Gospel Remission, Treatise · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. That Pardon of Sin not only is a Mercy in it ſelf, but the Foundation of many other Mercies.
4. Argument.PArdon of Sin makes a m… bleſſed; Why? Becauſe it is the Foundation of abundance of other Mercies; it is an inlet to many other mercies, therefore a great mercy; it is a leading mercy, it is as the Queen of Mercy, that hath a great and glorious train of other mercies attending on her; indeed, it is the very foundation of all the mercies of the Covenant of grace, 'tis the principal mercy, and the very foundation of all the mercies that are in the Covenant, and the inlet and opening to them all; the Covenant of Grace is a rich Treaſury, hath abundant ſtore of mercy in it, and this opens to them all: The current of all Gods mercies was ſtopt by mans ſin; though God had an infinite Ocean of mercy, yet the ſourſe and vent of all Gods mercies was ſtopt. Now, when God pardons ſin, he takes away the ſtop, and opens the ſluce, that his infinite grace and goodneſs may flow forth plentifully and ſweetly to the ſoul, body and ſtate; yea to all that belongs to a believer: You may conceive Gods mercy to be as an infinite ſtream of goodneſs, running with a full current towards his creatures; for God delights in the Communication of himſelf to his creatures: But now mans ſin made a dam, and ſtopt the pipe, that not one drop of mercy could come forth, not a drop of all that mercy that in the eternal purpoſe of God he hath appointed in time ſhall come forth to ſuch and ſuch a poor creature; but when he comes to Pardon and Juſtification, he pulls out the plug, and pulls up the flood-gates and ſluces, and then mercies come flowing in amain; when ſin is pardoned, then the full ſtreams of all the mercies in the Covenant of grace come flowing into the ſoul; well then, if it be thus, that pardon of ſin is an inlet to other mercies; then he that hath his ſin pardoned is a very bleſſed man. I ſhall open this, That Pardon of Sin is the foundation to, and opens the ſluce to let in all other mercies, Jer. 31.31. Behold, the days come that I will make a new Covenant with the houſe of Iſrael, and the houſe of Judah: here God opens his goodneſs, and tells them he will make a new Covenant, not like that he made with their fathers, verſ. 32. but this ſhall be the Covenant, verſ. 33. and he inſtances in ſome particulars, I will put my Law into their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and they ſhall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother; ſaying, know the Lord, for they ſhall all know me, &c. But what is the foundation of all this? at the end of the 34. For I will forgive their iniquity and remember their ſin no more. I will make a new Covenant with them, and put my law into their inward parts, and they ſhall all know me; I will come in with all my mercies and bleſſings, Illumination and Sanctification; he mentions theſe inſtead of the reſt, as in a grant of great things ſome particulars are mentioned; but then he comes in with a general; For I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their ſin no more: As if it ſhould be ſaid, Why? Lord wilt thou come in thus to thy people in ſuch an abundant way of mercy more than formerly, and let in theſe graces of thy Covenant; Why? here's the ground of all; for I will forgive their iniquity: ſo that forgiveneſs of iniquity is the ſpecial inlet of the mercies of the Covenant. Now more particularly I ſhall ſhew you what are thoſe ſpecial mercies, Pardon of ſin is an inlet to, and that will further ſhew the bleſſedneſs of thoſe ſouls that have their ſins pardoned, becauſe pardon of ſin is an inlet to many other mercies. As
Of Peace with God, that Pardon of Sin is an inlet to.
1. Peace with God, Rom. 5.1 being juſtified, that is, pardoned through faith; what follows, we have peace with God through our Lord Jeſus Christ; the ground of our Juſtification and Reconciliation, it is not our Humiliation, no nor our Sanctification; Obſerve it, the very bottom and foundation of our Juſtification and Reconciliation, it is neither of theſe, (though we ought to be in the uſe and exerciſe of them) but pardon of ſin is through the free grace of God applyed by faith; this is the ground of all our Peace and Reconciliation with God: And thus men and women ſhould ſeek their peace with God; the main thing they ſhould lay the waight of obtaining peace of God upon, it is the work of faith applying the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt for pardon, rather than any work of Humiliation or Sanctification by the Spirit of God; yet both theſe are ſweet and comfortable, when we found the bottom and main foundation of all our peace on the free grace of God pardoning our ſin, and juſtifying of us through faith in Chriſt; Cod does not ſay, you that are great ſinners, ſtay till you are humbled and are brought to hate ſin, and you ſhall have peace with God: No, you may be much troubled for ſin, and may leave it, and reform in many things, and live better lives than before, and yet your peace not made up with God; How then ſhall it be? thus, being juſtified by faith, looking up to the free grace of God in Chriſt for pardon of ſin, we come to have peace with God; and this is a great priviledge, but if you conſider on the other ſide, a creature not reconciled, cannot look upon the infinite Creator without terror and ſhakings, and tremblings of ſpirit; he cannot have any thoughts of God, but he thinks of him as his Enemy; and that all the excellencies of God are working miſery and ruine to him, this is a ſad thing: But when pardon of ſin comes, God is reconciled, and all fears and terrors from the Almighty are gone; thoſe fears whereby the ſoul was afraid, God was ſecretly working ruine to it, are diſpell'd; and if any judgment of God come cloſe and near, and befal any in the ſight and hearing of a guilty ſoul, he would be thinking God is coming to me next: But a juſtified ſoul may ſay, though the judgments of God be never ſo terrible in the world, and in the Word, which before terrified my Conſcience; yet now my ſin being pardoned, my ſoul is reconciled, and the Word of God ſpeaks nothing but good unto me, and all thoſe fears that before ſo terrified me are diſpell'd.
But may not a pardoned man have theſe fears, Object.or ſomewhat of the nature of them reſting on his ſpirit after he is pardoned?
Yea he may, but the ground of them is diſpel'd and gone;Anſw. it is not the work of Gods Spirit that cauſes theſe fears, as it did before, Rom. 8.15. You have not received the ſpirit of bondage again to fear, but the Spirit of adoption, whereby ye cry Abba Father; may be you may have ſome fears, but being juſtified by faith, you have not again received the ſpirit of bondage; if hereafter you have any fears of Gods judgments and wrath againſt you; it is not the ſpirit of bondage, the Spirit of God that cauſes theſe fears, your own ſelves may miſtake the matter; for thoſe that once receive the ſpirit of bondage, never after receive it; you may have fears through your own miſtakes, but not by the Spirit of God, as the ſpirit of bondage ſhewing us our bondage by our ſins, and working terrors on the ſoul for it, theſe fears are diſpell'd; for in our peace with God in the pardon of ſin, the matter of enemity between God and the ſoul is taken away; there is this in it which might have been added in the myſteries: When a Prince pardons a malefactor, he gives him his life, and he is glad, goes away, but the Prince regards him not any more; and poſſibly he may yet have enmity in his heart againſt the Prince ſtill: But God when he pardons a ſinner, not only is the enmity taken away, but forthwith that ſoul is brought into the ſtate of infinite friendſhip, he receives the ſoul into his very heart; ſo that there ſhall be a greater and more intimate love and friendſhip between his Majeſty and that Soul, than ever was between the greateſt and deareſt friends in the world, this is wonderful, and yet this is ſo; for as when God comes to pardon ſin, there is not only taking away the guilt of ſin, but the ſoul is made actually righteous in Juſtification; ſo alſo there is not only a taking away of the enmity between God and the ſoul that was there before, but he receives the ſoul into infinite love, and takes him into infinite friendſhip with himſelf; Oh the ſweetneſs and bleſſedneſs of that mans ſtate whoſe ſins are pardoned! Reconciliation with God follows thereupon, and he takes the ſoul into his boſome-love. Further upon this there follows two things, Peace in Conſcience, and with the Creatures; being juſtified by faith he hath peace with God, and as the immediate conſequence thereof, peace in Conſcience and with all the Creatures.
1. Peace in Conſcience, thoſe fears and grating terrors that aroſe on guilt of Conſcience are gone, thoſe diſmal accuſations of Conſcience are ſtill'd; though 'tis true, a mans Conſcience may trouble him after Pardon and Juſtification, but it is through miſtake, the ground of all thoſe troubles of Conſcience are gone; 'tis with trouble of Conſcience after pardon of ſin as with the Sea, you that are Marriners may ſee the wind at Sea raiſing the boiſterous waves on high, yet after the wind is quite down 'tis a great while before they be ſtill and quiet; ſo in mens ſouls it is guilt of ſin that cauſes woful diſturbances: but when God pardons ſin, he comes into the Soul as Chriſt in the Ship, and bids all be ſtill; and though through our weakneſs, after the ſting and guilt is removed, Conſcience is troubled, yet is God pleaſed to help the weakneſs of his People ſooner or later; not only to pardon ſin in the Court of Heaven, but in the Court of Conſcience too, and then all fears and troubles are gone; certainly thoſe that know what the burnings, throbbings and ailings of an accuſing Conſcience means, they know what a bleſſing it is to have Peace of Conſcience, a great bleſſing to have all well there, becauſe the Soul hath much to do with Conſcience, and Conſcience hath much to do with God, yea only to do with God; and if all be well with that which hath ſo much to do with the Almighty, it is a great bleſſedneſs, bleſſed is the man that is thus pardoned.
2. There follows this alſo, Peace with the Creatures; If I ſhould meet with theſe in a full Text, each of them might require a Sermon themſelves, to ſhew the excellency of a quiet Conſcience and peace with the Creatures. But I muſt but touch it here: God is Lord of Hoaſts, and all the creatures ſtand armed ready to avenge Gods quarrel, and not only do they ſtand in readineſs, but there is a kind of cry in the creatures to God to make them the Executioners of his wrath; Shall I go and ſtrike this Drunkard ſays one? and ſhall I ſtrike this Blaſphemer ſays another? All the creatures in heaven & earth cry againſt thee every day: But when God pardons thy ſin, all the creatures preſently become thy friends; when the Judge hath quitted a Malelefactor, the under-Officers have nothing to do with him; Conſcience and the Creatures they are under-Officers, and when God is at peace they are at peace too;2 Sam. 18.15. When Joab came and ſtab'd Abſalom, the ten young men that were his Armour-bearers did ſo too; ſo if God come to a ſinner unpardoned, and give him a ſtab, all the Creatures will be ready to ſtab him too; but when God comes and pardons thy ſin,Job. 5.23. He makes a league with thee and the ſtones of the field, as the Scripture ſpeaks; that is the firſt great mercy that flows in to the Soul upon pardon of ſin, and peace with God.
Of Gods Revealing his Secrets to thoſe whom he Pardons.
2. This follows upon pardon of ſin, God comes in a wonderful gracious way to reveal himſelf to that ſoul; he comes to reveal his ſecrets to that ſoul he pardons; and pardon of ſin is the very ground of the Revelation of the Secrets and Myſteries of God by the Spirit to that Soul, Jer. 31.33. among other particulars in the New Covenant God promiſeth they ſhall be all taught of God, in Heb. 8. that Text is quoted ſomething more fully than in the Prophet, verſ. 10, 11. They ſhall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, ſaying, know the Lord; for they ſhall all know me from the leaſt to the greateſt: Mark, For I will be merciful to their unrighteouſneſs, and their ſins and iniquities will I remember no more: Pardon of ſin is made the ground of Gods teaching them his Covenant, They ſhall know me from the leaſt to the greateſt; you little ones and young ones, if God pleaſe to bring you to Chriſt, and pardon your ſin, a glorious light ſhall come into your ſouls: God will ſhew himſelf in a glorious manner to you, there ſhall be another manner of light ſhine into your hearts than ever before; the myſteries of God will be opened to you, and you ſhall underſtand more than many of your fathers, who have not had this mercy to be rightly acquainted with the Juſtification of a ſinner; and therefore you young ones, that much deſire knowledge, the main thing to be acquainted with, is this great Doctrine of Juſtification and pardon of ſin; as Luther ſaid, Three things, Prayer, Meditation, and Temptations make a Divine; ſo I ſay, the right knowledge of Juſtification makes a Chriſtian, and they that have not a clear knowledge in this point, do but bungle and are extream weak in all other points of Religion; but when once the ſoul comes to be juſtified, what a glorious light is let into the ſoul, as you all know, that have been made partakers of this grace? And you young ones, you may come to have ſin pardoned as well as others, and to have the knowledge of the myſteries of God revealed unto you, 1 Joh. 2.12. compared with the 13. I write unto you little Children, becauſe your ſins are forgiven for his Name ſake; even little children, I write to you, your ſins are forgiven; oh 'tis a happy thing for young children to have faith wrought in them, and to have their ſins forgiven them betimes! and then in the 13. verſe, I write unto you little Children, becauſe you have known the Father; Oh what an admirable light ſprings up in the ſouls of little Children when their ſins are pardoned! they come to the knowledge of the Father; and this is the reaſon why many great and learned men, that are men of excellent underſtanding in the knowledge of natural things, are not acquainted with the myſteries of godlineſs, and think but meanly of them; marvel not at it, for the knowledge of the myſteries of godlineſs, comes in by pardon of ſin; when God pardons ſin and juſtifies a ſoul by faith in Chriſt, then God opens the Covenant, and all the glorious myſteries of it to ſuch a ſoul: A Prince reveals not the ſecrets of State to a Traytor that lies under bolts and chains; but if a Prince pleaſe to pardon him, and knock off his bolts and chains, and raiſe him unto favour, bring him into his Privy Chamber, and open his whole heart and all the myſteries of the Kingdom to him, here is a great change; thus does God to poor ſinners that he pardons: A ſoul that lies under the guilt of ſin, is juſt for all the world like unto a Malefactor that lies in a dungeon, that hath bolts and fetters on him; the guilt of ſin is like bolts and fetters on thy ſoul: Well, thou lyeſt there faſt bound; but when God comes in with pardoning mercy, God ſends to thee in this dungeon, and knocks off thy bolts by pardon, and not only ſo, but calls thee into his Privy Chamber, and opens his heart and boſome unto thee, and reveals thoſe things that were kept ſecret from the beginning of the world: Princes do not always deal ſo with Malefactors, if they pardon them they think they have done enough for them, they may afterwards go and ſhift for themſelves, they are not call'd into the Privy Chamber to have the King open his ſecrets unto them; but it is certainly ſo to every ſoul God pardons; he pardons none, but whom he calls into his Privy Chamber, and reveals unto him the great Councels of his will, and what has been the great thoughts of his heart, for the good of that ſoul from all eternity; though ſome ſouls have more light than others, yet to no ſoul that is pardoned but God comes in with a great and glorious light; and in reſpect of the light of Nature, it may be call'd a glorious light: there's not the weakeſt and pooreſt creature in the world that is pardoned, but he underſtands more of the light of Gods grace and Covenant, than the greateſt Doctors or Rabbins in the world; and though he cannot ſpeak or talk ſo much of theſe things, yet he dares venture his ſoul on thoſe thoughts he hath of Gods good will made known unto him in the Covenant; no Rabbin in the world, though he can talk much of theſe things, yet he dares not venture his ſoul for the eternal welfare of it and his eſtate upon God, to do with him as he pleaſes; but a believing ſoul dares venture his Name, his Eſtate, his Life, yea his eternal life on God, he dares to put them all into his hands, and to ſuch a ſoul, God will repeal his Covenant, Pſal. 25.14. God will grant this mercy, that he will reveal his Covenant, and all the ſecrets of it ſhall be made known unto him; you that complain of dulneſs of underſtanding; you ſay you hear excellent myſteries and do not underſtand them, there is ſurely much in them, I ſee ſome weight and excellency in them to be found out, and I hope God in time will diſcover them unto me, but little I know for preſent; you take a courſe to get underſtanding by attendance on the outward Ordinances, it is good to uſe all means, as reading and conferring with other Chriſtians, and pray over what you hear; theſe are excellent: But the great and ſpecial means to get ſaving underſtanding in the myſteries of the Goſpel is this; Caſt down your ſouls at the footſtool of God, and cry for pardon of ſin; it may be guilt of ſin is upon thy heart, let that be thy work to get of the guilt of ſin, and cry for Gods juſtifying mercy in Chriſt; guilt being removed, God will let out to thy ſoul the Revelation of his Covenant in a glorious manner, he will reveal his ſecrets to thee, ſo that upon this there is a holy boldneſs a ſinner comes to have in the preſence of God. Suppoſe a Malefactor come to Court under his guilt being not pardoned; alas, he dare ſcarce look in at Court-gate; and when he comes, he keeps in ſome outroom, and dares not ſtir any further than he is call'd; but take another that is pardoned, he comes in boldly and goes from one room unto another, yea into the very Preſence-Chamber, and there can open his mind fully to the King, and ſpeak out all his heart; and this is a great difference between one under the guilt of ſin and another that is pardoned; one under the guilt of ſin he dare ſcarce go to Prayer, and thinks God caſts away his perſon and his ſervices, and that nothing is regarded; but when God comes to pardon, he calls the poor ſinner that was under trouble before, to come and draw near to him, and ſaith, fear not, open thy mind and heart to me, Lam. 3.55, 56, 57. I called upon thy Name, O Lord, out of the low dungeon. 57. In the day that I called upon thee thou dreweſt near, and ſaid'ſt fear not: Every poor ſoul that is juſtified, may ſay, God knows when I was under the guilt of ſin, I was caſt into the low dungeon, and the chains of guilt were upon me there, but through thy grace thou haſt heard my voyce, hide not thy ear at my breathing, at my cry; thou can'ſt not cry; yet if thou beeſt one whom God hath received to mercy, thou may'ſt have confidence that God will hear the voyce of thy breathing: thou com'ſt to Prayer, and can'ſt not tell what to ſay; mark, can'ſt thou breath, Gods ear lies open to the breathings of a ſoul he hath received to mercy, thou cam'ſt to me, I was a great way off ſhaking & trembling, and thou drew'ſt near to me, and ſaid'ſt fear not, v. 57. ſo a poor ſoul under the guilt of ſin he ſtands ſhaking and trembling; but when God comes to pardon, he ſays to thee fear not, and becauſe thou dar'ſt not come to him, he comes to thee, and ſays, peace be to thee, fear not, Heb. 10.16. the Apoſtle ſpeaking of the Covenant that God will make, in the 17. verſe ſays, Their ſins and iniquities will I remember no more; and 18. verſe, Where remiſſion of ſin is, there is no more offering for ſin; in the 19. verſe he infers that now therefore, We have boldneſs to enter into the holieſt by the bloud of Jeſus; and verſ. 21. Having an High Prieſt over the Houſe of God, let us (verſe 22.) draw near with a true heart in full aſſurance of faith; God having made a new Covenant, and ſaid, Their ſins and iniquities I will remember no more; therefore we have boldneſs, ſays the Apoſtle, to enter into the Holy of Holies: In the time of the Law under the Jewiſh Pedagogy none might enter into the Holy of Holies but the High Prieſt, there was but little acceſs into the Holyeſt in the time of the Law; but now when the Goſpel comes, Chriſt having offered up himſelf a Sacrifice there needs no more Sacrifices, he at once having purged away ſin by his own blood, has opened a new and a living way that we may come with boldneſs now into the Holieſt; ſo that a believing ſoul need now not ſtand a far off ſhaking, but may come in to the Privy-Chamber, and enter into the Holy of Holies, and draw near with a true heart in full aſſurance of faith; and this comes from ſin pardoned: Oh bleſſed is he that hath his ſin pardoned, that has ſuch a priviledge following thereupon, Epheſ. 3.12. In whom we have boldneſs and acceſs with confidence by the faith of him, Chriſt being our High Prieſt we have boldneſs, liberty of ſpeech, ſo the Original; a great many know not how to pray, and they think all the Prayers of the Saints have nothing in them but a great deal of Non-ſenſe, becauſe they underſtand not what the work of God is in the hearts of his people; the Saints have by faith in him liberty of ſpeech, there is a bleſſed freedom a gracious heart hath, being once juſtified by Chriſt, to open his ſoul unto God, which connot be done by any other way in the world, to have liberty to pour out our whole ſouls into his boſom, is from faith, and comes in as a fruit of Juſtification, David pardoned Abſolon, but would not let him ſee his face: but God never pardons any ſoul, but he gives free liberty for that ſoul, to come into his preſence and open it ſelf fully unto him; this is a ſecond priviledge, Pardon of ſin is an inlet to many other mercies.
Of Pardon of Sin making all other Mercies to be Mercies.
3. Pardon of ſin is not only an inlet to many other mercies, but it is ſuch a mercy as makes all other mercies to be mercies, and without which no other mercies would be mercies; by this all other mercies are mercies: when once a ſoul comes to be pardoned, it may look upon all it hath in a far more ſweeter way than ever it could before; by this he may look upon Houſe and Land, Wife and Children, Eſtate and Friends, he may look upon theſe as mercies indeed; Why? for he has a pardon, his ſins are pardoned; as a man ſuppoſing he is charged, found guilty, and condemned, having a fair houſe, rich furniture, ſweet yoak-fellow and children, and all things he could deſire; but ſays he, What are all theſe to me ſeeing I am a condemned man? Well, he goes and gets a pardon unexpectedly, and now he returns to his Houſe, Wife and Relations again, and all are ſweet unto him, when he injoys them with a pardon, he looks upon them with another manner of eye than he did before; thus there is this difference between the enjoyment of outward comforts in this world when ſin is pardoned, and before it was pardoned; thou haſt Houſes and Land, ſweet Yoak-fellow, and Children, trading at Sea and Land, and all things thou canſt deſire; but what is all this to thee, while guilt of ſin lies grating on thy Conſcience? Well, God comes into thee with pardoning mercy, and takes away thy ſin, the guilt of which lay corroding on thy Conſcience, then thou may'ſt look upon thy Eſtate, Wife, Children, and all thy comings in to thee, as coming from the ſame eternal Fountain of Gods eternal love, that Jeſus Chriſt himſelf came from; this is a mighty Argument to perſwade men to ſeek after the pardon of their ſin, that you may have your comforts and enjoyments in this world in outward things ſweet unto you; and if there were no other reaſon to perſwade you to ſeek after forgiveneſs, this might be enough, that you may have all your outward mercies in mercy to you; you may have an Eſtate, a ſweet Yoak-fellow, and ſweet Children, and all thou canſt deſire, and theſe are mercies, but they are but ſuch mercies as God may give to thoſe that are Enemies unto him; they are but outward mercies at the beſt, coming not to thee as fruits of the Covenant, and ſo are not the ſure mercies of David; nay, not worthy to be accounted mercies. Conſider but two things;
Firſt, The guilt of ſin upon thy ſoul, is ſo great an evil, that take all theſe things at the beſt, they are but as a grain of Sugar put into a tun of Gall; a tun fill'd up with bitter Gall, and one grain of Sugar put into it, would not all the ſweetneſs of it be ſwallow'd up in the tun of Gall? ſo were the Monarchy of the whole World made over to thee, yet if thy ſin be unpardoned, there is ſo much evil in it, as all that thou canſt enjoy is but as one grain of Sugar put into a tun of Gall, the evil of ſin would ſwallow it all up.
Secondly, Thou know'ſt not what thou haſt, whether it be out of Gods love or hatred; Nay, thou haſt rather cauſe to conclude, it is out of Gods anger and hatred, than out of Gods love: How canſt thou then account it a mercy, when all the comforts thou haſt, may come out of Gods infinite anger and hatred to thee, rather than out of love? therefore till thou art aſſured of pardon, thou haſt no mercy, thou canſt be aſſured of, is in mercy to thee: This ſhews,
1. The great vanity of men and women that look after pardon of ſin, but 'tis only at ſuch times as God takes away all other comforts from them; as thus, they think to ſatisfie themſelves with the creatures while they can enjoy them, while they can go up and down amongſt friends, eat good chear, and have all coming in; but when God takes away all theſe, as on a ſick-bed, then they will cry for pardon; Oh mercy Lord! oh mercy! I am a wretched miſerable ſinner, oh mercy! Well, now you would have mercy, Why now, and not before? before you had other things, and you quieted your hearts with them; and why not now, were not they mercies? but I know not whether they were out of love or hatred; Well, yet you quieted your hearts with them; and now they are all going, Do you now think it a fit time to cry for mercy? Oh how infinitely waſt thou miſtaken, that thou did'ſt not cry for mercy before! thou think'ſt it now a fit time to cry for mercy; why? thou had'ſt no mercy that thou could'ſt take the comfort of as a mercy unleſs thy ſins were pardoned; and therefore thou haſt now cauſe to cry for pardon, when ſickneſs comes, and God takes away this and the other mercy, thou think'ſt thou art left naked; if you knew all, you are naked now: and therefore would you live a comfortable life in this world, and have your Houſe, Eſtate, and all Relations mercies to you; never be at reſt till you have got your ſins pardoned and forgiven; this conſidered, might be a mighty argument and means to draw the hearts of men to get pardon, that all their outward things might be ſweetned to them.
2. If all outward good be not a mercy unleſs ſin be pardoned, then what good wilt thou or any one get by the increaſe of ſin? thou think'ſt it to be a good; Why? all thou haſt now is not a good, is not a mercy; and doſt thou think to get good by the increaſe of ſin? when a temptation comes to draw thee to ſin, think thus, I have heard this day that all I have is not a mercy unleſs my ſin be pardoned, and therefore I can never get any mercy by the increaſe of ſin: Certainly did men and women underſtand themſelves, they would eaſily anſwer the Devil by this kind of reaſoning.
Of Pardon of Sin making all afflictions eaſie to be born.
Where-ever ſin is pardoned, there follows this, that any thing that befals that man or woman is very eaſie to be born; an eaſie matter it is for any one that hath his ſin pardoned to bear any affliction, and this is a great bleſſedneſs; or rather take it thus, That either ſuch a one may be aſſured, that afflictions ſhall be removed, or otherwiſe made eaſie to be born; for pardon of ſin delivers us from abundance of afflictions that otherwiſe might befal us in this world; though it is true, God lays many afflictions on his people after their ſins are forgiven, yet it is more than they know, but that if their ſins had not bin forgiven they might have had other manner of miſeries than they do now meet withal; perhaps you meet with ſome now, and more than you did before, but for ought you know, thoſe miſeries you meet with now, might have been ſeven-fold more than now they are, and another manner of wrath than you now think of, Iſai. 40.2. Cry, her warfare is accompliſhed, for her iniquity is pardoned; where iniquity is pardoned, there warfare is accompliſhed; if afflictions be not quite removed, yet they are made very eaſie to be born, and that upon two grounds.
Firſt, Becauſe the greatneſs of the good that there is in pardon of ſin, makes the bittereſt and ſaddeſt evil that there is in affliction to be as nothing; as to inſtance, ſuppoſe a Malefactor that is condemn'd to ſome greivous and hideous death, ſhould have a friend at Court to ſue for pardon, or he comes up up to get pardon; Well, he comes and is admitted to come into the Kings Preſence, and he receives him graciouſly, pardons him freely, quits him fully of all his guilt, and puts him fully out of all the danger he was in; perhaps as he is coming from the King he loſes his Glove or Handkerchief; Would not that be an unſeemly thing for a man, that after he has got his Pardon, yet becauſe he has loſt his Glove, ſhould whine and wring his hands, becauſe of the loſs of his Glove; would not that be an unreaſonable thing? Certainly there is as much unreaſonableneſs for any man or woman that hath the pardon of their ſin, for them to wring their hands and whine, and keep a ſtir as though they were undone becauſe they are afflicted: For the greateſt affliction that can befal any in this world, compared with the good of pardon of ſin, is not ſo much as the loſs of a Glove for the ſaving of any mans life by the Kings Pardon; though your afflictions may be more than the loſs of a Glove; yet your pardon of ſin is greater than any Kings pardon in the world: put theſe together, and know hereby thy unreaſonableneſs, and when to check thy ſelf, (having any aſſurance of pardon of ſin) that thou ſhould'ſt be ſo troubled at any affliction, and have ſo much good from God in the pardon of thy ſin: Further, for thoſe that are troubled at afflictions, I would put this to them; either they are pardoned, or not pardoned: if ye are pardoned, why are ye ſo troubled? if ye are not pardoned, then you had need to ſpend the ſtrength of your ſpirits by waving your grief for afflictions to ſeek pardon of your ſins.
Secondly, Pardon of ſin will make afflictions eaſie▪ becauſe the ſoul may be aſſured that the evil of affliction is gone; he that has his ſin pardoned may be aſſured, that there can nothing befal him in this world, but that if he knew all, he himſelf would be willing with all his heart it ſhould be ſo: And is not this a bleſſed condition for any man, while he lives here in this world, in which there is abundance of evil, yet to be in ſuch a condition as that we ſhall certainly know, that there ſhall nothing befal us as long as we live in this world, but that, which if we knew all, we our ſelves would chuſe it, and account it to be a better condition than any other? this is a bleſſed eſtate, to be in ſuch a condition as this is, for God to teſtifie from Heaven unto us, that it ſhall not be in the power of any creature in the world to do us any hurt; for certainly ſo it is when once a man or woman is juſtified, God does as much as ſpeak from heaven to that poor ſoul; ſaying, Soul now you are ſafe, be certainly aſſured that there is no creature in all the world can do you any hurt, Pſal. 116.7. thou may'ſt ſay as David there, Return unto thy reſt O my ſoul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee; God has pardoned thy ſin, and delivered thee from death; and n…w my ſoul return unto thy reſt: the word tranſlated reſt in the Original is plural, return unto thy reſts; there are reſts enough for a ſoul whom God hath delivered and pardoned, all afflictions to him are but as the Viper on Paul's hand that he may ſhake off, they will do him no hurt; the ſting of death is ſin, and the ſting of afflictions is that they are the beginners of death: but to one that has his ſin taken away, the property of affliction is altered; they come not as acts of revenging Juſtice, but as effects of Love and Mercy; the Principle from whence they come, and the end to which they tend is differenced from what it was before; when Treſpaſſes are forgiven, Deliverance from Evil will follow after, as it is in the Lords Prayer; true as you heard before in the former point, If once we come to have afflictions as the fruits of ſin, then they are heavy and grievous indeed; in this caſe when affliction comes for ſin, and ſin comes to prey upon a man in time of affliction, it is juſt as a Bayliffe ſet on by a cruel Creditor, that comes to a poor man in debt, and he lies ſick; the Bayliffe takes away his Stools, Table, Bed and Pillow, and all he hath to help and comfort him, leaves him not a Pillow to reſt his weary head upon: ſo when a ſinner lies ſick, and under affliction, guilt of ſin comes and takes away all thy comforts; if thou haſt any Promiſe, as a Pillow to reſt thy head upon, guilt of ſin will take it away; guilt of ſin pulls and tears away every comfort, and every good that ſinners ſhould have to refreſh themſelves withal in affliction: But when the guilt of ſin is gone, thou may'ſt lay thy head down in quiet, and reſt upon a Promiſe, and it will make affliction very eaſie, that thou ſhalt have no cauſe to make complaint as formerly thou had'ſt, Iſai. 33. ult. The Inhabitant ſhall not ſay, I am ſick; mark the ground of it, for the People that dwell therein ſhall be forgiven their Iniquity; when God comes to beſtow this great mercy of pardon, the Inhabitants ſhall not make ſuch dolorous complaints of affliction and trouble upon them: ſays Luther, ſtrike Lord, ſtrike, for I am abſolved from my ſin; if once God has abſolved thee, or any poor creature from their ſin, it is not in the power of any affliction to diſturb them, Job 34.29. When he gives quietneſs, who can give trouble? and when he hides his face, who then can behold him? when God gives quietneſs, as he doth in forgiveneſs of ſin, then who can make trouble? let there be never ſo many rumors in the world of war, bloud, and miſeries, as if Heaven and Earth met together; yet if God give quietneſs to the heart, in aſſurance of forgiveneſs of ſin, who can bring trouble? it is not in the power of all the world to diſturb his ſ…ul whoſe ſins are forgiven; Pardon of ſin is that peace the world cannot take away; therefore bleſſed is the man that hath his ſins pardoned.
Of Healing, the fruit of Pardoning Mercy.
5. Where God pardons ſin, he heals that ſoul and ſanctifies it by the immediate fruits of the Spirit, whereſoever it is, and this is a great bleſſedneſs; who is there that underſtands the evil of ſin that ſees not this a great bleſſedneſs, not only to be delivered from the guilt of ſin, but alſo from the uncleanneſs of ſin too; and that Sanctification or freedom from the power and ſlavery that there is under the bondage of ſin is a fruit of forgiveneſs of ſin will appear by divers Texts of Scripture. I ſhall not ſpeak to all, but only ſome that make this bleſſing to be the conſequence or immediate fruits that ſlow in upon forgiveneſs, Jer. 31.33, 34 there God promiſes to put his law into our inward parts: But what's the ground of it? in the 34. verſe, I will forgive their iniquities and remember their ſins no more; the writing of Gods Law in our inward parts, delivering us from the power of ſin, and ſanctifying our hearts comes in as a fruit of Gods forgiving us our iniquities, Rom. 6.14. Sin ſhall not have dominion over you; why? becauſe you are not under the Law, but under Grace: Now this is the great grace of the Goſpel, forgiveneſs of ſin, you are under that, and therefore it is that ſin cannot have dominion over you; as if the Apoſtle had ſaid, you may reſolve againſt ſin, and do what you can to oppoſe it, and ſtrive as much as poſſible you are able to ſubdue it; yet ſo long as you remain under the law, ſin will certainly have dominion over you, and you will be under the ſlavery of it, until you come under the grace of the Goſpel, and partake of that, Col. 2.13. ult. And you hath he quickned together with him, having forgiven you all treſpaſſes; ſo that quickning and Sanctification is a fruit of forgiving of all their treſpaſſes, 1 Cor. 15.56, 57. The ſting of death is ſin; and the ſtrength of ſin is the law; but thanks be to God that giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the ſtrength of ſin is the law. Gods Juſtice in the Law giving men up unto ſin, there lies the ſtrength of ſin. But now God through Chriſt coming to men in the grace of the Goſpel, there comes deliverance from the ſtrength of ſin: perhaps ſome of you have lain under the burden and power of ſin, and you have thought the only way to get victory, hath been to reſolve and ſtrive againſt it, and you have done ſo, and yet you cannot get power over your ſins: I remember one writing to Luther, tells him that he had vow'd and covenanted againſt his ſin, and yet his ſin prevail'd againſt him, until he underſtood the grace of the Goſpel; and ſo may be have you done, and yet your ſin prevails becauſe you take not this courſe: try the work of faith in point of Juſtification; renew your faith in God, for the forgiveneſs of your ſin through Jeſus Chriſt, that's the ready way, try that courſe; you that have been tired in labouring againſt corruption, you have reſolv'd and pray'd, and ſhed tears, and yet that will not do; try this way, renew your faith dayly in point of Juſtification, by laying hold of the infinite riches of the grace of Chriſt in the Goſpel for pardon, for healing power to come in to help you againſt that which holds you, and this will not hinder your duties; you may pray, reſolve, and faſt as much as before, but be ſure your great care be to renew your faith in point of Juſtification, and there will come more healing power by that in your ſouls than by any thing elſe; if once you can touch Chriſt, the bloody iſſues of your ſins that run before come to be dryed up, which you could not dry up, though you ſpent your time and pains, and did all you could do; here's a great difference between Gods forgiveneſs and mans: a King may forgive, but he cannot change and heal: but when God forgives, he heals and takes away that evil diſpoſition from thee that did ſo weaken thee for all good; Chriſt when he comes, he comes with healing in his wings; now bleſſed is the man whoſe ſins are forgiven, for that there follows deliverance from the power of ſin, and a healing of the ſoul.
Of comfort againſt Death following on Pardoning Mercy.
6. Bleſſed is he whoſe ſins are forgiven, becauſe ſuch a man may look in the face of Death and Judgment with comfort; Death when he comes to a Natural Man, he comes as a Meſſenger of God to arreſt the Soul at Gods ſuit; but where ſin is forgiven, Death is made a means to bring thee to reſt; that, that would have arreſted thee is a means to bring thee to thy reſt, Heb. 2.14, 15. Chriſt came to die: Now what was the great buſineſs he came to die for, it was to purchaſe a pardon for ſin, and by his death to take away the power of the Devil, and deliver them that through fear of death were all their life time ſubject to bondage; through the fear of death, and nothing in all the world can deliver from the fear of death but forgiveneſs of ſin, and then this makes a man look on the day of Judgment with comfort; for one ſpecial end of that day is, that there may be a Declaration of the Infinite Mercy of God in forgiving of ſin, Act. 3.19. Repent and be converted, that your ſins may be blotted out when the times of refreſhing ſhall come from the preſence of the Lord; when he ſhall ſend Jeſus again which before was preached to you: Certainly aſſoon as ever a man comes to believe, his ſins are blotted out; I but when the times of refreſhing ſhall come, they ſhall appear to your own ſelves, and to all the World, Men and Angels more fully than ever before, ſome Interpreters think; and I dare not deny it, but that there will be a time of refreſhing in this world, before the great and terrible day, that Chriſt will make it appear that the ſins of the Elect Believers are blotted out in another manner than now it doth; but however it will fully appear at that day, and then that day that will be ſo terrible to the ungodly, will be refreſhing to the Saints; Why? becauſe they ſhall find their ſins blotted out then, and that will make that day a refreſhing day unto them; Although the Heavens be all on fire, and ſhrivelled up like a Scrowl, and there be dreadful ſhriekings of ungodly men; yet it ſhall be a day of refreſhing to the Saints, becauſe their ſins are blotted out: Oh bleſſed is the man that hath his ſins pardoned now! for he ſhall have that day to be a day of refreſhing to him; but woe be to thee O ſoul, who ever thou art, that haſt not thy ſin pardoned; if but one ſin ſtand upon the ſcore not blotted out, woe, woe will betide the for ever more; but they that find their ſin pardoned, ſhall find that day to be a day of ſuch refreſhing as ever they beheld; and therefore bleſſed is the man that hath his iniquities forgiven.
Of Security againſt the worlds Reproaches, the fruit of Pardoning Mercy.
7. Where God hath forgiven ſin, ſuch a one need not care for the cenſures of all the world, and the reproaches they caſt upon him; the men of the world caſt many reproaches on the Saints, and ſay, they are hypocrites, that though they will not ſwear, yet they will lie; that they are falſe, proud, and the like; Why? now the ſoul that finds it ſelf acquitted before the Lord, need not care for all the cenſures and condemnations that can be caſt upon him from the men of the world, Rom. 8.33. Having ſpoken before of the great grace of God in Juſtification, in verſ. 33. he ſpeaks as if he had made a challenge to all the world, let them all come in, let me ſee Who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? Why? becauſe it is God that juſtifies: many will charge them of grievous things; I but it is God that juſtifies: What will a man care if the Prince have given him a pardon, though ſome kitchin boy, ſome ſhakeril about the Court ſhould rail againſt him, ſo long as the King hath pardoned him; Bernard hath a notable ſpeech concerning David when Shimei railed, David was not troubled ſays he, he did not feel the injury heapt upon him, becauſe he had felt before the grace of God towards him; the feeling of Gods grace towards him in pardoning, made him not feel the railings of Shimei; ſo Chriſt himſelf, Iſai. 50. ver. 7. he ſaid before, I gave my back to the ſmiters, and hid not my face from ſhame and ſpitting; they ſpit upon him: this is apparently ſpoken of Chriſt; but what upheld him, verſ. 7. For the Lord God will help me; therefore ſhall I not be confounded for all this; therefore have I ſet my face like a flint againſt all ſcorns, railings, and accuſations in the world; but what was the bottom of all this? mark, verſ. 8. He is near that juſtifies me, who will contend with me? let us ſtand together: Who is my Adverſary? let him come near to me; let my Adverſary come and do his worſt, he is near that juſtifies me: true, Chriſt had no ſin perſonally to be pardoned; but he had the ſins of all the Elect charg'd upon him, and upon that he ſuffered death. Now we are to know, Chriſt is juſtified as well as Believer; and the very ground why a Believer is juſtified, it is becauſe Chriſt is juſtified himſelf; Chriſt being juſtified, a Believer comes to be juſtified; this might have been opened in the myſteries of Pardon of Sin: There is a juſtifying firſt in Chriſt as in a common publick perſon, and then by faith in our own perſons. Now though in the Fathers Juſtification of Chriſt he juſtifies us, yet not as particular perſons, but in him as a common perſon in the Name of all the Elect; and faith, that comes in that we might be juſtified in our own particular perſons, as before we were in Chriſt as a common perſon: Now Chriſt is juſtified firſt, and acquitted from all our ſins, and this acquittance is made the ground of his challenge to all his Adverſaries in the world, though the Prince of Devils come with all his power; yet ſays Chriſt, he is near that juſtifies me, and he will make my face as a flint, it is God that acquits me, who is my Adverſary? let him come near: Oh its a bleſſed thing when thou haſt got the pardon of thy ſin! thou needeſt not care for all the reproaches the world can caſt upon thee; thou may'ſt go up and down, and challenge any in the world to come in againſt thee, 1 Cor. 4.3. I paſs not for mans judgment, he that judgeth me is the Lord; the world tranſlated judgment, in the Greek it is mans day: Man has his day here, and he thinks to weary out the People of God; why ſays Paul, I paſs not for mans day, he that hath the ſupream judgment in his hands, he hath acquitted me, and I am well enough.
Of the Foundation of Eternal Life laid in Pardoning Mercy.
8. Bleſſed is the man that hath his iniquities forgiven; for this is the foundation of eternal life; whoever hath this mercy, hath a certain pledge put into his hands of eternal life, Rom. 8.30. Whom he predeſtinated, them he called: whom he called, them he juſtified: and whom he juſtified, them he glorified: thou who art juſtified, and haſt thy ſin pardoned, thou ſhalt certainly be glorified: A Prince may pardon a man, but he cannot aſſure him of eternal life, though he give him his natural life: But God if he pardon, he makes it known to that ſoul that he ſhall live eternally with him in glory: Oh bleſſed is he then that hath his iniquities forgiven, for this is a pledge unto him of eternal life.
Of Pardon of Sin being the bottom of all true Comfort.
9. Bleſſed is he that hath his ſin pardoned; for pardon of ſin is the very bottom of all true comfort: Be of good comfort your ſins are forgiven; if Chriſt ſpeak but this word to a ſoul, though he be never ſo much dejected, it is enough to raiſe any drooping ſoul from the gates of Hell it ſelf. Be of good comfort oh ſoul, thy ſins are forgiven thee, Iſai. 40.2. Speak you comfortable to her, for her iniquities are pardoned: God calls to comfort her when her iniquities are pardoned, this is the foundation of all true comfort: if you lay any other foundation to build your comforts on, certainly that building will totter and come to nothing, if this be not the foundation: You would fain have comfort, and you are every one looking out for comfort; and indeed it is as natural for the ſoul of man to ſeek for comfort, as it is for the fire to burn: there's no man but would fain have comfort; now look to the foundation if you would not have the building totter, lay a good foundation: Many lay the foundation of their comforts in their ſins, and others in the creatures; but thou muſt lay it in the pardon of thy ſin, in the free grace of God juſtifying thy ſoul, and that building will hold; lay it there and thou ſhalt be comforted here and for ever hereafter. And thus we have done with that Particular, That Pardon of Sin is a great mercy, becauſe it is a foundation and inlet to many other mercies: Bleſſed is the man that hath his iniquities forgiven, that hath ſuch a grand mercy, upon which many other mercies follow.