[9.] Ninthly, If all sins were not forgiven at once, then justification is not perfect at once, hut is more and more increased and perfected as more and more sins are pardoned, which cannot consist with the true doctrine of Justification. Certainly as to the state of justification, there is a fuU and perfect remission of all sins — considered under the differences of time past, present, and to come. As in the state of condemnation there is not any one sin pardoned, so in the estate of justification, there is not any one sin but is pardoned ; for the state of justification is opposite to all condemnation and curse and wrath. But,
[10.] Tenthly, All agree that as to God's eternal decree or purpose of forgiveness, all the sins of his people are forgiven. God did not intend to forgive some of their sins and not the rest, but a universal and full and complete forgiveness was fixedly purposed and resolved on by God. Forgiveness of sins is a gracious act, or work of God for Christ's sake, discharging and absolving believing and repenting persons from the guilt and punishment of all their sins, so that God is no longer displeased with them, nor will he ever remember them any more, nor call tbem to an account for them, nor condemn them for their sins, but will look on them, and deal with them as if they had never sinned, never offended him.
Thirdly, Consider, that at the very moment of a helievers dissolu- tion, all his sins are perfectly and fully forgiven. All their sins are so fully and finally forgiven them, that at the very moment of their souls going out from the body, there is not one sin of omission or commission, nor any aggravation or least circumstance left stand- ing in the book of God's remembrance ; and this is the true reason why there shall not be the least mention made of their sins in their trial at Christ's tribunal, because they were all pardoned fully and finally at the hour of their death. All debts were then dis- charged, all scores were then crossed, so that in the great day, when the books shall be opened and perused, there shall not one sin be found, but all blotted out, and all reckonings made even in the blood of Christ.
Indeed, if God should pardon some sins, and not others, he would at the same time be a friend and an enemy, and we should be at once both happy and miserable, which are manifest contradictions. Besides, God doth nothing in vain ; but it would be in vain for God to pardon some sins but not all, for as one leak in a ship un-
64 SEKIOUS AND WEIGHTY QUESTIONS
stopped will sink the ship, and as one sore or one disease, not healed nor cured, will kill the body, so one sin unpardoned will destroy the soul.
Fourthly, God looks not upon those as sinners, whose sins are pardoned : Luke vii. 37, ' And behold a woman in the city which was a sinner.' A notorious sinner, a branded sinner. Mark, it is not said, behold a woman which is a sinner, but * behold a woman which ivas a sinner ;' to note that sinners converted and pardoned are no longer reputed sinners, ' Behold a woman which was a sinner.' Look, as a man, when he is cleansed from filth, is as if he had never been defiled ; so when a sinner is pardoned, he is in God's account as if he had never sinned. Hence those phrases in Cant. 4. 7, ' Thou art all fair, my love, and there is no spot in thee : ' Col. ii. 10, ' And ye are complete in liim, who is the head of all principality and power,' as though he had said, because in himself he hath the well-head of glory and majesty, the which becometh ours ; in that he is also the head of his church : Col. i. 21, ' And you that were sometime alienated, and enemies in your mind, by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled ;' ver. 22, * In the body of his flesh, through death, to present you holy and unblam- able, and unreprovable in his sight ; ' that is, by his righteousness imputed and imparted : Eph. v. 27, ' that he might present it to him- self a glorious church, not having spot or vsrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.' The word ' present ' is taken from the custom of solemnizing a marriage ; first the spouse was wooed, and then set before her husband adorned with his jewels, as Kebekah was with Isaac's : Rev. xiv. 5, ' And in their mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault before the throne of God.' 1. They are without fault by imputation. 2. By inchoation. Hence Job is said to be a perfect man. Job ii., and David to be 'a man after God's own heart,' Acts xiii. 22. The forgiven party is now looked upon and received with that love and favour, as if he had never offended God, and as if God had never been offended by him, Hosea xiv. 1, 2, 4 ; Isa. liv. 7-10 ; Jer. xxxi. 33, 34, 36, 37 ; Luke xv. 19-23. Here the sins of the prodigal are pardoned, and his father receives him with such expressions of love and familiarity as if he had never sinned against him ; his father never so much as objects any one of all his high sinnings against him. Hence it is that you read of such sweet, kind, tender, loving, comfortable expressions of God towards those whose sins he had pardoned : Jer. xxxi. 16, ' Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears ;' ver. 20, ' Is Ephraim my dear son, is he a pleasant child ? ' Mat. ix. 2, ' Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee.' The schools say that the remission of sins is not only ahlaiiva mali, but collativa boni, a remotion of guilt, but a coUation of good. Look, as he that is legally acquitted of theft or murder, is no more reputed a thief or murderer, so here, Jer. 1. 20, ' In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none ; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found ; for I will pardon them whom I reserve.' Pardoned sin is in God's account no sin, and the pardoned sinner in God's account is no sinner, as the pardoned debtor is no debtor. Where God hath pardoned a man, there he never looks upon that man
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