Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 2 · Verse 13
VERSE 13. And yee which were dead in ſinnes, and in the uncircumciſion of your fleſh, hath Hee quickened together with Him, forgiving you all your treſpaſſes.
NOw he commeth to repeate this benefit, inſiſting more largely upon it: and firſt he ſetteth downe the ſtate of them before they were quickened: Secondly the quickning of them: Thirdly the manner of the action, the order in which he quickened them, which ſtandeth in a threefold antecedent in nature before this their reſtoring to life.
The firſt is pardon of ſin.
The ſecond is cancelling the obligation againſt them:
The third is the ſetting them free from thoſe jaylors and executioners in whoſe keeping they were.
The two firſt are in this thirteenth verſe, the latter in the end of the thirteenth verſe, and in the other two following.
The firſt of the antecedents in the end of the thirteenth verſe.
The ſecond in the fourteenth verſe.
The third in the fifteenth verſe.
To returne to the thirteenth verſe. And firſt in genenerall from this his Commoration in this benefit, wee note: Doct. That our quickning in CHRIST, is ſuch a benefit which we muſt not quickly have done with, and lightly paſſe over: The Apoſtle cannot move from this till hee have dwelt a while upon it, and amplified and enforced on them the conſideration of it: So it is, we lend it little thought, but the more is our fault: we ſhould, when wee thinke on God's benefits in Chriſt, make a ſtand, and dwell upon them, that ſo we might be more affected.
2 Marke, What Ministers muſt doe, Doct. viz. they muſt amplifie to their people the benefits beſtowed on them: how often doth Moſes this in Deutr. For,
1 It is for the honour of God, that His benefits ſhould be ſet forth.
2 It edifieth others, and gaineth glory to God, while they are to know the things beſtowed on them; and they are by this meanes wrought unto thankſgiving. Againe, wee are like children, wee know not the worth of thoſe great things wherewith GOD hath enriched us: As a young childe that hath great patrimonies and priviledges, doth not to any purpoſe conceive the worth of them: yea, we are as forgetfull, as the eaten bread is quickly forgotten. And beſide, a benefit while enjoyed, groweth no dainties with us: in all theſe regards we muſt uſe this practiſe of the Apoſtle. If men have outward commodities, and abilities, and gifts of any kinde, they know them too well, even till they be proud of them; but in heavenly things, it is quite otherwiſe.
Now for their condition, it is deſcribed from the ſtate of death: You when you were dead. 2. The kinde of death, viz. in ſin. 1. Actuall, in treſpaſſes. 2. Originall, in uncircumciſion of heart; which is ſet downe by a Synecdoche or Metonymie of the ſigne for the thing ſignified: Outward Circumciſion put for outward and inward, which is more emphatical, when they were ſo dead, that inwardly, and outwardly they did lye in evill: the meaning is, when you were utterly dead in ſoule, mortall in body, ſubject to eternall damnation by reaſon of your actuall tranſgreſſions, and original corruption: You then He quickened, that is, GOD the Father, out of the Verſe before; with His CHRIST.
Firſt then obſerve: That we are by nature dead to God: the ſame is Eph. 2.1. We are not like a man in a ſleepe, nor like the Samaritan greatly wounded, but we are ſtarke dead in regard of the life of GOD. Rom. 5. he ſaith, Wee are of no ſtrength; not of feeble ſtrength: and the naturall man is often ſo called; My Sonne was dead, and is alive: let the dead bury their dead. A man is every way by nature dead, his body is mortall in dying from his birth: eternall death of ſoule and body hangeth over him: His ſoule is quite dead: for God in regard of His preſence of ſanctifying grace going from a man, he dyeth in ſoule: As the ſoule going from the body, the naturall life is extinct.
But it may be ſaid, Object. why man hath ſome reliques of knowledge: Againe, ſome of the Heathen have excelled in vertuous actions without grace.
Every knowledge is not the life of God ſtrictly ſo called, Anſw. but that knowledge which affecteth the heart to follow God, to truſt in Him, love Him; They that know thee, will truſt in thee; otherwiſe the divels doe know God in their kinde.
2 The knowledge of man is able to make him unexculable onelyonly, not able to make him alive according to GOD: for theſe Heathens vertues, they were but pictures without the ſoule and life of vertue in them, ſplendida peccata: good trees they were not; and therefore their fruit could not be good, all is not gold that gliſters.
This then confuteth all doctrines of free-will, Vſe 1 or of any power in man, which holpen a little, can helpe it ſelfe: Dead men have nothing in them to help themſelves toward this world, ſo it is with us toward the other. Yea, we ſee hence, that it is not ſuggeſtions to the minde, nor exhortations that will doe it; we doe but tell a dead man a tale, and all in vaine, till God create a new light in the minde, and take away the heart of ſtone, and give us tender new hearts: let us confeſſe our utter foreign, impotencie, and inability, and give glory to God.
Hence muſt be enforced to the natural man what is his eſtate, dead in his ſoule; Vſe 2 hee heareth not the thunder of GOD's Law, nor His ſweet promiſes, he ſeeth no heavenly thing, neither GOD, nor any ſpirituall matter; hee taſteth no reliſh in any meat of the ſoule; he ſpeaketh not a word powdred with grace; hee ſtirreth not hand nor foot to that which is good: Oh the world is full of theſe ghoſts, twice dead, as Saint Iude ſpeaketh: yea, the relikes of this ſpirituall death hangeth about us all.
Marke, from this: that we who are alive through grace, Vſe 3 muſt not aſſociate our ſelves with thoſe that are meere naturall men; for we ſee that no living thing can abide that which is dead, the beaſts will ſtart at a dead carrion, our deareſt friends we put from us when dead: but (alas) the LORD's children now can goe hand in hand with ſuch who have not a ſparke of grace in them: Oh this death is not terrible, we are al ſo much in it, that we ſee not the filthineſſe of it. As a blacke hue among the Black-moores is not reproachfull: So dead ones with us, whoſe graces are ready to dye, agree well enough.
In ſinnes] Obſerve; Doct. That ſinne both originall and actuall is the death of the ſoule: Mors animae peccatum. Our ſin in which we are borne and live, is the death of our ſoules; and the demerit of further death: Death it is, to death it goeth. Now what is death? is it not the abſence of life, the ſoule being gone with the entrance of corruption? And what is ſinne? Is it not the abſence of ſaving knowledge, righteouſneſſe and holineſſe, with the corruption of the minde, will, affections? ſo that the ſpirituall ſtinch of it ſtreameth out; at the eye luſt, at the eare itching after vanity, at the mouth rottennes is the beſt, I mean unfruitfull ſpeech, ſometime bitterneſſe. Looke as holineſſe is the beginning of life everlaſting, which goeth on till it end in glory: ſo is ſin the death of the ſoule, which doth, if the grace of CHRIST heale it not, never ſtay, till it come to everlaſting damnation. As for ſinfull actions, they are nothing but the ſtinch which commeth from the dead corps, I meane the body of ſin dwelling within us: For as heavie ſavours come from a putrified body: ſo doe theſe motions from a corrupt ſoule. And as a childe, if he doe ſwarve from morality, and civill vertue, following whores, and abominable courſes, be a royoter, a theefe; when thou ſeeſt an abſence of civill vertue, thou ſayeſt, he is even a loſt childe: what then ſhall wee thinke of our ſelves, being without all heavenly vertue of faith, hope, joy in the Spirit, godlineſſe, temperance? &c.
The uſe is, Vſe that we would conſider of ſinne, and our eſtate through it, that we who have not thought of it, may yet ſet our hearts to the way of life, that we may be thankfull who have eſcaped from it, that we may take heed of it, and labour to be healed more and more of it. Should ſome learned Phyſitian tell you ſuch or ſuch a deadly thing were growing on your body, how would you thank him, and make uſe of it? Oh it is well with thee, if God make thee wiſe, that thou heareſt this day, how thou art dead in ſpirit; and for us, we are glad when we eſcape ſome great bodily ſickneſſe; and if there dwell reliques of ſicke matter, wee keepe rules deſanitate tuenda; how much more ſhould we be wiſe for our ſoules?
3 That he ſaith, they were dead in treſpaſſes] Obſerve What is the life of a naturall man, even a death in treſpaſſe: Doct. tota infidelium vita peccatum: like tree, like fruit: now the very conſcience of them is polluted. Tit. 1.15. without faith it is impoſsible to GOD. True it is, that outwardly they doe many things that are laudable, but ſtill they walke in the fleſh, the Divell hath conjured them ſo into that circle, that they cannot ſtirre forth of it: Looke as in the fleſh of a beaſt, there is ſome part of greatuſe, bought up at great price, ſome that is caſt to the pudding pits, yet all is fleſh: ſo in the life of the naturall man, ſome workes are of good uſe, and in commendation with man, ſome are abominabl, but all are of the fleſh. As a liveleſſe image hath the reſemblance of a man, but is nothing leſſe: So the vertuous actions of naturall men have that appearance of good, but want the ſoule and life of it in which it conſiſteth.
This is to be marked againſt the Papiſts: Vſe as it teacheth us not to reſt in this, that we are neither theefe nor whore; for be our life never ſo civill, it is death in ſinne till grace quicken. There is a double madneſſe, as Hippocrates obſerveth;foreign the one very light and toying, the other more ſober and ſolemne, in which men ſit ſtill muſing deepely upon ſome fancies: Such a difference we have in ſpirituall phrenſies; ſome are very ſober over other ſome, as we ſee the lives of ſome naturall men gravely ordered, and morally, in compariſon of others, but yet all is deluded phrenſie before GOD.
2 Marke hence; Doct. 2 That our courſe in actuall ſinne doth ſinke us deeper, and deeper in death; when you were dead in ſinne; intimating thus much, that the cuſtome of their treſpaſſes did hold them under death. Even as the more the body putrifies, it goeth further into death: So here, the more the ſoule doth exerciſe it ſelfe in evill, the deeper it ſinketh into the death of it: It is fitly likened to the ſtone of the ſepulchre, this cuſtome of actuall ſinning; for it doth ſeale us up, and keepe us downe more ſtrongly under it: VponUpon this ground the Prophet asketh, How ſhall the Leopard change his ſpots? no more can thoſe that are accuſtomed to evill, learne to doe well.
Which muſt make us take heed how wee goe on in a ſinfull courſe, Vſe for it maketh us rot in this ſpirituall death, and maketh it more difficult for us to returne. Many that procraſtinate repentance, they thinke not on this.
You hath He quickened with CHRIST] that is, both perfectly in CHRIST, with whom your life is hid, and initially in your ſelves, being joyned with CHRIST. Vos cum Chriſto convivificavit, conjunctos Chriſto. Obſerve hence, Doct. How farre we are from being prepared to receive the grace ſhewed us by GOD, when we are quickened to beleeve; Even as well diſpoſed as Lazarus was for his reſurrection to this preſent life, of whom it was ſaid, that he now ſtanke in the grave: No, there was as much diſpoſition in that Tohu and Bohu, that inanity and deformity which was before the world, to the being, yea, the ordinate being of all the Creature, as there is in our ſoules to the worke of grace. We are as farre from this heavenly forme of ſupernaturall life, as the deformed Chaos of the Creature was from this beautifull figure, before the LORD did bring it forth. There is nothing in Nature can ſo diſpoſe a man to grace, as that it ſhould neceſſarily follow: for onelyonly the principal agent which bringeth in the forme it ſelfe is able to worke the immediate diſpoſition upon which the forme enſueth: As nothing but fire can bring combuſtible matter to be ſo ſparke as that whereupon it preſently burneth; for ſuch a diſpoſition is the firſt point of bringing in he forme it ſelfe.
In this therefore many of the Papiſts are wide; yea, Vſe erre from ſound reaſon it ſelfe: let us therefore by confeſſing our owne utter untowardneſſe, and repugnancie to GOD's worke, glorifie His Name.
2 That hee doth mention their eſtate before to illuſtrate GOD's mercy; Obſerve, Doctr. What is the way to bring men to thankfull acknowledgement of GOD's grace, to teach them to ſee what they were when GOD ſhewed it. Thus Moſes, thorow the Booke of Deuteronomie, often calleth on them to think what they were in Aegypt; yea, from their comming forth of Aegypt to that day wherein he ſpake, being now not many dayes from his death: So Ezek. 16.30. Saint Paul every-where.
The Papiſts doe moſt wickedly derogate from GOD's glory, Vſe 1 while they teach ſomething in us which is a partiall agent with God; ſo good preparations, and diſpoſitions to this and that: But Moſes otherwiſe; Not for the goodneſſe of thy heart, not that yee were more in number; though He caſt off others for their ſinnes, He tooke not thee for thy deſervings.
We may hence ſtrengthen our ſelves, Vſe 2 not to doubt in receiving God's particular promiſes, though we finde our ſelves unworthy, nothing ſo fitted as we ſhould be. Not unto us, O Lord, but unto thy Name, &c. For my Name-ſake, not for your ſake, O yee Houſe of Iſrael. As at the firſt, ſo after GOD doth diſpenſe His favours, that we have ſtill cauſe to confeſſe our unworthineſſe: to His Name, to CHRIST our Mediatour, to His Truth, all is to be attributed, and from them all is to be expected.
Hath He quickened together with Him] Obſerve then, That all believers have a new life in and through Chriſt. Doct. To underſtand it, wee muſt note, that CHRIST in dying was after a ſort all of us; for in our Nature, Hee made Himſelfe one with us, and had us all by name as a body unto Him, and all our ſinne He tooke as His owne, having made Himſelfe one myſticall Perſon with us.
Secondly, you muſt know, that CHRIST thus having us all with Him as members belonging to Him through the gift of His Father, and having all our ſinne made His, He dyeth for us all, and for the aboliſhing of all our ſinnes; ſo that we all lye dead with Him, and out ſinne is all crucified with Him; for it beginneth not to be crucified when wee dye to it, no, here was the beginning of it.
Thirdly, CHRIST lying dead with all His dead in Him, having taken away the guilt, and wrought the death of ſin in all His, or the death of all His members to ſin; CHRIST with His body being dead, is raiſed, and receiveth that treaſury of ſupernaturall life, which is to be derived in the order of it to all His; ſo that CHRIST riſing, all of us riſe in Him, as our Head, for the members have ſociety in whatſoever is done in the Head.
2 As a thing may be ſaid to be in the cauſe of it; ſo was all our reſurrection in His, which was to be the cauſe of all our reſurrection: As Adam and Eve were the cauſe of propagating a naturall life to all mankinde.
Fourthly, CHRIST thus raiſed and made the conceptacle, and fountaine of ſupernaturall life, ſendeth out His vitall influence into ſuch as belong to Him: (1) By faith, giving them a being ſpirituall, or an union in Him; even as Adam gave a naturall being, or participation of his ſubſtance unto his members. (2) He doth ſend into them, thus united with Him, the Spirit of life from Himſelfe, that is, the HOLY GHOST to dwell in them by the created gifts of grace, which is life ſupernaturall; They ſhall heare my voice who are dead, that is, they ſhall beleeve, and they ſhall live. (3) CHRIST doth ſucceſſively perfect this life, never leaving till He have in ſoule and body conformed us (for our module) to His bleſſed Soule, and glorious body. And theſe may ſerve to open this point of beliefe. The difficulty of conceiving it, commeth hence. 1. That we know not how ſtraitly and neerely we are united to Him: for as all were within the loynes of Adam, by the determinate Counſell of GOD to come from Him: ſo all the Elect by GOD's predeſtination and donation were within CHRIST, as one in Him, and with Him. 2. Wee are not able to ſee that vertue of His reſurrection.
The uſe is firſt, Vſe to incite us to ſeeke to have our eyes opened, that we may know the treaſury of good things we have in CHRIST, and the power which Hee hath put forth in us. We ſhould love CHRIST a thouſand times more, if wee knew feelingly what Hee were to us. We are not able to ſee, how we in the womb are formed: how much more will our eyes dazle here further than GOD doth cleare them?
This alſo muſt make us hold to our head CHRIST, even as we will have life in us; get a member away from having communion with the Head, it is preſently liveleſſe, having neither ſenſe nor motion: So in us with CHRIST.
We ſee whither we muſt have recourſe for life, Even to CHRIST; Come to me and your ſoules ſhall live, to GOD in our Nature; looke at thy owne fleſh in heaven, and draw from it, as a Conduit-pipe, increaſe of grace ſent thee from it, by the Spirit which dwelleth with it.
Having forgiven you all treſpaſſes] Now he commeth to the order of our new quickening, which hee ſetteth downe by three antecedents which made way to it.
1 He pardoned our ſinne.
2 He croſſed our Bill.
3 He freed us from the power of Satan, and all infernall ſpirits.
Before I enter them, let this in generall be premiſed to cleare the text: Suppoſe that we ſtood in great debt unto any; ſay againe that he had to ſhew for all the debt under his owne hand: Put the caſe, thirdly, that wee were caſt into priſon, and in the cuſtody of ſome Gaolour, or any officers to that purpoſe: If hee at whoſe ſuite wee are in hold, be willing to ſet us free, what doth he firſt? he doth pardon the debt. Secondly, he doth Cancell our bills and bonds, for he that keepeth our bonds ſeemeth not to forgive, nor willing to let us goe, otherwiſe than that he may have a ſaying to us when he pleaſeth. Thirdly, he doth releaſe his action, and ſetteth him out of bands that held him; and after all this, diſmiſſeth him to his liberty: So here, we are in for debt, ſuch debt as toucheth life it ſelfe, the matter is under our owne confeſſion; the Divell holds us under chaines of darkneſſe: GOD is willing to reſtore us to life.
1 He pardoneth our faults.
2 Rendeth the Articles of our confeſſion.
3 Taketh us out of their hands who were miniſters of His juſtice in the cloſe keeping of us.
This ſhall ſuffice to illuſtrate it in generall.
We ſee hence, Doct. That in order of nature, firſt we have pardon of ſinne, before wee have the life of grace begun in us; there muſt be a removall of evill, before there can be a conferring of good. Thus in CHRIST Himſelfe, He was acquit from all our ſinne, which was upon Him before He was raiſed up; yea, if the leaſt ſinne of any of us, who are His, had beene unanſwered, Hee had not beene raiſed up; and for this cauſe, Rom. 4.25. The raiſing of CHRIST is ſaid to be our juſtification; that is, God in rayſing Him up did manifeſt that Hee was fully anſwered for all our ſinnes, ſo that we now are quit from all our ſinnes, in CHRIST our Head: Even as if one lye ſentenced a dead man for treaſon againſt the King, he cannot have His life given him, but pardon of his fault is firſt given: So here anſwerably, we are not reſtored to feele the life of God take place in us, till our ſins, which cauſed our death, are removed.
In a ſinners reſtoring, this is the order:
1 God by faith ſetteth Him into CHRIST, who is His righteouſneſſe, in whom belongeth to Him forgiveneſſe.
2 God, when by beliefe He is in CHRIST, doth pronounce Him juſt, or acquit Him from ſinne.
3 The LORD doth ſend the Spirit of His Son into His heart.
This is the order in Nature, though in time theſe things goe together. This is to be noted againſt the Papiſts, who, when a ſinner hath by deadly ſinne loſt the life of grace (as they ſay) though he after come to have never ſuch love to God, yet will not have the ſinne forgiven till the Prieſt hath abſolved him: As if God did reſtore the life of grace before He gave the pardon of ſinne. This out of the order.
The words have foure things to be marked:
1 Who forgiveth, God the Father, He raiſed up both CHRIST and us, when He had forgiven.
2 The manner of forgiving in this word foreign: of meere grace, and free favour.
3 The Perſons, VsUs; which is to be marked, for He had ſaid, Who quickened you. Now he returneth:
The Perſon ſpeaking in the firſt Perſon.
4 The things forgiven, all ſinnes; paſt, preſent, to come, originall and actuall, of each a little.
We ſee who it is that forgiveth our ſinnes, Doct. 1 properly God the Father, Son and Spirit; We pray to God therefore for forgiveneſſe; and we ſee that the Scribes and Phariſies kept this perſwaſion, that GOD only can forgive ſinnes.
Concerning forgiving here, thus much.
1 We muſt know that forgiveneſſe of ſinne properly is an act of God's will, whereby Hee no longer holdeth our guilt, and keepeth wrath againſt us, but returneth into favour with us.
2 That God forgiveth all penitent beleeving ſinners, holding the impenitent and unbeleever guilty.
3 That God uſeth in an eminent manner His Miniſters, for applying this forgiveneſſe.
The queſtion is; how farre God uſeth them; whether to teſtifie unto them what GOD doth, or hath done to them repenting, and ſo to raiſe up their faith toward Him, with whom is forgiveneſſe: or whether God uſeth them judicially, that is, as Iudges, with power to forgive, Himſelfe onelyonly executing what they determine, ratifying that they pronounce, ſuſpending all His action till the Prieſt paſſe his ſentence: ſo that as the Iudges ſentence doth make one innocent, the King, who giveth the power, doing it by Him; yea, God Himſelfe, (whoſe judgement was after a fingular manner in the Common-wealth of Iſrael) not otherwiſe abſolving and condemning thus by them: So here God ſhould forgive by His Prieſts, whom He hath delegated with power in theſe courſes.
Now this cannot ſtand: For,
1 The Prieſt ſhould more properly forgive than God, though he doe it as a Miniſter from God: As the King doth not judge cauſes in triall formally, but by his Iudges in Courts, who have the power from Him, though hee doth it, in ſome ſort, becauſe he giveth the authority, ratifieth it, and upholdeth the execution of it.
2 If God gave power to Prieſts as Iudges to abſolve, that they had authority within themſelves to doe this, then they could not fitly be ſaid to pray to God to forgive thoſe they abſolve; as for example: The King giveth his Iudges power to heare cauſes of this or that nature, and to ſentence them: now what a folly were it for a Iudge who hath, per demandationem, power from the King to order this or that, to petition to the King to order it? would not the King ſay, though of your ſelves you have no power; yet, is not the Law in your hands? have I not given you power within your ſelves, and am I not ready to ratifie what you determine?
But a good Prieſts chiefe efficacie in pardoning, ſtandeth in his intreating God to pardon; therefore he hath no power judicially to doe it, no, this power is not delegable to creatures.
Firſt, becauſe it is a perſonall royalty which God cannot give to others, unleſſe He would make Himſelfe an underling to others, and ſo ſuſpend Himſelfe upon man, that His pleaſure ſhould ſway Him: For the forgiving of ſinnes is the power of pardoning treaſon againſt His perſon: Yea, no inferiour can determine, and ſentence the matter of a ſuperiour, till his ſuperiour have put himſelfe in that cauſe under his inferiour.
Secondly, this is ſuch an act wherein no man can be a competent Iudge, as man may be in cauſes betwixt man and man, which are civill: becauſe a man cannot know certainly the truth of faith and repentance in any, according to which the ſentence muſt be pronounced, if truely. All the Miniſters can doe, is to certifie what God doth, not as a private Chriſtian doth, but as a publike meſſenger, who bringeth from God's Majeſty the word of Pardon, as Saint Paul ſaith, the Word of reconciliation, that thus he may excite the faith of the penitent beleever to behold God pardoning him, and feele the pardon of God as it were, ſealed within him. My Lord Chancellour doth not give the Kings pardon, (which he giveth to thoſe that come to take it forth at his firſt entrance) he doth not, as a Iudge, give them forth as his pardons, but delivers them as the Kings ſole deed, out of his Princely clemencie: Thus the Prieſt in the Law did not make a Leper cleane, but did manifeſt him to himſelfe, and to all Iſrael to be that he was: The Miniſter of God hath no power to pardon, but miniſterially he doth co-operate with God, that God's pardon may be applied and ſealed within the conſciences of them that beleeve.
Wherefore, Vſe 1 let us hate thoſe moſt arrogant wretches, who would juſtle God out; and as it is with the Pope himſelfe, ſo would every one thruſt himſelfe into the roome of God. This is a fruit of their monarchicall ambition; they will in all their doings, not be content with an Oecumenicall ſteward-like power, but challenge a regall authority over the LORD's heritage.
Let us ſeeke to the Lord; who ſaith, Vſe 2 I am He that blot out your tranſgreſsions, and forgive iniquity: Yet ſeeing that He maketh Miniſters His Meſſengers, in whom Hee putteth this word of Pardon; yea, ſuch as co-operate with Him in applying this His only Pardon unto us; let us likewiſe looke to them, as men of GOD, who can teſtifie to us what he doth in His Name.
Further, obſerve hence: Doct. That GOD's pardon is of meere grace to us; we are juſtified freely by His grace, through the redemption in CHRIST IESUS; that is, we come to have pardon of ſinne, and to bee taken to favour freely: CHRIST indeed bought it deare, we have it freely. Which is to be marked againſt ſatisfactions, which are ſatisfactory to the Iuſtice of GOD, the revenging Iuſtice of GOD. Satisfactions were indeed anciently uſed in reconciling penitent ones, but they were to the Church offended, not unto GOD, whom none but CHRIST can ſatisfie: And though GOD is ſaid to have reſted as ſatisfied in ſome puniſhment taken at the hands of His children, yet this is the quieting of a fatherlike, and temporary diſpleaſure, not of a revenging juſtice with which wee have to deale in anſwering the guilt of the leaſt ſinne.
Let us therefore hate this popiſh arrogancie, Vſe which will teach men to deſerve their pardon; no, no, it muſt be begged of free gift at God onelyonly, of grace, or it is buying our ſelves out, not ſeeking pardon.
3 That He changeth the Perſon, You hath Hee quickened, Doct. having forgiven us] Obſerve hence: That wee muſt remember what God hath done for us, while we ſhew to others the things beſtowed on them. The holy Apoſtle could not ſtand out from the thankfull acknowledgement of God's favours to him, when he telleth others what GOD had done for them. There are ſome like ſuch ſchollars that can learne their fellows leſſons, but cannot ſay their owne parts: they can tell what God hath done for others, as if they had kept a catalogue for them, and yet in the meane while, ſee nothing into thoſe favours which they themſelves have enjoyed: But let us learne hence ſo to be affected to God for that we have received, that we faile not to tell what God hath done for our ſoules, when we are telling of His kindneſſe.
Laſtly, Doct. marke the largeneſſe of God's grace, forgiving all our ſinnes; all paſt, preſent, and to come. If any future ſinnes were not forgiven us, we could not have life eternall reſtored: For as one of our ſinnes kept without pardon, would have kept CHRIST from riſing from the dead; ſo it would keepe us from feeling the power of His Reſurrection, if all our ſinnes were not remitted to us. There is no condemnation to one that is in CHRIST;Rem. 8.1. Hee hath paſſed from death to life, and ſhall not come into condemnation: God doth not forgive as juſtifying us judicially but once; neither doth he remit all preſent to the beleever, ſuſpending the pardon of future, till hee ſhould anew repent and beleeve, for this ſtandeth not with the nature of that everlaſting Covenant, I will remember thy ſinne no more. Againe unleſſe one would hold a totall, which muſt needs alſo bee a finall fall from CHRIST, it would follow that one ſhould be in CHRIST, and yet for a time in ſtate of damnation before God.
Why then doe we pray, Object. Anſw. forgive us our ſinne?
That we may have continuance of our pardon, ſenſe, and feeling of it, that we may have pardon of God's Fatherly diſpleaſure, and ſo of bitter corrections which our ſinne might cauſe, not that we would have a new juſtification with GOD.
How are thoſe that are excommunicate made as Publicans, Object. and it is good in Heaven?
The Church doth not cut them off from all conjunction with GOD, Anſ. but ſeparate them from all communion with her ſelfe; and in this regard doth cenſure them as Publicans, and not let them communicate with them, no more than prophane perſons, though ſhe may think they may be brethren in God's ſecret ſight and eſtimation; and this cenſure of hers is ratified.
Hence then let us thinke of the Lord's wonderfull love: Vſe to forgive one fault, a ſecond, and a third, this is much; but to pardon ſuch thouſands of talents, is wonderfull. If the King ſhould forgive a traytor, againſt whom one treaſonable practice was proved, is it not great clemencie? but to pardon one againſt whom there is good proofe of a thouſand Articles in this kinde! Thus it is with God; hence Rom. 5. God amplifieth His grace, and maketh it to glory above juſtice: juſtice condemned in one ſinne, but grace is given to the pardon of many offences.
This is to be noted againſt the Papiſts; they ſay God forgiveth all ſinnes fully in Baptiſme, only after Baptiſme God forgiveth not veniall ſins; and if we fall into mortal, God forgiveth for CHRIST, the eternall puniſhment, but leaveth us to ſatisfie the temporall: Thus when God forgiveth us not all our ſins, but ſins committed before Baptiſme, not all after, but mortall only, nor mortall fully, but in regard of the eternall puniſhment; thus they infringe the Charter of all the Chriſtian world, that they may maintaine their merchandize of Pardons, and indulgencies: But this were to make God no pardoner, but a mitigater of puniſhment. If the King now, when a traytour is condemned to dye, doe change his ſentence of of death into perpetuall impriſonment, hee is not ſaid to forgive the treaſon, but to mitigate puniſhment: Privilegiaſunt amplianda. When God ſaith, He forgiveth all, who but ſuch enemies of mankinde would reſtraine it further than God Himſelfe doth? True it is that many puniſhments doe ſtill lye upon GOD's children; but they are childe-like chaſtiſements, not judiciary penalties, whereby the Law might be ſatisfied.