But a little more particularly let me show you how you do not exalt God alone and separately for laymg it upon Christ. It is inclu- sive two ways : —
1. If you have such a secret thought in you that it is because you are less sinners than others, therefore you are pardoned, and your sins are laid upon Christ.
2. If because you are greater sinners than others, you therefore con- clude you shall not be pardoned, you do not give God the glory of his prerogative, that he alone should lay your sins upon Christ, but you look for somewhat in the creature.
1. When you think God laid your sins on Christ because you are not so vile as others. Take heed, say not in your hearts it is for your righteousness. God acts according to his own pleasure ; he many times leaveth those that to outward appearance are most righteous. You have heard of the lieathens, and yet they were passed by, as Cato and Aristides ; nay, Fabricius and Socrates, though they did excel in out- ward honesty of life, yet God did not regard them in his choice. Whereas Paul, who was a persecutor, a blasphemer, and injurious, his sins were laid upon the back of Ciirist, as were those of Mary Mag- dalen, and the thief upon tlie cross, whose whole life was wasted in wickedness. And Christ telleth the pharisees that ' publicans and harlots should enter into the kingdom of heaven before them.' It doth not go by your W(jrks. The apostle Paul doth strive often to remove this conceit out of our hearts : Titus iii. 4, 5, ' But after that the love and kindness of God our Saviour toward man apj)eared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.' All that we could bring to God was disobedience, and lusts, and malice, and envy. So 2 Tim. i. 9, ' He called us with an
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holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own pur- pose and grace, which was given us in Christ before the world began.' God doth not look without himself, but only to his own purpose and grace. It is good to improve natural light, and to live to the utmost of it ; but it is a vain thing to think that by any action of ours we should hope to move God to lay our sins upon Christ. Luther hath a pretty expression to this purpose upon this text : ' Take heed,' saith he, ' of bringing the servants or the ass to God's mountain. They may accompany you thither : Abraham and the lad must go yonder and worship ; the servants and the ass must tarry at the foot of the hill. Only go you with faith, to deal with the mercy of God ; do not any way admit your works to the glory of a pardon.' Therefore, I say, look upon God as laying your sins upon Christ, being moved thereunto merely by his own purpose and will. He saw nothing in you to incline him to lay your sins on Christ more than others'. This is the first way.
2. When you think God will not lay your sins upon Christ, because you are so great sinners, and have committed so much wickedness. We are all apt to say, as Peter, Luke v. 8, ' Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinful man.' Do not you make God to eye something without himself now to incline him to this ? Alas ! it is all one to God whether you are great or little sinners. The spring and rise of his love in giving Christ to you is from his own bowels ; and if there be any differ- ence in this kind it is in this, that the greater sins comply with God's ends and designs. And therefore it is sometimes an argument used to God, that though they can bring him no other thing, they can bring him wickedness enough. Thus David saith, ' Pardon my sin, for it is great,' Ps. xxv. 11 ; so Isa. xliii. 24, 25, ' Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices, but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, and hast wearied me with thine iniquities.' What followeth ? A man would think terrible, thundering words. No ; it is a sweet and evangelical promise ; ' I, even I, am he that blotteth out your transgressions, for my own sake, and will not remember thy sins.' So Gen. viii. 21, ' I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth ;' and Isa. Ivii. 17, 18, ' For the iniquity of his covetousness, I was wroth, and smote him ; I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, and will heal him. I will lead him also, and re- store comforts unto him, and to his mourners.' God, you see, declares that it is according to his own purpose, and not of our works. He doth quite contrary to the deserts of man, not to debase strictness, but to exalt his own grace. Mark, that place fully setteth forth the cove- nant of grace, Isa. liv. 9, where God saith, ' For this is as the waters of Noah unto me ; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee.'