The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant, Religious treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 2 · Section 3
SECT. III.
3. I Now come to the third part of the Propoſition of forgiveneſs of ſins; viz. God promiſeth the ſame to all his people.That God promiſeth the ſame unto all his people, all his people in Covenant. Pſal. 85. 2. Thou haſt forgiven the iniquity of thy people. Iſa. 33. 34. The people that dwell therein ſhall be forgiven their iniquity. Micah 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and paſſeth by the tranſgreſsion of the remnant of his heritage?
Note. Of the people of God ſome are ſooner in Covenant, and ſome are later in Covenant; for ſome are called at one houre, and ſome at another houre; as Paul ſpake of Andronicus and Junia, Rom. 16. 7. who were in Chriſt before me; that may we ſay of people, ſome are in Covenant before others; but as ſoon as any of them are brought into Covenant, they are pardoned immediatly, their ſins are forgiven unto them.
Again, of the people of God ſome have been greater ſinners, and ſome have been leſſer ſinners; but as ſoon as they have been made the people of Gods Covenant, their ſins have been forgiven; Mary Magdalen had her ſins forgiven, and Paul had his ſins forgiven, &c.
Again, of the people of God ſome are weaker, and ſome are ſtronger, and both of them have their ſins forgiven. Acts 10. 43. Whoſoever believeth in him ſhall receive remiſſion of ſins. 1 Joh. 2. 12. I write unto you little children, becauſe your ſins are forgiven you for his Names ſake.
Once more, of the people of God, ſome have clear and fuller apprehenſions of pardoning mercy, others have more dark and doubtful diſputes about it; the ſtrong believer who hath aſſurance, and the weak believer who is troubled with doubts, both of them are forgiven; all of them may ſay with Paul, Rom. 8. 33. Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? it is God that juſtifieth. Arguments to demonſtrate it.Ver. 34. Who is be that condemneth? it is Christ that dyed. And there are four Arguments which demonſt…ate this truth unto us.
Firſt, All who are in Chriſt, have their ſins forgiven them; but all the people who are in Covenant with God are in Chriſt; (my reaſon for that is this, becauſe only in and by Chriſt God becomes our God, there our relation riſeth) Ergo. For the firſt Propoſition, that is a clear truth; viz. That all who are in Chriſt have their ſins forgiven them; for Chriſt himſelf ſaith, This is my blood which is ſhed for many, for remiſſion of ſins, Matth. 26. 28. and Matth. 1. 21. He ſhall ſave his people from their ſins; and the Apoſtle ſaith, there is no condemnation to them that are in Chriſt Jeſus, Rom. 8. 1. And he hath delivered us from wrath to come, 1 Theſ. 1. 10. And that we joy in God through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, by whom we have now received the atonement, Rom. 5. 11.
Now mark, if Chriſt ſaves his people from their ſins, and if he ſhed his blood for the remiſſion of their ſins; if by Chriſt they are freed from condemnation, and from wrath, and God is reconciled unto them, and through him they have good reaſon to joy in God, then unqueſtionably all who are in Chriſt have their ſins forgiven them; (for elſe how could they joy in God? &c.) this is one Argument to demonſtrate that God forgives all his people in Covenant
Secondly, All penitent and believing perſons have the forgiveneſs of ſins; but all the people whom God brings into Covenant with himſelf, are penitent and believing perſons: Ergo. The firſt of theſe Propoſitions is ſo clear and open in many places of Scripture, that it is needleſs to quote any pl…ce; you may at leiſure peruſe all thoſe promiſes of forgiveneſs unto repenting and believing perſons mentioned before. And the ſecond Propoſition is as clear; for repentance and faith are Covenant gifts, and given unto ſuch whom God owns for his people, and to none but ſuch; for God owns none for his people (in a Covenant way) who are impenitent and unbelieving.
Thirdly, There are no enemies in the Covenant of Grace; none who hate God, and none whom God hates; none who ſet themſelves againſt him, and none againſt whom he ſets himſelf; but the Covenant of Grace is a Covenant of life, and of love, and of peace, Deut. 30. 6. Hoſ. 14. 4. Cant. 2. 3. Iſa. 62. 4. 2 Cor. 6. 18. Rom. 5. 1. Ezek. 16. 61. All in this Covenant love God, and God loves them; they delight in God, and God delights in them; they walk with God, and God is ſaid to dwell in them, and to walk in them, they have peace with God, and God is at peace with them; he is their Father, and they are his ſons and daughters; if this be ſo, (and ſo it is, if we do believe the Scriptures which ſay ſo expreſly) then aſſuredly all who are in Covenant, have their ſins pardoned; for ſuch mutual love, and ſuch mutual delight, and ſuch mutual dwelling, and ſuch mutual peace, and ſuch mutual relation, there cannot poſſibly be, unleſs ſins were forgiven, and all enmity ſlain.
Fourthly, There is no damnation that ever was yet to be found in the Covenant of Grace; ſalvation you find there, but damnation was never read of there: He that believes ſhall not periſh, but have everlaſting life, Joh. 3. 15, 16. there is damnation for refuſing, not for entring; ſinners, who before they were in Covenant, were obnoxious to damnation for their ſins; are now delivered from it, by coming into the Covenant; never was, or ſhall any perſon be damned who is in Covenant, and hath God for his God; for they are bleſſed who have the Lord to be their God: But if their ſins were not forgiven, they were not bleſſed; for bleſſed are they whoſe iniquities are forgiven, Rom 4 7. Neither ſhould they be ſaved, but muſt periſh for ever, and dye in their ſins.
And thus you ſee this part of the Propoſition of forgiveneſs of ſins cleared alſo; viz. That it is promiſed to all the people of God in Covenant.