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
this spiritual sense which you must learn to distinguish faith from and to know that true faith interesting the soul in forgiveness may be without it that so you may not conclude unto a real want of pardon from the want of the refreshing sense of it Grace in general may be referred unto two heads 1. Our Acceptation with God through Christ the same upon the matter with the forgiveness of sin that we are treating of And 2. Grace of Sanctification from God in Christ Of each of these there is a spiritual sense or Experience to be obtained in both distinguished from faith that gives us a real Interest in forgiveness Of the first or the spiritual sense that we have of Acceptance with God there are sundry parts or degrees As first hereunto belongs peace with God Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God This peace is the Rest and composure of the soul emerging out of troubles upon the account of the Reconciliation and friendship made for it by the blood of Christ. And it hath as all peace hath two parts First a freedom from war trouble and distress and Secondly Rest Satisfaction and Contentment in the condition attained And this at least the second part of it belongs unto the spiritual sense that we enquire after Again there is in it Joy in the holy Ghost called joy unspeakeable and full of Glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. as also glorying in the Lord upon the account of his Grace Esa. 45. 26. with many the like Effects preceding from a shedding abroad of the Love of God in our hearts Rom. 5. 5. Yea you say these are the things you aim at these are the things you would attain and be filled withall It is this Peace this Joy this glorying in the Lord that you would alwaies be in the possession of I say you do well to desire them to seek and labour after them They are purchased by Christ for Believers but you will do well to consider under what notion you do desire them If you look on these things as belonging to the Essence of Faith without which you can have no real interest in forgiveness or acceptance with God you greatly deceive your own souls and put your selves out of the way of obtaining of them These these things are not believing nor adequate effects of it so as immediately to be produced where ever faith is But they are such consequents of it as may or may not ensue upon it according to the Will of God Faith is a seed that contains them virtually and out of which they may be in due time educed by the working of the Word and Spirit And the way for any soul to be made partaker of them is to wait on the Soveraignty of God's Grace who createth peace in the exercise of faith upon the promises He then that would place believing in these things and will not be perswaded that he doth believe until he is possessed of them he doth both lose the benefit advantage and comfort of what he hath and neglecting the due acting of faith puts himself out of the way of attaining what he aimeth at These things therefore are not needfull to give you a real saving interest in forgiveness as it is tendered in the promise of the Gospel by the blood of Christ. And it may be it is not the Will of God that ever you should be entrusted with them It may be it would not be for your good and advantage so to be Some servants that are ill husbands must have their wages kept for them to the years end or it will do them no good It may be some would be such spendthrifts of satisfying peace and joy and be so diverted by them from attending unto some necessary duties as of humiliation mortification and self-abasament without which their souls cannot live that it would not be much to their advantage to be entrusted with them It is from the same Care and Love that Peace and Joy are detained from some Believers and granted unto others You are therefore to receive forgiveness by a pure Act of believing in the way and manner before at large described And do not think that it is not in you unless you have constantly a spiritual sense of it in your hearts See in the mean time that your Faith bringeth forth Obedience and God in due time will cause it to bring forth Peace The like may be said concerning the other head of Grace though it be not so direct unto our purpose yet tending also to the relief of the soul in its depths This is the Grace that we have from God in Christ for our sanctification When the soul cannot find this in himself when he hath not a spiritual sense and experience of its in being and power when it cannot evidently distinguish it from that which is not right or genuine It is filled with fears and perplexities and thinks it is yet in its sin He is so indeed who hath no Grace in him but not he alwaies who can find none in him But these are different things A man may have Grace and yet not have it at some times much acting he may have Grace for life when he hath it not for fruitfulness and comfort though it be his duty so to have it Rev. 3. 2. 2 Tim. 1. 6. And a man may have Grace acting in him and yet not know not be sensible that he hath acting Grace We see persons frequently under great temptations of apprehension that they have no Grace at all and yet at the same time to the clearest conviction of all who are able to discern spiritual things sweetly and genuinely to act Faith Love Submission unto God and that in an high and eminent manner Psa. 88. Heman complains that he was free among the dead a man of no strength vers 4 5. as one that had no spiritual life no Grace This afflicted his mind and almost distracted him vers 15. and yet there can be no greater expressions of Faith and Love to God than are mixed with his complaints These things I say then are not to be judged of by spiritual sense but we are to live by faith about them And no soul ought to conclude that because it hath not the one it hath not the other that because it hath not Joy and Peace it hath no interest in pardon and forgiveness RULE VII The seventh Rule Mix not foundation and building work together The eighth spend no time in heartless complaints c. Mix not too much foundation and building work together Our foundation in dealing with God is Christ alone meer Grace and Pardon in him Our Building is in and by Holiness and Obedience as the fruits of that faith by which we have received the Attonemont And great mistakes there are in this matter which bring great intanglements on the souls of men Some are all their daies laying of the foundation and are never able to
sole foundation of all our expectations of a blessed portion in that which is to come it certainly requires the best and utmost of our endeavours as to look into the nature causes and effects of it so especially into the wayes and means whereby we may be made partakers of it and how that participation may be secured unto us unto our peace and consolation as also into that Love that Holiness that obedience that fruitfulness in good works which on the account of this Grace God expecteth from us and requireth at our hands An Explication of these things is that which I have designed to ensue and follow after in these discourses and that with a constant eye as on the one hand to the sole rule and Standard of Truth the Sacred Scriptures especially that part of it which is under peculiar consideration so on the other to the Experience and Service unto the edification of them that do believe whose spiritual benefit and advantage without any other consideration in the World is armed at in the publishing of them Imprimatur Octob. 12. 1668. Rob. Grove R. P. Humph. Dom. Episc. Lond. Ã sac Dom. AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX Psalm 130. OUt of the depths have I cryed unto thee O Lord. Lord hear my voyce let thine ears be attentive to the voyce of my supplications If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand But there is forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous Redemption And he shall redeem Israel from all his Iniquities A PARAPHRASE Verse 1 2. O Lord through my manifold sins and provocations I have brought my self into great distresses Mine Iniquities are alwayes before me and I am ready to be overwhelmed with them as with a flood of waters for they have brought me into depths wherein I am ready to be swallowed up But yet although my distress be great and perplexing I do not I dare not utterly despond and cast away all hopes of relief or recovery Nor do I seek unto any other remedy way or means of relief but I apply my self to thee Jehovah to thee alone And in this my Application unto thee the greatness and urgency of my troubles makes my soul urgent earnest and pressing in my supplications Whilst I have no rest I can give thee no rest Oh therefore attend and hearken unto the voyce of my crying and supplications Ver. 3. IT is true O Lord thou God great and terrible that if thou shouldst deal with me in this Condition with any man living with the best of thy Saints according to the strict and exact tenor of the Law which first represents it self to my guilty Conscience and troubled soul If thou shouldst take notice of observe and keep in Remembrance mine or their or the Iniquity of any one to the end that thou mightest deal with them and recompence unto them according to the sentence thereof there would be neither for me nor them any the least expectation of deliverance all flesh must fail before thee and the spirits which thou hast made and that to Eternity for who could stand before thee when thou shouldst so execute thy displeasure Ver. 4. BUt O Lord this is not absolutely and universally the state of things between thy Majesty and poor sinners Thou art in thy Nature infinitely Good and Gracious ready and free in the purposes of thy will to receive them And there is such a blessed way made for the exercise of the holy inclinations and purposes of thy heart towards them in the mediation and blood of thy dear Son That they have assured foundations of concluding and believing that there is pardon and forgiveness with thee for them and which in the way of thine appointments they may be partakers of This way therefore will I with all that fear thee persist in I will not give over leave thee or turn from thee through my fears discouragements and despondencies but will abide constantly in the observation of the worship which thou hast prescribed and the performance of the Obedience which thou dost require having great encouragements so to do Ver. 5. ANd herein upon the account of the forgiveness that is with thee O Lord do I wait with all patience quietness and perseverance In this work is my whole soul engaged even in an earnest expectation of thy approach unto me in a way of grace and mercy And for my encouragement therein hast thou given out unto me a blessed word of Grace a faithful word of promise wherein my hope is fixed Ver. 6. YEa in the performance and discharge of this duty my soul is intent upon thee and in its whole frame turned towards thee and that with such diligence and watchfulness in looking out after every way and means of thy appearance of thy manifestation of thy self and coming unto me that I excell therein those who with longing desire heedfulness and earnest expectation do wait and watch for the appearance of the morning and that either that they may rest from their night watches or have light for the duties of thy Worship in the Temple which they are most delighted in Ver. 7 8. HErein have I found that Rest peace and satisfaction unto my own soul that I cannot but invite and encourage others in the like Condition to take the same course with me Let then all the Israel of God all that fear him learn this of me and from my experience Be not hasty in your distresses despond not despair not turn not aside unto other remedies but hope in the Lord for I can now in an especial manner give testimony unto this that there is mercy with him suited unto your relief Yea whatever your distress be the Redemption that is with him is so bounteous plenteous and unsearchable that the undoubted issue of your performance of this duty will be that you shall be delivered from the guilt of all your sins and the perplexities of all your troubles General Scope of the whole Psalm THE design of the Holy Ghost in this Psalm is to express in the Experience of the Psalmist and the working of his faith the state and condition of a soul greatly in it self perplexed relieved on the account of Grace and acting it self towards God and his Saints suitably to the discovery of that Grace unto him A great design and full of great Instruction And this general Prospect gives us the parts and scope of the whole Psalm for 1. We have the state and condition of the soul therein represented with his deportment in and under that state and condition in ver 1 2. Out of the depths have I cryed
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
external thing whereof a soul can have no inward sense or relish Notions there are many about it and endless contentions but what more why let a gracious soul in simplicity and sincerity of Spirit give up himself to walk with Christ according to his Appointment and he shall quickly find such a taste and relish in the fellowship of the Gospel in the Communion of Saints and of Christ amongst them as that he shall come up to such Riches of Assurance in the Understanding and Acknowledgement of the wayes of the Lord as others by their disputing can never attain unto What is so High Glorious and Mysterious as the Doctrine of the ever blessed Trinity Some wise men have thought meet to keep it veiled from ordinary Christians And some have delivered it in such terms as that they can understand nothing by them But take a Believer who hath tasted how gracious the Lord is in the Eternal Love of the Father the great Undertaking of the Son in the work of Mediation and Redemption with the Almighty work of the Spirit creating Grace and comfort in the soul and hath had an experience of the Love Holiness and Power of God in them all and he will with more firm confidence adhere to this mysterious Truth being lead into it and confirmed in it by some few plain Testimonies of the Word than a thousand Disputers shall do who only have the notion of it in their minds Let a real Tryal come and this will appear Few will be found to sacrifice their lives on bare speculations Experience will give Assurance and Stability We have thus cleared the credit of the Testimony now to be improved It is evident on these grounds that there is a great certainty in those Truths whereof Believers have experience Where they communicate their power unto the heart they give an unquestionable Assurance of their Truths And when that is once realized in the soul all disputes about it are put to silence These things being so let us enquire into the faith and experience of the Saints on the Earth as to what they know of the Truth proposed unto confirmation namely that there is forgiveness with God Let us go to some poor soul that now walks comfortably under the Light of Gods countenance and say unto him Did we not know you some while since to be full of sadness and great anxiety of Spirit yea sorrowful almost to death and bitter in soul Answ. Yes saith he so it was indeed my dayes were consumed with mourning and my life with sorrow and I walked heavily in fear and bitterness of Spirit all the day long Why what ayled you what was the matter with you seeing as to the outward things you were in Peace Answ. The Law of God had laid hold upon me and slain me I found my self thereby a woful sinner yea overwhelmed with the guilt of sin Every moment I expected Tribulation and wrath from the hand of God My sore ran in the night and ceased not and my soul refused comfort How is it then that you are thus delivered that you are no more sad Where have you found ease and peace have you been by any means delivered or did your trouble wear off and depart of its own accord Answ. Alas no had I not met with an effectual Remedy I had sunk and everlastingly perished What course did you take Answ. I went unto him by Jesus Christ against whom I have sinned and have found him better unto me than I could expect or ever should have believed had not he overpowred my heart by his Spirit Instead of wrath which I feared and that justly because I had deserved it he said unto me in Christ fury is not in me For a long time I could not believe it I thought it impossible that there should be mercy and pardon for me or such a one as I. But he still supported me sometimes by one means sometimes by another untill taking my soul near to himself he caused me to see the folly of my unbelieving heart and the vileness of the hard thoughts I had of him and that indeed there is with him forgiveness and plenteous Redemption This hath taken away all my sorrows and given me quietness with Rest and Assurance But are you sure now that this is so may you not possibly be deceived Answ. Sayes the soul I have not the least suspicion of any such matter and if at any time ought doth arise to that purpose it is quickly overcome But how are you confirmed in this perswasion Answ. That sense of it which I have in my heart that sweetness and rest which I have experience of that influence it hath upon my soul that Obligation I find laid upon me by it unto all thankful Obedience that Relief Supportment and Consolation that it hath afforded me in tryals and troubles in the mouth of the Grave and Entrances of Eternity all answering what is declared concerning these things in the Word will not suffer me to be deceived I could not indeed receive it untill God was pleased to speak it unto me But now let Satan do his utmost I shall never cease to bear this Testimony that there is mercy and forgiveness with him How many thousands may we find of these in the world who have had such a seal of this Truth in their hearts as they cannot only securely lay down their lives in the confirmation of it if called thereunto but also do chearfully and triumphantly venture their Eternal Concernments upon it Yea this is the rise of all that peace serenity of mind and strong consolation which in this world they are made partakers of Now this is to me on the principles before laid down an evidence great and important God hath not manifested this Truth unto the Saints thus copied it out of his word and exemplified it in their souls to leave them under any possibility of being deceived Institution of Religious Worship an Evidence of Forgiveness 6. Gods Institution of Religious Worship and Honor therein to be rendred unto him by sinners is another Evidence that there is forgivenesswith him I have instanced before in one particular of Worship to this purpose namely in that of Sacrifices But therein we intended only their particular nature and signification how they declared and manifested Reconciliation Attonement and Pardon That now aimed at is to shew how all the Worship that God hath appointed unto us and all the Honour which we give unto his holy Majesty thereby is built upon the same foundation namely a supposition of forgiveness and is appointed to teach it and to ascertain us of it which shall briefly be declared To this end observe 1. That the General End of all Divine and Religious Worship is to raise unto God a Revenue of glory out of the creation Such is Gods infinite natural self-sufficiency that he stands in need of no such Glory and Honour He was in himself no less infinitely and eternally
answer these Enquiries in reference unto it Think it then no great matter if you are put to answer this Question also by what way or means came you to the knowledge of forgiveness which you boast of Was it by any of those before mentioned or some other if you cannot answer distinctly to these things only you say you have heard it and believed it ever since you can remember so those said that went before you so they say with whom you do converse you never met with any one that called it into question nor heard of any unless it were one or two despairing wretches it will be justly questioned whether you have any portion in this matter or no. If uncertain rumours reports general notions lye at the bottom of your perswasion do not suppose that you have any Communion with Christ therein 5. Of them who profess to believe forgiveness how few are there who indeed know what it is They believe they say but as the Samaritans Worshipped they know not what With some a bold presumption and crying peace peace goes for the belief of forgiveness A General Apprehension of impunity from God and that though they are sinners yet they shall not be punished passeth with others at the same rate Some think they shall prevail with God by their prayers and desires to let them alone and not cast them into Hell One way or other to escape the Vengeance of Hell not to be punished in another world is that which men fix their minds upon But is this that forgiveness which is revealed in the Gospel that which we have been treating about The Rise and Spring of our forgiveness is in the heart and Gracious Nature of God declared by his Name Have you enquired seriously into this Have you stood at the shore of that infinite Ocean of Goodness and Love Have your souls found supportment and relief from that Consideration And have your hearts leaped within you with the thoughts of it Or if you have never been affected in an especial manner herewithal have you bowed down your souls under the Considerations of that Soveraign Act of the Will of God that is the next spring of forgiveness that glorious acting of free Grace that when all might justly have perished all having sinned and come short of his Glory God would yet have mercy on some Have you given up your selves to this Grace Is this any thing of that you do believe Suppose you are strangers to this also What communion with God have you had about it in the blood of Christ We have shewed how forgiveness relates thereunto how way is made thereby for the exercise of mercy in a consistency with the Glory and Honour of the Justice of God and of his Law how Pardon is procured and purchased thereby with the mysterious Reconciliation of Love and Law and the new disposal of Conscience in its work and duty by it What have you to say to these things Have you seen pardon flowing from the heart of the Father through the blood of the Son Have you looked upon it as the price of his life and the purchase of his blood Or have you general thoughts that Christ dyed for finners and that on one account or other forgiveness relates unto him but are strangers to the mysterie of this great work Suppose this also Let us go a little further and enquire whether you know any thing that yet remains of the like importance in this matter Forgiveness as we have shewed is manifested tendred exhibited in the Covenant of Grace and Promises of the Gospel The Rule of the Efficacy of these is that they he mixed with faith Heb. 4. 2. It is well if you are grown up hereunto but you that are strangers to the things before mentioned are no less to this also Upon the matter you know not then what forgiveness is nor wherein it consists nor whence it comes nor how it is procured nor by what means given out unto sinners It is to no purpose for such persons to pretend that they believe that whereunto either notionally or practically or both they are such utter strangers 6. Another Enquiry into this matter regards the State and Condition wherein souls must be before it be possible for them to believe forgiveness If there be such an Estate and it can be evinced that very many of the Pretenders concerning whom we deal were never brought into it it is then evident that they neither do nor can believe forgiveness however they do and may delude their own souls It hath been shewed that the first discovery that was made of pardoning Grace was unto Adam presently after the fall What was then his State and Condition How was he prepared for the reception of this great mysterie in its first discovery that seems to be a considerable Rule of proceeding in the same matter That which is first in any kind is a Rule to all that follows Now what was Adams condition when the Revelation of forgiveness was first made to him it is known from the Story convinced of sin afraid of punishment he lay trembling at the foot of God Then was forgiveness revealed unto him So the Psalmist states it Psalm 130. v. 3. If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquity O Lord who shall stand Full of thoughts he is of the desert of sin and of inevitable and eternal ruine in case God should deal with him according to the Exigence of the Law In that state is the great support of Forgiveness with God suggested unto him by the Holy Ghost We know what work our Saviour had with the Pharisees on this account Are we say they blind also No saith he you say you see therefore your sin remaineth John 9. 40 41. It is to no purpose to talk of forgiveness to such persons as you are you must of necessity abide in your sins I came not to call such righteous persons as you are but sinners to Repentance who not only are so as you are also and that to the purpose but are sensible of their being so and of their undone condition thereby The whole have no need of the Physitian but the sick Whilst you are seeming Righteous and whole it is to no End to tell you of forgiveness you cannot understand it nor receive it It is impossible then that any one should in a due manner believe forgiveness in God unless in a due manner he be convinced of sin in himself If the fallow ground be not broken up it is to no purpose to sow the seed of the Gospel There is neither Life Power nor sweetness in this Truth unless a door be opened for its Entrance by Conviction of sin Let us then on this ground also continue our Enquiry upon the ordinary boasters of their skill in this mysterie You believe there is forgiveness with God Yes but have you been convinced of sin Yes you know that you are sinners well enough Answer then but once more as to the
will undoubtedly flourish 3. A deep sense of the indwelling power of sin is consistent with Gospel Assurance Sense of indwelling sin will cause manifold perplexities in the Soul Trouble disquietments sorrow and anguish of heart expressing themselves in sighs mourning groaning for deliverance alwayes attend it To what purpose do you speak to a Soul highly sensible of the restless power of indwelling sin concerning Assurance Alas saith he I am ready to perish every moment my lusts are strong active restless yea outragious they give me no rest no liberty and but little success do I obtain Assurance is for Conquerours for them that live at rest and peace I lie groveling on the ground all my dayes and must needs be uncertain what will be the issue But when such an one hath done all he can he will not be able to make more wofull complaints of this matter than Paul hath done before him Rom. 7. and yet he closeth the discourse of it with as high an expression of assurance as any person needs to seek after v. last and chap. 8. 1. It is not Assurance but Enjoyment that excludes this sense and trouble But if men will think they can have no Assurance because they have that without which it is impossible they should have any it is hard to give them relief A little Cruse of Salt of the Gospel cast into these bitter waters will make them sweet and wholsom Sense of the guilt of sin may consist with faith of its pardon and forgiveness in the blood of Christ. Godly sorrow may dwell in the same heart at the same time with Joy in the Holy Ghost and groaning after deliverance from the power of sin with a Gracious perswasion that sin shall not have dominion over us because we are not under the Law but Grace 4. Doubtings Fears Temptations if not ordinarily prevailing are consistent with Gospel Assurance Though the Devils power he limited in reference unto the Saints yet his hands are not tyed Though he cannot prevail against them yet he can assault them And although there be not an evil heart of unbelief in Believers yet there will still be unbelief in their hearts Such an evidence conviction and perswasion of Acceptance with God as are exclusive of all contrary reasonings that suffer the Soul to hear nothing of Objections that free and quiet it from all assaults are neither mentioned in the Scripture nor consistent with that state wherein we walk before God nor possible on the account of Sathans will and ability to tempt or of our own remaining unbelief Assurance encourageth us in our Combate it delivereth us not from it We may have peace with God when we have none from the assaults of Sathan Now unless a man do duly consider the tenor of the Covenant wherein we walk with God and the nature of that Gospel Obedience which he requires at our hands with the state and Condition which is our Lot and portion whilest we live in this World the dayly sense of these things with the trouble that must be undergone on their account may keep him in the dark unto himself and hinder him from that establishment in believing which otherwise he might attain unto On this account some as holy persons as any in this World being wholly taken up with the consideration of these home bred perplexities and not clearly acquainted with the way and tenor of assuring their Souls before God according to the Rule of the Covenant of Grace have passed away their dayes in a bondage frame of spirit and unacquaintance with that strong consolation which God is abundantly willing that all the Heirs of promise should receive 5. Evangelical Assurance is not a thing that consisteth in any point and so incapable of variation It may be higher or lower greater or less obscure or attended with more Evidence It is not quite lost when it is not quite at its highest God sometimes marvellously raiseth the Souls of his Saints with some close and neer approaches unto them gives them a sense of his Eternal Love a taste of the embraces of his Son and the inhabitation of the Spirit without the least intervening disturbance then this is their Assurance But this life is not a season to be alwayes taking wages in our work is not yet done we are not alwayes to abide in this Mount we must down again into the battle fight again cry again complain again Shall the Soul be thought now to have lost its assurance Not at all it had before assurance with Joy Triumph and Exultation it hath it now or may have with wrestling cryes tears and supplications And a mans Assurance may be as Good as true when he lyes on the earth with a sense of sin as when he is carryed up to the third Heaven with a sense of Love and foretaste of Glory In brief this Assurance of Salvation is such a Gracious Evangelical perswasion of Acceptance with God in Christ and of an interest in the promises of preservation unto the End wrought in Believers by the Holy Ghost in and through the exercise of Faith as for the most part produceth these effects following 1. It gives delight in obedience and draws out Love in the duties that unto God we do perform So much Assurance of a Comfortable Issue of their Obedience of a blessed End of their labours and duties of their purifying their hearts and pressing after universal Renovation of mind and life as may make them Chearfull in them as may give Love and Delight in the pursuit of what they are engaged in is needfull for the Saints and they they do not often go without it and where this is there is Gospel Assurance To run as men uncertain to fight as those that beat the Air to travel as not any way perswaded of a comfortable entertainment or refreshment at the Journeys End is a state and condition that God doth not frequently leave his people unto And when he doth it is a season wherein he receives very little of Glory from them and they very little increase of grace in themselves Many things as hath been shewed do interpose many doubts arise and intangling perplexities but still there is a Comfortable perswasion kept alive that there is a Rest provided which makes them willing unto and chearfull in their most difficult duties This prevaileth in them that their labour in the Lord their watchings praying suffering alms mortification fighting against temptation crucifying the flesh with the lusts thereof shall not be in vain This gives them such a delight in their most difficult duties as men have in a hard Journey towards a desirable home or a place of Rest. 2. It casts out fear tormenting fear such as fills the soul with perplexing uncertainties hard thoughts of God and dreadfull apprehensions of wrath to come There are three things spoken concerning that fear which is inconsistent with the Assurance of forgiveness First With respect unto
of Sin and of Righteousness by Christ every man in the world belongs unto one of these states or condition This the Scripture so abounds in that it seems to be the first principal thing that we are taught in it It is as clear that there are two different states in this world as that there are so in that to come Yea all our Faith and our Obedience depend on this Truth And not only so but the Covenant of God the Mediation of Christ and all the Promises and Threats of the Law and Gospel are built on this supposition And this lays naked unto a spiritual eye that abounding Atheism that is in the world Men are not only like Nicodemus ignorant of these things and wonder how they can be but they scorn them despise them scoff at them To make mention of being regenerate is exposed to reproach in the world But whether men will or no unto one of these conditions they must belong 2. As these two estates differ morally in themselves and Physically in the causes constitutive of that difference so there is a specifical difference between the things that place men in the one condition and in the other Whatever there is of Goodness Virtue Duty Grace in an Unregenerate person there is in him that is Regenerate somewhat of another kind that is not in the other at all For the difference of these states themselves it is plain in Scripture The one is a state of Death the other of Life the one of Darkness the other of Light the one of Enmity against God the other of Reconciliation with him And that the one state is constituted by that of Grace which is of a peculiar kind and which is not in the other I shall briefly declare 1. The Grace of Regeneration proceedeth from an especial spring and fountain which emptieth much of its living waters into it no one drop whereof falls on them that are not Regenerate This is Electing Love it is given out in the pursuit of the Decree of Election God hath chosen us that we should be holy Ephes. 1. 4. Our Holiness whose only spring is our Regeneration is an effect of our Election That which God works in our souls in the pursuit of his eternal purpose of Love and good will towards us So again saith the Apostle 2 Thes. 2. 13. God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through the sanctification of the Spirit God having designed us unto salvation as the End hath also appointed the sanctification of the Spirit to be the Means to bring us orderly unto the attainment of that End But the best of common Grace or Gifts that may be in men Unregenerate are but products of the Providence of God ordering all things in general unto his own Glory and the good of them that shall be heirs of salvation They are not fruits of Electing Eternal Love nor designed means for the insiallible attaining of Eternal Salvation Secondly The Graces of those that are Regenerate have a manifold Respect or Relation to the Lord Christ that the common Graces of others have not I shall name one or two of these Respects First They have an especial moral Relation to the Mediatory Acts of Christ in his Oblation and Intercession Especial Grace is an especial part of the purchase of Christ by his death and blood-shedding He made a double purchase of his Elect of their persons to be his of especial Grace to be theirs He gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word that he might present it unto himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Ephes. 5. 26 27. The design of Christ in giving himself for his Church was to procure for it that Especial Grace whereby through the use of Means it might be regenerate sanctified and purified So Titus 2. 14. He gave himself that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Real purification in Grace and Holiness hath this Especial Relation unto the Death of Christ that he designed therein to procure it for them for whom he dyed And in the pursuit of his Purchase or Acquisition of it his purpose was really to bestow it upon them or effectually to work it in them Moreover it hath an Especial Relation unto his Intercession and that in a distinguishing manner from any other Gifts or common Graces that other men may receive Giving us the Rule and Pattern of his intercession Joh. 17. He tells us that he so prayes not for the world but for his Elect those which the Father had given him because they were his v. 9. And what is it that he prayes for them in distinction from all other men whatever Amongst others this is one principal thing that he insists on v. 17. Sanctifie them through thy Truth Their Sanctification and Holiness is granted upon that Prayer and Intercession of Christ which is peculiar unto them with an exclusion of all others I pray for them I pray not for the world Now the common Grace of unregenerate persons whereby they are distinguished from other men whatever it be it hath not this Especial Relation to the Oblation and Intercession of Christ. Common Grace is not the procurement of Especial Intercession Secondly They have a Real Relation unto Christ as he is the living Quickning-Head of the Church for he is so even the living spiritual fountain of the spiritual life of it and of all vital Acts whatever Christ is our life and our life is hid with him in God Col. 3. 2 3. That Eternal Life which consists in the Knowledge of the Father and the Son Joh. 17. 3. is in him as the cause head spring and fountain of it In him it is in its fulness and from thence it is derived unto all that believe who receive from his fulness Grace for Grace Joh. 1. 16. All â—â—ue saving sanctifying Grace all spiritual life and every thing that belongs thereunto is derived directly from Christ as the living Head of his Church and fountain of all spiritual life unto them This the Apostle expresseth Ephes. 4. 15 16. Speaking the truth in love grow up into him in all things which is the Head even Christ from whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of it self in love To the same purpose he again expresseth the same matter Col. 2. 19. All Grace in the whole body comes from the Head Christ Jesus and there is no growth or furtherance of it but by his Effectual working in every part to bring it unto the measure designed unto it Nothing then no not the least of this Grace can be obtained but by virtue of our Union