lesse externall glory Thirdly Though our sins can doe no injury to God to make God unholy or to make God unhappy yet sin doth great injury to your selves if thou beest sinfull what wilt thou doe against God why thou canst not bring God out of heaven though thou maist bring thy self into hell God receives no diminution of his holinesse of his wisdom of his glory by thy sinfulnesse yet thou shalt not have glory holinesse happinesse heaven nor eternall life thou shalt receive miseries by thine own sins And thus I have done with the Doctrinall part of this point to wit that there is a necessary connexion between mens confessing sin and Gods act in forgiving of sin I now come to the Use which is for triall to put you on a diligent enquiry how you may know whether God hath brought you into a pardoned estate and hath forgiven the iniquity of your sin how may it be known whether God hath forgiven you your iniquities There are ten ways to discover this I shal divide them into this order there are six Concomitants that doe attend a person in a pardoned estate and four characters laid downe in Scripture of a man whose sin is forgiven him First the Concomitants or those things in the Scripture which doe attend or accompany a person whose sin is forgiven First In Scripture we find that remission of sin is accompanied with renovation of the heart if sin be remitted the heart is renewed they are both joined together Rev. 2.17 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it Interpreters doe give this sense of that promise you read of two things a white Stone and a new name written in that stone the white stone it is an expression borrowed from the practise of the Gentiles who in their Judicature did use a white stone If a malefactour was condemned and had the sentence of death past upon him theâ—e was given him a black stone in token of condemnation but if a man had a white stone given him it was a token of absolution or pardon In allusion to this Christ doth hore promise pardon of sin which is meant by the white stone but what must be written on this stone there must be written on this white stone a new Name that is renovation the renewing of the heart so that if so be the nature of a man be not renewed the sin of a man is not pardoned therefore do not boast of having your white stone if there be a blank on that stone if there be nothing written on that stone if holinesse be not written on that stone pardon of sin hath renewing of nature to attend it A second Concomitant is this Remission by forgivenesse of sin is accompanied with endearednesse of love to Jesus Christ this is laid down in Luk. 7.47 Wherefore I say unto thee her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much It is a Concomitant that did attend her pardon much was forgiven her therefore she loved much Thirdly Forgivenesse of sin is accompanied in Scripture with a cordiall confession of sin unto God I adknowledged my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin 1 Joh. 1.9 If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse Fourthly Forgivenesse of sin is accompanied in Scripture with a cordiall forgiving other men all the personall wrongs and injuries that they have done you Mat 18.35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do unto you if ye from your heart forgive not every one his brother their trespasses It is in the Lords prayer annexed forgive us our trespasses Mat. 6. So that forgiving of other men is in Scripture as an Attendant or Concomitant of Gods forgiving us Put on as the Elect of God saith the Apostle bowels of mercy forbearing and forgiving one another A fifth Concomitant that attends forgivenesse of sin is repentance from dead works repentance for sin is a Concomitant that is ever joyned with the forgivenesse of sin Act. 5. â—1 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sins There they are linckt together to give repentance and remission of sin It is a Question among the Schoolemen Whether God by his absolute power can forgive a man his sin if a man doth not repent him of his sin There are few of them that do incline to the affirmative because God hath expresly tied himself in the Word that pardon must have repentance for sin Sixtly Forgivenesse of sin is accompanied with holy endeavours for the mortification of sin he that hath the guilt of sin pardoned labours to have the power of sin destroyed therefore in Scripture pardoning mercy and subduing grace they are both joyned together Mic. 7.19 He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea there is subduing grace as well as pardoning mercy Beloved if God pardon sin there are reall endeavours in a soul to have the power of sin taken away Indeed many men in the world do lay claim to pardon who never have endeavours and holy pursuits after mortification many have counterfeit mortification who play with their sins like Fencers which it may be give them a touch a slight blow but do not fight like warriers either to kill or be kill'd but godly men do not play with their sins but doe with their lusts as a warrier they do conflict with lusts on these terms that either we must kill them or they will kill us Many counterfeit Christians who do lay claim to reall pardon have but counterfeit mortifications I may sitly resemble such men as these to the Persians who had one Festivall annually where they used this custome that they laboured to finde out all their venomous creatures as Snakes Serpents and the like and one day in the year they would kill all which they found but afterwards they let them encrease Many men in some solemn performances to God will make great adoe of killing their lusts but afterwards they let them encrease and live again And thus much for the six Concomitants that do attend a person in a pardoned state The next is the Characters to be given of a pardoned man of a man whose sin is forgiven I will name but four Characters of a pardoned sinner Char. 1 First this He who is brought into a pardoned estate doth greatly admire God and abase self this is laid down in the 7. of Micah the Prophet brings in the Churches crying out in the extolling of God Who is a God like unto thee pardoning iniquity transgression and sin a pardoned man admires God because his grace is free and
ease to a burdened stomach when the stomach is pained and burdened and opprest A man is sick at the heart when meat doth not digest the vomiting of the load off of the stomach doth ease the stomach so saith Origen That when the conscience is burdened when a mans spirit is troubled pouring out of complaints and confession to God doth ease the minde A sinner is like a vessel of new wine filled and stopt up close till it hath vent it is ready to burst so is a godly man filled with sinne till he can vent by confession to God ready to burst Psal 119.25 Psal 119. vers 25. My soul cleaveth unto the dust quicken thou me according to thy word Vers 26. I have declared my wayes and thou heardst me teach me thy Statutes As if he should have said My soul cleaves to the dust I am in a very low and sad condition but I have declared my wayes I have confest my sins then God heard me then I had peace then I had quiet then I had comfort that is the first Reason secret confession to God it doth give a great deal of ease and holy quiet to the minde Reas 2 A second Reason why justified persons must confesse sin is because God loves to hear the complaints and the confessions of his own people lying on the face the best gesture and the mourning weed the best garment that God is well pleased with Jer. 31. Jer. 31.18 vers 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself c. that is confessing his sin unto God Cant. 2. vers 14. O my Dove that art in the clefts of the rock in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely God delights to see and hear the complaints and the confessions of his servants unto him God had rather see men come with ropes about their necks and with sackcloth about their loyns by a humble confession then to see ornaments about their necks by a self-justification Christ loves to hear and see the mourning condition of a justified person Reas 3 A third Reason why justified persons must confesse sin to God is because confession of sin doth help to quicken the heart to strong and earnest supplication to God Psal 32. vers 6. Psal 32.6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayst be found surely in the flouds of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him Confession quickens supplication Dan. 9.20 in Dan. 9. vers 20. And whiles I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God Confession is to the soule as the whetstone is to the knife that sharpens it and puts an edge upon it so doth confession of sin confessing thy evils to God doth sharpen and put an edge on thy supplications that man will pray but faintly that doth confesse sin but slightly Solemne and secret confessions of thy evils unto God doth greatly help to quicken strong supplications in thy heart unto God Reas 4 A fourth Reason why justified persons must confesse sin unto God is because confession of sin will work a holy contrition and a godly sorrow in the heart Psal 38.18 Psal 38. vers 18. For I will declare mine iniquities I will be sorry for my sinne Declaration doth work compunction confession of sin is but the causing of sin to recoyle on the conscience which causeth blushing and shame of face and grief of heart Reas 5 A sift Reason why justified persons must confesse sin unto God is because their secret confession of sin doth give a great deal of glory to God it gives glory to Gods Justice I do confesse sin and do confesse God in justice may damn me for my sin it gives glory to Gods mercy I confesse sin yet mercy may save me it gives glory to Gods omnisciency in confessing sin I do acknowledge that God knoweth my sin confession of sin gives glory to God Josh 7. vers 19. And Joshua said unto Achan Josh 7.19 My son give I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession unto him and tell me now what thou hast done hide it not from me It is a giving glory unto God Reas 6 A sixt Reason why justified persons must confesse sinne unto God is because holy confession of sin will imbitter sin and endear Christ to them when a man shall let sin recoyle on his conscience by a confession These after reflexions and these after recollections of sin doe greatly imbitter sin and doe indear Jesus Christ the stronger desires that a sinner hath after Jesus Christ the more he doth inhaunce the price of Jesus Christ And thus much for the first Quere to wit the Reasons of the point The second Quere it But when is a man in the best plight to have freedome of spirit to make secret confession of sin unto God I will name but three Seasons As Seas 1 First When God doth bring a beleever under some grievous outward affliction then is a fit time for him to confesse sin to God a saying of Gregory Sins do blind the eyes of men when they sin yet those eyes come to be opened by the punishment the punishment openeth those eyes which the fact hath shut As you read of Josephs brethren they did remain 20 years without having conscience recoyle on themselves to confesse their evils in selling their brother Joseph but when Joseph laid them in a prison then they confest their evill Gen. 42.21 And they said one to another Gen. 42.21 we are verily guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us and we would not hear therefore is this distresse come upon us It may be now thou art in health thou dost not now confesse thy uncleannesse and thy drunkennesse and thy pride and thy prophanenesse but what wilt thou doe when God brings thee on a death-bed when God hedges in thy wayes with thernes the conscience will reflect on thee and suggest guilt to thee and draw out confession from thee it is a fit season when God doth bring a man under any outward affliction then he is in good plight to confesse sin It is worth your notice in the 38. Psal 38. Psalme it was made when David lay on his sick-bed as he thought his death-bed you shall finde it is a complaint of a very strong disease David lay under in the 3. vers Vers 3 There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin Vers 5. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishnesse Vers 7. For my loynes are filled with a loathsome disease and there is no soundnesse in my flesh Here he
then with a godly man Fourthly There is this difference though the conscience of a good man be a sleep for a time and doth not smite him for sin yet some time before he dyes his conscience shall smite him for sin there is no godly man in the world but under known sins if his conscience hath not smitten him his conscience shall smite him before he dyes but wicked men live and dye in sin and never have the controll or rebuke of conscience Ahaz was troubled by affliction from God yet conscience never troubled him for he did yet more wickedly against God Fifthly Though the conscience of a pardoned sinner may be asleep for a time and may not reprove him for sin committed yet a good mans conscience when it doth reprove him it doth check him more out of a sense of sin and the dishonour done to God then out of fear of hell or any outward judgements but wicked men are asleep in their consciences and if conscience doth ever awake it is not because sin is sin and because God is dishonoured but because there is hell for sin and because there are outward grievous judgements when God breaks men by his judgements then they will put conscience on work but never doe it out of sense of sin Take this comparison of Ducks in a pond of water cast but a little peble stone into the water and it will make them dive but let it rattle and thunder in the heavens the Ducks feare not a Divine makes this a fit embleme of a wicked mans conscience cast but a little peble stone some present affliction neer a wicked man and that will make him dive that will trouble conscience and perplex the man but let God thunder from heaven let the Lord declare all the threatnings of his spirituall judgements against sin how evill sin is how God is dishonoured by sin and how the soule is indangered all these thundrings from heaven cannot make him startle And thus I have run hastily over the answering of this third Objection I have done it meerly for a relief of a perplexed Conscience thus I have done with this doctrine I confest and thou forgavest Thou for gavest to forgive saith Museulus is a word of favor or grace not merit or sanctification thou forgavest It notes pardon of sin is not vouchsafed to men by way of debt but of gift I confessed and thou forgavest thou forgavest what Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin the sin of my sin Interpreters have various apprehensions touching the meaning of these words what it is for God to forgive the iniquity of my sin I will bring it to a two fold channell Some there are that by iniquity understand the punishment of sin I acknowledged my sin and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin That is thou forgavest the punishment of my sin the reason of that interpretation is because in the Hebrew language the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies iniquity signifies punishment and therefore they understand the iniquity of sin the punishment of sin but Interpreters generally go against this interpretation for usually the word is taken for sin it self Again the whole scope of the Psalm is not in seeking the outward punishment to be forgiven but the forgivenesse of sin is referred to eternall guilt Thirdly Here is in the Text a Selah which is a note of attention a note of admiration annexed to this expression Thou hast forgiven c. surely that would be no wonder to God to passe by an externall punishment for that he might do to men whose sins were never pardoned What is it for God to forgive the iniquity of sin I answer the iniquity of sin is meant that God out of his free grace doth not onely simply forgive a sin committed but he forgives the iniquity of that sin all the malignity of that sin all the hainous aggravated circumstances that may any ways make it great A learned Authour having a whole Tract upon this Psalm hath these words the Psalmist useth this kinde of speech To forgive the iniquity of sinne that hee might teach us that it was no light fault that was pardoned it was sin and it was the iniquity of sin sin upon sin and sin greatned by many hainous circumstances Yet Behold the great mercy of God Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin thus much for the explaining of the words The Observation is this That such are the riches of Gods pardoning grace that he forgives his people not onely sin in the generall but their great sins such as are cloathed with many aggravated and hainous crying circumstances Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne In the handling of this point I shall proceed in this method First To prove the point to you by an Induction of particular instances then the application of it by severall uses It is a point full of comfort and indeed I know not such a Text in all the Bible that speaks of Gods grace in pardoning aggravated sins sins more clearly then this Text doth First of all I shall give you an induction of instances that God doth not only forgive his people a bare sin convicted but God doth out of the riches of his Grace forgive his people those sins that you may call the iniquity of sin sins cloathed with many hainous aggravated circumstances The instance of David that speakes the words an instance of Peter another of Paul many men that have sinned against light and love sinned against cheks of conscience and against mercies are these sins forgiven Yes that is my work to prove that Gods grace doth forgive sins that are cloathed with many hainous and aggravated circumstances to make them great First David I begin with David because it is the instance in hand will you consider Davids sin the sin of Adultery and ransack the bowels of it you shall finde Davids sin cloathed with great hainous and aggravated circumstances to make it great and grievous and yet for all this that sin forgiven him Circ 1 First Circumstance to aggravate Davids sin if you consider the quality of it the kind of it What sin was it it was the sin of Adultery now of all sins the sin of adultery is an aggravated sin there are five circumstances 1. He that commits adultery he sins against his own body 2. It is a wrong to the body of the woman he is unclean with 3. It is a wrong to his own wife 4. It is a wrong to Bathshebas husband 5. It is a wrong to the child that is illegitimately begotten in adultery that an ignominy should be on him when hee is born and therefore that David should fall to that sin it was one great sin to aggravate Davids sin Circu 2 Secondly If you consider the dignity and the quality of Davids person that did commit this sin He was a King Now the greater the person is that sins the sin is the greater Third Circumstance to
Christianity Sixthly If you consider the extent of Pauls malice saith he When they were put to death I gave my voice against them Pauls vote was against the Christians to put them to death Seaventhly Pauls rage did goe against their souls as well as their bodies for saith he I did compell them to blaspheme Christ he laboured to damn their soules as well as destroy their bodies Eighthly saith he I was exceeding mad against them he was even mad with rage and exceeding mad with rage Ninethly He drove them from house to house I drove them into strange Cities And then tenthly which was worst of all he did through their sides strike at the honour of Jesus Christ for why did Paul doe this to the Saints saith hee I thought with my self to doe many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth there was the person he aimed at yet Paul a man forgiven for all this for he saith when he aggravates his sin in 1 Tim. 11 12 13. According to the glorious Gospell of the blessed God which was committed to my trust And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that hee counted mee faithfull putting mee into the Ministery Who was before a Blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantlyin unbeleif Thus I have done with the Doctrinall part of my text laying down to you an induction of instances I am the larger in this because I know perplexed consciences in trouble of minde are apt but to greaten their owne sins but can you aggravate it worse then David Paul or Peter could doe yet behold those sins and those aggravated sins were forgiven by Jesus Christ I have four words to say in this Sermon by way of Application there may be in such an assembly as this is whom God might suffer either before conversion or after conversion to bee unclean with David to deny Christ with Peter it may be to swear to a lye to swear to a falsehood nay it may be ingage to a lye to a falshood O take heed of false Oaths it may be to persecute the Saints of Christ with Paul Four consolations First O know it for thy comfort O thou disconsolate heart let thy sin bee never so great yet the mercies of God are greater Sabian a learned Interpreter gives to my hand which is his instance Lord my fault is great but thy mercies are greater Beloved I may say to you though thy sin be great yet the mercy of God is greater then thy sin and thou canst not have so many circumstances to greaten thy sin as can be produced in God to greaten his own mercy you shall read what he saith of himselfe in Isai 44.22 I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins return unto mee for I have redeemed thee Suppose thy sin be not onely a little cloud but suppose it be a great cloud a thick cloud saith God I do not onely blot sins out like a little cloud but I will blot out transgressions that are like a thick cloud great sins as well as small doth the mercies of God cover The Sea can as well cover great rocks as little peble stones high mountains as well as mole-hils Gods mercy is an Ocean that can cover great enormities as well as lesser infirmities The glorious body of the Sun in the heavens can scatter the greatest mist as well as the thinnest vapour great sins as well as small are pardoned by mercy It is worthy your notice what Moses speaks of the Mercy-seat It covered the whole Arke wherein the Law was kept To note saith a Divine though thou art a man or a woman guilty of all the Laws breach not onely of one command but of all the commands yet the Mercy-Seat Seat covered all the commands to teach you this that the mercy of God can pardon the greatest violation of the Law therefore that wherein the Law was kept was all covered by the Mercy Seat 2. Take this for thy comfort O thou perplexed Conscience it may be when thou art in a corner move but God and thine own soul together thou dost aggravate thy sin and thinkest no mans sin so grievous as thine then take this for thy comfort let thy sin be never so great yet the satisfaction and sufferings of Christ are far greater the bloud of Christ saith the Apostle cleanseth us from all sin the red Sea did with as much ease drown Pharaoh and all his hoast as it could doe a single man the red Sea of Christs bloud can drown a whole host and a huge multitude of sins as well as a small lust Though thou hast need to shed more tears for sin in a way of contrition yet Christ need not shed more bloud for sin in a way of redemption for he hath saved them to the utmost that come unto God by him the Apostle triumphing in the 5. of the Romans hee means there that there is not so much evil in sin to damne us as there is good in the gift in Christ for to save because thy sin is the guilt of a creature and Christs satisfaction is the satisfaction of a God thy sin the sinne of a finite creature and his sufferings the sufferings of an infinite Mediator Third Consolation is this to you that are perplexed in Conscience that you have committed hainous and aggravated sinfulnesse yet that Jesus Christ by conversion doth wipe away the infamy the ignominy of thy most horrid and scandalous sins before conversion Suppose thou hast bin a notorious infamous creature yet Christ takes off the ignominy and the infamy of thy sin by Conversion It is observable of Mary Magdalen shee was a notorious whore every one that saw her knew shee was a common harlot there was a woman that was a sinner the meaning was she was an infamous notorious harlot What is done when Christ converted this woman Verily I say unto you that where ever the Gospell is preached it shall be spoken what this woman hath done throughout the whole world Christ did wipe away the infamy of harlotry he would have renowned the love of that woman to Christ he would have it spoken of where ever the Gospel was preacht Luk. 7.47 Wherefore I say unto thee her sinnes which are many are forgiven for she loved much Christ did delight to wipe away the ignominy of her harlotry in her after life It is worthy observation that four women are reckoned in the Genealogy of Christ what women were they they were women that were infamous the best of them did fall into much scandall and gave much offence there you find mention of Thamar Rachab Ruth and Bathsheba no more in the Genealogy but these what were al these women they were converted women Begin with Thamar she committed uncleannesse with her Father in law an infamous woman as you have the story in Gen. 38.18 And hee said What pledge
house Christ was at supper mark the method Divines make much use of this Mary fell into a grosse sin but Mary must not know her own pardon Mary was weeping for her sin and it was revealed unto another that she was pardoned to shew that when men fall into grosse sins God doth many times hide comforts from them other men shall have good hope of their pardon more then they have of themselves let this be astonishment and a check to you to take heed of falling into grosse evils for God may keep you long without manifestation of pardon Fourthly to astonish thee consider that thou dost run a very dangerous and desperate hazard to venture upon the commission of sin upon presumption of pardon Wilt thou sin that may be as painfull to thy conscience as the breaking of thy bones because Christ can set thee in joynt again wilt thou sin and cut gashes in thine own flesh because thou knowest the Bloud of Christ to be a soverain Balsam to cure thy wounds for by his stripes we are healed Directions to great sinners I now come to give you something by way of direction Hast thou been a man that God hath left to thine own hearts lust thou hast not only sin but the iniquity of sin sin aggravated then First take this rule Labour in the residue of thy dayes to be as eminent in grace as thou hast been formerly notorious in sin hath thy lusts been strong labour now that thy affections may be strong God-ward and heaven-ward has thy sin been cloathed with many hainous circumstances to make it great let thy graces be cloathed with many holy circumstances to make them great though this cannot make a compensation to the most High for nothing thou hast or doest can recompense God for the wrong sin doth him yet is this something by way of a holy revenge on thy self the more thou hast been notorious in evill thou shouldst labour now to be more eminent in good Secondly Hast thou fallen into any grosse and aggravated guilt follow this Rule Labour that the greater thy sin and thy unkindnesse hath been to God thou expresse now the greater love to Jesus Christ for pardoning mercy O labour thou that hast great sins pardoned that thou mayest have great love issued out to Jesus Christ Christ did not simply aske Peter Simon Peter lovest thou me but goeth higher Peter doest thou love me more then these there was this reason why Christ should aske him this Question because Peter had finned against Christ more then all the disciples had therefore Peter must love Christ more Do I speak to any that have been taller by the head in sin then any of their neighbours have been O! if thou hast sinned much love much the greater the sin the greater the pardon must be and therefore on thy part the greater must thy love be to Jesus Christ this is held out plain in that familiar parable that Christ useth Luk. 7.41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors the one ought five hundred pence and the other fifty Vers 42. And when they had nothing to pay he frankly forgave them both Tell me therefore which of them will love him most Vers 43. Simon answered and said I suppose that he to whom he forgave most And he said unto him Thou hast rightly judged The meaning of this is the two debtors are two sorts of sinners he that owed a little sum he could not pay his debt though thou hast but few little sins yet thou canst not satisfie for it He that owed much was a great sinner as Mary Magdalen It may be God hath forgiven thee thy hundred of sins and thy five hundred of sins O make good this Parable that he that hath most forgiven him love most the greater thy sin hath been the greater thy love must be It is thus with Mary Magdalen Luk. 7.47 Wherefore I say unto thee Her sins which are many are forgiven her for she loved much Her love doth hold equipage and proportion to her pardon much pardon on Christs part and much love on her part O beloved let me here inculcate this on your thoughts have any of you been great sinners have you been guilty of aggravated and hainous circumstances now finde that your love doth carry some proportion to your pardon Thirdly Hath God suffered thee to fall into the iniquity of sin observe this direction the greater thy sin hath been to God labour that thy humiliation may be greater that it may carry some proportion to the greatnesse of thy transgression It is observable of what you read of three men in Scripture of David Manasses and Peter these all sinned greatly and their sorrow and lamentation did carry proportion to their sin in some measure Manasses sinned greatly and the scripture saith of him that he humbled himself greatly before the Lord. Peter did deny Christ shamefully and Peter went out and wept bitterly You know David sinned notoriously and he mourned exceedingly rivers of tears ran from his eyes he watered his couch with tears all this teacheth you that the greater thy sinne hath been the greater thy humiliation should be An observable Law that you read of in Levit. 11.24 25. And for these yee shall be unclean whosoever toucheth the carkasse of them shall be unclean untill the Even And whosoever beareth ought of the carkasse of them shall wash his clothes and be unclean untill the Even Beloved touching an unclean thing a man was unclean all night but if a man carried an unclean thing any length of time then saith God he shall be unclean till Even and he shall wash his clothes This law shews that touching an unclean sin requires a humiliation but if thou hast toucht a sin born a sin and hugged a sin in thine armes then there is greater work required of thee he was to wash his clothes O thou must wash thy heart by humiliation thou must take more pains with thy heart that hast fallen into a gross evil then other men should doe Fourth Direction In case thou expectest to have a high esteeme of pardoning grace labour thou to find out all the aggravated and haynous circumstances in thy sin Beloved doe not fear that the seeing of the sinfulnesse of sin will doe you hurt first look on pardon and then look on the aggravation of thy sin this is the way to heighten Christs merits and greaten Gods mercy and extoll Gods pardoning grace It is notably mentioned of two men that were famous this way It is reported of Eusebius a holy and a tender conscientious man when he came to confesse sin he used these words Lord there is none have sinned as I have sinned the Devill sinned Judas sinned grievously but none sinned as I The Divell indeed sinned but Christ never dyed for the Devill as hee dyed for me therefore my sin is a greater sin then the Devils Judas sinned greatly but Judas never had the pardon I
that he was seen of Cephas and then of the twelve there was love in Christ Peter did deny him but three dayes before and Peter must first see him Again When Christ was risen from the dead he sent a messenger to Peter particularly by name Goe tell my Disciples in generall and tell Peter that I am risen Mark 16.7 But goe your wayes tell his Disciples and Peter Peter was crying weeping and bewayling that he should deny his Master and saith Christ Goe tell Peter that I am risen 3. Christ doth single out Peter after hee rose from the dead Christ hath more discourse with Peter then he hath with all his Disciples else Joh. 21. Thus you see that Jesus Christ manifests love to those sinners that sinned foully after they have repented and are sufficiently humbled for their sin Thus it is with Mary Magdalen after shee repented what expressions of love doth Christ shew to her First we read that he cast out of her seven Devils Luk. 8.2 And certain women which had been healed of evill spirits and infirmities Mary called Magdalen out of whom went seven Divels Then he appeared first to Mary she was the first that saw him when he was risen Mark 16.9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalen Again Christ wept to see Mary John 11.33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping and the Jews also weeping which came with her he groaned in the spirit and was troubled Again Christ commanded that where ever the Gospell came to be preacht the fame of Mary should be made known Matth. 26.13 Verily I say unto you wheresoever this Gospell shall be preached in the whole world there shall also this that this woman hath done be told for a memoriall of her What a great honour was this to Mary Magdalen Thus it appears that God doth manifest to those persons that have sinned the grossest sins if afterward they shall have the more serious and through humiliation the clearest evidences and the strongest comforts Thus much for the two consolations Thirdly Take this for your comfort It is not the greatnesse of that sin thou committest but onely the hardnesse and impenitency of thine owne heart that can exempt thee from pardon Divines doe generally say that the reason of that saying in Scripture All sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come It is not that there is not more merit in Christ to save then there is guilt in that sin but it is because that man cannot repent of the sin Therefore that sin cannot be forgiven because he cannot repent Suppose thy sin be blasphemy this doth not exempt from pardon It is not the greatnesse of thy sin but the Judiciall hardnesse and finall impenitency of thy heart that can exempt thee from pardon When Peter preached to the Jewes that had a hand in crucifying the Sonne of God yet saith he Repent and your sinnes shall he blotted out O what sin could bee greater then their embrewing their hands in the bloud of Christ yet doe but repent and your sins shall be blotted out It is not for want of great mercy on Gods part and great merits on Christs part that men are unpardoned but it is want of repentance on thine own part Fourthly That no grosse sin committed by a justified person can make void his former pardon A rule among the Schoolemen The work of God cannot be made void or frustrated by the work of man Election is a work of God Redemption the work of God Justification the worke of God which cannot be made void by the work of man therefore if God hath elected thee redeemed thee justified and pardoned thee the incursion of grosse evills cannot restrain thee of former pardon It is true sinne may make void thy former comforts thy former evidences grosse sins may lay wast thy Conscience but they cannot lay wast the grace and the mercies of God herein you may be greatly comforted and established Fifthly Take this for thy comfort though thou dost fall into grosse and aggravated guilt yet such is the goodnesse and mercy of God that he orders thy very falling into sin to turn to thy good I doe not mention this to any that they should be emboldened to fall into sin because it may turn to good O it is God that orders a mans fal for his good A threefold good that God doth to his people out of their very sins God doth not only do good to his people by their afflictions but he doth good to his people by their very sins First Sometimes God doth so order that the falling of a godly man into sin shall abate pride in his heart men of great parts are apt to be proud God many times will let strong lusts attend strong gifts the more to abate and keep under the exaltation of spirit therefore saith Paul I have the messengers of Satan to buffet me that I might not be exalted above measure God doth many times to keep under pride let a temptation loose on a man and so God doth him good that way Austin saith I am not afraid to say that it is profitable sometimes for good men to fall into sin Secondly It will prevent many other sins here is Gods great mercy the putting of a man to pain takes away pain Beloved God sometimes suffers a man to sin that that sin might keep out another sin one sin may be so ordered by God to keep out another sin Thirdly Falling into sinne sometimes doth renew the work of repentance the Lord sometimes lets them sleep that so hee might awaken them by a greater humiliation and to tast the more of the bitternesse and the fruite of sin here then is Gods goodnesse to a sinner that by letting him fall into a sin hee doth thee good and makes thee to renew repentance and greatens humiliation in thy heart Now for the finishing of this subject Cases of conscience there are 7. Cases of Conscience that in this Doctrine are needfull to be resolved First Whether God may forgive a man his sin and yet the man himself not know it here David had sin forgiven him and David did know it I acknowledge and thou forgavest but whether may a man have sin forgiven him and yet not know he is pardoned I answer in the affirmative that a man may have sin forgiven him and yet not know that his sin is pardoned though David did know his pardon in this Psalm yet he did not know his pardon in other Psalms Psal 51. Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation God broke Davids bones for his Adultery and David was driven to shed a River of tears before God did pour in one drop of joy Job 33.10 Behold hee findeth occasions against me he counteth me for his enemy Job thought that God was an enemy unto him and you
cannot have the exercise of grace Thou canst not tell saith Solomon how the bones of a childe grow in the womb therefore much more how God by a strange and a powerfull manner can implant and impresse grace in the heart of a sucking babe yet there is grace in elect children in an elect child there is seminall grace and habituall grace As there is sin seminall in a childes nature that before a childe can act sin it hath sin so by the same reason you that will deny grace in children will fall into the Pelagian error that a childe hath no sin but a child hath a depraved nature a nature enclining to sin therefore when it comes to years though it should never see a sin committed yet would it sin a childe cannot act grace cannot act faith and repentance that is true but a childe may have grace habituall therefore Christ took children in his armes and blest them surely they must be gracious children therefore children in a sense are pardoned if they beleeve we know not how to expresse their faith but they do beleeve they have an habituall faith And thus much for the answering of that third case of conscience The fourth Case to be handled is this Whether it be consistent with the state of pardon to commit often the same grosse sin over and over again it is needfull to touch upon this case because it perplexeth troubled mindes First by way of comfort First answer is this That it is clear by an induction of particular instances in Scripture that pardoned men have fallen often into the same sin this is most clear First if you referre it to spirituall evils to evils that are of daily incursion evils that are inward and spiritual spirituall pride distempered passion remission in duties a pardoned man may many times fall into such sins as these Further it is clear by induction of instances in Scripture that a pardoned man may fall into grosse sins oftentimes into the same sin some instances one is of Joseph it was a grosse sin for Joseph to swear an heath enish Oath by the life of Pharaoh Gen. 42.15.15 Hereby ye shall be proved by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not goe forth hence except your youngest brother come hither Send one of you and let him fetch your brother and ye shall be kept in prison that your words may be proved whether there be any truth in you or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies Yet the Jewes were so well instructed and had such prohibitions against swearing one should think that they should not be guilty of so grosse an evill yet Joseph being in Pharaohs court among heathens he swore twice by the life of Pharaoh And thus you read of Jehosaphat he fell twice into the same sin he made a league with Ahaliah King of Israel he loved them that were enemies to God 2 Chron. 20.35 36 37. And after this did Jehosaphat King of Judah joyn himself with Ahaziah King of Israel who did very wickedly And he joyned himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish and they made the ships in Ezion-Geber Then Eliezer the son of Dodanah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat saying Because thou hast joyned thy self with Ahaziah the Lord hath broken thy works and the ships were broken that they were not able to go to Tarship Twice he ran into the same sin And then you have it in the case of Solomon he fell into Idolatry and the Text saith that he sinned against God after God appeared twice to him 1 King 11.9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared unto him twice He fell to Idolatry after God appeared twice to him so that it notes Solomon fell oftentimes into the same sin Thus you read of Sampson that Divines call a very compound of vices Judg. 16. If there were no more spoken of Sampsâ—n in the New Testament then in the old it were questionable whether he was a good man or no but what read you of Sampson You read of him first of all that he marryed a heathenish woman which was against Gods command Nay he fell to the same sin when the Philistims killed her then he marryed a whore chap. 16.1 Then went Sampson to Gaza and saw there an harlot and went in unto hâ—r Nay again you shall finde him fall three times into the same sin First of all he did three times tell a lye one after another when Dalilah came to inveagle him on the instigation of the Philistims that she should learn where Sampsons strength lay first saith Sampson If they binde me with seven green wit hs that were never dryed then shall I be weak and be as another man But when he was bound he broke the wit hs as one would break the thred a two when it toucheth the fire then saith shee why hast thou deceived me and told me a lye then he told her again If thou wilt binde me with new ropes that were never used then I shall be weak like another man but he broke the ropes Nay he tels her a third lye he said unto her If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web then my strength will go from me and this she did also and his strength remained But the fourth time he told her truth saith he If I be shaven then my strength will go from me and I shall become weak and be like another man and she caused the seven locks upon his head to be shaved off and his strength went from him I speak this to a perplexed conscience that good men may be so overborn that they may frequently act over the same sin again and again Then Peter that did lye thrice as Sampson did Peter did deny Christ three times with an oath and a cursing Another instance that is in the case of the Israelites Numb 14.22 Because all those men which have seen my glory and my miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wildernesse and have tempted me now these ten times and have not hearkned to my voice Therefore this should be something to stay the heart that not only sins of an unavoidable infirmity secret spirituall sins but also sins that are more obnoxious to infamy and scandall goodmen have fallen into and yet been pardoned Another answer That Jesus Christ bids us to forgive our brother that sins against us in one day seventy times seven if Jesus Christ cals for this at our hands who have not hardly a drop of bowels surely God that hath a sea and a vast Ocean of mercies can forgive a sin and will forgive a sin though it be often reiterated Thus much for answer to that question Now by way of Caution that this comfort the Scripture gives be not abused First Caution is this That though it be possible a man may fall often into the same sin yet it is not usually
that is taken away Matth. 12.32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall bee forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not bee forgiven him neither in this world neither in the world to come They that understand forgiving onely in sense and feeling must understand this clause not forgiving onely in sense and feeling and so no reall guilt to lye upon the man Thirdly It is against the nature of forgivenesse to be onely forgiving sinne in a mans own conscience A sixt case is this Whether when a man is suing for pardon he ought to make any difference between great sins and small sin The Stoicks say all sins are alike and there is no difference It is true in regard of the object all sins are against God yet when you come to beg pardon for sin according as your sinnes are greatned you are accordingly to behave your selves in seeking for pardon God can pardon great sins as well as small in regard of God there is no difference nor in regard of the merits of Christ but yet in your behaviour in seeking for pardon of sinne you are to make a great difference between the greatnesse and the smallnesse of your evills For Beloved First Consider the Scripture makes a difference between sins therefore we must doe so the Scripture compares some sins to Camels and some to Gnats the Scripture compares some sins to beams and some to motes some sins as talents and others but as pence and in Amos there is mention made of mighty sins Amos 5. in John of greater sins Joh. 19.11 Jesus answered Thou couldst have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above therefore hee that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin It is true every sin deserves hell yet there is more of the punishment of hell inflicted on some sinners then others the reason why I speake of this case is to let you know that as God hath suffered any of you to fall into aggravated and hainous evils so he requires more of you then of other men First consider that God requires of you more humiliation then he requires of other men In the Law you read that if a man toucht the unclean thing he was unclean till Evening but if a man bare an unclean thing he was to wash his clothes to shew that the touch of sin requires humiliation but the bearing of a sin in thy bosome thy continuing in sin requires more work then meerly the touch of sin Peter wept bitterly for his denyall he did more for that sin then for an ordinary sin So that you are to consider that though in regard of Christ there is no difference between a great sin and a small as the red Sea could drown Pharaoh and his host as well as a single man so Christs bloud can drown a huge host of sins but yet you must encrease your humiliation on the aggravation of your guilt thus much for the fixth case of Conscience The seaventh is this What are those great and hainous circumstances that doe greaten sin that so I may see whether I have aggravated my sin or not here are two circumstances which doe aggravate and greaten sin First Sinning against the frequent manifestation of Gods love to thy soul this greatly aggravates sin this did aggravate Solomons sin 1 King 11. Solomon was the Beloved of the Lord yet he provoked him to anger Secondly To sin against the rebukes and checks of thine own Conscience doth greaten sin Jam. 4.17 Therefore to him that knoweth to doe good and doth it not to him it is sin It is sinne to another man that doth not know it but to him that knoweth it it is a greater sin this Christ refers to and speaks of Judas that would betray him and yet knew that hee was the Son of God What my Disciples to betray me his sin was the greater Conscience is Gods officer in man it is a greater fault to strike a Constable then an ordinary man out of office for thee to sin against the rebukes and checks of Conscience aggravates sin Thirdly To sin against Gods judgements upon other men is an aggravated evill for thee to sin when God hath given thee warning of sin from other mens bloud this did aggravate Belshazzars sin Dan. 5.22 23. And thou his son O Belshazzar hast not humbled thine heart though thou knewest all this But hast lifted up thy selfe against the Lord of heaven c. Thou that knowest how a man is plagued for his uncleannesse thou that knowest how a man is plagued for riotous living yet thou wilt live riotous and thou wilt live adulterous O thou man thy sin is the greater thou sinnest against the monument of the eye as well as against the warning of the ear Fourthly Sin against Gods judgments upon our selves doth weigh ten sin this did aggravate Ahaz sin 2 Chron. 28.22 And in the time of his distresse he did trespasse yet more against the Lord. Fifthly To sin against mercies is an aggravation of sin 2 Sam. 12. I delivered thee out of Sauls hand I gave thee thy Masters house I gave thee the house of Israel and if all this had been too litttle for thee I would have moreover given thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised c What thou sin David and hast been loadned with a heap of mercies this greatens thy sin Sixthly It greatens sin when the sin is immediately against God 1 Sam. 2.25 If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall entreat for him If a man sins against God O who shall plead for him Seaventhly To sin against the motions of Gods Spirit aggravates sin when the Spirit of God shall in thy Conscience perswade thee that thou wouldst not follow such wicked wayes as thou art walking in when the Spirit of God shall come and woo thee to be reconciled to alter thy course and to walk in better paths when not onely the voice of Conscience but the motions of Gods Spirit shall be stifled this aggravates sin Hence it is that Scripture in setting out the wronging and withstanding the Spirits motion whether to good or from evill doth ascend by gradations sometimes it is called quenching the Spirit Queuch not the Spirit a higher degree there is a grieving the Spirit when there are frequent acts to withstand Divine motions that is a grieving the Spirit Thirdly There is an higher aggravation then this that is resisting the Spirit Act. 7.51 Ye stiffe neeked and uncircumcised in heart and eares ye doe alwayes resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so doe yee This is caused by pertinaciousnesse in withstanding the Spirits motion Fourthly The Scripture speakes of vexing the Spirit Isa 63.10 But they rebellect and vexed his Holy Spirit therefore hee was turned to be their enemy and fought against them This is not onely by one
THE SOVLS CORDIALL In two TREATISES I. Teaching how to be eased of the guilt of Sin II. Discovering advantages by Christs ascension By that faithfull Labourer in the Lords Vineyard Mr. CHRISTOPHER LOVE Pastor of Lawrence Jury London The third Volum Job 33.27 28. He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not He will deliver his soule from going into the pit and his life shall see the light Romans 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us London Printed for Nathaniel Brooke at the Angell in Cornhill 1653. J Cross Sculpsit To the Reader READER THou art here presented with two Treatises of the late pious and faithfull Minister of the Gospell Mr. Christopher Love They come to thy view in an unpolished style as they were taken from the mouth of the reverend Author whose endeavour it was to pierce the conscience rather then to please the eare A garish dresse is unbefitting a chaste Matrone if thou expect here what may be pleasing to a wanton appetite stay at the threshold thou wilt lose thy labour if thy stomach be for wholesome Food and Doctrine according to Godlinesse enter in this diet is for hungry soules The first part will shew thee how thou must proceed to obtaine and assure thy heart of pardon of sin viz. by a sound Confession this duty is much decried in these dayes of Libertinisme but by such as decry the power of Godlines and are loath to have a check put upon their licentiousnesse but doe thou remember he that hideth his sin shall not prosper hee that confesseth and forsaketh it shall finde mercy If we say wee have no sin we deceive our selves and make God a lier if we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive them pardon of sinne is the purchase of the bloud of Christ but intailed upon the Confession of sinne The latter will shew thee thy great advantage by Christs ascension intercession and returne to judgement this is a subject most sutable for the last times times of perill and temptation to quiet comfort and incourage to keepe the heart in the love of God in the patient waiting for Christ and unspotted in the world We have much talke in the World that Christs person shal reigne for 1000. yeares upon earth hee that can see this in Scripture hath a clearer sight then I but what ever becomes of this opinion we are sure of and stay our soules upon this That our blessed Saviour is now at the right hand of God in glory pleading the cause of his despised servants waiting till his enemies be made his footstoole from whence we expect him at that great day to transforme our vile bodies into the similitude of his glorious body to take us into these mansions prepared for us that we may see his glory and be for ever with the Lord. These meditations if they were often in our mindes would engage us to be stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord because our labour is not in vain in the Lord. One thing more I advertise thee that in the perusing of these little Treatises thou wilt meet with many typographicall errors for these the Printer craves thy pardon Farewell J. Cranford Pastor of Christophers le Stocks Curteous Reader These Books following are Printed for Nathaniel Brooke and are to be sold at his Shop at the Angell in Gornehill 1. TImes Treasury or Academy for Gentry excellent grounds both Divine and Humane for their accomplishment in arguments of discourse habit fashion with a Ladies love Lecture and Truthes triumph summing up all in a character of Honour by Ri. Braithwait Esq 2. Morton of the Sacrament folio 3. Physiognomy and Chiromancy Metoposcopy the Symmetricall proportions and signall Moles of the body the subject of Dreames to which is added the art of Memory by Ri. Sanders Student folio 4. Theatrum chemicum Britanicum tontaining severall poeticall peeces of our famous English Philosophers which have written the Hermitque misteries in their antient Language by Elias Ashmole Esq 5. Chiromancy or the art of Divining by the lines engraven in the hand of man by dame Nature Theologically practically in 19. Genitures with a leraned discourse of the soule of the World and universall spirit thereof by Geo. Wharton Esq 6. Catholick History collected and gathered out of Scripture Councells and antient Fathers Moderne writers hoth ecclesiasticall and civill by Ed. Chisenhall Esq 7. Planometria or the whole art of Survey of Land shewing the use of all Instruments but especially the plain Table whereunto is added an Appendix to measure regular Solides as Timber Stone usefull for all that intend either to sell or purchase by Ol. Wallingby 8. 8. An Arithmetick in number and species in two Books 1 Teaching by precept and example the operation in Numbers whole and broken by Decimals and use of the Logarithms Napyers bones 2 The great Rule of Algebra in Species resolving all Arithmeticall questions by supposition with a Canon of the powers of numbers fitted to the meanest capacity by Jonas Moore late of Durham 8. 9. Tactometrica or the Geomety of Regulars after a new exact and expeditious manner in Solids with sundry usefull experiments Practicall Geometry of Regular-like Solids and of a Cylinder body for liquid vessell measure with sundry new experiments never before extant for gauging a work very usefull for all that are imployed in the art Metricall by John Wiberd Doctor in Physick 10. An Astrologicall discourse with Mathematicall Demonstrations proving the powerfull and harmonicall influence of the Planets and fixed Stars upon Elementary Bodies in justification of the Validity of Astrologie by Sir Christopher Heydon Knight 11. Magick and Astrology vindicated in which is contained the true definitions of the said Arts and the justification of their practise proved by the authority of Scripture and the experience of antient and modern Authors by H. Warren 12. An Astrologicall judgement of Diseases from the Decumbiture of the sick also the way of finding out the cause change and end of a disease also whether the sick be likely to live or die by N. Culpeper 13. Catastrophe Magnatum or the down fall of Monarchy by N. Culpeper 14. Ephemerides for the year 1652. being a year of wonders by N. Culpeper 15. Lux veritatis or Christian Judiciall Astrology vindicated and Daemonology confured in answer to Nath. Holmes Dr. D. By W. Ramsey Gent. 16. The History of the Golden Ass 17. The Painting of the Antients the beginning progress and Consummating of that noble Art and how those antient Artificers attained to their still so much admired excellency Israels redemption or the propheticall History of our Saviours Kingdome on earth by Robert
Maâ—ton of Exon Colledge in Oxon. 8. 18. An Introduction to the Teutonick Philosophy being a determination of the originall of the Soul at a Dispute held in the School at Cambridg at the Commencement March 3. 1646 by Charles Hotham Fellow of Peter house 12. 19. Teratologia or a discovery of Gods wonders manifested in the former and moderne times by bloudy rain and waters by I. S. 20. Fons Lachrymarum or a fountain of Tears from whence doth flow Englands complaint Jeremiahs Lamentations with an Elegy upon that Son of Valour Sir Charles Lucas by John Quarles â— 21. Oedipus or a resolver being a Clew that leads to the chiefe Secrets and true resolution of Amorous naturall morall and politicall Problems by G. M. 22. The celestiall Lamp enlightning every distressed soule from the depth of everlasting Darknesse to the height of eternall Light by Tho. Fettisplace 23. Nocturnall Lucubrations or Meditations divine and morall with Epigrams and Epitaphs by Robers Chamberlain 24. The Unfortunate Mother a Tragedy by Tho. Nabs 25. The Rebellion a Comedy by T.R. 26. The Tragedy of Messatina by Nat. Richards â— 27. The remedy of Discontentment or a Treatise of contentation in whatsoever condition fit for these sad and troublesome times by Joseph Hall late B. of Exon and Norwich 12. 28. The Grand Sacriledge of the Church of Rome in taking away the farced Cup from the Laity at the Lords Table by the late revend Daniel Featly D. D. 4. 29. The cause and cure of Ignorance Error Enmity Atheism and profanenesse or a most hopefull way to Grace and Salvation by R. Young 8. 30. A bridle for the Times tending to still the Murmuring to settle the Wavering to stay the Wandring to strengthen the fainting by John Brinsley Minister of Gods Word at Yarmouth 31. Comforts against the fear of Death wherein are severall evidences of the the work of Grace by John Collins of Norwich 32. Jacobs seed or the excellency of seeking God by prayer by Jeremiah Burroughs Minister of the Gospell to the two greatest Congregations about London Stepney and Criplegate 17. 33. The Zealous Magistrate a Sermon by Tho. Threscot 34. Britannia Rediviva or a Soverain Remedy to cure a sick Common-wealth preached in the Minister at Yorke before the Judges August 9. 1649. by J. Shaw Minist of Hull 35. The Princses Royall preached in the Minster in York before the Judges March 24. 1650. by John Shaw Minister of Hull 36. Anatomy of Mortality divided into eight Heads 1. The Certainty of Death 2. Meditations of Death 3. Preparations for Death 4. The right behaviour in Death 5. The comfort in our own Death 6. The bomfort against the Death of Friends 7. The Cases whrein its lawfull or unlawfull to desire death 8. The glorious estate of Gods children after death by George Stronde 37. New Jerusalem in a Sermon for the Society of Astrologers August 1651. SERMON I. Text PSALME 32. latter part of the 5. vers I said I will confesse my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne THis Psalme treats of the blessednesse of a justified of a pardoned sinner touching which severall particulars are handled First the Psalmist handles wherein the forgiveness of sin consists that he mentions under two expressions Verse 1. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sinne is covered the forgivenesse of sinne consists first in the covering of sinne the covering of sinne not from god but by god so it is explained by god himself Psal 85. vers 2. Psal 85 2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people Thou hast covered all their sinne It is sinne in us to hide our sinnes as it is sinne to hide our talents so it is sinne to hide our sinne therefore when the Psalmist saith the forgivenesse of sinne consists in the covering of sinne this covering by God is understood Secondly This forgivenesse is set out by not imputing of sinne vers 2. Sinne shall not be imputed unto a justified person though still it shall be inherent in him Secondly The Psalmist shews the Character of that man whose sin is pardoned vers 2. Blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no guile Thirdly Here is laid down the happinesse of a pardoned man nothing hindering his happinesse vers 3. When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long yet for all this David cals him blessed though Gods hand was heavie upon him yet his heart was still towards him yet a blessed man though an afflicted man Fourthly Here is laid down the course that the Psalmist took to procure pardon of sinne that is in my Text I said I will confesse my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne Thus I have brought you by the hand to the Text. I shall give you a short paraphrase of the words I said this word implies in Scripture phrase three things First it notes a deliberation or consideration of the minde Psal 14. vers 1. Psal 14.1 The fool hath said in his heart there is no God that is he hath thought so in his minde Psal 30.6 that there is no God Psal 30. vers 6. And in my prosperity I said I shall never be moved that is I thought so Saying is not alwayes an act of the tongne but sometimes of the minde I said I will confesse my sinne that is I have bethought my self and considered in my minde that it is meet for me to get pardon and to confesse my sinne to God I said It notes secondly the purpose and the resolution of the will so you have it Psal 119. vers 57. Psal 119.57 Thou art my portion O Lord I have said that I would keep thy words There saying is explained to be purposing or resolving of the will Thirdly I said it implies the execution or practise of what the minde resolves upon Psal 39 vers 1. Psal 39.1 I said I will take heed to my wayes c. I am put upon the practise of taking care unto my steps and to my wayes the meaning of the phrase is this I said I will confesse my transgression I have bethought it so in my minde that it is good and meet so to do I have purposed and resolved in my will and am actually put on the practise of it I said I will confesse my transgression It is worth your notice that sinne is exprest by three words in this Text first transgression secondly iniquity and thirdly sinne I will confesse my transgression and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne There are but four places in the Scripture wherein these three words are joyned together in one verse Transgression Iniquity and Sinne. Exod. 34. Exod. 34.7 vers 7. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne Micah 7. Mic. 7.18 vers 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his
heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Levit. Levit. 16.21 16. vers 21. And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live Goat and confesse over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sinnes c. And it is likewise used in Job 13. Job 13.23 vers 23. How many are mine iniquities and sinnes make me to know my transgression and my sinne In these four places the words are used in Scripture and in my Text but not else as I remember throughout the word of God and because these three words are here used Interpreters take much pains to finde out some material direction between them here is Transgression Sinne and Iniquity I have consulted with many and the truest account I can give you is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Transgression signifies in the Hebrew Rebellion say interpreters it notes sinne with all extensions and aggravations sin encreased to a great height Scondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin signifies in the Hebrew evils that are of the lesser degree that are not so hainous and so notes only by sin evils of infirmity and common incursion Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iniquity signifies sin of nature that pravity of nature wherein a man was born But Grammarians in the Latine do distinguish these words otherwise Iniquity they make to be that which is done against another man Sinne that which is done against a mans self and Transgression that which is done immediately against God But beloved the Scripture in many places makes them all one Therefore we need not make further curious enquiry after the distinction of these words And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne The iniquity of my sinne There is some disagreement about the sense of these words what it is for God to forgive the iniquity of sin By the iniquity of sin some do understand the punishment that sin deserves the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies Iniquity signifies Punishment the same word here is spoken of Cain My punishment is greater then I can bear there is the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore in some translations it is read thus Thou forgavest the punishment of my sinne Secondly others here do understand by the iniquity of sin with whom I do concurre sin with all its aggravations with all its hainous circumstances sin with all its malignity Thou dost forgive the iniquity of all my sins most Interpreters go this way and so make the phrase to be very emphaticall Thou hast forgiven me my sin that is all hainous circumstances that might greaten my sin thou hast forgiven them all I shall only make a short entrance at this time into the first part of my Text I said I will confesse my transgression to the Lord These words contain in them a holy purpose in the Psalmist to set on the practise of a necessary and Christian duty to wit secret confession of sin to God in them five parts paets are observable First the duty it self Confession Secondly a deliberate purpose to set on the practise of this duty I said Thirdly the subiect matter of this duty Transgression and Transgression with a propriety my Transgression not of other mens sins but my sins I said I will confesse my transgressions I remember Ainsworth he saith it should be translated thus more agreeable to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will confesse adversum me against my self my transgression to the Lord. Many men that confesse sin but they do confesse sin as against God that is they do confesse sin as if God were the author of sin that charge him to be the patron of their impiety and of their wickednesse I said I will confesse my transgressions against my self Fourthly The object of this duty I will confesse my transgression to the Lord and this beloved takes off Auricular confession used and stood on much in the Church of Rome Confession that God cals for and the Scripture cals for is in secret between God and your own souls when conscience shall suggest guilt to you in reference to your former misdoings when you can pour out your soul in complaint to God I said I will confesse my transgression unto the Lord. Fifthly and lastly The issue and event of this duty and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin observe the connexion here is a connective particle and thou forgavest he doth not come with an Ergo or a Quare not with a causall but with an et a copulative and thou forgavest not I confesse sin therefore I am forgiven but I confesse sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thou hast forgiven me Forgivenesse of sin is not laid down as an effect flowing from a cause but as a consequent flowing from an antecedent indeed the Papists plead much for merit because sometimes causall particles are used but this is beyond my Text thus much for the explaining of the words At this time I shall only raise a Doctrine from the first part of this Text. I said I will confesse my transgression unto the Lord. Doct. The point of Doctrine is this That justified persons who have their sins forgiven are yet bound to confesse sin to God And here the confession I speak of is a private confession of our evils to God between God and our own souls and no otherwise and beloved though it be but a familiar subject yet as God shall inable me I shall labour to make it usefull and profitable for your edification in a Christian course in a holy confession of sin before your God There are many Queres to be dispatcht in the handling of this point The first Quere is What are the reasons why persons justified and pardoned are yet bound to make confession of sinne unto God in private The Reasons are six Reas 1 First They are to confesse sin unto God because holy confession gives a great deal of ease and holy quiet unto the mind of a sinner concealed and indulged guilt contracts horror and dread on the conscience As wind when it is disperst and diffused through the air doth little hurt but when it is concealed in the bowels of the earth it makes ruptures and earthquakes overthrows things up and down Sin when it is unconfest concealed and indulged makes heart-quakes in the conscience and contracts a great deal of horror and terror Psal 32. vers 3. Psal 32.3 When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long Meaning when I kept close my sinne he roared by reason of horror when he did not pour out his soul in confession to God but when a man shall with an ingenuous clearnesse confesse his evils unto God this doth alleviate his minde and lighten his burdens and ease his conscience and quiet his spirit Origen doth call confession of sin to God the souls spirituall vomit Now you know vomiting doth give
of sin to cloath his sins with all the aggravations that can be and this is a good Rule if you well follow it You have the like instance in the book of Daniel chap. 9. vers 5. Dan. 9.5 We have sinned and have committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements Vers 6. vers 6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the Prophets which spake in thy Name to our Kings our Princes and our Fathers and to all the people of the Land There are seven circumstances that Daniel useth in confessing of his sin to aggravate his sin how doth Daniel cloath his confession First We have sinned there is one Secondly We have committed iniquity Thirdly We have done wickedly Fourthly We have rebelled against thee Fifthly We have departed from thy precepts Sixthly We have not hearkened unto thy servants Seventhly Nor we nor our Princes nor all the people of the land there are seven aggravations which Daniel reckoneth up to his confession that is a third Rule about confession Rule 4 A fourth Rule in confession of sin is this In your confessions look not discouragingly on God as an angry Judge but hopefully as on a displeased Father to confesse sin to God as an angry Judge is to make you but condemned Malefactors in your confessions therefore make confession to God only as a displeased father converted men do confesse sin to God as a father whilest you have an eye of sorrow upon sin you are to have an eye of hope upon pardon thus Gods people did in their confessions To confesse sin to God as a Judge is to howle like dogs because you shall be beaten but to confesse sin to God as an angry Father is child-like with a fiduciall confidence of pardon Dan. 9.9 Dan. 9.9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses though we have rebelled against him And thus Shechaniah confesseth sin unto God Ezra 10.2 Ezra 10.2 And Shecharâ—ah the son of Jehiel one of the sons of Ellam answered and said unto Ezra We have trespassed against our God c. And thus the Prodigall in Luk. 18.18 Luke 18.18 I will arise and goe to my Father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee Though he was a prodigall yet he would go to God as to a father In confession you are to goe to God hopefully as to a displeased father confessions when they come to God as a Judge create fear horror and amazement on the conscience but when confessions are mingled with hope and come to God as a father they work a holy brokennesse of heart a holy tendernesse and remorse on the conscience Rule 5 A fift Rule in confession of sin unto God is this Content not your selves with slight and superficiall confessions of sin unto God but leave not confession till you find sorrow for sin Psal 38.18 Psal 38.18 For I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin Dan. 9.8 O Lord to us belongeth confusion of face to our Kings to our Princes and to our fathers because we have sinned against thee we blush and are not ashamed to look up Leave not confessing of sin untill shame hath filled your face sorrow hath filled your heart it is a great fault in many people if they confesse their sin in crying God mercy in a generall way they think they have made God a compensation for all the injuries they have done him though they never have any godly sorrow for their sins but beloved you are not to content your selves with such confession Rule 6 A sixt Rule in confessing of sin is this If thou findest thy heart straitned in confessing present guilt and present sins upon thee then labour to review and recollect ancient guilt and ancient sins This is a very usefull thing in a mans Christian course It may be a man or woman professing Christianity may not know the sins he or she hath done this last week for want of heedfulnesse and observation of their wayes in that case let them recollect what they have done many years agoe recollect old sins when new sins do not come to remembrance and be humbled for them Psal 51.3 thus David did in Psal 51.3 For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me It was meant his old sin of adultery that was his sin that he would now call to remembrance so when he found his heart he saith Lord remember not the sins of my youth he would go so far back as his youth I prescribe this rule not that a godly man who is under trouble of minde should take this course to recollect old sins this may lead him to despair but in case of barrennesse if any man wants matter in respect of present sins and finds his heart hard and very insensible in secret prayer unto God in that case he is bound to let conscience recoyle upon himselfe and recollect sins of past years goe back as far as his youth and see what conscience will bring in to provoke him to make humble confession unto God in his secret retirements Rule 7 Lastly take this Rule take more freedome in confession of sin in secret before God then in publique before men To provoke you to practise this Rule consider two things First it is not fit to confesse all the evils you have done before men and if there were no argument to prove secret prayer this were enough that it is not fit for a man to confesse all the sins of his life before men Zach. 12.12 Zach. 12.12 And the Land shall mourn every family apart the family of the house of David apart and their wives apart the family of the house of Nathan apart and their wives apart c. They are to go to God and confesse their sins apart Thou art a poor professor that dost confesse what thou confessest in publique only and never in private thou art but a barren professor Again confider this that though we read of wicked men that have made great confessions of sin unto God yet we never read in the Scripture that wicked men ever made conscience to confesse sin to God in secret Pharaoh you know the story confest his sin to Moses and unto Aaron Exod. 9.27 but we never read that Pharaoh confest his sin unto God Exod. 9.27 And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron and said unto them I have sinned this time c. Saul confest his sin unto Samuel but we never read of his confessing sin unto God 1 Sam. 15.24.30 1 Sam. 15.24 And Saul said unto Samuel I have sinned for I have transgressed the Commandement of the Lord c. Vers 30. Then he said I have sinned c. Judas confest his sin but to whom was it to the High Priest and to the Pharisees but Judas never went into a corner and in secret to
remember them Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Job 33.27 He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not c. And in the New Testament in 1 Joh. 1.9 If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse Now beloved put all these four together the godly have practised this under the Old Testament Converts under the New God hath commanded it and he hath recompensed it therefore those that account confession of sin to be but a legall and servile work deserve reproof A second reproof is to those of the Popish Religion who in stead of secret confession of sin to God in prayer doe presse vehemently Auricular confession in the ear of the Priest Touching this Auricular confession they spend many volumes for to make good the divine right of it the Councell of Trent do lay an Anathema on any that shall not count Auricular confession to be necessary to salvation There are these severall mistakes and errors in the Popish Doctrine of Auricular confession First They urge the necessity of it that you must not expect salvation without it Secondly Confession against whom against what you did it all the circumstances of your sins you must acknowledge to the Priest Thirdly That the Priest upon your confession hath power from Christ to give you pardon to give you absolution these goe currant with them about Auricular confession That you might see this is blame-worthy and worthy of reproof I shall confute it by these Considerations First Consideration of the time when Auricular confession came first in use in the Church Ecclesiasticall Historians tell us that for 800. years after Christ there was no such practise in the Church of God And that the Law of Auricular confession was not enacted untill Pope Innocent the Third which was about 1200 years after Christ and the first Councell that did establish Auricular confession was the Laterane Councell and after that the Councell of Trent The Church of God in the Primitive times having no such practise it may be exploded from being now in the Church of God Secondly Why did the Popes invent Auricular confession One doth demonstrate this First there is this reason It is a notable invention to discover the secrets of mens thoughts both in Church and State Secondly It is a means to get money for the Pope for according as the sin confessed is more capital and notorious so the more money must be given for indulgence and pardon thus a reverent Divine cals it the picklock of Sacramentall confession this being enacted meerly out of State policy to know mens secret thoughts and temper and likewise to bring in profit and revenues to the See of Rome which doth shew the practise to be unjustifiable Thirdly Consider what the Scripture doth presse concerning confession unto men mark the text Jam. 5.16 Confesse your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed The Scripture doth not tye us to a Priest as the Popish Religion ties them but it tyes us that in anguish of conscience and trouble of minde we confesse to any who are able to give us wholesome counsell from the Lord. A good note our Protestant Interpreters have against the Papists the Apostle bids if a man be sick call for the Elders of the Church and they were to pray for him but he doth not bid them confesse sin to the Elders but confesse sin one to another which doth no way tye to confesse sin to a Priest But this is a point of controversie and blessed be God this Church not tainted with this errour therefore I shall leave it this is the second sort that is to be reproved to wit those of the Popish Religion who in stead of confession of sin unto God bring in Auricular confession to the Priest Sort 3 Thirdly This Doctrine reproves those who to avoid the Popish Auricular confession to the Priest deny all kind of confession of sin unto men there are many faulty many who keep the devils counsell who groan under strong corruptions yet will never open their mindes to have counsell and prayer from other men There are some peculiar and select cases wherein we are not only bound to confesse fin unto God but to confesse sin unto men but before I handle this take these two Cautions Caut. 1 First Caution is this That you are not to confesse sin needlesly to men but when there is a great and an urgent necessity when you are exceedingly troubled in conscience and cannot be comforted in such a case you may go to men to acknowledge what sins trouble your consciences but to confesse sin needlesly to men you are not called God doth not love saith Chrysostome that we should goe to men to reveal our shame but go to God unlesse the case be very urgent that by all the means ye can use ye cannot ease your selves then are ye to confesse to men in that case Caut. 2 Secondly That when ye are to confesse sin to men you are not to confesse sin to every one you are to confesse sin to those that are compassionate that are of ability to pray for you to those who have wisdome and can counsell you to those who have pity that can compassionate you to those who have experience that can advise you to those that can give counsell and keep counsell you are not to confesse your faults to any but to those you think are tender hearted to be able to pray for you Beloved if a man should be indiscreet and lavish in confession and confesse his sin to every body it may be some would jear and reproach him Chrysostome in his Homilie on Dives and Lazarus hath this expression If thou confesse thy sin in some mens ears they will cast thy sins in thy face in a way of scorn some men would deal with you as the Pharisees did with Judas Judas when he was smitten in conscience for sin came to the Pharisees and said to them Here is your money again for I have sinned in betraying innocent bloud say they What is that to us look you to it for what you have done so men will expresse no pity and will give no counsell therefore there must be wisdome in revealing of your sins to other men Thus you have the Cautions prescribed unto you Now in what Cases is it meet that men should confesse their sins to men as well as unto God I shall resolve this to you in four Cases Case 1 First In case of publique scandall given to the Church whereof thou art a member by falling into some notorious and known sin when thy sin becomes infamous and known to all that live about thee and the congregation where thou dost communicate is blemished by thy fall in that case thou art
punishment and this is fully taken away by pardon when God doth give remission of sin he doth take away all obligation to wrath death hell and damnation and this is properly the nature of forgivenesse of sin it is a gracious and a free act of God whereby he acquits a sinner from eternall guilt and eternall punishment that is due to all his sins in an eternall punishment God doth not acquit a pardoned man from externall punishments God may pardon thy sin yet hee may punish thee externally for thy sins but not eternally And thus much for the first particular Part. 2 The second particular is What kind of confession of sin is it that hath such a necessary connexion with forgivenesse of sin I confest and thou forgavest For answer in the generall it is not every kind of confession that carries a connexion of pardon Saul confest his sin but God did not take away his sin but tooke away his kingdom It is not every kind of confession that hath a connexion with forgivenesse of sin but that confession which hath connexion with pardon of sin it hath six concomitants joined with it First it is a free and ingenuous confession not extorted by force not with sinful reserves but a free asul ingenuous confession that is the meaning of that phrase Psa 32.21 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth notiniquity and in whose spirit there is no guil Guile is not there taken largely in opposition to hypocrisie but for a sinfull reserve of sin when a man will not be free and open in confessing his sin unto God David would freely fully open himself confess his evils unto God that confession that is a free and ingenuous confession it hath pardon of sin annexed to it the confessions of them that rowle sin under the tongue as a sweet morsell that they would not part with have not justification entailed on them those confessions onely are connected with forgivenesse that are ingenuous and free Secondly that confession which hath pardon annexed to it is a penitentiall confession a confession that hath sorrow of heart mixt with it Psalm 38.18 For I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin True confession of sin is rather a voice of mourning then a voice of words it hath ever a sorrow and grief of heart joined with it That prescription that God gave to the Leper in the Law that he should be clensed from his leprosie and in Levit. 13.45 And the Leper in whom the plague is his clothes shall be rent and his head bare and hee shall put a covering upon his upper lip and shall cry Vnclean unclean is worth your notice he was to cry twice I am unclean I am unclean there was his confession but what was joined with his confession before hee could be cleansed Two things he must do First he must rent his clothes to note that God must have brokennesse of heart and sorrow of heart joined with confession of sin Secondly he must cover his lip to note shame that must be mingled with his sorrow to shew that to us that have an unclean leprosie of sin in us the crying I am unclean unclean is not enough but there must be the renting of the heart and shame of face these must be mingled with those confessions that have a connexion with forgivenesse Third Concomitant of confession that hath pardon annexed to it is this That there must be a voluntary and a free leaving of those sins which we doe confesse To confesse sin yet to have a lothnesse in the spirit to part with it is no reall confessing of sin Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sin shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Confession is there joined with a forsaking of sin in case mercy be obtained One cals confession a spiritual vomit you know a man that is burdned in the stomach would be willingly rid of that load on his stomach that doth oppresse nature a man that doth confesse sin truly would as willingly be rid of sin on his Conscience as a man that is sick at his Stomach would be rid of that burden which doth oppresse it such a confession hath pardon annexed with it Fourthly That confession which hath pardon annexed with it is joined with unfained sorrow for sin Ezra 9. Neh. 9. Fifthly that confession that hath pardon annexed to it is joined with a holy aw and fear of running into the commission of those sins that we do confess to God Psal 38.18 compared with Ps 39.1 For I wil declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin I said I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue Davids confessing sin did worke in him a holy awe and a holy care to take heed of those sins he had confest to confesse sin and to be bold and adventurous to run into sin hath not such a connexion with pardon Sixtly That confession that hath pardon annexed to it doth quicken the soul to strong and earnest supplication to prayer David confest sin and his confession quickened Prayer Daniel confest sin and confession quickened supplication Daniel 9.20 And while I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel c. Beloved when confessions of sin are to prayer as the whetstone to the knife when you sharpen your affections and put a keen edge on your hearts in prayer this is an evident token that such a confession hath a connexion with forgivenesse of sin So much for the second particular Part. 3 The third particular is to shew you How doth this connexion between confession of sin and forgivenesse of sin consist with the freenesse of Gods grace in pardoning of sin in placing a connexion between pardon and confession How doth this consist with the freeness of Gods grace in pardoning of sin For answer Answ 1 First If we should place a causality or a merit in confession of sin to procure pardon as the Papists doe this would overthrow the free Grace of God in forgiving sin though we doe place a connexion between confessing sin and pardon of sin yet we doe not place any merit in those confessions we do not place any worth any causality in those confessions that is my first answer Answ 2 Secondly The Scripture makes a faire consistency between mans confessing sin and Gods free grace in forgiving sin the Scripture makes a double consistency First in regard of the Precept that doth enjoin and command confession 2. In regard of the means that this is a way to procure pardon First In regard of the commmand God doth command us to confesse sin Now no command of God that he would have us doe can derogate from his free grace therefore surely this command can no way eclipse the freenesse of grace in what he will doe Secondly In regard of means as a way to get pardon God is the efficient cause
and Christ is the meritorious cause of pardon but yet confession of sin is that cause which Logicians call Causa sine qua non without which pardon of sin shall never be obtained Causa sine qua non I confest and thou forgavest Answ 3 A third answer Though no man can be pardoned for his confession yet no man shall have pardon without confession Repent that your sins may be blotted out Act. 3. No blotting out of sin without repentance there must be a sorrow and a bewailing of sin before it can be pardoned that Christ was broken from sin it will no ways exempt you from being broken for sin though Christ was a man of sorrows and all in a way of satisfaction yet you must shed tears for sin in a way of contrition and humiliation Answ 4 Lastly This connexion between confessing sin and Gods forgiving sin is not as if our confession did bear any proportion in a way of satisfaction to Gods forgiving of sin though God doth forgive sin upon confession yet it is not for confession there is more evill in thy sinne that is an offence to God then there can be good in thy confession And thus much for the third particular that there is a connexion between Gods act of forgiving sin and our confessing sin I now come to answer the Objections Object 1 The first objection is this Why but you will say what need all this pressing of confession of sin urging that there is a necessary connexion between mans confession of sin and Gods forgiving sin what needs confession doth not Gods eyes run to and fro the earth doth not God behold the evill and the good and fully knoweth all the evils under the Sun what need we tell God when he knoweth all things This Objection the Anabaptists make against confession of sin For answer Answ First Negatively we doe not confesse sin because only of Gods Soveraignty because God will have us to confesse sin Gods Soveraignty may command us and say You shal come with ropes about your Necks and I will make you lie in the dust Secondly We doe not confesse sin to inform God of our sins for God knoweth all things Thirdly We doe not confesse sinne by way of satisfaction as if our confession could satisfie Gods justice for the wrong we have done him But Positively though God doth know our sins yet we are bound to coonfesse our sinnes upon many solid grounds As First though God doth see our sins yet we are bound to confesse our sins that we may see them our selves that we may put memory and conscience and heart a work in the review and in the remembrance of our evils we do not confesse sin to inform God but our selves that we might see sin more distinctly and so put conscience a work Secondly We doe confesse sin to stir up more sorrow for sin Psalm 38. vers 18. Thirdly We confess sin on this ground that by confessing sin to God we might see sin to become exceeding sinfull Confession of sin saith Bernard is enjoined by God for this reason that thou mightest magnifie the greatnesse of grace and see the greatnesse of sin if a man should never see his sin hee could never magnifie Gods grace and pardoning mercy Fourthly That you might more prize the merits of Christ Should a man never confesse sin to God he would never see of what value Christs bloud is of A Physitians skill is not seen in healing a slight green wound but in the healing a man of a deadly disease Beloved an ordinary plaister can cure a green wound if you look on your sins as green wounds you will never prize Christ nor put an estimate on his merits and bloud when a man can confesse his evill with all its hainous circumstances this doth greaten the merits of Christ Fifthly You are to confesse sin because the confession of sin doth give glory to the attributes of God it gives glory to his Omnisciency you doe by your confessions acknowledge that God seeth your sins it gives glory to his Patience that he would spare you in the act of sin that he would not throw you to hell in the very act of sin it gives glory to his Justice Psalm 51.4 Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest it confesseth Gods Mercy and this Paul doth 1 Tim. 1.13 who was before a Blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy c. He confest his sin that so hee might greaten the aboundance of Gods grace and love Again Of confession of sin there is great use because it doth ease the minde it gives vent to a troubled minde concealed guilt breeds horrour and hell in the conscience it is an ingenuous clearnesse when a man can open himself to God in free confession which doth allay the anguish and trouble of minde Job 32.18 For I am full of matter the Spirit within me constraineth me vers 19. Behold my Belly is as Wine which hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles vers 20. I will speak that I may be refreshed I will open my lips and answer A godly man is full of matter of confession to God and like a vessel ready to burst til he can vent himself by confession in Gods presence this is the answer to the first Objection Object 2 A second Objection is this I but you will say what need such pressing of confessing of sin as having a connexion with pardon for as God is never the better by my grace so God is never the worse by my sin as my grace addes nothing to Gods holinesse so my sin can detract nothing from Gods glory for God is neverthelesse glorious though I be never so much sinfull One might urge as Elihu did in Job 5.37 If thou be righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he of thine hand vers 8. Thy wickednesse may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousnesse may profit the son of man Therefore if God receives no injury by my sin what need I confesse sin to God Beloved this is an objection that the Antinomians make For answer Answ 1 First It is true God is not the worse and hath not the lesse glory though thou hast the more sin yet this is no thanks to a sinner for a sinner doth what in him lies to take all glory from God to pull God out of heaven it is no thankes to thee that God is never the worse for thy sin Secondly In a sense God doth receive injury by a mans sin as first if you consider the eternall attributes of God in themselves his Justice his Glory his Goodnesse his Wisdom so God is unchangeable immutably blessed and as our graces can give no additions to his holinesse so our sin can give no diminution to his glory sin is an injury to God because God hath
aggravate his sin it was that he did commit the sin after God had given him manifold mercies so Nathan telleth him 2 Sam. 12.8 Fourthly To consider this that David had a wife of his own nay many wives of his own that did greaten Davids sin and so Nathan told him for saith Nathan There was a poor man who had but one Lambe and a rich man that had many Lambs which killed the poor mans lamb his meaning was that David should commit Adultery with the wife of that man that had but one wife when he had many of his own Fifth Circumstance if you consider the time when David committed this sin it was when Davids Armies were lying in the fields this was done then which was enough to provoke God to make them turn their backs upon their enemies Sixt Circumstance It was a great injury to a faithfull Commander in his Army as to Vriah Seventhly Which is the chiefest circumstance of all that David should commit many sins to hide that one sin that was an aggravating Circumstance David did commit six sins to hide that one sin of Adultery 1. He sent for Vriah Bathshebas husband to leave the Army when they were storming a place this might have endangered the whole Army 2. The Text saith that David made Vriah drunk thinking thereby to make him goe in to his wife 3. He used a means for Vriah to Father his bastard that he had gotten in uncleannesse 4. When that plot would not take David did conspire and consult how to kill Vriah 5. David sent a letter by Vriah wherein Vriah was a messenger of his own death unknown to him 6. When Vriah was dead the text saith that David said The sword makes no difference for the sword destroyeth one man as well as another he laid Vriahs death on Gods providence onely when it was he himself did plot how he should be slain O where was Davids conscience all this while where was Davids conscience that should thus fall to commit those sins to hide one sin you account that a hainous aggravation of sin when servants have done an ill turn if they shall doe many ill turns to hide one this iniquity was found in David to hide one sin he fell to commit many Eighth Aggravation which greatens Davids sin was this that David should marry Vriahs wife first killed the husband then married the wife Ninethly and lastly To make his sin out of measure sinfull David continued under this sin with all these aggravations for nine moneths together without repentance or remorse of conscience I doe not name this to boulster any man in sin I onely mention this for a distressed conscience that though thy sin bee an aggravated and a great sin cloathed with many hideous and heynous circumstances yet God did forgive such a sin as that and therefore well may David say The Lord forgave the iniquity of my sin not onely sin Inst but the iniquity of sin A second instance is of Peter you all know the story but it may be you have not lookt narrowly into the circumstances that made Peters sin to be great In Peters sinne First Consider that Peter should deny Christ when he did make more confident professions that he would cleave to Christ then all the other eleven Disciples when Christ told them You shall be offended because of me this night saith Peter Though all men should forsake thee yet will not I yet none forsaked Christ but Judas and he in so shamefull a manner as they this was a great aggravation Secondly It is observable that Peter did deny himself to be Peter Joh. 18.25 And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself they said therefore unto him Art not thou also one of his Disciples He denyed and said I am not Thirdly He said he did not know Jesus Christ what a horrible fault was that that he said he did not know Jesus Christ Luk. 22.57 And he denyed him saying Woman I know him not Fourthly He did not only deny Christ to a single maid but the Text saith he denyed Christ to the Maid and before all the people there was an open denyall of Christ Matth. 26.69 Now Peter sate without in the Palace and a Damosel came unto him saying Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee vers 70. But he denyed before them all saying I know not what thou sayest Fifthly When another Damosell came and she said Verily thou art one of them and a follower of Jesus Christ he said a second time Woman I doe not know the man Luk. 22. Sixthly He did not onely deny but Matthew saith he denyed with an Oath Matth. 26.72 And again he denyed with an oath I doe not know the man to swear to a lye is abominable Seventhly It is observable It is said that a third time there came a man to Peter about an hour after and saith Of a truth thou art Peter and to the man saith he I do not know him Eighthly This is not all that Peter did not only speak a falsehood not only swear a lye but Peter did curse himself if so be he knew Jesus Christ the text saith he began to curse as well as to swear Mar. 14.71 But he began to curse and to swear saying I know not this man of whom ye speak he wisht some direful judgment to befal him if he knew Jesus Christ some Interp. think that he did not only curse himself but he curst Jesus Christ to make the people think that he did not care for Jesus Christ therefore did use some execration to curse Jesus Christ And O that pardoning grace should reach such a hainous sinner as this was A third instance was in Paul you shall see many circumstances to aggravate and greaten Pauls sin Act. 9.10 11. I verily thought with my self that I ought to doe many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth Which thing I also did in Jerusalem and many of the Saints did I shut up in prison having received authority from the chief Priests and when they were put to death I gave my voice against them And I punished them oft in every Synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme and being exceedingly mad against them I persecuted them even unto strange cities There are no lesse then ten aggravating circumstances to greaten Pauls sin First It was one circumstance to greaten his sin if you consider the quality of the persons that he did injure they were not ordinary men but they were the Saints of Christ he put the Saints of Christ into prison Secondly If you consider the number that he wronged they were many of the Saints Thirdly If you consider the kinde of wrong he did them he put them into prison Fourthly If you consider his severity towards them he did shut them into prison Fifthly If you consider the place where this was it was where Paul should have learnt to know better things for there the Apostles were and taught the Doctrin of Christ and of
had Achan sinned too but I sinned further then hee O labour to finde out what aggravations there are that thy evills are capable of that so thou mightest come to magnifie and grraten the grace of God in thy esteem A famous story of Austin Aug. in his confessionâ— when God converted him and smote his conscience for the vanity of his youth how doth he aggravate his sin when he was a boy for robing of an Orchard he doth aggravate that sin with many circumstances First I robed an Orchard meerly out of vanity not out of need to steal for need is more tolerable though not justifiable but when he had enough that was vanity then it was not for the goodnesse of the fruit but meerly for the lust of the eye then I did not rob the Orchard alone but I got others with me then it was an unseasonable time of night then he went to rob the Orchard after he had spent all the day in vain sport then what they could not eat they gave to the hogs then saith he I wronged and injured an honest neighbour that never did me wrong O see how he clothed that sin with many hainous crimes and circumstances canst not thou cloath thy ununcleannesse thy oppression thy extortion thy unjust dealing with hainous circumstances Let me direct you a little in this rule First To aggravate thy sin consider all sins against the manifestation of Gods love are great when God speaks peace to thee if thou shouldest then warre against God Psal 58. this greatens sin it was an aggravation of Solomons sin that he sinned against the Lord after God had revealed himself twice to him 1 King 11.9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared to him twice Secondly It aggravates sin when you commit a sin upon a slight temptation for a man to sin when he hath little or no provocation that greatens sin What made the sin of the devill so great it was this that the Angels had no Devils to tempt them for thee to follow the stews for thee to follow thy lust when the devill doth not tempt thee to doe it when the provocation is meerly from thine owne heart this greatens a mans sin and thus in the Prophet Micah That men should sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a paire of shoes O when thou shalt recollect and say How have I dishonoured God how have I runne the hazard of an immortall soul when the Devill hath laid no temptation to me this greatens sinne exceedingly A third thing to greaten sin by is when a man doth sin against the checks and rebukes of his own conscience Conscience saith doe not sin do not wickedly and the man saith I must I must I shall lose all else When Conscience shal arrest thee and accuse thee of sin and thou shalt stifle and put by all this aggravates thy sin Fourthly The frequency of the acts of sin to commit a sin once is not so much but to fall often into the same sin this greatens sin Fifthly Complacency of heart in sin when sin is not onely the sin of thy practise and of thy life but thou delightest in sin if sin be riveted and rooted in thy heart thou art unclean Canst thou goe to God and say Lord what grace is here and what mercy is here that thou hast pardoned great transgressions and those sins that I can aggravate by many hainous circumstances I have read my pardon and yet I have now blotted my pardon canst thou say I have sinned and upon a very triviall occasion and on a small temptation I am a drudge to the Devil on an easie temptation when the Devill can draw thee by a silken thread to a sin O it is a great aggravation when Conscience arrests thee for sin and thou wilt still be stifling the cries of Conscience Would you greaten sin you are in a ready way to greaten mercy and pardoning grace that is a fourth direction Fifthly If God doth out of the riches of his grace pardon aggravated sins take you heed that when you have obtained great and gracious pardons for great and grievous sins you do not extenuate your sins doe not say of your sins as Lot of Zoar Is not this a little one doe not say of wilful enormities as Jacob did Peradventure it was an oversight doe not mince the matter and doe not lessen sin but greaten sin The reason why thou shouldst not doe it consider first by extenuating sin and making it smal and little in your eye you will lessen the greatness of gods pardoning grace who will value the skill and physick of a kitchin woman that Physitian is valued that can cure a deadly and and dangerous disease when a mans spirits are gone and strength is consumed he is prized thou by lessening thy sin dost lessen pardoning grace 2. By the extenuating thy sin thou dost lessen the value of Christs bloud 3. Thou wilt lessen thine owne repentance and humiliation for what man will labour after great humiliation for small transgressions therefore there is a world of wrong done to thine own soul when God hath pardoned great transgressions if thou shouldst extenuate and lessen the greatnesse of thy evils Sixthly Content not your selves with slight and superficiall repentance for falling into great and grosse evils bee not like Lewis the eleventh King of France when he did an evill against his Conscience he pulled off his hat and took his Crucifixe and cryed God mercy for what he had done so many men if they can but cry God mercy in ordinary and generall tearms they think they have made a Compensation to Divine Justice And thus I have done with the second branch of the use in these six particulars Vse 3 The third and the last branch shall be by way of Consolation Consolations against great sins to troubled and perplexed Consciences that by reason of their falling into aggravated and hainous sins doe entertain doubtfull thoughts of their own pardon five Consolations I shall lay down to you from the Scripture First Consider for thy Comfort that Conversion and repentance for sin before God wipes off the ignominy and the infamy of thy former miscarriages suppose thou past been an ignominious notorious foul creature yet repentance puts a vail over thy ignominious lusts Secondly Take this for thy comfort that Jesus Christ doth manifest more love to those men who have fallen into grosse sin after repentance and humiliation then he did to any other sorts of men in the world It is observable of Peter Peter did sin more then all the Disciples unlesse Judas that was the cast-away after Peter did humble himself and repent of his denyall Christ did shew more love to Peter then to all the other Disciples First Christ appeared to Peter after his Resurrection before he appeared to any other so Paul tels you in 1 Cor. 15.5 And
is of David 2 Sam. 12.14 Howbeit because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the childe also that is born unto thee shall surely dye I will punish thee in thy child I will pardon thy sin yet I will punish thy sin so likewise in 2 Sam. 7.14 15. I will be his father and he shall be my son If he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men But my mercy shall not depart away from him c. A promise to Solomon I will be his father and hee shall be my son but if he commit iniquity I will chasten him with rods And the Psalmist when he quotes this expression referres it to all the godly Psal 89.31 32. If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandements then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes It was not only true of Solomon but it is spoken of all the Church If they commit iniquity I will chastise them with rods O beloved here a Solomon may be chastned with rods if he commits iniquity nay not only one man but all the Church Amos 3.2 You onely have I known of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your inquities If God be severe it is with his own people to make them smart for sin he may spare wicked men and not punish them here because he hath his hell for them hereafter but this shall be all the hell of a godly man and all their punishment I but this is Old Testament and thus the Antinomians take off and evade this Scripture but doth God so in the New Testament Yes in the New Testament Rom. 8.10 And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin He speaks of the beleeving Romans that death on their bodies was because of sin And then the Apostle speaks to the godly Corinthians 1 Cor. 11.29 30. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body For this cause many are weak and sickly amongst you and many sleep Many godly men were sick and weak for their prophaning the Lords Supper and this is under the New Testament that the Apostle saith as approving the righteous judgement of God let not us commit fornication as some of them committed 1 Cor. 10. Let not us fall as they fell and many of them among the 23 thousand were good men the Apostle approves of Gods Judgement to be righteous in that Act. Only one Objection against this Doth not the Scripture say in Isai 53. That the chastisements of our peace are laid on Christ now if all those chastisements that were due to us for sin were laid on Christ doth not this derogate from Christs sufferings that he must suffer for sin and that we must suffer too doth not this intimate that Christs sufferings were not satisfactory The Answer is easie That when we say we suffer for sin and are punished for sin understand this there is a great deal of difference between our suffering for sin and Christs we do not suffer for sin as Christ did because our punishments for sin are not by way of satisfaction to Divine Justice but only by way of castigation from Divine Justice when God doth punish a pardoned man with some outward Judgement for sinne it is no satisfaction no compensation when the text saith that our chastisements are laid upon Christ the meaning is Christ suffers for sin by way of satisfaction he appeaseth Gods wrath he satisfies Gods Justice for the sins that we have done should we lose our bloud for a sinne should we give the fruit of our body for the sins of our soul yet this cannot make a compensation for sin therefore it may well consist that God punished Christ for our sins by way of satisfaction to his Justice and may punish us by way of castigation Now to ratifie satisfie your thoughts the more in this that though God doth pardon a sin yet he will punish for a sin take some Reasons for it First this Because wicked men that are punished for sin would accuse God of partiality and in justice should he punish them and not his own people for the same sin wicked men would account God partiall but the wicked shall say I see Gods own people are punished in this life more severely then I am the Lord doth it to vindicate the impartiality of his Justice that he will not spare sin where ever he finds it A second Reason is Because God doth command Magistrates to execute punishments in this life for sin even upon good men therefore if he commands a Magistrate to punish a good man for his sin surely he doth approve of it Suppose a good man should commit adultery he was to dye for it suppose he should commit murder he was to dye for it if God did command that poenall punishment should be inflicted on good men in this life then surely he might do it much more himself The third case of Conscience is this Whether doth pardon of sin go before faith and repentance or else follow after I do not speak now of the priority of nature but of the priority of time This is a usefull question There are many Books in Print made by severall Antinomians that plead for this that a man is pardoned from all eternity that before a man beleeves and repents he is pardoned which is a falshood for to a beleever the Apostle doth confine pardon Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth â—o be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God For sins that are past those sins you have committed have repented of he gives you pardon for all them He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall find mercy and he that doth not so shall not finde mercy I answer affirmatively That God doth pardon sin after a man repents beleeves not before and to give you a proof for this First I shal give you the grounds from the Scripture then absurdities that would follow if this were not so First from the Scripture Observe that the Scripture doth limit and confine pardon to a repenting state Act. 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out No blotting out of sin without repentance repent that your sins may be blotted out Act. 26.18 To open their eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sins and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me So that till thou beest turned from darknesse to light untill thou beest turned from Satan to God thou hast not received forgivenesse of sins mark the antecedent words he opens their eyes c.
single act but when continually throughout thy course thou hast a wilfull and a gainsaying heart against all the motions of Gods Spirit within thee Must not this be a great evill in thee when thou dost quench grieve resist and vex the Spirit all these circumstances must needes aggravate and greaten thy sin Eightly Sin is aggravated when thou dost frequently fall into the same sin Ninethly Sin is aggravated when it is done in a way of complacency that it is not onely acted by thee but loved by thee the acting of a sin is not so much as a loving of sin Tenthly sin is aggravated when it is done by eminent and publick persons whose example draw other men to sin and this did aggravate Jereboams sin 2 King 17.21 For he rent Israel from the house of David and they made Jeroboam the Son of Nebat King and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the Lord and made them sin a great sin Thou that hast sinned a sin and art a publike person thy sins are other mens sins thine is a greater sin then another mans sin is for every act that thou hast done will be an imboldning and encouragement of other to doe the like Eleventhly It aggravates sin when God doth punish other men for thy sin this makes the sins of Rulers to be great sins because for their sins God may punish the people as for Davids sin in numbring the people there did thousands of Israel dye of the plague when thou sinnest in thy family God may punish all the house for that sin this you shall find an aggravation of Abrahams sin Gen. 20.9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said unto him What hast thou done unto us and what have I offended thee that thou hast brought on mâ—e and on my Kingdome a great sin thou hast done deeds unto mee that ought not to be done Twelfthly Sin is an aggravated sin when it is done by a man that lives under much means of grace where the Gospel is preached where sin is reproved there to live in a way of wickednesse greatens thy sin that made a woe to be pronounced by Christ against Chorazin and against Bethsaida because they had the Gospell it should be worse with them then with Sodom and Gomorrah In the thirteenth place Sin is aggravated when they are against many vows purposes and prayers and many holy resolutions thou addest perjury to thine iniquity and that aggravates thy sin The Use Such are the riches of Gods pardoning grace that he forgives sinnes cloathed with many aggravated circumstances O then what remains there are two things to be done by you First if of any you find that you are under these thirteen aggravations that you can call your sins the iniquity of sin O then you should admire and magnifie the multitude of Gods mercy that great sins cannot out-vie Gods mercy but Gods mercy out-vie thy great sins Magnifie pardoning grace the more Paul saith 1 Tim. 1.13 Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy c. O doe thou say so I have been thus vile and thus wicked I have thus cloathed my sin yet through the aboundance of grace and love I have obtained mercy O let this inhance the value of Christs bloud Secondly Labour to greaten thine own graces hast thou beene notorious in sin why shouldst not thou be great in humiliation great in repentance And thus I have by the good hand of God in these twelve Sermons handled two Doctrines to you the one touching Davids penitentiall act confessing sin and the other of Gods gracious act The Lord forgave him the iniquity of his sin So much for this Text. FINIS THE SAINTS Advantage BY CHRISTS Ascension JOHN 14 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there yee may be also THis Chapter out of which my Text is taken is counted famous by most Interpreters because in it begins the Legacy that Christ gives and the last Will and Testament that Christ made when he was to leave the World and this Will and Testament of Christs begins in the 14th Chap. and continues to the 18 Chapter of this Book The scope and drift of this Chapter it is to comfort his Disciples both against their feares of persecution in the World as also against their sorrowes upon this Consideration that Christ was shortly to leave this World and Christ doth here mention many comfortable considerations before them that they were to be left without a guide that Christ was shortly to leave this World and go to his Father â—t much troubled them It went ill with them when Christ was with them and they thought it would have been worse with them when hee was gone and he doth encourage them by these Arguments First hee saith I am but going to my Fathers House and the 28 vers of this Chapter he saith yee have heard how I said unto you I goe away and come againe unto you If yee loved mee yee would rejoyce because I said I goe unto the Father for my Father is greater then I. Againe secondly he would not have them troubled because of his departure because saith he I do not intend to go to my Fâ—â—her alone but intend for to have all you with me though you shall not go with me now Though you shall not die with mee now though you shall not go to Heaven with me now yet you shall be with mee mother day In my Fathers house are many Mansions I do not intend to go to heaven done for there is roome for you as well is for mee and roome for every Believer in the World Heaven first is a Mansion a place which notes a duration of Saints in Heaven Heaven is not a moveable place but a Mansion an abiding place Againe there are many Mansions in Heaven there is roome enough for Christ for his eleven Apostles and roome enough for all the Believers in the World it notes the lastingnesse of Heaven Hebrewes 11. and 12 vers Therefore sprang there even that one and him as good as dead so many as the Starres of the Skye in multitude and as the Sand which is by the Sea-shore innumerable And besides the innumerable company of Angells there is a great Multitude in Heaven which no man can number so that here Heaven is a Mansion and there are many Mansions Thirdly but they may say these may be Superbolicall expressions that there is more spoken then is but saith Christ in the second vers In my Fathers house are many Mansions If it were not so I would have told you To doubt that Jesus Christ doth speake more then there is if there had been no such thing as having a Mansion in Heaven with Christ saith Christ if there were not such I would have told you I do not love to tell you of a fooles Paradice as the Devill doth but I tell you in Heaven
without mercy that hath shewed no mercy to him that shewes no mercy hee shall have judgement without mercy Christs coming to judgement shall bee a time of thy having of judgement without mercy that sheweth no mercy In Mat. 25.41 42 43. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand Depart from mee yee cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divell and his Angells For I was an hungred and yee gave mee no meate I was Thirsty and yee gave mee no Drinke I was a stranger and yee tooke mee not in naked and yee cloathed mee not sick and in Prison and yee visited mee not Austin hath a good glosse upon this Text saith hee If that man shall goe to Hell that will not give another man Bread when hee is a hungry O then to what a Hell shall that man goe to which taketh away Bread from the hungry man And if that man shall goe to Hell that will not cloath the naked O then to what a Hell shall that man goe to that taketh cloaths off the necessitous mans back And if that man shall goe to Hell that will not visit men that are in Prison O then to what a hell shall that man goe to that casts godly men into Prison Now beloved I beseech you take heede that you be not men wanting bowels of mercy towards your distressed brethren you are to expect judgement without mercy that shew no mercy Eightly to those that live and die in the sinne of uncleannesse and lusts of the flesh Christs coming it will be a dreadfull day to them Therefore you reade that God will judge Adulterers hee will judge a Drunkard hee will judge a Swearer hee will judge a Sabbath breaker yet particularly Whoremongers and Adulterers hee will judge Heb. 13.4 But Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge King Henry the 8. was a lascivious Prince and old Latimer sent him a Token A Napkin and a Bible and about the Bible was written Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge it was to terrifie him There is a strange Text 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of Judgement to be punished But chiefly them that walke after the flesh in the lust of uncleannesse Here is a chiefely for them God will punish every unjust man but God reserves them to the day of Judgement chiefly them that walke after the flesh in the lust of uncleannesse c. Doe I speake to men that may have this chiefly put on them O take heede that thou dost not fall under the righteous judgement of God O that thou beest not entangled in that sin that will make the Lord judge thee chiefly Ninthly and lastly Christs coming againe it is dreadfull to all men who live and strengthen themselves by popular tumults and insurrections In oposing and destroying of a lawfull Magistracy that have destroyed Judges Rulers Governments it will be a woefull time to them 2 Peter 9.10 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of Temptations and to reserve the unjust to the day of Judgement to be punished But chiefly them that walke after the flesh in the lust of uncleannesse and despise Government Presumptuous are they selfe-willed they are not afraid to speake evill of Dignities Men that under pretence of power and the like shall trample downe Rule Government Authority and Dignity but the Lord hath another day to judge them that will not be judged here hee will judge them with a chiefly And thus I have done I desire every man to make Application of it Now living and dying unrepentingly under these evills it exposeth thee to the righteous judgement of God to destroy thee Another day I am now to make entrance into the fourth Fundamentall Doctrine in these words And receive you unto my selfe These words containe in them that great Fundamentall point touching the Resurrection of mans body that not onely the Soule shall goe to Heaven but also the bodies of godly men shall goe to Heaven Christ shall come out of Heaven for this end to receive the bodies as well as the Soules unto himselfe I will come againe and receive you unto my self There is some difference betweene a few Interpreters touching the sence of these words one carrieth it this way that here the promise of Christs coming hee made it a little before hee was to die saith Christ Bee not troubled for I will come againe Some referre that promise of coming againe not to the last coming but they referre it to that forty dayes that hee was upon the Earth after his Resurrection to the Ascension they referre that this promise was accomplished and then I will receive you unto my selfe they make that to be nothing but this that Christ after his Resurrection did come to his Disciples and did eate a broyled Fish with them and stayed forty dayes with them Why what comfort would this be to the Disciples to thinke of Christs going away and coming againe and stay but forty dayes and then bee seene no more And this would have made them the more sorrowâ—ull that they should never have seene him more Here are two or three reasons from the Text why that cannot be the sence of the place because here was a promise before that hee was going to his Fathers House Now that living upon the Earth forty dayes after his Resurrection cannot be his Fathers House but hee being in his Fathers House this cannot therefore be meant of Christs being coming againe at that time to them Againe that it is said where hee was to goe hee was to goe to prepare a place for them now if his meaning had beene that hee would come againe at forty dayes it should have beene an Earthly place that hee had prepared for them But the current of Interpreters seeing the weakenesse of that gives many consequent reasons why it must necessarily be referred to Christs last coming receiving of them everlasting when the body shall be raised that here Christs coming againe it referres to no other coming but to his great and last coming to judge the World and at that coming hee hath promised the Elect that hee will receive them unto himselfe As if hee should have said Though I leave your bodies behind mee in the World for a season though they may be mangled and massacred by cruell Persecutors and though you may be without my bodily presence for a while yet I doe not goe to Heaven to stay there for ever but I promise you I will come againe and then I will take you into Heaven with mee They would faine have had Christ to have received them into Heaven and faine would they have gone with him The Disciples when they heard Christ speake of going to his Fathers House why they were all on fire to goe with Christ into Heaven O no saith Christ I will come againe to judge the World and then I will receive your very
Saul did only for his private use spare the fattest of his sheep and oxen it was little or nothing in comparison of Davids sin yet behold David was pardoned and Saul damned David had his sin pardoned and Saul not why David did confesse sin and Saul not Saul did delude the reproof of Samuel and told him the people did it and not I Sauls sin unconfest ruined him therefore take heed of letting sin go unconfest a lesse sin unconfest may damn a man when a greater sinne that is confest may not damne him A second Direction is this Depend not upon the most in larged and the most sensible confessions that ever you have made to God suppose thou hast poured out thy soul to God thou art never the better thou O man when thou doest confesse sin thou doest but like a begger shew God thy sores thy botches and scabs do not depend upon your confessions as you must not depend on your righteousnesse so not upon confession of your sinfulnesse It is worth your observation Saul pursuing David like a Partridge over the mountains David cut off the lap of his garment saith David well I have sinned and Saul thou art more righteous then I when Nathan came to David David said I have sinned and Nathan told him the Lord hath taken away thy iniquity Saul said I have sinned yet the Prophet Samuel told him the Lord hath taken away thy Kingdome here is not the same result for David had his sinne taken away and Saul had his Kingdome taken away therefore do not depend on your confessions Thirdly Take this Direction that when you confesse sin to God and are the most vile in your own eyes you are then most amiable in Gods eye Cant. 1.6 Look not upon me because I am black because the sun hath looked upon me The Church there confest to Christ I am black and not comly she was sun-burnt as she thought I but in vers 8. My Love my Dove thou art the fairest among women Christ lookt on her as the fairest among women so likewise in Cant. 2.14 O my Dove that art in the clefts of the rock in the secret places of the staires let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voyce for sweet is thy voyce and thy countenance is comely When the poor Dove the Church lay in a hole under the stairs bewailing and mourning like a Dove for her sinfulnesse O saith Christ to her let me see thy face and let me hear thy voyce Christ doth love to hear the moan-makings of his people Jer. 31.18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned thou art the Lord my God It is worth your notice Job when he was afflicted by God in having botches and boyles all over his body it is said Job made his complaint to God chap. 7. vers 20. I have sinned what shall I doe unto thee O thou preserver of men I have sinned saith Job but what doth God say of Job in all this Job sinned not Job 1.22 In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly It was not spoken absolutely he sinned not but the meaning is he sinned not so as other men sinned The more you bewaile condole and confesse sin to God and are by reason thereof vile in your own eyes the more amiable you are in Gods eyes And thus I have done with the first part of the Text I said I will confesse my transgression unto the Lord. I have been all this while in these Sermons on Davids Act I said I will confesse my transgression unto the Lord I am now come to Gods Act and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Thou forgavest c. that is not only my sinne but the malignity of it with all its aggravations all its hainous circumstances Now here touching Gods Act two things are to be observed First The manner of bringing in this Act of God the Psalmist doth not bring it in thus with an Ergo I said I will confesse my transgression to the Lord therefore he forgave the iniquity of my sin but it is with an et a conjunctive particle and not a causall I confesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thou forgavest Secondly Observe this further the manner of the expression the confession was in purpose and intention but the forgivenesse is actuall observe from hence this note That God doth recompense the very gracious purposes as well as performances of his own servants God forgave but David did but purpose to confesse I said I will confesse and thou forgavest O beloved what a God do ye serve your masters are not pleased with your purposes to work if you do not labour with your hands you serve a God which takes will for work God takes purposes if they be reall for performances The Lord doth recompense not only gracious performances but also gracious purposes in his own servants The Use or corollary from hence is this That wicked men look to it God will not only punish their wicked practises but their wicked purposes Didst thou ever purpose to be unclean and it may be thou wast interrupted that thou couldst not have secrecy and opportunity why God will punish thee for thy purpose though thou never dost act it Beloved it is not only what evill thou hast done but what evill thou wouldst have done Wouldst not thou have been an oppressor if the world would not have cry'd shame on thee wouldst not thou have been a drunkard if the world would not brand thee with infamy God will punish wicked men for evill purposes Further to godly men Thou canst not mourn but wouldst thou mourn thou canst not confesse sin but wouldst thou confesse sin thou canst not break thy heart but wouldst thou break thy heart God looks on your purposes with approbation as well as your practises Thirdly God doth not only look on wicked mens purposes to punish them for them and good mens purposes to reward them for them but God doth look on the purposes of devils to do hurt for to prevent them A notable passage Luk. 21. Peter Peter saith Christ Satan hath desired to winnow thee like wheat I have actually prayed the hurt was only the devils purpose and the devils desire but when the temptation was but in the desire then saith Christ I have actually prayed for thee O fall down and admire the condescension of Christ he doth crown your purposes and endeavours and desires I said I will confesse my transgression and thou hast forgiven the iniquity of my sin Doct. The Doctrine I am now to handle is this that there is a necessary connexion between a penitentiall confession of sin and forgivenesse of sin I confessed and God forgave You have frequent testimonies that inculcate this on your thoughts Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them
shall have mercy Job 33.27 He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not Vers 28. He will deliver his soul from going into the pit and his life shall see the light In the handling of this point there are these particulars which I shall dispatch First What is meant by forgiving sin To explicate this there are three things which are needful to be spoken to Part. 1 First for the varieties of names and expressions of forgivenesse First Pardon of sin is a casting of sin behind the back Isaiah 38.17 Behold for Peace I had great bitternesse but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behinde thy back In Scripture to cast a thing behind the back signifies to forget disregard it so wicked men cast Gods Covenant behind their backs that is they doe not minde it they will not obey it so when God is said to cast sin behinde his back hee will take no notice of it so as to punish it A second expression that illustrates pardon of sin is this it is called a casting of sin into the bottom of the Sea Micah 7.17 He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and will cast all our sins into the depths of the Sea It is an allusion unto Gods great Judgement on Pharaoh and the Egyptian Host when they pursued the Israelites they came to the Red Sea and thinking to goe through as the Israelites did the Sea fell in upon them and they were drowned in the bottom of the Sea so saith God I will deal with sin as I dealt with Pharaoh you shal never be troubled more with them not unto condemnation you need not fear the rising of sin again against you sin is not like unto light weeds in the Sea that will swim of themselves but Lead that is cast into the Sea the allusion holds here Exod. 15.10 Thou didst blow with the wind the Sea covered them they sank as lead in the mighty waters God when he pardons sins he casts them into the bottom of the Sea it lies like lead it can never rise of it self in a way of condemnation to a justified man to a pardoned sinner Thirdly Pardon of sin is expressed in Scripture by blotting out Act. 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out c. Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake This is a metaphor taken from men when a man is not able to pay his debt the Creditor doth cancel the Bond blots out the writing and breaks the Seal that nothing shall prevail in Law against this poore man So the Lord doth cancell the bond and blots out the writing that neither sin nor the Devill shall have any processe against him in a way of condemnation Fourthly Pardon of sin is expressed in Scripture by acquitting of a man from his iniquity Job 10.14 If I sin then thou markest me and thou wilt not or acquit me not set me free from mine iniquity Acquitting is equivalent to a term of Law giving you a discharge and dismission of the Court the Lord in pardoning of sin gives a man a legall discharge that no proceedings of heaven shall goe against him Fifthly Pardon of sin is called in Scripture a covering of sin Psal 32.1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered Beloved if pardon of sin had consisted in the removing of sin we had been undone pardon of sin doth not consist in the removall of all sin out of a man but in the covering of sin God will hide sin that the fiercenesse of his wrath and the Eye of his indignation shall not look on it to condemnation It is the same word that refers to garments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If a man hath a Mole or Wenne on his body which his garment covers these infirmities are not seen by men Beloved God covers sin as with a garment to wit with the long robe of Christs righteousnesse sin is covered in thee by the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Sixtly Pardon of sinne is expressed in Scripture by washing and purging away of sin Psalm 51.2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and clense me from my sin he means there in reference to justification not Sanctification That pardon of sin presents a man to God without spot or wrinckle or blemish or any such thing that though you have many spots in regard of your sanctification yet you have no spot in regard of your justification Seaventhly pardon of sin is expressed in Scripture by not remembring of sin Jer. 31.34 For I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more It is an allusion to the Scape-goat which was to bear the sins of the people on his head to carry them into the land of forgetfulnesse Thus the Lord that remembers all things that God is said graciously not to remember the sins of his people not to remember them so as to damn them for them hee will forget your iniquities and remember them no more Lastly Pardon of sinne is expressed in Scripture by not imputing of sin Rom. 4.8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin It is a word drawn from Merchants when they have a friend that owes them money that they care not whether they receive or no they doe not put it down in their Book God will not impute sin he will not set sin on the score he will not put sin to thine account though sin be in thee yet it is not imputed to thee Thus these names or expressions do something illustrate the nature of forgivenesse In the next place to enquire how many wayes a sin may be said to be forgiven First in regard of Gods decree and so sin is forgiven before all Worlds because God intended to deliver the Elect that such a remnant and number of men should have sin pardoned Secondly Sin is said to be forgiven when the Lord doth manifest forgivenesse of sin Thirdly and chiefly Sin is said to bee forgiven when the eternall guilt and condemnation due for that sin is taken away when God doth expiate or take off the guilt of sin in that properly lies the nature of forgivenesse In the third place what is considered in sin when God is said to forgive it this is worth your understanding Three things are to be considered in sinne First the blot and pollution of sin and this cannot be taken away by pardon the sin is a sin though it be pardoned the pollution of sin is not taken away by pardon the blot remains Secondly There is considered the desert of sin it deserves damnation and the wrath of God though it be pardoned this is not taken away Third thing considered is this the Ordination or appointment of a sinner to eternall