A Guide to Go to God, Petition 5 · Section 108 – Section 114
§. 108. Of mans subiection to ſinne.
Q. VVHat obſeruation doth the acknowledgement of debt afford?Nemo ſine peccato. Ambr. in Pſal. 118. S…rm. 16.
A. No man is free from ſinne. Peccatum habe… qui clamat ad deum, Dimitte nobis debita noſtra. Auguſt. l. de Haer. cap. 88.As this Prayer, ſo this Petition therein is preſcribed for eueryevery one on earth: which by iuſt conſequence implyeth, that eueryevery one is guiltie of ſinne: otherwiſe he had no need to pray for forgiueneſſe. But beſides this neceſſarie conſequence, the point is in expreſſe termesb1. King. 8. 46. oft ſet downe in Scripture.Rom. 3. 23. And eueryevery one, whoſe eyes the god of this world hath not blinded,Iam. 3. 2. and whoſe heart and conſcience hee hath not hardened and ſeared,1. Ioh. 1. 8, 10. findeth it by wofull experience to be too true.Vitium boc, vnde praua oriuntur deſideria, manet in homine. Aug. contr. …ul. lib. 6. Lex peccati & remiſſa eſt in re generatione ſpirituali, & …anet in carne mortali Aug. de Nupt. & Concup. l. 1. c. 25. Neither can it be otherwiſe, becauſe originall corruption, the mother and nurſe of ſinne abideth in him ſo long as any breath and life remaineth.
Obiect. They who hauehave their ſins forgiuen are free from ſin. But in this world many hauehave their ſinnes forgiuen.
Anſw. Remiſſion taketh away the guilt of ſinne, but not the roote of ſinne. The law of ſinne is remitted in ſpirituall regeneration, and yet it remaineth in mortall fleſh: otherwiſe ſinne could not be propagated in the regenerate,Iuſtificatis d…ſci pul…s lequebatur. Aug de ciu. dei. l 21. c. 27. who hauehave their ſins forgiuen. Therefore this Petition was preſcribed euen to the Diſciples that were iuſtified.
Iuſt cauſe on this ground hauehave we to deteſt the contrary poſitions of our aduerſaries,Preſumptuous poſitions of Papiſts. which are theſe that follow and ſuch like.
1. Whatſoeuer is truly and properly ſinne is taken away by Baptiſine. Concil. Trid. §. 5. Decret. de o…ig. pec.And to explaine their meaning to the full, leſt it ſhould be thought that by taking away ſinne, they vnderſtand no more then forgiuing or not imputing ſinne,Bellarm. de Bap. lib. 1. cap. 13. their great Champion addeth, that by Baptiſme all ſins are in very deed taken away, ſo as not onelyonly it is not imputed, Baptiſmo re…pſa telluntur omnia pecca…a, vt non ſolum non imputetur, ſed … ſi… quod imputart poſſit ad culpam.but there is not that which maybe imputed for fault or blame. Do they not hereby ſhew that the truth is not in them? For*1. Ioh. 1. 8. if we ſay that we hauehave no ſinne, we deceiue our ſelues, and the truth is not in vsus?
2. That concupiſcence which is in the regenerate, is not truly and properly ſinne. Anſw. What is this, but to hold that the ſpring of ſinne is cleane dried vp in the regenerate?Concil. Trid. ibid. Bellar▪ de Amiſſ grat. l. 5. c. 7. If the ſpring be drie, whence ſhall any ſtreames of ſinne proceed?
3. They which are iuſtified are able to keepe the whole Law. Concil. Trid. §. 6. c. 11.Anſw. If then they do what they are able, what need they aske remiſſion of ſinne,Bellar. de Iuſtiſ. l. 4. c. 10. Loc. citat. which is a tranſgreſſion of the Law.
4. The workes of iuſt men are perfect. Anſw. Perfection needs no remiſſion. For ſuch workes then by their doctrine they need aske no pardon. O preſumptuous and arrogant conceipts!
Let the vndeniable certaintie of the forenamed doctrine,Be humbled for ſinne. that No man is free from ſinne, humble vsus for that wofull condition wherein we liue,Bonum eſt homini vt imitetur publicanum, nec tumeſcat ſicut phariſaeus, qui i…ctauit … ſua, texit vul…era ſua. Aug. hom. 42. in l. 50. Hom. while here we liue. Sight of ſinne was it that humbled the Publican: whom it is better to imitate then to ſwell as the Phariſie did, who braged of his merits, and couered his wounds. Aſſuredly this miniſtreth iuſt cauſe of great humiliation: and it cannot but force ſuch as hauehave any ſpirituall ſight & ſence thereof to ſay, as the Leper vnderunder the law was wont to ſay, bLeu. 13. 45.I am vncleane, I am vncleane: and in horror & dete…ſtation of our ſelues, when we thinke of the preſence of the Lord, to ſay as Peter did,cLuke 5. 8. Depart from me for I am a ſinfull man, ô Lord. Yea to crie out with Saint Paul, dRom. 7. 24.O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliuer me from the bodie of this death!
And that thoſe out-cries may appeare to be effects of true humiliation,Seeke pardon for ſinne, rather then of deſperation, we ought earneſtly and inſtantly to ſeeke remiſſion of ſinne, which is the maine matter intended in this Petition: well weighing for the point in hand, thate1. Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithfull ſaying, worthy of all acceptation, that Chriſt Ieſus came into the world to ſaue ſinners.
§. 109. Of falling into ſinne daily.
Q. VVHat obſeruation doth our daily praying for forgiueneſſe of ſinne afford?Docetur peccare ſe quotidiè, dum quotidiè pro peccatis iubetur o rare. Cypr. de Orat. Dom §. 16. For the word, this day, expreſſed in the fourth Petition, is to be vnderſtood in eueryevery Petition.
A. EueryEvery day men fall into ſinne. The Metaphor ofaIob 15. 16. drinking iniquitie like water, importeth as much: for it ſheweth that it is as ordinarie and familiar for a man to ſinne as to drinke, which he doth oft eueryevery day. Dares any man denie the truth of this doctrine vponupon his experience? If he dare, ſurely his conſcience is as ſeared with an hot iron, or elſe he lyeth againſt his conſcience. For the forenamed originall corruption as it remaineth in vsus, ſo it remaineth as a ſpring in vsus, continually ſending forth ſome ſalt and bitter water of ſinne, more or leſſe.
Many excellent directions may fitly be inferred from this obſeruation.Duties for redreſſing the ſin whereinto we daily fall. As
1. To ſet apart ſome time eueryevery day for examination of our ſelues: that ſo we may the better obſerue thoſe ſeuerall ſinnes which eueryevery day paſſe from vsus. If they be not obſerued, they may lie ſo long feſtering the ſoule, as thereby proue incurable.
2. To humble our ſoules daily before God. EueryEvery day is the fire of Gods iealouſie kindled by our daily ſinnes, whereby he is prouoked to come out in wrath, and to take reuenge. EueryEvery day therefore muſt we fall downe before him with broken ſpirits and humbled ſoules. This is a meanes to turne his furie to pittie.
3. To renue our couenant with God eueryevery day. For eueryevery ſin maketh forfeiture of the couenant. The couenant being forfeited, with what comfort can wee apply it to our ſelues? with what confidence can we plead it before God?
4. To repent daily.bLuke 17. 4. Repentance is a prouiſo annexed to a mans forgiuing his brother.Quia nullus eſt dies in quo … poſſit eſſe ſi…e peccato, vna die eſſe non debet ſi ne paenitentia. Aug. in Apoc. Hom. 2. Much more doth God expect it of ſuch as expect forgiueneſſe of him. He that ſinneth ſeuen times in a day, muſt repent ſeuen times in a day. As ſinne incenſeth wrath, ſo repentance for ſin maketh God to repent his wrath. Becauſe therefore there is no day wherein a man is without ſin, he ought not to be one day without repentance.
5. To meditate eueryevery day as on the ſatisfaction which the Lord Ieſus once made vponupon the croſſe for our ſinnes, ſo on the interceſſion which he continueth daily to make at the throne of Grace.Rom. 8. 34. This giueth good ground of aſſured hope of continuall pardon for our continuall ſinnes. For the maine end of Chriſts continuall interceſſion is to make continuall application of his all-ſufficient ſacrifice to our continuall ſinnes.
6. To pray eueryevery day for pardon. This we are here expreſly taught to do. All the forenamed points are but preparations vntounto this. This, if it be performed in faith, is it that obtaineth pardon ſo oft as we ſinne. The daily offerings which eueryevery morning and euening were appointed vnderunder the Law,Exo. 29. 38, 39. prefigured thus much.
7. To watch continually. The more ſubiect and prone wee are to fall into ſinne, the more needfull it is, that with all heedfulneſſe we watch againſt ſinne. Satans ſedulitie, the deceitfulneſſe of ſinne, and our owne fooliſhneſſe require diligent and conſtant watchfulneſſe.
§. 110. Of the difference betwixt Gods abſolution, and mans apprehenſion thereof.
Ob. GOds forgiueneſſe is full, compleate, and abſolute. Whom once he acquitteth, he neuer calleth to accompt againe. His diſcharge is of ſinnes paſt, preſent, and to come. What need then of thoſe daily duties?
Anſw. That which on Gods part is at once fully done, is on our part by degrees apprehended and applyed.I grant it to be ſo in the eternall decree and ſecret counſell: yea and in that couenant which is made betwixt him and his Sonne, our Suretie. But in the application thereof to vsus, and in our apprehenſion of it by faith, (whereby onelyonly our ſoule can reſt quieted, and aſſured of it) a proceeding by degrees muſt be acknowledged. Though a beleeuer do for the preſent apprehend a full diſcharge of all the ſinnes whereof he doth then ſtand guiltie, yet through the violence of temptation, and the weakeneſſe of fleſh, he may againe and againe make queſtion and doubt of that diſcharge, eſpecially when he hath fallen into other ſinnes, or returned to the ſame ſinnes for which he before craued pardon. Oft ſinning doth much ſhake and weaken faith. Chriſt ſaw it needfull to giuegive to the woman, whom hee himſelfe abſolued,Ioh. 8. 11. this caueat, Sinne no more. Wherefore for ſtrengthening our weake faith in a full pardon of all our ſinnes, for new ſetling of it when it is ſhaken, for healing the wounds which are dayly made in our conſcience by dayly ſinnes, for preuenting the aduantage which might bee taken from our many forfeitures of couenant, the forenamed directions are daily to be obſerued.
§. 111. Of Popiſh indulgences for ſinnes to come, and Shriuing in Lent.
COntrarie to this branch of this Petition are the blaſphemous Indulgences which by Popes and popiſh Prieſts are giuen for ſinnes to come,See §. 126. and that not onelyonly for ſome particular ſinnes,Vid. Hadrian. in tract. de Indulg. Nauar. de. Iubil. Cornubenſ. de Indulg. Ioh. de Turrecr. in Comment. de Poen. Bell. de Indulg. whereby they eag on, and embolden men to commit thoſe ſinnes, but alſo for all manner of ſinnes, not for a day, or a weeke, or a monethmonth, or a yeare, but for many yeares, yea all their life. And leſt they ſhould feare vengeance and puniſhment for their ſinnes after this life in Purgatory (with which fiction they much affright their people) they extend their indulgences farre beyond the times which they themſelues doe ſet for Purgatorie, euen vntounto*Indulgentiae interdum continent condonationem poenitentiae quindecim, vel viginti millium annorum. Bellar. de Iudulg. l. 1. c. 9. Auditum ſub coelo non legitur quod corum voce depromitur, Date nobis veniam, dum tamen nos in errore manemus. Gelaſ. Epiſt. ad Fauſt. Concil. Trid. §. 14 c. 5. 6, 7. 8. fifteene and twenty thouſand yeares. Are not flood-gates hereby wide opened to all manner of licentiouſneſſe? are not men hereby made not onelyonly ſecure, but alſo impudent in committing ſinne? By thoſe indulgences men are taught to ſay, Grant vsus pardon, euen while we commit ſinne. Was euer the like heard?
To the like licentious libertie doth their ſuperſtitious cuſtome of Auricular confeſſion, and of abſolution thereunto giuen by a Prieſt once a yeere in Lent, bring men. Yet this is not onelyonly by ordinarie cuſtome practiſed, but by their great Councell at Trent warranted.
§. 112. Of neglecting to ſeeke diſcharge of ſinne till Eaſter: or till a day of viſitation, or death
VVHat now ſhall wee ſay of ſuch among vsus as put off all ſerious and thorow examination of themſelnes, confeſſion of their ſinnes, and renewing of repentance of Eaſter, when they intend to receiue the holy Communion? Though they forbeare the ſuperſtitious practiſe of Auricular confeſſion, yet they make as wide a gap for licentiouſneſſe, and wickedneſſe as Papiſts doe. For ſuch commonly make little o… no conſcience of any ſinne till about Eaſter time. And is there not iuſt cauſe to thinke that that ſhew of conſcience which they then make, is but a meere ſhew? and that it ſauoureth more of fond ſuperſtition, then of ſound Religion? Can it be imaginned that ſuch as all the yeare long let looſe the raines to impietie, and iniquitie, can once in the yeare make a thorow examination of their ſoules, and confeſſion of their ſinnes? Neither will they hauehave any minde to diue to the depth of ſuch a ſea: neither if they had a will thereto, could they poſſibly doe it. Such mens ſoules muſt needs feſter for want of timely and due ſearch thereinto.
Much more deſperate muſt there caſe needs be,The danger of putting oft exa mination, and repentance too long. who are ſo farre from a dayly, yea and yearely ſearching of themſelues, and ſeeking to be diſcharged of their ſinnes, as all their life long they neuer thinke of any ſuch matter, vnleſſe God by ſome extraordinarie iudgement bring them, as hee brought Pharaoh, Exod. 10. 16.generally and confuſedly to acknowledge that they hauehave ſinned: or vnleſſe they obſerue death to hauehave ſeaſed vponupon them: at which time if their ſinnes bee laid before them, either their heart is like,1. Sam. 25. 37. as Nabals, to die in them, and to become ſenceleſſe as a ſtone: or elſe their conſcience to be, as Iudas his conſcience was,Math. 27. 5. was, a racke, or rather an hell vntounto them, vncapable of comfort. For at the time of death the bodie is weake, the heart faint, the ſpirits dull: yea to him that hath not before made his peace with God, the thought of death can not be but very terrible, a meanes euen to aſtoniſh him that is otherwiſe feeble, dull and heauy. Satan, that is not ignorant hereof, taketh great aduantage there at: and is then moſt buſie to tempt, and moſt fierce and forward to aſſault▪ when man is leaſt able to reſiſt. And whereas all our hope of ſtanding againſt Satan is in Gods helpe: ſuch as hauehave all their life long prouoked Gods wrath, and vſed no meanes to be reconciled to him, can hauehave little hope in the laſt act to receiue helpe from him.
§. 113. Of the wofulneſſe of the debt of ſinne.
Q. WHat doctrine doth the reſemblance of ſinne to debt, imply?
A. Sinners debters to God iuſtice.Sinne maketh man bound to the reuenging iuſtice of God. He that thus prayed to God,Pſal. 143. 2. Enter not into iudgement with thy ſeruant, well knew as much.
EueryEvery ſinne is a breach of Couenant betwixt God and man. It maketh forfeiture thereof. As a debter therefore that hath made forfeiture of his bond, ſtands liable to the reuenge of the Creditor: or rather, as a malefactor that hath tranſgreſſed the Law of his Soueraigne, is liable to the penaltie of the Law: ſo a ſinner to the iuſt reuenge of Gods Law.
Take notice hereby of the horrible nature of ſinne.Horribleneſſe of ſinne. It kindleth the wrath, it prouoketh the reuenge of the Creator. Who knoweth the power of his anger? Pſal. 90. 11.As his greatneſſe is, ſo is his anger: Infinite, inſupportable. Hence is it that the creature on whom it lyeth, lyeth vnderunder it eternally. For hee is no way able to eaſe himſelfe of that burden. If this were duely weighed, and ſeriouſly thought of when we are tempted to any ſinne, would we be ſo fooliſh, as for a little momentany delight to runne into ſuch a debt as will caſt vsus into that priſon, out of which there is no releaſe, and in which there is torture and torment, endleſſe and eaſeleſſe. We count them miſerable that fall ſo farre into mans debt, as they are neuer able to diſcharge it. What may we then thinke of ſuch as fall into this debt of ſinne?
Take alſo hereby further notice of the neceſſitie of ſuch a Surety as Ieſus Chriſt is,Neceſſitie of Chriſts Suretiſhip. God-Man in one perſon. For ſuch is the debt of ſinne, as no creature in heauen or in earth was able to diſcharge it. If Chriſt had not vndertaken the diſcharge thereof, our caſe had been like to the caſe of thoſe Angels, who are reſerued in euerlasting chaines vnderunder darkneſſe, Iude, verſe 6.vntounto the iudgement of the great Day.
§. 114. Of eueryevery ſinne being mortall, yet not equall.
Q. WHat doth the penaltie whereby ſinne is made a debt, import?
A. Sinne is mortall. Yea becauſe this Metaphor, Debts, being of the plurall number, is indefinitely vſed, and compriſeth all manner of ſinnes vnderunder it, I may further inferre, that
EueryEvery ſinne is mortall. For that penalty which is due to theſe debts, is death. InſtancebGen. 2. 17. the firſt ſinne that was committed. And to ſhew that the like holdeth in eueryevery ſinner, the Prophet without any limitation, reſeruation, or exception at all, ſaith,cEzek. 18. 4. The ſoule that ſinneth it ſhall dye. If it be a ſinne, in that it is ſinne, deadly it must needs be, bee it great or ſmall; in thought, word, or deed. FordRom. 6. 23. the wages of ſinne, (euen of whatſoeuer is ſinne) is death. Being a ſinne, it is a tranſgreſſion of the Law. For theſe two words, ſinne, tranſgreſſion, are conuertible, and reciprocall termes: one importeth as much as the other.eforeign. Sinne is a tranſgreſſion. e1. Ioh. 3. 4.And,fforeign. All vnrighteouſneſſ (or eueryevery tranſgreſſion) is ſinne. But eueryevery tranſgreſſion is deadly. For,gGal. 3. 10. Curſed is eueryevery one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Law. And all vnrighteouſneſſe is deadly. For hRom. 1. 18.the wrath of God is reuealed againſt all vnrighteouſneſſe. And that not without iuſt cauſe. For all vnrighteouſneſſe, eueryevery tranſgreſſion, eueryevery ſinne is againſt the good will of God who is of infinite excellency and Maieſtie,See my Treatiſe of the ſinne againſt the holy Ghoſt. §. 31. and in that reſpect it is of an infinite praultie, and deſerueth an infinite puniſhment, eternall death.
Obiect. Thus all ſinnes are made equall.
A. Nothing leſſe. For neither doth the ſame kinde of puniſhment make all the crimes, for which it is inflicted, equall; nor doth the ſame kinde preſuppoſe the ſame meaſure of puniſhment. Robbers and murtherers are put to the ſame kinde of death: yet is murther a more hainous ſinne then robberie. Beſides among ſuch Malefactors as are put to death, the kinde of death whereunto ſome are put, is much more terrible, then that whereunto others are put. Will any thence inferre, that all crimes which are capitall, are equall? Much more abſurd is the inference of Papiſts, that all ſinnes are made equall, becauſe all are made mortall. They themſelues doe not hold all the ſinnes which they iudge mortall,Mat. 11. 22, 24. to bee equall. There are degrees of torment in hell. Though all ſuch in their nature and kinde (if they be not forgiuen) implunge men into death and damnation, yet not into the ſame degree of torture.