CHAPTER IX. The Unchanging Nature of Pardoning Mercy
degrees, no not in Heaven, thou art not more justified there than thou art here; thou art now as perfectly justified as ever, and accepted of Christ as ever: Sanctification is renewed day by day, it being a work of God within us, we increase in it daily; but Justification is a work of God without us, and so is perfected at once; and hence then this makes a pardoned soul blessed, because pardon of sin is of such a nature, that it is a perfect work. Hence then I will but touch it, Here is 1. Abundance of comfort to a pardoned soul, though thou art weak in Sanctification, and it troubles thee to think, how far thou comest short of Abraham 's faith, Moses his meekness, David 's love,
Paul 's zeal, Solomon 's wisdom, and Job 's patience ; yet this know, that thou art equal in Justification with Abraham, Moses, David, and all the Prophets; and this may be a mighty comfort to thee against the weakness of thy Sanctification.
2. This should be a mighty engagement upon thy spirit ; Has God made thee equal to them in Justification? how shouldest thou labor to be like to them in Sanctification? think thus with thyself, Is the mercy of God so rich and glorious come, though I be a poor, wicked, wretched vile sinner, that I should be made equal to the greatest
Saints in Justification? Oh how should I labor to follow hard after them, and get as near to them as I can in point of Sanctification: this
Argument should come with power and strength upon our hearts, to stir up all our endeavors to be like to them in point of Sanctification, that are equal with them in point of Justification. How should we imitate Moses his Meekness, David 's Love, Paul 's Zeal, and Job 's
Patience.
CHAPTER IX:
The Unchanging Nature of Pardoning Mercy
Blessed are they that have their Iniquities forgiven, for it is an irrevocable mercy ; when God pardons sin, he never revokes it again; it is true, the soul that is pardoned may afterwards commit many offenses, that may provoke the displeasure of God against him, yet he shall never so provoke God, as to cause him to revoke this mercy of pardon to all eternity; if thou art once pardoned, thou art pardoned forever: It is not so with God in pardoning as it is with men; a King pardons a Malefactor on condition of his good behavior afterwards; though it is true, a Believer will be more careful of offending after he is pardoned than ever before: But yet, God does not pardon me so much on condition of my good behavior as of his free grace, therefore it abides: He does not say to a poor soul, I will pardon you, but it shall be on this condition; that you behave yourself well, and if you be found tripping in any one thing, I will recall my pardon back again: it is so with a Princes Pardon, a man that is pardoned for his life, if that man afterwards offend, perhaps breaks the Peace, which in another man would not be so great a matter, for he could soon satisfy the Law for it; but he that goes under pardon for his life, if he break the Peace, it costs him his life; whereas another, if he strike a man, it is but an Assault and Battery in him; but he that has his
Pardon for his life, for such a thing done by him, his Pardon may be revokit again, and it may cost him his life: I hope you will not abuse this grace of God, I know not how to open it to Believers but with a great deal of danger to others; but how much danger soever it may be to others, yet it must be opened and delivered to Believers; it is God's mind that his grace should be made known unto them, he would have them to know it to the full, that his Pardoning Mercy is irrevocable; and therefore a Believer should not question his
Justification upon every failing in his Sanctification, this is a dishonor to the free and rich grace of God, if on every failing we call in question that great work of the Justification of our souls, either to say, or think, I indeed did hope before that God had pardoned the sins of my youth, and all my ancient sins, but falling into sin again, I am afraid all is undone; all that God hath done unto me is undone again, and I must answer for all my sins: this I confess will come upon the Conscience, specially upon the committing of any new sin;
but though it do, yet if ever you have been assured of the pardon of of your sin, know, this mercy shall never be recalled again: the foundation of God standeth sure ; and this is a fundamental mercy that always abides: therefore as we observed in Cant. 4.7. Christ says, Thou art all fair my Love, there is no spot in thee ; but in Cant. 5.2. you shall find she was in a sleepy secure and sinful condition, as a man or woman asleep, they might do what they would with her; men might impose what they would upon her, put her in what posture they pleased, and yet she was unsensible; but yet in this condition her heart was awake, I sleep, but my heart waketh ; there remained a Principle of grace alive in her: but mark what Christ said, though she confessed she was asleep; yet Christ says, Open to me my
Sister, my Love, my Dove, my undefiled: this was spoken when the Church was in a secure sinful condition; yet this is the voice of Christ calling the Church his Sister, his Love, his Dove, his Undefiled one, when she was in that secure condition; which shows the grace of God in pardoning sin is not called back again: and because this is a point wherein much treasure lies, I shall a little open the Irrevocableness of God's mercy in his Pardoning and Justifying Grace; and for this I shall give you some places of Scripture, which being opened, as they will show the greatness of the mercy; so they will afford abundant matter of Consolation and Encouragement to every believing soul.
The First Scripture Expression I shall name is in Isai. 43.25. where the Lord tells his people, that he blots out their transgressions ; God seems to take much delight in this Phrase, and therefore doubles it, I, even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember thy sins: Now this phrase of blotting out is taken from the custom of Tradesmen that have their Books of Accounts, wherein they enter all their Debts that are owing to them by such and such men: Now when these come to be paid, the Debtbook is crossed or blotted out; if any of you owe a debt, when you come to pay it, you call for the Debt-book to see it crossed or blotted out, and then you assure yourselves you shall never hear of it more.
Now you must know, that all sinners are debtors to the Lord; they
are in a debt of punishment for want or failing in paying him a debt of Obedience: many men by their sin run into debt with God daily, and because God does not call for the debt presently, they think there's nothing between God and them, but carry it as if all were well; as many Gallants run into Tradesmens debt to hang fine Cloaths upon their backs, and ruffle it up and down in the world, and never think of their debts till their Creditors come and arrest them, and cast them into Goal, and there they lie in Prison, for all their ruffling it up and down in the world: Just so men and women by their sin run into debt with God, and though God do not call for the debt presently, yet they are recorded in Heaven; it is as certain that every sin of any man or woman is set down in God's Debt-book, as any debt you owe is set down in your Creditors Book: and as certainly must your debts be called for, and satisfaction and payment made unto God for them, as certain as any Tradesman will call for payment of his debt: Now this is the work of Justification between God and your Souls, if ye would know the nature of it. When Jesus Christ sees a poor soul that God the Father hath given to him to save, thus run into debt, Christ comes and lays down a price before God the Father, to pay this debt; and Christ sees that the debt be blotted out of the Book: Now when God comes with pardoning mercy to a Soul, God shows the debt Book to a Believer, and causes him to see all his debts blotted out; and by that he certainly assures the Soul his debt shall never be called for again, this is such a mercy as is irrevocable, it shall not be brought back again, the debt being once paid shall never more be called for; this is the first expression, and it is a blessed one:
Many men that are run into debt, and are in danger every hour to have some Bailiffs arrest them, they cannot look out of their doors but they are ready to fall upon them; they would think themselves happy, if they might have any that would come and lay down all, and satisfy the debt, and that they might see the debt blotted out, they would think themselves happy indeed: Well, know that it is so with God when he comes to pardon sin, the Debt-book is blotted out, and all Bonds cancel'd.
Secondly, Though they be blotted out, yet they may be before God's face, and God may see them, though he will not call for them again; therefore the Scripture tells us, that God will take that course with the sins of Believers as that he will cast them behind his back, and never so much as lay the debt before his face to look upon them, Isai.
38.17. Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back ; that which Hezekiah spake of himself, is true of every believing soul, God casts the sins of every Believer behind his back; when a man casts a thing behind his back, he does it to that end, that he might take no farther notice of it; but though God cast a man's sins behind his back, yet if they be not very far, he may easily turn his face and look upon them when he will: therefore mark further,
Thirdly, Another Scripture expression, Psal. 103.10. As far as the East is from the West, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us ; thus God expresseth himself, to satisfy the souls of his people, that their sins shall never be called for again; the East and West, it is an expression to note out the utmost distance; the East and West are so remote, that those two Points can never come together; so the sins that God has pardoned to any soul, they shall never be called for again.
Fourthly, Though they be removed as far as the East is from the West; yet God's eyes may look a great way off ; though those Points be at so great a distance to our eyes, yet not so to the eye of God; therefore there is another expression that may make it more full, that God will never look upon their sins again that he has once pardoned, he blots them out, he casts them behind his back, he removes them as far as the East is from the West; and if that be not enough to satisfy thee, Micah 7.19. He will cast them into the bottom of the Sea ; things that are cast into the bottom of the Sea, are utterly thrown out of sight, never to be looked for again; Well, but though
God cast them into the bottom of the Sea, he may think upon them.
Therefore
Fifthly, mark another expression, further to satisfy thee, God says, He will remember them no more ; they shall be so far from being thought upon, that God says he will not remember them anymore; but you will say, it is impossible for God but to remember them; yea, but when God pardons, it shall be as Irrevocable as if God did never remember them; there are divers Texts remarkable for this, Isai. 43.25. I will blot out thy transgressions,—and will not remember thy sins: I, may be not now (thou mayest say) But he will hereafter ; see what is said in Jer. 31.34. I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more ; neither now nor hereafter, I will remember their sin no more.
Sixthly, They shall be so forgiven, as that there shall be no more mention of them ; there shall never be the least mention of a believers sins before God, and for that see Ezek. 33.16. it is spoken of every godly man indefinitely that turns to God, and is a Believer, None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him ; by the way, let men take heed how they upbraid the people of God for any of their former sins: Perhaps you knew such a one in the times of his ignorance, and you say he was a liar, a Drunkard; but now God has revealed his mercy to him in the pardon of his sin, and God says he will not mention them anymore: Take heed how you cast their sins, committed in the times of their ignorance, in their teeth, saying, oh you are so precise now, I knew what you were a little before; Shall the God of Heaven say, he will not mention them anymore; and yet will you do it? God will take it very ill, at your hands: this is admirable comfort to every Believer, that God will not remember their sin anymore; he would have thee to remember them, to humble thy soul for them, and to renew thy repentance, but he will not remember them to upbraid thee with them, nor would he have others do it. Beza speaking of himself: when he was young, He made some vain and sinful Poems, which his
Enemies upbraided him with afterwards, and casts them in his teeth, says he, These men envy me the grace of God, because God has vouchsafit to me his grace, they envy me, and cast in my teeth the evil that I have formerly done: Oh what a comfort and privilege is
this to thee! Oh thou believing soul, though thou wert never so wicked and abominable before, yet I tell thee from God this day, in whose presence thou standest that he will never remember thy sin anymore; and this may be a mighty encouragement for men and women to believe and turn from all their wicked ways, though thou hast been never so vile, abominable, and wicked: yet be it known unto thee this day, that if thou wilt come in and believe, God will never mention any of thy wickednesses more, they shall be so forgotten as they shall never be mentioned; thou it may be, art afraid that either here in this life, or at the day of Judgment all thy sins shall be charged on thee; well, be not afraid, perhaps there are many of you that are conscious to yourselves of great sins committed; and you would give a thousand Worlds to be discharged of them: Oh say some, there are such and such sins committed, that are so great, that they cannot be forgiven; I may mourn and grieve for them, but what shall I be the better? the sins of my youth lie so heavy on me, and God and my own Conscience upbraids me; and what comfort can I have in my life, when God and my own Soul upbraids me? Well, be of good comfort, and be encouraged, this day to come in and believe this blessed tidings, that where God pardons sin he will mention them no more, and he will take it very ill at the hands of any that shall mention them to upbraid thee for them.
Seventhly, Yet further, to set forth the fullness of this mercy, when God pardons sin, they shall be so done away as that they shall not be found. Jer. 50.20. In those days, — the Iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found ; for I will pardon them, whom I reserve; and if I pardon them, then they shall be so done away, as that they shall not be found.
Yet further, the righteousness Believers have in Christ is called an everlasting righteousness, and therefore abides forever, and cannot be afterwards taken away, Dan. 9.24. Seventy weeks are determined — to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness ; the righteousness that is put upon thy