Forty-Five Sermons Upon Psalm 130, Sermon 12
SERMON XII.
Pſalm 130. Verſe 4. But there is forgivenneſs with thee,—
I Am now entred upon the 3d, and great Head of this neceſſary Doctrine, to clear wherein it is That the forgiveneſs of ſin doth ſtand; and after a general Reſolution thereof, That the pardon of ſin takes away not the filthineſs and pollution, but the guilt of ſin: I proceed to name four Queſtions to be cleared on this Subject; And the firſt (to which I ſpoke) was, how the guilt of ſin could be removed, while the filthineſs and pollution of ſin remained, guilt being inſeparable from ſin; and the Reſolution was, that however guilt in it ſelf, or (as the Learned call it) The potential guilt, the guilt of ſin in it ſelf, be not taken away by pardon; yet guilt as it reſults on the perſon, or the actual ordination of the perſon guilty to condemnation is ſuſpended everlaſtingly, and taken away; and for confirmation thereof, I led you through ſeveral Scriptures, to let you ſee what a ſure character pardon is; whether we conſider pardon as it is to be looked on in reſpect of God? or how it ſtands with the pardoned man? And now without further repetition, I ſhall go on with the reſt of the Caſes, tending to clear the nature of the remiſſion of ſin. A 2d. Queſtion in order, is, ſince pardon frees the pardoned man from obligation to puniſhment, Whether is this to be held, that no juſtified or pardoned perſon can fall under any puniſhment, or chaſtiſement for ſin? And here the Adverſaries of Truth, Papiſts on the one hand, and Antinomians on the other, run on two extreames; for Papiſts ſay, That in pardon of ſin, God remits culpam, but not paenam; That is, he remits the fault or guilt, ſo as not only he may chaſten (which we grant) but as he reſerves a puniſhment by way of ſatiſfaction for ſin, to be undergone by the pardoned ſinner: They diſtinguiſh in this betwixt mortal and venial Sins; for mortal ſins, they grant that the free Grace of God turns eternal puniſhment into a temporal, which the ſinner muſt undergo; for venial ſins, which they ſay deſerves not eternal puniſhment, but temporal, all that temporal puniſhment they will have the pardoned man to ſuſtain it. Hence is their Doctrine of Pennances in this life, and of Purgatory after death; when Pennances are not undergone here, where they will have pardoned ſinners to make ſatisfaction of ſin; for this Doctrine, it would be but troubleſome to you to hear all that might be ſaid againſt it, though we ſhould but touch on it, and therefore paſſing that groundleſs diſtinction of mortal and venial ſins, ye ſhall notice theſe five anent that their Doctrine:
1. That as the bulk of Popiſh Religion is nothing but a well contrived Policy, or Intereſt of State; ſo this Doctrine of Pennance and Purgatory is nothing elſe but a Politick Device to make gain for maintaining their Kitchin, Pomp, Pride, and Luxury, which (as I told you the laſt day) Caeſar Borgia the Son of Alexander the ſixth, makes to appear, who while he had loſt 100000— at the Dice, paſt it in a ſport, ſaying, Theſe are the ſins of the Germans, meaning, that thereby they had purchaſed remiſſion of Sins; for here the policy lies. Once perſwade folk, that they muſt do Pennances to ſatisfie for ſin, or to go to Purgatory, what will they not do while they are alive, or their Friends for them when they are dead, to mitigat that ſatisfaction, that is their Market, and then pay well, and come to Heaven without either Pennance or Purgatory, ſo that their Doctrine in this is a perfect cheat.
2. In this their Doctrine they corrupt the Doctrine of the antient Church, which was not ſo very ſound; for … they have a trick of retaining antient Names of things, under which they bring in new Errors; ſo in this particular of Pennances and Indulgences, uſed by the antient Church, who while they were a diſtinct Society, were very ſtrict and ſevere in requiring publick Pennance and Satisfaction for Scandals, ſome they held many years in making their Repentance, ſome they held all their life: but afterward, when the World came in to the Church, and the Emperors imbraced Chriſtianity, and they, with other great Ones were too thin-skin'd, and would not ſubmit to Diſcipline, the Church did degenerat from their ſtrictneſs, and ſhortned their Indulgences; but the antient Church their Pennances were not to ſatisfie God for ſin, but the Church, they were not for privat and ſecret ſins, but for publick and ſcandalous offences. And the Church willing to gratifie great perſons, did mitigat theſe ſeverities to many. But the Papiſts retaining the Name, they will have theſe Pennances a ſatisfaction to God for ſin, and their Indulgences to aſſoil folk in the Court of Heaven.
A 3d thing to be conſidered in that their Doctrine, which is very unhanſom for them to maintain, theſe Pennances which they call ſatisfaction, what are they? They are their Faſtings, their Ave Marias, and Pater-noſters, their Pilgrimages and Peregrinations, their Charity to the poor, or for a Religious uſe, their Self-ſcourgings and Whippings; now I enquire what are theſe? They are either Commanded Duties, or not, If they be not Commanded Duties, how can they be ſatisfaction for ſin? for will God be ſatisfied with that which he doth not require? Who required theſe things at your hand? If they be Commanded Duties, how can they make a puniſhment of them? that is a dreadful Soleciſm in their Religion; that Commanded Duties that ſhould be the joy and rejoicing of folks hearts, ſhould be turned to Puniſhments; and except they be puniſhments they cannot be ſatisfaction, ſo that they have a bad impreſſion of theſe things, which they look upon as Duties, while they make Commanded Duties puniſhments for ſin.
And a 4th Word I ſay to that their Doctrine, is this, That to admit of ſatisfaction for ſin, either as to temporal or eternal puniſhment for it, is a blaſphemous imputation on Chriſt's Satisfaction, as if any thing needed to be added to the Ocean of his Merit, who hath ſatisfied the Juſtice of God, both as to the Temporal and Eternal Curſe, due to his own Elect for their ſins.
And a 5th I ſhall ſay to their Doctrine, is, That it is contradictory to it ſelf, for what is the guilt of ſin, (as contra-diſtinct to the ſtain of ſin) that is removed? It is not the potential guilt, the deſert of ſin, for that is inſeparable from ſin; it is only the actual ordination to puniſhment. Now to ſay, God remits the guilt, and retains the puniſhment of ſin, it is to ſay, that he remits and retains, that he pardons and doth not pardon, that he takes away actual ordination to puniſhment, that he craves the debt which he hath forgiven. This is ſufficient to refute the Papiſts on the one hand, in what they hold anent the pardon of ſin.
Upon the other hand, the Antinomians run on another extream, and ſay, that pardoned, juſtified perſons fall not ſo much as under chaſtiſement, let be a proper puniſhment for ſin: And they will have all Afflictions that come upon the Godly, to be meer tryals of their Faith, and no more, and think that it is a legal Spirit that teacheth folk while they are under the Rod, to ſearch out ſin, and to be humbled for it; all that a man is called to do in that caſe (ſay they) is to maintain his Faith in adhering to the Love of God in Chriſt, for whatever Affliction come, it is not for ſin, and it is no wonder they maintain the Saints cannot fall under affliction for ſin, or chaſtiſement for ſin, ſeing they maintain, God ſees no ſin in them. To clear the mind of God in this particular. There are ſome things that muſt be granted as truths, and there are ſome other things to be cautioned againſt as error. The truths that are to be granted, may be reduced to theſe four words.
1. That juſtified perſons never meet with condemnation, what temporal lots ſoever they meet with, and though they be not ſecured againſt the croſs, yet they are ſecured from condemnation. 2. That a pardoned and juſtified child of God, doth never come under the wrath of God, though juſtified perſons may come under Gods Fatherly diſpleaſure, yet they are never more objects of divine wrath as others; though they may often meet with Fatherly and Divine diſpleaſure, as children, they come not under wrath, as enemies. 3. That pardoned and juſtified ſinners never fall under proper puniſhments for ſin, or afflictions to ſatisfie for their faults, though for other ends they may, as to invite them to repentance, and to be humbled for their ſin, to mortifie ſin, to caution them againſt ſin for the future. 4. That many trials and afflictions come on pardoned ſinners, wherein God doth not purſue them for ſin, but is trying their faith and their graces: Such were Jobs trials, though Elihu tells him what he was, he had ſin, and his ſin deſerved all was come upon him; yet betwixt God and Satan all his trials were ſtated on this, whether he would prove a godly man, and continue ſo, notwithſtanding of them all; and ſuch were theſe trials under which the Apoſtles and other godly perſons did glory: God in theſe was not purſuing ſin, but taking ſervice and proofs of their faith, love, zeal, patience &c. under the croſs from them; and to this pertains that of Joh. 9.2.3. When the Diſciples aſked him, ſayng, Maſter, Who did ſin? This man, or his parents, that he was born blind. Chriſt anſwers, Neither hath this man ſinned, nor his parents: That is, God was not puniſhing his nor his parents ſin in that ſtroak of blindneſs, but that the works of God might be made manifeſt in him.
Theſe truths being conceded, there are other ſome things to be caution'd againſt, as error, and I ſhall reduce what I would ſay for Caution, to theſe three Heads. 1. It is certain, that ſin is the in-let to all affliction, Rom. 5.12. By one man ſin entered into the world, and death by ſin, and ſo death paſſed upon all men, for that all have ſinned. Death, that is, all calamities, which are a begun death, and the great death, the ſeparation of the ſoul from the body. And hence what-ever may be God's deſign in any affliction he ſends on godly men, it is their wiſdom, while they are under the Croſs, to ſearch out and be ſenſible of ſin, and to be humbled for it before God, as we ſaid before, when we was on the 2, and 3. verſes, That ſenſe of trouble ſhould be attended with the ſenſe of ſin: The ſenſe of ſin is good company when ſenſe of trouble is ſharpeſt; and therefore though Job was under a cleanly tryal, yet Elihu tells him he had ſin to deſerve all that was come upon him, and if he conſidered his ſin, he would quarrel leſs when his friends miſtook him. What-ever other exerciſe affliction calls to, this is one, to ſearch out and be humbled for ſin; and it is a ſhrewd evidence, that that affliction is not bleſſed of God, that is not well Varniſhed with ſenſe of ſin.
But 2ly. Not only is ſin the in-let to all afflictions, but even godly perſons pardoned of ſin, may be under affliction upon the account of ſin; I ſhall not ſpeak of thoſe common and abſolutely determined afflictions, as that all godly men muſt die, and godly women muſt have pain in child-bearing, as well as others, but godly pardoned perſons may come under peculiar afflictions upon the account of ſin, and that either before ſin is committed, or after ſin is committed; Before ſin be committed, godly men may come under affliction upon the account of ſin. How many afflictions got godly men upon the account of their corrupt diſpoſitions to prevent ſin, to withdraw them from their purpoſe, to hide pride from man, to keep back his ſoul from the pit, and his life from periſhing by the ſword? Job 33.17, 18. How many are ſuch hard Rocks, that they muſt have hard Wedges to rent them? How many are ſo prone to wandering, that were not their way hedged up with thorns, and the croſs laid in their way, they would ruine themſelves in following their lovers? How many would be intolerable to live with, if their noſe were not holden on the Grindſtone? How many are made beggers, becauſe they cannot bear wealth? Thus ye ſee godly men may be put under the croſs with an eye to ſin to prevent ſin: Again, they may be brought under peculiar afflictions, upon the account of ſin, even when it is committed, and that either before it be pardoned, or after it is pardoned. Before it be pardoned, as when a ſinner is lying under unrepented guilt, ſinging himſelf aſleep in his provocations. If a godly man with David, 2 Sam. 11. drive ſuch a Trade, to fall into ſcandalous ſins, and ly over in ſecurity, the Lord will ſend a hurl upon him, not to ſatisfie his juſtice, but to ſhake him out of his ſecure poſture, and to ſet him to his feet, to the exerciſe of repentance and humiliation, he will ſend a rod, that he may hear the voice thereof, and who hath appointed it, Hence David, Pſal. 119.67. Before I was afflicted I went aſtray; before I got the croſs I wandered, and knew not what I was doing, but now have I kept thy word: That's affliction upon the account of ſin committed, before it be pardoned, to waken out of ſecurity, and put to repent for it: again afflictions may come on the godly upon the account of ſin, even when it is pardoned, when the pardoned man falls in ſin, eſpecially if it be a ſcandalous ſin, he may not win eaſily away with that eſcape, but may be made to go with a born-down-back after it is pardoned, all his days. 2 Sam. 10.12, 13. The Lord tells David, that he had pardoned him, yet that the ſword ſhould not depart from his houſe, for all that. We ſuppoſe the Corinthians were godly men, and pardoned for the abuſe of the Lords Supper, yet 1 Cor. 11.30. For this cauſe many are weak and ſickly among you, and many ſleep. For if we would judge our ſelves, we ſhould not be judged. But when we are judged we are chaſtned of the Lord, that we ſhould not be condemned with the world. Where ye may ſee affliction is let out upon the account of ſin remitted. And if ye aſk, Why doth the Lord ſo? I anſwer, not to take a ſatisfaction to his juſtice, that's already compleatly made by Chriſt; but he doth it, partly to vindicat his own honour, whatever be betwixt him and his pardoned children, if they fall in ſin that the world obſerves, he will let the world ſee that he will not wink at their miſcarriages. The ſword's not departing from David's houſe, was not to ſatisfie juſtice for his ſins that were pardoned, but becauſe by his ſcandalous out-breaking, he had made the enemies to blaſpheme: He will let the world ſee, that if his darling David bourd with him, and fall in ſin, he hath made an ill bargain. Partly he doth this upon the account of ſins remitted, that even the Saints who are pardoned may ſee yet more the bitterneſs of their folly and wandering. The Lord looketh not upon it as a ſufficient diſcovery of ſin, and the evil thereof, that a child of God may win to in repentance antecedent to pardon, but when he is pardoned, he will ſharply afflict him, that he may know the bitterneſs of ſin, and that he made an ill bargain when he gave way to it; and upon this it will reſult, that when the Lord afflicts the pardoned, they are not to forget daily to be humbled for pardoned ſin. Though God be good and gracious in pardoning ſin, we ſhould be ſevere on our ſelves for provoking him. Though the pardoned mans Count be cleared, he muſt ly in the duſt, for that he offended God, and brought ſo much wo and vexation on himſelf. And further, this will follow upon it, that God by afflicting the pardoned ſinner, invites him to mortifie ſin daily that he may not fall in the like ſin again. Yea, and further, when he afflicts the ſinner, with an eye to ſin that is pardoned, he invites the ſinner to more and more thankfulneſs to him for the pardoning of it, when he conſiders what-ever afflictions or rods be inflicted, yet his pardon is enſured to him: Theſe are ſome of the bleſſed ends, why the Lord with an eye to pardoned ſin, is pleaſed to let out afflictions and chaſtiſements upon juſtified perſons; and it is upon this account, that chaſtiſement with pardon is put in the Covenant, Pſal. 89.32. That however he will not take his loving kindneſs from his children, nor ſuffer his faithfulneſs to fail, yet he will viſit their tranſgreſſions with the rod, and their iniquity with ſtripes; therefore we would mind this well. It is no great wonder that Antinomians ſay, God chaſtens not the Saints at all upon the account of ſin; for they ſay, God ſees no ſin in them to chaſten; but let us not deceive our ſelves, but when the rod is laid on, let us hear the voice of the rod, and who hath appointed it, Mic. 6.9. Ye have heard, that all afflictions comes in by the door of ſin, and therefore it's a ſweet ſtudy under afflictions, to be ſenſible of ſin. Ye have heard, that God may ſend afflictions on juſtified perſons, to prevent ſin, and to waken them out of ſecurity, and put them to repentance when ſin is committed, to imprint upon their ſpirits the folly of their wanderings, and the bitterneſs that follows ſin, to caution them for the future againſt relapſing in ſin, to ſtir them up to mortifie ſin &c. Theſe are better Leſſons than the dreams of Antinomians, that God hath no reſpect to the ſins of his children when he afflicts them.
And yet I ſhall add a third word more for Caution againſt their error, that is, That Gods afflicting of Saints with an eye to ſin, doth not at all claſh with that which they aſſert, that the afflictions of the godly are for the trial of their faith. That they are meerly for the trial of their faith, we deny; that they are for the trial of their faith, we grant. For though afflictions be for the trial of faith, yet they are alſo for other ends, as before they repent to ſtir up to repentance, in order to pardon, and after repentance to humble them, and caution againſt ſin, and for producing other effects, yet they are ſtill trials of faith, whether they will adhere to God; yea, ſo much the more trials of faith are they, as we have not only trouble to graple with, but guilt that brought on the affliction; It is eaſier for faith to hold its feet under a cleanly trial, than when affliction is lying on, and conſcience of guilt is ſtaring us in the face: And therefore we ſhall eaſily grant, providing the mind of God in other ends of affliction be not neglected; That when we have done all, we ſhould look on the trial of faith as a main end of affliction, and when in affliction we caſt away confidence, we miſs a main end, and imped the good that we might get by affliction.
The time having prevented me, and I cannot win to the other two Queſtions, whether the truth of pardon depends on the intimation of it to our hearts, and whether pardon be it revocable, ſo that guilt makes not former pardon void, though it needeth pardon, and ought to be mourned for. I ſhall not now break in upon them. The Lord bleſs his Word to you.