CHAPTER XIV. The Disrespect Shown to God's Pardoning Grace Through Disregard
bring forth some admirable expressions in glorifying the Name of God, or in singing some Psalm to his praise, or in doubbling and trebbling that blessed acclamation with the heavenly Host, Luk.
2.14. Glory to God in the Highest, on Earth peace, good will towards men ; O here is the good will of God towards poor wretched vile men; Glory be to God in the Highest; Lord, What is man that thou shouldest be so mindful of him? thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels ; nay, as you have heard this day, God has set him above those Angels that sinned against him; Christ would not show mercy to them, they could not be pardoned; this is for poor sinners in the world, a generation of those that seek him, that have this great mercy of pardon and forgiveness of sin revealed to them; What shall we say to these things? the Apostles expression may help us to make way to the Application, and as I have told you we should sanctify the Name of God, in standing amazed at the wonderful grace of God that gloriously appears in the Justification of a sinner, as we have opened in many Particulars. And now we have many things to say in the Application of these things, for the answer to that question, What shall we say to these things? attend in the fear of God, and you shall hear in the Application what shall be said to those things, you have heard in the former Doctrine.
CHAPTER XIV.
The Disrespect Shown to God's Pardoning Grace Through Disregard First, this we have to say to those things, Surely if the Pardon of Sin be so great a mercy as you have heard, and that there is such a wonderful work of God in it; then it must needs be a horrible and vile thing to sin against this grace that the heart of God is so much in ; to dishonor this great work of God must needs be a very vile and
horrible thing: And this hath been my intention, my very plot, as to set forth the greatness of the grace of God in the mercy of forgiveness; so also to keep you from sinning against this grace. If he be blessed upon whom such a great and glorious work of God is wrought in forgiveness of sin; then it must needs be a most horrible and dreadful thing for any man or woman to sin against this grace of God; and horrible to dishonor such a great work of God as this is.
But who are they that dishonor this great work of God? or how many ways may we be guilty in sinning against this great mercy of God in forgiveness of sin? I shall show first who they be that cast dishonor on this great work of God; and Secondly, Shew the greatness of the sin, what a dangerous thing it is to sin against this great work of God in pardoning sin.
First, They sin against this great work of God in pardoning sin that are altogether careless, who little or nothing mind it, or scarce spend any time about it: there are a generation of men and women in the world, that have sin and guilt enough upon their spirits, yet they scarce ever call to mind, or question what are the terms between God and their own Souls, how things stand between God and them? what
God hath to charge them withal? whether God hath anything against them, yea or no? How few of you now this morning that are come into the presence of God, have had your thoughts working thus? O my soul how is it with thee? How does matters stand betwixt God and thee? What guilt is it thou hast upon thy Spirit? What hath
Divine Justice to charge thee withal? Conscience speak freely and fully: What is there in Heaven against me? Is there anything upon Record that I am charged withal? How is it between God and me? O what strangers are most men unto such thoughts as these! but go on in a sleepy, secure, and dead hearted way, either they believe there is no guilt at all upon their spirits, or no great evil in that guilt, or else think 'tis no great matter for God to pardon; you are very solicitous for the flesh, what you shall eat and drink, and what you shall put on ; and for your Estates, how to get and increase in the world: But to make up the Records between God and your Souls, to get them
discharged, and the Records of Heaven cancel'd that are against you:
O how seldom do these things take up your thoughts? know you that are of such careless spirits about this great matter of pardon of sin, that it is a great aggravation of your sin, that you are so careless about that great work of God in pardoning sin, you are careless and spend but a few thoughts about that; that hath (as I may so speak with holy reverence) taken up the heart of the infinite God from all eternity: certainly, there is not any in the world, not any of the works of God towards his creatures hath taken up the thoughts and heart of God so much as this one work of the pardon of sin, & yet your thoughts are not taken up with it, you little mind it: certainly there is a great disproportion between your thoughts and God's; whereas those that are godly, should labor to work as God works; and those things that hath taken up the heart of God, should take up their hearts; whereas those things that are even unworthy of an immortal
Soul take up your thoughts, and those objects that take up the thoughts & heart of God about pardoning sin, your own Consciences can tell you is very little in your thoughts and hearts: Certainly my
Brethren, were the thoughts of men and women taken up about this serious and great business of getting pardon of their sin, it would prevent and cure them of thousands of other vain, slight, foolish and wicked thoughts; there are, I suppose, many of you begin to be sensible of sin, and of the base wandering, filthy, unclean, and wicked thoughts of your hearts; and you say, O that we could but help ourselves against these wandering, vile and wicked thoughts; surely this would be a great help, if you would get your thoughts possessed with serious subjects, it would have a great deal of weight in it, to help you against those light and vain things your thoughts work about. Now of all subjects in the world, this is the most serious about the grace of God; How his infinite wisdom hath wrought to reconcile himself to your souls, in the bringing about the pardon of sin, and making peace between himself and the Children of men. Now if you would take up your thoughts about the great business of getting pardon of your sins, it would take off your thoughts from other things: Suppose a man have a vain, slight, wandering, foolish heart; yet if he were condemned to die some
dreadful tormenting death, his thoughts would quickly be taken off from other things, and taken up about using means; if there were any possibility to deliver himself from death; Jerome in one of his
Epistles hath this Relation of one that was troubled with vile thoughts, and he, that he complained unto had this device, I name it not to approve it, but he had this device, he brought the man to have a charge of a crime laid against him, and caused him to be brought before a Judge, and put into Prison, and afterwards he came to him, and asked him, How is it now with you? Does your vain thoughts still abide with you as they were wont to do? he gave him this answer, says he, I cannot live, and what shall I now think of Uncleanness and Fornication? I am in danger of my life, and I have now no time to think of such things ; and that helpit and cured his thoughts: from this we may see, that if a soul was possessed of the evil of sin, and the danger of condemnation, the necessity and great consequence of a pardon; what a mighty means would it be to take off your thoughts from other things, and turn them upon this; and certainly, whoever you are, whose thoughts are not mightily taken up about this great subject of the pardon of your sins, you take the name of God in vain, and do not sanctify him in this great work of his ; and know this, you that spend your days sleeping in security, your damnation sleeps and slumbers not; and until your sin be pardoned, the infinite justice of God is working your doom, for the full satisfaction of it, that is the first thing they dishonor God that go on in secure courses without minding such a great thing as the pardon of sin is.
Secondly, Others dishonor God, who instead of making it their great business in this world to get their sin pardoned, they make it their great work to increase the guilt of sin, by heaping up more and more guilt and so make the flame greater, and add to it continually; you would think it a very unreasonable and desperate thing in a man, that being condemned to some grievous and dreadful death, yet there being a pardon propounded, and some possibility of it, and a friend for this very end get a Reprieval of the King for two or three days, that he might have time to sue out his Pardon; suppose such a thing: Now then, if this man in this time of Reprieval that is given for
this very end, to seek a Pardon, should call for good cheer and music, merriment and sporting, and not only so, but fall into railing against the Prince, increase his guilt, and provoke the Prince more and more against him; Would not every man say, this man is worthy of the greatest extreme tormentingest death that could be devised? Nay, I suppose, should you hear of such an one condemned to die, and had his life given him for this very end, you would think, surely this man will spend these days in another manner than ever he spent his time before: you that would think so of such a man, it may be some of you, before the Lord this day, are guilty of the same evil, for this is a certain truth, that all the men in the world have been condemned to eternal death, and all the time of your life is given you for this very end, a few days that God gives you for this very purpose, merely that you might have a little liberty to sue out your pardon, and make up your peace with God: O that men and women would but understand this, what they live for, that all the time of their lives is given them to make up their peace with God; you are to know it is given for this end, merely as a Malefactor hath a Reprieve to get his Pardon; this is your very condition, you stand before the Lord guilty of eternal death, but God in his patience and long-sufferance gives you a few days to live to sue out your Pardon, and if you let this time slip, and these days be gone, I profess to you this day, before the Lord, that mercy itself shall never save you; I would but know of many of you, how you spend these days? you are not certain of one day, it may be not an hour; Do you spend these days in making it the great business and work of your Souls to sue out a Pardon? Let me speak to you, and O that you would speak it in secret between God and your own
Souls, and that you would answer in the Name of God every soul present, to this Question, Soul hast thou made it the great work and business of thy life, above all things in the world, to sue out thy
Pardon, and seek for Reconciliation with thy God, and a discharge of thy sins? I verily fear that many of you that hear me this day, if we could but hear Conscience speak, would answer, What? I make it the great work and business of my life to sue out a Pardon, God knows it hath been the great work and business of my life to increase my guilt; there is not a day goes over my head, but I have brought more guilt
upon myself by wicked Oaths, taking God's Name in vain, neglecting his Worship, abusing of his creatures, perhaps by drunkenness or uncleanness; methinks your Consciences might misgive you, when you are so far from making it the great business of your lives to sue for pardon, that you make it your great work to increase your guilt;
Dost thou think ever to get pardon of thy sin, so long as thou goest on to increase thy guilt, and make thyself more vile? the lives of many people are such in a course of wickedness, that it bespeaks them that either they are resolved to perish eternally in their sin, or else to make it to be as great a burden to the mercy of God as can be in the pardoning of their sin; if it be so mighty a work of God to pardon sin, observe what I say; it follows from the point wherein I opened the wonderful work of God in pardoning any one sin; think thus, Is it so great a work of God to pardon one sin? Shall I go on then to add sin unto sin to make the work greater? Friend, if God pardon but one sin in thought that thou hast been guilty of in all thy life, it would be a work that would yield thee matter of praise to all eternity; and wilt thou be so desperate then as to add sin unto sin?
As suppose a man had some grievous disease, and it would be the strangest work to cure him that ever was wrought since the Earth and Heavens were made, if this man should go on by intemperate courses, to increase the malignity and venom of it day by day more and more; what a desperate thing would this be esteemed in him, especially if he were in a possibility of cure; yea, and perhaps he could tell others, that there is some possibility, and yet he goes on to increase the malignity more and more; how would everyone think this man's courses unreasonable? O that we would consider of the unreasonableness of the dealings of men with God; men are ashamed to be unreasonable in their dealings with men, but in their dealings with God, they are as unreasonable as can be imagined; you are guilty of many sins, have you hope to be forgiven, yes, you will say, you have hope; have you hope? if God deliver you from any of your sins, he must do such a work as is greater than the making of Heaven and Earth; what do you then to increase your sin, when it is so great a work to pardon your sin: O! the horrible wickedness of men and women to increase their sin, Josh. 22.17. I may allude unto it, and it
is an argument of great force, Is the iniquity of Peor too little, from which we are not cleansed to this day? so I may say to sinners going on in their sins; Is the iniquity of Peor too little, from which you are not cleansed to this day? What, is the iniquity of your youth too little that you committed, and misspent your time when you were
Prentice, or lived in such and such a family? Is that sin too little to magnify the grace of God in pardoning of it, but that you must add more and more unto it, as if you would tempt God to try and see whether God would extend his mercy further and further? we tell you in the Name of God, and say to you, the sins you have committed already are so grievous, that it must needs be a wonderful work of God to forgive them; and what, must you needs add more and more, and tempt God to extend his mercy further? Take heed of tempting
God to extend his mercy further, for though God may be pleased to extend his mercy thus far; Who shall prescribe God how far he shall go? Who can tell but that the thoughts of God towards thee are thus, that he will go thus far to pardon thee, but if thou go on in sin, who can tell whether he will go on to pardon further? 'It is true, when God comes to pardon, he will do them all away; but know thou that goest on to increase the guilt of thy sin, thou mayest find it, as many thousands have found it a mighty hard thing, which hath cost them much anguish and distress of spirit, to get the pardon of their sin sealed in the Court of Conscience, though it was sealed before in Heaven; O the anguish of spirit it hath cost them! and dost thou still go on to heap up more and more sin, as if the pardon of thy sin was nothing? there is a great deal of reason in this, to cry to sinners to stop in the course of sin; for thou hast gone on enough already, go no further, that's a second abuse of the mercy of God in pardoning sin.
Thirdly, They abuse the mercy of God that have extreme slight thoughts of pardon of sin, that think to have it at any time, when they will, 'tis but repenting ; as it was said of Lewis the xi th , King of France, That he wore a Crusifix in his Hat, and when he had committed a sin, it was but taking it down and kissing of it, and all was well again, so many Idolatrous Papists, they have as slight thoughts of pardon of sin as can be, if they commit a sin, they make
no more of it, but go to a Priest to shrieve them, or kneel before a Crucifix and knock their breast, which is a thing soon done, and all's well again; certainly 'tis a great dishonor to God, for any man to have slight thoughts of the pardon of sin: It is such a work as if ever anything put God to it (as I may say) to pardon sin, and yet to salve his Justice, it was this work; and certainly, if ever God have love to thee, thou wilt change thy thoughts about this; and certainly, the slight thoughts men have about this, is the cause many times why they are held so long under the spirit of bondage; when God begins to work upon them, and stirs the Conscience, and lays the guilt of sin home upon it: how long are they before they can have any assurance of pardon? and in just judgment it is so, because they had slight thoughts before of the pardon of sin. I remember it is storied of Pompey, when one of his Captains came to him, and told him he wanted men ; says he, I can but stamp my foot upon the ground and bring forth so many men presently ; but when the Enemy came, this
Captain came to him again, and said, where's your men now; but then he could not get them when he was in distress and had great need of them; as many think they can do great things with a word speaking, as if all must be at their beck presently, but when they come to it, they fail and find it otherwise; so many make it a small matter to get pardon of sin, they think to do it with a Lord have mercy upon us, at their death-bed, or the like; but when they come to it indeed, God makes them to know, It is the greatest business that ever they had to do in, in all their lives ; there is nothing that God is so jealous of as his honor, and specially about this great work, and certainly, were it not that God is very jealous of his honor, and would cure the slight thoughts that men have of this great work; there needs never be so much humiliation and workings of the spirit of bondage; and certainly, did we but know the greatness of this work, how would sinners snatch at any opportunity or hint of God's favor appearing to them? they would do as the servants of Benhadad, 1
King. 20.33. diligently observe if anything would come from him, and hastily catch at it, they watched that if anything did come from him, that did make any way to that which they sought after, and did hastily catch at it; so, did a soul understand the pardon of sin, what a
great work it is, he would be so far from having slight thoughts of it, that he would come clothed in Sackcloath, and every Sermon would be watching and enquiring, what hath God spoke any word to my soul or no? And if any word fall from a Minister concerning this great business, such a soul would catch greedily at it, and lose no opportunity to embrace it, Psal. 32. is very remarkable to this purpose, David found it a very hard thing to get pardon of his own sin, verse. 4. and he acknowledged it, and God forgave him, verse. 5. what follows? verse. 6. For this shall every man that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found ; as if David in this language spake thus, O all you poor sinners, that sin against God, think it an easy matter to get pardon of sin; know, I have found it otherwise, it cost me dear before I could get assurance of pardon; and therefore for this cause let everyone that is acquainted with the ways of God, seek to God in due time, and not put it off from time to time, for the business is not so slight to put it off: many abuse the example of David, and think because he sinned, they may take liberty to sin, but they consider not what abundance of sorrow it cost him to get his pardon; it cost him so much as that he tells them, for this cause everyone shall seek God in due time: many think they may put it off till any time; but mark what David says, For this cause every man that is godly shall seek thee in a time when thou mayest be found ; he does not say, I have found mercy in the pardoning of my great sins, and for this cause men shall be bold to put it off to any time; no, but for this cause those that are godly, and have any acquaintance in the ways of God, will seek God in a time that he may be found; and if those that are godly, that have sin pardoned in the Court of heaven, find so hard a matter of it to get it pardoned in their own Consciences; how does it concern thee that perhaps hast thy sin neither pardoned in the Court of Heaven, nor in thy own
Conscience, But art in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity, how concerns it thee to look to it? that is a third sort that abuse the mercy of God in having slight thoughts of the pardon of sin.
Fourthly, Those that seek for pardon but are unsensible of the greatness of the work of God in pardoning, they do not put it off, but
seek it for the present, but how? with extreme unsensibleness; they do not come before God with brokenness, trouble and contrition of spirit in seeking after pardon of sin; many they repeat of their sins before God, and have a gift of Prayer; it is that which would make a man's heart to tremble, to consider how many have a great gift in Prayer, and will be praying half an hour, and will repeat abundance of their sins, make Catalogues, and tell large stories of their sins, bring in all the aggravations against them for their sins; judge themselves, and speak mighty words against themselves for their sins, and yet all this while, God knows with a desperate, dull, dead and senseless heart for their sins; it may be others that join with them, their hearts are broken with their expressions, and yet in the mean time thy Conscience may tell thee, thy heart is desperately hard before God, and not sensible at all of what thou speakest; thou wert putting up Petitions to God, and yet with as dull and senseless a spirit, as if thou wert speaking of a matter of no consequence at all; this is a high degree of taking the blessed Name of God in vain ; for we are to know, the Name of God in forgiveness of sin is a most glorious Name, and we had need to take heed how we speak to God in this business, that we take not his Name in vain, for he will not hold him guiltless that takes his Name in vain ; we had need to look to the sanctifying of God's Name in this thing: Many a man will think it of himself, that to swear and blaspheme is a taking of the Name of God in vain; and why is it so? because it is a sin against the 3d
Commandment, Thou shalt not take the Name of thy God in vain, &c. for my part I cannot but think that to make large Confessions of sin, and yet with a senseless dead heart, is a high degree of taking the Name of God in vain; (mistake me not, if thy heart be sensible of thy unsensibleness, thou art not of those that take the Name of God in vain ; God accepts of this, it is the rational part of the soul that is taken with this, and this is pleasing to him, though thou canst not bring the sensitive part of the soul up to this thing; but I speak it of those that have got a formality in crying and confessing of their sins, and yet are unsensible of them; yea, it may be, glory in this, that they can in the Church thus speak of their sins, and have such expressions before the Lord; take heed of this, if you would show your parts and
abilities, let it be in something else, and not to come before the holy God; and before others in a holy duty to vent your parts and abilities there: it is a dangerous thing for any to meddle so in this kind, Heb. 9.22. as he says there, without shedding of blood there is no remission ; so I may say without the blood of thy heart, without the bleeding of thy heart there is no remission, or at least a being sensible of thy unsensibleness; if thou canst not mourn then mourn that thou canst not mourn, be sensible of thy unsensibleness, and then God may accept of thee; but otherwise without this kind of blood there is no remission ; that is to sanctify the Name of God, consider this note, it may be of use many ways, that is, to sanctify the Name of God, when there comes to be in my heart a disposition suitable to the work of God I have to deal withal; suitable to the manifestation of God in that thing I have to deal with God in: if any ask, What is it to sanctify God's Name, I would answer thus; To sanctify God's Name in anything, it is to labor to get an answerable disposition to that thing that I have to deal with God in ; when I am to deal with God in any work, according to that work I must have a disposition in my heart suitable to it; as to instance, I sanctify God's Name in Prayer, when I speak of God's glorious
Attributes and Titles then, when there is an answerable disposition in my heart to those glorious Titles that I speak of; so I sanctify God's
Name when I confess my sin before God the Judge of all the World, in having an answerable disposition in my heart suitable to this
Judge; and then I sanctify God's Name in seeking pardon of sin, when I have an answerable disposition in my heart to the greatness of the work of God in pardoning sin; therefore all of you must be careful, when you entreat God to pardon sin, to entreat him also to sanctify his Name; How is that? entreat God to manifest that glorious work to your souls, and then labor to get your hearts into an answerable disposition suitable to that great work; you that go to God every day in seeking pardon of sin; have you been apprehensive of the greatness of it; Hath God shown you the greatness of his work in it? or further, since the time that you have heard of the greatness of the work; have you been casting in your souls how to get an answerable disposition suitable to these Divine Truths? Certainly, so
far as you are wanting in that, so far you art short of sanctifying God's Name; and for time to come, this must be the great work of your souls, to get answerable dispositions in seeking pardon of sin, that may be suitable to the great work of God in it; if one that comes to seek to you, to Petition you to remove some evil one that hath offended you, if he come slightly, you will say, you must come after another manner; Shall a poor man or woman expect such a kind of coming from a Child, Servant, or Inferior; and yet shall he or she go in a senseless way to God in seeking pardon of sin, and think to obtain it thus? you go about it unsensibly, and your hearts are not stir'd, but when Christ came he was sensible of it, in seeking to God about this business, Heb. 5.7. — In the days of his flesh, observe,
Christ in the days of his flesh, did offer up Prayers and Supplications ; How? with strong cryings and tears, What? shall
Christ be so sensible of the weight and burden of sin, when he was to suffer, that he should seek the Father with such Prayers? if he had said but one word, it had been a Prayer; but he sought him with Prayers, and Prayers with cries and supplications; and not only so, but with strong cries and tears: let thy heart be rebuked this day for the senslessness of it, in going to God in such a slight manner in seeking pardon of thy sins.
Fifthly, Those are to be rebuked that in seeking pardon of sin, do indeed but dally with God and triffle with him ; they are not at all serious in it; whereas if there be any business in the world, wherein we had need to be serious, 'tis in this? But you will say, Who are they? there are four or five sorts that do but dally with God in seeking pardon of sin.
1. Those that cry, and seem to be very earnest with God in crying to him for pardon, and yet still continue in love to their sins, and abide in the practice of them in an ordinary course and way; I do not speak of those that seek truly for the pardon of their sins, and yet may sometimes be overtaken with them agen; but I speak of the common course of People; they come to God and entreat him to forgive them, and yet continue still in them, I speak not of those that are senseless
in the acts of Confession of their sins, but of those that cry mightily unto God for pardon, and yet live in the practice of those sins they cry to God for pardon of: as for instance, consider everyone of you what sins have been in your course of life; I put this to you, either you have prayed to God to forgive them, or you have not prayed; if you have not prayed, then you are most horrible Atheists; but I thank
God, I pray every day: Well, you pray to God for forgiveness of sin, and yet live in it daily: O how do people thus dally with God; pray against sin, and yet commit sin, and fall to it again; pray again, and commit it again, and this is the very way that many people take; they draw out the thread of their lives, and spend out their day of Salvation in trifling with God; they pray that God would be merciful to them in forgiving their sin, and yet go on to commit sin; they do not think what a strong engagement against sin Praying is ; I beseech you note it, everyone of you that pray against any sin, every Prayer thou makest for pardon of sin, is a mighty strong engagement from God to you to take heed of sin afterwards, may be you have not thought of this; you say, you pray every morning, consider what you do; if you have any care of your souls, you will not rest merely in such a form as your Fathers and Mothers have taught you; but if you have any care of your souls, you will consider in Prayer to God, and say,
Lord I am guilty of such and such sins, such sins my nature is most prone unto, and such sins I have lately committed; well, I will humble my soul before God in Prayer, and entreat God to forgive me;
'tis not Prayer to mumble over a few words, this is to prate and not to pray: but when you solemnly set yourselves to examine your own hearts what you are guilty of, and protest against your sins solemnly in the presence of God, and say, Lord this and this particular sin I am guilty of; Lord I was drawn to such and such sins the day before in such and such company, O Lord forgive my sin, and forgive me these and these particular sins; this is the way to seek pardon of sin aright:
Do you do so? this will be a mighty bond upon your hearts to think thus within yourselves; Lord, What have I been setting myself solemnly in the presence of the Almighty to confess my sins, and prayed him to forgive them; what care have I need to take that I fall not into the same sin again? Thou that hast come this day, and
confessed and prayed against thy sin, do not fall into it again; you that are apt to break out into passion, when you find yourselves begin to wax hot, if you would but take so much liberty as to bethink yourselves, that you have been praying to God this morning to forgive such a Passion: it would be of mighty concernment to help you from going on in Passion, or any other sin, to consider that you have been praying to God for pardon and forgiveness of it; you that do not consider this, but confess your sins in the morning, and then go on again to commit sin; you make more work for the next time: you come to confess sin, as in Solemn Days of Humiliation, men will rip up all their sins, but before another day come, they have made work for another and another day; and this is the reason when men come to confess their sins before God, of their trifling with him and were it not that God is a God of infinite patience, he could not bear it; might not he say to you, you came seven years ago, and told me of your Pride, Passion, Earthly-mindedness, and the like; and do you now come and tell me the same again? were not God infinitely patient, he could never bear this dallying with him, for the truth is, it is nothing else but infinite dallying with God, Jer. 3.5. Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, my Father, thou art the guide of my youth? they seemed to cry to God; O thou art my Father and the guide of my youth, there are but these words named, but it is like they opened their sins before God, and cried for mercy: O says God unto them, Thou hast spoken, and cried out of the Anger of mine that is gone out against you for your sins, and yet thou hast spoken and done evil as thou couldest ; this is an evil thing, and heavy to be laid to the charge of any man, to confess sin, and pray for pardon, and yet commit it again; know this day you that have been confessing sin, and yet go on in sin; know this thing, I tell you it is but dallying with God: many men and women do ravel out their Prayers this way; they make excellent Prayers, and when they have done they ravel all again by falling into the same sin.
2. A second sort are those that seek earnestly the pardon of some sins, and yet still keep the love of some other sin, and yet think to obtain pardon of them, this is but dallying and trifling with God
about this business; you never set yourselves yet seriously about it; when you cry against some sins that are against the Light of Nature, and it may be your Consciences fly in your faces, and the Word of God hath stricken you for them; but there is some other secret haunts of villainies, that your hearts close withal, and yet you think to obtain of God forgiveness of the other, and go on there: O thou vain soul, thou vain man, know that though thou shouldest cry thy heart out for the forgiveness of one or more sins, yet if thy heart secretly close with some other sin that thou hast secret haunts after, the bonds of the guilt of that sin will hold thy soul in chains eternally; except thy soul be rent from that sin as well as from any other, thou understandest not the way of God in the dispensing of his grace to the soul, if thou thinkest God will pardon some sins, and give thee liberty in others: thou sottish soul, know that when thou goest to God for pardon of sin, thou must go with a heart resigned up from every sin, or else thou losest all thy labor, and art held in the chains of them all.
3. Those that never look after their Prayers to call it into Question what answer they have had ; I have prayed to God, but have I got any answer in my own heart, or hath God come in, in any Ordinance, and sealed to me my pardon; thus the soul should look after pardon in Prayer, and all other means; Many pray, but never look after their
Prayers whether God hear or no, Psal. 85, 8. I will hear and hearken what the Lord God will speak ; thus the Psalmist, and thus it would be with thee, if thou didst not dally with God; after thou hast cried for pardon, thou wouldest be listening at Heaven gates, and looking towards God: What answer doth God give? I have prayed and there comes no answer, the soul that sets itself in a solid and serious way to seek for pardon, will be often looking out, and remain much troubled till an answer come: Many cry for pardon, but are not troubled till God give answer, they deal with God as Pilate did with Christ, asked him What is Truth? but never stayed to have an answer, but went his way; so we do but dally with God in our Prayers and Petitions, when we ask for forgiveness of sin, and neglect to look after an answer.
4. As those that look not after the answer of their Prayers dally with God, so those that follow not their Prayers with answerable endeavors, they Petition that God would be merciful unto them; but what are the endeavors of your souls after your Petitioning? if there be not endeavors to attend upon the means of grace that God uses to speak peace to souls in, all your Prayers are nothing; but of this I shall speak afterwards, you are to search into the Covenant, and inquire after the Saints what course they have taken, and what means they have used to obtain pardon.
5. Those that pray for pardon, yet are satisfied with other things ; as thus, they pray for pardon, but if the world come in they are satisfied and quieted with that; as a Child that hath a piece of Gold given him and an Apple, he will be stilled with the Apple; so many men sue to God for this great work of pardon of sin, but let God give them health and accommodations in the world, they are satisfied and contented with them, and little or never seek after the pardon of their sin; that is a fifth sort that are charged this day before the Lord that do but dally with God about seeking pardon for their sins.
Sixthly, They that are quiet upon weak and slight Evidences dishonor God ; certainly they have not those high thoughts of the mercy of God in pardoning sin, that content themselves with poor Evidences about it as most do; come to many people, and ask them, What? you hope that God will pardon your sins; yes we do hope, but upon the poorest Evidences imaginable: those Evidences they lay the weight of the pardon of their sins upon, are such broken reeds that it would make a man amazed, that understands what the worth of a poor soul is, that they should venture so great a thing on so slight a reed; What is the reason? because they have but slight thoughts of the forgiveness of sin: that, that a man puts a high valuation of, he will make sure; but that which he slights, he is not so intense in; as to instance, if one give you in payment Silver, Gold, and Farthings, you take the Farthings and do not tell them, but you tell the Silver, and the Gold you not only tell it, but weigh it too; What is the reason? because you little esteem of the Brass, and so will not tell it, you
more esteem the Silver, and therefore tell that; but the Gold you not only tell but weigh it, because you have a greater esteem of that than the other; this is an argument, may convince the men of the world, that their esteem of earthly things is more than of Heaven and their souls; because they labor to make earthly things more sure than the things of heaven; a worldly man to make sure his Estate will have
Bond upon Bond, and Seal upon Seal, and carry his Evidences to Counselors, and say, I beseech you Sirs, see whether there be not some flaw in them, I shall lose all my money if there be but a crack in my Evidences; he is mighty careful of this, because he hath such a high esteem of his worldly concerns: But how does it appear that men have but poor low thoughts about the pardon of their sins, because they content themselves with such poor mean Evidences; for had they a high esteem of it, they would labor to make pardon of sin surer than anything in the world. To wind up all, those that know what pardon of sin is; how do they spend their time, and lay out themselves to get assurance? Take this one note, Because God sees those that are his own people understand what forgiveness is, have a high esteem of it, and are very solicitous about it, he condiscends in his kindness to assure them by all sorts of ways and means ; methinks God deals with them in this manner, the poor soul stands shaking and trembling, crying our, Oh! that I might have my sins forgiven, and have assurance of it; Why, says God, what way do you take to make things sure from one to another? says you, first we give our word one to another, says God you shall have that, I give you my
Word; What have you else? Secondly, say you, we cause it to be written; well says God, you shall have it written, and this is a great mercy, the Covenant of grace is written; we have it not from hand to hand, as our forefathers had: What do you else require? Thirdly, you say to have witnesses; well, says God, you shall have witnesses, in things between man and man, In the mouth of two or three witnesses everything is established, Matth. 10.16. Now God in reconciling a Soul to himself, brings no less than six witnesses to confirm a Believer in assurance of his grace and favor to him, 1 Joh. 5.7,
8. There are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and three that bear witness on Earth, the Spirit,
Water, and Blood ; three in Heaven, and three on Earth to assure thee of forgiveness of sin, that is a third way; Is there any other way? yea Lord: Fourthly, we use not only to have a word, and this word put in writing, and witnesses affixed to it; but we use to take an Oath:
Well, says God, I will swear and take an Oath, to make my Covenant of grace sure to your souls, Heb. 6.13. when God made a Promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, and this is in the 18. verse, (an admirable Text of Scripture) That we might have strong Consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us ; there is hope of God's grace through the Reconciliation of Christ Jesus, and this hope the soul runs to as to a City of Refuge, when his guilt, like the persuer of blood follows him; Well, says God, this poor soul notwithstanding will have doubts of my grace; now that it might have strong consolation, I have swore that I might make my mercy sure to such a soul, that's a fourth way: but is there anything else you use to make things sure between one another? Yea Lord, Fourthly, we put our
Seals to it, an Oath taken may soon pass over, but a Seal that abides: says God, I will do that too, I will give you Seals, and there are divers sorts of Seals; there's first the Broad Seal of Heaven: What is that? that is nothing else, but the very Printing of the Image of God on the Soul, that is the Broad Seal of Heaven. And as the Broad Seal of England, hath the Picture or Image of the King stamped upon it, so the Broad Seal of Heaven is nothing else but the Image of God stampit or imprinted on the Soul. 2. There is the Privy Seal of the Holy Spirit of God, which is the persuading and assuring of the soul of its interest it hath in Christ and God the Father. In 2 Tim. 2.19. you have God's Privy Seal, The Lord knows them that are his, and they having his Privy Seal know themselves to be the Lord's, Cant.
6.2. I am my Beloveds, and my Beloved is mine ; so Paul, Gal. 2.20. being sealed with this Seal, saith of Christ, He loved me, and gave himself for me ; he was persuaded and assured of salvation,
2 Tim. 1.12. Rom. 8.38, 39. This Privy Sealing is like the New Name, Revel. 2.17. Which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. And to this you shall have a third Seal Baptism and the Supper of the Lord, that is, to assure you, that the end of the Sacrament is to
Seal up Pardon of sin; God saw that his People would be very solicitous, and therefore added all these ways of assurance to them; when you therefore come to the Sacrament, you should come with a sense upon your souls of the great need you have of the grace of God in pardoning sin, and come to it as to a Sealing-day; you have many fears and doubts; come so as that you may have the grace of pardon sealed to your souls; take heed of coming so as to have your condemation sealed: for certainly, all Ordinances if they work not for that end that they are appointed, they turn to another and quite contrary; as the Word, if it be not the savor of life, it is the savor of death; and so the Sacraments, if they seal not the pardon of thy sins up unto thee, they seal up the sentence of death and condemnation; therefore look to it, as oft as you come unworthily to the Sacrament, you have so many Seals of death and condemnation set upon your souls: Take heed you do not come to take another Seal of death; 'tis much to be feared, many in this place come to take the seal of eternal death upon their souls: but those that come worthily, though administrations be not in that due order as they should, yet God may be present with his own Ordinance to give them comfort from it, and help their Evidences by it; I must conclude this, those that content themselves with slight Evidences about this great work, dishonor the grace of God: you would have us preach of mercy, and indeed it is a blessed Argument which our souls delight much to be preaching of, because we find so much sweetness in it, and for which our souls shall expatiate themselves in glorifying God to all eternity; but we are withal jealous of your dishonoring of God in this mercy, and therefore it is that we labor so with you, after the laying open of this mercy, that you may not abuse it: for certainly my Brethren, there is nothing in the world God takes to heart more, than the dishonor that is done to his pardoning mercy ; and nothing more aggravates the sin of People than to have slight thoughts of this great work.
Seventhly, This is a great dishonor to God's pardoning mercy, for men to put off the seeking of it to the worst times that possible can be ; Is it not the ordinary way of most people, to put of the seeking of the grace and favor of God, Pardon of sin, and Reconciliation, till the
time of sickness, and the time of death? they go on all their life time in sinning against God; but when they are lying upon their sick-beds and death-beds, Lord have mercy upon me, pardon me, forgive me, a wicked wretch that I have been; these kind of words we hear from men at that time: O that God would forgive and pardon such and such sins, and then perhaps they will tell some particular sins if they think they shall die, they will open themselves to the Minister, or to some faithful Neighbor in the disclosing of their particular sins, and beseech them to pray to God for mercy; but if they have any hopes to escape, they will keep them in, and be loath to rip open the sins of their lives: This I say, for any to put off the seeking unto God for his pardoning grace till that time, it is to put a great dishonor upon God, for it is a putting of it off to the worst time that possible can be. And that makes much to the dishonor of God: For First, Those men seek pardon of sin, when sin is leaving them, or they must leave sin whether they will or no ; when you have served your own turn of sin, after you have had as much supposed pleasure as you can, then you think to be delivered from the guilt and punishment of sin; what is there but a mere selfish spirit in seeking
God now, and God sees it so; it is not seeking after pardon of sin that you may honor God in his infinite grace, for then you would seek after it now, and the honor of God would be dear to you now; but you seek it at such a time merely out of respect to yourselves, this is a great dishonor to God, It is the first born of God's glory to pardon sin ; and for God to see men and women have no higher ends in seeking pardoning grace, but merely to save their own skins; How may God look upon them with disdain? What shall I magnify the riches of my grace so wonderfully in this work of my pardoning mercy? And shall my creatures seek after it for no other end, nor higher aims, but merely to save their own skins? you bring down the grace of God, that that is the top of his infinite Majesty and Glory you put to a low and base end; therefore put not off seeking it to the last, 'tis a great dishonor to his grace.
2. It is the worst time, because you come to seek after pardoning grace when it is the time of God's wrath, Prov. 11.4. the time of affliction, and trouble, sickness, and death, is called the day of wrath ; Riches avail not in the day of God's wrath ; Riches avail for comfort at present, but in the day of wrath they will not: God hath his day of affliction, and his day of wrath, he hath his time to come to visit men for their sins: Now then, for people to come to seek to have the pardon of their sins when God's time is to visit for sin, that must needs be the worst time that possible can be, I reason thus, and consider of it; if God does deny his mercy in the day of mercy, is it likely, that he will grant mercy in the day of wrath? while you are alive, and have liberty, health and opportunity to come to hear the Doctrine of the Justification of a sinner, and forgiveness of sin opened, you are to know it is the day of God's grace; Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of Salvation and of grace ; when God gives liberty and opportunity, thus to have the mysteries of the Gospel opened unto you, this is the day of God's grace: Now if God deny you grace in this day of mercy, that you are not so much as enlightened, your souls melted and your hearts stirred; Do you think that now you are upon your sick-beds or death-beds, which is a day of wrath unto you? for so it is to those that have not their sins pardoned before, it is a day of wrath, and God's time of visiting for sin; Is it likely that God will now show thee mercy? I beseech you consider, the usual way of God's working on men is according to his
Ordinance: Now the ordinary way of God's conveying grace is by the Ministry of the Word; Did God ever appoint any other way to convey
Christ, and grace to thy Soul? give me a Text for it; Where do you find a Text in Scripture of any other way as an Ordinance appointed by God, for the conveying of his pardoning grace in Christ to any
Soul? No, it is in the Ministry of the Gospel, and by faith, that lays hold of the pardoning grace of God, by coming to hear the Word preached; Now if God come not in that time to work upon thee, and to bestow mercy in his own appointed way, it is not likely he will come any other way: I remember in a Treatise of Mr. Bolton 's, he has this expression, Let any one give me an example, that ever any one that lived under a powerful Ministry, and not savingly wrought
upon that way, was ever wrought upon any other way ; many he says may be stirred, but for his part he knew none that was so stirred by affliction to the conversion of their souls, if God had not before in the Ordinances of grace wrought upon them: then it must needs be the worst time that can be to seek pardon of sin in a day of trouble or affliction, because that is usually a time of God's wrath visiting for sin.
3. The work of the Soul in seeking after God's pardoning mercy, and applying of it to himself, as it is the excellentest work that ever a creature did perform, so it does require the most exquisite work of the Spirit that ever was required, or that ever any creature was set about; it is the most intensive work of the spirit of man, the applying of the grace of God in Christ, and the closing with it for Justification, it is the highest, most exquisite, most glorious and most admirable work of the spirit of man that ever was in the world, and it requires the greatest intensness and strength of a man's spirit that ever any work did: Now then to put this off till such a time as a man's strength is gone, and he through diseases unfit for anything, and when as all the strength he hath will be little enough to help him to bear his pain, this must needs be the worst time; you are mistaken if you think the applying of God's mercy in Christ is but in saying Lord have mercy upon me ; No, it is God's putting the heart of man to do the most glorious work that hath the greatest operation in it that ever he did. I remember it related of one that lived wickedly, and divers sought to reclaim him, says he, come when I am upon my sick bed, that is time enough; and afterwards he being sick, was put in mind of it; you said you would do it then: but then he swore a great Oath, saying, What is this a time to repent in? because he then felt so much trouble and anguish that took up his thoughts, that he was stir'd with indignation to be put upon repenting then, in a time when he felt so much dolour of spirit by the pains that were upon him; Is this a time to repent in? if that be not, then do it betimes.
4. It is the worst time, because God shall lose a great part of his end in pardoning sin ; for when God pardons sin it is to this end, that his
poor creatures might honor and worship him in this world, and do him service; but now to seek for God's pardoning grace when thou canst do him no more service in this world; How canst thou think that he will accept thee then? He came to redeem us, that we might serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives ; and he knows there is no such way to engage the heart of man to serve him as pardoning grace; for when once a soul sees itself delivered from those Enemies of sin and of the Law that would destroy him, his heart will be mightily set to honor God and serve him in holiness and righteousness all his days; and therefore to seek for pardon when thou canst do God no more service in this world, must needs be the worst time; for how knowest thou that he will accept thee then? I beseech you observe one Text of Scripture that is abused by many people; for I suppose that I am speaking to a great many very ignorant in the ways of God, and therefore I desire to speak plainly unto you, there is one place, though misapprehended and mistaken, that is the main prop of many carnal hearts, as it is read in some
Books; At what time soever a sinner repents, &c. I know no such Text of Scripture; it is true, there are Scriptures tending that way that do not limit the time; but no Scripture does express it so: many people run away with that expression, as if it were so; there is no Text of Scripture hath those words; there is one Text of Scripture this is taken out of, but that is spoken to another end, and therefore you had need to examine what is spoken, 'tis Ezek. 18.21. this comes the nearest to those words, mark this Scripture, and see what you can have from thence to defer the seeking of God's pardoning mercy and grace till sickness and death; But if the wicked shall turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my Statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die ; here this Scripture does not limit a time, though it says not, At what time soever; it says, if he turn from all his sins, and keep all my Statutes, and do that that is lawful and right ; so that this Scripture promises mercy to one that turns from all his sins, and will keep all God's
Statutes, and so do all that is lawful and right: But now, if you put it off to the time of sickness and death; How can you do all this? Turn from all sin and keep all God's Statutes then, or, How can you do that
is lawful and right then? it must be then when you can keep all God's Statutes, as well as turn from all your sins; so that if you take all together, there is not so much encouragement to that which is so frequent in your mouths; At what time soever a sinner repents, it must be at such a time as that you must keep all God's Statutes: but further, God speaks here to the Jews according to the condition of the Covenant of works, because they made account to be justified by the Law; says God you will put it off, and think at last to turn from your wicked ways, and that I will have mercy on you; I but look to it, if you will repent, it must be such a repentance as must be joined, with a keeping all my Statutes ; therefore those that do not understand the way of the Gospel, but depend upon a repentance on their death-beds, God will hold you to this Scripture, that you must repent at such a time as that you must keep all God's Statutes, then you see, this is the worst time of all, to defer repentance till your sickbeds or death-beds; for how can you keep all God's Statutes then, and do all that is lawful and right then?
5. It is the worst time, because all the tag-rag, all the base and vilest wretches in the world will come in then ; And what hast thou no other spirit, but to defer coming in till then? Hast thou no more care of thy soul, no more love to God and his ways, but to put it off till such a time, as all the abominable wretches in the world will come in? that is the seventh way in dishonoring the pardoning grace of God, by seeking it in the worst time that possible can be.
8. The Eighth way of dishonouring the pardoning grace of God, and the most considerable of all, is the seeking and expecting of it any other way, but only through the Mediation of the Son of God ; I told you in the opening of the glorious mysteries of pardoning grace, that it must be done by a Mediator: Now, not only gross ignorant people, but many others dishonor the pardoning grace of God, they are not sensible of this; that it is such grace that only comes through the Mediation of the Son of God: We have too low thoughts of the pardoning grace of God, if we do think there is a possibility of attaining it any other way than by the mediation of him, that is God-
Man: If we think our crying to God at any time will do it, or our roaring out in anguish of spirit, forty, fifty, or sixty years is enough to do it: or that there is anything to attain it by, under the mediation of the Son of God, we have too low thoughts of the pardoning grace of God, we give not God that honor that is due unto it. Luther has a notable expression to this purpose, It is a horrible blasphemy if you presume to pacify God by any works, 'tis an excellent speech; so I say, 'tis horrible blasphemy and intolerable to think to have anything in the least of your own, to presume upon that God will be pacified with it, whereas God cannot be pacified by any other means, then by the infinite price of the Death and Blood of his own Son; one drop of which is more precious, than all the creatures of Heaven and Earth;
God will say, Have I revealed such a way of being reconciled with my Creatures, and that at such a rate and infinite price as the death of my own Son? Shall his life and blood go to procure pardon (one drop of which is more worth than ten thousand worlds) and when all this is done, shall my creature think to put me off by a poor work of their own prayers, tears, good meaning, or the like; or with the most glorious work that they can perform? for the greatest and most glorious work that they can perform is not near worth so much as one drop of the blood of Christ. And if you have not such high thoughts of God's Pardoning Mercy, that it must be procured by that which hath more worth in it than all the Creation besides, you do dishonor it, by having such low thoughts of it, when as you think to obtain it by any duty that you can do; you think God is a merciful
God, and you hope upon your reforming and performing duties of Obedience, that God will be pacified towards you for all that is amiss:
Certainly when you have these thoughts of God's pardoning grace, you make it to be but as common and ordinary pity towards one in misery; but the grace of God is a higher thing than common pity and compassion, and it is a mighty dishonor to God to have no higher thoughts of it, that you think of it but as of common pity and compassion that one creature hath unto another; or if you think it differs from that pity one creature hath to another, it is but a difference in degrees;; only you think it is a little higher in degree: but you must look upon it in another way, and as another kind of pity
then one creature bears to another; it is true, God's pardoning his poor creatures is in pity and compassion, but it is through the death and satisfaction of his own Son; and if you think to procure it any other way than by the mediation of the Son of God, you look upon it but in a natural way, as nature will dictate unto you; for nature will dictate, that the beholding of one crying out in misery will move pity and compassion, and you go no further: But you are to know, the pardoning grace of God, is the most supernatural and mysteriousest thing in all the Book of God; therefore when God works in us, we must act faith upon it in a mystical way, or act faith upon it as a great mystery; and therefore you that have been made sensible of sin, it may be you have thought of God's grace for the pardon and forgiveness of your sins, and for to quiet the trouble of your spirits;
Have you done that? there is I suppose many a poor soul may say, I have been often with God when no eye saw me, but only God's, seeking the pardon of my sin in trouble of spirit; you have done so: but has your eye at that time been fastened on the Son of God, as the great Mediator between God and Man, to intercede to God the Father for the obtaining this mercy, by making satisfaction to infinite
Justice: Together with your cries for pardon, have your eyes been upon the Son of God at the right hand of the Father, pleading for man? Have your hearts been taken with the great mysteries of godliness, and wrought upon by the infinite grace of God? Have you put forth a mighty power of the Spirit of Faith, to tender up to God the Father the Atonement that his Son has made by his blood and death for your sins? Have you seen that the pardoning grace of God is so high, that it is impossible to be reachit unto by anything you can do, but only by the mediation of the Son of God? If it have been thus with your spirits? then you have somewhat of the sense of the great work of God in this thing; but otherwise, though you have been never so much wrought on and have had floods of sorrow, and have cried never so earnest for the pardon of your sins, yet except you have had some such kind of thoughts of God's grace, as these are, upon your hearts, working after God this way, you were never thoroughly acquainted with the way of God's pardoning grace, and so you have dishonored him, by having too low thoughts of it, except your hearts
have been raised to this height, Psal. 51.7. in that time when David was on repenting, he called unto God to purge him with Hyssop; David desired the renewing of the assurance of God's mercy in Christ, in the pardoning of that horrible offense he had committed; and therefore prays that he may be purged with Hyssop:
What is the meaning of that? there is a great mystery in it; in the time of the Law when the blood was sprinkled, it was done with a bunch of Hyssop; and it was a Type of the Blood of Christ that was to make an Atonement, Levite. 14. They were to take a bunch of Hyssop to sprinkle withal ; Now says David, Purge me with Hyssop, that is, apply to me the blood of Christ, for I have need of fresh applications of the blood of Christ; I have sinned against him, and have done what in me lay to bring myself under God's wrath, and have brought new guilt upon my soul: Now for the assurance of thy love to me, let there be fresh applications of the blood of thy Son; let there be a new sprinkling of the blood of thy Son upon me: I suppose many of you in reading this place, did not think of the meaning of the Spirit of God in it, that may be a great help unto you, when at any time you are seeking the pardon of your sins, to cry to God to be purged with Hyssop; O Lord▪ sprinkle the blood of Christ afresh upon me; for I know that all my Prayers and Tears, and all that I can do, cannot purge me from the guilt of that sin I have committed against thee, except thou purge me with Hyssop; that is, by applying of the Blood of thy Son unto me: And this is the Eighth way of dishonoring the grace of God, in seeking for it any other way than through the blood of his Son ; and remember when you are seeking it, that it may be the last time; and therefore remember you look up to God for it in, by, and through the death of his Son; for otherwise, though you are never so earnest in Prayer, you dishonor this grace: It is an easy matter to convince men and women, that they are guilty of dishonoring the grace of God, if they seek for pardon in a negligent and sluggish way; but now, though you are never so sensible, and put forth never so much strength in seeking for it, yet you dishonor God, except you look upon it as such a high thing that can never be reached unto, but through the mediation of the Son of God.
9. The ninth way of dishonoring the grace of God is, for any one to venture on sin, the rather because they hope they shall be pardoned, that dare to venture on sin on that ground, hoping that God will at last pardon them, I spake before of those that did nothing else but increase their sins instead of seeking pardon of sin, and of the miserable sad condition of such: But those we now speak of, are not such as are come to this height of sinning, to do nothing else but increase their sins; but such men and women who being convinced of sin, and if they were persuaded that God would never pardon that sin, they would find knots enough to stop them from the commission of it: but because they have some hopes that God will pardon, therefore on that very ground they venture on sin; 'tis true, it is an offense, but God is a merciful God, he will forgive though it be an evil: there is more evil and mischief in this than thou canst imagine;
What, art thou convinced of sin, and wilt thou venture on sin merely on this ground, because thou hopest that God will pardon thee? I may say unto thee as Peter to Simon Magus, Act. 8.22. Pray O pray to God, that if it be possible, this thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee ; for this thought of thy heart hath so much malignity in it, and is so great a provocation against God as possible can be imagined,
(except the sin against the Holy Ghost,) for any man or women to venture on any sin in hopes of pardon: some will say, What need we be so strict, and trouble ourselves so much? God is merciful, and therefore they think upon that ground; they need not be so strict; this is a horrible degree of turning the grace of God into wantenness, Jude 4. the Apostle speaks of such there, that professed they did believe in Christ; mark what he says of them, There are certain men crept in unawares, — ungodly men turning the grace of God into laciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord
Jesus Christ ; 'tis a most dreadful place, if there be any one in the Congregation that have ever had the glorious light of the Gospel revealed to them, that can reason thus? I do such and such things, yet God is merciful; O that God would convince thee of this evil, give me leave to open it unto you, how men creep in; they were
Christians, and were come into the Church; but how? they crept in cunningly; the Saints of God were not aware of them, they crept in
amongst them; here by the way, we may take notice, that in a Church there ought to be none admitted Members, but such as there may be some testimony of godliness in them; for if any be ungodly, they are such as creep in unawares; the Church of God should keep them out, such as creep in unawares should be kept out: many cry out, they will not have communion with any Church, because there are some wicked men in it; and others say, while there is a Church on Earth, the tares will be among the corn, and chaff will be among the wheat: be not deceived, I know none in the world that does think there is any Congregation so pure, but that some ungodly one may creep into it: but consider, to have some evil ones in the Church is one thing, and the Church to have power to cast them out, that is another thing;
'tis true, they will creep into the Church, but when they are crept in, and appear to be ungodly ones, we must do our duty; tell them of their faults, and if they will not hear us, we must tell it to the Church; and if the Church have power and will not deal with them, it need not at all hinder our communicating with them: but here lies the case,
Whether we should withdraw, because evil ones are among them? or, Whether we can join with that Church wherein there is no power to keep them out, and after they are crept in to cast them out? they will creep into the Church, they came in unawares; but the state of the Church should be such, that they should suffer no evil men to come in, and if they do come in, it is unawares to the Church, by making a Profession of Religion; for the Church can go no further then what does outwardly appear unto them: if men make a Profession of Religion, and have a conversation agreeable to it, the Church can go no further; but for a Church to admit all, if they be no swearers, no adulterers, of gross livers in any other sin, although they make no Profeson; nay, if they do but hire a House in the Parish, it is enough to make them members of the Church, and when they are in, there is no power to cast them out; & if a power heretofore, the remedy was worse than the disease; it was such a power as was never ordained of God: Whether we should join with such a Church or no; or whether we should withdraw, because there is some evil ones among them is questionable? surely none can imagine there should be such a pure
Church in the world, as that there should be no tares among them;
But if there be a power in every Church to admit of none but such as have an appearance of godliness, and if after being crept in, they proving otherwise, that there is a power to cast them out; let these things be granted, and then though many ungodly ones will unawares creep in, yet it is no hindrance at all to join with them in all the Ordinances of God: that is the first thing said of them; they creep in. 2. He says they were such as were ordained of old to condemnation ; those that turn this grace of God into wantonness; that is, abuse this pardoning grace of God by taking liberty to sin; surely they are such as should be kept out of the Church, and if they creep in, they should not be accounted members, but should be cast out, when they appear to be such as were of old ordained to condemnation: then those that abuse the grace of God to wantonness, and think they may take liberty to sin because God is merciful to forgive sin, the Scriptures says, they are of old ordained to condemnation. Thirdly, They are ungodly men, such that have no godliness at all in them, but are mere carnal and worldly men; it is a terrible thing for a Minister to say to any of you out of the Word of God, thou art an ungodly man or woman. Hast thou not turned the grace of God into wantonness, and abused it, when thou heardest that God was merciful? Hast thou took liberty to sin? thou art an ungodly man; for thou turnest the grace of God into wantonness: The blessed grace of God that should be the chief means to keep men from sin; thou makest it an advantage to further sin: And mark further, Fourthly, Thou deniest our Lord Jesus Christ ; thou talkest of God's mercy in Christ, but thou deniest the only Lord God and our
Lord Jesus Christ; What a heap of expressions are here, to set forth the condition of such men that turn the grace of God into wantonness? 1. They creep in. 2. Were of old ordained to condemnation. 3. They are ungodly: And 4. they deny the Lord Jesus
Christ: Methinks this one Text should daunt the heart of everyone that is before the Lord this day; never to presume upon acting of such horrible wickedness, to sin because of God's pardoning grace, for there is so much evil in this, to presume on sin because God is willing to forgive sin, that those that understand the glory of God's grace, their hearts cannot but stand amazed and rise with
indignation against it, Rom. 6.1. What shall we say then, Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? — some there were that did abuse the grace of God to sin; How does the Apostle rise with indignation against that abominable wickedness? he does not grant it, but reject it with a horrible indignation, God forbid, What? to sin that grace may abound, God forbid: What? to make use of the grace of God to further sin; Shall we stand to answer these men, in the horrible reasoning of their hearts? No, they are to be cast of with detestation and rejection, with a God forbid, that there should be any of such vile and wicked hearts thus to abuse the pardoning grace of God: Suppose you forgive one servant a fault, and another servant should say; well, my Master hath forgiven him, I will do so too; upon that ground, if thou commit the same offense, he will not forgive thee, because thou offendest presumptuously, which is a most horrid thing. Let me a little further reason the case:
1. It is an argument of an abominable heart, that hath no way to keep it from sin, but only guilt, and fear of wrath and Hell ; Thou makest not the grace of God an argument to keep thee from sin, nor the evil of sin in itself; which is a great dishonor and wrong to God; there is more evil in sin itself, setting a side the consideration of the guilt and punishment of it, there is ten thousand times more evil in sin itself, than all the punishment in Hell will countervail; and thou hast no way to keep thee from sin, but only the guilt and punishment; it is an argument of a base wicked heart.
2. Suppose there were no evil of guilt or punishment, yet an ingenious gracious spirit would never do it ; What shall I sin, because
God will pardon? Shall I venture upon it? no, I will never do it: grace reasons to a quite contrary end; that is an excellent Scripture in Tit.
2.11. The grace of God that brings Salvation ; it is this grace that reveals the pardon of sin; this precious grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men: But to what end? teaching us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts ; the grace of God that brings salvation, it teaches us these lessons; not such a wicked lesson that we should presume to sin, on hopes that God may pardon it: No, But
to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts; and that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly ; and not to take liberty to sin, to lie, steal, be filthy and the like, because God will pardon; no, it teaches other manner of lessons than these; and then it follows, looking for that blessed hope and appearance of the great God, and our Savior
Jesus Christ ; mark the Text, there is a great deal in it, when the grace of God that brings salvation, and mercy, and pardon of sin is revealed, it teaches us these Lessons; because of the grace and favor of God is revealed to us, that we should deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and then we may with comfort look for the blessed hope and appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; but otherwise you can never look for that blessed hope: let me speak to those that reason thus, that they may venture on sin, because of God's pardoning grace; Does the Revelation of the grace of God teach you to live ungodly, and in worldly lusts? Can you look for that blessed hope with comfort, and expect the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ? 'tis impossible, you cannot,
'tis not a blessed hope that you have, but a cursed hope ; that all shall be well at last, though you live ungodly and wickedly, and for the appearing of the great God; certainly it will be a terrible appearing to thee, that made Christ who came to dissolve the works of the Devil, to be a means to uphold the works of the Devil.
3. Did ever any Child of God make use of Scripture to reason for sin in such a wicked way, for to presume to sin, because God is willing to pardon? you cannot give me one example in all the Scripture of any of those that God hath shown mercy to, that reasoned after this manner; I can give you examples to the contrary, how the Saints have reasoned otherwise, Psal. 130.4. mark the reasoning of a gracious heart, But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared ; he reasons from the pardoning grace of God, to draw up his heart to the fear of God; as if he should say, Lord, I have heard much of the Doctrine of the pardon of sin, and the great workings of thy grace to effect it, and of thy readiness to forgive, this is the end of it, that thou mightest be feared ; this is the effect this doctrine works in a gracious soul, and 'tis a good sign if you reason after this manner; but there is
forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared: If those Sermons you have heard of this Doctrine be a means to implant the fear of God in your hearts, this is a blessed sign they have had a good effect upon you; when you reason thus, Because Lord, I have had so much of thy grace and mercy in forgiving my sin; through thy grace my soul shall fear thee more than ever before, and fear to sin more than ever before : those that have hearts answering this Text, 'tis a good sign that the Word has had a powerful efficacy upon them: take another Text, Psal. 103.1, 2, 3. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits ; Why? who forgiveth all thy iniquities: Mark, it is a Psalm that David made of God's mercy in forgiving of sin, the consideration of which makes him call upon his soul, and all that is within him to bless the Lord: Do's God show so much grace as to forgive sin? then bless the Lord O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy Name ; 'tis not reasoning thus, God forgives iniquity, and therefore O my soul take liberty; thou needest not be so strict:
But bless the Lord O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy Name: those that have strength to do anything for God, this is an argument will stir up all within them to bless God, when they see
God appearing so infinitely gracious to them in the forgiveness of their sins; they so reason, that all they have, or can do, should be given unto him.
4. You that think, you may take liberty to sin because God is gracious, and venture on it, because you conceit that God will never punish; think of this, the example of the damned in Hell, they are flying in the face of God because they know that God will never pardon; and thou sinnest because thou hopest God will pardon; which is the worst of the two: the Devils and the damned are in such a condition, as that they know that God will never pardon them; and therefore they always curse God, because they know he will not pardon: but God offers pardon, and tenders grace to you, holds forth
Jesus Christ to you, and his blood and sufferings for the pardoning of you, and you blaspheme because you think he will pardon; of the two methinks you should judge the second sort worst; you blaspheme because you hope God will pardon, and the other blaspheme God
because they know he will not pardon; 'It is something worse to take liberty to sin, because you hope God will pardon, than they that sin because they are out of all hopes of pardon. Thou that takest liberty on this ground to blaspheme the Name of God; What thinkest thou will become of thee another day? now thou dost blaspheme, because thou hopest that God will pardon thee ; ere long thou mayest come to that condition to blaspheme God eternally, because, he will not pardon thee: As I make no question, but many Swearers,
Drunkards, unclean persons and the like, have gone on in sin on this ground, because they hoped that God would pardon them; are now gone to their own place, and blaspheme because they find that God will never pardon: so that thou that blasphemest now, it may be thou shalt blaspheme eternally, but it will be otherwise, thou dost it now on hopes that God will pardon; thou shalt there do it, because thou shalt have no hopes that he will ever pardon.
5. Thou that sinnest now in hopes that God will pardon, if God enlighten thy mind, these things will be an intolerable burden to thee ; and if there be anything that will endanger the sinking of thy soul into the bottomless gulf of dispair, it is like to be this; you now give way to the reasonings of your own hearts, to further sin from the consideration of God's pardoning mercy; the same reason that furthers sin in you now, from the consideration of pardon, will make you have further thoughts of despairing of God's mercy: Suppose thou goest on a great while, and heapest up sin on this presumption:
Let me put this unto thee, either God will enlighten thy Conscience, or he will not do it; if he never do it, thou art eternally lost; but if he do it, if he come at length and awaken Conscience; then what a load of anguish and trouble will lie upon thy soul, that will make thee cry out, O Lord, I have not only sinned: but now I come to seek for mercy; my mouth is stopit with the thoughts of that mercy that I have abused: Now nothing but free grace can do me good; my
Conscience tells me how I have abused this grace, I have presumed on sin because of this, I have made the thoughts I had of this grace a means to further me in sin; and now with what face can I go to seek this grace and mercy? these will be stinging thoughts to thee another
day; when a Minister shall come to apply the grace of God to thy soul, thou wilt say there is mercy with God to pardon sinners, but not for those that have abused the grace of God as I have done; Manasseh, and Paul, 'tis true, they committed many great sins; but did they ever commit any sin upon this ground, in hope of pardon: O look unto it, let none go out from the presence of the Lord this day, with thoughts to venture on sin, because ye hope it may be pardoned; to venture on sin on that ground, is the most horrible cursedest thing that can be.
Tenthly, A tenth way of dishonoring the grace of God's pardoning mercy; as to sin in hopes of pardon, so to sin after pardon, after God hath revealed this grace unto you; then to sin, this is a great dishonor to this grace: Many that have been in trouble for their sins, and in their trouble have cried to God for mercy, and God hath spoke peace to their souls, and hath told them that their sins are pardoned, and that he will cleanse their souls from the guilt of sin by the blood of his own Son; and yet after all this, they have again fallen to their former sins: I have spoke before of this degree of dishonoring God's pardoning grace, but now I am speaking of a further degree; not only to fall into that sin you have sought for pardon of, but to fall into that sin, that you have some comfortable assurance of pardon of, 1 King.
11.9. The Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord, that had appeared to him twice ; remember, hath not God appeared to some of you twice, and given you assurance of his love and pardoning grace? God came with sweet comforts and rejoiced your souls; and what do you turn from the Lord after he hath appeared twice to you, and said unto thee, thy sins are pardoned? this is a grievous thing, Ezra 9.14. Should we again break thy Commandments? — Would'st not thou be angry with us, should we again sin, wouldest thou not consume us? so after God has delivered us from condemnation, the guilt of sin, and the spirit of bondage ; What? to trespass again, it is just with God to be angry with us, Psal. 85.8. The Lord will speak peace —, but let them not return again to folly ; if God speak peace, O return not again to folly; I appeal unto you, hath God ever spoke peace to your
souls? Have you heard the voice of gladness speaking in your hearts, saying, Son, or Daughter be of good cheer, go in peace, thy sins are pardoned? Have you not heard this? if you have not, you had need to get it; if you have, then return not again to the same sin that God hath graciously pardoned. 1. Return not to the same sin. 2. Return not to any other sin. 1. Return not to the same sin ; it is a question, and a great case of Conscience, Whether it be possible for a Child of God after God hath dealt unto him the pardon of sin, whether he may commit that sin again? some have denied it; I remember some ancient Divines, Origen and Tertullian upon those words in Heb.
6. For it is impossible for those that were once enlightened, — if they shall fall away to renew them by repentance ; he applies it to the sin of uncleanness; and says he, a second repentance is not promised in the Name of Christ to Adulterers and Fornicators; thus I may boldly say, we do not find any certain express example in all the Book of God, of any Child of God that did fall into the same gross outward sins after an actual repentance, and making up his peace with God for sin; we find no express Scripture: I do not say, we find no example of the Children of God that have not committed the same sin again, as Peter and Lot, but we find no example of any gross sin that they have fallen into: mark it, after their repentance and reconciliation; what was done amiss, was done before they came to have it laid home unto their Consciences, and applied unto their hearts for the humbling of their souls in making their peace with God: True, David committed Adultery, but never the second time, after he had his bones broken, he fell not again: and so Peter, after he went out and wept bitterly, he never denied his Master again ; and so Abraham equivocated, but we read not, that after any actual renewal of faith and repentance, that he committed that sin again: a wound while it is open, and not fully closed, it may bleed again; but when it is fully closed, to bleed again is dangerous; and so any of the people of God, after the actual renewal of their faith and repentance, you cannot give me an example that any of them have fallen into the same sin again; I do not absolutely deny it, but I say it is a dangerous thing, God hath not left an example; he hath left examples that his
Children have fallen, but not after they have renewed their faith and
repentance, that they have fallen into the same sins again; I speak not of inward thoughts, I know that they after repentance will return again; but for any outward gross actual sin after the renewal of faith and repentance, they have not returned again to commit the same sin: when once a joint is out, or a leg broke and set, usually that joint or bone is stronger than before ; and so I might show you after they have sinned, and been set again, they have been stronger than before: a Child of God falling into sin is just like the breaking of a bone, Gal. 6.1. And you that are spiritual must restore such a one ; the word in the Original is put him in joint again ; any godly man or member of a Church that falls into sin, is as a bone out of joint, and you that are spiritual must set it again; if once you have a bone out of joint, the longer you let it go, the more painful it is; so if you fall into any sin, the longer you let it go the more unwieldy you will be: No marvel you cannot go about your business handsomely, when you have a bone out of joint; but has God been so merciful as to put you into joint again; you know what Christ said to the man, Thou art made whole, &c. so I say to you, you that have sinned, and God has pardoned you, set you in joint again, Go your way, you are made whole, take heed of sinning again least, a worse thing befall you.
2. A second sort that dishonor the grace of God, are such that though they fall not into the same gross sins again after pardoning mercy, yet are negligent in the ways of God ; loose, slight, vain, sensual, carnal, dead-hearted in their conversation, and do not answer the grace of God revealed to them, but are more drossy in their spirits than before; It may be for the time wherein they were seeking this grace of God, they were strickit in their conversation, in their ways conscientious; and in everything walkit close with God, durst not for their lives omit a known duty, attended on the Word with a great deal of patience, their hearts closed with it, and it was as meat and drink unto them; and in their conversation they were very fruitful in the places where they lived: But now having had some comfortable assurance of God's mercy pardoning them, after this they are grown slight, vain, loose, and dead hearted; this is a very grievous evil where ever it may be charged: It is a very great evil for any to abuse
God's general Bounty, Patience, and Long-sufferance, and the good we receive from God in the use of the creature; but far worse to abuse the grace of God in Christ, manifested in pardoning mercy: I shall show this to be a great evil, and shall labor to convince you of it.
1. Consider and call to remembrance what the days of old were? How in former times it was with you, when you were seeking the pardoning grace of God? then you thought if ever God come in to my soul, and give me any assurance of pardon of sin, How infinitely should my soul be engaged to bless God, and how shall I forever be bound to give up myself, soul and body; what I am, and what I can do to live to the praise of the grace of God; if God come in to my soul and pardon this sin of mine, the guilt whereof lies so heavy upon my spirit ; I appeal unto your own Consciences, Did not you think in your own thoughts, that it was impossible that ever you should come to live as you do? certainly if the thoughts of many people might this day appear, they cannot but say, Time was (when I was seeking after the mercy of God, to pardon my sin that lay upon my Conscience) I thought with myself thus; he is a blessed man) indeed that has assurance of this, and if ever I had peace spoken to my soul, I thought my life would have been such, that (in my apprehension) I thought it was impossible that I should have grown to this dullness, deadness, slightness, and vanity, that now I see I am, then now as Paul said to the Galatians, Where is the blessedness you spake of, time was you said the pardoning mercy of God it was a blessed thing; where is that blessedness you spake of, that after you have received it, you should grow wanton, loose, and slight? What, have you not a mightier Argument to draw your hearts to God, after he hath spoke peace, than ever you had before? The apprehension of guilt, danger, and trouble of spirit for sin, that was an Argument to keep you from sin before; but if God have spoken peace, in applying this pardoning grace; Have you not Arguments, of another nature than these, which are far more powerfull? Certainly, those that know the grace of God in Christ know that there is no such powerful argument as the grace of God in Christ in pardoning sin, to keep up the heart to God, and to keep from sin as this, no such argument in
the world that is like to this; the eyeing of God's grace is a special thing to quench and keep down lust; whereas those that sin after this mercy, whose lusts and corruptions overcome the power of this pardoning mercy, they are deprived of the best and most special spiritual helps, that can be to keep from sin; Phil. 4.7. The peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus ; the word in the Original is very significant, shall guard your hearts ; this is the emphaticalness of the phrase; as if the Apostle had said, The sweet peace of God, is such as passeth understanding, and shall guard your hearts ; as indeed the peace of God that comes to flow out from the sweetness of the pardoning grace of God is such, as passeth understanding ; but yet after all this, there will be many dangers, and you are to be involved with many temptations; but this peace of God will be a guard to your souls, to keep you from sin and temptation: The soul of a Believer that hath peace spoken to it, is there compared to a Captain in War, or a Prince that apprehends himself in some danger, sets a strong guard about his Person to keep him from danger: Now what is the guard, that keeps the soul of a Believer from temptation and danger? It is the peace of God, that is the greatest and strongest guard in the world; if you complain of sin and temptations, and that you are afraid that sin will surprise you; What guard would you have to keep you? The peace of God is the best guard that can be: Now after this hath been a guard unto you if thy sin break in upon thee, as fully, and as freely, as if there were no guard at all; thy condition is very sad.
2. Let me further speak to súch that sin after the pardoning grace of God, and do not walk answerable to that grace that was let forth in witnessing the pardon of sin; 'tis a thousand to one thou wilt loose thy evidence ; 'tis true, it is irrevocable in God's heart, yet thou mayest carry it so, that by thy loose walking, thou mayest loose the evidence of it in thy own soul, and it may be as sad with thee as if thou wert not at all pardoned; we are to know that when an Evidence is given in, concerning pardon of sin, every renewed act of sin is a blot to that Evidence: A man that having Evidences of Lands, or an
Estate, will keep them fair; but if he should suffer them to be blotted, one blot after another, perhaps so blotted as neither he nor any one else is able to read them; it may cost him a great deal of trouble before he get them renewed again; so 'tis with a poor creature that hath got some comfortable Evidence of the pardon of sin, but giving way to temptation, commits a sin, and there he gets a blot; and then, the next temptation, coming possibly to worldly Mindedness,
Passion, Unbelief, slightness of Spirit, Vanity, Sensuality, and abuse of the Creatures; by often yielding to these, he gets more and renewed blots; so that if his Evidences be looked into, they will be found so full of blots, that no marvel in a time of temptation they cannot read them; possibly some that are skillful in the way of God, and the nature of the Covenant of grace, may pick out somewhat of the meaning of them; but thou hast fallen so souly from God that thy
Evidences are so blotted and blur'd, that in thy own apprehension thou canst see nothing, but that thy condition is as dangerous as ever it was and as uncomfortable, thy Evidences are so blotted that thou canst not read them thyself, and so hast no comfort by them, and 'tis to thee as if thou hadst none at all; this is the duty, and would be the comfort of every Christian, that when they have gotten their
Evidences, that they would keep them so clear, that they might read them every morning, and run and read them, and not stand pooring and beating their brains and hearts, and fret themselves, because they cannot find such and such a thing that was to them an Evidence of the pardon of their sins, this is through their neglect; and if they had been careful to have kept their Evidences clear and plain, O the comfort they might have had to have read them every morning: If the Pollution of sin recoil back again, no marvel the sense of guilt of sin upon thy Conscience recoil back again; if God have committed such a Jewel to thee as the Evidence of pardon of sin, and thou makest no better use of it, 'tis just with God to take it out of thy hands, and keep it in his own; and though he show mercy at last unto thee, yet thou mayest not know it while thou art in this world; 'tis a very hard thing to recover it again: those that have had the pardon of sin sealed unto them, have by their falling into sin afterwards, so darkened and lost their Evidences that they could never recover them again;
as David, see how he cries out, Create in me a clean heart, and restore to me the joy of thy Salvation; David saw all was gone, and that there must be a new Creation and Restoration; Restore to me the joy of thy salvation ; O the joy that once I had, and now have lost;
O Lord that I may have it once again: David had a little sensual pleasure for a while, but he paid dear for it, he lost the joy of God's
Salvation: What think you, David would have given to have got it again? for ought we know, he never had it so fully as before: Those that have had some comfortable Evidence of pardoning grace, and afterwards through their negligence, looseness, and vanity, have lost it, may never come to enjoy the comfort of it again as formerly they did; and therefore when Peter had sinned against his Master ; mark, when Christ came to Peter, says he, Lovest thou me? he answered, Lord thou knowest I love thee ; Christ puts it to him again; Lovest thou me? he would not take his first answer, but puts it to him the second and third time, Lovest thou me? as if Christ had said to Peter, look to yourself, it is not any present sudden work that can recover your Evidences again; you that have sinned and darkened your Evidences, had need to put this Question to your own hearts again and again, to get it sure, that you love Christ, and that Christ loves you.
3. Thirdly, Let me speak to such as sin after pardon, it may justly provoke God to deal with you, though he do not take away his everlasting love; yet to deal with you as a Slave rather than a Child; I mean, in following you with sore and heavy chastisements, though he may save your souls at last, yet it may cause God to meet you with such sore and evil things in this world, that for that sloth and sluggishness of your hearts you may pay dear for it, before you die; truly so may be the dealings of God with his own Children whom he pardons, Jer. 2.14. God is speaking there to his own people: Is Israel a servant? Is he a home-born slave? and at verse. 18. What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt? so thou to whom God hath heretofore received to mercy and pardon; but thou hast walkit so, that God's ways to thee seem to be such as it may be said, Is this man or woman a servant? Is he a home-born slave? God speaks it with pity, Israel is
my dear Son ; How comes it to pass that he is as a home-born slave? What, is he a servant, and brought into such a condition as a servant or a slave? What is the matter? Why? he is in the way of Egypt ; so it may be said to thee who walkest in the sensual drossiness of thy spirit; Hast thou not been in the way of Egypt? Are thy ways such, that God's dealings with thee are as if thou wert a servant, and a home-born slave? Where is that filial ingenious spirit of thine, that God is fain to deal with thee as now he doth?
4. Again, thou that sinnest after pardon, thou comest to aggravate thy sins more than the sins of the wicked, in some regards ; those that are wicked, and go on in their vile ways against God, you cry out of them as wretched creatures, base, filthy, drunkards, swearers, liars, false men and women in their dealings, such as are not to be dealt withal in the world, you think these are wicked; but you that sin after mercy, your sins have an aggravation upon them beyond theirs; for they never knew what God's sweet pardoning mercy meant; they never heard God speak peace to their souls, as thou hast to thine; they never had the secret Visitations of God's Spirit, nor the warm beams of God's mercy shining into their hearts; they were never acquainted with such things; and therefore though they go on in sin, after which they have been accustomed, 'tis not so much to be wondered at: But thou that haste had a taste of the sweetness of God's love in Christ, in pardoning mercy; for thee to sin after this, 'tis a greater aggravation than the sins of the other; and as 'tis a greater aggravation than the sins of the wicked, so thy sin goes more near to the heart of Christ than the sins of the wicked and ungodly do; the sins of the most profanest wretch in all the Town do not go so near to the heart of Christ, as those that are committed after receipts of mercy from Christ; What, you my sons to do thus and thus against me? I remember 'tis reported of Caesar, when many with their
Poinyards came about him, and stabbed him in the Senate-House, at length comes Brutus, whom he had done much good for, he comes and gives him a blow, he looked upon him, and cries out; What, thou my son Brutus, wilt thou give me a blow and stab? It went nearer to the heart of Caesar, to have Brutus come and give him a wound and
stab, than for all the other that came round about and stabbed him; so Christ may look upon thee, for whom he has purchasit pardon, shed his blood, and laid down his life for; What, thou my son, wilt thou sin against me? for wicked wretches that are strangers to him, no marvel if they sin against him; but for you that are his sons, his redeemed ones, that have received such pardoning grace and mercy; for you to sin: this goes to the heart of Christ more than the sins of the ungodlyest wretch in all the Parish, And would you not be loath to do more against Christ than the vilest wretch in the Parish? you that have received so much mercy from Christ: Further, other men's sins anger God, but no men's sins grieve the Spirit of God so, as the sins of those that have received pardon ; they go to the heart of God, and grieve the Spirit by which they are sealed ; the Spirit of God that hath sealed to your souls the pardon of your sins, let not that Spirit be grieved; 'tis a greater sin to grieve the blessed Spirit of God than you are aware of. Further, yet once more, you bring a disgrace upon the Doctrine of Assurance of Pardon: We preach that a man may not only have some good hopes that his sins are pardoned; but we say God hath revealed such a fullness of riches of grace in the Gospel, that a man may have certain and full assurance of the pardon of his sin; as if he heard a voice from Heaven, speaking to him by name, thy sins are pardoned; or as if when Christ in the days of his flesh, said to any one, son, go in peace, thy sins are pardoned ; certainly, there may be as full assurance of pardon of sin, by the witness of the Spirit of God, as if such a voice came from Heaven: But our Adversaries say, open but that gap, and 'tis an open way for men to take liberty to commit any sin; What need men care what sins they commit, when they know they are pardoned? that has been objected against us; but now we say, there is such a virtue in the grace of God going along with pardoning of sin, that heals the soul, as well as comforts the soul; we answer it thus, but you take away our answer, and digrace that blessed Doctrine of Pardon of Sin; for wherein does it appear, there is such a healing power in the assurance of the pardon of sin? if it be so, then you would walk more strictly than any man in the world can do, in the time of the greatest horror of Conscience that possible can be; and this would bring an honor to