The Measures of Christian Obedience, Book 5 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Of the Remedy for our involuntary Sins.
The CONTENTS.
Involuntary sins imply something of our own fault, and so 'tis fit we should be sorry for them, and beg pardon. They had a remedy under Moses's Lay, and have now likewise under Christs Gospel. We are qualified for their pardon, not by a particular repentance and reformation: but in the general, by our obedience in all our wilful and chosen actions; in particular, by our prayers for Gods pardon, and our Charity and forgiveness of the sins of other men. This Discourse of Repentance summed up. An Application to particular offenders, whether voluntary or involuntary. A Summary of all that has been hitherto discoursed.
HAving shewed in the former Chapters what remedy Christs Gospel has afforded us for the most dangerous sort of offences, viz. our chosen and wilful ones; I shall proceed now in this to inquire what remedy he has likewise provided for our involuntary and unchosen sins.
As for our involuntary slips themselves, they also come under the Letter of the Law, and within the compass of the Penalty. They are a doing what the Law forbids, and so an incurring of that evil which it threatens. For the words of the Law it self are unlimited and universal, they make no exception of voluntary or involuntary, considered or unconsidered; but they require that something should be performed or omitted, and threaten us if we do it not. So that if they were to be tryed by the strictness and rigour of the Laws; even our involuntary slips themselves would prove a matter of our condemnation.
But if God should proceed to judge us, I will not say according to what the compass of the literal Law would comprehend, but even according to the utmost of what the justice of the thing would bear, the greatest part of our involuntary sins would be charged upon us. For how few are there who live up to the utmost of their possibilities; but they fall sometimes where they might stand, and are rash in some instances when, if they had used due care, they might have deliberated. We do not come up to that, which, according to the highest ability of our natures, and the utmost stretch of our faculties, might be done: and therefore setting aside the rigour of the Letter, which requiring more than can be performed, must threaten where the punishment that is threatned cannot in justice be exacted: yet should God proceed with us for most of our involuntary slips according to the utmost severity which Justice it self would bear, we should be in an evil state, and give in a sad account for them. So that we have need to be sorrowful even for the greatest part of our involuntary sins, and to beg Gods pardon for them, that all the defects of our care may be made up by the riches of his mercy and goodness.
And as for the rest of them, which steal from us not so much through any thing of our culpable neglect as our unhappiness, and are purely involuntary and unavoidable; an after-grief is necessary in them also, although it be only to evidence our involuntariness in doing them, and that our wills were perfectly against them. Because, as was observed above, our ignorant offences themselves cannot in reason be esteemed involuntary, further than we shew our wills to be set against them, by our trouble at them, and our prayers for pardon, when afterwards we come to discover and understand them. So that some repentance is still due, even for our involuntary and unchosen sins, and they must have our sorrow and our prayers before they are fit to be forgiven.
And here we all experience the abundance of Gods Love; for he allows for these pitiable infirmities, and has provided us of a remedy, which if we make use of, we shall never be condemned for them.
Under Moses's Law these involuntary slips of ignorance and inconsideration, being they were continually incurred, were allowed the benefit of a continual atonement. For God himself appointed several Sacrifices for them which should expiate their guilt, so that every man, who was subject to them, was furnished with a sufficient remedy against them.
And as they had their remedy and relief under the Law of Moses; so ought they to have much more under the Gospel of Christ. And in this our Lord has not been wanting, but has afforded us a Salvo for them; so that although we are all of us guilty of them, yet none of us need to suffer for them.
But now as for this remedy which Christ has prescribed for the Expiation of our involuntary sins; it is not the same which he requires to the Expiation of our voluntary and wilful ones. For that, as we have seen, is nothing less than a particular repentance and amendment, in the forsaking of that very sin which we committed wilfully. But as for our involuntary sins, this can be no cure for them, because it is impracticable, and not possible to be effectually used about them. For we shall always live subject to them more or less; and although we may labour and strive against them, yet shall we never be able, as long as we are in this world, to get entirely free from them. We have no power and choice to avoid what we cannot see and consider of, and all these sins come in upon the account of our unwill'd ignorance or inconsideration; and since we cannot see and consider of them, we cannot particularly prevent them, which is effectually to repent of them.
A particular Repentance and Reformation then is not the Gospel-remedy for our involuntary sins. It cannot be the cure assigned for them, because it is impossible to them; their pardon must not depend upon it, because then they were wholly impardonable and desperate, since in them no man on earth can use it.
But that remedy which Christ has appointed for them, and that repentance whereupon he will graciously pardon and forgive them, is in the general, an hearty aforeign, &c.— foreign. Clem. Ro. 1. Ep. ad Cor. c. 35, 36.repentance and reformation of all wilful sins, and an entire obedience in all such actions as are voluntary and chosen. If we serve God faithfully and truly in all our other actions, where we do see our duty, and can chuse to practise it; he will connive at these slips, which, after an honest care and industry, are involuntary and unchosen. For any kind master would do so to his honest servant; and more especially every tender father would to his obedient child. And God, who is Love it self, being the first Fountain and the compleatest Pattern of all kindness in the world, will never be out-done in any love that is excellent and praise-worthy by his own creatures. But if their kindness would bear with such infirmities and oversights of an honest mind, his will dispense with them much rather.
The faithful servants therefore and obedient children of God, who repent particularly of all their other sins that are known and wilful, and effectually amend them; shall be sure to find this favour at the hands of their heavenly Lord and Father for all these failings which are involuntary and unchosen. Their obedience in other things shall plead their excuse, and make their unwill'd slips in these to be uncondemning.
But to be yet more particular, these involuntary transgressions of men that are obedient in all their voluntary actions, shall certainly be pardoned through the means of these particular duties.
1. Their Prayers.
2. Their Charity, and forgiveness towards the offences of others.
1. Their involuntary failings of ignorance and inconsideration shall be forgiven them upon their prayers; if they beg Gods pardon for them, he is as ready to grant, as they are to desire it. And this we are sure of, because that no earthly Parent, who is wise and good, would refuse to bestow it in such Cases at the request of his Children; whereas they have nothing near that pity and tenderness for their Children, which God has for his. And this is an Argument which Christ himself has taught us to rely upon in this matter: If you, says he, being evil, will yet, for all that, at their request give good gifts to your Children; how much more shall your heavenly Father, who has not the least taint of your illness, give the best of gifts, even the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Luke 11.13.
And indeed that we may never want this remedy, Christ has put a Prayer for this purpose daily into our mouths; that since our involuntary sins are of daily incursion, we may as daily beg pardon for them. For he has made it a part of our daily prayers to ask pardon, among others, for our daily trespasses, this being one of those Petitions which he has taught us to put up as often as we do that for our daily bread, that he would forgive us our trespasses, Matth. 6.11, 12. And this St Austin observes of it; Tenete vitam bonam in Praeceptis Dei, ut Baptismum custodiatis in finem. Non dico vobis quia sine peccato hic vivetis: sed sunt venialia sine quibus vita is…a non est. Propter omnia peccata Baptismus inventus est: propter levia, sine quibus esse non possumus, Oratio inventa. Quid habet Oratio? Dimetre nobis debita nostra, si…ut nos dimittim…s D…bitoribus nostris. S…m…l abluim…r Baptismate, quotidiè Oratione. August. de Symb. ad Catechum. in Art. de Remis. Peccat, l. 1. c. 6.for those small sins, saith he, which no man can avoid, was this Petition in the Lord Prayer inserted.
Nay, long before him, St Clement teaches the same Doctrine of our prayers being a most sure expiation for all our involuntary sins. For in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, relating that truly Christian state wherein their great Apostle Paul had very lately left them; among several other parts of their Character he gives this for one: cforeign. Clem. Rom. Ep. 1. ad Cor. c. 2.Being filled with holy desires, and a vertuous will, with a good and commendable forwardness of mind, and with a pious assurance of being heard, you lifted up your hands to Almighty God, beseeching him to be merciful and propitious to you, if in any thing you had sinned INVOLVNTARILY. Having first, as says the good Father, a vertuous heart, and a holily disposed will, so that in nothing their heart was disobedient by sinning wilfully; they were forward to ask God forgiveness for all those sins which they had committed involuntarily. And this forwardness, says he, was dforeign.good and commendable, and their confidence of obtaining pardon upon their prayer, was pious; it was a eforeign.godly and a pious confidence.
This is a plain and full testimony, and withal it is authentick, and such as we may rely upon as much in a manner, as if an Apostle himself had told us so. For this Clement, as we may observe, was one who was sent out by the Apostles themselves to preach Christ's will, and intrusted by them to declare unto the World what are the terms of remission of sins and the condition of pardon; so that what we hear from his mouth we may look upon as Gospel. St Paul himself makes honourable mention of him, calling him his Fellow-Labourer: Help Clement my Fellow-Labourer, whose name is in the Book of Life, Phil. 4.3. And the thing it self which he testifies, is not so much a matter of saith and …, wherein an honest man may sometimes erre and be mistaken; as an historical relation of a matter of fact. For he is recounting what a brave and gallant Church they were in that state, wherein the great Apostle left them: and as one of the Particulars of that relation this comes in, That as for their involuntary sins they begged Gods pardon, and that too with a pious assurance of obtaining it. So that as for this practice, of a confident hope of pardon for their involuntary sins upon their prayers, it was not only such as St Clement the Companion and Fellow-Labourer of St Paul approved; but such moreover as the Apostle Paul himself, who had planted Christianity amongst them, had left with them.
This therefore is one great remedy for our involuntary slips, They shall he forgiven us upon our prayers for pardon and forgiveness.
And so shall they,
2. Upon our Charity, and forgiveness of the offences of others.
As God himself delights in mercy, so doth he require that we should; and to oblige us to it the more, he has made our kind dealing towards our Brethren the fLuke 6.36, 37, 38.Condition of his kindness towards us. Above all things, says St Peter, have fervent Charity among your selves; for Charity shall cover, or procure pardon for, the multitude of those many, because unavoidable and involuntary, sins, 1 Pet. 4.8. And hereto Charity is then especially available, when it is shewn in the highest instance of all, viz. in procuring our Brethrens repentance and conversion. For thus says St James, Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; for his encouragement let him know this from me, That he who converts the Sinner from the errour of his way shall not only save the others soul from death, but shall also hide a multitude of his own sins, James 5.19, 20.
Thus is Charity in all acts of kindness and beneficence most available to procure the pardon of our many, because unavoidable and involuntary sins. But among all the instances of Charity, one is particularly singled out by our Saviour as a necessary Condition to our forgiveness at Gods hands, and that is our forgiving others that offend against us. For the man who would have no pity upon his Fellow-servant as his Lord had shewed upon him, was unpardoned all again, and delivered over to the tormentors till he should pay the uttermost Farthing, Matth. 18.32, 33, 34; and the same measure our heavenly Father will mete out to us, if we forgive not every one his Brother their trespasses, v. 35. And that a Condition so necessary to our forgiveness might never be forgotten our Lord has put it expresly into that Prayer which he has taught us to put up daily for the pardon of our own sins. For he bids us pray that God would forgive us our trespasses against him, even as we forgive those that trespass against us, Matth. 6.12. And that we may take the more notice of a Point so indispensable, he tells us as soon as ever the Prayer is done, that if we forgive men their trespasses, our heavenly Father will also forgive us; but if we forgive not men their trespasses; neither will our heavenly Father forgive us our trespasses, vers. 14, 15.
If we are rigorous and severe therefore with our Brethren, God will be so with us also; and when he comes to judge us we shall find as little allowance at his hands as they have done at ours. For he shall have judgment from God without mercy, who to men hath shewn no mercy; but if any man has been merciful to his Brethren, God will be much more so to him; for mercy rejoyceth even against judgment, James 2.13. This will be the greatest motive to procure Grace, and the best Plea that can be urged to obtain mercy at Gods hands; Blessed are the merciful, says our Saviour, for they shall obtain mercy. Mat. 5.7.
And thus as for our involuntary slips, we see now what is their remedy; they shall be forgiven us upon our prayers, and upon the prayers of our friends and other good Christians for us; and upon our Charity and forgiveness of other men. With the same measure that we mete, God will mete out to us again, Mat. 7.2. So that if we shew mercy to the unwill'd sins, yea and the voluntary offences of other men; if in other things we are obedient, we shall be sure to find it for our own.
And thus at last we see what remedy the Gospel has provided us for all sorts of offences, whether they be our voluntary or involuntary sins. And upon the whole matter we find that our case is not desperate under any sort of sins, but that if we will use it, we have a sufficient cure for them. For if we are in a state of death by reason of any wilful sin; let us but particularly repent of it and amend it, and, if it either injured or offended our Brethren, seek to be reconciled and repair the wrong, and we are restored to pardon. And if in any thing we have fallen involuntarily; let us but pray and be merciful, and we are forgiven. And either way when God comes to judge us, whether we have in all points fulfilled his Laws, or are pardoned our transgressions of them, we shall be acquitted by him. We shall be safe at that day, if we have either kept the condition, or used the remedy; for a pardon will justifie us to as much purpo… ▪ as we should have been justified by an unerring obedience.
To apply this then to every mans particular case. Has any man, whether learned or unlearned, committed wilfully and advisedly an act of any known and notorious sin, whether of Blasphemy, Perjury, common Swearing, Witchcraft, Idolatry, Drunkenness, Fornication, Adultery, Lying, Slander, Fraud, Oppression, Theft, Murder, Rebellion, Tumult, or the like? has he been guilty of these, or of any other sins of like nature whereat all mens consciences are wont to boggle, and their hearts to check them, till they have sinned themselves into numbness and stupefaction? let him particularly amend that evil way, and retract that very sin, and, if his crime implied any, as far as he can, repair the wrong it did his brethren; and then he is in a safe condition. For his particular repentance and amendment shall make up the breach which such wilful offence had made betwixt God and him, and shall most certainly procure his pardon.
Has any man of opportunities and understanding committed any action of Lasciviousness, Vncleanness, Passionateness, Fierceness, evil Speaking, Backbiting, Censoriousness, Vncandidness, Vnmercifulness, Vnpeaceableness, or the like? has any such man, or any other whatsoever, been guilty of these or the like offences when his own Soul reproved him, and either did, or would have set the sinfulness of his present action before him, unless he has sinned in it so long, as to lose all sense of it, and to stifle all suggestions against it? let him also particularly amend and reform such voluntary sin, and make his peace with his offended brethren, that he may be saved. His particular repentance shall likewise make his peace, and procure for him Gods favour and acceptance.
Has any man, lastly, been surprized into rash words and censures, into sudden anger, and trifling discontents, and peevish, or uncourteous, or uncandid, or uncondescensive behaviour? has he been wearied by long importunity into some loose thoughts and wanton fancies, into some small fretfulness, or impatience, or the like? has he spoke or acted unadvisedly through deep grief, or violent fears, or other astonishing unwill'd passion? let him bewail his failings, and strive against them, although he be not able perfectly to overcome them; let him seek peace, and use charity, and shew mercy upon the like errours and escapes, and upon the more wilful offences of his brethren, and then with comfort beg Gods pardon. For his prayers thus attended shall set him straight, and procure his reconciliation.
If a man is conscious to himself of any of these sorts of sins, these remedies will certainly restore him. And as for those unknown and secret sins, whereof his conscience cannot inform him; he has an obvious and an easie expedient, for a general penitential prayer will undoubtedly be accepted for his pardon.
Whatsoever therefore his sins be, if he please to make use of it, he is provided of his remedy. Repentance shall surely save his Soul, and make atonement for all his offences. So that of whatsoever nature, number, or degree his faults have been, after once he has thus repented of them, they shall never be imputed to him; but through the Merits of Christs Death, and the Grace of his Gospel, they shall be looked upon as if they had never been.
And thus at last we have seen what that condition is which the Gospel indispensably exacts of us towards our acceptance in the last Judgment, what those defects are whereof it allows, and what those Salvo's for all sorts of disobedience which it offers. For it requires an entire obedience of all our voluntary actions, it bears with all our innocently involuntary failings, and it admits us to recover our former state when once we have lost it, or to persevere in it when we enjoy it, by a particular repentance and amendment of all our wilful sins, and by our prayers and charity for our involuntary ones.
This then is the true Test whereby at the last Day we must all be tryed. If we have obeyed entirely, and have been guilty of no wilful sin; or if, when we have, we did not rest in it, but repented and amended it, and, where there was any, repaired the wrong, and sought to be reconciled; and if we have beg'd pardon for all our involuntary slips, and have been diligent in shewing charity, and mercy, and forgiveness, to atone for them: then are we innocent in the accounts of the Gospel, and when Christ comes to judge us, we shall hear the joyful Sentence of Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, Mat. 25.34. This repentance and obedience will bear us out, and secure our happiness; but less than it nothing in the world will. For God will take vengeance, saith St Paul, on all that obey not the Gospel of Christ, 2 Thess. 1.8: and, Except you repent, says our Saviour, you shall all perish, Luk. 13.5.
And thus having shewn what condition that is which the Gospel indispensably exacts to our acceptance in the last Judgment, what defects are consistent with it, and what remedies, when once 'tis lost, shall again restore to it: I shall now proceed to that which I proposed in the fourth and last place; namely, to remove those groundless scruples, which perplex the minds of good and safe, but yet erring and misguided people, concerning it; whereof I shall discourse in the remaining Chapters.