to look to his Son for it This was indented for in the Covenant of Suretyship the Father offered it and the Son complied with it and there were Articles concluded about it â—sa 53. 10. God Sent his Son about it and he came accordingly Gal. 4. 4 5. his business was â—o take away his peoples sins Joh. 1. 29. and one â—hing that belonged to this was the taking away their Guilt by forgiveness and when he was engaged in this affair his Father witnessed â—o his acceptance of him in it Mat. 3. 17. 3. That in Christ's satisfaction there is a â—ufficiency to expiate the Guilt of all sin Such â—as the vertue of this One Sacrifice which he â—ffered up to the Justice of God Heb. 1â— 14. â—ence is he said to be able to save to the utter-â—ost Heb. 7. 25. It was not only enough for â—maller trespasses but for the Chief Sins and Sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. and this will be very evident if we consider what he did for the expiation oâ— the Guilt of our Sins and that was he suffereâ— for them the whole punishment that was bâ— Law due to us for them it is fully exprest iâ— Isa 53 4 5 6. he underwent the whole weighâ— of the Wrath which we should have undergoneâ— he was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. and then leâ— us add to consider that he was the Son of Goâ— a Divine Person that suffered all this though 〈◊〉 was his Humane Nature that bare it yet the persoâ— that sustained it was God and therefore it is caâ—led his blood Acts 20. 28. and this put an infiniâ— value and vertue into his Obedience So thâ— there is a stock of pardon laid in that cannot 〈◊〉 exhausted all the sin of all the Sinners in tâ— World cannot exhaust it 2. That the Gospel design is most of all aâ—vanced by his forgiving of all Sin and this 〈◊〉 reason sufficient why he not only can but wâ— do it Here observe 1. That the Gospel great design is the illustraâ— on of the special Grace of God By Gods speâ— Grace I intend that which is to be shewn in 〈◊〉 Salvation of fallen man there is common grâ— exprest in many other things but this is thâ— which God hath a peculiar design of commâ—ding to the undone creature and this is thâ— which is discovered in the Gospel the grâ— contrivances in Gods Eternal Decree with â—spect to his Elect had an aim at this Eph. 1. 〈◊〉 and those astonishing Providences which wâ— concerned in our fall by the First Adam and being repaired again by the Second were media subordinated to this purpose all was to make way for the Grace of God to appear in its most splendent lustre So that our whole Salvation is ascribed to this grace Eph. 2. 8. 2. That the forgiveness of Sins is an expression of rich Grace The not doing of it without the satisfaction of Christ is no obstruction of the Grace of it as some fondly dream but doth the more enâ—ance it What is Grace but an act of free favour bestowed on the Subject which he no way deserved nor could have laid any claim unto had it not been so conferred and such is this forgiveness hence said to be done freely Rom. 3. 24. The pardoned Sinner deserved to dy all miseries belonged to him he had nothing to offer to atone God to himself withal Christ freely satisfied for him and God freely applies the merit of this to him and it must needs be rich Grace for we have already observed that the man is made a blessed one by it 3. That the more and greater sins it extends unto the more illustrious is the Grace of it There is so much of malignity in the least sin and so just a provocation given to God by it and the merit of death in it is so righteous that it is a wonder that God should forgive one Sin how then is this admiration justly encreased when the Sins of the Creature have risen to a most formidable multitude and magnitude Paul puts a great Emphasis on this 1 Tim. 1. 13 14. Who was a blasphemer a Persecutor injurious c. and the Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant c. What is the forgiving of an Hundred pence to ten Thousand Talents Paul tells us that he was by this made a pattern verse 16. and David makes this an argument to plead for pardon withal Psal 25. 11. Pardon mine iniquity for it is great we are therefore told that where Sin abounded grace much more abounded Rom. 5. 20. hereby the great love of God is manifested and the incomputable value of Christ's Obedience is discovered 4 Hence the exhibition and offer of this pardon is made to the greatest Sinners the Gospel invites all without exception whatsoever they have been or done See how God invites and what an argument he useth to back this invitation Isa 55. 7 8. 9. q. d. you may think your Sins to be so many and great that there is no hope for you but remember I have other manner of thoughts about it and I can do that which you cannot so much as think hence he useth that encouragement Isa 45. 22. I am Godâ— Hos 11. 9. I am God and not man yea he promiseth that upon their accepting of his offer he will not remember one of their sins against them any more Jer. 31. 34. but pardon them all Chap. 33. 8. and the reason is because he doth it for his own name sake Isa 43. 25. and what more needs to be said for clearing of this truth USE I. For Caution Be we advised to beware of abusing this precious Doctrine by encouraging our selves to live and ly in Sin Such is the baseness in the heart of sinful men and so ready is Satan to insinuate himself into it â—hat they are exceeding apt to take encouragement to Sin from that which should be the most heart breaking incentive of them to haâ—red against it Oh! say they is there forgiveness for all Sin then there is no danger Let us follow the sight of our eyes and the way of our hearts let us sin that grace may abound as the Apostle brings them in with abhorrence Rom. 3. 8. 6. 1. How many Drunkards Sweaâ—ers Whoremasters Profane Wretches haden themselves in their wickedness by this and if we tell them of their vileness they have a ready answer there is forgiveness and they fear not but let such consider 1. This is to turn the Grace of God into wanâ—onness It is the highest affront that can be given to the rich mercy of God and in nothing can you give him more horrible provocation This is to make the strongest poyson of the most refreshing cordial It is the best news that ever was reported in the world that great Sinners may have a pardon but this is to make â—t the worst and most pernicious to you and â—ndeed this misimprovement carries the most fearful symptom of Reprobation
not David wofully lye and dissemble to Ahimeleoh at Nob 1 Sam. 21. And to Achish Chap 23. Yea he was almost gotten into a way of it whence he prayes against it Psal 119 29. And how much of Hypocrisy is a sensible Believer acquainted with in himself attending on his best duties How many wry glances and sinister aims in his prayers and hearing and whole Conversation Whence else is it that he is so often at a loss what to judge of himself as to any thing he doth 4. In the work of Conversation there is a new nature put into the man The man that is here said to be without Guile is to be supposed a true Convert for there is nothing else but Guile in an Unconverted man he is wholly acted by a Deâ—ved Heart which perverts him Isa 44 20. But when God comes to Convert a Sinner to himself he then makes a powerful and thorough Change in him 2 Cor. 5. 17. This is that which is called the New Man in opposition to natural Corruption which is called the Old man Eph. 4. 22 24. This is called the New Heart which God hath said he will give to men in this work Ezek. 36. 26. And what else is the New Nature but a body of Sanctifying Graces infused into the man by which he is Regenerated or born again 5. In this new nature there is no Guile at all The new Creature is altogether void of Sinful Hypocrisy it hath nothing in it but what is pure and sincere and without Guile We read 1 Joh. 3. 9â— Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin i. e. According to his new nature or the new principle that is infused into him and it must need appear to be sincere and not Hypocritical from the Consideration of the Original of it and that is from God it is therefore said to be Born of him 1 Joh. 5. 4. And Born from above Joh. 3. 3. And of the Spirit Vers 6. And is called the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. It never consents to much less contrives any deceit or cheat but is always upright in the exertings of it self And therefore every Converted man so far as he is renewed so far is he altogether without Guile As Guile is a quality adhering to every Lust so integrity is no less to every Grace of the Spirit that is in the Children of God their Faith is Unfeigned 1 Tim. 1. 5. And their Love is without Dissimulation Rom. 12. 9. And such are all the Graces which flow from these two which are the root Graces in a Child of God 6. The New Nature sets it self against the Guile of the Law in the members in a Child of God It doth not only exert none it self nor consent to that which the Corrupt part is acting but it dissents from and withstands it There is the Lusting of the Spirit mentioned Gal. 5. 17. And there are two things wherein it discovers this 1. In the Reluctancy of it against the Corrupt part in us seeking to suppress and prevent it So far as Grace is active in the heart of a Child of God when it meets with a Temptation to Guile or Hypocrisy it Resists it bears its Testimony against it influenceth the Conscience according to 〈◊〉 present activity so as to endeavour to Arm 〈◊〉 against that part in him which is eager and violent for it and this Paul designs in Rom. 7. When he speaks of the Good he would do and the Evil he would not do And doubtless many a time by the help of the Spirit of God he gets the Victory overcomes the Temptation and rejects the Motion with abhorrence 2. In the Repentance which it brings the man to afterwards Sometimes the Law of the Members is too subtile and strong and leads the man Captive and he is drawn into Dissimulation as Peter and Barnabas were Gal. 2. 12. c. The deceitfulness of his worser part imposeth upon him and he plays the Fool but as his Grace had no hand in it but was meerly overborn so it recruits again and what it could not prevent by withstanding it clears it self of by Repentance The Godly sorrow bitter mourning self-abhorrence and mortification he applies to it witnesseth for him 2 Cor. 7. 11. And this belongs to that Spiritual warfare with which the Gospel acquaints us 7. That God in the New Covenant values us according to this New Nature It is true the Corruption within us is Originally our own and we have reason to bewail it as long as we Liveâ— and it gives the Believer a world of grief and molestation And when we neglect our Graces and allow or nourish our Corruptions God as a Father is angry and Corrects us for it but however God looks upon his People according to their Grace This is the New-Creature and they are judge such who have it in them And where there 〈◊〉 this warfare against Corruption and Grace exercised in Resistance and Repentance God is pleaseâ— to accept of us and though he Charge the othâ— upon our Concupiscence and will Mortify it 〈◊〉 us yet he Chargeth it not so upon the person 〈◊〉 to put him out of his Favour for it And on thâ— account it is that Paul dares to put it off from himself to his Sin Rom. 7. 16 17. 8. Hence such an one is in a Gospel esteemâ— one in whom is no Guile Who 1. Hath been Regenerated by the Spirit 〈◊〉 God and so hath a principle of saving Grace 〈◊〉 him A Godly man and one without Guile souâ— the same thing in Scripture language he is therefore so called Context verse 6. for by vertue 〈◊〉 such a saving change the man comes to have 〈◊〉 Right Spirit in him as it is called Psal 51. 10. 2. Hereupon he cordially and sincerely propounds the Glory of God as his last end in 〈◊〉 whole course Though he may miss it in the application in many things yet this is the general scope of his life and he studieth it daily this is the great concern that lies upon him 1 Cor. 10. 3. And this is the natural inclination of the new nature in us for it was put into us to enable us to Glorify God and hath therefore in it a tendency 〈◊〉 the end it was Created for and accordingly â—rompts us hereunto 3. Hence he abhors every thing in him that â—raws to the contrary He finds enough and too much in himself which is molesting of him and sometimes wofully too hard for him but he is â—ieved at it carries it about as his burden and â—ies out by reason of it yea he is vile in his â—wn eyes on this account as he Job 41. 5. accounts it his misery that he is so unhappily chained to it 4. Hereupon he lives in the practice of the mortification of this deceitfulness As he doth not allow it so he cannot be quiet for it but seeks to have it destroyed We are commanded to mortify the lusts in us Col.
and that is his trouble and â—ill he can get some good security of his pardon â—he is not satisfied The report indeed that there â—s forgiveness with God and the offer of it made â—o him is some relief and affords him a supportâ—ng hope against utter despair but it must be a â—igned and sealed pardon read to him that will â—estore him to real comfort there is many a Malefactor is Executed for all the mercy of the Prince God may be a God of forgiveness and many may taste of it but he may perish Time was when he pleased himself with a general notiâ—on of mercy but now he considers what God hath â—aid Isa 27. 4. Fury is not in me who will set briâ—rs c. And so he cannot rest till Christ saith â—o him Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven the â—an must have a good ground to believe his â—ardon as he hath been assured of his Condemnation 5. There is no Testimony that can satisfie the Consciâ—nce in this case but that of the Spirit of God He must speak peace to and in the man or it cannot be believed Conscience saith it is God that is â—rovoked he is Judge the Sentence of Condemnation hath proceeded from his mouth and if he do not take it off again none can I must thereâ—ore hear what he saith to me Psal 85. 8. There â—â— indeed the terms of the Covenant to which the promise of forgiveness is connected which beinâ— wrought in the man have the evidence in themâ— and do make the witness of our own spirit buâ— this alone will not satisfie a troubled Soul wiâ—â— object against the reality of them and suspeâ—â— them of fallacy till the Spirit come in and set hâ—â— seal to the truth of them and confirm them byâ— his secret application Godly and skilful Christians may inquire into the mans case and give kinâ— great encouragement judging his condition safe â— but all will signifie nothing to him they are chaâ—ritable and do not know him as he knows himself he knoweth his own state better than they do he therefore can have no quiet till therâ— be a Divine Obsignation upon him till it comes toâ— that Rom. 8. 16. Faith only can receive the consolation and apply it and that cannot build on aâ—ny thing short of a Divine Testimony 6. There must be this forgiveness really past in orâ—der to the Spirits bearing witness to it The maâ— must be forgiven at least in order of nature beâ—fore he can be ascertained of it for this Testimony is to a thing that really is and though God sometimes doth together with pardoning thâ— Sinner let in this light whereby he discerns itâ— yet he doth not always do so he acts his Soveraignty in this matter but he giveth no assurancâ— of a pardon to him before hand he indeed ofâ—fereth it tells him where it is and how to be obtained encourageth him to wait for it offereth him his assistance but all this while the matterâ— is in suspense as to the man and if he complyâ— â—th not with these offers he remaineth in a state of â—ondemnation God is not wont to reveal his â—urpose to the man on this account till he hath â—ven being to it in his Providence and this â—ssurance follows upon that faith by which he â—mbraced the offer of Grace which had been â—ade to him 7. That this Forgiveness is applyed upon the plightâ—g of the New Covenant As to the opinion of Justification from Eternity or upon Christs Reâ—irrection the mistake of it hath been before obâ—erved the promise of it made unto Christ and â—he accquittance given to Christ for his Redeemed â—as to be applyed to them in the Gospel way and â—rder The actual Forgiving their Sins belongâ—th to the work of Application and God hath in â—he Gospel opened a New Covenant in which â—he carrieth on the Reconciliation so that after Christ had Reconciled God to us we are sent to â—nd entreated to be Reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. And there are the terms of the Covenant accordâ—ng to the tenour whereof it is brought about â—nd therefore called a Covenant of Peace Mal. 2. 5. because upon the making it with the Soul the Peace of God is brought into it to which belongs â—his Forgiveness And so upon every renewal of Covenant upon any difference that Sin hath made this Peace is restored upon a new applicaâ—ion of Forgiveness 8. Hence this Forgiveness is always connected with Faith and Repentance There is great dust raised about the word Condition and whether Faith and Repentance be Conditional in the New Covenantâ— I know no danger in calling them so if rightly understood however it is enough to say that there is a close Connexion between these and the benefits contained in the New Covenant Iâ— grant we may call them Benefits too being fruitsâ— of Gods Everlasting Love and operations of his Spirit in and with the means and things promised to Christ in the Covenant of Redemption inâ— behalf of those whom he was to Dy for But in the New Covenant they are acts of preventing Grace and are not promised on any Conditionâ— to us all the offers of Spiritual Good are there made to Repenting and Believing so that both the Invitations of the Gospel and the Evangelical commands Published in it require this of us though not of our selves but we must wait for them as a Gift from God yet this is a great Truth that there are no other Saving benefiâ— conferred on us without them and there is a reciprocation in them which is as much as is to be understood in calling them Conditions viz. that without Faith and Repentance there is no Forgiveness if God giveth not this Grace neither doth he the other Acts 5. 31. and that whenever God bestowâ— these upon any he together with it brings them into a State of Pardon true Faith hath all Salâ—vation secured to it Heb 10. 39. 9. This Confession of Sin is a necessary concomitanâ— of the Repentance of Faith And there are two things wherein this necessity will be discovered 1. The promise of Forgiveness includes this Hypothesâ— ly it That the Promises of the Covenant do run Hypothetically is not only maniâ—est from the nature of a Covenant but also evident from the tenour of Scripture expressions about it though there be something else besides confession put in yet this is mentioned in Prov. 28. 13. 1 Joh 1. 9. Where is intended a penitent confession such as accompanieth true Repentance else Pharaoh may confess c. And see how God insists upon it Jer. 3. 12 13. And not one word of encouragement is given in the whole Book of God for any to hope for pardon who will not confess nay â—hiding and covering is threatned 2. There can be no kindly Repentance expressed without it No other way to testify it For 1. Sin must be seen in its colours if ever it be reâ—ented of There must such a Conviction
in his Integrity by vertue of the first Command which faith was to have been placed upon God according to all that he revealed of himself to man in the first Covenant and was to be the spring of his obedience He was to believe him to be such an one as he manifested himself to be in all his declared perfections to believe the truth of his commands of his promises and threatnings And it was a wound in this faith at which the Apostasy began which if our first Parents had preserved in its vigour they had never yielded to the temptation but man hath lost that There is then a Faith in God which is required in the Covenant of Grace of all those that entertain it and hope to receive the benefits of it and this faith is to be placed in God through Christ and though God or the Divine nature be the Ultimate object of it yet Christ is the next and immediate object through whom we are to come to and believe in God whence it is most frequently in the New Testament called believing in Christ And as there is no performing acceptable Service to God without it Heb. 11. 6. So it is the root from which all sincere Obedience flows Gal. 5. 6. And whatsoever pretences men may make there is no truth in any thing that is not done by the influence of it Concerning this faith let these things be observed 1. That the Faith it self is a trusting in God for life Life and death in the Scriptures are used to express the happiness and misery of the Creature and hence as all miseries are summed up in death so all felicities are contained in life there are the inchoations of it here in Grace and the consummation of it is reserved for Glory Now there is in all men a natural desire of well being but mans Sin hath deprived his natural apprehension of true felicity and perverted him in seeking after it but where God bestows this faith upon men he both discovers himself to them as the only object of it draws forth the affiance of their Souls on him for it and therefore mans blessedness is declared to flow from this trust Psal 2. 12. 2. That which directs us to make choise of this object alone is 1. A discovery of that in him which is sufficient for this Life Man acts his deliberation in making choise of his object and that which comes under debate is whether it will answer the end of it for which it is chosen so far as he apprehends this so far is he guided to his Election This makes wicked men to chuse the world because they are deceived by it and when God draws men to believe in him he makes himself known to them in his glorious perfections Psal 9. 10. He therefore gives the reason of his trust Psal 62. 5 6 7. 2. A conviction that it is no where else to be had Fallen man is diverted to other objects and hath fastened the hold of his choise on them and must have his hands knockt off before he will chuse God for his portion and this is done by letting him see how vain all other things are that they cannot give him the satisfaction he craves after and without which he must be empty miserable hence the vanity of the Creature is no little part of the design of the Spirit to display in the word of God 3. That which encourageth us to trust in this Object is 1. The communicableness of this life to us It is not enough to have an object in our eye which enjoys a fulness of sufficiency in it self for it self for unless he hath a fulness communicable for the Creature he may be happy himself but that will never make us happy Herein therefore God hath manifested his Alsufficiency to us in that he hath enough for himself and more than enough to spare for us He is compared in his word to such things which have a fulness whereof they are communicative to a fountain of living waters Jer. 2. 13. To the Sun Psal 84. 11. And he is commended to us in his works of Efficiency in which his Sufficiency is imparted to the Creature for the encouragement of our faith Psal 89. 11 12. 2. The Invitation given us to come to him for it He hath commended himself to us as such an one for this very end he hath told us what he is in himself and what he hath to bestow upon us if we come to him for it useth arguments to perswade us so to do he offers it and invites men to accept of it Isa 55 1. Rev. 22. 17 Isa 45. 22. Complains of mens wilfulness in refusing to come Matth 23. 37. Luk. 19. 41. And expostulates with men as if he would break their hearts with kindness and take no denial of them Ezek. 33. 11. 4. The way in which we come to place this trust in God is by Christ This is the only Evangelical way of believing nor can fallen man in any other way rightly place his trust on God for 1. We are made to see that God out of Christ is a consuming fire Man in the first Covenant had to do with God immediately but he can no more come at him according to the tenure of that Covenant for mans Apostasy hath armed the Justice of God against him with Vengeance and now God appears to the convinced sinner to be a devouring â—re and everlasting burnings and he dares not approach him lest he be Consumed 2. We are also convinced that we cannot atone him to us by any Righteousness of our own There is a fond opinion which vain men are ready to take up about themselves as if they might satisfy God and obtain his favour by their own works so that when Conscience is awakened they take up a course of legal duties and lay out much cost and pains about them but when God comes to bring us to the faith of the Gospel he makes us to reject all this and acknowledge the raggedness filthiness of it Isa 64. 6. Phil. 3. 8 9. The proud sinner would make money of this but he now sees it is but dross 3. He lets us see the fulness of sufficiency in Christ to make us partakers in this life This fulness is originally in God but Christ is the Mediator between God and man and the dispensation of the fulness of God to men is put into his hand so to be imparted to us Col. 1. 19. Joh. 1. 16. So that by coming to have a title to Christ we have a sure title to that life 1. Joh. 5. 12. 4. He acquaints us that all this is for those that come to God by him God herein exhibits his Son as an Object of worship to whom we are to pay Divine honour Joh. 5. 22 23. And for this reason he hath given us the assurance that if we come to and believe in him for it we shall not miss of it Joh. 7.