Gospel Remission, Treatise · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Of Pardoning Mercy being an Irrevocable Mercy.
9. Argument.BLeſſed are they that have their Iniquities forgiven, for it is an irrevocable mercy; when God pardons ſin, he never revokes it again; it is true, the ſoul that is pardoned may afterwards commit many offences, that may provoke the diſpleaſure of God againſt him, yet he ſhall never ſo provoke God, as to cauſe him to revoke this mercy of pardon to all eternity; if thou art once pardoned, thou art pardoned for ever: It is not ſo with God in pardoning as it is with men; a King pardons a Malefactor on condition of his good behaviour afterwards; though it is true, a Believer will be more careful of offending after he is pardoned than ever before: But yet, God does not pardon me ſo much on condition of my good behaviour as of his free grace, therefore it abides: He does not ſay to a poor ſoul, I will pardon you, but it ſhall be on this condition; that you behave your ſelf well, and if you be found tripping in any one thing, I will recal my pardon back again: it is ſo with a Princes Pardon, a man that is pardoned for his life, if that man afterwards offend, perhaps breaks the Peace, which in another man would not be ſo great a matter, for he could ſoon ſatisfie the Law for it; but he that goes under pardon for his life, if he break the Peace, it coſts him his life; whereas another, if he ſtrike a man, it is but an Aſſault and Battery in him; but he that has his Pardon for his life, for ſuch a thing done by him, his Pardon may be revok't again, and it may coſt him his life: I hope you will not abuſe this grace of God, I know not how to open it to Believers but with a great deal of danger to others; but how much danger ſoever it may be to others, yet it muſt be opened and delivered to Believers; it is Gods mind that his grace ſhould be made known unto them, he would have them to know it to the full, that his Pardoning Mercy is irrevocable; and therefore a Believer ſhould not queſtion his Juſtification upon every failing in his Sanctification, this is a diſhonour to the free and rich grace of God, if on every failing we call in queſtion that great work of the Juſtification of our ſouls, either to ſay, or think, I indeed did hope before that God had pardoned the ſins of my youth, and all my antient ſins, but falling into ſin again, I am afraid all is undone; all that God hath done unto me is undone again, and I muſt anſwer for all my ſins: this I confeſs will come upon the Conſcience, ſpecially upon the committing of any new ſin; but though it do, yet if ever you have been aſſured of the pardon of of your ſin, know, this mercy ſhall never be recall'd again: the foundation of God ſtandeth ſure; and this is a fundamental mercy that always abides: therefore as we obſerved in Cant. 4.7. Chriſt ſays, Thou art all fair my Love, there is no ſpot in thee; but in Cant. 5.2. you ſhall find ſhe was in a ſleepy ſecure and ſinful condition, as a man or woman aſleep, they might do what they would with her; men might impoſe what they would upon her, put her in what poſture they pleaſed, and yet ſhe was unſenſible; but yet in this condition her heart was awake, I ſleep, but my heart waketh; there remain'd a Principle of grace alive in her: but mark what Chriſt ſaid, though ſhe confeſt ſhe was aſleep; yet Chriſt ſays, Open to me my Siſter, my Love, my Dove, my undefiled: this was ſpoken when the Church was in a ſecure ſinful condition; yet this is the voyce of Chriſt calling the Church his Siſter, his Love, his Dove, his Undefiled one, when ſhe was in that ſecure condition; which ſhews the grace of God in pardoning ſin is not call'd back again: and becauſe this is a point wherein much treaſure lies, I ſhall a little open the Irrevocableneſs of Gods mercy in his Pardoning and Juſtifying Grace; and for this I ſhall give you ſome places of Scripture, which being opened, as they will ſhew the greatneſs of the mercy; ſo they will afford abundant matter of Conſolation and Encouragement to every believing ſoul. The
Firſt Scripture Expreſſion I ſhall name is in Iſai. 43.25. where the Lord tells his people, that he blots out their tranſgreſſions; God ſeems to take much delight in this Phraſe, and therefore doubles it, I, even I am he that blotteth out thy tranſgreſſions for my own ſake, and will not remember thy ſins: Now this phraſe of blotting out is taken from the cuſtom of Tradeſmen that have their Books of Accounts, wherein they enter all their Debts that are owing to them by ſuch and ſuch men: Now when theſe come to be paid, the Debt-book is croſſed or blotted out; if any of you owe a debt, when you come to pay it, you call for the Debt-book to ſee it croſſed or blotted out, and then you aſſure your ſelves you ſhall never hear of it more. Now you muſt know, that all ſinners are debtors to the Lord; they are in a debt of puniſhment for want or failing in paying him a debt of Obedience: many men by their ſin run into debt with God dayly, and becauſe God does not call for the debt preſently, they think there's nothing between God and them, but carry it as if all were well; as many Gallants run into Tradeſmens debt to hang fine Cloaths upon their backs, and ruffle it up and down in the world, and never think of their debts till their Creditors come and arreſt them, and caſt them into Goal, and there they lie in Priſon, for all their ruffling it up and down in the world: Juſt ſo men and women by their ſin run into debt with God, and though God do not call for the debt preſently, yet they are recorded in Heaven; it is as certain that every ſin of any man or woman is ſet down in Gods Debt-book, as any debt you owe is ſet down in your Creditors Book: and as certainly muſt your debts be call'd for, and ſatisfaction and payment made unto God for them, as certain as any Tradeſman will call for payment of his debt: Now this is the work of Juſtification between God and your Souls, if ye would know the nature of it. When Jeſus Chriſt ſees a poor ſoul that God the Father hath given to him to ſave, thus run into debt, Chriſt comes and lays down a price before God the Father, to pay this debt; and Chriſt ſees that the debt be blotted out of the Book: Now when God comes with pardoning mercy to a Soul, God ſhews the debt Book to a Believer, and cauſes him to ſee all his debts blotted out; and by that he certainly aſſures the Soul his debt ſhall never be called for again, this is ſuch a mercy as is irrevocable, it ſhall not be brought back again, the debt being once paid ſhall never more be call'd for; this is the firſt expreſſion, and it is a bleſſed one: Many men that are run into debt, and are in danger every hour to have ſome Bayliffs arreſt them, they cannot look out of their doors but they are ready to fall upon them; they would think themſelves happy, if they might have any that would come and lay down all, and ſatisfie the debt, and that they might ſee the debt blotted out, they would think themſelves happy indeed: Well, know that it is ſo with God when he comes to pardon ſin, the Debt-book is blotted out, and all Bonds cancell'd.
Secondly, Though they be blotted out, yet they may be before Gods face, and God may ſee them, though he will not call for them again; therefore the Scripture tells us, that God will take that courſe with the ſins of Believers as that he will caſt them behind his back, and never ſo much as lay the debt before his face to look upon them, Iſai. 38.17. Thou haſt caſt all my ſins behind thy back; that which Hezekiah ſpake of himſelf, is true of every believing ſoul, God caſts the ſins of every Believer behind his back; when a man caſts a thing behind his back, he does it to that end, that he might take no farther notice of it; but though God caſt a mans ſins behind his back, yet if they be not very far, he may eaſily turn his face and look upon them when he will: therefore mark further,
Thirdly, Another Scripture expreſſion, Pſal. 103.10. As far as the Eaſt is from the Weſt, ſo far hath he removed our tranſgreſſions from us; thus God expreſſeth himſelf, to ſatisfie the ſouls of his people, that their ſins ſhall never be called for again; the Eaſt and Weſt, it is an expreſſion to note out the utmoſt diſtance; the Eaſt and Weſt are ſo remote, that thoſe two Points can never come together; ſo the ſins that God has pardoned to any ſoul, they ſhall never be call'd for again.
Fourthly, Though they be remov'd as far as the Eaſt is from the Weſt; yet God's eyes may look a great way off; though thoſe Points be at ſo great a diſtance to our eyes, yet not ſo to the eye of God; therefore there is another expreſſion that may make it more full, that God will never look upon their ſins again that he has once pardoned, he blots them out, he caſts them behind his back, he removes them as far as the Eaſt is from the Weſt; and if that be not enough to ſatisfie thee, Micah 7.19. He will caſt them into the bottom of the Sea; things that are caſt into the bottom of the Sea, are utterly thrown out of ſight, never to be lookt for again; Well, but though God caſt them into the bottom of the Sea, he may think upon them. Therefore
Fifthly, mark another expreſſion, further to ſatisfie thee, God ſays, He will remember them no more; they ſhall be ſo far from being thought upon, that God ſays he will not remember them any more; but you will ſay, it is impoſſible for God but to remember them; yea, but when God pardons, it ſhall be as Irrevocable as if God did never remember them; there are divers Texts remarkable for this, Iſai. 43.25. I will blot out thy tranſgreſſions,—and will not remember thy ſins: I, may be not now (thou may'ſt ſay) But he will hereafter; ſee what is ſaid in Jer. 31.34. I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their ſin no more; neither now nor hereafter, I will remember their ſin no more.
Sixthly, They ſhall be ſo forgiven, as that there ſhall be no more mention of them; there ſhall never be the leaſt mention of a believers ſins before God, and for that ſee Ezek. 33.16. it is ſpoken of every godly man indefinitely that turns to God, and is a Believer, None of his ſins that he hath committed ſhall be mentioned unto him; by the way, let men take heed how they upbraid the people of God for any of their former ſins: Perhaps you knew ſuch a one in the times of his ignorance, and you ſay he was a lyar, a Drunkard; but now God has reveal'd his mercy to him in the pardon of his ſin, and God ſays he will not mention them any more: Take heed how you caſt their ſins, committed in the times of their ignorance, in their teeth, ſaying, oh you are ſo preciſe now, I knew what you were a little before; Shall the God of Heaven ſay, he will not mention them any more; and yet will you do it? God will take it very ill, at your hands: this is admirable comfort to every Believer, that God will not remember their ſin any more; he would have thee to remember them, to humble thy ſoul for them, and to renew thy repentance, but he will not remember them to upbraid thee with them, nor would he have others do it. Beza ſpeaking of himſelf: when he was young, He made ſome vain and ſinful Poems, which his Enemies upbraided him with afterwards, and caſts them in his teeth, ſays he, Theſe men envy me the grace of God, becauſe God has vouchſaf't to me his grace, they envy me, and caſt in my teeth the evil that I have formerly done: Oh what a comfort and priviledge is this to thee! Oh thou believing ſoul, though thou wer't never ſo wicked and abominable before, yet I tell thee from God this day, in whoſe preſence thou ſtandeſt that he will never remember thy ſin any more; and this may be a mighty encouragement for men and women to believe and turn from all their wicked wayes, though thou haſt been never ſo vile, abominable, and wicked: yet be it known unto thee this day, that if thou wilt come in and believe, God will never mention any of thy wickedneſſes more, they ſhall be ſo forgotten as they ſhall never be mentioned; thou it may be, art afraid that either here in this life, or at the day of Judgment all thy ſins ſhall be charged on thee; well, be not afraid, perhaps there are many of you that are conſcious to your ſelves of great ſins committed; and you would give a thouſand Worlds to be diſcharged of them: Oh ſay ſome, there are ſuch and ſuch ſins committed, that are ſo great, that they cannot be forgiven; I may mourn and grieve for them, but what ſhall I be the better? the ſins of my youth lie ſo heavy on me, and God and my own Conſcience upbraids me; and what comfort can I have in my life, when God and my own Soul upbraids me? Well, be of good comfort, and be incouraged, this day to come in and believe this bleſſed tidings, that where God pardons ſin he will mention them no more, and he will take it very ill at the hands of any that ſhall mention them to upbraid thee for them.
Seventhly, Yet further, to ſet forth the fulneſs of this mercy, when God pardons ſin, they ſhall be ſo done away as that they ſhall not be found. Jer. 50.20. In thoſe days, — the Iniquity of Iſrael ſhall be ſought for, and there ſhall be none; and the ſins of Judah, and they ſhall not be found; for I will pardon them, whom I reſerve; and if I pardon them, then they ſhall be ſo done away, as that they ſhall not be found.
Yet further, the righteouſneſs Believers have in Chriſt is called an everlasting righteouſneſs, and therefore abides for ever, and cannot be afterwards taken away, Dan. 9.24. Seventy weeks are determined — to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlaſting righteouſneſs; the righteouſneſs that is put upon thy Soul by Chriſt, in the pardon of thy ſin, it is an everlaſting righteouſneſs, and will abide everlaſtingly. Yet further, Heb. 10.14. it is ſaid, That Chriſt by one offering, hath perfected for ever them that are ſanctified, that is, juſtified; Juſtification being call'd by the name of Sanctification, or them that are ſanctified; that is, ſet apart to be made partakers of the great bleſſing of the new Covenant, to have a ſhare in the blood of Chriſt for Juſtification; Chriſt by one offering has for ever perfected them that are ſanctified; therefore being perfected in Juſtification, there is no recalling this mercy back again.
Once more, this mercy is ſet out by the typical ſervice of the Scape-Goat, Levit. 16.20. On whoſe head they were to put all the ſins of the People, all their tranſgreſſions, and all their iniquities, and ſend him into the Wilderneſs, or Land of forgetfulneſs, amongſt wild beaſts, never to be lookt after again; ſo are the ſins of all Believers laid upon Chriſt, and carried into a Land of forgetfulneſs, and ſhall never come to be charged any more: So much for that particular of the Irrevocableneſs of Pardon of Sin, which ſhews that bleſſed is that man or woman that hath their ſins pardoned, becauſe they ſhall never be recall'd again.