First Epistle of John Applied Part 2, Sermon 17
THE FIRST EPISTLE OF S. IOHN.SERM. 17.
CHAP. I. Ver. 9.
If we confesse our sins, he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
THat Covenant which Almighty God hath made with fallen man in Christ Jesus, is not unfitly called by Divines, a Covenant of Grace, free grace being the impulsive cause from within, moving God to make that Covenant. But though it be of grace, yet it is still a Covenant, and therefore as in all Covenants, there is a mutual obligation on both parties, between whom the Covenant is made, so is it in this, wherein is signified as what God will do for us, so what he will have done by us. Hence it is that we find not only in the Law but Gospel, commands, as well as comforts, precepts as promises; yea, these promises still proposed conditionally: for so we may observe among other places in this Chapter, and particularly in this verse, wherein remission is annexed to confession. If we confess our sins, he is faithful, &c.
Having already dispatched the duty in an absolute consideration, as it is the matter of a precept, we are now to handle the relative, as it is the condition of a promise: the prosecution of which shall be done two wayes,
1. Negatively: it is not a cause, but only a condition of the promise, and therefore it is not said foreign but foreign, because, but if we confess our sins: indeed if confession be a cause of remission, it must be either meritorious or instrumental, but it is not, it cannot be either of these.
1. Confession is not, cannot be a meritorious cause of forgiveness, it is satisfaction, not confession which merits remission, and therefore with men, forgiveness upon meer acknowledgment, is an act not of equity but of charity; in this regard the merit of remission is Christs, not ours, his blood whereby he hath made satisfaction, not our tears which are only the concomitant of confession. True it is, there is a congruity in confession, inasmuch as it maketh us fit for, but there is no condignity to render us deserving of this mercy of forgiveness.
It may perhaps be here inquired why since the commission of sin is meritorious of punishment, the confession is not of pardon? for if the sin be therefore of so great a desert, because against God, why shall not the acknowledgement be of as great merit, because to God? The answer to which is iustly returned, partly that whereas our Commissions are purely sinful, our confessions are not purely penitent, since even when we confess our sins, we sin in confessing, partly, that whereas the demerit of the fault is chiefly respectu objecti, in regard of the person to whom the injury is done, the amends for the fault is respectu subjecti, principally considerable in respect of the person by whom it is made: and hence it is that though the sin committed by us, bee of infinite demerit, because against an infinite justice, yet nothing done by us, can bee of infinite merit, because wee are finite persons.
2. Confession, is not the instrumentall cause of forgivenesse: to clear this the more, be pleased to know, that there is a great deale of difference between that which is meerely conditionall, and that which is so a condition, as it is withall an instrument: that may be a necessary condition, which is onelyonly required to the qualification of the subject on whom the thing is conferred, but that which is not onelyonly a condition, but an instrument, hath some kinde of influence, into the Production of the thing, which is conferred, and this being well observed, will serve excellently to clear that Orthodox doctrine of justification by faith alone, we are justified, (a chiefe ingredient, whereof is forgivenesse of sinnes) onelyonly by faith, not by repentance, not by charity, nor by any other grace or work, because it is onelyonly faith which concurreth as an instrument to this work, in as much as it is the hysope sprinkling the soul with the bloud, the hand applying to the soule the righteousnesse of Christ, for which wee are forgiven, and justified: and hence it is, that the preposition foreign,Rom. 3.25. is onelyonly used concerning faith, hee is the propitiation for our sinnes through faith, and we are justified by faith;Gal. 2.16. whereas it is never said, wee are justified by confessing, or forgiving, or repenting, though yet still these are conditions of justification, and forgivenesse, in as much as they are necessary qualifications, required in the person whom God doth justify, and to whom sinne is forgiven.
2. Affirmatively, it is a condition, and that both exclusive, and inclusive.
1. It is an exclusive condition, this foreign, is as much as, foreign this si as nisi, if otherwise not, there is no forgivenesse to bee had, without confession, though it be not that for which, no nor yet by which, yet it is that without which no remission can be obtained. I thinke it is needlesse to dispu…e what God could doe by his absolute power, it is enough hee cannot doe …t by his actuall, because he will not; & truly though the…e is no need of any, yet there is abundant reason of this divine pleasure, since it is that which his justice, his purity, and his wisedome seem to call for. Justice requireth satisfaction, much more confessiion. If God shall pardon them which doe not confesse, but conceal, and goe on in sinne, it would open a gap to all prophanesse and impiety, which cannot consist with his purity; finally, it cannot stand with Gods wisedome, to bestow mercy, but on them that are in some measure sitted for it, and wee are not, cannot be sitted for rem…ssion, till we have practised confession. None are fitio… mercy, but they who see the…r need of it, hunger after it, and know how to value it; whereas if God should offer pardon to an impenitent, he would scarce accept it, how ever hee would not prize it. It is confession which maketh us taste the bitternesse of sin, and so prepareth us for a relish of the sweetnesse of forgiving mercy.
The exclusivenesse of this condition is that which Solomon expresseth, when hee opposeth hiding to confessing, and as hee assureth mercy to the one, so hee flatly denyeth it to the other, P…o. 28.13.he that hideth his sin shall not prosper: and to this purpose it is that Almighty God threatneth,Hos. 5. ult. I will goe and returne to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seeke my fa…e, in which done…, is manifestly intimated a nisi, untill, that is unlesse they acknowledge, I will not vouchsafe my gracious presence to them, yea this is that which David found verified in his own experience, where he saith, when I kept silence, Psal. 32.3.4.5. quid peccatorū confessio nisi quaedam vulneris ruptio Greg. Mag:my bones waxed old, day and night thy hand was heavy upon mee, I acknowledged my sinne and thou forgavest: unlesse the sore be opened, and the corrupt matter let out, the party cannot be healed; when the ague breaketh forth at the lips, then there is hope of its cessation. If the Apostume break, Febris cum f…ris e…pit spem a…e…t, desinendi Ambr…sin P. 3…. Quando Ap…stema convertitur ad interiora causa m…rtis ad exteriora, possibile ad salutem pe…ven…e Summ. C…c…on. Nisi quis animi sui vitia cognov…rit & …is prop…i c…nfessione prodide…it, … non … foreign l. 3 …. st…machus. si v… …uerit relevatur &c. Orig. in Ps. 37. P…o. 18.21. …ertull. de p…nit c. 8. Vide Vela…. …. Phi. Chrisost de ve…. Isayae. H…. 3 Vt qui p…opria v…bis non … …lagitia …ànatur … …s…um qui eadem De… …uerit confessus absol▪ vitur. Sidon Apoll. l 4. ep. 14. Math. 22.12.and come not forth at the eares or mouth, the patient is but a dead man; till that which oppresseth the stomach be cast up, there can bee no ease, and unlesse there be a penitent laying open of our sinnes before God, by self accusation, it is in vain to expect his absolution. Those words of the wise man, Life, and Death, are in the power of the tongue, are not unfitly morallized by one to this purpose, if our tongues keepe silence, nothing but death to bee expected; i… they speake in humble acknowledgement, life is assured. This is the course of the court of heaven, directly contrary to the courts on earth, as St. Chrisostome, and others, have observed▪ with men, confession is the ready way to condemnation, with God, there is no other way to remiss…on ▪ he that doth not conceale his offence, from the judge, is sure to suffer, he that doth endeavour to hide his sin from God, shall surely suffer; so the sentence was against the speechlesse offender: take him, bind him hand and foote, cast him into utter darknesse, there shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth.
2. It is an inclusive condition, such as where ever it is found, the benefit is certainly conferd: this supposition, may truely be turned into a position, this foreign into an foreign verily Godwill forgive th… who confess their sins. It is not, an it may bee God will forgive, or an, who knoweth but hee will forgive? but a surely hee will forgive: there is not onelyonly a possibility, or probability, but a certainty of remission to confessing sinners. St. Bernard to this purpose taketh notice of a booke which God keepeth as it were in heaven, and saith apposi…ely quod ibi ser…bit transgressio, delet confessio, what sin writeth in, confession blotteth out of thaet book… : hence it is that wee finde God himselfe prescribing this, as the ready w…y to forgivenesse, his ministers assuring pardon, upon the performance of this, so Nathan did David, yea, sinners, actually obtaining pardon upon this: so did David, and the Prodigall: & which is observable, Bern. de Inter: dom. c. 37. Num. 5.6.7. Jer. 3.12.13. 2 Sam. 12.13. Ps. 32.5. Luk. 15.18.in both those penitents Gods remission seemed as it were to prevent their confession, and interpose it selfe betweene the purpose and the performance of it. David onelyonly said, Hee would confess, and God forgave; and the Prodigall said, I will arise and goe, and whilest yet hee was a great way the Father runs to meet him.
Velox confessio vel…cior medicina. Eucher:And now if any shall say, wee have set upon this course, but not yet found this comfort, wee have confessed our sinnes, and they are not (at least in our apprehension) forgiven. I answer, perhaps thou hast not been serious, and ingenious in thy confession: thou hast confessed some sinnes, but not all; or thy confessions have not been so cordiall and penitent, as they ought to bee: and no wonder, if fayling in the right performance of the condition, thou doest not finde the accomplishment of the promise▪ but if thy endeavours have been sincere, in confessing thou must then distinguish between the reall condonation, and the sensible manifestation: thy sins may be forgiven in heaven, and yet not in thy conscience, as God many times heareth prayer, and yet the petitioner findes no answer; so hee pardoneth sin to the penitent; and yet hee doth not know of it; and therefore still it remaineth as a truth, remission is undoubtedly annexed to confession, tantum valent tres syllabae peccavi, saith St. Austine, of so great force are those three syllables, Aug. hom. 41.in the latin, three words, in the English when uttered with a contrite heart, I have sinned, to obtaine forgivenesse of our sinnes
To end this therefore, and so dismisse the first Generall of the text,
What an engagement and incouragement should this bee to the practice of this duty?
1 The necessity should engage us, might pardon be had upon any other terms, this might be dispensed with, but it canot be, there is not only necessitas praecepti, a necessity by vertue of a command (though truely Gods bare command, is a sufficient obligation, and therefore Tertullian accounts it boldnesse to dispute of the good of repentance, Tertull. de paenitentwhen as we have a precept injoyning it) but there is necessitas medii, a necessity in reference to the end of forgivenesse and happinesse: there being no other meanes or way wherein it is to be obtained, since by concealing of, and indulging to our sins, wee exclude Gods indulgence.
2. The utility should encourage us: were it onelyonly Gods honour, which is hereby advanced, it should be a prevailing motive: confession of sin, though it publish the ill qualities of the peccant, yet it hath this good quality, that it ascribeth to God his divine attributes, omniscience, acknowledging it were in vaine to hide from him that seeth already: mercy, since it were madnesse to make confession, where wee conceived no compassion; Iustice, which wee acknowledge might utterly consume us; patience, which is the onelyonly cause that vengeance did not presently follow our sins; finally power, that there is no way to fly from him, but to goe to him, in humble confessions. To this purpose, St. Austin tels us, est confessio laudantis et gementis, there is the confession of the thankfull, Aug: in Ps. …1.& of the sorrowful; nay the confession of sin is a confession of prayse; yea, bis Deum laudamus ubi pie nos accusamus, by taking shame to our selves, we give double glory to God. But if zeal for Gods glory will not induce us, yet love to our selves should oblige us, since as it is Gods honour, so it is our comfort, he hath the Glory, wee have the good, his is the prayse, ours is the profit, we being truely intituled to, & qualified for the blessing of remission; for this reason no doubt it is that the Divel striveth what he can, of all duties, to hinder us from this of confession, lupus apprehēdit guttur ovis, Summ.the Wolfe catcheth at the throat of the sheep, that is the divels aim to stop our cōfessions, Concionatbecause he knoweth how advantagious the performance of it will be unto us: indeed, therefore he would not have us to accuse our selves, that he might accuse us; but according to St. Ambrose his councell, praeveni accusatorem tuum, Ambros…e in Ps. 35.let us be wise to prevent him, and the mo…e hee disswades us from, let us with the greater fervency set upon this duty, which as it is acceptable to God, because it exalts his glory, so it is profitable to us in obtaining our pardon
Nor let us onelyonly be ingaged, and encouraged to the duty it selfe, but to the r…ght manner of performance; it is that upon which, as it were, our everlasting comfort depends, and therefore, how carefull should wee bee so to manage it, as wee may not misse of our comfort. Wouldest thou then that God should ignoscere, cover, doe thou, agnoscere, discover thy sins: wouldest thou have no sin unpardoned? let no sin be unconfessed: if thou wouldest not have God impute thy sinnes to thee, doe thou charge them upon thy selfe: wouldest thou have God to spare thee, doe not spare thy sinnes, wouldest thou speed well in the Court of heaven? tell the worst tale thou canst against thy selfe, wouldest thou have him freely to forgive? doe thou freely acknowledge: wouldest thou rejoyce, and glory in his pardoning love? confesse thy sinnes with sorrow, grief, and hatred: wouldest thou have him put away thine iniquities far from him? doe thou put thy iniquities far from thee: finally, wouldest thou have him to cast thy sinnes for ever behinde his back? doe thou often set them before thine own, and his face, ever remembring, that if wee condemn our selves, hee is ready to acquit us; if wee lay our sinnes upon our selves, hee is willing to lay them upon Christ; if wee confesse our sinnes, hee is just, and faithfull, to forgive and so I am fallen upon the
Gen. 2.Mercy annexed to the duty, set down in these words, To forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse
In the discussion whereof, I shall take notice of three particulars, each of which are doubly expressed
The object, called by those two names, sin, unrighteousnesse.
The Act, characterized in those two metaphors, forgive and cleanse
The extent of the act; in reference to the object, intimated in the plurall number, sinnes, and expressed in the universall particle, all unrighteousnesse.
1 The object of remission, is here described by two names, and both of them very significant.
1. The first is foreign, the most vsuall word, by which sin in generall is called, it answereth to foreign in the hebrew, and pe…catum, in the Latins, and cometh no doubt from the verb foreign, which is as much as foreign, to shoote besides the marke, whence Suadas defineth it to bee, foreign and deriveth it from (…) foreign and,Suid. in …. A. foreign as if it were, foreign. It is very observable to this purpose, what wee read in the book of Iudges, concerning those seven hundred chosen men of Beniamin who could sling stones at an haires breadth, and not misse:Iudg. 7.…0. where the Hebrew word for misse, is foreign the greeke foreign whereby is intimated to us what the nature of sinne is; namely a amissing the mark. God, beloved, hath proposed to man a marke, to wit, glory and …elicity, which by sin wee faile of, according to that expression of the Apostle, All have sinned, Rom. 17.23.and come short of the glory of God: where the greek word foreign alludeth to those, who come short in running to the goale, both amount to the same, and let us see how sinne maketh us come short of the goale, and shoote besides the mark of blisse: and no wonder, since according to our Apostles definition, foreign, sinne is a transgression of the law, Sic. paradox. c. 3to which agreeth Ciceros definition of peccatum, that it is, transilire lineas, as God hath given man a scope to aim at, so a rule to walke by; as he hath proposed an end, so hee hath appointed a way, but sinne misseth of both: hence it is that sinners are said to goe astray, as sheep which wander from the fold; and sinne is compared to darkeness, which causeth the traveller to step aside; so fitly is it here called foreign a deviating aberration from the right rule or scope.
2 The second is foreign, a word, which is sometimes used in a strict notion,Vide fulgent de Remiss: peccat: l. 1. c. 12. Rom. 1 18. for one kinde of sin, to wit, injustice towards man: in this sence, it is contradistinguished to ungodlinesse, by St. Paul, where he saith, The wrath of God is revealed from heaven, against all ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men.
But again, sometimes it is taken in a larger notion, as applicable to every sinne; for as the Moralist distinguisheth of righteousness, foreign. Theog.it is particular and universall, which universall righteousnesse containeth in it all vertues; so wee may distinguish of unrighteousness, and so in a generall sence it comprehendeth all sinnes. Thus it is said of the Romans, before conversion, they did yeeld their members as weapons of unrighteousnesse to sinne, according to this latitude,Rom. 6.13. Heb. 8.12. it is to bee taken in the promise, where God saith, I will be mercifull to their unrighteousness; & here in the text, which assureth, cleansing, foreign Dem…st. foreign.from all unrighteousness: and therefore though we may with Demosthenes, distinguish between these two, by the one understanding a voluntary, the other, an involuntary fault, or with Turrianus, upon the text, by sin understand lesser, & by unrighteousnesse greater crimes; yet I rather conceive both of equall extent;Tur…an. in loc. nor is it without just reason, that all sin is called by the name of injustice, whether you consider it in its nature or its effects ▪
1 Looke upon the nature of sinne: it is foreign, and therefore foreign, a missing the marke, and hee that doth so, shooteth wrong, a swerving from the right rule, and therefore must bee crooked. It is one of the definitions; wee meete with in St. Austine, of sinne. It is a will of getting, or keeping, what iustice forbids. The statutes of the Lord are right, saith David; the commandement is just, Peccatum est v…luntas assequendi v…l retinendi quod justitia vetat Aug: de dua…. anim: adv… Man: c. 11. Ps. 19.8. Rom. 7.12saith St. Paul; and therefore, sinne, which is a breach of it must needs bee unrighteousnesse.
2 Behold the effects of sinne, what injury it doth both to God, and to the sinner.
1 Sin is unrighteousness towards God, denying him his dae, and robbing him of his honour; true it is, Gods int…rnall essentiall glory is inviolable, but sin depriveth him of that externall glory, & honour which the creature by worship and service ought to give to him, and though it cannot actually, yet it doth intentionally, and therefore interpretativ…ly, injure the divine Majesty: in which respect God complaineth,Amos. 2.16. that hee is pressed under sinne as a cart under sheaves; and it is truly said, omne peccatum est quasi deicid um, sinne doth as much as in it lyeth commit murder upon the sacred deity.
2 Sinne, is unrighteousnesse towards our selves: Pro. 8.36.hee that sinneth against mee, saith wisedome, wrongeth his owne soul; and that is the greatest wrong a man can doe himselfe, it being such a losse, as no gaine can countervaile;Matth. 16.16. for what will it profit a man, saith our blessed Saviour, to gaine the whole world, and lose his owne soule: it is not unfitly observed that foreign in the greeke, which signifieth losse, commeth from foreign in the hebrew ▪ which signifyeth sinne, sinne ever bringing losse, and doing the greatest injury to him that committeth it.
And now, beloved, what other use should wee make of these considerations, but that wee learn so to looke upon sinne, as the Scripture represents it, that wee may loath, and abhorre it. Alas? whatsoever pleasure thou maiest have in it, it is but the pleasure of sinne; what ever Mammon thou mayest get by it, it is but the Mammon of unrighteousness; and therefore when the seeming delight and profit may allure thee, let the reall obliquity and iniquity of it, affright. thee A morally just person, would not wrong a man of a peny to get a pound: and why wilt thou wrong both God and thy selfe for a little present emolument, and contentment? Let not then sinne any longer deceive thee, but remember what names are given it in Gods d…ctionary, and in those names, read its nature, that thou mayest hate to commit that which is so irregular, and unjust, being therefore characterized, by these two titles of foreign, and foreign sinne, and unrighteousnesse.
2 The act of remission, wherein the benefit consists, is expressed in two metaphors, forgiving and cleansing, and commeth next to be considered.
Indeed, some expositors referre these two phrases, to two severall acts, and so conceive this promise to consist of two parts; to wit, justification, and sanctification: thus Beza calleth cleansing another benefit distinct from that of forgiving. Bez. in loc.And truly it is not to be denied, but that
1 Justification and sanctification, are inseperable concomitants; indeed they are not to be confounded, but withall they ought not to be severed, distinguished they must be, divided they cannot; and therefore they are fitly called twines in the wombe of free grace;Bern. in Cant. Serm. 37. to this purpose, saith St Bernard, where sinne is pardoned, the g…ft of sanctity is conferred: & in this respect St. Austin saith, that rem…ssion of sinne, maketh men good trees; hence it is that wee finde those two frequently joyned together by St. Paul, Aug. de verb. dem. Serm. 12. 1 Cor. 36.26. Ezeck. 36.26. Micah 7.19.you are just…fyed, you are sanctifyed, by the prophet Ezechiel, I will cleanse you from all your iniquities, and I will give you a new heart; and by the prophet Micah, I will subdue their iniquities, and cast them into the depth of the Sea.
2 This phrase of cleansing, serveth very fitly to represent the worke of sanctification, whereby the filth of sinne is more and more removed, and therefore many times it is set forth in scripture by this metaphor; so when David prayeth for a cleane heart, Ps. 51.10.and St. Paul exhorts to cleanse our selves, wee are no doubt to construe it of sanctification.2 Cor. 7.1.
VponUpon these considerations, I shall not quarrel with any, who so interpret it here, but I conceive it more rational, in this place, to referre both to one, and by cleansing, understand the same with forg…ving, and that because
1 It is very probable, that St. Iohn attributes the same thing here to God, as the principall efficient, which he ascribeth at the seventh verse, to Christ, as the meritorious cause; now the cleansing there spoken of, as hath been already manifested, and evidently appeareth, is that of justification.
2 It is very incongruous, to make the sam… thing, both the condition, and the matter of a promise: i… …eed, that which is the cond…tion of one promise, may be the matter of another, but the same thing, cannot be the matter and condition of the same promise; now the cleansing from sinne, which is an act of sanctification, consists, though not onelyonly, yet partly in the confession of sinnes, which is the condition of the promise.
Upon these considerations, I shall handle both these metaphors, as belonging to one and the same benefit, nor is it unusuall with the holy Ghost, in scripture, to repeat the same things, under various notions; yea so choice is the matter, here promised, that it cannot be sufficiently expressed, and assured to us: no wonder that it is ingeminated, to forgive, to cleanse.
And indeed so emphaticall are both these phrases, that though they are one and the same in sence, yet I shall handle them severally, as they lye in order
1 The first word we meet with, is Forgive; a word that is of all others most frequently used; if you inquire into the plaine meaning of the greeke word, foreign, it is as much as to d…smisse, or sen… away, or let alone: thus when God forgiveth sin, he lets the sinner alone, and as it were, dismisseth his sin, removi…g it (according to the Psalmists expression) as farre from him as East from the West: Ps…. 1…3.12.if you observe the vse of the word, you shall finde it applied three severall wayes, to the acquitting of one that is accused, the releasing of one that is imprisoned, and the discharging of one that is indebted, each of which (especially the last) serve to set forth this benefit.
When Agesilaus wrote to the Iudge, in the behalf of Nicias, he used this phrase, If he have done no wrong foreign, acquit him, …f he have done wrong; foreign acquit him for my sake, foreign ▪ however, acquit him, this is that which God, Plut. ….doth, in forgiving, acquit the sinner from the accusations that are laid against him, by sin, & Satan. Our blessed Saviour, quoting that place of the Prophet, maketh vse of the noune of this verb to preach foreign deliverance to the captives, Luke 4.18.as if foreign were as much as foreign, and thus doth the pitifulnesse of divine mercy in forgiving loose the captive sinners who are tied and bound with the chaines, and fetters of their sinnes. In the parable, of the Lord, and his servant, who ought him many talents, this word is used to expresse the Lords forgiving the debt to his servant; and this is the sence, in which the scripture, Matth. 1….27.most frequently useth the expression: and therefore in the Lords prayer, where forgivenesse is expressed, by this word, one of the Evangelists expresly joynes with it, foreign debts, forgive us our debts.
Matth. 16.12.And now according to this notion of the word, there are two things; it represents to us what sin doth, and what forgiven…sse doth.
1 What sinne doth: it maketh a man a debtor: grave vocabulum debitoris, Ambr. de T…b. c. 7.saith St. Ambrose, the name of debtor is very unpleasing; yet such is every sinner, a debtor to Gods justice, by reason of the breach of his law: indeed man, as a creature, was a debtor to Gods authority commanding, but withall, hee was able to pay that debt to the full, and therefore it was no burden, nor misery; whereas man, as a sinner, is a debtor to Gods justice punishing, and this such a debt, as he is never able to satisfy; and therefore must lye in prison for ever. It is a proverb in Suidas foreign once red with blushing at the time of borrowing,Said in litt. A and ten times pale for fear of paying: Augustus would faine buy his pillow who was so much in debt, as conceiving it was good to sleep on. How can a sinner sleep securely who is indebted so deeply?
2 But that which is here chiefly considerable, is what forgivenenesse doth: indeed it lets us see that wherein the nature of this blessing consists, whereas sinne making us debtors to divine justice, obligeth us to the suffering of eternall punishment, forgivenesse, taketh off this obl…gation, and consequently the punishment it selfe, so that looke as a forgiven debtor is freed from whatsoever penalty his debt did render him lyable to: yea from being so much as lyable to the penalty, so is the forgiven sinner from the punishment it selfe, which is the remote term, and the obligation to it, which is the proxime term of pardon;Dimi…e peccatum non est h…m… …uam puri…e, Ans. …ar Deus …. l. 1 … 12, Aug. in Ps. 32. Durand in Sententis in this respect it is that Anselm saith, to forgive sinne is not to punish it, and St. Austin to the same purpose, it is Gods not marking inquity, so as to inflict the penalty due to it, and the Schooles, to remit the sinne, is not to impute it so, as to punish it.
For the fuller opening this truth, know
1 On the one hand, there is a great deale of difference between these two, to withhold the execution off, and to withdraw the obligation to the punishment: it is one thing, for a creditor to give day of payment, and another thing to cancell the bond: indeed the phrase used by Moses, of Gods forgiving his people from Egypt, untill now, Num. 14, 19.seemeth chiefely to intend his sparing to punish them, but that is forgivenesse, in a larger, and improper sence, according to the genuine notion, there is a vast difference between forgiving and forbearing mercy. As learned Davenant, upon those words,Coloss. 3.13. Daven. Is…ud forbearing & forgiving one another, hath observed, that there is far more in the latter, than in the former; since a man may forbear revenge, meerly for want of ability, or opportunity, so is it true (though not upon the same ground,) in respect of God, his forgiving, is farre more then his forbearing; and therefore this latter hee vouchsafeth even to those who goe on in sinne; but the former onelyonly to them who confesse the…r sin; since whereas by the one, it is onelyonly hee doth not as yet, by the other, it is that he will not at all punish.
2 On the other hand, there is a great deal of difference betwixt affl…cting for sin, and punish…ng for sin, properly so called: for though the meritorious cause of both be the same, In sili…s damnationis vindicat i…atus in silios gratiae vindicat propitius Aug. de peccat. mer. et remiss l. 1. c. 36.to wit, sin, yet the impulsive cause from within, is different, that, from an anger mixed with love: this, from meer anger, and purely judiciall wrath; besides, the finall cause, is far differen…, that is for emendation of the person, this is for satisfaction of the law, and so whereas that is medicinall, this is exitiall.
That God doth afflict his own people for sin, yea for sinne after it is forgiven, is a case so cleare, that it cannot upon any just reason be denied. The Antinomians doe but discover their owne blindnesse, whilest they deny that God seeth sinne, so as to correct it in justified persons: that instance of David is pregnant, whom the prophet tels,2 Sam. 12. as it were with one breath, that God had forgiven his sinne, and yet for that sinne the childe must dye; that of the Psalmist, concerning the Isralites, Ps▪ 99.12.is very plaine, Thou wast a God that forgavest their sinne, though thou tookest vengeance of their iniquities: finally that of the Corinthians, is no lesse apposite, who though they were forgiven, 1 Cor. 11.and therefore should not be condemned with the world; yet were judged, and chastized of the Lord, for their sinne, of unworthy receiving the holy sacrament.
But still, though God doe afflict, yet hee doth not punish for sinne, those whom hee forgiveth; unlesse as all afflictions may in some sort bee called punishments: and the reason is plain, because punishing for sinne, is in a war of revenge, and Satisfaction; which are dire…tly opposite to forgivenesse; and wee may as well say, that … judge can at the same time pardon a malefactor, and ex…ute him, as that God can punish when hee forgiveth: indeed, because those eternall miseries, have most properly in them, rationem paenae, the nature of sat…sfactory pun…shment, therefore forgiveness chiefly consists in taking off the obligation to that, according to St. Pauls Phr…se, … ▪ 8.1.There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus: but yet it is no less true, that the obl…gation to temporall, as well as eternall punish…en…: is taken off, so that though the same ou… ward miseries seize upon pardoned, as well as unpard…ned sinners, yet n…t in the same way, as hath been already i… timated, and therefore though God, doe inflict many miseries, of life, yea death it self upon forgiven sinners to make them feel the smart of sinn…, watchfull, how they run into sinne, and to declare his justice against sinne; yet not in the least, to satisfy his justice upon them for sinne; that being already most fully (as I shall hereafter shew) performed by Christ.
2 You see the significancy of the first word, and thereby the nature of the thing, passe wee on to the second, which though the same, as to the thing, with the former, yet wants not its peculiar emphasis.
That distinction of Divines, concerning remissio culpe & paenae the remission of the fault, and the punishment, may not unfittly bee made use of, for a distinct reference of those two expressions, the former of forgiving more properly refers to the remission of the punishment, though yet it includeth the fault, as a creditor cancelleth the bond, doth thereby, remit the debt it selfe: this latter of cleansing, chiefely refers to the remission of the fault, which defileth though it include the punishment, because it is of that defilement which is contracted through the guilt of sinne.
And now as in the former, so in this expression wee have two things considerable, what unright…ousnesse doth, and what pardon doth.
1 What unrighteousnesse doth… it maketh the sinner filthy and polluted in Gods sight: sinnes, as they are debita, debts ▪ so they are said to bee remitted, and blotted out; and as they are sordes, filthy, so they are said else where to bee covered, and here to bee cleansed. Oh then how odious is an unpardoned sinner in Gods sight? It is very observable, how Almighty God describing the sinfull state of rebellious Israel, Ezech. 16. Ps. 14.1▪borroweth a metaphor from a ch…ld that is not swadled, but lieth polluted in its bloud▪ & the Psalmist, speaking of wicked men, saith, They are corrupt, …nd become abominable; where the former word i… borrow…d from a dead carkass: and truely, … child in its bloud, is not more loathsome to our eyes, a carkasse on the dunghill is not more n…isome to our smell, then a sinfull wretch ▪ is in Gods eyes, and to his nostrils.
2 What forgivenesse doth: it cleanseth the sinner. An expression that must not be strained too much, as … (according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome) the pardoning of sinne were an utter extinction and abo…t…on of it, as cleansing doth wholy take away filth… tru… it is, where sinne is forgiven, the filth of sinne is in some measure, and shall at last bee wholly removed, but that is onelyonly the effect of glorification, not of justification, or sanctification: and indeed, as if our Apostle would prevent any such inference from this Phrase, wee finde him subioyning, if wee say wee have not sinned, as before wh…n hee speaketh of Christs cleansing, he addeth if wee say wee have no sinne, so that sinne is therefore said to bee cleansed, not that the filth of it doth not remaine, but that it shall not bee imputed to us.
If then you would have the intention of the Holy Ghost in this Phrase, when applied to forgivenesse, take it thus, looke as a man when he is cleansed from filth, is as if he had been never defiled, so a sinner, when pardoned, is in Gods account, as if he had never been a sinner, not but that God seeth him to be a sinner still, because the spot of corruption remaineth in him, but that God will no… deal with him as a sinner, nor impute it to him for condemnation; in this and no other sense, are those expressions to bee construed, when God saith the iniquity of Israel shall bee …ght for, and shall not b…e found; and hee will cast all the… sinnes into the d…pth of the Sea, …. …ic…h ….1… Isa. ….1…. P…. …1.7.and to come neer the phras… of my text, that hee w…ll make scarlet cr…mson sinnes, a… white as snow, …nd wooll, and that David saith of himselfe, when God shall have purged him with hysope, I …hall be… whiter then snow, that as to the matter of guilt, it shall bee all one as if they had never beene polluted with any such sinnes.
Nor is this all that this expression carrieth in it, but further, looke as a man being cleansed is amiable, and l…vely in the eyes of beholders, so is a pardoned sinner in Gods: hee is not onelyonly freed from punishment, but accepted into favour, Hos. 14.2.as fully at peace and amity with him, as if hee had never offended him: hence it is that the Church joyneth these two together, take away all iniquity, and receive us gratiously: or as some read it, and do us good ▪ to this purpose it is the schooles say of remission of sinnes, it is not onelyonly oblativa mal…, but collativa boni, a remotion of guilt, but a collation of good. So that in summe, a pardoned sinn…r is cleansed, that is, as to those great intents, and purposes, of delivering him from the wrath to come, being fully reconciled to him, bestowing the sonship, and inheritance upon him, he is in Gods account, as if hee were perfectly pure, and unspottedly innocent, nor had ever cōmited any sin against him▪
And now what should these considerations kindle in every one of us? but
1. An earnest desire and longing after this benefit: oh my brethren, no misery like to that of sin, which maketh us filthy and abominable, yea which engageth us to a debt we can never pay; no mercy l…ke to that of pardon, which sets us free from debt, and maketh us pure in Gods sight. Oh wretched man that I am (saith the sensible sinner) who shall discharge me from this debt? if thy sins are forgiven, thy debt is discharged. Oh that this sin had never been, oh that I had never done it, saith the sorrowful sinner; thy sins, i… cleansed, are as if they had never been committed▪ Poor penitent; poor did I say? rich blest penitent; thou art vile and filthy in thine own eyes; I but thou art pure and clean in Gods: thou chargest thy sins home upon thy own account, but God will not call thee to account for them; so that whereas Rachel mourned for her children because they were not, thou mayest be comforted concerning thy sins, because they are not: with what boldnesse may the forgiven sinner look death, and hell, and Satan, in the face, no… fearing the arrest of the Serjeant, nor the horror of the prison, nor the cruelty of the Jaylour? with what confidence may a cleansed sinner come before Gods face, not doubting of acceptance and audience? no wonder if the Psalmist break forth into that sweet acclamation, blessed, o… according to the Hebrew, Oh the blessednesses of the man whose iniquity is forgiven, Ps…l 32 1.and whose sin is covered.
And now (me thinketh) every sinner considering the misery on the one hand, and felicity on the other, should cry out in words much like those of the conve…t Jews, Men and Brethren, what shall I do to have my sins pardoned? Tell me I beseech you, what man in chaines would not be at liberty? what debtour doth not long to be discharged? what malefactor desireth not to be acquitted? what leper craveth not to be cleansed? what diseased person is not restless till he be healed? & how is it that we who by reason of sin are all these in a spiritual sense, do not breathe and pant after the remission of our sins, which healeth, acquitteth, ransometh, discharg…th, and cleanseth? nor should these meditations only kindle desires, but
2. Quicken serious and diligent endeavours of attaining this pardon in the way which God hath prescribed, and in this respect the mercy assured layeth upon us a great obl…gation to perform the duty required. It is true, confession of sins in a right manner is a difficult task, I, but the f…rgiving and cleansing of sin is an excellent benefit; the sweetnesse of the one maketh abundant amends for the bitternes of the other; surely to him that feeleth the waight and burthen of his sins, the yoke of repentance cannot bu… b… light, and to him that knoweth the preciousnesse of an healing pardon, the vomit of confession cannot be disple…sing.
There is yet one th…ng more remaining in this … general, Pa… ▪ 3and that is the extent of the act in reference to its object, expressed by the plural number sins, and the universal particle all.
Indeed I must prefix a limitation of this extent, and it is that which St. Paul hath done to my hand,Rom. 3 2… ▪ this forgivenesse is of sins that are past, not of sins to come: when a wicked man turneth from his wickedness (saith the Prophet Ezechiel) all the transgressions he hath committed shall n…t …e ment…ned, not those he shall commit, … ▪ 1… 22.t…ll by actual rep…ntance he turn from them. I no where read God hath made such a Jubilee as one Pope did, who gave a pl…ary indulgence, not only for sins past, but before hand, for sins to come a long time after: it is true, both things past and future are present to God, and therefore the decree of pardon extends to all times, but still the execution of that decree the actual issuing out of that pardon, is done time by time: indeed when a sin is pardoned, it is perfectly pardoned, so that it can be no more forgiven then it is, but as sin is successively committed, so it is successively forgiven; doubtless our blessed Saviour would not have commanded us to renew our prayers for forgivness, if God did not renew forgivenesse upon our penitential prayers: what need we any other arguument then that which my Text affordeth, if we confess our sins, he forgiveth our sins? What sins? Surely those that we confesse: & not till they are confessed▪ now whoever antedated confession? indeed it were not penitency but impudency for a man to confesse a sin before he hath committed it, since whereas true confession is accompanied with a resolve of forsak…ng, this would be attended with a purpose of ren…wing our sins, since then a man is not in a capacity of pardon, till he have made confession, nor of confessing a sin till he have committed it; it plainly appeareth that God doth not antedate his pardons, but till sin be past, pardon is to come.
This being pr…m…sed, we need no… doubt to affirm, when God pardons one sin, n… one sin is left unpardon…. Larga Dei bon…tas ven…am non dimid…ab…t, the acquittan… which mercy gives, is not in part, but in full: indeed i… God shall pardon some sins and not others, he would at the same time be a friend and an enemy, and we should be at once both happy and miserable, which are manifest contradictions; besides, God doth nothing in vain, and it were in vain to cleanse from any, if not from all sins; one leake unstopped will sink the ship,Mat. 18.31. Is. 38.17. Ps. …1.3 one sore not healed, may kill the body, and one sin unpardoned may destroy the soul; no wonder that the Scripture still useth a word of extent: thus it is said in the parable, the Lord forgave his servant all his debt: thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back, saith Hezek…ah, and wash me throughly from my sins, and blot out all mine offences, so David prayeth.
To enlarge this comfortable truth, be pleased to observe both the wayes of expression here used, and accordingly take it in a double variation.
1. Sins in the plurall number: he doth not only forgive one, but many; nor doth he only forgive once, but often; he will abundantly pardon, saith the Prophet Isay; or according to the original,Is. 5….7. he will multiply to pardon; the Rabbins say, that if a man sin thrice, it is pardonable, but not the fourth; God is far more rich in mercy, he that cast out a legion of devils, will cast out a legion of sins, he that bids us forgive our brother not only seven times, Mat 1… ▪ 22.but seventy times seven, will certainly be as abundant in forgiving us; the Sea can as easily drown an whole Hoste of men,V. 24 as twenty souldiers; and where God forgiveth sin, he casts them into a Sea: the Lord in the parable forgave his servant not one, or ten, or an hundred, but ten thousand talents: were all the sins of the world the sins of one man, yet they were to his mercy, but a drop of a bucket to the Ocean.
2. All unrighteousness, of what nature, degree …ever: all manner of sin and blasphemy, …shall be forgiven (saith our blessed Lord) yea that the sin against the Holy Ghost is irremissible, it is not for the mal…gnity so much of the sin, as the sinner, because he that once commits it, can never penitently confesse it, not only pence but pounds, moa…s but b…ames, mi…s, but talents, are within the compasse of r… mission; there is a necessity of pardon to the least, and there is (one excepted) a possibility of pardon for the greatest sin: Christ cured all manner of diseases, …and God cleanseth all manner of sins, the foulest rags may become white paper, and mercy crosseth not only the black, but the red lines of our scarlet sins out of Gods book; to this purpose it is, that in the name of God proclaim…d by Moses, he is said to forgive iniquity, transgression and sin, where though there be neither the plural number, nor an universal particle, yet there is a three-fold noun which answereth both, & is not unfitly expounded, as extending both to original & actual, & to great, as well as small sins.
And now (my brethren) what abundant consolation doth this afford us against the sense of our manifold and mighty sins?… so that we may well take up the challenge of St. Paul, who shall lay any thing to our charge?Rom. 8.3. what singular admiration should ravish us in the apprehension of this, multa & m…na mis…ricordia, manifo…d and great mercy? saying with the Prophe… Micah,Mic. 7 18. Who is a God like unto thee, that taketh away iniquity, and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage? what exceeding gratulation should flow from us, if at any time God give us assurance of this general pardon? exciting our selves with the Prophet David, Blesse the Lord, P…. 103.…, 2.3oh my soul, and all that is within me praise his holy name, who forgiveth all thy iniquity, and healeth all thy diseases. OnelyOnly let me close up with a needful caution, God forgiveth and cleanseth all our sins, but it is, if we confesse them; and as we expect that his remission, so he expecteth that our confession should be proportionable to our comissions; now our confession is then answerable when our sorrow which ever attendeth confession, is in some measure correspondent to our sins: beleeve it (brethren) the pardon of many, of gr…at sins, is not to be had upon the sam… easie terms, with that of infirmities, and seldom offences; as our sins are more, our teares must be more, as our transgressions are greater, our humiliations must be deeper. If our offences have been not Gnats but Camels, our sorrow must be not a drop but an ocean; Scarlet sins call for bloody tears, and if Peter sin heynously, he must weep b…tterly. If then thy former life hath been a cord of iniquity twisted with many threds, a writing full of great blots ▪ a course spotted with various, and those grievous sins, multiply thy confessions, and enlarge thy humiliations, double thy fastings, and treble thy prayers; poure out thy teares, and fetch deep sighs: in a word, iterate and aggravate thy acknowledgements, though yet as the Apostle saith in another case, I say in this, grieve not as without hope, that upon thy sincere and sutable repentance, divine goodnesse will forgive thee thy sins, and cleanse thee from all unrighteousnesse.