I DID in the forenoon put a close to the third and main head of doctrine that is contained and included in this high and great privilege of the remission of sins, and that is to clear what this forgiveness is, and wherein the nature of it consists. And what ye heard upon it in the morning amounts to this—that pardon in the court of heaven is a distinct thing from the intimation of that pardon in the court of conscience; and therefore they that are running to the fountain and laying hold upon the promise of pardon, they must not conceive that they are not pardoned because they cannot feel by any sensible manifestation that they are pardoned. And the last thing I was upon was, that however pardon passed by God is irrevocable, it is a deed and sentence that is never revoked; once be pardoned of sin and it is eternally pardoned. And consequently the child of God that hath been at Christ the remedy with any sin, he must not conceive that every sin that troubles him, especially upon his falling in new guilt, is unpardoned; yet they that know how much they are in free grace’s debt for pardon should walk tenderly, that they open not these unripe graves upon themselves, which will be much bitterness to them, especially when new guilt is made a prospect wherethrough to read old guilt, though it be pardoned.
I proceed to the fourth head to be spoken to in this purpose, and that is the time when God pardoneth sin in His people. The text hath a ground for this also, for the psalmist finds it a fit time to strick in for pardoning mercy, and by faith to close with this, “There is forgiveness with thee.” When he is abased with the sight and sense of sin, when he finds sin such a debt, such a burden, “That if God mark iniquity, none can stand,” he finds it then time, I say, to strick in for pardon. But that I may speak a little more distinctly to this—which, when I have done with, there will remain only the right method of application of pardon to be spoken to that will bring me on in the text and to the practical use of all this doctrine—I shall speak briefly to these three questions on it:—
- Whether sin be pardoned from all eternity, or when Christ paid satisfaction to justice on the cross, as the Antinomians say?
- Supposing that sin is pardoned, not from eternity but in time, the next question will be, whether all sins be forgiven at once to the justified and pardoned man—whether in justification and upon a man’s closing with Christ, all sins, not only sins, past and present, but sins to come are actually pardoned?
- If sins be pardoned in time, how is it said (Acts iii. 19, 20) to be done at the day of judgment: “Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord,” etc?
For the first of these questions the Antinomians make justification and the pardon of sin an imminent act in God (as they call it) and they will have it past from all eternity, and they assert that all the elect are actually pardoned from eternity, and the lowest that any of them comes is, that they will have all the elect pardoned when Christ upon the cross finished the satisfaction to justice for their sins; and all that a believer gets when he comes to Christ, and closes with Christ for righteousness and life, is not an actual pardon, but the intimation and declaration of his pardon, even as when a pardoned rebel who hath a pardon in his pocket, is brought in before the king and prays for pardon, and the king intimates the pardon which he hath already got, unto him. To clear it according to scripture and so to lead you to something practical in this, ye shall take up pardon in four steps.
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We grant that from all eternity God decreed to pardon the sins of all the elect, and in this respect we shall not decline to say that all the elect are justified and pardoned in God’s decree, to whom “Known are all his works from the beginning of the world,” Acts xv. 18. Yet we must add that that will not prove actual pardon to the elect from eternity, for all the elect are saved as well as pardoned in God’s decree; and yet they are not actually saved till they be glorified. There is only a decree concerning their pardon to be in due time past on gospel terms, and actual pardon is a transient act and changes the state of the person.
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As pardon to the elect is decreed from all eternity, so it is purchased by Christ at His death, for then, Col. ii. 14, “He blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” He then blotted out our libel and dittay (bill of accusations). How? By paying a price for that pardon, that in due time, and in the use of means, was to be actually conferred; and in this sense we shall let it pass that the elect were justified in Christ, their head. At His death He took up that song, Isaiah 1. 8, “He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me?” that we might sing it after him, Rom. viii. 34, “It is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth?”
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But there is a third step of the pardon of sin, that is, that pardon that is decreed by God from eternity and purchased by Christ at his death, it is recorded by way of a past sentence and tendered in the word of the gospel to be embraced by sinners in due order, in the use of the means. A sentence of pardon is past and pronounced in the word of the gospel that needs no more to make it effectual to the sinner but his closing with Christ and getting in his name in the due use of the means.
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But yet we must add a fourth step when pardon is decreed, when Christ has purchased pardon, and the sentence of pardon is past and pronounced in the Word; yet no man is actually pardoned till he come unto Christ; till he be actually penitent and a believer, he is not actually pardoned. And when he is an actual penitent and has closed with Christ for pardon of sin, righteousness and life, he may then look back with comfort on God’s decree of election, on Christ’s purchase of pardon, on his being on God’s heart when pardon is holden out in the Word; but actually pardoned he is not, till he himself come to Christ and be a believer on Him.
Many things would fall in to be spoken to for clearing of this; some whereof will come in when we come to the resolution of the next question. I shall here offer three words for clearing and confirming this truth.
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That all the elect before conversion are in a state of wrath even as others (Ephes. ii. 3). The elect before they be quickened are children of wrath, not in their own sense only, as the Antinomians say, but really even as others, and consequently they were not pardoned nor reconciled before they were quickened more than the pagans, children of wrath.
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It is clear from the tenor of the Scriptures that they are not, nor cannot be, justified and pardoned till they be in Christ, the second Adam, not in a decree, or judicially, as represented by Christ, but actually by faith, for we are justified by faith (Rom. v. 1). And consequently, by faith we are pardoned, which is a branch of justification. Now men are in Christ by faith, not from eternity, but in time, and on that account (Rom. xvi. 7) Paul tells of some of his kinsmen that were in Christ before him, and consequently were not actually pardoned till they were in Him by faith.
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In the pattern of prayer, Matt. vi., we are bidden pray daily, “Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.” The Antinomians say, when we are bidden pray for forgiveness, that it is for the intimation of pardon; but that gloss may be easily wiped off, if we consider that we are to pray for forgiveness, as we forgive others. Now we forgive others by a real passing from the wrong they have done us, and not by the intimation of pardon only. And further, it may be cleared from that same similitude that Antinomians bring of a rebel or malefactor that hath gotten a pardon from his prince. It is true, after he hath gotten his pardon, when he comes before his prince he may seek the intimation of his pardon; but he were a fool if, as oft as he came in his prince’s presence, he should seek the intimation of his pardon; and consequently it is not the intimation of pardon that is to be sought daily in that petition, but actual pardon. Thus ye see that sin is not actually pardoned from eternity. This might warn us in our practice to take a right look of the decrees of God. Profane mockers begin there to cast off all fear of God, and if (say they) it be decreed in heaven they will get it ; and if not, they will want it. Others that are more tender are ready to question if they be decreed for life, and if Christ stood in their room, and if they have interest in His death. But these are not thy first questions, but rather if thou hast need of Him, if that which thou misters (needest) be held out in the promise, and thou needest never speir (question) thy interest so long as thou hast a necessity to prove it. Till thou begin there, a comfortable look of God’s decree and purpose about thee, thou will never get.
But I proceed to the second question, whether all sins of the justified be forgiven at once. The expressions of some orthodox divines run this way—that justification being an indivisible instantaneous act, all the sins of the justified, past, present, and to come, are pardoned in that first act of justification, and all that we get afterward is a renewed sense of our justification and a renewed extract of our discharge, when by new guilt it is darkened and subdued so as we cannot read it. In the clearing of this a general truth is to be granted, that when a man is once justified, no sin that he falls in after justification shall eventually condemn him ; for if we consider partly the sure decree of God that He will save His own elect whom He hath decreed to save ; partly the purchase of Christ that He will lose none that are given to Him ; and partly the sure state of the justified man, that as it is, Rom. viii. 30, ” Whom he justifies, them he also glorifies ” ; we may assert when once a man is justified he shall never be condemned, though he fall in new sins after justification. But this we say not upon that account, because these sins are pardoned, but because the elect justified man shall undoubtedly repent and get pardon, and these are the terms on which we say that no sin the justified man falls in shall eventually condemn him. But more particularly, in speaking of justification and pardon of sin, ye shall in the taking of it up go along with me in these four or five steps.
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A justified man closing with Christ by faith, his person is reconciled and received in favour with God. And that is the first great step or benefit the justified person hath that the man with Abraham becomes a friend of God from an enemy. And upon this results that distinction that is to be made betwixt a man’s state and his condition. The unrenewed man, both his state and condition are cursed, but the justified, as to his state is blessed, but his condition may alter as the moon upon his hand.
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In justification, not only is the justified man’s person taken in favour with God, but all his sins, past and present, all the debts wherewith he can be charged in that day when he closes with Christ, are blotted out and pardoned, no more to be remembered. And his pardon is this, when he grips by faith to Christ, and through Christ, to the promise of pardon holden forth in the Gospel, his pardon is a pronounced sentence in the Word, and all his crimes and transgressions are then done away.
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And because a justified man is not a perfect man, but falling daily in new escapes, whereby he contracts new guilt and pollution, therefore a justified man, beside the reconciliation of his person and the pardon of his sins he is under for the time, he hath a right to that open “Fountain opened for the house of David for sin and for uncleanness” Zech. xiii. 1. He hath a right to go to the fountain as an open fountain to wash, upon his repentance daily, as he contracts pollution, and that’s another privilege the justified man hath, that he hath a fountain to go to upon his repentance, and wash and be clean.
(To be continued.)