The Golden Scepter Held Forth to the Humble, Treatise · Doctrine 5
Whatsoever a mans sinnes are, if hee be truly humbled for them and forsake them, they shall bee forgiven him.
This is the maine point you may observe by the way, that the Gospell was as fully preached to the Iewes, as to us. So you see it was here, they had the same way of being saved, that we have, as great mercy promised and dispensed. OnelyOnly these great mysteries of the Gospell wherin grace and mercy is displayed, were not opened so to them as unto us; they had the promises of forgivenesse as fully and clearely, but knew not the grounds of them; as Christs incarnation, death, and resurrection, as wee doe; nor those glorious priviledges in particular wch wee have by Christ. For the proofe of the maine point, take that one place to make it good to you, Esay 1. 18. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sinnes bee as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red as crimson: …hey shall bee as wooll. The Prophet had exhorted them to learne to doe well, &c. But the people might object: What shall wee bee the nearer for all this? if wee be such great sinners as you have even now declared us to bee? to prevent this the Prophet tells them, what though their sinnes bee great and bloudie sins, of the deepest dye of guilt? (there are many kinds of red, but crimson and scarlet are the highest) yet you shall be as perfectly cleansed from all your sinnes as if you should see scarlet turned as white as snow, or crimson as white as wooll, and none of the former dy remaining: and when he tells this to them, marke his expression, Come, let us reason together, as if he had said, this is a point requires strong reasonings to perswade you to believe it; and indeed it is a hard thing truly to believe the pardon of their sinnes; and the time will come when you will finde it to be so: Wee will therefore set the Lord and your consciences together, and you shall see how the Lord reasoneth for himselfe, and how he will make this go…d.
Wee will first prove it to you from all his attributes.
1 From his truth, the Lord hath said it, and this is argument enough, to perswade you: And therfore Rule 1. From God.having made this promise of forgivenesse in the verse before, that hee would subdue their iniquities and cast their sinnes into the depths of the Sea, he addes, thou 1 From his truth. Mica. 7. ult.wilt performe the truth to Iacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworne unto our fathers from the dayes of old. As if he had said, you must rest persw G…d of this: for he hath not onelyonly promised it, but hath sworne it, and that oath not taken lately, but of old; there is an oth to it, and an old one, an oath that hath many witnesses, Abraham and Iacob, and all the fathers that have beene since: and will he not, thinke you, bee as good as his word? and that Acts 10. 43. To him give all the Prophets Acts 10. 43.witnesse, that through his name, whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of sinnes. It is Saint Peters speech to Cornelius; sayes Peter, we deliver this from God to you, and not only we that are the Apostles say this, but to this truth doe all the Prophets, Isay, Ieremy, and all the rest beare witnesse. Now when the Lord hath said such things, and made an absolute promise, he expects you should believe it. It is a greater sin then you imagine, not to lay hold upon such promises. See how the Lord reasons it 1 Iohn 5. 9. 10, 11. If we receive the witnesse 1 Ioh. 5. 9. 10, 11.of men, the witnesse of God is greater; for this is the witnesse of God &c. He that believeth not God, hath made him a lyar. As if he should say, will you not believe? If a man that is of an honest disposition should promise you a thing, you would believe him: and will you not believe me? As if a man had more truth in him then I have: yea further, you make the Lord a lyar, if you believe not this his record of his Son, what is this record? why saith the Apostle, I will repeate it againe, The Lord hath given us eternall life, and this life is in his Sonne, that is, whosoever believes and takes CHRIST, his sinnes shall be forgiven, and he shall have life. It is the pardon that brings life to the condemned traytor.
2 But though he hath said, this is ingaged sufficiently, 2 From his mercy.and this is much to helpe our faith, yet when wee shall further heare and know him to bee one of a mercifull nature and gracious disposition, wee will goe the more willingly to him. Therefore add to this, how the Lord expresseth his nature to us, Exodus 34. 6, 7. The Lord God, mercifull, Exod. 34. 6, 7.gracious and long suffering, and abundant in goodnesse and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sinne. As if he should have said to Moses, wouldest thou know the very inward disposition and frame of my soule? this is my nature, to be mercifull and gracious, &c. this is the Lords Idea, for his end here was to expresse himselfe unto us; know that this is his nature, and this will strengthen our faith in the promises, for all his promises doe but flow from this nature of his, and receive their strength therefrom, and hee is rich in mercy, because it is his nature.
3 Adde to this the attribute of his wisdome, and 3 From his wisedome.that will also helpe us to believe his mercies. GOD that hath made these promises is exceeding wise, and knowes with whom hee hath to doe, hee knowes, that originall corruption that is in us, and is the mother of all sinne, hee knowes our infirmities, and what is in our hearts, as hee that made us knowes what wee are, as hee that makes any thing knowes the inward frame of it. It is no strange thing for him to see us fall into sinne. Therefore Psal. 78. 38, 39. after he had spoken of those strange Psal 78. 38, 39.rebellions, of the people of Israel into which they fell after their comming out of Egypt, yet saith hee, Hee being full of compassion, destroyed them not, but forgave their iniquity, and why? because hee remembred they were but flesh. And indeed, one would wonder how the LORD could forgive so obstinate a people, that had such experience of his power and mercy by those great workes which he wrought afore them in bringing them out of Egypt, yet he did, because he remmebred and wisely considered what ingredients went to make up their natures; hee remembred they were but flesh. So Psalme 103. 13, 14. Psal. 103. 13 14the former part of that Psalme, is nothing else, but an expression of promises of forgivenesse, and in the 14. verse he gives this as the reason of all, for hee knowes our frame, hee remembereth that wee are dust: 14.hee knowes whereof we are made, and therefore is exceeding mercifull.
4 Whereas there is one Attribute from which 4 From his justice.you object against the pardon of their sinnes, that the Lord notwithstanding is just, and this terrifies you and puts you off: even from this we may fetch an argument to strengthen our faith herein; for know that the Lord is therefore ready and willing to forgive, because hee is just. 1 Iohn 1. 9. If wee 1 Iohn 1. 9.confesse our sinnes, hee is faithfull and just to forgive us. This is the ground of all our comfort, that he eis just and faithfull, for is he not engaged by promise, and is hee not faithfull to keepe his promise? Againe, hath hee not beene satisfied and paid for our sinnes by CHRIST? and his justice will not suffer him to require a second payment. It is just now with him to forgive, faithfulnesse hath reference to his promises, justice to that bloud of CHRIST the ransome received, which cleanseth us from all our sinnes.
5 If all these will not serve to perswade our hearts 5 From our readinesse to forgive.to believe, the Lord descends a little lower, and helpes us out with an argument of his readinesse to pardon, from the consideration of what is in our selves, consider how you would deale with your children. Psal. 103. 13. Like as a father pitieth his Psal. 103 13children, so the Lord them that feare him. If a child that is yours, offend you an hundred times, yet if he come in and humble himselfe, you will pardon him: And will not God, when his people humble themselves? Wee use but such arguments as God himselfe doth, and doe but set him and your consciences together, to reason the case: But you will object againe, and say, it is possible for a child so to offend, as that a father will not nor cannot forgive him. True, but the Psalmists meaning is, not as if GOD would pardon no more, then an earthly father; but on the contrary, if you that are earthly fathers can doe so much, I that am an infinite Lord God and not man, can doe much more, who is Omnipotent and can doe whatsoever he will, and shews his omnipotency in pardoning. I compare with this, Esay 55. 9. My thoughts are not as your thoughts. What though your sinnes bee great and in their owne thoughts unpardonable, and you thinke them greater then can bee forgiven? but my thoughts sayes GOD, are not as your thoughts; he speakes this of pardoning; but as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my thoughts above your thoughts, and my waies above yours, in multiplying to pardon. Though you could not forgive, nay though you cannot think or imagine how such transgressions should be forgiven, yet I can forgive them.
A second sort of arguments is taken from the Reas. 2. From the meanes of conveying forgivenes.meanes and instrument by which forgivenesse is conveyed. Wee are come to IESUS the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the bloud of sprinkling, which speakes better things then the bloud of Abel. Hebrewes 12. 24. Hee speakes this as an encouragement to their faith, and it is as if hee Heb. 22. 24.had said, consider how the bloud of Abel, though but the bloud of a poore man, cryed so loud that it came up to heaven, that it brought down vengeance upon Cain, how loud then shall CHRISTS bloud speake? What is it able to procure for us? which speakes better things, that is, for mercy (which God is more ready to heare the cry for, then for vengeance) and this cry is not of the bloud of an ordinary man, as Abel was, but of the bloud of his owne Sonne, to which purpose compare with this that place, Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the Heb. 9. 14.bloud of Christ, who through the eternall Spirit offered up himselfe without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead workes? As in the other place hee compares it with Abels bloud, so here with the blood of Buls and Goates; which in the old law served by Gods appointment for the outward purification of the flesh, how much more, how infinitely transcendently more above our thoughts or imaginations, shall the bloud of the Sonne of God bee able to purge your consciences? wee not able to conceive, nor he to expresse; hee onelyonly sayes, how much more, &c. and hee backeth it with two Reasons, which put together, shew the transcendency of that sufficiency in Christs bloud to cleanse us: the first from the eternall Spirit, whereby hee offered up himselfe; it was not the bloud or sacrifice of a meere man, but of God: which sacrifice was in it selfe without spot.
There are three objections wee usually make against 3 Objections from our sins.our selves by reason of our sins.
1. That they are so many.
2. So great.
3. That they are reiterated and often fallen into.Answered,
Now the sprinkling of the bloud of Christ thus offered is sufficient to cleanse your consciences from, and to take away all these, Ezek. 36. 25. then will I Ezek. 36. 25.sprinkle cleane water upon you, and yee shall bee cleane from all your filthinesse, and from all your idols will I cleanse you. The bloud of Christ is the water there meant, which cleanseth from sinne and filthinesse; and from all, though never so many; and from filthinesse, and idols, from such sinnes, though never so great. Ah! but I have also fallen often into them, Zach. 13. 1. His bloud is therefore compared to a fountaine set open for sinne and for uncleannesse; not a cisterne, but a fountaine, a continuall spring perpetually running to cleanse us; so that as there is a spring of sinne in us, so as wee are defiled againe and againe, so there is a spring of vertue in his bloud, to cleanse us, never to be dried up.
The last reason is taken from the freenesse of the covenant which God hath made with mankind, if Reas. 3. From the freenesse of Gods covenant. Iohn 7. 37.any man bee a thirst, yea if any man will come, let him come and drinke of the waters of life freely. See the manner how it is set downe, Iohn 7. 37. In the last day, a great day of the feast, Iesus stood and cryed, saying, if any man thirst, let him come to me and drinke: hee makes a proclamation for all to come, as also, Rev. 21. 6. and 22. 17. where he makes the like generall Revel. 21. 6. ver. 22. 17.invitation and adds, that they shall have it freely; so the tenour of the covenant runnes: that if any thirst (those indeed that doe not, have nothing to do with it) let him come and take freely; that is, I will bestow it without any other condition, but comming, without which no man can partake of it, and thirsting, without which no man will come, or prize it.
The consideration of which covenant therfore should move us and helpe us to believe the truth of this point, that whatsoever our sinnes are, yet if we humble our selves, &c. they shall be pardoned.
Before I come to apply this to any man; I must Vse. Who are excluded f…om pardon Exod. 34. 6.exclude those whom the Lord excludes, or rather who exclude themselves. Still remember what is the last letter of his name. Exodus 34. 6. That hee will not hold the wicked innocent. Thou that art a carnall man, hast nothing to doe with this childrens bread; thou art a Dog: which may bee made good to thy conscience, out of 1 Pet. 2. ult. Like the dog 1 Pet. 2. ult.thou returnest to thy vomit: For in thy sicknesse and in thy distresse didst thou not make many promises and resolutions against thy wayes and courses? and after thy recovery, didst thou not returne to them againe with as much greedinesse as ever?
2 Againe, thou art such an one as doest not thirst after these promises; carest no more for them then for thy old shooes; these precious promises (which as is said before) containe in them most rich and precious promises, and none shall ever obtaine them that doth not in some measure of truth prize them above all things whatsoever. Thou that never hadst thy heart broken with the apprehension of sin and Gods wrath canst not come to thirst after them, and so hast nothing to doe with this water of life. A man that is still whole hearted ever since hee was borne, and never affrighted with sinne and wrath, may heare these promises spoken of, but hath nothing to doe with them.
3 They that are hypocrites, are also excluded, for they are to have their portion in hell fire, and therefore whilst remaining such, have nothing to do with the promises. Now an hypocrite is one that is not willing to omit holy duties altogether, and yet not willing to doe them throughly, one that like the Eagle soares high in faire pretences, but still hath the prey that is below in his eye, and wil stoop for it upon occasion, eying preferment, credit, riches &c. all the while: Thou mayest be white in thine owne eyes, and washt before a Communion, or so, as a Swine may bee washt as well as a Sheepe, but yet the Swinish nature remaines.
4 Or it may be thou art a wicked man.
But you will say, who are those wicked men?Object. Answ. wicked men who,
I will give you a description of them, which no man shall refuse, they are such as hate the Lord, nor can any man think much, if he be call'd a wicked man, comming within the compasse of this character; for it is the note given in the second commandement. Now when we heare this, every man will be ready to say, I hope my condition is good, I am none of them that hate the Lord: but know, there are many thousands that think well of themselves, who yet when it comes to the tryall will be found to hate the Lord. And therefore to try thee in this, give mee Signes of such as hate God.leave to aske thee but a few questions.
1 Dost thou not hate the law? dost thou not wish that the Law were not so strict, and that it gave more liberty? Let an unregenerate man try himselfe by this, and he will find such a disposition in him, that he desires that the law would give him leave to commit such and such a sin; he esteemes of the Law as a thing that is contrary to him, and therfore their complaint of godly men is, that their wayes are contrary to ours, in the booke of Wisedome. What wayes? the wayes of the law: for where is contrariety, there is hatred; and if they hate the law, they hate the lawgiver God, for the law is the expresse image of God.
2. Againe, I would aske thee, if this bee not also thy disposition, that thou hast no great delight to be where the Lord is? thou hast not any delight in holy duties, otherwise than as custome, and naturall conscience have made them familiar to thee; nor to be in the company of the Saints (for where two or three of them are, there God is among them) but when thou art among them, thou art as it were out of thy element; if they be such as are formall like thy selfe, thou canst away with them; but if they be holy, and the holinesse of God appeare in them, thou delightest not in them; thou couldest, it may bee, bee among the Saints, if they hold their tongues; but let God shine in them, then thou canst not indure to be there.
3 Againe, dost thou hate those that are like the Lord? for if thou dost, thou hatest the Lord himselfe: for as wee try our love to the Lord, by our love to the brethren; so our hatred also. Is there a secret dislike of them, though thou knowest not why, an antipathy, though happily thou canst not give a reason of it? It is because God hath put an enmity, and there no man can put amity: all endowments, sweetnesse of converse and disposition, eminency of parts in the Saints, will not take away the enmity that is in wicked men against them. David was a Poet, a souldier, a man of excellent parts, wise and valiant, yet had abundance of hatred amongst men for his goodnesse.
4 Againe, dost thou not desire that there were no God? Couldst thou not bee content to live for ever in this world, so that thou were happy here, and so there were no hell? Couldst thou not bee content that there were no heaven, no GOD, no Iudge at the last? If every unregenerate man would examine himselfe, he should finde this in himselfe. Now if any wish that such an one were not, that he were sublatus demedio, it is a signe he hates him: for that is the property of hatred, to desire the utter removall of the things hated.
5 Againe, dost thou not lie in some sin which thou knowest is a sinne? Now every man that lies in a sinne, a knowne sinne, feareth GOD as a Iudge. Let him bee a thiefe, and he will feare the Iudge, and whom a man thus feareth, hee hateth, Quem metuunt, oderunt, he that walkes in darknesse hates the light, and God who is the author of that light. Dost thou therefore live in some evill way or other, wherein thou dost allow thy selfe? thou hast no interest in these promises: onelyonly those that claime interest in the promises, who make conscience of all their wayes, dare not omit the least duty, nor performe it slightly.
Lastly, consider, art thou not one of the foolish virgins, deferring repentance, not caring to provide oyle in time, but thinkest thou canst do it time enough at death? and, I will come in ere I die, like the sluggard in the Proverbs, tumbling in the bed of thy sin securely, and loath to rise, turning like the doore on the hinges; but still remaining upon the same hinges. The Lord hath said, Deut. 29. that Deut. 29.he will not be mercifull to such a man, but his anger shall smoake against him.
But you will say, what doe you preach damnation to me? will you leave us desperate?
I answer you, we preach damnation to you whilst you are in such courses, and would make you despaire of your selves, to drive you out of your selves unto Christ, and it were an houre well spent, to put you out of hope; but what? may wee have no hope left? None, in the estate you stand, but that of the hypocrite, which perisheth with him: for if thy hope were true, it would purifie thy heart, as S. Iohn speakes. But I may pray? But if thou continuest in thy sinnes, thy sinnes shall out cry thy prayers, and at the day of thy death, when the least interest of these promises will bee worth a world, it will bee said to thee, that thou hadst nothing to doe with them, and there was a time when God call'd upon thee, and thou wouldst not: and therefore then, though thou cry to him, God will not heare thee.
But if there bee any broken-hearted sinner desiring Vse 2. To Trust perfectly in Gods mercy.to feare the Lord, and serve him sincerely, that have this witnesse in their consciences, that though they doe not that good they would, yet they strive against all sins, allow themselves in none, whether small or great; to you I say, that of the Apostle, 1 Pet. 1. 13. Trust perfectly on the grace brought unto you by the revelation of Iesus Christ, foreign, 1 Pet. 1. 13.trust not by halves, but trust perfectly: if I had bidden you trust in your sanctification; you might have done it imperfectly, because your sanctification is but imperfect; but seeing it is the free grace of God is brought to you as a rocke to trust and rely upon; trust perfectly upon it; commit all your waight and burthen to it; Heb. 6. 18. God, when hee made the covenant of grace, tooke an oath to that end, that we might have strong consolation; this is an argument commonly forgotten among Christians, and so they want that strong consolation which they might have. Do you think it a small matter, to take an oath of God partly and in any degree in vaine? God hath sworne that you might have strong consolation, and he would have it so strong, that when Satan sets upon you, it may be as a strong fortresse to hold out against all assaults; why is your faith so weake then? what are the impediments?Impediments, to this trust. 1 Mistake in the covenant. Rom. 4. 5.
1 One is, that wee are deceived in the covenant: hath not the Lord promised to justifie the ungodly, and commanded us to believe on him that justifies the ungodly? Rom. 4. 5. and bidden us come with an empty hand? and thou commest with an handfull of humiliation, and sayest, that thou durst not come before, and now I can come better in: the more thou hast in thy hand, the lesse firme is thy hold. A man that is in danger to bee drowned, cannot take hold of a Cable cast to save his life, if hee keepes any thing in his hand, an empty hand takes the fastest hold: thy humiliation if true, will empty thee of all selfe conceit: therefore if thou through humiliation hast nothing of thine owne to trust to, thou art the fitter object for mercy. Be not alwayes poring downewards on thy sinnes, but looke up to God, Heb. 6. They have strong consolation, Heb. 6. 18, 19who have fled for refuge to the hope laid before us, which hope wee have as an anker of the soule both sure and stedfast, and which entreth into that within the vaile, Verse 18, 19. This our hope is not said to bee any thing in our selves, but is as a refuge which wee flie unto out of our selves, and is laid afore us, growes not within from what is within us, and is from above: now by hope, wee are not to understand the thing hoped for, or the grace of hope in us, but that sure promise of God ratified by an oath; this is the object of our hope, and so call'd our hope, that is it which is our refuge, and which is laid afore us, and proceeds from Gods owne brest and nature; which if we anchor upon, wee shall have strong consolation, both for surenesse of not failing us, and for steadinesse establishing our hearts; but whilst we flie for refuge to any thing in our selves, or cast anchor upon it, we are tossed with every wave.
2 Our daily infirmities, they also are a great 2 Daily infirmities.impediment. A man thinkes, if I had faith, that would so purifie my heart, as I should not fall thus oft as I doe; which whilst I doe, how can I have such strong consolation? for this I say to all upright hearted Christians, that their infirmities should not dishearten their faith and consolation, but they should rather labour to strengthen their sanctification. Say with thy selfe, because my sins are and have been greater than other mens, therefore I will labour more for sanctification hereafter, I will love more than others, and be more serviceable for the time to come; but say not, therefore I will doubt or despaire of Gods mercy.3 Supposed want of humiliation.
3. Hinderance to their laying hold of the promises of forgivenesse, is a conceit of their want of humiliation, as if they were not humbled enough; but if it bee so much as brings thee home to Christ, if thou thirst for Christ, so as nothing will content thee till thou hast him; feare not to lay hold, this is enough, stand not upon the measure.
Lastly, it may bee thou hast not prayed enough for assurance of forgivenesse, and therefore wantest 4 Want of Prayer for pardon.it. It is here put in as a condition, if my people pray, and among other things for this, to forgive your sinnes, and to give them the assurance of it. All the arguments in the world cannot perswade the heart of this, nothing but the spirit of adoption; and can so great a mercy be obtained without fervent prayer? therefore goe to God, and intreate his favour, and though hee deferres, yet continue in prayer: for it may be the Lord also with-holds it, because hee would have thee set an high prize upon it: which thou wouldest not doe, if thou shouldest obtaine it easily: but be not discouraged, continue thou to pray still, and in the end thou shalt have it with a full hand.
Heare you mee, all yee that are upright and sincere in heart, here is your comfort, continue thus to seeke Gods face, and all your sinnes shall bee as if they had never beene committed by you: and what is said of the sinnes of Israel and Iudah, Ier. 50. 20. The iniquity of Iacob shall bee sought for, and there Ier. 50. 20.shall none be found: so shall thine be in the day when they shall be sought for: Is not this a great and unspeakeable mercy? A man shall bee as if hee had never committed sinne: even as if hee were as innocent as Adam was in Paradise.Object.
But you will object and say, can sinnes that have been committed cease to have beene committed, or cease to have been sins?
Answer: tis true, that which is once done can Answ. The efficacy of sin taken away in forgivenessenever bee undone. All the acts remaine as things once done, so as it may be said, they were committed, and were thus hainous; when therefore it is said, there shall be none, the meaning is, they shall be of no efficacy, they shall never bee able to doe you hurt, as our Saviour said to his Disciples, Luk. 10. 19 Luke 10. 19.You shall tread upon Serpents and Scorpions, and they shall not hurt you, so I may say of sin, it shal not hurt you, because the sting is taken away in and by Christ; or as that fire in Nebuchadnezzars furnace, it had power enough to burne others, but not so much as to singe an haire of the three children, because Christ was with them; so those sinnes which would sting and shall sting others to death, because of their impenitence, yet shall doe thee no hurt, but fall off like the Viper off from Saint Pauls hands, but not hurt thee. It is an opinion of some, that GOD can see no sinne in his children, because, they say there are none (when a man is once in Christ) son to bee seene: But that is not the meaning of that saying, God sees no iniquity in Iacob: they are there, but as in a debt-booke crossed and cancell'd though the lines be drawne over, yet the summes may be read, yet so as they cannot bee enacted, or sued for, because they are crossed and cancell'd. A falling starre loseth its light by little and little, and when it comes to the earth, it goes quite out: so when sinnes begin to fall from their proper element and Sphere, that is an unregenerate heart, where they had dominion and raigned and moved as in their Orbe, the light and influence of it decayes, and shall at length both in the guilt and power of it wholly vanish.
I will also adde to this, this caution: the Saints must know that for all this, their sinnes are retained, Caution. Sins of the Saints retained till actuall repentance.till they actually repent againe, the Lords wrath is kindled against them, and they may feele such effects of it as may make their hearts ake. Thus the Lord met Moses, and would have slayne him in the Inne for neglecting that ordinance of circumcision; the sinne was not forgiven till he had humbled himselfe, and amended his fault; so GOD was angry with the Israelites that fled before their enemies, till the accursed thing was taken away: So when David sinned in the matter of Vriah, it is said in the end of that Chapter 2 Sam. 11. 27. The thing that David had done displeased the Lord, and there was the wrath 2 Sam. 11. 27.of a father against him, though not of an enemie: and when was it that GOD was well pleased with him againe, but when hee had humbled himselfe and repented? Therefore that you may have strong consolation, search and examine your hearts and lives, see that there bee no way of wickednesse unrepented of in you, before you apply all these promises, which then you may doe to your comfort.
Somewhat is now to bee said, even to those Vse. 3 Exhortation to be humbled.whom before wee excluded; for the end of our preaching is not to shut them for ever out. If the LORD will bee mercyfull to our sinnes, if wee be humbled; there is an open dore for those that are without, a ground, to exhort them to come in. Come, and welcome. God is exceeding mercifull, and ready to forgive, and receive you. If any thing will draw men in, they are the promises of mercy; the Hue and Cry makes the Thiefe to flye away the faster.
The Proclamation of pardon brings the Rebels in, and what greater motive can wee use than this, that whatever your sinnes are or have beene, never so great in themselves and aggravated with never so many circumstances, yet if you will come in and humble your selves, and turne to God, God will bee mercifull to you. No matter what thy sinnes have beene: all the matter is, what thy humility is, what thy resolutions to confesse and forsake thy sinnes are; thy have not gone beyond that price which hath beene paid for them: And God will not only pardon their sins but also leave a blessing behind. If you indeed should come thus to any man whom you have offended, hee would say, what are you not ashamed to come to mee having wronged mee thus, to looke mee in the face? not to aske forgivenesse onelyonly, but to aske such a kindnesse, such a favour at my hands also? how could you have the face to doe it? But the Lord, he never gives that answer, for he is not as man, Ier. 3. 11. Though if a man put away his wife, and shee becomes Ier. 3. 11.another mans, hee will not receive her againe; yet returne to me, sayes God. It is possible for men to commit such sins, that men cannot forgive, but God can pardon any.
You know the pernicious counsell which Achitophel gave to Absolon; to goe in to his fathers wives, to make an irrecoverable breach betweene his father and him, judgeing it such an injury, as David would never put up, yet returne to mee sayes God. God can pardon any, I will scatter thy sinnes as a myst, and thine iniquity as a cloud.
Some sinnes are small as mysts, some more great and grosser, as a cloud. Gods mercy is able to scatter both. Doe not say, oh I had beene a happy man, if I had not fallen into this or that sinne, I had then beene pardoned. Tis true, that in respect of Gods dishonour, it had beene better thou hadst not committed it; but yet this I will say, that in respect of obtaining pardon thou mayest bee happy notwithstanding: if thou humble thy selfe, this sinne will not barre thee from happinesse; but thou maist be in as good a condition after thou art come home as any other whose sinnes have beene smaller: and know that when thou art once come home, God looking upon thee in Christ, all thy sinnes displease him not so much, as thy repentance in and through Christ pleaseth him.
But how shall a man be perswaded of this Gods Quest.readinesse to forgive?
Consider that place, As I live, saith the Lord, I will not the death of a sinner, but rather that hee turne Answ. Gods readinesse to forgive.from his wickednesse and live: Hee hath taken an oath for it, that hee delights more in saving than in destroying: and you may believe him. Consider also what Christ was wont to doe in the dayes of his flesh: and hee is still as mercifull an high Priest as ever: None were more welcome to him than Publicans and Harlots, that came with repentance to him; and he is as ready to receive us now as them then.
I doubt not but that Christ is willing, but what Object.will God the Father do?
It is certaine, that hee is not willing to have his Resp.Sonnes bloud spilt in vaine, which should bee of none effect, if such sinners as you are should not bee saved: Hereby the bloud of Christ is improved, that it is sprinkled on many for great sinnes. Thinke not therefore that God is backward to pardon, Psal. Psal. 130. 3, 4130. 3, 4. There are two arguments more to helpe us in this, If hee should marke what is done amisse, who should stand? none should be saved. Now it is not his will that all flesh should perish, and therefore hee will not take the advantage to cast men cleane off for their sinnes; againe, none else would worship him. There is mercy with thee, that thou mayest bee feared: It is his full purpose to have some servants to feare and worship him. Yea shall I goe further? God is not onelyonly ready to forgive, but desirous of it, yea hee is glad at the heart when a great sinner doth come in: which is noted to us in the Parable of the lost sheepe, and the lost groat: how did the woman rejoyce for the finding of her groat, and the Shepheard for his sheepe? And likewise in the Parable of the lost Sonne, how glad was hee when he heard that his Sonne was comming home, that yet had lived riotously and spent his goods? it was to shew, that GOD was so affected, when a great sinner returnes to him. Besides, he doth not onelyonly say, if you will come, I keepe open house, I will not shut you out; but inviteth them, calleth them; yea more, sends his ministers to fetch them in; yea more, entreateth, beseecheth, commandeth, threatneth.
But you will say, is it possible, that I should Object.bee forgiven, that have committed so many sinnes, so great, so hainous, and continued so long in them?
Yes, it is possible for you. Marke that place, Answ. 1 Cor. 6 9.1 Cor. 6. 9. Hee reckons up as great sinnes, as can bee named. And such were some of you, but now you are washed. You see what kind of people there were forgiven, whence wee may gather, that those that are guilty of those sinnes now may bee forgiven as well as then, such were some of you. Whosoever thou art, it is no matter what thou hast beene; all the matter is what thou wilt bee. Put case, any of the old Prophets should come to thee, or any man in particular, and say, wilt thou bee content now to turne to GOD? if thou wilt, all thy sinnes shall bee washt away, and thou shalt bee made an heire of Heaven: it would cause him that hath any ingenuity, to relent and say, LORD, canst thou now bee so mercifull to mee as to forgive mee after all this? loe LORD, I will come in and turne unto thee.
I aske thee this question, whether art thou content to quit all thy sinnes presently upon assurance of being received, if thou dost? if thou answerest no, art thou not worthy to bee destroyed? if yes, is not this great comfort?
But some may say, if heaven gate stand thus wide open, I may come and bee welcome at any time. Thou vile wretch, that darest to have such a Refusall of the offer of grace dangerous.thought! Dost thou not know, that every such refusall of such an offer is so dangerous, as it may put thee into hazard of never having the like againe? If the gate of heaven stood thus alwayes open, why then did God sweare in his wrath of some Israelites, that they should never enter into his rest? and what is the reason that God said of those that were invited to the feast, but refused to come, that they should never taste of it? The reason is there given, it is said, the master of the feast was full of wrath at the refusall of his offer, both because his love and kindnesse was despised: that filleth a man with indignation, and so the Lord: and also because the thing offered was of so much price; it being the kingdome of heaven, and the precious bloud of Christ. Therefore whensoever such an offer is made and refused, God is exceeding angry. There goes an axe and a sword with this offer, to cut downe every tree that will not bring forth good fruit. Say not when you heare of this offer, I am glad there is such a thing, I will accept of it another time, but it comes too soone for mee now. Consider this, that the end of the comming of the Lord Iesus, was not onelyonly to save the soules of men; if onelyonly so, then indeed this might have beene done at any time, even at the last: but his end also was, Titus 2. 14. That he mtght purifie to himselfe a Tit. 2. 14.peculiar people, zealous of good workes,' which is a greater end than that which went before in the verse, to redeeme us from all iniquity, to purchase to himselfe a people that should serve him in their life time: and canst thou thinke, that thou that hast served thy lusts all thy life time, shalt yet bee accepted at death? It is a common saying with you, that if a man bee called at the eleventh houre, hee shall be received: 'tis true, if thou beest called then first, and not before, as the thiefe, who was not call'd afore, was then accepted: but what if thou hast beene call'd afore, and hast not accepted, but put off till death? thy case then will bee exceeding dangerous. Againe, I aske thee, what is it makes thee resolve to come in at death? If love to Christ, then it would sooner; if to thy selfe, how shall such conversion be accepted?