Gospel Remission, Treatise · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Of Pardoning Mercy being a Perfect Mercy.
8. Argument.BLeſſed is he whoſe iniquities are forgiven, for this mercy is a perfect mercy, that is, where God doth pardon any ſinner, ſuch a one ſtands as perfect before God in point of Juſtification as Abraham, Iſaac, Jacob, or any of the Prophets or righteous men that ever lived in the world: thou poor Soul, Man or Woman, Youth or Servant, if God come unto thee, & pardon any of your ſins, thou ſtandeſt as fully juſtified as Abraham, Paul, Peter, or any of the Apoſtles and Prophets; though in Sanctification thou falleſt ſhort of them, yet though art juſtified as perfectly as ever they were: Juſtification is an act that is done altogether and at once, therefore a perfect work; and this is an Argument of infinite Conſolation to the Saints of God, that the great buſineſs between God and them in point of Juſtification is perfected; Pſal. 51.7. David prays to God that he would purge him with Hyſop and he ſhould be clean, that is, that he might be cleanſed by Juſtification, by having the guilt of ſin taken from his Conſcience by a renewed act of pardon; and then as it follows, I ſhall be whiter than Snow: the Saints of God though they be Sanctified, they are not whiter than the ſnow in Sanctification, but in Juſtification they are whiter than the ſnow; no ſpot at all in them, Epheſ. 5.27. Chriſt preſents his Church unto himſelf without ſpot; in point of Juſtification every believing ſoul is without ſpot before the Lord, Numb. 23.21. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob; that is, though God knows there is iniquity there, yet he ſees is not to charge them with it, or impute it to them; all is done away in that regard by Juſtification: it is obſervable to this purpoſe, what we have in Cant. 4.7. Thou art all fair my love, there is no ſpot in thee, no ſpot in thee; there are ſpots in reſpect of Sanctification; yea, but in reſpect of Juſtification it may be ſaid of her, There is no ſpot at all in thee; Thou art all fair my Love, it is the words of Chriſt, he comes forth and ſays, Thou art all fair my Love: Alas, when the Believer looks upon himſelf, his own duties and performances, he ſees nothing at all but ſpots, all beſmear'd and beſpatter'd all over; why, though thou lookeſt on thy ſelf be ſpotted, yet Chriſt looks upon thee without ſpot, and God the Father looks upon thee through Chriſt without ſpot, and ſays, Thou art all fair, there is no ſpot in thee; thou thinkeſt it may be, that if God ſhould make a diſcovery of thy heart to all thy Chriſtian friends and acquaintance, thou would'ſt appear ſo foul, that they would caſt thee out of their ſociety, and never have to do with thee more; yet for all this, Chriſt ſays, Thou art all fair, there is no ſpot at all in thee. Juſtification admits of no degrees, no not in Heaven, thou art not more juſtified there than thou art here; thou art now as perfectly juſtified as ever, and accepted of Chriſt as ever: Sanctification is renewed day by day, it being a work of God within us, we increaſe in it dayly; but Juſtification is a work of God without us, and ſo is perfected at once; and hence then this makes a pardoned ſoul bleſſed, becauſe pardon of ſin is of ſuch a nature, that it is a perfect work. Hence then I will but touch it, Here is
1. Abundance of comfort to a pardoned ſoul, though thou art weak in Sanctification, and it troubles thee to think, how far thou comeſt ſhort of Abraham's faith, Moſes his meekneſs, David's love, Paul's zeal, Solomon's wiſdom, and Job's patience; yet this know, that thou art equal in Juſtification with Abraham, Moſes, David, and all the Prophets; and this may be a mighty comfort to thee againſt the weakneſs of thy Sanctification.
2. This ſhould be a mighty ingagement upon thy ſpirit; Has God made thee equal to them in Juſtification? how ſhould'ſt thou labour to be like to them in Sanctification? think thus with thy ſelf, Is the mercy of God ſo rich and glorious come, though I be a poor, wicked, wretched vile ſinner, that I ſhould be made equal to the greateſt Saints in Juſtification? Oh how ſhould I labour to follow hard after them, and get as near to them as I can in point of Sanctification: this Argument ſhould come with power and ſtrength upon our hearts, to ſtir up all our endeavours to be like to them in point of Sanctification, that are equal with them in point of Juſtification. How ſhould we imitate Moſes his Meekneſs, David's Love, Paul's Zeal, and Job's Patience.