Forty-Five Sermons Upon Psalm 130, Sermon 7
SERMON VII.
Pſal. 130. Verſ. 3. If thou, LORD, ſhouldeſt mark iniquities, O LORD, who ſhall ſtand?
4. But there is forgivenneſs with thee: that thou mayeſt be feared.
YE have heard how the Pſalmiſt in the 1ſt and 2d Verſes, being wreſtling with plunging perplexities, expreſſed here under the name of deeps, gets guilt ſtopping his audience and ſucceſs to wreſtle with, in the 3d and 4th Verſes, wherein as ye have heard, we have 1. A ſenſible confeſſion concerning the deſert of ſin, Verſe 3. Next we have his refuge, when he is humbled with the ſenſe of that, and it is pardoning mercy, forgivenneſs with God, to which he claims in the beginning of the 4th Verſe. And laſtly, ye have the end for which God lets out and beſtows pardoning mercy on ſinners, that he may be feared.
For the firſt of theſe, in the 3d Verſe, I am near a cloſe of what I purpoſe to ſay upon it, for beſide the conjunction ye have heard ought to be betwixt the ſenſe of ſin, and the ſenſe of trouble, without which the ſenſe of trouble is but bruitiſh; and beſide that ye have heard, that guilt will readily meet the people of God in ſtraits, when they are made to cry out of the deeps unto God: Beſide theſe (I ſay) I inſiſted the laſt day on that great Point, that iniquity marked by God, according to the Covenant of Works, and the Rules of ſtrict Juſtice, is that which no man is able to ſtand under; and ye may remember, how at great length, I both Explained, and continued this truth, by ſeveral Deductions from the Text, which I ſhall not now repeat. I ſhut up the Point with a general word of Exhortation, that ſinners that look for everlaſting happineſs, would learn to ſay over this Text with application to themſelves, If thou, Lord, ſhould mark iniquity, I cannot ſtand, and to do it ſenſibly; for the fixing of which, and bearing of it home, ye may remember, what Conſiderations were laid before you, as Conſiderations concerning God your Party, Conſiderations concerning the number of your ſins and guilt; It's called iniquities in the Plural Number, Conſiderations concerning the nature and aggravations of your guilt, upon which account alſo, it's called Iniquities; Conſiderations alſo of the juſt threatnings of God, and of the infallible execution of them upon the ſinner, or his Surety; Conſiderations concerning the ſufferings of Jeſus Chriſt, a Glaſs wherein the deſert of ſin muſt be ſeen.
Now before I come to the next Verſe, I ſhall mark three or four particular inferences. And,
1. Ye have here a clear diſcovery, that there is no Juſtification by Works, that a man by his Works cannot think of ſtanding before God; Juſtification by Works, is that only, which we know by the Light of Nature, and that firſt Covenant made with mankind in Adam, and therefore every man hath a natural propenſion to do his own turn that way; The Jews being ignorant of the righteouſneſs of God, and going about to eſtabliſh their own righteouſneſs, did not ſubmit unto the righteouſneſs of God, Rom. 10.3. Ignorant perſons think to pleaſe God with their Repentance, and the mending of their faults, and doing better: Papiſts plead with an open mouth for Juſtification by Works; ſome Mungrel Proteſtants would mumble out ſomewhat that way; but ye are to conſider, that the Covenant requires that which is now impoſſible, even perfect holineſs, and that Covenant being once broken, is everlaſtingly broken; and for any Evangelical Paction the Text leads us to, there is no Medium betwixt God's marking iniqiuity, and forgiving iniquity, a man muſt either ſtand to his hazard of God's ſitting down on his Tribunal, and marking his iniquities, to puniſh them; or he muſt lay aſide all thoughts of complementing with God in this matter, or of patching up a buſineſs of Grace and good Works in his Juſtification before him, they that ſtudy the firſt part of the Text well, that if God mark iniquity none can ſtand, they will eaſily be put from that conceit of Juſtification by Works, and plead forgivenneſs.
And therefore 2, I would have ſinners conſidering, that there is no ſtanding under guilt, except Chriſt be fled unto for refuge; if ye have not taken Sanctuary in Atheiſm, that ye look upon all that is ſaid in this Preached Goſpel as cunningly deviſed Fables, will you but look to it, and think with your ſelves, what will you do in the day of Viſitation, and in the day of Wrath? when the juſt threatnings of God ſhall be execute againſt ſin, and all ſinners that are out of Chriſt; when many will be ready to cry out for Hills and Mountains to fall upon them, and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. O! conſider it, if ye can be perſwaded to be in earneſt about your ſouls, what ye think to do in the day of Gods wrath for ſin. In that day wherein the ſenſleſs ſinners that made a ſport of ſin, will be made to ſing that doleful Note, Lam. 5.16. The Crown is fallen from our head, wo unto us, for we have ſinned. Then ye will find it deſperate folly and madneſs that ye went on in ſin, and fled not in time from the wrath to come. Ponder that Parable Luk. 16.24. (which is not to be ſtretched beyond the principal ſcope, as if there were charity for others in Hell,) and ye will find what a dreadful Bargain ſin is, when a drop of cold Water to cool the Tongue, would be an eaſe to the Drunkard in torment, and he cannot have it, when his warning of others is a witneſs againſt himſelf, that he was a deſperat man, that run ſuch a hazard, that is now paſt remedy: Think I ſay, on theſe things, if ye look not on this Word as Fables.
But 3. If none can ſtand before God's marking iniquity, then the ſenſe of guilt ſhould make us juſtifie God in all the troubles that come upon his People, when we conſider, that the Lord may for ſin, not only, as in a ſolemn day, call our terrors round about, as the word is, Lament. 2.22. But may everlaſtingly condemn us in hell; how dare a ſinner murmur under leſſer calamities or troubles? The language of a man ſenſible of the deſert of ſin, is, that which ye have, Ezra 9, 13. [Thou our God haſt puniſhed us leſs than our iniquities deſerve;] and that, Lam. 3.22. [It is of the Lords mercies that we are not conſumed, becauſe his compaſſions fail not.] A man that is ſenſible of ſin and of the deſert of it, ye will not find him a murmurer againſt any croſs inflicted, but a wonderer at the moderation, that ſhines in the ſharpeſt tryals. Therefore, (as I ſaid upon the firſt head) the ſenſe of trouble, without the ſenſe of ſin, is ill company, and will breed many diſtempers, which the ſenſe of ſin, joyned with the ſenſe of trouble, will bear down and prevent.
And, 4. If even the moſt godly man, be thus lyable to puniſhment, (for who can ſtand, if God mark iniquity,) and even for his ordinary failings, conſider, what is the godly mans caſe, when he falleth in groſſer out-breakings. If when thou looks upon thy dayly eſcapes through ignorance, raſhneſs, precipitancy, ſhortcoming in duty, thou art made to lament, and ſay, (Lord, I cannot ſtand before thee, if thou, Lord, mark iniquity;) how may the lamentation be hightned, when thou falls in groſſe ſins and ſpots, and by them cauſes the enemy to blaſphem; and the truth is, were folk more frequent in laying to heart their ordinary eſcapes and infirmities, it would be a mean to caution them againſt out-breakings in groſſer debordings, but when theſe are not laid to heart, and mourned for, it provokes God to write it with ſome vile blemiſh; and I ſhal add, if the Lord mark iniquity, and a godly man cannot ſtand, what ſhall become of a wicked man, who hath no intereſt in Chriſt? if a David (ſuppoſe he hath been the penman of this Pſalm) be trembling and ſinking under the Burden of iniquities, what a poſture ſhould monſters for prophanity, who declare their ſin as Sodom be in? I confeſs they are not troubled with ſin, becauſe they forget that they have immortal Souls, but their trouble is coming. They ſee godly men plunged and perplexed, under apprehenſions of wrath, when they are free of groſſe out-breakings; and they are not affected with all their impieties, but O! what a witnes is that againſt them, who walk as monſters among men, and are never troubled? ponder that word, 1 Pet. 4.17.18. [The time is come, that judgment muſt begin at the houſe of God; and if it begin at us, what ſhall become of them, that obey not the Goſpel of God? and if the righteous ſcarcely be ſaved, where ſhall the ſinner and ungodly appear?] If godly men dare not think of ſtanding before God, marking iniquity, how can theſe monſters for prophanity, and ungodlineſs, think to look God in the face, marking their iniquities?
But now, I proceed to the ſecond General in the Text, and that is the refuge to which the Pſalmiſt betakes himſelf, when he is thus humbled, and abaſed under the ſenſe of the dreadful deſerts of ſin, [But there is forgivneſs with thee. That is, thou haſt declared thy ſelf to be a pardoner of ſin on goſpel-terms, and this forgivenneſs is with thee, that is, it's thy peculiar right, in oppoſition to all pretenders. None have a right to pardon but thou, and it's thy right, when the Law, and our own Conſciences do condemn us, to ſtepin and forgive; and therefore though upon account of the Covenant of Works, I cannot think of ſtanding before thee. I betake my ſelf to the refuge, that forgiveneſs is with thee.
There is a General Word that I might here mark, that is, That there is a remedy in God for all difficulties. under which the Saints are humbled, and abaſed as inſuperable, for when in the 3. verſe, he hath ſaid, [If thou, Lord, ſhould mark iniquities, who can ſtand? There is a But, a reſerve, an exception added, Forgivenneſs is with thee, There is indeed a hopeleſs caſe, but here is a remedy for it in God; ſo that there is no caſe (how hopeleſs ſoever it be) that is deſperat, if folks go to God with it.
But this I leave, and pitch upon the main point in the Text, That there is pardoning mercy in God for ſin, and this is the only refuge to a ſenſible ſinner oppreſſed with ſin and guilt. It's here the Pſalmist's only refuge and eaſe, when he cannot think of ſtanding before God marking iniquity. It's Job's only refuge, Chap. 7.20, 21. [I have ſinned, what ſhall I do unto thee? O thou preſerver of men! Thou may ſet me as a mark againſt thee, and make me a burden to my ſelf, but all that will not make thee reparation. Why doſt thou not pardon my tranſgreſſion, and take away mine iniquity? and it's the happineſs of fallen Man, not that he is ſinleſs, or able to ſatisfie Juſtice for his ſin, but that he is a pardoned man, Pſal. 32.1.2. &c. [Bleſſed is the man whoſe tranſgreſſion is forgiven, whoſe ſin is pardoned, bleſſed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity.] This we would not need to inſiſt on, to prove it, if ſouls were in the Pſalmiſts poſture here, if ſouls knew what it were to be under the burden of the debt of Sin, there would be no happineſs to that, to have ſin pardoned, God would be to them a matchleſs God upon this account, Mic. 7.18. [Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and paſſeth by the tranſgreſſion of the remnant of his heritage?] he would be a matchleſs God upon the account of his pardoning iniquity, whatever other proof of Love he ſhould give, or withhold.
Now becauſe this is a moſt important, and weighty Goſpel point of Truth, The pardoning of Sin, and I know not, when I may fall upon it in a Catechetical way, I purpoſe to quite my ordinary way, and to inſiſt upon this head, The pardon of …in, which would give me occaſion to ſpeak to ſeveral things, for information of judgment, and to ſet you to your duty, I ſhall reduce what I intend to ſay on it, to theſe Heads.
1. What is Pardoned?
2. Who they are that are Pardoned?
3. What the nature of this Pardon is?
4. When Pardon paſſes in favours of the Sinner whether it be irrevocable?
5. What is the right method of the Application of Pardoning Mercy? which will lead me to the laſt thing in the Text, That forgiveneſs is with God, that He may be feared.
Theſe and the like, through the determination of the Scriptures, may be of ſpecial uſe to you.
1. What is it that God doth pardon? it is ſin or iniquity, ſo the former verſe, and this collated holds forth. It's the iniquities under which he is groaning in the former verſe, for which there is forgiveneſs with God in this verſe, ſo in that forcited place, Mic. 7, 18. He pardons iniquity, and paſseth by the tranſgreſſion of the remnant of his heritage, and Pſal. 52.1, 2. It's ſin, iniquity, tranſgreſſion, that is pardoned, covered, not imputed, to intimat that ſin, under whatever name it be expreſſed, is that which God pardons.
Now to proſecute this, I ſhall not fall upon many deſcriptions of ſin, and its nature, it ſhall ſuffice us to know, that ſin is the tranſgreſſion of the Law, and that of the Law of God, neither the croſſing of folks humors, will make a man a ſinner, James 4.11, 12. (There are a number of rigid Cenſurers, that would make their Will a Law to all, or have all to walk by their raſh Judgment, whereas there is but one Law-giver, who is able to ſave and deſtroy) neither will the Commands of men, oblidging them in Law, conclude men to be ſinners, unleſs there be a ſuperiour Command of God, oblidging them to give obedience to theſe Commands of men, but waving that, to the end I may reſume, and follow forth ſomething to your Edification, I ſhall briefly ſpeak to theſe four,
1. That all men have ſin to be pardoned?
2. That ſin is a Crime, and a Debt, that needs a pardon, a burden that a man will not willingly ly under, if he look right on it, nor be at reſt till he get it off.
3. That Sin being a Debt that needs pardon, and a burden too heavy for any, the unpardoned man looks upon himſelf, (if in his right wits) in a doleful plight, till he be pardoned. And
4. That it is the chiefeſt of good news, to a Man ſenſible of the Debt of Sin, that God is a pardoner of Sin.
For the firſt of theſe, all have ſinned, or done that which needs a pardon, I ſhal not need to repeat what I ſpoke the laſt day upon this, when I cleared the univerſality of that aſſertion, That if God mark iniquity, none can ſtand before him v. 3. I ſhall only add two Scripturall Confirmations this day. One is, that, 1 John 1.8. Where the Apoſtle writing to the godly, ſays, as to Original Sin, [if we ſay we have not ſin, we deceive our ſelves, and the truth is not in us;] and another Confirmation, when as to actual ſin, he ſays, [v. 10. If we ſay, that we have not ſinned, we make God a liar, and his word is not in us. And another Confirmation ye ſhall take from the Patern of Prayer, Mat. 6.12. Where theſe who are allowed to call God Father, even the godly are required to pray dayly, (forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; or as Luk. 11.4. hath it. [Forgive us our ſins.]
I ſhall ſay no more of this, but briefly mind you of theſe four. 1. It ſerves to refute the perfectiſts, that pretend to ſinleſneſs. It was the damnable error of the Pelagians, that they affirmed, that as we have no guilt by Adam's ſin, ſo Men might live without ſin, not only ſine crimine, without any groſs ſcandalous out-breakings, (as we confeſs ſome ſins, or ſome way of committing ſin, are not incident to the People of God, 1 John 3.9.) But they aſſert, that men may live ſine peccato, without any ſin at all; And when they are urged with that Petition enjoyned in the Lords Prayer, where we are bidden pray for the daily forgivenneſs of ſin; They Anſwer. That men ſhould ſay that Petition humiliter, but not veraciter, humbly, but not truly, and in ſincerity; which is both an imputation on the Majeſty of God, and a refutation of their error. An imputation on the Majeſty of God, as if he did require, that men ſhould lye under pretence of humility, and a refutation of their own error: for if they ſhould lye and pray hypocritically, and not ſincerely, they prove themſelves, to be ſinners, and not perfect, as they pretend.
2. We might here put Papiſts to mind, what they ſay, when they plead for the ſinleſneſs of the bleſſed Virgin Mary, though in this they do not agree among themſelves: The Franciſcans and Jeſuits, they aſſert, that ſhe was conceived Immaculat: others, as the Dominicans, aſſert, that ſhe was conceived in ſin, but ſhe was immediatly cleanſed from it; but both of them agree, that ſhe lived without actual ſin. VVe are for to declare her bleſſed above all VVomen, and highly favoured of the Lord, but we dare not contradict Scripture, which concludes all under ſin, Rom. 3.23. Nor her own confeſſion, Luke 1.47. Where ſhe owns God as her Saviour, which imports her acknowledging that ſhe was a ſinner; nor yet contradict our bleſſed Lord, his taxing of her as Culpable, John 2.4. When ſhe would enjoyn him by her Motherly Authority, to work a miracle, Woman (ſaith he) what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come, he owns her as a Woman, not as his Mother, in the Acts of his Mediatory Office; and reflects upon her as one culpable, that would require of him to work a miracle.
But 3. I would from this recommend to all of you to grow in acquaintance with your pollutions, ſinfulneſs, infirmities, and manifold dayly failings. And for this, alas! we need not light Candles, there is not need of any ſecret ſearch, as the Word is, Jer. 2, 34. The skirts of our Garments tell what we are, to us may be applyed that Word, Iſaiah 3.9. The ſhew of their countenance doth witneſs against them, and they declare their ſin as Sodom, they hide it not, wo unto their ſouls, for they have rewarded evil unto themſelves. But were we as ſpotleſs as Paul, it is our duty to be exerciſed with the root of ſin, with the Body of Sin and Death, with that Law which is in our Members, rebelling againſt the Law of the mind, with that will that is preſent with us, when we delight to do good, after the Inner-man, Rom. 7. Ye would drive this trade, and mourn for your ſecret ſins, leſt God be provoked to give you up to ſcandalous out-breakings, which the world will read, when ye are not exerciſed with ſecret ſins, ye provoked God to give you other work a do, litle to your advantage. Learn to be at that work, which the people are at, Iſaiah 59.12. Our tranſgreſſions (ſay they) are multiplyed before thee, and our ſins teſtifie againſt us, for our tranſgreſſions are with us, and as for our iniquities we know them; And at that trade, David was at, Pſal. 40.12. While he ſaith, Innumerable evils have compaſſed me about, mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, ſo that I am not able to look up, They are mo than the hairs of my head, therefore my heart faileth me. Eſtrangement from our ſinfulneſs is an impediment to our humility, all the croſſes in the world will not humble, or bring a man ſo low, as acquaintance with his own pollutions, and ſinfulneſs of his nature; Eſtrangement from ſinfulneſs, is a great obſtruction to repentance, he cannot be a penitent, that is not a dayly ſtudent of his own failings, and infirmities, and eſtrangement of our ſinfulneſs is an impediment to pardon; for ſin muſt be taken with, and confeſſed, before we can expect pardon, and that cannot be while we live eſtranged from it: Thus you ſee the loſſes that follows the neglect of acquainting our ſelves with the ſinfulneſs of ſin, our dayly pollutions and infirmities.
But the 4. and laſt Word I ſhall give you from this, (and I ſhall go no further for the time) ſhall be this, that the conſideration of the univerſal ſinfulneſs of all mankind, ſhould excite folk much to commend God; it commends God, as upon many accounts, ſo particularly upon theſe two, one is, that he ſpares the World dayly, though there be ſo much ſin both of Saints and others abounding in it, who would fit with ſo many wrongs as God gets every day, and yet he deſtroyes us not, how often might he ſay, as he ſaid to Moſes of Iſrael, Exod. 32.10. Let me alone, that my wrath may wax bot againſt them, and that I may conſume them, that I may ſweep them away from off the earth; and yet he doth it not, how often might he do with us in this World, as he did with Sodom, and the old World, and yet he bears with us. How often might he make the viſible Church a terror to it ſelf, and all the World? and how often might he make the Saints a burden to themſelves, and yet great is his goodneſs, that he ſpares a ſinful VVorld, and ſinners in it. And upon another account it commends God, and that is, that he lets not the ſinfulneſs of his People make void their intereſt in him, but notwithſtanding their ſinfulneſs, allows them to call him Father; That though they be dayly, by their repeated provocations, iniquities and tranſgreſſions, drawing Rods forth from his hand, yet that doth not make void the Covenant. Pſal. 89.32, 33. [That he will viſit their tranſgreſſions with the rod, and their iniquities with ſtripes, nevertheleſs his loving kindneſs will he not utterly take from them, nor ſuffer his faithfulneſs to fail.] O! but the ſtudy of our ſinfulneſs would make dayly a new wonder to us, it would not be common news, [but a faithful ſaying, and worthy of all acceptation, That Chriſt came into the world to ſave ſinners, 1 Tim. 1.15. And as we grow in the ſtudy of our ſinfulneſs, the ſweeter ſhould theſe Truths that holds out the remedy of ſin grow and continue.