CHAPTER I. Opening the Text and Presenting the Main Doctrine.
Gospel Remission.
CHAPTER I.
Opening the Text and Presenting the Main Doctrine.
I have, as you may remember, in many Sermons endeavored to show unto you the malignity and dreadful evil that there is in Sin; And what more seasonable and suitable Argument can we now treat of, than the blessedness of Pardon of Sin? How sweet and gratifying will this be to souls who, through the preceding argument, have been made aware of the horrific nature of it? How readily will they say, with the Prophet, How beautiful are the feet of those that bring
(such) good tidings? Wherefore, me thinks, while I am reading this Text, I should be like a man at an Echo, that hears the words thereof resounded back again, by every broken hearted sinner in this
Congregation, O, blessed, blessed is the man indeed whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sin is covered.
A word spoken in season (says Solomon) is like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver ; and considering, how large I have been in opening of the Evil of Sin unto you, if ever a word was spoken in due season, I hope it may be out of this Text: The word of Reconciliation and pardon of Sin; and if God enable me to clear up unto you the excellency of those Truths contained in this Scripture, I hope they will prove in all your eyes to be as Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver.
The words read, are the first words of one of David 's Penitential Psalms, and they are indeed the genuine voice of a true Penitent; the very Character of an humble Penitential Soul; he is one that has
admiring thoughts of the blessedness of the pardon of sin: I will not spend time in Analysing the whole Psalm, because the sweetness and blessedness of the Argument draws my heart to come presently to it;
And blessed may your ears be, who after hearing of the dreadful evil of sin, may come to hear the blessed doctrine of Pardon; it is that which God has denied to many thousands: And who knows but many even of those that in this Congregation have heard the sorrow of that Doctrine, are now gone (perhaps to their own place) and feel what they then heard, and much more, and are past ever hearing the argument of pardon and forgiveness of sin: that blessed sound shall never come to their ears; but the horrid noise of yelling, roarings, and cursings of damned spirits, for the wrath of God that lies heavy on them for their sin.
This Psalm in the title of it is a Psalm of David Maschil ; that is, a Psalm of Instruction ; or, for Instruction: And what is a more useful
Instruction than to instruct the soul where true blessedness lies? And what is a better instruction than to tell man the way of the pardon and forgiveness of sin? the way to true happiness? The happiness of the reasonable creature is that which many wise men thought to find out, but after all their search, they were much puzzled, and in the dark, and could never come to find where it lay, by all the wisdom of the flesh; only the rational creature is capable of blessedness, because it is capable of such an act as to reflect upon itself: that is the ground why the rational creature is capable of blessedness, above all other creatures; no creature can truly be said to be a blessed creature, but only the rational; because no creature else can reflect upon its own condition to know itself. But then not only to know ourselves, but our own happiness, where our blessedness lies; this must needs be a profitable instruction. No Philosopher did ever give such a description of happiness as this is, Blessed is the man whose,
&c. yea David, who had a Monopoly of the comforts of this world to the full, and had the Crown upon his head, says not, Blessed is he that is Crowned and has a Kingdom. David that had the riches of this world, did not say, Blessed is he that hath this worlds goods. David that had honors, and was reputed among the mighty men, did not
say, Blessed is he that hath worldly honors. David that had many Victories over Enemies, says not, Blessed is he that rides in Triumph over his Enemies. David that had sumptuous Palaces, and the delights of this world, does not say, Blessed is he that has them. But in the midst of all Outward good things, David enjoyed in this world, he finds his blessedness to consist in this, The pardon and forgiveness of his sins ; he pronounces them and them only blessed, whose sin is pardoned.
This Instruction of the blessedness of Pardon of Sin, as it lies here annexed, is of weight indeed, and of infinite concernment: Luther says, The Argument of free Justification and Remission of Sin, is that that makes a Divine: and this may be added to that, 'tis this that makes a Christian; To be instructed rightly in the Justification of a Sinner, is that that makes a Christian. Nay, although we had ten thousand Instructors in other things, not only in Natural knowledge, but in Divinity too, in all the points of it; yet we could never be wise unto Salvation, except we were instructed with this instruction, in the blessedness of Justification and pardon of sin. Luther says, Let this Doctrine lie dead, and all the whole knowledge of other Truths is to little purpose. Therefore well may the title of the Psalm be a Psalm of Instruction: Blessed is the man whose Transgressions are forgiven, and whose Iniquities are covered. Wherefore our Point of Doctrine according to the words is this, Doct. The Blessedness of a Man, or of any Soul; consists in the free Grace of God forgiving of his sin.
That is our point; the blessedness of any man or woman does not consist in the enjoyment of anything in all this world, but in the free grace of God forgiving of his sin; It neither consists in anything we can do or have, but in the free grace of God forgiving of sin; and that is the meaning of that Text, Rom. 4, 6, 7. which St. Paul cites from this place of Scripture, observe it, 'tis to this very purpose, even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man to whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they
whose Iniquities are forgiven, and whose Sins are covered. The scope of the Apostle in this place is, to declare the blessing of Abraham the father of the faithful, consisted not in anything he had or did, but in the free grace of God forgiving of his sin, Gal. 4.15. says Paul, Where is the blessedness you spake of? for, I bear you record, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes, and given them to me:
Where is then the blessedness you spake of? What's the meaning of this blessedness? certainly this blessedness in my Text, it was this blessed doctrine St. Paul being first that brought it to the Gallatians, concerning the free Justification of a poor soul by faith in Jesus
Christ, in the free pardon and remission of his sin by faith in Christ; this is the blessedness spoken of: Now, because the Galatians at the first hearing of this doctrine were so mightily taken with it, that they cried out, O this is a blessed doctrine; Remission of Sin by the free grace of God through faith in Christ, O this is the blessedest doctrine that ever we heard; they were so taken with it, that if possible, they would have plucked out their eyes for Paul, that brought them such a doctrine as this at their first hearing and receiving of it. But afterwards, the Galatians were turned aside by false Teachers, that had taken off the edge of their affections to this blessed Truth. Now
Paul coming to reprove them, says, Where is then the blessedness you spake of, there was a time when I first taught you the Doctrine of the free forgiveness of sin by faith in Christ, and you said it was a blessed Doctrine, and your hearts were mightily taken with it, where is it now? How comes it to pass that your hearts are so taken off from the esteem you then had of it? Where is then the blessedness you spake of? Thus 'tis usually, the Ministers of Christ come and preach
Doctrine to People that their hearts are taken with, their spirits stirred, and they mightily affected with the first hearing of it; but afterwards by some sin, or the company of carnal friends, their hearts are taken off, though while they were hearing such and such a Truth, their hearts glow'd and burned within them. God grant it may not be so with some of you, who when you heard lately the Doctrine of the Evil of Sin, your hearts were mightily affected, and you said, O what a dreadful evil is there in sin, in the least sin; and being convinced of it, you began to reform; yet afterwards you fell off again.