A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 123 (Question 33 cont.)
SERMON CXXIII.
…E proceed to conſider the Special … Nature of it, in the reſt of the Anſ… … which there are ſeveral things to be …tice of, that are put into the Deſ….
… are to obſerve the act it ſelf, or the … is done in Juſtification. And that is … in two Articles, or there are two … that are done for the man in this act, … P…rdoneth all his Sins, and Accepteth … Righteous in his ſight. Divines do …ly made thoſe to be the two parts of …fication; and accordingly do handle them diſtinctly: for though they go together inſeperably in this act, and the man cannot be ſaid truly to be juſtifyed, if either of them be wanting, yet the things themſelves are diverſe, and ſlow from a different Cauſe. For, Juſtification, being an Authoritative Sentence, pronounced by a Judge, on a perſon upon Trial; ſuppopſeth a Law, according to which, a righteous Judge will exactly preceed. Now, the Law of God, which he at firſt eſtabliſhed as the rule of his Relative Juſtice, in his proceeding with Mankind, and unto which man's Juſtification muſt needs refer, had a double Sanction hypothetically added to it; viz. there was a reward of Life promiſed to perfect obedience, Rom. 10.5. and there was Death threatned to diſobedience, Gen. 2.17. Man by his Apoſtacy is departed from his Obedience, and ſo hath forfeited the Life that was promiſed him if he had kept his integrity; and he is become a Sinner, and ſo come under the threatning denounced againſt diſobedience. Hence that man may be ſet right again, and made a bleſſed man, as every juſtifyed one is, he muſt both have the Threatning repealed & removed from him, which is done by an act od Pardon, and the Reward of Life adjudged to him, which is done by declaring him worthy of it. And as both theſe things muſt be co-incident in the compleating of this act, ſo there muſt be a ground on which Juſtice muſt proceed to the doing each of them.
(1.) FOR the removing of the Threatning, in order to the man's Pardon, by taking off the Sentence of Condemnation that is out againſt him, there muſt be a Satisfaction made to the Law, which requires a Paſſive Obedience; becauſe that dooms the man to die. And for this reaſon we have that expreſſion, Heb. 9.22. And almoſt all things are by the law purged with blood: and without ſhedding of blood there is no remiſſion.
(2.) FOR the reſtoring him to Life, by giving him a title to the promiſed Reward, there muſt be an Active Obedience to the Law; perfect and compleat: without which the condition on which Life was promiſed cannot be performed, or the perſon righteouſly adjudged to receive it. For, if God declare the man righteous, there muſt be a Righteouſneſs on account whereof he ſo doth. And there is more goes to that than a finding of him not Guilty. Chriſt therefore being to lay in for this, declared that he muſt fulfill all righteouſneſs, Mar. 3.18. we may therefore take an account of theſe ſeverally.
IN this act of Juſtification, God Pardoneth all our Sins, The Doctrine of Forgiveneſs of Sin in much celebrated in the Word of God, and it is fit that we ſhould be well acquainted with the ground and nature … it, ſince our Eternal Welfare depends upon it. For this end we muſt know to what head in Divinity it belongs, elſe we ſhall not take up right ſentiments about it. Now, all the Orthodox do truly and properly refer it to the head of Juſtification: And hence the nature and grounds of it muſt be calculated according to that. There may be a pardon given out to an Offendor, by an act of arbitrary Sovereignty or Prerogative, which ſupercedes the Law, and lays by any reſpect to it. Here is a diſcharge indeed given to the perſon, but it cannot properly be called a Juſtification, becauſe it is not the act of a Judge, but of one that challengeth a Superiority, and a diſpenſing Power. Whether God by his abſolute Sovereignty might thus have pardoned the Sinner, is a matter or diſpute. But that as a righteous Judge he cannot ſo do, is granted on all hands, and that becauſe, he hath conſtituted a rule of proceedure with the reaſonable Creature, unto which he bound himſelf in a Covenant Obligation, and for that reaſon there muſt be a concurrence of …at Rule in his ſo doing. And therefore he is ſaid to be juſt in forgiving, 1 Joh. 1.4. i. e. He doth no way in the leaſt overlook that Law that he hath eſtabliſhed, but fully complies with it. Now ſuch a forgiveneſs belongs to Juſtification, as may pardon the ſinner and yet maintain the righteouſneſs of the Law, unto which the ſinner ſtands related. So that Grace and Juſtice muſt meet together in this thing. According to, Pſal. 83.10. Mercy and truth are met together; righteouſneſs and peace have kiſſed each other. And becauſe in this forgiveneſs there is an entire reſpect had to the Law, that all its demands be anſwered, in order to the paſſing of it, it is therefore properly a Juſtification. But for a more diſtinct clearing of this Point, we may a little Inquire into the Nature of that Forgiveneſs which God beſtows upon Sinners in their Juſtification, For which let the following Concluſions be obſerved.
1. THAT Forgiveneſs always preſuppoſeth Guilt. There can be no Pardon needed or beſtowed, where there hath been no fault committed. An innocent perſon needs not to ask, nor can receive a Pardon. I mean, where there is no guilt imputable to him. For, that a perſon may be perſonally innocent, and yet guilty by imputation, is a Truth that we muſt believe, if we hope to be ſaved. He that asks forgiveneſs, doth always either implicitly or explicitly confeſs himſelf faulty. So, Pſal. 25.11. For thy Nemes ſake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity: for it is great. Mat. 6.12.
2. THAT Guilt is properly an Obligation to ſuffer penalty for a fault. It ſuppoſeth ſome Law that the perſon is ender, & ſome ſanction of that Law, threatning a puniſhment to him that ſhall tranſgreſs it. Now there is a double ſentence, which the perſon ſo tranſgreſſing may come under, viz. the ſentence of the Law, and the ſentence of the Judge pronouncing according to Law. This latter is more properly a Condemnation, but the former is Guilt, the Law's having hold of him. Hence there are two words uſed for Guilt in the Goſpel, both of which imply thus much; as, Mat. 5.21. Whoſoever ſhall kill, ſhall be in danger of the judgment. In danger: Beza and Tremelins, rens crit, it ſignifies, beld in, i… gled or bound. The other, Rom. 3.19. … we know that what things ſoever the … it ſaith to them who are under the … every mo…th may be stopped, and all the … may become guilty before God. Which … under Judgment, or under a ſentence of … The Law ſaith, ſuch an one ſhall dye, … the man, by becoming ſuch an one, mak…, … ſelf a man of Death, and that is to be G….
3. THAT hence Forgiveneſs co…ſ… … removal of this Obligation. A Pardon … make that which was a fault before, … none; only it frees the perſon th… …ed it from ſuffering the puniſhment … The ſin is the ſame in its nature, and … after, that it was before remiſſion, … Bond is cancelled, which bound him … die for it. Hence this forgiveneſs is … by God's not ſeeing iniquity, in the … Numb. 23.21. He hath not beheld ini… j… …either hath be ſeen perverſeneſs … By his …vering of it, Pſal 32.1. By … his …, Pſal. 51.9. His not … it, Pſal. …5.7. And other words of … port: all of which refer to the ….
4. BECAUSE it is by the Fault that … … ſon is ren…red Guilty, hence it is … giveneſs of Sins. This therefore is … quent Scripture expreſſion, Pſal. 32.1. … is be to uſe tranſgreſſion if forgiven, … To give repentance to Iſrael, and forgi… ſins: and elſewhere uncountably. If th… … been no ſin, there had been no guilt, … Law ſentence proceeds upon the ſ… of ſin laying the foundation for it. … ſometimes men are ſaid to be guilty … Jam. 2.10. For whoſoever ſhall keep … law, and yet …end in one point, he is … all. But moſt commonly, guilty of … 35.31. Mat. 26.66. Intimating, … by being chargeable with ſin, that … expoſed to Death, according to Rom. … The wages of ſin is death.
5. YET becauſe it is the perſon that … the Obligation, hence Forgiveneſs is … plied to the perſon, though in reſpect of …. Sin is always ſuppoſed to be in a … there muſt be a ſubject on whom it is … Nor can the puniſhment be ſuppoſed … inflicted, but upon a ſubject; it is … ſ…lt, but the perſon upon whom it is … that ſuffers for it. Hence that, … The ſoul that ſinneth it ſhall die. When … fore ſin is forgiven, it is to the per… … and the benefit thereof redounds to … is, by vertue of it, a pardoned man.
6. THAT hence, the perſon is by … freed from the ſentence of the Law. T… ſentence paſt upon him before, was. … ſinned, and thou ſhalt dye. But when … comes to be applied to it, he reverſ… Sentence, and ſaith, Though thou … yet thou ſhalt not die. So he to … 2 Sam. 12.13. The Lord alſo hath you … ſix, thou ſhalt not die. And then, and … then, when God hath paſt ſuch an … …, is he a pardoned man. Before he … of Death, but now he is not ſo…. …, in the application of this Po… … is juſtified from the condemnation …, We read, in Rom. 8.1. There is … condemnation to them which are … And whence is this? But … is now forgiven. The Law … him, but now the mouth of …, it …ays nothing to his … …s ſat …s action that it had againſt … will no …rther proſecure it. And, … of this is, becauſe a pard…ned man … man, and ſo is freed from the … Apoſtle therefore argues from our …, to our being our of the reach of … be brought in againſt us, Rom. … ſhalt lay any thing to the charge of …? It is God this juſtifieth. i.e. It is … himſelf that hath acquitted us, … we are out of all danger, by any ….
… being a Juſtification, neceſſa… … that the Law is ſatisfied in order … it comes to be ſo, belongs to an …deration. But if the act of Pardon … act, It muſt then be an act of … we …ad, Gen. 18.25. That be … do …ter this manner, to ſlay the …: and that the righteouſs …, that before from thee: … judge of act the earth do right. For, … be an act of meet Grace, in the … of it to the ſubject, as hath al… obſerved, yet it muſt have its … righteouſneſs, which cannot be, … treated, and have … to it. God pardons none, … acquits, and ſaith, it hath …; for God muſt be juſt … 3.16.
… it … all obſcure the Grace of … founded in exact Juſtice. Nay, which and p…ts more orient colours … of God, in than Juſtice is firſt … order to the manifeſtation of this … in as much, as it is not …, but the Righteouſneſs of … procured this for us, Rom. 3. … was at all the coſt for that: ſo …ay for his freely pardoning of out … the juſtice of the Law made its … for ſatisfaction, & would ….
… Pardon extends to all our Sins. It … applied to this … that great Sin, … others under guilt, but if engroſſeth …. A pardoneth man, hath not one …nding out againſt him, but they are …, they are all comprehended in the …vion that is paſt by God. There … them remembred. Hence that …, Jer. 50.20. In theſe days and …, ſa… the Lord, this iniquity of … for, and there ſhall be none; … of Jul…, and they ſhall not be … pardon them whom I reſ…. God therefore direct his people ſo to pray, Hoſ. 14.2. T…e with you words, and turn to the Lord; ſay unto him, Take away all iniquity, & receive … graci…ſty. And it muſt be ſo, elſe the Pardon w…e inſignificant: for what avails it to have all taken off but one, whiles the guilt of … one remaining, holds the ma… ſtill, under the ſentence of the Law, and he muſt die for it? Forgiveneſs of Sin is in order to Eternal Life, and therefore it … …e a compleat Pardon, elſe the man could …ot ſay, I ſhall not die, but live; as every pardoned man can: nor could the pardoned … be called a …eſſed man, as he is, Pſal. 32.1.
Quest. BUT it will be here inquired, But are their future Sins Pardoned, as well as their paſt and preſent? Is not this to give men an indulgence to ſin? There are hot Diſputes among the Orthodox about this Questions for which reaſon, ſome …ave thought Juſtification to be a continued …, … com…ed in an inſtant: and others … the …, that it is not perfected, ſtill in the Day of Judgment Believers are openly acqui…ed. Reſerving on awe for this my ſtory of God's favour, and due reſpect to all otherwiſe minded, I ſhall endeavour to Anſwer this Inquity in the following Concluſions,
1. PARDON of Sin belongs to Juſtification. This …ath been already m…ntioned, and the reaſon for it given: Though they are in an error who make the whole of Juſtification to be engroſſed in it; yet they alſo no leſs miſtake, who exclude it from Juſtification, as being no part of it. God pardons as a Judge, and therefore he doth it ſo, as to pronounce the perſon righteouſly freed from the ſentence of the Law, and that it …ath nothing juſtly to impute to him; and that is to juſtily him from Guilt: And that is ſomething more, than arbitrarily to deliver a man from the Law.
2. JUSTIFICATION it moſt properly & eſſentially of the Perſon. Whatſoever reſpect it hath to Sin, or Righteouſneſs, as certainly it hath a reſpect to both, yet the act it ſelf terminates on the man. His ſin indeed is pardoned, but it is not juſtifyed, but he is ſo, in the pardoning of it. On this account we ſhall find the Word of God expreſly ſo determining of it, Job 13.18. Rom. 3.28. Iſai. 50.8. Rom. 4.8. And It muſt be ſo: for it is the perſon that is brought on the Trial, that ſtands at the Bar, and his ſtate is determined according to the Sentence that is part in the iſſue.
3. THAT the Juſtified Perſon is no longer under the Law at a Covenant. The Law of God hath a double conſideration, viz. as it is a Rule of Obedience, or as it is a Covenant of Works. In the former reſpect, all the people of God are under it, but not in the latter. The Law as a Covenant of Works, is conſidered with its Sanctions, as it promiſeth Life to perfect perſonal Obedience, and threatneth Death to the leaſt defect in that Obedience. Now in neither of theſe regards is a Believer under it. Hence that deprecation, Pſal. 143.2. And enter not judgment with thy ſervant: for in thy ſight ſhall no man living be juſtified. That therefore is aſſeted concerning every juſtifyed one, Rom. 6.14. For ſin ſhall not have dominion over you: for ye a… not unler the law, but under grace.
4. JUSTIFICATION is Imm…ble. It is an act, which when once God hath paſſed it upon a man, is never repealed, he never repents of it. It is one of thoſe Giſes of his that are …bo…t Repentance, Rom. 11.29. Hence, with reſpect to forgiveneſs, the Scripture ſpeaks of it as a perpetual thing, Jer. 31.34. I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their ſin no more. Iſai. 43.25. Hence he ſpeaks of caſting them into the depth of the ſea, Mi…. 7.19.
5. HENCE, a Juſtifyed Perſon can never again come under the Law guilt, in a compound ſenſe. In a divided ſenſe he may, i.e. it God ſhould leave him to himſelf, and take away his Spirit fr… him, he would fall out of Graces; but conſidered as under the New-Convenant, and the ſure Promiſes of it, ſo he cannot. The Law is then ſaid to have dominion over us, when it reigns unto Death, or when it h…lds us under rondemnation, but we are aſſured, that the Law ſhall never more have d…minion over a Beleiver, in Rom. 6.14. & 8.2. For the him of the Spirit of life, in Chriſt Jeſus, hath made me free from the him of ſin and death. And the reaſon is rendred, becauſe the Law as a Covenant, hath nothing to …o with him, who is in another Covenant. Hence we read, Rom. 3.19. Now we know that w…i… things ſoever the law ſaith, it ſaith to them that are under the law: that every month may be ſtopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
6. HENCE, no Sins of a Juſtifyed Perſon, ſhall bring him into Condemnation. That a juſtifyed perſon may ſin, is wofully true by daily experience. That by ſinning he doth things, that in themſelves deſerve Death, is as true, for that cannot be ſeperated from the nature of ſin. But yet, that being juſtifyed, he ſhall never fall under the Curſe of the Law is certain, becauſe then, his Juſtification would ceaſe, which it cannot. It is contrary to the Doctrine of Perſeverance to believe it. Yea, the conſideration of the derivation of Juſtification, from the love of God, the promiſe of the Covenant of Suretiſhip, the Redemption of Chriſt, and his Juſtification as our Surety, contradict it; as might be largely inſiſted on.
7. YET, there is a Covenant of Grace, under which the Juſtifyed Perſon is, in which there are alſo Sanctions. Though we are not under the Law, yet we are under Grace, Rom. 6.14. and the diſpenſation of the Covenant of Grace. God hath not only required Obedience of his People, but aſſured them, that by Sin he is proveked, and they ſhall ſmart for it; tho' they be not exterminated, Pſal. 89.30, &c. And hitherto belong all the ſolemn Warnings given in the Goſpel unto Believers.
8. HENCE by Sin, the Juſtifyed Purſ… p…ſoth himſelf to divine Corrections, … to Covenant, which is a ſort of Gai…. … he is not under Obligation to ſuffer the … of the Law, that being for ever remored … him, yet he is under as Obligation … Chaſtiſements of God: And hence, … hath finned, his Conſcience ſmites … he is put into terror, and expect … trembling, to meet with the Judgment … So, Pſal. 119.120. My feſh tremb… of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgment.
9. HENCE, God is not …ont to apply … Conſcience, a particular perd…n of ſuch … upon Repentence. God is angry, and … his Children under ſenſe of wrath, and …ings of his …avour, and makes it … bitter, as, Jer. 2.29. David expreſſ… … condition he was in on this account, … 3, 4. When I kept ſilence, my …omes … through my ro…ring all the day long. … and night thy …and was …eavy upon … …ture is turned into the drought of … And ſpeaks of his broken b…es, Pſal. … And hereupon, till they are br… … thorough and cordial Repentance, th… … under God's fatherly diſpleaſure and … …rible effects of it, he hides his fa… … them, he ſhuts up the light of his … nance from them, and they are … brought to the brinks of deſapir, and … themſelves paſt hope, as, Jon 2.4. … I am caſt out of thy ſight; I will …ook … w…rds thy holy temple. Pſal, 31.22. … all this is not a Law proſecution, … ding to one article in the Covenant … Heb. 12.6. For whom the Lord loveth be … eth & ſcourgeth every ſon whom he ….
10. BUT the juſtified Perſon is all … under a new Covenant ſecurity, that … give him, both Repentance and … Every juſtified Perſon is under the … of eternal Life, and if the thing be … the means for the obtaining it are … ſecured not to fail, of which that … …ance is one, & therefore it belongs … mediatorial Office, to give it to Iſracl, … And thus, in a Goſpel ſenſe, new ſins … pardoned to us, when upon renewed … …ance, and Faith in Chriſt, we wait … for it; and for this reaſon it is, th… …ed perſons are under duty and … pray every day, forgive our Treſpaſſer.
USE I. LEARN hence, what need … to be very careful, on what ground me … our ſelves, that over Sins are pardoned, … hope be built, only on the more… … of God, we delude our own Souls. … be…, forgiveneſs of ſins, belongs to …tion; you muſt therefore have a di… the Juſtice, as well as the Grace of … curting therein, elſe your foundation … and your confidence will deceive ….
USE. II. LEARN hence a Reaſon …ſied Perſons, may be under …rrible roſ… of the Wrath of God. Not that they … fore fallen out of the Grace of God … … the anger of their Father is kindled … when, and their own Conſciences ac… of dealing falſely in the Covenant, … …re, till by thorough and ſoaking …, they apply themſelves to God, … in Chriſt they renew their Co… with him, they are not to expect the … …o …ed out; this then is the … attend it, encouraged by … i…ce, Pſal. 32.5. I acknowledge … th…, and mine inquities have I … I will confeſs my tranſgreſſions unto …, and thou ſarga…ſt the iniquiry of my ….
[AUGUST 30. 1693.]