A Body of Practical Divinity, Sermon 83 · Part 7

A Body of Practical Divinity · Sermon 83 · Part 7

p. 804Luk 11.4.

And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.

IN the Words are two Parts. 1. A Petition, forgive us our Sins. 2. A Condition, for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. Our forgiving others is not a Cause of God's forgiving us, but it is a Condition, without which God will not forgive us.

1. I begin with the first, the Petition, Remitte nobis peccata nostra, Forgive us our Sins. A Blessed Petition! the ignorant world say, who will shew us any good? Ps. 4.6. meaning, a good Lease, a good Purchase; but our Saviour here teacheth us to pray for that which is more noble, and will stand us in more stead, the pardon of sin, Forgive us our Sins. Forgiveness of sin, is a Primary Blessing, it is one of the first Mercies God bestows, Ezek. 36.25. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, that is, Forgiveness. When God pardons there is nothing he will stick at to do for the Soul. He will Adopt, Sanctifie, Crown.

Quest. 1. What Forgiveness of Sin is?

Resp. It is God's passing by Sin, Micah 7.18. his wiping off the score; and giving us a Discharge.

The nature of Forgiveness will more clearly appear, 1. By opening some Scripture-phrases. 2. By laying down some divine Aphorisms and Positions.

1. By opening some Scripture-phrases. 1. To forgive Sin is to take away Iniquity, Iob 7.21. Why dost not thou take away mine Iniquity? The Hebrew Word Vethagnabir, signifies to lift off. 'Tis a Metaphor taken from a man that carries an heavy Burden ready to sink him, and another comes and lifts off this Burden. So when the heavy burden of sin is on us, God in pardoning, lifts off this burden from the Conscience, and lays it upon Christ. Isa. 53.6. He hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all.

2. To forgive sin is to Cover sin. Ps. 85.2. Thou hast covered all their sin. This was typifi'd by the Mercy seat covering the Ark. To shew God's covering of sin through Christ. God doth not cover sin in the Antinomian Sence, so as he sees it not, but he doth so cover it, as he will not impute it.

3. To forgive sin is to blot it out, Isa. 43.25. I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions. The Hebrew Word Mecha, to blot out, alludes to a Creditor, who when his Debtor hath paid him, blots out the debt, and gives him an Acquittance. So God when he forgives sin, blots out the Debt, he draws the red Lines of Christ's Blood over our sins, and so crosseth the Debt-Book.

4. To forgive sin, is for God to scatter our sins as a Cloud, Isa. 44.22. I have blotted out as a thick Cloud your Transgressions. Sin is the Cloud interposeth, God dispels the Cloud, and breaks forth with the light of his Countenance.

5. To forgive sin, is for God to cast our sins into the depths of the Sea. Micah 7.19. which implies Gods burying, them out of sight, that they shall not rise up in judgment against us. Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea. God will throw them in not as Cork that riseth again, but as Lead that sinks to the bottom. 2. The nature of Forgiveness will appear by laying down some Divine Aphorisms or Positions.

p. 805Aphorism 1. Every sin is Mortal, and needs Forgiveness; I say Mortal, that is, deserves death. God may relax the Rigour of the Law, but every sin merits Damnation. The Papists distinguish of Mortal Sins and Venial. Some sins are ex Surreptione, they creep unawares into the mind, (as vain Thoughts, sudden Motions of Anger and Revenge) these saith Bellarmine, are in their own nature venial; it is true, the greatest sins are in one sence Venial, that is, God is able to forgive them, but the least sin is not in its own nature Venial, but deserves Damnation. We read of the Lusts of the Flesh, Rom. 13.14. and the Works of the Flesh, Gal. 5.19. the Lusts of the Flesh are sinful, as well as the Works of the Flesh. That which is a Transgression of the Law, merits damnation, but the first stirrings of Corruption are a breach of the Royal Law, Rom 7.7. Prov. 24.9. therefore they merit damnation. So that the least sin is mortal, and needs Forgiveness.

Aphorism 2. It is God only that forgives sin. To pardon sin is one of the Iura Regalia, the Flowers of God's Crown, Mark 2.7. Who can forgive sins, but God only? It is most proper for God to pardon sin, only the Creditor can remit the debt. Sin is an Infinite Offence, and no finite Power can discharge an infinite Offence. That God only can forgive sin, I prove thus.

No man can take away sin, unless he be able to infuse Grace, (for as Aquinas saith) with Forgiveness is always infusion of Grace; but no man can infuse Grace, therefore no man can forgive sin. He only can forgive sin, who can remit the Penalty, but 'tis only God's Prerogative-Royal to forgive sin.

Object. 1. But a Christian is charged to forgive his Brother, Col. 3.13. Forgiving one another.

Answ. In all second table sins, there are two distinct things. 1. Disobedience against God. 2. Injury to Man. That which man is requir'd to forgive, is the wrong done to himself: but the wrong done to God▪ he cannot forgive. Man may remit a Trespass against himself, but not a Transgression against God.

Object. 2. But the Scripture speaks of the Power committed to Ministers to forgive sin, Iohn 20.23. Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them.

Answ. Ministers cannot remit sin authoritatively, and effectively, but only declaratively. They have a special Office and Authority, to apply the Promises of pardon to broken Hearts. When a Minister sees one humbled for sin, yet is afraid God hath not pardoned him, and is ready to be swallowed up of Sorrow, in this case a Minister for the easing of this man's Conscience, may in the Name of Christ declare to him, that he is pardoned, the Minister doth not forgive sin by his own Authority, but as an Herald in Christ's Name▪ pronounceth a man's pardon; as it was with the Priest in the Law, God did Cleanse the Leper, the Priest only did Pronounce him clean: so it is God who by his Prerogative doth forgive sin, the Minister only pronounceth forgiveness to the sinner being Penitent.

Power to forgive sin authoritatively in ones own name, was never granted to any mortal man. A King may pardon a man's Life, but not pardon his sin. Popes Pardons are insignificant, like Blanks in a Lottery, good for nothing but to be torn.

Aphorism 3. Forgiveness of sin is purely an Act of God's Free-grace. There are some Acts of God, which declare his Power, as making and governing the World, other Acts that declare his Justice, as punishing the Guilty, other Acts that declare his Free-grace, as pardoning of sinners, Isa. 43.25. I am He that blotteth out sin for my own name sake. As when a Creditor freely forgives a Debtor, 1 Tim. 1.15. I obtained mercy. Gr. foreign, I was all over besprinkled with Mercy. When God pardons a sin, he doth not pay a debt, but give a Legacy. Forgiveness is spun out of the Bowels of God's Mercy. There is nothing we can do, can deserve it. It is not our Prayers or Tears or good Deeds, can purchase pardon. When Simon Magus would have bought the Gift of the Holy Ghost with Money; Thy Money (saith Peter) perish with thee, Acts 8.20. So they, who think they can buy pardon of sin with their Duties and Alms, their money perish with them: Forgiveness is an Act of God's Free-grace, here he displays the Banner of Love. This is that will raise the Trophies of God's Glory, and will cause the Saints Triumph in Heaven, that when there was no Worthiness in them, when they lay in their Blood, God took pity on them, and held forth the Golden Scepter of Love in forgiving: Forgiveness is a golden Thread spun out of the Bowels of Free-grace.

p. 806Aphorism or Position 4. Forgiveness is through the Blood of Christ. Free-grace is the inward Cause moving, Christ's Blood is the outward Cause meriting Pardon. Ephes. 1.7. In whom we have Redemption through his Blood. All Pardons are seal'd in Christ's Blood, the Guilt of sin was infinite, and nothing but that Blood which was of infinite Value could procure Forgiveness.

Object. But if Christ laid down his Blood as the foreign, the price of our Pardon, then how can we say, God freely forgives sin? if it be by purchase, how is it by Grace?

Answ. It was God's Free grace that found out a way of Redemption through a Mediator. Nay, God's Love appear'd more in letting Christ die for us, than if he had forgiven us without exacting any satisfaction.

2. It was Free-grace moved God to accept of the price paid for our sins. That God should accept a Surety, that one should sin, and another suffer, this was Free-grace. So that forgiveness of sin, though it be purchas'd by Christ's Blood, yet it is by Free-grace.

Aphorism 5. In Forgiveness of sin, God remits the guilt and penalty, Remissa culpa remittitur poena. Guilt is an Obligation to Punishment, Guilt cries for Justice. Now God in forgiving doth indulge the sinner as to the Penalty. God seems to say to the sinner thus; Tho' thou art fallen into the hands of my Justice, and deservest to die, yet I will take off the Penalty, whatever is charged upon thee, shall be discharged. When God pardons a Soul, he will not reckon with him in a purely vindictive way, he stops the Execution of Justice.

Aphorism 6. By vertue of this Pardon, God will no more call sin into remembrance, Heb. 8.12. Their Sins and Iniquities will I remember no more. God will pass an Act of Oblivion, he will not upbraid us with former Unkindnesses. When we fear God will call over our sins again after pardon, look into this Act of Indemnity, their Iniquities will I remember no more. God is said therefore to blot out our Sin. A man doth not call for a debt, when he hath crossed the book. When God pardons a man, his former Displeasure ceaseth, Hos. 14.4. Mine Anger is turned away.

Object. But God is angry with his pardoned ones?

Answ. Tho' a Child of God after pardon, may incur God's fatherly Displeasure, yet God's Iudicial Wrath is removed, tho' God may lay on the Rod, yet he hath taken away the Curse: Correction may befal the Saints, but not Destruction, Ps. 89.31. My loving kindness I will not take away.

Aphorism or Position 7. That sin is not forgiven, till it be repented of. Therefore they are put together, Luke 24.47. Repentance and Remission; Domine da poenitentiam, & posteà indulgentiam. Fulgentius. 9. Now in Repentance, there are three main Ingredients, and all these must be before Forgiveness. 1. Contrition. 2. Confession. 3. Conversion. 1. Contrition, or brokenness of Heart. Ezek. 7.16. They shall be like Doves of the Valleys, all of them mourning every one for his Iniquity. This Contrition or rending of the Heart, is expressed, sometimes by smiting on the Breast, Luke 18.13. sometimes by plucking off the Hair, Ezra 9.3. sometimes by watering the Couch, Ps. 6.6. but all Humiliation is not Contrition. Some have only pretended Sorrow for sin, and so have missed of Forgiveness. Ahab humbled himself, his Garments were Rent, not his Heart.

Quest. What is that Remorse and Sorrow, which goes before Forgiveness of sin?

Answ. It is an Holy Sorrow, it is a grieving for sin Quatenus sin, as it is sin, as it is a dishonouring of God, and a defiling of the Soul. Tho' there were no Sufferings to follow, yet the true penitent would grieve for sin, Ps 51.3. My sin is ever before me. This Contrition goes before Remission. Ier. 31.18, 19. I repented, I smote upon my Thigh, is Ephraim my dear Son? my Bowels are troubled for him, I will surely have mercy upon him. Ephraim is troubled for sinning, and God's Bowels were troubled for Ephraim, the Woman in the Gospel stood at Iesus's feet weeping, and a pardon followed, Luke 7.47. Wherefore I say, her sins which are many, are forgiven her. The Seal is set upon the Wax when it melts, God seals his Pardons upon melting Hearts.

2. The second Ingredient into Repentance is Confession. Ps. 51.4. Against thee, thee only have I sinned: this is not Auricular Confession. This the Papists make a Sacrament, and affirm, that without Confession of all ones sins in the Ears of a Priest, no man can receive forgivness of sin; the Scripture is ignorant of it, nor p. 807do we read of any General Councel, til the Lateran Councel, which was about twelve hundred Years after Christ, did ever decree Auricular Confession.

Object. But doth not the Scripture say, Iam. 5.15. Confess your sins one to another?

Resp. This is absurdly brought for auricular Confession, for by this, the Priest must as well confess to the people, as the people to the Priest. The Sence of that place is, in case of publick Scandals, or private Wrongs; here Confession is to be made to others: But chiefly, Confession is to be made to God, who is the Party offended. Against thee, thee only have I sinned; Confession gives vent to Sorrow. Confession must be free without Compulsion, ingenuous, without Reserve, cordial, without Hypocrisy, the Heart must go along with the Confession. This Confession makes way for Forgiveness, Psal. 32.5. I said I would confess my sin, and thou forgavest me. When the Publican and Thief on the Cross▪ confessed they had that Pardon. The Publican smote upon his Breast, there was Contrition, and said, God be merciful to me a sinner, there was Confession; he went away justifi'd, there was Forgiveness: And the Thief on the Cross, we indeed suffer justly, there was Confession; and Christ absolv'd him before he died, Luke 23.41. This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise. Which words of Christ, might occasion that Saying of St. Austin, Confession shuts the mouth of Hell, and opens the Gate of Paradise.

3. The third Ingredient in Repentance is Conversion, or turning from sin, Iudg. 10.15. We have sinned, there was Confession, ver. 16. They put away their strange gods, there was Conversion, and it must be an universal Turning from sin, Ezek. 18.31. Cast away from you all your Transgressions. You would be loth God should forgive only some of your sins. Would you have God forgive all, and will not you forsake all? He that hides one Rebel, is a Traytor to the Crown: He that lives in one known sin, is a traiterous Hypocrite, and it must not only be a Turning from sin, but a Turning unto God. Therefore 'tis call'd Repentance, foreign. Act. 20.20. Towards God. The Heart points towards God as the Needle to the North Pole. The Prodigal did not only leave his Harlots, but did arise and go to his Father, Luke 15.17. This Repentance is the ready way to pardon, Isa. 55.7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and turn to the Lord, and he will abundantly pardon. A King will not pardon a Rebel, whilst he continues in open Hostility. Thus you see Repentance goes before Remission. They who never repented, can have no ground to hope that their sins are pardoned.

7. Aphorism or Position is, that sin is not forgiven, till it be repented of.

Caution, Not that Repentance doth merit the forgiveness of sin. To make Repentance satisfactory is popish, by Repentance we please God, but we do not satisfie him: Alas, Christ's Blood must wash our Tears. Repentance is a Condition, not a Cause; God will not pardon for Repentance, nor yet without it. God Seals his pardons on melting Hearts. Repentance makes us prize pardon the more. He who cries out of his broken Bones, will the more prize the mercy of having them set again; when there is nothing in the Soul but Clouds of Sorrow, and now God brings a pardon, (which is a setting up a Rainbow in the Cloud, to tell the Soul the Flood of God's Wrath shall not overflow) O what Joy, at the sight of this Rainbow! the Soul now burns in love to God.

8. Aphorism or Position; The greatest Sins come within the compass of Forgiveness, Incest, Sodomy, Adultery, Theft, Murder, which are Sins of the first magnitude▪ yet these are pardonable. Paul was a Blasphemer, and so sinn'd against the first Table, a Persecutor, and so he sinn'd against the second Table; yet he obtain'd Mercy, 1 Tim. 1.13. foreign, I was all besprinkled with Mercy. Zacheus an Extortioner, Mary Magdalen an unchast woman, out of whom seven Devils were cast. Manasseh who made the streets run with Blood, yet had their pardon. Some of the Iews, who had a hand in Crucifying of Christ were forgiven. God blots out not only the Cloud, but the thick Cloud, Isa 44.22. Enormities as well as Infirmities; the King in the Parable, forgave his Debtor that owed him ten thousand Talents, Mat. 18.27. a Talent weighed three thousand Shekels, ten thousand Talents, contain'd almost twelve Tun of Gold. This was an Emblem of God's forgiving great Sins; Isa. 1.18. Tho' your Sins were as Scarlet, yet they shall be as white as Snow. Scarlet in the Greek is call'd foreign, twice dip'd, and the Art of Man cannot wash out the dye again. But p. 808tho' our sins are of a Scarlet-dye, God's Mercy can wash them away. The Sea can as well cover great Rocks, as little Sands. This I mention, that sinners may not despair: God counts it a Glory to him to forgive great Sins; now Mercy and Love ride in Triumph, 1 Tim. 1.14. The Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant; foreign, it was exuberant, it did overflow as Nilus. We must not measure God by our selves. God's Mercy excels our sins, as much as Heaven doth Earth, Isa. 55.9. If great sinners could not be forgiven, then great sinners should not be preached to, but the Gospel is to be preached to all. If they could not be forgiven, it were a dishonour to Christ's Blood, as if the wound were broader than the Plaister. God hath first made great sinners broken Vessels, he hath broken their heart for sin, and then he hath made them golden Vessels, he hath filled them with the Golden Oyl of pardoning Mercy. This may encourage great sinners to come in and repent. Indeed the sin against the Holy Ghost is unpardonable, not but that there is Mercy enough in God to forgive it, but because he who hath committed this sin, will have no pardon. He despights God, scorns his Mercy, spills the Cordial of Christ's Blood, and tramples it under foot, he puts away Salvation from him; but else the greatest sins are pardonable. When a poor sinner looks upon himself, and sees his Guilt, and when he looks upon God's Justice and Holiness, he falls down confounded, but here is that may be as Cork to the Net, to keep him from despair, if thou wilt leave thy sins and come to Christ, Mercy can seal thy pardon.

Aphorism 9. When God pardons a sinner, he forgives all sins, Ier. 33.8. I will pardon all their Iniquities. Col. 2.13. Having forgiven you all Trespasses. The Mercy-Seat covered the whole Ark. The Mercy-Seat was a Type of Forgiveness, to shew that God covers all our Transgressions. He doth not leave one sin upon the score. He doth not take his Pen, and for fourscore sins write down fifty, but blots out all sin, Psal. 103.3. Who forgiveth all thine Iniquities. When I say, God forgives all sins, I understand it of sins Past, but sins to Come are not forgiven till they are Repented of. Indeed, God hath decreed to pardon them, and when God forgives one sin, he will in time forgive all, but sins future are not actually pardon'd, till they are repented of. It is absurd to think sin should be forgiven, before it is committed.

1. If all sins past and to come are at once forgiven, then what need a man pray for the pardon of sin? 'Tis a vain thing to pray for the pardon of that which is already forgiven.

2. This opinion that sins to come (as well as past) are forgiven, doth take away and make void Christ's Intercession: Christ is an Advocate to interceed for daily Sins, 1 Iohn 2.1. but if sin be forgiven before it be committed, what need is there of Christ's daily Intercession? What need have I of an Advocate, if sin be pardoned before it be committed? So that, God tho' he forgives all sins past to a Believer, yet sins to come are not forgiven, till Repentance be Renewed.

Aphorism 10 Faith doth necessarily antecede Forgiveness, there must be Believing on our part, before there is forgiving on God's part, Acts 10.43. To him give all the Prophets witness, that through his Name whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of Sins. So that Faith is a necessary Antecedent to Forgiveness. There are two Acts of Faith, to accept Christ, and to trust in Christ, to accept of his Terms, to trust in his Merits; and he who doth neither of these can have no Forgiveness; he who doth not accept Christ, cannot have his Person, he that doth not trust in him, cannot have benefit by his Blood. So that without Faith, no Remission.

Aphorism 11. Tho' Justification and Sanctification are not the same, yet God never pardons a sinner, but he doth Sanctifie him, Justification and Sanctification are not the same.

1. Justification is without us, Sanctification is within us. The one is by Righteousness imputed, the other is by Righteousness imparted.

2. Justification is equal, Sanctification is gradual. Sanctification doth recipere maegis & minus, one is sanctified more than another, but one is not justified more than another. One hath more Grace than another, but he is not more a Believer than another.

3. The matter of our Justification is perfect, viz. Christ's Righteousness, but our Sanctification is imperfect, there are the spots of God's Children, Deut. 32.5. Our Graces are mixed, our Duties are defiled. Thus Justification and Sanctification are not the same: yet, for all that, they are not separated. God never p. 809pardons and justifies a sinner, but he doth sanctifie him, 1 Cor. 6.11. but ye are justified, but ye are sanctified. 1 Iohn 5.6. This is he that came by Water and Blood, even Iesus Christ. Christ comes to the Soul by Blood, that denotes Remission, and by Water, that denotes Sanctification. Let no man say he is pardoned that is not made Holy. And This, I the rather urge against the Antinomians, who talk of being forgiven their sin▪ and having a part in Christ, and yet remain unconverted, and live in the grossest sins. Pardon and Healing go together, Isa. 57.19. I create the fruit of the lips, peace, and I will heal him. Peace is the fruit of pardon, and then it follows, I will heal him. Where God pardons he purifies. As in the Inauguration of Kings, with the Crown there is the Oyl to anoint: So when God crowns a man with Forgiveness, there he gives the anointing Oyl of Grace to sanctifie, Revel. 2.17. I will give him a white Stone▪ and in the Stone a new Nam…. A white Stone, that is, Absolution, and a new Name in the Stone, that is, Sanctification…

1. If God should pardon a man and not sanctifie him, this would be a Reproach to him, then he should love and be well pleased with men in their sins, which is diametrically contrary to his Holy Nature.

2. If God should pardon and not sanctifie, then he could have no Glory from us. God's people are formed to shew forth his Praise, Isa. 43.21. but if he should pardon and not sanctifie us how could we shew forth his Praise? how could we glorifie him? what Glory can God have by a proud, ignorant prophane Heart?

3. If God should pardon and not sanctifie, then that should enter into Heaven that defileth, but Revel. 21.27. Nothing shall enter that defileth. Then God should settle the Inheritance upon men before they are fit for it, contrary to that Col. 1.12. He hath made us meet for the Inheritance; how is that but by the Divine Unction? so that whoever God forgives, he Transforms. Let no man say his sins are forgiven, who doth not find an inherent Work of Holiness in his Heart.

Aphorism 12. Where God remits sin, he imputes Righteousness. This Righteousness of Christ imputed, is a Salvo to God's Law, and makes full satisfaction for the breaches of it▪ This Righteousness procures God's favour, God cannot but love us, when he sees us in his Sons Robe, which both covers and adorns us. In this spotless Robe of Christ, we Out-shine the Angels. Theirs is but the Righteousness of Creatures, this is the Righteousness of God himself, 2 Cor. 5.21. That we might be made the Righteousness of God in him. How great a Blessing then is Forgiveness? With remission of sin is joyned imputation of Righteousness.

Aphorism 13. They whose sins are forgiven, must not omit praying for forgiveness. Forgive us our Trespasses. Believers who are pardoned, must be continual Suitors for pardon. When Nathan told David, The Lord hath put away thy sin, 2 Sam. 12.13. yet David after that composed a penitential Psalm for the pardon of his sin. Sin after pardon Rebels. Sin like Sampson's Hair, tho' it be cut will grow again. We sin daily, and must as well ask for daily pardon, as for daily bread. Besides, a Christian's pardon is not so sure, but he may desire to have a clearer Evidence of it.

Aphorism 14. A full Absolution from all sin is not pronounc'd, till the day of Judgment. They day of Judgment is called a time of Refreshing, when sin shall be compleatly blotted out, Acts 3.19. Now God blots out sin Truly, but then it shall be done in a more publick way. God will openly Pronounce the Saints Absolution before Men and Angels, their Happiness is not compleated till the day of Judgment, because then their Pardons shall be solemnly Pronounced, and there shall be the Triumphs of the heavenly Host. At that day it will be true indeed, that God sees no sin in his Children. They shall be as pure as the Angels, then the Church shall be presented without wrinkle, Eph. 5.27. She shall be as free from Stain as Guilt, then Satan shall no more accuse, Christ will shew the Debt-book crossed in his Blood. Therefore the Church doth so pray for Christ's coming to Judgment, Rev. 22.17. the Bride saith, Come Lord Iesus, Light the Lamps, then burn the Incense.

Vse 1. Informaet. From this word forgive, we learn, that if the debt of sin be no other way discharg'd but by being forgiven, then we cannot satisfie for it. Among other damnable Opinions of the Church of Rome, this is one, Man's power to satisfie for sin. The Councel of Trent holds, that God is satisfied by our undergoing the Penalty impos'd by the Censure of Priests. And again, p. 810we have Works of our Own, by which we may satisfie for the wrong done to God; by these Opinions let any judge what the Popish Religion is. They intend to pay the debt they owe God themselves, to pay it in part, and do not look to have it all forgiven. But why did Christ teach us to pray, forgive us our sins, if we can of our selves satisfie God for the wrong we have done him? This Doctrine robs God of his Glory, Christ of his Merit, and the Soul of Salvation. Alas, is not the lock cut where our Strength lay? are not all our Works fly-blown with sin? and can sin satisfie for sin? this Doctrine makes men their own Saviours; it is most absurd to hold: for can the Obedience of a finite Creature satisfie for an infinite Offence? Sin being forgiven clearly implies we cannot satisfie for it.

2. From this word VsUs, forgive us, we learn that pardon is chiefly to be sought for our selves. For, tho' we are to pray for the pardon of others, Iam. 6.16. Pray one for another, yet in the first place we are to beg pardon for our selves. What will anothers pardon do us good? every one is to endeavour to have his own name in the pardon. A Son may be made free by his Fathers Copy, but he cannot be pardoned by his Fathers pardon, he must have a pardon for himself. In this sence, selfi…hness is lawful, every one must be for himself, and get a pardon for his own sins. Forgive VsUs.

3. From this word foreign, OVR, Our sins, we learn how just God is in punishing us; the Text saith, Our Sins; we are not punished for other mens sins, but our own. Nemo habet de proprio nisi peccatum—Augustine. There's nothing we can call so properly ours as sin. Our daily bread we have from God, our daily sins we have from our selves. Sin is our own Act, a web of our own spinning. How righteous therefore is God in punishing of us? we sow the seed, and God only makes us reap what we sow, Ier. 17.10. I give every man the fruit of his own doings. When we are punished, we do but tast the fruit of our own grafting.

4. From this word foreign, Sins, see from hence, the multitude of sins we stand guilty of; we pray not forgive us our Sin, (as if it were only a single debt) but sins in the plural; so vast is the Catalogue of our sins, that David cries out, Who can understand his Errors? Ps. 19.12. Our sins are like the drops in the Sea, like the atoms in the Sun, they exceed all Arithmetick. Our debts we owe to God, we can no more number, than we can satisfie. Which, as it should humble us to consider how full of black Spots our Souls are, so it should put us upon seeking after the pardon of our sins, and this brings to the second Vse.

Exhort. To labour to have the forgiveness of sin sealed up to us. How can we eat, or drink, or sleep without it? 'Tis sad dying without a pardon. This is to fall into the Labyrinth of Despair; of this the next time.

Vse 2. Let us labour for the forgiveness of sin. If ever this was needful, then now, when the Times ring Changes, and Dangers seem to be marching towards us. Labour I say, for the Forgiveness of sin; this is a main Branch of the Charter, or Covenant of Grace, Heb. 10.12. I will be merciful to your Unrighteousness, and your Sins and Iniquities I will remember no more. It is Mercy to feed us, but it is rich Mercy to pardon us; this is spun and woven out of the Bowels of Free-grace. Earthly things are no signs of God's love; he may give the Venison, but not the Blessing, but when God seals up Forgiveness, he gives his Love and Heaven with it, Psal. 21.3. Thou settest a Crown of pure Gold on his head. A Crown of Gold was a Mercy, but if you look into 103. Psalm, you shall find a greater Mercy, v. 3, 4. Who forgiveth all thine Iniquities, who crowneth thee with loving-kindness. To be crowned with Forgiveness and Loving kindness, is a far greater Mercy, than to have a Crown of pure Gold set upon the Head; it was a Mercy when Christ cured the palsy man, but when Christ said to him, Thy sins are forgiven, Mar. 2.5. this was more than to have his palsy healed; forgiveness of Sin is the Chief thing to be sought after, and sure if conscience be once touched with a sence of Sin, there's nothing a man will thirst after more than forgiveness, Ps. 51.3. My Sin is ever before me, this made David so earnest for pardon, Ps. 51.1. Have Mercy upon me, O God, blot out my Transgressions. If one should have come to David, and asked him, David where is thy pain? what is it troubles thee? is it the fear of shame which shall come upon thee in thy Wives? is it the fear of the Sword which God hath threatned shall not depart from thy House?2 Sam. 12.11.2 Sam 12:11 he would have said▪ No, it p. 811is only my sin pains me; My Sin is ever before me. Were but this removed by forgiveness, tho' the Sword did ride in circuit in my Family I should be well enough content. When the Arrow of Guilt sticks in the Conscience, nothing is so desirable as to have this Arrow plucked out by forgiveness. Oh therefore seek after the Forgiveness of Sin, can you make a shift to live without it? but how will you do to die without it? will not death have a sting to an unpardoned Sinner? how do you think to get to Heaven without forgiveness? as at some solemn Festivals, there's no being admitted unless you bring a Ticket: so unless you have this Ticket to shew, Forgiveness of Sin, there's no being admitted into the Holy Place of Heaven. Will God ever Crown those that he will not forgive? O be ambitious of pardoning Grace. When God had made Abraham great and large Promises, Abraham replies, Lord what is all, seeing I go Childless? Gen. 15.2. so when God hath given thee Riches, and all thy heart can wish, say to him, Lord, what is all this, seeing I want Forgiveness? let my pardon be sealed in Christ's Blood. A Prisoner in the Tower is in an ill Case, notwithstanding his brave Diet, great Attendance, soft Bed to lie on▪ because being Impeach'd, he looks every day for his Arraignment, and is afraid of the Sentence of Death. In such a Case, and worse is He, that swims in the Pleasures of the World, but his sins are not forgiven. A guilty Conscience doth impeach him, and he is in fear of being Arraign'd and Condemn'd at God's Judgment-Seat. Give not then sleep to your Eyes, or slumber to your Eye lids, till you have gotten some well-grounded hope that your sins are blotted out. Before I come to press the Exhortation to seek after forgiveness of Sin▪ I shall propound one question.

Quest. If pardon of Sin be so absolutely necessary, without it no Salvation, what is the Reason that so few in the world seek after it? If they want health they repair to the Physitian, if they want Riches they take a Voyage to the Indies, but if they want forgiveness of Sin, they seem to be unconcerned, and do not seek after it, whence is this?

Answ. 1. Inadvertency or want of Consideration, they do not look into their spiritual Estate, or cast up their Accounts to see how Matters stand between God and their Souls, Isa. 1.3. My people doth not consider, they do not consider they are indebted to God in a Debt of ten thousand Talents, and that God will ere long call them to account, Rom. 14.12. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. But people shun serious Thoughts, my people doth not consider. Hence it is they do not look after pardon.

2. Men do not seek after forgiveness of Sin, for want of Conviction. Few are convinc'd what a deadly Evil Sin is, it is the spirits of Mischief distilled▪ it turns a mans Glory into shame, it brings all plagues on the Body, and curses on the Soul. Unless a mans Sin be forgiven, there's not the vilest creature alive, the Dog, Serpent, Toad, but is in a better Condition than the Sinner, for when they die, they go but to the Earth, but he dying without pardon, goes into Hell-Torments for ever. Men are not convinced of this, but play with the Viper of Sin.

3. Men do not seek earnestly after Forgiveness, because they are seeking other things: they seek the World immoderately. When Saul was seeking after the Asses▪ he did not think of a Kingdom. The World is a golden Snare, Divitiae Saeculi sunt laquei Diaboli, Bern. The Wedge of Gold hinders many from seeking after a pardon. Ministers cry to the people, get your pardon sealed, but if you call to a man that is in a Mill, the noise of the Mill drowns the voice that he cannot hear▪ so when the Mill of a Trade is going, it makes such a noise, that the people cannot hear the Minister when he lifts up his Voice like a Trumpet, and cries to them to look after the sealing of their pardon. He who spends all his time about the World, and doth not mind Forgiveness, will accuse himself of Folly at last. You would judge that Prisoner very unwise, that should spend all his time with the Cook to get his dinner ready, and should never mind getting a pardon.

4. Men seek not after the forgiveness of Sin, through a bold Presumption of Mercy, they conceit God to be made up all of Mercy, and that he will indulge them, tho' they take little or no pains to sue out their pardon. It is true, God is Merciful, but withal he is Iust, he will not wrong his Justice by shewing Mercy; read the Proclamation, Exod. 34.6. The Lord, the Lord God merciful, ver. 7. and that will by no means clear the guilty. Such as go on in Sin, and are so slothful or wilful that they will not seek after Forgiveness, tho there be a whole p. 812Ocean of Mercy in the Lord, not one drop shall fall to their share, he will by no means clear the guilty.

5. Men seek not earnestly after Forgiveness out of hope of Impunity, they flatter themselves in sin, and because they have been spared so long, therefore sure God never intends to reckon with them, Ps. 10.11. He hath said in his Heart God hath forgotten, he hides his Face, he will never see it. Atheists think either the Iudge is blind, or forgetful; but let Sinners know, that long forbearance is no forgiveness. God did bear with Sodom a long time, but at last rain'd down Fire and Brimstone upon them, the adjourning of the Assises doth not acquit the Prisoner, the longer God is taking his blow, the heavier it will be at last if sinners repent not.

6. Men do not seek earnestly after Forgiveness through Mistake; they think getting a pardon is easie, it is but repenting at the last hour, a sigh or a Lord have Mercy, and a pardon will drop into their Mouths. But is it so easie to repent and have a pardon? tell me O Sinner, is Regeneration easie, are there no Pangs in the new Birth? is Mortification easie? is it nothing to pluck out the right Eye? is it easie to leap out of Dalilahs Lap into Abrahams Bosom? This is the Draw-net by which the Devil drags Millions to Hell, the facility of Repenting and getting a Pardon.

7. Men do not look after Forgiveness through Despair. Oh, saith the desponding Soul, it is a vain thing for me to expect pardon, my Sins are so many and hainous, that sure God will not forgive me, Ier. 18.12. And they said, There is no hope. My Sins are huge Mountains, and can they ever be cast into the Sea? Despair cuts the Sinews of Endeavour, who will use means that despairs of Success? The Devil shews some men their sins at the little end of the Perspective-Glass, and they seem little or none at all: but he shews others their Sins at the great end of the Perspective, and they fright them into Despair. This is a Soul-damning Sin, Iudas's Despair was worse than his Treason. Despair spills the Cordial of Christ's Blood, this is the Voice of Despair, Christ's Blood cannot pardon me. Thus you see whence it is that men seek no more earnestly after the forgiveness of sin. Having answered this Question, I shall now come to press the Exhortation upon every One of us to seek earnestly after the forgiveness of our Sins.

1. Our very Life lies upon the getting of a Pardon, 'tis call'd the Iustification of Life, Rom. 5.18. Now if our Life lies upon our Pardon, and we are dead and damned without it, doth it not concern us above all things to labour after forgiveness of Sin? Deut. 32.47. For it is not a vain thing for you, because it is your Life. If a man be under a Sentence of Death, he will set his Wits a work, and make use of all his friends to get the King to grant His pardon, because his Life lies upon it. So we are by reason of Sin, under a Sentence of Damnation, now there is one friend at Court, we may make use of to procure our Pardon, namely, the Lord Iesus. How earnest then should we be with him to be our Advocate to the Father for us, and that he would Present the Merit of his Blood to the Father, as the Price of our Pardon?

2. There is that in Sin, may make us desire Forgiveness. Sin is the only thing that disquiets the Soul▪ 1. Sin is a Burden, it burdens the Creation, Rom. 8.22. it burdens the Conscience, Ps. 38.4. A wicked man is not sensible of Sin; he is dead in Sin, and if you lay a thousand weight upon a dead man, he feels it not. But to an awakened Conscience, there's no such Burden as Sin, when a man seriously weighs with himself the Glory and Purity of that Majesty which Sin hath offended, the preciousness of that Soul which Sin hath polluted, the loss of that Happiness which sin hath indangered, the greatness of that Torment which Sin hath deserved, to lay all this together, sure must make sin burdensome, and should not we labour to have this Burden removed by pardoning Mercy. 2. Sin is a Debt, Mat. 6.12. Forgive us our Debts, and every Debt we owe, God hath written down in his Book, Isa. 65.6. Behold▪ it is written before me, and one day God's Debt-Book will be opened, Rev. 20.12. The Books were opened. And is not this that which may make us look after Forgiveness? Sin being such a debt as we must eternally lie in the Prison of Hell for, if it be not discharged, shall not we be earnest with God to cross the Debt-book with the Blood of his Son? There is no way to look God in the face with Comfort, but by having our debts either payed or pardoned.

p. 8133. There is nothing but Forgiveness can give Ease to a troubled Conscience; there is a great difference between having the Fancy pleased and having the Conscience eased. Worldly things may please the Fancy, but not ease the Conscience. Nothing but pardon can relieve a troubled Soul, it is strange what shifts men will make for Ease when Conscience is pained, and how many false Medicines they will use before they will take the right way for a Cure. When Conscience is troubled, they will try what merry Company can do, they may perhaps drink away trouble of Conscience, perhaps they may play it away at Cards, perhaps a lent whipping will do the deed. Perhaps multitude of Business will so take up their time, that they shall have no leisure to hear the Clamours and Accusations of Conscience. But how vain are all these Attempts! still their Wound bleeds inwardly, their Heart trembles, their Conscience roars, and they can have no peace. Whence is it? Here is the Reason, they go not to the Mercy of God, and the Blood of Christ, for the pardon of their Sins, and hence it is they can have no ease. Suppose a man hath a Thorn in his Foot, which puts him to pain, let him anoint it, or wrap it up and keep it warm; yet till the Thorn be pluck'd out, it akes and swells and he hath no ease. So when the Thorn of Sin is gotten into a Man's Conscience, there's no ease till the Thorn be pull'd out, when God removes Iniquity, now the Tho…n is pluck'd out. How was Davids Heart finely quieted when Nathan the Prophet told him, t…e Lord hath put away thy Sin, 2. Sam. 12.13. How should we therefore labour for Forgiveness! till then we can have no ease in our Mind, nothing but a pardon seal'd in the Blood of a Redeemer can ease a wounded Spirit.

4. Forgiveness of sin is feasible, it may be obtained, Impossibility destroys Endeavour, but as Ezra 10.2. There is hope in Israel concerning this; the Devils are past hope, a sentence of death is passed upon them, which is irrevocable, but there is hope for us of obtaining a Pardon, Psal. 130.4. There is Forgiveness with thee. If pardon of sin were not possible, then it were not to be pray'd for, but it hath been pray'd for, 2 Sam. 24.10. I beseech thee, O Lord, take away mine Iniquity; and Christ bids us pray for it, Forgive us our Trespasses. That is possible which God hath promised, but God hath promised pardon upon Repentance, Isa. 55.7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and return to the Lord, and he will have Mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Hebr. Ki Iarbe lisloac. He will multiply to pardon. That is possible which others have obtain'd, but others have arrived at Forgiveness, therefore it is haveable, Psal. 32.5. Isa. 38.17. Thou hast cast all my Sins behind thy back; this may make us endeavour after pardon, because it is feasible, it may be had.

5. Consideration, to perswade to it, is, forgiveness of Sin is a Choice Eminent Blessing, to have the Book cancel'd and God appeas'd is worth obtaining; which may whet our Endeavour after it. That it is a rare Transcendent Blessing, appears by three Demonstrations.

1. If we consider how this Blessing is purchased, namely, by the Lord Iesus; there are three things in reference to Christ, which set forth the Choiceness and Pretiousness of Forgiveness.

1. No meer created Power in Heaven or Earth could expiate one Sin, or procure a Pardon; only Jesus Christ, 1 Iohn 2.2. He is foreign, the propitiation for our Sins, no Merit can buy out a Pardon. Paul had as much to boast of as any man. His high Birth, his Learning, his legal Righteousness, but he disclaims all in point of Justification, and lays them under Christ's Feet to tread upon. No Angel could with all his Holiness lay down a price for the pardon of one Sin, 1 Sam. 2.25. If a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? What Angel durst be so bold, as to open his Mouth to God for a delinquent sinner? Only Jesus Christ who is God-Man could deal with God's Justice and purchase Forgiveness.

2. Christ himself could not procure a Pardon but by Dying; every Pardon is the Price of Blood. Christ's Life was a Rule of Holiness, and a Pattern of Obedience. Mat. 3.15. He fulfilled all Righteousness. And certainly, Christ's Active Obedience was of great Value and Merit; but here is that which raiseth the worth of Forgiveness, Christ's active Obedience had not fully procured a Pardon for us with the shedding of his Blood. Therefore our Justification is ascribe… to his Blood, Rom. 5.9. Being justified by his Blood. Christ did bleed out our Pardon. There is much ascribed to Christ's Intercession, but his Intercession p. 814had not prevail'd with God for the forgiveness of one sin, had not he shed his Blood. 'Tis worth our notice, that when Christ is described to Iohn as an Intercessor for his Church, he is represented to him in the likeness of a Lamb slain, Revel. 5.6. To shew that Christ must die and be slain before he can be an Intercessor.

3. Christ by dying had not purchased Forgiveness for us, if he had not dyed an Execrable Death, he endured the Curse, Gal. 3.13. All the Agonies Christ endured in his Soul, all the Torments in his Body, could not purchase a Pardon, except he had been made a Curse for us. Christ must be cursed before we could be blessed with a pardon.

2. Forgiveness of Sin is a choice Blessing, if we consider what glorious Attributes God puts forth in the pardoning of sin. 1. God puts forth infinite Power; when Moses was pleading with God for the pardon of Israels Sin, he speaks thus, Let the Power of my Lord be great, Numb. 14.17. Gods forgiving of Sin is a Work of as great Power, as to make Heaven and Earth. Nay, a Greater; for when God made the World, he met with no Opposition, but when he comes to pardon, Satan opposeth, and the Heart opposeth. A Sinner is desperate, and slights, yea, defies a pardon till God by his mighty Power convinceth him of his Sin and Danger, and makes him willing to accept of a pardon. 2. God in forgiving sin puts forth infinite Mercy, Numb. 14.19. Pardon, I beseech thee, the Iniquity of this people, according to the Greatness of thy Mercy. It is Mercy to have a Reprieve, and if there be Mercy in sparing a sinner, what Mercy then is in pardoning him? This is the Flos lactis, the Cream of Mercy. For God to put up so many Injuries, to wipe so many debts off the score, this is infinite Favour; forgiveness of sin is spun out of the Bowels of God's Mercy.

3. Forgiveness of sin is a choice Blessing, as it lays a Foundation for other Mercies. It is a leading Mercy. 1. It makes way for Temporal Good Things. 1. It brings Health, when Christ said to the palsy man, Thy sins are forgiven, this made way for a bodily Cure, Arise, take up thy Bed and walk, Mat. 9.6. The pardon of his sin, made way for the healing of his Palsy. 2. It brings Prosperity, Ier. 33.8, 9. 2. It makes way for Spiritual good Things. Forgiveness of Sin never comes alone, but hath other spiritual Blessings attending it. Whom God pardons He sanctifies, adopts, crowns. It is a voluminous Mercy, it draws the silver Link of Grace, and the golden Link of Glory after it. It is an high Act of Indulgence, God seals the sinners pardon with a Kiss. And should not we above all things seek after so great a Blessing, a forgiveness.

6. Consideration, That which may make us seek after forgiveness of sin, is God's Inclinableness to pardon, Nehem. 9.17. Thou art a God ready to pardon. In the Hebrew it is Eloha Selicoth, a God of Pardons. We are apt to entertain wrong Conceits of God, that he is inexorable and will not forgive, Mat. 25.24. I knew thou wert an hard man. But God is a sin pardoning God, Exod. 34.6. The Lord, merciful and gracious, forgiving Iniquity, Transgression and Sin. Here is my Name (saith God) if you would know how I am called, I tell you my Name, The Lord, the Lord God merciful; forgiving Iniquity. A Pyrat or Rebel that knows there is a Proclamation out against him, will never come in, but if he hears that the Prince is full of Clemency, and there is a Proclamation of Pardon to him if he submit, this will be a great incentive to him to lay down his Arms, and become Loyal to his Prince. See God's Proclamation to repenting Sinners, Ier. 3.12. Go and proclaim these words and say, Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord, and I will not cause my Anger to fall upon thee, for I am merciful. God's Mercy is a Tender Mercy, the Hebr. word for Mercy Rakem, signifies Bowels, God's Mercy is full of Sympathy, He is of a most sweet Indulgent Nature, Psal. 86 5. Thou Lord art Good and ready to forgive; the Bee doth not more naturally give Hony, than God shews Mercy.

Object. 1. But doth not God seem to delight in Punitive Acts, or Acts of Severity? Prov. 1.26. I will laugh at your Calamity.

Resp. Who doth God say so to? see ver. 25. Ye have set at naught all my Counsel, and would none of my Reproof. God delights in their Destruction who despise his Instruction, but an humble penitentiary breaking off sin, and suing out his Pardon, the Lord delights in shewing Mercy to such an one, Micah 7.18. He delighteth in Mercy.

p. 815Object. 2. But tho' God be so full of Mercy and ready to forgive, yet his Mercy reacheth not to all; he forgives only such as are Elected, and I question my Election?

Resp. 1. No man can say he is not Elected, God hath not revealed this to any particular man that he is a Reprobate, excepting him only who hath sin'd the Sin against the Holy Ghost; which sin thou art far enough from, who mournest for sin and seekest after Forgiveness.

2. These thoughts of Non-Election, that we are not Elected; and that there is no pardon for us, come from Satan, and are the poison'd Arrows he shoots. He is the Accuser, he accuseth us to God, that we are great sinners; and he accuseth God to us, as if he were a Tyrant: one that did watch to destroy his Creature. These are diabolical Suggestions; say, Get thee behind me, Satan.

3. 'Tis sinful for any to hold, that he is not Elected; it would take him off from the Use of Means, from praying and repenting; it would harden him and make him desperate. Therefore pry not into the Arcana Coeli, the Secrets of Heaven. Remember what befel the men of Bethshemesh, for looking into the Ark, 1 Sam. 6.19. Know that we are not to go by Gods Secret Will, but by his Revealed Will; look into God's Revealed Will, and there we shall find enough to cherish Hope, and Encourage us to go to God for the pardon of our sins. God hath revealed in his Word, That he is rich in Mercy, Ephes. 2.4. That he doth not delight in the Destruction of a sinner, Ezek. 18.32. Iurat per Essen…iam, Musculus, he swears by his Essence. Ezek. 33.11. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Hence it is God waits so long, and puts off the Sessions from time to time▪ to see if sinners will repent and seek to him for pardon. therefore let God's tender Mercies and pretious Promises encourage us to seek to him for the forgiveness of our sins.

Consideration 7. To seek earnestly for Pardon, is the unspeakable Misery of such as want Forgiveness; it must needs be ill with that Malefactour that wants his Pardon.

1. The unpardoned sinner (that lives and dies so) is under the greatest Loss and Privation. Is there any Happiness like to the injoying of God in Glory? This is the Joy of Angels, the Crown of Saints glorified; but the unforgiven sinner shall not behold God's smiling Face; he shall see God as an Enemy, not as a Friend; he shall have an affrighting sight of God, not beatifical; he shall see the Black Rod, not the Mercy-Seat. Sins unpardoned are like the Angel with a flaming Sword, who stop'd the passage to Paradise. Sins unpardoned stop the way to the Heavenly Paradise; and how doleful is the Condition of that Soul, which is banish'd from the place of Bliss▪ where the King of Glory keeps his Court?

2. The unpardoned sinner hath nothing to do with any Promise, the Promises M…lctralia Evangelii, the Breasts that hold the sincere Milk of the Word which fills the Soul with precious Sweetness, they are the Royal Charter. But wh…t hath a stranger to do to meddle with the Charter? 'Twas the Dove pluck'd the Olive-branch. 'Tis only the Believer plucks the Tree of the Promise; till the Condition of the Promise be perform'd, no man can have right to the Comfort of the Promise; and how sad is that not to have one promise to shew for Heaven?

3. An unpardoned sinner is continually in danger of the Out-cry of an accusing Conscience▪ An accusing Conscience is a little Hell; Siculi non invenere Tyranni tormentum majus; we tremble to hear a Lyon roar. How terrible are the roarings of Conscience? Iudas hang'd himself to quiet his Conscience; a sinners Conscience at present is either asleep or seared, but when God shall awaken Conscience, either by Affliction or at Death; how will the unpardoned sinner be affrighted? When a man shall have all his sins set before his Eyes, and drawn out in their bloody Colours, and the worm of Conscience begins to gnaw; sinner here are thy Debts, and the Book is not cancel'd, thou must to Hell; O what a trembling at heart will the sinner have!

4. All the Curses of God stand in full force against an unpardoned sinner, his very Blessings are cursed▪ Mal. 2.2. I will curse your Blessings. His Table is a Snare; he eats and drinks a Curse. What comfort could Dionisius have at his Feast, when he imagined he saw a naked Sword hanging by a twine thread over his head? This is enough to spoil a sinners Banquet; a Curse like a naked p. 816Sword hangs over his Head: Caesar wondred to see one of his Soldiers so merry that was in debt. One would wonder that man should be merry who is Heir to all God's Curses; he doth not see these Curses, but is blinder than Balaams Ass, who saw the Angels Sword drawn.

5. The unpardoned sinner is in an ill case at Death. Luther profess'd there were three things which he durst not think of without Christ; of his sins, of Death, of the Day of Judgment. Death to a Christless Soul is the King of Terrors, as the Prophet Ahijah said to Ieroboams Wife, 1 Kin. 14.6. I am sent to thee with heavy Tidings. So death is sent to the unpardoned Soul with heavy Tidings; 'Tis God's Jaylor to arrest him; death is a prologue to Damnation. In particular,

1. Death is a Voyder to take away all his earthly Comforts▪ it takes away his sugar'd Morsels; no more drinking Wine in Bowls, no more Mirth or Musick, Revel. 18.22. The Voice of Harpers and Musicians shall be heard no more at all in thee. The sinner shall never tast of luscious Delights more to all Eternity. His Hony shall be turned to the Gall of Asps, Iob 20.14.

2. At Death there shall be an end put to all Reprieves. Now God reprieves a sinner; he spares him such a fit of Sickness; he respites him many years, the sinner should have died such a drinking bout, but God granted him a Reprieve; he lengthened out the silver Thread of Patience to a Miracle. But the sinner dying without Repentance unpardoned, now the Lease of God's Patience is run out, and the sinner must appear in person before the Righteous God to receive his Sentence; after which there shall be none to bail him, nor shall he hear of a Reprieve any more.

6. The unpardoned sinner dying so, must go into Damnation; this is the second Death, Mors sine morte. The unpardoned Soul must for ever bear the Anger of a Sin-revenging-God; as long as God is God, so long the Vial of his Wrath shall be dropping upon the damned Soul. This is an Helpless Condition; there is a time when a sinner will not be helped. Christ and Salvation are offer'd to him, but he slights them, he will not be helped; and there is a time shortly coming, when he cannot be helped. He calls out for Mercy, O a pardon, a pardon; but then it is too late, the date of Mercy is expir'd; O how sad then is it to live and die unpardoned? You may lay a Grave-stone upon that man, and write this Epitaph upon it; It had been good for that man, he had never been born. Now, if the misery of an unpardon'd State be so unexpressible; how should we labour for Forgiveness, that we may not be ingulph'd in so dreadful a Labyrinth of Fire and Brimstone to all Eternity.

7. Such as are unpardon'd must needs lead uncomfortable lives; Deut. 28.66. Thy Life shall hang in doubt before thee, and thou shalt be in continual fears. Thus the unpardoned sinner must needs have a palpitation and trembling at Heart; he fears every Bush he sees, 1 Ioh. 4.18. Fear hath Torment in it, the Greek word for Torment foreign, is used sometimes for Hell; fear hath Hell in it. A man in debt fears every step he goes, lest he should be arrested: so the unpardoned sinner fears, what if this night Death which is God's Serjeant should arrest him? Iob 7.21. Why dost not thou pardon my Sin, for now shall I sleep in the dust; As if Iob had said, Lord I shall shortly die, I shall sleep in the dust, and what shall I do if my sin be not pardoned? What comfort can an unpardon'd Soul take in any thing? Sure no more than a Prisoner can take in Meat or Musick that wants his pardon. Therefore by all these powerful Motives let us labour for the forgiveness of sin.

Object. 1. But I am discouraged from going to God for pardon, for I am unworthy of forgiveness; what am I, that God should do such a Favour for me?

Resp. God forgives not because we are worthy, but because he is Gracious, Exod. 34 6. The Lord, the Lord, Merciful and Gracious. God forgives out of his Clemency; Acts of Pardon are Acts of Grace. What worthiness was there in Paul before Conversion? He was a Blasphemer, and so he sinned against the first Table; he was a Persecutor, and so he sinned against the second Table; but Free-grace Sealed his Pardon, 1 Tim. 1.13. I obtained Mercy, foreign. I was all bestrowed with Mercy. What Worthiness was in the Woman of Samaria? She was Ignorant, Ioh. 4.22. she was Unclean, ver 18. she was Morose and Churlish, she would not give Christ so much as a Cup of cold water, ver. 9. How p. 817is it that thou being a Iew, askest drink of me which am a woman of Samaria? What worthiness was here? Yet Christ over-looked all, and pardoned her Ingratitude; and tho' she denied him water out of the Well, yet he gave her the Water of Life. Gratia non invenit dignos, sed facit. Free-grace doth not find us worthy, but makes us worthy. Therefore notwithstanding unworthiness, seek to God, and your sins may be pardoned.

Object. 2. But I have been a Great Sinner, and sure God will not pardon me?

Answ. David brings it as an Argument for pardon, Psal. 25.11. Pardon mine Iniquity, for it is great. When God forgives great Sins, now he doth a Work like himself. The desperateness of the Wound doth the more set forth the Vertue of Christ's Blood in curing it. Mary Magdalen a great sinner, out of whom seven Devils were cast; yet she had her pardon. Some of the Iews who had an hand in Crucifying of Christ, upon their Repentance, the very Blood they shed did seal their pardon. Consider sins either for their number as the sands of the Sea, or for their weight, as the Rocks of the Sea; yet there is Mercy enough in God to forgive them, Isa. 1.18. Tho' your sins be as Scarlet, they shall be white as Snow. Scarlet foreign, signifies Twice dipt; which no art of man can get out: yet God can wash out this scarlet Dye. There is no sin excepted from pardon, but that sin which despiseth pardon, viz. the sin against the Holy Ghost, Mat. 12.31. Therefore O sinner, do not cast away thy Anchor of Hope, but go to God for forgiveness. The vast Ocean hath Bounds set to it; but God's pardoning-Mercy is Boundless. God can as well forgive Great Sins, as less: as the Sea can as well cover great Rocks as little Sands. Nothing hinders pardon, but the sinners not asking it.

That a Great Sinner should not despair of forgiveness, consult that Scripture, Isa. 43.25. I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions: If you look on the foregoing words, you would wonder how this verse comes in, ver. 24. Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thy Iniquities; and then it follows, I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions. One would have thought it should have run thus, Thou hast wearied me with thy Iniquities; I, even I am he that will punish thy Iniquities; but God comes in a mild, loveing strain; Thou hast wearied me with thy Iniquities, I am he that blots out thy Iniquities. So that the greatness of our sins should not discourage us from going to God for forgiveness. Tho' thou hast committed Acts of Impiety, yet God can come with an Act of Indemnity, and say; I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions. God counts it his Glory to display Free-grace in its Orient Colours, Rom 5.20. Where sin abounded, Grace did much more abound. When Sin becomes exceeding sinful, Free-grace becomes exceeding glorious. God's pardoning-Love can conquer the sinner, and triumph over the sin. Consider, thou almost-despairing Soul, there is not so much sin in man as there is Mercy in God. Man's sin in comparison of God's Mercy, is but as a spark to the Ocean, and who would doubt whether a spark could be quenched in an Ocean?

Object. 3. But I have relapsed into the same sins, and how can I have the face to come to God for the pardon of those sins which I have more than once fallen into?

Answ. I know the Novatians held, that after a Relapse no forgiveness by the Church. But doubtless that was an Errour, Abraham did twice equivocate; Lot committed Incest twice; Peter sin'd thrice by carnal Fear, but these repenting had their Absolution.

There is a two-fold Relapse, 1. a wilful Relapse, when after a man hath solemnly vowed himself to God, he falls into a league with sin, and returns back to it, Ier. 2.25. I have loved Strangers, and after them will I go.

2. There is a Relapse through Infirmity, when the Bent and Resolution of a mans Heart is against sin, but through the Violence of Temptation, and the withdrawing of God's Grace, he is carried down the stream against his Will. Now though wilful continued Relapses are desperate, and do vastare Conscientiam (as Tertull.) waste the Conscience, and run men upon the Precipice of damnation; yet if they are through Infirmity, and we mourn for them we may obtain forgiveness. A godly man doth not march after sin as his General, but is led captive by it; and the Lord will pity a captive Prisoner. Christ commands us to forgive a trespassing Brother seventy times seven, Mat. 18.22. If he bids us do it, much more will he forgive a relapsing Sinner in case he repent, Ier. 3.12. p. 818Return thou back-sliding Israel, for I am merciful, saith the Lord. It is not falling once or twice into the Mire that drowns, but lying there; it is not once relapsing into sin, but lying in sin impenitently that damns.

Object. 4. But God requires so much Sorrow and Humiliation before Remission, that I fear I shall never arrive at it.

Answ. God requires no more Humiliation than may fit a Soul for Mercy. Many a Christian thinks because he hath not fill'd God's Bottle so full of Tears as others; therefore he is not humbled enough to receive a Pardon. But we must know, God's Dealings are Various; all have not the like Pangs in the New-Birth. Some are won with Love, the sence of God's Mercy abused causeth ingenuous Tears to flow; others are more flagitious and hardned, and these God deals more roughly with. This is sure, That Soul is humbled enough to receive a Pardon who is brought to a thorow Sence of sin, and sees the need of a Saviour, and loves him as the fairest of ten thousand; therefore be not discouraged, if thy Heart be bruised for sin, and broken off from it, thy sin shall be blotted out. No sooner did Ephraim fall a weeping, but God's Bowels fell a working, Ier. 31.20. My Bowels are troubled for him, I will surely have Mercy upon him. Having answered these Objections, let me beseech you above all things, labour for the forgiveness of sin. Think with your selves, how great a Mercy it is: It is one of the Richest Jewels in the Cabinet of the New-Covenant, Psal. 32.1. Blessed is he whose Iniquity is forgiven; in the Hebrew it is Ashre, Blessednesses. And think with your selves, the unparallel'd Misery of such, whose sins are not forgiven; such as had not the Blood of the Paschal Lamb sprinkled on their Door-posts▪ were destroy'd by the Angel, Exod. 12. So they who have not Christ's Blood sprinkled on them, to wash away the guilt of sin, will fall into the gulf of Perdition. And if you resolve to seek after forgiveness, do not delay.

Many say they will go about getting their pardon, but they procrastinate and put it off so long till it be too late; when the shadows of the Evening are stretch'd forth, and the night of Death aproacheth; then they begin to look after their pardon. This hath been the undoing of millions, they purpose they will look after their Souls, but they stay so long till the Lease of Mercy be run out; Oh therefore hasten the getting of a pardon! Think of the Vncertainty of Life. What Security have you, that you shall live another day? Volat ambiguis mobilis alis hora, our Life is a Taper soon blown out; 'tis made up of a few flying minutes. O thou Dust and Ashes! thou mayest fear every hour to be blown into thy Grave, and what if Death come to arrest thee before thy pardon be sealed? Plutarch reports of one Archias, who being among his Cups, one delivered to him a Letter, and desired him to read it presently, being about serious Business, saith he, Seria cras, I will mind serious things to morrow; and that night he was slain. Thou that sayest, To morrow I will repent. I will get my pardon, mayest suddenly be slain; therefore to day, while it is called to day look after the forgiveness of sin; after a while all the Conducts of Mercy will be stop'd, there will not be one drop of Christ's Blood to be had; there is no sealing of pardons after death.

2. Branch of Exhortation, Let us labour to have the Evidence of pardon, to know that our sins are forgiven. A man may have his sins forgiven and not know it; he may have a pardon in the Court of Heaven, when he hath it not in the Court of Conscience. David's sin was forgiven assoon as he repented, and God sent Nathan the Prophet to tell him so, 2 Sam. 12.13. but David did not feel the comfort of it at present; as appears by the penitential Psalm compos'd after, Psal. 51.8. Make me to hear the Voice of Ioy, and ver. 12. Cast me not away from thy Presence. It is one thing to be pardoned, and another thing to feel it. The Evidence of pardon may not appear for a time; and this may be.

1. From the Imbecillity and Weakness of Faith. Forgiveness of sin is so strange and infinite a Blessing, that a Christian can hardly perswade himself that God will extend such a favour to him. As it is said of the Apostles when Christ appeared to them first; They believed not for Ioy, and wondred, Luke 24.41. So the Soul is so stricken with Admiration, that the wonder of pardon doth almost stagger his Faith.

2. A man may be pardoned and not know it, from the Strength of Temptation: Satan accuseth the Godly of sin, and tells them that God doth not love them. What should such sinners think of pardon? Believers are compared to bruised Re…ds, Mat. 12.20▪ and Temptations to Winds, Mat. 7.25. Now, a Reed is p. 819easily shaken with the wind. Temptations shake the godly, and tho▪ they are pardoned yet they know it not; Iob in a Temptation thought God his Enemy, Iob 16.9. yet then he was in a pardoned condition.

Quest. But why doth God sometimes conceal the Evidence of pardon?

Answ. Tho' God doth pardon, yet he may withold the sence of it a while.

1. Because hereby he would lay us lower in Contrition. God would have us see what an evil and bitter thing it is to offend him; we shall therefore lie the longer steeping our selves in the brinish Tears of Repentance before we have the sence of Pardon. It being long before Davids broken Bones were set, and his pardon sealed, the more contrite his Heart was, and this was a Sacrifice God delighted in.

2. Tho God doth forgive sin, yet he may deny the manifestation of it for a time; to make us prize pardon, and make it sweeter to us when it comes. The difficulty of obtaining a Mercy inhanceth the Value, when we have been a long time tugging at prayer for a Pardon of Sin, and still God witholds; but at last after many Sighs and Tears pardon comes, now we esteem it the more, and it is sweeter,—Quo longiùs defertur eò suavius laet atur,—the longer Mercy is in the Birth the more welcome will the Deliverance be.

Let me now reassume the Exhortation to labour for the Evidence and Sence of pardon. He who is pardoned and knows it not, is like one who hath an Estate befallen him, but knows it not. Our comfort consists in the knowledge of Forgiveness, Psal. 51.8. Make me to hear the Voice of Ioy. This is a Proclaiming a Iubile in the Soul, when we are able to read our pardon; and to the witness of Conscience God adds the witness of his Spirit; in the mouth of these two witnesses our Joy is confirmed: O labour for this Evidence of Forgiveness.

Quest. How shall we know that our sins are forgiven?

Answ. We must not be our own judges in this case, Prov. 28.26. He that trusteth in his own Heart is a fool: The Heart is deceitful, Ier. 17.9. and it is Folly to trust a Deceiver. The Lord only by his Word must be Judge in this Case, whether we are pardoned or no; as it was under the Law, no Leper might judge himself to be clean; But the Priest was to pronounce him clean, Levit. 13.37. So we are not to judge of our selves to be clean from the Guilt of Sin, till we are such as the Word of God hath pronounced to be clean: How then shall we know by the Word whether our Guilt is done away, and our Sins pardoned?

Answ. 1. The pardoned sinner is a great weeper. The sence of Gods Love melts his Heart; that Free-grace should ever look upon me; that such Crimson Sins should be wash'd away in Christ's Blood! this makes the Heart melt, and the Eyes drop with Tears Never did any man read his pardon with dry Eyes, Luke 7.38. She stood at his feet weeping, her Heart was a spiritual Limbick, out of which those Tears were distill'd, Mary's Tears were more precious to Christ than her Ointment. Her Eyes which before did sparkle with Lust, whose amorous Glances had set on fire her Lovers. Now she makes them a Fountain and washeth Christ's feet with her Tears. She was a true penitent and had her pardon, ver. 47. Wherefore I say her sins which were many are forgiven. A pardon will make the hardest Heart relent, and cause the stony Heart to bleed; and is it thus with us, have we been dissolv'd into Tears for sin? God seals his pardons upon melting Hearts.

2. We may know our Sins are forgiven, by having the Grace of Faith infused, Acts 10.43. To him give all the Prophets witness, that whosoever believes in him shall receive remission of sins. In saving Faith there are two things, Abrenunciation and Recumbency. 1. Abrenunciation. A man renounceth all Opinion of himself, dig'd out of his own Burrough; he is quite taken off himself, Phil. 3.9 He sees all his Duties are but broken Reeds, tho' he could weep a sea of Tears, tho' he had all the Grace of Men and Angels, it could not purchase his pardon. 2. Recumbency. Faith is an Assent with Affiance. The Soul doth foreign, it gets hold of Christ as Adonijah did of the Horns of the Altar, 1 Kin. 1.51. Faith casts it self upon the Stream of Christ's Blood, and saith. If I perish, I perish, if we have but the Minimum quod sic, the least Dram of this pretious Faith we have something to shew for pardon. To him give all the Prophets witness that whosoever believes in him shall receive Remission of sin. This Faith is acceptable to God, it pleaseth God more than offering up ten thousand Rivers of Oyl, than working Miracles, than Martyrdom or the highest Acts of Obedience. 2. Faith p. 820is profitable to us; it is our best Certificate to shew for pardon: No sooner doth Faith reach forth its Hand to receive Christ, but Christ sets his Hand to our Pardon.

3. Sign. The Pardoned Soul is a God-admirer; Micah 7.18. Who is a God like thee, that pardonest iniquity? O that God should ever look upon me, I was a sinner, and nothing but a sinner, yet I obtain'd mercy! Who is a God like thee? Mercy hath been despised, yet that mercy should save me: Christ hath been Crucified by me, yet his Cross Crowns me. God hath display'd the Ensigns of Free-Grace, he hath set up his Mercy above my Sin, nay, in spight of it; this causeth admiration; Who is a God like thee? A Man that goes over a narrow Bridge in the Night, and the next morning comes and sees the danger he was in▪ and how miraculously he escaped, he is stricken with admiration: So when God shews a Soul how near he was a falling into Hell, and how that this Gulph is shut, all his sins are pardoned, he is amaz'd; and cries out, Who is a God like thee, that pardonest iniquity? That God should pardon one, and pass by another; One taken, another lest; this fills the soul with wonder and astonishment.

4. Where-ever God pardons sin, he subdues it, Micah 7.19. He will have compassion on us, he will subdue our iniquity, Hebr. Iickbosh, sub jugo ponet: Where Mens persons are justified, their lusts are mortified. There is in sin vis Imperatoria & Damnatoria, a Commanding Power, and a Condemning. Then is the condemning power of sin taken away, when the commanding power of it is taken away. Would we know whether our sins are forgiven, are they subdued? If a Malefactor be in prison, how shall he know that his Prince hath Pardoned him? if the Jailor come and knock off his Chains and Fetters, and lets him out of Prison, then he may know he is Pardoned: So, How shall we know God hath pardoned us? if the Fetters of sin be broken off, and we walk at liberty in the ways of God, Psal. 119.45. I will walk at liberty: this is a blessed sign we are pardoned.

Such as are washed in Christ's blood from that guilt, are made Kings to God, Revel. 1.6. as Kings they rule over their sins.

5. He whose sins are forgiven, is full of Love to God. Mary Magdalen's heart was fired with love, Luk. 7.47. Her sins which are many are forgiven, for she loved much. Her love was not the cause of her Remission, but a sign of it. A pardoned Soul is a monument of mercy, …nd he thinks he can never love God enough; he wisheth he had a Coal from God's Altar to inflame his heart in love; he wisheth he could borrow the Wings of the Cherubims that he might fly swifter in Obedience: a pardoned Soul is sick of love. He whose heart is like Marble, lock'd up in impenitency, that doth not melt in love, a sign his pardon is yet to seal.

6. Where the sin is pardoned, the nature is purified, Hos. 14.9. I will heal their backslidings, I will love them. Every Man, by Nature, is both guilty and diseased; where God remits the guilt, he cures the disease, Psal. 103.3. Who forgiveth all thy Iniquities, who healeth all thy Diseases. Herein God's pardon goes beyond the King's pardon; the King may forgive a Malefactor, but he cannot change his heart; he may have a thievish heart still. But God, when he pardons, changeth the heart, Ezek. 36.26. A new heart also will I give you. A pardoned Soul is adorned and embellished with holiness, 1 Joh. 5.6. This is he that came by water and blood. Where Christ comes with Blood to justifie, he comes with Water to cleanse, Zac. 3.4. I have caused thy iniquity to pass from thee, and I will cloath thee with change of raiment. I will cause thy iniquity to pass from thee, there is Pardoning Grace; and I will cloath thee with change of raiment, there is Sanctifying Grace. Let not him say, he hath pardon, that wants Grace. Many tell us▪ they hope they are pardoned, but were never sanctified▪ Yea, but they believe in Christ: But what Faith is it? a Swearing Faith, a Whoring Faith? the Faith of Devils is as good.

7. Such as are in the number of God's People, forgiveness of sin belongs to them, Isa. 40.1. Comfort ye my People, tell them their Iniquity is forgiven.

Quest. How shall we know that we are God's Elect People?

R. By Three Characters.

1. God's people are an humble people. The livery which all Christ's people wear, is Humility, 1 Pet. 5.5. foreign, be ye cloathed with humility. 1. A sight of God's Glory humbles: Elijah wrapped his Face in a Mantle when God's Glory passed by, Job 42.5. Now mine eye seeth thee, wherefore I abhor my self: The Stars vanish when the Sun appears. 2. A sight of sin humbles. In the Glass of the Word the godly see their spots, and these are humbling spots. Lo, saith the p. 821Soul, I can call nothing my own, but Sins and Wants; this humbles. An humble Sinner is in a better condition than a proud Angel.

2. God's people are a willing people, Psal. 110.3. Gnam nedabot, a people of willingness. Love constrains them. They serve God foreign, freely, and out of choice. They stick at no service; they will run through a Sea, and a Wilderness; they will follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.

3. They are an heavenly people, Stars, Joh. 17.16. Ye are not of the World. As the Primum mobile in the Heavens hath a motion of its own, contrary to the other Orbs: So God's people have an heavenly motion of Soul, contrary to the Men of the World. They use the World as their Servant, but do not follow the World as their Master, Phil. 3.20. Our conversation is in heaven. Such as have these Three Characters of God's people, have a good Certificate to shew that they are pardoned. Forgiveness of sin belongs to them; Comfort my people, re…t them, their iniquity is forgiven.

8. A sign we are pardoned, if after many storms, we have a sweet calm and peace within, Rom. 5.1. Being justified, we have peace. After many a bitter Tear shed, and Heart-breaking, the Mind hath been more sedate, and a sweet Serenity, or Still-Musick hath followed; this brings tidings, God is appeased: Whereas before, Conscience did accuse; now it doth secretly whisper comfort: This is a blessed Evidence a Man's sins are pardoned. If the Bailiffs do not Trouble and Arrest the Debtor, it is a sign his Debt is Compounded, or Forgiven: So, if Conscience do not Vex▪ or Accuse, but, upon Good Grounds whisper Consolation, this is a sign the Debt is Discharged, the Sin is Fo…given.

9. A si…n sin is forgiven, when we have hearts without guile, Psal. 32.1, 2. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

Qu. What is this to be sine fuco, without Guile?

1. He who is without guile, hath Plainness of heart: He is without collusion, he hath not cor dup…ex, a double heart: His heart is right with God. A Man may do a Right Action, but not with a Right Heart, 2 Chr. 25.2. Amaziah did tha… which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart. To have the heart right with God, is to serve God from a Right Principle, Love; by a Right Rule, the Word; to a Right End, the Glory of God.

2. An heart without guile dares not allow it self in the least sin: He avoids secret sins. He dares not hide any sin as Rachel did her Fathers Images under her, Gen. 31.34. He knows God sees him, which is more than if Men and Angels did behold him. He avoids Complexion-sins, Psal. 18.23. I was also upright before him, and kept my self from my iniquity. As in the Hive there is a Mas…er-Bee, so in the Heart there is a Master-Sin. An heart without guile takes the Sacrificing-knife of Mortification, and runs it through his Beloved-Sin.

3. An heart without guile desires to know the whole mind and will of God. An unsound heart is afraid of the Light, lucifuga. he is not willing to know his Duty: A sincere Soul saith, as Job 34.32. What I know not teach thou me. Lord shew me what is my Duty, and wherein I offend; let me not sin for want of light: what I know not teach thou me.

4. An heart without guile is uniform in Religion. He hath an equal eye at all God's Commands. 1. He makes Conscience of private Duties, he worships God in his Closet as well as in the Temple. Iacob, when he was alone, wrestled with the Angel, Gen. 32.3, 4. So a Christian, when he is alone, wrestles with God in Prayer, and will not let him go till he hath blessed him. 2. He performs difficu…t duties, wherein the heart and spirit of Religion lie, and which do cross flesh and blood. His is much in self-humbling and self-examining; Vtitur spec…lis magis quam perspicillis, Sen. He rather useth the Looking-glass of the Word to look into his own heart, than the broad Spectacles of Censure to spy the faults of others.

5. An heart without Guile is true to God's interest. 1. He grieves to see it go ill with the Church. N…h…miah, though the King's Cup-bearer, and Wine so near, yet was sad when Sion's Glory was Eclipsed, Nehem. 2.3. Like the Tree I have read of, if any of the Leaves are cut, the rest of the Leaves begin to shrink up themselves, and for a time to hang down the head: So a sincere Soul, when God's Church suffers, feels himself as it were touched in his own Person. 2. He Rejoyceth to see the Cause of God get Ground; To see Truth Triumph, Pie…y lift up its head, and the Flowers of Christ's Crown flourish. This is an Heart without Guile, it's loyal and true to God's interest.

p. 8226. An heart without Guile is Iust in his dealings: As he is upright in his Words, so he is upright in his Weights. He makes Conscience of the Second Table as well as the First: He is for Equity as well as Piety, 1 Thessal. 4.6 That no Man go beyond and defraud his Brother in any matter. A sincere heart thinks he may as well Rob as Defraud. His Rule is, to do to others, what he would have them do to him, Matt. 7.12.

7. An heart without Guile is True in his Promises. His Word is as good as his Bond: If he hath made a Promise, though it be to his prejudice, and doth intrench upon his Profit, he will not go back. The Hypocrite plays fast and loose, flies from his word; there's no more binding him with Oaths and Promises, than Sampson could be bound with green Withs, Iudg. 16.7. A sincere Soul saith as Iephtha, Judg. 11.3, 5. I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot go back.

8. An Heart without Guile is faithful in his Friendship: He is what he pretends; his Heart goes along with his Tongue▪ as a well-made Dial goes with the Sun. He cannot Flatter and Hate, Commend and Censure. Counterfeiting of Love is Hypocrisie. 'Tis too usual to betray with a Kiss, 2 Sam. 20.9. Ioab took Abner by the beard to kiss him, and smote him in the fifth rib that he died. Many deceive with Sugar Words. Physicians use to judge of the Health of the Body by the Tongue; if that look well, the Body is in Health: but we cannot judge of Friendship by the Tongue; the Words may be full of Honey, when the Heart hath the Gall of Malice. Sure his heart is not true to God, who is Treacherous to his Friend. Thus you see what an Heart without guile is; now, to have such an Heart, is a Sign sin is pardoned; God will not impute Sin to him in whose Spirit is no Guile. What a blessed thing is this not to have Sin imputed? If our Sins be not imputed, 'tis as if we had no Sin. Sins remitted are, as if they had not been committed: this is the blessing belongs to a sincere Soul. God imputes not Iniquity to him in whose Spirit is no Guile.

9. He whose sins are forgiven, is willing to forgive others who have offended him, Ephes. 4.32. Forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. An Hypocrite will Read, come to Church, give Alms, build Hospitals, but cannot forgive Wrongs. He will rather want Forgiveness from God, than he will forgive his Enemies. A Pardon'd Soul argues thus; Hath God been so good to me, to forgive me my sins, and shall not I imitate him in this? Hath he forgiven me Pounds, and shall not I forgive Pence? 'Tis noted of Cranmer, Nihil oblivisci solet praeter injurias Cicero. He was of a forgiving Spirit, and would do Offices of Love to them that had injur'd him. Like the Sun, which having drawn up black Vapours from the Earth, returns them back in sweet Showers.

By this Touchstone we may try whether our sins are pardoned; we need not climb up into Heaven to see whether our sins be forgiven; but let us look into our hearts; Are we of Forgiving Spirits? Can we bury Injuries, requite Good for Evil, a good sign we are forgiven of God. If we can find all these things wrought in our Souls, they are happy signs that our sins are pardoned, and are good Letters Testimonials to shew for Heaven.

Vse. 3. Consolation. I shall open a Box of Cordials, and shew you some of the Glorious Priviledges of a pardoned condition. This is a peculiar favour, 'tis a Spring shut up, broched for none but the Elect. The Wicked may have Forbearing Mercy, but onelyonly an Elect Person hath Forgiving Mercy. Forgiveness of sin makes way for solid joy, Isa. 40.1. Comfort ye, comfort ye my People saith your God, speak ye comfortably to Ierusalem; or, as in the Hebrew, Dabberu Gnal le…; speak to her heart—What was this must chear her heart? tell her that her iniquity is pardoned. If any thing would comfort her, the Lord knew it was this. When Christ would chear the Palsie Man, Matt. 9.2. Son, be of good chear▪ thy sins be forgiven thee. It was a greater comfort to have his sins forgiven, than to have his Palsie healed. This made David put on his best clothes, and anoint himself, 2 Sam. 12.20. It was strange, his Child was newly dead, and God had told him, the sword should not depart from his house: yet now he spruceth up himself, he puts on his best Clothes, and Anoints himself; Whence was this? David had heard good News; God sent him his Pardon by Nathan the Prophet, 2 Sam. 12.13. The Lord hath put away thy sin. This could not but revive his heart, and in token of joy he Anoints himself. Philo saith, it was an opinion of some of the Philosophers, that among the Heavenly Sphears, there is such a p. 823sweet Harmonious Melody, that if the sound of it could reach our ears, it would affect us with wonder and delight. Sure he who is pardoned hath such a Divine Melody in his Soul, as doth replenish him with infinite delight. When Christ had said to Mary Magdalen, Thy sins are forgiven; he presently adds, Go in peace ▪ Luk. 7.50. More particularly.

1. Comfort. God looks upon a pardoned Soul, as if he had never sinned. As the Cancelling a Bond nulls the Bond, and makes it as if the Money had never been owing. Forgiving sin makes it not to be: where Sin is Remitted, it is as if it had not been Committed, Jerem. 50.20. So that, as Rachel wept because her children were not; so a Child of God may rejoice because his sins are not. God looks upon him as if he had never offended. Though sin remain in him after pardon, yet God doth not look upon him as a Sinner, but as a Just Man.

2. Comfort. God having pardoned sin, will pass an Act of Oblivion, Jer. 31.34. I will forgive their Iniquity, and I'll remember their sin no more. VVhen a Creditor hath crossed the Book, he doth not call for the Debt again. God will not reckon with the Sinner in a Iudicial way. VVhen our sins are laid upon the head of Christ our Scape-goat, they are carried into a Land of forgetfulness.

3. Comfort. The pardoned soul is for ever secured from the wrath of God. How terrible is God's wrath? Psal. 90.11. Who knows the power of thine anger? If a spark of God's Wrath, when it lights into a Mans Conscience, fills it with such horror, (as in the case of Spira) then what is it to be always scorching in that Torrid Zone, to lie upon Beds of Flames? Now, from this avenging Wrath of God every pardoned Soul is freed: Though he may tast of the bitter Cup of Affliction▪ yet he shall never drink of the Sea of God's Wrath, Rom. 5.9. Being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Christ's blood quencheth the flames of Hell.

4. Comfort. Sin being pardoned, Conscience hath no more authority to accuse. Conscience roars against the Unpardoned Sinner, but it hath nothing to do to Terrifie or Accuse him that is pardoned. God hath discharged the sinner, and if the Creditor discharge the Debtor, what hath the Sergeant to do to Arrest him? The truth is, if God Absolve▪ Conscience, if rightly informed, Absolves. If once God saith, Thy sins are pardoned: Conscience saith, Go in peace. If the Sky be clear, and no storms blow there, then the Sea is calm. If all be clear above, and God shine with pardoning Mercy upon the Soul, then Conscience is calm and serene.

5. Comfort. Nothing that befals a pardoned Soul, shall hurt him, foreign, Psal. 90.10 No evil shall touch thee: That is, no destructive evil. Every thing to a wicked Man is hurtful. Good things are for his hurt. His very blessings are turned into a curse, Mal. 2.2. I will curse your blessings. Riches and Prosperity do him hurt. They are not m…nera, but insidiae, Sen. Golden snares, Eccles. 5.13. Riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. Like Haman's Banquet, which did usher in his Funeral. Ordinances do a sinner hurt; they are foreign, a Savour of Death, 2 Cor. 2.16. Cordials themselves kill. The best things hurt the wicked; but the worst things which befal a pardoned Soul, shall do him no hurt: the Sting, the Poison, the Curse is gone. His Soul is no more hurt, than David hurt Saul, when he cut off the Lap of his Garment.

6. To a pardoned Soul, every thing hath a Commission to do him Good. Afflictions shall do him good; Poverty, Reproach, Persecution, Gen. 50.20. Ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good. As the Elements, though of contrary qualities, yet God hath so tempered them, that they work for the good of the Universe: So the most cross Providences shall work for good to a pardoned Soul. Correction shall be a Corrosive, to eat out sin; it shall cure the swelling of Pride, the Feaver of Lust, the Dropsie of Avarice: it shall be a Refining Fire to purifie Grace, and make it sparkle as Gold; (foreign.) Chrisostom. Every cross-Providence to a pardon'd Soul, shall be like Paul's Euroclidon, or cross-wind, Acts 27. which, though it broke the Ship, yet Paul was brought to shore upon the broken pieces.

7. A pardoned Soul is not onelyonly exempted from Wrath, but invested with Dignity; as Ioseph, was not onelyonly freed from Prison, but advanced to be Second Man in the Kingdom.

A Pardon'd Soul is made a Favourite of Heaven. A King may pardon a Traitor, but will not make him one of his Privy-Council: but whom God Pardons he receives into Favour. I may say to him, as the Angel to V. Mary, Luk. 1.30. p. 824Thou hast found favour with God. Hence such as are forgiven are said to be Crowned with Loving-kindness, Psal. 103.3, 4. Whom God pardons he Crowns. Whom God Absolves he marries himself to, Jer. 3.12. I am merciful, and I will not keep anger for ever; there is Forgiveness: and, in the 14th Verse, I am Married to you: and he who is Match'd into the Crown of Heaven, is as rich as the Angels, as rich as Heaven can make him.

8. Sin being pardon'd, we may come with humble boldness to God in Prayer. Guilt makes us afraid to go to God. Adam having sinn'd, Gen. 3.10. I was afraid and hid my self. Guilt clips the wings of Prayer, it fills the Face with blushing; but Forgiveness breeds confidence: we may look upon God as a Father of Mercy, holding forth a Golden Scepter: he that hath got his pardon can look upon his Prince with comfort.

9. Forgiveness of Sin makes our Services acceptable. God takes all we do in good part. A guilty person, nothing he doth pleaseth God. His Prayer is turned into sin; but when sin is pardoned, now God accepts our offering. We read of Ioshua standing before the Angel of the Lord. * Ioshua was clothed with filthy garments, Zach. 3.3. that is, he was guilty of divers sins: now, saith the Lord, Vers. 4. Take away his filthy Garments, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee: and then he stood and Ministred before the Lord, and his Services were accepted.

10. Forgiveness of sin is the Sawce which sweetens all the comforts of this life. As guilt imbitters our comforts, it puts Wormwood into our Cup; so pardon of Sin sweetens all, it is like Sugar to Wine. Health and Pardon, Estate and Pardon relisheth well. Pardon of sin gives a Sanctified Title, and a delicious tast to every comfort. As Naaman said to Gehazi, 2 King. 5.23. Take two Talents: So saith God to the Pardoned Soul, Take two Talents; take the Venison, and take a Blessing with it; Take the Oil in the Cruse, and take my Love with it. Take two Talents. 'Tis observable Christ joins these two together, Give us our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses: as if Christ would teach us, there is little comfort in daily bread, unless sin be forgiven. Forgiveness doth perfume and drop sweetness into every earthly enjoyment.

11. If sin be forgiven, God will never upbraid us with our former sins. When the Pro…igal came home to his Father, the Father received him into his loving embraces, and never mentioned his former Luxury, or spending his Estate among Harlots: So God will not upbraid us with former sins; nay, he will intirely love us, we shall be his Jewels, and he will put us in his bosom. Mary Magdalen, a pardoned Penitent, after Christ arose, he appeared first to her, Mark 16.9. So far was Christ from upbraiding her, that he brings her the first New of his Resurrection.

12. Sin being pardoned, is a pillar of support in the loss of dear Friends. God hath taken away thy Child, thy Husband, but withal he hath taken away thy sins. He hath given thee more than he hath taken away: He hath taken aaway a Flower, and given thee a Jewel. He hath given thee Christ, and the Spirit, and the earnest of Glory. He hath given thee more than he hath taken away.

13. Where God Pardons Sins he bestows righteousness. With Remission of sin goes Imputation of Righteousness, Isa. 61.10. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, he hath covered me with the Robe of Righteousness. If a Christian can take any comfort in his Inherent Righteousness, which is so stain'd and mix'd with sin, O then what comfort may he take in Christ's Righteousness, which is a better Righteousness than that of Adam? Adam's Righteousness was Mutable; but suppose it had been Vnchangeable, yet it was but the Righteousness of a Man: but that Righteousness which is Imputed, is the Righteousness of him who is God, 2 Cor. 5.21. That we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him. O blessed priviledge, to be reputed in the sight of God Righteous as Christ, having his Embroidered Robe put upon the Soul. This is the comfort of every one that is pardoned, he hath a Perfect Righteousness; and now God saith of him, Thou art all fair, my Love, and there is no spot in thee, Cant. 4.7.

14. A pardon'd Soul needs not fear death. He may look on Death with Joy, who can look on Forgiveness with Faith. To a pardoned Soul death hath lost his Sting. Death to a pardon'd sinner is like the Arresting a Man after the Debt is paid. Death may Arrest, but Christ will shew the Debt-book Crossed in his Blood. A pardoned Soul may Triumph over Death, O Death where is thy Sting, O Grave where is thy Victory! He who is pardon'd needs not fear death; it p. 825is not a Destruction but a Deliverance: It is to him a day of Iubilee, or Release, it releaseth him from all his sins. Death comes to a pardoned Soul, as the Angel did to Peter, it smote him, and beat off his Chains, and carried him out of Prison: So doth Death to him who is pardon'd, it smites his Body, and the Chains of Sin fall off. Death gives a pardon'd Soul a Quietus Est; it frees him from all his Labours, Revel. 14.13. Faelix transitus à labore ad Requiem **Bern.. Death, as it will wipe off our Tears, so it will wipe off our Sweat. Death will do a pardon'd Christian the greatest good turn, therefore it is made a part of the Inventory, 1 Cor. 3.22. Death is yours. Death is like the Waggon which was sent for old Iacob, it came ratling with its Wheels, but it was to carry Iacob to his Son Ioseph: So the Wheels of Death's Chariot may rattle, and make a noise, but they are to carry a Believer to Christ. While a Believer is here, he is absent from the Lord, 2 Cor. 5.6. He lives far from Court, and cannot see him whom his Soul loves: But Death gives him a sight of the King of Glory, in whose presence is fulness of Ioy ▪ To a pardoned Soul, Death is Transitus ad regnum; it removes him to the place of Bliss, where he shall hear the Triumphs and Anthems of Praise Sung in the Quire of Angels. No cause hath a pardoned Soul to fear Death. What needs he fear to have his Body buried in the Earth, who hath his Sins buried in Christ's Wounds? What hurt can Death do to him? It is but his Ferry-man, to Ferry him over to the Land of Promise. The day of Death to a pardon'd Soul is his Ascension day to Heaven, his Coronation-day when he shall be Crown'd with those delights of Paradice which are unspeakable and full of glory. foreign Chrysost. Thus you see the the rich Consolations which belong to a pardoned sinner. Well might David proclaim him blessed, Psal. 32.1. Blessed is he whose iniquity is forgiven: In the Hebrew it is in the plural, foreign, Blessednesses. Here is a Plurality of Blessings. Forgiveness of sin is like the first link of a Chain, which draws all the links after it; it draws these 14 Priviledges after it: It Crowns with Grace and Glory. Who then would not labour to have his sins forgiven? Blessed is he whose Iniquity is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Now followeth the Duties of such as have their sins forgiven. —Mercy calls for Duty. Be much in Praise and Doxology, Psal. 103.

1. Bless the Lord, O my Soul, who forgiveth all thy Iniquities. Hath God Crowned you with pardoning Mercy? set the Crown of your Praise upon the head of Free Grace. Pardon of sin is a Discriminating Mercy, a Jewel hung onelyonly upon the Elect; this calls for Acclamations of Praise. You will give thanks for daily bread, and will you not much more for Pardon? You will give thanks for deliverance from Sickness, and will you not for deliverance from Hell? God hath done more for you in forgiving your sin, than if he had given you a Kingdom: And, that you may be more thankful, do but set the Unpardoned condition b…fore your eyes. How sad is it to want a pardon? all the Curses of the Law stand in full force against such an one. The Unpardoned Sinner dying▪ he drops into the Grave and Hell both at once. He must quarter among the Damned; and will not this make you Thankful, that this is not your condition, but that you are delivered from wrath to come?

2. Let God's pardoning love inflame your hearts with love to God. For God to pardon freely, without any desert of yours, to pardon so many offences, that he should pardon you and pass by others; that he should take you out of the ruines of Mankind, and of a clod of dust and sin make you a Jewel sparkling with Heavenly Glory; Will not this make you love God much? Three Prisoners that deserve to die, if the King pardon one of these, and leave the other two to the severity of the Law, will not he that is pardoned love his Prince, who hath been so full of Clemency? How should your hearts be indeared in love to God? The Schoolmen distinguish of a Two-fold Love, Amor gratuitus, a Love of Bounty; that is, God's Love to us in Forgiving: and Amor debitus, a Love of Duty; that is, our Love to God by way of Retaliation. We should shew our love, by admiring God, by sweetly solacing our selves in him, and binding our selves to him in a perpetual Covenant.

3. Let the Sence of God's Love in forgiving, make you more Cautious and Fearful of sin for the future, Psal. 130.4. There is forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared. O fear to offend this God who hath been so gracious to you in forgiving. If a Friend hath done a kindness for us, we will not disoblige him, or abuse his Love. After Nathan had told David, The Lord hath put away thy p. 826sin: How tender was David's Conscience? How fearful was he of staining his Soul with the guilt of more blood? Psal. 51.14. Deliver me from Blood-guiltiness O God. Men committing gross sin after pardon, God changeth his carriage towards them, he turns his Smile into a …rown; they lie, as Ionah, in the belly of hell; God's Wrath falls into their Conscience, as a drop of scalding Lead into the Eye: the Promises are as a Fountain sealed, not a drop of comfort comes from them. O Christians, do you not remember what it cost you before to get your pardon? How long it was before your broken bones were set; And will you again venture to sin? You may be in such a condition, that you may question whether you belong to God or no; though God doth not Damn you, he may send you to Hell in this Life.

4. If God hath given you good hope that you are pardoned, walk chearfully, Rom. 5.11. We joy in God, through our Lord Iesus Christ, by whom we have received the Atonement. Who should rejoice if not he that hath his pardon? God rejoiceth when he shews us Mercy; And should not we rejoice when we receive Mercy? In the saddest times a pardoned Soul may rejoice. Afflictions have a Commission to do him good; every cross-wind of Providence shall blow him nearer to the Haven of Glory. Christian, God hath pull'd off your Prison-fetters, and Cloth'd you with the Robe of Righteousness, and Crown'd you with Loving-kindness, and yet art thou sad? Rom. 5.2. We rejoice in hope of the Glory of God. Can the Wicked rejoice who have onelyonly a short Reprieve from Hell, and not they who have a full Pardon sealed?

5. Hath God pardoned you? Do all the Service you can for God. 1 Cor. 15.58. Always abounding in the work of the Lord. Let your head study for God, let your hands work for him, let your Tongue be the Organ of his Praise. Paul got his pardon, 1 Tim. 1.16. I obtained Mercy: and this was as Oyl to the Wheels, it made him move faster in obedience, 1 Cor. 15.10. I laboured, foreign, more abundantly than they all. Paul's obedience did not move slow as the Sun on the Dial, but swiftly, as the Sun in the Firmament. He did spend, and was spent for Christ. The pardoned Soul thinks he can never love God enough, or serve him enough.

The last thing is, to lay down some Rules or Directions, how we may obtain forgiveness of Sin.

1. We must take heed of Mistakes about pardon of Sin.

1. Mistake, That our sins are pardoned, when they are not.

Q. Whence is this Mistake?

R. From Two Grounds.

1. Because God is Merciful.

Answ. God's being Merciful shews, that a Man's sins are pardonable; but there is a great deal of difference between sins pardonable, and sins pardoned. Thy sins may be pardonable yet not pardoned. Though God be merciful, yet who is God's Mercy for? not for the Presuming sinner, but the Repenting sinner. Such as go on in sin, cannot lay claim to it. God's Mercy is like the Ark, none but the Priests might touch the Ark: none but such as are Spiritual Priests, Sacrificing their sins, may touch this Ark of God's Mercy.

2. Because Christ died for their sins, therefore they are forgiven.

Answ. That Christ died for Remission of sin, is true; but that therefore all have Remission, is false: The Iudas should be forgiven. Remission is limited to Believers, Act. 13.39. By him all that believe are justified; but all do not believe. Some slight, and trample Christ's blood under foot, Heb. 10.29. So that notwithstanding Christ's Death, all are not pardoned. Take heed of this dangerous mistake. Who will seek after pardon, that thinks he hath it already?

2. Mistake. That pardon is easie to be had; it is but a sigh, or, Lord have Mercy: But, How dearly hath pardon cost them who have obtained it? How long was it ere David's broken bones were set? Happy we, if we have the pardon of sin sealed, though at the very last hour: But, Why do Men think pardon of sin so easie to be obtained? their sins are but small, therefore Venial. The Devil holds the small end of the Perspective-glass before their eyes. But, First, There is no sin small, being against a Deity: Why is he punished with death, that Clips the King's Coin, or defaceth his Statue, but because it is an abuse offered to the Person of the King. Secondly, Little sins, when multiplied, become great. A little sum, when multiplied, comes to Millions. What is less than a grain of Sand, but when the Sand is multiplied, what heavier? Thirdly, Thy sins cost no small price. View thy sins in the Glass of Christ's Sufferings: p. 827Christ did vail his Glory, lose his Joy, and pour out his Soul an Offering for the least sin. Fourthly, Little sins, unrepented of, will damn thee as well as greater. Not onelyonly great Rivers fall into the Sea, but little Brooks: Not onelyonly greater sins carry Men to Hell, but lesser; therefore do not think pardon easie, because sin is small; beware of mistakes.

2. The Second Means for Pardon of sin, is, see your selves guilty. Come to God as Condemned Men, 1 King. 20.32. They put Ropes upon their heads, and came to the King of Israel: Let us come to God in profound Humility: Say not thus, Lord, my heart is good, and my life blameless, God hates this. Lie in the dust, be covered with sackcloth; say as the Centurion, Mat. 8.8 Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: I deserve not the least smile from Heaven. This is the way for pardon.

3. The Third Means for pardon is hearty Confession of sin, Psal. 32.5. I confessed my sin, and thou forgavest me. Would we have God cover our sins, we must discover them, 1 Joh. 1.9. If we confess our sins, he is just to forgive them. One would have thought it should have …un thus; If we confess our sins, he is merciful to forgive them; nay, but he is just to forgive them. Why Just? because he hath bound himself by promise to forgive an humble Confessor of sin. Cum accusat, excusat, Tertull. When we accuse our selves, God absolves us. We are apt to hide our sins, Iob 31.33. which is as great a folly as for one to hide his disease from the Physitian: But when we open our sins to God by Confessing, he opens his Mercy to us by Forgiving.

4. Means, for pardon, sound Repentance: Repentance and Remission are put together, Luk. 24 47. There is a Promise of a Fountain Opened for the washing away the guilt of sin, Zach. 13.1. But see what goes before, Zac. 12.10. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and shall mourn for him, Isa. 1.16. Wash ye, make ye clean; that is, wash in the waters of Repentance; and then follows a promise of Forgiveness. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. 'Tis easie to turn white into scarlet, but not so easie to turn scarlet into white; yet, upon Repentance, God hath promised to make the scarlet-sinner of a Milk-like whiteness.

Caut▪ Not that Repentance merits pardon; but it prepares for it. We set our Seal on the Wax when it melts: God seals his pardons on melting hearts.

5. Means, Faith in the blood of Christ. It's Christ's blood washeth away sin, Rev. 1.6. but this blood will not wash away sin unless it be apply'd by Faith. The Apostle speaks of the Sprinkling of the blood of Christ, 1 Pet. 1.2. Many are not pardoned, though Christ's blood be shed▪ because it is not sprinkled: Now it is Faith that sprinkles Christ's blood on the Soul, for the Remission of sin. As Thomas put his hands into Christ's sides, Ioh. 20 27. So Faith puts its hand into Christ's wounds, and takes of the blood and sprinkles it upon the Conscience, for the washing away of guilt. Hence in Scripture we are said to obtain pardon through Faith, Act. 13.39. By him all that believe are justified. Luk. 7.48. Thy sins are forgiven. Whence was this? Vers. 50. Thy faith hath saved thee. O let us labour for Faith: Christ is a Propitiation or Atonement, to take away sin, But how? through Faith in his blood, Rom 3.25.

6. Means, Pray much for Pardon, Hos. 14.2. Take away all iniquity, Luk. 18.13. The Publican smote upon his breast, saying, God be me merciful to me a sinner: and the Text saith, he went away justified. Many pray for Health, Riches, Children; but Christ hath taught us what to pray for chiefly, remitte nobis debita nostra; Forgive us our sins. And be earnest Suitors for pardon: Consider, what guilt of sin is; it binds one over to the Wrath of God: Better thy House were haunted with Devils, than thy Soul with guilt. He who is in the bond of iniquity, must needs be in the Gall of bitterness, Acts 8.23. A guilty Soul wears Cain's Mark, which was a Trembling at Heart, and a Sha…ng in his Flesh. Guilt makes the sinner afraid, lest every Trouble he meets with should Arrest him, and bring him to Judgment. If guilt be so dismal, and breeds such Convulsion fits in the Conscience, How earnest should we be in Prayer, that God would remove this guilt, and so earnest, as to Resolve to take no denial? Plead hard with God for Pardon, as a Man would plead with a Judge for his Life: Fall upon thy Knees, say, Lord, hear one word. Why may God say, What canst thou say for thy self that thou shouldst not dye? Lord, I can say but little, but I put in my surety, Christ shall answer for me, O look upon that blood which speaks better things than the blood of Abel; Christ is my Priest, his Blood is my p. 828Sacrifice, his Divine Nature is my Altar. As Rahab was to shew the Scarlet thread in the Window, and when Ioshua saw it, he did not destroy her, Iosh. 2.18.21. Iosh. 6.22, 23. So shew the Lord the Scarlet thread of Christs Blood, and that is the way to have mercy. But, will God say, why should I pardon thee, thou hast no ways obliged me? but, Lord, pardon me because thou hast promised it; I urge thy Covenant; when a Man is to dye by the Law, he calls for his Book; so say, Lord, let me have the benefit of my Book; thy Word saith, if the sinner forsake his evil way, thou wilt pardon abundantly, Isa. 55.7. Lord, I have forsaken my sin, let me therefore have mercy, I plead the benefit of the Book. But, for whose sake should I pardon, thou canst not deserve it? Lord, for thy own name sake, thou hast said thou wilt blot out sin, for thy own name sake, Isa. 43.25. 'Twill be no Eclipsing to thy Crown; how will thy mercy shine forth, and all thy other Attributes ride in triumph, if thou shalt pardon me? Thus plead with God in Prayer, and resolve not to give him over till thy pardon be sealed. God cannot deny importunity. He delights in Mercy, as the Mother, saith Chrysostom, delights to have her Breast milked: so God delights to Milk out the Breast of Mercy to the sinner, these means being used will procure this great blessedness, the Forgiveness of Sin. Thus I have done with the first part of this fifth Petition, Forgive us our Sins, I come next to the second part of the Petition, as we forgive our Debtors.