“But there is forgiveness with thee.”—PSALMS cxxx. 4.
IN handling this great point, the remission of sins, which is, in effect, the great article of the new covenant—see Jer. xxxi. 34. “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more”—after I had spoken, in the first place, to that which is pardoned, or pardonable, sin, I entered in the morning to speak to the Author of pardon, that “forgiveness is with God.” Whatever hand ministers or private persons may have in pardoning—the one in carrying the word of reconciliation and pardon, the other in forgiving sins, so far as they are injuries done to themselves—yet God is still the principal creditor, and pardon from Him is still to be looked after. From which (as I told you) not only Papists, who lie down and sleep on the pillow of men’s pardon without considering whether they act according to their commission, come to be reprov’d, but these self-absolvers, and these who rest on the applause of others, and these who, to please men, stand not to displease God, are found to be culpable.
Now, before I leave this head, I would draw somewhat from it for encouragement of those who are in earnest about the pardon of sin. And that “there is forgiveness with God” should, and will, affect sensible sinners as a wonder; He will not only be a matchless God to them, upon the account that “he passes by iniquity, and pardons transgression” (Micah vii. 18), but it will be a wonder to them that there should be a pardon for iniquity, that pardoning mercy should be with Him, whose holy justice is so great, who is of purer eyes than that He can behold iniquity, who hath no pleasure in wickedness, and who hateth all the workers of iniquity. That such a holy and just God should pardon sin, that His holiness and justice should combine so sweetly, with mercy to the sinner, is a wonder of wonders. Yea, further, this may heighten the wonder, that pardoning mercy gives access to them who are excluded by the covenant of works, that, when, as it is in verse 3, if He should mark iniquity, none could stand, yet, as in verse 4, there should be forgiveness with Him, and that, as it is deduced (Rom. iii. 20-22), when by the deeds of the law no flesh can be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin, so now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law, and the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe, without difference. That there should be a righteousness by the faith of Christ, closing with Him for pardon, O! what a wonder is that, and how good news should that be to sinners. How should it quicken up, and revive any that are ready to sink under the burden of the sense of sin that, when they look upon a holy and just God that hates sin with a perfect hatred, they may also look upon Him as one who will pardon; that when they look to the law and covenant of works, their expectations are not to be limited thereby, because there is a righteousness without the law manifested to be had by faith in Christ!
3. But because sensible souls may readily think, “How can this be?”
and may be afraid to lean their weight on a pardon; they have so much guilt, and the conscience is alarmed with it, and pardoning mercy is an act of free grace, whereupon they know not if they may venture; therefore, to enforce this, that God is a pardoner of iniquity, I shall not anticipate what may come to be spoken to this afterwards, but shall ask the sensible sinner meantime to consider:—
(1) That the pardon of sin is an act of royal prerogative in free grace.
It is an act of princes’ royal prerogative to pardon criminals in many cases, and shall we deny that to God which we give to creatures? Seeing He is above all law, who can hinder Him to have mercy on whom He will have mercy, to do with His own what He will, and pardon whom He will? Salvation belongs to Him, as His prerogative royal.
(2) Sensible sinners should consider that satisfaction is paid to justice for their sins, though He freely pardons (which will come in afterward).
Only here, such should remember that thoughts of the holiness and justice of God need not affright the sensible sinner. Why? Justice is fully satisfied. That fire that burnt continually on the altar, and was not quenched by these sacrifices under the law, is now quenched; the burning fire of the justice of God is now satisfied; and hence God, in pardoning sins, is not only merciful, but just. Therefore (Rom. iii. 26), upon Christ the Redeemer’s being set forth as the propitiation, through faith in His blood, it follows to declare His righteousness, that He might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus without reflection upon His justice. And hence the Apostle (1 John i. 9) says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” not only upon the account of His fidelity that He will keep His promise, but upon the account of the agreement passed betwixt Him and the Mediator, and upon the account of the satisfaction and price paid by the Mediator upon that account, He is faithful and just to pardon sin.
(3) And hence, things being thus, when sensible sinners come to Christ, or to God through Him, for pardon, and yet are filled with doubts and fears, they should conclude that their hesitation results not from the uncertainty of their pardon, for the holy and just God will not break bargain with His Son, but partly results from ignorance of that righteousness which is by the covenant of grace.
We know no righteousness by the covenant of works but that which is inherent, and the ignorance of that righteousness, which is by the covenant of grace, is the ground of our hesitation, and of many doubts and fears. Partly it results from a proud competition, whether thy abounding sin or His super-abounding grace should carry it (Rom. v. 20, “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound”) and therefore thou that comest to Christ for pardon, and yet will not settle upon it, thou wouldst lay upon the matter that thy abounding sin should carry it, and not His superabounding grace. So much for the second head proposed to be spoken to concerning the Author of pardon.
The third thing I proposed to be spoken to was anent the nature of the pardon of sin, what this pardon of sin imports, or is.
And this, when I have spoken to it at this time, will give rise to several other questions, which will come in in their own place, and may be useful for you. I shall not detain you upon the signification and importance of these words and phrases that express pardon in Scripture, that may come in afterward. That word (Matthew vi. 12), “Forgive us our debts,” signifies the dismissing of one accused, and a loosing of one bound for debt. Both concur here; as sins are a debt, they are forgiven; and, as they are a bond tying the conscience to answer at the tribunal of God, they are remitted and loosed; and considering sins as accusations of them that are in a Court accused, a pardon remits and assuities them. So the pardoned man may say, as Rom. viii. 33, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? it is God that justifieth,” etc. The word rendered pardon or forgiveness (Col. ii. 13, “Having forgiven you all trespasses”) hints at the freedom of the grace of God in pardoning of sin. It’s the publican’s word (Luke xviii. 13), “God be merciful to me a sinner.” The word in the original expresses pardon, with an eye to the propitiation. Paul’s word also, “I obtained mercy” (1 Timothy i. 13), which also is a word made use of in the New Testament, or Covenant (Heb. viii. 12), intimates the yearnings of the bowels of God relative to the miserable state of the pardoned sinner, expressed in pardoning. That word, Psalm xxxii. 2, and Romans iv. 8, not imputing of sin or iniquity, is borrowed from merchants that, in casting up accounts, pass some debts. And that word, Psalm xxxii. 1, “of covering sin,” imports that, as sin is a loathsome thing, so the pardoning of sin takes sin out of the sight of God’s vindictive justice. Now, all these expressions put together give some general hint what pardon of sin is, when God out of His free grace, out of the yearning bowels of His mercy and compassion, accepts of the propitiation made by Jesus Christ, and upon that account remits the sinner’s obligation to wrath by pardoning sin, dismisses him from the accusation laid against him, looses him of his bonds, puts his debts out of His books, and covers the loathsomeness of his sin.
But to follow out this a little more distinctly, as to what this pardon is, I shall take up both negatively, what it is not, and then positively, what it is. For an error here is an error in the first digestion, or concoction, that will not be gotten well helped in the second.
For the first of these, negatively, what the pardon of sin is not.
And for clearing of this, what I would say upon it ye shall take in these five:—
(1) Pardon with God is not to be confounded with our forgetting sin, slighting of sin, or taking a pardon of it to ourselves.
God’s pardon of sin is one thing, and men’s taking of pardon to themselves is another. There are many folk that think God sees no sin in them, and why? They have no leisure to look after sin in themselves. They think God hath forgotten sin. Why? They themselves, through length of time, or other diversions, have forgotten it. This is all that many have for that great article of their creed, “I believe in the remission of sins.” But do not cheat yourselves, as I cleared before to you, from Joseph’s brethren, Gen. xlii. 21, sin long ago committed, even upwards of twenty or two and twenty years, if it be not pardoned, will be as green when the conscience is wakened as the first hour it was committed. Therefore look to it, ye who forgive your sins by forgetting them, and take not your forgetting of sin for God’s pardoning of it.
(2) In taking up the nature of pardon, we must not look so lightly on sin, as if there were no more to do than we to sin and God to forgive.
It’s indeed pardoned, as to any satisfaction to justice that’s exacted of thee, but justice behoved to be satisfied, that God might pardon freely. There is a question agitated amongst orthodox divines, whether God, out of His royal prerogative, might not pardon sin without a satisfaction—a question that they determine variously, either as they grapple with Arminians, who say the satisfaction of Christ was only to loose God from any bond lying upon Him, resulting upon a necessity to punish sin; or as they grapple with the Socinians, who deny there was any satisfaction for sin paid by Christ. But were I worthy to be umpire in such a thing, there is so much hazard in debates started aenent the nature of God, when it is inquired what He might do, and what He may not do, that I would judge it safer to forbear it. This is sufficient for us, that, in the case in hand, He hath declared what He will do, or not do, particularly that He will not pardon sin without a satisfaction. So, Rom. iii. 24, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood.” He would have His righteousness declared for the remission of sins; and that, as it is, Heb. ix. 22, “Without shedding of blood is no remission.” Thus the pardon of our sin cost Christ dear, and yet it runs freely to us, because God freely laid the burden on Christ, and Christ freely undertook it, and God freely accepts of His satisfaction in our name, and so we come to be freely pardoned. But remember, sin is with God no trifle, no light thing, that He would easily pass; no, He would have His justice satisfied, that He might freely pardon. And the consideration of this will not only commend the love of God, and the love of Christ, in finding out such a way whereby pardon might come to sinners without prejudice of justice; but, further, the freedom of pardon will not hide from the sinner that is pardoned the odiousness of sin, but make it so much the more loathsome and vile when he sees his pardon sealed with the blood of Christ, and all His exinanition* that went before. O! the pardoned sinner looking to Christ crucified, and considering that he hath pierced Him by his sins. It will make him mourn most bitterly, as one that mourneth for his only son, and like that of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon, Zech. xii. 10. So, when thou lookest upon pardoning mercy, thou takest not a right look of it except thou lookest also on the satisfaction made to justice by Christ that a free pardon might come out to thee.
* Emptying or poverty.
(3) In taking up the nature of pardon, beware that ye do not confound the pardon of sin with God’s forbearing, or not inflicting punishment on sinners.
If ye confound these, ye will embrace a shadow, and get a lie in your right hand instead of pardon. Ye know what the Apostle says, Rom. ii. 4, that there is a riches of God’s goodness and forbearance and long-suffering. How long did God forbear the old world? for an hundred and twenty years, Gen. vi. 3. How suffered He His people’s manners for about forty years! Now, this forbearance of God, as it is often a temptation to godly men, so it is a snare to the wicked, or they make it a snare to themselves. It’s often a temptation to godly men, as Psalm lxxiii. 1. O! what a temptation was it to the Psalmist, his feet were almost gone; his steps were well near slipped; he was envious at the foolish when he saw the prosperity of the wicked, how they had no bonds in their death, and their strength was firm, they were not in trouble as other men, etc. O! he thought, if he had been on the throne, he would have made these children know themselves sooner nor God did, and Hab. i. 13, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?” There ye see the forbearance of God is a temptation to the godly. Wicked men also make a snare of it to themselves. O! the wicked doctrines that wicked men build on God’s forbearance. One is, wrong thoughts of God, Psalm l. 21, “These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself.” There is a doctrine that wicked men found on God’s forbearance: they think God is like themselves. Another is, that thereby they are emboldened to go on in sin, Eccles. viii. 11, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” So, Rom. xxiv., they harden themselves by God’s forbearance. The riches of God’s goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering should lead them to repentance, but they abuse it to produce hardness, and impenitent hearts, and further, they bless themselves in prospering in wickedness; Hosea xii. 7, Ephraim is a Canaanite, “a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand, he loveth to oppress,” and he saith, “Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance. Let the Bible say of me what it will, the sun of prosperity shines on my tabernacle, as well as on your tenderest folk; I am as far from any mischance as the most upright in their conversation.” But still remember, forbearance in God is no pardon, that which is fristed* is not forgiven; it’s no sign of Divine approbation when thou art forborn, and prosperest in a sinful way. To these ends ye shall remember these three Scriptures, and they will help you not to confound forbearance with pardon. One is Eccles. viii. 12, “Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God.” How will ye prove that? Because he fears before Him. “But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.” No approbation lies in the bosom of forbearance. Another Scripture that gives a dreadful refutation to them that take forbearance for pardon, is that, Psalm l. 21, “These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself, but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.” There is a refutation of all the wicked man’s dreams anent God, and His forbearance. And, if you would have a third Scripture, take the forecited place, Rom. ii. 4, 5, “Thou despisest the riches of his goodness, forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that it leadeth thee to repentance, but, after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up to thyself wrath against the day of wrath.” Thou mayest treasure up other things as thou wilt for thy advantage, but thou shalt find thou treasurest up wrath to thy ruin; thou mayest think, because thou prosperest in sin, God approves of thee (as the saying is, prosperum et felix scelus virtus vocatur, wickedness is called a virtue, because it thrives), yet remember, that forbearance is no pardon.
* Delayed.
(4) In taking up the nature of pardon negatively, consider, that God’s pardoning of particular sinners, whereby He restores them in favour, is not to be confounded with national pardon, which God gives to nations.
This pardon is many times spoken of in Scripture, though, by analogy, we may draw it to a particular pardon. So the scope of that place, Num. xiv. 19, runs another way than to particular persons, and respects a national pardon. “Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people (says Moses) according unto the greatness of thy mercy, as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt, even until now.” “I have pardoned according to thy word (says the Lord), but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. I have pardoned, but yet I will punish, and vindicate mine honour.” So that passage, Psalm lxxviii. 38, “But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not when they deserved.” That was a pardon of the nation, or a national pardon. Now a national pardon amounts only to this: when the Lord forbears to root out a nation, as the Lord threatened to Moses, that he would root out Israel, Numbers xiv. 12, and that He would disinherit them, and make of him a greater nation, and a mightier than they; and when He keeps them in their own land, as He did Israel, and does not root them out, or when He continues with them the privilege of a Church, though He plague them and weed out a godless generation from among them, as He did out of Israel, that in the space of thirty-eight years’ time there was not a man of them left that was twenty years old and upwards when they came out of Egypt, save Caleb and Joshua. So the Lord may pardon a nation, and yet punish them; He may by His judgments weed out the generality of a nation, and send them to the pit, which may consist with a national pardon when He doth not cut off the nation, or suffers them to enjoy the privileges of a Church. But the pardon of a particular sinner is, when he sits down at God’s footstool, and judges himself, and closes with Christ for righteousness, and that’s another thing.
(5) In taking up the nature of pardon negatively, we must beware of confounding the pardon of sin with the removal of sin;
the prosecution whereof would lead me to speak positively, wherein pardon of sin consists, to the guilt and pollution of sin, and the different acts of God about both. But, because that will give rise to other questions, I shall remit it to another occasion. Only here ye shall distinguish these three: the filth of sin, the power of sin, and the guilt of sin. The filth of sin is the foul stain that sin leaves behind it; the guilt of sin is the offence done to God, and the obligation to punishment resulting thereupon; the power of sin is the tyranny that sin exercises over the sinner. Now, when I say we are not to confound the pardon of sin with the removal of sin, ye would understand it aright. I grant that God strikes at the guilt of sin and the power of sin both at once, which is this in plain language, that a pardoned sin must not be a reigning sin; where the virtue of the blood is applied for pardon, the power of the blood will also be applied for the subjugating of sin, and putting it from the throne. And therefore, in the by, ye may take it as a noble evidence of pardon when sin is subdued, or if it be not subdued, yet ye are engaged against your own sinful disposition, that it prevails not with your consent. But for the filthiness of sin, though it be stricken at, as soon as any of the former, regeneration lays the ax to the root of that tree, yet it remains in the saints till death makes the separation. Paul hath a law in his members, rebelling against the law in his mind till death (Rom. vii.). But the pardon of sin is attainable before death, and is given in justification, and afterwards upon the justified person’s repentance for particular faults, and therefore, consequently, it is not to be confounded with the removal of sin. Sin may be pardoned, and pardon of sin is consistent with the sight of the filthiness of sin, for which the soul is abased before God daily after regeneration, though sin doth not reign. And that’s it wherein the pardon of sin consists, even in the taking away of the guilt of sin, and of the soul’s obligation to wrath, though the filth of sin remain.
(To be continued.)