Gospel Remission, Treatise · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The Text Opened, and the Main Doctrine Propounded.
I Have, as you may remember, in many Sermons endeavoured to ſhew unto you the malignity and dreadful evil that there is in Sin; And what more ſeaſonable and ſuitable Argument can we now treat of, than the bleſſedneſs of Pardon of Sin? How ſweet and acceptable will this be to ſuch fou…s, that by the former argument have been made apprehenſive of the dreadful evil of it? How readily will they ſay, with the Prophet, How beautiful are the feet of thoſe that bring (ſuch) good tidings? Wherefore, me thinks, while I am reading this Text, I ſhould be like a man at an Eccho, that hears the words thereof reſounded back again, by every broken hearted ſinner in this Congregation, O, bleſſed, bleſſed is the man indeed whoſe tranſgreſſions are forgiven, and whoſe ſin is covered.
A word ſpoken in ſeaſon (ſays Solomon) is like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver; and conſidering,Prov. 25.11. how large I have been in opening of the Evil of Sin unto you, if ever a word was ſpoken in due ſeaſon, I hope it may be out of this Text: The word of Reconciliation and pardon of Sin; and if God inable me to clear up unto you the excellency of thoſe Truths contained in this Scripture, I hope they will prove in all your eyes to be as Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver.
The words read, are the firſt words of one of David's Penitential Pſalms, and they are indeed the genuine voyce of a true Penitent; the very Character of an humble Penitential Soul; he is one that has admiring thoughts of the bleſſedneſs of the pardon of ſin: I will not ſpend time in Analyſing the whole Pſalm, becauſe the ſweetneſs and bleſſedneſs of the Argument draws my heart to come preſently to it; And bleſſed may your ears be, who after hearing of the dreadful evil of ſin, may come to hear the bleſſed doctrine of Pardon; it is that which God has deny'd to many thouſands: And who knows but many even of thoſe that in this Congregation have heard the ſorrow of that Doctrine, are now gone (perhaps to their own place) and feel what they then heard, and much more, and are paſt ever hearing the argument of pardon and forgiveneſs of ſin: that bleſſed ſound ſhall never come to their ears; but the horrid noiſe of yelling, roarings, and curſings of damned ſpirits, for the wrath of God that lies heavy on them for their ſin.
This Pſalm in the title of it is a Pſalm of David Maſchil; that is, a Pſalm of Inſtruction; or, for Inſtruction: And what is a more uſeful Inſtruction than to inſtruct the ſoul where true bleſſedneſs lies? And what is a better inſtruction than to tell man the way of the pardon and forgiveneſs of ſin? the way to true happineſs? The happineſs of the reaſonable creature is that which many wiſe men thought to find out, but after all their ſearch, they were much puzled, and in the dark, and could never come to find where it lay, by all the wiſdom of the fleſh; only the rational creature is capable of bleſſedneſs, becauſe it is capeable of ſuch an act as to reflect upon it ſelf: that is the ground why the rational creature is capable of bleſſedneſs, above all other creatures; no creature can truly be ſaid to be a bleſſed creature, but only the rational; becauſe no creature elſe can reflect upon its own condition to know it ſelf. But then not only to know our ſelves, but our own happineſs, where our bleſſedneſs lies; this muſt needs be a profitable inſtruction. No Philoſopher did ever give ſuch a deſcription of happineſs as this is, Bleſſed is the man whoſe, &c. yea David, who had a Monopoly of the comforts of this world to the full, and had the Crown upon his head, ſays not, Bleſſed is he that is Crowned and has a Kingdom. David that had the riches of this world, did not ſay, Bleſſed is he that hath this worlds goods. David that had honours, and was reputed among the mighty men, did not ſay, Bleſſed is he that hath worldly honours. David that had many Victories over Enemies, ſays not, Bleſſed is he that rides in Triumph over his Enemies. David that had ſumptuous Palaces, and the delights of this world, does not ſay, Bleſſed is he that has them. But in the midſt of all Outward good things, David enjoyed in this world, he finds his bleſſedneſs to conſiſt in this, The pardon and forgiveneſs of his ſins; he pronounces them and them only bleſſed, whoſe ſin is pardoned.
This Inſtruction of the bleſſedneſs of Pardon of Sin, as it lies here annexed, is of weight indeed, and of infinite concernment: Luther ſays, The Argument of free Juſtification and Remiſſion of Sin, is that that makes a Divine: and this may be added to that, 'tis this that makes a Chriſtian; To be inſtructed rightly in the Juſtification of a Sinner, is that that makes a Chriſtian. Nay, although we had ten thouſand Inſtructors in other things, not only in Natural knowledge, but in Divinity too, in all the points of it; yet we could never be wiſe unto Salvation, except we were inſtructed with this inſtruction, in the bleſſedneſs of Juſtification and pardon of ſin. Luther ſays, Let this Doctrine lie dead, and all the whole knowledge of other Truths is to little purpoſe. Therefore well may the title of the Pſalm be a Pſalm of Inſtruction: Bleſſed is the man whoſe Tranſgreſſions are forgiven, and whoſe Iniquities are covered. Wherefore our Point of Doctrine according to the words is this, Doct. The Bleſſedneſs of a Man, or of any Soul; conſiſts in the free Grace of God forgiving of his ſin.
That is our point; the bleſſedneſs of any man or woman does not conſiſt in the enjoyment of any thing in all this world, but in the free grace of God forgiving of his ſin; It neither conſiſts in any thing we can do or have, but in the free grace of God forgiving of ſin; and that is the meaning of that Text, Rom. 4, 6, 7. which St. Paul cites from this place of Scripture, obſerve it, 'tis to this very purpoſe, even as David alſo deſcribeth the bleſſedneſs of the man to whom God imputeth righteouſneſs without works, ſaying, Bleſſed are they whoſe Iniquities are forgiven, and whoſe Sins are covered. The ſcope of the Apoſtle in this place is, to declare the bleſſing of Abraham the father of the faithful, conſiſted not in any thing he had or did, but in the free grace of God forgiving of his ſin, Gal. 4.15. ſays Paul, Where is the bleſſedneſs you ſpake of? for, I bear you record, if poſſible, you would have pluckt out your own eyes, and given them to me: Where is then the bleſſedneſs you ſpake of? What's the meaning of this bleſſedneſs? certainly this bleſſedneſs in my Text, it was this bleſſed doctrine St. Paul being firſt that brought it to the Gallatians, concerning the free Juſtification of a poor ſoul by faith in Jeſus Chriſt, in the free pardon and remiſſion of his ſin by faith in Chriſt; this is the bleſſedneſs ſpoken of: Now, becauſe the Galatians at the firſt hearing of this doctrine were ſo mightily taken with it, that they cry'd out, O this is a bleſſed doctrine; Remiſſion of Sin by the free grace of God through faith in Chriſt, O this is the bleſſedeſt doctrine that ever we heard; they were ſo taken with it, that if poſſible, they would have pluckt out their eyes for Paul, that brought them ſuch a doctrine as this at their firſt hearing and receiving of it. But afterwards, the Galatians were turn'd aſide by falſe Teachers, that had taken off the edge of their affections to this bleſſed Truth. Now Paul coming to reprove them, ſays, Where is then the bleſſedneſs you ſpake of, there was a time when I firſt taught you the Doctrine of the free forgiveneſs of ſin by faith in Chriſt, and you ſaid it was a bleſſed Doctrine, and your hearts were mightily taken with it, where is it now? How comes it to paſs that your hearts are ſo taken off from the eſteem you then had of it? Where is then the bleſſedneſs you ſpake of? Thus 'tis uſually, the Miniſters of Chriſt come and preach Doctrine to People that their hearts are taken with, their ſpirits ſtir'd, and they mightily affected with the firſt hearing of it; but afterwards by ſome ſin, or the company of carnal friends, their hearts are taken off, though while they were hearing ſuch and ſuch a Truth, their hearts glow'd and burn'd within them. God grant it may not be ſo with ſome of you, who when you heard lately the Doctrine of the Evil of Sin, your hearts were mightily affected, and you ſaid, O what a dreadful evil is there in ſin, in the leaſt ſin; and being convinced of it, you began to reform; yet afterwards you fell off again. May it not be ſaid of you, Where is the ſence of the Evil of Sin you ſpake of? Where is that bitterneſs upon your hearts, on the convictions you had of the evil of ſin? Where is it? What is become of it? As St. Paul ſays, the bleſſedneſs you ſpake of, Where is it? What is become of all that ſtrength and power the Doctrine of Remiſſion of Sin had upon your hearts? Take another Scripture, Remiſſion of Sin is the ſpecial Bleſſedneſs of the ſecond Covenant that God made with Abraham; when he came to Abraham and told him, In his Seed all Nations-ſhould be bleſſed, Gal. 3.17. compar'd with the 24. in the 17. verſe he ſpeaks of the Covenant made with Abraham, and that the Law that was 430 years after, could not diſanul the Promiſe that it ſhould be of none effect, verſ. 24. Wherefore then ſerved the Law? why ſays he, It was our Schoolmaſter to bring us unto Chriſt: The ſcope of the Apoſtle is to ſhew, that there is a Covenant of Grace beyond that of the Law, and that the Covenant of the Law is to bring us to the Covenant of Grace; and the principal thing in the Covenant of Grace is in the 24. verſ. The Law, ſays he, was our Schoolmaſter to bring us unto Chriſt ▪ That we might be juſtified by faith, and thereby receive remiſſion of our ſins, if the Scripture places bleſſedneſs in the remiſſion of ſin: That it is ſo, I ſuppoſe is clear enough, the main buſineſs we have to do, is to ſhew how it is ſo; that is, to open unto you wherein the bleſſedneſs of the pardon of ſin conſiſts, and ſhew you in what particulars the bleſſedneſs of pardon of ſin may appear unto you: and to that there are many things may be ſaid.