may we expect greater things of God Know then as we sinne daily so there are out-goings of pardon continually and the goodnesse of God doth like the Sunne rejoyce to run his race without any wearinesse Lastly In the Person to whom we pray there is supposed First That God only can forgive sins This is an incommunicable property of God Isa 43.1 and Exod. 34.7 It is there reckoned as one of his prerogatives Hence Matth. 9. this is made an argument of Christs Deity that by his meer command he forgave sin for this power to forgive sin is greater then to create Heaven or Earth or to work the greatest miracles Therefore a power to work miracles hath been vouchsafed to the Apostles but not of forgiving of sin unlesse declaratively onely When therefore our Saviour Matth. 9. asketh which is easier To forgive sin or to say Take up thy bed and walk intending by this miracle to prove that he did also forgive sin it is not spoken as if this later were greater then the former but only the curing of the paralytical man was a more visible sign to confirm the other for when they saw that which he commanded accomplished upon the mans body they might well conclude the other fulfilled in his soul Now when we say God only can forgive sin this is to be extended both to the forgivenesse in Heaven and to that in a mans own conscience for the former it is plain because the injury is done only against him when we sin and for the later it is clear because he is the Father of Spirits and so can command whatsoever peace and security he pleaseth in the conscience We see when Friends and Ministers do pour oil into a wounded soul they feel no benefit or refreshment till God speak to the heart This is notably asserted by Elihu Job 34.29 When he giveth quietnesse who then can make trouble and when he hideth his face who then can behold him O therefore with all humble thankfulnesse acknowledge this great mercy of pardon if thou art made partaker of it If the Lord should work miracles for thee he would not display so much power and mercy as he doth in this forgivenesse of thy sins Secondly It supposeth God doth see and take notice of sinne in us after we have believed For how can God be said to forgive that which he taketh no notice of If forgiving be covering of sinne and a blotting it out then it is seen and open to God and uncancelled till this be done Suppose our Saviour had used these words in this Petition Cover our iniquities as we cover the sins of others would not that expression have necessarily implied That God did see them and look on them till he covered them Certainly Joseph did upon a good ground abstain from sin when he said How can I do this and sinne against God That is who seeth me and beholdeth me in secret and will be angry with me But if God take no notice of my sinne how can I truly awe my self from sinne saying How can I do this evil in Gods eyes How can I provoke him to anger Let the Application then be to importune for this mercy of forgivenesse which makes all other things mercy Health riches learning peace are mercies if with these there be a pardon of all our sins especially be pressed to seek for it from this motive which I shall only mention at this time viz. That pardon of sin is the onely support and help in all miseries and calamities whatsoever This onely can sweeten thy pain thy poverty thy fears of death When the Apostle Rom. 5.1 had spoken of Justification by faith and the peace we have thereby with God inferreth from thence We glory in tribulation Alas there would be little glory if at the same time man be against us and God also So Rom. 8.33 34 37. when the Apostle had gloriously triumphed in this priviledge of Justification and that none could lay any thing to our charge then he concludeth We are more then conquerors Again 1 Pet. 3.16 17 18. exhorting the people of God to be ready to suffer for well-doing giveth this reason For Christ once suffered for sins the just for the unjust c. So that no misery or calamity can be joyfully undergone unlesse the Lord forgive our sins to us In these times of warre while we have been under continual fears of an enemie vvhat could rightly support us but remission of our sins To have men accusing and condemning of us but to have God clearing and absolving this can make an Heaven in the midst of an hell LECTURE XVI MAT. 6.12 And forgive us our debts HAving explained this Petition positively and practically we come to handle those Questions which may make to the clearing of that truth which is contained in the Text. And I shall pitch upon those that are usefull and necessary not on thorny and perplexed God indeed once spake out of the thorny bush but seldom doth truth discover her self in those thickets which the Schoolmen have made The first in order that should be discussed is What remission of sin is Or What is meant when we say God doth forgive sinne But before we can come to that another Doubt must be rouled out of the way and that is What sinne is and what are the proper effects of sinne For a man can never understand what it is to have sinne blotted out or taken away unlesse he be first informed What the nature of sinne is and what effects it hath wrought upon the sinner Of this therefore in the first place And first I shall speak of sinne abstractedly in its own nature Secondly Relatively to the person who sinneth Thirdly The proper effects of it Fourthly The weight or aggravation of every sin Let us begin with the former Sinne in the Scripture hath several names which do in some measure describe the nature of it The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used commonly for sin and it doth in a proper signification wherein it is once used denote an aberration from the mark we shoot at Judg. 20.16 Every one could sling stones at an hairs breadth and not misse and from hence metaphorically is signified the nature of sinne for every mans action is to have an end which end is manifested by the Scripture and when a man reacheth not to this he is said to sinne answerable unto this word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to erre from the scope And another word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is going beyond the bounds and limits which are set us Though a learned Critick Dieu doth make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to signifie beyond but by as if it did denote a negligent and carelesse passing by the commands of God Another word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cometh of a word that properly signifieth crookednesse
it is not so in the second Adam Neither do those places Ephes 2.5 6. Colos 2.13 14. prove any more then that in and through him we do obtain such mercies there spoken off and although we are said to sit in heavenly places already yet that is because of the certain right we have thereunto in which sense also he that believeth is said to have eternal life and Christ being the first fruits doth sanctifie the whole lump As for that place 1 Tim. 3. where Christ is said to be justified in the spirit that makes nothing at all to this Justification we speak of For the meaning is That Christ was declared just and absolved from all the reproaches cast upon him by the spirit of God which was done several waies as by the witness exhibited from heaven unto him by the innumerable miracles he wrought In which sense Mat. 11. Wisdom is said to be justified of her children So that Act. 2.22 seemeth to be a full Commentary on this place Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by signs and wonders which God did by him in the midst of you And this is that Justification of himself which Christ speaks of Isa 50.8 It is true the Apostle doth apply that spoken of Christ to every believer Rom. 8. by way of allusion and the rather because Christ being the head of the elect it will be made good of them in time when they do believe otherwise election is not enough to free from present accusation or condemnation unless by faith they be actually in Christ as is to be shewed more at large But this is a digression It is the constant opinion of the Orthodox That a man is not justified or hath his sins pardoned till he doth beleeve I have brought Arguments to prove the point and now addresse my self to remove their Objections The first is brought from Infants who are justified and yet do not beleeve therefore before faith some are justified First The case of Infants is of a peculiar consideration and therefore not to be attended unto in most Questions yea the Scripture pressing the things requisite to salvation as repentance obedience c. cannot be understood of Infants And Suarez argueth against Justification by faith in the general upon this ground Because Infants are justified without it so that the Argument if it proveth any thing would prove a Justification without faith rather then before faith Suppose a man should argue about glorification as the adversary doth about Justification Infants are glorified without fruits meet for repentance Therefore men grown up also may be How absurd would that be Therefore if the conclusion of the Argument were granted viz. Some that do not believe are justified restraining it to Infants the main Question would have no detriment The opponent laieth down this conclusion Reconc of man with God p. 5. That mans actual reconciliation to God requireth previous conditions to be wrought in him by Gods Spirit before he can be reconciled actually to God among which he reckoneth believing as the chief Now I may retort on him thus Infants are actually reconciled to God but Infants do not believe Therefore some are actually reconciled to God that do not believe Secondly The opponent cannot but know that there are Learned men who hold Infants have actual faith and do believe Therefore to them his Argument is of no force It may very well be thought that they have actual sins not such as are in men grown up accompanied with reason and will but those immediate motions of original corruption in them For although original sin be not peccatum actuale yet it is peccatum actuosum if it be not an actual sin yet it is an active sin and therefore may not be thought idle in an Infant Austin lib. 1. Confes c. 2. Vidi ego Zelantem parvulum c. I have observed envy in an Infant when another little childe hath sucked his breast and so they have sinfull anger which made the same Father say Imbecillit as mâ—mbrorum infantilium innocens est non animus infantum There is more innocency in their bodies then in their souls Now if there be actuall motions of sin before the use of reason why not actuall motions of Gods Spirit That it is possible John Baptist makes it without question all the doubt is Whether God doth ordinarily so to Infants Aretius is alledged by some to hold That even repentance may be attributed to Infants out of Joel 2.16 but the command there is That parents should bring their children into the publike humiliation that by the sight of them they may be the more fervently stirred up to pour out their praiers before God Thirdly That which the most solid Divines pitch upon is That Infants have I speak not generally but indefinitely a seed of faith because they have the Spirit of God and regeneration otherwaies they could not be saved and by this seed of faith they become members of Christ and that relation which is in their faith to Christs merits is the instrument by which they obtain remission of sin As for that place Faith cometh by hearing it is to be applyed to the ordinary means of faith and that in persons grown up Neither can I say that an Infant is bound to have actuall faith for happily in the state of integrity Infants then though they had the image of God yet could not have put forth the actuall exercise of graces and if they could not do it in that state it is not to be expected they do so now Fourthly It is not enough for him to prove they are justified before they beleeve but also before they be any way united to Christ Let that union be conceived how it can by us For if a man be justified because he is elected as his third Argument would prove then he is to shew that Infants not only before they beleeve but before they have any union with Christ are justified for the election of Infants must needs go before their union with Christ And howsoever the opponent quoteth Austin saying That which was wrought in John Baptist to be a singular miracle yet Serm. 14. dâ— Verbis Apostoli on those words He that beleeveth not shall be damned makes this question Vbi ponis parvulos baptizatos Where put you little children baptized profectò in numero credentium truly in the number of beleevers His second Argument is to this effect He that is in Christ is justified Now a man is in Christ before he doth beleeve because the tree must be good before the fruit can be Therefore a man must be justified before he do beleeve In answering this Argument many things are considerable First It must be acknowledged a very hard task to set down the true order of the benefits bestowed upon us by God The assigning of the priority and posteriority of them is very various according to the severall judgements of men interessed in
that controversie The opponent it may be knoweth that there are some who say Christ or the Spirit of Christ is first in us by way of a moving or preparing principle and afterwards as a principle inhabiting and dwelling in us That as some say Anima fabricat sibi domicilium the soul makes its body to lodge in it works first efficiently that afterwards it may formally so they say Christ doth in us As the silk-worm prepareth those silken lodgings for her self to rest in So that according to the judgement of these men Christ or his Spirit doth efficiently work in us the act of believing by which act Christ is received to dwell in us And in this way Christ hath no union with us till we do believe He worketh indeed in us before but not as united to us Now according to this opinion the answer were easie That we are not in Christ till we do beleeve Though Christ be in us as working in us and upon us Yea faith would first be wrought and then Christ with his benefits of justification c. would be vouchsafed to us but there are Reasons why it is not safe to go this way And indeed that Charta magna or grand promise for regeneration doth evidently argue the habits or internall principles of grace are before the actions of grace Ezek 36.26 God takes away the heart of stone and giveth a new heart an heart of flesh which is the principle of grace and afterwards causeth them to walk in his Commandments which is the effect of grace But secondly which doth fully answer the Objection It is true our being ingraffed into Christ is the root and fountain of faith and of Justification too but yet so that these being correlates faith and Justification they both flow from the root together though with this order that faith is to be conceived in order of nature before Justification that being the instrument to receive it though both be together in time Therefore the major Proposition should be thus regulated He that is in Christ doth believe and is justified or believing is justified for Justification as our Glorification though it flow from Christ yet it is in that order and time which God hath appointed Neither is it any new thing in Philosophy to say Those causes which produce an effect though they be in time together yet are mutually before one another in order of nature in divers respects to their severall causalities Christ is in us and we in Christ Christ is in us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of gift and actual working and we are in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of receiving and both these are necessary as appeareth Joh. 15.5 and both are together in time yet so that in order of nature Christs being in us is before our being in him and the ground of all our comfort and fruit is not because we are in him but he in us even as the branch beareth fruit not because it is in the Vine but because the Vine is in it communicating efficacy to it Thus also faith and Justification are together yet so as one is produced by the other we are not justified and therefore believe but we believe and are therefore justified Lastly This may be retorted upon the opponent who as was alleadged before denieth any actual reconciliation till we do believe But may not we strike the adversary with his own reason in this manner He that is in Christ is actually reconciled But we must be in Christ before we do believe Therefore we must be actually reconciled before we do believe I pass over the third and reserve the fourth and sixth Argument being all one for the next Lecture because in them is matter worthy of a large consideration I come therefore to the fifth Argument which is taken from the collation between the first Adam and second out of Rom. 5.18 19. From whence is argued As in the first Adam we are accounted sinners before any thing done on our part so in the second Adam we are to be justified before any thing wrought in us This the opponent doth much triumph in but without cause as the answer will manifest And in the first place we cannot but reject those Expositors of that text fore-quoted who understand us to be sinners in Adam only by imitation or by propagation meerly as from a corrupted fountain but we suppose it to be by imputation Adam by Gods Covenant being an universal person and so as Austin said Omnes ille unus homo fuerunt All were that one man And therefore these do not rise up to the full scope of the text who parallel Christ and Adam only as two roots Origens or fountains for there must be a further consideration of them as two common persons for our immediate fathers are a corrupted root and we are corrupted by them yet their sins are not made ours as Adams was Hence the Apostle laieth the whole transgression upon one as by one mans disobedience c. Those that deny imputation of Adams sin as the Pelagians of old and Erasmus with others of late do not relish that translation of those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom all have sinned but prefer the other Forasmuch as all have sinned in him but both come to the same sense and howsoever Erasmus say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a dative case must be understood causally yet that is not universally true for Mar. 2.4 there is mention made of the bed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which the paralytique lay it would be ridiculous to translate that inasmuch So Act. 2. Be baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the name Heb. 9. Those ordinances consisted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in meats We therefore grant That Adams sin was ours by imputation before we had any actual consent to it In which sense Bernard called it Alienum nostrum anothers sin and ours yea it is so farre from being ours by consent that if a man on purpose should now will that Adams sin should be his this would not make Adams sin imputed to him it would be a new actual sin in the man it would not be Adams sin imputed to him Now although all this be concluded upon yet it followeth not that therefore we are justified in Christ before we believe I acknowledge some eminent Divines have pressed this comparison but there is a vast difference in this very act of imputation and the ground of it for supposing the Covenant at first made with Adam all his posterity by a naturall way are involved in his guilt and so whether they will or no antecedently to their own acts they are obnoxious to this guilt Hence all men none excepted that are propagated in a natural way are thus corrupted but in Christ we are by a supernatural way and none are made his but such as beleeve in him and he doth not represent any to God as his members till
is this fable declareth that all men are by birth the sons of God but they fall from that right by alienating themselves from God it deserveth a double Animadversion one for calling this Parable fabula which although in a critical notion it may have a right sense yet use doth not now indure it It would be very offensive to call Christs Parables Christs Fables Secondly he sheweth unsound Divinity worse then Pelagians or Arminians as his very expression declareth but to passe that The Parable doth represent a godly man foully lapsed in sin and now returning to God and he accuseth himself aggravating sin that his Father took notice of it and whatsoever other Doctors teach yet this is the best way for godly persons repenting to aggravate their sinfulnesse in reference to Gods beholding of them and being angry with them Quicunque sibi se excusat accusat Deo whosoever excuseth himself to himself accuseth himself to God said Salvian and Tertul. In quantum non peperceris tibi in tantum tibi Deus crede parcet so much as thou shalt not spare thy self God beleeve it will spare thee Lastly This is to be observed that after his father had kissed him which was a sign of reconciliation and pardon yet the son confesseth he had sinned against heaven and before him A second rank of Arguments shall be from those places where the Spirit of God is said to mortifie our sins or we by his help to crucifie our sins if the Spirit of God do inable us to crucifie and mortifie sin as that which is an enemy and loathsome to him then notwithstanding Christs righteousness imputed God doth take notice of that which is filthy and to be removed in the godly But we are assisted by Gods Spirit to this Ergo. Rom. 8.11 13. If ye by the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body Gal. 3.18 If ye be led by the Spirit ye shall not fulfill the deeds of the flesh In these words are two plain Conclusions First That the godly have still sins in them for these are called the deeds of the flesh By deeds of the flesh are not meant grosse sins but all the inward motions and thoughts of the soul corrupted Secondly That the Spirit of God seeth them takes notice of them they are loathsome to him and therefore he mortifieth them Now the Spirit of God being the same with God that which he mortifieth must needs be taken notice of by him as offensive To this what do they answer They say We do not mortifie sin no not by Gods Spirit out of Gods sight but only out of our own sight so that when the Spirit of God overcometh a corruption in us this is not by removing it out of Gods sight but our own only Honey-Comb pag. 164. for say they Christs righteousnesse being made ours we are all clean before God and that which the Spirit of God doth afterwards in sanctification is cleansing away sin only declaratively before men Hence as you heard they distinguish of a two fold cleansing one secret and mysticall by Christs righteousnesse and the other palpable and grosse to our sense and feeling which is by Gods spirit in us but here are many mistakes and errours 1. That they oppose Christs cleansing and the Spirits cleansing together for what Christs bloud doth meritoriously cleanse away the same Christs Spirit doth by efficacious application Hence Christ by his death doth quite remove sin in respect of the guilt of it here on earth and doth give his Spirit to crucifie the power of it so that both Christs cleansing and the Spirits cleansing do relate to Gods sight for it is Gods will that we should not only be clean by imputed righteousnesse but also by inherent holinesse 2. It is false that we only mortifie sin declaratively to men for it is really and indeed done even to God-ward Hence this is the great difference between a Pharisaicall or externall mortification and a spirituall The former is from humane principles to humane motives the other is from God and to God and through God so that as that is not a divine faith but humane which is not from a divine principle and because of divine Authority so neither can that be divine and spirituall mortification which is not from divine efficiency and because of divine grounds Hereby it is that the whole work of grace is called a new creature and it is a new creature not only man-ward but God-ward and who can think when Eph. 4. we are exhorted to put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse that any other sense can be drawn out of it then that the putting off the old man and putting on the new have relation to God as well as man It is therefore well observed by Musculus on the former Text that both these are put together If ye through the Spirit do mortifie we and the Spirit The Spirit and that sheweth all the Popish means of mortification to be unprofitable the Spirit of God neither appointing them or working by them Then he addeth ye denoting that we also are to work and act being first quickned with a spiritual life put into us and not as some do now dangerously maintain give up all expecting the operation of the Spirit only 3. The falshood of this Assertion will further appear If the Spirit of God by mortification doth not remove sin out of us as to Gods sight then by further sanctification it brings no good thing into us as to Gods sight likewise and thus as God shall see no sin in his people so neither no good thing inherently in his people for this must necessarily follow by their principles as God takes no notice of sin inherent in believers to be angry with them so likewise no notice of inherent grace to be well pleased with them for if the Spirit of God do not cleanse our corruption from Gods sight then still the more corruption is washed away God still doth no waies approve that holinesse but it is only the imputed holines of Christ which he regards Therefore he that maintaineth God seeth no sin in believers to chastise must maintain he seeth no graces in them to reward them and take their own similitude as he say they that looks thorow a red glasse seeth every thing in it red if there be dirt in it it looks red if there be pearls in it it looketh red all is one to the sight so when God looketh upon us in Christ if there be sin if there be our own inherent holines it is all one God seeth only Christs holiness Thus while the Antinomian laboureth to have our sins covered from Gods eies he likewise spreads a covering over all the fruits of Gods Spirit in us that they shall not be taken notice of whereas none ever denied but that the graces of Gods people are acceptable to him though not to justification and many promises he makes to them
the imperfection being done away by Christ But in their way as God takes no notice of Pauls sinfull motions to be offended at them so neither of all his labourings and sufferings in the Gospel way Lastly If the Spirit of God do only mortifie as to our feeling and not to Gods sight then when the soul departs into glory all that inherent purity must only be declaratively also but in heaven we are made holy perfectly in Gods sight and that without any imputed righteousnesse of Christ though Christ did purchase and obtain that for us Now what the Spirit of God doth finish and consummate upon the souls dissolution he had begun even in this life A third sort of Arguments is from those places which commend repentance humiliation and godly sorrow for sin for if God takes no notice of our sin be not offended at it we may indeed be sorrowfull for sin because of men but not because of God Shall I be sorrowfull because God is offended when he is not offended shall I weep because God is angry when he is not angry If you ask Peter why he weeps bitterly will he not say Because he offended God If you ask the Corinthians why they are so deeply humbled will not they say because by their sins they provoked God to bring temporal calamities upon them so that the poisonous nature of this Doctrine appeareth in nothing more then in this it taketh away all grounds of humiliation and repentance of sin in those that do believe Therefore mark it He that saith there is no sin in the Church of God now which is their express opinion he must likewise say There is no godly sorrow in the Church of God now For what is the reason there can be no godly sorrow in heaven there was none in the state of innocency but because there was no sin there and it must be thus now in the Church of God This error eateth into the vitals of godlinesse therefore beware of it Say I will have no such free grace as shall take away godly sorrow Remember the gracious Promise Zech. 12. where God promiseth a spirit of prayer and mourning for sin as well as to blot out sin he shall not obtain the promise for the later that feeleth not the promise for the former And certainly if this Doctrine were true why did Paul say Though I made you sorry I did not repent We Ministers ought to repent that ever we made you sorry and you are to repent that ever you have been sorrowfull A fourth kinde is from all those places where God is said so to take notice of the sins of justified persons as that he doth grievously afflict them for their transgressions This Argument doth properly and directly overthrow the whole Antinomian assertion but because I have largely proved this already I will not insist on it To make good their assertion that God seeth no sin they are forced also to hold that all the afflictions upon the godly are only trials of their faith preservatives from sin but not correctives for sin But did not God see sin in Moses when for his unbelief he kept him out of Canaan Did not he see sin in David though pardoned grievously chastising him afterwards Did he not see sin in Jonah who would fain have run from Gods face that he might not have seen him Did he not see sin in the Corinthians when many of them were sick and weak for abusing the Ordinances yet many of them were such that therefore were chastened that they might not be condemned of the Lord. There are more arguments but at this time I conclude with an use of exhortation to broken-hearted and contrite sinners again and again to meditate upon the great and glorious expressions which the Scripture useth about forgivenesse of sin Your fears and doubs are so great that only such great remedies can cure you Tell me ye afflicted and wounded for sin is not this the best oyl that can be poured into your sores Tell me ye spiritual Lazarusses that lie at the gate of God daily who is rich in mercy desiring the very crumbs that fall from this table of grace are you thankfull because God provideth food and raiment and not much rather because of a pardon how great is Gods goodnesse he might have removed us out of his sight and he hath done so to our sins he might have thrown us into the bottom of hell and he hath cast our iniquities into the bottom of the sea he might have blotted our names out of the book of life and he hath blotted out our sins from his remembrance LECTURE VIII JEREMIAH 50.20 In those daies and at that time the iniquity of Judah shall be sought for and it shall not be found c A Fifth rank of arguments is from those places of Scripture wherein the people of God in their petitions and supplications doe necessarily imply this truth that God seeth taketh notice and is angry with their sins Now all petitions use to be in a two-fold faith one applicative and fiduciall the other doctrinall and assertive which is the foundation of the former If a Papist pray for the deliverance of any out of purgatory it is a vain prayer because there is not a theologicall verity to ground his prayer upon thus a Socinian cannot truly pray to God in Christ because he hath not a dogmaticall or assenting faith to the truth of Christs divine nature and so cannot have a fiduciall faith in the same Thus it would be with the people of God how can they in their prayers entreat God to turn away his anger from them to hide his face from their sins if he were not indeed angry Now that the petitions of Gods people are for this end will appear by severall places I shall not here mention that petition we are directed to in the Lords prayer viz. forgive us our sins for that is a noble instance and deserveth a single consideration of its self but we have many other instances as Psa 51.9 Hide thy face from my sins It is plain by this praier Gods face and so his eyes were upon Davids sins though justified and that a godly man falling into grievous sins hath them not presently covered from Gods eyes for his meaning by this phrase is that God would not regard them to visit them on him the contrary whereof is Psa 119.15 Let their sin be continually before thee and this is observable that David doth again and again petition for pardon whereby is shewed how difficult a thing it is to obtain the favour of God after we have offended him by our sins Neither let that be replied that this is done by Believers in the Old Testament for Paul bringeth a proof from Psa 32.1 to shew what is the nature of Justification even under the Gospel And that I may once for all this dissolve this objection of theirs I shall handle distinctly this question
smiteth him so Moses was denied entring into the land of Canaan which was an heavy affliction to him because he spake unadvisedly with his lips Commentators are at loss to finde out what his sin was So Davids sin in numbring the people it s disputed wherein the transgression lay Elies heavy judgements that came so frequently one upon another were for a want of that measure of zeal which should have burnt within him Oh therefore consider that God doth not only see sins that are mountains but that are mole-hils comparatively He doth not only see the beams but the motes that are in us he doth not only take notice of our mire and vomit if we return to that but of the least spot and wrinkle how deeply maiest thou humble thy self under every Religious duty performed by thee How often do we fail in the manner of a command as Vzzah in the order How often out of pride and self-confidence do we number our earthly props and refuges relying upon them How unadvised are our thoughts and words now these hairs of sins as I may so call them both for number and seeming littlenesse are all numbred before God As the Lord is angry with these lesser sins and defects in graces so also for Errors in Judgements and false opinions How well would it be for the Antinomian if God did not see this sin in them that they hold he seeth no sin in Believers I fear me God seeth and taketh notice of their erroneous Sermons of their corrupt Doctrines and seducing Books There are indeed those who would make heresie almost innocency and that it is more to be pitied then punished but the Apostle Gal. 5. reckons heresies among gross sins such as exclude from the Kingdom of heaven and how severe Gods anger is to those who do erre though in less matters and although they keep the foundation appeareth in that notable place 1 Cor. 3.12 13 14 15. It is a difficult place and those that would build Purgatory out of it they are the Architects of that hay and stubble the text speaks of Not to join with that exposition of some who by hay and stubble do understand evil works nor with Beza who denieth it to be meant of false doctrine but only of the manner of preaching He makes the building of gold and silver c. to be the pure and sincere doctrine of Christ the hay and stubble to be the vain affecting of eloquence and words but I rather go along with those that interpret the place of false doctrines but not such as do overthrow the foundation only they build superfluous unsound doctrine upon the true foundation which is as uncomely as if you should see a royall palace which hath gold for the foundation and precious stones for the wals yet have the covering of straw and stubble what deformity would this be yet so it is with the best preachers that are who yet adde some errors to the sound Doctrine they deliver Now for the opening of the place it is wholly Allegorical The preachers of Gods word are builders and they are to raise up a stately palace the materials are compared to gold and silver to precious stones The place is an allusion to Isa 54.12 I will make thy windows of Agats and thy gates of Carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant stones it is a description of the precious Graces and Doctrines which the Ministers of God are cloathed with and this sheweth with what esteem and high price all the truths of Christ ought to be received by you The Ark Ex. 25.3 4 5 6. was to be made of gold silver and other precious materials this is the nature of true Doctrine Now false Doctrine though it be not in fundamentals but in meer accessories is called hay and stubble and he that preacheth these shall come to a severe trial Every mans work saith the Text shall be made manifest where you see the spreading of false Doctrine is called the work of a man as in the second Epist of John it s called evil deeds and this evil work hath a two-fold effect First it makes the owner to suffer losse that is all that labour and pains he hath taken shall bring him no profit whereas if he had imployed himself in the truth his reward would have been great The lucrum cessans is as great a losse as the damnum emergens Oh! what a fearfull thing will it be for false teachers who have made it their whole business to spread new opinions to lose all their labour The other effect is that though he be saved yet it shall be so as by fire that is he shall be in extream danger and he shall have sad tribulations and miseries falling upon him see the like phrase Jude 23. pulling them out of the fire That which thou comfortest thy self with and gloriest in as if it were persecution it may be is nothing but part of the fire in the Text which is to afflict thee that thy drosse may be purged out let therefore all false teachers though belonging to God expect a fire of burning great afflictions and tribulations And if Antinomians have trouble for their Doctrine they are bound to believe God chastiseth them for this very opinion that he doth not chastise for sin I have bin the longer on this place because of the multitude of hay and stubble that is built every where God will have his day when a fire shall rise to consume it all and the true Doctrine will only continue The Apostle speaks as terribly afterwards v. 17. If any man defile the temple of God him shall God destroy where the Apostle calleth the Corinthians The temple of God now this is not so much true of every single Christian as when collected together in a Church or body and the Spirit dwelling among them is much more admirable then his presence in the Ark and he defileth this Temple who by any false Doctrine and error corrupts that society now the greatness of this sin is seen by the words following The Lord will destroy him for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that as God destroyed Athaliah and Beltashazzar for prophaning the Temple and the offerings or gifts of the Temple no lesse punishment unlesse they repent shall fall upon those who pervert the Doctrines of Christ I come to the second demonstration of Gods anger to believers when sinning and that is in spiritual and internal things now they are of two sorts first the consolations of the holy Ghost with the light of Gods favour secondly the flourishing and sprouting of the graces of sanctification In both these you shall finde the godly man after sin much withered What anger in the first sense after sin the godly may feel David will abundantly tell you Ps 11. he cals it the breaking of his bones you know how terrible and grievous that is and in the
doth sometimes afflict his people for their sins so that they cannot be in every sense said to be covered But I have spoken largely of this already Two material Objections are to be answered and then I shall proceed The first is If sinne be in the regenerate yet covered and not imputed How will this stand with the omnisciency truth and holinesse of God His omnisciency for he cannot but see sinne if it be there His truth for God must needs judge of things as they are if therefore sinne be there he must judge it to be there otherwise we make him like the wicked who covers sin he will not acknowledge it to be there Now what truth is this to say of a regenerate man he is cleansed and washed from all his evil and yet his evil is in him This the learned among the Papists doe much urge Pererius Tiriuus c. At most saith Suarez de justificatione it makes remission of sin to be nothing but a remission of the punishment not of the offence or fault The very same is urged by Antinomists Lastly How doth it consist with Gods holinesse for he must needs hate sinne in whomsoever he findes it and therefore for the Saints to have sin in them and yet God not to impute it to them seemeth a contradiction But to all this the answer is easie As for Gods omnisciency none say but by that God beholds sinne where it is and in that sense sinne is not at all said to be covered for he knoweth all in man As for his truth God doth judge as the thing is for as he seeth sinne so he judgeth sinne to be in them and according to that eternal rule laid down Psal 89.32 33 He chastiseth them with the rod though he take not his loving kindenesse from them so that God doth not judge things otherwise then they are And as for his holinesse he is not only angry with their sins but also would proceed to their eternall condemnation were it not for Christ their surety so that their sins are punished though not in their own persons Neither is this a taking away of sin only in respect of the punishment but of the offence also God being wholly reconciled with his people though the corruption which is removed by sanctification not justification is by degrees purged away The second Objection is How can God see sinne seeing they have Christs righteousnesse and there being no sin in that therefore God must look upon them as in Christ which is without any sin at all The answer is that when we say Christs righteousnesse is made theirs it is not to be understood subjectively as if it were a quality inherent in them for then indeed God could not see sin in them but relatively he is their Mediatour and by his obedience they are acquitted so that the righteousnesse is in Christ but by faith it becomes theirs not formally but as the merit for which God doth justifie them and God doth account it to them as theirs now this is no contradiction to be sinfull in our selves and yet at the same time acquitted by the righteousnesse of another It is true those expressions of making Christs righteousnesse a formall righteousnesse or as others a materiall righteousnesse and those disputations Whether Christs active or passive obedience both or either of them be imputed to us hath much darkned the Question whereas if we consider of it as a relative righteousnesse performed by our Surety in our stead the matter will be made much clearer yet I speak not this as if Christs active obedience were not made ours as in time may be shewed I come to the second Observation out of the Text which is That those only do esteem pardon of sinne as a blessednesse who feel inwardly the anger of God for sin David here in this Psalm being deeply wounded with the guilt of his sin judgeth not his kingdom his wealth his conquest over enemies an happy thing but pardon of sin Now the ground of this is because such is our custom though it be our weaknesse to esteem of mercies more carendo quà m habendo by wanting of them then having of them The blinde man earnestly desireth sight The lame man prizeth sound limbs A people distressed with warre and finding the bitternesse of it commend peace Thus it is here a man afflicted and imbittered in his soul because of sin he doth highly admire forgiveness and accounts those happy that walk in the sense of Gods favour Though innocency or freedom from sin may be majus beneficium a greater mercy then pardon and reparation yet this is dulcius beneficium a more sweet mercy to the sense and feeling of him who enjoyeth it Hence that Christ and the Gospel might be exalted God permitted sin to be and the Law is on purpose to discover sin and aggravate it that Christ and his grace may be the more welcome The Uses of both points together are 1. From the former Doth God in pardoning cover sinne then with what boldnesse may true faith triumph Why is the godly penitent as if his sins were alwaies in bloudy characters before God Why is he as if there were no bloud of Christ wherein these Egyptians are drowned If thou hadst never been a sinner thy heart would not have trembled Is not forgiveness making of a sin not to be as you have heard So that as Rachel is mourning for her children because they are not so maist thou be rejoycing because thy sins are not and although they be not covered out of thy sight yet if covered out of Gods sight that is thy blessednesse better have them rise up alwaies in thy conscience then once before God From the second we may be instructed who are the bâ—st Preachers of Christ and the grace of the Gospel who are Gospel-Preachers even such who make deep incisions and wounds first in mens consciences by the Law The only way for a Minister to make his auditors rellish and savour of Christ and grace indeed is to keep them in a godly sense and apprehension of their infirmities We are not in our first conversion only to have throbs and pangs after Gods grace but also this hunger and thirsting after Christ is to be kept up in the progresse of sanctification and therefore as those Ministers are to be blamed if any such that do only presse duty discover sinne but never set forth the fulnesse of Christ So they also are to be blamed who only presse such Texts as manifest Gods grace but never open that issue and fountain of all filth that is within us Both these tempered together are like Aarons excellent compound The last Use of Exhortation is to be so deeply humbled and tenderly affected within your selves that all within you may cry out Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne O that every Auditour which heareth me this day could with the same spirit
affection and turning of bowels within him proclaim this truth as David did What is said of Pauls Epistles is also true of Davids Psalms Nunquam Davidis mentem intelliges nisi prius Davidis spiritum imbiberis You can never fully understand Davids meaning unlesse you be possessed with Davids spirit Now that you may be moved hereunto consider the motive in the Text and the means to get it The motive is blessednesse a man is never an happy man till his sinnes be pardoned What makes hell and damnation but meerly not forgivenesse thy wealth thy greatnesse thy honours cannot bring that happinesse to thee which remission of sins doth Hence this is the cause of all other blessednesse And observe here is a great deal of difference between this place Blessed is the man whose sinnes are pardoned and those Texts where he is said to be blessed that feareth alwaies or he is said to be blessed that walketh not in the waies of the wicked for in the Text is shewed the cause or fountain of blessednesse viz. remission of sinne but in other places there is only deciphered who they are that are blessed A man that feareth is blessed but his fear is not the cause of his blessednesse A man that liveth godly is blessed but his godlinesse is not the cause of his blessednesse but his pardon of sin makes him blessed in all his graces Thou art blessed not because thou praiest hearest livest holily but because God doth forgive all thy sins and imperfections in these duties If therefore your graces your holy duties are not the cause of your blessednesse never think your outward mercies can be The means to obtain this is in the Text by having no guile in the heart that is by not hiding our sins but repenting of them and confessing them to God For this saith David every one shall pray unto thee in an acceptable time for this that is for this remission and because thou wast so ready to forgive when I said I will confesse my sin Therefore shall every one seek to thee where by the way let none abuse that place vers 5. David said he would confesse and God forgave it David did but say it and God pardoned it so some have descanted upon it But to say there according to the use of the Hebrew word in some places is firmly to purpose and decree so resolvedly that he will be diligent in the practice of iâ— Doe not therefore think that a meer lip-labour is that brokennesse and contrition of spirit which God requireth as the means to pardon LECTURE XXVI PSAL. 51.9 Hide thy face from my sinnes and blot out all mine iniquities YOu have heard of the peculiar usefulnesse of the Psalms in respect of our conditions or temptatians What some Authours I know not upon what ground have said of the manna that it had the taste of all delicate meats in it and gave a respective rellish to what every palate desired this may be truly affirmed of the Psalms they have a respective direction or comfort to every ones affliction or temptation Hence they have been called by some the little Bible or the Bible of the Bible for although all the stars be of a quintessâ—ntiall matter as the Philosophers say yet one star differs from another in glory And this Psalm among the rest hath no mean excellency or usefullnâ—sse it being a spirituall Apothecaries shop wherein are choice antidotes against the guilt and filth of sin so that every one may say that of this Psalm which Luther of another O Psalme Tueris meus Psalmus Thou shalt be my Psalm The occasion of this Psalm is set down very diligently and punctually in the inscription it was made when Nathan reproved David for his adultery after he had gone in to Bathsheba The Hebrew word is translated in the time past and so those that excuse Naaman 2 King 5.18 translate those words wherein Naaman begs for pardon for his bowing down in the house of Rimmon in the time past Thus pardon thy servant when my master went into the house of Rimmon-and I bowed my self And they bring this inscription of the Psalm to confirm such a translation We are in this Psalm to look upon humbledâ—or â—or his grievous sins as a Job sitting upon the dunghil abhorring himself because of the ulcers and loathsomenesse upon him or like a wretched Lazarus full of sores lying at Gods throne who is rich in mercy For mercy is the scope of the Psalm which he praieth for in the negative effects of it such as blotting out of his favour c. and in the positive effects thereof such as creating a new heart filling him with joy and gladnesse c. And this Petition is enforced with several arguments from Gods multitude of mercies from his confession and acknowledgement with a ready submission to all Gods chastisements from the pronenesse of every one to sin because of that original corruption seated in him from the good effect this pardon shall work upon him he will teach transgressours Gods waies so that his sinnes as well as his graces shall instruct others My Text is a praier about that negative effect of mercy which is expressed in two Petitions to the same purpose The first is Hide thy face from my sins The Scriptures give a face to God in a two-fold sense There is the face of his favour and his love This David in the 11th verse praieth God would not take from him And there is the face of his anger and his indignation This David perceiveth upon him and against him wherefore he desireth God would hide it from him So that it is an expression from a guilty person who cannot endure the just Judge should look upon him or rather from a childe offending who cannot bear the frowns of his father casting his eyes upon him David hath that filth and guilt now upon him which he knoweth God cannot behold but with much wrath and indignation therefore he praieth God would not look on him You see here David acknowledging That God doth see and take notice of the sins of justified persons in a most provoked manner This praier is expressed to the same sense in the next Petition Blot out all mine iniquities wherein consider the mercy praied for Blot out a metaphor as you have heard from merchants that cancell their debts or as the Suâ—doth dissipate and cause the cloud to vanish 2. The extent of the object all my iniquities Whether this extend to future sins so that all sins past present and futâ—re are pardoned together shall be considered in the second place From the first Petition Observe That God seeth and taketh notice of in a most angry and provoked manner the hainous and gross sins which a Believer hath plunged himself into For this reason David praieth God would turn away his eyes and face from him even as the sore eyes desire to have the light removed as being unable to