Works, Book 1 · Discourse 38
DISCOURSE XXXVIII.
ISAIAH 55. 7.
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
I Will not speak of the coherence of these words, for they are an entire sense of themselves, and contain in them two parts: First, The Conversion of a sinner; Secondly, The Condition of one so converted. The Conversion of a sinner is exprest in three degrees: In the forsaking of wicked wayes; In the forsaking of evil thoughts; and thirdly, In returning again unto the Lord. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return to the Lord. The Condition or State wherein he stands who hath done all this, is no state of Merit, but of Mercy; no not so much as a little Merit, but even abundant Mercy. If the Lord after all this accepts him, it is because he will have mercy upon him: if our God forgive, he doth even abundantly pardon.
Of these I intend to speak in order: and first of the First, which is The Conversion of a sinner, which is (as I have said) laid down in three degrees or steps, the latter always excelling the former. Even as in the Temple of Solomon, he that would approach the Mercy-seat of God must ascend through three parts of the Temple, the Court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies: So must he that will attain this Condition of Mercy mount these three steps of Repentance, that he may enter into that glorious Sanctuary which is not made with hands, where the great God that …hews mercy unto thousands lives for ever and ever.
The first two of these forementioned degrees [To forsake a wicked way, To rid the heart of evil thoughts] lest they seem but one thing expressed in many words, I must handle both together, that by comparing I may the better distinguish them.
As for the latter therefore of these words, they have no great difficulty, and therefore will not need much explication; but in the former [Let the wicked man forsake his way] the Metaphor of way causeth some obscurity, which I think is thus to be unfolded. Every way implies a walking, a way being that wherein men use to walk: In whatsoever sense therefore the Metaphor of walking is taken elsewhere in Scripture, in the same is way taken here. But To walk, in Scripture, seems in a special and proper sense to signifie the outward life and conversation of men. For as in the natural man the act of progression or moving to and fro is the most external act of all others, and the most obvious to the sense of every one: So in a man spiritually considered, his way or walking should be the outward actions of his life, which are or may be seen of others. And as in the natural man, his moving to or fro is the execution of the hidden intendments of his Fancy: So in a man spiritually considered, To walk is to put in execution outwardly what the Heart conceives inwardly.
I will not deny but this phrase of walking, or treading out a way is in Scripture sometimes taken more largely for the whole course of our Life whatsoever: but here the Antithesis of the words following, viz. evil thoughts, do manifestly imply that the former, viz. a wicked man's way, is to be taken for an evil Conversation, in the sense I have spoken. So also in Psal. 1. 1. Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly; the collation of walking with ungodly counsel may warrant the like expression, that the counsel of the ungodly should signifie evil thoughts and purposes, walking in these counsels the practice and execution of them.
Moreover, if I did delight in such subtilties, I might confirm this Exposition by the word here used for a wicked man, foreign, which signifies properly foreign, a laborious sinner, a practitioner in sin; the verb foreign signifying to make a stir, to be exceeding busie,Isaiah 55. 7. unquiet, or troublesome: whence*Vide Mercerum in locum, & R. Kimch. lib. Radicum in voce foreign. some do expound that Eccles. 7. 17. foreign Be not too wicked, for Be not too busie or too stirring; Keep not too great a coile, namely in things of this world. Semblably here, Let the wicked man forsake his way, is, Let him that bestirs himself in the execution of sinful counsels, leave his busie practice; and in the next place, he that hath but evil thoughts or bad desires, purge his heart of them also. Let the man who walks wickedly in his outward conversation, forsake his evil way; this is the first step of a Convert: But more than this, Let him that hath but an evil heart, though his actions were outwardly blameless, banish even all his evil thoughts and cogitations; and this is the second degree of a sinner's conversion.
This Exposition therefore being taken for a ground, now I come to the Observations I collect from thence. The first Observation I gather, is common to both these degrees of a sinner's conversion; and that is from the word [forsake:] For to forsake is an Emphatical word; To forsake sin is more than a bare refraining from sin, or a withdrawing a mans self from doing wickedness; To forsake sin is to give over all acquaintance, all dealing with sin, or to foregoe it altogether: For a man that refrains a friend's company, is not by and by said to forsake him; no more can he that only refrains from sin be said to forsake it.
Hence therefore we learn, That whosoever retains any one darling sin, is no forsaker of sin, though he refrain from all other; for this is not to break off all acquaintance with sin, but rather to make choice of his sin, to chuse what sin he will use, and what sin he will refuse. Thus did Herod in the Gospel, he reformed many things at the preaching of Iohn Baptist, but still he kept Herodias his brother Philip's wife Mark 6. 19, 20. But we must know that he that keeps any one sin, hath forsaken none: so saith S. Iames, chap. 2. vers. 10. He that offends in one point, he is guilty of all. God must have our whole heart or none, he will not be served by halfs: For that were to say as David said to Mephibosheth, 2 Sam. 19. 29. concerning his lands, Thou and Ziba divide the lands; so we, God and the Devil his slave divide our hearts between them.
What will it profit to guard never so strongly all the other parts of a City walls, if any one part be left open for the enemy to enter? or what is a Ship the safer, though all other parts be strong and sound, if but one leaking hole be unstopped? will not this sink the whole Ship, be it never so sound? Even just so will it be with us, if we leave any one place in our Soul for any one sin to enter. Do we not know that a little crack in one place of a Bell marrs the sound as well as if it were clean through? So will any one crack of sin marr the musick of our Souls in the ears of Almighty. Do we not know that the laying but a finger upon the edge of a thing which giveth sound, damps the sound, as well as the whole hand? Even so is the Devil lay but his finger upon our heart, he damps all our actions of devotion, and makes them give but a dead sound in the hearing of the Lord of Heaven. How true this is, I appeal unto every man's conscience who hears me this day, whether he finds not, in his own experience, that the cherishing of any one Sin makes him dead-hearted toward God, dull and heavie in all works of devotion.
THUS much of this general Observation: Now I come to several Observations I gather from the several parts. The first whereof was (as you may remember) The forsaking of wicked ways, which I expounded in this place, The forsaking of sin in our outward walkings and conversation before men. If this therefore be the First degree of Conversion, then may we learn, That those who want this, have not gone the first step of a new life. Indeed in the eyes of God, who sees that which no body else can see, no man appeareth blameless or free from sin: But that those who are entred the way of a new and holy life should walk so, that men may not accuse them of open crimes, this, I say, is required of every true Convert. So it is said of Zachary and Elizabeth (Luke 1. 6.) that they walked in the Commandments of God blameless; yea even many Heathen men have come thus far, that men could not accuse them, and yet they perished everlastingly.
Let no man therefore deceive or flatter himself; Those who fall into open and grievous sins, are not yet in the state of a true convert sinner. If any man (saith S. Iames 1. 26.) seem to be religious, and bridles not his tongue; he deceiveth his own heart, his religion is vain. What S. Iames saith of wicked speakers, may be said of open wicked doers: if any man who is a drunkard, an extortioner, or falls into such open sins, if he seem religious, he deceiveth his own heart; his Religion is in vain. Remember therefore what Christ saith in the Gospel, and let your light so shine before men,Matth. 5. 16. that they seeing your good works, may glorifie your Father which is in heaven.
Secondly, If a Reformed conversation before men be required of every true Convert, then are they deceived who think it sufficient if they keep their hearts to God, though they apply their outward and bodily actions unto mens liking. No matter, they think, what their speeches and gesture and their outward seeming be, so that in their hearts they condemn and abhor such sinful actions as outwardly they seem to approve. This is the opinion of too-too many: But let us hear what our Saviour Christ saith, He that denieth me before men,Matt. 10. 33. him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven. Would any man excuse his wife's adultery, though she should say never so often she kept her heart and love only unto him? No more will Christ excuse us, when we yield our outward man to wickedness, though we say we keep our hearts intire to him. Christ suffered not only in Soul, but also in Body, that he might redeem us both Body and Soul from everlasting destruction: and shall not we glorifie him with both? Yes verily; and since God hath given us both a Body and a Soul, it becomes us (as S. Paul saith, 2 Cor. 7. 1.) to cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
THUS having spoken sufficiently of the first degree of Repentance, I come unto the second, which is contained in these words, Forsaking of evil thoughts. Whence first I observe, That Concupiscence, or the evil dispositions or motions of our hearts, are sins before God, though we never consent to put them in execution. For this is the style of the holy Ghost in my Text, not only to call the bad liver a wicked man, but the owner too of evil motions, unrighteous. If we seek for a Law whereof they are a breach, it is the last Commandment of the Decalogue, which prohibits all irregularity of our desires and thoughts whatsoever. Non concupisces, Thou shalt not so much as covet any thing amiss; if thou dost, it will be sin. The natural man could not know thus much; S. Paul himself confessing, that he had never known concupiscence to be sin,Rom. 7. 7. had not the Law said, Non concupisces, Thou shalt not covet. Concupiscence he calls not the Faculty or nature of the Act it self, but the Anomaly of the Act; not the desire only, but every motion of the heart not agreeable to the will of God; and that from the Style of this Commandment, Non concupisces. If any shall say that the inward motions of our Mind are involuntary, and past the command of the Will, and therefore not sinful; I answer, Ab initio non suit sic, It was not so from the beginning: we procured this evil unto our selves in the sin of our first parents, and therefore the fault is our own. Secondly, It is not necessary that whatsoever is sin should be under the mastery of our Will, for so original sin should be none: But this is necessary that all should in some sort belong unto the Will; and so do our desires, affections, and all other motions (as we call them) of the Mind. If any shall further add, that the Apostle Iames, 1. 15. saith of Concupiscence, that it bringeth forth sin, and therefore it self not like to be sin, the Cause being always diverse from the Effect: I answer, The Apostle saith not, it is the cause of sin simply or all sin, but only of outward sins or sins of fact: and howsoever, this reason is so far from proving Concupiscence not to be sin, that it argueth the mere contrary; for that so bad an off-spring as sin cannot find a more natural parent than sin it self.
The serious consideration hereof should be a cooling to the pride of our nature, and a strong motive to Humility in the esteeming of our selves and our best actions. Alas! what are we, that any good work we do should make us so highly conceit of our selves! Let us examine our inward thoughts, our hopes, our fears, our by-respects, our vain-glory, the whole Regiment of Concupiscence; and it will make us even ashamed to think what we have done, howsoever that which is seen outwardly be blameless and glorious in the eyes of men. If the Peacocks-wings of a laudable work, or the gay feathers of seeming worth do make thee swell; do but cast thine eyes a little upon the legs whereon thou standest, upon the rotten post whereon thou hast reared thy work so glorious without, and then thou wilt cast down thy high looks, and cry with S. Paul, Rom. 7. 18. Lord, whatsoever men see without me, I know there dwelleth no good thing within me,
The second thing I observe from hence is, The Priviledg the Law of God hath above the Laws of men. It is true, in the Laws of men, that Thoughts are free; but with God's Law it is not so. Mens Laws are not broken though only the outward man observe and keep them; but God's Laws are broken, if the inward man alone transgress them, be the outward man (I mean, man in outward conversation) never so conformable. And this is our meaning when we say That the Law of God only doth bind the Conscience, meaning the inward actions of the soul and spirit, those actions which only God and our Conscience are privy unto: But the Laws of men do bind only the outward man, that is, to the performance of outward actions, which men either do or may take notice of.
Which that we may the better understand, we must know that Laws are said to bind in two regards: 1. in commanding the doing of some actions, which else were at our choice; and 2. in making liable to an agreeable punishment if they be transgressed. Now whosoever commandeth, must be Lord of what he commandeth; whosoever maketh liable to punishment, must both be able to take notice of the fault, and of power to inflict the punishment. Seeing then God alone is Lord of the soul and spirit, he alone can bind them by Commandment: Seeing God alone can take notice of the sins of the heart, and is only able to inflict the punishment, namely, everlasting death and damnation, the proper punishment which the conscience feareth; he alone may command upon pain of eternal damnation. Man's Law therefore, in this sense which I have spoken, binds not the Conscience or inward man, because no man is Lord of anothers conscience, nor can take notice of the actions thereof; nor yet hath in his power to inflict the punishment which it only feareth.
In one word, conceive it thus; The actions whereunto the Conscience alone is privie are not the object of the Laws of man, but only such actions as fall within the notice of men. And yet this is also true, Though the Laws of men do not bind the Conscience, yet a man is bound in Conscience to obey the Laws of men; but this bond is from the Law of God, which commands us to use sutable affections in obeying the Laws of men: Obey every ordinance of men, not for fear of punishment, but for conscience sake.…
If now we did truly acknowledge this Prerogative of the Laws of God, we would witness the same by our extraordinary care in keeping them, in an extraordinary fear of breaking them. But what do we? even the clean contrary; we fear man more than God, those that can but kill the body, above him that hath power to cast both body and soul into hell-fire. Who would not be loth to break a King's laws in a King's sight? and yet for God's Laws who fears, though our most secret thoughts be always in his sight? In the outward work which men see, we are careful to restrain our hands and tongues from slipping, lest man's Law might take hold of us; but the thoughts of our heart we with all security let run at random, and never once curb them. What is this but to account the Laws of God as cobwebs, the Laws of men as chains of Iron; or openly to profess that of men we have some little fear, where they command with God; but where God commands alone, no fear at all? Even as those wicked ones whereof David speaks in the 94. Psalm, v. 7. who say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Iacob regard it. But he that planted the ear, (saith David v. 9, 10, 11.) shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that teacheth man knowledg, shall he not know? (yes) The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, &c. Who then art thou (to use the words of Esay) that art afraid of man who shall die, Ch. …1. 12. …and of the son of man who shall be as the grass? and forgettest the Lord who made thee, who stretched out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth?
The last thing I mean to observe from these two first degrees of a sinner's conversion is, Wherein the life of a true Convert doth exceed the works both of the heathen and the hypocrite. Glorious things are spoken of Aristides, of Scipio, of Socrates: But their best works are but like unto counterfeit coin, the outside glistering with gold, but the inside lead or worse metall; their hands, their feet, their walk like the Gate of an Israelite, but their heart was uncircumcised like the heart of a Philistine; for they wanted the purity of the heart seasoned with the love of God, they wanted these cleansed thoughts, these holy affections, and therefore were their best works no better than glorious sins. Even as statues and puppets do move their eyes, their hands, their feet, like unto living men; and yet they are not living actions, because they come not from an inward soul, the Fountain of life, but from the artificial poise of weights and wheels set by the workman: Even such were the vertues of the heathens, very puppet-plays, like unto the actions of Christian men, but not Christian actions; because they came not from a pure heart, which gives life unto a Christian, but from the poise of vain-glory, from the wheels of corrupt affections, from a rotten heart, which wrought not for the love of God, but for the praise of men.…
And no better are the works of Hypocrites, …ay worse: for they knew not that the heart was to be cleansed, or how it should be cleansed; but these know that God requires the heart, and yet their works are nothing but shews unto men. Such were the Pharisees, of whom Christ saith, Matth. 23. 27, 28. Wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead mens bones and of all uncleanness: Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisie and iniquity; and v. 25. ye make clean the outside of the Cup and platter, but within ye are full of extortion and excess. But if we are loth (as who would not?) to share our portion with the Gentiles, or to have our lot fall with the Hypocrites; let our righteousness then exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees: let us remember that God challenges the heart and inward man as his peculiar due; Let us not therefore only forsake the walk and external gate of wickedness, but even bad thoughts and evil motions, with all the occasions of them: Let us (I say) with Solomon, Prov. 4. 23. Keep our heart above all keeping, for out of it are the issues of life: But the joy of the hypocrite (saith Zophar, Iob 20. 5.) is but for a moment. v. 6. Though his excellency mount up unto the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds; v. 7. Yet shall he perish for ever, like his own dung.
Having spoken of the two first degrees of Repentance, I come now to the third, which is Returning unto God. It is not enough to forsake the works of wickedness, or the heart to forgoe the thoughts of unrighteousness; but this is more required of a sinner, than he should return unto the Lord. He that hath gone out of his way, (and knows it) will not only make a stop and go no farther in the wrong way; but if he means to arrive at the place he desireth, will seek the new and right way and follow it; for he that standeth still, will never come at his journies end: Even so must every sinner do in his journey of Repentance. The putting off the old man we heard before, now come we to the putting on of the new. In the two former steps we had eschewing of evil; in this we have doing of good; and without this the other is altogether vain. That tree is not called a good tree which bringeth forth no ill fruit, but that is a good Tree which bringeth forth good fruit; Matt. 7. 17, 19.and Every Tree that bringeth forth no fruit, shall be hewn down and cast into the fire.
But for the better understanding of this, we will consider two things proper to a man that returneth; 1. To go away clean contrary to the way he went before; 2. To outtread and obliterate his former steps. Both of these every one must perform who truly returns unto God by Repentance.
First, (I say) He must go a way clean contrary to his former way. Many men think that the way to Hell is but a little out of the way to Heaven, so that a man in a small time with small ado may cross out of the one into the other; but they are much deceived: For as Sin is more than a stepping aside, viz. a plain and direct going away from God; so is Repentance or the forsaking of sin more than a little coasting out of one way into another; crossing will not serve; there is no way in the world to come to the place we seek, but to go quite back again the way we came.
The way of pleasure in sin must be changed for as extreme a sorrow for the same. He that hath superstitiously worshipped false Gods, must now as devoutly serve the true; the tongue that hath uttered swearings and spoken blasphemies, must as plentifully sound forth the name of God in prayer and thanksgiving;…say 58. the covetous man must become liberal; the oppressor of the poor as charitable in relieving them; the calumniator of his brother, a tender guarder of his credit; in fine, he that hated his brother before, must now love him as tenderly as himself.
What traveller is there that knowing himself to be in a contrary way, and admonished that he must go back again, would not return speedily? Who but a fool would not consider that the longer he went forward, the further he had to go back again; the sooner he returned, the easier would be his return; the longer he went forward, the more hard and difficult? Why, this is the case of every sinner; every step he takes, the further he is from God: How painful then and tedious will that return be which is not speedily undertaken? Nay, when looking back we shall behold the infinite distance between God and us, how can our heart almost but fail us and despair utterly that so long a way can ever be accomplished? The Stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed time, (Ier. 8. 7.) the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow observe the time of their coming: Let the wise man be ashamed that knows not, the sinner that considers not the time of his Return.
The second thing proper to a man's returning is, to obliterate and tread out his former footing. This is also required of every truly repentant sinner, that wheresoever any footing remains of his former works, he should tread them out; for a repentant sinner must return by a line in the very path and tract of his sins. Now some sins do vanish in the act, and so leave no print behind them; and such, because they perish in the doing, remain not to be undone by repentance. But other sins there are which pass not away in the very doing, but leave as it were a footing behind them; I mean the work of the sin remains when the act is past, and these works are to be undone in repentance. Of this sort are sins most-what against the eighth Commandment, Robbery, Cousenage, all ill-gotten and ill-withholden gain; for in these, Restitution is as it were the recalling, undoing, and treading out the mark of the sin committed.In what things Restitution takes place. He that hath taken a man's purse, may give it him again; but he that hath blasphemed, cannot recal his blasphemy, nor the refractary his former disobedience. He that hath taken his brother's life, cannot give it him again; nor he that hath defamed him, undo the word he hath spoken. In these and such like Restitution hath no place; but only [God forgive me] and doing the contrary hereafter. But in Robbery, Bribery, Cousenage, and all ill-gotten goods, the goods we have taken from our neighbour remaining in our hand and power, there is no repentance, no forgiveness, no returning, without restoring what we have gotten.
Upon this I will dwell a while, because I verily think that many men do not believe it, but think it enough to cry God mercy; but as for restoring of ought, he must pardon them. Surely Zaccheus the Publican had never learned this Evasion, who (to make good his Repentance) gave half his goods unto the poor, and promised fourfold Restitution of what he had gotten from any man wrongfully. luke 19. …But if we will live by Laws, and not by Examples, hear the express Law of God, Levit. 6. 2, &c. where the Lord thus speaks unto Moses: If a Soul sin in fellowship or dealing, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour, &c. or hath found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, &c. Then it shall be, because he hath sinned and is guilty, that he shall restore what he hath taken violently, or the thing that he hath gotten deceitfully, &c. he shall even restore the principal, and adde the fifth part more thereunto in the day of his trespass-offering. The day of our trespass-offering who are Christians, is the day wherein we offer Christ unto his Father by a lively Faith for atonement for our sin; the day of our repentance or our turning to God. If the Iew's sacrifice could not be accepted without thus doing, no more shall a Christian's repentance.
Neither will it be enough to confess our sins and cry God mercy as we say; For Numb. 5. 7. (where this same law is repeated) Those, saith the Lord, which have thus sinned, shall confess their sin which they have done, and yet recompense his Trespass too with the principal thereof, &c. Yea so rigid is the Lord in exacting this, that if the man himself who was thus wronged were dead, and had no kinsman living; yet the party offending was not so excused, but was to make a recompence unto the Lord himself, by giving it to his Priest; as ye may see in the same place, v. 8.
Hence it is that the Lord, Ezekiel 33. 14, 15. maketh Restoring a main part of Repentance or Returning unto him; If the wicked (saith he) turn from his sin, and do what is lawful and right, if he restore the pledge, give again what he hath robbed; then he shall surely live, he shall not die: If he will not do this, it is easie to imagine what will follow, namely, that he shall surely die, and not live.
But thou wilt say, I am not able to make Restitution. Why, then shew thy self willing unto thy power, for in this case God accepts the will for the deed. But take heed thou dissemble not with him that knows thy most inward thoughts; for he it is that trieth the heart and reins, and nothing can be hid from him: upon peril therefore of thy salvation deal truly with him that made thee; for he is not as man that thou shouldst mock him, or as the son of man that he should be deceived.
But thou wilt say, I cannot do it, unless I leave my wife and children to beggery. Alas! wilt thou venture thy own Soul to perish eternally, to save thy house from beggery? I must say unto thee as Peter said to Simon Magus, Acts 8. 21, 23. Thou hast neither part nor lot in the life to come, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God: Thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity; thou preferrest the momentany glory of thy house before the everlasting safety of thy self. Thou fool, what will it profit thee to win the whole world, and lose thy own soul?
But I shall (thou wilt say) in so doing proclaim mine own shame unto the whole world. What then? wouldst thou not be willing to undergo a greater penance than this for thy Soul's safety? or how comes it to pass thou art more loth that men should know thy shame, than God himself who made thee? Lord, how hard will it be for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of heaven!
If men would think of this in their unjust dealing, if they would remember this who scrape unto themselves riches by unlawful and ungodly means; if those who get by extortion, by cousening tricks of Law, by bribery, by sacrilegious Simony, would think of this; methinks it should make them pull back their hand. For what joy and pleasure should a man take in that gain which he knows he must one day forgo as willingly as now he desireth covetously? when he might thus say with himself, The time must come, that I must wish from the bottom of my heart that this I now do had never been done, if ever I mean to find mercy at the hands of God: The time must one day come, that I must restore all this I have thus unlawfully gotten, yea make recompence besides for the injury I have done; or else woe worth the time that ever I was born, and cursed be the night wherein I was conceived. If men would consider this, Alas! I shall never say unto God on my death-bed, I repent from the bottom of my heart, if I bequeath one jo… of this I have thus gotten; I shall never say unto God, I wish from my soul this sin I have done were undone; or if it were now to do again, no motive in this world should make me do it. Alas! how can I say this, whiles it is in some sort in my power to undo sin by restoring, if I will not? Surely he that had this in his mind, would think it would not quit the cost to attain any of this world's goods unlawfully. But let them think as they will, as sure as God is true, Without Restitution Repentance can never be true, and without true Repentance it is impossible to be saved. And thus much of this Third degree of Repentance, and of the First part of my Text.
I COME now to the Second, which is The Condition and State he comes unto who hath done all this, and that (as ye hear) is a State of Mercy; The repentant sinner is capable of the Mercy of God to pardon and forgive his sin: If the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous his thoughts: The Lord will have mercy on him, our God will abundantly pardon.
The Mercy of God is here (as you see) his loving-kindness unto a sinner, to set him free from that evil he is liable to through sin, and to restore unto him the good he hath lost thereby; that is, with commiseration of his misery to forgive him, and restore him to that blessedness which is in the favour of God. This mercy or mercifulness of God is here exprest, first simply, in the words, The Lord will have mercy on him; and secondly, with a degree, he will pardon abundantly. Of these I will speak briefly, and so make an end.
And first of the first: If the forgiveness of our sins, and the accepting of us into the everlasting favour of God, be a work of Mercy; then not of any Merit or deserving on our part; for these two cannot stand together. So saith S. Paul, Tit. 3. 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he hath saved us. For if when we have done all we can, we are still the subjects of pity; it needs must be we are still in misery; for no man shews pity or commiseration but to those that are in a pitiful case; wheresoever Mercy is shewn, the party aileth something: But to be in case of Merit, is no pitiful case; what can he aile for his sin, to whom Heaven is due for his merit? who need not be beholden to God for his kindness, but may challenge him for justice? If this then be the manner of God, to shew mercy unto those who deserve nothing at his hands, it is our part to be like unto him: We are not in actions of charity to look upon the merit, but the misery: the bestowing of Alms is no paying of wages, or giving of rewards, but an act of holy pity. The like I might say of forgiving the offences of our brethren: If he repent him of the injury, thou are not to exact a merit of forgiveness; but let thy love be as ingenuous unto thy brother as God's was free unto thee.
The last thing to be considered is, The degree of God's mercy in delivering us from our sins: It is no small favour, for he pardoneth abundantly. Amongst all the works of God his works of Mercy toward mankind are in surpassing measure: Hence it is that he proclaims himself by this as by his principal style, Exod. 34. 6. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful, gracious, long-suffering: which David expounds (Psal. 103. 8.) The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy: S. Paul describes him, Ephes. 2. 4. a God who is rich in mercy.
This may appear by the admirable way of our Redemption, in sending his own Son from Heaven to suffer the ignominious death of the Cross for our sake: Even so God loved the world, saith S. Iohn,Iohn 3. 16. that he gave his only-begotten Son for the same. This may appear by his patience and long-suffering in enduring sin: In the 65. chap. of this Book, v. 2, 3. He spreadeth out his hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, yea, which provokes him to anger continually to his face. Lastly, It may appear by that huge proportion wherein his Mercy exceeds his Vengeance.Exod. 20. He visits the sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of those that hate him, but sheweth mercy unto the thousandth generation of those who love him and keep his Commandments. This may serve for our consolation in the most grievous temptation about the greatness of our sin: The Lord is rich in mercy, and therefore he will forgive the most grievous sin; for the mercy of the Lord is greater than the sins of the whole world. This Argument of comfort Moses bringeth in Deut. 4. 31. Because the Lord thy God is a merciful God, he will not forsake thee, nor destroy thee, nor forget the Covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.