The Abuse of Gods Grace, Chapter 3 · Section 11
SECT. 11.
11. PArdoning Grace is turned into wantonneſs: Apprehended 11 Pardoning Grace is turned into wantonneſs.Remiſſion hath proved the corroboration of ſin: How many are there that ſin, becauſe they think they are pardoned, and though they drive on the trade again, it is but ſuing a Pardon, and the corrupt Libertine hath peace again? Sin and pardon, pardon and ſin, is their circle of deluſion: But ſin and repentance are ſtrangers to each other: What a diſhonor is this to pardoning Grace? It is made by theſe men, the Incourager and Patron of ſin, as the Popes indulgences, and large Pardons for ſins paſt, preſent, and to come, out of his rich, cheating pardon office, are to blinde Papiſts: How do Libertines turn the pardon office of Heaven, and throne of Grace erected by the Lord Jeſus, into a Stews of uncleanneſs, a free opening of Hell Gates, an open Market for any to buy the Devils Wares? Hearken all ye that wrong pardoning mercy, to nine things.1 Ungrateful wickedneſs in undervaluing the price of forgiveneſs
1. You, in ungrateful Wickedneſs, …ndervalue, yea tread under your feet the infinite price of forgiveneſs: The ſtate of pardon, and every act of pardon, coſt the blood of the Son of God: We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveneſſe of ſinnes. Epheſ. 1. 7. Becauſe this blood hath bought you a pardon, will you ſell your ſelves to worke wickedneſſe, and diſgrace your Redeemer and redemption?
2. You abuſe the riches of Gods grace: Forgiveneſſe of ſins 2 Riches of grace are abuſed.is according to the riches of his grace. Epheſ. 1. 7. The pardon of every ſinne, of infinite numberleſſe ſinnes, is a diſtinct act of grace. That muſt needs be rich, exceeding rich grace, that pardons innumerable ſinnes; as that muſt be an immenſe treaſure of money that paies as many debts as there be Stars in the Firmament; yea more than that the rich grace of God doth, when he ſaves a ſinner: Will you now frolick in your carnall wantonneſs, becauſe rich grace will forgive you? it is as if you ſhould caſt a Kings pardoning act of grace into the dunghill, or tread it under your feet.
3. You croſſe the very end of Pardon, which is the deſtroying, 3 The ends of pardon are croſſed. Fit nobis venia, non quae peccata foveat, ſed quae ad pie ſanctéque vivendi ſtudiū nos revocet. Marlorat. in Mat. 9. 4 Chriſts errant in being ſent into the world is croſt. 5 Gods deſigns what in you lyes are croſt.not the favouring of ſinne; the healing, not increaſing the wound; a pious & holy, not an impious and prophane life. Chriſt never blotted out believers ſinnes, that his Pardons might be Indulgences to ſinne, but purges: He never put any into a new ſtate of pardon, but he made them new creatures. Sin no more, followed the pardon of the Adultereſſe, Joh. 8. 11. Sinne is ſtill the Devils and the fleſhes allowance, not Jeſus Chriſts.
4. You contradict the very errand of Chriſt ſent into the world; He came to call ſinners to repentance, Mat. 9. 13. not to give them leave to live in ſin.
5. You deprive God, what in you lyes, of another of his deſigns in forgiving ſinners: The planting of his holy fear in their hearts not to ſin again: There is forgiveneſſe with thee, that thou mayſt be feared, Pſal. 130. 4. not that thou mayſt be ſtill diſhonoured by the old ſinnes. Yea what fear, a property of true repentance? 2 Cor. 7. 11.6 A choice Goſpel bleſſing is denyed.
6. You deny your ſelves a choice Goſpel bleſſing, which is the turning of you from your iniquities, Act. 3. 26. Joyfull news to ſound hearts to be rid of the power of their tyrannizing ſins.7 A choice fruit of Chriſts Interceſſ…ō is miſt.
7. You miſs a choice fruit of Chriſts interceſſion, which is to give repentance to Iſrael. Act. 5. 31. One of the great donatives of the Prince of Life, inſtalled in his heavenly glory, a choice Royal gift to fit for Heaven.
8. You divide what God hath joyned together, Remiſſion and 8 That is divided which God hath joyned. 9 Selfiſhneſſe appears in thoughts, hopes, and deſires.Repentance. Act. 5. 31. Sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and ſprinkling of the blood of Jeſus. 1 Pet. 1. 2.
9. You are wholly ſelfiſh in your thoughts, hopes, and deſires of pardon, would have God blot out your ſinnes to ſerve your own turn, not to ſerve him; to ſinne with a peaceable ſpirit, not ſerve him with a pure conſcience; That you might not goe to Hell, not that you might be fit for Heaven. O Chriſtians! abuſe not upon theſe accounts pardoning grace: If you doe, and die in this wickedneſs, be ſure theſe conſiderations, will like fire flaſhing about the ears, in the other world, flame upon your conſciences, as daring wantons, that have played and ſported with Gods pardons. If you ſay, God forbid we ſhould abuſe pardoning grace, we are free from ſo great a ſinne; Take heed you dream not of innocence, where the Word chargeth you with guilt: Surely you play the wantons with pardoning grace, if ſeven things are verified of you.
1. If you ſinne in hope of pardon, which is wretched preſumption, 1. To ſin in hope of pardon is wretched preſumption.Are you not like thoſe ill nurtured, and impudent children, that are vile and wicked, becauſe they expect their fond and indulgent Parents forgiveneſſe? or like thoſe Rogues, that rob and ſteal, becauſe they hope for a Pſalm of Mercy? or like thoſe tempters of God, that wound themſelves becauſe they look for healing from a ſoveraign Balſome? What is this expectation of pardon, but a confirmation in ſin, and an encourgaement to doe ſtill more wickedly?
2. If after your aſſurance, that you are pardoned, you boldly, 2 To ſin upon hopes of pardon is to welcome the fleſh.willingly, and delightingly bid the next temptations welcome, this is in effect as if you ſhould ſay, Welcome fleſh, we are your ſervants; welcome devil, we are your ſubjects; welcome world, with all your ſnares, ſinfull pleaſures and pollutions, we will refuſe none of you, we are out of gun-ſhot, you can doe us no hurt; we had lately a pardon ſent into our boſoms, and now we may have liberty of ſport and dalliance; we have a gracious God that will forgive us, and a ſuretie who will pay all our debts: If this be your caſe, do you not clearly affront pardoning grace?
3. If your deſign of deſiring and obtaining pardon be onelyonly 3 Such as ſin in hope of pardon, can eaſily beare the pollution of ſin.to have a quiet conſcience, but not a good one, you can very well bear the obſtruction, the rebellion, the pollution of your ſinnes, but onelyonly dread their damnation. If the uſe you make of pardons, is onelyonly that you may not be troubled, not that you may be holy, here is evident injury to Pardoning grace.
4. When you goe on in ſin, after thoughts of pardon, you 4 To ſin after thoughts of pardon, ſhews no love unto Jeſus Chriſt.have no ſincere love to Jeſus Chriſt. Many reſt in hopes, yea ſome in aſſurances, they are forgiven, who yet never heartily loved the Lord Chriſt. They never had a love to labour for his name. Revel. 2. 3. to prize his preſence, Pſal. 16. 8. to ſtoop to his ſtrict ſpiritual Government, Mich. 5. 2. to regard his image, to be living Saints, Rom. 8. 29. To have evill, Pſal. 119. 104. An eminent, yet pardoned ſinner, will prove this high abuſe of pardoning grace: Much was forgiven her, for ſhe loved much, Luk. 7. 47. She could not but anſwer love for love. If you that write your ſelves down in your quiet conſciences, abſolved perſons, love not the Lord Jeſus, you are worſe than Publicans, they love thoſe that love them. Mat. 5. 46. If a liberal creditor ſhould freely forgive all your debts, could you deny your loveleſſe carriage to him is an high abuſe of his goodneſſe? Should you hate your ſuretie, conſcience would tell you his love ſhould be abuſed. Thus doe you deal with God your creditor, Chriſt your ſuretie, you diſgrace the pardoning grace you thinke you have from them, when you hate the Father and the Sonne, yea abhorre the guiding your hearts and lives by the Spirits motions.
5. If after thoughts of obtained pardon, you have no tender 5 Then pardoning grace is abuſed, when there is no tender conſcience, &c.conſcience, no mournings, weepings, meltings of love, of Goſpel joy for Abſolution, no ſerious ſenſe of the diſhonourable evill, even of pardoned ſinne, no watchfull, fearefull thoughts of the next tranſgreſſion, no ſorrowfull apprehenſion of renewed ſin. When you came over a narrow bridge, and very hardly ſaved your life, are not you tender of comming that way again? You have narrowlie ſcaped hell, doe you think pardoning grace hath kept you off it? O where is your tenderneſſe of ſinning there again, where you had been almoſt plunged into the bottomleſſe pit. An heart hardned in ſin, after thoughts of granted forgiveneſſe, is an evident wrong to this Goſpel grace.
6. If after thoughts of getting a pardon you have no holy 6 Pardoning grace is abuſed, when there is no ſhame for ſinſhame for your ſinnes: Mary Magdalen was pardoned, but in an holy ſhame ſhee ſtood behind her Saviour, Luk. 7. 38. The abſolved Romans were aſhamed, even of their pardoned ſinnes, Rom. 6. 21. Ye are now, ſaid the Apoſtle, aſhamed of them. Ingenious children of God are aſhamed, when renewing repentance in their Fathers preſence, they looke over the black roll even of pardoned ſinnes. Surely you that have impudent reflections on your conceited ſinnes, yea have no ſhame to keep you off from renewed and pleaſing ſins, do much diſparage pardoning grace.
7. If after thoughts your ſins are pardoned, you cannot, you 7 Pardoning grace is abuſed when you will not pardon others.will not pardon others, not your enemies, not your friends, not your joynt profeſſors of the ſame heavenly faith and hope, not your loving reprovers, not your hearty interceſſors at the throne of grace for you. Are you indeed pardoned that cannot pardon? Pardon of ſin is an eminent part of Goſpel-glory. True believers are changed into it, 2 Cor. 3. 18. When they ſee how much they are forgiven, they cannot but forgive; when they ſee an hundred debts are forgiven, will they ſtrain at it to forgive one? Yea when God forgives a thouſand to one, ſhall they not blot out a few? I dare boldly ſay, Thoſe that take it for granted their ſins are pardoned, that are implacable, that write wrongs in marble, not in the duſt, be their confidences never ſo high, do both un-Chriſtian, and un-Man themſelves.
1. They ſtrip themſelves of Chriſtianity. Its a choice, and hard rule to fleſh and blood to forgive enemies; but this is neglected, deſpiſed. How can you ſay, Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, when your conſciences tell you, that you cannot forgive? you doe not ſo much pray for, as curſe your ſelves; as if you ſhould ſay, Lord forgive not my ſinnes, for I will not forgive others. Doe we not read the example of Chriſt, that forg…ve his enemies; He prayed for it, Father forgive them, Luk. 23. 34. this difficult piece of Chriſtianity was in Stephen, Act. 7. 50. That choice Apoſtolical precept to the Coloſſians, As Christ forgave you, ſo alſo do ye, Col. 3. 13. And is it Chriſtianity never to forgive nor forget, ever to treaſure up wrath and revenge?Certe conſanguinei ſumus, & ideo maximum ſcelus putandum eſt, ediſſe hominem vel nocentem. Propterea Deus praecepit inimicitias per nos nunquam faciendas, ſemper eſſe tollendas, ſcilicet ut eos quiſint nobis inimici, neceſſitudinis admonitos mitigemus. Lactant. l. 6. c. 10. Notanda eſt Carnis appellatio, qua intelligit univerſes homines, quorum neminem intueri poſſumus, quin velut in ſpeculo carnem noſtram contemplemur. Summae igitur inhumanitatis eſt eos deſpicere, in quibus imaginem noſtram agnoſcere cogimur. Calv. in loc.
2. They ſtrip themſelves of humanity: Even the Law of nature requires forgiveneſs: We are all the off-ſpring of Adam, come of one blood, Acts 17. 26. There is a conſ…nguinity in all man-kinde: We have kindred with all the children of men: It is therefore the inference of Lactantius: We are all of a blood, and therefore it is to be reputed the greateſt wickedneſs to hate any man, although an hurtful enemy: And upon this natural conſideration, enmities between men and men are never to be practiſed, but ever to be aboliſhed: Inſpiration of ſouls, forming of Bodies from the ſame common Heavenly Father, ſpeaks us Brethren: The admonition of the univerſal natural kindred of the World, ſhould allay, yea, and break the ſpirit of enmity into love; we little conſider it, but it is a real truth: When we take revenge of any man, we are revenged of our ſelves: Every ones fleſh is ours: The Prophet Iſaias calls every ones fleſh our own, Iſaiah 58. 7. That thou hide not thy ſelf from thine own fleſh: Calvins expoſition is pertinent to this purpoſe: The word fleſh is to be noted, whereby the Prophet underſtands every man, of whom we can behold none, but as in a glaſs we contemplate our own fleſh: It is therefore a part of higheſt inhumanity, to deſpiſe thoſe in whom we are conſtrained to behold our own likeneſs: Conſider this, all ye Chriſtians, who think your ſelves ſafe under the ſecurity of Gods pardoning Grace: How have you abuſed this Goſpel-priviledge, whom neither the ſerious ſenſe of Chriſtianity, nor the common tie of humanity can prevail with to forgive? When you cannot give, nor forgive, reaſon thus; Shal I not ſuccor and pardon mine own fleſh? Shall I both ſin againſt grace and nature? Shall I by my uncharitable and implacable Spirit, ſin both againſt redemption and creation goodneſs? Such Meditations cannot be too frequent to drive away irreligious and unnatural hardheartedneſs and revenge out of the ſpirits of Chriſtians.