Gospel Remission, Treatise · Chapter 5 – Chapter 6
CHAP. V. Of Pardoning Mercy paſſing through a great many difficulties.
BLeſſed is the man that hath his ſins forgiven; for indeed, 5. Argument.it is a mercy that paſſes through many difficulties before it comes to the ſoul; and that that paſſeth through many difficulties is ſtrong and great indeed, and therefore makes the man bleſſed, becauſe it is grace that doth paſs through many difficulties, it is an argument of a great deal of ſtrength of grace, when grace ſhall paſs through many difficulties; as it is an argument of the great ſtrength of ſin, when ſin paſſes through many difficulties to bring forth; a ſoul being ſet upon ſin, there lies a great many difficulties in the way, yet luſt to that ſin being ſtrong, it will break through all difficulties to get to it; ſo in mercy, when God comes with mercy to forgive a ſoul, this mercy of God muſt go through abundance of difficulties before it gets to you, which argues it to be wonderful ſtrong mercy, and therefore makes him bleſſed that partakes of it. When God made the World, it was done with a word ſpeaking, God ſaid, Let there be light, and there was light: But when God comes to pardon a ſinner, Heaven and Earth muſt be moved; there muſt be a greater work of God in pardoning of a ſinner, than in making of the world; certainly the work is greater and paſſes through more difficulties. As
Firſt, All the wrongs that ever th…u haſt done to God ſtand betwixt thee and pardon; never did any man in the world wrong another man as thou haſt wronged God: How ſin wrongs God has in part been held forth to you, in the evil of ſin and how contrary ſin is to the infinite holineſs of God, yet mercy breaks through that, yea above all, that great and difficult work of the ſatisfying the infinite juſtice of God, yet mercy breaks through that, and there ſtands in that.
1. This difficulty, that before thou canſt be pardoned, God muſt be made Man, and yet must remain the ſame God he was before; thou cryeſt for pardon of ſin, or thou art undone; ſuppoſe now, that Gods bowels of mercy did even yearn towards thee for to pardon thy ſin, yet before this is done, there muſt be this great work done; that God muſt be made man, and yet remain the ſame God he was before; here's a mighty difficult work, a greater work than making of the world, and yet mercy breaks through this.
2. Here's this stands between ſin and pardon, That when God is made Man, he muſt die and be made a curſe; and not only ſo, but God the Father muſt do it; he muſt take his own Son and ſtab him for thee, he muſt himſelf take him and put him to death, and himſelf muſt pour out his wrath upon his own Son, before thy ſins can be pardoned. Now that God the Father ſhould take his own Son, the Son of his delight, ſtab him to the heart, and himſelf put him to death, this is a mighty great work; and yet this muſt be done before thou can'ſt be pardoned.
2. There's this difficulty ſtands in the way, That before ſin can be pardoned, the blind, dead, wicked, carnal, ſottiſh heart of Man, muſt be raiſed up to perform the moſt glorious Act that ever any creature did; which is an Act of believing: yet ſays God, that thy ſin may be pardoned, I will put forth my infinite power to effect it, to raiſe that blind, dead, ſottiſh, carnal, wicked heart of man ſo full of all wickedneſs, to perform the greateſt work that ever any creature did, for ſo is believing; Gods mighty power is put forth to effect this: Now there is all theſe difficulties lying in the way, and yet mercy paſſes through them all to pardon ſin; ſurely then, that ſoul muſt needs be bleſſed that hath his ſin pardoned; that God ſets his heart upon him ſo much, that rather than he will not ſhew mercy unto him, he will paſs through all theſe great difficulties that lie in the way; and truly on conſideration of this, before I paſs any further, there are three Meditations that may be collected hence, and may come with a great deal of power upon all our ſouls.
Firſt, Then it muſt needs be a great taking the Name of God in vain, for any man or woman to have ſlight thoughts of ſuch a mercy, as pardon of ſin is, that comes through ſo many difficulties.
Secondly, This may come with power upon our hearts, if Gods mercy paſs through ſo many difficulties for the pardon of thy ſin thou mayſt be content to indure much difficulty in ſeeking for the pardon of thy ſin; thou ſeeſt what an evil ſin is, and art more ſenſible of it than ever thou wert before; well, thou art ſeeking for pardon, and thou camplaineſt, thou haſt waited long for pardon, it may be a quarter, or half a year, or it may be twelve months, and thou haſt got little aſſurance of pardon, and thou findeſt it much more difficult than thou thoughteſt it would be, temptations come ſtronger than ever, and the Devil ſuggeſts more evil thoughts than ever; thou findeſt duties hard to fleſh and bloud, and thou art wearied and tired with temptation, theſe are ſome difficulties; but yet art thou about that great work of ſeeking pardon of ſin, be contented to ſuffer ſome difficulties, yea ten times more than thou haſt; if God ſee good to lay it upon thee, for Gods mercies paſs through difficulties to pardon thy ſin, and if thou get'ſt through, though thou meeteſt with difficulties, thou haſt no cauſe to complain at all; Why ſhould not you be willing to paſs through difficulties in ſeeking pardon, when as Gods mercies paſs through many difficulties to come to thy ſoul; thou art going to God, and ſeeking to him for mercies, and there lies many difficulties in the way; when God was coming to thee, there lay many difficulties in the way, and yet he paſt through them all; therefore thou mayſt be content though thou meeteſt with ſome difficulties in ſeeking the pardon of thy ſins.
Thirdly, This may make us willing to go through any ſervices, though they be hard, if thou art in getting of pardon; Suppoſe God ſet us about ſome hard work that hath many difficulties in it, do not complain as if God were a hard Maſter, when he ſets you about any hard work; for be it known unto you, thou art never ſet about any ſuch hard work in all thy life for God, that hath ſo many difficulties in it, as the work of God in pardoning thy ſin hath; there are more difficulties when God comes to pardon thy ſoul for ſin, than in any ſervice whatever that Cod requires of thee; thou look'ſt upon the ſervice of God, and there are many difficulties in it; be contented, do not complain, for God paſt through many difficulties to pardon thy ſin; and this is another conſideration, the difficulties God paſſes through to pardon ſin, is a great Argument that that ſoul is bleſſed that hath his iniquities forgiven.
CHAP. VI. Of Pardoning Mercy coming from the Fountain of Gods Everlaſting Love.
6. Argument.WHen God comes to pardon ſin, it is ſuch a mercy as comes from the fountain of Gods Everlaſting Love; other mercies do not; where this is not, you cannot make them Evidences of Gods eternal love; if God give you health of body, good voyages at Sea, and good comings in in reſpect of the world, you cannot draw Arguments from hence, that God bears eternal love to your ſouls. But when he comes to pardon your ſins, it is a certain evidence, that God hath ſet his love on thee from all eternity; if there were a chain let down from Heaven, and thou could'ſt take hold but of one link, it would certainly bring thee thither, both ends would come together. Rom. 8.30. here's a chain of many links let down, and if thou canſt catch hold of the link of Juſtification, thou may'ſt certainly catch hold of Predeſtination; for all hang together: if thou art juſtified, then know for certain that thou art a predeſtinated man or woman; whom God hath ſet his heart upon from all eternity to do thee good: and this is a great happineſs for a poor creature, while he lives in this world, to know that God hath ſet his heart upon him from all eternity to do him good; and indeed, we can never be at reſt until we come to this, if thy heart be right, thou can'ſt not be at reſt in the enjoyment of ſuch poor fare as God caſts to Reprobates, thou muſt have other comforts than any thing the world can afford; if thy heart be right, thou wilt never reſt until thou come to know Gods thoughts in his eternal purpoſes towards thee; it is no nicety nor vain curioſity, for men and women to ſeek to know what were the thoughts of God towards them from all eternity; it may be known, and God hath revealed it, eſpecially in the times of the Goſpel, God hath opened his boſome to reveal unto his people the thoughts he had of them from all eternity; and this makes a Pardoned ſinner to be ſo bleſſed; and this is more than any Malefactor can have from a Prince, he may be perſwaded to pardon him; and yet even preſently his heart may be as much ſet againſt him as againſt any man; yet now having got his Pardon, he thinks himſelf bleſſed, and goes his way: But now, when God Pardons, it is not an act of a day, but ſuch an act as God hath ſet his heart upon from all eternity to do it; it is ſuch an act as the infinite wiſdom of God hath been ſet on work from all eternity to effect it: if a Malefactor come to a Prince for pardon, and the Prince ſay, I have been ſetting my thoughts a work to pardon you, ever ſince I heard of your crime, this will bring ſome comfort: But what is this to the comfort God brings to the ſoul that he pardons; when God comes to a ſoul, he does, not only pardon, he ſays not, ſoul I pardon thee: but know oh ſoul for thy comfort, that this is a work that my wiſdom and the councils of my will, have been a contriving from all eternity, to bring about thy pardon with my own honour, and here it is for thee, take it as a fruit of my eternal Councils; therefore Bleſſed is the man whoſe iniquities are forgiven, becauſe ſuch purpoſes have been taken up in Gods eternal Councils to effect it.