is a new creature Old things are past away and all become new Brethren by reason of the sin of man there is a curse upon the whole Creation and this old Creation must come to confusion therefore it is an evil thing for any man to seek his happiness in any thing here in the old Creation for there is a curse upon it and it will come to confusion But there is a new Creation of all in Christ of all spiritual things in Christ Now a sinner when he comes to have his sin pardoned and be justified he come's into a new state that comes in by the new Creation the happiness of the Children comes by and consists in the new Creation old things are done away and he comes to be seated in the new creation in Christ this is the first thing wherein a man or woman is blessed Negatively in being delivered from so great an evil 2. Of the Positive Blessedness of the Pardon of Sin Secondly Positively he 's a blessed man whose sins are forgiven if we consider the excellency of that mercy God makes that soul partaker of whose sins are forgiven Dan. 9.9 To thee Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses forgiveness is the fruit of glorious mercies Exod. 34.6 The Lord is merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving inquity Now I shall open this positively and shew the riches of mercy in forgiveness of sin When the Scripture applys mercy to forgiveness of sin it hath divers expressions sometimes calls it riches of mercy Ephes 1.7 sometimes plenteous mercy Psal 86.8 sometimes Gods fulness of compassion Psal 78.38 sometimes multitude of mercies Psal 51.1 I might give divers other places but those may suffice it is rich plenteous fulness of compassions and multitude of mercies When God forgives sin he shews mercies in all these expressions For the opening of it unto you I shall shew you what abundance of mercy God shows in the forgiveness of sin consider mery 1. in the Efficient 2. in the final cause of it 1. Of the Efficient Cause of Mercy in forgiveness of Sin First for the Efficient Cause there is abundance of mercy God manifests in the forgiveness of sin he abounds in his mercy there is a Sea an infinite vast Ocean of mercy in which the sins of the Elect come to be swallowed up though their sins be many and great and committed with many grievous aggravations yet when they come to an act of Justification to God to be forgiven I say God comes to the soul as an infinite Ocean of mercy that swallows up all the evil in sin attend unto it Look as in the mighty Ocean whether you cast in a load or a shovel full of earth the vast Ocean makes little difference of either so when a soul comes to God in Christ when it comes to Pardon and Justification whether sins be little or great 't is all one the mercy of God makes no difference at all take heed to what I say while I am speaking of forgiveness of sin I shall make known so much grace that if you abuse it it will be one of the most dreadful things that ever you did and therefore while I go along take heed of abusing it especially you that desire to hear of the pardoning mercy of God whether your sins be little or great when you come to pardoning mercy it is an infinite Ocean that swallows up all those that have not their sins pardoned whether their sins be little or great it makes no difference they are truly damn'd for little as well as great sins both sinks down into Hell and the infinite Ocean of wrath and horrour swallows up all so in point of Justification whether your sins be little or great it matters not pardoning mercy swallows up all 2. Of the Final Cause of Mercy in forgiveness of Sin Secondly but further as Mercy is an infinite Ocean that swallows up Sin so Mercy is the Final Cause It is to this end that God might manifest the riches of his grace when God forgives any one sin this forgiveness comes from Gods mercy and it is to this end That God may declare before Men and Angels to all eternity what the greatness and infinite riches of his grace is what the grace of God is able to do when God comes to pardon sin 't is for this end as if he should say Well I am about now to pardon thy sin and this work I am about to do it is for this very end that it may be known to Men and Angels to all eternity what the infinite riches of the infinite grace of God is able to do for poor sinners Now certainly that man is a blessed man if the man whose sins are pardoned hath such mercy shewed to him and such a blessed work upon him as is to that end that God may declare to all eternity what the glorious riches of grace of an infinite God is surely this is a great blessedness when God shall seperate a man or woman for this end it must be very glorious certainly therefore pardon of sin is no light and mean thing but it must be a most glorious work of God wheresoever it is And this Consideration is a mighty Argument to uphold a poor soul under trouble of sin and a great incouragement for him to come in for pardon Dost thou see O troubled soul Gods wrath against thee and dost thou stand quaking at the apprehension of the evil of sin let not thy heart sink come in and cast thy self on the free grace of God there is a possibility for the pardon of thy sin for when God comes to pardon sin the mercy God shews in pardoning of any one sin he does it to the end that he might magnifie the riches of his grace to all eternity and such mercy that serves to that end must needs be glorious And will not such mercy serve thy turn as must set out the infinite rich grace of God God is pleased to manifest thus much mercy for the forgiveness of thy sin and where a sinner is forgiven it is this mercy that is manifested when men judge of God by themselves they think slightly of him when they judge of Gods thoughts by their own What is the reason that makes sinners have such slight thoughts of sin but because they judge of God by themselves that he abhors sin no otherwise than man does and so hope they may do well enough measuring the infinite hatred that God hath to sin by their own so on the other side the sinner that is convinc't of the dreadful evil of sin is ready to dispair Why because he judges of God by himself as if the mercy of God were no other than the mercy of man not considering the mercy of God in pardoning sin is such mercy as is to shew his grace in the riches of it to all eternity Well then that man to whom
People the pardon of their sins Brethren the King does not use to set his Broad Seal to trifles and toys and fancies but unto things of great concernment and consequence they must be such that shall have the Broad Seal so here because pardon of sin is such a blessed thing the Broad Seal of Heaven is ordained to seal it and when the Sacrament is administred rightly it is no other but the Broad Seal of Heaven to Seal up the pardon of thy sin and so should men and women come to receive the Sacrament they should think this day is a sealing-day as in Courts of Justice they have their Sealing-days and 't is usually said such a day is a Sealing-day so a Sacrament day is a sealing-day sealing up to you the the great blessedness of forgiveness of sin a Soul thinks thus I am a poor wretched vile sinner before the Lord woe unto me thus and thus have I done woe is me But I have heard of the riches of Gods grace in pardoning my sin and this day God calls me to come in and have the pardon of my sin sealed with the Broad Seal of Heaven that my soul may be assured and I may go away in peace and be comforted and quieted in the great business that lies upon me those sins of mine that have so grated on my Conscience and for which I have had dreadful apprehensions of the Clouds of Gods displeasure hanging over my head this day I am to go to have the sealing of a pardon of them all Thus should men and women come to the Sacrament with such thoughts upon their hearts as an Ordinance appointed and ordained by Christ for the sealing up the pardon of their sins 3. The third Ordinance is the Ordinance of Discipline whose sins soever you remit they are remitted Joh. 20.22 and those who are cast out of the Church and then received in again find it to be an Ordinance of Christ to assure them of remission of their sins It casts out those that are scandalous and when they repent it receives them in again and thereby assures them of the pardon of their sins A Transition to the Application Having done with the Explication if you would run over and make some recollection of what has bin delivered of the glorious blessedness of this mercy of forgiveness of sins you might see the effects following thereupon I have shew'd you the abundant grace of God that is declared in the forgiveness of sin I have shew'd you the many mysteries that there are in it and that it is an inlet to many other mercies I have shewed you the great difficulties it passes through and how much the heart of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost was in this mercy I shewed you it was a perfect and an irrevocable mercy a mercy denyed to Angels and shewed but to a few of mankind compared to those that are past by I have shewed it is a mercy the very possibility of it would make the damned to rejoyce and it is a mercy that is the end of all Ordinances And now having come to some period of the Explication methinks that Scripture comes presently into my mind that notable place in Rom. 8.31 If these things be so if God thus gloriously appear in the riches of his grace for the pardon of sin What shall we then say to these things the Apostle after he had spent some time in opening the Doctrine of free Justification for the working it upon the heart of the Romans and his own heart too says What shall we say to these things the holy Apostle stood as a man amazed at the wonderful richness of the grace of God in pardoning of sin in the verse before having said Moreover whom he did predestinate them he called and whom he called them he justified and whom he justified them he also glorified And having spoken much to the point of Justification in this Chapter he concludes at vers 31. Now what shall we say to those things as if he had said Lord how does thy glory appear in the Justification of a sinner and pardoning his sin through Jesus Christ that we cannot but stand amazed at the greatness of thy glory appearing herein that we know not what to say there is so much of thy glorious grace appears that our mouths are stopped What shall we say to these things So now after we have heard of these glorious things of the glorious Revelation of the grace of God in and through his Son working in such a glorious and mysterious way of godliness for the justifying of a sinner and pardoning of his sin if we could now sit down as men and women amazed and astonished as having our hearts so fill'd with the glory of these things as being not able to express our selves but even sit down amazed at the brightness of the glory of them it would be an excellent fruit of our attendance in hearing those things we should sanctifie the Name of God in it and t' would be very happy for us but if not while we are here together yet get into your Closets and look into this mystery of godliness and recollect what you can of that which you have heard and let this consideration lie warm upon your hearts and thoughts O Lord what shall we say to these things that God should have such thoughts of such mercy and grace in the pardon of sin as we have heard What shall we say to it and though for the present your hearts be not able to express more yet by meditation sure the fire will kindle and bring forth some admirable expressions in glorifying the Name of God or in singing some Psalm to his praise or in doubbling and trebbling that blessed acclamation with the heavenly Host Luk. 2.14 Glory to God in the Highest on Earth peace good will towards men O here is the good will of God towards poor wretched vile men Glory be to God in the Highest Lord What is man that thou should'st be so mindful of him thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels nay as you have heard this day God has set him above those Angels that sinned against him Christ would not shew mercy to them they could not be pardoned this is for poor sinners in the world a generation of those that seek him that have this great mercy of pardon and forgiveness of sin revealed to them What shall we say to these things the Apostles expression may help us to make way to the Application and as I have told you we should sanctifie the Name of God in standing amazed at the wonderful grace of God that gloriously appears in the Justification of a sinner as we have opened in many Particulars And now we have many things to say in the Application of these things for the answer to that question What shall we say to these things attend in the fear of God and you shall hear in the Application what
shine into your hearts than ever before the mysteries of God will be opened to you and you shall understand more than many of your fathers who have not had this mercy to be rightly acquainted with the Justification of a sinner and therefore you young ones that much desire knowledge the main thing to be acquainted with is this great Doctrine of Justification and pardon of sin as Luther said Three things Prayer Meditation and Temptations make a Divine so I say the right knowledge of Justification makes a Christian and they that have not a clear knowledge in this point do but bungle and are extream weak in all other points of Religion but when once the soul comes to be justified what a glorious light is let into the soul as you all know that have been made partakers of this grace And you young ones you may come to have sin pardoned as well as others and to have the knowledge of the mysteries of God revealed unto you 1 Joh. 2.12 compared with the 13. I write unto you little Children because your sins are forgiven for his Name sake even little children I write to you your sins are forgiven oh 't is a happy thing for young children to have faith wrought in them and to have their sins forgiven them betimes and then in the 13. verse I write unto you little Children because you have known the Father Oh what an admirable light springs up in the souls of little Children when their sins are pardoned they come to the knowledge of the Father and this is the reason why many great and learned men that are men of excellent understanding in the knowledge of natural things are not acquainted with the mysteries of godliness and think but meanly of them marvel not at it for the knowledge of the mysteries of godliness comes in by pardon of sin when God pardons sin and justifies a soul by faith in Christ then God opens the Covenant and all the glorious mysteries of it to such a soul A Prince reveals not the secrets of State to a Traytor that lies under bolts and chains but if a Prince please to pardon him and knock off his bolts and chains and raise him unto favour bring him into his Privy Chamber and open his whole heart and all the mysteries of the Kingdom to him here is a great change thus does God to poor sinners that he pardons A soul that lies under the guilt of sin is just for all the world like unto a Malefactor that lies in a dungeon that hath bolts and fetters on him the guilt of sin is like bolts and fetters on thy soul Well thou lyest there fast bound but when God comes in with pardoning mercy God sends to thee in this dungeon and knocks off thy bolts by pardon and not only so but calls thee into his Privy Chamber and opens his heart and bosome unto thee and reveals those things that were kept secret from the beginning of the world Princes do not always deal so with Malefactors if they pardon them they think they have done enough for them they may afterwards go and shift for themselves they are not call'd into the Privy Chamber to have the King open his secrets unto them but it is certainly so to every soul God pardons he pardons none but whom he calls into his Privy Chamber and reveals unto him the great Councels of his will and what has been the great thoughts of his heart for the good of that soul from all eternity though some souls have more light than others yet to no soul that is pardoned but God comes in with a great and glorious light and in respect of the light of Nature it may be call'd a glorious light there 's not the weakest and poorest creature in the world that is pardoned but he understands more of the light of Gods grace and Covenant than the greatest Doctors or Rabbins in the world and though he cannot speak or talk so much of these things yet he dares venture his soul on those thoughts he hath of Gods good will made known unto him in the Covenant no Rabbin in the world though he can talk much of these things yet he dares not venture his soul for the eternal welfare of it and his estate upon God to do with him as he pleases but a believing soul dares venture his Name his Estate his Life yea his eternal life on God he dares to put them all into his hands and to such a soul God will repeal his Covenant Psal 25.14 God will grant this mercy that he will reveal his Covenant and all the secrets of it shall be made known unto him you that complain of dulness of understanding you say you hear excellent mysteries and do not understand them there is surely much in them I see some weight and excellency in them to be found out and I hope God in time will discover them unto me but little I know for present you take a course to get understanding by attendance on the outward Ordinances it is good to use all means as reading and conferring with other Christians and pray over what you hear these are excellent But the great and special means to get saving understanding in the mysteries of the Gospel is this Cast down your souls at the footstool of God and cry for pardon of sin it may be guilt of sin is upon thy heart let that be thy work to get of the guilt of sin and cry for Gods justifying mercy in Christ guilt being removed God will let out to thy soul the Revelation of his Covenant in a glorious manner he will reveal his secrets to thee so that upon this there is a holy boldness a sinner comes to have in the presence of God Suppose a Malefactor come to Court under his guilt being not pardoned alas he dare scarce look in at Court-gate and when he comes he keeps in some out-room and dares not stir any further than he is call'd but take another that is pardoned he comes in boldly and goes from one room unto another yea into the very Presence-Chamber and there can open his mind fully to the King and speak out all his heart and this is a great difference between one under the guilt of sin and another that is pardoned one under the guilt of sin he dare scarce go to Prayer and thinks God casts away his person and his services and that nothing is regarded but when God comes to pardon he calls the poor sinner that was under trouble before to come and draw near to him and saith fear not open thy mind and heart to me Lam. 3.55 56 57. I called upon thy Name O Lord out of the low dungeon 57. In the day that I called upon thee thou drewest near and said'st fear not Every poor soul that is justified may say God knows when I was under the guilt of sin I was cast into the low dungeon and the chains of guilt were upon me
great vanity of men and women that look after pardon of sin but 't is only at such times as God takes away all other comforts from them as thus they think to satisfie themselves with the creatures while they can enjoy them while they can go up and down amongst friends eat good chear and have all coming in but when God takes away all these as on a sick-bed then they will cry for pardon Oh mercy Lord oh mercy I am a wretched miserable sinner oh mercy Well now you would have mercy Why now and not before before you had other things and you quieted your hearts with them and why not now were not they mercies but I know not whether they were out of love or hatred Well yet you quieted your hearts with them and now they are all going Do you now think it a fit time to cry for mercy Oh how infinitely wast thou mistaken that thou did'st not cry for mercy before thou think'st it now a fit time to cry for mercy why thou had'st no mercy that thou could'st take the comfort of as a mercy unless thy sins were pardoned and therefore thou hast now cause to cry for pardon when sickness comes and God takes away this and the other mercy thou think'st thou art left naked if you knew all you are naked now and therefore would you live a comfortable life in this world and have your House Estate and all Relations mercies to you never be at rest till you have got your sins pardoned and forgiven this considered might be a mighty argument and means to draw the hearts of men to get pardon that all their outward things might be sweetned to them 2. If all outward good be not a mercy unless sin be pardoned then what good wilt thou or any one get by the increase of sin thou think'st it to be a good Why all thou hast now is not a good is not a mercy and dost thou think to get good by the increase of sin when a temptation comes to draw thee to sin think thus I have heard this day that all I have is not a mercy unless my sin be pardoned and therefore I can never get any mercy by the increase of sin Certainly did men and women understand themselves they would easily answer the Devil by this kind of reasoning Of Pardon of Sin making all afflictions easie to be born Where-ever sin is pardoned there follows this that any thing that befals that man or woman is very easie to be born an easie matter it is for any one that hath his sin pardoned to bear any affliction and this is a great blessedness or rather take it thus That either such a one may be assured that afflictions shall be removed or otherwise made easie to be born for pardon of sin delivers us from abundance of afflictions that otherwise might befal us in this world though it is true God lays many afflictions on his people after their sins are forgiven yet it is more than they know but that if their sins had not bin forgiven they might have had other manner of miseries than they do now meet withal perhaps you meet with some now and more than you did before but for ought you know those miseries you meet with now might have been seven-fold more than now they are and another manner of wrath than you now think of Isai 40.2 Cry her warfare is accomplished for her iniquity is pardoned where iniquity is pardoned there warfare is accomplished if afflictions be not quite removed yet they are made very easie to be born and that upon two grounds First Because the greatness of the good that there is in pardon of sin makes the bitterest and saddest evil that there is in affliction to be as nothing as to instance suppose a Malefactor that is condemn'd to some greivous and hideous death should have a friend at Court to sue for pardon or he comes up up to get pardon Well he comes and is admitted to come into the Kings Presence and he receives him graciously pardons him freely quits him fully of all his guilt and puts him fully out of all the danger he was in perhaps as he is coming from the King he loses his Glove or Handkerchief Would not that be an unseemly thing for a man that after he has got his Pardon yet because he has lost his Glove should whine and wring his hands because of the loss of his Glove would not that be an unreasonable thing Certainly there is as much unreasonableness for any man or woman that hath the pardon of their sin for them to wring their hands and whine and keep a stir as though they were undone because they are afflicted For the greatest affliction that can befal any in this world compared with the good of pardon of sin is not so much as the loss of a Glove for the saving of any mans life by the Kings Pardon though your afflictions may be more than the loss of a Glove yet your pardon of sin is greater than any Kings pardon in the world put these together and know hereby thy unreasonableness and when to check thy self having any assurance of pardon of sin that thou should'st be so troubled at any affliction and have so much good from God in the pardon of thy sin Further for those that are troubled at afflictions I would put this to them either they are pardoned or not pardoned if ye are pardoned why are ye so troubled if ye are not pardoned then you had need to spend the strength of your spirits by waving your grief for afflictions to seek pardon of your sins Secondly Pardon of sin will make afflictions easie because the soul may be assured that the evil of affliction is gone he that has his sin pardoned may be assured that there can nothing befal him in this world but that if he knew all he himself would be willing with all his heart it should be so And is not this a blessed condition for any man while he lives here in this world in which there is abundance of evil yet to be in such a condition as that we shall certainly know that there shall nothing befal us as long as we live in this world but that which if we knew all we our selves would chuse it and account it to be a better condition than any other this is a blessed estate to be in such a condition as this is for God to testifie from Heaven unto us that it shall not be in the power of any creature in the world to do us any hurt for certainly so it is when once a man or woman is justified God does as much as speak from heaven to that poor soul saying Soul now you are safe be certainly assured that there is no creature in all the world can do you any hurt Psal 116.7 thou may'st say as David there Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee God
guilty also as well as he But now when the King comes to look upon them he sets his heart on this poor man that perhaps begg'd from door to door and says this poor creature shall be forgiven I will pass by his offence and not only so but advance him into high and great favour at the Court and condemns all the Nobles Now if this poor man shall see all the Noble men in chains that were guilty but of one offence and he perhaps hath been guilty for acting in a treasonable way 40 50 or 70 years and the Noble men guilty but for one offence and this poor wretched creature sees these Noble men in chains and knows that all they and every one of them are condemn'd to suffer most dreadful tortures to dye a most dreadful torturing tormenting death Now what a mighty aggravation is this of the mercy of the King that shall pardon the offence of this poor creature how will he stand amazed admiring at the greatness of it I that am guilty of the same offence yea more guilty than they and that I shall be pardoned and the chief of the Nobility of the Kingdom must die a most torturing tormenting death for their offence what a difference hath the Kings favour made between me and them certainly this is the case for all the world with any poor soul whose sins are pardoned God has done as much for thee to the full the Angels were the most glorious creatures that ever God made and thou art but a poor worm in comparison of them they sinned against him but once and thou art guilty of millions of transgressions and yet God sets his heart on thee and says I will do great things for thee though I pass by thousands millions of Angels I will magnifie my rich grace to this poor creature in pardoning his sin and advance him to high favour though I condemn them into everlasting chains of darkness now when a poor creature comes to see the infinite riches of Gods grace that hath made such a difference between him and the Angels how will he stand admiring of it me thinks this should mightily work upon the hearts of all poor sinners and make them to say What shall God pass by such excellent creatures as the Angels the most excellent creatures that ever God made and come to me a poor worm to set his heart on me and shew mercy to me Oh let me pass by all the excellencies of the creatures to perform my duty unto him Hath God past by the most excellent of his creatures that mercy might come to me Oh let me pass by all the glories and excellencies of any thing in this world that my Soul may come in in a way of duty and service unto him Shall God leave the glorious Angels to shew mercy to me and to do good for me and shall not I leave my base lusts for him Shall not I be content to leave any thing to serve him Shall I satisfie any base lust with the neglect of him God forbid This is another Argument that they are blessed that have their sins pardoned because God does that for them that he will not do for the faln Angels CHAP. XI Of Pardoning Mercy being given to a few FUrther Blessed is he that hath his iniquities forgiven because it is a mercy that is given but to a little handful of the world the whole world lies in wickedness as carrion in a ditch or as Prisoners under the chains of guilt of sin and yet that God should pull some of these out that lie as in a filthy Dungeon this is a wonderful mercy A Prince that hath many offenders usually pardons the most and executes the fewest But God usually executes the most and pardons fewest But how comes this to pass seeing God is a God of more mercy than any Prince how is it that a Prince should pardon most and execute the fewest and God do the contrary Answ 1. Because the execution of many that are guilty Answ 1 would be a troublesom and dangerous thing unto a Prince he cannot do it when the most have offended but God can easily execute thousands of thousands and all with one word speaking Further If a Prince should execute all that offend he Answ 2 should have a want of his Subjects But God wants not the creatures he has no need of us but a Prince may want his Subjects and therefore if there be any way in the world to preserve them and keep them in any way subject to him the Prince will not destroy them Besides the Prince executes the fewest and saves the most Answ 3 Because the execution of a few may be a means to bring others unto allegiance But when God comes to execute Malefactors the execution of some cannot be a means to work good on others especially at the great day 't is true in this world God is long-suffering and executes a few that it may be a means to work good on others But how is God said to be a God of rich and glorious mercy and yet pardons very few and executes most for all the world have been in Treason against him how is it that God pardons fewest and destroys most I hope to give you very good reason and satisfaction in shewing you how the infinite glory of the mercy of God appears and yet but few are pardoned yea rather the more because that few are pardoned God would thereby manifest the more his glorious mercy 1. It may well stand with the glorious riches of the mercy of God that many are destroy'd and yet but few pardoned thus Because that God would have a proportion between his Justice and Mercy you say he would have a proportion Is not be as merciful as he is just Then there must be as many pardoned as condemned No if God will observe a proportion between his mercy and justice and that he will have his Justice appear as well as his Mercy then more must be damned than saved How does that appear thus Because the glory of Gods Justice in damning twenty hundred is not so much as the glory of his Mercy in saving two you may conceive it by what is ordinarily used among men If the King save but two men that are Malefactors he magnifies his mercy as much in that as his justice if he hang up a hundred so if God save but two his mercy is as much magnified as his justice in damning twenty hundred the reason is this Because there is something in the creature that calls for Gods justice that requires that But there is nothing in the creature that requires his mercy when God manifests his justice he does such a work as is due to the Creature there is something in the Creature that challenges such a work from God but when God comes to manifest mercy there is nothing at all in us that should require such a work from God no his mercy is
and witnesses affixed to it but we use to take an Oath Well says God I will swear and take an Oath to make my Covenant of grace sure to your souls Heb. 6.13 when God made a Promise to Abraham because he could swear by no greater he sware by himself and this is in the 18. verse an admirable Text of Scripture That we might have strong Consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us there is hope of Gods grace through the Reconciliation of Christ Jesus and this hope the soul runs to as to a City of Refuge when his guilt like the persuer of blood follows him Well says God this poor soul notwithstanding will have doubts of my grace now that it might have strong consolation I have swore that I might make my mercy sure to such a soul that 's a fourth way but is there any thing else you use to make things sure between one another Yea Lord Fourthly we put our Seals to it an Oath taken may soon pass over but a Seal that abides says God I will do that too I will give you Seals and there are divers sorts of Seals there 's first the Broad Seal of Heaven What is that that is nothing else but the very Printing of the Image of God on the Soul that is the Broad Seal of Heaven And as the Broad Seal of England hath the Picture or Image of the King stampt upon it so the Broad Seal of Heaven is nothing else but the Image of God stamp't or imprinted on the Soul 2. There is the Privy Seal of the Holy Spirit of God which is the perswading and assuring of the soul of its interest it hath in Christ and God the Father In 2 Tim. 2.19 you have Gods Privy Seal The Lord knows them that are his and they having his Privy Seal know themselves to be the Lords Cant. 6.2 I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine so Paul Gal. 2.20 being sealed with this Seal saith of Christ He loved me and gave himself for me he was perswaded and assured of salvation 2 Tim. 1.12 Rom. 8.38 39. This Privy Sealing is like the New Name Revel 2.17 Which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it And to this you shall have a third Seal Baptism and the Supper of the Lord that is to assure you that the end of the Sacrament is to Seal up Pardon of sin God saw that his People would be very solicitous and therefore added all these wayes of assurance to them when you therefore come to the Sacrament you should come with a sense upon your souls of the great need you have of the grace of God in pardoning sin and come to it as to a Sealing-day you have many fears and doubts come so as that you may have the grace of pardon seal'd to your souls take heed of coming so as to have your condemation sealed for certainly all Ordinances if they work not for that end that they are appointed they turn to another and quite contrary as the Word if it be not the savour of life it is the savour of death and so the Sacraments if they seal not the pardon of thy sins up unto thee they seal up the sentence of death and condemnation therefore look to it as oft as you come unworthily to the Sacrament you have so many Seals of death and condemnation set upon your souls Take heed you do not come to take another Seal of death 't is much to be feared many in this place come to take the seal of eternal death upon their souls but those that come worthily though administrations be not in that due order as they should yet God may be present with his own Ordinance to give them comfort from it and help their Evidences by it I must conclude this those that content themselves with slight Evidences about this great work dishonour the grace of God you would have us preach of mercy and indeed it is a blessed Argument which our souls delight much to be preaching of because we find so much sweetness in it and for which our souls shall expatiate themselves in glorifying God to all eternity but we are withal jealous of your dishonouring of God in this mercy and therefore it is that we labour so with you after the laying open of this mercy that you may not abuse it for certainly my Brethren there is nothing in the world God takes to heart more than the dishonour that is done to his pardoning mercy and nothing more aggravates the sin of People than to have slight thoughts of this great work Seventhly This is a great dishonour to Gods pardoning mercy for men to put off the seeking of it to the worst times that possible can be Is it not the ordinary way of most people to put of the seeking of the grace and favour of God Pardon of sin and Reconciliation till the time of sickness and the time of death they go on all their life time in sinning against God but when they are lying upon their sick-beds and death-beds Lord have mercy upon me pardon me forgive me a wicked wretch that I have been these kind of words we hear from men at that time O that God would forgive and pardon such and such sins and then perhaps they will tell some particular sins if they think they shall die they will open themselves to the Minister or to some faithful Neighbour in the disclosing of their particular sins and beseech them to pray to God for mercy but if they have any hopes to escape they will keep them in and be loath to rip open the sins of their lives This I say for any to put off the seeking unto God for his pardoning grace till that time it is to put a great dishonour upon God for it is a putting of it off to the worst time that possible can be And that makes much to the dishonour of God For First Those men seek pardon of sin when sin is leaving them or they must leave sin whether they will or no when you have served your own turn of sin after you have had as much supposed pleasure as you can then you think to be delivered from the guilt and punishment of sin what is there but a meer selfish spirit in seeking God now and God sees it so it is not seeking after pardon of sin that you may honour God in his infinite grace for then you would seek after it now and the honour of God would be dear to you now but you seek it at such a time meerly out of respect to your selves this is a great dishonour to God It is the first born of Gods glory to pardon sin and for God to see men and women have no higher ends in seeking pardoning grace but meerly to save their own skins How may God look upon them with disdain What shall I magnifie the riches of my grace so wonderfully in this work of
were no evil of guilt or punishment yet an ingenious gracious spirit would never do it What shall I sin because God will pardon Shall I venture upon it no I will never do it grace reasons to a quite contrary end that is an excellent Scripture in Tit. 2.11 The grace of God that brings Salvation it is this grace that reveals the pardon of sin this precious grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men But to what end teaching us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts the grace of God that brings salvation it teaches us these lessons not such a wicked lesson that we should presume to sin on hopes that God may pardon it No But to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and that we should live soberly righteously and godly and not to take liberty to sin to lye steal be filthy and the like because God will pardon no it teaches other manner of lessons than these and then it follows looking for that blessed hope and appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ mark the Text there is a great deal in it when the grace of God that brings salvation and mercy and pardon of sin is revealed it teaches us these Lessons because of the grace and favour of God is revealed to us that we should deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and then we may with comfort look for the blessed hope and appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ but otherwise you can never look for that blessed hope let me speak to those that reason thus that they may venture on sin because of Gods pardoning grace Does the Revelation of the grace of God teach you to live ungodly and in worldly lusts Can you look for that blessed hope with comfort and expect the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ 't is impossible you cannot 't is not a blessed hope that you have but a cursed hope that all shall be well at last though you live ungodly and wickedly and for the appearing of the great God certainly it will be a terrible appearing to thee that made Christ who came to dissolve the works of the Devil to be a means to uphold the works of the Devil 3. Did ever any Child of God make use of Scripture to reason for sin in such a wicked way for to presume to sin because God is willing to pardon you cannot give me one example in all the Scripture of any of those that God hath shewed mercy to that reasoned after this manner I can give you examples to the contrary how the Saints have reasoned otherwise Psal 130.4 mark the reasoning of a gracious heart But there is forgiveness with thee that thou may'st be feared he reasons from the pardoning grace of God to draw up his heart to the fear of God as if he should say Lord I have heard much of the Doctrine of the pardon of sin and the great workings of thy grace to effect it and of thy readiness to forgive this is the end of it that thou mightest be feared this is the effect this doctrine works in a gracious soul and 't is a good sign if you reason after this manner but there is forgiveness with thee that thou may'st be feared If those Sermons you have heard of this Doctrine be a means to implant the fear of God in your hearts this is a blessed sign they have had a good effect upon you when you reason thus Because Lord I have had so much of thy grace and mercy in forgiving my sin through thy grace my soul shall fear thee more than ever before and fear to sin more than ever before those that have hearts answering this Text 't is a good sign that the Word has had a powerful efficacy upon them take another Text Psal 103.1 2 3. Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Why who forgiveth all thy iniquities Mark it is a Psalm that David made of Gods mercy in forgiving of sin the consideration of which makes him call upon his soul and all that is within him to bless the Lord Do's God shew so much grace as to forgive sin then bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name 't is not reasoning thus God forgives iniquity and therefore O my soul take liberty thou need'st not be so strict But bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name those that have strength to do any thing for God this is an argument will stir up all within them to bless God when they see God appearing so infinitely gracious to them in the forgiveness of their sins they so reason that all they have or can do should be given unto him 4. You that think you may take liberty to sin because God is gracious and venture on it because you conceit that God will never punish think of this the example of the damned in Hell they are flying in the face of God because they know that God will never pardon and thou sinnest because thou hopest God will pardon which is the worst of the two the Devils and the damned are in such a condition as that they know that God will never pardon them and therefore they always curse God because they know he will not pardon but God offers pardon and tenders grace to you holds forth Jesus Christ to you and his blood and sufferings for the pardoning of you and you blaspheme because you think he will pardon of the two methinks you should judge the second sort worst you blaspheme because you hope God will pardon and the other blaspheme God because they know he will not pardon 'T is something worse to take liberty to sin because you hope God will pardon than they that sin because they are out of all hâ—pâ—s of pardon Thou that takest liberty on this ground to blaspheme the Name of God What thinkest thou will become of thee another day now thou dost blaspheme because thou hopest that God will pardon thee ere long thou maist come to that condition to blaspheme God eternally because he will not pardon thee As I make no question but many Swearers Drunkards unclean persons and the like have gone on in sin on this ground because they hoped that God would pardon them are now gone to their own place and blaspheme because they find that God will never pardon so that thou that blasphemest now it may be thou shalt blaspheme eternally but it will be otherwise thou dost it now on hopes that God will pardon thou shalt there do it because thou shalt have no hopes that he will ever pardon 5. Thou that sinnest now in hopes that God will pardon if God inlighten thy mind these things will be an intolerable burden to thee and if there be any thing that will indanger the sinking of thy soul into the bottomless gulf of dispair it is like
your hearts were active at any thing in the world it ought to be in this if once you give your selves liberty to lye down and the activity of your Spirits be gone you are in a sad condition t will be very difficult to get them up again take heed of a sullen heart you may be very active and yet calme quiet and patient there 's a great conjunction between these two when I am active and yet calme stilling of my heart under God and yet stirring of my heart unto God these two are joyned together in those whom God directs unto himself Fourthly Renew thy resolutions that what ever becomes of thee whether God will ever speak peace or no to thee yet so long as thou livest thou will do what thou canst to honour his name and keep from sin Keep thy heart under the power of this resolution Fifthly Keep thy heart in a waiting frame use the means lye at the Poole as the man that lay many years waiting for the stirring of the Waters met with help at last so do thou keep thy heart in a waiting frame and think with thy self if mercy come at last it will recompence thee for all thy waitings and pains Sixthly Be willing to catch hold of any beginnings of Gods discoverings of himsef if it be but a little glimpse make much of it and bless God for it Many in their trouble seek to God for pardon but they are always complaining either to their Neighbours or themselves but seldom express themselves in Thanks-givings Now you should observe what God hath granted what beginnings and glimpse of his grace appear look and see if there be not a little cloud the bigness of a mans hand it may breed a shower a shower of grace may come after it but take notice of it when it is but the bigness of a mans hand it is a great evil in such as are under trouble of Conscience because they find not full Assurance presently they think they receive nothing at all Well wait upon God under these directions and as you shall not be so guilty of dishonouring the pardoning mercy of God so 't will be a means to bring great good unto your souls We have now done with the several wayes of dishonouring the pardoning grace of God and because God is very jealous of this and takes it exceeding ill I have been the larger in it now I am to shew the evil of it Of the Evil of dishonouring the Pardoning Grace of God First There is this evil in it because it is a sinning against mercy which God accounts his glory a man takes it exceeding ill if he be wronged in his Goods or good Name or in any thing he apprehends an excellency in and mark it The greater excellency a man apprehends in any thing the greater evil he accounts the wrong that is done to him in that thing As a covetous man if you wrong him in his Estate he presently as a mad man cannot bear it because you wrong him of that which he counts his greatest excellency so a Scholar a man of parts will rather you wrong him in any thing than account of him as a Dunce because he accounts his parts and learning his greatest excellency therefore he would not be wronged in that so you that are Marriners and have skill in sailing and in the Art of Navigation if one vilifie your work and find fault with you there 't is as if one touch't your free-hold you cannot bear it Why because you account it your excellency so it is between us and God if we wrong God in that which he accounts his excellency he cannot bear it Now the pardoning mercy of God is that which God counts his excellency and glory Exod. 34. when God descended to shew Moses his glory his Pardoning Mercy was one of the great Master-pieces wherein God accounted his glory to consist more than in the making of Heaven and Earth Now for God to be contemn'd in that wherein his glory consists must needs be a great dishonour to him the mercy of God comes from the bowels of his compassions Now if you strike one on the arm or shoulder it is not so much as if you strike him on his bowels when you dishonour the pardoning grace of God you do as it were spurn at the Bowels of God and Christ and he accounts it so certainly you that can hear this and neglect it and prize and prefer every base iust before it you do as it were go up and down kicking and spurning at the bowels of God and that Child that should spurn at his Mothers bowels is not so much to be blamed as thou art that goest on in sin after thou hast heard the pardoning grace of God opened to thee thy going on in sin is a spurning at the very bowels of God Secondly This aggravates the sin of such men above the sins of the Heathen their sins are nothing in comparison of those that live under the Gospel and have the grace of God opened unto them at the Day of Judgment when thou hearest them condemned for sins against the Light of Nature they may say Lord What shall become of these we never heard of such grace and pardoning mercy in Christ as you heard of that have lived in such and such a place and have had the pardoning mercy of God opened to you if they do not plead against you yet it will be made known before all Men and Angels what you have heard and what has been preached unto you and what God has done for you and for you to continue in sin your sins will thereby be aggravated and your condemnation heightened Thirdly Your sin is above the sin of the Devils the sin of the Devils is not so great as yours is that live under the light of the Gospel and have the pardoning grace of God preached to you for though the Devils blaspheme God continually yet their sins have not this aggravation upon them that yours have God never came and told them he was willing to pardon their sins nor did Christ make any purchase for them by his blood but to you is the Gospel preacht and pardon offered dayly to you Are not your sins greater then than the sins of the Devils Would not you account it a great aggravation of any ones offence that hath wronged and injured you and should seek for pardon and yet you rather seek to him and offer pardon to him and sue to him to accept it and he goes away and contemns you would not you account this a great aggravation know thy sinning against this grace makes thee to be in a worse condition than Belzebub himself that is the chief all the Devils he had never this aggravation which is a dreadful one to sin against the pardoning mercy of God so that the very Devils may complain against you and say O Lord we sinned against thee but thou tookest advantage against us presently
vile before yet being justified there is a lustre in their conversations that convinces Parents and Governours and makes them see an apparent difference between what they are now and what they were before though they contemn it yet they know that God will own that difference that he has made to be his own glory and will declare it one day that this was the thing that was glorious in his eyes And therefore now would you know whether you are justified Are you glorified What glory of God is come into your hearts and appears in your lives and conversations Can you say my life is so though I have many weaknesses yet I hope something of the glory of God appears in me for so it must be there is no soul God justifies but God inables him to live so as the glory of God shines in the conversation of such a one Now if these things be so what cause have you to fear you are not a justified person but for the present many times it doth not appear for most of you darken the glory of God in your lives you that are justified should shew it forth more in your conversation among all with whom you have to do and then what a beauty and Evidence of your Justification would it be unto you Sixthly Those whom God pardons he makes them know what pardon means thou hopest thy sins are pardoned Dost thou understand and know what hath been said about it certainly those whom God pardons he causes admiring thoughts in the soul of the excellency of this blessedness of the pardon of sin the soul is taken with the admiration of three things First It admires at the freeness and the riches of Gods grace Secondly At the price that was paid for pardon Thirdly It admires at the wonderful good it is brought into and that which the soul receives by this blessedness of the pardon of sin other things God may bestow on men and women and they know not the worth of them and do not mind God in them but when God bestows pardon of sin he makes the soul have admiring thoughts of it and to know what it is Jer. 33.9 And it shall be to me a Name of joy a praise and honour and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and prosperity that I procure unto it certainly if others shall do it much more themselves those whom God pardons he bestows such mercies upon as that the soul shall even stand amazed with a trembling heart and an amazed spirit to behold all the goodness that the Lord shews to it Now have your hearts been taken with it you may know much of your Evidences if your hearts have been taken with admiring thoughts of it for certainly when God pardons sin he doth it to magnifie his grace and set out to Men and Angels in the infiniteness of it what his grace can do to poor souls if this be Gods end as certainly it is then it must needs be that those whom God pardons he gives such grace as shall cause the soul that it shall have admiring thoughts of it Has thy soul seen so much of the grace of God that it admires at the greatness and goodness of it be of good comfort thy sins are pardoned Seventhly The more assurance God gives of pardon the more the heart melts before God in mourning for the sins that God has pardoned according to the manifestation of Gods mercy in pardoning so doth the soul by the work of Gods grace melt in holy mourning even for those sins that God has pardoned many think they must mourn for sin to get pardon but when they are pardoned Why should they mourn then I have spoken to that before that many mourn to get pardon but I say they mourn because they are pardoned I manifest it thus in this evidence I give of pardon of sin that according to the degree of knowledge the soul hath of pardon of sin the heart melts before God for all sins that are pardoned the 51. Psal is exceeding remarkable David laments his sin exceeding bitterly but mark the Title of that Psalm To the chief Musitian a Psalm of David when Nathan the Prophet came unto him after he had gone in to Bathsheba Now would you know what Nathan did when he came unto David you shall find if you read the story of David's Adultery and Murther 2 Sam. 12. Chap. it was to bring the news unto David of the pardon of his sin first Nathan convinces him of his sin that he should do it before Israel and before the Sun and having convinc't him he says further the Lord hath put away thy sin Now a secure heart might go away and say all is well I shall not dye God hath pardoned my sin I need not be troubled any more about that matter But mark the Psalmist how he cries out to God Have mercy O Lord upon me and blot out all my transgressions wash me purge me and then he prays for restoring mercies for his broken bones and then cries out for further assurance the very grace of God that Nathan brought to him of the pardon of his sin that very grace of God did melt and break his heart so much the more after God had sent to him the pardon of his sin he mourned more than ever before we never read that David was so much troubled for his sin as in this 51. Psal that was after Nathan had come unto him Now if you find that at that time when God is pleas'd to come unto you in the Ministry of the Word or in private to declare unto you the pardon of your sin and to give you the comfortable Evidence of it that then your hearts are most devoted to mourn for them and to melt before God Be of good comfort thy sins are pardoned Eightly Another note is this that according to the degree of pardon of sin so all other graces grow the knowledge and assurance of Gods love in Christ in the pardon of sin it causes all other graces to grow proportionably as you have it in Ephes 3.19 about the knowledge of the love of God in Christ mark the connection he desires That they might comprehend with all Saints what is the height and depth c. and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge and be filled with all the fulness of God What is the love of Christ the love of Christ is the procuring cause of the forgiveness of sin be-before God the Father and when you know this this will fill you with all the fulness of God Mark first It brings God in to the soul And secondly Fills the soul with God And thirdly Fills the soul with the fulness of God And fourthly Fills the soul with all the fulness of God when you come to know the love of God in Christ if any thing in the world will fill the soul with all the fulness of God this will many will say they
it is a great taking the Name of God in vain for any man or woman to have slight thoughts of sin ibid. 2 Men should be content to endure much difficulty in seeking of Pardon ibid. 3 The difficulties pardon of sin passes through should make us willing to undergo any hard services God puts us to 52 CHAP. VI. Of Pardoning Mercy coming from the Fountain of Gods Everlasting Love 52 CHAP. VII Of Pardoning Mercy being a work that all the three Persons in the Trinity are ingaged in 54 1 God the Father's heart was in it ibid. 2 Christ the Son's heart was in it 55 3 The Holy Ghost was much in it 56 CHAP. VIII Of Pardoning Mercy being a perfect mercy 60 Hence 1 Flows out abundance of comfort 61 2 Great ingagement unto duty ibid. CHAP. IX Of Pardoning Mercy being an Irrevocable Mercy 62 This appears 1 In Gods blotting out of sin 64 2 Casting it behind his back 65 3 Removing it as far as the East is from the West ibid. 4 Casts them in the bottom of the Sea ibid. 5 He will remember them no more ibid. 6 They shall never be mentioned ibid. 7 They shall never be found 67 CHAP. X. Of Pardon of Sin being a mercy denyed to fal'n Angels 69 CHAP. XI Of Pardoning Mercy being such that it is given but to a few 71 1 Because God would have a proportion between his Justice and Mercy 72 2 To manifest his Mercy the more to those that are saved ibid. CHAP. XII Of the possibility of Pardoning Mercy how it would be prized by poor Souls now under wrath 74 CHAP. XIII Of Pardon of Sin being the special end of all God's Ordinances 76 1. Hearing of the Word ibid. 2. The Sacraments 78 3 Discipline 79 A Transition to the Application of what is to be said to these things ibid. CHAP. XIV Of the Dishonour done by Men to the Pardoning Grace of God 81 1 By careless ones 82 2 By sinful ones who labour to increase guilt 84 3 Those that have slight thoughts of Pardon 87 4 Such as seek Pardon but are insensible of the greatness of the work 89 5 Those that dally with God and 92 1 That cry for pardon and yet continue in love to their sin ibid. 2 That seek the pardon of some sins yet still keep the love of others 94 3 That look not after their Prayers 95 4 That follow not their Prayers with answerable endeavours ibid. 5 Those that pray for pardon and yet are satisfied with other things ibid. 6 Those that are quiet upon weak and slight Evidences dishonour God 96 1 The Word 97 2 The Word put in writing ibid. 3 Witnesses and they are six 3 in Heaven and 3 on Earth ibid. 4 An Oath ibid. 5 Seals 98 1 The Broad Seal of the Image of God ibid. 2 The Privy Seal of the Spirit of God ibid. 3 Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. ibid. 7 Those dishonour Gods Mercy that defer the seeking of it to the worst times as Sick-bed or Death-bed time 99 1 Because they leave not sin till sin is leaving them 100 2 That time is usually the time of Gods wrath ibid. 3 A man is then unfit for the greatness of this work 101 4 God will loose a great part of his end in pardoning mercy 102 5 It argues a base spirit to put it off till then that all the tag-rag and rabble-rout will come in ibid. 8 They dishonour the pardoning grace of God that seek it any other way then in and through the Mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ ibid. 9 Those that venture on any one sin in hopes they may be pardoned 107 1 It argues an abominable heart 111 2 An ingenious gracious spirit would never do it ibid. 3 Gods Children reason to the contrary 112 4 In some respect thou art worse than the damned in Hell 113 5 This will be an intollerable burden to thee that will indanger the sinking of thy soul in the bottomless gulf of dispair 114 10 They dishonour the Pardoning Grace of God that sin after pardon as 115 1 That return to the same sin 116 2 That are negligent in the ways of God 117 1 They remember not the days of old 118 2 Are in danger of losing their Evidences 120 3 This may provoke God to deal with you as a slave and not as a son 122 4 Hereby thy sin is aggravated above the sins of the wicked ibid. CHAP. XV. Of the dishonour done to the Grace of God by not resting on it 125 1 It argues low thoughts of the pardoning Grace of God 126 2 Thou hereby judgest of God according to thy own thoughts 127 3 'T is contrary to the main scope of the Scriptures which is to magnifie the pardoning grace of God 128 1 Against the greatness of sin ibid. 2 The way thou takest 't is the ready way to perish 129 Object Would you have us go on to believe and doubt no more 130 Answ No. But 1 Turn your fears of Presuming into fears of Dishonouring the Grace of God 131 2 Set the greatness of the Pardoning Grace of God before the eye of your souls ibid. 3 Keep your spirits in an active frame 132 4 Renew your Resolutions of Honouring God whatever God does with you ibid. 5 Keep thy heart in a waiting frame ibid. 6 Catch hold of any beginnings 133 Of the evil of this sin of dishonouring the pardoning Grace of God ibid. 1 It is a sinning against mercy which God accounts his glory ibid. 2 It aggravates the sin of such men 134. 1 Above the sin of the Heathen ibid. 2 Above the sin of the Devils 135 3 The Scripture speaks dreadfully of it ibid. CHAP. XVI Of the several Mistakes of Men about the Pardon of their Sins 1 Many think their sins are pardoned because it is but little they are guilty of Answ 140 1 Such understand not the evil that is in the least sin ibid. 2 Gods mercy is his own to do with it as he pleases ibid. 2 Others think they are pardoned because they have not multiplied and increast them 142 Answ One sin is enough to damn thee as well as a million of transgressions ibid. 3 Others think they are pardoned because the guilt of them does not lie upon their Consciences Answered 143 4 Others think they are pardoned because they have had prosperity Answ 145 5 Others hope they are pardoned because 1 They are sorry for them Answ 146 2 Leave them Answ 151 1 All Reformation satisfies not for sin 153 2 God accepts of duties not for themselves but because of the person that performs them 154 3 Others say we trust in the mercy of God and they are 1 Such as are most grosly ignorant Answ 155 2 Others more knowing Answ 157 4 Others say We rely upon Christ Answ 161 CHAP. XVII Of the true Evidences of Forgiveness of Sin 162 1 They are such as are Called Ones 163 2 They are received into the Covenant
the grace of the Gospel that thus objectest it is another manner of thing than thou art aware of there is not that malignity in the grace of the Gospel to cause such effects in the hearts of believers Luther compares sin to Lime and the law to Water that makes the Lime hotter but the grace of the Gospel says he is like to Oyl and Oyl will quench Lime but Water will not so the Oyl of the Gospel will quench the sins of men and certainly the more there is of the grace of God revealed in the Gospel the more the lusts remaining in the heart of a believer come to be quenched this is an evident Argument of the great difference between the mercy of God revealed in the Gospel and received by faith and that which is received only in a natural way you that are unbelievers and receives the Gospel only in a natural way your lusts may be nourished and you may take liberty for wickedness But if once you come to receive the mercy of God in and through Christ Jesus then that mercy will be the greatest opposer of thy lusts and sin as any thing can be in the world certainly thou know'st not the work of God in Christ forgiving sin that reason'st thus I shall shew you plainly The knowledge of the great work of the Propitiation by Christ brings the soul into a hatred of all sin and is no nourisher of it 1 Joh. 1.9 the Apostle speaks of the wonderful grace of God in Christ to us If we confess our sins he is not only ready to forgive but to cleanse us from them And chap. 2.1 My little children I write unto you that you sin not that you take not liberty in any sin they might say you write these things that we sin not but we have sinful natures and so shall certainly fall into sin for all this Well for the comfort of Saints If any man sin says he we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ is presently an Advocate though you sin through ignorance and negligence and do not renew present acts of faith to sue out a pardon yet says the Holy Ghost Jesus Christ is an Advocate with the Father the Lord Christ stands before the Father pleading that no evil may befal you for your sin this is the admirable priviledge of the Saints of God a most blessed priviledge they have by the Covenant of Grace that when they commit a sin and may be take no notice and may be Conscience is so benum'd at present that they go not to God to seek a pardon but may be lie in sin a long time together yet says the Text you have one that pleads your cause and it is from hence that Gods wrath comes not out against you because you have an Advocate with the Father Well says the 2d vers And he is the Propitiation not only for our sins but the sins of the whole world he means believers Now in the third vers says he Hereby we know that we know him If we keep his Commandements as if he had said If we do not take heed of sin and keep his Commandements we know not this grace of pardon if any that here us Ministers teach this Doctrine and say they know him and have no care to keep Gods Commandements 't is quite contrary to what the Apostle says he says Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandements this knowing of him as it is a means to keep his Commandements so 't is an argument we do know him when we do keep his Commandements vers 4. He that says I know him that is Christ to be a Propitiation and an Advocate and keeps not his Commandements is a liar and the truth is not in him That man that reasons thus and says Well I believe in Jesus Christ and I know my sins are pardoned through faith in him yea and all the sins that shall be committed a pardon is laid in for them and I shall never enter into condemnation Dost thou say so and yet keep'st not Gods Commandements Hast not thou the Conscience and the rather upon the knowledge of this to keep Gods Commandements the Holy Ghost says Thou art a lyar and there is no truth in thee and thou wer 't never acquainted with this mystery of godliness when it is understood in a natural way men may abuse it you may know what I mean by a natural way and God knows you have need of Information by a natural way I mean by the light of Natural Reason and all other helps of learning on this side the work of the Holy Ghost but when men understand it by a powerful work of the Holy Ghost they that know it thus this knowledge will make them more careful and conscionable to keep Gods Commandements and if any man say he knows it thus and does not keep Gods Commandements he is a liar and the truth is not in him Further If a man should reason thus Well if there be such a mystery in pardon of sin and that God when he pardons sin at first lays in a pardon for all sin afterward this will make way for more sin Take notice here of the infinite perverseness of the heart of man suppose it were not thus but the contrary were true that God indeed pardoned the sins of a believer coming to him but if ever he sin after pardon let him look to it he shall then be under the sentence of death and condemnation upon this a mans heart would not be more ingaged to seek after Christ but would reason thus Well I may labour and take pains and suffer much to get a comfortable assurance of the pardon of sin but what of all this the next day the next hour I may sin again and be in the same case I was before so that which way soever things go men will reason against God for their lusts I shall put it to you or to any heart that may be supposed to have attended on God yea and hath received grace Which of these Doctrines ingage the heart most for God either this Doctrine or the other whether that you believing that God will pardon sin yet if you fall into any new sin you are under a sentence of condemnation or thus that God is so gracious that he not only pardons sin for present but for your incouragement he so pardons it that though you through infirmity fall again into sin he will not out off his kindness from you Which of these is the greater incouragement certainly to a slavish spirit the one may be more than the other But to a spirit that may be supposed to have any ingenuity in it the latter words must needs far more ingage him to walk with God all his days What is Gods grace so free that he should have such pity on poor creatures not only at their first coming in and casting themselves on Christ as to pardon all their sins
though they be never so many and great But also such a Covenant upon my coming in that God will discharge all sins that shall be committed for time to come though I be ready to fall into sin dayly yet I shall not come into condemnation O what will so infinitely ingage a gracious and ingenious spirit as this does surely nothing like this Now if this be true that man that is forgiven is thus forgiven not only for time past but also for time to come Then blessed is the man whose transgressions are forgiven and whose iniquities are pardoned Of the tenth Mystery God pardons a sinner not because he is but that he might be chang'd 10. The tenth Mystery is this for I would endeavour to shew you what a mighty work Pardon of Sin is and raise up your hearts to have higher thoughts of it than ever you had before God does not pardon because a sinner hath his heart and nature changed but that he might be changed And thus the pardons of God differ from all other pardons a Prince pardons a Malefactor or a Father a Child but upon what terms a Prince expects his Subject should be changed as far as he can discern and a Father though never so tender will not pardon a Child unless he come in and manifest a change of his disobedient spirit and then he pardons God doth not pardon because we are chang'd but that we might be chang'd his Pardon comes first Rom. 4.5 a very strange place for this and may incourage any poor soul that is troubled for sin to come in and lay hold upon Gods mercy in Christ But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted unto him for righteousness Mark when God comes to justifie a sinner he looks upon him as ungodly he stays not till the sinner be made godly and then justifies him as a Prince stays till a Malefactors heart be changed and he become a loyal subject and then pardons him God is not so in justifying souls he justifies the ungodly one that is ungodly coming to him he justifies This is a mighty Argument I name it for this end because I would teach people that notwithstanding any sin or guilt that lies upon their spirits yet they have a liberty to come in and lay hold upon Christ for Justification do not say I am ungodly I am a great sinner and have a vile heart and I find not my nature changed and therefore How dare I lay hold upon Gods grace for mercy and pardon yea thou may'st because God justifies the ungodly though thy nature be not chang'd and sanctified as thou say'st take it thus Thou must lay hold of Gods grace for Justification that thou may'st be sanctified not only pardoned but sanctified Come but thus with thy heart affected to close with the grace of God that thou may'st be sanctified as well as pardoned though for the present thou feelest not any Sanctification yet thou may'st have right to lay hold upon Christ as well as any one whatsoever Will not this be presumption for a sinner thus to lay hold on Christ If faith were meerly a perswasion that Christ dyed for them or as many men think thus Well God is merciful and he will pardon me Christ having dyed there may be presumption in laying hold on Christ But now as Justification is a great mystery so is faith and faith is a mighty work of the Spirit of God in the soul that causes the soul to roul and cast it self on the free grace of God in Christ and venture it self and all its hopes for good and happiness on him there is not only a coming to Christ for pardon but for grace holiness light good and happiness here and for whatever it doth expect hereafter it looks for all from him Now when there is such a work of God upon the soul in casting it self on God in Christ though there be nothing at present but ungodliness in him appearing yet such a one may and hath right to come unto God for pardon for God justifies the ungodly Rom. 5.6 Christ died for the ungodly and vers 10. If when we were Enemies we were reconciled by the death of his Son when we were Enemies and had base hearts full of enmity against God yet then Christ died to reconcile us unto God thou may'st then venture to come to him for pardon and it is no presumption though thou seest no change in thy self yet he pardons that thou may'st be chang'd now here 's a glorious work of God in pardoning a sinner that God should pardon justifie and reconcile us when we were Enemies to him here is a glorious work of God for a sinner to be justified and reconciled and yet when the sinner was an Enemy unto him Of the eleventh Mystery God himself purchases the Pardon 11. When God pardons a sinner he himself is fain to purchase the pardon and this is different from the manner of pardons among men A Prince pardons a malefactor but the Prince himself doth not purchase the pardon and if one have offended you you pardon the offender but you that are offended do not purchase a pardon for the offender possible some friend may come and purchase a pardon at the Kings hands for an offender but the King himself doth not purchase it yet thus it is with God God doth not pardon any one sin but it costs God himself dear before he gets it therefore 't is not such a slight thing to be pardoned you must not think to go to God and cry mercy and that he will pardon 〈◊〉 thus in a natural way God never pardons sin but it costs God dear yea that which is more worth than all the world if that could have done it God would rather have dissolved Heaven and Earth than have given that that he did give What was that It was the bloud of his own Son God gave him up to death for the sin of mankind and for the purchasing a pardon for man But some may say What need God have purchast a pardon for man Could he not have forgiven him by his absolute Prerogative I answer there was need because of the satisfaction of Justice he did purchase it out of the hands of Justice God was fain to lay down a price to Justice before he himself could pardon one sin Justice must be satisfied before he could give out one pardon Well take all these together Christ must be our Surety take the debt upon himself and suffer as much punishment as we should have done in Hell to all eternity and to make the soul stand righteous before God yet this righteousness to be in another yea a near union is made between Christ and the Soul And yet further 't is by faith and yet boasting is excluded and God is infinitely merciful and yet infinitely just and when he pardons one sin he lays in a pardon for al
sin for time to come justifies the ungodly pardons sin yet purchases the pardon These eleven Meditations about the Pardon of Sin make it appear to be a wonderful work of God put these together and then the result according to the point will be clear and full that Blessed is that man whose sins are forgiven And surely if there be such a mysterious and glorious work of God in pardoning sin that man for whom God shall work such a glorious work is a blessed man indeed And now having done with this Argument of the great mystery of Godliness in forgiveness of Sin I proceed to another and it is this CHAP. IV. That Pardon of Sin not only is a Mercy in it self but the Foundation of many other Mercies PArdon of Sin makes a mâ—â— blessed Why Because it is the Foundation of abundance of other Mercies it is an inlet to many other mercies therefore a great mercy it is a leading mercy it is as the Queen of Mercy that hath a great and glorious train of other mercies attending on her indeed it is the very foundation of all the mercies of the Covenant of grace 't is the principal mercy and the very foundation of all the mercies that are in the Covenant and the inlet and opening to them all the Covenant of Grace is a rich Treasury hath abundant store of mercy in it and this opens to them all The current of all Gods mercies was stopt by mans sin though God had an infinite Ocean of mercy yet the sourse and vent of all Gods mercies was stopt Now when God pardons sin he takes away the stop and opens the sluce that his infinite grace and goodness may flow forth plentifully and sweetly to the soul body and state yea to all that belongs to a believer You may conceive Gods mercy to be as an infinite stream of goodness running with a full current towards his creatures for God delights in the Communication of himself to his creatures But now mans sin made a dam and stopt the pipe that not one drop of mercy could come forth not a drop of all that mercy that in the eternal purpose of God he hath appointed in time shall come forth to such and such a poor creature but when he comes to Pardon and Justification he pulls out the plug and pulls up the flood-gates and sluces and then mercies come flowing in amain when sin is pardoned then the full streams of all the mercies in the Covenant of grace come flowing into the soul well then if it be thus that pardon of sin is an inlet to other mercies then he that hath his sin pardoned is a very blessed man I shall open this That Pardon of Sin is the foundation to and opens the sluce to let in all other mercies Jer. 31.31 Behold the days come that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah here God opens his goodness and tells them he will make a new Covenant not like that he made with their fathers vers 32. but this shall be the Covenant vers 33. and he instances in some particulars I will put my Law into their inward parts and write it in their hearts and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me c. But what is the foundation of all this at the end of the 34. For I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more I will make a new Covenant with them and put my law into their inward parts and they shall all know me I will come in with all my mercies and blessings Illumination and Sanctification he mentions these instead of the rest as in a grant of great things some particulars are mentioned but then he comes in with a general For I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more As if it should be said Why Lord wilt thou come in thus to thy people in such an abundant way of mercy more than formerly and let in these graces of thy Covenant Why here 's the ground of all for I will forgive their iniquity so that forgiveness of iniquity is the special inlet of the mercies of the Covenant Now more particularly I shall shew you what are those special mercies Pardon of sin is an inlet to and that will further shew the blessedness of those souls that have their sins pardoned because pardon of sin is an inlet to many other mercies As Of Peace with God that Pardon of Sin is an inlet to 1. Peace with God Rom. 5.1 being justified that is pardoned through faith what follows we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ the ground of our Justification and Reconciliation it is not our Humiliation no nor our Sanctification Observe it the very bottom and foundation of our Justification and Reconciliation it is neither of these though we ought to be in the use and exercise of them but pardon of sin is through the free grace of God applyed by faith this is the ground of all our Peace and Reconciliation with God And thus men and women should seek their peace with God the main thing they should lay the waight of obtaining peace of God upon it is the work of faith applying the Righteousness of Christ for pardon rather than any work of Humiliation or Sanctification by the Spirit of God yet both these are sweet and comfortable when we found the bottom and main foundation of all our peace on the free grace of God pardoning our sin and justifying of us through faith in Christ Cod does not say you that are great sinners stay till you are humbled and are brought to hate sin and you shall have peace with God No you may be much troubled for sin and may leave it and reform in many things and live better lives than before and yet your peace not made up with God How then shall it be thus being justified by faith looking up to the free grace of God in Christ for pardon of sin we come to have peace with God and this is a great priviledge but if you consider on the other side a creature not reconciled cannot look upon the infinite Creator without terror and shakings and tremblings of spirit he cannot have any thoughts of God but he thinks of him as his Enemy and that all the excellencies of God are working misery and ruine to him this is a sad thing But when pardon of sin comes God is reconciled and all fears and terrors from the Almighty are gone those fears whereby the soul was afraid God was secretly working ruine to it are dispell'd and if any judgment of God come close and near and befal any in the sight and hearing of a guilty soul he would be thinking God is coming to me next But a justified soul may say though the judgments of God be never so terrible in the world and in
has pardoned thy sin and delivered thee from death and nâ—w my soul return unto thy rest the word translated rest in the Original is plural return unto thy rests there are rests enough for a soul whom God hath delivered and pardoned all afflictions to him are but as the Viper on Paul's hand that he may shake off they will do him no hurt the sting of death is sin and the sting of afflictions is that they are the beginners of death but to one that has his sin taken away the property of affliction is altered they come not as acts of revenging Justice but as effects of Love and Mercy the Principle from whence they come and the end to which they tend is differenced from what it was before when Trespasses are forgiven Deliverance from Evil will follow after as it is in the Lords Prayer true as you heard before in the former point If once we come to have afflictions as the fruits of sin then they are heavy and grievous indeed in this case when affliction comes for sin and sin comes to prey upon a man in time of affliction it is just as a Bayliffe set on by a cruel Creditor that comes to a poor man in debt and he lies sick the Bayliffe takes away his Stools Table Bed and Pillow and all he hath to help and comfort him leaves him not a Pillow to rest his weary head upon so when a sinner lies sick and under affliction guilt of sin comes and takes away all thy comforts if thou hast any Promise as a Pillow to rest thy head upon guilt of sin will take it away guilt of sin pulls and tears away every comfort and every good that sinners should have to refresh themselves withal in affliction But when the guilt of sin is gone thou may'st lay thy head down in quiet and rest upon a Promise and it will make affliction very easie that thou shalt have no cause to make complaint as formerly thou had'st Isai 33. ult The Inhabitant shall not say I am sick mark the ground of it for the People that dwell therein shall be forgiven their Iniquity when God comes to bestow this great mercy of pardon the Inhabitants shall not make such dolorous complaints of affliction and trouble upon them says Luther strike Lord strike for I am absolved from my sin if once God has absolved thee or any poor creature from their sin it is not in the power of any affliction to disturb them Job 34.29 When he gives quietness who can give trouble and when he hides his face who then can behold him when God gives quietness as he doth in forgiveness of sin then who can make trouble let there be never so many rumors in the world of war bloud and miseries as if Heaven and Earth met together yet if God give quietness to the heart in assurance of forgiveness of sin who can bring trouble it is not in the power of all the world to disturb his sâ—ul whose sins are forgiven Pardon of sin is that peace the world cannot take away therefore blessed is the man that hath his sins pardoned Of Healing the fruit of Pardoning Mercy 5. Where God pardons sin he heals that soul and sanctifies it by the immediate fruits of the Spirit wheresoever it is and this is a great blessedness who is there that understands the evil of sin that sees not this a great blessedness not only to be delivered from the guilt of sin but also from the uncleanness of sin too and that Sanctification or freedom from the power and slavery that there is under the bondage of sin is a fruit of forgiveness of sin will appear by divers Texts of Scripture I shall not speak to all but only some that make this blessing to be the consequence or immediate fruits that slow in upon forgiveness Jer. 31.33 34 there God promises to put his law into our inward parts But what 's the ground of it in the 34. verse I will forgive their iniquities and remember their sins no more the writing of Gods Law in our inward parts delivering us from the power of sin and sanctifying our hearts comes in as a fruit of Gods forgiving us our iniquities Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you why because you are not under the Law but under Grace Now this is the great grace of the Gospel forgiveness of sin you are under that and therefore it is that sin cannot have dominion over you as if the Apostle had said you may resolve against sin and do what you can to oppose it and strive as much as possible you are able to subdue it yet so long as you remain under the law sin will certainly have dominion over you and you will be under the slavery of it until you come under the grace of the Gospel and partake of that Col. 2.13 ult And you hath he quickned together with him having forgiven you all trespasses so that quickning and Sanctification is a fruit of forgiving of all their trespasses 1 Cor. 15.56 57. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God that giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ the strength of sin is the law Gods Justice in the Law giving men up unto sin there lies the strength of sin But now God through Christ coming to men in the grace of the Gospel there comes deliverance from the strength of sin perhaps some of you have lain under the burden and power of sin and you have thought the only way to get victory hath been to resolve and strive against it and you have done so and yet you cannot get power over your sins I remember one writing to Luther tells him that he had vow'd and covenanted against his sin and yet his sin prevail'd against him until he understood the grace of the Gospel and so may be have you done and yet your sin prevails because you take not this course try the work of faith in point of Justification renew your faith in God for the forgiveness of your sin through Jesus Christ that 's the ready way try that course you that have been tired in labouring against corruption you have resolv'd and pray'd and shed tears and yet that will not do try this way renew your faith dayly in point of Justification by laying hold of the infinite riches of the grace of Christ in the Gospel for pardon for healing power to come in to help you against that which holds you and this will not hinder your duties you may pray resolve and fast as much as before but be sure your great care be to renew your faith in point of Justification and there will come more healing power by that in your souls than by any thing else if once you can touch Christ the bloody issues of your sins that run before come to be dryed up which you could not dry up though you spent your time
and pains and did all you could do here 's a great difference between Gods forgiveness and mans a King may forgive but he cannot change and heal but when God forgives he heals and takes away that evil disposition from thee that did so weaken thee for all good Christ when he comes he comes with healing in his wings now blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven for that there follows deliverance from the power of sin and a healing of the soul Of comfort against Death following on Pardoning Mercy 6. Blessed is he whose sins are forgiven because such a man may look in the face of Death and Judgment with comfort Death when he comes to a Natural Man he comes as a Messenger of God to arrest the Soul at Gods suit but where sin is forgiven Death is made a means to bring thee to rest that that would have arrested thee is a means to bring thee to thy rest Heb. 2.14 15. Christ came to die Now what was the great business he came to die for it was to purchase a pardon for sin and by his death to take away the power of the Devil and deliver them that through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage through the fear of death and nothing in all the world can deliver from the fear of death but forgiveness of sin and then this makes a man look on the day of Judgment with comfort for one special end of that day is that there may be a Declaration of the Infinite Mercy of God in forgiving of sin Act. 3.19 Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord when he shall send Jesus again which before was preached to you Certainly assoon as ever a man comes to believe his sins are blotted out I but when the times of refreshing shall come they shall appear to your own selves and to all the World Men and Angels more fully than ever before some Interpreters think and I dare not deny it but that there will be a time of refreshing in this world before the great and terrible day that Christ will make it appear that the sins of the Elect Believers are blotted out in another manner than now it doth but however it will fully appear at that day and then that day that will be so terrible to the ungodly will be refreshing to the Saints Why because they shall find their sins blotted out then and that will make that day a refreshing day unto them Although the Heavens be all on fire and shrivelled up like a Scrowl and there be dreadful shriekings of ungodly men yet it shall be a day of refreshing to the Saints because their sins are blotted out Oh blessed is the man that hath his sins pardoned now for he shall have that day to be a day of refreshing to him but woe be to thee O soul who ever thou art that hast not thy sin pardoned if but one sin stand upon the score not blotted out woe woe will betide the for ever more but they that find their sin pardoned shall find that day to be a day of such refreshing as ever they beheld and therefore blessed is the man that hath his iniquities forgiven Of Security against the worlds Reproaches the fruit of Pardoning Mercy 7. Where God hath forgiven sin such a one need not care for the censures of all the world and the reproaches they cast upon him the men of the world cast many reproaches on the Saints and say they are hypocrites that though they will not swear yet they will lie that they are false proud and the like Why now the soul that finds it self acquitted before the Lord need not care for all the censures and condemnations that can be cast upon him from the men of the world Rom. 8.33 Having spoken before of the great grace of God in Justification in vers 33. he speaks as if he had made a challenge to all the world let them all come in let me see Who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Why because it is God that justifies many will charge them of grievous things I but it is God that justifies What will a man care if the Prince have given him a pardon though some kitchin boy some shakeril about the Court should rail against him so long as the King hath pardoned him Bernard hath a notable speech concerning David when Shimei railed David was not troubled says he he did not feel the injury heapt upon him because he had felt before the grace of God towards him the feeling of Gods grace towards him in pardoning made him not feel the railings of Shimei so Christ himself Isai 50. ver 7. he said before I gave my back to the smiters and hid not my face from shame and spitting they spit upon him this is apparently spoken of Christ but what upheld him vers 7. For the Lord God will help me therefore shall I not be confounded for all this therefore have I set my face like a flint against all scorns railings and accusations in the world but what was the bottom of all this mark vers 8. He is near that justifies me who will contend with me let us stand together Who is my Adversary let him come near to me let my Adversary come and do his worst he is near that justifies me true Christ had no sin personally to be pardoned but he had the sins of all the Elect charg'd upon him and upon that he suffered death Now we are to know Christ is justified as well as Believer and the very ground why a Believer is justified it is because Christ is justified himself Christ being justified a Believer comes to be justified this might have been opened in the mysteries of Pardon of Sin There is a justifying first in Christ as in a common publick person and then by faith in our own persons Now though in the Fathers Justification of Christ he justifies us yet not as particular persons but in him as a common person in the Name of all the Elect and faith that comes in that we might be justified in our own particular persons as before we were in Christ as a common person Now Christ is justified first and acquitted from all our sins and this acquittance is made the ground of his challenge to all his Adversaries in the world though the Prince of Devils come with all his power yet says Christ he is near that justifies me and he will make my face as a flint it is God that acquits me who is my Adversary let him come near Oh it s a blessed thing when thou hast got the pardon of thy sin thou needest not care for all the reproaches the world can cast upon thee thou may'st go up and down and challenge any in the world to come in against thee 1 Cor. 4.3 I pass not for mans judgment he that judgeth
me is the Lord the world translated judgment in the Greek it is mans day Man has his day here and he thinks to weary out the People of God why says Paul I pass not for mans day he that hath the supream judgment in his hands he hath acquitted me and I am well enough Of the Foundation of Eternal Life laid in Pardoning Mercy 8. Blessed is the man that hath his iniquities forgiven for this is the foundation of eternal life whoever hath this mercy hath a certain pledge put into his hands of eternal life Rom. 8.30 Whom he predestinated them he called whom he called them he justified and whom he justified them he glorified thou who art justified and hast thy sin pardoned thou shalt certainly be glorified A Prince may pardon a man but he cannot assure him of eternal life though he give him his natural life But God if he pardon he makes it known to that soul that he shall live eternally with him in glory Oh blessed is he then that hath his iniquities forgiven for this is a pledge unto him of eternal life Of Pardon of Sin being the bottom of all true Comfort 9. Blessed is he that hath his sin pardoned for pardon of sin is the very bottom of all true comfort Be of good comfort your sins are forgiven if Christ speak but this word to a soul though he be never so much dejected it is enough to raise any drooping soul from the gates of Hell it self Be of good comfort oh soul thy sins are forgiven thee Isai 40.2 Speak you comfortable to her for her iniquities are pardoned God calls to comfort her when her iniquities are pardoned this is the foundation of all true comfort if you lay any other foundation to build your comforts on certainly that building will totter and come to nothing if this be not the foundation You would fain have comfort and you are every one looking out for comfort and indeed it is as natural for the soul of man to seek for comfort as it is for the fire to burn there 's no man but would fain have comfort now look to the foundation if you would not have the building totter lay a good foundation Many lay the foundation of their comforts in their sins and others in the creatures but thou must lay it in the pardon of thy sin in the free grace of God justifying thy soul and that building will hold lay it there and thou shalt be comforted here and for ever hereafter And thus we have done with that Particular That Pardon of Sin is a great mercy because it is a foundation and inlet to many other mercies Blessed is the man that hath his iniquities forgiven that hath such a grand mercy upon which many other mercies follow CHAP. V. Of Pardoning Mercy passing through a great many difficulties BLessed is the man that hath his sins forgiven for indeed it is a mercy that passes through many difficulties before it comes to the soul and that that passeth through many difficulties is strong and great indeed and therefore makes the man blessed because it is grace that doth pass through many difficulties it is an argument of a great deal of strength of grace when grace shall pass through many difficulties as it is an argument of the great strength of sin when sin passes through many difficulties to bring forth a soul being set upon sin there lies a great many difficulties in the way yet lust to that sin being strong it will break through all difficulties to get to it so in mercy when God comes with mercy to forgive a soul this mercy of God must go through abundance of difficulties before it gets to you which argues it to be wonderful strong mercy and therefore makes him blessed that partakes of it When God made the World it was done with a word speaking God said Let there be light and there was light But when God comes to pardon a sinner Heaven and Earth must be moved there must be a greater work of God in pardoning of a sinner than in making of the world certainly the work is greater and passes through more difficulties As First All the wrongs that ever thâ—u hast done to God stand betwixt thee and pardon never did any man in the world wrong another man as thou hast wronged God How sin wrongs God has in part been held forth to you in the evil of sin and how contrary sin is to the infinite holiness of God yet mercy breaks through that yea above all that great and difficult work of the satisfying the infinite justice of God yet mercy breaks through that and there stands in that 1. This difficulty that before thou canst be pardoned God must be made Man and yet must remain the same God he was before thou cryest for pardon of sin or thou art undone suppose now that Gods bowels of mercy did even yearn towards thee for to pardon thy sin yet before this is done there must be this great work done that God must be made man and yet remain the same God he was before here 's a mighty difficult work a greater work than making of the world and yet mercy breaks through this 2. Here 's this stands between sin and pardon That when God is made Man he must die and be made a curse and not only so but God the Father must do it he must take his own Son and stab him for thee he must himself take him and put him to death and himself must pour out his wrath upon his own Son before thy sins can be pardoned Now that God the Father should take his own Son the Son of his delight stab him to the heart and himself put him to death this is a mighty great work and yet this must be done before thou can'st be pardoned 2. There 's this difficulty stands in the way That before sin can be pardoned the blind dead wicked carnal sottish heart of Man must be raised up to perform the most glorious Act that ever any creature did which is an Act of believing yet says God that thy sin may be pardoned I will put forth my infinite power to effect it to raise that blind dead sottish carnal wicked heart of man so full of all wickedness to perform the greatest work that ever any creature did for so is believing Gods mighty power is put forth to effect this Now there is all these difficulties lying in the way and yet mercy passes through them all to pardon sin surely then that soul must needs be blessed that hath his sin pardoned that God sets his heart upon him so much that rather than he will not shew mercy unto him he will pass through all these great difficulties that lie in the way and truly on consideration of this before I pass any further there are three Meditations that may be collected hence and may come with a great deal of power upon all our souls First Then it
must needs be a great taking the Name of God in vain for any man or woman to have slight thoughts of such a mercy as pardon of sin is that comes through so many difficulties Secondly This may come with power upon our hearts if Gods mercy pass through so many difficulties for the pardon of thy sin thou mayst be content to indure much difficulty in seeking for the pardon of thy sin thou seest what an evil sin is and art more sensible of it than ever thou wert before well thou art seeking for pardon and thou camplainest thou hast waited long for pardon it may be a quarter or half a year or it may be twelve months and thou hast got little assurance of pardon and thou findest it much more difficult than thou thoughtest it would be temptations come stronger than ever and the Devil suggests more evil thoughts than ever thou findest duties hard to flesh and bloud and thou art wearied and tired with temptation these are some difficulties but yet art thou about that great work of seeking pardon of sin be contented to suffer some difficulties yea ten times more than thou hast if God see good to lay it upon thee for Gods mercies pass through difficulties to pardon thy sin and if thou get'st through though thou meetest with difficulties thou hast no cause to complain at all Why should not you be willing to pass through difficulties in seeking pardon when as Gods mercies pass through many difficulties to come to thy soul thou art going to God and seeking to him for mercies and there lies many difficulties in the way when God was coming to thee there lay many difficulties in the way and yet he past through them all therefore thou mayst be content though thou meetest with some difficulties in seeking the pardon of thy sins Thirdly This may make us willing to go through any services though they be hard if thou art in getting of pardon Suppose God set us about some hard work that hath many difficulties in it do not complain as if God were a hard Master when he sets you about any hard work for be it known unto you thou art never set about any such hard work in all thy life for God that hath so many difficulties in it as the work of God in pardoning thy sin hath there are more difficulties when God comes to pardon thy soul for sin than in any service whatever that Cod requires of thee thou look'st upon the service of God and there are many difficulties in it be contented do not complain for God past through many difficulties to pardon thy sin and this is another consideration the difficulties God passes through to pardon sin is a great Argument that that soul is blessed that hath his iniquities forgiven CHAP. VI. Of Pardoning Mercy coming from the Fountain of Gods Everlasting Love WHen God comes to pardon sin it is such a mercy as comes from the fountain of Gods Everlasting Love other mercies do not where this is not you cannot make them Evidences of Gods eternal love if God give you health of body good voyages at Sea and good comings in in respect of the world you cannot draw Arguments from hence that God bears eternal love to your souls But when he comes to pardon your sins it is a certain evidence that God hath set his love on thee from all eternity if there were a chain let down from Heaven and thou could'st take hold but of one link it would certainly bring thee thither both ends would come together Rom. 8.30 here 's a chain of many links let down and if thou canst catch hold of the link of Justification thou may'st certainly catch hold of Predestination for all hang together if thou art justified then know for certain that thou art a predestinated man or woman whom God hath set his heart upon from all eternity to do thee good and this is a great happiness for a poor creature while he lives in this world to know that God hath set his heart upon him from all eternity to do him good and indeed we can never be at rest until we come to this if thy heart be right thou can'st not be at rest in the enjoyment of such poor fare as God casts to Reprobates thou must have other comforts than any thing the world can afford if thy heart be right thou wilt never rest until thou come to know Gods thoughts in his eternal purposes towards thee it is no nicety nor vain curiosity for men and women to seek to know what were the thoughts of God towards them from all eternity it may be known and God hath revealed it especially in the times of the Gospel God hath opened his bosome to reveal unto his people the thoughts he had of them from all eternity and this makes a Pardoned sinner to be so blessed and this is more than any Malefactor can have from a Prince he may be perswaded to pardon him and yet even presently his heart may be as much set against him as against any man yet now having got his Pardon he thinks himself blessed and goes his way But now when God Pardons it is not an act of a day but such an act as God hath set his heart upon from all eternity to do it it is such an act as the infinite wisdom of God hath been set on work from all eternity to effect it if a Malefactor come to a Prince for pardon and the Prince say I have been setting my thoughts a work to pardon you ever since I heard of your crime this will bring some comfort But what is this to the comfort God brings to the soul that he pardons when God comes to a soul he does not only pardon he says not soul I pardon thee but know oh soul for thy comfort that this is a work that my wisdom and the councils of my will have been a contriving from all eternity to bring about thy pardon with my own honour and here it is for thee take it as a fruit of my eternal Councils therefore Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven because such purposes have been taken up in Gods eternal Councils to effect it CHAP. VII Of Pardoning Mercy being a work that all the three Persons in the Trinity are ingaged in BLessed is the man whose Iniquities are forgiven because as there is no one thing hath taken up the heart of God more than this so this is a work that all the three Persons in the Trinity are ingaged in nothing more God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as to instance 1. For God the Father in Isai 43.25 he challengeth this as his own glory I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my Names sake and will not remember thy sins it is his Prerogative I am he God glories in it as a peculiar belonging to none but himself Exod. 33.18 Moses desired to see the glory of God and
Of Pardoning Mercy being a Perfect Mercy BLessed is he whose iniquities are forgiven for this mercy is a perfect mercy that is where God doth pardon any sinner such a one stands as perfect before God in point of Justification as Abraham Isaac Jacob or any of the Prophets or righteous men that ever lived in the world thou poor Soul Man or Woman Youth or Servant if God come unto thee pardon any of your sins thou standest as fully justified as Abraham Paul Peter or any of the Apostles and Prophets though in Sanctification thou fallest short of them yet though art justified as perfectly as ever they were Justification is an act that is done altogether and at once therefore a perfect work and this is an Argument of infinite Consolation to the Saints of God that the great business between God and them in point of Justification is perfected Psal 51.7 David prays to God that he would purge him with Hysop and he should be clean that is that he might be cleansed by Justification by having the guilt of sin taken from his Conscience by a renewed act of pardon and then as it follows I shall be whiter than Snow the Saints of God though they be Sanctified they are not whiter than the snow in Sanctification but in Justification they are whiter than the snow no spot at all in them Ephes 5.27 Christ presents his Church unto himself without spot in point of Justification every believing soul is without spot before the Lord Numb 23.21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob that is though God knows there is iniquity there yet he sees is not to charge them with it or impute it to them all is done away in that regard by Justification it is observable to this purpose what we have in Cant. 4.7 Thou art all fair my love there is no spot in thee no spot in thee there are spots in respect of Sanctification yea but in respect of Justification it may be said of her There is no spot at all in thee Thou art all fair my Love it is the words of Christ he comes forth and says Thou art all fair my Love Alas when the Believer looks upon himself his own duties and performances he sees nothing at all but spots all besmear'd and bespatter'd all over why though thou lookest on thy self be spotted yet Christ looks upon thee without spot and God the Father looks upon thee through Christ without spot and says Thou art all fair there is no spot in thee thou thinkest it may be that if God should make a discovery of thy heart to all thy Christian friends and acquaintance thou would'st appear so foul that they would cast thee out of their society and never have to do with thee more yet for all this Christ says Thou art all fair there is no spot at all in thee Justification admits of no degrees no not in Heaven thou art not more justified there than thou art here thou art now as perfectly justified as ever and accepted of Christ as ever Sanctification is renewed day by day it being a work of God within us we increase in it dayly but Justification is a work of God without us and so is perfected at once and hence then this makes a pardoned soul blessed because pardon of sin is of such a nature that it is a perfect work Hence then I will but touch it Here is 1. Abundance of comfort to a pardoned soul though thou art weak in Sanctification and it troubles thee to think how far thou comest short of Abraham's David's Paul's Solomon's wisdom and Job's patience yet this know that thou art equal in Justification with Abraham Moses David and all the Prophets and this may be a mighty comfort to thee against the weakness of thy Sanctification 2. This should be a mighty ingagement upon thy spirit Has God made thee equal to them in Justification how should'st thou labour to be like to them in Sanctification think thus with thy self Is the mercy of God so rich and glorious come though I be a poor wicked wretched vile sinner that I should be made equal to the greatest Saints in Justification Oh how should I labour to follow hard after them and get as near to them as I can in point of Sanctification this Argument should come with power and strength upon our hearts to stir up all our endeavours to be like to them in point of Sanctification that are equal with them in point of Justification How should we imitate Moses his Meekness David's Love Paul's Zeal and Job's Patience CHAP. IX Of Pardoning Mercy being an Irrevocable Mercy BLessed are they that have their Iniquities forgiven for it is an irrevocable mercy when God pardons sin he never revokes it again it is true the soul that is pardoned may afterwards commit many offences that may provoke the displeasure of God against him yet he shall never so provoke God as to cause him to revoke this mercy of pardon to all eternity if thou art once pardoned thou art pardoned for ever It is not so with God in pardoning as it is with men a King pardons a Malefactor on condition of his good behaviour afterwards though it is true a Believer will be more careful of offending after he is pardoned than ever before But yet God does not pardon me so much on condition of my good behaviour as of his free grace therefore it abides He does not say to a poor soul I will pardon you but it shall be on this condition that you behave your self well and if you be found tripping in any one thing I will recal my pardon back again it is so with a Princes Pardon a man that is pardoned for his life if that man afterwards offend perhaps breaks the Peace which in another man would not be so great a matter for he could soon satisfie the Law for it but he that goes under pardon for his life if he break the Peace it costs him his life whereas another if he strike a man it is but an Assault and Battery in him but he that has his Pardon for his life for such a thing done by him his Pardon may be revok't again and it may cost him his life I hope you will not abuse this grace of God I know not how to open it to Believers but with a great deal of danger to others but how much danger soever it may be to others yet it must be opened and delivered to Believers it is Gods mind that his grace should be made known unto them he would have them to know it to the full that his Pardoning Mercy is irrevocable and therefore a Believer should not question his Justification upon every failing in his Sanctification this is a dishonour to the free and rich grace of God if on every failing we call in question that great work of the Justification of our souls either to say or think I indeed did hope before that
God had pardoned the sins of my youth and all my antient sins but falling into sin again I am afraid all is undone all that God hath done unto me is undone again and I must answer for all my sins this I confess will come upon the Conscience specially upon the committing of any new sin but though it do yet if ever you have been assured of the pardon of of your sin know this mercy shall never be recall'd again the foundation of God standeth sure and this is a fundamental mercy that always abides therefore as we observed in Cant. 4.7 Christ says Thou art all fair my Love there is no spot in thee but in Cant. 5.2 you shall find she was in a sleepy secure and sinful condition as a man or woman asleep they might do what they would with her men might impose what they would upon her put her in what posture they pleased and yet she was unsensible but yet in this condition her heart was awake I sleep but my heart waketh there remain'd a Principle of grace alive in her but mark what Christ said though she confest she was asleep yet Christ says Open to me my Sister my Love my Dove my undefiled this was spoken when the Church was in a secure sinful condition yet this is the voyce of Christ calling the Church his Sister his Love his Dove his Undefiled one when she was in that secure condition which shews the grace of God in pardoning sin is not call'd back again and because this is a point wherein much treasure lies I shall a little open the Irrevocableness of Gods mercy in his Pardoning and Justifying Grace and for this I shall give you some places of Scripture which being opened as they will shew the greatness of the mercy so they will afford abundant matter of Consolation and Encouragement to every believing soul The First Scripture Expression I shall name is in Isai 43.25 where the Lord tells his people that he blots out their transgressions God seems to take much delight in this Phrase and therefore doubles it I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy sins Now this phrase of blotting out is taken from the custom of Tradesmen that have their Books of Accounts wherein they enter all their Debts that are owing to them by such and such men Now when these come to be paid the Debt-book is crossed or blotted out if any of you owe a debt when you come to pay it you call for the Debt-book to see it crossed or blotted out and then you assure your selves you shall never hear of it more Now you must know that all sinners are debtors to the Lord they are in a debt of punishment for want or failing in paying him a debt of Obedience many men by their sin run into debt with God dayly and because God does not call for the debt presently they think there 's nothing between God and them but carry it as if all were well as many Gallants run into Tradesmens debt to hang fine Cloaths upon their backs and ruffle it up and down in the world and never think of their debts till their Creditors come and arrest them and cast them into Goal and there they lie in Prison for all their ruffling it up and down in the world Just so men and women by their sin run into debt with God and though God do not call for the debt presently yet they are recorded in Heaven it is as certain that every sin of any man or woman is set down in Gods Debt-book as any debt you owe is set down in your Creditors Book and as certainly must your debts be call'd for and satisfaction and payment made unto God for them as certain as any Tradesman will call for payment of his debt Now this is the work of Justification between God and your Souls if ye would know the nature of it When Jesus Christ sees a poor soul that God the Father hath given to him to save thus run into debt Christ comes and lays down a price before God the Father to pay this debt and Christ sees that the debt be blotted out of the Book Now when God comes with pardoning mercy to a Soul God shews the debt Book to a Believer and causes him to see all his debts blotted out and by that he certainly assures the Soul his debt shall never be called for again this is such a mercy as is irrevocable it shall not be brought back again the debt being once paid shall never more be call'd for this is the first expression and it is a blessed one Many men that are run into debt and are in danger every hour to have some Bayliffs arrest them they cannot look out of their doors but they are ready to fall upon them they would think themselves happy if they might have any that would come and lay down all and satisfie the debt and that they might see the debt blotted out they would think themselves happy indeed Well know that it is so with God when he comes to pardon sin the Debt-book is blotted out and all Bonds cancell'd Secondly Though they be blotted out yet they may be before Gods face and God may see them though he will not call for them again therefore the Scripture tells us that God will take that course with the sins of Believers as that he will cast them behind his back and never so much as lay the debt before his face to look upon them Isai 38.17 Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back that which Hezekiah spake of himself is true of every believing soul God casts the sins of every Believer behind his back when a man casts a thing behind his back he does it to that end that he might take no farther notice of it but though God cast a mans sins behind his back yet if they be not very far he may easily turn his face and look upon them when he will therefore mark further Thirdly Another Scripture expression Psal 103.10 As far as the East is from the West so far hath he removed our transgressions from us thus God expresseth himself to satisfie the souls of his people that their sins shall never be called for again the East and West it is an expression to note out the utmost distance the East and West are so remote that those two Points can never come together so the sins that God has pardoned to any soul they shall never be call'd for again Fourthly Though they be remov'd as far as the East is from the West yet God's eyes may look a great way off though those Points be at so great a distance to our eyes yet not so to the eye of God therefore there is another expression that may make it more full that God will never look upon their sins again that he has once pardoned he blots them out he casts them behind his back
free altogether from himself 't is his own work and proceeds from his own hearts love and nothing in us that may challenge it from him Now seeing there is that in the Creature that challenges justice and nothing at all that can require mercy therefore if God shew mercy but to a few it is as great a glory to his mercy as it is to his justice if he condemn a hundred but if he should save as many as he condemns the mercy of God would be beyond all proportion to his justice but because that cannot be hence it is that few are saved and many damned Answer 2. There are more damn'd than saved because God would hereby manifest his mercy the more to thee that art saved by suffering so many others to perish this is one end that God hath in it that their destruction might set out the excellency of the glory of his grace to thee When a Limner would draw a Scutcheon or a Picture in Or or any other curious colours he lays the ground-work in black and then the beauty of the other colours will thereby most appear thou oh soul that hast thy sin pardoned know that God lays the ground-work of thy mercy in the black dismal destruction of multitudes of ungodly sinners he gives them their due that that is their right but the ultimate aim of God in it rises to this that their destruction may make the brightness of his glorious grace appear the more gloriously to them that are saved that the Saints whose sins God hath pardoned may in Heaven have this argument to praise his grace so much the more because they are cull'd out of the mass and multitude of sinners that are damn'd this will mightily inflame the hearts of Saints in giving God glory in Heaven when they shall see so many thousands and millions of thousands cast down to eternal destruction that God should do this to set off the riches of his grace to them How will this inflame their hearts in giving God glory and this God aims at as the top of his glory that he might have a company to be the eternal objects of the riches of his grace and this shews the base and low account God hath of wicked men that he lets them perish eternally that he might magnifie the glory of his grace to Saints What an aggravation is it of the greatness of Gods mercy to Saints when he is content that so many thousands of others shall perish that his mercy to them may more gloriously appear As when a Prince hath a Child born that he might shew his honour to the Child in solemnizing the Christning of the Child it may be thousands of Oxen and Sheep shall loose their lives in the solemnizing of the joy the Prince hath in his Child If the Solemnity of the Joy the Prince hath in that little Infant may be the cause of thousands of creatures losing their lives this shews the dear respect he hath to his Child or else he would never let so many creatures go to the Shambles but that he might shew his respect to his little Infant So says God there is a handful of People that I have thoughts to do good too to all eternity and I have set my heart upon them and that I may manifest the greatness of my mercy to them I will let thousand thousands of others perish eternally to be but as a black ground for that glorious work that I intend to manifest in the riches of my grace in Christ in the pardoning of their sin thus you see it is a peculiar mercy and therefore blessed are they that have their iniquities forgiven for it is a mercy that is peculiar to them only Oh how ought they to bless God that he hath call'd them out of the multitude when he has left others to the sway of their own carnal sottish and malitious hearts to go on against the ways of grace and all because he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy CHAP. XII Of the Possibility of Pardoning Mercy how it would be prised by poor Souls now under wrath FUrther Blessed is he that hath his iniquities forgiven because the very possibility of it to thousands of creatures now under wrath would be prised more than ten thousand worlds to have but a possibility of it upon any terms those that are now damn'd in Hell and see the stroaks of Gods dreadful wrath against them for their sin that are now swallowed up in the gulf of misery and condemnation if they might have but any possibility to have their sins pardoned how would they prise it if such a Messenger were sent from God to Hell-gates to call there and to cry out O ye damned spirits behold a message from the Almighty I come unto you from him and this is the message to let you know That there is a possibility upon some terms that God will require that your sins may be pardoned and you delivered from that dreadful wrath you now lie under How would the damned spirits sing and rejoyce and look about them to attend this message What acclamations would there be in Hell in the mid'st of those fiery flames What holding up of hands and rejoycing would there be to hear of such a thing that there is a possibility on any terms they would not stand to enquire what the terms were whether hard or easie they would answer let them be what they will if there be but a possibility it is enough thinking every one it might be he Well then if the possibility of being saved would be received with such joyfulness by the damned in Hell What then is the Possession of it and glorious knowledge of it to a soul that is already pardoned if they would all cry out on supposition a message should be delivered of a possibility that some should be freed from Hell and have their sins pardoned They would all cry out Oh blessed blessed indeed is he that shall have his sins pardoned and be delivered from Hell if they would give this testimony let us give it much more Though there be a blessed difference between their condition and yours yet not long since there was not it may be for ought you know some of them might go to Church with you sit in the same Pew and hear those Sermons of the Evil of Sin which now they are gone to feel and are shut up in the bottomless pit beyond any possibility of pardon But this is granted to you all that are before the Lord this day In the Name of God I can boldly preach this unto you that if you come in and believe there is a possibility yea even for the worst of all they may come in and be pardoned Now if the damned in Hell would prise it so high if there were a possibility for them to be pardoned shall not you prise it as high as they as I remember in setting out the evil of sin that was
one thing that aggravated the sin of men above the Devils that the Devils believe and tremble and yet some men will not do so much as the Devils so now I say if there were but a possibility of pardon to the damned in Hell how would they rejoyce and shall not you rejoyce more than the damned souls in Hell would Bethink your selves if the damned souls in Hell would rejoyce if they had a message of a possibility for them to be saved me thinks you should not be quiet if you find not the same workings in your hearts as would be in theirs Shall a poor Minister be forc't to say there is less hopes to prevail with you than if he were to preach to those in Hell Shall he say there would be better Auditors in Hell than are here God forbid it should be so that there should be more stirring in Hell if they might but here of a probability of being pardoned than there is with you if your hearts are not stirr'd at the hearing of this blessed Doctrine of the Pardon of Sin that there would be better Auditors in Hell than you are whose hearts are not stirr'd in hearing the glorious mysteries of the Gospel opened how a sinner may come to get the pardon of his sins God forbid it should be so CHAP. XIII Of Pardon of Sin being the special end of all Gods Ordinances FUrther Blessed is he that hath his Iniquities forgiven because forgiveness of sin it is the special end of all the Ordinances of God the Ordinances of God that he has appointed and set up in his Church attain their end in this blessed effect in the forgiveness of sin and it is an argument their is much blessedness in pardon of sin because those precious Ordinances of Christ attain their special ends in it there are three great Ordinances I shall instance in the Word Sacraments and Discipline and the people of God should count themselves in a happy condition when they see those blessed ends wrought on them which God hath appointed those Ordinances to effect 1. For hearing 't is a great Ordinance that Christ hath appointed When he ascended on high he gave gifts unto men upon Christs Triumphal Ascension to God the Father he gave this great gift unto his Church that his Church should have Pastors and Teachers which by the way argues the horrible wickedness of those that slight Pastors and Teachers of his Church because it is part of the glorious gift of Christ when he ascended on high Well did Christ ordain Pastors and Teachers for the preaching the Word surely it is for some great end and purpose that he hath in it there is surely some great glory he intends to reap by it What is the end for which Christ hath set up this great Ordinance 2 Cor. 5.18 And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself and hath committed to us the Ministry of Reconciliation Ministers of the Word are Ministers of Reconciliation that God hath given to his People what is that read the next verse to wit That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespâ—sses unto them Now then there is a word of Reconciliation and this is committed unto us God hath appointed that we should have this Word of Reconciliation to convey it unto you What is this to wit That God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their sins so then forgiveness of sin is the end of this Doctrine of Reconciliation that there should be forgiveness and pardon of sin to poor souls in and through Christ Jesus so that this shews the great scope of this Ordinance and the end of it to wit forgiveness of sin therefore no wonder we stick in this Point because the great business we have to do is to declare the Ministry of Reconciliation when a Minister is about that he is about the work that God hath appointed him to do all other Doctrines are but to make way for this and to teach people how to walk worthy of it and this is the only taking Doctrine to all those that God hath appointed this mercy too though we as Ministers of Christ preach against the vanities and profits of this world but this is not the main thing not the right method of Preaching to work upon the hearts of People nor the great end of Christs Ascention he did not give gifts principally for these things but that men should be able to reveal the great Doctrine of Pardon of sin Ministers need not keep a stir to get esteem and love and to make themselves honourable among the People if they did but apply themselves to Preach this great Doctrine God hath set them about That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their sins they cannot but gain honour in the hearts of those that God hath appointed this mercy too Many complain they want respect and honour let them take pains in this Doctrine and they cannot choose but they must get honour if once this Word of Reconciliation take hold on any mans heart by Faith and Repentance let men speak against such a Minister never so much say what they will of him his heart will not be taken off from him but will be ready to answer as the poor blind man did the Scribes and Pharisees who raised on Christ Joh. 9.24 Saying give glory to God but we know this man is a sinner He answered whether he be a sinner or no I know not One thing I know that whereas I was blind now I see be it was that opened my eyes thus he answered their slander and so when others clamour against a Minister and speak evil of them that soul that hath his eyes opened he will say I am sure God hath done great things for me by him he hath shew'd me the evil of sin and the sad condition I was in by nature and he hath revealed to me the exceeding riches of the mercy and grace of God and my soul hath sound it so God hath come to my soul in his Preaching Now such a Ministry as this will certainly ingage the hearts of people to them 't is not the man so much as Christ in the man and this is the end of our Ministry not to tell this or that conceit or story but to shew you the riches of the grace of God in the pardon of sin and the Justification of your Souls through Christ Jesus your Acceptation and Reconciliation through him this is the first Ordinance 2. The Sacraments for what purpose hath Christ ordained them the main end for which they were ordained is for Sealing in the Supper is sealed up Gods mercy in the pardon of sin Matth. 26 28. Christ tells his Disciples The Cup is the blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the Remission of Sin as if Christ had said this is the great Ordinance to seal unto
shall be said to those things you have heard in the former Doctrine CHAP. XIV Of the Dishonour that is done by Men to the Pardoning Grace of God by slighting of it FIrst this we have to say to those things Surely if the Pardon of Sin be so great a mercy as you have heard and that there is such a wonderful work of God in it then it must needs be a horrible and vile thing to sin against this grace that the heart of God is so much in to dishonour this great work of God must needs be a very vile and horrible thing And this hath been my intention my very plot as to set forth the greatness of the grace of God in the mercy of forgiveness so also to keep you from sinning against this grace If he be blessed upon whom such a great and glorious work of God is wrought in forgiveness of sin then it must needs be a most horrible and dreadful thing for any man or woman to sin against this grace of God and horrible to dishonour such a great work of God as this is But who are they that dishonour this great work of God or how many wayes may we be guilty in sinning against this great mercy of God in forgiveness of sin I shall shew first who they be that cast dishonour on this great work of God and Secondly Shew the greatness of the sin what a dangerous thing it is to sin against this great work of God in pardoning sin First They sin against this great work of God in pardoning sin that are altogether careless who little or nothing mind it or scarce spend any time about it there are a generation of men and women in the world that have sin and guilt enough upon their spirits yet they scarce ever call to mind or question what are the terms between God and their own Souls how things stand between God and them what God hath to charge them withal whether God hath any thing against them yea or no How few of you now this morning that are come into the presence of God have had your thoughts working thus O my soul how is it with thee How does matters stand betwixt God and thee What guilt is it thou hast upon thy Spirit What hath Divine Justice to charge thee withal Conscience speak freely and fully What is there in Heaven against me Is there any thing upon Record that I am charg'd withal How is it between God and me O what strangers are most men unto such thoughts as these but go on in a sleepy secure and dead hearted way either they believe there is no guilt at all upon their spirits or no great evil in that guilt or else think 't is no great matter for God to pardon you are very solicitous for the flesh what you shall eat and drink and what you shall put on and for your Estates how to get and increase in the world But to make up the Records between God and your Souls to get them discharg'd and the Records of Heaven cancell'd that are against you O how seldom do these things take up your thoughts know you that are of such careless spirits about this great matter of pardon of sin that it is a great aggravation of your sin that you are so careless about that great work of God in pardoning sin you are careless and spend but a few thoughts about that that hath as I may so speak with holy reverence taken up the heart of the infinite God from all eternity certainly there is not any in the world not any of the works of God towards his creatures hath taken up the thoughts and heart of God so much as this one work of the pardon of sin yet your thoughts are not taken up with it you little mind it certainly there is a great disproportion between your thoughts and Gods whereas those that are godly should labour to work as God works and those things that hath taken up the heart of God should take up their hearts whereas those things that are even unworthy of an immortal Soul take up your thoughts and those objects that take up the thoughts heart of God about pardoning sin your own Consciences can tell you is very little in your thoughts and hearts Certainly my Brethren were the thoughts of men and women taken up about this serious and great business of getting pardon of their sin it would prevent and cure them of thousands of other vain slight foolish and wicked thoughts there are I suppose many of you begin to be sensible of sin and of the base wandring filthy unclean and wicked thoughts of your hearts and you say O that we could but help our selves against these wandring vile and wicked thoughts surely this would be a great help if you would get your thoughts possest with serious subjects it would have a great deal of waight in it to help you against those light and vain things your thoughts work about Now of all subjects in the world this is the most serious about the grace of God How his infinite wisdom hath wrought to reconcile himself to your souls in the bringing about the pardon of sin and making peace between himself and the Children of men Now if you would take up your thoughts about the great business of getting pardon of your sins it would take off your thoughts from other things Suppose a man have a vain slight wandering foolish heart yet if he were condemned to die some dreadful tormenting death his thoughts would quickly be taken off from other things and taken up about using means if there were any possibility to deliver himself from death Jerom in one of his Epistles hath this Relation of one that was troubled with vile thoughts and he that he complained unto had this device I name it not to approve it but he had this device he brought the man to have a charge of a crime laid against him and caused him to be brought before a Judge and put into Prison and afterwards he came to him and askt him How is it now with you Does your vain thoughts still abide with you as they were wont to do he gave him this answer says he I cannot live and what shall I now think of Uncleanness and Fornication I am in danger of my life and I have now no time to think of such things and that help't and cured his thoughts from this we may see that if a soul was possest of the evil of sin and the danger of condemnation the necessity and great consequence of a pardon what a mighty means would it be to take off your thoughts from other things and turn them upon this and certainly who ever you are whose thoughts are not mightily taken up about this great subject of the pardon of your sins you take the name of God in vain and do not sanctifie him in this great work of his and know this you that spend
my pardoning mercy And shall my creatures seek after it for no other end nor higher aims but meerly to save their own skins you bring down the grace of God that that is the top of his infinite Majesty and Glory you put to a low and base end therefore put not off seeking it to the last 't is a great dishonour to his grace 2. It is the worst time because you come to seek after pardoning grace when it is the time of Gods wrath Prov. 11.4 the time of affliction and trouble sickness and death is call'd the day of wrath Riches avail not in the day of Gods wrath Riches avail for comfort at present but in the day of wrath they will not God hath his day of affliction and his day of wrath he hath his time to come to visit men for their sins Now then for people to come to seek to have the pardon of their sins when Gods time is to visit for sin that must needs be the worst time that possible can be I reason thus and consider of it if God does deny his mercy in the day of mercy is it likely that he will grant mercy in the day of wrath while you are alive and have liberty health and opportunity to come to hear the Doctrine of the Justification of a sinner and forgiveness of sin opened you are to know it is the day of Gods grace Now is the acceptable time now is the day of Salvation and of grace when God gives liberty and oppertunity thus to have the mysteries of the Gospel opened unto you this is the day of Gods grace Now if God deny you grace in this day of mercy that you are not so much as inlightned your souls melted and your hearts stirred Do you think that now you are upon your sick-beds or death-beds which is a day of wrath unto you for so it is to those that have not their sins pardoned before it is a day of wrath and Gods time of visiting for sin Is it likely that God will now shew thee mercy I beseech you consider the usual way of Gods working on men is according to his Ordinance Now the ordinary way of Gods conveying grace is by the Ministry of the Word Did God ever appoint any other way to convey Christ and grace to thy Soul give me a Text for it Where do you find a Text in Scripture of any other way as an Ordinance appointed by God for the conveying of his pardoning grace in Christ to any Soul No it is in the Ministry of the Gospel and by faith that lays hold of the pardoning grace of God by coming to hear the Word preached Now if God come not in that time to work upon thee and to bestow mercy in his own appointed way it is not likely he will come any other way I remember in a Treatise of Mr. Bolton's he has this expression Let any one give me an example that ever any one that lived under a powerful Ministry and not savingly wrought upon that way was ever wrought upon any other way many he says may be stirred but for his part he knew none that was so stirred by affliction to the conversion of their souls if God had not before in the Ordinances of grace wrought upon them then it must needs be the worst time that can be to seek pardon of sin in a day of trouble or affliction because that is usually a time of Gods wrath visiting for sin 3. The work of the Soul in seeking after Gods pardoning mercy and applying of it to himself as it is the excellentest work that ever a creature did perform so it does require the most exquisite work of the Spirit that ever was required or that ever any creature was set about it is the most intensive work of the spirit of man the applying of the grace of God in Christ and the closing with it for Justification it is the highest most exquisite most glorious and most admirable work of the spirit of man that ever was in the world and it requires the greatest intensness and strength of a mans spirit that ever any work did Now then to put this off till such a time as a mans strength is gone and he through diseases unfit for any thing and when as all the strength he hath will be little enough to help him to bear his pain this must needs be the worst time you are mistaken if you think the applying of Gods mercy in Christ is but in saying Lord have mercy upon me No it is Gods putting the heart of man to do the most glorious work that hath the greatest operation in it that ever he did I remember it related of one that lived wickedly and divers sought to reclaim him says he come when I am upon my sick bed that is time enough and afterwards he being sick was put in mind of it you said you would do it then but then he swore a great Oath saying What is this a time to repent in because he then felt so much trouble and anguish that took up his thoughts that he was stirr'd with indignation to be put upon repenting then in a time when he felt so much dolour of spirit by the pains that were upon him Is this a time to repent in if that be not then do it betimes 4. It is the worst time because God shall lose a great part of his end in pardoning sin for when God pardons sin it is to this end that his poor creatures might honour and worship him in â—his world and do him service but now to seek for Gods pardoning grace when thou can'st do him no more service in this world How can'st thou think that he will accept thee then He came to redeem us that we might serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives and he knows there is no such way to ingage the heart of man to serve him as pardoning grace for when once a soul sees it self delivered from those Enemies of sin and of the Law that would destroy him his heart will be mightily set to honour God and serve him in holiness and righteousness all his days and therefore to seek for pardon when thou can'st do God no more service in this world must needs be the worst time for how knowest thou that he will accept thee then I beseech you observe one Text of Scripture that is abused by many people for I suppose that I am speaking to a great many very ignorant in the ways of God and therefore I desire to speak plainly unto you there is one place though misapprehended and mistaken that is the main prop of many carnal hearts as it is read in some Books At what time soever a sinner repents c. I know no such Text of Scripture it is true there are Scriptures tending that way that do not limit the time but no Scripture does express it so many people run away with that
we must act faith upon it in a mystical way or act faith upon it as a great mysterie and therefore you that have been made sensible of sin it may be you have thought of Gods grace for the pardon and forgiveness of your sins and for to quiet the trouble of your spirits Have you done that there is I suppose many a poor soul may say I have been often with God when no eye saw me but only Gods seeking the pardon of my sin in trouble of spirit you have done so but has your eye at that time been fastened on the Son of God as the great Mediator between God and Man to interceed to God the Father for the obtaining this mercy by making satisfaction to infinite Justice Together with your cries for pardon have your eyes been upon the Son of God at the right hand of the Father pleading for man Have your hearts been taken with the great mysteries of godliness and wrought upon by the infinite grace of God Have you put forth a mighty power of the Spirit of Faith to tender up to God the Father the Attonement that his Son has made by his blood and death for your sins Have you seen that the pardoning grace of God is so high that it is impossible to be reach't unto by any thing you can do but only by the mediation of the Son of God If it have been thus with your spirits then you have somewhat of the sense of the great work of God in this thing but otherwise though you have been never so much wrought on and have had floods of sorrow and have cryed never so earnest for the pardon of your sins yet except you have had some such kind of thoughts of Gods grace as these are upon your hearts working after God this way you were never throughly acquainted with the way of Gods pardoning grace and so you have dishonoured him by having too low thoughts of it except your hearts have been raised to this height Psal 51.7 in that time when David was on repenting he called unto God to purge him with Hysop David desired the renewing of the assurance of Gods mercy in Christ in the pardoning of that horrible offence he had committed and therefore prays that he may be purged with Hysop What is the meaning of that there is a great mystery in it in the time of the Law when the blood was sprinkled it was done with a bunch of Hysop and it was a Type of the Blood of Christ that was to make an Attonement Levit. 14. They were to take a bunch of Hysop to sprinkle withal Now says David Purge me with Hysop that is apply to me the blood of Christ for I have need of fresh applications of the blood of Christ I have sinned against him and have done what in me lay to bring my self under Gods wrath and have brought new guilt upon my soul Now for the assurance of thy love to me let there be fresh applications of the blood of thy Son let there be a new sprinkling of the blood of thy Son upon me I suppose many of you in reading this place did not think of the meaning of the Spirit of God in it that may be a great help unto you when at any time you are seeking the pardon of your sins to cry to God to be purged with Hysop O Lord sprinkle the blood of Christ afresh upon me for I know that all my Prayers and Tears and all that I can do cannot purge me from the guilt of that sin I have committed against thee except thou purge me with Hysop that is by applying of the Blood of thy Son unto me And this is the Eighth way of dishonouring the grace of God in seeking for it any other way than through the blood of his Son and remember when you are seeking it that it may be the last time and therefore remember you look up to God for it in by and through the death of his Son for otherwise though you are never so earnest in Prayer you dishonour this grace It is an easie matter to convince men and women that they are guilty of dishonouring the grace of God if they seek for pardon in a negligent and sluggish way but now though you are never so sensible and put forth never so much strength in seeking for it yet you dishonour God except you look upon it as such a high thing that can never be reacht unto but through the mediation of the Son of God 9. The ninth way of dishonouring the grace of God is for any one to venture on sin the rather because they hope they shall be pardoned that dare to venture on sin on that ground hoping that God will at last pardon them I spake before of those that did nothing else but increase their sins in stead of seeking pardon of sin and of the miserable sad condition of such But those we now speak of are not such as are come to this height of sinning to do nothing else but increase their sins but such men and women who being convinc't of sin and if they were perswaded that God would never pardon that sin they would find knots enough to stop them from the commission of it but because they have some hopes that God will pardon therfore on that very ground they venture on sin 't is true it is an offence but God is a merciful God he will forgive though it be an evil there is more evil and mischeif in this than thou can'st imagin What art thou convinc't of sin and wilt thou venture on sin meerly on this ground because thou hopest that God will pardon thee I may say unto thee as Peter to Simon Magus Act. 8.22 Pray O pray to God that if it be possible this thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee for this thought of thy heart hath so much malignity in it and is so great a provocation against God as possible can be imagined except the sin against the Holy Ghost for any man or women to venture on any sin in hopes of pardon some will say What need we be so strict and trouble our selves so much God is merciful and therefore they think upon that ground they need not be so strict this is a horrible degree of turning the grace of God into wantenness Jude 4. the Apostle speaks of such there that profest they did believe in Christ mark what he says of them There are certain men crept in unawares ungodly men turning the grace of God into laciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ 't is a most dreadful place if there be any one in the Congregation that have ever had the glorious light of the Gospel revealed to them that can reason thus I do such and such things yet God is merciful O that God would convince thee of this evil give me leave to open it unto you how men creep in they were Christians and were
come into the Church but how they crept in cunningly the Saints of God were not aware of them they crept in amongst them here by the way we may take notice that in a Church there ought to be none admitted Members but such as there may be some testimony of godliness in them for if any be ungodly they are such as creep in unawares the Church of God should keep them out such as creep in unawares should be kept out many cry out they will not have communion with any Church because there are some wicked men in it and others say while there is a Church on Earth the tares will be among the corn and chaff will be among the wheat be not deceived I know none in the world that does think there is any Congregation so pure but that some ungodly one may creep into it but consider to have some evil ones in the Church is one thing and the Church to have power to cast them out that is another thing 't is true they will creep into the Church but when they are crept in and appear to be ungodly ones we must do our duty tell them of their faults and if they will not hear us we must tell it to the Church and if the Church have power and will not deal with them it need not at all hinder our communicating with them but here lies the case Whether we should withdraw because evil ones are among them or Whether we can joyn with that Church wherein there is no power to keep them out and after they are crept in to cast them out they will creep into the Church they came in unawares but the state of the Church should be such that they should suffer no evil men to come in and if they do come in it is unawares to the Church by making a Profession of Religion for the Church can go no further then what does outwardly appear unto them if men make a Profession of Religion and have a conversation agreeable to it the Church can go no further but for a Church to admit al if they be no swearers no adulterers of gross livers in any other sin although they make no Profeson nay if they do but hire a House in the Parish it is enough to make them members of the Church and when they are in there is no power to cast them out if a power heretofore the remedy was worse than the disease it was such a power as was never ordained of God Whether we should joyn with such a Church or no or whether we should withdraw because there is some evil ones among them is questionable surely none can imagine there should be such a pure Church in the world as that there should be no tares among them But if there be a power in every Church to admit of none but such as have an appearance of godliness and if after being crept in they proving otherwise that there is a power to cast them out let these things be granted and then though many ungodly ones will unawares creep in yet it is no hinderance at all to joyn with them in all the Ordinances of God that is the first thing said of them they creep in 2. He says they were such as were ordained of old to condemnation those that turn this grace of God into wantonness that is abuse this pardoning grace of God by taking liberty to sin surely they are such as should be kept out of the Church and if they creep in they should not be accounted members but should be cast out when they appear to be such as were of old ordain'd to condemnation then those that abuse the grace of God to wantonness and think they may take liberty to sin because God is merciful to forgive sin the Scriptures says they are of old ordained to condemnation Thirdly They are ungodly men such that have no godliness at all in them but are meer carnal and worldly men it is a terrible thing for a Minister to say to any of you out of the Word of God thou art an ungodly man or woman Hast thou not turn'd the grace of God into wantonness and abused it when thou heardest that God was merciful Hast thou took liberty to sin thou art an ungodly man for thou turnest the grace of God into wantonness The blessed grace of God that should be the chief means to keep men from sin thou makest it an advantage to further sin And mark further Fourthly Thou denyest our Lord Jesus Christ thou talkest of Gods mercy in Christ but thou deniest the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ What a heap of expressions are here to set forth the condition of such men that turn the grace of God into wantonness 1. They creep in 2. Were of old ordained to condemnation 3. They are ungodly And 4. they deny the Lord Jesus Christ Methinks this one Text should daunt the heart of every one that is before the Lord this day never to presume upon acting of such horrible wickedness to sin because of Gods pardoning grace for there is so much evil in this to presume on sin because God is willing to forgive sin that those that understand the glory of Gods grace their hearts cannot but stand amazed and rise with indignation against it Rom. 6.1 What shall we say then Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound some there were that did abuse the grace of God to sin How does the Apostle rise with indignation against that abominable wickedness he does not grant it but reject it with a horrible indignation God forbid What to sin that grace may abound God forbid What to make use of the grace of God to further sin Shall we stand to answer these men in the horrible reasoning of their hearts No they are to be cast of with detestation and rejection with a God forbid that there should be any of such vile and wicked hearts thus to abuse the pardoning grace of God Suppose you forgive one servant a fault and another servant should say well my Master hath forgiven him I will do so too upon that ground if thou commit the same offence he will not forgive thee because thou offendest presumptuously which is a most horrid thing Let me a little further reason the case 1. It is an argument of an abominable heart that hath no way to keep it from sin but only guilt and fear of wrath and Hell Thou makest not the grace of God an argument to keep thee from sin nor the evil of sin in it self which is a great dishonour and wrong to God there is more evil in sin it self setting a side the consideration of the guilt and punishment of it there is ten thousand times more evil in sin it self than all the punishment in Hell will countervail and thou hast no way to keep thee from sin but only the guilt and punishment it is an argument of a base wicked heart 2. Suppose there
to be this you now give way to the reasonings of your own hearts to further sin from the consideration of Gods pardoning mercy the same reason that furthers sin in you now from the consideration of pardon will make you have further thoughts of despairing of Gods mercy Suppose thou goest on a great while and heapest up sin on this presumption Let me put this unto thee either God will inlighten thy Conscience or he will not do it if he never do it thou art eternally lost but if he do it if he come at length and awaken Conscience then what a load of anguish and trouble will lie upon thy soul that will make thee cry out O Lord I have not only sinned but now I come to seek for mercy my mouth is stop't with the thoughts of that mercy that I have abused Now nothing but free grace can do me good my Conscience tells me how I have abused this grace I have presumed on sin because of this I have made the thoughts I had of this grace a means to further me in sin and now with what face can I go to seek this grace and mercy these will be stinging thoughts to thee another day when a Minister shall come to apply the grace of God to thy soul thou wilt say there is mercy with God to pardon sinners but not for those that have abused the grace of God as I have done Manasseh and Paul 't is true they committed many great sins but did they ever commit any sin upon this ground in hope of pardon O look unto it let none go out from the presence of the Lord this day with thoughts to venture on sin because ye hope it may be pardoned to venture on sin on that ground is the most horrible cursedest thing that can be Tenthly A tenth way of dishonouring the grace of Gods pardoning mercy as to sin in hopes of pardon so to sin after pardon after God hath revealed this grace unto you then to sin this is a great dishonour to this grace Many that have been in trouble for their sins and in their trouble have cryed to God for mercy and God hath spoke peace to their souls and hath told them that their sins are pardoned and that he will cleanse their souls from the guilt of sin by the blood of his own Son and yet after all this they have again faln to their former sins I have spoke before of this degree of dishonouring Gods pardoning grace but now I am speaking of a further degree not only to fall into that sin you have sought for pardon of but to fall into that sin that you have some comfortable assurance of pardon of 1 King 11.9 The Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord that had appeared to him twice remember hath not God appeared to some of you twice and given you assurance of his love and pardoning grace God came with sweet comforts and rejoyced your souls and what do you turn from the Lord after he hath appeared twice to you and said unto thee thy sins are pardoned this is a grievous thing Ezra 9.14 Should we again break thy Commandements Would'st not thou be angry with us should we again sin would'st thou not consume us so after God has delivered us from condemnation the guilt of sin and the spirit of bondage What to trespass again it is just with God to be angry with us Psal 85.8 The Lord will speak peace but let them not return again to folly if God speak peace O return not again to folly I appeal unto you hath God ever spoke peace to your souls Have you heard the voyce of gladness speaking in your hearts saying Son or Daughter be of good chear go in peace thy sins are pardoned Have you not heard this if you have not you had need to get it if you have then return not again to the same sin that God hath graciously pardoned 1. Return not to the same sin 2. Return not to any other sin 1. Return not to the same sin it is a question and a great case of Conscience Whether it be possible for a Child of God after God hath dealt unto him the pardon of sin whether he may commit that sin again some have denyed it I remember some antient Divines Origen and Tertullian upon those words in Heb. 6. For it is impossible for those that were once inlightened if they shall fall away to renew them by repentance he applies it to the sin of uncleanness and says he a second repentance is not promised in the Name of Christ to Adulterers and Fornicators thus I may boldly say we do not find any certain express example in all the Book of God of any Child of God that did fall into the same gross outward sins after an actual repentance and making up his peace with God for sin we find no express Scripture I do not say we find no example of the Children of God that have not committed the same sin again as Peter and Lot but we find no example of any gross sin that they have faln into mark it after their repentance and reconciliation what was done amiss was done before they came to have it laid home unto their Consciences and applyed unto their hearts for the humbling of their souls in making their peace with God True David committed Adultery but never the second time after he had his bones broken he fell not again and so Peter after he went out and wept bitterly he never denyed his Master again and so Abraham equivocated but we read not that after any actual renewal of faith and repentance that he committed that sin again a wound while it is open and not fully closed it may bleed again but when it is fully closed to bleed again is dangerous and so any of the people of God after the actual renewal of their faith and repentance you cannot give me an example that any of them have faln into the same sin again I do not absolutely deny it but I say it is a dangerous thing God hath not left an example he hath left examples that his Children have faln but not after they have renewed their faith and repentance that they have faln into the same sins again I speak not of inward thoughts I know that they after repentance will return again but for any outward gross actual sin after the renewal of faith and repentance they have not return'd again to commit the same sin when once a joynt is out or a leg broke and set usually that joynt or bone is stronger than before and so I mâ—ght shew you after they have sinned and been set again they have been stronger than before a Child of God falling into sin is just like the breaking of a bone Gal. 6.1 And you that are spiritual must restore such a one the word in the Original is put him in joynt again any godly man or member of a
Church that falls into sin is as a bone out of joynt and you that are spiritual must set it again if once you have a bone out of joynt the longer you let it go the more painful it is so if you fall into any sin the longer you let it go the more unweildy you will be No marvel you cannot go about your business handsomely when you have a bone out of joynt but has God been so merciful as to put you into joynt again you know what Christ said to the man Thou art made whole c. so I say to you you that have sinned and God has pardoned you set you in joynt again Go your way you are made whole take heed of sinning again least a worse thing befal you 2. A second sort that dishonour the grace of God are such that though they fall not into the same gross sins again after pardoning mercy yet are negligent in the wayes of God loose slight vâ—in sensual carnal dead-hearted in their conversation and do not answer the grace of God revealed to them but are more drossie in their spirits than before It may be for the time wherein they were seeking this grace of God they were strick't in their conversation in their wayes conscientious and in every thing walk't close with God durst not for their lives omit a known duty attended on the Word with a great deal of patience their hearts closed with it and it was as meat and drink unto them and in their conversation they were very fruitful in the places where they lived But now having had some comfortable assurance of Gods mercy pardoning them after this they are grown slight vain loose and dead hearted this is a very grievous evil where ever it may be charged It is a very great evil for any to abuse Gods general Bounty Patience and Long-sufferance and the good we receive from God in the use of the creature but far worse to abuse the grace of God in Christ manifested in pardoning mercy I shall shew this to be a great evil and shall labour to convince you of it 1. Consider and call to remembrance what the dayes of old were How in former times it was with you when you were seeking the pardoning grace of God then you thought if ever Gâ—d come in to my soul and give me any assurance of pardon of sin How infinitely should my soul be ingaged to bless God and how shall I for ever be bound to give up my self soul and body what I am and what I can do to live to the praise of the grace of God if God come in to my soul and pardon this sin of mine the guilt whereof lies so heavy upon my spirit I appeal unto your own Consciences Did not you think in your own thoughts that it was impossible that ever you should come to live as you do certainly if the thoughts of many people might this day appear they cannot but say Time was when I was seeking after the mercy of God to pardon my sin that lay upon my Conscience I thought with my self thus he is a blessed man indeed that has assurance of this and if ever I had peace spoken to my soul I thought my life would have been such that in my apprehension I thought it was impossible that I should have grown to this dulness deadness slightness and vanity that now I see I am then now as Paul said to the Galatians Where is the blessedness you spake of time was you said the pardoning mercy of God it was a blessed thing where is that blessedness you spake of that after you have received it you should grow wanton loose and slight What have you not a mightier Argument to draw your hearts to God after he hath spoke peace than ever you had before The apprehension of guilt danger and trouble of spirit for sin that was an Argument to keep you from sin before but if God have spoken peace in applying this pardoning grace Have you not Arguments of another nature than these which are far more poweâ—ful Certainly those that know the grace of God in Christ know that there is no such powerful argument as the grace of God in Christ in pardoning sin to keep up the heart to God and to keep from sin as this no such argument in the world that is like to this the eyeing of Gods grace is a special thing to quench and keep down lust whereas those that sin after this mercy whose lusts and corruptions overcome the power of this pardoning mercy they are deprived of the best and most special spiritual helps that can be to keep from sin Phil. 4.7 The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus the word in the Original is very significant shall guard your hearts this is the emphaticalness of the phrase as if the Apostle had said The sweet peace of God is such as passeth understanding and shall guard your hearts as indeed the peace of God that comes to flow out from the sweetness of the pardoning grace of God is such as passeth understanding but yet after all this there will be many dangers and you are to be involved with many temptations but this peace of God will be a guard to your souls to keep you from sin and temptation The soul of a Believer that hath peace spoken to it is there compared to a Captain in War or a Prince that apprehends himself in some danger sets a strong guard about his Person to keep him from danger Now what is the guard that keeps the soul of a Believer from temptation and danger It is the peace of God that is the greatest and strongest guard in the world if you complain of sin and temptations and that you are afraid that sin will surprize you What guard would you have to keep you The peace of God is the best guard that can be Now after this hath been a guard unto you if thy sin break in upon thee as fully and as freely as if there were no guard at all thy condition is very sad 2. Let me further speak to súch that sin after the pardoning grace of God and do not walk answerable to that grace that was let forth in witnessing the pardon of sin 't is a thousand to one thou wilt loose thy evidence 't is true it is irrevocable in Gods heart yet thou may'st carry it so that by thy loose walking thou may'st loose the evidence of it in thy own soul and it may be as sad with thee as if thou wer 't not at all pardoned we are to know that when an Evidence is given in concerning pardon of sin every renewed act of sin is a blot to that Evidence A man that having Evidences of Lands or an Estate will keep them fair but if he should suffer them to be blotted one blot after another perhaps so blotted as neither he nor any one else is able to
read them it may cost him a great deal of trouble before he get them renew'd again so 't is with a poor creature that hath got some comfortable Evidence of the pardon of sin but giving way to temptation commits a sin and there he gets a blot and then the next temptation coming possibly to worldly Mindedness Passion Unbelief slightness of Spirit Vanity Sensuality and abuse of the Creatures by often yielding to these he gets more and renewed blots so that if his Evidences be lookt into they will be found so full of blots that no marvel in a time of temptation they cannot read them possibly some that are skilful in the way of God and the nature of the Covenant of grace may pick out somewhat of the meaning of them but thou hast faln so souly from God that thy Evidences are so blotted and blur'd that in thy own apprehension thou can'st see nothing but that thy condition is as dangerous as ever it was and as uncomfortable thy Evidences are so blotted that thou can'st not read them thy self and so hast no comfort by them and 't is to thee as if thou had'st none at all this is the duty and would be the comfort of every Christian that when they have gotten their Evidences that they would keep them so clear that they might read them every morning and run and read them and not stand pooring and beating their brains and hearts and fret themselves because they cannot find such and such a thing that was to them an Evidence of the pardon of their sins this is through their neglect and if they had been careful to have kept their Evidences clear and plain O the comfort they might have had to have read them every morning If the Pollution of sin recoil back again no marvel the sense of guilt of sin upon thy Conscience recoil back again if God have committed such a Jewel to thee as the Evidence of pardon of sin and thou makest no better use of it 't is just with God to take it out of thy hands and keep it in his own and though he shew mercy at last unto thee yet thou may'st not know it while thou art in this world 't is a very hard thing to recover it again those that have had the pardon of sin seal'd unto them have by their falling into sin afterwards so darkned and lost their Evidences that they could never recover them again as David see how he cries out Create in me a clean heart and restore to me the joy of thy Salvation David saw all was gone and that there must be a new Creation and Restoration Restore to me the joy of thy salvation O the joy that once I had and now have lost O Lord that I may have it once again David had a little sensual pleasure for a while but he paid dear for it he lost the joy of Gods Salvation What think you David would have given to have got it again for ought we know he never had it so fully as before Those that have had some comfortable Evidence of pardoning grace and afterwards through their negligence loosness and vanity have lost it may never come to injoy the comfort of it again as formerly they did and therefore when Peter had sinned against his Master mark when Christ came to Peter says he Lovest thou me he answered Lord thou knowest I love thee Christ puts it to him again Lovest thou me he would not take his first answer but puts it to him the second and third time Lovest thou me as if Christ had said to Peter look to your self it is not any present sudden work that can recover your Evidences again you that have sinned and darkned your Evidences had need to put this Question to your own hearts again and again to get it sure that you love Christ and that Christ loves you 3. Thirdly Let me speak to such as sin after pardon it may justly provoke God to deal with you though he do not take away his everlasting love yet to deal with you as a Slave rather than a Child I mean in following you with sore and heavy chastisements though he may save your souls at last yet it may cause God to meet you with such sore and evil things in this world that for that sloath and sluggishness of your hearts you may pay dear for it before you die truly so may be the dealings of God with his own Children whom he pardons Jer. 2.14 God is speaking there to his own people Is Israel a servant Is he a home-born slave and at vers 18. What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt so thou to whom God hath heretofore received to mercy and pardon but thou hast walk't so that Gods ways to thee seem to be such as it may be said Is this man or woman a servant Is he a home-born slave God speaks it with pity Israel is my dear Son How comes it to pass that he is as a home-born slave What is he a servant and brought into such a condition as a servant or a slave What is the matter Why he is in the way of Egypt so it may be said to thee who walkest in the sensual drossiness of thy spirit Hast thou not been in the way of Egypt Are thy ways such that Gods dealings with thee are as if thou wer 't a servant and a home-born slave Where is that filial ingenious spirit of thine that God is fain to deal with thee as now he doth 4. Again thou that sinnest after pardon thou comest to aggravate thy sins more than the sins of the wicked in some regards those that are wicked and go on in their vile ways against God you cry out of them as wretched creatures base filthy drunkards swearers lyars false men and women in their dealings such as are not to be dealt withal in the world you think these are wicked but you that sin after mercy your sins have an aggravation upon them beyond theirs for they never knew what Gods sweet pardoning mercy meant they never heard God speak peace to their souls as thou hast to thine they never had the secret Visitations of Gods Spirit nor the warm beams of Gods mercy shining into their hearts they were never acquainted with such things and therefore though they go on in sin after which they have bin accustomed 't is not so much to be wondered at But thou that haste had a tast of the sweetness of Gods love in Christ in pardoning mercy for thee to sin after this 't is a greater aggravation than the sins of the other and as 't is a greater aggravation than the sins of the wicked so thy sin goes more near to the heart of Christ than the sins of the wicked and ungodly do the sins of the most prophanest wretch in all the Town doe not go so near to the heart of Christ as those that are committed after receipts of mercy from Christ What
you my sons to do thus and thus against me I remember 't is reported of Caesar when many with their Poinyards came about him and stab'd him in the Senate-House at length comes Brutus whom he had done much good for he comes and gives him a blow he look't upon him and cries out What thou my son Brutus wilt thou give me a blow and stab It went nearer to the heart of Caesar to have Brutus come and give him a wound and stab than for all the other that came round about and stab'd him so Christ may look upon thee for whom he has purchas 't pardon shed his blood and laid down his life for What thou my son wilt thou sin against me for wicked wretches that are strangers to him no marvel if they sin against him but for you that are his sons his redeemed ones that have received such pardoning grace and mercy for you to sin this goes to the heart of Christ more than the sins of the ungodlyest wretch in all the Parish And would you not be loath to do more against Christ than the vilest wretch in the Parish you that have received so much mercy from Christ Further other mens sins anger God but no mens sins grieve the Spirit of God so as the sins of those that have received pardon they go to the heart of God and greive the Spirit by which they are sealed the Spirit of God that hath sealed to your souls the pardon of your sins let not that Spirit be grieved 't is a greater sin to grieve the blessed Spirit of God than you are aware of Further yet once more you bring a disgrace upon the Doctrine of Assurance of Pardon We preach that a man may not only have some good hopes that his sins are pardoned but we say God hath revealed such a fulness of riches of grace in the Gospel that a man may have certain and full assurance of the pardon of his sin as if he heard a voyce from Heaven speaking to him by name thy sins are pardoned or as if when Christ in the days of his flesh said to any one son go in peace thy sins are pardoned certainly there may be as full assurance of pardon of sin by the witness of the Spirit of God as if such a voyce came from Heaven But our Adversaries say open but that gap and 't is an open way for men to take liberty to commit any sin What need men care what sins they commit when they know they are pardoned that has been objected against us but now we say there is such a vertue in the grace of God going along with pardoning of sin that heals the soul as well as comforts the soul we answer it thus but you take away our answer and digrace that blessed Doctrine of Pardon of Sin for wherein does it appear there is such a healing power in the assurance of the pardon of sin if it be so then you would walk more strictly than any man in the world can do in the time of the greatest horror of Conscience that possible can be and this would bring an honour to the Doctrine of Assurance but you by sinning after pardon How do you disgrace this blessed Doctrine and take away the answer out of our mouths So much for the present to be spoken to those that dishonour the pardoning mercy of God by sinning after pardon CHAP. XV. Of the Dishonour done to the Grace of God by not resting on it 2. Of the Evil of it THere is one sort more that are great dishonourers of the pardoning grace of God and they are those that think they honour him and yet dishonour him exceedingly such as being apprehensive of the greatness of their sins the vileness of them and their own misery by reason whereof lie down in a sullen desperate discouraging mood under the wait and burden of them and are ready to turn against themselves saying certainly my condition is such as I must expect no other but to lie for ever under the burden of my sins and bear for ever the punishment of them I have heard much indeed of the riches of the pardoning grace of God but for my part my condition is such that little expectation I have of being made partaker of it certainly this kind of sullen discouragement in lying under our sins is a mighty aggravation of our sin and exceedingly dishonourable to the pardoning grace of God many that are thus let them hear never so much opened of the riches of the Gospel and the infiniteness of the grace of God all is nothing to them it raises them not from the sullenness of their hearts and the dicouragement of spirit that hangs upon them they are like to those in Exod. 6.9 that Moses spake unto but they hearkened not for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage God sent Moses to shew them the grace of God to deliver them from their bondage but says the Text they hearkened not to Moses only for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage so many People when God comes to awaken their Consciences there is so much anguish in the sense of their sin that they hearken not to what is said let them hear never so much in private or in publick they are just where they were the same complaints sullenness and objections as before you may answer all their objections against the grace of God that they know not what to say but go away for half an hour and they will have the same objections as if never any thing had been said unto them certainly there is more evil in this then you are aware of this limiting and determining of Gods grace t is true there is reason to judge your selves unworthy and that God may deny you but that God will deny you is another thing there is a great deal of difference in these some when they are put upon the use of means will confess they ought to attend upon them and that they will do it but yet when I have done all I have little hopes that God will deliver me but I shall dye and perish in my sins as that woman 1 Kings 12.17 saies she I am a poor Woman I have but a handful of meal in the barrel and a little Oyl in a Cruse and am gathering two sticks that I may eat it and dye so much as I have I am preparing and when I have eaten this I must dye thus saies many a soul I may go hear the word and pray but to little purpose But I will go and do them and then I must dye It is but little that I can make of Prayer when I have spoken two or three words I am presently distracted with wandring thoughts Two or three sticks I may lay together but when I have done that I must dye Now know and consider this day what from God shall be said unto you thou much dishonourest the pardoning grace of God First Know it is
repentance that is a truth Esau was very much troubled and shed many tears and yet there was no true repentance but I rather take the meaning of the Text thus he found no place of repentance in his Father Isaac his Father Isaac had given the blessing to Jacob and would not call it back though he sought it with tears there was no place for Isaac to recal it any more though he shed many tears yet he went without it so that there may be much sorrow and thou may'st seek the blessing with many tears and yet God may be so turn'd against thee that there will be no place for repentance that is God will not call in that that is out against thee And of Judas 't is said when he saw Christ was condemn'd that he repented 't is said he did repent yet Judas was not pardoned so that you see plainly there may be repentance and yet sin never pardoned Indeed true repentance hath ever pardon going along with it but the Scripture speaks of a repentance that may be without pardon therefore when thou say'st thou repentest you must not look upon it so because you repent therefore your sins are pardoned as if every repentance was true for thou mistakest in the work of repentance thou thinkest this to be repentance to Salvation for thee to be sorry at the very heart for thy sins certainly thou may'st be sorry at the heart and yet perish for all that I make no question but Judas was sorry at his heart and wisht it had never been done and if it were to do again he would never do it there is as much exprest he repented and he brought the 30 pieces again he was not only sorrowful but made satisfaction he brought the mony back again that he had got in a wicked way and therefore if you think this to be true repentance you are mightily mistaken but wherein is it that we fail It is not for me now to enter on the Doctrine of true Repentance I am to speak of it so far as to convince men that it is not a ground for hope of pardon of sin Mark it when 't is thus with thee thou repentest because thou seest that sin will bring thee into danger Now thou hast had the pleasure or the profit of it and thou seest now it will bring thee into trouble and danger thou art sorry that ever thou did'st it certainly if God would be satisfied with such kind of sorrow he might have enough of it in Hell for there is yelling and sorrow because of the troubles that sin hath brought upon them to sorrow because of the trouble that our sins bring on us is meerly natural and flows from nature it self and far from a saving work of repentance therefore the repentance many hope to have What is it when we tell them of their sins they say they hope to repent What do they mean Why they would take the pleasure of sin and when the punishment comes they would be sorry for it and repent of it the ordinary way to put men off from this plea is to tell them How do you know you shall live or that your hearts shall not be hardned but suppose you do live and that you have a heart to do as you say yet your repentance may fail you if your repentance be no other than that which comes for sorrow of sin because of the punishment it will fail you certainly that repentance that must go for current in Heaven is of another nature possibly I may shew afterwards what is true and false sorrow but for the present I shall shew where the mistake lies Whosoever therefore that builds their believing of the pardon of their sin meerly on their sorrow and such kind of sorrow they are like a man that would erect a great Building and lay the foundation of it in a quag-mire or on the sand as the Scripture speaks when storms come the building falls I shall speak hereafter to those that build on the Sand but these build on a Quagmire on a few tears sorrow and trouble of spirit they have upon the apprehension of punishment of sin this building will fall in time of straights and danger and this is the reason why people that depend upon sorrow never have peace for how can I tell the measure of sorrow I am to have before peace be spoken and then if they feel not sorrow they are questioning again it is a dangerous thing to lay the hopes of pardon of sin upon our own sorrows where or how then shall we lay our hopes why upon the sorrows of Jesus Christ there you shall find the surest ground there may be some mistake there too but for the present I shall not stay on that we must look ten thousand times more at the sorrows of Christ than at our own sorrows and therefore when your hearts are troubled and you look for mercy depend more ten thousand times on the sorrows of Christ than on all your own sorrows for your sorrows for sin cannot satisfie Gods Justice and that that must be a ground of hope for the pardon of my sin must be something that must satisfie the justice of God for though there be never so much sorrow yet it will not satisfie Gods justice and consider further True sorrow rather follows the work of Justification then preceds it as thus I am not therefore pardoned because I mourn but because I am pardoned therefore I come to mourn so stands the Truth in Divinity in point of Justification and Repentance you pervert the order if you think because you mourn and are a little sorrowful that therefore you shall be pardoned the truth is if your mourning and sorrow be a work of true saving grace you mourn and sorrow because you are justified sorrow of true repentance rather flows from pardon then pardon from it when God pardons sin he lets out the graces of his Spirit and then comes sorrow as a fruit or Evidence of Gods pardoning love and Reconciliation for though God may give outward favours to a man that is not pardoned yet God never gives his Spirit to work any saving grace in the heart till he is reconciled 't is a fruit of his pardoning grace and favour and because he has justified thee he sends his Spirit to work sorrow and repentance Many think Justification flows from sorrow but thou must come to sorrow and repentance another way know that all true sorrow flows from Justification all that sorrow before Justification it is but Legal sorrow and reveals something that may hinder the soul from Christ as sin and the terrors of the Law and the wrath of God but it does not interest the soul in Christ this I affirm as most certain Divinity that there is no sorrow whereby any soul is interested and planted in Christ the sorrow that is wrought in them before Justification in order of nature may be a means to bring them
might have been sorrowful and I might have reformed and said God is merciful though Christ had never come those that never knew Christ nor heard of him yet they may be sorrowful reforme and say God is mercifull I beseech you consider this note I can never be pardoned and saved in such a way as it might be done though Christ had never come I can then never be pardoned and saved by all the means I take for pardon and Salvation if those things might be done though Christ had never come and if you have nothing else but them to rest upon then you can never be saved put this to your hearts what have I wrought in my heart that I might not have had if Christ had not come into the world certainly the most things that most people have to rest upon for pardon and salvation they might have had though Christ had never come into the world Further Thou saist God is merciful True the mercy of God is sweet and a blessed argument and our souls much delight to open the grace and mercy of God and I have endeavoured to open to you what is revealed in the Gospel yet Gods mercy is free though he delight to glorifie his mercy and he hath thousand thousands of Subjects to glorify his mercy in though thou perish eternally Though thou perish eternally yet God may be glorious in the blessedness of his mercy God hath others to magnifie his mercy unto besides thee a beggar comes and asks an almes of a man and he gives him none that is not an argument the man is not merciful for he hath other objects that are more suitable and fit though he give not to every one t is no dishonour to his compassion so it is with God he hath thousands of objects to bestow his mercy on though thou perish Further Thou saist God is merciful and thererefore thou hop'st for pardon Why God is and hath been merciful to thee beyond all that thou canst conceive God hath shew'd his mercy to thee already thou saist God is merciful true or else thou hadst not been alive at this present that thou shouldst hear and see and have all thy members whole and the use of all thy sences and that thou shouldst stand here this day under the meanes of grace and that thou shouldst hear God call on thee to repent and believe in his Son while thou walk'st on in thy sin and art dead in sins and trespasses he sends his son and spirit to thee to tell thee that he would rescue thee and give life unto thee again is not here rich mercy perhaps thou hast had thy portion of mercy already that God intends for thee yea so much mercy that all the Angels and saints will give acclamations to God for that mercy thou hast had though thou perish God hath many waies shewd mercy to thee in so much as that the very devils themselves will acknowledge that God was very good to his poor creatures Further Thou speakest of mercy hast not thou abused and turn'd mercy into wantonness perhaps the mercy thou speakst of now is at this very present pleading to God against thee saying how have I been abused by this wretched man the more my beauty excellency hath been displayed the more wicked he hath grown what if mercy be now pleading against thee even those mercies that thou hast abused and therefore thou hadst need to look for somewhat else to settle thy soul upon then this to say that God is merciful this is to the first sort those that are grosly Ignorant Secondly There are others that mourne pray and reform and then have some kinde of relyance on God to pardon them for his mercies sake and therefore to them I shall say thus much Know the mercy of God must be received after Gods own way he hath appointed the communications of it and so it must be received otherwise it can never attain to such an effect as the pardon of thy sin note this that all the mercy in God considered as he is creator of Heaven and Earth and not let out through the Mediator Christ Jesus God-man it never wrought to the pardon of any one sin and therefore if you looke upon the mercy of God and do not look to the right way of the conveyance of it you may most dangerously mistake The ground and bottom of faith that justifies is not meerly to cast ones self on the mercy of God for there is none but in a natural way know that God is a merciful God but the main ground of Justification or of justifying faith is the free grace of God through Jesus Christ That God is merciful through a Mediator Otherwise the ground of your faith is but on a meer confused notion of the mercy of God which will certainly faile you a heathen may have as much to be the ground of his faith that the great creator of Heaven and Earth pitties those that are in misery and I am a poor creature in misery I le cry to him and I le reform my life and I le relye on him thus far a heathen may go but the ground and bottom of faith is not the mercy of God in general but the mercy of God in and through a Mediator observe a little further the ground of justifying faith is not thus that God for Christs sake will forgive me for what Christ hath done to purchase my pardon but there is another work of faith in the souls of believers though the soul apprehend it not t is not the work of faith in justification to believe that Christ hath paid so much as my debt comes to but thus the work of faith is to bring the soul unto Christ and to pitch it upon the person of Christ to be made mine first and then the righteousness of Christ to be mine T is not thus I believe this is my debt and there is so much money to pay it but this is the work of faith to bring thee to be marryed to such a person and so the debt is transacted on him to whom thou art marryed and he will discharge the debt because thou art marryed to him so that the ground of faith is not to look unto God meerly through his son that so I may have pardon but thus I must come to have Christ to be mine I must be marryed with Christ and so through my union with the person of Christ I come to have all that Christ hath done and suffered to be made over to me and therefore when I come to look upon the riches of the grace of God in the mediation of his son I must come with an eye of faith to be marryed unto Christ and Christ with me the riches of Gods grace in Christ was opened before we now make use of it as a trial to shew the danger of false grounds in relying upon God for pardon Further Though it be through the mercy of God to
gulf of eternal Perdition O turn turn O sinner out of these vile abominable dangerous ways or else thou art undone for ever Behold here is the way of life set before thee behold my Son sent into the world for the Propitiation of thy sin and to bring thee into the ways of godliness which is the way to eternal life O turn sinner into these wayes Now this voyce of God calling to the Soul of a man or woman it comes with power it hath an over powering strength in it to prevail upon the heart it is much like that secret voyce mentioned in Isai 30.21 And thy Ears shall hear a word behind thee saying this is the way walk in it when you turn to the right hand or to the left 't is a Promise of Gods mercy unto his People to convert them unto himself those that were only in an Outward Profession says God you shall hear a voyce behind you saying this is the way turn in unto it and so 't is when God calls a sinner from the ways of death and destruction such a sinner hears a voyce behind him it may be he has come many times to Sermons and heard a voyce many times without him and before him but never before a voyce within him and behind him an inward secret voyce speaking to the soul O sinner turn out of thy sinful ways Why wilt thou die and perish eternally for God to come thus secretly and to reason with the soul by a voyce behind it and 't is not bare reasoning but a voyce that hath a power and efficacy from God going along with it that carries on this work in the soul and causes the heart to listen and to yield unto God when God calls to the Soul to come into the ways of life the Soul answers Lord I come and with a trembling frame of heart cries out with Saul at his Conversion Lord What wilt thou have me to do No more now what sin will have me to do and what this and that and the other lust will have me to do No now I see the ways of Life and Salvation are the only blessed ways Now Lord What would'st thou have me to do Now Salvation is come to that Soul and Reconciliation with Jesus Christ For whom he hath called them he hath justified Observe the efficacy of that call spoken of in Isai 30.21 Thine Ears shall hear a word behind thee c. and then follows the fruits of it and ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven Images with Silver and the ornament of thy molten Images of Gold thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous Cloth and shall say unto it get thee hence the sins they before lived in was Idolatry and their hearts were much taken with their brave Images over-laid with Silver and Gold but when they heard the voyce behind them they look't upon those things they so much delighted in that was so brave in their eyes before but as menstruous cloathes which are the most filthiest things that can be and cast them away as filthy rags with indignation saying get thee hence as one that takes a rag in his hand and looks on it and sees it all filthy and defiled presently he throws it away with abomination and says get thee hence so this is the call of God when the Soul hears behind it a secret voyce that many hear not it may be many thousands hear the outward voyce of the Minister telling them of the evil of sin and their abominations and a poor Servant or a poor Youth that stands in the midst of the crowd he hears a voyce behind him that others do not a secret voyce besides the general voyce which is a prevailing voyce that the soul falls down and yields presently before he goes out of the Church and says Lord this day thou hast convinc't me of the evil of sin and thou hast this day shewed me the way of life and salvation Lord I come unto thee though he saw nothing and though no body else hear that voyce yet there is a secret voyce of God unto the soul though he stand in the midst of the crowd and no body else hear it yet at that instant pardon of sin came to that soul and reconciliation by Jesus Christ now when this comes into the soul he will not let such and such sins be there any longer but says Get you hence I will have no more to do with such and such beloved lusts and Idols that I set my heart upon Get thee hence and those men that God calls to himself certainly when they hear this voyce behind them though they now plead for Idolatry and Superstition and why should not we do as our forefathers did yet if once they come to hear this secret voyce of God and God shew them the way of his Worship in the purity and beauty of it they will say get thee hence to those things as vile things get ye hence I will have no more to do with you this is the way in the ordinary call of God and though God sanctifie some from the womb yet afterwards by a mighty work of the Spirit he discovers unto them what the soul is by nature there is somewhat like this even in those that are sanctified from the womb though God in an extraordinary way draw the soul out from sin into the ways of life but generally there are in the ordinary way of Gods working these three or four voyces calling to the soul 1. Says God to the soul O soul thou art made for God and for Eternity 2. O soul thou art now in the ways of Hell and of eternal perdition and must of necessity perish in it 3. O soul behold here are the ways of life and salvation reveal'd unto thee and set before thee in the Gospel of my Son And lastly O soul come in and thou shalt have favour and acceptation in my Son these are the four voyces in Gods call I do not say every one hears them plainly and distinctly yet they do for the substance of them in the ordinary way of the dispensation of Gods grace Every soul that God justifies they are thus called of God and 't is a prevailing call that brings them in to submit unto it Again concerning this call of God because the Scripture speaks much of it I shall shew a little further mark it That soul that once hears the call of God to bring it into the ways of life that soul will evermore depend upon Gods call in all other things if God hath called me out of the ways of death into the ways of life in obedience to that call that my soul hath yielded too I shall be evermore under the power of Gods call in all other things let God call me to what he will to what service he pleases to whatsoever difficulties and sufferings he shall think meet my soul is content and says Here I am Lord speak thy
in thee I say unto thee in the Name of Christ be of good comfort thy sins are pardoned God will shew good unto thee when this world is ended thou art one that Jesus Christ hath brought into his Kingdom and set up his Throne in thy heart and therefore thou may'st be assured that he will take thee at last into his everlasting Kingdom Fourthly Where God forgives he gives much giving follows forgiving God never forgives any but he gives much to that soul whom he forgives As in that case when the Apostles preacht the Doctrine of forgiveness and pardon of sin the Holy Ghost fell upon them so certainly where the Preaching of pardon of sin hath power through the Ministry of the Gospel over a soul God gives much to that soul and there are three things especially that God gives presently unto the soul whom he pardons which have all been mentioned before in opening the blessedness of pardon of sin and therefore I will but mention them now to strengthen this note of tryal 1. Hath God forgiven thee then he hath given his Spirit to inlighten thee in the great mysteries of Salvation thou pleadest thou art ignorant and art not Book-learned if God have so great a favour for thee as to pardon thy sin he will give thee understanding in the mysteries of the Gospel Jer. 31.34 where God pardons sin they shall have this mercy to be taught of him 2. God will give this unto thee he will write his Law in thy heart that is he will work in thy heart a sutable frame and disposition to his Law that thy heart and the Law of God shall be like two copies that have the same things in them and vary not one title from one another there shall be a sutableness between thy heart and the Law of God not only to do that which God requires because I must do it but because I find it sutable to the new nature bestowed on me he will write his Law in the heart and therefore I pronounce before the Lord this day again that whosoever has his sin pardoned and his iniquities forgiven that God hath writ his Law in the heart of that man or woman by the finger of his own Spirit that heart of thine that was as a heart of stone God will write his own Law thereon as he did on the Tables that Moses broke though always thou hast not a real sight of it yet such a thing is there and is a comfortable assurance of the pardon of thy sin 3. God gives healing mercies to cleanse thee from thy sin Jer. 33.8 I will cleanse them from their iniquities and pardon all their sins cleansing from sin and pardon of sin they ever go together if God pardon thy sin he cleanses thee from sin do not look therefore only after pardoning mercy but likewise after cleansing mercy those whom God hath joyned together let no man put asunder pardoning and cleansing God hath put together God may bestow other mercies as health strength and success in outward things without pardon but never cleansing from sin without pardon of it and therefore if thou findest thy heart cleansed Peace be to thy soul thy sins are forgiven Fifthly Besides these those whom God pardons he puts a glory upon them there is a glory put upon all pardoned sinners they are indeed glorious creatures in the eyes of God and Angels yea and there is a glory put upon them that the Saints of God are able to see perhaps that glory is not seen by the purblind eye of the world that are in darkness but those that have their eyes in their heads may see a glory put upon every soul that is pardoned and for that that Text is clear Rom. 8.30 Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified 't is not spoken only of that glory the Saints shall have in the highest Heavens when they shall be in glory with Christ but of that glory God puts upon the soul in this world 't is not said them he will glorifie but them he hath also glorified there is no justified soul but is a glorified soul this is a certain truth in Divinity That at that instant any soul is justified at that instant he is glorified in Jer. 33.9 there is an expression somewhat like unto that and it follows upon pardon of sin And it shall be to me a Name of joy a praise and an honour before all the Nations upon Earth c. that is I will put glory upon them and so they shall be to me a name of joy a praise and an honour before all the Nations in the world you will say How is that What is the glory of a justified soul certainly the soul that is justified is glorious God puts a glory on it by those glorious graces of his Holy Spirit that he endows the soul withal there is no justified soul but hath the glorious graces of the Holy Spirit put presently upon it and so 't is beautiful and glorious yea the only glorious object that the Lord Jesus Christ delights in in all the world take the poorest soul in the world God putting his Image upon it there is a greater glory and lustre on that soul than is on all the Heavens and the Earth besides take all other creatures in their greatest glory and God sees not so much glory on them as on any one soul whom he hath justified for so it is Holiness and the graces of Gods Spirit are called the glory of God himself Rom. 3.23 24. For we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God What is it to be deprived of the glory of God but the loss of that Image of God that man was made in but when a man is justified that glory of God is put upon him a fresh upon his heart his understanding his will and affections and that makes the Lord to delight to dwell with thee converse and have Communion with thee because of that glory that he hath put upon thee so there is a glory also in the life and conversation for on every soul that God justifies there comes presently a new lustre upon their life and conversation All those that have lived in horrible wickedness and base courses now when they are changed and they manifest the graces of the Spirit of God shining in their conversation through the whole course of their lives in meekness patience humility heavenly-mindedness and the like there is a lustre on their conversations to those that are able to judge of it they see it and the world many times is dazled with it they see a glory on them and are convinc't that certainly there is a work of God upon these men and in their good moods they are wishing to die their deaths and that their ends might be like theirs the poorest servant or child in a family that was
it now for this is our time and this is the great work of our lives not to cumber our selves about many things but about this one thing to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling this is the great work to seek to secure this blessing of the pardon of our sins which is the foundation of all in the obtaining of it we obtain all blessings it ought to be our chief care and we ought to lay out our chief strength and indeavours in seeking of it and if God would be pleased to put his hand to your hearts and turn the stream of your thoughts and indeavours the very turning of your hearts after this business is a great mercy there is so much blessedness in it as not only the obtaining of it but the very motion of the heart this way is worth all the world in Act. 2. we read there were many thousands that had their hearts pricked at hearing the Word preached and they cryed out men and brethren What shall we do to be saved O that there were a disposition in the hearts of men to cry thus we see it is our blessedness if we have it and if we have it not we are all cursed for ever What shall we do to get it Mar. 10.17 we read of one came running after Christ saying What shall I do to be saved O that your hearts were now in such a frame to come running after Christ saying What shall we do that our sins may be pardoned but before I come to any thing else it is necessary by way of caution or proviso to say three or four things First This that although I must seek after God for the pardon of sin yet know there is nothing in a natural man that is or can be acceptable all his endeavours have not that in them that can gain him acceptance with God But then to what purpose are we to endeavour to do any thing yes we must be striving after the pardon of sin although without Christ we can do nothing and a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit yet it is to purpose that we be doing for God likes well the exercise of the work of common gifts though they are not saving and to eternal life yet God likes the exercise of them so far as there is any thing good and commends them when that young man came to Christ Mar. 10.21 Christ look't upon him and loved him though not with such a love as to save him and bring him to eternal life yet God did discover love to such a one therefore it is to some purpose that a man should put himself on doing what he can if it be only for that 2. It is to some purpose that the heart be stirring after God and Christ because hereby we shall evidence that we are not so negligent of God and Christ and the things of eternal life as we were before 3. It is to some purpose for in the stirring of the common works of Gods Spirit God many times comes in with saving works for God works not upon men as upon stocks or stones but God puts them on by stirring up the common works of his Spirit and at that time when they are most in stirring it is Gods usual way to come in with the saving works of his Spirit therefore it is not to no purpose that we are putting on poor creatures to do what they can The second Caution is this That whatsoever any one doth in seeking after Christ before he has union with Christ it is not to be reckoned on as the condition of the Covenant of Grace or a Gospel-work there are no preparatory works for the receiving of Christ that are the condition of the Covenant of grace though they be such things as we must follow after yet they are not the condition of the Covenant of grace Now that that is the condition of the Covenant of grace sanctifies him that hath it and follows upon our union with Christ though God uses to carry on the soul in the way of legal terrors humiliations and the like yet these are not the work of the Covenant of grace and therefore this may help many a poor soul about terrors of Conscience and humiliations that are troubled that they never had those degrees as others have why as they do not prepare and fit thee for Christ so the want of them is no hinderance to the receiving of Christ The third Caution is this that follows on the other That though you put your selves upon the use of all means to the receiving of Christ yet take heed you do not rest in any of those preparatory works there 's a great deal of danger in that many souls mistake and it is to be feared it is in this the resting in something that they have done it may be God has awakened their Consciences and they fall upon working upon humbling and reforming themselves and here they rest but this is a mistake you must not rest until you find you are in Christ and until there be an union with Christ and your souls the work is not therefore done because you are humbled and reformed and run another course to what you did before for Rom. 9.16 'T is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy not of him that willeth that is that hath some good affections to it nor of him that runneth that is though his endeavours be never so strong yet 't is not of him neither many think they have peace in their souls upon their good desires and endeavours when their hearts are mightily stirr'd and they wonderfully inlarged then they make no question but all is done and they quiet their hearts with that and think there is no further work to be done but it is not so Not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy though we must will and we must run yet there may be running and striving to enter in and yet not enter this is a very great point to let us see all of us what need we have of the free grace of God in pardoning of our sin Fourthly Though God does not tie himself to come in to pardon upon these preparatory works going before yet it is worthy of the utmost endeavours of any soul in the world that there is a possibility of the obtaining of it though God tie not himself to give pardon on those works yet there is enough in it to require the utmost endeavours of any one to be laid out could we do ten thousand times more than we can even the very possibility of obtaining pardon is worth the calling forth of all our strength know that the very possibility of having sin pardoned is enough to set all your hearts a work to seek after it though God do not tie himself to come in then and pardon t is not thus that God would have his creature seek unto him and
with God 169 3 They are translated into the Kingdom of his Son 171 4 They have much given unto them 173 1 The Spirit to inlighten them 174 2 God will write his law in their hearts ibid. 3 God will give them cleansing mercies ibid. 5 They have a glory put upon them 175 6 They are made to know what pardon means 177 7 They have melting hearts for sin ibid. 8 They have a growth in grace according to the degrees of pardon 179 9 They have an answerable work in their souls to the work of Gods grace in pardoning them 181 10 They have a merciful frame of heart to forgive others 182 CHAP. XVIII Of the Rules how to apply the Evidences of the Pardon of Sin 1 If you cannot find all yet if you find any one of them you may take comfort because all are there 185 2 Have recourse to Gods former workings 187 3 Try not your selves in times of temptation 189 4 What of the Word you find on your side keep close to that 191 5 Renew your Evidences if you cannot find your old ones 193 6 Remember you are to deal with God in a Covenant of Grace 195 7 When you want the faith of Assurance put forth the work of faith of Adherence 199 8 Rest not much upon Evidences 200 9 When you have lost the use of signs at present do not determine all is gone 201 10 Keep up good thoughts of God when you are at the lowest ibid. CHAP. XIX Of Exhortation to seek after Pardon of Sin with Cautions and Rules how to seek and what we are to do 1 Caution Know nothing in a natural man can be acceptable to God 204 2 What is done before Vnion with Christ is not to be reckoned on as the condition of the Covenant of Grace 205 3 Rest not on any Preparatory works ibid. 4 Yet such works are worthy of our utmost endeavours 206 Rules how to seek 1 Set your selves as in the presence of God 207 2 See it be such a seeking that may testifie thou prisest thy life here in this world for this end 207 3 It must be done so as that you never sought any thing in this world so us you seek this 208 4 Do it as apprehending that God is a going ibid. 5 So seek after it as that thou may'st testifie thou sanctifiest the Name of God in it 209 6 So seek as if you were now to answer for all your sins before the Lord. 210 7 Do it as thou thinkest in thy Conscience the damned souls in Hell would do it if they had a possibility granted them ibid. 8 Seek after it with a desire to bring as much glory to God as if he should damn you 211 Of what is to be done in seeking 1 Be sure to take the heart from all other imaginary blessedness ibid. 2 Let Conscience have free liberty to shew thee thy sins 212 3 Be willing to own all thy sins ibid. 4 Be willing to accept of the punishment of sin 213 5 Resolve to avoid sin whatever come of it ibid. 6 Cast out whatsoever is gotten by false wayes ibid. 7 Be sure thou be put of with nothing else but pardon of sin ibid. CHAP. XX. Of Encouragements to seek after Pardon of Sin 1 The time of your life is given you for this end 215 2 The means you are under argues that God intends mercy for you ibid. 3 From the stirrings of Gods Spirit thou may'st argue God intends thee good ibid. 4 The world is continued for this end that God may gather in his Elect. 216 5 The Principal scope of the Scriptures is for this end to reveal the pardoning Grace of God ibid. 6 God sends his Ambassadors to wo you 217 7 It is the great work of Christ's Mediatorship to bind up broken hearts ibid. 8 God whom thou hast to deal withal his nature is mercy in the abstract ibid. 1 He more delights in pardoning any one sinner than in all the Creatures of Heaven and Earth ibid. 2 He takes more pleasure in saving the◠than thou dost thy self 218 3 God more delights in the work of the heart closing with 〈◊〉 grace than in all Legal Humiliations ibid. 9 Christ hath satisfied Gods Justice ibid. 10 As vile sinners as thou art are now in Heaven ibid. 11 Make the utmost thou can'st of thy sin yet this need not hinder thee to come to God ibid. 12 On closing with Christ thou wilt find such a change as was never in any creature besides 119 13 Thy coming in will fill Heaven and Earth with joy ibid. 14 Thou art hereby made heir of the whole world ibid. 15 For any thing thou knowest thou art one of Gods Elect and so there is nothing that thou art to do but he hath promised to enable thee to do it 220 FINIS Prov. 25.11 Object Answ Object Answ Object Answ Object Answ 4. Argument Object Answ 2 Sam. 18.15 Job 5.23 5. Argument 6. Argument 7. Argument 8. Argument 9. Argument 10. Argument 11. Argument Object 12. Argument 13. Argument Quest Answ 1. Quest Answ 1. The Word 2. Writing 3. Witnesses 4. Oath 5. Seal Ob. Ans Quest Answ Answ Plea Answ * Note the signs were given forth in one Sermon O rich grace Quest Answ Simile
then all should be left unto that seeking no for if that were granted that God did foresee something that his creature would do and upon that he would give him pardon then all the world would be saved but all the world do not what they can if God had tied himself to come in then when men do what they can all the world might be saved but it is not so God hath left it so that he will have his creature do what he can to relie upon him and when he doth come in then he enters into the greatest and strongest bonds that can be to do his creature good but I come to inforce the Exhortation for to seek after the pardon of sin You will say How must we seek it and what is to be done First In the seeking pardon of your sins set your selves as in the presence of God and put this upon your souls I am now looking after the pardon of sin but how do I do it does my heart work so in it as that I can satisfie my own Conscience in the work I do that it is such a work that may testifie my high respect to God from whom I seek it is it such a work as manifests that I am sensible it is a business of the most infinite concernment that I have in all the world and am I sensible of the infinite Power and Majesty of God as one that is infinitly above me when you seek after pardon you must do it so as that you may be able to satisfie your Consciences that your seeking is such a work as does hold forth the glorious greatness of that God that you are seeking after many pray slightly as God be merciful to me and mumble over a few words and have done does this hold forth that they have such an apprehension of the greatness of the power of that God they seek after surely no that 's the first Secondly If thou wilt seek after pardon of sin it must be such a seeking as may testifie that thou dost prize thy life here in this world above all things else in it because God gives thee time in it to seek after him Is thy seeking such that manifests the time of thy life is given the for this very end if you were sensible of this you would seek it in another manner than you do you would seek it as a condemn'd man seeks his pardon for certainly every man is a condemn'd man and the time of your life is like a condemn'd mans time between his condemnation and execution Now does your seeking testifie and witness that you spend your time and that your hearts are so stir'd in seeking pardon as that it holds forth you account your lives pretious and use it for the same end to get the pardon of your sin if a condemn'd man have time to seek a pardon two or three days and he followes drinking playing and the like certainly none would apprehend this man spent his time as if it were given him for to get his pardon look upon the courses and lives of most men and are they such that does testifie they live to that very end to seek pardon if men were so sensible of it as they should they would cry and weep and lament unto God for the pardon of their sins and so carry it as would testifie they prize their lives at a high rate for this end that they may seek the pardon of their sins Thirdly It must be done so as that you may have this testimony in your Consciences that you never sought after any thing in the world so as you sought after this though it was never so an important occasion yet there is nothing after which your endevours have been so powerful as after this I appeale to you in this place is the work of your souls after pardon so as that in your own Consciences you can say if any business ever took up my heart this hath if ever my spirit was up in any thing in the world it is in this certainly unless it be so you have not done that that God requires of you Fourthly You must so do it as apprehending God is ready to be gone and to turne away from you you must so seek after him as apprehending for ought you know that God is just a going away and if thou hast it not now 't is uncertain whether thou shalt ever have it the soul must cry as a poor Malefactor does when the Judge is on the Bench he cries all that while but when he is ready to rise and is going off then he cries mercy mercy when he thinks if he let him go then he shall never see his face more he cries then to purpose so should it be with every soul that understands the danger of losing of it you should so seek after it as looking on your selves standing before God the Judge of all the World having the sentence of death out against you yet for the present God is looking on you and admits of you to look on him but so as apprehending God ready to turn aside and you know not whether ever he will grant you such an opportunity of seeing him any more O then if a man would seek after God as ready to turn aside from him and for ought he knows he should never see him more Certainly if you know the evil of sin and the blessedness of pardon of sin What a deep impression would such an apprehension make upon your hearts Fifthly So seek after it as that thou may'st testifie thou would'st sanctifie the great Name of God in it I do not say thou can'st do it but thou must endeavour after it and desire that that which thou dost may have some resemblance to it there is no work that ever God did from all eternity that hath so much or more of his Name in it than this work of the pardon of sin hath this is a positive work of God and is for this end to declare his Name the works and Counsels of God about this was the greatest thing that ever God did you heard much concerning the glory of God in this work in the opening of the Doctrine Now what I put you upon in the use is this That in seeking pardon of sin know you are are so to endeavour after it as your endeavours may hold forth the apprehensions your souls have of the great Name of God certainly this sanctifies Gods Name when we perform it so when there is a work upon our souls suitable in some measure to the excellent and glorious Name of God that appears in some measure in the work that we are conversant about as suppose it be the speaking of any attribute of God then I sanctifie Gods Name when there is that reverential respect to God in reference to such an Attribute so when I give God praise for a mercy I sanctifie Cods Name when there is a work upon my heart suitable
to that glorious Name of God that appears in that mercy bestowed on me so if I seek after God for a blessing then I reverence Gods Name when there is such a disposition in my heart that is somewhat suitable to the glorious Name of God that appears in that blessing so in endeavouring to sanctifie Gods Name in seeking after pardon of sin thou dost it then when there is such a frame in thy heart as may hold forth to Men and Angels that this work of thine hath some kind of suitableness to the glorious Name of God that appears in it this is to sanctifie the Name of God and this is a great work this is the great thing for which thou wast made and this is the great thing for which the counsels of God yea the deep counsels of God were set a work from all eternity Now the dispositions of our spirits must be such as may manifest the great end the wisdom and counsels of God had in it and therefore it must be a great work that must manifest that for certainly those whom God pardons he makes them understand what pardon means Now thâ—n if thy seeking be such as that thou knowest what it is thou seekest after then it must hold forth also that thou dost understand the Name of God is exceeding glorious in it and then as thou doest apprehend this so accordingly thy heart will work after it and therefore when you are alone and you find your hearts working this way say What do I do Do I so call upon him and seek after him as that this work of mine declares to God and my own Conscience I seek for it so as that I may manifest the glorious Name of the great God is in it certainly if I do not do it thus I take Gods Name in vain Sixthly Further you must seek after it as if you were now to answer for all your sins before the Lord as you would wish you had done it then so do it now I put it to every one of you Have you not been on your sick-beds and in your apprehension neer unto death hath not God wakened your Consciences and you have been afraid upon the account of your sins what kind of temper your souls have been in then know it concerns you every day in the whole course of your lives to have the same apprehensions as you had at that time do now as then you would have done certainly thou dost not understand what pardon of sin means if thou dost not seek it thus Seaventhly Do it as thou thinkest in thy Conscience the damned souls in Hell would do if God should give them a possibility What would they do if God should proclaim unto them a possibility of pardon what would they do divers things you may conceive they would do and here it comes up fully to my hand to put you upon it â—o say O! what shall I do Were we to preach to them in Hell do you think that there is any one of them but would mightily cry to the God of Heaven 't is not like that any one of such an Auditory but would mightily cry to God if the great counsels of God concerning pardon of sin were preacht to them and will not every one of you now mightily cry to God for it certainly if they would do it in Hell Why should not you do it now that which you think they would do not with a few slight vain expressions do you do now with all your might Eightly Do this so seek after it as to desire if it were possible that you might bring as much glory unto God as he would have had of you if he should have damn'd you for ever this is an excellent frame of spirit though you do not know it but though you do not yet you should put your selves upon such a kind of work and God may come in you cry out for pardon but never cry out for Gods honour O what shall become of the honour of God that he hath lost by me and the dishonour I have brought to him say O Lord I have dishonoured thy Name O that I might so honour thy Name as I have dishonoured it O Lord thou mightest make up thy honour in my eternal damnation but O Lord I would if I could do any thing that might make up that dishonour that I have brought by my sin if I could do any thing that thou mightest have any honour in I would do it for a close I shall put this for a consideration to you whatsoever you would do upon any supposition suppose your danger were as great as ever it was in all your lives what you would do then do it now you must do all that can be done by a creature Now if you would do more on such a supposition as this after all those Sermons you have heard of the evil of sin and now of the great blessedness of the pardon of sin if you do not do what a creature is able to do How can you look for pardon of sin in the face of God and therefore what you would do on any such supposition do now though thou shouldest not get pardon suppose such a thing as if thou wer 't now ready to be damn'd yet is it not better to do it than not to do it Having spoken of these general things I come now more garticularly to the other part of the Question What is to be done First This is to be done be sure thou takest off thy heart from all other imaginary blessedness certainly there is no man in the world but hath somewhat else his heart was running out after now thou must get off thy heart from that thing whatever it be it may be thy heart was set upon friends or upon pleasures of the flesh and thou thoughtest thy self happy the more thou had'st liberty for thy lust and the like now thou must be convinc't that thou hast fed upon ashes and hast not been able to say there is a lie in my right hand but God hath now shewed me there is a lie and I have look't for happiness else where but now I see it is not there to be found win thy soul fully to this O my soul art thou taken off from all other things hath God convinc't thee that thou may'st have honours riches pleasures and yet be a Reprobate wo unto me for the time that I have lost I have laid out my time and mony for another blessedness that is no where to be found but in the grace of God Secondly Let Conscience have free liberty to shew thee thy sins and charge them upon thee yea to accuse and condemn thee and do thou help thy Conscience when Conscience accuses and condemns then do thou condemn thy self if thou would'st be pardoned then give Conscience scope and liberty 't is very dangerous when God begins to stir the hearts of men and women to make any stop or give any