The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant, Religious treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 2 · Section 5
SECT. V.
Ʋſe 1 IS forgiveneſs of ſins one of the mercies firſt in promiſe by God unto all his people in Covenant? O how dreadful then is the condition of ſuch who refuſe to How dreadful is the condition of ſuch as refuſe to be in Covenant with God?be in Covenant with God! The doctrine of forgiveneſs of ſins is not ſo comfortable unto the people of God, but it is as dreadful to all thoſe who refuſe to be the people of God.
For the managing of this Uſe, I will lay down theſe three concluſions.
1. Some there are who do refuſe God to be their God in Covenant, and do refuſe to be a people in Covenant with him.
2. All theſe are an unforgiven people; their ſins neither are forgiven, nor ſhall they ever be forgiven unto them.
3. Becauſe their ſins are unforgiven, therefore they are in a moſt miſerable and dreadful condition.
Firſt, There are ſome who do refuſe God to be their God in Covenant, and do refuſe Some refuſe to be in Covenant with God.to be his people in Covenant. Job 21. 14 They ſay unto God, Depart from us; for we deſire not the knowledge of thy ways. Ver. 15. What is the Almighty that we ſhould ſerve him? and what profit ſhould we have if we pray unto him? Prov. 1. 24. Becauſe I have called, and ye refuſed, I have ſtretched out my hands, and no man regarded. Ver. 29. For that they hated knowledge, and did not chooſe the fear of the Lord. Ver. 30. They would none of my counſel, they deſpiſed all my reproof, &c.
But more particularly there are four ſorts of men who refuſe God to be their God in Covenant, and to be his people.
1. Such as refuſe the authority of God to rule and guide them by his Will and Laws: Such as refuſe to be guided by his Laws.When God is a God in Covenant, there he is acknowledged as Lord and Law-giver; (the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Law-giver, the Lord is our King, Iſa. 33. 22.) nay, he will be ſo acknowledged or elſe he will not be a God in Covenant with us; ſee Lev. 26. 14. If ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all theſe Commandments; and ver. 15. If ye ſhall dispute my Statutes, and if your ſoul abhor my judgments; then ver. 17. I will ſet my face againſt you, &c. Pſal. 81. 11. But my people would not hearken to my voice, and Iſrael would none of me. Ver. 12. So I gave them up unto their own hearts luſts, and they walked in their own counſels. If any man hath a nature which is at enmity with God, and will not be ſubject unto his Will and Law, how can there be a Covenant between them and God? for in forming up of a Covenant, there muſt be an agreement between the parties; but if we ſet up our wills againſt Gods will, that we will do, not what comes from his mouth, but what comes from our own hearts; not what he commands, but what our own proud luſts do like; aſſuredly God neither is, nor will be in Covenant with ſuch a people; for hereby he ſhould loſe the glory of being a Lord, and we ſhould not ſubmit to his righteous will, but he ſhould ſubject himſelf unto our ungodly luſts.
2. Such as maintain a contrariety and incompliance with the glorious nature of God: Such as maintain a contrariety to the glorious nature of God.This is the glory of the Divine nature, that it is holy; (Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, Rev. 4. 8.) and this is that about which God inſiſts with all perſons, (whatſoever) whom he will own for his people in Covenant, Ye ſhall be holy, for I am holy, Lev. 11. 44. For there muſt be a ſimilitude 'twixt God, and the people of God; and as he declares his choice love to them, ſo muſt they be a choice generation, and an holy Nation to ſhew forth his praiſes; therefore ſuch perſons as are not only unholy in a privative way, but alſo hate holineſs, and cannot endure to be made holy in a poſitive adherency of holineſs, God neither is, nor ever will be a God in Covenant with them, nor can they be a people in Covenant with God; for what communion can there be 'twixt light and darkneſs? and what Covenant can there be made 'twixt the holy God who hates all unholineſs, and ungodly perſons who do likewiſe hate and abhor all holineſs?
3. Such as refuſe to let go their ſins, and will hold faſt their iniquities, who will ſpare Such as refuſe to let go their ſins.them, and not forſake them, as Zophar ſpeaks, Job 20. 30. who refuſe to return, as the Prophet ſpeaks, Jer. 8. 5. God is no God in Covenant with theſe, neither are they, nor can they be a people in Covenant with him. Pſal 50. 16. Unto the wicked God ſaith, What haſt thou to do to declare my Statutes, or that thou ſhouldſt take my Covenant in thy mouth, ſeeing thou hateſt inſtruction, and caſteſt my word behind thee. Joſh. 24. 23. Now therefore put away the ſtrange gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord God of Iſrael. Ver. 25. So Joſhua made a Covenant with the people that day. If a mans heart be ſet on his ſins, I will love them, I will ſerve them, I will not forſake them, it cannot be that there ſhould be a Covenant made up 'twixt God and him.Such as through unbelief perſevere in refuſing Chriſt.
4. Such as through unbelief perſevere in the refuſing of Chriſt; you think it no great matter to have Jeſus Chriſt preach'd unto you, and offered unto you, and yet for you to ſlight Jeſus Chriſt thus offered; but remember what I ſay, that perſon who refuſeth Chriſt, doth refuſe God to be his God in Covenant; He that refuſeth you, refuſeth me; and he that refuſeth me, (ſaith Chriſt) deſpiſeth him that ſent me, Luk. 10. 16. God becomes our God, and our Father only in Chriſt, and therefore Chriſt ſaith, I go to my God, and to your God; and my Father, and your Father, Joh: 2. 17. We are brought near to God by Chriſt, and he becomes near to us through the blood of Chriſt, there you find h…s love towards you &c. and therefore if you will not embrace Jeſus Chriſt, there is no covenanting 'twixt you and God, he only being the foundation, and head, and Mediator of the Covenant.All uncovenanted people are an unforgiven people.
Secondly, The ſecond concluſion is this, that all uncovenanted people are an unforgiven people; (i. e.) all who do continue to refuſe God to be their God in Covenant, and to be his people in Covenant, their ſins neither are forgiven, nor ever ſhall be forgiven; why ſo will you ſay? becauſe
1. Forgiveneſs of ſins is only promiſed in the Covenant of Grace, in no Covenant but Reaſons of it.this; not in the Covenant of Works, for that is a letter of death and condemnation unto the ſinner.
2. And as it is only in the Covenant of Grace, ſo it is promiſed only to the people in that Covenant. 1 Kin. 8. 34. Forgive the ſin of thy people. Ver. 36. Forgive the ſin of thy ſervants. Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity.
3. Only thoſe who are in Chriſt ſhall have their ſins forgiven. Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Chriſt Jeſus. Acts 10. 43. Whoſoever believeth in him ſhall receive remiſſion of ſins. Joh. 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am he, ye ſhall dye in your ſins. Joh. 3. 18. He that believeth not, is condemned already.
4. All impenitent perſons are unforgiven perſons; all uncovenanted perſons are impenitent perſons. Ergo. The firſt Propoſition is clear in Scripture, ſee at leiſure. Ezek. 18. 31. Caſt away from you all your tranſgreſſions whereby ye have tranſgreſſed, for why will ye dye O houſe of …ſrael? Luk. 13. 3. Except ye repent, ye ſhall all likewiſe periſh. Prov. 28. 14. He that hardeneth his heart, ſhall fall into miſchief. Rom. 2. 5. But thou after thy hardneſs and impenitent heart, treaſureſt up unto thy ſelf wrath againſt the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgement of God.
Thirdly Now follows the third concluſion, Becauſe theſe ſins are unforgiven, therefore The dreadful …ndition of … unforgiven people. S…mile.they are in a moſt miſerable and dreadful condition. It is reported of Caeſar, that he wondered at one who could ſleep ſo quietly, and yet had ſo many debts upon him: In like manner we may wonder at many perſons who can live ſo merrily and jovially, and yet have all their ſins unforgiven; ſurely they are perſons of very groſs ignorance and ſtupidity, or elſe are very high and deſperate Atheiſts.
But to the point in hand there are eight things which may ſet forth the dreadful In eight particulars.miſery of an unforgiven ſinner.
1. His unutterable privation and loſs.
2. The full power of the Law againſt him in all its threatnings and curſes.
3. The wrath of God under which he walks all his days, and which may fall on him whenſoever the Lord pleaſeth.
4. The authority which conſcience hath to deal with him in a way of accuſation and condemnation.
5. The unavoidableneſs of death, and the ſting thereof, when ſins are unpardoned.
6. That juſt and irreverſible ſentence of condemnation from God in the day of judgement.
7. The immediate portion and condition in hell amongſt the damned after the ſentence of condemnation.
8. The eternity of that miſerable eſtate unto which impenitent and unbelieving, and unforgiven ſinners are adjudged.
Firſt, The unforgiven ſinner is under the greateſt loſs and privation which man poſſibly He is under the greateſt loſſe and privation.can be; and what is that greateſt loſs and privation? if you know what the greateſt good and happineſs is, you may then quickly tell what the greateſt loſs and privation is; to enjoy God perfectly and fully and eternally in glory, is there any good and happineſs like unto this! O but the unforgiven ſinner ſhall never ſee God in glory, he ſhall be puniſhed with everlaſting deſtruction from the preſence of the Lord; heaven is no place for the enemies of God; ſins unpardoned, are like the Angel with a flaming Sword, who kept the paſſage into Paradiſe; there is no entring into life with ſins unpardoned; they do certainly and eternally bar up that door of heaven, and heavenly happineſs; and now how miſerable muſt that ſoul be which is eternally excluded from all true happineſs?
Secondly, The Law of God is in full power againſt every unpardoned ſinner. 1. All the The Law of God is in full power againſt him.inditements and charges of the Law for being tranſgreſſed. 2. All the threatnings of the Law, in the ſeveral ſorts of judicial puniſhment. 3. All the curſes of the Law, even to the utmoſt extent of them, Curſed is every one, &c. the ſoul that ſins ſhall dye; and there is no one moment of this life that he can ſecure himſelf, &c. they may light on him in the houſe, or in the field; when he is waking, or when he is ſleeping; when alone, or when in company; when rejoycing, or when making merry; when boaſting, when in higheſt abundance and confidence; when ſinning, and putting far from himſelf the evil day.
Thirdly, The unforgiven ſinner walks all his dayes under the wrath of God: He is all his d…yes under the wrath of God.God is angry with the wicked every day, Pſal. 7. 11. not with a Paternal, but with a Judicial anger, even to hatred and abhorment: The wicked is an abomination unto him, and he hates all workers of iniquity, Prov. 3. 32. 15. 9. And this wrath God can reveal it to his ſoul, and poure it forth upon him when he pleaſeth: and when God poures on him the fierceneſs of his wrath and indignation, he can neither decline it nor ſuſtain it: it is like the tempeſt and whirlewinds; it is like burning fire, and devouring flames; it drives the ſinner to his feet, breakes down all his arrogancies, and vain hopes, and ſenſual joyes, and fills him with amazing diſtractions, and terrors, and deſpairs. How heavy was this wrath on Chriſt ſuffering for our ſins? it made him to ſweat clods of blood; how terrible is the apprehenſion and fear of it to David, to Heman? how infinitely dreadful will the ſenſe of it be to the unforgiven ſinner who hath no part in Chriſt, no hope nor plea by him?
Fourthly, The unforgiven ſinner is obnoxious to the ſevere Authority of an He is obnoxious to an awaking guilty conſcience.awakning guilty conſcience, and unto all the powerful workings of it: Indeed whiles the conſcience remains ſtupid and ſeared, although ſins be unforgiven, there is a quietneſſe in the ſoule (like a ſick man aſleep.) Simile. But when God irreſiſtably awakes conſcience by effectual light, and gives it a charge to act its office of accuſing and condemning; O Lord, in what a caſe will the unpardoned ſinner now be! now the man muſt ſee all his ſins, and now he muſt ſee them in all their offence, and provocations and deſerts; and now he muſt ſee them all as unforgiven, and himſelf therefore obnoxious to death, and wrath, and curſe, and hell; and conſcience ſets on all theſe with a ſtrong conviction, and with ſuch piercing woundings, and with ſuch continual terror and horror, that the unpardoned ſinner is at his wits end: A wounded Conſcience (or Spirit) who can bear! Prov. 18. 14. He is like Paſhor-Magor-Miſſabib, a terror round abount unto himſelf; the guilt of his unpardoned ſins works on his ſoul, and on his body; his ſoul hath them now before it, and the thoughts of his ſoul are perplexed and aſtoniſhed (what ſhall I do, and what will become of me!) And his afflictions are breaking with fears, and with deſpaires, his eyes are rolling, his feet and joynts ſhaking, and his body trembling: he knows not what to do with himſelf, nor how to fly from himſelf! Conſcience ſtill cries, and ſtill purſues, and ſtill wounds, and ſtill gnaws, and ſtill flames and burnt, and ſtill condemns him; thou haſt deſtroyed thy ſelf, thou art loſt for ever, God is thy Judge, thy ſins are unforgiven, and thy portion is damnation; the poor wretch of times cries out, O Conſcience be quiet, ſpare me a little, give me a little ſpace, a minute, an hours reſt. I can allow thee no Interim, ſaith Conſcience, how can I! thy ſins are not forgiven, and God hath given me a charge againſt thee, and therefore how can I be quiet, or how can I ſpeak to him, unto whom God ſaith there is no peace but wrath! Iſa. 57. 21.
Fifthly, The unforgiven ſinner muſt meet with death, and death muſt meet with He muſt meet with death as a king of terrors.him as a king of fears, and as armed againſt him with the guilt of his ſins; the ſting of death is ſin, ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 15. 56. death is no great matter, but the ſting of death, that is terrible, that is like the ſting of a Serpent, or of the Scorpion, piercing, poyſoning, enraging, and killing.
Luther profeſſeth that there were three things which he durſt not think of without Chriſt, viz. 1. Of his ſinnes. 2. Of death. 3. Of the day of judgement; why what is death to an unpardoned ſinner? I will tell you what it is.
1. It is a full period to all comforts and delights; the unpardoned ſinner ſhall never taſte of delight more to all Eternity: when a juſtified perſon dyes, he ſhall never ſee any ſorrow more; and when an unpardoned ſinner dyes, he ſhall never ſee delight in any kind more.
2. A full period to all Reprieves and Bayles; the ſinner during life may be Reprieved from many an Execution of wrath and judgement; but when he dies, there is no longer reprieving, he muſt now appear in perſon before the righteous God, anſwer for himſelf; and give up his account, and to receive according to what he hath done.
Now how dreadful will this be to the unpardoned ſinner, on whoſe ſoul and conſcience the guilt of all his ſins is engraven! O ſaith he, I cannot live, and I muſt die, I have not a day longer, nor an hour longer, and then muſt I appear before Gods Judgement ſeat; and what will become of one who never repented, who never believed, who never had part in Chriſt, who never had his ſins forgiven to him?
Sixthly, the unpardoned ſinner must receive that just and irreverſible ſentence of He muſt receive the irreverſible ſentence of condemnation.condemnation from God.
Beloved, there is a twofold ſentence which God will pronounce at the laſt day.
1. One is of comfort and abſolution: Come ye bleſſed inherit the kingdom prepared for you, Matth 25. 34.
2. The other is of terror and condemnation: Go ye curſed into everlaſting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels: and both theſe ſentences are already notified unto us in this life: He that believes ſhall be ſaved, and he that believes not ſhall be damned, Mar. 16. 16. How dreadful this ſentence of condemnation will be, I pray God that none of us may find; but certainly all unpardoned ſinners ſhall find it; God will pronounce it againſt them! how can it be otherwiſe, if ſinners be not pardoned? if ſinners be not pardoned, then the ſinner is not abſolved; and if he be not abſolved, he muſt be condemned.
Object. But God may forgive him in that day?
Sol. No no, that day is not a day of forgiving, though it be a day of publication who hath been forgiven, &c.
Seventhly, Upon this ſentence immediately follows execution: God condemns And execution immediately follows, To all eternitytheſe ſins, and they ſhall be condemned; he adjudgeth them to hell to be tormented with the Divel and his Angels, and thither they go to ſuffer that wrath which their ſins have deſerved.
Eighthly, And this poenal endurance of wrath, it muſt continue to all eternity; As long as God is God, ſo long muſt the wrath of God abide on them: the worm never dies, and the fire of hell never goes out.
And if theſe things be ſo, then by the way learn four things.
1. Come off ſpeedily from your ſins by true repentance.
2. Slight the Goſpel (as you have done) no more, ſtand no longer againſt the offers of Jeſus Chriſt.
3. By all means yield your ſelves to be the people of God.
4. Whatſoever you make ſure of, make ſure of Chriſt, and of the forgiveneſs of your ſins, and the ſalvation of your ſouls.