302 SERMONS UPON EOMANS VI. [SeR. XVI.
appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is ; and he that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure ; ' Eph. v. 27, * That he might present it (the church) to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.' Once more, the aim of it is to promote holiness : 2 Peter i. 4, ' Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature ; ' 2 Cor. vii. 1, ' Having these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God ; ' Luke i. 75, ' That we might serve him a0o/3(y9, without fear ' (that is the great privilege of the new covenant), ' in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our lives.' In short, the covenant dealeth only with a holy people, and excludeth the profane and unclean : the holy covenant must have a holy people suitable to it, or else it speaketh no good to them. If you be not holy, you have no part in Christ, nor interest in his covenant : Acts XX. 32, ' And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an in- heritance among them that are sanctified ;' Acts xxvi. 18, ' To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that we may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.' Well, you see the whole scope and great drift of the covenant is to promote holiness.
It remains, secondly, to vindicate those doctrines of grace that may seem to occasion these imaginations.
1. God's freeness and readiness to pardon. The law threateneth punishment, but grace offereth pardon and impunity ; therefore men let loose the reins ; they think mercy will pardon all and discharge all. But this is a wretched abuse.
[1.] Though pardon be offered to penitent sinners, yet it is on pur- pose that they may forsake their sins, and timely return to the obed- ience of God : Ps. cxxx. 4, ' There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared ; ' that they may not stand aloof from God as a con- demning God, but return to his fear and service. It is offered to prevent despair, not to encourage us in sin ; so that you quite pervert the end of the offer.
[2.] This pardon belongeth only to the penitent. The ofiter is made to all, but none have an actual right to it till they repent : Isa. Iv. 7, ' Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon ; ' and Prov. xxviii. 13, ' He that covereth his sins shall not prosper ; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy.' All sinners are to be told that God is ready to pardon ; but all sinners are not to believe that their sins are pardoned, for this is an act that belongeth to God as a governor and judge. Some things God doth as a free Lord, and there ' it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy,' Kom. ix. 16. Other things God doth as a righteous judge and governor, according to the law of commerce between him and his creatures : there it is, ' So run that ye may
VeR. 15.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 303
obtain,' 1 Cor. ix. 24. To apply this to the case in hand. Pardon of sins is an act of judicature, dispensed upon certain terms ; gracious and free they are indeed, but terms and conditions they are still, without which we have no right to pardon, or are not qualified to receive it. All the privileges of the gospel are a benefit, but a benefit dispensed on certain terms, such as our sovereign Lord was pleased to prescribe.
[3.] They are expressly excluded that securely go on in sin : P.s. Ixviii. 21, ' But he will wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.^ That excep- tive participle hut relateth to what was said of God before. Now, twice before God is called a God of salvation : ver. 19, ' Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salva- tion, Selah ; ' and ver. 20, 'He that is our God is the God of salvation ; but he will wound,' &c. A man that goeth on still in his sins is reckoned an enemy to Christ, whatever he be by outward profession, and as an enemy he shall be dealt with. The God of salvation, or the merciful Saviour, will not save him, notwithstanding all that lenity and goodness which he showeth to them that are sincere. The God of salvation will strike home upon their hairy scalp, that is, utterly destroy them. Therefore, when men go on in a state of impenitency, either igaorantly, or against conviction of conscience, upon a presump- tion that God's mercy shall bear them out, they make the God of all grace their enemy ; his justice is against you, and his mercy will not help you. By the law is the knowledge of sin, and by the gospel you are excluded from pardon, till you break off" your sins by repentance : and the more sin you commit, the further off you are from salvation, every sin is a step further : Ps. cxix. 155, ' Salvation is far from the wicked, for they seek not thy statutes ; ' d pari, salvation is near to the righteous : Rom. xiii. 11, ' Now is your salvation nearer than when ye first believed.' Every man, every day, is a step nearer to heaven or hell.