CHAPTER XVII. True Indicators of Sin Forgiveness
Christ for pardon; so as to have the concomitants and comforts of pardon continually going along with it: Now you have heard these things, go away and beseech God to settle things aright in your souls, say to your hearts, Lord I see that settling of the heart aright upon Christ for justification and pardon of sin, is another manner of business then I was aware of, and I am persuaded that if I had died before, I should certainly have died under some of these mistakes;
Lord settle my heart aright in this great business: Do not go away with such thoughts as these, the Minister speaks of such mistakes, but I hope it is far otherwise; do not venture to put off what we say with such slight thoughts; when we speak unto you we speak in the Name of God, and it is a horrible taking of the Name of God in vain, if we examine not what we say unto you by the Word; And therefore know you are charged this day in the Name of God to look to it, and examine your hearts what grounds you go upon for the pardon of your sin, that you may not mistake; in which we shall give you some further help in laying down some positive grounds that you may rest upon for the pardon of your sin.
CHAPTER XVII:
True Indicators of Sin Forgiveness But if it be asked, Who are they that have their sins pardoned? surely they are not many, this Text puts it in the singular number, Blessed is he that hath his sin pardoned, and by that which hath been delivered about the mistakes, it appears there are not very many; but yet some there are, and this is the work of this day in the Name of the Lord to declare to some poor souls this day their sins are pardoned; this is the message from the Lord I am to speak to them; (I hope divers in this place,) as from Christ, Son and Daughter be of good
comfort, thy sins are pardoned ; And blessed is that man and woman that this day shall hear that joyful sound, in their hearts, and that shall have the Spirit of God witness unto their spirit ; that as I have heard, so I have felt this day that what signs of forgiveness of sin have been delivered, I have felt them in my own soul; Well then, What are they? to insist upon them. The First is that the Apostle gives in Rom. 8.30. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified ; Justification consists especially in the remission and pardon of sin: Now the Holy Ghost says, whom he hath, called them he hath justified ; would you know that you are justified, and that your sins are pardoned, the Spirit of God shows you, it is not a note of mine, but it is that which comes from the Holy Ghost; whom he hath called them he hath justified; Vocation is a certain Evidence of Justification ; this Vocation or Calling is the second link that does unite those two links of that golden chain together mentioned in that place, the first link is the foreknowledge of God, God's
Predestination ; and then there is Vocation the next, after that Justification, and then Glorification ; the first chain in the link is, that God from all Eternity predestinates some persons to have their sins pardoned; but there is Vocation comes in between Predestination and Justification, and after that Glorification: so that while I am giving Evidences of Justification here in this Text, I shall give Evidences of Predestination and Glorification too; for these are linked altogether: Many People look only after Justification, they hope their sins are pardoned, but they look not to any other link of the chain, as Calling and Vocation, whom he hath called, them he hath justified; but the question then is, What is this Calling? What do you mean by that, how shall we know whether we be called or no? in 2 Pet. 1.10. he bids them there to give diligence to make their Calling and Election sure: Mark, as here Predestination and Calling are put together, so their Calling and Election, says he, Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure: Election is first sure in respect of God, but Vocation is first in regard of ourselves; make that sure and then you make Election sure, Justification sure, and
Glorification sure too; then what is Vocation? for answer to the Question, Know, there is an outward call and an inward call ; when
God sends the Ministers of the Word to reveal the Gospel, and the way of Salvation, that is no other but God's calling men's souls from the ways of sin and death to come into the ways of life; all that come to hear the sound of the Gospel preached unto them; let them know, that is God's call to sinners to come in and repent; God calls to the Drunkard, the Unclean person, and all others that live in sin to repent; when you come to hear the Word God calls you, and God requires of you, as you would have God to hear your cry when you are calling for mercy in the day of your distress, hear my call, now I call and cry in the Ministry of the Word; Would you have me to hear you when you cry to me? do you hear me now I am calling to you: O that People would understand the Ministry of the Word, that it is the call of God for sinners to return and repent of their sins, that they would look beyond man, and know that it is the voice of God by them; and therefore it is a dangerous thing for People to neglect, resist, or rebel against the Ministry of the Word; and there is some good hopes that God hath some souls in such a place that he intends everlasting good will unto, where he sends the Ministry of the Word;
God do's not use to send the call of the Gospel to a place, but there are some souls to be called: And therefore
Secondly, Besides the Outward Call, there is an Inward Call, and that is it the Apostle speaks of: Many have the Outward Call of the Word to Faith and Repentance, and yet they perish eternally: But those whom God intends to save and hath love to indeed, he comes to them with an Inward Call, and this Inward Call of God is on this wise: God beholds the poor wretched sinner going on in the ways of sin, death, and perdition, and he comes to him by a secret and powerful voice, speaking to his very heart, O Sinner, consider where thou art, What art thou a doing? Whither art thou a going? What is the end of thy way like to be? thou art going from God, from happiness and life, to woeful misery and blackness of darkness, to the infinite gulf of eternal Perdition; O turn, turn, O sinner out of these vile abominable dangerous ways, or else thou art undone forever: Behold, here is the
way of life set before thee; behold my Son sent into the world for the Propitiation of thy sin, and to bring thee into the ways of godliness, which is the way to eternal life; O turn sinner into these ways: Now this voice of God calling to the Soul of a man or woman, it comes with power, it hath an over powering strength in it, to prevail upon the heart; it is much like that secret voice mentioned in Isai.
30.21. And thy Ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, this is the way walk in it, when you turn to the right hand, or to the left ; 'tis a Promise of God's mercy unto his People to convert them unto himself; those that were only in an Outward Profession, says God you shall hear a voice behind you, saying, this is the way, turn in unto it; and so 'tis when God calls a sinner from the ways of death and destruction; such a sinner hears a voice behind him; it may be he has come many times to Sermons, and heard a voice many times without him and before him ; but never before, a voice within him and behind him, an inward secret voice speaking to the soul, O sinner turn out of thy sinful ways; Why wilt thou die and perish eternally? for God to come thus secretly, and to reason with the soul by a voice behind it; and 'tis not bare reasoning, but a voice that hath a power and efficacy from God going along with it, that carries on this work in the soul, and causes the heart to listen and to yield unto
God; when God calls to the Soul to come into the ways of life, the Soul answers, Lord I come, and with a trembling frame of heart cries out with Saul at his Conversion, Lord, What wilt thou have me to do? No more now, what sin will have me to do? and what this and that; and the other lust will have me to do? No, now I see the ways of Life and Salvation are the only blessed ways; Now Lord, What wouldest thou have me to do? Now Salvation is come to that Soul, and Reconciliation with Jesus Christ; For whom he hath called, them he hath justified. Observe the efficacy of that call spoken of in Isai.
30.21. Thine Ears shall hear a word behind thee, &c. and then follows the fruits of it, and ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven
Images with Silver, and the ornament of thy molten Images of Gold, thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous Cloth; and shall say unto it, get thee hence ; the sins they before lived in was Idolatry, and their hearts were much taken with their brave Images over-laid with
Silver and Gold; but when they heard the voice behind them, they looked upon those things they so much delighted in, that was so brave in their eyes before but as menstruous clothes, which are the most filthiest things that can be, and cast them away as filthy rags, with indignation, saying, get thee hence; as one that takes a rag in his hand, and looks on it and sees it all filthy and defiled, presently he throws it away with abomination, and says, get thee hence; so this is the call of God, when the Soul hears behind it a secret voice that many hear not; it may be, many thousands hear the outward voice of the Minister telling them of the evil of sin, and their abominations, and a poor Servant, or a poor Youth that stands in the midst of the crowd, he hears a voice behind him that others do not, a secret voice,
(besides the general voice) which is a prevailing voice, that the soul falls down and yields presently, before he goes out of the Church, and says, Lord this day thou hast convinced me of the evil of sin, and thou hast this day shown me the way of life and salvation, Lord I come unto thee ; though he saw nothing, and though nobody else hear that voice, yet there is a secret voice of God unto the soul; though he stand in the midst of the crowd and nobody else hear it, yet at that instant pardon of sin came to that soul, and reconciliation by Jesus Christ: now when this comes into the soul, he will not let such and such sins be there any longer, but says, Get you hence, I will have no more to do with such and such beloved lusts and Idols that I set my heart upon, Get thee hence ; and those men that God calls to himself, certainly when they hear this voice behind them, though they now plead for Idolatry and Superstition, and why should not we do as our forefathers did? yet if once they come to hear this secret voice of God, and God show them the way of his Worship in the purity and beauty of it, they will say, get thee hence to those things as vile things, get ye hence, I will have no more to do with you; this is the way in the ordinary call of God, and though God sanctify some from the womb, yet afterwards by a mighty work of the Spirit he discovers unto them what the soul is by nature; there is somewhat like this even in those that are sanctified from the womb, though God in an extraordinary way draw the soul out from sin into the ways of life; but generally there are in the ordinary way of God's working,
these three or four voices calling to the soul. 1. Says God to the soul, O soul thou art made for God, and for Eternity. 2. O soul thou art now in the ways of Hell, and of eternal perdition, and must of necessity perish in it. 3. O soul, behold here are the ways of life and salvation revealed unto thee, and set before thee in the Gospel of my
Son. And lastly, O soul come in, and thou shalt have favor and acceptation in my Son ; these are the four voices in God's call; I do not say everyone hears them plainly and distinctly, yet they do for the substance of them in the ordinary way of the dispensation of God's grace: Every soul that God justifies they are thus called of God, and 'tis a prevailing call, that brings them in to submit unto it: Again, concerning this call of God, because the Scripture speaks much of it,
I shall show a little further; mark it, That soul that once hears the call of God to bring it into the ways of life, that soul will evermore depend upon God's call in all other things ; if God hath called me out of the ways of death, into the ways of life in obedience to that call that my soul hath yielded too, I shall be evermore under the power of God's call in all other things, let God call me to what he will, to what service he pleases, to whatsoever difficulties and sufferings he shall think meet, my soul is content, and says, Here I am, Lord speak, thy servant hears. Now for a soul to be so under God, as to wait upon the call of God to any duty, service, and employment, that it dares not go about anything but according to the call of God; this is a good
Evidence that such a soul hath been acquainted with that great call of God, that powerful call of God to bring him off from the ways of sin into the ways of life and salvation. Further, those that have been acquainted with this call of God, there is an answerable frame and disposition in their hearts, to call upon the Name of God for assistance, direction, and a blessing on all they undertake; they delight now to repair unto God and call upon him; as God calls unto them, so they call unto him; for that is the way of God according to his work in the soul, he puts a gracious frame into the soul answerable to it: As in Election, those whom he elects, when God calls them home he puts a gracious disposition in their hearts for to elect him; as God chooses the soul from the world, so the soul chooses God above all things in the world, the soul answers to God:
God sets his heart on the soul, and says, I will choose thee for me; the soul again sets its heart upon God, and says, I will choose thee for my
God; as God calls the soul to come and live to him in the ways of grace, while he lives in this world; so the soul calls on God for his assistance, that he would give his help in unto him on all occasions; and therefore the Scripture gives us this expression for the whole worship of God, Rom. 10.13. Whosoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved ; that soul that is acquainted with God's call, that soul calls on God again: And by the way, those that are thus called, are fittest for Church-Communion; I mention this, because the word translated Church comes from a Greek word that signifies to call out; that which in Scripture is usually called a Church, signifies nothing else but this, a Company of People called out of the ways of sin to the embracing the ways of Godliness; so that the Church should consist of People called out of the ways of sin, by the powerful and efficacious voice of the Spirit of God; and they that are thus called have their sins pardoned; you say, you hope God hath justified you; you read what God says, and what hath been presented unto you; they who are called they are justified; then Calling, in order of nature, goes before Justification; this you will find in your own hearts, and if not, this you must do, when ever you come before God to hear the outward call, you must come with a waiting frame of heart to hear the inward call, and call upon God with such a disposition; say, Lord I have been taught that there is an outward call of thine in the Word, and an inward call, and I am going this day to hear thy Word calling me out of the ways of sin, O that I might have together with that the inward call of thy Spirit, when shall I hear that secret voice; this is the reason, though I have been convinced many times at the hearing of the Word, yet my sin hath prevailed against me, because that inward secret powerful voice hath not come to my soul; that is the first Evidence, whom he hath justified, them he hath called.
A Second Evidence is this, Whomsoever God pardons he receives into Covenant with himself ; all pardoned sinners are Covenanters with God: God pardons no soul but such an one as he brings into the
Bond of the Covenant with himself, that is the way of the conveyance of the grace of God for the pardon of sin, to bring the soul into the Bonds of the Covenant; the Scripture is evident in this, that forgiveness of sin is made a special fruit of the New Covenant, that is clear enough, Jer. 31.33. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel, &c. what is the special end of that Covenant, I will forgive their Iniquities, and remember their sins no more ; But how does that come in? it comes in by way of Covenant, I will make a New Covenant ; I will first receive them into Covenant, and then they shall have the fruit of this
New Covenant, that their sins shall be forgiven, and their iniquities remembered no more: The New Covenant is a mystery to most people, and yet it is a certain truth, the pardon of thy sin, and thy eternal good depends upon it; thou art one that God has brought into Covenant with himself, if thou beest or ever shalt be pardoned, as God will manifest to thy soul, that he hath through his Son tied and bound himself to thee to be thy God, that whereas before thou wert departed from him, and an enemy to him, yet now he is pleased to call thee to enter into a second Covenant after thou hadst broken the first, and wert cast off by reason of that breach, God is contented to enter into a second Covenant with thee, to be thy God in and through his Son; thou art to come in and join in this Covenant; for to a full
Covenant there must be assent on both sides, there must be a mutual engagement of either parties; when God reveals this to thy soul, that though thou be by nature an Enemy to me, and hast broken the first
Covenant that I made with the Children of men, and art cast off, yet be it known unto thee O thou wretched soul, I am content to enter into another Covenant with thee; there is a second Covenant for life and salvation that I have made with poor man through my Son, and I require that thou shouldest come in, and give up thyself in an everlasting Covenant to make me to be thy God, and to close with me and my Son in whatsoever I call thee to, in whatsoever thou hast or canst do to give up thyself to the power of me and my Son; this thou must engage and tie thyself unto, in the strongest Bonds that can be; this is the nature of the Covenant: we know there were two
Covenants, and all the good of mankind in the first Covenant
depended on this, his closing with the terms of it: Now the terms of the first Covenant was, Do this and live; but that is broken, and we have lost our ability: Now the second Covenant is, Believe and live; and the soul that God pardons, he brings into the Bond of the second
Covenant; it is brought to come and give itself up to the Lord, and to be content to bind itself with all bonds unto God, that he and he only shall be my God, as I desire him to be mine, and his grace and mercy to be mine; so all that I have or can do, shall be his; I surrender up myself, and engage my soul to be his forever, my Estate, Abilities, whatever I have, or can do, shall be his: Now put this to your own souls, you hope your sins are pardoned: But hath God brought you into the Bonds of the Covenant? Hath God engaged himself to you by his Word, to be your God? and on the other side, Are your hearts engaged to him by the strongest Bonds that can be; and if there be any other Bonds that are stronger to tie your souls to God; Can your souls say, the Lord knows I am content and willing to be engaged; and that you will account it your happiness to be tied in the strongest
Bonds that can be? if it be so with thee? Now peace be to thy soul, thy sins are pardoned: as on the one side, God hath made a Covenant with thee, so on the other side he hath brought thee to be in Covenant with him; then be of good comfort, thy sins are pardoned.
Thirdly, Those whose sins God hath pardoned, he hath translated them into the Kingdom of his Son ; the Scriptures express these things divers ways, and they have a diverse consideration in them:
Now I ground this note out of Col. 1, 13, 14. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son ; mark what follows, In whom we have Redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of sins ; forgiveness of sin is the end of God's translating of us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, in giving Redemption through his Blood, even the forgiveness of sin; so that whosoever God hath given Redemption to through the Blood of Christ, even the forgiveness of sin, that is, forgiveness of sin being the special part of the Redemption we have by the blood of Christ, such an one is translated into the Kingdom of the dear Son of God; What is that you will say?
1. This notes a great change that there must be upon those that are pardoned, because the Scripture expresses it thus, they are translated into another Kingdom, a Kingdom of the Son of God, the dear Son of God; it is dear mercy of God that translates a soul into the Kingdom of his dear Son; it seems naturally we are in another Kingdom, and have another King besides the Son of God, and have another Sovereign; 'tis certain we are so naturally, we are under the power of Satan, and in his Kingdom; but now when God comes to redeem a soul, and grant forgiveness of sin, he translates out of that Kingdom, and such a soul refuses to be a subject to Satan any longer, or a servant to his lust any longer: but now Christ shall be my King, the Son of God by whom I expect Reconciliation, he shall be my King, and his Laws shall rule in my heart, and his Scepter shall sway in my soul; now no more shall my own thoughts, counsels, opinions, will, and affections rule me, but Jesus Christ shall be set up upon the throne of my soul, and he shall be my King; I before was led
(a poor vile ignorant wretch) by the customs of others, and example of others, and what they required of me by their laws in the matters of his worship; but now Christ shall be my King, I will expect my law from him; and all obedience I do to man, it shall be in order to this
Christ my King; this is a translation into the Kingdom of God, when the soul feels the power of Christ ruling in him, and overswaying him, and the soul looks up to Christ for its protection and provision, and desires above all things in the world, to set up Jesus Christ as his
King in all the ways of his Government, both in his own heart, and the world too, and longs to hear that voice, when it shall be said, The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever: Thus those that have redempt on through the blood of Christ, even the forgiveness of sins, they are translated into the Kingdom of his dear
Son; and as the Scripture speaks, They have the Kingdom of God within them ; that is an expression of the Holy Ghost in the Gospel.
Now this you are to examine your hearts upon; What of the Kingdom of Christ you have within you? Do you live and walk as one that hath the Kingdom of Christ within you? Is Christ as King and Sovereign over your thoughts, words and actions? And do you look to him for
the law of your thoughts, words and actions, and walk before him as your Sovereign Lord, depending on him to know his will continually, and fear and honor him as a King: If the Kingdom of Christ be in you, that is, if the Gospel have an effectual work upon you; for the Gospel in the power of it is ordinarily expressed by the Kingdom of Heaven; when the Word comes to any place, the Kingdom of Heaven is said to come; it would take up a great deal of time, to show wherein the Holy
Ghost calls the Gospel the Kingdom of Heaven; but it is called the Kingdom of Heaven, because it is the Kingdom of Christ that is Lord from Heaven, and Christ rules in it by the preaching of the Gospel:
But now, though it be the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Kingly power of Christ be in the preaching of the Gospel, yet this does not prevail upon all sorts; it is like a net that is cast into the Sea, the meaning of it seems to be nothing else, but that the preaching of the Gospel among a multitude of People, is like a net cast into the Sea, wherein some are catched, and others remain worldly, filthy, and good for nothing, that is the meaning of the Text, and not any warrant at all for mixed Communions; but only thus; where the Preaching of the Gospel is, there are some fishes good and worthy to be received, and others that are to be cast out: Now, as there is an external Kingdom, so there is an internal Kingdom of Christ within our hearts; Jesus
Christ himself sets up his Throne in the hearts of every man and woman whose sins are pardoned, that is a certain truth; and this day in the Name of God I pronounce unto you, that if your sin be pardoned, Jesus Christ hath set up his Throne in your hearts; and if you find any other Throne and Lord but Christ to rule you, know from God that your souls are yet in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity, and your sins are not pardoned; but that soul, who in the Preaching of the Gospel can say, Blessed be God I have felt
Christ come into my heart, and prevailed upon me; and now Christ's Laws are the Laws I desire to be ruled by; God knows I know but little of them, but I will labor to understand them better; therefore I come this day, that I might know more of the Law of God, and that Jesus Christ might rule more powerfully in me than ever he hath done; if this be wrought in thee, I say unto thee in the Name of Christ, be of good comfort, thy sins are pardoned, God will show
good unto thee when this world is ended; thou art one that Jesus Christ hath brought into his Kingdom, and set up his Throne in thy heart, and therefore thou mayest be assured that he will take thee at last into his everlasting Kingdom.
Fourthly, Where God forgives, he gives much ; giving follows forgiving; God never forgives any, but he gives much to that soul whom he forgives: As in that case when the Apostles preached the Doctrine of forgiveness and pardon of sin, the Holy Ghost fell upon them; so certainly, where the Preaching of pardon of sin hath power through the Ministry of the Gospel over a soul; God gives much to that soul; and there are three things especially that God gives presently unto the soul whom he pardons, which have all been mentioned before in opening the blessedness of pardon of sin; and therefore I will but mention them now to strengthen this note of trial.
1. Hath God forgiven thee? then he hath given his Spirit to enlighten thee in the great mysteries of Salvation ; thou pleadest thou art ignorant, and art not Book-learned; if God have so great a favor for thee as to pardon thy sin, he will give thee understanding in the mysteries of the Gospel, Jer. 31.34. where God pardons sin, they shall have this mercy to be taught of him.
2. God will give this unto thee, he will write his Law in thy heart ; that is, he will work in thy heart a suitable frame and disposition to his Law; that thy heart and the Law of God shall be like two copies, that have the same things in them, and vary not one title from one another; there shall be a suitableness between thy heart and the Law of God; not only to do that which God requires, because I must do it; but because I find it suitable to the new nature bestowed on me: he will write his Law in the heart; and therefore I pronounce before the Lord this day again, that whosoever has his sin pardoned, and his iniquities forgiven, that God hath writ his Law in the heart of that man or woman by the finger of his own Spirit; that heart of thine that was as a heart of stone, God will write his own Law thereon, as he did
on the Tables that Moses broke ; though always thou hast not a real sight of it, yet such a thing is there, and is a comfortable assurance of the pardon of thy sin.
3. God gives healing mercies to cleanse thee from thy sin, Jer. 33.8. I will cleanse them from their iniquities, and pardon all their sins ; cleansing from sin and pardon of sin, they ever go together; if God pardon thy sin, he cleanses thee from sin; do not look therefore only after pardoning mercy, but likewise after cleansing mercy; those whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder; pardoning and cleansing God hath put together: God may bestow other mercies, as health, strength, and success in outward things without pardon; but never cleansing from sin without pardon of it: and therefore if thou findest thy heart cleansed, Peace be to thy soul, thy sins are forgiven.
Fifthly, Besides these, those whom God pardons he puts a glory upon them ; there is a glory put upon all pardoned sinners; they are indeed glorious creatures in the eyes of God and Angels, yea, and there is a glory put upon them that the Saints of God are able to see; perhaps that glory is not seen by the purblind eye of the world that are in darkness; but those that have their eyes in their heads, may see a glory put upon every soul that is pardoned, and for that, that Text is clear, Rom. 8.30. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified: 'tis not spoken only of that glory the Saints shall have in the highest Heavens, when they shall be in glory with Christ; but of that glory God puts upon the soul in this world,
'tis not said, them he will glorify; but them he hath also glorified: there is no justified soul but is a glorified soul, this is a certain truth in Divinity, That at that instant any soul is justified, at that instant he is glorified ; in Jer. 33.9. there is an expression somewhat like unto that, and it follows upon pardon of sin; And it shall be to me a Name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all the Nations upon Earth, &c. that is, I will put glory upon them, and so they shall be to me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all the Nations in the world: you
will say, How is that? What is the glory of a justified soul? certainly the soul that is justified is glorious; God puts a glory on it by those glorious graces of his Holy Spirit that he endows the soul withal; there is no justified soul but hath the glorious graces of the Holy
Spirit put presently upon it, and so 'tis beautiful and glorious, yea the only glorious object that the Lord Jesus Christ delights in in all the world: take the poorest soul in the world, God putting his Image upon it, there is a greater glory and luster on that soul than is on all the Heavens and the Earth besides; take all other creatures in their greatest glory, and God sees not so much glory on them as on any one soul whom he hath justified; for so it is, Holiness and the graces of God's Spirit are called the glory of God himself, Rom. 3.23, 24. For we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God ; What is it to be deprived of the glory of God, but the loss of that Image of God that man was made in: but when a man is justified, that glory of God is put upon him a fresh, upon his heart, his understanding, his will and affections, and that makes the Lord to delight to dwell with thee, converse and have Communion with thee, because of that glory that he hath put upon thee; so there is a glory also in the life and conversation; for on every soul that God justifies, there comes presently a new luster upon their life and conversation: All those that have lived in horrible wickedness and base courses; now when they are changed, and they manifest the graces of the Spirit of God shining in their conversation through the whole course of their lives, in meekness, patience, humility, heavenly-mindedness, and the like; there is a luster on their conversations, to those that are able to judge of it, they see it; and the world many times is dazzled with it, they see a glory on them, and are convinced, that certainly there is a work of God upon these men; and in their good moods they are wishing to die their deaths, and that their ends might be like theirs: the poorest servant, or child in a family, that was vile before, yet being justified, there is a luster in their conversations that convinces Parents and Governors, and makes them see an apparent difference between what they are now, and what they were before; though they contemn it, yet they know that God will own that difference that he has made to be his own glory, and will declare it one day that this was the thing
that was glorious in his eyes: And therefore now would you know whether you are justified; Are you glorified? What glory of God is come into your hearts, and appears in your lives and conversations?
Can you say, my life is so, though I have many weaknesses, yet I hope something of the glory of God appears in me? for so it must be; there is no soul God justifies, but God enables him to live so, as the glory of God shines in the conversation of such a one: Now if these things be so, what cause have you to fear, you are not a justified person? but for the present, many times it doth not appear; for most of you darken the glory of God in your lives: you that are justified should show it forth more in your conversation among all with whom you have to do, and then what a beauty and Evidence of your
Justification would it be unto you.
Sixthly, Those whom God pardons, he makes them know what pardon means ; thou hopest thy sins are pardoned; Dost thou understand, and know what hath been said about it? certainly those whom God pardons, he causes admiring thoughts in the soul of the excellency of this blessedness of the pardon of sin; the soul is taken with the admiration of three things. First, It admires at the freeness and the riches of God's grace. Secondly, At the price that was paid for pardon. Thirdly, It admires at the wonderful good it is brought into, and that which the soul receives by this blessedness of the pardon of sin; other things God may bestow on men and women, and they know not the worth of them, and do not mind God in them; but when God bestows pardon of sin, he makes the soul have admiring thoughts of it, and to know what it is, Jer. 33.9. And it shall be to me a Name of joy, a praise, and honor, and they shall fear and tremble, for all the goodness and prosperity that I procure unto it ; certainly if others shall do it, much more themselves; those whom God pardons he bestows such mercies upon, as that the soul shall even stand amazed with a trembling heart and an amazed spirit, to behold all the goodness that the Lord shows to it: Now, have your hearts been taken with it? you may know much of your Evidences if your hearts have been taken with admiring thoughts of it; for certainly when God pardons sin, he doth it to magnify his grace, and set out to Men and
Angels in the infiniteness of it, what his grace can do to poor souls; if this be God's end, as certainly it is, then it must needs be that those whom God pardons, he gives such grace as shall cause the soul that it shall have admiring thoughts of it; Has thy soul seen so much of the grace of God, that it admires at the greatness and goodness of it? be of good comfort, thy sins are pardoned.
Seventhly, The more assurance God gives of pardon, the more the heart melts before God in mourning for the sins that God has pardoned, according to the manifestation of God's mercy in pardoning, so doth the soul by the work of God's grace melt in holy mourning, even for those sins that God has pardoned: many think they must mourn for sin to get pardon, but when they are pardoned,
Why should they mourn then? I have spoken to that before, that many mourn to get pardon; but I say, they mourn, because they are pardoned: I manifest it thus, in this evidence I give of pardon of sin; that according to the degree of knowledge the soul hath of pardon of sin, the heart melts before God for all sins that are pardoned, the 51. Psal. is exceeding remarkable, David laments his sin exceeding bitterly, but mark the Title of that Psalm, To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David, when Nathan the Prophet came unto him; after he had gone in to Bathsheba: Now would you know what Nathan did when he came unto David, you shall find if you read the story of David 's Adultery and Murder, 2 Sam. 12. Chap. it was to bring the news unto David of the pardon of his sin; first Nathan convinces him of his sin, that he should do it before Israel, and before the Sun, and having convinced him, he says further, the Lord hath put away thy sin: Now a secure heart might go away, and say, all is well, I shall not die, God hath pardoned my sin, I need not be troubled anymore about that matter: But mark the Psalmist how he cries out to God, Have mercy O Lord upon me, and blot out all my transgressions, wash me, purge me ; and then he prays for restoring mercies for his broken bones, and then cries out for further assurance; the very grace of God that Nathan brought to him of the pardon of his sin, that very grace of God did melt and break his heart so much the more; after God had sent to him the pardon of his sin,
he mourned more than ever before; we never read that David was so much troubled for his sin as in this 51. Psal. that was after Nathan, had come unto him: Now if you find that at that time when God is pleased to come unto you in the Ministry of the Word, or in private to declare unto you the pardon of your sin, and to give you the comfortable Evidence of it, that then your hearts are most devoted to mourn for them, and to melt before God, Be of good comfort, thy sins are pardoned.
Eighthly, Another note is this, that according to the degree of pardon of sin, so all other graces grow ; the knowledge and assurance of God's love in Christ in the pardon of sin, it causes all other graces to grow proportionably, as you have it in Ephes. 3.19. about the knowledge of the love of God in Christ; mark the connection, he desires That they might comprehend with all Saints what is the height, and depth, &c. and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, and be filled with all the fullness of God ; What is the love of Christ? the love of Christ is the procuring cause of the forgiveness of sin before God the Father; and when you know this, this will fill you with all the fullness of God: Mark, first It brings God in to the soul ; And secondly, Fills the soul with God ; And thirdly, Fills the soul with the fullness of God ; And fourthly, Fills the soul with all the fullness of God ; when you come to know the love of God in Christ, if anything in the world will fill the soul with all the fullness of God, this will: many will say, they hope their sins are pardoned; Do you so? then you know the love of God in Christ ; for this is a special work of the love of God in Christ ; to pardon sin; now the Apostle says, when you come to know this, you come to be filled with all the fullness of God; What is the fullness of God? as faith increases with the rest of the graces, so you grow fuller and fuller in God's fullness; and so you grow more into a fuller assurance of pardon of sin: now the soul can say, as I find more assurance of the love of God in his Son, so I find my soul more filled with this grace of the fullness of God Alas, when I was under the Law, God and I were strangers, I felt little of God in me; but now I begin to know the love of God in the Gospel, I begin to have my soul filled with fullness of
God, not with chaff and dross and filthy things, which heretofore my thoughts, will, and affections were filled withal; but now 'tis otherwise with me, my soul is now filled with all the fullness of God; certainly that soul that can say thus, may well go a way with that word of Christ spoken to the woman, Luk, 7.50. Go in peace, thy faith hath saved thee, Rom. 5.1. The Apostle speaks of pardon of sin, being justified by Faith, we have peace with God ; that is, God revealing justification by Faith in Christ: it brings peace with it; and, by whom we have access, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God; and not only so, but we glory in tribulation, knowing that, &c. What knowledge is this? It's this, that we are justified by Faith and so come to have peace with God; How does this cause the heart to be enlarged? we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, and not only so, but we are strengthened and can glory in tribulation; our hearts grow up to that strength, that whatsoever tribulations we meet withal, we are able to bear them with patience, and not only so, but to glory in them, we not only grow up to bear that which many cannot, but to rejoice in them, that is more, and then to glory is above rejoicing: Now, Do you find that the assurance that you have of the love of God, brings strength in to your soul, to enable you to rejoice in hope of the glory to come? as if the Apostle had said, let what will become of us for the present, what though the world scorn us, hate, persecute us, yet we rejoice in hope of the glory that is to come; and this makes us glory in tribulation; knowing, that tribulation, works patience; patience, experience; and experience, hope: Here's a working of several graces together, and this may help many a poor soul; O says the soul at such a time, I had a great deal of assurance of pardon of sin, and much joy thereupon; But have not Hypocrites joy? yes certainly, a Hypocrite may have wonderful ravishments of spirit, and flashes of pardon of sin, but yet there is somewhat wanting in other graces; but how shall
I know that my assurance of pardon of sin is right? thus, according to the degree you have of assurance of pardon, you have an answerable degree in the growth of other graces, as Humility, Patience,
Heavenly-mindedness, Self-denial, and the rest, according as your faith grows, so you have a proportionable growth in all other graces; faith is as the root, and the more sap there is in the root, the more
will the branches grow: those people that are so full of assurance, and never doubted, as they say; but as for other graces they are empty, as the Fear of God, Meekness, Patience, Self-denial,
Heavenly-mindedness and the like; certainly, if thy faith be so high, and thy other graces so low, thou hast much cause to fear thy faith is not right, 'tis not the faith of God's Elect, as the Scripture speaks, it is not precious faith ; for according to the degree you have of that, all other graces will grow; you hope that your sins are pardoned, How come you by it? the soul that hath true pardon of sin, hath fetched it from Heaven in a right way, in God's own way; How is that? it is on this way; the soul that sees itself lost and undone through the guilt of sin, God revealing his infinite riches of grace in the Gospel, such a soul seeing God on his Throne, holding out his Son, God-Man as Mediator to make an atonement, it by a mighty work of faith, closes with that glorious way of Reconciliation by the Son, that it sees God the Father tender to him, and so fetches grace out of the Treasury of God's bounty, in the way of the Gospel, in an Evangelical way that was before opened. Examine now, Have you fetched out your pardon through the way of the Gospel, that the soul by a mighty act of faith hath been willing to venture its self and its eternal station on the Son of God? Have you looked on Christ as a mighty Mediator, as one able to save you? then you have acted faith in a Gospel way, and your sins are pardoned: Again, Are you pardoned? then you are sealed, that you heard likewise of; there is the Broad Seal of Heaven that stamps the Image of God upon the soul, as the Image of the King is on the Seal of the Kingdom; so the Image of God, the Broad Seal of Heaven is stamped upon the soul, which I mention that you may make use of it in examination.
Ninthly, Whomsoever God pardons, there will be an answerable work in thy soul unto the work of God in justifying thee ; as in Election and Vocation, so in Justification; How is that? thus, that as God notwithstanding all thy sin, accepts of thee to his grace and love; so notwithstanding all the trouble and afflictions that are in God's ways, thou wilt accept of God and his ways; he accepts of thy soul notwithstanding thy sin, thou wilt accept of him and his ways
notwithstanding all evils and afflictions that accompany company them; there are woeful evils of sin that accompany thy soul, yet God will accept of thee; so there are great evils in the ways of God,
Afflictions that accompany them, yet thou wilt accept of them and think it reasonable: What, shall God accept of my soul, notwithstanding all the evil of sin; and shall not I accept of God's ways, notwithstanding all the evil of affliction and trouble? certainly, the soul that is pardoned, cannot but answer God so far as this; Will
God justify me notwithstanding my sin? I will justify God, notwithstanding any trouble, affliction, difficulty, or sufferings that may befall me in his ways, and I will justify the ways of God; this is both an Evidence and a duty; God justifies our souls though they be very sinful; we have cause to justify God's ways, though they be very troublesome; if thou dost not so, thou art none of God's child; for wisdom is justified of her Children: thou hopest thy sins are pardoned, and that God will justify thee; and wilt not thou justify him? Does not thy sin hinder God's grace to thee; and shall trouble and affliction hinder thy glorifying God? O man! thou hast too vile a heart, and too base a spirit, to be one of those that God hath pardoned; if thou wert a child of Wisdom, and one whom God hath pardoned, as God hath justified thee, so thou wilt justify God: This note may meet with those that in company hear Ministers and the ways of God cried out against, and yet have not a word to speak to justify God, perhaps Gentlemen and others spake ill of God's ways, and thou standest speaking, and hast not a word to say for God and his ways; Dost thou think God hath justified thee, and dost thou hear
God and his People, and his Word reproached, and thou hast not a heart to justify God?
Tenthly and lastly, Those whom God pardons and forgives, he puts in them a merciful frame of heart to forgive others; and that upon Divine grounds : there is a kind of natural forgiveness: many will forgive, but it is as a Heathen forgives another; and it is a shame for many that profess themselves Christians, that they do not go so far; but you must forgive in a spiritual way, for that is the way that accompanies pardon of sin, to forgive, because I have had more
forgiven; such a one hath offended me; but how much more have I offended the Lord; and if the Lord forgive me, ought not I to forgive him? you know in the Gospel he that had so many Talents forgiven him, and afterwards went and took his Brother by the throat, how ill the Lord took it, that having forgiven him so much, he should exact of his Brother the utmost farthing; Hath God forgiven thee thy sin, which had he not, it would have everlastingly chained thee in torments, and wilt not thou forgive? for as it is an Evidence, so it is a duty and a part of Prayer in that divine Directory called the Lord's
Prayer, Matth. 6. Forgive us as we forgive ; and in another place it runs thus, forgive, for we forgive ; therefore thou canst have no Evidence that God hath forgiven thy iniquities and pardoned thy trespasses, except others be in thy thoughts forgiven too: I might have given divers Scriptures, but I mention it as a duty, that you that have any knowledge of your sin pardoned, would make this as a ground to forgive your Brethren; say, Alas poor wretch, hath God forgiven me; was there ever such a distance between my brother and me, as there was between God and me; and hath God forgiven, and shall not I forgive my brother? It is impossible a soul should be made acquainted with the rich mercy of God in forgiveness of sin, and have not a meek spirit to forgive his brother: Nothing can take away the rugged sowrness and rigidness of one man towards another, but the Oil of God's grace in pardoning of sin; and that coming once into the soul, makes the soul to be of a sweet, mild, gentle, kind and tender frame: Observe this, you that have rugged natures, you say it is nature, and you cannot help it, if anything change it, it is the mercy of God in pardoning thy sin; is there not so much in the grace of God in pardoning thy sin, as to change that rugged nature of thine? certainly there is: else thou hast little hope that thy sin is pardoned; therefore if God have pardoned thee, thou must go and do so likewise. I am persuaded many of you hope it and longed for this Sermon, and I desired to be the larger, because I would lay the Evidences full before you; here you have had the blessed man and woman described unto you, but there is but few of them, few can go away and say, as we have heard, so it is: But I hope divers of you can, it was for you that it was preached and sent from Heaven that you