[6.] A renewed pardon for every renewed sin which we commit - 1 John ii. 1, ' My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we bave an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous ; ' and 1 John i. 9, ' If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' As soon as we repent and believe there is a general pardon, the state of the person is changed, he is made a child cf God : John i. 12, ' To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to as many as believe in his name ; ' John xiii. 10, ' He that is washed needeth not to wash, save his feet ;'■ because by going up and down in the world we contract new defilement. He is translated from a state of wrath to a state of grace ; all sins past are remitted. God doth not pardon some, and leave others, though God's pardon be not antedated ; Kom. iii. 25, ' Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past.' And such an one hath free leave to sue out pardon for future sins, and so have a greater holdfast upon God ; they have a present certain effectual remedy at hand for their pardon, that is, the merit of Christ's blood, the covenant of grace in which they have an interest, Christ's intercession and the Spirit to excite them to faith and repent- ance. Well then, let us fly to Christ for daily pardon; as under the
VeR. 19.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS Y. 271
law there were daily sacrifices to be offered up, Xum. xxviii. 3. God came to Adam in the cool of the day, Gen. iii. 8, Eeconciliatiou with man is to be sought speedily : Eph. iv. 26, ' Let not the sun go down on your wrath.' The unclean person was to wash his clothes before the evening. Our hearts should be humbled within us to think that God is displeased.
[7.] We pray for our pardon and acceptance with Christ at the last day of general judgment : Luke xxi. 36, 'Watch and pray, that ye may be accounted worthy to stand before the Son of man.' Some effect of sin remaineth till then, as death on the body ; so that whilst any penal evil introduced by sin remaineth, we pray that God will not repent of his mercy.
Use 2. It showeth how much we should prize pardon, as a special fruit of the love of God and Christ : Eev. i. 5, ' To him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his blood ; ' 1 John iv. 9, 10, ' In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.' If we be serious we will do so. Those that have felt anything of the burden of sin will enter- tain the offer of pardon with great thankfulness; it is a privilege welcome to distressed consciences. What man in chains would not be glad of liberty ? what debtor would not be discharged ? how glad is an honest man to be out of debt ? what guilty malefactor would not be acquitted ? Oh, let it not seem a light thing in your eye ! we have lost our spiritual relish if it do. Oh, prize a pardon, apprehend it as a great benefit, sweeter than the honey and honeycomb.
Use 3. It should engage us to love God : Luke vii. 47, ' Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much ; but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little/
SERMO:^^ XXXVI.
Not imputing their trespasses unto them ; and hath committed to us the luord of reconciliation. — 2 Cor. v. 19.
Doct One great branch and fruit of our reconciliation with God is the pardon of sins.
Reasons —
First. Because reconciliation implieth in its own nature a release of the punishment of sin, or, on God's part, a laying aside of his wrath and anger ; as on ours a laying aside of our enmity and disobedience : Isa. xxvii. 4, ' Fury is not in me.' Anger in God is nothing else but his justice appointing the punishment of sin ; and he is said to be reconciled or pacified, when he hath no will to punish, or doth not purpose to punish, and therefore fitly is this part of the reconciliation expressed by not imputing our trespasses ; especially because our
272 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. XXXVI.
reconciliation with God is not the reconciliation of private persons or of equals, but such as is between superiors and inferiors, a ])rince and liis ]-ebellious subjects, parents and their disobedient children, the governor and judge of the world and sinning mankind, and therefore not to be ended by w;iy of agreeruent and composition, but by way of satisfaction, humiliation, and pardon ; satisfaction on Christ's part, humiliation on our part, pardon on God's. AVhen persons fall out that are in a private capacity, the difference may be ended by composition ; they may quit the sense of the wrong done to them, but the case is different here ; God is not reconciled to us merely as the party offended, but as the governor of the world. A private man, as the party offended, may easily remit a wrong done to him without requiring satisfaction or submission, according to his own pleasure, as Joseph was reconciled to his brethren ; but here God is not considered as the party offended merely, but as the supreme judge, who is to proceed according to law. When the magistrate forgiveth, there must be a stated pardon ; and so God is to find out a way how the law is to be satisfied, and the offender saved, by releasing the punishment in such a way as the law may not fall to the ground, and that is not without the satisfaction of Christ, and the submission of the sinner, and the solemn grant of a pardon. A private man may do in his own case as pleaseth him,but there is a difference in a public person. The right of passing by a wrong, and tlie right of releasing a punishment, are dif- ferent things, because punishment is a common interest, and is referred to the common good, to preserve order and for an example to others.