Mary Magdalenes Tears Wiped Off, Objection 1 – Objection 4
OBJECTION I.
My Sins are not as other mens, they are not the Spots of Gods Children: they have theſe Circumſtances, that render them moſt formidable. They are 1. more then other mens, 2. greater, 3. more loved, 4. longer lived in, 5. leſs grieved for, then the Sins of other men.
SOLUTION.
6. PUt all theſe Circumſtances together, but the laſt (which ſhall be anſwered by it ſelf) your ſins can be but great, many, loved, relapſed, and perhaps after ſharp Corrections for them, Vows againſt them, ſence of ſtrength and ability through grace, to oppoſe, reſiſt, and overcome them, and all the moſt powerful temptations to them, and this acknowledged, and owned by your ſelf, in your impaſſionate, and deliberate thoughts.
Now what hinders the Remiſsion of ſuch Sins? are theſe the firſt Scarlet ſins that have ever been brought before the Throne of Grace, to receive another tincture by the hands of Mercy and pardon? is there any incapacity in the Sinner, any defect in the means, any qualification in the ſins themſelves, any barre or obſtacle to the Judge, that theſe ſins, that ſuch a ſinner ſhould not be remitted?
What makes you uncapable of Pardon? any Decree concerning your perſon, in Gods ſecret Will? in his revealed Will there is nothing but grace and mercy offered to you, becauſe to all that truly repent and turn unto him, Ezek. 18.21, 22. but if you ſuſpect the Will of Gods purpoſe, what he hath determined concerning your Perſon, in that Will. you muſt know, that as there are not two Wills in the Divine Majeſty, nor two contradictory Acts of one and the ſame Will: So may you aſſure your ſelf, that what may directly be concluded from his Revealed Will concerning the ſalvation of mankinde, you have your joynt-intereſt therein, with the reſt of the Redeemed World: and that no Decree hath from all eternity been paſt againſt you, whereby a barre is ſet againſt all your good and ſquare endeavours, and your perſon rejected into a fatal neceſſity of being damned. Impoſſible indeed it is that ſuch dormant Attainders ſhould lye againſt the Perſons of ſome men, for the Prevarication and Rebellion of our firſt Parents, and yet that General Act of the Grace and Favour of Almighty God, be ſo ſolemnly proclaimed by that great Ambaſſador of our Reconciliation, 1 Tim. 2.4.
OBJECTION II.
But I have made my ſelf uncapable by loſing the opportunities, and heretofore deſpightfully uſing both the inward, and outward means of my Calling, and therefore juſtly is that fallen upon me, foretold and threatned in, Prov. 1.24. Becauſe I have called, and ye refuſed, I have ſtretched out my hand, and no man regarded, &c. v. 26. I will laugh at your Calamity, &c.
SOLUTION.
7. IF by the Opportunity or Seaſon of repenting unto Salvation, you mean one point of time, wherein God doth ſufficiently once for all, or as the laſt tendrie thereof, not only offer us the means of Grace, but alſo ſufficiently prepare and diſpoſe the Will to receive it: I doubt not, but that anſwer of our Saviour to his Diſciples, Act. 1.7. will be very applyable to you, It is not for you to know the times or the ſeaſons, which the Father hath put in his own power. As Grace it ſelf is the free and undeſerved guift of God, ſo are the circumſtances of giving it, for time, manner, and meaſure, His; and diſpoſed of according to the Will of his purpoſe, wherewith you are not made acquainted, nor privie to any determination concerning your ſelf, unleſs you have had, ſome known Revelation thereof. I believe that the Day of grace, as far as we are able to collect is not ſhut up; nor the Sun of Righteouſneſs, that at our Saviours Baptiſm roſe upon our Souls, with healing in his Wings, ſet, and gone down over us, till our life be ended. Some were called at the eleventh hour, when there was but one hour more to work in: yet by the bountiful promiſe of the Lord of the Vineyard were rewarded with the penny, i. e. everlaſting life, as well as they who bore the burden and heat of the day, Matth. 20.9. Sincerity of Reſolution is pretious in Gods eye: and where ſufficient time to approve the ſame by good works is not allowed; I doubt not of the ſavable ſtate of that ſoul. Yet I do profeſs, not to believe, that ſuch an one ſhall have an equal ſhare of glory, with Saints of the firſt magnitude; neither can there in reaſon be ſo comſortable a poſture of minde lookt for in ſuch an one: this being moſt commonly the Reſult of that experience we have of our own repentance, by bringing forth fruits worthy of it; which ought, when time and means permit, to carry in them a due proportion, to the continuance, and vileneſs of our former unregenerate life.
Now, though Almighty God doth ſometime accept the will for the deed, viz. a firm and irrefragable Temptation-proof Reſolution of Converſion for all future actual performances thereof; as being able to Foreſee, that that man would perform his reſolutions, in caſe God did permit him ſo much time: yet ſhould no man upon this Conſideration, deferre his Repentance, but rather moſt ſtudiouſly imbrace the preſent time offered; not only for that this is to be interpreted an affront of the Divine Majeſty, by turning the Grace of God into wantonneſs; but for that no man is aſſured, that ever he ſhall have any ſuch late, and pretious minute vouchſafed unto h m; or if it be, can poſſibly have any aſſurance, that he will be true to his word with God, in his Vows and Reſolutions; God alone, with whom all future things are preſent, being able to foreknow the ſoundneſs, and ſteadineſs of ſuch ſhipwrackt ingagers. And as theſe dependencies are ſeldom ſo ſucceſsful (at leaſt not ſo often) as many men imagine, and in Charity we may very farre hope; ſo would I have them to be eſteemed, as ſuch, which can have no right Aſpect upon, nor incouragement from, the uſual, regular Proceedings of the Divine Majeſty: but are rather to be layd, on the unpromiſed exceſſes and ſuperabundancies of an infinite goodneſs, extending it ſelf to a ſinner, Repenting him of his ſins, beyond the full and free limits of the firſt gracious Conceſſion of Pardon: from a Relyance on which, as I would not deterre any the moſt grievous offender; whoſe neglects and former Supinity had caſt him on this little Plank, in a Sea of Perplexities; ſo do I almoſt aſſure my ſelf, that ſuch a Chriſtian, who dares continue in ſin, upon the confidence of this ſuperabundance of grace, ſhall never be partaker thereof; this being a Pearl of too incomparable a value, to be caſt before that Swine, who hath ſo contemptuouſly trampled it under his feet.
Yet, if you mark it, your Caſe is far different from the ſtate of ſuch a man, who hath neglected (ſay deſpiſed) the offers of mercy till the laſt minute of his life, wherein he rather ſnatches after, then imbraces pardon; being more ſenſible of his own danger, then the love of God: for (bleſſed be God) you have not received any Summons, to a ſpeedy account of your ſtewardſhip, by a decrepid old age, or a violent diſeaſe, or other contingency; but have made it your bleſſed choice, to double your Pace in the wayes of Holineſs; having yet, (as far as we are able to gueſs) the Poſtmeridian part of your Day before you; time enough by the good bleſſing of God, to finiſh your Task which is ſet you, ere the night come wherein no man can work, Jo. 9.4.
As for your Deſpightfully uſing the Spirit of Grace, Heb. 10.29. (as you phraſe it after St. Paul) an expreſsion more ſuitable to a ſtate of Apoſtacy than Ʋnregeneracy, (as you would have me ſuppoſe yours to be) as in your former courſe of life, you ſet (if I may believe your ſelf) too little an eſteem, upon the wayes of God (the manner of unregentrate men:) ſo have you now too bitter a cenſure upon your own, the ſins of our unregenerate life, being after converſion, by all Divines (I preſume) accounted araungable, under the ſtyle of Infirmities; and therefore of what ſort ſoever, yet pardonable upon Repentance.
OBJECTION.
I grant (ſay you) that it may be with ſome Chriſtians as with St. Paul; he was a moſt violent Perſecutor of the Church, but then it was in a ſtate of Ignorance and Unbelief, and therefore he ſayes, God had mercy upon him, becauſe he did it through Ignorance, and in Infidelity: From whence 'tis eaſy to in infer, that had St. Paul maliciouſly and knowingly acted thoſe outrages against the Church of Chriſt, he had undoubtedly been excluded from all hopes of Pardon; What think you then will become of me, Who knew the will of my Maſter and did it not.
SOLUTION.
8. THat Saint Paul did Ignorantly perſecute the Church of Christ is unqueſtionable; and that if Saint Paul had done the ſame Knowingly, and Maliciouſly, he had not had any grounds to expect Pardon may probably enough be true; but I do not take it to be out of all Queſtion, but the Inference from hence againſt your ſelf is Illogical, and will by no means follow upon thoſe Premiſes. For thus your Argument ſtands, Saint Paul had mercy from God for perſecuting the Church of Chriſt Ignorantly, therefore whoever committeth any ſin againſt Conſcience and Knowledge ſhall not have mercy, and ſuch ſins I am guilty of.
I ſhall not ſtand to ſhew you the falſity of this way of reaſoning, but only diſcover unto you how erroneous your Principles are, and that ſo evidently, as I need not torture you into a confeſsion thereof; Do you profeſs to believe that there is an equality in all kinds of Sin? that Adultery is not a greater ſin than Swearing? Murder or Idolatry than Sabboth breach? Rebellion than Theft? I am aſſured you are not involved in this groſs error. But then do you believe, that that circumſtance [of doing it Knowingly] can render the ſame ſin unpardonable, which if done Ignorantly will upon Repentance undoubtedly be forgiven. Who then can be ſaved? What were the ſins of David and of Saint Peter? were they not ſins againſt Knowledge, yet Repentance reſtor'd both of them to their former ſtation in Gods favour, you cannot ſuppoſe that thoſe perſons with whom our Saviour converſt, were all of them Sinners only out of Ignorance: Mary Magdalen was never held to be Ignorant (much leſs to be Inculpably ſo,) that her courſe of Life was not agreeable to the Law of God: yet ſo dear was ſhe to our Saviour, upon her hearty Repentance, That after his Reſurrection he appeared firſt to Mary Magdalene, out of whom be had cast ſeven Devils, Mar. 16.9.
OBJECTION IV.
But under the Law the Soul that did ought preſumptuouſly, was to be cut off from Iſrael.
SOLUTION.
9. WE are not under the Law but under Grace, and Saint Paul tells us plainly, that a main branch of that Priviledge is, That by Him, (i. e. Chriſt) all that believe are juſtified from all things, from which Ye (i. e. the Jews) could not be juſtified by the Law of Moſes, Act. 13.39. from whence 'tis clear, that Remiſsion of ſins is given to all Sinners, who repent and believe the Goſpel. Beſides, every ſin that a man commits againſt Knowledge, is not a ſin of Preſumption, or a ſin committed with an high Hand; Preſumption is not an error of, or in the Underſtanding, but in the Will; at leaſt is much more fixt in the Will, than in the intellectual faculty, and therefore to ſin againſt Knowledge, and to ſin Preſumptuouſly are not convertible, and the ſame thing; Preſumption being not only the higheſt degree of Wilfullneſs, and very properly plac'd under the v ce of Audacity; but it reflects more upon the perſon of the Law-maker, than on the Law it ſelf; and the contempt of perſons in Authority is ever more grievouſly puniſhed than the breach of ſuch Laws and conſtitutions, as are made by them.