thee even as a Creditor doth forgive many thousands to a Debtor by his meer voluntary Act. Now we are apt to think according to the principles of Popery that our Justification is no better then our inherent holinesse is whereas any godly man may sit down and consider that he is not able to goe out with his five thousrnd against the Justice of God that comes against him with ten thousand Grace justifying takes away all guilt of sinne grace sanctifying doth not because as Bonaventure well observeth the remedy given by grace against originall sin is not ordained against it prout corrumpit naturam sed prout personam as it doth infect our nature for so it sticketh till death but as it doth defile the person measure not therefore the perfection of grace justifying by the perfection of grace sanctifying Thirdly This Scripture language doth infer That sin forgiven is as if it had never been now the troubled soul cryeth out Oh that I had never been thus done thus Why God when he doth pardon makes it as if it had never been do not fear the drowned Aegyptians will rise up and pursue thee again We may tell a David a Paul it is so with them as if no adultery murder or persecutions had been committed by them Fourthly As God doth indeed really thus remit so the Scripture commands the repentant sinner to believe this and with confidence to rest satisfied Oh what holy boldnesse may this truth believed work in the tender heart You may see a poor man though he hath much ado to live yet if his debts be discharged how glad he is he can go abroad and fear no Sergeant to Arrest him no writ issued out to attach him and thus it is with a sinner repenting and beleeving and if there be any whose heart is not ravished with this glorious mercy it is to be feared he never felt the burden of sin or else never strongly beleeved this gracious way of God Let not then any Antinomian say we put water into the beleevers wine or wormwood into their bread for who can rationally desire more then this doth amount to but to expect such a pardon such a justification as that God shall take no notice of sin to chastise or afflict for it is to say There is forgiveness with God that he may not be feared contrary to Davids expression LECTURE VII JEREMIAH 50.20 In those daies and at that time the iniquity of Iudah shall be sought for c. FIfthly From this Scripture-expression is gathered That gross sins are blotted out as well as sins of an inferiour nature Though there be sins that waste the conscience yet they do not waste the grace of remission how is the true repentant affected with slavish fears sometimes as if his sins did blot out Gods mercy like a thick cloud as if our transgressions had subdued his goodnesse and thrown it into the bottom of the Sea What a comfortable expression is that Isaiah 1.18 Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow c. It was wonderfull mercy that ever so horrid and bloudy sinners therefore their sins are said to be like scarlet should become so clear yet the grace of Justification doth as totally remit great sins as lesse sins as Christ did with the same easinesse cure several diseases Thus David also Psal 51. after he had wallowed in that mire he prayeth to be purged in an allusive expression with hysope which was the last thing used in their legal purifications and therefore doth imply the total and compleat cleansing by Christ and upon this David saith He shall be whiter then snow which phrase is neither with the Papist to be extended to sanctification as if such perfect clean righteousnesse were vouchsafed to him as that there were no sin in him nor with the Antinomian as if God did quite abolish sin from David out of his sight so as to take no notice of it or chastise him for it for after the pardon was past yet his childe was to die and much more evil to come to Davids house but in respect of final condemnation God having thus pardoned David through Christ would no more adjudge him to everlasting punishment then he would one that was innocent or without any spot of sin And this is to incourage great sinners ten thousand talents was a great summe of money yet how easily forgiven by that kinde Master Thus Exod. 34.7 God is described forgiving sins of all sorts and this he proclaimed when his glory passed by and how necessary is this for the contrite heart which judgeth his sins because of the aggravations of them to be unpardonable If they had not been of such a breadth and depth and length they would not fear overwhelming as now they do There are sins of all sorts described and which is to be observed God putteth no term or bounds to his mercy whereas he doth set some to his anger Let not therefore the greatness of sin be thought more then the greatness of mercy pardoning and Christs obedience suffering as it is hypocrisie to extenuate and make our sins lesse then they are so it is unbelief to diminish his grace and Gods greatness above us is as much celebrated in this his kindness as in any other attribute The sins of all the world if they were thy sins were but like a drop of water to his mercy no more then our essence or power is to his Majesty Take heed then of saying Such and such sins may be forgiven but can he forgive such as mine are also Lastly In that Honey Comb for we may say of these places if of any they are sweeter then honey this sweetness may be pressed out That all their sins though never so many shall likewise be blotted out The Sea could as easily drown an whole Hoast of Pharaohs men as twenty Souldiers The Apostle is excellent Rom. 5. in this making an opposition between the first Adam and second aggravating the superlative power of the gift by grace above the evil through sin Hence it 's called the riches of his grace rather then power or wisdome because of the plenty and abundance of it Who would not think that while Gods goodness in the Scripture is thus unfolded there should not be a dejected unbeleeving Christian in the world shall our sin abound to condemnation more then his grace to justification because sin is too strong for us is it therefore too much for the grace of God also you see by ths that we may drink wine enough in the Scripture Wine-cellars to make our hearts glad and yet swallow not down any dregs of Popish or Antinomian errors These things thus explained I come to confirm you with severall Arguments that God doth see sin so as to be offended and displeased with it in those that are already justified And the first rank of Arguments shall be taken from those places of Scripture where the godly do
the imperfection being done away by Christ But in their way as God takes no notice of Pauls sinfull motions to be offended at them so neither of all his labourings and sufferings in the Gospel way Lastly If the Spirit of God do only mortifie as to our feeling and not to Gods sight then when the soul departs into glory all that inherent purity must only be declaratively also but in heaven we are made holy perfectly in Gods sight and that without any imputed righteousnesse of Christ though Christ did purchase and obtain that for us Now what the Spirit of God doth finish and consummate upon the souls dissolution he had begun even in this life A third sort of Arguments is from those places which commend repentance humiliation and godly sorrow for sin for if God takes no notice of our sin be not offended at it we may indeed be sorrowfull for sin because of men but not because of God Shall I be sorrowfull because God is offended when he is not offended shall I weep because God is angry when he is not angry If you ask Peter why he weeps bitterly will he not say Because he offended God If you ask the Corinthians why they are so deeply humbled will not they say because by their sins they provoked God to bring temporal calamities upon them so that the poisonous nature of this Doctrine appeareth in nothing more then in this it taketh away all grounds of humiliation and repentance of sin in those that do believe Therefore mark it He that saith there is no sin in the Church of God now which is their express opinion he must likewise say There is no godly sorrow in the Church of God now For what is the reason there can be no godly sorrow in heaven there was none in the state of innocency but because there was no sin there and it must be thus now in the Church of God This error eateth into the vitals of godlinesse therefore beware of it Say I will have no such free grace as shall take away godly sorrow Remember the gracious Promise Zech. 12. where God promiseth a spirit of prayer and mourning for sin as well as to blot out sin he shall not obtain the promise for the later that feeleth not the promise for the former And certainly if this Doctrine were true why did Paul say Though I made you sorry I did not repent We Ministers ought to repent that ever we made you sorry and you are to repent that ever you have been sorrowfull A fourth kinde is from all those places where God is said so to take notice of the sins of justified persons as that he doth grievously afflict them for their transgressions This Argument doth properly and directly overthrow the whole Antinomian assertion but because I have largely proved this already I will not insist on it To make good their assertion that God seeth no sin they are forced also to hold that all the afflictions upon the godly are only trials of their faith preservatives from sin but not correctives for sin But did not God see sin in Moses when for his unbelief he kept him out of Canaan Did not he see sin in David though pardoned grievously chastising him afterwards Did he not see sin in Jonah who would fain have run from Gods face that he might not have seen him Did he not see sin in the Corinthians when many of them were sick and weak for abusing the Ordinances yet many of them were such that therefore were chastened that they might not be condemned of the Lord. There are more arguments but at this time I conclude with an use of exhortation to broken-hearted and contrite sinners again and again to meditate upon the great and glorious expressions which the Scripture useth about forgivenesse of sin Your fears and doubs are so great that only such great remedies can cure you Tell me ye afflicted and wounded for sin is not this the best oyl that can be poured into your sores Tell me ye spiritual Lazarusses that lie at the gate of God daily who is rich in mercy desiring the very crumbs that fall from this table of grace are you thankfull because God provideth food and raiment and not much rather because of a pardon how great is Gods goodnesse he might have removed us out of his sight and he hath done so to our sins he might have thrown us into the bottom of hell and he hath cast our iniquities into the bottom of the sea he might have blotted our names out of the book of life and he hath blotted out our sins from his remembrance LECTURE VIII JEREMIAH 50.20 In those daies and at that time the iniquity of Judah shall be sought for and it shall not be found c A Fifth rank of arguments is from those places of Scripture wherein the people of God in their petitions and supplications doe necessarily imply this truth that God seeth taketh notice and is angry with their sins Now all petitions use to be in a two-fold faith one applicative and fiduciall the other doctrinall and assertive which is the foundation of the former If a Papist pray for the deliverance of any out of purgatory it is a vain prayer because there is not a theologicall verity to ground his prayer upon thus a Socinian cannot truly pray to God in Christ because he hath not a dogmaticall or assenting faith to the truth of Christs divine nature and so cannot have a fiduciall faith in the same Thus it would be with the people of God how can they in their prayers entreat God to turn away his anger from them to hide his face from their sins if he were not indeed angry Now that the petitions of Gods people are for this end will appear by severall places I shall not here mention that petition we are directed to in the Lords prayer viz. forgive us our sins for that is a noble instance and deserveth a single consideration of its self but we have many other instances as Psa 51.9 Hide thy face from my sins It is plain by this praier Gods face and so his eyes were upon Davids sins though justified and that a godly man falling into grievous sins hath them not presently covered from Gods eyes for his meaning by this phrase is that God would not regard them to visit them on him the contrary whereof is Psa 119.15 Let their sin be continually before thee and this is observable that David doth again and again petition for pardon whereby is shewed how difficult a thing it is to obtain the favour of God after we have offended him by our sins Neither let that be replied that this is done by Believers in the Old Testament for Paul bringeth a proof from Psa 32.1 to shew what is the nature of Justification even under the Gospel And that I may once for all this dissolve this objection of theirs I shall handle distinctly this question
who writing to have one Nicias sent to him that was accused used this expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nicias if he have done no wrong absolve him if he have absolve him for my sake but howsoever absolve him or set him free And in this sense forgivenesse of sins may well be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in the Scripture it seemeth rather to be an expression from those that are loosned out of their bonds for their debts and therefore frequently is applied to the forgiving of debts Mat. 18.25 27 32. and this is more notably set down Luk. 4.18 to preach to captives or prisoners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freedom or forgivenesse of sin and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to loosen bonds as the word is used Luke 16.26 Acts 27.40 Therefore howsoever Grotius thinks the word to remit to be a metaphor from those who part with or leave a thing that they might retain yet it seemeth rather to be taken from releasing of debts and loosning of bonds in which the conscience of a sinner was tied being bound to answer at the Tribunal of God Hence the Scripture useth several names to expresse pardon of sin according to the several titles that sin hath in the Scripture As sins are Debita Debts so God doth forgive as they are Sordes a filth and loathsomnesse so God doth cover them as they are vincula bonds so he doth remit them As they are debts written down in a book so he blots them out As they make us miserable and wretched so he is mercifull and propitious in removing of them A second word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2.13 Having forgiven you all trespasses Col. 3.13 Even as Christ forgave us Now this word doth excellently signifie the fountain and the effect of pardon The fountain that it cometh from the meer grace and favour of God There is nothing in us to merit or satisfie God with Therefore howsoever there be a necessity of faith and repentance yea and God will not forgive sin in persons grown up but where these are yet these are no meritorious causes nor can they satisfie God for all that offence and dishonour which our sins have cast upon him And this may encourage the broken heart who feeleth a load of sin upon it self and hath nothing to bring unto God remember the root and fountain of all forgivenesse is grace which is so far from supposing any worth of condignity in thee for pardon that it rather implieth the contrary And as it doth imply grace thus in the fountain so also acceptablenesse and joy too in the party to whom sin is forgiven So that there can be nothing in the world more welcome or a greater matter of joy then to bring this glad tidings and indeed therefore is the Gospel called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it preacheth the glad tidings of Gods love and reconciliation thorow Christ with a sinner A third word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus the Publican prayed Luk. 18.3 Some derive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because we desire to look on those to whom we are propitious But this word doth more immediately relate to the bloud of Christ as the way by which God becomes thus pacified So that as the other words set up the grace of God in pardoning so this the merits and satisfaction of Christ 1 Joh. 2.2 1 Joh. 4.10 Rom. 3.25 Heb. 2.17 In which places the appeasment of God towards us is attributed to the bloud of Christ Therefore if we put the former words and these together we may see an admirable temperament and mixture of grace and justice in forgiving of sins The former places exclude Popish Doctrines The later Socinian blasphemies A fourth word may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to obtain mercy For although the Scripture apply this to all the benefits and mercies of God yet Paul applieth it more particularly to pardon of sin 1 Tim. 1.13 and when Dives prayed Luk. 16.24 Father Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have mercy on me and so by consequent to be removed from that place of torment Hence in that form of prayer which Paul useth by way of salutation there are these three words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But this word is more expresly used for this end in the grand Covenant and Promise for pardon of sin Heb. 8.12 For I will be mercifull to their iniquities c. This is so comprehensive a Petition that it seemeth to be a generally received form of prayer in the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea the wiser among the Heathens used this prayer as appeareth by Arrianus epist. diss lib. 2. cap. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now this word supposeth 1. The party praying for pardon to look upon himself as in a most miserable and undone estate that no outward calamity or evil lieth so heavily upon him as his sins do And then secondly on Gods part it supposeth that he doth not only pardon but that even his bowels yearn within him when he doth forgive Hence Luk. 1.78 they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bowels of mercy This goodnesse of God is excellently represented in the father of the Prodigal Luk. 15.20 Therefore how great a sinne is unbelief and refusing to have good thoughts of God when God hath manifested himself thus gracious The last word I shall mention though there be others that are used is by way of negation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4.8 2 Cor. 5.9 And this is a metaphor from those that cast up their accounts and account so much upon such an one for debt Now by this word is shewn the terrible nature of sin as also that howsoever for a while we may live jollily care for nothing and be in security yet God will one day cast up his accounts and charge such and such debts upon us but if so be the Lord will not impute them to us and account them upon our score this will be our blessednesse And thus you have heard the most choice and principal words the holy Ghost expresseth our forgivenesse by We proceed 1. Proposition Lay this down as a foundation That when God doth pardon sin he takes it away so as that the party acquitted is no more looked upon as a snner All the expressions about pardon amount to thus much even as when one accused of theft and murder in the Common-wealth and is legally acquitted by the Judge he is no more reputed a thief or murderer Therefore it is a calumny of the Papists as if we held That a man is a sinner after God hath pardoned him It is true we say That sin doth remain in a man though he be justified and that sin hath a desert of condemnation with it but where God hath pardoned there he doth not look upon that man as a sinner but as a just man
satisfie Gods justice in the next place we by sin become debtors to everlasting punishment in hell so that as the murderer or flagitious person by his crimes becomes a debtor to the capitall punishments to be inflicted by a Law so doth a sinner to the Scripture punishments threatned in the word so that hell and damnation are the proper wages that are due to him Oh how dear doth every pleasant or profitable sin cost thee thou owest eternal damning for it Chrysostome in his time complained of some who would say Give me that which is sweet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and let it choak me so do all sinners Give me that sinful profit and pleasure though I am obliged to eternal wrath thereby Ambrose thought wicked men were called debtors because the devil lends them their lusts and sins as so much money for which he will exact eternal torment as the usury of them Whatsoever it be certainly this notion of sins being debts ought much to affect and trouble thee Thy sins are worse debts then any thou owest Fourthly In sin we become debtors by this means All the good we have whether natural or supernatural we are betrusted with as so many talents and for abusing of these or not improving of them we become debtors unto God You have a full parable to this purpose Mat. 25. Where you have every opportunity even the least that God puts into our hands compared to a talent and that for the greatnesse and preciousnesse of it and a man may be accountable unto God either propter damnum emergens for the losse that comes to our master therein or for lucrum cessans the very ceasing of gain As that servant who hid his talent in a napkin and returned it safe again though he was not guilty of any prodigall decoction of it yet he is called a wicked and unprofitable servant Now because all our talents are many hence our debts do arise to an infinite summe none so indebted as those who have great wealth great parts Sicut crescunt dona sic crâ—scunt rationes donorum The more mercies the greater account to be given This consideration may deeply humble us As our sinnes are thus debts so we have all naturally the evill properties and wicked customes of ill debtors 1. We are very unwilling to be called to any accounts we do not love to hear of the day of judgement we love not that the Ministers of God should tell us of our bills and hand-writings that are against us Hence some observe that expression Mat. 18.24 When the Master begun to reckon it is said One was brought that owed ten thousand talents as if it were by force and he was haled to his master What an amazement and astonishment will that voice from heaven put us into Give an account of thy Stewardship unlesse Christ be our surety and he undertake to discharge all so that the very word debts may breed in us much love to Christ who was willing to stand engaged for us Phocian the Athenian coming to one in publike office that was very solicitious about giving up his accounts and saith he I am solicitious how I may give no account at all Thus if it were possible would every man be studious how he may decline that day of accounts how gladly would he have the grave to detain him there alwaies 2. To be full of shame and fear Thus are men in debt desirous to lie latitant and not to be seen Grave vocabulum debitorum said Ambrose The name of debts is very dreadfull and terrible Hence Ambrose speaketh of some who for the shame and distresse thereof have made away themselves fearing more opprobrium vitae then mortis periculum the reproach of life then the punishment of death Suidas speaks of a Proverb in lit A. A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Once red with blushing at the time of borrowing and afterwards ten times pale for fear of paying Canis latrat cor tuum palpitat Ambros de Tob. cap. 7. The dog doth but bark and thy heart feareth an Arrest and if men have been thus perplexed about worldly debts when yet death would at last release them how much more may men be afraid of these spiritual debts There was a certain Roman died in a vast sum of debts which in his life time he concealed and after his death when his goods were to be sold Augustus the Emperor sent to buy his pillow he lay upon because saith he I hope that would make me sleep on which a man so much indebted could take his ease It is much that we who have so many debts spiritual can sleep or eat or drink till we see them discharged by Christ Oh that every natural man should not like Cain fear every thing would damn him 3. To shift and put off to be in continuall delays and if so to be no further troubled This a custome in worldly debts if men can shift one way or other they care not hence Horace cals the wicked debtor Sceleratus Proteus fiet aper modo avis modo saxum cum volét arbor become in all shapes to evade the Creditor and thus it is in spirituall debts How unwilling to acknowledge our debts to confesse them to God I look upon all Pelagian Doctrines on one side and Antinomian opinions on the other side which would either make no sin in us or at least not to be taken notice of by God but as so many cousening cheats of a guilty heart that is unwilling to be found a debtor before God Cum delationem impetraveris gaudes said Ambrose of a debtor If men can but delay they do rejoice And are we not all thus naturally affected if we can from day to day get one worldly comfort after another and so be able to support our selves we think all is well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing is more troublesome then to hear Pay what thou owest do not therefore please thy self with delays and excuses lest thou die in thy misery 4. To hate those to whom we are indebted Leve aes alienum debitorem facit grave inimicum A little money borrowed makes a man a debtor but a great deal an enemy and so the more they owe the more they hate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said Aristotle Debtors wish their Creditors to have no being such is the hatred that ariseth thereby and this is most eminently true in wicked men They hate God because they fear him as a just Judge who will severely demand to the last farthing Comfortable therefore is this direction to pray in this Petition for hereby is supposed that God is propitious and ready to release us we may have a Jubile ever day No devil hath any warrant to say Forgive us our sins God hath cast them into utter darknesse and bound them up in perpetuall chains for their debts but he is ready to forgive us As therefore we reade of David
they have no peace with God must needs be true of all godly men while unconverted He that believeth not hath not life and the wrath of God abideth on him and without faith it is impossible to please God Now who can deny but that this is true of Paul while no believer but an opposer of godlinesse The Psalmist also saith God is angry with the wicked every day Was not this true of Manasses before his conversion It must therefore be a very poisonous Doctrine to say That God is as well pleased with a man before his conversion as after 2. If the Scriptures limit this priviledge of Justification and pardon only to those subjects that are so and so qualified then till they be thus furnished they cannot enjoy those priviledges The places are many which testifie this Act. 3.19 Repent that your sins may be blotted out Therefore their sins stood uncancelled as so many Debts in Gods register Book till they did repent Act. 26.18 To turn them from darknesse to light from the power of Satan to God that they may receive forgivenesse of sins Therefore they had it not while under the power of darknesse 1 Joh. 1.9 If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins which supposeth That God doth forgive our sins only when we confesse and forsake them Matth. 6.15 If ye forgive not neither will my heavenly Father forgive you It is in vain to number up more places for these do necessarily prove sinne is not forgiven till Faith and Repentance They do not indeed argue a causality or merit yet they infer a necessary presence in those that obtain pardon and do hold by the same proportion as those places which require Sanctification before Glorification 3. Where the Scripture requireth many things to the obtaining of any speciall benefit there that benefit cannot be said to be enjoyed till all those things be brought about Now the Word of God speaks of several things required to pardon of sin There is the Grace and mercy of God as the efficient cause Psal 51.1 Isa 43.25 Rom. 3.25 2. There is requisite the bloud of Christ as the meritorious cause for there can be no remission of sins without effusion of bloud Rom. 3.25 1 Cor. 15.3 Heb. 1.3 1 Joh. 4.10 3. There is Faith required as an instrumental cause Act. 26.18 Rom. 3.25 Now although an instrumentall cause have not that worth or excellency as the efficient and meritorious have yet it is as necessary in the way of an instrument as the others are in their respective causalities so that as a man may not from those places which speak of Gods grace inferre therefore remission of sins is before Christs death So neither may a man argue because Christ died to take away our sins therefore these are taken away before we believe So that this Argument may fully establish us We see the Scripture speaking of three causes cooperant to pardon of sin therefore I may not conclude the effect is wrought till all those causes be And as the Scripture speaks of these causes so as you heard of many qualifications in the subject Insomuch that it is so far from being a duty to believe our sins were pardoned from all eternity antecedently to faith and repentance that we are undoubtedly to believe they were not If the King proclaim a pardon to every one that shall humble himself and seek it out If the Physician prepare a potion for the patient to receive it shall any man say because of those causal preparations that either the one is pardoned or the other healed before their particular application of those things 4. If our sins be pardoned antecedently to our Faith and Repentance then all those effects which are inseparable in the least moment of time from Justification are also antecedent to our Faith and Repentance But it is evident by experience that is not so It is a clear truth That Sanctification of our natures is individually conjoyned one with the other So that although there be a priority of nature yet they are together in time God pardons no mans sins whom he doth not heal Rom. 8.1 1 Joh. 1.9 Psal 32.2 A man may be justified and not glorified but not justified and unregenerated Then if so a man shall be at the same time unconverted and converted at the same time a member of Christ and a member of the devil and so as they say we are justified only declaratively in our own consciences so we shall be regenerated and converted only declaratively Again where sins are pardoned there is blessednesse as the Psalmist speaks then I may call Paul a blessed Persecutor Manasses a blessed murderer for they had no sin imputed to them at that time Besides those whose sins are pardoned may boldly go to the throne of grace and call God Father all which are contrary to the whole tenour of Scripture which expostulateth with men for taking his name or words into their mouth and hate to be reformed yet a Doctor of this Antinomian sour leaven affirmeth boldly That God doth love us as well before conversion as after That God did love Paul with as great a love when he persecuted the Church as when he preached the Gospel How must this devour up all godlinesse when I may have the same faith and confidence in God for pardon in the acting of flagitious crimes as well as out of them in prayer and humiliation and if he may have the same faith why not then the same consolations and joy in conscience 5. If Justification do antecede our Faith so that Faith doth only declare our pardon of sin then any other grace may be said to justifie as well as Faith For take any other grace repentance humility joy these are all the fruits of Gods Spirit and so demonstrate his election of us his justification of us But how unanswerably do the Orthodox prove a peculiar instrumental vertue in faith for pardon which others have not The Apostle expresseth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through faith in his bloud not love of his bloud and indeed the Apostle maintaineth that Gospel-position against false teachers viz. That we are justified by Faith not by works The Question was not Whether the works of the Law did justifie us declaratively only but causally So then by this Doctrine Faith must no more be called the hand or the eating and drinking of Christs body and bloud but only made a sign of such mercies 6. If pardon of sin be from all eternity going before our Faith and Repentance because of Gods election then it must also be antecedent to the death and obedience of Christ So that not only our tears but Christs bloud shall be excluded from this great favor The reason is plain Because Gods predestination and election is antecedent to Christ yea Christ is a fruit of our election so that the Orthodox maintain against Arminians though we be chosen
they be incorporated into him by faith which faith although it be a gift of God yet by it we are enabled voluntarily to choose and embrace Christ Many other differences there are but I pitch on this only as being fully to my purpose in hand If therefore we were in Christ by a natural way as we are in Adam then antecedently to any thing wrought in us we might be partakers of priviledges by one as we are of curses by another LECTURE XXII MAT. 6.12 And forgive us our Debts WE proceed to the remaining arguments which would maintain a justification before faith The next is from Gods election thus All the elect of God are justified before God But some of the elect do not beleeve And the major is proved from Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth In the first place this Argument might easily be laid aside for the Apostle doth not speak here of election antecedentèr antecedently to his other graces which flow from that in time but executivè as it is executed and compleated in those that are elected Therefore by the elect he meaneth those elect that believe that are holy that are conformable to the image of God that do love him as the context sheweth for otherwise we know Paul himself laid much to the charge of the Ephesians though elect when before their conversion he said they were children of wrath as well as others and therefore by that adamantine chain Whom he hath predestinated he hath called whom he hath called he hath justified whom he hath justified he hath glâ—rified it is plain he takes election terminativè as they say in the effects of it even till it hath obtained the utmost terminus which is everlasting glory 2. From this chain also is an infallible Argument against the Opponent thus Those only are justified that are called But none are called or converted from all Eternity Therefore none are justified from all Eternity The major is grounded upon the method and order which the Apostle observeth beginning with the highest round in that chain which is Predestination and ending in the lowest which is Glorification so that it cannot rationally be thought that the Apostle did not intend an exact order and method in those expressions 3. If so be a man because he is elected be justified from all Eternity then it will also follow he is glorified from all Eternity And so Hymenaeusâ—nd â—nd Philetus may be excused in this sense if they say The resurrection is past already It is true the Apostle useth words signifying time past Whom he hath predestinated he hath called c. But that is either to shew the certainty and infallible connection of these benefits together or else because Predestination being necessarily for the time past he would not alter the current of his expression for the following mercies 4. The Apostle might well say Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect and not of Believers because election is the maternal mercy it is the fountain and head from which all other flow Hence the Apostle doth in the same Chapter limit mercies to those that are called according to Gods purpose implying hereby that this is the ground and root of all But fifthly To discover the fundamental weakness of this Argument We are to take notice That Predestination is an immanent act of God and works no positive real effect upon the party elected till in time for howsoever it be an act of love yet of love only by way of purpose and decreeing and so doth not denote a change in the creature but when that purpose or councel of God which is altogether free hath determined it Hence we are to coâ—ceive a love of God electing us from all Eternity which doth produce another love of God not immanent in him for so nothing is new in God but transient in us and that is Justification from this love floweth another effect of love which is Glorification Some have doubted Whether Election be an act of love and therefore have distinguished between Dilection and Election as if Dilection did go before and Election follow But certainly the same act of God as it doth will good to the creature is Dilection as it willeth it to this rather â—hen another is Election We grant therefore that Election is an act of great love but it s a love of purpose or intention not execution it is Amor ordinativus not collativus it is a love ordaining and preparing of mercies but not bestowing them presently Thus Austin defined Predestination to be Praeparatio beneficiorum quibus liberantur a preparing or ordaining of those mercies and priviledges which the Elect shall have in time And among men we see the purpose of giving such a gift is accounted love as well as the gift it self Now while a man is only under the love of Election and no more there is no actual Remission of sin no acceptance or complacency in his person or duties There is a purpose in God to do all these in time but the mercies are not from eternity exhibited So that in some respects there is a great difference between an elect Person unconverted and a Reprobate And again in some respects there is none at all As for example there is this grand difference That although both be equally in sinne and under wrath yet God hath a purpose to bring the elect person infallibly out of that misery and in this respect God may be said never to hate him that is elect In which sense God is said to love Jacob and hate Esau but the Reprobate shall perish eternally in his sinne The Apostle saith Rom. 11. Election hath obrained because that will most certainly bring about both the means and the end So that for all the Elect The foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 2. There is no difference in this in that for the present both are children of wrath both aliens from the promise of grace no promise of any gracious priviledge either for pardon of sin or eternal glory belongs unto them only Gods purpose will in time make an actual difference between them Neither is this to make any contradictory will in God for both these may well stand together viz. Gods will for the future to give pardon and glory and yet to will neither of them to be for the present All this is done with the same act of Gods will If therefore hatred be taken as opposite to that love of Election which God had from all Eternity so an elect man though unregenerate is never hated but if it be taken largely for that displicency or wrath of God which is contrary to the grace of Justification exhibited in time so he may be said to be hated before his conversion neither is it any wonder if this be called hatred seeing in the
reality of this justification 10 The Scripture speaks of justification as to us in a passive sense 11 God in justifying considered as a fatherly Judge 12 Iustification in Scripture described by Gods actions not ours 13 The Scripture hath phrases equivalent to this of justification Psaâ— â—2 1 2. Cautions concerning justification I. Caution II. Caution III. Caution IV. Caution V. Caution Justification consists in remission of sin and imputation of righteousnesse How justification can be said to be pardon of sin Answer Propositions for the under standing of remission of sins 1. That for giveness of sin is possible Vide Gerard inâ— Epist Pet. 2. Sin may be said to be for given divers wayes 1. In Gods de cree 2 In Christ meritoriously through faith 3. Sin is pardoned when the guilt is taken away 4. When God gives us assurance of his love 5. When temporal affliction is removed 3. Several things considerable iâ— sin when it is said to be forgiven 1. A privation of innocency 2. Desert of the wrath of God 3. An actual ordination of the person sinning to everlasting condemnation 4. An offence done unto God 5. A blot or pollution in sin 6. An aversion from God What it is to have sin forgiven 4. There is great difference between original and actual sin 5. When sin is forgiven it is totally and perfectly forgiven 6. Though sin be forgiven yet the sense of â—ods displeasure may remain And that two wayes 1. Servilely 2. Filially 7. The wicked hath no sin fâ—rgiven 8. Remission of sin only to the penitent 9. Remission of sins not limited How afflictions come on the godly after their sins are pardoned The Antinomians errour therein Cap. 7. p. 121. Dr Crispe The Papists error concerâ—ing the same The Orthodox truth is that God forgiving sin remits the punishment in order to vindicative justice but yet corrects in mercy as a father Propositions proving the same 1 God afflicts not any but where sin is 2 Objection answered 2 God sometimes afflicts yet not in reference to sin 3 All afflictions are to be reduced to the Law There is a great differeÌ„ce in the calamities of the godly 5 Some calamities for sin others for other ends 6 Afflictions for sins of the godly and wicked diffâ—r 7 God sometimes chastises hâ—s people in reference to their sinnes though forgiven This proved 1. from Scripture 2 In the places that do assert Gods judging of the people 3 From the iâ—couragement to duties by temporal arguments and thâ—eâ—s of temporal â—fflâ—ctions 4 From the comparison God useth concerning his affliction upon his people Hony Com. 133. 5 From the Command not to despise our afflictions but to humble our selves 6 From the command given to Magistrates Whether God chastiseth believeâ—s because of their sins The Aâ—tinomian Paradox discussed Antinomian Arguments answered 1. Argum. 1. Answer 2. Answer 2. Argum. 1. Answer 2. Answer 3. Argum. Absurdities oâ—jected by Antinomians 1 Absurdity objected 1. Answer 2. Answer 3. Answer 4. Answer 2 Absurdity objected 1. Answer 2. Answer 3. Answer 3 Absurdity objected 1. Answer 2. Answer 3. Answer 4 Absurdity objected Answer 5 Absurdity objected 1. Answer 2. Answer 3. Answer 4. Answer The Text opened Observation Errours concerning remission of sin Antinomian errors Popish errours concerning remission of sin Papists and Antinomians agreement as also difference The Orthodox truth concerning remission of sin Expâ—essions in Scripâ—uâ—e â—bout pardoning of sin 1. Verbal 2. Real â—xpressioâ—s Comfortable consideration arising from the fore going phrases Arguments proving that God doth see sin so in the Justified as to be offended with it 1 Rank of arguments from Scripture I. Argument The Antinomian answer refelled Honey Com. pag. 81. 2 Argument Antinomian Evasions answered 1 Evasion answered 2 Evasion answered 2 Rank of arguments from Scripture The Antinomians answer confuted Third sort of Arguments Revel 2.18 Jam. 4.9 10. 2 Cor. 7.9 10. Fourth kinde of Arguments Fifth rank of Arguments Question considerable propounded Six sort of Arguments Antinomian objections answered Seventh rank of arguments Eighth kinde of Argument Ninth sort of Arguments Particulars expressing how great the guilt of sin is in believers even in Gods sight How Gods anger manifâ—sts it â—elf upon his own children sinning In temporals 1. By involving them in common and ordinary afflictions 2. In bringing extraordinary and unusuall calamities 3. By striking with sudden dâ—ath 4. Gods anger reaches to tâ—eir children and what is dear to them 5. These temporal evils wil râ—ach to the publike Church and State wherein they live God is angry at the least sins God angry at errors in judgements and false opinions Manifesâ—ation of Gods anger to believers sinning in spiritual and internal things 1. In matter of consolâ—tion â— In sanctification The manifestation of Gods anger Eternal The coherence The Text opened Observ Antinomians anâ—wer by distinguishing And reasons thereof The truth of the Antinomian distinction examined by several Propositions 1. Seeing attributed to God only metaphorically 2. Gods knowledge and ours differs 3. The alledged text Psal 94 no ground foâ— their distinction 4. The Scripture useth no such diffâ—rence 5. There is no distinction to our capacities between Gods knowing and sâ—eing 6 Gods seeing â—nd kâ—â—wing not opposite 7. Gods seeing not limited to things present 8 Gods not â—â—â—ing sins past excludâ—s Christs merits 9 Antinomian 〈◊〉 contâ—aâ—y to their doctrine 10. The vainnesse of this distinction 2. Antinomians second answer Propositions shewing how far Gods takiâ—g notice of sin so as to puâ—ish it is subjecâ— to the meer liberty of his vvill 1. There is in God a libâ—rty whereby he doth whatsoever he pleaseth 2. How freedom may be extended to God 3. We cannot propeâ—ly say God seeth all things because he will see them 4. Great difference in respect of Gods freedom betweeâ— the attributes of God and the actions of them 5. God cannot in justice but punish sinners 6. It is in Gods freedom to punish sin in the party offending or in a saâ—ety 7. Great differeâ—ce between Gods justice essentially aâ— intra and the effecâ—s of it ad extra 8. Christ satisfied God as a just Judge not as a Father 9. Afflâ—ctions on believers agreeable to Gods Justice The Text divided Observables from the connexion Why sins are called Debts Observ Sins are debts What in sin is a dâ—bt Why sins are called debts â— By sinning we rob God of his honour glory c. â— A sinner is a debtor to Gods justice 3 Sinners not able to satisfie Gods justice become debtors to everlasting pâ—nishment 4 All the good we have we are betrusted with as so mâ—ny talents and we have the evil properties of debtors 1 We are unwilling to be called to an account â— We are full of shame and fear 3 Of shifts delays 4 We hate those to whom we are indebted In two respects spiritual debts exceed wordly debts 1 In the danger of non-paiment 2 In the Impossibility of escaping the punishment Use
we remain still obnoxious and bound in Gods wrath Again It is for comfort to the godly what though Satan thy own heart and the world doth condemn thee yet if God Justifie thou maiest rejoyce you see Rom. 8. what a challenge Paul there makes Who shal lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that Justifieth Who shall charge any thing The devil thy own heart can lay much pride hypocrisie sloth fulnesse to thy charge it is true but God through Christ doth Justifie What a Cordiall and reviver would it be to Gods people to live in the power of this gift bestowed upon them it is God that justifieth thee O my troubled soul who can then condemn who can hinder it or invalidate it Certainly we are therefore in dejections despondencies and perplexities often because we drink not of this water of life Lay and apply this excellent Doctrine to thy fainting dying soul and it will become to it like Elisha applying himself to the dead childe cause spirit and life again to return to him right thoughts here will sweeten all thoughts in other things Eleventhly Although Justification be a Court action and drawn from judicatories yet God is not in this action considered meerly as a Iudge but as paternus Judex a fatherly Iudge having an admirable temperament of justice and mercy so that God pronounceth this sentence from the Throne of Justice and Mercy also of Justice in that he will not absolve till satisfaction be made and he will not pronounce righteous but where there is a perfect righteousnesse Therefore that opinion of making Faith to be accepted of for righteousnesse is a dangerous and false assertion God in this work of Justification is never described as accepting of an imperfect righteousnesse for a perfect No God doth not cease to be just while he is thus gracious Again his Justice and righteousnesse is herein seen that none shall be Justified but such sinners who feel their guilt and desire to be eased of that burden beleeving and rolling their souls upon him It is very hard to give the right order of the benefits of Vocation Justification Adoption and Sanctification but yet this may be made good against the Antinomian that a man is not Justified till repenting and beleeving Here is Justice then but there is also a great deal of Grace and Mercy As in the accepting of a surety for us that he would not keep to the Law of having us in our own persons to pay the utmost farthing This was great love so likewise to finde out a way for our reconciliation that when the devils had no remedy provided for them we have Further that when this price is laid down we have the application of this benefit and so many thousands have not Two in a Bed in a Family in a Parish one Justified and the other condemned What Gracâ— is this Twelfthly This grand mercy is described in Scripture by God his giving something to us not our doing any thing to him It is described by Gods actions not ours to him which may abundantly satisfie the heart against all doubts and fears thus the Scripture cals it forgiving not imputing sin imputing righteousnes making righteous all which are actions from God to us not ours to him so that we are no where said in a good sense to Justifie ourselves or commanded to it as we are to repent or beleeve and to crucifie the lusts of the flesh because it is wholly Gods action by faith indeed we apprehend it but it 's Gods action as the window letteth in the light but it is the Sun that doth inlighten And from this particular we may gather much comfort for when we look into our selves and see no such righteousnesse or holinesse that we dare hold out to God then we may remember this is not by our doing to God but receiving from him and in this sense it is more blessed for us to receive then to give This made the Father say justitia nostra est indulgentia tua our righteousnesse is thy indulgence Therefore let not the troubled heart say where is my perfect repenting where is my perfect obedience but rather ask where is Gods forgiving where is Gods not imputing how hardly is the soul drawn off from resting in it self it is not thy doing but Gods doing thou must not consider what do I but what God doth The Antinomian he indeed wringeth these breasts of Consolation till bloud cometh but the true sweet milk of the word must not therefore be thrown away Do not then as they sought for Christ look for him in the grave when he was risen out thence Do not thou poâ—r in thy self for this treasure when it is to be looked for from heaven duties graces will say this is not in me Lastly The Scripture hath other equivalent phrases to this of Justification which likewise do amplifie the comfort of this gift It is called Blessedness as if this indeed were the true heaven and happines If thou art justified thou carriest heaven about with thee and thy name may be Legion for many are the mercies that do fill thee Nothing can make thee blessed but this it is not Blessed is he to whom the Lord giveth many riches and honors many parts and abilities but to whom the Lord imputeth no sin and howsoever those who wallow in a Laodicean fulnesse judge not this such blessednesse yet ask a Cain ask a Judas demand of the tormented in hell whether it be not a blessed thing to have sin pardoned That thou shouldest be able to look on thy sins as so many serpents without stings as so many Egyptians dead upon the shoar as if they had never been that thou shouldst be able to say Lord where are such lusts such sins of mine I finde them all cancelled Is not this blessednes indeed Another expression is of accepting us in Christ and herein lieth much of Justification that it is an acceptation of us to eternall life Eph. 1.6 This must needs imbolden and incourage the heart when it knoweth that both person and duties are accepted though so much frailty and weakness yet God will receive thee The third phrase is to make Just Rom. 5.9 For God doth not pronounce that man just which is not so Therefore when we are Justified this is not absolutely and simply against a righteousnesse of works but in a certain respect as done by us and as obedience coming from us and this must needs support the soul for when satisfaction is made when God hath as much as he desireth why should not this quiet the heart of a man will nothing content thee unlesse thou thy self art able to pay God the utmost farthing A fourth word is not imputing of sin or imputing righteousnesse and this as you heard before is a very sure and real thing though it be not in us for there are many real benefits do come to us wheh yet the
many other places do abundantly prove that there is not forgivenes but where there is repentance Therefore look upon all those doctrines as false and dangerous which make justification to be before it Not that we do with Papists make any merit or causality in repentance or that we limit it to such a measure and quantity of repentance nor as if we made it the condition of the Covenant of Grace but only the way without which not the cause for which remission of sins is not obtained neither can there be any instance given of men forgiven without this repentance and the same likewise is affirmed of faith though faith is in another notion then repentance this being the instrument to apply and receive it But of this hereafter 9. This remission of sin is not limited to persons times or the quantity and quality of sins Indeed the sin against the holy Ghost cannot be forgiven we will not explain that cannot by difficulty as if indeed it might be forgiven but very hardly The ordinary answer is that therefore it cannot be forgiven because the person so sinning will not confesse humble himself and seek pardon God is described by pardoning iniquity transgressions and sins Christ is said to take away the sin of the world David and Peters sins were voluntary yet God forgave them LECTURE IV. ROM 3.24 25. Being Iustified freely by his grace c. THe Doctrine about remission of sin being thus particularly declared we come to that great Question How afflictions come upon the godly after the pardon of their sins For the Antinomian goeth into one extremity and the Papist into another so true is that of Tertullian Christ is alwayes crucified between two thieves that is Truth suffers between two extream errors Therefore in prosecuting this point which is of great practical concernment I will lay down First What the Antinomian saith Secondly What the Papist And lastly What the Orthodox The Antinomian in his book called the Honey-Comb of Justification explaineth himself in these particulars by which you may judge that his Honey is Gall. Having made this Objection to himself That the children of God are corrected by God therefore he seeth sin in them maketh a large Answer Distinguishing first of afflictions calling some Legal and some Evangelical and then he distinguisheth of Persons making some unconverted others converted the unconverted again he makes to be either such as are reprobate or else elected now saith he the legal crosses have a two-fold operation either vindicative or corrective Vindicative are such afflictions as God executeth upon the wicked and reprobates in which sense God is called the God of vengeance Corrective are such lashes of the Law as are executed upon those persons that are the children of God by election but not yet converted and so under the Law therefore these afflictions are not in wrath to confound them but in mercy to prepare them to their conversion for God seeing sins in them layeth crosses upon them Now these elect persons he cals unconverted actively and declaratively in a very ambiguous and suspicious manner as if conversion were from all eternity as well as Justification so that as they say a man in time is justified only declaratively being indeed so from all eternity thus he must be said to be converted and if this be true then it will likewise follow that a man in heaven is glorified likewise onely declaratively but actually and indeed glorified from all eternity even while he is in this miserable house of clay In the next place he comes to Evangelical crosses which fall upon them that are actively and declaratively as he cals it converted and these he denieth expresly to be for their sins for this were saith he to deny Christs satisfactory punishment because by his death we have not one spot of sin in us therefore he makes them to be only the tryal of their faith and to exercise their faith so that by his divinity when a godly man is afflicted the flesh would indeed perswade a man hath sin in him but this is to try whether thou canst beleeve thou art cleansed from sin for all these afflictions Therefore if any man yield to this temptation viz. that he hath sin in him when he is afflicted what is this saith he but to deny Christ and his bloud Think you this to be the voice of the Scriptures Hence he laboureth to shew that twelve absurdities would follow from this doctrine of Gods afflicting his children for their sins the strength of which shall be in his place considered I have now only laid down his judgement and he makes the Doctrine of the Protestants opposing this to be Popish and confounding the Law and the Gospel together Hence intending the Protestant Authors and Ministers he saith They paint God like an angry father ever seeing sin in us and ever standing with a rod and staff in his hand lifted up over our heads with which by reason he seeth sins in us he is ever ready though not to strike us down yet to crack our crowns and sorely to whip us whereas the Gospel describeth him to be not only a loving Father but also our well-pleased Father at perfect peace with us so that the upshot of his position is to shew that they are taskmasters and do degenerate to the legall teaching in the Old Testament whosoever preach that God doth correct Believers for their sins and I have saith he somewhat the more largely hunted this Fox because it is so nourished not only by the Papists but also some of us Protestants who by lisping the language of Ashdod do undermine the very roots of the Lords vine And that you may see it is not one mans judgement amongst them see what their great General saith in a Sermon pag. 162. Know this that at that instant when God brings afflictions upon thee he doth not remember any sin of thine they are not in his thoughts towards thee Again whatsoever things befall the children of God are not punishments for sins they are not remembrances of sin and if men or Angels shall endeavor to contradict this let them be accounted as they deserve Thus the Antinomian The Papist goeth into another extremity for thus they hold Bellar de poen lib. 4. cap. 1 2. That when God hath forgiven a sin yet it is according to his Justice that the sinner should suffer or do something to satisfie this justice not in respect of the sin as it is against God for although some say so yet others reject it but in respect of some temporal punishment either in this life or in the life to come which is the ground of Purgatory And that this may be made good they say When God doth forgive a sin he doth not presently remit the temporal punishment therefore men may by some satisfactory penalties voluntarily taken upon themselves rescue themselves from these temporal punishments Now this is a
the godly are by way of tryal and temptation upon them and because of the good that is in them of these the Apostle James speaks when he bids them count it all joy when they fall into divers temptations of these Paul speaks when he saith he will rejoyce in his infirmities so that the persecutions and miseries which come upon them are an Argument of the good in them more then of the evils as the tree that is ful of fruit hath its boughs more broken then that which is barren and the Pyrates watch for the ship that is fraughted with gold And thus a martyr comforted himself That though he had many sins for which he deserved death yet he thanked God that his enemies did not attend to them but to the good that was in him and for that he suffered so then all the grievances upon the godly are not of the same nature Sixtly The afflictions for sins upon the godly do differ much from those that are upon the wicked This we also grant that when God doth punish the godly and the wicked for their sins though the punishment for the matter of it may be alike yet they differ in other respects very much as in the cause from which one cometh from a God hating their persons the other from anger indeed but the anger of a father Hence secondly they differ in the fittedness of these afflictions to do good God doth moderate these afflictions to his people that thereby grace may be increased but to the reprobate they are no more to their good then the flames of hell-fire are to the damned The Butcher he cuts the flesh far otherwise then the Chirurgion saith August Again in the end they differ All afflictions to the godly are like the beating of cloathes in the Sun with a rod to get out the dust and moths but it is not so with the wicked many other differences practical Divines prove out of the Scripture Seventhly Yet God doth in reference to the sins of his people though forgiven sometimes chastise them This is proved 1. From the Scripture that makes their sin the cause of their trouble Thus of David Because thou saith Nathan 2 Sam. 12.14 hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the childe also that is born of thee shall die Thus God speaks to all the godly in Solomon 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 but my mercy will I not take away In these places sin is expresly made the cause of those afflictions and it is a poor evasion to say this was in the Old Testament for was not the chastisement of the godly mens peace in the Old Testament laid upon Christ as well as in the New but their folly herein and their contradiction to themselves will be abundantly shewed in answering their objections 2. In the places that do assert Gods judging of his people and rebuking of them and they are divers 1 Cor. 11. For this cause many are sick and weak where again you have not only the affliction but the cause why viz. irreverent prophaning of that Sacrament Thus James 5.14 Is any man sick Let him call for the Elders and let them pray for him and if he have committed sins saith the Text they shall be forgiven him There is none but hath committed sins yet the Apostle makes such an if because he speaks of such sins that may provoke God to lay that sicknesse upon him Thus in the Old Testament Psal 99.8 Thou forgavest them though thou tookâ—st vengeance on their inventions Here the Psalmist cals the chastisements upon those whose sins were forgiven vengeance as in other places his anger is said to smoak against the sheep of his pasture but we must not understand it of vengeance strictly so called as if God would satisfie his justice out of their sufferings 3. From the incouragement to duties by temporal Arguments and threats of temporal afflictions If the godly have these goads then certainly as they may conclude their temporal mercies to be the fruit of their godlinesse which hath the promise of this life and the life to come so they may conclude that their afflictions are the effects of their evil waies which have the threatning of this life and the life to come only here is this difference that the outward good mercies are not from their godlinesse by way of merit or causality but their afflictions are so because of their sins Hence the Apostle urgeth the godly Heb. 12.19 with this that even our God is a consuming fire Thus 1 Pet. 3.10 11. He that will love life and see good daies let him eschue evil and do good So that the Scripture pressing to holinesse because of outward good mercies and to keep from sin because of external evils and pressing these to the godly doth evidently declare this truth and certainly the Apostle speaking of the godly Rom. 8.10 saith the body is dead because of sin for by body Beza doth well understand our mortal body and not the mass of sin as some interpret it 4. From the comparison God useth concerning his afflictions upon his people and that is to be a father in that act correcting of them Thus Heb. 12.6 7 8 9 10 11 12. compare this with Rev. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke now rebuke is alwaies for some fault and this is further cleared because he makes this conclusion be zealous therefore and repent therefore sin was precedent Now in these places God compareth himself to a Father and beleevers to children and we all know that fathers never correct but for sin it would be ridiculous to say the father whips the childe from sin not for sin It is true he doth it from sin by way of prevention to the future yet for sin also The Antinomian saith this is spoken of many beleevers together where some were not converted but this is weak because the persons whom he reproveth God is said to love them and they are children not bastards Again he saith There is no sin mentioned therefore it was not for sin But I answer the very comparison of God with a Father correcting his childe doth evidently argue it was for sin though it be not expressed 5. From the command not to despise or to make little account of Gods afflictions but to humble our selves and search out our waies Why should this be spoken but because they are for our sins Heb. 12.5 Despise not the chastening of God neither faint when thou art rebuked of him Where two things may seem to be forbidden though some make them all one one not to faint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a metaphore from those who faint in the race through languor and dissolution of minde The other is in the other extream not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to despise or to
will lay no more then he will inable to bear Thirdly There is a two-fold trouble one that is holy and effectual for good such a trouble as that was which the Angel made in the pool of Bethesda and there is a trouble by way of torment driving from and raging at God now we all forbid this later neither will this Doctrine give any ground to such a distemper Lastly If a doctrine shall be branded for such an event as shall come through the corruptions of men then we may say their opinion will encourage believers or men that do presume they are so to act all manner of flagitious crimes and yet to have no fear that God will plague them for those things LECTURE VI. JER 50.20 In those dayes and at that time the iniquity of Judah shall be sought for and it shall not be found c. ALthough the Apostle say true 1 Tim. 6.4 that there is a doting about questions whereby the soul of a man is made sick and spiritually diseased as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implieth weakning and debilitating grace as much as fretting doth waste away the flesh and this is done when men encounter in controversies as beasts in their combats seeking only victory yet there may be such a doctrinal clearing of truth by answering of Objections that may tend much to edification both in knowledge and affections and by the striking of flint stones together there may flie out sparks enough to kindle godliness and zeal in our brest This I shall endeavour by Gods assistance in that necessary and famous question of Gods forgiving sin For to preach in crabbed controversies is like Gideon Judg. 8.16 to teach men with briars and thorns as the phrase there is The Antinomian placeth this Text in the fore-front for that absurd opinion God seeth no sin in persons justified if therefore their Goliah be slain the rest will speedily quit the field The words contain a gracious promise to Judah and Israel First To deliver them from their temporal evil They shall be brought out of their captivity into their own countrey again we need not dispute how many came back again it s enough this mercy was offered them howsoever they might neglect it Secondly Here is a promise to remove their spiritual evil which was the cause of the former God will pardon their sins and by this a profitable Doctrine is taught That a people ought to be more desirous of Gods pardon then of removal of their calamities whereas commonly like unwise diseased men we complain more of the Symptomes then of the disease it self The evil of sin depriveth us of an infinite good but the evil of afflictions only of a finite Now this promise is not to be stretched out only to the times of the Gospel but is particularly true of the Jews when removed out of their banishment yet not to be limited to that time only and howsoever the promise for pardon be general to all yet it is to be understood in this manner that to the wicked their sin was no farther forgiven then in this sense That their captivity was removed but to the true believers there was a real taking away of Gods wrath and displeasure from them The promise of pardon is described very emphatically and comfortably to the truly humbled Jews There shall be none of their sins and none shall be found when sought for This expression doth suppose a judicial inquiry as when God is said to make inquisition for bloud and to be found doth imply God judicially taking notice of a man to punish him so Rev. 20.15 In her was found the bloud of the Saints So Beza amplifieth that word Phil. 3.9 be found in him as if the justice of God were pursuing Paul as a malefactor and Christ was a City of refuge unto him Observation Remission of sin is such a taking of it away as if it had never been he that denieth sins forgiven to be quite removed denieth Pharaoh and his host to be drowned in the red Sea said Gregory This point practically improved is the treasure of a believers comfort But there is the Antinomian error on the right hand and the Popish on the left whereby a godly heart if not well instructed may when it cals for bread meet with a stone and when for fish with a serpent Therefore for the more orderly proceeding let us consider what the Antinomian saith then what the Papist and lastly what the truth is The Antinomians opinion may be discovered in these particulars 1. That a justified person having on Christs wedding garment hath thereby all his sins quite taken away from before God and so utterly abolished that we have not any spot of sin in the sight of God Honey-Comb of Justification pag. 24. cap. 3. per tot 2. This is extended by them pag. 27. not only to actuall sins but originall sins for we easily grant that in actuall sins if once forgiven there remaineth no more defilement but that he is made in that respect of remission as white as snow though there may remain a further disposition to evil by that sin once committed if renewing grace help not 3. This abolition of sin they understand both of the fault and the guilt so that God doth not only take away the punishment but both the form of the sin also is wholly removed so that there is neither punishment nor cause of punishment in one thus justified Hence they say there is no sin in the Church now and they expresse it thus As a Physician though he healeth a man yet he cannot take away the scars but God healeth sin so as no scar remaineth yea he giveth a fresh colour again They say likewise our sin is consumed as if one drop of water should be abolished by the heat of the Sun yea pag. 39. the Authour affirmeth that whosoever have not confidence in this one point that our sins are so taken away by Christ that God doth not see our sins in us without doubt are damned as long as they continue to rob the bloud of Christ of this honour Therefore saith he true Divinity teacheth that there is no sin in the Church any more 4. He distinguisheth p. 51. of a two-fold abolishing the one mystical and secret wrought only by Christ and his righteousnes The other grosse and palpable wrought by us by the help of Gods Spirit to our sense and feeling so that they grant sin in us and sin to be mortified but this is not in Gods sight although it be in our own 5. Whereas it might be and is objected God hath an all-seeing eye and therefore he cannot but see sin if it be in us They answer God indeed seeth all things saving that which he will not see but undertakes to abolish out of his sight and they distinguish of Gods knowing and his seeing p. 68 God knoweth believers sins but he doth not see them To
his iniquities such as he could not stand under now to pardon is to take this weight off so Gen. 4.13 My sin is greater then can be born or taken away i.e. forgiven again If thou dost well is not Levatio that is pardon and ease It is then no marvel if forgivenes of sin be accounted such a blessed thing by those who truly feel the burden of their iniquities Hence you have it excellently Zech. 3.9 10. made the cause of all quietnesse and content when their sins were pardoned then they called to their neighbours to sit under their fig-trees And well doth Calvin call this The chief hinge of Religion and the truth of this Doctrine is to be sought out with all care for what quietnesse can a man have till he know what judgement or esteem the Lord hath of him and in what manner it is wrought Another expression of it is called covering of sin there are two words for this the one is Chasah and is used properly of such a thing that is put between the object and the eye Numb 9.15 It is used of the Cloud that covered the tabernacle it s applied to a Garment or any other thing that doth cover Gen. 3.21 It s applied to God covering Adams nakednesse Hence a learned man thinks those skins were of beasts sacrificed which did prefigure Christ and God by this covering would as by an outward Symbol teach them by whom their sins should be covered and to this an allusion seemeth to be Rev. 3.18 I counsel thee to buy of me white garments that thy nakednesse may not appear A like word is Caphar which signifieth covering with pitch or the like which doth so cleave to the thing it covereth that it can hardly be removed It s applied Exod. 15.27 to the propitiatory or covering made of pure gold wherein God shewed himself gracious It is used Levit. 16.30 The word also is used of the pitching of the Ark and as that pitch kept the waters from coming in so doth the bloud of Christ our sins from overflowing us and this doth excellently describe the nature of pardoning of sin God doth as it were hide it from us he will not punish it but you must not stretch this word too far with the Antinomian as if indeed God did not take notice of them for Davids when it was covered yet was visited afterwards by God but it s covered so far as that it shall not condemn We do not therefore as the Antinomian saith make God peep under the covering again but we say the word is a Metaphor and must not be understood grosly and palpably as if there were any real thing put before the eyes of God that he could not behold our sins but only that God will not finally condemn us for sin Furthermore when a sin is pardoned it is said to be hid from Gods eyes as if God did not know it Jer. 16.17 The Hebrew word Zaphan is applied to the Northern part of the world because it is hidden from the heat of the Sun Hence Joseph is called Gen. 41.45 Zapthnath paaneah because he was a revealer of hidden things Those iniquities therefore which are so often before thee they are as it were hidden from God Another is Mechah and I will name no more which is to blot out or wipe out a Metaphor from those who cancel or blot out their debts when once discharged Now besides these verbal expressions you have many real phrases that do declare this great mercy as Micah 7.19 He will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast them into the bottom of the sea where the Prophet doth admire the goodnesse and freenesse of God herein Who is a God like thee passing by iniquity subduing sins The word implieth that our sins were as our enemies the guilt of them did inslave us and keep us like vassals in fear but now they are mastered And further He throweth them in the bottom of the sea there is no more memory or footsteps of them as when the Aegyptians were drowned in the bottom of the sea they could never hurt the Israelites more Thus God doth to thy sins when they are pardoned Another expression you have Isa 44.22 some expound it thus As the Sun rising doth make the thick clouds to vanish away and there is nothing but serenity to be seen so it is with God pardoning but Junius understands it thus As the thick cloud dissolved into rain washeth away the soil and filth of the earth so will the Lord in pardoning take away that noisomnesse and offence their sins made Consider Hezekiahs expression Isa 38.17 Thou hast cast all my sins behinde thy back It is an expression from men who when they will not regard a thing cast it behinde their backs and thus God doth not as if he did not take notice to chastise for them but they shall not have their proper effect which is to condemn And these expressions are very necessary to a contrite heart which is apt to imagine God as alwaies beholding his sins and sending forth his judgements because of them whereas it must be as a foundation laid That God is gracious and mercifull not only in the generall but even to us in particular The last I will pitch upon is Psal 13.12 As far as the East is from the West so far hath he removed our sins from us where the Psalmist makes Gods mercies as much above our sins as heaven is above earth and lest the guilt of sin should hinder the descent of it he makes God to throw away our sins from him as far as it can be Thus you see how abundant the Scripture is in describing this mercy of mercies This mercy which if not injoyed every thing our beds our fields and houses will be an hell to us The summe of these words and phrases amounteth to these comfortable considerations First That God pardoneth sin and removeth the guilt of it totally and perfectly so that a sin cannot be more forgiven then it is not that all the pollution of sin is likewise totally taken away for that would contradict other places of Scripture which say sin is still in us but only the condemning power is subdued and therefore this doctrine doth afford as much comfort as any Antinomian would desire and yet doth not fall foul with other places of Scripture Those sins committed by thee and repented of are as absolutely forgiven as can be desired they can be no better pardoned if thou wast in heaven or hadst perfect righteousness bestowed upon thee It hath pleased God that the guilt of thy sin should be perfectly remitted though the power be not fully mortified Secondly These phrases imply That its Gods meer act without us which doth expell the guilt of sin not any thing done in us or by us and therefore thou art not to build thy hope of pardon upon any work of Regeneration or Mortification within thee but Gods goodnesse without
more Again see the like dealing with David 2 Sa. 11.12.8 9. I anointed thee King over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul and if that had been too little I would have given thee such and such things wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of God c. Must not this pierce into the very bowels of David Shall God upbraid his people falling into sin spread before their eyes the manifold mercies he hath bestowed upon them and all this while see no sin in them Therefore when it is said Iam. 1.5 That God upbraideth not that is to be understood in respect of his frequent and liberal giving as men use to say I have given thus often and I will give no more which kinde of giving Seneca cals panem lapidosum but if men walk unworthy of the benefits received he doth then upbraid as Mar. 16.14 He is said to upbraid the Disciples because of their unbelief Thirdly The Scripture applieth the threatnings of God to believeâ—s as well as to others making no difference between them unless they repent Indeed we say against the Papists that all the sins of justified persons are venial and not mortal that is such as in the event will have pardon but that is because the seed of grace will be operative in them so that they shall either habitually or actually repent of their sins Neither when the Orthodox say That Election is absolute do they exclude the media instituta means appointed by God in which the fruit of Election is accomplished but conditions antecedanâ—ous as if that decree did remain suspense and uncertain till the will of man had determined 1 Cor. 6.9 10. The Apostle laieth down an universal rule such and such grosse offenders shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven that is those who live so and do not repent and this is to be extended not only to those who are habitually so but actually likewise unlesse they are reformed Therefore no godly man falling into any of those grosse sins may deceive himself and think he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven without a change Godly or ungodly yet if found in the committing of such a gross sin unless they do repent God will not accept one or the other As repentance is appointed for the wicked man as a duty without which he cannot be saved so confession and forsaking of sin is prescribed a godly man fallen into sin without which he cannot have remission 1 Jo. 1.9 There is no such free grace or Gospel as faith to a believer if fallen into a foul sin whether you repent or no your sins shall be pardoned to you Hence 1 Cor. 11. the Apostle makes every man that receiveth unworthily and yet some of them were godly to receive their damnation that is their eternal damnation without repentance and reformation and after repentance their judgement though not of condemnation yet affliction and castigation How terrible likewise is Paul He. 12.29 where speaking to the godly that are to receive a kingdom that is eternal he exhorteth them to duty Let us have grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Let us retain and keep grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Ro. 15.4 and observe the manner with reverence and godly fear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is such a fear as relateth to punishment compare this place with Ps 2.12 and thus the words following suppose for our God is a consuming fire this is taken out of Deu. 4.24 and the meaning is God is no less angry with Christians sinning against him then formerly with the Israelites it is as easy for him to destroy whom he is offended with as for the fire to destroy stubble How directly doth this place overthrow that Antinomian assertion God saw sin in believers in the Old Testament and therefore afflicted them but it is not so under the New Now when it s said God is a consuming fire this denoteth the great anger of God compare it with Deu. 9.3 Deu. 32.22 Fire is most efficacious and least capable of transmutation as other elements are for which reason the Persians worshipped fire for a god but fire might be extinguished whereas God is such a fire as consumeth all and remaineth immutable Know then brethren that as there are places in the New Testament which speak of the riches of his grace so also of his consuming anger As therefore the promises of the Scripture are for consolation hope to the godly so are the threatnings for a godly fear Between these two milstones a Christian is made dulcis farina as Luther once said and neither of these milstones may be taken for a pledge as the Law was in the Old Testament because one cannot work without the other Therefore for a man to take only those places of Scripture which speak of the goodnesse of the promises and to reject the terrors of the threatnings is spiritual theft in an high degree Doth not Paul 2 Cor. 5 excite himself to run like a Gyant in his ministerial race because of the terror of the Lord at the day of Judgement See ver 10. We must all appear so to appear as to be seen through and made manifest before the judgement-seat of God as those that are to plead a cause in an eminent place before a Judge to receive a reward sutable to his life nâ—w knowing this saith the Apostle we perswade it may relate to himself and to those whom he perswadeth Yet this apprehension of the Lords terror did not exclude love for v. 14. he saith The love of Christ constraineth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either an expression from those who had a spirit of prophecie upon them that was very powerfull whereby they could not but speak or else from women in travell Heb. 12.15 which through pain cannot but cry out so efficacious was love in Paul 4. The sins of godly men cease not to be sins though they are justified We may not say that in Cain killing of another is murder but in David it is not We may not say denying of Christ in Judas is indeed a sin but in Peter it is not No priviledge they have by justification can alter the nature of a sin He that receiveth unworthily is guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord whether he be a wicked man or a Beleever It is not with a Beleever and a wicked man as with a man and a beast comparatively If a beast kill a man it is not sin because the subject is not reasonable but a man if he do so whether godly or ungodly it is a sin because against Gods Law It is not safe to say that God doth with the Beleever and wicked as if a Magistrate should make a Law that whosoever committeth such a crime if he be a free-man he shall only be imprisoned but if a servant he shall be put to death so God whosoever murdereth or committeth adultery
if he be a Beleever the wages due to his sin is only temporal chastisements but to a wicked man it 's eternal death I say this is not safe for although a Beleevers sin shall not actually damn him yet God hath made the same Law to both and repentance as a means is prescribed so that we may by supposition say If the wicked man repent his sin shall not damn him If the justified person do not his sin will damn him It 's true it is not proper to say of sin in the abstract it shall be damned no more then that grace shall be saved but we are to say the person shall be damned or saved Yet the guilt of the sin will cause the guilt of the person if not taken off by Christ as the meritorious and faith as the instrumentall cause The sins then of Beleevers and ungodly are both alike only that the guilt of them doth not redound upon the persons alike is because the one takes the way appointed by God to obtain pardon and the other doth not Not that the godly man makes himself to differ from the wicked but all is the work of grace In some respects the sins of godly men are more offensive to God then those of wicked men because committed against more light and more experience of the sweetnesse of Gods love and the bitternesâ—e of sin What is the cause Heb. 10.28 29 30. the Apostle maketh the condition of a wilfull Apostate to be so dreadfull but because of the excellency of the object in the Gospel above that in the Law If he that despised Moses his Law died without mercy of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy c. Observe that interposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 think ye do you not easily think that such sins offend God more Now although the truly sanctified can never fall into such a condition totally and finally yet their sins committed wilfully against the Gospel are gradually and in some measure of such a nature and therefore they fall terribly into the hands of the living God when they so sin against him and consider how that the Apostle speaks these things even to them of whom he hoped better things and things that accompany salvation Heb. 6. If therefore we see a godly man who hath tasted much of Gods favour play the prodigall walk loosely we may and ought notwithstanding Antinomian positions powerfully and severely set home these places of Scripture upon his conscience And observe how in the New Testament the Apostle alledgeth two places out of the Old Vengeance belongeth to me Deut. 32.35 and the Lord will judge his people Psal 135.14 To judge is to avenge so that the people of God have those considerations in their sins to provoke God which wicked men cannot have and therefore have the same motives to humble them as the Apostle argueth To which of the Angels said he Sit at my right hand c. so may we To what wicked man hath God poured out his love revealed himself kindly as unto the godly therefore do they neglect the greater mercies LECTURE X. JEREMIAH 50.20 In those daies and at that time the iniquity of Iudah shall be sought for c. LEt us in the next place consider the particulars wherein Gods eye of anger doth manifest it self upon his own children if sinning against him The effect of his wrath may be considered in that which is temporal or spiritual or eternal in all these Gods anger doth bring forth in one respect or other For the temporal objects take notice of these particulars first When they sin against God they are involved in the common and ordinary afflictions which do usually accompany sin in the wicked Thus 1 Cor. 11.30 for their unworthy receiving of the Sacrament and some even of those were godly as appeareth v. 32. many were weak and sickly weak were such as did languish and sickly is more such as had diseases on them now these were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strokes from God and therefore came from his anger for their sins Though the Lords Supper consist of a twofold bread the one earthly for the body the other heavenly the bread of life for the soul yet both body and soul did miserably decay because of unworthy receiving This Table being as Chrysostom said mensa Aquilarum not Graculorum food for Eagles not Jaies As therefore those children who have fainting diseases upon them and do secretly eat salt oatmeal c. though they have never such excellent food at their fathers table yet thrive not but look pale and consuming so it was with the Corinthians by reason of their corruptions they inclined to death though they fed on the bread of life Now that these bodily diseases are the common issue and fruit of sin appeareth Lev. 26.16 Deut. 28.22 grace therefore of justification can give no Supesedeas to any disease that shall arrest a believer offending but are the wicked in Consumptions Agues Feavers for their sins so are the godly yea the people of God are in these calamities before the wicked Amos 3.2 You only have I known of all the Families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities I have known you that is acknowledged ye for mine see what that is Exod. 19.5 A peculiar treasure unto me above all people The Hebrew word signifieth that which is dear and pretious and to be desired of all This is aggravated by what followeth for all the earth is mine that is seeing there are so many nations in the world over whom I have full power and dominion how great is Gods goodnesse in taking you for his above others now mark the Prophets reason because I have done this therefore I will visit you for your iniquities for to all your other wickednesses you adde an ingratefull heart So there is another place 1 Pet. 4.17 where God is said to judge them before others and this hath been a great offence to the godly It is time that is a seasonable opportunity by the decree and appointment of God for judgement that is chastisements for former sins which are called judgements because they are publique testimonies and manifestations of Gods anger against sins and are to put the godly in minde of their sins only it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the original The word is used even of the godly 1 Cor. 11.31 32. 1 Pet. 4.6 By the house of God he meaneth the true Members of the Church and whereas he saith it begins in them he thereby intimates that the godly in this life are more exposed to afflictions for sin then the wicked are and this made David and Jeremy so expostulate with God in this matter so that the godly in their afflictions ought to say as that widow of Sarepta 2 Kin. 17.18 This is to call my sin to remembrance It is thought the Apostle though he doth not
of Religion is kept up by acknowledging the fulness and perfection of the Scripture Both Papists and Illuminatists agree in this dangerous Error that they look for and expect a Doctrinal teaching immediately by Gods Spirit above and besides that of the Word Hence as the Papists make the Scripture but a sheath to receive any sword either of gold or iron words that will bear any sense you put upon them so do the Illuminatists that a godly man is above all books teachers writings and feels nothing but God working and acting in him We have therefore the greater cause to set up the Scriptures in their Divine authority and fulnes by how much the more others indeavor to diminish it This noble encomium of Gods word begineth v. 12. where you have the subject of the commendation the commendation it self The subject is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of God Bellarmine and other Papists that they might depress the Authority of the Scriptures understand this of Christ who is often called the Word Their reasons are partly because Christ is in other places called so as Joh. 1.1 alibi and partly because this Word is spoken of as a person and therefore all things are said to be open and naked to his sight But these are not Cogent for although in other places Christ is called the word yet the context doth there clearly evince it whereas here the contrary will appear for having before exhorted them to receive the Gospel and to hearken to the voice while it cals to day among other Arguments he brings this from the nature of Gods word which is to be understood both of the Law and the Gospel and its further observed as a peculiar thing to John only in his Gospel and the Epistles to call Christ the word of God and although the Text speaks of the word of God as preached and not as written yet because the word written and preached differ not essentially but accidentally in respect of the manner therefore this Argument holds true of the Scriptures As for the second reason it is ordinary by a metonymy to attribute that to the Scripture which belongs to God speaking by the Scripture as Gal. 3.22 The Scripture hath concluded all under sin c. so the Scripture is said to speak Ja. 4.5 So that it is no wonder if here the word of God be spoken of as knowing all things because God by this doth discover and manifest every thing In the next place consider the commendation and that is 1. from the adjunct qualities 2. from the powerfull effects The adjunct qualities are quick and powerfull that is it is not dead or frustrated but puts forth its power and efficacy which our words cannot do It is thought to be an allusive expression to the fire which was on the altar of sacrifices that was not to go out Secondly It s commended from the effect it s sharper then a two-edged sword it s an Hebraism to give a mouth to the sword because it doth so devour but because a two-edged or two-mouthed sword doth divide more forcibly therefore is Gods word compared to that Such a sword they say the Levites in the Old Testament did use in dividing and opening the sacrifices in which Metaphor the Apostle continueth afterwards Now by this comparison two things are insinuated 1. That God knoweth all sin even the most hidden 2. This knowledge is not a meer bare knowledge but such as is of a Judge examining and punishing For as the sword doth pierce and hurt so Gods word doth see and punish therefore it is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is most exactly discerning and separating gold from drosse and judging accordingly so that the Text speaking not barely of an omniscient eye of God but an eye discerning judging and punishing doth in this consideration pertinently belong to the controversie We need not be curious in distinguishing between the spirit and the soul only the Scripture doth not confound these together nor between the things understood by the marrow and joints which are translated from the body to the soul This is intended in the general by the joints he means the minima the least things and by the marrow the intima the most secret and inward things Having thus described the efficacy of Gods word he layeth down two Propositions in my Text one negative the other affirmative Negative There is no creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inapparent but he seeth thorow it Affirmative All things are naked and opened opened is more then naked Naked is that which is not clothed or covered Opened is that whose inwards are discovered and made conspicuous Much is said by Criticks concerning the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cameron thinks it translated from wrastlers who are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their adversary when they so take him by the neck and turn him upside down so as to object him in every part to the eyes of the beholders some say the Metaphor may be taken from those who being before the Judge hold down their neck and face to the ground as not daring to behold his face but that which is most received and which is most consonant to the context is of those who take the word from those who begin at the neck and divide the sacrifice in the middle so that all the inwards do appear Thus you see how emphatical and full the Scripture is in describing of Gods omniscient eye of any sin wheresover it is and that not by a meer bare cognition but of judging so that the Observation is That seeing there is sin in justified persons Gods eye must needs see it and judge it To this it is answered very confidently by a distinction never heard of before That God indeed knoweth the sins of believers but he doth not see them Hon. Comb p. 67 68 69 70. and this distinction they plead so boldly for that they say although all men Devils and Angels would gain-say it yet it must stand for the opening of this silly distinction they expresse themselves thus That although to see and know be all one in the pure uncompounded nature of God yet they are not so to us even as justice and mercy are all one in God but not to us yea contrary and the Author giveth two strong reasons as he cals them to prove this first The Scripture saith he distinguisheth them now he argueth that as it is a sin to distinguish where the Scripture doth not and thereupon he instanceth in the distinction of the guilt of sin and the nature of sin making it a new distinction and suspecting it for a corrupter of the Gospel as if Christ had taken away the guilt of our sins and not the sins themselves so where the Scripture doth distinguish there it is a sin for us not to distinguish Now concerning the former that there is in the Scripture a distinction betweeen the guilt
it when it is there Propos 4. In respect of Gods liberty and freedom there is great difference between the attributes of God as also the exercises and actions of them There are some properties that require no object for their exercise but they make it thus the omnipotency of God doth not finde but make its object Again there are others which though they require an object yet not any condition or circumstance in it so the wisdom of God can and doth order every object let it be what it will be to a glorious end It ordered an harmonious world out of a Chaos he made all things qua omnipotens as omnipotent and ordered them all qua sapiens as a wise God But then there are other attributes which though essential to him yet cannot be exercised but where the objects are so and so conditionated as that mercy of God whereby he doth forgive sins requireth an object penitent and believing so that Justice of God whereby it is punitive and vindicative of sin requireth an object that is a sinner and impenitent Now in the actions about the objects of the former sort God is every way free he might have created the world or not have created it but in the actions of the latter sort though he be also free yet not so as to use Justice or not Justice when there is an object with its due condition As now it was free to God whether he would make man or no it was free for him whether he would permit man to fall or no but when fallen not free whether he would be just or no Thus God is free whether he will procure or prepare an object of justice but then when he hath so prepared an object then he is not loosned from the obligation of Justice To procure an object of Justice ariseth from the Soveraignty and meer freedom of God Hence Gods permission of sin or reprobation negative which is the passing by of some are not acts of Justice properly so called but condemnation for sin is truly and properly Justice The former arise from Gods supream dominion and freedom When an Object of Justice is there is an obligation to execute the same upon it but not when an object of mercy is because its necessary to mercy that it should be indebita but to justice debita I do not here intend to meddle with that Question Whether God absolutely might not have let sin go unpunished and yet forgive it as we see men can This is disputed even among the Orthodox some are for the Negative as Pisâ—ator Lubertus c. Others for the Affirmative as Davenant Twist c. but the proper place for this will be when we speak of Christs satisfaction nor yet with that other of the Schoolmen Whether God may absolutely accept of a sinner to pardon and eternal life though he do not regenerate or sanctifie him these are to be handled in their proper place You see by this delivered how far the actions of Gods Justice may be said to be free or not free Propos 5. Whatsoever may be said in an absolute sense about Gods Justice yet since that threatning promulged In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death God cannot in Iustice but punish sinners Though it be in his freedom whether he will give thee a being or no yet if thou art an obstinate sinner it is not in his freedom whether he will damn thee or no so that as God cannot but love that Image of his holinesse where he seeth it so he cannot but hate the contrary wheresoever it is though that hatred shall not alwayes fall upon the person in whom it is because removed by Christ It is Camerons opinion That the word Iustitia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when attributed to God doth alwayes signifie Goodnesse Salvation Redemption but never in the Scripture saith he doth it denote an affection in God whereby he avengeth himself upon sinners but that the words Ira and Iudicium Anger and Iudgement expresse this But though the word signifie so sometimes yet in some places it must needs mean this disposition in God Psal 9.5 1 Tim. 4.8 2 Thess 1.6 so that in some sense we may with several Orthodox men say Iustice is essential to God Sin is not indeed Physically contrary to God as water is to fire for if it were so God would not suffer it to be because he is an infinite good as if there were infinite fire or light there could not be any water or darknesse but it is morally contrary to him Hab. 1. Thou art of purer eyes then to behold iniquity even sins against any positive command of God that are sins only because prohibited they are thus far against his nature and not his will only because it is against his nature to have his will and commands disobeyed in any thing he being the supream and most holy Lawgiver If God did only punish sin because he will and not because he is essentially just there could no true cause be given why Heathens should have terrour in their consciences after sins committed seeing the Word is not revealed unto them declaring Gods will and when the Scripture speaks of God punishing sins it doth not attribute it to Gods meer will because he will do so but to his Iustice Rev. 16.5 7. Thus Exod. 24. God is described by this property Not acquitting the guilty Now when we say God cannot but punish sin with death since the promulgation of the threatning that is not so to be understood as if then only the tie and obligation of Iustice came upon God but it was from eternity for as God did in time reveal this threatning so he did from all eternity will this threatning and so therefore from all eternity it was just with God to punish a sinner neither could he forgive him without a satisfaction This is diligently to be observed because men speak sometimes as if vindicative Iustice were then only due when the actual threatning was whereas the executions of God in time are as his decrees were from eternity and truly we should not give way to such Disputes Whether God could have pardoned absolutely or provided any other way and remedy when we see God pitching upon this and the Scripture only revealing this Hence the Scripture commandeth us to eschew sins not meerly because of his will onely but because he is holy in his nature Lev. 11.44 Josh 24.19 It is true Gods hatred and displicency of sin cannot but be yet the destination of it actually to punishment comes in some sense under his liberty Prop. 6. Though God cannot but take notice of sin so as to punish it yet it is under his freedom whether he will punish it in their own persons or in a surety and by this means the wisdom of God found out an excellent temperament of Iustice and Mercy so that the one doth not oppose the other notwithstanding Gods justice
his righteous men yet that would not avail us Yea as long as there is but a farthing the least sin unpaid so long are we unable to give an account to God We therefore desire of God that he would not call upon us to pay for the least vain thought or idle word much lesse for those more grievous sins which we have committed As it is Not unto us Lord not unto us let the glory be given so Not of us Lord not of us let thy justice be satisfied 2. We pray That God would lay our sins upon Christ and accept of satisfaction in and through him for seeing God hath declared his will that man shall die for sin if we should pray that God would absolutely forgive our sins it would be to pray that he might be unjust There is a twofold difference between Gods forgivenesse of our sins and our forgiving of others First We may and ought in some cases to forgive others freely without any satisfaction at all but God hath bound himself to another way Yet Gods grace is much to be magnified and extolled in pardon as we shall shew against the Socinian Again secondly We may and ought to forgive others though they do not repent and ask pardon of us but God hath declared his will otherwise we do not therefore pray that God would out of an absolute soveraignty and dominion remit our sins but that he would account them upon Christ and take him for our surety As the Prophets wife who died in debt was wonderfully relieved by the Prophets oyl so that she was enabled to satisfie all her creditors no lesse advantagious is the bloud of Christ to us whereby the justice of God is appeased towards us Therefore in this prayer thus we may argue O Lord we call not upon thee to repeal any threatning to nullifie thy word to become unjust but thy wisedom hath found out a way that we may be pardoned and thou satisfied Neither will this be any injury to Christ to lay them upon him though innocent for this he voluntarily undertook and he is not made a Surety or Mediatour against his will neither in the midst of all his agonies and troubles he grapled with did he repent of his suretiship or desire to give it over so that there goeth more to make this Petition good and possible then did to make the world at first for there it cost Christ but a word Let there be light and there was light but it is not so here Let there be pardon and there shall be pardon besides Christs speaking there must be his doing and suffering 3. As we pray thus for Justification so also for continuance and preservation in it As we pray for daily bread though our store be full so Though our Justification be sure and persevering yet by prayer we are to be preserved in it A certain knowledge and faith of a thing takes not away prayers we know certainly God will gather a Church and preserve it to the end of the world yet we pray Thy Kingdom come Paul knew Act. 27.24 that none in the Ship with him should perish because God had given him their lives yet none can doubt but he prayed for their preservation as well as used other means Howsoever now grievous sins committed by a David or Peter may fasten upon them as the Viper upon Pauls hand yet by the grace of God they shall not be able to unstate them out of Gods favour but at last their repentance will revive and so they will sue out a pardon and certainly Gods power and grace is no less seen in preserving of us in the state of Justification then at first justifying us 4. We do not only pray for preservation in this estate but for daily renewed acts of pardon and imputation of Christs righteousnesse Howsoever as in the controversal part is to be shewed Justification is not reiterated but is a state in which we were at first believing put into without Apostacy from it either total or final yet those particular acts of pardon and imputing of Christs righteousness are continually by God communicated unto us neither may we think That our sins past present and to come are all taken away by one sentence so that there is no new or iterated pardon Then indeed Bellarmines Argument would have strength in it That it were as absurd to pray for forgivenesse of sin as to have Christ new incarnated or that we might be predestinated according as some have falsly said Si non sis praedestinatus ora ut praedestineris If thou art not predestinated pray that thou mayest be We might indeed pray for the believing of these things in a more setled manner but not for the things themselves But this is the proper answer to Bellarmines Objection We pray for pardon of sin and not for the Incarnation of Christ or the making of the world because these were so once done that they are never to be done more The Incarnation of Christ was once done and is not to be done again but remission of sin is so done as that it is continually to be done for us and the ultimate compleat effect of it will then only be when sin shall be quite taken away so that a total and full remission will be only at the day of Judgement as appeareth Act. 3.19 That your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come Not but that every sin here forgiven is fully and perfectly forgiven but because we renew sin daily therefore there is need of a daily pardon Away therefore with all such opinions as shall either plead such an inherent righteousnesse in the Pelagian way or such an imputed righteousnesse in the Antinomian way that will overthrow this Petition for forgivenesse of sins If all thy former sins be forgiven and no pardon for future thy case would be desperate for sin like Samsons hair though it be cut yet it will grow again and come to great strength 5. We pray for the sense and feeling of this pardon in our consciences more and more For although God hath pardoned our sin yet if we know not of this it taketh off much from our comfort and Gods glory we are in this case like some Heir or Prince that hath many temporal dignities but by reason of his infancy doth not understand it Hence David though Nathan told him His sin was pardoned yet Ps 51. he prayeth for mercy and pardon and that in a plentifull manner so that although a sin is perfectly remitted so that it cannot be more of lesse forgiven then it is yet the assurance or knowledge of this may be more or lesse and indeed though to have sins pardoned be an objective happiness yet to know that they are pardoned is formal happiness so that he is compleatly happy who both hath his sins pardoned and also knoweth they are so and this made David Ps 103. so exult and rejoyce
Blesse the Lord O my soul who forgiveth all thine iniquities This particular assurance inlarged his heart to praises But although this be part of the sense in this Petition yet this is not all we pray for as the Antinomian contends for we pray principally for the real exhibition of pardon and secondarily for the Declaration and manifestation of it in our consciences Their conceit is That God from all eternity hath pardoned our sins past present and to come and that when we believe or repent our sins are pardoned declaratively only to our conscience they being forgiven before This I shall handle in a Question by it self Only I shall lay down some few Arguments to prove that we do not only pray for assurance and manifestation of pardon but also for pardon it self The reasons are these First We might by the same rule interpret all the other Petitions in regard of Declaration only and not exhibition when we pray for sanctification and glorification in that Petition Thy Kingdom come it might be as well said that we were sanctified and glorified from all eternity and therefore when we are converted or saved in heaven this is but to our sense and feeling This Argument seemeth to be so strong against them that they have confest A man is already glorified while he is upon earth most absurdly confounding the Decrees of God from eternity to do things with the executions of them in time How ridiculous would it be to expound that Petition Give us our daily bread thus Not that God should give us daily bread but only make us to see and feel that he hath given it us A second reason is from the nature of forgivenesse of sin When sinne is pardoned it is said to be blotted out now that blotting out is not only from a mans conscience and feeling but more immediately out of Gods Book So that when God doth forgive he doth cancel those debts which are in his Book and not only the guilt that lieth upon our hearts therefore these are very separable the one from the other A man may feel no weight or burden of sin upon him and yet it stand in fiery Characters against him in Gods Book and on the contrary a sin may be blotted out there yet be very heavy and terrible in a mans feeling and apprehension so sin pardoned is said to be covered or hid not in respect of us as if it were taken from our sight but from Gods sight and he is said to cast our sins behinde his back not ours The third reason This Explication as the whole sense of the Petition would overthrow all other places of Scripture which make no pardon of sin to be but where the subject hath such qualifications as this in the Text of forgiving others it is not indeed put as a cause or merit but yet it is as a qualification of the subject therefore our Saviour repeateth this again Except ye forgive others neither will my heavenly Father forgive you So Act. 10.43 Whosoever believeth on him shall have remission of sins Rom. 3.15 He is a propitiation through faith in his bloud here faith is made an instrument to apply and bring that pardon to the soul which it had not before So 1 Joh. 1.9 If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins By these and the like Scriptures it is plain That remission of sin is given us only in the use of these graces not that hereby we merit at Gods hand or that God is tied to these wayes but it is here as in the Sacraments he hath tied himself to convey his graces in no other chanels or conduits then he hath appointed Lastly This would make no difference between sins repented of and not repented of for if they be all pardoned from eternity then sins that are humbled for and that are unhumbled for have the like consideration on Gods part and I may feel the pardon of the latter though not repented of as well as the former yea I may have the sense of the pardon of all the sins I shall commit for the future and so whereas I pray for daily bread not to-morrow bread I shall here beg for the sense of the pardon not only of my sins to day but tomorrow and the next year But I never read that God made such a Jubile as one Pope did who promised a plenary Indulgence not only for sins past but afore-hand also for all sins to come God doth not antidate his pardon before the sin be committed or repented of but of this more largely in time 6. We pray That as God doth forgive the sin so also he would release the punishments and take away all the wrath that doth belong to it It is a mockery which Papists make about pardon as if indeed God did pardon the sin but the punishment that abideth still and we must work out a release from that by our own selves It is true as we have proved God though he doth pardon sin yet he may grievously afflict but these are fatherly chastisements not judicial punishments but in this Prayer we desire also that as the sins are removed so also whatsoever troubles afflictions and chastisements do remain that they also may be taken away that as the gulf of hell is removed so every cloud also may be dispelled 7. In this Petition we pray That God would deliver us from those effects of sin which God hath immutably set upon it such as are sicknesses death and corruption For although God by vertue of the Covenant of Grace hath promised a perfect pardon of sin yet we cannot come to a full enjoyment of all those priviledges which remission of sin doth bring till we be freed from death and corruption So that as long as there is the death and grave still sin hath some power We therefore pray that whatsoever mortality and corruption sin hath brought in it may be taken away and we made fit for eternal life which is the consequent of pardon of sin for you must know that pardon is not a meer privative mercy freeing us from Gods wrath but there is also a positive investing of us with a title to everlasting life and glory only our corruptibility hinders us from the actual possession of that which we have a right unto we therefore pray That as God removed our sins so he would also remove all the sad effects and mischievous fruit which came in by it 8. We pray not only for pardon of sin but also for the good concomitants and effects of it which are Peace with God and Joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 5.1 Hence Luther speaketh of a twofold pardon one secret and hidden when he forgiveth sins but the people of God do not feel or regard it The other is open and experimental now both these condonations are necessary The first saith he is more bitter and troublesome but more
noble and acceptable The first cleanseth the latter pacifieth the first is of meer faith and obtaineth much of God the latter is of experience more and takes off from the excellency of faith for as that is the best manifestation of love when it is carried out to an enemy so is that of faith when relying upon God though feeling terrours and an hell within us God useth the first kinde of pardon to more heroical Christians The latter to those that are more infirm An instance of this two-fold remission we have in Mary Magdalen the former when Christ turned his back on her and told Peter Much was forgiven her the other when he turned towards her saying Thy sins are forgiven thee go in peace Now in our prayer we must not be limited but as in the Law every Commandment is spiritual and hath a great latitude in it so in prayer every Petition is spiritual and hath much in it let us therefore inlarge our hearts and open them wide when we seek to God for pardon of sin The priviledge is exceeding great and many are the dignities that do depend on it If thy sins be pardoned thou becomest a favourite of Heaven there is no contrariety between God and thee The devil showed the glory of the world and falsly said All this is mine but thou maiest shew all the glory of the Gospel and promises yea all the glory of Heaven and say All this is mine Yea there is a full reconciliation made between God and that person notwithstanding all former enmity as appeareth in the example of the Prodigal son he hath all love favour and honour Again insomuch that such come not into judgement Joh. 5.24 There is no condemnation to them Rom. 8.1 yea there is not so much as any charge or indictment against them What devil what conscience what law may accuse thee when God justifieth thee Now in this Petition we desire that not only pardon of sin but all these blessed fruits of it may be vouchsafed to us Oh therefore the congealed and icie temper of men who are no more inflamed in prayer about this There are many that can heartily and feelingly pray the former Petition for the necessaries of this life but how few for the grace of God in pardoning in a spiritual manner Hearken then O man to what Christ hath said is good for thee to importune and seek after Philo. lib. de Somniis saith and it was also the opinion of Philosophers That the Heavens make such an harmonious melody that if the sound and noise of it could reach to our ears it would make men leave off all their inferiour and sublunary labour and profit attending to that only Certainly this Doctrine of remission of sin which is revealed from Heaven only hath such excellent harmony in it of Gods Justice and his mercy of Gods satisfaction and our happinesse that it may justly make us forget to eat our bread or delight in other comforts meditating of and being ravished with his excellency Let this then instruct thee concerning that necessary duty of seeking out the pardon of thy sins this belongs to every one though a Paul though a Moses though in the highest form of Christianity It is a great comfort that all voluntary sins after grace received are not unpardonable as well as that against the holy Ghost How often do we sin voluntarily and willingly after we are inlightned And then the sins of infirmity and ignorance are more then the sands of the sea-shore Is it not therefore necessary that thou shouldest be continually begging for pardon Know then that these indulgences are not like the Papal to be bought by money but they are purchased by the bloud of Christ Peter thought it a great matter to forgive a brother seven times a day but if God should not forgive us seventy times seven a day our condition would be damnable Those that look to have pardon by their meritorious works and penal satisfactions cannot look up to God Whereas all Nations used to look up to Heaven for rain In Aegypto saith Seneca nemo aratorum aspicit Coelum c. No Husbandman regards the Heavens but Nilus only from which they have rain so in Popery Christ is neglected and Angels or Saints set up as those that can give pardon Men therefore look upon their Pilgrimages their Penance as if they were to forgive their sins to their own selves LECTURE XV. MAT. 6.12 And forgive us our Debts WE come to shew what is implied in this Petition and this may be reduced to three heads First What is implied in the subject who doth pray Secondly What in the object or matter that is prayed for Thirdly What in respect of the person to whom we do pray For the first There are many things supposed in those who are to pray thus As 1. That all men though never so eminently sanctified yet have sins in them And this hath been generally urged by Antiquity against Pelagians who have dreamed of perfect righteousnesse in this life as if we might be sons of light without any spot in us and that evasion is ridiculous that we speak this humiliter for humility sake not veraciter truly for if we had no sin this hypocrisie were enough to make it in us and 1 Joh. 1.9 putteth it out of all doubt If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us He doth not say we extol or lift up our selves and there is no humility in us but we deceive our selves and there is no truth in us Now this the Apostle saith immediately upon those words The bloud of Christ cleanseth us from all sin So that whether this cleansing of Christ be understood in regard of the filth or guilt of sin it s not compleatly fulfilled till we come into heaven So true is that of Ambrose Qui semper pecco debeo semper habere medicinam I who sin alwayes need forgivenesse alwayes And whereas the Apostle saith We all have sin that is to be understood partly in regard of the vicious affections and inordinate concupiscence which is in every one and partly in regard of the guilt which doth accompany them neither may we limit this to some for the Apostle puts himself in the number of those who ought to say so Neither may this be restrained as some would have it to sins past in our former conversation only although the Apostle speak vers 10. in the preterperfect tense for he saith we so sin as that if we confesse our sins God is faithfull to forgive therefore he speaks of sins which are yet to be pardoned and not of those that are past only I acknowledge it is one thing to say Every man hath sin and another thing that he sinneth in every good action he doth and if this place did not demonstratively prove it yet other places do It is good to observe the danger the Apostle makes to come from
may we expect greater things of God Know then as we sinne daily so there are out-goings of pardon continually and the goodnesse of God doth like the Sunne rejoyce to run his race without any wearinesse Lastly In the Person to whom we pray there is supposed First That God only can forgive sins This is an incommunicable property of God Isa 43.1 and Exod. 34.7 It is there reckoned as one of his prerogatives Hence Matth. 9. this is made an argument of Christs Deity that by his meer command he forgave sin for this power to forgive sin is greater then to create Heaven or Earth or to work the greatest miracles Therefore a power to work miracles hath been vouchsafed to the Apostles but not of forgiving of sin unlesse declaratively onely When therefore our Saviour Matth. 9. asketh which is easier To forgive sin or to say Take up thy bed and walk intending by this miracle to prove that he did also forgive sin it is not spoken as if this later were greater then the former but only the curing of the paralytical man was a more visible sign to confirm the other for when they saw that which he commanded accomplished upon the mans body they might well conclude the other fulfilled in his soul Now when we say God only can forgive sin this is to be extended both to the forgivenesse in Heaven and to that in a mans own conscience for the former it is plain because the injury is done only against him when we sin and for the later it is clear because he is the Father of Spirits and so can command whatsoever peace and security he pleaseth in the conscience We see when Friends and Ministers do pour oil into a wounded soul they feel no benefit or refreshment till God speak to the heart This is notably asserted by Elihu Job 34.29 When he giveth quietnesse who then can make trouble and when he hideth his face who then can behold him O therefore with all humble thankfulnesse acknowledge this great mercy of pardon if thou art made partaker of it If the Lord should work miracles for thee he would not display so much power and mercy as he doth in this forgivenesse of thy sins Secondly It supposeth God doth see and take notice of sinne in us after we have believed For how can God be said to forgive that which he taketh no notice of If forgiving be covering of sinne and a blotting it out then it is seen and open to God and uncancelled till this be done Suppose our Saviour had used these words in this Petition Cover our iniquities as we cover the sins of others would not that expression have necessarily implied That God did see them and look on them till he covered them Certainly Joseph did upon a good ground abstain from sin when he said How can I do this and sinne against God That is who seeth me and beholdeth me in secret and will be angry with me But if God take no notice of my sinne how can I truly awe my self from sinne saying How can I do this evil in Gods eyes How can I provoke him to anger Let the Application then be to importune for this mercy of forgivenesse which makes all other things mercy Health riches learning peace are mercies if with these there be a pardon of all our sins especially be pressed to seek for it from this motive which I shall only mention at this time viz. That pardon of sin is the onely support and help in all miseries and calamities whatsoever This onely can sweeten thy pain thy poverty thy fears of death When the Apostle Rom. 5.1 had spoken of Justification by faith and the peace we have thereby with God inferreth from thence We glory in tribulation Alas there would be little glory if at the same time man be against us and God also So Rom. 8.33 34 37. when the Apostle had gloriously triumphed in this priviledge of Justification and that none could lay any thing to our charge then he concludeth We are more then conquerors Again 1 Pet. 3.16 17 18. exhorting the people of God to be ready to suffer for well-doing giveth this reason For Christ once suffered for sins the just for the unjust c. So that no misery or calamity can be joyfully undergone unlesse the Lord forgive our sins to us In these times of warre while we have been under continual fears of an enemie vvhat could rightly support us but remission of our sins To have men accusing and condemning of us but to have God clearing and absolving this can make an Heaven in the midst of an hell LECTURE XVI MAT. 6.12 And forgive us our debts HAving explained this Petition positively and practically we come to handle those Questions which may make to the clearing of that truth which is contained in the Text. And I shall pitch upon those that are usefull and necessary not on thorny and perplexed God indeed once spake out of the thorny bush but seldom doth truth discover her self in those thickets which the Schoolmen have made The first in order that should be discussed is What remission of sin is Or What is meant when we say God doth forgive sinne But before we can come to that another Doubt must be rouled out of the way and that is What sinne is and what are the proper effects of sinne For a man can never understand what it is to have sinne blotted out or taken away unlesse he be first informed What the nature of sinne is and what effects it hath wrought upon the sinner Of this therefore in the first place And first I shall speak of sinne abstractedly in its own nature Secondly Relatively to the person who sinneth Thirdly The proper effects of it Fourthly The weight or aggravation of every sin Let us begin with the former Sinne in the Scripture hath several names which do in some measure describe the nature of it The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used commonly for sin and it doth in a proper signification wherein it is once used denote an aberration from the mark we shoot at Judg. 20.16 Every one could sling stones at an hairs breadth and not misse and from hence metaphorically is signified the nature of sinne for every mans action is to have an end which end is manifested by the Scripture and when a man reacheth not to this he is said to sinne answerable unto this word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to erre from the scope And another word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is going beyond the bounds and limits which are set us Though a learned Critick Dieu doth make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to signifie beyond but by as if it did denote a negligent and carelesse passing by the commands of God Another word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cometh of a word that properly signifieth crookednesse
unclean Thus saith he Christs bloud will cleanse from sin that contaminateth a man Neither is it necessary that grace must really have been in the soul before and then sin by depriving the soul of it so to stain it for it s enough that the soul ought to have grace in it though it were not present before as when a man doth not believe Gods Word though this unbelief do not deprive him of the beauty and grace of faith which he had yet it doth of that beauty of faith which he ought to have And thus as particular actual sins are multiplied so are particular stains and defilements also encreased we therefore must grant a stain by sin though this be not that which is removed by remission Therefore that which continueth a man a sinner in Gods account and is to be removed by remission is that obligation to eternall wrath appointed by God for as soon as a man hath sinned there doth accrue to God a moral right as we may speak with reverence and power being a Judge as thereby he may inflict vengeance upon a sinner and in this respect sin is called an offence because it doth provoke him who is a just Judge unto anger and vengeance This then is that which makes a sin to continue still as if it were in act because upon the sinne committed there is an obligation by Gods appointment to everlasting punishment and when this is taken off then is God said to forgive and till it be sinne is alive crying for vengeance as fiercely as if it were newly committed So that the act once committed that causeth the obligation to punishment and this obligation continuing God doth not forgive When a sinne is committed it may remain in Gods minde and in our minde In our minde by way of guilt and trouble as David said His sin was alwayes before him or else in Gods minde so that he doth will the punishment of such Now when God doth forgive he blots sins out of his minde and remembers them no more He doth not will the obligation of them to punishment being satisfied thorow Christ and the party believing in him By all this you may see That after a sin is committed there remaineth obligation in the will and minde of God to eternal punishment and God when he doth forgive cancelleth this debt or obligation This being cleared we may the easilier judge with what act God doth forgive sinne but of that hereafter Let us consider the aggravation of sin as it is an offence to God which may the more instigate us to pardon In sin we may consider two things First The deprivation of that rectitude which ought to be in every thing we do in which sense sin is a moral monster as there are natural monsters for the soul in sin doth not bring forth fruit answerable unto reason and the Law of God this consideration may much humble us but there is another thing in sin which doth more aggravate it and that is as it is a dishonour and an offence to God and by this means it becometh above our power ever to satisfie God for it Therefore in every sin besides the particular considerations look upon that general one which is in all viz. That peculiar deformity it hath as it is an offence against God Its disputed Whether sin have an infinite evil and deformity in it To answer this If a sin be considered in its kinde so it s not infinite because one sin is so determined to its kinde that it is not another sin as theft is not murder Neither secondly can sin be said to be infinite evil in respect of the being of it for it cometh from finite creatures who are not able to do any thing infinite and therefore sin is not infinite as Christs merits are infinite which are so because of the dignity and worth of the person though the actions themselves had a finite being Besides if sins were infinite in such a sense then no sin could be greater then another because that which is truly infinite cannot be made more or lesse Therefore thirdly Sins are said to have infinite evil in them in respect of the object or person against whom they are committed viz. God who is an infinite object For seeing the aggravation of a sinne ariseth from the worth of the person against whom it is committed if the person offended be of infinite honor and dignity then the offence done against such an one hath an infinite evil and wickedness in it So that the infiniteness of sin ariseth wholly from the external consideration of God against whom it is But of this more when we speak of the necessity of Christs satisfaction to Gods justice by his death Let the Use be to inform thee That every sin committed continueth as fresh to cry vengeance many years after as if it were but lately done till remitted by God Think not therefore that time will wear it out though they may wear out of thy conscience yet they cannot out of Gods minde Consider that of Job 14.17 Thou sealest up my transgression as in a bag and thou sowest up mine iniquity So that what the Apostle speaks of some 2 Pet. 2. is true of all impenitent sinners Their damnation slumbereth not nor doth it linger Therefore till the mercy of God hath taken off this guilt thou art to be in as much fear and trembling as if the very sins were still committed by thee LECTURE XVII MAT. 6.12 And forgive us our Debts THe next Question to be handled is What remission of sin is and how God doth forgive them And although the discussing of the former Question viz. What maketh a man a sinner doth make an easie and quick way of dispatching this because Justification doth take off that consideration and respect of a sinner from a man yet that the whole nature of it may be better understood I shall lay down severall Propositions all which will tend to give us much light in this great and glorious benefit of the Gospel And in the first place as we formerly considered some choice Hebrew words that set forth the pardon of sinne so now let us take notice of some Greek words in the new Testament that expresse this gracious act of God for the holy Ghost knoweth best in what words to represent this glorious mercy to us The word that is most frequently used by the Evangelists and Apostles is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the general is as much as to dismisse or send away to let alone to leave to permit or suffer in which senses the Scripture often useth it and certainly God in this sense doth pardon sin because he lets it alone he leaves it he meddles no more with it but handleth the person forgiven as if he never had been a sinner But commonly this word is used of absolving those who are accused as guilty which appeareth in that famous sentence of Agesilaus
Therefore in different respects we may say That pardon of sin is an utter abolition of it and it is not an utter abolition of it It is an utter abolition of it as it doth reflect upon the person making him guilty and obliging him actually to condemnation in this respect a man is as free as if he had never sinned but if you speak of the inherency of sin and the effects of original corruption that do abide in all which are also truly and properly sins so pardon of sin is not an utter abolition and although Christ wrought no semiplenam curationem as is observed no half-cures upon any diseased persons but whom he healed he healed perfectly yet he works by degrees in the grace of Sanctification as he did perfect the world by severall degrees successively and not as Austin thought all at once So that this particular viz. That forgiveness is a perfect abolition of sin in the former consideration is of transcendent comfort to the believers and indeed it is impossible that sin should be forgiven divisibly and by parts so a man should be at the same time under the favour of God and under his hatred which is impossible Thou therefore who art a believer hast cause to rejoyce for this perfect work of remission of thy sins past wherein nothing more is or can be done for thy good and consolation Do not think it is with God as with men who say indeed They forgive with all their heart yet retain their secret inward hatred as much as before Indeed the pain of sin may roul and tumble in thy conscience a long while after though it be forgiven we see so in David as the sea which hath been enraged by tempests and windes though they be quiet yet the sea will roar and make a noise a long time after The heart of a man awakened and pierced with the guilt of sin doth not quickly and easily compose it self again Prop. 2. It is one thing for God to forgive and another thing not to exact and demand punishments As we see among men a Judge many times through fear or otherwise when Justice is obstructed doth not call such a malefactour to an account but deferreth it yet for all that the man is not acquitted so it is often to be seen in Gods providence There are multitudes of sinners who after their transgressions committed are not onely without punishment but enjoy great prosperity and much outward successe yet these men are not pardoned they have no acquittance from God This hath been such a temptation to David Jeremiah and others of Gods people that they have many times staggered through unbelief But men may have their punishments deferred their damnation may sleep or linger but it is not taken off Let not men therefore delude themselves with vain hopes as if their sins were forgiven because not yet punished No there must be some positive gracious act of God to acquit thee else thy sins are alive to condemn thee Examine thy self therefore whether thy peace comfort plenty be a fruit of Gods forbearance meerly or of his acquittance This later is alwayes an act of his gracious mercy but the other may be a terrible fruit of his hatred against thee insomuch that thou hadst better wander up and down like Cain fearing every thing will kill thee or damn thee then be in such security Prop. 3. A godly man may account not only himself bound to thank God for the pardon of those sins he hath committed but he is to acknowledge so many pardons as by the grace of God he hath been preserved from sin And if a believer enter into this consideration how will it overwhelm him So often as God hath preserved thee from such and such sins which thy own heart or temptations would have inclined thee to God hath virtually given thee so many pardons That God preserved David from killing Nabal and his Family here was interpretatively as great mercy as in the expresse forgiving of the murder of Vriah It is a rule of Divines Plures sunt gratiae privativae quà m positivae There are more preventing graces then positive The keeping of evils from us is more then the good he bestoweth on us Therefore Austin observed well that as Paul said By the grace of God I am what I am So he might also have said By the grace of God I am not what I am not Though therefore we are not so sensible of preventing mercies as of positive yet a due and right consideration of Gods love in this matter might much inflame our hearts Say therefore O Lord I blesse thee not onely for the pardon of those sins I have committed but also for thy goodnesse in preserving me from those many thousands I was prone to fall into which is in effect the pardon of so many Prop. 4. Remission of sin is not to be considered meerly as removing of evil but also as bestowing of good It is not only ablativa mali but collativa boni it is not a meer negation of punishment due to us but a plentifull vouchsafing of many gracious favours to us such as a Sonship and a right to eternal life as also Peace with God and Communion with him God also never pardons any sin but where he sanctifieth the nature of such an one Indeed it will be worth the enquiry Whether this connexion of pardon of sin with inherent holiness arise from a natural neâ—essity so that one cannot be without the other or whether it be by the meer positive will and appointment of God for the present this is enough God hath revealed he will never dis join these Prop. 5. Iâ— every sin there are as to the purpose of Justification these two things considerable the offence that is done to God whereby he is displeased and the obligation of the man so offending him to eternal condemnation Now remission of sin doth wholly lie in removing of these two so that when God doth will neither to punish or to be offended with the person then he is said to forgive We must not therefore speak of two kinds of remissions one remission of the punishment another of the offence and fault for this is one remission and God never doth the one without the other It is true there remain paternal and medicinal chastisements after sin is forgiven but no offence or punishment strictly so taken What kinde of act this remission is whether immanent or transient is to be shewed in the next Question Prop. 6. From the former Proposition this followeth That sin in the guilt of it is not remitted by any act that we do but it is a meer act of God So that neither the grace of repentance or love of God is that which removeth guilt out of the soul but it is something in God onely It is the opinion of many Papists That God in pardoning doth onely inable to repent for sin and then the guilt of
sinne doth naturally and necessarily go away so that there needeth no acceptation from God or act of remission but onely an infusion of grace to repent But this in the next Sermon shall mainly be insisted upon and it is of great practical use to take us off from having confidence and trust in our sorrow for sin For as when a creditor doth forgive his debtor it is the sole act of the creditor not any thing of the debtor So in pardoning it is not any thing that we do though with never so much love and brokennesse of heart that doth release and untie the bond of sinne but it is an act of God onely If you say Why then is repentance and faith pressed so necessarily that God doth not forgive without it For if it be onely an act of Gods then it may be done without any work of the sinner intervening But of this in the next place onely for the present take notice That it is not any sorrow or retraction of ours that makes a sinne either remissible or actually remitted but a meer act of Gods and if all the men of the world were askt this Question What they mean when they pray God to forgive their sins The sense of all would be not that they should doe something which would remit them but that God by his gracious favour would release them So then if all these particulars be cast up together you may clearly conceive how God doth forgive sin not by infusing or putting grace into us which may expel sin as light doth darkness but by his outward grace and favour accepting of us and therefore we are not to relie upon any thing we do not to presume no not of our godly sorrow for sinne but to look up to Heaven desiring God would speak the word that he would pronounce the sentence of absolution Let the Use be To look upon our selves as bound in chains and fetters by our sins as made very miserable by them that so we may the more earnestly desire pardon and put an high prize upon it Though Gods forgiving be not the putting of godly sorrow and the working of a broken heart within us yet we can never obtain the one without the other The grace and mercy of a pardon is no more esteemed by us because we look not upon our selves as so many guilty persons adjudged to eternal death Thus the Publican cried out Have mercy upon me a sinner What Plutarch said of the Husbandman That it was a pleasant sight to him to see the ears of corn bending to the earth because that was an argument of fruit within No lesse joyfull is it to spiritual husbandmen to see their people walk with humble debased broken hearts through sense of sin and not to walk confidently and delicately like Agag saying The worst is past God said of Ahab though humbled for externall motives only Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself How much more will God take notice of those who humble themselves upon spiritual grounds desiring ease from Christ As therefore Bernard writing to one epist 180. who he thought was not sollicitous enough about the Judgements of God in stead of wishing him according to the ordinary custom of salutation Salutem plurimam much health said Timorem plurimum much fear So may the Ministers of God we wish you not much joy but much holy fear Alas thou fearest pain poverty death but the guilt of sin is chiefly to be feared but we like children are afraid of a vizard and do not fear the fire which is a real danger LECTURE XVIII MAT. 6.12 And forgive us our debts YOu have heard Pardon of sin is Gods work only as also his manner of doing it is not by infusing grace into us which takes away the guilt of sin but besides grace sanctifying there is also an act on Gods part repealing the sentence of condemnation against us Now because this may seem to overthrow the duty of repentance and because this is the rock many have been split upon not being able to reconcile our duty of repentance with Gods gracious favour of pardoning I shall speak though not all yet as much as relateth to my purpose in hand concerning the duty and necessity of repentance although there be no causality or merit in it to take away sin and this may rightly inform us about the true efficacy of our sorrow for sin To open this Truth consider these Propositions First That God doth never remit or forgive sin but where also he giveth a mollified and softened heart to repent The Scripture doth abudantly confirm this by precepts and examples It is indeed disputed by the Schoolmen as you have heard whether God by his absolute power might not forgive sin without Sanctification of our natures and the grace of Repentance for seeing they are two distinct mercies why may not God separate the one from the other But it is a vain thing to dispute what God might do when he hath revealed what he will do And although we cannot say That there is a natural necessity between Justification and Sanctification such as is between the light and heat in the fire yet this conjoyning of them together by Gods will and appointment ariseth from a condecency and fitnesse both to God himself who is an holy God and to the nature of the mercy which is the taking and removing of sin away 2. Although the Scripture attribute pardon of sin to many qualifications in a man yet Repentance is the most expresse and proper duty The Scripture sometimes makes forgiving of others a necessary disposition sometimes confessing and forsaking of them sometimes believing though that hath a peculiar nature in receiving of pardon which other graces have not and therefore faith obtaineth pardon by way of an instrument applying which other graces do not But if we speak of the expresse formall qualification it is repentance of our sins not repentance as it is a meer bare terrour upon thy heart but as it is sweetned with Evangelical considerations Luther said There was no word so terrible unto him and which his soul did more hate then that Repent But it was because he understood not Gospel-grounds We read then of some places of Scripture which make God to be the only Author of blotting out and pardoning sin And again we reade of other places where God doth this for none but the broken and contrite heart Now both these places must not be opposed to each other neither may we so dwell upon the one as to neglect the other so to look upon it as Gods act as if there were nothing required in us and again so to look upon that which we do as if God were not to be acknowledged 3. None may believe or conclude that their sins are pardoned before they have repented To this I shall speak more particularly when I handle the Doctrine of Justification before Faith As for the Assertion
it is not reported that she found such grief for her sins So that as in corporal things a man would choose the tooth-ach rather then a pestilent feaver yet a man is more afflicted and pained at the tooth-ach or burning of his finger then at a feaver So it may be here a godly man would rather choose the losse of his children or dearest relations then lose the favour of God by his sinne yet it may be have more painfull grief in the one then the other Again it is to be observed That the Scripture requiring sorrow or repentance for sin doth not limit such a degree or such a length of time which if necessary would certainly have been prescribed 6. It cannot be denied but that the ancient Fathers have spoken hyperbolically of tears and repentance which phrases were the occasion of that corrupt doctrine in Popery Chrysostom compareth repentance to the fire which taketh away all rust of sin in us Basil cals it The medicine of the soul yea those things which God properly doth are attributed to tears and sorrow as if the water of the eyes were as satisfactory as the bloud of Christ his bloud is clean enough to purge us but our very tears need washing It is true indeed we reade of a promise made to those who turn from their evil wayes Ezek. 18.27 he shall save his soul alive but this is not the fruit of his repentance but the gift of God by promise It qualifieth the subject it hath no influence upon the priviledge Even as a man doth by the power of nature dispose and prepare the body to receive the soul but it is the work of God immediately to infuse it 7. Though therefore repentance be necessary to qualifie the subject yet we run into falshood when we make it a cause of pardon of sinne And thus ignorant and erroneous people do Ask why they hope to be saved or justified why they hope to have their sins pardoned they return this answer Because they have repented and because they lead a godly life Thus they put their trust and confidence in what they have done But the Scripture though it doth indispensably command repentance in every one yet the efficient cause of pardon is Gods grace and the meritorious is Christs bloud And if repentance come under the name of a cause it can be only of the material which doth qualifie the subject but hath no influence into the mercy it self We reade Luk. 7. that Mary Magdalen had many sins pardoned her because she loved much But the Parable of a Creditor which forgave debts that is brought by our Saviour to aggravate her kindnesse doth plainly shew That he speaks not of a love that was the cause of pardon of her sin but which was the effect of it Gods love melting her heart even as the Sun doth snow The highest expressions that we meet with in Scripture where pardon of sinne seemeth to be ascribed to godlinesse as a cause is Dan. 4.27 Break off thy iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor Here we would think that if a man would on purpose hold that doing of a good work would be a proper cause to remove sin he would use no other expression But first it appeareth by the context that Daniel giveth not this counsel in reference to Justification and the pardon of his sin so as to be accepted with God but to prolong and keep off that temporall judgement which was revealed in the vision as appeareth by those words If there may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity And we have the like instance in Ahab who prorogued his calamity by an external humiliation Again although the Vulgar translate it Redeem thy sins yet the Hebrew word doth properly signifie To break a thing as we translate it and although by a metaphor it be applied to redeem and deliver yet that is alwayes of men and persons not things especially it would be ridiculous to say Redeem thy sins so that the meaning is That whereas before Nebuchadnezzar had by injustice and oppression done much rapine and violence now Daniel counselleth him to break off such wicked wayes by the contrary expressions of love and chastity So that this place giveth not any spiritual mercy to repentance as the proper cause thereof 8. As repentance is thus necessary but not as a cause of pardon so neither is it required as that whereby we appease and satisfie God and this all Popery goeth upon yea and all Pharisaical spirits in their humiliation that by those afflictions and debasements of their souls they shall satisfie God and make him amends But this is so grosse that the more learned of the Papists are fain to mitigate the matter and say That satisfaction cannot be properly made to God by any thing we do because all we have and do is from God and therefore there must be an acceptation or covenant by way of gift interposed whereby we may be able to satisfie And then further they say There cannot be satisfaction made to gain the friendship of God which sin hath violated but to take away some thing of temporall punishment that belongs to sinne So that by all this which hath been delivered we may give repentance those just and true bounds which Gods Word doth assign to it and yet not give more then Gods Word doth Neither may we think it a nicety or subtilty to make a difference between a qualification and a cause for if we do not we take off the due glory that belongs to Christ and his merits and give it to the works we do and we do make Christ and his sufferings imperfect and insufficient and by this we may see in what sense grace inherent or sanctification doth expel sin for if we speak of the filth and pollution of sin so sanctifying grace expels it as light doth darknesse heat doth cold by a reall mutation and change So that God in sanctifying doth no more to expel the sin in the filth of it afterwards even as the Physitian needs to do no more to the removing of the leprosie then by producing a sound health in the body But when we speak of the guilt of sin it is not grace sanctifying within us that doth remove the guilt but grace justifying without us Insomuch that although a man after sin committed were perfectly sanctified yet that would not take off the guilt his sin had brought upon him So that although that man needed in such a case no further grace of sanctification to make him holy yet he needed the grace of remission to take away this guilt So that the guilt of sin doth not cease by a natural necessity upon the removing of the nature of the sin but upon a distinct and new act of Gods favour in forgiving for if this were so then Gods mercy in giving a repenting heart and his mercy in pardoning should not be two distinct mercies which yet are evidently distinguished by
the Scripture but the same entire mercy Now although this be true yet how few do reform their judgements in this point and thereupon they come to put that upon their grace within them which belongs to grace without them Use of Instruction That there may be an happy reconciliation and accord between Gods grace in forgiving and mans duty in repenting one need not be preached to justle out the other All error is an extremity of some truth and therefore it is hard to discover truth because its difficult to find out where the bounds are that truth parts from error Let not therefore a Christian so relie upon his repentance as if there were no Covenant of grace no bloud of Christ to procure an atonement so neither let him extol these causes to the extinguishing of his duties To stir up to this duty of repentance as that without which pardon of sin cannot be obtained There is no such free grace nor gospel-Gospel-mercy that doth supersede a broken and contrite heart Christ was broken for thy sins yet that will not excuse thee from a broken heart for them also Christ was wounded and a man of sorrow for thy sins yet that will not take ofâ— thy wounds and sorrow also Indeed if these were able to satisfie Gods wrath or to make an atonement then Christ was wounded and became a man of sorrows in vain for God doth not require a two-fold satisfaction but we are wounded for sin upon other grounds then Christ was we mourn for other causes then he did and consider thou that art afraid to grieve here for sin how little is this to that which thou shalt be forced to grieve for hereafter Thou art unwilling to be burdened here but oh how easie is that to the load thou must stand under hereafter This Bernard urged When saith he we urge men to repent they say this is durus sermo an hard speech who can bear it But you are deceived when God shall say Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire This is indeed an hard speech And account that repentance is as much as the bringing of a man to his wits and minde again All the while thy sins are not a burden to thee thou art in blindenesse even as the childe as long as it is in the dark womb weeps not but as soon as ever it cometh into the light then it crieth As long as thou liest in the womb of darknesse and ignorance thou mournest not but when God shall open thy eyes to see thy estate and the aggravation of thy sins then thou wilt burst out into sorrow LECTURE XIX MAT. 6.12 And forgive us our debts IT hath been shewed That there is an happy accord between Gods grace in pardoning and our duty in repenting In bounding of which you have heard the Scripture excludes all merit and causality from our repentance and gives the glory of all to Gods grace and Christs bloud Before I leave this point it will be necessary to answer some practical Objections for there is a great miscarriage in many about this very duty of repentance If they be asked How they hope to be saved they will reply by their repentance Thus they make that their Ark and city of refuge they look upon that as the brazen serpent and not Jesus Christ And it is no wonder if this be so among ignorant people when the most learned amongst the Papists do give such power and merit unto repentance Insomuch that Vasques saith He wonders at those Catholikes who have such low and despicable thoughts of the righteousnesse in us as that it should not exclude sin without any new favour or pardon of God as if the enabling us to repent did expel the guilt of sin as fire doth water by a natural necessity The first Objection therefore may be To what purpose doth God require Repentance seeing it is no cause of pardon Why may not God forgive sin as well without this sorrow of ours for if it have no efficacy of it self to deliver from the guilt of sin then sin might be pardoned as well without it as with it for if the Spirit of God prepareth us for pardon by exciting and stirring up Repentance this Repentance must have some respect of causality to pardon or else to what purpose it is wrought It is hard therefore to see the necessity of Repentance unlesse it have such effects Insiste fortitèr poenitentiae inhaere tanquam naufragus tabulae said Ambrose And this efficacy all are pronâ— to give to Repentance Now to answer this lay first this foundation That God doth indispensably require repentance of all Act. 17.30 where not only the command of repentance is made known but the goodnesse of God in pressing this duty for whereas God hath neglected and passed over the former times of ignorance by not revealing any such command unto them now by the general spreading of the Gospel he doth For howsoever we translate it winked at as also Beza doth yet Dieu upon the place sheweth more probably that it signifieth Gods anger and indignation to them and therefore hid the means of salvation from them This grace is also required of the godly sinning 2 Cor. 7.9 1O Revel 2.16 Tertullian subtilly but not solidly saith God first dedicated repentance in his own self for before God said It repenteth me that I have made man the name of repentance was not heard But we know that God cannot in a proper sense be said to repent because there is no ignorance in his understanding or mutability in his will But to answer Why God doth require it this in the first place might be enough Because it is his will and command Bonum est poenitere an non quid revolvis Deus praecipit said Tertulâ—ian Is it good to repent or not Why doubtest thou Hath not God commanded it It is Gods will to joyn pardon and repentance together Though there were no more connexion between these two then by that meer appointment of God we were bound up to do it As we see in the Sacraments God hath promised such spirituall grace in the holy use and application of such outward signs where there is no naturall connexion at all between the grace and the sign but the union comes by the meer institution and command of God Although the conjoyning of pardon with repentance be more then from a meer positive command there is an aptnesse and fitnesse in the thing it self Now God in commanding of this doth not because he needed it or as if he could not do otherwise for if a man may forgive another that hath injured him although he do not grieve or be troubled for such an offence why may not God if we speak of absolute power Thy tears therefore and thy repentance they make not God more happy neither are they required for Gods good but for thy own good Neither doth God require them as if they should make up any defect or
insufficiency in Christs bloud for alas if Christs bloud be not able to cleanse away thy sin how shall thy tears do it Hence it s no lesse then blasphemy which Rivet reporteth of Panigirolla the Papist who cals it foolishnesse and a grievous sin to put confidence wholly in Christs bloud Although therefore God puts up thy tears in his bottle yet if he do not also take notice of the bloud of Christ thy soul must still remain filthy Do not therefore magnifie thy tears and undervalue Christs bloud The bloud of the Sacrifice which represented Christs bloud was to be sprinkled upon the posts of the door but not on the threshold it was not to be trampled upon or despised no more is Christs bloud In the second place There are many reasons of congruity and fitnesse why a man should repent though it procure not pardon as a cause Though God cause the Sunne to shine and the rain to fall upon the wicked as well as the righteous yet pardon and reconciliation is not vouchsafed to the impenitent as well as the penitent The first reason of Congruity is Because hereby a man shall experimentally know the bitternesse of sin as well as the sweetnesse of it For as God though Christ hath fully satisfied his justice to take away all punishment doth yet heavily afflict his own people for sin that so they may in their own sense apprehend what wormwood and gall is in sin so the Lord though pardon come wholly by Christ yet will give it to none but to those that repent that so according to their delight in sin may also be their bitternesse for it Jer. 2.19 Aristotle said Homo est magis sensus quam intellectus much more is he sensus then fides more sense then faith and what he experimentally doth most feel in that he is most affected 2. Another Congruity is this Hereby we shall come to prize pardon the more and to esteem the grace of God in forgiving The sick esteem the Physician The broken bones make a man cry out for ease The famished Prodigal would be glad of crums It is therefore fit that a mans sins should be a burden and an heavy trouble to him that so pardon may be the sweeter and Gods love the more welcome When Josephs brethren were put in fear and dealt with roughly as spies after this to know that Joseph was their reconciled brother did work the greater joy Again we shall hereby judge the better of Christs love to us his sufferings in his soul were more exquisite then those in his body when he cried My God why hast thou forsaken me in this was the height of his Agony Now thou that in thy repentance feelest Gods displeasure art ready to cry out Why dost thou forsake me By these throbs and agonies in thy own soul thou maiest have some scantling of what Christ had in his soul and certainly to think that Christ was thus tempted thus under Gods displeasure for thee will more indear Christ to thee then that he was made poor a worm and no man yea crucified for thee 3. Hereby we shall give God the glory of his Justice that he might damn us if he did enter into strict judgement with us In repentance we judge our selves 1 Cor. 11. that is we condemn our selves acknowledge such sins to be committed by us for which God might shew no mercy for which he might say Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire and by this means God is highly honoured and we debased See this notably in David Psal 51.4 Against thee have I sinned that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and clear when thou judgest By this expression David doth acknowledge that all the afflictions laid upon him for sin were just and therefore God was to be cleared howsoever Thus in repentance a man comes to know himself how low and vile he is and that if he be saved from wrath and hell it is meerly from Gods good pleasure and therefore repentance is a kinde of a revenge upon a mans self 2 Cor. 7.10 The Lord is set up in his greatness and soveraignty we are made wholly prostrate 4. As there is a Congruity So repentance floweth by naturall consequence from a regenerated and sanctified heart For seeing regeneration is taking away the heart of stone and giving an heart of flesh thereby also is given a flexiblenesse and tendernesse and aptnesse to relent because God is dishonoured As there is in children a natural impression to mourn and relent when a father is displeased so that this godly sorrow floweth from a gracious heart as a stream from the fountain as fruit from the tree From this inward principle David doth so heartily mourn and pray from this Peter goeth out and weeps bitterly It is therefore a vain Question to ask Why a godly man is humbled for sinne it is as if you should ask Why a childe mourneth for the death of his father That love of God within him which doth abundantly prevail and reign there is like fire that doth melt and soften So that as naturall forms are the principles of actions which flow from them Thus is a supernatural principle of grace within the ground of all spiritual actions that issue thencefrom but although it flow as a fruit yet many times this stream is obstructed or dried up 5. There is in godly sorrow an aptnesse or fitnesse to be made the means or way wherein pardon may be obtained And this is the highest our godly sorrow can attain unto in reference to pardon of sinne viz. an ordinability of it to be such a way wherein we may finde mercy And thus we cannot say of impenitency or any other sin That God may forgive a man living in his impieties and wicked wayes for they have no aptitude or condecency in their natures to be referred to such an end We grant therefore that when the Spirit of God doth humble and soften a mans heart for sin that it works that in a man which hath a fitnesse to be used as the means whereby mercy is obtained yet that hath no merit or condignity in it to purchase salvation Hence it is that we may not say It is all one whether a man doth repent or not or that repentance is in a man as a sign only that God hath pardoned but we must go further and say it is the means and way which God hath aâ—pointed antecedently to pardon so that where this goeth before the other cometh after 6. There is a Congruency in repentance for sin Though it be not expiatory or satisfactory If we do regard the justice of God or the mercy and grace of God The justice of God For if he should pardon sinfull impenitent men though they wallow in all mire and filth that despise his grace and mercy how could his justice bear it Though therefore repentance doth not satisfie his justice yet sins unrepented of cannot
be pardoned without injustice and therefore Christ did not undertake to satisfie the wrath of God in an absolute illimited manner but in an ordered way viz. in the way of faith and repentance Again It is not beseeming the grace of God to give pardon without repentance for hereby a floud-gate would be opened to all prophanenesse and impiety and then what sense or taste could men have of the grace of God if it were thus exposed to all impenitent as well as repenting who would magnifie grace who would desire it So that you see it s neither agreeing with the mercy or the justice of God to forgive sin before or without repentance A second Objection may be Why repentance wrought by the Spirit of God is not enough to remove sin in the guilt of it What necessity is there that besides this there should be a special and gracious act of God to pardon 1. The Answer is from many grounds First The Scripture makes these two distinct mercies and therefore ought not to be confounded God promiseth to turn the heart unto him and he will turn to it in the way of pardon So that a man absolved at the throne of grace hath two distinct benefits for which he is to give God thanks the one is that he makes him to see his sins and be humbled for them The other that being thus humbled God giveth him pardon for although God hath ordered it so that where the one goeth before the other shall infallibly follow yet all this is of Gods goodnesse He might have commanded repentance in a deep and broken manner and when we had done all yet might have had no pardon and therefore it is no thanks to thy repentance but to Gods grace that thou doest meet with forgivenesse 2. Our repentance is infirm and weak needing another repentance Lava Domine lachrymas meas saith he O Lord wash my tears That is only true of Christs bloud which Ambrose spake in commendations of water Quae lavas ownia nec lavaris which washest all things and art not washed thy self So that repentance cannot be the remedy to lean upon for alas that needeth another remedy which is the bloud of Christ If therefore when asked How dost thou hope to have thy sins pardoned thou answer because thou repentest and humblest thy self for thy sins It will be further demanded But how doest thou hope to have thy sins of thy repentance taken away Here all must necessarily be resolved into the bloud of Christ Take heed then after sin of trusting in thy own sorrow It is a most subtil sinne unlesse a man be much acquainted with the Gospel-way and his own self-emptinesse its impossible but that he should look upon his repentance as that which maketh God amends 3. If it were possible that our repentance were perfect and without spot yet that could not take away the guilt of sin committed because sinne is an infinite offence and dishonour to God and therefore can never be made up by any man though he should be made as holy as Angels for if man had committed one sinne onely if the same man should presently be made perfectly holy or if he had the holinesse of Angels and Saints communicated to him all this could not take off the guilt of sin neither would all that holinesse have as much satisfied God as sinne displeased and dishonoured him Hence God sent Christ into the world to make a reparation and to bring a greater good then sinne could evil Oh therefore how low must this lay thee in the dust after sinne committed O Lord Could I repent to the highest degree Could I bring the holinesse of men and Angels it could not make up the breach sinne hath made upon me what then shall I think of my self whose graces may be much perfected and bettered then they are But you may say Why should not repentance be as great a good and as much honour God as sinne is an evil For when you say sinne hath an infinite evil in it it is meant only objectivè because God against whom it is committed is an infinite God Now then if sinne be called infinite because it turneth from an infinite God why should not repentance be said to be infinite because it turneth to an infinite God This hath much puzled some and hath made them hold that repentance hath as much infinite worth in it because of God to whom a man is turned by it as sinne hath infinite evil in it But there is a vast difference because it is enough for sinne to have an infinite evil in it because the offence is done against an infinite God and so the nature of an offence is according to the object against whom it is As an offence against a King or Emperour is more then against a private man so that still offences are more or lesse as the persons against whom they are be of greater or lesse dignity but now it is otherwise in good things that are done by way of satisfaction that ariseth from the subject not the object as now repentance though it be a turning to God who is infinite yet that cannot have infinite satisfaction because the subject which doth repent is finite Therefore this cleareth the difficulty offences arise according to the object but satisfaction encreaseth according to the subject Hence it is That Christ only could satisfie because he only was an infinite person Otherwise if grace or holinesse could have done it Angels might have wrought our redemption Besides our repentance And turning to God cannot be as meritorious of good as sinne is of punishment because of that true rule Malum meum purè malum est meum est bonum meum neque purè est neque meum est Our sins are altogether and onely sins and they are truly ours but our good things are neither purely good things nor yet ours but the gifts of God The last Objection is Why should there be such pressing of mourning and repenting for sin and that because it is such an offence to God For seeing God is all-sufficient and happy enough in himself our sins do not hurt him or make him miserable no more then our graces adde to his happinesse but as he is above our graces so he is also above our sins seeing therefore God is incapable of any injury from man why should sin be such an offence The Answer is easie If you consider the internall Attributes of God as Justice Wisdom Glory and Happinesse So God can have no losse or injury for he is alwayes the same happy and immutable glorious God but if you do consider the â—â—â—â—nall good things that are due to him from men as Honour Praise Reverence c. These may be taken away from God by the perverse wils and lives of men and so God have lesse of this eternal Honour and Glory then he hath And although this external Honour and Reverence
changed would be a strong and undeniable inference And indeed for this particular may the Arminians be challenged as holding Gods mutability because they hold That notwithstanding Gods decree and purpose to save such a man yet a man by his own corruption and default shall frustrate God of this his intention Otherwise all know Adam was created in a state of Gods favour and quickly apostatized into the contrary so that we may truly say Adam was one day yea hour as some a childe of Gods favour and in another of his wrath yet the change was in Adam not in God both because God had not made an absolute Decree from all Eternity for his standing as also because he had made no Promise to preserve him in that happy condition In this sense 1 Pet. 2.10 it is said Which in time past were not a people but now are the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy And whereas the Opponent saith God loved us before we did believe it is true with a love of purpose but many effects of his love are not exhibited till we do believe He loveth us and so worketh one effect of love in us that that effect may be a qualification for a new and further effect of love He loveth us to make us his friends and when he hath done that he loveth us with a love of friendship God loved us before he gave Christ for out of that love he gave us Christ that so when Christ is given us he may bestow another love upon us Now because it is ordinary with us to call the effect of love love as the fruit of grace is grace Therefore we say In such a time God loved not one and afterwards we say He doth love the same not that herein is any change of God but several effects of his love are exhibited As we call the effects of Gods anger his anger Poena patientis ira esse creditur decernentis The punishment on the offender is judged the anger of the inflicter and by this means we say sometimes God is angry and afterwards he ceaseth to be angry when he removeth these effects of his anger so a man is said to be loved or not to be loved according to the effects of Gods love exhibited in time and God hath so appointed it that one effect of his love should be a qualification in the subject for another as sanctification for glorification LECTURE XXIII MAT. 6.12 And forgive us our Debts THe next Question to be considered is Whether in this prayer we pray only for the Assurance of Pardon not Pardon it self For thus the Antinomians answer to the Objection fetched from this place that the whole sense of this Petition is That we may feel in our selves and assuredly perceive what pardon God had given us before Honey-Comb p. 155. So Den reconcil of God to man p. 44. making this Argument of the Text against himself If we pray for forgiveness of sins then sins are not forgiven before answereth The Protestants saith he with one consent hold That they do beg at the hands of God greater Certainty and Assurance of Pardon and he instanceth in a condemned person that is upon the ladder who having received the pardon of his Prince may when called into the Kings presence fall down and say Pardon me my Lord and King but this is to abuse Protestant Authours for although many of them may make this part of the meaning yet none make it the only meaning Gomarus in his Explication of this Petition doth excellently confute Piscator for explicating Pardon of sin by a Metonymy of the subject viz. The sense and feeling of this in our hearts and saith That such a signification cannot be proved out of any place of Scripture nor out of the language of any good Authors and one of his reasons is this Prayer for pardon of sin would be imprudently taken out of the Lords Prayer for he who prayeth for the sense and feeling of a thing supposeth it already done Now saith he every wise Petition hath for its object a thing to come and not a thing past This also Bellarmine objecting against special Faith as if it were a confidence that my sins are forgiven already he makes it as absurd upon this ground to beg for pardon as it would be to pray that Christ may be incarnated or made flesh Crocius in his answer to this Disput de fidei justificantis objecto pa. 131. saith as you heard before That those things indeed use not to be prayed for which are so done that they are never done more but those things which are so done as that they may be often done again may be prayed for The incarnation of Christ was once done and can be no more but Remission of sins is so done that it continueth further to be done and its last effect is reserved for the future For as often as we sin so often there is need of Repentance So that by his Judgement Remission of sinne is not like Creation which once was and is not reiterated but conservation More might be said out of Authors but I come to answer the Question First We grant it a duty for that believer who knoweth his sins are pardoned to pray for further Faith and Assurance of the Pardon For seeing our Faith admits of degrees and is sometimes staggering ready to sink no marvel if it needs supports Thus David although he heard his Pardon proclaimed yet makes that poenitential Psalm Psal 51. for mercy to do away his sins which was by appeasing his conscience and satisfying his soul with the goodness of God for as a godly man though he have truly repented of his sins yet upon any sad occasion doth reiterate his Pardon as Paul many times hath his heart-ake for his former blasphemies and persecutions so it is necessary to have the sense and apprehension of his Pardon reiterated to his own comfort and consolation There is no mans Assurance about Pardon so high and unmoveable but it many times meeteth with violent assaults and therefore needeth oil to be frequently poured into his wounds Comfort comfort ye my people saith the Prophet There must be an ingemination of the duty else the soul at first will not hearken In the second place We may conceive of four sorts of persons praying for this Pardon of sin The first is an unconverted and unregenerated man For although he cannot call God Father and so not pray in Faith yet he is bound to pray The Socinians interpret that compellation Our Father not actually but dispositively as if the meaning were who art ready and willing to be a Father But that is not the full meaning of that place There lieth an obligation upon unregenerate men to perform holy Duties though they cannot do them acceptably Their impotency to do them doth not disoblige from the command to do them Now its plain that such a person
respect of the living members Therefore although Gods people in such grievous fals lose their assurance feel wofull commotions of heart yet they are not to conclude That God hath utterly cast them off They are not to look upon themselves as unsound though they have been Prodigals LECTURE XXV PSAL. 32.1 2. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sinne is covered Blessed is the man to whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity DAvid is stiled by some Ancients The Divine Orpheus by whose musick the wilde beasts evil men may be made tame and certainly his materiall Harp was not more efficacious to drive out Sauls evil spirit then his Psalms are sanctified means to expell all corrupt affections in us And although all Scripture be equally excellent in respect of the Authour yea and of the matter absolutely considered yet in respect of us our direction or consolation by reason of our present estate one place of Scripture may be preferred before another in which sense Junius interprets those Psalms that have their inscription A Psalm of Degrees A Psalm of Excellencies as the Hebrew word will bear it Now this Psalm I am upon may justly be so stiled because it hath a peculiar usefulnesse to those who are exercised about the guilt of sinne for here we have David like an anatomy opened that we may be instructed Hence the title of the Psalm is Maschil which is as much as giving instruction and it is observed by Commentators this is prefixed commonly to those Psalms that have some choice eminent Doctrine especially about afflictions as this hath about Davids guilt and trouble under sin and also his pardon of it The Hebrews call this Psalm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cor The heart of David because he is so affected with Gods displeasure for sinne and the excellency of the pardon Therefore you must conceive the Text to be uttered by David as one groaning and heavily pressed with the weight of his sinne and crying out Oh how blessed and happy are they that have theis sinnes forgiven them In which words you have pardon of sin described First From severall expressions to magnifie the mercy Sins forgiven covered not imputed It is much to consider how ancient Interpreters have made a difference between the sins enumerated as if there were divers kindes or at least degrees of sinne enumerated and hereupon also they make a difference between forgiving covering and imputing as if one were more then the other but we are rather to take it according to the Scripture-custome which doth use for amplification sake to say the same thing in divers words and this is autology but not tautology The difference that is is from the severall metaphors that are in the words As the first word doth signifie the taking away of sin which is a burrhen blessed is he that is eased of such a weight The second which is covering doth suppose the loathsome filthinesse of sin in the eyes of God and therefore by grace is taken out of his sight The third not imputing or reckoning is a metaphor supposing sinne a debt and God in his account will not set it upon our score so that the severall expressions are wonderfully comfortable if sinne trouble thee as an heavy weight on thee pardoning is the easing and taking off this burden if sinne make thee to judge thy self loathsome thou canst not endure thy self pardon of sin is covering of it if sin put thee in such a debt to God that thou knowest not how to satisfie pardon is not imputing Secondly This is described from the adjunct adherent to remission of sinne viz. blessednesse The Apostle Rom. 4 alledgeth this place to prove That a man hath righteousnesse imputed to him without works But the pertinency of the Apostles argument is disputed of for how doth it from this place follow that a man hath righteousnesse imputed to him without works This is as if a man should argue He is a rich man because his debts are forgiven which is a non sequitur because they are two distinct things This makes Piscator and Wotton with others to make justification to be nothing but remission of sins and that imputation of righteousnesse and remission of sins are the self same thing a man being therefore accounted righteous because his sins are not imputed unto him Hence they deny that the Scripture ever saith Christs righteousnesse is imputed unto us although in some sense they grant it may be said so inasmuch as by his death for us he purchased remission of sin which is our righteousnesse This is to be considered of when we speak of the other part of justification viz. imputation of Christs righteousnesse Although they that are for imputed righteousnesse say The Argument is good which Paul useth because imputing of righteousnesse is immediatly contrary to the imputing of sinne and therefore Paul might argue righteousnesse imputed from sinne remitted even as we truly argue The night is not therefore the day is because darknesse and light are immediate contraries and the subject must necessarily have one of them Lastly This forgivenesse of sin is described from the subject in whom it is viz. in him in whose heart there is no guile that is who doth not cover his sins by not confessing and not repenting of them as David acknowledgeth he did for a while From the Text I shall raise such Observations as are to my particular scope As First That forgivenesse of sin is a covering of sin This truth deserveth a diligent unfolding because the mistake about it hath brought forth dangerous errours in two extremities The one of the Papist That because it is covered Therefore there is no sinne at all in the godly otherwise God could not but see it and hate it as Pererius and others argue The other of the Antinomian who inferre from thence That therefore God seeth not sinne or taketh notice of it in justified persons as Eaton To understand this aright take notice That to cover is a metaphorical expression and we must not squeeze it too much lest bloud come out in stead of milk Some make the metaphor from filthy loathsome objects which are covered from our eyes as dead carcases are buried under the ground some from garments that are put upon us to cover our nakednesse some from the Aegyptians that were drowned in the Red Sea and so covered with water some from a great gulf in the earth that is filled up and covered with earth injected into it Lastly some make it an allusive expression to the Mercy-seat over which was a covering which might signifie Gods grace through and in Christ abolishing our sinnes Hence the Apostle attributes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Christ and his bloud which is given to the Mercy-seat We may not strive for any of these Metaphors they all in the generall tend to shew this That God when be pardoneth doth not look upon us as
sinners but deals with us as if we had never sinned at all as it is here made blessednesse to have sinne covered so it is made a woe and misery Nehem 4.5 not to have sinne covered as Nehemiah praieth against Sanballat and Tobiah This expression is also used Psal 85.2 In the next place we may consider in what sense God doth cover sin when he pardons and in what he doth not 1. God is said therefore to cover sinne from his eyes because he will not take notice of it in justified persons to punish it with wrath and condemnation although it be not so covered as that God doth not see it to be angry with it and chastise beleevers for it yet it is so covered as that he doth not see it to condemn beleevers for it We do not therefore make God to cover sinne as an Antinomian saith we do as if a man should cover a thing with a net where the object is still seen Honey comb pag 57. but as to Gods hatred and revengefull condemnation so it is wholly covered and therefore those expressions of taking away blotting out of sinne c. do fully imply that God giveth not an half pardon but that he taketh away the offence and whatsoever punishment properly so called belongs unto it 2. It doth imply That God when he hath thus forgiven deals with a man as no more in that particular a sinner Therefore David after his murder and adultery are washed away he is as white as snow in respect of those actuall sinnes and every true beleever repenting is bound to beleeve that God doth this graciously and gloriously to him That he is no more in Gods account that loathsome leper and unclean person he was It doth imply That God by degrees and in his due time will cover the beleevers sins as from his own eyes so from the beleevers eyes So that the guilt of conscience those arrows of the Almighty shall not alwaies stick in his heart Thus as mans love to another covers a multitude of sinnes he will not mention charge or upbraid the party with them so doth Gods love cover the multitude of beleevers sins committed by them dealing with them as reconciled persons not upbraiding of them but bestowing all encouraging mercies upon them so that if we improve this phrase of covering sin no further we shall split on no rock and yett he soul have as much comfort as it can rationally desire In the next place hear what it doth not reach to and wherein the phrase is abused As 1. When we dream of such covering of sinne as that sinne is wholly taken away so that no reliques of original corruption abide in us Thus the Papists We must not say they suppose such a covering as if sinne were still there only God will not impute it but it is such a covering as is a blotting sinne out Now for actual sinne we grant covering to be a blotting it out but for original sin in the lusts thereof We say they are still in the godly and properly sins only covered because not imputed to them for the grace of regeneration though it cut the hair of sinne as Dalilah did Samsons yet it groweth again as long as the root is there 2. We may not conceive sinne covered in this sense as if we by our subsequent good actions did cover sinne so some have expounded holy works to be the garment that covers our nakednesse but this would be our covering and not Gods covering whereas the Psalmist attributes it to God Psa 85.2 Therefore that Exposition will not hold which some bring out of Austin explaining this covering of sinne as Emplastrum tegit vulnus the Plaister covers the sore by healing of it for although healing grace accompany justification yet it is not justification 3. We may not conceive it said to be covered in this sense As if God when he had pardoned did not yet still retain anger against the persons sinning and so chastise them Though this doctrine be much pleaded for yet Scripture is evident against it David had sin covered yet God would not let the sword depart from his house Thus Job aweth himself against sinne with this consideration That God would see it in him and take notice of it Job 10.14 If I sinne thou markest me God seeth sin in Job and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity and Cha. 14.16 17. he saith God doth watch over his sin and seal it up in a bag Let not then the people of God delude themselves into security by any false doctrine and what woful conclusions there are of a godly mans peace when he fals into a grosse sin I shall handle in another Question Neither fourthly may we conceive of sin covered in a carnall grosse manner As if there were something interposed between Gods eyes and sinne as if a mans face were covered with an hat or a candle put under a bushell The Antinomians similitude is grosse and carnall Honey-comb pag. 275. as a man looking thorow a red glasse seeth the water all red within it so God looking upon us in Christ seeth nothing but the righteousnesse of Christ and no sin at all for the reason why our senses judge water red thorow a red glasse is because it depends upon the fitnesse of a medium and that being indisposed the eye is deceived but God in looking upon us doth not depend upon any intervening thing and indeed Gods seeing of sin in this point is not so much an act of his understanding as of his will decreeing to punish sin or not to punish it So that this similitude doth no waies hold for God in this matter of forgiving or punishing sinne is not to be looked upon as a natural agent but voluntary So that all these things rightly understood we may take that which is good and comfortable leaving that which is corrupt and false And if the Question be made Whether the phrase of covering sinne make for that errour That God doth not see sin in beleevers offending I answer No by no means for these Reasons First Gods covering of sinne is to be limited only to condemnation as I have proved Davids sinne was at the same time open to God and covered open to fatherly chastisements covered to revengefull condemnation God did see it as a Father to be angry with him not as a Judge to hate him 2. Because this covering is limited to those sins which are paâ— and repented of not to new sins committed they are not covered without a new gracious act of Gods favour David before this sinne committed that is spoken of in the Psalm he had his former sinnes covered but this was not covered till he did acknowledge it and then saith he Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne Though therefore God should not see the sinnes past yet the new ones committed they are taken notice of by him 3. Because though God hath covered them yet God may and
doth sometimes afflict his people for their sins so that they cannot be in every sense said to be covered But I have spoken largely of this already Two material Objections are to be answered and then I shall proceed The first is If sinne be in the regenerate yet covered and not imputed How will this stand with the omnisciency truth and holinesse of God His omnisciency for he cannot but see sinne if it be there His truth for God must needs judge of things as they are if therefore sinne be there he must judge it to be there otherwise we make him like the wicked who covers sin he will not acknowledge it to be there Now what truth is this to say of a regenerate man he is cleansed and washed from all his evil and yet his evil is in him This the learned among the Papists doe much urge Pererius Tiriuus c. At most saith Suarez de justificatione it makes remission of sin to be nothing but a remission of the punishment not of the offence or fault The very same is urged by Antinomists Lastly How doth it consist with Gods holinesse for he must needs hate sinne in whomsoever he findes it and therefore for the Saints to have sin in them and yet God not to impute it to them seemeth a contradiction But to all this the answer is easie As for Gods omnisciency none say but by that God beholds sinne where it is and in that sense sinne is not at all said to be covered for he knoweth all in man As for his truth God doth judge as the thing is for as he seeth sinne so he judgeth sinne to be in them and according to that eternal rule laid down Psal 89.32 33 He chastiseth them with the rod though he take not his loving kindenesse from them so that God doth not judge things otherwise then they are And as for his holinesse he is not only angry with their sins but also would proceed to their eternall condemnation were it not for Christ their surety so that their sins are punished though not in their own persons Neither is this a taking away of sin only in respect of the punishment but of the offence also God being wholly reconciled with his people though the corruption which is removed by sanctification not justification is by degrees purged away The second Objection is How can God see sinne seeing they have Christs righteousnesse and there being no sin in that therefore God must look upon them as in Christ which is without any sin at all The answer is that when we say Christs righteousnesse is made theirs it is not to be understood subjectively as if it were a quality inherent in them for then indeed God could not see sin in them but relatively he is their Mediatour and by his obedience they are acquitted so that the righteousnesse is in Christ but by faith it becomes theirs not formally but as the merit for which God doth justifie them and God doth account it to them as theirs now this is no contradiction to be sinfull in our selves and yet at the same time acquitted by the righteousnesse of another It is true those expressions of making Christs righteousnesse a formall righteousnesse or as others a materiall righteousnesse and those disputations Whether Christs active or passive obedience both or either of them be imputed to us hath much darkned the Question whereas if we consider of it as a relative righteousnesse performed by our Surety in our stead the matter will be made much clearer yet I speak not this as if Christs active obedience were not made ours as in time may be shewed I come to the second Observation out of the Text which is That those only do esteem pardon of sinne as a blessednesse who feel inwardly the anger of God for sin David here in this Psalm being deeply wounded with the guilt of his sin judgeth not his kingdom his wealth his conquest over enemies an happy thing but pardon of sin Now the ground of this is because such is our custom though it be our weaknesse to esteem of mercies more carendo quà m habendo by wanting of them then having of them The blinde man earnestly desireth sight The lame man prizeth sound limbs A people distressed with warre and finding the bitternesse of it commend peace Thus it is here a man afflicted and imbittered in his soul because of sin he doth highly admire forgiveness and accounts those happy that walk in the sense of Gods favour Though innocency or freedom from sin may be majus beneficium a greater mercy then pardon and reparation yet this is dulcius beneficium a more sweet mercy to the sense and feeling of him who enjoyeth it Hence that Christ and the Gospel might be exalted God permitted sin to be and the Law is on purpose to discover sin and aggravate it that Christ and his grace may be the more welcome The Uses of both points together are 1. From the former Doth God in pardoning cover sinne then with what boldnesse may true faith triumph Why is the godly penitent as if his sins were alwaies in bloudy characters before God Why is he as if there were no bloud of Christ wherein these Egyptians are drowned If thou hadst never been a sinner thy heart would not have trembled Is not forgiveness making of a sin not to be as you have heard So that as Rachel is mourning for her children because they are not so maist thou be rejoycing because thy sins are not and although they be not covered out of thy sight yet if covered out of Gods sight that is thy blessednesse better have them rise up alwaies in thy conscience then once before God From the second we may be instructed who are the bâ—st Preachers of Christ and the grace of the Gospel who are Gospel-Preachers even such who make deep incisions and wounds first in mens consciences by the Law The only way for a Minister to make his auditors rellish and savour of Christ and grace indeed is to keep them in a godly sense and apprehension of their infirmities We are not in our first conversion only to have throbs and pangs after Gods grace but also this hunger and thirsting after Christ is to be kept up in the progresse of sanctification and therefore as those Ministers are to be blamed if any such that do only presse duty discover sinne but never set forth the fulnesse of Christ So they also are to be blamed who only presse such Texts as manifest Gods grace but never open that issue and fountain of all filth that is within us Both these tempered together are like Aarons excellent compound The last Use of Exhortation is to be so deeply humbled and tenderly affected within your selves that all within you may cry out Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne O that every Auditour which heareth me this day could with the same spirit
affection and turning of bowels within him proclaim this truth as David did What is said of Pauls Epistles is also true of Davids Psalms Nunquam Davidis mentem intelliges nisi prius Davidis spiritum imbiberis You can never fully understand Davids meaning unlesse you be possessed with Davids spirit Now that you may be moved hereunto consider the motive in the Text and the means to get it The motive is blessednesse a man is never an happy man till his sinnes be pardoned What makes hell and damnation but meerly not forgivenesse thy wealth thy greatnesse thy honours cannot bring that happinesse to thee which remission of sins doth Hence this is the cause of all other blessednesse And observe here is a great deal of difference between this place Blessed is the man whose sinnes are pardoned and those Texts where he is said to be blessed that feareth alwaies or he is said to be blessed that walketh not in the waies of the wicked for in the Text is shewed the cause or fountain of blessednesse viz. remission of sinne but in other places there is only deciphered who they are that are blessed A man that feareth is blessed but his fear is not the cause of his blessednesse A man that liveth godly is blessed but his godlinesse is not the cause of his blessednesse but his pardon of sin makes him blessed in all his graces Thou art blessed not because thou praiest hearest livest holily but because God doth forgive all thy sins and imperfections in these duties If therefore your graces your holy duties are not the cause of your blessednesse never think your outward mercies can be The means to obtain this is in the Text by having no guile in the heart that is by not hiding our sins but repenting of them and confessing them to God For this saith David every one shall pray unto thee in an acceptable time for this that is for this remission and because thou wast so ready to forgive when I said I will confesse my sin Therefore shall every one seek to thee where by the way let none abuse that place vers 5. David said he would confesse and God forgave it David did but say it and God pardoned it so some have descanted upon it But to say there according to the use of the Hebrew word in some places is firmly to purpose and decree so resolvedly that he will be diligent in the practice of iâ— Doe not therefore think that a meer lip-labour is that brokennesse and contrition of spirit which God requireth as the means to pardon LECTURE XXVI PSAL. 51.9 Hide thy face from my sinnes and blot out all mine iniquities YOu have heard of the peculiar usefulnesse of the Psalms in respect of our conditions or temptatians What some Authours I know not upon what ground have said of the manna that it had the taste of all delicate meats in it and gave a respective rellish to what every palate desired this may be truly affirmed of the Psalms they have a respective direction or comfort to every ones affliction or temptation Hence they have been called by some the little Bible or the Bible of the Bible for although all the stars be of a quintessâ—ntiall matter as the Philosophers say yet one star differs from another in glory And this Psalm among the rest hath no mean excellency or usefullnâ—sse it being a spirituall Apothecaries shop wherein are choice antidotes against the guilt and filth of sin so that every one may say that of this Psalm which Luther of another O Psalme Tueris meus Psalmus Thou shalt be my Psalm The occasion of this Psalm is set down very diligently and punctually in the inscription it was made when Nathan reproved David for his adultery after he had gone in to Bathsheba The Hebrew word is translated in the time past and so those that excuse Naaman 2 King 5.18 translate those words wherein Naaman begs for pardon for his bowing down in the house of Rimmon in the time past Thus pardon thy servant when my master went into the house of Rimmon-and I bowed my self And they bring this inscription of the Psalm to confirm such a translation We are in this Psalm to look upon humbledâ—or â—or his grievous sins as a Job sitting upon the dunghil abhorring himself because of the ulcers and loathsomenesse upon him or like a wretched Lazarus full of sores lying at Gods throne who is rich in mercy For mercy is the scope of the Psalm which he praieth for in the negative effects of it such as blotting out of his favour c. and in the positive effects thereof such as creating a new heart filling him with joy and gladnesse c. And this Petition is enforced with several arguments from Gods multitude of mercies from his confession and acknowledgement with a ready submission to all Gods chastisements from the pronenesse of every one to sin because of that original corruption seated in him from the good effect this pardon shall work upon him he will teach transgressours Gods waies so that his sinnes as well as his graces shall instruct others My Text is a praier about that negative effect of mercy which is expressed in two Petitions to the same purpose The first is Hide thy face from my sins The Scriptures give a face to God in a two-fold sense There is the face of his favour and his love This David in the 11th verse praieth God would not take from him And there is the face of his anger and his indignation This David perceiveth upon him and against him wherefore he desireth God would hide it from him So that it is an expression from a guilty person who cannot endure the just Judge should look upon him or rather from a childe offending who cannot bear the frowns of his father casting his eyes upon him David hath that filth and guilt now upon him which he knoweth God cannot behold but with much wrath and indignation therefore he praieth God would not look on him You see here David acknowledging That God doth see and take notice of the sins of justified persons in a most provoked manner This praier is expressed to the same sense in the next Petition Blot out all mine iniquities wherein consider the mercy praied for Blot out a metaphor as you have heard from merchants that cancell their debts or as the Suâ—doth dissipate and cause the cloud to vanish 2. The extent of the object all my iniquities Whether this extend to future sins so that all sins past present and futâ—re are pardoned together shall be considered in the second place From the first Petition Observe That God seeth and taketh notice of in a most angry and provoked manner the hainous and gross sins which a Believer hath plunged himself into For this reason David praieth God would turn away his eyes and face from him even as the sore eyes desire to have the light removed as being unable to
bear it And this aggravation of Gods seeing it he mentioneth also vers 4. Against thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight That God did see it and was offended did more trouble him then the eyes of all the world upon him So 2 Sam. 11.27 where this History is related there is this peculiar brand upon Davids sin that what he had done was evil in the eyes of the Lord therefore God did see it and take notice of it so as to be displeased with it This Doctrine is worthy of all diligent examination both because it will be a strong Antidote to keep Gods people from scandalous gross sins as also to inform how far in such sins the people of God make a breach upon their peace with God and claim to the Covenant of Grace And although this Question hath been vexed in some respects with the scratching claws of the Schoolmen yet I shall endeavour not to be so ill a seedsman as to sowe among thorns nor as one of the Ancients alludes Plantare nemus Aristotelicum juxta altare Dei Plant Aristotles dark Grove near Gods Altar And for the clearer proceeding in this great Point I shall consider the Doctrine briefly in the hypothesi as it was Davids case and then in thesi as it may be any believers condition for David take notice of two things First The aggravation of his sin Secondly Of the evil befalling him because of it Davids sin is at large mentioned 2 Sam. 11. where you have several aggravations of this ungodly act First He was a King and so his wickedness was the greater by how much his person was greater Men in place being like the Sun which if in an eclipse causeth much destructive alteration to inferiours Secondly A man advanced by God to special mercies both temporall and spirituall and for him to sinne thus we may cry out What ailest thou O Jordan to runne backward Thirdly The nature of the sin was a very gross one against the light of an Heathens conscience to deflour his neighbours wife Fourthly It was a trespass against his faithful servant Vriah who was venturing his life to preserve David This was horrible ingratitude Fifthly This aggravation God addeth That he had many other wives and for him as Nathan wisely reproved him to go and take the poor mans lamb who had only that this was to become very guilty Sixthly Here was great deliberation and consultation how to cover the matter and to make Vriah the father of it O where is Davids heart that it doth not smite him all this while Seventhly To bring this wretched plot about hâ— sends Vriah with letters to Joab for his own destruction Doth not David here that which he condemned and prayed against so much in others lie in wait like a Lion to devour the poor innocent Eighthly His sin becomes more hainous in that to colour this he will have Vriah and many other innocent persons set in the fore-front on purpose to be killed and afterwards with most transcendent hypocrisie excuseth it with this The battel fals alike to all So that here is a sinne with many sins complicated in it Ninthly When all this is done David takes Bathsheba to wife delights in her and rejoyceth with her Tenthly To make his sinne out of measure sinful after these horrid sins committed thus against natural light as well as spiritual we finde no remorse of conscience no trouble of heart till Nathan the Prophet come and arouse him But presently upon his Reproof How doth this Mountain melt like wax before the fire And therefore let no man encourage himself with Davids sin unless he finde in himself also Davids Repentance And therefore in the second place take notice what way God takes to break him and how much displeasure of God fell upon him First He hath great terrour and trouble upon him which he expresseth by the most exquisite torment that is viz. Broken bones It was with him as if all his bones were brayed and pounced together Thus fearful is it to fall into the hands of the living God who even to his own people is a consuming fire As the Sunne which useth to dart forth resplendent beams of lustre by grosse and thick clouds is darkned and obscured so David who heretofore rejoyced in God took comfort in his Promises doth now like Dives beg for one drop of comfort and findes a great Gulf between that and him insomuch that it cannot come to him nor he to it Now what are all Davids pleasures all his lustful delights to these wounds of his soul Hath he not bought Repentance at a dear rate Let the godly hear this and tremble and do no such thing Secondly As he found hell thus within him So God was also really displeased his sins were uncancelled till he repented So that Gods displeasure was not only in Davids sense and feeling but in Gods heart also As the earth of his own heart was like iron in respect of the yeelding any fruit of comfort so the Heavens were like brasse God had spoke to his soul to be like the mountains of Gilboa on which no dew of his favour shall fall Therefore he doth not only pray for pardon but plenty and iteration of pardon Multiply to pardon as vers 2. I need pardon again and again I need a plentiful pardon because I have sinned many sins in one sin Now David might justly be more solicitous and fearfull about the pardon of these sins because there was no particular Sacrifice appointed for murder and adultery but an expectation of vengeance either from God or man but this must not be stretched to the Socinian errours as before I have shewed Thirdly He found in himself a loathsomnesse and defiling guilt upon his conscience whereby like Adam he could runne and hide himself that God might not see him Hereupon he prayeth Wash me Cleanse me Purge me O how loathsome and abominable was he in his own eyes if Davids Righteousness be accounted a menstruous cloth or dung by him what debasing and abhorring thoughts must he needs have of his sins He looketh upon himself as the Swine wallowing in mire and the dog licking up his vomit Fourthly He feeleth a spiritual consumption and languish upon him that he cannot exercise any of those graces that he used to do Therefore he prayeth for a principal or voluntary spirit that with delight and strength he may do Gods will David ariseth as Samson when his Hair was cut off thinking to doe such great exploits as he had before but he findes his strength gone Fifthly He discovereth a world of Hypocrisie in his heart and crieth out of that praying for truth in the inward parts He now probably fears himself for an Hypocrite questions whether any truth of grace be in him at all and certainly it might justly amaze and astonish him to consider he could do all that wickedness deliberately in cold bloud without any remorse
such effectual Grace that thereby they shall recover and so remove that gulf which is between them and God So that at the same time God doth will to give them grace to repent and recover and yet he doth not will salvation to them till they do recover Here is no contrariety in Gods will because though this be about the same person yet not in the same respects for Gods will not to give salvation while in such an estate and to give Repentance that he may come out of that estate do no wayes oppose one another and because of this later mercy it is that we may alwayes say There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus Their sins are never imputed to them for their condemnation but there is a conditional obliging of them till they sue out their pardon So that it is here as Solomon did with Abiathar 1 Kin. 2.26 Thou art saith Solomon worthy of death but I will not at this time put thee to death 5. Because of this guilt and demerit of sin it is that our Divines do say That if such an one David for example should die before these sins be repented of he would be damned For if you suppose a justified person to persevere alwayes in gross and vile sins without reformation you may as well suppose him to be damned Hence there is as some observe a two-fold impossibility There is an impossibility that David elected and justified should be damned There is also an impossibility that David a murderer and an adulterer should without Repentance be saved but God by his powerful grace will untie this knot by a certain and infallible recovery out of his sins for that is a perpetual and sure rule Election hath obtained Rom. 11. otherwise speak of David as in that state before Repentance we may say if he had died in it he would have been damned Thus Beza Twiss c. Yet Gods grace which was so potent at the first to raise out of the grave of sin how much rather if life be in us will it quicken us to turn unto God 6. From hence further it ariseth That he needeth a particular Justification in respect of that guilt which is to be done away Some Orthodox and learned Writers Abbot and others distinguish of a two-fold Justification one universal whereby a man is absolutely received into the grace and favour of God becoming his Son A second is particular whereby sins are remitted to them that are already made the children of God without which they would fall from their first benefit of sonship The one is called Justificatio simplicitèr The other Secundùm quid and this particular Justification they make to be often repeated Thus Peter Martyr Rom. 3. Lapsis post Justificationem repetitâ denuò Justificatione per fidem condonari Thus Bucer Defensio pag. 85. acknowledgeth an iteration of Justification after we repent and arise from more grievous sins Others call it not a particular Justification but an application of that universal Justification And certainly Justification doth denote the state of a man but seeing the Remission of such sins doth not put them into a new estate for they never fell from that we cannot so properly call it Justification and I know not any place where the Scripture cals it so and it would be very hard to say That Justification is re-iterated as often as sin is pardoned Though therefore there may be some difference in the words yet the matter it self is clear viz. There is a necessity of the removing of this guilt that so the person offending may be brought into Gods favour again 7. Seeing all this is true then it followeth That such a man so offending must renew an act of Faith and Repentance So that the former acts of faith and godly sorrow will not discharge or acquit from the new sins committed Therefore lastly it is a most dangerous errour in practice to hold That after a known sinne committed the first thing a believer is to do before Repentance or Humiliation is to believe that that sin is already pardoned Thus a late Writer Cornwell in a Treatise called Gospel-repentance wherein he labours to prove That a believer entred into the Covenant of Grace upon the commission of an actual known sin ought to believe the actual pardon of that sin before he actually repent of the same Now although this is to be confuted when we handle Faith and Repentance yet thus much we may say That this Doctrine must needs be very unsound for first There is no sin actually pardoned before Repentance as at large I have shewed and no sin is pardoned before it be committed as in the next Question is to be shewed So that it would be abominable presumption yea and falshood to believe such a thing Hence such a perswasion as this God hath or will pardon my sins can bring no comfort or peace to our conscience till we repent for a Scripture perswasion is That God enabling me to repent and to use the means will vouchsafe pardon and in this only can I have comfort Besides the Author makes the last work of Faith the first for upon a known sin committed Faith is to be exercised first in the threatnings of God to believe those due to him In the next place Faith is to relie upon Christ for pardon that he may receive remission of sins for as Rivet and Perkins urge well There is no pardon offered on Gods part or received on mans till he do believe and then when these acts are done God doth many times incline the soul to believe the sin is pardoned But the pardon of sin must be received by a direct act of Faith before we can believe that it is pardoned by a reflex But this is more largely to be confuted Now the Objection may be How can sinne thus far prevail in the filth and guilt of it and yet the man so sinning not fall from his Justification This will be cleared if you consider these things First That Justification is an act of God meerly it is not our act We are said to be justified and God he doth justifie Now Opus Dei non potest irritum fieri per opus hominis Those acts of God which he doth we cannot make void but he ordereth them for their time and continuance as he pleaseth Secondly Consider That sin doth not expel the Grace of Justification efficiently or physically as darkness doth light or coldness heat but meritoriously by way of desert Now God doth not with us according to our desert when he entered into a Covenant of Grace with us he so appointed it that no sin should break the league of friendship whereas if he had pleased he might so have appointed it that the least sin should have dissolved this bond and if sin did expel the Grace of Justification efficiently the least sin would have done it But now if it was wholly at Gods pleasure to make this
way of Justification by faith in Christ ariseth because of our imperfection and sinfulness remaining in us and therefore is justificatio viae not patriae a justification of us in our way not when we come to our home Fourthly Although pardon of sin be compleated at that great day yet this is not to be understood as if Gods pardon of any sin were imperfect and something of sinne did still remain to be done away No those expressions of forgivenes of sin in the Scripture denote such a full and plenary pardon that a sin cannot be more remitted then it is But because we commit new sinnes daily and so need pardon daily Therefore it is that we are not compleatly pardoned till then As also because the perfect pardon we have here shall then solemnly and publikely be declared to all the world These things thus premised I come to shew the grounds or particulars wherein our pardon of sinne is thus compleated And first In our sense and feeling For howsoever God pardon a sinne perfectly yet our faith which receiveth it is weak This Jewell is taken with a trembling and shaking hand Hence it is that we have not full faith and confidence in our spirits We may see this in David though Nathan told him his sinnes were forgiven him yet his faith was not so vigorous and powerfull as wholly to apply this to his own soul and therefore he had much anguish and trouble of heart afterwards But now at the last day all these fears diffidence and darknesse will be quite removed out of our hearts There shall be no more disturbance in our souls then there can be corruption in the highest heavens we shall then have such a gourd as no worm can devour Our souls shall not then know the meaning of sitting in darknesse and wanting Gods favour There will then be no complaints Why hath the Lord forsaken me Well may Gods children be called upon to lift up their heads when such a redemption draweth nigh and well may that day be called the times of refreshment seeing the people of God are so often scorched with the fiery darts of Satan Secondly Pardon of sin will at that day be perfected Because all the effects of pardon will then be accomplished and not so much as any scars remain the wound will be so fully healed Although God doth fully pardon sin yet the effects of this are delaied many chastisements and sad afflictions are to be undergone howsoever death it self and the corruption in the grave must seize upon justified persons now these are the fruit of sin and howsoever the sting of these be taken away yet they are not wholly conquered till that last day Then therefore may we justly say Sin is pardoned when there shall be no more grave no more death no more corruption but all shall be swallowed up in immortality and glory Thirdly Then and not till then may we say remission of sins will be compleated because then shall no more iteration of pardon be Here in this life because the root of corruption abideth in us there are daily pullulant branches of sinnes and so frequent guilt is contracted whereby as we have daily sores so we need daily plaisters It is with originall corruption in us as in that Tree in Dan. 4.14 15. although the branches be cut off yet the stump is still in the earth and that sprouts out too fast by the temptations that are alwaies by it Hence it is that we alwaies pray Forgive us our sins and because of thâ—se failings the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.20 writeth to and exhorteth the godly Corinthians who were already reconciled to God to be further reconciled to him But then this Petition shall wholly cease then there will be no serpent to sting us nor will the eye of justifying faith to look upon the brazen serpent exalted be necessary any more The Lord will not only wipe away the tear of wordly grief but also of godly sorrow at that time Then and not till then will it be true That God seeth no sin in his children Then will the Church be without wrinkles or any spot within her In this respect it is the Church of God pâ—aieth so earnestly for the Bridegrooms coming For this it is They look for and hasten in their praiers that day Fourthly At that day will pardon of sin only be compleated if you consider the nature of justification For what is that but an overcoming the accusing adversary and clearing of us against every charge Now this is most eminently and fully done in those last assizes The Syriack word to justifie is also to conquer and overcome because when a man is justified he overcometh all those bils and indictments which were brought in against him now this is manifestly done in the day of judgement when God shall before men and Angels acquit and absolve his people and if the Apostle say in this life Rom. 6.7 of a godly man dead in Christ he is justified from his sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of sanctification that sin doth not conquer him but he sinne how much more will this be true at that day when all the guilt and filth of sin shall be totally removed Oh what a glorious conquest will that be over sin hell and the devil when the Judge of the whole world shall pronounce them free from all sinne and command them to enter into his glorious rest Having thus cleared the Doctrine one Question may be briefly touched upon Whether the sins of Gods people shall be manifested at the day of judgement and God for Christs sake then acquit them There are learned men for the affirmative They shall be published and there are learned men for the negative Those that are for the affirmative they say indeed godly mens sins shall not be examined for their ignominy or confusion but only that the goodnesse and grace of God may be made the more illustrious For this they urge these Arguments First Those places of Scripture which speak of the universality of the reall objects and personal Of the reall as when it 's said A man must give an account of every idle word Mat 12.36 2 Cor. 5.10 an account must be made for every thing done in the body For the universality of the object personal 2 Cor. 5. We must all appear before the Tribunall seat Again They urge the opening of the book which shall be at that day and that is nothing but the manifesting of the consciences of men Furtther Many wicked mens sins and godly mens are mingled together and there cannot be a judgement of discussion preceding that of condemnation unlesse godly mens sinnes also be produced In summe They think this conduceth more to the setting up of Gods justice the exaltation of his mercy neither say they will this breed shame to the godly for in heaven they shall remember their sins committed on earth but without any grief
or trouble yea with joy and thankfulnesse to God because delivered from them Quandoque laeti recordamur dolorum said Gregory We may with joy remember by-past grief But those that are for the negative think this no waies suteable to Gods goodnesse that the sins of the godly should then be published for these grounds following First From the judicial processe where Christ cals the blessed of his Father to inherit the Kingdom prepared for them and then enumerateth only the good works they had done no question they had many sins and failings but God takes no notice of them Secondly This agreeth best they say with those expressions of Scripture concerning pardon viz. that God blotteth them out that they are thrown into the bottom of the sea Thirdly The godly are said not to come into judgement and there is no condemnation to them yea they have already life everlasting Lastly Christ is their bridegroom their friend their advocate and how ill becoming would it be one in such relations to account or lay open their sins Which of these opinions is truest is hard to say neither of them have cogent arguments and the Scripture doth not expresly decide the question yet the negative seems to have more probability on its side The Use is First Of comfort and glad tidings to the children of God howsoever in this life they have accusations from within and from without yet the day is coming when they shall have a glorious and publike justification from all objections Then Satan can no more accuse Joshua for the noisome rags upon him Then Joseph shall be brought out of the prison freed from all guilt and calumny and exalted to great glory and it may be therefore God suffereth thee to be exercised with much guilt and fear here that thou maist the more long for those daies of refreshment And as this truth is for their great consolation so also it demonstrateth their happinesse That that which is so terrible and dreadfull to wicked men should be such matter of rejoycing unto them when they through horrour should cry for the mountains and hils to cover them these shall desire the graves and the earth to deliver up her dead that they may enjoy their Bridegroom Certainly beleevers are not beleevers in this point as they should be what an heavenly contempt would it work in them of this present world what earnest desires that this Kingdom might at last come This is their marriage-day the day of coronation Then death hell grave sin and Satan are all conquered And if the joy and peace which remission of sin produceth in this life be so exceeding glorious what will that be when we shall have no more streams but that fountain 2. Use by way of contrary To terrifie and arouse wicked men for as the godly have but a glimmering a little pittance in this life in respect of that fulnesse of glory to be revealed hereafter so the wicked feel not the least part of that guilt torment shame and confusion which hereafter shall be poured upon them There are many mens sins lie asleep keep no noise either in their own consciences or before God but then these lyons these mastive dogs that lay tumbling at the door will rise up in rage and wholly devour Do not therefore take Gods forbearance for his gracious acquittance oh do not imbolden thy self with false encouragements and say The worst is over As the Apostle said these light afflictions were nothing to that eternal weight of glory so on the contrary may the wicked say These pangs and wounds of consciences which are felt here are nothing to that eternal weight of sin hereafter Bernard said descendamus in infernum viventes ne descendamus morienâ—es let us goe into hell while we are alive by a serious meditation and holy consideration that we may not go into it when we be dead by reall miseries As the Apostle saith we are the children of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be there is more glory then they can conceive so wicked men are now the children of wrath but it doth not yet appear what they shall be Oh therefore that ungodly men were as wise as Jonah's mariners who in the midst of tempests seeing their ship necessarily sinking throw away the goods that were a burden knowing they and their safety could not consist together Thus are ye to do throw away thy sins those heavy burdens that put all into danger and so maist thou safely arrive at last in heaven LECTURE XXX LUKE 7.47 Wherefore I say unto thee Her sins which are many are forgiven her for she loved much THis Text is part of a famous history which may well be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of the three great things observable in it 1. Great sinnes 2. Great repentance and humiliation â— Great love and grace of God through Christ in pardoning And there is this one peculiar thing well observed about this woman in the history that whereas divers others addressed themselves to Christ for corporal mercies this only cometh for spiritual even for remission of her sins For the better understanding of the text let us briefly consider the history and first the woman is described by her quality inherent a sinner not in a common sense as all are but in a more notorious manner and therefore those that mitigate her fault out of some reverence or honour to her do not so much encrease her honour as Maldonat upon the place well observeth as detract from Christs honour for the Physicians skill is most commended where the disease is more desperate That she was a known great sinner appeareth in that the Pharisee wondred at Christ because he would have any commerce with her Whether this woman was Mary Lazarus his sister or no is hotly disputed by Commentators but impertinent to my scope In the next place you have her great repentance expressed wherein for the generall you may see the Apostles duty accomplished as she had given her members to be members of iniquity so now of righteousnesse insomuch that she is the true looking-glasse of an humble convert Her humiliation is described 1. In bringing of a box of oyntment to anoint his feet not his head say some because she thought her self so unworthy she brought indeed an outward visible box of ointment but she had another invisible and spiritual one even a contrite and broken heart 2. She stands behinde Christ as being loathsom in her own eyes and washeth his feet with her tears which must suppose that to be true in her which Jeremiah desireth viz. Her head to be a fountain of water but as long as her heart was such a fervent limbeck it was no wonder to see such precious distillations Chrysologus upon this fact of hers saith The Heavens are wont to water the Earth with rain but ecce nunc rigat terra Coelum here the earth watereth Heaven Lastly The debasement of
her self further appeareth in making her Hair heretofore the instrument of her pride and wantonness now a Towel to wipe his feet In the third place Christs love towards her is remarkable and in the general it is so great that the Pharisee puffed up with his own pride was offended at it not considering First That though she had been a sinner yet now she manifested Repentance And secondly That every commerce and communion with a sinner is not forbidden but that which is of incouragement or consent unto his sin but our Saviours was like the communion of a Physician with the Patient to heal and cure Hence our Saviour touched the leper whom he healed yet was not unclean because he touched him to restore him to health But as the people murmured because Moses married a Blackmore so the Pharisees grudged because Christ shewed mercy to sinners but Moses indeed could not make the Blackmore white whereas Christ doth purifie the defiled soul Now our Saviour doth aggravate his love to her First by a diligent enumeration of those several acts of service which she had exhibited to him not mentioning any of her former sins and all this he doth with an Antithesis or opposition to that carriage which the Pharisee had presented him with 2. To convince the Pharisee he declareth a Parable that so from his own mouth the Pharisee may judge her love to Christ to be greater then his In the last place his grace to her is further declared by pardoning her sins though so hainous which pardon is first declared unto the Pharisee in my Text and afterwards to the woman her self In my Text is the first promulgation of her pardon now because the words have some difficulty and the later part is brought to prove love to be a meritorious cause of Remission of sins two Questions are briefly to be resolved First When this womans sins were pardoned And the Answer is That as soon as ever she repented in her heart of her evil wayes and believed in Christ her sins were forgiven her for so God doth promise and this was before she came to Christ but she cometh to Christ for the more assurance of Pardon and not only so but that he should authoritatively absolve her from her sinne for Christ did more then declare her sins pardoned as appeareth by the standers by who with wonder made this question v. 49. Who is this that forgiveth sins also Whereas to declare the forgiveness of sin only any Minister may do as we read of Nathan to David 2 Sam. 12.13 So that her sins were pardoned by God before at the first time of her Faith and Repentance but now Christ as the Mediator doth particularly absolve her and that in her own conscience therefore he bids her Go in peace The second Question is Whether that expression Much is forgiven her for she loved much be causal as if her love were antecedent and a cause of her forgiveness or consequential only as an effect or sign of her forgiveness in this sense She loved much because God did forgive her many sins not she loved much and therefore God forgave her Here is a great and vast difference between these two many Papists are for the later the Protestants generally for the former and there is this cogent reason for it for that Christ doth not speak of Repentance or Love which should go before and be the cause of the pardon of sins is plain by the Parable he brings of a Creditor who forgave one Debtor more another Debtor less hereupon our Saviour asked the Pharisee Which of them will love him most Simon answered I suppose him to whom most was forgiven Now of such a love our Saviour speaketh when he mentioneth the woman which is clearly a love of Gratitude Because much was forgiven not an antecedent love of merit to procure pardon so that as from her actions of anointing and washing his feet by way of a sign or effect we gather her Faith and Love of Christ so by her Faith and Love as by a sign and effect it may be gathered that her sins are forgiven her But you may ask How could she come to know her sins were forgiven before Christ told her I answer By the promise of God made to every true Penitent and Believer though this assurance of hers was imperfect and therefore admitted of further degrees whereas then all this Repentance and Humiliation was not that sinne might be forgiven but from Faith that they were forgiven We may observe this That the sense and apprehension of pardon of sins already obtained doth not beget carnal security but a further mollifying and humbling of the heart in a gracious manner This is a practical truth of great concernment And for the opening of it take notice of this distinction as a foundation viz. That there is in Scripture a two-fold Repentance or Humiliation of the soul for sin the one antecedent and going before pardon and this the Scripture requireth as a necessary condition without which forgiveness of sin cannot be obtained of this Repentance the Scripture for the most part speaks Ezek 14.18 30. Mat. 3.2 Mark 6.12 Luk. 13.3 Act. 3.19 and generally in most places of Scripture In the second place there is an Humiliation of heart and brokenness of soul for sin arising from thâ— apprehension of Gods love in pardoning whereby we grieve that we should deal so unkindely with so good and gracious a God This though more rarely yet is sometimes spoken of in Scripture as first in this woman who out of the apprehension of Gods love in pardoning so much to her did pour out her soul in all wayes of thankfulness After this manner also was Davids Repentance Psal 51. for he was thus deeply affected after Nathan had told him His sin was taken away Although it doth appear by the Psalm also that he had not as yet that sense of pardon which did quiet his conscience This kinde of affection was also in Paul 1 Tim. 12 13 14 15 16. 1 Cor. 15.8 9. in which places the Apostle remembring his former sins confesseth them and acknowledgeth thereby his unworthinesse of all that grace and favour he had received so that the Apostle doth not there humble himself that he may obtain mercy but because he had obtained mercy The most eminent instance of this kinde of sorrow and shame is Ezek. 16.62 63. where God promiseth to establish his Covenant with them and then mark the event of this That thou mayâ—st remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee So then both these kindes of Humiliations are to be owned and practised and therefore it is a false and dangerous error to acknowledge no other kinde of Repentance then the later The Papists will not acknowledge this later Humiliation at all because they deny all Faith and Assurance that a believer may have of
of Instruction to the godly Observ It is the duty of justified persons to pray for forgivenesse of their sins The meaning of the Petition Forgive us c. 1 â—hat God wâ—uld not require of us the satisfaction of his justice for our sins 2 That God would lay our sins on Christ A two-fold diffâ—rence between Gods forgiving our sins and our forgiving others 3. As we pray for justification so for the continuance in it 4. We pray for daily renewed acts of pardon and imputation of Christs righteousnesse Bellâ—rmines objection answered 5. We pray for the sense of this pardon in our consciences more and more We pray for pardon it self and not for the sense thereof only Reasons proving this Reas 1. Reas â— Reas 3. Reas 4. 6 We pray that as God forgives the sin so he would release the punishmâ—nt 7 We pray to be delivered from the effects of sin 8 We pray for pardon and the concomitants thereof Three things implied in this Petition 1. On the part of the subject or he who praieth is implied 1 That all men are sinfull 2. A sense of sin within us 3 Godly sorrow for sin 4 Earnest perseverance till we obtain 5 Constant renewed acts of faith 3 In the object or matter praâ—ed for are implâ—ed 1 That fâ—rgâ—venâ—ss of sin may he had after Bâ—ptism 2 That a remission of great sins may be hoped for 3 That there is an iteration of pardon 3 In the person to whom we pray are implied 1 That God only can forgive sins 2 That he takes notice of sin Vse Sin considered â—our vvayes 1 Abstractedly in its own nature The nature of sin expressed in the severall names of it 2 In the definition of it Hovv all sin is voluntary 2 Of sin relating to the person sinning A man possibly may not or rather formâ—lly cannot intend sinne 3 The proper effâ—ct of sinne which is to make guilty Whence comes 1 A stâ—in upon the soâ—l taken out by sanctification Liv. de Rec. â— An oâ—â—igation to â—tâ—râ—â—l â—â—â—shment 〈◊〉 by reâ—ission Sin considered as an â—ffence to God Whether sin bâ— an infinite evil Vse What remission of sin is From the names of it Propos 1. Propos 2. Propos 3. Propos 4. Propos 5. Propos 6. Object Answ Vse How our duty of repentance consists with Gods free grace in remitting Propos 1. Propos 2. Propos 3. Propos 4. 5 Two great practical mistakes concerning repentance observed The first of the prophane man The second of the godly Propos 6. Propos 7. The scope of the whole Vse 1. Vse 2. Practical Objections concerning repentance Object 1. Of what use repentance may be Answ 1. Answ 2. Six Reasons of congruity betwixt repentance and remission Reas 1. Reas 2. Reas 3. Reas 4. Reas 5. The sixt Reason two â—old 1. In regard of Gods justice 2 In regard of his grace and mercy Object 2. Whether repentance of it self may not take away the guilt of sin Answ 1. Answ 2. Answ 3. Why repentance bears not the proportion in satisfaction that sin does in the offence Object 3. What harm to God in sin Answ By distinguishing Gods Attributes Vse 1. Vse 2. What kinde of act in God forgivenesse of sin is Two cautions concerning the workings of God 1. There are no accidents in him 2. No new will in him Differences between an immanent traâ—sient action 1. An immanent action produceth no outward effecâ— * Exâ—ra controversiam est remissionem peccatorum prout actâ—â— est in Dâ—o immanens antecedere nostram fidem resipiscentiam Twiss Vin. gr pag. 18. 2. An immanent action in God is from eternity Arguments proving our belâ—ef and repentance antecedents of justification Argum. 1. Argum. 2. Argum. 3. Arg. 4. * Den reconcil with God p. 25 Arg. 5. Arg. 6. Den. Arg. 3. to prove we are justified before vve believe Arg. 7. Vse Whether Justification precede faith and repentance Arguments for the affirmative From authority of orthodox men What the opinion above-said may mean That so expounded it seemeth but weak for thâ—se Reasons Reas 1. Reas 2. * Den recon of man with God p. 3 4. Reas 3. 1. Argument fâ—om Infants * Neither may this seem such a wonder seeiâ—g that the orthodox hold even in men growâ— up the first grace is wrought in us as meer patients our understandings wils no waies antecedently concurring to it so that the grace of God is then wrought in us without us Argum 2. Arg. 5. Answ Arg. 7. Ans 1. Answ 2. Answ 3. Answ 4. Answ 5. An elect person unconvâ—râ—ed and a reprobate in many things differ not As Argu. 4. and Argum. 6. Answ 1. Answ 2. Answ 3. A two fold condition of faith Arg. ult Answ Whether we pray here for Pardon or for Assurance of Pardon only The Answer to the Question propounded 1. Thâ—y who are assured of Pardon ought yet to pray 2. This Petition relates to four sorts of men 3 Assurance of pardon not the only thing prayed for proved by four Reasons Reas 1. Reas 2. Reas 3. Reas 4. The instance for the coâ—trary opinion answered Why God doth sometimes pardon sin not acquainting the sinner vvith it Reas 1. Reas 2. Reas 3. Reas 4. Reas 5. What directions should be given a soul under temptation about pardon of sin Direct 1. Direct 2. Direct 3. Whether in repentance the difference between great sins and Less is to be respected Propositions premised concerning this Quâ—stion The Question stated in these Propositions following 1. This difference is to be attended in suing for pardon 2. In respect of humiliation 3. Gross sins procure wrath and hinder the consolations of Gods Spirit 4. Gross sins exclude from the society of the faithful 3 Some gross sins requste mâ—ny conditions before pardon 6 Grosse sins require a more intense act of faith to apply pardon Some particulars wherein no difference is to be put between great and lesser sins 1. In respect of the efficient cause of pardon 2. Nor in respect of the meritorious cause 3 Neither in the means of pardon 4. No difference to be made as to the state of justâ—fication Illustration The text contains a description of the pardon of sin 1 From several expressions to magnifie the mercy of it 2 From the adjunct of remâ—ssion viz. blessednesse Observations raised from the Text. 1 That forgiveness of sin is a covering of sin What is meant by covering of sinne How God by pâ—rdâ—n is said to cover sin Some particulars not extended to in this phrase of covering sin Whether the phrase of Gods covering sinne favour the errour That God seeth not sinne in beleevers Answer negative Two Objections answered Object 1. Object 2. Answ Pardon of sin duly valued by those only who inwardly feel Gods anger against it Vse 1. Of the first Observation Vse 2. Vse 3. The text divided into tvvo Petitions A face attributed to God in a double sense Observation from the first Petition The aggravation of Davids sin in ten particulars The degrees of Davids repentance The teâ—t considered in theâ— What sins Gods children may fall into The sins of Gods people in what kinde to be ranked Differences between the sins of the godly and reprobate Differ 1. Differ 2. Differ 3. Vse How far grosse sins make a breach upon Justification Answered negatively The Question answered affirmatively Why the guilt of new grosâ—e sins doth not take avvay Justification The second Petition handled Whether God in pardoning do forgive all sins together Three things laid down by way of concession The Question held negatively upon these grounds Vse Observ Propositions laid down in prosecution of this Observatâ—on Wherein the compleatnesse of the pardon of sin at the day of judgement consisteth 1. In our sense of that pardon 2. In the accomplishment of all effects of pardon 3. Then no more iteration of pardon 4. Then justification shall be perfected Whether the sins of Gods people shâ—ll be manifested at the last day Vse 1. Vse 2. An Entrance into the Text from the consideration of the history Two Questions resolved for cleâ—ring the Text. Answ 1 When this Penitents sinne was pardoneâ— 2. Whether the expression in the text favour any causality in the Penitents love in reference to hâ—r pardon Observ 1. A two fold repeâ—taâ—ce in Scriptâ—re The Observation proved from Scripture By reason Further evidence from experience Vse 1. To press this use upon us two things especially to be insisted upon 1. The doctrine of oâ—iâ—inal coâ—ruption 2. The strict obligation of the Law Vse 2.
yet his love and wisdom put him upon that remedy which neither men or Angels could have excogitated so that God doth not let sin go unpunished only he provideth a Ram to be sacrificed for Isaac a Mediator to come between his wrath and us It is true reason as we see doth much gainsay this mystery but we may say mulier ista taceat let this woman hold her peace in the Church of God Though therefore God cannot but execute justice upon sinners yet his justice did admit of a temperament whereby God doth proceed to see the sins of his people to hate them but yet to punish them upon Christ 7. Prop. There is a great deal of difference between Iustice as it is an essential property in God ad intra and between the effects of it ad extra These latter come much under the liberty and freedom of God which appeareth in the variety of his judgements upon wicked men some being consumed one way and some another so that it is meerly at his pleasure whether he will stir up more or lesse wrath Ps 2. there is a little anger of his spoken of but you may read a remarkable expression Ps 78.38 He turned away his wrath from thâ—m and stirred not up all his wrath Here you see the anger of God subject to his free-will If the effects of Gods justice should flow from him as burning from fire or drowning from water the whole world were not able to endure before him who is a consuming fire How could it come about that the wicked do so overflow with prosperity in this world if so be that God did necessarily punish and destroy which are effects of his Iustice So that there is a great difference between Iustice taken for an attribute and Iustice for the effects God cannot but be alwayes just the former whereas there is a liberty in the latter As in man the power of laughing is an essential property in him yet the act of laughter ariseth in some measure by the freenes of his will Hence it is that Gods essential Iustice doth not receive more or lesse but the effects of his Iustice may be more or lesse If many men be in the same sin and God doth punish some of them with a remarkable temporal judgement we may not say God dealeth more justly with these then the other yet we may say the effects of his Iustice are greater upon some then others 8. Propos Christ satisfied God as a just Iudge not as a Father provoked and by this means though punishments are taken away yet afflictions for sin are not and this doth directly answer the whole Question whereas it is demanded seeing Christ fully reconciled God to us and thereby all punishments are taken away why not as well all afflictions If he hath removed greater will he think much at the lesse The answer lieth fully in this Christ by his bloud and satisfaction undertook that the justice of God should never fall upon us to punish us not that he should never be angry with us a Father to chastise us By this redemption it s Christs will that God should not as a just Iudge require compensation of us not that as a provoked Father he should not scourge us for our sins when committed The reason is clear because fatherly anger is an â—ffect of love but punishment the fruit of hatred And thus now you see why God will not see sin to condemnation because Christ hath made up that yet he will see it in believers to angry castigation because Christ did not interpose there it is therefore no derogation to Christs death no injury to his sufferings if notwithstanding them God doth afflict for sin even his own children 9. Propos By reason of this anger of God against sin even still abiding those afflictions which come upon believers are from a conveniency with the justice of God Although we cannot say rigidly That if God did not chastise believers for their sins he were unjust yet we may say his afflicting of them is beseeming his Iustice partly because he hath prescribed this law to himself 1 Sam. 7.14 Even as to wicked men upon their obstinate sinning to punish them so upon his own if they offend to chasten them and partly by afflicting of his people for their sin he demonstrates the hatred of it unto the world Although therefore God do not alwayes chastise every godly man but sometimes by their repentance these very chastisâ—ments are either prevented or removed yet when God doth thus break out in his anger against them this is becoming his just nature and the world thereby seeth how he is displeased with it One of the Articles which Arminius relateth as laid against him was that he should hold The temporal afflictions of believers were not chastisements but punishments properly so called To this he answereth pa. 103. Resp ad Artic. 31. That the calamities inflicted upon David for his sin in the matter of Vriah may be called punishments properly and that the Text seemeth to be better explained so and yet withall that there will be no favour to the Popish opinion for he grants That Christ satisfied both for eternal and temporal punishments but yet God when he takes off the spiritual punishment may for a while reserve the temporal as though Christ hath taken away the jus the power and right death hath over us yet he hath not quite destroyed actual death but all this is a meer itching to innovate needlesly in Religion for if Christ have satisfied for temporal death then though it be not removed presently yet it cannot abide as a punishment strictly LECTURE XIII MATTH 6.12 And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors THis Text shall be the last because the noblest to prove that God seeth sin in those that are believers for if they be bound to pray that God would forgive them their debts therefore they are involved in debts and in deep humility they are to acknowledge this withall desiring the cancelling or blotting them out so that as the Church anciently used this place against those Pelagian Doctrines which dreamed of a perfection in this life and immunity from all sin no lesse doth it overthrow those novel Assertions of being without sin though not inherently yet as to Gods eye and account What Terâ—ullian said of the Lords-Prayer in general is most true of this Petition Quantum substringitur verbis tantum diffunditur sensibus it is as comprehensive in sense as straightned in words so in this Petition you have few leaves of words but much fruit of matter It s like Christs Mustard-seed which by a good Interpreters managing will grow into a tall tree The material things that belong to remission of sins I shall inclose as pertinent to my purpose In the words you have the Petition it self Forgive Secondly The Subject Vs Disciples and Believers He that thinketh himself without sin that very thought is