of Sins You are not straitned in me where then are Sinners straitned Oh they are straitned in their own Bowels They cannot find in their Hearts to consider their ways to humble their Soul for their sins to leave them and to turn unto God Thus are they straitned in their own Bowels and they will not come to Christ that they might have Life 2. Secondly To this Suggestion doubtless we are to oppose what the Scripture speaketh of the multitude and abundance of Divine Mercies Psal 134. 18. If I should count them saith Holy David they are more in number than the Sand. So Isaiah 55. v. 6 7. Let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him unto his God for he will abundantly pardon Thus you often read in Scripture of a multitude of Mercies tender Mercies in God Psal 5. 7. I will come into thy House in the multitude of thy Mercies So Psal 51. 1. Have Mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness according to the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my Transgressions So Psal 69. 13. Mercy in God is but one thing it is the Goodness of God looking upon one in Misery and helping and relieving him what do we read of a multitude of Mercies certainly it either signifies Gods multiplied Acts of Goodness which are several Branches springing out of the same Root of Goodness and Mercy or else the term is used to signifie unto us that there is a Goodness in God proportionated to the multitudes of Sin and Misery that are in us To what end do we read of multitudes of Mercies in God if it were not to relieve us groaning under multitudes of Sins 3. Again consider It is the same thing with God to pardon multitudes of Sins as few yea he never pardoneth the Sins of any one Soul but he pardons a multitude God must vail his Justice and deny himself in his Vindicative Justice to pardon one Sin There is no one Sin but hath a kind of infiniteness in it or rather contracts an infinite Guilt for every Sin which we commit is against an infinite God against infinite Justice and Goodness and nothing but infinite Goodness can remit it and pass it by And an infinite Remission as easily extendeth to a multitude of Sins as to a few so that as that good Prince said unto God in the recognition of his Power It is easie with thee to save by many as by few So we may say in the case before us It is as easie with God to save from many from the guilt of many many thousands of Sins as from the guilt of a few especially which I should have put in considering there is also an infiniteness in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Redemption Price that is paid if indeed that had been scant something might have been colourably objected but that is commensurate to the Goodness that is in God The Person that died for our Sins was God-man an infinite Person his Blood was of infinite Vertue as to Satisfaction Indeed the Papists strain a great deal too far to say That the least Drop of Christs Blood was sufficient to ransome a World That is an idle Monkish Hyberbole for there must be a powring out of his Life so much of his Blood shed as should have determined his Life But that there is a Nuda Sufficientia we are not speaking now of the Sufficientia Ordinata how far Christ ordained it to be sufficient but that I say there was a bare and naked Sufficiency in the Death of Christ for more than it shall ever be applied to This must be granted by all who will acknowledge an infiniteness in Christs Person Nor yet shall the Papists from hence augment their Churches Treasury to the value of a Farthing Christ never left the Redundancy of the Vertue of his Death to humane Disposal the Vertue of his Blood as to all those who shall by it have any Benefit was ordered and disposed of from before the Foundation of the World even from the time that the Lâ—mb was first slain in Gods Eternal Counsels Let them look to answer the Papists in this Point who maintain Universal Redemption in the latitude of it But I add farther under this Head That God never pardoneth Sin to any Soul but he pardoneth a multitude It is true there is not a parity in Men and Womens Sins either as to the quality or quantity but I say God never pardons any but multitudes of Sins The Righteous falleth seven times in a day Sin is in every Soul and it may say Our Name is Lâ—gion for we are many If multitudes of Sins could not be pardoned no Sinner could be pardoned 2. Temptation But then saith the Tempter or the tempted Soul if you will Ah but my Sins have received very high and great Aggravations I have sinned against Light against Love I knew I ought not to do what I did I was warned by Ministers checkt by my own Conscience otherwise moved by the Spirit of God I had Mercies above thousands of others I sinned against all c. To which I answer 1. This is indeed a very sad circumstance a load of this nature doth often lie very heavy upon the Conscience and a guilt of this nature requireth a further and deeper Humiliation Confession Contrition but the Question is Whether such Sins be capable of a Pardon yea or no If they be capable of Forgiveness from a gracious God all this is no ground for thee to Despair and cast away Hope refusing to be comforted 2. If they be not capable of Pardon it must be so determined in Scripture Now the Revelation of God in his Holy Word hath no where determined that no Person that hath sinned against his Light shall be forgiven and we ought not to conclude to our own Prejudice and Discouragement as to an Act of God what he hath no where in his Word revealed 3. Thirdly There is no Sinner pardoned but hath sinned against his Light and against Love so that the Question seemeth not to be about the Thing but about the Degree not whether one who hath sinned against Light and Love can be Pardoned but whether one who hath sinned against so much Light and so much Love can be forgiven and it will be very hard for thee to asâ—ign Sinnings against such Degrees of Light and Love as none ever sinned against and were saved There are in Scripture great instances of Pardoned Sinners who yet sinned against great Degrees of Light and Love too Take but the instances of David and Peter David was a Man of much Light he was you know one of the Pen-men of Holy Writ he was a Man much beloved of God he is stiled The Man according to Gods own Heart God mindeth him of how much he had done for him taking him from the Sheep-folds and making him King over Israel and Judah giving his Masters Crowns Houses and Wives yea and
be Pardoned I might be Saved but I have not Repented I do not Repent my Heart is harder than the neather Milstone I weep and howl indeed for my Plagues I see I am a poor undone Creature that makes me complain and wring my hands but I see nothing of the evil of my Sin I shed not a tear upon that account nor cannot therefore there is no hope 1. It must be acknowledged that both Repentance and Faith is the Gift of God and naturally no Man hath a Power to the one or to the other Acts 11. 18. 2 Tim. 2. 25. and Faith is not of our selves it is the Gift of God Eph. 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. The Question is not therefore taking Repentance in a full and proPer sense whether thou canst Repent or Believe but whether God hath wrought or will yet work in thee a power truly to Repent and Believe And how doest thou know that God will not do that For thou canst not conclude supposing God hath not done it yet that he will not do it before thy dying hour 2. Possibly thou mayest be mistaken in thy determining that God hath not done it from a mistake concerning the true Nature of Repentance a sense and sorrow for Sin are but the out-works of it True Repentance lies in the Souls displicence to Sin and hatred of it and readiness to take a Revenge upon it self for it and Resolution and endeavour against it for the time to come I know it is not impossible that a Soul under such Horrours as these may not have any true sense of Sin or Hatred of it but even Blaspheme God because of its Horrours Terrours and Affrightments but let me tell you the Instances of Souls are very rare that are under great Terrours and Affrightments for Sin so aâ— to conclude there is no hope and yet at the same time Love Delight in such Sins take pleasure in them and desire but occasions to commit them I would ask thee seriously under these Terrours for some Sins thou hast committed doest thou not from thine heart wish thou hadst not committed them Couldst thou not even tear thy flesh that ever thou shouldest be so far betrayed by the Lusts and Passions of thy depraved Heart Wouldest thou now do the like again What doth this speak but Repentance so far as it can be judged of under thy present Circumstances Indeed it is possible all this may be and yet a Soul recovered out of these sad Circumstances may again return with the Dog to its vomit and the Swine to the wallowing in the mire again but this is not what at present thou canst conclude to hinder thy Souls Hope and Confidence in the Mercy and Free-grace of God 3. But admit thou canst not satisfie thy self that thou hast Repented or Believed yet may not God yet give thee an Heart to Repent and Believe What hindreth Or if he may what hindreth thy hope in the Mercy of God Nay if thou doest what in thee lyeth I dare assure thee that God will not be wanting in the Aids and Assistances of his Grace But I have said enough to evince the first thing that I propoâ—ed That there is no sufficient Reason considering the Covenant of Grace and Gods Revelation of his Mind in the Gospel for any Soul to Despair The Issue of which is this That a Soul thus sinning Transgresseth without a Cause and a Reasonable Soul in this acteth not according to Principles of Reason or any just Conclusion drawn from Gospel Promises or Principles This is the first thing 2. A Second thing which I would offer to such a Souls Reflection is the greatness of the Sin of Despair Presumption is a Sin but yet Despair seemeth to be a far greater Sin To Evidence which I shall desire you to consider 1. What it Implieth 2. What must Accompany it 3. What better Consequents it hath 1. It Implieth and carrieth along with it a denial either of the Power of God Or of the Goodness and Mercy of God or thirdly of his Truth and Faithfulness 1. Of the Power of God It was laid to the charge of the Israelites That they limited the Holy One of Israel Psal 78. 41. They said Can God bring us Water out of the Rock And Can God give us Meat in the Wilderness Thou sayest Can God Pardon such a Sinner as I have been Can God give Repentance Can God give me Faith in Jesus Christ What is this but to limit the Almighty The unbelieving Noble Man of whom you read in the Book of Kings when the Prophet fore-told that Food should by the next day be at so cheap a Rate said If God would make Windows in Heaven the thing could not be The Prophet told him it should be he should see it but he should not Eat of it and the Chapter telleth you he saw it verified he saw it the next day but he was trodden to Death by the Multitude Sarah laughed it was a laughter of unbelief when the Angel told her she should have a Son God punished it gently in her but more severely in Zachary that would not believe that his barren Wife should have a Son he was struck Dumb What doest thou do less than Question the Power of God If God can forgive Sins why mayest thou not hope If he can even in the last hour give Repentance unto Life why should a living Man not hope Ah! but saith this Soul No no I do not doubt but God can do it but he will not do it 2. Secondly Is not this to deny the Lords Goodness and Mercy God hath exalted his Mercy above all his Name when God proclaimed his Name to Moses Exo. 34. you shall find there 8 or 9 Expressions all but one which will by no means clear the Guilty signifying the Goodness and Mercy of God which hath made a very Learned Interpreter v. De Dieu ad Loc. doubt whether we have truly Translated that Phrase God triumpheth more in this than in any other part of his Name he hath chosen to be exalted in his Arttribute of Mercy he hath exalted it above all his Name Now this is that Artribute the Glory of which Despair Robbeth God of Presumption denieth him the honour of his Truth of his Justice and Judgment which indeed he stileth his Work but his strange Work as that which floweth not from himself but is as it were forced from him by a meritorious Cause in the Creature Mercy is the proper and natural Work of God flowing meerly from himself without any Cause in the Creature This is that the Honour of which Despair denieth unto God nor is it to be freed from a questioning the Power of God also for although as thou pretendest thou doest not Universally question the Prerogative and Power of God to Forgive Sins yet thou deniest his Power to Forgive thy Sins yea the Sins of any who are in the like Circumstances of sinning with thee for unless thou canst charge
Terrors of Conscience because of its Guiltiness its former guilt of Sin let the Sin be what and of what Nature it will Oh let it remember that Christ was given for a Covenant for the People he was by his Father called in Righteousness and his Hand was held and he was kept and given for a Covenant of the People for a Light of the Gentles to open the blind Eyes to to bring the Prisoners from the Prison and them that sit in Darkness out of the Prison House Isaiah 42. 6 7. Let him remember that he is to say Isaiah 45. 24. Surely in the Lord I have Righteousness and Strength That if he had never committed those Sins which now so lie upon and load his Conscience yet he could never have stood before God in his own Works and in a legal Righteousness but what the Law could not do because it was weak through our Flesh that God himself hath done sending his Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemning Sin in the Flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 3. And let him consider that being he must be saved by Christ and stand before God as found in him not having his own Righteousness though his Nakedness hath been more than the Nakedness of some other Men yet that long white Robe is large enough to cover it for the Righteousness of Christ his Merits are of vast and infinite Vertue as the Schoolmen say of Gods Essence that it filleth Heaven and Earth and an infinite space beyond both So the Merits of Christ have expiated for the Sins of all that shall be saved and have an infinite Vertue beyond Therefore there is no reason for a Soul to concluds its Sins shall not be forgiven or its Horrors of Conscience for them never cease those cease of course upon the sense of pardon or a good hope through Grace It is but a Relique of Popery that tortureth Mens Consciences past cure I mean an Opinion lurking in us that we must our selves satisfie the Justice of God and that upon the price paid and satisfaction given by Christ pardon doth not proceed freely for all Sin and all Blasphemy to a Soul seeking for it by earnest Prayer true Sorrow for Sin and resolution against it and a true adherence to the Lord Jesus Christ 3. Again Study the Sureness of this Covenant It is a Covenant of Salt as well as a Covenant of Peace Gods Covenant with Day and Night shall sooner cease it containeth the sure Mercies of David It cannot fail God cannot suffer his Faithfulness to fail he cannot alter the thing that hath gone out of his Lips The failure of Covenants amongst Men is rooted in their Variableness and Mutability their want of Fore-sight and Knowledge of future Contingencies c. no such thing can be as to this Covenant He is the Lord that changeth not his Name is I am he had a perfect and certain Prospect and Fore-sight of all that could happen 4. Finally Meditate of it as a well ordered Covenant It is true The Covenant of Grace hath its Conditions to be fulfilled on our part Such as are the taking hold of it mentioned Is 56. 6. which cannot be without seeking the Lord while he may be found calling upon him while he is near the wicked Man forsaking his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and his returning to the Lord Isaiah 55. 6 7. and perseverance in the ways of God is another condition to be performed But as to those it is in this well ordered That there are Branches in the same Covenant wherein God hath promised 1. To work those Conditions in us that is we doing what in us lies by Vertue of that Common Grace which he denieth to none or by Vertue of those special Habits which he will please to work in us not to be wanting in those further Aids and Assistances of his Grace by which we shall be inabled to do whatsoever he hath required of us in order to the obtaining the promised end of our Hopes in the Salvation of our Souls 2. That that those Failings which we shall be guilty of through Humane Infirmity though they may cause us sorrow in the Flesh yet they shall not frustrate the Promise and Covenant of God he will yet heal our Backslidings and love us freely Now the Covenant of Grace being thus rightly understood and apprehended I would fain understand what room can possibly be left in a Sinner for Satan to fasten this fiery Dart with any effect upon the Soul I will suppose a Soul under the greatest Terror imaginable for Sins of the highest nature Why should he destroy himself if there be hope in the God of Heaven concerning such Sinners If all Sin and Blasphemy whereby a Man shall Blaspheme may be forgiven him Is God a Righteous God that loveth Righteousness and can by no means clear the guilty Why yet should he do it if he hath provided the Soul a Righteousness whereby it may stand Righteous before God acquitted form all manner of Guilt and out of all danger of Condemnation What if it hath formerly been without Righteousness and be yet without Strength or Ability to any Act of Righteousness if the Righteousness wherein it must stand before God be not any personal Righteousness of its own but the Righteousness of Christ reckoned to it for Righteousness Is it tormented through fear of future Sinnings the prevailings of Temptations or its own Corruptions Yet why should the poor Creature run himself out of the World upon this fright when the Covenant of Grace is so well ordered as there is in it a sufficient Provision made for it both for Assistance against the prevailings and dominion of Sin to that degree as to ruin the Soul to Eternity and as to that degree of Guilt which every Soul through Ignorance Infirmity pure or mixt runs into for the healings of its Backslidings What is here left for a sinful Soul to do but to use the means of Grace to apply it self unto God by Fasting and Prayer to consider its ways and what in it lies to turn to the Lord to be sensible of its Sins and to trust in the Lords Mercies taking heed to it self that it sin no more presumptuously abstaining from all appearances of Evil studying to perfect Holiness in the fear of God and daily to renew its Repentance and Faith in Christ as it discerneth its Sins are renewing every day To what purpose doth a Soul under such gracious and hopeful Circumstances think of destroying it self and asserting its own Eternal Condemnation or at least making its Salvation very uncertain which it should rather design to make sure by an Holy Life and Conversation So that I say admit Horror of Conscience for Sin to be the Argument Satan makes use of to inforce this Temptation nothing can be more proper for a Soul exercised under the Temptation than to study understand
not continuing they are as quickly down So it is with these Men a little thing raiseth their hopes and a little thing again sinketh them Thus it is in the great business of Hope as to the Pardon of Sin and obtaining Eternal Salvation Some Persons build up Hopes upon very light and unjustifiable Grounds their Hope is indeed but a Presumption like the Grass that groweth upon the House Tops which a little Heat of the Sun killeth But other Souls build up their Hopes upon more sure and wary Foundations which are not so soon shaked We use to say that we are certain of nothing more than what we have sometimes been uncertain of We are commanded to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling and to rejoyce with trembling Those Souls that have gained their Hope by the Conquest of many Doubts and Fears and Jealousies do not easily lose it whereas those who have hatched it up with more ease seldom keep it in an hour of Temptation 5. I know not what more to advise besides Frequent Self-Examination closâ— walking with God and diligent and constant Prayer Let me inlarge a little upon these I say First Frequent Self-Examination It is the Apostles Precepts Examine your selves prove your selves whether you be in the Faith or no 2 Cor. 13. 5. Whether we live by Hope or Sight I mean Assurance this is highly necessary for that Soul that would maintain the one or the other Two things I would have Christians much Examine themselves upon 1. The Grounds and Reasons of their Hope 2. The Abatements and Discouragements of them 1. As to the Grounds of their Hope which if good must always be bottomed in some Piece of Divine Revelation for Pardon of Sin and Eternal Life being both of them the free Gift of God it is unreasonable to hope for either but upon the Revelation of the will of him in whose Gift they are In examining therefore the Truth and Ground of your Hope trust to nothing but some portions of the Word of God which though it doth not tell you by name whose Sins are pardoned and whose are not who shall be saved and who shall perish it doth tell you what must be wrought in the Hearts of those whose Sins are Pardoned and how they must live that shall ever see the Face of God in Heaven there 's no trusting to your Interest in God as he that made you nor yet to Christ dying for all Men no nor yet to any Merits or Works of your own God hath no where said that he will save all those whom he hath Created nor all those who believe Christ died for all Men no nor yet all those that do some things that are as to the Matter of them good and such as if Men do not they cannot see God I shall not here run into particulars but in the general I shall tell you that there is nothing but the Revelation of the Will of God in his Word and the experimental finding that God hath wrought those things in your Souls which he in his Word hath made necessary in order to obtaining Pardon and Eternal Salvation that is in this Case to be trusted to Often therefore examine your selves upon these Points 1. What God in his Word hath made necessary to the obtaining of Pardon and Salvation 2. The Work of God upon your Hearts Creating and Working and Maintaining these Habits and Exercises in your Souls Nay do not onely this but examine your selves also about the holding or abating of your Hopes the Increase or Decrease and Discouragements of them in your Souls A faint decaying weakening Hope if not lookt to will grow more and more faint and weak every day than other till it putrisieth into Despair Now the force of this lies here The decays and abatements of our Hope are caused either from some Relapses into Sin or from some eminent with-drawings of the Holy Spirit of God which uphold and maintaineth it in a Soul And a daily examination or frequent examination of our selves how it is with us as to our Spiritual hope will put the Soul both upon frequent Acts of Repentance as it discerneth that its hope is abated by the prevailings of its Lusts and also upon frequent Prayers begging the revivings and upholdings of it from the Spirit of God 2. Live in close Communion with God I propounded to you before the avoiding of Sin all Sin but some especially to prevent Temptations to Despair But this is something more we are at first begotten to a lively Hope by the Word upon fervent Prayer c. and this Hope is maintained in the Soul by the same means by which it is first begotten and bred in the Soul I told you before that we must find the ground and bottom of our Hope in the Word of God Now Preaching where it is done sincerely and faithfully is nothing else but an Explication and Application of the Word of God an Interpretation of the Word to our Souls and a whetting of it upon our Souls and therefore in reason a consciencious Attendance upon it must necessarily be a means to confirm and strengthen our Hopes and to antidote Despair Nor certainly can often Communion in the Lords Supper be useless but contrariwise of very great use for the Lord in that Ordinance having added a Sign to his Word for the confirmation of our Faith it must needs be a proper means to strengthen and increase our Hope In short All Communion with God whether it be more Internal by Meditation and the secret Exercises of the Power of our Souls upon God or more External in such Duties as God hath prescribed us to perform an Homage to him by must be of great use to our Souls in this case For the more Freedom and Acquaintance we have with God the more we be with him the truer and more just Apprehensions we shall have of him and the more we shall understand the loving Kindness of God Now all Despair floweth from unjust and unkind Apprehensions and Impressions of God and from a too great an estrangement from him It is true those that know the Lords Name will trust in him and hope in his Mercy But above all be much in Prayer that obtaineth all Grace all Mercy from God the beginnings of it the growth and encrease of it c. But I shall add no more upon this Subject directing you to what I judge most proper to prevent in the Soul Fits or more settled Habits of Despair and certainly it is most advisable to keep Satan at a distance and more easie to oppose the first Assaults or avoid giving him advantages to it than to grapple with it CHAP. IV. What Despairing Souls should do They ought to consult the Physician if no Bodily Distemper gives a rise to such dark Thoughts What Business they have with God No Argument sufficient to warrant Despair Sometimes none pleaded The usual Arguments pleaded From our many Sins The greatness
of them Our Inveterateness in them Our Sinning against the Holy Ghost None of these sufficient The greatness of the Sin of Despair shewn in what it implieth what it is attended with and produceth 4. Other Directions for Souls thus tempted THus far I have discoursed you in order to the prevention of these Assaults Possibly as to some this Counsel may come too late they may already find in their Souls Thoughts tending to Despair The next Question is What shall these do Or indeed rather what shall be said to or done for those for their Support Relief or Deliverance I know but three things that can be done for such a Soul 1. The First is With the Physician of the Body who is Gods Ordinance the Means he hath appointed by which he healeth our Bodies 2. The Second is with God who alone hath a Power paramount to Sathan and alone can find a way to our Hearts and make powerful Impressions upon them 3. The Third is with the Party Tempted to perswade him or her of the unreasonableness of the Temptation the contrary Revelation of the Will of God in Scripture and the use of Means Natural Moral and Religious for the support of him or her self and the bringing him or her self out of this horrible Pit Under these three Heads I shall bring my whole remaining Discourse upon this Argument 1. The first thing I say is to be done in this Case relates to the Physician It is a thing that we find very difficult to perswade Souls under these circumstances to believe nay many others too less knowing Christians that there is any thing of Bodily Distemper in the case But there is nothing more true nothing that is more ordinarily experimented God forbid that we should think that all Despairing Thoughts and Expressions are the Effects of a Natural Cause a disordered Body or Head The contrary is evident but that in many they are so I was about to say that in the most they are so and that where they are not simply and singly the Effects of those Causes they are yet highly advantaged and improved by the Concurrence of such Bodily Distempers is most evident to those who have any Experience in these things either from what they have found in themselves or observed from their converse with and ministring unto those that have lien under these great Burthens And there can be no greater Argument for this then the frequent Experiences we have of Persons that in the beginning of these Distempers have had them removed by the use of Natural Means Not that God is to be neglected for admitting these Fits of Despair to be but the products of a Natural Cause by the ill influence that some disordered peccant Humours of the Body have upon the Mind disposing it to Fears and Jealousies Suspicious Diffidence and Distrust Yet it is God that must heal us by his giving a Blessing upon Means but the Question is not about the Principal Efficient Cause in the Cure which must be God but concerning the Means to be used and in the use of which God is to be sought and his Assistance expected Therefore I say the first thing to be done in these Cases is consulting with the Physician about the Health of our Bodies and that with an Able and Experienced Physician for it is an exceeding weighty Case with reference to our Good and well Being Nor ought any Means to be neglected which such a one shall direct for bringing our Bodies into a right Order not yet to be used without solemn Applications to God begging both his Direction of them and his Blessing upon them Nor ought this to be delayed for none knoweth the Effects of such Disorders as these and how quick a growth such Beginning Distempers oft times have But this is one of the first things I should advise in such a Cause as this is 2. Secondly Such a Soul hath also a greal deal of business to do with God The Nature of which must be determined according to what it findeth to have given the first rise and cause to these Thoughts If it findeth that some Bodily Distempers hath given the first rise and cause to these dark and ill concluding Thoughts Our business with God lies 1. In begging Gods Direction of us unto the Use and Blessing upon us in the use of such Means as are proper and he will Bless unto the Healing of us and the Deliverance of us from so great a Burthen that he who ministreth unto us may not have a miscarrying hand 2. That he would please to command the Means used to exert and put forth that Vertue which he hath created in them for the producing that Effect we desire and for the obtaining of which we make use of them 3. That in the mean time he would please so to influence and to support our Souls that our Bodily Distempers may have no such ill Influence upon our Minds as to be occasions to us of dishonouring God by entertaining any unworthy Thoughts of the Divine Majesty Mercy and Goodness If we find that these black and dark Thoughts arise in us or in any others from any other Cause whether our own Reflexions upon our former Sinful Courses or some particular guilt of Sin upon us Our Business is still with God by Prayer for it is he alone that can Pardon Sin that can give Eternal Life and Salvation and that can beget in the Soul a lively Hope as to such Pardon and obtaining Eternal Life and Salvation that can Bless any Spiritual Means to be used in order to the obtaining of any of these but here the matter of Prayer and of our Petitions to God must be of another Nature That which the Soul in this Cause hath to do with God is 1. To confess its Sin unto God and to begg of God a broken and contrite Heart that it may confess and bewail its Sin as it ought to do When saith David Psal 32. v. 3 4. I kept silence my Bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long for day and night thine hand was heavy upon me my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer I acknowledged my Sin unto thee and mine Iniquity I have not hid I said I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin 2. He hath a further Work with God viz. To begg of him the Pardon of his Sin and the begetting in his Soul a lively Hope in his Mercy and Godness It is God 1 Pet. 1. 3. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy begetteth the Soul to a lively Hope by the Resurection of Jesus Christ from the Dead to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in the Heavens for us 3. Thirdly to begg of God a Blessing upon all Means in order to this end whether the reading or the hearing of the Word or any Spiritual Conference with
him with whom there is no respect of Persons with a particular Malice or Ill Will to thee in saying God cannot nor will not Pardon thy Sins or there is no hope for thee thou deniest not onely the Power of God as to the Pardon of thy Sins but the Sins also of any other whose Circumstances of sinning are as great as thine are Now seemeth it to thee a light thing O Christian to deny the Divine Goodness and to set Limits to Infinite Mercy 3. Thirdly This Sin always carries with it also A denial of Gods Truth and Faithfulness He hath told thee Mat. 12. 31. That all Sin and Blasphemy wherewith any shall Blaspheme the Son of Man shall be Forgiven That if thy Sins were as Scarlet they shall be as Wooll if as Crimson they shall be as White as Snow No sayest thou I have Sinned I have Blasphemed and it shall not be Forgiven I have Scarlet Sins and God will not make them as Snow I have Crimson Sins and God will not make them as Wooll What is this but to put the lie upon God to deny his Truth and Faithfulness to say he hath said it and he will not do it he hath spoken it but it shall not come to pass But some will say it to me after this rate of Arguing God should save all Men and Women breathing These words are nomore spoken to me than to any other I Answer I do not urge these great and precious Revelations of the Divine Will as grounds for Sinners to conclude that they shall be Saved Pardoned and Saved without any more a-do but onely as general grounds of Hope that there may perhaps be Mercy found with God for us and as Assurances on the part of a gracious God that if we miss of Pardon and Eternal Life and Salvation the fault shall not be justly charged on God he is ready to forgive but in our selves who will not Repent nor leave our Sins and turn unto God who will not come unto Christ that we might have Life still it remaineth the duty of us that would obtain this Pardon to confess its Sins and forsake them and to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ but the Despairing Soul throws all the blame of its miscarriage upon God and ordinarily doth not say I do not Repent I cannot Repent therefore there is no hope but there is no Mercy in God God cannot or God will not Pardon me now I say This is an Impeachment as of the Power of God to forgive to the utmost and of Christ to save to the utmost so of that Goodness and Grace and Mercy of God yea and of the Truth and Faithfulness of God Besides What a Comparison doth the Soul make here betwixt finite and infinite betwixt which two there is no proportion Let thy Sins be what they will or can they can be but finite The Mercies of God are infinite The Sea is but a finite Creature yet what can you imagine so great that the Sea will not swallow up and cover that it shall not be seen any more It is a Similitude which God himself doth sometimes make use of by it to express the plenty of his Forgiving Mercy See that excellent Text Micah 7. 18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the Transgression of the Remnant of his Heritage he retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy He will turn again he will have Compassion upon us he will subdue our Iniquities and thou wilt cast all their Sins into the depths of the Sea Now Despairing Conclusions That there is no Hope in God that our Iniquities are too many or too great to be forgiven give God the Lie as to this It is no more than the Scripture saith 1 John 5. 10. He that believeth not God maketh God a Liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son and this is the Record that God hath given to us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son 2. Secondly This Sin as it implieth these things so it is always attended with Unbelief in Gods Promises and with very hard and unworthy Thoughts of God By Unbelief here I understand the Negation of a Trust and Confidence in God and the Promises he hath made of those good things concerning which the Soul Despaireth So that what ever can be said in aggravation of the Sin of Unbelief is highly applicable in the aggravation of this Sin for Despair speaketh the highest degree of Unbelief imaginable It is one thing for a Soul not to trust in God another thing to conclude That he is not to be trusted in as to my Soul that there is no hope for me in God This speaketh the highest degree of Unbelief that we can imagine 2. Besides it necessarily carrieth along with it very hard and unworthy Thoughts of God The Soul cannot think reverently and worthily of God when it is rooted in such Thoughts as these that although he be a God that Pardoneth Iniquities Transgressions and Sins yea abundantly Pardoneth yet he will shew it no Favour but adjudge it to an Everlasting Misery and Torment nay it is hard to conceive how such a Soul should forbear wishing that there were no God that the Being of God were annihilated 3. Then in the last place The Effects of this Sin of Despair must needs be very sad for as a Lively Hope of obtaining any Good quickeneth the Soul to the use of all those Means which Reason dictateth as probable Means for the obtaining what we desire so the Despair of obtaining any such Good quite deadneth the Heart and taketh it off all Thoughts of using Means to obtain that which it concludeth with it self impossible to be obtained This is manifest upon the Experience of all such Souls as at any time are under any Fits of Despair They cannot be perswaded to hear Sermons to Pray to Read in short not to use any Means of Grace and Salvation So that a greater Sin can hardly be imagined than this Sin of Despair is Oh that those would think of this who find in their Souls any Motions Temptations or Inclinations towards it That they would think how much Dishonour God hath from this Sin above others 3. Again Certainly it must be advantage to such a Soul to reflect upon those great Presidents of Free Grace which we have upon Record in Holy Writ Let them remember the instance of St. Paul who saith of himself That he was a Persecutor he was a Blasphemer and Injurious but yet he obtained Mercy 1 Tim. 1. 13. The instance of David restored again to the joy of Gods Salvation after the guilt of Adultery and Murther Of Peter who received kind Looks from Christ after he had thrice denied his Master and that with the addition of Cursing and Swearing that he did not know him Of Mary Magdalen out of whom the Lord had cast out Seven Devils Let such a