Davids Learning, Commentary 5 · Commentary 4
And thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne.]
DAVID had made himselfe an enemie to himselfe, and now to obtaine that which he laboured for, he makes God his friend; this is the fruite of serious confession. Thou forgauest] The Word signifies to wipe off all the score, namely, the debt of sin and of punishment. The punishment] or rather, iniquitie of my sinne (as the Word may be better translated) that is, my wicked sinne; as if he had said, Though it was against my conscience, a foule, filthie, and bloudy sinne, yet thou madest it, as if it had neuer beene.
God forgiueth sinne two waies: first, in his owne secret counsell, according to his owne decree; and this is, when he accepts the satisfaction of Christ, for the sinne committed against him. Secondly, actually, vponupon humiliation and repentance; and this is, when he puts foorth actuall forgiuenesse in mens owne consciences, whereby he perswades them, that their sinne is forgiuen. And this latter is here spoken of: Dauids sinne was remitted before by faith in the Messiah, but now the remission thereof is testified to his owne conscience: and hence hee comes to retaine his former ioy, and his mourning garment is turned into a garment of gladnesse; he had now a comfortable experience of his happie estate. Now in that Dauid thought and purposed to confesse, and then it followes presently, Thou forgauest: note that
So soone as euer a sinner doth truly, and soundly confesse Doct.his sinne, the Lord doth presently follow with forgiuenesse: Remission of sinne followeth a sound purpose of confession.remission of sinne doth immediatly follow a very intent and purpose to confesse it. Prou. 28. 13. Hee that hideth his sinne, shall not prosper: but he that confesseth and forsaketh it, shall hauehave mercy. There must be forsaking of sinne with confession, to shew the soundnes of it, and then presently followes remission. And why?
First, it is grounded on Gods faithfulnesse, who hath Reas. 1.made a promise, for this fruite of confession; 1. Iohn 1. 9. If we confesse our sinnes, he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vsus our sinnes, and to clense vsus from all vnrighteousnesse. As if he should say, God of his infinite mercy, hath promised to all true penitents and confessors, that he will forgiue and neuer remember their sinnes any more, he must stand to his promises, or else he should be vnfaithfull: and hee is iust (saith the Apostle) to forgiue; a man would hauehave 1. Iohn 1. 9.thought, he would rather hauehave said, Hee is mercifull to forgiue: no, but hee is iust to forgiue the sinnes of true beleeuers, because they are all satisfied for, their whole debt is paid, and Gods iustice will not let him demaund the same debt twice, of the suretie, and of the debter.
Secondly, true confession is a fruite of sound conuersion, 2at the first act whereof, all a mans sinnes are done away, although the tydings of it comes not so soone to his owne conscience. This appeares in the example of Dauid here; he no sooner said, that is, truly resolued to confesse, but the Lord remitted his sinne, and preuented him, saying, Thy sinne is put away, thou shalt not die: see the storie, 2. Sam. 12. 7, 13. The prodigall sonne saies, He will goe to his Father, and whilest yet he is comming, before his confession, his father sees him a farre off, runnes to meete him, falles on his necke, and kisseth him.
Thirdly, true confession is a signe of adoption. Now where this is, there is a heart resolued to seeke God, so 3.that a man puts off all his former hatred of him, and the affections of his heart are sanctified, to desire peace and reconciliation with God: this cannot proceede from a heart that is now at enmitie with God, as it was by nature, but which is a friend, and reconciled. A wicked and reprobate person can desire saluation out of selfeloue, and to saue his skinne, but not properly reconciliation: but a godly man desires Gods louelove and friendship, and reconciliation with him, for his owne sake, more then, and aboue his owne saluation.
Fourthly, remission must needes attend sound confession; because this confession is ioyned with some kind, 4.and seede of sauing faith, which, be it neuer so small, is a fruite of the sanctifying Spirit, and makes a man partaker of Christ, and in him of God the Father with all his blessings: for in this confession, as wee hauehave noted, there is
First, a deniall of a mans selfe, which is a worke of the renewing Spirit, which whosoeuer hath, he is the childe of God.
Secondly, there is in it an apprehension of Gods mercifull nature with application, and taking hold of it for himselfe; which application is either not at all, or false in the wicked.
Thirdly, there is in it a true touch, which holds on in seeking God; whereas in the wicked, there are some good wishes and confused apprehensions: but, being without sinceritie, fall off, and come to nothing. Whence we conclude, that true confession of sinne goeth alwaies with remission and pardon of it.
But, how can confession be sound, before sin bee pardoned, seeing nothing can be acceptable where sinne is Obiect. 1.not pardoned? it seemes rather that confession should follow remission.
To answere this, we must conceiue, that in God, the iustifying of a mans person, his sanctification, faith, repentance Ans. 1.and confession are al giuen at once, at the same moment, because at the first acte of grace, there is a change in the whole soule: but in respect of vsus, of our apprehension and application, one grace goeth before another; as the cracke of thunder and lightning are both at one time: but we see one, before we heare the other, because our sight is more quicke and apprehensiue then ourhearing. Likewise these graces are wrought all together by God, yet in regard of vsus and our sense and apprehension, pardon comes after confession.
Secondly, God in the beginning of our conuersion giues vsus that grace, the which he doth not presently giuegive 2.the feeling of. As a child in the wombe liues and moues, but hath no knowledge of his life and motion: so Gods children are in a comfortable estate, but they know not the comfort of their estate; Gods graces in them are in so small degree, that they can scarce acknowledge that, which in truth is in them.
But wee see, that numbers of men hauehave confessed their Obiect. 2.sinnes, and yet had them not remitted. Saul and Iudas, and Caine confessed, and yet remission of sinne did not follow, they were reprobates.
The doctrine speaks of sound confession, such as they Ans.had not: for first, it was not voluntarie, but extorted: Vnsound confession discouered.Reprobates cannot say as Dauid, I will confesse, but are drawne out by head and eares of God thereunto; they would stil hauehave hid their sins if they could; therfore their confession was no freewill-offering, and so not sound nor accepted.
Secondly, it seekes not ease of sinne, but ease of sense, desiring onelyonly that God would take out of their conscience the horrors of hell, and it looketh on the punishment, not the offence done against Gods Maiestie.
Thirdly, it proceedes not from a childlike feare of God, but seruile, without any true purpose of godlines. Saul indeed said, I hauehave sinned, I obeyed the people foolishly: but, though he thus confessed, yet he doth feare the people still; and therefore he saith vntounto SAMVEL; I pray thee honour mee before the people: a true feare of God would hauehave hated the occasion of sinne, as well as the sin it selfe.
Fourthly, it proceeds not from lowlinesse, pouertie of spirit, or from meeke and humble subiection to God, as the godlie's doth, who iustifie Gods proceedings, cleare him in his iudgement, repose themselues in his mercy, and waite with hope and confidence for a gracious issue, but with murmuring, pride, and hardnesse of heart, as in Pharaoh, or with final desperation, as in Caine and Iudas.
But euen the godly themselues will often bid battell to this doctrine, and say, Alas! if assurance of remission Obiect.follow sound confession, what shall I thinke of my selfe? I hauehave long bewailed my sinnes, and yet rest without this assurance; my case is not Dauids, either my confession is not sound, or my person not in the state of grace, or this doctrine vnsound.
We must distinguish between the presence of a grace and the sense of it; a grace may be there present, where Answ.there is no feeling: there may bee the presence of Gods louelove, faith, and remission of sinne, where there is no sense of them.
How can this be, seeing faith is a full assurance and Obiect.certaine perswasion? can a man be thus perswaded, and yet not feele it?
Yes: first, there may be faith, where there is no such Answ.assurance, as many complaints of Gods children in temptation do witnesse abundantly: Iob and Dauid thought, God had quite cast them away, and hid his face in vtter displeasure; here are beleeuers and faith, yet no sense. Was Christs righteous heart euer destitute of faith? did his Father euer cease to louelove him? surely no, wee may Est quaedam derelictio, vbi nulla fuit tanta in necessitate virtutis exhibitio, nulla Maiestatis ostensio, Ber….not thinke so, and yet he said, My God, my God, why hast thou for saken me?
Secondly, Christs promise is, Blessed is he that beleeues, though he see not.
Thirdly, We must distinguish betweene the want of faith, and the weaknesse of it: vnfeelingnesse comes through weakenesse, and not alwayes of the want of it.
Fourthly, Prayer for that grace, which seemes to be absent, is a signe of the presence; and, prayer for sense and feeling of pardon is a fruit of faith.
Fiftly, There be sundry degrees and measures of faith; some Saints are as the weeke, which can smoke only and not flame, yet the least graine of faith layeth hold on Christ to saluation.
Sixtly, In temptation it is sufficient, that Gods children liue the life of God, though they know not that they liue. In a swoune a man liues, though he perceiues it not; it is sufficient, that other men know he liues; a little embers lyes vnderunder a heape of ashes; so Gods child hath that in him, which shall support and sustayne him vntounto greater perfection, though he know not his graces.
First then, this serues to ouer-throw a doctrine of the Vse 1.Church of Rome, which is, that remission of sinne doth follow Confession ex opere operato, that is, If one come and confesse all his sins auricularly, then the very worke wrought doth carry away pardon: But this is vtterly false, that God hath tyed remission of sinne to the very worke of Confession, because Confession is effectuall only so farre forth as the person confessing is a beleeuer, sanctified, and iustified. Else why was not Sauls sinne remitted, seeing it was confessed? the only reason is, because he, as also Caine and Iudas, were not in the state of grace. First then, pardon belongs to the person, that is accepted through Christ, not to the worke.
Secondly, Papists speake this of confession to the Priest, which is the racke of the ignorant world, but Dauid of confession to God which bringeth peace.
Thirdly, their Absolution, which is pronounced on Confessors, is most blasphemous, and preiudiciall to Gods royall and high prerogatiue. The blinde Iewes could say, Who can forgiue sinnes but God? And, Nathan said not, I, but, God hath put away thy sinne. So that this their absolution belongs not to any Prophet or Apostle, ordinary or extraordinary, nor to any of their successors; no, not to Christ himselfe as man. Which is the rather to be obserued, to meet with their blasphemous opinion, for which they lay this ground.
Christ (say they) was God and Man. As God, he had an absolute power to forgiue sinnes: As man, hee hath a proper power, and that is deriueable to the Priest, standing in Christs place, to whom he delegates a power to forgiue, as himselfe had power to forgiue; and for this that place is brought, Ioh. 20. 21. As the Father hath sent me, so send I you.
To answere this, We will not consider Christ as God; (for so there is no question, but he may, and doth forgiue sinne:) but two wayes else: first, as Mediator, God and man. Secondly, as man, altogether of our nature if we were without sinne. As Christ is Mediator and King of his Church, so he deriues to his Ministers, not a power of remission, but a ministery of remission of sinnes; not to forgiue sinne, but to pronounce, that God hath forgiuen it: this only hath he left to the Church. But as he is meere man, he hath no power to forgiue sinne, but as being the sonne of man, hee is likewise the Sonne of God: In the time of his humiliation he said not, I forgiue mine enemies, but, Father, forgiue them, they know not what they doe.
As for the place, which they abuse to their irreligious opinion, we must note, first, that it is spoken of Christ to his twelue Apostles, and not of any Euangelicall Priests. Secondly, it importeth only a similitude and likenesse betweene Gods sending of Christ, and Christs sending of his Disciples, but not any equality, that suppose Christ as man had power to forgiue sinnes, yet not that they should bee equall vntounto him herein, and hauehave the same power that he had.
And the similitude stands in these foure things:
First, Christ was before all Worlds, ordained to bee a Mediatour: so they were ordained to the office of Apostleship, not of Priesthood.
Secondly, as Christ himselfe was immediately called to the publike execution of his office of Mediatorship, by the voice of his Father, as appeares in his Baptisme; This is my well-beloued Sonne, in whom I am well pleased: so were the Apostles immediately called by Christs owne voice: And this was their prerogatiue aboue other Ministers, to come from Christs owne bosome, as he did come from the bosome of his Father.
Thirdly, as Christ in publishing the Gospell, had supreme and absolute authoritie to giuegive Lawes to his Church, from which there might be no appeale: So his Apostles had from him an immediate assistance of infallibilitie, so as they could not faile in their doctrine and writings; howsoeuer as men they might erre, yet not as Apostles; so that from them there lay no appeale.
Fourthly, as Christ was made a King and a Prophet, not onelyonly of the Church of the Iewes, but ouer all the Churches in all Nations: so the Apostles commission was not tied to any one Countrey, but they must goe and teach all Nations.
And thus it is true, that as God sent Christ, so Christ sent them; but all the while here is no equalitie: for to make ordinarie Ministers equall to Christ in power, is to make them Mediatours and redeemers, yea, gods.
Secondly, this ouerthrowes another doctrin of theirs, Vse 2.teaching, that no man can be perswaded of the remission of his owne sinnes, vnlesse it be by a speciall reuelation, or by a morall certaintie of workes; whereas we see Dauid here had this perswasion of forgiuenesse by neither, but by a certainty of faith vponupon true confession.
Thirdly, seeing remission of sinnes is a fruite of confession, Vse 3.we see the errour of silly ignorant people, that say, they are as sure of remission as any man in the world, they hope as well as the best, nay, are sure to bee saued with the first; if any get remission of sinne, they are sure it shall be they; and all this without sound confession. But how is this remission sealed vp vntounto them? by what pattents? they neuer had any doubting, no touch of conscience for sinne, no dislike of themselues, they neuer confessed to the Lord against themselues; and therfore the Lord neuer answered them in assuring them of forgiuenes. There is nothing yet in their liues but wickednes and rebellion; and therfore this is but a senselesse presumption which destroyeth their soules.
Others, not a few there are, that thinke to ease their conscience, by lessening their sinne, or excusing it. Some say before the Angell it was their ignorance, and so mince their sinne, and harden their soules, till the Lord be angry at their words, Eccles. 5. 6. Others seeke to forget God, while he knocketh and vrgeth their consciences. If they can thrust him out of presence, and put out the remembrance of himselfe, and the feare of his iudgement, Oh then they be safe. But how are these men wofully deluded, that thinke themselues safest and best, when God is farthest off them?
Others, when sinne comes afresh vponupon them, draw their thoughts, and turne their sailes another way, as when Sauls furious thoughts come vponupon him, they must be appeased by Dauids musike, whereas remission must be gotten by confessing, and not by committing of sin. Some must hauehave Iesters to fill their hearts full of folly, to take God and all good motions and remembrance of sin out of their soules; whereas, of all the delights that euer Salomon tried his heart withall, wee neuer reade that hee kept a Iester or Foole. Some, when a warning peece of humiliation is shot off by God, hauehave no better way to resist it, and to driue away the qualmes of conscience, then by sorting themselues with drinkers, gamesters, and good fellowes, as they call them; and, as eueryevery mans delight drawes him, so is his practice. But this is no other then the brawning of the conscience, farre from lasting peace, which comes from remission of sinnes, and remission comes not from commission, but confession of sinne.
If men, that are now called to confession and repentance by the Word, or the Spirit, or any of Gods works on themselues or others, will yet doe as the hardned Iewes, kill Oxen and Sheepe, and drinke wine in boules, and Isa. 22. 12, 13, 14in the meane time deride the threates of God, and make a tush at these warning peales, let them feare and tremble, the ende of such laughter shall be heauinesse.