Forty-Five Sermons Upon Psalm 130, Sermon 10
SERMON X.
Pſalm 130. Verſe 4. But there is forgivenneſs with thee,—
IN handling of this great Point, the Remiſſion of ſins, (which is in effect the great Article of the New Covenant; Jer. 31.34. I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their ſin no more:) After that I had ſpoken in the firſt place to that which is pardoned, or pardonable, ſin; I entered in the morning, to ſpeak to the Author of pardon, that forgivenneſs is with God, whatever hand Miniſters or privat perſons may have in pardoning; the one in carrying the word of Reconciliation and pardon, the other in forgiving ſins, ſo far as they are injuries done to themſelves, yet God is ſtill the principal Creditor, and pardon from him, is ſtill to be looked after, from which (as I told you) not only Papiſts, who ly down, and ſleep on the pillow of mens pardon without conſidering, whether they act according to their Commiſſion, come to be reproved, but theſe Self-abſolvers, and theſe who reſt on the applauſe of others, and theſe who to pleaſe men, ſtand not to diſpleaſe God, are found to be culpable.
Now before I leave this Head, I would draw ſomewhat from it, for incouragement of theſe who are in earneſt about the pardon of ſin, and here that there is forgivenneſs with God, it ſhould, and will affect ſenſible ſinners as a wonder; he will not only be a matchleſs God to them, but upon the account that he paſſes by iniquity, and pardons tranſgreſſion, Mic. 7.18. But it will be a wonder to them, that there ſhould be a pardon for iniquity, that pardoning mercy ſhould be with him, whoſe holy juſtice is ſo great, who is of purer eyes than that he can behold iniquity, who hath no pleaſure in wickedneſs, and who hateth all the workers of iniquity, that ſuch a holy and juſt God ſhould pardon ſin, that his Holineſs and Juſtice ſhould combine ſo ſweetly with mercy to the ſinner, is a wonder of wonders; yea, further, this may heighten the wonder, that pardoning mercy gives acceſs to them who are ſecluded by the Covenant of works, that when, (as it is verſe 3.) (If he ſhould mark iniquity, none could ſtand,) yet as verſe 4. [there ſhould be forgivenneſs with him,] That as it is deduced, Rom. 3.20. —22. [When by the deeds of the law, no fleſh can be juſtified in his ſight, for by the law is the knowledge of ſin, now the righteouſneſs of God without the Law is manifeſted, being witneſſed by the Law, and by the Prophets, even the righteouſneſs of God, which is by the faith of Jeſus Chriſt, unto all, and upon all them that believe] without difference. That there ſhould be a righteouſneſs by the faith of Chriſt, cloſing with him for pardon, O! what a wonder is that, and how good news ſhould that be to ſinners? how ſhould it quicken up, and revive any that are ready to ſink under the burden of the ſenſe of ſin? That when they look upon a holy and juſt God, that hates ſin with a perfect hatred, they may alſo look upon him as one who will pardon: That when they look to the Law and Covenant of Works, their expectations are to be limited thereby, becauſe there is a Righteouſneſs without the Law manifeſted to be had by Faith in Chriſt.
3. But becauſe ſenſible ſouls may readily think, how can this be? And may be afraid to lean their weight on a Pardon, they have ſo much Guilt, and the Conſcience i… alarmed with it, and pardoning mercy is an Act of free Grace, whereupon they know not that they may venture; Therefore to enforce this, that God is a pardoner of Iniquity, I ſhall not anticipat, what may come to be ſpoken to this afterwards, but the ſenſible Sinner would conſider, 1. That the pardon of Sin is an Act of Royal Prerogative in free Grace. It's an act of Princes Royal Prerogative to pardon Criminals in many caſes, and ſhall we deny that to God, which we give to Creatures? Seing He is above all Law, who can hinder him to have Mercy on whom he will have mercy? to do with his own what he will, and pardon whom he will, Salvation belongs to him, as his Prerogative Royal. 2. Senſible ſinners would conſider, that ſatisfaction is payed to Juſtice, for their Sins, though he freely pardons, (which will come in afterward) only here, ſuch would remember, that thoughts of the Holineſs and Juſtice of God needs not afright the ſenſible Sinner, why? Juſtice is fully ſatisfied. That fire that brunt continually on the Altar, and was not quenched by theſe Sacrifices under the Law, is now quenched, the burning fire of the Juſtice of God is now ſatisfied; and hence God in pardoning ſins, is not only Merciful, but Juſt; therefore, Rom. 3.26. Upon Chriſt the Redeemer his being ſet forth as the propitiation, through Faith in his Blood, it follows to declare his Righteouſneſs, [that he might be juſt, and the juſtifier of him that believeth in Jeſus] without reflection upon his Juſtice, and hence the Apoſtle, (1 Joh. 1.9.) ſays, [If we confeſs our ſins, he is faithful and juſt to forgive us our ſins, and to cleanſe us from all unrighteouſneſs] not only upon the account of his fidelity, that he will keep his promiſe, but upon the account of the Paction paſt betwixt him, and the Mediator, and upon the account of the Satisfaction, and Price payed by the Mediator, upon that account, he is faithful and juſt to pardon ſin. And hence 3ly Things being thus, when ſenſible ſinners come to Chriſt, or to God through him for pardon, and yet are filled with doubts and fears, they would conclude, that there heſitation reſults not on the uncertainty of their pardon; for the holy and juſt God will not break bargain with his Son, but partly it reſults on our ignorance of that Righteouſneſs, which is by the Covenant of Grace, we know no Righteouſneſs by the Covenant of Works, but that which is inherent, and the Ignorance of that Righteouſneſs, which is by the Covenant of Grace, is the gro…d of our heſitation, and of many doubts and fears; partly it reſults on a proud competition, whether thy abounding ſin, or his ſuperabounding grace ſhould carry it, Rom. 5.20, [Where ſin abounded, grace did much more ſuper-abound] and therefore thou that comes to Chriſt for pardon, and yet will not ſettle upon it, thou would ſay upon the matter, that thy abounding ſin ſhould carry it, & not his Super-abounding Grace. So much for the ſecond head propoſed to be ſpoken to, concerning the Author of Pardon:
The 3d. Thing I propoſed to be ſpoken to, was anent the nature of the pardon of Sin, what this pardon of Sin Imports, or Is? And this when I have ſpoken to it at this time, will give the riſe to ſeveral other Queſtions, which will come in in their own place; and may be uſeful for you. I ſhall not detain you upon the ſignification, and importance of theſe Words and Phraſes, that expreſſes pardon in Scripture, that may come in afterward, that word, Mat. 6.12. Forgive us our Debts, ſignifies the diſmiſſing of one accuſed, and a looſing of one bound for Debt, both concurr here, as ſins are a Debt, they are forgiven; and they are a Bond tying the Conſcience to anſwer at the Tribunal of God, they are remitted and looſed; and conſidering ſins, as accuſations, as they that are in a Court accuſed, a pardon remitts & aſſollzies them. So the pardoned man may ſay, as Rom 8.33. Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect, it is God that Justifies, &c. The word rendered pardon, or forgivenneſs (Col. 2.13. Having forgiven you all treſpaſſes) hints at the freedom of the grace of God in pardoning of Sin; It's the Publicans Word. Luk. 18.13. God (God be merciful to me a ſinner;) the word in the Original expreſſes pardon, with an eye to the propitiation; Pauls word alſo, [I obtained mercy,] (1 Tim. 1.13.) which alſo is a word made uſe of in the new Teſtament, or Covenant, Heb 8.12.) Intimats the yearning of the bowels of God, relative to the miſerable ſtate of the pardoned ſinner, expreſſed in pardoning. That word, Pſal. 32.2. Rom. 4.8. [not imputing of ſin or iniquitie,] is borrowed from Merchants, that in caſting up accompts, paſs ſome Debts. And that word, [Pſal. 32.1. Of covering ſin,] imports, that as ſin is a loathſome thing, ſo the pardoning of Sin, takes ſin out of the ſight of Gods vindictive Juſtice. Now all theſe expreſſions put together, might give ſome general hint, what pardon of ſin is, when God out of his free grace, out of the yearning bowels of his mercy & compaſſion, accepts of the propitiation made by Jeſus Chriſt, and upon that accompt remitts the ſinners obligation to wrath, by pardoning ſin, diſmiſſes him from the accuſation laid againſt him; looſes him of his Bonds, puts his Debts out of his Books, and covereth the loathſomneſs of his Sin.
But to follow out this a little more diſtinctly, what this pardon is; I ſhall take up both negatively, what it is not? and then poſitively, what it is? For an error here is an error in the firſt digeſtion, or concoction, that will not be gotten well helped in the ſecond.
For the firſt of theſe, negatively, what the pardon of ſin is not, and for clearing of this, what I would ſay upon it, ye ſhall take in theſe five, 1. Pardon with God, is not to be confounded with our forgetting Sin, ſlighting of Sin, or taking a pardon of it to our ſelves, Gods pardon of Sin is one thing, and mens taking of pardon to themſelves is another; There are many folk that think God ſees no Sin in them, and why? they have no leiſure to look after ſin in themſelves, they think God hath forgotten Sin, Why? They themſelves through length of time, or other diverſions, have forgotten them. This is all that many have for that great Article of their Creed, [I believe the Remiſſion of Sins.] But do not cheat your ſelves, as I cleared before to you, from Joſephs Brethren Gen. 42.21. Sin long ago committed, even upwards of twenty or two & twenty years, if it be not pardoned, will be as g…een when the Conſcience is wakened, as the firſt hour it was committed; Therefore look to it ye who forgive your ſins by forgetting them, and take not your forgetting of Sin, for God'… pardoning of it.
2 In taking up the nature of pardon, we muſt not look ſo lightly on Sin, as if there were no more ado, but we to Sin, and God to forgive; it's indeed pardoned, as to any ſatisfaction to Juſtice, that's exacted of thee, but Juſtice behoved to be ſatisfied, that God might pardon freely. There is a Queſtion agitat amongſt Orthodox Divines, whether God, out of his Royal Prerogative might not pardon Sin without a ſatisfaction? a Queſtion that they determine variouſly, either as they grapple with Arminians, who ſay, the ſatisfaction of Chriſt was only to looſe God from any Bond lying upon him, reſulting upon a neceſſity to puniſh Sin, or as they grapple with the Socinians, who deny there was any ſatisfaction for Sin, payed by Chriſt. But were I worthy to umpire in ſuch a thing, there is ſo much hazard in Debates ſtarted anent the Nature of God, when it is inquired, what he might do? and what he may not do? That I would judge it ſafer to forbear it. This is ſufficient for us, that in the caſe in hand, he hath declared what he will do, or not do, particularly that he will not pardon ſin without a Satisfaction. So Rom. 3.24. [Being juſtified freely by his grace, through the Redemption that is in Jeſus Chriſt, whom God hath ſet forth to be a propitiation throgh Faith in his Blood,] he would have his Righteouſneſs declared for the remiſſion of Sins; And that [as it is, Heb. 9.22. Without ſhedding of blood there is no remiſſion.] Thus the pardon of our Sin coſt Chriſt dear, and yet it runs freely to us, becauſe God freely laid the burden on Chriſt, & Chriſt freely undertook it, & God freely accepts of his ſatisfaction in our Name; & ſo we come to be freely pardoned, but remember ſin is with God no triffle, no light thing, that he would eaſily paſs, no, he would have his Juſtice ſatisfied, that he might freely pardon, and the conſideration of this will not only comm…nd the love of God, and the love of Chriſt, in finding out ſuch a way, whereby pardon might come to ſinners, without prejudice of Juſtice. But further the freedom of pardon will not hide from the ſinner that is pardoned the odiouſneſs of ſin, but make it ſo much the more loathſome and vile, when he ſees his pardon ſealed with the Blood of Chriſt, and all his exinanition that went before, O! the pardoned ſinner looking to Chriſt crucified, and conſidering that he hath pierced him by his Sins, it will make him mourn moſt bitterly, as one that mourneth for his only Son, and like that of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon, Zech. 12.10.—So when thou looks upon pardoning mercy, thou takes not a right look of it, except thou look alſo on the ſatisfaction made to Juſtice by Chriſt, that a free pardon might come out to thee.
3. In taking up the nature of Pardon, beware that ye do not confound the pardon of Sin with Gods forbearing, or not inflicting puniſhment on ſinners; if ye confound theſe, ye will imbrace a ſhaddow, & get a lie in your right hand in ſtead of pardon. Ye know what the Apoſtle ſays, Rom. 2.4. There is a riches of Gods goodneſs, and forbearance, and long-ſuffering. How long did God forbear the old World, for an hundred and twenty years, Gen. 6.3. How ſuffered he his peoples manners for about 40 years. Now this forbearance of God, as it is often a temptation to godly men, ſo it is a ſnare to the wicked, or they make it a ſnare to themſelves. It's often a temptation to godly men, as Pſal. 73.1. O! what a temptation was it to the Pſalmiſt, his feet were almoſt gone his ſteps were well near ſlipt, he was envious at the fooliſh when he ſaw the proſperity of the wicked, how they had no bonds in their death, & their ſtrength was firm, they were not in tr…ble as other men, &c. O! he thought if he had been on the Throne, he would have made theſe Children know themſelves ſooner nor God did, and Hab. 1.13. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canſt not look on iniquity, wherefore looks thou on them that deal treacherouſly, and holdeſt thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he. There ye ſee the forbearance of God is a temptation to the godly. Wicked men alſo make a ſnare of it to themſelves. O! the wicked Doctrines, that wicked men build on Gods forbearance, One is, wrong thoughts of God, Pſal. 50.21. [Theſe things thou haſt done, and I kept ſilence, thou thought that I was altogether ſuch a one as thy ſelf. There is a Doctrine that wicked men found on Gods forbearance, they think God is like themſelves; another is that thereby they are emboldened to go on in ſin, Eccles. 8.11. Becauſe Sentence againſt an evil work is not execute ſpeedily, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully ſet in them to do evil, ſo Rom. 24. They harden themſelves by God's forbearance. The riches of Gods goodneſs, forbearance, and long-ſuffering, ſhould lead them to repentance, but they abuſe it to produce hardneſs, and impenitent hearts, & further, they bleſs themſelves in proſpering in wickedneſs, Hoſ. 12, 7. [Ephraim is a Canaanite, a Merchant, the ballance of deceit are in his hand, he loveth to oppreſs, and he ſaith, yet I am become rich, I have found me out ſubſtance. Let the Bible ſay of me what it will, the Sun of proſperity ſhines on my tabernacle, as well as on your tendereſt folk; I am as far from any miſchance, as the moſt upright in their coverſation. But ſtill remember, forbearance in God is no pardon, that which is freſted is not forgiven; It's no ſign of Divine approbation, when thou art forborn, and proſpers in a ſinful way; to theſe ends ye ſhall remember theſe 3. Scriptures, and they will help you not to confound forbearance with pardon. One is Eccleſ. 12.—Though a ſinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet ſurely I knovv that it ſhall be well with them that fear God. How will ye prove that? becauſe he fears before him, but it ſhall not be vvell with the wicked, neither ſhall he prolong his days, which are as a ſhaddow, becauſe he feareth not before God. No approbation lyes in the boſom of forbearance. Another Scripture that gives a dreadful refutation to them that take forbearance for pardon, is that Pſal. 50.21. [Theſe things thou haſt done, and I kept ſilence, thou thought that I was altogether ſuch a one as thy ſelf, but I will reprove thee, and ſet them in order before thine eyes; Now conſider this, all ye that forget God, leſt I tear you in peices, and there be none to deliver.] There is a refutation of all the wicked mans dreams anent God, and his forbearance. And if ye would have a third Scripture, take the forecited place, [Rom. 2.4, 5. Thou deſpiſeſt the riches of his goodneſs, forbearance and long ſuffering, not knowing that it leadeth thee to Repentance, but after thy hardneſs and impenitent heart, treaſureſt up to thy ſelf, wrath againſt the day of wrath: Thou may treaſure up other things as thou will for thy advantage, but thou ſhalt find, thou treaſureſt up wrath to thy ruine, thou may think, becauſe thou proſpers in Sin, God approves of thee (as the ſaying is, prosperum & faelix ſcelus, virtus vocatur, Wickedneſs is called a virtue, becauſe it thrives) yet remember, that forbearance is no Pardon.
4. In taking up the nature of pardon negatively, Conſider, That God's pardoning of particular Sinners, whereby he reſtores them in favour, is not to be confounded with National Pardons, which God gives to Nations. This pardon is many times ſpoken of in Scripture, though by analogy, we may draw them to a particular pardon. So the ſcope of that place, Num. 14.19. — runs another way than to particular Perſons, and reſpects a National Pardon, [Pardon I beſeech thee the iniquity of this people, (ſayes Moſes) according to the greatneſs of thy mercy, as thou haſt forgiven this people from Egypt, even untill now. [I have pardoned according to thy word (ſayes the Lord) but truly, as I live, all the earth ſhall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.] I have pardoned, but yet I will puniſh, and vindicat mine honour. So that paſſage, Pſal. 78.38. But he being full of compaſſion, forgave their iniquity, and deſtroyed them not, when they deſerved, That was a pardon of the Nation, or a National Pardon; Now a National Pardon amounts only to this, when the Lord forbears to root out a Nation, as the Lord threaten …o Moſes, that he would root out Iſrael in that forecited place, Num. 14.12. That he would Diſ-inherit them, and make of him a greater Nation, and a Mightier than they, when he keeps them in their own Land, as he did Iſrael, and does not root them out, or when he continues with them the priviledge of a Church, though he plague them, and weed out a godleſs generation from among them, as he did out of Iſrael, that in the ſpace of 38 years time, there was not a man of them left that were 20 years old and upwards, when they came out of Egypt, ſave Caleh and Joſhua. So the Lord may pardon a Nation, and yet puniſh them, he may by his Judgments weed out the generality of a Generation, and ſend them to the Pit, which may conſiſt with a National pardon, when he doth not cut off the Nation, or ſuffers them to enjoy the priviledges of a Church. But the pardon of a particular Sinner, is, when he ſits down at God's Footſtool, and Judges himſelf, and cloſes with Chriſt for righteouſneſs, and that's another thing.
And 5. In taking up the nature of pardon Negatively. We muſt beware of confounding the pardon of Sin with the removal of Sin; the proſecution whereof, would lead me to ſpeak Poſitively; wherein pardon of Sin conſiſts, to the guilt and pollution of Sin, and the different acts of God about both; but becauſe that will give the riſe to other Queſtions, I ſhall remit it to another occaſion, only here ye ſhall diſtinguiſh theſe three. The filth of Sin, the power of Sin, and the guilt of Sin. The filth of Sin, is the foul ſtain that Sin leaves behind it. The guilt of Sin is the Offence done to God, and the Obligation to puniſhment, reſulting thereupon; the power of Sin, is the Tyrrany that Sin exerciſes over the Sinner. Now when I ſay, we are not to confound the pardon of Sin, with the removal of Sin, ye would underſtand it aright, I grant that God ſtrikes at the guilt of Sin, and the power of Sin, both at once, which is this in plain languege, that a pardoned ſin, muſt not be a reigning ſin; where the vertue of the blood is applyed for pardon, the power of the blood will alſo be applyed for the ſubjugating of ſin, and putting it from the Throne; and therefore in the by, ye may take it as a noble evidence of pardon, when ſin is ſubdued, or if it be not ſubdued, yet ye are engadged againſt your own ſinful diſpoſition, that it prevails not with your conſent; but for the filthineſs of ſin, though it be ſtricken at as ſoon as any of the former, Regeneration layes the Ax to the Root of that Tree, yet it remains in the Saints till death make the ſeparation. Paul Rom. 7. Hath a Law in his members, rebelling againſt the Law in his his mind till Death, but the pardon of ſin is attainable before death, and given in Juſtification, and afterward, upon the juſtified perſons Repentance, for particular faults, and therefore conſequently it is not to be confounded with the removal of ſin, ſin may be pardoned, and pardon of ſin is conſiſtent with the ſight of the filthineſs of ſin, for which the ſoul is abaſed before God dayly after Regeneration, though ſin doth not reign, and that's it wherein the pardon of ſin conſiſts, even in the taking away of the guilt of ſin, and the ſouls obligation to wrath, though the filth of ſin remain.