Mary Magdalenes Tears Wiped Off, Objection 10 – Objection 15
OBJECTION X.
You will ſay perhaps what ſettlement of Conſcience by a Sacerdotal Abſolution? ſeeing the Prieſt can but ſee, with the eyes of a Man, and hath no Knowledge of my heart; which is ſo Deceitful, that it is a very great difficulty, for any man to finde it out, though it lodg in his own breaſt, and if he had knowledge thereof, yet is the Act but Miniſterial, not Diſpoticall, and who knows whether God will confirme it or no.
SOLUTION.
15. THe Prieſt ſeeth but as man ſeeth, but he may ſee what you ſee not, and judge better of what he ſees then every common perſon, ſeeing the lips of the Prieſt do preſerve knowledge. If therefore he have underſtanding to diſcerne and judge aright of what he ſees, (as you muſt ſuppoſe he hath, elſe you will (at leaſt) condemn your ſelf of an unreaſonable choyce) it is your buiſineſs, to lay your Soul before him; and to acquaint him throughly, and truly, with your Condition: if you fail in this (and conſequently the Act be done under an error) the blame hereof will light on none but your ſelf. And as for the knowledg of your wayes, there is no doubt but if St. Pauls Rule be true, though nothing elſe without us but God doth, yet the Spirit of a man doth know the things of a man, 1 Cor. 2.11. and the heart may be Emptied to the very bottom, by ſuch rules as a judicious prudent and pious Confeſſor ſhall preſcribe.
But in the later part of your Objection, I am ſorry to hear any queſtion made of Gods confirmation of that due and neceſſarie Act of Abſolution made in His name, and by vertue of a Commiſſion derived from him. Any thing of this nature amongſt men, would ſound too infamous, eſpecially if fixt upon ſuch Perſons who have the Power and Honour of Giving commiſſions to other men. To queſtion Gods faithfulneſs, is a ſin of infidelity, and he that hath promiſed under the ſecond covenant, he will remember our Sins and Iniquities no more, Heb. 8.12. i. e. of ſuch as embrace the Goſpel preach'd unto them.
14. To conclude my Anſwer fully to theſe two laſt Objections, I ſuppoſe, that becauſe we have no viſible bloody Sacrifice, nor a Moſtholy (on Earth) into which the High-Prieſt may enter with blood for his own and our Sins, it is therefore a matter of difficulty in your judgement to be aſcertained of the way of obtaining pardon for Sinners under the Goſpel; the means of doing it being ſo ſecret and inviſible, and the Threatnings (in caſe it be not done) ſo open and terrible.
The Apoſtle tells us plainly, That Ieſus Chriſt is the ſame yeſterday, and to day, and for ever: Heb. 13.8. which imports not only the immutability of Gods accepting Chriſt, as the meritorious cauſe of Remiſſion of Sins, but alſo the unchangeableneſs of that method, whereby this Kingdom of Chriſt under the Goſper is adminiſtred. For this later, which moſt concerns your caſe, the Apoſtle tells you, that Chriſt ever liv…th to make interceſſion for us, Heb. 7.25. this being the moſt conſiderable part of his Office in the adminiſtration of his mediatory Kingdom. This Iaterceſſion for us, i. e. the Church in general, and each one in particular, being his own immediate Act in Heaven, (and prefigured unto us by the High-prieſts going into the Moſt-holy, once only in every year, Heb. 9.8.) doth conſiſt of two branches, becauſe it ſuppoſeth that we have need of two things, Juſtification and Sanctification, therefore doth our High-Prieſt intercede with his Father for two things; for 1. pardon of Sin, for 2. grace of Obedience, or holy living; and theſe not intermitted, but continued Acts of interceſſion for us, to the end of our lives, and for all unto the end of the world.
And this Act of Chriſts Interceſſion for pardon is two fold; Firſt a preventive act of Interceſſion, (or rather the beginning of an Act continued to higher degrees) whereby Chriſt doth intercede with God for us, that the Legal forfeiture of our lives by ſin, may not be taken immediately after the Fact; and alſo that Grace of Repentance may be given us: of this nature I conceive that Interceſſional prayer of our Saviour, Luk. 23.34. Father forgive them, they know not what they do. Where though the giving to ſuch men Repentance be not expreſt, yet is it (queſtionleſs) implyed, becauſe without Repentance they cannot be pardoned. The ſecond branch of this Act is a ſubſequent mediatorie act of prayer, or [Plea] with God (for ſo much the word Advocate will bear, (if any man ſin, we have an Advocate, &c.) on the behalf of the ſinner repenting; whereby Pardon is procured for him, upon Gods Foreſight, that his Contrition and Repentance will be ſincerely continued, by the vertue and efficacy of the grace of perſeverance, which is interceded for by Chriſt, and obteined, upon the Penitents uſing the former meaſure of aſſiſting grace; and this, as a bleſſing upon, and a reward of his ſincere endeavours of obedience.
This later branch of Chriſts interceſſion for pardon, is that, whereby Chriſt the Mediator doth receive into his protection, the humiliating acts of a penitent ſoul, perfuming the Tears and prayers of ſuch a one, with clouds of his own moſt precious Incenſe; and together with his own, offering them to Allmighty God, as the fruits of his former Mediation, and an earneſt of that enlargement of his Church, which, as it is the travail of his ſoul, Iai. 53.11. which he delights to ſee, ſo will it be the joy of the holy Angels in the preſence of God.
16. Upon this Interceſſion of Chriſt, depends our pardon of Sin, and renovation by Grace: from hence it is, that all but Apoſtates, and ſuch as ceaſe not to do deſpight to the Spirit of God, by a continued preſumptuous and malitious courſe of Sinning, receive a benefit apportionate to their ſeveral Stations and Degrees. And that you have no reaſon to think your ſelf rejected, into the fatal portion of them, (being indeed the purchaſe of the ſinner himſelf, thus cruel to his own ſoul) who have no advantage, (nay not the greateſt of all) by this Interceſſion of Chriſt: your Eyes fill'd with your Tears, and your Ears deafned with your own Sighs, your Hands ſo buſy in diſtributing Alms, your Feet ſo Active in viſiting the Sick, and your Knees made callous (like the Primitive Saints) with frequent Prayings, are a ſufficient witneſs to your ſelf, and to all the world beſide.
OBJECT. XIII.
But you Reply. Did not Eſau ſeek the Bleſſing with Tears, and yet miſs'd of it.
SOLUTION.
17. BUt I preſume you think St. Paul hath put this Objection into your mouth; but if you pleaſe to ſurvey the place in Hebr. 12.16, 17. you ſhall finde that this doth not reach you, unleſs you have at any time ſold the bleſſing for a meſs of pottage, i. e. renounc't your intereſt in the land of Promiſe, (the pretious promiſes of the Goſpel,) for the enjoyment of that Plenty, Honour, peace, &c. the Pomps and vanities of this wicked World; I ſay renounc't your part and intereſt in the Merits and Mediation of Chriſt; and that not indirectly and remotely (as all who are guilty of wilful ſins in ſome meaſure do) but orally, ſcandalouſly and treacherouſly; which (I preſume) you will not forge, and charge upon your ſelf; though your fancy hath a large Shop, and many Tools to work with.
Seeing then, that by vertue of that preventional act of interceſſion, (lately mentioned) you have not been cut off in your ſins; but have your life given unto you for a prey; and withal, Grace for Repentance unto life, which like good Phyſick, by reaſon of a maſs of crude humors in the Stomack) doth thus work ſomewhat violently in your ſoul; why ſhould you doubt that other ſubſequent Act of Chriſts Interceſſion, whereby your pardon will be obtained? hath God pleaſure in the death of him that dyeth? doth not he ſwear he hath not? Ezek. 33.11. and hath the Divine Majeſty ſo far loſt his credit with you, as not to be beiveled upon his oath? can he which is Love it ſelf, not only ſcorn, but hate the Proſtrations of a Sinner? that Sinner, whoſe eyes would be content to pour out Rivers of bloud before the throne of Grace, to obtain a Reconciliation with the offended Majeſtie of Heaven? even that Reconciliation which Himſelf prayes from us men, by the Ambaſſadors of his Holy Goſpel, as St. Paul hath told us, 2 Cor. 5.20. O do not thus ſtruggle to deprive your ſelf of your intereſt, and ſhare in thoſe merciful imbraces, which haſten to meet, and not fly from Repenting Sinners!
OBJECT. XIV.
But yet ſtill, me thinketh, my Sins are ſuch, as God cannot in Juſtice paſs by; his promiſes are too pretious to belong to me; more temperate Sinners, and ſuch who have not ſo violenced the Law of God, and provok't his Long-fuffering, may (doubtleſs) have the benefit of them: but as for me, why ſhould not my Lot be with them, who but for ten times provoking were for ever ſecluded the Land of Promiſe.
SOLUTION.
18. YOur Charity is very commendable, that can make you believe ſo much for others, and ſo little for your ſelf: but you ſhould do well to remember, that the Attributes of the Divine Majeſty, may not be limitted by us; not that I think any one ſo fooliſh, as to attempt it in reſpect of their nature, which is impoſſible; but in reſpect of their effects which to do is ſinfull, they are infinite in their own nature, and muſt be ſo in our eſteem: to ſay God cannot forgive your ſins, is a ſin againſt his power and juſtice; to ſay he will not (where he hath promiſed) is a ſin againſt his truth and goodneſſe. His goodneſs hath made him promiſe that he will do it; and that he might make this promiſe good, he hath provided a full ſatisfaction to his juſtice, and all this as much before us, as without us, and this limited as fully and as largely to you, as to any other Chriſtian in the world.
This you cannot but ſee, in that moſt comfortable and full affirmation of the Apoſtle. Heb. 2.9. When he tells you plainly that it was the deſign of Gods Grace. That Chriſt ſhould taſt death for every man: and God ſo loved the World (ſaith St. John. cap. 3.16.) That he gave his only begotten ſon, that whoſoever believeth in him, ſhould not periſh but have everlaſting life.
As for that example of Gods wrath upon the Provoakers, (which you think doth ſo neerly concerne you, becauſe you have ſinned willfully more then ten times;) you muſt give me leave to tell you, that you are very unfortunate in your application of Scripture; this example not reaching home to your caſe, indeed over-reaching it more then Jonathans third arrow did the Lad that fetcht the other two. 1 Sam. 20. For the Caution given by the Apoſtle to the Hebrews, in that place is, that they take care of falling away from the Goſpell, upon temptations or perſecutions; and ſo after the example of many already fallen from the faith of Chriſt, ſhould become Apoſtates; whereby they might be ſure that the promiſes of the Goſpel, ſhould be no matter of advantage to them, becauſe they ſhould be as certain never to enter in Gods reſt; as were thoſe provoakers in the Wilderneſſe, who for tempting God ſo often, were finally by Gods Oath excluded, from all hopes of entring into the Land of Canaan; their Carkeſſes falling in the Wilderneſſe, as the trophees of Gods vengeance upon them, for their infidelity of his power, and goodneſſe, and promiſe.
This (I doubt not) doth clearly appear unto you (unleſſe you have engaged never to repudiate your pregnant fancy, how Spurious ſoever her conceptions are) to be of no concernment to your caſe: who carry in your breaſt, ſo many witneſſes of your belief of the Goſpell, eſpecially the threatning part of it, that (as your poſture is for the preſent) to fear your Apoſtacy from the faith of Chriſt; were an apprehenſion too remote from all excuſes allowable even to perſons of your temper.
OBJECTION
Yet who knows but I may fall away? I am not yet perſwaded that I ſhall be ſaved.
SOLUTION.
19. THough my prayer to God for you is that you may not be ſo perſwaded totally, and finally, yet if any one ſhould be ſo, it doth not therefore follow, that ſuch a one is fallen from the faith of the Goſpel: for the belief of this is ſo far from being a disbelief of the Goſpel of Chriſt, that it is not ſo much a direct disbleif of any part of the word of God; becauſe God hath no where declared by ſpeciall affirmation, that ſuch a man ſhall be ſaved. But be it that you were perſwaded that you ſhould be ſaved, neither of theſe two things would follow thereupon, either firſt, therefore I ſhall infallibly be ſaved, or 2. I am aſſured that I ſhall never be an Apoſtate, becauſe I thus believe, for what text of Scripture doth affirme this propoſition, viz. he that is firmly perſwaded that he ſhall be ſaved, ſhall never become an Apoſtate? or this, he that believeth he ſhall be ſaved, ſhall infallibly be ſaved?
In a word, had you an Aſſurance of your ſalvation abſolutely, and unconditionately given unto you, by all the Divines in the world; yet was this but an humane aſſurance, and could amount to no more, but a teſtimony from men, the ſtability whereof would be as demonſtrable as their own mortality, being the evidence of this Propoſition [you ſhall infallibly be ſaved] is taken from the will of Gods purpoſe concerning that man, to which ſecret will, of the Divine Majeſtie, matters that concern Gods preſcience do belong, though indeed the conditionall aſſur ance of any mans ſalvation, doth relate to his revealed will.