CHAPTER XIX. Encouragement to Seek Forgiveness of Sin, Along with Cautions and Guidelines for Action
special help to bring into your souls the comfort and assurance of your Justification; and now I have done with this argument, I have shown you who it is that hath his sins pardoned, I have shown the several mistakes, and I have shown you certain infallible grounds from Scripture Evidences of the pardon of sin, and Rules how to make use of those Evidences; and now upon what you have heard, you have testimony and assurance of the pardon of your sins, or you have not; if you find your hearts do not answer to these Evidences, or that you are afraid that your sins are not pardoned, then take a use of Exhortation to put you on to seek after this blessedness.
CHAPTER XIX.
Encouragement to Seek Forgiveness of Sin, Along with Cautions and Guidelines for Action I am now come to a use of Exhortation, and it concerns us all, either those that are not pardoned, or those that have assurance of the pardon of their sins; for there is none that have assurance but may make use of it: Christ taught his Disciples to pray daily for the forgiveness of their trespasses, as well as for their daily bread ; and what we are to pray for, we are to seek after; so that it concerns all; blessedness is desirable to all, it is as natural for man as a reasonable creature to desire blessedness as it is for the fire to burn; only here's the great mistake in the world, all would have it, but they look not for it in the right way: Now after all that has been said, that thou mayest not have slight thoughts of the pardon of sin, and say, I hope they are pardoned, and the like; I shall speak to awaken thee: suppose thou wert now set on the brink of the infinite Ocean of Eternity, and the bottomless Gulf were ready to devour thee, and the Records of Heaven were opened, and there shown thee that thy sins were not cancelled, but remain upon the file? What thou wouldest then do, do it now; for this is our time, and this is the great work of
our lives, not to cumber ourselves about many things, but about this one thing, to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling; this is the great work to seek to secure this blessing of the pardon of our sins, which is the foundation of all; in the obtaining of it we obtain all blessings; it ought to be our chief care, and we ought to lay out our chief strength and endeavors in seeking of it; and if God would be pleased to put his hand to your hearts, and turn the stream of your thoughts and endeavors, the very turning of your hearts after this business is a great mercy; there is so much blessedness in it, as not only the obtaining of it, but the very motion of the heart this way is worth all the world, in Act. 2. we read, there were many thousands that had their hearts pricked at hearing the Word preached, and they cried out men and brethren, What shall we do to be saved? O that there were a disposition in the hearts of men to cry thus; we see it is our blessedness if we have it; and if we have it not, we are all cursed forever; What shall we do to get it? Mar. 10.17. we read of one came running after Christ, saying, What shall I do to be saved? O that your hearts were now in such a frame to come running after Christ, saying, What shall we do that our sins may be pardoned: but before I come to anything else, it is necessary by way of caution or proviso to say three or four things.
First, This; that although I must seek after God for the pardon of sin, yet know there is nothing in a natural man that is or can be acceptable ; all his endeavors have not that in them that can gain him acceptance with God: But then to what purpose are we to endeavor to do anything? yes, we must be striving after the pardon of sin, although without Christ we can do nothing; and a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit, yet it is to purpose that we be doing, for God likes well the exercise of the work of common gifts; though they are not saving, and to eternal life, yet God likes the exercise of them so far as there is anything good and commends them; when that young man came to Christ, Mar. 10.21. Christ looked upon him and loved him, though not with such a love as to save him and bring him to eternal life, yet God did discover love to such a one; therefore it is to some purpose that a man should put himself on doing what he can, if
it be only for that. 2. It is to some purpose that the heart be stirring after God and Christ, because hereby we shall evidence that we are not so negligent of God and Christ, and the things of eternal life as we were before. 3. It is to some purpose, for in the stirring of the common works of God's Spirit, God many times comes in with saving works ; for God works not upon men as upon stocks or stones, but God puts them on by stirring up the common works of his Spirit, and at that time when they are most in stirring, it is God's usual way to come in with the saving works of his Spirit; therefore it is not to no purpose that we are putting on poor creatures to do what they can.
The second Caution is this, That whatsoever any one doth in seeking after Christ before he has union with Christ, it is not to be reckoned on as the condition of the Covenant of Grace or a Gospel-work ; there are no preparatory works for the receiving of Christ, that are the condition of the Covenant of grace; though they be such things as we must follow after, yet they are not the condition of the Covenant of grace: Now that that is the condition of the Covenant of grace sanctifies him that hath it, and follows upon our union with Christ; though God uses to carry on the soul in the way of legal terrors, humiliations, and the like; yet these are not the work of the Covenant of grace; and therefore this may help many a poor soul about terrors of Conscience and humiliations; that are troubled that they never had those degrees as others have; why as they do not prepare and fit thee for Christ; so the want of them is no hindrance to the receiving of Christ.
The third Caution is this that follows on the other, That though you put yourselves upon the use of all means to the receiving of Christ, yet take heed you do not rest in any of those preparatory works, there's a great deal of danger in that; many souls mistake, and it is to be feared it is in this, the resting in something that they have done; it may be God has awakened their Consciences, and they fall upon working, upon humbling and reforming themselves, and here they rest; but this is a mistake, you must not rest until you find you are in Christ, and until there be an union with Christ and your souls;
the work is not therefore done because you are humbled and reformed, and run another course to what you did before. for Rom.
9.16. 'It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy ; not of him that willeth, that is, that hath some good affections to it; nor of him that runneth, that is, though his endeavors be never so strong, yet 'tis not of him neither: many think they have peace in their souls upon their good desires and endeavors; when their hearts are mightily stir'd, and they wonderfully enlarged, then they make no question but all is done, and they quiet their hearts with that, and think there is no further work to be done; but it is not so; Not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy ; though we must; will, and we must run, yet there may be running and striving to enter in, and yet not enter ; this is a very great point, to let us see all of us what need we have of the free grace of God in pardoning of our sin.
Fourthly, Though God does not tie himself to come in to pardon upon these preparatory works going before, yet it is worthy of the utmost endeavors of any soul in the world, that there is a possibility of the obtaining of it ; though God tie not himself to give pardon on those works, yet there is enough in it to require the utmost endeavors of any one to be laid out, could we do ten thousand times more than we can, even the very possibility of obtaining pardon, is worth the calling forth of all our strength; know that the very possibility of having sin pardoned, is enough to set all your hearts a work to seek after it, though God do not tie himself to come in then and pardon; tis not thus, that God would have his creature seek unto him, and then all should be left unto that seeking; no, for if that were granted, that God did foresee something that his creature would do, and upon that he would give him pardon, then all the world would be saved; but all the world do not what they can; if God had tied himself to come in then when men do what they can, all the world might be saved; but it is not so: God hath left it so that he will have his creature (do what he can) to rely upon him; and when he doth come in, then he enters into the greatest and strongest bonds that can be to
do his creature good; but I come to enforce the Exhortation for to seek after the pardon of sin.
You will say, How must we seek it? and what is to be done?
First, In the seeking pardon of your sins set yourselves as in the presence of God, and put this upon your souls; I am now looking after the pardon of sin, but how do I do it? does my heart work so in it as that I can satisfy my own Conscience in the work I do? that it is such a work, that may testify my high respect to God from whom I seek it; is it such a work as manifests that I am sensible, it is a business of the most infinite concernment that I have in all the world; and am I sensible of the infinite Power and Majesty of God as one that is infinitely above me; when you seek after pardon, you must do it so, as that you may be able to satisfy your Consciences that your seeking is such a work as does hold forth the glorious greatness of that God that you are seeking after; many pray slightly, as God be merciful to me, and mumble over a few words, and have done; does this hold forth that they have such an apprehension of the greatness of the power of that God they seek after, surely no; thats the first.
Secondly, If thou wilt seek after pardon of sin, it must be such a seeking as may testify that thou dost prize thy life here in this world above all things else in it ; because God gives thee time in it to seek after him; Is thy seeking such that manifests the time of thy life is given the for this very end? if you were sensible of this, you would seek it in another manner than you do; you would seek it as a condemned man seeks his pardon; for certainly, every man is a condemned man, and the time of your life is like a condemned man's time, between his condemnation and execution: Now does your seeking testify and witness that you spend your time, and that your hearts are so stirred in seeking pardon, as that it holds forth you account your lives precious, and use it for the same end, to get the pardon of your sin, if a condemned man have time to seek a pardon two or three days; and he follows drinking, playing, and the like,
certainly none would apprehend this man spent his time, as if it were given him for to get his pardon; look upon the courses and lives of most men; and are they such that does testify they live to that very end, to seek pardon? if men were so sensible of it, as they should, they would cry and weep, and lament unto God for the pardon of their sins, and so carry it as would testify they prize their lives at a high rate for this end, that they may seek the pardon of their sins.
Thirdly, It must be done so, as that you may have this testimony in your Consciences, that you never sought after anything in the world so as you sought after this ; though it was never so an important occasion, yet there is nothing after which your endeavors have been so powerful as after this; I appeal to you in this place; is the work of your souls after pardon so? as that in your own Consciences you can say, if any business ever took up my heart, this hath, if ever my spirit was up in anything in the world it is in this; certainly, unless it be so, you have not done that that God requires of you.
Fourthly, You must so do it as apprehending God is ready to be gone, and to turn away from you ; you must so seek after him, as apprehending, for ought you know, that God is just a going away; and if thou hast it not now, 'tis uncertain whether thou shalt ever have it; the soul must cry as a poor Malefactor does when the Judge is on the Bench, he cries all that while; but when he is ready to rise, and is going off, then he cries mercy, mercy; when he thinks, if he let him go, then he shall never see his face more; he cries then to purpose; so should it be with every soul that understands the danger of losing of it; you should so seek after it, as looking on yourselves standing before God the Judge of all the World, having the sentence of death out against you, yet for the present God is looking on you, and admits of you to look on him; but so as apprehending God ready to turn aside, and you know not whether ever he will grant you such an opportunity of seeing him anymore; O then if a man would seek after God as ready to turn aside from him, and for ought he knows, he should never see him more: Certainly, if you know the evil of sin,
and the blessedness of pardon of sin; What a deep impression would such an apprehension make upon your hearts.
Fifthly, So seek after it as that thou mayest testify thou wouldest sanctify the great Name of God in it ; I do not say thou canst do it, but thou must endeavor after it, and desire that that which thou dost may have some resemblance to it; there is no work that ever God did from all eternity, that hath so much or more of his Name in it, than this work of the pardon of sin hath; this is a positive work of God, and is for this end to declare his Name ; the works and Counsels of God about this was the greatest thing that ever God did; you heard much concerning the glory of God in this work, in the opening of the Doctrine: Now what I put you upon in the use is this, That in seeking pardon of sin, know you are are so to endeavor after it, as your endeavors may hold forth the apprehensions your souls have of the great Name of God: certainly this sanctifies God's Name when we perform it so, when there is a work upon our souls suitable in some measure to the excellent and glorious Name of God that appears in some measure in the work that we are conversant about: as suppose it be the speaking of any attribute of God, then I sanctify God's
Name, when there is that reverential respect to God in reference to such an Attribute; so when I give God praise for a mercy, I sanctify
God's Name when there is a work upon my heart suitable to that glorious Name of God that appears in that mercy bestowed on me; so if I seek after God for a blessing, then I reverence God's Name, when there is such a disposition in my heart, that is somewhat suitable to the glorious Name of God that appears in that blessing: so in endeavoring to sanctify God's Name in seeking after pardon of sin, thou dost it then, when there is such a frame in thy heart as may hold forth to Men and Angels, that this work of thine hath some kind of suitableness to the glorious Name of God that appears in it; this is to sanctify the Name of God, and this is a great work; this is the great thing for which thou wast made; and this is the great thing for which the counsels of God, yea the deep counsels of God were set a work from all eternity: Now the dispositions of our spirits must be such, as may manifest the great end, the wisdom and counsels of God had in
it, and therefore it must be a great work that must manifest that; for certainly those whom God pardons he makes them understand what pardon means. Now then, if thy seeking be such as that thou knowest what it is thou seekest after, then it must hold forth also that thou dost understand the Name of God is exceeding glorious in it; and then as thou doest apprehend this, so accordingly thy heart will work after it; and therefore when you are alone, and you find your hearts working this way, say, What do I do? Do I so call upon him, and seek after him, as that this work of mine declares to God and my own
Conscience I seek for it so, as that I may manifest the glorious Name of the great God is in it? certainly if I do not do it thus, I take God's
Name in vain.
Sixthly, Further, you must seek after it as if you were now to answer for all your sins before the Lord, as you would wish you had done it then, so do it now; I put it to everyone of you; Have you not been on your sick-beds, and in your apprehension near unto death; hath not God wakened your Consciences, and you have been afraid upon the account of your sins; what kind of temper your souls have been in then, know it concerns you every day in the whole course of your lives to have the same apprehensions as you had at that time; do now as then you would have done: certainly thou dost not understand what pardon of sin means, if thou dost not seek it thus.
Seventhly, Do it as thou thinkest in thy Conscience the damned souls in Hell would do if God should give them a possibility, What would they do if God should proclaim unto them a possibility of pardon? what would they do? divers things you may conceive they would do; and here it comes up fully to my hand to put you upon it, to say, O! what shall I do? Were we to preach to them in Hell, do you think that there is any one of them but would mightily cry to the God of Heaven; 'tis not like that any one of such an Auditory but would mightily cry to God, if the great counsels of God concerning pardon of sin were preached to them; and will not everyone of you now mightily cry to God for it? certainly if they would do it in Hell, Why should not you do it now; that which you think they would do, not
with a few slight vain expressions, do you do now with all your might.
Eighthly, Do this: so seek after it as to desire if it were possible that you might bring as much glory unto God, as he would have had of you if he should have damned you forever ; this is an excellent frame of spirit though you do not know it, but though you do not, yet you should put yourselves upon such a kind of work and God may come in; you cry out for pardon, but never cry out for God's honor, O what shall become of the honor of God that he hath lost by me, and the dishonor I have brought to him, say, O Lord I have dishonored thy
Name, O that I might so honor thy Name as I have dishonored it ; O Lord thou mightest make up thy honor in my eternal damnation; but O Lord, I would if I could do anything that might make up that dishonor that I have brought by my sin, if I could do anything that thou mightest have any honor in, I would do it: for a close, I shall put this for a consideration to you; whatsoever you would do upon any supposition, suppose your danger were as great as ever it was in all your lives, what you would do then do it now ; you must do all that can be done by a creature: Now if you would do more on such a supposition as this, after all those Sermons you have heard of the evil of sin, and now of the great blessedness of the pardon of sin, if you do not do what a creature is able to do, How can you look for pardon of sin in the face of God? and therefore what you would do on any such supposition, do now, though thou shouldest not get pardon; suppose such a thing as if thou wert now ready to be damned, yet is it not better to do it, than not to do it? Having spoken of these general things, I come now more particularly to the other part of the Question, What is to be done?
First, This is to be done, be sure thou takest off thy heart from all other imaginary blessedness ; certainly there is no man in the world but hath somewhat else his heart was running out after; now thou must get off thy heart from that thing whatever it be; it may be thy heart was set upon friends, or upon pleasures of the flesh, and thou thoughtest thyself happy the more thou hadst liberty for thy lust, and
the like; now thou must be convinced that thou hast fed upon ashes, and hast not been able to say there is a lie in my right hand ; but God hath now shown me there is a lie, and I have looked for happiness else where; but now I see it is not there to be found, win thy soul fully to this; O my soul art thou taken off from all other things, hath God convinced thee that thou mayest have honors, riches, pleasures, and yet be a Reprobate, woe unto me for the time that I have lost, I have laid out my time and money for another blessedness, that is nowhere to be found but in the grace of God.
Secondly, Let Conscience have free liberty to show thee thy sins, and charge them upon thee, yea to accuse and condemn thee, and do thou help thy Conscience; when Conscience accuses and condemns, then do thou condemn thyself; if thou wouldest be pardoned, then give Conscience scope and liberty; 'tis very dangerous when God begins to stir the hearts of men and women, to make any stop or give any check to Conscience there, the wisest course is to give
Conscience liberty, for it will have liberty one day to accuse and condemn you; Why will you not now give it liberty? Conscience will one day bring all thy evil deeds before thee and accuse thee; now let it accuse and condemn thee, and certainly if thou dost so, thou art in a very good way to come to have absolution of thy sins in thy
Conscience now; for at the great day the Books shall be opened: Now bring as it were a day of Judgment upon thyself, contract the Throne of God into your own hearts, and call for the Book of Conscience, and say, Conscience? What sayest thou against me that I may get it blotted out now, that it may not be read against me at the day of Judgment?
Thirdly, Be willing to own all thy sins, confess, discover them with all the heart-breaking circumstances and aggravations thou canst possible, the Lord knows thy sins whether thou confessest them or not; but God will have thee to come and lay them open, God will have thee to come and charge thyself with them: 'tis a very good thing to open Conscience freely before the Lord, not in a slight way, but in a
way of anguish and bitterness of spirit bewailing them, and crying by way of Prayer and Petition against them.
Fourthly, Be willing to accept of the punishment of sin, say, O Lord, as thus I do charge and acknowledge, bewail and cry out of my sin; so here I am Lord, ready and willing to accept of the punishment of my sin, and the soul that is in this frame is in a comfortable way of pardon of sin.
Fifthly, Resolve to avoid sin whatever come of it, at that very time when thou art seeking pardon, of sin be sure to resolve never to sin again, for know, that for ought thou knowest, the very next sin thou committest may make God come upon thee for all thy former sins.
And then Sixthly, Cast out whatsoever is gotten by false ways, make restitution, as Zacchaeus did, Luk. 19.
Seventhly, Be sure that thou be put off with nothing else but pardon of sin ; never rest keeping thy soul always in a waiting frame, looking up to God for pardon: To all these things I shall add, that all these must have reference to the great work of the Son of God, when you cry out, What shall we do? though I have spoken of divers things, yet know all is with reference unto Christ the Son of God, God-Man; look upon him as the head of the second Covenant offering up himself for our sins, let thine eye be upon him, and as thou givest thy Conscience liberty to charge thy sins upon thy own soul, so charge them upon Christ the head of the second Covenant; have an eye to him for the discharge of them; Dost thou vomit up thy sin by confession, and cry to God for pardon? remember that thou cry to him through the mediation of Jesus Christ; look upon him that must make up the breach, restore thee to favor, and remove the curse : in every work be sure thou eye Christ, and make use of these rules so, as may further the venturing of thy soul upon Christ; except thy soul rise to this, to work thee to Christ, all the other is but a natural work, though as I said before, that thou shouldest let Conscience condemn thee, and
that thou have anguish of spirit, know all these are but natural works, any further then they serve in reference unto Christ: And now
I have shown you what you are to do, What is it that you will do? will you set up your resolution, that through the grace of God in Christ, whatever hath been told you, you will set about the same, then happy are you; but if you do it not, it may be you may wish you had done it when sin lies heavy on you; then you will cry that God would be merciful to you, but then God and Conscience will say, I warned you at such a time, in such a place, and were not you there put in a way to seek after pardon; What did you do after you went away? the next day you went among your Companions, and were as drunk and as wicked as ever before; if it be so, then trouble will be upon you; it may be some poor creature that sat in the same pew with thee, had a heart to seek pardon, and is absolved before men and Angels, and at the day of Judgment shall sit at Christ's right hand, and thou that heardest the same Word, and hast neglected it, now comest to have thy soul forever lie under the weight and burden of thy sins: God forbid that there should be such a difference made; thou hast heard the way, seek after the pardon of thy sin; let it not be in vain that all these Sermons have been preached unto you, Act. 10.43. when they preached about pardon of sin, it says to him give all the Prophets witness ; O that you might come in and give witness that this day remission of sin was preached unto you; O that while you hear this
Word, the Holy Ghost might fall upon you, that you might have your hearts fired with strong resolutions, to set about this work in the power of the Holy Ghost, and rest not in anything on this side of a pardon: Now I come to give you some encouragements, and they will work two ways, either draw you to Christ, or forever stop your mouths, that you shall have nothing to say against him. I shall name fifteen encouragements unto you.