Sacred Therapy, Book 2 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Wherein the regener at mans doubts, arising from the multitude and weight of his sins against the Law and the Cospel, and against the light of his conscience, are answered.
AS in the pangs of the new birth, this doubt hath much weight to keep a soul a-back from imb…eing Christ and receiving pardon through him; So after a man is regenerat, and made quiet in his conscience, when through sad affliction and sore temptation, these wounds of his conscience begin to bleed again, his pardon and peace is called in question. Of this exercise there are three degrees: the first is, when sins against the law are mustered, and led in an hoste against a soul; which was the case of the afflicted Psalmist for a time, till by faith he over-came the doubt, Ps. 40. 12. Innumerable evils have compassed me about, mine iniquities have taken hold on me, so that I am not able to look up: they are more then the hairs of mine head; therefore my heart faileth me.
The second degree is, when beside the mans sins against the Law his sins also against the Gospel, against Christ and the means of salvation, do arise in battel against him, and do drive him to cry out, with these not yet converted sinners, (Act. 2. 37.) men and brethren, what shall we do?
The third degree is, when the regenerat man, for some grosse sins against the light of his conscience, is given up for a time to be scourged with the temptations and accusations of Sathan, as if he had sinned against the holy Ghost, and no more mercy were reserved for him; and this was the case of the Prophet Ionah▪ when being guilty and conscious to his late rebellion against God, he is pursued and apprehended by God, and casten in the sea, he falleth in a …it of desperation till God gave him victory by faith, Ion. 2. 4. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again to thy holy Temple: which was the trysting place of God with sinners in a Mediator. This was also the case of David for a time, after that his conscience is wakened by the message of God sent unto him in the mouth of Nathan the Prophet, when he found the spirit of consolation with-drawn from him, and the wrath of God breaking his bones and consuming the marrow thereof, Ps. 51. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice, &c.
2. In answering this doubt, we must proceed sutably to each degree severally. In curing this case in the fi…t degree, let the afflicted admit all the just aggravations of his sins against the Law, which the conscience doth presse: for, by extenuation of sin, neither is Gods justice glorified, nor the conscience satisfied; and consolation or hope of remission of sin must not arise from the few number o… lightnesse of sins, but from the multitude and largenesse of Gods mercy: and therefore, we must not cut short the reckoning with the Lords law, nor must we diminish the weight and estimation of our evil deservings; but course must be taken, that by the sense of guiltinesse, the judgment of the afflicted person be not so confounded …nd perplexed, as if his case were desperat, and possibility of salvation were passed; but rather let the afflicted humble himself under the mighty hand of God, who alone can destroy and make alive, and who usually bringeth down to death and brink of hell, and bringeth back again, and who alone doth work wonders.
This doubt then arising from the multitude of sins, may be loosed, first, by a fresh consideration of the infinit excellency and worthinesse of Christ Jesus, God manifested in the flesh, and of the incomprehensible value of the price of redemption, payed by him for all who flye unto him: for, the Father hath declared himself satisfied by him in behalf of the redeemed, for whom he did offer himself, Matth. 3. 17. saying, This is my well-beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And (Heb. 7. 25.) …his is he, who is able to save to the uttermost, all that come to God by him. Secondly, by consideration of the infinit largenesse of God… bounty, grace and m…rcy, wherein he hath set no bounds to himself in pardoning and abolishing the sins of those that come unto him, how grosse and grievous soever they have been, Isa. 44. 22. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins, return unto me, for I have redeemed thee. And, (Isa. 1. 18.) Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord, though your sins be as sca…et, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red as crimson, they shall be as wool. And (Matth. 11. 28.) Come unto me saith Christ, all ye that labour and are heavy loaden, and I will give you rest.
Thirdly, by the consideration of the many examples and experiences of the mercy of God manifested in the pardon of hainous sinners, both in the old and new Testament, set down in Scripture, of set purpose to invite such as are troubled with the sense of their manifold sins, to come unto Christ the Mediator, or to God in Christ reconciling the world to himself, by not imputing sins to them who embrace the offer of grace and reconciliation tendered unto them in the Gospel.
As to the second degree wherein the doubt is augmented by the addition of the sins against the Gospel, unto the sins against the Law, by despiseing or slighting the means of salvation offered in the Gospel; true it is, that the despising or slighting of the offer of grace in Christ, cannot be sufficiently aggreged, because the sins of Sodom and Go…orah will be found lighter, being laid in the ballance with the contempt of the Gospel, Matth. 10. 14, 15. yet, notwithstanding, when God is entered in reckoning with a sinner, and is begun to challenge him for his sins against the Law and the Gospel also, and hath by his terror humbled the man, there is mercy insinuated unto that person in the bosome of the threatening. Wherefore the soul born down with the sense of ill-deserving by his sins against both Law and Gospel, must be exhorted to humble himself before God, and flye in unto Christ, who of set purpose … he might answer this doubt, hath declared, that whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be for…iven him, to wit, if he repent this injury done to Christ, Matth. 12. 32. and he standeth knocking at the door of luke-warm Laodicea, with an ofter of coming in to them, and supping with them, that shall open to him, notwithstanding they have slighted him long in their senslessenesse of sin, nakednesse and misery.
As to the third degree, wherein the afflicted doth suspect, that he hath sinned against the holy Ghost, because he hath sinned against the light of his conscience, and di…ement of the holy Spirit, let the afflicted consider, that the sinning in actual grosse out-breakings against the light of the conscience, is indeed a high provocation of God to his face, for which the offender is to be humbled all the dayes of his life. Secondly, let him learn to glorifie God… Justice, who hath made a proud rebell to be scourged with scorpions, and sore bitten with the remorse of a slighted and contemned conscience.
Thirdly, let those particular transgressions, objected to be done against the light of the conscience, be examined with their motives and circumstances: and out of the bitter rod of Gods correcting the offender, that he should not perish with the world, let the afflicted take up the Lords love in judging him, that he may not be condemned. As also let the Pastor, or the prudent friend, who goeth about to comfort the afflicted, carefully observe if the afflicted be grieved for grieving of the holy Spirit, if he desire and long after the consolation of God, whom he hath offended, if he purpose to walk more circumspectly afterward, and eshew the snare he hath taken into, or what other evidences of repentance can be seen in him, whereof use may be made to assure the afflicted, that he hath not sinned unto death. Because the sin against the holy Ghost, as it is described unto us in holy Scripture, is either a malicious refusing and opposing wittingly and wilfully of Christ Jesus, after that the Spirit of Christ hath convinced the person, that Christ is the Redeemer; and this was the sin of some Pharisees, desperat, professed, and irreconciliable enemies to Christ, Mat. 12. 24. to 33. or, it is a totall apostasie from Christ after they have known him to be the Redeemer, joyned with a malitious oppugning of the christian Religion, as it is set forth, Heb. 10. 26, 27. to 32. and whosoever falleth in this sin, he neither repents him of it, nor desires to repent or be reconciled with God.
And therefore, let the humbled and afflicted penitent, longing to be reconciled unto God through Christ, and to find the sense of his favour granted or restored, not suspect himself any more guilty of this sin, but let him make use of the offer of grace in the Gospel and of the example of penitents mentioned in Scripture. Who knoweth how soon the Lord may take the penitent in his fatherly embracements and comfort him abundantly? Mean time, till the sensible comfort be given unto him, let him hold fast the promises made to them that flye unto Christ.