Of Justification, To the reader
THE Reader muſt underſtand that ſince the Writing of this, I have endeavoured to clear this point in my Directions for Peace of Conſcience. To which now I add but this, that beſides a Plenary Guilt or Remiſſion, there ſeems to be a Guilt and Remiſſion that are both but imperfect and of a middle ſort: that is, that as in Peters act of ſin, the habit of faith remained, ſo with his Guilt, a ſtate of Juſtification remained: As none of his old ſins returned on him, ſo the Covenant of Grace upon his Habitual Faith did hinder the Guilt from being Plenary or fixed, by beginning a Remiſſion; I fear not to call it an imperfect Remiſſion: The Law doth pronounce Death on a man for every ſin, & it is ſo far in force as to determine that Death is both deſerved and due to this man for this ſin. But at the ſame inſtant, though after in order of nature, the Goſpel that giveth pardon to Believers, doth give an Imperfect pardon to David, Peter and ſuch Habitual Believers as ſoon as they ſin, before Faith and Repentance for that ſin be actuall; and their Pardon will become plenary when they actually Repent and Believe. Their Sin is like the fault of a Kings Son or Subject, that in a Paſſion ſhould ſtrike the King, when yet Habitually he hath a loving Loyal heart to him. He deſerveth Death, and by Law it may be his due; but he is a Son ſtill, and the King will not take this advantage againſt him, though he will not fully pardon him, till he ſubmit and lament his Fault. We are ſtill the Children of God, notwithſtanding thoſe ſins that go againſt the Habitual bent of our Hearts (for thats the Tryal;) but muſt have actual Faith and Repentance before we ſhall have full pardon: Whether you will call that Pardon which the Promiſe giveth upon meer habitual Repentance, A vertual Pardon, and that which it giveth on actual Repentance, an actual Pardon; or what name you will give it, I leave to conſideration; but compleat it is not in a caſe of heynous ſin, till Actual Repentance: Though it may be in a caſe of ſome unknown, unobſerved or forgotten infirmities. For the full condition is neceſſary to a full Pardon. He is near the caſe of a man that hath a Pardon granted him for Murder, but for want of ſome action to be performed, he hath not yet poſſeſſion of it, and cannot yet plead it. If you ask me what ſhould become of ſuch a man, if he ſo die before Repentance; I anſwer. 1. I think it is a caſe that will never fall out: For 1. God is as it were engaged by Love and Promiſe, and by giving his indwelling Spirit to Believers, to bring them to Repentance. 2. The new Nature or Disposition of ſuch a man will not ſuffer him to be long without Actual Repentance, at leaſt in ſome meaſure; eſpecially when Death ſhall look him in the fa…e. I doubt not but David did repent before Nathan ſpoak to him; but God would not wake up with ſo ſhort and ſecret a Repentance for ſo great and odious a Crime. 2. But if you can prove it profitable for ſuch a … to be ſuddenly cut off before Repentance, and that ſuch a thing will be, I ſhould incline to think that he will be fully pardoned at the inſtant of Death, and ſo ſaved; becauſe the Lord knoweth that he repented Habitually and vertually, and would have done it actually, if he had had time for conſideration. 3. Or if we ſhould conclude that God hath purpoſely left men of ſuch a middle condition, without any certainty how he will deal with them, that ſo no man may be encouraged to ſin, and in Impudency, I think it no dangerous Doctrine, nor injurious to the Body of ſaving Truth. And thus I have now (many years ſince the writing of the foregoing Papers) told you in brief what ſatisfieth me concerning this difficult point, for the reconciling of the guilt of every particular ſin, eſpecially the more haynous, with the Doctrine of perſevering, uninterrupted Juſtification. Somewhat alſo I have ſaid of it in my Papers expreſſing my Judgement about Perſeverance, lately publiſhed.
Jan. 5. 1657. 8.