The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant, Religious treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 2 · Section 7
SECT. VII.
Ʋſe 3 DOth God himſelf promiſe the forgiveneſs of ſins unto all people in Covenant with him? Behold then (you who are the people of God) your condition, The happineſs of a pardoned condition.and your portion; you are the Generation of Gods mercy, you (and you only) are the people who have their iniquities forgiven, and upon this very account, your very condition
1. It is a very comfortable condition; Son, Be of good comfort, thy ſins are It is ve…y comfortable.forgiven thee, Matth. 9. 2. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, ſpeak ye comfortably to Jeruſalem, and cry unto her, that her iniquity is pardoned, Iſa. 40▪ 1, 2.
2. Yea, it is a very bleſſed condition; Bleſſed is the man whoſe tranſgreſſion And bleſſed.is forgiven, whoſe ſin is covered: Bleſſed is the man unto whom the Lord imputed no iniquity, Pſal. 32. 1, 2.
Queſt. But will ſome ſay, Wherein lies the comfortableneſs and bleſſedneſs This appears,f…m this, that our ſins are forgiven?
Sol. I will ſhew you, 1. In a privative way. 2. In a poſitive way.
1. In a privative way.In a privative way. You are for ever ſecured from Gods wrath.
Firſt, If God himſelf hath forgiven you your ſins, Then you are (for ever) delivered and ſecured from the wrath of God. God will never deal with you, or againſt you as a revenging Judge, as an enemy in wrath. Beloved, it is better to have all the world to be our enemy, than to have God to be our enemy; and to have all the world diſpleaſed with us, than to have God diſpleaſed with us; for he is of infinite power, and his wrath is of infinite weight; it doth exceedingly diſtreſs and vex the conſcience, and fills up the ſoul with dreadful amazement, and with unſufferable pains, and with continual reſtleſsneſs, that the ſinner (upon whom it is fallen) is utterly curſed, and ſinks with what he feels, and with what he ſtill fears, and every day and hou…e expects from the juſt God for all his unpardoned ſins. Now from this wrath of God as a revenging Judge, (whatſoever it may be in the nature of it, or in the effect of it, and in the eternity of it) is every forgiven ſinner delivered and ſecured; it ſhall never fall upon him at all; though temptations may fall upon him, and afflictions may befal him, and the fatherly diſpleaſures may befal him, and though ſome kinds of deſertions may befal him, and though miſapprehenſions of Gods love may befal him, and though ſickneſs and weakneſs, and death it ſelf may befal him, yet the judicial … of God ſhall never befal him; neither in whole, nor in part; neither in greater, nor in leſſer degrees; neither in this life, nor in the life to come; for Rom. 5. 9. Being juſtified by the blood of Chriſt, we are ſaved from wrath through him. Epheſ. 2. 16. And by his Croſs all enmity is ſlain. Gal. 3. 13. And Chriſt hat… redeemed us from the curſe of the Law, being made a curſe for us; when ſin is forgiven, wrath is gone, and curſe is gone; ſin being taken away, they are taken away: Mine anger is turned away from him. Hoſ. 14. 4.
Secondly, You ſhall never be condemne… for your ſins, you are certainly off You ſhall never be condemned.from that ſentence: Who (ſaith the Apoſte, Rom. 8. 33.) ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? it is God that juſtifieth. Who (Ver. 34.) is he that condemneth? it is Chriſt that dyed. To be condemned, and to be juſtified, are abſolutely inconſiſtent: for condemnation is the act of juſtice; juſtification is the act of grace; in condemnation ſi… is imputed, but in juſtification ſin is not imputed; in condemnation the ſinner is adjudged to that puniſhment which his ſins deſerve; but in juſt…fication he is diſcharged of that puniſhment which (for ſin) he was obnoxious unto; in condemnation the ſinner is called to an account, and he is queſtioned, and ſentenced as a curſed Malefactor; but in juſtification he is diſmiſſed, cleared, and acquitted by the blood of Chriſt, and his ſins are mentioned no more, and never ſhall be remembred. Now what an unſpeakable mercy is this, that thy poor ſoul ſhall never be damned? that notwithſtanding all thy ſins, which deſerve an eternal ſeparation from God in bleſſedneſs, and an eternal endurance of the flames of hell, yet none of theſe things ſhall ever befall thee! but the Lord himſelf hath delivered thy ſoul from going down into the pit, in forgiving all thy tranſgreſſions, in which he hath cancelled the hand-writing which was againſt thee, and taken it out of the way; ſo that nothing is to be found any more which may be an effectual Charge againſt you, and which can remain as a ground or reaſon for God to condemn and deſtroy you. There is nothing whatſoever for which God will condemn any perſon, but ſin; and no perſon can be condemned for ſin, if God hath been pleaſed to forgive him his ſins in the blood of Jeſus Chriſt.
Thirdly, Conſcience hath no more authority to accuſe you; to threaten you; Conſcience hath no more authority to accuſe.to terrifie you; to diſquiet or trouble you; why ſo? God hath diſcharged you, and conſcience muſt ſpeak as God ſpeaks, and act in a ſubordination to Gods acting. If God doth bind, conſcience muſt not looſe, but bind; and if God looſeth and acquits, conſcience muſt not bind, but looſe: If God condemns, conſcience muſt not acquit and forgive; and if God acquits and forgives, conſcience muſt not condemn; if God ſpeaks trouble, conſcience muſt not ſpeak peace; and if God ſpeaks peace, conſcience muſt not ſpeak trouble; for conſcience is but Gods Deputy or Officer, and hath Commiſſion to act always in the way of ſubordination and conformity unto God; as it muſt bring home the threatnings unto thoſe whom God threatens; ſo it muſt ſupply the comfort unto thoſe to whom God promiſeth comfort and mercy: If God ſaith, Be of good comfort, thy ſins are forgiven thee, conſcience now hath no longer Commiſſion to diſquiet the heart, ſaying, Peace belongs not to thee, and comfort belongs not to thee, but God is ſtill diſpleaſed with thee, and holds thee for his enemy, and will be avenged on thee for thy ſins: If conſcience (through darkneſs and miſinformation, o… temptation) ſhould ſpeak thus, it now exceeds its Commiſſion, and deals unrighteouſly, and God will not ratifie ſuch a teſtimony, or ſuch a charge from ſuch a conſcience. But by the way, Take notice what a mercy it is to have your ſins pardoned, in that your conſciences have no more power or authority to wound and charge, and threaten, and condemn you for any of your ſins; if a wounded conſcience be one of the dreadfulleſt puniſhments here on earth; then to be totally ſecured from that, (and upon this ground, that he hath forgiven us our ſins) is one of … greateſt bleſſings here on earth, which privatively concerns us.
Fourthly, If your ſins be pardoned, then alſo you are diſcharged of the spirit You are diſcharged of the ſpirit of bondage.of bondage to fear; you are fenced from all ſlaviſh fears which formerly did abound in your hearts, and oppreſs, and diſtract them. Before a mans ſins were pardoned, and guilt lay on him, there were ten diſtracting and cruſhing fears lying on his heart; The ſinner
1. Did fear the ſecret purpoſe or intention of God againſt him; O ſaid he, What will God do with this guilty ſoul of mine! I fear leſt I be one of them to whom he will never ſhew mercy.
2. Did fear the open threatnings of God: O ſaith he, Will not all theſe evils and cu…ſes which God hath threatnd, will they not ſhortly be my portion?
3. Did fear every judgement of Go… walking upon the earth, as if it were an evil drawing near to him, and which his ſins would bring to his houſe, and to his perſon, and he ſhould not eſcape
4. Did fear that ſome time or other his ſinnings would be diſcovered, and that they ſhould be laid open to his ſhame and reproach before the whole world.
5. Did fear any outward enjoyment and comfort which he had, that for his ſins God would ere long deprive him of them in wrath.
6. Did fear many times to come and hear the W…d of God, leſt it ſhould awaken and trouble his conſcience with more apprehenſions of his own guilt and Gods wrath.
7. Did fear the very thoughts of death, and eſpecially leſt God ſhould ſuddenly cut him off from the Land of the living, before he had ſo improved his opportunities as to make his peace with God.
8. Did fear all appearings before the Judgement-ſeat, leſt he ſhould receive his ſad and eternal ſentence there for his ſins.
9. Did fear all his approaches and requeſts unto God, that God would not hear nor regard them, becauſe his ſins were upon record in the Court againſt his ſoul.
10. Did fear that no way could ever be found ſo powerful and effectual, as to ſatisfie the juſtice of God, and purchaſe mercy enough for the pardon of his ſins; but now repenting of his ſins, and believing on the Lord Jeſus, and having in his blood obtained the remiſſion of ſins, this ſpirit of bondage to fear, is taken away; the forgiveneſs of his ſins by God himſelf, hath ſatisfied him, and hath anſwered all the doubts and fears of his ſoul; his ſins are pardoned, and God is reconciled, and now all is well and ſafe; of what, or of whom ſhould he be afraid?
Fifthly, If your ſins be forgiven you, then nothing which befalls you in Nothing which befalls you in life or death is an evil to you.life or death ſhall ever be an evil or hurt unto you; for when ſin is pardoned, all curſe is removed. Whatſoever ſtate the unpardoned ſinner is in, it is a curſed eſtate to him; and whatſoever contingencies befall that ſinner, they are curſed unto him; his proſperity is curſed unto him, and his adverſity is curſed to him; his enjoyments are curſed, and his loſſes are curſed; his bleſſings are curſed, and his croſſes are curſed; his life is curſed, and his death is curſed; nothing which he hath doth him good; and nothing which God doth, doth him any good, but hurt; he is the worſe under all: But when ſins are forgiven, the ſting, the poyſon, the curſe is gone, and nothing is for evil, or for miſchief unto him; proſperity ſhall do him no hurt, but good; and adverſity ſhall do him no hurt, but good; his enjoyments are a bleſſing, and his loſſes are a bleſſing; if he lives, life ſhall be a bleſſing; and if he dyes, death ſhall be a bleſſing. All is food and phyſick all is good, or for good unto him, he gains by his loſſes; and that which is another mans miſery, is his mercy; ſweet ſhall come out of bitter; and light ſhall come out of darkneſs; and good ſhall come out of evil; and comfort ſhall come out of ſorrow; and life ſhall come out of death.
Secondly, In a poſitive way.In a poſitive way. It is a clear deciſion of all the queſtions of a troubled ſoul.
Firſt, The obtaining of the forgiveneſs of your ſins, is a clear, ſure deciſion of all the great Queſtions of a troubled ſoul. There are ſix things concerning which we oft-times complain and queſtion; viz.
1. Hath God Elected us?
2. Are we in Covenant with God?
3. Is God reconciled to us, and we are reconciled to him?
4. Is Chriſt ours, and are we his?
5. Have we truly repented? and have we truly believed?
6. Shall theſe poor ſouls of ours certainly be ſaved? have not all theſe been, and are not ſome of theſe the conſtant debates and doubts, and queſtions of our hearts? Now mark what I ſay, when God himſelf (according to his promiſe) forgives unto us all our ſins, all thoſe debates are concluded and reſolved; for
1. None are forgiven but the Elect of God; and all the Elect either are or ſhall be forgiven their ſins. Epheſ. 1. 4. Having choſen us in him before the foundation of the world. Ver. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveneſs of ſins.
2. Whoſoever have their ſins forgiven, are certainly in Covenant with God; God is their God, and they are his people. Pſal. 85. 2. Thou haſt forgiven the iniquity of thy people; Thou haſt covered all their ſins, Selah. Remiſſion of ſins is the portion only of the Church and people of God.
3. God is certainly reconciled if ſins be forgiven. 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Chriſt reconciling the world unto himſelf, not imputing their trespaſſes unto them.
4. Chriſt is unqueſtionably yours, and you are Chriſts, foraſmuch as the partaking of this, and other choice benefits by him, doth neceſſarily preſuppoſe a precedent union with him, and relation unto him; whom he called, them he juſtified, Rom. 8. 30. And what is it there to be called, but to be brought in effectually to Chriſt? and what is it to be juſtified, but to be pardoned?
5. And ſo for Repentance and Faith, certainly they have been true, if forgiveneſs of ſins have been granted unto you, becauſe to none but unto ſuch who do truly repent, and who do truly believe, is forgiveneſs of ſins promiſed.
6. And laſtly, If your ſins be forgiven, you ſhall be undoubtedly ſaved. Rom. 8. 30. Whom he juſtified, them alſo he glorified: So Acts 26. 18. That they may receive forgiveneſs of ſins, and inheritance among them that are ſanctified.
Secondly, If your ſins be forgiven you, then your way is opened and cleared, You have acceſs to God with all boldneſs.with all boldneſs of acceſs and confidence to your God and Father. There are three choice Cordials and Encouragements to all who have obtained pardoning mercy.
1. They may look upon their God as ſitting altogether and always on his Throne of grace and mercy; as their loving God, as their kind God, as their good God, as their Father, as their Helper, as their Saviour. O what a ſight of God is that ſight of him in heaven, where there is love, and nothing but love; peace, and nothing but peace; joy, and nothing but joy; favour, and nothing but favour; bleſſed communion, and nothing but bleſſed communion! Such a kind of ſight of God have juſtified and pardoned perſons here on earth; they may now look on God as their God, as their Father, as loving of them, delighting in them, and rejoycing over them to do them good; and what ſhould hinder them to come with a filial confidence to ſuch a God and Father?
2. They may look up unto him for any mercy which they do need, and which he doth promiſe unto them. Pſal. 81. 10. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Hoſ. 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me in righteouſneſs, and in judgement, and in loving-kindneſs, and in mercy. Ver. 21. And it ſhall come to paſs in that day I will hear ſaith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and the heavens ſhall hear the earth. Ver. 22. And the earth ſhall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oyle, and they ſhall hear Jezreel. Beloved, there is no partition wall but ſin; nothing that ſeparates between God and us, but ſin; nothing that hinders good thing… from us, but ſin; now if that partition wall be broken down, (as certainly it is when ſin is forgiven) there is nothing on your part to hinder you from asking, and nothing on Gods part to with-hold him from giving any thing that is good unto you.
3. They may look on all their enjoyments as mercies, as the fruits of love with marvailous contentment and delight; mercies are ſure and ſweet unto them▪ As every one of the Veſſels had that inſcription upon it, (Holineſs to the Lord) ſo every receit which the forgiven ſinner partakes of hath this ſuperſcription on it, A token of love from the reconciled God; you have the bond and the ſeal, the wine and the ſugar, the day and the Sun-ſhine, mercies from mercy, mercies in mercy, this and that, and my ſins pardoned.
Thirdly, If your ſins be forgiven you, this will be a great ſupport, ſtrength, It will be … great ſupport in all times and occurrences whatſoever. In times of outward wants.relief, upholdment unto you in all occurrences wha…ſoever, and in all times whatſoever.
1. In times of outward wants and ſtraits; as Lactantius ſaid of Lazarus, he was ſine domo, but not ſine Domino; ſine veſte, but not ſine Fide; ſine cibo, but not ſine Chriſto: The like may we ſay of the pardoned perſon, he may be without money, but not without mercy; he may be without friends, but he is not without a Father; he may be without outward mercies, but he is not without the God of mercies; his body may want riches, but his ſoul is not without forgiveneſs: God is his forgiving God, and his reconciling God, and his bleſſed God and portion for ever and ever.
2. In time of outward troubles; when all the world is in combuſtion and diſtraction, and there is no reſt nor peace to be found amongſt men, why then can the pardoned ſinner find reſt and peace; peace in his God, and peace in his In time of outward troubles.Chriſt, and peace in his conſcience; my ſins are pardoned, it is God that juſtifies me; he is at peace with me, and I am ſo with him, and therefore I can rejoyce in tribulation it ſelf.
3. In times of loſſes and trials: God hath taken away this friend, and that parent; this childe, and that comfort; but he hath not taken away his loving-kindneſs In times of loſſes and …ryals.from me: 'Tis but a croſs, 'tis not a curſe; 'tis but a refining fire, 'tis not a conſuming fire; 'tis but the rod of Father, 'tis not the word of a Judge; 'tis to heal and pacifie, 'tis not to harden and deſtroy; 'tis but the phyſick of love, 'tis not the ſting of wrath; for if ſins be pardoned, then enjoyments are from love, and then loſſes are from love: If God gives, that is in mercy; if God takes away, that alſo is in mercy. O Sirs, a loſs, a croſs ſits heavily on the heart, when the guilt of ſin ſits ſtrongly on the conſcience; but if the guilt be taken off there, (as certainly it is upon the forgiveneſs of ſins) then may a man take up the croſs, and kiſs it, then may he ſtoop down, and bear it; then may he take in a mercy, and rejoyce; and then can he give back a mercy, and bleſs, that God who hath given, and now hath taken, &c.
4. In times of ſickneſs and death; when all the world is leaving of us, and when we are leaving all the world, and the ſhort minute of time is expiring, In times of ſickneſs and death.and the larger date of eternity is appearing; when Phyſitians ſay there is no hope, and friends are taking their farewel for ever, and no earthy thing can be of comfort or relief: O then the fiduciary apprehenſion of a reconciling Chriſt, and of a reconciled God, and of all our ſins as pardoned; why this revives, this ſtays, this chears up our ſpirits, this is better than life, this is life in death: Now let thy ſervant depart in peace, ſaid Simeon, for mine eyes have ſeen thy ſalvation; now let me dye, and go to my God and Father; it is certain, that that man may look on death with joy, who can look on Chriſt, and the forgiveneſs of his ſins with faith.
5. In times of temptations; How many temptations are anſwered, if once our ſins are pardoned.In times of temptation….
1. God will damn thee for thy ſins; O no; he hath pardoned my ſins, and therefore he will not damn me for them.
2. But do not thy ſins deſerve hell and damnation? they do ſo, but God hath forgiven according to the riches of his grace in the blood of Chriſt.
3. But thinkeſt thou that God will not one time or another remember thy ſins, and judge thee for them? O no; he ſaith that he will forgive iniquity, and remember my ſin no more.
4. But doſt thou not ſee that he remembers thy ſins, when his hand lies now ſo heavy upon thee? O no; this is no judicial remembrance, but a paternal chaſtiſement.
5. But certainly God loves thee not; nay; if he had not loved me freely, he would never have juſtified me freely.
6. But thou haſt nothing to do with Chriſt, nor ever ſhalt thou have benefit by Chriſt. Why this is ſtrange, that my ſins are forgiven me for his Names ſake, yet that I ſhould have no part in Chriſt, and no benefit by Chriſt.
7. But God is ſtill diſpleaſed, and angry with thee. No; for he hath taken away iniquity, and therefore his anger is turned away from me.
8. But God will not hear any prayer which thou makeſt, nor mayſt thou be admitted into any communion with him. O but this is falſe; for God himſelf hath ſaid, 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my people ſhall humble themſelves and pray, and ſeek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and forgive their ſins, and will heal their Land. Ver. 15. And mine eyes ſhall be open, and mine ears attend unto the prayer that is made in this place.
9. But what good will the pardon of thy ſins do thee, as long as thy ſins rule and prevail over thee? O but that God who pardoneth iniquity, ſaith alſo that he will ſubdue our iniquities, Micah 7. 18, 19.
10. But I can and will charge thy ſins upon thee, and condemn thee for them. O but what haſt thou to do to charge ſins, when God hath diſcharged ſins? and what haſt thou to do to condemn me, if God hath forgiven me? Rom. 8. 33. Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? it is God that justifieth. Ver. 14. Who is he that condemneth? it is Chriſt that dyed.