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
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
such mercy is shewn must needs be very blessed CHAP. III. Of the wonderful Mysteries of Godliness in forgiveness of Sin THirdly Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven because there is a glorious mystery of godliness in forgiving of sin the work of God in forgiving a sinner hath abundance of glorious mysteries in it the Argument stands thus That man or woman for whom God shall work such a work as hath multitude of glorious mysteries in it that man or woman is blessed But where ever sin is forgiven God works for that soul such a strange work the strangest that ever he did a work that hath so many admirable mysteries in it that in the opening of them will declare every way that this soul is blessed And this is the business I would now do to open the mysteries that are in the forgiveness of sin and it is to this end that as I might set before you the great work of God in pardoning sin so also that you might have higher thoughts of it than ever you had before for that 's it I aim at to raise up the thoughts of men to the right understanding of this great point of the Justification of a sinner that so you may sanctifie Gods Name by having such thoughts of it as the thing it self calls for Of the first Mystery it is by means of a Mediator 1. Where sin is forgiven it is by means of a Mediator between God and the Soul it is through the Mediation of the Son of God observe it for there is no point in all Religion is of greater use to understand than this point of the way of God in pardoning of sin because of the many mysteries of God contained in it I hope I shall make it appear it is no slight work and business Mark then when God pardons sin 't is always done through the mediation of the Son of God God never pardons any sinner as a Prince does when a Malefactor hath offended him he comes and humbles himself casts himself down at his feet and cryes I pray Sir forgive me and he says Well I will forgive you God never forgives any sin thus and yet it is thus with people when they come to God for pardon most of them never think of any other way Friends there must be a great deal more than so for whosoever hath his sins forgiven it must be by the vertue of the mediation and intercession of the Son of God he must stand up before the Father and mediate for thy soul if all the Angels in Heaven stood up to mediate it would not be sufficient but the Son of God alone must do it 't is as if a Malefactors condition was so that the mediation of all the Nobles could not prevail with the King for a pardon but there must be the mediation of the Prince himself to obtain it So I say poor soul thou mayst think it a slight business but know if ever thou art forgiven it must be by the mediation of the Son of God he must stand up to mediate for thee and plead Oh Father let such a poor soul that hath been a Sabbath-breaker a Lyer a Drunkard an Unclean person let his sins be forgiven and let him not be damn'd Father put in his Name for pardon I shall not speak of it how Christ mediates but that is and has been his work from all eternity to mediate and make intercession for those he saw before in the eternal Council of God should live in such times and whatever pardon of God is gotten it is through him and if thou poor man ever com'st to be pardoned know Christ hath been mediating to God the Father for thee Oh Father such a poor creature that dwells it may be in such a Cottage or in such an obscure place let his name be put in for forgiveness And now is not this a blessed thing that thou poor creature should'st have the Son of God to mediate for thy name to be put in for pardon this of a truth is so if there be any truth in the Divinity of the Word it is in this That all the forgiveness and pardon any creature hath it is by the mediation of the Son of God and his heart was upon it from all eternity surely here is abundance of grace in this one thing take heed of abusing it this is the first mystery you must not look for pardon of sin in a natural way to cry for forgiveness but you must go in the Name of the Mediator in this mystical way Of the second Mystery It is through Christs undertaking the Debt upon himself 2. The second mystery is this 'T is not Christs intreating the Father will serve the turn If ever any sin be forgiven I beseech you take notice of it for I speak in the Name of God and therefore must take heed of speaking any thing but the Truths of God unto you if any sin be pardoned it is not for the Prayer of Christ that will not do it But God the Father says Son if you would have the sins of poor souls forgiven you must take the debt upon your self you must be their Surety and you must enter into Bonds to pay everyfarthing of what debt the sinners owe you must pay all if you will undertake for them so it is for I will never come upon themselves for it but on you Certainly there are these transactions between God the Father and God the Son from all eternity about the pardoning of any sin however you commit a sin and think not of it and cry Lord have mercy upon me and so you have done with it there 's an end you think that is all But I say unto thee if thy sin be pardoned Christ must take the debt upon himself and be thy Surety 2 Cor. 5.21 He made him to be sin for us that knew no sin the way of pardon is by a translation of all our sins upon Christ Christ himself God blessed for ever the Delight of the Father must be made sin for the soul that hath sinned consider this all the sins thou hast committed if ever they be pardoned they must be by vertue of the Covenant between God the Father and the Son all thy sin must be transmitted on Christ all thy oaths drunkenness and wickedness must be put upon him and he must stand charged with them all Oh you that are so lavish in sin and take such liberty to do wickedly I say if ever thy sin be pardoned it must be laid on his shoulders run on as fast as thou wilt if ever thou be'st saved at the best yet thy sin must be set on him and charg'd upon his score I remember that expression of Nathan to David 2 Sam. 12.13 The Lord hath put away thy sin the words are to be read out of the Original The Lord hath made thy sin to pass over to pass over from thee unto his Son he hath laid them to his
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
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
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
THese are to certifie all into whose hands this Book shall come that these Sermons contained in this Book on Psal 32.1 Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven and whose Sin is covered Entituled Gospel Remission and Printed for Dorman Newman Stationer are the painful and profitable Labours of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs and published by the best and most Exact Copy extant Jan. 17. 1668. Philip Nye William Greenhill William Bridge William Adderly Matth. Mead C. Helms There is now Re-printed The Christian Man's Calling with Directions to perform it in all religious Duties Natural Actions Particular Vocations Family Directions his own recreation In the Relations of Parents Children Husbands Wives Masters Servants and in all conditions in his dealings with all men in Company in Solitariness on a week-day from morning to night in visiting the sick and on a dying-bed by Geo. Swinnock M.A. late of Great Kimbal in Buckinghamshire GOSPEL REMISSION Or a TREATISE shewing that TRUE BLESSEDNESS CONSISTS IN Pardon of Sin Wherein is Discovered The Many Gospel Mysteries therein Contained The Glorious Effects proceeding from it The Great Mistakes made about it The True Signs and Symptomes of it The Way and Means to obtain it By Jeremiah Burroughs Being several Sermons Preached immediately after those of The Evil of Sin by the same Author And now Published by Philip Nye William Greenhill William Bridge William Adderly Matth. Mead C. Helmes The Inhabitant shall not say I am sick the People that dwell therein shall be forgiven their Iniquities Isai 33. 34. London Printed for Dor. Newman and are to be sold at his Shop at the Chirurgions Arms in Little Brittain near the Hospital-gate 1668. To the READER Christian Reader THe provident care of God is manifested toward his People in the present Preservation of and provision for them To have the mouths of Lions stopped when we are cast into the mid'st of their Den the Waters to be a wall about us on the right hand and on the left which in their own nature and tendency would overwhelm us to have the Bush burning and not consumed are as evident tokens of the good will of him that dwelt in the bush of Gods presence with and owning of his afflicted People now as in the days of old yea to have Hony out of the flinty Rock Manna in the Wilderness a voice behind us Saying This is the way walk in it enforceth as great an obligation to admiration and thankfulness upon us as upon the Israelites of old Among'st the many English Prophets who are dead and yet speak the Reverend Author of the ensuing Treatise may challenge a place with the first Worthies His Works not my words are the best Orators to commend him That Scripture Encomium may be written upon his Stepney and Cripplegate-Lectures This and that man was born there For although many now living do through mercy enjoy able Teachers and Instructors yet do they owe to him the Name of Father as an Instrument of their Conversion I may boldly apply that saying to holy Burrough's which was once spoken of a Learned Divine beyond Sea Meruerunt viri docti etiam post funera vivere ac docere scriptis posteros quos infeliciter post eos nasci contigit in eo autem virorum ordine Burroughsium reponere nemo praeter eum qui propriae diffidit virtuti prohibebit These Sermons presented to thy view are with the help of an able Learned Divine who also heard these Sermons preached cast into that form of a Tract that now thou seest them in without any material Additions or Alterations The time when the Reverend Author preached them was next in order after those convincing Sermons of the sinfulness of Sin so that this Gospel Soul-Reviving Discourse was then a word spoke in due season In this Treatise thou hast Gospel Grace stated rightly the Justice of God cleared the Mercy of God exalted poor trembling Sinners incouraged to come to the Blood of Christ for Pardon presumptuous sinners awakened out of their deadly deluding Dreams of Heaven when they are ready to drop into Hell In a word here thou may'st take a view of the Love of the Father the Grace of the Son the Fountain opened for Sin and for Uncleanness Cordial Waters of Life for sinking and fainting sinners here thou may'st behold Sin Damning sin sin that God hates and cannot but hate Sin that God punisheth and cannot but punish taken off the poor believing sinner and laid upon his Surety sin condemned and punished in Jesus Christ and the Believing Sinner justified pardoned acquitted If therefore thou prizest peace with God through Jesus Christ Pray for light to direct thee into a distinct knowledge of this Gospel Truth and take up this Book and read it and the Lord give thee understanding in all things answerable to the Design of the Author and the Prayer of him who heartily wisheth thy Salvation and growth in the knowledge of God and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ C. Helmes The Stationer to the Reader IT is now long since I undertook the Printing of this Book and as my Incouragements were many so I had obtained of one of those Reverend Divines that have given their attestation to it to peruse the Work and had his Testimony that he heard those Sermons preached and upon Perusal of them found not any thing Material left out of what the Author Mr. Jer. Burroughs delivered and knowing that Mr. Peter Cole who formerly Printed many of the Author's Works had long laid wait and endeavoured to get this Copy out of the hands of those that published the Author's Books offering as great Reward for the same but could not obtain it And now at last being so much wished thereunto by his friends being assured that as the whole is abundantly spiritual and lovely in its Matter and that wherein the very spirit and style of Mr. Burroughs is manifested so there are many things as I am informed were never so much as touch 't upon or handled by any other Writer and yet are of very great Importance to be known by all Intelligent and Sober-minded men I thought good having this assurance from them to certifie so much to the Reader Dor. Newman Some of the greater faults in Printing to be thus amended Page 2. line 17. for sorrow read terror p. 7. l. ult to children add of men p. 15. l. 26. for thee r. him p. 21. l. 32. for letter r. little p. 30. l. 1. to inlet of add all p. 36. l. 37. after the first word cry add but it may be p. 45. l. 9. after pardon add and. l. 14. after in add to l. 15. for run r. ran p. 56. l. 19. after how add then p. 60. l. 3. after seeing add the heart of ibid. after Holy Ghost r. are for is p. 81. l. 31. after horrible add evil p. 98. l. 6. for fourthly r. fifthly Gospel Remission PSAL. XXXII 1 Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven and
of God and therefore to say boasting is excluded by faith because faith is the gift of God will not serve the turn therefore the mystery of Justification is a great mystery that notwithstanding faith is such a glorious work as it is one of the gloriousest works that ever any creature did yet that this should be excluded by this I cannot but be perswaded that there is more in the work of Faith than in any thing Adam ever had and that faith the power of believing was not in Adam in the state of Innocency Why Because it is now made such a grace as excludes all kind of boasting For were it but the stirring up of any power we had in Adam it would no more exclude boasting than if God stirr'd up any other grace as Love Hope Fear and the like But that it excludes boasting this may be the most satisfactory answer Works they could not exclude boasting Why though they were from the grace and gift of God yet they belong'd to mans nature for if God will make a rational creature he must give it those perfections that are due to that nature Now the Image of God was in some regard due to such a nature But now God when he comes to give faith he gives a higher thing than ever was due to the nature of man hence there is a greater mystery in faith than in any other grace and therefore it is a great mystery that God should justifie a man by faith and yet this excludes boasting more than any other thing I but the Scripture says God imputes faith for righteousness and when God inables us to believe Is it not our own Yea when we have it it is our own and when we are justified it is imputed to us for righteousness but mark what I shall say it will be useful for the understanding that Text in Rom. 4.22 Where it says faith was imputed to him for righteousness ye must not understand it thus that is that God did through the grace of Christ now accept of Abraham's faith as his righteousness whereby he should stand to be justified by it in the sight of God he did not thus accept of faith for righteousness no not through the mediation of Christ nor by vertue of any Covenant made by God with Christ God did never make any Covenant with Christ that whereas man did owe obedience to all the Law and that should have been his righteousnes had he continued in it but man now being unable to perform it that God would be now so favourable to him as that he would accept of faith for righteousness that is not the meaning of it for the word in the Original translated for righteousness it is thus it was imputed unto righteousness it is the same word used in Rom. 10.10 With the heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the mouth Confession is made unto Salvation Now Confession with the mouth is not made Salvation it self but unto Salvation so faith is not the righteousness it self but unto righteousness that is by faith we come to get righteousness But why says the Scripture God imputed it unto righteousness I take it thus that forasmuch as faith is so glorious a Principle infused of God above any thing of our own God is pleased to account of it as if it were our own and so imputes it unto righteousness the truth is it is not our own no not so our own as other graces are our own but God in point of Justification is pleased to impute it as our own that we may come to have righteousness by it as if it were our own Now this is a great mystery that God in the work of pardon of sin should do it by the grace of faith and that this excludes all boasting and yet righteousness imputed to it as if it were our own Hence by the way let us take heed of the Opinion of those that say faith it self is imputed for righteousness and that God through Christ accepts of faith as the matter of our righteousness The Papists say we are justified by works and that God is pleased through Christ to accept not of Faith only but of Humility Fear Love Repentance Joy c. though they be imperfect yet he is pleased to accept of these for our righteousness says the other opinion faith is our righteousness though God might require exact obedience to the whole Law yet he is pleased to accept of faith both these Opinions are besides the truth and therefore there is the same danger in the one as in the other and therefore both to avoided Of the eight Mystery God is infinitely Just and yet infinitely Merciful 8. The eighth particular is this that shews pardon of sin is a great mystery because where-ever God pardons sin he is infinitely just and yet infinitly merciful there is an admirable reconciliation between Gods Justice and Mercy which shews it to be a great mystery There are three great mysteries in Religion 1. The great mystery of the Trinity that there should be divers Persons and yet but one God The second is that in the Person of Christ there should be two Natures and yet but one Person And then the third is the reconciliation of the mercy and justice of God in the forgiveness of a sinner Many people when they seek for pardon of sin they only think of Gods infinite grace and mercy but not of his justice But certainly who ever he be that comes to be pardoned God shews himself infinitely just as well as merciful that he is merciful that is clear to every one But how does it appear he is so infinitely just for that there is a clear Text for it Rom. 3.26 To declare at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus so that God in the justifying of him that believes in Christ is just as well as merciful Now then poor sinner lay these together that God should work so strangely in bringing about the pardon of thy sin in such a mysterious way as this is certainly it does demonstrate that thou art a blessed man I beseech you think of what hath been said and lay it in your breasts go away with this upon your spirits Lord I indeed heard much of the evil of sin and that it was a greater evil than ever I thought it to be and now I have begun to hear of the mighty work of God in pardon of sin I hope I shall for ever retain higher thoughts of it than before Brethren there is nothing in the world that people have slighter thoughts of than of the pardon and forgiveness of sin they think it a slight matter But if there were any work that ever took up the heart of God from all eternity and shews God to be a God it is this about the pardon of sin this is a great doctrine the doctrine of the work of God in
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
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
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
God promised to make all his goodness pass before him and Exod. 34.6 he proclaimed The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands and then to the point in hand forgiving iniquity transgression and sin here 's the glory of God Would you have a demonstration indeed that Gods heart was set upon this as the greatest work that ever was done take it in this that the very thoughts of effecting this by the death of his own Son made God very well pleas'd and delighted with his death surely then his heart was much set upon it for rather than he would not effect it he would part with his own Son Never was there such a hideous thing as the death of the Son of God and therefore if there were any delight to be taken in it that God the Father took delight in it there must be some great thing to sweeten it such an horrid thing as the death of the Son of God had need have some great thing to sweeten it what now sweetned this to God the Father that his own Son should be put to death Why nothing but this that hereby sinners might come to be redeemed justified and pardoned nothing else would sweeten it to God the Father but this does Isai 53.10 It pleased the Lord to bruise him and again the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand the Scripture says God takes no delight in the death of a sinner and yet God did take delight in the death of his Son it pleased God to see his Son bruised when God the Father saw his Son under his wrath swetting drops of water and blood under the curse of the Law it pleased God well certainly then there must be some mighty thing that must sweeten this and make the death of his own Son a delightful object to him Why the very thing that did it was this that Christ being made a curse he thereby did redeem us from the curse procur'd the pardon of our sins and reconciled us unto God and this very thing sweetned the death of the Son of God unto God the Father therefore the heart of God was much in it 2. For Christ What was the business that brought him from the Fathers bosome made him content to take our nature upon him to suffer and to be a man of sorrows so as to delight in it there was a kind of delight to Christ in induring the wrath of God for with desire says Christ have I desired to eat this Passover because it was the Preparation to his Death and Sufferings of the wrath of God in all the fruits and effects of it for the sin of Man and when Christ came to institute the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and to give his blood for the remission of sins the Text says He gave thanks What did he give thanks for surely the thing for which he gave thanks for upon which the Supper of the Lord is called the Eucharist from the Greek word that signifies Thanksgiving was this that by his death Remission of sins should be obtain'd when Christ was to die suffer all the wrath of God that was due for our sins Christ blessed God thanked God the Father for it surely there must be some great matter to sweeten it that he should be so affected as to bless God the Father for that that cost him his life and yet he did Mark what it is that satisfies Christ for all this Isa 53.10 It pleased the Lord to bruise him and his soul was made an offering for sin all was laid upon Christ Well but what did Christ look for for all this Vers 11. He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied that that shall satisfie Christ for all his pains labour and sufferings shall be to see of the travel of his soul What is that What is the travel of Christs soul What Why by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many as if Christ had said this is the very thing my Soul travels for in all that I have done or suffered in all my life that I might but bring this great business to pass to justifie some souls to get the sin of those poor souls that are thine Elect pardoned and their persons justified this my soul travels for and oh Father let me but see this the travel of my Soul and I am satisfied Christ accounted it worth all the travel of his Soul in all he did and suffered that he might justifie some souls as if he had said he would have no other boon from his Father but only this Father if thou wilt but recompence all my travel with this I shall for ever account my self that I am satisfied and have enough How should we be satified with Christ when Christ accounts the pardon of our sins satisfaction enough Shall Christ say notwithstanding all my sorrows let thy sin be pardoned and I have enough Wilt not thou now say and let me have Christ and I have enough Christ says to God the Father let me have those souls pardoned and I have enough Oh then do thou say let me have Christ and I have enough Surely Christ is enough to satisfie thee when the pardon of thy sin is enough to satisfie him 3. As the heart of God and Christ so the heart of the Holy Ghost is in this business too the great work the Holy Ghost hath to do in this world and the great business for which he was sent it is to convince poor souls of the righteousness there is to be had in Christ for Justification Joh. 16.8 9 10. Christ will send the Comforter and first he will convince the world of sin 2. Of righteousness What is that that is when the Spirit comes he will clear it up unto believers and convince them that the righteousness that they must have to stand righteous before God in is the righteousness of Christ alone and this is a mighty work of the Spirit of God and a work that would never have been done had not he come to have done it it is such a great mystery that we should be righteous by anothers righteousnes that it is above the reason of all Men and Angels all Men and Angels were never able to fathom this infinite depth it is above their apprehensions that ever we should come to be righteous in Christ and very few yet where Christ is made known are convinced of it Those men that take up Religion in a natural way they never are convinc't of the Righteousness of Christ it is a riddle and a mystery to them only those few souls whom God intends eternally to save the Spirit of God is sent unto them from the Father and the Son to clear it unto them that the righteousness wherewith they must stand righteous before God is the Righteousness of Jesus Christ this is the great work of the Spirit of God
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
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
your days sleeping in security your damnation sleeps and slumbers not and until your sin be pardoned the infinite justice of God is working your doom for the full satisfaction of it that is the first thing they dishonour God that go on in secure courses without minding such a great thing as the pardon of sin is Secondly Others dishonour God who in stead of making it their great business in this world to get their sin pardoned they make it their great work to increase the guilt of sin by heaping up more and more guilt and so make the flame greater and add to it continually you would think it a very unreasonable and desperate thing in a man that being condemn'd to some grievous and dreadful death yet there being a pardon propounded and some possibility of it and a friend for this very end get a Reprieval of the King for two or three days that he might have time to sue out his Pardon suppose such a thing Now then if this man in this time of Reprieval that is given for this very end to seek a Pardon should call for good cheer and musick merriment and sporting and not only so but fall into railing against the Prince increase his guilt and provoke the Prince more and more against him Would not every man say this man is worthy of the greatest extream tormentingest death that could be devised Nay I suppose should you hear of such an one condemn'd to die and had his life given him for this very end you would think surely this man will spend these days in another manner than ever he spent his time before you that would think so of such a man it may be some of you before the Lord this day are guilty of the same evil for this is a certain truth that all the men in the world have been condemn'd to eternal death and all the time of your life is given you for this very end a few days that God gives you for this very purpose meerly that you might have a little liberty to sue out your pardon and make up your peace with God O that men and women would but understand this what they live for that all the time of their lives is given them to make up their peace with God you are to know it is given for this end meerly as a Malefactor hath a Reprieve to get his Pardon this is your very condition you stand before the Lord guilty of eternal death but God in his patience and long-sufferance gives you a few days to live to sue out your Pardon and if you let this time slip and these days be gone I profess to you this day before the Lord that mercy it self shall never save you I would but know of many of you how you spend these days you are not certain of one day it may be not an hour Do you spend these days in making it the great business and work of your Souls to sue out a Pardon Let me speak to you and O that you would speak it in secret between God and your own Souls and that you would answer in the Name of God every soul present to this Question Soul hast thou made it the great work and business of thy life above all things in the world to sue out thy Pardon and seek for Reconciliation with thy God and a discharge of thy sins I verily fear that many of you that hear me this day if we could but hear Conscience speak would answer What I make it the great work and business of my life to sue out a Pardon God knows it hath been the great work and business of my life to increase my guilt there is not a day goes over my head but I have brought more guilt upon my self by wicked Oaths taking Gods Name in vain neglecting his Worship abusing of his creatures perhaps by drunkenness or uncleanness methinks your Consciences might misgive you when you are so far from making it the great business of your lives to sue for pardon that you make it your great work to encrease your guilt Dost thou think ever to get pardon of thy sin so long as thou goest on to encrease thy guilt and make thy self more vile the lives of many people are such in a course of wickedness that it bespeaks them that either they are resolved to perish eternally in their sin or else to make it to be as great a burden to the mercy of God as can be in the pardoning of their sin if it be so mighty a work of God to pardon sin observe what I say it follows from the point wherein I opened the wonderful work of God in pardoning any one sin think thus Is it so great a work of God to pardon one sin Shall I go on then to add sin unto sin to make the work greater Friend if God pardon but one sin in thought that thou hast been guilty of in all thy life it would be a work that would yield thee matter of praise to all eternity and wilt thou be so desperate then as to add sin unto sin As suppose a man had some grievous disease and it would be the strangest work to cure him that ever was wrought since the Earth and Heavens were made if this man should go on by intemperate courses to increase the malignity and venom of it day by day more and more what a desperate thing would this be esteemed in him especially if he were in a possibility of cure yea and perhaps he could tell others that there is some possibility and yet he goes on to encrease the malignity more and more how would every one think this mans courses unreasonable O that we would consider of the unreasonableness of the dealings of men with God men are ashamed to be unreasonable in their dealings with men but in their dealings with God they are as unreasonable as can be imagined you are guilty of many sins have you hope to be forgiven yes you will say you have hope have you hope if God deliver you from any of your sins he must do such a work as is greater than the making of Heaven and Earth what do you then to encrease your sin when it is so great a work to pardon your sin O! the horrible wickedness of men and women to increase their sin Josh 22.17 I may allude unto it and it is an argument of great force Is the iniquity of Peor too little from which we are not cleansed to this day so I may say to sinners going on in their sins Is the iniquity of Peor too little from which you are not cleansed to this day What is the iniquity of your youth too little that you committed and mispent your time when you were Prentice or lived in such and such a family Is that sin too little to magnifie the grace of God in pardoning of it but that you must add more and more unto it as if you would tempt God
to try and see whether God would extend his mercy further and further we tell you in the Name of God and say to you the sins you have committed already are so grievous that it must needs be a wonderful work of God to forgive them and what must you needs add more and more and tempt God to extend his mercy further Take heed of tempting God to extend his mercy further for though God may be pleased to extend his mercy thus far Who shall prescribe God how far he shall go Who can tell but that the thoughts of God towards thee are thus that he will go thus far to pardon thee but if thou go on in sin who can tell whether he will go on to pardon further 'T is true when God comes to pardon he will do them all away but know thou that goest on to increase the guilt of thy sin thou may'st find it as many thousands have found it a mighty hard thing which hath cost them much anguish and distress of spirit to get the pardon of their sin sealed in the Court of Conscience though it was sealed before in Heaven O the anguish of spirit it hath cost them and dost thou still go on to heap up more and more sin as if the pardon of thy sin was nothing there is a great deal of reason in this to cry to sinners to stop in the course of sin for thou hast gone on enough already go no further that 's a second abuse of the mercy of God in pardoning sin Thirdly They abuse the mercy of God that have extream slight thoughts of pardon of sin that think to have it at any time when they will 't is but repenting as it was said of Lewis the xith King of France That he wore a Crusifix in his Hat and when he had committed a sin it was but taking it down and kissing of it and all was well again so many Idolatrous Papists they have as slight thoughts of pardon of sin as can be if they commit a sin they make no more of it but go to a Priest to shrieve them or kneel before a Crucifix and knock their breast which is a thing soon done and all 's well again certainly 't is a great dishonour to God for any man to have slight thoughts of the pardon of sin It is such a work as if ever any thing put God to it as I may say to pardon sin and yet to salve his Justice it was this work and certainly if ever God have love to thee thou wilt change thy thoughts about this and certainly the slight thoughts men have about this is the cause many times why they are held so long under the spirit of bondage when God begins to work upon them and stirs the Conscience and lays the guilt of sin home upon it how long are they before they can have any assurance of pardon and in just judgment it is so because they had slight thoughts before of the pardon of sin I remember it is storied of Pompey when one of his Captains came to him and told him he wanted men says he I can but stamp my foot upon the ground and bring forth so many men presently but when the Enemy came this Captain came to him again and said where 's your men now but then he could not get them when he was in distress and had great need of them as many think they can do great things with a word speaking as if all must be at their beck presently but when they come to it they fail and find it otherwise so many make it a small matter to get pardon of sin they think to do it with a Lord have mercy upon us at their death-bed or the like but when they come to it indeed God makes them to know It is the greatest business that ever they had to do in in all their lives there is nothing that God is so jealous of as his honour and specially about this great work and certainly were it not that God is very jealous of his honour and would cure the slight thoughts that men have of this great work there needs never be so much humiliation and workings of the spirit of bondage and certainly did we but know the greatness of this work how would sinners snatch at any opportunity or hint of Gods favour appearing to them they would do as the servants of Benhadad 1 King 20.33 diligently observe if any thing would come from him and hastily catch at it they watched that if any thing did come from him that did make any way to that which they sought after and did hastily catch at it so did a soul understand the pardon of sin what a great work it is he would be so far from having slight thoughts of it that he would come cloath'd in Sackcloath and every Sermon would be watching and enquiring what hath God spoke any word to my soul or no And if any word fall from a Minister concerning this great business such a soul would catch greedily at it and lose no opportunity to imbrace it Psal 32. is very remarkable to this purpose David found it a very hard thing to get pardon of his own sin vers 4. and he acknowledged it and God forgave him vers 5. what follows vers 6. For this shall every man that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou may'st be found as if David in this language spake thus O all you poor sinners that sin against God think it an easie matter to get pardon of sin know I have found it otherwise it cost me dear before I could get assurance of pardon and therefore for this cause let every one that is acquainted with the ways of God seek to God in due time and not put it off from time to time for the business is not so slight to put it off many abuse the example of David and think because he sinned they may take liberty to sin but they consider not what abundance of sorrow it cost him to get his pardon it cost him so much as that he tells them for this cause every one shall seek God in due time many think they may put it off till any time but mark what David says For this cause every man that is godly shall seek thee in a time when thou may'st be found he does not say I have found mercy in the pardoning of my great sins and for this cause men shall be bold to put it off to any time no but for this cause those that are godly and have any acquaintance in the wayes of God will seek God in a time that he may be found and if those that are godly that have sin pardoned in the Court of heaven find so hard a matter of it to get it pardoned in their own Consciences how does it concern thee that perhaps hast thy sin neither pardoned in the Court of Heaven nor in thy own Conscience But art in the
in chains eternally except thy soul be rent from that sin as well as from any other thou understandest not the way of God in the dispensing of his grace to the soul if thou thinkest God will pardon some sins and give thee liberty in others thou sottish soul know that when thou goest to God for pardon of sin thou must go with a heart resigned up from every sin or else thou losest all thy labour and art held in the chains of them all 3. Those that never look after their Prayers to call it into Question what answer they have had I have prayed to God but have I got any answer in my own heart or hath God come in in any Ordinance and sealed to me my pardon thus the soul should look after pardon in Prayer and all other means Many pray but never look after their Prayers whether God hear or no Psal 85 8. I will hear and hearken what the Lord God will speak thus the Psalmist and thus it would be with thee if thou did'st not dally with God after thou hast cryed for pardon thou would'st be listning at Heaven gates and looking towards God What answer doth God give I have prayed and there comes no answer the soul that sets it self in a solid and serious way to seek for pardon will be often looking out and remain much troubled till an answer come Many cry for pardon but are not troubled till God give answer they deal with God as Pilate did with Christ ask't him What is Truth but never stayed to have an answer but went his way so we do but dally with God in our Prayers and Petitions when we ask for forgiveness of sin and neglect to look after an answer 4. As those that look not after the answer of their Prayers dally with God so those that follow not their Prayers with answerable indeavours they Petition that God would be merciful unto them but what are the indeavours of your souls after your Petitioning if there be not indeavours to attend upon the means of grace that God uses to speak peace to souls in all your Prayers are nothing but of this I shall speak afterwards you are to search into the Covenant and enquire after the Saints what course they have taken and what means they have used to obtain pardon 5. Those that pray for pardon yet are satisfied with other things as thus they pray for pardon but if the world come in they are satisfied and quieted with that as a Child that hath a piece of Gold given him and an Apple he will be still'd with the Apple so many men sue to God for this great work of pardon of sin but let God give them health and accommodations in the world they are satisfied and contented with them and little or never seek after the pardon of their sin that is a fifth sort that are charged this day before the Lord that do but dally with God about seeking pardon for their sins Sixthly They that are quiet upon weak and slight Evidences dishonour God certainly they have not those high thoughts of the mercy of God in pardoning sin that content themselves with poor Evidences about it as most do come to many people and ask them What you hope that God will pardon your sins yes we do hope but upon the poorest Evidences imaginable those Evidences they lay the waight of the pardon of their sins upon are such broken reeds that it would make a man amazed that understands what the worth of a poor soul is that they should venture so great a thing on so slight a reed What is the reason because they have but slight thoughts of the forgiveness of sin that that a man puts a high valuation of he will make sure but that which he slights he is not so intense in as to instance if one give you in payment Silver Gold and Farthings you take the Farthings and do not tell them but you tell the Silver and the Gold you not only tell it but weigh it too What is the reason because you little esteem of the Brass and so will not tell it you more esteem the Silver and therefore tell that but the Gold you not only tell but weigh it because you have a greater esteem of that than the other this is an argument may convince the men of the world that their esteem of earthly things is more than of Heaven and their souls because they labour to make earthly things more sure than the things of heaven a worldly man to make sure his Estate will have Bond upon Bond and Seal upon Seal and carry his Evidences to Counsellors and say I beseech you Sirs see whether there be not some flaw in them I shall lose all my money if there be but a crack in my Evidences he is mighty careful of this because he hath such a high esteem of his worldly concerns But how does it appear that men have but poor low thoughts about the pardon of their sins because they content themselves with such poor mean Evidences for had they a high esteem of it they would labour to make pardon of sin surer than any thing in the world To wind up all those that know what pardon of sin is how do they spend their time and lay out themselves to get assurance Take this one note Because God sees those that are his own people understand what forgiveness is have a high esteem of it and are very solicitous about it he condiscends in his kindness to assure them by all sorts of ways and means methinks God deals with them in this manner the poor soul stands shaking and trembling crying our Oh! that I might have my sins forgiven and have assurance of it Why says God what way do you take to make things sure from one to another says you first we give our word one to another says God you shall have that I give you my Word What have you else Secondly say you we cause it to be written well says God you shall have it written and this is a great mercy the Covenant of grace is written we have it not from hand to hand as our fore-fathers had What do you else require Thirdly you say to have witnesses well says God you shall have witnesses in things between man and man In the mouth of two or three witnesses every thing is established Matth. 10.16 Now God in reconciling a Soul to himself brings no less than six witnesses to confirm a Believer in assurance of his grace and favour to him 1 Joh. 5.7 8. There are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and three that bear witness on Earth the Spirit Water and Blood three in Heaven and three on Earth to assure thee of forgiveness of sin that is a third way Is there any other way yea Lord Fourthly we use not only to have a word and this word put in writing
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
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
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
of sin and account it a great misery that they cannot be sencible of it the Lord would incourage them therefore the greatness of sin is no discouragement at all Further The way that thou takest is the way to perish there can be no good in that way thou mayst pine away in thine iniquity but for to get any Councel help comfort or mercy be assur'd thou canst not therefore reason as the Lepers 2. Kings 7.3 If we sit here we shall certainly dye if we go to the Camp of the Syrians they can but kill us let us arise and go And it was a good going to them for they met with that that helpt and relieved them So do you say if I sit down thus there is no way but I must dye but however though I should never get any comfort or help yet it is better venture that way than the other thou knowest not what thou mai'st meet with may be thou think'st it humility to sit down in this way but know that most desperate pride may be under it and stand with such discouragements We know the most proud spirits may be the most discouraged spirits as the Devil the Scripture sets him forth to be as proud as Lucifer yet none so proud as spirits under such discouragements there may be much pride in discouragements therefore take heed least there be any secret pleasing of your selves this way though you be in some trouble yet if you feel there is a secret pleasure in that smart that falls upon you and some kinde of contentedness in going your own way as many men though they meet with abundance of Crosses yet if they go their own way it pleases them much take heed there may be desperate pride at the bottom of all this If this be to dishonour the pardoning grace of God what would you have us to do We would not speak it were it not so to what end is it for us to study and pray to God for light and help to open the grace of God if a little discouragement of heart and sulleness of Spirit shall turn all aside and make all that we say to be of none effest therefore great reason there is that we should tell you this is a great dishonouring of the pardoning grace of God but what would you have us to doubt no more but go on and perswade our hearts our sins are pardoned and there 's an end No if I should say you could do this it would be in vain for me to say all this for it is not in your power to cast off all fears of Gods anger and presently perswade your selves your sins are pardoned this is not in your power to do and therefore this is not the thing I put you upon it must be the mighty work of God in the 2. of Ezech. When the Prophet had done in the end of the 1. Chap. the next verse of the 2. Chap. he saies Son of Man stand upon thy feet but that was not enough to raise the Prophet no not for God himself to say Son of Man stand upon thy feet but together with the voice of God verse the 2. There enters into him the Spirit of God and sets him on his feet so it is with the Ministers of the Word we speak to souls that are cast down under the burden of their sins to stir up themselves that they may not alwayes lye down drooping but stand up on their feet But together with our speaking God must speak and convey his spirit to the soul before it is able to stand up Quest Well but what would you have us to do Answ These are the things I would have you do First I would have you turn your fears of presuming into fears of dishonouring the grace of God I would have you be as fearful that Gods grace should be dishonoured by unbelief as now you are fearful lest you should presume upon Gods grace those that are secure they fear not lest they should presume but those whose consciences are awakened their great fear is least they should presume upon Gods grace and dishonour it by presumption if thou fearest thou shouldst dishonour the grace of God by presumption why shouldst thou not fear lest thou shouldst dishonour it by unbelief as well as by presumption certainly the strength of this temptation is from the Devil Those that have their consciences troubled for sin he labours to keep them from venturing on the grace of God least they should presume but the way to cut the Sinews of this temptation is to fear rather least thou shouldst dishonour the grace of God by unbelief many look not at unbelief as a great sin but God is displeased at thy unbelief as much as by those that do presume Secondly The thing I would have you to do you that are under the checkings of Conscience for sin and full of doubts that God will not pardon and you cannot be perswaded your sins are pardonable Labour to set the greatness of the pardoning grace of God in the fulness of it to the utmost you can before the eye of your souls That it may be before you though you cannot reach to it yet set it before you you do not know what an efficacy the pardoning grace of God hath by being presented before your souls and kept there no marvel you find not the power of it when as you set it not before your eyes the efficacy of Gods grace lyes much in presenting it before your souls The Brasen Serpent if they lookt not to it it would never heal So though the pardoning grace of God be in books and Sermons yet unless it be before your eyes and you fix and fasten the eye of your souls upon it it will never heal you therefore keep it before your eyes Psal 5.3 There is an excellent expression In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up I suppose many of you in the morning will not neglect prayer to God but mark the expression I will direct my Prayer T is not I will say my prayers but direct my prayer there 's a great emphasis in it I will level my Prayer aright and dart up my soul aright to Heaven and observe the way that God would have me and so direct my heart in prayer to him It may be some of you go thus far not to content your selves with a dead hearted sluggish Prayer But what do you look to all the day after what shall wandring and discouraging thoughts bring you to look down all the day Would you look up to your morning Prayers and what you prayed for there would come a great deal of efficacy upon your souls Thirdly Be careful to keep your hearts stirring and active be afraid of deadness and dulness take heed of such thoughts Why should I pray and read when as I have no heart to perform any duty Up and be doing and the Lord be with you if ever
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
pardon sin yet it does not work thus viz. You have sinned and my law requires such and such obedience to be performed on such tearms or else you must perish but I through my mercy will remit something of the rigour and strictness of the Law And most people confess that by the strictness of the Law they are condemn'd but they hope the mercy of God will grant some remission of the Law as it is with men if all Penal statutes should be executed it would be very hard but there is a Chancery to abate something of the rigour and strictness of penal statutes and thus men think to come to have pardon and deal with God after the manner of men you think the crying to God for mercy wil abate something of the strictness and severity of the Law but you mistake in taking this way to get peace and reconciliation with God to look upon Gods mercy to lye in this to remit something of the strictness and severity of the Law No but the work of Gods mercy lyes in this to finde out a surety for you and to transact the debt upon him Further Consider the work of Gods mercy in justification of a sinner when faith layes hold upon it faith must not lay hold upon it as a meer single Act but look at all the concomitants of the work of Gods grace in making way for the justification of a sinner The mercy of God workes many waies and faith must exercise it self on Gods grace according to the multiplicity of the work of it in bringing about the justification of a sinner as thus you have sinned and you cry to God for pardon but the mercy of God does not work thus to pardon you as t is a single act but the mercy of God works thus to mankind First he is pleased to enter into a second covenant with mankind after he had broken the first A second work of Gods mercy is to set his wisdom on work to finde out a way how mankind should be reconciled unto him and his sin pardoned and yet that God should be no looser this was the work of his infinite wisdom And Thirdly when this is found out this can be done no other way but only through the Son of God taking mans nature upon him and suffer for him then here 's the mercy of God to be willing to send his Son to mediate for poor creatures and then a further mercy in giving thy soul to his Son he sent not his Son that all might be pardoned but a certain number that God the Father had given to his Son from all eternity now there 's a great work of Gods mercy in passing by others and giving thee to his Son And further It is a work of Gods mercy in the powerful Ministry of the Gospel to reveal this And then further It is a work of Gods mercy to draw thee to close with his Son and thereby to unite and marry thee to his Son And then further It is a work of Gods mercy to assure thee of the pardon and justification of thy soul 't is a great deal more for faith to look upon God in this manner than to come in such a way as this God is merciful and I trust in his grace that he will pardon me we mistake mightily about the mercy of God when we do not look upon it in an Evangelical way as it is revealed in the Gospel Further know thus much that if Gods mercy will work so far for thee as to pardon thy sin and save thy soul certainly it will work so far as to take away the power of sin and let thee not live in the filth of thy sin Many think Gods mercy will do great matters hereafter but nothing now in comparison of what he will do hereafter they think he will give them outward blessings now but keep spiritual things till hereafter Certainly this is an infallible truth If Gods mercy work not so powerfully here in this world as to bestow spiritual good things on thee thou may'st be assured that it will never work so powerful on thee as to save thy Soul in the World to come Can it be thought a Prince pardons a Malefactor that he shall not be hang'd and yet suffer him to lie in Prison and rot in the Dungeon this were but a poor pardon a half pardon to be delivered from the Gallows and rot in the Prison Certainly whatever a Prince may do God never pardons a sinner so to shew him mercy to save him from Hell and yet to lie rotting all his life long in sin no God when he pardons he delivers and shakes off the fetters as we shall see further therefore thou that say'st thou hopest in Gods mercy that he will pardon thee let me ask What hath he done for thee if thou thinkest that Gods mercy will work so strongly hereafter to save thy soul certainly it will be as strong for thee here to sanctifie thee if it work not so strong on thee now as to sanctifie thee certainly it will never work so strongly for thee hereafter as to save thee 4. Others say in the last place we are not only sorry for sin and reform and trust in Gods mercy but we relie upon Gods mercy through Christ and therefore we hope we shall be pardoned this I might speak much too we must rest there but there is a mistake there too the relying on Christ is not relying on him by acting of some transient thoughts that passes over but it is an abiding thing when men hear there is no way to be saved but by Christ and they cannot deny it and because they are loath to think they are such as cannot be saved they are loath to have such ill thoughts of themselves hearing this is the way and no other therefore they will perswade themselves that they shall find mercy through Christ Now what great work is this so to rely on Christ the work of faith is a mighty work it is not a short transient work a few thoughts upon thy heart to be saved by Christ No wheresoever faith is right and a true reliance on Christ it is a mighty work of the Spirit of God working this grace in raising the soul higher than it self and carries it through and above all difficulties when it brings the soul to relie upon God there may be great mistakes when People say they rely upon Christ and therefore take this for conviction Relying on Christ is not barely to think my sins are pardoned by Christ but it is a receiving of Christ a possessing of Christ a coming into Christ a living in Christ and a bringing Christ to live in me 't is eating of the flesh of Christ and drinking of his blood and so finds nourishment and strength from him as really as the body by the meat and drink it takes that abides with it is strengthned by it so does faith to the soul therefore faith is
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
servant hears Now for a soul to be so under God as to wait upon the call of God to any duty service and imployment that it dares not go about any thing but according to the call of God this is a good Evidence that such a soul hath been acquainted with that great call of God that powerful call of God to bring him off from the ways of sin into the ways of life and salvation Further those that have been acquainted with this call of God there is an answerable frame and disposition in their hearts to call upon the Name of God for assistance direction and a blessing on all they undertake they delight now to repair unto God and call upon him as God calls unto them so they call unto him for that is the way of God according to his work in the soul he puts a gracious frame into the soul answerable to it As in Election those whom he elects when God calls them home he puts a gracious disposition in their hearts for to elect him as God chooses the soul from the world so the soul chooses God above all things in the world the soul answers to God God sets his heart on the soul and says I will choose thee for me the soul again sets its heart upon God and says I will choose thee for my God as God calls the soul to come and live to him in the ways of grace while he lives in this world so the soul calls on God for his assistance that he would give his help in unto him on all occasions and therefore the Scripture gives us this expression for the whole worship of God Rom. 10.13 Whosoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved that soul that is acquainted with Gods call that soul calls on God again And by the way those that are thus called are fittest for Church-Communion I mention this because the word translated Church comes from a Greek word that signifies to call out that which in Scripture is usually called a Church signifies nothing else but this a Company of People called out of the ways of sin to the imbracing the ways of Godliness so that the Church should consist of People called out of the ways of sin by the powerful and efficacious voyce of the Spirit of God and they that are thus called have their sins pardoned you say you hope God hath justified you you read what God says and what hath been presented unto you they who are called they are justified then Calling in order of nature goes before Justification this you will find in your own hearts and if not this you must do when ever you come before God to hear the outward call you must come with a waiting frame of heart to hear the inward call and call upon God with such a disposition say Lord I have been taught that there is an outward call of thine in the Word and an inward call and I am going this day to hear thy Word calling me out of the ways of sin O that I might have together with that the inward call of thy Spirit when shall I hear that secret voyce this is the reason though I have been convinced many times at the hearing of the Word yet my sin hath prevail'd against me because that inward secret powerful voyce hath not come to my soul that is the first Evidence whom he hath justified them he hath called A Second Evidence is this Whomsoever God pardons he receives into Covenant with himself all pardoned sinners are Covenanters with God God pardons no soul but such an one as he brings into the Bond of the Covenant with himself that is the way of the conveyance of the grace of God for the pardon of sin to bring the soul into the Bonds of the Covenant the Scripture is evident in this that forgiveness of sin is made a special fruit of the New Covenant that is clear enough Jer. 31.33 Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel c. what is the special end of that Covenant I will forgive their Iniquities and remember their sins no more But how does that come in it comes in by way of Covenant I will make a New Covenant I will first receive them into Covenant and then they shall have the fruit of this New Covenant that their sins shall be forgiven and their iniquities remembred no more The New Covenant is a mysterie to most people and yet it is a certain truth the pardon of thy sin and thy eternal good depends upon it thou art one that God has brought into Covenant with himself if thou beest or ever shalt be pardoned as God will manifest to thy soul that he hath through his Son tyed and bound himself to thee to be thy God that whereas before thou wer 't departed from him and an enemy to him yet now he is pleased to call thee to enter into a second Covenant after thou had'st broken the first and wer 't cast off by reason of that breach God is contented to enter into a second Covenant with thee to be thy God in and through his Son thou art to come in and joyn in this Covenant for to a full Covenant there must be assent on both sides there must be a mutual ingagement of either parties when God reveals this to thy soul that though thou be by nature an Enemy to me and hast broken the first Covenant that I made with the Children of men and art cast off yet be it known unto thee O thou wretched soul I am content to enter into another Covenant with thee there is a second Covenant for life and salvation that I have made with poor man through my Son and I require that thou should'st come in and give up thy self in an everlasting Covenant to make me to be thy God and to close with me and my Son in whatsoever I call thee to in whatsoever thou hast or can'st do to give up thy self to the power of me and my Son this thou must ingage and tye thy self unto in the strongest Bonds that can be this is the nature of the Covenant we know there were two Covenants and all the good of mankind in the first Covenant depended on this his closing with the tearms of it Now the tearms of the first Covenant was Do this and live but that is broken and we have lost our ability Now the second Covenant is Believe and live and the soul that God pardons he brings into the Bond of the second Covenant it is brought to come and give it self up to the Lord and to be content to bind it self with all bonds unto God that he and he only shall be my God as I desire him to be mine and his grace and mercy to be mine so all that I have or can do shall be his I surrender up my self and ingage my soul to be his for ever my Estate Abilities
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
check to Conscience there the wisest course is to give Conscience liberty for it will have liberty one day to accuse and condemn you Why will you not now give it liberty Conscience will one day bring all thy evil deeds before thee and accuse thee now let it accuse and condemn thee and certainly if thou dost so thou art in a very good way to come to have absolution of thy sins in thy Conscince now for at the great day the Books shall be opened Now bring as it were a day of Judgment upon thy self contract the Throne of God into your own hearts and call for the Book of Conscience and say Conscience What say'st thou against me that I may get it blotted out now that it may not be read against me at the day of Judgment Thirdly Be willing to own all thy sins confess discover them with all the heart-breaking circumstances and aggravations thou canst possible the Lord knows thy sins whether thou confessest them or not but God will have thee to come and lay them open God will have thee to come and charge thy self with them 't is a very good thing to open Conscience freely before the Lord not in a slight way but in a way of anguish and bitterness of spirit bewailing them and crying by way of Prayer and Petition against them Fourthly Be willing to accept of the punishment of sin say O Lord as thus I do charge and acknowledge bewail and cry out of my sin so here I am Lord ready and willing to accept of the punishment of my sin and the soul that is in this frame is in a comfortable way of pardon of sin Fifthly Resolve to avoid sin whatever come of it at that very time when thou art seeking pardon of sin be sure to resolve never to sin again for know that for ought thou knowest the very next sin thou committest may make God come upon thee for all thy former sins And then Sixthly Cast out whatsoever is gotten by false ways make restitution as Zacheus did Luk. 19. Seaventhly Be sure that thou be put off with nothing else but pardon of sin never rest keeping thy soul always in a waiting frame looking up to God for pardon To all these things I shall add that all these must have reference to the great work of the Son of God when you cry out What shall we do though I have spoken of divers things yet know all is with reference unto Christ the Son of God God-Man look upon him as the head of the second Covenant offering up himself for our sins let thine eye be upon him and as thou givest thy Conscience liberty to charge thy sins upon thy own soul so charge them upon Christ the head of the second Covenant have an eye to him for the discharge of them Dost thou vomit up thy sin by confession and cry to God for pardon remember that thou cry to him through the mediation of Jesus Christ look upon him that must make up the breach restore thee to favour and remove the curse in every work be sure thou eye Christ and make use of these rules so as may further the venturing of thy soul upon Christ except thy soul rise to this to work thee to Christ all the other is but a natural work though as I said before that thou shouldest let Conscience condemn thee and that thou have anguish of spirit know all these are but natural works any further then they serve in reference unto Christ And now I have shewed you what you are to do What is it that you will do will you set up your resolution that through the grace of God in Christ whatever hath been told you you will set about the same then happy are you but if you do it not it may be you may wish you had done it when sin lies heavy on you then you will cry that God would be merciful to you but then God and Conscience will say I warned you at such a time in such a place and were not you there put in a way to seek after pardon What did you do after you went away the next day you went among your Companions and were as drunk and as wicked as ever before if it be so then trouble will be upon you it may be some poor creature that sat in the same pew with thee had a heart to seek pardon and is absolved before men and Angels and at the day of Judgment shall sit at Christs right hand and thou that heardest the same Word and hast neglected it now comest to have thy soul for ever lie under the weight and burden of thy sins God forbid that there should be such a difference made thou hast heard the way seek after the pardon of thy sin let it not be in vain that all these Sermons have been preach't unto you Act. 10.43 when they preach't about pardon of sin it says to him give all the Prophets witness O that you might come in and give witness that this day remission of sin was preach't unto you O that while you hear this Word the Holy Ghost might fall upon you that you might have your hearts fired with strong resolutions to set about this work in the power of the Holy Ghost and rest not in any thing on this side of a pardon Now I come to give you some incouragements and they will work two ways either draw you to Christ or for ever stop your mouths that you shall have nothing to say against him I shall name fifteen incouragements unto you CHAP. XX. Of Encouragements to seek after Pardon of Sin FIrst The time of your life is given for this very end to seek the pardon of your sins if a man have any great business to do that concerns his life and another comes to him and says Sir this is the very nick of time that you have taken or else you had been lost for ever so this is the very nick of time given you to get pardon of your sins and interest in the blood of Christ Secondly This time is not only afforded for this end but the means the Lord hath brought you under is a great argument that he intends mercy for you and you may conclude there are more of Gods Elect may have pardoning mercy than in former times the light of the Gospel breaks forth and certainly there is more to be brought in the Gospel is the fruit of Christ's death and given for the Elects sake Act. 18.9 10. he bids him go end preach for he had much people he should have opposition but go be not afraid for I have much people in that place 't is true the rain will fall upon the tiles as well as on the tender hearbs and grass but certainly where God sends his Word he hath people to be gathered in and if you take notice of Gods Providence in this point it may much incourage you to come in certainly there be many in this
Congregation and in others where the Word is preached that he will pardon Mar. 10.46 The blind man hearing it was Christ that past by he cryed for mercy and many charged him to hold his peace but he cried the more and Christ stood still and called him unto him Now if thou seest thy sin and cryest for pardon Christ will call thee to give pardoning mercy to thee as he did Bartimeus Thirdly It may be thou art not only under the means of grace and the outward call but thou begin'st to feel an inward call there are some stirrings of Gods Spirit within thee thou could'st say before thou wonderedst what the matter was with people to run after Sermons but now thou begin'st to feel the effect of it And the glory of God appears to thee in this place when thou art hearing of his Word thou may'st hence reason as Manoa's wife Judg. 13.23 That certainly if God had intended to have killed us he would not have received a burnt Offering and a meat Offering at our hands neither would he have shewed us all these things so say to thy soul if God had intended to kill me he would not have been so willing to have drawn me after him neither would he have shewed me all these things and let that be an incouragement unto thee Fourthly The end why God continues this world in being is that he might give pardon to his Elect certainly this world had been dissolved long ago if it were not that he might bring pardon to his Elect and to those that see their sins this must needs be a great incouragement to a soul viz. to those that see their sins to come in when this pardoning work is done Christ will deliver up his Kingdom to his Father if a malefactor should come to sue out his pardon and one should say unto him 't is well Sir you are come for the King would not have kept his Court so long here but that you should come in were not this a great incouragement so say I were it not that men should come to get the pardon of their sins the Court of the world would have been broken up long before this time Fifthly The principal scope of the Scriptures is for this very end to reveal the pardoning grace of God you have here the heart of God laid open Christ wept and mourned that sinners would not come in that they might be pardoned and saved I have read a story that in Athens there was a Temple and in that there was a woman weeping and in one hand she had a bleeding Heart and with the other she was writing Pardons so Christ he stands weeping over you that you will not come in and he hath a bleeding heart bleeding for you in the one hand and with the other hand he is ready to write you a pardon Luk. 19.41 42. nay he does not only weep But the Sixth incouragement may be He sends his Ambassadors to woe you to come in and tells them they shall not take a denyal at your hands 2 Cor. 5.20 They intreat and beg as in his Name nay it is the beseechings and intreatings of God himself as if a King should send one of the Attendants on him to a poor condemned Prisoner and say go tell such a one that he must come for his pardon and tell him I beseech him and take no denyal of him I beseech him to come in would not this manifest the great willingness of the King to pardon God does so he sends his Ministers and beseeches you to come in and take a pardon 't is as certain God speaks thus by his Ministers as if you heard God speaking by himself this should move you to come in Christ begs and intreats you to be reconciled that his bloud might not be shed in vain seeing it is so that God begs of thee to come in why shouldest not thou come in and take pardon of thy sin Why can'st not thou come in and give up thy self and all thou hast and art to him Seventhly Know it is the great office and work of Christs mediatorship to bind up the broken hearts of wounded sinners Isai 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and he hath anointed me he hath sent me to preach good tidings to the meek he hath seat me to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound this in the New Testament is applyed to Christ Now this being the great work for which Christ came into the world to bind up the broken-hearted see whether thou canst not rely on Christ by an act of faith this should be a great incouragement Eighthly Consider that that God thou hast to deal withal his nature is mercy in the abstract and if so he is free in his mercy as the Sun shines because it 's the nature of it to shine so the mercy of God must needs work freely because it is his nature as the fire burns naturally Exod. 34. Mic. 7.18 God pardons because he delights in mercy thou say'st thou art a poor sinner well though it be so yet thou may'st say though God can see nothing in me yet seeing that he is a God that delights in mercy this may move me to come in For 1. He hath more delight in pardoning any sinner than in all the creatures of Heaven and Earth God delights in all the works of his hands but in this he delights in more than in all he delights in them all but not so much as in magnifying his grace in Jesus Christ for in this he magnifies his Son and therefore he hath more pleasure and takes more delight in pardoning a poor humbled sinner than in all the works of his hands besides 2. No one can take so much pleasure in the salvation of his own soul as God doth in pardoning of thy sin and the reason is because this is the greatest design that God hath which is the setting out of his glory in his pardoning mercy in Christ and therefore this may be a great encouragement 3. God is more delighted in the work of thy heart closing with free grace than in all the legal works of humiliation what says Christ this is the good will and pleasure of God and David was called a man after Gods own heart Why because he was a man that would do his will so that this is a great incouragement though many abuse this and pervert it to their own destruction yet God will have it taught that thou mightest have the comfort of it and therefore thou shouldest close with God and come in and take hold of his pardoning mercy Ninthly Though God hath taken such a way in mercy to pardon sin yet he loseth nothing in his justice Christ hath taken such order that his glory shall no way be diminished his justice shall be satisfied and therefore thou need'st not say thus I have so sinned
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
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
for one sin but how have these sinned against thy pardoning mercy that has been offered to them again and again which was never offered us Fourthly I might shew you the evil the Scripture says of it take two or three Texts Joh. 3.18 19. He that believeth not is condemned already and vers ult He that believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him it sticks fast upon such a one and that place in Heb. 10.29 If they that sinned under Moses Law died without mercy who had but little of this grace revealed unto them How much sorer punishment shall they have that sin under the Gospel under the full revelation of this grace but to conclude all there is nothing will be such an aggravation of thy torments in Hell as these Sermons of Gods pardoning mercy if thou go on in sin When we speak of the pardoning grace of God we cannot do it without trembling hearts Why Because we know God will be exceeding quick with those that have the grace of the Gospel preacht unto them And therefore when we come upon this argument we cannot but do as a Physitian that is giving his Patient a Potion that is of mighty operation that will either cure him or dispatch him suddenly if it cure not A Physitian cannot but come with a trembling hand with such a Potion when he knows it must work one way or other we know God is exceeding quick with those to whom he reveals his pardoning mercy in the preaching of the Gospel and those truths we preach will have a quick operation either to bring you out of your sins to Salvation or else they will quickly dispatch you for condemnation Mark 16.15 16. Go says Christ and preach the Gospel to every creature and he that believes shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned As if Christ had said go open the Doctrine of the Gospel and the Justification of a sinner by the freeness of the grace of God through Christ Jesus and whosoever will come in and believe and close with it shall be saved but he that believes not shall be damned there is no trifling in the business he that believes and comes in shall be saved but he that believes not shall perish he shall be damned let people know when they have the Gospel preach't unto them there is no trifling no dallying with it 't is not to be put off he that comes in shall be saved but he that stands off shall perish shall be damned and shall know that I will fetch up my glory from him another day in another way as if Christ had said Go preach make quick work of it either come in and be saved or stand out and perish And so John when he came to preach the Doctrine of forgiveness of sin Matth. 3.10 says Now the Axe is laid to the root of the tree every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire Now also the Axe is laid to the root of the tree Why not before No all that while they went on in Ignorance and understood not sin and the grace of God brought unto them for the pardon of their sin all that while God let them grow though they bore no fruit or but ill fruit but now also the Axe is laid to the root If he bears not good fruit now he is hewn down and cast into the fire Now when you hear of pardon of sin and grace revealed in the Gospel either you bring forth fruit or you do not if you do not God is peremptory if you come in and imbrace the Gospel you shall be saved but if you do not the Axe is laid unto your root to cut you down the Gospel makes quick work with you as Paul says in 2 Cor. 2.14 it is so strong that it kills with the very savour of it it has such a savour as it can kill with the very smell of it To him that believes it is the savour of life unto life but to him that believes not it is the savour of death unto death Act 17.30 In the times of Ignorance God winked when men understood not what the evil of sin was but now he commands all men to repent before you heard the dreadful evil and malignity that is in sin God might wink at you but now he commands you all having heard so many Sermons of the evil nature of sin to repent or else God will be very quick with you Heb. 4.12 an excellent place The Word of God is quick and powerful but what word is it mark in the 2d verse Unto us says he was the Gospel preached It was the Word of the Gospel and vers 8. If Jesus had given them rest It is that rest spoken of in the Gospel and mark what he says in the beginning Let us therefore fear least a Promise being left of entering into rest any of you should seem to come short of it Let us therefore fear for the Word of God is swift and will make quick dispatch No Sermons make such quick dispatch as Sermons of the Gospel fear least any seem to come short let us fear least any of us should go on in any way that makes it seem to appear we reject the Gospel It is very observable what we find in Gods dealings with Israel of old we never find God swearing against them till they rejected the Land of Canaan and preferr'd Egypt before it when the Spies were sent forth to search the Land and brought some of the Grapes of it Numb 13 14. Chapters and told them what an excellent fruitful Land it was but because of some difficulty in the getting of it they fell a murmuring then God took up a solemn Oath they should not enter into it though they had provoked him ten times yea forty years in the Wilderness yet God never sware against them till that time That soul is in a sad condition that God shall swear in his wrath it shall not enter into his rest Thou that walkest in the Wilderness of thy sins and hast thy heart hardned against all the Truths of God But now if God has come in to thee and opened Canaan and brought you any clusters of those Grapes revealed the mysteries of the Gospel and pardoning grace through Christ If you now hang off and be longing after the Onions and Garlick of Egypt fear and tremble least God should swear you should never enter into rest you that are wicked unclean persons that went on in sin though you had some light of Nature that caused Conscience to check you yet God was patient and your condition was not so dangerous then But now after the hearing of this grace of the Gospel and pardoning mercy a Drunkard an unclean person or a vile liver now is in a thousand times of more danger least God should swear against him now than before Take heed in every act of the renewal of thy sin thou art in