his iniquities such as he could not stand under now to pardon is to take this weight off so Gen. 4.13 My sin is greater then can be born or taken away i.e. forgiven again If thou dost well is not Levatio that is pardon and ease It is then no marvel if forgivenes of sin be accounted such a blessed thing by those who truly feel the burden of their iniquities Hence you have it excellently Zech. 3.9 10. made the cause of all quietnesse and content when their sins were pardoned then they called to their neighbours to sit under their fig-trees And well doth Calvin call this The chief hinge of Religion and the truth of this Doctrine is to be sought out with all care for what quietnesse can a man have till he know what judgement or esteem the Lord hath of him and in what manner it is wrought Another expression of it is called covering of sin there are two words for this the one is Chasah and is used properly of such a thing that is put between the object and the eye Numb 9.15 It is used of the Cloud that covered the tabernacle it s applied to a Garment or any other thing that doth cover Gen. 3.21 It s applied to God covering Adams nakednesse Hence a learned man thinks those skins were of beasts sacrificed which did prefigure Christ and God by this covering would as by an outward Symbol teach them by whom their sins should be covered and to this an allusion seemeth to be Rev. 3.18 I counsel thee to buy of me white garments that thy nakednesse may not appear A like word is Caphar which signifieth covering with pitch or the like which doth so cleave to the thing it covereth that it can hardly be removed It s applied Exod. 15.27 to the propitiatory or covering made of pure gold wherein God shewed himself gracious It is used Levit. 16.30 The word also is used of the pitching of the Ark and as that pitch kept the waters from coming in so doth the bloud of Christ our sins from overflowing us and this doth excellently describe the nature of pardoning of sin God doth as it were hide it from us he will not punish it but you must not stretch this word too far with the Antinomian as if indeed God did not take notice of them for Davids when it was covered yet was visited afterwards by God but it s covered so far as that it shall not condemn We do not therefore as the Antinomian saith make God peep under the covering again but we say the word is a Metaphor and must not be understood grosly and palpably as if there were any real thing put before the eyes of God that he could not behold our sins but only that God will not finally condemn us for sin Furthermore when a sin is pardoned it is said to be hid from Gods eyes as if God did not know it Jer. 16.17 The Hebrew word Zaphan is applied to the Northern part of the world because it is hidden from the heat of the Sun Hence Joseph is called Gen. 41.45 Zapthnath paaneah because he was a revealer of hidden things Those iniquities therefore which are so often before thee they are as it were hidden from God Another is Mechah and I will name no more which is to blot out or wipe out a Metaphor from those who cancel or blot out their debts when once discharged Now besides these verbal expressions you have many real phrases that do declare this great mercy as Micah 7.19 He will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast them into the bottom of the sea where the Prophet doth admire the goodnesse and freenesse of God herein Who is a God like thee passing by iniquity subduing sins The word implieth that our sins were as our enemies the guilt of them did inslave us and keep us like vassals in fear but now they are mastered And further He throweth them in the bottom of the sea there is no more memory or footsteps of them as when the Aegyptians were drowned in the bottom of the sea they could never hurt the Israelites more Thus God doth to thy sins when they are pardoned Another expression you have Isa 44.22 some expound it thus As the Sun rising doth make the thick clouds to vanish away and there is nothing but serenity to be seen so it is with God pardoning but Junius understands it thus As the thick cloud dissolved into rain washeth away the soil and filth of the earth so will the Lord in pardoning take away that noisomnesse and offence their sins made Consider Hezekiahs expression Isa 38.17 Thou hast cast all my sins behinde thy back It is an expression from men who when they will not regard a thing cast it behinde their backs and thus God doth not as if he did not take notice to chastise for them but they shall not have their proper effect which is to condemn And these expressions are very necessary to a contrite heart which is apt to imagine God as alwaies beholding his sins and sending forth his judgements because of them whereas it must be as a foundation laid That God is gracious and mercifull not only in the generall but even to us in particular The last I will pitch upon is Psal 13.12 As far as the East is from the West so far hath he removed our sins from us where the Psalmist makes Gods mercies as much above our sins as heaven is above earth and lest the guilt of sin should hinder the descent of it he makes God to throw away our sins from him as far as it can be Thus you see how abundant the Scripture is in describing this mercy of mercies This mercy which if not injoyed every thing our beds our fields and houses will be an hell to us The summe of these words and phrases amounteth to these comfortable considerations First That God pardoneth sin and removeth the guilt of it totally and perfectly so that a sin cannot be more forgiven then it is not that all the pollution of sin is likewise totally taken away for that would contradict other places of Scripture which say sin is still in us but only the condemning power is subdued and therefore this doctrine doth afford as much comfort as any Antinomian would desire and yet doth not fall foul with other places of Scripture Those sins committed by thee and repented of are as absolutely forgiven as can be desired they can be no better pardoned if thou wast in heaven or hadst perfect righteousness bestowed upon thee It hath pleased God that the guilt of thy sin should be perfectly remitted though the power be not fully mortified Secondly These phrases imply That its Gods meer act without us which doth expell the guilt of sin not any thing done in us or by us and therefore thou art not to build thy hope of pardon upon any work of Regeneration or Mortification within thee but Gods goodnesse without
thee even as a Creditor doth forgive many thousands to a Debtor by his meer voluntary Act. Now we are apt to think according to the principles of Popery that our Justification is no better then our inherent holinesse is whereas any godly man may sit down and consider that he is not able to goe out with his five thousrnd against the Justice of God that comes against him with ten thousand Grace justifying takes away all guilt of sinne grace sanctifying doth not because as Bonaventure well observeth the remedy given by grace against originall sin is not ordained against it prout corrumpit naturam sed prout personam as it doth infect our nature for so it sticketh till death but as it doth defile the person measure not therefore the perfection of grace justifying by the perfection of grace sanctifying Thirdly This Scripture language doth infer That sin forgiven is as if it had never been now the troubled soul cryeth out Oh that I had never been thus done thus Why God when he doth pardon makes it as if it had never been do not fear the drowned Aegyptians will rise up and pursue thee again We may tell a David a Paul it is so with them as if no adultery murder or persecutions had been committed by them Fourthly As God doth indeed really thus remit so the Scripture commands the repentant sinner to believe this and with confidence to rest satisfied Oh what holy boldnesse may this truth believed work in the tender heart You may see a poor man though he hath much ado to live yet if his debts be discharged how glad he is he can go abroad and fear no Sergeant to Arrest him no writ issued out to attach him and thus it is with a sinner repenting and beleeving and if there be any whose heart is not ravished with this glorious mercy it is to be feared he never felt the burden of sin or else never strongly beleeved this gracious way of God Let not then any Antinomian say we put water into the beleevers wine or wormwood into their bread for who can rationally desire more then this doth amount to but to expect such a pardon such a justification as that God shall take no notice of sin to chastise or afflict for it is to say There is forgiveness with God that he may not be feared contrary to Davids expression LECTURE VII JEREMIAH 50.20 In those daies and at that time the iniquity of Iudah shall be sought for c. FIfthly From this Scripture-expression is gathered That gross sins are blotted out as well as sins of an inferiour nature Though there be sins that waste the conscience yet they do not waste the grace of remission how is the true repentant affected with slavish fears sometimes as if his sins did blot out Gods mercy like a thick cloud as if our transgressions had subdued his goodnesse and thrown it into the bottom of the Sea What a comfortable expression is that Isaiah 1.18 Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow c. It was wonderfull mercy that ever so horrid and bloudy sinners therefore their sins are said to be like scarlet should become so clear yet the grace of Justification doth as totally remit great sins as lesse sins as Christ did with the same easinesse cure several diseases Thus David also Psal 51. after he had wallowed in that mire he prayeth to be purged in an allusive expression with hysope which was the last thing used in their legal purifications and therefore doth imply the total and compleat cleansing by Christ and upon this David saith He shall be whiter then snow which phrase is neither with the Papist to be extended to sanctification as if such perfect clean righteousnesse were vouchsafed to him as that there were no sin in him nor with the Antinomian as if God did quite abolish sin from David out of his sight so as to take no notice of it or chastise him for it for after the pardon was past yet his childe was to die and much more evil to come to Davids house but in respect of final condemnation God having thus pardoned David through Christ would no more adjudge him to everlasting punishment then he would one that was innocent or without any spot of sin And this is to incourage great sinners ten thousand talents was a great summe of money yet how easily forgiven by that kinde Master Thus Exod. 34.7 God is described forgiving sins of all sorts and this he proclaimed when his glory passed by and how necessary is this for the contrite heart which judgeth his sins because of the aggravations of them to be unpardonable If they had not been of such a breadth and depth and length they would not fear overwhelming as now they do There are sins of all sorts described and which is to be observed God putteth no term or bounds to his mercy whereas he doth set some to his anger Let not therefore the greatness of sin be thought more then the greatness of mercy pardoning and Christs obedience suffering as it is hypocrisie to extenuate and make our sins lesse then they are so it is unbelief to diminish his grace and Gods greatness above us is as much celebrated in this his kindness as in any other attribute The sins of all the world if they were thy sins were but like a drop of water to his mercy no more then our essence or power is to his Majesty Take heed then of saying Such and such sins may be forgiven but can he forgive such as mine are also Lastly In that Honey Comb for we may say of these places if of any they are sweeter then honey this sweetness may be pressed out That all their sins though never so many shall likewise be blotted out The Sea could as easily drown an whole Hoast of Pharaohs men as twenty Souldiers The Apostle is excellent Rom. 5. in this making an opposition between the first Adam and second aggravating the superlative power of the gift by grace above the evil through sin Hence it 's called the riches of his grace rather then power or wisdome because of the plenty and abundance of it Who would not think that while Gods goodness in the Scripture is thus unfolded there should not be a dejected unbeleeving Christian in the world shall our sin abound to condemnation more then his grace to justification because sin is too strong for us is it therefore too much for the grace of God also you see by ths that we may drink wine enough in the Scripture Wine-cellars to make our hearts glad and yet swallow not down any dregs of Popish or Antinomian errors These things thus explained I come to confirm you with severall Arguments that God doth see sin so as to be offended and displeased with it in those that are already justified And the first rank of Arguments shall be taken from those places of Scripture where the godly do
it when it is there Propos 4. In respect of Gods liberty and freedom there is great difference between the attributes of God as also the exercises and actions of them There are some properties that require no object for their exercise but they make it thus the omnipotency of God doth not finde but make its object Again there are others which though they require an object yet not any condition or circumstance in it so the wisdom of God can and doth order every object let it be what it will be to a glorious end It ordered an harmonious world out of a Chaos he made all things qua omnipotens as omnipotent and ordered them all qua sapiens as a wise God But then there are other attributes which though essential to him yet cannot be exercised but where the objects are so and so conditionated as that mercy of God whereby he doth forgive sins requireth an object penitent and believing so that Justice of God whereby it is punitive and vindicative of sin requireth an object that is a sinner and impenitent Now in the actions about the objects of the former sort God is every way free he might have created the world or not have created it but in the actions of the latter sort though he be also free yet not so as to use Justice or not Justice when there is an object with its due condition As now it was free to God whether he would make man or no it was free for him whether he would permit man to fall or no but when fallen not free whether he would be just or no Thus God is free whether he will procure or prepare an object of justice but then when he hath so prepared an object then he is not loosned from the obligation of Justice To procure an object of Justice ariseth from the Soveraignty and meer freedom of God Hence Gods permission of sin or reprobation negative which is the passing by of some are not acts of Justice properly so called but condemnation for sin is truly and properly Justice The former arise from Gods supream dominion and freedom When an Object of Justice is there is an obligation to execute the same upon it but not when an object of mercy is because its necessary to mercy that it should be indebita but to justice debita I do not here intend to meddle with that Question Whether God absolutely might not have let sin go unpunished and yet forgive it as we see men can This is disputed even among the Orthodox some are for the Negative as Pisâ—ator Lubertus c. Others for the Affirmative as Davenant Twist c. but the proper place for this will be when we speak of Christs satisfaction nor yet with that other of the Schoolmen Whether God may absolutely accept of a sinner to pardon and eternal life though he do not regenerate or sanctifie him these are to be handled in their proper place You see by this delivered how far the actions of Gods Justice may be said to be free or not free Propos 5. Whatsoever may be said in an absolute sense about Gods Justice yet since that threatning promulged In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death God cannot in Iustice but punish sinners Though it be in his freedom whether he will give thee a being or no yet if thou art an obstinate sinner it is not in his freedom whether he will damn thee or no so that as God cannot but love that Image of his holinesse where he seeth it so he cannot but hate the contrary wheresoever it is though that hatred shall not alwayes fall upon the person in whom it is because removed by Christ It is Camerons opinion That the word Iustitia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when attributed to God doth alwayes signifie Goodnesse Salvation Redemption but never in the Scripture saith he doth it denote an affection in God whereby he avengeth himself upon sinners but that the words Ira and Iudicium Anger and Iudgement expresse this But though the word signifie so sometimes yet in some places it must needs mean this disposition in God Psal 9.5 1 Tim. 4.8 2 Thess 1.6 so that in some sense we may with several Orthodox men say Iustice is essential to God Sin is not indeed Physically contrary to God as water is to fire for if it were so God would not suffer it to be because he is an infinite good as if there were infinite fire or light there could not be any water or darknesse but it is morally contrary to him Hab. 1. Thou art of purer eyes then to behold iniquity even sins against any positive command of God that are sins only because prohibited they are thus far against his nature and not his will only because it is against his nature to have his will and commands disobeyed in any thing he being the supream and most holy Lawgiver If God did only punish sin because he will and not because he is essentially just there could no true cause be given why Heathens should have terrour in their consciences after sins committed seeing the Word is not revealed unto them declaring Gods will and when the Scripture speaks of God punishing sins it doth not attribute it to Gods meer will because he will do so but to his Iustice Rev. 16.5 7. Thus Exod. 24. God is described by this property Not acquitting the guilty Now when we say God cannot but punish sin with death since the promulgation of the threatning that is not so to be understood as if then only the tie and obligation of Iustice came upon God but it was from eternity for as God did in time reveal this threatning so he did from all eternity will this threatning and so therefore from all eternity it was just with God to punish a sinner neither could he forgive him without a satisfaction This is diligently to be observed because men speak sometimes as if vindicative Iustice were then only due when the actual threatning was whereas the executions of God in time are as his decrees were from eternity and truly we should not give way to such Disputes Whether God could have pardoned absolutely or provided any other way and remedy when we see God pitching upon this and the Scripture only revealing this Hence the Scripture commandeth us to eschew sins not meerly because of his will onely but because he is holy in his nature Lev. 11.44 Josh 24.19 It is true Gods hatred and displicency of sin cannot but be yet the destination of it actually to punishment comes in some sense under his liberty Prop. 6. Though God cannot but take notice of sin so as to punish it yet it is under his freedom whether he will punish it in their own persons or in a surety and by this means the wisdom of God found out an excellent temperament of Iustice and Mercy so that the one doth not oppose the other notwithstanding Gods justice
insufficiency in Christs bloud for alas if Christs bloud be not able to cleanse away thy sin how shall thy tears do it Hence it s no lesse then blasphemy which Rivet reporteth of Panigirolla the Papist who cals it foolishnesse and a grievous sin to put confidence wholly in Christs bloud Although therefore God puts up thy tears in his bottle yet if he do not also take notice of the bloud of Christ thy soul must still remain filthy Do not therefore magnifie thy tears and undervalue Christs bloud The bloud of the Sacrifice which represented Christs bloud was to be sprinkled upon the posts of the door but not on the threshold it was not to be trampled upon or despised no more is Christs bloud In the second place There are many reasons of congruity and fitnesse why a man should repent though it procure not pardon as a cause Though God cause the Sunne to shine and the rain to fall upon the wicked as well as the righteous yet pardon and reconciliation is not vouchsafed to the impenitent as well as the penitent The first reason of Congruity is Because hereby a man shall experimentally know the bitternesse of sin as well as the sweetnesse of it For as God though Christ hath fully satisfied his justice to take away all punishment doth yet heavily afflict his own people for sin that so they may in their own sense apprehend what wormwood and gall is in sin so the Lord though pardon come wholly by Christ yet will give it to none but to those that repent that so according to their delight in sin may also be their bitternesse for it Jer. 2.19 Aristotle said Homo est magis sensus quam intellectus much more is he sensus then fides more sense then faith and what he experimentally doth most feel in that he is most affected 2. Another Congruity is this Hereby we shall come to prize pardon the more and to esteem the grace of God in forgiving The sick esteem the Physician The broken bones make a man cry out for ease The famished Prodigal would be glad of crums It is therefore fit that a mans sins should be a burden and an heavy trouble to him that so pardon may be the sweeter and Gods love the more welcome When Josephs brethren were put in fear and dealt with roughly as spies after this to know that Joseph was their reconciled brother did work the greater joy Again we shall hereby judge the better of Christs love to us his sufferings in his soul were more exquisite then those in his body when he cried My God why hast thou forsaken me in this was the height of his Agony Now thou that in thy repentance feelest Gods displeasure art ready to cry out Why dost thou forsake me By these throbs and agonies in thy own soul thou maiest have some scantling of what Christ had in his soul and certainly to think that Christ was thus tempted thus under Gods displeasure for thee will more indear Christ to thee then that he was made poor a worm and no man yea crucified for thee 3. Hereby we shall give God the glory of his Justice that he might damn us if he did enter into strict judgement with us In repentance we judge our selves 1 Cor. 11. that is we condemn our selves acknowledge such sins to be committed by us for which God might shew no mercy for which he might say Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire and by this means God is highly honoured and we debased See this notably in David Psal 51.4 Against thee have I sinned that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and clear when thou judgest By this expression David doth acknowledge that all the afflictions laid upon him for sin were just and therefore God was to be cleared howsoever Thus in repentance a man comes to know himself how low and vile he is and that if he be saved from wrath and hell it is meerly from Gods good pleasure and therefore repentance is a kinde of a revenge upon a mans self 2 Cor. 7.10 The Lord is set up in his greatness and soveraignty we are made wholly prostrate 4. As there is a Congruity So repentance floweth by naturall consequence from a regenerated and sanctified heart For seeing regeneration is taking away the heart of stone and giving an heart of flesh thereby also is given a flexiblenesse and tendernesse and aptnesse to relent because God is dishonoured As there is in children a natural impression to mourn and relent when a father is displeased so that this godly sorrow floweth from a gracious heart as a stream from the fountain as fruit from the tree From this inward principle David doth so heartily mourn and pray from this Peter goeth out and weeps bitterly It is therefore a vain Question to ask Why a godly man is humbled for sinne it is as if you should ask Why a childe mourneth for the death of his father That love of God within him which doth abundantly prevail and reign there is like fire that doth melt and soften So that as naturall forms are the principles of actions which flow from them Thus is a supernatural principle of grace within the ground of all spiritual actions that issue thencefrom but although it flow as a fruit yet many times this stream is obstructed or dried up 5. There is in godly sorrow an aptnesse or fitnesse to be made the means or way wherein pardon may be obtained And this is the highest our godly sorrow can attain unto in reference to pardon of sinne viz. an ordinability of it to be such a way wherein we may finde mercy And thus we cannot say of impenitency or any other sin That God may forgive a man living in his impieties and wicked wayes for they have no aptitude or condecency in their natures to be referred to such an end We grant therefore that when the Spirit of God doth humble and soften a mans heart for sin that it works that in a man which hath a fitnesse to be used as the means whereby mercy is obtained yet that hath no merit or condignity in it to purchase salvation Hence it is that we may not say It is all one whether a man doth repent or not or that repentance is in a man as a sign only that God hath pardoned but we must go further and say it is the means and way which God hath aâ—pointed antecedently to pardon so that where this goeth before the other cometh after 6. There is a Congruency in repentance for sin Though it be not expiatory or satisfactory If we do regard the justice of God or the mercy and grace of God The justice of God For if he should pardon sinfull impenitent men though they wallow in all mire and filth that despise his grace and mercy how could his justice bear it Though therefore repentance doth not satisfie his justice yet sins unrepented of cannot
changed would be a strong and undeniable inference And indeed for this particular may the Arminians be challenged as holding Gods mutability because they hold That notwithstanding Gods decree and purpose to save such a man yet a man by his own corruption and default shall frustrate God of this his intention Otherwise all know Adam was created in a state of Gods favour and quickly apostatized into the contrary so that we may truly say Adam was one day yea hour as some a childe of Gods favour and in another of his wrath yet the change was in Adam not in God both because God had not made an absolute Decree from all Eternity for his standing as also because he had made no Promise to preserve him in that happy condition In this sense 1 Pet. 2.10 it is said Which in time past were not a people but now are the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy And whereas the Opponent saith God loved us before we did believe it is true with a love of purpose but many effects of his love are not exhibited till we do believe He loveth us and so worketh one effect of love in us that that effect may be a qualification for a new and further effect of love He loveth us to make us his friends and when he hath done that he loveth us with a love of friendship God loved us before he gave Christ for out of that love he gave us Christ that so when Christ is given us he may bestow another love upon us Now because it is ordinary with us to call the effect of love love as the fruit of grace is grace Therefore we say In such a time God loved not one and afterwards we say He doth love the same not that herein is any change of God but several effects of his love are exhibited As we call the effects of Gods anger his anger Poena patientis ira esse creditur decernentis The punishment on the offender is judged the anger of the inflicter and by this means we say sometimes God is angry and afterwards he ceaseth to be angry when he removeth these effects of his anger so a man is said to be loved or not to be loved according to the effects of Gods love exhibited in time and God hath so appointed it that one effect of his love should be a qualification in the subject for another as sanctification for glorification LECTURE XXIII MAT. 6.12 And forgive us our Debts THe next Question to be considered is Whether in this prayer we pray only for the Assurance of Pardon not Pardon it self For thus the Antinomians answer to the Objection fetched from this place that the whole sense of this Petition is That we may feel in our selves and assuredly perceive what pardon God had given us before Honey-Comb p. 155. So Den reconcil of God to man p. 44. making this Argument of the Text against himself If we pray for forgiveness of sins then sins are not forgiven before answereth The Protestants saith he with one consent hold That they do beg at the hands of God greater Certainty and Assurance of Pardon and he instanceth in a condemned person that is upon the ladder who having received the pardon of his Prince may when called into the Kings presence fall down and say Pardon me my Lord and King but this is to abuse Protestant Authours for although many of them may make this part of the meaning yet none make it the only meaning Gomarus in his Explication of this Petition doth excellently confute Piscator for explicating Pardon of sin by a Metonymy of the subject viz. The sense and feeling of this in our hearts and saith That such a signification cannot be proved out of any place of Scripture nor out of the language of any good Authors and one of his reasons is this Prayer for pardon of sin would be imprudently taken out of the Lords Prayer for he who prayeth for the sense and feeling of a thing supposeth it already done Now saith he every wise Petition hath for its object a thing to come and not a thing past This also Bellarmine objecting against special Faith as if it were a confidence that my sins are forgiven already he makes it as absurd upon this ground to beg for pardon as it would be to pray that Christ may be incarnated or made flesh Crocius in his answer to this Disput de fidei justificantis objecto pa. 131. saith as you heard before That those things indeed use not to be prayed for which are so done that they are never done more but those things which are so done as that they may be often done again may be prayed for The incarnation of Christ was once done and can be no more but Remission of sins is so done that it continueth further to be done and its last effect is reserved for the future For as often as we sin so often there is need of Repentance So that by his Judgement Remission of sinne is not like Creation which once was and is not reiterated but conservation More might be said out of Authors but I come to answer the Question First We grant it a duty for that believer who knoweth his sins are pardoned to pray for further Faith and Assurance of the Pardon For seeing our Faith admits of degrees and is sometimes staggering ready to sink no marvel if it needs supports Thus David although he heard his Pardon proclaimed yet makes that poenitential Psalm Psal 51. for mercy to do away his sins which was by appeasing his conscience and satisfying his soul with the goodness of God for as a godly man though he have truly repented of his sins yet upon any sad occasion doth reiterate his Pardon as Paul many times hath his heart-ake for his former blasphemies and persecutions so it is necessary to have the sense and apprehension of his Pardon reiterated to his own comfort and consolation There is no mans Assurance about Pardon so high and unmoveable but it many times meeteth with violent assaults and therefore needeth oil to be frequently poured into his wounds Comfort comfort ye my people saith the Prophet There must be an ingemination of the duty else the soul at first will not hearken In the second place We may conceive of four sorts of persons praying for this Pardon of sin The first is an unconverted and unregenerated man For although he cannot call God Father and so not pray in Faith yet he is bound to pray The Socinians interpret that compellation Our Father not actually but dispositively as if the meaning were who art ready and willing to be a Father But that is not the full meaning of that place There lieth an obligation upon unregenerate men to perform holy Duties though they cannot do them acceptably Their impotency to do them doth not disoblige from the command to do them Now its plain that such a person
this world Hence our Saviour cals it The day of our redemption upon the coming whereof they are to lift up their heads The Observation is That a compleat and full absolution from all sin is not enjoyed till the day of judgement The Beleevers have not a full discharge till then we are in this life continually subject to new sins and so to new guilt whereby arise new fears so that the soul hath not a full rest from all till that final absolution be pronounced at the day of judgement Before we shew the grounds whereby it may appear that the remission of our sins is not fully compleated till then we must lay down some Propositions by way of a grand work First The Scripture not only in this priviledge of remission of our sin but in others also makes the complement and fulness of them to be at the day of judgement Redemption is the totall summe as it were of all our mercies and we are partakers of it in this life Col. 1.14 Rom. 3.24 Yet the Scripture cals the day of judgement when we shall rise out of our graves in a peculiar and eminent manner the day of redemption Ephes 1.7 Ephes 4.30 because at that day will be the utmost and last effects of our redemption Adoption that also is a priviledge we receive in this life yea a learned man Forbes in his book where he handleth the order of Gods graces makes adoption as I take it to be the first and to go before justification yet the Apostle Rom. 8.23 calleth the last day the day of adoption Hence 1 Joh. 3.2 the Apostle though he saith We are now the sons of God yet he saith it doth not appear what we shall be because the glory God at the last day will put upon us is so farre transcendent and superlative to what now we are Thus Mat. 19.28 the last day is also called the day of regeneration unto the people of God yet in this life they partake of that grace but because then is the full perfection and manifestation of it therefore the Scripture cals it the day of regeneration Even as the Apostle Act. 13.33 applieth that passage of the Psalm to Christs resurrection This day have I begotten thee because then was such a solemn and publique declaration that he was the Son of God No marvel then if the Scripture do also call the day of judgement a time when sins shall be blotted out because then is the publique absolution of the godly and according to philosophy motions receive their names from the term to which they tend Secondly Howsoever Justification be said to consist in pardon of sin yet there is a great difference between the one and the other for Justification besides the pardon of sin doth connote a state that the subject is put into viz. A state of favour being reconciled with God Hence it is that this state cannot be reiterated often no more then a wife after that first entrance into the relation is frequently made a wife In this sense the Scripture alwaies speaks of it as connoting a state or condition the subject is put into as well as a peculiar priviledge vouchsafed to such It is true There are indeed learned men who think Justification may be reiterated as you heard Peter Martyr and Bucer Others call it a continued action as conservation But although there is a continuance of Justification and the godly are preserved in that estate yet we cannot say God doth renew Justification daily as he doth pardon of sin There are some that think the Scripture gives a ground for a second Justification or the continuing and encreasing of it and bring those places Tit. 3.5 6 7. Rev. 22.11 The learned and excellent Interpreter Ludovicus de Dieu in Cap. 8. of the Romans vers 4. largely pleadeth for a two-fold Justification The first he makes to be the imputing of Christs righteousness to us received by faith which is altogether perfect and is the cause of pardon of sins The second he makes an effect of the former whereby through the grace of God regenerating we are conformable unto that love in part and are day by day more and more justified and shall be fully so when perfection comes of which Justification he saith these texts speak Jam. 2.21 24. Revel 22.11 Mat. 11.37 1 King 8.32 This two-fold Justification he makes to differ toto coelo from the Papists whose first is founded upon the merit of congruity the second upon the merit of condignity But the discussing of this will be more proper in the other part viz. of imputed righteousness Austin seemeth to hold Justification a frequent and continued act lib. 2. contra Julianum cap. 8. When we are heard in that prayer Forgive us our sins we need saith he such a remission daily what progress soever we have made in our second Justification He speaks also of a Justification hujus vitae which he cals minorem the lesser and another plenam and perfectam full and perfect which belongs to the state of glory Tract 4. in Joannem lib. de spiritu lit cap. ultim But the more exact handling of this will be in the place above-mentioned It seemeth more consonant to Scripture if we say That Justification is a state we were once put into which is not repeated over and over as often as sin is forgiven neither can it admit of increase or decrease so that a man should be more or less justified for even David while he was in that state of suspension was not less justified though the effects of Justification were less upon him It is true in some sense learned men say Justification may increase viz. extensivè not intensivè as they express it by way of extension when more sins are pardoned not intensively in its own nature Even as the soul of a man in its information of the body admits of no increase intensively but it doth extensively the more the parts of the body grow the further doth its information extend But of these things more in their proper place Thirdly Howsoever an absolution shall be compleated at the day of judgement yet our justification shall not abide in such a way as it is in this life Now our Justification is by pardon of sin and a righteousness without us imputed to us which is instrumentally applied by faith but this way shall then cease for having perfect righteousness inherent in our selves we shall need no covering It is true the glory and honour of all this will redound upon Christ and he shall not be the less glorified because he hath then brought us to the full end of all his sufferings I know some may doubt whether any righteousness but that which is infinite can please God and therefore as some think the Angels were accepted of God through Christ though perfect so it may of the Saints in heaven but I see no ground for this This seemeth to be undoubted That the
way of Justification by faith in Christ ariseth because of our imperfection and sinfulness remaining in us and therefore is justificatio viae not patriae a justification of us in our way not when we come to our home Fourthly Although pardon of sin be compleated at that great day yet this is not to be understood as if Gods pardon of any sin were imperfect and something of sinne did still remain to be done away No those expressions of forgivenes of sin in the Scripture denote such a full and plenary pardon that a sin cannot be more remitted then it is But because we commit new sinnes daily and so need pardon daily Therefore it is that we are not compleatly pardoned till then As also because the perfect pardon we have here shall then solemnly and publikely be declared to all the world These things thus premised I come to shew the grounds or particulars wherein our pardon of sinne is thus compleated And first In our sense and feeling For howsoever God pardon a sinne perfectly yet our faith which receiveth it is weak This Jewell is taken with a trembling and shaking hand Hence it is that we have not full faith and confidence in our spirits We may see this in David though Nathan told him his sinnes were forgiven him yet his faith was not so vigorous and powerfull as wholly to apply this to his own soul and therefore he had much anguish and trouble of heart afterwards But now at the last day all these fears diffidence and darknesse will be quite removed out of our hearts There shall be no more disturbance in our souls then there can be corruption in the highest heavens we shall then have such a gourd as no worm can devour Our souls shall not then know the meaning of sitting in darknesse and wanting Gods favour There will then be no complaints Why hath the Lord forsaken me Well may Gods children be called upon to lift up their heads when such a redemption draweth nigh and well may that day be called the times of refreshment seeing the people of God are so often scorched with the fiery darts of Satan Secondly Pardon of sin will at that day be perfected Because all the effects of pardon will then be accomplished and not so much as any scars remain the wound will be so fully healed Although God doth fully pardon sin yet the effects of this are delaied many chastisements and sad afflictions are to be undergone howsoever death it self and the corruption in the grave must seize upon justified persons now these are the fruit of sin and howsoever the sting of these be taken away yet they are not wholly conquered till that last day Then therefore may we justly say Sin is pardoned when there shall be no more grave no more death no more corruption but all shall be swallowed up in immortality and glory Thirdly Then and not till then may we say remission of sins will be compleated because then shall no more iteration of pardon be Here in this life because the root of corruption abideth in us there are daily pullulant branches of sinnes and so frequent guilt is contracted whereby as we have daily sores so we need daily plaisters It is with originall corruption in us as in that Tree in Dan. 4.14 15. although the branches be cut off yet the stump is still in the earth and that sprouts out too fast by the temptations that are alwaies by it Hence it is that we alwaies pray Forgive us our sins and because of thâ—se failings the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.20 writeth to and exhorteth the godly Corinthians who were already reconciled to God to be further reconciled to him But then this Petition shall wholly cease then there will be no serpent to sting us nor will the eye of justifying faith to look upon the brazen serpent exalted be necessary any more The Lord will not only wipe away the tear of wordly grief but also of godly sorrow at that time Then and not till then will it be true That God seeth no sin in his children Then will the Church be without wrinkles or any spot within her In this respect it is the Church of God pâ—aieth so earnestly for the Bridegrooms coming For this it is They look for and hasten in their praiers that day Fourthly At that day will pardon of sin only be compleated if you consider the nature of justification For what is that but an overcoming the accusing adversary and clearing of us against every charge Now this is most eminently and fully done in those last assizes The Syriack word to justifie is also to conquer and overcome because when a man is justified he overcometh all those bils and indictments which were brought in against him now this is manifestly done in the day of judgement when God shall before men and Angels acquit and absolve his people and if the Apostle say in this life Rom. 6.7 of a godly man dead in Christ he is justified from his sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of sanctification that sin doth not conquer him but he sinne how much more will this be true at that day when all the guilt and filth of sin shall be totally removed Oh what a glorious conquest will that be over sin hell and the devil when the Judge of the whole world shall pronounce them free from all sinne and command them to enter into his glorious rest Having thus cleared the Doctrine one Question may be briefly touched upon Whether the sins of Gods people shall be manifested at the day of judgement and God for Christs sake then acquit them There are learned men for the affirmative They shall be published and there are learned men for the negative Those that are for the affirmative they say indeed godly mens sins shall not be examined for their ignominy or confusion but only that the goodnesse and grace of God may be made the more illustrious For this they urge these Arguments First Those places of Scripture which speak of the universality of the reall objects and personal Of the reall as when it 's said A man must give an account of every idle word Mat 12.36 2 Cor. 5.10 an account must be made for every thing done in the body For the universality of the object personal 2 Cor. 5. We must all appear before the Tribunall seat Again They urge the opening of the book which shall be at that day and that is nothing but the manifesting of the consciences of men Furtther Many wicked mens sins and godly mens are mingled together and there cannot be a judgement of discussion preceding that of condemnation unlesse godly mens sinnes also be produced In summe They think this conduceth more to the setting up of Gods justice the exaltation of his mercy neither say they will this breed shame to the godly for in heaven they shall remember their sins committed on earth but without any grief
or trouble yea with joy and thankfulnesse to God because delivered from them Quandoque laeti recordamur dolorum said Gregory We may with joy remember by-past grief But those that are for the negative think this no waies suteable to Gods goodnesse that the sins of the godly should then be published for these grounds following First From the judicial processe where Christ cals the blessed of his Father to inherit the Kingdom prepared for them and then enumerateth only the good works they had done no question they had many sins and failings but God takes no notice of them Secondly This agreeth best they say with those expressions of Scripture concerning pardon viz. that God blotteth them out that they are thrown into the bottom of the sea Thirdly The godly are said not to come into judgement and there is no condemnation to them yea they have already life everlasting Lastly Christ is their bridegroom their friend their advocate and how ill becoming would it be one in such relations to account or lay open their sins Which of these opinions is truest is hard to say neither of them have cogent arguments and the Scripture doth not expresly decide the question yet the negative seems to have more probability on its side The Use is First Of comfort and glad tidings to the children of God howsoever in this life they have accusations from within and from without yet the day is coming when they shall have a glorious and publike justification from all objections Then Satan can no more accuse Joshua for the noisome rags upon him Then Joseph shall be brought out of the prison freed from all guilt and calumny and exalted to great glory and it may be therefore God suffereth thee to be exercised with much guilt and fear here that thou maist the more long for those daies of refreshment And as this truth is for their great consolation so also it demonstrateth their happinesse That that which is so terrible and dreadfull to wicked men should be such matter of rejoycing unto them when they through horrour should cry for the mountains and hils to cover them these shall desire the graves and the earth to deliver up her dead that they may enjoy their Bridegroom Certainly beleevers are not beleevers in this point as they should be what an heavenly contempt would it work in them of this present world what earnest desires that this Kingdom might at last come This is their marriage-day the day of coronation Then death hell grave sin and Satan are all conquered And if the joy and peace which remission of sin produceth in this life be so exceeding glorious what will that be when we shall have no more streams but that fountain 2. Use by way of contrary To terrifie and arouse wicked men for as the godly have but a glimmering a little pittance in this life in respect of that fulnesse of glory to be revealed hereafter so the wicked feel not the least part of that guilt torment shame and confusion which hereafter shall be poured upon them There are many mens sins lie asleep keep no noise either in their own consciences or before God but then these lyons these mastive dogs that lay tumbling at the door will rise up in rage and wholly devour Do not therefore take Gods forbearance for his gracious acquittance oh do not imbolden thy self with false encouragements and say The worst is over As the Apostle said these light afflictions were nothing to that eternal weight of glory so on the contrary may the wicked say These pangs and wounds of consciences which are felt here are nothing to that eternal weight of sin hereafter Bernard said descendamus in infernum viventes ne descendamus morienâ—es let us goe into hell while we are alive by a serious meditation and holy consideration that we may not go into it when we be dead by reall miseries As the Apostle saith we are the children of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be there is more glory then they can conceive so wicked men are now the children of wrath but it doth not yet appear what they shall be Oh therefore that ungodly men were as wise as Jonah's mariners who in the midst of tempests seeing their ship necessarily sinking throw away the goods that were a burden knowing they and their safety could not consist together Thus are ye to do throw away thy sins those heavy burdens that put all into danger and so maist thou safely arrive at last in heaven LECTURE XXX LUKE 7.47 Wherefore I say unto thee Her sins which are many are forgiven her for she loved much THis Text is part of a famous history which may well be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of the three great things observable in it 1. Great sinnes 2. Great repentance and humiliation â— Great love and grace of God through Christ in pardoning And there is this one peculiar thing well observed about this woman in the history that whereas divers others addressed themselves to Christ for corporal mercies this only cometh for spiritual even for remission of her sins For the better understanding of the text let us briefly consider the history and first the woman is described by her quality inherent a sinner not in a common sense as all are but in a more notorious manner and therefore those that mitigate her fault out of some reverence or honour to her do not so much encrease her honour as Maldonat upon the place well observeth as detract from Christs honour for the Physicians skill is most commended where the disease is more desperate That she was a known great sinner appeareth in that the Pharisee wondred at Christ because he would have any commerce with her Whether this woman was Mary Lazarus his sister or no is hotly disputed by Commentators but impertinent to my scope In the next place you have her great repentance expressed wherein for the generall you may see the Apostles duty accomplished as she had given her members to be members of iniquity so now of righteousnesse insomuch that she is the true looking-glasse of an humble convert Her humiliation is described 1. In bringing of a box of oyntment to anoint his feet not his head say some because she thought her self so unworthy she brought indeed an outward visible box of ointment but she had another invisible and spiritual one even a contrite and broken heart 2. She stands behinde Christ as being loathsom in her own eyes and washeth his feet with her tears which must suppose that to be true in her which Jeremiah desireth viz. Her head to be a fountain of water but as long as her heart was such a fervent limbeck it was no wonder to see such precious distillations Chrysologus upon this fact of hers saith The Heavens are wont to water the Earth with rain but ecce nunc rigat terra Coelum here the earth watereth Heaven Lastly The debasement of
her self further appeareth in making her Hair heretofore the instrument of her pride and wantonness now a Towel to wipe his feet In the third place Christs love towards her is remarkable and in the general it is so great that the Pharisee puffed up with his own pride was offended at it not considering First That though she had been a sinner yet now she manifested Repentance And secondly That every commerce and communion with a sinner is not forbidden but that which is of incouragement or consent unto his sin but our Saviours was like the communion of a Physician with the Patient to heal and cure Hence our Saviour touched the leper whom he healed yet was not unclean because he touched him to restore him to health But as the people murmured because Moses married a Blackmore so the Pharisees grudged because Christ shewed mercy to sinners but Moses indeed could not make the Blackmore white whereas Christ doth purifie the defiled soul Now our Saviour doth aggravate his love to her First by a diligent enumeration of those several acts of service which she had exhibited to him not mentioning any of her former sins and all this he doth with an Antithesis or opposition to that carriage which the Pharisee had presented him with 2. To convince the Pharisee he declareth a Parable that so from his own mouth the Pharisee may judge her love to Christ to be greater then his In the last place his grace to her is further declared by pardoning her sins though so hainous which pardon is first declared unto the Pharisee in my Text and afterwards to the woman her self In my Text is the first promulgation of her pardon now because the words have some difficulty and the later part is brought to prove love to be a meritorious cause of Remission of sins two Questions are briefly to be resolved First When this womans sins were pardoned And the Answer is That as soon as ever she repented in her heart of her evil wayes and believed in Christ her sins were forgiven her for so God doth promise and this was before she came to Christ but she cometh to Christ for the more assurance of Pardon and not only so but that he should authoritatively absolve her from her sinne for Christ did more then declare her sins pardoned as appeareth by the standers by who with wonder made this question v. 49. Who is this that forgiveth sins also Whereas to declare the forgiveness of sin only any Minister may do as we read of Nathan to David 2 Sam. 12.13 So that her sins were pardoned by God before at the first time of her Faith and Repentance but now Christ as the Mediator doth particularly absolve her and that in her own conscience therefore he bids her Go in peace The second Question is Whether that expression Much is forgiven her for she loved much be causal as if her love were antecedent and a cause of her forgiveness or consequential only as an effect or sign of her forgiveness in this sense She loved much because God did forgive her many sins not she loved much and therefore God forgave her Here is a great and vast difference between these two many Papists are for the later the Protestants generally for the former and there is this cogent reason for it for that Christ doth not speak of Repentance or Love which should go before and be the cause of the pardon of sins is plain by the Parable he brings of a Creditor who forgave one Debtor more another Debtor less hereupon our Saviour asked the Pharisee Which of them will love him most Simon answered I suppose him to whom most was forgiven Now of such a love our Saviour speaketh when he mentioneth the woman which is clearly a love of Gratitude Because much was forgiven not an antecedent love of merit to procure pardon so that as from her actions of anointing and washing his feet by way of a sign or effect we gather her Faith and Love of Christ so by her Faith and Love as by a sign and effect it may be gathered that her sins are forgiven her But you may ask How could she come to know her sins were forgiven before Christ told her I answer By the promise of God made to every true Penitent and Believer though this assurance of hers was imperfect and therefore admitted of further degrees whereas then all this Repentance and Humiliation was not that sinne might be forgiven but from Faith that they were forgiven We may observe this That the sense and apprehension of pardon of sins already obtained doth not beget carnal security but a further mollifying and humbling of the heart in a gracious manner This is a practical truth of great concernment And for the opening of it take notice of this distinction as a foundation viz. That there is in Scripture a two-fold Repentance or Humiliation of the soul for sin the one antecedent and going before pardon and this the Scripture requireth as a necessary condition without which forgiveness of sin cannot be obtained of this Repentance the Scripture for the most part speaks Ezek 14.18 30. Mat. 3.2 Mark 6.12 Luk. 13.3 Act. 3.19 and generally in most places of Scripture In the second place there is an Humiliation of heart and brokenness of soul for sin arising from thâ— apprehension of Gods love in pardoning whereby we grieve that we should deal so unkindely with so good and gracious a God This though more rarely yet is sometimes spoken of in Scripture as first in this woman who out of the apprehension of Gods love in pardoning so much to her did pour out her soul in all wayes of thankfulness After this manner also was Davids Repentance Psal 51. for he was thus deeply affected after Nathan had told him His sin was taken away Although it doth appear by the Psalm also that he had not as yet that sense of pardon which did quiet his conscience This kinde of affection was also in Paul 1 Tim. 12 13 14 15 16. 1 Cor. 15.8 9. in which places the Apostle remembring his former sins confesseth them and acknowledgeth thereby his unworthinesse of all that grace and favour he had received so that the Apostle doth not there humble himself that he may obtain mercy but because he had obtained mercy The most eminent instance of this kinde of sorrow and shame is Ezek. 16.62 63. where God promiseth to establish his Covenant with them and then mark the event of this That thou mayâ—st remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee So then both these kindes of Humiliations are to be owned and practised and therefore it is a false and dangerous error to acknowledge no other kinde of Repentance then the later The Papists will not acknowledge this later Humiliation at all because they deny all Faith and Assurance that a believer may have of
sinne doth naturally and necessarily go away so that there needeth no acceptation from God or act of remission but onely an infusion of grace to repent But this in the next Sermon shall mainly be insisted upon and it is of great practical use to take us off from having confidence and trust in our sorrow for sin For as when a creditor doth forgive his debtor it is the sole act of the creditor not any thing of the debtor So in pardoning it is not any thing that we do though with never so much love and brokennesse of heart that doth release and untie the bond of sinne but it is an act of God onely If you say Why then is repentance and faith pressed so necessarily that God doth not forgive without it For if it be onely an act of Gods then it may be done without any work of the sinner intervening But of this in the next place onely for the present take notice That it is not any sorrow or retraction of ours that makes a sinne either remissible or actually remitted but a meer act of Gods and if all the men of the world were askt this Question What they mean when they pray God to forgive their sins The sense of all would be not that they should doe something which would remit them but that God by his gracious favour would release them So then if all these particulars be cast up together you may clearly conceive how God doth forgive sin not by infusing or putting grace into us which may expel sin as light doth darkness but by his outward grace and favour accepting of us and therefore we are not to relie upon any thing we do not to presume no not of our godly sorrow for sinne but to look up to Heaven desiring God would speak the word that he would pronounce the sentence of absolution Let the Use be To look upon our selves as bound in chains and fetters by our sins as made very miserable by them that so we may the more earnestly desire pardon and put an high prize upon it Though Gods forgiving be not the putting of godly sorrow and the working of a broken heart within us yet we can never obtain the one without the other The grace and mercy of a pardon is no more esteemed by us because we look not upon our selves as so many guilty persons adjudged to eternal death Thus the Publican cried out Have mercy upon me a sinner What Plutarch said of the Husbandman That it was a pleasant sight to him to see the ears of corn bending to the earth because that was an argument of fruit within No lesse joyfull is it to spiritual husbandmen to see their people walk with humble debased broken hearts through sense of sin and not to walk confidently and delicately like Agag saying The worst is past God said of Ahab though humbled for externall motives only Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself How much more will God take notice of those who humble themselves upon spiritual grounds desiring ease from Christ As therefore Bernard writing to one epist 180. who he thought was not sollicitous enough about the Judgements of God in stead of wishing him according to the ordinary custom of salutation Salutem plurimam much health said Timorem plurimum much fear So may the Ministers of God we wish you not much joy but much holy fear Alas thou fearest pain poverty death but the guilt of sin is chiefly to be feared but we like children are afraid of a vizard and do not fear the fire which is a real danger LECTURE XVIII MAT. 6.12 And forgive us our debts YOu have heard Pardon of sin is Gods work only as also his manner of doing it is not by infusing grace into us which takes away the guilt of sin but besides grace sanctifying there is also an act on Gods part repealing the sentence of condemnation against us Now because this may seem to overthrow the duty of repentance and because this is the rock many have been split upon not being able to reconcile our duty of repentance with Gods gracious favour of pardoning I shall speak though not all yet as much as relateth to my purpose in hand concerning the duty and necessity of repentance although there be no causality or merit in it to take away sin and this may rightly inform us about the true efficacy of our sorrow for sin To open this Truth consider these Propositions First That God doth never remit or forgive sin but where also he giveth a mollified and softened heart to repent The Scripture doth abudantly confirm this by precepts and examples It is indeed disputed by the Schoolmen as you have heard whether God by his absolute power might not forgive sin without Sanctification of our natures and the grace of Repentance for seeing they are two distinct mercies why may not God separate the one from the other But it is a vain thing to dispute what God might do when he hath revealed what he will do And although we cannot say That there is a natural necessity between Justification and Sanctification such as is between the light and heat in the fire yet this conjoyning of them together by Gods will and appointment ariseth from a condecency and fitnesse both to God himself who is an holy God and to the nature of the mercy which is the taking and removing of sin away 2. Although the Scripture attribute pardon of sin to many qualifications in a man yet Repentance is the most expresse and proper duty The Scripture sometimes makes forgiving of others a necessary disposition sometimes confessing and forsaking of them sometimes believing though that hath a peculiar nature in receiving of pardon which other graces have not and therefore faith obtaineth pardon by way of an instrument applying which other graces do not But if we speak of the expresse formall qualification it is repentance of our sins not repentance as it is a meer bare terrour upon thy heart but as it is sweetned with Evangelical considerations Luther said There was no word so terrible unto him and which his soul did more hate then that Repent But it was because he understood not Gospel-grounds We read then of some places of Scripture which make God to be the only Author of blotting out and pardoning sin And again we reade of other places where God doth this for none but the broken and contrite heart Now both these places must not be opposed to each other neither may we so dwell upon the one as to neglect the other so to look upon it as Gods act as if there were nothing required in us and again so to look upon that which we do as if God were not to be acknowledged 3. None may believe or conclude that their sins are pardoned before they have repented To this I shall speak more particularly when I handle the Doctrine of Justification before Faith As for the Assertion