The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant, Religious treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 2 · Section 2
SECT. II.
THE ſecond thing in the Propoſition of forgiveneſſe of ſins is this, viz. That God himſelf undertakes this work, and he undertakes it by promiſe.
Firſt, God undertakes to forgive ſins. Luk. 5. 21. Who can forgive ſins but God alone? Iſa. 43. 25. I, even I am he that blotteth out thy tranſgreſſions for mine own ſake. Exo. 34. 6. The Lord, the Lord God merciful and gracious, long ſuffering, and abundant in goodneſſe and truth. Ver. 7. Keeping mercy for thouſands, forgiving iniquity, tranſgreſſions and ſin. Dan. 9. 9. To thee, O Lord God, belongeth mercy, and forgiveneſſe.
Forgiveneſs of ſin is indeed one of his Royal Prerogatives; therefore you find his people making their addreſſes unto him for forgiveneſs of their ſins: Exod. 32. 32. Oh this people have ſinned a great ſin; yet now if thou wilt forgive their ſin, &c. Pſal. 25. 18. Forgive all my ſins. Dan. 9. 19. O Lord hear, O Lord forgive. Hoſe. 14. 2. Take away all iniquity. Act. 8. 22. Pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee. There is a forgiveneſs
1. By way of charity, wherein we forgive the offence and treſpaſs againſt us: If thy brother repent, forgive him, Luke 17. 3. And forgive one another, as God for Chriſts ſake hath forgiven you, Eph. 4 32.
2. By way of Miniſtry; thus the Apoſtles, as Chriſt delivers it in Joh. 20. 23. Whoſe ſins ye remit, they are remitted.
3. By way of immediate and abſolute authority; thus it belongs to God, and to him alone; God in Scripture is ſtiled a Judge: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Gen. 18. 25. And to the Supreme Judge it belongs to condemn or to acquit. A Creditor; there was a certain Creditor which had two debtors, Luk. 7. 41. who can forgive the debt but the Creditor? A Lawgiver: There is one Lawgiver who is able to ſave and to deſtroy, Jam. 4 12. who can forgive the tranſgreſſions of the Law but the Lawgiver? Now God himſelf undertakes to forgive ſins, and none but he muſt do ſo.Reaſons of it. God himſelf undertakes this work.
Firſt, Becauſe all ſins are offences against him, and deviations from his righteous will, and injuries to his glory; even thoſe ſins which are wrongs unto men, are injuries alſo unto God; for his Will is ſlighted, and his Law is violated in them; therefore the remiſſion of them is proper to him.
Secondly, Becauſe unto whom the power of death and condemnation authoritatively belongs, unto him alſo the power of life and abſolution doth belong; but the power of condemnation belongs only to God. Ergo. Theſe are acts ſeated in the ſame power.
Thirdly, Becauſe the forgiveneſſe of ſin takes off the infinite deſert of ſin, reaching even unto eternity of puniſhment (eternal puniſhment is deſerved by ſin) and who can relieve us from that but God alone?
Fourthly, Becauſe our conſciences might have a reſting place; which they could never have, if God himſelf did not forgive ſins. What if all the men in the world did forgive you, if God did not clear you, but ſtill held you guilty! What though all the lower Courts abſolve a Malefactor, as long as the Supreme Court condemns him! what though the Malefactor forgive himſelf, if the Judge do not forgive him? Simile. But here lies the comfort, that God himſelf who is the Supreme Judge, who hath the Soveraign Power to ſave or to deſtroy, to remit or binde, to acquit or to condemn, whoſe ſentence none can reverſe; if he will pardon our offences and ſinnes againſt him; now there is peace with him, and peace in our own Conſciences.
Secondly, As forgiveneſs of ſins ſolely appertains to God, ſo God undertakes the ſame by way of promiſe, which ſhews that he is willing to forgive ſins, and God undertakes it by promiſe.that he engageth himſelf to forgive ſins, and that he will certainly forgive ſins. Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity, and will remember their ſin no more. Pro. 28. 13. Whoſoever confeſſeth and forſaketh his ſins ſhall finde mercy. 2 Chro. 7. 14. If my people ſhall turn from their wicked wayes, then will I forgive their ſins. Iſa. 55. 7. Let the wicked forſake his way, and turn unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and abundantly pardon. 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confeſſe our ſins; he is faithful and juſt to forgive us our ſins.
Queſt. Now if any ſhould demand why God contents not himſelf with a Declaration Reaſons of it.only that he is a God who forgives ſin; but alſo he makes a promiſe that he will forgive ſins.
Sol. I ſuppoſe theſe Reaſons may be given of it.
Firſt. Becauſe this is a greater relief to the troubled conſcience: A promiſe of forgiveneſſe is a more hopeful foundation to work upon, than a meer Declaration that God hath power to forgive, and it ſerves to anſwer our fears and doubts more fully. You would not imagine how powerful and dreadful the guilt of ſin is, and how ſtrongly working when a conſcience is awakened, and wounded with the ſence of it! How great is the apprehenſion of Gods wrath! how amazing is the curſe threatned! how hard is it to look toward the Mercy ſeat through all the threatnings, and through all the terrors! how difficult is it to ſettle it with any apprehenſions of mercy! And therefore the Lord is pleaſed, not only to declare that he is a God forgiving ſins, but alſo he makes promiſe that he will forgive ſins for Chriſts ſake; this is apt to preſerve troubled ſinners from deſpair, and to breed ſome hopes in them, that perhaps they may find mercy; for who can tell but that a merciful God, and a God who promiſeth mercy to poor ſinners, may at length ſhew mercy to them, and forgive their ſins!
Secondly, Becauſe this is a ſtronger Obligation and Argument to prevail with ſinners to repent of their ſins, and to turn unto the Lord. Beloved, I beſeech you mark what I ſay:
1. The greater inevidence and improbability there is of forgiveneſs of ſins, the more indiſpoſition and averſeneſs there is unto repentance: If a perſon apprehends mercy as impoſſible, he then looks upon repentance as unuſeful; either he grows deſpairing, or deſperate; For ſaith he, to what end ſhould I repent, and come into God who (I am ſure) will ſhew me no mercy?
2. Again, the greater hopes that a ſenſible ſinner hath of mercy, the more eaſily and kindly is his heart wrought upon to Repent, to come off from his ſins to God. Hoſ▪ 14. 2. When taking away of ſin is hinted, then ver. 3. Aſhur ſhall not ſave us, neither will we ſay to the works of our hands Ye are our gods; for in thee the fatherleſs findeth mercy; ſo Jer. 3. 12. Return thou back-ſliding Iſrael, and I will not cauſe mine anger to fall upon you, for I am merciful, ſaith the Lord. Ver. 22. Return ye back-ſliding children, and I will heal your back-ſlidings; behold we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God. Mark, how this inſinuation of mercy bowed in their hearts. Pſal. 103. 4. There is forgiveneſs with thee, that thou mayſt be feared.
Now when a ſinner ſees forgiveneſs of ſins in a promiſe, this appears with more evidence of hope for him; I may yet have mercy, ſo great is Gods goodneſs, and why ſhould I ſtand out any longer? and why ſhould I for lying vanities forſake my own mercies? I will home to my Fathers houſe, for there is bread enough, and to ſpare, &c.
Thirdly, Becauſe this is the ſureſt ground for faith; you know this is the great ſcruple, But may I find mercy? and what ground have I to expect mercy? Suppoſe I do repent, what aſſurance have I that God will forgive my ſits? Why, having Gods promiſe for the forgiveneſs of your ſins, in this caſe you may be confident that if you come to him, and rely upon him, he will unqueſtionably be as good as his word, he will ſhew mercy to you. Jer. 31. 18. I have ſurely heard Ephraim bemoaning himſelf. Ver. 20. I will ſurely have mercy upon him, ſaith the Lord. Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked will turn from all his ſins that he hath committed, &c. he ſhall ſurely live, and not dye. Ver. 22. All his tranſgreſsions which he hath committed, they ſhall not be mentioned unto him.