VSE V. Comfort to the people of God. (16) to VSE V. Comfort to the people of God. (18)

VSE V. Comfort to the people of God. (16)

2. These thoughts of Non-Election, that we are not Elected; and that there is no pardon for us, come from Satan, and are the poison'd Arrows he shoots. He is the Accuser, he accuseth us to God, that we are great sinners; and he accuseth God to us, as if he were a Tyrant: one that did watch to destroy his Creature. These are diabolical Suggestions; say, Get thee behind me, Satan.

3. 'Tis sinful for any to hold, that he is not Elected; it would take him off from the Use of Means, from praying and repenting; it would harden him and make him desperate. Therefore pry not into the Arcana Coeli, the Secrets of Heaven. Remember what befel the men of Bethshemesh, for looking into the Ark, 1 Sam. 6.19. Know that we are not to go by Gods Secret Will, but by his Revealed Will; look into God's Revealed Will, and there we shall find enough to cherish Hope, and Encourage us to go to God for the pardon of our sins. God hath revealed in his Word, That he is rich in Mercy, Ephes. 2.4. That he doth not delight in the Destruction of a sinner, Ezek. 18.32. Iurat per Essen[gap]iam, Musculus, he swears by his Essence. Ezek. 33.11. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Hence it is God waits so long, and puts off the Sessions from time to time▪ to see if sinners will repent and seek to him for pardon. therefore let God's tender Mercies and pretious Promises encourage us to seek to him for the forgiveness of our sins.

Consideration 7. To seek earnestly for Pardon, is the unspeakable Misery of such as want Forgiveness; it must needs be ill with that Malefactour that wants his Pardon.

1. The unpardoned sinner (that lives and dies so) is under the greatest Loss and Privation. Is there any Happiness like to the injoying of God in Glory? This is the Joy of Angels, the Crown of Saints glorified; but the unforgiven sinner shall not behold God's smiling Face; he shall see God as an Enemy, not as a Friend; he shall have an affrighting sight of God, not beatifical; he shall see the Black Rod, not the Mercy-Seat. Sins unpardoned are like the Angel with a flaming Sword, who stop'd the passage to Paradise. Sins unpardoned stop the way to the Heavenly Paradise; and how doleful is the Condition of that Soul, which is banish'd from the place of Bliss▪ where the King of Glory keeps his Court?

2. The unpardoned sinner hath nothing to do with any Promise, the Promises M[gap]lctralia Evangelii, the Breasts that hold the sincere Milk of the Word which fills the Soul with precious Sweetness, they are the Royal Charter. But wh[gap]t hath a stranger to do to meddle with the Charter? 'Twas the Dove pluck'd the Olive-branch. 'Tis only the Believer plucks the Tree of the Promise; till the Condition of the Promise be perform'd, no man can have right to the Comfort of the Promise; and how sad is that not to have one promise to shew for Heaven?

3. An unpardoned sinner is continually in danger of the Out-cry of an accusing Conscience▪ An accusing Conscience is a little Hell; Siculi non invenere Tyranni tormentum majus; we tremble to hear a Lyon roar. How terrible are the roarings of Conscience? Iudas hang'd himself to quiet his Conscience; a sinners Conscience at present is either asleep or seared, but when God shall awaken Conscience, either by Affliction or at Death; how will the unpardoned sinner be affrighted? When a man shall have all his sins set before his Eyes, and drawn out in their bloody Colours, and the worm of Conscience begins to gnaw; sinner here are thy Debts, and the Book is not cancel'd, thou must to Hell; O what a trembling at heart will the sinner have!

4. All the Curses of God stand in full force against an unpardoned sinner, his very Blessings are cursed▪ Mal. 2.2. I will curse your Blessings. His Table is a Snare; he eats and drinks a Curse. What comfort could Dionisius have at his Feast, when he imagined he saw a naked Sword hanging by a twine thread over his head? This is enough to spoil a sinners Banquet; a Curse like a naked

Sword hangs over his Head: Caesar wondred to see one of his Soldiers so merry that was in debt. One would wonder that man should be merry who is Heir to all God's Curses; he doth not see these Curses, but is blinder than Balaams Ass, who saw the Angels Sword drawn.

5. The unpardoned sinner is in an ill case at Death. Luther profess'd there were three things which he durst not think of without Christ; of his sins, of Death, of the Day of Judgment. Death to a Christless Soul is the King of Terrors, as the Prophet Ahijah said to Ieroboams Wife, 1 Kin. 14.6. I am sent to thee with heavy Tidings. So death is sent to the unpardoned Soul with heavy Tidings; 'Tis God's Jaylor to arrest him; death is a prologue to Damnation. In particular,

1. Death is a Voyder to take away all his earthly Comforts▪ it takes away his sugar'd Morsels; no more drinking Wine in Bowls, no more Mirth or Musick, Revel. 18.22. The Voice of Harpers and Musicians shall be heard no more at all in thee. The sinner shall never tast of luscious Delights more to all Eternity. His Hony shall be turned to the Gall of Asps, Iob 20.14.

2. At Death there shall be an end put to all Reprieves. Now God reprieves a sinner; he spares him such a fit of Sickness; he respites him many years, the sinner should have died such a drinking bout, but God granted him a Reprieve; he lengthened out the silver Thread of Patience to a Miracle. But the sinner dying without Repentance unpardoned, now the Lease of God's Patience is run out, and the sinner must appear in person before the Righteous God to receive his Sentence; after which there shall be none to bail him, nor shall he hear of a Reprieve any more.

6. The unpardoned sinner dying so, must go into Damnation; this is the second Death, Mors sine morte. The unpardoned Soul must for ever bear the Anger of a Sin-revenging-God; as long as God is God, so long the Vial of his Wrath shall be dropping upon the damned Soul. This is an Helpless Condition; there is a time when a sinner will not be helped. Christ and Salvation are offer'd to him, but he slights them, he will not be helped; and there is a time shortly coming, when he cannot be helped. He calls out for Mercy, O a pardon, a pardon; but then it is too late, the date of Mercy is expir'd; O how sad then is it to live and die unpardoned? You may lay a Grave-stone upon that man, and write this Epitaph upon it; It had been good for that man, he had never been born. Now, if the misery of an unpardon'd State be so unexpressible; how should we labour for Forgiveness, that we may not be ingulph'd in so dreadful a Labyrinth of Fire and Brimstone to all Eternity.

7. Such as are unpardon'd must needs lead uncomfortable lives; Deut. 28.66. Thy Life shall hang in doubt before thee, and thou shalt be in continual fears. Thus the unpardoned sinner must needs have a palpitation and trembling at Heart; he fears every Bush he sees, 1 Ioh. 4.18. Fear hath Torment in it, the Greek word for Torment [gap], is used sometimes for Hell; fear hath Hell in it. A man in debt fears every step he goes, lest he should be arrested: so the unpardoned sinner fears, what if this night Death which is God's Serjeant should arrest him? Iob 7.21. Why dost not thou pardon my Sin, for now shall I sleep in the dust; As if Iob had said, Lord I shall shortly die, I shall sleep in the dust, and what shall I do if my sin be not pardoned? What comfort can an unpardon'd Soul take in any thing? Sure no more than a Prisoner can take in Meat or Musick that wants his pardon. Therefore by all these powerful Motives let us labour for the forgiveness of sin.

Object. 1. But I am discouraged from going to God for pardon, for I am unworthy of forgiveness; what am I, that God should do such a Favour for me?

Resp. God forgives not because we are worthy, but because he is Gracious, Exod. 34 6. The Lord, the Lord, Merciful and Gracious. God forgives out of his Clemency; Acts of Pardon are Acts of Grace. What worthiness was there in Paul before Conversion? He was a Blasphemer, and so he sinned against the first Table; he was a Persecutor, and so he sinned against the second Table; but Free-grace Sealed his Pardon, 1 Tim. 1.13. I obtained Mercy, [gap]. I was all bestrowed with Mercy. What Worthiness was in the Woman of Samaria? She was Ignorant, Ioh. 4.22. she was Unclean, ver 18. she was Morose and Churlish, she would not give Christ so much as a Cup of cold water, ver. 9. How

is it that thou being a Iew, askest drink of me which am a woman of Samaria? What worthiness was here? Yet Christ over-looked all, and pardoned her Ingratitude; and tho' she denied him water out of the Well, yet he gave her the Water of Life. Gratia non invenit dignos, sed facit. Free-grace doth not find us worthy, but makes us worthy. Therefore notwithstanding unworthiness, seek to God, and your sins may be pardoned.

Object. 2. But I have been a Great Sinner, and sure God will not pardon me?

Answ. David brings it as an Argument for pardon, Psal. 25.11. Pardon mine Iniquity, for it is great. When God forgives great Sins, now he doth a Work like himself. The desperateness of the Wound doth the more set forth the Vertue of Christ's Blood in curing it. Mary Magdalen a great sinner, out of whom seven Devils were cast; yet she had her pardon. Some of the Iews who had an hand in Crucifying of Christ, upon their Repentance, the very Blood they shed did seal their pardon. Consider sins either for their number as the sands of the Sea, or for their weight, as the Rocks of the Sea; yet there is Mercy enough in God to forgive them, Isa. 1.18. Tho' your sins be as Scarlet, they shall be white as Snow. Scarlet [gap], signifies Twice dipt; which no art of man can get out: yet God can wash out this scarlet Dye. There is no sin excepted from pardon, but that sin which despiseth pardon, viz. the sin against the Holy Ghost, Mat. 12.31. Therefore O sinner, do not cast away thy Anchor of Hope, but go to God for forgiveness. The vast Ocean hath Bounds set to it; but God's pardoning-Mercy is Boundless. God can as well forgive Great Sins, as less: as the Sea can as well cover great Rocks as little Sands. Nothing hinders pardon, but the sinners not asking it.

That a Great Sinner should not despair of forgiveness, consult that Scripture, Isa. 43.25. I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions: If you look on the foregoing words, you would wonder how this verse comes in, ver. 24. Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thy Iniquities; and then it follows, I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions. One would have thought it should have run thus, Thou hast wearied me with thy Iniquities; I, even I am he that will punish thy Iniquities; but God comes in a mild, loveing strain; Thou hast wearied me with thy Iniquities, I am he that blots out thy Iniquities. So that the greatness of our sins should not discourage us from going to God for forgiveness. Tho' thou hast committed Acts of Impiety, yet God can come with an Act of Indemnity, and say; I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions. God counts it his Glory to display Free-grace in its Orient Colours, Rom 5.20. Where sin abounded, Grace did much more abound. When Sin becomes exceeding sinful, Free-grace becomes exceeding glorious. God's pardoning-Love can conquer the sinner, and triumph over the sin. Consider, thou almost-despairing Soul, there is not so much sin in man as there is Mercy in God. Man's sin in comparison of God's Mercy, is but as a spark to the Ocean, and who would doubt whether a spark could be quenched in an Ocean?

Object. 3. But I have relapsed into the same sins, and how can I have the face to come to God for the pardon of those sins which I have more than once fallen into?

Answ. I know the Novatians held, that after a Relapse no forgiveness by the Church. But doubtless that was an Errour, Abraham did twice equivocate; Lot committed Incest twice; Peter sin'd thrice by carnal Fear, but these repenting had their Absolution.

There is a two-fold Relapse, 1. a wilful Relapse, when after a man hath solemnly vowed himself to God, he falls into a league with sin, and returns back to it, Ier. 2.25. I have loved Strangers, and after them will I go.

2. There is a Relapse through Infirmity, when the Bent and Resolution of a mans Heart is against sin, but through the Violence of Temptation, and the withdrawing of God's Grace, he is carried down the stream against his Will. Now though wilful continued Relapses are desperate, and do vastare Conscientiam (as Tertull.) waste the Conscience, and run men upon the Precipice of damnation; yet if they are through Infirmity, and we mourn for them we may obtain forgiveness. A godly man doth not march after sin as his General, but is led captive by it; and the Lord will pity a captive Prisoner. Christ commands us to forgive a trespassing Brother seventy times seven, Mat. 18.22. If he bids us do it, much more will he forgive a relapsing Sinner in case he repent, Ier. 3.12.

Return thou back-sliding Israel, for I am merciful, saith the Lord. It is not falling once or twice into the Mire that drowns, but lying there; it is not once relapsing into sin, but lying in sin impenitently that damns.

Object. 4. But God requires so much Sorrow and Humiliation before Remission, that I fear I shall never arrive at it.

Answ. God requires no more Humiliation than may fit a Soul for Mercy. Many a Christian thinks because he hath not fill'd God's Bottle so full of Tears as others; therefore he is not humbled enough to receive a Pardon. But we must know, God's Dealings are Various; all have not the like Pangs in the New-Birth. Some are won with Love, the sence of God's Mercy abused causeth ingenuous Tears to flow; others are more flagitious and hardned, and these God deals more roughly with. This is sure, That Soul is humbled enough to receive a Pardon who is brought to a thorow Sence of sin, and sees the need of a Saviour, and loves him as the fairest of ten thousand; therefore be not discouraged, if thy Heart be bruised for sin, and broken off from it, thy sin shall be blotted out. No sooner did Ephraim fall a weeping, but God's Bowels fell a working, Ier. 31.20. My Bowels are troubled for him, I will surely have Mercy upon him. Having answered these Objections, let me beseech you above all things, labour for the forgiveness of sin. Think with your selves, how great a Mercy it is: It is one of the Richest Jewels in the Cabinet of the New-Covenant, Psal. 32.1. Blessed is he whose Iniquity is forgiven; in the Hebrew it is Ashre, Blessednesses. And think with your selves, the unparallel'd Misery of such, whose sins are not forgiven; such as had not the Blood of the Paschal Lamb sprinkled on their Door-posts▪ were destroy'd by the Angel, Exod. 12. So they who have not Christ's Blood sprinkled on them, to wash away the guilt of sin, will fall into the gulf of Perdition. And if you resolve to seek after forgiveness, do not delay.

VSE V. Comfort to the people of God. (17)

Many say they will go about getting their pardon, but they procrastinate and put it off so long till it be too late; when the shadows of the Evening are stretch'd forth, and the night of Death aproacheth; then they begin to look after their pardon. This hath been the undoing of millions, they purpose they will look after their Souls, but they stay so long till the Lease of Mercy be run out; Oh therefore hasten the getting of a pardon! Think of the Vncertainty of Life. What Security have you, that you shall live another day? Volat ambiguis mobilis alis hora, our Life is a Taper soon blown out; 'tis made up of a few flying minutes. O thou Dust and Ashes! thou mayest fear every hour to be blown into thy Grave, and what if Death come to arrest thee before thy pardon be sealed? Plutarch reports of one Archias, who being among his Cups, one delivered to him a Letter, and desired him to read it presently, being about serious Business, saith he, Seria cras, I will mind serious things to morrow; and that night he was slain. Thou that sayest, To morrow I will repent. I will get my pardon, mayest suddenly be slain; therefore to day, while it is called to day look after the forgiveness of sin; after a while all the Conducts of Mercy will be stop'd, there will not be one drop of Christ's Blood to be had; there is no sealing of pardons after death.

2. Branch of Exhortation, Let us labour to have the Evidence of pardon, to know that our sins are forgiven. A man may have his sins forgiven and not know it; he may have a pardon in the Court of Heaven, when he hath it not in the Court of Conscience. David's sin was forgiven assoon as he repented, and God sent Nathan the Prophet to tell him so, 2 Sam. 12.13. but David did not feel the comfort of it at present; as appears by the penitential Psalm compos'd after, Psal. 51.8. Make me to hear the Voice of Ioy, and ver. 12. Cast me not away from thy Presence. It is one thing to be pardoned, and another thing to feel it. The Evidence of pardon may not appear for a time; and this may be.

1. From the Imbecillity and Weakness of Faith. Forgiveness of sin is so strange and infinite a Blessing, that a Christian can hardly perswade himself that God will extend such a favour to him. As it is said of the Apostles when Christ appeared to them first; They believed not for Ioy, and wondred, Luke 24.41. So the Soul is so stricken with Admiration, that the wonder of pardon doth almost stagger his Faith.

2. A man may be pardoned and not know it, from the Strength of Temptation: Satan accuseth the Godly of sin, and tells them that God doth not love them. What should such sinners think of pardon? Believers are compared to bruised Re[gap]ds, Mat. 12.20▪ and Temptations to Winds, Mat. 7.25. Now, a Reed is

easily shaken with the wind. Temptations shake the godly, and tho▪ they are pardoned yet they know it not; Iob in a Temptation thought God his Enemy, Iob 16.9. yet then he was in a pardoned condition.

Quest. But why doth God sometimes conceal the Evidence of pardon?

Answ. Tho' God doth pardon, yet he may withold the sence of it a while.

1. Because hereby he would lay us lower in Contrition. God would have us see what an evil and bitter thing it is to offend him; we shall therefore lie the longer steeping our selves in the brinish Tears of Repentance before we have the sence of Pardon. It being long before Davids broken Bones were set, and his pardon sealed, the more contrite his Heart was, and this was a Sacrifice God delighted in.

2. Tho God doth forgive sin, yet he may deny the manifestation of it for a time; to make us prize pardon, and make it sweeter to us when it comes. The difficulty of obtaining a Mercy inhanceth the Value, when we have been a long time tugging at prayer for a Pardon of Sin, and still God witholds; but at last after many Sighs and Tears pardon comes, now we esteem it the more, and it is sweeter,—Quo longiùs defertur eò suavius laet atur,—the longer Mercy is in the Birth the more welcome will the Deliverance be.

Let me now reassume the Exhortation to labour for the Evidence and Sence of pardon. He who is pardoned and knows it not, is like one who hath an Estate befallen him, but knows it not. Our comfort consists in the knowledge of Forgiveness, Psal. 51.8. Make me to hear the Voice of Ioy. This is a Proclaiming a Iubile in the Soul, when we are able to read our pardon; and to the witness of Conscience God adds the witness of his Spirit; in the mouth of these two witnesses our Joy is confirmed: O labour for this Evidence of Forgiveness.

Quest. How shall we know that our sins are forgiven?

Answ. We must not be our own judges in this case, Prov. 28.26. He that trusteth in his own Heart is a fool: The Heart is deceitful, Ier. 17.9. and it is Folly to trust a Deceiver. The Lord only by his Word must be Judge in this Case, whether we are pardoned or no; as it was under the Law, no Leper might judge himself to be clean; But the Priest was to pronounce him clean, Levit. 13.37. So we are not to judge of our selves to be clean from the Guilt of Sin, till we are such as the Word of God hath pronounced to be clean: How then shall we know by the Word whether our Guilt is done away, and our Sins pardoned?

Answ. 1. The pardoned sinner is a great weeper. The sence of Gods Love melts his Heart; that Free-grace should ever look upon me; that such Crimson Sins should be wash'd away in Christ's Blood! this makes the Heart melt, and the Eyes drop with Tears Never did any man read his pardon with dry Eyes, Luke 7.38. She stood at his feet weeping, her Heart was a spiritual Limbick, out of which those Tears were distill'd, Mary's Tears were more precious to Christ than her Ointment. Her Eyes which before did sparkle with Lust, whose amorous Glances had set on fire her Lovers. Now she makes them a Fountain and washeth Christ's feet with her Tears. She was a true penitent and had her pardon, ver. 47. Wherefore I say her sins which were many are forgiven. A pardon will make the hardest Heart relent, and cause the stony Heart to bleed; and is it thus with us, have we been dissolv'd into Tears for sin? God seals his pardons upon melting Hearts.

2. We may know our Sins are forgiven, by having the Grace of Faith infused, Acts 10.43. To him give all the Prophets witness, that whosoever believes in him shall receive remission of sins. In saving Faith there are two things, Abrenunciation and Recumbency. 1. Abrenunciation. A man renounceth all Opinion of himself, dig'd out of his own Burrough; he is quite taken off himself, Phil. 3.9 He sees all his Duties are but broken Reeds, tho' he could weep a sea of Tears, tho' he had all the Grace of Men and Angels, it could not purchase his pardon. 2. Recumbency. Faith is an Assent with Affiance. The Soul doth [gap], it gets hold of Christ as Adonijah did of the Horns of the Altar, 1 Kin. 1.51. Faith casts it self upon the Stream of Christ's Blood, and saith. If I perish, I perish, if we have but the Minimum quod sic, the least Dram of this pretious Faith we have something to shew for pardon. To him give all the Prophets witness that whosoever believes in him shall receive Remission of sin. This Faith is acceptable to God, it pleaseth God more than offering up ten thousand Rivers of Oyl, than working Miracles, than Martyrdom or the highest Acts of Obedience. 2. Faith

is profitable to us; it is our best Certificate to shew for pardon: No sooner doth Faith reach forth its Hand to receive Christ, but Christ sets his Hand to our Pardon.

3. Sign. The Pardoned Soul is a God-admirer; Micah 7.18. Who is a God like thee, that pardonest iniquity? O that God should ever look upon me, I was a sinner, and nothing but a sinner, yet I obtain'd mercy! Who is a God like thee? Mercy hath been despised, yet that mercy should save me: Christ hath been Crucified by me, yet his Cross Crowns me. God hath display'd the Ensigns of Free-Grace, he hath set up his Mercy above my Sin, nay, in spight of it; this causeth admiration; Who is a God like thee? A Man that goes over a narrow Bridge in the Night, and the next morning comes and sees the danger he was in▪ and how miraculously he escaped, he is stricken with admiration: So when God shews a Soul how near he was a falling into Hell, and how that this Gulph is shut, all his sins are pardoned, he is amaz'd; and cries out, Who is a God like thee, that pardonest iniquity? That God should pardon one, and pass by another; One taken, another lest; this fills the soul with wonder and astonishment.

4. Where-ever God pardons sin, he subdues it, Micah 7.19. He will have compassion on us, he will subdue our iniquity, Hebr. Iickbosh, sub jugo ponet: Where Mens persons are justified, their lusts are mortified. There is in sin vis Imperatoria & Damnatoria, a Commanding Power, and a Condemning. Then is the condemning power of sin taken away, when the commanding power of it is taken away. Would we know whether our sins are forgiven, are they subdued? If a Malefactor be in prison, how shall he know that his Prince hath Pardoned him? if the Jailor come and knock off his Chains and Fetters, and lets him out of Prison, then he may know he is Pardoned: So, How shall we know God hath pardoned us? if the Fetters of sin be broken off, and we walk at liberty in the ways of God, Psal. 119.45. I will walk at liberty: this is a blessed sign we are pardoned.

Such as are washed in Christ's blood from that guilt, are made Kings to God, Revel. 1.6. as Kings they rule over their sins.

5. He whose sins are forgiven, is full of Love to God. Mary Magdalen's heart was fired with love, Luk. 7.47. Her sins which are many are forgiven, for she loved much. Her love was not the cause of her Remission, but a sign of it. A pardoned Soul is a monument of mercy, [gap]nd he thinks he can never love God enough; he wisheth he had a Coal from God's Altar to inflame his heart in love; he wisheth he could borrow the Wings of the Cherubims that he might fly swifter in Obedience: a pardoned Soul is sick of love. He whose heart is like Marble, lock'd up in impenitency, that doth not melt in love, a sign his pardon is yet to seal.

6. Where the sin is pardoned, the nature is purified, Hos. 14.9. I will heal their backslidings, I will love them. Every Man, by Nature, is both guilty and diseased; where God remits the guilt, he cures the disease, Psal. 103.3. Who forgiveth all thy Iniquities, who healeth all thy Diseases. Herein God's pardon goes beyond the King's pardon; the King may forgive a Malefactor, but he cannot change his heart; he may have a thievish heart still. But God, when he pardons, changeth the heart, Ezek. 36.26. A new heart also will I give you. A pardoned Soul is adorned and embellished with holiness, 1 Joh. 5.6. This is he that came by water and blood. Where Christ comes with Blood to justifie, he comes with Water to cleanse, Zac. 3.4. I have caused thy iniquity to pass from thee, and I will cloath thee with change of raiment. I will cause thy iniquity to pass from thee, there is Pardoning Grace; and I will cloath thee with change of raiment, there is Sanctifying Grace. Let not him say, he hath pardon, that wants Grace. Many tell us▪ they hope they are pardoned, but were never sanctified▪ Yea, but they believe in Christ: But what Faith is it? a Swearing Faith, a Whoring Faith? the Faith of Devils is as good.

7. Such as are in the number of God's People, forgiveness of sin belongs to them, Isa. 40.1. Comfort ye my People, tell them their Iniquity is forgiven.

Quest. How shall we know that we are God's Elect People?

R. By Three Characters.

1. God's people are an humble people. The livery which all Christ's people wear, is Humility, 1 Pet. 5.5. [gap], be ye cloathed with humility. 1. A sight of God's Glory humbles: Elijah wrapped his Face in a Mantle when God's Glory passed by, Job 42.5. Now mine eye seeth thee, wherefore I abhor my self: The Stars vanish when the Sun appears. 2. A sight of sin humbles. In the Glass of the Word the godly see their spots, and these are humbling spots. Lo, saith the

Soul, I can call nothing my own, but Sins and Wants; this humbles. An humble Sinner is in a better condition than a proud Angel.

2. God's people are a willing people, Psal. 110.3. Gnam nedabot, a people of willingness. Love constrains them. They serve God [gap], freely, and out of choice. They stick at no service; they will run through a Sea, and a Wilderness; they will follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.

3. They are an heavenly people, Stars, Joh. 17.16. Ye are not of the World. As the Primum mobile in the Heavens hath a motion of its own, contrary to the other Orbs: So God's people have an heavenly motion of Soul, contrary to the Men of the World. They use the World as their Servant, but do not follow the World as their Master, Phil. 3.20. Our conversation is in heaven. Such as have these Three Characters of God's people, have a good Certificate to shew that they are pardoned. Forgiveness of sin belongs to them; Comfort my people, re[gap]t them, their iniquity is forgiven.

8. A sign we are pardoned, if after many storms, we have a sweet calm and peace within, Rom. 5.1. Being justified, we have peace. After many a bitter Tear shed, and Heart-breaking, the Mind hath been more sedate, and a sweet Serenity, or Still-Musick hath followed; this brings tidings, God is appeased: Whereas before, Conscience did accuse; now it doth secretly whisper comfort: This is a blessed Evidence a Man's sins are pardoned. If the Bailiffs do not Trouble and Arrest the Debtor, it is a sign his Debt is Compounded, or Forgiven: So, if Conscience do not Vex▪ or Accuse, but, upon Good Grounds whisper Consolation, this is a sign the Debt is Discharged, the Sin is Fo[gap]given.

9. A si[gap]n sin is forgiven, when we have hearts without guile, Psal. 32.1, 2. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

Qu. What is this to be sine fuco, without Guile?

1. He who is without guile, hath Plainness of heart: He is without collusion, he hath not cor dup[gap]ex, a double heart: His heart is right with God. A Man may do a Right Action, but not with a Right Heart, 2 Chr. 25.2. Amaziah did tha[gap] which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart. To have the heart right with God, is to serve God from a Right Principle, Love; by a Right Rule, the Word; to a Right End, the Glory of God.

2. An heart without guile dares not allow it self in the least sin: He avoids secret sins. He dares not hide any sin as Rachel did her Fathers Images under her, Gen. 31.34. He knows God sees him, which is more than if Men and Angels did behold him. He avoids Complexion-sins, Psal. 18.23. I was also upright before him, and kept my self from my iniquity. As in the Hive there is a Mas[gap]er-Bee, so in the Heart there is a Master-Sin. An heart without guile takes the Sacrificing-knife of Mortification, and runs it through his Beloved-Sin.

3. An heart without guile desires to know the whole mind and will of God. An unsound heart is afraid of the Light, lucifuga. he is not willing to know his Duty: A sincere Soul saith, as Job 34.32. What I know not teach thou me. Lord shew me what is my Duty, and wherein I offend; let me not sin for want of light: what I know not teach thou me.

VSE V. Comfort to the people of God. (18)

4. An heart without guile is uniform in Religion. He hath an equal eye at all God's Commands. 1. He makes Conscience of private Duties, he worships God in his Closet as well as in the Temple. Iacob, when he was alone, wrestled with the Angel, Gen. 32.3, 4. So a Christian, when he is alone, wrestles with God in Prayer, and will not let him go till he hath blessed him. 2. He performs difficu[gap]t duties, wherein the heart and spirit of Religion lie, and which do cross flesh and blood. His is much in self-humbling and self-examining; Vtitur spec[gap]lis magis quam perspicillis, Sen. He rather useth the Looking-glass of the Word to look into his own heart, than the broad Spectacles of Censure to spy the faults of others.

5. An heart without Guile is true to God's interest. 1. He grieves to see it go ill with the Church. N[gap]h[gap]miah, though the King's Cup-bearer, and Wine so near, yet was sad when Sion's Glory was Eclipsed, Nehem. 2.3. Like the Tree I have read of, if any of the Leaves are cut, the rest of the Leaves begin to shrink up themselves, and for a time to hang down the head: So a sincere Soul, when God's Church suffers, feels himself as it were touched in his own Person. 2. He Rejoyceth to see the Cause of God get Ground; To see Truth Triumph, Pie[gap]y lift up its head, and the Flowers of Christ's Crown flourish. This is an Heart without Guile, it's loyal and true to God's interest.

6. An heart without Guile is Iust in his dealings: As he is upright in his Words, so he is upright in his Weights. He makes Conscience of the Second Table as well as the First: He is for Equity as well as Piety, 1 Thessal. 4.6 That no Man go beyond and defraud his Brother in any matter. A sincere heart thinks he may as well Rob as Defraud. His Rule is, to do to others, what he would have them do to him, Matt. 7.12.

7. An heart without Guile is True in his Promises. His Word is as good as his Bond: If he hath made a Promise, though it be to his prejudice, and doth intrench upon his Profit, he will not go back. The Hypocrite plays fast and loose, flies from his word; there's no more binding him with Oaths and Promises, than Sampson could be bound with green Withs, Iudg. 16.7. A sincere Soul saith as Iephtha, Judg. 11.3, 5. I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot go back.

8. An Heart without Guile is faithful in his Friendship: He is what he pretends; his Heart goes along with his Tongue▪ as a well-made Dial goes with the Sun. He cannot Flatter and Hate, Commend and Censure. Counterfeiting of Love is Hypocrisie. 'Tis too usual to betray with a Kiss, 2 Sam. 20.9. Ioab took Abner by the beard to kiss him, and smote him in the fifth rib that he died. Many deceive with Sugar Words. Physicians use to judge of the Health of the Body by the Tongue; if that look well, the Body is in Health: but we cannot judge of Friendship by the Tongue; the Words may be full of Honey, when the Heart hath the Gall of Malice. Sure his heart is not true to God, who is Treacherous to his Friend. Thus you see what an Heart without guile is; now, to have such an Heart, is a Sign sin is pardoned; God will not impute Sin to him in whose Spirit is no Guile. What a blessed thing is this not to have Sin imputed? If our Sins be not imputed, 'tis as if we had no Sin. Sins remitted are, as if they had not been committed: this is the blessing belongs to a sincere Soul. God imputes not Iniquity to him in whose Spirit is no Guile.

9. He whose sins are forgiven, is willing to forgive others who have offended him, Ephes. 4.32. Forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. An Hypocrite will Read, come to Church, give Alms, build Hospitals, but cannot forgive Wrongs. He will rather want Forgiveness from God, than he will forgive his Enemies. A Pardon'd Soul argues thus; Hath God been so good to me, to forgive me my sins, and shall not I imitate him in this? Hath he forgiven me Pounds, and shall not I forgive Pence? 'Tis noted of Cranmer, Nihil oblivisci solet praeter injurias Cicero. He was of a forgiving Spirit, and would do Offices of Love to them that had injur'd him. Like the Sun, which having drawn up black Vapours from the Earth, returns them back in sweet Showers.

By this Touchstone we may try whether our sins are pardoned; we need not climb up into Heaven to see whether our sins be forgiven; but let us look into our hearts; Are we of Forgiving Spirits? Can we bury Injuries, requite Good for Evil, a good sign we are forgiven of God. If we can find all these things wrought in our Souls, they are happy signs that our sins are pardoned, and are good Letters Testimonials to shew for Heaven.

Vse. 3. Consolation. I shall open a Box of Cordials, and shew you some of the Glorious Priviledges of a pardoned condition. This is a peculiar favour, 'tis a Spring shut up, broched for none but the Elect. The Wicked may have Forbearing Mercy, but onely an Elect Person hath Forgiving Mercy. Forgiveness of sin makes way for solid joy, Isa. 40.1. Comfort ye, comfort ye my People saith your God, speak ye comfortably to Ierusalem; or, as in the Hebrew, Dabberu Gnal le[gap]; speak to her heart—What was this must chear her heart? tell her that her iniquity is pardoned. If any thing would comfort her, the Lord knew it was this. When Christ would chear the Palsie Man, Matt. 9.2. Son, be of good chear▪ thy sins be forgiven thee. It was a greater comfort to have his sins forgiven, than to have his Palsie healed. This made David put on his best clothes, and anoint himself, 2 Sam. 12.20. It was strange, his Child was newly dead, and God had told him, the sword should not depart from his house: yet now he spruceth up himself, he puts on his best Clothes, and Anoints himself; Whence was this? David had heard good News; God sent him his Pardon by Nathan the Prophet, 2 Sam. 12.13. The Lord hath put away thy sin. This could not but revive his heart, and in token of joy he Anoints himself. Philo saith, it was an opinion of some of the Philosophers, that among the Heavenly Sphears, there is such a

sweet Harmonious Melody, that if the sound of it could reach our ears, it would affect us with wonder and delight. Sure he who is pardoned hath such a Divine Melody in his Soul, as doth replenish him with infinite delight. When Christ had said to Mary Magdalen, Thy sins are forgiven; he presently adds, Go in peace ▪ Luk. 7.50. More particularly.

1. Comfort. God looks upon a pardoned Soul, as if he had never sinned. As the Cancelling a Bond nulls the Bond, and makes it as if the Money had never been owing. Forgiving sin makes it not to be: where Sin is Remitted, it is as if it had not been Committed, Jerem. 50.20. So that, as Rachel wept because her children were not; so a Child of God may rejoice because his sins are not. God looks upon him as if he had never offended. Though sin remain in him after pardon, yet God doth not look upon him as a Sinner, but as a Just Man.

2. Comfort. God having pardoned sin, will pass an Act of Oblivion, Jer. 31.34. I will forgive their Iniquity, and I'll remember their sin no more. VVhen a Creditor hath crossed the Book, he doth not call for the Debt again. God will not reckon with the Sinner in a Iudicial way. VVhen our sins are laid upon the head of Christ our Scape-goat, they are carried into a Land of forgetfulness.

3. Comfort. The pardoned soul is for ever secured from the wrath of God. How terrible is God's wrath? Psal. 90.11. Who knows the power of thine anger? If a spark of God's Wrath, when it lights into a Mans Conscience, fills it with such horror, (as in the case of Spira) then what is it to be always scorching in that Torrid Zone, to lie upon Beds of Flames? Now, from this avenging Wrath of God every pardoned Soul is freed: Though he may tast of the bitter Cup of Affliction▪ yet he shall never drink of the Sea of God's Wrath, Rom. 5.9. Being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Christ's blood quencheth the flames of Hell.

4. Comfort. Sin being pardoned, Conscience hath no more authority to accuse. Conscience roars against the Unpardoned Sinner, but it hath nothing to do to Terrifie or Accuse him that is pardoned. God hath discharged the sinner, and if the Creditor discharge the Debtor, what hath the Sergeant to do to Arrest him? The truth is, if God Absolve▪ Conscience, if rightly informed, Absolves. If once God saith, Thy sins are pardoned: Conscience saith, Go in peace. If the Sky be clear, and no storms blow there, then the Sea is calm. If all be clear above, and God shine with pardoning Mercy upon the Soul, then Conscience is calm and serene.

5. Comfort. Nothing that befals a pardoned Soul, shall hurt him, [gap], Psal. 90.10 No evil shall touch thee: That is, no destructive evil. Every thing to a wicked Man is hurtful. Good things are for his hurt. His very blessings are turned into a curse, Mal. 2.2. I will curse your blessings. Riches and Prosperity do him hurt. They are not m[gap]nera, but insidiae, Sen. Golden snares, Eccles. 5.13. Riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. Like Haman's Banquet, which did usher in his Funeral. Ordinances do a sinner hurt; they are [gap], a Savour of Death, 2 Cor. 2.16. Cordials themselves kill. The best things hurt the wicked; but the worst things which befal a pardoned Soul, shall do him no hurt: the Sting, the Poison, the Curse is gone. His Soul is no more hurt, than David hurt Saul, when he cut off the Lap of his Garment.

6. To a pardoned Soul, every thing hath a Commission to do him Good. Afflictions shall do him good; Poverty, Reproach, Persecution, Gen. 50.20. Ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good. As the Elements, though of contrary qualities, yet God hath so tempered them, that they work for the good of the Universe: So the most cross Providences shall work for good to a pardoned Soul. Correction shall be a Corrosive, to eat out sin; it shall cure the swelling of Pride, the Feaver of Lust, the Dropsie of Avarice: it shall be a Refining Fire to purifie Grace, and make it sparkle as Gold; ([gap].) Chrisostom. Every cross-Providence to a pardon'd Soul, shall be like Paul's Euroclidon, or cross-wind, Acts 27. which, though it broke the Ship, yet Paul was brought to shore upon the broken pieces.

7. A pardoned Soul is not onely exempted from Wrath, but invested with Dignity; as Ioseph, was not onely freed from Prison, but advanced to be Second Man in the Kingdom.

A Pardon'd Soul is made a Favourite of Heaven. A King may pardon a Traitor, but will not make him one of his Privy-Council: but whom God Pardons he receives into Favour. I may say to him, as the Angel to V. Mary, Luk. 1.30.

Thou hast found favour with God. Hence such as are forgiven are said to be Crowned with Loving-kindness, Psal. 103.3, 4. Whom God pardons he Crowns. Whom God Absolves he marries himself to, Jer. 3.12. I am merciful, and I will not keep anger for ever; there is Forgiveness: and, in the 14th Verse, I am Married to you: and he who is Match'd into the Crown of Heaven, is as rich as the Angels, as rich as Heaven can make him.

8. Sin being pardon'd, we may come with humble boldness to God in Prayer. Guilt makes us afraid to go to God. Adam having sinn'd, Gen. 3.10. I was afraid and hid my self. Guilt clips the wings of Prayer, it fills the Face with blushing; but Forgiveness breeds confidence: we may look upon God as a Father of Mercy, holding forth a Golden Scepter: he that hath got his pardon can look upon his Prince with comfort.

9. Forgiveness of Sin makes our Services acceptable. God takes all we do in good part. A guilty person, nothing he doth pleaseth God. His Prayer is turned into sin; but when sin is pardoned, now God accepts our offering. We read of Ioshua standing before the Angel of the Lord. * Ioshua was clothed with filthy garments, Zach. 3.3. that is, he was guilty of divers sins: now, saith the Lord, Vers. 4. Take away his filthy Garments, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee: and then he stood and Ministred before the Lord, and his Services were accepted.

10. Forgiveness of sin is the Sawce which sweetens all the comforts of this life. As guilt imbitters our comforts, it puts Wormwood into our Cup; so pardon of Sin sweetens all, it is like Sugar to Wine. Health and Pardon, Estate and Pardon relisheth well. Pardon of sin gives a Sanctified Title, and a delicious tast to every comfort. As Naaman said to Gehazi, 2 King. 5.23. Take two Talents: So saith God to the Pardoned Soul, Take two Talents; take the Venison, and take a Blessing with it; Take the Oil in the Cruse, and take my Love with it. Take two Talents. 'Tis observable Christ joins these two together, Give us our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses: as if Christ would teach us, there is little comfort in daily bread, unless sin be forgiven. Forgiveness doth perfume and drop sweetness into every earthly enjoyment.

11. If sin be forgiven, God will never upbraid us with our former sins. When the Pro[gap]igal came home to his Father, the Father received him into his loving embraces, and never mentioned his former Luxury, or spending his Estate among Harlots: So God will not upbraid us with former sins; nay, he will intirely love us, we shall be his Jewels, and he will put us in his bosom. Mary Magdalen, a pardoned Penitent, after Christ arose, he appeared first to her, Mark 16.9. So far was Christ from upbraiding her, that he brings her the first New of his Resurrection.

12. Sin being pardoned, is a pillar of support in the loss of dear Friends. God hath taken away thy Child, thy Husband, but withal he hath taken away thy sins. He hath given thee more than he hath taken away: He hath taken aaway a Flower, and given thee a Jewel. He hath given thee Christ, and the Spirit, and the earnest of Glory. He hath given thee more than he hath taken away.

13. Where God Pardons Sins he bestows righteousness. With Remission of sin goes Imputation of Righteousness, Isa. 61.10. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, he hath covered me with the Robe of Righteousness. If a Christian can take any comfort in his Inherent Righteousness, which is so stain'd and mix'd with sin, O then what comfort may he take in Christ's Righteousness, which is a better Righteousness than that of Adam? Adam's Righteousness was Mutable; but suppose it had been Vnchangeable, yet it was but the Righteousness of a Man: but that Righteousness which is Imputed, is the Righteousness of him who is God, 2 Cor. 5.21. That we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him. O blessed priviledge, to be reputed in the sight of God Righteous as Christ, having his Embroidered Robe put upon the Soul. This is the comfort of every one that is pardoned, he hath a Perfect Righteousness; and now God saith of him, Thou art all fair, my Love, and there is no spot in thee, Cant. 4.7.

14. A pardon'd Soul needs not fear death. He may look on Death with Joy, who can look on Forgiveness with Faith. To a pardoned Soul death hath lost his Sting. Death to a pardon'd sinner is like the Arresting a Man after the Debt is paid. Death may Arrest, but Christ will shew the Debt-book Crossed in his Blood. A pardoned Soul may Triumph over Death, O Death where is thy Sting, O Grave where is thy Victory! He who is pardon'd needs not fear death; it