CHAPTER VII. Pardoning Mercy and the Triune God's Engagement
rest until thou come to know God's thoughts in his eternal purposes towards thee; it is no nicety nor vain curiosity, for men and women to seek to know what were the thoughts of God towards them from all eternity; it may be known, and God hath revealed it, especially in the times of the Gospel, God hath opened his bosom to reveal unto his people the thoughts he had of them from all eternity; and this makes a Pardoned sinner to be so blessed; and this is more than any
Malefactor can have from a Prince, he may be persuaded to pardon him; and yet even presently his heart may be as much set against him as against any man; yet now having got his Pardon, he thinks himself blessed, and goes his way: But now, when God Pardons, it is not an act of a day, but such an act as God hath set his heart upon from all eternity to do it; it is such an act as the infinite wisdom of God hath been set on work from all eternity to effect it: if a Malefactor come to a Prince for pardon, and the Prince say, I have been setting my thoughts a work to pardon you, ever since I heard of your crime, this will bring some comfort: But what is this to the comfort God brings to the soul that he pardons; when God comes to a soul, he does, not only pardon, he says not, soul I pardon thee: but know oh soul for thy comfort, that this is a work that my wisdom and the councils of my will, have been a contriving from all eternity, to bring about thy pardon with my own honor, and here it is for thee, take it as a fruit of my eternal Councils; therefore Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven, because such purposes have been taken up in God's eternal Councils to effect it.
CHAPTER VII:
Pardoning Mercy and the Triune God's Engagement Blessed is the man whose Iniquities are forgiven, because as there is no one thing hath taken up the heart of God more than this; so this is a work that all the three Persons in the Trinity are engaged
in nothing more, God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; as to instance.
1. For God the Father, in Isai. 43.25. he challengeth this as his own glory, I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my
Names sake, and will not remember thy sins ; it is his Prerogative, I am he, God glories in it as a peculiar, belonging to none but himself, Exod. 33.18. Moses desired to see the glory of God, and God promised to make all his goodness pass before him ; and Exod. 34.6. he proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands ; and then to the point in hand, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, here's the glory of God; Would you have a demonstration indeed, that God's heart was set upon this as the greatest work that ever was done? take it in this, that the very thoughts of effecting this by the death of his own Son, made God very well pleased and delighted with his death; surely then his heart was much set upon it; for rather than he would not effect it, he would part with his own Son: Never was there such a hideous thing as the death of the Son of God; and therefore if there were any delight to be taken in it, & that God the Father took delight in it; there must be some great thing to sweeten it, such an horrid thing as the death of the Son of God had need have some great thing to sweeten it; what now sweetened this to God the Father, that his own Son should be put to death? Why? nothing but this, that hereby sinners might come to be redeemed, justified and pardoned, nothing else would sweeten it to God the Father, but this does, Isai. 53.10. It pleased the Lord to bruise him ; and again, the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand ; the Scripture says, God takes no delight in the death of a sinner; and yet God did take delight in the death of his Son, it pleased God to see his Son bruised: when God the Father saw his Son under his wrath, swetting drops of water and blood under the curse of the Law, it pleased God well; certainly then there must be some mighty thing that must sweeten this, and make the death of his own
Son a delightful object to him; Why? the very thing that did it was this, that Christ being made a curse, he thereby did redeem us from
the curse, procured the pardon of our sins, and reconciled us unto God; and this very thing sweetened the death of the Son of God unto
God the Father, therefore the heart of God was much in it.
2. For Christ, What was the business that brought him from the Fathers bosom, made him content to take our nature upon him, to suffer, and to be a man of sorrows, so as to delight in it? there was a kind of delight to Christ in enduring the wrath of God; for with desire (says Christ) have I desired to eat this Passover, because it was the Preparation to his Death and Sufferings of the wrath of God, in all the fruits and effects of it for the sin of Man; and when Christ came to institute the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and to give his blood for the remission of sins, the Text says, He gave thanks ; What did he give thanks for? surely the thing for which he gave thanks for,
(upon which the Supper of the Lord is called the Eucharist, from the Greek word that signifies Thanksgiving;) was this, that by his death Remission of sins should be obtained: when Christ was to die
& suffer all the wrath of God that was due for our sins, Christ blessed God & thanked God the Father for it: surely there must be some great matter to sweeten it; that he should be so affected as to bless
God the Father for that that cost him his life, and yet he did: Mark what it is that satisfies Christ for all this, Isa. 53.10. It pleased the Lord to bruise him, and his soul was made an offering for sin: all was laid upon Christ; Well, but what did Christ look for for all this? Vers.
11. He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied ; that that shall satisfy Christ for all his pains, labor and sufferings, shall be to see of the travel of his soul; What is that? What is the travel of Christ's soul? What? Why by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; as if Christ had said, this is the very thing my
Soul travels for, in all that I have done or suffered in all my life, that I might but bring this great business to pass, to justify some souls, to get the sin of those poor souls that are thine Elect pardoned, and their persons justified: this my soul travels for, and oh Father let me but see this, the travel of my Soul, and I am satisfied: Christ accounted it worth all the travel of his Soul, in all he did and suffered, that he might justify some souls, as if he had said, he would
have no other boon from his Father but only this; Father if thou wilt but recompense all my travel with this, I shall forever account myself that I am satisfied, and have enough: How should we be satified with Christ, when Christ accounts the pardon of our sins satisfaction enough? Shall Christ say, notwithstanding all my sorrows, let thy sin be pardoned, and I have enough? Wilt not thou now say; and let me have Christ and I have enough? Christ says to God the Father, let me have those souls pardoned, and I have enough; Oh then do thou say, let me have Christ and I have enough: Surely Christ is enough to satisfy thee, when the pardon of thy sin is enough to satisfy him.
3. As the heart of God and Christ, so the heart of the Holy Ghost is in this business too ; the great work the Holy Ghost hath to do in this world, and the great business for which he was sent, it is to convince poor souls of the righteousness there is to be had in Christ for Justification, Joh. 16.8, 9, 10. Christ will send the Comforter; and first he will convince the world of sin. 2. Of righteousness: What is that? that is, when the Spirit comes, he will clear it up unto believers, and convince them that the righteousness that they must have to stand righteous before God in, is the righteousness of Christ alone; and this is a mighty work of the Spirit of God, and a work that would never have been done, had not he come to have done it; it is such a great mystery that we should be righteous by another's righteousness, that it is above the reason of all Men and Angels; all
Men and Angels were never able to fathom this infinite depth, it is above their apprehensions that ever we should come to be righteous in Christ, and very few yet where Christ is made known, are convinced of it: Those men that take up Religion in a natural way, they never are convinced of the Righteousness of Christ, it is a riddle and a mystery to them; only those few souls whom God intends eternally to save, the Spirit of God is sent unto them from the Father and the Son to clear it unto them, that the righteousness wherewith they must stand righteous before God, is the Righteousness of Jesus
Christ; this is the great work of the Spirit of God, and he comes on purpose to enlighten you in this great point, and to witness this great
Truth unto you, Heb. 10.15. Whereof the Holy Ghost is a witness, for
after that he had said before, this is the Covenant that I will make, &c. verse. 17. Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more, as the Principal part of the Covenant, and of this the Holy
Ghost is a witness: This great Truth of the forgiveness of Sins the Holy Ghost comes to bear witness of, and seal this to thy Soul, that thy sins are forgiven; this is the great work of the Holy Ghost, after believing to seal up the forgiveness of sin: and this is one great reason why the Holy Ghost hath the Title of Comforter, because as he comes to convince of sin, so also to witness and seal up forgiveness of sin to the soul: And indeed, as it shows the excellency of the mercy of forgiveness, because the Holy Ghost is so much in it; so the greatness of it, that must have so high a Person to witness it: and indeed, the Soul is not satisfied until it have this special witness of the Holy
Ghost; 'tis true, there may be probable arguments drawn by signs of God's love unto us; and the Holy Ghost may come in those signs: but besides that, there is the immediate witness of the Holy Ghost: to limit him to witness by signs only, is more than any man can have warrant for; and this I say further, that all the signs of God's favor that we can have, will not satisfy the soul until there be this special work of the Holy Ghost sealing and witnessing the favor of God unto us; 1 Joh. 3. there are many signs of God's favor in that Chapter,
Vers. 9. He that is born of God doth not commit sin. And Vers.
19. Hereby we know we are of the Truth, and shall assure our hearts before him; and he that keepeth his Commandements, dwelleth in him, and he in him, that's another sign, and Vers. 24 but the conclusion of all is this; Hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us ; it is the Holy Ghost must convince & satisfy the soul, of God's love: many there are that would fain have their sins pardoned, and would fain have some signs of it; and perhaps I may hereafter give some signs. But now know, that all the signs in the world will not serve to quiet the heart, but that it may return again to its former doubts, till God come to pacify the spirit by the witness of the Holy Ghost; for it is so great a matter, where once the Soul understands the infinite breach made between God and it by sin, that it must needs be more than an ordinary work to assure the Soul of God's Reconciliation to it, and nothing can do it satisfactorily
but the Holy Ghost; he must come to the Soul to assure it of this thing: perhaps the case of a poor Soul is thus; Suppose a Prisoner in Goal lies bound in fetters for some great offense against his Prince; and some friend comes and tells him there is hope of pardon; Oh, says he, 'tis too good news to be true; well, another comes to the grate of the Prison, and tells that he hears from the Court, the King hath sealed Pardons, and put such a ones name in, this is some comfort; but yet this frees him not from fears and doubtings. But now, suppose the Favorite of the Prince come from the King himself, one that is of the Kings Bed-chamber, and one to whom the King opens his whole soul, and nothing the King doth but he is acquainted with it; he comes to this poor man, and bids him be of good comfort, I come from the King, and bring you a Pardon from him, shows it him, and says there it is, take it; Oh this revives his spirit, when such a special Messenger is sent unto him: so in this case I may compare all signs to be like some friend or other, that goes by the grate, and speaks of the happiness of such a man that he is pardoned; but the soul is under such blindness and fears, by reason of the guilt of sin, that God knows it is no easy matter to persuade it of pardon: But now God for the comfort of those that he intends good will unto, sends his own Spirit that lies in his own bosom, and knows all his secrets, to declare the mind of God, and to say to such a soul, Peace be to thee, thy sins are forgiven ; now this satisfies the soul.
But it may be here objected, How may I know it is the Spirit of God that witnesses, and not my own fancies or delusions of Satan.
I answer, as we know the Sun by its own light, so we may know the Spirit by its own testimony; and though there be may some ebbs, yet it will rise again; there is such a witnessing work of the Spirit, by a kind of sweet and secret intercourse between God and the Soul, whereby God over-powers all doubts and fears; though I do not say, everyone hath it in a like sensible measure; yet this I say, when this full assurance comes, although there may be doubts and many questions before in the soul, for fear of being deluded, (for certainly