his grief and stop the expressions of it Luke 19.41 It was like a shower when the Sun shined If Christ as our Head was filled with inward sorrow for mens displeasing the holiness of God 't is surely our duty as his Members to imitate the afflictions of the Head He is unworthy of the name of Christ who is not afflicted as Christ was nor can call Christ his Master who doth not imitate his graces as well as pretend to believe his Doctrine he cannot see that God who hath distinguisht him from the world dishonoured his precepts contemned but he must have his Soul overcast with a gloomy cloud 'T is our glory to value the things he esteem'd to despise the things he contemn'd to rejoyce in that wherein he was delighted and to grieve for that which was the matter of his sorrow and indignation Thus was he afflicted though he had a joy in the assurance of his Fathers favour and the assistance of his Fathers power The highest assurance of God's love in particular to us ought not to hinder the impressions of grief for the dishonour of his name Did Christ ever look upon the swinish world without melting into pity Did he bleed for the sins of the world and shall not we mourn for them 3. Angels as far as they are capable have their grief for the sins of men The Jewish Doctors often bring in the Angels weeping for sin * Grotius Luc. 15.7 Ob peccatum Hebraei Angelos flentes inducunt And one tells us that in an Ancient Mahumetan Book he finds an Answer of God to Moses Even about this Throne of mine there stand those and they are many that shed tears for the sins of men But the Scripture tells us they rejoyce at the repentance of men Luke 15.10 Their Lord is glorified by a return of a Subject The Subject advantaged by casting down his arms at the feet of his Lord. They do therefore as far as they are capable mourn for the revolts of men suo modo as Beza upon the place They can scarce rejoyce at mens repentance without having a contrary affection for mens prophaneness if they are glad at mens return because God is thereby glorified it cannot be conceived but they mourn for and are angry with their sins because God is thereby slighted Unconcernedness at the dishonour of God cannot consist with their shining knowledge and burning love They cannot behold a God so holy so glorious so worthy to be beloved without having some regret for the neglects and abuses of him by the Sons of men How can they be instruments of Gods Justice if they are without anger against the deservers of it II. 'T is an acceptable duty to God Since it is an imitating the copy of our Saviour it is acceptable to God nothing can please him more than to see his Creatutes tread in the steps of his Son 1. 'T is a fulfilling the whole law which consists of love to God and love to our neighbours 't is set down as a Character of Charity both as it respects God and man Not to rejoyce in iniquity 1 Cor. 13.5 i. e. to be
place of happiness 'T is thought by some that the reason Enoch was snatcht to Heaven in the midst of his life according to the rate of living in that age was because he was afflicted with the sins of those among whom he lived And indeed he could scarce walk with God without grieving that others disdained to walk with him and acted contrary to him God would take him from that affliction as well as from the danger of being corrupted by the age He will either have his Chambers wherein to hide them here till the indignation be over-past Isa 26.20 21. or his Mansions to lodge them in for ever with himself What hurt is it to any to be refused a hiding place here that he may be conducted to the possession of a glorious residence for ever That judgment that takes off the Fetters of a wicked Man for execution knocks off the Fetters of the godly for a Gaol delivery like Fire it consumes the Dross and refines the Gold The day of Gods wrath is a day of gloominess to the wicked Joel 2.2 but as the morning spread upon the Mountains to the godly mourners the dawning of comfort to them God out of the same Pillar of the cloud diffused light upon the Israelites and shot thunders and lightenings upon the Aegyptians to which perhaps the Prophet might here allude 3 Use Mourn for the sins of the time and place where you live 'T is the least dislike we can shew to them A flood of grief becomes us in a flood of sin How well would it be if we were as loud in crying for mercy as our sins at the present are in crying for vengeance While judgments march to seize our persons our grief should run to damp the judgments Moist Walls choak the Bullet 'T is far better to mourn for the cause of judgments than to mourn under them The jolly blades were the first prey to the Enemy Amos 6.1 2 3 to v. 7. They that chaunt to the sound of the Viol and drink wine in Bowls shall go captive with the first that go captive We of this City have most reason to mourn the Metropolis of a Nation is the Metropolis usually of sin and the fairest mark for the Arrows of Gods indignation The chief City of a Nation is usually threatned in Scripture Rabbah of the Ammonites Damascus of Syria Tyrus of Phoenicia Babylon of the Chaldean Empire Jerusalem of Judea and suitably why not London of England And let no Man think that mourning is a degenerate and effeminate disposition Doth Solomon ever imprint the same Character on mourning as he doth on laughter Eccles 2.2 Doth he ever vilifie that with a term of madness and call the mourners Bedlams How can any who hath not put off the Title and Nature of Man behold without amazement and grief Men so bold as to pull down the judgments of God upon them and force his indignation This temper is a pious embalming Christs crucified honour shall any Man that professeth Christ have so little love to him as not to bestow a groan upon him when he sees him freshly dishonoured and abused If we had not committed any sin in our whole life there is cause of mourning for the abominations of the world Christ had an unspotted innocence and an unexpressible grief for Jerusalems sins and misery Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thâ—e and thou wouldest not Never doth sorrow more appear in love than when it is more for what dishonours God than what pincheth us Men may pretend a grief for the sins of the times when it is only for themselves that they have not those pleasing opportunities of greatning themselves and that estimation in the world that stage for Pride and Covetousness to act upon which they desire Our mourning is then right when we grieve not so much that we as that God is a sufferer It should be proportionable where there are great breaches of Gods Law our grief should be as full as if possible to fill up the ditch that is digg'd the Septuagint in the Text implies it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul and Barnabas tore their garments a sign of a great grief and indignation when the Heathens would have sacrificed to them as Gods Acts 14.13 they used not the same expressions in smaller sins but this was against the Nature of God and a multitude engaged in it The greater the sin the greater the sorrow I need not mention the sins among us the impudent Atheism contempt of the Gospel putrifying Lust barefac'd Pride rending Divisions many sins visible enough to be grieved for and too many to be spoken of The sorrow should be universal Not for one sin which may be against any Mans particular interest but for all even those that our carnal advantage is not concerned in God is dishonoured by one as well as by another and Christ is crucified by one as well as by another It must be attended with a more strict obedience 'T is the highest generosity to wear Christs Livery when others put it off and lay it aside as useless No doubt but Joseph of Arimathea mourned as well as the rest for the sufferings of our Saviour but he testified also an Heroick affection to him in going boldly to Pilate to beg the body of Jesus for an honourable burial when none of the other disciples sought after it but trusted more to the swiftness of their heels for their own security than concern'd themselves for the honour of their Master While others therefore are defiling the world with their abominations let us be washing it with our Tears and filling heaven with our cries that when God marcheth in his fury we may be secure by his acceptance of our humiliations Motives 1. This is a means to have great tokens of the love of God No question but Christ in his agony bewailed the sins of the world and then was an Angel sent to comfort him and assure him of an happy issue It was just after the testimony of his displeasure against Peter for disswading him from that death whereby he was to honour God and wash off the stain of sin and repair the violations of the Law whereby he manifested a concern for his fathers honour that he was transfigured and had therein the earnest of an heavenly glory and that transporting voice This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear you him Mat. 16.23 Mat. 17.1 2 c. 2. It is a means to prevent judgments Tears cleansed by the Blood of Christ are a good means to quench that justice which is a consuming Fire Sin puts a stop to the working of Gods Bowels and opens the Magazines of wrath grief for it disarms Gods hand of his Thunders and may divert his darts from our hearts No other defence is often left against the strength of judgments after sin hath made its entrance A holy seed in Jerusalem is the guard of it in the time
of Senacherib's Invasion Isa 6.13 The holy seed shall be the substance thereof Growth in sin ripens judgments turns Blossoms and Buds into Fruit Rods into Scorpions Grief for it turns scorpions into Rods lessens a judgment if not wholly prevents it The Water of repentance is the best way to quench the flames of sin and sparks of wrath If good Men fall under a common judgment it may be often for a defect in this temper This was Austins opinion * Aâ—gust de Civit. Dei ib. 1. Cap. 9. That many good men are taken away with the wicked in Common Judgments because though they do not Commit the same sins yet they connive at their iniquities and so are lasht with their rods temporally chastned but not eternally punished 3. It will sweeten Judgments Such may say of Judgment as Paul of death Oh Judgment where is thy sting 'T is a double burden to lye under the weight of common Judgments and the weight of common sins grief for them is a means to remove the guilt and thereby to ease thee of a Judgment If we are concerned in mourning for sin we shall be more fit to honour God if he makes us fall under his stroak A holy sorrow will bring us into a submissive frame Aaron had been without question humbled for his timorous compliance with the people in the making of the golden Calf and when God came to strike him near in his own Children he held his peace Levit. 10.3 No doubt but his former humiliation fitted him for his present patience 4. Our repentance for our own sins was never right unless we are of this temper Repentance is a justice towards God and therefore is conversant about other mens sins in a hatred of them 'T is for sin as sin and sin is sin in whatsoever subject it be and worthy of hatred according to right reason and therefore that grace whereby a Man hates it in his own person will engage him to hate it wheresoever it is and we alwaies grieve for the encrease of that which is the object of our hatred A truly just man hates the injury committed against another as well as that against himself That filthiness which displeaseth a penitent in his own act displeaseth him in anothers act there being the same adequate reason and sin being of the same nature against God in another as in himself 'T is All abominations in the text this is an argument of sincerity to mourn for one may be from self interest to mourn for all must be from a pure affection 5. 'T is an argument of a true affection to God To mourn for sin when it is rare though gross is not so much a sign of sincerity as to mourn for it when it is Epidemical when the Foundations of godliness are out of course and the graces contrary to those sins are generally discountenanced as it is a greater sign of sincerity to love the word when it is generally slighted than to love it when all admire it What a noble affection had that Lady in Samuel 1 Sam. 4.19 c. that grieved not so much for the loss of her Father Husband Friends but bewailed the departure of the glory of Israel and implicitely at least the sin that occasioned it How did her affection to God drown all carnal affections Her sorrow for the ark stifled the sorrow of her travel and the joy at the birth of her Son She regarded it not This is an evident token of affection when we mourn most for the sins which most dishonour God and the sins of those persons that seem to be nearer to God and cast most reproaches upon his name 6. Shall we be outstript by Idolaters The mourning for others sins was a custom kept up in Israel after their revolt from God unto Jeroboam When Naboth was put to death for a pretended crime of blasphemy a fast was proclaimed to lament his sin 1 Kings 21.12 and though with a wicked intention to palliate a murther with the cloak of religion yet it evidenceth this mourning for the gross sins of others to be a common sentiment among them and practised upon the like occasions 7. We have just fears of judgments We know not whence they will come from the North or from the South God sets up his warnings in the Heavens we behold him frowning and preparing his arrows and are we careless in what posture we shall meet him He hath Spit in our faces made us a by-word and reproach should we not be humbled Numb 12.14 If her Father had spit in her face should she not be ashamed God seems to be departing He hath as it were kept open market a long time he seems now to be putting up his wares removing his Candlestick withdrawing the power of his Ordinances recalling his Messengers the light is almost in the socket The voice of God is received with a deaf ear the reproofs and admonitions of God have not a kindly operation the signs of judgment amaze us and the amazement quite vanishes We start like a man in a dream and fall back upon our pillow and snort out our sleep Can we expect God to stay He seems to be upon the threshold of the Temple come down already from the Cherubims and is it not high time to bewail our own sins and the Common abominations that have so polluted the place of his habitation that we may say we cannot see how God can stay with honour to himself If we bewail the sins that provoke him to it God may stay if he will not let us at least shew this affection to him at parting This is not a thing unbecoming the highest Christian Doth not the Spirit grieve for the sins of others which play the wantons with the grace of God Eph. 4.30 Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God The holy Spirit hath no sins of his own to grieve for Shall we be above that which the Spirit of God thinks himself not above Shall we refuse mourning for that which goes to the heart of the Holy Ghost Let us therefore examine what are our own sins what are the abominations of the times and places wherein we live make inquisition for the one that we may drag them out before the Lord And in our places endeavour to stop and reform the other As the true fire of Love to God will melt us into tears so it will heat us into zeal He is no friend that will complain of a toads being in another's bosom but not strive to kill it It will shew either Cowardice or falseness That zeal is wild-fire that is not accompanied with an holy sorrow and that sorrow is crude which is not accompanied with a godly Zeal A DISCOURSE FOR The Comfort of Child-bearing Women 1 Tim. 2.15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in Child-bearing if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety I Shall not take my rise any higher than v. 12. where the Apostle
life centred in him 2. Christ never intended in the payment of the price of our Redemption the present removal of them He interposed himself before this sentence was pronounced for the promise preceded the threatning and therefore shew'd himself content that those marks should be set upon that sin though he prevented by his Mediation the dreadful sentence of eternal death Christ never expected it for the Compact between the Father and the Son did not run in this strain Christ's Enemies were not presently upon his ascension to be made his footstool whereof death is not the least but he was to sit at the right hand of God expecting it neither can we expect to be rid of our burdens till Christ's Victory over his Enemies be fully compleat He sent after his Ascension the Spirit to be our Comforter which supposeth a state wherein we should need comfort and when are we under a greater necessity of comfort than when the punishment of sin is actually inflicted on us The Spirit was to comfort us in the absence of our Saviour and consequently in the absence and want of those fruits of Redemption which are not yet compleated 3. Christ intended and did actually take away the Curse of those Punishments from every Believer As Christ came to take away the guilt of sin so by consequence he took away the curse of punishment for as he was not a minister of sin so he was not a minister of the curse Gal. 2.17 for he himself by taking the curse upon himself took it off from us so that though the curse remains materially yet it doth not formally As when man felt his understanding and will were not destroyed but the purity and healthfulness of those faculties which made up his well-being were lost So in Redemption the temporal punishment is not remov'd but the Curse which is the sting in that punishment and is indeed the essential part of it is remov'd since the anger of God is pacified by the death of Christ Death was a Curse upon Man for sin yet the death of a Believer falls not under that title because Christ hath taken away the sting 1 Cor. 15.55 56. Oh death where is thy sting c. And the Victory over it he saith is given us through our Lord Jesus Christ Whence the Apostle puts even death it self and things present into the Catalogue of Priviledges upon the account of Christ 1 Cor. 3.22 Life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods Not that death simply in it self is a Priviledge but death as conquered and as attended with consequent blessings is so to a Believer Now the same reason is for all the other parts of the Curse which were either Prologues to or Attendants upon death And as Christ destroyed death by raising his own body from the grave thereby taking from death the power of perpetually retaining man So in the same manner he hath took away those punishments that they shall not perpetually remain though they do for a time But when death is swallowed up in victory all the Attendants on it shall undergo the same fate Though the Curse was not immediately the work of the Devil yet that which procur'd it was and Christ's intention being to take away sin it was also to take away the Curse which was intentionally the Devils work his chief aim being to bring men under the Curse by enticing them to sin The end of his manifestation was to destroy the works of the Devil 1 John 3.8 Christ therefore bore our infirmities our natural penal infirmities though not our natural sinful ones unless morally i. e. by suffering for them he bore the infirmity of our Nature though not our personal infirmities He endur'd pain and grief and death and greater than we can endure but he did not bear every particular pain and disease which ariseth from sin and a particular cause yet by satisfying the Justice of God which required death he satisfied for all other pains which were parts of the Curse though he did not formally feel them so that no longer they remain as a Curse no more than death it self is a Curse to a Believer Now as Christ by his death upon the Cross did remove the sting of death from every Believer and sanctifie it though he did not die every kind of death which a man may die so by enduring pain and grief and being a man of sorrows he took away the sting of all those pains which are fruits of the Curse though they were of a different kind from those he hath himself endured This I have added to prevent an Objection that may be made that Christ endured not this particular pain and therefore the Curse is not taken away 4. Hence it will follow that to a Believer the very nature of these Punishments is alter'd Whence ariseth a mighty difference between the same punishments when suffered by a Believer and by an unregenerate man Though they are materially the same yet not formally nor eventually In the one the sting remains in the other it is pull'd out The one is an earnest of eternal torture and a sprinkling of Hell the other is in order to salvation and sanctified by the Blood of Christ Christ by his Cross hath made our Judgments to become Physick and turn'd a Believers punishments into purges The intention of the Agent makes a vast difference There is a great difference between a punishment edg'd with a a Princes wrath and those which are sweetened with a Fathers affection much difference between a Chirurgians Launce and a Tyrants Wound The Cord that binds a Malefactor and a Patient may be made of the same Hemp and a Knife only go between but it binds the Malefactor to Execution the other to a Cure In a Believer they bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness Heb. 12.11 such fruits of righteousness which engender peace and joy in the Soul That which brings such excellent effects is rather an argument of love in the Inflicter and so cannot come under the full notion of a punishment God comforts the Israelites that were to go into Captivity by a Gospel promise Hos 14.4 I will heal their back slidings I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from them The punishment was continued for they never returned into their Countrey in the form of a common wealth but the anger was removed so that the Captivity of the Believers among them was not the effect of God's wrath as a Judge since they were under his magnificent love as a Father The change of our relation to God makes a change in the nature of the punishment though the punishment threatned may be inflicted and continued yet the anger in that punishment may be turned away 5. Therefore all temporal punishments of Original sin though they remain do not prejudice a Believers present interest 1. They cut not off his relation to
God A Son is as much a Son under the Rod as in the Bosom neither the Fathers stroke nor the Childs grief dissolve that dear relation Nay a Father may shew more of a true paternal affection in his Chastisements than in his Caresses The Branches which are battered with Sticks may be nearer the Root than those that flourish at their ease Christ while a Man of sorrows was pronounced by God his well beloved Son and bore our punishment not only without forfeiting his Fathers affection but with a high gratification of him Neither doth God's visiting the seed of Christ with stripes cut off their relation to him Psal 89.32 Then will I visit their transgressions with Rods. Whose transgressions v. 30 His Children Whose Children Even the Children of him whom he would make the first born higher than the Kings of the Earth v. 27. Which cannot be understood literally of David or his Lineal Posterity in the Jewish Kingdom who were never higher than the Kings of the Earth 2. They debar not from the presence of God God may be and is as near to us in supporting as he is in punishing 'T is not the cloud that interposeth between the Sun and us that alters the Suns course or obstructs its influences Christ took not off the badges of Original Guilt from those disciples which had the greatest interest in his affections he left them in a sinful world to endure the fruits of sin he sent them not to ease pleasure and a quiet and painless life but to labour toyl and sweat yet promised that he would abide with them that he and his Father would manifest themselves to them And he turned that sweat and pain which was the fruit of sin by his presence with them to be instrumental for the glory of God and the good of themselves in the world 3. They break not the Covenant His Rod and his Stripes tho they seem to break our Backs make no breaches in his Covenant Psalm 89.32 33 34. he will visit transgression with Rods but he will not suffer his faithfulness to fail nor break his Covenant No they are rather covenant mercies when they break our Hearts and are means by his Grace to make our Stony Hearts more Fleshy He makes even those dispensations which were pronounced for punishment to bring forth covenant mercies and the rich fruits of his grace to grow upon the sour crab-stock of his judgments Jacob in Gen. 49. is said to bless his Children tho he predicts smart afflictions to come upon them they are rankt among the blessings because the covenant should remain firm The lash removes not the inheritance Austin saith well Noli attendere quam poenam habes in flagello sed quem locum in Testamento 6. Add to all this That the first promise secures a believer under the sufferings of those punishments Gods affection in the promise of bruising the Serpents head was more illustrious than his wrath in the threatning There are the Bowels of a Father in the promise before there was the voice of a Judge in the Sentence God brought Sugar with his Potion and administred his Cordial before he struck with his Lance. And therefore that threatning which commenc'd after the promise can no more prejudice the fruits of the promise to a Believer than the Law which was given 430 years after the promise to Abraham could disannul that and make it of no effect as the Apostle argues in another case Gal. 3.17 Much less can the threatning denounced immediately after the promise change the veracity of God in that which was fresh in his mind at the very time of his threatning Ob. But it may be askt What is the reason these punishments are continued since the redemption wrought by Christ Ans 'T is frequent with God to inflict a temporal punishment after pardon Not as the Papists assert in order to satisfaction Moses his unbelief hindred him from coming unto Canaan so that when he desired to go over Jordan God was wroth with him cut him off short and commands him silence Deut 3.25 26. Speak to me no more of this matter There are reasons 1. On Gods part 2. On our part 1. On Gods part 1. 'T is congruous to the wisdom of God to leave them upon us while we are in the World Since God created man to gain glory by his actions but was presently after his creation disgrac'd and disparag'd by him it seems agreeable to the wisdom of God not immediately to bring him to his former state but to leave some marks of his displeasure upon Man to mind him of the state whence he was fallen the misery he contracted and the necessity of flying to his mercy for succour 2. 'T is congruous to the holiness of God God keeps up those punishments as the Rector and Governour of the World to shew his detestation of that sin which brought a disorder and deformity upon the Creation and was the first act of dishonour to God and the first pollution of the Creature 'T is an high vindication of the Holiness and Authority of God and the Majesty and Purity of his Law to punish sin in them that are dear to him upon anothers righteousness whereby he evidenceth that he hates sin in all and will not wink at it or approve of it So he pardoned David but for the honour of his name which had been blasphemed by occasion of David's sin he would leave the smart of it upon his Family 2 Sam. 12.10 14. 3. 'T is a declaration of his Justice 'T is not congruous to the Justice of God not to leave some marks of his anger against that sin which caused him to be at the expence of his Sons Blood and is the source of all those evils whereby God is injur'd for which the Redeemer bled and by which the Spirit is grieved Since Pardon doth not neither can alter the demerit of sin but that will continue and what is once meritoriously a capital crime in its own nature can never be otherwise God may for the demonstration of his justice inflict and continue something upon the creature though he free him from actual condemnation We should not be so sensible of the justice of God in the death of Christ did we not feel some strokes of it upon our selves nor what the purchase of our redemption did cost our Saviour What we hear doth not so much affect as what we feel That which brought disorder into Gods Government of the world and made him change the Scene of his Providence may very justly have some signal remark upon it notwithstanding the Redemption especially when the fruits of it are not fully compleat For since Man was the immediate end of the creation of this lower world and since all Creatures were made for the service of Man that he might be fit for the service of his righteous Creator he did by his fall violate the order of the Creation and subjected it to the service
of the Devil a corrupt Creature and an enemy to God the chief Lord of the World and so did deprave the order of the universe and endeavoured to frustrate the end of God and the end of all the Creatures 'T is very rational to think that tho God out of his infinite compassion would not lose his creature yet that he should set such a badge upon him that should make him sensible of a depravation he had wrought in the world 4. 'T is useful to magnify his love We should not be sensible of what our Saviour suffered nor how transcendently he lov'd us if the punishment of sin had been presently removed upon the first promise Nay how then could he have died in the fulness of time which was necessary to the demonstration of Gods love satisfaction of his justice and the security of the Creatures happiness God adds the threatning to the promise as a dark colour to set off and beautify the brighter As Christ suffered that he might have compassion on us so are we punished that we might have an estimation of him When Paul cries out of the body of death so when we cry out of the punishment of sin it should raise our thankfulness for redeeming love I thank God through Jesus Christ Rom. 7.24 25. We never know the worth of mercy till we feel the weight of misery The sharper the pains of sin the higher are our valuations of redeeming mercy In Isa 4.2 In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious In what day After great punishments v. 1. and in the foregoing chapter He appears most beautiful to us when we are under the lash for sin As sin continues in us that the justifying grace of Christs righteousness might more appear to us so punishment continues on us that redeeming love might be more prized by us 2. On our parts 'T is useful to us 1. To make us abhor our first defection and sin 'T was great and is not duly considered by us * Kellet Miscel This sin of Adam is the worst that ever was committed in the world Extensively though not Intensively worse than the sin of Judas or the sin against the holy Ghost In respect that those are but the effects of it and branches of that corrupt root Also because those sins hurt only the persons sinning but this drew down destruction upon the whole world and drove thousands into everlasting Fire and Brimstone 'T is not fit that this which was the murder of all Mankind the disorder of the Creation the disturbing of God's rest in the works of his Hands should be past over without a scar left upon us to make us sensible of the greatness of the evil Though the wounds be great upon our Souls yet they do not so much affect us as those strokes upon our Bodies This certainly was one main end of God in this to what purpose else did he after the promise of restauration and giving our first parents the comfort of hearing the head of their great seducer threatned to be bruised by the Seed of the Woman order this punishment but to put them in mind of the cause of it and stir up a standing abhorrency of it in all ages of the world Had not this been his intent he would never have usher'd it in by a promise but ipso facto have showered down a destroying judgment upon the world as he did upon Sodom without any comfortable word preceding God inflicts those punishments both to shew his own and excite our detestation of this sin He binds us in those fetters to shew us our work and our transgression wherein we have exceeded Job 36.8 9. 2. To make us fear to sin and to purge it out Sin hath riveted it self so deep that easy Medicines will not displace it It hath so much of our affections that gentle means will not divorce us from it We shall hate it most when we reap the punishment of it Punishment is inflicted as a guard to the law and the security of righteousness from the corrupt inclinations of the Creature So it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Plato calls punishment As death is continued for the destruction of sin in the Body so are the lesser punishments continued for the restraint of sin in our lives We need further conversions closer applications of our selves to God more quick walks to him and fixedness with him Gods smitings are to quicken our turnings As it was the fruit of Jacobs trouble to take away sin Isa 27.9 So it is a great end of God in those common punishments of mankind to weaken corruption in a believer by them Therefore when we have any more remarkable sense of those punishments let us see what wounds our sin gets thereby How our hatred of it is encreased If we find such gracious effects we shall have more reason to bless God for it than complain of it Oh happy troubles when they repair not ruine us when they pinch us and cure us like Thunder which though it trouble the Air disperses the infectious vapours mixed with it or the Tide which though turning the stream of the River against its natural course carries away much of the filth with it at its departure 3. To exercise Grace Punishments of themselves have no power to set any grace on work but rather excite our corruptions but the grace of God accompanying them makes them beneficial for such an end God hath to a believer altered the commission of such punishments they are to exercise our Faith improve our patience draw us nearer in acts of recumbency but he hath given them no order to impair our grace waste our faith or deaden our hopes 1. Faith and Trust 1. Tim. 5.5 She that is desolate trusts in God The lower the state the greater necessity and greater obligation to trust such exercises manifest that the condition we are in is sanctified to us As sin is suffered to dwell in a regenerate Man to occasion the exercise of Faith so is the punishment of sin continued for the same end The continuance of it is a mighty ground of our confidence in God We experiment the righteousness of God in his threatning and it is an evidence he will be the same in his promise When we bear the marks of his punitive justice it is an evidence that he will keep up the credit of his mercy in the promise as well as of his justice in the punishment both being pronounced at the same time the good of the one is as sure by God's grace to our faith as the smart of the other is by our desert to that sin The continuance therefore of those punishments may be used by a Believer as a means to fix a stronger confidence in God for if he were not true to the one we might suspect his truth in the other If God should be careless of maintaining the honour of his truth in his threatnings we should have
reason to think that he would be careless of maintaining the honour of it in his promises and thereupon be filled with despondencies What comfort could we have in an unrighteous God The righteousness of God in inflicting punishment is but a branch of that essential righteousness of his nature which obligeth him to be righteous in the performing his promise too 'T is a mighty support to faith that the righteous God loveth righteousness 2. Obedience in a Believer hath a greater lustre by them It was the glory of Job that he preserved his Integrity under the smartest troubles To obey a God always smiling is not so great an act of Loyalty as to obey a God frowning and striking 'T is the crown of our obedience to follow our God though he visits us with stripes 'T is a noble temper to love that hand which strikes us and chearfully serve that Father which lasheth us Our obedience is too low when it must be excited by a succession of favours and cannot run to God unless he allures it by smiles 'T is then a generous and sincere obedience when we can embrace him with a sword in his Hand trust him though he kill us love him though he stone us and as the Persians did by the Sun adore him when he scorcheth as well as when he refresheth us Were these punishments wholly absent we should not have a rise for so heroick faith and love and our holiness in this state would want much of its lustre 3. Humility These punishments are left upon us to allay our pride and be our remembrancers of our deplorable miscrriage It had been an occasion of pride in us to be freed from punishment at the first appearance of a Mediator 'T is reasonable the Soul should have occasions to exercise it self in a grace contrary to that first sin pride which was the cause of the fall We affected to be Gods and punishment is left that we may know we are but Men which is the end of judgments Psal 9.20 Put them in fear O Lord that the Nations may know they are but Men we should otherwise think our selves Gods We are so inclin'd to sin that we need strong restraints and so swell'd with a natural pride against God that we need Thorns in the Flesh to let out the corrupt matter The constant hanging the Rod over us makes us lick the dust and acknowledge our selves to be altogether at the Lords mercy Though God hath pardon'd us he will make us wear the halter about our Necks to humble us 4. Patience Were there no punishments there would be but little occasion for patience This grace would not have had its extensive exercise its full formation without such strokes left upon the creature Resignation to God which is the beauty of grace would not come to its due maturity and stature without such trials So that in these reasons of the continuance we see they are rather advantages to Salvation than hindrances by promoting through the influence of God's grace those graces in us which are necessary to a happy state Use 1. See the infinite mercy of God who when upon the defection of our first Parents he might have burnt up the whole world as he did Sodom would upon the Redeemers account who stept in impose so light a punishment upon that sin 't is but light in comparison of what the nature of sin deserves every sin being a contempt of the Majesty of God and a slight of his Authority and that sin having greater aggravations attending it 'T is a merciful punishment it might have been an everlasting damnation God might have left us to the first sentence of the law and made no exchange of eternal death for temporal pains He might have been deaf to the voice of a Mediator and put his mercy to silence as he did Moses Speak no more of this matter but his Bowels pull his Justice by the Arm and hinder that fatal stroke and a Mediator by his interposition breaks off the full blow from us by taking it upon himself and suffers only some few smart drops to light upon us Oh wonderful mercy that our punishment should not hinder but rather further our everlasting happiness by incomprehensible grace Let not then our punishments for sin hinder our thankfulness Let our Mouths swell with praise while our Bodies crumble away by diseases and Relations drop from us by death Let us love God's glory admire his mercy while we feel his Arrows Whatever our punishments are there is more matter for praise than murmuring 2. How should we bewail original sin the first fall of man 'T is a great slighting of God not to take notice either of his judicial or fatherly proceedings As we are to lament any particular sin more especially when the judgments of God which bear the marks of that sin in their foreheads are upon a nation or person so though we are to bewail the sin of our nature at all times yet more signally when the strokes of God the remembrancers of it are most signally upon us A Child doth more particularly think of his fault when he is under the correcting rod for it We should scarce think of original sin if we did not feel original punishment All the pains of sin should be considered as Gods Sermon to us and we should under them be afflicted with that sin as we may suppose Adam and Eve were when they first heard the punishment denounc'd in Paradice when they had a sense of the flourishing Condition they had lost for a slight temptation To turn sorrow for pain into sorrow for our first sin is to spiritualize our grief and sanctify our passion 3. What an argument for patience under punishments is here The continuance of them doth not hinder our Salvation Shall a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sin For such a punishment that doth not hinder his eternal welfare but by the grace of God and the exercise of Faith rather promote it God promised as well as threatned both his mercy and righteousness directs him to that which is most for his honour and our good Let us not by any impatience charge infinite wisdom with blindness or unrighteousness They were punishments at first but by Faith in Christ the deportment of a judge is changed into that of a Father Drusius hath an observation Psal 56.10 In God will I praise his word in the Lord will I praise his word The first word Elohim is a name belonging to God as a judg the 2d word Jehovah is a name of mercy I will praise God whether he deal with me in a way of justice or in a way of mercy when he hath thunder in his voice as well as when he hath hony under his tongue Oh how should we praise God and pleasure our selves by such a frame When our distresses ly hard upon us we should justify Gods holiness So the Psalmist or rather Christ in the bearing our
require food to keep it alive A good man in this case is like the Planets which though they be turned about daily from East to West by the motion of the primum mobile yet they still keep up their proper motion from West to East either slower or quicker 2. Not in a customary commission of any known sin To work iniquity is the proper character of natural men hence called workers of iniquity Psal 5.5 Thou hatest all workers of iniquity And by the same title are they called by Christ at the Day of Judgment Depart from me all you workers of iniquity that contrive lay the plat-form of it and work at it as at a Trade or as a curious piece of Art 'T is one thing to sin another to commit or do a sin Psal 119 3. They do not iniquity they walk in his ways their usual constant course is in the way of God they do not iniquity they settle not to it take not pleasure in it as their work and way of livelihood So it is the character of an ungodly man to walk in the ways of sin Walking according to the course of the world and fulfilling the desires of the flesh are one and the same thing Ephes 2.2 3. A good man may step into a way of sin but he walks not in it to make it either his business or recreation So walking in sin and living in sin are put together What is called walking after the flesh Rom. 8.1 is called living after the flesh v. 13. which is the same with committing sin in the Text So ways and doings are joyned together Zach. 1.6 To make sin our way or walk is when a man chuses it as a particular trade and way of living A good man in sin is out of his way a wicked man in sin is in his way a good man will not have so much as one way of sin a wicked hath many ways for he seeks out many inventions Not one Example of the gross fall of a good man in Scripture will countenance any pretence for a course in sin for either they were not in a course of sin or it was not a course of known sins Noah was drunk but once yet that was not a sin of the same hue with that among us He first found out the fruits of the Vine Gen. 9.20 knew nothing of the strength of the Grape and therefore might easily be overcome by an unusual liquor Lot's Incest was but twice and that unwillingly He knew not his Daughters lying down or rising neither time Gen. 19.33 35. And for his Daughters some think that they thought there was no man left upon the Earth but their Father but that is not clear for Lot had been in Zoar and departed thence to the Mountain where their fact was committed His drunkenness admits of some aggravations it was no fit season for him to swill after so sharp a Judgment upon Sodom so severe a remark of God upon his Wife and so great a deliverance to himself Yet this was not a course of sin you read no more of it There is difference between a mans being drunk and being a drunkard the one notes the act the other the habit and love of it Peter denied Christ yet but three times together not three times with considerable intervals for a full deliberation 'T is probable Peter's Faith was so stupified as well as the Faith of those Disciples that were going to Emmaus Luke 24.21 We trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel who and indeed all the Disciples in several passages seem'd to expect a temporal Kingdom to be erected by him as therefore not to judge it fit to hazard himself for a person he thought himself so much mistaken in Howsoever it was it was not a course of sin and his Repentance over-rules the plea for any customary transgression And though the Corinthians were charged with Fornication and eating things sacrificed to Idols yet it seems to be out of a corrupt Judgment as appears by the Apostles disputing against the one 1 Cor. 6.13 14 15. and against the other 1 Cor. 8. And that neither of those were generally judged to be sins by the converted Gentiles as appears by the Decree of the Apostles Acts 15.28 29. where they determine against both these though this was a course of sin yet not a course of known sins and after they were informed by the Apostle of the sinfulness of them they abstain'd therefore in the second Epistle * The first Epistle was writ the 25th year after the death of Christ and 2d Epistle the 26th year according to Baronias writ the year after to them he charges them not with those former crimes but comforts them for their being so much cast down with sorrow David's sin though lying upon him for about ten or twelve months yet it was not a course of sin and we find a signal Repentance afterwards but of that after To walk in a road of known sins is the next step to committing sin as sin and manifests the habit of sin to have a strong and fixed dominion in the will I shall confirm this by some Reasons because upon this Proposition depend all the following 1. Regeneration gives not a man a dispensation from the Law of God As Christ came not to destroy the Law but to establish it so grace doth not dispense with the Law but confirms the Authority of it Habitual grace is not given us to assist us in the breaches of it but to enable us to the performance of it As the grace of God which hath appeared to all men teaches the Doctrine of Holiness so the grace of God in us enables us to walk in the way of holiness Grace in a Believer embraceth what the grace of God teaches The Moral Laws of God are indispensable in themselves and of eternal verity Therefore as no rational creature much less can a regenerate person be exempted from that obedience to the Law which as a rational creature he is bound to observe The grace of God justifying is never conferred without grace sanctifying 'T is certain where Christ is made righteousness he is made sanctification 'T is not congruous to the Divine Holiness to look upon a person as righteous who hath not a renewed principle in him no more than it is congruous to the Divine Justice and Holiness to look upon him as righteous meerly for this principle so imperfect 2. 'T is not for the honour of God to suffer a custom and course of sin in a renewed man 'T is true a renewed man should not voluntarily nor doth commit willingly even sins of lighter infirmities but God suffers those because they do not wound the honour of Christianity though they discover a remoteness from a state of perfection But they do not customarily fall into great sins for it seems not congruous to permit such courses commonly in any one which would disgrace Religion and make that
stand good in law because the crossing of the book implies the Satisfaction of the debt A debt may be read in our manner of writing in a crossed book but it cannot be pleaded God may after pardon read our sins in the book of his Omniscience but not charge them upon us at the bar of his Justice 2. Gods willingness to pardon Blots not razeth He engraves them not upon marble he writes them not with a pen of Iron or point of a diamond writing upon wax is easily made plain 3. The extent of it Blotting serves for a great debt as well as a small a thousand pound may as well and as soon be dasht out by a blot as a thousand pence 4. The quickness of it upon repentance It takes more time to write a debt in a book than to cross it out one blow would obliterate a great deal of writing upon wax Sins that have been contracting many years when God pardons he blots out in a moment 2. Covering as it alludes to the drowning the Aegpytians is exprest by casting into the depths of the Sea Micah 7.19 Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea This notes also 1. Gods willingness to pardon Casts them not lays them gently aside but flings them away with violence as things that he cannot endure the sight of and is resolved never to take notice of them more 2. Gods reality in pardon He will cast their sins as far as the arm of his omnipotency can reach If there be any place further than the depths of the Sea thither they shall be thrown out of the sight of his justice 3. The extent All their sins The Sea covered Aegyptian Princes as well as the people The mighty Lord as well as the Common Souldier sank like lead in those mighty waters 4. The Duration of it The Sea vomits up nothing that it takes into its lower bowels things cast into the depths of the Ocean never appear more Rivers may be turned and drain'd but who can lave out the Ocean 2. Not imputing Not putting upon account not charging the debt in a legal process To this is aequivalent the expression of not remembring Isa 43.25 I will not remember their sins An act of oblivion is past upon sin This notes 1. That God will not exact the debt of thee God doth not absolutely forget sin for what he knows never slips out of his knowledg So that his not remembring is rather an act of his will than a defect in his understanding As when an act of oblivion is passed the fact committed is not Physically forgotten but legally because the fear of punishment is removed God puts them out of the memory of his wrath though not out of the memory of his knowledge He doth remember them paternally to chastize thee for them though not judicially to condemn thee 2. Not upbraid thee Not with a scornful upbraiding mention them to cast thee off but with a merciful renewing the remembrance of them upon thy Conscience to excite thy repentance and keep thee with in the due bounds of humility and reverence More particularly the nature of pardon may be explained in these Propositions We must not think that these expressions as they denote pardon do intimate in this act the taking away of the being of sin nature of sin or demerit of sin 1. The being and inherency of sin is not taken away Though sin be not imputed to us yet it is inherent in us The being remains though the power be dethroned By pardon God takes away sin not as it is a pollution of the Soul but as it is an inducement to wrath Though remission and Sanctification are concomitants yet they are distinct acts and wrought in a distinct manner 2. The nature of sin is not taken away Justification is a relative change of the person not of the sin for though God will not by an act of his justice punish the person pardoned yet by his holiness he cannot but hate the sin because though it be pardoned it is still contrary to God and enmity against him 'T is not a change of the native malice of the sin but a non-imputation of it to the offender Though the person sinning be free from any indictment yet sin is not freed from its malitia and opposition to God For though the law doth not condemn a justified person because he is translated into another state yet it condemns the acts of sin though the guilt of those acts doth not redound upon the person to bring the wrath of God upon him Though David had the sins of murther and adultery pardon'd yet this pardon did not make David a righteous person in those acts for it was murther and adultery still and the change was not in his sin but in his Soul and state 3. The Demerit of sin is not taken away As pardon doth not alter sins nature so neither doth it alter sins demerit for to merit damnation belongs to the nature of it so that we may look upon our selves as deserving Hell though the sin whereby we deserve it be remitted Pardon frees us from actual condemnation but not as considered in our own persons from the desert of condemnation As when a King pardons a thief he doth not make the theft to become formally no theft or to be meritoriously no capital crime Upon those two grounds of the nature and demerit of sin a justified person is to bewail it and I question not but the consideration of this doth add to the triumph and Hallelujahs of the glorified Souls whose chief work being to praise God for redemption they cannot but think of the nature and demerit of that from which they were redeemed Rev. 5.13 4. The guilt of sin or obligation to punishment is taken away by pardon Sin committed doth presently by vertue of the law transgressed bind over the sinner to death but pardon makes void this obligation so that God no longer accounts us persons obnoxious to him Peccatum remitti non aliud est quam non imputari ad poenam * Durand lib. 4. dict 1. q. 7 For sin to be pardoned is nothing else but not to be imputed in order to punishment 'T is a revoking the sentence of the law against the sinner and God renouncing upon the account of the Satisfaction made by Christ to his justice any right to punish a believer doth actually discharge him upon his believing from that sentence of the law under which he lay in the state of unbelief and also as he parts with this right to punish so he confers a light upon a believer humbly to challenge it upon the account of the Satisfaction wrought by his surety God hath not only in his own mind and resolution parted with this right of punishing but also given an express declaration of his will 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself i. e. openly renouncing upon Christs account the right to
punish whence follows the non-imputation of sin Not imputing their trespasses unto them The justice of God will not suffer that that sin which is pardoned should be punished for can that be justice in a prince to pardon a thief and yet to bring him to the gallows for that fact Though the malefactor doth justly deserve it yet after a pardon and the word passed it is not justly inflicted God indeed doth punish for that sin which is pardoned Though Nathan by Gods Commission had declared Davids sin pardoned yet the Sword was to stick in the bowels of his family 2 Sam. 12.10 15. The Sword shall never depart from thy house the Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not dye But 1. 'T is not a punishment in order to Satisfaction Because Christs Satisfaction had no flaw in it and stood in need of nothing to eek it out But 't is for the vindication of the honour of Gods holiness that he might not be thought an approver of sin and this was the reason of Davids punishment in the death of his child by Bathsheba 2 Sam. 12.14 Because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to Blaspheme 2. 'T is not so much poenal as medicinal A judg Commands a hand to be cut off that is for punishment a Physician and a Father order the same but for the Patients cure and the preservation of the body And though God after pardon acts not towards his people in the nature of a Judg yet he never lays aside the authority and affection of a Father We are delivered from a Judges wrath but not from a Fathers anger In that remarkable dumbness inflicted upon Zachary for his unbelief Luk 1.18.20 there was a confirmation of his Faith as well as the chastisement of his incredulity The Angel upon his unbelieving desire of a sign gives him a Testimony of the truth of his errand but such an one that should make him feel in some measure the smart of his unbelief 3. If it be penal 't is not the eternal punishment due to sin 'T is but temporary and not embittered by wrath which is the gall of punishment This taking off the obligation to punishment is the true nature of pardon Which will be evident from 2 Sam. 19.19 Let not my Lord impute iniquity unto me Shimei desires David not to impute iniquity and not to remember it It was not in Davids power absolutely to forget it and Shimei's confessing the fact with those circumstances in verse 20. was enough to recall it to Davids memory if he had forgot it but he desires David not to bring him to satisfy the penalty of the law for reviling his Soveraign II. The Author of Pardon God For pardon is the Soveraign prerogative of God whereby he doth acquit a believing Sinner from all obligation to Satisfactory punishment upon the account of the Satisfaction and Righteousness of Christ apprehended by Faith 1. 'T is Gods act Remission is the Creditors not the Debtors act though the Debtor be obliged in Justice to pay the debt yet there is no obligation upon the Creditor to demand the debt because it is at his liberty to renounce or maintain his right to it and God hath as much power as man to relax his right provided it be with a Salvo to his own honour and the holiness of his nature which he cannot deny for the sinners safety as the Apostle tells us God cannot deny himself Yet properly say some though sin be a debt God is not to be considered in pardon as a Creditor because sin is not a pecuniary debt but a criminal and so God is to be considered as a governor law-giver guardian and executor of his laws and so may dispence with the severities of them If an inferior person tear an indictment it may be brought again into Court but if the chief Magistrate order the casting it out who can plead it 'T is Gods act and if God justifies who can condemn Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifies who shall condemn That God absolves thee that hath power to condemn thee that God who enacted the law whereby thou art sentenced proclaims the Gospel whereby thou art reconcil'd 'T is an offended God who is a foregiving God that God whose name thou hast prophaned whose patience thou hast abused whose laws thou hast violated whose mercy thou hast slighted whose justice thou hast dared and whose glory thou hast stained 2. 'T is not only his act but his prerogative and he only can do it God is the party wronged Nemo potest remittere de jure alieno This prerogative he glories in as peculiar to himself the thoughts of this honour are so sweet to him that he repeats it twice as a title he will not share with another Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blots out thy transgressions Pardoning offenders is one of a Princes royalties And this is reckoned among his Regalia as a choice flower and jewel in his Crown Exod. 34.7 for giving iniquity transgressions and Sins A Prince punisheth by his ministers but pardons by himself And indeed God is never so glorious as in acts of mercy Justice makes him terrible but mercy renders him amiable When Moses desired to see God in his royalty and best perfections he displays himself in his goodness Exod. 33.18 Shew me thy glory v. 19. I will make all my goodness pass before thee I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious And though the Apostles had a power of Remission and binding that was only ministerial and declarative like that prophetical power which Jeremy had to root up nations and destroy Jerm 1.10 i. e. to declare Gods will in such and such Judgments as he should send him to pronounce Men cannot pardon an infinite wrong done to an infinite justice Forgiveness belongs to God as 1. Proprietor He hath a greater right to us than we have to our selves 2 Soveraign He is Lord over us as we are his creatures 3. Governour of us as we are parts of the world 3. 'T is an act of his mercy Not our merit Though there be a conditional connexion between pardon and repentance and Faith yet there is no meritorious connexion ariseth from the Nature of those graces but remission flows from the gracious indulgence of the promise 'T is the very tenderness of mercy the meltings of inward bowels Luke 1.78 To give knowledg of Salvation and Remission of their sins through the tender mercies of our God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inexhaustible mercy Psal 86.5 Thou Lord art ready to forgive and art plenteous in mercy A multitude of tender mercies Psal 51.1 What Arithmetick can count all the bublings up of mercy in the breast of God and all the glances and all the doles of his pardoning grace towards his creatures And he keeps this mercy by him as in a treasury to
this purpose Exod. 34.7 keeping mercy for thousands forgiving inquity c. And is still as full as ever as the sun which hath influenced so many animals and vegetables and expelled so much darkness and cold is still as a strong man able to run the same race and perform by its light and heat the same operations When mercy shews it self in state with all its train it is but to usher in pardoning grace Exod. 34.6.7 not a letter not an attribute that makes up the composition of that name but is a friend and votary of mercy And that latter clause a learned man explains of Gods clemency He will by no means clear the guilty visiting the Iniquity of the Fathers c. which he renders thus He will not utterly cut off and destroy but when he doth visit the sins of the Fathers upon the Children it shall be but to the third or fourth Generation not for ever This name of God is urged by Moses Number 14.17 Now I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great the Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity and transgression and by no means clearing the guilty visiting the iniquity c. Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy Where Moses repeats this clause more particularly than he doth the other parts of his name which surely he would not have done and pleaded it as a Motive to God to pardon Israel if he had not understood it of God's clemency for otherwise he had dwelt more upon the argument of Justice than upon that of mercy which had not been proper to edg his present petition with Nay it is such pure mercy the genuine birth of mercy that it partakes of its very name as Children bear the name of their Father Heb. 8.12 I will be merciful to their iniquity which in the Prophet Jer. 31.34 whence the Apostle quotes it is I will forgive their iniquity That it is so will appear because 1. No attribute could be the first motive of pardon but this His Justice would loudly cry for vengeance and flame out against ungrateful sinners His holiness would make him abhor not only the embraces but the very sight or such filthy creatures as we are His power would attend to receive and execute the Commands of his justice and holiness did not compassion step in to qualify 2. Vnconstrained mercy Men pardon many times because they are too weak to punish But God wants not power to inflict Judgments neither doth man want weakness to sink under it Rom. 5 6. When we were without strength Christ dyed for us God wanted not sufficient reason to justify a severe proceeding both in the quality of sin every sin being a contrariety to the law Soveraignty work glory yea the very being of God now for God to pardon that which would pull him out of his throne hath blemished the creation robs him of his honour must be an act of the richest and purest mercy And in the quantity multitudes of sins of this cursed quality as numerous as motes in the Sun-beams 'T is impossible for the nimblest Angel to write down the extravagancies of men committed in the space of twenty four hours if he could know all the operations of heir Souls as well as their outward actions all those God doth see simul semel and yet is ready to pardon in the midst of numberless provocations 3. Resolv'd and designed mercy 'T is not through inadvertency and insensibleness of the aggravating circumstances of them God must needs know the nature and circumstances of all those sins he himself laid upon Christ Yea God hath an actuated knowledge of all when he is about to pardon Isa 43.22 God reckons up their sins of omissions They had been weary of him and had not brought to him their small Cattle had preferr'd their Lambs and Kids before his Service wearied him with their iniquities endeavoured to tire him out of the Government of the World What could one have expected after this black Scroul but Fire-balls of Wrath Yet he blots them out v. 25. though all those sins were fresh in his memory Nay the Name we have profaned becomes our Solicitor Ezek. 36.22 For my holy Names sake which you have profaned 4 Delightful and pleasant mercy He delights in pardoning mercy as a Father delights in his Children He is therefore called the Father of mercy Micah 7.18 he pardons iniquity and retains not his anger for ever because he delights in mercy Never did we take so much pleasure in sinning as God doth in forgiving Never did any penitent take so much pleasure in receiving as God doth in giving a pardon He so much delights in it that he counts it his wealth Riches of grace riches of mercy glorious riches of mercy no Attribute else is called his riches He sighs when he must draw his Sword Hos 11.8 How shall I give thee up O Ephraim But when he blots out iniquity then it is I even I am he that blots out your transgressions for my Names sake His delight in this is equal to the delight he hath in his Name This is pure mercy to change the Tribunal of Justice into a Throne of Grace to bestow pardons where he might inflict punishments and to put on the deportment of a Father instead of that of a Judge 4. The Act of his Justice Those Attributes which seem contrary are joyned together to produce forgiveness Yet God is not to be considered in pardon only as Judex but paternus Judex there is a composition of Judge and Father in this act Free Grace on God's part but Justice upon the account of Christ That God will accept of a satisfaction is Mercy that he will not forgive without a satisfaction is Justice Mercy forgives it in us though Justice did punish it in Christ Christ by his death paid the debt and God by the Resurrection of Christ discharged the debt and therefore the Justice of God is engaged to bestow pardon upon a Believer God set forth Christ as a propitiation that he might be just and therefore a justifier of him that believes Rom. 3.26 Either the debt is paid or not if not then Christ's Death is in vain if it be then God's Justice is so equitable as not to demand a second payment Therefore another Apostle joyns faithful and righteous it might have been faithful and merciful faithful and loving but faithful and righteous or just takes in the Attribute which is most terrible to man 1 John 1.9 He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isay joyns both together a just God and a Saviour Isa 45.21 So that here is unspeakable comfort That which engaged God formerly to punish man engageth him now to pardon a Believer That which moved him to punish Christ doth excite him to forgive thee 5. The Act of his Power 'T is a sign of a noble and
generous mind to pass over offences and injuries Sick and indigent persons are the most peevish and impatient and least able to concoct an injury And when we kindle into a flame upon the least sparks of a wrong the Apostle tells us we are overcome of evil Rom. 12.21 Be not overcome of evil We become captives to our angry passions speedy revenge in us being an act of weakness the contrary must be an act of power over our selves God 's not executing the fierceness of his Anger is laid upon his being a God and not man Hos 11.9 God's Infinite Power gives a rise to pardon Micah 7.18 Who is a God like to thee that pardons iniquity Junius and Tremellius render it Who is a strong God and the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will bear it Let the power of my Lord be great saith Moses Numb 14.17 The word Jigdal is written with a great Jod to shew say the Jews that it is more than an ordinary power to command ones self when injured Therefore when God proclaims his pardoning Name he ushers it in with names of power The Lord the Lord God Exod. 34.6 'T is a greater work to forgive than to prevent the commission of sin as it is a greater work to raise a dead man than to cure a sick man one is a work of Art the other belongs only to Omnipotency III. The Manner of it How it is carried on 1. On God's part by Christ 1. By his Death He is the Scape-Goat upon whom our sins are laid Isa 53.6 Our sins are made Christ's and Christ's righteousness is made ours He is said to be made sin for us and we are said to be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 a blessed exchange for us he bore that wrath indured those torments suffered those strokes of Justice which were due to us The pardon of sin doth cost us confessions and tears but it cost Christ blood and unknown pains as the Greek Liturgy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have mercy on us 1. Laid upon him by God God appropriates this work to himself Zach. 3.9 I will engrave the engraving thereof speaking of the Stone which is the same with his Servant the branch As a Stone is cut with a Chizzel which makes deep furrows in it so did God deal with Christ and that in order to the taking away of sin I will remove the iniquity of that Land in one day viz. the Day of Christ's suffering By that Offering of himself he shall perfectly satisfie me Therefore it is called the will of God in order to the taking away sin Heb. 10.9 10. compared with v. 11 12. I come to do thy will by which will we are sanctified which will was to take away sin For v. 11. that was the end of his Sacrifice the Legal Sacrifices not being able to do it God did not only consent to it or give a bare grant but it was a propense and affectionate motion of his heart Isa 53.10 It pleased the Lord to bruise him Hence did the Angels sing at his Birth Glory to God in the highest peace on Earth and good will towards men The peace he was to procure was the fruit of God's good will towards us 2. Voluntarily undertaken by Christ Heb. 10.5 7. Lo I come I delight to do thy will O my God Willingness in the entrance of the work willingness to take a body and willingness to lay down that body He had as it were a Fever of Affection a combustion in his bowels till it was finished In his greatest Agonies he did not repent of his undertaking or desire to give it over He cryed indeed to his Father that this Cup might pass from him but he presently submits If there be no other way to save sinners I will pass on through Death and Hell to do it When he was afflicted and oppâ—essed he murmured not at it Isa 53.7 He opened not his mouth he opened not his mouth it is twice repeated to shew his willingness And God was highly pleased with him for this very reason because he did pour out his Soul and bore the sins of many and maâ—â—â—rcession for the transgressors All which expressions denote his earnestness and readiness in it 2. By his Resurrection His Death is the payment his Resurrection the discharge Rom. 4. ult Who was delivered for our offences and rose again for our Justification Not that we are formally justified by the Resurrection of Christ but that thereby God declar'd that whosoever believes in him should be justified upon that believing For if Câ—â—â—â—â— had not risen there had been no certainty of the payment of the debt In h s Death he pays the Sun as he is our Surety and in his Resurrection he hath his Quietus est out of God's Exchequer God will not have this payment from Christ which he hath acknowledged himself publickly to be satisfied with and from Believers too For upon his Resurrection he sent him to bless men Acts 3. ult God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you How In turning away every one of you from his iniquity It being a great encouragement to turn men from sin when God had thus declar'd them pardonable by the Resurrection of his Son 2. On our parts by Faith Faith is as necessary in an instrumental way as Christ in a meritorious way Acts 26.18 That they may receive forgiveness of sins by Faith that is in me Christ purchaseth a pardon but Faith only puts us into possession of a pardon yet it cannot from its own worth challenge forgiveness at the hands of God but upâ—â— the account of Christ who hath merited forgiveness Though the King grants a pardon to a condemned Malefactor yet he may be executed unless he pleads it the next Assizes though he hath it lying by him So unless we sue it out and accept of it by Faith all Christ's purchase will not advantage us Faith looks not barely upon the sufferings of Christ but upon his end and design in it It looks not upon his Passion as a story but as a Testament and you seldom find the Death of Christ mentioned in the New Testament without expressing the end of it This forgiveness by Christ's Death as the meritorious cause shews 1. God's willingness to pardon If God did delight in the Death of Christ it was not surely simply in his Death for could a Father delight to tear out the bowels of his Son The afflictions of his People go to his heart much more would the sufferings of his darling God had more delight in forgiveness than grief at his Sons sufferings for he never repented of it though our Saviour besought him with tears And that God who were never deaf to any that called upon him nor ever will be would not hear his only Son in the request to take the Cup from him or abate any thing of the weight o◠〈◊〉 â—ufferings because it was necessary for the
have a continuance of pardon by his actual Sacrifice upon which the validity of all the former mediatory acts did depend Since now there is no more remembrance of Sin by the continuance of legal sacrifices his being so absolutely compleat Therefore God hath erected a standing Office of Advocacy for Christ 1 Joh. 2.1 in Heaven for the representing of his wounds and satisfaction and bespeaking a continuance of grace to us He is said to be the lamb that taketh away the sins of the world John 1.29 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath taken or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will take but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which notes actum perpetuum the constant effect of his death And since as I said before Christ hath an higher portion than others because he loved righteousness in this portion he hath a joy and gladness but his joy would certainly be sullied if pardon should not be continued to those for whom he purchased it 5. The worth of it That must be of incomparable value that was purchased at so great a price as the Blood of God Acts 20.28 So it is called by reason of the union of the divine nature with the humane constituting one person 'T is Blood which all the Gold and Silver and the Stones and Dust of the Earth turned into Pearls could not equal God understood the worth of it who in justice would require no more of his Son at least than the thing was worth not a drop of Blood more than the value of it Neither surely would Christ who could not be mistaken in the just price have parted with more than was necessary for the purchase of it It would have beggar'd the whole Creation to have paid a price for it The Prayers and Services of a gracious Soul though God delights in them could not be a sufficient recompence And the bare mercy of God without the concurrence of his provokt justice could not grant it though his Bowels naturally are troubled at the afflictions of his Creatures IV. Extensiveness fulness or perfectness of pardon 1. In the Act forgiving covering not imputing 2. In the Object iniquities transgressions and sins 1. Perfect in respect of state God retains no hatred against a pardoned person He never imputes sin formally because he no more remembers it though virtually he may to aggravate the offence a Believer hath fallen into after his justification So Job possessed the sins of his youth And Christ tacitly put Peter in remembrance of his denial of him The grant is compleat here though all the fruits of remission are not enjoyed till the day of judgment and therefore in Scripture sin is said then to be forgiven 'T is a question whether Believers sins will be mentioned at the day of judgment Some think they will because all men are to give an account Methinks there is some evidence to the contrary Our Saviour never mentioned the unworthy carriage of his Disciples to him in his sufferings and after his resurrection seems to have removed from him all remembrance of it 'T is not to be expected that a loving Husband will lay open the faults of his tender Spouse upon the day of the publick solemnization of the nuptials But if it be otherwise 't is not to upbraid them but to enhance their admirations of his grace He will discover their graces as well as their sin and unstop the Bottles of their tears as well as open the Book of their transgressions Our Saviour upon Maries anointing him applauds her affection but mentions not her former iniquity It must needs be perfect 1. All Gods Actions are suitable to his Nature What God doth he doth as a God And is he perfect in his other works and not in his Mercy which is the choicest flower in his Crown God sees blacker circumstances in our sins than an inraged Conscience or a malicious Devil can represent But God pardons not according to our apprehensions which though great in a tempestuous Conscience yet are not so high as Gods knowledge of it 2. The Cause of pardon is perfect Both the mercy of God and the merits of Christ are immutably perfect 'T is for his own glory his own mercies sake that he pardons He will not dimm the lustre of his own Crown by leaving the effect of his glory imperfect or satisfying the importunities of his mercy by halves The Saints in Heaven have not a more perfect righteousness whereby they continue their standing than those on Earth have for though inherent righteousness here is stain'd yet imputed upon which pardon is founded is altogether spotless A righteousness that being infinite in respect of the person hath a sufficiency for Devils had it a congruity but it hath both for us because manifested in our natures 2. In respect of the Objects Sinful nature sinful habits sinful dispositions pardon'd at once though never so heinous 1. For quality There was no limitation as to the deepness of the wounds caused by the Fiery Serpents in the Wilderness the precept of looking upon them extended to the cure of all let the sting reach never so deep the wound be never so wide or sharp and his sight be never so weak if he could but cast his Eye upon the Brazen one The Commission Christ gave to his disciples was to preach the Gospel to every Creature Mark 16.15 every Humane Creature the worst as well as the best though you meet with monstrous sinners in the likeness of Beasts and Devils except none from suing out a pardon in the court of mercy The Almightiness of his mercy doth as much transcend our highest iniquities as it doth our shallowest apprehensions Our sins as well as our substance are but as the Dust of the Ballance as easily to be blown away by his grace as the other puft into nothing by his power No sin is excepted in the Gospel but that against the holy Ghost because it doth not stand with the honour of God to pardon them who wilfully scorn the means and account the Redeemer no better than an Impostor No man can expect in reason he should be saved by mercy who by a wilful malice against the Son of God tramples upon the free offers of grace and provokes mercy it self to put on the deportment of justice and call in revenging wrath to its assistance for the vindication of its despised honour The infinite grace of God dissolves the greatest mists as well as the smallest exhalations and melts the thick clouds of sin as well as the little icicles 2. The Quantity Hath God ever put a restraint upon his grace and promise that we shall find mercy if we sin but to such a number and no more 'T is not agreeable to the greatness and majesty of Gods mercy to remit one part of the debt and to exact the other It consists not with the motive of pardon which is his own love to be both a friend and an enemy at the same time in pardoning some
whether your Souls are sure Here I shall 1. Remove false signs whereon men rest and think themselves pardoned 1. The littleness of sin is no ground of pardon Oh may some say my sins are little some tricks of youth some petty oaths or the like The Scripture saith that Drunkards Fornicators Extortioners and Covetous shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven not Great Drunkards only but those that are drunk but now and then as well as those that are Drunkards every day 1. Dost thou know the malignity of the least sin No sin can be called absolutely though it may comparatively little Is it a little God who is offended by sin Is it a little wrath which is poured down on sin Is it a little Christ that hath dyed for sin Is it a little Soul that is destroyed by sin and is it a little Hell that is prepared for sin Is not the least sin Deicidium as much as in a man lieth a destroying of God Did not Christ shed his blood for the least as well as for the greatest Is not Hell kindled by the breath of the Lord for the least as well as the greatest sins Is that little which is Gods burden Christs wound the Spirits grief the penitents sorrow and the Devils Hell Every drop of poison is poison every drop of Hell is Hell every part of sin is sin and hath the destroying and condemning nature of sin Can Angels expiate the least sin or can a thousand worlds be a sufficient recompence for the injury that is done to God by the least sin 2. The less thy sin the less the excuse for thy self 'T is the aggravation of their injustice that they sold the Righteous for a pair of Shoes Amos 2.6 Dost thou undervalue God so as to sell a Righteous and Eternal God so cheap for a little sin Is a little sin dearer to thee than the favour of the great God Is a little sin dearer to thee than an Eternal Hell is grievous To endanger thy Soul for a trifle to lose God for a bubble is a confounding aggravation of it as it was of Judas his sin that he would sell his Saviour for a little Silver for so small a Sum. Sin is not little in respect of the formality of it but in respect of the matter in respect of the temptation and this littleness is an aggravation of sin 3 Dost thou know how God hath punished the least sin A drop of sin may bring a Deluge of Misery An Atom of sin is strong enough to overturn a World It was but an Apple that poisoned Adam and his whole Posterity Less sins are punisht in Hell than are pardoned here God casts off Saul for less sins than he pardoned David for How many Ships have been destroyed upon small Sands as well as great Rocks 2. Fewness of sins is no argument of pardon Conceive if thou canst the amiableness and lustre of the Angels how far beyond the glory of the Sun it was yet one sin divested them of all their glory It was but one sin kindled Hell for the fallen Angels Every sin must receive a just recompence of reward Heb. 2.2 Shall one single sin intitle thee to Hell what will millions of sins then intitle thee to One sin is too much against God Had thy iniquities been never so few Christ must have died to answer the Pleas of his Fathers Justice against thee Every sin is Rebellion against God as a Soveraign undutifulness to God as a Father * Burges Contempt of God as a Governour and preferring the Devil before God the Devil that would destroy and damn thee before God that made thee and preserves thee a preferring the Devil's temptations before God's promises 3. The commonness of sin is no argument of pardon Many Angels combin'd in the first Conspiracy against God but as they were Companions in sin so are they Companions in torments The commonness of Sodoms sin made the louder cry and hastened the severer Judgment Not one Inhabitant escaped but only righteous Lot and his Family Common sins will have common Plagues It doth rather aggravate thy sin than plead for pardon when thou wilt rather follow mens Example to offend God than conform to God's Law to please him Sin was common in the Old World for all flesh had corrupted their ways Gen. 6.12 and all were swept away by the destroying Deluge To walk according to the course of the World is so far from being a foundation of pardon that it is made a Character of a Child of the Devil To walk according to the course of the World is to walk according to the pattern of the Devil and to be in the number of the Children of Wrath Eph. 2.2 Wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the Power of the Air. 4. Forbearance of punishment is no argument of pardon Eccles 8.11 Because Sentence against an evil-work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the Sons of men is fully set in them to do evil Forbearance is made use of by men to make them sin more desperately more headily Fully set all checks silenced and stopt Forbearance is no acquittance it argues not God's forgiving the debt the debt is due though it be not presently sued for and the longer the debt remains unpaid the greater Sum will the Interest amount unto because the longer God doth forbear punishment the longer time thou hast for Repentance the account for that time will run high That God doth not punish is an argument of his patience not of his pardoning mercy God laughs at Sinners he sees their day is coming though they may be jocund and confident of a pardon God's forbearance may be in Justice he may be brewing the Cup and mixing that which thou art to drink Prisoners may be reprieved one Assize and executed the next Reprieval of Execution is no allowance of the Crime or change of the Sentence 5. Prosperity is no sign of pardon Oh! I am not only born with and forborn but I have a great addition of outward contentments since my sin That which you make an argument of pardon may be an argument of condemnation Asaph was much troubled at the prosperity of the wicked but at last saith Pride compasseth them as a Chain and violence covers them as a garment Psal 73.6 That kindness which should have made them melt made them presume That which should broach thy Repentance enflames thy Pride Thy goods may increase thy sins 6. Forgetfulness of thy sin and Commission long ago is no sign of pardon and therefore having no checks for them is no sign of pardon God doth not forget though thou dost no sin slips from the memory of his knowledge though now he doth cast many sins away from the memory of his justice In regard of Gods eternity the first sins are accounted as committed this moment for in that there is no succession of
time and the sins thou hast committed twenty years ago are as fresh as if thou hadst acted them all since thy coming into the congregation Josephs brethren Gen. 37.24 laboured to wipe out the thoughts of their late cruelty by their eating and drinking when the cries and tears of their brother were fresh in their memory and might have dampt their jollity His affliction troubled them not his relation to them his youth and their Fathers Love to him could not make them relent but twenty two years after conscience began to fly in their faces when awakened by a powerful affliction Gen. 42 21. Is not thy conscience oftentimes a remembrancer to thee of thy old forgotten sins and doth it not turn over the old records thou hadst quite forgot 7. Hopes of Gods mercy are no grounds of thy being pardoned Gods mercy is not barely enough for then Christ needed not have dyed for sin Nor Christs death enough without the condition of that covenant whereby God will make over the interest and merits of his death to thee Gods mercy must be considered but in Gods own way God is merciful but his Mercy must not abolish his Truth Doth not a Judges mercy consist with condemning a malefactor God hath been merciful to thee and thou would'st not accept of it thou wouldst not hear mercy speak in a day of grace why then should not justice speak in a day of vengeance Thou would'st not hear a God of mercy when he cryed to thee how then should mercy hear thee when thou comest to begg 2. Some false grounds why those that are pardoned think themselves not pardoned 1. Great afflictions are not signs of an unpardoned state Moses had sinned by unbelief Aaron by making a golden calf God pardoned their sin but took vegeance on their inventions Psal 99.8 Thou wast a God that forgavest them though thou tookest vengeance Nathan in his message to David brings at once both pardon and punishment The sin is removed but the sword must still stick in the bowels of his family 2 Sam. 12 13 14. The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not dye Howbeit because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to Blaspheme the child also that is born unto thee shall surely dye God may afflict temporally when he resolves not to punish eternally What! because he will not condemn thee as a Judg will he not chastize thee as a Father We may well bear a scourge in one hand when we have a pardon sealed in the other God pardons thy sin but there is need of affliction to subdue that stout stubborn heart of thine Psal 89.32 33. God doth visit with rods when he is resolved not utterly to take away his loving kindness from a people 2. Terrors of Conscience are no sign of an unpardoned state We find a pardoned David having broken bones and a rackt Conscience after Nathan had pronounced his pardon when there was no remorse before Psal 51. He had the grant of a pardon but the comfort of a pardon was wanting God may scorch thy Soul when he gives a pardon not that justice is thereby Satisfied but sin more embittered to thee By a pardon thou dost rellish his mercy and by the torments thou mayest have in thy Soul thou wilt understand his Justice He shews thee what he freely gives but he would have thee know what thou hast fully deserved he gives thee pardon but Gall and Wormwood with it that thou mayest know what the purchase of it did cost thy Saviour The Physick which heals causeth pain That Physick which doth not make thee sick is not like to bring thee health God pardons thee that thou mayest be saved he terrifies thee withal that thou mayest not be induced by temptations to sin 3. Sense of sin is no argument of an unpardoned state A pardon may be granted when the poor condemned man expects to be haled out to Execution Mary stands weeping behind her Saviour when Christ was declaring her pardon to Simon That much was forgiven her and afterwards Christ turns to her and cheers her with the news of it Luke 7.44 45 46 47. He pronounceth her pardon v. 48. and the comfort of it v. 50. Thy Faith hath saved thee go in peace The Heavens may drop when now and then the Sun may steal a Beam thorow the Clouds There may be a pardon where there are not always the sensible effects of a pardon We find after the stilling of a Storm the ragings and roulings of the Sea A penitents wound may ake afresh when a Saviours blood drops in mercy 4. The Remainders of sin are not a sign of an unpardoned state Though a Disease be mastered by Physick there may be some grudgings of it in a person Though sin be pardoned yet the dregs of sin will be remaining and sometimes stirring Christ hath enliven'd us not by wholly destroying but pardoning sin Pardon takes away the guilt of sin grace takes away the power of sin but neither pardon nor infusion of grace takes away the nature and all motions of sin for in purging out an humour some dregs still remain behind Col. 2.13 And you hath he quickened together with him having forgiven you all trespasses 3. What are the true signs of a pardoned man 1. Sincerity in our walk A Spirit without guile is made the Character of a pardoned man in the Text There may be failings in the life yet no guile in the heart such a man is a pardoned man A heart that hath no mixtures no pretences or excuses for sin no private reserves from God A heart that as the needle in a Compass stands right for the Interest glory of God answers to the profession as an Eccho to the voice A heart that would thrust out any sin that harboured there would not have an Atom of any filth odious to the Eye of God lurk there Where this sincerity is a willingness and readiness to obey God which is the condition of the Covenant the substance of the Covenant is kept though some particular Articles of it may be broken Grace the pardoning grace of God is with them that love Christ in sincerity Eph. 6. ult Grace be with all them that love Christ Jesus in sincerity Not a man excluded that is sincere though he hath not so sparkling a flame as another yet if he be sincere the Crown of pardoning grace and that of consummating grace shall be set upon his head 2. Mourning for sin A tender heart is a sign of a pardoned state when sin discontents thee because it displeaseth God What showers of tears did Mary Magdalen weep after a pardon Love to God like a gentle fire sets the Soul a melting Tears that come from love are never without pardoning mercy God's bowels do first stir our mournings 'T is impossible a gracious heart can read a pardon with dry Eyes 't is the least it thinks it can do as it
fruit of his waiting 'T is the end of Christs exaltation whether it be meant of his being lifted up on the cross or his exaltation in Heaven 't is true of both that his end is to have mercy upon you 2. God will pardon the greatest sins His infinite compassion cannot exhaust it self by a frequent remiâ—â—ion Mercy holds proportion to Justice as his Justice punisheth little sins as well as great so doth mercy pass by great sins as well as little Your highest sins are the sins of men but the mercy offered is the mercy of a God The debt you owe is a vast debt but Christs Satisfaction is of a greater value and a Kings revenue may well pay a beggers debts though she owe many thousands the first day of marriage Multiplied sins upon repentance shall meet with multiplied pardons Isay 55.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abundantly pardon We cannot vie our sins with Gods mercy The grace of God and righteousness of Christ which are necessary for the remission of one sin are infinite and no more is requisite for the pardon of the greatest yea of the sins of the whole world if they were upon thy single score The grace conferred upon Paul was more than would suit his necessity 1 Tim. 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Superabound and the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant enough to have pardoned a whole world as well as Paul like the Sun that emits as much heat in his beams upon one puddle as is enough not only to exhale the moisture of that but of a 100 more Suppose thou art the greatest sinner that ever was yet extant in the world do not think that God who hath snatcht so many firebrands of Hell out of the Devils hands will neglect such an opportunity to make his grace illustrious upon thy humble Soul If God hath given thee repentance it is a certain evidence he will follow it with a pardon though thy sins be of a deeper scarlet than ever yet was seen upon the earth for if he did not mean to bestow this he would never have bestowed upon thee the necessary condition of it Is there not a sinner can equal thee Then surely God is wiser than to lose the highest opportunity he yet had to evidence his superlative grace And therefore 1. Continue thy humiliations There must be a conformity between Christ and thee he was humbled when he purchased remission and you must be humbled when you receive it God will not part with that very cheap that cost his Son so dear though thou art not at the expence of the blood of thy Soul thou must be at the expence of the blood of thy Sins When a man comes to be deeply affected with his sin then God sends a message of peace Isay 6 6 7. Then flew one of the Seraphims and laid a live coal upon his mouth and said thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin purged When v. 5. he had cryed out woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips The way to have a debt forgiven is to acknowledge it Ps 32.5 I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin God stood as ready to forgive Davids unrighteousness as he was ready to confess it Mercy will not save a man without making him sensible of and humbled for his iniquity Put thy business therefore into Christs hands and submit to what terms he will impose upon thee 2. In thy Supplications plead his glory You find this the constant argument the people of God in the Scripture use for the prevailing with God for forgiveness That argument is most comfortably pleaded which God Loves most and whereunto he orders all his actions No stronger motive can be used to him to grant it than that whereby he excites himself to bestow it When thou beggest other things thou mayest dishonour God but God cannot be a loser of his glory in granting this Lord if thou turnest me into Hell where is the glory of thy mercy upon thy creature Nay where is the glory of thy justice my eternal torments not being able to compensate the injury done to thee by sin so much as the suffering of thy only Son whose death I desire to share in and whose terms I am willing to submit to 3. Exhortation to those that are pardoned 1. Admire this grace of God To pardon one sin is a greater thing than to create a world to pardon one sin is greater than to damn a world God can create a world without the death of a creature he can damn a world without the death of the Creator but in pardoning there must be the death of the Creator the Son of God 2. Serve God much Is the guilt of sin the cord that bound thee taken off It is fit that when thou art so unfettered thou should'st run the ways of Gods Commandments A sense of pardon of sin makes the Soul willing and ready to run upon Gods errands and to obey his Commands Isa 6.8 I heard the voice of the Lord saying Whom shall I send Then said I Here am I Then when he had received assurance that his iniquity was taken away v. 7. Gods pardon set thee upon a new stock and therefore he expects thou should'st be full of new clusters 3. Be more fearful of sin Dispute with thy self Hath God pardoned the guilt of sin that it shall not damn me and shall I wallow in the mire of sin to pollute my self Oh thy sins after pardon have a blacker circumstance than the sins of Devils or the sins of wicked men for theirs are not against pardoning mercy not against special Love Oh thaw thy heart every morning with a meditation on pardon and sin will not so easily freeze it in the day time When thou art tempted to sin consider what thoughts thou hadst when thou wert suing for pardon how earnest thou wert for it what promises and vows thou didst make and consider the Love God shewed thee in pardoning Do not blur thy pardon so easily wound thy Conscience or weaken thy faith 4. Be content with what God gives thee If he gives thee Heaven will he deny thee earth He that bestows upon thee the pardon of sin would surely pour into thy bosom the gold of both the Indies were it necessary for thee But thou hast got a greater happiness for it is not said blessed is he that wallows in wealth honour and a confluence of worldly prosperity but Blessed is he whose sin is forgiven and whose iniquity is covered FINIS THE INDEX OF THE Principal Matters contain'd in the Discourse of DIVINE PROVIDENCE A ACtions all under God's Providence page 9 10 11 Many can be ascribed to nothing else page 15 16 17 Affections of God to his Church page 69 v. Church Affections made subservient to Gods designs page 14 Of good Men impeach not Providence à page 21. ad 27 Make them not
miserable but better page 24 5 6 Better than the wickeds prosperity page 25 Stoutness under them a reflection on providence page 36 Thoughts of providence a cordial under them page 41. Angels not qualified to govern the world page 3 4 Good and bad the object of Gods providence page 7 8 Good how employ'd for the Churches good page 54 5 6 Subjected to Christ for this end page 56 Pray for the Church page 72 B Bad persons and things order'd for the Churches good à page 57 ad 59. Blessing not to seek it of God reflects on providence page 33 Boasting reflects on providence page 39 C Casual things ordered by providence page 15 Censuring God in dark providences to be avoided page 86 87 Changes sudden ones caused by God on mens Spirits page 15 Children of God the meanest taken notice of by him page 60 One of them more valued than all the world by him page 69 Should be esteemed by the World page 75 Thoughts of Gods providence a comfort to them in their meaness page 77 Christ the great object of God's providence page 7 All providences for the glorifying his grace in him page 62 Intercedes for his Church page 72 Church God hath given her his choicest things page 61 62 He will always have one page 72 Shall be protected in greatest exigencies page 73 Shall be victorious over all page 74 A folly to contend against her page 76 God's affection to her to be imitated page 93 Conceptions of God false the ground of a denial of providence page 31 Concourse of God to Sin what page 18 19 Blemishes not his holiness page 19 20 Conscience its gripes set men on the denial of providence page 31 Counsels of men infatuated by God page 16 Made subservient to ends contrary to Mens designs page 17 Creatures the meanest objects of providence page 7 8 9. Curses turn'd by God into blessings to his Church page 57 D Devils under providence page 8 Over-rul'd to promote the good of the church page 57. Direction not seeking it of God reflects on providence page 33 Distrust of God when there are no visible means reflects on it too page 36 Divisions turn'd to the churches good page 58 E Ends of God higher than Mens page 12 Several in the same action and remote Ib Attaind by contrary means page 17 God hath some in all his Actions page 50 His great one what Ib. Envy a denial of providence page 37 Events many can be ascribed only to Providence page 15 16 17 Experience gain'd by Afflictions page 25 Extremities providence a comfort under them page 78 The time God takes for deliverance and why à page 79 ad 84 F Faith supported by Studying former providences page 88 To be acted on providence page 90 91 Fancies by them God can ruine men page 17 Fear of the Churches enemies disswasions from it page 84 5 6 G Gifts of all men for the churches good page 53 4 Glory of every Providence to be given to God page 49 v. Instruments Of God discovered in the church page 66 Gospel furthered by the wicked page 58 Good things and persons all for the churches good à page 51 ad 57 Government of the World God's right to it page 3 Onely God qualified for it page 3 4 No reason why he should not manage it page 4 5 Actually managed by him and wherein page 5 6 His wisdom and goodness in it page 42 Put into Christs hands and managed by him for the Churches good page 63 4 5 Grace common in bad men for the Churches good page 53 54 H Histories advice in reading them page 53 I Impatience under Afflictions reflects on providence page 38 39 Inequality necessary to the good Government of the World page 23 Not so great as men Imagine page 23 Instruments to praise them more than God reflects on Providence page 34 5 This should not be page 49 v. Glory Praise Interest of God in the World is all in his people page 68 Interpretations wrong ones of providence affront it page 39 40. In his people God overlooks page 69 The rule of them page 47 87 Judging Gods proceedings presumption page 22 Judgments destroying ones ordered for the Churchs good page 57 The ground of most of them page 75 Gods providence a comfort in them page 77 Justice of God glorified by mens Sins page 21 K Knowledg of God extends to all things page 6 L Light natural discovers a providence page 30 Limiting providence reflects on it page 40 M Means God oft uses small contrary casual ones page 13 14 15. Vse of unlawful ones reflects on providence page 35 36 So doth distrust when none are visible page 36 To be used with trusting in God page 44 Onely lawful ones must be used page 44 God never wants page 73 Men good and bad objects of Providence page 7 8 40 Eying them in their actions rather than God reflects on providence page 39 Good the special objects of providence page 40 Mercies stoutness under them reflects on providence page 36 37 To the church preferred by God before justice on the Wicked page 59 60 Murmuring at providence should not be page 46 N Nations their interest order'd as may make most for the churches good page 52 Their interest is to countenance Gods people and worship page 74 Natural things their course and the alteration of it for the churches good page 52 Necessities of good men shall be supplied page 25 v. Wants O Oppression reflects on Providence page 39 P Patience of God no argument against Providence page 27 Persecution turned to the Churches good page 58 59 v. Sufferings Praise for the Churches mercies to be given to God page 93 v. Glory Instruments Prayer Omission of it reflects on Providence page 32 Should be made in all wants page 42 Of and for the Church pleasing to and prevalent with God page 70 71 72 Enlivened by studying former Providences page 89 To be made for the Church page 93 Presence of God in the Church her safety page 70 Preservation of all things by God page 6 7 Pride a ground of denial of Providence page 30 Prosperity of the wicked doth not impeach Providence page 21 ad 27 At the highest not very great page 23 24 Providence universal not a disparagement but an honour to God page 4 5 8 9 Vniversal à page 7 ad 11 Mysterious page 11 12 13 Proofs that there is one à page 13 ad 17 An Objection against it answered à page 17 ad 21 A second answered à page 21 ad 27 A third answered page 27 28 To deny it absurd and sinful page 28 29 30 The grounds of its denial page 30 31 32 How practically denied contemned abused à page 32 ad 40 Matter of comfort page 40 41 42 Every one designed for the Churches good à page 49 ad 62 Must needs be for that à page 62 ad 72 This a comfort to the Church page 76 Former ones to be
149 226. twofold Page 255. of Christ grounded on the grace of God Page 255. of Saints not imputed Page 1202 3. Ministers how they should preach Page 238. must woo for Christ Page 669. Ministery shall never fail Page 36 †Miracles Conversion of men the greatest Page 239. of Christ confirm'd his mission Page 301 2. alone cannot convert Page 168 239. Misery sense of it preparatory to Regeneration Page 234. always from our selves Page 822. Mission of Christ from the Father Page 303. 672. Morality not sufficient to Salvation Page 47. 't is not Regeneration a Page 106. ad 109. often a hindrance to it never a cause of it Page 148. 170. the gift of God Page 164. owing to Christ's interposition Page 175 6. may be without Faith Page 74. reliance on it a cause of unbelief Page 737. Mortification necessary Page 1314. must be present continued universal Page 1314 5. men must be an agent in it ibid. not the work of nature ibid. difficult ibid. no entrance into heaven without it Page 1315. 1320. the more perfect the clearer assurance Page 1315. a sign of grace ibid. what it is and what not a Page 1315. ad 1318 the trial of it Page 1318 19. pressed Page 1320. directions for it Page 760. 1321. Moses's faith in Christ Page 1164. Motions of our hearts in hearing to be observ'd Page 241. first sinful Page 3 †of the spirit Vid. Spirit Murmurers at Providence unbelievers Page 727 8. N. NAture of man corrupt Vid. Fall Habits Regeneration not an addition to it Page 74. new one communicated to the Regenerate Page 101. humane dignified in Christs exaltation Page 1101. necessarily assumed to satisfie for our sins Page 1200. Vid. Satisfaction Naturals right use of them doth not oblige God to give supernaturals Page 150 226. Necessity and Liberty consistent Page 177. of Christs death impeaches not its voluntariness Page 877. its necessity explained Page 878 a 916. ad 919. proved Page 250 859 555 a 920. ad 950. New Creation and old how they differ Page 151. New Creatures Vid. Regenerate Nourishment of the soul in the Supper Page 760. O. OBedience of Christ in his death Page 312. 903. can 't be without knowledge Page 403. a means of divine knowledge Page 471. Christs Death and Exaltation motives to it Page 65 1107. without it no interest in Christs intercession Page 1153. no compensation to Justice Page 934 5 6. what kind due to Christ a Page 1214. ad 1220. friendship of Christ a motive to it Page 1220. how to perform it Page 1220. deliverances on engagement to it Page 48 †Objects renewed men mind others than formerly Page 83. of the Gospel not above mans faculties Page 142. spiritual inferences to be drawn from occasional ones Page 13 †Occasions of sin enmity to them a mark of Regeneration Page 124. men may avoid them by common grace Page 181. Omission of known duties constant shews men are unbelievers Page 724. a renewed man can't be guilty of Page 89. of Prayer Vid. Prayer Omniscience of God known by the creatures Page 479. belief of it would prevent bad thoughts Page 15 †Opinions false spoil conviction Page 598. change of them not Regeneration Page 106. ungrounded ones contention about them dangerous Page 666. hardly laid aside Page 668. Original corruption sense of it a means of Regeneration Page 62 135 229. the World insensible of it Page 537. the spirit convinces of it Page 580. sense of it the constant duty of all Page 670. 84 †the cause of unbelief Page 730 1. Ordinances can't be improved without Regeneration Page 35. attendance on them a means of it Page 63. 136 229. of themselves can't convert Page 168 9. natural men have a power to attend on them Page 184 5. to be attended on by them and how Page 203 4. all shall continue Page 770 1. 36 †none should add to or detract from Page 774. resting in them sinful Page 818. the holiness of them will not excuse sin in them Page 1821. the glory of them obscured before judgments come Page 65 †where they have been the places of the greatest Judgments Page 66 †Vid. Means of Grace Word P. PArdon without satisfaction doth not shew the love of God so clear as 't is in Christ Page 360. not discoverable by the Creatures Page 501 2. fruit of Christ's Death Page 895. 911. of the ancient Saints when compleat Page 923. daily Christ intercedes for Page 1143. and punishment inconsistent Page 1196. its nature Page 102 3 †God only the Author of it Page 103 †his attributes seen in it Page 104 5 †the manner of it Page 105 6 †on the account of Christ what that implies Page 106 7 8 †its effects Page 110 11 †misery of those that want it Page 111 †comfort to those that have it Page 112 †false signs of it Page 113 †false grounds why pardon'd ones question it Page 115 †signs of it Page 115 †motives to seek it and directions Page 117 †the duties of those that have it Page 118 †Vid. Cleansing Parents should endeavour their Childrens conversion Page 45. Passeover Christ is ours Page 847. a fit type of Christ Page 848. ad 852. Christ eyed in it by ancient Believers ibid. Passion hinders divine knowledge Page 464. oft swayes in Professors Page 666. the cause of a renewed mans sin Page 98 †Patience not without knowledge of God Page 407. of God discovered in Christ Page 500. towards total and partial unbelief great Page 653. 699. a means of perseverance Page 1374. under afflictions reasonable Page 84 †Peace Believers have with all Creatures Page 364 5 6. of Conscience follows Reconciliation Page 369. 912. 110 †with God and Conscience the fruit of Christ's Death Page 896. 898. not perfect here Page 1195. given holy men in calamitous times Page 66 †Perfection to be aimed at Page 129. not attained here Page 167. 202. 671. 1114. 1148. 1284. in Heaven Page 114. 1103. from God only Page 224 5. Perjury Unbelief would make God guilty of it Page 614. Persecution Religion pretended for it Page 554 love to the Saints under it a duty Page 811 12. should not make us cast off obedience Page 1217. encreases and purifies the Church Page 26 7 †promise of the Churches stability a comfort in it Page 39 †when maliciously design'd the wicked destroy'd Page 45 †heinously resented by God Page 69 †Vid. Trouble Perseverance of the Saints asserted Page 94. 115. 223. 225. 1324. 36 †can 't be without knowledge and growth in it Page 415. 455. Christ intercedes for it Page 1145. objections against it answered Page 1333. 1340. the Doctrine of it stated Page 1348 9. absurdities of the contrary Page 1350. should not encourage sloth Page 1366. to be ascribed wholly to Grace Page 1367 8 9. urged and directed a Page 1370. ad 1376. Pleasures in the ways of God great Page 92. 134. 61 â€
of what kind a Page 75. ad 84. 126 235 6. a vital principle Page 84 5. a habit a Page 85. ad 96. a law in the heart a Page 96. ad 100. a likeness to God Page 100. its rarity and whence Page 105 237 242. its trial Page 53. 118. ad 124. 217 237 8. 't is excellent Page 125. 130 133 209 223 227 237. honourable and pleasant Page 133 4. attainable by all Page 135. man not the author of it proved in general a Page 140. ad 147. more particularly a Page 147. ad 175. what man by common grace can do towards it a Page 174. ad 187. why then God commands it c. a Page 187. 197. not by moral suasion only Page 200 1. God the efficient of it Page 205 6 7. necessary he should be a Page 207. ad 210. what attributes of God manifest in it a Page 211. ad 217. what kind of work and low wrought a Page 217. ad 222. 234 5. to be ascribed only to God Page 198 222. the circumstances of it to be considered Page 227. founded on Reconciliation by Christ Page 245. depends on Christs Resurrection Page 326. a means to divine knowledge Page 471. a means to raise good thoughts Page 11 †the Word the instrument of it Vid. Word Regenerate their duty a Page 125. ad 132. 20â— 2 3. a 225. ad 228. 238. to be esteemed Page 111. their sins great Page 111. cannot sin how understood Page 88 9. they only fit to come to the Sacrament a Page 780. ad 784. they may receive it unworthily Page 817. difference between their sins and other mens great a Page 89. ad 100 †Religion the Christian its excellency above all others a Page 343. ad 346 515 648 657 1116 1218. its wonderful propagation Page 209 507 517 614. not to own it to be from God very irrational Page 656 7 8. 699 734. not to act according to it a madness Page 743. Repentance whether Adam in innocence had a power of it Page 189. a very low condition Page 374. not without knowledge Page 407. kept in life how Page 843. can 't satisfie or expiate sin Page 932 951. not right without mourning for others sins Page 75 †Vid. Godly Sorrow Reproach the friendship of Christ a comfort under it Page 1219. Reproof a good man can't despise it Page 95 †Resistance of grace by men Page 146. of sin must be continued Page 17 †Resolutions not to be made in our own strength Page 202 3. not to be trusted in Page 222. necessary in approaches to the Supper Page 752 3. should be oft renewed Page 1375. to sin were it not for hindrances a good man can't have Page 93 †Restraints differ from Regeneration Page 109. and mortification how they differ Page 1318. Resurrection of Christ for us Page 67 326 7 promised him Page 282. necessary Page 324. the act of the Father Page 325 comfortable to Believers Page 327. how pardon depended on it Page 106 †of our Bodies certain Page 1105. Vid. Exaltation of Christ Revelation by the Gospel not insufficient Page 142. its clearness aggravates unbelief Page 614. of God belief due to it a dictate of nature Page 647 8. Vid. Reason Revenge the chief object of it within Page 1314. Riches a cause of unbelief Page 738. Righteousness our own not to be trusted in Page 599 907 951 1181 2 Vid. Justification exploded by the spirit in conviction Page 576. must vail to Christ Page 669. S. SAbbath a probable reason of its change Page 853. Sacraments efficacious by the word Page 233. always thought needful by God Page 316. Sacrifices how acceptable to God Page 316. instituted by God Page 232. 646 855. 948. typical of Christs death Page 856 948 9. 1174. answered by Christ Page 857. of themselves could not expiate sin Page 858 838 9. of what necessary for man Page 859 c. not from the light of nature Page 947. were not and could not be the object of the Israelites Faith Page 1167 1191. they apprehended some mystery in them Page 1167 8. Sacrifice Christ only fit to be one Page 861 940. 941 2. Christ one in his humane nature Page 862. of Christ his value whence Page 862 899. all his sacerdotal acts depend on this Page 863. Christ one for us not himself Page 855 865. this matter of comfort to believers Page 871. to be laid hold on Page 872. of Christ perfect Page 906 7. Saints their company a part of the happiness of heaven Page 42. admiration of their gifts and graces make men slight Christ Page 666. love to them Vid. Love Salvation of Believers certain Page 284 703. Vid. Believers ours and God's glory link'd together Page 285. the end of Christ's commission and Exaltation intercession Page 302 336 1147. all things necessary for it in Christs hands Page 673. to be sought of Christ Page 674. Christ hath done his part towards it Page 704 5. no want of evidence of the way of it Page 705. only by Christ Page 922. Sanctification and Regeneration how they differ Page 72. a sign of pardon Page 116 †Vid. Holiness Regeneration Satisfaction necessary for sin Page 868 a 9. 3 ad 883. 932. not possible to be by any creature a Page 932. ad 942. of Christ declared to be full by his Exaltation Page 1089. Vid. Death of Christ Sacrifice Justice Popish ones to be rejected Page 907. Scriptures studying them a means of divine knowledge Page 468 519. they that never look into them Unbelievers Page 726. men unwilling to be guided by them Page 1â—93 studying them a means to raise good thoughts Page 11 †to be read by Women Page 76 †Seal of the Covenant the Supper is Page 758. Seasons for duty the fittest to be chosen Page 62 63 †Secret sins discovered by the Law in the hand of the Spirit Page 573. Security of the Churches enemies the forerunner of their ruin Page 46 †Seed of Christ who Page 102 3. promised him a Page 278. ad 281. Christ to take care of them Page 281. spirit given him for their sakes Page 297 8. Vid. Believers Self the chief end of a natural man Page 66. Christ died to take men off from it ibid. necessary we should be and no Regeneration till we are Page 66 7. Self-love the principles of it contradicted by Unbelievers Page 648. Self-fulness a conceit of it a cause of unbelief Page 736 7. Sense of sin meditation on that Christ had a means of conviction Page 599. of original sin Vid. Fall should be great in a Communicant Page 752. the want of it reproved Page 72 3 †no argument of an unpardon'd state Page 115 †Vid. Corruptions Sensuality Vid. Pleasures Service of God evangelical not without a new nature a Page 21. ad 29. not accepted from an unregenerate man Page 33 4. Renewed men always disposed for it how Page 87 8. industry and affection must be in it Page 377. of a
entertain them Page 10 †to be supprest Page 10 11 †good ones how to be raised a Page 11. ad 14 †bad ones how prevented a Page 14. ad 16 †evil ones how to be ordered when they intrudo Page 16 17 †good ones how to be ordered when they appear Page 17 18 †Time lost if not spent in getting Divine knowledge Page 463 4. Transubstantiation groundless Page 777. 815 6 7. 853. 1094. 11-10 Tree of Life no Type of Christ Page 730. Troubles Regeneration a comfort in them Page 115. and reconciliation Page 368. and saving knowledge Page 449. meditation on Christ's Exaltation would make us couragious under them Page 1107. Christ tender of his people in them Page 1156. Christ doth not remove but comfort under Page 1157. promise of the Churches stability a comfort in them Page 38 9 †sharp to be expected and provided for Page 53 †should not put us out of the way of duty Page 1217. 54 †56 †Vid. Afflictions Trust must be in God only Page 202 3. in God exercis'd by Christ Page 313. 904. the effect of saving knowledge Page 428. will be in God or something else Page 621. a strong ground for it in the Churches greatest miseries Page 37 †Truth of God overthrown by the Patrons of Free-will Page 159 160. appears in Regeneration Page 213. honoured in Christ Page 250 511. affronted by unbelief a Page 612. ad 616. the glory of God Page 613. highly valued by him Page 616. engaged for the safety of a believer Page 679. for the damnation of an Unbeleiver Page 702. rendred satisfaction by Christ necessary a Page 923. ad 926. the first object of Faith 1161. engaged for Sions stability Page 31 †Truths not believing some is not unbelief Page 606 7. those of Christ man an enemy to Page 714 15. Types of Christ things and persons that were so most largely spoken of in Scripture Page 261. of Christ's death a Page 947. ad 950. Vid. Sacrifices U. UNbelief how great a sin Page 298 284 304. an unworthy dealing with God and Christ Page 353 4. 655 spiritual apprehensions an antidote against it Page 554. the World understands it not to be a sin Page 558. the fountain of all sin Page 601 649. ad 652. the band of all sin Page 602 675. 6 7 8. t is the greatest sin proved in general a Page 602 ad 605. 908 9. what it is not a Page 605 ad 608. what is it Page 608 9 10. it affronts God in all his Attributes a Page 612. ad 623. its malignity against Christ a Page 624. ad 629 1149. and the spirit Page 629 630. as bad nay worse than the Jews crucifying Christ a Page 630. ad 640. like the Devils first sin nay worse a Page 640. ad 645 740. like Adam's sin nay worse Page 645 6 7. 730. a sin against the law of nature Page 647 8. 9. defiles the choicest faculties Page 652 3. most odious to God Page 653. the Patience of God where 't is total or partial great Page 653 4. 699. its blackness a motive to Faith Page 655. speculative irrational Page 656 7 8. 699. 734 5. 743. practical irrational Page 658 700 1. 699 700 1. 741. 743. ungrateful Page 659 687 8 9. inexcusable Page 659 689 690 1. what kind of misery follows it Page 659 695 6 7 8. all should be sensible of it and why Page 660 1 2. 743 4. watch against it Page 662 3. 744. endeavour to come out of a state of it Page 663 4. 742 3. praise due from those that are got out of it Page 664. eternal wrath unavoidably follows it Page 374 a 675. ad 686. 692 3 4. 908. 1201 2. why eternal wrath follows it a Page 686 ad 692. not the only sin that damns Page 675. Gods anger chiefly discovered against it Page 684 5 6. we should be sensible of the misery that attends it Page 703 4. and the justice of that misery a Page 704 ad 707. 't is just ibid. to be detested Page 707. common among professors Page 712 13. the sin of the old World Page 713 717. natural to man a Page 714. ad 719. its causes Page 284. a 730. ad 740. its frequency to be lamented Page 740 1. directions against it Page 742 3. Vnbelievers who are a Page 719. ad 730 786. Vnderstanding the first blot of sin was on it Page 153. of man its blindness Page 153 565. some notions left in it Page 179. Regeneration begins in it and how 't is wrought upon a Page 218 ad 220. 440 470. enlightned by the spirit in conviction Page 574. enlightned in a renewed man Page 92 †Vnregenerate their actions only seemingly good Page 22 3. their misery Page 49 50 51. 133. their condemnation whether simply for not being regenerate Page 178. conscience awakened accuses more for wilful sins than for being unregenerate Page 183. must not come to the Supper Page 777. a 780 ad 784. sin alive in them Page 1314. Vnion of the two natures fitted Christ to be a Redeemer Page 287 291. by the Holy Ghost Page 290. with God and Christ not without regeneration Page 31 2. of a believer with Christ the ground of imputation Page 869 1200. makes him happy Page 701. in the Lords Supper Page 762. explained Page 1339. by Faith Page 1200. the foundation of communion Page 1341 2. Vnworthy receiving the Sacrament what a Page 816. ad 819. its sinfulness Page 819. its danger Page 8â—0 to be examined and avoided Page 822. Voluntary services from a regenerate man and him only Page 24 89. Christs death was Page 384 837 877 918 106 †its voluntariness explained Page 877. 8 9. proved Page 880. necessary it should be Page 881. W. WAnts of believers shall be supplied Page 340. Watchfulness over our hearts a means of Mortification Page 1321. a means to pervert bad thoughts Page 15 †to be join'd with Prayer Page 17 †Weak Grace Vid. Grace Will those that are weak in Grace should see how that stands Page 117. naturally corrupt Page 143. 152. cannot regenerate it self a Page 144. ad 147 a 156. ad 174. cannot co-operate with God in Regeneration a Page 171 ad 174. its Liberty Vid. Liberty conceits of its freedom in spirituals groundless proud dangerous Page 198. ad 202. God only can work on Page 208. not left in indifferency in Regeneration Page 214 221 226. immediately wrought on in it Page 220 453. not compelled in it Page 221. subjecting Gods grace to it absurd Page 1353. of a renew'd man changed Page 92 †Vid. Regeneration Wilfulness the cause of mens ruin Page 705 6. Vid. Impotence Wisdom of God overthrown by the Patrons of free-will Page 157. in governing free agents Page 179. not disparaged in his commands and promises though special grace be denied Page 191. displayed in Regeneration Page 214. glorified in Christ Page 250 257 344 505. Christ filled with and why Page 295. 1133. known
mightily troubled at it 1. T is a high Testomony of Love to God The Nature of true Love is to wish all good to them we love to rejoyce when any good we wish doth arrive unto them to mourn when any evil afflicts them and that with a respect to the beloved object 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Aristot Rhetor l. 1. c. 4. Where there is this love there is a rejoycing at one anothers happiness a grieving at one anothers misfortunes If it be a part of love to rejoyce at that whereby God is glorified 't is no less a part of love to mourn for that whereby God is vilified So strait is the union of affection between God and a righteous Soul that their blessings and injuries joys and sorrows are twisted together The increase of Gods glory is the greatest good that can happen to a Soul enamoured of him his dishonour then is the greatest misery A gracious Soul is like John Baptist content to decrease that Christ might encrease in the esteem of men He is like Jonathan that would rather have the Crown upon Davids head than his own as the words intimate 1 Sam. 23.17 v. thou shalt be King over Israel I shall be next unto thee And grieved more for his Fathers displeasure against David than against himself So doth a Christian grieve more for the wrongs of God than for those in his own liberty estate or life Joshua was more careful of the name of God than of the safety of the people singly considered Josh 7.9 What wilt thou do unto thy great name The glory of God is not dear to that man that can without any regret look upon his bespattered name What affection hath he to his friend who can see him torn in pieces by Dogs and stand unconcerned at his calamity God indeed is uncapable of suffering but what rending is to a creature that is sin to the Divine Majesty Can that man be said to love God who hath no reflection when he sees others tumbling God from his Throne and setting up the Devil in his stead Who can hear the tremendous name of God belcht out by polluted lips upon every vile occasion and made the sport of Stage and Stews without any inward resentment He only esteems God as his King who cannot see his laws broken without remorse How Loyally did Moses his affection to God work when he heard the name of God blasphemed and saw a calf usurp the adoration due to the God of Heaven And David felt the stroak of that sword in his own bowels which was directed against the heart of God Psal 139.20 21 22. The dearer Gods name is to any the more affected they are that God and Christ are loved and honoured less than they desire they should be 'T is hard sometimes to discern this Love to God when Gods interest and ours are joyned when we would mask our displeasure against some mens offences with a care of Gods honour which is nothing but a hatred of the Person sinning or revenge against him for some conceived injury to us The Apostles calling for fire from Heaven upon the Samaritans when they refused Christ Luke 9.53 54 55. might seem to be a generous concern for their masters honour but Christ knew it proceeded much from that natural enmity which the Jews bore to the Samaritans The best way to judg is when the interest is purely Gods and hath no fuel of our own discontents to boil up either grief or anger Such an affection cannot but be highly acceptable to God who is affected with the love of the creature and honours them that honour him as well as despises those that lightly concern themselves for him 2. Love to our Neighbours Nothing can evidence our love to man more than a sorrowful reflection upon that wickedness which is the ruine of his Soul the disturbance of humane society and unlocks the treasures of Gods judgments to fall upon mankind Sin is a reproach to a people Prov. 14.34 'T is always an act of Charity to mourn for the reproaches and ruine of a people 'T is a gross enmity to others to see them stab themselves to the heart jest with eternal flames wish their damnation at every word run merrily to the bottomless gulf and all this without bestowing a sigh upon them and pitying their madness the greater should be our grief by how much the further they are from any for their own destruction If Cain discovered both his enmity to God and also to his brother in grieving that his brothers works were so good Abel musts needs in the practice of the contrary duty manifest his love to Cain in grieving that his works were so bad Our Saviours tears for the Jews discovered no less a concern for their misery than for Gods dishonour Anger for sin may have something of revenge in it Grief for sin discovers an affection both to God and the sinner A duty which respects at once the substance of both the tables cannot but be pleasing to God 2. 'T is an imitating return for Gods affection How doth God resent the injuries done to his people as much as those done to himself Those sins that immediately strike at his glory are not accompanied with such quick judgments as those that grate upon his Servants Sharp persecutions that tear the people of God in pieces have fuller vials of judgments here than Vollies of others sins which rend the name of God When Cain affronted God by his Sacrifice God comes not to a reckoning with him till he had added the murther of his Brother to his former crimes against his maker A sweeter and more thankful return and a more affectionate imitation of God there cannot be than to resent the injuries done to God more than those done to our selves The pinching of his people doth most pierce his heart a stab to his honour in gratitude should most pierce theirs The four Kings that came against Sodom Gen. 14.9 c. sped well enough in their invasion gained the victory and had been in a fair way to have enjoyed the spoil had they not laid their hands upon Lot which was the occasion of their disgorging their prey As God ingaged himself in the recovery of Lot so Lot concerned himself in the honour of God Gods anger is stirred at the Captivity of Lot and Lots vexation is awakened at the injuries against God What troubles his Children raises sensible compassion in him to the sufferer and revenge upon the persecutor whatsoever doth blaspheme the name of God doth at the same time rack a sincere heart A persecutor cannot injure a believer but Christ records it as a wrong done to himself and Christ cannot be dishonoured by men but a righteous Soul doubles his grief Here is a mutual return of affection and aestimation which is highly pleasing 3. This temper justifies Gods Law and his justice David's grief being for mans forsaking the Law testified his choice valuation
of it When we dislike and disapprove of others sins as well as our own we acknowledg the glory of the law that it is just holy and good and set our seal of approbation to it It justifies the holiness of the law in prohibiting sin the righteousness of the law in condemning sin It owns the soveraignty of God in commanding and the justice of God in punishing The law requires two things obedience to it and suffering for the transgression of it This frame of heart approves of the obedience the law requires of men as rational creatures and justifies the sufferings the law inflicts upon men as impenitent sinners Unless we mourn for the sins of others and thereby shew our distast we cannot give God the glory of his Judgments which he sends upon a people This disowning of sin is very acceptable to God because by it Men honour that law for whose violations they are so troubled and own Gods right of imposing a law upon his creatures and the creatures vileness in disgracing that Law 4. 'T is a sign of such a temper God hath evidenced himself in scripture much affected with 'T is a sign of a heart of flesh the noblest work of God in the creature A sign of a contrite heart the best sacrifice that can smoak upon his Altar next to that of his Son This he will not despise because it is a beam of glory dropped down from him and ascending in a sweet savour to him Psal 51.17 Without this we cannot have a sufficient evidence that we are truly broken-hearted We may mourn for our own sins for secret by-ends because they are against our worldly Interests and have reproaches treading upon the heels of them we may mourn for the sins of our friends out of a natural compassion to them and as they are the prognosticks of some approaching misery to them but in sorrowing for the sins of the world we have not so many and so affecting obligations to divert us from a sound aim in our sorrow To be affected with the dishonour of God by the sins of others is a distinguishing character of a spiritual constitution from a natural tenderness 'T is both our duty and God's pleasure No grief is sweeter to God nor more becoming us III. 'T is a means of preservation from publick Judgments Noah did not preach righteousness without a sensible reflection on that unrighteousness he preached against and he of all the world had the security of an Ark for him and his Family when all the rest struggled for life and sunk in the waters No meer man ever wore more black for the Funeral of God's honour than David nor was any blessed with more gracious deliverances The more zeal we have for God which is an affection made up of grief and anger the more protection we have from him * The steps of a man good man our translation renders it But the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a valiant man are ordered by the Lord and he delights in his way Psal 37.23 The more courage we have for God the more we may expect both his conduct and security If there be any hope in a time of actual or threatned Judgments 't is by laying our mouths in the dust Lam. 3.29 If there be any ground of hope it will shine forth when we are in such a posture There might be others in Jerusalem who had not complied with the Idolatry of that Age but none exempted from the stroke of the Six Destroyers but those whose mouths lay in the dust and whose cries against the common sin ascended to Heaven only the mourners among the good men are marked by the Angel for indemnity from the publick punishment 1. Sincerity always escapes best in common Judgments and this temper of mourning for publick sins is the greatest note of it This is the greatest note of sincerity We read of an Ahab who put on Sackcloth for his own sin and humbled himself before the Lord of a Judas sorrowing that he betrayed his Master Self-interest might broach their tears and force out their sorrow but never an Ahab or Judas or any other ungodly person in Scripture lamented the sins of others Nay they were all eminent for holiness that were noted for this frame whom we have mentioned before Moses a non-such for speaking with God face to face David who only had that honourable title of a man after God's own heart Isay who had the fullest prospect of Evangelical glory of all the Prophets Ezra a restorer of his Country Daniel a man greatly beloved Christ the Redeemer of the world and Paul the only Apostle rap't up in the third Heaven he was also humbled for the sins of the Corinthians 2 Corinth 12.21 Ezra hath a mighty Character Ezra 7.10 He prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord and to do it and to teach in Israel Statutes and Judgments And he both mourned for and prayed against the common sin Lot is not recorded for this without a glorious Epithete The Spirit of God over-looks those sins of his mentioned in Scripture and speaks not of him by his single name but Just Lot his righteous Soul 2 Pet. 2.7 8. A sincere Righteousness glittered in his vexation for the wronged Interest of God What a mark of honour doth the Holy-Ghost set upon this temper 'T is not drunken Lot or incestuous Lot with which sins he is taxed in Scripture This publickly religious spirit covered those temporary spots in his Scutcheon When all other signs of Righteousness may have their exceptions this temper is the utmost term which we cannot go beyond in our self-examination The utmost prospect David had of his sincerity when he was upon a diligent enquiry after it was his anger and grief for the sin of others when he had reached so far he was at a stand and knew not what more to add Psal 139.21 22 23 24. Am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with perfect hatred I count them mine enemies Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me If there be any thing that better can evidence my sincerity than this Lord acquaint me with it know my heart i. e. make me to know it He whose sorrow is only for matter confin'd within his own breast or streams of it in his life has reason many times to question the truth of it But when a man cannot behold sin as sin in another without sensible regret 't is a sign he hath savingly felt the bitterness of it in his own Soul 'T is a high pitch and growth and a consent between the Spirit of God and the Soul of a Christian when he can lament those sins in others whereby the Spirit is grieved when he can rejoyce with the Spirit rejoycing and mourn with the Spirit mourning This is a clear testimony that we have not self-ends