The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant, Religious treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 2 · Section 8 – Section
SECT. VIII.
Ʋſe 4 DOth the promiſe of forgiveneſs belong unto all that are in Covenant with God? The laſt Uſe then ſhall be for Inſtruction unto all the people of God Inſtruction. Duties of ſuch whoſe ſins are forgiven. Bleſs much.whoſe ſins God himſelf hath forgiven.
There are five duties which do in a ſpecial manner take hold of you.
Firſt, Bleſs much; How ſhould the heart be filled with the praiſes of ſo good a God, and be enlarged in the bleſſings of him! Pſal. 103. 1. Bleſs the Lord O my ſoul, and all that is within me, bleſs his holy Name. Ver. 2. Bleſs the Lord O my ſoul, and forget not all his benefits. Ver. 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities. Beloved,
1. Set this mercy in compariſon with other mercies, and if you finde juſt cauſe to bleſs God for them, ſurely you will finde more cauſe to bleſs God for this forgiving mercy. You many times bleſs God for delivering your life from death, and have you not more reaſon to bleſs God for delivering your ſouls from hell? You many times bleſs God for delivering your bodies from pains and aches, and have you not more reaſon to bleſs God for delivering your conſcience from wrath and terror? You many times bleſs God for a bleſſing which is but for a time, and but for this life, and have you not more reaſon to bleſs God for this bleſſing of forgiveneſs, which reaches to eternity, and unto everlaſting life? You bleſs God many times for peace with man, and have you not more reaſon to bleſs God for peace with God? Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, &c. Rom. 5. 1. You bleſs God many times that all is well on earth, and no croſs befalls you; have you not more reaſon to bleſs God that all is well at heaven, and that no curſe ſhall ever befall you. You many times bleſs God that differences and ſuits are taken up between you and men, ſo that you ſhall never be troubled and puniſhed by men, and have you not more cauſe to bleſs God that all differences are taken off betwixt you and God, ſo that you ſhall never be queſtioned, nor be damned by him?
2. Set the unpardoned ſinners condition, and your pardoned condition together; How curſed a condition that is, and how bleſſed a condition this is; and tell me then whether you have not great reaſon to bleſs your God: When a ſinner lives and dies an unpardoned ſinner, he lives under wrath, and dies under wrath; he lives an enemy to God, he is a Chriſtleſs perſon, and an hopeleſs perſon; all his tranſgreſſions ſtand upon Record, and in their full power of guilt againſt his ſoul, and all that curſe and puniſhment which God hath threatned, and which all his ſins have deſerved, they ſhall certainly and perfectly, and eternally be inflicted upon him; God will queſtion him, and convince him, and judge him, and damn him, and none ſhall ever be able to deliver him, or help him; he ſhall be puniſhed with everlaſting deſtruction from the preſence of the Lord, &c. Now all this would have been the portion of your cup, had not the Lord in much mercy pardoned your iniquities and your ſins; for your ſins were of the ſame kind, and of the ſame guilt, and of the ſame deſert as the ſins of others, yet they are condemned, and you are pardoned: They dye, and you live; wrath is inflicted on them, but mercy is beſtowed on you; they ſhall never ſee Heaven, and you ſhall never ſee Hell; they ſhall be damned for ever, and you ſhall be ſaved for ever; they have no reaſon to complain, becauſe the righteous God doth puniſh them (only) for their ſins; and you have reaſon to bleſſe, becauſe the gracious God hath mercifully prdoned your ſins for his own ſake.
Secondly, Love much; Love your God much, who hath forgiven you much: Love much:He frankly forgave them both; tell me therefore which of them will love him moſt, Luke 7. 42. 47.
There are ſix Reaſons why we ſhould love God.
1. Becauſe he is good.
2. Becauſe he doth us good.
3. Becauſe he loves us, 1 Joh. 4. 19. We love him, becauſe he loved us.
4. Becauſe he ſent his Son to be the Propitiation for our ſinnes, 1 Joh. 4. 10.
5. Becauſe he hath provided and promiſed a Kingdom to them that love him, Jam. 1. 12.
6. Becauſe he hath forgiven us our ſinnes, and that freely, when we deſerved it not, nay when we deſerved the contrary. O how ſhould this God be loved by you, who alone ſhare in his love, in his Chriſt! in his forgiving mercy! how ſhould your hearts be endeared unto him, be knitted unto him, be taken and affected with him!
The Schoolmen do diſtinguiſh of a twofold love, Amor gratuitus; ſuch a love was Gods love to us in the forgiving of our ſins: Having forgiven you, Col. 2. 13. (the word ſignifies freely, or graciouſly forgiven you) all treſpaſſes; and Amor debitus; ſuch a love we do owe to God who doth forgive us: all love, all kindes of true love, and all degrees of true love.
Firſt, A love of deſire, our ſouls ſhould long after him, Pſal. 73. 25.
Secondly, A love of delight, our ſouls ſhould take their fill of contentmtent and ſatisfaction in him.
Thirdly, A love of extaſy, wondering and admiring at this great love and rich mercy of God towards us; Who is a God like unto thee, who pardoneth iniquity? Mich. 7. 18. But I obtained mercy: I, ſaid Paul, 1 Tim. 1. 13.
Fourthly, A love of ſimilitude: Forgiving one another, as God for Chriſts ſake hath forgiven you, Epheſ. 4. 32. ſhall we be ſo hardened to others, when God is ſo tender to us?
Fifthly, And a love of zeale, in promoting what God loves, and doth reſpect his honour; and in removing what God hates and makes for his diſhonour.
Sixthly, A love of friendſhip, to have our hearts knit unto him, and bound unto him in an everlaſting Covenant.
Thirdly, Fear much: They ſhall fear the Lord and his goodneſs, Hoſ. 3. 5. There Fear much.is forgiveneſſe with thee that that thou mayeſt be feared, Pſal. 130. 4. He will ſpeak peace to his people, and to his Saints, but let them not turn again to folly, Pſal. 85. 8. No man ſhould have a more tender Conſcience, than he who hath gained a pacified Conſcience: None more feare to commit ſin, than he whoſe ſins God hath duplicate page duplicate page remitted; though God can multiply pardons, yet it is not good nor ſafe for you to put him to it. It is the right and proper improving of forgiveneſs of ſins, to watch our hearts, and to take heed that we ſin no more: It argues a profaneneſs of heart to ſin becauſe God is merciful; ſo it argues a moſt wicked heart to ſin after God hath ſhewen mercy in the forgiving of ſins. Is forgiveneſs of ſins ſo cheap and ordinary, that you will again venture to ſin! Did it coſt Jeſus Chriſt his precious blood to purchaſe the forgiveneſs of ſins, and wilt thou as it were crucifie him again to procure thee another pardon? Did it coſt thee ſo many troubles of heart and confeſſion, and ſupplication to gain forgiveneſs of former ſins, and wilt thou break thy bones again, that mercy may ſet them again! did God ſhew unto thee ſuch riches of grace after all the evil thou hadſt committed, to diſcharge thee, to be reconciled unto thee, to quiet and pacifie thy Conſcience, to paſſe by all, and wilt thou now break the Laws of Love, and Bonds of Friendſhip, to ſin and provoke a pardoning and a kind God?
Fourthly, Improve much this ſingular mercy that ye are within the promiſe Improve much.of the forgiveneſs of your ſins: Improve this four wayes;
1. As to what depends upon it.
2. As to what accompanies it.
3. As to what may ſtill preſerve you in the ſweet and comfortable fruition of it.
4. As to what you may conclude from it, both à parte Ante, & a parte Poſt.
Firſt, Improve it as to all the fruits which do depend upon it, and flow from it: Our juſtification (or remiſſion of ſins) is a Root which bears very precious fruit, Improve it as to all the fruits which depend upon it.and a Fountain from which do flow many ſweet ſtreams: Thence ariſeth all the peace in Conſcience; thence ariſeth all the tranſcendent joy of the heart; thence ariſeth all the hope of the ſoul; thence ariſeth your great confidence in your communion with God. Peace in Conſcience depends on peace with God, which certainly you have when God forgives your ſins: And therefore beſeech the Lord to ſpeak this peace unto you: O Lord, thou ſayeſt in thy promiſe unto me, thy ſins are forgiven; now I beſeech thee ſay unto my Conſcience, Go in peace, live in peace, peace be unto thee; in forgiving thou reſpecteſt thy glory and my comfort; ſay unto my Conſcience, Neither trouble, nor be troubled more; let me know that I have found grace in thine eyes, let grace and peace come from thee. Joy of heart, this alſo ſprings from forgiveneſs of ſins received by Faith: A condemned Malefactor hath no cauſe to joy, but the pardoned ſinner hath, Rom. 5. 11. We joy in God through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, by whom we have received the attonement. Pſal. 51. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladneſs, that the bones which thou haſt broken may rejoyce. Sin brake his bones (his ſtrength, his comfort, his joyes) and the forgiveneſs of ſin, the news of that, the hearing of that, the knowledge of that would be a ground of joy and gladneſs to him. O thou pardoned ſinner, why doſt thou walk ſo heavily, ſo dejectedly, ſo penſively, ſo unchearfully? is not the promiſe of forgiveneſs of thy ſins clear and open to thee? and ſhould not a forgiven ſinner rejoyce? God rejoyceth when he ſhews us mercy, and ſhould not we rejoyce when we receive mercy: Indeed when we ſeek for pardoning mercy, we ſhould ſeek it with tears; but when we have found mercy we ſhould go home with joy.
Beloved, pardoned ſinners may rejoyce, and ſhould rejoyce: In whom after ye believed, ye rejoyced with joy unſpeakable and full of glory, … Pet. 1. 8. Should not the forgiveneſs of of ſins, a paſsing from death to life, from wrath to love, from hell to heaven, and the enjoying of God as our God, and as our Friend, and as our Father, are not here cauſes good enough, ſufficient to …ejoyce in the Lord? Therefore in the times of your ſadneſs chear your hearts, and expoſtulate with your hearts, why are you thus caſt down? and why walk you thus heavily? what, God your God! what, Chriſt your Chriſt! and all your ſins freely forgiven! and out of all danger, and within all hopes, and yet be ſo heavy! &c.
Secondly, Improve the forgiveneſſe of ſins, as to what accompanies a forgiven Improve it as to what accompanies a pardoned condition.condition: Beloved, forgiveneſs of ſins never goes alone in promiſe, nor in participation; you ſhall find the great Covenant of gifts linked together in promiſe, and they are joyntly deſired by the people of God; a falſe heart is only for pardon; do you not find the new heart, and the new Spirit, and the ſoft heart, and the obedient heart all conjoyned with this promiſe of forgiveneſs? Ezek. 36. 25, 26. O then reſt not here, ſaying, My ſins are pardoned, but preſs the other promiſes there of ſanctification: O Lord ſubdue mine iniquities, as well as forgive iniquities; thou haſt given me mercy, O give me grace! thou haſt broken my fetters, O heal my diſeaſes! thou haſt covered my ſins, O turn my ſinful ſoul! enable me to bring thee glory by holy walking, ſeeing thou haſt graciouſly pardoned the wickedneſs of my former living!
Thirdly, Improve the forgiveneſs of your ſins as to what may ſtill preſerve you in Improve it as to what may ſtill preſerves you in the comfortable fruition of it.the ſweet and comfortable fruition of it: Though one cannot loſe the forgiveneſs which God hath given him, yet he may loſe the comfortable ſight and feeling of it, either by ſome great tranſgreſſion, or by his pride, or by his covetouſneſs, &c. O but do not loſe the hive which hath ſo much honey; by all means (ſo) preſerve this favour and this mercy, that ſtill you may fetch joy, and comfort, and ſupport from it; and therefore when you have attained unto the forgiveneſs of your ſins, learn then
1. To walk humbly with your forgiving and reconciled God (the more is forgiven, the more cauſe of humility) confeſſing ſtill your unworthineſs of ſo great a mercy, and that God did forgive your ſins, not for your ſake, but for his own Name ſake; be not lifted up at all, but remember ſtill your own ſins which God hath forgiven (as Paul did) and upon what gracious terms God forgave you: Who am I, ſaid David; I am not worthy of the leaſt of thy mercies, ſaid Jacob.
2. To walk exactly before your forgiving God; David ſaith in Pſal. 32. 1. Bleſſed is the man whoſe iniquities are forgiven. Pſal. 32. 1, 2. Bleſſed is the man in whoſe Spirit there is no guile. and Pſal. 119. 1. Bleſſed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the way of the Lord. Ver. 3. They do no iniquity, they walk in his wayes; O that my wayes were ſo directed that I might keep thy ſtatutes!
3. To walk ſtedfaſtly with ſo good a God: O that we could but attain one thing! viz. to keep up that frame of ſpirit, and that path or practice of walking which we found in our ſelves, when God was pleaſed to let into our hearts the news that our ſins were forgiven, and that we could ſtill continue ſo to walk with that thankfulneſs, with that humbleneſs, with that tenderneſs, with that delightfulneſs with that enlargement; then would our Sun ſtill ſhine with ſtrength, then would our forgiveneſs ſtill appear in ſight, and would afford unto us a long harveſt of joyes, and living ſprings of laſt…ng comfort.
Fourthly, Improve the forgiveneſs of your ſins ſo as to be able (in your diſtreſſes Improve it in diſtreſſes and tryals, to draw comfortable concluſions from it.and tryals) to draw out and maintain ſuch Concluſions every way, as that mercy is a ground and Foundation for.
Queſt. You will ſay, What might one conclude from this that God hath forgiven his ſins?
Sol. I will mention ſome Concluſions which may infallibly be drawn from it, viz.
Firſt, You may conclude the ſeaſonable enjoyment of leſſer mercies, becauſe God hath forgiven your ſins which is the greater mercy; if he fulfils his promiſe in the As The ſeaſonable enjoyment of leſſer mercies.greateſt bleſſings, ſurely he will not fail you in the leaſt bleſſings; as the Apoſtle argued, He that ſpared not his own Son, but delivered him to death for us all, how ſhall he not with him freely give us all things! Rom. 8. 32. So ſay I, hath the Lord freely pardoned thy ſins! queſtionleſs he will freely give thee other things; will he deny thee food and rayment, who hath given thee Chriſt, and forgiveneſs? if his love extend to the greateſt of mercies, will it fail and fly off for the leaſt of mercies?
Secondly, You may conclude that certainly you are his people, and that the Lord That you are Gods people, and he is your God.is your God, that you do ſtand in a near Relation unto him, and that he ſtands in a near Relation unto you; why ſo? becauſe forgiveneſſe of ſins is the portion only of the people of God, of ſuch who are in Covenant with him. A Prince may forgive a Malefactor, and yet there be no Covenant between them; But God forgives none, unleſs ſuch as are firſt in Chriſt, and by Chriſt are in his Covenant of mercy and peace.
Thirdly, You may conclude that in all your changes and loſſes certainly you are That you are ſtill under grace and love.ſtill under grace and love, that the Lord hath ſet his love upon you, that his favour is towards you; Becauſe forgiveneſs of ſins is an act of ſpecial grace and favour; and no man is forgiven, but the Lord doth love him with an exceeding great love in and by Chriſt.
Object. I but I am chaſtened and afflicted.
Sol. Whom the Lord loveth he chaſteneth, Heb. 12. 6.
Fourthly, You may conclude certainly that God is reconciled, and that his wrath is off, and ſhall never redound unto you, and that the accuſation and condemnation God is reconciled.of the Law are ſtopt and ſuperſeaded, &c.
Fifthly, You may conclude that at length your ſouls ſhall go to heaven; for your And you ſhall be ſaved.ſins are for that end forgiven, that you might be brought to glory, &c.
Fifthly, Having your ſins pardoned in Gods promiſe, rest not untill you have got the notice and aſſurance of this in your own hearts and conſciences: Here let me Reſt not till you have got the aſſurance of your pardon. God doth ſometimes pardon ſin, and not give the aſſurance of it.ſpeak briefly unto two things.
Firſt, That God doth ſometimes pardon ſins, and yet doth not preſently notifie or make the ſame manifeſt or evident unto the perſon pardoned, no not though he truely repents: As it is clear in David, whoſe ſin God did put away, and yet it was a long time before David could get the evidence and aſſurance thereof in his own heart: I grant that upon true repentance ſin is forgiven, and it is as true that ſin may be forgiven, and yet the forgiven ſinner not be aſſured thereof. Whether the Reaſons of this may be,
1. Becauſe the manifeſtation of pardon to us is a meer act of grace and divine liberty.
2. Or becauſe God would teach us hereby, that it is not ſo eaſy a matter to get the voice of joy, after we have ſinned and provoked him, and ſhould therefore fear to …n any more.
3. Or thirdly, becauſe it is ſo difficult to believe the forgiveneſs of ſins, though promiſed by God himſelf, when the Conſcience hath been previouſly troubled for ſin, &c.
Secondly, That the aſſurance of our own hearts and conſciences that God hath pardoned oer ſinnes, is a mercy much to be deſired, and would be of great advantage Yet it is a mercy much to be deſired, and of great advantage for our Setling. Satisfying.to pardoned ſinners: For
1. This would exceedingly ſettle our hearts, and put an end to all our hard ſuſpicions, and fears, and jealouſies.
2. This would abundantly ſatisfie the longing deſires of our ſoules, to ſee our great diſcharge, and relief, and acquittance under the hand and ſeale of God: Returne O my ſoule unto thy reſt, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.
3. This would admirably enlarge our hearts in the praiſes of mercy, Pſal. 103. 1, 2.Enlarging.
4. This would wonderfully inflame our hearts in the love of God; the ſenſe of love begets love, 1 Joh. 4. 19. We love him, becauſe he loved us Loving.firſt.
5. This would moſt powerfully melt our hearts in filial grief, and pure Melting.mournings for our ſins; nothing melts the heart more than the apprehenſion of mercy, Zach. 12. 10.
6. This would effectually conſtrain us to walk in all well pleaſing before God; Obedience.Paul obtained mercy, and returned duty.
7. This would mightily ſtrengthen and advance our confidence toward Confidence.God.
8. This would make all our communions with God more pleaſant and delightful, Preſent communion. Chearful endurance of afflictions.&c.
9. This would make us patiently to bear all our afflictions, and to rejoyce under them, Mich. 7. 9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, becauſe I have ſinned; and why ſo? becauſe I am pardoned.
10. This would make us willing to dye; Thy loving-kindneſs is better than life; Comfortable dying.and in death to be above death. O death, where is thy sting? the ſting of death is ſin, &c. but thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Cor. 15. 55, 56, 57.
Ezek. 36. 25.
From all your filthineſſe, and from all your Idols will I cleanſe you.
THeſe words are a fuller and larger diſcovery of this ſweet and gracious promiſe of Gods mercy in the forgiveneſs of ſins: They do contain in them the quantity of that forgiving mercy, reſpecting both the number of ſins, and the greatneſſe of ſins; (From all your filthineſſe, and from all your idols will I cleanſe you.) There are two Propoſitions which theſe words do afford unto you.
1. That Gods promiſe of forgiveneſs of ſins doth extend unto all the ſins of all his people.
2. That though the ſins of perſons have been exceeding great, yet when they become the people of Gods Covenant, even theſe ſins alſo are forgiven them.