the enjoyment of Christ All is enjoyed 1. Equivalently there is as much in Christ as answers all other enjoyments All is enjoyed by the enâ—oyment of Christ Equivalently Ipse unus erit tibi omnia quia in ipso uno bono bona sunt omnia the wisdome of Christ doth more than answer all other wisdome and the knowledge of Christ doth more than answer all other knowledge and the love of Christ doth more than answer all other love and the unsearchable riches of Christ doth more than answer all other riches and the delights in Christ do more than answer all other pleasures 2. Really if you enjoy Christ himself you do actually enjoy all the glorious benefits by Christ with the enjoyments of himself If the field be yours the Really treasure in the field is yours indeed in some civil enjoyments there is an exceptio juris sometimes such a Mannour you shall enjoy but such or such particulars are excepted and reserved But it is not thus in your spiritual enjoyments in the enjoyment of Christ there is no exception no clause no distinction but if Christ be yours all of Christ is yours his love is yours his righteousness is yours his wisdome his holiness his Redemption all is yours 4. Jâ—sus Christ hâ—mself his person is the greatest blessing and choicest gift that Jesus Christ himself is the greatest and choicest gift that God can give unto you God hath or can give unto you for all the other blessings fall into our possession and enjoyment by Christ alone all your enjoyments are bestowed by the enjoyment of Christ himself the loving God the merciful God righteousnesse holinesse as long as Christ is Christ you shall have possession of them Ephes 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Christ if I may so expresse it is the out-let of all blessings and he is the in-let to all our blessings Look on our blessings as descending from God to us Jesus Christ is as it were the out-let of them all they are let out unto us by Christ God himself becomes our God in Christ and he loves us in Christ and chooseth us in Christ and is merciful and gracious unto us in Christ and sheweth the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Christ Jesus And look on our blessings as desired from God by us we are let or brought into the enjoyment of them by Christ We lost all by the first Adam and we come to enjoy all again by Christ Jesus Christ is as it were the root upon which all our mercies and comforts and hopes do live again and grow You obtain your accesse by Christ unto the Father and your persons come to be accepted in Christ and all your services He holds up all your Communions and makes them effectual and sure God would not look on you nor regard you nor let fall one glimpse or beame of his favour upon you were it not for Christ it is Christ which makes you nigh and dear and lovely and delightful and precious and for whose sake you come to be sonnes and heirs of love and mercy and peace and all the blessings which you do possesse or ever shall enjoy in this world or in the world to come 5. Your condition cannot be otherwise than safe and comfortable and blessed Your condition cannot be otherwise than safe if Christ be yours if Christ be yours As it cannot be well with any without Christ so it cannot be ill with any who have Christ There is no condemnation unto you you are now passed from death to life he is your life and he that hath the Sonne hath life and he is your hope Christ in you the hope of glory and he is your Rock on which you are built he is your peace he is your glory he is your head he is your Saviour in one word the enjoyment of Christ makes life and death comfortable 2. Christ is yours as to all his Offices You know that Christ is the anointed Christ â—s yours as to all his offices of God He was set apart and ordained and called and sent and undertook all the work of salvation for sinners and for the accomplishing of that salvation he was installed a Prophet a Priest and a King By reason of our sinful fall there were if I may so call them three diseases falling upon us One was Ignorance and this Christ doth heale as he is our Prophet A second was Alienation from God and this Christ doth heal as he is our Priest A third is Impotency to come back to God and this Christ doth heal as he is our King As he is a Prophet he doth open and unfold salvation and as he is a Priest he doth acquire and procure salvation and as he is a King he doth apply that salvation unto us The Prophetical Office of Christ is that by which he doth perfectly and effectually reveal the whole saving Will of God The Priestly Office of Christ is that by which he doth expiate all our sinnes and doth reconcile us unto God The Kingly Office of Christ is that by which he doth with authority and power dispense and administer all things which do belong unto the everlasting salvation of his people Beloved All the works of our redemption and reconciliation and salvation do depend on Jesus Christ as invested with the threefold Office of Prophet Priest and King his whole Mediatourship is contained in them and so is all our comfort and hope and therefore I will speak briefly unto every one of them 1. Jesus Christ is a Prophet and he is your Prophet He is that Prophet whom Christ is yours as a Prophet God had promised to raise up Acts 3. 22. And whom all are commanded to hear verse 23. And this was he who was anointed by the Spirit of the Lord to preach the Cospel to the poor Luke 4 18. And this is he in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Col. 2. 3. who knows the Father and by whom alone the knowledge of the Father is revealed Matth 11. 27. who is in the bosome of the Father and declares him unto us John 1. 18. who is the Angel of the Covenant Malachi 3. 1. unto whom the great Commission of opening the mystery of salvation is granted and sealed Now there are foure singular comforts unto you which have God to be your God in Covenant and consequently have Jesus Christ to be your Prophet Four comforts from hence He hath iâ— in his commission to teach us 1. He hath it in his Commission to teach you They shall be all taught of God Joh. 6. 45. yea it is his expresse Commission to preach the Gospel unto you Luke 4. 18. to open and reveale that Mystery which was kept secret since the world began and to make it manifest
to believe a falshood for verily Christ did not die for those who remain unbelievers and impenitent and the Gospel is so far from promising life by the death of Christ to impenitent and unbelieving persons that it threatens and seals death and wrath and condemnation on them Joh. 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am he ye shall dye in your sins Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him ver 18. He that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God 3. The immediate Object of that faith which God at first requires is not this Proposition Christ dyed for me But Christ who dyed And the first command of Faith in the Gospel is to accept Christ and rest on Christ and then follows a fiduciary perswasion that Christ died for me And indeed no man can come to that degree of Faith to be perswaded or confident that Christ died for him untill he first by faith receive Christ offered unto him Argument 2 Vnbelievers are damned for rejecting the grace of Christ offered unto them by the Gospel shall they be so punished if that grace were never purchased for them and never did belong unto them Answered Sol. To this I answer First That Christ with his grace of Redemption is Indefinitely offered unto sinners by the Gospel and that all who do by their infidelity refuse that grace are deservedly damned not because they reject the grace offered belonging to them as unbelievers and impenitent but because they neglect and despise that condition upon which grace was offered unto them Christ and his grace were offered unto them upon this condition If they would believe and receive him and it But they will not believe You will not come unto me that you might have life Joh. 5. 40. And though light be come into the world yet they will not receive it Secondly Unbelievers who do reject Christ with his grace offered unto them do not reject him and that grace because they know that neither Christ nor his grace do belong to them this neither is nor can be the reason à priore of their rejection because no particular sinner unto whom the Gospel comes can know that Christ hath simply excluded him and tends no good to him and he sees that to others in the same condition and depth of sin and unworthiness with himself Christ and his grace offered by the Gospel are effectual But therefore they do reject Christ because they love him not they love darkness rather than light Joh. 3. 19. and are led by their perverse will so as utterly to refuse communion with Christ and subjection to him for which they are deservedly punished Argument 3 Thirdly they argue thus That if Christ did not dye for all and eveâ—y man Then every man must remain in a doubtful suspence whether he be concerned to believe in Christ or not Answered Sol. 1. And why so I pray you Is this to be set up as the only ground why we must believe in Christ because Christ hath died for all and every man when yet themselves do say though Christ hath so died for all and every man yet no man is the better for this untill and unless he believe Or doth the Gospel when it calls upon sinners to believe on Christ propound this as the inducement unto the soul Christ died for all men and for every man therefore you should believe on Christ and untill you be sure that Christ did thus dye and obtain Reconciliation for all and every man and Remission of sins and eternal life for all you may not and must not believe When Peter called upon those Jews to believe Acts 2. and Paul upon the Jaylor believe and you shall be saved Chap. 16. did they usher this duty in with imposing this Precedent certainty to them that they must subscribe firist unto that Point That Christ dyed for all and every man therefore you should believe Secondly But there is no cause of this suspence or doubting at all whether a person should believe on Christ though Christ did not die for all men because the Gospel without that error affords Grounds or Reasons enough for any man to whom it is preached to believe on Christ 1. It reveals Christ as the Saviour of sinners 2. It offers this Saviour freely unto sinners 3. It commands him particularly to believe on Christ 4. It promiseth him life upon believing Is here now any reason to doubt whether I ought to believe 5. It assures him that Christ will in no wise reject him 6. But will accept and that it is so far from being a sin in him to believe in Christ that it is his great sin if he doth not believe on Christ who then graciously offers himself and Commands him to believe and assures him of Reconciliation and pardoning mercy and eternal life upon beleeving Argument 4 If Christ did not dye for all and every man then one of these Absurdities must necessarily follow either that those for whom Christ dyed not are free of Adams sins as the Angels in Heaven are and so have not need of Christ to be their Reconciliation or else they are in the same condition with the Divels and so must despair of all hope of Salvation Answered Sol. I answer neither so nor so neither the one nor the other absurdity will arise necessarily out of that Doctrine that Christ dyed not for all that some of Adams Posterity are no sinners and so need no Reconciliation by Christ or that else they must despair being in the same condition with the Divels themselves 1. For first most certain it is that in Adam all sinned Rom. 5. 12. And by reason of sin all do stand in need of Reconciliation by Christ but hence it will not follow because that all men are sinners and do stand in need of such a Reconciliation by Christ therefore God must and doth give Christ as a Reconciliation for them all No more then this will follow because that so many Malefactors are in peril of their life therefore the Prince against whom they have offended must either pardon or offer pardon to every one of them for though there be a common necessity of pardon as unto all of them because of their guilt yet the giving of pardon is an act of meer grace and therefore the Prince offended may bestow it on some of them only and not on all of them Thus stands the case 'twixt God and us we have all sinned against him and therefore come short of the glory of God and stand in need of mercy and Reconciliation by Christ and God saith I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy some of these sinners I will save by Christ namely all them that believe Joh. 3. 36. others of these I will not save namely those that believe not though there be a need of
of them is proper to him Secondly Because unto whom the power of death and condemnation authoritatively belongs unto him also the power of life and absolution doth belong but the power of condemnation belongs only to God Ergo. These are acts seated in the same power Thirdly Because the forgivenesse of sin takes off the infinite desert of sin reaching even unto eternity of punishment eternal punishment is deserved by sin and who can relieve us from that but God alone Fourthly Because our consciences might have a resting place which they could never have if God himself did not forgive sins What if all the men in the world did forgive you if God did not clear you but still held you guilty What though all the lower Courts absolve a Malefactor as long as the Supreme Court condemns him what though the Malefactor forgive himself if the Judge do not forgive him Simile But here lies the comfort that God himself who is the Supreme Judge who hath the Soveraign Power to save or to destroy to remit or binde to acquit or to condemn whose sentence none can reverse if he will pardon our offences and sinnes against him now there is peace with him and peace in our own Consciences Secondly As forgiveness of sins solely appertains to God so God undertakes the same by way of promise which shews that he is willing to forgive sins and God undertakes it by promise that he engageth himself to forgive sins and that he will certainly forgive sins Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity and will remember their sin no more Pro. 28. 13. Whosoever confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall finde mercy 2 Chro. 7. 14. If my people shall turn from their wicked wayes then will I forgive their sins Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and turn unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and abundantly pardon 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confesse our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins Quest Now if any should demand why God contents not himself with a Declaration Reasons of it only that he is a God who forgives sin but also he makes a promise that he will forgive sins Sol. I suppose these Reasons may be given of it First Because this is a greater relief to the troubled conscience A promise of forgivenesse is a more hopeful foundation to work upon than a meer Declaration that God hath power to forgive and it serves to answer our fears and doubts more fully You would not imagine how powerful and dreadful the guilt of sin is and how strongly working when a conscience is awakened and wounded with the sence of it How great is the apprehension of Gods wrath how amazing is the curse threatned how hard is it to look toward the Mercy seat through all the threatnings and through all the terrors how difficult is it to settle it with any apprehensions of mercy And therefore the Lord is pleased not only to declare that he is a God forgiving sins but also he makes promise that he will forgive sins for Christs sake this is apt to preserve troubled sinners from despair and to breed some hopes in them that perhaps they may find mercy for who can tell but that a merciful God and a God who promiseth mercy to poor sinners may at length shew mercy to them and forgive their sins Secondly Because this is a stronger Obligation and Argument to prevail with sinners to repent of their sins and to turn unto the Lord. Beloved I beseech you mark what I say 1. The greater inevidence and improbability there is of forgiveness of sins the more indisposition and averseness there is unto repentance If a person apprehends mercy as impossible he then looks upon repentance as unuseful either he grows despairing or desperate For saith he to what end should I repent and come into God who I am sure will shew me no mercy 2. Again the greater hopes that a sensible sinner hath of mercy the more easily and kindly is his heart wrought upon to Repent to come off from his sins to God Hos 14. 2. When taking away of sin is hinted then ver 3. Ashur shall not save us neither will we say to the works of our hands Ye are our gods for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy so Jer. 3. 12. Return thou back-sliding Israel and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord. Ver. 22. Return ye back-sliding children and I will heal your back-slidings behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Mark how this insinuation of mercy bowed in their hearts Psal 103. 4. There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared Now when a sinner sees forgiveness of sins in a promise this appears with more evidence of hope for him I may yet have mercy so great is Gods goodness and why should I stand out any longer and why should I for lying vanities forsake my own mercies I will home to my Fathers house for there is bread enough and to spare c. Thirdly Because this is the surest ground for faith you know this is the great scruple But may I find mercy and what ground have I to expect mercy Suppose I do repent what assurance have I that God will forgive my sits Why having Gods promise for the forgiveness of your sins in this case you may be confident that if you come to him and rely upon him he will unquestionably be as good as his word he will shew mercy to you Jer. 31. 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Ver. 20. I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed c. he shall surely live and not dye Ver. 22. All his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him SECT III. 3. I Now come to the third part of the Proposition of forgiveness of sins viz. God promiseth the same to all his people That God promiseth the same unto all his people all his people in Covenant Psal 85. 2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people Isa 33. 34. The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity Micah 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage Note Of the people of God some are sooner in Covenant and some are later in Covenant for some are called at one houre and some at another houre as Paul spake of Andronicus and Junia Rom. 16. 7. who were in Christ before me that may we say of people some are in Covenant before others but as soon as any of them are brought into Covenant they are pardoned immediatly their sins are forgiven unto them Again of the people of God some have been greater sinners and some have been lesser sinners but as soon as
of our sins and judge and condemn and everlastingly punish us for the rest of our sins here would be small cause of rejoycing unto us 4. Again where were the hope of glory hath the unpardoned sinner any hope of heaven doth not every sin deserve the loss of heavenly glory and will it not effectually and eventually prove so unlesse God pardons it 5. Where is the liberty of accesse and boldness of approaching to God if any of your sins are unpardoned the very spirit of fear and bondage lies still on you that God is not reconciled to you but is your enemy and he will not own and bless you but will reject and curse you and will bring on you all the evil that he hath threatned Fourthly A fourth Argument to prove that God will forgive all the sins of We are to forgive all the trespasses against us his people is this We are to forgive all the trespasses of an offending brother in case he repent Luke 17. 4. If he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him Now we are to forgive our brother as God forgives us Ephes 4. 32. Forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us his forgiving is a pattern to our forgiving and he would have ours to be universal therefore his is so to us Matth. 18. 32. I forgave thee all that debt because thou desiredst me Verse 33. Shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant even as I had pity on thee Thus have you heard the Assertion cleared by Scripture and Arguments that God will foâ—give all the sins of his people Now before I passe to the useful Application of 〈◊〉 unto our selves I would speak something unto a Question much agitated amongst the Learned and others viz. SECT II. Quest VVHether God which promiseth to pardon all the sins of his people doth Whether all sins be pardoned together at once pardon all their sins Simul Semel together and at once all sins past which his people have committed and all sins present which they do commit and all sins future which they may hereafter commit Sol. This is I confess a very nice question and hath if it be well weighed something of difficulty in it peremptorily to resolve it And there are very godly and learned men who have spoken and written differently concerning it and yet all of them consent in this That God doth forgive all the sins of his people If it might not be burthensome unto you I would 1. Present unto you the several opinions of men with their chief Arguments for their different opinions concerning this Question 2. Offer my own private thoughts concerning this Controversie First Some are for the Affirmative and their opinion is this that as soon as Some are for the affirmative any are made Believers in Christ and so are within the Covenant Actually all the sins which they have committed in time past and all the sins which they are guilty of as to the time present and all the sins of which they do come to be guilty of in time future they are actually pardoned unto them in general and in particular Neither are Believers ever henceforth to pray unto God for the pardon of any sin which they do or shall commit but only for the assurance of the pardon of them in their own Consciences neither is any future Repentance required to attain the forgiveness of any new and future sin but only for the more comfortable assurance of former forgivenesse unto our selves Nay Repentance is not required of God as an Antecedent work to pardon of sins but only as a consequent work and fruit thereof c. This is their Opinion Quest Now what might be the ground inducing unto this Opinion That all the sins of a believer not only past but also present and to come are pardoned ot once and The grounds for the affirmative actually unto them Sol. The chief which I do find in writing are these First The Covenant expressions Isa 43. 25. I even I am he which blotteth out thy transgressions Heb. 8. 12. I will be merciful unto their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more Ergo all is pardoned at once Secondly Again Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus And Ver. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth And ver 38 39. Nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And Joh. 5. 24. He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Ergo all sinnes are pardoned at once or else they were in a state of condemnation c. Thirdly A believer even when he sinneth is still united to Christ and is cloathed with the righteousness of Christ which covers all our sins and dischargeth us from them so that no guilt shall redound to us Fourthly A believer is not to fear curse or hell at all which he might do if all his sins were not pardoned at once but some of his new sins were for a while unpardoned Fifthly Repentance is not at all required for our justification where our pardon is only to be found but only faith therefore pardon of sins is not suspended untill we repent of our sins Sixthly Again if new sins were not pardoned untill you do repent then we should be left to an uncertainty whiles our sins be pardoned or when they will be pardoned for it may be long ere we repent and more long ere we can know that we do truely repent of our sins Seventhly If all sins were not forgiven at once then justification is not perfect at once but is more and more increased and perfected as more and more sins are pardoned which as they conceive cannot consist with the true Doctrine of Justification These are the chiefest and strongest Arguments which I have read for the Affirmative Some for the Negative Opinion and I have delivered them rather with advantage than with any prejudice Secondly Neverthelesse there are others of the Negative and contrary Opinion unto this who although they do hold that God hath pardoned all sins past unto believers brought into Covenant with Christ and that he will pardon also all the sins of which hereafter they shall be guilty yet they do conjecture that all these are not forgiven at once unto them but upon though not for their renewed repentance for them and upon a renewed act of Faith on Christ for the particular forgiveness of new and particular transgressions unto them Neither do they lay any Popish reason of worthiness or merit in Repentance as some unjustly do charge upon them for the
thereof After conversion there are two sorts of sins incident unto us 1. Daily sins of ignorance and infirmity and they are so many that we know not the number of them yet all of them do need forgiving mercy 2. Voluntary sins and of a very gross and hainous nature which make a deep wound and raise an hideous cry in the conscience and shake all our foundations and lie as an heavy burden upon us and they do the more wound and afflict us because committed after mercy and against mercy Now in such a self-wounding and self-judging and self-humbling condition what should the ashamed and confounded sinner do why he should return speedily to his God and with tears and shame spread his sins before the Lord and acknowledge that he is unworthy of any more mercy and yet beseech the Lord to shew him mercy again who hath promised to forgive all the sins of his people and he should hearken what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people but let them return no more to folly Psal 85. 8. SECT V. Vse 3 THE third Use of this Point shall be partly of Comfort and partly of Encouragement First Of Comfort to all who are brought into Covenant with God especially Comfort to such as have stood out a long time and have abounded in transgressions who have made the very creature groan with the burden of their many sins why all these are forgiven as soon as God hath brought you into the Covenant Luke 7. 47. Her sins which are many are forgiven 1 Tim. 1. 13. Who was before a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy O what a day of salvation is the very day when God brings a man into Christ and into the Covenant all his enemies that pursued him are drowned not one of them is left so all his sins are forgiven and not one of them is alive to his condemnation Secondly Of Encouragement to come out of a sinful and unbelieving condition Encouragement and to yield up our selves to Christ and to be willing to become the people of God and to walk in his ways why all the sins that ever you have committeâ— shall be forgiven you they shall not be mentioned unto you your Drunkenness Swearing Whordome Theft Lying Sabbath-breakings all your sins of Omission and of Commission sins against the Law and sins against the Gospel sins that your own hearts can charge you with and that God himself can charge upon you all forgiven any one of them would damn you and now all shall be pardoned if you will hear and believe and repent c. Cast away all your transgressions repent return and live why will ye dye O house of Israel I offer to you life and death choose life Do not for lying vanities forsake your mercies A greater offer there cannot be than Christ nor motive than the pardon of all your sins EZEK 36. 25. From all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you HAving spoken somewhat unto the extensive part of promised forgiveness that it reacheth all the sins of all the people of God I now proceed unto the Intensive part of that promised The intensive part forgiveness which respects the greatness and hainousness of sin as well as the number and multitude of sins from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you whence you may observe CHAP. IV. Doctr. 2 THat although the sins of persons have been exceeding great yet when these persons become the people of God in Covenant even those sins also are forgiven them from all your filthiness and from all your Idols Great sins are forgiven to the people of God in Covenant will I cleanse you forgiveness reacheâ—â— to the greatest sins which the people of God have been guilty of this assertion 1. I shall clear from the Text it self 2. From other Scriptures Proved 3. Demonstrate by some Arguments and Reasons 4. And then apply it unto our selves SECT I. 1. THE Text clearly holds out the Assertion for God doth give here By the text instances of two great kinds of sins One against the second Table all your filthiness and the other against the first Table all your Idols in the one is implied the great injury done unto our Neighbour and in the other the great injure done unto God yet God promiseth to forgive both I will speak something of both these sins and something of the greatness of them both which yet God promiseth c. First From all your filthiness that word filthiness is sometimes taken What is meant by filthiness for any sin every sin is a pollution and uncleanness a filthiness therefore the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 7. 1. Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit there are bodily sins which the Apostle here calls the filthiness of our flesh and there are spiritual sins arising from and acted in the soul which the Apostle here calls the filthiness of the spirit Sometimes that word filthiness is taken restrictively for bodily pollution or uncleanness when the bodies of men and women are defiled and polluted and do defile and pollute themselves Several kinds of it Bestiality of which in Scripture you finde several sorts and kinds 1. Bestiality that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abomination not to be named it is confusion you read of this sin in Lev. 18. 23. and of the punishment of it with death Lev. 20. 15 16. 2. Sodomy of this horrid sin and the punishment thereof you read in Sodomy Lev. 20 13. This is not only a sin but also a recompence of other sins and for which God gives men over to a reprobate mind Rom. 1. 27 28. and for which he destroyed those five Cities with fire from heaven Gen. 19. 24 25. 3. Incest ubi servatur sexus sed non gradus it is the sin cum agnata Incest or cognata with a kinswoman of the fathers or the mothers side yea and with ones fathers wife see Lev. 20. 17. and with ones brothers wife 4. Fornication which is between single persons Fornication Adultery 5. Adultery which is uncleanness between persons married to others or when one of them is married to another and yet defileth himself with a stranger some of these sins of uncleanness are so horrid that they are said to be against nature yea against corrupt nature the very natural light in natural conscience condemns and opposes them and the rest of them as fornication and adultery the Scripture sets them out as very odious in the eyes of God and very foul transgressions and extreamly pernicious in them you may read ten things concerning Ten things concerning these â—hese sins First That they are the express fruits of a vile and naughty heart out of the heart proceedeth fornications adulteries saith Christ Matth. 15. 19. The works of the flesh are manifâ—â—â— which are
Rom. 6. 14. Here you see expresly that there is a freedome from the dominion of sinne even upon this account that we are under the Covenant of grace Though you be not totally freed from the inhabitation of sinne for sinne doth dwell in us whiles we dwell on earth and though you be not totally freed from the rebellion of sinne for peccatum hostis est quamdiu est The flesh lusteâ—h against the spirit Gal. 5. 17. and there is a law in our members warring against the law of our minds Rom. 7. 23. yet you are totally freed from the dominion of sinne which consists in the effectual Rule Command and Sovereign strength of sinne and a free and full and willing subjection or obedience unto the Law and authority of sinne and verily this freedome or deliverance is a wonderful mercy and happinesse unto the people of God whither you consider 1. The great and utmost distance twixt you and God 2. The basenâ—sse of servitude in which every one lives over whom sinne hath dominion for of whom a man is overcome of the same he is brought in bondage 2 Pet. 2. 19. You were but very slaves to your lusts and to the devil whiles sinne did rule over you 3. The height of enmity As you were the basest of slaves so you were the worst of enemies living not only as aliens without God but as desperate enemies opposing and fighting against God 4. The superfluity of naughtinesse a full contrariety your whole hearts and your whole lives were nothing else but a constant dishonour unto God and contradiction to his Will and Glory 5. The certainty of destruction which would infallibly have attended you had not the mercy and grace of God rescued and delivered you I say certain destruction to your souls as there is a certain destruction to the life of our bodies if we fall into the sea and lie under it 6. The sweet and immediate communion 'twixt the deliverance from the dominion of sinne and admission to the Kingdome of Christ It is a translation from death to life The Apostle joins these together in Colos 5. 13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us into the Kingdome of his dear Sonne 3. They have immunity or freedome from the damnation meritoriously depending upon the guilt of sinne As salvation depends upon the merits of Christ so From damnation for sinne doth damnation depend on the merit of sinne There is so much merit in sinne as to render us obnoxious not only to temporal destruction but also to eternal destruction for the wages of sinne is death even that death which stands in opposition to eternal life Rom. 6. 23. But from the effectual redundancy of this damnation upon your persons you are every one freed who are in Covenant with God For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. And whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have eternal life John 3. 15. And the ground of this your immunity from the damnation due unto you for your sinnes is the satisfaction which Christ hath made for your sinnes unto the justice of God and thereupon the obtaining of riches of mercy from your God who according to his Covenant with you blots out and forgives all your sinnes and never remembers them any more For this is a sure truth that remission of sinnes and actual damnation for sinnes are incompatible or inconsistent Now whether this be any cause of comfort that you and your sinnes are parted and that you and hell are for ever separated I leave it to any one of you to judge for mine own part I do look upon four things as very great mercies 1. That I am delivered from the power of sinne 2. That I enjoy the pardon of sinne 3. That I shall never be damned for sinne 4. That I shall be saved notwithstanding all my sinnes 4. They have immunity or freedome from justification by the Law from all legal From justification by the Law tryals for life Although you are not freed from the Law as it is a rule for life yet you are freed from the Law as it is a Covenant of life although you are not freed from the Law as it is the image of the good and holy will of God yet because you are under the Covenant of grace you are freed from the Law as it is a reason of salvation and justification The Covenant of grace takes you off from that Court and that Bar which pronounceth life upon your own good works and pronounceth death upon your own evil works Rom. 3. 28. We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law Gal. 3. 11. No man is justified by the Law in the sight of God for the just shall live by faith As the Law calls for perfect and personal righteousnesse of our own so the Law will not justifie you it will not give life unto you unlesse it finds that righteousnesse in you you live not if you be not perfectly righteous absolution is pronounced upon your own perfect innocency and condemnation is pronounced upon any defect or breach And verily upon this account no man living can or shall be justified therefore here is comfort that being in Christ and in this Covenant of grace ye are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses See the Apostle Acts 13. 39. Your life doth not lie now in your own righteousnesse but in the righteousnesse of Christ nor doth it depend upon your own works but upon the obedience of Christ That expression of Luther is an excellent expression Christus solus me justificat contra mea mala opera sine operibus meis bonis Though my works have been very good yet not those but Christ doth justifie me and though my works have been very ill yet the righteousnesse of Christ can and will justifie me my evil works shall not damne me and my good works cannot acquit me it is Christ it is Christ and not the Law which justifies me 5. They have immunity or liberty from the rigour of the Law The Law in the rigour of it exacts of us a most absolute obedience a most exquisite and full obedience From the rigor of the Law it will not abate us the least grain or scruple if it be not every way adequate for matter and manner and measure your obedience will not passe nor will it be accepted according to the rigour of the Law Cursed is every one who doth not continue in every thing that is written to do it But when once you are under the Covenant of grace when once God is your God and you are his people neither you nor your services are judged by the exactnesse of your services but by the sincerity of your hearts Though much be wanting which the Law prescribes yet if that be present which your merciful God and Father
Covenant because he is a third person engaged not so much for God as unto God on our behalf that all that we are obliged for in Covenant unto God shall be truly and faithfuly made good and performed He as our surety stands bound to fill us with those graces to give us those affections and to supply us with such a sufficiency of strength as for ever to cleave unto the Lord in dependance and love and to walk before him in truth and to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all out dayes 2. The Mediatorship of Christ you know that he is stiled the Mediator of The Mediatorship of Christ the Covenant Heb. 12. 24. You know that this is one difference 'twixt the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace that had no Mediator but this hath there God dealt with Adam as a righteous person and Adam had no other bottome and foundation for his standing but his own created righteousnesse as long as he kept that the Covenant remained and when he lost that the Covenant was broken for there was no Mediator to make up the breach But now for the Covenant of grace there is a Mediator upon whose shoulder the weight of the Covenant rests and as long as that Mediator lasts which is for ever so long that Covenant of grace shall last This Mediator is Jesus Christ who as Mediator doth confirm the Covenant by satisfying for sinne and making peace and reconciliation not suffering any enmity and difference to remain between God and his people but he doth if I may so expresse it keep up the League 'twixt them both by his merit with the Father and by his Spirit with believers by his Priestly Office he establisheth peace with God and by his Kingly Office he establisheth the hearts of the children of God his very Office as Mediator is to unite God and us together and to preserve that union for ever if at any time we sinne we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for our sinnes and when we are weak he then puts out his strength to conquer temptations for us All these things considered it is clear that because of Christs Mediatorship the Covenant of grace must be everlasting 3. The union 'twixt Christ and the people of the Covenant That there is an The union betwixt Christ and his people union 'twixt Christ and believers is most evident in Scripture I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine so the Church speaks of Christ Cant. 6. 3. in respect of which union Christ and believers are stiled the head and the body Eph. 1. 22. A foundation and a building Eph. 2. 20 21. 1 Pet. 2. 4 5. A Vine and the branches John 15. 5. A husband and wife 2 Cor. 11. 2. Eph. 5. 32. And Christ dwells in us and we in him John 6. 54. He lives in us Galatians 2. 20. Christ liveth in me and we live in him Col. 3. 3. This union 'twixt Christ and us it hath two properties It is 1. Unio arcta a very near union so near is that union that in a proportion it doth answer the union 'twixt Christ and God his Father John 17. 22. That they may be one even as we are one and that we are entitled with the very Name of Christ himself 1 Cor. 12. 12. and that we are said to die with Christ and to live and rise with Christ and our sufferings are stiled his sufferings Col. 1. 24. and the persecution of Christians the persecution of Christ Acts 9. 4 5. Why persecutest thou me 2. Firma a very firm and lasting union therefore our marriage with him is called an everlasting marriage Hosea 2. 19. And Christ saith of every believer who hath union with him that he dwells in him John 6. 56. that he will not lose him ver 39. that he hath everlasting life ver 47. that he shall not die but live for ever ver 50 51. And indeed by vertue of this union with Christ all believers do enjoy an everlasting influence and an everlasting communion with God in Christ c. 4. The love of Christ unto believers who are the people of God in Covenant The love of Christ unto believers the Scriptures are very high in the expression of it John 15. 9. As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love Ephes 5. 2. Walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Rev. 1. 5. Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood John 13. 1. Having loved his own he loved them to the end Ephes 3. 19. The love of Christ which passeth knowledge His love is a fruitful love a watchful love an intire love a faithful love an helpful love and a preserving and upholding love is it imaginable that Jesus Christ having so much love to die for his people that they might not perish will after that leave them unto themselves that they may break the Covenant and so perish 5. The prayers and intercession of Christ the intercession of Christ is everlasting The prayers and Intercession of Christ He ever lives to make intercession he is our Advocate who appeares for us and our Intercessor who speaks for us and his prayers and intercession do prevail with the Father Thou hearest me alwayes Joh. 11. 42. Now you may read of four Petitions which Christ did put up for his for their constancy and perseverance in the Covenant Luke 22. 32. I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Joh. 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Joh. 17. 11. Holy Father keep through thine own Name those that thou hast given me Ver. 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word Joh. 17. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me before the foundation of the world 6. Christs promises and preparations and what are these Rom. 8. 1. Thâ—re is Christs promises and preparations no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Mark 16. 16. He that believeth shall be saved John 3. 16. Whosoever believeth in him shall nâ—t perish but have eternal life John 14. 2. In my Fathers house are many Mansions I go to prepare a place for you 7. I might adde to all these the work of Christ on the hearts of believers in destroying The work of Christ on the hearts of believers the works of the devil in crucifying of their lusts in healing of their natures in quickening of their graces in conquering of temptations in drawing out their affections c. 8. The titles of Christ 1. Our Rock 2.
Scripture Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life ye shall not perish if you do believe and ye shall have everlasting life if ye do believe Mark 16. 16. He that believeth shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Isa 55. 3. Incline your ear and come unto me hear and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant Exod. 24. 7. He took the book of the Covenant and read in the audience of the people and they said All that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient verse 8. and Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins Chap. 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out c. Chap. 13. 18. Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins verse 39. And by him all that believe are justified c 2 Cor. 6. 17. Come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you Verse 8. and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty 3. Every condition annexed unto a Covenant doth not make that Covenant to be a Every condition doth nor make the Covenant to be a Covenant of Works except it be the same condition The Covenant of grace Covenant of Works unless you do put the self same condition into that other Covenant which is placed in the Covenant of works But thus it is not in the Covenant of grace which 1. Puts not the same condition but another condition of a quite different nature from that condition in the Covenant of work There it is Do this and live Here it is Believe and you shall be saved 2. Puts such a condition which is compatible with the grace of God Indeed works that is a self perfect and absolute obedience is incompatible and inconsistent with salvation by grace but a saving by faith is not inconsistent with Requires another condition And a condition compatible with the grace of God grace Of which if any doth doubt let him but read the Apostle in Ephes 2. 5. By grace are ye saved verse 8. By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Rom. 4. 16. Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace What can be can spoken more expresly to shew the consistence twixt grace and faith grace saves and yet faith saves ye are saved by grace through faith Now from all which hath been discovered it doth appear that the Covenant of grace can admit of a condition namely such a condition which is graciously given and such a condition which will in the nature and use of it exalt all the grace of God And truely this condition is Faith and no other thing for This condition is faith Faith 1. Is the gift of God Ephes 2. 8. and Phil. 1. 29. It doth not at all flow from our selves Therefore believers are said Joh. 1. 13. to be born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God 2. And it is such a gift of God as is compleatly adopted to the Covenant of Grace To no Covenant but that and to that it is For that Covenant on Gods part is all in offers and promises and givings and faith is all in receiving and is depending and acknowledging and magnifying the grace of God And that Faith is the condition annexed to this Covenant I shall present unto Demonstrations of it you a few Arguments besides the Scriptures above mentioned to demonstrate it 1. That without which God is not our God nor are we his people And upon Without faith God is not our God nor we his people which God is our God and we do become his people and children This is a condition of the Covenant But faith is that without which God is not our God nor are we his people and upon faith God is our God and we are his people and children See it in the particulars 1. Without Faith there is no Relation by way of Covenant twixt God and us 1. For God and unbelievers are not in Covenant 2. Refusers of the Covenant are not in Covenant 3. Persons under wrath and condemnation are not in Covenant He that believes not is condemned and he shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him Joh. 3. 18. Ephes 2. 11. Remember that ye being in times past Gentiles in the flesh c. verse 12. That at that time ye were without Christ being aliens from the common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world This was their condition before they were quickned from the dead and had obtained faith 1 Pet. 2. 10. Which in times past were not a people but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy 2. Upon faith God becomes our God in Covenant and we become his people and children He upon believing becomes our God in Covenant Isa 55. 3. Incline your ear and come unto me Hear and your soule shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you And Rom. 8. 15. Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father And that spirit of Adoption presupposeth faith None are sons but by faith And we upon believing do become his people and children Gal. 3. 26. Ye are all the children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus 2. That which gives you an interest in Christ the same thing gives you an interest in Faith gives an interest in Christ the Covenant of Grace For this is a sure truth that according to your interest in Christ so is your interest in God and in the Covenant Out of Christ you shall finde no God to be your God But Faith is necessary to give you an interest in Christ forasmuch as Christ becomes ours by faith By faith we are planted into Christ and built upon Christ and married unto Christ he is ours and we are his 3. If all the good of the Covenant comes unto us upon believing Then Faith is All the good of the Covenant comes to us upon believing the condition annexed unto the Covenant you can have none of the good of it but upon believing unbelief cuts you off from all title and all fruition but all the good of the Covenant comes to be setled upon you by believing If you believe you shall be saved If you believe you shall be justified and pardoned you have the
tender offer We pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God why If a sinner did seriously meditate on this offer of Christ by the Gospel me thinks it might much conduce towards a bringing in of his heart to Christ by faith 5. It is an Offer worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1. 15. As to the making of a match when you report unto the party there is such a person every way desirable An offer worthy of all acceptation and lovely there is no exceptions to be taken He is perfectly beautiful singularly wise affectionately loving exceedingly rich every way suitable and you cannot live unlesse you have him And besides all this he dâ—res and offers himself to match with you Surely all this conduceth much to the making of a match So when a poor sinner hears of Christ and of so much good in and by Christ and withall findes Christ offering himself unto him I am willing to be yours I am content to take you as I find you I know your sins and wants and unworthinesse I know what it must cost me to adorn you c. yet I offer my self to be yours and I charge you that you do not neglect and refuse my offer Truely this conduceth very much to perswade the heart and to draw the heart to close by faith with Christ c. 3. The Gospel offers Jesus Christ upon very gracious and reasonable terms In â—f the terms of the Gospel the Gospel you shall finde Jesus Christ propounded unto sinners under several notions and expressions and in all of them you may discern the admirable condescentions of Christ he cannot fall in with you upon lower and easier terms so as to become yours than he doth propound Sometimes he is propounded as a Gift and all the terms that he stands for that you may be possessed of him as a Gift is that you receive him giving and receiving are correlatives Sometimes he is propounded as a Match as a Husband and all that he stands for to make him yours is only that you be willing that you give your consent to be his Sometimes he is propounded as a Bargain to be bought and all that he imposeth on you is this that you buy without money and without price Sometimes he is propounded as a Guest and a friend who would come into your house and sup with you and all that he insists with you for is only this that you open the door and let him in 4. As the Gospel reveales Christ unto you and offers Christ unto you and The promises of the Gospel offers him unto you upon most gracious terms so likewise it holds out unto you abundance of promises which are as so many Adamants to draw your hearts to Christs and are as so many cords of Love There are promises which respect you and Christ If you will come and be his he will certainly be yours he will not reject you And there are promises which respect you and your good estate by Christ As that he will marry you to himself in righteousness and in judgement and in loving-kindness and in mercies Hosea 2. 19. And that he will be Wisdom and Righteousnesse and Sanctification and Redemption unto you 1 Cor. 1. 30. And that there shall be no condemnation to you Rom. 8. â— And that whosoever believes shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. And that whosoever believes in him shall receive remission of sins Acts 10. 43. 5. Besides all this the Gospel gives you instances of the performance of all these promises The instances and examples iâ— the Gospel and likewise of the gracious reception of as great and unworthy sinners as your self 1 Tim. 1. 13 14 15 16. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. It shews how that when sinners have by faith come to Christ he hath accepted of them hath receâ—ved them graciously hath bestowed himself upon them hath given righteousnesse and remission of sins and his Spirit and his Peace and everlasting life unto them Every true believer who came to Christ did enjoy Christ and all saving good with and by Christ Mary Magdalen Paul the Corinthians Ephesians and all others are witnesses of it c. they became Christs and Christ became theirs and he was their Attonement Redemption Reconciliation Righteousnesse Life c. why A serious and solid consideration of all these Evangelical passages they cannot but work on the hearts of broken sinners to look towards this Christ at least to pant in humble and earnest desires of him and for faith that they may be united unto him 3. The third means which I would present unto you for the obtaining of this uniting faith is earnest supplication or prayer As Christ spake unto the woman of Samaria if thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee Earnest supplication give me drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Joh. 4. 10. So sayâ— if you did but know the excellency of this faith of union with Christ and what Christ is and what union with Christ is and how far it interests you in the Covenant of grace surely you would earnestly be enlarged in your supplications and requests unto God for it and you would not be denied this request Ephes 3. 14. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ verse 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith draw me and I will run after thee Well pray the Lord to give this faith unto you which will unite you to Christ I say pray the Lord to give it you For 1. You cannot give it to your own hearts it is not in your power to make your hearts to believe 2. None can give it but God no created power is sufficient for this work 3. God is able to make your hearts to believe to break all the chains of unbelief To set out Christ as most desirable and to work faith that so you shall come to Christ He is able to enlighten your minds and to convince your judgements and to overcome your wills and to perswade your hearts 4. He hath promised to give this faith He hath promised that the dead shall hear the voice of his Son Joh. 5. 25. He hath promised that they shall be all taught of God and he that heareth and learneth of the Father shall come to Christ Joh. 6. 45. He hath promised to allure us unto Christ Hosea 2. 14. And to perswade Japhet Gen. 9. 27. and to make us a willing people in the day of his power Psal 110. 2. and to send the rod of his strength out of Zion verse 3. Object We do hear and we do pray and yet we are not able to believe Sol. 1. O but pray that God would make the Gospel which you do hear to be the savour of life unto you and that his Spirit may accompany the Gospel which you do hear
be saved and all who believe not shall be damned Ergo. It discourageth none from coming to Christ 3. The Gospel holds out enough for any particular sinner to lay hold on It holds out a sufficiency in Christ for any and offers Christ indefinitely A willingness in Christ to receive any that come unto him 4. It offers Jesus Christ to any sinner yea to the vilest and most wretched To the persecuting Paul to the adulterous Magdalen to the Sodomitical Corinthians c. 1 Tim. 1. 13. 1 Cor. 6. 19. 5. Any sinner may accept the offer without any sin for it is worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1. 15. 2. Let any sinner whatsoever come in by faith unto Christ and he shall effectually partake of Redemption and salvation by Christ Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the doore and knock if any man hear my voice and open the doore I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Rev. 22. 17. Let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely John 7. 23. If any man thirst let him come to mâ— and drink Joh. 3. 16. Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish You see here many promises to assure any sinner of an effectual interest in the benefits of Christ if that he doth hearken and believe and come in by faith unto Christ 1. Doe but consider as faith is the condition required on our part so it is the only condition there is no more no other thing required to bring you in to Christ nor to bring you into communion or fellowship or participation of himself nor of the benefits of his death but faith If you do believe Christ is youâ—s and if you do believe you are justified and if you do believe you shall be saved and if you do believe you have an immediate certain and full interest in Christ and his merits 2. Again where the Gospel is revealed unto a people the reason why any of them miss of salvation and are damned is because they believe not Joh. 3. 8. He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God ver 36. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Now if this be so that unbelief cuts the sinner off that it hinders him of life by Christ that it is his condemnation that it seals the wrath of God on him then certainly faith in Christ in any man whatsoever will bring him to life to all good in and by Jesus Christ 3. That the death of Christ as Mediatour was not effectual for all it was not an The death of Christ was not effectual for all universal effectual Redemption Expiation Reconciliation and Salvation for all sinners and for every particular sinner There are three things which I would offer unto you about this Conclusion 1. Proofs from Scripture as to the Assertion in general 2. Proofs in particular that the Death and Redemption and Reconciliation c. by Christ was not universally effectual either 1. In God the Fathers intention nor in Christs intention 2. In the real Impetration of Christ 3. In the Application of it in time unto all the sons of Adam 3. Answers to some of the chief and speclous Arguments which are insisted on to the contrary 1. I shall endeavour in the general to prove this Negative truth that the death In the general Proofs from Scripture of Christ as Mediatour was not effectual for all and every man for Reprobates as well as Elect for unbelievers as well as believers for the damned as well as the saved Joh. 10. 15. I lay down my life for the sheep Those for whom Christ did dye were his sheep But all and every man are not his sheep Ergo he did not die for every As from John 10 15. man The first Proposition Jesus Christ delivers in this Scripture I lay down my life for the sheep The second Proposition Christ himself also delivers in verse 26. But ye believed not because ye are not of my sheep Quest. If the question be put But who are Christs sheep Sol. Why Christ also resolves that Question and so resolves it that he plainly demonstrates all are not his sheep See verse 27. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me verse 28. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish The sheep are described by their own property and by Christs bounty and care They are Christs sheep who do hear Christs voice and so hear his voice that they follow him But all and every man doth not the one nor the other again Christ sayes I give unto my sheep eternal life and they shall never perish Doth Christ give unto every one in the world eternal life and shall not any one in all the worldperish why then doth the Scripture say He that believeth not shall be damned Mar. 16. 16. And we are not of them that draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul Heb. 10. 39. Now what can be replied unto this Christ died for his sheep Eâ—go all and every man are not his sheep There are two shifts which are made instead of answers unto this Scripture 1. One is that of Haberus That all men are sheep he must mean the sheep of Christ or else he answers nothing But this Christ himself as â—e have heard of from verse 26. expresly opposeth saying to the unbelieving Pharisees and Jews ye are not my sheep There are but two respects upon which men may be called the sheep of God or of Christ One is in respect of vâ—cation whether external only or internal also The other is in respect of Predestination because God hath Chosen them and designed them for Christ and in neither of these respects can all and every man be called the sheep of Christ Neither in respect of Predestination for few are chosen Nor in respect of Vocation for though many be called yet not all called no not with an External Vocation which yet is the more general 2. Another is that of the Remonstrants who said that Christ did lay down his life for the sheep but it is not said for the sheep only for them alone Paul saith Chriâ—â— gave himself for me It will not hence follow that Christ gave himself for Paul only and for none else nay we read that Christ died fur the ungodly Rom. 5. 6. and therefore not for his sheep only Sol. This is a shift much like that of the Papists who when we presse the Scripture for justification only by faith they say the word only by faith is not expressed unto whom we reply that vertually it is for the Scripture opposeth Justification by faith unto justification by works and denying it unto works therefore it
upon earth that doth good and sinneth not Prov. 20. â—9 Who can say I have made my heart pure I am clean from sin James 3. 2. In many things we offend all 2. By the spiritual conflict 'twixt grace and sin in justified persons Rom. 7 23. I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members Ver. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit agninst the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would There is three-fold state of man 1. Corrupted wherein is nothing but sin and yet all is quiet 2. Glorified wherein is nothing but holiness as in heaven 3. Regenerate where there is flesh and spirit sin and grace 3. By the duties incumbent on justified persons as 1. Prayer to be kept from sin Psal 19. 13. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins let them not have dominion over me Psal 119. 113. Order my steps in thy Word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me and prayer for the pardon of sins committed Psal 25. 11. For thy Name sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great c. Ver. 18. Forgive all my sins 2. Further mortifying of sin Colos 3. 4. When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear in glory but in the mean time Ver 5. Mortifie your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection c. 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having therefore these promises Dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 4. By the examples of the best men sinning Noah Lot Abraham Jacob Moses David Jehoshaphat Peter and all these when they were in a justified condition 5. Experience What one child of God hath there been or is there in the world who doth not find much sin dwelling in him although he be delivered from the condemnation of sin Rom. 8. 11. and from the dominion of sin Rom. 6. 14. Yet he is not perfectly in this life delivered from the inhabitation of sin and motions and conflicts and actions of sin If any of us who indeed are in Christ and justified by him have ever surveyed the clearest and fairest day of our life when our hearts have been most enlarged and our feet most upheld we shall with all our good find a great mixture of evil so that we daily see as much cause to mourn for our own filthinesse as to blesse God for his goodnesse 2. As sin doth still remain in persons justified so God doth see that remaining God sees that remaining sin sin in them he that made the eye shall not he see all things are naked and open before him Gods seeing is diversly taken in Scripture First Sometimes for his approving Gen. 1. 31. And God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good Jonah 3. 10. And God saw their works that they turnd from their evil way He saw this with an eye of approbation Now in this sense God doth not see sin in any man neither good nor bad neither justified nor unjustified for he is of purer eyes than to behold evil Hab. 1. 13. and cannot look upon iniquity i. e. with approbation or liking Secondly For his wrathful observing and intention to condemn and destroy Jer. 7. 11. Is this house which is called by my Name become a Den of Robbers in your eyes behold even I have seen it saith the Lord ver 12. But go now unto my place which was in Shiloh where I set my Name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickednesse of my people Israel Hos 6. 10. I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel there is the whoredom of Ephraim Israel is defiled c. Gen. 6. God saw the wickednesse of man that it was great upon the earth If you understand Gods seeing of sin for such an apprehension of sin as for it in wrath to judge and condemn and eternally to destroy the sinner in this sence God doth not see sin in any that he pardons or justifies Thirdly Sometimes for his knowing and taking notice of a thing and that with dislike although not so far as finally to condemn Now in this sense God doth see the sins of justified persons The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good Prov. 15. 3. Job 10. 14. If I sin thou markest me Psal 90. 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret sins in the light of thy Countenance Psal 51. 4. Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight 2 Sam. 12. 9. Why hast thou said Nathan to David despised the Commandement of the Lord to do this evil in his sight This was that which did so aggravate Davids sin and so much break Davids heart Object But these are places for Believers in the Old Testament whereas they who deny Gods seeing of sin mean it of Believers under the New Testament Sol. The Believers under the Old Testament were justified by Christ their sins were laid upon Christ and taken away by Christ as well as believers under the New Testament 2. Why do they bring most of their proofs for this Opinion out of the Old Testament As God seeth no iniquity in Jacob And thou art all fair my love and they shall be as white as snow and blotted out c. 3. But see for the New Testament Luke 15. 21. where you have the confession of a penitent child I have sinned against heaven and before thee or in thy sight Rev. 2. 4. I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love Thirdly As God sees the sins in justified persons so likewise is he offended God is offended with their sins with those sinnes But of this I shall speak more fully in answer to the next Question Fourthly Gods covering or hiding of sin in Justification is not Exclusive of or inconsistent with Gods seeing of sin in his people being rightly understood for Gods covering of sin is not exclusive of his seeing of sin there is a two-fold covering of sin 1. From condemnation Thus when God forgives sins he covers sins so that they shall never appear and rise up to condemn the person 2. From apprehension and dislike Thus though the person be forgiven and justified yet if he full into sin God sees it and dislikes it yea hates it though for Christs sake be doth forgive the Person Object But how can this be that God should see any sin in believers who have the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ which is perfect and without all sinne Sol. I answer First If the Righteousnesse of Christ were
repentance be not a cause yet it is a means of pardon which God hath ordained for us to enjoy the forgivenesse of sin of the which his grace only is the efficient cause and the blood of Christ only is the meritorious cause Though God doth freely forgive yet he enjoyns repentance on us for besides the many reasons on our part there is reason for this in repect of Gods own grace which did it expresse itself in a free forgivenesse of wicked and impenitent persons it would be exceedingly undervalued and despised as an unjust act and besides that it would be improved to all licenciousness and profanenesse Whether justified persons may charge themselves with sin Fourthly Whether justified persons may charge themselves with sin seeing God hath graciously discharged them of sin Answered How far justified persons have charged themselves with sin Sol. I will speak something unto this Case also wherein I shall shew unto you two things First How far the children of God have charged sin upon themselves we read in Scripture that they have charged themselves 1. With the matter of sin that they have been guilty of Original sin Psal 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me Rom. 7. 20. Sin that dwelleth in me And with Actual sin as David I have sinned 2 Sam. 12. 13. I have sinned against thee said Job Chap. 7. 20. and so David Ezra Nehemiah c. 2. With the manner of sinning as to the Circumstances of it against mercies warnings judgements on others Dan. 9. Neh. 9. 3. With the merit of sin that if the Lord should deal with them according to their sins there were no abiding If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand Psal 130. 3. Psal 143. 2. Enter not into judgement for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Job 9. 2. How should a man be just with God Ver. 3. If he will contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand Dan. 9. 8. O Lord to us belongs confusion of face 4. So far forth as to acknowlegde no hope nor help of discharge but in Jesus Christ and in Gods free grace O save me for thy mercies sake 5. So far forth as to quicken all penitental works they have remembred their sins Lam. 3. 20. My soule hath them still in remembrance and is humbled within me They have considered their sins Psal 119. 59. I considered my wayes and turned my feet to thy testimonies Mark 14. 72. Peter thought on the words of Christ and went out and wept bitterly They have mourned for their sins Zach. 12. 10. They shall look upon him c. and shall mourn we read of Davids tears and Peters tears and Mary Magdalens tears c. They have reformed their sins Hose 14. 8. What have I any more to do with Idols They have been earnest with God for the pardon and for the assurance of the forgivenesse of their sins Psal 51. 1 c. and Dan. 9. O Lord hear O Lord forgive and Hose 14. 2. Take away my iniquity Secondly How far forth they may not charge sin upon themselves I answer Wherein they may not charge sin upon themselves briefly they may not charge sin on themselves First As to conclude that God will damn them for their sins For there is no condemnation to them c. Rom. 8. 1. And he that believes shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. Though they must acknowledge that by reason of sin they are worthy of condemnation yet they are to believe that Christ hath dyed for them and they shall not be condemned Secondly As to undertake any self-satisfaction to God for their sins you read of their confessions and tears and prayers but not of their satisfaction All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Isa 64. 6. Wherewithall shall I come before the Lord shall I come before him with burnt-offerings will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle c. Mich. 6. 6 7. If I justifie my self mine own mouth will condemn me if I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse Job 9. 20. Thirdly As to disanull their relation to God of Sonship c. Isa 64. 8. But now O Lord thou art our Father Ver. 9. Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people Having thus opened and cleared the nature of the forgiveness of sins I proceed to the other part of the description of it SECT II. THE second thing in the Proposition of forgivenesse of sins is this viz. That God himself undertakes this work and he undertakes it by promise First God undertakes to forgive sins Luk. 5. 21. Who can forgive sins but God alone Isa 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake Exo. 34. 6. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth Ver. 7. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgressions and sin Dan. 9. 9. To thee O Lord God belongeth mercy and forgivenesse Forgiveness of sin is indeed one of his Royal Prerogatives therefore you find his people making their addresses unto him for forgiveness of their sins Exod. 32. 32. Oh this people have sinned a great sin yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin c. Psal 25. 18. Forgive all my sins Dan. 9. 19. O Lord hear O Lord forgive Hose 14. 2. Take away all iniquity Act. 8. 22. Pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee There is a forgiveness 1. By way of charity wherein we forgive the offence and trespass against us If thy brother repent forgive him Luke 17. 3. And forgive one another as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Eph. 4 32. 2. By way of Ministry thus the Apostles as Christ delivers it in Joh. 20. 23. Whose sins ye remit they are remitted 3. By way of immediate and absolute authority thus it belongs to God and to him alone God in Scripture is stiled a Judge Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right Gen. 18. 25. And to the Supreme Judge it belongs to condemn or to acquit A Creditor there was a certain Creditor which had two debtors Luk. 7. 41. who can forgive the debt but the Creditor A Lawgiver There is one Lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy Jam. 4 12. who can forgive the transgressions of the Law but the Lawgiver Now God himself undertakes to forgive sins and none but he must do so Reasons of it God himself undertakes this work First Because all sins are offences against him and deviations from his righteous will and injuries to his glory even those sins which are wrongs unto men are injuries also unto God for his Will is slighted and his Law is violated in them therefore the remission
sinner who hath no part in Christ no hope nor plea by him Fourthly The unforgiven sinner is obnoxious to the severe Authority of an He is obnoxious to an awaking guilty conscience awakning guilty conscience and unto all the powerful workings of it Indeed whiles the conscience remains stupid and seared although sins be unforgiven there is a quietnesse in the soule like a sick man asleep Simile But when God irresistably awakes conscience by effectual light and gives it a charge to act its office of accusing and condemning O Lord in what a case will the unpardoned sinner now be now the man must see all his sins and now he must see them in all their offence and provocations and deserts and now he must see them all as unforgiven and himself therefore obnoxious to death and wrath and curse and hell and conscience sets on all these with a strong conviction and with such piercing woundings and with such continual terror and horror that the unpardoned sinner is at his wits end A wounded Conscience or Spirit who can bear Prov. 18. 14. He is like Pashor-Magor-Missabib a terror round abount unto himself the guilt of his unpardoned sins works on his soul and on his body his soul hath them now before it and the thoughts of his soul are perplexed and astonished what shall I do and what will become of me And his afflictions are breaking with fears and with despaires his eyes are rolling his feet and joynts shaking and his body trembling he knows not what to do with himself nor how to fly from himself Conscience still cries and still pursues and still wounds and still gnaws and still flames and burnt and still condemns him thou hast destroyed thy self thou art lost for ever God is thy Judge thy sins are unforgiven and thy portion is damnation the poor wretch of times cries out O Conscience be quiet spare me a little give me a little space a minute an hours rest I can allow thee no Interim saith Conscience how can I thy sins are not forgiven and God hath given me a charge against thee and therefore how can I be quiet or how can I speak to him unto whom God saith there is no peace but wrath Isa 57. 21. Fifthly The unforgiven sinner must meet with death and death must meet with He must meet with death as a king of terrors him as a king of fears and as armed against him with the guilt of his sins the sting of death is sin saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 56. death is no great matter but the sting of death that is terrible that is like the sting of a Serpent or of the Scorpion piercing poysoning enraging and killing Luther professeth that there were three things which he durst not think of without Christ viz. 1. Of his sinnes 2. Of death 3. Of the day of judgement why what is death to an unpardoned sinner I will tell you what it is 1. It is a full period to all comforts and delights the unpardoned sinner shall never taste of delight more to all Eternity when a justified person dyes he shall never see any sorrow more and when an unpardoned sinner dyes he shall never see delight in any kind more 2. A full period to all Reprieves and Bayles the sinner during life may be Reprieved from many an Execution of wrath and judgement but when he dies there is no longer reprieving he must now appear in person before the righteous God answer for himself and give up his account and to receive according to what he hath done Now how dreadful will this be to the unpardoned sinner on whose soul and conscience the guilt of all his sins is engraven O saith he I cannot live and I must die I have not a day longer nor an hour longer and then must I appear before Gods Judgement seat and what will become of one who never repented who never believed who never had part in Christ who never had his sins forgiven to him Sixthly the unpardoned sinner must receive that just and irreversible sentence of He must receive the irreversible sentence of condemnation condemnation from God Beloved there is a twofold sentence which God will pronounce at the last day 1. One is of comfort and absolution Come ye blessed inherit the kingdom prepared for you Matth 25. 34. 2. The other is of terror and condemnation Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels and both these sentences are already notified unto us in this life He that believes shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned Mar. 16. 16. How dreadful this sentence of condemnation will be I pray God that none of us may find but certainly all unpardoned sinners shall find it God will pronounce it against them how can it be otherwise if sinners be not pardoned if sinners be not pardoned then the sinner is not absolved and if he be not absolved he must be condemned Object But God may forgive him in that day Sol. No no that day is not a day of forgiving though it be a day of publication who hath been forgiven c. Seventhly Upon this sentence immediately follows execution God condemns And execution immediately follows To all eternity these sins and they shall be condemned he adjudgeth them to hell to be tormented with the Divel and his Angels and thither they go to suffer that wrath which their sins have deserved Eighthly And this poenal endurance of wrath it must continue to all eternity As long as God is God so long must the wrath of God abide on them the worm never dies and the fire of hell never goes out And if these things be so then by the way learn four things 1. Come off speedily from your sins by true repentance 2. Slight the Gospel as you have done no more stand no longer against the offers of Jesus Christ 3. By all means yield your selves to be the people of God 4. Whatsoever you make sure of make sure of Christ and of the forgiveness of your sins and the salvation of your souls SECT VI. Vse 2. DOth God promise forgiveness of sins unto his people Is it one of the first mercies by him promised unto them Then let us every one be exhorted to get a capacity of the forgiveness of our sins Get a capacity of forgiveness Beloved it is true that God can and doth forgive sins and will do so but yet he will do this in that way and in that order which he hath prescribed in his own Word we may not say Why I am a sinner and therefore God will forgive me as if one should say I am a debtor therefore the Creditor will release me and I am an offender and therefore the Judge will absolve me Nor may we say absolutely God is a merciful God and therefore he will forgive me for as God is a merciful God and may therefore forgive so he is a
which receives whole Christ in all his offers if you have not a saith for service on your part as well as for benefit on Christs part if you have not a faith which will conform you to Christ as well as apply Christ to you it is but a counterfeit faith and as it gives you no interest in the person of Christ so it will never intitle and convey unto you any forgiving mercy and salvation by Christ Thus you see what that Faith is which is necessary for the forgiveness of sins Now a word to the third Particular viz. Thirdly That true Faith which intitles to the forgiveness of sins it may True faith may be either weak or strong be either weak or strong Compare believer with believer there is this latitude in true faith therefore you read of great faith in some and of a little faith in others of some whom Christ styles his lambs and others his sheep and John calls some young men others little children and others fathers there are different measures of faith amongst believers 1. Partly from the different impartings of the Spirit who is a free and wise cause and from partly 2. The different means and helps which conduce to the improvement of faith and 3. Partly from the different Age and times of faith some have been long in Christ in others Christ is but newly formed and who can expect that babes newly born should have that strength and sufficiency as men have who are grown to a riper age yea and the same faith is in the same person first but weak and tender but as the bruised reed but as the smoaking flax c. Fourthly Bur then in the last place which shall close up this Discourse Whether it be strong or weak if it be true it intitles to pardon whether the faith be strong or whether it be weak if yet it be the true Gospel faith of which I have spoken it hath a certainty of the forgiveness of sins promised and annexed unto it The Scripture expresly clears this Conclusion Acts 10. 43. Whosoever believes in him shall receive remission of sins Joh. 3. 18. He that believeth in him is not condemned why then he is absolved or pardoned 1 John 2. 12. I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you Acts 13. 39. By him all that believe are justified Isa 53. 6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all And there are five clear Demonstrations of this Five Demonstrations of it Every believer is in the Covenant First Every believer whether strong or weak is in the Covenant God is their God and they are all of them his people he is their father and they are all of them his children Gal. 3. 26. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Now every one in Covenant hath the express promise of forgiveness of sins Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more Secondly Every believer is in Christ and Christ is in him Christ dwelleth in And in Christ and Christ in him our hearts by faith Eph. 3. 17. and Gal. 3. 28. speaking of all sorts of believers he saith Ye are all one in Christ Jesus Now the Scripture affirms six things of all who are Christs 1. That they have lâ—â—e 1 Joh. 5 12. He that hath the Son hath life 2. That there is no condemnation to them Rom. 8. 1. 3. That they shall never perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. 4. That in his blood they have redemption even forgiveness of their sins Eph. 1. 7. 5. That Christ bears their sins 1 Pet. 2. 24. and did put away their sins by the sacrifice of himself Hebr. 9. 26. 6. That Christ is made unto them and that of God righteousness and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. Thirdly The promise of forgiveness is made to the believer as a believer They have the promise of forgiveness as believers not as a strong believer for then none but strong believers should be forgiven nor as a weak believer for then none but weak believers should be forgiven but to the believer as a believer and therefore to every believer whether strong or weak Fourthly All believers have the like and equal advantage by vertue of All believers have an equal advantage their union with Christ in all things purchased by Christ which are of a necessary respect to their safety and salvation I say of a necessary respect to these whatsoever is necessary to deliver from hell and whatsoever is necessary to bring to heaven in that doth every believer share alike therefore every believer is sanctified because without holiness no man shall see the Lord and therefore every believer is justified because only they are glorified who are justified and so every believer hath his sins forgiven because pardon of sin is necessary to salvation otherwise he must be damned for his sins and never shall see life Fifthly Shall I adde one Argument more If there were any believer who Else some believers â—ust â—e in the same condition with unbelievers should not have his sins forgiven Then some believers might be in the same condition with unbelievers both unpardoned and both under condemnation but this cannot be for Christ hath plainly differenced the state of the believer and of the unbeliever thus Joh. 3. 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already Ver. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And thus you have heard these two Conclusions manifestly cleared from the Word of God viz. That 1. Every truly repenting sinner is within the promise of forgiveness of sins 2. Every truly believing person is also within the same promise of forgiveness of sins And on the contrary you have heard it also cleared 1. That no impenitent person 2. That no unbelieving person hath any promise of the forgiveness of sins What should these truths work on all us who have heard the testimony of God given in so abundantly for them I will tell you what impression they should make upon us First We should all of us fear and tremble lest we should come short of such a mercy which doth so nearly and so eternally concern us as the forgiveness of our sins Secondly Be no more so averse unto the Doctrine and Practice of Repentance and Faith Thirdly We should with all carefulness and seriousness and speediness search our hearts and try our ways whether we have attained the grace and practice of true Repentance and whether true justifying faith be in us yea or no especially considering the general course of men is impenitency and unbelief and our own courses of life have been like that of other men a walking as the Apostle speaks in lasciviousness lusts excess of wine revellings banquettings and
against people for their sins 2. A second is the unspeakable terrors in conscience raised only from our sins which makes us like the troubled Sea that cannot rest and to cry out with Cain and to despair with Judas and to long for death with Spira 3. A third is the wonderful outward judgements inflicted by God on people for sin plague and famine and the sword and tormenting diseases burning down of Cities renting up of Kingdomes and all the miserable evils in the world 4. A fourth is the eternal duration of the flame of hell fire the suffering of the vengeance of eternal fire as the Apostle speaks Jude ver 7. 5. The fifth is the death and suffering of Jesus Christ one saith that if it were possible for us to see and feel the torments which the damned do suffer in hell it could not be so clear and effâ—ctual conviction of the true desert of sin of the hainousness of it of the odiousneâ—s of it of the dreadfulness of it as the consideration of it in the death and blood of Christ without which there could be no forgiveness of our sins no noâ— of the least of them I beseech you to attend a little â—in is of such a provoking deserving nature First That no creature no not all the creatures in heaven and earth could pacifie God and cleanse us from our sins and procure the pardon of them but Jesus Christ the Son of God alone Neither Angels nor Saints nor righteousness nor prayers nor gold nor silver can give unto God a â—ansome for our soul the redemption of it is more precious it cannot be without the precious blood of Christ Secondly As none can procure the pardon of sin but Christ so Christ could not do it but by dying indeed there was very much excellency and worth in the active obedience of Christ in the holiness of his life and exactness of his works nevertheless to get off our sins his passive obedience is likewise required without that there was no remidion Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood Rev. 5. 9. Thirdly As Christ must dye to get the pardon of sin so every death of Christ is not sufficient but he must dye that accursed death of the Cross and become a curse for us or else he could not have got the pardon of our sins hear the Apostle Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Tree Colos 1. 20. He made peace through the blood of his Cross Fourthly Neither would this have sufficed to dye on the Cross there enduring the grievous torments in his soul and body due to our sins if he had not been God as well as man 1 Joh. 3. 16. speaking of the person of Christ he saith God laid down his life for us and indeed that must be of infinite price and merit which must answer the everlasting torments due for all the sins of all the Elect there had not been enough in the death of Christ had it not been the death of a person who was God as well as Man Thus you see even in the blood of Christ the hainousness of sin and the high guilt thereof which may make us to fear and tremble at the consideration of our own exceeding guiltiness c. Secondly To look after Christ in another manner than formerly we have done To look after Christ in another manner than formerly Why will you say because in his blood only we have the remission of sins that it is the only cause for which God doth forgive us Now because this is the principal Use which I think can be made of this point I will therefore briefly speak unto these three questions 1. How we should look after Christ seeing that there is no forgiveness but in and by him 2. Whether we do indeed look after Christ so as that we may get him to be ours and have the benefit of forgiveness in his blood 3. How one may know that he hath got Jesus Christ to be his and consequently an interest in his blood for the pardon of his sins Quest 1. Seeing that there is no forgiveness of sins but for the blood of How we should look after Christ Christ how therefore should we look after Christ Sol. To this I answer First We should look after Christ so as to enjoy him to be ours with With all speediness all speediness as David spake in another case I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commands Psal 119. 60. So should not we delay from time to time but hasten in to Christ that so our sins may be pardoned Whiles it is called to day to hearken unto his voice Hebr. 3. 7. Isa 60. 8. Who are these that flee as a cloud and as the Doves to their Windows In three cases swiftness and presentness of action are required viz. 1. When the danger is great 2. When the mercy is great 3. When the opportunity is uncertain all these circumstances meet together to stirre us up speedily to look after Christ to get him to be ours for 1. All the guilt of our sins lies upon our own souls untill Christ be ours no sin is forgiven but we are under wrath and condemnation 2. All our sins shall be taken off by the blood of Christ if Christ be ours so that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. 3. We have but our day our houre our opportunity our present moment to look after Christ the day of life is uncertain and the day of grace is uncertain the Spirit blows when and where and how long and how short as himself listeth O that thou hadst known even in this thy day c. Luke 19. 42. Secondly We should look after Christ very seriously and carefully our Very seâ—iously souls should make it their solemn work and business yea all that is in our souls should be united and engagâ—d for to get Christ Simile As he said to his son Percute tanquam ad Aratrum Strike as thou wast wont to strike at the Plough so would I say look after Christ as ye are wont to look after the world the riches and honour and pleasure of it earnestly and with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your might the Kingdome of heaven should suffer viâ—lence c. Maâ—th 11. 12. Prov. 8. 17. Those that seek me early shall finde me Thirdly We should look after Christ diligently and laboriously not shrinking Diligently at any pains and any ways and any means to get Christ Prov. 8. 34. Blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doâ—rs Cant. 3. 1. By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth
this it is enjoyed at an It is enjoyed at an easâ—e rate easie rate the price of it is very cheap as that ill piece of ground presently received the Word with joy Luke 8. 13. so a false assurance riseth very suddenly This houre very wicked and the next strangely assured it cost the man no tears nor prayers nor wrestlings for a man to be much in ignorance and wickedness and much in joy and assurance this cannot be right for the Apostle 2 Pet. 1. 10. would have us give all diligence to make our calling and election sure and Phil. 2. 12. To work out our salvation with fear and trembling All diligence and much pains must be laid out to attain a true assurance Many prayers Psal 51. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness Many tears Psal 6. 6. All the night make I my bed to swim I water my couch with my tears Many waitings Psal 85. 2. I will hearken what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace c. Fourthly A false assurance is a possession without a title The man talks of It is a possession without a title much joy and peace and comfort and assurance but there is not any one promise of God of these things to him nay God is so far from promising assurance of forgiveness that in the condition wherein this person remains there is not any one promise of forgiveness for he is wicked and unconverted and a stranger to Christ and to one remaining so there is not so much as a promise of pardon much less a promise of assurance that sin is pardoned Now take this for a certain truth that the assurance which any man hath of the pardon of his sins if it hath no foundation in a promise it is but a false delusion if God hath not promised to forgive you you cannot be safely assured that you are forgiven much more is it false if God threatens to destroy you for your unbelief and impenitency Suppose one doth promise and ensure in a conveyance of land such or such an estate to such or such a person whose name is there inserted and expressed Will you or may you thereupon seize your self of that estate and think to make money of it as yours who are not named in it this were a ridiculous madness Simile So the Lord makes promise of forgiveness of sins unto his â—eople unto them that believe unto them that repent those are their names whom God calls the heirs of his promise and presently you are confident and you are perswaded and you are assured that your sins are forgiven I pray you why so Is your name amongst the living do you repent of your sins who do still hold them fast and will not let them go Do you believe who still refuse to obey the voice of Christ God doth promise to comfort those that are cast down 2 Cor. 7. 6. Were your souls ever cast down And that they who sowe in tears shall reap in joy Psal 126. 5. Did you ever sowe in tears whose heart is hardened to this very day Fifthly A false assurance it is either without all ground or without all It is without ground or without sure ground proper and sure ground it is like the house built on the sand and not on a rock Matth. 7. For put it to any presumptuous sinner what are the reasons and grounds of your confidence what is the medium which doth thus perswade and assure you that your sins are certainly forgiven The man cannot if he will speak the truth give you any reason at all but so he thinks and he is of that mind and will be so and if he doth give you arguments and grounds they are of such a vulgar and common nature as no solid Christian dare build on them and the Scripture rejects them as unsafe being at the best and highest no other than civil men or hypocrites may be possessed of perhaps some outward temporal prosperity perhaps some works of civil righteousness perhaps some common supernatural gifts perhaps some external religious performances perhaps some sudden transient affections these or some other common works of the Spirit or matters below these are the foundations and bottomes upon which all his assurance is built Simile As if one should build a Ship of paper and set up there his confidence of safety The Scripture as you shall shortly hear lays other and more sure and higher foundations of building up a right assurance Sixthly I will adde one discovery more of a false assurance and that is It is vain and ineffectual this it is a vain and ineffectual assurance like painted fire which heats not or like a counterfeit drug which purges not There are five things which it never produceth and therefore it is not true assurance but an empty delusion 1. It makes not the heart more holy He that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure 2. It makes not the heart more humble but always more proud therefore it is no work of the Spirit 3. It makes not the heart more sorrowful for sin past and ashamed for sinning against such gracious mercies but leaves it hardened 4. It makes not the heart more fearful to sin but rather more ventrous neither do any more additions of sinning shake and interrupt or trouble this assurance 5. It puts not out the heart in more love to God or zeal for him or to express one jot more of godliness in the conversation all which doth infallibly prove that the assurance comes not from the Spirit of God but from a spirit of delusion Fourthly Now in the fourth and last place I will shew unto you that this false assurance concerning the pardon of our sins is a most dangerous deceit It is a most dangerous deceit It is soul deceit which will appear unto you thus First It is a soul deceit such a sinner deceives his own soul which is of all other deceits the highest and the worst There is a twofold self deceit 1. One respects our bodies and our outward temporal estates this many times proves very uncomfortable unto us and very miserable to our posterity 2. Another respects our souls and our sâ—iritual and eternal estates as to be confident that we are in a good estate when really we are in a bad estate and that we belong to Christ when really we do belong to Satan and that our sins are pardoned and that God loves us and will indeed save us when indeed our sins are not pardoned but remain debts uncrossed and we still lie under the wrath of God and under condemnation This is soul deceit and most woful deceit it is worse than to rest upon a false title for all our worldly estate it is worse than to trust to a false plea and vain defence for a mans life and it is the worse because 1. The sinner will not easily be convinced 2. Nor come back and begin the work
doth so satisfie the mind and prevail upon it as to exclude all actual doubtings and fears at that time and it is a clear manifestation of Gods love and pardoning mercy with our propriety in them in particular and therefore necessarily doth quietation of heart flow from it Secondly More carefulness to walk in all well-pleasing before the Lord assurance Carefulness to walk in all well-pleasing breeds two excellent properties about holy walking and services 1. One is more alacrity O it is now no burden but a delight to do the will of God Psal 40. 8. I delight to do thy will and thy commands are my delight said David I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart Ps 119. 32. 2. The other is more carefulness Mark that place Psal 26. 1. I have walked in mine integrity Ver. 3. For thy loving kindness is before mine eyes Never were any more strict in paths of righteousness than those who have tasted most of Gods loving kindness I am thy servant c. Psal 116. 16. Thirdly More delight in the Word and greater appetite after it 1 Pet. 2. 2 3. As Delight in the Word new born baves desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby if so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious Fourthly More zeal for God What will not this assured Christian act and suffer Zeal he will do any service for Christ yea the highest and greatest the love of Christ constrains him 2 Cor. 14. nay he will dye for Christ but to dye for the Name of Christ Acts 21. 13. Who loved me and gave himself for me saith Paul Gal. 2. 20. What shall I render to the Lord what shall I do for my God Cant. 3. 5. I charge you stir not up nor awake my love Fifthly More fear to sin against God let me tell you a truth the assured person Fear to sin would even dye presently in the Arms of Christ that he might never sin against him any more but see Hosea 3. 5. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness Sixthly An height of heart presently the heart is above all the world the world Height of heart is nothing of no account when the Lord once gives in the assurance of his love in the pardon of our sins in the blood of Christ Quest 2. I now proceed to the second question which is this What those weak Christians and Believers should judge of their estate who never yet could attain unto this particular assurance of the pardon of their sins and what course they may take to enjoy What weak Christians should judge of their estates who could never get assurance For their support the same Sol. There are two things in this question to be spoken unto 1. One respects the support 2. The other respects the direction of such Christians as have not yet attained the assurance c. 1. For the support of those weak believers who are apt to judge heavily of themselves and of their spiritual estate because they never yet attained to the pardon of their sins I would present these four Conclusions First One may be in a justified or pardoned estate in the Court of heaven who as yet A man may be in a pardoned state who is not assured is not in an assured estate in the Court of his own conscience sins may be forgiven when yet the sinner is not assured of the forgiveness of his sins 2 Sam. 12. 13. The Lord hath put away thy sins and yet David prayed exceedingly to get the assurance thereof Psal 51. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness c. Joh. 14. 20. At that day after his Ascension ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you Ye shall know c. yet of these he saith Joh. 15. 5. I am the Vine ye are the Branches Job 13. 24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemy Psal 88. 14. Lord why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me Ver. 15. Whiles I suffer thy terror I am distracted Ver. 16. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy terrors have cut me off Isa 64 8. But now O Lord thou art our Father we are the clay and thou art the potter and we all are the work of thine hand Ver. 9. Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people Mark though thou art our Father and we are thy people yet be not wroth c. Secondly If one doth truly believe in Christ his condition is sure although the His condition is sure though his person have not assurance person hath not assurance true faith though weak though compassed with doubts and fears doth really make Christ to be yours and if Christ be yours then your condition is sure 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life Joh. 10. 27. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me Ver. 28. and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Joh. 6. 47. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life Beloved neither Christ nor salvation are setled upon assurance but upon faith it is not said that Christ dwells in our hearts by assurance but by faith nor is it said Whosoever is assured shall be saved nor Whosoever is assured shall receive remission of sins but Whosoever believeth The weakest true faith is enough to make Christ to be yours and consequently it is enough to give you an interest in his Redemption and to free you from condemnation and to bring you to that purchased inheritance of life see then this is another comfort though you have not assurance yet the condition of life is sure if ye be true believers c. Thirdly A third support is this Though you have not the assurance of the forgiveness Though you have not this assurance yet you are labouring for it of your sins yet you are labouring and striving for it there are degrees of assurance some are weaker some are stronger some are more permanent some are transient Beloved though a man be not in heaven yet it is a great comfort if he be walking towards heaven though a man be not in Christ yet it is good when he is crying out for Christ and so though a man hath not as yet the assurance that his sins are pardoned it is a good sign when he is found in the ways for assurance Object But what comfort is there in this that one is labouring for assurance when as yet he never had it Sol. There is in this four comforts to them that labour for assurance First The comfort of obedience that you are according to Gods commands giving all diligence to make your calling and election sure 2
they should not have done well to have observed it Thirdly If the Moral Precepts were ceased as to the people of God then God would have expressed in the delivery of them a purpose after some time to have revoked them and to have exempted his people from further obedience unto them or else Jesus Christ would himself have abrogated them as now unuseful but neither of these do we find Object Yes Christ saith in Luke 16. 16. The Law and the Prophets were untill John Sol. The Law here spoken of is not to be understood de Lege Morali of the direct and commanding Law of the Moral Law prescribing obedience sed de lege Prophetante per figur as as Rivet well observes Fourthly What shall we say to that of Paul Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inner man And Ver. 25. So then with the mind I my self serve the Law of God And Chap. 8. 4. That the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit What shall we say to that of David Psal 119. 1. Blessed are the undefiled who walk in the Law of the Lord Object But the Apostle saith we are not under the Law in Rom. 6 14. c. Sol. First One may be said to be under the Law in several respects How we are said to be under the law 1. For justification by the Law 2. For condemnation by the Law 3. For perfect and personal obedience to the Law 4. For a slavish and servile constraint In these respects the people of God are not under the Law nevertheless for direction and instruction to frame their lives unto the precepts of the Law thus they are under the Law But secondly the place to me expounds it self best of all The Apostle there saith We are not under the Law but under grace and this he gives as a reason why sin should not have dominion over them We are not under the Law i. e. in such a state where there is only a command given against but no power but we are under grace which is such a condition or estate where besides a command against sin we have also a power given with that command which pulls down the dominion of sin And verily all that can be concluded here is the comfortabâ—e estate of believers and regenerate persons not in this that they are utterly freed from the commanding Law of God but in that they are now under such a gracious Covenant vvhere there is not only a Law to command but grace also given to obey 2. Quest The next Question is what manner of obediential observation of God commands that is which concerns the people of God in Covenant Sol. It is an Evangelical manner of obedience or observation which hath four What obedience is required of Gods people It comes from Gospel-Principles ingredients in it First It must come from Gospel Principles even from the life and strength of Christ no man can walk without a Principle of life within him It is a living work which poceeds from a living Principle All the obediential workâ— of the people of God are performed in the vertue of their union and communion with Christ without me you can do nothing Christ doth not only give the Law unto the people of God but also he gives the Spirit unto them Heb. 8. 10. I will write my Law in their minds He doth by his Spirit write them in their hearts and makes them complying and willing to obey Secondly It must come from Gospel motives even from the mercy and love of God the people of God do obey him rather as a Father then as a Judge looking From Gospel-motives more at his goodness than at his severity They shall fear the Lord and his goodness Hosea 3. 5. And Psal 130. 5. There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared 2 Cor. 5. 14. The love of Christ constrains them And Ver. 15. He died for all that they who live should not hence forth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them The great love which God hath shewed unto his people in Christ inflames and swells their heart and moves cares and endeavours to walk before him in all well pleasing Thirdly It must come from Gospel-affections especially from love and delight From Gospel-affections O how love I thy Law Psal 119. If a man love me he will keep my cemmandâ—ments Joh. 14. 23. The love of God which the people of God enjoy carries out their soules in all holy obedience unto the will of God and so likewise they serve him with delight I delight to do thy will O God Psal 40. 8. And thy Law is within my heart Psal 101. 1. Serve the Lord with gladness The Commandements of God are not grievous unto his people they say not What a weariness it is to serve the Lord no but as David I rejoyce in thy testimonies and I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart It was Christs meat and drink to do the will of his Father O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes c. There is a servile serving of God which ariseth from a slavish Spirit unwilling backward constrained by threats and blows and there is an ingenuous free chearful delightful serving of God As the people of God are volunteers Psal 110. 3. of a princely spirit as the word signifies their duties though as to the rule are under a command yet as to their hearts and manner of performance they are a free-will-offering they find so much sweetness and happiness in communion with God and with a holy fervency of spirit they are not indifferent cold slothful but fervent in Spirit boyling hot serving the Lord Rom. 12. 11. their hearts are conjoyned and united in the duties of obedience intent and intensive Fourthly It looks at a Gospel-end at the glory of God and Christ Phil. It looks at a Gospel-end 1. 20. Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or death Ver. 21. For to me to live is Christ Rom. 14. 7. None of us liveth unto himself for ver 8. Whether we live we live unto the Lord. Natural men do act from themselves and for themselves but the people of God do act from Christ and for Christ 3. Quest Why the people of Gods Covenant are in a more special manner charged to walk in his statutes keep his judgements and do them Sol. I will not insist on this but briefly thus the people of God should walk in his statutes keep his judgements and do them Why Gods people should walk in his statutes First In respect of God and here are three Reasons 1. His Will Psal 119. 4. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy preceps diligently 1 Thes 4. 3. It is the will of God even your sanctification 2. His Glory They are called to shew forth