as it is necessary for the discharge of such duties unto the Glory of God Now because it is not directly in our way yet having been mentioned I shall briefly in our passage touch upon the latter or what duties do depend upon our Judging of others to be regenerate and the way or Principles whereby such a Judgement may be made 1. There are many duties incumbent on us to be performed with and towards Professors which without admitting a Judgement to be made of their State and Condition cannot be performed in faith And in reference unto these duties alone it is that we are called to Judge the State of others For we are not giving Countenance unto a rash uncharitable censuring of mens spiritual conditions nor unto any Judging of any men any other than what our own duty towards them doth indispensably require Thus if we are to lay down our lives for the Brethren it is very meet we should so far know them so to be as that we may hazard our lives in faith when we are called thereunto We are also to Joyn with them in those Ordinances wherein we make a Solemn profession that we are members of the same body with them that we have the same head the same Spirit faith and love We must love them because they are begotten of God Children of our heavenly Father and therefore must on some good ground believe them so to be In a word the due performance of all principal mutual Gospel Duties to the Glory of God and our own Edification depends on this supposition that we may have such a satisfying perswasion concerning the spiritual condition of others as that from thence we may take our ayme in what we do 2. For the grounds hereof I shall mention one only which all others do lean upon This is pressed 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. As the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so is Christ. For by one Spirit we are all Baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit They are all united unto and hold of one head For as are the members of the body natural under one head So is Christ mystical that is all believers under Christ their head And this Union they have by the inhabitation of the same quickning Spirit which is in Christ their head and by him they are brought all into the same spiritual state and frame they are made to drink into one and the same Spirit for this same Spirit produceth the same Effects in them all the same in kind though differing in degrees as the Apostle fully declares Ephes. 4. 3 4 5 6. And this Spirit is in them and not in the world John 16. And as this gives them a naturalness in their duties one towards another or in mutual caring for rejoycing and sorrowing with one another as members one of another 1 Cor. 12. 25 26. So it reveals and discovers them to each other so far as is necessary for the performance of the Duties mentioned in such a manner as becomes members of the same body There is on this account a spiritually natural Answering of one to another as face answereth face in the Water They can see and discern that in others whereof they have Experience in themselves they can tast and relish that in others which they feed upon in themselves and wherein the lives of their souls do consist the same spirit of life being in them they have the same spiritual tast and Savour And unless their pallats are distempered by Temptations or false opinions or prejudices they can in their Communion tast of that Spirit in each other which they are all made to drink into This gives them the same likeness and Image in the Inward man the same heavenly light in their minds the same affections and being thus prepared and enabled to Judge and discern of the State of each other in reference unto their mutual duties they have moreover the true Rule of the Word to Judge of all Spirits and Spiritual effects by And this is the ground of all that love without dissimulation and real Communion that is among the Saints of God in this World But here two Cautions must be allowed 1. That we would not Judge the State and Condition of any men in the world no further than we are called thereunto in a way of Duty and we are so called only with reference unto the Duties that we are to perform towards them What have we to do to Judge them that are without that is any one that we have not a call to consider in reference unto our own Duty Herein that great Rule takes place Judge not that ye be not Judged Let us leave all men the worst of men unless where evident duty requires other actings to the Judgement seat of God They are the Servants of another and they stand or fall unto their own Master There have been great miscarriages amongst us in this matter some have been ready to condemn all that go not along with them in every principle yea opinion or practice And every day slight occasions and provocations are made the grounds and reasons of severe censures But nothing is more contrary to the conduct of the meek and holy Spirit of Christ. This is our Rule are we called to Act towards any as Saints as living Members of the body of Christ and that in such Duties as we cannot perform in faith unless we are perswaded that so they are then are we on the grounds and by the wayes before mentioned to satisfie our selves in one another 2. Do we endeavour mutually to discern the condition of one another in reference unto such Ends Let us be sure to look unto and pursue those ends when we have attained our Satisfaction What these ends are hath been shewed It is that we may love them without dissimulation as members of the same mystical body with us that we may naturally take care of them and for them that we may delight sincerely in them that we may minister unto their wants Temporal and Spiritual that we may watch over them with pitty and compassion These and the like are the only ends for which we are at any time called to the consideration of the spiritual condition of one another if these be neglected the other is useless And here lyes a great aggravation of that neglect in that such a way is made for the avoidance of it Here lyes the life or death of all Church Society All Church Society and Relation is built on this supposition that the members of it are all Regenerate some lay this foundation in Baptism only professing that all that are baptized are Regenerate Others require a farther Satisfaction in the real work it self But all build on the same foundation that all Church members are to be Regenerate And
condition in the Scripture denotes every thing of disconsolation and trouble To be then in darkness where yet there is some light some relief though darkness be predominant is sad and disconsolate but now not only to be but also to walk that is to continue a course in darkness and that with no light no discovery of help or relief this seems an overwhelming condition yet sinners in this estate are called to trust in the name of the Lord. I have shewed before that nothing but forgiveness or that which influenceth it and encourageth to an Expectation of it is of any use unto a sinner much more one in so great distress upon the account of sin yet is such an one here sent only to the NAME of the Lord wherein his gracious heart and nature is revealed That then is the very Fountain and Spring of forgiveness And this is that which John would work a sense of upon our souls where he tells us that God is Love 1 Ep. Chap. 4. 8. or one of an infinitely Gracious Tender Good Compassionate Loving Nature Infinite Goodness and Grace is the soyl wherein forgiveness grows It is impossible this flower should spring from any other root Unless this be revealed to the soul forgiveness is not revealed To consider pardon meerly as it is terminated on our selves not as it flows from God will bring neither profit to us nor Glory to God And this also which is our design in hand will make it appear That this discovery of forgiveness whereof we speak is indeed no common thing is a great discovery Let men come with a sense of the guilt of sin to have deep and serious thoughts of God they will find it no such easie and light matter to have their hearts truly and throughly apprehensive of this loving and gracious nature of God in reference unto pardon It is an easie matter to say so in common but the soul will not find it so easie to believe it for it self What hath been spoken before concerning the ingrafted notions that are in the minds of men about the Justice Holiness and severity of God will here take place Though men profess that God is Gracious yet that Aversation which they have unto him and communion with him doth abundantly manifest that they do not believe what they say and profess if they did they could not but delight and trust in him which they do not for they that know his name will put their trust in him So said the slothful servant in the Gospel I knew that thou wast austere and not for me to deal withal it may be he professed otherwise before but that lay in his heart when it came to the tryal But this I say is necessary to them unto whom this discovery is to be made even a spiritual apprehension of the gracious loving heart and nature of God This is the spring of all that follows And the fountain must needs be infinitely sweet from whence such streams do flow He that considers the glorious fabrick of Heaven and Earth with the things in them contained must needs conclude that they were the product of infinite Wisdom and Power nothing less or under them could have brought forth such an effect And he that really considereth forgiveness and looks on it with a spiritual eye must conclude that it comes from infinite Goodness and Grace And this is that which the Hearts of sinners are exercised about when they come to deal for pardon Psal. 86. 5. Thou Lord art good and ready to forgive Nehem. 9. 17. Thou art a God ready to pardon gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness And Micah 7. 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity because he delighteth in Mercy And God encourageth them hereunto whereever he says that he forgives sins and blots out iniquities for his own sake or his names sake that is he will deal with sinners according to the Goodness of his own Gracious Nature So Hos. 11. 9. I will not execute the fierceness of mine Anger I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not Man Were there no more Mercy Grace Compassion to be shewed in this case than it is possible should be treasured up in the heart of a man it would be impossible that Ephraim should be spared But saith he I am God and not Man Consider the infinite largeness bounty and goodness of the heart of God and there is yet hope When a sinner is in good earnest seeking after forgiveness there is nothing he is more solicitous about than the heart of God towards him nothing that he more labours to have a discovery of There is nothing that Sin and Satan labour more to hide from him This he rolls in his mind and exercises his thoughts about and if ever that voyce of God Isa. 27. 4. Fury is not in me sound in his heart he is relieved from his great distresses And the fear of our hearts in this matter our Saviour seems to intend the prevention or a removal of John 16. 26 27. I say not that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you They had good thoughts of the tender heart and care of Christ himself the Mediator towards them but what is the heart of the Father what acceptance shall they find with him Will Christ pray that they may find favour with him Why saith he as to the Love of his heart there is no need of it for the Father himself loveth you If this then belongeth to forgiveness as who ever hath sought for it knoweth that it doth it is certainly no common discovery to have it revealed unto us To have all the clouds and darkness that are raised by sin between us and the Throne of God dispelled to have the fire and storms and tempests that are kindled and stirred up about him by the Law removed to have his glorious face unvailed and his holy heart laid open and a view given of those infinite treasures and stores of Goodness Mercy Love and Kindness which have had an unchangeable habitation therein from all Eternity to have a discovery of these eternal springs of sorbearance and forgiveness is that which none but Christ can accomplish and bring about John 17. 6. Secondly This is not all This eternal Ocean that is infinitely satisfied with its own fulness and perfection doth not naturally yield forth streams for our refreshment Mercy and pardon do not come forth from God as Light doth from the Sun or Water from the Sea by a necessary consequence of their natures whether they will or no. It doth not necessarily follow that any one must be made partaker of forgiveness because God is infinitely Gracious For may he not do what he will with his own Who hath given first unto him that it should be recompenced unto him again Rom. 11. 35. All the fruits of Gods Goodness and Grace are in the sole keeping of
of old 1 Cor. 1. 24. Hence when a soul is brought under the power of a real conviction of sin so as that it would desirously be freed from the galling intanglements of it it is then the hardest thing in the world to perswade such a soul of this forgiveness Any thing appears more rational unto it any self Righteousness in this world any Purgatory hereafter The greatest part of the world of convinced Persons have forsaken forgiveness on this account Masses Penances Merits have appeared more eligible Yea men who have no other desire but to be forgiven do chuse to close with any thing rather than forgiveness If men do escape these Rocks and resolve that nothing but pardon will relieve them yet it is impossible for them to receive it in the Truth and power of it if not enabled by faith thereunto I speak not of men that take it up by hearsay as a common report but of those souls who find themselves really concerned to look after it When they know it is their sole concernment all their hope and relief when they know that they must perish everlastingly without it and when it is declared unto them in the words of truth and soberness yet they cannot receive it What is the Reason of it What staves off these hungry creatures from their proper food Why they have nothing to lead them into the mysterious depths of eternal Love of the blood of Christ and Promises of the Gospel How may we see poor diseased souls standing every day at the side of this Pool and yet not once venture themselves into it all their dayes Secondly It is too Great for any thing else to discover Forgiveness is a thing chosen out of God from all Eternity to exalt and magnifie the glory of his Grace and it will be made appear to all the world at the day of Judgement to have been a great thing When the soul comes in any measure to be made sensible of it it finds it so great so excellent and astonishable that it sinks under the thoughts of it It hath dimensions a length breadth depth and height that no line of the rational soul can take or measure There is exceeding Greatness in it Eph. 1. 19. That is a great work which we have prescribed Ephes. 3. 19. Even to know the Love of Christ that passeth knowledge Here I suppose Reason will confess it self at a stand and an issue to know that which passeth knowledge is none of its work It cannot be known saith Reason and so ends the matter But this is faiths proper work even to know that which passeth knowledge To know that in its power vertue sweetness and efficacy which cannot be throughly known in its nature and excellency to have by believing all the Ends of a full comprehension of that which cannot be fully comprehended Hence Heb. 11. 1. It is said to be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of things not seen their subsistence though in themselves absent yet faith gives them a present subsistence in the soul. So it knows things that pass knowledge by mixing it self with them it draws out and communicates their benefit to the soul. From all which is evident what in the third place was proposed of faiths being only suited to be the means of this discovery so that I shall not need farther to insist thereon Discovery of Forgiveness in God a great supportment to sin entangled souls Particular Assurance attainable There yet remains a brief confirmation of the Position at first laid down and thus cleared before I come to the improvement of the words especially aimed at I say then this discovery of forgiveness in God is a great supportment for a sin entangled soul although it hath no special perswasion of its own particular interest therein Somewhat is supposed in this Assertion and somewhat affirmed First It is supposed that there may be a gracious perswasion and Assurance of faith in a man concerning his own particular interest in forgiveness A man may many do believe it for themselves so as not only to have the benefit of it but the comfort also Generally all the Saints mentioned in Scripture had this Assurance unless it were in the case of depths distresses and desertions such as that in this Psalm David expresseth his confidence of the Love and favour of God unto his own soul hundreds of times Paul doth the same for himself Gal. 2. 20. Christ loved M E and gave himself FOR ME 2 Tim. 4. 8. There is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which God the righteous Judge shall give me at that day And that this boasting in the Lord and his Grace was not an enclosure to himself he shewes Rom. 8. 38 39. Nothing can be more vain than what is usually pleaded to remove this Sheat Anker of the Saints Consolation namely that no mans particular name is in the Promise It is not said to this or that man by name that his sins are forgiven him But the matter is far otherwise To think that it is necessary that the names whereby we are known among our selves and are distinguished here one from another should be written in the Promise that we may believe in particular every one for himself is a fond conceit The new name of every Child of God is in the Promise And believing makes it very legible to him Yea we find by Experience that there is no need of Argumentation in this case The soul by a direct Act of faith believes its own forgiveness without making inferences or gathering conclusions and may do so upon the Proposition of it to be believed in the Promise But I will not digress from my work in hand and therefore shall only observe one or two things upon the Supposition laid down First It is the duty of every Believer to labour after an Assurance of a Personal interest in forgiveness and to be diligent in the cherishing and preservation of it when it is attained The Apostle exhorts us all unto it Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw near in full Assurance of faith that is of our Acceptance with God through forgiveness in the blood of Jesus This he plainly discourseth of And this Principle of our faith and confidence he would have us to hold fast unto the end Chap. 3. 14. It is no small evil in Believers not to be pressing after perfection in believing and obedience Oft-times some sinful indulgence to self or the world or sloth is the cause of it Hence few come up to Gospel Assurance But yet most of our Priviledges and upon the matter all our comforts depend on this one thing A little by the way to encourage unto this duty I shall desire you to consider both whence this Assurance is produced and what it doth produce what it is the fruit of and what fruit it bears First It is in general the product of a more plentiful communication of the Spirit than ordinary
as to a sense and participation of the choice fruits of the death of Christ procured for those who are justified by their acceptance of the Attonement It flourisheth not without his sealing witnessing establishing and shedding abroad the Love of God in our hearts See Rom. 5. 2 3 4 5. And what Believer ought not to long for and press after the enjoyment of these things Nay to read of these things in the Gospel not experiencing them in our own hearts and yet to sit down quietly on this side of them without continual pressing after them is to despise the blood of Christ the Spirit of Grace and the whole work of Gods Love If there are no such things the Gospel is not true if there are and we press not after them we are despisers of the Gospel Surely he hath not the Spirit who would not have more of him all of him that is promised by Christ. These things are the hundred fold that Christ hath left us in this world to counterpoise our sorrows troubles and losses And shall we be so foolish as to neglect our only abiding riches and treasures In particular it is the product of an exercised vigorous active faith That our faith should be such alwayes in every state and condition I suppose it our duty to endeavour Not only our comforts but our Obedience also depends upon it The more faith that is true and of the right kind the more obedience For all our obedience is the obedience of faith 2. For its own fruit and what it produceth they are the choicest actings of our souls towards God as Love delight rejoycing in the Lord Peace Joy and Consolation in our selves readiness to do or suffer chearfulness in so doing If they grow not from this root yet their flourishing wholly depends upon it So that surely it is the duty of every Believer to break through all difficulties in pressing after this particular Assurance The Objections that persons raise against themselves in this case may afterwards be considered 2. In ordinary dispensations of God towards us and dealings with us it is mostly our own negligence and sloth that we come short of this Assurance It is true it depends in a peculiar manner on the Soveraignty of God He is as absolute in giving Peace to believers as in giving Grace to sinners This takes place and may be proposed as a relief in times of tryals and distress He createth light and causeth darkness as he pleaseth But yet considering what Promises are made unto us What encouragements are given us what love and tenderness there is in God to receive us I cannot but conclude that ordinarily the cause of our coming short of this Assurance is where I have fixed it And this is the first thing that is supposed in the foregoing Assertion Secondly It is supposed that there is or may be a saving perswasion or discovery of forgiveness in God Where there is no Assurance of any particular interest therein or that our own sins in particular are pardoned This is that which hath a Promise of gracious Acceptance with God and is therefore saving Isa. 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voyce of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Here is the fear of the Lord and Obedience with a blessed encouragement to rest in God and his Alsufficiency yet no Assurance nor light but darkness and that walked in or continued in for a long season For he cannot walk in darkness meet with nothing but darkness without any beam or ray of Light as the words signifie who is perswaded of the Love of God in the pardon of his sins And yet the faith of such an one and his Obedience springing from it have this Gracious Promise of Acceptance with God And innumerable testimonies to this purpose might be produced and instances in great plenty I shall only tender a little Evidence unto it in one Observation concerning the nature of faith and one more about the proposal of the thing to be believed or forgiveness And 1. Faith is called and is a cleaving unto the Lord Deut. 4. 4. Ye that did cleave or adhere unto the Lord that is who did believe Josh. 23. 8. cleave or adhere unto the Lord your God The same word is used also in the New Testament Acts 11. 23. He exhorted them that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord or continue stedfast in believing It is also often expressed by trusting in the Lord rolling our burden or casting our care upon him by committing our selves or our wayes unto him Now all this goes no further than the souls Resignation of it self unto God to be dealt withall by him according to the tenor of the Covenant of Grace ratified in the blood of Christ. This a soul cannot do without a discovery of forgiveness in God But this a soul may do without a special Assurance of his own interest therein This faith that thus adheres to God that cleaves to him will carry men to conclude that it is their Duty and their Wisdom to give up the disposal of their souls unto God and to cleave and adhere unto him as revealed in Christ waiting the pleasure of his Will It enables them to make Christ their choice and will carry men to Heaven safely though it may be at some seasons not very comfortably 2. The Revelation and discovery of forgiveness that is made in the Gospel evidenceth the same truth The first proposal of it or concerning it is not to any man that his sins are forgiven No but it is only that there is Redemption and forgiveness of sins in Christ. So the Apostle layes it down Acts 13. 38 39. Be it known unto you therefore Men and Brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses All this may be believed without a mans Assurance of his own personal interest in the things mentioned Now where they are believed with the faith the Gospel requires that faith is saving and the root of Gospel acceptable Obedience The Ransome I say the Attonement by Christ the fulness of the Redemption that is in him and so Forgiveness in his blood for Believers from the Good Will Grace and Love of the Father is the first Gospel discovery that a sinner in a saving manner closeth withal Particular Assurance ariseth or may arise afterwards and this also is supposed in the Assertion 2. That which is affirmed in it is That a discovery of forgiveness in God without any particular Assurance of personal interest therein is a great supportment to a sin entangled soul. And let no man despise the day of this small thing small in the eyes of some and those good men also as
and they who received it not rejected the counsel of God concerning their salvation Luke 7. 10. And so perished in their sins This is the summe of the blessed invitation given by Wisdom Prov. 9. 1 2 3 4 5. And here men stumble fall and perish Prov. 1. 29 30. 2. You that have found grace and favour to accept of these terms and thereby to obtain peace with God Learn to live in an holy Admiration of his condescension and love therein That he would provide such terms That he would reveal them unto you that he would enable you to receive them Unspeakable Love and Grace lyes in it all Many have not these terms revealed unto them few find favour to accept of them and of whom is it that you have obtained this peculiar mercy Do you aright consider the nature of this matter The Scripture proposeth it as an object of eternal admiration So God loved the World herein is love not that we loved God but he loved us first Live in this Admiration and do your utmost in your several capacities to prevail with your Friends Relations Acquaintance to hearken after this great treaty of peace with God whose terms we shall nextly consider as before in generall they were expressed 2. The terms provided for you and proposed unto you are equal holy righteous yea pleasant and easie Hes. 2. 18 19. They are not such as a cursed guilty sinner might justly expect but such as are meet for an infinitely Good and Gracious God to propose not suited to the Wisdom of man but full of the wisdom of God 2 Cor. 2. 6 7. The poor convinced wretch thinking of dealing with God Micah 6. 6 7. rolls in his mind what terms he is like to meet withall and fixes on the most dreadfull difficult and impossible that can be imagined If saith he any thing be done with this Great and most high God it must be by Rivers Thousands and Ten Thousands Children first born whatever is dreadfull and terrible to Nature whatever is impossible for me to perform that is it which he looks for But the matter is quite otherwise The terms are wholly of another nature it is a way of meer mercy a way of free forgiveness The Apostle lays it down Rom. 3. 23 24 25. it is a way of propitiation of pardon of forgiveness in the blood of Christ the Terms are the Acceptance of the forgiveness that we have described Who would not think now that the whole world would run in to be made partakers of these terms willingly accepting of them But it proves for the most part quite otherwise Men like not this way of all others It had been something says Naaman if the Prophet had come and done so and so but this Go wash and be clean I do not like it I am but deluded Men think within themselves that had it been some great thing that was required of them that they might be saved they would with all speed address themselves thereunto but to come to God by Christ to be freely forgiven without more adoe they like it not Some rigid austere penances some compensatory obedience some satisfactory mortification or Purgatory had been a more likely way This of meer pardon in and by the Cross it is but folly 1 Cor. 1. 18. 20. I had rather saith the Jew have it as it were by the works of the Law Rom. 9. 32. and Chap. 10. 3. This way of Grace and Forgiveness I like not So say others also So practise others every day either this way is wholly rejected or it is mended by some additions which with God is all one with the rejection of it Here multitudes of Souls deceive themselves and perish I know not whether be more difficult to perswade an unconvinced person to think of any terms or a convinced Person to accept of these Let men say what they will and pretend what they please yet practically they like not this way of Forgiveness I shall therefore offer some subservient Considerations tending to the furtherance of your Souls in the Acceptance of the Terms proposed 1. This is the way these are Terms of Gods own choosing He found out this way he established it himself He did it when all was lost and undone He did it not upon our desire request or proposal but meerly of his own Accord and why should we contend with him about it If God will have us saved in a way of meer mercy and forgiveness If his Wisdom and Soveraignty be in it shall we oppose him and say we like it not Yet this is the language of unbelief Rom. 10. 3 4. Many poor Creatures have disputed it with God untill at length being over-powered as it were by the Spirit have said If it must be so and God will save us by Mercy and Grace let it be so we yield our selves to his will and yet throughout their disputes dreamed of nothing but that their own unworthiness only kept them from closing with the Promise of the Gospel Of this nature was that way of Sathan whereby he deceived our first Parents of their Interest in the Covenant of works the terms of it saith he as apprehended by you are unequal Yea hath God said ye shall eat of every Tree of the Garden but of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil ye shall not eat lest ye die come you shall not dye for God doth know in the day you eat thereof your eyes shall be opened There is no proportion between the disobedience and the threatning The Issue cannot be such as is feared And by these means he ruined them Thus also he proceeds to deprive Souls of their Interest in the Covenant of Grace whereunto they are invited The Terms of it are unequall how can any man believe them There is no proportion between the Obedience and the Promise To have pardon forgiveness life and blessed Eternity on believing who can rest in it And here lyes a conspiracy between Sathan and unbelief against the Wisdom Goodness Love Grace and Soveraignty of God The poyson of this deceit lyes in this that neither the Righteousness nor the Mercy of God is of that infiniteness as indeed they are The Apostle to remove this fond imagination calls us to the pleasure of God 1 Cor. 1. 27. It pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching that is by the Gospel preached which they esteemed foolishness to save Believers He suffered men indeed to make tryall of other wayes and when their insufficiency for the Ends men proposed to themselves was sufficiently manifested it pleased him to reveal his way And what are we that we should contend about it with him This Rejection of the way of personal Righteousness and choosing the way of Grace and Forgiveness God asserts Jerem. 31. 31 32 33 34. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah Not according to the Covenant
As ever you desire to come to rest avoid not this entrance of your passage unto it Weigh well and attend unto what the Law speaks of your sin and its desert or you will never make a due application to God for forgiveness As ever you would have your souls justified by Grace take care to have your sins judged by the Law Secondly There is a respect in it to the Love of God And this breaks the heart of the poor returning sinner Sorrow from the Law shuts it self up in the soul and strangleth it Sorrow from the thoughts of the Love of God opens it and causseth it to flow forth Thoughts of sinning against the Love of God managed by the Holy Ghost what shall I say their effects in the heart are not to be expressed This made Ezra cry out O my God I blush and am ashamed to lift up my face to thee Chap. 9. 6. and v. 10. What shall we say after this After what why all the fruits of love and kindness they had been made partakers of Thoughts of love and sin laid together make the soul blush mourn be ashamed and confounded in its self So Ezek. 36. 31. Then shall you remember your own evil wayes and your doings that were not good When shall they do so when thoughts and apprehensions of love shall be brought home to them and saith he then shall you loath your selves in your own sight The soul now calls to mind what Love what kindness what mercy what grace what patience hath been exercised towards it and whereof it hath been made partaker The thoughts of all these now come in upon him as streams of water Such Mercy such Communion such Priviledges such hopes of Glory such tastes of Heaven such Peace such Consolation such Joy such Communications of the Spirit all to a poor wretched cursed lost forlorn sinner and all this despised neglected the God of them all provoked forsaken Ah saith the soul Whither shall I cause my sorrow to go This fills him with shame and confusion of face makes him mourn in secret and sigh to the breaking of the loyns and then Thirdly The blood and Cross of Christ is also brought to remembrance by the Holy Ghost Ah saith the soul have I thus requited the wonderful astonishing Love of my Redeemer Is this the return the requital I have made unto him Are not Heaven and Earth astonished at the despising of that Love at which they are astonished This brake Peters heart upon the look of Christ. Such words as these from Christ will in this condition sound in the ears of the soul. Did I love thee and leave my glory to become a scorn and reproach for thy sake Did I not think my life and all that was dear unto me too good for thee to save thee from the wrath to come Have I been a Wilderness unto thee or a land of darkness What could I have done more for thee when I had nothing left but my life blood and soul they went all for thee that thou mightest live by my death be washed in my blood and be saved through my souls being made an offering for thee And hast thou thus requited my love to prefer a lust before me the world before me or by meer sloth and folly to be turned away from me go unkind and unthankful soul and see if thou canst find another Redeemer This overwhelms the soul and even drowns it in tears and sorrow And then the bitterness also of the sufferings of Christ are brought to mind They look on him whom they have pierced and mourn Zech. 12. 10. They remember his gall and wormwood his cryes and tears his agony and sweat his desertion and anguish his blood and death the sharpness of the Sword that was in his soul and the bitterness of the Cup that was put into his hand Such a soul now looks on Christ bleeding dying wrestling with wrath and curse for him and seeth his sin in the streams of blood that issued from his side And all this encreaseth that sense of sin whereof we speak Also Fourthly It relates to the communion and consolations of the Holy Ghost with all the priviledges and fruits of Love we are by him made partakers of The Spirit is given to Believers upon the promise of Christ to dwell in them He takes up their hearts to be his dwelling place to what ends and purposes that he may purifie and sanctifie them make them holy and dedicate them to God to furnish them with Graces and gifts to interest them in priviledges to guide lead direct comfort them to seal them unto the day of Redemption Now this Spirit is grieved by sin Ephes. 4. 30. and his dwelling place defiled thereby 1 Cor. 6. 19. and 3. 17. Thoughts hereof greatly sharpen the spiritual sense of sin in a recovering soul. He considers what Light what Love what Joy what Consolation what Priviledges it hath by him been made partaker of what motions warnings workings to keep it from sin it hath found from him and sayes within it self What have I done whom have I grieved whom have I provoked what if the Lord should now for my folly and ingratitude utterly take his holy Spirit from me What if I should have so grieved him that he will dwell in me no more delight in me no more What dismal darkness and disconsolation yea what utter ruine should I be left unto However what shame and confusion of face belongs to me for my wretched disingenuity and ingratitude towards him This is the first thing that appears in the returning souls actings and frame a sincere sense of sin on the accounts mentioned wrought in it by the Holy Ghost And this a soul in the depths described must come unto if ever it expect or look for deliverance and a recovery Let not such persons expect to have a renewed sense of mercy without a revived sense of sin Secondly From hence proceedeth an ingenious free gracious Acknowledgement of sin Men may have a sense of sin and yet suffer it to lye burning as a fire shut up in their bones to their continual disquietment and not be able to come off unto a free soul opening acknowledgement Yea confession may be made in general and mention therein of that very sin wherewith the soul is most intangled and yet the soul come short of a due performance of this Duty Consider how the case stood with David Psal. 32. 3. When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long How could David keep silence and yet roar all the day long What is that silence which is consistent with roaring It is a meer negation of that duty which is expressed v. 5. that is intended I acknowledge my sins unto thee and mine iniquities I have not hid It was not a silence of submission and waiting on God that he intends That would not have produced a wasting of his spiritual strength as he complains
the thing it self They take it for granted that so it is and are never put seriously upon the enquiry how it comes to be so and that because indeed they have no real concernment in it How many thousands may we meet withall who take it for granted that forgiveness is to be had with God that never yet had any serious exercise in their souls about the grounds of it and its consistency with his holiness and justice But those that know it by faith have a sense of it fixed particularly and distinctly on their minds They have been put upon an enquiry into the rise and grounds of it in Christ so that on a good and unquestionable foundation they can go to God and say there is forgiveness with thee They see how and by what means more glory comes unto God by forgiveness then by punishing of sin which is a matter that the other sort of men are not at all solicitous about If they may escape punishment whether God have any glory or no for the most part they are indifferent Secondly The first Apprehension ariseth without any tryal upon enquiry in the Consciences of them in whom it is They have not by the power of their convictions and distresses of Conscience been put to make enquiry whether this thing be so or no. It is not a perswasion that they have arrived unto in a way of seeking satisfaction to their own souls It is not the result of a deep enquiry after peace and rest It is antecedent unto Tryal and Experience and so is not Faith but Opinion For although Faith be not Experience yet it is inseparable from it as is every practical habit Distresses in their consciences have been prevented by this Opinion not removed The reason why the most of men are not troubled about their sins to any purpose is from a persuasion that God is merciful and will pardon when indeed none can really on a Gospel account ordinarily have that perswasion but those who have been troubled for sin and that to the purpose So is it with them that make this discovery by faith They have had conflicts in their own spirits and being deprived of peace have accomplished a diligent search whether forgiveness were to be obtained or no. The perswasion they have of it be it more or less is the issue of a tryal they have had in their own souls of an enquiry how things stood between God and them as to peace and acceptation of their Persons This is a vast difference the one sort might possibly have had trouble in their consciences about sin had it not been for their Opinion of forgiveness this hath prevented or stifled their convictions not healed their wounds which is the work of the Gospel but kept them from being wounded which is the work of security Yea here lyes the ruine of the most of them who perish under the preaching of the Gospel They have received the general notion of pardon it floats in their minds and presently presents it self to their relief on all occasions Doth God at any time in the dispensation of the Word under an Affliction upon some great sin against their ruling light begin to deal with their consciences before their conviction can ripen or come to any perfection before it draw nigh to its perfect work they choak it and heal their consciences with this notion of pardon Many a man between the Assembly and his dwelling house is thus cured You may see them go away shaking their heads and striking on their breasts and before they come home be as whole as ever Well! God is merciful there is pardon hath wrought the cure The other sort have obtained their perswasion as a result of the discovery of Christ in the Gospel upon a full conviction Tryals they have had and this is the issue Thirdly The one which we reject worketh no Love to God no Delight in him no Reverence of him but rather a contempt and commonness of Spirit in dealing with him There are none in the world that deal worse with God than those who have an ungrounded perswasion of forgiveness And if they do fear him or love him or obey him in any thing more or less it is on other motives and considerations which will not render any thing they do acceptable and not at all on this As he is good to the Creation they may love as he is great and powerful they may fear him but sense of pardon as to any such ends or purposes hath no power upon them Carnal boldness formality and despising of God are the common issues of such a notion and perswasion Indeed this is the generation of great sinners in the world men who have a general apprehension but not a sense of the special power of pardon openly or secretly in fleshly or spiritual sins are the great sinners among men Where faith makes a discovery of forgiveness all things are otherwise Great Love Fear and Reverence of God are its attendants Mary Magdalen loved much because much was forgiven Great Love will spring out of great forgiveness There is forgiveness with thee saith the Psalmist that thou maist be feared No unbeliever doth truly and experimentally know the truth of this inference But so it is when men fear the Lord and his Goodness Hos. 3. 5. 1 say then where pardoning mercy is truly apprehended where faith makes a discovery of it to the soul it is endeared unto God and possessed of the great springs of Love Delight Fear and Reverence Psal. 116. 1 5 6 7. Fourthly This notional apprehension of the pardon of sin begets no serious through hatred and detestation of sin nor is prevalent to a relinquishment of it nay it rather secretly insinuates into the soul encouragements unto a continuance in it It is the nature of it to lessen and extenuate sin and to support the soul against its convictions So Jude tells us that some turn the Grace of God into lasciviousness v. 4. and sayes he they are ungodly men let them profess what they will they are ungodly men But how can they turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness Is Grace capable of a conversion into Lust or Sin Will what was once Grace ever become Wantonness It is Objective not Subjective Grace the Doctrine not the real substance of Grace that is intended The Doctrine of forgiveness is this Grace of God which may be thus abused From hence do men who have only a general notion of it habitually draw secret encouragements to sin and folly Paul also lets us know that carnal men coming to a doctrinal acquaintance with Gospel Grace are very apt to make such conclusions Rom. 6. 1. And it will appear at the last day how unspeakably this glorious Grace hath been perverted in the world It would be well for many if they had never heard the name of forgiveness It is otherwise where this Revelation is received indeed in the soul by believing Rom. 6.
whom I am chief Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shâ—w forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them that should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting A great sinner saith he the chiefest of sinners I was which he manifests by some notable instances of his sin I was saith he a blasphemer the highest sin against God a Persecutor the highest sin against the Saints Injurious the highest wickednes towards mankind But saith he I obtained mercy I am pardoned and that with a blessed effect First That he should after all this be so accounted faithful as to be put into the Ministry And then that the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in him and towards him was exceeding abundant And what was the Reason what was the cause that he was thus dealt withal Why it was that he might be a pattern an Evidence an Argument that there was Grace Mercy Forgiveness to be had for all sorts of sinners that would believe to life Everlasting To conclude then this Evidence Every one who is now in Heaven hath his pardon sealed in the blood of Christ. All these pardons are as it were hanged up in the Gospel they are all enrolled in the Promises thereof for the encouragement of them that stand in need of forgiveness to come and sue out theirs also Fear not then the Guilt of sin but the Love of it and the power of it If we love and like sin better than forgiveness we shall assuredly go without it If we had but rather be pardoned in Gods way than perish our condition is secure V. The same is evident from the Patience of God towards the world and the end of it For the clearing hereof we may observe 1. That upon the first entrance of sin and breach of that Covenant which God had made with mankind in Adam he might immediately have executed the Threatned Curse and have brought eternal death upon them that sinned Justice required that it should be so and there was nothing in the whole creation to interpose so much as for a reprieve or a respite of vengeance And had God then sent sinning man with the Apostate Angels that induced him into sin immediately into eternal destruction he would have been glorified in his Righteousness and Severity by and among the Angels that sinned not or he could have created a new race of innocent creatures to have worshipped him and glorified him for his Righteous Judgement even as all the Elect at the last day shall do for the destruction of ungodly men 2. God hath not taken this course He hath continued the race of mankind for a long season on the earth he hath watched over them with his Providence and exercised exceeding Patience forbearance and longsuffering towards them This the Apostle Paul at large discourseth on Acts 14. 15 16 17. Chap. 17. 24 25 26 27 28 29 30. as also Rom. 2. 4. And it is open and manifest in their event The whole world is every day filled with tokens of the power and patience of God Every Nation every City every Family is filled with them 3. That there is a common Abuse of this patience of God visible in the world in all Generations So it was of old God saw it to be so and complained of it Gen. 6. 5 6. All the evil sin wickedness that hath been in the world which no heart can conceive no tongue can express hath been all an abuse of this patience of God This with the most is the consequent of Gods patience and forbearance Men count it a season to fulfill all the abominations that their evil hearts can suggest unto them or Satan draw them into a combination with himself in This the state of things in the world proclaims and every ones experience confirms 4. Let us therefore consider what is the true and proper end of this patience of God towards the world enduring it in sin and wickedness for so long a season and suffering one Generation to be multiplyed after another Shall we think that God hath no other design in all this Patience towards mankind in all Generations but meerly to suffer them all and every one without Exception to sin against him dishonour him provoke him that so he may at length everlastingly destroy them all It is confessed that this is the Consequent the event of it with the most through their perverse wickedness with their love of sin and pleasure But is this the design of God his only design hath he no other purpose but meerly to forbear them a while in their folly and then to avenge himself upon them Is this his intendment not only towards those who are obstinate in their Darkness Ignorance and Rebellion against him whose damnation is just and sleepeth not but also towards those whom he stirs up by his Grace to seek after a Remedy and Deliverance from the state of sin and death God forbid yea such an apprehension would be contrary to all those notions of the infinite Wisdom and Goodness of God which are ingrafted upon our hearts by nature and which all his works manifest and declare Whatever therefore it be this cannot be the design of God in his patience towards the world It cannot be but that he must long since have cut off the whole race of mankind if he had no other thoughts and purposes towards them 5. If this Patience of God hath any other Intention towards any any other effect upon some upon any that is to be reckoned the principal End of it and for the sake whereof it is evidently extended unto some others consiquentially unto all For those concerning whom God hath an especial design in his patience being to be brought forth in the world after the ordinary way of mankind and that in all Ages during the continuance of the world from the beginning unto the end thereof the patience which is extended unto them must also of necessity reach unto all in that variety wherein God is pleased to exercise it The whole world therefore is continued under the patience of God and the fruits of it for the sake of some that are in it 6. Let us therefore see what is the End of this Patience and what it teacheth us Now it can have no end possible but only that before rejected unless there be forgiveness of sins with God Unless God be ready and willing to forgive the sins of them that come to him according unto his appointment his patience is meerly subservient unto a design of wrath anger severity and a Resolution to destroy Now this is an abomination once to suppose and would reflect unspeakable dishonour upon the Holy God Let a Man but deal thus and it is a token of as evil an habit of mind and perverse as any can befall him Let him bear with these that are in his power in their faults for no other end or with no other design but that he
glorious before the Creation of all or any thing whatever than he will be when he shall be encompassed about with the praises of all the works of his hands And such is his absolute perfection that no Honor given unto him no Admiration of him no Ascription of Glory and praise can add any thing unto him Hence saith the Psalmist My goodness extends not unto thee Psal. 16. 2. It doth not so reach thee as to add unto thee to profit thee as it may do the Saints that are on the Earth As he in Job Chap. 22. 23. Can a man be profitable unto God as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous or is it gain unto him that thou makest thy wayes perfect There is no doubt but that it is well pleasing unto God that we should be righteous and upright But we do him not a pleasure therein as though he stood in need of it or it were advantage or gain unto him And again Chap. 35. 7. If thou be Righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he at thine hand And the Reason of all this the Apostle gives us Rom. 11. 36. Of him and through him and to him are all things Being the first Soveraign Cause and last absolute End of all things every way perfect and self-sufficient nothing can be added unto him Or as the same Apostle speaks God that made the world and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth is not worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giveth unto all life and breath and all things Acts 17. 24 25. As he himself pleads at large Psal. 50. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. 2. Wherefore All the Revenue of Glory that God will receive by his Worship depends meerly on his own voluntary Choice and Appointment All Worship I say depends now on the Soveraign Will and pleasure of God It is true there is a natural Worship due from rational creatures by the Law of their Creation This was indispensably and absolutely necessary at first The very Being of God and order of things required that it should be so Supposing that God had made such creatures as we are it could not be but that Moral Obedience was due unto him namely that he should be believed in trusted and obeyed as the First Cause Last End and Soveraign Lord of all But the entrance of sin laying the sinner absolutely under the Curse of God utterly put an end to this Order of things Man was now to have perished immediately and an end to be put unto the Law of this Obedience But here in the Soveraign Will of God an Interposition was made between sin and the sentence and man was respited from destruction All Worship following hereon even that which was before natural by the Law of creation is now resolved into an Arbitrary Act of Gods will And unto this end is all worship designed namely to give glory unto God For as God hath said that he will be sanctified in all that draw nigh unto him that is in his worship and that therein he will be glorified Lev. 10. 3. and that he that offereth him praise that is performeth any part of his Worship and Service Glorifieth him Psal. 50. 23. So the nature of the thing it self declareth that it can have no other end By this he hath all his glory even from the inanimate Creation 4. Consider That God hath not prescribed any Worship of himself unto the Angels that sinned They are indeed under his Power and he useth them as he pleaseth to serve the ends of his holy Providence Bounds he prescribes unto them by his Power and keeps them in dread of the full execution of his Wrath. But he requires not of them that they should believe in him They believe indeed and tremble They have a natural Apprehension of the Being Power Providence Holiness and Righteousness of God which is inseparable from their Natures and they have an expectation from thence of that punishment and vengeance which is due unto them which is inseparable from them as sinners And this is their faith But to believe in God that is to put their trust in him to resign up themselves unto him God requires it not of them The same is the case with them also as to Love and Fear and Delight all inward Affections which are the proper Worship of God These they have not nor doth God any longer require them in them They eternally cast them off in their first sin And where these are not where they are not required where they cannot be there no outward Worship can be prescribed or appointed For External instituted Worship is nothing but the way that God assigns and chooseth to express and exercise the inward Affections of our minds towards him He rules the fallen Angels per nutum Providentiae not per verbum praecepti Now as God dealt with the Angels so also would he have dealt with mankind had he left them all under the Curse without remedy or hope of relief As he doth with them he eternally satisfies himself in that Revenue of Glory which ariseth unto him in their punishment so also he would have done with these had there been no forgiveness with him for them He would not have required them to fear love or obey him or have appointed unto them any way of Worship whereby to express such affections towards him For to what end should he have done it What Righteousness would admit that Service Duty and Obedience should be prescribed unto them who could not ought not to have any Expectation or hope of Acceptance or Reward This is contrary to the very first notion which God requires in us of his Nature For he that cometh unto God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of all them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. which would not be so should he appoint a voluntary Worship and not propose a Reward to the Worshippers Wherefore 3. It is evident that God by the prescription of a Worship unto sinners doth fully declare that there is forgiveness with him for them For 1. He manifests thereby that he is willing to receive a new Revenue of Glory from them This as we have proved is the end of Worship This he would never have done but with a design of Accepting and Rewarding to his creatures For do we think that he will be beholding unto them That he will take and admit of their voluntary reasonable service according to his Will and Command without giving them a Reward yea and such on one as their Obedience holds no proportion unto no such thing would become his infinite sell sufficiency Goodness and Bounty This the Wife of Manoah well pleads Judg. 13. 23. If saith she the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have received a meat offering and a burnt-ofsering at our hands His
this matter and the Law of its performance And there is the Will of the Son in answer thereunto and his delight in fulfilling that Law which was prescribed unto him Let us now consider to what purpose was this Eternal Counsel of Peace This Agreement of the Father and Son from Eternity about the State and Condition of Mankind If God would have left them all to perish under the guilt of their sins there had been no need at all of any such thoughts design or Counsel God had given unto them a Law Righteous and Holy which if they transgressed he had threatned them with eternal destruction Under the Rule disposal and power of this Law he might have righteously left them to stand or fall according to the verdict and sentence thereof But now he assures us he reveals unto us that he had other thoughts in this matter that there were other Counsels between the Father and the Son concerning us And these such as the Son was delighted in the prospect of his Accomplishment of them What can these thoughts and counsels be but about a way for their deliverance which could no otherwise be but by the forgiveness of sins For whatever else be done yet if God mark iniquities there is none can stand Hearken therefore poor sinner and have hope God is consulting about thy deliverance and freedom And what cannot the Wisdom and Grace of the Father and Son effect and accomplish And to this end was the Son sent into the world which is the second thing proposed to Consideration 2. Whom did God send about this business The Scripture layes great weight and Emphasis on this consideration faith must do so also John 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son So 1 John 4. 9. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him And again v. 10. Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiations of our sins And who is this that is thus sent and called the only begotten Son of God Take a double description of him one out of the Old Testament and another from the new The first from Isa. 9. 6. To us a Child is born to us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace The other from Heb. 1. 2 3. God hath spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed heir of all by whom also he made the worlds who being the brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his Person upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high This is he who was sent in Nature he was glorious even over all God blessed for ever In Answerableness unto the Father the brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his person possessed of all the same essential Properties with him So that what we find in him we may be assured of in the Father also for he that hath seen him hath seen the Father who is in him In Power Omnipotent for he made all things and upholding all things with an unspeakable facility by the Word of his power In Office exalted over all sitting at the right hand of the Majesty on high In Name the Mighty God the Everlasting Father so that whatever he came about he will assuredly accomplish and fulfill for what should hinder or let this Mighty One from perfecting his design Now this consideration raiseth our Evidence to that height as to give us an unquestionable Assurance in this matter Here is a near and a particular Object for faith to be exercised about and to rest in Wherefore did this glorious Son of God come and Tabernacle amongst poor sinners We beheld the glory of the Eternal Word the glory of the only begotten of the Father and he was made flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and pitched his Tabernacle amongst us John 1. 14. To what end It was no other but to work out and accomplish the Eternal Counsel of Peace towards sinners before mentioned to procure for them and to declare unto them the forgiveness of sin And what greater evidence what greater Assurance can we have that there is forgiveness with God for us he himself hath given it as a Rule that what is done by giving an only begotten or an only beloved Son gives assured Testimony of reality and sincerity in the thing that is confirmed by it So he sayes unto Abraham Gen. 22. 12. Now I know that thou fearest God seeing that thou hast not withheld thy Son thy only Son from me This way it may be known or no way And they are blessed Conclusions that faith may make from this consideration now I know that there is forgiveness with God seeing he hath not withheld his Son his only Son that he might accomplish it To this purpose the Apostle teacheth us to reason Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things What further can any soul desire What ground remains for unbelief to stand upon in this matter Is there any thing more to be done herein It was to manifest that there is forgiveness with him and to make way for the exercise of it that God sent his Son that the Son of God came into the world as will afterwards more fully appear 3. To this sending of the Son of God to this purpose there is evidence and security added from the Manner wherein he was sent How was this Not in Glory not in Power not in an open discovery of his Eternal Power and Godhead Had it been so we might have thought that he had come meerly to manifest and glorifie himself in the world And this he might have done without thoughts of mercy or Pardon towards us But he came quite in another manner He was seen in the likeness of sinful flesh Rom. 8 3. In the form of a servant Phil. 2. 10. Being made of a woman made under the Law Gal. 4. 4. What he endured suffered underwent in that state and condition is in some measure known unto us all All this could not be meerly and firstly for himself All that he expected at the close of it was to be glorified with that glory which he had with the Father before the world was John 17. 5. It must then be for our sakes and for what to save and deliver us from that condition of wrath at present and future expectation of Vengeance which we had cast our selves into by sin that is to procure for us the forgiveness of sin Had not God designed Pardon for sin he would never have sent his
unto us that is wanting in this matter For 1. There is forgiveness with God and this manifested revealed declared This manifestation of it is that which makes it the Object of our faith We believe things to be in God and with him not meerly and formally because they are so but because he hath manifested and revealed them so to be 1 John 1. 2. What he so declares it is our duty to believe or we frustrate the end of his Revelation 2. We are expresly commanded to believe and that upon the highest Promises and under the greatest penalties This Command is that which makes believing formally a duty Faith is a Grace as it is freely wrought in us by the Holy Ghost the root of all Obedience and duties as it is radically fixed in the heart But as it is commanded it is a duty and these Commands you know are several wayes expressed by Invitations Exhortations Propositions which all have in them the nature of Commands which take up a great part of the Books of the New Testament 3. It is a duty as we have shewed of the greatest concernment unto the Glory of God 4. Of the greatest importance unto our souls here and hereafter And these things were necessary to be added to bottom our ensuing Exhortations upon Evidences that most men do not believe Forgiveness That which should now ensue is the peculiar improvement of this Truth all along aimed at namely to give Exhortations and encouragements unto believing But I can take few steps in this work wherein methinks I do hear some saying Surely all this is needless Who is there that doth not believe all that you go about to prove And so these pains are spent to little or no purpose I shall therefore before I perswade any unto it endeavour to shew that they do it not already Many I say the most of men who live under the dispensation of the Gospel do wofully deceive their own souls in this matter They do not believe what they profess themselves to believe and what they think they believe Men talk of fundamental Errors this is to me the most fundamental error that any can fall into and the most pernitious It is made up of these two parts 1. They do not indeed believe forgiveness 2. They suppose they do believe it which keeps them from seeking after their only remedy Both these mistakes are in the foundation and do ruine the souls of them that live and die in them I shall then by a brief enquiry put this matter to a tryal By some plain Rules and Principles may this important Question whether we do indeed believe forgiveness or no be answered and decided But to the Resolution intended I shall premise two Observations 1. Men in this case are very apt to deceive themselves self-Self-love vain Hopes liking of Lust common false Principles sloth unwillingness unto self-examination Reputation with the World and it may be in the Church all vigorously concurr unto mens self-deceivings in this matter It is no easie thing for a soul to break through all these and all self-reasonings that rise from them to come unto a clear judgement of its own acting in dealing with God about forgiveness Men also find a Common Presumption of this Truth and its being an easie relief against gripings of Conscience and disturbing thoughts about sin which they daily meet withall Aiming therefore only at the removal of trouble and finding their present Imagination of it sufficient thereunto they never bring their perswasion to the tryal 2. As men are apt to do thus so they actually do so they do deceive themselves and know not that they do so The last day will make this evident if men will no sooner be convinced of their folly When our Saviour told his Disciples that one of them twelve should betray him though it were but one of twelve that was in danger yet every one of the twelve made a particular enquiry about himself I will not say that one in each twelve is here mistaken But I am sure the Truth tells us That many are called and but few are chosen they are but few who do really believe forgiveness Is it not then incumbent on every one to be enquiring in what number he is likely to be found at the last day Whilst men put this enquiry off from themselves and think or say it may be the Concernment of others it is not mine they perish and that without remedy Remember what poor Jacob said when he had lost one Child and was afraid of the loss of another Gen. 43. 14. If I be bereaved of my Children I am bereaved As if he should have said if I lose my Children I have no more to lose they are my all Nothing worse can befall me in this world Comfort Joy yea Life and all go with them How much more may men say in this Case If we are deceived here we are deceived all is lost hope and life and soul all must perish and that for ever There is no help or relief for them who deceive themselves in this matter They have found out a way to go quietly down into the pit Now these things are premised only that they may be incentives unto self-examination in this matter and so render the ensuing Considerations usefull Let us then address our selves unto them 1. In General This is a Gospel Truth yea the great fundamental and most important Truth of the Gospel It is the turning point of the two Covenants as God himself declares Heb. 7. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. Now a very easie Consideration of the wayes and walkings of men will satisfie us as to this Enquiry whether they do indeed believe the Gospel the Covenant of Grace and the fundamental Principles of it Certainly their Ignorance Darkness Blindness their Corrupt Affections and Worldly Conversations their Earthly-mindedness and open disavowing of the Spirit Wayes and Yoke of Christ speak no such language Shall we think that proud heady worldly self-seckers haters of the people of God and his wayes despisers of the Spirit of Grace and his work Sacrificers to their own lusts and such like do believe the Covenant of Grace or Remission of sins God forbid we should entertain any one thought of so great dishonour to the Gospel Where ever that is received or believed it produceth other effects Tit. 2. 11 12. Isa. 11 6 7 8 9. It teacheth men to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts It changeth their hearts natures and wayes It is not such a barren impotent and fruitless thing as such an Apprehension would represent it 2. They that really believe forgiveness in God do thereby obtain forgiveness Believing gives an interest in it it brings it home to the soul concerned This is the inviolable Law of the Gospel Believing and forgiveness are inseparably conjoyned Among the Evidences that we may have of any one being interested in forgiveness I shall only name one They prize and value
This will further improve and carry on the former consideration If God reveals any thing for one end and purpose and men use it quite unto another they do not receive the Word of God nor believe the thing revealed but steal the Word and delude their own souls Let us then weigh to what Ends and purposes this forgiveness was first revealed by God for which also its manifestation is still continued in the Gospel We have shewed before who it was to whom this Revelation was first made and what condition he was in when it was so made unto him A lost wretched Creature without hope or help he was how he should come to obtain Acceptance with God he knew not God reveals forgiveness unto him by Christ to be his all The intention of God in it was that a Sinners All should be of Grace Rom. 11. 6. If any thing be added unto it for the same End and purpose then Grace is no more Grace Again God intended it as a new foundation of Obedience of Love and Thankfulness That men should Love because Forgiven and be Holy because Pardoned as I have shewed before that it might be the Righteousness of a Sinner and a spring of new obedience in him all to the praise of Grace were Gods Ends in its Revelation Our Enquiry then is whether men do receive this Revelation as unto these Ends and use it for these purposes and these only I might evince the contrary by passing through the General abuses of the Doctrine of Grace which are mentioned in the Scripture and common in the world but it will not be needfull Instead of Believing the most of men seem to put a studyed despight on the Gospel They either proclaim it to be an unholy and polluted way by turning its Grace into Lasciviousness or a weak and insufficient way by striving to twist it in with their own Righteousness both which are an Abomination unto the Lord. From these and such other Considerations of the like importance as might be added it is evident that our Word is not in vain nor the Exhortation which is to be built upon it It appears that notwithstanding the great noyse and pretences to this purpose that are in the World they are but few who seriously receive this fundamental truth of the Gospel Namely that there is forgiveness with God Poor Creatures sport themselves with their own deceivings and perish by their own delusions Exhortation unto the Belief of the Forgiveness that is with God Reasons for it and the Necessity of it We shall now proceed unto the direct uses of this great Truth For having laid our foundation in the Word that will not fail and having given as we hope sufficient Evidence unto the truth of it our last work is to make that improvement of it unto the Good of the Souls of men which all along was aimed at The persons concerned in this Truth are all Sinners whatever No sort of sinners are unconcerned in it none are excluded from it And we may cast them all under Two heads First Such as never yet sincerely closed with the promise of Grace Nor have ever yet received forgiveness from God in a way of believing These we have already endeavoured to undeceive and to discover those false presumptions whereby they are apt to ruine and destroy their own souls These we would guide now into safe and pleasant paths wherein they may find assured Rest and Peace Secondly Others there are who have received it but being again entangled by sin or clouded by darkness and temptations or weakned by unbelief know not how to improve it to their Peace and Comfort This is the condition of the soul represented in this Psalm And which we shall therefore apply our selves unto in an especial manner in its proper place Our Exhortation then is unto both to the first that they would receive it that they may have life to the latter that they would improve it that they may have peace To the former that they would not overlook disregard or neglect so great salvation as is tendred unto them to the latter that they would stir up the Grace of God that is in them to mix with the Grace of God that is declared unto them I shall begin with the first sort those who are yet utter strangers from the Covenant of Grace who never yet upon saving grounds believed this forgiveness who never yet once tasted of Gospel Pardon Poor sinners this word is unto you Be it that you have heard or read the same word before or others like unto it to the same purpose It may be often it may be an hundred times It is your concernment to hear it again God would have it so The Testimony of Jesus Christ is thus to be accomplished This Counsel of God we must declare that we may be free from the blood of all men Acts 20. 26 27. And that not once or twice but in preaching the Word we must be instant in season out of season reproving rebuking exhorting with all long-suffering and doctrine 2 Tim. 4. 2. And for you wo unto you when God leaves thus speaking unto you when he refuseth to Exhort you any more wo unto you This is Gods departure from any person or people when he will deal with them no more about forgiveness and faith he Wo unto them when I depart from them Hos. 9. 12. O that God therefore would give unto such persons seeing Eyes and hearing Ears that the word of Grace may never more be spoken unto them in vain Now in our Exhortation to such persons we shall proceed gradually according as the matter will bear and the nature of it doth require Consider therefore 1. That notwithstanding all your sins all the evil that your own hearts know you to be guilty of and that hidden Mass or evil treasure of sin which is in you which you are not able to look into notwithstanding that charge that lyes upon you from your own Consciences and that dreadful sentence and curse of the Law which you are obnoxious unto notwithstanding all the just grounds that you have to apprehend that God is your Enemy and will be so unto eternity yet there are Terms of Peace and Reconciliation provided and proposed between him and your souls This in the first place is spoken out by the Word we have insisted on Whatever else it informs us of this it positively asserts namely that there is a way whereby sinners may come to be accepted with God For there is forgiveness with him that he may be feared And we hope that we have not confirmed it by so many Testimonies by so many Evidences in vain Now that you may see how great a priviledge this is and how much your concernment lyes in it Consider 1. That this belongs unto you in an especial manner it is your peculiar advantage It is not so with the Angels that sinned There were never any terms of Peace or
and obstructions by his own blood bringing forth unto beauty and Glory this Redemption or Forgiveness of sin as the price of it And let the Glory of the Gospel which alone makes this discovery of Forgiveness in God dwell in your hearts Let your minds be exercised about these things You will find effects from them above all that hath as yet been brought forth in your souls What for the most part have you hitherto been conversant about when you have risen above the turmoyling of lusts and corruptions in your hearts the entanglements of your Callings business and affairs what have you been able to raise your hearts unto perplexing fears about your Condition General hopes without savour or relish yielding you no refreshment Legal Commands Bondage-duties distracted Consciences broken Purposes and Promises which you have been tossed up and down withall without any certain rest And what Effects have these thoughts produced have they made you more holy and more humble have they given you delight in God and strength unto new obedience Not at all Where you were there you still are without the least progress But now bring your Souls unto these Springs and try the Lord if from that day you be not blessed with spiritual stores 8. If the Lord be pleased to carry on your Souls thus far then stirr up your selves to choose and close with the way of forgiveness that hath been revealed Choose it only choose it in comparison with and opposition unto all others Say you will be for Christ and not for another and be so accordingly Here venture here repose here rest your Souls It is a way of peace safety Holyness beauty strength power liberty and glory you have the Nature the Name the Love the Purposes the Promises the Covenant the Oath of God the Love Life Death or Blood the Mediation or Oblation and Intercession of Jesus Christ The Power and Efficacy of the Spirit and Gospel Grace by him administred to give you Assurance of the excellency the oneness the safety of the Way whereunto you are engaging If now the Lord shall be pleased to perswade your hearts and souls to enter upon the path marked out before you and shall carry you on through the various exercises of it unto this closure of Faith God will have the Glory the Gospel will be Exalted and your own Souls shall reap the Eternal benefit of this Exhortation But now if not withstanding all that hath been spoken all the Invitations you have had and Incouragements that have been held out unto you you shall continue to despise this so great salvation you will live and dye in the state and condition wherein you are why then as the Prophet said to the Wife of Jeroboam Come neer for I am sent unto you with heavy Tydings I say then 9. If you resolve to continue in the neglect of this Salvation and shall do so accordingly Then Cursed be you of the Lord with all the Curses that are written in the Law and all the Curses that are denounced against Despisers of the Gospel Yea be you Anathema Maranatha Cursed in this World alwayes untill the comeing of the Lord and when the Lord comes be ye cursed from his presence into Everlasting destruction Yea Curse them all ye holy Angels of God as the obstinate Enemies of your King and Head the Lord Jesus Christ. Curse them all ye Churches of Christ as despisers of that Love and Mercy which is your portion your Life your Inheritance Let all the Saints of God all that love the Lord curse them and rejoyce to see the Lord comeing forth mightily and prevailing against them to their everlasting ruine Why should any one have a thought of compassion towards them who despise the compassion of God or of mercy towards them who trample on the blood of Christ Whilest there is yet hope we desire to have continual sorrow for you and to travail in soul for your conversion to God but if you be hardened in your way shall we joyn with you against him shall we preferre you above his Glory shall we desire your salvation with the despoyling God of his honour Nay God forbid We hope to rejoyce in seeing all that vengeance and indignation that is in the right hand of God poured out unto Eternity upon your Souls Prov. 1. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33. Rules to be observed by them who would come to stability in Obedience The first Rule Christ the only infallible Judge of our spiritual condition How he judgeth by his Word and Spirit That which remaineth to be further carried on upon the Principles laid down is to perswade with Souls more or less intangled in the depths of sin to close with this Forgiveness by Believing unto their Peace and Consolation And because such persons are full of pleas and objections against themselves I shall chiefly in what I have to say endeavour to obviate these Objections so to encourage them unto believing and bring them unto settlement And herein whatever I have to offer flowes naturally from the Doctrine at large laid down and asserted Yet I shall not in all particulars apply my self thereunto but in Generall fix on those things that may tend to the Establishment and Consolation of both distressed and doubting Souls And I shall do what I purpose these two wayes First I shall lay down such General Rules as are necessary to be observed by all those who intend to come to Gospel peace and Comfort And then Secondly shall consider some such Objections as seem to be most comprehensive of those special reasonings where with distressed persons do usually intangle themselves I shall begin with General Rules which through the Grace of Christ and Supplyes of his Spirit may be of use unto Believers in the condition under consideration RULE I. Be not Judges of your own Condition but let Christ judge You are invited to take the comfort of this Gospel Truth That there is Forgiveness with God You say not for you so said Jacob My way is hid from the Lord Isa. 40. 27. and Sion said so too chap. 49. 14. The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me But did they make a right Judgement of themselves We find in those places that God was otherwise minded This false Judgement made by Souls in their intanglements of their own Condition is oft-times a most unconquerable hinderance unto the bettering of it They fill themselves with thoughts of their own about it and on them they dwell instead of looking out after a Remedy Misgiving thoughts of their distempers are commonly a great part of some mens sickness Many diseases are apt to cloud the thoughts and to cause misapprehensions concerning their own nature and danger And these delusions are a real part of the persons sickness Nature is no less impaired and weakened by them the Efficacy of Remedies no less obstructed than by any other reall distemper In such
or at most such an irregular acting of it as the Lord Christ will be very tender towards and which is consistent with peace and a due sense of the forgiveness of sins Mistake not then these one for another lest much causeless unquietness ensue in the Judgement which you are to make of your selves But you will say how shall we distinguish between these two so as not causelesly to be disquieted and perplexed I answer briefly 1. Unbelief working in and by the questioning of the promises of God is a weakning disheartning dispiriting thing It takes off the edge of the soul from spiritual duties and weakens it both as unto delight and strength The more any one questions the promises of God the less life power joy and delight in obedience he hath For faith is the spring and root of all other Graces and according as that thriveth or goeth backwards so do they all Men think sometimes that their uncertainty of the love of God and of acceptance with him by the forgiveness of sin doth put them upon the performance of many duties and they can have no rest or peace in the omission of them It may be it is so Yea this is the state and Condition with many But what are these duties and how are they performed And what is their acceptance with God The duties themselves are legal which denomination ariseth not from the Nature Substance or Matter of them for they may be the same that are required and injoyned in the Gospel but from the principle from whence they proceed and the End to which they are used Now these in this case are both legal their principle is legal fear and their end is legal Righteousness the whole attendance unto them a seeking of righteousness as it were by the works of the Law and how are they performed Plainly with a bondage frame of Spirit without Love Joy Liberty or Delight To quiet conscience to pacifie God are the things in them aymed at all in opposition to the Blood and Righteousness of Christ. And are they accepted with God Let them be multiplyed never so much he every where testifieth that they are abhorred by him This then Unbelief mixed with convictions will do It is the proper way of venting and exercising it self where the soul is brought under the power of conviction But as unto Gospel Obedience in all the duties of it to be carryed on in communion with God by Christ and delight in him all questioning of the promises weakens and discourageth the soul and makes them all wearisome and burdensome unto it But the Jealousie that is exercised about the Person and Love of Christ unto the soul is quite of another nature and produceth other effects It cheers enlivens and enlargeth the soul stirs up to activity earnestness and industry in its enquiries and desires after Christ. Jealousie saith the Spouse is hard as the grave therefore set me as a Seal upon thy heart as a Seal upon thy arm It makes the soul restlesly pant after neerer more sensible and more assured Communion with Christ It stirs up vigorous and active Spirits in all duties Every doubt and fear that it ingenerates concerning the Love of Christ stirs up the soul unto more earnestness after him delight in him and sedulous watching against every thing that may keep it at a distance from him or occasion him to hide withdraw or absent himself from it 2. Unbelief that works by questioning of the promises is universally selfish it begins and ends in self Self-love in desires after freedom from guilt danger and punishment are the life and soul of it May this end be attained it hath no delight in God Nor doth it care what way it be attained so it may be attained May such persons have any perswasions that they shall be freed from death and hell be it by the works of the Law or by the observance of any inventions of their own whether any Glory ariseth unto God from his Grace and faithfulness or no they are not solicitous The Jealousie we speak of hath the Person of Christ and his Excellency for its constant object These it fills the mind with in many and various thoughts still representing him more and more amiable and more desirable unto the soul. So doth the Spouse upon the like occasion as you may see at large Cant. 5. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16. Being at some loss for his presence for he had withdrawn himself not finding her wonted communion and entercourse with him fearing that upon her provocation she might forfeit her Interest in his Love she falls upon the Consideration of all his Excellencies and thereby the more enflames her self unto desires after his company and enjoyment And these divers things may be thus distinguished and discerned RULE VI. Learn to distinguish between faith and spiritual sense This Rule the Apostle gives us 2 Cor. 5. 7. We walk by faith and not by sight It is the sight of Glory that is especially here intended But faith and sense in any kind are clearly distinguished That may be believed which is not felt Yea It is the Will and Command of God that faith should stand and do its work where all sense fails Esa. 50. 10. And it is with spiritual sense in this matter as it is with natural Thomas would not believe unless he saw the object of his faith with his Eyes or felt it with his hand but saith our Saviour blessed are they who believe and have not seen who believe upon the testimony of God without the help of their own sense or reason And if we will believe no more of God of his Love of Grace of our acceptance with him than we have a spiritual affecting sense of we shall be many times at a loss Sensible impressions from Gods Love are great springs of Joy but they are not absolutely necessary unto peace nor unto an evidence that we do believe We will deal thus with the vilest person living We will believe him whilest we have the certainty of our sense to secure us And if we deal so with God what is there in our so doing praise worthy the Prophet tells us what it is to believe in respect of providence Hab. 3. 17. When there is nothing left outward and visible to support us then to rest quietly on God that is to believe So Psal. 73. 26. And the Apostle in the Example of Abraham shews us what it is to believe with respect unto a special promise Rom. 4. 18. Against hope he believed in hope When he saw not any outward ordinary means for the accomplishment of the promise when innumerable objections arose against any such hope as might have respect unto such means yet he resolved all his thoughts into the faithfulness of God in the promise and therein raised a new hope in its accomplishment so in hope believing against hope To clear this matter you must observe what I intend by